1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:03,920 Every message obviously, and I'll, I'll preach quickly and 2 00:00:03,920 --> 00:00:07,960 get out of the way so Brother Almonza can have plenty of time. 3 00:00:07,960 --> 00:00:10,160 But I do have a burden on my heart. 4 00:00:10,160 --> 00:00:12,760 And Acts chapter 14, if you'll stand with me, please. 5 00:00:12,760 --> 00:00:18,800 This is at the conclusion of Paul's first missionary journey. 6 00:00:19,480 --> 00:00:22,680 They're just now coming back to their home church in Acts 7 00:00:22,680 --> 00:00:29,320 chapter 14 and verse #26 the Bible says, and thence sailed to 8 00:00:29,320 --> 00:00:33,240 Antioch, from which they had been recommended to the grace of 9 00:00:33,240 --> 00:00:36,080 God for the work which they fulfilled. 10 00:00:36,800 --> 00:00:39,600 And when they were come and had gathered the church together, 11 00:00:40,120 --> 00:00:44,080 they rehearsed all that God had done with them and how he had 12 00:00:44,080 --> 00:00:47,080 opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles. 13 00:00:47,080 --> 00:00:51,400 And there they abode long time we as the disciples. 14 00:00:51,400 --> 00:00:56,400 I want to focus, if I can, on that phrase in verse #27 where 15 00:00:56,400 --> 00:01:01,440 it says they rehearsed all that God had done with them. 16 00:01:01,440 --> 00:01:03,840 What a statement. Preach on this thought for just 17 00:01:03,840 --> 00:01:07,400 a few moments tonight. How to be used by God. 18 00:01:07,800 --> 00:01:10,640 How to be used by Godfather. I pray that you take the Word of 19 00:01:10,640 --> 00:01:12,640 God now. Speak to hearts, minister to 20 00:01:12,640 --> 00:01:14,240 every life here. Thank you for the privilege to 21 00:01:14,240 --> 00:01:15,960 preach. Use the message tonight. 22 00:01:15,960 --> 00:01:19,640 I pray to stir and challenge your people in Jesus name, Amen. 23 00:01:19,640 --> 00:01:22,720 You can be seated. So I will take a lot of this 24 00:01:22,720 --> 00:01:25,040 message out. I've got eight points. 25 00:01:25,040 --> 00:01:26,160 I'm only going to preach 4 of them. 26 00:01:26,160 --> 00:01:27,640 All right, because I want to get out of the way. 27 00:01:27,640 --> 00:01:30,840 This is a, this is a longer, more detailed type message, but 28 00:01:30,840 --> 00:01:34,000 I want to hit the highlights of the 1st at least four points 29 00:01:34,360 --> 00:01:36,720 that I have in this message. And I may throw the other four 30 00:01:36,720 --> 00:01:38,480 out at the end for you to write down. 31 00:01:38,520 --> 00:01:40,960 I won't preach them for the sake of time. 32 00:01:40,960 --> 00:01:46,080 But as I read this statement, I was thinking about how awesome 33 00:01:46,080 --> 00:01:49,920 it is to be able to have a life that God can do something with. 34 00:01:50,480 --> 00:01:54,520 They, they came and rehearsed to the church all that God had done 35 00:01:54,720 --> 00:01:57,920 with them. And, and as a boy, I read 36 00:01:58,160 --> 00:02:02,040 missionary autobiographies and biographies and stories of great 37 00:02:02,040 --> 00:02:04,440 leaders and and great missionaries and pastors. 38 00:02:04,440 --> 00:02:07,440 And I remember as a boy thinking, I wished I had stories 39 00:02:07,440 --> 00:02:10,120 like this. I wish, I wish I could have a 40 00:02:10,120 --> 00:02:12,720 life that has this kind of adventure and this kind of 41 00:02:12,720 --> 00:02:14,880 excitement. And I wish I had their kind of 42 00:02:14,880 --> 00:02:16,920 faith. And I wished I had the stories 43 00:02:16,920 --> 00:02:19,920 of all the answered prayer. And, and I wish, I wish I could 44 00:02:19,920 --> 00:02:23,000 get up and, and preach or, or, or or be used to God do 45 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:25,240 something amazing. As a boy, I thought that I 46 00:02:25,240 --> 00:02:28,320 dreamed about that when I was in 4th grade. 47 00:02:28,320 --> 00:02:30,880 I felt like God might have been calling me to preach if 48 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:33,640 everybody that knew me called me a preacher boy might have had 49 00:02:33,640 --> 00:02:36,840 something to do with it. But I remember because I went, I 50 00:02:36,840 --> 00:02:39,280 took my Bible everywhere and I just loved the Lord and I was 51 00:02:39,280 --> 00:02:42,120 always, I was always getting all the people for doing the wrong 52 00:02:42,120 --> 00:02:44,760 thing and never would. I never would get go along with 53 00:02:44,760 --> 00:02:46,320 them. And they I was just a square pig 54 00:02:46,320 --> 00:02:49,280 in a round hole my whole life. I mean, I always was a stick in 55 00:02:49,280 --> 00:02:51,520 the mud. I'm one now, but it's OK. 56 00:02:51,520 --> 00:02:55,160 That's all the way I know to be. But but I remember as a little 57 00:02:55,160 --> 00:02:58,560 boy thinking maybe God wants me to preach and, and, and my dad 58 00:02:58,560 --> 00:03:00,480 sit down and counsel me and he said, if God wants you to 59 00:03:00,480 --> 00:03:01,520 preach, he knows where you're at. 60 00:03:01,520 --> 00:03:03,480 You just, you just keep doing what you're doing. 61 00:03:03,480 --> 00:03:05,920 And, and kind of that, that, that thought just kind of left 62 00:03:05,920 --> 00:03:09,440 my mind in 4th grade. But then at the age of 21, God 63 00:03:09,440 --> 00:03:11,800 came back to me and backed me up in the corner and I waved the 64 00:03:11,800 --> 00:03:13,720 white flag of surrender. I said, Lord, if you want me to 65 00:03:13,720 --> 00:03:16,600 preach, that's what I'll do. God changed my whole trajectory, 66 00:03:16,600 --> 00:03:19,080 changed my whole life. I was at Pensacola studying 67 00:03:19,080 --> 00:03:22,840 business administration and computer science at BCC, and I 68 00:03:22,840 --> 00:03:25,000 thought that's what I wanted to be, was a millionaire in the 69 00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:27,600 church. I mean, it sound like a pretty 70 00:03:27,600 --> 00:03:30,840 good plan to me, but God had other plans, Amen. 71 00:03:31,120 --> 00:03:34,480 And I really, I just wanted to be a pillar in the church, hold 72 00:03:34,480 --> 00:03:36,800 up the pastor's hands. I knew that the qualifications 73 00:03:36,800 --> 00:03:39,400 of the Bishop was he could not be a striker and a brawler. 74 00:03:39,400 --> 00:03:41,360 And I thought, well, if I'm not a pastor, I can do it for him, 75 00:03:41,360 --> 00:03:42,960 Amen. If somebody gives him a hard 76 00:03:42,960 --> 00:03:46,520 time, I'll just Jack their jaws and I'll drop enough money in 77 00:03:46,520 --> 00:03:47,840 the plate. He won't even say nothing. 78 00:03:47,840 --> 00:03:50,000 All right, so I had it all figured out. 79 00:03:50,000 --> 00:03:54,320 But in 1993, God changed my whole life, called me to preach, 80 00:03:54,520 --> 00:03:57,400 and I've never once regretted surrendering to what God has 81 00:03:57,400 --> 00:03:59,680 called me to do. And as I'm reading this story, I 82 00:03:59,680 --> 00:04:03,440 can, I can feel, I can feel that the excitement that is brewing 83 00:04:03,560 --> 00:04:06,840 in their hearts is they're now able to reconvene with their 84 00:04:06,840 --> 00:04:10,960 home church in verse #27 and, and just tell them all that God 85 00:04:10,960 --> 00:04:12,840 did. Now their whole first missionary 86 00:04:12,840 --> 00:04:15,840 journey is only in chapter 13 and chapter 14. 87 00:04:15,840 --> 00:04:18,880 It's only two chapters. There's no way in the world they 88 00:04:18,880 --> 00:04:21,560 told everything to happen. They went to too many places 89 00:04:21,560 --> 00:04:24,160 that they didn't talk about. But when you just read these two 90 00:04:24,160 --> 00:04:26,960 chapters, there was a whole lot of stuff going on in that first 91 00:04:26,960 --> 00:04:29,280 missionary journey. I mean, it was so much and at 92 00:04:29,280 --> 00:04:33,320 one point it was so much at one point that the one guy said, I'm 93 00:04:33,320 --> 00:04:34,560 out of here. Hey, man, you can. 94 00:04:34,720 --> 00:04:37,800 I can't take it no more. And as Barnabas, his cousin 95 00:04:37,800 --> 00:04:39,120 said, I'm going back to the house. 96 00:04:39,520 --> 00:04:44,040 But anyway, we're as we're reading these stories here, I'm 97 00:04:44,040 --> 00:04:47,160 amazed at just the fact that God can use anybody. 98 00:04:48,160 --> 00:04:49,960 God's no respecter of verses. All right? 99 00:04:49,960 --> 00:04:52,680 God can use anybody. I come from a little town in 100 00:04:52,680 --> 00:04:54,160 Waterloo. Anybody ever heard of Waterloo, 101 00:04:54,160 --> 00:04:55,880 Georgia? Of course not. 102 00:04:57,320 --> 00:05:00,840 It says Waterloo unincorporated. It's so small. 103 00:05:00,840 --> 00:05:03,120 It says welcome to Waterloo on both sides of the side. 104 00:05:03,200 --> 00:05:05,120 I'm telling you. I mean, if you check your text 105 00:05:05,120 --> 00:05:07,400 messages going through there, you won't miss that town. 106 00:05:07,520 --> 00:05:10,520 That's where I was from. And God has, God has allowed me 107 00:05:10,520 --> 00:05:14,600 to do things I never dreamed, I never thought imaginable as a 108 00:05:14,600 --> 00:05:16,440 boy. He's allowed every, every 109 00:05:16,440 --> 00:05:19,560 impossible dream to come true. And, and all I just want to say 110 00:05:19,560 --> 00:05:21,960 is that God can use anybody. God can use me. 111 00:05:22,160 --> 00:05:24,640 He can use anybody and he will use anybody. 112 00:05:24,640 --> 00:05:27,480 But there's some things that you've got to be willing to do 113 00:05:27,560 --> 00:05:31,200 for Him to use you. And I want to give you a quick 114 00:05:31,200 --> 00:05:33,280 list of them this evening. The first thing I want you to 115 00:05:33,280 --> 00:05:35,040 notice, if you're taking notes, write this down. 116 00:05:35,040 --> 00:05:38,520 To be used by God, you got to be willing to be faithfully serving 117 00:05:38,520 --> 00:05:42,360 God where you already are. I think it's important in 118 00:05:42,360 --> 00:05:44,360 chapter 13 where the story begins. 119 00:05:44,360 --> 00:05:47,200 This is where they're called into the mission field, if you 120 00:05:47,200 --> 00:05:50,280 will. The Bible tells us in verse #2 121 00:05:50,280 --> 00:05:55,600 of chapter 13, as they ministered to the Lord and 122 00:05:55,600 --> 00:05:58,960 fasted that ball and Barnabas were already serving God. 123 00:05:58,960 --> 00:06:01,880 They were already working. They were already involved in 124 00:06:01,880 --> 00:06:05,200 the church at Antioch. As a matter of fact, they had 125 00:06:05,200 --> 00:06:08,080 been serving there for a number of years, going all the way back 126 00:06:08,080 --> 00:06:12,520 to the end of chapter #11 where? But where Barnabas went to see 127 00:06:12,520 --> 00:06:15,240 what God was doing and, and people were getting saved. 128 00:06:15,240 --> 00:06:17,280 And he went and got Saul to come help him. 129 00:06:17,480 --> 00:06:20,560 And they began A discipleship ministry there at the church in 130 00:06:20,560 --> 00:06:23,640 Antioch. And the church was so, so, so 131 00:06:23,640 --> 00:06:26,640 strong brother boots I've preached at a church planters 132 00:06:26,640 --> 00:06:28,840 conference just a few weeks ago. Boy, God showed me this. 133 00:06:29,080 --> 00:06:31,520 The church Barnabas never went back to Jerusalem. 134 00:06:31,520 --> 00:06:34,800 Jerusalem sent him to Antioch to see if what was going on was 135 00:06:34,800 --> 00:06:36,400 true. People were getting saved. 136 00:06:36,400 --> 00:06:38,440 They were hearing reports that people were getting saved and he 137 00:06:38,440 --> 00:06:40,040 got there. Bible says when he saw the grace 138 00:06:40,040 --> 00:06:42,920 of God, he was glad and he exhorted them all that with that 139 00:06:42,920 --> 00:06:45,800 with the singers of heart that they should clean under the 140 00:06:45,800 --> 00:06:47,880 Lord. And, and the Bible says that the 141 00:06:47,920 --> 00:06:50,560 beginning of the discipleship ministry went got Paul brought 142 00:06:50,560 --> 00:06:52,600 him in there. And the Bible says they assemble 143 00:06:53,120 --> 00:06:55,800 for a year and taught the people and they were called Christians 144 00:06:55,800 --> 00:06:58,520 first. And Antioch, he never went back 145 00:06:58,520 --> 00:06:59,720 home. He just stayed there. 146 00:06:59,880 --> 00:07:02,640 And he began to ground them and decide for them to train them. 147 00:07:02,800 --> 00:07:05,920 And then just a couple of years later, that church was so strong 148 00:07:06,000 --> 00:07:08,680 and that church was so solid that he became their sending 149 00:07:08,680 --> 00:07:13,240 church. So when God called them into 150 00:07:13,240 --> 00:07:17,680 missions in chapter #13 God just called them to go and do another 151 00:07:17,680 --> 00:07:20,200 place is what they were already doing in their local church. 152 00:07:22,240 --> 00:07:24,680 Be careful that you don't ask God to do something with you 153 00:07:24,680 --> 00:07:26,760 that you're not willing to do in your own home church. 154 00:07:27,360 --> 00:07:30,520 The Bible says as they ministered, don't sit on a few 155 00:07:30,640 --> 00:07:34,320 and wait for God to lead you to go somewhere to start doing 156 00:07:34,320 --> 00:07:36,120 something. He will just ask you to go 157 00:07:36,120 --> 00:07:38,080 somewhere and do what you're already doing. 158 00:07:39,320 --> 00:07:41,800 Hey, man, just 'cause you get a prayer card, don't mean you're 159 00:07:41,800 --> 00:07:44,280 going to become a missionary. Just because you get a mission 160 00:07:44,280 --> 00:07:46,560 board, just because you get a display table, don't mean you're 161 00:07:46,560 --> 00:07:47,840 going to have a burden for souls. 162 00:07:48,000 --> 00:07:50,560 God's going to call people to the mission field that already 163 00:07:50,560 --> 00:07:53,400 has a burden for souls, that is already serving in their local 164 00:07:53,400 --> 00:07:56,600 church, that's already willing to do whatever needs to be done. 165 00:07:56,680 --> 00:08:00,360 So if you want God to use you #1 you got to be willing to be 166 00:08:00,360 --> 00:08:03,600 faithfully serving God where God has already put you. 167 00:08:03,600 --> 00:08:06,320 I've got this in my notes. They were already doing what 168 00:08:06,320 --> 00:08:08,720 they could, where they could, when they could. 169 00:08:08,880 --> 00:08:11,280 And God's, I believe I'm going to let you do that over here. 170 00:08:12,520 --> 00:08:14,440 Amen. You want stories to tell of what 171 00:08:14,440 --> 00:08:17,080 God has done with you. You got to be doing something. 172 00:08:17,080 --> 00:08:20,560 God uses people. God uses people to do something 173 00:08:20,680 --> 00:08:25,760 that's doing something. They were already served and 174 00:08:25,760 --> 00:08:27,760 they were already faithful, so they had that going for them. 175 00:08:27,760 --> 00:08:29,640 But secondly, write this down to God. 176 00:08:29,640 --> 00:08:32,039 For God to use you, you got to be willing to be fully 177 00:08:32,039 --> 00:08:34,240 surrendered. Fully surrendered. 178 00:08:34,240 --> 00:08:42,400 We see in Acts chapter number 11 and verse #2 chapter 13 rather, 179 00:08:42,400 --> 00:08:45,400 I'm sorry, chapter 13, verse 2, as they ministered to the Lord 180 00:08:45,400 --> 00:08:49,200 and pastor, the Holy Ghost said, separate me, Barnabas and Saul 181 00:08:49,200 --> 00:08:52,200 for the work wherein 2 I have called them. 182 00:08:52,680 --> 00:08:55,960 The Holy Ghost came to the to the church and came to them and 183 00:08:55,960 --> 00:08:58,600 said, and I want you to leave here and I want you to go 184 00:08:58,600 --> 00:09:00,880 somewhere else. And we have no record where they 185 00:09:00,880 --> 00:09:04,840 ever argued with God about that. Well, I'm amazed at how many 186 00:09:04,880 --> 00:09:08,360 people tell God I'll do anything you want me to do except and 187 00:09:08,360 --> 00:09:10,640 then they've got this long list of stuff that they don't want to 188 00:09:10,640 --> 00:09:12,040 do. That's not surrender. 189 00:09:13,280 --> 00:09:15,160 That's not how surrender works. Surrender. 190 00:09:15,480 --> 00:09:18,200 When you take a blank sheet of paper, you sign your name at the 191 00:09:18,200 --> 00:09:20,440 bottom and then you hand it to God and say you write in the 192 00:09:20,440 --> 00:09:23,640 details, you fill in the blanks and whatever you say, whatever 193 00:09:23,640 --> 00:09:25,520 you want, that's what I'm willing to do. 194 00:09:26,720 --> 00:09:29,160 The Holy Spirit of God, it came to them and said they pray to be 195 00:09:29,160 --> 00:09:32,120 Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. 196 00:09:32,280 --> 00:09:34,480 You've got to be willing to be fully surrendered. 197 00:09:34,640 --> 00:09:37,920 And it's my honest and sincere belief that the vast majority of 198 00:09:37,920 --> 00:09:40,480 Baptist Church members are not fully surrendered. 199 00:09:42,440 --> 00:09:44,720 If you want to have a story to tell, if you want to be able to 200 00:09:45,200 --> 00:09:48,040 round your church up one day and tell them what God has done with 201 00:09:48,040 --> 00:09:51,040 you, what God has done through you, you're going to have to be 202 00:09:51,040 --> 00:09:53,160 willing to leave your comfort zone. 203 00:09:55,320 --> 00:09:58,280 Chapter 13, verse 2, you got to be willing to do what other 204 00:09:58,280 --> 00:10:02,440 people won't do. I've separate them for the work 205 00:10:02,840 --> 00:10:05,360 whereunto I have called them. That word work right there 206 00:10:05,360 --> 00:10:09,080 throws a lot of people out. The ministries work. 207 00:10:10,040 --> 00:10:13,120 It's called ministry. That's a word for ministering, 208 00:10:13,120 --> 00:10:15,080 all right. It's we're servants of God. 209 00:10:15,360 --> 00:10:17,360 Paul talked about striving together. 210 00:10:17,360 --> 00:10:20,280 He talked about laborers laboring in the middle. 211 00:10:20,560 --> 00:10:23,360 Jesus had one prayer request in his whole ministry, and he 212 00:10:23,360 --> 00:10:25,760 prayed for, he prayed for workers prayed. 213 00:10:25,760 --> 00:10:27,680 Therefore the Lord of the harm was that he would send forth 214 00:10:27,800 --> 00:10:31,680 laborers into the harvest. The ministry and the work of God 215 00:10:31,680 --> 00:10:34,880 is work. It's work. 216 00:10:34,880 --> 00:10:37,000 You've got to be willing to do what other people won't do. 217 00:10:37,720 --> 00:10:39,960 You got to be able to answer what other people won't answer, 218 00:10:40,080 --> 00:10:43,600 he said where unto? I have called them. 219 00:10:43,600 --> 00:10:46,480 God has called a lot of people. They just wouldn't pick up the 220 00:10:46,480 --> 00:10:51,120 phone, live the whole rest of their lives out of the will of 221 00:10:51,120 --> 00:10:52,960 God because they refuse to surrender. 222 00:10:53,240 --> 00:10:54,880 They've already got their life mapped out. 223 00:10:55,040 --> 00:10:57,280 They live their house, they love where they live. 224 00:10:57,400 --> 00:10:59,280 They love being close to mom and daddy. 225 00:10:59,400 --> 00:11:01,800 They love being close to Walmart and Cracker Barrel. 226 00:11:01,960 --> 00:11:04,840 They they've got their retirement, their 401K, they've 227 00:11:04,840 --> 00:11:06,560 got their retirement. They already planned. 228 00:11:06,560 --> 00:11:08,640 They know exactly when they're going to be able to quit, where 229 00:11:08,640 --> 00:11:10,680 they can retire, live off of their income. 230 00:11:10,840 --> 00:11:13,520 And the Holy Ghost comes to them in the missions covered or come 231 00:11:13,520 --> 00:11:15,880 to them in the Bible conference and says, this is what I want 232 00:11:15,880 --> 00:11:17,560 you to do. And all of a sudden they panic. 233 00:11:17,640 --> 00:11:20,080 They say I can't do that. All all of my plans is going to 234 00:11:20,080 --> 00:11:22,200 completely fall apart if I surrender. 235 00:11:23,080 --> 00:11:24,720 Well, if you want stories to tell, you're going to have to 236 00:11:24,720 --> 00:11:25,200 surrender. Amen. 237 00:11:27,000 --> 00:11:29,160 You got to surrender. You got to do what other people 238 00:11:29,160 --> 00:11:30,480 won't do. You got to answer what other 239 00:11:30,480 --> 00:11:32,920 people won't answer. You got to go where other people 240 00:11:32,920 --> 00:11:36,760 won't go. Verse three and four, Hey, man, 241 00:11:36,920 --> 00:11:39,360 and you got to leave what other people aren't willing to leave. 242 00:11:40,160 --> 00:11:43,280 Bible says in verse 3, when they had fasted and prayed, laid 243 00:11:43,280 --> 00:11:46,000 their hands on them, they sent them away. 244 00:11:46,000 --> 00:11:48,240 Well, that word right there is what runs a lot of Christians 245 00:11:48,320 --> 00:11:53,000 out of ministry away. I've got friends down South 246 00:11:53,000 --> 00:11:55,760 that's pastored four or five churches in the last 30 years. 247 00:11:55,920 --> 00:11:58,320 Interestingly enough, every church I've ever pastored was 248 00:11:58,320 --> 00:12:02,160 driving distance from the house they live in, but never one time 249 00:12:02,160 --> 00:12:05,240 had to move to take a church. The only churches they were 250 00:12:05,240 --> 00:12:07,600 willing to take was ones they could drive to from where they 251 00:12:07,600 --> 00:12:13,680 were already living. Well, I can see right now that's 252 00:12:13,680 --> 00:12:19,400 going over like a lead balloon. I can't believe how many people 253 00:12:19,800 --> 00:12:22,760 when we were on deputation in 2000 to go to South Africa, try 254 00:12:22,760 --> 00:12:24,320 to talk us how to go to the mission field. 255 00:12:25,680 --> 00:12:27,840 I mean, I'm going to churches and presenting our work and I'm 256 00:12:27,840 --> 00:12:30,520 super excited. I mean, I'm on fire about going 257 00:12:30,520 --> 00:12:32,480 to Africa. My wife was, we had three 258 00:12:32,480 --> 00:12:34,760 beautiful children, had a display, had amazing 259 00:12:34,920 --> 00:12:36,800 presentation. And afterwards they'd say, I 260 00:12:36,800 --> 00:12:39,600 can't believe, I can't believe you're taking them three 261 00:12:39,600 --> 00:12:43,280 beautiful children to Africa. I got to where I would say, 262 00:12:43,280 --> 00:12:44,800 well, if they was ugly, could I take them? 263 00:12:48,200 --> 00:12:50,560 If they were ugly, would you take us on just to get them out 264 00:12:50,560 --> 00:12:55,000 of your face? Can't believe you're going to 265 00:12:55,000 --> 00:12:57,840 Africa. And that's a long way. 266 00:12:57,840 --> 00:13:01,600 I'm like, I know it's on the other side of the world, but 267 00:13:01,600 --> 00:13:04,840 that's where God called me. I can't believe how many of my 268 00:13:04,840 --> 00:13:07,320 preacher friends down South couldn't believe I was leaving 269 00:13:07,320 --> 00:13:09,000 South Carolina to go to Baltimore. 270 00:13:09,320 --> 00:13:11,560 What in the world are you doing going to Baltimore? 271 00:13:11,560 --> 00:13:13,400 I said I'm going where God told me to go. 272 00:13:16,440 --> 00:13:19,600 You got to be willing to go away from family, away from friends, 273 00:13:19,600 --> 00:13:23,360 away from your comfort zone, away from everything you know, 274 00:13:24,120 --> 00:13:25,480 if that's what God wants you to do. 275 00:13:25,480 --> 00:13:28,000 You got, you want stories to tell, you want to be used by 276 00:13:28,000 --> 00:13:30,480 God. You got to be fully surrendered 277 00:13:30,880 --> 00:13:34,480 #3 if you want God to use you, you got to be willing to be 278 00:13:34,480 --> 00:13:37,200 filled with the Spirit. Well, we can print your whole 279 00:13:37,200 --> 00:13:40,040 message on this point. Look at, look at, look at verse 280 00:13:40,040 --> 00:13:44,520 #9 the Bible says and, and, and, and Saul, who also is called 281 00:13:44,520 --> 00:13:48,600 Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, set his eyes on him. 282 00:13:48,600 --> 00:13:51,360 You don't underestimate the importance of big field of 283 00:13:51,360 --> 00:13:52,920 spirit. You won't God to do amazing 284 00:13:52,920 --> 00:13:54,560 things with you. You're not going to do it in 285 00:13:54,560 --> 00:13:56,000 your power. You're not going to do it in 286 00:13:56,000 --> 00:13:57,720 your energy. You're not going to do it with 287 00:13:57,720 --> 00:13:58,960 your intellect. You're going to need the 288 00:13:58,960 --> 00:14:00,960 supernatural help from God to do it. 289 00:14:01,160 --> 00:14:04,360 And the Holy Spirit, according to verse #2 is the one that does 290 00:14:04,360 --> 00:14:06,480 the calling. The Holy Ghost is the one in 291 00:14:06,480 --> 00:14:10,320 verse #4 who does descending, and the Holy Ghost in verse #9 292 00:14:10,320 --> 00:14:13,440 is the one that does the work. If you get anything done, you 293 00:14:13,440 --> 00:14:15,520 and I are going to have to be filled with the Holy Spirit of 294 00:14:15,520 --> 00:14:17,360 God. And most people cannot be used 295 00:14:17,360 --> 00:14:19,920 of God because they're full of their self and they're not full 296 00:14:19,920 --> 00:14:22,760 of the Spirit. They were filled with the Holy 297 00:14:22,760 --> 00:14:27,200 Ghost in verse number too, because they fasted and prayed 298 00:14:27,200 --> 00:14:31,000 verse #3 they fasted and prayed and they were filled with the 299 00:14:31,000 --> 00:14:33,600 Holy Spirit of God. They worked and operated in the 300 00:14:33,600 --> 00:14:36,000 power of the Holy Spirit of person. 301 00:14:36,000 --> 00:14:38,880 That will not be spirit filled, won't have very many stories to 302 00:14:38,880 --> 00:14:39,320 tell. That's right. 303 00:14:40,400 --> 00:14:42,880 The only stories you're going to have to have to tell are about 304 00:14:42,880 --> 00:14:45,320 all the messes you made, the mistakes you made, and the 305 00:14:45,320 --> 00:14:48,760 trouble you got into because you was not spirit filled, but you 306 00:14:48,760 --> 00:14:52,840 were walking in the flesh feeling being filled with the 307 00:14:52,840 --> 00:14:54,640 Spirit. The fire we need comes from the 308 00:14:54,640 --> 00:14:57,640 Holy Spirit. The fuel we need comes from the 309 00:14:57,640 --> 00:15:00,800 Holy Spirit. The fervency we need comes from 310 00:15:00,800 --> 00:15:04,280 the Holy Spirit. The focus we need and the finish 311 00:15:04,360 --> 00:15:07,080 we need comes from the Holy Spirit of God. 312 00:15:08,800 --> 00:15:10,960 Don't underestimate the importance of being filled with 313 00:15:10,960 --> 00:15:14,560 the Spirit. The ministry is spiritual work. 314 00:15:14,560 --> 00:15:17,960 It's supernatural work and you can't do it in your own power. 315 00:15:17,960 --> 00:15:21,800 In fact, it's so it's amazing to me, It's amazing to me that 316 00:15:21,800 --> 00:15:27,440 Jesus as he ascended up into heaven and Acts chapter #1 last 317 00:15:27,440 --> 00:15:30,400 thing he said before his feet left planet Earth was to go in 318 00:15:30,400 --> 00:15:32,360 all the world, preach the gospel to every creature. 319 00:15:32,960 --> 00:15:35,920 But then he said, tarry in Jerusalem till you be endued 320 00:15:35,920 --> 00:15:38,280 with power from old high. Then you shall be witnesses unto 321 00:15:38,280 --> 00:15:41,520 me in heaven and earth. And he they had to wait until 322 00:15:41,520 --> 00:15:45,520 they had the Holy Spirit of God in dwelling them before they 323 00:15:45,560 --> 00:15:47,560 ever were allowed to share the gospel. 324 00:15:47,560 --> 00:15:51,160 One time. There's a big difference in 325 00:15:51,160 --> 00:15:55,000 Peter and Acts 2 and Peter and the Gospels where every time he 326 00:15:55,000 --> 00:15:56,800 opened his mouth, he was put in his mouth. 327 00:15:57,640 --> 00:15:59,760 Every time he'd say something, Lord have to rebuke him. 328 00:15:59,760 --> 00:16:03,080 He got rebuked all the time. One time Jesus looked at Peter 329 00:16:03,200 --> 00:16:05,040 and said, get thee behind me, Satan. 330 00:16:07,720 --> 00:16:11,640 It was Peter saying not so Lord. It was Peter over there by the 331 00:16:11,640 --> 00:16:14,120 fire swearing and cussing, saying I don't know him, I don't 332 00:16:14,120 --> 00:16:16,400 know the man. But then he got full of the Holy 333 00:16:16,400 --> 00:16:19,800 Spirit of God and he preached a message and 3000 people got 334 00:16:19,800 --> 00:16:23,400 saved. You and I don't have the ability 335 00:16:23,400 --> 00:16:26,400 apart from the Holy Spirit to do what God wants done. 336 00:16:26,400 --> 00:16:28,640 If we're going to have any stories to tell and be used by 337 00:16:28,640 --> 00:16:33,720 God, we have to be filled we're the Holy Spirit of God #4 write 338 00:16:33,720 --> 00:16:35,280 this down. You got to be willing to fight 339 00:16:35,280 --> 00:16:37,920 Satan if you want to be used of God. 340 00:16:37,920 --> 00:16:43,960 It's spiritual warfare from Day 1 chapter 13 verse #8 the Bible 341 00:16:43,960 --> 00:16:46,840 says that elements the sorcerer for so is his name by 342 00:16:46,840 --> 00:16:50,400 interpretation withstood them. They hadn't got started good. 343 00:16:51,040 --> 00:16:52,880 I mean, they had that. They didn't even have a 344 00:16:52,880 --> 00:16:55,160 honeymoon in their mission on the mission field. 345 00:16:55,360 --> 00:16:58,240 They just got, they just had a going away party. 346 00:16:58,360 --> 00:17:01,880 They just blew out the candles in the going away cake and and 347 00:17:01,880 --> 00:17:04,240 they're on that. They're on the first few days 348 00:17:04,240 --> 00:17:07,400 and weeks of their missionary journey and the devil sends a 349 00:17:07,440 --> 00:17:15,119 sorcerer to withstand them. So maybe think you know what 350 00:17:15,119 --> 00:17:18,680 spiritual warfare is? Get in a foreign country and do 351 00:17:18,680 --> 00:17:20,960 missionary work and you'll find out real quick. 352 00:17:21,920 --> 00:17:23,480 Devil knows how to take it up a notch. 353 00:17:25,359 --> 00:17:28,119 Start trying to plant a church somewhere where there's not one. 354 00:17:29,040 --> 00:17:32,280 Start trying to start trying to evangelize a community that 355 00:17:32,280 --> 00:17:35,280 desperately needs the gospel and see if the demons of hell don't 356 00:17:35,280 --> 00:17:38,520 wake up and get all over you. I'm telling you, it's spiritual 357 00:17:38,520 --> 00:17:40,960 warfare from day one. And I don't care if you're a 358 00:17:40,960 --> 00:17:43,280 pastor, pastor's wife. I don't care if you're a 359 00:17:43,280 --> 00:17:45,560 missionary, a church planner. It don't matter if you're an 360 00:17:45,560 --> 00:17:46,720 evangelist. It don't matter if you're a 361 00:17:46,720 --> 00:17:48,960 Sunday school teacher. The minute you step up and say, 362 00:17:48,960 --> 00:17:50,960 Lord, whatever you want to do with me, do it. 363 00:17:51,000 --> 00:17:52,280 You can go ahead and mark it down. 364 00:17:52,280 --> 00:17:54,920 The devil's going to send people, demon possess people, 365 00:17:54,920 --> 00:17:57,720 crazy people, demonic people to withstand you. 366 00:17:57,960 --> 00:18:02,760 You got to be ready for that. You got to be ready for that. 367 00:18:04,200 --> 00:18:06,880 You're afraid or unprepared to enter the spiritual warfare. 368 00:18:06,880 --> 00:18:09,440 Your chances of being used by God's pretty slim. 369 00:18:11,040 --> 00:18:13,080 All it takes is a devil sticking his head around the corner, 370 00:18:13,080 --> 00:18:16,120 going Boo for you to back up and go home. 371 00:18:16,200 --> 00:18:20,920 Hey, God can't do much with you. Why do you think Jesus told his 372 00:18:20,920 --> 00:18:24,320 disciples upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates 373 00:18:24,320 --> 00:18:26,400 of hell shall not prevail against it. 374 00:18:26,600 --> 00:18:29,600 From the minute he mentioned starting a church, he concluded 375 00:18:29,600 --> 00:18:31,920 the statement by saying you can go ahead and get ready for 376 00:18:31,920 --> 00:18:35,120 demonic, satanic warfare. The devil's going to do 377 00:18:35,120 --> 00:18:36,560 everything you can to come against it. 378 00:18:36,880 --> 00:18:39,440 Come against the church, come against your family. 379 00:18:40,360 --> 00:18:42,880 You think you've got stress in your marriage, now get in the 380 00:18:42,880 --> 00:18:44,320 ministry. It don't get better. 381 00:18:44,360 --> 00:18:46,960 The devil takes it up a notch. You think you've got trouble 382 00:18:46,960 --> 00:18:48,640 trying to train and raise godly children? 383 00:18:48,640 --> 00:18:51,680 Now wait till they're preachers kids or missionaries kids or 384 00:18:51,800 --> 00:18:55,360 wait till they're you're trying to go all in for God and you're 385 00:18:55,360 --> 00:18:58,240 surrender to do whatever God wants you to do and and your 386 00:18:58,240 --> 00:19:00,480 family is committed. We're going to do the ministries 387 00:19:00,480 --> 00:19:03,280 of the church that God will let us do and I'm telling the devil 388 00:19:03,280 --> 00:19:06,960 will take it up a notch. You said, preacher, if you're 389 00:19:06,960 --> 00:19:08,720 trying to talk to me in the surrender and you're doing a 390 00:19:08,720 --> 00:19:13,000 pair of terrible job of it, I'm just being honest. 391 00:19:14,680 --> 00:19:16,120 You want to have stories to tell. 392 00:19:16,120 --> 00:19:18,480 You want to be used by God. You want to be able to gather 393 00:19:18,480 --> 00:19:20,800 people around, tell them what God did with you and how God 394 00:19:20,800 --> 00:19:22,320 used you. You're going to have to be ready 395 00:19:22,320 --> 00:19:26,360 for some spiritual warfare. I mean, it's it's Paul and 396 00:19:26,360 --> 00:19:29,880 Barnabas face sorcerers. I was thinking about this, 397 00:19:30,520 --> 00:19:32,040 Brother Louis, I think you're going to agree with me. 398 00:19:33,400 --> 00:19:35,360 You read the disciple, you read the, you read the Gospel. 399 00:19:35,360 --> 00:19:39,040 If you look at the accounts of how many places Jesus went and 400 00:19:39,040 --> 00:19:43,080 how many demons and devils he cast out, unclean spirits, foul 401 00:19:43,080 --> 00:19:46,440 spirits, I mean even just in Mark one, I mean, look, I mean 402 00:19:46,440 --> 00:19:48,480 demon possessed people, devil possessed people. 403 00:19:48,480 --> 00:19:51,560 He delivered in just Mark chapter #1 in one place that 404 00:19:51,560 --> 00:19:53,880 says they were gathered, all the city was gathered at the door 405 00:19:53,960 --> 00:19:57,320 and he cast out many devils. This is in one house and one 406 00:19:57,320 --> 00:20:00,480 night in one town. You think how many devil 407 00:20:00,480 --> 00:20:02,360 possessed people was back in those days? 408 00:20:02,920 --> 00:20:05,240 When you Fast forward to 2026 and I'm going to tell you 409 00:20:05,240 --> 00:20:07,720 something about the help with the, with the Internet and the 410 00:20:07,720 --> 00:20:11,040 social media and all the mind altering drugs and all of the 411 00:20:11,040 --> 00:20:13,280 satanic influences that we've got in our society. 412 00:20:13,440 --> 00:20:16,720 You take whatever demonic people there was in Jesus day and you 413 00:20:16,720 --> 00:20:20,120 can multiply that by about 10 or 15 and 2025. 414 00:20:20,280 --> 00:20:22,280 And we look at people, we think, man, they're just mean or 415 00:20:22,280 --> 00:20:24,120 they're just hateful. No, they're devil possessed. 416 00:20:24,280 --> 00:20:27,400 I mean our society is full of devil possessed people. 417 00:20:29,480 --> 00:20:33,080 That's their problem. They're devil possessed and they 418 00:20:33,080 --> 00:20:35,000 will be sent by the devil to oppose you. 419 00:20:35,200 --> 00:20:37,480 You can't handle a little bit of opposition. 420 00:20:37,480 --> 00:20:42,520 You best just stay on the bench. They were confronted and opposed 421 00:20:42,520 --> 00:20:44,560 by literal children of the devil. 422 00:20:44,560 --> 00:20:47,560 He told him in verse #10 old, full of subtlety and all 423 00:20:47,560 --> 00:20:51,840 mischief. Thou child of the devil, he 424 00:20:51,880 --> 00:20:53,800 said, Preacher, that's nerve wracking, that's scary. 425 00:20:53,800 --> 00:20:58,400 I know it is, but it's real. Spiritual warfare is real. 426 00:20:58,760 --> 00:21:00,800 If you're a soul winner, you've been counted it on people's 427 00:21:00,800 --> 00:21:03,640 front porch. If you're a soul winner, you can 428 00:21:03,640 --> 00:21:05,560 count into that. When you knock on the door and 429 00:21:05,560 --> 00:21:08,160 they come to the door and you can see the devil in their eyes, 430 00:21:09,920 --> 00:21:11,280 they act like you're trying to rob them. 431 00:21:12,440 --> 00:21:14,760 Tell them Jesus loves you, love you to come to church, and just 432 00:21:14,760 --> 00:21:15,880 let's talk to you about the Lord. 433 00:21:16,040 --> 00:21:18,560 You think they act like you're trying to rob them. 434 00:21:20,760 --> 00:21:22,680 It's a devil. They need to be saved, 435 00:21:22,680 --> 00:21:24,600 obviously. What I'm saying is if that 436 00:21:24,600 --> 00:21:26,640 scares you off, you're not going to have a lot of stories to 437 00:21:26,640 --> 00:21:28,440 tell. God's not going to be able to do 438 00:21:28,440 --> 00:21:31,080 much with you if you can't handle spiritual warfare. 439 00:21:32,040 --> 00:21:35,720 The good news is greater T that is in you than he that is in the 440 00:21:35,720 --> 00:21:36,640 world. Amen. 441 00:21:36,800 --> 00:21:39,960 The devil is a defeated foe. He's just a dog on a chain. 442 00:21:39,960 --> 00:21:42,240 He can't go. But so far God's given us the 443 00:21:42,240 --> 00:21:44,200 victory. We know how the story ends and 444 00:21:44,280 --> 00:21:47,400 and the church is invincible. The church is able to do the 445 00:21:47,400 --> 00:21:49,720 what God has called us to do. The devil can't do nothing to 446 00:21:49,720 --> 00:21:52,760 stop it, but a lot of people are afraid to even deal with it. 447 00:21:54,560 --> 00:21:56,640 Let me give you these other couple points right quick, and 448 00:21:56,640 --> 00:21:59,000 I'm going to get out of the way. Number, write this down #5 you 449 00:21:59,000 --> 00:22:00,320 got to be willing to face suffering. 450 00:22:01,440 --> 00:22:02,880 You got to be willing to face suffering. 451 00:22:02,880 --> 00:22:05,760 If you want to have stories to tell of how God has used you, 452 00:22:05,760 --> 00:22:08,120 how God's allowed you to make a difference, you don't have to be 453 00:22:08,120 --> 00:22:13,400 willing to face some suffering. Chapter 13, verse #45 Now says 454 00:22:13,400 --> 00:22:15,840 when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled 455 00:22:15,840 --> 00:22:18,480 with envious make against those things which were spoken by 456 00:22:18,480 --> 00:22:21,120 Paul, contradicting and blaspheming. 457 00:22:22,320 --> 00:22:25,240 The Bible says in verse #50 the Jews were stirred up, the devout 458 00:22:25,240 --> 00:22:27,920 and honorable women, the chief men of the city, and raised 459 00:22:27,920 --> 00:22:31,760 persecution against Paul and Barnabas, expelled them out of 460 00:22:31,760 --> 00:22:33,800 their coach. If you've got thin skin, you 461 00:22:33,800 --> 00:22:37,880 stay out of the ministry. If you get your feelings hurt 462 00:22:37,880 --> 00:22:41,520 real quick and best, best just stay on the few and pray and 463 00:22:41,520 --> 00:22:43,560 tithe and be faithful to church because you're not going to be 464 00:22:43,560 --> 00:22:46,360 able to do much more than that if you can't handle a little bit 465 00:22:46,360 --> 00:22:49,720 of suffering. Let me tell you how much 466 00:22:49,720 --> 00:22:53,800 suffering Paul had to deal with. That was his call to preach. 467 00:22:55,800 --> 00:22:58,560 God told Ananias, you go over there to the house and you find 468 00:22:58,560 --> 00:23:02,880 Saul and you tell him how great things he must suffer from my 469 00:23:02,880 --> 00:23:06,040 name. Not how big a church is going to 470 00:23:06,040 --> 00:23:08,480 get the pastor, not how many love offerings he's going to 471 00:23:08,480 --> 00:23:10,880 get, not how many people he's going to have following him and 472 00:23:10,880 --> 00:23:13,520 inviting him out to eat. You tell Paul I've called him to 473 00:23:13,520 --> 00:23:16,480 preach, and the call to preach is how great things he must 474 00:23:16,480 --> 00:23:20,520 suffer from my sake. From day one Paul knew he was 475 00:23:20,520 --> 00:23:23,160 going to suffer and he did suffer. 476 00:23:23,160 --> 00:23:25,400 And he gives us a long list of the things he had to deal with. 477 00:23:25,600 --> 00:23:28,480 Getting stoned and shipwrecked and beaten with rods and on and 478 00:23:28,480 --> 00:23:31,280 on he went. But you got to be willing to 479 00:23:31,280 --> 00:23:33,880 face suffering. Bible says they shook off the 480 00:23:33,880 --> 00:23:36,920 dust in verse 51 of their feet against them and came to 481 00:23:36,920 --> 00:23:38,080 Iconium. What about that? 482 00:23:38,840 --> 00:23:42,120 Just shut the dust off their feet and went to the next town. 483 00:23:42,120 --> 00:23:44,600 You got to be willing to face suffering. 484 00:23:45,280 --> 00:23:47,400 Being in the ministry is not popular with people that are 485 00:23:47,400 --> 00:23:49,200 lost. Being in the ministry is not 486 00:23:49,200 --> 00:23:51,000 popular with people that are devil possessed. 487 00:23:51,240 --> 00:23:54,200 It's not popular with people that love sin and love what 488 00:23:54,200 --> 00:23:56,240 they're doing. God sends us out there to tell 489 00:23:56,240 --> 00:23:59,320 them the gospel, share, share the gospel, shine the light of 490 00:23:59,320 --> 00:24:01,920 the glorious gospel in their eyes and their hearts and their 491 00:24:01,920 --> 00:24:03,600 ears. And not everybody's going to 492 00:24:03,600 --> 00:24:05,480 fall down and grab your feet and thank you. 493 00:24:05,640 --> 00:24:06,920 Some of them's going to cuss you out. 494 00:24:07,040 --> 00:24:08,720 Some of them's going to tell you not to come back. 495 00:24:08,720 --> 00:24:11,160 Some of them's going to be rude and mean and sends you hate 496 00:24:11,160 --> 00:24:12,400 mail. We talked about it today. 497 00:24:12,560 --> 00:24:16,280 I get hate mail, I get emails. It's nasty, horrible, vulgar 498 00:24:16,280 --> 00:24:17,880 things. I just delete them and keep 499 00:24:17,880 --> 00:24:20,040 going because that's just part of it. 500 00:24:21,440 --> 00:24:22,960 Just part of it. You got to be willing to face 501 00:24:22,960 --> 00:24:26,400 suffering number six. You got to be willing to be 502 00:24:26,400 --> 00:24:28,960 fluent in scriptures. I wish they had time to expand 503 00:24:28,960 --> 00:24:31,760 this point to be willingly fluent in scriptures. 504 00:24:31,760 --> 00:24:35,360 Paul and Barnabas were Bible teachers and Bible preachers. 505 00:24:35,800 --> 00:24:39,400 The Word of God was their life. The entire first missionary 506 00:24:39,400 --> 00:24:43,160 journey was 1 concentrated effort to preach and teach and 507 00:24:43,160 --> 00:24:47,560 proclaim the Scriptures there. One of the most invaluable yet 508 00:24:47,560 --> 00:24:51,560 underestimated secrets to being used of God is knowing your 509 00:24:51,640 --> 00:24:54,920 Bible. Learn your Bible, young people. 510 00:24:54,920 --> 00:24:56,800 Memorize Scripture. Know what you believe. 511 00:24:56,800 --> 00:24:59,600 Know why you believe it. One of the qualifications of the 512 00:24:59,600 --> 00:25:02,880 Bishop in First Timothy 3 is that he not be a novice. 513 00:25:04,640 --> 00:25:07,880 In chapter 13 verse 5, Bible says they preached the word of 514 00:25:07,880 --> 00:25:11,760 God in the synagogue. Chapter 13 verse 7 they called 515 00:25:11,760 --> 00:25:16,080 for Barnabas and Saul and desired to hear the word of God. 516 00:25:16,240 --> 00:25:18,960 Chapter 13 verse 15 after the reading of the law and the 517 00:25:18,960 --> 00:25:21,240 prophets, the rulers of the synagogue said of them saying 518 00:25:21,240 --> 00:25:24,760 that you men and brethren, if you have any word of exhortation 519 00:25:24,760 --> 00:25:27,800 for the people say all well we could just go on and on. 520 00:25:27,840 --> 00:25:31,280 Verse 44 the Bible says the whole city came together to hear 521 00:25:31,440 --> 00:25:34,280 the word of God. Are y'all staying with me? 522 00:25:35,520 --> 00:25:39,480 Chapter 13, verse #46 The Bible says that it was necessary that 523 00:25:39,480 --> 00:25:42,520 the word of God should first have been spoken unto you. 524 00:25:42,520 --> 00:25:45,120 Verse 48, When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and 525 00:25:45,120 --> 00:25:47,840 glorified the word of the Lord. Verse 49. 526 00:25:47,840 --> 00:25:50,120 The word of the Lord was published throughout all the 527 00:25:50,120 --> 00:25:52,640 region. Chapter 14, Verse 3, The Bible 528 00:25:52,640 --> 00:25:55,400 says they gave testimony into the word of His grace. 529 00:25:55,400 --> 00:25:58,680 And chapter 14, verse 25, when they had preached the word, 530 00:25:58,720 --> 00:26:01,600 everywhere they went they was preaching, teaching the word of 531 00:26:01,600 --> 00:26:03,040 God. If you want God to use you, If 532 00:26:03,040 --> 00:26:05,480 you want God to put his hands on you, if you want God to open 533 00:26:05,480 --> 00:26:08,320 doors and allow you to do things for him, you need to know your 534 00:26:08,320 --> 00:26:12,400 Bible. You could give the average 535 00:26:12,400 --> 00:26:15,080 independent Baptist a three by 5 card and say write what you 536 00:26:15,080 --> 00:26:17,120 believe and why you believe it. And they couldn't fill up both 537 00:26:17,120 --> 00:26:21,400 sides. Paul's message in Acts chapter 538 00:26:21,400 --> 00:26:25,760 13, verse 15 through 41 was filled with Scripture. 539 00:26:25,760 --> 00:26:27,880 I'm not going to give you the whole list, but he quoted 540 00:26:27,880 --> 00:26:32,640 Genesis, first Samuel, Isaiah, Mark, Matthew, Psalm, Isaiah, 541 00:26:32,640 --> 00:26:36,240 Psalm 16, Isaiah 53, and Habakkuk 1. 542 00:26:36,360 --> 00:26:39,240 He quoted every one of those Scriptures in his message from 543 00:26:39,560 --> 00:26:42,920 verse 15 down through verse #41 and he did it without notes. 544 00:26:45,320 --> 00:26:47,320 He stood up there and preached and quoted scriptures and just 545 00:26:47,320 --> 00:26:50,200 grabbed verses from all over the Bible and you wove them together 546 00:26:50,200 --> 00:26:52,200 and put together a Bible message. 547 00:26:53,880 --> 00:26:56,720 Amen. Let me give you one last point. 548 00:26:57,520 --> 00:27:00,280 Write this down. You got to be willing to fortify 549 00:27:00,280 --> 00:27:02,840 the Saints. Fortify the Saints. 550 00:27:02,840 --> 00:27:06,040 One of the greatest requirements for being used of gods to be 551 00:27:06,040 --> 00:27:11,320 able to be trusted by God to help other Christians grow and 552 00:27:11,320 --> 00:27:13,840 you're willing to live day and night for other people to go 553 00:27:13,840 --> 00:27:16,160 further in their Christian life it's all about helping them 554 00:27:16,160 --> 00:27:19,280 advance it's all about them going further with God then God 555 00:27:19,280 --> 00:27:25,680 can do something with you. The Bible tells us over and over 556 00:27:25,680 --> 00:27:28,040 and over in Paul's first missionary journey and 557 00:27:28,040 --> 00:27:30,680 barnabas's first missionary journey, God used them to help 558 00:27:30,680 --> 00:27:35,120 other people fortify the Saints. Chapter 13, verse #43 When the 559 00:27:35,120 --> 00:27:38,440 congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious 560 00:27:38,440 --> 00:27:41,040 proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, 561 00:27:41,040 --> 00:27:44,720 persuaded them to continue in the grace of God. 562 00:27:45,160 --> 00:27:47,880 Chapter 14, Verse 21. The Bible says when they had 563 00:27:47,880 --> 00:27:51,480 preached the gospel and had taught many, they returned again 564 00:27:51,480 --> 00:27:54,920 to Lystra, Verse 22, confirming the souls of the disciples, 565 00:27:54,920 --> 00:27:58,080 exhorting them to continue in the faith that we must through 566 00:27:58,080 --> 00:28:01,960 much tribulation enter into the Kingdom of God. 567 00:28:01,960 --> 00:28:03,960 Verse 23 And when they had ordained them elders in every 568 00:28:03,960 --> 00:28:06,400 city and prayed with vast and they commended them to the Lord 569 00:28:06,640 --> 00:28:08,640 on whom they believe. So it gives us a journey. 570 00:28:08,760 --> 00:28:11,120 They went through all these cities, LED people to the Lord, 571 00:28:11,320 --> 00:28:13,600 got people, saved all these cities, and then as they 572 00:28:13,600 --> 00:28:16,840 backtracked back to Antioch, every city, they confirmed them 573 00:28:16,840 --> 00:28:18,520 and encouraged them to go further with God. 574 00:28:18,640 --> 00:28:21,920 If you want God to use you, you got to be spiritual enough not 575 00:28:21,920 --> 00:28:24,600 only be able to keep your own walk with God maintained, but 576 00:28:24,600 --> 00:28:29,480 let God use you to help somebody else go further with God, not 577 00:28:29,480 --> 00:28:32,000 just the pastor's job. It's not just the pastor's job 578 00:28:32,160 --> 00:28:34,640 to encourage and challenge the church members to live right and 579 00:28:34,640 --> 00:28:37,080 do right and stay faithful. You're supposed to do it to one 580 00:28:37,080 --> 00:28:38,840 another. The Bible says provoke one 581 00:28:38,840 --> 00:28:41,480 another to love and good works. Does it not say that? 582 00:28:42,160 --> 00:28:45,640 Sure it does. But one of the story ends when 583 00:28:45,640 --> 00:28:46,760 they gathered the church together. 584 00:28:46,760 --> 00:28:49,560 They rehearsed all that God had done with them. 585 00:28:49,720 --> 00:28:53,160 They had set themselves up, they had checked all these boxes and 586 00:28:53,160 --> 00:28:55,560 said, Lord, whatever you want to do with us, we're willing to be 587 00:28:55,560 --> 00:28:57,280 used. And God did amazing things. 588 00:28:57,280 --> 00:28:59,320 And and that's just missionary journey number one. 589 00:28:59,480 --> 00:29:03,560 They took two more after that. And all we got in chapter 13 or 590 00:29:03,560 --> 00:29:06,680 14 was just a couple little isolated glimpses of what God 591 00:29:06,680 --> 00:29:08,920 did with him. Only eternity will know what God 592 00:29:08,920 --> 00:29:11,160 did with Barnabas and Paul. And there's no telling what God 593 00:29:11,160 --> 00:29:15,000 can do with you. You're sitting this here right 594 00:29:15,000 --> 00:29:17,760 now saying me, you don't know me, you don't know anything 595 00:29:17,760 --> 00:29:18,840 about me. I know this. 596 00:29:18,840 --> 00:29:21,440 If you're saved and you won't do something for God, God can use 597 00:29:21,440 --> 00:29:23,200 you. God wants to use you. 598 00:29:26,320 --> 00:29:30,320 I think about this and I'm done. A lot of Christians sit around 599 00:29:30,320 --> 00:29:32,680 waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting, 600 00:29:32,680 --> 00:29:35,400 waiting for God to tell them to do something and they're not 601 00:29:35,400 --> 00:29:37,840 doing half of what he's already told them to do, right. 602 00:29:39,760 --> 00:29:42,200 God's not going to give you more light till you walk in the light 603 00:29:42,200 --> 00:29:46,440 you've already received. Ron Comfort said this years ago. 604 00:29:46,440 --> 00:29:52,760 Light received increases light. Light rejected decreases light. 605 00:29:54,000 --> 00:29:56,160 As long as you're walking in the light, he'll keep giving you 606 00:29:56,160 --> 00:29:57,920 light. When you stop, the light stops. 607 00:29:58,400 --> 00:30:01,080 You won't God open up doors. You won't God to do open up 608 00:30:01,080 --> 00:30:02,960 greater doors. Walk through the doors that's 609 00:30:02,960 --> 00:30:06,520 open in front of you right now and see if God won't let you 610 00:30:06,520 --> 00:30:09,240 have some stories to tell. You'll be able to say, look what 611 00:30:09,240 --> 00:30:11,080 God damn with me. I can't believe God did this 612 00:30:11,080 --> 00:30:14,360 with me. God used me to do this and I 613 00:30:14,360 --> 00:30:17,280 just can't believe it. God's got so much he wants you 614 00:30:17,280 --> 00:30:24,720 to do, so much he wants you to do, Pastor, Amen. 615 00:30:24,720 --> 00:30:25,000 I just.