Paul's First Missionary (Part 2) | Pr Matthew Chang

You're listening to a message to go from acts church. We hope this message

will light up your day. So the last time I was here, I

was covering on a series, the beginning of a series on Paul's first missionary

journey as well. So I do just maybe spend about five ten minutes doing

a quick recap because yes, I yeah, you know, we all tend

to forget or we miss out some of the details as well. Okay,

so it starts I'm not sure did you get my slight? Okay? Great?

Okay, So it starts off with a church, okay. And that

church is called the Church of Antioch. And if you remember where, Antioch

is the first unplanned church outside of Jerusalem. Okay, it's like you planted

a church, but you didn't plan for it, but it was always God's

planned. Okay. When they said that it didn't plan for it means that

they didn't send someone there. It was planted there because they were under persecution.

Okay. Jerusalem was under persecution and people were running away and they ran

up north. Okay, they ran up north. It's like suddenly Joho got

persecution and people ran up to go to Penang suddenly because of their church got

planted because of people running up north. Okay, So Antioch was the first

church that was planted outside of Jerusalem. But when it was planted there,

the apostles and the church in Jerusalem were concerned. What were they concerned about?

They were concerned about whether their faith their teachings were genuine. You must

understand there was no email, there was no correspondence. Sometimes when you know,

when I used to do audit, right when we want to confirm some

of the bank balances in the company, and what we do is that we

send confirmation letter to banks. Can you tell me on this date and this

time the bank balance at this for this particular company was stated at this So

we used it, you know, as our confirmation for the company's balanced They

cannot be any different amount. It must match one. Any difference, the

company was responsible to reconcile any differences and if there's any difference, this can

be used in legal proceedings when we when we check companies as well. And

so this was very important. So a church was planted out Jerusalem, the

disciples had to confirm whether their faith and their teaching was genuine. So how

do they do that? You know? So they just pray and then like,

oh Lord, this is the one that is true. No, they

actually have a process. You know, you must understand that they were not

just a bunk of red tech disciples. You know, they actually have processes,

proper sp and policies to do. Okay. So what did they do?

They saying two okay, they one disciple. Okay, they trusted very

much to go up to the north to verify that church. And who was

there? Who was the disciple? Barnabas Okay, Barnabas, a man that

was known to be very faithful, a man that was known to be very

generous, to go and ascertain to see whether truly, if truly, the

Holy Spirit has visited upon this church. So when he went there, he

saw and he was greatly encouraged because it is truly the work of the Lord.

Okay, And so he encouraged them to continue on the faith. But

then he realized that there was also another problem okay, because in Antioch,

okay, it was not just like Jerusalem, where the majority of the people

were Jewsed and they speak Arabic or Hebrew. The majority of the people that

were either Greek or Rome or from other parts of minor Asia, okay,

and so there's only so much he could do. He said. He was

thinking like, well, if God had begun planted in Antioch, okay,

and done such a good and faithful and how much more God wants to do?

But how many of the believers are true equipped? Okay? How many

apostles that we have are truly equipped to speak and to minister if God wants

to send them. You know what I'm saying that sometimes the church wants to

do, but then the people are not equipped. Gaming right, there's a

desire, but there's a there's there's a lack of equipping. And so Paul

and Sonables prayed and then realized what happened. He remembered one guy who was,

you know, on the reserve bench, you know, you know,

playing on the playing game on the reserve bench, stuck there in Tassas.

And that guy is not another than Paul. Okay. Paul was stuck there

because nobody wanted to use him. Okay, especially in Jerusalem. You must

understand now why Paul is such an important guy, because at that time in

Jerusalem, Paul was like a celebrity. He's like the jage Hold, the

onely ho the Ronaldo the Messy of Jerusalem. He was that big, you

know. He it was that bit because he studied under the most prestigious school

teacher, Gameleo, and everybody was expecting him to rise like a superstar,

you know, so everybody was cheering for him. And then for a while

he seemed like that, and he even took on the mantle of really making

sure to perch Israel of this so called new movement called the Way. Before

Christians were called Christians, you know what they were they called they were called

the people of the Way. In Senna, I am the Way, the

truth of the life. Before they were called Christians, they were called the

people of the Way. So Christians were in a way at that time used

to insult the believers people christ and they're called Christians, but before that they

were called the people of the Way. So Paul took up this mental to

perch Jerusalem of the people of the Way, and he did with furtherness,

okay, in fatherness, and then he eventually until on the on the way

to the Mascus, he was converted as well. So Paul maybe had the

map. They have the map there, so there, okay, So Paul

came from Tasars you to see there on the top northwest of Antioch. Antio

is on my far right here, it's Antiosyria. Paul came. Paul came

on the requests of banner Bus to come down to Antioch. Paul has been

stuck there for three years. You know, nobody want to use him because

he was not everybody although he although he was the Pauls were verified by Peter.

People are still scared of him because they look at him as potential terrorists

and not only potential ris but he used to be a golden boy. Now

he becomes a bad lab already. Now all of Jerusalem hates him, you

get me right, from the top to the to the lowers, you know.

Okay, so nobody wanted to use in Jerusalem, but maybe they can

use him Antioch yet me right, So sometimes his life is like this,

isn't it? Sometimes you get rejected and you think, oh this growl.

Believers don't trust me and stuff like that. It's okay, God has a

plan even for a person like Paul. You can experience rejection, you know,

from his own people, you know, but God loves it as well,

because God has a plan for everything. What if Paul in all continued

stay in jurious and contending. No, he's submitted. You get I mean

right? So smart you know he's submitted. You know even though he he

feels like he has so much to offer, he subdmitted so powerful thing nowadays

that we don't see many of this feelings anymore. It's like I got so

much to use, why don't you use me? I leave? But Paul

himself submitted because it was not fear of but he was fearful of the Lord.

See you get me right. So when you learn to fear the Lord

and you submit under his mighty hand, he will use you at the right

time, even if the apostles will not use God will use you. Ah,

you get I mean right? So you must know whose hand ultimately is

in control. You can mean right. So when you understand whose hand is

ultimately in control, submission becomes a lot easier understand or not. So when

we don't subman, what does that mean a lot of times we are not

angry when we're not fighting against people or leaders that we're fighting against God.

Understand what I'm saying now. So submission is very important. That's why you

must learn to respect and submit your pack to your parents as well, to

the leaders of the nations as well, even in the church, in the

offices. You must learn that as well, because it is ultimately God is

in control. God is in control. Ultimately, this very very important lesson

we must learn, even from Apostle Poor himself, okay. And if you

do really true the rest of the Book of Excellent, you will see Poor

again and again coming into submission. Although he was known to be quite a

no temperamental guy, he's learned to submit, to learn to something as well.

And so Paul came from there into Antioch, and he was the ideal

person to be in Antio, because why he was a Roman citizen. He

was born a Jew, he speaks Greek, educated in great but then raised

up religiously in Jerusalem, so he understood Romans, Greeks, Hebrews so well

that he was the ideal missionary Apostle, get me right, God appointed such

a person for that as well. And so there where we see that Paul

and Barnabas became a tag team, powerful combo duo who decided to minister to

Antio, okay, And they became the representative of the Church of Antioch.

There as well. Now from there we learn also in the previous chapter that

you know, as they prayed okay, God told the church okay, to

set apart Barnabas and Paul for the mission work they're about to do. Now,

why was this so important? Why was this so h difficult for the

church. You must understand at that time, they were not bibles, you

know, okay, even in a church, they are very rarely any bibles

one, not bibles, books, not just Bible, just books generally is

very very expensive. Books are not just like you know, like those simple

books you're finding mph. You know, there are thick expensive books. Not

people buy a book you cause them like ten twenty years of wages one okay.

Sometimes even the whole entire town I probably have one or two books on

you. Very diff very expensive to get books one okay. And so because

of that, knowledge was very scarce. And not only that, there were

a lot of people, teachers and so called profits, who come, Hey,

I'm the new Savior. Hey I come from this apostle. Hey I

know I used to hang out with Jesus before to come into the church,

and these all sorts of teaching, you know, And some people say Oh,

you need to be a jew first before you become a Christian. Oh,

you need to combine Greek and Roman thinking with Jewish culture so that you

can understand fully what God is saying. You know, it sounds very familiar.

So familiar, isn't it? Because like they are trying to mix.

And so because of that, the Church was always under attacked, not just

you know, from the government, but in terms of their faith and the

truth is always attacked. And so because of that, the church is scared,

okay, scared in a way at that time to really allow people to

teach and to preach. So how do they know that this person is truly

sent from God? How do they know without the Bible that what they're preaching

on the pulpit is truly the word of God? Big problem, isn't it

is? There are no Bibles right now here? They are not Internet.

How do you know what I'm teaching is the world God? Because I'm persuasive,

because we are suited. I don't wear how because I maybe a graduated

from Bible school in US. How that was the problem, you know?

And so how did God solve this problem for the church. The gift of

the apostles from the Old Testament time, how they God disseminate His word,

prophets, judges Christ. And now the apostles You got mean right. So

Christ was the most important one because the scriptures talks about Christ, and Christ

fulfills them. You get me right. He fulfills them, He teaches them,

he prophesies them as well. So Christ is the ultimate word of the

authority. He is the word in a way you get mean right. He

is the word, okay. And so now Christ gives the authority of the

teaching to the apostles. Now is it just the word or it has something

more that witnesses to their word? Because a lot of people can teach you

very powerful words or so not. The apostles, as you read later,

will need two hands, the left and the right. The teaching of the

world and what accompanies the teaching of the world must be science and wonders.

You get me right. You can teach as powerful as you want, but

if the Lord does not bear witness to you, you will not have miracles

and science and wonders. You get me right. So the teaching of the

world and the science and wonder when you read through the Book of Acts,

as well. You will see a lot of times when they teach, a

lot of times when they try to preach, there will be people of the

opposition who try to poison as well. And how do they overcome by faith

and by science and wonders. The science and wonder is the witness of Heaven

on the word you get mean right, make sense or not? Science and

wonders. So there is the distinctive calling and the distinctive demonstration of the apostles.

Now, when the church in Antioch received Barnabas and Pall into their church,

they must be so glad we don't have we just start this new church.

We don't have the Bible, but we have the privilege of having Barnavas

and Paul to come and teach us so nicer. But then, no,

one day the Holy Spirit said it said, apart from them, I'm gonna

send them now the most powerful, the most important asset. He's been called

by God. It's like no God asking Isaac from Abraham, isn't it?

Isn't it? God always does this, isn't it asking the Isaac from Master?

Isn't it? The thing, the thing that we depend on the most,

the thing that we treasure the most like, Oh, it must be

from God, and God said give it up. Actually, yeah, that

was actually in the future. I want to share a teaching church which I've

been learning a lot is if God gives you a dream of a vision.

I've learned this principle is that God has given you a dream and a vision.

That dream and vision must die first. You read the Bible again again

again, especially in the Book of Joseph. The story of Joseph. God

gives you a plan and the vision and a dream a lot of times,

and their vision and dream has to die first completely. That VI means to

completely die. You know why? He has to die so that the Lord

knows that you truly fear him. A lot of times we want the dream,

with the vision and the ministry so much that when there are needs around

us we neglect. We pursue the ministry rather than the need of the people.

And where the calling of the God first, Until one day the ministry

you let go like Joseph in oh, I kept dream that everybody was buying

down to me. I have this cloak that he was sold off, isn't

it so off? Where was his dream gone? Forty pass per us maybe

again killed, go to jail, completely gone, until it's fully died radire.

Then God said, now I know you fear me. The same with

Abraham as well. When your dream is completely die and you attend to what

is most important, then God will fulfill it. Seeing man and God gives

you that dream and it's not for you to do it why I know?

So then you take it by fay, but you attend to the need.

A lot of tends to be I just want to build this ministry. But

then there are immediate needs around you are that you are not willing to come

out from your comfort zone, the comfort zone of your ministry to attend to.

You know what I mean right? Sometimes could be your spouse, Sometimes

could be your children. Sometimes could be a different age group that you're not

comfortable with. You know, but I said, no, I only self

and worship team money. I don't do teams ministry one. You know what

I'm talking about? You know what? Sorry, I know I'm deviating.

You know what is that mindset that is called a diva mindset? A diva

is I only want to do what I'm good, what I'm called. When

there's a need and a demand, I can't really step out to do,

to stretch us myself to do? Why now, but what did Jesus call

us to have a diva mindset or a servant mindset? Why is a servant?

A servant doesn't care whether he's a cook, he's a chef. When

the master calls, I do if the foot drop off the table, I

pick it up in all because there is a need in all. That is

a white we call a servant mindset. But the church is nowadays become what

diva mindset? Did God calls us to be divas or servants? Makes sense

or not? See like we've been so focused. Yah, we like the

No, God give us a dream, God give us a promise. God

give her your plan for you? Or you've been called to do this,

But yet how you responded, how you position yourself before the church and the

law. It's like a diva. I will not go for certain things.

Diva. Imagine in your house you call your son and daughter to clean the

clean up their foot. Say no, God has called me to do only

worship. I would do maybe worship for you in the house, but I

will not clean up the place. Whoa It's true or not? You cannot

This is a diva. You know, no, Dad, I only clean

on Thursdays and Fridays. Where God like that one? You know? I

mean right? We are so focused on our ministry. It's like we forget

the immediate needs. But I never been like that. Sorry I'm deviating,

but I'm going to preach on that also minister to it. I was like,

God, forgive me if I've been a diva and it's been creeping in

our minds, creeping in our decisions. And because of that, the church

does not grow. So many needs unmet because we're so diva minded, but

we need to be servant minded like Christ. You get mean right, we

must be so And because of that, in twenty twenty four, I believe

in this world and that some of you will experience demand and things that will

demand from you. And how your life will turn out to be is whether

whether you choose to respond or not. You'll be so urgent you will get

you out of what you want, what you dream of, what to do,

and you have to decide, and when you do give up, you

realize your dream dies because you can't spend the time and give the resources you

care for it true or not, That's how dreams die? Is in it?

How visional when you cannot you imagine you allocated one hundred for it.

But because family needs these needs and this needs, oh I can't do my

business. Then you get every upset if everybody you blame your father, you

blame your mother, you blame the cat, you blame the house, you

blame everybody. Because of that, they killed my dream makes sense, not

sounds for Melia, soundsorry familiar right and the how the things go. And

God say, that's exactly where I want you to be. Let it die,

because I would be the one to raise it. I will take the

Isaac and you'll see, because you are faithful with the littles, be fool

who the needs and I will fulfill it. That's why when I look at

it in my own life as well, I realized that the moment you receive

a dream and we're so good said let it die, so funny, and

God gives you a dream, to let it die. It's always been the

case to let it die. Then you will come up again. Okay,

there's another, there's another. I ready give you the whole jeez readying,

but we'll preach a bit deeper on it. Okay, I hope you guys

are blessed by it. Okay, go and read the Bible. Go ahead,

read the Bible. Look look at David annoying that it's young, you

know, as a not as a shepherd boy to become a king and all.

But then he was chased out in the middle of the wilderness like almost

like a madman like that, by his so called father in law. He

has a dreaming, all, but then he has to go become a shepherd

boy said, I don't become a shepherd anymore. I don't know he has

a sheep. You all that was not taken by a bear? Said,

I don't want to become a shep. I'm cold to be a king.

So nigga, that don't have to chase after that. But did he know

that when he chased after that bear, he killed the bear. It was

the skill he needed to defend Israel. You see, when you're so focused

on just becoming a king, you forgot to become a shepherd because all you

want is just to be a king. That's my ministry. Really, Sometimes

these things have to die. God's call has called you to something important.

You mustn't you must be faithful with the small. You must be faithful with

the things that are urgently calling for you. That's why if that's the case,

I don't know. When you do that, the world will not become

like that because everybody will be doing everybody's part instead of focusing on this ministry,

building this minion. Again. So I'm just I'm just sharing so that

we all will be united when there's a need in this church reach out.

There's a need in the kids ministry. Again, if you don't know kids,

you go and help or so you get me in right here. If

there's not your help, be being a guitar. There's a thing to you.

Help you go, doesn't matter you feel forgot how to talk to them?

Really, you go. Things in life in twenty twenty four will demand

something from you and you will be defined by how you respond to it.

Okay, isn't that? Isn't there good? Isn't there a good spirit?

A church that responds to everything that God demands from them, no matter what

it is. Okay, Okay, now I really need to come back to

here. Okay, let's go to X chapter fourteen. Okay, so we

talked about the church, talk about them being sent out and they did.

You know, the Church of Eteot was very faithful with this, even though

I had to give up precious Paul and Bannaburst, they gave him up.

And then when they did one round fur of the ministry. I'm not going

to go through that, but I'm gonna start with I think X chapter fourth

them. We're gonna go through a bit here. And they're now at Iconium.

Let's read there, okay, from verse one. Now, it happened

in Iconium that they went together to the synagogue of the Jews, and so

spoke that a great multitude both of the Jews and the Greeks believe, but

the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their mind against the brethren.

Okay, remember where the preaching of the world is, there was always there

will always be opposition or so and what they do there were stirring up people

and poisoning their minds as well. So that I told you before it is

so that's when the world God gets attacked in there. So how does God

counter it? Verse three? Therefore they stayed there a long time, okay,

speaking boldly in the lawn. So the church spoke even stronger, stay

there a bit longer, tearing them. Okay, who was bearing witness to

the world of his grace? God himself was bearing witness to the world of

his grace. When you speak the truth, when you are bold and you're

speaking the truth, God will come and bear witness. Amazing, isn't it.

See when you sometimes you watch a trial is happening in in Malaysia,

in any country. When you continue speaking the truth, where you continue to

take up that standard people, sometimes people will rise up, man now to

confirm what you speaking on. That's true, that's true, that's true.

I tell you, when you speak boldly of God, when you tell the

truth about God, God himself will come and bad witness. That's what Christians

are calling on. We have the truth, but we're not both. Sometimes

we're without the truth. That's even worse, isn't it. But in this

both you need truth and boldness that demands in a way we can't demand.

But that stirs up God to come and bear witness to his own word to

his own people. And how does God bad witness to his own word?

Granting signs and wonders to be done by the hand. You know what I

mean? Right? Science and wonders are always there to want to bear witness

to his truth. Always. When Jesus came and performing miracles, was it

about the poor? Was it about the hungry? There were so many poorsant

hungry people. He creates stay on another thirty years and helped to kill world

disease and poverty. But that was not the purpose of Jesus. He came

to bear witness after Father. Everything that the scripture talks and our preachers and

prophesy about the Son and about the Father and the Holy Spirit, he came

and fulfill it. And along the way he demonstrated with science and wonders that

the enemy could not overcome you know what I mean why? And this will

be the days that will be happening in our in our generation as well.

They will be preaching of the world. But then the enemy will con't continue

to come out with all sorts of new philosophies and lines and deceits. But

when you preach with boldness and truth, God comes with science and wonders and

the enemy cannot overcome it. So pray, pray for your leaders, pray

for your church, pray for yourselves. Then you will be bored and you

tell the truth. But more internally, God, please bear witness to your

work that you may be glorified. Amen, Helloayer verse four. But the

multitude of the city was divided, so part sided with the Jews and part

with the apostles. See, even with miracles are some people will not believe

on. Just be prepared for that. You come out with all the guns

left gun, right gun, left hand, right hand, miracles and what

some people will still unbelieve on. That's the truth. Don't be discouraged because

it's like that. Okay, partsided with the Jews and party apostles. And

when a violent attempt was made by both the Gentiles and the Jews with their

rulers to abuse and stone them, they became aware of it and fled to

Listra and Derby cities of Laconia and the surrounding regions. And they were preaching

the gospel. Dare you preach until so much until the whole entire government system.

It says what all the people and the nations come together and on the

Gentiles, the Jews and the rulers. You knows and rulers come together to

stop you. You know, that's what it takes it. Nations and rulers

come to stop the preaching of the world. That's when you know its time

is already. You move on, You've done your work. Rdy. Sometimes

you don't realize that. It's why I stayed in the Book of Accident.

Isn't it when nations and rulers have to come to stop the preaching of the

world. That's how much the enemy hates, isn't it? So there will

be poison? What do they do they're poison? What do they poison?

Their mind? They dilute, They contrary their blaspheme. No, I talked

about What does blaspheme mean? Remember what I talked about? Forgot ready?

What does bla femean? Blast feming and evil? It's good, isn't it?

Okay? I repeat again? To blaspheme is to call what is good

evil and what is evil good? Okay? Now do you see a lot

of blast feeming happening around in the world so many? Isn't it the word

of God? Evil? God is evil saying whatever he did is evil and

calling what he despises and what he calls evil good. Reasoning, this is

why the world is turning into His name. And be careful in our lives

as well, that we stop blaspheming, you know, sometimes and we listen

to a version of a gospel or something like, that's not God, that's

not what I feel like. It's never how you're feeling. Know your feelings

that can get you to go to bless fem against God. Want you know,

be very very very careful. The word of God is final, it's

settled. There's no version one, version two, version three. One know,

there's no versions. One is final one or truth is truth. You

know, it's irreplaceable. Okay, So it's very very important. So that's

what the enemy will do. They were contradict they were blessed with and they

were poisoned, and many people will be deceived. Okay, now let's move

on part the verse eight that gets a bit exciting. And they were in

Lestra. A certain man without strength in his was sitting a crippled man from

his mother's room who had never walked. Okay, there was a guy who

was crippled from young okay, from birth. Actually this man hurt Paul speaking,

and Paul observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed,

said with a loud voice, stand up straight on your feet. Now

that posted for a while. What did you observe there? This guy was

listening to Paul preaching, isn't it. There was a preaching and Paul noticed

that this guy was listening. Not only he noticed that he was listening,

he noticed that his listening was producing faith. Faith come from hearing, makes

sense or not. We must continue to preach, not because we are great,

not because we know a lot. We must continue to preach so that

faith can be stirred. The preaching of the world must continue so that faith

can be stirred. And the moment faith is stirred, that's where the power

comes from. You get mean right. You are drawing out faith in people,

faith in people, faith in people preaching. When you next time,

when you get a chance to always remember this, it's not about how great

your teaching is or no. No, your preaching is about one thing,

about growing fi God. But you glorify God by stirring up the faith that

people have to the Word of God. And when their faith is come to

full fruition, they respond by surrendering to God. It's a cooking carr you

know, carry takes layers. When you know you cannot just cook everything like

five minute cauting like megimi like that. I know you need to do the

onions first, fry and then you put the herbs and then the oil and

you fry it. It's important you fry until the oil and the herbs separates,

you know, the spice of separates. Well, that's when you know

it's properly done. Then only you add the meat only. Oh that's what

I learned. Before you do carry you must do until the oil and the

separate. That's when you know it's fully you know, properly done in layers

one in churches in the pregion of the way, it's the same thing as

well. You preva and you're like nobody's faith is third and suddenly oh you

just respond, just know, play some play some nice music. You know,

people respond. It doesn't work like that way. Okay, that's called

that. There's called emotional manipulation and all this is a ministry of manipulation.

People. You literally don't need one and all given right, people respond and

respond, It doesn't it shouldn't affect you. And I just preach the truth

with conviction and let faith stird up so that people have the courage to respond.

And this guy was hearing and no, Paul, no this there's this

guy was faith, just a bit of faith. See, that's how healing

and miracles work one and all. It responds to faith. It requires it

requires your response. It's not just about whether God is willing to do or

not. God it's always more than willing. But do you have that faith

to meet with him. That's why Jesus couldn't perform miracles in certain villages,

you know, because they like faith. He marveled their faith. And sometimes

you know who was the guy? Ah, the story Jesus was meeting a

centurion a century is a gentile, but even this century understands faith, and

Jesus was able to perform it. I've never seen such faith. It's always

about that faith to be able to meet with God. And God provides that

miracle. Okay now, and he says there and he lived and walked in

verse eleven. And when the people saw what Paul had done, they raised

their voices, saying, in the Laconian language, the gods have come down

to us in the likeness of man. My goodness, what's happening here?

And barnabas they call Zeus and Hermes? Okay, because he was the chief

speaker. Then the priests of Zeus, whose temple was in front of their

city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, intending to sacrifice with the

multitudes. My goodness, what's happening here? So weird? Okay, Now

we're going to take a bit of a shift in the gear. Okay.

Now, when you read, especially in the Book of Acts and the letters

of the Epistles write you understand a bit of history, and how be of

the religion of the Greeks and the Romans as well. Okay, and you

must understand that the Romans and the Greeks they share very similar actially, almost

exactly the same religion. Okay, they just have different names. So I

give you, for example, in Greek you have the goddess of Athena,

sorry Artemis, Okay. In Rome will be Diana. In Greek will be

Zeus, and in Rome will be Jupiter. In Greek will be Heiress.

And in Rome you have Mars as well. So they do the same thing,

different memes, and maybe it's just a slightly different mythology that goes around

here as well. Now, the cities also have the importance, okay,

because religion was part of their life, the part of their nation as well.

So much from their name okay, and their cities after their gods.

Not only was it name after their gods, the city and the people will

take on the identity of the god or the mythology behind it as well.

Let me give you an example, Okay. In Greek you have the goddess

of Athena. What was what was Athena known for? How many people will

not this goddess of what Athena? Goddess of the hunt and wisdom? Now

what is that? At that time in Greece? What was the capital Athens?

Athens was named after Athena? Athens was drawing what kind of people?

All us Socrates people like that? Isn't it so? Because it was because

Athens was so called the place of wisdom, so attractive people scholars today as

well, it's called Athens. They worship Athena. Okay, then you go

into uh, okay, maybe let's let's say, let's stay listra, listra,

Okay, what's worshiping what god? They adopted a god? What was

god? That? Zeus? Okay? Zeus? Okay. Now when they

adopt we call it, we call it, we call it when the city

adopts, they adopt the mythology. Okay. And so what is the mythology

behind the city of Listra Okay? And this mythology when I share you,

if you are then you have a bit better understanding of what it is.

Already this mythology was written by men. Okay, and this man is called

ovid O the I d Okay, all of it is uh wards and one

of his grand masterpiece, he's uh, it's money. You know, his

grand symphony Okay, is a book, if I not mistake, called ah

it's the whole book is called Metamorphosis. You know why's metamorphosis transform isn't it

like a butterfly? Okay? He has wrote this book called Metamorphosis, his

grandest work, his most powerful, beautiful known work. It's called Metamorphosis there

okay. And in this book he writes about the origin of the city of

Lestra Okay. And so in this city, in this story it says that

they're One day Zeus and Hermes came down to this city disguised as humans.

And when they came to visit the city, they did not receive hospitality from

the townsfolk, except from one merrited couple. Kay, this merry couple were

very old, but they were very generous even though they live in a very

simple house. Okay, they you know, if you read the actually the

actual story the metamorphosis there, it will say that they know they try to

bring a goose, but then the goose keep running away, and then they

try to give them, you know, a jar of wine, and then

the wine and the wine never run empty. K And so they hosted hermits

and you so well okay, So and uh zus and Hermes decide to grant

them what they wanted to say, what would you like we will granted for

you. So this uh the couple said that, oh, just help grant

us so that we may serve in your temple. Okay, and so Jusan

and Hermes agreed. He said that I want you right now to run up

all the way to the to the heel and don't look back, because we

are going to flood the city and kill everyone because they did not host us.

Okay, don't look bad, and if you look back, you'll become

a tree. Sounds familiar, right, It sounds for me that you must

understand that all these people I suspect that really pleasurarize a big one. Okay,

Nobe people get the artists and writers and poets are thegether if you know,

there's an inspiration from where they go and read one and they they try

to adopt into their own mythology as well. Okay. So the story goes

that the couple couple ran now and they look back, okay, and they

turn into a tree. Ba Zeus and Hermits decided to honor their requests by

planting the two of them two big trees in the temple of a Listra there

and so there was a mythology. And so when Paul and Barnabash comes to

Listra, okay, two strangers. They came out nowhere healed this guy who

was born lame from birth? What was it going in their mind? They

were thinking, Zeus and Hermits have come down from heaven. I am the

priest. If I do not sacrifice where everybody is gonna curse me and condemned

me because I am putting the whole city into jeopardy. And so because of

that, the chip the Prinson temple ran together with all the entire towns for

to try to sacrifice to Paul and Barnabas. That was how deep into religion

and mythology the whole city was. Now you understand something. The whole entire

city was really wrapped into this story written by a man so powerful. Sometimes

you can really a story like they can really take hold and the whole captive

of entire city and the entire growth. People. You know it now,

now you have a better understanding of what of what is actually happening here?

Okay, And so because of that, Paul and Barnabas were shocked. Why

are you doing this to us? Well? Just men, you see in

verse farting what he said. But when Apostles, Barnabas and Paul heard this,

they're tore their clothes and ran in among the multitude, crying and saying,

men, why are you doing these things? We are also men with

the same nature as you. Paul is actually talking about Hermits and Zeus.

You think that we as Zeus and Hermits. No, we perform miracle,

but we of the same nature as you. We are not gods, We're

just like you. But where does this power come from? Where is God

there in this picture? Because no man can do this? How does God

bring about such a miracle? In effect in this city without God's visiting themselves.

Okay, now he says, there, we are also men with the

same nature as you, and preach you that you should turn from these useless

things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the

sea, and all the things there are in them. Who is by who

is by gone, who in bygone generations allow all nations to work in their

own ways. Every nation was working in their own way. How did they

work in their own way? They live according to the mythology and the believing

their hearts. That's why the city was responding that way. Other cities will

respond in certain ways. There are other cities who worship the goddess of Inna.

You know. Uh uh, there's one there, I think, remember

what uh the city that worshiped the goddess Diana. The goddess Diana is the

goddess of fertility, and that city because the goddess of futility attracted many young

women, many many young women, and so a lot of young women was

like, please bless me, please make me for time, and they will

hire them to become servants of the temple. When they say hire, they

hire them to become young prostitutes to serve on behalf of Diana as well,

and so the whole city followed after the belief and walk in their own ways.

Makes sense right now, It's like that they're literally almost like the last

Vegas, even worseland they take your there's not last Vegas, but the last

Vegas. They take your young daughters to. This was very very simple on

Corinth, a city of churnth Okay, anyway, that one for next time.

I'll share with more of you guys for the next time. Okay,

So now verse seventeen. Nevertheless, he did not leave himself without witness in

that he did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, feeling

our hearts with food and gladness. And with these sayings they could scarcely restrain

the multitude from sacrificing to them. Okay, so they're like, oh,

you come from a different religion, you have a different belief from us.

You believe in that one God, one God who responds by what previously he

has let it pass by. But now he God is faithful to send the

preaching of his words and his messengers, so that all the nations will turn

to him. Okay, let's move on. Verse nineteen. Then the Jews

from Antio and Iconium came here. See, the people who came from the

previous city have followed them, you know, Okay, And having persuaded the

multitudes their stone paw and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to

be dead, they're stone him until he supposedly died. Okay. However,

when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up and went into the city,

and the next day they departed, and he departed with Barnabas, and

with Barnabas to Derby. Okay, So what else do we learned here?

Oh? Yeah, by the way, Listra is a very important place,

because see, if I'm not mistaken, sorry, I'll just give missed second.

Here another distra. Okay, it's another place. Okay, let's move

on. Apologize for that. Let's move on. Going on to verse twenty

one. Strengthening the converts and where they had I'm coming to a close here,

and where they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples.

They returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the

disciples, exortant, exhorting them to continue in the faith and saying we must

trew many tribulations, entered the Kingdom of God. Now let's pause here for

a while, and turned to the mad again. All right, So journey

starts from Antioch going down to the island of Cypros Salamis, path falls Italia

Penger to Antioch there and then their way begin with going to Iconium, Listra

and Derby. That was the last journey. And then from Derby, which

was the last one they ended, they made their way back to Lystra,

Iconium, Antiochy going there, he went back like he went Bin, and

you come down from Bin to the same go past Epo, Typing and same

cities. He went back to all the former cities that he started that he

visited, and he planted churches there as well. Now it's says they're investlator.

He strengthened the souls of the disciples. Now, why did he had

to strengthen the souls of the disciples, because it's just ministry. Why do

you think he had to go and strengthen Why do you think that he purposely

went down that way the oppositions, because he must understand that it's not easy

to be a Christian. Imagine that if you want the new converts there.

Hey, Paul had just spoken in our city and he recently he just went

to Lestra. Okay, he just went to Lestra. Oh yeah, he

was preaching and the people was trying to sacrifice to him. Then they found

out he was stolen to death. What would they do to your faith?

How would you feel the guy who planted the church there, who went to

other city he was tone to death supposedly, would you be scared? You'd

be fearful, isn't it? You're so terrified. That's why Paul said,

what do you say? You know? We must true? Many tribulations enter

the Kingdom of God. Okay, he was strengthening their souls. Their soul

is comprised of what you think, your will, and your emotion. When

you are persecuted, what you think of, what you feel, and your

willer is really really affected one, you know. And so the call of

the church and the leaders and every believers are used to what used to continually

strengthen the soul by your thoughts, through your heart, and through your will.

The soul of the believer remember again, your mind, your feelings,

and your will, all three parts must be strengthened, Okay, strengthen exhorting

them to continue in the fairy because a lot of them want to give up.

They like the truth, they like the preaching, but the life was

hard, isn't it When your teaching meets when you're When when what you believe

in meets with life and the road that it is leading towards you, it

gets difficult. And so it's not you know, the church is called to

do that. It's not just the preaching of the world. You know,

the preaching of the world must meet your Monday to your Fridays. That's the

hard part, you know, the Sunday must meet touch you know, there's

the hard partner side. It's so hard to be on the Friday to Monday

outside there to be what I'm called, you know, what I've been told,

what I've been taught. It's very, very difficult, and sometimes you

face so much opposition. That is why on Monday and the Friday is the

times and the way we need to exhort one another. And you exhort one

another by meeting. It cannot exult without meeting one you know, Hey,

text to you by bye emoji, good good cheer winky winky. There's not

exalting you know. We we do that and all. But remember this,

I really am praying this, you know. That's why I COVID did a

lot of damage as well. But praise the Lord. Okay, with technology,

we must not neglect the meeting of the saints. That is why you

must come to church. You must exalt one. One of the roles of

the church is to exalt one another one. And know, how are you?

You always say this. People come to a church, they think that

it's all about just the water. It's like you go to someone's birthday party.

It's all about just the food. You know, have you have you

gone to you do that? Now? You go to a birthday party when

it's just about the food. Because the way is where I feed myself,

ah and not fatal. I don't like this restaurant. I'm not going to

the birthday party anymore. Do you do that to your parents? You will

never do that, isn't it? Because it's not about the food, it's

not even the location, not about the music. But it's about that personal.

But yet when we come to church, worship is somehow the least responsive

moment, you know, because worship. I don't feel it. You know,

it's like looking, when is the worship going to romanticize my relationship with

God? True? And uh, you're waiting for that romantic moment. Oh

the goodness of God, Oh my life? You happy for romantic feeling?

Come out? Yes, Lord, I feel you. We're waiting for that

romantic moment. We are romantic. We are Christian. They are so romanticized.

You know. Hey, even marriage also don't have so many romantic moments.

I just kidding, but you know we are so focused on the romance,

you know, I mean right, It's not about that. It's really

about God. It's about the fear of the Lord, the reverence of the

Lord. You show up because it's about the birthday person is about God.

Sometimes you don't like the preaching. You don't like, but you show up

and you revere, and God will know that you truly fear me when you

show up in church. Does it make sense or not? You say you

fear me, But do you even come to church? Do you come to

church for the person, for the one who is following up in you?

I will never do that because I feel so hypocritical when I come to church

for the of course says that when did you? When is it about you

and about the other people? It's about me. We make so many excuses

not coming to church. I'm not condemning people, but I'm just telling you

that's the lie of the devil. It's really truly the life of the devil.

We must continue to meet because there must be exhortation. Do we fail.

Of course, sometimes we fail, unfortunately. Of course that's why twenty

twenty four months is be a year we have to be better. Even if

you've been hurt, even be disappointed, you must persist. You must persist

coming you rather go, You must persist. You cannot give up. Okay,

if your family is not do you must continue showing up for your family.

Even if you are in your relationship with your father and mother is not

there, you continue to show up for your father and mother, for your

children birthday or not. You show up. Whether it's a nice restaurant,

whether you don't like pastor whether you don't like curry, you still show up.

Yeah, I mean right, these are the things we must exhort one

another. So somebody tell you, I just people tell me that I believe

in the university or universal church. You know, I just go any service

park and I just go online. No, you're missing out the point.

You're really really missing out the point God gives the local church to exhort,

to touch and to minister. You can mean right, it's not just a

universal church. It's the local church. You must be planted. Okay,

you must be planted. It is it's theological and foundational teaching in your life.

Okay, this must you must learn on Okay, now, okay,

continue fair and saying. We must true many tribulations enter the Kingdom of God.

Paul, I love this, you know. He come to them,

encourages them, and he tells them the truth. We are not people.

You believe in this gospel. You believe in the truth, you believe in

the miracles. And I'm gonna tell you that to enter the Kingdom of God,

it's going to be difficult and you're going to have to pay a price.

No hiding the truth. We cannot hide the truth with people want to

know, especially believe it. Sometimes you want to retain them. Aha,

it's okay, you know, go through this pathway easy. Maybe in five

years time we tell them how hard it is, you know, but five

years we just no, the warm pause. This is the truth what I'm

going through, you pay encounter, because Paul understand this, you all.

Paul understands that he's not going to be with them for long, and we

believe us. We must understand them the same as parents as well. You

must understand you can never be there for children all the time. We can't

as pastors, elders, home leaders, you can't be there with your members

all the time on and you, as members are you should not expect that

your past and your leaders are always be there with you. He knows everywhere

that Paul planted that how long did he stay there? Some are weeks,

some are months, and maximum maybe a year or two maximum, that's it.

And he never took it for granted and all. And that is why

he says that it's going to be difficult for you. I mean, I'm

going to tell you now, but it's going to be worth it. And

so the same thing when we deal with people, when we minister to people,

when we disciple people, you must understand we will not always be there

with them for long. In fact, Jesus disciple his disciple for how long?

Three years? Only when you realize that you have such a short timer.

Your strategy changes. Want to know completely changes, want to know Your

job is not to make them safe. Your job will be like I want

to make them strong? True or not? When you realize that your son

and daughter is gonna go to UNI or gonna work readia, you're not cuddling

them. Oh, how can I equip them immediately? Because are they ready?

Are they strong? It's not about protecting them and you can't follow them

every way. Hey, this is my son, my daughter. You can

all do this and then no, no, no, they have to go

on their own already. You need to make them strong and ready, ensure

about it. Okay, So we must be too many tribulations enter the Kingdom

of God. So when they appointed elders in every church, so Paul's visit

back was not just encouragement, it was what administrative as well. Administration is

very important, you know. And by the way, do you know what

was the gift of Joseph that got him to become prime minister? Was not

give a prophecy although he can interpret dreams, it was not there. No,

it was a gift of administration. You are so good administration. You

can prophesy, but can you administer. Can you administrate an entire country to

go through seven years of famine? That's how powerful the gift of administration is

not able to tie an entire nation, entire region through seven years of famine.

So God is looking for who good administrators. True church, everyone needs

administrators. You need elders, you need the gift. Things you need.

There must be structured. Don't oh, we don't want structure. We just

lose loosey goosey, do whatever you want and stuff like that. No,

you need administration for for things to have order, air function as well.

And so he appointed elders or they call it overseers in every church, so

that there is order, there is uh what do you call it? There

is a structure and everything and prayed with fast thing. They commanded them to

the Lord in whom they had believed. And after they passed through Pisidia,

and they came to Panphilia, and when they preached the wind prograd they went

down to Italia, and when there they sailed to Antioch, back to their

home church, SA Way, back to their home church where they had been

commended to the grace of God for the word which they had been completed.

Means said that they went back to the church where they were sent. Antioch

was the church we call it the sending church, the first sending church.

They went back to the church that sent them. Okay, And when they're

in verse twenty seventh, and when they had come and gathered the church together,

they're reported all that God had done with them. So this is a

template of how missions should be done. The church sends them and they must

come back. You don't go there and then they'll come back. One.

It's very very important. So we want to think about how our church does

things. We always does it the same way we sent We must come back.

One. It's not your preference now, it's biblicker people. So when

you go through the Book of Xts, you start to realize that, hey,

everything we do eachur has a pattern. One and no it's not on

own. No, No, it follows a certain pattern. One not ammunition

structure. You know, all these things are must follow a certain pattern.

Eve when the book offectually were not just a bunch of adventure. You know

a lot of the rings, hobbits and not. We just respond to whatever

that it is. One and no, it's not like that. One and

know there is structure, there is purpose one and okay, and then they

reported all they're done. And then they came back and they gave they must

report we as people as well. If Paul and Barnabash came back and submitted

to the church that centered and reported, how much more must we do?

So you know what I'm saying. How if you disciple someone, if you

follow someone, you need to report back. Everything must be done in the

open. People nowadays, how we go No, no, no, I

don't need to you don't you Just trust me? I follow already. Just

trust my intention enough a day. If you don't trust me, you don't

believe in me. How can you like that? How can you call yourself

a pastor? Don't use that against us? It is not biblical again,

understand now, it's it's rebellious. You know, when you try to take

on ministry on your own without submission. One. You know, Paul himself

submitted. See there's the thing that I'm teaching here. Submission. Yeah,

you know, submiting. But you sent me because you fear God. You

fear God. I said God, I have to do it, even if

I'm wrong. I submit so that I can be so that I can be

and God loves that. God loves that. God prunes those whom He loves.

Okay, they reported all that God is done with it, and he

and that He had opened the door of faith to the gentile. So they

stayed there a long time with the disciples. Okay. So you know when

he reported back, the church was encouraged and on the church start to see

the fulfillment, the completion of what God had set out for the Church of

and TiO as well. Okay, so my time is up, you know.

But I want to close this part by asking you, guys, there's

a lot of things here and a journeying called a lot of things, different

nooks and corners. How what do you feel when you go through these passages?

Do you see God moving from different towns from the work that God is

doing. God is not just sending people. God is teaching, teaching,

molding and discipling the church personally. You know, God has never taken off

his hand and God has always been moulding them with his invisible hand on the

church. On you and I very faithful, okay, so that we will

be disciplined, we will be very mature in our response, in our submission,

so that when you take this template, it will also benefit you as

a young working a doubt, as a student, as a family member,

for your own self and your children. Whatever that I learned that works in

the church, in the Book of X, in the missions, I need

to apply in my own family as well. You get me in right.

Husbands and wife, you submit to one another. You don't hide things,

you tell. Whatever you do, you go late Mama and I you come

back and report to your wife. Okay, as simple as that. Okay,

why do the same? Also, you and your besties go out and

makan and all. You tell your husband or soul sons and daughters do the

same as well. Don't hide tell your own family. See, there's so

many qualities. It's a big family. Okay, I must support Life is

hard, but we got to encourage one another as well. Amen. We

hope you've been blessed by this message. For more information on our church,

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We're believing that this week is going to be a good week, a hit

for you. God bless