Pauls First Missionary Trip (Part 1) | Pr Matthew Chang

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

will light up your day. I'm gonna start with sort of like a series

uh, and it's gonna be from the Book of X. But I'm gonna

cover a series of uh from the Paul's missionary trip. Okay. How many

of you have gone through post missionary tribe before? Oh? You know the

rest site? What is past missionary trip? It's like, what is that?

So it will be good? Okay, So I will need you to

open up your eyes, open up your Bible, and you're gonna take you

guys on the journey. How many guys like road trips? Yeah? I

love road trips. I love road trips, you know, and I always

like to take my kids on a road trip. We're gonna be taking you

guys on the road trip. And the reason why I'm gonna be covering on

post missionary because basically he has three main missionary trips okay, or when he

go through the different age areas of Asia and Asia my now Europe all the

way to Rome, three main missionary trips okay, and you will learn a

lot of things. You will learn how the church operates, how mission actually

worked. You will learn that God rules, you know, especially in God's

hand, rules over the lives of the missionaries and over the lives of the

church. Uh. There's a lot of rejection, a lot of challenges as

well, but also a lot of miracles. Uh. And you will learn

a lot of history. I love history. I enjoy history. I'm not

good historian, I learn, but I love history. I always, you

know, I find that they always teach us a lot of things. You

know. There's always saying that if you if you don't learn your history,

you're abound to repeat it again, you know. And so it's a it's

a very fascinating end. You will learn that also that a lot of things

that you know, when we want to compare our lives, whether the church

and anything that you do, you always want to compare it to the Bible.

You know, don't look at the neighbors so much. You look at

the Bible what they were doing, and how are we doing it right?

It's actually doing it right, it's x doing it right, you know,

So we're gonna compare it to the Bible. The good news is actually a

lot of the things that we do, it's actually in line with what the

Bible is doing actually almost altho, it's actually very very encouraging. Okay,

turn with me to X chapter thirteen, and we're gonna get you to hold

it there for a while while I take you give you guys a bid of

introduction about a very important church. Okay, and yeah, okay, sorry.

Instead of X chapter thirteen, turn to X chapter eleven. First,

Okay, we're gonna read a scripture here, verse nineteen to verse twenty five.

Now it says that now those who were scattered after the persecution that arose

over Stephen again. You know about Stephen. Stephen was being persecuted and he

died. Okay. There a lot of people travel as far as Phoniche,

Cyprus and Antioch, hey, preaching the word to no one but the Jews

only. But some of them were men from Cyprus and Siren, who then

when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists, preaching the Lord

Jesus and the hand of the Lord was with them, and the great number

believe and turned to the Lord. Okay, initially they started preaching to the

Jews, but then eventually they started to preaching to the Hellenists and Lord and

behold a lord of them believe it was amazing. So that's the first sign

ready that God was working outside, you know, of Jerusalem, one of

the main and not of course they were seeing on some parts of Samaria,

but one very clear one in a major city in Greek in the in the

Greek civilization, was in Antioch, verse twenty two. Then news of these

things came to the ear of church in Jerusalem. Okay, the church in

Jerusalem is the mother church. And they had not planted any church yet,

Okay, they're not. The main church was there. And so when they

and it says that, and they send out barnerbles to go as far as

Antioch. Now pout for all, why did they do that? Why did

they send barnerbers to Antioch? Because of all the news they heard, isn't

it. They must understand that they're send with uh, they're sin with urgency.

Because first of all, you must understand, at that time, right,

there are no Whatsapped, no Facebook, there are not hardly any books,

you know, you know, in the time of Roman Constant, Roman

Emperor Roman Constantine. Right, Uh, I was doing a real study is

saying that the amount of Bibles that they had are during that time in the

city of Roma. You know, cares how many Bibles they have? Anybody

want to have a drug, guess how many Bibles they have? One thousand,

two thousand, five hundred one so so dark fifty, only fifty bibles.

Okay, mass printing, Actually I will do another time if I had

a chance that I will do a teaching about and then how the Bible expanded

through mass teaching and Bible and mass prints together helped to deliver literacy to the

mass public. You know, because the first major printed book of that was

mass printed we called the Gutenburg machine. Une, it's called it's the tree

the Bible. It's not English textbooks, Okay, it's not coming books.

Okay. The first book that was mass printed for the public was the Bible.

Okay, so the printed in the mass. So before that, books

were so expensive that only the not just the reach you know, the wealthy

rich, filthy rich can afford, okay, filthy rich. And then when

just the Bible, there were many different books books or different things, you

know, for life or politics, for law or accounts, and the books

even for dark magic as well, I which you will find in later if

you study the Book of exce people will actually buy dark magic books as well.

And then when they took these books, when they burn them, they

it costed so much. They said, one whole town to all their dark

magic books and they burned and it burned amounted up to fifty silvers. Fifty

sil know, the encounter is about no course to ten fifteen million US to

all those worth you know that. You know why so much? Because books

were so expensive. Books code couse you one to two years annual wage,

you know, so most people couldn't buy books because books they were handwritten,

and some of the Bibles, when they had to rent, they would take

at least six months to a few years to write one Bible. You had

no idea, right, you had no idea how hard it is to get

the word of the Lord. And sometimes when Paul and they all the preacher

people ran to them and gathered and he sent a letter, people were like,

oh no. So they really went hard to write and also they to

copy and to preserve these manuscripts. And you know, I think when the

Christian persecution happened, when they started burning the Bibles, it was a very

difficult and painful period for the Christian com as well, it's okay. There

was a real in the sense of famine of the world of God as well.

Okay, so I must understand because of that, the teaching, the

integrity of the teaching, the faithfulness to the Gospel is so critical and a

lot that at that time because they had no Bible. So how did the

people know what is the true gospel? Who has the truth? They only

have the Old Testament, but the gentles have don't have the Old Testament,

they don't have the Torah. So how do these Hellenistic people know what they're

believing are true? How do the Mother Church in Jerusalem know these things?

We are hearing it in a now tens and hundreds of miles away. It's

really hearing the gospel. None of the disciples and when they to preach it

for you get, I mean right? How do you go to a city

which is so abundoned with Greek and Roman religion and culture preserve the true Gospel

of the Lord? You get, I mean right? So they were worried.

So that's why they send Barnabas. They didn't send any other guy.

They didn't send Peter. They didn't say they send Barnabas because Barnaber is known

to be a guy who is a great encourager, great encourager. But they

needed to send a guy who was really well known to go up to verify

what they heard and what they received. Okay, So when the news of

these things came to the ear of the church, okay, they say that

they sent out Bannamus to God as far as Ntio verse twenty three. When

he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged

them all that with purpose and of heart they should continue with the Lord,

for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith.

And a great many men were added to the Lord. Amazing, isn't

it? A church can be planted where no preacher was saying, no Bible

was present in our people. And they started, they and they somehow believe

the true Lord that the Gospel is fool and not crazy. Right, it's

really by the hand of the Lord. It's sometimes you mist it unless you

go deep enough, like, oh, I didn't realize they had so much

obstacles. So the first church that was planted outside of Jerusalem, the first

planted church is the Church of Antioch. It's the very important church that you

and I will have to understand this right. And it was not planted by

them, but by Jerusalem. He was planted by the Lord himself. The

Lord himself planted by allowing prosecution to come, by allowing somehow this person can

go up. And then they share by faith and then shaped by faith without

much scripture. Yet they manted to shave faithfully, you know, to the

tea as well. It's amazing, isn't it. He's really, really,

really quite amazing. So God planted the first church plant there. Okay,

but then you know Barnabus was encouraging them, but he remembered something and he

says that then Barnabas departed for thar taskars to seek soul. Okay, so

pause there for a while. Can I have the slide you know? Can

you did you get my slights? Yeah? Can I have the first slide

up? Or? Okay? Can you guys see and know that towards the

back? Can you guys see? Okay? So I don't have a point?

D you see Jerusalem at the bottom there? Okay, you see there's

an okay, Judea and Jerusalem. So all the way they got past the

Maria, the people were prosecuted. They went up to Phoenicia all the way

to Antio. This is Antio Assyria. Okay, there's another Antio up to

the northwest there. I think there's an ANTIOIDEI. I can't remember what it's

called it. Okay, So they went up to Antioch there, so Bannabas

went there and encouraged them. Okay. Then he remembered there was one guy

in Tasas, and the guy's name is Saul. Saul had been Tasa sort

of like a sabbatical for three years because when he was in task, when

he when he came down right to Jerusalem to meet with the disciples, after

saying I'm converted, I saw Jesus on the in the middle of the road,

and my eyes were blinded. You and anon Ias healed me. The

people were still very scared of him. And then but before he was doing

that, he was already preaching the word of God. And I was that,

how do you know that this guy, this guy who prosecuted us,

is preaching this gospel, he's preaching the true gospel as well? You get

me right, How do we know that he's doing that? He's teaching right?

So so Paul will actually later on, you know, he will go

to Arabia, which is on the on the on the eastern southeastern side.

He went to Arebea for three years. Okay, but you can readly in

the book of Galicians he went to Arebea for three years without seeing anyone.

After three years he came back. He sat down with Peter and he rated

and narrated everything you know about the Gospel to Peter and verified with him is

this the gospel? And Peter verified it's true. So Paul became an apostle

because he personally witnessed and received the message of the Gospel from Jesus directly.

He was accredited as apostle. You get me right, And there is where

and not only that, he was performing miracles. So, like I told

you before, at that time, we don't have the Bible. Don't have

the Bible, So how do we know what is the word of God?

How do we know the world God? So if I teach wrong, you

can know that a person may teach wrong because you can check the Bible,

isn't it. But by the time if you remember, imagine you don't have

the Bible. Someone come and teach How do you know that this guy is

delivering the world of God. How do you know through the apostles, isn't

it? But what makes an apostle that many people who came to be apostles,

you know, So the criteria to become an apostle becomes extremely strict because

the guy is not delivering just the word, but the Word of God and

all. So science and wonders will follow them as well. Ah, So

science and wonders were very very important because of what we don't have at this

moment makes sense, very very important. And that's why anyone who claims to

be apostle, anyone who is preaching needs to be validated by Jerusalem and the

Counsel of Jerusalem. They are Peter all or they send someone to go and

validate as well. Makes sense. So Paul was validated, Antiel was validated

by Bannerbas. But after even though Bannabas who received the Gospel, they couldn't

really use him because the whole entire Jerusalem people were scared of him. He

was before they were dragging people out and sending them to prison. He just

murdered, you know, Stephen, So he couldn't be kind of really of

good use in Jerusalem. So went their Tassars. Remained there for three years,

and suddenly Antiguoch planted, Antio got planted, and Barnabas Barnabas are.

One thing to good about him is that he's great encourager and he's great at

empowering people. He went there, he remembered Paul when he sees the word

Lord, he always remembered people. You know what he says that he says

that verse twenty five. Then Barnabus departed for Tasars to seek sol. Sol

and power can the same, okay. And when he had found it,

he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they

assembled with the church and taught a great many people, and the disciples were

was first called Christians in Antioch. Ah, amazing, isn't it. So

Antioch is a very important church, the first planted church, the first place

where Paul began his ministry as well real ministry he was launched for there as

well. Antioch is a very very important church. Now, so maybe we

can go to my second slide. Okay, So what can we learn?

Okay? I told you this is a journey, but you learn a lot

of different things. So the first thing, there were a generous church,

generous church. Why is this studying antio important? And all this quality is

important because you realize that we are all planted church, just want no no

exambu XPJ. And but how should we govern every church plan and how should

the relationship be? We look at the Bible, how they respond, how

they account, how would the structure being. Okay, if you read in

X chapter eleven, right immediately after after Saul and Barnabas were teaching in Antioch,

right, they will also have a brief passage about relief to Judea.

Okay, he basically says that there was a prophet called a Garbers who called

it said there was going to be a great famine. Okay, there's going

to be a great famine happening in the south, especially affecting Jerusalem as well.

And so when they hurt that, okay, that planted church in Anty

of what did they do? They made an offering, they collected and sent

Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem to what to give it by hand. Normally,

when they send messengers, they don't send anyone wane. They send people whom

they know. Because if you're not a true apostle. You'll tell you fly

already, really fly off with the money already. But they send the people

they trusted. So a church planted not by the hands of men, but

by God acknowledged Jerusalem and send relief. So instead they were looking to be

blessed, they will became a blessing to them. They were a generous church

and a great example of the first planted church, very very generous. Okay.

Now, the second thing about Antioch is that there were an obedient and

submitted church. What do they mean by an obedien suminitter church means that they

follow everything? You know? How did they, you know, became obedient

and are submitted to the to the Church and to the Lord. Okay,

very quickly, okay, if you look into Act chapter fourteen, right,

there's this part called the Jerusalem Council. Okay, what happened is that the

gist of it, very very quickly with you, is that Antio and the

surrounding areas including Galaysia, Corinthia, Rome all the way to Athens, all

these places right the Jewish influence are very small communities of ten fifteen hundred,

two hundred and two thousand people they were surrounded and drowned by other religions and

cultures and everything, but the world of doll was being preached. But yet

at the same time they were also they faced a lot of resistance from Jewish

people and other cultures as well. And one of the main contention, uh,

that's happening in the church, especially in Korenth and other count church was

the idea, how can you become a Christian? They say? So the

main contention came from the the old Jewish belief was that you need to be

a Jew first because you become a Christian. Okay, you need to become

a Jew first before you become a Christian. What do's becoming a Jew first?

You need to be circumcised, you need to take the reader the Lord,

you need fulfill the law and all these things. So you need to

become a Jew before you become a Christian. Paul says, no such thing.

The first letter that he wrote in his first missionar Regip was the Book

of Galicians. If you can read that, if you turn and roughly read

it, it's like, oh, what is it about? Not going back

to the law and stuff like that. You know, many people can come

and teach. But you know my but my teaching came from Jesus directly himself,

and it's being validated. So we are not going back to the law.

We don't need to be a Jew again to become a Christian. Gentiles

can be believers directly without the circumcision and stuff. So you see, when

Antio and the rest of the church were having this problem, did they take

up this directive to let's solve this problem and our all. They didn't.

When such a crucial matter came up, They didn't, you know, what

they understood. They understood God has put a structure, God has planted art

years. But yet there is a Jerusalem there where it was a mother church

where all the disciples were. So when they recognized they brought these crucial important

things, they brought it back to Jerusalem for Jerusalem to decide. And so

what happened is that there was a conference that happened in Jerusalem, literally a

conference. Okay, so the conference required delegates from different churches, and Antioch

sent two delegates. Who did they send Barnabas and Soul Did you didn't you

know that all this was happening, So they send two delegates. They have

to officially send two delegates too down to Jerusalem so that they're convened to report

what they were seeing and they will decide what what was happening. So they

decided, you know, together with Paul, and then after that Peter shared

his testimony, and then James, James was actually the leader of Jerusalem,

not Peter. Ah, you didn't realize that, right, did James,

the brother of Jesus. Okay, he was the main elder and leader of

the church at that time. Then and then deliber you can really in X

chapter seventeen, Okay, and then Deli deliberate that you don't need to go

to circumcision. Okay, no longer, you don't need to be a Jew.

Just teach them to observe, don't eat any of these things offered to

the idols. That's that's it. That's fine, lady. Then you can

become a believer already. So when they delegated and designated this this law,

right, they send Paul and Barnabas back and delegates back to NTO. Okay,

But on top of that, they're sent two more persons. Why why

did they not just why it was Paul and Barnabas not enough. They always

send two more persons because it was a decision made, isn't it. They

don't because we can't just send you to because you came from Antioch. Of

course you will favor Antio, isn't it. So they have to make sure

that this is a decision not just from Antio, not from Jerusalem. They

had to be two people unique to Jerusalem. And so if I'm not mistaken,

they send Judas and Sidels together with them. Ancient type people are having

good confirmation process. One. You know, when you do all the things

I used to come from, all the air I used to send letters are

to bank asking for confirmation on band statements for companies one, you know,

they need to verify and then that needs to be signed one. You know,

so even in the church matter like that, they need proper confirmation one

and on. So they had to they don't have signed letters. They had

to send two unique persons from Jerusalem, not from Antiopy, back to Antioch

to confirm this decision. It was such an important thing for them. Okay,

so now now you see it, they say, actually administration and order

structure, isn't it. There's proper in church order in that time Okay.

So there were an obedia and submitted church. They recognized that submitted this important

decision to the mother Church, and the Lord was with them, and the

Lord granted that I was with them, united them, blessed them, and

gave and then what they planted was fruitful. And then the last one there

were a standing church, which is where we will beginning our sermon. I

feel like just finished one sermon. I did that, MPG. Who okay,

everybody, okay, so far following so much. Now you get an

idea that we have a new halp. Okay, This missionary trip will begin

with a harp, and the heart is called Antioch. Then I just explained

to you the history of Antioch in a brief manner, and Antioch became sort

of like one of the main areas where they started to really send up missionaries

to inspire and to really evangelize a major part of Europe as well. Now

let's go back to X chapter thirteen. Okay, now read from verse one.

Now, in the church that was at ANTIONG there were great certain prophets

and teachers, Barnabas Simeon, who was called Okay, I told you,

I told people I almost stumbled into, you know, like a controversy there.

I was like, look at it, How do I pronounce this?

Okay Niger Okay, I don't know. Okay Niger Lucius or Syreen Manayan who

had been brought up with Herod the tetruck, the Ta truck Okay and Saul

Herod meaning the herold Agrippa and the whole entire family. And Saul Okay.

So it's very important. Now why did they list all these people? Okay,

Barnabas, Sima, Niger, Lucius, Manaia, Bannerbas and Saul.

These were the main leaders in antiong Okay. Now as they minister to the

Lord and faster, the Holy Spirit said, now separate to me Barnabas and

Saul for the word to which I have called them. Then, having faster

and pray and let hint of them, they send them away. Now when

we read there, we just pass it by, you know. But you

must understand that Ander is a new church. They have never gotten a proper

Bible. So whoever God has sent them, and by the grace of God

there somehow Barnabas and Saul appeared in their church praise the Lord. And they

because of that that could have kept the teaching you know and everything integrity.

There give me a song never blessed, but it was never praying. God

spoke, and what they got do remove and send away too of their key

leaders, Barnabas and so the great teacher that sent away, you know,

just planted only you know, and God sent away. What does that mean

that God is always sending out people and God is always raising leaders always.

I can tell you there is no greater trepidation for the Church of NTR than

to send away Paul and Barnabers. They'll be scared and all because remember they

are not a great religion. You know, there are Jews, they know,

traditional tradition, Pharisee seducing who are up against their door. They've got

Heleeni's, they got Roman and got great religion and all other religious banging on

their door. Great, so many idle worshippers and Paul and Barnabas are there

sort of like their their bulwark and their shoes standing there, know, and

God said, I'm sending them away, separate for them. Sometimes you really

don't want to send away your leaders when they know will send the great teachers,

you know. But God said, no, I planted this church buy

my hand, not by your hand. And I've got other places to plant

this well, so who will take up the leaderships? All? The rest

of the people are not all the Seamia, niger Lucius and Manaian. That's

why they are brought up, isn't it. God is faithful with all.

Sometimes you feel like you lost the bannerbers and bought and pause in your life

and your plants. You know, maybe this is not the place. God

is not with us anymore. What you do there? Why you got a

plant? You know, just barely started. It's God's hand. I'm not

I'm not preaching this bye bye bye bye by intention. Why, I'm just

doing it chronologically? You know people, Okay, I know, I'm just

teaching you. When I read it, like, whoa, it's like that

first planted church, you all, No, it's not like they have many

French's first planted church. God already did that. And what did they do?

They faster and pray. I'm sure they were scared. Are you sure?

God? Are you sure? But then eventually they laid their hands and

they were or bedn't to send them away? Okay, So the first plant

planted church was a sending church. You know what I mean? Right?

The first planted church was a sending church. No, So the question,

and I will you know when you apply it, you know, to exampound,

how would you be known with? Are you a generous church? Hmm?

You know it's your heart full for for the the plans for the mother

church. You know? Are you submitted and not surrendered church? Acknowledging that?

And the third are you a sending church? It's not about what you

have, It's about what God is sending us to do, you know?

And then the same thing, same thing. You know, someone you might

have may be in homes. Hey, we just have our whole new new

home leader and oh I can teach the world, can do worship? Or

this one this one leader can. I don't need to do anything anymore.

It got nice home, good freak, you know, always clean everything.

This guy leave the homes really are how there's no more hope in our church

life anymore? How you moved to another home? So yeah, this homer

so hot? No air corn had to travel fifteen more longer, minutes more

longer. A. I don't understand me. You think this problem is new

in Christian life you're laughing and laughing. You know what I'm talking about?

Right? You know, we've all been there, isn't it. We're all

talking, isn't it? We all been there, isn't it? But God

sends you know. But God, God is God schedule and timing one,

you know, just people just to raise up now, But yet God was

faithful to provide our isn't it? And remember our ants are and antio Bannabus

so, and Bannabus was sent and they came back again and again and again.

Now everything they came anti was okay, one know, they even they

thrive. You know. So God rules, Heaven rules in every situation.

Not just we don't have money, we're not healing. God rules even for

the churchmen, for the homes, even for his ministry. God rules,

Hey man, Heaven rules all right. How much time do I have left?

That's plenty? Are you sure already? Okay? So? Okay,

are you enjoying these road trips? Off? Okay, let's move on verse

four. Okay. So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they

went down to Silelucia, and from there they sell to Cyprus. And when

they arrived in Salami Okay, salamis Okay. They are preached of got in

synagogue in the synagogues of the Jews. They also had John as their assistant.

Okay, two things very quickly. Okay, maybe you can have the

map the third slide. Okay. So Antio is on my right here.

Okay, see the Antioch. There's an Antia of Syria and you have another

antier of Pisidia. Okay, due to different antioches. Okay. So from

Antioch they came down to Selucia, which is a port town. Okay,

it's like Klang and the Okay, they went to Clang Okay. Then they

went to be land and not skidding, different island but no breaching. Okay.

So they went to uh what they called it a cypress okay uh then

landed at the port town of Salamis. Then went to pairfors there. If

you've been to Cyprus, I have not been. You know, I don't

know how many people have been Cyprus. I saw online. It's beautiful,

beautiful, been therefore beautiful. Oh my goodness, it looks like wall paper

quality. You know. It's like it's like it's like you think, you

think JPT came out with the island like that. But it's so beautiful that

I water is like it's like crystal clear, you know, came from another

planet or something that's so beautiful. Okay, So they went there, Okay,

and it says there and when they okay, they went there, they

preached the world got in the synagogues of the Jews. Now again and again,

if you read the Book of Acts, every time they come to a

new place, the first place they go to in a locale who they go

to the synagogues. Always to the synagogues. The gospel must be first preach

through the Jews, then to the Gentiles. They did it not because like,

oh, it's just strictly by the law. They did it for a

reason as well. When you come to a new place, it's not like

these people are so united they have oh we're everything multicultural, you know.

They they have really have very very narrow and limited understanding of other religion and

other faith in other culture as well. So to explain the Gospel from the

very beginning, it's very difficult. It's like suddenly I want to come to

you, you you know, ex Martin. Okay, let's let let's talk

about the theory of quantum physics. You know, It's like if you never

build up your foundation of physics, how can you get there? You know,

it's very hard to have that conversation. You have to really boil it

down to a very minute essence. Then you can reference, you can relate,

but it's very difficult. So the easiest crew of people that can relate

to other local Jews. Why the local Jews Because very strong chances the local

Jews have connections with the town and they are intermarried as well. And when

they're the locales understand belief in the faith, it's easier for them to share

the Gospel with them. So you know, I'm saying what I'm saying makes

sense true not it makes a lot of sense to do that. And also

synagogues don't always don't always appear in every town. Okay, sharing this story

is today's the pavally, isn't it. When I was younger in sibul Rite,

I was like, hey, Tom pavalis yeah, it get school holiday.

You know, that's the first thing my dad told me, no school

all day tomorrow. I was like why and then oh, because Sebu don't

have enough Indians. I was like, what how can that be? My

world got turned upside down? You know, how can Sebul do not have

enough Indians? You know? But to be honest, when I grow up,

highly see indians. You know Indians? No, no, no,

I think you put a few Indians in Sebu. They were like, oh

I did. I didn't have a single Indian friend in Sepul. No,

you guys were history making for me. Okay, it's true, but it's

true. I hardly no Indian friends. I uh Eban friends and stuff like

that. No, she was like, how many? That was like,

okay, then how many Indians do we need in Seabul to celebrate the property?

I was on a mission to really make sure that we celebrate the property,

to make sure that all the other students can rejoice over one public holiday.

Okay, how many in years do we need? How many years do

we need? Anybody knows, no one, no one I can smuggle in.

Really we need fifty in the whole sea bull again? What that was

like? How how is it that you cannot find fifty Indians in Seabu?

You know? So now when I see in my dad's car, I really

opened my eyes. And the way the Indians, you know, they are

laughing away. What is fast and met preaching about looking, looking and seeking

for Indians. Okay, I'm not I'm not being racist or anything, but

it's true. I was really looking for Indians. I was like, But

the funny thing is I could it was so hard to fight. I couldn't

find I found one guy. But then the mama that were operating was a

Chinese as well. It was not in Indian. So we really don't have

much Indians at all. I was like, oh no, there's no hope.

You know, I don't know if I go back to Cebu now they

are more than fifty Indians, I don't know. But did you know how

many? Okay I was gonna say Indians. I mean you you need,

okay in a locale to form a synagogue. Don't tell me fifty. Okay,

it's ten. Ten. Ten. Ten is a very important number in

the Jewish system, Okay. Ten? Uh? They say, not ten

spies, okay, ten assemblies you know. Uh. And when when there

they saw I was reading, then they say that they solved like a customer.

And the law say wherever the Jews they go to visit any locales or

they're staying there when there are more than ten Jewish men. So I'm sorry.

They don't come women at that time. Men. Okay, that's true.

You read later on another part they actually they have many women, but

not enough men. It couldn't form the quorum for it. When you have

more than ten Jewish men, okay, you can form a synagogue. The

synogad doesn't have to be a building, okay. Si. Basically, it's

an assembly where they will do the reading of the law, they will do

the prayer, they will do the amidst uh. They are there's a name

cleansing. Okay, it's not you know, the are synagogue. The system

is different from arsenal. When they go to the synagore, the first thing

they do is not entering into worship, you know, and you know,

first thing they do is they go to a cleansing. There is a pool

of water and a pond the actually wash themselves. And the pond water is

very specific. It has to be living water. Living water means what water.

They're massive inlet and massive outlet. It's moving on. So when you

when I well, I mean when you go to Europe, right, there

are different categories of water. The best source of water is always called living

water. Living water comes from either rever is not exactly the best living water.

The best living water is from spring. That's why the Romans like the

aquaducts. The aquadus take from spring. They don't take from the river.

The aquadas are take from a spring all the way down to the sea to

the city. Okay, And actually aquaducts they don't form the most of the

time. They don't go into the houses. They go into the bath.

The bath. So Romans have a robo Roman bath one. That's what's the

one they Okay, spring water from as living water from spring, living water

from where from the rain. So a lot of the houses they have right,

they're actually the roof they have a hole in the roof. I actually

saw it, you know. I was I was visiting the Pompeii and I

saw the ruins. They were showing the architecture a lot of whole. And

then in the main foyer there's the big house is big enough there for a

four yeer and there's a fountain. There's a fountain. It's like a system.

The water will drop down and they will get the water underneath. You

will see the marble underneath. It is like a big tank made of their

carpt and the water will drop there and they will scoop the water from there.

So there is hot from the cistern as well. So that type of

so on from the spring and from the rain. Those are called living water.

The lake water, the river water and water from is secondary third class

water level. They don't drink from there. And know when you understand it.

And then Jesus says, if you anyone who believe believes in me,

I think spring for us, a fountain of living water, has a new

different sense what Jesus is always coming, you know, always fresh living water

in our lives. Amen. Okay, now, okay, Synagogue of the

I talked about the synagogues you know about ten people. Okay. They also

says that they had John as the assistant. Who is John? John is

John? Now? This is John Mark Mark, the guy who wrote the

book of Mark. Do you know that Mark is actually related to Barnabas.

I think it's a I think it's a nephew or something. Okay, Okay.

Mark is related to Bannerbus and Barnabus brought him along. Okay, okay,

So on their first stop on their first missionary trip. Okay, the

mission tree was a whole length but their first stop was in I know,

Cyprus. They brought John Mark along, Okay, and later you will read

that. Okay, we will move on later. Okay, let's move on

verse six. Now, when they had gone through the island of Pathos,

they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, and the jew who was

named bar Jesus okay, who was with the pro consul Surgius powers and intelligent

man. Okay. So this guy is quite a resume man. He was

a sorcerer, He was a false prophet. If you talk about that guy,

resume and ultimate villain that he is there man, he can do magic,

he can prophesy, you know. And he was a jewel, which

is very religious. He's got even the name, you know, really bar

Jesus. You know, I was like, whoa. And then you know

he was well connected someone I know who was the pro counsul with the pro

councilor suris powers. This is you know, very powerful guy. He says

that this man, which is a suri, just powers, not the false

prophet. Okay. He called for Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the

word of God. But Elima's the sorcerer which is the same guy as Jesus.

Okay, we stood them seeking to turn the pro counsul away from their

faith. Then Soul, who is also called Paul okay, filled with the

Holy Spirit, look intended at him and said, okay, all full of

this seat and or fraud you son of the devil. Oh, this is

the only time I will say this here, man, you son of the

devil, you enemy about righteousness? Will you not see? It is persevering

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. Or if you say this right now, you'll be canceled.

Man, immediately, Hey, how can you do this, you son of

the devil? Oh? Immediately censored and cancer. But Saul was not having

none of it. He was having none of it. Okay. And then

in satan and immediately a dark misfell on him, and he went around seeking

someone to lead him by hand. And then the pro counsel believed and when

he saw what he had done, when he saw he had done, being

astonished at the teaching of the Lord. Okay, So you know, sometimes

people can hear the teaching you can be a group. You can be a

Greek, you can be a Roman, you can be a Jew, can

be a Hellenist. Whatever it is. They're here and entitain, but they

don't really believe sometimes until the field of lot strikes them. Yeat me right.

Sometimes the teaching and the intellectual are not enough to bring a reality.

It's true or not. Teachings and intellectuals are not enough to bring to change

your world war an, it is the fear of God intervention. Boom,

there is a God, God is watching, God will judge. Then the

whole become afraid. You know, everything goes out of the window, and

you believe. Okay, now let's move on. Okay, now we see

the title here. He says Antioch. This is a new Antioch. Okay

uh. And Prosidian first, the thing he says, now, when Paul

and his party set self from Pathos, they came to prograd in Panphilia and

John the John Mark, Okay, the Mark departed from them, returning to

Jerusalem. He only went for them, will one stop and he left?

What was the reason he left them? Why didn't he journey then for the

whole trip? The whole what do you call it? What was the word.

I want to say, road trip. It's like you stop at the

first road trip, stop by you stop ready, then I'm not gonna hear

you guys go ahead, you can go ahead to Penang. I will stop

in Okay, you guys go ahead. Okay, But what happened we don't

know. We don't know nobody he doesn't say, but we do know later.

It became a contention for Paul when Paul want when he came back to

Intia, he wanted to go on his second trip in the second trick.

He visited some of the churches again. Okay, Barnabas wanted to bring Mark

again. Barnabas and Paul said, no, he left us. No,

see, things like that happened in church, wasn't it? And I know

he left us. And there was so big the dispute that Barnabas and Paul

departed ways but for a moment. But then eventually Paul reconciled with John Mark,

eventually recognizing that Mark was very used fool. And then eventually you compound

on the Gospels as well. So sometimes you may not start off well,

isn't it Sometimes yourself in the mystery people get offendered and you leave, you

got burnout. You know you got fender. Maybe you're not ready. Things

happen. The truth is things happen, okay, but then eventually reconciliation happens

as well. Everyone must open your heart. I always say this, and

then we've got offenses like true, sometimes we can forgive, but it's not

easy to reconcound. But never burn breaches. Okay. You may not be

of you menom like the guy. You may not trust the person. It's

like, don't burn bridges. Just be respectful. You never know God,

how God uses people. You never know, so don't burn the bridges.

Bring just means burning bridges and means that you do things are dead, becomes

irreparable. Okay, don't do things like that. Just just stay off A

one. But don't burn breaches. Okay, now say it's yeah, okay,

yeah. Verse sixteen, move on, let's move let's move on.

Then Paul stood up and motioning with his hand. Oh no, sorry,

I jumped ahead. Sorry uh Verse fourteen Okay, po jeez. But when

they departed from Pergard, they came to Antio Improsidire and went to the synagogues

on the Sabbath day, and sat down. Where did they go again?

Synagogue again? Okay, on the Sabbath day and they sat down, and

after the reading of the Law and the prophets, I told you, guys

what they do in the synagogue, right, the rulers of the synagogue said

to them, saying, men and brethren, if you have any word or

of exhortation for the people, say on. So basically they had a miclight

men, and they saw Paul. Anyone wants to take the mic, you

want to say something good? No, the thing is you learn now if

you give Paul the mina, you won't get it back on. You're not

gonna get it back right. He's like, oh, thank you, Oh

you gave me the mic. Man, That's it. Really, it's not

that what encouragement, man, It is a sermon. Man. Please don't

do that pitch. Just come up to me or to anyone. I say,

I'm going to preach right now, gonna do this our things. Okay,

then post to that. Okay, we're gonna examine. Paul's gonna deliver

someone. Okay, I'm gonna briefly run through it. I'm gonna skip some

versus due to time, and I'm gonna summarize what he did. Okay,

And it says that, then post to that and motioning with his hand,

men of Israel, you who fear God, listen, the God of the

people Israel chose our fathers and exalted the people when they dwell as strangers in

the land of Egypt, and with an uplifted arm, he brought them out

of it. Now for a time, for about forty years, he put

up with their ways in the wilderness, and where he destroyed seven nations in

the land of Kaynan. He distributed their land to them by allotment. Okay,

and so on and so forth. And he goes through from verse twenty

to verse twenty five, talking all the way from Moses to Salt to Davy

and then to John the Baptist. Okay, I'm not gonna go through of

it to John the Baptist. Now, when it comes to verse twenty six,

he starts with something, Okay, men and brethren, sons of the

family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to you,

the word of this salvation has been sent. He changes tone. He starts

with a summary of the Old Testament, and he highlights a pattern throughout the

history, and you, your forefathers know and on every Sunday, on the

step of you read the scriptures, and you know that God has always said

a pattern. What is the pattern? A pattern of raising leaders, a

pattern of raising his messengers. God always raised his messengers. What does it

mean? God is faithful? We know that. We know that God is

real because throughout the generations and history God has always raised a leader. That's

how faithful God, isn't it? God has never leading all one fellado?

Then for people think of it as a legend. It's like the Greeks that

there are zeals and stuff like that, but now they don't know who is

leading them. They know continuation, nothing to hold on to, only except

the myth and the legend. But our God is a God who continually leads

his people. So unique, you know, isn't it God who continues to

working on it? Doesn't have an ending? Chaplain on God our the book

God is writing. God is still writing, you know. God is still

happening. God is still working and they are more to come. Okay,

God has repeatedly raised leaders. But there's a pattern. Raised leaders they reject,

They raised leaders, they reject, but not only they raised leaders.

They also die, they see corruption, they are buried, and they're no

longer are there. They are succeeded by another one. But now I turn

to you, a man of Israel, the one that God has sent.

And he says, there verse only seven for those who do well in Jerusalem.

Okay, what happened in Jerusalem? And they are rulers because they did

not know him, nor even the voices of the prophets, which are read

every seventh. He's saying that even the prophets bear witness to Jesus, the

scriptures bear witness to Jesus, and yet they could not recognize him. And

he says that having fulfilled them in have fulfilled them in condemning him. They

realized that when they killed him, they thought that they were doing something good

for God, or they will do something good for the people. By killing

him. They actually fulfill the scripture. They were not just reading the scripture

from Afar. They fulfilled the scripture in the role that is not so Niceland.

They fulfill the scripture now if you read so. When he talked to

the people, the people understand because they read the scripture daily. They know

they know what Paul was talking about. It was prophesied. And now that

you give me the news that is happening in Jerusalem, Oh, now I

know why it happened. Actually, it's God fulfilling his prophecy. Now you

see why it's happening in Israel. Are you surprised? You're not surprised,

because God is still writing his chapter and we know these things are happening.

In fact, we are in We know what is going to happen, and

we are just witnessing it, rolling and rolling forward. We know what is

happening. We're not caught by surprise, you know. I mean why I'm

saying that it is just to fulfillment or scripture, and he's telling them the

same thing. It is to fulfillment a screature. They didn't realize it,

but they are fulfilling them. Okay. And in verse twenty so and in

verse twenty sorry twenty eight okay, they condemned it, and they found no

cause for death for him. They asked Pilot that he should be put to

death. Now when they had fulfilled all that was written concerning him. They

took him down from the tree and laid him in the tomb. But God

raised him from the dead and he was seen for many days by those who

came up to him with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, and who are his

witnesses to the people. And now they just paused there for a while.

Paul changes his tune from talking about now the Old Testament to talking about Jesus.

But he talks talk about Jesus not just fulfilled in the scripture, but

he talks about Jesus fulfilling the most important and unique thing about the Gospel,

which is the resurrection. And this is very important for us as believers and

the church that when every time when we teach and preach about the Gospel,

we cannot separate it from the resurrection. A lot of times we ask I

have we are read tempted to talk about Jesus as love, which is true,

but it is not complete enough. Love proceeds to save us, to

forgive us from sin and death. But there is a hope that comes because

Jesus rose from their grave. If Christianity is just about love and God loving

us, and that's it right, he has no power, no people,

nor power. Why should a cancer person who is on their death fatter have

any more comfort than God loving us than That's when there's no hope of resurrection.

How can you comfort a person who has just lost someone they love,

apart from the fact that they know that they can see them again if they

believe in Jesus Christ, what can you hold on to see? The godspel

is not just a few good you know, it is the hope that we

cling on to. No, not for our life's essence. You know,

it cannot be separated from the resurrection. The resurrection is the power. You

go, I'm saying here now and to the Jews and to the Gentiles,

it is the power. And when we share, we must not be afraid

to share about the resurrection. And it is important to know the fact that

when when Portant Manerbus was sharing about it, it is not very far from

the time of Jesus death. You know, when he talks about ponscious Pilot,

he talks about Jerusalem, he talks about the people in what was the

delayed today? Uh okay, Anyway, if the vilagion, what happens is

that they could act actually verify the witnesses. You know, they could actually

call not call them, now, visit them. Hey, the winness,

did you actually meet Jesus? There were actually many witnesses or my more than

four hundred witnesses you know, who actually saw Jesus. After that, you

get what I'm saying here, So it is very verifiable one and know so

it's say I'm telling you right, I dare to say it because you can

verify it. So Paul was filled. It's such an encouragement and boldness.

You know, he wouldn't preach the resurrection now if not. If he not,

he was not certain, and there was backing in confirmation to it.

Remember, Paul is a lawyer, so he knows the legality of what he

preached. Want to know, everything he preaches is either confirmation or witnesses.

One he knows. So we can be very certain that Jesus rose from the

dead, just by the life that was changed by him, his life as

a person that was changed, and by the boldness of his preaching. He

was caught utterly convinced that Jesus rose from the dead, Amen and verse thirty

one. Okay, he was seen for many days by those who came up

with him from Galilee. Okay, I mentioned Galilee to Jerusalem. Who are

his witnesses to the people, And we declare to you glad tidings that promise

which was made to the fathers. God has fulfilled this for us their children,

in that He has raised up Jesus, and is also written in the

second song, you are my son today I have begotten you, and that

he ere raising from their normal return to corruption for his start spoken, I

will give you the mercies of David. Okay. I'm not going to stop

there, because it's a lot and I need to close it ready, Okay.

So Jesus, okay, it's greater than all the forefathers, greater than

all the prophets, greater than all the leaders that God raised, because Jesus

didn't see any corruption. It is him that you need to believe. It

is him whose blood and sacrifice that you need to trust and put your hope

on. Okay. So I mentioned about the resurrection of Christ, and I

will draw to a close. In verse forty two, there, okay,

he says, heyah, the title Blessings and conflict at Antioch. So when

Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles beg that these words might be

preached to them the next Sabbath, where Paul preached this sermon right powerful sermon.

Two reactions happened two kinds of responses. First kind of people. They

were hungry, beg, Paul, can you preach again? We came to

this place for so many years, Okay, but this is the first time.

We are begging you to come again. Nextbirth, he says, he

for the three. When the congregation 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. Okay, so there were gentiles, there

were Jews, and there were proselytes. Proselytes meaning what proselytes meaning gentiles who

converted to Judaism. Okay, proselytes, Okay, you're not born a Jew,

you're a gentile, but you want to convert in to uh, you

know, uh into Judaism and the Jewish belief sometimes because the wife married a

Jewish husband, or sometimes it's just a person who willingly wants to come and

they called. They go through a uh uh post lighting process which is called

which including there walking through the water as a baptism, and there circumcision and

stuff like that as well. Okay, so there's a post lighting process,

Okay, and then it says, here uh for theirs. For on the

next Sabbath, almost the whole city came together to hear the world of God.

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

contradicting and blaspheming. They opposed the spring spoken by Paul. And this is

going to be the theme throughout all the post missionary. You go to one

city, you go to a small synagogue. Okay, it's because I'm not

very big puppy most of the time. Fifty two hundred people not very big

one. They're are other people who were who were speaking there. And he

says that, and after he preached the next Sunday, Okay, on next

Sabbath, almost the entire city show up, almost, he says, you

know, almost the whole city. You know, you're talking about thousands,

you know, crazy almost an entirely shut up. You know, when you

just preach faithfully. The synagogue there was Remember the Jewish people, they were

called to be the sort and love of the world. You know, the

first original sort and love the world. Okay, God puts you in the

place even though you are ruled by a Roman colony, you can still be

a blessing. But yet, for all these years you were just contented doing

your routine. But yet, when someone who bears the word of God speaks

for the first time and releases truth as it is, a whole city response.

How amazing a synagogue can change, How amazing a church can change her

a nation can changed because of a church that releases the word of God.

No special worship, no elevation, group music, you know, Bethel music,

you know, no expensive stuff, you know, just preach. People

were just hungry come back and teach again. Hungry because you know what,

because for the first time they realized that, oh I don't need I don't

need to become a Jew. You know, it's not mean about attoning for

my personal God has paid you all. Yeah. You can say like some

are authentic or nothing, it doesn't matter. But I want that. I

want. I know I heard this news, I know it's real, and

I wanted. People were hungry, but yet the very Jew who built that

synagogue became envious. It's Jesus prophesied, isn't it. Everything that Jesus prophesied

came true. They themselves became jealous. We were so long. Suddenly the

next day this guy preached, the whole entire city showed up. It's you

know, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's they were

it. He says that they were filled with envy, and then from envy

they start to contradict contradictments that to mix a bit. You know, hey,

you know he said this, he said that, and then eventually blespheming

you know, totally untrue things. Okay, that oppose everything spoken by Paul.

Then Paul and Barnabas grew bore and said, it was necessary that the

word of God should be spoken to you first. But since you rejected and

judge yourself unworthy, forever unworthy of everlasting life, behore. We turned to

the gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us. Okay, I'm gonna

speak again. I'm gonna jump to forty nine, and the world the Lord

was being spread throughout all the regions. But the Jews stirred up the devout

and prominent women, and the chief men of the city raised that persecution against

Paul and Barnabas and expelled them from their region. 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. See, you can do

such a great work. You can almost convert the whole city, and yet

get expelled when we preach the gospel, when we USh witness in your household,

in your office, in your neighborhood, in your school. Don't be

afraid. Don't be discouraged. You know how many times they go through different

cities, are rejected and rejected and rejected and rejected, never being able to

go back to their burns. They didn't burn the bridge, but the people

on the other side burned the bridge. I didn't want to. They're burning

on the other side. And sometimes in our lives, we are so worried

that we don't speak the truth. We scared that we're scared we speak the

truth with burn bridges with people. Somehow, I'll tell you what I kind

of feel that we have to accept that sometimes preaching the truth will result in

burn breaches. But it's not us sometimes to build back the bridges. It

is God. But I'm not seeing to do it out of your own strength.

Class. But first of all, God has sent poet Bunerbers and God

clearly moved. But don't get discouraged. Oh, I thought we're gonna be

here in you know, in Antiochy for three more years, just a few

months, a few years. That's it. You're gonna move on rady they

planted. That's it ready. Oh what if they don't have the right teachers.

God will nurture it. God will raise leaders. But we have to

be faithful and brave to share the gospel. Amen. So this is the

first part I'm sharing. I think there's at least five to six most power

series and will journey all the way until the last part of our missionary and

you will learn to see throughout this journey the hand of God working through his

people, through the disciples. You will see how the church irresponsible, how

church should be, what is their heart? What is the governance that you

have as well? And more importantly, how does this template that clear God

is at work with applies to our own current life as well? It's totally

relevant, isn't it. It's so relevant until today. Don't be afraid.

I mean right, So this year we're talking about Heaven rules, Heaven rules,

people by Heven rules for one main reason that all man know, Amen.

Everything that Paul goes through is so that oh man, no the love

and the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ Simen. We hope you've been blessed

by this message. For more information on our church, please visit as church

org. We are also active on Facebook and Instagram. We're believing that this

week is going to be a good week. I hit for you. God bless