Latest / Calvary Church with Ed Taylor Podcast / #24486 - Young People We Need You - Acts 23

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#24486 - Young People We Need You - Acts 23 · Calvary Church with Ed Taylor Podcast

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Welcome to the study of God's Word with pastor and author Ed
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Taylor, recorded live at Calvary Church in Aurora, Co.
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To learn more about the many resources available through
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Abounding Grace Media or to tune into our live stream services,
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visit us online at Calvary Co dot Church or download our free
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Calvary Church app. Now.
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Here's Pastor Ed to take us into our study.
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Amen. Amen.
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Open your Bibles, would you to. Acts chapter 23 is where we are.
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Acts chapter 23, I've entitled our Bible study.
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Young people, we need you. Young people, we need you.
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And there is this special part in this chapter of God using a
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young person. And I want to emphasize that in
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a very real way before us. But here, as we're covering and
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following along with the Apostle Paul, he is in the midst of a
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deep trial, a hard time. It's you may forget that he's in
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a trial because of the way that the text flows together from
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22/23/24, but you'll remember he's at an all time low in his
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Christian life. He's in Jerusalem, which is
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where his heart really wanted to be.
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He wanted to get to Jerusalem. God has been using him all
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throughout the Gentile region, preaching the gospel, planting
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churches, lives changed. But where his heart of heart is,
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is Jerusalem. You'll remember we learned in
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the book of Romans. He wrote to them and said, hey,
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look, I would rather give up my own salvation and die eternally
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if it meant the Jews would be saved.
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I mean, that's his heart. His passion is to reach Jews and
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the and, and those that are in Jerusalem.
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So he waits 20 years to get there and finally arrives.
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Surprise, it's not the way he thought it would be.
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His expectations weren't met. He's been maligned.
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He's been arrested. He's been beaten.
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Rumors are surrounding him. Lies are being told about him.
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They don't want to hear him. And as he will learn, even as we
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learn, God is still on the throne.
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This isn't happening outside of God's will.
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He's learning about the providential power and the
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protection of God Almighty in the midst of difficulty.
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You could even say it for us. Anything that comes into my life
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and comes into your life has passed through the providential
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power and protection of God Almighty.
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Or to remember that in a more simple way, everything that we
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experience in life has been father filtered.
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Sometimes we get into stuff and it feels like man, Did God
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forget me? Did I make a wrong turn?
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Why are things so hard? Maybe I'm being judged, you
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know, maybe God's coming down hard on me.
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But no, you know, we've learned even that there are times that
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not only does God allow situations, living in this
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fallen world as much as he protects us from situations, but
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also Jesus will even lead us sometimes into a storm on the
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sea in order for us to learn how to depend upon him, learning how
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to die to ourselves. That only can come through
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difficulties. And that's where Paul is, as
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you'll remember last time. He's preaching and they're upset
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because he said, and then look what God has done among the
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Gentiles. And they flip out and they
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scourge him. And we don't know exactly how
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much and how long he was beaten, but they're beating him.
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And then he's delivered. Then he's given a defense, and
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then the commanders come down because they flip out and they
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take him in. And we pick up right here on the
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next day, verse 30 of chapter 22.
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The next day, because he wanted to know for certain why he was
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accused by the Jews, the commander or the leader released
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him from his bonds and commanded the chief priests and all their
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counsel to appear, brought Paul down and set him before them.
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And then Paul, verse one, looking earnestly at the
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council, said, men and brethren, I have lived in all good
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conscience before God until this day.
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Paul is standing now before the Sanhedrin or what could be known
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as the Jewish religious leader Supreme Court.
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These are the men that hold his life in the balance.
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It was a very intimidating time. Now not so much probably for
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Paul, but in order to understand the scene, it's a very
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intimidating thing to be able to stand before all these religious
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rulers that have heard about him, that are antagonistic
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toward him. And he stands there with
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confidence, just like you. You've brought into difficult
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situations, you got hardships. You can stand there in
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confidence, confidence that God is with you, standing with you.
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So he stands there, It says he looks at them earnestly.
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And then I love this phrase. He says, I have lived in all
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good conscience. This is powerful.
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He stands before them and says, you know, I have a clean
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conscience. I am telling you the truth.
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I've lived a life. Everything I'm about to share
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with you, that is my life. I'm not two people.
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I'm not three people. I have a clean conscience.
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Which when you come across a text like this, we got to stop,
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don't we? And we just have to ask the
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question that's already in the room, and that's this.
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Do you have a clean conscience? It's really important for you
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and me to have a clean conscience.
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I mean, as I've processed this message and I've already taught
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it a couple times, I can tell you today I stand here with a
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clean conscience. And what does that mean?
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I'm not hiding anything. I don't have anything to hide.
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I'm not dabbling anything. Now, don't equate a clean
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conscience with like perfect. I don't stand here.
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I'm a perfect man. But I can say with, with
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absolute confidence before you, I have a clean conscience.
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Like there's nothing I'm hiding nothing I'm trying to dabble in.
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You're not seeing a different Ed then you then Marie would see at
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home or the kids Like I have a clean conscience and that's how
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I want to live my life. There is no softer pillow to
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rest your weary head on than the faithfulness of God and a clean
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conscience. There's no progress going to be
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made in your life unless you have a clean conscience, unless
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you come clean before the Lord where you're not hiding things
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and you're not double faced and hip hypocritical like this is
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what you want. And this is one of the things
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that gave Paul such strength. But Even so, I love what Paul
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said later on in First Corinthians.
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You can just jot it down in chapter 4, verse four.
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I'll read it to you from the new living.
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It says my conscience is clear, but that doesn't prove I'm
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right. It is the Lord Himself who will
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examine me and decide. So it's not just a clean
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conscience. God uses a clean conscience to
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give you confidence. It's not just because, well, I
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have a clean comment, so I'm right.
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No, I'm right because of the righteousness of Christ and His
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presence in my life. So notice what happens now.
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Paul's standing there and it says in verse 2.
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And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him
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to strike him on the mouth. And Paul said to him, God will
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strike you, you whitewashed wall, for you said to judge me
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according to the law. You command me to be struck
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contrary to the law. And then those who stood by
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said, Do you revile God's high priest?
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And then Paul said, I didn't know, brethren, that he was the
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high priest. For it's written, you shall not
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speak evil of the ruler of your people.
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And so here's the reward. Paul is perfectly 100% in the
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will of God sharing the truth before this large group of the
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Sanhedrin, the Jewish religious Supreme Court.
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And he says the truth and he struck and he's hit upside the
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head basically. And isn't that, isn't that what
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happens to us at times? You, there you are, you know,
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you're just doing what God's 'cause you do, you're obedient.
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Like there's not you're just and and and the reward for obedience
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is to get hit and to get struck in some way to have someone come
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against you. But that is life.
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And it's one of those passages in Paul's life that causes
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controversy. It's one of those controversial
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passages, probably not a real controversial one, but one
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nonetheless. And it's here in verse 5 when
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Paul says, I didn't know, brethren, that he was the high
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priest. Many people come to this and
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they want to be critical and say, well, you know, Paul's a
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liar. He knew and so why is he writing
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this? And then maybe he's not such a
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clean conscience and everything and they come and and I would
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just say be careful, would you? Would you just be careful when
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whether it comes to the Bible or each other, be careful of
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jumping to conclusions because I don't believe myself that he's
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lying here. There are other options
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available rather than just saying, oh, look at him.
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He's not. He should know.
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I do agree. I do agree that he could know.
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He's the high priest. I mean, Paul's a rabbi.
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He's a chief of rabbis. He was studied, as we learned
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last time, under Gamaliel, who was the was taught himself under
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the rabbi halal, which was the most popular rabbi of the day.
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Paul was very smart and very knowledgeable.
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How could he not know? Is the way the question goes,
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that that was the high priest? Well, let me give you a couple
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reasons why he wouldn't know. Number one, it was a very
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tumultuous time. He's been dragged here, he's
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been dragged there and the day previously he just got beat half
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to death. And we don't know how far if it
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was he got all 40 stripes, if he got 3.
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But Can you imagine 2 full grown muscular men taking a cat, a
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knight and with full force beating him?
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I mean, he's undergoing trauma and difficulty being torn to and
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fro. And on top of that, there's very
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good evidence that Paul had a severe eye disease.
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In Galatians chapter 4, he talked about his trial in the
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flesh. In Galatians chapter 6, he
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talked about what large letters he had to write with in First
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Corinthians. You remember he said he had this
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thorn in the flesh that he begged God to take away and God
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didn't. And many people believe he may
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have contracted malaria caused his eyes.
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So there's it's a very strong possibility that he was unable
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to identify with the robes and such that this was the high
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priest. So we just have to be careful,
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jump into all these types of conclusions before we do some
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homework. And whether it's with the Bible
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or it's with each other, do you know what the Bible says?
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The first one that comes and shares it says the first one
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that shares his case. It seems to sound right until
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his neighbor comes and reproves him.
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And so we just want to be careful.
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It's a possibility. I believe Paul when he says he
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didn't know and he quotes the scripture.
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Even so, Ananias, even Ananias as the high priest, was really
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not the high priest in a in a real pure form.
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He held the office, but he was no man of God.
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He had the office in the title, but he was no man of God.
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He was a wicked, corrupt, manipulating man.
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He he did not honour the office even though he held it.
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He was well known for his greed. The ancient Jewish historian
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Josephus tells of how Ananias would steal from the ties that
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would go to the priest and take advantage of the people.
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And you know, there are people like that in churches today
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where they hold the office, but they are no man of God.
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And they have the position in the title, but they're in no way
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representing the God who gave the title.
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It's man made and man constructed and so here with
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Ananias, I guess in a technical way, which I don't think
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applies, but in a technical way. He really wasn't a real high
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priest. But Paul goes through and verse
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6 come back and says when Paul, he gets this moment.
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When Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the
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other were Pharisees, he cried out in the council.
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Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee.
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Concerning the hope and the resurrection of the dead, I'm
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being judged. And when he had said this, a
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dissension arose among the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and
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the assembly was divided. For the Sadducees say there is
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no resurrection, no Angel or spirit, but the Pharisees
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confess both. And then there arose a loud
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outcry, verse 9. And the scribes who were of the
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Pharisees party arose and protested, saying, we find no
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evil in this man, but if a spirit or an Angel has spoken to
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him, let's not fight against God.
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And when there arose a great dissension, the commander
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fearing Les Paul might be pulled to pieces by them.
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So, you know, it's no calm moment they're going to he, they
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see he might be pulled to pieces, his arms ripped off his
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body. When they, when they saw that,
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it says they commanded the soldiers to go down, take him by
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force from among them and bring him into the barracks.
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Paul is in the midst of this and he's a quick thinker, the Holy
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Spirit. He's sensitive to the Holy
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Spirit. And he recognizes in the
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Sanhedrin that there are basically two groups of leaders.
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Two groups. Sadducees had their own beliefs
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and Pharisees had their own beliefs.
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And he uses this as he did with his citizenship to further the
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gospel. And he notices that and he
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asserts, although he, he really isn't a Pharisee anymore in the
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sense that he's moved on to follow Christ, but he asserts
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his past relationship with the Pharisees and he speaks up and
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he says, I am a Pharisee, which stirred up the Pharisees to
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support him and back him. And because of that, now there's
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a division and he gets delivered again.
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And it's amazing. Now the Sadducees, just for you
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Bible students, you need to know this.
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The Sadducees would be what we consider today, liberal in their
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theology, liberal in their theology.
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They denied the possibility of, of life after death.
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They didn't believe in the resurrection, as the text says.
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They didn't believe in angels in the angelic realm, in the spirit
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realm. They believed in the total
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freedom of the will uninfluenced by God or faith and and they
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were just really humanistic, even though they call themselves
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religious. The Pharisees on the other hand,
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would be what we would consider more conservative.
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They were Bible or or Torah literalists.
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So they took the Bible literally.
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But of course then they added traditions and they made-up a
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bunch of rules and became very legalistic.
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They were committed strictly to observing the law and all the
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traditions that they added to it, committed to carrying out
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the duties of the law like tithing and performing all the
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ceremonial washings. They came together in this
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religious body, but now Paul sees this and he takes advantage
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of it and now they're fighting with one another and here are
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these religious rulers and leaders willing to pull Paul's
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arms off. None of them are really
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representing God, and they're just only representing their own
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self-interest, which is for another Bible study at another
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time. But it's important that we
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understand if God has placed you in a position of spiritual
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leadership, it is for God and not for you.
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It's not for you, it's not for you to do your thing, it's not
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for you to take from people, it's not for you to manipulate.
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It's for you and me to represent Him.
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Remember Jesus said in Mark 10 verse 45 that He came not to be
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served, but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many.
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And so here they are. He's delivered.
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He's thrown in jail into the barracks.
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Notice with me next in verse 11, it says the following night the
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Lord stood by him and said, be of good cheer Paul.
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For as you have testified for me in Jerusalem, so you must also
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bear witness at Rome. Now I began our Bible study by
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sharing with you that Paul is at an all time low.
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And for some of you reading the text before and after and you
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know, reading ahead, you're wondering where'd you get that
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from pastor? How do you know he was at an all
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time low? This one verse is an indication
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of where Paul is emotionally and you say well why?
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Well I want you to notice first of all that in the barracks
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Jesus came and encouraged Paul personally.
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Why? Because he needed it.
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Notice his first words. He tells Paul be of good cheer.
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Why? Because Paul was discouraged.
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How wouldn't you? I think I would be.
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I get my hopes up so high, want to go to Jerusalem, want to see
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something we know. I don't care if prophecies say I
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shouldn't. And all these difficulties I
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don't care about. I think God's going to use me in
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Jerusalem. And then he's not used much at
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all, at least visibly. It seems the exact opposite of
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what he wanted is what happened now.
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He's thrown in jail. He's been beat.
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They want to kill him. Jesus says Paul, be encouraged.
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It's going to be OK. Not only that, the second thing
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that he says to him is that you have testified for me in
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Jerusalem. The second thing Paul needed to
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hear is you did the right thing because you know you get in when
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your expectations. You want to do something for
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God. You you want to obey him.
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You want to jump in your ex got high expectations.
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When your expectations aren't met, like when it doesn't go the
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way you thought it would be. I think of some of you right
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now. You're looking at your life
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right now and you're like, it's not the way I thought it would
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be at this age. I didn't think I'd be doing
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this. I didn't think it'd be that way.
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I, I didn't think I'd be raising my grandkids.
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I didn't think I'd be broke. I didn't think my business would
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fail. You were just in that place.
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I didn't think this is what happens.
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The enemy would love to come to you and tell you that you're a
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failure and you know it's all your fault.
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But then he's trying to cloud you from the providential
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sovereignty of God, that God is with you.
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And stepping out in faith is the right thing to do, even if it
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doesn't work out the way you thought.
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And that's what Paul needed to hear.
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You were faithful in Jerusalem. Yeah, but you don't know.
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Nobody heard nobody. Listen here, I'm in jail.
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Jesus says, no, you don't see it.
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The way I see it, you were faithful and he gives him one
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more thing with fate, with that encouragement, he gives Paul
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hope. How He says I'm going to use you
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in Rome. And you know what you can do
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with a statement like that. You can conclude I'm getting out
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of jail. I'm going to be delivered.
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I don't know when and I don't know how, but Jesus said Rome is
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still ahead. He's like, Oh yes, and God met
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Paul in his all time low and God meets you and me.
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If we'll just listen. He'll come to you in a dream and
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a vision. He'll speak to you in his in his
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word. He'll meet you in your prayer
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life. He'll have somebody send you a
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text, show up at your door, give you a phone call and just like
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man, I've been praying for your shared Scripture.
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God is in the business, if you will, of encouraging his Saints
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for the work of the ministry. And so here he is.
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He's in a great time. He's in a strong time.
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Verse 12 Now so then when it was day, some of the Jews banded
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together and bound themselves under an oath saying that they
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would neither eat nor drink until they had Paul had killed
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Paul, and you're like, what? Now there's a group that says
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verse 13, there were more than 40 people formed this
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conspiracy. 40 people now have decided, hey guys, let's get
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together, let's talk about this. How about this?
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How about we make a commitment? We're not going to eat or drink
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until we murder Paul. Yes, yay, let's do that.
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And now we have a murderous conspiracy against Paul, verse
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14. And this group come to the chief
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priest and the elders and they told him, we've bound ourselves
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under a great oath that we'll eat nothing until we've killed
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Paul. Now you therefore, together with
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the council, suggest to the commander that he'd be brought
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down to you tomorrow as though you were going to make further
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inquiries concerning him. But we're ready to kill him
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before he comes near. This is unbelievable.
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You know, the, the the chief priests and elders should have
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said, are you guys out of your minds?
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You're not killing Paul, but they're corrupt and here they
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are. We're not going to eat or drink.
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Now, if you read ahead, I'll just give you the rest of the
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chapter here very briefly. Paul isn't killed.
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The plot doesn't come to pass. OK, It doesn't happen.
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So let me just ask you this question.
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They committed. They committed to not eat or
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drink unless they killed Paul. But they didn't kill Paul.
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So let's say this. Do you think all these 40 people
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died of starvation? So I just want you to answer out
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loud. Do you think they really died of
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starvation? Yes or no?
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No, Me either. You know why?
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Because they're cowards. I know that much about them.
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They're cowards. And really, that's the essence
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of the devil. He's a liar.
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He loves to intimidate, he loves to scare you, He loves to get
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you and maybe send people to do that.
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But you know what? It's not as much as you might
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think it is. God is greater than the devil.
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God is greater than the plots. God is greater than the threats.
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God is greater the intimidations.
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Now, I know, you know, sometimes people do condoms, people do
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weird, bad, sinful things. I know that.
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But most of the time it's just the enemy messing with your
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head. That's all it is messing with
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your head, you know, because really Paul doesn't know
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anything about this. Paul doesn't know anything about
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this yet. And so where is he while all
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this is happening? He's resting in the war.
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He's trusting in God. He has no idea that 40 cowards
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have come together and said, you know what?
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We're not going to eat until we kill Paul.
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Whatever. I'm sure they they snuck a
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little snicker bar here and, you know, it's like, oh, where's
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Paul? I don't know, like, listen, your
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strength in the Lord is much greater than the threats of the
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enemy. Never forget that trust in the
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Lord. But here's where it gets really,
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really cool in this notice in verse 16 now and when Paul's
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sister's son, which would make him what Paul's nephew, Paul's
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sister's son heard of their ambush.
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He went and entered the barracks and told Paul.
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Then Paul called one of the centurions to him and said, take
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this and notice the phrase young man to the commander for he has
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something to tell him. So he took him, brought him to
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the commander and said, Paul, the prisoner called me to him
23:14
and asked me to bring this young man to you.
23:17
He has something to say to you. Then the commander took him by
23:20
the hand inside and asked him, What is it that you have to tell
23:23
me? And he said, the Jews have
23:25
agreed to ask you to bring down Paul to the council tomorrow, as
23:29
though they're going to inquire more fully about him.
23:31
But do not yield to them, for more than 40 of them lie and
23:36
wait for him, men who have bound themselves by an oath that
23:39
they'll neither eat nor drink till they have killed him.
23:42
And now they're ready, waiting for the promise from you.
23:45
And so the commander let the young man depart and commanded
23:50
him. Tell no one that you have
23:52
revealed these things to me. And in this time of
23:56
encouragement behind the scenes, Satan definitely has his
24:00
helpers. Paul was plagued by enemies his
24:03
whole life, Jews and Gentiles angry at him for sharing the
24:08
gospel. And this oath comes to us from
24:11
the same Greek root word that we get, the word anathema that they
24:16
said, you know, if we don't fulfill this, let God curse us.
24:20
And I don't believe they kept their oath.
24:24
It reminds me that you and I won't be without our enemies
24:27
either. There will be many who come
24:29
against you simply because of your faith.
24:32
As a believer following Christ, you can expect scorn and
24:36
ridicule and persecution to be marginalized, to be pushed to
24:40
the side to to have disfavor in culture, to have government
24:45
officials and laws be written against you, to have persecution
24:49
and people calling you names and saying that you aren't people of
24:53
love but people of hate, and on and on and on the list goes.
24:55
You can expect that Jesus put it this way in Matthew chapter 5
25:00
and verse 11. It says blessed are you when
25:03
they revile and persecute you and say all kinds of evil
25:06
against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly God,
25:11
for great is your reward in heaven.
25:13
For so they persecuted the prophets even before you, you
25:19
and I. We just need to make sure that
25:20
our persecution is for righteousness sake and not
25:24
because we're in the flesh. A lot of times believers will do
25:27
something you know that they should never be doing and then
25:30
they get backlash and they go, I'm being persecuted from the
25:32
law. I'm being persecuted by the
25:34
world. I'm being persecuted when all
25:35
the while you're just suffering the consequences of your bad
25:38
behavior. You want to walk in
25:40
righteousness and honor God with your life, come what may.
25:46
Well as the plot is thickening there.
25:49
Paul's nephew, if you notice, three times he was called a
25:53
young man, which is where I really think it's important for
25:56
us to pause here and speak to those of you listening to me
26:00
that are young men and young women among us, both here in the
26:04
room and out online and on the radio.
26:06
The young men as well as the moms and the dads and the
26:10
grandmothers and the grandfathers and the aunts and
26:13
the uncles among us, but especially the young people.
26:17
It's important that you hear me out.
26:18
Please hear me out on this. God used a young man to save
26:24
Paul's life. God used a young person to save
26:29
his life. Which tells me that God wants to
26:32
use you no matter how old you are.
26:36
God wants to use you at whatever age.
26:37
You are reminding me of Second Chronicles chapter 34, a time in
26:42
the life of the nation of Israel where it says in verse one,
26:45
Josiah was eight years old when he became king and he reigned 31
26:50
years in Jerusalem. And he did what was right in the
26:53
sight of the Lord and walked in the ways of his father David.
26:56
And he did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.
27:01
Does God use 8 year old boys for His glory?
27:04
Yes, and seven and six and 10. Parents, God wants to use your
27:10
kids in mighty ways. He wants our kids to rise up and
27:14
be counted to be used mightily of Him.
27:17
God's hand is on every generation church, and it's
27:22
important, you know, for years, for the last few years, we as a
27:26
leadership team have been working very, very hard and
27:30
praying very, very diligently and rearranging all the areas of
27:35
ministry as it relates to the youth of our church in order to
27:38
help disciple them and help them.
27:40
We want to help the kids and we want to help the parents.
27:43
We want to equip you. We want to train you.
27:46
We want to stir you. We want to create an environment
27:49
where the kids can learn about Jesus and grow in his grace and
27:52
be used in their age in this church.
27:55
You know, we made a fundamental difference.
27:57
I made a fundamental difference in my approach many years ago
28:01
because I think in the early years, you might even listen to
28:03
some of my old Bible studies. I would say something like, you
28:06
know, OK kids, and this would be an all sincerity to kind of stir
28:09
up the young people. I'd say, OK kids, I just want
28:12
you to know you are the future of the church.
28:16
That is not a true statement. You are the future of the
28:19
church. Let me give you the truth right
28:22
now. This is the truth.
28:23
You are not the future of the church.
28:25
Listen, you are the church right now.
28:30
You do not need to wait for some age for you to participate in
28:34
the life of the church. Of course you need to be born
28:36
again for sure, but every born again man, woman and child is
28:41
presently the church and lives in such a way and should live in
28:47
such a way that you're fulfilling God's will for your
28:51
life. You know, even an 8 year old
28:52
king, and I know he had handlers.
28:54
I mean, well, we're not going to hand the church van keys to an 8
28:57
year old today and say, OK, go ahead, you know, drive on, go
29:00
get us some gas or something. OK, Like, like there's wisdom in
29:04
this, right? We're going to have an age
29:05
appropriate ministry, age appropriate discipleship, but
29:10
it's time for the youth to rise up and it's time for us as
29:13
adults to make it happen. For them to create an
29:16
environment for them to help disciple them and encourage them
29:19
and to help them be who God has called them to be, not to look
29:23
down on them because of their age.
29:25
And I remember what what Paul told Timothy, what Paul told
29:28
Timothy is he took in his mid 30s, in his mid 30s, who was
29:32
given the leadership of the church in Ephesus.
29:35
And Paul had to write to him and say, let no one despise your
29:38
youth. And that's something that we can
29:41
give those of us that are not so young.
29:45
You know, there are layers of age in here, layers of
29:47
generations. And and there are some of us,
29:50
some among us that are not young.
29:53
Did you know that you are not young?
29:56
And then there's another layer. You're not young, young.
30:00
And then there's another one that you're not young, young,
30:04
young, all of us. And, and here's where we have to
30:08
pause just for a moment to, to, to speak to that, because here's
30:11
what happens. Those of us that are not so
30:15
young, young, young, or let's just be those of you that are
30:17
older. All right, let's just say it.
30:20
This intimidates you and kind of upsets you sometimes because
30:23
here's what happens. You, you start thinking, oh,
30:25
there it is. Pastor.
30:26
All he cares is about the youth. All he cares about the youth.
30:29
This church is all about the youth.
30:30
And they're going to overlook me and they're not going to think
30:33
of me. And I'm like, just stop.
30:35
That's not true. It's 100% not true, but I'll
30:40
tell you where that comes from. It comes from a place where
30:43
you're not willing to release to the young.
30:46
It comes from a place where you're thinking more of yourself
30:48
than you're thinking of others. It comes from a place where
30:52
perhaps the Lord is dealing with you.
30:54
To think that, you know there is room for you in this church, but
30:57
there's also room for the kids. There is room for you in this
31:00
church and there's a need for you in this church, but there's
31:03
also a need for the kids and it's together.
31:07
Multi generational is how a church is intended to be strong
31:13
and in unity for the sake of reaching the world.
31:16
And so don't think for a moment that we're going to overlook you
31:19
for your age. And don't think for a moment
31:21
that we're just going to just because you know, you're, you're
31:23
think all this new stuff and all this new music and all this new
31:27
technology and all this new, all this new.
31:29
What about us? Hey, what about you?
31:31
You had new technology as well. You had time as well.
31:35
And So what we're inviting you to do is let's come along and
31:40
let's empower the kids. I was thinking, can God use
31:42
young kids? I'll tell you, God can use young
31:45
kids in a powerful way. I thought back.
31:47
I can't help but think back to Maria and I when we were married
31:51
as unbelievers. I was a horrible man, not a good
31:56
dad or husband at all. And we were in a season where we
32:00
needed to find daycare for our four year old.
32:03
And he's the daycare he was in Eddie, he was, he hated it.
32:07
He was always crying, He hated. And we're like, man, we got to
32:10
find another daycare. We got to get him out.
32:12
And so Marie had this lady she worked with said, Hey, I just
32:16
put my kid in to do daycare. It's at a church right by your
32:19
house. And we're like, oh, and it was
32:22
inexpensive. And so when Marie came back with
32:25
that idea, I was like, great, because those are two things
32:27
that would be great for me. Number one, it's cheap and
32:31
that's great. And #2 my kid will get religion
32:34
because I'll never give it to him.
32:36
And so we put him in and so there he was.
32:39
He was going to daycare. He was happy because he was a
32:41
happy kid generally. He was happy coming home with
32:44
his little papers and talking about God and everything.
32:47
It was great. And I remember the day like it
32:49
was yesterday. I have a visual memory of little
32:52
my son Eddie at four years old. He looks up at me with his big
32:54
brown eyes and he says, Daddy, do you have Jesus in your heart?
33:01
And I thought, what in the world are they teaching my kid?
33:05
Like, what is that? What does that mean?
33:06
Even? I don't even know what that
33:07
means. And it was God using a four year
33:11
old child out of the mouth of babes and he was just planted.
33:15
It was another seed. You know why?
33:17
Because God knew what he had for me.
33:18
God knew my future. He knew what was up ahead.
33:21
He knew where he was taking me. And it started with my four year
33:25
old kid. Oh, by the way, that 4 year old
33:27
kid was birthed. Yeah.
33:29
Praise God. We'll praise God for that.
33:31
Because you have your own story, right?
33:33
You have your own story that that 4 year old child was was
33:36
born a teenage parents, unmarried, no future because God
33:43
knows God knows what he's doing in your life too.
33:46
And young people, you that are here right now, high school,
33:51
junior high, maybe you're sitting in with your parents and
33:54
you're much younger than that young adults, you know, maybe in
33:58
that 18 to 30. I want you to listen to me.
34:01
Listen carefully is this is very important.
34:05
Wherever you are, whatever sphere of influence God has
34:09
given to you, whether you're in school, whether you're working
34:12
right now in your neighborhood, on your soccer team, on your
34:18
Taekwondo class, wherever you are, you need to stand strong in
34:25
the grace of God and stand up because there's a whole bunch of
34:28
young people in your life that need you.
34:31
They need you, your friends, your neighbors, the kids around
34:36
you. They're willingly following
34:38
false gods. They're they're involved in
34:42
being hurt and manipulated and groomed and taken advantage of
34:47
and LED away from the truth. Whether it's perversion or
34:51
pornography, gender confusion, immorality, drugs, alcohol, this
34:56
thing, that thing, the other thing, this generation needs
35:00
you. They need you to have a strong
35:02
walk with the Lord. They, they need you to speak
35:05
into their lives. They need you to be a good
35:07
friend. They need you to pray for them.
35:09
They, they, this is God's will for your life.
35:12
These, this world is destroying children.
35:17
It's destroying young people. The world today is more
35:21
depressed than ever. Suicide rates are shooting
35:24
through the roof. They're more miserable, more
35:27
lonely, more in the dark, more isolated, oppressed, depressed
35:31
than at ever any other time. And they need a young person
35:34
that they can trust. They need someone that's in
35:37
their life already saying, you know, I'm here for you, I can
35:40
help you, let me pray for you. However it is in your in an age
35:44
appropriate way as you step into their lives.
35:47
God wants you and needs you and really you could say that he has
35:51
anointed you to be who God has called you to be.
35:55
It's not just us that have been going before you, but we have a
35:59
responsibility to help you get where God wants you to be.
36:04
Today the world needs young people to call out the idolatry
36:07
and the pain. Like here's what it looks like
36:09
man. If you're on Instagram then
36:11
start using Instagram for the glory of God.
36:13
If you're on TikTok, you need to start using it for the glory of
36:16
God. Like where you are.
36:18
Your voice needs to be heard to the people that are closest to
36:24
you and I'm speaking again. I know this is applicable to all
36:29
of us and I'm especially speaking to you. 16 year old, 18
36:34
year old high school college student.
36:38
This is your day, this is your day.
36:42
This is what God's will is for your life.
36:45
I am so serious about this that I, as I was putting this
36:49
together this week, I was thinking I need to do something
36:51
tangible because I want you to know I mean it.
36:54
I'm not, This is not just a bio study and just like it's never
36:56
just a Bible study, but I mean, I want you to know, I want it to
36:59
be tangible for you. So here's what I did.
37:02
I have a free book available to give to any young person.
37:06
So let us say every young person, high school and below,
37:10
high school and below, so high school all the way down.
37:13
I have a free book for you. It's a book that Pastor Chuck
37:15
wrote that's called The Man God Uses.
37:18
It's 14 characteristics of a godly man and you can say godly,
37:21
a woman, a godly boy, godly girl.
37:25
If you really hear me and you, you sense the Holy Spirit
37:28
speaking to you, I want to help equip you.
37:30
So we got them on the side of the stage here, a few of them
37:33
here and a few of them here after the service, high school
37:36
and below. This isn't something I want you
37:38
as a parent to come up and get for your kid.
37:40
This some a decision your kid needs to make.
37:42
So it's not like, well, I'll get one for my son, a gun.
37:45
You can get one for your son. We have them in the bookstore.
37:46
But these, these are for the young people listening to me
37:49
right now. And if we run out, you can
37:52
e-mail or call the office. Tanya's going to get more and
37:55
we'll make sure every young person that wants one that feels
37:58
like the Lord's speaking to him, we will have them.
38:00
We will buy them by the hundreds and the thousands if we have to
38:03
as a gift to you. Is this how serious I am in the
38:05
day in which we live that you learn the characteristics in the
38:08
inward man and the inward woman so that you might be using some
38:12
of you are like young adults here and you go, what about me?
38:14
Don't I get a free book? You can buy it.
38:18
You got a job, you know, you can buy it.
38:21
Hang on a job. But no, I mean it for you too,
38:23
please. I mean it for you.
38:25
But I mean, the high schoolers, junior, they don't have jobs.
38:27
And so, you know, we want to get this to them.
38:29
Make sure. And so I've already spoken with
38:31
Pastor Enrique and Keegan and our pastoral team.
38:34
You read the book and we'll talk about it.
38:36
I mean, read it as homework and come and talk to us about it.
38:39
They're already ready. We want to talk you through.
38:41
We want you to encourage you. We want to release you.
38:44
This is something we've been doing for a while, but coming
38:47
across this text this week, I'm just like, yes, this is the
38:50
time. This is the time.
38:52
And again, you're I'm using the word older.
38:55
Just deal with it. You're older here today.
38:57
We're all older. We, we, it's like running a
39:00
relay race, isn't it? It's like, that's the picture
39:03
you need, right? You're running a relays, We're
39:04
running our race, but then we've got to go out.
39:07
We're just about ready and we've got to hand the baton to the
39:11
next generation. It's our responsibility.
39:14
They're ready. They're give it to me.
39:15
Give it to me. Yeah, we're ready.
39:18
And, and being able not to be so, you know, insecure and
39:22
fearful, like you're going to lose something.
39:24
When more people serve the Lord, we don't lose anything.
39:27
We gain and when everyone in our church, every layer is doing
39:32
what God has called them to do and I I'm just so already
39:35
encouraged by the amount of participation of young people in
39:39
this church and and their desire to serve the Lord, their desire
39:43
to be used to the Lord. It's amazing, but it's there's
39:45
more and that means 56810 like you bring your kids with you,
39:50
you serve together. It's amazing what God can do.
39:53
So those books are available. If we run out, just e-mail us or
39:57
call the church and we'll make sure we'll get more.
39:59
I and I know the Lord is ready. The Lord is ready to minister.
40:04
So if you're taking notes as we wind down, I want to give you 3
40:06
things about this young man that are very important to see
40:10
because there's characteristics we want to pray over our kids.
40:13
You know, like right away, you don't even need a book.
40:15
You can start reading your Bible and praying every day.
40:18
The Holy Spirit will meet you there.
40:19
But there are characteristics that we see in this young man,
40:22
this young man who is valiant. This young man is a hero of the
40:27
faith. He was used of God to save Paul.
40:30
If this didn't happen, then the plot came to pass.
40:33
We would not have I, you can understand this, we would not
40:37
have most of the New Testament because of this kid, this kid.
40:44
And I know we use that word kid. And then you're sitting there.
40:46
I'm not a kid. I'm a young adult.
40:48
OK, kid. We know who you are.
40:50
Like, it's fine. Like it's, we don't mean any
40:52
offense of it. It's like it's just you're
40:53
young. It's fine.
40:54
Well, I was a kid once too. It's great.
40:57
But you know, God's moving you forward.
40:58
And I know it can be scary. And I know you know, it's like,
41:02
yeah, you don't understand, Pastor, what you said, it's even
41:04
worse than that. I'm sure it is from your
41:07
perspective. But as a church, that's what
41:10
we're going to trust in the Lord together.
41:13
And these are the characteristics.
41:14
Number one, this young man was brave and courageous.
41:18
He had some serious information. He found out about a murder
41:21
plot, a murder plot, and what did he do with it?
41:26
He told the authorities that took some bravery and some
41:30
courage. He went to Paul, and then Paul
41:33
sent him. You need to be brave and
41:35
courageous and pray that over your kids, over your life, over
41:39
our church #2 this young man, he was wise.
41:44
He's walking in wisdom. You know how we have that
41:47
phrase? Some people say you're wise
41:50
beyond your years. That's this guy.
41:54
That's he's wise beyond his years.
41:57
How do we see that? Well, he told the captain the
41:59
plot. He went to Paul.
42:01
They sent him to the captain, to the commander.
42:03
Not only did he tell him of the plot, but you can't miss this.
42:06
Come back to the Bible real quick.
42:08
In verse 21, he told the commander, this military
42:11
captain, don't yield to them. Not only did he tell him the
42:16
plot, but he gave him a recommendation.
42:19
He told him what to do. Brave, courageous, wise.
42:23
Don't let that happen. So encouraging from a young
42:27
person. And then finally he was
42:29
trustworthy. God allowed him to get some
42:32
information and he was trustworthy with it.
42:36
Whenever I think of the word trustworthy, I always flip it
42:38
around and remember what it means is you and I live a life
42:42
where we're worthy of trust or our lives are worth.
42:46
You know why? Because within ministry and
42:47
other people, I like to say trust is the currency of
42:51
ministry. And what I mean by that is
42:54
really all of our relationships are built on trust.
42:57
And the more you trust me, the more you'll tell me.
43:01
And the more you tell me, the more I can help you.
43:04
That's trust. And that's why it stings so bad
43:08
when someone that you trust hurts you or lies to you or
43:12
betrays you, because the devil knows that as much as the Bible
43:17
teaches us how important trust is.
43:20
And so I would just say, if you've been stung or you've been
43:22
burned before, don't let that harden your heart because you
43:24
need trust. You need it because eventually,
43:28
if you lose trust with one another, your trust in God will
43:30
be eroded. And you and I, we need trust.
43:34
You can walk carefully and cautiously because of the hurt.
43:36
I understand. But trust is so important.
43:40
And Even so, if you've been hurt in the church, you've been hurt
43:42
in this church, you've been hurt by another spiritual leader.
43:45
I apologize. I wish it didn't happen.
43:50
But you know, sin, it just wrecks us, man.
43:53
It just wrecks us. And we need to learn to recover,
43:57
repent, get back on our feet. Though a man fall 7 times, he'll
44:00
rise again and move forward. So he was trustworthy and the
44:04
soldier trusted his word and noticed the rest of the the
44:09
chapter. He trusted his word and rescued
44:12
Paul. He said in verse 23, he called
44:15
for two centurion saying, prepare 200 soldiers, 70
44:18
horsemen, 200 Spearman to go to Caesarea at the third hour of
44:22
the night and provide provide mounts to set Paul on and bring
44:26
him safely to Felix the governor.
44:28
And he wrote a letter in the following manner.
44:30
Claudius Lysius, To the most excellent governor.
44:32
Felix, Greetings. This man was seized by the Jews,
44:37
was about to be killed by them coming with the troops.
44:40
I rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman, and when I
44:44
wanted to know the reason they accused him, I brought him
44:46
before their counsel. I found out that he was accused
44:49
concerning questions of their law, but had nothing charged
44:52
against them worthy of death or chains.
44:54
Verse 30. And when it was told me that the
44:56
Jews lay in wait for the man, I sent him immediately to you, and
44:59
also commanded the accusers to state before you the charges
45:02
against him. Farewell.
45:04
So now Paul is saved. He's surrounded by 470 armed men
45:09
and he heads off. It says in verse 31.
45:11
The soldiers, as they commanded, took Paul and brought him by
45:14
night to Anti Petrus. And the next day they left the
45:17
horseman to go on with him and return to the barracks.
45:20
And they came to Caesarea and had delivered the letter to the
45:22
governor. They also presented Paul to him.
45:25
And when the governor had read it, he asked what province he
45:28
was from. And when he understood he was
45:30
from Cilicia, he said, I'll hear you when your accusers have come
45:33
down. And he commanded him to be kept
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in Herod's praetorium. So he was delivered and he did
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get out of jail and God did protect him.
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And he's going to get another opportunity to share now, not in
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Jerusalem, but over in Caesarea. But he is going to get another
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opportunity to share. And he is there waiting for it
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all to come together. And I'm sure of all the emotions
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that Paul's feeling in the praetorium in Caesarea, he has
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to be comforted by the faithfulness of God.
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And here's the thing you got to understand, he is not out of the
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trial. We're at the end of the chapter,
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but he's in the middle of the trial.
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That's how life is. We kind of think like, OK, I
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finally got there. I finally got there.
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It's all going to end here. But no, God's taking us as we
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read in the Psalm today, from strength to strength and glory
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to glory. We all are desperate to be
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delivered from our trials and for things that are hard right
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now to end. And we say Amen to that.
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Lord, I beg you, take this thorn.
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I beg you to bring my son back. I beg you to save my marriage.
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Yes, yes, yes. And then we expect that that is
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exactly what's going to happen immediately.
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But many times you're still in the trial, but yet God's
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faithful. You're still in the trial, and
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yet He did encourage you. You're still in the trial, but
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you made it another day. You're still in the trial, but
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you got soldiers all around you protecting you.
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You know, he was threatened by 40 cowards and God protected him
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for a 470 military men that were paid for by the government
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himself and giving him another chance to share in a whole new
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group of people. I know it's hard.
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The harder things are in the world in which we live.
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And no matter what we're facing today, trust in God.
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Church, would you please? And young people, rise up, step
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into the story that God has for you early, not later.
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And then those of us that may not consider ourselves so young,
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it's God's word for you to step up, to step into the story.
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These are the last days. That's not just a quick phrase
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or a bumper sticker. This is it.
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We are closer, as the Bible says, to the coming of the Lord
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than any other time in human history.
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And yet we're still here, which Jesus reminds us that we're here
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for a purpose, to be the church in our community.
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The world is always going to be the world, but the church is the
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only men and women and boys and girls that can be the church in
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a Dark World, salt and light. So I commend you to the faith
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that you have in God and build it up.
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And remember, if you're a young person today, high school and
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under, take my gift, take me seriously, jump in, give
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yourself to God. I know you have a full life.
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I know you got homework. I know you got school.
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I know you got sports. I know, I know.
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But you also have a God that loves you and a church that
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supports you. And we're ready to help you
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become all that God wants you to be.
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Amen, Amen. Lord, thank you for your word
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and and our desire here. Just encouraged by this text,
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encouraged by this week. Lord and help us young and old
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and even everyone in between, to live out the life that you've
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given us in a way that pleases and honors you in Jesus name,
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Amen. We pray that you've been
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encouraged by this Bible study, delivered live from the
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sanctuary of Calvary Church. For prayer, call us at 87730
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Grace that's 877-304-7223. To listen to this message in its
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integrity or to join us for our live stream services, visit us
49:31
online at Calvary Co dot Church or download our free Calvary
49:36
Church app. Be blessed as you worship Jesus
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this week.