Fear of God (Acts 19) | Pr Matthew Chang

You're listening to a message to go from X church.

We hope this message will light up your day.

Turn with me to X chapter nineteen, X chapter nineteen.

And so I'm still continuing on this series on Paul's

missionary trip. And right now we're on his second third

missionary trip. Ready, and we are taking off from X

chapter nineteen, and I have prepared slides and before we

read the word, I'm gonna do a bit of tour,

you know, tour, you know, you know those walking tours.

You go to a nice place and then they start

to give you a bit of what they call it

introduction and background to the city, to the place. And

then as you're walking, then when you start to have

a bit of idea why certain things happen and stuff.

And so I'm gonna give you guys a bit of

a tour. I'm by no means an expert, but I

gather what I know and I share so that we

we can we can learn a bit better. Okay, So

we are talking about this very important city called the

city of Ephesus. Okay, So in modern day right now,

it's in I think it's in Syria or Turkey, Okay,

And this is a very important city for a few reasons.

First of all, it is sort of like a point

and intersection between the east and the west. Okay, an

intersection between the east and the west. In terms of

size and importance, it's like the second most important and

biggest city in the UH world at that time. Okay,

let me ask you a question right now? What's the

number two city in Malaysia? Right now? Who says been there?

Hands up? Official one? We're not talking about like in

a personal one. Okay, it's not I personally think it

wasn't a who says be name? Who else? Any other

candidates Prajaya? Okay, joho be specific not state jb okay

any other candidates number two city in Malaysia. Clang, you

have a lot of faith rather somehow, somehow you just

said the troupe into the head? Right? How can stuff?

You know? Okay, we got we got pen there and clang?

What else? What's the number two city? But darlin Jaya

the one greater faith there? Man, I can probably ja,

I did not say number two. Who are saying somebody?

Somebody says something Guccin. I'm from Guccin. Also, I'm not

throwing puccinto their head. Also, where did you guys get

your faith from? Man? I need to find out what

you eat? Okay, you do want to know the official answer.

It's Georgetown. Okay. I gotta give it to the bank people,

give it to the pen Nan people. So what what what?

What's the what's the winners? We want? They get the

bayo lunch. Okay, it's very fair. Right, with great glory

comes responsibility. Okay. Cool. So it's Georgetown. And so in

that time, the number one city, of course is Rome.

The number two city, so called by historians was Ephesus, okay,

very powerful city known as the intersection between the east

and the west. And also you know, of course a

lot parts from the south western part. You know, they

includes like regions of israel A to e Gyp to Ethiopia,

stuff like that. So it's an intersection. But and people

come to that place, to Ephesus to trade. But more

than that, Ephesus was uh warism capital, okay, one of

the capitals of tourism. And they were famous for two

main attractions okay, two man attractions. The first they're famous

for their Temple of Diana. Okay, Temple of Diana. This

is the famous Temple of Artemis of Diana. Okay, and

U you know Diana and Artemis is a Roman name

or Greek name, quite interchangeable. They have similar gods by

just different names, Okay. And the Temple of Artemis or

Diana is actually one of the seven ancient Wonders of

the world. Okay, one of the greatest Okay, most beautiful, huge, beautiful. Okay.

It's not just a temple, it's the most important building.

Also a place of administration and commerce as well. There

were marketplaces, banks, money exchange. It's like it's also a

mani stration and governance. It's like our dbkl. Okay, you

want to get license for opening up a shop, to

buy a house, to everything you go there as well.

So everything was congregated into one soul. You have already

guessed it. So their religion and their daily life is

actually integrated, okay, integrated lifestyle of religion and civil life

as well, integrated. Okay. And so a lot of the

what they call it, ah, we have a lot of

and it's it's the fame of the temple is renowned

very very now. Of course, there are other cities that

worship these goddess as well, but none like Ephesus beautiful,

and even he has his own background story. I don't

know too much. Some of you might know the story

of Atomis that came from Zeus, and then you know

a progeny, and then there's a and then when he

casts her out, there's a stone that actually landed in Ephisos.

And then there there's a legend that says that the stone,

the blackstone, is actually inside the temple and its people

are worshiping it. You know me if you want to

believe that. Okay, it's very beautiful people, and it's an

intersection because a lot of people from both the East

and the West com to view, uh, this temple as well,

very well renowned, Okay, so a lot of people come

here to to explore the legends, the myth and innto

one this wonder as well. Okay. So that's what what

what what's very known for. And on top of that,

a lot of the belief of and the the belief

and the mythology surrounding the prince. Okay, the Goddess of

Dinah's going to say, Princess Diana, and I said that

this is like for the fourth and fifth time because

I'm precious the message every time I say that. Okay,

the goddess digna altemus okay, also penetrated into the daily living,

because like I said, it's in a graded Okay. Religion

and civil life were integrated because of that is sipping

into it. And so for example, the temple that I

have a lot of worshippers and also servants, and a

lot of them hire young lady. Why because the goddess

of Diana is the goddess of what who knows fertility, virginity.

So they were very adored by young women, okay, and

they hire a lot of a lot of young women,

pledging themself to serve as well. And unfortunately in their

service it's not just that say hi hosts. There are

some more promiscuit services that they actually offer as well.

And that's why if you read you know a lot

of some of the letters, whether it's in Corinthians or

in Ephesus, Paul Well mentioned about adultry very very clearly.

But because it's so integrated in their culture, it was

seen as normal. You'n. It's seen accepted inside the society

because it's integrated. Okay. But God, but but what say

if you're in this world, but not of this wha

you know, being, do not conform, but be transformed by

the renewing of your It doesn't matter what people accept.

People say, Okay, people say, it's not a scene, do

what they want. But God's word has to hold higher

than all of this. You get what I'm saying.

You.

No, it's a really difficult thing. But this is what

we are called. It's believe it's called too as well. Okay. Now,

the second thing they are very known for, okay, of

course is the Great Theater of Ephesus. Okay, later on

in the chapter, you would know that this these two locations,

the temple and the theater, also will be involved in

this chapter. Uh. This great theater, it still has its

ruins still available. There can see up to twenty five

thousand people. It's empty because it's only half empty. That's

that's what I was like, Oh we going for. Oh

that's why they come with a mvy. It's called half

envy and yeah, and it's it's quite amazing and no loudspeaker,

but yet the voice projection and the architecture is able

to project it. It's quite amazing. Uh feet Uh that

has been done at that place as well. Now now

that we and now that okay, now I just want

to let you know. Okay, So now the main trade

and the economy that sustains the city comes from the

temple and from the theater, arts and religion as well.

So a lot of people come, they tour, they enter

the temple, they pay money. They also buy a lot

of figurines, a lot of these what they call it

figurines of idols of Diana. They sell scrolls, you know,

written in animals, skins, you know, they sell potions made

from certain blood. Because it's because it's so religious and

so integrated. Selling all this witchcraft is very very common

and very very what they call it rewarding, very high,

very what's the word lou lucrative? Yes, I want to

say ludychrus lucrative. Okay, my dictionary is still updating. Okay, Okay,

so let's read. Okay, now we've got to be understanding. Now,

let's read. Okay. And it happened while Apollos was at Corinth,

that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus,

and finding some disciples, he said to them, did you

receive the Holy Spirit when you believed. So when they

said to him, we have not so much as heard

where there is a holy Spirit. And he said to

them into what then were you baptized? So they said,

into John's baptism. Then Paul said, John indeed baptized with

a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they

should believe on him who will come after him, that

is on Christ Jesus. When they heard this, there were

baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when

Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came

upon them and they spoke with tongues and prophesies. Now

the men were about twelve in awe. Okay, let's pause

there for a while. A lot of times when we

read this, right, we will think, like, okay, what did

you catch out of it? The fact that we said, okay,

Paul was doing his duty. He preached and praised God,

Holy Spirit manifested, and they were filled and they you know,

can spoke speaking Thomas. But my may I submit to

you a very important lesson for you and I about

something that God is trying to communicate here. Okay. Now,

first of all, you have to understand be a context.

Who is a Paulus any idea? Who is a post Apollos?

Is he one or th disciples? No? Okay, apaulass if

you read the chapter before terminist of pause, he is

a Jew. But he came from this place called Alexandria.

Where is Alexandria anyone? Well done? Okay? The other the

previous one. It took quite a while for people to

people kild There's one guy who told me, you know,

it came from Greece, you know, understandable because in Alexander

the Great. But Alexandria is in actually northern Egypt. Okay,

why is it not an Egyptian name? Okay, because it

was renamed by Alexander the Great as well. Now the

next question I have what is Alexandria known for. What

the Great Lighthouse isn't it? Okay? What else? The the

like the Great Library? These two main things, the Great

Lighthouse and the Great Library. Okay, I don't know about

the Great Lighthouse, but I do know that the Great

Library is one of the seven Great Wonders of the

ancient world as well. We covered to today one of

the temple and now the library as well. Okay, I

hope you'll be interested to find out more by google it. Okay,

So Alexandria is known for the Great Library because I

think if not sacking the king is but told me,

I think people not mistaken. Of course, it could be

someone else. He wanted. He wanted. He wanted to make

Alexandria to be glorious by gathering a lot of the

knowledge from everywhere east, west, north and south. So he

was gathering things. But one thing that he couldn't really

convert or like translate was what the Hebrew Old Testament. Okay,

now imagine me Old Testament. Okay, we're mainly written in

what in what language? Hebrew? Partly in Arabic as well. Okay,

but in Jesus' time and in times of Ects, what

were the main languages spoken in the Norn world? Greek?

So you see there's a divide. Okay, Hebrew is not easy, man,

Hebrew is It's almost like character is rare. So there's

a big gap between the Old Testament and then the sorry,

the Hebrew and Aramic and the non word as well.

So most of it, of the knowledge of the Old

Testament were residing within the Jewish community and in like Elexandria.

I think the king wanted to make this known, and

not for him to himself to understand and to make

it known. What did he do? He actually recruited seventy

elders and scribes from Israel to come down to Alexandria

and to translate the first copy of the Old Testament

into ancient Greek. There's two types of great Ancient Greek

and modern Greek. Okay, there's ancient great modern Greek. So

this seventy elders and scribes is what we call now

the sept two Agents sets seventy. Oh have you heard that?

The subdivision before? Someone you're like, oh, when we refer that,

So it's actually referring to the first translation of that

into ancient Greek. And this was a very very humongous

and important milestone for the Old Testament and the uh

Judaism as well to be able to translate it in that.

And it may know suddenly when you translate it, because

the people who can read the Old Testament will only

the select juice. But now it's open up to the

all the gentile world, okay, And it's now that original

copy was residing in Alexandria and Apaulaus was a student

that studied and learned from there. And so when he meant,

when the Bible gives a detail that he comes from

Alexandria in chapter eighteen, we have a lot more understanding

already that what he kind of learned, what was he

known for? What was he doing there, and what kind

and more importantly, what is his theological understanding and where

he started and where he ended. That is why when

Paul comes into the picture, Okay, imagine this is Epsus.

Before Paul arrived, Apollos was there. Apollos came to Ephesus.

He preached, but he didn't preach the full version. He

preached version one. He preached all the way from Abraham,

all from Moses, all the way Okay, until John the

Baptist gay because there was all he knew. There was

all he had, and when he saw what Paul John

was preaching, he believed. Because he knew what John the

Baptist was prayer is consistent with the Old Testament, what

he read from their subdivision. Okay, it's a great way.

So when he was she was preaching people repent, repent.

There is why and a few people believe, which is

about twelve people. These twelve people believe again all the

way until John's baptism, which is RepA sentence, prepare you

the way for the Lord. Okay. Then aupall Us moves

and then Paul comes into Ephasus amidst these twelve people

and he asks them onto work that baptism. What you're

baptized into into jobs baptism? And what did Paul say?

It's good, but it's not complete. Okay, it's good, but

it's not complete. Now why did this matter to Paul?

And I'm telling you this is a very important principle

that you and I have learned to learn. Okay, every

one of us, especially if you're a family man or

a father or mother. Okay, before you go and do

any ministry, before Paul even goes out to preaching the

Synagogusta or to do anything miracle, get your house in order. Okay,

turn your neighbor and say, get your house in order.

It's very important thing, very important principle, very very important principle.

It's not what this is not the only timer, it's

not only time. You all, we must get your house

in order, your own household. Before Moses could even go

to Egypt to deliver its people are God was sending him,

you know, But it says that God wanted to kill

him halfway. Why God want to kill Moses whom he

sent halfway, isn't it? Then it was revealed later what

he didn't circumcise his son on the eighth day, and

the wife have the gout and cut him, cut the board.

Poor boys, mother's gonna tie and then throw it all

on his like and surely you're black, so my blood.

The wife covered for him, But there's another teaching, the

principle of covering him, right how dam covers for if

covers for a husband and wife cover each other, there's

the principle of covering. But this covering applied for Moses,

and this cover ring spare Moses' life, you know, because

Moses didn't get his house in order. So no may

no mistake, no no great, no matter how great your

calling is, how great a ministry are, and people depend

on you, if you don't get your house in order,

God cannot use you scarier. It's scary, you know. We

don't use and Holy that's he We don't go, you know,

but you cannot bargain. We've got one and not God

can use anyone. You cannot just say, oh, I'm you know,

but my ministry is so good, too big to fail.

No such thing, No such thing God is talking about.

Get your house in order. Same thing as you know,

Peter Apostle Peter as well, before Pentecosts happens, What do

you have to do? One was missing, one disciple was missing.

He read the scripture, Let another take his office. So

before Pentecos happens, one must you do final replacement before

the Holy Spirit comes? Even Peter, I tell you whom

God has charged her to take this gospel outrun himself

here has to get his house in order before saving thousands.

You know, yeah, I mean right. So this principle of

getting your house in order is real people, very very real,

you know, for me, for you, and not everyone as well.

It's very very important. So paul comes into his house

twelve people paul Us has left. So the first thing,

what does it mean? What does it mean to get

your house in order? A few things, okay, just quickly.

First thing is that the people that ought to be

in your house need to be in the house. The

people that are not are not supposed to be in

your house. Need to be outside the house. It's like

having a town hall. Who comes into a townholl for

your company cannot be outside people, right, he must be

your own people. That's why Peter replaced. Okay, it's very important.

People who are not in your house better be outside

because they're gonna unduly influence your own people. Cannot be

wolves and lions inside the bong. The sheep's one, you know,

give me right, get your house in order, one a check,

and just take this whole time to talk about this preaching.

You know. Okay, the third and the third thing, you

make sure that the people in your house are properly

fed the right thing. Feed my sheep? Have you given

them fully? Just meal? Only they don't give them the

full thing? So when he sees the people only know

until the baptism of John, he's like, good but not complete.

It's like you're eaten rice, but you have not eaten

your vegetables and meat. You know, like sometimes the guys are, ah,

just just eat no young food, and then the mothers say,

oh no, you must have three things, meat, vegetable and rice.

You know, the mothers will be very careful. Okay, I

am not so much okay, proper wholesome meal. Oh so

suppose and no, it's good, but you need to be

fed the full, complete truth. Then he explained the whole,

the whole baptism until Christ, and they believed, and immediately,

as a proof of God's approval, they received the Holy Spirit.

Then only we move on to the next part. Makes sense.

So what's the lesson? Number one? Get your house in order,

repeat me after me. Get your house in order. Turn

to your neighbor, get our house in order. Okay, okay,

I don't have to tell the person to get your

house in order, like get our old house in order.

Like okay, get our house in order. It's very important thing.

That is why I tell you what is the charge

for parents? You need to share the gospel with them

if they are of reasonable age, get them baptized. Very

important thing, very important thing. I'm not saying that you say, oh,

you know, it's just about there. I can tell you

you don't drive for car, the steering wheeler that doesn't

align with the wheel outside one you know you can

steal it, but then the outside of the wheel is

not the same place. You won't move one. And know

what you profess inside is also important outside as well.

And that's what I'm saying. You know, it's very very important. One.

There is spiritual significance into it as well. Okay, that's

the that's the first important point I have to share

with you guys, everybody. Okay, so ah learn thing. Ah, Okay,

let's go with verse number eight. And he went into

the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and

persuading concerning the things of the Kingdom of God. So

when he arrives to the new place, what's the first

place they need to go? To? Synagogue? Why the synagogue

his own kings, his own kinspeople. Isn't it his own people? Okay,

it's like you know you're beIN. Then you go back

to beaning people first. Okay, okay, you know your own people.

You have the same religious background understanding, should be able

to convince them. He went there for three months, reasoning

and persuading. But then what happened in verse nine, But

when some of were hardened and they not believed, but

spoke evil of the way. What were the Christians called

before they were known as Christians? The people of the

way to your neighbors, in case we can't call each

other Christian, next time you can call each other. You

are the people of the way, are you? The way?

You know, people of the way is like the Mendolorian

and this is the way? Okay, all right, Okay. Then

he says that he departed from them and withdrew the disciples,

so spoke three months to the place that he in

no where his own people would probably should understand him. Okay.

But then they rejected him. Not only rejected him, not

only did they not believe. They spoke evil. So anything

evil means why the opposite of good, the opposite of

what God approves. That is what it's called evil, you know,

I mean right, it's not defined by man and by

defined by God. Evil is always it's always cut by

the word of God, cut by what God defines. Okay, evil, Okay,

So when you spoke evil about the way, you're speaking

evil against God, you know, be called God. What has

God declared good? You have proclaimed evil? And what God

has proclaimed evil? Now you have proclaimed good. That's wrong. Okay.

Now this is the part I want you to guys

to underline. Okay, probably the message of the day he

departed from them and rule the disciples, reasoning daily in

the School of Tyrannus. Underlying the part reasoning daily in

the School of Tyrannus. This is the main thing we're

going to focus about a school. Okay, this is our

message for today. They're all may no, and you'll be wondering,

what in the world is this? Give me, give me

something more epical life for God so love the world.

But no, we will stick with this verse and he

says he in verse ten. And this continued for two years.

So they're all who dwell in Asia heard the word

of the Lord Jesus, Bulb Jews and Greeks. Now two things.

First thing, he spoke to his own people. He got rejected.

Three months spending there, rejected, came out. You would think

that he'd probably be discourage reading. But yet out of

his rejection for a from a very clear opening. Sometimes

in life you will see a very clear open door

if I do this, maybe he thought, I'm sure this

is this by right, should be the way that God

we blessed. Okay, a clear opening. But yet it didn't work.

And he comes outside there and he and he comes

to this school and allowed him to teach there for

two years. Now I only pay a bit of attention

some of how many of you have the ESV Bible

in English Standard version? Okay, if you look at that

your ESV Bible, there you will have a notation there

not all that it has, that it gives an extra detail.

The one of the manuscripts will say that he taught

from the fifth to the tenth hour. Okay, Now why

does that matter? And how does this apply to us

as working adults? All of us are here working adults. Okay?

What is the fifth hour? What time is it a

fifth hour? No? Five o'clock? In ancient times, in Jewish times,

the first hour starts at six in the morning. Why

is when they start to work. The first hour is

when they start to work. The sixth hour in the

morning is the first hour, not like our hourst hour

nowadays it's like twelve am in the morning. You know,

the first hour is always six hours if you add

five the way it's what time eleven o'clock? Tenth hour is?

What eleven two four o'clock? What is happening from eleven

to four o'clock everywhere? Why? It's very obvious working? What else? School?

What else? I tell you something that we all agree with?

Hot Sun? Do you see anyone working outside or all

of us are inside a nice cool air complace like this. Hey,

in the working world at that time people work. Most

of the time, they work outside hard labor work. Okay,

what the top time work? They don't work like nine

thirty one and okay. They work from six in the

morning or sometimes even five in a wee hour. Why

no sun cool? The big the most busy time is

from six onwards all the way until ten o'clock. Hour.

Time first hour to the fifth hour is where the marketplace,

everything happens and everything okay, there's where the work. It

is peak hour okay, because they are very rarely roof okay.

And even schools. I don't show about school. It could

be a lecture hall. But there is a very high

chance that this school is just an open space. You

must understand. Our schools are are not like the school

that we understand now. It's not like primary Chinese school

and stuff like that. The school have only one thing

and one thing on it. They're not selling certificates, so

taking care of a job. Nobody get jobs like that.

Want to know the school has only one thing and

one thing on it. That's why they called university university

means the place where you learn to understand how the

universe works. Makes sense? Makes sense? Now. Universities is to

teach you how the universe works. So people will go

down and you know, you see the statue there and

thinking and there thinking, thinking, thinking. So there are no textbook, nothing,

no clipboard, no GBT. It's just an open hall and

they invite all the smart people. Cytargerers, Plato, Socrates. What

is life? Someone would saying life is like what like

Bruce Lee, you know, it's like why do things for?

What are these seasons? What is the meaning of life?

Are you epicurean? Are you sto weak? You know it?

Cat mean right? So they debate. So that's why it's

an intersection for all the religious beliefs. You get mean right.

Everybody's coming to debate, present your god zeus art and

means whatever to everybody thinking how much the world works?

You get me right. So there were That's where the

Greeks were not to be great thinkers. They think too much,

ready things so much, and I do they're left to

ruin you know the thing. They were trying to understand

how the universe works. Now our universities okay, they tell

you how the universe works, and they sell you, sell

you a piece of paper. Okay, Cory, not this is

why it's becoming. It's become commercialized. But actually, if you

want to know how the universe works, you don't go

to universities. You go to the Creator. Going on where

else where you want to go, you go to the creator,

the creator design name. Ma's like, you have an Apple phone,

you go to some soon to find out how Apple works.

Doesn't make sense, right, Hey, I claim my warranty and

not for Apple under Samsung Sampson. Look at You're like,

what in the world I needn't create this? Why should

you know? You use it wrongly? Why should you blame me?

Isn't it? That's why God gave you the Bible so

you know how your life is supposed to work, the instruction,

the purpose, the meaning of your life. You go better

the Creator. But now no man, refuse that. I rather

crack my head and figure it out than rely on you,

isn't it. There's the defiance and the self righteousness of men,

isn't it? After you go one whole big round, ready

until the end, when you're still on your death, on

your on your dying breath. It's like, I really have

no answer. All the money, all the knowledge you get,

do you know where you're going? You don't. No amazing,

isn't it? Okay, now you're going too far? Really twelve time? Okay? Everybody, okay,

doing so far? So this so is very likely that

the school has no roof. People were just there and then,

you know, not just thinking, debating, and so the school

was tough from like six o'clock all the way nine

until ten. When the sun comes up. I'm sorry, it

could be roof or not. When the sun comes up,

everybody in the society stops working. The farmers, the know,

all the tradesmen. Paul was also working at the same time.

You know that Paul actually worked. What was he working as?

He was a tent maker? Okay, he was. He collects

donkey hair. Okay, why don't key here? Apparently donkey hair

is very good for tenth Okay, I don't know. I'm

not expert. I don't know. Don'tkey here in my house? Okay,

this is what they say. Like I take it as

it's like, how many of you have donkey hair in

your house? Maybe you can correct me, Okay, but apparently

don'key hair very good. You know he can make ten

and you know it's like you know, they say, oh

they don't have you know, shoppy shop short shoppy, you know, no,

no to sell. They were sitting on the main streets

thirty some peoplemes and poop and stuff like that as well.

And then they were sitting like a small corner and

then they will put up the small thing and then

they were selling sell from six o'clock until ten o'clock.

When the sun comes up, everybody push their thing in

or they put back up in a tear. They go

to a tree or somewhere, and then they rest all

the way until four o'clock and they start selling again.

So from that hour, what did Paul do? He went

to the school and he said, hey, nobody's gonna teach, right,

nobody's gonna use. Everybody's resting right, give me that snot.

Let me ask you this question. We always say that

God show me an open door in my life. Let

me ask you right now, what is your five to

ten in your life? You are Paul is working. You

are working as well. Why is your five to ten?

This is a daily thing. You know, you're not talking

about my weekend daily. He has a five to ten.

He he and he and he and I? You and I?

He and us are we are We are not that different.

All of us are not that different. You know he

came in right, he was rejected from this. You know,

you just look at the simple things in life. What

do I have? God give me? Give me the five

two tens? Why is your fire to ten? Maybe after work?

Sometimes afterward? Oh yeah, it's what's hired? Ready? So many

meetings already? Or I have to go to homes. Ah,

God give me strake. It's not just you. Sometimes I

also get tired. Okay, our leaders get tired. You get tired,

and not only that. Pastor just said that LDP ninety percent.

Gan ready. You know I tell you so many things

against us, not people true or not? God, why why

this not? But these are the five to tens. Time

being start in the gym. Time when you left your

work at ten o'clock instead of six o'clock. Your weekends

so precious to you, so precious. I'm sure it's precious.

Time with your family. It's very important. I don't disagree

with it. But even time if you're a family and

you still got time one and no, you want to

give the netflix? Do we get for you know other things?

Self richment? Oh, I need to invest in ourselves. Paul

faces the same delima as well. So but he used

the five to ten and then you and you know

what not he I don't know whether he fully understood

the gravity he did. I don't think he preached himself. Oh,

I see her vision. If I use the five to ten,

you know this whole thing is gonna happen. I think

he just like if I cannot do and when you do,

see when you walk up, you don't figure out. Oh,

I'm going to do one year? No, six months, two years?

We don't know why? No, No, we really don't know why. No. No.

Sometimes oh I'm scared because I don't know if I

can commit. No. I tell you, God's grace is added

when you walk or not before it as It's like squeezing.

I say this, It's like squeezing a toothpaste. You now

you applied. When you squeeze, it comes out, and apply

you stop squeezing and it stops coming out. But God

gives the toothpaste. Human you cannot generate on toothpaste, but

it requires you to squeeze. It requires this one word,

diligious diligence from start to end. Diligence. Diligence is about

I don't know, I just need to do it, and

I do, and I do, and I do, and God

will add. This is diligence. And all diligience is not Oh,

whether this in three years, five years will result to anything.

We have come up to this. This is not like

a diligence. You want commitment, you want you won't guarantee

before you want to do anything anymo Already you come

in right if you want to guarantee way, it's that

room for faith. The Paul new I doubt he did,

you know, because he just got rejected people that he knows.

There's no guarantee in life. You can procure all people

and get recha. What guarantee is life true or not?

So because you get rejected in one place that you're

you're supposed to see opening, do you stop having faith now?

No diligence persist, Faith persist. You care. I'm saying, you

may be offended, but you still persist. You can I'm saying,

or not you cannot be deterred. It's very sad and

all when we get deterred by by by by failure,

by rejection, by offense, we get deterred for such a

great word to be done. People. I'm sure he's offended,

I'm sure he's discouraged, but you still persist. Okay, now

for two and he says, first thing, he continued for

two years so that oh who doell remember it was

not just teaching. Now everyone from the world was coming.

You know who was he reaching out to everyone for replace.

Sometimes you have no idea because we are so so

more minded, we are so easy on, we give up

so much that we don't realize the very place that

we will rejected and cast out to us is the

place where everybody meets. Even if it's not prime time.

Even though it's not peak time, it's a five to ten,

nobody will even come out to the sun. You use it.

God will use that the things that people reject that

He use it to want to put the shame the

wisdom of the world. You came mean right, Oh the

glory that the war wants to say. I'm not going

to give you my prime time, my best slot, my

best advertisements slot for you. I give you the crumbs.

God will use the crumb to shame the world. Amen,

God uses the crumbs. Okay. Now the next part is

the exciting part. So he taught for two years what

happens using crumbs? Are the crumb times and the slaughter

nobody what happens verse eleven. Now, God, what unusual mirror

curse by the hands of Paul. So they even the

handkerchiefs of and or Aprons who were brought from his

body to the sick, and the disease left them, and

the evil spirits went out of them. Oh my goodness.

I told you he was working right. And I told

you it's hot, isn't it. You know how they drive

off themselves handkerchiefsa prince la the one handkerchief I hold

their user. Imagine nowadays, lay if Paul was here, he's

not well and COVID massa people, he was doing so great, America,

I want your COVID masks. Okay, people like what in

the world? Hey, I tell you, the handkerchief is not

better than the COVID master, I tell you it's not

going to be better than man. Use this. I don't

know whatever parting my use COVI mass in the mouth,

you know, stays in the mouth there, but even the

COVID master I won, so a hygienie. But people were

so desperate for healing. You know. The people who come

there are not just to watch, you know, the people

who come to epesas because par they are desperate as well.

Why do people will surrender and believe if anything, If

you have cancer in your terminal disease, you will want

to believe, you will, you will cling onto anything. You

will travel the world, travel the seventh season, just to hey,

is there a potion? Is there a figurine? Is there

a scroll? Is there a blessing? Even a handkerchief that

I could hold on to kill me? I tell you,

so a lot of these places were selling hope to

desperate people. Sure or not. Money to be made doesn't

mean that premium. People will pay a premium for hope

for a miracle. So was he selling anything? I say,

you could not mean to say, tell your handkerchiefler, tell

your handkerchief, okay. And not only that he was doing

great miracle okay, see a great miracles come off obedience.

And then what happened then in verse thirteen. Then let's say,

then some of the itroinery and Jewish exources took it

upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus

or the g is whom they rejected. They are. They

start to use huh over those who had evil spirits,

saying we we exercise you, okay, yeah, there's a lot

of reference here. We exercise you by the name of Jesus,

whom poor preachers chum um um june. Like it's all all,

you know, it's like ricocheting. You know who we you Jesus, Paul.

It's like how far would people use will and manipulate

the words, you know, just to what game fame and glory?

Amazing first hand, cannot USECD second canno use and use

for Hannah. They really go all the way. Hey, and

it gives a very strong detail. First fourteen also there

were seven sons of Skiva, a Jewish priest, chief priest

who did so the very synagogue, the very leaders that

cast Paul out, his whole family. His children are now

using Paul's name and using the name of Jesus to

cust ah how things have turned. And then in verse sixteen,

and the evil spirit answered and said, okay, you use

all these names Jesus. I know poor I know, but

who are you? You see her see the name of Jesus.

And the Gospel is a double edged sword one Now

it depends on how you approach it and which side

are you on. If you are humble, if you have contract,

if you are hungry broken like the be attitudes. When

God Lord comes, even though it cuts, you are blessed

because there's the other. Uh, there's the adults who hunger

for and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied

when Jesus comes. You're like, thank you Lord, plus adults

you know, by those who hurt and reject and harden

their heart, what do they get? Judgment? The only way

we can be spared you and I can be spared

on judgment is well Jesus Christ, Jesus before me, Jesus

behind me. Yeah, I mean right, that spared from the

judgment God because of Christ alone. Okay, said Jesus. I

know I'm poorant not but who are you? And because

of that what they did. They tried to wield the

name and authority of Christ without the proper attitude. They

stand on the wrong side, and that what happened then

the man in whom the evil spirit was lived on

them overpowered them and prevailed against them so that they

fled out of the house naked and wounded. Judgment are

really one exposes you. It's not just like overpowering. What

exposed naked to the core scarier, very scary. Okay, So

you want to escape judgment Jesus covering, Okay, it's very scary.

On the last day, when everything will be exposed, you

can say all the sweet words, all the right things,

and one day everything there will be no secret thoughts,

no secrets in the rumors that they will not be uncovered.

You can say all the right things, all will be revealed. Okay, Sorry,

I'm raised. I'm very serious, but I'm preaching you the

real thing. Okay, I'm preaching you the real thing. Okay.

Then what Then this became known to all Jews and

Greeks dwelling Averstus, and fear fell among them, and the

name of the Lord was magnified. What happens when you

preach the word and God's power shown? Fear of God?

And the next thing I tell you, how do you

magnify the name of Jesus? Play loud, louder guitar, sing

more songs the way that you magnify God is not

like oh I believe, it's just telling the whole and

putting on Facebook, Instagram. No, the name of God is

magnified in your life when you fear him. You fear him.

When you fear him, you will not lie. When you

fear him, you will behave when you fear him, you

will not simply accuse. But nowadays do we see the

fear of God u godliness? There is no fear of

God in their lives, isn't it. You want to manify God.

Fear God. That is how you magnify him. You don't

go a businessman, if you're entrepreneur, you're a worker. You

don't manify God. Oh you know you play Christians all

the time. No, man if I God. Fear God. So

they in amongst your peers and the marketplace, people know

who is this guy who is victor. He's a man

who fears God. There's the one thing you know more

than anything else, fear because there is where you tell

people there's a reality of God. The reality doesn't come

from G to C two e minor court, okay, comes

from you fear God next and then verse eighteen. Many

who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds. Fear

came and then confession came out confessing and in verse nineteen,

also many of those who practiced magic brought their books

together and burned them in the site of all I

told you before. What was what was selling? They were

selling hope to desperate people, and in their desperation, they

were selling witchcraft to them, promising all sorts of things

from Diana fertility. Let the young women come and distract

your eyes at the no you can see a bit

of hope and youth and you all stuff like that

they were selling. You know, I'm not sure the weather

had the slides they were selling. You know. Uh, they

were burning books go the next light. Yeah, I'm not

saying that this is exactly how it looks like there were,

but imagine now, you know it is like battling straight

or a system night market like that. You know, you're

just selling things and people are buying all the more.

Oh this one from May of Silver, this one May

of God. This one from Turkey, from Egypt. Oh, this

one straight from Rome. One. Oh you know this how

they were selling things, promising things, selling scrolls, selling potions.

This one are from from Asia. Minor, this one from

pig skin, this one from lion skin. You know, you'll

write the scroll. And they were selling things last power, finances,

healing and everything, making huge money from them. And I

want to tell you at that time, people don't have books.

One when you have a book, it's that you have

a Mercedes Sea Class. You know. Books were very, very

very expensive. And it says there. Now, look this gives

the detail. It says there in verse verse nineteen, the

second part, and they counter up the value and in

total fifty thousand pieces of silver. You know, how much

is that worth? Five thousand, five point five million US

dollars in our current equivalent value? Oh, let's go to

essess Tonmarkt and see people not five point five million?

Will our money is? How much twenty two to twenty

five million in gate? What can we buy around twenty

two to five million? Giar? Oh, let's burn it up.

You can you imagine how much money they were generating.

How much money what this whole town, this whole city

was selling, you know, and how this whole city was

a prisoner and slaves too know, and Paul using the

crumbs or what the society has to give to him

is what detoxing the city. It's a dtox. Suddenly you

take all this thing. Oh, your whole body is starting

to react. Google. You know when you have you know,

those of you have foot poisoning. You know it's not

just local, it's complete, but you know it's the whole

body goes into like a shock, you know, and a purging. This, yes,

is a project direct purging. People were so scared. You know,

your whole body is so scared of this. You know,

this alien a virus. You know, our whole body goes

into short and pushed out because there's a fear. The

fear of go was on that city. They pushed everything out,

every idolatry and witchcraft. This city has has sunk and

drunk and drunk themselves. Drunker is pudging out with the

crumbs that God is using. So don't despise the small hours,

don't despise the message you have, see, because God really

wants to own me. No, God is great, you know.

And then of course there's the whole part and on

the riot and phasis, which I'm not going to go

into because it's just too long. But what happens, it's

such that this small crumb, the five to ten that people.

You know, nobody is using. When Paul uses, it causes

the whole city to to detalks, to react. But yet

the hole city also because the power there's what they

call it. Well this Paul was saying in a book

of Deficients. But wrestle not with flesh and blood, but

with principalities and power of the darkness. You get me.

There's a stronghold as well, imagine, but just one small

slot that we can use God's desires for us to

shake the cities. You know, y mean right to shake

the cities. How much more? You're not alone enough. What

the city has been involving for decades, for centuries. God

can use her just a mere two years with a

small thing to shake the whole. They have never seen

such a miracle. Nobody is selling anything. It's a free gift.

But homony will actually come by this power. The whole

city is shaken up so much. Or they want to

cast him, you know, if you read the hope that

they want to know, they want to find poor and

then cast him away because it was disrupting their economy,

their livelihood as well. It's always the case one it's

always about economy. Yeah, isn't it Your livelihood makes you scared,

isn't it. That's what That's what That's what the whole

media does. What if you don't elect them, you go

into slavery, tyranny, Malaysia, everywhere. You ask the same thing.

You don't elect this person that person, you do this.

They scare you that doomsday is coming. Ready, you're appointing

another bad guy and put a property or you know whoever.

You know it's gonna come. Many scare you to death,

isn't it. This is what they scare you as well.

You let this guy, your sons and daughter is going

to begging for bread in the streets. They will say that.

They will associate that you believe in the Gospel means

you're living in the streets. They scare you to death.

That's what the world will always do. Par But people,

our eyes are opened up by the world by the Lord. Amen. Come,

let's stand together, loyah. So just a quick recaver. First thing,

get your house in order. Amen, Get your house in order.

Before you do anything else. Get your house in order.

So as part of your response and your prayers to God,

you're about to do great things. We thought without us God,

he's going to do great things. But God is doing

this around you know, He's going through every house, are

knocking every door and opening his car. Who wants to

be get on board? This car is going to move

with or without you. But God is inviting. But you

gotta get your house in order. Second thing, take whatever

thing you are small, a jar of oil, half a bread,

your weekends house, you think that cannot even hold the homes,

Give it to the Lord. I do a small job

in this place. Maybe I'm a full time mom. Only

what can you give? You think there are crumbs? God

will use it and how he will use it for

to shake the entiret you. I'm saying you're not some

of you. You may not be like a paw, but

you could be like the tyrantness itself. You ought to

be giving whatever that you have. It's oh, I want

to hold back. I want to save it for rainy days.

The God asks you to say for the rain day.

I'm not saying that you cannot say for rainy days?

You know, but did you really pray? If God has

required you to give and you do not give her?

Because it's going to require accountability, you can I'm saying now,

why do you why do you store more than you ought?

The Bible says, are you know because adults are who

who will hold the grain, and they are meant to

be sold in times of famine. In times of famine

you have grain to sell, you do not sell. God

will require account the same case as well. You can

give and you do not give. There's an accountability that

re course requires from you as well. So what can

you give? It's very very important that we do our part.

You whatever you have give, give give by faith. You

cannot see in one you cannot know six months, one year,

two years. You give unto the lords and Lord, I

don't know how. I don't know your businessman. I'm not

I'm not called to that meeting to know that businessman.

It's out of my paycheck. But I trust you. I

trust as you gave. Lord, you will add grades to

your church. You will add your grades to every house.

You will add your grades by locked down to their pockets,

because you know they can be good stupards. You know

what I'm saying here. God is looking for great and

good and faithful stewards. You know He is not lacking

in all. It's not like stop marketing. One day I

cannot cannot be draw money I went because it's not

like that. One and all God is looking for good

and faithful stewards. He's one thing to invest, one thing

to give. But are we good and faithful servants?

We hope you've been blessed by this message. For more

information on our church, please visit AKS Church do RG.

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that this week is going to be a good week,

a hit for you. God bless