Latest / Calvary Church with Ed Taylor Podcast / #24456 - Teaming Up in The Ministry - Acts 11:19-30

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#24456 - Teaming Up in The Ministry - Acts 11:19-30 · Calvary Church with Ed Taylor Podcast

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Welcome to the study of God's word with pastor and author.
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Ed, Taylor recorded live at Calvary Church in Aurora,
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Colorado to learn more about the many resources available,
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through abounding Grace Media or to tune into our live stream
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Services. Visit us online at Calvary, Co
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dot church or download our free Calvary Church app.
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Now, here's Pastor Ed to take us into our study.
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Amen, take your Bibles. Open them to Acts chapter 11
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Acts chapter 11. We're going to pick up in verse
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19. Where we left off last time in
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the Bible, studies titled teaming up in the ministry as we
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see in this section Paul and Barnabas coming together to work
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together for quite some time. The church here in Acts chapter
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11 is on is growing in the gospel, is on the Move.
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Why? Because God uses people.
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People that are saved to reach people that are lost and of all
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the things that God wants to do in your life.
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You quite you walk into a church service and say I wonder what
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God's will is for my life of all the different ways that God
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wants to use your life. I can say this with absolute
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certainty. It is God's will for your life
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for you to be used by him in reaching the lost.
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That there's no question about that.
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It's not for someone, or for other people.
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Allure for the pastor or the elders.
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It's for us. This is what we're seeing here
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because of persecution in the early Church in Jerusalem.
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It forced Believers to leave for their lives.
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They were fleeing to save their own lives and as they ran as
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they left, they took the gospel with them.
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They weren't just looking for a comfort and ease.
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They were looking for a place on a platform for the gospel to go.
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Forth in their lives. God's model for the church is
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that it grows Church growth is important to God.
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Unfortunately it is this phrase Church growth has been taken by
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some. And now Church growth is a
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motto. And as a method and is a bunch
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of books, you can buy and church growth.
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Unfortunately has been twisted up and the Christian culture
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today. And there's a lot of pressure on
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pastors to grow the church. But when we use the word, Word
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Church growth from the Bible. We're referring to something
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very, very simple. You ready?
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It's so it's super simple and it's this Jesus said that he
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would build his church. And so you want to be a part of
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the church that Jesus is building because you can be
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assured. If Jesus is building the church,
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it's going to grow knots Church growth.
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It's not buying a book, it's not going to a seminar.
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It's not responding. I can't tell you how many times.
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I mean it used to be in the mail and not so much in the mail
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anymore. But my email box is filled with
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some guys, some gal wrote a book, it's going to tell me how
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to grow the church and it gets weary and if you're not careful,
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you know, I listen, I know pastors listen in from around
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the country exists there, they're just so overwhelmed that
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get caught up in that stuff. And then they'll make the
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church, something that God never intended.
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God, never intended for us to adopt some methodology to grow
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the church. God intended for us to abide in
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Christ and Obey him and he'll Grow the church.
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Are you guys with me so far? It may not be something you deal
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with but it can be, you know, where you might look at what
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you're doing in life, they go. Look, this is all I have, you
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know, I'm only your teaching Sunday school and he, well, I
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only have three kids and my Sunday school.
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What don't you think? Three kids is important.
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Like, what are you waiting for? Like serve the three kids there
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in front of you. Like those three kids are
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precious in the sight of God, and if you're waiting for this
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huge work of God, he's already doing it.
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He we have you three kids too. Serve and so do that or, you
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know, in the church I had to learn this many years ago and it
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is something you learn if you're not careful.
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And that was on a Thursday night, we used to have midweek
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bible, study on Thursday nights, we rented.
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A, they let us, they didn't let us use the church building, but
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they did. Let us use the shock that was in
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the parking lot. And the shock was better than
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what we had, because we had nothing.
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So we rented it. And the room probably filled on
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a know, maybe we could fit 50 people in there at best and I
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forget exactly if it was four or five people, but that Thursday
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night, four or five people showed up for Bible study, which
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meant most of the room was empty and it was a moment of time for
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me personally, because I felt like the Lord was saying Ed, are
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you going to pay attention to the four people that I've
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entrusted to you tonight? Are you going to whine about the
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50 chairs that are empty? And I'm like, man, I'm not going
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to be so concerned with empty chairs because the chairs.
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Our field are the most important ones because the precious saints
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of God have come for a Bible study.
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And I'm going to give them a Bible study.
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I'm going to pray with them and I'm in encourage them and it was
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a very very important moment in my life.
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So that now when I'm sharing with people and sharing with
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other pastors and leaders, I tell them hey look, don't pay
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attention to the empty seats and if you do see them then just
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pray that God would fill them because the people that are
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filling the seats are more important than the empty.
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Seats, God will do his work and he knows what he's doing in this
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church and that church, but it's not going to be by methodology.
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It's not going to be by some guys book.
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And, you know, it wasn't too long ago when the church growth
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movement was super popular. There were actually three
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different streams of church growth movement at the time.
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They've all pretty much imploded by now, one really big one.
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They ended up getting a little bit farther along.
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As churches were growing. And people were fill because of
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this system that they had, they actually did a survey within the
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churches that had followed all this methodology and they came
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to the conclusion with the survey that what they were
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doing, wasn't producing real disciples and to me, I think
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they should have done that if they were at because they're a
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big into surveys anyway. They should have done that
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survey at the beginning of the whole thing.
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Hey, if we never teach the Bible, will it help?
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People grow in Grace? No, I don't think it will help.
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Well then I guess we shouldn't do it that way because now you
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got a lot of scattered discourage pastors.
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You have a lot of scattered discourage people that were
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really just lied to you know, read this book and you'll become
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a Christian, know you, repent of your sins and you commit your
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life to following Christ, denying yourself.
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Then you can be a Christian, not just because you're in the hype
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and you can see, I get a little passionate about this and I'll
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tell you why people get hurt. People get hurt when you buy
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into some system, and it was 20 years ago, like every Church in
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town was doing the exact same thing.
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If you were around 20 years ago, you remember, they were reading
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the same book. Pastors are teaching the same
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Bible studies at this guy, sold to them and churches were
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growing and people were coming and we weren't doing that.
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And folks in our church back then got really, really mad at
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me and going. Why aren't we doing that?
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Why aren't we doing that everybody's doing it?
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Why are we doing it Ed? And I'm part of my answer was,
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man. If It's really we want if that's
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really what you want to do. Go to that church because here
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we're going to teach the Bible. That's what we're going to do.
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That's why we're not doing it because we already know what
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we're doing. We don't need some new thing.
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We've got the Bible, that's what we're going to do.
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I'm going to do the best that I can.
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I'm going to teach you the Bible and I'm going to trust God that
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he'll use even the weakness of my teaching to change your life
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because the word of God is powerful sharper than any
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two-edged sword. And we're not going to teach
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some dead guy's book or some mess.
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Judges that he wrote for me. Seriously, he doesn't even know
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you. How would his Bible studies even
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affect you? How could he hear the holy
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spirit for you? All right, think that in mind.
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Because the book of Acts here and it's important to pause
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because right now, the church is growing chalk Acts chapter 11,
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you're going to see it in a, we'll get there in a moment.
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But notice with me in verse 21, a great number believed and turn
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to the Lord. And in verse 24, a great many
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people were added to the Lord. How it's the spirit of God using
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the word of God in the Of God. And I know it's not fancy.
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And I know it's not popular, and I know it's not going to get the
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headlines on all the Christian magazines, except to say that
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when you are being used by God, and your mom gets saved, and
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your neighbor gets saved and your family gets saved.
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That is a great number and it's important to God because that's
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why he sent his only begotten, son, not for a bunch of systems
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and methodology and I don't ever want you to forget that.
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Because it, it does become repetitious.
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And again, it isn't all the hype, but you don't want that.
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Even though maybe you do partly want that, you really don't want
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that because it's not healthy for you.
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It's not healthy to always live on the hyped-up level of life.
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But rather to be in The Valleys of life just doing life
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together, reading your Bible every day, praying and then
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doing it. That's acts 11 and 12 and 13. 13
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and 14 pick up with me. Now in verse 19, it says those
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who were scattered this is really connecting us back to
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Acts chapter 8. They were scattered after the
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stoning of Stephen. It says the persecution that
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came. They traveled as far as
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Phoenicia Cyprus and Antioch and notice what they were doing.
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They were preaching the word but they were limited.
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They still hadn't caught on like Peter did that?
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The gospel is going to break out to the Gentiles, they're just
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preaching to the Jews. It says.
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And then some of them were men from Cyprus verse 20 and Cyrene
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who, when they had come to Antioch, they began to speak to
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the hellenists. We learned the difference
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between the Hebrew speaking Jews and the Greek speaking Jews, the
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Greek speaking Jews, or the hellenists.
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They had adopted the culture of the day, but they're still Jews.
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So there the gospel is branching out little by little, but now
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they're preaching the Lord Jesus.
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And if you haven't already circled the phrase, preaching,
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the word, and then also Circle. And 19 and then also Circle the
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phrase in, verse 20, preaching the Lord Jesus, and you may just
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want to write a little arrow, it's the same thing.
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When you're preaching the word, your want to make sure that
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you're elevating. Jesus Christ, in your teaching,
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remember Jesus said in the volume of the book it is written
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of me so it's not even flashy sermons and nice three-point
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things and everything lines up. You want to hear about the Lord
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Jesus Christ and his faithfulness in your life.
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That's what changes lives. And we're all that's going on in
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her life and everything that's happening.
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When we're all confused, were brought back to the Simplicity
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of following Christ and that's what they did.
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They preach the word that they knew and they preach Jesus.
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And notice the result verse 21, then the hand of the Lord was
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with them and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.
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How did this happen? They were preaching the word and
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they were preaching the Lord Jesus.
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Us. When you choose to do that with
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your life, then the hand of the Lord will be upon you too.
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And let me just tell you in this world that we're living in right
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now. You and I need the hand of the
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Lord upon us. The idea of that phrase is the
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favor of God that the favor of God upon you or he will sustain
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you and use you greatly as we serve God in his way his
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strength. In the center of his will.
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That's exactly what we got. We get, we get the hand of the
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Lord upon us. We get his approval, we get his
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favor. And here the early church is
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moving on. These are not professional
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clergy, these are not Seminary trained people.
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They are believers that are fleeing for their lives.
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They get to a place where they have opportunity to share and
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that's what they did. The scattering of the Believers
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was used by God to send the gospel.
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Just like in the psalm he laid Affliction on our backs.
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They could say that they could say that.
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When they got to Antioch, they could say the Lord is a late
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Affliction on our backs, he allowed all this persecution to
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come against us but he ordered look what happens.
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We came here, all of this was for you.
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Now, I'm in front of you, you can say this one day, as you
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look at the trials in your life, God is going to bring you to a
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person's going to bring you to a situation, going to be sharing
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the gospel and you'll be able to say you don't want all this hard
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stuff. I'm sharing with you.
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It just hit me right now. This was all for you.
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It brought me to in front of you.
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I have a story to tell you about the faithfulness of God.
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I couldn't see that 20 years ago.
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I couldn't see that 10 years ago.
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I didn't like this try. Didn't want this truck.
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I didn't want this pain but now I'm looking at it.
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It's for you. So that God could speak to you
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about his grace through my life today and this is where they are
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the gospels moving. It's gone to Samaria, it's gone
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to caesarea, it's gone to Damascus.
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It's gone to little Java Sharon. And now to Antioch Antioch was a
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very significant City. It's important that we realize
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Antioch is a big city was the third largest city.
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In the Roman Empire only behind, Rome and Alexandria, It was the
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most wicked city of the day, if not more than Corinth, it was in
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three ways, typical of any City. But this was a very Wicked City.
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Number one, Antioch was commercially successful.
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There was a lot of money flowing through and, you know, wherever
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there's a lot of money. There's always a lot of sin,
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right behind it. So there's a lot of money in
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this lot of luxury. A lot of business.
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So, you know, with that, there's a lot of sin that follows that
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kind of stuff. Secondly, it was a very
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intellectual City. There was a large University
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there, so there's a lot of money, and there's a lot of
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Pride. Remember, knowledge puffs up.
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First Corinthians 8, but love edifies.
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So, there's a lot of pride, a lot of money and then thirdly, a
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lot of sin related to false worship.
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It's an idolatrous City, but even more.
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So a lot of sex We'll perversity because the main goddess of this
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city was Daphne and the prostitutes of Daphne would come
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out into the City and there was just a lot of sexual sin, a lot
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of perversity, a lot of homosexuality, a lot of sin and
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it's not unlike any of the big cities we live in today our own
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City. That's where the reality of life
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is, people are gathered together.
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The more people, the more sin and I know there are times it's
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important. You tie, this together with
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Antioch Church. There are times when you look at
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your own existence, you look, you live in a big city live in a
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bigger city, you know I think we're in the at least the top 20
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Metro areas. I it might even be close, you
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know, top 15. So we pay attention to this
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stuff with the radio. So I think the metro area is say
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that Of the top 15 cities in the United States.
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And here you are an aurora. And you might just sit here
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thinking one day, it's been a bad day.
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You watch the news, you read the news, you see what's happening
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and Denver even this weekend. And you're like, man, you know,
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it's time to leave. We got to get out of here.
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I don't want to live in the big city anymore, and you just
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thinking, why am I here? I don't even want to be here.
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Why am I here? And then the thought that, you
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know, where as Christians we might as well just run away to
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the hills and escape the corruption.
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I mean we can find a mountain and carve a little cave and set
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up a little Christian commune protect, our kids, protect our
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Christian Heritage. Why don't we just all run away?
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And I'll tell you why you're here.
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You want to know why you're here?
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Because God wants you here. That's why you're here.
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God wants you in the big city. You can answer that question.
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Even if you don't want to be here God has you here.
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God uses big cities, you'll see that as a pattern, the rest of
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the book of Acts, the rest of the book of Acts, you'll see
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that God will plant a church in a big city and then they'll send
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people off to the smaller communities.
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And to think just a few common thoughts here to think that you
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get together with a few families move up into the mountains
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Creator, little Kish Christian. Mune you think that's going to
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protect you from the sin of the world, you're mistaken?
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Because you moving up there, you're going to take sin with
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you because you're a sinner. You're going to take all your
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problems with you, you're going to take all the difficulties
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with you. You know what God has called us
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to do is not to run away, our call is not to isolation, our
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call is to infiltration, that's the call of God.
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Now it may be in a big city and that's where we are right now.
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And it very well could be that God would lead you to another
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place and lead you to a smaller Community.
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That's not the issue. The issue is this thought is I'm
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just going to run away and hover over and protect everything.
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That I already have but you know, you don't have anything,
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It All Belongs to the Lord. You know that, right?
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You don't have anything. Your life is hidden in Christ.
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That's where it belongs. You're already in a place of
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protection. You're in the protection of the
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Lord and he wants you in this world, you're not of it but he
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wants you in this world. I know the feeling now.
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I want to get out. It's funny because you know when
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they do these surveys and Bible trivia is like whoa, what city
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in the United States is known as as Sin City, what is a church
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Las Vegas know it's Aurora And it's Denver.
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And let me get, let you in, on a secret.
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It's also been it and Watkins there since City's, man.
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It doesn't matter the size of the city sin is everywhere.
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You can't run away from it. God has called you.
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He has delivered you from sin. He still heard you from this
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world system to what be in the world.
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And I want you to be careful here because there are some,
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there is wisdom in guarding and protecting your kids and
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discipling. That's not again, I want you to
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have the right category in the right place there is wisdom and
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discipling. Your kids teaching them how to
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live in this world because that's where they're at.
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Just like you used to be a kid and now, God is teaching you how
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to live in this world. That's the way it is, but the
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thought to run away from the very people that God has called
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you to reach is not from the lord.
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It's absolutely not from Jesus. It is 100% contrary to how he
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prays for you. Let me show you turn over to
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John chapter 17, John chapter 17.
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And notice this is the prayer of Jesus for us.
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This is when he was recorded praying out loud.
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This is what he said, John 17 in verse 15.
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Well actually pick up in verse 14, John 17 in verse 14.
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It says, I've given them your word and the world has hated
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them because they are not of the world just as I am not of the
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world. And this is key verse 15.
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I do not. A that you should take them out
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of the world. Did you guys get that?
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He's not praying that. You leave the world.
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But that you should keep them from the evil one.
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They are not of the world just as I am not of the world
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sanctify them by your truth Jesus.
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When he prays, he says, I'm not asking for you to take them out
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of the world, but that you keep them.
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And that's a prayer, you know, in these last couple of years,
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we've seen a lot of movement, among Believers in particular.
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That's who I speak to the most and a lot of movement, even
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during the pandemic of a lot of people leaving the church and,
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and a lot of Of the movement came.
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I don't like, the way the country is going on.
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I don't like the way the government is going on on, like,
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the way the Colorado is going. So I found this state that I
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like the way it's going and there wasn't really a lot of,
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hey, I feel like the Lord is leading us.
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God wants to use us in this new place.
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I just feel like the Lord, you know it and and even moving I
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don't like what's going on. So God's calling me to a harder
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State didn't hear any of that. It was always something else.
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And again, if you're watching online right now going Ed that
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wasn't me. I'm not talking about you, okay?
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I'm talking in general and in general because this is the
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vibe. This is the vibe that I that
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that was really careful. There were a few people that I
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did hear the Lord was leading them.
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And again I want to make sure you get the categories.
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So the Holy Spirit speaks to you.
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And so these those folks are going to go to this state, and
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this is the state, and this is the favorable State.
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And this this this I always like to remind them you You know that
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there are elections every couple years, right?
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You know, that do you know the current governor of that state
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is going to be up for re-election in a couple of
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years, you know that right? And you know, things change with
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elections, you know, people change their mind, people change
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the direction. People, this is the world folks.
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This is how it works. You can't trust in government.
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You can't trust an elections, you can't trust in the things
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that you put your hope in, you can only put your hope in, Jesus
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Christ, no matter what the condition of The world is Jesus
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said you're not going anywhere until he hits his time.
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That's what he said. He prayed that you don't think
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his prayers are going to be answered.
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You don't think the prayers of Jesus aren't going to be
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answered, of course they are. So you can run, run, run, run
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waste your time. Till you're 90 years old and
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were interviewing you and 90 years old and go.
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Hey, how is your life for Christ?
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I was always looking for the best place to live.
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We are 90 years old. Did you ever find it?
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Nope. because if you're disconnected from people, then
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the church doesn't grow lives. Don't get changed and just think
22:42
about your somebody reached out to you.
22:45
Somebody loved and cared enough for you.
22:48
That they didn't run away from you, they ran to you.
22:52
And some of you were scary when you were Sinners, the type you
22:56
would run away from. But God had somebody very
22:59
uniquely to run to you and not away from you and I hope you're
23:02
grateful for that. And if not, you may be your
23:05
father or your grandfather, are your great-grandfather somewhere
23:09
in the heritage of your Christian testimony, God had
23:13
someone to run to not away. Why are they in Antioch?
23:16
Because that's what God wants them.
23:19
That's where God wanted Barnabas.
23:21
That's where he wanted these. He didn't want him to leave and
23:24
and Escape then, let me show you another one.
23:26
In First Corinthians chapter 5, this is such a big deal because
23:29
I'm sure there are people listening to me right now.
23:32
This is how you're thinking. I got to get out.
23:35
I got to get out and that may be the will of the Lord, I don't
23:37
know. But you make sure it's for the
23:39
right reasons. Make sure you can say that the
23:42
spirit of God is moving you, make sure that you can say with
23:45
absolute certainty, you're not trying to escape the world.
23:49
That's not going to happen. Never, I don't care where you
23:52
go, you will never escape the world.
23:54
The enemy will always be after you with the world system.
23:59
First Corinthians chapter 5. Notice what Paul wrote to this
24:02
church in Corinth again Wicked evil city, like Denver like
24:08
Antioch, Corinth was verse 9. I wrote to you in my epistle not
24:14
to keep company with sexually immoral people.
24:17
Yet I certainly Did not mean with the sexually immoral people
24:22
of this world or with the Covetous or extortioners or with
24:26
idolaters, since then, you would need to go out of the world
24:33
which you can't do. He says be careful with who
24:36
you're hanging out. That says they're Christians
24:38
sexually immoral Covetous not walking with the Lord.
24:42
You be careful with them but I didn't tell you to leave the
24:44
world, you're in the world to reach the world church and
24:48
that's why that gospel got to Antioch at this point, a large
24:52
Metropolitan city and what happened in Antioch.
24:57
Don't forget in verse 21, it was in the big city that the Lord,
25:02
the hand of the Lord was with them.
25:05
And a great number were saved. Notice with me in verse 22, Then
25:12
the news of these things came to the ears of the church in
25:15
Jerusalem and they sent out Barnabas to go as far as Antioch
25:18
and he came and seen had seen the grace of God.
25:23
He was glad and encourage them all with purpose of heart that
25:27
they should continue with the Lord for.
25:30
He was a good man full of the Holy Spirit and of faith.
25:33
And a great many were added to the Lord, the church in
25:38
Jerusalem is concerned, they want to Find out what's
25:41
happening in Antioch. They are looking for someone,
25:44
they send Barnabas because the person, they send is very
25:47
important. They need to send the right
25:49
person and you'll remember we met Barnabas early on in the
25:53
book of Acts. He's the one that sold his
25:55
property that inspired ananias and Sapphira to lie but he's
25:59
such a generous guy, he's known as the son of encouragement,
26:04
that that's how God used him. And so he was sent with this,
26:08
gentle loving trusting, Heart and there's a few things I want
26:12
to point out to about Barnabas to you.
26:15
It just kind of looking how what attributes can you pray into
26:18
your own life? How can you be more like
26:21
Barnabas? Let's just notice a few things,
26:23
I don't want to develop them. We don't have the time but you
26:25
can do the homework and you can look these things up.
26:28
But first of all I want you to see.
26:29
There's at least one, two, three, four, five, six things.
26:32
I want to show you about Barnabas.
26:34
First of all, number one, he was a man who could be trusted in
26:37
verse 22 when they picked him. They knew they could trust him
26:41
to bring encouragement and strength.
26:43
Secondly, he was an encouragement, this early, these
26:48
new Believers needed encouragement.
26:51
So they trusted him. He was an encourager.
26:54
Thirdly, notice in verse 24. Just says, when the testimony of
26:58
Barnabas, he was a good man, you can pray that.
27:02
So I want to be a good woman God and you may not even know what
27:06
the definition of that is what people do.
27:09
And as God develops, you You become that good man, and not
27:12
good woman in the hands of God, you want to learn how to live in
27:15
the big city, be trustworthy. You want to learn how to be in
27:19
the big city, be an encourager. Thirdly.
27:22
Be a good man. Be a good woman.
27:23
Number 4. Well, this is obvious.
27:26
He was full of the Holy Spirit. He was full of the Holy Spirit.
27:30
He was a man that walked in the spirit.
27:34
Not only that fifthly. He was a man full of Faith, full
27:39
of faith. That was an important thing.
27:42
And then number six, I see that he cared notice in verse 25.
27:48
It says Barnabas departed for Tarsus to seeks.
27:51
All he cared about these new Believers.
27:56
So get this the Jerusalem Church hears about Believers and
27:58
Antioch. They want to hear a first-hand
28:00
report. They find Barnabas they trust
28:02
him. They know his personality, he's
28:04
not legalistic, he's not going to go and nitpick everything.
28:08
He's just going to go in and courage.
28:09
These new believers. Purrs.
28:10
That's what new Believers need. They need to be encouraged.
28:13
You got so much Warfare in your life.
28:15
So many difficulties need. Just somebody to take care of
28:18
you point. You in the way of the Lord, they
28:20
send Barnabas. And notice what he's the first
28:22
thing he sees is the grace of God.
28:25
You know, why Barnabas saw the grace of God?
28:28
Because he was looking for it. If he was looking for anything
28:31
to criticize, he would have found it.
28:33
I can't believe it there. What are you guys doing?
28:35
You're not praying 24 hours a day or he if he wanted to be
28:38
critical, you can always be New Believers.
28:41
You can be critical with old Believers.
28:42
Like we're all walking and growing and Grace, but what he
28:46
saw was the grace of God, what he saw was, this is
28:50
unbelievable. God is not just working in
28:52
Jerusalem. Look what he's doing in the big
28:54
city in this city, you know, Antioch was also one of those
28:58
cities where all the Roman military would go in.
29:01
All those that were very rich off, the Roman government would
29:05
go to retire. So, it was just a rough City,
29:08
man. It was just there was no
29:10
Nothing. If you were to go there, you
29:11
like, there's just nothing redeemable.
29:14
And God would say, open your eyes.
29:18
The whole city is filled with redeemable people and people are
29:23
getting saved. The gospel is going to explode
29:26
in Antioch and here he is. He sees that man, he's
29:32
encouraging them, it says in verse 23.
29:36
He has, he wants them to know that there's an important
29:39
purpose of heart, they need to continue on.
29:42
It's difficult and it's hard but you gotta stay focused and then
29:45
something happens between verse 24 and 25.
29:49
That we don't know, we don't know, like it's not written for
29:53
us but something happens in the heart of Barnabas here where he
29:57
looks at them and he says, you know, I've done all that I can.
30:00
I need help? These guys need help that I
30:04
can't give. And he somehow in his mind goes,
30:07
I think what Antioch needs is Saul, that's they need soul.
30:15
And I Barnabas remembers that saw has a calling to the
30:18
Gentiles the entire City's filled with millions of General,
30:22
hundreds of thousands of Gentiles and he decides I care
30:27
about these people so much that I got to go get soul and he
30:31
departs to seek verse 25 Soul. You might want to mark that word
30:35
seek, it speaks of a diligent hunting down, if you will at the
30:40
attitude of Sparta. Mrs. I'm not coming back without
30:43
Saul. I'm not coming back without my
30:48
friend, has been quite some time since they've been together.
30:51
Saul's been off the scene for about 10 or 11 years.
30:54
That's about where we are in the history of the church right now
30:57
in Chapter 11. you know, between 8 to 10 years, the church is
31:04
Matured and man the people in Antioch they need saw.
31:08
It says in verse 26 when he found him he brought him to
31:12
Antioch and so it was for a full year they assembled with the
31:16
church and taught a great many people and the disciples were
31:20
first called Christians in Antioch.
31:23
What Barnabas is doing for the Believers?
31:25
Here is setting them up for the work of discipleship
31:30
discipleship. That's the Bible word for
31:32
training every new believer. Needs to be trained.
31:36
That's why we put things together.
31:38
Here, we have new believer, booklets that we've put together
31:41
for you. We have new believer classes
31:44
that we put together for you. We have smaller group studies.
31:47
We put together for you because we also want you to continue
31:51
with the Lord. And the Bible word for that is
31:54
disciple, that you learn what it is to follow Jesus without the
32:01
classes, and without the booklets.
32:03
And without all the tools that we provide to you, if they, if
32:07
you don't want to use them, then you can simply choose to read
32:11
your Bible every day, and you will learn about God.
32:15
And if you choose to talk to God every day in prayer, you will
32:18
hear from God. And if you choose to do what you
32:22
read in, In the Bible you will grow.
32:26
Now we want to help you with these tools but they're just say
32:28
I don't know what are you know is tools.
32:30
I want to do okay? Then just read your Bible and
32:32
pray every day and watch God work in your life.
32:35
Like if you would just do that, And it's silly.
32:39
Isn't it for a pastor to be up at the pulpit every day?
32:41
Telling the church, read your Bible today.
32:42
What do you mean? What else are you going to do?
32:45
What else do you have to do in your life than to read the
32:48
Bible? The most important book that's
32:49
on the planet Earth who also going to be talking to then not
32:53
talking to the Lord. Like what is it a like you
32:57
should remember back in the day when we had cell phones, we had
32:58
to count our minutes and then we would call after 7:00 as they
33:02
were freed. You guys remember that?
33:04
You should be counting your minutes.
33:05
Talking to God man like you should be looking at and paying
33:07
attention. Tension how much have I been
33:09
talking to God? Like, what my whole life is just
33:12
be submerged with reading and praying, you know what happens?
33:18
What happens when you start reading the book is you start to
33:21
like the author, haven't you ever found that?
33:23
Don't you have a favorite author?
33:24
Like a novelist or some of the you just really appreciate.
33:27
Why do you like them? Because you read their books,
33:30
you never liked them until you read their first book.
33:32
And when you read their book, you'd like, oh, I like the way
33:34
your rights. I wonder if they wrote another
33:36
book and another book and another book God wrote one book.
33:40
Here it is. And when you begin to read it,
33:43
you will begin to like the offer.
33:44
Let me even say this, you will begin to love the author because
33:48
you fall in love you fall in. Love with the Bible.
33:51
You're going to fall in love with the one who wrote it.
33:53
Discipleship is important. And what Barnabas notice is that
33:58
the Believers had outgrown him in some respects because he's an
34:03
encourager. So who's he looking for?
34:06
He looks for Saul because they needed.
34:08
A little bit more than encouragement now we all like
34:10
encouragement. Right, we all want encouragement
34:13
and there's a difference between encouragement and exhortation
34:17
encouragement that definition of encouragement is that your
34:20
lifted up, you know, somebody that builds you up lifts you up
34:23
and we all love that, you know, just think of that guy that
34:26
comes the gal that comes in and just give you the big hug with
34:28
the big smile. Oh, it's going to be okay,
34:31
you're gonna make it, it's gonna be great, I'm gonna be there
34:34
with you. The Lord is so good, and we love
34:38
that. That we want that some of you
34:39
are praying for that encouragement right now.
34:41
So let me give it to you. It's gonna be okay.
34:44
God is going to be with you and it's true.
34:46
It's true. However, there are those times
34:49
when you don't need encouragement, you need
34:52
exhortation. And that's all of Tarsus
34:55
exhortation. It's interesting.
34:57
It's interesting. The same Greek word is used and
35:01
translate in the New Testament. Same Greek word, same root word
35:04
actually for encouragement. As exhortation, it's the same
35:09
word. The difference is context.
35:14
From Barnabas it's encouragement.
35:17
But that gift through Saul is exhortation.
35:20
So of encouragement is lifting up, you know what and hugging,
35:24
you know what, solve Tarsus would be as the exhorter.
35:26
He would be the kind of person that doesn't necessarily give
35:29
you a hug but actually gives you a push and you don't like to be
35:33
pushed around. Trust me.
35:35
That is not Lord. Would you just send somebody
35:37
that can push me and disrupt my life?
35:39
No, you don't know that. I don't see that prayer life too
35:42
much. Like, yeah, just Um, somebody is
35:44
going to be real strong with me and give me a strong word and
35:47
point out where I'm in sin, I don't know, I haven't heard your
35:51
prayer life lately but I don't hear much of that but God will
35:54
send us all into your life. He even sent a Barnabas into
35:57
your life. You know what, you know what you
35:59
really need. You need to talk to my friend
36:01
soul. Because he's going to what you
36:04
need right now is to be moved on a little bit Saul's.
36:07
The kind of guys going to come, you know, Barnabas and I say
36:09
it's going to be all right. And Saul is the kind of guy it's
36:12
going to be all right, but you need to get going, man.
36:14
It's you need to keep moving. This is the Walk of Faith.
36:18
It's not the stand of Faith. That's not the sit down of
36:20
faith. It is the walk.
36:22
And by the way, when you walk you run I'm going to tell you
36:25
about running the race. That's all.
36:28
And what's beautiful about this is that Barnabas And Saul become
36:34
a team. Because we need them both.
36:37
They're going to be a team for a little while until they argue
36:40
and they get to a place of disagreement where they can't
36:43
overcome it and they got splits them up and you'll see that
36:46
later but they're a great team. You remember, Jesus sent sent
36:51
his disciples out is his followers out, two by two
36:55
teamwork, is really the way to go with the gospel that we
36:58
partner together and that we allow God to partner with us so
37:03
that we can be used of the Lord Saul comes in for a whole year
37:07
teaches them, which must have been a tremendous time of
37:11
preaching, encouraging teaching, and laying a strong foundation
37:15
for them. It says, here in verse 26 as
37:18
well. All that.
37:19
This is where they started calling them Christians.
37:23
But understand this was not a, this was an insult, not
37:29
encouraging things. So when they were called
37:30
Christians, they were making fun of them, they were making
37:33
funnel. You follow that Carpenter, that
37:35
died on the cross, you know, died on was crucified, which
37:39
crucifixion wasn't popular from the intent?
37:44
They were calling names and mocking, but it was actually the
37:46
best way to describe them. They were followers of Christ.
37:50
They were submitted someone that was occupied with following and
37:56
obeying Jesus, that's what they were known.
37:58
And I think, looking at the attributes of Paul and Barnabas
38:01
looking at, even how this group was known, you have to ask
38:05
yourself and and like, look in the mirror when you get home and
38:09
ask yourself, how do people see you?
38:14
Is it like Dorcas? How do people see you?
38:19
Is it like Barnabas trustworthy encouraging thoughtful caring
38:26
with the full with the holy spirit filled with faith?
38:29
Do you care? Like how do people see you?
38:32
Because the city of Antioch and it may not come out like it may
38:36
not come out on warm and fuzzy. It may come out you know those
38:41
guys are the ones that stand up for righteousness idiots.
38:45
That may be the word, they used to describe you.
38:47
Those Christians are just a bunch of idiots. and you're
38:51
like, oh, you know, you get all defensive about that, but, you
38:54
know, They crucified Jesus. They killed our savior.
39:01
For doing good for loving and caring.
39:05
And how are you seen today? Let's close up in this chapter
39:09
on, obviously a year has passed the days that are happening at
39:13
says, all these days, the prophets came from Jerusalem to
39:16
Antioch, one of them, by the name of agabus stood up, and
39:20
showed by the spirit, there was going to be a Great Famine
39:23
throughout all the world. It also happened, Josephus wrote
39:26
about this famine and the days of Claudius, Caesar verse 29,
39:30
then the disciples each, according to his ability,
39:33
determined to send relief to the Brethren dwelling in Judea this.
39:37
They also did and sent it by the elders to the hand of Barnabas
39:41
and Saul the famine comes hits the port, you know, the church
39:45
and the early Church in the first century was very poor.
39:48
Except in the city, there was a lot of money.
39:51
So the Believers in the city, had the resources to send to the
39:55
smaller communities that were needed in Jerusalem now.
40:00
And they had the resources. I mean you you know the Lord's
40:03
got you when you become gracious, you just know that
40:07
give you're still very selfish and tight with what God's given
40:10
you. There's still a lot of work
40:11
God's going to do in your heart, but when you realize and use
40:15
become gracious and you like, you don't want those guys.
40:17
Need our help, and we've got, so we're going to help him.
40:21
You just know the Lord has got you.
40:23
He, you know, you're walking in the spirit when we become a
40:26
gracious person, and you can measure it any way you can
40:28
measure by your money. Measure by your time, you can
40:31
measure by your prayer life. You can measure a lot of
40:33
different ways, but when you become gracious, you just know
40:36
you can just say thank you. Lord, you have grabbed my heart.
40:41
You have grabbed my heart and hear the church's real.
40:44
They're sending help. And it noticed they send it
40:48
according to their ability, it wasn't more than they needed to
40:51
do or less, that was what they had and what they were able to
40:55
do. This is a principle in giving
40:57
throughout the scriptures. And then notice verse 30 and
41:00
this is where we're going to end coming into our time of
41:04
communion. But first, 30 strikes me, it's a
41:07
simple verse though, isn't it? So simple, but so profound this,
41:11
they also did so they gave it and then they sent it to the
41:13
elders by the hands of Barnabas and soul.
41:19
Saul is taking money that belongs to the church to the
41:24
Believers in Jerusalem. This is the same soul.
41:29
That was on his way to Damascus to kill the church.
41:33
The same guy who was filled with rage and anger and was going to
41:37
single-handedly destroy the Believers and Damascus.
41:41
That this is the same Saul, the one that was led in blind and
41:45
the one that was way one that's been a obscurity for all these
41:48
years that God could take somebody like Saul and then put
41:53
money in his hands and just know it's going to be delivered to
41:57
the people that need it. Like this.
41:59
This is Nificant just as just the people that blow our minds
42:04
that we think I don't know if God would ever save them, you
42:06
have to remember soul. Look how far he's come.
42:11
He's trusted just as much as Barnabas.
42:13
Of course, we see if you reading the Bible, you don't have the
42:16
rest of the book of Acts. This is significant, you're
42:18
like, this is unbelievable. Is this the same guy?
42:20
Yep, it's the same guy. Is this is the guy that was
42:23
good. Yep.
42:24
It's the same guy but he's so different.
42:27
Yes. Now, we know the rest of the
42:30
book. We know the rest of the Bible is
42:32
filled with the marks of Paul and it just struck me.
42:35
You just don't know how God wants to use you.
42:39
You don't have any idea what the future holds.
42:42
You just don't know what big thing that God wants to do after
42:46
such a small thing. Just a small thing, he's came
42:50
spend a year there, and now he's leaving with money, to go to
42:53
Jerusalem, to Jerusalem to the leaders to the bigwigs that
42:57
didn't accept him. The first time didn't like him,
43:01
didn't believe he was saved. And it who would have who was it
43:04
that helped him be received by those.
43:08
Barnabas, you just don't know. You just don't know how things
43:12
are going to turn out. You don't know how God's going
43:14
to use you. You just know he will and you
43:17
could trust him. And who knows you might find
43:19
your psyche? This is ugly.
43:20
I can't, I mean, what kind of conversation Barnabas?
43:22
Can you believe this? Look what we're doing.
43:25
This is unbelievable. I can't believe it.
43:27
Like they were going back to Jerusalem and it's a whole
43:30
different thing and we're coming with help.
43:33
This is going to be genuine help for the Believers.
43:36
They're so good. So father, I thank you for the
43:39
encouragers. You sent to our church to the
43:41
Exhort errs for the example of Paul and Barnabas.
43:45
Here's the song and Barnabas that.
43:49
You know, we are you're not wanting us to run away, God?
43:54
And I think that was probably the word for so many, you not
43:57
wanting us to run away. And it's hard to develop how we
44:03
going to take care of our kids and grandkids and how we going
44:06
to disciple them and protect them from Evil and all that we
44:10
need wisdom. God.
44:13
We need wisdom, where to live and what to do and all of that.
44:18
but we also need your Supernatural strength not to run
44:21
away or take things in our own hands or think that if we ran to
44:26
some favorable state or place that somehow life would be
44:31
better when It will only be better walking in your will.
44:41
And I know it gets we re living in the big city, we have a lot
44:45
of people, that means there's a lot of sin here and sin is even
44:48
being glorified today. God, And it just exasperates us
44:53
or like, like a lot living in Sodom it vexes our spirit and I
45:00
pray, God, that in that it would stir us, it would help us.
45:07
To remember. That you ready to save?
45:14
You ready to move? And what you did in the first
45:18
century in Antioch, you will do today.
45:24
You using the word of God, through the people of God to
45:30
reach the separated from God. And I don't know how or what
45:35
what, what exactly what this looks like, step by step.
45:41
But as we remember your broken body today, we remember your
45:44
shed blood. We remember The reality of.
45:51
Your call Upon Our Lives. Prepare our hearts God.
45:57
As we come to the communion table in Jesus name.
46:01
Amen, we pray that you've been encouraged by this Bible.
46:05
Study delivered live from the sanctuary of Calvary Church for
46:08
prayer. Call us at 877, 30 Grace.
46:13
That's eight 77304, 2:53 to listen to this message in its
46:19
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46:23
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46:28
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46:26
Dot church or download our free Calvary Church app be blessed as
46:30
you worship Jesus this week.