Episode 110: The Missionary Call of the Church

In the name of the glorious Trinity, Father and Son and Holy

Spirit, forever Amen. Glory be to the everlasting

mercies which sent you to us, O Christ, the light of the world

and the life of all. Give us wisdom by your law and

enlighten our impulses by Your knowledge.

Sanctify our souls by Your truth, and grant that we may be

obedient to Your words and may fulfil Your commandments at

every hour. O You who enlightens the

rational with the knowledge of Your greatness, do enlight, O my

Lord, our thoughts, that we may meditate upon Your holy and

divine Scriptures at all times. O Lord of all, Father and Son

and Holy Spirit forever. Amen.

Acts, chapter 13. The Book of Acts, the Book of

Acts 13 · chapter mention

the beginning of the Church, the mission, missionary act of the

Church, the one holy and Apostolic and Catholic universal

Church. Thus far we have learned, and in

particular from last week's episode, that the Holy Spirit

talks to the apostles who were gathered for worship and

fasting. And we spoke about this.

We expanded and, and ascertained that this was during a

liturgical service. They were breaking the bread,

hence they were fasting and the Holy Spirit talks to the

apostles. Now, some might say how well it

could have been by a mysterious revelation.

You know, there are a lot of mysteries with the work of God

because he's thoughts are not our thoughts or our thoughts are

not his thoughts and his ways are not our ways by a mysterious

revelation or by means of those who are worthy of it.

Maybe someone actually spoke. The Spirit moved them to speak,

just like the Spirit moved Zechariah, John the Baptist's

father, to speak. And the Holy Spirit commands

that both soul and baranoa or Baraba Baranaba.

I'm sorry, were to be set apart to minister to the souls of the

Gentiles for for salvation. This is what Paul will say in

Galatians and we're going to read about that.

But there's a question here. Wasn't Saul already called from

heaven? Wasn't he baptized by Hananiah?

And then from his baptism, that's where he becomes a

Christian, right? So Paul's call from heaven is

being baptized. He's a Christian.

Why? Let's go back even further.

Why must he have been baptized when he was called from heaven?

He's called from above. Well, he was called from above

to be set apart, to be sanctified.

It was called. And remember last week we spoke

that the Holy Spirit, the Holy Trinity, worked in the calling

of Saint Paul. So he was called to be set

apart, to be sanctified in baptism, to receive firstly the

adoption of sonship, to be a child of God, to be buried with

Christ in baptism so that he would walk in the newness of

life. Romans chapter 6, verse 4.

Romans 6:4

These are His own words, to be sanctified and purified by the

washing of the water and the Word, not the washing of the

water of the Word. As some versions and translation

have been deliberately maybe mistranslated, we'll leave that

to the righteous judgment of God to be sanctified and purified by

the washing of the water, baptism and the Word, which is

the Holy Scriptures and the Word of God Himself, Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 526 to be set free to be saved from the bondage of the

law according to Galatians chapter 5 verse one and first

Galatians 5 · chapter mention 1 Peter 3:21

Peter chapter 3 verse 21. And here we read he was chosen

to receive the rank of the priesthood, called sanctified

and chosen to receive the rank, the order, the daughter of the

priesthood according to the command of the Spirit.

Now that's fine. Yes, that's the work of the Holy

Spirit, that's the work of God. It's complete.

It's got to be complete. It's fulfilled, it's finished.

God has done it. The Holy Trinity has worked in

this man's life in his beginning, in his calling to his

ministry and he's sending on off for his ministry.

But how? How beloved, we read that after

they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they

sent them away. They laid their hands on them.

The Apostolic hands they laid, they didn't call the whole

congregation and then and then set this soul and barn bar on in

the middle and everyone to pray and to raise their hands and to

invoke the Holy Spirit. No, no, no.

The disciples laid their hands on Paul and on Saint Paul.

We're talking about Saint Paul and he sends this Galatians

Galatians 2:9

chapter 2, verse 9. And when they recognized the

grace that is given to me, that is, I was called from heaven.

When James and the apostles recognized this, they understood

this. They knew this.

James and Peter and John, those who were esteemed to be pillars,

gave me and Barnaba, Barnaba, Baranwa, Barnaba the right hand

of fellowship, because we are among the Gentiles and those are

among the circumcision. So Barnaba and Paul were to

preach to the Gentiles by the laying on of the hand.

Siam Ida. Why is it important to have this

recorded? Why did Saint Luke record this?

Saint John Chrysostom writes because the new ordination and

separation took place at this time, the laying on of the hand

by which they were made superior to those in the Church according

to the command of the Holy Spirit by which they were

ordained Apostles for the Gentiles Apostolic succession.

This continues. We don't find in the scriptures

that this has ended. No, in actual fact when we

continue to read the Acts of the Apostles, we see that the

apostles then were called bishops.

So the apostleship was then re titled what is in the Bishop.

The authority of the apostles was then passed on to the

bishops that are in the Church today, the hierarchies.

Hence, we believe in one holy Apostolic and Catholic Church.

You know when we read Numbers chapter 27, verses 18 to 21,

Numbers 27:18–21

mind boggling, mind boggling. God tells Moses to choose

Joshua, who a man whom the Spirit is upon.

We've spoken about this. The Spirit is on him.

That means the Holy Spirit has one more time chosen this man

and then he is to be brought to Eliazar the priest and to be to

be stood before the congregation so that they could see him,

because now he's going to minister to them, right?

Praise God, this God has chosen, this is God telling him what to

do, God's instructions. And we do to this today when we

when there is an ordination, a consecration, he is stood before

the congregation and he pledges the oath of his office before

the congregation. And there are priests and

bishops and deacons. But the intriguing thing is this

Joshua whom upon whom the Spirit was, in whom the Spirit was and

could have been, it couldn't have been any other spirit than

the Holy Spirit, because it came from God.

Then God instructs Moses to lay his hand on him and give him his

authority. Why Lord, Why?

Why? Please someone answer me.

Someone call me, someone message me.

Why was there need for a ordinary man, a Sinner?

Why was there need for a man to to be a participant in the

calling and the election and the chosen and the setting apart of

another faithful? That is what we call God using

his creation for his work. And today it is still succeeding

in the Church, the laying on of the hands, the Apostolic

succession, verse 7, verse 6. And when they that is Barnabas

and Paul or Seoul, when they had travelled the whole island as

far as the city of Paphos Pathos or Paphos the Procon soul, whose

name was Sergius Paulus or Sergius Paul, who called for

soul and Barnabas and desired to hear from them the word of God.

This Sergius Paul was listening to their preaching and he

believed and the church fathers write that his last name he

changed to Paul because he was so admire.

He, he so admired the apostles and what they were preaching,

which is Jesus Christ. Remember preaching the word of

God, not a Bible in their hands. And opening to Luke chapter 1

Luke 1 · chapter mention

Timothy chapter 1 Timothy chapter 2.

1 Timothy 2 · chapter mention

No, no, no, preaching the word of God, preaching Jesus Christ.

He admired that to the point where he changed his name to

Sergius Paul or Sergius Paul. See.

So today, today we too refer to ourselves in our faith, in our

doctrine, in our belief that we are Apostolic because we

admired, we admire, we believe, we stand firm on the teachings

and the doctrines and the believe in the faith passed down

by the apostles of the Lord. Now I do not say that I am

Janard Apostolic. Stephen, is Stephen Apostolic?

No, no, no. The Church, which is the body of

Christ, which has many members, are called Apostolic because we

too admire the teachings of the apostles, which was apostles,

which was given by Jesus Christ and passed down in the Church

until today. This was this man and he admired

and he wanted to continue to follow.

OK, but let's read who this man was associated with who became a

deterrent. But Barshuma, the sorcerer whose

name is interpreted Alimas withstood them seeking to turn

away the proconsul from the faith.

This was a leader of a of a region by the way.

He wanted to determine wanted to draw him away from the faith.

OK, and said, oh man, I'm sorry. Then soul chapter verse 9, Then

Saul, who is called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, very

important, keep in mind, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked at

him and said, O man, full of every kind of subtlety or deceit

and of all evil things, son of the devil, an enemy of all

righteousness, will you not cease to pervert the right ways

of the Lord? Soul.

This is now Soul, whose name was called Paul and the Fathers

translate, interpret as obedient Saul or Saint Paul, who knows

himself to be the least of the apostles in one Corinthians

chapter 15 verse 9. Saul, who maybe saw himself to

be the last and the most humble, the unworthy, yet called by God

the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, chosen by the Holy

Spirit and giving the authority by the power of the Holy Spirit,

yet in order to praise the grace of God that was given to him.

This calling to praise it, not to glorify himself.

No Vainglory. We saw what happened to Herod.

Vainglory. No, no, no, to give glory to God

for the grace that was bestowed upon him for His calling.

We see that in his ministry, He frequently was battling and

courageously, undeterred, vigorously.

He was against the proud and the arrogant and those who relied on

their own works. This man must have been so

proud. He was a sorcerer.

Witchcraft, you know, he's probably making money and

fooling people. And people knew him.

It was renowned. Oh, you should go to this man,

Alimus. He's he does great sorcery.

You know he did he did something and and and I saw it

eyewitnesses by the power of Satan, obviously, yes, like

today we have those who read cups the clairvoyance repent, O

clairvoyance don't fool, don't deceit, don't limit God's don't

limit God in a little what is it called that glass globe in a

little glass globe. You can't limit God's work.

Don't limit God's work and God's understanding in in tarot.

I think it's like tarot cards. Don't limit that.

Don't limit God's work and man's life and destiny in a little

coffee cup. And it's always the same.

It's always the same cliche. Oh, you are so down and you're

sad and life, of course everyone's down and everyone's

sad. Life is dragging everyone down.

The economy isn't helping. Of course everyone's going

through this. Oh, you will go on a journey one

day. Everyone goes on a journey.

I visit, Well, I can't now, but I visit Australia on a yearly

basis. Annually.

I used to. Everyone travels.

Oh, and, and have you noticed? Oh, I see a woman with long

hair. Oh, that's, it's either a

mother-in-law. If there is something good about

it, it's my mother. But a woman with long hair is

frowning. Oh, that's my mother-in-law.

That's got to be my mother-in-law.

This is foolish. This is ridiculous.

And we too courageously, vigorously must stand against

that, beloved, because we are the children of God as well.

We see that the grace of God was truly seen in Saint Paul,

obvious in Saint Paul, because of the zeal he had, because

because of the fervor he had to correct those who were in the

wrong. He spoke bile boldly.

He's going to speak boldly. And he did.

And he continues to speak boldly before all his opponents.

Why, Because of the grace of God that he had received undeterred

in any way. He was undeterred.

He didn't let his past daunting. He didn't pull to one side and

say, you know what? These people may bring out my

past. I was a murderer.

I would persecute the the Church of God.

No, no, he didn't do that. He wasn't intimidated by his

past and how others would use that in opposition to him.

Don't be intimidated by your past if you have now repented.

If you are a repented Christian, you are a Christian from

baptism. Don't let anyone else teach you

otherwise. No, being baptized you are

clothed with Christ, but you weren't a obedient Christian.

You weren't a a a committed Christian.

You weren't committed to the Scriptures, to the church.

But when you repented, you become a repented son of God

because the prodigal son was still called a son.

He didn't lose the sonship when he came back, he was still a

son. Yet he humbly and modestly said,

I'm not worthy to be your son. I tell me as his servant, Don't

be intimidated what people will say to you.

But wouldn't you, didn't you? Wasn't you?

You know I knew you. Don't worry about that.

Because when you come to Christ, you receive that newness.

You've been reformed, you've been rejuvenated, you've been

reconditioned one more time. And Paul was not intimidated.

Don't be intimidated if you are a repented God fearing God,

abiding, obedient to God, a lover of God, a lover of the

Scriptures. Don't be intimidated to also

send vigorously against those who are in the wrong but in

love. We're going to talk about that.

So he was called, He was chosen, He was set apart by the Holy

Spirit. That's it.

You too. You and I, beloved from the womb

to the tomb are God's handiwork. Stop for a second.

Give away. If you're cleaning and you're

washing dishes, stop for a second.

Listen to this we are God's handiwork you, yes, even though

you're not a practical practicing Christian, even

though you have slid, you're not walking the walk of Christ and

you're listening to this. You've been introduced to this

podcast. This is your first listening to

the podcast. Listen, my dear brother and

sister, you are a handiwork of God.

Handiwork. God didn't just, God didn't just

speak your kind into existence. He actually took dirt and he

moulded, He fashioned us. We are His handiwork and we are

his handiwork. Yes.

For what? For good works and deeds, not

just faith, Not just believe. For good works and deeds

prepared by God from the beginning in which we should

walk. Ephesians 210 according to Saint

Paul's instructions and we read in in Psalm chapter, Psalm 139,

Psalms 139:13

verse 13 because he has prepared our kidneys and he has carried

us from the womb of our mothers. You are his handiwork.

It wasn't when you were a sparkle in your father's eye and

mum and dad said, Hey, let's practice what the birds and the

bees. No, no, no, that they they are a

a participant in that in that glorious gift of God.

But it is God who institutes so you too.

Don't be reluctant. So again, Saint Paul called by

grace, basically gives gives it to this man to reprove him, not

vengeance. It is not in vengeance.

It's not so that he wants to punish him and belittle him and

he wants to totally destroy him. No, look at what he said.

Oh, you full of all deceit. Why all deceit?

Because the man was playing the part of a hypocrite.

He was fully in deceit. He was a deceiver.

Why? He adhered to Sergius.

He loved Sergius. He was Sergius's servant or or

you know, obedient to Sergeant, but wanted to cause harm by

deterring him from drawing to God.

Beloved. Those who genuinely, truly,

honestly love us, those who genuinely, truly and honestly

want the best for us will never take us away from God.

As a matter of fact, they will draw us closer to God.

He calls him Son of the Devil. Why?

Because he was doing the devil's work.

Go back to Genesis chapter 3, verse 4 is a deceiver.

Genesis 3:4

What did Satan say to Eve? Surely you will not die.

You will become like gods, and you'll know good and evil.

A deceiver. And this man was trying to deter

surges from the truth, but he wanted to bring him back to his

wickedness. He says that he is an enemy of

righteousness. Of course, what the apostles

were preaching, it was complete righteousness.

What the apostles have handed down, Jesus gave as a depository

to the apostles He deposited in that church which is called

holy. An Apostolic and universal

church was righteousness. And to date, those churches that

adhere to the teachings of the apostles, those churches that

continue to live within the framework and the life of the

church, have enemies because they are practicing

righteousness. And also this could have been

the manner of the life of this man.

He was a deceiver. He was a fraudster.

Now again, it was not out of anger that he spoke, no, not out

of spite, because Luke says in the beginning he was filled with

the Holy Spirit. That is he was, he was moved by

the Holy Spirit. Now the Holy Spirit will rebuke,

will admonish, but not to destroy, but rather to bring

back to repentance. So when he says, let's continue,

I'm sorry. And he says, and now the hand of

the Lord is against you, and you shall be blind, and shall not

see the sun for a time. And in that very hour there fell

on him a a mist and darkness, and he went about seeking

someone to lead him by the hand. And when the proconsul saw what

had happened, he was amazed and believed the teaching of the

Lord. Notice he said, not I, the hand

of the Lord shall be upon you to show that this is not my

vengeance. And I say this in love, like

saying, not me, but the hand of God.

So when we admonish, when we rebuke, we must be clear that

this is not me. This is the word of God

rebuking. This is the word of God calling.

This is the word of Word of God drawing you from darkness into

light. And he was hoping for a

conversion, just as his own conversion.

Remember in Acts 9. Now when when he converted, he

saw a light, there was a light that shone around him.

Obviously this man had no light, but yet the same thing happened

to him. He was blinded.

Thou thou shalt be blind, he's saying not seeing the sun for a

season or a for a particular time for only a short period of

time. Why to give him the hope of

repentance because that's the same thing that happened to

Saint Paul's soul. So experience in life can also

be is very significant to be used when we want to draw

someone back to God. You know, I went there.

I was there yes, I was a gambler.

I wasn't an alcoholic. I was an adulterer.

I was a fornicator. I was evil.

I I was wicked, I was immoral, I had pride, I wanted glamour and

beauty, but they're all null and void.

But I want to tell you that how I converted.

I'm going to pray the same for you.

It may even hurt at times. It may seem like a punishment,

but a loving punishment. Beloved, though, we must love

our enemies and we definitely love our friends and family and

relatives, but at times it may be deemed necessary to ask God's

severe awakening. You know, when some parents have

issues with their child, problem children that are constantly,

you know, in trouble with the law, always a brush with the law

and the society. And the law has given them ample

of chances and the society and the law has tried to reconcile,

but that child or that person is not repenting.

Well, maybe jail at times is best.

It may sound harsh. Mothers can't accept this.

Mothers cannot accept their children being in jail,

regardless of how much heartache and and and headache that have

been they've been causing. But at times it's not always

that bad because there are a lot of people that have been

rehabilitated after coming in. Now, I know today's prison

system and yeah, yeah, that's that's another story.

But when you know, when the concept of prison and, and you

know, shackles and you know imprisonment came into being,

when God had that in mind, it wasn't to punish, it was to

bring back, to repent, to reconcile.

So sometimes, yes, not in vengeance, not in punishment,

not to totally destroy someone, no, no, but that that severe act

of God would bring that person back to repentance. 1

Corinthians 55 Remember those who are taking on their father's

wives as their wives, their stepmothers.

They were marrying their stepmothers.

What a Saint Paul saying one Corinthians 55 commit the body

of such a man to Satan. Wow, that's harsh.

Not as a punishment, but he says so that the soul will be saved

by the spirit. Deliver this one to Satan for

the destruction of the body, the destruction of the desires and

wickedness and immorality of the flesh, that he may live in the

Spirit. So this is what we see, beloved,

and this is what we learn. Having the authority, having the

authority they've vested by, by the Holy Spirit, by the choosing

of the Holy Spirit and the laying on of the hand of the

apostles, the Apostolic succession.

Saint Paul goes out now and speaks boldly.

We've been called, we've been chosen.

We are the children of God. Only when we have repented, then

we can bring people to repentance.

When we have taken out the plunk out of our own eye, then those

who see will say, please take this little speck out of my own

eye. And I, as I posted on Facebook

and I think it's on, it's on the double edged sword.

Others can be effects. Others can be spiritually

affected by you when you have been, when, when they witness a

spiritual effect on you, and all for the glory of our Lord God

prays between His name now and at all times and forever.

We hope you enjoyed this week's message.

Please don't forget to rate and review this podcast and share

with your friends and family. For any future topic suggestions

or to give us detailed feedback, please visit our link in the

show notes. Linktr dot EE forward slash

double edged sword. Until next time, God bless you

all.