Paul's Missionary Trip (Part 1) | Pr Matthew Chang

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

will light up your day today. You know what I'm gonna be going through

with you guys, because I'm gonna go straight to it because things to go

through. Uh. I want to ask something. If you like road trips?

Yeah, nobody likes road trips. I see, I see the majority

yes, and I see one head no no, no, depends on what

it is like. Okay. I do enjoy road trips here and there when

it's nice and when I think road trips are most fun when we have a

lot of people as well, you know, and you've got good music,

you've got all your snacks and everything ready, and the weather is nice,

it's really enjoyable. And I'm gonna take you guys on the mini road trip

series, and what I'm going to be sharing is basically the three missionary journey

missionary Journeys of Paul, not in one sitting, of course, in probably

quite a few seatings, be five, six or seven series uh part uh.

And it's part of my teaching that I go through with the Book of

Acts with the students as well. But I'm gonna not take the whole Part'm

gonna take one specific part, which is the missionary journey, and I'm going

to focus there. And I did share your pastor that you know, for

this theme for this year and next year, the transition you know, for

this year is about Heaven rules, amen, that God is in control,

you know, that whatever that the world may spin into, you know,

you know, now this is like all sorts of drama, you know.

You know, I'm seeing whether it's in the political world, in the local

news and when in the corporate finance. It's so many things, and you

know, I'm like, wow, you know, the world is being crazy.

Heaven rules, and then we're going to move into next year as well,

and all that the theme is so that all may know, all may

hear, may know and believe, you know, know, our our church

is out about helping people believe. And then as a trend, you know,

the way that we're gonna transition through. So instead of telling you,

I'm gonna take you guys on the journey, Okay, basically how the church

expanded beyond Jerusalem and through the eyes of Paul as well. And when you

go through it, you know, sometimes you tell, hey, have you

seen EPO? You know, it can fly, he too, EPO.

It can take a train, but nothing beats like a road treat monitor.

You know what I mean? Right when you stop at every stop and then

you actually dry, you come down and you see, you know, and

then you realize that, whoa, I didn't realize that things are happening like

that way. And when you see journey through, and I will highlight a

few things both historical and also of what they call it bigger importance, you

will start to draw some what they call it lessons for your own life as

well. I'll try to type a lot to what we go through in our

lives and also the things that when you realize that, you know, wow,

the things that Paul and the and the Church and Book of Acts are

going through is actually similar to what we're actually going through as well. Okay,

all right, So I'm gonna do is that I am going to start

from X chapter eleven, okay, X chapter eleven, and I need you

to really have your Bible with you. You'll be very very very very very

useful and you it will be very useful for you to open up the Bible

because we're not just looking at verse by verse. You have to see the

chapters in an overview and the chapters interleaking, and you have an opportunity to

highlight things as well. Okay, So I'm gonna give a brief introduction from

X chapter eleven, and I'm gonna read from verse nineteen. Okay, We're

not gonna cover everything, but we're gonna cover some key points at verse nineteen.

Okay, X Chapter eleven, Verse nineteen niseis. And now those who

were scattered after the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia,

Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the Word to no one but the Jews only.

But some of that were men from cyber per Syreene, who, when

they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenist. Hellenists basically are the

people who are Greek or practice a lot of the Greek culture, or they

have come what they call it amalgamated with the Greek culture as well. Okay,

now, wait certainly lost okay, and verse twenty one. And the

hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believe and turned

to the Lord. Okay, past there for a while. So before that

there was all the Christians mainly gathered in one city. Get the official I'm

not saying the unofficial, unofficial. They are spread where the officials Christians.

They're not even called Christians, you know. Okay, it's just believers only.

Okay. Believers are gathered in Jerusalem, Okay, the Mother Church,

the parts of the disciples were there. Okay. And then the persecution of

Stephen happened. Then Stephen was martyred. Then uh, the person secution against

the Christians ramped up really high. You know when I said rampt a means

when or which hunt? Really, you know, going to houses, dragging

people out, torture them, causing them to blaspheme and different things as well.

It was for the first time, this was the pivotal moment. And

because of that, a lot of the believers left left Jerusalem. Uh,

there's a lot of them. They went up north. Okay. And then

he mentions here, you know, as far as Phoenicias, Cyprus and anti

your Okay, so XTIV, I will need your help to really switch forth

and back between the versus and then my slides. Can you show the first

slide the map? Okay, Wow, thank you so much. Can you

guys see this, okay? You see Jerusalem is a down south, they're

okay, you see Jerusalem and the down south. And then it's when they

so when the persecution came, so they the people left as far as Phoenicia.

Sometimes they will even go far as to Anti your viprayers and taskars Is

where Paul was from. Okay, So just to give you guys a rough

idea how far and what happened to the gospel as well. Now, the

fact that some of the believers go up was not planned, not planned by

the church, okay, or not planned by the disciples, not planned,

okay. And it says that because of that, when the people, you

know, the believers went up there and they start to share to the Jewish

people, to the Jewish believers, their brothers and sisters, and then beyond

that it started to share with some of the Hellenis as well, some of

the local people who are not Jewish. And that is very significant. You

know why, because the Jewish people are not like typically our society right now,

we talk they talk to they don't talk to everybody on They are very

closely guarded to their own community only very they look at the world outside of

their own people with the different with a different view Now I'm not promoting antisemitism.

Okay, I'm not promoting antisemitism. I am far from that. I

pray for Jerusalem and I believe, you know, and I believe that God

has a plan for Israel, and God's plan to redem Israel is there,

So that's I'm not But I'm just stating this is their culture at that time.

Okay, I'm not saying all of them are that, but there is

there, and it's reflected in their culture, the laws, even in the

temple system as well. So they see you. But there are those who

are those Messianic Jews and believers who see differently because of what the Lord has

done in them. They started to share the faith with some of the Hellenis

as well. Praise the Lord, isn't it? And some of the people

converted. But you must understand it was not planning on This was not planned.

And so what happened to the Church or the believers. The leaders in

Jerusalem, they were like, oh, my goodness, we didn't send people

there, but people there are believing, and not just the Jews, the

Hellenists are believing. And this raised an alarm because in Jerusalem they were already

facing persecution. And if the local people found out that they are sharing and

beyond and sharing to the Gentilese, persecution in the local places will grow even

further. You understand I'm saying. You know, it's go even further.

You were found you and you will find throughout the Book of X Preaching to

the gent house was a big no no. You can say that you meet

Jesus half the way you can. You can say that Jesus raised from the

dead, but the fact that you talked about the Gentiles, they were not

listen. It's really they will not listen. It's a big no no,

be big no no. Okay. And so because of that they got alarmed.

The church became very alarmed. And what did they do? Did they

cancel it? Shut it down? No? What did they do? It

says there in verse twenty two. Then then the news of these things came

to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent out Barnabas to

go as far as Antio. Okay, they sent out a guy. They

sent out someone they can trust, someone reputable, someone with integrity, okay,

to go and verify. Now, why is it that they need to

verify? How many of you have done audio before. Okay, only me

and a few people. When you do audits, how can you know one

of the one of the key concepts is that you cannot take it. You

know, every number as it is. One is true, it's true one.

You know, we need to confirm. And so for example, if

I see a bank you say that or you go one million there, I

can just believe that you got one million. I need to go and send

a confirmation. A third party needs to confirm. A bank needs to reply

back with a signature that you said you got one million at this date,

so and so forth, sol bank information, you center, suppliers and stuff

like that as well. Okay, and so this validation is very very important.

But how do you validate a church that you do not plant that they

are teaching the right thing? How remember there are no Bibles in all that

time, There's only the Old Testament, and even then there are scriptures.

You must understand that books are very very expensive people, very very expensive.

Okay, books can cost you know, books now are not even owned by

just the normal rich, you know, it's the outr reached people who own

books. And most of the time in the entire town, only the synagogue

or the temple or you know, like really rich further have one book one,

you know, because books are so expensive to write. They take anywhere

from six months to a year, two years just to write one because they

put it on the manuscript. They don't they're literally calling manuscripts. They drove

it very beautifully, and some of it, you know, they take one

version and then give it to the bishops or the artists and they would draw

the side sometimes called you know, patterns and stuff like that. So so

you know, it's it's really hard to get one, okay, So it's

very so. And because of that, you must understand that because of that,

the church is very zealous to God the teaching of the gospel, because

there's no way, there is no you can go online to spotify and check

out what pastor can have is teaching. You know, there's no way.

All there's not even the Bible to reference you all. So anyone can come

to the midstay and tell something and they believe that hey, this this veellaort

could be telling the truth one and all you get me in right. It's

so difficult. And so how did the word of the lot spread among the

different churches and the different parts of the world that time. Without the Bible,

how do you know that it is the authoritative word of God. It

is true. God has given the apostles. It is true the apostles.

So the apostles, the people that aposts among them were very important, very

very important. Okay. They cannot just speak, but along with what they

speak, there is power. They perform miracles, they themselves witness and they're

a counsel as well. You know, see what I'm saying here is validated

one. So Paul, even though he is seeing Jesus, he needs to

validate himself before the disciples, before teacher as well. That's why he spent

some time okay in Arabia for three years. Okay, he didn't spend them

not doing nothing. After that he didn't meet anyone, He didn't meet in

Disciples. And after that he met came back to Jerusale to meet with Peter,

you know, to tell Peter what he has learned. It's like you

go to you sign up for medical school, Okay, but you didn't go

to medical school. You go to the desert there for three years and then

on the final exam of the medical school, which you never attended. You

go and take an exam and you passed with flying colors. He's like,

you know what I'm saying. You know, you know what I'm saying.

How do you know to How could you know everything about medicine without going to

the school on your own, without meeting any of the professors. We don't

meeting anyone, But yeah, you know everything. This is what Paul did.

Enough. He went to Arabia. If we go to the Book of

Thins, Galatians are he spent three years in Arabia without meeting the designs,

without meeting the apostles. Came back, he met with Peter, and Peter

verified the gospel that you have learned, everything that you have teached is truly

the reviewed word of God. Peter very dated. You all saw what does

that mean? Paul received the gospel directly from Jesus, you know, so

his apostleship was established because of that. And so when because like I said,

there's no Bible nothing, the word of the Lord goes around through the

parcels. Apostles word were basically scripture at that time. So when they go

to churches, they was like, oh my goodness, he was a big

deal, big big deal. And remember Paul has not started writing much of

his letters yet to only started writing. He wrote one or two letters in

his first and second missionary, but mostly are mostly after his third missionary when

he was jailed in Rome. When day he's like, okay, I cannot

be everywhere in the church to speaking. There's no way you get me right,

So the word cannot just remain in the apostle who the word of God

has to start coming down to the written word of God. Yeah, me

right, so that all the churches can receive the blessedness of the apostles word

that came from God. You understand what I'm saying here. There's the age

that has come, not the completed word of God. Now we are beneficiaries

of that. Sometimes you say that A is not Paul. You know,

he was jailed too soon. He shouldn't have gone to Rome and appealed to

Caesar. But I tell you, thank God in a way, and that

God ordaining that he has to spend in our time in prison, you know,

so that he can start writing, so that not just one church that

he visited us, so that all the churches they have the word of God

will be blessed. Now you understand the importance of scripture right now, I

tell you it's so difficult. But I can tell you more about how the

printed world. You know, eventually you can talk about the Bible, the

gut Bible. He also brought about the change in civilization as when the word

you know, started to become released to the common people. You know,

fathers, mothers, teachers and everyone can start teaching the world of God.

And not only the world of God. The Bible tells them they had to

teach their children. So parents became teachers, and not just to the world

God, but basically language to their own family. And the families became became

modern nize culture, and because they received literature, become literacy from their well.

So it's a very very powerful event. Wow, everybody. Okay,

so I'm not even beginning here. This is not even my transduction. Here.

I'll see how much I can do it. That's fantastic. That's why

I say it's a road trip. Okay, this is the beginning of the

road trip. Now let's move on. In Vertiny two, it says there

the news of these things came to the ear of the church in Jerusalem,

and they sent out Barnabas to go as far as Antio. Here, he

said, Barnabus, and when he came here has seen the grace of God.

He was glad and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart, they

should continue with the Lord. Okay, For he was a good man,

full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were

added to the Lord. Okay. So when he went there, Barnabas he

is. He's not the first time he has appeared here. He has appeared

in the Book of access. He's a very generous person. And even look,

the author of a book of x testified, you know, together with

the apostles, that he was a man full of faith, a great encourager.

You know when Paul, when Saul came, you know, when it

was converted, and he came to the the disciples, right to the to

the apostles, to the rest of the apostles. They were afraid to receive

him. They were basically receiving a guy who was prosecuting them. Them or

their relatives, their friends say, you know, they're scared, this guy's

a spy. Or on of all the people who received him with the gladness

was Barnabus barnabas put his name there. He was putting, willing to put

and and not risk his name so that he to be associated with Saul,

so that Peter will see Peter will actually validate him as well. But even

then, Saul was still very scared because he was causing a lot of problem.

Why Saul was a problem because in Jerusalem he's a superstar. You know

what I'm saying. What I'm saying, you know, like, who's like

Padminton guy in Malaysia? Ready, okay, I know that younger. I'm

not that it's got a new version. Okay, okay, okay, here,

you know everybody likes you know, it's Malasi. You're probably is in

there, oh Nicole David. Isn't it proud of them? Isn't it?

They carry out pride? You must understand now, Saw was like that status,

you know. Okay, he you know, he studied under the best

teacher, you know, under Gamelion, and Gamelia was so famous. It's

like in order Court was saying, to know Gamelo, to to know Gameleon

is to know the beauty of the word of the lord, a title,

you know, to know the beauty of the world of the Lord. He

studied under directly under this guy around and he was far and ahead of all

the students. He was a superstar. Okay, superstar everyone knows. That's

why where he gave testimony in Jerusalem. He knows that everyone knows him.

But the moment he converted, it was a betrayal. I don't want to

say that. It's like suddenly Chung changed nationality that betrayal and I was like,

oh, became Singapore, Oh, how dare you you know? But

he was like yeah, I mean like we cannot understand it. But in

that setting it was that type of no betrayal and not. So they couldn't

have him in Jerusalem because it would put the entire uh, the entire believing

community in danger because of him. So what did they do to him?

They sent him up north there to task us back to his hometown okay,

to stay there for three years, like and see, oh you you chill

out first, and you chill out and see what you can do for three

years and that, and so what happened at that time. At the end

of three years, Barnabus went up to enter your and he saw the believers.

Wow, we didn't plant it. But yet God planted and somehow,

by God's grace they leave the right gospel. But they still need a pastor,

they still needed Groomy. And but my nighbers believe that God's work is

just beginning, you know, not ending. You know, if they can

go to Antioch. Okay, how much more he can go to how much

more? How much more Antiochs that we do not know are starting around the

northern part, you know what I mean? Right, we do not know?

And so it's that. But I am a I think they numbers is

half to and have great if not mistaken, because I remember he's got some

relatives. You know, Timothy was one of his relatives. Okay, I

said, we need someone, We need someone who can who who has the

combination of Roman, Greek and Jewish culture, who can speak like them,

not just a person with the tilt background, who can speak and reason with

these people, because these people great culture is very very philosophical one okay,

very very philosophical, very smart, very wise. And then a lot of

them are very studied in mathematics and stuff like that as well. People who

can talk to them, speak to them. I'm not oh, I remember

who is that Paul saw, what do you do? You look at the

map again, So what do you do? Barnabus from Antio is on the

top right there. He decided to go to Tassars to go and grab this

guy, recruit into his team to recruit Saw come back to Antioch. Okay,

and Barnabas and Saul will become the two main ministers in the Church of

Antioch. They started to represent Antioch already. It's like Antioch became the first

planted church outside Jerusalem. Okay, It's like Beu Cyberjaya or exped the first

planto Idiom planet. But her was planted and Barnabas and Saul became the two

most important ministers there. Okay, So what did you learn from this?

God is that work, isn't it? Even through trials and tribulations, with

or without a pastor, with the without a money, with or without a

plan. Okay, God still words. God works out. He was planted

not by a pastor, you know, not planted by any like so called

great leader. It was planted by people who just went there and believe in

condision to share the word. They believe and better have faith. But then

when they start to see God's true, not God. You know, the

currency of heaven is faith, isn't it? When they shared out of faith?

It's I don't know how, you know, I don't even know how

I'm I'm sharing. It's the right word of God. I'm scared, which

is good. But yet God sees the authenticity, and God sees that and

he brings along you know, I mean right, It is the faithful that

draws the lot and it brings one crowd. You are hungry, you are

desired to share. That's my plan. Because of that, I will add

on to you. I bring barnapurse, I bring soul into your places.

Well, game, isn't it not before that? You know, isn't it?

It's like I said, this is the first thing you will see happening

in the Book of Acts. Now we're gonna jump ahead and we're gonna go

to verse chapter thirteen. Okay, I'm gonna jump ahead to chapter thirteen.

Okay, now verse one. Now, in the church that was at Antioch,

there were certain prophets and teachers, Okay, and they start to least

down the leader's name, Barnabas Simeon, who was called Suddenly, I know,

I'll say this is this is could be could be impossibly raise his phrase,

you know, ha ha Niger. Okay, be very careful, okay,

Lucius or sireen Manaian who had been brought up with Herod the tetruck and

salt. Okay, these are the list of people. And as they ministered

to the Lord and fastened, the Holy Spirit said to them, this is

the church in Antio. Okay. Now separate to me, Barnabas and soul

for the work to which I have called them. Oh wow, okay,

why is this so significant? If you're a new church, right you didn't

receive any word and then you're teaching just by faith. Praise the Lord God

send you are too, very great teacher and preacher and encourager. Paul and

Barnabas. And Paul is an apostles ire. Oh thank you God, you

know so nice. But yet that as we are praying, God said that,

okay, I'm gonna send missionaries. Okay, Lord, we will go.

Who would you send? We will send Paul and Barnabus the two most

so called talented, most knowledgeable, the one that was the most encouraging.

Oh that is like the church, like, huh, send other people there?

I send paulantners God. They know the word the Lord. But God

spoke to them, not just to to them, spoke to them as a

church. And the church has to respond as a church to understand the direction

of the Lord and to be willing to release as the Lord called them to

do. You see what I'm saying here. It's how the Lord leads want

to know. And sometimes the church had to release the most precious ones.

You know, it's painful, isn't I told you they were desiring, isn't

it Paul and Barnabas suddenly just came. But then now they have to let

go. How how will we know the world the Lord? Who is going

to teach and feel this pulpit? Then who is gonna encourage us with the

word from Jerusalem? Oh? How the rest of the leaders know? That's

why they least on all the leader's name. Isn't it true or not?

I tell you the church that is never to call to settle down and be

remain where they are on be planted based on the pastor one. It's never

been called to do that. Why not you read the scripture? How the

church that has never been plant based on a pastor or a leader, anything,

whatever and all. It was always by faith and you plant, God

will add and then God was sent, God would at God was said,

always been the the plan. The business model is like that one. That's

why I want to take you on the road trip. I don't want to

tell you phrases because you was like, ah, maybe you're just picking and

shoes and stuff like that. I want to show you the entire journey.

Then you tell me how does the Lord work? And then you don't look

at other places, don't look at other churches, other countries, look at

the scripture. How does the scripture teach church planting? And that's what I'm

saying. Then you will know and realize when times become difficult, when they

are normal officture churches anymore, when churches cannot operate in the public, okay,

suddenly, how does the world continue to go forth? Or we don't

have great teachers and stuff like that. It's all we don't great pastors.

How how do we do that? You have to rise up, because that

is exactly how they responded, you know, the people like the Manayan,

Siamean, Lucius, you know, all these people have to rise up as

well. Now you say that the Holy Spirit is the one saying that separate

to me, Bannabas and soul for the witch, for the word which I've

called them. And then inversaries say, then, having fasted and prayed,

I'm sure they was not easy for them. And then they laid hands on

them there sent them away, isn't it. Now? This brings me to

summarize a few things that you need to learn about the church. What the

church is called to and how this Antioch first planted church. What were their

characteristics and that was so important and to be highlighted in the book or axts.

Okay, so the first thing can go to the next light. Okay,

the church Antioch, the Church of Antio, the first planted church.

They were a generous church. Why do I say they were a generous church?

First of all, they, like I said, nobody planted them.

It's not like, oh, you know, they invested into us, we

seed money and then we grew know, it just happened. But yet they

never saw themselves as different. They always saw themselves coming under the Church of

Jerusalem. Always as an entity, okay, always, And if you go

to extra play level, you don't. I mean, I'm just referencing.

If you go read from verse twenty seven to verse twenty thirty, right,

it says that when the church started, they also received news that there was

going to be a very bad famine happening in the areas down south in Jerusalem,

and stuff like that as well. And because of that, the church

grew very poor. Okay, okay, And you will learn also a lot

a lot of the believers in Jerusalem, a lot of them were priests as

well, and because when they converted christ to Christianity, a lot and loss

of our jobs, lost their jobs, okay, no livelihood as well.

So the drought was one, not the only one the times when they need

finances really to support the believers for livelihood, you know, it's not that

it's really to help them survive. So Anti, you're collected and offering two

and then they send it through who send it through? Paul and Barnabas they

collected the money and then they traveled down south to give to the Jerusalem.

We have no record whether they know Jewish send money to them, But the

only one I know is Antio actually bless the mother Church. They were the

one who collected money. So the need don't ask we sent we believe the

prophetic world, and we're gonna collect it by faith, and we're gonna send

it to them. They were a generous church. There were connected church.

There were a generous church. The second one there were an obedient and submitted

church. What I mean by that you can't see that here here, but

you will later, if you'll see in X chapter fifteen. Okay, Antioch

is different from Jerusalem because the Jews were not the majority people. There were

a lot of other people from you know it said Hellenis Romans, and people

from other parts of the minor Asias and stuff like that. They were actually

there, okay, And so they had a lot of what they call it

influence from other cultures and religions also trying to come in as well, and

the Jews. And so they have the Hellenis Romans on one end, so

the Christian stands in the middle, and then on the other end other traditional

what they call them Jewish groups that also resisted against them as well, because

they say that no, you know, I said, no, we don't

believe that the Gospel and all this message, even you know, anything about

most should be even shared with the gentiles as well, and even some believers

will say that, hey, you know, the before they become Christians,

these believers must be a Jew first. And that's what I'm saying. So

before you become a Christian, Okay, I'm if I'm a gentle and you're

Christian, you need to become a Jew. To become a Jew, you

need to be a proselyte, you need to go through a cleansing ritual,

you need to be circumcised, you need to follow all this. You need

to be a Jew first before you become a Christian. But does the Gospel

say that. No, it doesn't say that you don't need to be a

Jew. And so because of this, you all this debate about needing to

become a Jew first before you become a Christian. It becomes so much in

Antio. Okay, because of the community that they had to resolve it.

Okay, Paul and Barnabas was there. They could said, let Antioch settle

it, as decided. Such a big thing. You know, so this

is a theological issue, big theological issue, you know, to circumcisee to

not circumcize, to eat the off the food. You know, what can

we do and not do? What do we need to be a Jew first

or not. So what do they do say? These are things they are

not decided by us. Is decided by it together by the Jerusalem comes on,

so they don't decide on themselves. They brought their sen actually Barnabash and

sold down to Jerusalem, Okay, to have a council meeting to decide over

it as well. Call eventually praise the Lord. Peter spoke up, James

spoke up, Paul, so they all spoke up. They decided that you

don't need to be a Jew to have circumcision. But if you're conscious what

they say that you only avoid sexual immorality and avoid the foods that offer to

the idols as well, but even the food offer to the idols poor himself

and also like he really you don't really need to depending on your conscience most

importantly do as if most importantly, act for the benefit of others, and

act for the benefit of not wounding others conscience. You know what I'm saying.

If I am doing although I am, I don't I have the right

to do it. But if what I do is hurting and wound wounding other

people's conscience, then I would rather give up my right. It's a very

important practicer. He's not doing he's not he's not wrong in the law,

but he's doing for the benefit of other people's conscience who are not ready,

you get me right. But he can't decide for that. He said,

I'd rather give them up, you know what I'm saying. So that's a

very important So let me go back. So they so anty they did.

They were generous church, and they were not independent. They were submitted church.

They submitted even the major decisions to the Jerusalem Council as well. So

every planter church that happens within also ought to behave in such a manner as

well. Not only for a church, every believer you must also learn to

submit under authormity as well. You don't get to decide some of these things

on your own. You know, there is a proper way that God has

designed so that we can report and submit under. There is safety in there,

you get me right. Imagine if they didn't If they didn't do that,

I tell you what major problem could have happened. In a major problem,

then the then the Jews in Jerusalem said, hey, I heard your

church is doing that. Did you approve it? No, we didn't say

that. Then they will say, oh, these are splinter groups. You

know why splinter groups Spinner groups are as like soldier groups are when they operate

in the war, they decide to do their own thing. We call it

a splinter group. Ah, and a splinter group sometimes in you know,

in movies you see splinter sales. Splinter group is they go Rockland, they

go Merci. There is okay, you cannot be like a splinter church,

you know. So it's a very very important thing. And then the last

one we learned there were a sending church. The DNA of a church of

Antio what became a sending church. And so you know when we when we

most of the time when we talk about Antioch, right, we always talk

about the Antios sot like a hup, like a port, like a place

where you know, a lot of missionaries are being sent forth as well.

Some people used to come to Malaysia, to Singapore, to different places,

you know, issues that wow, you know prophesied that. Hey, you

know, I see you know Singapore Malaysia to be like the antier of Asia.

You can the sending church, the generous church, you know, the

church that is submitted and serving as well. You know what I mean,

right, And sometimes you know in plants not be you would be antier of

of this PJ and your b area together XPG maybe the upper part you know,

maybe you know Expokasi s Karawachi. It could be the antio of different

places as well. There's always the plan of God everybody. Okay, so

far I might speak too fast. Are you guys learning something there? Okay,

great, you have just twenty percent done. I have to pick and

choose, okay, okay, but I will skip some more most of the

important things. Okay, let's move on now. Verse four. So,

being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Solucia, and

from there they sell to Cyprus. And when they arrived in Salami Salami,

okay, Salami is they preach the word of God in the synagogues of the

Jews. They also had John as their assistant. Okay, two very quick

things. First of all, whenever they were when they started their missions,

they sell. The first place they will sell to the island of Cyprus.

You can see them, Matthew, want to so again the first place they

went to the island. There and everywhere that Paul and Bandabas went later on

will be mainly Paul Okay and luke H. Most of the places they go

to the first place they go to find an opportunity to share the way they

go to always the synagogues. Now you know that were I was like,

I was joking about it a day, you know, when I was young,

right in Cebu the pavally what was happening? And I was like,

oh, the vally is on Monday. Hey, let's celebrate it proverly.

You know, I don't have to go to school, don't go you Then

my dad said, don't you know that we don't cele pretty pavally in Sebu?

What? What the horror? You know what? I was like,

why why? Because there's not enough in that? Not enough Indian in Sebu?

The what not enough Indian Sebu? How few? I don't see Indians

every day, but I'm sure they're hiding somewhere that you know, somewhere like

you know. I was like, don't After that I saw so I said,

how many Indians do you need to qualify that? I say, you

need fifty Indians? Fifty Indians fIF fifty Indians. Okay, I don't know

it's you true. But at that time, because my dad is from how

he works for the government, so he knows he still had to go to

work. That's why I know it's true. You have to go to the

ward. It works for the government. So I was like, what,

we cannot find fifty Indians. So I tell you that day when I was

out in the cow with my dad, I was looking out one lit,

the two d the three leader Indians Okay, not being racist, and they're

just really okay, what's what? Rather, where are the Indian brothers?

You know? Where are you when I need you? You know where are

you? We are Malaysians? Were masters understanding? How many away from Sibu?

Are they many Indians? No, it's that hardly can find right.

Even the Mama is operated by Chinese. You know someone, It's like you

cannot find you know, It's like, where are doing this? True enough?

I hardly find them so rare. Okay, Now why do I bring

this? Okay? So different states and government they require certain minimum of people

to form a quorum. Okay. A quorum is a mini uman number of

people to form to start transitioning from an individual into an assembly into a group.

When a certain amount people legally, when a certain amount people start together,

okay. In the eyes of the law or certain institutions, you start

to form a quorum or an assembly by number one. In the Jewish culture

they ceded the same thing as well. When a certain amount of people form

together the former we call it's called the minion. The minion is what they

transition from an individual to become an assembly. What is the number they're required?

Ten? Ten and ten. It will be a very important number.

You will see throughout the Bible as well. Ten spies when Abraham was pleading

with the Lord about the destruction of sutto Megamora. How many ten which cost

ten is when you form the minimum number you require to form an assembly or

a group of people to represent the group of people. So the Jewish culture

is that when you go to a new place, okay, if you have

ten men, you have enough quorum and minion to form a synagogue. That

doesn't man have to be a building, okay, But in a synagogue there

will go through a few things. They will have the cleansing. So it's

like going to a church. Before you go to church, you need to

take a bathwords for them, we should do that. I take a bath

first. They will cleanse themselves and purify themselves. It's called the purifying.

This is what they do. They purify themselves. Okay, they purify themselves

before they enter the assembly. They will read the Torah, they will read

the law, they will do the prayer, and they will maybe give different

ones opportunity to share the word and exportation as well, all these different things.

But you need ten people, not just ten people, ten men.

I'm sorry, they don't dietn'count of women at that time, but there was

a culture that they require ten men. Okay, And when you read the

Book of Acts, they will come to one part. They realized that there

was no synagogue. Later on, Why are non synagogue? Because not enough

men. But there were women who met at the riverside. So when you

don't have enough to form a synagogue, you can still gether, but it

will not call a minion or gathering. But they will meet another place to

still do the same thing as well. So Paul will always go to a

synagogue because he knows that there is where the Jewish people will be as well.

And sometimes the other cultures, the people from unercret will come and join.

Okay, some of them are already converted to Jews. They are called

parstol lights as well. But sometimes they will just go outside there, standing

outside the temple, they cannot go in, and then you just say not

here and then share and then hear what they have to share. Okay.

So this is for you guys to know. Okay. And the second thing

that you mentioned here is that they had John as their assistant. Who is

John? Which John is this? John the Apostle, John the Apostle became

an assistant. I thought he is attaching there. He is not join the

Apostle. This is John Mark, the guy who wrote the Book of Mark.

Ah. So Mark actually joined them in their first trip, okay,

but later you will read here and shortly after that he didn't join them after

Cyprus for what reason, we don't know. We kind of have a fallout,

and Paul was not happy about it, even so, even to the

extent that Paul and Barnabas before they start their second missionary trip later on,

they had a dispute about it about, you know, taking Mark with the

missionary. Paul didn't want because it felt like John Matt abandoned them. Barnabas

is, no, we should bring him alone as well. Okay, then

dispute it, so then they eventually split them. But the good thing is

later on. Okay, when I think he was Paul was imprisoned in Rome,

or I think before he was in prison in Rome, he actually requested

Timothy to bring his letters and parchment, and also John and Mark to comme

as well, because he recognizes Mark as someone who was very resourceful. So

they reconcile ministries. So what does that tell you? Are their differences?

Are their offenses? Sometimes people part of course it happens, but yet the

Lord is always faithful to bring it back as well. You get mean,

right, You don't have to burn breaches with people. Sometimes you don't see

the eel ee on certain things. Yes, I understand that, but you

don't have to burn breaches. Okay, that's very very very important. Now

verse six continue onwards. How much time do I have leather? Okay,

let me finish in the next fifteen minutes. Now, when they had gone

through the island of Pathos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet,

a Jew whose name was bar Jesus well, okay, who was with

the pro council surgis powers and intelligent man. The man called for Bannabas and

Saul and sought to hear the word of God. But elire Us the sorcerer,

which is bar Jesus, the same person as well. We stood then

seeking to turn the pro counsul away from the faith. And Saul, who

is called Paul filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him and said,

oh, full of of all full of all deceit and all fraud,

you son of the devil. Imagine nowadays are in preaching we do this thing?

You know, call you out straight enough in one or the persons.

Okay, if you read them, you know, if you're reading a book

of Isolator, he can be very strong in his word, very direct.

Okay, you enemy of all righteousness. Will you not see it's perverting the

straight ways of the Lord. And now indeed the hand of the Lord is

upon you, and you shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a

time. And immediately a dark misfell on him, and he went around seeking

someone to lead him by the hand. Then the procouncil believe not before now,

when he saw what had happened to him with this guy, he believed,

sometimes we hear all the teaching, and these guys are smart, you

know, educated people. Okay, you can hear and hear, but until

you see the miracle and the power. The Lord demonstrated that the reality doesn't

hit it, isn't it, It really doesn't He in the whole he believed,

Okay, and he believed and uh and he no because of what he

saw. He had been done being astonished at the teaching of the Lord as

well, Base God. Okay, I don't have much to add on to

that for now. Let me just quickly just go to my notes. Okay.

Let's move on now in verse thirteen. Okay, because this is part

very nough. I'm just gonna talk speak about the first few verses. Then

I will have to move on already. Okay. Now, when Paul and

his party set itself on Pathos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia, and

John, departing from them, returned to Jerusalem. I told you, isn't

it John Mark, Okay, didn't continue with them, but he left.

Okay, he went back to Jerusalem. Okay. But when they departed from

Pergad, they came to Antio in Persidia. This is a different Antioch,

Okay. The first Antio that we went to was Antio of Syria. Then

this one they got to Antil in Prosidia. They're both right now in current

modern Turkey, okay, but just slightly slightly different. One in lower Anti

and the upper and if you can go to the map, people always confuse

that. Okay. So there's an Antier on my right there, and then

there is an Antil up to the north an number five, you see them,

there's an antier up Posidia. So a lot of times when the antio

Posidia use the area of our Prosidia and Galicia as well. Okay, So

that was where they actually went to. Okay, now, so verse fourteen.

But when they departed from Proga, they came to Antier in Pasidia and

went into the synagogue again, Okay, I told you every place they go

to. They always go to the synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down,

and after the reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers or

the synagogue sent to them saying, men and bredon, if you have any

word of exhortation for the people, say on, Oh, the rulers are

made mistake, not mistake. Praise God is a good mistake. They gave

all the mic. Some people you give them mind you canno take bad ready,

you know what, right you go to a wedding. Sometimes some anti

ancle I just take the day. He's got a full album of character to

go through. Men some people MC, I give them the They're not gonna

sit down there. God, so many jobs will tell you, you know.

They decided to give Paul the mic. They said, oh, thank

you. I was praying for this the whole time. Give me the whole

give the mic. And he gave a sermon. Okay, I'm not going

to go through because it because of time. But basically I was summarized with

you for you what he was actually talking about. Okay, maybe he can

go to the slide that I have. Okay, so pause message. Okay

he started quite a while. He started from the Old Testament. Okay,

doesn't mean that they all authors go to Old Testamental just like Steven and Peter.

They all go to the Old Testament, but the theme that they cover

is slightly different. Okay, slightly different. So Paul, first of all,

he mentions this, He's saying that you study from if I'm not mistaken

from Moses, saw turns from Moses to the Judges, to Saul, and

then all the way to David, and then even to John the Baptist,

and then lastly Jesus. He said, all throughout history, God has done

one thing. Okay, what's that? One day? God has consistently raised

a leader among them go always raised a leader faithful, and he raises it

up to them. Because you read the scriptures every day in this every Sunday,

you read the scriptures. You should know this. So he's teaching son.

He is referring, referencing to what they learned every Sunday, and then

taking them further. Ah, you you only see until here. While I'm

telling you, I see a pattern. I'm I'm gonna take you forward.

And this what is forward, what is looking ahead and fulfilled by Jesus,

is consistent with what God has been doing. You see how I'm saying.

God has done through Moses, through the Judges, through David, and now

to Jump the Baptist. God has raised all through out. But one thing

all these leaders has been doing is that they have consistently talked about that one

main leader, the Messiah that God is going to send, who is not

just going to lead you, who is not just gonna give you good things.

Who is going to fulfill all righteousness according to what the Father has ordained,

And he's going to save once and for all, and not just for

the Jews, for for the gentiles, and for all the world as well.

You know what I'm saying. So he expanded the Old Testament, but

he also expanded the audience. Ah, it's like a treatader. It's like

all the way suddenly, not just for the jew but for the gentiles.

Suddenly your grapha got two D right now. He expanded two phases into what

is beyond the Old Testament and to the audience as well, now to the

gentle. And so he's talking to something that is very wild, very very

fantastical too, you think, but it's still consistent, you know. And

so the people were were a mazed bye bye by its division. And some

people believe and some people you know who were rejecting it because they were like

Jesus, okay, okay, you can see a bit of day. But

to the gentiles, no, no, no, no, no no no

no no no no, you cannot touch it. You really broke the straw.

Ready, you get mean, right, you really broke the straw.

You're already stretching it ready, but now you're going this way. No,

no, no, no no. This was always the resistance towards poor teaching.

Jesus been raised. I'm still okay. But when they mentioned they couldn't

take it, and many cities when they when they see they couldn't the only

because they're why. But you must understand, it's not just that the gospel

was appealing to them. You know, the gospel was appealing because there was

power, not just because God loves you. God loves you. But what

Jesus came into the picture of what he brought about is there was a resurrection,

resurrection the Old Testament. All of them die. Moses died, so

die, Judges die, Davy died, Baptists died. But Jesus rose from

the grave, extended to the gentile's power to raise all dimensions covered no,

really beyond space and time literally, you know. So it's it's it's it

must understand for the local juicy, it's really hard to grasp and hard to

accept that at that moment. Okay, So you know, and you know,

yeah, so the message was contrying talks about the Old Testament. Summary.

God has always raised a leader and he finally raised Jesus, who among

whom the people in Jerusalem crucify you hord you all horror. All the way

to Antier, all to the areas of Macedonia Roman, they all heard it

the whole about this guy whom they crucified, because because you must understand,

when you are crucified, art it is a major news. You know,

it's like Twitter, Facebook and everything. Will no one know? You know,

I'm saying, you know, it's it's a major, major thing when

and no, it's not like every day they see people crucified. Why not

it's a major thing. It's because the worst punishment. Again, so everybody

knew by saying Jesus not only was crucified, but he rolls from the grave,

and there were witnesses. You see, it's very powerful. It's very

powerful because you dare to say that someone rolls from there, because you are

convinced that the people who witness are still alive and they can give the witness

That's why Paul was so convinced. Paul's was so convinced. It's not just

me, everyone else at that time saw him. There were many, multiple

five hundred plus witnesses who actually saw Jesus as well, and they can testify

as well. So he was very bold to declare that you might not believe,

but they are witnesses. Okay, so it's a very different setting at

that time as well. Okay, let me sorry, just let me just

get them my notes here. Okay. So when let let's see what's the

reaction in verse forty two, Okay, so he shared all this, Let's

see the reaction. He says that, so when the Jews went out of

the synagogue, the gentile's beg that these words might be preached to them the

next Sabbath. Wow, And he says, yeah. Now, when the

congregation had broken up, many of the Jews and developed proselytes followed Paul and

Barnabas, who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace

of God. And in verse forty four, on the next Sabbath, almost

the whole city came together to hear the word God. Amazing, isn't it

decided to just come to the synagogue. You gave me a mic, okay,

la, I take the mic, and you'd been teaching about the Bible.

They'd be teaching about the Thora. Isn't it Okay, let me teach

you thora and I give you more. One session on ere one session on

it, people started to believe. The next Sunday, the wholemost whole,

nentire city showed up crazy. This is not the power of God just from

one session. You know, it's not like the first session he teach He

spoke to many people. You know, they came to hear you know why

because the people who hurt in the first session were so convinced that they had

no choice but to share it. It's how message they're compelling nowadays, isn't

it it's our message they're compelling. It's not about hey, when I share,

can I post it up and then see how many people regal? No,

it was that powerful because the message was compelling. Okay, it was

so compelling I had to share it, share, share, share. It

became viral. Okay, so next, so many people. So sometimes like

you know, you know, it's it's a great reminder. What really gets

the word out it? Is it marketing, aggressive internet marketing? Or is

it the compet telling truth of God? Isn't it so for our own lives

when we evangelize that when we want to see something happen. Now, he

said, God, give me a compelling testimony. Compel me, Lord,

compel me with your truth, the Lord, that what I share and what

I send, what I released, will be as compelling as you desire to

be. That many may know, many may share. You know what I'm

saying. You know, every time you want compel, be compelled, and

then the things that come up from you will be compelling. Okay, and

even the whole entire city will be compelled as well. This isn't isn't it?

The whole entirety was compelled to it. Okay? The jew the Gentiles

were the one. So there were one people of people who were very compelled.

But then on the other side what happened Verse forty five. He says,

But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy.

I told you before, there's a culture, isn't it at that time?

Okay? They were filled with envy and contradicting and blasphemy started. Started with

envy. They start the contradict Did he really say that? Did he really

say that? Because I told you there were no books. It's just the

word of the apostle. You know. They started to work to water down,

to mix it. You know they're watered down, and to mix it.

Sometimes you cannot that. You with water, you add oil, true

or not, you mix it up, confuse it and they start to Then

the last one is to blespheing. You pollute it true not whatter you mix,

and then you pollute everything is is also at one time. Now this

when you see in this world, is it that different gospel being watered down,

gospel being mixed and now god gospel being polluted. It's so it starts

like there isn't it so for us as a church, never watered down the

gospel. Preach your whole truth. Nothing by the truth. Don't be afraid.

Some people say, oh, I just want to focus on love.

But when I talk about resurrection and he to prove it, or I have

to talk about judgment. Ah, it's all one package. People, don't

water it down. Don't water it down. You talk about love, but

there is no power unless you talk about resurrection. One and all. There's

a hope of resurrection and all you talk to a cancer guide. God loves

you, But what am I going to go? Where am I going to

go? You must have been a hope of resurrection. But the hope of

a restaurant comes from the forgiveness of sins and the resurrection and the righteousness of

God. You know what I mean, right. You cannot cut one part

and then stop the other. You cannot water it down. You must keep

the whole thing okay, And you cannot contradict. To avoid contradicting what you

do, you must get it isn't it. But to guard it you need

to know the word the Lord Ah. A lot of people, a lot

of Christians, know the Word of God, but they are not able to

consistently defend it because they have not studied the Word of God enough. I

can tell you you don't need you don't need to be a professor or anything,

but you just need to be diligent. Hey, sometimes when you teach,

I know some of you probably have the privilege of sharing and teaching.

You said, oh, I want to share. You know, I scared

I teach the wrong thing. You know what I'm talking about. I've been

there before. People, How do you think I got How do you think

I myself get to a place where I be confident? It's by studying.

No short cut. No short cut, people, there's no short cut.

Do you think someone we were born like, Oh, I know I'm talking.

I'm convinced for it. No short cut. People. When I don't

know something, I study again, I do and is this the personal?

Is it consistent or not? You go through again and again, no short

cut people. It was late years of no years of really helpting and researching

and earth for me, no shortcut. Then you finally get it. And

so the essence of what you believe was never will never be watered down.

It will never be confused. Okay, you're not confused yourself anymore. And

lastly, when you're so gathered with the word ready, when someone speaks and

you smell even not just a fool, smell a hint, or smell something

foul, you can tell it. You're a blessed feminge. He said,

I believe in Jesus, but I also believe in circumcision. No no,

no, no, no no no. See what they're trying to do.

Then they're trying to mix it up. Oh, we believe in Jesus as

well, but we can also worship the other idols, idol or Diana and

stuff like that as well. Like God, these all things were get me.

You smell it from a far. You know already he's like you cook

career and somebody. I don't know what they put put on inside there or

I don't know what, you know, forgot to put something they added they

forgot or they are Okay, you can smell it from afar. It's bless

femous, it's blessed famous. I don't know what they put put the maato

sauce best famous, Okay, just joking, Okay, So you know it's

so so that's what the world is doing to the gospel. There's what we're

experiencing. So we as believers, okay, must understand. As much as

we want to evangelize, you must have got the back door. Okay.

We cannot have the open door welcoming everybody, but the back door is must

understand the enemy is at the back door waiting. You know, as much

as you're coming in. They are trying to die litle, trying to confuse,

trying to water down, you know, trying they are doing as much

as we must God. Okay, but sometimes we know. See the thing

about missionary is that they are never they They never planted and never stayed there

for a long one whom God has raised and God is Rai. God is

God. God, God is faithful to put them there to to to the

church to be established. One. Paul and Barnabas went through so many places,

but they never stayed there for too long. The maximum is two and

a half years in Nephicus. Okay, they eventually had to go back.

They dependent on the local, on God's grace to groom the local leaders.

And sometimes they were Centimothy as well. Yes, I know, but not

for a very very long periods as well. Okay, eventually, but Timothy

is also considered local. Okay in the time as well. Okay. So

then in verse forty six, then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said,

it was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you. First

means the jew again. But since you rejected and judge yourself unworthy of everlasting

life, behold, we turned to the gentiles. For so the Lord has

commanded us. I've set you as slight to the gentiles, that you should

be for salvation to the ends of the earth. Now and verse for the

ags I draw to a close. When the Gentiles heard this, they were

glad and glorified the word of the Lord. Amen. Their receiving is so

much gladness. Of course, they remove every barrier. You know. They

came in and people are trying to draw that bout. But Paul stood firm

in miss no. But since you reject the purity of the gospel that God

is spoken, we will preach it to them. These people with ha,

we never entered the temple. But yet now on today the word of God

has received us. And now we're not only heard it, we can be

part of it, isn't it. That's the God the gospel, not just

to hear it, but to be a part of it, to be baptizing

to it. You know. The normal barriers they were so and it says

that and as many has been appointed to eternal life believed, so wow,

why can't eternal life? They received it in his verse forty nine, and

the world the law was being spread throughout all the region, but then always

the other side. But the Jews stood up, the devout and prominent women

and the chief men of the city, and raise a persecution against Paul and

Barnabas and expel them from the region. You know, what what does it

mean? Stood up the devout and prominent women? I think, uh,

Okay, you must understand now they're every town, especially in Rome and Greek

cities. Right, they had fought we call patron deity deity. You know

what's a patron deity. Patron deity means that the city will adopt a god

for their city. Okay, so like Ephesus, the patron deity of Ephesus

is who Artemis Diana. So they had the biggest statue of Dina every one

the temple of Dinah. So seven wonders of the will Ephesus there, so

their patron deity. So they adopt. Why they adopt because they follow the

the what they call it the legends as well the myth the mythology as well.

So Ephesus they say that all Dina was cast down from Jews all the

way to the lad and this is the city. And so Dinah was a

very important Athens was who Athena makes sense the prophets Athena was the goddess of

what, goddess of wisdom, oh right, wisdom, goddess of wisdom.

And so in not just patron deity. Different patron deity will attract different groups

of people. Hey, the Athena is God of wisdom, who did they

attracted the young babies? No, the wise men, the philosophers, the

great But so a lot of them will go to Athens with debate as well.

In the in Ephesus, was the goddess of Dinah? Who did they

attracted? Fertility, moon hunt and all these things? Who they attracted?

Young women? Young women who serve as priestess of goddess of Dinah. And

when you serve as prices a goddess of Diana, he was a goddess of

fertility and sexuality as well. So a lot of them were temple prostitutes in

a way. Mmmm. And the women became very powerful and adorn themselves with

a lot of nice long hair, go you know, like look like why

you know, looks like some of the RPG characters. And I just you

know, the mobile phones nowadays, you know, they look like that.

So they were very beautiful and very desirable and a lot very powerful as well.

And it's all that. It says that, But the Jews start up

the devout and prominent women. I don't know who is the patron deity.

You can go and research it, Okay, I suspect it could be Diana

as well, But you know, but I could be wrong. And the

chievement of the city, because why the chiefment and the prominent women, because

these people make a lot of money from this worship and very influential. They

decided what to build, what do, what to be approved commerce and all

stuff like that. And there's a lot of tororists as well. So they

became they basically, you know, influenced that dating's a okay, basically you

know, very very powerful people. Okay. So they brought the powerful people

to their religion as well, and then to store up something saying, hey,

he's not just teaching to the jet does he is rubbing your pouch.

He's rubbing your money. See that you can touch every place. You can

touch their eye, touch that you touch. I can never touch your pocket,

Joe. You can touch the eyes. Yeah, I can touch any

but never touch their pocket. One morning, touch your pocket, out out

you go. And but they in verse fifty one, but they shook off

the dust from their feet against them and came to Iconium, and the disciples

were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. And I'll close here.

We hope you've been blessed by this message. For more information on our church,

please visit as Church RG. We are also active on Facebook and Instagram.

We're believing that this week is going to be a good week ahead for

you. God bless