Fear of God | Pr Matthew Chang

You're listening to a message to go from ex Church.

We hope this message will light up your day.

Worship starts with one thing, and first one thing more importantly,

you know what is that? What's worship starts with the

fear of God. Before you talk about anything, before your surrender,

you lie down, anything you pray, you must have the

fear of God. And when you fear God, you will learn,

you will, you will, you will have this acknowledgement in

your life and fear of God that you will want

to do what is right by God more than anything else.

You gonta mean right, you need to make millions. You

don't need all, I promise you know, you just need.

The first thing is to fear God. Do you fear

God when you're rich, when you're poor? Do you fear God?

Okay?

And that's the first most important thing in worship. All right, Okay,

turn with me to X chapter nineteen. Okay, and I

have slights to do because I'm gonna take you guys

on a journey.

How many of your lives guys like to go.

On a journey. How many you guys that go on

road trips? Yeah, road trips. I love to go road trips. Okay,

I'm see we are having a Book of X series

under apps you go through. I think Olivia it's class right, Yeah,

she's my student, one of our students. You enjoy so far,

Rara Reguard, you help it. You should ah Part one

only part two coming up.

Okay.

So there's a twelve series on the Book of X

if you want to learn the Book of X. And

I highly encourage everyone should learn Book of X. It's fantastic.

It has actually more relevance to your life than you

can ever imagine. Then today I'm gonna share just one

small part of it for you guys, how you can

see the journey inside the Book of X and how

it's so relevant to our lives, to our church and

to your family as well.

Okay.

And so we're gonna start in the middle, not at

the beginning. I'm gonna pick one particular chapter to share

with you guys, and I'm gonna put a lot of

different details, and I want you to draw a picture

so that you can understand. And I'm gonna go through

the entire chapter, but not all the verses land Okay,

So please have your Bibles with you, okay, And we're

We're gonna start from verse one.

Okay X Chapter nineteen, Verse one.

So the title says paul at Ephasus, Okay, paul ats Okay.

Before I even go in the verse one, how many

of you are familiar with the city called Ephasus.

No?

Yeah, I don't think so, Okay, Ephasus is an ancient city.

It is like.

The second most important city or biggest city at that time.

It's like the Osaka to Tokyo. It's like the Pinang

or JB. Not the first, but the second you know of.

It officially was the number two city in Malaysia. Come, Malaysians,

what's the official number two city Malaysia?

Who said klang.

Ye?

Who said p Nang?

No, obviously not night and maybe there ather to scary.

How many people say JB? Who said Malacca?

Uh? Who said.

You know what's the official answer? Georgetown?

Oh?

No, you embarrassed? So George on number two. So Ephesus

was the number two city in ancient time. The number

one city was in that time at that time in

uh in Uh it's okay, It's okay, it's Rome okay.

Rome All road leads to all roads lead to Rome road.

Master main city ever, Sus was a very, very major city.

And I need you guys to know about this city

because what we're going to share today has everything tied

to it. Without understanding the context of the city, you

won't understand the significance of what is happening and what

it's going trying to do. Now we go to the

second slide. So it's the second biggest city of the

Roman Empire. And first of all, it's a crossroad, a

junction between the east and the west. Okay, it's actually

more strategic than Rome, but it's a junction. There's a

lot of trading, okay, but the trading is not so

much like a Singapore trading. What they trade is different.

What they trade is religion, okay, a lot of religion okay.

And so if you go to the next slide, they

are famous for one of the gods that they actually worship,

and their worship is called the patron Deity of Diana.

Now what does it mean by a patron deity a

patron god?

Have you any idea?

Some of you are like, whoa did you know that

a lot of the cities are at that time, like

for example, Athens, Ephesus, Corinthians, right. They all have a history,

a background. Some people we say Malacca, the history is Paramasara. Okay,

you know, okay, Colombo, it's thema thing. But a lot

of the cities found in ancient Rule and Greece, they

are found based on religion. So for example Athens, you

know how the name Ethens came about. They came from

the worship of the host host. That means are there

the whole entire city adopt They adopted one particular god

and the history and the culture around that god and

that god goddess they embrace is the goddess of Athena,

I mean of you know, Athena.

What is Athena known for.

War?

What else? Wisdom?

Okay more importantly, is the goddess of wisdom warriors? But

the goddess of wisdom. You must understand, Greek and Roman

gods are very similar. They just have different names. Okay,

just have different names only, but they are similar. So

Athens was the goddess of Athena, and Athena was the

goddess of wisdom and the hunt. Now let me ask

you now thing, what is Ethens known for? The smart people?

They are the smartest Socrates, Plateaus fight Targrus. He secondary people.

You know why Fightiergorus are not a fightergorus? Okayitargorusigoras. Okay,

you're at this anger, this anger, this anger must always

equal one hundred and eighty one.

Make sense or not? You're like, oh, you know, I know.

You're you're you're quite your your your your.

Your mathematics better than you. What happened?

So given, So a lot of smart people came from there,

and they choose to settle Aware Athens because it is

the goddess of wisdom. Okay, so one, and then for Everesus,

they adopted of particular god as well.

Okay. And that goddess was it the goddess of Diana? Okay?

What was Diana known for?

Oh, the goddess of fertility, goddess of fertility. Okay, and

he actually has one of the biggest actually in the

ancient times. Now we have the seven Wonders of the Wilman. Okay,

at that time, there is the ancient seven Wonders of

the world, ancient because a lot of it now is

reduced to one rubble. The ancient time, what they their

treaty drawing is look like now, it's only left a

small pillar there left the ruins there. Okay, But in

that time, there used to be this ancient wonder called

the Temple of Diana that everyone in the world knew about,

and everyone from and west came to Effasus to visit

to see this wonder. So they were the most majestic thing.

And then there are many stories come around it. How Diana,

you know, came from the head of Zeus, and Zeus

there was a there was a stone that came down

and inside supposedly this temple, there is a stone came

down that represented Diana, and then they actually worshiped it

there and so the whole city worshiped the goddess of Diana,

and the whole city's function, okay, also centered around the religion.

Now they have, uh they must, I understand. At that

time temples were not just temples. They serve as a bank.

They serve as your DBKL, your administration. You want to

get permit for to sell things, to get your business,

to buy land, to do anything, you go to the

temple as well. So everything was done around the temple.

So the religion had a big influence on your daily living.

Okay.

So it was a beautiful thing. Everybody was coming around

to visit it as well. And the second, the third

slider I have the next night, is that there actually

were a place where a lot of arts and debate

were happening around.

And they have what we call the Great Theater of Ephesus.

Beautiful massive is MP theater because it's only half despite

it's called MP.

Okay, MPHI theater.

Okay, so beautiful can see up to twenty five thousand people. Okay,

now I think we can see some parts of the

ruin there. Yeah, beautiful, and these two places, it's going

to get involved inside this passage that we talk about,

how they're gonna be drawn inside as well, and so

and Ephasus is actually mentioned a biblequt a lot of times.

Paul was there for two years three months his ministry hup.

He cared for about the church very carefully. Even when

he was in house arrest in Rome, he care He

wrote to them, he cared for them. And even in

the Book of Revelations, when the apostle John you know,

saw the vision Efversus was mentioned as well as the

first church as well. So Eversas is a very very

important city. Now I've laid the foundations already know the

city Princess Diana, and a princess Dinah, the goddess Dina everywhere.

I got to keep saying this mistake, Ah, the goddess

a diner. Okay, Sorry to the royalty, royalty, sorry, okay, okay.

And so all these things you must now appreciate, understand, okay.

And now Paul comes to Ephasus, and there's a few

things happened in sequence in this whole entire chapter that

I want you to pay attention. And we're going to

link these too, so that all may know. How does

it link to our church them? Oh ma, no, So

I need you guys to to really pay attention and

give your focus here.

Okay.

Now inversonat thing it says, and it happened while a

paulass was According that Paul, having passed through the Upper Regions,

came to Effort, okay, and finding some disciples, he said

to them, did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?

Okay?

What a very interesting way I know if you, if

you journey with me to the Bible, into the Bible,

because you are not a bit but I'm not just

gonna give you a bit of information. And these are

quite fairly important. Appall, Laws is a very important person.

He was not with the disciples Paul Peter James. No,

he does not connected. He was a guy who was

studying in this place called Alexandria. However, you give me

right now, geography, people care students. You know where Alexandria is?

Who said who? From what place? Alexandra is? Australia? No, no,

no a person? Okay, the place he waits Alexandria base.

No gogling, give me a certain answer. It seems like

you know, not Greece. It is founded by Alexander the Great,

but not in Egypt.

But not in Greece.

I give the answer ready, Ah, it's in northern Egypt. Okay,

Alexandria is in northern Egypt. But Alexandria is very important,

I said a bit like Okay, I said, trying to

b Okay, Alexandra is why is it Alexandra important? Alexandria

has another great seven Wonders of the ancient world? And

what is that wonder? Anybody know what is Alexandria known for?

One of the lighthouse, the Great Lighthouse. Yes, this, what's

the second thing? The Great Library?

Yeah?

Well done, Yes, you're living from school from game one.

I don't want to say it right. Ah, there is

the Great Library okay. Saw Ptolemy in that time was

when he was ruling over Egypt.

He had this.

He was taking this price of combining East and West

books and libraries inside Egypt, and he hired people to

bring books and one of the things that he wanted

to do was to bring the Old Testament okay, into

the non world. Okay, sorry guys, I need you guys

to pay attention now, okay, Okay. So at that time,

the Old Testament was written in two main languages, Hebrew

and Arabic. Okay, Hebrew and Aramaic.

Okay.

But the rest of the world, what were they speaking?

Greek and Latin. Okay, Greek and Latin. It's like the

book is in Bahasa, but everybody is talking English. So

there's a bit of a gap. You know, people around

the world cannot communicate the Old Testament and share the

rest of the world. So what they did is that

in Egypt, in what they call it in Alexandria, and

this guy he called the Israelites to send seventy elders

and scribes to come down to Alexandria, to convert and

translate the Old Testament from Hebrew and Arami to Greek,

which is their main language at that time, to convert seventy.

That is why, when so that the known world from Greece, Turkey,

Rome and everywhere else they can start to understand the

Old Testament and then also available to Egypt and the

rest as well. So the first major translation happening. That

is why if you go back to a lot of saucers, right,

if life exumple our manuscripts, right, you always go back

to this version called the sept to Agent. Have you

heard it from the sept To agent, sceptu Agion means

seventy oo. You know, like, oh now you've got you

you understanding the sceptu Agian version. So there is the

original version by the seventy scripes. Sceptigion means seventy okay,

so they call inverted. And then from there a lot

of people started to having access of there. A poor

Laws is one of the scholars, not the seventy, but

who was raised up raised up in Alexandria. But he's

familiar with the Old Testament, and so when he read

the scripture, he was so convinced about God existing, and

he wanted to bring the Old Testament, the message of

God to the non world, and so he arrived at

Ephesus before Paul arrived. Oh okay, he arrived at just

before Porl arrived, and he preached the word. But then

his version is not the complete version. His version was

one point er because he preached the Old Testament until

John's baptism. It's repentance, but the Old Testament, the whole

book is like a pointer. It's like a compass pointing

to something, but he doesn't know what is it about

the point point point.

So he was telling everybody, look at.

That warning sign, pointing and pointing and pointing, pointing, repent, repent,

because it's pointing when this person is revealed, when this

goodness revealed. If you not repent, you will not be

able to see him and recognizing and accept him point

point point. So John the Baptist was the person pointing.

So they preach and preach, but then it was not complete.

Then the complete one is where Paul comes in and

shares with them. He says that Apaullus preach the right thing,

but it's not complete, and I give you the revelation

the complete version two point zero. Ah, this and what

the Old Testament that we're pointing to is the person

and the work of Jesus Christ. Okay, so let's read here.

That's why he said, did you receive the Holy Spirit

when you believe? So they said to him, we have

not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.

And he said to them into what then will you baptized?

And they said, into John's baptism? And then Paul said,

John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to

the people that they should believe on him who would

come after him, that is on Christ Jesus.

Okay, so this he gives the fool.

So when they heard this, there were baptized in the

name of the Lord Jesus. So this is a very

important thing. Paul came into emphasus. The first thing he

needed to do was to get the house in order.

There were believers, But the believers understanding and maturity are

not fool. You cannot start ministry when your own house

is not in order. You get what I'm saying, right,

So that's why he asked them, have you received the

Holy Spirit? And what into you you baptized. So before

I tell the whole world in emphasis about Jesus, I

need to make sure my own people believe what they're believing.

So the message is, are you getting your house in order?

Are you getting your family in order before you want

to go and do great things in God for good?

And now it's a very very important message. Paul was

getting his house in order. Turn your neighbor and say,

get your house in order. Okay, very strong message. Don't

get your house in order. This is only one part.

There's a lot of message. I can tell you how

God disciplines his people to get their house in order.

Okay.

So that's a very very important thing. You see. Yah,

when you when you work on your family, when you

work on your on the on what God has given you, you

bring being good, good stewards right, God will bless you.

And see what has happened. In verse six, he says,

and when laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came

upon them. You do your part, You do what is necessary,

what is right before God, and God will bless you

a lot of times that God bless me. Then I

will go No, you know what it's right, You get

it done first. Yeah, mean right. Then, God bless you

a lot of times. Our children. Let to negotiate with

ask God, Mammy, you show me for you show me that,

then I will follow. No, you do it first, then

I will show you.

Okay.

Then he said that the Holy Spirit came upon it,

and they spoke with tongues and prophesies.

This is a testimony.

It's a witness that what Paul is preaching is consistent

with what is us. It's just complete now, okay, it's consistent.

It's complete.

And now the men were about twelve twelve people.

And now before he talks to twelve hundred people, twelve

thousand people, the twelve people in your life you gotta

get in order. Whether it's one son, one daughter, you

get in order. Hard people one or two, you get

them in order. Okay, everybody will get Tava. You learn

something today very important. That's why I say this. These

verses are very relevant for you and I. Now you're

gonna shift a bit of change gear a bit, okay.

Now verse eight, and he went into the synagogue. The

synagogue is like a small Jewish temple, Okay, small Jewish temple.

And he spoke boldly for three months. He's evangelizing in

his own people, the Jewish people, for three months, reasoning

and persuading concerning the things of the Kingdom of God.

But when and some of them were hardened, okay, and

they not believe, but spoke evil of the way before

the multitude, he departed from them and redrew the disciples.

So what do we learn? First thing here?

When you try to do the right thing, and you

try to sometimes a lot of times, especially with the

people that you so called a more familiar your first

layer of circle of people, what happens rejection. Sometimes we

call it hometown discounting, you know, as a hometown discount. Sometimes,

for example, you become successful, but you're not from here,

and you go back to your old school or your

old hometown, and the people that knew you from your chowder,

they look at you, will they believe you're successful, or

they begin to discount you.

You are I.

Remember you used to run, you know, run a half

naked one. You know, Hey, the teachers score you before hey,

I hang around you. You sometimes you lie and one

and not so everything. Success are you before them? A discounterlight?

Almost nothing. It's what we call a hometown discount. That's

why the Bible say, are not prophets, are receiver in

their hometown because they trust in your own experience rather

than seeing what.

God has revealed very powerful.

They are a prisoner of their own past experience. Because

of that, they cannot come out and see what's happening

right before their eyes. So Jesus was not even accepted

in his own hometown. Even his own brothers laugh at

him and ridicule him.

Hey, I think it was.

There was a festival Crimember for festival it then they

told you, Jesus, why don't you go there? You know

you're supposed to be performing miracles. I'm paraphrasing. You're mocking him.

See you say what I'm saying. It's very it's very real. One.

I tell you some of you are students here. I

tell you come back twenty thirty years. If you're successful

or not, you'll see what people what people may tend

to ridicule you or not.

Don'n't be surprised.

Sometimes the hardest rejection comes from the people's closest to you.

A lot of time, Actually, everybody you know, you're you're

like knowing it's true, isn't it? It's true? Because they

are a prisoner of their past experience. A prisoner. Okay,

but we have we're no longer a prisoner. We make

a choice to come out when we see it happening.

We said, God, what are you doing in this person's life?

I tell you, when I go back, almost no one

can believe I'm a pastor. I can't believe my time

a pastor. I didn't have a plan and all that's like.

But for one friend, when a call, bet, I don't

know who to call. And just one time I went

back with voting and I asked this who to call.

Sometimes I don't even want to go back, you know,

because sometimes go back they bring back the worst.

Things you all of your life only.

You know, yeah, I used to be fair, rolling down

like a snowball, you know, whatever it is, it brings

the worst things, you know. But I met one guy

and he was so happy you're a pastor. I become

a pastor. So what then we have talk Sarah. It

was cool, it was great, you know, but god, you know,

but I'm just saying that it's not easy. It's not easy,

but you say it's here. Okay. He reasoned with them

for three months, persuading, but yet the people rejected.

Did you know, Okay, maybe I rephraser.

Before Christians were called Christians are do you know what

is the title given to us as believers? If you've

been to my class, you don't know what? What did

they call Christians before they were known as Christians? Okay,

before Christians were non Christian? What did they call them?

Followers of Jesus? Yeah, but there's a more official term.

It's inside the scripture, the people of the way, like

the Mandalorian. Okay, in the way, this is the way?

They don't okay, no, but people are not serious. They're

called the people of the way. This is the way,

the truth, and that people of the way. So people

they were saying, oh, just because they don't know who

Jesus is, they will only know one thing, the people

of the way. And later on until they were known

as Christians only, okay, you'll call the people of the way.

Then later on you can ask one of the do

you know the way? Yeah, your neighbor say do you

know the way?

I'd like to do this?

Or that?

You remember this? Okay?

Okay, So, but spoke evil of the way. Before the

multitude they were not just discounting them. They were mocking

them publicly, mocking them publicly. What you believe or I believe?

Jesus?

Are you brought from there? How sur you know? Crazy?

What kind of thinking is this? You know? We come

all literature, we got you know, the Temple of Diana,

all these things you're talking about. What you get me? Right?

If your God so good, where is his temple? Why

is it crucified on the cross?

Right?

Mocking, humiliated, all these style of things. Hey, your own

people doing that to you and not so what he did?

He departed from them and redrew the disciples. Now this

is the part. If you're a Bible I want you

to underline, underline, and then highlighted very important, probably the

verse of the day reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus,

the past of word. You underline the scripture. I thought

you'd be something more dramatic, you know, but this line

is actually one of the most powerful line ever.

Okay, and he says, let me continue this.

He continued for two years so that all who dwell

in Asia hurt the word of the Lord Jesus, both

Jews and Greeks. And then the next chapter, Okay, you

see the head title, he says, miracles glorified Christ. Now

God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul. So

the even handkerchief and aprons were brought from his body

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

evil spirits went out from them.

Let me stop there for a while now.

If you I'm not sure about your Bible version, some

of you, when you go through that earlier verses, write

from verse nine, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannous.

It might have a commentary. Now the commentary reads or

like additional because they come part from many manuscripts. And

one of the notes, okay, very well received, is that

when Paul was in the school, he operated from the

fourth hour to the tenth hour. Want of detail, the

fourth hour to the tenth hour. This is very important.

Write it down fourth hour to the tenth hour. Today,

if I want to remember a time, you remember, I

want you to write down fourth to the tenth hour. Now,

the first hour in Jewish time, it's not twelve o'clock

in the morning. The first hour is six in the morning.

I told you guys, you know six in the morning. Okay,

they'll work hour. The first hour is the sixth in

the morning. So the fourth hour means what ten in

the morning, okay, okay, then at a fourth to the

ten hour ten hours hot time, then four o'clock, ten

to four pm now, Paul, okay, hold, then I'll give

you a ten to four pm. Now, when you think

about school in ancient times, what do you think about rooms?

Big universities? By the way, you know what it is universities?

What is what is university stand for? You know? The

university startus by the Greeks and the Romans, right, but

you know why they go because you need a college

degree to go and work. University is exists for one

and one main thing. By the way, the university is

just a laan and know it's basically just a white Okay.

People come there and then sit there, and the university

do one thing and one thing only to understand how

the universe works. Makes sense, right, Oh it's not because

for you to get an art degree or what I mean,

to get a medical doctor. University exists one and one

thing to understand how the universe works. That's why they

call universities. You know, understand how the universe works, so

they will open up and us like what do you

want to talk about gravity?

Water? You want to talk about construction?

So they will take everything they observe and they understand

how the universe works, and then they develop a framework

and they teach. So you have Plateau, Socrates, Phytogress, all

the intelligent people debating and talking inside the universities, and

now we've commercialized it to sell papers so that people

can go to work, which which you will never Use's kidding?

Ooh true or not true or not?

So when you come out universities, have you gotten closer

to understand.

How the universe works? Oh?

I tell you coming to church is more important than

going tell you, there's no better way to understand how

the universe was than the creator. Okay, from there one,

we are already in university one and know God from Genesis,

and we'll already be in the universe radia to be

the creator and God is. But the world decided to

create their own universe. They want to understand they have

created their own Genesis, came on all sorts of thing. Okay,

so this is what the world does. There is universities,

but the school you must understand and the setting. It's

not classroom in now it's just a lawn. Everybody sit

there with a few stones, and then you see the

picture there. Remember remember the thinking man. So this is

what their school was. Let's talk and then some people

will come and debate, people from you know, people everywhere

from east and west. Because they come to the temple

right then they will top like debate, bring the religion.

Some from Egypt, some from uh from Israel, some from Rome,

from from the other parts of Asia. They bring them

their share, okay, by mansundersid, there's no roof. So people

at that time when they work, when they wake up

in the morning, they go and work in the field.

They work from the first hour until the fourth hour,

from six to ten.

Why did they stop Because it's hard.

Simple as that.

It's hard.

In Malaysia ten out from ten o'clock to four clock.

Do you go out, Yeah, let's enjoy the sun. You'll

be inside your air con room then, like you know,

taking your mouth, I works for her. You know.

You think you work hard.

They're not boards and being productive, you know, inside your

aircnm room with your mouth. But from what why is

it giving this? What do you see her? Now? The

detail have matters, you know it says that Paul was

teaching in the School of Tyrantness from the fourth to

the tenth hour. So we now we have a bit

of understanding. The school is not hiring him as a lecturer. No,

school is not hiring him as a lecturer. He went

to his own people, preached at the synagogue. Oh very nice,

God to spend a lot of money to preach, and

he got rejected. After three months he came out. Paul

was working in a timer. Paul, he's not just teaching

that he was working on He is a what kind

of world doesitter?

Tent maker?

Again, he was a tent maker, and his tent making

allowed him to sustain himself, okay, and to get to

know a lot of people. But from that time on,

when he's tent making, from the tenth to everybody stopped

because when you sell your stuff it's hot or so on, there's.

No shade one and all. Okay, everybody stopped.

So from ten to four and that culture is the

time where everybody take a nap. Of course, it's just

all hot. Now he says he didn't take his snap.

What did he do? He said, university, Oh, you got

a spot ten to four, ten to four, nobody will

take it out the hottest of the time, but it

is also a place where people from east and west

are coming. Give that slot to me and I will

use it. And he says that what did he use

for how many years?

Three years? Two or three years?

Three? But I think it's a yeah, I think two

years for two years, project for two years. I told

you before already the Book of Access a law relevance.

On another, Paul was no different than you and I

as a working adult and all. He has the same

limitations and the same opportunity as you and I, the

same opening as well, okay, same challenges, but he just

saw things differently. Instead of saying that I got rejected

from my own people and I stopped. He an hour

and see what they have they can give to him.

They gave to him the worst hour, the worst slot

that nobody wants, the time that everybody slept. But he

used it, and he used it for two years. He

preaches heart out.

Amazing.

He is giving us a template of how to share

the gospel, no shortcuts.

People.

You think that Paul was reaching so many people because

he's an apostle, He's got special annoying pastor preach me

at home. I quite I do homes, and I don't

need to share the gospel. No shortcut, people, there are

no shortcuts, simple as that. It will require you to sacrifice,

including the apostle. So my question is, what is the

what is the fall to ten in your life? What

is the hot sun? What is the hour that people

don't want but it's right in front of you? And

what would you use it for?

So that oh man no.

Makes sense, So that oh man, no hot sun, and

all people the remnants that people want rejected, give I

still take. Let's see what happens after that? I told

you before, right, You see, he took what he took

whatever they gave. After pushing two years, what happened? There

is a sia he really rejected. He used whatever God

is given to him and small opening for two years.

Then something happened. Something happened what di verse eleven says

us tell us? He says, God WoT unusual miracles by

the hands of Paul, so that even the handkerchief aprons.

Handkerchief and aprons were brought to his board too, from

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

and the evil spirits win of them. The handkerchiefs were

needed at that time because I told you they operated

under the hot sun. It's like someone now not wearing

a mask all the timer, not using Can they give

me a comfitte master, I want to use your convide

mask to co somebody so gross, so dangerous. This handkerchief

is not one he killed. Do you think you know?

Ranna?

See that? Take that quite heal you be clean, be clean, heal,

heal you from your fever? Would you do that? But

it's so weird, and he is so powerful, so gross,

it's so weird, so cross, but it's so powerful. But

then it is so weird and so powerful. You didn't

see what happened. Now, then some of the itronery Jewish

exauces took it upon themselves to call the name of

the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits. Wow,

the original temple that rejected him. By the way, these

people are were the sons of the chief priests. You

know their signs, So that hey, pause working these crazy

miracles and all crazy man and people are using his handkerchief.

Us all we won't use his handkerchief, la, but Elisa,

we use his signature he's signing, may use his facial recognition.

How whatever it is a to cast demons out. Okay,

And what did they do? This is the statement we okay,

we the children of the chief pras, exercise you by

the Jesus home. Poor preachers to identity. They cannot identify

by they use the name Jesus. We don't recognize, but

Paul recognize it. So we use Paul who used Jesus.

And we use that third layer of a name, third

generation name, to go and cast you well. And you

do these sort of things are Seeah, When when the

preaching of God, God's word comes us into a city,

into a place, there are two results. One, okay, it's

always a judgment, a judgment again to bless those who

are under the grace of God, and the judgment to

be a curse upon those who refuse. Those who believe

will be blessed because the word they receive clearly and

they repent. But those who harden their heart, they will

be judged, they'll be exposed. Okay, he said, we actually,

and then he says that verse for them. And there

were several sons of Skimer, a Jewish priest who did

so Ogat that's what I told you. And then what happened?

And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus, I know, Paul,

I know.

But who are you.

Then the man who in whom the evil spirit was

lip was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them,

so that they fled out of that house, naked and wounded.

This became known both to all the Jews and Greeks

dwelling in Ephesus, and fear fell on them all. So, yeah,

when you the evil spirits, see when you do these

our things, there is there is there is judgment that comes.

You know that people don't understand. But it's also a judgment,

and it's also a vindication for Paul. You see, you

might understand that at that timer, I keep saying, at

that time, we don't have the Bible yet the Bibles

compart much later, okay. And so how do people Christians

from different parts of the world know what is the

Word of God true or not? Imagine all of us, Yeah,

we don't have the Bible. And today I come and

I preach the word of God without the Bible. How

are you going to believe that I'm preaching the world God?

Imagine how you have a real problem, isn't it. You

cannot go online check Now, how do you guys know

that I'm preaching the world God? You pray that and

pray God you see him based on my feeling, I

feel you are. How does God leave the authenticity and

the weight of his word to men's feelings? How does

God authenticate his word? There's a real problem you all.

How does God do that? That's a very important thing.

Next time, when you're going to defend the Bible, you

must understand this. How God works through and through and

through to authenticate and add way to his word. Okay,

this is what I call the one two punch, the

one two punch. Okay, when you preach the Word as

an apostle, there must be signs and wonders. They might

preach the word, there must be signs and wonders. You

can preach the world with no authority. It can be

only taken as an encouragement. But if you preach the word,

see are preaching the word. It always starts with the

preaching of the Word. You must preach in truth and

in boldness. When you preach in truth in boldness, it's

like sending an instruction to heaven or being witnessed by God.

When God witnesses that you appear that you're preaching the truth,

you desire truth, and you are bold, then He will

witness back to you through the Holy Spirit. And so

the word goes with the Holy Spirit and signs and wonders.

You see, by that time a lot of people will

quote scripture, they will pervert scripture, and they will draw

followers from everywhere as well.

But the one the one.

Stamp that they could not replicate, is the signs and wonders.

And remember this, Paul is in Ephesus. He's not just

he content, He's he's surrounded by enemies. Now who are

these enemies his own Jewish the people, the Jewish priests

and people who are using his name. He also are

contending with all the religions that are coming from all

the around the world. They are bringing all their ideologies,

all their paganism, all their all the they are competing

in all. Paul preached there for Attomas, and he's standing there.

I preach by the science and wonders for him. You

must understand that he is at the center of all

the paganism and all He's like one for standing there fight,

but no one could replicate his science and wonders. You

know what I'm saying, That's why people were sickly.

It's good chief.

So so marvelous other words, and because of that, not

only one, there's one thing. But when you try to

use the name of Jesus and you are not authorized

and you're not a true disciple, you also get a repercussion.

You got mean right.

So people were someone the people were selling secondhand, third

and fourth hand generations of religion, and you got mean right.

It's like, oh, you know that maybe the original is

from this place, and I take this one, I sell

it to you. You will get blessed through me. You

know what I'm saying. Yeah, the other people say that

they sell you idols you know from where. You know

this one originally from this place, this place, and now

I will sell you and you get blessing second second

to hand to me. They try to do that with

Paus ministry of Jesus, and what happened to them? Cannot

exercise then running on half naked, what do you think

happens to the town. Everybody becomes scared fear. That's why

I told you before worship. The first thing that comes

with worship is.

What fear of God.

Worship the first thing if you want to worship God,

it must have the fear of God. A scared who

I cannot hide, I cannot do nonsense. So everybody you'll

hear so far, okay, And then verse seventeen. This became

known both to all the Greeks and the Jews. Dwellings

and fear failed on them, and the name of the

Lord was magnified. So if you want to magnify God,

what you do you fear God. You want to magnify

what you don't need to do. You don't need to

do lots of music and singing. You know, yes, it's good.

But the true way that God see, that people see

that God is manified in your life is when you

fear God. When you do what is right, no matter

what you feel, matter what people tell you, you do

what is right. That's how you magnify God. God is

how many find not because there's a song band playing evers. No, yeah,

I mean right, there's not because there's a big church

there competing with the Temple of Diana. In No, God

is not manified by that. God is manyfied when people

fear him Amen, well required full of fear, okay, verse eighteen.

And many who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds.

What happens when you fear, you confess and you tell

your deeds. And not only that, many of those who

have practiced magic brought their books together and burned them

in the side of all.

Now, I want to show you a slide here in

ever search.

I told you the temple worship of Diana is prevalent,

and the people know how to make good money out

of it, okay. And so they were selling all these

mini figurines, silver figurines of Diana, selling all sorts of things,

selling figurines, selling scrolls. They were doing a lot of witchcraft,

which craft was very prevalent. Through witchcraft all times they

practice to figurines. It goes way back even to if

you read the story of Jacob the Laban. Laban has

actually idols which you used to also curse Jacob as well.

Or they have scrolls.

All these scrolls are from skins of animals, and then

they do a lot of witchcraft and then the chance

or scrolls of it's not RPG, but they actually borrow

from history. But it's true but it's an actual real thing.

They use animal and then they will do witchcraft and

then they're write with blood or with certain water, anything

they're write on it, and they sell, they sell, They

sell on the markets there, and they were selling inside

the temple, okay, to sell people what they want, money, power,

lost relationships, everything they want to selling all these things,

making huge moneies of them. Again, I told you at

the time there is no Bible, there's no books at all. Okay,

if you have a book in your family, in your household,

you are a millionaire. Books are extremely expensive because it

takes years to write one book, because it's handwritten, and

each book has to be authenticated differently and sna so

books are extremely rare and very expensive. Okay, but what

does it say? It says there and those okay, they

brought their verse. I think the practice manager brought their

books together and burned them in the sight of Oh,

it's like taking your tesla and your Mercedes out to Bernal.

How many or you are rayed to do that?

Ready? Huh? And it totaled fifteen thousand pieces of silver.

They gave you the worth, you know. So the word

of the log room, my Italia and preval. I think

there's a Oh can you go to the next line?

Is there? Did I give the number?

I think it was twenty two million ring it worth

if you convert to our money now twenty two million.

I think it was about five million USA there. Yeah,

five point five were five point five worth people in

that city. And they're not meanings that the people are

only a few hund thousand. People are taking out their

scrolls and burning it up. Can you imagine the fear

that grip them? M if if you have been practicing witchcraft,

sorcery and magic and you see another fella trying to

use any name running out, and you know that is

the true God that is working, it will happen to you.

Every time you go past the university. You'll be looking

at poet. She knows what I'm doing. He knows what

I'm doing. That's why the Bible says that God's eyes

are like a flame of fire. It doesn't mean God

is shooting out the laser to you. You know, the

eyes of flame of her. You know why fire represents

refining purity. You know means are nothing in your life

escapes him. So when he sees you, he sees through

the life of your soul. You all nothing is hidden,

every thought and every day. That is why the only

thing that men can do in the cider of God,

in the in the eyes of God's eye fire. What's

what hid like Adam did and could do nothing but

hide from the presence of God eyes like a flame

of fire. But this is not like the day of judgment.

The day Jumney will be even more frightening. You know, people,

this is like a preview of what it is like.

People already running away sees everything, nothing to hide, no

fake news, no nothing to hide. Okay, God can see

through it all, okay, and so verse twenty. So the

world of the Lord grew mightily and prety. Well, it's

all you already God rejected at the temple. He came out,

he saw the four to ten, and he preached faithfully.

And when you preach so much, it's like you've been

eating on fast food and junk, sneakers, pizza, MacDonalds, ah nonsense.

And something suddenly are someone introduces to a you know, diet,

the talks. After one day you start to go toward

withdrawing symptom. Why the talks you are regurgitating? You know

who is heaving detox. The entire city is going through

a detox. After two years of faithfully preaching, the whole

entire city, which is in idolatry, went into a detox reaction.

People start to go fear, Get me right.

This this is what how revival happens. You know, when

you preach the word, when you use even the smallest

of things that people despise, people want to discount you

from that. When you preach faithfully, even an entire city

will go in will have a withdrawal symptom, not just

whole entire town. You know, of course, no one can

combat this fire, can combat this power of God coming.

Real fear came into it, and so the whole, the

whole necessity had had a reaction to it. But they

will not give up as well. That's why you see

the riot in evices. I'm not going to go through

because it's a lot so the people. It says here

that in verse twenty one, when these things were accomplished,

poor purpose in the Spirit, when he had passed through

Macedonia at Kaya, he said that, okay, let me sorry,

let me go to a first ty tree. Sorry, I'm

jumping a bit and he says that about that time

in that city there arose a great commotion about the

way for a certain man named Dimitris of Silversmith, who

made silver shrines of Dina, brought no small profit to craftsmen.

Okay, he called them.

Together with the workers of simil occupation and said, man,

you know what, we have a prosperity by this trade. Moreover,

you see, and here they're not only Ephatus, but also

throughout all of Asia. This poet has persuaded and turned

away many people, saying they are not gods which are

made with hands. So not only is this traits of

hours in danger of falling into disrepute, but also the

temple of the great goddess Dina may be despised and

her magnificence destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshiped.

So the world, so the whole entire city. In each

initial reaction was to regurgitate one to one to know

all the scrolls or the books.

They burn it up.

But there's also the flat the former, and the former

is always tied to the world. Why do people reject

God even though he's doing so much great things? The

God said to one money see This is why it

says a spiritual things are you? People say spiritual things

are not type with money. No, he has everything tied

with money. The spiritual use the money. Money itself is

not wrong, but the spiritual things will you black mail?

You're using the money saying that you want to follow God.

All the things you've been selling make money for you.

You know you want to live where you're going to be?

Did God promise you a future? You want to live outside,

you know, on the streets with your children. Scare you

with all these things?

Are you got? I mean right?

So the body, the old nature fights back also, you got? So?

I'm telling you this is that's why I want to preach.

When I preach, I have to preach the whole entire

chapter so that you know from head to tell what

is happening. And this is what Christians must open their

eyes to see very clearly when you really preach the word,

so they're own may know and when things happen. Now

you don't get discouraged. You just know that God is

a word. God is great. Even when the whole entire

city they it's like you know, you you you have

a diarrhea.

You want to purch your only you.

You. You're like, oh, it's a difficult the vomit. I

don't want the vomit. You stop yourself from vomiting. But

you have the vomit. But if you resist, you don't

solve the problem. Okay, now you have a big I

remember those moments. But it's true. You you have a vomit.

When my son had a DIARYEA, he's like, oh, daddy,

it's coming out. It's like rain, I cannot stop. No,

it's like he has to come out. Tell me, no,

you gotta come out. That's the only way. The only

way is get everything out.

You get right.

You cannot nonsense. He's like, oh, I need sprite one

hundred plus. No, you cannot have those things. Go to

dream water. You gotta reject it. There's so much spiritual

implication that is happening here. So the whole intensity goes

into revolt. It's like your whole body, your whole system

is like united. You want to fight back against this detoxing.

Isn't it united in one? No, this whole entirety. So

I know, the whole entire ty drag the people and

not pop. But something put up to the theater there

and they want to stone them and kill them. But

of course there was spelled after that. But eventually after

that they move from from there. So now is your

I answer this question as I close. It's your four

to ten very powerful and very important. What is your

fall to tens in your life?

People?

Actually? Yeah, people ask God, how do I actual the gospel?

The map is there?

Okay? People?

The map is always there. It is whether we want

to walk. There's no secret map. The map has always

been there. It's whether you want to walk. See if

you want to say, oh God, just read the scripture,

say oh, scripture too long. But when you actually read that,

the answer has always been there, not some It don't

need another pastor to put his hand on you to

pray so that you know what to do. No need

script It's the Bible. The Bible is there. You open

your heart to see what God is driving through the Church,

through the people. God wants you to do the same

with you and I as well. Okay, So what is

your four two tenths? Is it your work? Some of

your fourth to ten is secret? One?

You know, don't touch my son.

There, don't don't don't that. Don't touch my you know

eight two ten, don't touch my homes. Let other people

open your homes. You know, don't touch my home. That

touch my home. I tell you give God even open

garden under the horse, and He wills to use it.

You pass believe.

You're not willing? Is you lack believe you got pride?

You're not willing to put it? If there's a case,

God will bypass you the next time when you ask

for bessing you bypassals why why why would why would

he contend with you if you're unwilling. I know it's harsha.

It's true and all and a preach from the scripture.

It's not personally no, it's scripture, scripture, scripture. So then

we all know biblical truth, foundational truth for how God works.

What is your four to ten? People? Amen?

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