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Acts 18:1-17 · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

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Well, good morning, everyone.
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We had, the original plan was to continue our verse-by-verse exposition in the book of Romans,
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! but Nathan has a really bad pneumonia and tapped out.
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! And to kind of add to that, I have been kind of groggy and struggling this morning, too.
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So when I saw the text, I was like, uh, you know, like, I don't have, I basically have one hour
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going into this today, so let's just see how it goes.
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Um, but I remember going up in Norcross, and Norcross First Baptist, and a guy came and spoke,
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and he just said, um, I can't wait for you to hear the sermon this morning,
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and I hardly can't wait to hear it myself, and that's kind of how I feel at the moment.
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But I'm trying to, I thought, if I had another week to kind of continue Romans 9,
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what would I have talked about?
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And I think I would have talked about this, but in short, it's answering the question that
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if God has a people out there, if he has a people that he has, um, predestined, called,
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and elected into salvation.
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And a long time ago, when I was introduced to this, as someone who has a passion for the
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law, a passion for evangelism, my, the question was, then why evangelize?
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If God has the people out there, then why do we go out and share the gospel?
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Why do people go abroad to reach the nations?
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Why not just back off?
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And so I began just searching the scriptures, and I was able to find so many reasons there,
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and that's what I would actually like to share with you today.
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And, but my, my, my zeal, my passion for missions and evangelism goes back to probably when I was
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saved around 18, 19, probably, early, early college time.
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And just, I, I just started hunting my friends down to kind of share the gospel.
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And, uh, the Lord saved one of my best friends named Dustin, and he had just a crazy life before
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we knew the Lord.
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And we just started just hunting people down to share Jesus with.
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Um, we actually started going through the yearbook to, like, say, oh yeah, he hadn't heard yet.
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Oh yeah, we need to go find this guy.
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And kind of a bull in a china closet in a lot of ways.
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We meant well, but didn't really know what we were doing.
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And, uh, I, I, uh, so that, but my focus during that time was, this is on my shoulders,
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and I have to do this.
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And it's up to me to convince unbelievers that they're in error, that they need to know Christ.
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And, and if they fail to come to Christ, it might be my fault.
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Uh, if I, if I don't have enough arguments, if I don't have enough persuasion.
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And so there's a lot that the doctrines of grace did for me when it came to understanding how it applies to evangelism.
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But, simply put, I'm going to just define evangelism for you.
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Define it.
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And, I think this is a biblical definition.
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It says, evangelism is teaching the gospel with the aim to persuade.
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Alright?
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Evangelism is a teaching, a proclaiming and explaining of the gospel message from God
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that leads to salvation with the aim or the hope to persuade, to convince, to convert.
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And, we're going to be in the book of Acts today.
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So, go ahead and open up to Acts 17.
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Acts 17, and then we're also just going to get, uh,
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our main text today will be in Acts 18.
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But, just to show you where this definition can kind of come from.
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Acts 17, if you go to verse 2,
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I believe, yeah.
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Acts 17, Paul, uh, is doing what he normally does,
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and he's going around, he goes to synagogues,
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he goes to the Jews first, typically,
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and then to the Gentiles following his mission.
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Sorry, this is what happens when you have an hour of preparation.
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You're, like, second-guessing yourself.
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Hold on one second.
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Alright, we're good.
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Acts 17, verse 2.
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It says,
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And Paul went in, and as was his custom,
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and on three Sabbath days,
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he reasoned with them from the Scriptures,
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explaining and proving that it was necessary
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for Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead,
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and saying,
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This Jesus, who I proclaim to you,
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is the Christ.
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And some of them were persuaded,
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see that,
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and joined Paul and Silas,
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as did a great many of devout Greeks,
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and not a few of the leading women.
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So, you see this idea that it is
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explaining the Gospel.
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It is reasoning with people from the Word of God
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that Jesus, in fact, is the Savior,
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with the goal,
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the aim,
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to persuade,
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to convince.
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So,
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it's impossible to coerce somebody
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into being a Christian.
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It's impossible to trick somebody
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into being a Christian.
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They only can be persuaded
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by the power of the Holy Spirit.
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So, that's where we get our definition from.
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But, in our context today,
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I want you to jump down to chapter 18.
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And this is when Paul is in Corinth.
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And,
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we see a lot here about,
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I would say,
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why we evangelize.
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And I think I grew up,
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I would say that some of my reasons
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for evangelizing,
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like,
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weren't always the best.
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And especially when you apply
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God's sovereignty
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in the role of evangelism.
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And,
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this is one of those texts,
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I think,
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contains
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at least four different motivations
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or drives for evangelism.
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If we believe in God's sovereignty.
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So,
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I'm going to break it up for you.
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We're going to just do a quick run through
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of the story.
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Stop and explain a little bit.
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And then we're going to go to the end.
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And,
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kind of give some application
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for why we ought
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to share the gospel
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if we have those convictions
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that God is sovereign over salvation.
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Alright?
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So,
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number one,
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scene one,
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is Paul's arrival
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and initial mission.
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Alright?
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Scene one is Paul's arrival
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and initial mission.
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We see this in chapter 18.
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We'll go one through four.
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It says,
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After this,
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Paul left Athens
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and went to Corinth.
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He found a Jew
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named Aquila,
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a native of Pontus,
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recently come from Italy
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with his wife Priscilla,
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because Claudius
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had commanded
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all the Jews
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to leave Rome.
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And he went to see them,
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and because he was
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one of the same trade,
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he stayed with them
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and worked,
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for they were tent makers
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by trade.
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And he reasoned
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in the synagogue
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every Sabbath
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and tried to persuade
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Jews and Greeks.
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So you see that
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repetition of him
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going to
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a new place,
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a new city,
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and he would go
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to the synagogue first
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because those were the Jews
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who,
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they at least had some context
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for what he was going
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to talk about.
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The scriptures,
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the Messiah,
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so he always started there
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and he sought to persuade them.
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Now,
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Corinth,
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if you know your geography,
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is a little south of Athens,
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about 46 miles south of Athens.
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And it was,
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again,
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sort of a Roman colony.
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But,
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you know,
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I'll spare you all
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the long history lesson,
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but it was a big trade center,
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merchant center,
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and some of you are aware
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that there was a huge temple there,
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the Temple of Aphrodite.
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So,
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sexual immorality
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was rampant
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and
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Corinth.
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And it was kind of known
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as like the sin city
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in one way
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of the Roman Empire.
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It was a very dark,
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tempting
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place to be
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where all kind of sin
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was just celebrated
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out in the open
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with no shame
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at all.
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So,
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there was sin
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definitely in every Roman colony
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as we would be aware of,
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but like,
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even the Romans
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had this sense of
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Corinth
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is really bad.
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and so it was
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a very hot
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place to be.
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But,
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a critical point
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where the gospel,
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if Paul was able
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to plant a church there,
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could go all over the empire
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with the sailing,
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the merchants,
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and all the different
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commerce that came through.
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So,
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yeah,
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but he says he met
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Aquila
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and Priscilla.
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There's actually
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an extra-biblical
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Roman source
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that actually says
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that,
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yeah,
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Claudius
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did expel
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all the Jews
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from Rome.
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So,
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that goes along
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what we see here.
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And we see that
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in addition to
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support raising,
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Paul occasionally
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stops in a place
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and works,
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and he was a tent maker.
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We kind of can forget
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that about Paul.
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We just think that
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people just send him
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all this money
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all the time.
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But there were times
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that he stayed
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where he was
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for a long time
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and made money
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on his own
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to support himself.
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So,
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that's
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scene one.
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Paul's arrival
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and initial mission.
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Alright?
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This is scene two.
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Number two.
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The arrival of Silas
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and Timothy
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and then Jewish
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opposition.
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We'll see this
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in five and six.
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When Silas
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and Timothy
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arrived from Macedonia,
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Paul was occupied
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with the word,
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testifying to the Jews
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that the Christ
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was Jesus.
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and when they
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opposed
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and reviled him,
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he shook off
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his garments
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and said to them,
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your blood
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be on your own heads.
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I am innocent.
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From now on,
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I will go
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to the Gentiles.
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Alright,
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so let's stop there.
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a lot of people
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have this wrong idea
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of Paul
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that he was just
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like the lone
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ranger Christian.
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He was always
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just out there
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on his own
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doing his thing.
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And I've seen
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other missionaries
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try to model that.
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Well,
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Paul was by himself.
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I'm like,
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yeah,
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but you're not
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Paul number one.
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Number two,
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Paul had the church
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wherever he went.
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And he had other
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believers that tried
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to go and support him.
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So unless he was
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like providentially
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isolated by God,
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he had other people
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with him.
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So that's important
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to remember.
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And so you had
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Priscilla and Aquila.
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They came from Rome
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and they came together
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to encourage one another.
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And then you see
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he continued
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just going to
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the synagogue,
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reasoning with them,
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trying to testify
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that the Christ
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was Jesus.
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And at some point
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they said,
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no,
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we're done.
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They reviled him.
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They attacked him.
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Tried to tear him down.
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All right?
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So just imagine this.
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Paul had a very weak
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physical presence.
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I don't know if y'all
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are aware of that.
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If you read 1 Corinthians,
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you'll just kind of see.
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He wasn't this big,
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strong,
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handsome-looking guy
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who could deliver
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a great speech.
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He was not probably
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very attractive
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to the eyes.
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He wasn't the most eloquent.
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He says that.
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So he was in there
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trying to persuade them.
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And they basically said,
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you know,
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get out of here.
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And he responds
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very strongly.
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And he says,
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look at that,
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verse 6,
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your blood be on
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your own heads.
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I am innocent.
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From now on,
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I will go to the Gentiles.
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Okay?
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So,
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excuse me,
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we have this idea,
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right,
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that if God is
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sovereign in salvation,
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that that kind of
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frees man of his
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responsibility to go
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and to share the gospel.
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Very clearly,
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right here,
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this is the same man
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who wrote Romans 9,
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by the way.
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He understands
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that there's some weight
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and responsibility
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on him
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to go and be that
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instrument to share
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the gospel.
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And he kind of
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gives us
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a recollection
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of a prophet,
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Ezekiel.
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If you want to,
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I'll save us some time,
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but write this down.
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Ezekiel 33,
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1 through 9.
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And this is
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the picture
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of the watchman
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on the wall.
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Okay?
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And,
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so back in ancient times,
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cities were fortified.
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They always were
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under threat of attack.
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And there would be
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guards or watchmen
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posted on the walls
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day and night.
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And,
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if they saw an enemy
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coming,
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they saw danger coming,
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it was their responsibility
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to blow the trumpet
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and to warn people,
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warn the city,
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that enemies
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were approaching.
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Alright?
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And if he blew the trumpet
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and they ignored him,
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then,
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he says in Ezekiel,
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that their blood
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will be on their own heads.
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Right?
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And,
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but if the watchman
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fell asleep
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or was derelict
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in his duty
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and the enemy came,
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then their blood,
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the city's blood,
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will be on the watchman's head.
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So,
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pretty,
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pretty serious stuff.
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Right?
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And,
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so what we see
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in Ezekiel
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was God was telling him,
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impending judgment
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is coming.
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I want you to warn
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the people
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that judgment
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is coming.
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You are a watchman
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on the wall
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and if you fail
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to do this,
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then their blood
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will be on your head.
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And,
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and if they fail
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to listen to you
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and repent,
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then the blood
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will be on their head.
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So,
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we see
14:30
that imagery here
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of Paul
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going in
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and he's pleading
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with them.
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He's reasoning
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with them.
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You know what?
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And then he gets
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to that point
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and he goes,
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you know what?
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Blood be on
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your own head.
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I am free
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of my weightiness
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to that.
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Very,
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very much so.
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Responsibility
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of us to go
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and share
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is clearly seen here.
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Right?
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So we get to
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first,
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or excuse me,
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I just threw this
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together in an hour.
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This isn't something
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I've had together
15:03
before.
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or so.
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Scene three.
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Number three.
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We see
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conversion
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and empowerment.
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Alright?
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Conversion
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and empowerment.
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Verse seven.
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He left there
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and went to the house
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of a man named
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Titius Justice,
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a worshiper of God.
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His house
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was next door
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to the synagogue.
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Crispus,
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the ruler
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of the synagogue,
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believed in the Lord.
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together with all,
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with his entire
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household.
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And many of the
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Corinthians
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hearing Paul
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believed and were
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baptized.
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And the Lord
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said to Paul
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one night
15:42
in a vision,
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Do not be afraid,
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but go on speaking
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and do not be silent,
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for I am with you
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and you are my people.
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And he stayed
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a year and six months
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teaching the word
15:55
of God.
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Failed to do this
15:58
with the title
15:59
of today's message
15:59
is
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there are many
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in this city
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who are my people.
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That's the message here.
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And
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so what we're going
16:08
to take from this
16:09
that said was
16:10
there was conversion
16:11
and empowerment.
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So as soon as
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Paul is rejected
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from the synagogue,
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like we,
16:17
you know,
16:17
leave,
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he says,
16:18
alright,
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blood be on your own heads.
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He goes to the next,
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the house,
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the next door.
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And
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what's amazing
16:26
is
16:26
he converts
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namely the pastor
16:28
of that synagogue
16:29
converts to leader
16:31
of that synagogue.
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And
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just the irony
16:34
of that.
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And so
16:36
so
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then
16:41
the guy's household
16:42
is baptized
16:43
and other
16:44
Corinthians
16:45
as well.
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You just have to
16:48
put yourself
16:48
in the place
16:49
of Paul.
16:49
This has been
16:49
a hard place
16:50
so far,
16:51
but in a vision
16:52
one night
16:53
God came to him
16:54
and he encouraged
16:55
him to stay there.
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Alright,
16:57
don't leave,
16:59
stay there.
16:59
I have purpose
17:00
for you being there.
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This is not
17:02
by accident.
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Remain in Corinth.
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Alright,
17:06
so
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so if you think
17:08
about it now,
17:10
that synagogue
17:11
is without a leader.
17:12
So they have to
17:13
find another leader
17:14
because that leader
17:15
just became
17:16
a follower
17:17
of Christ.
17:18
So that leads us
17:19
to seem
17:19
four.
17:22
This is
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persecution,
17:24
compassion,
17:27
and conversion.
17:30
Alright?
17:32
Verse 12,
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but when Galio,
17:35
who is proconsul
17:36
of Achaia,
17:38
the Jews
17:39
made a united
17:40
attack on Paul
17:41
and brought him
17:42
before the tribunal,
17:44
so this is like
17:44
the Gentile
17:45
Roman rulers,
17:47
saying,
17:48
this man
17:48
is persuading
17:49
people to worship
17:50
God contrary
17:51
to our law.
17:52
But when Paul
17:53
was about to
17:54
open his mouth,
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Galio said
17:57
to the Jews,
17:58
if it were
17:59
a matter of
18:00
wrongdoing
18:00
or vicious crime,
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O Jews,
18:03
I have a reason
18:04
to accept
18:04
your complaint.
18:06
But since
18:06
it is a matter
18:08
of questions
18:08
about words
18:09
and names
18:10
and your own law,
18:12
see to it yourselves.
18:13
I refuse to be
18:14
a judge of these things.
18:16
And he drove
18:17
them from the tribunal.
18:19
And they seized
18:20
Sosthenes,
18:21
the ruler
18:21
of the synagogue
18:22
and beat him
18:23
in front of the tribunal.
18:25
But Galio
18:26
paid no attention
18:27
to any of this.
18:29
Alright?
18:30
So,
18:31
to paraphrase
18:32
this story,
18:33
so,
18:34
if you want
18:35
to think about it,
18:35
like,
18:37
the new pastor,
18:38
the interim pastor
18:39
of this synagogue,
18:41
got all the Jews
18:44
riled up
18:44
and said,
18:45
let's go get them.
18:46
Let's go get them
18:47
punished.
18:47
This kind of
18:47
worked for Jesus.
18:48
Let's see if this
18:49
will work for Paul.
18:50
And so,
18:51
they dragged Paul
18:52
to Galio,
18:54
who was the Roman
18:55
leader that was there,
18:59
the proconsul.
19:01
And they said,
19:02
hey,
19:02
he's stirring up
19:03
a bunch of trouble.
19:04
He's causing people
19:05
to worship God
19:06
that's contrary
19:06
to our laws.
19:08
And this was actually
19:08
pretty common.
19:09
Like,
19:09
Pilate actually did
19:10
the same thing.
19:11
He was like,
19:12
this is just stuff
19:13
that has to do
19:14
with your own religion.
19:15
As long as he's not
19:15
breaking our law,
19:17
we don't really care.
19:18
Just like what
19:19
a lot of their
19:19
response was
19:20
for a long time
19:22
from the Gentile
19:22
rulers.
19:23
So they were like,
19:24
just quit causing
19:25
a fuss.
19:26
And Paul was actually
19:28
about to make his
19:28
defense,
19:29
and that proconsul
19:30
cut him off
19:31
and said,
19:31
this is ridiculous.
19:33
Like,
19:33
just get out of here.
19:35
Like,
19:35
I'm throwing out
19:35
the charges.
19:37
You know,
19:38
please leave.
19:38
Get out.
19:40
And drove them
19:41
out from the
19:41
tribunal.
19:43
Right?
19:43
So Paul's just
19:44
sort of like,
19:45
so imagine Paul
19:46
being outside this
19:47
place.
19:48
Alright?
19:49
So he's been
19:49
acquitted,
19:51
in essence.
19:52
And he looks over
19:53
and he sees
19:54
the new pastor
19:55
of this synagogue.
19:56
I'm just paraphrasing.
19:58
The new leader
19:58
of the synagogue.
20:00
They turn on him
20:01
and they beat him.
20:03
That's pretty wild,
20:04
right?
20:05
So,
20:06
don't ever do that
20:07
to a new pastor
20:08
in your church.
20:10
Unless he's
20:11
preaching heresy.
20:12
So then,
20:14
I want you to think
20:15
about Paul.
20:15
Like,
20:16
put yourself
20:16
in Paul's
20:17
mind.
20:19
What would you
20:19
be thinking
20:20
at that moment?
20:22
Like,
20:22
serves you right.
20:24
Mess with God's
20:25
messenger,
20:26
that's what happens.
20:28
You could be
20:29
vengeful about it.
20:29
You could be
20:30
spiteful.
20:30
Like,
20:31
yeah,
20:31
you led an attack
20:31
on me and boy
20:32
did that backfire.
20:34
Now instead of me
20:34
getting beaten,
20:35
you're getting
20:35
beaten.
20:37
You could have
20:37
that approach.
20:38
I think my
20:38
sinful flesh,
20:40
if any of you
20:41
know me,
20:41
would probably be
20:42
tempted to feel
20:43
that way
20:43
sometimes.
20:45
But,
20:45
what happens?
20:49
It doesn't
20:49
really say
20:50
right here in
20:51
Acts,
20:52
but,
20:54
what I like
20:55
to think
20:56
was that
20:57
Paul saw
20:58
this man
20:59
and
21:00
was broken
21:02
for him,
21:02
was broken
21:03
for Sosthenes,
21:04
was moved
21:05
by compassion
21:06
to go and
21:07
help him
21:08
after being,
21:10
you know,
21:10
beaten and rejected
21:11
by his own
21:11
people.
21:12
That Paul said,
21:13
hey,
21:13
you know,
21:13
come with me
21:14
and began
21:15
sharing the
21:16
gospel with
21:18
him.
21:20
I can take
21:21
a wild guess
21:21
at that
21:22
because if you
21:22
look at,
21:24
turn over to
21:24
1 Corinthians
21:25
really quickly.
21:28
1 Corinthians
21:29
chapter 1.
21:31
So Paul is
21:32
in Corinth
21:33
in which
21:34
eventually a
21:35
church is
21:35
planted.
21:37
If you look
21:38
at 1 Corinthians,
21:39
the first
21:41
letter he
21:41
wrote to
21:41
that church,
21:44
look at
21:44
verse 1.
21:46
It says,
21:47
Paul,
21:48
called by
21:48
the will
21:49
of God
21:49
to be an
21:50
apostle of
21:50
Christ Jesus
21:51
and our
21:52
brother
21:53
Sosthenes.
21:56
Pretty
21:56
cool.
21:59
Pretty sure
22:00
this is the
22:00
same guy,
22:03
but that's
22:04
why I think
22:05
like Paul
22:06
has moved
22:06
to not
22:07
mock this
22:09
guy,
22:10
but to
22:10
show him
22:10
compassion
22:11
and to
22:12
share the
22:12
gospel with
22:13
him.
22:13
And eventually
22:14
he went
22:15
from being
22:15
a leader
22:16
in the
22:16
synagogue
22:16
to being
22:17
a leader
22:17
in the
22:18
church,
22:19
which is
22:19
why he
22:19
was
22:20
addressed
22:20
right at
22:21
the beginning
22:21
of 1 Corinthians.
22:23
So you
22:24
can flip
22:24
back over.
22:27
Alright,
22:28
so there's
22:30
a lot in
22:31
all this
22:31
stuff,
22:31
but from
22:33
this text,
22:35
I'm going
22:36
to try to
22:36
give you
22:37
four reasons
22:39
that drive
22:41
me personally
22:42
to share
22:46
the gospel
22:46
as someone
22:48
who believes
22:49
in God's
22:49
election,
22:50
God's
22:50
choosing,
22:51
God's
22:52
sovereignty
22:52
over salvation.
22:55
And
22:55
some of
22:57
you,
22:57
you know,
22:58
we love
22:58
reading good
22:59
books,
22:59
we love
23:00
listening to
23:00
good sermons,
23:01
most people
23:02
in this
23:02
church.
23:03
But isn't
23:04
it special
23:04
when you
23:05
just sit
23:05
down and
23:05
dive into
23:06
the word
23:06
on a
23:06
particular
23:07
thing and
23:07
you see
23:08
so many
23:08
things on
23:09
your own
23:09
without any
23:10
kind of
23:10
aid or
23:10
help?
23:12
This was
23:12
this for
23:13
me many
23:14
years ago.
23:16
I began
23:16
just putting
23:17
this together.
23:19
So why
23:20
evangelize?
23:21
Reason number
23:22
one,
23:23
alright,
23:26
is seen
23:26
in verses
23:26
5 and
23:27
6.
23:28
This idea
23:29
of rescuing
23:30
them.
23:31
If we
23:31
remember Romans
23:32
9 verses
23:33
1 through
23:33
5 where
23:34
Paul said
23:35
that he
23:35
wishes that
23:35
he was
23:36
accursed,
23:36
his fellow
23:37
Jews could
23:38
be saved.
23:41
But if
23:42
we are
23:42
truly converted,
23:43
if we truly
23:44
have the
23:44
Holy Spirit
23:45
in us,
23:46
that comes
23:47
with new
23:48
affections and
23:49
new desires
23:50
for God that
23:50
we did not
23:51
have before.
23:53
And one of
23:53
those is,
23:54
we can't just
23:55
look around at
23:56
the broken and
23:57
lost world
23:57
around us and
23:58
unbelievers and
23:59
just say,
24:00
eh, no big
24:01
deal.
24:03
It weighs
24:05
on us
24:06
that we
24:08
see their
24:09
brokenness and
24:10
their pain and
24:11
their suffering
24:11
around us with
24:12
a life without
24:14
God.
24:15
And God's
24:16
people should
24:16
desire to go
24:17
and rescue
24:19
them.
24:20
Alright?
24:21
The Scripture
24:21
says in Proverbs
24:22
24 verse 11,
24:24
rescue those
24:24
who are being
24:26
taken away to
24:27
death.
24:28
Hold back
24:28
those who
24:29
are stumbling
24:29
towards
24:30
slaughter.
24:32
Jude 1,
24:35
22 and
24:35
23,
24:37
have mercy
24:37
on those
24:38
who doubt
24:38
and save
24:39
others by
24:40
snatching them
24:40
from the
24:41
fire.
24:42
That's
24:43
command,
24:44
right?
24:46
And some
24:48
of you may
24:48
feel this for
24:49
lost loved
24:50
ones,
24:51
may feel this
24:51
for lost
24:52
friends,
24:54
and all
24:56
that's in
24:56
you is just
24:56
pleading with
24:57
them,
24:57
right?
24:58
To come and
24:59
be reconciled
25:00
to God.
25:02
But if we
25:02
have no desire
25:03
for others to
25:04
be saved,
25:05
that tells us
25:05
something about
25:06
the gospel
25:07
that we claim
25:08
to believe.
25:10
It exposes
25:11
our conviction,
25:13
alright?
25:13
What we
25:13
actually believe.
25:15
We can't be
25:16
quiet about it.
25:18
So that's
25:19
just one reason.
25:21
This is a
25:21
big one.
25:24
Point number
25:24
two,
25:25
why evangelize.
25:27
It's a means
25:28
to the greatest
25:29
ends.
25:31
Okay?
25:31
It's a means
25:32
to the greatest
25:32
ends.
25:35
Submissions
25:35
and evangelism
25:36
are commanded
25:37
by God
25:38
because He's
25:40
chosen the
25:41
preaching of
25:42
the gospel
25:42
to be the
25:44
means to
25:45
bring salvation
25:46
to His
25:47
people scattered
25:48
abroad.
25:49
This is His
25:50
design.
25:52
Alright?
25:52
And
25:54
where I'm
25:56
going with
25:56
this is
25:57
that
25:58
God's
25:59
election
26:00
ensures that
26:01
our efforts
26:02
and missions
26:03
and evangelism
26:04
are not just
26:04
left to chance
26:05
to coincidence
26:07
that Christ's
26:07
blood was not
26:08
spilt needlessly.
26:10
It emboldens
26:11
Christians knowing
26:12
that God has
26:13
a people
26:14
out there
26:15
that He is
26:17
going to use
26:18
that messenger,
26:20
that evangelist,
26:20
whoever it is,
26:22
to reach them
26:22
to bring them
26:23
in.
26:25
Alright?
26:25
Now we see
26:26
this in our
26:27
text in
26:29
verses 9-11.
26:30
Look at it
26:31
again.
26:31
That vision
26:32
that Paul had.
26:33
Do not be
26:33
afraid,
26:34
God said,
26:34
but go on
26:34
speaking.
26:36
Do not be
26:36
silent,
26:37
for I am
26:37
with you
26:38
and no one
26:38
will attack
26:39
you to harm
26:39
you.
26:40
For I have
26:41
many in
26:42
this city
26:43
who are
26:43
my people.
26:45
And He
26:45
stayed a year
26:46
and six months
26:46
teaching the
26:47
word of God
26:47
among them.
26:48
Alright,
26:49
big question.
26:49
Is there
26:51
a church
26:53
in Corinth
26:53
already?
26:54
Are we
26:54
aware of
26:55
a church
26:55
in Corinth?
26:56
Nope.
26:58
Paul just
26:59
arrived.
26:59
He just
26:59
got there.
27:01
There is
27:01
no church.
27:02
There is
27:02
no established
27:03
church,
27:03
no Christians.
27:05
So why
27:06
would God
27:06
say,
27:07
I have
27:07
many in
27:07
this city
27:08
who are
27:08
my people?
27:11
Alright?
27:12
And again,
27:14
Paul was
27:14
discouraged.
27:15
Paul was
27:15
frustrated.
27:16
frustrated.
27:17
And I
27:19
know I
27:19
can speak
27:20
for the
27:21
Andersons
27:21
because I
27:21
know Caleb
27:22
very,
27:22
very well.
27:24
It's a
27:24
personal drive
27:25
to know
27:26
that God
27:27
has a
27:27
people in
27:28
Southeast Asia
27:29
that He's
27:30
going to
27:30
use them
27:31
to reach.
27:32
It's not
27:33
just like,
27:34
well,
27:34
coincidence,
27:35
I hope so.
27:36
It's not
27:37
wishful thinking.
27:38
It drives
27:39
us to
27:40
share the
27:41
gospel.
27:42
Now,
27:42
let me give
27:43
you some
27:43
other verses
27:44
that support
27:44
this.
27:45
In John
27:46
10,
27:47
16,
27:48
Jesus says,
27:50
I have
27:51
other sheep
27:51
that are
27:53
not of
27:53
this fold.
27:54
He means
27:54
Israel.
27:55
Right?
27:56
I must
27:57
bring them
27:57
in also,
27:59
and they
27:59
will listen
28:00
to my
28:00
voice,
28:00
so there
28:01
will be
28:01
one flock
28:02
with one
28:02
shepherd.
28:04
So meaning
28:04
that there
28:05
are a
28:05
people scattered
28:06
abroad that
28:06
need to be
28:07
brought in
28:07
to the
28:08
full number
28:09
of God's
28:10
flock.
28:11
John
28:12
11,
28:13
51 and
28:14
52,
28:16
where
28:17
Caiaphas
28:18
prophesies
28:19
about the
28:19
death of
28:20
Jesus.
28:21
Now,
28:22
it says,
28:23
he did not
28:23
say this
28:24
on his own
28:24
accord,
28:25
but being
28:25
the high
28:26
priest that
28:26
year,
28:27
he prophesied
28:28
that Jesus
28:28
would die
28:29
for the
28:29
nation.
28:31
Then John
28:31
inserts this
28:33
interpretation
28:33
of that event.
28:34
He says,
28:35
and not for
28:36
the nation
28:37
only,
28:38
but also
28:39
to gather
28:39
into one
28:40
the children
28:41
of God
28:42
who were
28:42
scattered
28:43
abroad.
28:45
Right?
28:46
So meaning
28:47
that God
28:47
has a
28:48
people out
28:49
there,
28:50
and this
28:50
drove Paul.
28:52
Like,
28:53
he says
28:54
in 2 Timothy
28:55
2,
28:57
10,
28:58
Paul says,
28:59
why does
29:00
Paul go
29:00
through all
29:01
that he
29:01
goes through?
29:02
Good question.
29:03
Why is he
29:03
beaten?
29:03
Why is he
29:04
forsaken?
29:04
Why is he
29:05
starved?
29:05
Why does
29:06
he lose
29:07
everything for
29:07
Jesus?
29:08
And then he
29:08
says it right
29:09
here.
29:09
He says,
29:11
I endure
29:11
everything for
29:13
the sake
29:13
of the
29:13
elect,
29:15
that they
29:15
also may
29:16
obtain the
29:17
salvation.
29:18
Some of you
29:19
have heard
29:19
this analogy,
29:20
so oh well,
29:21
if you've
29:22
heard it
29:22
before,
29:22
I'm going
29:22
to share
29:23
it again.
29:24
But when
29:25
I was in
29:25
college at
29:26
North Georgia,
29:27
my senior
29:28
year,
29:28
this was
29:28
probably
29:29
2006,
29:31
maybe,
29:35
Wes
29:35
Shonat and
29:36
I were
29:37
asked by
29:39
a club
29:40
on campus
29:40
called the
29:42
Gay
29:42
Straight
29:42
Alliance.
29:44
So it's
29:45
like homosexuals
29:48
and straight
29:48
people who
29:49
are trying to
29:49
hang out and
29:50
like get to
29:51
understand each
29:51
other,
29:52
kind of club.
29:53
It still
29:53
exists today,
29:54
it's under a
29:55
different name,
29:55
I just found
29:55
out.
29:57
But we were
29:58
asked to come
30:00
and share about
30:00
what the Bible
30:01
says about
30:02
homosexuality.
30:02
me and Wes
30:08
were like,
30:08
okay.
30:10
And so
30:11
we got
30:11
there on
30:13
campus and
30:13
this room
30:13
was packed,
30:14
I mean,
30:14
there was a
30:15
lot of
30:15
people in
30:16
this room.
30:18
For those
30:19
students who
30:20
were here,
30:20
it's in
30:20
Newton Oaks,
30:22
the classroom
30:22
that has
30:23
little decks
30:24
that go up.
30:25
We're in the
30:25
very back,
30:26
we just got
30:27
there late,
30:27
we're in the
30:27
very back.
30:28
And so
30:31
basically,
30:31
you know,
30:32
we're walking
30:33
there pretty
30:33
nervous.
30:35
I do most
30:35
of the talking,
30:36
if y'all know
30:36
Wes,
30:37
like Wes,
30:37
whatever Wes
30:38
says is just
30:38
like,
30:40
you know,
30:41
he doesn't say
30:42
a lot,
30:42
but when he
30:42
does,
30:43
it's just like
30:43
he just nails
30:44
it.
30:44
So he was
30:45
like picking
30:46
up my
30:46
messes as
30:47
I went.
30:48
But I
30:51
want you to
30:51
put your
30:51
stuff in my
30:51
position for a
30:52
minute,
30:53
right?
30:53
I feel like
30:54
you're walking
30:54
into the
30:54
lion's den,
30:55
sort of.
30:56
And,
30:56
but I
30:58
prayed on
30:58
the way
30:59
there a
30:59
lot,
31:00
and even
31:00
while I
31:01
was there.
31:02
But I
31:02
want you to
31:03
just imagine
31:04
this.
31:06
Imagine I
31:06
pray and I
31:07
think,
31:07
do you,
31:09
what's going
31:10
to happen?
31:11
Like,
31:11
Lord,
31:12
I'm nervous,
31:12
like what's
31:13
going to
31:13
happen?
31:14
How would
31:15
it make you
31:15
feel if God
31:17
replied,
31:19
I don't
31:19
know.
31:22
I'll be
31:22
sure to do
31:23
a good job
31:23
of sharing
31:24
the gospel.
31:25
Don't mess
31:25
it up.
31:27
Like,
31:27
hopefully,
31:29
me and
31:29
Jesus and
31:30
the Holy
31:30
Spirit will
31:30
keep our
31:30
fingers crossed
31:31
and hopefully
31:32
somebody will
31:33
listen to you
31:34
and give their
31:34
life to Jesus.
31:36
But I have
31:37
no idea.
31:38
I go,
31:39
oh,
31:39
it would be
31:40
like a
31:40
really scary
31:42
prospect.
31:45
But,
31:45
thankfully,
31:46
that's not
31:47
how it is.
31:49
Right?
31:49
Now,
31:49
I'll give you
31:50
the other
31:50
scenario.
31:52
God answers
31:52
instead,
31:53
hey,
31:54
I know
31:54
you're scared,
31:56
I know
31:56
you're nervous,
31:56
people are
31:59
going to
31:59
make fun
31:59
of you,
32:00
people are
32:01
going to
32:01
mock you,
32:02
but stick
32:03
with it.
32:04
I'm going
32:04
to be there
32:05
and I'm
32:05
going to
32:05
help you.
32:06
I'm going
32:07
to use
32:07
the words
32:08
that come
32:08
out of
32:08
your mouth
32:09
to save
32:11
three people
32:11
in that
32:12
room.
32:13
Like,
32:13
if I knew
32:14
that God
32:15
was going
32:15
to work,
32:16
it would
32:16
drive me
32:17
to go.
32:18
Does that
32:19
make sense?
32:19
It gives
32:20
you confidence
32:20
to go.
32:22
It doesn't
32:22
discourage you
32:23
to go.
32:24
This means
32:25
that his
32:27
mission,
32:28
the blood
32:28
of Christ,
32:29
is not
32:29
spilt by
32:30
accident.
32:31
It's not
32:31
wasted.
32:32
He has a
32:32
people that
32:33
he's going
32:34
to save.
32:35
He said
32:36
three times
32:36
in John
32:37
17,
32:37
those whom
32:38
you have
32:38
given me
32:39
out of the
32:39
world,
32:40
he says
32:41
that to
32:41
the Father,
32:43
my sheep
32:44
hear my
32:45
voice.
32:46
Right?
32:47
And so
32:48
God was
32:48
saying,
32:49
I have
32:49
many in
32:50
this city
32:51
who are
32:51
my people.
32:52
Go.
32:53
Proclaim.
32:54
Don't be
32:54
afraid.
32:55
I'm going
32:55
to use
32:56
what you
32:57
say,
32:58
the gospel
32:58
coming out
32:59
of your
32:59
mouth,
33:00
to bring
33:00
them to
33:01
faith.
33:01
And that's
33:01
why Paul
33:02
says,
33:02
I endure
33:02
all things
33:03
for the
33:03
sake of
33:04
the elect.
33:06
Right?
33:07
So that's
33:07
a huge
33:07
one.
33:08
It's the
33:08
means to
33:09
the greatest
33:10
end.
33:10
God has
33:10
ordained
33:11
the ends,
33:11
which is
33:12
the salvation
33:12
of souls.
33:13
He's also
33:14
ordained the
33:15
way that
33:15
is to
33:15
happen.
33:17
So we
33:17
see there,
33:18
you know,
33:18
Romans 10,
33:20
like,
33:20
we must
33:20
send people.
33:22
This is
33:22
what drives
33:23
us to
33:23
go.
33:25
All right?
33:26
Thirdly,
33:27
that was the
33:29
longest one.
33:29
Thirdly,
33:31
the proclamation
33:31
of God's
33:32
glory in
33:33
the gospel.
33:34
All right?
33:36
If you look
33:36
at verse 5,
33:37
he says that
33:37
Paul was
33:38
bearing witness,
33:39
he was
33:39
testifying that
33:40
Jesus was
33:40
the Christ,
33:41
the Christ
33:41
was Jesus.
33:43
All right?
33:44
And so the
33:44
gospel is a
33:46
heralding
33:47
thing.
33:48
You go and
33:48
you proclaim
33:49
the greatness
33:50
and glory
33:51
of God
33:51
and salvation.
33:53
You put
33:53
his glory
33:54
on display
33:54
when you
33:55
share the
33:56
gospel.
33:57
You talk
33:58
about his
33:58
grace.
33:59
You talk
33:59
about redemption,
34:01
the forgiveness
34:02
we have
34:02
because of
34:03
what Christ
34:04
has accomplished
34:05
by the
34:05
shedding of
34:06
his blood.
34:07
And God
34:08
desires to
34:10
save a
34:11
people from
34:11
every tribe,
34:12
language,
34:13
and nation.
34:14
And he
34:14
will do it.
34:16
It's not like
34:16
we hope
34:17
he will.
34:17
He will.
34:18
He has
34:19
bought these
34:20
people with
34:21
his blood.
34:22
So it is
34:23
about proclaiming
34:24
the greatness
34:25
and glory of
34:26
God in the
34:27
gospel.
34:28
That God
34:28
desires that
34:29
praise from
34:31
every nation,
34:33
every group,
34:34
every tongue,
34:35
so that the
34:36
children of God
34:36
will one day
34:37
come together
34:38
and proclaim
34:39
his glory in
34:41
heaven.
34:42
All right?
34:43
I'll back that
34:44
up.
34:44
Psalm 67,
34:45
2 and 4.
34:46
that your
34:47
way may be
34:48
known on
34:48
the earth,
34:49
your saving
34:49
power among
34:50
the nations.
34:52
Let the
34:52
peoples praise
34:53
you,
34:53
O God.
34:54
Let all the
34:54
peoples praise
34:55
you.
34:55
Let the
34:55
nations be
34:56
glad and
34:57
sing for
34:58
joy,
34:59
for you
34:59
judge the
35:00
peoples with
35:00
equity.
35:02
And in the
35:03
most well-known
35:04
Revelation 7,
35:05
right?
35:06
I looked and
35:07
behold a great
35:08
multitude that
35:09
no one could
35:10
number from
35:11
every nation,
35:12
from all the
35:12
tribes and
35:13
peoples and
35:13
languages,
35:14
standing before
35:15
the throne and
35:16
before the
35:16
Lamb,
35:17
clothed in
35:18
white robes,
35:19
with palm
35:20
branches in
35:20
their hands,
35:21
and crying out
35:21
with a loud
35:22
voice,
35:22
salvation belongs
35:24
to our God
35:26
who sits on
35:26
the throne and
35:27
to the Lamb.
35:29
That's the
35:29
goal.
35:30
We're bringing
35:31
in these people
35:31
from all the
35:32
nations,
35:33
to gather
35:33
before the
35:34
throne.
35:37
Livingston,
35:37
a missionary
35:38
into Africa,
35:40
he wrote to
35:40
his wife,
35:41
I know that
35:41
you wish as
35:42
ardently as
35:42
I that the
35:43
whole earth
35:44
will be filled
35:45
with the
35:45
glory of
35:46
the Lord.
35:47
That is
35:48
our drive.
35:50
And then
35:50
the last
35:51
apple,
35:51
well,
35:52
joy
35:52
inexpressible.
35:54
All right?
35:55
God has
35:55
given us the
35:56
privilege of
35:57
being his
35:57
messengers,
35:58
the privilege.
35:59
John Newton
36:00
said that he
36:00
was shocked
36:03
that not only
36:04
God would
36:05
save him,
36:06
but then he
36:07
would give
36:07
him the
36:07
privilege of
36:08
being the
36:09
messenger of
36:09
the same
36:10
gospel that
36:10
saved him.
36:12
Like that is
36:12
something that
36:13
ought to try
36:14
to accord with
36:15
us.
36:16
That we are
36:16
messengers of
36:17
that message
36:18
that saved
36:18
us.
36:19
And that our
36:21
hearts should be
36:21
filled with
36:22
such love and
36:24
joy and
36:24
gratitude for
36:25
God and what
36:26
he's done for
36:26
us that it
36:27
spills out onto
36:28
other people who
36:29
are around us.
36:31
If it's just
36:31
simply a duty
36:32
and a command,
36:34
you'll quit.
36:35
It'll get
36:35
boring, it'll get
36:36
old, it won't
36:37
be worth it.
36:39
But guess
36:39
what?
36:40
We talk about
36:40
what we love.
36:42
Pretty simple.
36:43
We spend our
36:44
money on it, we
36:44
spend our time
36:45
on it, and we
36:45
talk about what
36:47
we love.
36:48
We talk about
36:49
sports.
36:50
We talk about
36:51
other hobbies.
36:55
And we talk
36:56
about the stuff
36:58
that is near and
36:59
dear to us.
37:00
It comes out of
37:01
our mouth.
37:01
We talk about
37:01
the people that
37:02
we love.
37:03
Right?
37:05
If you don't
37:06
talk about the
37:07
Lord, there's just
37:08
something there.
37:08
I'm not making
37:09
any kind of
37:09
hard line
37:11
inference.
37:13
But Jesus
37:14
says, I'm
37:14
the overflow
37:15
of the heart.
37:15
The mouth
37:16
speaks.
37:16
So what do
37:16
you talk
37:16
about?
37:18
And if
37:20
Christ is the
37:22
love of our
37:22
life, if he is
37:23
all to us, we
37:24
will talk about
37:25
him.
37:26
And we'll talk
37:27
about him
37:27
indiscriminately
37:28
around people.
37:31
I love this in
37:32
Jeremiah
37:33
verse 20, I
37:35
mean chapter 20
37:36
verse 9.
37:37
Jeremiah says,
37:38
if I will
37:39
say, it is in
37:40
my heart as it
37:41
were a burning
37:42
fire shut up in
37:43
my bones, and I
37:45
am weary of
37:46
holding it in, and
37:47
indeed I cannot.
37:49
You feel that
37:49
way?
37:51
Or you think
37:51
about James and
37:52
Peter and John
37:54
when they were
37:55
dragged before the
37:55
synagogue in Acts
37:57
4.
37:58
And they say,
37:59
stop talking about
38:00
Jesus.
38:00
And they say,
38:01
well, whether it's
38:02
right in the sight
38:03
of God for us to
38:03
listen to you
38:04
rather than to
38:05
God, you must
38:05
judge.
38:06
But for we cannot
38:07
help to speak
38:10
what we have seen
38:11
and heard.
38:12
They have to.
38:14
They're compelled
38:15
to speak about it.
38:16
So it overflows
38:17
from us.
38:18
It completes our
38:19
joy to talk about
38:20
the one that we
38:21
love.
38:22
So those reasons,
38:23
one of those
38:24
reasons alone will
38:25
be enough.
38:25
But I've given you
38:26
four.
38:27
Right?
38:27
So God has a
38:29
people that we
38:30
ought to go and
38:31
reach.
38:32
And this isn't
38:32
for just people
38:33
who do full-time
38:34
marriage like me,
38:35
Nathan, Josh in
38:36
the back.
38:37
Like, we are all
38:39
meant to be heralds
38:40
of the good news.
38:40
We have different
38:41
time.
38:42
We have different
38:42
capacities.
38:43
But there's people
38:44
that you're around
38:45
that I will never
38:45
see.
38:46
Right?
38:47
And we are meant
38:48
to bear witness to
38:49
them about the
38:50
Son of God.
38:51
In what capacity
38:53
God has given you
38:53
to do that?
38:55
To be faithful to
38:56
that.
38:56
Be prayerful.
38:58
So in
38:58
clothing,
38:59
I want to just
39:02
challenge us to
39:03
think about how
39:05
the Lord saved
39:05
our soul.
39:07
I occasionally
39:08
like to do this.
39:09
Maybe reach out
39:09
with somebody this
39:10
week that was
39:10
instrumental in
39:11
bringing you to
39:12
know the Lord.
39:13
A parent, a
39:13
friend, a loved
39:14
one, a teacher,
39:16
a coach, whoever
39:17
it is.
39:18
And just thank
39:18
them for being
39:19
faithful to share
39:21
with you.
39:22
And I hope that
39:24
this has been
39:24
encouraging.
39:25
I hope that this
39:26
has given you a
39:26
desire to go with
39:28
confidence to go
39:29
and fulfill God's
39:30
mission.
39:31
He will do it.
39:31
He's going to do
39:33
it with or without
39:34
you.
39:35
Alright?
39:36
So why not be
39:37
faithful and be a
39:39
partaker of that
39:40
mission and experience
39:41
the joy of that
39:42
mission and have
39:44
eternal reward with
39:46
the Lord one day.
39:48
Let's pray together.