Yeshua Lives!

0:00 I'm not gonna give a long update today, but I know I continue to hear, um, the calls for ceasefire for peace and for, uh, restraint on the behalf of Israel, uh, in the, in the ongoing war. And really, this is what all I have to say is it's been 119 days, and there are still 132 hostages that have undergone unspeakable horrors for 119 days, and they still have not been released. The Red Cross has still not checked on them or not been allowed to check on them, is maybe the, maybe what I should say.

0:47 Uh, nobody knows how they're doing because they're being held all around underground in people's homes, uh, throughout, throughout Gaza. So for those who are calling for the ceasefire, I I think it should start with those who are being held hostage. That's where it starts. So anyways, I, I know I've mentioned this before, but, uh, we, I started this, well, I guess it was about 119 days ago, um, praying for one of the hostages, uh, by name, even as Isaiah says that the name of Israel is forever inscribed upon the palm of his hand.

1:36 Uh, so also I write one of their names so that I can pray and remind the Lord of those who, those who are being held hostage. I, I started something new this week and I, I, I don't know if I'm going to, I'll share it, and I kind of got inspired sometime in the last week. I've, I've heard Nehemiah mentioned multiple times, and in Nehemiah they're rebuilding the wall, but they're also have a sword in one hand. And so on this hand, I'm praying for soldiers that I know are actively on the front. Uh, so anyways, you do what you want. Um, but whatever you want, I, I should recommend that you always pray.

2:22 Uh, I would like to invite Rabbi Sean to come to the stage a Ven Shaba, our father in heaven. Lord, I thank you for Rabbi Sean. I thank you for, uh, his diligence to prepare this week. Lord, I pray that you would speak to us, uh, through Rabbi Sean's preparation, uh, and that, that we would, we would walk away today, uh, changed and moved to serve you more. We bless you and praise you in Yeshua's name. Amen. Amen. Thank you Rabbi Ari. We'll be in the Book of Acts today if you wanna turn there ahead of time. Chapter four,

3:16 have you ever had encounters with people that remind you of Yeshua? I'm not talking about flowing blonde hair, blue eyes, and a flare for the dramatic. I'm talking about people of all types that manifest the qualities and character of Yeshua, people that show remarkable patience, wisdom, kindness, compassion, righteousness, joy, peace, self-control, love, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, et cetera. If I consider each one of these medot, these measures

4:03 of character, one or several people might come to mind. I have been fortunate enough to encounter individuals throughout my life who manifest these characteristics of Yeshua, and while I do not seek to discount any of these people or qualities, there is one season of life that stands out when I think about the nature of Yeshua with his disciples or aladin. Amazingly, this time comes from before I was a believer in Yeshua. What's even more crazy is that I do not know whether the person I'm about to describe

4:48 believed in Yeshua or not. This person was not a preacher and I have not had any communication with this individual in over 20 years. I'm referring to a public school teacher I had back on Long Island in my senior year of high school. I basically meandered through high school up to the point of my senior year. I was not actively pursuing any notable direction in my life. I was not a particularly great or terrible student. I did well enough and largely stayed out of trouble after the eighth grade. Thankfully, I was presented with an opportunity.

5:34 I give thanks to my mother in this regard because she discovered the opportunity and encouraged me to pursue it. I'm referring to an aviation class in my high school. It couldn't simply be added to my course preferences. It required responding as to why I would be a good fit for the program and then being chosen to be part of a small class. As I said, my mother encouraged me to apply and I was accepted into the program. This was not merely another high school class. Rather, the aviation class took four periods out of an eight period day. It was half of the school day every day.

6:20 If memory serves, it replaced math, science, and even lunch period. That year. Aviation class would combine math and scientific learning, and I believe that we even shared our meals together. It was led by a teacher named John Raki. However, we referred to him as Mr. K. I can even remember times when Mr. K would take deli orders and bring in breakfast sandwiches and bagels to be delivered. While we worked and learned together, Mr. K had partners in the organization. There was Fred Costa.

7:06 Fred owned two Cessna, one fifties that were kept in pristine condition. Depending upon our grades in the class, we would earn flight time in weekly lessons. There were also two to three flight instructors who were committed to teaching our class. The organization was called Second Wind Aviation. This partnership had clearance from the school district. Functioned as a nonprofit, had a sterling reputation and many connections in the local and national aviation community. There were 12 of us in the class. Dave, Ben, Andrea, the other Sean who was a wrestler,

7:53 Craig, Ian, Keith, RO, Smitty, Brian, myself, and one friendly kid whose name I can no longer remember and that's been killing me all week. Our weekly exams came from the FAA flight manual. I received a 98 on my first exam. Mr. K had a small dry erase board in in the front of the class where he wrote down the pilot order. The amount of flight time we received was BA based upon our ranking in the class, which was based on our test scores. Keith got a 99 on that first exam. He was number one and I was number two.

8:42 I did not like that. I thought that if I got a perfect score on the next exam, perhaps I could beat Keith. For those of you who are attentive to the details of my stories, please know that this is a different Keith than my childhood friend I've referenced at other times. So I studied hard the next week ensuring that I would not miss a single question. Keith, to my delight, missed one or two questions, and suddenly I found myself at the top of the pilot order in just the second week of the class. Keith was upset with me as I had been with him in the prior week.

9:29 However, I realized something in that moment. If I studied this hard for the rest of the year, I would get 100% on every exam. Even if Keith never missed another question, I would retain my place at the top of the pilot order, and this is precisely what happened. Keith and I both received perfect scores on our exams for the remainder of the year, yet I remained at the top of the pilot order by the fraction of a point that order was social currency in the class. What's ironic about this all is that Keith was born to be a pilot.

10:16 It's what he always aspired to. He was a natural pilot and he would be the first in the class to fly solo. At this point in time, us sitting here today, he must be more than 20 years into his piloting career. However, I was not born with the love of flying. I was born colorblind and could not fly solo at night. I had a hard time getting along with my instructor in the cramped Cessna one 50 and did not attain my pilot's license until two years later when I took out a loan and was able to choose my own instructor. However, for my senior year, with the exception of one week, I was able to experience being at the top of my class.

11:04 Thinking back, I believe that this made a huge difference in the way that I began to view myself as a young man. Mr. K used to refer to me as Dr. Moyer. He didn't just teach us about aviation. He shared wisdom from his life. He told me where to go to Fern find my first aviation job. I would even become Keith's boss on the airfield, which gave me distinct pleasure. I clearly remember him displaying a prominent finger from the Line Shack, the time I persuaded Bob Barcus to give me a ride in his P 51 Mustang.

11:50 Everyone wanted a ride in that airplane. Mr. K tapped into my leadership ability. He once pulled me aside and gave me a mission to address one of the students and encourage him to shower and wear deodorant. He knew that I would communicate the truth with care. He would bring in former students who were serving in various ways, both inside and outside of the aviation community to share their experiences with the class. He helped me land an internship with the FAA

12:35 and counseled me in choosing a college program. When I came to faith in the middle of my aviation degree, he allowed me to come back and present to his class about my experience. He even allowed me to share my faith with the class through song. When I think about people who remind me of Yeshua with his talde, Mr. K immediately comes to mind. He found us at a point when we were the most impressionable and poured into us bringing about recognizable change in each one of our lives. I believe that half of us in the class attained our pilot's

13:21 license, and about a quarter of the class went on to become airline pilots. However, all of us grew in wisdom. As a result of that one year with Mr. K, the wisdom that he imparted to us would serve in any life path or vocation. The title of my message today is Yeshua Lives. It comes from Acts chapter four, verses 13 through 22, and I would like to demonstrate three things from this passage. First, I want to make the case that Yeshua is alive even today. Second, I want to challenge you to consider how your life

14:09 bears witness to Yeshua's life. And lastly, I want to encourage you to consider how your life is good news to the people around you. My outline can be found on the you version app, and I will be reading from the Tree of Life version. The TLV Acts four verses 13 through 17 read as follows. Now, when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and figured out that they were laymen without training, they were amazed. They began to realize that these men had been with Yeshua, but seeing the healed man standing with them,

14:55 they had nothing to say in response. When they had ordered Peter and John to go out of the council chamber, they began to confer with one another, saying, what shall we do with these men? For indeed, it's obvious to everyone living in Jerusalem that a remarkable miracle has happened through them, and we cannot deny it, but so it won't spread any further among the people. Let's warn them not to speak anymore to anyone in this name. Yeshua is alive even today. This might seem like an odd statement to make at this point.

15:41 In Acts four, we are at the point in the narrative where Yeshua had come to earth and had had an impactful ministry. Although he made disciples and performed many miracles, he suffered death through crucifixion at the hands of disapproving authorities. Although he rose from the grave after three days, he would ascend to the right hand of the Father. At this point in the narrative, he is not physically present with the Tal Meade. One could even say that the disciples went through a fair amount of confusion or disarray up to this point in the narrative.

16:27 So why do I emphasize the life of Yeshua at this point? At the end of the previous chapter, when Peter is addressing his brothers at the temple, he says that God raised up his servant and sent him first to you. This can be found in Acts chapter three, verse 26. This statement was a bit baffling to me. What does that mean? That God would send Yeshua first to Israel? Does that imply that God would send Yeshua to the Gentiles next? If that is the case, it seems that the Tal Meade, the disciples through carrying on the ministry and the teaching of Yeshua would become an extension

17:16 of the life of Yeshua in this way. Yeshua would go out from Israel into the nations. If that's true, we can also understand that the transmission of the ministry of Yeshua from generation to generation, even until today is an extension of the life of Yeshua. Yeshua is alive through us. Yeshua is alive not only through us, but through all who align themselves with the character and teaching of Yeshua. Perhaps you're thinking at this point that's silly to say Yeshua is alive today is to say that the resurrected Yeshua has ascended to the right hand

18:02 of God where he continually intercedes on our behalf and from where he will return to establish his throne in Jerusalem. To that, I would say you are correct. However, Yeshua is not only alive at the right hand of the Father. Yeshua is alive in every man, woman, or child who is impacted by Yeshua's ministry and imparts Yeshua's life to others. Furthermore, it seems clear that rather than having one Yeshua ministering locally in Israel, Yeshua has multiplied replicated throughout the world reaching all the corners of the earth. It must be noted that we are merely me little reflections

18:51 of Yeshua as imperfect as we are. Yet, as we walk in the guidance of the King Messiah, Yeshua, ham, the ministry of Yeshua expands and does not diminish. In this sense, Yeshua is alive and well. Yeshua is alive and his body is growing. It's funny to me that the rulers, elders, and Torah scholars realize that Peter and John were laymen. In one sense, they were correct. They did not have formal training as scribes or priests, and they did not receive Torah training from one

19:38 of the approved channels. However, they spent over three years being directly instructed by Yeshua himself. Earlier I spoke about the impact of Mr. K. I only spent one year under his tutelage and it changed the course of my life. Imagine having three of your most formative years witnessing Yeshua's ministry and teaching and receiving customized instruction from the master. Peter and John were no mere layman. They had both graduated with a master's of the Universe degree.

20:23 Unfortunately, it was not recognized by the governing authorities in Israel. While the leaders were amazed that Peter and John were layman, it was also remarkably evident that they had been with Yeshua. In other words, those same characteristics that they observed in Yeshua were now being observed in the Tal Meade. As you know, most of the Tal Meade would face deaths similar to that of Yeshua at some point in the future. Yet each disciple would go forth to make a unique impact,

21:09 which characterized their own giftings and personalities while simultaneously reflecting the character of Yeshua. While the authorities were not comfortable with the ministry of Peter and John, they could not deny the positive nature of their impact. Namely, this man who had been unable to walk for over 40 years was now walking and leaping and praising God. Not only is this a purely positive impact upon this man's life, but the leaders could not deny that a remarkable miracle had happened through these men, and it was not only apparent to them,

21:56 but to everyone living in Jerusalem. The leaders were not upset about the miracle. What did bother them, however, is that the miracle had been done by the disciples of Yeshua in his name. When they ordered Peter and John to leave the room, they conferred among themselves. We can also presume that Luke had a friend in the room as somehow he was privy to this conversation. Maybe it was Nicodemus, Joseph of Arimathea or even Shaul from Tarsus. So perhaps you're wondering why did these leaders have such

22:42 a problem with the ministry of Yeshua and the ministry of Yeshua's followers? Ultimately, only God knows the nature of their hearts. It can also be said that certain prophetic elements needed to be fulfilled. Yet we humans are complicated creatures. While I cannot know exactly what threatened each one of these leaders, it is not difficult to speculate from our own human experience. For instance, imagine being a rabbi in the time of Yeshua. Maybe you're a good teacher. Maybe you're known for your good deeds. Maybe you are carrying on the traditions

23:28 of one of the sages. Meanwhile, Yeshua is turning water into wine, healing. The blind confronting injustice, befriending the outcast, walking on water, rebuking hasatan, amazing. The Torah scholars, even as a young boy, was descended from Melek. David, born of a virgin, was willing to face a cruel death in order to atone for the sins of humanity, return from the dead and ascended into the heavens after ensuring a successful transition plan for his ministry to continue and to increase eternally. How do you compete with that? There were those who saw Yeshua received His instruction became his followers,

24:16 and through giving up their authority were imparted with an even greater measure of life through Yeshua. However, it is easy for me to understand why. Some resisted, according to some perspectives, Yeshua was a threat to the perpetuity of the Peoplehood. A system had been established Yeshua's ministry. Though dynamic and radical was also threatening to the established order. This continues to be the case even today, although some are not happy about this, Yeshua is alive and well. Even today. Acts four versus

25:04 18 through 20 read as follows, so they called them in and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Yeshua. But Peter and John replied, whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God you decide for, we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard. How does your life bear witness to Yeshua's life? Peter and John were willing to pay the price in order to be ambassadors for Yeshua. What price have you had to pay for your faith in Yeshua?

25:54 Has your suffering come from your commitment to Yeshua or simply from your own stubbornness? While I can recall a few moments where I truly suffered as a result of being a follower of Yeshua, if I'm honest, most of the suffering I encounter is a result of my own stupidity or an area of weakness in my own character. In what ways are you suffering today? Are you suffering for the sake of the name of Yeshua or are you suffering for your own sake? While it can feel nice to pin the cause of our suffering on someone else or something else, more often than not, we serve

26:40 as our own worst enemies. I it is often our own inadequacies which land us in trouble. It is difficult to be honest with ourselves in this regard. Additionally, we often have blind spots to our own weaknesses. There may be some genetic inheritance or something that happened to us beyond our control that contributed to us being a certain way. Even if we believe that it is our parents' fault or that we have been the victim of circumstance, focusing upon this aspect of our suffering will not allow us to escape it. It will likely only cause us to become more bitter

27:27 as we encounter those that we blame for our problems or life situations, which we cannot change. We cannot change the fact that hurtful things have happened to us. We cannot change the fact that we feel pain. However, we can decide what our response will be to the things that have happened to us. We can decide what our words and actions will be. We can decide to what extent we are willing to take ownership of our own culpability in terms of our suffering, I love to be around people who are aware of their own strengths and weaknesses

28:12 and do not make excuses when they are at fault. These types of people challenge me to be more authentic and to better reflect the character of Yeshua. Unfortunately, when we refuse to take ownership of our transgressions, we limit our growth and frustrate those around us. We also hinder the growth of those around us through our failure to be a witness of Yeshua. Yeshua demonstrated an awareness of receptivity in individuals around him. For those who have ears to hear, let them hear.

28:58 If we value our time and energy upon this earth, we must value Yeshua's teaching and recognize where we do not meet the mark. Recognizing our problem, however does not automatically fix it. It does allow us to have peace with God, a clear conscience and the willingness to receive help in areas in which we are weak. If you are not aware of a few areas where you are weak, you lack self-awareness. On the other hand, some who are listening may only be be aware of their weaknesses and lack any awareness of any strength

29:45 or value in your own life. Peter serves as an example of a person who has failed. Peter serves as an as an example of a person who has disappointed Yeshua. However, Peter also serves as a person who recognized his own failure and decided to live differently. Peter also serves as a person who received power from the ruach to go beyond his own limitations and become a carrier of Yeshua's life.

30:31 As we have limited resources of time, energy, money, and ability, I encourage you to ask the Lord and others who are close to you, how teachable you are. Are you eager to learn and grow even when it's painful? Can you think of three people who you allow to speak into your life and correct you? I'll give you a second to let their faces come into your mind. Beyond this, consider those that you are pouring into. How receptive are others to you? Many did not have ears to hear Yeshua's teachings, so don't expect everyone to take you seriously.

31:19 However, are there three people in your life in whom you can make a positive impact and be a witness for Yeshua? If you can't think of three, can you think of one? Peter and John were willing to be held accountable for their actions. Furthermore, they conducted themselves in such a way that they could stand with integrity and a clear conscience in the face of opposition. They had nothing to fear. They were not on trial for questionable conduct. Rather, they were being questioned for becoming extensions of Yeshua's life and bringing about positive change in the life of others

32:06 as a testimony to Yeshua's power. Wouldn't it be nice to be questioned about that? Acts four verses 21 through 22 reads as follows. After threatening them again, they let them go. Finding no way they can punish them on account of the people because they were all glorifying God for what had happened. For the man in whom this miracle of healing had happened was more than 40 years old. The miracle here is that men over the age of 40 can still change.

32:56 Hallelujah. How is your life good news to people around you? I wanna note something about Yeshua's ministry through Peter and John in this chapter. It wasn't only challenge and confrontation. It was a help, a blessing, and their ministry was well received Throughout Jerusalem, we might fall into the mistaken notion that ministry is just speaking truth to power and suffering for the sake of Yeshua, and surely there are aspects of this in the lives of Peter and John. However, their ministry was generally received as good news

33:44 to the Jewish people, what's in a name. Although Yeshua was no longer present in the flesh, Peter and John were now carrying the name of Yeshua forward. This means that their names and reputations were being linked with the name and reputation of Yeshua. Thankfully, they carried the torch well and provided a stable platform for subsequent individuals, communities, and generations. However, a great deal of time has passed and those bearing the name of Yeshua have not always walked accordingly. I'm not talking about perfection here either.

34:33 None of us walk perfectly as ambassadors of Yeshua. We make mistakes and need to own those mistakes. However, I'm talking about something different now. What effect does our life have upon others? Let me even put aside the category of ministry for a moment. Sometimes we make the error of bifurcating our lives into ministry and non ministry. In reality, our personal and private lives are also part of our ministry. Let me approach this from a different angle. What's your reputation and how do you make people feel?

35:21 If you were to read off a list of 10 names of people that I know, each one would evoke different emotions within. What kind of emotion does your name evoke in others? I suppose it's hard to know the answer to that question. You can ask people if you care, and if you don't mind them being honest with you. I believe that the name of Yeshua Hanat. Ratti was good news to the people of Israel. There were those who were threatened by him, but he was a blessing to the masses of people, the names of Pha and Johannan. The Hebrew names of Peter

36:07 and John would have evoked thoughts of blessing for the people of Israel. While we cannot ultimately control what people think and say about us, we can give thought to the impact we desire to make upon people and how we can grow in carrying the name of Yeshua. It can also be valuable to share with others how they remind you of Yeshua and why perhaps it can be an encouragement to them. Also, it helps us to discern Yeshua in others. For instance, this week, 28 years ago, we buried my grandfather James.

36:54 It was brought up in our family chat. It evoked my memories of him from when I was a boy. I have all good memories of him. There was one time he rebuked me, but I had it coming. He was a storyteller and a joke teller. To whatever extent I exhibit these qualities, I credit that to him. Hearing his name or thinking about him makes me smile and laugh. He possessed some of the qualities of Yeshua in the way he lived his life and his memory is a blessing to me. I hope that one day my life can be remembered as a blessing to others and bring a smile to their faces.

37:41 In conclusion, I wanna encourage you today to consider how you can know that Yeshua is living through you. In what ways are you carrying forward the life and the qualities of Yeshua? Remember that Yeshua is alive and well even today ask the question, how does my life bear witness to the life of Yeshua? And finally, ask the question, how is my life good news to the people around me? May the Lord encourage your hearts and cause you to shine forth his light in an even greater measure. Shabbat shalom, May the Lord bless you and keep you.

38:27 May the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Peace

39:19 in the name of our Messiah, Yeshua.