Acts Chapter 6 (2009)

Well, it's good to be here.

Appreciate the Lord uh for the body of Christ.

Thank God.

Uh just wanted to ask a quick question here.

I know we were in the book of Acts and uh uh just thought about something Brother Brown had made reference to on last week.

That is um about those uh about those Grecians uh there.

Um I think you made reference to those as uh they were not Gentiles that I think I put it uh but of the uh nation of Israel.

And I guess maybe a two-fold question, is it uh uh when they talked about that the arose that murmuring that is against uh of the Grecians, against the Hebrews, uh was it making ref was it because they weren't uh that is maybe of the region of Jerusalem or of the city of Jerusalem?

And I guess the other part of that question was when we when we make reference to them, I was making reference to Acts 6 and uh 1, so uh we can reference the scripture.

But so when we uh I thought about this also, so when we we were making reference to those that is uh not being Gentiles but being of the nation of Israel, would this be that is some of the same people that we see in Acts 2 when he's talked about there being devout men?

Uh if I I'm gonna read it real quick and I'm I'll get out the way, but I just wanted to maybe uh ask that question since we were we were kind of working uh is that Mike too loud for y'all?

Oh am I too loud?

Okay sometimes, yeah.

I'm sorry about that.

Okay.

Um Acts two, I was just trying to get uh um maybe a little clarification on that.

And and Acts two, I'll start at the uh verse five, and we understand when the Holy Ghost came in, and and he said, and there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men out of every nation under heaven.

Now I and I guess even uh even you uh that that term under heaven, um is that making reference to I I guess the nation of Israel or Jerusalem being, I guess heaven on earth at that time, if I could use that term.

But uh when you say under heaven, uh right there, and he said, Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together and were confounded because that every man heard them speaking his own language, and they were all amazed, marvel, saying one to another, uh, Behold, are not all these Galileans which speak, but how we here we and so he goes on to mention those different groups, and so my question was uh when we make reference to those Grecians, that is, in the sixth chapter of Acts, would that part, I guess, be some of these people here that we see uh named here, you know, devolved Jews from under heaven.

Uh I understand the context.

I hope we all do what Brother Michael was asking.

And when you read the Bible, uh sometimes the words don't always have uh the same meaning, the same word.

Sometimes Greece, uh Grecians or Greek is making reference to the Gentiles.

And in other times, uh it's making reference to those that come out of Gentile nations.

And you can always tell what a word means by the contextual use of it, not just the uh the interpretation of a word, but what is the context?

What is the context?

Remember this in Acts chapter 2, uh they was all there for to celebrate a Jewish uh holiday, a holy day.

Acts 2 · chapter mention

We use the word holiday, but they pronounce it holy day, which was Passover.

It was there to celebrate Passover.

Well, Gentiles don't celebrate Passover uh to begin with.

Uh and so the con the context there is making reference to the nation of Israel, and the Bible tells us that we look at it real closely, look at it real closely, they say that was the dwelling, of course you read it, that was dwelling at Jerusalem, devout men.

Well, again, Gentiles aren't devout at this time.

Uh this gospel was preached first to the Jews and then to the Greek, and then to the Gentiles.

And so uh everything that transpired, everything that transpired all the way up, and you'll see this contextually, to the tenth chapter of the book of Acts was first the Jews.

We get to the eighth chapter, uh we can see the Samaritans come in, and then we get to the tenth chapter, then you can actually see the Lord opens the door uh to the Gentiles.

Why would God do that?

Is God is he a respected person?

Uh that God favor one people over another people?

Well, God has never been a respected person, but he is a respecter of righteousness, and he's a respect of order of order.

And uh it's undeniable, it's absolutely undeniable uh that this is a Jewish Bible.

This book with 44 different writers was all written by uh Jews.

Uh some would take issue and say, Well, Luke was a physician, so he was a Gentile.

Well, that's kind of being anti-Semitic.

You trying to tell me that Jews can be uh a physician?

That's a poor position to take in life, it really is.

Uh they had Jewish physicians, and how do you know that?

Because even Job said, Is there no bomb in Gilead?

Uh and then Jesus Christ said, uh, you shall say this proverb to me, physician, heal yourself.

And so they had Jewish physicians.

Uh, this is a Jewish book.

Jesus Christ himself, and I don't want to I don't want to belabor this too much, but it's good that we have some understanding.

Jesus Christ makes this statement in the fourth chapter of John.

He said, Salvation, salvation is of the Jews.

And so this is a Jewish book, and it came in the order in which Jesus Christ uh proclaimed that it would.

Uh Acts 1, 8, 1, 9, you can't get around that.

That is the order of God.

And and uh and so when we read a scripture, anyone can say this mean this and this mean that.

Uh but can you uh can you show us biblically where you get that that transl that interpretation from?

And it has to be not out of one or two witnesses, but the Bible should never, it should never contradict itself.

And when it does, the contradiction is not in the Bible, it's in the interpretation.

And so you'll see people going to and fro and getting different Bibles.

Uh, they call them translations.

Well, you don't need another translation.

You don't need another translation, you need a revelation uh of what the Bible is saying.

It does not.

Uh this Bible does not contradict itself.

But first of all, just real briefly here, uh Brother Michael, and I won't be laboring too too long, but it's good that we can get some understanding.

Uh let's read just real briefly.

Here's keys.

Remember, Jesus Christ himself had no idle words.

God the Father doesn't talk that much.

He he probably would about for you and I how little he really do speak.

Uh-huh.

We can't relate to that because we're always talking.

But you know it took the Lord 1,500 years, 1,500 years to uh to say what he said in his Bible.

It took 1,500 years of writing, and it's only 1,189 chapters.

That's 1,500 years, and this is what the Lord has said in a span of 1,500 years.

And so he doesn't sit down on your bedroom uh couch and have a long conversation.

That is not God.

His words are usually pretty short, uh, they're pretty direct and to the point.

He doesn't drag things out, uh, Brother Michael and Jesus Christ.

He had no idle words.

As a matter of fact, in the 12th chapter of Matthews, he says, uh, by your words you'll be justified, and by your words you'll be condemned.

And he goes on to say, every idle word, every idle word that a man shall speak, he shall give an account thereof in the day of judgment.

Let's just kind of read that first to substantiate that uh the Lord, every word that he speaks, has significance.

Every word.

And see, this is why uh even in Deuteronomy 6, and he said, Man shall not live by bread alone.

We know that's doctrine, but by every word, every word that proceeded out of the mouth of God, with everything in this Bible is not doctrine.

Some of it is just subjects, some of it is principles.

And but you don't weigh a doctrine and it will heavier than you will wear a principle.

You don't wear a doctrine and it will heavier than you will weigh a subject, because you'll live by every word that proceeded out of the mouth of God, every word, whether it's a doctrine, whether it's a principle, or whether it's just uh instructions and righteousness.

Every word the Lord speaks, whether it has life in it, is to be held on to and to be honored.

Uh let's go to the 12th chapter real briefly here.

And uh I just want to point out a couple things, and I think it's very uh essential.

It's very essential.

Uh look at verse 20 36, I'm sorry.

Oh no, no, Matthews.

I I apologize for not stating.

Matthew's uh 12 and 36.

Well, let me read verse 35 with it.

Verse 35, just for contextual purposes, listen.

He said, a good man.

Now, who is he really talking about?

Well, he's really talking about himself and his seed.

After him, that is those apostles, but he's mainly himself.

The Bible said the footsteps of a what?

Good man is order of the Lord.

That's really talking about Christ and his descendants.

He had no natural prosterity, but is those uh that is that received the gospel.

He said, Listen, a good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth what?

Well, he's talking about himself.

What's the subject here?

The subject is that he said that Jesus Christ had a devil.

He was the son of Bezebuh.

And so he began to tell him, You make a tree, either make a tree evil or you make it good.

And you know the tree by the fruit it bears.

That's the subject.

Okay.

And so now he's that he hadn't changed it.

He's still talking about himself.

He said, a good man, this is a principle.

It's talking about Christ, but it's applicable to us all.

A good man out of the good treasure of the heart, bringing forth good things.

What is it, what do you mean, a good man?

He's talking about a spiritual man.

He's talking about a spiritual man and the good things that come out of his heart, brother, are spiritual words, the things that produce spirituality in life.

If all I talk about is athletics, and if all I talk about is sports, and if all I talk about is uh uh ball games, then that's just carnal, or it's natural, or it's earthly.

And so no doubt I'm an earthly, I'm a natural, I'm a carnal.

And the Bible used the word natural and carnal, an evil, interchangeably.

Either we're spiritual and we're not there yet, but God help us to be spiritual being.

Help us to be spiritual.

That's why we're here.

And the word of God by itself will not make you spiritual.

It will not.

But you have to actually, I hear a little ring.

You have to actually do what's was pictured to us in the Old Testament.

We have to actually split the hoof.

That's right to divide the word of God, but it's essential that we chew the cud.

It's not just reading the Bible, but it's meditating on it day and night.

As he said in uh Joshua 1 and 8, he said, then you should make your way prosperous and have good success.

That's in the things of God.

So it's one thing to read it, but it's something else to give your mind to it.

It's something else to chew on it, it's something else to meditate on it.

Uh and see, that is how you actually get you get the life out of the Bible.

That's how you get the life out of these scriptures.

That's how you get the life out of the things of God.

But let's go on.

Okay, then he goes, and he makes a statement.

He says, uh, and an evil man, that's just a corner or earthly person.

That's all it is.

It's not some wicked guy uh doing some ungodliness.

He said, but an evil man out of the evil treasure of I'm sorry, out of the evil treasure, bringing forth what?

Are you there with me?

Verse 30 what?

Five.

Evil things.

Verse 36 now.

Stay with me here.

He said, but I say unto you, here's what I'm trying to get to.

But I say unto you that every what?

Every idle word that men shall speak.

What's an idle word?

What is an idle word?

It's talking about a conversation where we're talking about maybe shooting poo.

That's not idle words.

Idle words, that's really talking about those, Brother Michael, influencing others with the words.

If I get up here behind this pulpit and I start talking to you about social ills, if I start talking to you about politics, those are idle words.

That's absolutely, and trying to make it spiritual.

Those are idle words.

Jesus Christ had no idle words.

He wasn't just talking.

He wasn't trying to applease the people by tickling their ears, but he actually had a point.

Is it arrow on this side?

Yeah, you kind of watch it, Brother Rama.

I saw Sister Michelle when she got up.

I'm trying to train my brothers.

I saw when she got up and go get a jacket.

And then you saw, look at Sister Judy.

You know, you see her over there shaking and freezing.

Y'all got to watch.

And honestly, I'm not trying to point her out, but you all have to watch the people.

You know, it's it's not good that I stand behind the pulpit and direct, but you watch the people.

That's always your instrument panel.

That's your dashboard.

When you see them cold, then it's too cold.

If you see too many fan, then it's too hot.

Watch the people.

That's what that's what everybody, you two brother Russell, uh, brothers, you watch the people.

We're here, the ministry is here to serve these people.

If they're cold, they can't hear.

Uh if they're hot, they can't pay attention.

Uh if the volume is too loud, we just have to monitor the people.

We're here to serve them, to help them in the things of God.

So we want to be sensitive.

Don't get so caught up in the service that we're you're working.

That, you know, that you forget about the people.

Let's make sure we bring them along with us at all times.

Uh now, here we are.

He says, Okay, uh, every idle word that man shall speak, they shall give an account of in the what?

The day of judgment.

That's not talking about when you die and get about the grave.

Your day of judgment is the day the Lord holds you into account.

Uh your day of judgment is when the day the Lord actually puts your case on the floor, and now he's judging my fruits.

He's judging what what what uh what sort are they?

Are they good, are they evil, are they carnal?

Are they spiritual?

Brother, I'm glad.

Let me say this.

I'm glad you brought that up, Brother Michael.

I don't know how I'm getting back to the book of Acts.

I'm glad the Lord has given us space, and don't ever take this for granted, to store up grace.

This is a day of grace.

You can store up grace.

So when your case hit the floor, when Machessedek began to walk down your aisles, brother, you want to have enough grace.

You want to have enough grace that the Lord can remember you for the good.

And uh how do you store up grace?

I I and I'm I baffled, man.

I think it was in service Sunday, brother.

That's Saturday, Brother Michael, and uh listening to Brother Brown start walking down.

Uh God gave me that some two or three years ago.

Uh the difference between favor as religious worlds see it and favor the way God see it.

Uh, the definition for grace and the same thing as favor uh in the religious world is unmerited favor, but you can merit favor.

And so that definition by itself isn't complete or it isn't correct.

Favor is something, or grace is something that you can, you can grow in it, it's something you can obtain, it's something that you can merit, and it's something that you can store up.

Uh just come into the just come into services.

You say that that store of grace, nobody has the potential to.

God loves to be praised.

The Bible said he inhabits the praises of his people.

He inhabits it.

And so just praising the Lord.

Uh, the Bible said if there be any merry among you, let them sing Psalms.

Brother, when you come in, have a have a song in your heart.

Lift up your hands without wrath, without doubting.

What will that do for you?

What will that do for you?

Well, in a day of testing, the day I'm going through a trial, I've worshiped the Lord.

I gave them my best.

Maybe it's hard to get here.

But brother, thank God I have enough grace.

I remember them joy bell ringing in my soul when I used to worship the Lord.

The Lord will bring that back in my mind and compel me to come with God's people.

Maybe uh I'm not going through, but my brother, my sister, they're being tried, they're being tested.

Brother, if I can just give them a cold glass of water in the name of a prophet, I'm just a messenger from the Lord.

Brother, I can receive a prophet's reward.

Uh, maybe, just maybe my sister, my brother's discouraged.

Maybe they're just discouraged.

But brother, if I can encourage them along the way, brother, when I myself need watering, when I myself need watering, thank God I believe he'll refresh me.

And so uh when you have this great day of grace, uh, you're not having pain, you're not having discomfort, uh, you're not having uh bereavement, that is, you haven't lost any loved ones, and you have a sound mind, you have able bodies, and your bills are paid, and there's food in the refrigerator.

Store up grace, store up grace.

You don't know when your day of testing is gonna come, you don't know when the day of adversity is gonna actually be upon you.

Store up grace.

And uh as you get into this wonderful book of Acts, that's one thing you will see about these people.

You'll see that.

The Bible said how they continue in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, breaking bread from house to house.

What was they doing?

But they obtained favor from the Lord and they were storing it up, brother Michael.

Thank God they did, because brother, when the dogs began to bark and the wolves began to howl, and brother, all those creatures began to come out at night, thank God they had a hiding place.

They had enough favor, had enough grace, stored up with the Lord.

Brother, he was able to show them some mercy.

He was able to help them along the way, and we're gonna need that.

We're gonna need that.

I don't want to be like Israel.

The Bible said they wax fat and kick.

Just you run.

That's another name for Israel.

Just wax fat.

How do you wax fat?

All my needs is met.

I feel good, and I don't have any problem.

But Brother Micah, they kick.

That word means rebel against the ways of the Lord.

And see, you ever watch an animal?

Watch an animal.

I love to watch National Geographic.

I love to watch Animal Planet.

You ever watch these animals, brother, when they finish eating?

When they finish killing, you know what they do?

They just lie down, brother.

You know what this old man do, brother, when he when he got all his knees met and he don't have any problem?

That flesh just kicks back.

It just, brother, we can't let it be like that.

Paul said, stop the gift of God.

Lord help me to always be grateful.

And uh we'll never, uh all of us, we'll never get the best from the Lord until we give him our best.

You know, I felt like even Sunday, we didn't worship the Lord just right.

I think we we gave the Lord a lame, when it comes to worship, we gave the Lord a lame sacrifice, half-hearted.

You know, we didn't have a uh gratitude enough in our heart to get up on our feet and express our gratitude.

You know, just come in, sit back, and everything's gonna be taken care of.

God help us not to be like that.

But when you get time to receive, you're gonna receive the same way.

The Bible says, he that, he's this is the principle.

It's not a doctrine, it's not even a subject.

He said, but he that sowh is sparingly, you're gonna do what?

You're gonna reap sparingly.

And see, you're sowing when you're worshiping, uh when you're praising, when you're magnifying, and you're testifying to the goodness of the Lord and the land of living, you're sowing.

You're sowing.

But brother, he said, if you sow bountifully, give the Lord your best.

Give him your best.

Then when it gets time to reap, guess what you're gonna do?

You're gonna reap bountifully when the word of God began to go forth, or the Spirit of God began to fall.

Uh, I won't feel what you feel, brother uh uh brother Richard, if I didn't give the Lord my best.

I won't hear what you hear.

And then, of course, you can say, well, we have a minister, we can plow the word of God.

Brother, listen, the oxen can't go in the further than the one with the bits allow him to.

Uh, brother, he'll block, he'll block a man of God on his feet.

He'll block you, you can't go in the further.

You can minister from knowledge, but brother, that won't do it.

That won't do it.

Uh, knowledge can't bring life by itself.

It takes the spirit of God.

It takes the spirit of God.

And so we got to keep this old ground moist.

Don't let this ground get dry and uh indifferent and callous and carnal and earthly.

And uh, you know, we can come to uh together, brother Elton.

You know what we want?

Brother, you say, but we don't ride in the daytime, but we can have another form of entertainment.

Feed me, mister.

Give me something.

Brother, I don't want that.

You want to worship God?

Let's give him our best.

Keep that in our hearts.

Keep that in our hearts.

It takes God to touch our ears, it takes God to touch our lips of clay, that we can speak as to the organs of God.

Regardless, we just need God, and you can't get around that.

And that first century church, brother, they was birthed, I agree with that, they was birthed in adversity.

But here's the thing they kept.

Those people kept an attitude to keep God God.

Regardless of what problems they had, they always sanctified the Lord in their heart.

They always came together.

What could you do to stop them?

Brother, when you oppressed them, they went back to their own company and counted, encountered a great thing, need to be counted worthy to suffer shame for the name of the Lord.

What could you do with a people like that?

What could you do?

And we'll get into this wonderful book of Acts.

Even Stephen, brother, when they began to threaten this man and begin to gash on him with his teeth, he still was magnifying God.

Do you think Stephen just started that?

Do you think in the day of testing that now he began to give God his best?

Now he began to really press in.

Brother, I promise you it would not have been possible.

Brother, if they had a stone Stephen, he had been cornered, he would have picked one of the rocks up and threw it back.

Man, who are you throwing this rock at?

You know, that hurt.

Or maybe he would have ran, but brother, he had something in his heart.

It was just the grace that God gave him to overcome.

You can't do it unless the Lord give you grace.

None of us can finish this course except by the grace and mercy of God.

And that's an absolute fact.

And brother, so we have to realize it's He that is made in what?

Brother, let's not lose sight of that.

Let's not lose sight of that.

We are a needy people.

Never rely on and depend upon your abilities, your strength, your finances, or your present state.

That can change in an eye blink.

It can absolutely change in an eye blink.

Always stay needed.

Always stay needed before God.

Realize, Lord, we need you.

And that first century church, the advantage they had, the advantage they had is they didn't have all these creatures' comforts, Sister Amanda.

They couldn't go home at 9 o'clock at night and kick back and turn the television on.

They couldn't go down to the gymnasium, brother, while we working out.

They got air conditioning on.

They didn't have the creature's comfort of going from house to house.

We get in an air-conditioned car with four tires, brother.

You know, and we just ride with shark as always on it, brother Michael, and we just ride up to the neighbor's house or to our brother's house.

They didn't have these creatures' comforts.

They did not have it.

Am I sorry we have them?

Absolutely not.

But I want to keep them in the right place.

We have to keep our eyes anointed with ISAP.

Let's stay focused.

Don't let the things of this world, don't let the things of this world rock you to sleep.

Don't let it take us off a beaten path.

Let's remember we need God.

We're here to strive for the first resurrection.

We're not here for anything else.

Anything less than that, then I'm here in vain.

We're here for the first resurrection.

And how do we obtain to it?

Let's look at the wonderful example that we see in this wonderful book of Acts.

They showed you their sincerity.

I'm glad these things are documented, but all of it is not written, Brother Michael.

But I'm glad these things are documented.

When I look into this perfect law of liberty and begin to see these people's dedication, their sincerity, see their realness about the things of God, I say, Lord, help us come up higher.

We're not there yet, but I want to keep climbing.

And I know one thing, let's go into the book of Acts now.

Did I finish dressing it properly?

If not, I can I can substantiate it real briefly here, Brother Michael, or while we're in the book of Acts.

Let's go back to Acts 2.

I want to substantiate this real briefly here.

Give you key words.

It's always key words.

Two and one.

Just little words, Brother Michael, that you'll actually see the setting here.

When the day of Pentecost, and we know the day of Pentecost is a what?

That's a Jewish holiday.

Was fully come.

Now the day is here.

It's not the preparation, but this is the actual day.

They, that's talking about the uh uh the apostles and those that was with them, was all with one accord in one place.

Now, of course, we read about in different places where is that one place?

That's Solomon's temple.

Now, here's the key.

Verse 4.

And they was all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

And you read this fourth verse, this fifth verse, Brother Michael.

And there was dwelling at Jerusalem what?

Say it again.

There was dwelling at Jerusalem what?

That's a key word.

That's telling you who was there.

That's not the Gentiles.

And you would never get a Gentile on Solomon's porch anyway.

They'll stone them.

But here's the key, brother, it's talking about the nation of Israel.

Now he says, Jews, but not just any Jews, he's describing what Jews was there.

What do you call them?

Devout men, out of what?

And so they still was Jews, but they was out of those nations, but they had been scattered when they was taken into captivity in 606 by King Nezachednezer.

And when they returned, when they returned, what was that, 536 uh BC, Brother Michael all didn't return back to Jerusalem, they scattered over throughout the nation.

And so here's the key.

There was Jews, devout men out of what?

Every nation under heaven.

And the reason they call them jet uh call them Grecians, Brother Michael, uh read uh, it's telling you who these people are.

Read verse 8, 9, and 10, 11, please, again.

He said, and how hear we, every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born.

See, here's the key.

They was called Grecians because that's where they were born.

Like a Jew in American is called an American, but what is he?

He's still a Jew.

A Jew in Canada is called a Canadian, but what is he?

He's still a Jew.

He's still a Jew.

And that has not changed.

If he was in Europe, he's called a European, but he's still a Jew.

He is still a Jew.

And so here, Brother Michael, uh, they was all Jews.

They just was born in different nations.

What nation were they born in?

These are different nations that Greece uh had dominion over at one time.

He said, Medes and Elamites, dwellers in Mesotam Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, Fraga, uh, Pamphylia, Egypt, and in parts of Libya about Cyrene, strangers of Rome.

Okay, now here's another key.

He said, Jews and proselyte.

Why'd he make the term Jews and proselyte?

Why'd he implement that?

What is a proselyte?

A proselyte is a Gentile that's been converted to Judaism.

At this time, Judaism was the uh, that was the order of God.

The New Testament church was a uh Brother Michael was just being born.

And so he used the word proselyte.

Uh, if a person was a Muslim and you go over and you testify to him about the saving grace of Jesus Christ, and that person leaves Islam and he comes to uh to Christianity, that's a proselyte.

He wasn't raised that way, he was raised another way, he was raised a Muslim, and you converted him, so he's a proselyte.

Are you following me?

And so a proselyte is just a gentile who was converted into Judaism, and it's called proselytes.

But they're still Jews.

Now he becomes a Jew spiritually.

He wasn't born one, but he was a Gentile that became a Jew, and so no longer is he a Gentile, he's a proselyte, or he's a spiritual Jew at that time.

Am I making any sense?

Yeah, I understand that.

Um I guess when we look at uh strangers of Rome, uh, what is he making reference to there?

Because we know in different places he calls Gentiles strangers.

Exactly.

That's who he's talking about, Brother Michael.

These are these are people who came out of Rome, but they was converted to Judaism.

Let me show you this verse where you're making reference to go to go to Peter.

This is a good thing, a good point that you brought out.

Uh go to First Peter.

Verse 1.

Chapter 1, verse 1.

I'm sorry.

1 Peter chapter 1.

1 Peter 1 · chapter mention

Uh Sister Tara, maybe if you will, for the benefit of uh uh some of the visitors we don't want to wear them out, just put it on the board for them.

But as for the rest of you, you work these Bibles.

He said Peter.

An apostle of Jesus Christ.

Now here he is.

Now Peter was an apostle to the Jews.

You remember that?

He was not an apostle to the Gentile.

Who was apostle to the Gentiles?

Paul.

Paul was.

But the reason that Paul or Peter is writing this, he's actually writing this because though he was an apostle to the Jews, he didn't want it to be that there was any strife between him and Paul.

And so he writes to the Gentiles.

And then, of course, Paul, he was apostle to the Gentile, he writes to the Jews in Jerusalem.

That's why you have the book of Hebrews.

There wasn't no strife between them, it was the same gospel.

Are you following me?

And so he said to the strangers, to the stranger.

What's the stranger?

The stranger is making reference to the Gentiles.

And they are called strangers.

Why were they called strangers?

Because they were aliens to the to the uh laws of God and to the house of Israel.

Verse 1 on out.

I'm sorry, Brother Michael.

Go ahead.

He said, Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bethesda.

Okay, now he's called the word stranger, but he's talking to the Gentiles.

How do we know that?

How because he said strangers, no.

Let's keep reading and read the contextual use of it and watch this.

Watch how these words are used.

2 and 9, it actually, you don't have to do a whole lot of reading.

It makes it very plain.

Read 2 and 9.

He said, but you are chosen, you're talking about 1 Peter 2 and 9.

1 Peter 2 and 9.

Okay.

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, and holy nation, a peculiar people, that ye should show forth the praises of him who had called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

That's talking about the Gentiles.

They was walking in gross darkness, worshiping the stock, worshiping the moon, the trees, uh, the stars.

Look now, verse 10, it solidifies it.

Which in time past were not a people.

Which in time pe in time past was not a people.

What do you mean?

It wasn't a people of God.

He said, but now are the what?

Are the people of mercy?

Now are the people of God, which had not obtained mercy.

They didn't have a priesthood.

The Jews had a priesthood.

He said, but now have what?

Obtained mercy.

But now have obtained mercy.

And so he's talking to the Gentiles there.

He used the word strangers.

He used the word strange.

He don't make people make reference to people who were strange to God, but brother, they were outside of the commonwealth of Israel.

Are you following me?

And so uh Brother Michael go back to Acts chapter 6.

Acts 6 · chapter mention

Now, this is where we stopped anyway.

Now remember, on the day of Pentecost, that was all Jews and proselytes, of course, that was all Jews.

And Acts chapter 3, that was in the temple, that was just Jews.

Acts 3 · chapter mention

Acts chapter 4, uh, they were threatened, that was just Jews.

Acts 4 · chapter mention

Acts chapter 5, they went back to their own company, that was just Jews, but the church kept adding.

Acts 5 · chapter mention

Now chapter 6 and verse 1.

In those days, that is the, and this is very important also.

Let me point this out.

When you say those days, this is a three and a half year span.

When you read this, it sounds like it happened, brother, week after week, and day after day.

This is a three and a half year span of time.

From uh Acts chapter 1 to Acts chapter 6 is three and one half years.

Acts 1 · chapter mention Acts 6 · chapter mention

This is actually the end of the Jewish age for us being in favor with God.

Their grace had ran out, brother Michael.

They didn't store it up.

They spoil it.

They spoil it.

And now, brother, the Lord is about to pull the shades down on the nation of Israel.

Uh, there was still some gonna come in here and there, one or two, but as a nation, at this, the sixth and seventh chapter, they're about to break their plate.

Uh, the Lord himself, when they stoned him, when they stoned Jesus, I'm sorry, when they crucified Jesus, the Lord didn't execute his judgment on Israel.

He didn't do that.

He said, But your children, they're gonna be your judges.

And of course, here's the first martyr.

We're about to approach him.

When they put stone, when they stoned Stephen, brother, what they did, they actually broke their plate with God.

They broke their plate.

And from this time, and from this point on, you're gonna see the gospel taken away from the Jews, and just as the order that Jesus gave it, it goes to the Samaritans.

Remember, he said to it gonna be preached first in what?

Jerusalem and Judea and then Samarita and the uttermost parts of the earth.

After the stoning of Stephen, this gospel pans out to the Samaritans.

And then after the Samaritans are brought in, then it goes on out to the Gentiles.

And as it goes out, it's taken away from the Jews.

It's taken away from the Jews.

And even Paul, who loved his own people, when he went to the Jews, he said, Brother, my heart, my heart desire and prayer to God is for Israel that they might be saved.

He said, If I bear them witness, they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.

For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, went about to establish their what?

Their own righteousness and have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.

They did that.

They did that.

They was cut off.

The Lord cut them off.

And see, brother, it's one thing, it's one thing to do some mischief in the world.

It's one thing to sin against yourself.

But brother, when you sin against Christ, what do you mean sin against Christ?

His people.

Now that's altogether different.

And this is exactly what this nation as a whole had did.

And it created a great gulf between God and the nation of Israel.

It's a 2,000-year gulf that could not be breached.

You cannot get over, you can't bring them over.

You can go to the Israel, you can go over there by the truckloads, plane loads, do anything you want.

You're not going to convert Israel to Judaism.

I mean, from Judaism to Christianity.

Not until the Lord, uh Brother Micah, turns them over and over and over to until he comes, who right it is.

When they acknowledge him, and that's not going to be to the end of the destruction of the beginning of the destruction of the Gentile world.

I don't want to get too far out.

But the point being, the point being, here's where they break their plate.

Here is where they lose out with God.

You begin to approach it in the sixth chapter, and the seventh chapter solidifies it.

Even Paul, when he went back to the Jews, brother, he every time he would go, he'd go to the synagogue, and my God, he just couldn't find any logic for his words.

He said, seeing you have judged yourself, it will fit, is how he put it, that the gospel should preach to you first.

But seeing you, talking about Israel, have put it away from you and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life.

He said, Lo, we turn to the Gentiles.

What cost it?

Well, you're about to read it right here.

And listen to this is the good thing about God.

It's just like the nation of Israel and the ten sons took Joseph and put him in uh in that dungeon or put them in that uh that that pit and they sold him into slavery.

Look what Joseph told them at the end.

He said, You met it for evil.

You met it for evil.

You despised me, you hated me, you met it for evil, but God met it for good, that I may preserve life, that I may preserve life.

Well, that's the picture of Jesus Christ.

Joseph picture of Jesus Christ.

Those brothers, just like his brother sold Joseph for a few pieces of silver, those Jews who was at Judah's Iscariot sold Jesus Christ for 30 pieces of silver.

Well, the whole nation of Israel, when they stoned Jesus Christ to the head of them crucified, I'm saying stone, they meant it for evil.

But God meant it for what?

He meant it for good that we, that is, humanity, wouldn't have to perish.

And just like those ten brothers had to come back to Joseph and acknowledge their transgression and ask for forgiveness, the nation of Israel will turn back to Jesus and acknowledge that they killed the Messiah and asked for repentance.

And that declaration will go out for one more time.

You met it for evil.

When you had me spit on and crucified, he said, but God that is the Father, he met it for good to save life.

Does that make sense to you?

Yeah.

And so here, uh, Brother Michael, it's still to the Jews.

They hadn't broken their plate yet.

And so the Gentiles, even the Samaritans, had not been given an open door to come in.

They could not get in.

Remember when Jesus told his disciples, go not to the way of the Gentiles, but go on into the lost sheep of the what?

House of Israel that was still being fulfilled.

He said, Don't go not into the ways of the Samaritans.

Don't go to the Gentiles.

The Jews have to rehear it first and reject it.

Let me tell you something about the gospel of Jesus Christ as we preach this restored message.

We reach out to the Gentiles or to the unsaved out there in Egypt.

But I promise you, I promise you, it's going to be given to the religious world first.

We're not as bold, brother, to actually do the things that these apostles did.

They went into the synagogues.

They went right to the Jewish places.

We should be, and we're not there yet, no sense faking it, but we should be going to these religious houses of worship.

And it's given to them first.

They have to reject this before you're going to actually get a harvest out of the Gentile or the unsaved world.

They have to reject it.

You have to stand up and tell them, brother, who the devil is.

You have to stand up and tell them ain't no fine rotisserie in the ground.

You have to actually tell them, brother, there's no three in the Godhead.

And they're going to reject that.

They're going to despise you for that.

But they have to be given the right.

It's to the Jews that are religious one first and then to the unsaved out there.

You can't get around that.

Now we can bring in one or two here and there, but I'm talking about a harvest.

A harvest.

And what caused that type of conviction is boldness in the Lord.

We don't have that yet.

When somebody crosses us and talks about us and criticize us, we wounded and we hurt.

We run off like little scalded dogs with our tails between our legs.

Those men suffer shame, humiliation, decrementation, and even death for the cause of Christ.

They had that kind of conviction.

They had it.

You know, I don't need my father's head.

I went to my father's church.

I told them I shouldn't go.

I kept telling my want to go.

And I went because he kept asking me to go.

When I opened my mouth, well, what am I going to say to somebody who don't have the Holy Ghost?

You need the Holy Ghost.

And so they thought I was crazy.

And I say, I ain't coming back here no more.

Well, what type of spirit is that?

What I told them was the truth, and I didn't have any ulterior motive.

I didn't need the Holy Ghost, but because I felt my words was rejected, you didn't appreciate, you didn't appreciate my laboring for you and telling you the truth.

But that's not the right spirit.

And when you judge me, you condemn yourself.

You do the same thing.

Well, that's the truth.

But I have to judge myself, but this is what that first century church had, Brother Michael.

They didn't have head knowledge, they didn't have just some understanding of the scriptures.

Those people had convictions.

They understood the order of God and it was in their hearts to do what was right.

And brother, they couldn't help themselves.

They were bold enough to go into the synagogue.

That's a Jewish setting where you know this is going to be offensive.

Let's keep reading here.

I'm going to finish this out first.

My God, time getting away.

In those days when the number of disciples was multiplies, there arose a what?

A murmuring of the Grecians, and we know what Grecians that were.

That was those Jews out of every nation under heaven.

Are you following me?

And another, another, I love the way the Bible is.

It doesn't leave room for error.

When he's talking about different people, if you don't see the word Gentiles, you'll see him saying kindrons and tongues and nations.

That's the terminology.

He's talking about the masses out there who are not Jews.

It says kindrons and tongues and nations.

What is that?

Revelation 18, 15?

Give that for me real quick.

Just give another key to understanding these settings.

Is it 17?

I think you're right.

It is 17.

17 chapter in the 15th verse of Revelation.

1715.

And he said unto me, the waters which thou sawest where the whore cities are what?

Peoples and what?

And what?

And okay, that means different dialects, different nationalities.

And so those are the descriptive terms when he's talking about all humanity.

So when he's saying Grecians, he's making reference to the Jews that's out of those Grecian areas.

Because if if you didn't if you didn't know the context or if you didn't know the setting, the first thing that would come to mind when you saw murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, you'd think murmuring of the Gentiles against the Jews.

Right.

If you didn't know the setting.

Right, exactly.

That's the guess very good, Brother Michael.

Now we see where did we stop at?

Verse were?

Oh no, we can't be.

We stopped in five.

Let's read on down.

We're gonna finish this, we're gonna finish this sixth chapter, I promise you, tonight.

Brother Michael, pick it up for me if you will, from the first verse and read down to the fifth.

Uninterrupted.

He said, In those days when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.

Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God and serve tables.

Okay, can I interrupt?

I know I said uninterrupted.

What's important here, what's important here is that those apostles, they had the heartbeat of those people.

They knew there was some contention, there was problems.

But what they refused to do, Brother Michael, was to actually, when I say leave the word of God, he's talking about giving themselves, taking themselves away from the ministry and taking care of things in the kitchen, or taking care of things as in the yard, or taking care of things as in even in the band, or wherever the case may be.

They couldn't leave the word of God and do those things.

But because it was important, they didn't put anybody over it.

They chose men who had gifts.

Because when you're dealing with people, you first of all, a person who's over people's eyes has to be open.

Your eyes have to be open, first of all.

And then secondarily, you're going to need a lot of wisdom.

Because anything that can be used every day, you know, every time you speak, the potentiality for somebody to take offense in your words is great.

When you're up front, you become a visible target.

And the more you open your mouth, uh, the more a man can be taken, can the Bible says, and what is that?

He said, Don't make a man an offender for a word.

So the more you talk, the more words you put out.

The more words you put out, the more potential that uh a person can be offended in it.

And so he said, here's the qualification for those men.

Verse 3.

Brothers, you say, Wherefore, brethren, look out among you seven men.

Listen to this.

Seven men of what?

Full of the Holy Ghost.

That's not baptized with it.

That means that's led by it, that are spiritual-minded, full of the Holy Ghost, and what?

Brother, look at those criteria.

Honest report.

Full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we, whose do we?

That's the apostles, whom we may appoint.

That's the key word there over this business.

And so though those men had gifts, their charge was appointed to them by the apostles.

That's an appointed authority.

That was delegated authority.

Then he goes on.

Listen to this.

But we, that's talking about those apostles, brother why, because they was the oxen that was mighty to labor.

They was actually grinding up the corn for the dear people of God.

Do you know doctrine wasn't taught?

Do you know when this was written, there was no Matthews, Mark, Luke, and John?

There was no Romans and 1st and 2 Corinthians.

All those things came afterwards.

All those apostles had was the Old Testament.

They had to read that day and night and extract the oil out of those things, Brother Michael, to use for a foundation teaching in the New Testament church.

They didn't have epistles like we have now.

And that's why we're built upon the foundation.

That's the basic teaching of the apostles.

They have already, we want to go by, how you put it, Brother Michael?

Old landmarks.

They set the landmarks, they set the boundaries of worst in the body, what's out the body.

And of course, it's all covered up.

We don't know what's in and what's out sometimes.

How much Babylon can you have and still be in the body?

I often ask that question.

How much of Babylon ways can we have and still be in the city?

How much?

I don't know.

It's scary.

I try to keep it all out.

They say, well, brother, don't take offense.

We all coming up out of the wilderness.

Yes, we are.

But I don't want to be way back in the wilderness.

I want to be up in the front.

That's scary.

Don't make a league.

Don't make a league with Babylon.

Don't make a league with sin.

And I like to keep it all out.

I say, well, the people want it.

It's not a hurt.

Well, it is gonna hurt.

A little leaven does what?

Leaven's the whole lump.

And I know that can be a little sound a little bit fanatical, but I'd rather be safe and saved, brother, uh, than to be uh be compromising and be lost.

Let's let's keep reading.

That's not the subject here.

Well, listen to this, brother Michael.

Yes, brother Willard Ray.

Verse 2.

At the uh end of verse 2, uh serving tables.

Could you explain all that?

That's natural things.

Serving tables is just natural.

Uh I'll give you an illustration.

We eat dinner every other Sunday.

The purpose is not to eat.

It is not.

You can eat anywhere.

The purpose is to fellowship and to keep the people of God.

The biggest charge the ministry have it's just like a father in a home.

Just naturally speaking, that a father's biggest responsibility, forces to provide for the family, but keep that family together.

Keep strife between brothers and sisters.

I had Janita and LJ.

You know, they used to argue all the time.

They argued all the time.

All the time.

And my biggest charge was to keep them together so that when they grow up, they wouldn't have contention.

And then along come Caleb.

And then he and LJ argued all the time.

And Janita, she was the peacemaker between the two of them.

Usually she side with Caleb and get back at LJ for how he used to give her a hard time.

But my job as the father is to keep that family together.

Well, it's the same thing with the ministry.

Our job is to keep the people of God together.

Let them develop a love and a burden for one another.

Well, uh-huh, that's a spiritual purpose.

But it's not fit that the ministry, as important as it is to us, we would involve ourselves with pots and pans.

And uh, if if pots and pans are going to keep somebody out the meetings, I'd rather just have the food not done.

Let's come, let's worship the Lord.

And so what they're saying is, brother, uh I'm sorry, Brother Ray, what they're saying is that it's not fit that we should leave the spiritual things of God and deal with these natural issues.

Though they are important.

And so they put other ministers over that.

These men, let me make this clear, these were gifted men.

There was not just some guy down on the street saying, I'm gonna get on the deacon board.

These were gifted men.

These men had a gift from God.

It was recognized by all the brethren.

And when the apostles laid their hands on them, now you've seen the manifestation of the gift that was already resident in them.

Nobody can give you a gift.

Well, land on of hands is just confirming what God has already done.

Nobody can give you.

Laying your hands won't give anybody a gift.

When Paul says, Serve the gift of God which is in you by the land of my hands, that's the Holy Ghost.

When he said elect not the gift that's in you, now that's the gift that God gave you.

And so here, these were gifted men.

Now, brother Michael verse 5.

He said, and the saying pleased the whole multitude, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith, of the Holy Ghost, Philip, Prochorus, Nikonor, Timon, Parmenus, Nicholas, the a proselyte of Antioch.

Okay, stop.

Those seven men, brother, you had a teacher, uh, you had an evangelist, you had a pastor, and you had a prophet.

I can point that out as you go on.

Uh, first of all, uh Nicholas, a proposely of Antioch, he went in the 11th chapter, they had a church in Antioch.

Who do you think took it down there?

He did.

And when bombers went down there, that church was already established.

When you look at in the eighth chapter, I'm sorry, in the eighth chapter of uh of Acts, you see Philip.

Where was he down there testifying to the eunuch?

And that was his gift.

That man was a gifted evangelist.

And nobody had to tell him to be an evangelist.

Your gift makes room for you.

When they laid, when they laid hands on those men to give them a natural charge, Brother Michael, brother Elton, those men was already gifted.

But the more they began to operate, the more that gift manifested.

How do your gift manifest?

By serving God's people.

When you begin to serve God's people, what's in you began to manifest itself.

And this is how you tell an able minister of the New Testament what he is is not what somebody says he is.

When you're doing the things that pleases God, your fruit began to bear on your tree.

And you'll know the tree by the what?

Fruit is bare.

If you have a burden of reaching out for people, as you begin to serve people, you want to see more people come in, then you have that burden for testifying or evangelizing.

Or, brother, if you're concerned, if you're concerned about people being sheltered and making sure their needs are met, then that's a that's a that's a pastor's burden.

Let's keep reading.

Okay, look, watch this now, brother Michael, verse 6.

He said, Whom they they set before the apostles, and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.

Okay, the apostles laid hands on them.

It didn't give them a gift, it confirmed the gift that was in them.

I didn't hear the prayer, but I can assure you, I can assure you, those men was praying, uh, brother, that whatever was invested in those men would be made manifest.

I'm sure those men was praying that God would raise those men up to be what they was called to be.

I don't read the prayers not in here, but I know what they prayed.

There's no doubt in my mind.

And then he goes on, brother, and verse 7.

Now here he goes.

Now you got, brother Michael, you have more help, uh ordained help, uh, appointed help.

And the word of God did what?

Increase increase because the people could be taken care of.

The number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly, and great company of priests was obedient to the faith.

Why are we reading all of this?

Why is this important?

Because now you can see the order of God.

God loves his people.

When the people are provided for, he can bring more in.

Because nobody will be lacked, nobody will be without uh necessary attention.

It and I I appreciate just people with a burden.

When someone, uh this wonderful sister and her little baby, as she began to go out.

I assume, Sister Grace, you went to help her, didn't you?

I'm sorry?

Somebody should have gone out and helped her.

Did you go help her?

Oh, you went to check on.

Well, good.

That's but that's what we should do.

We should help people.

Uh whether they're visitors or whether they're new, we should have look out, look out among you.

We shouldn't come and sit down in a bed of ease and want to be fed and taught.

You're fed all the time.

Look around you.

There's a need.

Who can I help?

Who can I assist?

But as I do that, as I do that, the Lord will raise me up.

And that's what these men did.

They serve tables, brother Elton, but the Lord raised those men up.

Watch what happened.

Watch what happened.

Now in verse 8.

He said, and Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.

Why?

Because he was serving those people.

He was serving those people.

He was, brother, not only serving table, but brother, he was down in the trenches trying to help everybody.

No doubt there was sick brother Michael who didn't have the wherewithal to go to physicians, brother, because of the great persecution and being a Christian.

Brother, I believe Stephen laid hands on those men, and I believe they were healed.

Why?

That man was a gifted man, and the Lord was working with him.

Keep reading.

Watch this.

He said, then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called a synagogue.

Okay, a synagogue is making reference to a Jewish setting.

We use the term a church.

He said, which were which is called a synagogue of the Libertines of Cyrenians.

Here's a group.

Hold on, Brother Michael.

That's one sect.

Go ahead.

He said, Cyrenians.

That's another sect.

Alexandrians.

That's another sect.

And all and of them of Cilicia and of Asia.

Okay, okay, so you got five different sects.

Brother, he met them on where the Brother Michael, he went down there to their synagogues.

They weren't bothering Stephen.

Stephen was bothering them.

He went down in their setting.

That man stood and preached the gospel he believed.

He knew they was going to reject him, but brother, that didn't change him at all.

Brother, that's a lot of boldness.

This is what was in that man's rib cage.

This is what's in that man's backbone, in his ears, in his drums, brother.

All that man knew was Jesus Christ and him crucified.

Watch what he did, brother Michael.

Brother, listen.

The Bible said disputing with Stephen.

Brother, listen, they want to get into a discussion.

No doubt Stephen told them about this risen Savior by Jesus Christ, and they didn't believe it.

But brother, he was the wrong man, the challenge, because he was well read.

He was gifted and he understood the things of God.

Verse 10 and said, read this with me.

And they was what?

Everybody.

And they was what?

Not able to do what?

Resist the wisdom and uh by which he spake.

Brother, he had to beat his chest in stone.

No doubt, Brother Michael, every time they try to cross something, he said, he said, turn your Bible here.

Do you remember this?

Do you remember that?

How do you know that?

Read his sermon.

That man was scriptorial.

He didn't argue with you, brother, based upon what Uncle Joe said and Ain Sue said, and I believe this and I think that.

Brother, when he opened his mouth, the word of God just flowed.

How are you gonna resist that?

How can you resist the word of God when you're hearing it?

And no doubt the Holy Ghost, brother Mike, was in those words.

What could they say about it?

They had to resist him.

They couldn't say anything against his words.

They had to hate him personally.

They took it personally.

They really did.

Look what happened.

He said, then they uh suborn men which said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God.

Well, brother, he wasn't blaspheming against Moses.

He was just simply saying, brother, uh, the law of Moses was the moon.

Jesus Christ, he's the Son.

Nobody lives by moonlight.

Everything lives by sunlight.

No doubt he began to tell them, Brother Michael, he said the law could make nothing perfect, but to bring in a better hope did.

The law was just a picture and type and shadow of the thing.

It's not the very image of the things.

Well, that to them that was blaspheming, because they believed that Moses was all they needed.

It was not all you needed.

You needed Jesus Christ and himself crucified.

But they rejected not so much, Brother Michael, not so much the man.

They were rejecting the message, and because they couldn't dispute the message, they hated the man.

Watch what happened.

He said, and they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes.

When they say the people, that's the people of Israel, nation of Israel.

He said, and came upon him and caught him, brought him to the council, and set up false witnesses.

Now tell me, now tell me, that sound like righteous people.

Now these people was religious.

They set up false witnesses.

Why?

Because they hated Stephen.

They couldn't resist the wisdom, they couldn't resist the spirit in which he spake.

So you had to make it personal.

Don't like the message.

Kill the messenger.

They didn't like the message.

But the bad thing about it, what they didn't know, is that you couldn't kill this messenger.

All you was gonna do is send him out of here alive, so and look what happens, Brother Michael.

He said, And set up false witnesses, which said, This man ceased not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place and the law.

Brother, can you hear?

Can you imagine this?

Listen to this.

For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place and shall change the custom which Moses delivered us.

And I love this, and all that sat in the council, looking steadfastly on him.

No doubt, brother, you're looking at this man with all these false accusers saying things, and brother, you can look at Stephen.

I can almost imagine him.

Brother, he's sitting there and just smiling.

Just because you know, every man had a right under Jewish law to answer for himself.

He's sitting there just smiling.

Eventually, you're gonna give me a chance to answer, and that's gonna be my opportunity.

He's sitting there, didn't say a word.

Listen to what he said.

Looking up steadfast upon him and saw his face as it had been a what?

Face of an angel.

Brother, that man's sitting there glowing.

This is what I want.

I've been in the synagogue talking, I've been in the temple talking, but my God, now I got all the others.

I got the people and I got the chief priest together.

Just get just turn me, Luose.

I'm gonna take you for a ride.

We're gonna stop here.

Time is for a spent, but uh, my God, are your heart excited about this New Testament church that we can see in this book?

God help us to come up to that.

I long, I long to be a part of that, Brother Jeff.

I tell you, I long to be a part of that.

What can we do?

Is the church restored?

No, but we can stir up grace, can't we?

We can stow up grace.

Let's give God our absolute best, Sister Amanda.

It's gonna take a little something.

Do you know the ways of the Lord?

It contradicts the ways of the flesh.

It inconveniences us, it goes against our comfort zone.

But my God, my God, he's well worth it, isn't he?

He's well worth it.

Okay, we'll let you go.

Uh next week will be the seventh chapter.

This is Brother Jeff's favorite chapter in the book of Acts.

Brother Jeff talks about the seventh chapter of Acts almost every time he mentioned Acts.

He goes straight to the seventh chapter.

But uh, I'll tell you what, it's a wonderful chapter, as is the sixth, the fifth, the fourth, the third, the second, and the first.

But uh we next week, well, if God give us grace, brother, we want to plow down through that seventh chapter of the book of Acts.

And maybe get into the eighth.

Okay, are there any questions that say anything need clarification?

No?

Pray for me.

I'm it's body mind God, brother.

If it's not the back, if it's not the shoulder, if it's not the knees, now it's my eyes.

I went to the physician yesterday, uh, and uh doesn't make any sense to you.

The reason my eyes is keep running is because I have dry eyes.

And my eye is overcompensating by making um tears, and it has to keep making the tears because it's making so many tears, it doesn't have enough oil in my tears to ease the dry eye.

I say, what?

What did you say?

So you're gonna give me something, it's a medication, uh, he actually called it in to put in my eye that's gonna cause my eye to think that it has water.

And I went three times to get this prescription filled, but I'm gonna stop being so cheap.

I went to Walmart.

That line was this long.

I saw you there yesterday, that's where I was just coming out, discouraged.

You see me walking with my head down.

I waited in the line 15 minutes, and brother, I didn't move no more than four people up.

So I left.

I went home and tears started running down my eyes.

I said, Lord, I wish I had a wait.

Went back again today and waited this time 20 minutes and still didn't move.

Came back home and listen, I've been weeping ever since.

But pray for me.

And listen, it's bad enough.

I can't see with my glass, I can't see without them, but it's awful when your eyes is running with water, teary.

I can't tell if you all crying or I'm crying.

But uh pray for me.

This body ain't worth nothing, brother.

But thank God I have another one on the way.

My God.

Prayer requests.

We had to take a special prayer request.

Let's remember.