Paul's Second Missionary Trip | Pr Matthew Chang

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

will light up your day. I was preaching on the Book of Acts again.

How many of you were there when I talked about the Book of Exiting?

Is chapter sixteen about you know, Macedonian call anyone remembered. I see

a lot of blank faces already. It's okay, I expect that already.

It's okay, no worries. That's why I also do a brief recap as

well. And so just to give an introduction, is that I'm doing on

this series called the Paul's Missionary Trip. Okay, Paul's Missionary Trip, and

right now Paul is on the beginning of his second missionary trip. Okay,

beginning of his second missionary trip. And as you if you turn with me

to X chapter sixteen, Okay, I saw Paul. Uh. You know,

I like to think of it like a road trip. You know,

It's like, you know, you want to go to places. You know.

How many of you like road trips? Yeah, I like to drive

to Pinan, drive to JB. Some of you will even more and more

and more among that and drive all the way to Thailand, you know.

Ah, you know I know a friend who actually drove all the way up

to Ti Bet there. You know, so how I don't know how they

do it. I don't know how they do it, but they they're like

not a friend actually an older friend who's like fifty plus ready he and it's

like two other friends just rent up a four wheel drive and then just drop

all the way up to te Bed there. I don't know how they do

it, but really respect and respect. But it's quite crazy your people who

do that. I like road trips as well, and you know, it's

always exciting when you get to not just hear about it, get to see

things in person. And my desire is that I will be able to give

you an experience and understanding of this journey. And through this journey you will

see God's hand working through the life of the apostles. And as you see

how God works in one person's life, you will also begin to question and

then to seek God, How about me? How do you work in my

life? As well? It's not just that you know you're not just hearing

someone or best God praise God, by you actually witnessing God working, speaking

and moving in someone's life. And when you see that you start to ask

yourself, God, I actually know some experience bits and pieces of that.

Are you speaking to me as well? More than not, God is actually

speaking to you. You don't realize it. God has actually been telling you

something. God has sometimes been warning you about something. Some of you have

dreams. Some of you have dreams that you know always dream and you wake

up like, whoa, you know, I can't remember, but I remember

bits and pieces And then you can't help But wonder is God trying to speak

or trying to tell me something? How many of you know what I'm talking

about here? Yeah? Yeah? How me? Have your dreams? I

have? I dream a lot. I dream a lot. I have a

lot of interesting dreams. I have dreams about end times. I have dreams

about, uh, you know, about my children as well. I have

good dreams, I bet dreams. I dream a lot about my younger days.

Actually I dream a lot and a lot of times that I'm not just

literal. They are actually very symbolic. Sometimes you see your parents. Sometimes

you see your old house. You know, it's like, you know,

hey, I'm living in it, by it? When you wake up,

Why am I dreaming about my old house? You know? Or Why am

I dreaming about that tree that I used to go to? What am I

dreaming about this person I've completely forgotten for years already, And Sten realized that,

oh what is God trying to speak to me as well? Okay?

And so when we go through the Book of Acts, you will see a

lot of things, a lot of themes that is happening here. And I

hope that I will be able to put some things into perspective, like,

for example, the first one. Okay, just a bit of recap here.

If you look at X chapter sixty and I hope you brought your bibles,

okay, and everybody as a bible have a physical Bible, okay,

physical Bible. One day AI is gonna retranslate the Book of the Bible radio,

okay. So you need to have something that the a I cannot even

disrupt. Okay, oh whoa Okay, but always have a physical bibe.

But I still now this I used to. I still go back to the

physical bibe. But you see all the highlights I have. This is a

new Bible. Okay, take a physical Bible, trust me, you know

it will make a lot of difference. So as a quick recap, so

Paul is on his second trip and he wants to go to a certain place.

Okay, But then he says, he said that very clearly that the

Bible, the Holy Spirit did not permit them. So it turned with me

to verse chapters verse seven, Chapter sixteen, Verse seven. Okay, he

says, there have verse seven, and after they had come to Malaysia,

I but persily make sure that you are listening. Okay. Is it Malaysia,

it's Mayesia, maybe Malaysia before Malaysia, Mayesia, Okay, just kidding

it come to Mayesia, they tried to go into Bithnia, Bithynia, but

the spirit did not permit them. So what did you learn from there?

So when you're doing God's work, it's God active or passive active. Sometimes

you made sense or not sense, but God is always working and in some

cases God uh is active and intervenes directly, but a lot of times the

intervention is not direct. Okay, But we see here that the Holy Spirit

is actively intervening. And said they did not permit them. But then it

says on in verse eight, s passing by Mayesia, they cannot trowance.

And then there was a vision that appeared to Paul in the night. Okay.

In his vision he saw a man from Macedonia stood and pleaded with him

same saying, come over to Macedonia and help us. Okay. So another

active intervention of the spirit, and one the beginning they clearly the Holy Spirit

CLD Paul and his team no, and then he gave them a vision to

a place in Macedonia with appearance of a man and said that this is where

you should go. Okay. So it's a very important lesson. You know,

as a believer in Christ, right, you must be able to be

obedient to God yes and to God's no. Oh. A lot of time

we're just looking for yes, yes, yes, no what God says no.

Okay, we have to be obedient to both as well. Okay.

Now, so just a quick recap the last time and I met, and

then when I preached, he says that went down went to Macedonia and then

he went there. His usual routine is to go to the Jewish temple,

but he couldn't find a temple. And okay, and the reason why he

couldn't find a temple is because they were not enough Jewish people. Okay,

I shared your story before last time if you remember that I came from Sebu.

You know Amo, you know where Seabu is? Sure or not?

I asked one feather before in a way sea or they say Philippines. You

know, so I can I trust you guys are not the Philippines. Sebu

and all Okay, there's Cebu and know this is Sara. There's no sea

one you go to. It's like only why God Radjian River? You know

I came to Snorkel. You know I saw so beautiful postcar. Only go

Rajan River or the boy out there? You know, whether the wrong Seabu?

You know you spend the wrong maneyl Okay, there's a Seabua Okay.

I grew up from there. Okay? And you do you did you know

something interesting? We don't celebrate the Papa Leider Truer true or not? We

don't celebrate there. Do you know that there are parts of Malaysia that we

don't celebrate it? Babali Oh, you're like, what how can that be?

Well, Malaysians we have prop multiple holidays. You know, we have

so many holidays. We are proud because we get to have holidays, right,

Yeah, we don't understand what it celebrates. But yes, we have

holidays. We're probably Malaysian, okay, but we don't separateyably. Do you

know why in Cebula not the rest of us? About in Sebu? You

don't? Why not enough Indians? You know, what's the minimum number of

Indians? You need fifty at least that time. That's what my dad told

me. Okay. So it's like, Dad, well are we going to

school? I thought, Pabi, you know, I look at TV and

said, yeah, Babali holiday. But Seebo, we don't have holidays.

We still going to school. It's like, no, we don't have enough

Indians, that's what we don't. Then I then I go into the card.

Cannot be, cannot be. We don't have fifty Indians in Seabu.

So I tell you I got in my car. I tell you I really

opened my eyes. Now one little too little three little Indians? O care.

This is the one time that you literally do that. Okay. So

we are the Indians brothers, We are my brothers. You know. Come,

you know, we gotta do this together. We got to hold hands

and celebrate it. Babai you know. But I couldn't find it cause it'll

finer ma mos store, not my ma store nowadays. Okay, but we

don't have but it's very fascinating. And so you don't have what we call

in a in a more proper way, it's called quorum. Okay. Have

you heard this quorum before? Okay? Sometimes when you go to meetings,

you need to have a minimum quorum, minimum number of people to represent.

Yeah, represent, Okay. So if you don't have enough to represent,

then you cannot have the power and the authority to begin something. And so

for the Jewish people, when you don't have enough Jewish men not women.

They count men, okay, even when they count census and they count men,

you know. So when Jesus feed the five thousand, they count men,

not women. So if you want to count the population, you're multiple

by two or three times. Understand that. Okay. So they don't have

enough. Man said they couldn't have her temple. But there is such a

dilimma, isn't it. You receive a direction from the Lord. You told

me not to go there, You told me to come here, and I

even see a vision. But when I come here, there's no temple.

Who are the people? Prayer? God, I'm ready to serve you I'm

ready to walk into your purpose and your will. But yet there is no

ground, there's no house. Kind of kind of in a weird dichotom me,

isn't it in a weird situation? Isn't it? A lot of us

we expect it to be like that way? But did it de turple?

And this is the message? You know, this is a very important thing

we learn. Now, does it deturple? When God has given you a

will and a plan for you? Do you immediately get discouraged and you shrink

away just because you things are not the way you expect. No, what

did he do? He went to the river. He went to the but

because he knew that even though the man that's not enough. Man, I

know that the minority, the remaining people, Okay, when they want to

come in fellowship, they will go to the river. And I explained before

the reason why they go to the river because when they normally when they have

temple worship, they need to cleanse themselves. Even in Jewish synagogues, in

temples they have called it the misbah. Okay, they have water, they

need to wash themselves. They have to present themselves clean before they do worship

and reading a scripture. In fact, if you want to do it this

way before you come to excherizs and we should put a better water, so

you had to go through the swimming pool wash yourself before we even do praise

and worship. Shall we do that? I know, but that's how they

do it last time and all the times. In all clean water, in

all not only clean water. It must be living water. Oh you know

what it's living water. Cannot be water just you know, but it must

be clean water. Water from the from the rain. They they store up

in the cistern and they use the water, pure water to wash themselves,

clean them and present themselves before the Lord to worship. Nowadays, we just

come out from the car McDonald's. In your car, you stink of French

fries and you know, hash browns. And then you know, you're all

smiling and laughing here because you do that. Okay, then you come up.

Okay, who is what she leading today? Who is preaching today?

Oh? I'm so tired. I'm thinking about my lunch already. We're not

ready to worship. We're not ready to come to the house of the Lord.

We're thinking about, Oh, why is it I should be a home

playing my computer game instead, and oh, you know, but we're not

ready. But in all the times there has there is reverence, you know,

preparation to meet and present yourself to the Lord. Okay. So so

instead of going you know, there's not there's no temper, he went to

the river and know and behold he met Lydia okay, and an important person

who eventually became very influential, also powerful in terms of building, setting up

and building the local church. Okay, So wow, call us to you

know, Paul is saying, God, you call us the Macedonia. It's

not temple. It's okay. We went to the river, we improvise,

and yet your will is there waiting for us. Ah. Okay. So

God partners with men, but man has to be initiative, willing to push

further. You get mean, right, A lot of times we don't push

a bit harder. We stop, but God is waiting on the other side.

Sometimes you go a bit, then you're like, you gotta push on

a bit further. A lot of times we're like, God, I only

want to go if you know, if you tell me, lah, But

God just saying no, you need to push on a bit more. Be

a bit more industrious, be a bit more initiative, be a bit more

willing, be a bit more believing to do things. And man, you

know this is in a case for your own life, for your church,

for your homes, everything as well. Sometimes we're waiting God' wasn't next him?

No, you know what's the next him? Go to the river.

Turn to your neighbor and say, let us go to the river. Okay.

If the next thing you don't know what to do, tell your neighbors

go to the river. Okay, remember this. Okay, if you remember

nothing today, at least you remember this to go to the river. He's

like, why what did pastor met teach about go to the river? Why

go to the Raijan river? That's here? Okay, go into the river

always represents doing the extra to meet God. In Senna, doing the extra

to meet God. Now that is not the only thing happened. So I'm

gonna continue gay in verse for sixteen. Okay, turn me me to verse

sixteen. It says, and now it happened as we went to pray.

It means the author Luke was with Paul. Okay, he was with Paul

that a certain slave girl possessed with the spirit of divination, met us who

brought her master's much profit by fortune, telling this girl for Paul and asked

and cried out saying, these men are the servant of the most High God,

who proclaimed to ask the way of salvation. And this she did for

many days. Okay, now that's possible. While okay, now for meeting

Lydia. They came now to meet a very unique, interesting person in this

place that God has called them to to be. Okay, they met this

lady who for a while she you know, she has been I don't know,

like you know. She say that she has been employed because her masters

or her bosses saw that she has a unique talent. And her unique talent

he says that she is actually able to tail the future or at least,

like you know, have some kind of divination power. Okay, Now,

the first thing you have to understand her it very clearly states again, Okay,

in this world there are spiritual powers, make no mistakes about it.

Okay, I'm not talking about you know, those you see in the cinema,

but really there are spiritual forces. There are powers in place, whether

you know, sometimes different places in villages you have witch doctors, shamans,

you know, and even if you go even back to the days or Genesis,

there are what they call it witchcraft. There is not very present happening

as well. And even right now, I tell you that witchcraft is happening

even in the high places. Okay, high places. We're not just the

last time. They used to have witchcraft in high places, in the mountains,

people like to slaughter chicken and stuff like that, or in the high

places because they see that wall. It's very powerful, it's really glorious.

But in the high places now it's what places of authority and power. Don't

be surprised. I've heard so many things, but I can't verify. Many

people influential, powerful still practice or employ witchcraft as well. So you've got

to be very careful. Okay, when you talk to people, God,

ask God to open your eyes. What are you really fighting against? Okay?

Sometimes you don't know. Sometimes you think that it's just human beings.

Sometimes like just they're just angry with you. Sometimes like why is happening?

Because there are powers that you cannot see. Okay, it's very important here

now it says that this lady began to follow Paul Okay, and started what

crying out, saying that these people come from the are servants of the Most

High God who proclaimed to ask the way of salvation. Well, very interesting,

are this this spirit is helping them to do work? You know,

it's becoming their loud speaker, you know. But is this although they are

telling Oh, thus this spirit is telling the truth. But is this spirit

really helping them really? Because if you see that in the next verse,

it says that Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit,

I command you in the name of Jesus Christ, to come out over this.

If they're in the same team, why is Paul greatly annoyed? You

see, there are people who may proclaim the gospeler, but you may not

may not be in the same team more. You know, Oh, oh,

just because you say you believe in Jesus, you know Jesus, doesn't

mean we're on the same team. You know. Oh, this is a

very important principle in your life. People, you expect this, right,

It's a very important principle. And not just because you say the name of

Jesus. You are my best friend, Radio, I invite you to my

house. Radio. No, no, you must discern the spirit and the

intention. You can mean, right, it's very very even the devil knows

Jesus, you get me, right, even never knows Jesus. You can

say, it's even the devil cat the scripture and people. Oh so this

is very very important. Now you must understand the person and the spirit that

is at work here. But Paul totally did not agree with her. You

can say the same thing, but this is not the plan. We are

not out here, you know. We we have a plan. We are

submitted to the Lord, and we actually, you know, we believe that

God will provide away. We don't go out lambasting, you know, like,

hey, you know I am here, you know, maybe insurance.

I'm gonna you know, before I go anywhere, I'm gonna blow a trumpet.

This is the Lord Jesus Christ message. No, you don't go do

it do things like this God. You don't need to do God a favor

one you get mean right. We are partnering with God. You're not starting

your own company. Okay, a lot of us like to start our own

company. Yay. No, we are partnering with God. When God says

God, we go. But when God says no, we don't. It's

very very important. Okay. Doesn't mean that you have a good business plan.

You have a good business means that God must bless you, you know.

Doesn't mean you're like someone and God must bless you. You know.

Doesn't mean that you say, oh, this is God's God must bless you

and on ah. True or not. God does not owe you that to

know you partner with him. It is very very important. Okay, now,

well, very quiet? Now, by it's true? People, you

rather me tell you or someone else tell you? By it's true, isn't

it? Don't take God's name in vain just mean doesn't mean that you use

God out what everything qualified? Reaaldly, No, it doesn't work that way.

Okay, now let's move on. Okay, and verse twenty that sorry

in verse twenty, verse nineteen. But when her masters saw okay, so

maybe I do one verspect. Sorry, I apologize. But when Paul greatly

annoyed her and said to the spirit, I command you, in the name

of Jesus to come out of her, the spirit came out of her in

that very hour. But when her master saw that their hope of profit was

gone, they seized Paul and Silence and dragged them into the marketplace to the

authorities. Okay, And they brought them to the magistrates and said, these

men and being Jews, exceedingly trouble our city, and they teach customs which

are not lawful for us, being Romans, to receive or observe. Then

the multitudes rose up together against them, and the magistrates told off their clothes

and commanded them to be beaten with rods. And when they had laid many

stripes from them, oh, okay, many stripes from them, they threw

them into the prison, commanding the jailer to kick them securely. Having received

such a charge, he put them in the inner prison and fastened their feet

in the stocks. Okay, so so much for God's plan. Isn't there

come to a place or I saw a vision, I come to this place.

I ended up getting beaten and thrown into the deep parts of the jail.

Oh so, how many of you are still ready to receive a revelation

of God? Feeling trembling, isn't it? Hey? But you know,

but this is a very important thing, isn't it. You think you're not

ready here? But God never sends people who are not prepared. One.

If God calls you, he will prepare you as well, and he will

show you great things. Okay, I know it's some scary. The reason

why I tell you this way so that you will not mistake and you try

to form your own path. When God gives you a path, whether whether

it's not according to your imagination or it's even more difficult, it doesn't mean

that it's not God's. You know, God's will it not. In this

case, are being beaten and standard a prison doesn't mean God it's not there

enough. They were just obedient enough. It's just beyond their imagination. But

let's see what happens. What is the lesson that God wants to tell him?

Okay, it's says say in verse twenty five. But at midnight Paul

and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, underlying that okay, beaten,

send to this place that God has called me beaten, falsely accused doing

nothing wrong. At night. No, your feet and legs are bound in

stocks. It means you, you know, there is a wooden like a

stuff like a framer. Then they actually lock you so you can't go anywhere,

and the jail at that time. I don't have a picture here,

but it's normally very low. You can't stand up mine, it's probably like

threat to four feet. Okay, so it's like it's like a like a

like a like a small pizza over nighted. Okay, you're standing and then

you're locked up. You cannot move. Okay, you cannot stand up.

You can so literally when you're in stocked and chain that you cannot do anything.

You know, you cannot stand up. There's nothing for you to wait

to go on. So they are very good in terms of keeping people in

prison. They really really are very very very good. Okay, being bitten

up and stings and because all the sewerage go through all the toilets. But

yet oh what they doing. They were praying, praying and singing hymns to

God. There is something in them that is winning, that it's prevailing over

there circumstances. You can't mean right, you cannot give what you do not

have. People, simple principle, you cannot give what you do not have.

You cannot be suddenly you're just like, oh this place I must cast

thanksgiving. You know, just the word no, it doesn't word that when

people like you're trying to do it out of your own strength and not.

You're trying to know something in them. There's a there's a spirit that in

their spirit, there is a reality within their spirit that it's overcoming their situation,

there's overcoming their present difficulties. Okay, let's read a bit more and

then I will wrap it up. Okay, I will bring this together.

Suddenly there was a great offquake as they were singing hymns, so that the

foundations of the prison were shaken, and immediately all the doors were opened and

everyone's chains were loose. You know this story very well, okay, In

says yeah. And the keeper of the prison, awakening from sleep and seeing

the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners have fled, drew his sword,

was about and was about to kill himself, but Paul called out with a

loud voice, saying, do yourself no harm, for we are all here.

Let's pause there for a while. Okay. So it was very dark,

Okay, so sorry, maybe you can verse nine apologizer verse only nine,

He says, yeah. Then he called out for a light running and

fell down trembling before points as now we know from this situation that it was

very dark, and it's not very not uncommon, and that a lot of

places. They don't have light one okay, cause light requires oil or wood

and it's not cheap. And most of the time they just let you be

in complete darkness. The whole time when these things happen, right, there

was total darkness. The only thing that could hear was a voice, a

sound, A d okay, they complete darkness, you know, the insense

rise and then people just singing hymns songs out of the darkness. I can't

see your face, you can't see my face. And then suddenly in the

darkness there was a great shacking room. And then that's just like every doors

open. People can't see the doors on. Bom boom boom, bom boom.

And because the jailer couldn't see it, he thought that because the doors

opened, everybody would have run. You get me, right, You just

hear and you assume that everybody were run out. And at that time you

must understand when you are a jailer, when you are a soldier, right,

you are your life is bonded with your captive, with your if with

your prisoner, why not bonded Why no? No, If they run,

you die, yeah, I mean right, they run, you die.

As simple as that one. That is why when you read the account when

Jesus uh the tomb was empty, right, all the soldiers were scared.

You know why, They're all gonna die. You think they will let Jesus,

you know somehow, you know, with superhuman strength roll the stone over,

you know, and then come out and run away. By bye,

I'm going to France. There's a fiorilla. Oh the da Vincico or whatever

you want or whatever. Now the new apologetics want to tell you. You

really think they will let that happen? They die? You know, these

people die if they le Jesus going on and they don't have the gut for

the rest of their life. Just three days, you know, they just

have to gut three days after that normal, no need to gut any moment

because the Jewish believe that if you die within three days there is still a

possibility of resurrection. So just three days enough, Anino. But some of

the tomb was empty and they couldn't explain it, and if Caesar found them

there or die, you know, I mean, right, you realize that

how impossible that situation was. Not to explain it? Now it was possible.

It's really impossible. Gay, But if you read the account in Matthew,

what did they do? They didn't run to their commander and the soldiers

ran to wear They ran to the Jewish leaders. So funny. And why

would soldiers run to the Jewish leaders instead of Caesar? Because they don't want

to die? Simple as that. You don't run to your boss because your

boss're gonna gonna give it to your lie. You get me, as simple

as that. So they ran to the Jewish leaders because they also if Jesus

is missing, they will get into trouble. So they are connected by a

common problem. And now they have to devise a plan to explain how Jesus

to what's empty. But that's for another day, Okay, you understand,

not say so. I come back to this point. A jailer and a

soldier is bonded with their captive, okay, with their prisoner one. And

so when he saw in the darkness that all the doors will open, he

knew, he knew what was going to happen to him. It was death

penalty. You know, I'm going to die. I'm going to die,

and and a lot sometimes a lot that it's going to be interrogated, tortured.

Your families could be included as well, you give me all sorts of

things could be involved. So in your mind is it's like like whoa.

And that's why it says why he was ready to kill himself. He said,

I'd rather die like that and stop and then so that people would think

that, you know, the prisoners overwhelmed him. My families could be spared.

He was about to kill himself. And then what happened, do yourself

no harmful. We are here in the darkness. There was a voice.

I couldn't see anything, but there was a voice that calls out. Why

we know that, it's because in verse twenty nine it says that he called

for a light before they couldn't see anything. You know, he only heard

a voice, a voice say don't kill yourself, don't do your health or

hum Quite amazing, isn't it. Let me summarize this a bit. You

see here a lot of times when we are in a prison right then,

we did not expect. We are bound and shackled in darkness, and people

around you will not be able to understand what you're going through. You yourself

cannot understand. That is what it means to be in darkness. You know,

you get me right, chaining darkness. But let me ask you this

question, are they really prisoners or are they actually free? You get I

mean right? So when it begs you the question, now, out of

what strength and source are they able to sing like a free man in total

darkness? What gives you? What kind of power is able to give you

the ability and their strength to sing out incomplete freedom? When you're abound,

when you cannot see, when you're not strength at all, there must be

another reality, and that reality is that you are spiritually free. So I

actually put up there my slight here. So there's two types of freedom.

There is spiritual freedom and there is physical freedom. You get what I mean

right there? There is a reality here. So a lot of us we

abound physically. You don't can't do a lot of things. You can't change

yours. Maybe you're stuck in this you know you think like, ah,

this family is toxic, this situation is toxic. Ah, this thing is

you know, all this financial difficulty is tough. This you know, physical

problem is difficult. Yes, it is, there is. I will tell

you you can. We can talk long and hard and empathize about your physical

limitation. It is real. But I will let you know that it is

not the complete picture. It's only part. There is something greater, and

there is your spiritual freedom, and there's spiritual freedom is something that it has

to be activated, that has to be believed, and that has to be

coming from the core of your life. You know, there is a spiritual

freedom and you cannot praise. It's very hard for us to worship the Lord

unless we know and have experienced spiritual freedom with God has done something great in

your life. You got I mean right that God has caught you when youve

no. I want to let you know this. I just just came to

my heart. You know, when you are caught by God, truly caught

by godner you have a sense of freedom. Mono. No, you cannot

say that you're caught by God. Are and yet you're a conflicted no no,

no, in a difficult situation. When you're caught by God, like

Paul has, you see a very clear vision, you are freedome, your

free one. Maybe God calls you to do a business and you're struggling with

it. Maybe God calls you to come out to become a full time mother

for a family, because you know the calling on God. There is a

freedom in you to do it. No, no, you can't say what

I'm saying here. You called to a job, regardless whether they pay you

horrible or they take it from right, there is a freedom within you onea

No, God's calling is not meant to burden you one and not the world

was make it sing like you see you following God's call? Okay, everybody

is earning better than you. Oh you sure you wonder follow this God?

You're sure you want to do something else? Like? You know what I

mean? Right? It seems like you're short change one and on. But

God's calling is out. It's all about truth and freedom. There is a

freedom that allows you to worship, and that allows praise to surface up and

even when it's darkness, right, that, even when, even when you're

surrounding is dark and people can only see darness, there is a voice that

goes, Nord, I still worship you. I still uh what they call

it, praise you? And it becomes so loud in the darkness that even

when all the doors are open, when finally the physical world yields and surrender

to God's authority and God's power, you get mean, right, It's always

the spiritual freedom for then the physical freedom unleashed, and people still can't understand

why not? Why is God delivering this miracle for your life? All the

doors open, but before the doors opened there was praise. Then the doors

open, but people still cannot understand you all when the doors open, what

did Paul do? Did he leave? No? Why did he not leave?

You were like, finally, God, you answer my prayer. Oh

God, finally you gave me a job. Opportunity is really by your hand,

but doesn't mean that you must immediately go to the other job. Doesn't

mean that you might immediately jump into it. How many of you are in

this kind of predicament? You're like, God, this is like a good

thing, you know, Why should I go and jump into it? Right

now? Is a whe God, It's all difficult. Too many good things

in my life or the privilege you're so blessed God, too many good things.

I cannot take it. You've got this our prayer and many many If

you've got this prayer, you know, can you pass someone around? Okay?

And pass them around? You've got too much good stuff in your life?

Really, got too much good stuff. I can't handle it. Nobody

The body prayer it's not. But it was like, God, what what

should I do? The doors are opened? What? What is? What?

What is your will? Okay? But you see Paul did not come

out. You know why he did not come out because he was never a

prisoner. That's the thing. You know, if you always saw yourself as

a prisoner, that this is you know that God's will is for you to

escape that prison, then you will leave. But Paul never saw himself as

a prisoner of men. He was a prisoner of God. I'm serving you.

I believe that I cannot see it. Lord. I don't know what's

your plan but in these standards, But I believe there's a plan in this

place. And so even when the doors are opened, I cannot see.

Suddenly my eyes open and I realized this is not a prison. This is

a place of ministry. It's a place of ministry. It was never a

prison. It is a place of ministry. You see, Paul, I

told you before he couldn't see a temple? Was it? Uh? In

order? When he came to Macedonia, he didn't see a temple. Did

he deter him? He didn't. He went to the river, he come

to prison. You think the sea see, it's consistent one and all the

Bible. I'm not telling you different things. You know, it's a consistent

patterner of Paul able to see and believe by faith, God is going to

do great works. So he didn't see an obstacle and say no. He

didn't see a prison and say that I wanted. I have to escape every

place that he was led into. He knew that God was in control,

and so he didn't because I'm here for a reason and this and the reason

is right before me, right now in front of me. I'm in chains,

I'm in darkness so that I may share the gospel, so that there's

someone in that in that far corner there, they cannot see me, can

hear my voice, and I call out, and I pray that he would

respond by faith. Isn't that the gospel? Isn't there the gospel people when

they cannot see anything, but they hear doors that open, chains are abound.

He said, Wow, what must I do? What must I do?

What must me and my family do to receive eternal life? You know

what I'm saying. You know that someone who could live chose not to live,

but to stay so that I might live. See a pop couldn't live

and let let the vela die, you know, true or not true enough?

Jesus could have come down here many people, But don't go to the

cross, he said. Okay, I know I done. You know I'm

good stuff. Ready, My tour is done. Ready, you know something

like like like consert here, I'm here to do a concert. Jesus,

He's not here to do a concert. Okay, world tour. Okay,

some of you, how many have you been in the concerts before? A

co player? A lot of people? Some people go to Taylor Swiftly?

How many? How many Swifties we have here? Okay, don't raise your

hands. I pray for you. Okay, that's okay. Now, I'm

not joking. I'm not I'm not saying if you want, why do you

like Korean k p s fifties? Say, I'm just joking. Okay,

I'm not trying to relate. Okay. So it. Jesus is not here

to do a war too in a concert, okay. Jesus is here to

go all the way to pay our price. Okay. And so we see

this amazing thing here, okay. Now, in verse thirty one, he

says that as I wrap it up, okay, sorry Verse thirty. And

he brought them out and said, sir, what must I do to be

safe? What must I do? You know? And one moment you want

to kill yourself. Now you're asking for for how to be saying? Isn't

it? In versty one? He says, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ,

and you will be safe, you and your household. Then they spoke

the word of the Lord to him and talked to all who were in his

house. And he took them the same hour of that night and washed their

stripes, and immediately he and all his family were baptized. Now, when

he had brought them into his house, he set foot before them, and

he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household. Wow, amazing,

isn't it? When God calls you are to a place in the dreamer.

He gives you freedom, He gives you a purpose. One know,

but I'm not what if Paul stopped halfway. He stopped when he couldn't find

a temple, and he stopped that when you find a lady who's keep calling

you out your name, you get betrayed by this lady and by the by

the workers. You know, by the bosses. If he stopped, you

know, when when he when he was about to be beaten and go to

jail. Ready, what if he stopped when the doors are open? Ready,

isn't it? They could have stopped so many places, couldn't stop it

on. But what kept him there was that he knew that God has called

him and and I prayed it. This will be, this will be something.

Uh that blesses you. You know that sometimes and that's the closest part.

Some of you are making decisions in life. You know, God,

this is his job. God is this this place? And just not many

of you raise your hands right? You know what is what I've learned in

my life. That was a very good guy on how to hear God's works.

Okay, a lot of times God's will. Actually most of the time,

there's nothing to do with you. God call and plan for all your

life. It's not about you. It's not about you. It's not about

you for feeling your greatest dreams. It's not about you having a dream job.

It's not It's hard to say, but it's like doctor Stranger, he

went through all so many things. At the last part he realized her,

it's not about you. It's not about you. And I know that some

of you hear you when I said this, Are you know I'm telling the

truth. You know it's not about you. It's not about you. And

if you are willing to believe that, and you will open up your heart

to that God you want to use me, and it decided to be used

by you. But it's not about me. It's not about me. All

my plans and my dreams not about me. And when you realize that it's

not about me, and then you realize the true meaning of emptying yourself and

you finally surrender to a greater power. It's not about you. Some of

you think, oh, I studied for three years. Ready, God's going

to use this degree. I can tell you God can call you to something

totally different. You know, something may be placed in front of your day

is totally dark. You cannot see and people cannot see as well. But

then you say, God, it's not about me. And so when it's

not about it, now I look at all the evidence in from me.

Clearly right now it's this really God speaking. And when it's not about me,

I realize what I need, true faith, real faith to walk into

it. 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

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a hit for you. God bless