1 00:00:03,840 --> 00:00:08,119 This is Living Waters of Grace, the teaching ministry of Clark 2 00:00:08,119 --> 00:00:12,240 Wofford, senior pastor of Calvary Chapel of Westmoreland, 3 00:00:12,240 --> 00:00:16,400 County of Greensburg, PA. Now here's Pastor Clark as he 4 00:00:16,400 --> 00:00:18,720 continues teaching through God's Word. 5 00:00:37,040 --> 00:00:41,480 Many commentators as you study these teachings believe that you 6 00:00:41,480 --> 00:00:44,320 know Paul missed the Lord on this situation, as did the 7 00:00:44,320 --> 00:00:48,520 leadership. If he wasn't there, would God 8 00:00:48,520 --> 00:00:52,080 still be able to work without Paul being in Jerusalem? 9 00:00:52,080 --> 00:00:54,120 Of course there was all kind of other believers there. 10 00:00:54,840 --> 00:00:58,560 The movement of God was never completely dependent on one man. 11 00:00:58,560 --> 00:01:01,000 It never has been and never will be. 12 00:01:01,640 --> 00:01:06,160 God uses people for specific times and periods in history, 13 00:01:06,600 --> 00:01:09,880 but eventually we move on. With the 90s Chicago Bulls 14 00:01:09,880 --> 00:01:13,440 completely dependent on Michael Jordan or was it a team effort? 15 00:01:13,760 --> 00:01:17,880 Would Dale Earnhardt senior have won seven NASCAR championships 16 00:01:18,040 --> 00:01:21,800 without his pit crew? You never know how history could 17 00:01:21,800 --> 00:01:24,400 have unfolded if the players had been different. 18 00:01:24,960 --> 00:01:27,880 In today's message, Pastor Clark teaches you that God doesn't 19 00:01:27,880 --> 00:01:31,840 need any one man to accomplish His will, but he works through 20 00:01:31,840 --> 00:01:35,520 those who are available. Are you available to be used by 21 00:01:35,520 --> 00:01:37,680 God? Are you looking for His will to 22 00:01:37,680 --> 00:01:41,440 be done in your life now? Here's Pastor Clark in Acts 23 00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:45,280 Chapter 8 with today's edition of Living Waters of Grace. 24 00:01:45,640 --> 00:01:49,040 Philip was translated and This is why he was able to go from 25 00:01:49,040 --> 00:01:53,400 1:00 point in time and space and he was taken to another place 26 00:01:53,400 --> 00:01:57,440 approximately 3035 miles away without having to take any kind 27 00:01:57,440 --> 00:02:00,360 of human transportation. The Holy Spirit got him there. 28 00:02:00,520 --> 00:02:04,240 He ends up in Caesarea where he's eventually going to spend 29 00:02:04,240 --> 00:02:09,120 most of his life in that area to become a servant of the Lord. 30 00:02:09,320 --> 00:02:13,680 And so this is where he ended many years ago, about 2520 years 31 00:02:13,680 --> 00:02:15,280 ago. Of course, didn't wouldn't have 32 00:02:15,280 --> 00:02:17,800 known Paul at that time. Paul was in the process of 33 00:02:17,800 --> 00:02:22,360 persecuting Christians. So now this man had four virgin 34 00:02:22,360 --> 00:02:27,000 daughters who prophesized. Interesting that this man had 35 00:02:27,000 --> 00:02:29,600 godly young daughters or middle-aged daughters. 36 00:02:29,600 --> 00:02:32,680 I don't know how old they were, but these women don't appear. 37 00:02:32,680 --> 00:02:35,760 Doesn't give any history that they had family or marriage or 38 00:02:35,760 --> 00:02:38,600 kids or anything. They were called by God to speak 39 00:02:38,600 --> 00:02:41,920 the truth of God at the time because the Bible wasn't 40 00:02:41,920 --> 00:02:44,160 completely written yet like it is now. 41 00:02:44,160 --> 00:02:47,760 So different people had giftings to talk about spiritual things 42 00:02:47,760 --> 00:02:50,480 and truth. And so they were very anointed 43 00:02:50,480 --> 00:02:53,520 women of God. And it notes this here in in the 44 00:02:53,520 --> 00:02:58,720 Bible and verse 10, as we stayed many days, a certain prophet 45 00:02:58,720 --> 00:03:01,120 named Agabus came down from Judea. 46 00:03:01,600 --> 00:03:06,080 Now, Agabus was the prophet that warned the believers at the time 47 00:03:06,080 --> 00:03:09,280 there was going to be great world famine, predominantly 48 00:03:09,360 --> 00:03:11,000 dealing with the area of Jerusalem. 49 00:03:11,320 --> 00:03:14,040 And that's when Paul had this desire to get an offering 50 00:03:14,040 --> 00:03:18,080 together, to be able to take the money to the church in Jerusalem 51 00:03:18,120 --> 00:03:20,880 to help the people who were struggling with famine. 52 00:03:20,960 --> 00:03:25,040 So Agabus is a gifted prophet. He warned them of the famine. 53 00:03:25,040 --> 00:03:27,760 It came to pass. Here he is showing up again. 54 00:03:28,280 --> 00:03:32,680 When he had come to us, he took Paul's belt, bound his own hands 55 00:03:32,680 --> 00:03:36,760 and feet, and said, Thus says the Holy Spirit, That's pretty 56 00:03:36,880 --> 00:03:40,360 dramatic. So shall the Jews at Jerusalem 57 00:03:40,360 --> 00:03:44,240 bind this man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands 58 00:03:44,240 --> 00:03:46,480 of the Gentiles. That's the second warning that 59 00:03:46,480 --> 00:03:50,880 the apostle Paul got that he shouldn't go to Jerusalem. 60 00:03:52,080 --> 00:03:55,440 Now when he heard these things, both we and those in verse 12 61 00:03:55,440 --> 00:03:58,200 from that place pleaded with him not to go to Jerusalem. 62 00:03:58,560 --> 00:04:02,360 So not only did he hear 2 voices speak the same thing it says in 63 00:04:02,360 --> 00:04:04,320 the mouth the two or three witnesses. 64 00:04:04,320 --> 00:04:09,040 Let something be accomplished or approved or justified. 65 00:04:09,440 --> 00:04:12,000 Paul answers. What do you mean by weeping and 66 00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:14,520 breaking my heart? For I'm ready not only to be 67 00:04:14,520 --> 00:04:16,880 bound, but also to die. Jerusalem for the name of the 68 00:04:16,880 --> 00:04:19,800 Lord Jesus. Now is he have a martyr complex? 69 00:04:19,800 --> 00:04:21,640 I don't know. You got to remember when we 70 00:04:21,640 --> 00:04:26,080 study the Bible, there's only one true, perfect holy person. 71 00:04:26,240 --> 00:04:30,240 His name is Jesus Christ. He's without sin, without air, 72 00:04:30,240 --> 00:04:33,240 without mistakes. Now, we honor the apostles and 73 00:04:33,240 --> 00:04:35,040 prophets, but they're human beings. 74 00:04:35,280 --> 00:04:37,800 They made mistakes. We read about these things at 75 00:04:37,800 --> 00:04:40,360 different times. Peter messed up, you know, and 76 00:04:40,360 --> 00:04:43,040 Paul, you know, he had his own issues with Barnabas and the 77 00:04:43,040 --> 00:04:46,040 falling out with John. Mark wasn't, you know, really a 78 00:04:46,040 --> 00:04:49,600 biblically or a Christian like approach, but here he is right 79 00:04:49,600 --> 00:04:52,600 now. He is so compelled personally 80 00:04:52,880 --> 00:04:55,280 that it's almost like he doesn't want to hear anything anybody 81 00:04:55,280 --> 00:04:58,720 has to say but what he believes the Lord's telling him to do. 82 00:05:00,240 --> 00:05:03,000 What's dangerous about these kind of things in any of our 83 00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:07,000 lives is like, if I as a pastor, decide I'm going to do stuff 84 00:05:07,240 --> 00:05:10,760 independent of my fellow elders, and I say, well, I don't care 85 00:05:10,760 --> 00:05:13,960 what you guys say or think, I believe the Lord wants us to do 86 00:05:13,960 --> 00:05:16,400 this and we're going to do this. I'm in big trouble, right? 87 00:05:16,800 --> 00:05:20,320 We need to have everything checked and the multitude of 88 00:05:20,320 --> 00:05:22,280 counselors. The Bible says there's safety. 89 00:05:22,800 --> 00:05:26,640 And so when we have something we sense God wanting us to do, if 90 00:05:26,640 --> 00:05:29,760 we're not in unison or an agreement, we just don't do it. 91 00:05:29,760 --> 00:05:33,240 No matter how strong I feel or some other leader feels, we got 92 00:05:33,240 --> 00:05:36,280 to have the mind of the Lord and that's how God protects his 93 00:05:36,280 --> 00:05:38,400 church. He has a plurality of 94 00:05:38,400 --> 00:05:40,400 leadership. He doesn't have one person 95 00:05:40,560 --> 00:05:43,080 running the church. Jesus is the head of the church 96 00:05:43,320 --> 00:05:45,520 and then there's a body of believers and then there's 97 00:05:45,720 --> 00:05:49,480 people who ordained to help lead and oversee the flock of God. 98 00:05:50,160 --> 00:05:54,280 But Paul, for some reason here is not standing reason. 99 00:05:54,480 --> 00:05:57,920 He's willing, he says, to go up and go through whatever he feels 100 00:05:57,920 --> 00:06:00,520 he needs to go through. It'd be like me telling you 101 00:06:00,520 --> 00:06:03,360 guys, well, I'm really compelled, you know, by the 102 00:06:03,360 --> 00:06:05,240 Lord. And there's people in North 103 00:06:05,240 --> 00:06:08,400 Korea that need the gospel and I'm going to go over there and 104 00:06:08,400 --> 00:06:10,960 I'm going to go preach in North Korea. 105 00:06:11,240 --> 00:06:14,120 What would you say to me? You're crazy, right? 106 00:06:14,440 --> 00:06:16,280 We just read the documentation here. 107 00:06:16,480 --> 00:06:18,400 As soon as I get off the plane, I don't even have a chance to 108 00:06:18,400 --> 00:06:19,840 talk to anybody. They're taking me to one of 109 00:06:19,840 --> 00:06:22,960 those camps, you know, and probably put a gag on my mouth 110 00:06:22,960 --> 00:06:25,800 or kill me or whatever. I mean, you have to have wisdom 111 00:06:25,800 --> 00:06:27,440 to know where to go and where not to go. 112 00:06:28,160 --> 00:06:30,920 Our country, thank God, understands some of these 113 00:06:31,120 --> 00:06:33,680 nations that they're on the travel advisory. 114 00:06:33,680 --> 00:06:36,320 They're red alert. Don't go to this country because 115 00:06:36,320 --> 00:06:38,360 you're going to risk your life. It's not safe. 116 00:06:39,160 --> 00:06:41,800 And if you just blow by that and say, well, the Lord's going to 117 00:06:41,800 --> 00:06:44,560 protect me, well, maybe he will and maybe you'll get through it. 118 00:06:44,800 --> 00:06:47,360 Maybe you'll be martyred immediately the first day you're 119 00:06:47,360 --> 00:06:49,720 there. It's not good to test the Lord 120 00:06:49,720 --> 00:06:53,280 and put him to foolish test. But anyway, so Paul's, you know, 121 00:06:53,480 --> 00:06:57,200 being emotional here. And so it says in verse 414. 122 00:06:57,200 --> 00:07:00,560 So when he would not be persuaded, we cease saying. 123 00:07:00,560 --> 00:07:03,280 In other words, he didn't listen to the first two people. 124 00:07:03,720 --> 00:07:06,680 He didn't listen to the crowd of people exhorting him, please 125 00:07:06,680 --> 00:07:09,760 don't go. So finally the people say, OK, 126 00:07:09,960 --> 00:07:13,600 the will of the Lord be done and it will be done. 127 00:07:14,600 --> 00:07:19,560 So in verse 15 we continue. And after these days we packed 128 00:07:19,560 --> 00:07:22,960 and went up to Jerusalem. Also some of the disciples from 129 00:07:22,960 --> 00:07:26,760 Caesarea went with us and brought with them a certain 130 00:07:27,000 --> 00:07:31,240 Masson of Cyprus, an early disciple with whom we were to 131 00:07:31,240 --> 00:07:33,400 lodge. So they're up there hanging out 132 00:07:33,400 --> 00:07:36,320 with another brother who's giving them lodging facility 133 00:07:36,320 --> 00:07:38,800 there and helping them. And when he had come to 134 00:07:38,800 --> 00:07:42,160 Jerusalem, Paul, the brethren received us gladly. 135 00:07:43,000 --> 00:07:46,240 On the following day Paul went in with us to James and James 136 00:07:46,240 --> 00:07:50,480 was the overseer of the first among evils, if you may have 137 00:07:50,480 --> 00:07:54,120 that first church in Jerusalem, but he was also with the elders 138 00:07:54,120 --> 00:07:57,240 and he was accountable to. So they had a group of leaders 139 00:07:57,240 --> 00:07:59,240 there. They were present and when he 140 00:07:59,240 --> 00:08:02,240 had greeted them, he told in detail the things which God had 141 00:08:02,240 --> 00:08:04,600 done among the Gentiles through his ministry. 142 00:08:04,920 --> 00:08:08,760 The Paul was primarily A preacher to the lost Gentiles. 143 00:08:08,760 --> 00:08:11,840 That'd be people like us. We're not Jewish, and he would 144 00:08:11,880 --> 00:08:16,320 spend a majority of his time ministering to them and wouldn't 145 00:08:16,320 --> 00:08:19,200 bring in Jewish tradition or culture or any of that kind of 146 00:08:19,200 --> 00:08:21,360 stuff. These issues of Judaism are 147 00:08:21,440 --> 00:08:23,920 presenting a real problem here, and this is what Paul's going to 148 00:08:23,920 --> 00:08:26,640 have to deal with. When he had greeted them, he 149 00:08:26,640 --> 00:08:29,560 told in detail all the things that the Lord had done among the 150 00:08:29,560 --> 00:08:33,480 Gentiles through his ministry. Wasn't Paul was the Lord through 151 00:08:33,799 --> 00:08:36,200 the ministry that the Lord had given Paul? 152 00:08:36,559 --> 00:08:40,440 Verse 20 And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord, and 153 00:08:40,440 --> 00:08:43,520 they said to him, You see, brother, how many myriads of 154 00:08:43,520 --> 00:08:47,360 Jews there are who have believed, and they are zealous 155 00:08:47,360 --> 00:08:51,680 for the law, that they have been informed about you, that you 156 00:08:51,680 --> 00:08:55,160 teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles who forsake Moses, 157 00:08:55,160 --> 00:08:58,680 saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, nor 158 00:08:58,680 --> 00:09:02,040 walk according to the customs. What then, Question Mark? 159 00:09:03,040 --> 00:09:07,160 Paul never once told any Jewish family that they couldn't 160 00:09:07,160 --> 00:09:12,120 circumcise their kids. Never did he tell them that the 161 00:09:12,120 --> 00:09:14,400 teachings of Moses were obsolete. 162 00:09:14,960 --> 00:09:18,800 What Paul did say though is that they were shadows of things to 163 00:09:18,800 --> 00:09:24,440 come, that circumcision was a picture of baptism and the 164 00:09:24,440 --> 00:09:29,400 teachings of Moses was only pointing toward the ultimate 165 00:09:29,400 --> 00:09:33,920 teacher of the gospel and the real sacrifice for sin that 166 00:09:33,920 --> 00:09:36,520 would come through Jesus Christ and him alone. 167 00:09:36,800 --> 00:09:41,120 So Paul always used his own background as a Jew and 168 00:09:41,120 --> 00:09:43,760 understanding the beauty of some of the tradition that helped 169 00:09:43,760 --> 00:09:46,000 them to understand the new covenant. 170 00:09:46,200 --> 00:09:48,880 The Old covenant wasn't bad. It was a covenant that God 171 00:09:49,120 --> 00:09:51,240 instituted until the new covenant came. 172 00:09:51,240 --> 00:09:54,760 When Jesus Christ died on the cross and said it was finished. 173 00:09:55,560 --> 00:10:00,640 You know, there was no more need for ritual law and sacrifices of 174 00:10:00,640 --> 00:10:03,640 animals to pay for people's sins. 175 00:10:03,680 --> 00:10:07,520 Jesus Christ himself, the Lamb of God, was the only one that 176 00:10:07,520 --> 00:10:11,160 could ultimately pay for our sin and die for our sin. 177 00:10:11,480 --> 00:10:15,160 So he's being accused of things that aren't really legitimate. 178 00:10:15,600 --> 00:10:19,520 And so they're asking him about some of these issues because 179 00:10:19,520 --> 00:10:24,280 he's Judaizers are really causing a problem here and 180 00:10:24,280 --> 00:10:28,320 slandering Paul's ministry and saying that he's telling them to 181 00:10:28,320 --> 00:10:30,680 forget everything about their own heritage. 182 00:10:31,240 --> 00:10:33,400 So what then? Verse 22? 183 00:10:33,600 --> 00:10:37,680 The assembly must certainly meet, for they will hear that 184 00:10:37,680 --> 00:10:40,880 you have come. Therefore do what we tell you. 185 00:10:40,880 --> 00:10:44,000 So they're giving him some direction here as to how to calm 186 00:10:44,000 --> 00:10:47,080 everything down. They say we have 4 men who have 187 00:10:47,080 --> 00:10:49,560 taken a vow. There's a Nazarite vow. 188 00:10:50,200 --> 00:10:53,640 These four guys are going to commit themselves totally to 189 00:10:53,640 --> 00:10:58,080 being under God's authority, to serve Him all the days of their 190 00:10:58,080 --> 00:11:02,280 life, and to commit themselves 100% to being servants of the 191 00:11:02,280 --> 00:11:04,800 Lord. This is a big issue and this is 192 00:11:05,040 --> 00:11:06,720 not something to be taken lightly. 193 00:11:07,280 --> 00:11:11,080 Paul even took a Nazz right vow a while back as a part of a 194 00:11:11,480 --> 00:11:16,040 symbolism of his commitment as a Jewish person to the one true 195 00:11:16,040 --> 00:11:19,600 and living God. And so take them and be purified 196 00:11:19,600 --> 00:11:23,240 with them and pay their expenses so that they may shave their 197 00:11:23,240 --> 00:11:25,680 heads. And that all may know that those 198 00:11:25,680 --> 00:11:28,360 things of which they were informed concerning you are 199 00:11:28,360 --> 00:11:32,760 nothing but that you yourself also walk orderly and keep the 200 00:11:32,760 --> 00:11:34,360 law. So these were traditions of 201 00:11:34,360 --> 00:11:39,520 Jewish people that were still valued and honored by the Jewish 202 00:11:39,520 --> 00:11:41,800 believers. And Paul wasn't trying to 203 00:11:41,800 --> 00:11:46,080 eradicate every part of any kind of worship or symbolism that 204 00:11:46,080 --> 00:11:48,720 Jewish people had because they were brought up differently. 205 00:11:48,720 --> 00:11:50,760 They were brought up through the Old Testament and they 206 00:11:51,000 --> 00:11:53,240 understood the law and the prophets much better than the 207 00:11:53,240 --> 00:11:56,240 Gentiles would have ever understood these things because 208 00:11:56,240 --> 00:11:59,200 they, the law and the prophets were done by Jewish people. 209 00:11:59,400 --> 00:12:03,880 So historically, the majority of the movement of worshipping the 210 00:12:03,880 --> 00:12:08,080 God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob was a Jewish focus. 211 00:12:08,280 --> 00:12:12,000 It wasn't a Gentile focus or a Pagan focus. 212 00:12:12,320 --> 00:12:14,720 And so as a result, this is what's happening here. 213 00:12:14,720 --> 00:12:17,880 So they're giving Paul this information as to how to deal 214 00:12:17,880 --> 00:12:20,560 with this at the time and they're hoping this will calm 215 00:12:20,560 --> 00:12:24,480 down the waters there of these Jewish people that are all 216 00:12:24,480 --> 00:12:28,800 upset. So he said, the elders did say 217 00:12:29,240 --> 00:12:31,920 in verse 25 though. But concerning the Gentiles who 218 00:12:31,920 --> 00:12:35,800 believe, we have written and decided, and they had decided 219 00:12:35,800 --> 00:12:37,640 this already at the Jerusalem Council. 220 00:12:37,640 --> 00:12:40,480 We studied that a good while back, that they should observe 221 00:12:40,480 --> 00:12:42,400 no such thing. This isn't something for 222 00:12:42,400 --> 00:12:45,200 Gentiles. This is for Jewish believers. 223 00:12:45,200 --> 00:12:49,160 This is their custom. To this day, many Jewish 224 00:12:49,160 --> 00:12:51,960 Christians still are real strong on kosher. 225 00:12:52,040 --> 00:12:54,400 You know, they eat kosher foods. That's what they do. 226 00:12:54,400 --> 00:12:56,840 They don't eat a lot of stuff that we would eat. 227 00:12:56,840 --> 00:12:59,440 And there's nothing wrong with that as long as they don't say 228 00:12:59,440 --> 00:13:02,360 that, well, we're doing this and we're closer to God than you are 229 00:13:02,360 --> 00:13:04,080 because we do this and you don't. 230 00:13:04,080 --> 00:13:07,160 That's where the downfall is. OK, But you respect the 231 00:13:07,160 --> 00:13:09,960 traditions of people for whatever reason they do it, as 232 00:13:09,960 --> 00:13:13,000 long as it's not circumventing the truth of the gospel. 233 00:13:13,360 --> 00:13:15,760 So this was what they told them. This is what they observed. 234 00:13:15,760 --> 00:13:18,880 They don't have to observe this kind of vow kind of system, 235 00:13:19,080 --> 00:13:21,960 except that they should keep themselves from things offered 236 00:13:21,960 --> 00:13:25,240 to idols, from blood and things strangled, and from sexual 237 00:13:25,240 --> 00:13:27,120 immorality. So that was basically all that 238 00:13:27,120 --> 00:13:32,000 was told to us as gentile believers in regard to all these 239 00:13:32,000 --> 00:13:36,880 ritualistic backgrounds of of the Jewish people, that we 240 00:13:36,880 --> 00:13:39,640 wouldn't be intentionally eating anything that would be offered 241 00:13:39,640 --> 00:13:42,920 to an idol. We wouldn't be eating certain 242 00:13:42,920 --> 00:13:46,360 things that were not dealt with properly in regard to the blood 243 00:13:46,360 --> 00:13:50,000 of the animal, and from things strangled in the key from sexual 244 00:13:50,000 --> 00:13:52,800 immorality. So then Paul took the men, and 245 00:13:52,800 --> 00:13:55,840 the next day, having been purified with them, he entered 246 00:13:55,840 --> 00:13:59,160 the temple to announce their expiration of the days of 247 00:13:59,160 --> 00:14:02,000 purification. It was a week at which time an 248 00:14:02,000 --> 00:14:03,960 offering should be made for each of them. 249 00:14:04,520 --> 00:14:08,480 Now when the seven days were almost ended, verse 27 the Jews 250 00:14:08,480 --> 00:14:12,200 from Asia seeing him in a temple stirred up the whole crowd and 251 00:14:12,200 --> 00:14:14,880 laid hands on him crying out men of Israel help. 252 00:14:15,080 --> 00:14:17,760 This is a man who teaches all men everywhere against the 253 00:14:17,760 --> 00:14:21,360 people, the law and this place. And furthermore, he's also 254 00:14:21,360 --> 00:14:24,840 brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled the holy place. 255 00:14:25,000 --> 00:14:28,520 For they had previous seen seen Trumpius the Ephesian with him 256 00:14:28,520 --> 00:14:31,320 in the city whom they suppose that Paul had brought into the 257 00:14:31,320 --> 00:14:33,720 temple. Well, Paul didn't bring any non 258 00:14:33,720 --> 00:14:37,440 Jewish person into the temple. There was no reason really for a 259 00:14:37,440 --> 00:14:39,480 non Jewish person to want to go into the temple. 260 00:14:39,480 --> 00:14:41,120 I mean, it wouldn't relate to us. 261 00:14:41,480 --> 00:14:45,520 And so they had a wall of separation that would be there 262 00:14:45,520 --> 00:14:49,760 to prevent people from entering the temple that weren't fully 263 00:14:49,960 --> 00:14:53,080 Jewish. And Paul didn't stumble anybody. 264 00:14:53,080 --> 00:14:54,360 He didn't bring anybody in there. 265 00:14:54,360 --> 00:14:55,840 But this is what he's being accused of. 266 00:14:56,600 --> 00:15:00,640 So this whole deal, this whole ceremony that the elders and 267 00:15:00,640 --> 00:15:05,200 James recommended Paul do, thinking it would pacify these 268 00:15:05,200 --> 00:15:08,920 people didn't work out. It became a disaster. 269 00:15:09,600 --> 00:15:14,040 And so this again shows us that man at his best point in regard 270 00:15:14,040 --> 00:15:18,120 to leading or thinking they're being LED of the Lord, James and 271 00:15:18,120 --> 00:15:23,800 the elders, it didn't work. And Paul's now being accosted 272 00:15:23,800 --> 00:15:28,160 and arrested, warned not to go to Jerusalem because of this 273 00:15:28,160 --> 00:15:31,240 very thing that he's going to begin to encounter and have to 274 00:15:31,240 --> 00:15:35,120 deal with. Now, many commentators as you 275 00:15:35,120 --> 00:15:38,760 study these teachings believe that, you know, Paul missed the 276 00:15:38,760 --> 00:15:41,320 Lord on this situation, as did the leadership. 277 00:15:41,840 --> 00:15:46,960 If he wasn't there, would God still be able to work without 278 00:15:46,960 --> 00:15:49,280 Paul being in Jerusalem? Of course there was all kind of 279 00:15:49,280 --> 00:15:52,640 other believers there. The movement of God was never 280 00:15:53,000 --> 00:15:56,640 completely dependent on one man. It never has been and never will 281 00:15:56,640 --> 00:15:59,280 be. God uses people for specific 282 00:15:59,280 --> 00:16:04,720 times and periods in history, but eventually we move on and 283 00:16:04,720 --> 00:16:08,400 most of us won't even be remembered a year after we're 284 00:16:08,400 --> 00:16:11,560 gone. Some of the great men that we 285 00:16:11,560 --> 00:16:16,480 have commentaries from in the past that lived solid lives for 286 00:16:16,480 --> 00:16:19,560 the Lord, that helps us stay on course with the truth of the 287 00:16:19,560 --> 00:16:21,920 word of God. They're remembered for their 288 00:16:21,920 --> 00:16:25,000 names and their testimony and their lives, but they're not 289 00:16:25,000 --> 00:16:26,840 here anymore. You know, any way we can hear 290 00:16:26,840 --> 00:16:29,920 from them is through radio broadcasts or books that we 291 00:16:29,920 --> 00:16:30,760 have. Whatever. 292 00:16:30,760 --> 00:16:36,280 And thank God for that. But Paul in this situation was 293 00:16:36,280 --> 00:16:39,040 in a bind, and it was going to create a lot of problem. 294 00:16:39,040 --> 00:16:42,480 He was going to be in prison for two years in Jerusalem and three 295 00:16:42,480 --> 00:16:46,600 years in Rome because of this. Now, in retrospect, what could 296 00:16:46,600 --> 00:16:47,920 he have done? He could have listened to the 297 00:16:47,920 --> 00:16:51,120 people when they warned him and there was enough evidence why he 298 00:16:51,120 --> 00:16:54,000 shouldn't go there. And he could have gone to some 299 00:16:54,000 --> 00:16:56,760 other region and been free to minister, right? 300 00:16:57,600 --> 00:17:00,800 I mean, but now he's got to spend the all these years in 301 00:17:00,800 --> 00:17:03,080 prison. And that wasn't a pleasant 302 00:17:03,080 --> 00:17:05,040 experience. Now, God worked it out. 303 00:17:05,040 --> 00:17:07,800 He wrote the prison epistles. And, you know, he did witness 304 00:17:07,800 --> 00:17:11,160 while he was in prison. But it's much better to be free, 305 00:17:11,480 --> 00:17:13,800 to be able to move around than to be isolated. 306 00:17:14,000 --> 00:17:16,839 And so that's something you can, you know, consider and think 307 00:17:16,839 --> 00:17:20,400 about in regard to, you know, how God works in your life. 308 00:17:21,119 --> 00:17:23,079 You know, this city is all uptight. 309 00:17:23,640 --> 00:17:25,920 It's disturbed. Now in verse 30, the people run 310 00:17:25,920 --> 00:17:28,840 together, they seize Paul, they drag him out of the temple. 311 00:17:29,080 --> 00:17:32,480 Immediately the doors are shut. Now they're seeking to kill him. 312 00:17:32,640 --> 00:17:35,400 News came to the commander of the Garrison that all Jerusalem 313 00:17:35,400 --> 00:17:38,160 was in an uproar. He immediately took soldiers and 314 00:17:38,160 --> 00:17:41,400 centurions and ran down to them. And when they saw the commander 315 00:17:41,400 --> 00:17:43,360 and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. 316 00:17:43,600 --> 00:17:46,440 Then the commander came near and took him and commanded him to be 317 00:17:46,440 --> 00:17:49,960 bound with two chains. Prophecy came fulfilled from 318 00:17:49,960 --> 00:17:51,720 Agamus. Now he's being chained. 319 00:17:51,720 --> 00:17:55,560 His hands were locked together, and he asked who he was and what 320 00:17:55,560 --> 00:17:57,760 he had done. And some among the multitude 321 00:17:57,760 --> 00:18:00,520 cried one thing and some another. 322 00:18:00,840 --> 00:18:04,160 So when he could not ascertain the truth because of the tumult, 323 00:18:04,360 --> 00:18:06,760 he commanded him to be taken into the barracks. 324 00:18:07,000 --> 00:18:09,560 When he reached the stairs, he had to be carried by the 325 00:18:09,560 --> 00:18:13,080 soldiers because of the violence of the mob, for the multitude of 326 00:18:13,080 --> 00:18:16,680 the people followed after crying out away with him. 327 00:18:17,360 --> 00:18:20,400 And then as Paul was about to be LED into the barracks, he said 328 00:18:20,400 --> 00:18:22,200 to the commander, May I speak to you? 329 00:18:22,600 --> 00:18:26,320 He replied, Can you speak Greek? Are you not the Egyptian who 330 00:18:26,320 --> 00:18:29,560 some time ago stirred up a rebellion and LED the 4000 331 00:18:29,560 --> 00:18:31,160 assassins out into the wilderness? 332 00:18:31,440 --> 00:18:34,160 They're mixing Paul up with some other false guy. 333 00:18:34,320 --> 00:18:38,800 But Paul said, I am a Jew from Tarsus and Cilicia, a citizen of 334 00:18:38,800 --> 00:18:42,080 no means city, and I implore you permit me to speak to the 335 00:18:42,080 --> 00:18:43,920 people. So when he had given his 336 00:18:43,920 --> 00:18:47,600 permission, Paul stood up in the chair on the stairs and tension 337 00:18:47,600 --> 00:18:50,400 with his hand to the people. And when there was a great 338 00:18:50,400 --> 00:18:53,720 silence, he spoke to them in the Hebrew language saying, and 339 00:18:53,720 --> 00:18:56,280 we'll pick that up in chapter 22, where he's going to give his 340 00:18:56,600 --> 00:19:01,200 testimony of how at one time he was one who persecuted the 341 00:19:01,200 --> 00:19:05,720 church, hated Christians. Obviously he was responsible for 342 00:19:06,520 --> 00:19:10,760 the martyrdom of Stephen. He endorsed that held the coats 343 00:19:10,760 --> 00:19:14,320 of those who threw the stones at Stephen, the first martyr in the 344 00:19:14,320 --> 00:19:18,360 New Testament. So whenever you're in a 345 00:19:18,360 --> 00:19:25,200 situation that is perhaps misunderstood, you have family, 346 00:19:25,200 --> 00:19:27,480 you have a wife, you have a husband, you have children, you 347 00:19:27,480 --> 00:19:30,320 have brothers and sisters and that kind of thing, and you're 348 00:19:30,320 --> 00:19:33,360 very convinced about something, but they aren't. 349 00:19:33,960 --> 00:19:37,520 That doesn't mean that God isn't at work directing you, but at 350 00:19:37,520 --> 00:19:40,680 the same time in humility, you need to hear people out and you 351 00:19:40,680 --> 00:19:44,800 need to consider what people say because God puts people in your 352 00:19:44,800 --> 00:19:48,640 life to help you and that help you have wisdom and make right 353 00:19:48,640 --> 00:19:51,040 kind of decisions, right? And then you pray and you say, 354 00:19:51,040 --> 00:19:53,920 OK Lord, please clarify to me what is your will? 355 00:19:55,040 --> 00:19:58,040 There's a proverb that says how can two walk together except 356 00:19:58,040 --> 00:20:01,480 they'd be agreed. It's nothing more beneficial, I 357 00:20:01,480 --> 00:20:07,040 found out in my own life than to be able to have the unity of my 358 00:20:07,040 --> 00:20:10,640 wife and any decisions I make whenever I don't have unity with 359 00:20:10,640 --> 00:20:11,840 her. It's not a good thing. 360 00:20:12,680 --> 00:20:14,400 Never worked out. She's never come to me. 361 00:20:14,400 --> 00:20:17,280 So we, I think maybe one time she said, yeah, you were right 362 00:20:17,280 --> 00:20:21,600 that time, one time. So most of the time you were 363 00:20:21,840 --> 00:20:26,080 totally off base, right. So, you know, even though the 364 00:20:26,080 --> 00:20:28,200 husband's supposed to be the head of the house, that doesn't 365 00:20:28,200 --> 00:20:31,200 mean he's a dictator. He's someone who facilitates, 366 00:20:31,200 --> 00:20:34,080 hopefully, the leadership of the family toward the things of God, 367 00:20:34,600 --> 00:20:36,920 that the wife is in the family as well. 368 00:20:37,080 --> 00:20:40,320 We're heirs together, the grace of life, Peter says, and we're 369 00:20:40,320 --> 00:20:42,400 to submit to one another and the fear of the Lord. 370 00:20:42,400 --> 00:20:45,840 It tells us in Ephesians that we might find the will of God 371 00:20:45,840 --> 00:20:47,560 together. So Cindy and I, when we are up 372 00:20:47,560 --> 00:20:50,040 against things and we're not real sure about what to do or 373 00:20:50,040 --> 00:20:53,160 how to handle something, we talk about it, we pray about it. 374 00:20:53,160 --> 00:20:55,560 Sometimes we argue about it. You know, we fight about it. 375 00:20:55,560 --> 00:20:58,720 And then we come back and humble ourselves and pray and, and we 376 00:20:58,720 --> 00:21:01,680 listen. And it's always good to have 377 00:21:01,680 --> 00:21:04,800 unity in the decision making process, especially in a 378 00:21:04,800 --> 00:21:08,000 marriage and in the home, but also in the church. 379 00:21:08,280 --> 00:21:11,280 And I just want to assure you guys, when you come here, I'm 380 00:21:11,280 --> 00:21:13,800 not running this Church of the Lord's running the church. 381 00:21:14,040 --> 00:21:17,800 And I lead it with other guys who are also responsible to help 382 00:21:17,800 --> 00:21:23,800 lead it so that we do the best we can with what God has given 383 00:21:23,800 --> 00:21:28,000 to us to do for your benefit and for the glory of God. 384 00:21:28,480 --> 00:21:32,200 So please pray for us, you know, and if you guys are ever dealing 385 00:21:32,200 --> 00:21:35,040 with something, you need some encouragement with her, her 386 00:21:35,040 --> 00:21:37,600 counsel. We're always here to not to tell 387 00:21:37,600 --> 00:21:40,280 you what to do, but at least give you another opinion, right? 388 00:21:40,280 --> 00:21:42,120 It's good to have another opinion sometimes. 389 00:21:42,560 --> 00:21:45,880 Sometimes, you know, the doctor gives you a diagnosis and what 390 00:21:45,880 --> 00:21:48,400 are you going to do to say, OK, I guess you know, he knows, you 391 00:21:48,400 --> 00:21:52,000 know, I got a second opinion, maybe a third opinion, you know, 392 00:21:52,000 --> 00:21:54,600 So it's, it's always good to do that to make sure you're making 393 00:21:54,600 --> 00:21:55,880 the right decision. Amen. 394 00:21:56,920 --> 00:21:58,920 Let's pray. Father God, we thank you, Lord, 395 00:21:58,920 --> 00:22:02,880 for this time now that we can celebrate you and remember what 396 00:22:02,880 --> 00:22:07,240 you've done for us on the cross. Lord, your precious death and 397 00:22:08,560 --> 00:22:12,400 how you died for our sins according to the Scriptures, how 398 00:22:12,440 --> 00:22:15,000 you were buried, how you rose again the third day according to 399 00:22:15,000 --> 00:22:18,080 the Scriptures. And that Lord, you were seen by 400 00:22:18,080 --> 00:22:22,760 over 500 witnesses after your resurrection and even revealed 401 00:22:22,760 --> 00:22:26,560 yourself physically to Paul as one of the apostles. 402 00:22:27,600 --> 00:22:30,960 And Lord, there's much for us to learn in these scriptures in 403 00:22:30,960 --> 00:22:34,800 regard to hearing your voice and knowing your will and not 404 00:22:35,000 --> 00:22:38,600 arbitrarily just doing what we think we should do, but getting 405 00:22:38,600 --> 00:22:42,760 godly counsel, especially when it has to do with things that 406 00:22:42,760 --> 00:22:47,480 could cause danger or cause problem, unnecessary conflict. 407 00:22:48,720 --> 00:22:51,120 Well, we're thankful that you wrote the scriptures in such a 408 00:22:51,120 --> 00:22:53,640 way that we could see the humanists and the leaders. 409 00:22:54,000 --> 00:22:55,880 We could see the fallenness at times. 410 00:22:55,880 --> 00:22:59,680 We could see the sin even, and some of the greatest people that 411 00:22:59,680 --> 00:23:00,880 have walked the face of the earth. 412 00:23:00,880 --> 00:23:06,560 For you, Lord, all of us have feet of clay and only you alone. 413 00:23:06,840 --> 00:23:11,360 Our God, our trust is in you. Lord, we're not to trust a man. 414 00:23:11,800 --> 00:23:15,560 You tell us to trust in You with all of our heart and not lean 415 00:23:15,560 --> 00:23:17,440 into our understanding and all our ways. 416 00:23:17,440 --> 00:23:20,440 Acknowledge You and you'll direct our paths. 417 00:23:21,040 --> 00:23:23,400 We're thankful, Lord, that you give us wisdom. 418 00:23:23,400 --> 00:23:26,160 You tell us if any of us lack wisdom, we can ask of You and 419 00:23:26,160 --> 00:23:27,920 you'll give it to us. You won't hold it back. 420 00:23:28,800 --> 00:23:32,280 You tell us, Lord, the multitude of counselors there is safety. 421 00:23:32,280 --> 00:23:36,240 Thank you, Lord, for writing these things down for us to read 422 00:23:36,240 --> 00:23:39,520 and to obey and to listen to so we don't have to be fools, Lord, 423 00:23:39,840 --> 00:23:42,720 trying to run our lives based upon our own opinions. 424 00:23:43,080 --> 00:23:45,080 We're going to follow your leading Holy Spirit. 425 00:23:45,080 --> 00:23:48,400 We're going to be LED of You, and we want to have that godly 426 00:23:48,400 --> 00:23:51,520 support and council of others you surround us with, especially 427 00:23:51,800 --> 00:23:54,120 in our homes, Lord, with our spouses. 428 00:23:54,440 --> 00:23:58,760 Amen. Thank you for listening to this 429 00:23:58,760 --> 00:24:00,840 edition of Living Waters of Grace. 430 00:24:01,160 --> 00:24:04,120 Pastor Clark is teaching us about the book of Acts in this 431 00:24:04,120 --> 00:24:07,080 series. Acts is a powerful and unique 432 00:24:07,080 --> 00:24:10,000 part of Scripture, not just because it records the spread of 433 00:24:10,000 --> 00:24:13,440 the Gospel geographically from Jerusalem to the ends of the 434 00:24:13,440 --> 00:24:18,000 earth, but also culturally. Acts shows us how the message of 435 00:24:18,000 --> 00:24:21,720 Jesus moved beyond its Jewish roots and began to reach the 436 00:24:21,720 --> 00:24:24,640 Gentile world. What started with Peter leading 437 00:24:24,640 --> 00:24:28,520 a small group in the Upper Room became a global movement with 438 00:24:28,520 --> 00:24:32,320 Paul taking the gospel to cities, synagogues, and 439 00:24:32,320 --> 00:24:35,000 marketplaces across the Roman Empire. 440 00:24:35,600 --> 00:24:39,480 Acts captures this vital transition and reminds us that 441 00:24:39,480 --> 00:24:43,280 the good news of Jesus is for all people in every place. 442 00:24:43,720 --> 00:24:48,480 May we be inspired to carry that same gospel boldly into our 443 00:24:48,480 --> 00:24:51,640 world today. Living Waters of Grace comes to 444 00:24:51,640 --> 00:24:53,920 you from Calvary Chapel, Westmoreland. 445 00:24:54,280 --> 00:24:58,440 If you're in the Greensburg, PA area, you can listen to Grace FM 446 00:24:58,440 --> 00:25:03,280 on the new 91.7 frequency. 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If you're outside the area, 454 00:25:37,360 --> 00:25:40,280 don't worry, you can still worship with us through the 455 00:25:40,280 --> 00:25:43,040 Calvary Chapel Westmoreland YouTube channel. 456 00:25:43,480 --> 00:25:46,400 Be sure to subscribe so you won't miss new content. 457 00:25:46,760 --> 00:25:49,040 You're so thankful that you joined us today. 458 00:25:49,080 --> 00:25:52,560 Be sure to tune in to the next edition of Living Waters of 459 00:25:52,560 --> 00:25:53,120 Grace.