1 00:00:02,120 --> 00:00:04,480 Hey, welcome to the City Point Church podcast. 2 00:00:04,480 --> 00:00:07,280 Thanks for joining us. Every day is an opportunity to 3 00:00:07,280 --> 00:00:10,280 take hold of. So we hope this message inspires 4 00:00:10,280 --> 00:00:13,560 you and builds your faith, but it helps you have more of a God 5 00:00:13,560 --> 00:00:15,920 perspective for your day. Enjoy can. 6 00:00:17,680 --> 00:00:20,600 We be outstanding tonight. Can we honour the word of God 7 00:00:20,600 --> 00:00:22,480 tonight? Thank you. 8 00:00:22,640 --> 00:00:25,720 Jesus, look at she's all getting up so quick. 9 00:00:25,720 --> 00:00:27,280 I love it. I love it. 10 00:00:27,560 --> 00:00:30,640 This year is a church, just as you've seen on the screen behind 11 00:00:30,640 --> 00:00:32,360 me and the video that we just seen. 12 00:00:32,640 --> 00:00:37,160 We are going over a theme called is there not a cause? 13 00:00:37,520 --> 00:00:40,560 Is there not a cause? And what this is is not just a 14 00:00:40,560 --> 00:00:43,520 fun tagline. It's not just something that 15 00:00:43,520 --> 00:00:47,200 City Point would thought would look cute on social media. 16 00:00:47,480 --> 00:00:51,600 The way we get some reposts and, you know, slang it out and say 17 00:00:51,600 --> 00:00:54,960 it's all good. No, no, this is a declaration. 18 00:00:54,960 --> 00:00:57,800 This is what this is. It is a call. 19 00:00:58,320 --> 00:01:01,640 It is a call for our people to rise with conviction. 20 00:01:02,440 --> 00:01:07,040 It is a call for our people to live with purpose, to pray with 21 00:01:07,040 --> 00:01:12,720 passion, to stand with boldness. This is what is there not a 22 00:01:12,720 --> 00:01:17,720 cause means when we declare it over our cities, over our lives, 23 00:01:17,720 --> 00:01:20,680 over every single space we go into. 24 00:01:21,320 --> 00:01:24,760 And the only way that this can be done, the only way that we 25 00:01:24,760 --> 00:01:29,520 can answer this question is there not a cause, is with Jesus 26 00:01:29,520 --> 00:01:32,880 Christ. There is no other 'cause there 27 00:01:32,880 --> 00:01:38,040 is no other way. It is only with Jesus Christ. 28 00:01:38,320 --> 00:01:40,880 So today, as we get into the message, I want to pray over 29 00:01:40,880 --> 00:01:43,560 each and everyone of you. So if you bow your heads with me 30 00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:48,360 this morning, this afternoon, Father, Your Holy Spirit is here 31 00:01:48,360 --> 00:01:52,880 with us tonight ready to move and bring fresh new revelation 32 00:01:52,880 --> 00:01:55,560 through your living and active word. 33 00:01:55,880 --> 00:02:00,240 Father, we know the Holy Spirit carries a fire and a fire that 34 00:02:00,240 --> 00:02:05,280 can dwell within us and burn up to create and foster that 35 00:02:05,280 --> 00:02:08,440 conviction, to foster that boldness, Lord God. 36 00:02:08,639 --> 00:02:13,560 And we stand here tonight with hearts open and ready to receive 37 00:02:13,560 --> 00:02:16,560 what you have for us. Lord, we thank you for your 38 00:02:16,560 --> 00:02:20,240 spirit and for your Son tonight. And we declare all of this in 39 00:02:20,240 --> 00:02:24,560 the mighty name of Jesus. And we all said Amen. 40 00:02:24,640 --> 00:02:26,440 Amen. You may take your seats tonight. 41 00:02:27,080 --> 00:02:29,680 I might accidentally keep saying this morning, I'm sorry. 42 00:02:29,680 --> 00:02:31,640 It's just going to keep happening, but you'll get it. 43 00:02:31,640 --> 00:02:33,280 OK. I'll stop correcting myself 44 00:02:33,280 --> 00:02:36,920 after a bit. So this is what we're in. 45 00:02:37,360 --> 00:02:41,360 Is there not a cause? And the cause is Jesus Christ. 46 00:02:42,200 --> 00:02:46,480 I want to talk about a life today, a life that caught the 47 00:02:46,480 --> 00:02:51,240 cause of Christ, carried it all the way through with such an 48 00:02:51,240 --> 00:02:56,560 effect that it's seen so many cities, towns, people, places 49 00:02:56,560 --> 00:03:00,200 come to know Jesus. It had such a big effect on the 50 00:03:00,200 --> 00:03:03,040 world and as on our Bible as we know today. 51 00:03:03,480 --> 00:03:07,760 So the title of my message tonight is Cause and Effect, 52 00:03:08,600 --> 00:03:13,320 because when Jesus Christ is the 'cause when we send to Him where 53 00:03:13,320 --> 00:03:17,560 He is supposed to be centred and we exalt Him and put him in his 54 00:03:17,560 --> 00:03:22,480 rightful place, the effect is a life that is physically, 55 00:03:22,880 --> 00:03:27,760 emotionally, mentally and spiritually transformed. 56 00:03:28,360 --> 00:03:32,320 The effect ripples through generations of families. 57 00:03:32,920 --> 00:03:39,000 The effect restores brokenness and restores relational intimacy 58 00:03:39,000 --> 00:03:44,800 with the living God. The effect is seen in towns, 59 00:03:44,960 --> 00:03:49,920 cities, and in nations. There is no way that Jesus can 60 00:03:49,920 --> 00:03:54,280 enter a place and when hearts are humbled and ready to receive 61 00:03:54,280 --> 00:03:56,880 from Him, that an effect cannot take place. 62 00:03:56,880 --> 00:04:01,120 There is just it's not possible. So today I want to look at the 63 00:04:01,120 --> 00:04:06,880 life of the Apostle Paul, who was a man who encountered Jesus 64 00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:11,360 radically and then carried the cause of Christ every single 65 00:04:11,360 --> 00:04:14,160 place he went for the rest of his life. 66 00:04:14,520 --> 00:04:19,320 And whose life proves the truth that when Jesus is the cause, 67 00:04:19,600 --> 00:04:24,360 transformation is the effect. But it all carries a cost. 68 00:04:25,120 --> 00:04:26,600 So let's get into the first part. 69 00:04:26,600 --> 00:04:31,280 The first part is the cause. So if you turn with turn with me 70 00:04:31,280 --> 00:04:35,920 in your holy Bibles this afternoon to Acts 91 to 16, it's 71 00:04:35,920 --> 00:04:40,040 a little bit of a meaty piece of Scripture, but we need the whole 72 00:04:40,040 --> 00:04:45,600 bit so we know what's going on. So Acts 91 to 16, I'm reading 73 00:04:45,600 --> 00:04:49,440 from the ESP version and it says but Saul. 74 00:04:49,600 --> 00:04:52,600 And for those who don't know, Saul is Paul. 75 00:04:52,600 --> 00:04:55,080 His name just hasn't been changed yet. 76 00:04:55,080 --> 00:04:58,600 So if you hear that we're just talking about Paul, but Saul, 77 00:04:58,600 --> 00:05:02,160 still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of 78 00:05:02,160 --> 00:05:06,120 the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters 79 00:05:06,120 --> 00:05:09,960 to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any 80 00:05:09,960 --> 00:05:12,800 belonging to the way, that's what they called Christians back 81 00:05:12,800 --> 00:05:17,880 then, men or woman, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 82 00:05:18,720 --> 00:05:23,120 Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and 83 00:05:23,120 --> 00:05:28,160 suddenly a light from heaven shone around him, and falling to 84 00:05:28,160 --> 00:05:35,120 the ground he heard a voice say to him, Saul, Saul, why are you 85 00:05:35,120 --> 00:05:38,960 persecuting me? And he said, Who are you, Lord? 86 00:05:39,920 --> 00:05:44,560 And he said, I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 87 00:05:45,160 --> 00:05:49,440 But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to 88 00:05:49,440 --> 00:05:52,080 do. The men who were travelling with 89 00:05:52,080 --> 00:05:56,800 him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. 90 00:05:57,520 --> 00:06:01,480 Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were open, he 91 00:06:01,480 --> 00:06:04,920 saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and 92 00:06:04,920 --> 00:06:09,320 brought him into Damascus, and for three days he was without 93 00:06:09,320 --> 00:06:14,160 sight and neither ate nor drank. Now there was a disciple at 94 00:06:14,160 --> 00:06:17,680 Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a 95 00:06:17,680 --> 00:06:21,360 vision, Ananias. And he said, Here I am, Lord. 96 00:06:21,960 --> 00:06:24,880 And the Lord said to him, Rise and go to the street called 97 00:06:24,880 --> 00:06:28,720 Straight, and at the House of Judas look for a man of Tarsus 98 00:06:28,720 --> 00:06:32,080 named Saul. For behold, he is praying, and 99 00:06:32,080 --> 00:06:35,600 he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay 100 00:06:35,600 --> 00:06:38,520 his hands on him, so that he might regain his sight. 101 00:06:39,360 --> 00:06:44,480 But Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard from many about this 102 00:06:44,480 --> 00:06:48,960 man, how much evil he has done to your Saints in Jerusalem, and 103 00:06:48,960 --> 00:06:52,560 here he has the authority from the chief priest to bind all who 104 00:06:52,560 --> 00:06:55,600 call on your name. But the Lord said to him, Go, 105 00:06:56,040 --> 00:07:01,000 for he is a chosen insurance of mine to carry my name before the 106 00:07:01,000 --> 00:07:06,080 Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel, for I will 107 00:07:06,080 --> 00:07:10,960 show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name. 108 00:07:11,440 --> 00:07:14,720 Told you it was a meaty bit of Scripture, but we needed it to 109 00:07:14,720 --> 00:07:18,520 see what Jesus Christ did on that encounter with Saul on that 110 00:07:18,520 --> 00:07:21,880 road to Damascus. Straight after this, scripture 111 00:07:21,880 --> 00:07:25,680 says that Paul immediately began proclaiming Jesus in the 112 00:07:25,680 --> 00:07:30,320 synagogues, that he grew more in strength and baffled the Jews by 113 00:07:30,320 --> 00:07:33,920 provide up by proving that Jesus was Lord. 114 00:07:34,920 --> 00:07:38,760 But before this, Paul was literally on his way to the same 115 00:07:38,760 --> 00:07:43,040 synagogues to bring Christians back bound to Jerusalem for 116 00:07:43,040 --> 00:07:47,320 persecution. It says that he was breathing 117 00:07:47,320 --> 00:07:51,080 threats and murder against the disciples. 118 00:07:52,240 --> 00:07:58,440 Now I've been mad before. You can ask anyone in my family. 119 00:07:59,760 --> 00:08:04,240 I've been mad before. I've been angry, but I don't 120 00:08:04,240 --> 00:08:07,480 think that I have ever breathed murder. 121 00:08:08,200 --> 00:08:10,560 Like, how would that even look like? 122 00:08:10,560 --> 00:08:15,280 I can just picture Saul, Paul, Saul Paul on the way on the road 123 00:08:15,280 --> 00:08:17,960 to Damascus, just breathing murder. 124 00:08:17,960 --> 00:08:20,400 Like, what would that look like? That would affect your physical 125 00:08:20,400 --> 00:08:22,040 being? Like you've got to be something 126 00:08:22,040 --> 00:08:24,680 like this. I really think so. 127 00:08:24,680 --> 00:08:26,400 It had to be something you have to see and go. 128 00:08:26,840 --> 00:08:30,240 That guy's breathing murder. It had to be something like 129 00:08:30,240 --> 00:08:32,520 that. I love Scripture. 130 00:08:32,640 --> 00:08:34,600 I love scripture. I'm a very visual person. 131 00:08:34,600 --> 00:08:37,600 And what I love most about Scripture is that we have all 132 00:08:37,600 --> 00:08:41,120 these different people involved in in the testimony and the 133 00:08:41,120 --> 00:08:44,280 story of Jesus Christ. So in this one, I love to 134 00:08:44,280 --> 00:08:47,280 picture Ananias. You know, Ananias is just 135 00:08:47,280 --> 00:08:51,000 minding his business. He's in his secret place. 136 00:08:51,760 --> 00:08:55,160 He's praying to God. This is his secret place right 137 00:08:55,160 --> 00:08:56,680 here. He's like, oh, Lord. 138 00:08:56,880 --> 00:09:02,160 And then he has a vision. And the Lord goes, Ananias. 139 00:09:02,760 --> 00:09:07,080 Ananias goes, here I am Lord, like a good obedience servant. 140 00:09:07,280 --> 00:09:12,280 Here I am Lord. And then the Lord goes, do you 141 00:09:12,280 --> 00:09:16,880 remember Saul? And Ananias is like the guy who 142 00:09:16,880 --> 00:09:22,040 breathes murder? And the Lord's like, yes, can 143 00:09:22,040 --> 00:09:24,520 you please go to him? I could just picture Ananias 144 00:09:24,520 --> 00:09:29,240 just standing there, like, yeah, OK, all right, let's do this. 145 00:09:29,600 --> 00:09:33,640 OK. But what Ananias didn't know was 146 00:09:33,640 --> 00:09:37,760 that Paul had an encounter with the living God on the road to 147 00:09:37,760 --> 00:09:42,560 Damascus, that he met Jesus Christ, and he could never be 148 00:09:42,560 --> 00:09:46,200 the same. Before meeting Jesus, Paul had 149 00:09:46,200 --> 00:09:48,240 everything. He had a title. 150 00:09:48,400 --> 00:09:50,720 He had status. He had influence. 151 00:09:50,960 --> 00:09:52,760 Influence. Not influencer. 152 00:09:52,840 --> 00:09:53,320 I don't know. Sorry. 153 00:09:55,640 --> 00:09:58,000 Not influencer. He had influence, he had 154 00:09:58,000 --> 00:10:03,200 education, he had authority, he had power, all of those things, 155 00:10:03,720 --> 00:10:08,320 but none of this compared to the effect that Jesus Christ had on 156 00:10:08,320 --> 00:10:11,040 him. He immediately changed. 157 00:10:11,360 --> 00:10:14,840 There was no space for the old soul Paul to stay. 158 00:10:15,120 --> 00:10:19,520 The cause of his life was no longer breathing murder against 159 00:10:19,520 --> 00:10:24,320 Christians, but to be one that's it's like not even a whole 180 160 00:10:24,320 --> 00:10:26,120 like that's that's out of this world. 161 00:10:26,120 --> 00:10:28,760 Like your head is spinning. You don't know what's going on. 162 00:10:28,920 --> 00:10:32,120 You went to go breathe murder at people and now you're preaching 163 00:10:32,120 --> 00:10:35,360 that Jesus is Lord and you've got scales on your eyes. 164 00:10:35,360 --> 00:10:38,760 You don't know what's going on. This is what was happening to 165 00:10:38,760 --> 00:10:43,280 Saul Paul. See what happened was that Paul 166 00:10:43,280 --> 00:10:47,440 didn't just change his mind. He didn't just have a change of 167 00:10:47,440 --> 00:10:52,680 heart on that road to Damascus. He didn't just find a neat new 168 00:10:52,680 --> 00:10:56,400 message that sounded cute that he could go and tell people. 169 00:10:56,760 --> 00:11:00,000 He didn't just find a new group that he could try out and he 170 00:11:00,000 --> 00:11:02,040 thought these people seemed cool. 171 00:11:02,720 --> 00:11:04,240 He didn't. It wasn't that. 172 00:11:04,680 --> 00:11:09,160 It wasn't that he met Jesus Christ and it changed every 173 00:11:09,160 --> 00:11:12,520 single thing for him. Nothing could stay the same 174 00:11:12,520 --> 00:11:14,920 because of the encounter that he had had with Christ. 175 00:11:15,480 --> 00:11:20,120 And then he carried the cause of Christ straight away without any 176 00:11:20,120 --> 00:11:23,120 delay, without any shame or embarrassment. 177 00:11:23,200 --> 00:11:25,960 I don't know about you, but if I was just over in a different 178 00:11:25,960 --> 00:11:28,280 town going, yeah, well, I'm going over there. 179 00:11:28,680 --> 00:11:31,520 I'm on the road to Damascus and I'm going to come and kill 180 00:11:31,520 --> 00:11:33,320 people, breathe, murder their way. 181 00:11:33,320 --> 00:11:35,760 I'm yeah, I'm going to get letters from the high priest and 182 00:11:35,760 --> 00:11:37,600 we're going to bring them back here and we're going to, we're 183 00:11:37,600 --> 00:11:40,760 going to do something to them. I'd feel a bit embarrassed if 184 00:11:40,760 --> 00:11:44,840 then I came back and was like, oh, actually I was blind for 185 00:11:44,840 --> 00:11:48,480 three days, didn't eat, couldn't drink. 186 00:11:48,960 --> 00:11:51,320 People had to come and hear me with the power of the Holy 187 00:11:51,320 --> 00:11:53,120 Spirit. Like that would have been 188 00:11:53,120 --> 00:11:55,680 embarrassing for me, would have gone back with my tail between 189 00:11:55,680 --> 00:11:57,240 my legs. But not Paul. 190 00:11:57,400 --> 00:12:01,520 He carried the cause of Christ without delay, without shame or 191 00:12:01,520 --> 00:12:05,320 embarrassment, without any timidness, without any worry for 192 00:12:05,320 --> 00:12:08,800 what the culture was saying or trying to impose on to him. 193 00:12:09,160 --> 00:12:12,480 You see, this is what happens when we encounter the living 194 00:12:12,480 --> 00:12:14,800 God. This is what happens when we 195 00:12:14,800 --> 00:12:19,280 encounter Jesus Christ. He changes us in a way that 196 00:12:19,280 --> 00:12:21,600 doesn't make sense. It literally does not make 197 00:12:21,600 --> 00:12:25,280 sense, but it shifts every single thing about what we are 198 00:12:25,280 --> 00:12:29,400 currently doing and it affects every single part of our life. 199 00:12:30,520 --> 00:12:33,880 You may be here in this place today and you don't know Jesus 200 00:12:33,880 --> 00:12:36,280 Christ. You don't know this Jesus that 201 00:12:36,280 --> 00:12:39,080 Paul had the encounter with. And I want to tell you that 202 00:12:39,080 --> 00:12:43,160 there is no better place for you to be than right here, right now 203 00:12:43,520 --> 00:12:47,320 to be able to have the same kind of encounter that that Paul did 204 00:12:47,600 --> 00:12:51,200 on the road to Damascus. You see, Jesus isn't just for 205 00:12:51,200 --> 00:12:55,400 church people. Jesus isn't just for people who 206 00:12:55,400 --> 00:12:58,040 can tick off that they come to church every Sunday. 207 00:12:58,640 --> 00:13:03,120 That's not who He was. He came for every single living 208 00:13:03,120 --> 00:13:08,920 person that they would no longer be bound to death and sin, but 209 00:13:08,920 --> 00:13:13,000 would be set free by the price that He paid for every single 210 00:13:13,000 --> 00:13:16,120 person in this room. And if that's you in here today 211 00:13:16,320 --> 00:13:19,480 and you haven't experienced it, like I said, there's no better 212 00:13:19,480 --> 00:13:21,600 place for you to be than right here, right now. 213 00:13:21,800 --> 00:13:26,640 And at the end of the service, we will put a call out for you 214 00:13:26,640 --> 00:13:29,600 to encounter Jesus Christ. But it doesn't even have to wait 215 00:13:29,600 --> 00:13:31,840 there. If you can feel the Holy Spirit, 216 00:13:31,840 --> 00:13:34,840 you feel something funny in your heart, your feet feel funny, 217 00:13:34,840 --> 00:13:39,280 your hands are shaking, it's OK. Jesus is here and He wants you 218 00:13:39,280 --> 00:13:42,320 to know him. He knows that he paid the price 219 00:13:42,320 --> 00:13:47,280 for you and he is for you. So this encounter changed Paul 220 00:13:47,640 --> 00:13:51,520 and had an effect on his life. And see, this is the cause and 221 00:13:51,520 --> 00:13:55,760 the effect of Christ. And that's what we're going to 222 00:13:55,760 --> 00:13:59,960 move into next, which is the effect had an effect on Paul. 223 00:14:00,480 --> 00:14:05,000 And the effect that it did have was a life that could not stop 224 00:14:05,000 --> 00:14:07,840 preaching Christ. This is where we see Paul go. 225 00:14:08,400 --> 00:14:11,400 Paul carried the cause of Christ wherever he went. 226 00:14:11,800 --> 00:14:15,840 And we see the effect it had on Paul and to the places that he 227 00:14:15,840 --> 00:14:21,080 ministered to. Acts 19, eight to 10 says this. 228 00:14:21,080 --> 00:14:23,240 The whole of Acts 19 is just incredible. 229 00:14:23,800 --> 00:14:29,120 If you've got time, which we all do to have in our Bible, go read 230 00:14:29,120 --> 00:14:33,360 through the whole of Acts 19. But Acts 19, eight to 10, says 231 00:14:33,360 --> 00:14:35,680 this. And he entered the synagogue, 232 00:14:35,680 --> 00:14:39,960 and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading 233 00:14:39,960 --> 00:14:44,160 them about the Kingdom of God. But when some became stubborn 234 00:14:44,160 --> 00:14:47,920 and continued in unbelief, speaking evil of the way before 235 00:14:47,920 --> 00:14:51,360 the congregation, he withdrew from them and took the disciples 236 00:14:51,360 --> 00:14:55,280 with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus. 237 00:14:55,680 --> 00:14:59,120 This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia 238 00:14:59,120 --> 00:15:03,320 heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks. 239 00:15:03,760 --> 00:15:07,000 So we see here Paul is in Ephesus, and he's been 240 00:15:07,000 --> 00:15:10,120 ministering for a bit, but we see the effects that this had on 241 00:15:10,120 --> 00:15:11,960 Paul. He's no longer breathing murder 242 00:15:11,960 --> 00:15:13,560 at people that won't listen to him. 243 00:15:14,120 --> 00:15:17,920 He's speaking boldly. He's reasoning with people and 244 00:15:17,920 --> 00:15:20,360 persuading them about the Kingdom of God. 245 00:15:20,720 --> 00:15:25,280 And when he's rejected by the synagogue, he doesn't go back to 246 00:15:25,280 --> 00:15:29,240 his old ways or retreat, become violent, anything like that. 247 00:15:29,560 --> 00:15:33,960 He redirects and goes out to the Gentiles because the cause of 248 00:15:33,960 --> 00:15:37,560 Christ had too great of an effect on him to stop. 249 00:15:38,240 --> 00:15:40,800 And he preached daily for two years. 250 00:15:41,760 --> 00:15:45,720 I can barely do a weekly one, and he's doing preaching daily. 251 00:15:46,600 --> 00:15:51,440 And the effect is that all the residents of Asia heard the word 252 00:15:51,520 --> 00:15:55,000 of the Lord. You see, the effect it had on 253 00:15:55,000 --> 00:15:59,200 Paul was that the gospel didn't just stay contained to his safe 254 00:15:59,440 --> 00:16:03,600 little space with his nice people that he trusts and in his 255 00:16:03,600 --> 00:16:06,800 nice little world. No, it's spread. 256 00:16:07,240 --> 00:16:10,920 The cause of Jesus Christ in Paul's life had such an effect 257 00:16:10,920 --> 00:16:15,880 on him that there was no other objective than the advancement 258 00:16:15,880 --> 00:16:20,640 of the gospel. Acts 19 continues on to say this 259 00:16:20,640 --> 00:16:24,080 in 11 and 12. And God was doing extraordinary 260 00:16:24,080 --> 00:16:28,000 miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or 261 00:16:28,040 --> 00:16:31,640 aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, 262 00:16:32,000 --> 00:16:35,720 and their diseases left them, and the evil spirits came out of 263 00:16:35,720 --> 00:16:38,720 them. Not only did Paul experience the 264 00:16:38,720 --> 00:16:43,120 effect of Christ, the town of Ephesus got it too. 265 00:16:43,880 --> 00:16:46,160 I said, I preached this at Bribee and I said the same 266 00:16:46,160 --> 00:16:47,360 thing. And some people look blank at 267 00:16:47,360 --> 00:16:48,920 me. But do you ever remember Oprah? 268 00:16:49,160 --> 00:16:50,240 She doesn't, she doesn't do anything. 269 00:16:50,440 --> 00:16:53,360 But Oprah, you know, when she's, she's so rich, she's given 270 00:16:53,360 --> 00:16:56,520 things out to people and like, there was that joke where she's 271 00:16:56,520 --> 00:16:59,560 like, you get a car and you get a car and you get a car. 272 00:16:59,880 --> 00:17:03,560 Well, Paul was like the Oprah of the Christian world back then. 273 00:17:04,599 --> 00:17:07,000 He's going out with life. So he's coming out to everywhere 274 00:17:07,000 --> 00:17:09,520 and he's like you're, you're getting Jesus and you could get 275 00:17:09,520 --> 00:17:12,079 Jesus and you don't, you're not baptizing the Holy Spirit. 276 00:17:12,079 --> 00:17:13,839 All 12 of you can get it as well. 277 00:17:14,040 --> 00:17:15,960 And Jesus over there, you can get it. 278 00:17:16,040 --> 00:17:18,440 Jesus for everyone. This is Paul. 279 00:17:18,839 --> 00:17:22,520 He was the Oprah. He was the Oprah of back then. 280 00:17:23,760 --> 00:17:25,319 He was telling everyone could get it. 281 00:17:25,319 --> 00:17:27,640 Anyone who came near it got him, got it. 282 00:17:28,800 --> 00:17:32,280 So the effects we continue to see, where that extraordinary 283 00:17:32,280 --> 00:17:37,760 miracles were happening, there was healings, deliverance, and 284 00:17:37,760 --> 00:17:40,640 the authority of Jesus was publicly displayed. 285 00:17:41,720 --> 00:17:45,440 The effects we see here in Ephesus flowed from one thing 286 00:17:46,040 --> 00:17:50,200 and that was Jesus being preached without compromise 287 00:17:50,760 --> 00:17:56,640 because Paul understood the cause of Christ, then we see 288 00:17:56,640 --> 00:18:01,560 revival break out. Acts 1917 to 20 says this. 289 00:18:01,960 --> 00:18:06,000 And this became known to all the residents of Ephesus, both Jews 290 00:18:06,000 --> 00:18:10,200 and Greeks, and fear fell upon them all, and the name of the 291 00:18:10,200 --> 00:18:14,440 Lord was extolled also. Many of those who were now 292 00:18:14,440 --> 00:18:19,280 believers came confessing and divulging their practices, and a 293 00:18:19,280 --> 00:18:22,280 number of those who had practiced magic arts brought 294 00:18:22,280 --> 00:18:25,320 their books together and burned them in the sight of all. 295 00:18:25,840 --> 00:18:30,960 And they counted the value of them and found it came to 50,000 296 00:18:30,960 --> 00:18:36,120 pieces of silver, which roughly adds up to $5 million today. 297 00:18:36,880 --> 00:18:40,400 So the word of the Lord continued to increase and 298 00:18:40,400 --> 00:18:44,920 prevail mightily. You see the effect this had in 299 00:18:44,920 --> 00:18:48,400 Ephesus when Jesus is the cause and was brought in by Paul. 300 00:18:48,680 --> 00:18:54,200 The fear of the Lord fell, Jesus was exalted, repentance became 301 00:18:54,200 --> 00:18:58,240 public, and all of the items that no longer aligned with 302 00:18:58,240 --> 00:19:02,600 Jesus will for their lives were brought forth and publicly 303 00:19:02,680 --> 00:19:06,600 burned and the word of the Lord prevailed mightily. 304 00:19:07,040 --> 00:19:11,800 See, this wasn't emotional hype. This wasn't just, hey, my friend 305 00:19:11,800 --> 00:19:15,600 went up and put their book down, so I'm going to put my book down 306 00:19:15,600 --> 00:19:16,920 as well. This was not that. 307 00:19:16,920 --> 00:19:22,080 It was not just emotional hype. This was transformation that was 308 00:19:22,080 --> 00:19:26,240 caught by the cause of Jesus Christ and was having an open 309 00:19:26,320 --> 00:19:30,040 effect over this town and its people. 310 00:19:30,040 --> 00:19:35,000 Because when Jesus is the cause, transformation is the effect. 311 00:19:35,280 --> 00:19:39,520 When Jesus is the cause for freedom is the effect. 312 00:19:39,760 --> 00:19:45,040 When Jesus is the cause, revival is the effect. 313 00:19:47,120 --> 00:19:53,160 This was Jesus Christ having deep effect in people, that 314 00:19:53,160 --> 00:19:57,160 there was no space for them to be the same. 315 00:19:57,520 --> 00:20:00,800 Could you imagine what that would look like over our city if 316 00:20:00,800 --> 00:20:04,800 we had a modern day Ephesus revival where people are coming 317 00:20:04,800 --> 00:20:07,600 up to the altars with things that they don't want to give 318 00:20:07,600 --> 00:20:10,640 away because they're like, no, I can't give this to somebody else 319 00:20:10,640 --> 00:20:14,000 because I know the death that's in it, but I need to do 320 00:20:14,000 --> 00:20:16,720 something with it. I said this out at Bribie. 321 00:20:16,720 --> 00:20:18,560 We would. We need to have burn barrels 322 00:20:18,560 --> 00:20:21,120 everywhere. We would need to have like a 323 00:20:21,120 --> 00:20:25,800 string of burn barrels that are just going 24/7 because people 324 00:20:25,800 --> 00:20:28,280 would be coming with all of these things. 325 00:20:28,280 --> 00:20:31,600 It's not just witchcraft stuff that stuff can come and get 326 00:20:31,600 --> 00:20:35,480 burnt to, it can get it, But everything else that that keeps 327 00:20:35,480 --> 00:20:38,360 us in death and chains away from Jesus Christ. 328 00:20:38,520 --> 00:20:41,280 This could be things that you were harboring like addiction, 329 00:20:41,280 --> 00:20:43,640 stuff that are addictions. Could you imagine what that 330 00:20:43,640 --> 00:20:47,360 would look like over Caboolture? I've lived in this town for so 331 00:20:47,360 --> 00:20:51,560 long and the things that you see here, but I couldn't picture and 332 00:20:51,680 --> 00:20:55,840 see in faith, people coming to the altar with bottles of 333 00:20:55,840 --> 00:20:58,560 alcohol saying I can't do anything with this anymore. 334 00:20:59,160 --> 00:21:02,360 I can't give this to anybody. I don't want to finish it. 335 00:21:02,480 --> 00:21:04,920 I need to get rid of it and I don't know what to do. 336 00:21:05,040 --> 00:21:09,040 But Jesus Christ has such an effect on me that I have to burn 337 00:21:09,040 --> 00:21:12,080 it and it has to go. This is things like vapes and 338 00:21:12,080 --> 00:21:15,640 cigarettes and all those kinds of things that that cigarette 339 00:21:15,640 --> 00:21:17,600 shop at the end of the street here. 340 00:21:17,800 --> 00:21:20,360 Could you just picture it? People coming and going. 341 00:21:20,480 --> 00:21:23,320 Imagine if that owner, I'm just going to just bear with me. 342 00:21:23,400 --> 00:21:27,040 Imagine that owner coming down here and going, hey, I've got 343 00:21:27,040 --> 00:21:31,040 the keys to my shop, I've got the keys to my shop. 344 00:21:31,760 --> 00:21:34,600 I don't know how to get out of what I'm in, but I've got the 345 00:21:34,600 --> 00:21:37,320 keys to my shop. You need to either burn it, you 346 00:21:37,320 --> 00:21:40,480 need to take it from me. I can't do this anymore. 347 00:21:40,640 --> 00:21:43,680 Could you imagine that? You see, when Jesus Christ is 348 00:21:43,680 --> 00:21:47,320 the cause, the effect is so amountable in our lives that it 349 00:21:47,320 --> 00:21:50,760 doesn't matter how much we paid for something, doesn't matter 350 00:21:50,760 --> 00:21:54,160 how much we will lose for something, because the cause of 351 00:21:54,320 --> 00:21:57,720 Jesus Christ is greater than any of that. 352 00:21:57,880 --> 00:22:00,920 And the effect that he has on your life, when you fully let 353 00:22:00,920 --> 00:22:04,840 him into your heart, it's so great that it doesn't matter. 354 00:22:04,840 --> 00:22:08,000 None of it matters. I'm declaring that we should 355 00:22:08,000 --> 00:22:11,560 see, we should see that owner and go, oh, where's your keys? 356 00:22:11,960 --> 00:22:21,480 Give me your keys, mate. But there is a cost, right? 357 00:22:22,400 --> 00:22:26,240 There was a cost for Paul. There's a cost for us today. 358 00:22:27,800 --> 00:22:32,160 We opened in Acts 9, and at the very end of the scripture I read 359 00:22:32,160 --> 00:22:37,600 out in Acts 916, the Lord says to Ananias that I will show him 360 00:22:37,600 --> 00:22:39,440 how much he must suffer for my name. 361 00:22:39,800 --> 00:22:44,520 This is him talking about Paul. You see, Paul didn't carry the 362 00:22:44,520 --> 00:22:49,640 cause of Christ without a cost. And God was very upfront about 363 00:22:49,640 --> 00:22:53,520 it here in Acts 916. He didn't sugarcoat it. 364 00:22:54,920 --> 00:23:00,320 I love this because what if we didn't sugar coat it for people 365 00:23:00,320 --> 00:23:04,360 when they come to Christ? What if we didn't sugar coat 366 00:23:04,360 --> 00:23:08,800 things for them and tell them that it would be easy and tell 367 00:23:08,800 --> 00:23:13,000 them that nothing would change and that it would still be the 368 00:23:13,000 --> 00:23:16,000 same and you could still got What if we didn't sugar coat it 369 00:23:16,000 --> 00:23:19,000 for them? How much more would they catch 370 00:23:19,040 --> 00:23:22,680 the cause of Christ in their life? 371 00:23:24,000 --> 00:23:26,720 Says here, Paul must suffer for the name of Jesus Christ. 372 00:23:27,600 --> 00:23:30,520 I have the honour of being able to teach an internship. 373 00:23:30,640 --> 00:23:32,280 I love it. My pastors are great. 374 00:23:32,280 --> 00:23:34,680 They're just like, off you go. And I'm like, awesome. 375 00:23:36,560 --> 00:23:38,320 And if you're going to sign up, I think you've got like 10 376 00:23:38,320 --> 00:23:39,760 minutes, so you better do it soon. 377 00:23:41,520 --> 00:23:43,840 But anyway, I have the honour of being able to teach an 378 00:23:43,840 --> 00:23:48,840 internship and I think last year I taught maybe two or three 379 00:23:48,840 --> 00:23:54,000 times and you get to interns go through a book, so you get given 380 00:23:54,000 --> 00:23:56,280 a chapter and then you got to come and teach about that 381 00:23:56,280 --> 00:23:59,160 chapter. And last year, I think by the 382 00:23:59,240 --> 00:24:03,560 end of it, when I was in my last chapter and I was coming to do 383 00:24:03,560 --> 00:24:07,160 my last class, I look back on my other ones and realise that the 384 00:24:07,160 --> 00:24:10,320 whole time I'd been talking, every time I'd stood in front of 385 00:24:10,320 --> 00:24:12,720 interns, all I talked about was suffering. 386 00:24:14,320 --> 00:24:16,960 Silly thing. One of them was about ordering 387 00:24:16,960 --> 00:24:18,520 your private world, I think it was. 388 00:24:18,520 --> 00:24:22,200 And I was like, suffer, suffer for Christ. 389 00:24:22,200 --> 00:24:25,240 Like I just don't know how we get there, but we always get 390 00:24:25,240 --> 00:24:28,160 there when I'm talking about it, like you want to follow Jesus 391 00:24:28,160 --> 00:24:30,680 Christ and order your world according to his will. 392 00:24:30,920 --> 00:24:34,240 Suffer like this is just where I go. 393 00:24:34,240 --> 00:24:37,200 And so I acknowledged it when we were in internship. 394 00:24:37,240 --> 00:24:40,480 I was like, I don't want you to think I'm some like sadistic 395 00:24:40,480 --> 00:24:42,600 woman. That's like looking at all these 396 00:24:42,600 --> 00:24:46,600 people who are wanting to get in ministry and do things, you 397 00:24:46,600 --> 00:24:49,240 know, for the cause of Christ. And I'm just telling you about 398 00:24:49,240 --> 00:24:54,120 suffering, but the the point is is because I understand that to 399 00:24:54,120 --> 00:24:58,800 follow Christ and to carry his cause and to allow him to have 400 00:24:58,800 --> 00:25:03,280 an effect in your life so that that can go out into the world 401 00:25:03,280 --> 00:25:07,920 of other people. There is a a cost and there is 402 00:25:07,920 --> 00:25:11,680 some suffering for it. You see, the reason I share this 403 00:25:11,680 --> 00:25:15,800 is because as Christians there are things we will suffer for 404 00:25:15,800 --> 00:25:18,560 the cause of Christ. I'm not talking about, you know, 405 00:25:19,160 --> 00:25:22,600 you ate too much pasta last night and your stomach hurts 406 00:25:22,600 --> 00:25:24,240 today. That's not what I'm talking 407 00:25:24,240 --> 00:25:25,400 about. I'm not talking about 408 00:25:25,400 --> 00:25:29,440 self-inflicted suffering. I'm talking about suffering for 409 00:25:29,440 --> 00:25:32,800 the cause of Christ. You see, Jesus spoke about it 410 00:25:32,800 --> 00:25:35,320 during His time on earth. These are some of the 411 00:25:35,320 --> 00:25:37,080 scriptures. They won't be on the screen, but 412 00:25:37,080 --> 00:25:46,160 in Matthew 510 to 12, John 1518 to 20, Matthew 1022, John 1633. 413 00:25:46,520 --> 00:25:50,800 These verses show that as people who carry the cause of Christ, 414 00:25:50,800 --> 00:25:54,920 we should expect suffering and opposition for following Jesus. 415 00:25:55,240 --> 00:26:01,000 But we are encouraged to endure with joy and confidence, just as 416 00:26:01,000 --> 00:26:06,280 Paul did. You see 2 Corinthians 1124 to 27 417 00:26:06,280 --> 00:26:09,320 tells us exactly how Paul suffered. 418 00:26:09,880 --> 00:26:14,000 Says this five times I received at the hands of the Jews the 40 419 00:26:14,000 --> 00:26:17,320 lashes less 1. Three times I was beaten with 420 00:26:17,320 --> 00:26:21,360 rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, and 421 00:26:21,360 --> 00:26:23,400 night and day I was adrift at sea. 422 00:26:23,800 --> 00:26:27,560 On frequent journeys. In danger from rivers, danger 423 00:26:27,560 --> 00:26:31,560 from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, 424 00:26:31,720 --> 00:26:35,640 danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, 425 00:26:35,920 --> 00:26:39,640 danger from false brothers in toil and hardship. 426 00:26:40,000 --> 00:26:45,160 Through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often 427 00:26:45,160 --> 00:26:48,600 without food, in cold and exposure. 428 00:26:49,200 --> 00:26:52,320 So here we see some things that Paul enjoyed. 429 00:26:52,880 --> 00:26:58,960 Whippings, beatings, stonings, imprisonment, starvation, 430 00:26:59,400 --> 00:27:03,800 exposure. Paul says in Philippians 129. 431 00:27:04,200 --> 00:27:07,560 For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you 432 00:27:07,560 --> 00:27:12,120 should not only believe in him, but also suffer for his sake. 433 00:27:12,880 --> 00:27:19,920 You see, there was and still is a cost, but the cause was and 434 00:27:19,920 --> 00:27:24,800 still is greater. You see, you don't endure 435 00:27:25,080 --> 00:27:28,120 through what Paul suffered unless you were utterly 436 00:27:28,120 --> 00:27:30,040 convinced of what you're living for. 437 00:27:30,800 --> 00:27:36,240 Paul says that believing in Christ also means to suffer for 438 00:27:36,240 --> 00:27:43,160 His sake as a band comes up. Like I said, I don't say this to 439 00:27:43,160 --> 00:27:47,880 a room of believers tonight to say that you must be in pain and 440 00:27:47,880 --> 00:27:49,680 suffer for the rest of your life. 441 00:27:50,640 --> 00:27:55,000 I say it in the context of just look at the world right now. 442 00:27:56,360 --> 00:28:00,560 Look at what is happening in our world. 443 00:28:01,560 --> 00:28:07,040 It is getting harder for us to be able to freely go out, 444 00:28:07,560 --> 00:28:11,880 proclaim the name of Jesus without coming up with some kind 445 00:28:12,200 --> 00:28:15,760 of opposition. This may be in your workplace, 446 00:28:16,000 --> 00:28:18,280 you may have to suffer for the cause of Christ. 447 00:28:18,760 --> 00:28:22,080 This may be in your family. You have to suffer for the cause 448 00:28:22,080 --> 00:28:26,800 of Christ. This may be with your children. 449 00:28:27,200 --> 00:28:29,160 You have to suffer for the cause of Christ. 450 00:28:29,400 --> 00:28:33,160 That's where we are right now. I will suffer for the cause of 451 00:28:33,160 --> 00:28:36,920 Christ in my children's life every single day because I won't 452 00:28:36,920 --> 00:28:40,560 let culture have them. I won't let culture have them. 453 00:28:40,840 --> 00:28:44,520 I will suffer every day for the cause of Christ in my children's 454 00:28:44,520 --> 00:28:49,080 life because they will be godly men and they will be allowed to 455 00:28:49,080 --> 00:28:53,160 be godly men. I will suffer every day for my 456 00:28:53,160 --> 00:28:58,520 marriage to see my husband sit as the head of our home. 457 00:28:59,160 --> 00:29:00,800 I will suffer every day for that. 458 00:29:01,040 --> 00:29:04,240 Against the words of culture saying hey girl, you can do 459 00:29:04,240 --> 00:29:06,400 better. Hey girl, you could go and do 460 00:29:06,400 --> 00:29:08,200 this. Hey girl, don't you know that 461 00:29:08,360 --> 00:29:11,560 power is femininity and you are a feminist and you can do it. 462 00:29:11,560 --> 00:29:14,400 No, get away from me, get away from me. 463 00:29:14,440 --> 00:29:17,440 I want to hear that. I want the godly covenant of 464 00:29:17,440 --> 00:29:21,160 marriage in my life and I will suffer every day for that. 465 00:29:21,160 --> 00:29:25,360 I will suffer to see the cause of Christ be made true in my 466 00:29:25,360 --> 00:29:31,360 life because the effect it has had has been greater than 467 00:29:31,360 --> 00:29:35,240 anything I've had to give up anything that I've had to set 468 00:29:35,240 --> 00:29:39,000 aside anything that I have said no to. 469 00:29:39,880 --> 00:29:45,960 Jesus Christ has been better every single time, and He will 470 00:29:45,960 --> 00:29:50,720 continue to be better every single time. 471 00:29:52,480 --> 00:29:55,400 You may be in this room today and you don't know Jesus yet, 472 00:29:57,200 --> 00:29:59,320 and you're like, well, I'm suffering already. 473 00:30:00,560 --> 00:30:03,880 And let me tell you, this was one of the hardest things I had 474 00:30:03,880 --> 00:30:08,520 to reconcile when I first came to Christ was I grew up 475 00:30:08,520 --> 00:30:13,800 suffering without anyone to protect me, without anyone to 476 00:30:13,800 --> 00:30:18,240 look after me. I suffered through abuse and 477 00:30:18,240 --> 00:30:22,160 emotional neglect. When I was five years old, we 478 00:30:22,160 --> 00:30:25,200 had to flee states from my father because of domestic 479 00:30:25,200 --> 00:30:29,360 violence. And then my mum, we could just 480 00:30:29,360 --> 00:30:33,400 imagine what happened to her and what she had to try and heal 481 00:30:33,400 --> 00:30:36,200 through and walk through. And we didn't know Jesus back 482 00:30:36,200 --> 00:30:39,680 then. And then I didn't know my father 483 00:30:39,680 --> 00:30:43,600 or see him until I was about 15-16 years old. 484 00:30:44,440 --> 00:30:48,400 And by then I was already a loose cannon, so I suffered. 485 00:30:49,560 --> 00:30:54,200 So when I found Christ and he came into my life and I took on 486 00:30:54,200 --> 00:30:59,600 the cause of Christ, and he had this effect so deep in me, I had 487 00:30:59,600 --> 00:31:03,040 such a hard time trying to reconcile the fact that I'd 488 00:31:03,040 --> 00:31:09,440 suffered so greatly. And my beautiful husband, as he 489 00:31:09,440 --> 00:31:11,480 always does, comes in with a word of wisdom. 490 00:31:13,040 --> 00:31:18,080 We suffer either way in this life. 491 00:31:19,200 --> 00:31:25,080 You suffer without Christ, and you can suffer with Christ for 492 00:31:25,080 --> 00:31:28,360 His cause. And let me tell you now, I take 493 00:31:28,360 --> 00:31:31,720 that side every time. Suffering for the cause of 494 00:31:31,720 --> 00:31:35,480 Christ has seen my life produce a fruit that I never knew was 495 00:31:35,480 --> 00:31:39,200 possible. Suffering for the cause of 496 00:31:39,200 --> 00:31:43,720 Christ has seen my marriage move from bounds and bounds to create 497 00:31:43,720 --> 00:31:45,640 an intimacy I never knew I could have. 498 00:31:47,560 --> 00:31:51,520 Suffering for the cause of Christ meant my sons get to grow 499 00:31:51,520 --> 00:31:53,440 up in a home where they are well looked after. 500 00:31:53,640 --> 00:31:58,480 Not to toot my own horn, but that they know Jesus Christ. 501 00:31:58,920 --> 00:32:01,120 They grow up in a home with the Holy Spirit. 502 00:32:01,920 --> 00:32:04,800 Not scared of what it's going to look like when one of the 503 00:32:04,800 --> 00:32:08,160 parents get home. Not worried about where our next 504 00:32:08,160 --> 00:32:11,280 meal is coming from. Not worried about how we're 505 00:32:11,280 --> 00:32:14,600 going to get clothes or anything like that. 506 00:32:16,120 --> 00:32:18,880 See, the cause of Christ is different. 507 00:32:18,880 --> 00:32:22,920 When you suffer with the cause of Christ, it is different. 508 00:32:24,000 --> 00:32:28,080 So now whenever I suffer, I suffer for the cause of Christ 509 00:32:28,160 --> 00:32:32,880 with joy, hope, and endurance, just as Paul. 510 00:32:34,200 --> 00:32:36,960 And like I said, you might be here today and you don't know 511 00:32:37,360 --> 00:32:40,600 what that's like. You don't know what it's like to 512 00:32:40,600 --> 00:32:45,760 suffer with Jesus, and you're suffering right now and you're 513 00:32:45,760 --> 00:32:50,000 trying to make sense of it. But I'm here to tell you that 514 00:32:50,000 --> 00:32:53,520 the only way you can is with Jesus Christ. 515 00:32:53,520 --> 00:32:57,560 There's no other way. By taking up and carrying the 516 00:32:57,560 --> 00:33:01,440 cause of Christ in your life. You see Paul and joy through 517 00:33:01,440 --> 00:33:05,160 suffering because the cost wasn't as great as the cause. 518 00:33:05,600 --> 00:33:08,880 And we heard about everything Paul suffered through, and it 519 00:33:08,880 --> 00:33:12,040 still wasn't as great as the cause. 520 00:33:12,680 --> 00:33:16,200 The cause had such an effect on Paul that his life was marked 521 00:33:16,440 --> 00:33:23,800 for Jesus until the very end. Paul says in Philippians 38 to 522 00:33:23,800 --> 00:33:26,280 11. This is my favorite Bible verse. 523 00:33:27,280 --> 00:33:31,160 Indeed. I count everything as loss 524 00:33:31,640 --> 00:33:36,840 because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. 525 00:33:37,560 --> 00:33:42,600 For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count 526 00:33:42,600 --> 00:33:48,560 them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in 527 00:33:48,560 --> 00:33:52,720 Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the 528 00:33:52,720 --> 00:33:58,040 law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, The 529 00:33:58,040 --> 00:34:01,040 righteousness from God that depends on faith. 530 00:34:02,160 --> 00:34:07,440 That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and 531 00:34:07,440 --> 00:34:11,920 may share His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, 532 00:34:12,719 --> 00:34:18,840 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the 533 00:34:18,840 --> 00:34:23,880 dead. Yes, there is a cost, but it 534 00:34:23,880 --> 00:34:29,400 does not compare to the cause which is Jesus Christ. 535 00:34:30,320 --> 00:34:36,199 I say this message today to empower and encourage you in the 536 00:34:36,199 --> 00:34:39,760 Holy Spirit. We live in a time where it 537 00:34:39,760 --> 00:34:43,760 doesn't look like smooth sailings for believers, and that 538 00:34:43,760 --> 00:34:48,520 is OK. That is OK because we have this. 539 00:34:49,480 --> 00:34:51,560 We have this. That has already given us the 540 00:34:51,560 --> 00:34:54,560 blueprint. Paul, who has already suffered 541 00:34:54,560 --> 00:34:57,520 immensely. I don't need to go out and get 542 00:34:57,520 --> 00:35:01,360 whipped tomorrow. Not in the physical, you might. 543 00:35:01,360 --> 00:35:02,280 No, I'm not going to get whipped. 544 00:35:02,280 --> 00:35:05,080 In the spiritual, it's fine. I walk in the victory of Jesus 545 00:35:05,080 --> 00:35:09,880 Christ. I don't have to suffer the same 546 00:35:09,880 --> 00:35:15,760 way that Paul did. There are other ways that I do 547 00:35:15,760 --> 00:35:17,720 that for the cause of Jesus Christ. 548 00:35:18,320 --> 00:35:21,840 You see, we are modern believers that still hold an ancient 549 00:35:21,840 --> 00:35:25,120 calling. We may not face lashes and 550 00:35:25,120 --> 00:35:27,840 shipwrecks, but we face compromise. 551 00:35:28,800 --> 00:35:35,200 We face distraction, we face comfort, we face fear of 552 00:35:35,200 --> 00:35:39,200 rejection, we face cultural pressure. 553 00:35:39,200 --> 00:35:41,920 Pressure. This is what we face nowadays. 554 00:35:42,160 --> 00:35:44,880 This is what we are coming up against as believers. 555 00:35:46,320 --> 00:35:48,800 But the cause was never meant to end with Paul. 556 00:35:51,080 --> 00:35:54,640 Paul wasn't meant to carry this and go through everything he did 557 00:35:54,960 --> 00:35:57,200 for us to say. Cool story. 558 00:35:59,000 --> 00:36:05,120 No, the same cause still exists. Jesus Christ has not changed. 559 00:36:05,240 --> 00:36:08,720 He never will. The gospel has not lost its 560 00:36:08,720 --> 00:36:12,200 power. The cause goes on and it's the 561 00:36:12,200 --> 00:36:17,520 'cause that you carry as a believer of Christ. 562 00:36:18,360 --> 00:36:19,160 Thank you Jesus.