1 00:00:01,560 --> 00:00:04,040 Hey everybody, this is Pastor John Ewart from Englewood 2 00:00:04,040 --> 00:00:05,920 Baptist Church in Rocky Mountain, North Carolina. 3 00:00:05,920 --> 00:00:08,119 Thank you so much for tuning into our podcast. 4 00:00:08,360 --> 00:00:11,320 You're going to hear from God today as we share from his word 5 00:00:11,560 --> 00:00:15,120 about important issues facing your life that can guide you 6 00:00:15,120 --> 00:00:21,920 according to the Bible. Well, good morning, Englewood. 7 00:00:23,600 --> 00:00:26,080 The first service, I said that in a different language and 8 00:00:26,080 --> 00:00:28,320 everybody just stared at me. So I'm just going to go English 9 00:00:28,320 --> 00:00:30,680 with you. So it's good to see you this 10 00:00:30,680 --> 00:00:33,520 morning. Take your Bibles if you have one 11 00:00:33,520 --> 00:00:36,720 and turn to Acts chapter 13. If you don't have a Bible, the 12 00:00:36,720 --> 00:00:38,920 verses will show on the screen. You'll be fine. 13 00:00:39,440 --> 00:00:40,800 Thank you so much for being here. 14 00:00:40,800 --> 00:00:44,480 We're so appreciative of you. If you're a guest, maybe you 15 00:00:44,480 --> 00:00:47,880 came to see family member baptized this morning. 16 00:00:47,880 --> 00:00:51,040 We're so thankful for that. Let me share just a couple of 17 00:00:51,040 --> 00:00:53,960 words before we dive into Acts 13. 18 00:00:54,320 --> 00:00:57,680 So it's also been nice. We have a couple of our our 19 00:00:57,800 --> 00:01:00,360 overseas units back home visiting with us. 20 00:01:00,360 --> 00:01:03,600 So we're very thankful for that. On that subject matter, Many of 21 00:01:03,600 --> 00:01:06,240 you know that we've been praying for another one of our overseas 22 00:01:06,240 --> 00:01:09,360 friends who has been in trouble, been in in prison. 23 00:01:09,840 --> 00:01:12,080 And if you weren't here Wednesday night, you hadn't 24 00:01:12,080 --> 00:01:13,840 haven't heard the word yet. They did that. 25 00:01:13,840 --> 00:01:16,560 They did make bail. They're all at their homes there 26 00:01:17,320 --> 00:01:20,480 awaiting. Sure you can clap, awaiting. 27 00:01:20,480 --> 00:01:25,440 It's going to be about a two-month investigation. 28 00:01:25,440 --> 00:01:29,840 There's a High Court meeting on November 10th, which would be 29 00:01:29,840 --> 00:01:31,520 something to pray about. We'll talk a whole lot more 30 00:01:31,520 --> 00:01:34,240 about this on Wednesday night at midweek, but but to just 31 00:01:34,240 --> 00:01:36,400 continue to pray for them. It's not over, but at least 32 00:01:36,400 --> 00:01:40,400 they're out of where they were, which was a which is a great 33 00:01:40,400 --> 00:01:42,280 thing. Also just want to remind you 34 00:01:42,280 --> 00:01:43,800 that toward the end of the month, we're going to have some 35 00:01:43,800 --> 00:01:45,680 special guests preaching. You'll enjoy those weeks. 36 00:01:45,680 --> 00:01:47,000 I won't be preaching. They'll be great. 37 00:01:47,000 --> 00:01:49,120 You'll love it. So be back for that. 38 00:01:49,880 --> 00:01:53,160 And then another serious note, we are watching as many of you 39 00:01:53,160 --> 00:01:55,880 are the news about several things happening in our country 40 00:01:55,880 --> 00:01:59,000 right now. Some of them, some of them are 41 00:01:59,000 --> 00:02:01,200 affecting families. And some of those are going to 42 00:02:01,200 --> 00:02:03,480 affect some families within our church and certainly our 43 00:02:03,480 --> 00:02:06,320 community with some of the benefits that some people get 44 00:02:06,320 --> 00:02:08,320 who need them to feed their families. 45 00:02:08,759 --> 00:02:11,480 And we've had some of you as in our small groups and some of you 46 00:02:11,480 --> 00:02:13,520 that individuals say what we're going to do about that. 47 00:02:14,080 --> 00:02:17,040 If you all will let us do this, we're going to give it about 24 48 00:02:17,040 --> 00:02:21,000 to 48 hours to see what happens. And the next day or so, 49 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:22,720 hopefully some changes will take place. 50 00:02:23,480 --> 00:02:27,000 But we're also then going to send out an e-mail or some kind 51 00:02:27,000 --> 00:02:30,040 of flyer to everybody to let you know if you want to give toward 52 00:02:30,040 --> 00:02:32,960 our benevolence, we can do that. And we can steer that toward 53 00:02:32,960 --> 00:02:37,120 ministries in town that will actually help people with food 54 00:02:37,120 --> 00:02:39,240 and, and basic necessities that all make sense. 55 00:02:40,000 --> 00:02:42,040 You good. All right, So just watch for 56 00:02:42,040 --> 00:02:45,200 that. So when I preached earlier this 57 00:02:45,200 --> 00:02:49,480 year from Acts chapter, chapters one through 13, I, I preached 58 00:02:49,480 --> 00:02:52,000 this series called Come Join the King's Mission, where we learned 59 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:55,320 about why, who and what a biblical church and biblical 60 00:02:55,320 --> 00:02:56,600 church member are supposed to be. 61 00:02:57,720 --> 00:03:02,080 Then we, we, we started learning how to be more like Christ over 62 00:03:02,080 --> 00:03:04,840 these last several weeks where we talked about come live, the 63 00:03:04,840 --> 00:03:07,880 church's vision, the seven essentials of a disciple. 64 00:03:08,200 --> 00:03:11,080 And, and these were just key foundational blocks that we were 65 00:03:11,080 --> 00:03:13,520 laying down to going to give us a foundation we can now build 66 00:03:13,520 --> 00:03:15,200 upon. We're going to keep building on 67 00:03:15,200 --> 00:03:17,880 those 7 as as I've warned you before, we're going to do that 68 00:03:19,080 --> 00:03:20,720 in all of our meetings at midweek. 69 00:03:21,240 --> 00:03:23,560 For example, we have hundreds of people are showing up every 70 00:03:23,560 --> 00:03:25,640 Wednesday night at 6:30 right in here. 71 00:03:26,000 --> 00:03:30,200 And we're framing out two of those essentials. 1 is abiding 72 00:03:30,200 --> 00:03:33,360 in prayer with dependence and anticipation. 73 00:03:33,880 --> 00:03:36,640 And then the other one, which is a major part of what I'm 74 00:03:36,640 --> 00:03:39,200 teaching now on Wednesday nights, is living out evangelism 75 00:03:39,520 --> 00:03:42,200 with boldness and love. And so you really do want to 76 00:03:42,200 --> 00:03:44,760 come back this Wednesday I'm going to teach us in a pre 77 00:03:44,760 --> 00:03:47,480 evangelism method. How do I actually pray for my 78 00:03:47,480 --> 00:03:50,520 lost friends and family? How do I lift them up before the 79 00:03:50,520 --> 00:03:52,680 Lord? And how do I naturally 80 00:03:52,680 --> 00:03:55,480 authentically develop a relationship with them to where 81 00:03:55,480 --> 00:03:58,280 I can have a dialogue with them about spiritual things? 82 00:03:58,680 --> 00:04:01,080 We don't want this to be fake, we want it to be real. 83 00:04:01,680 --> 00:04:04,440 And so how can I have a real relationship with my lost 84 00:04:04,440 --> 00:04:07,120 friend, my lost family member, my lost neighbor, classmate, 85 00:04:07,120 --> 00:04:10,760 etcetera and eventually lead that conversation to Christ? 86 00:04:10,760 --> 00:04:11,760 So you come back Wednesday night. 87 00:04:11,760 --> 00:04:13,360 We're going to be talking a lot about that. 88 00:04:13,720 --> 00:04:16,880 Then during our missions month in November, on Sunday mornings, 89 00:04:17,600 --> 00:04:21,040 we're going to continue frame out last week's essential, which 90 00:04:21,040 --> 00:04:24,120 is participating in missions with urgency and sacrifice. 91 00:04:24,480 --> 00:04:27,560 We're returning to Acts Chapter 13 and following for the next 92 00:04:27,560 --> 00:04:29,600 couple of weeks. It's a very short series. 93 00:04:30,120 --> 00:04:31,720 Then we're going to have our special guest come in. 94 00:04:31,720 --> 00:04:35,520 We'll also be promoting some of our our missions offerings, 95 00:04:35,520 --> 00:04:37,600 etcetera, down the road that we do every year. 96 00:04:38,240 --> 00:04:40,280 And so if you remember you be ready for that. 97 00:04:41,000 --> 00:04:43,480 And we're calling this little miniseries Go fulfill the Great 98 00:04:43,480 --> 00:04:46,840 Commission very simply because we need, we need this focus 99 00:04:46,840 --> 00:04:50,720 right now because of the huge number of unchurched and unsaved 100 00:04:50,720 --> 00:04:53,680 people all around us. And who recognizes you? 101 00:04:53,680 --> 00:04:56,640 Look back at the history of this church, like almost every 102 00:04:56,640 --> 00:04:59,800 church, frankly, I've dealt with hundreds of churches, as you 103 00:04:59,800 --> 00:05:02,120 know. And so if you look back at the 104 00:05:02,120 --> 00:05:05,720 history of this church, people have left for various reasons. 105 00:05:05,720 --> 00:05:08,920 People do that. Sometimes they've leftover what 106 00:05:08,920 --> 00:05:10,400 we would have to call a church split. 107 00:05:11,200 --> 00:05:14,200 Sometimes they leftover planting a new church. 108 00:05:14,200 --> 00:05:15,880 And sometimes those two things were the same thing. 109 00:05:16,920 --> 00:05:19,840 And so and so people leave for various reasons. 110 00:05:20,160 --> 00:05:22,800 And then we also still have several inactive church members, 111 00:05:22,800 --> 00:05:25,040 some of them who've been inactive for a very long time. 112 00:05:25,280 --> 00:05:27,760 So what we're going to do at the end of this month, through our 113 00:05:27,760 --> 00:05:30,160 reach strategy and our connect groups, we're going to have what 114 00:05:30,160 --> 00:05:32,520 we call an H week where everybody works together. 115 00:05:32,520 --> 00:05:35,000 So what percentage of participation am I looking for? 116 00:05:36,640 --> 00:05:38,200 Yeah, that was just, that was so exciting. 117 00:05:38,560 --> 00:05:43,480 So, 100% so, yeah. So everybody, we're going to 118 00:05:43,480 --> 00:05:46,560 work together and we're going to reach out to all of our inactive 119 00:05:46,560 --> 00:05:48,080 members just to touch base with them. 120 00:05:48,080 --> 00:05:50,120 This isn't a mean thing. This is a loving thing. 121 00:05:50,120 --> 00:05:51,840 We're just praying for you. We miss you. 122 00:05:52,200 --> 00:05:54,080 Some of them are probably going to other churches. 123 00:05:54,080 --> 00:05:56,520 We need to figure that out so we can leave them alone if we need 124 00:05:56,520 --> 00:05:59,000 to, that all that kind of stuff. But we're also going to try to 125 00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:01,920 reach out to everybody who's visited a special event at 126 00:06:01,920 --> 00:06:03,440 Inglewood for the past two years. 127 00:06:04,280 --> 00:06:06,040 There are a lot of those folks who've never really been 128 00:06:06,040 --> 00:06:08,160 followed up on well, so we're going to do that. 129 00:06:08,160 --> 00:06:10,880 So we need every hand on deck as we try to reach out to our 130 00:06:10,880 --> 00:06:12,200 community. You'll hear a lot more about 131 00:06:12,200 --> 00:06:15,400 that over the next few weeks. So you'll be ready for all that. 132 00:06:15,400 --> 00:06:19,720 But we should not simply hope that they all come back or or 133 00:06:19,720 --> 00:06:21,120 show up. So we're also going to have to 134 00:06:21,120 --> 00:06:24,240 reach a lot of new people. And so evangelism and missions 135 00:06:24,240 --> 00:06:28,480 have to be a key strategies for our proper disciple making path 136 00:06:28,480 --> 00:06:30,400 forward. So I'm glad that you're here. 137 00:06:30,400 --> 00:06:33,680 So the book of Acts has already taught us, if you have been here 138 00:06:33,680 --> 00:06:34,720 at all. If not, don't worry. 139 00:06:35,280 --> 00:06:37,520 The book of Acts has already taught us that there was a 140 00:06:37,520 --> 00:06:40,280 series of what we would call power engagements between the 141 00:06:40,280 --> 00:06:44,040 Holy Spirit and Satan who were fighting over the first church, 142 00:06:44,040 --> 00:06:45,960 fighting over the spread of the gospel. 143 00:06:46,480 --> 00:06:48,640 The devil doesn't want lost people to be saved. 144 00:06:48,960 --> 00:06:51,560 The devil doesn't want inactive members restored. 145 00:06:51,560 --> 00:06:55,440 He, he doesn't want visitors to be visited and he wants to 146 00:06:55,440 --> 00:06:57,760 squash us, frankly. And he wants, maybe he wants to 147 00:06:57,760 --> 00:07:01,080 squash you and he wants to just stop the spread of the gospel. 148 00:07:01,080 --> 00:07:02,400 And so these are important things. 149 00:07:02,400 --> 00:07:06,760 He's tried that here in the past and he'll try again, but just as 150 00:07:06,760 --> 00:07:09,400 he has, even as as we've walked with some of our friends 151 00:07:09,400 --> 00:07:12,320 overseas. But but God has a different plan 152 00:07:12,320 --> 00:07:16,360 and God always overcomes. And so we pray for the new 153 00:07:16,360 --> 00:07:19,120 church that is started in a prison overseas. 154 00:07:19,120 --> 00:07:21,400 Now, one of the prayer requests we have from our friends is to 155 00:07:21,400 --> 00:07:23,640 pray for a brand new church started in a prison. 156 00:07:23,960 --> 00:07:26,560 Pray that some of those new believers will rise up and be 157 00:07:26,560 --> 00:07:30,200 leaders of that new church. And it'll be fascinating one day 158 00:07:30,200 --> 00:07:34,040 in a throne room with Jesus to hear about the story of how that 159 00:07:34,040 --> 00:07:37,320 gospel spread because of what's just happened there. 160 00:07:37,320 --> 00:07:41,680 So it's amazing stuff, but but church, nothing will happen here 161 00:07:42,960 --> 00:07:47,440 until we desperately depend upon and are empowered by the Holy 162 00:07:47,440 --> 00:07:50,640 Spirit. So we want to watch him move us 163 00:07:50,640 --> 00:07:52,640 forward. And I just want to share as we 164 00:07:52,640 --> 00:07:56,960 move into global impact, as we talk about the first missionary 165 00:07:56,960 --> 00:08:01,120 journeys ever taken with Saul and today with Saul and 166 00:08:01,120 --> 00:08:03,760 Barnabas. And over the next two weeks, 167 00:08:03,760 --> 00:08:05,400 we're just going to look at these very quickly. 168 00:08:05,760 --> 00:08:07,960 And then we're going to have a special missions time toward the 169 00:08:07,960 --> 00:08:10,800 end of the month. So verse 1 of chapter 13, here 170 00:08:10,800 --> 00:08:13,240 we go. Now there were in the church at 171 00:08:13,240 --> 00:08:16,080 Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas Simeon, who was called 172 00:08:16,080 --> 00:08:19,520 Niger, Lucius of Serene Manny and her lifelong friend of Herod 173 00:08:19,520 --> 00:08:22,600 the Tetrarch and Saul. While they were worshiping the 174 00:08:22,600 --> 00:08:25,000 Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, set apart for me 175 00:08:25,000 --> 00:08:27,280 Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I've called them. 176 00:08:28,080 --> 00:08:30,440 Then after fasting and praying, they laid their hands on them 177 00:08:30,440 --> 00:08:33,919 and sent them off. So being sent out by the Holy 178 00:08:33,919 --> 00:08:36,400 Spirit and then the verse. We'll look at the rest of it in 179 00:08:36,400 --> 00:08:39,120 a minute. So I've got a simple 5 point 180 00:08:39,120 --> 00:08:41,320 outline for you. It'll it shouldn't last more 181 00:08:41,320 --> 00:08:43,799 than about 2 1/2 hours. So a good five point outline, 182 00:08:44,800 --> 00:08:46,840 it's not that bad. If you're a guest, you're OK, 183 00:08:47,680 --> 00:08:49,320 get you out in time for the buffet. 184 00:08:50,280 --> 00:08:53,760 So the first thing I just wanted to see is that we're sent out. 185 00:08:54,560 --> 00:08:57,560 We are sent out and, and, and that's something we need to see. 186 00:08:57,640 --> 00:09:01,600 Paul and Barnabas were sent out. It was no small thing for that 187 00:09:01,600 --> 00:09:03,000 to happen either. You really do need to 188 00:09:03,000 --> 00:09:06,480 understand, slow down a minute and recognize the ramifications 189 00:09:06,640 --> 00:09:10,680 of Saul and Barnabas being sent. These were the leaders of the 190 00:09:10,680 --> 00:09:13,240 church. These were the primary leaders 191 00:09:13,240 --> 00:09:15,360 who had helped start the church, had helped lead a lot of people, 192 00:09:15,360 --> 00:09:19,280 the Lord who'd who'd been there to teach and to disciple. 193 00:09:19,600 --> 00:09:22,920 And now the church was actually sending out the best of the best 194 00:09:23,360 --> 00:09:26,560 to go reach the World to be illustrations of the teaching 195 00:09:26,560 --> 00:09:28,360 that they had been conducting all this time. 196 00:09:28,800 --> 00:09:31,480 So this is a really powerful moment, sacrificial moment for 197 00:09:31,480 --> 00:09:34,520 the church because we can talk about discipleship, we can talk 198 00:09:34,520 --> 00:09:37,640 about being a Christian, we can talk about living for the Lord. 199 00:09:37,760 --> 00:09:40,520 But in the end, we need to live it out in a practical way. 200 00:09:41,640 --> 00:09:44,240 So we need to be examples of what it means to be a true 201 00:09:44,240 --> 00:09:46,480 disciple and staying within the walls of a church, even going to 202 00:09:46,480 --> 00:09:48,800 get it done. We got to get out. 203 00:09:48,840 --> 00:09:50,800 We got to go share. We've got to go minister. 204 00:09:50,800 --> 00:09:53,440 We got to go love. So they were sent to impact 205 00:09:53,440 --> 00:09:57,680 their world by their church and by the Holy Spirit. 206 00:09:58,000 --> 00:10:01,920 That's the same thing that needs to happen here diligently to 207 00:10:01,920 --> 00:10:04,600 seek the will and the power of the Holy Spirit, considering 208 00:10:04,600 --> 00:10:08,400 what your destination needs to be, who you need to be reaching, 209 00:10:08,400 --> 00:10:12,320 who you need to share the gospel with, what lost person you know. 210 00:10:12,560 --> 00:10:16,760 I'm very thankful that last Sunday night we had our Global 211 00:10:16,760 --> 00:10:18,960 Missions night and we introduced, had a good great 212 00:10:18,960 --> 00:10:22,520 crowd, introduced our mission trips for 2026. 213 00:10:22,520 --> 00:10:24,960 This church does a lot of mission trips for those of you 214 00:10:24,960 --> 00:10:30,000 who are guests and we had over 150 interest forms filled out 215 00:10:30,280 --> 00:10:33,760 for those mission trips. Now, those mission trip 216 00:10:33,760 --> 00:10:37,120 opportunities are still out in the larynx, the narthex, the 217 00:10:37,120 --> 00:10:41,000 vestibule, the lobby, the place you come into out there. 218 00:10:42,360 --> 00:10:45,320 And you can still sign up. You can still check one of those 219 00:10:45,320 --> 00:10:47,920 QR codes. If you don't know how to do AQR 220 00:10:47,920 --> 00:10:50,960 code, just stop by the office. And you're not, you're not, 221 00:10:51,160 --> 00:10:52,800 you're not committing yourself to anything. 222 00:10:52,800 --> 00:10:55,480 You're just saying I'm interested in more information 223 00:10:55,480 --> 00:10:59,520 about this trip and the dates of specific dates of the trips are 224 00:10:59,520 --> 00:11:01,040 coming out. A lot of them will come out this 225 00:11:01,040 --> 00:11:03,320 week. So I hope that you'll do that. 226 00:11:03,320 --> 00:11:05,360 I hope that you'll be interested to see those tables. 227 00:11:06,560 --> 00:11:10,840 Acts 134B. They went down to Seleucia and 228 00:11:10,840 --> 00:11:12,600 from there they sailed to Cyprus. 229 00:11:12,920 --> 00:11:15,760 When they arrived at Solomon's, they proclaimed the word of God 230 00:11:15,760 --> 00:11:19,440 in the synagogue of the Jews, and they had John to assist 231 00:11:19,440 --> 00:11:20,640 them. Don't miss that last part. 232 00:11:20,920 --> 00:11:23,120 And so not only are we sent, but we're sent to share. 233 00:11:23,200 --> 00:11:25,360 We're sent for reasons. There's reasons we go. 234 00:11:26,080 --> 00:11:27,920 We're, we're not just sent haphazardly. 235 00:11:27,920 --> 00:11:30,440 We're sent to share. They travel basically to 236 00:11:30,440 --> 00:11:32,640 Barnabas's home. That's where they are. 237 00:11:33,120 --> 00:11:36,600 They're at Barnabas's hometown and they preach the word of God 238 00:11:36,600 --> 00:11:38,720 in the synagogue. Don't miss the context. 239 00:11:38,720 --> 00:11:42,720 So they're preaching the Bible to Jewish people in their 240 00:11:42,720 --> 00:11:46,800 synagogue and they knew how they could bridge the Old Testament 241 00:11:47,360 --> 00:11:51,560 to to lead to Christ, to lead to the gospel as part of what we 242 00:11:51,560 --> 00:11:53,280 call the meta or grand narrative. 243 00:11:53,280 --> 00:11:56,080 So they knew how to do that. And and that because the whole 244 00:11:56,080 --> 00:12:00,240 story of the Bible, believe it or not, is about Jesus. 245 00:12:00,240 --> 00:12:03,720 It really is from about Genesis 3 on, we see where there's a 246 00:12:03,720 --> 00:12:05,720 Messiah or Redeemer who's going to come. 247 00:12:05,720 --> 00:12:08,440 This is, even though it's written over by many authors and 248 00:12:08,640 --> 00:12:11,760 over many years and different languages from different places, 249 00:12:12,160 --> 00:12:15,040 it really is a unified story all the way through. 250 00:12:15,400 --> 00:12:17,200 And they knew that. So they were actually helping 251 00:12:17,200 --> 00:12:20,160 them to understand how the whole Old Testament pointed to Christ. 252 00:12:20,600 --> 00:12:23,320 And we're going to talk more about that on Wednesday nights 253 00:12:23,320 --> 00:12:25,640 as well. How do I, how do I actually take 254 00:12:25,640 --> 00:12:29,720 the Bible and lead people? How do I build bridges with 255 00:12:29,720 --> 00:12:33,360 people of commonality, of common understanding so that it's we 256 00:12:33,360 --> 00:12:35,440 can have a natural way to talk about gospel? 257 00:12:35,920 --> 00:12:39,440 So how do I find common bridges and then lead that conversation 258 00:12:39,440 --> 00:12:42,320 to Christ? So we share God's word with 259 00:12:42,320 --> 00:12:45,280 others just like they did. And we also need to take others 260 00:12:45,280 --> 00:12:47,160 with us when we do that, just like they did. 261 00:12:47,160 --> 00:12:50,400 They had John Mark with him. Now, John Mark, don't miss him 262 00:12:50,400 --> 00:12:51,920 because he's going to be important in a minute. 263 00:12:52,240 --> 00:12:55,200 John Marks. John Mark is Barnabas's cousin 264 00:12:55,200 --> 00:12:58,320 who lives in Jerusalem, and he comes along, there's a Greek 265 00:12:58,320 --> 00:13:01,200 word describing him as a helper. He's kind of the rookie. 266 00:13:01,240 --> 00:13:03,240 He's a young man. He's a rookie. 267 00:13:03,840 --> 00:13:05,920 Acts 13, six. Let's dive into this. 268 00:13:06,520 --> 00:13:09,880 So when they had gone through the whole island as far as 269 00:13:09,880 --> 00:13:14,800 pathos, they came upon a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet 270 00:13:14,800 --> 00:13:18,000 named Bar Jesus. He was with the proconsul 271 00:13:18,080 --> 00:13:21,280 Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence who summoned 272 00:13:21,280 --> 00:13:23,920 Barnabas in Saul and sought to hear the word of God. 273 00:13:24,560 --> 00:13:28,280 But Elemus the magician, same guy, for that is the meaning of 274 00:13:28,280 --> 00:13:31,920 his name, opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from 275 00:13:31,920 --> 00:13:34,600 the faith. But Saul, who was also called 276 00:13:34,600 --> 00:13:37,600 Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him 277 00:13:37,600 --> 00:13:41,440 and said, You son of the devil. And it's nothing like a subtle 278 00:13:41,440 --> 00:13:46,240 message, you son of the devil, you enemy of all, all 279 00:13:46,240 --> 00:13:48,640 righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy. 280 00:13:48,840 --> 00:13:52,200 Will you not stop making crooked the straight pass of the Lord? 281 00:13:53,000 --> 00:13:57,200 And and now behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you 282 00:13:57,200 --> 00:14:00,120 will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time. 283 00:14:00,480 --> 00:14:03,520 Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him, and he went about 284 00:14:03,520 --> 00:14:05,360 seeking people to lead him by the hand. 285 00:14:05,880 --> 00:14:08,880 Then the proconsul believed when he saw what he what had 286 00:14:08,880 --> 00:14:13,520 occurred, for he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord. 287 00:14:14,120 --> 00:14:16,760 So the third thing, not only we sent, not only sent to share, 288 00:14:16,760 --> 00:14:19,720 but we're sent to stand. Sometimes we're going to face 289 00:14:19,920 --> 00:14:23,840 opposition. Not everybody appreciates us 290 00:14:23,840 --> 00:14:26,520 trying to talk to them about Jesus. 291 00:14:26,960 --> 00:14:28,880 I know that's shocking to you, but that's the truth. 292 00:14:29,520 --> 00:14:32,520 So we must not just talk about God's Word. 293 00:14:32,520 --> 00:14:35,640 We need to also live it. So Saul, notice what he's called 294 00:14:35,640 --> 00:14:38,720 now, Paul. It's just a more Greek name. 295 00:14:39,200 --> 00:14:42,080 So because of where they are, because of where they're going, 296 00:14:42,240 --> 00:14:46,560 he's now called Paul and he engages a Jewish Magos. 297 00:14:46,800 --> 00:14:48,720 It might sound like the word magi. 298 00:14:48,720 --> 00:14:52,360 It should. So you see this Jewish sorcerer 299 00:14:52,600 --> 00:14:55,840 who's basically becomes a advisor. 300 00:14:55,840 --> 00:14:57,480 They were very popular with the Romans. 301 00:14:57,720 --> 00:15:00,840 The Romans like these guys because they were mystical 302 00:15:00,840 --> 00:15:03,440 spiritual advisors to these Roman leaders. 303 00:15:03,440 --> 00:15:05,040 So they they like to keep them around. 304 00:15:05,720 --> 00:15:07,920 And so that's what he was doing, probably making good money. 305 00:15:08,880 --> 00:15:11,560 And you need to contrast Paul, who's filled with the Holy 306 00:15:11,560 --> 00:15:16,280 Spirit, and Bar Jesus, who's full of deceit and fraud. 307 00:15:16,280 --> 00:15:19,280 In fact, the word deceit in the original Greek language is the 308 00:15:19,280 --> 00:15:22,440 Greek word for con artist. So this is a con artist. 309 00:15:22,440 --> 00:15:25,000 This is a false prophet. There's no question about the 310 00:15:25,000 --> 00:15:27,280 person's character. It's interesting too, because 311 00:15:27,600 --> 00:15:31,160 it's like a bad joke. Bar Jesus means son of salvation 312 00:15:31,480 --> 00:15:34,120 and Ellamus, his other name means wise. 313 00:15:34,120 --> 00:15:36,040 So he's like the wise son of salvation. 314 00:15:36,040 --> 00:15:38,920 I mean, this just kind of a twisted, almost a twisted joke 315 00:15:38,920 --> 00:15:41,560 here. And so this proconsul, this 316 00:15:41,560 --> 00:15:44,680 Roman who reported to the Senate ruled over the whole area. 317 00:15:44,680 --> 00:15:46,840 This is a big wig. This is a powerful guy. 318 00:15:47,280 --> 00:15:50,240 This is a real leader. And and he's listening. 319 00:15:50,240 --> 00:15:52,880 You wanted to learn. But the false prophet stands in 320 00:15:52,880 --> 00:15:58,600 the way to know the truth. But God's gospel forces a stand 321 00:15:58,600 --> 00:16:01,800 to take place. Truth forces a stand. 322 00:16:01,840 --> 00:16:06,240 Paul, the sent one stands firm in the Holy Spirit. 323 00:16:06,240 --> 00:16:08,880 So don't miss the irony of what happened next. 324 00:16:09,240 --> 00:16:12,880 So here's the evil sorcerer who's supposed to be a prophet 325 00:16:13,200 --> 00:16:14,960 who stands against the word of God. 326 00:16:14,960 --> 00:16:18,960 He's now blind, and the spiritually blind Pagan Roman 327 00:16:18,960 --> 00:16:23,280 leader now can see spiritually, sees the light, and is saved. 328 00:16:23,920 --> 00:16:26,720 The Bible says that he believes when he saw what had occurred, 329 00:16:27,160 --> 00:16:30,720 for he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord. 330 00:16:31,640 --> 00:16:34,960 Sometimes I wonder when people are going to be astonished at 331 00:16:34,960 --> 00:16:37,720 the teaching of the Lord. So don't give up. 332 00:16:38,040 --> 00:16:40,840 Even if somebody doesn't believe, even if somebody tries 333 00:16:40,840 --> 00:16:42,600 to stand in the way, don't give up. 334 00:16:42,600 --> 00:16:43,960 Don't give up on this broken world. 335 00:16:43,960 --> 00:16:46,160 Don't give up on your family. Don't give up on your lost 336 00:16:46,160 --> 00:16:48,200 friend. Don't give in to your depression 337 00:16:48,200 --> 00:16:50,480 and anxiety and fear in this world. 338 00:16:50,640 --> 00:16:53,400 Take a stand. Stand firm in the Holy Spirit 339 00:16:53,640 --> 00:16:56,160 and believe. In fact, turn to somebody and 340 00:16:56,160 --> 00:17:02,000 say, stand firm and believe. Be astonished at the teaching of 341 00:17:02,000 --> 00:17:05,760 the Lord because there might even be a lost spiritually blind 342 00:17:05,760 --> 00:17:09,480 leader out there, maybe even a leader who's waiting for you to 343 00:17:09,480 --> 00:17:12,240 take a stand and tell them the truth right now. 344 00:17:12,400 --> 00:17:14,079 Maybe that's who you are this morning. 345 00:17:14,079 --> 00:17:17,319 Maybe you're here and you don't know the truth or you don't 346 00:17:17,319 --> 00:17:19,680 believe the truth. You're just kind of enduring 347 00:17:19,680 --> 00:17:22,839 this and you don't understand what the truth of the word of 348 00:17:22,839 --> 00:17:24,400 God is. Will you hang in there? 349 00:17:25,319 --> 00:17:28,319 You hang in there because you have an opportunity. 350 00:17:28,319 --> 00:17:31,560 You're not here by chance. You're not here by accident. 351 00:17:32,040 --> 00:17:33,920 God's LED you to this. Listen to this. 352 00:17:34,160 --> 00:17:37,680 So I pray that that God would show blind eyes, the light of 353 00:17:37,680 --> 00:17:40,480 truth, and that we would watch Him work just like we saw 354 00:17:40,480 --> 00:17:43,800 overseas with our friends, that we would see God work here. 355 00:17:43,800 --> 00:17:47,240 Look at verse 13. Now Paul and his companion set 356 00:17:47,240 --> 00:17:50,400 sail from Paphos and came to Purga and Pamphylia and now 357 00:17:50,400 --> 00:17:51,560 here. This is important. 358 00:17:51,560 --> 00:17:56,520 And John left them and returned to Jerusalem, but they went on 359 00:17:56,520 --> 00:17:59,720 from Purga and came to Antioch. This isn't the same Antioch that 360 00:17:59,720 --> 00:18:02,480 came from this is a different Antioch in Pasidia. 361 00:18:03,160 --> 00:18:06,320 And on the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down. 362 00:18:06,840 --> 00:18:09,520 And after the reading from the law and the prophets, the rulers 363 00:18:09,520 --> 00:18:12,600 of the synagogue sent a word to them saying, brothers, if you 364 00:18:12,600 --> 00:18:14,920 have any word of encouragement for the people, say it. 365 00:18:15,920 --> 00:18:19,680 So John Mark couldn't, couldn't keep standing with them. 366 00:18:20,240 --> 00:18:23,800 He left and went home. Now we know more about this 367 00:18:23,800 --> 00:18:27,840 story because later the difficulty that John Mark had 368 00:18:27,840 --> 00:18:30,920 led to Paul and Barnabas actually separating, disagreeing 369 00:18:30,920 --> 00:18:32,440 with one another and going different ways. 370 00:18:32,560 --> 00:18:36,320 So even though we don't know why he left right here because of 371 00:18:36,320 --> 00:18:39,080 Paul's reaction, we know it wasn't something positive. 372 00:18:39,760 --> 00:18:42,600 So either it was too difficult or he didn't want to keep going. 373 00:18:42,600 --> 00:18:47,200 And it was a hard journey over over tough and mountainous 374 00:18:47,200 --> 00:18:49,000 terrain. Teresa and I have been there. 375 00:18:49,000 --> 00:18:51,800 We've seen this. As we drove along, I commented 376 00:18:51,800 --> 00:18:54,160 on the fact that how difficult that would have been to walk 377 00:18:54,160 --> 00:18:58,600 that all that way. A friend of mine from another 378 00:18:58,600 --> 00:19:01,520 seminary where I once taught wrote a New Testament 379 00:19:01,520 --> 00:19:03,120 commentary, John Paul Hill, and he said this. 380 00:19:03,120 --> 00:19:06,000 The area was so notorious for bandits, the Romans had 381 00:19:06,000 --> 00:19:07,760 difficulty bringing it under control. 382 00:19:07,760 --> 00:19:12,200 So this is a hard, dangerous, difficult journey. 383 00:19:12,800 --> 00:19:14,440 But, but, but they couldn't be stopped. 384 00:19:15,320 --> 00:19:17,520 So, so my challenge is, is what's stopping us? 385 00:19:17,520 --> 00:19:21,840 What's stopping you? What are the what are the lost 386 00:19:21,840 --> 00:19:26,160 people around us worth? What are the unreached peoples 387 00:19:26,160 --> 00:19:30,560 of this world worth? What is one more person going to 388 00:19:30,560 --> 00:19:36,980 heaven worth to you, your family member, your neighbor, your Co 389 00:19:36,980 --> 00:19:39,000 worker, your classmate, what are they worth? 390 00:19:39,440 --> 00:19:42,960 We are all on mission, we are all sent. 391 00:19:43,480 --> 00:19:47,640 So this is a whole body responsibility for all of us and 392 00:19:47,640 --> 00:19:51,320 and why God has brought us to this place at this time. 393 00:19:51,560 --> 00:19:55,840 Believe that with all my heart. So they end up in Galatia in 394 00:19:55,840 --> 00:20:01,120 their synagogue and the student of the great Rabbi Gamilia Paul 395 00:20:01,760 --> 00:20:04,040 is asked to speak. I imagine that happened a lot 396 00:20:04,040 --> 00:20:05,880 because they would have known who he was. 397 00:20:06,120 --> 00:20:10,520 Because of his teacher, because of his mentor before he became a 398 00:20:10,520 --> 00:20:12,840 Christian. And so it's interesting how God 399 00:20:12,840 --> 00:20:16,120 uses everything for his glory. Even old resumes sometimes kick 400 00:20:16,120 --> 00:20:22,040 in verse 16. So Paul stood up and motioning 401 00:20:22,040 --> 00:20:25,240 with his hand said, men of Israel and you who fear God, 402 00:20:26,000 --> 00:20:28,320 listen. And now for the next several 403 00:20:28,320 --> 00:20:30,920 verses. What he does is he preaches a 404 00:20:30,920 --> 00:20:35,680 long, contextualized sermon connecting the Old Testament to 405 00:20:35,680 --> 00:20:38,320 Jesus Christ and the gospel, because again, it's just one 406 00:20:38,320 --> 00:20:41,120 story, and he's doing that skillfully. 407 00:20:41,120 --> 00:20:43,200 But let's pick it up in verse 28. 408 00:20:45,480 --> 00:20:49,280 And though they found in him no guilt worthy of death, they 409 00:20:49,280 --> 00:20:51,240 asked Pilate to have him executed. 410 00:20:51,240 --> 00:20:53,040 Of course, he's speaking about Jesus now. 411 00:20:54,520 --> 00:20:56,880 And when they carried out all that was written of him, they 412 00:20:56,880 --> 00:20:59,200 took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb. 413 00:20:59,760 --> 00:21:01,440 But God raised him from the dead. 414 00:21:01,440 --> 00:21:04,800 And for many days he appeared to those who had come up with him 415 00:21:04,800 --> 00:21:08,640 from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses to the 416 00:21:08,640 --> 00:21:11,520 people. And we bring you the good news, 417 00:21:11,520 --> 00:21:14,720 that that what God promised to the fathers. 418 00:21:15,680 --> 00:21:19,120 And then, and then let's hear the beginning of his conclusion. 419 00:21:19,560 --> 00:21:23,640 Go to verse 38. Let it be known to you, 420 00:21:23,640 --> 00:21:26,480 therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of 421 00:21:26,480 --> 00:21:29,800 sins is proclaimed to you and by him. 422 00:21:29,800 --> 00:21:34,160 Everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you 423 00:21:34,160 --> 00:21:36,200 could not be freed by the law of Moses. 424 00:21:37,200 --> 00:21:39,240 So he basically preaches the gospel to them. 425 00:21:40,120 --> 00:21:42,760 The gospel Jesus is God Incarnate. 426 00:21:43,160 --> 00:21:46,640 Jesus dies on the cross to pay for our sins because he's the 427 00:21:46,680 --> 00:21:50,400 only one qualified to do it. That's one of the separations 428 00:21:50,400 --> 00:21:54,320 between truth and untruth. Jesus is the only one qualified 429 00:21:54,320 --> 00:21:57,160 to pay the price. So he has to die on the cross to 430 00:21:57,160 --> 00:22:00,120 pay for my sin. Then he rises from the dead to 431 00:22:00,120 --> 00:22:03,000 take care of death for us. He takes care of my sin problem, 432 00:22:03,160 --> 00:22:05,920 takes care of my death problem. He shares the gospel with him 433 00:22:06,120 --> 00:22:08,520 and you and he says to them, listen, the law couldn't do that 434 00:22:08,520 --> 00:22:12,080 for you. He goes, grace is now on the 435 00:22:12,080 --> 00:22:14,200 scene. So then check out what happens 436 00:22:14,200 --> 00:22:16,600 during the invitation. Check out what happens after the 437 00:22:16,600 --> 00:22:18,680 service. They're not just going by the 438 00:22:18,680 --> 00:22:23,560 pastor in the foyer, the larynx, the the narthex, the lobby. 439 00:22:24,200 --> 00:22:26,840 Good pastor, good, good sermon, pastor, nice sermon. 440 00:22:26,840 --> 00:22:27,760 Thank you. Nice sermon. 441 00:22:28,120 --> 00:22:29,680 They're not just doing that. See what really happens. 442 00:22:30,440 --> 00:22:37,080 Verse 42, That's my invitation of all of you, by the way, no. 443 00:22:38,680 --> 00:22:43,160 Verse 42 As they went out, the people begged that these things 444 00:22:43,160 --> 00:22:45,000 might be towed to them the next Sabbath. 445 00:22:45,480 --> 00:22:48,400 And after the meeting of the synagogue broke up, many Jews 446 00:22:48,400 --> 00:22:52,120 and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who, 447 00:22:52,120 --> 00:22:56,120 as they spoke with them, urged them to continue in the grace of 448 00:22:56,120 --> 00:23:00,760 God. They begged them, When's Rocky 449 00:23:00,760 --> 00:23:02,600 Mount going to beg for the word of God? 450 00:23:04,240 --> 00:23:08,080 When will this community beg that the Word of God be preached 451 00:23:08,080 --> 00:23:10,160 even more? And notice what happens. 452 00:23:10,280 --> 00:23:12,680 Many didn't just follow them physically, but they were 453 00:23:12,680 --> 00:23:15,240 following spiritually. He could, they could urge them 454 00:23:15,240 --> 00:23:17,800 to continue in the grace of God. In other words, they were 455 00:23:17,800 --> 00:23:19,760 converting. They were believing, They were 456 00:23:19,760 --> 00:23:23,080 trusting in the grace of God. And those who had only known the 457 00:23:23,080 --> 00:23:25,960 law, this legalism, this tradition, we're now being 458 00:23:25,960 --> 00:23:28,400 challenged to enter the faith by grace. 459 00:23:29,360 --> 00:23:30,840 But Paul and Barnabas weren't done. 460 00:23:31,480 --> 00:23:34,400 Word spread. People wanted to hear more. 461 00:23:34,880 --> 00:23:40,040 So look at verse 44. The next Sabbath, almost the 462 00:23:40,040 --> 00:23:43,600 whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. 463 00:23:44,400 --> 00:23:46,440 But but when the Jews saw the crowds, there's going to be a 464 00:23:46,440 --> 00:23:48,360 lot of butts in these passages coming up. 465 00:23:49,080 --> 00:23:51,320 But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with 466 00:23:51,320 --> 00:23:54,040 jealousy and began to contradict what was spoken by Paul, 467 00:23:54,040 --> 00:23:56,400 reviling him. I mean, I want you to catch 468 00:23:56,400 --> 00:23:59,440 this. Almost the whole city gathered 469 00:24:00,800 --> 00:24:06,160 to hear the word of the Lord. What will it take for the people 470 00:24:06,160 --> 00:24:10,760 of the Rocky Mount air area to hunger for the Word of God like 471 00:24:10,760 --> 00:24:15,120 this, to gather and to experience spiritual awakening? 472 00:24:15,880 --> 00:24:17,960 When will the Rocky Mount harvest begin? 473 00:24:18,080 --> 00:24:21,120 Who is he going to use to do that? 474 00:24:21,920 --> 00:24:24,640 My prayers that as we reach out to hundreds of people at the end 475 00:24:24,640 --> 00:24:27,600 of this month, that that we'll spend all of December with a 476 00:24:27,600 --> 00:24:29,720 packed house with no empty chair in here. 477 00:24:30,320 --> 00:24:34,720 That's my prayer as we celebrate the birth of Christ, as we honor 478 00:24:34,720 --> 00:24:38,080 him and glorify him, that the city would recognize their need 479 00:24:38,080 --> 00:24:40,680 to do this. But be warned, whenever the 480 00:24:40,680 --> 00:24:44,400 gospel is successful, whenever somebody gets baptized and 481 00:24:44,400 --> 00:24:48,320 testifies like they did today, there's always going to be 482 00:24:48,320 --> 00:24:51,160 opposition. Somebody's always going to 483 00:24:51,160 --> 00:24:53,880 refuse to believe that wasn't real. 484 00:24:54,720 --> 00:24:57,280 That's not for me. I don't need that. 485 00:24:58,000 --> 00:25:00,560 We'll hear that. And the religious in this story 486 00:25:00,560 --> 00:25:04,080 didn't want to change. They despised and were jealous 487 00:25:04,080 --> 00:25:06,760 of the new. They just wanted to complain and 488 00:25:06,760 --> 00:25:09,640 argue. They didn't want God to work in 489 00:25:09,640 --> 00:25:13,000 a way beyond their normalcy. They didn't want God to work in 490 00:25:13,000 --> 00:25:18,560 a way beyond their control. And maybe you're here and you 491 00:25:18,560 --> 00:25:22,440 don't think you need this. Maybe you're here and you don't 492 00:25:22,440 --> 00:25:26,080 want to give God control. Maybe you spent your whole life 493 00:25:26,080 --> 00:25:29,240 refusing to give God control. Well, you better be careful 494 00:25:29,400 --> 00:25:32,440 because preferences and traditions that often fight new 495 00:25:32,440 --> 00:25:37,800 are often fighting God himself. So Paul and Barnabas must have 496 00:25:37,800 --> 00:25:39,560 just quit, right? I mean, that's what happened, 497 00:25:39,560 --> 00:25:40,440 right? They just gave up. 498 00:25:41,160 --> 00:25:43,640 This is too hard. People don't like us. 499 00:25:43,640 --> 00:25:45,560 People don't agree with us. We're just going to quit. 500 00:25:45,720 --> 00:25:47,680 Let's just give up. We can chase after John Mark. 501 00:25:47,680 --> 00:25:52,640 I bet we can catch him. Let's just run home because 502 00:25:52,640 --> 00:25:55,680 somebody doesn't like me. Somebody didn't agree with me. 503 00:25:56,840 --> 00:25:59,600 Nobody likes me. Everybody hates me. 504 00:25:59,600 --> 00:26:02,400 I'm just going to eat some worms. 505 00:26:04,520 --> 00:26:09,040 I didn't like what they did. I didn't like what they said or 506 00:26:09,040 --> 00:26:12,360 I didn't like what they didn't say exactly the way I thought 507 00:26:12,360 --> 00:26:14,840 they should have. I didn't like how they looked at 508 00:26:14,840 --> 00:26:16,720 me or I didn't like the fact that they didn't look at me. 509 00:26:16,720 --> 00:26:20,360 I didn't like the temperature. I didn't like the song or I 510 00:26:20,360 --> 00:26:23,480 didn't like something. So I just quit. 511 00:26:24,680 --> 00:26:29,480 I want to fight. I'm going to withhold there are 512 00:26:29,480 --> 00:26:32,200 people like that out there. How fragile is your faith 513 00:26:32,200 --> 00:26:33,920 connection to the body of Christ? 514 00:26:34,360 --> 00:26:36,920 How? How fragile is your relationship 515 00:26:36,920 --> 00:26:40,880 to the body to one another? Look at verse 46. 516 00:26:41,080 --> 00:26:42,880 And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly. 517 00:26:43,000 --> 00:26:44,400 Did they give up? Did they run away? 518 00:26:44,400 --> 00:26:46,560 Did they say that's it, nobody likes us, we're going to quit? 519 00:26:46,680 --> 00:26:50,200 No, they spoke out even more boldly, saying it was necessary 520 00:26:50,200 --> 00:26:52,480 that the word of God be spoken first to you. 521 00:26:53,200 --> 00:26:57,640 But now listen to this. This is hard, this is dark, 522 00:26:57,800 --> 00:27:02,400 since you thrusted aside and judge yourselves unworthy of 523 00:27:02,400 --> 00:27:05,360 eternal life. Behold, we are turning to the 524 00:27:05,360 --> 00:27:08,120 Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded 525 00:27:08,120 --> 00:27:10,440 us, saying, I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you 526 00:27:10,440 --> 00:27:12,400 may bring salvation to the ends of the earth. 527 00:27:12,640 --> 00:27:15,320 And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and 528 00:27:15,320 --> 00:27:18,960 glorifying the word of the Lord. And as many as were appointed to 529 00:27:18,960 --> 00:27:23,120 eternal life believed and the word of the Lord was spreading 530 00:27:23,280 --> 00:27:26,480 throughout the whole region. So they didn't quit. 531 00:27:27,280 --> 00:27:30,120 They spoke even more about, they stood, they took a stand and 532 00:27:30,120 --> 00:27:32,800 spoke even more boldly. They quote Scripture, they obey 533 00:27:32,800 --> 00:27:34,760 God. And those who rejected the 534 00:27:34,760 --> 00:27:38,960 gospel here, who thrusted aside, who judged themselves unworthy 535 00:27:38,960 --> 00:27:41,840 of eternal life, you got to understand there's some strong 536 00:27:41,840 --> 00:27:43,960 language here. What it means in the original 537 00:27:43,960 --> 00:27:47,800 Greek language is they made a conscious, willful decision to 538 00:27:47,800 --> 00:27:50,800 reject this. This isn't just, I don't think 539 00:27:50,800 --> 00:27:54,200 so. This is a willful rejection of 540 00:27:54,200 --> 00:27:59,720 the gospel. I've known folks who acted that 541 00:27:59,720 --> 00:28:02,480 way. Some of them I've seen God give 542 00:28:02,480 --> 00:28:04,960 another chance to That's always a blessing. 543 00:28:06,040 --> 00:28:10,840 Sometimes not. And and so some will respond to 544 00:28:10,840 --> 00:28:14,520 our invitation, some won't. So when we reach out to this 545 00:28:14,520 --> 00:28:17,280 community, some folks are going to be eager and excited and 546 00:28:17,280 --> 00:28:19,720 thankful and others are going to reject it. 547 00:28:20,760 --> 00:28:24,600 And I pray, if you're here today and you need the gospel, don't. 548 00:28:24,600 --> 00:28:27,760 You willfully reject it today because one day you will be 549 00:28:27,760 --> 00:28:31,400 reminded of this moment. I promise you, in judgment, you 550 00:28:31,400 --> 00:28:35,200 were given a chance. You were given a moment and 551 00:28:35,200 --> 00:28:38,720 appointed time. So Paul and Barnabas share of a 552 00:28:38,720 --> 00:28:41,640 fulfilled prophecy from, frankly, the prophet of Isaiah. 553 00:28:41,840 --> 00:28:44,920 Who, who, who talks about how the Hebrews were supposed to be 554 00:28:44,920 --> 00:28:47,600 a light to the Gentiles. They weren't supposed to seek to 555 00:28:47,600 --> 00:28:50,040 control access to God. They were supposed to be 556 00:28:50,040 --> 00:28:52,520 examples and testimonies to the entire world. 557 00:28:52,960 --> 00:28:54,920 And Gentiles were being saved now. 558 00:28:55,120 --> 00:28:57,240 And look at what it says. And the word of the Lord was 559 00:28:57,240 --> 00:28:58,480 spreading throughout the whole region. 560 00:28:58,480 --> 00:29:01,360 So now it's not, it's not just almost the whole city, it's the 561 00:29:01,360 --> 00:29:05,920 entire region. Think of what I need you to 562 00:29:05,920 --> 00:29:09,760 understand. I pray for this every single day 563 00:29:10,080 --> 00:29:14,560 with all my heart that this entire region would experience 564 00:29:14,560 --> 00:29:17,360 spiritual awakening. It's one of the reasons why I 565 00:29:17,360 --> 00:29:21,160 believe I stand here and I was called here to leave what I was 566 00:29:21,160 --> 00:29:24,960 doing to be a part of you. I hope you understand. 567 00:29:26,480 --> 00:29:29,360 I want us to reach thousands of people with the gospel here and 568 00:29:29,360 --> 00:29:32,160 around the world. And I believe with all my heart 569 00:29:32,160 --> 00:29:35,120 we're supposed to do that. But listen, God's plan will 570 00:29:35,120 --> 00:29:38,600 happen with or without us. He doesn't need us. 571 00:29:40,640 --> 00:29:44,120 I believe you'd love to use this, but God has created this 572 00:29:44,120 --> 00:29:46,960 appointment for these people to believe. 573 00:29:47,200 --> 00:29:49,960 And God will create that same appointment for us. 574 00:29:50,080 --> 00:29:52,440 He's created it for you. If you're here today and you 575 00:29:52,440 --> 00:29:55,520 don't know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, accept his 576 00:29:55,520 --> 00:29:57,880 invitation. You're not here by chance. 577 00:29:57,960 --> 00:30:00,440 You're not here by luck. God has brought you to this 578 00:30:00,440 --> 00:30:02,080 place at this moment to hear this. 579 00:30:04,520 --> 00:30:07,200 In fact, this word appointed indicates something that 580 00:30:07,200 --> 00:30:10,480 happened in the past, but it continues now into the present 581 00:30:10,480 --> 00:30:12,520 and future. So in other words, I was saved, 582 00:30:12,640 --> 00:30:15,600 I am saved, I will be saved, I'm saved. 583 00:30:16,560 --> 00:30:19,320 I know exactly what's going to happen to me the second I die. 584 00:30:19,640 --> 00:30:22,520 My prayer, much to Teresa's chagrin, is that I drop dead in 585 00:30:22,520 --> 00:30:24,440 a pulpit someplace. I always thought I would blow up 586 00:30:24,440 --> 00:30:27,400 in a in in one of my travels. Spontaneous combustion has 587 00:30:27,400 --> 00:30:30,000 always been my prayer. But, but, but, but that I would 588 00:30:30,000 --> 00:30:31,840 just drop dead in a pulpit one day. 589 00:30:32,800 --> 00:30:35,920 I thought it'd be dramatic, a dramatic point, you know, if I 590 00:30:35,920 --> 00:30:42,000 did that. Guess not today. 591 00:30:43,720 --> 00:30:45,440 So if that's the case, here we go. 592 00:30:45,560 --> 00:30:47,840 So not now the whole city that everybody's coming. 593 00:30:47,960 --> 00:30:50,240 And I'm praying for that. But listen, God has a plan and 594 00:30:50,240 --> 00:30:53,040 he wants to use this. So God wasn't surprised by this. 595 00:30:53,160 --> 00:30:55,320 God's not caught up off guard by this. 596 00:30:55,440 --> 00:30:58,120 He's orchestrating this from before time. 597 00:30:58,520 --> 00:31:01,840 He knows exactly what this is. But I told you that word 598 00:31:01,840 --> 00:31:04,720 appears. Look at verse 50. 599 00:31:05,760 --> 00:31:08,720 Very first word. But when the gospel is 600 00:31:08,720 --> 00:31:10,520 successful, be ready for the enemy. 601 00:31:11,600 --> 00:31:15,640 When you stand with the sender, and lost people are saved. 602 00:31:16,560 --> 00:31:18,600 Satan's not going to tolerate it well. 603 00:31:19,320 --> 00:31:22,800 But the Jews incited the devout women of high standing and the 604 00:31:22,800 --> 00:31:25,680 leading men of the city, stirred up persecution against Paul and 605 00:31:25,680 --> 00:31:27,320 Barnabas and drove them out of the district. 606 00:31:27,600 --> 00:31:33,240 What a shame the whole region is getting saved and these people 607 00:31:33,240 --> 00:31:37,160 drive them out. Are we ready to do enough for 608 00:31:37,160 --> 00:31:40,880 God? Are we ready to do enough for 609 00:31:40,880 --> 00:31:45,560 the gospel that it causes opposition from Satan and the 610 00:31:45,560 --> 00:31:47,800 lost world? Does the enemy even know our 611 00:31:47,800 --> 00:31:52,880 name or care? Surely being expelled stop them. 612 00:31:52,880 --> 00:31:54,480 Surely that was enough. Paul and Barter's, that must 613 00:31:54,480 --> 00:31:56,240 have been enough. We got kicked out of town that 614 00:31:56,240 --> 00:31:58,160 that's where our reputations run. 615 00:31:58,320 --> 00:32:00,360 I don't, I've lost followers online. 616 00:32:00,360 --> 00:32:02,200 I'm not the influencer I once was. 617 00:32:02,200 --> 00:32:05,080 I don't know if anybody's going to listen to my podcast anymore. 618 00:32:05,160 --> 00:32:07,640 I'm not sure if my TikTok videos are going to be viewed anymore. 619 00:32:07,720 --> 00:32:11,440 I just surely we're done. Got to be over with. 620 00:32:12,920 --> 00:32:15,200 Surely they quit and gave up this time. 621 00:32:16,040 --> 00:32:19,160 World doesn't like me, so all must be lost. 622 00:32:19,160 --> 00:32:21,760 Look at verse 51. What's the first word? 623 00:32:23,240 --> 00:32:26,360 But. But they shook off the dust from 624 00:32:26,360 --> 00:32:28,280 their feet against them and went to Iconium. 625 00:32:28,520 --> 00:32:31,160 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy 626 00:32:31,160 --> 00:32:32,320 Spirit. Are you all crazy? 627 00:32:32,840 --> 00:32:36,600 They were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit because #4 we're 628 00:32:36,600 --> 00:32:38,440 also sent to sacrifice and to serve. 629 00:32:38,960 --> 00:32:41,120 We're not just sent. We're not just sent to share. 630 00:32:41,200 --> 00:32:43,960 We're not just sent to stand. We're sent to sacrifice. 631 00:32:43,960 --> 00:32:47,360 We're sent to serve. So they moved on and focused on 632 00:32:47,360 --> 00:32:51,120 those who wanted to hear. Listen, there were plenty to go 633 00:32:51,120 --> 00:32:52,320 around. There were new churches that 634 00:32:52,320 --> 00:32:54,400 needed to be started. The gospel needed to be shared. 635 00:32:54,520 --> 00:32:57,160 It needed to be spread. We have plenty to go around here 636 00:32:57,160 --> 00:32:58,800 too. More than enough to fill this 637 00:32:58,800 --> 00:33:00,360 house. We won't have enough chairs. 638 00:33:00,840 --> 00:33:02,560 We won't have enough seats. We'll have three worship 639 00:33:02,560 --> 00:33:07,160 services, 4 worship services. You think parking's an 640 00:33:07,160 --> 00:33:11,520 interesting thing now? And they were kicked out of town 641 00:33:11,520 --> 00:33:13,480 and they were still filled with joy. 642 00:33:14,320 --> 00:33:18,800 Peter talked about this in First Peter 314. 643 00:33:19,920 --> 00:33:23,120 He said, but even if you should suffer for righteousness's sake, 644 00:33:23,120 --> 00:33:26,920 you will be blessed. Have No Fear of them nor be 645 00:33:26,920 --> 00:33:29,560 troubled. Listen my friends, one of the 646 00:33:29,560 --> 00:33:31,360 greatest reasons people never share their faith. 647 00:33:31,360 --> 00:33:33,560 In fact, statistically a lot of surveys are done. 648 00:33:33,800 --> 00:33:35,760 You know, I, I taught this for a living. 649 00:33:36,760 --> 00:33:38,800 So a lot of surveys done. Number one reason people don't 650 00:33:38,800 --> 00:33:42,400 share is fear. And so we got to be careful or 651 00:33:42,400 --> 00:33:45,080 we're going to drift off into idolatry here to where I'm more 652 00:33:45,080 --> 00:33:47,240 afraid of a lost person than I am of God. 653 00:33:49,600 --> 00:33:53,200 We need to be careful. Will we stand and be filled with 654 00:33:53,200 --> 00:33:57,360 joy and the Holy Spirit even in the face of opposition, even in 655 00:33:57,360 --> 00:33:59,560 the face of lostness? Think of our friends overseas 656 00:33:59,560 --> 00:34:00,680 and what they've just been through. 657 00:34:01,080 --> 00:34:04,080 Wait till you hear the testimonies of my friends who 658 00:34:04,080 --> 00:34:06,280 are going to come and share with you these last two Sundays. 659 00:34:06,360 --> 00:34:09,840 One of them testified before the United Nations just in powerful 660 00:34:09,840 --> 00:34:13,239 people that God has used dramatically around the world. 661 00:34:13,239 --> 00:34:15,440 You, I can't wait. One of them is in his 90s. 662 00:34:15,440 --> 00:34:16,800 I can't wait for you to hear them. 663 00:34:19,080 --> 00:34:22,280 Are you full of faith or you're full of fear? 664 00:34:23,679 --> 00:34:25,679 God has a plan. He wants to use us. 665 00:34:25,679 --> 00:34:28,639 How will you serve? What trip are you going to join 666 00:34:28,639 --> 00:34:30,800 around the state, around the nation, around the world? 667 00:34:31,280 --> 00:34:34,440 In what ministry are you going to commit to serve in this 668 00:34:34,440 --> 00:34:38,000 church? Look at Acts 14, verse one. 669 00:34:38,320 --> 00:34:39,400 We're getting close to being done. 670 00:34:39,400 --> 00:34:43,719 It'll be all right now at Iconium, they entered together 671 00:34:43,719 --> 00:34:45,960 into the Jewish synagogue. Don't miss that. 672 00:34:46,480 --> 00:34:49,199 And spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and 673 00:34:49,199 --> 00:34:51,840 Greeks believed. But the unbelieving Jews stirred 674 00:34:51,840 --> 00:34:53,960 up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the 675 00:34:53,960 --> 00:34:55,880 brothers. So they remained for a long time 676 00:34:55,880 --> 00:34:58,840 speaking boldly for the Lord, who bore witness to the word of 677 00:34:58,840 --> 00:35:01,280 His grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their 678 00:35:01,280 --> 00:35:03,320 hands. But the people of the city were 679 00:35:03,320 --> 00:35:04,880 divided. Some sided with the Jews and 680 00:35:04,880 --> 00:35:07,560 some of the apostles. When an attempt was made by both 681 00:35:07,560 --> 00:35:10,280 Gentiles and Jews with their rulers to mistreat them and to 682 00:35:10,280 --> 00:35:13,400 stone them, they learned of it and fled the Lister in Derby 683 00:35:13,400 --> 00:35:16,600 cities of Laconia and to the surrounding country. 684 00:35:16,600 --> 00:35:18,680 And there they continued to preach the gospel. 685 00:35:19,720 --> 00:35:23,120 So even though they had been persecuted in a synagogue, look 686 00:35:23,120 --> 00:35:25,800 where they went, right back to preach in another place. 687 00:35:26,400 --> 00:35:31,840 So you see God's people obeying God's word, shared people being 688 00:35:31,840 --> 00:35:35,640 saved as God works, and the enemy striking. 689 00:35:35,920 --> 00:35:40,200 Don't, don't miss the pattern. In fact, my challenge to you is 690 00:35:40,200 --> 00:35:44,640 to to serve and to stand in such a firm way that you purposely 691 00:35:44,680 --> 00:35:46,720 seek to 'cause this pattern to happen. 692 00:35:48,240 --> 00:35:52,280 Tim Keller once wrote this. He said the greater the 693 00:35:52,280 --> 00:35:55,480 effectiveness of a ministry, the greater the resistance and 694 00:35:55,480 --> 00:35:57,160 opposition. So. 695 00:35:57,200 --> 00:35:59,480 So they get opposition. So again, it must be time. 696 00:35:59,480 --> 00:36:01,200 Well, I can't do this. I can't stand this. 697 00:36:01,200 --> 00:36:02,680 Somebody doesn't like me, I can't stand it. 698 00:36:02,680 --> 00:36:04,080 It's time to give up. It's time to quit. 699 00:36:04,080 --> 00:36:05,160 It's hard. I got to stop. 700 00:36:05,520 --> 00:36:09,680 Instead it said they remained there for a long time, speaking 701 00:36:09,680 --> 00:36:15,000 boldly for the Lord. So they stayed for the proper 702 00:36:15,000 --> 00:36:16,280 time. They endured. 703 00:36:16,280 --> 00:36:19,520 They taught, they saw miracles take place, and then finally the 704 00:36:19,520 --> 00:36:21,720 time came for them to move on so that they would be able to 705 00:36:21,720 --> 00:36:23,800 continue their ministry elsewhere. 706 00:36:24,000 --> 00:36:27,080 And then they the Bible says, and they continued to preach the 707 00:36:27,080 --> 00:36:29,400 gospel there. Look at verse 8. 708 00:36:29,960 --> 00:36:32,360 Now at Lister there was a man sitting who could not use his 709 00:36:32,360 --> 00:36:34,000 feet. He was crippled from birth and 710 00:36:34,120 --> 00:36:36,840 had never walked. He listened to Paul speaking and 711 00:36:36,840 --> 00:36:39,720 Paul looking intently at him and seeing that he had faith to be 712 00:36:39,720 --> 00:36:43,040 made well, said in a loud voice. Stand upright on your feet. 713 00:36:43,600 --> 00:36:45,400 And he sprang up and began walking. 714 00:36:46,280 --> 00:36:49,640 So Paul again shares the gospel. He recognizes authentic faith 715 00:36:49,640 --> 00:36:52,040 when he sees it, and he heals this lame man. 716 00:36:52,800 --> 00:36:54,800 He tells him to stand. But he didn't just stand. 717 00:36:54,800 --> 00:36:57,200 He springs up. He's walking in new life and his 718 00:36:57,200 --> 00:36:59,560 new faith. And listen, friends, we can 719 00:36:59,560 --> 00:37:03,640 either sit and be unused. We can sit idly and be unused. 720 00:37:03,640 --> 00:37:06,680 Or we can believe in faith and we can spring up and we can walk 721 00:37:06,680 --> 00:37:13,200 in a new way as Jesus uses us. But this also caused a response. 722 00:37:13,200 --> 00:37:17,320 Look at verse 11 and when the crowd saw what Paul had done, 723 00:37:17,320 --> 00:37:20,480 they lifted up their voice saying and Laconian, I was going 724 00:37:20,480 --> 00:37:23,880 to do this in my best Laconian accent, but I don't know what 725 00:37:23,880 --> 00:37:26,400 that is. So we'll do Oklahoman instead. 726 00:37:27,080 --> 00:37:30,080 The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men. 727 00:37:31,040 --> 00:37:34,760 Barnabas they called Zeus and Paul Hermes because he was the 728 00:37:34,760 --> 00:37:40,560 chief speaker and the priest of Zeus who is whose temple was at 729 00:37:40,560 --> 00:37:44,600 the interest into the city, brought oxen and garland's to 730 00:37:44,600 --> 00:37:47,560 the gates and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds. 731 00:37:49,160 --> 00:37:53,680 This interesting passage for me. I'm actually trying to write a 732 00:37:53,680 --> 00:37:57,600 book about this. Sometimes I'm afraid that we're 733 00:37:57,600 --> 00:37:59,480 guilty of idolatry in a different way. 734 00:38:00,760 --> 00:38:03,880 Sometimes I'm afraid we're guilty of idolatry when we focus 735 00:38:03,880 --> 00:38:08,120 more on the person doing God's work than God himself. 736 00:38:10,440 --> 00:38:17,000 I'm always amazed, disappointed, amazed, perplexed. 737 00:38:17,560 --> 00:38:22,520 Those are the nice verbs I can say when people choose or deny 738 00:38:22,520 --> 00:38:27,320 their relationship, even to a church, and the way they're 739 00:38:27,320 --> 00:38:31,760 going to obey or disobey God based on some human personality 740 00:38:32,240 --> 00:38:36,320 rather than upon God himself. It's always interesting to me. 741 00:38:37,240 --> 00:38:40,080 I'm also amazed at church leaders who appear to love that 742 00:38:40,080 --> 00:38:45,080 spotlight a little too much. We need to make sure we're 743 00:38:45,080 --> 00:38:49,600 following the right person. Thomas Constable, this a great 744 00:38:49,600 --> 00:38:50,960 line. Listen to this carefully. 745 00:38:51,400 --> 00:38:54,960 He says if Satan cannot derail Christian witness with 746 00:38:54,960 --> 00:39:02,080 persecution, he'll try praise. They lifted Paul and Barnabas up 747 00:39:02,080 --> 00:39:04,120 as gods to honor them. Now, you got to remember there's 748 00:39:04,120 --> 00:39:07,520 a whole context behind this. This area had a legend where two 749 00:39:07,520 --> 00:39:11,360 Greek gods would visit them and that's why they built that local 750 00:39:11,360 --> 00:39:13,840 temple. I mean, it's an amazing thing 751 00:39:14,200 --> 00:39:17,720 that God's orchestrating here. And so This is why the Pagan 752 00:39:17,720 --> 00:39:19,440 priest even shows up to make a sacrifice. 753 00:39:19,440 --> 00:39:21,600 They, they thought this was the fulfillment of the legend, 754 00:39:22,360 --> 00:39:24,440 right? So look at verse 14. 755 00:39:24,800 --> 00:39:29,840 But when the apostles, Paul, Barnabas and Paul heard of it, 756 00:39:29,840 --> 00:39:32,400 they tore their garments and rushed out into the crowd crying 757 00:39:32,400 --> 00:39:34,600 out, men, why are you doing these things? 758 00:39:34,600 --> 00:39:37,040 We also are men of like nature with you. 759 00:39:37,280 --> 00:39:40,520 And we bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain 760 00:39:40,520 --> 00:39:44,120 things to a living God who made the heaven and the earth and the 761 00:39:44,120 --> 00:39:47,560 sea and all that is in them. Then look at verse 18. 762 00:39:48,160 --> 00:39:51,440 Even with these words, they scarcely restrained the people 763 00:39:51,440 --> 00:39:53,040 from offering sacrifices to them. 764 00:39:53,920 --> 00:39:56,960 So Barnabas and and Paul reacted strongly. 765 00:39:56,960 --> 00:40:00,280 They rebuked them because they knew to whom glory and honour 766 00:40:00,280 --> 00:40:02,040 was due, and it certainly wasn't them. 767 00:40:03,160 --> 00:40:06,000 And my concern is that many church leaders and members today 768 00:40:06,000 --> 00:40:08,760 seem to seek to be winners of some popularity contest. 769 00:40:10,080 --> 00:40:12,080 Paul and Barnabas would have lost that contest. 770 00:40:13,040 --> 00:40:15,520 They would never take credit for what God does. 771 00:40:16,360 --> 00:40:18,440 So look at verse 19. We're getting close to the end. 772 00:40:18,600 --> 00:40:21,760 So, but the Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having 773 00:40:21,760 --> 00:40:24,200 persuaded the crowds, they stoned Paul. 774 00:40:24,840 --> 00:40:27,680 Not just a threat this time, they stoned Paul and dragged him 775 00:40:27,680 --> 00:40:29,480 out of the city, supposing that he was dead. 776 00:40:29,880 --> 00:40:32,320 But when the disciples gathered about him, he rose up and 777 00:40:32,320 --> 00:40:34,160 entered the city. And on the next day he went on 778 00:40:34,160 --> 00:40:38,120 with Barnabas to Derby. So the enemy wasn't done. 779 00:40:39,080 --> 00:40:40,680 The enemy never gives up that easily. 780 00:40:40,680 --> 00:40:43,320 Remember, Satan never sleeps. Satan never relents. 781 00:40:43,320 --> 00:40:47,280 Satan never gives up. And he's not done with us here 782 00:40:47,280 --> 00:40:50,400 at Inglewood either, Friends, the the crowd is so easily 783 00:40:50,400 --> 00:40:52,440 twisted from praise to condemnation. 784 00:40:52,560 --> 00:40:54,760 It's amazing how quickly that can happen. 785 00:40:55,400 --> 00:40:57,120 But the Holy Spirit also never sleeps. 786 00:40:57,120 --> 00:40:58,640 The Holy Spirit also never gives up. 787 00:40:58,640 --> 00:41:00,200 The Holy Spirit also never relents. 788 00:41:00,200 --> 00:41:02,560 And here's the key. The Holy Spirit always wins. 789 00:41:04,880 --> 00:41:09,600 So God spared Paul, but man, I bet he was sore the next day. 790 00:41:12,400 --> 00:41:15,240 He actually describes these experiences in his letter to the 791 00:41:15,240 --> 00:41:17,200 Corinthians, Second Corinthians 11. 792 00:41:17,200 --> 00:41:20,560 Listen to this verse 24. He says five times I've received 793 00:41:20,560 --> 00:41:25,760 at the hand hands of the Jews the 40 lashes less 1/3 times I 794 00:41:25,760 --> 00:41:29,280 was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned, three times I 795 00:41:29,280 --> 00:41:31,680 was shipwrecked, a night and a day I was adrift at sea on 796 00:41:31,680 --> 00:41:33,680 frequent journeys. And dangers from rivers, dangers 797 00:41:33,680 --> 00:41:36,160 from robbers, dangers from my own people, danger from 798 00:41:36,160 --> 00:41:38,840 Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger 799 00:41:38,840 --> 00:41:42,360 at sea, danger from false brothers in toil and hardship 800 00:41:42,520 --> 00:41:45,560 through many a sleepless night. And hunger and thirst, often 801 00:41:45,560 --> 00:41:47,920 without food and cold and exposure. 802 00:41:49,960 --> 00:41:56,640 How faithful, how tough, how tenacious will your faith be? 803 00:41:58,320 --> 00:42:00,120 Think of our friends again overseas. 804 00:42:01,280 --> 00:42:03,840 Wait until you hear the testimonies of these coming to 805 00:42:03,840 --> 00:42:08,480 meet you in a few weeks. Is the gospel worth it? 806 00:42:09,480 --> 00:42:14,680 Are the lost worth it? Is one person you know being 807 00:42:14,680 --> 00:42:17,800 saved who's lost right now worth it? 808 00:42:18,440 --> 00:42:20,840 What will you do? What will you sacrifice? 809 00:42:20,840 --> 00:42:23,840 What price will you pay? The disciples surrounded him. 810 00:42:23,840 --> 00:42:27,360 They think he's dead. The people who stoned him, they 811 00:42:27,360 --> 00:42:29,640 thought he was dead. Everybody thought he was dead. 812 00:42:30,000 --> 00:42:32,160 He hops up and goes to the next city the next day. 813 00:42:33,720 --> 00:42:37,320 Look at verse 21, when they had preached the gospel to that city 814 00:42:37,320 --> 00:42:39,960 and had made many disciples. And see, there's so many stories 815 00:42:39,960 --> 00:42:41,960 like, who are these people? I want to meet these people. 816 00:42:42,800 --> 00:42:45,600 They returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch. 817 00:42:45,600 --> 00:42:49,640 Notice where they go back to the very places where they were 818 00:42:49,760 --> 00:42:52,960 persecuted, strengthening of the souls of the disciples, 819 00:42:52,960 --> 00:42:55,760 encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that 820 00:42:55,760 --> 00:42:58,480 through many tribulations we must enter the Kingdom of God. 821 00:42:58,680 --> 00:43:01,200 And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, 822 00:43:01,200 --> 00:43:03,680 with prayer and fasting, they committed them to the Lord in 823 00:43:03,680 --> 00:43:06,800 whom they had believed. The last thing we see is that 824 00:43:06,800 --> 00:43:13,280 we're also sent to strengthen. They saw God save many and then 825 00:43:13,280 --> 00:43:16,240 they go back to the churches to visit these new converts. 826 00:43:16,480 --> 00:43:18,760 And so these trips weren't just about evangelism. 827 00:43:18,760 --> 00:43:20,640 These trips weren't just about church planting. 828 00:43:20,920 --> 00:43:22,560 They were also about discipleship. 829 00:43:22,720 --> 00:43:25,280 They were also about leadership development and church 830 00:43:25,280 --> 00:43:28,000 development. Tony Marita, Pastor Marita 831 00:43:28,000 --> 00:43:30,360 writes in his commentary, Paul wasn't interested in getting 832 00:43:30,360 --> 00:43:32,680 decisions for Christ. He was interested in making 833 00:43:32,680 --> 00:43:36,720 disciples for Christ. So risking the danger of 834 00:43:36,720 --> 00:43:38,960 persecution, they, they knew the follow up was just too 835 00:43:38,960 --> 00:43:41,320 important. So they taught, they prayed, 836 00:43:41,320 --> 00:43:43,080 they fasted, they organized leaders. 837 00:43:43,240 --> 00:43:45,920 So what are we willing to do to make real disciples? 838 00:43:47,160 --> 00:43:50,560 When and where will Inglewood plant its next new church? 839 00:43:51,400 --> 00:43:55,320 Which one of you will lead it? Who's going to serve as our new 840 00:43:55,320 --> 00:43:57,080 deacons? Men, when you're asked, instead 841 00:43:57,080 --> 00:43:59,920 of saying no, why aren't you saying yes? 842 00:44:01,640 --> 00:44:03,560 Who's going to lead our next connect group? 843 00:44:04,720 --> 00:44:07,120 Who's going to serve in our preschool and children's 844 00:44:07,120 --> 00:44:09,640 ministry? Who's going to step up? 845 00:44:10,520 --> 00:44:12,880 Verse 24. Then they passed through 846 00:44:12,880 --> 00:44:16,000 Presidia and came to Pamphylia. And when they had spoken the 847 00:44:16,000 --> 00:44:19,080 word in Perga, they went down to Italia, and from there they 848 00:44:19,080 --> 00:44:21,680 sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace 849 00:44:21,680 --> 00:44:24,480 of God for the work that they had fulfilled. 850 00:44:25,120 --> 00:44:27,280 And when they arrived and gathered the church together, 851 00:44:27,280 --> 00:44:30,080 they declared all that God had done with them, and now He had 852 00:44:30,080 --> 00:44:33,520 opened the door of faith to the Gentiles, and they remained no 853 00:44:33,520 --> 00:44:37,560 little time with the disciples. They went home sharing the 854 00:44:37,560 --> 00:44:40,800 gospel all the way, making disciples, helping people all, 855 00:44:41,000 --> 00:44:43,800 all along the way. They go home to report to their 856 00:44:43,800 --> 00:44:48,880 Sending Mother Church. Healthy missions will always 857 00:44:48,880 --> 00:44:52,720 strengthen the sending church. Always. 858 00:44:53,280 --> 00:44:56,040 So they carefully give credit to God for His work. 859 00:44:56,240 --> 00:44:58,640 This was all a testimony to Him, not to them. 860 00:44:59,040 --> 00:45:02,680 So they participated in missions with urgency and sacrifice. 861 00:45:03,560 --> 00:45:06,200 It, it reminds me sometimes I often think about this when I 862 00:45:06,200 --> 00:45:09,520 see these tragic, scary news stories. 863 00:45:09,680 --> 00:45:13,960 A child's missing, maybe missing in the forest or the wilderness 864 00:45:13,960 --> 00:45:16,280 or in the mountains. Every now and then somebody, you 865 00:45:16,280 --> 00:45:19,360 know, some kid wanders off and you have a search party and, and 866 00:45:19,360 --> 00:45:22,320 everybody, all the first responders, praise the Lord for 867 00:45:22,320 --> 00:45:24,800 them all the first responder, but the entire community turns 868 00:45:24,800 --> 00:45:27,480 out, it seems like and, and they'll form these search lines. 869 00:45:27,480 --> 00:45:30,520 People will walk the fields together where they can see one 870 00:45:30,520 --> 00:45:32,600 another. And as one line, they walk 871 00:45:32,600 --> 00:45:34,880 together, search for the lost person. 872 00:45:36,800 --> 00:45:39,280 And I often think when I see those stories that that's that 873 00:45:39,280 --> 00:45:44,920 ought to be the church. Somebody's missing, somebody's 874 00:45:44,920 --> 00:45:49,760 lost, somebody's in trouble. What are we going to do about 875 00:45:49,760 --> 00:45:52,520 it? How frantic are we, How urgent 876 00:45:52,520 --> 00:45:55,520 are we about the search? Or are we just checking off the 877 00:45:55,520 --> 00:45:58,720 boxes of religion? Just checking off the boxes of 878 00:45:58,720 --> 00:46:03,640 church about what will we frantically search? 879 00:46:04,000 --> 00:46:09,360 An army sent out to help rescue the lost in the hurting. 880 00:46:10,880 --> 00:46:15,960 Sign up to learn more about a trip, Surrender to full time 881 00:46:15,960 --> 00:46:17,840 mission service. And maybe that's what somebody 882 00:46:17,840 --> 00:46:19,920 here needs to do. Maybe somebody here is being 883 00:46:19,920 --> 00:46:22,400 called out to be a missionary, to serve full time overseas 884 00:46:22,400 --> 00:46:24,560 someplace or as a North American church plant. 885 00:46:24,560 --> 00:46:27,040 Or maybe that's who you are. You need to surrender to that. 886 00:46:28,240 --> 00:46:30,240 There's a harvest that's waiting. 887 00:46:31,240 --> 00:46:33,960 Join us in in H week. Join us at the end of the month 888 00:46:33,960 --> 00:46:35,680 to reach out to hundreds of people. 889 00:46:35,680 --> 00:46:38,040 Be here a midweek to learn how to share the gospel with your 890 00:46:38,040 --> 00:46:40,440 friend. Join the rescue team. 891 00:46:42,760 --> 00:46:47,400 The harvest is waiting for us. It's it's already started with 892 00:46:47,400 --> 00:46:50,280 people being baptized like we've seen today, like we'll see next 893 00:46:50,280 --> 00:46:53,400 week. We need to trust in the one who 894 00:46:53,400 --> 00:47:00,960 sins because the sender seeks to send and he wants to send us. 895 00:47:02,040 --> 00:47:03,440 So I pray we'll surrender to him. 896 00:47:03,440 --> 00:47:08,240 Father, thank you that you have a purpose for us. 897 00:47:08,400 --> 00:47:12,680 Father, I often talk with people who don't know you, Lord, and we 898 00:47:12,680 --> 00:47:15,440 talk about peace. We talk about purpose. 899 00:47:15,440 --> 00:47:18,800 We talk about the reason we exist. 900 00:47:18,800 --> 00:47:21,320 We, we, we talk about why we're here. 901 00:47:21,320 --> 00:47:25,320 We talk about hope. We, we talk about assurance, 902 00:47:26,680 --> 00:47:33,200 faith, strength, all these things, Father, and the source 903 00:47:33,200 --> 00:47:39,080 of all that truth is you. So Father, I pray if there's 904 00:47:39,080 --> 00:47:41,560 somebody here this morning in this room right now are 905 00:47:41,560 --> 00:47:45,560 listening online who does not know you, they've never trusted 906 00:47:45,560 --> 00:47:47,760 in Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. 907 00:47:48,480 --> 00:47:50,880 Maybe they've heard this story. Maybe they've rejected this 908 00:47:50,880 --> 00:47:52,360 story. Maybe they've ignored this 909 00:47:52,360 --> 00:47:54,680 story. Maybe they've been bothered by 910 00:47:54,680 --> 00:47:57,040 this story. I Remember Me too. 911 00:47:58,760 --> 00:48:02,640 I hated hearing it until I knew it was true. 912 00:48:03,880 --> 00:48:07,920 And then you saved me. So Father, right now I pray 913 00:48:07,920 --> 00:48:09,880 you'll Pierce the soul of that person. 914 00:48:10,520 --> 00:48:13,280 That Father, they will know in their heart of hearts that you 915 00:48:13,280 --> 00:48:15,640 are real, that you love them. You have a plan for them. 916 00:48:15,640 --> 00:48:19,000 That you sent your son to die on the cross to pay for our sin 917 00:48:19,000 --> 00:48:20,200 because he's the only one who could. 918 00:48:22,560 --> 00:48:25,640 And the Father arose again to defeat death, to show us, to 919 00:48:25,640 --> 00:48:29,720 prove to us who he was, and to show us our own victory over 920 00:48:29,720 --> 00:48:32,760 death, that we might have eternal life with you. 921 00:48:32,760 --> 00:48:35,240 That starts here in a relationship with you, where we 922 00:48:35,240 --> 00:48:39,320 walk with you and serve you, honor you and glorify you and 923 00:48:39,320 --> 00:48:43,480 worship you as a disciple. So, Father, I pray if there's 924 00:48:43,480 --> 00:48:46,120 somebody here who needs to learn more about that, that as soon as 925 00:48:46,120 --> 00:48:49,600 we begin to sing, they'd come and take a pastor by the hand or 926 00:48:49,600 --> 00:48:52,240 they'd go to our next steps room and talk to someone. 927 00:48:53,800 --> 00:48:58,320 Father, I pray they won't willfully reject this moment for 928 00:48:58,320 --> 00:49:00,120 others here. They recognize I need to be 929 00:49:00,120 --> 00:49:01,720 baptized. I need to join the church. 930 00:49:01,760 --> 00:49:03,720 Maybe that's what I need to do. That's that's that's what the 931 00:49:03,720 --> 00:49:07,120 Lord's leading me to do. I pray that they would come. 932 00:49:07,880 --> 00:49:10,320 Others need to come and fill these steps as an altar of 933 00:49:10,320 --> 00:49:12,240 prayer. Praying for lost friends, family 934 00:49:12,240 --> 00:49:15,400 members by name, praying for the future of this church, praying 935 00:49:15,400 --> 00:49:18,520 for the Rocky Mount area area that that the harvest would 936 00:49:18,520 --> 00:49:22,120 begin. Whatever we need to do, we 937 00:49:22,120 --> 00:49:26,360 surrender. Father, Lord, send us, move in 938 00:49:26,360 --> 00:49:30,280 our hearts as we honor you and we respond to you in Christ's 939 00:49:30,280 --> 00:49:32,480 name, Amen. I'm going to ask you to stand. 940 00:49:32,480 --> 00:49:33,680 Our worship team is going to lead us. 941 00:49:33,680 --> 00:49:35,920 There'll be pastors here. You can come talk to one of us. 942 00:49:36,120 --> 00:49:39,120 You can come pray at these steps, or you can go right into 943 00:49:39,120 --> 00:49:42,440 that room over there, the next steps room, and have a private, 944 00:49:42,440 --> 00:49:45,280 discreet conversation with somebody who loves you, would 945 00:49:45,280 --> 00:49:48,360 love to pray with you and help you to understand what God is 946 00:49:48,360 --> 00:49:50,720 saying to you right now. Whatever you need to do, you 947 00:49:50,720 --> 00:49:52,040 move as soon as we begin to sing. 948 00:49:57,800 --> 00:50:00,360 Thank you so much for listening today, and I also hope that 949 00:50:00,360 --> 00:50:02,880 you'll go to ourwebsite@englewoodbaptist.com 950 00:50:02,880 --> 00:50:05,960 as well as our app and find many other resources that will bless 951 00:50:05,960 --> 00:50:08,160 you and your families. Thank you once again.