1 00:00:07,800 --> 00:00:16,160 Acts chapter 16, you'll notice, I don't know if you did in the 2 00:00:16,160 --> 00:00:20,880 prayers, but in the worship songs that were selected today. 3 00:00:21,720 --> 00:00:29,800 And it wasn't by planning, it was by the Lord that there was a 4 00:00:29,880 --> 00:00:34,960 theme throughout that we are not to be afraid or fearful. 5 00:00:36,560 --> 00:00:40,760 We live in a time when people are fearful or how am I going 6 00:00:40,800 --> 00:00:42,800 to, how am I going to be able to get to work? 7 00:00:42,800 --> 00:00:44,480 How am I going to be able to provide? 8 00:00:44,960 --> 00:00:47,520 How are we going to live? How what's going to happen? 9 00:00:47,520 --> 00:00:52,000 We can't travel. What about our superannuation? 10 00:00:52,240 --> 00:00:54,800 And what about our all sorts of things? 11 00:00:54,880 --> 00:01:00,120 You know, people are fearful. Well, listen, the opposite of 12 00:01:00,120 --> 00:01:06,720 fear is faith. The just shall live not by fear, 13 00:01:07,280 --> 00:01:10,160 but by faith. And this morning, if you've 14 00:01:10,160 --> 00:01:13,640 brought fear and many of you have and and it's a an 15 00:01:13,640 --> 00:01:17,560 understandable thing and you worry, remember the Bible says 16 00:01:17,560 --> 00:01:21,120 Matthew chapter 6. Jesus says, hey, don't worry 17 00:01:21,120 --> 00:01:25,160 because it's actually sinful. It's a sin because it's saying, 18 00:01:25,160 --> 00:01:27,600 God, I don't think you can handle this. 19 00:01:28,080 --> 00:01:30,240 I don't think you're going to be able to look after us. 20 00:01:30,760 --> 00:01:34,760 That's why we need to ask God to forgive us when we worry. 21 00:01:35,200 --> 00:01:38,160 We need to turn our worry into a prayer. 22 00:01:38,440 --> 00:01:42,040 And then we cast our cares before God and he takes our 23 00:01:42,040 --> 00:01:44,960 worry off us. So if you've come here with a 24 00:01:44,960 --> 00:01:49,360 fear or with a worry, God says, you give that to me. 25 00:01:51,880 --> 00:01:57,080 I'm God and I'll look after you. Don't be fearful. 26 00:01:57,720 --> 00:02:03,080 Don't don't go by what you see, because faith comes by hearing 27 00:02:03,080 --> 00:02:09,360 and hearing by the word of God. And and we live by what God's 28 00:02:09,360 --> 00:02:11,960 word says. You know, if you want to get the 29 00:02:11,960 --> 00:02:18,360 best geopolitical advice on world events, it's not on CNN, 30 00:02:18,880 --> 00:02:21,880 not on Sky, it's definitely not on the ABC. 31 00:02:24,360 --> 00:02:27,480 It's the Bible. The Bible tells you what's going 32 00:02:27,480 --> 00:02:29,240 to happen. We don't have to go. 33 00:02:29,240 --> 00:02:31,320 What's going to happen with the events in the Middle East? 34 00:02:32,240 --> 00:02:37,480 Bible tells us. So be people of the Word, not 35 00:02:37,480 --> 00:02:43,800 people of the world. OK, Acts chapter 16 to get a 36 00:02:43,800 --> 00:02:44,880 lead up. You go. 37 00:02:44,880 --> 00:02:47,320 Well, what happened to 15? I'll give you a summary. 38 00:02:48,560 --> 00:02:53,480 In Acts chapter 15, there was a conflict over circumcision. 39 00:02:54,240 --> 00:02:59,760 A group of Hebrew Christians said, well, these gentiles that 40 00:02:59,760 --> 00:03:03,480 are getting saved, they need to come through Judaism and then we 41 00:03:03,480 --> 00:03:08,640 can accept them into the church. So they need to be circumcised. 42 00:03:10,560 --> 00:03:15,680 And they said verse one and two and 15, unless you're 43 00:03:15,680 --> 00:03:17,960 circumcised, you cannot be saved. 44 00:03:17,960 --> 00:03:25,880 And went wow, Paul and Barnabas and Peter were not happy about 45 00:03:25,880 --> 00:03:28,840 that. So Paul, Barnabas. 46 00:03:28,840 --> 00:03:31,960 So our council was called, the churches got together, the whole 47 00:03:31,960 --> 00:03:35,400 congregation gathered. There were people spoke. 48 00:03:36,080 --> 00:03:39,480 Paul spoke, Barnabas spoke. Then Peter spoke, said this is 49 00:03:39,480 --> 00:03:42,240 what happened. You can't deny what happened. 50 00:03:42,240 --> 00:03:43,280 I saw it. I was there. 51 00:03:43,280 --> 00:03:45,880 God let me. You can't, you can't undo what 52 00:03:45,880 --> 00:03:47,840 God's doing. God's showing us what he's doing 53 00:03:47,840 --> 00:03:52,400 in the salvation Gentiles. Then James, the half brother of 54 00:03:52,400 --> 00:03:57,080 Jesus got up to to finalise it and said, hey, God's doing this. 55 00:03:57,520 --> 00:04:00,360 We can't put any yoke upon the Gentile believers. 56 00:04:00,720 --> 00:04:03,360 God's telling us they're saved just like us. 57 00:04:03,760 --> 00:04:06,080 We're we're all in the in the church now. 58 00:04:06,960 --> 00:04:10,360 Why should we put these yokes that our fathers couldn't 59 00:04:10,480 --> 00:04:12,800 achieve anyway? The law they tried, but they 60 00:04:12,800 --> 00:04:17,040 couldn't live by the law anyway. Why should we tell them to do 61 00:04:17,040 --> 00:04:19,079 all this other stuff? It's not necessary. 62 00:04:19,320 --> 00:04:24,080 It's it's Jesus saves by grace and that's it, nothing else. 63 00:04:25,600 --> 00:04:28,040 So he said just tell them this and they wrote a letter and went 64 00:04:28,040 --> 00:04:32,840 out to the churches don't eat meat that's been sacrificed to 65 00:04:32,840 --> 00:04:37,320 idols and that has been strangled to death. 66 00:04:37,640 --> 00:04:44,800 So the blood is still contained in the animal and don't commit 67 00:04:45,240 --> 00:04:49,880 fornication. It was a very immoral world and 68 00:04:50,320 --> 00:04:54,120 to many Gentiles at that time. It was just the way of life. 69 00:04:54,120 --> 00:04:58,920 It was normal bit like Australia now sadly that's got to stop. 70 00:05:00,880 --> 00:05:04,200 Salvation is only by the grace of God to Jews and Gentiles. 71 00:05:04,800 --> 00:05:09,480 James then also in in, and it's important to say is he quotes 72 00:05:09,480 --> 00:05:16,080 the prophet Amos in Chapter 9 to 8, verses 8 to 15 out of Amos. 73 00:05:16,080 --> 00:05:18,280 He said this is what's going to happen in the future. 74 00:05:18,560 --> 00:05:22,080 Amos told us God will regather his people, Israel. 75 00:05:22,360 --> 00:05:24,880 He's doing that. There's still not all in Israel. 76 00:05:24,880 --> 00:05:29,120 I think more people will go to Israel in the latter days 77 00:05:29,120 --> 00:05:32,040 because they won't be able to live in countries like 78 00:05:32,040 --> 00:05:34,680 Australia. So it won't be safe. 79 00:05:35,520 --> 00:05:38,000 The only place they'll go is home. 80 00:05:38,360 --> 00:05:40,920 They'll all go to Israel. That's going to happen. 81 00:05:41,840 --> 00:05:46,520 I must prophesied that and then the Messiah would come. 82 00:05:46,600 --> 00:05:51,200 We see that at the end of the seven year tribulation, Jesus 83 00:05:51,200 --> 00:05:55,640 will return and when he returns he'll be welcomed by Zechariah. 84 00:05:55,920 --> 00:05:58,080 Sorry. Zechariah tells us his feet will 85 00:05:58,080 --> 00:06:01,280 stand on the Mount of Olives. They'll recognise him. 86 00:06:01,280 --> 00:06:03,080 Where did you get these wounds from? 87 00:06:03,320 --> 00:06:05,320 He'll say in the House of my friends. 88 00:06:05,520 --> 00:06:07,280 There's great mourning in Israel. 89 00:06:07,520 --> 00:06:11,960 Israel finally as a nation turns to Christ and he rules and 90 00:06:11,960 --> 00:06:15,520 reigns for 1000 years. But the ruling and reigning is 91 00:06:15,520 --> 00:06:20,760 significant because God had promised to David, King David in 92 00:06:20,760 --> 00:06:25,320 Second Samuel Chapter 7. I you can't build me a house, 93 00:06:25,360 --> 00:06:29,720 I'll build you a house and the you're from your seed. 94 00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:34,080 The king will establish his throne, your throne once again 95 00:06:34,360 --> 00:06:37,920 in Jerusalem and he'll rule there in the Kingdom. 96 00:06:37,920 --> 00:06:45,640 Age 1000 year, Millennium. So that's all in Acts 15 today, 97 00:06:45,640 --> 00:06:49,160 God's plan is still unfolding. We see the events in the Middle 98 00:06:49,160 --> 00:06:51,840 East. Israel is still at war. 99 00:06:53,680 --> 00:06:58,120 God's plan was unfolding when the Jews didn't recognise Jesus 100 00:06:58,120 --> 00:07:01,800 and they crucified him. It was part of God's plan 101 00:07:02,240 --> 00:07:05,160 because through the crucifixion, salvation came. 102 00:07:05,160 --> 00:07:09,840 The cross at Calvary we saw fifty days later after his 103 00:07:09,840 --> 00:07:13,280 resurrection, we saw the beginning of the church, the 104 00:07:13,280 --> 00:07:17,200 Pentecost, and the Holy Spirit fell and the church was birthed. 105 00:07:17,720 --> 00:07:21,560 Hebrew to start with. Peter preaches 3000 souls get 106 00:07:21,560 --> 00:07:25,520 saved, many of whom cried out, crucified, crucified Christ. 107 00:07:27,480 --> 00:07:34,160 And then Peter is called to go to Caesarea, to the Italian band 108 00:07:34,160 --> 00:07:37,240 Cornelius. And as Peter is sharing there 109 00:07:37,240 --> 00:07:40,800 and he's told to go there by God, the Holy Spirit falls upon 110 00:07:41,480 --> 00:07:46,600 Romans, Roman soldiers and all their families in Caesarea. 111 00:07:47,760 --> 00:07:51,520 As Peter was speaking, they spoke in tongues and salvation 112 00:07:51,520 --> 00:07:54,720 and Gentiles were saved. And so that's was the background 113 00:07:54,720 --> 00:08:00,800 to Genesis 15. Now at the end of Genesis 15, 114 00:08:01,600 --> 00:08:04,960 Paul and Barnabas are about to go on another mission trip. 115 00:08:05,800 --> 00:08:11,840 And John Mark, who is, I think, Barnabas's nephew, Paul says 116 00:08:11,840 --> 00:08:14,280 he's not coming with us because he left us before. 117 00:08:15,640 --> 00:08:19,640 He can't, He can't do it. And Paul and Barnabas in church 118 00:08:19,800 --> 00:08:24,920 had a big argument. Interesting, a great dispute. 119 00:08:25,680 --> 00:08:28,720 And so Paul went one way, Barnabas went the other way. 120 00:08:29,240 --> 00:08:33,919 And Paul took off with a fellow called Silas, another believer 121 00:08:34,080 --> 00:08:36,799 who's also a Roman citizen. You need to remember that. 122 00:08:37,400 --> 00:08:39,760 And they head off on their second mission trip. 123 00:08:40,520 --> 00:08:44,360 On their way during this mission trip, they pick up a young fella 124 00:08:44,360 --> 00:08:49,320 called Timothy who had watched Paul, remember, stoned, dead, 125 00:08:49,320 --> 00:08:51,680 dragged out of the city, come back in the city. 126 00:08:52,120 --> 00:08:54,520 As a young boy, Timothy was just young. 127 00:08:54,520 --> 00:08:58,080 Now he's a little older. And now they pick up Timothy and 128 00:08:58,080 --> 00:09:02,320 take him with him. So we pick it up in Acts 16 and 129 00:09:02,320 --> 00:09:06,920 the title of this morning's message is when God's will and 130 00:09:06,920 --> 00:09:12,600 suffering Collide from many churches and we see it more in 131 00:09:13,080 --> 00:09:17,120 the teleevangelists in the US, They'll say the blessings of 132 00:09:17,120 --> 00:09:19,160 God. You know, Creflo Dollar, he just 133 00:09:19,160 --> 00:09:24,160 bought himself a new jet. And Kenneth Hagin Copeland, 134 00:09:24,200 --> 00:09:26,520 Kenneth Copeland, he's got a couple of jets. 135 00:09:27,160 --> 00:09:28,480 They don't know how much money he has. 136 00:09:28,480 --> 00:09:33,080 He has he has multi millions and he's always preaching the what's 137 00:09:33,080 --> 00:09:38,360 called the prosperity doctrine. Well, the Bible teaches 138 00:09:38,360 --> 00:09:41,880 different. And so often when we think we 139 00:09:41,880 --> 00:09:45,760 are in God's will, we automatically believe that we 140 00:09:45,760 --> 00:09:48,600 are only in God's will when everything is going well. 141 00:09:50,040 --> 00:09:52,640 We have this concept that oh, it's going good. 142 00:09:52,760 --> 00:09:57,120 I'm in God's will. When pain then strikes your 143 00:09:57,120 --> 00:10:02,120 life, do you believe that at that moment, well, I must be out 144 00:10:02,120 --> 00:10:04,560 of God's will because look at the suffering that I'm going 145 00:10:04,560 --> 00:10:11,040 through because how much I hurt and this is a great storm that 146 00:10:11,040 --> 00:10:13,360 I'm going through. What's gone wrong? 147 00:10:13,720 --> 00:10:17,840 Where have I gone off course? Charles Haddon Spurgeon, and I 148 00:10:17,840 --> 00:10:22,680 recommend him if you to read any of his books that he's got out, 149 00:10:23,000 --> 00:10:29,240 said Children of Light May for a time walk in the darkness of 150 00:10:29,240 --> 00:10:32,120 sorrow. What's the greatest example of 151 00:10:32,120 --> 00:10:39,000 that Job yet God at the beginning says of Job, look at 152 00:10:39,000 --> 00:10:43,120 my man Job. He is the man of the man. 153 00:10:43,120 --> 00:10:47,520 He hates evil, He loves me. And God commends Job. 154 00:10:47,840 --> 00:10:50,760 He's a godly man. Job would get up every morning, 155 00:10:50,880 --> 00:10:55,760 offer prayers and sacrifices for his family, and then all hell 156 00:10:55,760 --> 00:11:04,640 broke loose on Job. God's will is something that all 157 00:11:04,640 --> 00:11:07,000 of us strive to do. What is God's will? 158 00:11:07,000 --> 00:11:09,280 We always want to know What's God's will for my life? 159 00:11:10,160 --> 00:11:13,720 We want to be in it. But I think that today, 160 00:11:13,720 --> 00:11:18,200 particularly in our Western culture, many only conclude 161 00:11:18,200 --> 00:11:21,800 God's will as being only when things are all good. 162 00:11:26,040 --> 00:11:30,360 Maybe this morning you've come today and you have some baggage 163 00:11:30,360 --> 00:11:35,760 with you, some pains, some sorrows, a doctor's report or a 164 00:11:35,760 --> 00:11:40,000 loved one is ill. You have a suitcase of problems. 165 00:11:41,960 --> 00:11:47,080 In our text this morning, we'll find two men, Paul and Silas, 166 00:11:48,000 --> 00:11:53,560 both who have at this moment will read, had their clothes 167 00:11:53,560 --> 00:11:58,680 literally torn off their backs. Then they have been savagely 168 00:11:58,680 --> 00:12:04,680 beaten with rods and sticks. It says they were severely 169 00:12:04,680 --> 00:12:06,600 beaten. Then they were thrown into 170 00:12:06,600 --> 00:12:09,200 prison. The gaoler was ordered to make 171 00:12:09,200 --> 00:12:12,160 sure they didn't escape. So they'll put into stocks, 172 00:12:12,360 --> 00:12:16,880 hands and feet. They were thrown into gaol and 173 00:12:16,880 --> 00:12:20,520 there they had to sit in their own filth, couldn't move, can't 174 00:12:20,520 --> 00:12:25,360 get up, unable to move, and they're bleeding, bloodied, 175 00:12:25,960 --> 00:12:30,760 beaten and sore. Their feet were stretched out to 176 00:12:30,760 --> 00:12:35,920 an unbearable distance, placed in stocks and they're placed in 177 00:12:35,920 --> 00:12:39,280 the inner prison. The inner prison, the coldest 178 00:12:39,280 --> 00:12:46,800 and the darkest soul that they had yet they were completely in 179 00:12:46,800 --> 00:12:53,680 the will of God and Jesus LED it to the seven churches. 180 00:12:54,760 --> 00:12:58,400 And I love that in the Book of Revelation, my favourite church 181 00:12:58,400 --> 00:13:00,040 is not the Church of Philadelphia. 182 00:13:00,280 --> 00:13:02,240 Everyone says oh I'm the Church of Philadelphia. 183 00:13:03,760 --> 00:13:08,080 Hear Jesus words to a church. That's my favourite, the Church 184 00:13:08,080 --> 00:13:12,920 of Smyrna verse 8 and I'll read it to you and to the Angel of 185 00:13:12,920 --> 00:13:16,280 the church in Smyrna write these things says the 1st and the last 186 00:13:16,280 --> 00:13:19,320 is Jesus who was dead and came to life. 187 00:13:19,520 --> 00:13:21,440 So Jesus gives himself his title. 188 00:13:21,600 --> 00:13:23,800 This is who I am and this is what happened to me. 189 00:13:23,800 --> 00:13:26,080 I died. I was, I was crucified and then 190 00:13:26,080 --> 00:13:28,800 I rose from the dead. It's significant. 191 00:13:28,880 --> 00:13:30,360 It gives us the flavour of the letter. 192 00:13:30,800 --> 00:13:33,160 I know your works, I know what you do. 193 00:13:33,800 --> 00:13:36,760 I know your tribulation, the things that you're suffering. 194 00:13:37,440 --> 00:13:41,360 I know your poverty. But Jesus says I look at you and 195 00:13:41,360 --> 00:13:44,520 you're rich, unlike the church at Laodicea who said they're 196 00:13:44,520 --> 00:13:46,440 rich. And Paul said Jesus said no, no, 197 00:13:46,800 --> 00:13:50,240 you're poor. And I know the blasphemy of 198 00:13:50,240 --> 00:13:53,440 those who say they are Jews and are not, but are of the 199 00:13:53,440 --> 00:13:57,720 synagogue of Satan. Do not fear any of those things 200 00:13:57,720 --> 00:14:02,680 which you are about to suffer. So the people in the Church of 201 00:14:02,680 --> 00:14:05,840 Smyrna are about to go into suffering and God doesn't go 202 00:14:06,080 --> 00:14:09,520 well, I'm going to stop that. He knows about it. 203 00:14:10,360 --> 00:14:13,360 He knows they're about to go into suffering which you're 204 00:14:13,360 --> 00:14:16,600 about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to 205 00:14:16,600 --> 00:14:19,360 throw some of you into prison. He's not stopping it. 206 00:14:21,160 --> 00:14:25,920 Jesus is not stopping it. That you may be tested. 207 00:14:26,480 --> 00:14:32,600 It's part of it tested and you will have tribulation 10 days. 208 00:14:34,040 --> 00:14:36,640 What does Jesus say? I'll get you out of there. 209 00:14:36,640 --> 00:14:39,320 No worries. You know he says, hear this. 210 00:14:39,960 --> 00:14:41,760 You won't hear this from many pulpits today. 211 00:14:42,680 --> 00:14:51,040 Be faithful unto death. Be faithful unto death and I 212 00:14:51,040 --> 00:14:54,760 will give you the crown of life. Because you see, Jesus tells us 213 00:14:55,000 --> 00:14:57,240 this world ain't where it all it's all at. 214 00:14:58,160 --> 00:14:59,920 It's not all about what happens here. 215 00:15:00,760 --> 00:15:04,200 This is just a speck in eternity. 216 00:15:04,280 --> 00:15:09,560 If that Jesus says be faithful unto death and I will give you 217 00:15:09,560 --> 00:15:13,400 the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear 218 00:15:13,560 --> 00:15:15,480 what the Spirit says to the churches. 219 00:15:16,080 --> 00:15:18,520 He, whoever comes, shall not be hurt. 220 00:15:18,720 --> 00:15:21,880 It's interesting that Jesus says you won't suffer any more hurt. 221 00:15:22,000 --> 00:15:25,320 That means they are going to suffer hurt on earth shall not 222 00:15:25,320 --> 00:15:29,480 be hurt by the second death. That's all over Revelation 21. 223 00:15:29,680 --> 00:15:33,000 No more pain, no more death, no more sorrow, no more tears. 224 00:15:34,080 --> 00:15:36,800 So the world today is striving for happiness. 225 00:15:38,000 --> 00:15:40,800 People who were interviewed about what they desire most will 226 00:15:40,800 --> 00:15:42,520 say, well, I I just want to be happy. 227 00:15:43,520 --> 00:15:45,200 Everyone thinks Lotto will make you happy. 228 00:15:45,920 --> 00:15:48,680 You know what it Bible says. And here's a warning. 229 00:15:48,680 --> 00:15:51,080 If you're chasing riches, it's hard. 230 00:15:51,200 --> 00:15:55,480 Listen, it's hard for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of heaven. 231 00:15:56,440 --> 00:15:59,680 If you're chasing riches, you're going down a path that's 232 00:15:59,680 --> 00:16:02,520 dangerous. That God warns there's nothing 233 00:16:02,880 --> 00:16:07,000 that money is OK. Abraham was a wealthy man Job as 234 00:16:07,000 --> 00:16:09,840 well. But the love of money, the want. 235 00:16:09,840 --> 00:16:11,000 I need more. I need more. 236 00:16:11,000 --> 00:16:12,880 I'm just going to do this. I'll work longer. 237 00:16:12,880 --> 00:16:15,640 I work longer. I've never been into a Hospice 238 00:16:15,640 --> 00:16:17,800 centre. Sat by the bed of someone is 239 00:16:17,800 --> 00:16:20,040 just about to die. Who said to me, you know, Keith, 240 00:16:20,240 --> 00:16:26,000 I only wish I'd worked more. You know what that Greek grant 241 00:16:26,000 --> 00:16:30,040 is? I wish I'd worked less and spent 242 00:16:30,040 --> 00:16:32,960 more time with my family. Too late. 243 00:16:36,680 --> 00:16:39,280 If you this morning are chasing the rainbow for the pot of 244 00:16:39,280 --> 00:16:42,840 happiness at the end, let me tell you the truth of the 245 00:16:42,840 --> 00:16:45,560 matter. This world's happiness is 246 00:16:45,560 --> 00:16:47,760 fleeting. You know, we watch the AFL and 247 00:16:47,760 --> 00:16:50,800 they're they're big, you know, fancy and everyone wants to get 248 00:16:50,800 --> 00:16:52,400 their autograph and how good they are. 249 00:16:52,760 --> 00:16:55,840 You know what, I remember one of the coaches at Fremantle 250 00:16:55,840 --> 00:16:58,800 Football Club, the players didn't want to go out to a 251 00:16:58,800 --> 00:17:02,280 certain back back door because all the kids were out there 252 00:17:02,280 --> 00:17:04,640 waiting a sign there and people that followed get their 253 00:17:04,640 --> 00:17:06,720 autograph and say the players are going, oh, we're not going 254 00:17:06,720 --> 00:17:07,920 to go that way, we'll go the other way. 255 00:17:08,920 --> 00:17:12,400 And the coach said, hey, listen up for a minute, sign up while 256 00:17:12,400 --> 00:17:16,200 you can because in a few years time they won't even remember 257 00:17:16,200 --> 00:17:22,359 who you are. You mean nothing but the joy 258 00:17:22,359 --> 00:17:26,480 that God can bring you and I in obedience to him. 259 00:17:26,839 --> 00:17:31,840 That's a joy that will remain within you and with you forever. 260 00:17:34,320 --> 00:17:38,520 Why and how are you able to keep this God given joy when enduring 261 00:17:38,520 --> 00:17:40,760 pain or sorrow, the events of the world? 262 00:17:41,280 --> 00:17:44,520 James tells us in James chapter one verse 2. 263 00:17:45,120 --> 00:17:49,920 My brothers count it all joy when you fall into various 264 00:17:49,920 --> 00:17:52,320 trials. How can he say that? 265 00:17:52,400 --> 00:17:54,480 Well, it's like, you know what? It's great. 266 00:17:54,480 --> 00:17:56,920 Just broke my leg. Car broke down, lost my job. 267 00:17:57,120 --> 00:17:59,880 Isn't that fantastic? No, that's being idiotic. 268 00:18:03,320 --> 00:18:05,400 No, when you, it means when you're going through difficult 269 00:18:05,400 --> 00:18:07,600 times because you have a relationship with God. 270 00:18:07,600 --> 00:18:10,120 You know, God's doing something in my life. 271 00:18:11,520 --> 00:18:15,560 God's allowing this. What am I to learn? 272 00:18:15,560 --> 00:18:18,640 How am I to grow in this? Because you know you're going to 273 00:18:18,640 --> 00:18:19,960 get through it. You'll get through it. 274 00:18:21,320 --> 00:18:25,840 Psalm 30, verse 5 says his anger is but for a moment his favour 275 00:18:25,840 --> 00:18:29,360 is for life. Weeping may endure for a night, 276 00:18:30,040 --> 00:18:36,920 but joy comes in the morning. So let's read verse 1, chapter 277 00:18:37,400 --> 00:18:43,960 16 to 24. Then Paul came to Derby and 278 00:18:43,960 --> 00:18:46,160 Lystra. Behold, a certain disciple was 279 00:18:46,160 --> 00:18:49,800 there named Timothy, the son of a certain Jewish woman who 280 00:18:49,800 --> 00:18:52,680 believed. But his dad was Greek, so 281 00:18:53,200 --> 00:18:57,960 Timothy is half Jew. He was well spoken of by the 282 00:18:57,960 --> 00:19:00,000 brethren who were at Lystra and Iconium. 283 00:19:00,600 --> 00:19:03,440 Paul wanted to have him go on with him, and he took him and 284 00:19:03,440 --> 00:19:06,840 circumcised him because of the Jews who are in that region. 285 00:19:07,080 --> 00:19:09,800 Why? Only because this would allow 286 00:19:09,800 --> 00:19:14,640 them to minister to many others. He was half Jewish anyway so it 287 00:19:14,640 --> 00:19:19,280 wasn't a great problem, but it was it was poor doing this not 288 00:19:19,280 --> 00:19:22,360 because circumcision has anything to do with salvation or 289 00:19:22,360 --> 00:19:25,320 loving the Lord. He was doing this so that he 290 00:19:25,320 --> 00:19:28,480 would be able to go into areas where they could minister 291 00:19:29,240 --> 00:19:32,320 without causing further problems, opening further doors. 292 00:19:33,560 --> 00:19:36,200 For they knew that they, his father was Greek. 293 00:19:36,200 --> 00:19:38,680 And as they went through the cities, they delivered to them 294 00:19:38,960 --> 00:19:42,760 the decrees to keep, which were determined by the apostles and 295 00:19:42,760 --> 00:19:45,360 elders at Jerusalem. So they're taking the letter 296 00:19:45,480 --> 00:19:47,240 that James and the church had written. 297 00:19:47,680 --> 00:19:52,120 Don't eat animals strangled and abstain from fornication. 298 00:19:53,000 --> 00:19:56,560 So the church was strengthened in faith and increased in number 299 00:19:56,560 --> 00:19:58,800 daily. Now when they'd gone through 300 00:19:58,840 --> 00:20:02,280 Fridgia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden. 301 00:20:02,280 --> 00:20:05,560 That's Turkey by the way, by the, they were forbidden by the 302 00:20:05,560 --> 00:20:07,640 Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. 303 00:20:07,640 --> 00:20:10,520 Notice this. They wanted to go that way and, 304 00:20:10,560 --> 00:20:13,920 and, and, and the Holy Spirit. Now that's not, not what I want 305 00:20:13,920 --> 00:20:16,920 you to do now. That's where you and I need to 306 00:20:16,920 --> 00:20:19,640 know what God wants us to do now, all the time. 307 00:20:20,600 --> 00:20:23,400 It's, it's not, well, this is a good idea, might be your good 308 00:20:23,400 --> 00:20:24,680 idea. I used to have a lot of good 309 00:20:24,680 --> 00:20:27,680 ideas when I was on You believe and God said that's a good idea. 310 00:20:27,680 --> 00:20:30,920 It's not my idea though. It's not what I want you to do. 311 00:20:30,920 --> 00:20:39,080 Now after they had come to Missia, they tried to go into 312 00:20:39,080 --> 00:20:41,960 Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them. 313 00:20:41,960 --> 00:20:43,560 They don't want you to go there either. 314 00:20:44,720 --> 00:20:48,440 So passing by Missia, they came down to Troas, and a vision 315 00:20:48,440 --> 00:20:52,560 appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood pleaded 316 00:20:52,560 --> 00:20:56,720 with him, saying, come over to Macedonia, help us now After he 317 00:20:56,720 --> 00:20:59,520 had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, 318 00:20:59,720 --> 00:21:03,080 concluding what? That the Lord had called us to 319 00:21:03,080 --> 00:21:05,920 preach the gospel to them. This is how God guides our 320 00:21:05,920 --> 00:21:10,800 lives. Therefore, sailing from Troas we 321 00:21:10,800 --> 00:21:14,240 ran a straight course to Samothras, and the next day came 322 00:21:14,240 --> 00:21:18,480 to Neapolis, from there to Philippi, which is the foremost 323 00:21:18,480 --> 00:21:21,240 city of that part of Macedonia, a colony. 324 00:21:22,000 --> 00:21:24,680 And we were staying in that city for some days. 325 00:21:24,680 --> 00:21:27,800 And on the Sabbath day we went out to the city, to the 326 00:21:27,800 --> 00:21:30,840 Riverside, where prayer was customary made. 327 00:21:30,840 --> 00:21:34,000 Why do they go to the river and not to the synagogue as any 328 00:21:34,000 --> 00:21:38,120 other time? Simple, no synagogue where there 329 00:21:38,120 --> 00:21:40,880 were ten families, Jewish families in any area. 330 00:21:41,320 --> 00:21:44,480 You needed ten families to be able to get together and they 331 00:21:44,480 --> 00:21:46,000 were then were to build a synagogue. 332 00:21:46,480 --> 00:21:49,160 So there's no synagogue. Paul couldn't go there. 333 00:21:49,440 --> 00:21:54,400 So they they went to the river and there they went to pray and 334 00:21:54,400 --> 00:21:58,920 to worship. As prayer was customary made, we 335 00:21:58,920 --> 00:22:01,760 sat down and spoke to the woman who met there. 336 00:22:03,120 --> 00:22:05,520 Now, a certain woman named Lydia heard us. 337 00:22:05,880 --> 00:22:08,440 She was a seller of purple. Those of you who've been to 338 00:22:08,760 --> 00:22:12,600 Israel, we went at Nazareth. The purple, remember, the purple 339 00:22:12,600 --> 00:22:15,280 is the very, it's the colour of the Fremantle Football Club. 340 00:22:15,280 --> 00:22:21,880 It's very royal. It's very heartbreaking. 341 00:22:23,680 --> 00:22:28,680 But anyway, and the purple is made out of these seashells that 342 00:22:28,680 --> 00:22:30,000 are crushed. It's purple. 343 00:22:30,360 --> 00:22:32,920 It was rare and so it was expensive. 344 00:22:34,040 --> 00:22:36,280 Purple from the city of Thyatira who worshipped God. 345 00:22:36,280 --> 00:22:39,920 The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul. 346 00:22:39,920 --> 00:22:43,000 Notice the Lord opened her heart. 347 00:22:43,920 --> 00:22:48,320 How do you get saved? God saves us, not me, not you. 348 00:22:48,560 --> 00:22:50,480 It's the Lord that does the saving. 349 00:22:54,200 --> 00:22:56,960 And when she and her household were baptised, she begged us, 350 00:22:56,960 --> 00:23:02,040 saying second thing, baptism service coming up. 351 00:23:02,240 --> 00:23:06,400 You need to go to the classes. Notice how quick the Ethiopian 352 00:23:06,400 --> 00:23:11,720 eunuch wanted to get baptised member in Caesarea when the 353 00:23:11,720 --> 00:23:14,440 Italian ban under Cornelius was saved. 354 00:23:14,520 --> 00:23:16,680 What did they do? Baptise them? 355 00:23:16,960 --> 00:23:21,160 Here we see this lady, she says what stopped me from getting 356 00:23:21,160 --> 00:23:23,240 baptised? You need to be baptised. 357 00:23:23,400 --> 00:23:27,040 It has nothing to do with salvation like going to church. 358 00:23:27,320 --> 00:23:30,360 Going to church doesn't make you a Christian, but it has 359 00:23:30,360 --> 00:23:34,720 everything to do with you're desiring to please what God has 360 00:23:34,720 --> 00:23:39,120 laid out as his plan for your life salvation followed by 361 00:23:39,120 --> 00:23:41,960 baptism. If you've judged me to be 362 00:23:41,960 --> 00:23:45,920 faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay so she persuaded 363 00:23:45,920 --> 00:23:48,200 us. Now what happened as she went to 364 00:23:48,200 --> 00:23:54,560 prayer that a certain slave girl as we sorry, notice it says we. 365 00:23:55,440 --> 00:23:58,560 This is Doctor Luke now saying he's jumped in. 366 00:23:58,560 --> 00:24:04,880 He's joined Paul and Luke is now riding as we he's joined with 367 00:24:04,920 --> 00:24:07,280 Paul and he's part of the Turing group. 368 00:24:07,680 --> 00:24:10,680 As we went to prayer that a certain slave girl possessed 369 00:24:10,920 --> 00:24:15,920 with a spirit of divination met us who brought her masters much 370 00:24:15,920 --> 00:24:19,640 profit by fortune telling. This girl followed Paul and 371 00:24:19,640 --> 00:24:22,520 asked and cried out, saying, these men are the servants of 372 00:24:22,520 --> 00:24:27,200 the most high God who proclaimed to us the way of salvation. 373 00:24:27,520 --> 00:24:30,960 And this she did for many days. Now if you just looked at that, 374 00:24:30,960 --> 00:24:34,120 you go, well, isn't that good? It's good if you don't read the 375 00:24:34,120 --> 00:24:37,160 Bible, you need to read before and after. 376 00:24:37,960 --> 00:24:42,000 But Paul greatly annoyed. Why was he greatly annoyed, 377 00:24:42,360 --> 00:24:45,480 turned and said to the Spirit, that is the Spirit that 378 00:24:45,480 --> 00:24:49,200 possessed this young girl. I command you in the name of 379 00:24:49,200 --> 00:24:54,880 Jesus Christ to come out of her, and he came out of that her that 380 00:24:54,880 --> 00:24:57,600 very hour. But when her Master saw that 381 00:24:57,600 --> 00:25:01,920 their hope of profit was gone, they grabbed Paul and Silas, 382 00:25:02,280 --> 00:25:05,200 dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities, 383 00:25:05,640 --> 00:25:07,600 and they brought them to the magistrates. 384 00:25:07,600 --> 00:25:12,080 That said, these men being Jews, exceedingly trouble our city. 385 00:25:12,480 --> 00:25:16,800 They teach customs which are not lawful for us, being Romans, to 386 00:25:16,800 --> 00:25:20,560 receive or observe. Then the multitude rose up 387 00:25:20,560 --> 00:25:24,080 together against them. The magistrates tore off Paul 388 00:25:24,080 --> 00:25:28,360 and Silas's clothes, commanded them to be beaten with rods. 389 00:25:28,440 --> 00:25:32,920 You're thinking huge canes. And when they had laid many 390 00:25:32,920 --> 00:25:35,120 stripes on them, that's, that's terrible. 391 00:25:36,440 --> 00:25:39,760 They threw them into prison, commanding the gaoler to keep 392 00:25:39,760 --> 00:25:43,080 them securely, having received such a charge. 393 00:25:43,080 --> 00:25:46,160 So he put them into the inner prison, fasten their feet in the 394 00:25:46,160 --> 00:25:49,480 stocks. But at midnight Elvis Presley 395 00:25:49,480 --> 00:25:55,320 came on the radio and they sang Jailhouse Rock, and they were 396 00:25:55,320 --> 00:25:58,120 praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were 397 00:25:58,120 --> 00:26:00,640 listening to them. Suddenly there was a great 398 00:26:00,640 --> 00:26:03,320 earthquake. Foundations of the prisons were 399 00:26:03,320 --> 00:26:06,800 shaken. All the doors opened, everyone's 400 00:26:06,800 --> 00:26:09,080 chains came off, all the silence as well. 401 00:26:10,600 --> 00:26:14,160 That's what happened when the chains came off and and another 402 00:26:14,160 --> 00:26:16,440 chain coming off and another chain coming off. 403 00:26:16,920 --> 00:26:18,800 Supposing the prisoners had fled. 404 00:26:20,720 --> 00:26:24,960 The gaoler drew out his sword. He was about to run himself 405 00:26:24,960 --> 00:26:28,920 through, but Paul called with a loud voice, saying, Hey, we're 406 00:26:28,920 --> 00:26:33,200 still here. Then he called for a light. 407 00:26:33,840 --> 00:26:38,560 That is, the gaoler ran in, because it's so dark, fell down 408 00:26:38,560 --> 00:26:44,520 trembling before Paul and Silas. And what did he say, Sirs? 409 00:26:44,520 --> 00:26:50,000 What must I do to be saved? Where does that come from? 410 00:26:51,080 --> 00:26:52,880 Why is he interested? Why does he want to know about 411 00:26:52,880 --> 00:26:57,440 salvation? So they said, Believe on the 412 00:26:57,440 --> 00:27:01,920 Lord Jesus Christ and you'll be saved, you and your household. 413 00:27:03,040 --> 00:27:05,680 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and all who are in 414 00:27:05,680 --> 00:27:08,520 his house. He took them that same hour of 415 00:27:08,520 --> 00:27:10,240 the night and washed their stripes. 416 00:27:10,600 --> 00:27:13,440 Immediately he and all his family were baptised. 417 00:27:14,040 --> 00:27:19,280 Now notice now when he had brought them into his house, he 418 00:27:19,280 --> 00:27:22,360 set food before them. He rejoiced, having believed in 419 00:27:22,360 --> 00:27:27,040 God with all his household. So Paul and Silas are director 420 00:27:27,040 --> 00:27:30,720 to Macedonia. No synagogue. 421 00:27:31,080 --> 00:27:33,640 They come across this woman, they pray, she comes to the 422 00:27:33,640 --> 00:27:37,280 Lord. And the first convert in Europe 423 00:27:37,680 --> 00:27:42,480 is the woman Lydia. Now, whenever God moves, Satan 424 00:27:42,480 --> 00:27:44,680 moves as well. You need to know that you need 425 00:27:44,680 --> 00:27:47,240 to be prepared. Whenever something good happens 426 00:27:47,240 --> 00:27:49,800 to your life and God's moving and using you, you got to be 427 00:27:49,800 --> 00:27:52,120 ready because he's about to take a swing at you. 428 00:27:53,800 --> 00:27:59,640 Paul did not want the gospel or the name of God to be promoted 429 00:27:59,640 --> 00:28:03,800 by one of Satan's slaves. That's why he cast out the 430 00:28:03,800 --> 00:28:07,000 spirit out of that girl. He didn't want later on, that 431 00:28:07,000 --> 00:28:08,880 girl being used by the devil cut. 432 00:28:08,880 --> 00:28:10,760 Yeah. You know, And by the way, this 433 00:28:10,760 --> 00:28:12,600 is also what God wants you to do. 434 00:28:13,880 --> 00:28:17,960 Get that? That's why she had to have the 435 00:28:17,960 --> 00:28:21,120 demon cast out. But secondly, Paul wanted this 436 00:28:21,120 --> 00:28:25,600 young girl delivered, set free from demonic attack. 437 00:28:27,440 --> 00:28:31,720 So Paul and Silas have ruined the business of this girl's 438 00:28:31,720 --> 00:28:37,640 pimps, basically users, because you want a divination, it'll 439 00:28:37,640 --> 00:28:39,440 cost you. She'll talk to you, but it's 440 00:28:39,440 --> 00:28:42,600 going to cost you. Their business is now ruin. 441 00:28:43,280 --> 00:28:48,120 They grab Paul, Silas beat them, take them and throw them in the 442 00:28:48,120 --> 00:28:53,360 gaol. Now again, let me interrupt, but 443 00:28:53,400 --> 00:28:58,120 in all of this, Please note that Paul and Silas were completely 444 00:28:58,120 --> 00:29:03,080 in God's will. We often pray and ask God to use 445 00:29:03,080 --> 00:29:07,960 us to win souls to Christ and as we do so, we may find ourselves 446 00:29:07,960 --> 00:29:10,080 under attack. You know, you're going witness 447 00:29:10,080 --> 00:29:12,680 to a family member next minute another family member says, what 448 00:29:12,680 --> 00:29:14,760 are you doing coming over here telling us all you about Jesus 449 00:29:14,760 --> 00:29:16,160 stuff? It's on. 450 00:29:16,160 --> 00:29:21,040 You're going to be attacked personally, physically, 451 00:29:21,440 --> 00:29:26,320 spiritually, as did Paul and Silas, yet all in God's will. 452 00:29:27,000 --> 00:29:29,280 And this is where so many of us go wrong. 453 00:29:29,920 --> 00:29:36,440 It's because when we suffer, we then deviate from this path of 454 00:29:36,720 --> 00:29:38,920 resistance. We go, hey man, this is too 455 00:29:38,920 --> 00:29:41,000 hard. This is causing too much ache 456 00:29:41,000 --> 00:29:42,880 and pain. I'm getting out of here. 457 00:29:43,080 --> 00:29:46,800 And we head for calm waters, safe anchoring. 458 00:29:47,560 --> 00:29:52,400 We often move straight out of God's perfect will when we're in 459 00:29:52,400 --> 00:29:56,480 battle to try and get peace in our lives. 460 00:29:58,120 --> 00:30:02,800 Paul and Silas were placed into a period of pain and trial, 461 00:30:03,400 --> 00:30:08,400 difficult personnel circumstances allowed by God. 462 00:30:08,560 --> 00:30:12,560 God didn't cause the beating. God didn't cause the abuse. 463 00:30:13,080 --> 00:30:16,240 God didn't cause them to be thrown in gaol. 464 00:30:16,360 --> 00:30:21,880 But God is allowing them to go this way and He's using these 465 00:30:21,880 --> 00:30:26,480 events because He wants something to happen because 466 00:30:26,480 --> 00:30:29,360 there was a gaoler. How else are you going to win a 467 00:30:29,360 --> 00:30:36,040 gaoler to Christ? But in gaol, how else are we 468 00:30:36,040 --> 00:30:40,400 going to win the gaoler family? Unless we win the gaoler, we 469 00:30:40,400 --> 00:30:43,640 can't get hold of the family. God had a plan. 470 00:30:43,640 --> 00:30:51,240 So often it is the difficult times that you and I face where 471 00:30:51,240 --> 00:30:56,600 we really excel in serving God. Let me ask you this when when 472 00:30:57,200 --> 00:30:59,680 difficult times really hit you, do you read your Bible more? 473 00:31:01,320 --> 00:31:03,720 You know, are you really like man God? 474 00:31:04,800 --> 00:31:06,600 Are you looking to God? Are you praying? 475 00:31:07,160 --> 00:31:10,720 You're really just you're cued in, you're not concerned about 476 00:31:10,720 --> 00:31:11,720 other stuff. You know, I've got more 477 00:31:11,720 --> 00:31:13,960 important. This is this is a difficult time 478 00:31:14,680 --> 00:31:18,320 because because God is allowing this to get you to the place 479 00:31:18,320 --> 00:31:22,800 where He wants you to be. Remember that we have no more 480 00:31:22,800 --> 00:31:28,120 faith at any time than we do have when we're in the hour of 481 00:31:28,120 --> 00:31:34,440 trial. God uses such circumstances to 482 00:31:34,440 --> 00:31:40,520 make us stronger, to make us become more reliant upon Him, to 483 00:31:40,520 --> 00:31:45,320 become more like Christ and less of ourselves, and to remove the 484 00:31:45,320 --> 00:31:46,840 love of the world from our lives. 485 00:31:47,080 --> 00:31:49,800 How often when something significant happens to a family 486 00:31:49,800 --> 00:31:52,040 member, you don't care about stocks and shares and the price 487 00:31:52,040 --> 00:31:53,640 of petrol anymore? You're still going to go to 488 00:31:53,640 --> 00:31:55,920 hospital, aren't you? You don't care how much a petrol 489 00:31:55,920 --> 00:31:58,200 costs, so that's irrelevant. I got to go and see him. 490 00:31:58,200 --> 00:32:00,720 I got to go and pray for him. You don't care. 491 00:32:03,320 --> 00:32:07,720 Satan, as he did with the young girl possessed, often will flood 492 00:32:07,720 --> 00:32:13,120 the world with cheap imitations. Helen and I went to Ephesus. 493 00:32:13,280 --> 00:32:14,960 Got off at Ephesus, walked into the city. 494 00:32:14,960 --> 00:32:16,960 I loved the Ephesus Turkish there. 495 00:32:18,760 --> 00:32:21,800 Saw a shop. Oh man, I'll go to that shop. 496 00:32:22,560 --> 00:32:29,400 Genuine fake watches. Huge sign this watch. 497 00:32:30,840 --> 00:32:36,040 Genuine fake watches walk in. You want a Rolex? 498 00:32:38,200 --> 00:32:41,560 I can't remember the other good brands, that's the only one I 499 00:32:41,560 --> 00:32:45,720 can think of. Citizen got them all here. 500 00:32:45,720 --> 00:32:51,360 Genuine fake watchers. I bought one for most of the 501 00:32:51,360 --> 00:32:54,520 guys back here and I think they lasted for a couple of months. 502 00:32:58,840 --> 00:33:01,760 How many Australians can recite the Lord's Prayer off by heart 503 00:33:01,760 --> 00:33:04,480 today? How many Australians open the 504 00:33:04,480 --> 00:33:09,080 Bible to read every day? But how many Australians read 505 00:33:09,080 --> 00:33:13,680 their day by the stars every day or have been to a fortune 506 00:33:13,680 --> 00:33:15,320 teller? I'm shocked at the number of 507 00:33:15,320 --> 00:33:18,560 people that have been to fortune teller because Bali is so close. 508 00:33:18,920 --> 00:33:22,160 Bali has opened the door to so much wrong. 509 00:33:23,720 --> 00:33:27,680 How do you and I rise above times when God's will includes 510 00:33:27,680 --> 00:33:30,360 us? Enduring pain allows. 511 00:33:30,360 --> 00:33:33,680 He allows a storm, a cloud to wash over our lives. 512 00:33:33,920 --> 00:33:36,840 How do we when it seems as dark clouds are hanging over us? 513 00:33:37,040 --> 00:33:40,520 How can we shine as Christians at that moment, as Jesus 514 00:33:40,520 --> 00:33:44,240 commands us to? What stops us in those times 515 00:33:44,240 --> 00:33:47,080 from becoming angry at God? God, why is this happening? 516 00:33:48,440 --> 00:33:52,400 What will keep my heart, my mind thinking that God does not love 517 00:33:52,400 --> 00:33:54,280 me now because look what I'm going through? 518 00:33:54,280 --> 00:33:57,960 Why would He allow such pain and sorrow as I'm enduring now? 519 00:33:59,880 --> 00:34:05,600 England is an interesting study on child slavery and many little 520 00:34:05,600 --> 00:34:10,800 kids were just cruelly treat of child slavery in England. 521 00:34:11,880 --> 00:34:15,719 Child slavery was rampant in England in times past, and 522 00:34:15,719 --> 00:34:18,880 children would often be put to work in the coal mines. 523 00:34:20,080 --> 00:34:23,880 One such boy I read who was put down a coal mine and his job was 524 00:34:23,880 --> 00:34:27,199 to close the door after the coal waggons had passed by. 525 00:34:27,600 --> 00:34:32,120 And he was then forced to sit there alone hour after hour in 526 00:34:32,120 --> 00:34:36,679 complete darkness. And 1 miner, noticing the 527 00:34:36,679 --> 00:34:41,199 counteness of this young boy, this little kid asked him, are 528 00:34:41,360 --> 00:34:45,120 you not weary with sitting so long in the complete bit of 529 00:34:45,120 --> 00:34:47,880 darkness? And the little boy responded, 530 00:34:47,960 --> 00:34:53,239 yeah, I do get tired, Mr. But sometimes the men give me a 531 00:34:53,600 --> 00:34:58,920 little bit of a candle and when I get a light, he says, I sing, 532 00:35:00,680 --> 00:35:06,240 I sing. The power of praise in times of 533 00:35:06,240 --> 00:35:10,760 pain is something that Paul and Silas revealed to us this 534 00:35:10,760 --> 00:35:17,200 morning in Acts 1625, it says. But at midnight, Paul and Silas 535 00:35:17,200 --> 00:35:20,960 were praying and singing hymns to God. 536 00:35:21,840 --> 00:35:23,640 And who was the audience besides God? 537 00:35:25,360 --> 00:35:27,000 The prisoners were listening to them. 538 00:35:28,160 --> 00:35:31,760 Is not midnight always the symbol of the darkest hour? 539 00:35:33,360 --> 00:35:37,760 Instead of being angry against God, instead of blaming God and 540 00:35:37,760 --> 00:35:40,000 thinking he doesn't care about what's happening to them, 541 00:35:40,400 --> 00:35:43,720 instead of seeking an easy way out of the situation, trying to 542 00:35:43,720 --> 00:35:48,200 avoid it, instead Paul and Silas pray and give thanks unto the 543 00:35:48,200 --> 00:35:57,280 Lord and burst into song. Now, I'm a fan of Minions and 544 00:35:57,280 --> 00:35:59,480 the Minions. If you've ever seen the movie, I 545 00:35:59,720 --> 00:36:05,320 recommend it to you. They're alone in the frozen dark 546 00:36:05,320 --> 00:36:11,160 place and they're singing and eventually they just run out. 547 00:36:11,160 --> 00:36:13,160 Hurray, hurray, hurray and they will fall down. 548 00:36:14,520 --> 00:36:18,440 These guys aren't saying oh praise, praise, praise the Lord. 549 00:36:19,480 --> 00:36:24,120 They were proclaiming the power and wonder of God that was 550 00:36:24,120 --> 00:36:30,280 singing with gusto and all the prisoners heard them. 551 00:36:31,640 --> 00:36:35,440 They were listening to them. Instead of the prisoners hearing 552 00:36:35,440 --> 00:36:40,760 rage, cursing and groans as was the usual atmosphere in the 553 00:36:40,760 --> 00:36:44,640 gaol, they heard singing. No wonder the prisoners 554 00:36:44,640 --> 00:36:47,120 listened. Prisoner had never ever been 555 00:36:47,120 --> 00:36:51,240 like this. Never had joy disturbed the dark 556 00:36:51,600 --> 00:36:56,640 air of gaol. Paul would write about such 557 00:36:56,640 --> 00:37:02,280 times and he gives us a great window on how to how and why 558 00:37:02,280 --> 00:37:05,320 were they able to praise God in these times. 559 00:37:05,320 --> 00:37:07,200 And Philippians chapter 3, verse 7. 560 00:37:07,440 --> 00:37:10,920 I'll read it to you. But what things were gained to 561 00:37:10,920 --> 00:37:13,240 me? Those I counted lost for Christ, 562 00:37:13,240 --> 00:37:16,880 Yes, doubtless. And I count all things but loss 563 00:37:16,880 --> 00:37:21,280 for the Excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my 564 00:37:21,280 --> 00:37:25,000 Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things. 565 00:37:25,680 --> 00:37:30,160 But all the things that I've lost, I do count them but manure 566 00:37:32,040 --> 00:37:37,880 in comparison, that I may win Christ and be found in him, not 567 00:37:37,880 --> 00:37:41,880 having my own righteousness, which is of the law, but that 568 00:37:41,880 --> 00:37:44,800 which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which 569 00:37:44,800 --> 00:37:50,320 is a God by faith, that I may know him, and the power of his 570 00:37:50,320 --> 00:37:55,120 resurrection, the fellowship of his suffering, I want to know 571 00:37:55,120 --> 00:37:59,080 that being made conformable unto his death. 572 00:38:00,200 --> 00:38:02,000 Brothers and sisters, this morning here. 573 00:38:03,440 --> 00:38:06,360 This is the power of the Holy Spirit within us. 574 00:38:06,720 --> 00:38:12,240 It's so powerful that it rose Jesus from the dead. 575 00:38:12,600 --> 00:38:16,680 It's so powerful this this the Holy Spirit who dwells in you, 576 00:38:18,720 --> 00:38:24,160 that you and I as sinners, we could be set free, forgiven and 577 00:38:24,160 --> 00:38:27,200 cleansed forevermore from all of our sins. 578 00:38:27,320 --> 00:38:32,200 And then God calls us his child and we can say have a father. 579 00:38:34,000 --> 00:38:37,040 Paul knew. You see, this is what was behind 580 00:38:37,040 --> 00:38:42,520 him. It was a privilege to suffer for 581 00:38:42,520 --> 00:38:48,000 Christ. Paul had a jukebox loaded with 582 00:38:48,000 --> 00:38:51,400 all the wonder and the glory of what God had done to him. 583 00:38:51,520 --> 00:38:56,880 So no matter what he just said, Silas, hit button #10 let's sing 584 00:38:56,880 --> 00:38:58,920 and praise the Lord. And out it came. 585 00:39:01,840 --> 00:39:07,240 And notice we are given this privilege by Christ, as you and 586 00:39:07,240 --> 00:39:11,240 I grow on our knowledge of Christ and our experience of his 587 00:39:11,240 --> 00:39:13,960 power. But you'll only find it in his 588 00:39:13,960 --> 00:39:16,560 will, and you'll only find it when you're going through 589 00:39:16,560 --> 00:39:21,040 difficult times. Athletes don't become the best 590 00:39:21,040 --> 00:39:25,480 athletes in the world by being void of pain and suffering and 591 00:39:25,480 --> 00:39:31,080 diet and training, Paul says. We're like athletes. 592 00:39:31,800 --> 00:39:33,760 We come under the attack of the enemy. 593 00:39:34,840 --> 00:39:37,360 Paul lived for Christ because he had died the self. 594 00:39:37,480 --> 00:39:38,600 It didn't matter. He was in gaol. 595 00:39:38,760 --> 00:39:44,560 I'm in gaol, but I'm saved. And he took up the cross and he 596 00:39:44,560 --> 00:39:48,040 followed Jesus. You see, God had changed Paul's 597 00:39:48,040 --> 00:39:52,360 mind on how Paul saw the world. How do you see the world? 598 00:39:53,280 --> 00:39:56,240 How do you view the world? You fear it. 599 00:40:02,760 --> 00:40:06,800 God wants to change the way you view the world, because the 600 00:40:06,800 --> 00:40:09,600 world is is the footstool of God. 601 00:40:12,760 --> 00:40:16,120 Paul now saw the things of the earth from heaven's viewpoint. 602 00:40:16,280 --> 00:40:21,200 That's where you've got to be all the time in every matter. 603 00:40:21,400 --> 00:40:25,120 How's the situation in hospital? How's the illness that you have? 604 00:40:25,280 --> 00:40:27,520 How's the the pain that you're going through? 605 00:40:27,760 --> 00:40:30,520 OK, go to the heavenly vantage point. 606 00:40:30,680 --> 00:40:33,800 Look at it through eternity. It looks way different from 607 00:40:33,800 --> 00:40:36,200 heaven. It looks way different from 608 00:40:36,200 --> 00:40:40,680 heaven. People who live for things are 609 00:40:40,680 --> 00:40:45,040 never really happy because each day they must constantly protect 610 00:40:45,040 --> 00:40:47,880 their treasures. The more you get, the more you 611 00:40:47,880 --> 00:40:53,480 worry about it, losing it. But the Christian with the 612 00:40:53,480 --> 00:40:59,040 spiritual mind, his or her treasures are in Christ, and 613 00:40:59,040 --> 00:41:03,160 they can never be stolen. They can never lose their value. 614 00:41:04,080 --> 00:41:09,280 Maybe today God is asking you to evaluate the things in your life 615 00:41:09,560 --> 00:41:16,560 that matter most to you. It says in the Greek of the 616 00:41:16,560 --> 00:41:20,160 prisoners that thou are listening with great attention 617 00:41:20,480 --> 00:41:25,560 and pleasure when you're in pain in the midnight hour. 618 00:41:26,080 --> 00:41:30,840 You may not feel it is this time to sing praise to God, but the 619 00:41:30,840 --> 00:41:35,400 Bible tells us surely it is Job 3510. 620 00:41:35,680 --> 00:41:39,640 But no one says, where is God my Maker, who gives songs in the 621 00:41:39,640 --> 00:41:42,120 night? Psalm 42, eight. 622 00:41:42,120 --> 00:41:45,960 The Lord will command his loving kindness in the daytime, and 623 00:41:45,960 --> 00:41:49,600 then in the night his song, his song shall be with me. 624 00:41:50,080 --> 00:41:53,360 Spurgeon said. Any fool can sing in the day. 625 00:41:53,680 --> 00:41:56,880 It's easier to sing when we read the notes by daylight. 626 00:41:57,080 --> 00:42:01,200 But the skilled singer is he who can sing when there is not a ray 627 00:42:01,200 --> 00:42:04,720 of light to read by it. You know, the African American, 628 00:42:04,720 --> 00:42:08,360 the strength of the African American and the gospel that's 629 00:42:08,360 --> 00:42:12,960 come through them. It's what held them from slaves 630 00:42:13,200 --> 00:42:18,080 until to be that which still has in its roots the African 631 00:42:18,080 --> 00:42:22,120 American this this wonder and power of the gospel 632 00:42:22,120 --> 00:42:25,360 proclamation. It says when you go to an 633 00:42:25,360 --> 00:42:28,360 African American church, when the singing breaks out, man, 634 00:42:28,800 --> 00:42:35,480 it's on. How do we do this? 635 00:42:36,600 --> 00:42:42,040 Romans 828 We know that all things work together for good to 636 00:42:42,040 --> 00:42:48,200 those who love God, to those who are the called according to His 637 00:42:48,200 --> 00:42:54,080 purpose. Now we are not talking mind over 638 00:42:54,080 --> 00:42:56,200 matter. This is not what's happening in 639 00:42:56,200 --> 00:43:01,600 the gaol mind over matter. We are talking about faith over 640 00:43:01,600 --> 00:43:06,240 circumstances. Hebrews 11/1 Now faith is the 641 00:43:06,240 --> 00:43:09,840 substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 642 00:43:10,920 --> 00:43:14,680 You see, God is in control of every detail of your life. 643 00:43:15,720 --> 00:43:20,240 It was Daniel who said to Belshazzar who was about to die 644 00:43:20,240 --> 00:43:22,720 that night. And the God who holds your 645 00:43:22,720 --> 00:43:25,560 breath in his hand and owns all your ways, you have not 646 00:43:25,560 --> 00:43:28,320 glorified. You know, I am only alive 647 00:43:28,320 --> 00:43:32,680 because God says keep living. Doctors don't control my life. 648 00:43:32,680 --> 00:43:36,040 Yes, I need to be wise in what I eat and all the exercise that I 649 00:43:36,040 --> 00:43:43,520 don't do. But it's God who says Keith home 650 00:43:45,920 --> 00:43:49,320 and it's God who says not yet, not yet. 651 00:43:52,280 --> 00:43:54,760 God knows what he's doing. But Keith, does this mean that 652 00:43:54,760 --> 00:44:00,520 everything that happens to us is good and in in of itself, no, 653 00:44:01,000 --> 00:44:04,440 many things are not good. They may even be painful and 654 00:44:04,440 --> 00:44:06,040 bitter. You know, there was a teaching 655 00:44:06,040 --> 00:44:09,360 that came out a few years back in churches that says, well, if 656 00:44:09,360 --> 00:44:11,120 you break your leg, praise God for breaking your leg. 657 00:44:11,160 --> 00:44:13,320 Oh God. Oh, praise the Lord, I broke my 658 00:44:13,320 --> 00:44:15,240 leg, praise the Lord. No, that's stupid. 659 00:44:19,920 --> 00:44:22,680 But it's saying God, no matter. Even though I've got a broken 660 00:44:22,680 --> 00:44:28,680 leg, nothing changes the way I think about you. 661 00:44:28,680 --> 00:44:33,800 David suffered greatly, but he said before I was afflicted, 662 00:44:33,800 --> 00:44:37,200 Psalm 100 and 1967, I went astray. 663 00:44:37,280 --> 00:44:39,120 And here's what God does to me many times. 664 00:44:39,480 --> 00:44:43,960 Maybe he does it to you. God allows a storm to hit me. 665 00:44:45,160 --> 00:44:48,080 He allows something to really set me on my tail. 666 00:44:49,640 --> 00:44:54,280 It's painful. But David said, because it 667 00:44:54,280 --> 00:44:57,840 happened to him before I was afflicted, I went astray. 668 00:44:59,440 --> 00:45:02,560 But now I keep your word. It is good for me that I have 669 00:45:02,560 --> 00:45:06,840 been afflicted, that I may learn your statutes. 670 00:45:07,520 --> 00:45:10,480 I know, O Lord, that your judgments are right, and that in 671 00:45:10,480 --> 00:45:13,000 faithfulness you have afflicted me. 672 00:45:14,560 --> 00:45:16,800 The shepherd with a runaway sheep. 673 00:45:17,800 --> 00:45:19,640 They kept on running away, running away. 674 00:45:19,640 --> 00:45:20,880 It's going to be eaten by wolves. 675 00:45:20,880 --> 00:45:24,640 It's going to fall into a trap. The shepherd would snap the 676 00:45:24,640 --> 00:45:30,200 front forelock of the sheep, and then the sheep couldn't run 677 00:45:30,200 --> 00:45:32,360 anymore. And then the shepherd would 678 00:45:32,360 --> 00:45:36,640 bandage it and he would carry that sheep home with him, and 679 00:45:36,640 --> 00:45:40,400 then he would watch over that sheep and see that it mended 680 00:45:40,440 --> 00:45:44,200 correctly. That sheep had to have that to 681 00:45:44,200 --> 00:45:46,600 happen so it wouldn't run away again. 682 00:45:47,640 --> 00:45:51,520 It was an affliction that had to happen, that was painful, but it 683 00:45:51,520 --> 00:45:57,160 wasn't necessary. In the same way, God allows 684 00:45:57,160 --> 00:46:02,520 things to happen to us in Romans 828, the words work together are 685 00:46:02,520 --> 00:46:07,320 where we get our English word synergism or synergy, which 686 00:46:07,320 --> 00:46:11,680 means the work together of various elements to produce an 687 00:46:11,680 --> 00:46:15,920 effect greater than and often completely different than the 688 00:46:15,920 --> 00:46:20,040 sum of each element acted separately. 689 00:46:20,440 --> 00:46:23,720 All things work together. That's the God gets the mess. 690 00:46:25,080 --> 00:46:28,720 For example, did you know 2 poisons? 691 00:46:29,040 --> 00:46:36,000 Sodium and chlorine, both singulon, 2 poisons, combine 692 00:46:36,000 --> 00:46:41,120 them, give you NaCl, got some more salt? 693 00:46:42,600 --> 00:46:44,920 You see that's the difference, Synergism. 694 00:46:45,120 --> 00:46:47,840 It's what God does. He takes the poisons that the 695 00:46:47,840 --> 00:46:51,960 enemy comes and he turns it into something that's a flavour and 696 00:46:52,040 --> 00:46:56,640 bite. Now it's not just the prisoners 697 00:46:56,640 --> 00:46:57,800 who are listening. I need to rap. 698 00:46:58,160 --> 00:47:01,200 Verse 26. There was a great earthquake. 699 00:47:02,000 --> 00:47:04,840 The gaol rushed in. They're still there. 700 00:47:05,560 --> 00:47:10,560 What must I do to be saved? How hard was it when you need to 701 00:47:10,840 --> 00:47:14,160 cut your hair, wash your clothes, stop talking the way 702 00:47:14,160 --> 00:47:19,200 you talk, no more swearing. And I want you to do this and 703 00:47:19,200 --> 00:47:20,800 this. And I said, just believe on the 704 00:47:20,800 --> 00:47:23,160 law. Isn't that like the thief on the 705 00:47:23,160 --> 00:47:25,200 cross? As simple as it? 706 00:47:25,360 --> 00:47:29,560 Why do you make it so hard? Then they spoke the word of the 707 00:47:29,560 --> 00:47:33,320 Lord to him and all who are in his house and his whole house 708 00:47:33,840 --> 00:47:41,760 but saved and were baptised. It was the gaoler Unchained who 709 00:47:41,760 --> 00:47:45,720 asked Paul how he could be saved and be set free. 710 00:47:46,760 --> 00:47:52,600 Paul was in gaol, but he was the one who was bringing release for 711 00:47:52,600 --> 00:47:58,240 those that were bound by sin. Were Paul and Silas in the will 712 00:47:58,240 --> 00:48:00,280 of God when they were thrown in gaol? 713 00:48:01,640 --> 00:48:04,040 Yep. Was Joseph, Yep. 714 00:48:05,200 --> 00:48:09,680 Was Jesus, Yep. Was the whipping and the brutal 715 00:48:09,680 --> 00:48:12,080 treatment they received part of the deal? 716 00:48:13,280 --> 00:48:16,440 Did God know that Paul and Silas were going to come through in 717 00:48:16,440 --> 00:48:19,960 this situation? Did God want this gaoler and his 718 00:48:19,960 --> 00:48:21,800 family saved? Absolutely. 719 00:48:23,560 --> 00:48:25,680 Can you see God's plan and all of this? 720 00:48:26,760 --> 00:48:29,000 Because God has done the same thing for you and I. 721 00:48:30,680 --> 00:48:33,960 But it all began when just two servants of God in tough 722 00:48:33,960 --> 00:48:38,720 situation chose, in the midst of suffering, to sing praises unto 723 00:48:38,720 --> 00:48:42,560 the God they loved and worshipped, trusting Him to work 724 00:48:42,560 --> 00:48:45,200 out His plan in their painful situation. 725 00:48:47,000 --> 00:48:51,840 My grandfather used to weave these things on this big spread, 726 00:48:52,600 --> 00:48:55,440 and I'd watch him this weaving. I figured what they'd actually 727 00:48:55,440 --> 00:48:58,000 call it and just look a huge mess. 728 00:48:58,560 --> 00:49:01,080 But then when you turned it over, there was this beautiful 729 00:49:01,080 --> 00:49:04,320 scene of a man on a gondola rowing in a lake. 730 00:49:05,480 --> 00:49:08,120 You see, you and I, we just see the mess of the threads. 731 00:49:09,960 --> 00:49:14,000 But if you see the view from heaven, it shows you that God 732 00:49:14,000 --> 00:49:19,760 loves you. Be assured, God is working in 733 00:49:19,760 --> 00:49:26,720 and through your messy situation for you and for others. 734 00:49:27,240 --> 00:49:31,600 The Holy Spirit says to you today, now is the time for you 735 00:49:31,600 --> 00:49:35,520 to sing. To sing so loud that others will 736 00:49:35,520 --> 00:49:40,960 hear of your love for Christ in spite of what you're going 737 00:49:40,960 --> 00:49:42,560 through. You will praise the name of the 738 00:49:42,560 --> 00:49:48,440 Lord. All suffering and pain that God 739 00:49:48,440 --> 00:49:52,560 allows to wash over us has a purpose. 740 00:49:53,880 --> 00:49:58,080 Let us never allow our suffering, your period of pain, 741 00:49:58,080 --> 00:50:01,240 to go to waste. And you know when you're 742 00:50:01,240 --> 00:50:03,080 suffering, You know who's watching? 743 00:50:03,320 --> 00:50:07,480 God's watching. Don't forget, this is the last 744 00:50:07,480 --> 00:50:08,720 word. As the worship team comes 745 00:50:08,720 --> 00:50:13,800 forward. Suffering may come, but you know 746 00:50:13,800 --> 00:50:17,360 what the Bible says will come. You will overcome. 747 00:50:19,040 --> 00:50:21,080 You will overcome. It ends. 748 00:50:22,280 --> 00:50:26,880 It ends. For Smyrna, the suffering ended 749 00:50:26,920 --> 00:50:29,200 with their death. When my brother who I buried 750 00:50:29,200 --> 00:50:36,080 last Wednesday, I'll His suffering ended when he breathed 751 00:50:36,080 --> 00:50:37,840 his last breath upon this planet. 752 00:50:42,680 --> 00:50:46,560 God, he even takes death and he says, you know what with death 753 00:50:49,480 --> 00:50:52,880 pulls this thing out of it, kicks over the grave. 754 00:50:52,880 --> 00:50:56,200 And he says it's just the window to coming home now. 755 00:50:56,880 --> 00:50:58,760 It's the window to coming home now. 756 00:50:59,520 --> 00:51:02,520 It's the place where you close your eyes and you know who you 757 00:51:02,520 --> 00:51:04,120 will see next. Me. 758 00:51:05,680 --> 00:51:09,040 You'll see me the moment you close your eyes. 759 00:51:09,040 --> 00:51:12,160 The first face you'll see is mine, because I love you.