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We are in acts chapter 15. The Bible says that we are to not be envious of others. We are also to confess our faults and I have to confess I’m envious of Janet this morning. I talked to her and said, how in the world can you have lived in a place that has allergies this bad for all these years? And she said,

I don’t have allergies. So I just got to admit I’m just a little jealous. Yeah. In that case, I’m looking forward to reaching the age where I can forget I have them. Oh. So when you hear me All, all through class, it’s not COVID I guarantee it. It’s not it’s that yellow pollen out there. All right. We are,

as I mentioned, we’re an acts chapter 15, and we’ll begin with a word of prayer. It is so good to see each and every one of you this morning. And it’s a beautiful day after a nice storm, but it’s good to see your smiling faces. Let’s pray our gracious father in heaven. We come before you grateful for your many blessings,

grateful for all that you do for us on a daily basis in all. And, and in recognition of your great power that with a word, you could bring this universe into existence. And by the word of your mouth, you could create everything that is. We struggle so much even just to control the, the many nuances of, of our own daily lives.

And yet we recognize that you reign over all that is, and that it continues to exist by the word of your power. But we are in so much greater, all that through your word, salvation has come through your word. Grace can be found through your word. Redemption is brought nine to each and every individual in the entire world who would, but here believe and obey.

We pray that you will be with us as we go through this period of study, as we focus our hearts and our minds on the, of the church in the first century. And we remind ourselves that there have always been struggles and difficulties and things to overcome within the body of Christ. That that is nothing new, nor will it go away before this world ends.

And yet that you are in charge and that you reign Supreme and that all we have to do is be obedient to you. We ask that you forgive us when we sin and fall short of your glory. When we struggled to understand and struggled to perceive what you are doing in this world, and yet help us to, by faith obey, which you have told us to do all this.

We pray in Jesus name, Amen. In acts chapter 14, verse one Only one we read. And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lister. I conium and Antioch strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith and saying, we must through many tribulations, enter the kingdom of God,

Paul and Barnabas, as they are returning from their first missionary journey. They’re returning To what city did they Leave from? Jerusalem or some other place? Antioch of Syria. Okay. They did not originate this missionary journey in Jerusalem. They originated it in Antioch and they’re returning to Antioch going back the same path that they had taken on their way out. So when they had appointed elders in every church and prayed with fasting,

they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed. And after they had passed through Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia. Now, when they had preached the word in Perga, They went down to Adeline. And from there, they sailed to Antioch where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work, which they had completed. This word,

commended keeps showing up. As they’re coming back, They’re meeting with the churches, they’re appointing elders and they’re commending them To the Lord When they left Antioch. We remember that the Holy spirit said separate out Barnabas and Saul for the work that I have chosen for them to do. And the church gathered together and they prayed and they fasted and they laid their hands on them.

And they sent them. There’s this understanding that we are to have That when we’re separated from one another, when we’re separated from those we love when we’re separated from other Christians That we don’t Have to go through every day, wondering are they okay? Is everything will be all right? I know this is a struggle for mothers when children Leave home, because you’re like,

I did everything I could while they were here. I think I, and then you count all of the things that you didn’t do right in your brain reminds you of all the times you failed. But then you, you just, at some point, If they’re faithful to the Lord, if they’re doing what’s right, if they know what’s right, You let go and allow them to walk their path before God,

some parents were robbed of that opportunity. You remember when Jacob is There and he sends his son Joseph to go check on his brothers. And Joseph goes to check on his brothers. And when he arrives to check on those brothers, his brothers look at him and they despise him. They hate him for everything. He’s said, the dreams that he’s had,

the favoritism, his father has shown him and they said, Let’s kill him. And ultimately The, the Hess of one of the brothers, they don’t kill him, But they do Take him, strip him of that coat, throw him in a pit. They eventually take that coat and dip it in the blood of, of a Ram and take it back to their father.

And they sell their brother Into slavery In an age of probably 17 or 18 years old. Joseph in a very odd sense gets commended to the Lord for the work that God had set in store for him. And it gets done by his brothers who hated. They laid their hands on him and they sent him out and they didn’t even know And realized they were doing it to save their own Lives just a few short years from that.

But I say all that to say, As we go through life, when we are separated from those who are faithful Christians, when a person is out on a missionary journey, or when someone is dealing with the difficulties of life or the difficulties of a congregation, we need to become Reliant on the Lord. And that’s what This whole word commended carries with.

It is they are not, the churches are not reliant on Paul and Barnabas. They are not reliant on the church in Jerusalem. They are not reliant on the church in Antioch. They are reliant on the Lord and they stay in independent, autonomous and alone. And yet as a part of the universal church, as a church of Christ before God, and with the understanding that God was fully capable of supplying their needs.

And so they travel back to Antioch. And when they had come and gathered the church together, they reported all that God had done with them. And that he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. This news comes back to Antioch, and this was exactly what the Holy spirit had intended for Paul and Barnabas. And that’s what Paul says is he reaches the other Antioch and preaches there and acts chapter 13.

When the Jews reject what he had told them, when the Jews are envious of the Gentiles who have come to hear Paul and Barnabas on that second Sabbath, Paul and Barnabas say, you have rejected yourselves before God. Now we’re turning to the Gentiles and they will. So they stayed there a long time with the disciples and chapter 15, certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren.

Unless you are circumcised. According to the customs of Moses, you cannot be saved. Now who started the church in Antioch? Do you remember? We discussed this, I think back in chapter 11, all right. Disciples who left Jerusalem because of the persecution and because of the things going on there. And they went all over the region and some of them went out of the region of Judea and Galilee out of Palestine.

And they started the church in Antioch and some of the surrounding cities. But one of the unique facets of the church in Antioch was they didn’t just preach to the Jews when they came to that region, they preached to the Jews and the Greeks. But these Jews, these Jewish disciples, these Jewish Christians who left Jerusalem, did they preach to these Greeks that they needed to be circumcised,

to become under the law, to be in a covenant relationship with God in order to be saved? No, they came to Antioch and they preached to Jew and Greek alike to repent and be immersed in water for the remission of your sins, because that’s what they had been taught. So now here we are all these years later, and those from Judea who are Christians in Judea start journeying out and they’re preaching a very different message.

They’re preaching Jesus Christ and him crucified his salvation to everyone who circumcised under the law. And that’s not the gospel message, but that’s the message they preached turn over to Galatians chapter one. These events right here are the background to the first two chapters of the book of Galatians. And while we will not spend a great deal of time in this in Galatians,

or we won’t get through acts chapter 15, I do want to mention a few things that we have here. Paul begins number one, verse one, Paul, an apostle, and Paul wants it to be very clear, not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God, the father who raised him from the dead, Paul writes to the churches of glacier.

And he says, I want you to be reminded. And I want it set up front that I didn’t get my apostleship from anybody on this earth. I didn’t become an apostle at the hands of Peter. I didn’t become an apostle of the hands of the apostles. I didn’t receive my message. My doctrine, my gospel from the church in Jerusalem. I got it from the Lord and notice what he says.

He says, verse six, I Marvel that you are turning away so soon from him who called you in the grace of Christ to a different gospel, which is not another, but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. If you continue This thread into chapter two, you’re going to get a clear observation that this perversion he’s talking about is what these Jewish Judean Christians are coming to these Gentile churches to teach.

Notice what he says. He says, which is not another, but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel to you, then that which we have preached to you, let him be a cursed, as we have said before. So now I say again,

if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be a cursed for, do I now persuade men or God, or do I seek to please men for if I S if I still please, man, I would not be a bond servant of Christ. Now notice he says over in verse 18, he’s, he’s going to talk about it.

You know what? I’m going to read it because it’s worth it. Just, just to get the context, just to get what Paul’s saying, but I make known to you brethren that the gospel, which was preached by me is not according to man for, I neither received it for man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ for you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism,

how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it. And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers. But when it pleased, God who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through his grace to reveal his son in me, that I might preach him among the Gentiles.

I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood. You remember when Jesus appeared to Anna Niaz and said, Anna, Niaz you go to Damascus? Because there is one waiting Saul of Tarsus. And he is going to be my instrument to take the gospel to the Gentiles. And I will show him the many things he will suffer For my name’s sake. And Paul,

I want it to be clear when he was told to take the gospel to the Gentiles. He did not respond to the Lord with, well, let me go talk with these other, these other individuals over here. Make sure they’re okay with it. Let, let, let me go talk with the elders of the church in Jerusalem. Make sure they’re okay with it.

Let me go talk to the apostles and just make sure that they’re okay now. Oh, the Lord was okay with it. And that’s all that mattered because that’s where His authority originated. But notice what he said, Verse 17, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me. But I went to Arabia and returned again to Damascus.

Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter and remained with him 15 days. But I saw none of the other apostles except James, the Lord’s brother now concerning the things which I write to you indeed, before God, I do not lie afterward. I went into the regions of Syria. Where is Annie? Fuck in Syria. Okay.

So he’s talking about Antioch now.<inaudible> and I was unknown by face to the churches of Judea, which were in Christ. You remember when Antioch sent the funds to help the churches, the church in Jerusalem. And they sent them by Hands of who? Paul and Barnabas. They Send them by the hands of polymers. This is the occasion he’s talking about.

He was there for 15 days. He says. And when I came to Jerusalem for 15 days, I saw none of the apostles, Peter. And he says, I also saw James, the brother of Jesus. Okay. But he said the churches in Judea, they don’t know my face. They don’t know who I am, That I didn’t originate with them.

So this is setting in contrast, what’s happening in chapter 15, verse one and two, he says, but they were hearing only he who formerly persecuted us now preaches the faith, which he wants, tried to destroy. And they glorified God in me. Then after 14 years, I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas and also took Titus with me.

This Is acts chapter 15, Galatians chapter two is Acts chapter 15, at least the beginning part. So he’s rehearsing this to the churches of glacier. He says, I went up to Jerusalem after 14 years and took with me Titus and Barnabas. And I went up by revelation and communicated to them that gospel, which I preached among the Gentiles, but privately to those who are of reputation less by any means I might run or had run in vain.

Okay. Paul Says, when we went to Jerusalem after these 14 years, 14 years of working in the church at Antioch, and then going on this fish first missionary journey, and then coming back to Antioch and then going to Jerusalem. And these 14 years, he has been preaching the gospel to the Gentiles. And he did not tell a single one of them here believe repent,

confess, be immersed in water and be circumcised. He didn’t tell any of them that he did Told them to hear and believe and repent and be calm and confess Christ and be immersed in water for the remission of their sins. Now, if He just spent 14 years teaching the Gentiles, That what Happens if now the church in Judea says, Whoa, wait a minute,

wait, wait. We missed a step. Yeah, If that were true, if that was coming from the Holy spirit, he would have to go back on that first missionary journey trip again and teach all those Gentiles. He’s already taught. I got it wrong. That’s what he means. When he says that I would have run in Maine. He took all this time going and teaching these Gentiles and going and teaching even these Jews.

And now he would have to go back and teach them all Again. So he says, yes, Not even Titus, who was with me being a Greek was compelled to be circumcised. So when he goes back to Jerusalem, he takes Barnabas. Who’s a Jew. And he takes Titus who’s Greek. And Titus is kind of his test case. If they,

if he goes back to the church in Jerusalem and the church in Jerusalem and the apostles insists that Titus as a Greek become circumcised. Now we’ve got a problem, buddy. If he goes with Titus to Jerusalem and uncircumcised, Greek, and comes back from Jerusalem with Titus and uncircumcised Greek, then guess what? We don’t have a problem. Okay. Now Hold off on any more Galatians two for a minute,

while we get some more of acts chapter, Therefore, Or verse two when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute with them. Okay? So remember those in Judea came to Annie Rock to preach you Unless you are circumcised. According to the customer, Moses, you cannot be safe. I know, Unlike some of my preaching brethren, when they hear someone get up before a congregation and spouts false doctrine,

Paul Martin Was warned about to sit in their seats and let it stand. I’ve got some brethren who just, Oh, well, I’ll take them aside privately. No, ah, Paul and Barnabas, we read when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension. If it was no small dissension, what was it? A great begun after a very large dissension and dispute with them,

they determined that Paul and Barnabas, they who’s the, they here, by the way, They determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem. Who’s the day<inaudible> Absolutely. It’s the, it’s the church in Antioch. All right. Here’s this church made up of Jews and Greeks and they’re going to go, Oh, wait,

we need to send, we need to send some people back to Jerusalem. Why are they sending them to Jerusalem by the way, is that because Jerusalem’s like the center of all authority in the church? Or is it because that’s where these false teachers came from? Remember these false teachers came from Judea, where’s Jerusalem, Judea, this is a Judean problem.

And it needs to be resolved. They’re not in Antioch. It needs to be resolved among the apostles and the elders in the church in Jerusalem so that the Judean Christians get their act together. Okay. So they send them to go to Jerusalem, to go up to Jerusalem, to the apostles and elders about this question. So being sent on their way by the church,

they pass through Phoenicia and Samaria describing the conversion of the Gentiles and they caused great joy to all the brethren. Now notice as they’re going down from Antioch in Syria to Jerusalem, they’re stopping along the way and all these churches and they’re spreading the good news of what the Holy spirit had done. What Christ had done in saving the Gentiles on this first missionary journey.

And the reaction of all of these churches was not well, did they circumcise, were they? No. That wasn’t the reaction. Their reaction was to be, Oh, the filled with joy that the gospel had gone to the Gentiles. Okay. So when they came to Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they reported all things that God had done to them.

Now this report right here is what Paul references back over in Galatians chapter two, when he says in verse verse two, and I went up by revelation and communicated to them, the gospel, which I preached among the Gentiles. But he says privately to those who were of reputation lest by any means I might have run or had run in Paul’s no ignoramus.

When it comes to politics. Paul is well-taught. Paul was a Pharisee, Paul knows. And by the way, we’re going to find out in acts chapter 15, that it’s farracies who were Christians that were the problem here. Okay. But Paul is going to say, I know who I am. I’m going to first. I’m not going to let anybody else control.

As we would say it today, the narrative I’m going to the elders and the apostles and those of reputation in the church in Judea first. And I’m going to talk with them privately. They’re going to hear the story from my mouth and not the mouth of the people who think I’ve done something. Okay. So he’s smart about what he’s doing here. So verse four,

back in acts, chapter 15, and when they had come to Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders. And they reported all things that had been done that God had done with them. But some of the sect of the who believed, okay, so these are farracies who were Christians. Okay. That’s what we mean by Pharisees,

who believed Luke is saying, these are believers, but they were Pharisees. Okay. He said, but some of the sector of the Pharisees who believed Rose up saying it is necessary to circumcise them, that being the Gentiles and to command them, to keep the law of Moses. Now the apostles and elders came together to consider this matter. And when they hadn’t,

there had been much dispute, Peter Rose up and said to them. Now, before we go any further, I want us to understand a few things. Number one, this was not, as we might hear to term today, a church council, this was not a collection of people who came together of their own decision-making process to determine the doctrine of Christ.

That is not because Paul has already said he, we went to Jerusalem. And what did he say in Galatians two by revelation church in Antioch sent them to Jerusalem. But the church in Antioch sent them to Jerusalem. The same way the church in Antioch sent them on the first missionary. Bernie, the Holy spirit told them to go. This coming together.

Jerusalem is not the choice of the church leaders. This is the actions of the Holy spirit. Gulling we are about to solve this problem. Well, right Now. And So the Holy spirit send Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem and the others from Antioch that go with them. And the Holy spirit is going to be at the head of this entire process, Not Individuals who are deciding church doctrine,

because that’s what you get. You get a lot of, a lot of denominations. A lot of, even our brethren coming up today saying, well, they determined what the church believed back here. Next chapter 15, they didn’t At No point ever have Christians gotten to decide what the church doctrine is. Christians are allowed to decide. And every, every congregation autonomously are allowed to decide matters of Liberty matters of judgment.

That’s the role of elders to determine in a congregation, how to handle matters of judgment for him. What color should the carpet be? What color should we paint the walls? What time do we meet on Sunday? How many services should we have? One or more? They can’t say zero because that’s a matter of doctrine. They can say one or more that,

do we have a midweek Bible study or not? All of those are matters of judgment. All of those are determinations by a local congregation or by a local ed. Eldership going, this is what we think is the best way to grow Edify, encourage exhort and evangelize in our community. And they’re matters of Liberty. Not matters Of doctrine, but When it’s a question of how does a person become saved?

That’s a settled discussion. And Paul says, when you come around and you say, well, wait a minute. I know the new Testament says that. I know the gospel says that, but I think you need to do this. Paul says, no, no, no. You’ve perverted. The gospel. You’ve changed the doctrine of Christ. And you’ve taken those who are in the grace of God and you have caused them to be cursed.

So when you Have someone who says, you know what? I know that Jesus said he, that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but I’m willing to just accept he, the believers, Really? At what Point did Jesus offer up his throne and allow you to sit on it and get to decide what causes a person to be saved? He never has.

I’ve got a phrase that I use that I inherited from my Parents. When my children Decided to start bossing one another around, it goes something like this who died and left you in charge Because that’s the only way it’s going to happen. That’s the only way You’re going to inherit any authority is if I am dead up until that point, Tough luck. You don’t have any authority.

Is Christ dead then Matters where he’s already decided what the answer is. We don’t have any authority and that’s one of these matters. Okay? So to the exact opposite of what some want to claim about this passage, this is the exact exemplification of the church coming together and going, wait a minute, what did Christ say? What Did the Holy spirit say?

And we’re going to do whatever that is. Okay. So notice Or gets up. Peter gets up And Rose up and said to them, men and brethren, you know that a good while ago, God chose among us that by my mouth, the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe that’s acts chapter 11. When the Holy spirit sent Peter to Cornelius To preach the gospel,

amen. And P and the Holy spirit told him, you go and not doubting. Don’t doubt, just go. And he went and the Holy spirit fell upon those individuals. And Peter’s response was can any Withhold baptism from them? Peter, didn’t say, can anybody hear withhold Leaving from them? He didn’t say, would anybody here withhold repentance from no.

He said, can anyone here with whole baptism from them? Now notice he’s going to rehearse this. He said that by my mouth, the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe so God who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy spirit, just as he did to us. That’s the us of acts chapter two, the apostles just as he did to us and made no distinction between us and them purifying their hearts by faith.

Now, therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers, nor we Were able to bear. Peter gets up as this dispute is going on. You’ve got one side saying this and another side saying this. And one group saying this and another group saying this, we need to do this.

We need to do that. And Peter finally stands up and says, wait a minute, this was settled. Long time ago. You remember when I went to Cornelius, you remember when the Holy spirit fell on Cornelius and made it clear what the Holy Spirit’s intentions were. And you remember how that when we were under the law, we were carrying around a yoke as oxen that we couldn’t bear.

Now, why are you trying to put that yoga on them? If we couldn’t carry it, how are the Gentiles going to carry it? We’re the children of Abraham where the descendants of Abraham and Moses and Jacob, and we couldn’t carry the yoke, The law. And yet you’re trying to put it on the Gentiles. So then notice what we read.

He said, but we believe 11, but we believe that through the grace of the Lord, Jesus Christ, we shall be saved in the same manner As they, There are some who want to claim that Peter and Paul preached different gospels, they’re called dispensationalist. And this sensationalist believed that there was one dispensation for the Jews and another dispensation for the Gentiles.

And Paul says, Nope. And Peter says, hogwash. We believe. And we receive grace the same way they do. All right, 12, then all the multitude kept silent and listened to Barnabas. And Paul declaring how many miracles and wonders God had worked through them among the Gentiles. And after they had become silent, James answered saying, all right.

So Paul and Varna was get up after Peter and they declare war The gospel. They preached What they had done in specifically the miracles. Why are the miracles here? Important? All I said, miracles, confirm the messenger and the message. So if the Holy Spirit’s performing miracles through Paul and Barnabas to the Gentiles and then declaring to them, the gospel,

that’s the Holy spirit stamp Approval. This is what I want. And so they use the miracles as the testimony to confirm the message they preached. Now, these Judi and Christians who went to Antioch, did we read where they performed miracles to confirm that the message they were preaching? That’s true. Why not? Because The message they were performing was not authenticated Miracles.

Okay. Now, after they Had become silent, James answered saying men and brethren, listen to me. Now, this is James. The brother of the half-brother of Jesus. Simon has declared how God at the first visited the Gentiles to take out of them, a people for his name. And with this, the words of the prophets agree just as it is written after this,

I will return and rebuild the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down. I will rebuild its ruins and I will Set it up so that the Rest of mankind may seek the Lord. Even all the Gentiles who are called by my name says the Lord, who does all these things. Now this is a quotation from somewhere where’s It from Amos Turned back to Amos,

chapter nine, The mentality of These Jewish Christians who are declaring the necessity for the Gentiles to be circumcised in order to be safe, comes from a mindset that says, God promised Abraham that in his seed, all nations of the earth should be blessed. And that God, in Isaiah chapter two was going to restore his kingdom to Israel. He was going to set up a kingdom that would never be destroyed Daniel chapter two.

So they, they, the Gentiles need to become Jews, Need To become Israelites to take part in the blessings of God. But James quotes, Amos and says, go back to verse nine of chapter nine of Amos for surely I will command. And I will sift the house of Israel among all nations, as grain is sifted in a seed yet not the smallest grain shall fall to the ground.

All the sinners of my people shall die by the sword who say the calamity shall not overtake nor confront us. He’s prophesying concerning the destruction by Babylon. On that day, Amos says I will raise up the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down and repair its damages. And I will raise up its ruins and rebuild it. As in the days of old.

Now the mentality of these Jewish Christians Is If they don’t have to be circumcised to be safe, Then we lose our glory as Jews, but they missed it. And James points out you’ve missed it. It is. As the gospel goes to the Gentiles through us, that we receive glory as Jews notice what he says, that they may possess the remnant of Edam and all the Gentiles who are called by.

My name says the Lord, who does this thing. All right, now, go back over to acts chapter 15. And notice what James says. James says, verse 18, no. To God from eternity are all his known. Excuse me to God from eternity are all his works. James says, when we understand God determined this long before we ever showed up here,

God knows his works long before he ever does them. Okay. From eternity. Therefore, I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God, but that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled and from blood for Moses has had throughout many generations. Those who preach him in every city being read in the synagogues,

every Sabbath Amos said, I’m going to take my people and I’m going to scatter them among the nations. And he does it through Babylon, but he says, I’m going to destroy those who are wicked from among my people, but I’m not going to drop one seed. I’m not going to lose one grain of my people who are righteous by doing this.

And instead he’s populating the earth with those who would teach Moses and for generations would teach the Gentiles in those synagogues about the God of heaven. They were as it were the fertilizer, getting ready for the seed of the gospel to be planted. And so James says, we don’t need to put any greater burden on them. They’re already having to come out of paganism.

They’re already having to come out of all of these doctrines of, of, of the Gentiles. We don’t need to do any of that. We need to hold them accountable to moral purity and not to the law of Moses. Okay? So he says, verse 22, we’ve got just a minute or so left. Then it pleased the apostles and the elders with the whole church to send chosen men of their own,

to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, namely Judas, who was also named Barsabbas and Silas leading men among the brethren. This is I believe our introduction to Silas. They wrote this letter by them, the apostles, the elders, and the brethren to the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and solicit greetings. Since we have heard that some who went out and they own it from Us,

have troubled You with words, unsettling your soul, saying you must be circumcised and keep the law to whom we gave no such commandment. They want them to know, listen, this, this doctrine didn’t originate with us. We didn’t send them to you. All right. They went out of their own accord, but they did From us and we’re admitting it.

Okay? It says, we gave no such commandment. It seemed good to us being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men, to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ. We have therefore sent Judas and Silas who will also report the same things by the word of, by word of mouth.

They said, Lest anyone Have any arguments that Oh, Paul and Barnabas went down to Jerusalem. And then they just came back and told their version. Now the church says, we’re sending these others and they’re coming from us. And they’re going to confirm to you everything Paul and Barnabas tell you it’s exactly the way it happened. He then says for, it seemed good.

And notice this don’t Look this for it seemed good to the Holy spirit and to us to lay up Pawn you no greater burden than these necessary things that you abstain from. Things offered to idols from blood, from things strangled from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, You will do well farewell. So when James stands up And says men and brethren,

and he says, this is my judgment. What’s that letter tell us It. Wasn’t just James, his judgment, the Holy spirit and us. And you could have left out the us. You could have just dropped that whole phrase entirely. And it would have been fine if it had just been, we determined this absent, the Holy spirit we’d had a problem,

But it wasn’t that James makes it clear. The church makes it clear. The letter makes clear the message makes It clear. The Holy spirit determined this and we’re in agreement. And we’re writing to you to let you know that you can be in agreement to all right. So we’re going to pick up with verse 30 on Wednesday as we finish out the chapter and we’ll cover the questions on Wednesday night.

Any comments or questions as we close, if not, you are dismissed Good morning and welcome to the car or truck, your crash Sunday morning, worship service like to welcome all of you. If you’re a visitor, we’d appreciate it. If you’d fill out a barrister’s card. So we could have a record of your attendance, stick around a few minutes so that we get to meet you.

And now would be a good time to get your communion and your put your all for noon in the back. If you hadn’t already done it, we have few sick on our sick list. Joan’s spring are still at home and not doing real well. Janie, Marlin, and Darth and Rodale. Dorothy is still having some stomach pains and we’ll see a doctorate gastro one this week.

Find out if she can find out what’s wrong with her. James Luna, Diana Shafir is with us, but she’s recovering from her thyroid surgery. And Barbara is still able to get out, but still in pain and BJ Clark is still recovering from pneumonia. I guess he’s still on here. We need to remember all of our sick and there’s probably some owner in the bulletin that we don’t mention everyday,

but they’re in the bulletin next Sunday, one 30 afternoon service. We’ll re we’ll get back to doing that. And the fellowship hall will be available. If you want to eat lunch here, the man’s monthly business meeting, we revert back to April in April to the second, Sunday afternoon, after second service, Judy Adams, which is a friend of a delay.

So lash is scheduled to have thyroid surgery Wednesday, and that’s all of our announcements. And Michael Dale will lead singing. Erin Cozort will have the opening prayer. Erik Halverson has the lower supper and Noah Olson will have the sermon and Tommy lashed. Her has closed in prayer. Thank you. First song. This morning will be number 144 O worship the King. Oh,

worship, a King. Oh, Gloria, bah and green.<inaudible> Dallas and<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> and<inaudible><inaudible> for children.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> and<inaudible> Excuse me. I’m battling some allergies song before our opening prayer. This morning will be 797. Lord. We come before the now Lord, we come before the ah, feed. We<inaudible> Oh,<inaudible> show me,

seek the Lord. And<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> to<inaudible> and no, no<inaudible> no, we see<inaudible><inaudible> grind that, Oh man. See, can find the God<inaudible><inaudible> captive free<inaudible> and the, let us spray Our great and glorious father in heaven. We humbly bow before you thankful for all of your many blessings grateful for the day that we have and the blessings and the commandments that we have to come together and assemble together and join with one another in songs of praise to glorify your name,

to be able to assemble together and lift up our needs, our cares, our wants, and our desires and prayer to you to come together and be reminded of the sacrifice that Christ made for us on the cross, the shedding of his blood and the offering of his body on that cross for our salvation, to be able to assemble together, to hear your word proclaimed and to give back to you,

as you have given to us, we’re so grateful for this opportunity. And we’re so grateful for this day and the health that we have to be able to do these things. We pray that your blessings be upon us in everything that we do that is in accordance with your word. We pray that you will be with us as we go throughout this life throughout our time on this earth,

that as the church here in Collierville, we might not only proclaim the gospel throughout the city, but that we might aid the gospel being proclaimed throughout the world. We know many difficult times are coming our way. And many harsh realities will face this nation in the future as it hasn’t the past. But we are also grateful for all of the many faithful Christians that are throughout this nation,

striving to keep it going in the right direction on a path of purity and holiness and serving you, even though the world is at our throats. Continually, we pray for those who are dealing with illness. Those that are dealing with pain and sorrow sickness, injuries, and difficulties, those who are dealing with such heinous diseases as cancer, and those who struggle every day to have the energy to go through and do the things they need to do when we pray and lift them up.

Before you asking that they have comfort and strength and resolution to serve you no matter what comes, but also that they might be restored back to their desired health. If at all possible we’re mindful of the world that is in the grips of dealing with a disease. We pray that that disease might be overcome, but we pray. Most of all, that this disease of sin might be overcome in this world,

through the gospel of your son, Jesus Christ, all this we pray and ask that you forgive us when we sin and fall short of your glory. All this we ask in Jesus name. Amen. So I want to prepare our minds for the Lord’s supper will be number three 66 by Christ redeemed three 66 By Christ three deemed and CRA nice three<inaudible>.

We keep<inaudible> and show the death of a<inaudible> and<inaudible> his body and<inaudible> is seen. And then this man<inaudible>, and as we drink, we see<inaudible> and<inaudible> with last that event, we<inaudible> by one bride chain of<inaudible> and<inaudible> We are going to take this opportunity to memorialize and remember the ultimate sacrifice that God and his loving son Jesus made for us.

And that was for Jesus to die for us and for our sins so that we may have the opportunity to live with them in glory. One day in heaven, while with me, as we pray for the bread, God, our father in heaven, we come to you at this time, thanking you for having sent your son Jesus here on earth to teach us and to live with us.

But most importantly, to hang his body on that cross and die for us, the centers, as we prepare to take this bread, which represents that body help each and every one of us to remember that sacrifice that he made for us. We pray this through your son, Jesus name, amen. Let’s give thanks for the fruit of the vine God,

our father in heaven, we come to you again, thanking you for your son. And as we’ve prepared to take of this fruit of the vine that represents the blood that he shed for us, help us to remember and dwell on the fact that his blood was shed so that it may wash away our sins. We pray this through your son, Jesus name.

Amen. Now take an opportunity to pray for the giving back that each and every one of us have done God, our father in heaven. We thank you for all the material blessings that we have. And we truly understand that these material blessings are from you and through you and that we had them only because of you. And as we each give back a portion of what we’ve been.

So richly blessed with, we ask that you help each and every one of us do it with a cheerful heart. And we ask also that you help the amount of this congregation use very wise decisions on how these funds should be used to further spread the word, your word here on earth. We pray this through your son, Jesus name. Amen. The song before the lesson will be number 631,

lift him up. Number six, three, one. How to reach<inaudible>. And if I be lifted up from the earth, well<inaudible> man unto me, lift him up, lift him up, stilly, speak Stromae, GE, and<inaudible> be lifted up from the earth.<inaudible> man unto me. Oh, Whoa. There’s hungry for the living bread.<inaudible> for them to see<inaudible> daddy said draw man,

unto me, lift up, lift up<inaudible> and be lifted up from the a<inaudible> man unto me. Don’t exalt the preacher. Don’t exalt the Pew, preach the gospel. Simple for land free. Prove him. And you will find that promise is true. Draw long, man, to me, lift him up, lift him up. Stilly speaks from me<inaudible> and if I be lifted up from the well draw,

man unto me, lift him up by living as a Christian. Oh God. Well then you the savior. See then man. Well gladly follow him. Who wants touch? Draw man, on to me, lift him up, lift him up, stilly, speak Stromae to<inaudible> and be lifted up from the<inaudible> man on to me. Good morning.

It was a privilege again, to be able to preach God’s word unto you song. We just saying it’s beautiful songs that not Christ and the example that he left were us. Something that we should all follow. Our lesson this morning is very simple. Our lesson is entitled. The commandment that saves souls, the commandment that saves souls. We as Christians are given a simple command firstly,

to live faithfully to God for ourselves, to make sure that our lives are pleasing to God by following his word and doing the things that he would have us to do. But we also have something else that we are commanded to do. And that is to take the message which we have obeyed and preach it to the lost verses such as Mark chapter 16 in verse number 15,

go you into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature or Matthew 28, 18 through 20 teaching all nations, baptizing them in the name of the father and of the son of the Holy ghost and things such as that. And so we, as Christians are commanded to take This message to Dying world, a spiritually dying world. If you look at just some statistics today,

looking at the population of the, of the earth, almost reaching 8 billion people. How many of those? The 8 billion are Christians. That’s not even 1% just in the millions Then yes, we have the cure. We have the cure that is going to fix the most deadly disease. Is that the Bible God’s precious message. Are we going to distribute it?

There are those who, who possibly might teach That ignorance is going to save. If you take this illustration, there is medicine that<inaudible>, that can cure cancer. And there are two people that could take the medicine. One knows about it. One hears about it. He hears it from the news and he knows that this cure Cure his cancer. So he goes and he takes the cure.

But Then there’s a man who never hears about the cure. He never hears about, He doesn’t take it as he saved because he didn’t know about No, he still will die. And so there are many out there in the world today who have never heard of Christ Who need to hear it because they will be lost. And therefore we need to take that precious message.

Where’s the power. It’s not in the preacher. It’s in the gospel. Look at Romans chapter one, you know, verse number 16, you’ve heard this. What does Paul say? I’m not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. He says, why, why Paul? Why are you not ashamed for, I’m not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is what the power of God unto salvation.

That’s what saves our soul. That’s where the power is As James one in verse number 21, receive with meekness, the engrafted word, Which is able to save your souls. We as Christians have that, then let me ask you a question. Are you an Isaiah? Are you like Isaiah? We need to have the attitude of Isaiah. Look at Isaiah chapter six,

Isaiah chapter six, notice verse number eight. I love his attitude here. We need to have this same attitude. Also Isaiah six, verse number eight. Also, I heard the voice of the Lord saying whom shall, Shall I send and who will go for us then set. I here, am I send me? We need to have that same attitude.

When we are, as Christians going out to spread The most precious precious message to cure and more deadly disease than cancer, a more deadly disease than the Corona virus. What is that sin? And we need to take that cure to the world. Let’s get into our lesson. Our first point for this morning is there is a command to evangelize them. Sadly,

like to say, well, if you want to do it, it’s all right. Christ just gave us. Yes. I see no suggestion in Mark chapter 16, verse 15, preach the gospel. Paul would also say, and second Four and verse number two, preach the, And so Christians are commanded. It’s not a suggestion. And this did not start with us.

This has been ever since long in the old Testament, you look at the profits, Hebrews chapter one and verse number one knows what the Hebrew writer says. Hebrews chapter one and in verse number one, notice God who at sundry times and diverse manners spake in time, past unto the fathers, by what? By the profits, the profits obeyed this command.

This command was first given to the profits of the profits, speaking to the people, but it didn’t stop with him. You know, even our Lord and savior, obeyed this command. Look at John chapter 12 and verse number 49 even hours. Save viewer, obey this Command from our father. Notice John 12 and verse 49 for, I have not spoken of myself,

but the father, which sent me To me, he gave me a commandment. What I should say and what I should speak even cry. You still made this commitment. He knew that he had a job to do, and he submitted to the father of Christ can Submit. We can to Also look at John chapter 17 and verse number four, notice Jesus praying.

He says, I have glorified thee talking to his father on the earth. I have finished the work, which now gave us me to do yes, Jesus had a, And that was to spread the message. And that was to die for the world and stuff Only. We need to make sure that that this command is not taken as a suggestion. It’s a command from deity And we need to make Sure that we are taking this to the world.

What happens if we don’t take this? What happens if we, if we don’t take this seriously, I want you to notice what Jesus says in Matthew chapter five and verse number 13, when he compares us to Matthew chapter five and verse number 13, Notice comparing Us to salt. What a salt do it, preserves things. Notice what he says. Matthew five,

verse 13. You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt have lost his savor, where with shall be salted, it is then it’s fourth. Good for nothing, but to be cast out and to be TRIBE Of men. I think about our world today. We, as Christians are commanded to preserve that, to make sure the gospel is spread out.

If we can’t be the preserving element, What happens Luke? Chapter 18 in verse number eight, this is, this can be taken as a scary verse. Notice this never the less, when the son of man cometh, shall he find faith on The earth when He comes? Is he going to look over the earth? Wait, wait a minute. I,

I thought there were Christians on this earth. That’s our job to make sure the gospel is put forth. I want you to notice. Look at second, Timothy chapter two In Timothy chapter two, notice verse number two, it’s a cycle. And the things that thou has heard of me, Paul talking to Timothy, among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men who should be able to teach others.

Also if one Christian teaches another to obey the gospel, they will pay the gospel. That person who bays the gospel, they go teach someone else to obey the gospel. And it’s a cycle. And that’s what we, as Christians are commanded to do, make sure that this is taken as a command. Yes, our job as Christians is not a suggestion.

It’s not, if you want to go do it, It’s a, we have to do it now. Yeah, Many various ways that we can preach the gospel. One, doesn’t have to go to preaching school and become a preacher. A pulpit, preacher, many can do many different things. You can teach a Bible class. You can Do personal Bible study,

do online studies, one-on-one conversation and things such as that. You can be a preacher of the gospel without having to stand in the pulpit, but Christians are commanded to do It and we need to go spread the Meshes, but it messaged. But notice our second point for this morning, there’s not only a command, but there’s a need. If there was no need,

there wouldn’t be a command simply, but there is a need to preach the gospel. There was a need to spread. The thing that we have taken. We have applied to our lives. We have obey. We need to go and spread that because there is a lost world. Look at Romans chapter three in verse number 23 For all, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

Yes, everyone as well. Look at Romans chapter five and verse number 12 as well, just a couple of chapters over where wherefore as by one man, sin entered into the world and death by sin. And so death passed upon all men for that all of sin. Yes, there is a lost and dying world. And therefore we as Christians need to make sure that we are taking that to the world.

I love this example of Paul and Romans chapter 10 and verse number one, notice what Paul says. This is a great verse. Notice his desire, Romans chapter 10, verse number one, brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved. He had that earning desire. And as we’ll look at here in a little bit,

in a later point That he was willing to be lost So that they could be saved. Now he knew that that couldn’t be done, but he had that desire so that they could be saved. Not only did Paul, but Jesus had this desire. We need to have that desire as well. Look at Matthew chapter nine and verses 36. And following notice Jesus has compassion paved the way that his teaching of the gospel.

We need to know that there is a need and Jesus even solved that need Matthew nine, verse 36. But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them because they fainted and were scattered abroad as sheep. Having no shepherd, that spirit, They were lost spiritually. He knew that they needed, He, they, he knew that they needed,

they needed the cure and he had compassion on that. And since there is a need, I need to, Since there is an age that that man would be saved The world that needs those Teach that gospel look at verses 37 and 38 of Matthew chapter nine, then sets he and to his disciples. The harvest truly is, but the laborers are few pray.

Therefore, the Lord of the harvest that he will send forth laborers into Is harvest. The harvest is plenteous. Many souls are lost, but yeah, Sadly, there’s not many laborers to go out and, and do the things that God would have them to do by teaching the gospel. Yes, there is a need, but notice this, the word is made manifest through preaching.

It’s not going to come through some miraculous intervention as a, in the first century with things of the Holy spirit, miraculous and, and things such as that. But it’s not that doesn’t happen today. Comes through the word and that alone. Look at Romans 10 and verse number 14, Romans chapter 10, verse number 14. How then shall they call on him,

on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? Yes, we as Christian, Chins need to co take that gospel to them that are lost because Titus one, verse three bath in due times manifested here His word through preaching. Again, There is a need to evangelize because the soul,

there are many Souls that are lost today. Notice our third point for this morning. What is it It’s going to hinder us from taking the gospel. There are many things that will hinder us from spreading this gospel. And we need to make sure that we don’t allow these things to hinder us. I have six things I want to list here. Number one is that if we fear personally Fusion,

and we were so scared of that, then that’s going to hinder that. Notice the apostles, notice the apostles attitude and acts chapter five, acts chapter five verses 41 and 42. I love this example, acts chapter five, verses 41 and 42. If we let persecution hinder, if we are fearing of that, that’s going to hinder us. Notice acts five verses 41 and 42.

And they departed from the presence of the council rejoicing. And they were counted Worthy to suffer, shame For his name and daily in the temple. And in each and every house they cease not to teach and preach. Jesus Christ. They knew persecution was They were willing to keep on keeping on. Yes, we can’t fear persecution will persecution come. Yes.

Second Timothy three and verse number 12. Yay. All that shall live godly in Christ. Jesus shall suffer persecution. Now it’s going to come in various forms. It might not be physical. It might not be to that extreme. It wasn’t Century. We still need to preach the gospel. We can’t let that fear of persecution hinder us. But number two,

we can’t fear. Rejection Is rejection going to come. Yes. Jesus even talked about this. Look at Matthew chapter 10, Matthew chapter 10, verses 12. And following notice what he tells them their notice. And when he, when you come into an house, salute it. If the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it. But if it be not Worthy,

let your peace return To you. And whosoever shall not receive you nor hear your words. When you depart out of that city or out of the house or city shake off the dust of your feet, Jesus warned them. There was going to be rejection. Not everyone you come in contact with is going to obey the gospel, But understand Don’t let that hinder you from wanting to keep on Keeping on don’t fear.

Rejection rejection will come. Yes, you might be. We might even be made fun of. We might even be discouraged or put down for that and don’t let that happen because yes, Christians are going to be strange. We, we, we should stand out in a way, not prideful way, but we should stand out in a way. We don’t look like the world.

We shouldn’t fear rejection because we are different. First Peter chapter two and verse number nine, you’re a chosen generation, a Royal priesthood, a Holy nation, Peculiar people. Number three, if we don’t, I have a love for one the soul. That’s going to hinder us from preaching the gospel. This is going to hinder us from going out and proclaiming the message that we have obeyed.

If I don’t love those, then I’m not going to teach them. I need to love their souls. I need to have a compassion for them. Ephesians four and verse number 15, Preaching the truth And love. We need to have a desire For their souls. We need that. The proper attitude, not, not, no, not a hateful attitude.

When you have a proper, a love for their souls Now som In our world today, like to tell you that that love is just accepting, accepting, saying, we’ll just, just push it under the rug. Just put it to the side. That’s not true. Love. True love is going to tell someone when they are wrong, not in a hateful way,

but a way out of kindness and of love. But yes, if we don’t have a love for one soul, Am I going to preach the gospel? I need to have love for one soul, but number four, this is going to hinder us in preaching the gospel. If I let this hinder us, if I don’t have self control in our life,

if we don’t have self control in our lives today, that’s going to hinder us from teaching the gospel. I want you to notice Romans chapter two, verses 21 and 20 or three 23. Notice if I cannot have self-control in my life for one, I have no authority to go out and tell someone that they’re living in sin. No it’s Romans chapter two in verses 21 through 23 thou,

therefore, which teaches to another, teach us now, not myself. Now that preaches a man should not steal desktop steel. Now that sandstone to should not commit. Adultery does not commit adultery. Now that a Maurist idols thus now commit sacrilege. Now that make us by boast of the law. They’re breaking the law. Now God, If I am not going to make my life temperate and sober and be self-controlled in my life today,

I don’t need to go out and preach and teach those things. And I still have a problem with, if I’m struggling with, with a, if I’m struggling With, with adultery, If I’m struggling with whatever the case might be, whatever sin that you can think of. I have no authority to go tell you to stop doing. I mean the same thing,

fix your own life And hope others. You know, Paul Paul knew this and first Corinthians chapter nine, verse number 27, he says, but I keep under my body and bring it into subjection. Lest that by Any means, when I preach to others, I myself should be a cast away. We have to make sure that our lives are temperate or self-funded.

We have to practice self control. If we purge those things, if we put that sin away, then we can do those things. Look at what Paul tells Timothy in second, Timothy chapter two and verses 20 and 21 second, Timothy chapter two verses 20 and 21. Notice what he says, but in a great house, there are not only vessels of gold and of silver,

but also of wood and of earth and some to honor and some to dishonor. If a man, therefore purge himself from the sea Shall be a vessel unto honor, Sanctified and meet for the master’s use and prepared unto every good work we have to put away sin. If we don’t, that’s going to hinder us from going out and teaching The gospel. Number five,

another hint To our spreading the gospel is if I don’t have knowledge of The gospel, right? I have to Know what I’m teaching. You ever been intrigued at that of car salesman that you’re trying to wonder different details about the car that you’re wanting to buy. And the salesman has. I have no Idea. We as Christians are quote, I guess,

salesmen or examples of the gospel. Therefore we have to know What the gospel says first, Peter chapter three. Okay. In verse number 15, but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts And be ready. Always to give an answer with pride. No, be ready. Always to give an answer with meekness humbleness. Yes. We have to have knowledge.

If we don’t have knowledge, that’s going to hinder us from going out and spreading the gospel. We need to make sure that we know what we’re, What we’re teaching. And then lastly, number six, if we think that it doesn’t work, that’s going to hinder us. We need to know that Again, as we talked about, there will be rejection,

but if we have the come to the understanding, well, it’s just not going to work well. I might as well, not even try well that, that might’ve worked back then, but it doesn’t work. Now keep on trying, because there is that one person. And if I spend 50, 60, 70 years teaching the gospel and I convert one person And that is worth it,

is it not? And yes, We need to make sure that these things don’t hinder us From teaching the gospel. But notice our fourth point for this morning, there has to be, There is a conviction to evangelize. We need to make sure that again, as we’ve talked about, we have to have that desire to want to help others. And it’s not enough to proclaim that there is a need,

but there again, there has to be a desire. There are some statistics Now that I found they’re, they’re really interesting. I want to, I want to share these with you. They’re from Brent Hunter, a personal work one-on-one from, from Pat padfield.com. And this is where I found them every minute, 156 people will die without hope. And this is of course,

is statistics. Every hour, 9,360 People will die without hope. Every day, 224,640 People will die without hope. Every Week, 1,572,480 People will die without hope. And then every year almost 82 million people will die without hope. They will die Having to meet their God unprepared And it’ll be lost forever. Do we see the need to go out and teach the gospel?

We have to be truly convicted to do that. And you know, there are many things that, that we come in contact today. Maybe we have coworkers that, that we know are lost, but We never say anything to them. We know of a family members that that are not Christians, but we know that they’re lost. And if they were to die today,

They would be unprepared to meet their gun. Do we truly understand that? You know, Paul was deeply convicted of this. Look at Romans chapter nine, verses two and three. We need to have this, this attitude notice Romans chapter nine, verses two And three, that I have great heaviness And continual sorrow in my heart. Why? Or I could wish that myself Or a curse from Christ for my brother and my kinsmen,

according to the flesh, if I could be lost for them, I would do it. Now that can’t happen. One must first obey the gospel then Selves, but we need to have that attitude to make sure that They can have the gospel to be convicted, To want others, to meet their gone faithfully. One day, again, as we’ve stated before in our lesson this morning,

we have the cure to the deadly disease. Are we going to distribute the medicine? Are we going To distribute the thing that can cure That we have the cure right in our hand, think, for instance, this analogy, here’s a three-year-old that has cancer. He’s going to die. Three-year-old cancer. There’s a doctor that has figured out how to cure cancer.

All he has to do is distribute. The medicine doctor says, well, it’s going to be too hard. It’s going to be Too hard to distribute that it’s going to cost money. It’s going to waste my time. You know, I could go on vacations. I, I make millions a year. I can do the things that I want to do.

If I distribute the medicine. Yeah, I could help others. What are we commanded to do? Distribute the cure that we know that is going to work look at as equal chapter 33. I also love this example of the example as equal chapter 33. We again have and know the cure again to the most deadly disease that is sand. But look,

it does equal 33. I love this illustration as well. Again, the word of the Lord came unto me saying son of man, speak to the children of thy people and saying to them, when I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coast and set him for their Watchman. If, when he see if the sword come upon the land,

he blow the trumpet and warn the people. Then whosoever here at the sound of the trumpet and take is not warning. If the sword and take away his blood shall be upon his own head, simply there was a Watchman. He sees the, the enemy coming and he warns the people. It’s not going to be his fault. If, if the people don’t want To listen,

it’s not going to be his Fault. The blood’s not going to be upon his hand. Why? Because he warned His people. He saw the enemy, he knew what was to come. He knew the truth. Then verse number five, he heard the sound of the trumpet and took not warning. His blood shall be upon him, but he, that taketh warning shall deliver his soul.

But notice verse six. But if the Watchman see the sword come And blow, not the Trump. And then the people being not warned. If the sword come and take Person from among them, he has taken away in his iniquity. But his blood will. I require at who’s. At the watchman’s hand, simply he saw the enemy coming. He knew the truth.

He understood that he did not want him, People that the enemy was coming. That the truth was there. I, and you, we all know the truth. We all know what is coming. Are we not going to tell those who need the truth? Well, the blood be upon our own hands. We know many who are lost. Are we going to take this,

the cure to the most deadly disease, to those who need it? That’s our commandment Christians. That is our job. And there’s a need for that. But notice our last point for this morning, I don’t think there’s any greater evangelist or any greater one who could spread the gospel than Jesus. Jesus was the greatest one to do this Jesus. There,

there is no greater one. Then Jesus Christ. He was the greatest teacher to ever live. He lived the gospel. He taught the gospel. He Spread, spread the message and he was not afraid To do so because he saw the needs. We’ve talked about. He had compassion on those who were scattered abroad, having they were, they were sheep having no shepherd.

I want you to notice five qualities that Jesus possessed, that we, as Christians can, can possess in our lives to better teach the message that people need. Not that they, they need the gospel notice. Number one, he had a compassion, a deep compassion for lost souls. That’s what we need to obtain. Number two, he was not partial to any economic status.

He was not partial any racial Or gender. Any One can receive the gospel. Galatians three verses 26 through 28, Galatians chapter three verses 26 through 28 does not matter. Gender, Race, social status. Anyone can obey the gospel. Notice Galatians three 26 and following for a year. All the children of God by faith in Christ, Jesus, for as many of you has been as have been baptized into Christ,

have put on Christ notice verse 28. There is neither Jew nor Greek, neither bond nor free. There is neither bond nor free. There is neither male nor female For you are all one in Christ. Jesus. Anyone can obey the gospel and therefore Jesus was not partial to any. Anyone can preach here and receive the gospel. And therefore we don’t need to be partial to those.

Number three, he took every opportunity he could to preach every opportunity he could. He was there to teach. We need to do that as well. I love this example. Look at John chapter four. I’m not going to read the whole chapter, but the whole chapter, I encourage you to read it. It’s a beautiful chapter, but John chapter four and verse number four,

notice let’s start at verse. Number one, actually, when therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John though. Jesus himself bedtime is not, but as disciples, he left your day. And to part it again into Galilee Notice verse four, and he must needs go through some area. I love that verse because if you read continually,

what do you notice? He has a conversation with a Samaritan woman. He must need to go through some area. We must teach and spread the gospel wherever We are, whether that be at work, it doesn’t have to be a, a full con. Maybe it can just be a little small talk and things, Not just that, but we need to teach and talk and take every opportunity that we can to teach and preach the gospel.

Number four, Jesus taught everything about the gospel. We cannot refrain from, from Picking and choosing what we, it’s not a buffets has been said. We don’t get to pick and choose what we want about the gospel. We need to teach the whole gospel, but as Jesus did, he taught in love. We don’t need to refrain from, from telling people that they are in sin.

If they are now, again, we don’t, we’re not hating, But we do it in love because we care for their souls. And yes, Jesus, I just taught everything about the gospel. He didn’t refrain from preaching on Hill and he talked about the many joys of, of following him. We need to be like him in that regard. But lastly,

number five, he saw the need of doing it quickly and swiftly Jesus would minister for three years, if that, around that time. And he did it. And yes, there is time for fellowship. There’s also time to teach and preach the gospel. Well, the question is, are we going to do that same and follow after Christ’s example, the greatest teacher was Christ.

There’s no other greater teacher than that. And therefore I think we should model our lives after him. And we should because he was the one as the greatest example, who had no sin because he knew what to do. The question is up to us today. Are we going to know our command? And there is a command because there is a need because the world is lost.

And perhaps, you know, many coworkers and many family members or friends that you know, that if, if the end was today that they will be lost and unprepared to meet God. And we, as Christians need to make sure that we know our commandments, we need to have the conviction and be, as Jesus was and preach and teach the gospel to those who are lost as much as we can,

because our number one goal is to get ourselves to heaven. But the second one is to take as many people that we can to heaven so that they can enjoy the pleasures of heaven one day. And perhaps there is maybe one here this morning who has not been living faithfully as a Christian, you have not been doing the things that God would have you to do and,

and you’ll make the gospel once before what’d you come back to God before it everlastingly too late, again, to be, to be prepared, to meet God. And sadly, there are many that are careless. As we sing the song sometimes careless soul wobbly, linger, wondering from the fold of God here you not the invitation, Oh, prepared to meet the high God.

And the song continues careless. Solo heed. The warning for your life will soon be gone. Oh, how sad to face the judgment unprepared to meet God, would you come back to God before? Does everlastingly too late? But perhaps there was one here this morning who has never obeyed the gospel of Christ once before. You’ve never obeyed the gospel. That that is as simply broaden the message.

Would you believe that Jesus is the son of God? Would you repent of your sins? Confess Christ before man, and then be baptized for the remission of your sins to be added to the church. The greatest institution that man has ever known. And would you become a Christian so that you can go to heaven one day and live faithfully onto your God.

If anyone is subject, why don’t you come as we stand? And as we sing Two, dang, why from the sunshine of love? Well, down wrong, farther and farther away. Hey<inaudible> today. Hey, Jesus is<inaudible> calling today. Jesus is calling no weary to calling today, calling to Jay. Hey, bring him I burden. And a shout.

Be blessed. He will not turn the<inaudible> to Jay. Hey, Jesus is<inaudible> calling his 10 early calling today. Jesus is pleading.<inaudible> hear him to<inaudible> on his name. Showery dries quickly.<inaudible><inaudible>. Jesus is<inaudible> is 10 nearly calling today. Hey, The song before the closing prayer will be number 634 we’ll work till Jesus comes.

Oh<inaudible> Oh man.<inaudible> and PE sad. Oh<inaudible> geez. Well, Jesus comes when Jesus comes and will be<inaudible> ah,<inaudible> no more<inaudible> with him. Brave DAS Chile side and reach my head only. Oh,<inaudible> to Jesus comes<inaudible> Oh, Would you bow with me? I got and father in heaven. We’re indeed thankful for the freedom and opportunity that we’ve had to worship day to day father.

We thank you for the great lesson that was brought to us by Noah. And we pray father that we can use this words from this lesson today to make our bright and shining light to more to those more around us in the workplace father. We thank you for all the many blessings you’ve given us and fall away. Most importantly, we thank you for your son.

Jesus, who died on that cross for salvation father. We pray that you’ll be with us and keep us safe and forgive our sins. Jesus. And we pray you ma’am.

Automated Transcription

<inaudible> It’s about time for us to get started. We are still in acts chapter 13. I think we might get through with it today though. No, I think we’ll, we’ll get into chapter 14 as well, at least a little bit. Maybe not all the way through it, but it’s good to have you with us this morning. I will make mention there’s some good material on the book of acts in general,

very in depth material on the book of acts, as well as some specific, highly recommendable material on acts chapter 13 and 14 in a series you can find on YouTube called McWiggin reflections. It’s from a brother over in Nashville, Jim McWiggin and now he’s done a he’s doing not finished yet, but he’s doing a series on the book of acts and he’s about 102 lessons in.

So if you’re looking and they’re, they’re labeled by less than one, two on down, but they’re not the titles, don’t tell you what chapter. So I’m going to tell you that start around. I think it’s less than 73 or 74, and that’ll get you acts chapter 13. And he, as I said in depth, chapter 14 ends around lesson 83,

but Jim McWiggin McGuigan’s reflections. I mentioned that because he goes into a lot of the old Testament aspects of chapters, 13 and 14, that we just do not have time to go into. And so it’s, if you, if you look it up, it’ll be worth your time. You’ll enjoy it, I believe. And so I’ll just throw that,

throw that plug in there In acts chapter 13, actually let’s, We’ll start with a word of prayer. I guess I got sidetracked. All right, let’s get on with it. Word of prayer, our gracious father in heaven, we bow before you Always grateful for your blessings, always grateful for your son who offered himself as a sacrifice for our sins and for the sins of the entire world.

We are mindful of those who Struggle So deeply with understanding your word and your will and the actions that you have taken in history and in time and struggle so deeply with the concerns of this life and the understanding of its meaning. We’re mindful of those individuals who, because of the perversions of this world, struggle so deeply with sins and iniquities, that they can’t see a path forward or mindful of those who have been lied to concerning your existence and concerning the existence of,

of gods and, and beings that do not exist and have no power in this creation of yours. And yet they have power over these individuals through the lies that have been told or mindful of all of these individuals and their need to hear the gospel, to hear it proclaimed boldly, to know what you have done for them in eternity, past, and in your son who died on the cross for their sins as well.

We’re mindful of those who are struggling with illness and pain, difficulty, anguish of life and difficulties because of loved ones who perhaps have passed on. We pray that you will give them strength to go through those hard times and go through those difficult things, never losing their focus on serving you. We pray for those who are in foreign mission fields and in works that are difficult.

We pray that they might have boldness to speak. We’re thankful of this time for this morning that we have the sunshine that we enjoy the day that we have the health and the ability we have to assemble together. And we’re mindful of those who do not have that blessing. We pray that you forgive us when we sin and fall short of your glory and are willing to repent of those things.

And we pray for your grace to cover those sins in our lives that we know of and the ones we don’t know of all this, we pray in Jesus name. Amen. As Paul is preaching to those Antioch of the Cydia. He preaches to the Jews. He comes into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and Paul and Barnabas are there together. And they are invited by those who are present to speak and they do.

And we have here, the first recorded sermon of the apostle Paul, not the first instance of him preaching, but the first instance where the text of his sermon is recorded. But as we get towards the end of it, we got down. We’re going to pick up in verse 35. Therefore he says in another Psalm, Paul is talking about David.

He’s talking about the promise of David. That one would be re would rise up, who was from the lineage of David David’s son as is prophesied in second Samuel chapter 12. I believe it is. And here he is bringing in the Psalms that reference this descendant of David and this promise and this Messiah that they knew of, therefore he says in another Psalm,

you will not allow your Holy one to see corruption for David. After he had served his own generation by the will of God fell asleep, was buried with his fathers and saw corruption. That is he’s he’s in the grave. He’s, he’s in the, the place of the dead awaiting the judgment day, but he whom God raised up saw no corruption.

One of the emphasis here is that when a person dies and they enter into that, Hadean realm, their body decays. They, they have no more life in it. And therefore that body deteriorates and hence the idea of seeing corruption and yet what happened to the body of Christ. Okay. All right. It didn’t stay in the grave. It didn’t decay.

And go back to dust. It was resurrected on the third day. And then what happened to the body of Christ? You had ascended to heaven. It, there is no grave you can go to and say, there lie to the ashes of Jesus Christ because there is no tomb where lie the ashes of Jesus Christ. Those ascended, that body ascended into heaven.

He says, verse 30, 38. Therefore let it be known to you. Brethren that through this man is preached to you, the forgiveness of sins and by him, everyone who believes is justified from all things, which you could not be justified by the law of Moses Belair, therefore less. What has been in the prophets Come upon you behold, you despisers Marvel and perish for,

I will work a work in your days, a work, which you will by no means believe though one were to declare it to you. We made mention on Wednesday that this comes from the book of Habakkuk and God is telling Habakkuk concerning the destruction of Judea and Jerusalem at the hands of the Cal sins. And God says, I’m going to work a work that you would not believe if it were reported to you.

And Paul says, be careful Jews of this generation that you don’t have. The same thing happened to you that you know, happened to your ancestors because they didn’t believe what God said. They didn’t believe what God said he would do. And they were destroyed by the Babylonians. And Paul uses Habakkuk to say, this can be your fate the same as it was theirs.

So when the Jews went out of the synagogue, by the way, do you notice how he ended on such a happy note? You know, that there are some preachers who you don’t, it doesn’t matter how dark gloomy judgment oriented their sermon is throughout the entire text. They’re going to end on a happy, they’re going to send people out with a smile on their face.

Paul was not such a preacher, not when people needed to hear the truth and needed to be saved from their sins. And so he ends with this. So when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them. The next Sabbath. Now, when the congregation had broken up many of the Jews and devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas,

who speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God. What does this mean? Continue in the grace of God. First of all, what’s the description of these people, the Jews first, w how are they described The Jews in this verse? How are they described? Okay. As devout, these are Not the Jews. Does that show up at synagogue on Saturday and are involved in adulterous relationships on Sunday and Monday and Tuesday,

and no, no, these aren’t those Jews. These are the Jews who come in on the Sabbath day and are dressed all nice and appear to be Holy and are drunkards all the rest of the week. They’re not those Jews. These are devout Jews. These are those who have the law of Moses. Believe the law of Moses are obedient to the law of Moses and are striving daily to be acceptable To God.

Okay? That’s Who these Jews are. They are devout. They are sincere and honest in their beliefs and in their, their obedience of the law of Moses. And we read that. There’s also, proselytes, what’s a promise, Okay. This is a Gentile by nationality who has converted himself to the Jewish system in order to become a, a, an adopted,

as it were child of Abraham. And he’s gone through all of the covenant rituals in order to Do that. This is not Agenda aisle. Who believes in God, this is a Gentile who has become a Jew. Okay? So you have devout Jews and proselytes Gentiles who have become ceremonially and covenant lately, Jews who follow Paul and Barnabas. And we read That they persuaded To them to continue in the grace of God.

They persuaded. Does this mean Paul persuaded them to continue being Jews following the, No. What does it mean then? Okay. And how is it? They could stay in the favor of God Apps. Absolutely. By being obedient to the gospel that was being preached to them. So what you see here is here are Jews who hear him on the Sabbath,

and they’re not satisfied with hearing him on the Sabbath. They come to him afterwards, they’re following them. And they are persuaded to be obese.<inaudible> to the message on the next Sabbath. Almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God. So there’s Some Jews who hear him on That first Sabbath. And then the part there’s Gentiles who come up to him and say,

we want to hear you again on the Next Sabbath. And, and There some devout Jews and proselytes who hear him. And instead of Harding, follow them three categories of people having heard him on the first Sabbath, the next Sabbath day comes. And now the Jews come to their synagogue. And have you had, Or seeing the reaction of people’s faces when they show up somewhere where normally there’s a few people And That particular day they drive up as it were,

and There’s crowds The reaction that’s on people’s faces is what’s going on. The Jews come and they see the entire city. Now, was it every last person who, I don’t think that’s what the Texas TRIBE to say, but if we walked out here this morning and 50,000 out of 60,000 people in all of Collierville, we’re standing outside, we’d say the entire city was Here.

Okay. There Might still be a policeman on patrol, but that doesn’t mean the entire city’s not here. Okay. So they show up, they look, and the entire city has shown up at the synagogue. Now, what time in the past has that ever happened? Probably never. It’s never Happened here. And it had probably never happened at the synagogue.

They’re in Antioch and the knee jerk reaction of the Jews now noticed The text from the previous Sabbath day. There were the Jews that departed, there were the Gentiles that desired to hear more And they’ve come back and, Or the devout Jews, and proselytes who stayed with them and continued to hear them and obey the gospel. And it is the first category of people who were reading about again.

Now, The Jews, the ones who departed last Sabbath, and then think about Paul and Barnabas again, between last Sabbath and this Sabbath show back up. And, Oh boy, do we have a problem Now? Because They show back up and the entire city is gathered at the synagogue. And their reaction is to become Envious Of Paul and Barnabas. Notice what we read in the text.

Now, when the Jews saw the molds attitudes, they were filled with envy and contradicting and blaspheming. They opposed the things spoken by Hi, Paul. They do. I mean, show up that Sabbath and have spent the entire previous week thinking, no, I’m going to, I’m going to go line by line through the old Testament. And I’m going to prove that Paul was wrong.

They didn’t do that. They didn’t show up ready to refute Paul. They showed up and saw the molds And said, we’re not going to stand for this. It’s one thing for a few Gentiles to hear the gospel. It’s one thing for a few Gentiles to believe what’s being taught. It’s one thing for a few ProSeal lights to obey the gospel is another thing entirely for this gospel to be Breached to the entire city.

They arrive. They come on the scene and they are filled With envy and They determine that they will contract Predict the preaching of Paul Anderson In doing so. They not only contradict the preaching of Paul, but they blast God. And why did they do it? Jealousy, envy. And ultimately What always stands beside, behind jealousy Pride, their own pride led them to this action.

Paul warned them. If you let you get in the way of you obeying God, what’s going to happen to them. The same thing that happened to their ancestors, why is it that Jews didn’t hear the profits? They were told by Isaiah what was going to happen? They were told by Jeremiah, what was going to happen? They were told by Zika,

what was going to happen? They were told by prophet, after prophet, after prophet, after prophet, what was going to happen and why didn’t they Change? One of them Biggest accusations against them, time in and time out was Pride. And this people chose the same path that their ancestors did. So Paula Barnabas grew bold and said it was necessary.

Sherry. He doesn’t say, well, You know, we thought this was the best path. No, he doesn’t Say that It was necessary. This is the same point that Paul makes in Romans chapter one, when Paul writes to the church at Rome and he says, I was a debtor, both to the Jew and to the, and Tile to preach the gospel.

But he said, The gospel is the power of God unto salvation to the Jew First and also to the Greek. And then by the way, in verse 17, again, quotes, Habakkuk for the just shall live by faith. So Paul says it was necessary that the gospel go to the Jew first, Because it was through them that the gospel was going to reach everyone else.<inaudible> No position.

There’s no biblical position in which Gentiles eat all. I think probably all of us sitting here this morning, You should have any animosity towards Jews nationally, Because of anything that’s happened in the past. The question is for every nationality, will you hear the gospel or not? And What Paul’s is, is it was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first,

but since you reject it, and Here’s an interesting phrase, And judge yourselves on worthy of Lasting life, behold, we turned to the Gentiles. I have a question for you. Someone hears the gospel. Maybe they hear it time and time again, they hear the gospel. They have the word of God and they never obey it. And the day of judgment comes and they stand before God,

do we imagine God as an unjust judge who sits There and says, I don’t care about all the good Things you did. I don’t care About the nice things that you did for your parents. I don’t care how you, you helped them when they were old and in firm. And Who provided for them. I don’t know, Care that you trying to be good to your children,

to your family members and to even people who you didn’t know, I don’t care. You didn’t hear my gospel. You didn’t obey it. And I punish you by sending you to hell, is that the picture of God That we really Ought to have? Hopefully it’s not the picture that we have of God at all. But I think there’s some who do Some who imagined that that’s,

God’s disposition on the day of judgment. I don’t care what You did because of this. I’m sending you to hell. And that’s just simply not the picture of God. The picture of God is go, go, go back real quick to chapter 13, back in chapter 13, verse 17, the God of Israel chose our fathers and exalted the people.

Yeah. When they dwelled as strangers in the land of Egypt with an uplifting arm, he brought them out. Now for a time of about 40 years, he went up with their ways in the wilderness or put up with their ways in the wilderness. And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he distributed their land to them. By allotment.

After that, he gave them judges for about 450 years until Samuel the prophet and afterward, they asked for a King. So God gave them solved the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin for 40 years. And when he had removed him, he raised up for them. David, as King to whom also he gave testimony and said,

I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, for who or excuse me, who will do all my will for this man seed. According to the promise, God raised up for Israel, a savior, Jesus. The picture that we are to have of God is a God who confronts humanity and says, I did this for you.

I did this for you. I did this for you. I did this for you. I did this for you. I did this for you. This, this, this, this, this, this, this, this, this, and all I asked in return is that you hear and obey. And you knowing what I did and Knowing what I said,

Judged yourself, unworthy of the everlasting life. I’ve offered God on the day Of judgment will not In a sense, be sitting there as judge. God will all Reality be saying, you judged yourself because you knew and you wouldn’t obey. Paul said, you judge your selves on worthy of everlasting life. Behold, we turn to the Gentiles for, so the Lord has commanded us.

Now, this is an interesting us here. And this is one of those. I will reference you right back to those YouTube videos, because brother McWiggin spends a bout two lessons going back to the book of Isaiah, because this quotation comes from Isaiah. Yet it comes from a passage, Isaiah 49, where it’s one of the servant passages. It’s one of the passages.

People quite often say, this is about Christ. Except Paul says, it’s not. Paul says it’s about us. It him, Paul Barnabas, the Christians in the first century, it was about the righteous servants of God. The righteous Jews. He says for the soul, the Lord has commanded us. I have set you as a light to the Gentiles that you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.

Now, does it apply to Jesus? Yes, but Paul says that it is the Jews who have the truth that are to be the light to the Gentiles. And does that seem strange to us? Because Jesus said in Matthew chapter five, verse 14 and verse 15 in verse 16, you were the salt of the earth as assaulted loss of saber, where with she’ll be salted.

It sends forth good for nothing to be cast out and trodden under the foot of men, you are the light of the world. A city that is set on a Hill cannot be hid. Paul said Isaiah and Isaiah chapter 49 told us that we’d go to the Gentiles. And so since you, the Jews have considered yourself unworthy of everlasting life, we will do exactly what Isaiah told us to do.

And we will spread the gospel to the Gentiles. And then we read verse 48. Now, when the Gentiles heard this understand something, these Gentiles are not unfamiliar with the Jewish teachings. They’re not unfamiliar With what the Jews in this synagogue believed. These Gentiles would have known these Jews in this synagogue will let you in the synagogue. They’ll let you hear the word of Moses.

They’ll let you hear the law and the profits on the Sabbath day. But if you journey with them to Jerusalem on a feast day, You’ll stand outside in the court of the Gentiles. You won’t go in the temple, They’ll let you in. But only so far And anybody else, that’s not a Jew. They don’t have the same rights or the same privileges under the law of Moses.

But now the Gentiles hearing this, That the Jews who had this gospel, who had these prophets, who had this word from the God of heaven are now being willing to not only spread that gospel, that is these Christians spread that gospel, but also that they have equal standing with God. When they heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord.

And as many as have been appointed to eternal life believed, And the word Of the Lord was being spread throughout all the region. But the Jews stirred up the devout and prominent women and the chief men Of the city raised Up persecution against Paul and Barnabas and expelled them from their region. In verse 51 is an interesting passage that Hearkens back to when Jesus sent Out the 70 And sent out the 12 inch in the region of Judea,

Because We read verse 51, but they, Paul and Barnabas shook off the dust from their feet against them and came to eye conium. And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy spirit Before, Or we get too far away from chapter 13, There would Be some who would come to this passage and say, first of all, verse 48,

makes it clear that God chooses of his own volition who will hear and believe and be saved. You won’t that’s Calvinism for you. Calvinism says, God determines who will hear and who won’t. And through the power of the Holy spirit changes the heart, the, the, the, the, the, the heart of the individual who’s born in sin to be able to believe before They ever do.

And so They’ll use this phrase appointed by the Lord To say, see God To work on an individual before they can be saved and see, God is the one who chooses, who will be saved before they ever believe. And that’s just simply not what this, I Will point out. The consistency Of the book of acts Are some things that Luke says in the book of acts,

as he’s recording these events where he doesn’t every single time someone is converted, say, this person heard the word, believe the word repented of their sins confess the name of Christ and was immersed in water. He doesn’t do that every single time somebody Is converted. He Doesn’t raise every single step along the way. What he does do is give you every indication of exactly what happened.

First Of all, in acts chapter two, before we get all the way down the road acts chapter 13. When Peter is speaking to Jews and telling them the gospel, what does Peter say? They must Do Repent and be baptized for the remission of sins. And you shall receive one. The gift of the Holy ghost Here in this passage. Luke tells you They heard first,

Or they were ever believing before we read anything about those who were appointed. We Burst here that they heard Now, who is directing the events here. Who’s telling Paul and Barnabas who to speak to. Who’s giving them the words to speak. Holy spirit is now. Now if the Holy spirit was going to come into this town, and as it were through Paul and Barnabas convert,

only those who he had already appointed for salvation. What was The point of Paul going to all the people who were going to Inject it? Because if you believe Calvinism, they rejected it because God didn’t On their heart. Isn’t that interesting. Paul accuses them of judging themselves. When in reality, if you believe Calvinism, it’s God who failed to do anything for,

so it’s not just them judging themselves, is it it’s God judging them and withholding from them the ability to be Saved, but that’s not What the passage says. The passage says they heard. They could have believed. And instead Of being Filled with the gospel, they filled themselves with envy. So first they heard, but second, I can leave those who heard amongst that group,

not those who hadn’t heard, but those who did here were those who were appointed by the Lord. But then, Then as Paul and Barnabas are leaving the region, we’re told this little tidbit here, There were believer Who’s who were filled With joy and with the Holy spirit, N Chapter two, Peter makes it clear and all the other passages due to all the way up until this point,

they never received the Holy spirit until after They were baptized. That’s why Peter tells them you have to repent. Well, did these Gentiles have anything to repentive? Yes. Do we suppose they didn’t because we didn’t read where they did. Right? So if we’re going to work in the passage off the assumption, because we didn’t read it, therefore it didn’t happen.

Which is what people will do. They’ll say, see, they believe we don’t read. They were baptized. Oh, okay. Does that mean they didn’t confess the Lord? They didn’t repent. We’re not supposed to treat scripture that way In the same context, in the same book, not in the same event, but in the same book, Luke’s already told us.

Here’s what we taught. Here’s what the gospel was. Here’s what was preached to them. Here’s what they had to do to obey. And here’s what they did. And so when he tells you, but they believed, and they were filled with joy in acts chapter eight, when Philip was teaching the, The unit, the unit is hearing the gospel,

Hearing it from the old Testament. He’s hearing about this one, Jesus. And he says, see, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized? And what is Phillip’s response? If they’ll believe his is Namaste and they go and stop the chariot. And we read that the Munich is rejoicing. He goes down on the water Right now. That’s not what we believe Or what we read.

What we read is that he came up out of the water and went on his way. Rejoicing, Luke makes a point to tell us long before we ever get here, that the joy comes after the conversion, Not before. And that the Holy spirit comes after the conversion, not before. So when Luke tells you that there were believers in this region who continued on,

even after Paul and Barnabas are gone and they continued on in joy and in the Holy spirit, Luke’s already told you what about Them? They’ve Heard, they believe they’ve repented. And they’ve been immersed in water for the remission of their sins. Otherwise they wouldn’t have anything to be joyous of. And they wouldn’t have received the Holy spirit. He does It.

Doesn’t have to spell it out every time, because he’s already given you enough information to know exactly what It happened. Chapter 14, actually, let’s go through the questions of chapter 13. So we actually get those done. I think I’m going to run close on time. All right. By that, I mean, I don’t think I’m going to get into chapter 14 for what work did the Holy spirit call Paul and Barnabas Preaching to the Gentiles On their journey to Cyprus Barnabas and Paul were accompanied by blank.

John Mark Saul was also known as blank, Paul. Okay. That’s pretty, self-explanatory right there in the previous question. Number three, name the punishment placed on bar Jesus for confusing. The ways of the Lord taught by Barnabas and Paul Struck Mine. I thought of something this morning that I had, honestly, I don’t believe not perfect road collection here,

but I don’t believe I’d ever thought of before When Paul’s Or Saul is on the road to Damascus. Where’s the Lord do to him. He struck him blind. And what did he have to do? What Did those traveling with him have to do, Take him by the hand and lead him into the city at that moment in time. So Paul of Tarsus was guilty of the same thing.

Barjesus was wasn’t. He, he was persecuting the Christians and he was provoking Christ and he was withholding the gospel and he gets struck blind and he has to have someone lead him to where he needs to go turn around in chapter 13 and Saul of Tarsus meets LMS Barjesus and gives him the same situation that he had.<inaudible> I wonder if it turned out the same way for elements that it did for Saul.

Maybe that was an opportunity for elements to change as he sits there in his blindness, as Paul did for three days and reasoned with him himself, how did I get here and what happened to me and how do I ever get my sight back? Just to just a thought question and something that occurred to me this week that I just had never even thought of that Paul puts him in the same situation he was in when he was on the road to Damascus.

Okay. There’s there’s that for you? What was the result of on the pro council surgery as Paulus<inaudible> All right. Seeing the things that took place, he was astonished at the teaching and believed in preaching to the Jews and God fearers in pacinian Antioch. Paul did not include a Israel in Egypt, be receiving the law of Moses at Mount Sinai. See land inheritance in Canaan,

D the judges or E King Saul.<inaudible> Be the receiving of the law at Mount Sinai. Number five. Yes or no. Did David’s body decay after death? Yes. Yes or no. Did Jesus’ body decay after death? No. Number six. Forgiveness of sins is through blank.<inaudible> Jesus. I, I wasn’t, I was hearing an answer,

but I wasn’t loud enough to hear all right. I heard a voice, but I didn’t understand it. How did Paul and Barnabas protest against the persecution in pacinian Antioch instigated buying there or by the leaders? Alright. They shook the dust off their feet. Okay. Given the time and given we’re only just a couple of minutes from the quarter after the hour,

we will be dismissed now and pick up in chapter 14 on Wednesday<inaudible><inaudible> Yeah.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> Good morning. Welcome to Collierville. Church crash. Sunday morning, worship service is good to see everybody out this morning, all spread out and social distance, and then that kind of thing. But we’d like to welcome any visuals that we have and ask you,

if you would please fill out a visitor’s card on the back of the Pew in front of you. So we’d have a record of your attendance and We got a sick list. And if you, before that, if you hadn’t picked up your Lord supper, it’d be a good time to do that. It’s back there on that table or are sick or Joan was spraying.

And Maria said she was doing pretty well this morning, Janie, Marlin, Rodale, and Dorothy Wilson. And while I’m on their name, I got a card from them. It says, thanks for all of the phone call cards, letters, and prayers. Thank you. Love y’all Rodale and Arthur Wilson. And I’ll put this on the bulletin board. After services.

James Luna has been moved to N H C healthcare. It’s in Franklin, Tennessee. I think to regain his strength after his little stay in the hospital. Excuse me, Leo van is Becky’s niece. She is at home and doing well after her kidney and pancreas transplant. Diana Schaeffer is recovering from thyroid. She’s talking real low, so, but it’s good to see her.

And Barbara is here again today. And I went back there and talked to her and she says, she’s got to wait three months before she can have surgery on her shoulder. And BJ Clark over at far till is recovering from pneumonia. We will resume Sunday afternoon service beginning, April the fourth, and the fellowship hall will be open. Okay. She,

anybody wants to stay and eat lunch in there. That’s all the announcements. Michael Dale will be leading singing. Eric Halverson has opening prayer. Mark Phillips has the lower supper and Aaron Cozort has her sermon. And Jay Shafir has the closing prayer. One day. I won’t be able to step up the steps like that anymore, but I’m going to take advantage of it while I still can.

Our first song this morning will be number 31 to be still and know that be still and know 31.<inaudible> that I am.<inaudible> that<inaudible> that? Ah,<inaudible> the,<inaudible> the<inaudible> the song before opening. Prayer will be number 827 sweet hour of prayer. Eight to seven. Sweet. Ah.<inaudible> that calls me. Whoa, duh.

Okay. And see me. Let’s stop right there. I think we skipped a slide actually, or the slide is not in there. Yeah. From a world of care and bids me at my father’s throne. Make all my wants and wishes known as it missing. It’s there. Okay. Let’s start over again. Sweet. Ah, prayer. Sweet,

ah, prayer. NA<inaudible>. And besides me a dad, my father<inaudible> me<inaudible> and see<inaudible> and grieve my<inaudible> and read the, and ah,<inaudible> by the<inaudible> suite.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> Hey, son, to the place where<inaudible> is. And<inaudible> my<inaudible> and wait for the sweet, sweet, ah, prayer. Sweet,

ah, prayer. No, we change<inaudible> to<inaudible><inaudible> so to blah and<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> and wait for the<inaudible> God, our father in heaven, we come to you at this time, thanking you for the opportunity to assemble here this morning, to sing songs, appraised your great name and to study another portion of your word, Lord, we want to thank you and praise you for those that have had procedures that have gone well.

And those that are getting good reports on your illnesses and ailments that they are dealing with. But we also know there are many amongst us that still have other ailments and illnesses that they are dealing with. And we asked that if it be your will you return them to a measure of health that they so desire. Lord, we also ask that you oversee those that are providing care for these individuals and give them the strength and the patients that they need in order to deal with the challenges that they face each and every day in providing care for their loved ones.

Lord, we also know that there are those amongst us that have lost loved ones recently. And we ask that you wrap your loving arms around those families and the friends of those, those members that have passed away and give them the comfort that they so desire. Lord, we also thank you for having sent your son Jesus here on earth so that we may learn from him and through him and have that opportunity to have our sins forgiven and one day join you and heaven.

And now, as we prepare to study another portion of your word, that brother Aaron would bring to us, we ask that you help each and every one of us focus on the words that Aaron brings us this morning, your words, so that we may analyze them and apply them to our lives so that we may better serve you while we live here on this earth,

we pray all this through your son, Jesus name, amen Song to prepare our minds for the Lord. Supper will be number 350. When my life to Christ grows week three, five, zero. When my law to Christ grows, we, when for deep things I see and then thought, ah, God, to the garden. Yeah. E<inaudible> the name green.<inaudible> see,

that’s a freaking friend.<inaudible> we being present?<inaudible> when my love for man grows. We, when for strong<inaudible> I see<inaudible> to those scenes.<inaudible> there be<inaudible><inaudible> bit a tree. See,<inaudible> see his<inaudible><inaudible> TRIBE and then to LA live. Ah, and ah, and, and the<inaudible><inaudible> and<inaudible> Griff At this time,

we need to remember the cross and that sacrifice that Jesus made for our sins. Let’s pray having father we’re thankful for this bread, that represents Jesus’ body. That was nailed to the cross for the sins of mankind. And we pray heavenly father, you please forgive us of our sins. Amen. Unlike men or heavenly father, we’re thankful for this fruit of the vine that represents Jesus’ blood.

That was shed on the cross for the sins of mankind. I pray heavenly father, you please forgive us for our sins. Separate from the Lord’s table. Have an opportunity to give us with prosper. Let us pray. Having it followed with thankful for the financial gains you have given us through the years and we pray heavenly father. You would take a portion of these to help continue the work here at Collierville.

Church of Christ. These things we ask in Jesus name, amen. The song before the lesson will be number four, 150. Give me the Bible. If you’re able, let’s stand for this song please. Number four or five zero. Give me the<inaudible> to cheer though on DRA. No, Nan Tempus, no stolen Ken. Hi that<inaudible> beat man.

Since Jesus came to seek and save the lost, give me the Holy message. I need a light shot. Guide me in a narrow way. Hey, precept. And<inaudible><inaudible> gave me<inaudible>. My heart is broke and<inaudible> and then green Pam<inaudible> gave me the precious words. My Jesus spoke. Oh, the face to show my<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> me in a narrow way.

Hey,<inaudible> to<inaudible> and he turned all day. Hey, give me<inaudible>. Oh, that’s and by the open gray, Hey,<inaudible> from heaven shining port or show me the glory gilding Jordan’s way. Hey, give me the<inaudible>. Holy message. I need a live shot. Guide me in a narrow way. Hey<inaudible><inaudible> and he turned all day.

Hey, you may be seated. Good morning. When you think about history, there are some things are true. Like for instance, there was a time in history before this country, Someone might say, well, what was America like before the United States of America? And you could Provided you knew something about that time period. You could tell them about the different parts of America and the different regions and,

and how they were under the thumb of, of a foreign power. But you could also be asked the question, what was life like? And I’ll use the phrase. My, my parents do B C you know, a, B, C stands for right before children, Like talking about what life was like before children, all the things they used to do before.

Yeah. Keep wanting to ask my parents. So what’s life like after children, But we’re not going to get on that topic. So often we wonder what are things like before something, But have you ever thought what existed? What was here before the beginning now for a modernist that’s nonsense. That’s foolish talk. You can have something before the beginning.<inaudible> And also,

I mean, there’s always been something here because something has to be eternal. Otherwise you’d have nothing, but it was small and infant testimony. It’s not what the Bible talks about though. In Genesis chapter one, verse one, we read in the beginning. And yet it is clear from the text that when you read in the beginning, it’s not the beginning,

is it? It’s not the, of everything. It’s the beginning of something, Just like there was a continent of what is now the United States of America. There’s a continent of North America before there was the United States of America Before The nation was ever a nation, the place. And even most of the people were already here. And yet they’re in 1776. You have the beginning in 1786 or three or whatever.

When you get out of the Confederate agreement into the United States, Say all of that to bring us forward to this question of what was there in the beginning before The beginning. And you might, so why Aaron, because it speaks to what is most important about our understanding of who we are. You and I, we have a beginning. Humanity has a beginning.

That beginning is what we read about in Genesis chapter one, verse one in the beginning, God, it’s not the beginning of everything. It’s not the beginning of God. It’s not the beginning of all things that God did. It is the beginning Of our story. But when you frame your understanding of who we are, who humanity is in a frame that doesn’t count in the things that God did,

the existence of God, you frame humanity by himself, material things by themselves, you ignore the supernatural. You ignore God, you ignore his actions in eternity, you ignore all of those things. Then you get a very different Man. And that is what so many in our world want to believe. They want to believe that man and humanity sprung up out of a series of accidents,

a series of events, over a period of infinite, infinite amount of time to create what we are now and we’re going to something else. And yet that’s not true. Before the beginning, there was number one, a God that existed before or The beginning of the world. There was a God that existed go to Genesis chapter For one in the beginning,

God was created, right? No, no. I think I got a few of those words in the wrong order. In the beginning, God created. If God created in the beginning, what existed before the beginning, God did. Otherwise he couldn’t have created. We already have the presumption in the text that there was something before the beginning. And who was it?

What was it? The answer is God. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Let me ask you this. When humanity shows, What was already here, the earth was when God showed up, what was not already Here, the earth that Is incredibly important Because humanity would love to have it. The other way around wouldn’t they,

They would loved to have in the beginning was matter over time matter produced man. And from man and his imagination came, God, That’s not the way it works. And that’s not what happened for in the beginning Before have the heavens and the earth existed. God existed. Matthew chapter 19, Jesus says something interesting about this. Matthew chapter 19 in a passage that quite often is,

is used to discuss marriage and divorce and remarriage and that’s appropriate given that’s it’s context. Jesus decided to have a discussion about the beginning in Matthew chapter 19 verse one. Now it came to pass when Jesus had finished these sayings that he departed from Galilee and came to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan and great multitudes followed him. And he healed them there.

The Pharisees also came to him, testing him and saying, is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason? And he answered and said, have you not Read That he who made them? Who is Them? A man And his wife, male and female. By the way, if you Ever have a desire to go read one of the best arguments ever made against evolution,

Go Read the Warren flu debate that happened in Texas in the 1970s, Where Dr. Anthony flu attempted to argue the agnostic position and evolution and brother Warren, by the Way, you can call him Dr. Warren too, but I’m going to call it. Brother asked Mr. Flu, when did male and female evolve, you see evolution has a problem because As you not only have to get cells that reproduce and then beings that reproduce,

but in all sexual beings, you have to get the evolution of a male and a female. Not only happening around the same time, but it has to happen around the same time and in the same species and in the same location. Because if you have one creature evolve into a male on one side of the planet and another creature evolve into a female on the other side of a planet,

a thousand years apart, guess what? You don’t have reproduction. Why? Oh, they just missed it by a thousand years. Now you want to take the odds of getting evolution to happen. Now compound them upon the odds of getting evolution to happen in the same time, at the same place, in the same location. And one of them to be mailing one of them to be female,

You just Took the odds of evolution happening and you skyrocketed it out of the planet, But that’s a side thought. Jesus Said that he, which made them at the beginning, made them male and female. And then notice what he says and said for this reason, shall a man leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife. And the two shall become one flesh before the beginning,

God existed. And God created What is here. But consider further that before The beginning Christ existed, some Would have Christ to be A created, being. Some would have Christ to be the first created being because they misunderstand The book of Hebrews. But Christ existed before For the beginning, John chapter one In John chapter one, as John introduces Jesus Christ,

He doesn’t introduce him as some of the other gospels do with his mother. He doesn’t introduce him with his birth. He doesn’t introduce him with his lineage as Matthew does. He introduces him with in the beginning was The word, okay? Not in the beginning was the word created in the beginning was the word it was already in existence. And the word was with God.

And the word was, Oh God, wait a minute, John, what do you mean? He means when that phrase in the beginning is used in Genesis chapter one, verse one, not only does God, the father exist, but God, the son exists, But he doesn’t stop there. Now does he In the beginning was the word. And the word was with God.

And the word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him. And without him, nothing was made that was made Before the beginning Christ existed. And John says, and he did the creative Act. God spoke Christ created before the beginning, Christ existed turn to John chapter 17. Lest we Leave the opportunity for one to come along and say,

well, that’s what John John thought let’s hear it from. Jesus’s mouth, John chapter 17, verse one, we father the hour has come glorify your son, that your son also may glorify you as you have given him authority over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to. As many as you have given him. And this is eternal life that they may know you.

The only true God and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have glorified you on the earth. I have finished the work which you have given me to do. And now father glorify me together with yourself, with the glory, which I had with you To be for the world was wait a minute. Christ, are you saying Like you did to the Jews?

You remember the Jews said, do you believe you’re greater than Abraham? And Jesus Said before Abraham was, as I am. And now we Says before the world was, I am God existed before the world Christ existed before the world someone might quandary. What about the spirit? Glad you asked that Hebrews chapter nine, Hebrews chapter nine, the Hebrew writer As he is here,

speaking concerning the, The things that we read concerning the mediator. We read this beginning in verse 11, but Christ came as high priest of good things to come, which the, the greater or excuse me, wind the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands. That is not This creation, not with the blood of bulls and goats, but God,

with his own blood, he entered the most Holy place once for all having obtained eternal redemption for if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling the unclean sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh. How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the terminal Spirit, through The eternal spirit, offered himself without spot, Got to God.

Cleanse Is your conscience from dead works to serve the living God. And for this reason, he is the mediator of the new covenant. Jesus Christ here in this passage is spoken of as the mediator. He has spoken of the sacrifice, but he is spoken of as making the sacrifice through the eternal Spirit. Add on to that in Genesis chapter one. And in verse one in the beginning,

God, and the Hebrew scholars will tell you clearly that word is plural. It’s not singular. The word Elohim in the text is in its plural form. God, the father was there. God, the son was there. God, the spirit who is eternal in his nature was there, which means God, the father, God, the son, God,

the spirit are greater in substance, in nature, In stature, in glory and in preeminence than all, All of this physical existence. But did you know they weren’t all that existed before the beginning. Few other things that existed before the beginning, John chapter 17, again, Jesus is, he is praying to the father, says in verse 20, I do not pray for these alone,

but also for those who will believe in me through their word, That they all may be one as you father are in me and I in you that they may be one in us that the world may believe that you sent me and the glory, which you gave me. I have given them that they may be one just as we are one I in them and you and me that they may be made perfect in one.

And that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them. As you loved me, father, I desire that they also, whom you gave me may be with me where I am, that they may be hold my glory, which you have given me for. You loved me Before the foundation of the world love existed before the beginning of the world.

No loves Just a human emotion. A by-product of, of, of, of the nature of humanity that evolved over millions of year. No God, the father loved the other ones. Beings of the Godhead bef Or the world was founded. Love preexists, humanity, Consider something else. Genesis chapter one, verse three, Go back to the creative act.

The description of that passage or that description of that event in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth verse three said, then God says, Let there be light. And there was light. Have you ever, I thought about the fact that communication existed before Humana We’re told that God spoke, what is that? That is communication. Why Is it?

The communication has such great impact and such great importance in our lives. Do you know something that Adolf Hitler realized and came to a realization of this fact, if he could become a good Speaker, I could convince his nation to change communication And its Power shifted Germany from 1919 to 1934 Because Adolf Hitler decided he was going to become a Great communicator. Communication is powerful and it existed before we did No,

no, no, no, no. I’ve seen the caveman drawings. There are no words Up there. So since there are no words, there must not have been any words, right? God spoke and it happened. But then consider as well. We read just a moment ago in John chapter 17 verse five, that Jesus said not only did I exist,

not only did the father exist, but glory Existed. Have you ever thought about that? When we think about love existing, we think about communication existing, God spoke, but have you thought about the fact that glory existed? Remember he said, glorify me with the glory I had with you before the world won Says, well now wait a minute. Glory from who?

See, because you don’t get glory from nobody. You don’t have glory. If you’re in the presence of no one, you don’t have glory. If you’re on an Island by yourself and no one else exists, guess what you don’t have of all the things you might have. You don’t have glory, Sorry for you. Leave no impression on anyone else.

And that’s what Three involves the impression you make on others. Glory is something that’s received by multiple people being present. And yet Christ had glory that tells you that someone else, since both Christ and the father, Or had glory, either Christ in the father and the spirit are standing there and miring one another and giving glory to one another, or someone ELDs exists with them.

Not claiming there are other eternal Beings claiming that someone else Existed before the world did, which by the way, we already know to be true. Is there a good chance from all the scriptures indication that the angels were present when God created the world? Absolutely glory existed before the world was interestingly, spend some time with Psalm 33 to consider that idea. But then one last thing in John chapter 17,

verse five, Jesus says that I was with you. I had glory with you and you sent me. We also see encapsulated in that that authority existed before the beginning turned us all 93, Psalm 93 beginning in verse one, we read the Lord reigns. He is clothed with majesty. The Lord is closed. He has girded himself with strength. Surely the world is established So that it can And not be moved.

Your throne is established from of old. You all are from ever Last thing. Wait a minute. What did we just read about? We read about the reign of God, the throne of God, the power of God and the creative act of God and all of those things. Those first three existed before the creative act God’s authority was Set in existence and was there before you and I am this word World ever existed.

Why is it though? Those who want to believe in evolution want to believe in evolution. This may not Be a hundred percent exhaustively true because there may be some people who are ignorant of the scriptures enough that they might believe in evolution and the scriptures at the same Time, in spite Of the fact that every single major section of scripture from Genesis to revelation claims God created the heavens and the earth and that it happened the way the Bible says it did every single major section.

There’s not a section of scripture. You can have left. If you throw out the creation that you get to keep that section of scripture, But predominantly throughout the last 200 years Of evolutionary thinking and promulgation of that ideology, it comes from this singular Desire. If evolution is true, I don’t have a God who I have to answer to because I’m just a by-product of Nature.

But the Bible Tells us authority existed before we did. And specifically God’s authority. Now God existed before the beginning Christ Existed before the beginning of the spirit existed before the beginning love existed before the beginning communication existed before the beginning glory existed before the beginning authority existed before the beginning. And I want to point out just one small series of things That existed Before there was,

It was a sin because These also have an incredible impact on your and I’s existence and understanding of ourselves. When I look at humanity, I am forced to look at it through the reality that I know sin exists and everyone I know has sin, But Before there was a sin, A few things were true. Number one, before there was a sin on earth,

people existed. We’re not going to spend any time with that one, improving it. Genesis chapter one, Genesis chapter two, Go read it, but Consider as well that before there was a sin Law existed, This is chapter two, verse 16, God commanded them of the tree of every are of every tree in the garden. You may freely eat,

but of the tree of the knowledge of the good and evil in the center of the garden. You may not, Not eat law existed before sin Bill existed before sin, but also consider less. We believe that all knowledge came from them eating that tree because it certainly didn’t Genesis chapter two verses 19 through 20, makes it clear that knowledge existed before sin,

before sin, Adam and Eve weren’t automatons. They weren’t robots just doing the programming of God because God took the animals, presented them before Adam. And what did he do? He named all, All of them who named the animals. God, no. Adam did. Yes. Knowledge existed before sin and humanity existed before sin and humanity existed in a time before there was Shame and sin,

go back to Genesis chapter two, just for a moment in Genesis chapter two, verse one 23, and Adam said, this is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. She shall be called woman because she was taken out of man. Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and they shall become one flesh.

And they were both naked. The man and his wife and were not Ashamed. They weren’t ashamed because shame had no existence in the world. Shame Aim had no presence in the world Out sin before there was a sin. There were people okay. Before there was a sin, there was knowledge before there was a sin. There were people who lived in knowledge of God,

obedience to God and without shame. And before there was a sin on earth, there was a plan for redemption. So we’ll wait a bit. Yeah, there was no sin. There was no shame. There was no problem. There were no struggles. Everything was perfect. Why in the world? Was there a plan for redemption Because The God who existed before creation knew,

man would Good sin revelation, chapter 13, Revelation chapter 13 and in verse eight, All who dwell on the earth will worship him. Whose names have not been written? The book of life. Now, wait a minute. Who’s the, who’s the him here? It’s, it’s the beast. We, we talked about this in revelation class. They’re worshiping the bees that set up by the dragon.

This is Satan influence People and who worships the beast. Those who aren’t written in the Lamb’s book of life. If it stopped right there, that would be an interesting point, but not nearly as interesting. This one, we read Names have not been written in the book of life of the land, Slain from the foundation of the world before the world was founded.

And before A sin happened on earth, The lamb had already determined the comm and was in the eyes of God slang. And the lamb is Jesus Christ. Turn to Hebrews Chapter nine, one more Time. Hebrews chapter nine, verse 12. Well not with the blood of goats and calves, but with his own blood Christ entered the most Holy place once for all having obtained eternal redemption for if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled the unclean sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh.

How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God. And for this Reason, he is the mediator of a new covenant by means of death for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant. And those who are called that those who are called may receive the promise of an eternal Inheritance before the world existed.

Before the beginning, before a sin was ever committed, Christ paid for any terminal inheritance. Oh, you mean we’re not meaningless beings just living out life in the grip of nature. No, and we never were. And we were never, ever, ever created with only this existence in mind for before the world was Christ determined to purchase our redemption, that we might have eternal life.

We need to be careful about the stories we’re told by the world and what they would have us to believe because back of everything, the scripture says is what it is, man is intended to be while these here in preparation for what God intends man to be forever. So are you living your life in view of the truth of everything that existed before the world was ever created?

Or are you living your life? Like the Psalmus writer describes the individual who says the fool has said in his heart, there is no God, how are you living today? Jesus Christ came to purchase humanity’s redemption. And he said he would purchase that redemption through his blood. And the scripture tells us, we come into contact with the blood of Christ in baptism,

through the immersion of water. We come into contact with the forgiveness of sins that we might have the gift of eternal life. If you have need of that redemption today, it’s offered to you today, but might you always remember in the midst of the struggles, in the midst of the pain, in the midst of the difficulty that this world wasn’t never,

all that was planned for you and God offers you a home with him depending upon whether or not you choose to love the one who loved you before you existed. Oh, Bay, the one who had authority before you existed, believe the communication of the one who communicated before you existed and who paid the price for your redemption before you existed, will you accept that salvation?

If you have need of it, why not come now? As we stand in, as we say<inaudible><inaudible> for me and<inaudible> me,<inaudible> like<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> to the<inaudible> like<inaudible> no,<inaudible> no to<inaudible><inaudible> God like before our closing prayer will be number 611, 611, heavenly sunlight walking in<inaudible> through the<inaudible> Jesus.<inaudible> never,<inaudible> never can.<inaudible> heavenly.<inaudible> a<inaudible> singing.

His praise is Jesus<inaudible> and Brian<inaudible> pressing my way to mentions singing his praise gladly. I’m walking, walking in<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> singing his praise is Jesus Heavenly father. We’re indeed grateful for this privilege. We’ve had to assemble and worship you this day. We pray that our worship has been in spirit and truth and a sweet savor unto thee, as we prepare to depart were mindful of those that were mentioned that were sick.

We pray that you will remember them and bless them with a return of their much wanted Hill comfort. Those that have recently lost loved ones and bless each of us as we have need. We especially thank you for being aware as we repent of our sins, that you, we know you are faithful to forgive them, that we may stand, hold and pure in your side.

Bless each of us with these things and return us at the next appointed hour. This our prayer in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Automated Transcript:

Okay, we are Going to be in acts chapter 13. This morning. We’ll begin with our questions from acts chapter 12, just by way of a review. And then we’ll get into chapter 13. Let’s get started with a word of prayer, Our gracious father in heaven. We come before you exalting your name, humbling ourselves, mindful of the glories that you present to us every day,

the mercy that you have shown us that the sun might rise, that the weather might be nice, that we might be able to have the health to get out. And to see this day, we are mindful of those who because of illness or difficulties are unable to get out. And we pray for their comfort and strength in the hardships that they have.

We pray for those who were dealing with the difficulties of COVID trying to recover from it. Perhaps they’ve had it in the, in the past. And though they no longer have the disease, the aftermath is causing difficulties in their lives. We pray for those who are still at home. We pray for those who deal with health problems on a continual basis.

We know the struggles that many endure, and yet we are so grateful that the largest struggle that we have in life has been resolved by your son. And that is sin. We thank you for your son who came and died on the cross for our sins to provide the hope of the world. And we pray that we might boldly speak his name and proclaim the truth that you would have us to proclaim that we might teach the truth in love,

but yet in boldness and firmness, we might never back down from the truth because others might not like it help us to always strive to do what’s right in your sight. Forgive us when we sin and fall short of your glory. And may we always with humility, seek to follow your, your path? All this, we pray in Jesus name. Amen.

Acts chapter 12. Questions, Question Number one. Yes or no. Were the Jews pleased when Herod had James, the brother of John put to death? Yes, they were pleased question two from verses four and six. How did Herod have Peter guarded in prison? Bound in chains between two guards, guards at the door. Alright. And he had put him under how many guards?

Four squads is the new King James there. Okay. What events led to Peter’s release from prison? All right. An angel showed up a light, showed up. All right. The, the angel struck him to wake him up. All right. To get up, get dressed and his chains were off. Okay. And then the angel led him out through the,

through the Gates. In what way? Verse. This is acts chapter 12, verses five, 12 and 16. In what way was the church trying to aid? To Peter’s release from prison. All right. They were praying for him. What was the reaction of the church when they saw Peter had been released astonishment and disbelief a yes or no. Did Herod find Peter after the angel had led his escape from prison?

No, he did not question six. Describe the occasion of Herod’s death. Alright. Eaten by worms from the inside, having received the praise of being a God. And instead of giving God, the glory took the glory for himself. Describe the growth of the word in acts chapter 12, according to verse 24, grew and multiplied. Okay. So in the last few chapters,

we’ve seen a couple of, of integral things to the account of the book of acts. We’ve seen the gospel taken to Cornelius and the Gentiles at the mouth of Peter at the behest of the Holy spirit. We’ve seen word of that. And news of that come back to the Jews in Jerusalem, the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem, who Initially were upset about it,

but eventually having heard what the Holy spirit did gave glory to God and praise God for it. Now that doesn’t mean that every Jewish Christian was happy about it. Okay. Or that every Jewish Christian thought it was being handled the way they thought it should be handled. And this becomes the singular biggest issue in the Christian or in the church in the first century is the Jew and Gentile strife going on within the church.

It’s the background of the book of Romans. It’s the background of the book of Galatians. It’s the background to a lot of the events that we’re going to read about still further in the book of acts. And we’re going to see here in chapter 13, what it is that’s really dividing. The church is the perspectives, the attitudes, and the mentality that they brought into the church as Jews,

not the teachings of the apostles or the prophets or the Holy spirit. Okay. We’re going to see that exemplified in the Jews that Saul and Barnabas are going to be sent to as they begin their first missionary journey. Now acts chapter 13. The shift takes place where we’ve gone from looking at the church in Jerusalem, in the first eight chapters. And then with one of those chapters being Jerusalem and Judea,

and then Samarria. So the church in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria acts chapters one through eight, then chapters nine through 12, the church going to the Gentiles and going out of Jerusalem because of persecution into the other regions of Judea and in the remainder of the land of Palestine. And then beginning in acts, chapter 13, we have the church go and the gospel going to the rest of the world and all the way by the end of this book to Rome.

Okay. So that’s the path that we’re on. Verse 25 of chapter 12 says, and Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their ministry. And they also took with them, John, whose surname was Mark? Why did they go to Jerusalem? Me again? All right. To take the benevolence that the churches in these other regions that had heard about the famine and knew,

knew of the, and the plight of the Jews in Jerusalem, the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem had sent aid to Jerusalem. And so Saul and Barnabas took that money to Jerusalem. And now they’ve returned. Who did they take with them when they went Mark? And now when they come back, John Mark is, is with them. All right, verse 13 or chapter 13,

verse one. Now in the church that was at Antioch, there were certain prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon, who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene Menin, who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch and Saul. A couple of these individuals we don’t know much about, but it’s of interest that here is one who’s mentioned in Antioch, who biology from the indications of the text grew up with Herod.

And yet here he is serving as a teacher, as a preacher, as a prophet in Antioch. So in the city of Antioch, we read earlier that disciples, when, when the persecution began in Jerusalem, disciples dispersed, and one of the regions, they went to, one of the places was this Antioch. And as a result of that, the church was,

was founded, began to be, they began to teach, but in Antioch, there was something different. What happened in Antioch that didn’t happen in most other places when the church left Jerusalem, what did we read about? All right. They were called Christians there first, but the disciples, when they got there, they didn’t just teach. Right? They didn’t just teach the Jews.

They also taught as the text uses the word there, the Hellenistic, the Grecians. So they didn’t just teach the Jews. They also taught the Grecians, the Gentiles and they taught them the gospel also. So it is from this point that the Holy spirit will begin to make Antioch. The, the, really the church that reaches out to the Gentile world.

So these four Saul, Barnabas, Simeon, sorry, these five Lucius and minivan were serving there as prophets and teachers in the church in Antioch, as they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy spirit said now separate to me, Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them. Then having fasted and prayed and laid hands on them.

They sent them away. Okay. So a couple things that we have in this text first and foremost, the Holy spirit says, I have a task for these two. I have something that I want Saul and Barnabas to be doing. Now, did the Holy spirit send Saul and Barnabas to some other location because they weren’t doing anything in it? No.

Was it Because Saul and Barnabas were no longer being effective in teaching and converting people? No. Sometimes I think we, we imagine That Things are going well in a location and that an evangelist or a minister or preacher is converting people. He needs to stay there till the supply runs out. He needs to stay there until nobody else has left for him to convert.

But that’s not even the way the Holy spirit operated. The Holy spirit said, I need these two and I need them over here. But notice something else that’s important About that is It wasn’t Saul and Barnabas who were the only ones working the work in Antioch. Didn’t see, because Saul and Barnabas were led by the Holy spirit to go on this missionary journey.

The work in Antioch continued because there were others there who were also doing the work. And that’s one of the things I think we struggle with sometimes in maybe the way we structure teaching and preaching in churches. And this isn’t the first time I’ve said this here in, in our modern times is quite often, we’ve got one preacher, one congregation. And if that preacher ever relocates or moves on,

now, the question is, well, who’s going to You do the breaching. Whereas the first century church, while they’re preachers may not have been, as it were, full-time employed preachers. Quite often, they work, but they had a number of them. They, they had a multitude of them. And when there wasn’t a Reacher, the members were doing the evangelism.

You know, when those disciples left Jerusalem, it wasn’t the apostles that went. It wasn’t the apostles who started the work in Antioch. It was the Christians. And so it goes back to this same point that Paul makes to Timothy when Paul writes to Timothy and he says in first Timothy chapter two verses one and two, that one of Timothy’s jobs was to find faithful men and to instill in them the ability to teach other faithful men.

And so there’s this responsibility and it’s at the it’s at the, the response, or it is Glade upon the responsibility of preachers to teach other Teachers to train up people who can teach others. So that is, It’s not just left to them. It’s one of the mistakes that I think preachers make. And as one I know how easy it is to make it where you just,

well, I’ll just do it. I’ll just do it. And everything that comes along, I’ll just do it. I’ll just do it. And sometimes you have situations where preachers kind of get, they get frustrated. They think, well, I have to do everything, but they’ve never asked anybody else to do anything. Well, it kind Of goes back to this whole James chapter one.

You have not because you ask not. And so How often preachers get so busy and wrapped up in thinking they have to do everything. They never ask anybody to do anything and they’ve crippled themselves Doing so, Paul and Barnabas are Working with other teachers, other profits. Now it is interesting to note and specific to this context That these teachers And profits were those who had these miraculous gifts to do these things okay.

Through the laying on of the apostles hands. These are those who had been given the gift of prophecy, given the gift of speaking, the revelation of God, they didn’t have a new Testament to reference, and they didn’t have the book of acts for Matthew, Mark, Luke, John. They didn’t have any of that. They had the old Testament scriptures,

but more often than not, these individuals were those who had been given these gifts by the Holy spirit, but they were using them. And as one who had the talent, the ability and the responsibility, they were fulfilling that role. So the Holy spirit calls Saul and, And says, or tells the church, send solemn Barnabas, that they might do this.

What is it that the teachers are doing when The Holy spirit calls solemn, Barnabas? What does the Text tell us? They were in the midst of doing Fasting and pray. Now we We’ve often had conversations and we’ve had them here before, but it’s worth mentioning because it’s in the text. Is there anything wrong in the 21st century with facts? No,

it is. Is there any passage in the new Testament that commands us to Fast? No. This was a Jewish practice and had One, one, again In the old Testament where it was under one circumstance, they were commanded to fast, but it had had grown up as a principle and something that, that was a spiritual discipline. And it’s, there is absolutely nothing wrong with fasting,

but maybe we should define what is fasting. Okay. It is the exertion of self-control by depriving yourself, withholding from yourself, some substance in this case, generally food or food and water for a limited period of time to utilize that self-control and that deprivation to focus your mind on a spiritual matter. Okay. So they are in a time of specific focused spiritual thought when this happens.

Okay. Usually when you’re fasting, you don’t go, all right, this is a great time to go out and do evangelism and run everywhere. And, and, and no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. You’re, you’re going without the natural fuel for the body. This isn’t the time of exertion physically. This is the time of taking time out and being settled in your physical situation to be exerted spiritually.

Okay. So this was a spiritual exercise and it was connected in this passage to what prayer. So this is a period of time where there, these teachers, these profits are talking to God. And during that fasting, that spiritual discipline and that line of communication to God, God, through the Holy spirit, communicates back to them. Okay. We should not be expecting that to happen if we faster pray today.

Okay. But all of that is to say, there’s nothing wrong with taking out time at an, on an individual or collective basis to devote oneself, to spiritual actions and thoughts, and to utilize fasting as a tool to do that. But then something else happens in this text. That again, is nothing that is, is withhold withheld from us. So it’s not a normal practice in America among the church that I’m aware of.

And that is when the Holy spirit calls solemn, Barnabas. What does the church do before they leave? They laid hands on them. Okay. Now there are two different laying on of hands that we read about in the church in the first century, one had To do with the apostles laying on hands and imparting the miraculous gifts in doing so. The apostles alone were the ones with the ability to do this.

No one else was given that ability. It was exclusive to them, but it happened, but through the laying on of hands and really all this is, I mean, there’s, there’s no missed thing about it. It was literally putting your hand on someone and usually was connected with a prayer. Okay. So you’ve seen in bald teams do this, you know,

when they all get in the huddle and they all put their hand in the middle, that that’s the say that no, that’s 21st century example, but that’s the same basic I did. Why, why are they putting their hands in the middle to show unity? Okay. So this is not something thing. And, and I know of one congregation that does this before they,

they have a group or some groups that go out and go on mission trips a couple of times a year before those mission, before those members leave on that mission trip on a Sunday, before they leave, they have all of them go to the front and the elders and the preacher lay their hands on them and pray over them. Now, is there anything wrong with that?

Not at all. Would we feel perhaps not having ever experienced that in person feel maybe, ah, ha is this okay? You know, because we do that. We, we think things are not okay because we’ve never done them, but is there anything that the Bible says that against that? Not at all, as a matter of fact, here’s a perfect biblical example of now.

Is there anywhere that the Bible commands us to do it? No, but it is an approved example. So if a church chooses to do it by all means, it’s a perfectly acceptable thing to do. All right. We’re going to have a hard time getting through chapter 13. If I take this long on every verse. So they ministered to the Lord verse two and fasted,

the Holy spirit has said now separate to me, Barnabas and Saul for the work which I have called them. Then having fasted and prayed and laid hands on them. They sent them away. By the way, I will mention concerning laying on her hands. This isn’t the only time this happens. We see this happen again. When the elders from emphasis meet with Saul or meet with Paul in acts chapter 20,

before he departs from them, they know it’s the last time they’re ever going to see him alive. And it, and it will be, and they lay their hands on him and they walk with him and minister to him as he leaves to go on that journey back to Jerusalem. So being sent out by the Holy spirit, they went down to Solutia and from there,

they sailed to Cyprus. Now, when they arrived in Solomon, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. They also had John as their assistant or minister. One of the things that they did in the first century, which I think is a wonderful idea for long-term missionary Journeys is They would send out those who were the teachers and preachers,

but they wouldn’t send them by themselves. They would send them with others whose job it was to work labor and bring in the financial support that was needed by the missionaries To continue their work. So when Paul reaches Athens and he’s all by himself, what do we find him doing in short order, Making tents? Is he making tents? Did he just have in the itch to go back to his old occupation?

No, none of his ministers, none of his assistance as it were, are there functioning to work and labor for the money necessary to continue preaching. So he has to provide for himself. When Paul writes to the church at Corinth and says, I took nothing From you. I Robbed other churches to preach to you. There were churches that would help as,

as we do when we support missionaries and we helped with their missionary works, we send them eight that there were churches. That’s a new Testament example. The church at flip, I did that to Paul and we read, we read about that, but quite often in the day to day Needs, there would be those Associates assistance, Timothy Titus, John Mark,

in this occasion, who would be a long on the journey who their main function was to work, to provide for The group And be able to sustain their physical Financial needs. All right. So they took John Mark with them, verse six, by the way, I’m not going to talk a whole lot about the geography of this. You all have a map in the back of your Bible,

open it up and go look at the map yourself. We don’t have time to go look at maps in this class. If we’re going to get through all of these, these chapters in one lesson. Now, when they had gone through the Island of payphones, they found a certain source for a false prophet, a Jew. Now notice this, this is a Jew,

whose name was Barjesus. What does the word bar mean? When we come across it in the day? Son of it means Son of Jesus. Okay. Now this doesn’t mean he was connected to Jesus of Nazareth. The name Jesus, which is the old Testament equivalent of Joshua is not an abnormal name, a Hebrew lineage. And so he is the son of a man named Jesus.

Okay. Who was with the pro council? Now this pro council, would he have been a Jew or a Gentile? Probably a Roman. He’s probably a Gentile. He he’s, he is one who’s part of the Roman government. Okay. So they’re on the Island of Patmos, a certain sorcerer. Who’s a Jew and a certain pro counsel. Who’s a Gentile is they run into this man called for Barnabas.

Sergius Paulus. That is called for Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. Now, here is a Roman official, who is most likely a Gentile Sergius Paulus is his name. And he has heard about this gospel and he wants to hear it. So he calls for Saul and Barnabas, but<inaudible> now Musk is what? By nationality.

He’s a Jew. And yet he is an adviser. This illness, the sorcerer for, so his name is translated, withstood them seeking to turn the pro council away from the faith. Then Saul, who is also called Paul filled with the Holy spirit, looked intently at him and said, Oh, full of all this seed and all fraud. You son of the devil,

you enemy of all righteousness, will you not seize perverting the straight ways of the Lord. And now indeed, the hand of the Lord is upon you. And you shall be blind not seeing the sun for a time. And immediately a dark mist fell on him. And he went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand. Then the pro council believed when he saw what had been done.

I’m going to stop right there. Why is it that? Cause, cause we know the rest of the story. We, we know he’s about to go into a synagogue and he’s about to teach people and there’s going to be Jews who reject him. Why is it that this Jew get struck blind when all the other Jews that reject the gospel don’t okay.

So you have a couple of things. Number one, by performing the miracle, he confirms the message, but what is this man? But what is alumnis? He’s a sorcerer. He might be a Jew nationally, but what is he occupationally? This same thing we read about in acts chapter six, He’s a sorcerer, sorry. Acts chapter eight. Is it eight?

I think it’s eight. All right. He’s a sourcer. He’s not a Faithful Jew. Following the Old Testament. What was, what was commanded in the old Testament to happen to sorcerers, sorcerers, witches, neck romance, All, all of those type of individuals were to be put to death. This man is not a faithful Jew. Who’s hearing the gospel.

This man is someone who opposes not only the old Testament, but the gospel as well. And this man is standing in the way of Sergius Paulus, hearing the gospel. Now a point that was made. And I think it’s incredibly interesting. You go back and look at the old Testament. We don’t have time to do it for this study, but it might be something we do at some point in the future.

And you look at God’s laws concerning with those who, who practice witchcraft. Those who practiced, just throw all of rounder, the quote, unquote, dark arts and practice them. Not in, you know, the sense of some, you know, magicians for show slight of hand type way, but in truly believing they were practicing these things and did it from a spiritual perspective.

Here they are. They’re practicing these things and God Condemns them to death For it. And some might look at that and say, well, isn’t that kind of kind of harsh, but here’s the thing. What was Israel in relationship to God, they were in what kind of relationship, a covenant relationship with God. And these people were committing the equivalent of treason against their nation.

Because If the nation Lost favor with God, because of sin, because of departing from him, what was going to happen in the nation, they’d be punished, they’d be lost, they’d be destroyed. And ultimately what did happen to the nation, that exact thing. Now what is treason from a national perspective, a person Who commits treason is one Who takes actions that Are in favor of an opposing national power that bring harm on their own Nation.

And what are, What do the U S laws State as the most Severe penalty for treason under Us law death, C w w nothing’s changed. We still understand treason is worthy of death. And that’s what this is. That’s The same thing in Deuteronomy chapter 13, when a person came in into them or came out from the Israelites and was teaching them to depart from the Lord,

he was a false prophet. The condemnation, there was also Death. Why? Because He’s literally destroying their standing with God and destroying the nation and Is a threat to the entire nation’s continued benefit by doing what he’s doing. And even today, Hey, we recognize a person who takes that kind of action against their own nation. The punishment should be including the possibility of death.

And so here, Saul will Through the power of the Holy spirit will cause this man to become blind, but I stopped halfway through verse 12, for a reason, verse 12, then the pro council Having or winning, He saw what had been done. So the pro council believed because What he saw, right? Read the rest of the verse. You see,

because All throughout the gospels, we see lots of people who see miracles happen And they don’t what they don’t obey. They don’t believe they asked for another sign at heritage Wants Jesus to come to him when he’s on trial, because he wants to see a miracle performed. Do you think it’s because Herod wanted to hear the gospel and wanted to believe and obey Jesus.

No, he wanted to see it a miracle, but this man, when he sees what occurs, read the rest of the text, being astonished by the miracle. No, at the teaching of the Lord, this man witnessed a miracle, but his astonishment, his all wasn’t the miracle that was performed. It was the gospel of Christ. And it is when the Visuals put more emphasis on the gospel,

Then the miracle that they’re converted When people are more interested in the miracles than the gospel that Jesus confronts them like he did in John chapter, when he said, why are you here? Because they had followed him because he had fed 5,000 of them the day before. And they followed him not to hear what he had to say. They wanted to be fed again.

They put more emphasis in the miracles than the message Searchie is Paula’s was more astonished by the message than the miracle. Okay. Verse 13, we don’t have nearly enough time for this. Now when Paul and his party set sail from payphones, they came Perga in Pamphylia and John departing from them returned to Jerusalem. And, but when they departed from Perga,

they came to Antioch in<inaudible> and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down. Now this Antioch is not the same Antioch that they left. This is a separate Antioch and interestingly, a smaller by way of population Antioch. And after the reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them saying men and brethren,

if you have any word of exhortation for the people say on, so this is a normal practice in the synagogue. When a Jew in good standing would come into the synagogue. And by the way, Barnabas And Saul are both Jews. They come into The synagogue, they’re there on the, on the Sabbath day. And the normal reading takes place. They would read from the law,

they would read from the profits. And then, Then they would ask if there was anyone who had anything that they wanted to Get up and say, and so Saul And Barnabas do, and Saul’s going to use this, this method to his advantage all throughout his missionary journeys, the attribute of the synagogues, Just to let someone get up and speak. So he’d always go to the synagogue first.

So he’s And men and brethren, if you have any, or they said to the men in brother, and if you have any word of exhortation For the people say on, then Paul stood up. By the way, what just happened when he left Antioch, what was he called earlier in this chapter? Saul. Now he’s not all throughout scripture. We have people’s names changed,

but Saul is a Jewish name. And Paul isn’t. Paul is a Roman name. And now the gins, the gospel going to the Gentiles through Saul. And so right here, the Holy spirit stops calling him Saul. Okay. Notice what happens. Then Paul stood up And motion with his hands or motioning with his hand, said, men of Israel and you who fear Odd.

Listen, the God of this people, Israel chose Our fathers and exalted the bull when they dwelled as strangers in the land of Egypt and with an uplifted arm, Brought them out of it. All right, that’s the book of Exodus. Now for a time of about 40 years, he put up with their ways in the wilderness. And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan,

he distributed their land to them. My allotment, that’s the book of numbers, Deuteronomy and Joshua. And when he had, or verse 20, after that, he gave them judges for about 450 years until Samuel The prophet. That’s the book of judges and the book of first Samuel. All right. And afterward they asked for a King. So God gave them solved the son of Kish,

a man of the tribe of Benjamin for 40 years. And when he had Removed him, he raised up for them. David, as King to whom he gave testimony and said, I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, who will do all my will from this man seed. According to the promise, God raised up for Israel,

a savior, Jesus, that would be first Samuel and second Samuel Part of first Kings. And when he had removed him or I’ve skipped down verse 24, after John had first preached before his coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. And as John was finishing his course, he said, who do you think that I am now? Why is Paul over here in Gentile areas,

talking to them about John, the bat They’re Jews. They knew the old Testament prophecies. And what, what did devout Jews from all over the world? Do They traveled back to Jerusalem for the feasts, and then Everyone who traveled back to Jerusalem for the fees. When they came and John, the Baptist was preaching, they would have heard about this prophet.

Now you remember when Jesus asked the, The Pharisees John’s baptism, was it from heaven or from men? The Pharisees reason within themselves, because the people believed John to be a prophet. Do you think all these Jews And the town didn’t hear about John, the prophet there hadn’t been a prophet in 400 years. Do you think they heard about John the prophet?

Oh yes, they are. I heard from their countrymen in Judea about John the prophet. And so Paul brings John into discussion and says, God said to David, I’m going to raise up my son through your lineage. And John, the prophet who you already know about before he said this, John to whom Or John Don was Finn. And as John was finishing his course,

he said, who do you think I am? I am not he the Messiah, but the whole, there comes one after me, the samples of whose feet, I am not worthy to lose men and brethren, sons of the family of Abraham. And those among you, who fear God to you? The word of this salvation has been sent. They knew what John preached,

but they also knew that John said, I’m not the Messiah, but John did identify the Messiah. And the good news that would be preached. He said, there’s one coming after me, who will Give to you the kingdom. Okay. Now Seven, for those who dwell in Jerusalem in their rulers, because they did not know him. That is the Messiah,

nor even the voice of the prophets, which are read every Sabbath. What did they just heard Before Paul got up below on the profits. So He just references the profits. They’ve just heard the profits read in their, in their hearing, which are read. Every Sabbath, have fulfilled them in condemning him. And though they found no cause for death in him,

they asked pilot that he should be put to death. So some might say, well, wait a minute. If this is the Messiah, why would our countrymen in Judea? Why would our countrymen in Jerusalem put him to death? And Paul already answers the argument it’s made because they were fulfilling. The prophet said, even though they didn’t know it. Okay.

So yeah. Now when they had fulfilled all, it was written concerning him. Verse 29. They took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb. But God raised him from the dead. He was seen for many days by those who came up from him or came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses to the people.

And we declared to you glad tidings that promise that promise, which was made to the fathers. God has fulfilled this for us, their children, in that he raised up Jesus, as it was written in the second Psalm. You are my son today. I have forgotten you. And that he raised him from the dead. No more to return to corruption.

He has thus spoken. I will give you the sure mercies of David. Therefore, he also says in another song, you will not allow your Holy one to see corruption for David. After he had served his own generation by the will of God fell asleep, was buried with his fathers and saw corruption, but he whom God raised up, saw no corruption.

This is the same thing. Peter preached on the day of Pentecost in acts chapter Two, he preached About David. He preached about David’s tomb being with us to this day. But Jesus Christ whom God raised up, never died again. Okay. Verse 38. Therefore let it be known to you. Brethren that through this man is preached to you, the forgiveness of sins and by him,

everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses. Do you not think that they knew all the things that the law of Moses couldn’t handle? All the sins that the law of Moses couldn’t take care of in their lives. And every time they had to make sacrifices, but here’s Jews who don’t have access,

ready access to the temple. They don’t have ready access to a priest. They can’t go make sacrifices every day when, when they’re commanded by the law to make atonement for this and that and this and that and this and that. Can they go do that? Not at all. And yet they’re in bondage to a law living no longer in Palestine that they can’t really fulfill.

And they know it. Okay. We’re going to put a pin in it since we’re out of time and we’re going to leave it there. We’re going to deal with the rest of chapter 13 as we start chapter 14 on Wednesday. Thank you for your attention.<inaudible><inaudible> good morning. Welcome to Collierville. Church Christ. Sunday morning, worship service. If you are a visitor,

we’re glad to have you here and appreciate it. If you would fill out a visitor’s card, did this in the back of the Pew in front of you. And I think right there that I said an Easter card. It doesn’t say what people say anyway. I quit looking at it, but anyway, we’re glad to have any visitors that we do have.

We’ve got a long list of announcements this morning, just bear with me. And I hope I get them all right. If you hadn’t gotten your Lord’s supper, it’s on the back table. Be a convenient time for you to get it while we’re going through these. We need to remember our sick Bombardier steel. I guess you’re still making plans to have the surgery on her show.

I don’t think she’s had it.<inaudible> Okay. She’s going to be having S I tried to STEM cell treatment on her shoulder, but it didn’t work. So she’s going to have the rotor cuff surgery done on that. But Maria said, Joan, still doing just a little bit better, but still very sick. Janie. Marlon is still having a fab issues and Rodale Wilson still it’s sick.

And Dorothy has had a she’s back home from the ER and has still has her high blood pressure and stomach issues. BJ Clark had the COVID virus and got over that. And now she’s got pneumonia and he’s recovering. He was at home recovering from that Caleb Nelson, this 13 year old friend of the Springer’s is well, will be re moved to an inpatient rehab pretty soon.

And James Luna, who’s a member here, but he’s in a assisted living in Nashville. And he’s in the hospital St. Thomas hospital in Nashville. He’s out of the ICU and has a, a stone in the common duck piled up and a colon infection. When the infection gets better, they will try to remove the stone. Lee Lee van Cleef that’s Becky’s niece.

She had a kidney and a pancreas transplant last week. She’s doing well, but still had a lot of pain and nausea from the may edge. And the transplanted organs are doing good. And as she continued to improve, she might come home as early as Tuesday. And Becky has a new nephew. It has been diagnosed with advanced lung cancer and her sister had been diagnosed with COPD and asthma.

Diane Schaeffer is going to have thyroid surgery. Tomorrow is that right? Monday. Rebecca gave me, this is before we got up here. So Nathan has a 16 year old nephew of her sister-in-law Aliyah Rushmore has a bacterial infection and has damaged his heart. There’s no pediatric cardiologists in Guam where they, I guess they live in there is missionary. And they’re making plans to come back to LA to get some treatment on him and Aaliyah Leon’s uncle passed away this past week.

So we need to keep all of these on our prayer. And that’s all our announcements except the man’s meeting tomorrow night. So if you have anything that we need to bring up, there’s probably an agenda land back there on the bulletin board. And we’d ask you to put it on that song later for this morning. No one else. Olson, opening,

prayer, Aaron Cozort lower supper will be Jay Shafir. Michael Dale has a sermon and Joe caisson has a closing prayer. Thank you. Good morning. We will begin with oft. We come together is not in the book, but it will be on the PowerPoint. We’ll sing all three verses this song. Let us think off We come to<inaudible> off me saying and bring him here.

We bring our offering on this all the day.<inaudible> to sing. May we all lane truth and spirit.<inaudible> the may we<inaudible> all that.<inaudible> may we truly worship as me?<inaudible> help us. Lord.<inaudible> may we all then truth and spirit.<inaudible> the name? May we all<inaudible> and always one, ah, tank this<inaudible> thing,

given my, the<inaudible> may we all in truth and<inaudible> the, The next song is going to be number 604, six zero four. I want to be ready to meet him. We’ll sing all three verses of this song, and then we’ll have an opening prayer. My brother, Aaron, and Cozort, there were six zero four. I want to be ready to meet him.

Let’s say you may have Of your worldly pleasures, your silver and your gold. You may pile up all the riches than this on well can hold mud. I’d rather add my savior, ran with him, stand for, I want to be ready to meet him and the glory land. I want to be ready to meet him. My and my high one to be ready to meet him in a scotch time.

Oh, I want to me more like, as a man knew his Glasgow and or I wanted to be ready to meet him and the glory. And you may talk about your rich is your diamonds and your pearls. You may gain the wealth for ages of this and no world, but the save your is more precious. And when I’ll take my stand or I want to be ready to meet him and the glory land,

I want to be ready to meet him by and by. I want to be ready to meet him in the sky. Oh, I want to be more like him. Mandu is Blasko Mandy, or I want to be ready to meet him and the glory. And there is one thing I can, most of salvation from the fall I’m in Erin. Well thing,

Gloria, my father owns it all. Now, as my I’m shouting happy Django at his go man, or I want to be ready to meet him and the glory. And I want to be ready to meet him by and by. I want to be ready to meet him in the sky. Oh, I want to be more like him, man,

do his bless gum and four. I want to be ready to meet him and the glory. Let us pray. Our gracious father in heaven. We bound before you at this time grateful for all of the many blessings that you give to us grateful for the life that we have for the health that we have the ability to assemble together, mindful of those who are not with us this morning.

We pray for those who are struggling because of health. We pray for those who were struggling because of loss of loved ones. In recent days, we pray for those who are struggling because of spiritual issues. We pray most, especially for those who are dealing with spiritual issues, that their hearts and minds may be open to your word, to examine your scriptures,

to set their lives on the course that you would have them to be on. We Know the struggles that come in this life struggles in our homes, struggles in our personal lives, struggles in the economy, struggles in this nation and the world. But we have confidence in the one who reigns as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. And we know that each and every one of those areas is in your power and under your command,

if we will, but hear and obey. And even if we won’t, we also know that your power reigns and will reign now and in return. Yeah, We thank you for all that you do for us. We thank you for the good times, even in the hard times. And we thank you for the hard times where we grow in wisdom and knowledge and stature and understanding.

We pray for those who are traveling and we pray that they reach their destination safely and return home to us safely as well. And we pray for this time of worship. We pray for Michael and the message that he will bring us. We pray that the word spoken, the things done will be in accordance with your will and always in a right spirit and a right attitude.

Before you, we ask that you forgive us when we sin and fall short of your glory. Those times when we sin willfully and knowingly. And those times when we don’t even realize what we have done, we pray that your grace will be given to us. And the blood of Christ will continue to cleanse us from our sins. As we walk in the light,

as he is in the light, all this, we pray in Jesus name, Amen long before the Lord supper to help prepare our minds. We’ll be number 176, one seven six lamb of God. We’ll sing all three verses of this song. You are on the no sin, a Guide, but you have<inaudible> from yours. A time to walk up<inaudible> and to me come the lamb of God.

Oh,<inaudible> I love the Holy lamb of God. Oh, wash me and is precious. My gene is Christ. The lamb of God. You are a gift of the crews. If they laughed and<inaudible> him, as he died,<inaudible> King, they named a tough Roth and sacrifice the lamb of God.<inaudible> SMI them have gone on. I love the whole knee.

Them gone. Oh, wash me and his precious bla, my Jesus Christ. The lamb of God. I was so lost. I should add, you have wronged me to your, on to be led by your staff and wrong and to be called a lamb of God. Oh,<inaudible> me them. I’ve gone. I love the whole knee them.

Oh, wash me. My Jesus Christ. The lamb of God. We now come to a very special time in our worship service. When we remember the death of our Lord and savior Jesus to Christ. So let’s displace all the worldly thoughts from our minds and focus upon the cross and his death there and what it truly means for the forgiveness of our sins.

Let’s pray, heavenly father. We’re so very grateful to be considered your children and to be able to gather about this table and participate in these emblems. As we partake of this bread, which represents his body that was sacrificed on that grew across, help us to do so in a worthy manner in Jesus name, we pray amen. As we continue our Thanksgiving for this Memorial feast and participate in this fruit of the vine,

which represents the blood that was shed for the remission of our sins. May we do so with knowledge of what it truly represents and partake in a worthy manner in Jesus name that we pray. Amen. We find this a convenient time to offer back to the Lord. What we S have. So richly been blessed with through the week. So once again,

let’s go back to our father in prayer, Heavenly father. We’re so very grateful for the many materials listings you so richly, bestowed upon our lives. Help us always to remember that truly come from you and that we are merely stewards of these blessings, help us to cheerfully, give back a portion of what we’ve. So richly been blessed with. Ask this in Jesus name also,

Hey man, you want to, if you’re using a song book, if you want to go ahead and Mark number 903 there’s power in the blood 903 with a song of invitation song before the last one will be number 647, six, four seven, soldiers of Christ arise. Five verses. Let us think. Jurors of Christ.<inaudible> put your armor on strong in the strength,

which<inaudible> strong in the strength, which God supplies through his being love is strong in the Lord of hosts. Stan is my who in the strength. Jeez, us trust us who and the strength of Jesus trust is more than gone.<inaudible> Stan. Then in his grade,<inaudible> all his strength.<inaudible> but take two arm you for the<inaudible>, but take to arm you for the fight.<inaudible> leave NOLA,

unguarded play. Hey, snow weakness. So take every Birch. You add every gray.<inaudible> take every virtue. You, every grace and four, 10, five Oh nine, having all things and all your<inaudible>. You may or come through<inaudible>. You may or come through Christ alone and sad. And<inaudible>, I’m going to be reading for our scripture reading this morning,

Psalm 100 Psalm, 100 verses one through five, make a joyful noise unto the Lord. All you lands, serve the Lord with gladness. Come before his presence with singing know, you know, ye that the Lord he is gone. It is he that hath made us and not we ourselves. We are his people and the sheep of his pasture enter into his Gates with Thanksgiving and into his courts with praise,

be thankful unto him and bless his name. But the Lord is good. His mercy is everlasting and his truth and Durham to all generations. Good morning brethren. So before I get started, I wanted to announce that my mother-in-law and her family is moving to Topeka, Kansas starting tomorrow morning. And my wife forgot to tell them to put it in the announcements,

but it’s a long drive. They are older. So it’s a, it’s a long drive for them. So just ask that you keep them in your prayers and that they have a safe journey and that they get to where they’re going safely this morning. I want to talk to you about worshiping God while the evangelist preaches. I want us all to consider our coming together for worship,

with an understanding that we are collectively worshiping our God as a congregation. At the same time, we recognize that we are participating in an act of worship individually. Okay? Worship is the act of demonstrating our respect and reverence towards God. It is an act of love. The worship we offer God on Sunday is carried out in various acts of worship. One of those acts of worship is preaching.

Now preaching may not seem to fit into my worship of God because I’m just sitting in the Pew, right? No, the fact of the matter is preaching is an act of worship and like all acts of worship. I must be sure I am engaged in it so I can offer God acceptable worship. Turn with me to Romans chapter 15, Romans chapter,

and we’ll read verses 15 and 16, Never Less brethren. I have written the more boldly unto you in some sword as putting you in mind because of the grace that is given to me of God, that I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles ministering the gospel of God that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable. Being sanctified by the Holy ghost.

In this passage, Paul reveals some very interesting facts about preaching. The word Paul uses here for minister is the word for public servant or often a priest. The word ministering is related to the word for temple. And the word offering is a sacrificial offering. So Paul is comparing his preaching to a priest, offering a sacrifice that Gentiles converted and established in the faith by his preaching are compared to a sacrifice.

He is presenting to God because preaching is a sacrificial act, offered to God. It is acceptable worship to him. How does this apply to all of those who are not preaching though? The early Christians held the public exhortation of God’s word and very high regard. They continually devoted themselves. Let’s look in acts chapter two, acts chapter two. And this is after the preaching of Peter and the conversion of everybody.

We’re going to begin, just read verse 47 on the day of Pentecost, it says it’s written and they continued steadfastly in the Apostle’s doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread. And in prayers, they devoted themselves continuously to the apostles teaching all the time. They gave full attention to the scriptures. Let’s read first Timothy chapter four first Timothy chapter four. And we’ll read verses 10 through six.

All right. Timothy says for therefore we both labor and suffer reproach because we trust in the living God, who is the savior of all men, especially of those that believe these things command and teach. Let no man despise the youth, but be thou an example of the believers in word, in conversation in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity,

till I come give attendance to the reading to exhortation, to doctrine neglect, not the gift that is in the, which was given the, by prophecy with the laying on of one of the hands of the Presbytery, meditate upon these things, give myself Holy to them that thy profiting may appear to all take heed unto thy self and unto the doctrine. Continue in them for doing this.

Thou shalt, both saved myself and them that here the we as Christians today should do no less. We should desire to take in and ponder the message that is presented. So as to worship God through the preaching of his word, we worship God during the sermon. When we set our minds on the word of God, reverencing it. And its source Jesus stated in John chapter four and verse 24,

that the true worshipers worship God in spirit. And in truth, since preaching preaching is an act of worship and must follow these two tenants. The preaching of God’s word must be in spirit and it must be in truth. And our lesson this morning, we will consider these two points first preaching and spirit. Second preaching in truth to begin preaching. God’s word is not something that should be done.

Half-heartedly preaching must be in conjunction with the right attitude or spirit. There are two aspects to this. There’s the one doing the preaching. And there are the ones listening to the preaching. The one preaching must have the desire to do the preaching. Some have preached with the wrong spirit, as we can read in Philippians chapter one and we’ll turn their Philippians chapter one,

and we’ll read verses 15 through 17, Some preaching in the wrong spirit. Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife and some also of Goodwill. The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely supposing to add affliction to my bonds, but the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defense of the gospel, a desire to raise up God and Christ before men must be formed most on the preacher’s mind.

Let’s turn to first Corinthians chapter one first Corinthians chapter one, excuse me. My allergies are getting the better of me this morning and we’ll begin in verse 22 of first Corinthians chapter one For the Jews require a sign and the Greeks seek after wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified unto the Jews, a stumbling block and unto the Greeks foolishness, but unto them,

which are called both Jews and Greeks Christ. The power of God and the wisdom of God, because the foolishness of God is wiser than men. And the weakness of God is stronger than men. A desire to call attention to God’s. Holiness must be presented as well. Let’s turn to Matthew chapter six, Matthew chapter six, Jesus, the disciples have asked Jesus how they should pray.

And Jesus begins by telling them exactly how they should start after this manner. Therefore pray ye our father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name Jesus. The son lets them know from the beginning, you first call attention to how Holy God is all glory or fought. The father is all glory must be directed towards God. In other words, the preacher must get out of the way.

No showboating, no outlandish dramatics, no huge voice and Fluxions and you know, you’ve seen those preachers on TV sometimes to just start pounding on everything and go crazy when they’re preaching. That’s not what preaching is about. It’s about focusing our attention on God’s word for God is the only wise God Romans 16, 25 through 27. Let’s turn to Romans chapter 16,

Beginning in verse 25. Now to him, that is a power to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ. According to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest. And by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandments of the everlasting, God may known to all nations for the obedience of faith to God only wise be glory through Jesus Christ forever.

Amen. Let’s also consider Philippians chapter one verses nine through 11, Philippians chapter one, okay. Verses nine through 11, Paul writes through inspiration to the churches and Philippa. And this, I pray that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment that you may approve things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense,

till the day of Christ and pay attention to this verse, being filled with the fruits of righteousness, righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ unto the glory and praise of God. I want to consider one more passage on this point, Jude, the book of Jude verses 24 and 25, there’s only one chapter verses 24 and 25 half-brother of Jesus writes now unto him.

That is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory, with exceeding joy, to the only wise God, our savior be glory and majesty, dominion and power both now and ever. Amen. So those who are listening to the preaching of God’s word must have the proper attitude as well. Not just the preacher,

but those listening to the sermon. There must be a longing to hear God’s word on all of our parts. Let’s read Psalm 119, the 119 song beginning in verse one. No, I’m not going to read the whole thing. So don’t worry. 119 verse one through eight. Blessed are the undefiled in the way who walk in the law of the Lord,

blessed are they that keep his testimonies and that seek him with the whole heart. They also do no inequity. They walk in his ways that will has commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently. Oh, that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes. Then shall I not be ashamed? When I have respect unto all thy commandments, I will praise thee with uprightness of heart.

When I shall have learned thy righteous judgments, I will keep thy statutes. Oh, forsake me not utterly. We were to have a love for the law for the word. There must be a desire to lift God up in your heart. And before the world let’s turn back a few songs, 111 Psalm 111, and we’ll begin in verse one. The Psalmist writes,

pray the Lord. I will praise the Lord with my whole heart and the assembly of the upright and in the congregation. The works of the Lord are great. Sought out of them that have pleasure there in his work is honorable and glorious and his righteousness and Joris forever. He has made his wonderful works to be remembered. The Lord is gracious and full of compassion.

He has given me to unto them that fear him. He will ever be mindful of his covenant. He has showed his people the power of his works that they may give them the heritage of the heathen. The works of his hands are very Verity and judgment. All his commandments are sure they stand fast forever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness.

He sent redemption unto his people. He has commanded his covenant forever. Holy and Reverend is his name. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. A good understanding have all they that do his commandments, his praise endureth forever. So the Psalm begins by telling us that we need to praise the Lord in our heart, in the assembly and in the congregation and then starts praising the Lord.

Just like all of us should, there must also be a desire to hear God’s word so that we may be a doer of God’s. How can we do the word if we don’t hear it? James chapter one verses 21 through 25. Let’s turn to James Chapter one and we’ll begin in verse 21 Or lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness and receive with meekness,

the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls, receive it with meekness, but be ye doers of the word and not hearers only deceiving your own selves for if any, be a hearer of the word and not a doer. He is like unto a man, beholding his natural face in a glass for he beholdeth himself and go with his way and straightway forgets what manner of man he was,

but who so look if into the perfect law of Liberty and continue with their, in he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work. This man shall be blessed in his deed. No. I want you to imagine a congregation where the preacher is preaching. Not because he desires to preach, but because he wants a paycheck. Just imagine that for a second,

how great that preaching might be, right? And the same congregation. Can you visualize members that feel they have to come and hear God’s word and have no real intent on changing their lives when God’s word is preached, should we believe these individuals are worshiping God in the preaching of his word? It is a joyous thing to be able to come and hear God’s word presented in a proper manner by the preacher.

When one preaches out of law, out of the love of God’s word, then those listening can truly engross their whole being into the beauty and holiness of the Lord’s word. It is a joy to know that one on this Lord’s day, we are coming together with a desire to lift up and bring glory to our father and our Lord Jesus Christ. Through the preaching of his word.

As a member of the Lord’s body, there should be no greater joy than to hear as it were another portion of God’s word. We worship God during the sermon. When we set our minds on the word of God, reverencing it. And its source. We worship in the preaching when we do so in Spirit, not Only must the preaching be with the right attitude,

but it must also be according to the second aspect of God’s approved worship preaching must be in accordance with truth, for preaching to be according to truth. We must preach what God has authorized us to preach. Let us consider what Paul wrote to and his second epistle, the Timothy chapter one second, Timothy chapter one. And we’ll begin in verse 11, second,

Timothy one 11 through 14, Where on two, I am appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher of the Gentiles for the which, cause I also suffer these things. Nevertheless, I am not ashamed for, I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep that, which I have committed unto him against that day. Hold fast.

The form of sound words, which thou has heard of me in faith and love, which is in Christ Jesus, that good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy ghost, which dwelleth in us. Let us also consider what he wrote. Just a couple of chapters later in chapter three and verses 14 and 15, maybe a page over in your Bibles.

Second Timothy three, 14 and 15, but continue thou in the things which thou has learned and has been assured of knowing of whom the hast learned them. Can’t learn things if you’re not hearing for li for understanding and that from a child thou has known the Holy scriptures, which are able to make the wise unto salvation through face faith, which is in Christ Jesus.

We are to preach the word. Let’s turn this one more chapter over to chapter four and read verses one and two second Timothy four verses one and two. I charged the therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom preach the word. Be instant in season, out of season reprove,

rebuke exhort with all long suffering and doctrine. We preach the word. There are three reasons for this. The scriptures come from God reason. Number one, just turn right back to chapter three of second Timothy and let’s continue reading down in verse 16 and 17. All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for reproof, for correction,

for instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be perfect or complete thoroughly furnished or adequately, adequately furnished unto all good works. God’s word is our, is the truth, not our truth. The true let’s turn to the gospel of John and chapter 17, John chapter 17. And I could have quoted this verse, but I want you to read it.

John 17 and verse 17, sanctify them through the eye truth. Thy word is truth. His word is the only truth that we need to go to heaven. It is the truth that will set us all free. Turn over a few chapters to John chapter eight and let’s read verses 31 and 32, John eight 31 and 32. Okay. Jesus said to those Jews,

which believed on him. If he continue in my word, then argue my disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth. What’s the truth, his word. And the truth shall make you free. If honor and glory Are to be given to God and preaching his word must be proclaimed in truth, separate from our opinions and unfounded beliefs. As a matter of fact,

we are warned against preaching error. Let’s turn to Romans chapter 16, verses 17 and 18 Romans 16, verses 17 and 18. Now I beseech you brethren Mark them, which caused divisions. We have to Mark them in offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you have learned and avoid them, Mark them and avoid them for they that are such serve, not our Lord Jesus Christ,

but their own belly. And by good words and fair speeches deceive the heart of the symbol. This makes me think of a lot of those false teachers out there who are out there just for the money so they could fill their bellies. The consequences of teaching error are very serious. The gospel must be preserved. Let’s turn to Galatians chapter one, the epistle to the Galatians chapter one.

And we’ll read verses six through nine, All rights to the brethren. And Glacia a lot of brother. And in glacier, I Marvel that ye are so soon removed from him. That called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel, which is not another, but there’ll be some that trouble you and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel and to you,

then that which we have preached unto you, let him be a curse. So we have to know the word so we can understand that they’re perverting the word and they are to be a curse to because they are perverting the word as he, as we said before. So say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you, then that you have received,

let him be a cursed. Excuse me. Teachers will receive a stricter judgment turn to James chapter three, James chapter three and verse one, James, right through inspiration. My brethren be not many masters or teachers knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation. We will receive a greater judgment because we decide to teach the word. And we are all to teach the word.

As for those who are listening to what is being preached, we should be as the Bereans of acts chapter 17 and verse 11, let’s go ahead and read acts chapter 17, 11 acts chapter 17 and verse 11. Luke writes, these were more noble than those in Tesla Nika. And that they received the word with all readiness of mind and search the scriptures daily,

whether those things were so, so they receive the word. Then they search the scriptures daily to make sure what the word that they had received was right. They received the word with eagerness yet sought to seek the things, seek out all of those things to make sure that they were. So, in other words, we are to see if it is the truth and if it is not,

we are to reject it. So it is not just my job to make sure that I am preaching you the truth. It is also your job to make sure that I am preaching you, that truth or any preacher is preaching you the truth. One who is a preacher must preach the truth, regardless of any situation or any pressures that might be upon him to do other ones.

It is God’s word that will set us all free. We must desire to preach that word. We must desire to hear that word. We worshiped God during the sermon. When we set our minds on the word of God, reverencing it. And it’s source. I do this. When we, when the truth is being preached and received, it is a joyous thing to be able to come and hear God’s word presented in a proper manner with the right spirit and in truth.

It is a joyous thing to be able to come and hear God’s word presented in a proper manner with the right spirit and truth. I can not imagine someone desiring to hear any preacher who preaches with an improper attitude and adds to this by not preaching the truth. We worship God during the sermon. When we set our minds on the word of God, reverencing him and it’s source.

If we are to TRIBE, truly worship God in the preaching of his word, two things must be present. The preaching must be in conjunction with the right attitude or spirit, both by the one preaching and the ones who are listening. The preaching must be in accordance with God’s word. The truth. If these two things are involved, then we can worship God through the preaching of his word.

As stated earlier, we are not only to be hearers of the word, but doers, James chapter one in verse 22, Jesus commanded us all as Christians to go and preach the gospel to every creature. Mark 16, 15, all they have to do is hear the word as you have all done today, Romans 10 17. Once they hear it,

it must be believed that Jesus is the Christ. Your savior, John eight 24. Once you have the belief, you must repent of your sins because it is commanded by God, acts 17. In verse 30. Once you have repented, you must make the good confession that you believe that Jesus is the Christ. The son of God, Matthew 10 32.

And also with the story of the Ethiopian UNIC in acts chapter eight. Once you have made that good confession, you must be immersed for the forgiveness of your sins. And the Lord will add you to the church. Acts chapter two, verse 38 and verse 47 to ensure you have your savior with you always, you must live faithful to him and his word forever revelation two 10,

and first John one, six and seven. All of this you can know by hearing the word by studying the word. If you have yet to heed the word of the Lord, the waters of baptism are ready for you. If you have any other need of encouragement or prayers from the brother, and remember the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avail with much James,

five 16, whatever you need, please come forward. As we stand and sing<inaudible> would you Ari Vola victory when there’s wonderful power and blah,<inaudible> one new working<inaudible><inaudible> one new working power, no precious, blah. Would you be free from your passion and pride there’s power in the bla<inaudible> come for a cleansing to Calvary’s time. There’s wonderful power in the blood.<inaudible> wonder working power in the,

Oh, the<inaudible><inaudible> wonder working power in the French blot of the lab. Would you do so service for Jesus, your King there’s power in the bla power in the bla would you live day? And the, his braises to seeing there’s wonderful power in the blood<inaudible> wonder working power<inaudible><inaudible> wonder working power in the precious blot of the lab to think Michael,

for that great lesson this morning closing song this morning, this morning will be number 634 six three four we’ll work till Jesus comes. We’ll sing the first verse of the song, and then we’ll have our closing prayer we’ll work till Jesus comes. Let us sing. Oh, land for brass for the Eisai. When will the moment when I chalet my arm,

Aruba and well and P sat home well<inaudible> till Jesus comes well, till Jesus comes and will being a guy gathered home.<inaudible> God for the songs of praise that we’ve been able to sing To encourage one another and give the praise. We are thankful for Noah’s. He’s led us in this song service, and we pray that you continue to be with him in his studies at the school of preaching.

We’re thankful dear father, for Michael, as he’s delivered your word today, and we pray your continued blessings to be upon him and his family. As they prepare themselves to be a servant in the kingdom, by preaching and teaching the gospel with some congregation and some work, bless them and watch over them. Father. We’re thankful for Aaron and his work here with us and for his ability to teach and preach the gospel.

We pray that you be with Eddie and the boys as they are away from home and pray that you be with air and as they continue to labor and be a part of this congregation and encouraged us as we go through life, to be better people to go on board involved and in the work of the kingdom to serve and glorify use to the best of our ability.

We’re thankful father for those that, that have their health to improve some, and we pray you continue to be with them, pray for the others that are still suffering from various infirmities, help us to be mindful of them, especially those that are not able to be with us this day, that we might encourage them and help them as they go through life and let them know how much we love them and care about them.

Father continue to be with us and watch over us, help us to be better servants in the kingdom. Be more productive, help us to be more faithful in our work, our service to the, and help us father to Shaun the evil one. As he’s always there to try to draw us away from our goal and that’s to give the, the honor and the glory and the praise that we might have that home in heaven with even when this life is over father,

be with those that will be administering to Diana as she has her surgery tomorrow, we pray that it goes well and that she would recover quickly blessed his fathers. We’re about to depart, help us to be mindful of one another and be an encouragement to those that are preaching and teaching in other countries in Jesus name, we pray. Amen.<inaudible>.