Paul Missionary Journey (Part 1) | Pr Matthew Chang

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

will light up your day today. I'm gonna be sharing with you guys sort

of like a series. I'm gonna begin a series and uh, it's it's

like a sort of like a it's not three parts, probably more like five

to six parts. And it's gonna, uh sort of like a become a

breach for this year's theme and next year's theme as well. Okay, so

this year is about heaven rules, uh, and for next year it's about

you know, sharing the Gospel. So they're all may no, okay,

so all men God is abled and then all men know as well. And

we're gonna I'm gonna be sharing from the Book of Acts, not covering the

whole entire Book of AX. I've been teaching the Book of X to students

from the Book of of course in our apps our Bible school as well.

But I'm gonna talk specifically about the three missionary journeys of Paul. How many

of you know about the Tree missionary journeys of Poor I see blank faces,

It's like, what is going on? Okay? Good? I like to

share things that you know people are not so familiar with. And it's good

because these are things that you need to know so that you equip yourself with

a lot more understanding knowledge, be a doctrine, so that you know how

the history applies to you as an individual, to your family, and to

your church as well, so that you know how God moves. Okay,

And it's my and a lot of times when we read the Bible, or

we do our break time, or we go to a church when we're expecting

a sermon where it's like, oh, today, I just need to know

what's the message for today? And you know, I need this profound understanding

and like whoa moment, I need an explosion happening in my mind this this

sermon. Sometimes a lot of times it doesn't happen that way. It happens

throughout it through a journey and the things that you need to learn in your

life. Sometimes you might not discover it in the days. Like God,

I need to answer, I need to grow, I need to quickly.

It's like how many nothing? But not mean? What was that? You

think? What was that? People since India cause they get canceled? Ready,

Okay, Now, indeed the hand of the Lord is upon you and

you shall be blind and not seeing the sun for a time. And immediately

that dark mist fell on him, and he went around seeking someone to lead

him by the hand. Who then the procounselor believed when he saw what had

been done, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord. Sometimes you can

convince someone no matter what. But what sometimes people need is to fear the

Lord, isn't it. You can see, you can hear, they can

convince, you know, they can argue and reason to the highest level.

And the Greeks were great reasoning, you know, fantastic reason people. You

wish you with the chef to do their their head where brave into when the

Okay, let's leave us leave the so uh okay? And there when when

then then when? Okay? And now I'm gonna joint a few chapters,

and we're gonna go to X chapter thirteen. Okay, X chapter thirteen.

And this is where a church, an important church, has already been planted.

Okay, and that church is called the Church of Antioch. Okay,

turn to your neighbor and say Antioch. Okay, it's the Church of Antioch,

and it's a very very important church. I'm gonna give start by maybe

showing you a map here, you're gonna have the first line, you guys

see, Okay, So to what's the south there? There is Erusalem.

Can you see Jerusalem? I apologize if you know I'm exercising your eyesight.

Okay, So you see some area and the lower parts of Jerusalem there,

Okay, if you want to know, h okay, the one for another

time. Okay. So basically what happens in Jerusalem. You know what happened

to Stephen, right, So he was persecuted, and basically the believers were

under you know, being persecuted, and a lot of them left not flat,

okay, flat, the Bible says, I think, if I'm not

mistaken, it's X chapter eleven eight. Okay, I can't remember which one

to say. But basically they went up north. A lot of them went

up north as far as Cyprus, Tassars, and even to the places of

Antioch as well. Okay. And so when they went there, it was

not not the Church didn't send then there. Okay, so the believers believe.

But then because of persecution, they went up north okay, ran for

their lives, went up there. And when they went there, okay,

So a lot of the believers, the Jewish believers. Okay, so they

went into They've also brought the gospel with them. They brought the gospel and

where they where? Who do they share to? They shared with their own

Jewish people. Isn't it retestment? You know? Doesn't it really great?

Grill and level high, the real real you can see, isn't it the

Lord theary is definitely people? Sometimes what but what someone wins can come sick

sometimes the watching of the donished thing and when he believes the program and by

they him to live on in some rounds went him, He's not time for

a time for the scene, not bishop and you p is a plot and

of the Hey the Indian okay, immediate because we do not have enough Indians

in Cybul? Was that what got such a thing? One? Now?

So I said, what do you mean by not enough? In? How

many Indears do we need? So I was like how many times? Now?

Quickly bring them in you all for the sake of the students, you

know, No, I'm just kidding, okay, so like, oh how

many Indians? So if I'm not my second my dad told me that time

for a place or a state or locale locale to celebrate the pabaty, you

need to have a quorum of minimum fifty Indians. So I was like,

seriously, we couldn't find fifty. So when my dad drove me out there,

I started to become my eyes open and now I was like, where

are the Indians? You know? Sorry, if any brothers and sisters are

Indians, say, I'm not making fun of you guys, okay, but

this is where my life. I was like, where are the Indians?

You know, I can't believe we couldn't find registered fied the Indians in Seabu.

You know how many of you from Seabul here and you're from Seabul?

You know my pain? Okay, we need more here, so you know

looking you know, I was like, I tell you I had a hard

time looking for Indians. You know in my hometown. You know, I

only found one mama and even the mama was Chinese or no. I was

like, what why could have it? And so because of that, we

couldn't we couldn't celebrate departure. I was like, oh man, such a

shame. But then now if I drag it fur them? So what happened

with the Jewish community? Right? So when they flat or when they move

up first, whether they are believers or not. When they go to a

city, whether it's in Antior, whether it's in Cilicia, you know,

whether it's in Coreadings, you know, where they go there, they need

ten people, ten Jewish people to be gathered, okay, to form a

synagogue. Okay. So the law by their culture is that whenever there are

more, when there are more than ten Jewish men okay, sorry, they

count men okay in the time, Okay, they don't count women. When

they are more than ten Jewish men, they can come together and form a

synagogue. Sometimes, whether there's a building or not, they can form a

synagogue. There's a gathering where they will come for prayer. The reading of

the law can do cleansing as well. So later when you read the Book

of Acts, when they one of the cities when they went to they realized

that Paul and I think it's Look, when they enter into the city,

they couldn't find a synagogue. So instead of going to a synagogue, they

will go to the river side where the women will pray. Okay. So

just for you guys to know, okay, So is it important So when

you go to go to and most of the cities and town cities that Paul

goes to, then he will always look for a synagogue. Why because they

are the same blood, same understanding, same history. So they do need

to explain the gospel from the very beginning. And see what I'm saying,

they know the Old Testament, so it's very it's hopefully he feels that you'll

be easily sun tweeting according to the Old Testament as well. So he will

deliver them because of men but believers, but believe it's okay, it's not

there when they okay, and of tastes of the p and when them when

the basic but which is my book, okay, then mistake phenomen I think

there is about on the bed flaky black enough and left them a lot and

t cute person under two overs were literally the basic the cute press was so

you're going to steep into the urans and happened particularly basic So okay, that's

uh if you okay the result of parts and the meriss okay, okay,

signed your assizing access I'm I'm you know jes you see them rus there sat

that's okay, see I see here joing by evening and port very very verse

of your anti church. Okay, your your name to your and church church.

And then okay, the plant people already church, where is who this?

And teeth in teeth and with the chap feel down and okay as well

as they do. And I'm not a Greek citizen, I'm not a Roman

citizen. I'm a Jew. So who can I bring along that can help

me do this work? And then, you know, because I don't believe

that Ato is going to stop. Anto could be just the beginning of what

God has planned to do. Maybe the Gospel has come out out of the

cage or not the case, out of the confines of Jerusalem, and and

it's just the very beginning. Who can I bring and Barnabas remember who was

there? So Paul? Okay, so remember Saul. When he became a

believer, all the disciples were still very scared, and for good reason,

because he was persecuting the believers. Okay, So he went back to his

hometown tasks. Okay, you see the top there. So Paul was sitting

there for three years, I think it's three years, Okay, sitting there

and you know he was just praying, doing whatever he can, but he's

not being mobilized. It's like you have a department you can't use her,

and the person you cannot use that. Paul was sitting there for three years.

It can't be utilized. You know. No, I received this great

revelation Jesus appeared to me in the middle of the road. What can I

do? So he just waited there. So if you feel like you're not

being used, I don't worry. You're not the only one going through.

But God has a plan for and the purpose for everyone, even the waiting

as well. So Barnabus decided to call Paul and or Saul at the time,

to come to Antioch to serve the church and to minister to the church,

and also prepare themselves for further work that God may be in store for

them as well. And Saw became the perfect person because Antioch was like a

like a port poorier, like a melding pot of all the different cultures as

well. Uh As he was the perfect man who knew the Jewish customs very

well. Who is familiar. I think his mother or one of his parents

uh were Greek. And then he was born as a Roman citizen. Okay,

so he has three backgrounds that really made him an ideal candidate from them.

Okay, So the two of them, what they call it, were

their ministering to the church. And then eventually Antioch became sort of like the

first planted church okay, of Jerusalem, you can say the whole the first

church plant, the first church plant that was not intentionally planted by men,

but was intentionally planted by God. Uh, you know, go it so's

you don't move ahead, I go, We're gonna move ahead, ready,

Okay, So God planted them, planted the church first there without the initiative

of the Jerusalem Church. They planted there. But now it's important for you

guys to understand that Antio become a very became a very important example for the

power of present churches, how we should behave, how we should conduct ourselves

as well. And if you read the Brave Brief History of Antioch, you

know, I'm just going to show you a slight there in the next night.

Okay. The Church of Antioch, although they were uh comprised of a

lot of Jews or mixed Jews, they were there in Antioch. They were

a very generous church. Okay, there were a very generous church. I

think if it's in uh, chapter eleven or chapter twelve, chapter eleven,

you will see that. You know, there was a prophet okay, they

named Gabbers who came to Antioch. Okay, so the Church of Antient what

was happening? There was a prophet who told them that a great family was

going to come and it's going to affect the church, the mother church in

Jerusalem very heavily as well, so the planted church, the younger you know,

younger church. What did they do? They gathered together a collection of

offering to send down to the mother church for relief and support as well.

Hey, they started without any support or not, but then they became Okay,

the ones and there actually supported them. Okay, they were the ones

who were initially they were the ones who were initially receiving a lot of suspicion.

Hey maybe you know, don't know whether they did account or not.

But they were the ones who extended a help. And so the Jerusalem,

although initially they weren't sure, now they become blessed by the planted church.

Okay, they became they became blessed by Antioch. Okay, And there were

an obedient and submitted church. What do I mean by an obedient and submitted

church. Okay. And so sometimes when you have church, there are planting

outside. Okay, the first church there is plant outside. Remember they have

no internet, no email, nor whatepp. You have no idea what's going

on in their meetings or you know, all their disputes. You were concerned

with their teaching and how they conduct things as well. You must understand at

that times, Jewish influence, traditional Jewish influence, was still very strong.

And not only traditional Jewish influence was very strong, they were also they were

the minority. Most of the believers were either from Greek or Roman religion as

well, so there was a lot of influence that come to them. But

when we say that there were submitted and obedient, it means that every time,

okay, especially there was one time, okay, there was a great

debate about, you know, circumcision, a great debate about whether you need

to become a Jew first because before you become a Christian. Okay, So

you know, there was a debate you need to become a Jew first before

you become a Christian. Post says, no, you don't need to become

a Jew. Verse you know, you don't need to go through all these

things you can immediately the gospel is for everyone. The barrier for to become

a Jew is now removed. Ready, don't need to become a Jew,

okay. And so there was a great debate. So instead of deciding from

themselves, what did they do? They say that, no, we will

let the Mother Church in Jerusalem deliberate over it and decide for us. They

didn't decide for themselves. So is there a display of obedience and submission?

It is still it's like, whoa, we've got big metal. We can't

decipher ourselves. Let's acknowledge the authority of the Mother Church. So they and

so they they did that as well, I think if it's in a chapter

eleven, oh no, it's in later in the later chapters. Okay.

So they were a submitted church. They did not decide on theological or any

key important matters on their own, okay. And so in ex church as

well, you will always see the same case as well. You know,

we give a certain level of autonomy for a lot of church plans, but

on key important things we always they always expect that the church plants come back

to the Mother Church to decide on it as well. This is not a

new hierarchia. This has always been played out in the Book of X one.

Okay, always been played out in the Book of X one. There's

always been none by that, okay. And so they did because they recognize

that although we are, they could be a bigger church, there could be

a richer church, there could be a more blessed church. But they always

recognize God's hand on the mother church and the third one there were as sanding

church. Okay, they do not just stated that, oh, we were

a planted church in Antioch and all, hey, you know, we enjoy

a lot of freedom, a lot of blessing as well, we're probably richer

and stuff like that. But they didn't just stop there. They realized they

committed themselves to the to the to the prayer, and then they received their

first mission, their first real mission from God as a planted church. And

there is where we will begin. And I know that I don't have much

time and I'm not to need to move on forward. Everybody doing okay,

so ours okay, if i'm if i'm if I'm confounding, you please,

you know, win wink a bit, you know, then I will slow

down. But everybody, okay, So our clear okay now so X chapter

thirteen, I will try it. Okay. Now, it's saying in verse

one. Now. In the church that was at Antioch, there were certain

profits and teachers. Barnabas Simeon, who was called I have no idea how

to properly pronounce without being in a without being racist or anything. Niger Okay.

I was like, hey, my dead like stumble like oh Niger okay?

Okay? Who Lucius or Sireen Manayan who had been brought up with Herod

the tat truck okay and so okay. So we have these few key leaders

in antiong okay and as the minister to the Lord and faster, the Holy

Spirit said, oh you see that. Wow, the Holy Spirit is directly

speaking to the counsel of the leaders and said, what now separate to me

barnerbas and saw for the work to which I have called them. Then,

having faster and prayer and laid hands on them, they saved them away.

Wow. There's so many things that are being put out there because we see

God, uh, you know, speaking to the church and also directing how

they should lead the church and how they should basically allocate their resources. The

first thing they did. What they did was that they prayed. Okay,

they sought the Lord, and then the Holy Spirit spoke and said that you

need to set aside uh soul and bannerbas to a work means it's a what

means that they are not to remain here. You need to set them aside.

You have your local church here in Ntio, but now you need to

set aside leaders that I'm going to send them to do a special work.

Okay, So the church is always constantly hearing the Lord about how to use

their leaders. You know what I'm saying. That's a very important function in

the church. The church must always be listening and hearing how the leaders might

not what God God is saying, and how the leaders will be used.

Okay, unless the Lord specifically all they will serve the local church and do

whatever they can. But there is a time when God will say separate.

And we see that that the first function of the of the church. They

just start to quite new. They're already sending out already enough. And Paul

and barnabas where they're founding ones and all. What does that tell you?

That means that sometimes you get a local pastor there in the church, they

might not remain there for a long one. Ooh ooh, hey, but

this is the first planted church, you know, not the second and the

third, and fourth and all. The first planted church are the found not

the founding. But you know, the main leaders are already taken read you

know, so what they gotta expect for the rest of the leaders to step

up? True or not? You did you realize that that can happen for

homes as well, isn't it? Oh? Did you realize that, Oh,

sometimes the home leaders are you cannot be there for long one It means

another home leader has to come and step up one and a whoa. Then

you were like, oh no, no, but how is the work of

the log going to continue? You abandoned and you up this antio? Is

it? No? There must be new people. There's why there are other

names here, Nigeria, Lucius, Mineian. You know, true or not?

It's the first example we see here. I'm not making this up.

I'm just reading along. It's like, oh, I didn't realize that there

is so many templates and examples that God has laid out for us, because

say that no, we're gonna take your so coopmost precious and almost like unknowledgeable

leaders. I'm gonna take them. I'm gonna send them for missions, and

you are to lay your hands on them. One you're praying for their praying

for yourself. You know, I know, because I know I have to

surf you homes. No, but you have to step up because the Holy

Spirit is at work. You don't realize it. The Holy Spirit is always

at work. You're putting in your positions to serve. You don't realize it.

But the Holy Spirit is at work, and they know. So what

do they do. They're faster, and they pray, and they are laid

their hands on them, and they send them away. Don't stay there any

longer. You go, better go now. It's amazing when the whole church

fears the Lord. We don't need sometimes have big plans or anything. We

just need people the church to fear the Lord. And when they fear the

Lord, they will always do the right thing. Amen. All right,

let's move on now. So where did they went to? Can I have

the next map? Okay? So we go up a bit further up north.

Okay, So this is a so you see Antioch there? Okay,

on the right side on my right side there. Now, just to not

to confuse you guys, are there are two Antiochs? Okay you're like,

yeah, why did the ancient will name the locales like that? Right?

I don't know, you know, but that's how Okay they name. So

there is Antioch here and I don't have my notes. There's there's Antio ok

here, there's the name. Okay, I'm not there, go a historian.

There's another antil on the top anti of Uh. I can't remember,

okay, Antio Impasidia. Yes, Antio Impasidia. They said, the top

one is called the anti Uppasidia. Okay. So their first journey from the

Antioch there, So where did they went? And they went to Cyprus and

they went to the place full of salami. Okay, No, there's whey

hou salami, pizza salami. No, that's not true. Okay, that's

not how pizza was invented. Okay. At that time, the Romans don't

eat pizza. They don't eat spaghetti. Pizza spaghetti was where but the way,

way, way, way, way, way much later, okay,

there's a one time. Okay. So they went to Cyprus, the island

of Cyprus, and went to path horse as well to teach. Okay,

so let's read here verse for so being sent up by the Holy Spirit,

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

when they arrived in Salamis, they preach the word of God in there where

did they speak? Synagogue? Okay, in the Jewish Nagogue. They always

go to a place. They always look for the synagogu fust. You will

always see this pattern consistently. Okay. They went to the Jewish Nagogue.

They spoke there, and they also had John as the assistant. Who is

this John, Not the apostle Paul okay, and not the apostle John.

Okay, This is actually Mark, John Mark, the guy who wrote the

Book of Mark. Oh hey, this is Mark. Okay, John Mark

okay, and John mar initially followed uh Saul and barnabas as they become their

assistant. But then you were later on. He has got a bit of

a history with them. He joined them for a while, then he left

them, and then when he came back discovering in the days like God,

I need to answer, I need to grow, I need to transform,

you know, within a certain day, certain hour. But it doesn't happen

that way most of the time. It takes a journey. And by that

journey, when you have gone through ups and downs, your sufferings, the

things that you've seen and re see and re examined again, that you realize

now I understand, now, I perceive, now, I become aware what

this truly means as well. And I'm going to take you guys on the

journey and you will go to many places. So I need to borrow your

imagination and your imagination with me and to go to places and to imagine with

me, together with Paul as well, and you will see God's faithfulness.

You will see God's deliverance, and you will see the things that you know,

how the things that God has done, you know, two thousand years

ago now lends itself into a lot of the things that we do in church.

And how God has also been so faithful to guide even our church and

you know ex church here to do the things that we do as well.

Amen. Okay, So the last time that I was here, I talked

about if I know, miss second was about Stephen. Okay, And now

I'm gonna join a few chapters and we're gonna go to X chapter thirteen.

Okay, X Chapter thirteen. And this is where a church, an important

church, has already been planted. Okay. And that church is called the

Church of Antioch. Okay, turn to your neighbor and say Antioch. Okay,

the Church of Antioch. And it's a very very important church. I'm

gonna give start by maybe showing you a map here you're known. I have

the first line. Can you guys see? Okay, So to what's the

south? There? There is Jerusalem. Can you see Jerusalem? I apologize

if you know, I'm I'm exercising your eyesight. Okay, So you see

some area and the lower parts of Jerusalem there, okay if you want to

know, uh, okay, the one for another time. Okay. So

basically what happens in Jerusalem? You know what happened to Stephen? Right?

So he was persecuted, and basically the believers were under you know, being

persecuted, and a lot of them left not flat okay, flat on the

Bible, says I think, if I'm not mistaken, it's X chapter eleven

eight. Okay, I can't remember which one is it. But basically they

went up north, A lot of them went up north as far as Cyprus,

Tassars, and even to the places of Antioch as well. Okay,

And so when they went there, it was not not the Church didn't send

then there. Okay, so the believers believe. But then because of persecution,

they went up north again, ran for their lives, went up there.

And when they went there, okay, so a lot of the believers,

the Jewish believers, Okay, so they went into They've also brought the

gospel with them. They brought the gospel, and where they who do their

share to they shared with their own Jewish people Verse seven. Okay, who

was with the pro consul surgs Poulos and intelligent men? These men called for

Barnabas and Saul and so to hear the word of God. But Elias the

sorcerer, which is the same sorer, but just like maybe it's a longer

name, okay, for soul. His name is translated. We stood them,

okay, seeking to turn the pro counsul away from the faith. So

when Paul and when when Saul and Barnabas went there, they experienced favor.

They were not just teaching in the synagogue. They realized that their teaching he

reached all the way up to the pro consul, and the pro Consul was

asking them, need to say, intelligence man, he was very interested to

hear what barnabasas H Paul had to preach. But you know that something you

must understand that when we preach the word, we are not just going in,

you know, with open arms on it. No from everybody. Whenever

you preach the word, whenever you try to evangelize, whether it's in school,

whether it's in officers, whether to a high importance individual, there will

always be resistance, either directly or indirectly. And you will see this as

a pattern across all the Book of Acts. And why we go through this

series is so that you will realize every obstacle their face. But yet Heaven

still rules, and the work of God cannot stop because so they're all may

no, regardless whether they resist or not, it cannot stop. So that

all may not either they are blessed to the preaching of the world or they

become well we'll not say, okay, they become judged, but they're here.

But they did not respond. Okay, now he says that, then,

so okay, So when when when they were preaching the word, they

this bar Jesus this guy was trying to distort the message, was trying to

sway the procouncer. Because Bar Jesus, who was practicing sorcery and these are

basically quite illegal stuff, he was getting a lot of favor and a lot

of influence over this this guy as well. And to see him being turned

away and by a religion that he's quite familiar with by his fellow men,

he was very threatened. Okay, And so he says that. Then Saul,

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

eyes and pupils widened, and said that all full of this seat and

all fraud or you know sometimes when you go here court cases, that they

go long round before they call you who you are, Paul, They didn't

wete such such time. He just say, oh, full of this seat

and all for you, son of the devil. Oh, how this strong

man, your enemy of all righteousness? Will you not cease perverting the straight

ways of the Lord. What how if we the Christians and all the leaders

or our preachers start talking like that in public, we start getting canceled immediately,

right immediately, get canceled ready, Okay, Now, indeed, the

hand of the Lord is upon you, and you shall be blind and not

seeing the sun for a time. And immediately that dark mist fell on him,

and he went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand. Who

then the procouncilor believed when he saw what had been done, being astonished at

the teaching of the Lord. Sometimes you can convince someone no matter what are

But what sometimes people need is the fear of the Lord, isn't it.

You can see, you can hear, they can convince. You know,

they can argue and reason to the highest level. And the Greeks were great

and reasoning, you know, fantastic reasoners and all you can. You know,

you can be strong and influential like the Romans. But when the fear

of Lord hits and strikes you, you realize whoa There is a God,

and God means business. Okay, let's quickly move on now verse thirteen.

As I drove to a close here, this is only the first part.

Now, when Paul and his party sets her up from Paphos, they came

to Prograd and Pamphilia and John departing from them, returned to Jerusalem. I

told you before, isn't it? This is where John Mark departed from them,

and returned to Jusalem. Why we don't know, he didn't say,

but apparently Mark left, you know, decided okay, uh, no,

Cyprus is the last place I will do my work here. After that,

you will, you know, you guys can go up north again, but

I will go back. Okay. But when they departed from Prograd, they

came to Antioch and Pasidia. So they went to the new Antioch. Can

you go up to that new that first s matma know the XTBO work here,

so not that first match sorry, the third map. Ah. So

from Pathos they went all the way to Perga Pamphilia. The region has got

Pamphilia, and they're all the way up to Antioch. And this area,

you know, it's part of Galicia. They've got different cities there, okay.

And this is around where you know, around this region. It's also

where Paul wrote his first letter the Book of Galicians as well. Okay,

when you read the Book of Galicians, you will realize, oh wow,

this is Paul, you know, you know, writing addressing to them as

well. Okay, when you read the New Testament and the letters are not

in chronological order one you know, just so you know, it's not ch

chronological order one. Okay, Now let's move on and after about in verse

fourteen. But when they departed from Perga and they came to Antio inm Pasidia

and went into synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down, and after the

reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to

them saying, man and brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for

the people, say on. So they went to the synagogue to preach,

and not to preach that. They went to visit first, and then the

temple will do their world. They will do the reading of the Lord,

they will do the cleansing. So suddenly they became so generous and invited.

Is there any man among you, if you're visiting from somewhere, maybe you

want to stand up and give a word of encouragement. Basically, they gave

Paul and Barnabash the mic. Some people, you give them mind if you

don't get back ready, you know, I'm there, You get the micd

that's it. Oh no, you gave him the mic. Okay. So

they gave him the mic okay, then posted that and motioned him with his

hands and said, men, of Israel, You who fear God. He's

he's talking very confidently because these are his brethren. He said, men of

Israel, or are such a title to address? Okay, and you who

fear God, listen. The God of this people Israel, Okay, chose

our fathers and exalted people when they do it as stranger as why do they

say these people, he said, these people because in the synagogue or outside

the synagogue, they were also proselytes. Proselytes meaning gentiles who converted into Jewish

belief. Okay him, they are not born Jewish, but they converted into

Jewish. Kay. And they came to the synagogue. I don't know whether

they can see inside outside, but their name is called proselyte. So to

address them as well, he used to state, not these people the original

the true Jewish people and their history. Okay. The God of these people

is Rare. 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 of about forty years, he

put up with their ways in their wilderness. And when he had destroyed seven

nations in the land of Canaan. He distributed their land to them by allotmen,

and after he gave them judges for about four hundred and fifty years until

Samuel the Prophet. And afterwards they asked for a king. See pattern.

Let me read on again. Okay. So God gave them so the son

of Cash, a man of the trial of Benjamin for forty years. And

when he had removed it, he raised that for them David as king.

See another pattern here, to whom also he gave testimony and said, I

found David, the son of Jesse, a man after my own heart,

who will do all my will. From this man, said, according to

the promise, God raised that for Israel as savior Jesus. Another pattern again.

Okay. After John had first preached before his coming the Baptism of repentance

to all the people of Israel, and as John was finishing his course,

he said, who do you think I am? This is John Baptist,

are saying, Okay, he's answering to people, you know who will say

that, who are you? He's saying that on you know, who do

you think I am? I am? Not? He he referring to the

promised one, the Messiah. I am not the Messiah. But behold,

there comes one with a capital, or the Messiah, the anointed one after

me, after me will come one the Sanders, whose fee I am not

worthy to lose. Means that whatever I'm teaching you, whatever I'm preaching to

you, whatever baptism I'm doing to you, is good. But there is

a greater one to come, the greater hope, a greater message, and

the greater baptism there is about to come as well. Okay, And this

guy, I'm not even worthy to not to tie his other sandals on his

feet. And in verse twenty six he says, men and brethren, sons

of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God. Now

he changes tone. Okay, maybe I pause for before I go to one.

To the verse twenty six. You see Paul summarizing Old Testament. Okay,

but if you summarize it, what was he doing? What was he

doing? Why? Why did he start with this? He was trying to

work. He was trying to lay out a pattern. Say, you all

know the Old Testament, and you know all these famous men all the way

from Moses, from Egypt, all the way to John the Baptist as well.

Okay, but do you notice something there. The pattern is that that

God has consistently raised leaders for his chosen people and got raised. Moses got

raised, Judges got raised, saw God raised David. Okay, God,

they eventually got raised John the Baptist. But these people all died and they

were not the one got raised them. All your people, follow your people,

listen. But there is one, the ultimate one whom God raised among

the people, born among the people, and his name is Jesus came.

So so Paul was laying the foundation, got raised and raised and raised.

But this one, this is the one that got raised that fulfills all the

scriptures all the people before him was talking about. From Moses all the way

to John the pan they were all talking about this guy. This the one

that was the one that God will promise not only just to leave, but

will save them. Okay. So in verse twenty six, he says,

men and brethren, sons of the family of Abra, and those among you

who fear God, if you believe in God, to you the word of

this salvation has been sent for those who dwell in Jerusalem and their rulers.

Because they did not know him, nor even the voices of the prophets.

They when they saw him, they couldn't recognize him, even though all the

people you said you follow recognizes him, which I read every Sabbath, and

you read these books every week. You know have fulfilled them. In condemning

him, said wow, what does he mean by dad? Okay, they

said, And though they found no cause for death in him, they asked

Pilot that he should be put to death now when he 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 those who came out with him from 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, fulfilled

this for us their children, in that He has raised up Jesus. As

it is also written in the second Psalm, you are my son today I

have begotten you and inversitative for it says, and that he raised him from

the dead normal return to corruption. He has spoken, Thus I will give

you the show mercies of David. Therefore, he also says in another sum

you will not allow your holy one to see corruption. For David, after

he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep,

was buried with his father. So corruption. But he whom God raised up

soul no corruption. Therefore, let it be known to your brethren that through

this man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins, and by him,

everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified

by the law of Moses. Beware, therefore, let's what was spoken and

the prophets come upon you. Behold your despises, marvel and perish for work,

a work in your days, a work which you will buy, which

you were by no means believe, though one world, declare it to you

now. So there were three parts. Just quickly summarize it in this slight,

there not the next like okay, So paul message consisted of three parts.

The first part basically is ALTI summary that God has raised leaders again God

has continued raised leaders. But the second part, the middle part of Paul's

salmon, was saying that God has raised them, leading to his son that

Jesus has raised out, but not only raised up. All the things concerning

him were fulfilled by the people in Jerusalem. They didn't even realize it,

did you hear some of them probably heard a lot then, probably have heard

about Jesus, but they have no context of understanding why Jesus had to die.

And see what I'm saying, they didn't understand. It's like you watch

a movie that they had their ending somebody character that you're not understanding why their

character died. You get me right, It's like, oh, I need

to watch another one to understand why their character died. Okay, So they

understood Jesus there, but they did not understand why. So Paul had to

come say, Jesus has to that to fulfill every part of the scripture.

And it just happened so recently, and it was according to scripture. He

didn't realize it. So that so when they say, and if you do

read the scripture, you should know this by heart. They always had to

become come to fulfill. And so because of that, Jesus is the promised

one. Okay, Jesus is the promise one. But most importantly I come

to preach to you. He says, there are a message greater than all

the previous leaders raise. Okay, God may have raised leaders to them,

but they all die. They all saw corruption. Corruption meaning not like you

know, taking a bright day, okay, corruption means that their body basically

rotted away. They all die their bodies they were buried, okay. But

Jesus was different, crucified, verified, but he rose from the grave.

Okay. The preaching of the world of God must always end with the resurrection.

Always when you tell people and then this, you realize that this is

so important. I know, I also become convinced, like you, not

convicted. A lot of times when we tell people share about Christ. Right,

we always say that, hey, God loves you. God loves you.

It's good, it's true. But what is the hope, a hope

that defeats out whether you are rich, poor, you suffered through this life,

whether your love once die, whether you have cancer or not. You

see, God can love you, but all these things, and then you

can feel it, be comforted. But what overcomes this world and this suffering

is resurrection. You see why when we have loved ones as believers, when

we have loved ones who believe that while we take comfort, we don't moant

for eternity. We don't want a permanent loss because we know we will see

them again. Do you understand what I'm saying here? Even when you face

or you're you're impending death, with which will all come, why do we

still believe and hold on because there is the hope of resurrection? Love can

big people have good feelings, but resurrection give them the truth and hope.

You get what I'm saying here or not? It always must be, it

cannot it cannot serve. This is one of the main dishes. And not

that that that that that we that we present as a gospel. But is

it easy to believe for people? No? But it must always be accompanied.

Christianity without resurrection is nothing. It's just another religion. People. It

must always come as you believe as a God, in believing God, not

just believing God, saying God, I will want their rise again. Even

if today, Lord, you do not deliver me from this, I know

I will still hold on to you, Because Lord, where can I go?

Where can I go to to have the words of eternal life? Where

can I go to to have another hope of resurrection? Yeah? I mean

right, he said, God, Let you will be done. I don't

understand it. I don't know how it works. But who will hold my

hand beyond this life? It is you? It is you, Lord,

okay? And so so it comes from phone tree parts. It's a summary,

it's you know. It talks about Jesus and Paul ends it with an

invitation Jesus, Jesus. I can't bearing a gospel, the gospel of Jesus.

Would you believe with me? This is in line with what you know,

in line with the scriptures, in line with what all the four brothers

have told you. In verse forty two, as I draw to a close,

so when the Jews went out the sin the Gentile's back that these words

might be preached to them the next saba. There was a response in it.

The gentiles begged them, and all the word was begging them, Pa,

preach them again next week. You know what, when people are prepared,

they are hungry. You know, are you hungry? Always like,

oh, this message is too long, too much out of my mind.

I remember what I was asking one what one preacher said, Hey, when

you preacher, do you do you do you tourn down your message in terms

of complexity? Or do you you know or do you and pet up,

you know what's the guy? And then you say that you just preach the

truth, but never discount the fact that people are hungry, and people are

more capable of understanding than you think they are. So I share. I

know it's a lot, but I believe that you guys are more than capable

to accept them. And sometimes you might not have an opportunity to hear this,

you know, because I don't know what other preachers are preaching. But

sometimes the things that you learn now you just need to hear it one time,

and you will remain with you for a long long time, and you

will forever approach Book of X differently because one person chose to preach it the

other way. So don't neglect sometimes when it calls out a different way,

okay, verse forty four, And on the next step of almost all the

whole city came together to hear the word of God. But when the Jews

saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy and contradicting and blaspheming as they

opposed the things spoken by Paul. I jumped versus and apologize here, okay,

And in verse forty nine, and the word of the lot was being

spread throughout the region. But the Jews stood up, the devout and prominent

women, and the chievement of the city raised that persecution against Paul and Barnabas

and expelled them from their region. They got expelled even though they did a

good word. But it ended with this. But when they shook off all

the dust from their feet against them and came to Iconium, and the disciples

were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. When you do the faithful

things, you just preach the word of God, okay, even though you

may be rejected, even though you may be not appreciated, even though your

own fellow men may be envious, and they're brought and scheme against you.

All these things, okay, will never be able to rob the joy of

the Holy Spirit. You get what I'm saying here. Now, What what

I'm saying with you is this, have a very clear expectation when you do

your work of evangelism, of witnessing. It's not going to be open arms

when people receive it. But I tell you, when you do it,

there is an either joy and inner peace because it comes from the Holy Spirit,

not man approving of your work. You know, if you're hoping that

in God. If I'm sharing the Gospel and I'm not doing it, I

will receive appreciation in the world. No, I'm sorry. Sometimes even I'm

not talking about just sharing the world. Sometimes even serving Lord, whether in

homes, whether in your church, you will always be appreciated or being you

know, witnessing in the in the market. But you you want appreciation in

this world, you better temper down. Because men will always be men,

the world will always be the world. But the validation that comes must come

from the Holy Spirit. Even when you are expelled, it says that you

were filled with the Holy Spirit, and you're filled with joy and gladness.

Because if not, if they think about it, if poorant bannerbers became discouraged,

do you think they will continue for their second mission trip? They would

have stopped people, but they continue again and again. They went through so

many cities, you know, rejected and rejected and rech and beaten up and

beaten up and beaten up. It's like a preview of how we believers should

not be so quick to give up. But we keep looking for the wrong

source to validate our meaning and our purpose. You know, some people watch

low kis like ah for glorious purpose. Purpose is not about you know.

It's about burden more than anything else. But it's a burden we all share

for the Lord. That Lord is given us, isn't it amen. We

hope you've been blessed by this message. For more information on our church,

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We're believing that this week is going to be a good week, a

hit for you. God bless