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This is ERC Sundays, the 
messages at Emmaus Rd. 

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Church in DeWitt, Iowa. 
ERC is a Church of people 

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striving to grow in Jesus and 
make him known to others through

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our faith, words and actions. 
Find out more about our church 

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at emmausrdonline.org. 
Here's this week's message. 

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We are working through the book 
of Acts this summer. 

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So far we've met a lot of 
different people, stories, 

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testimonies, apostles, 
disciples, believers. 

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I want to refrain from using the
word characters because while 

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they are people in a story, 
these were, these were real 

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people. 
They weren't made-up people. 

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But today we're going to talk 
about some heavy hitters, some 

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some of the All Stars, as it 
were. 

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We're going to talk about Peter 
a little bit. 

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We're going to talk about 
another, another guy named Silas

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and Barnabas and Paul. 
Hopefully a lot of those names 

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are familiar to you. 
If they're not the New 

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Testament, the the second-half, 
the smaller part of God's holy 

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word. 
There's, there's copies of the 

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Bible in the seats in front of 
you if you need that. 

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We are in the book of Acts, 
which is towards the the front 

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of the New Testament there we're
going to be in chapter 14 this 

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morning. 
But before we get there, we're 

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going to do a little visual aid 
this morning. 

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And, yeah, not not chicken 
Nuggets this time, though this 

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one may be one that has been 
seen, but it's OK because 

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there's some who haven't seen it
and there are others that it's 

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going to be made more meaningful
for. 

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So let me ask you, is this jar 
full? 

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Got a pretty strong no over here
from Doug. 

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He sounds very sure of himself. 
It is full. 

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All right. 
All right, Marlon, Marlon's 

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getting philosophical here. 
OK, let's try this. 

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Full now. 
Fuller. 

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More full. 
There was still room in there. 

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Yeah. 
Is it full now? 

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Filled in a lot of gaps. 
Can't really shake it around 

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anymore. 
It's not moving. 

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There's still some air in there,
Marlon. 

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I think Marlon's on to 
something. 

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There's still some air. 
We got some space. 

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We'll go, we'll go. 
Here maybe full now. 

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Who said it's full now? 
Ellen's in on the Ellen, I 

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think. 
I think he won her over with the

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air comment. 
Marlon. 

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She's just, it's full. 
I think there's more room. 

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Got some water in there still. 
Still going, Thank you all. 

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Right. 
Is it full now? 

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Out of air? 
Air is gone. 

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All right, so in Marlins 
philosophical world where air 

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fills space, can't say you're 
100% wrong. 

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It started full. 
Now I think physically I don't 

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think we put anything else in 
there really. 

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It would be, it would be 
overflowing as far as physical 

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matter goes. 
What would have happened if I 

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started the other way though? 
If I filled it with the sand 

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first, those big rocks, they 
would have nowhere to go right? 

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It it would have been filled up 
with the little stuff first. 

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The the big ones in there, they 
they allowed a little bit of 

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space for for other smaller less
significant things to fit in 

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there. 
If I had gone in reverse, the 

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jar well, is this charful? 
Maybe some of you can see, maybe

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some of you can't. 
It's it's actually full of 

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water. 
It is if I had started with the 

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water. 
I add anything to this water's 

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pouring out immediately. 
Even if I even if I had one, one

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small lentil, one small bit, 
it's going to displace what's 

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full in there already. 
We've talked in the past and we 

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talked somewhat frequently about
our life priorities, about the 

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order in which God designed for 
us to prioritize the things in 

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our life. 
If we truly believe the words 

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that we just sang, especially 
that last verse, would I gladly 

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be made nothing that Christ 
would be made more for. 

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I know that He is working for 
his glory and my good. 

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And the order of that lyric is 
also very important, because our

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good love us as He may, as He 
does. 

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Our good does not come before 
His glory. 

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His glory is in place, and it's 
the reason that His Son could 

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die in our place. 
His glory comes first, even 

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before our good. 
It's because of His glory that 

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He can act and plan and will our
lives for our good. 

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So in the hierarchy of our 
lives, what do we need? 

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What do we, what do we want? 
What do we put first? 

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If this is our life, what are 
the big things that we're 

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filling it with? 
What's number one church answer?

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But what's #1 Jesus, God, faith,
however you want to call it, 

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that's one. 
What else? 

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What else are some other 
important non negotiables 

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family, whatever, whatever that 
may look like for you. 

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Honestly, that might I would 
include friends almost in that 

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because for for some of us, 
friends or friends or family or 

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better than sometimes friends 
are. 

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Oh, I'm just saying, Hey, I'm 
just saying sometimes sin's 

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messy and sometimes family is 
not quite family. 

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So OK, friends, family, close 
relationships, family might look

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like kids or spouse for you. 
I think there can be some 

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subheadings in that. 
But OK, family, that's OK. 

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Life's life's getting full and 
that's important. 

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What else? 
Jobs, work country, I and I 

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think along so that I think that
fits into what I'm going to what

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I'm going to say is calling. 
If if we can put it into that, 

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because for some of you, your 
job or your your calling or your

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responsibility, it doesn't look 
like a nine to five. 

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It. 
It doesn't look like that you're

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you're a homemaker or wife or or
you're called to be home with 

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your children or you're called 
to help others in your life. 

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And it maybe doesn't look like 
that. 

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So I don't want to I don't want 
to say job. 

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I think, I think it's more of 
calling and yeah, that's 

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probably what we fill our nine 
to five with every day. 

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Usually some of you have weird 
hours, I know. 

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But that's, I think that's the 
other, the other big one, right?

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Job, work, calling, 
responsibility, those things 

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have to go in first. 
If we fill our lives with the 

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other little things and that 
could be XYZ, anything, could be

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money, could be maybe an 
unhealthy commitment to work or 

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responsibility or call it maybe.
Maybe too much time poured in 

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there makes makes there not not 
enough room for family, friends,

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quality relationships. 
There's not room in life for 

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that big one. 
There's too much of the smaller 

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little things. 
There's not room for the big 

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things that matter, the 
priorities that matter. 

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We're going to take a look at a 
story in Acts 14 today that 

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spoke to me that even in the 
early church, even as we 

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brothers and sisters in Christ, 
children of God, even as we 

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think about doing church in our 
time now, we maybe distract 

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ourselves with a lot of little 
things and we don't leave room 

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for the things that really 
matter. 

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Acts chapter 14. 
We're going to start at verse 

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one. 
We're going to jump around a 

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little bit, not physically, but 
you can if you want. 

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Paul and Barnabas. 
Barnabas are at Iconium here in 

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Acts 14. 
Previously before that Peter had

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been imprisoned and miraculously
freed by by the power of an 

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Angel came and and freed him 
from his prison. 

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Barnabas and Paul were were 
commissioned that were through 

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prayer and fasting. 
Hands were laid on them and they

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were sent out. 
The previous chapters 12/13 tell

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of them in in Cyprus and 
Pisidia. 

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And now we have this account of 
Paul and Barnabas in Iconium. 

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At Iconium, Paul and Barnabas 
went, as usual into the Jewish 

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synagogue. 
It's just kind of where they 

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started the religious gathering 
places to spread the news of the

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Gospel. 
There they spoke so effectively 

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that a great number of Jews and 
Greeks believed. 

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But the Jews who refused to 
believe stirred up the other 

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Gentiles and poisoned their 
minds against the brothers. 

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So Paul and Barnabas spent 
considerable time there, 

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speaking boldly for the Lord, 
who confirmed the message of His

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grace by enabling them to 
perform signs and wonders. 

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Notice this little shift right 
here. 

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The Jews who refused to believe 
stirred up the other Gentiles, 

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met with adversity or resistance
to their message. 

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Paul and Barnabas came back to 
what we spoke on about a month 

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ago. 
Boldness met with resistance. 

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They doubled down on one of the 
big things, one of the main 

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things that they knew to be 
true, the gospel of Jesus Christ

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speaking boldly for the Lord. 
And the Lord confirmed the 

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message of His grace by enabling
them to perform signs and 

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wonders. 
The people of the city were 

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divided. 
Some sided with the Jews, others

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with the apostles. 
Skip ahead a little bit. 

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There they move on to to Lystra.
And Lystra, there sat a man who 

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is lame. 
He had been that way from birth 

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and had never walked. 
He listened to Paul as he was 

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speaking. 
Paul looked directly at him, saw

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that he had the faith to be 
healed, and called out. 

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Stand up on your feet that the 
man jumped up and began to walk.

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When the crowd saw what Paul had
done, they shouted in the 

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Laconian language, The gods have
come down to us in human form. 

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Barnabas they called Zeus, and 
Paul they called Hermes because 

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he was the chief speaker. 
The priest of Zeus, whose temple

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was just outside the city, 
brought bulls and wreaths to the

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city gates because he and the 
crowd wanted to offer sacrifices

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to them. 
A bit of a weird reaction. 

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We've seen this before. 
We've talked about other 

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sorcerers before that had 
interacted with the apostles, 

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maybe misplacing where this 
power actually comes from. 

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When the apostles Barnabas and 
Paul heard of this, they tore 

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their clothes and rushed out 
into the crowd shouting, 

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friends, why are you doing this?
In this instance, it's a very 

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important question to ask, a 
very appropriate response for 

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the apostles to this reaction 
from the crowd. 

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But this verse gave me pause 
this week too, as a question to 

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ask for each and every little 
thing that I let infiltrate my 

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life. 
Why are you doing this? 

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They certainly weren't naming 
Barnabas and Paul, Zeus and 

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Hermes for the glory of God. 
That wasn't glorifying God for 

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them to attribute these actions 
to other gods. 

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Right? 
So the answer to this question 

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in the moment certainly isn't 
for the glory of God, but for me

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this weekend. 
In prepping and reading through 

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this passage, I was struck by 
thinking about the little 

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things, the little activities or
accomplishments or hobbies. 

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Not all things that are even 
bad. 

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They don't even have to be sins,
necessarily. 

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We started out the beginning of 
the service, reran, read Hebrews

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12, Cast aside every weight and 
sin. 

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I've said this before that word 
weight doesn't explicitly mean a

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sin, but it might be something 
that's holding you back from the

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things that really matter. 
It might. 

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Be something that gets in the 
way of you keeping these life 

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priorities in order. 
Why are? 

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You doing? 
This right now. 

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Why are you doing this? 
Why are you here right now? 

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Is it for His glory and your 
good friends? 

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I'm convinced. 
That we. 

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Need. 
Far less. 

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In this life, then, we convince 
ourselves that we need. 

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If you look back at the story of
Peter, there's very little 

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concern recorded by Paul when he
when he's imprisoned. 

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00:17:25,880 --> 00:17:30,480
Peter wasn't beside himself, 
wondering, Well, if I'm locked 

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up in here, who's going to take 
out the trash or who's going to 

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run and go pick up the kids from
soccer practice or, or, or or 

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00:17:37,680 --> 00:17:41,600
how's this going to get done? 
He fasted. 

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And prayed and worshipped his 
God in shackles. 

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There. 
Wasn't a single thing or 

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circumstance that was going to 
get priority #1 displaced in his

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jar of life. 
Earlier accounts back in the 

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beginning of Acts we talked 
about or we read about how the 

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early church simply did life 
together. 

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Simply was in their homes 
together and broke bread and 

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prayed and worshipped together. 
There wasn't an addendum of and 

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then they went and hung out at 
the baseball game and then they 

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went. 
And saw a. 

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Concert in Chicago and then they
went out for a movie. 

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I know we're mixing. 
Timelines and technologies with 

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that. 
But I was convicted this week of

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each and everything, especially 
the things that are not related 

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to one of these big items. 
Why are you? 

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Doing this. 
If it's. 

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Outside the realm of faith, 
family, friends and calling, I 

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think we need to very much be on
guard with this question. 

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Why are you doing this? 
Because in this moment, in this 

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passage, somehow, some way, 
these people needed to fill in 

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the gaps. 
They didn't understand what they

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were seeing with Barnabas and 
Paul performing these miracles. 

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So they put. 
It into terms that they could 

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justify. 
Oh, we've made these gods and 

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we've made their powers, so it 
makes sense to us that they 

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could act in this way. 
So it must be these gods that we

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made or these gods that we think
much of must be acting in these 

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ways, in these powers. 
And Paul comes back with, why 

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are you doing this? 
Why are you replacing the might 

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00:20:07,440 --> 00:20:12,880
and power of the living God? 
With something that your mind 

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00:20:12,880 --> 00:20:17,560
can rationalize, with something 
that your human mind can 

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00:20:17,560 --> 00:20:25,520
understand, can you not take it 
on faith that this God who is 

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greater than you and me and each
of us moved in this way for his 

249
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glory, to glorify himself in his
power, and for this person's 

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00:20:37,280 --> 00:20:41,920
good, to bring good and healing 
to this person's life? 

251
00:20:42,120 --> 00:20:46,080
That could have been enough. 
That should have been enough for

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them to witness this miracle. 
Praise God, be joyful for this 

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person who was healed. 
Move on with the day. 

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But no, these guys must be Zeus 
and Hermes. 

255
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These must be these gods that we
made-up, manifested in the flesh

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and come down. 
They go on. 

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We are only human like you. 
We are bringing you good news, 

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telling you to turn from these 
worthless things to the living 

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00:21:18,160 --> 00:21:23,280
God who made the heavens and the
earth and the sea and everything

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00:21:23,400 --> 00:21:27,600
in them. 
For Paul. 

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And Barnabas for the early 
disciples, the early apostles. 

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That was. 
Enough the good news of Jesus 

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that the Creator God sent his 
Son through no worth or earning 

264
00:21:44,160 --> 00:21:49,360
of our own. 
That was enough. 

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00:21:49,840 --> 00:21:53,440
They didn't complicate it. 
They didn't add to it, they 

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00:21:53,440 --> 00:22:05,010
didn't embellish it. 
And This is why Paul and 

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00:22:05,010 --> 00:22:08,120
Barnabas go on. 
Yet He, God, has not left 

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00:22:08,120 --> 00:22:11,560
himself without testimony. 
He has shown kindness by giving 

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00:22:11,560 --> 00:22:14,120
you rain from heaven and crops 
in their seasons. 

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He provides you with plenty of 
food and fills your hearts with 

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00:22:17,040 --> 00:22:22,320
joy. 
Even with these words, they had 

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00:22:22,320 --> 00:22:25,400
difficulty keeping the crowd 
from sacrificing to that. 

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Whoa. 
Do you believe these words, 

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00:22:33,080 --> 00:22:36,560
Church? 
That he has. 

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00:22:36,560 --> 00:22:39,600
Shown kindness by providing for 
you. 

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00:22:40,800 --> 00:22:42,400
That He provides you with plenty
of food. 

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00:22:42,520 --> 00:22:45,960
That He is the One. 
God is the one who fills your 

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00:22:45,960 --> 00:22:48,360
hearts with joy. 
How? 

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Many other outlets do. 
We seek out chase, out Rundown 

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00:22:53,560 --> 00:22:56,400
to fill our hearts with the joy 
that is fleeting. 

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00:22:58,520 --> 00:23:04,720
To. 
Replace this joy that the Father

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00:23:04,720 --> 00:23:08,440
desires to fill our hearts with.
How often do we complicate it? 

283
00:23:11,560 --> 00:23:13,400
How many? 
Things do we have during the day

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00:23:13,400 --> 00:23:16,040
that we should pause and say, 
why are you doing this? 

285
00:23:18,400 --> 00:23:21,520
And even further, how many times
is the answer to that question 

286
00:23:21,800 --> 00:23:26,000
because I've lost faith? 
That God's. 

287
00:23:26,000 --> 00:23:33,000
Still providing joy in my life. 
I'm there too. 

288
00:23:33,000 --> 00:23:38,200
Some days, church. 
But I. 

289
00:23:38,200 --> 00:23:42,600
Think and what I'm convinced of 
this week if we if we keep these

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00:23:42,720 --> 00:23:48,680
things in order and we commend 
these things to God. 

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00:23:51,440 --> 00:23:54,680
We're going to. 
Be filled and recognize this joy

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00:23:54,760 --> 00:23:57,280
that God has provided a lot more
readily. 

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00:24:00,440 --> 00:24:05,880
If we. 
Enter into faith and we're 

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00:24:05,880 --> 00:24:09,800
taking the first one, the faith 
one I'm taking as as kind of 

295
00:24:09,800 --> 00:24:13,160
granted, not that all of you 
have to be professing believers 

296
00:24:13,160 --> 00:24:15,160
in this place right now, but I 
want to start us off on a 

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00:24:15,160 --> 00:24:18,880
baseline that as a believer, 
faith, God, Jesus. 

298
00:24:20,360 --> 00:24:23,160
Grace through. 
Faith, no merit of my own 

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00:24:23,160 --> 00:24:24,680
salvation and eternal life is 
mine. 

300
00:24:24,880 --> 00:24:27,120
That's got to be #1 if you're 
here. 

301
00:24:27,360 --> 00:24:29,880
That's what we got to start with
before we can even be on the 

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00:24:29,880 --> 00:24:33,360
same chapter of the same book 
talking about life here. 

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00:24:33,560 --> 00:24:38,680
That informs our worldview that 
Jesus did this for us by grace 

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00:24:38,720 --> 00:24:41,720
through faith, out of love. 
That's number one. 

305
00:24:42,680 --> 00:24:48,600
And if that is number 1, then 
next one relationship, family, 

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00:24:48,600 --> 00:24:52,800
whatever that may be. 
We cannot. 

307
00:24:52,800 --> 00:24:56,960
Enter into that should not enter
into that really any 

308
00:24:56,960 --> 00:25:01,400
relationship that matters 
deeply, that influences our life

309
00:25:02,520 --> 00:25:08,360
without that understanding, 
without that same modicum of 

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00:25:08,360 --> 00:25:10,920
respect and relationship with 
God. 

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00:25:11,880 --> 00:25:14,520
There might be. 
Friendships or acquaintances 

312
00:25:14,520 --> 00:25:15,920
along the way. 
Of course we're not going to run

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00:25:15,920 --> 00:25:17,960
into everyone that's a believer 
and we're not called to. 

314
00:25:17,960 --> 00:25:19,240
We're called to go make 
disciples. 

315
00:25:19,240 --> 00:25:21,320
We're called to interact with 
people that aren't believers. 

316
00:25:21,560 --> 00:25:25,160
But if you're entering into a 
close knit relationship with 

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00:25:25,160 --> 00:25:30,200
someone that doesn't see eye to 
eye with you on box #1, you 

318
00:25:30,200 --> 00:25:33,800
might be following them looking 
for joy in other places than box

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00:25:33,800 --> 00:25:42,960
#1 Marriage. 
Same thing we're we're told in 

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00:25:42,960 --> 00:25:47,600
scripture not to unequally yoke 
with unbelievers in marriage. 

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00:25:47,680 --> 00:25:55,560
It matters so that when and 
those of you who are married 

322
00:25:55,560 --> 00:26:01,200
hopefully on the same page with 
me here so that when you fail as

323
00:26:01,200 --> 00:26:04,320
a. 
Spouse husbands when? 

324
00:26:04,320 --> 00:26:06,720
You disappoint your wives and 
and wives. 

325
00:26:07,320 --> 00:26:13,160
When you disappoint your 
husbands, there's still the joy 

326
00:26:13,160 --> 00:26:19,000
from God that sustains the both 
of you, that that is the root of

327
00:26:19,000 --> 00:26:23,760
your joy, informing the joy in 
your relationship together. 

328
00:26:25,920 --> 00:26:28,320
Kids. 
Same thing probably shouldn't 

329
00:26:28,320 --> 00:26:32,720
enter into parenthood without 
commending it to God first. 

330
00:26:33,160 --> 00:26:36,520
And yes, we're not perfect. 
We do not execute this blueprint

331
00:26:36,520 --> 00:26:41,560
perfectly, but I think this is 
the blueprint from God for our 

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00:26:41,560 --> 00:26:45,280
lives, each and everything that 
we engage in our lives. 

333
00:26:46,800 --> 00:26:49,120
Why? 
Are you doing this? 

334
00:26:50,360 --> 00:26:52,600
Because. 
They had it pretty simple. 

335
00:26:55,080 --> 00:27:01,120
At the end of chapter 14 they 
begin to not see resistance from

336
00:27:01,120 --> 00:27:04,600
people. 
They begin to not have to 

337
00:27:04,720 --> 00:27:09,560
qualify their message or not 
have to re explain what they're 

338
00:27:09,560 --> 00:27:13,400
talking about. 
There's this simple picture at 

339
00:27:13,400 --> 00:27:18,080
the end of Acts chapter 14 of 
how Paul and Barnabas interact 

340
00:27:18,160 --> 00:27:28,480
with these people. 
They returned to Antioch, and 

341
00:27:28,480 --> 00:27:32,000
they preached the gospel in that
city and won a large number of 

342
00:27:32,000 --> 00:27:33,760
people. 
Then they returned Elijah, 

343
00:27:33,760 --> 00:27:36,440
Iconium, and Antioch, 
strengthening the disciples and 

344
00:27:36,440 --> 00:27:39,240
encouraging them to remain true 
to the faith. 

345
00:27:39,720 --> 00:27:41,800
We must go through many 
hardships to enter the Kingdom 

346
00:27:41,800 --> 00:27:44,640
of God, they said. 
And Paul and Barnabas appointed 

347
00:27:44,640 --> 00:27:47,760
elders for them in each church, 
and with prayer and fasting 

348
00:27:47,920 --> 00:27:52,040
committed them to the Lord in 
whom they had put their trust. 

349
00:27:56,080 --> 00:28:01,360
That's it, That's all. 
The picture of the early church 

350
00:28:01,360 --> 00:28:06,080
was they preached the Gospel. 
Disciples were strengthened. 

351
00:28:07,640 --> 00:28:09,680
They met. 
Together and were encouraged to 

352
00:28:09,680 --> 00:28:13,680
remain true in the faith. 
Paul and Barnabas appointed 

353
00:28:13,680 --> 00:28:14,920
elders. 
That's the same. 

354
00:28:15,160 --> 00:28:17,520
Elders and pastors is the same 
word in the Greek. 

355
00:28:17,520 --> 00:28:20,680
There were spiritual leaders. 
There were leaders for the 

356
00:28:20,680 --> 00:28:25,520
people there and with prayer and
fasting, committed them to the 

357
00:28:25,520 --> 00:28:27,400
Lord. 
Church done. 

358
00:28:29,080 --> 00:28:32,520
That's it. 
We don't need. 

359
00:28:32,680 --> 00:28:36,760
The bells and whistles we don't 
need whatever it might be. 

360
00:28:36,760 --> 00:28:39,960
Yes, 40 by Fall is a is a 
catchy, awesome thing. 

361
00:28:40,040 --> 00:28:44,040
And we kind of need that as 
people to have ownership over 

362
00:28:44,040 --> 00:28:46,360
things. 
We need causes and campaigns and

363
00:28:46,360 --> 00:28:49,440
things to get behind. 
But please hear the heart behind

364
00:28:49,440 --> 00:28:53,480
them. 
This is your church, not the 

365
00:28:53,480 --> 00:28:57,480
walls, the people. 
The. 

366
00:28:57,480 --> 00:29:02,000
Ministry, the message, it all 
matters when we ask you to 

367
00:29:02,000 --> 00:29:07,200
engage in something like that. 
It's to serve. 

368
00:29:07,200 --> 00:29:11,760
As Jesus served you, it's to 
engage and have ownership and 

369
00:29:11,760 --> 00:29:17,120
and and maybe influence or be 
influenced by a faction of our 

370
00:29:17,120 --> 00:29:19,440
people that that you haven't 
been before. 

371
00:29:23,480 --> 00:29:26,680
Here the. 
The core, the heart of that, 

372
00:29:27,800 --> 00:29:31,440
that we're doing life together 
in that even if it's wrapped up 

373
00:29:31,680 --> 00:29:35,280
in a catchy campaign thing, even
if it's wrapped up in a in a 

374
00:29:35,280 --> 00:29:40,120
pool party next week on Sunday. 
OK, I'm not saying all the bells

375
00:29:40,120 --> 00:29:47,840
and whistles are bad news, but 
why are we doing this is a 

376
00:29:47,840 --> 00:29:52,680
question that needs to be on our
hearts and minds. 

377
00:29:52,760 --> 00:29:57,920
I'm going to have the band come 
back up. 

378
00:29:57,920 --> 00:30:03,360
I'm. 
Going to leave you with. 

379
00:30:03,360 --> 00:30:14,120
One final thought because I 
don't think any of us today are 

380
00:30:14,120 --> 00:30:22,600
starting with a clean, empty jar
that we get to fill from nothing

381
00:30:23,240 --> 00:30:27,600
today. 
We all have history, we all have

382
00:30:27,600 --> 00:30:30,240
baggage, we all have 
relationships. 

383
00:30:34,560 --> 00:30:38,320
I'm not telling you to cut. 
Away. 

384
00:30:39,680 --> 00:30:42,680
All of those. 
You'll never hear the words from

385
00:30:42,680 --> 00:30:44,920
my mouth, especially for you 
married couples. 

386
00:30:44,920 --> 00:30:48,400
You'll never hear the words from
me of get divorced. 

387
00:30:50,920 --> 00:30:52,960
That's not a, not. 
That's not what you entered 

388
00:30:52,960 --> 00:30:57,280
into. 
That's no one's plan for their 

389
00:30:57,280 --> 00:31:03,560
marriage to get divorced. 
But you might be mired. 

390
00:31:05,280 --> 00:31:06,560
In a hard. 
Marriage. 

391
00:31:07,280 --> 00:31:13,320
You might be mired in a tough 
relationship with your spouse, 

392
00:31:13,400 --> 00:31:15,720
with your family, with your 
closest friends. 

393
00:31:16,440 --> 00:31:20,160
You might be. 
In. 

394
00:31:20,240 --> 00:31:24,680
One of these main priorities, it
feels like you, you can't get 

395
00:31:24,680 --> 00:31:25,880
out. 
You can't just take it out of 

396
00:31:25,880 --> 00:31:32,600
the jar and Chuck it away. 
OK, God can heal. 

397
00:31:32,600 --> 00:31:38,960
That it might be easier to to 
reach in and take out some of 

398
00:31:38,960 --> 00:31:42,960
the littler things and Chuck 
them away and leave room. 

399
00:31:44,480 --> 00:31:47,080
For his. 
Spirit to move and heal. 

400
00:31:47,360 --> 00:31:55,640
Remember this, you can you can 
barely see the the rock that was

401
00:31:55,640 --> 00:32:00,080
faith in God, the the rock that 
was family, the rock that was 

402
00:32:00,080 --> 00:32:03,320
work. 
And if you if you could feel 

403
00:32:03,320 --> 00:32:09,560
this, there's no room for 
anything to move around in here.

404
00:32:11,240 --> 00:32:14,120
There's no room for the Spirit 
of God. 

405
00:32:16,400 --> 00:32:18,400
To work. 
In each and every one of these 

406
00:32:18,400 --> 00:32:25,640
important things, we've got to 
take some of that extra stuff 

407
00:32:25,680 --> 00:32:27,760
out. 
We need to ask. 

408
00:32:27,760 --> 00:32:30,720
Ourselves the question why am I 
doing this? 

409
00:32:32,000 --> 00:32:33,600
With the big. 
Things that should be for His 

410
00:32:33,600 --> 00:32:36,440
glory and my good, because God 
said so when He designed it for 

411
00:32:36,440 --> 00:32:37,880
my life. 
This is the way it's going to 

412
00:32:37,880 --> 00:32:39,840
be. 
I'm going to follow His Word and

413
00:32:39,840 --> 00:32:42,720
follow His blueprint for this, 
for my marriage, for my 

414
00:32:42,720 --> 00:32:46,120
parenting, for my calling, those
things. 

415
00:32:46,360 --> 00:32:49,920
If you can't answer today that 
I'm doing this for His glory and

416
00:32:49,920 --> 00:32:54,600
my good, you've got some deep 
cutting questions to ask this 

417
00:32:54,600 --> 00:33:01,080
week with those closest to you. 
And then for the little things, 

418
00:33:01,440 --> 00:33:05,560
I hope most of them. 
Aren't answered. 

419
00:33:05,560 --> 00:33:10,040
With for his glory and my good. 
They're they're they're probably

420
00:33:10,040 --> 00:33:13,920
for my good and maybe his glory.
Maybe. 

421
00:33:14,040 --> 00:33:17,400
But I just like having fun. 
So I fill my life up with this 

422
00:33:17,400 --> 00:33:18,920
and don't leave room for the 
spirit to move. 

423
00:33:20,720 --> 00:33:22,760
And this isn't me and you. 
This, this isn't. 

424
00:33:23,120 --> 00:33:26,080
I've got this all figured out 
and my life is perfect and I've 

425
00:33:26,080 --> 00:33:28,760
got plenty of room for the 
spirit to move in and through my

426
00:33:28,760 --> 00:33:30,800
marriage and my parenting and my
life. 

427
00:33:31,000 --> 00:33:34,600
I yelled at my kids this week. 
I was upset at my wife this 

428
00:33:34,600 --> 00:33:40,440
week. 
I didn't love. 

429
00:33:40,440 --> 00:33:44,720
Parts of my job this week and 
I'm supposed to do my job for 

430
00:33:44,720 --> 00:33:47,760
His glory and His glory and my 
good all the time. 

431
00:33:49,480 --> 00:33:59,440
I don't have any outs. 
Church it takes. 

432
00:33:59,440 --> 00:34:04,880
Discernment. 
It takes humility. 

433
00:34:06,880 --> 00:34:12,040
It takes a willingness. 
To. 

434
00:34:12,040 --> 00:34:15,679
Reassess. 
The things that. 

435
00:34:15,679 --> 00:34:24,120
Truly matter to reset with those
to cast aside the weights and 

436
00:34:24,120 --> 00:34:28,320
sins that are taking away from 
what really matters. 

437
00:34:32,320 --> 00:34:35,080
And to. 
Let His Spirit move and heal 

438
00:34:35,280 --> 00:34:40,920
these aspects of your life the 
same way that Jesus moved and 

439
00:34:40,920 --> 00:34:46,239
healed your sins and your 
eternal life on the cross. 

440
00:34:48,440 --> 00:34:50,239
None of us are. 
Starting with an empty jar. 

441
00:34:50,280 --> 00:34:53,440
I know we're going to have to 
take some stuff out, but if we 

442
00:34:53,440 --> 00:34:55,960
fix our eyes on Jesus, the 
author and perfector of our 

443
00:34:55,960 --> 00:35:03,800
faith, if we make room for His 
Spirit to move, He is faithful 

444
00:35:04,280 --> 00:35:12,360
to do. 
It thanks for listening. 

445
00:35:12,360 --> 00:35:16,200
To ERC Sundays to support the 
work God is doing an Emmaus Rd. 

446
00:35:16,200 --> 00:35:20,160
church, visit 
emmausrdonline.org/giving.