Paul's First Missionary Trip | Pr Matthew Chang

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

will light up your tea. Okay, it's important that we redeem the time.

And so you know, how do we reading the time? You know,

when you look back, you know, for the past two months,

you know, have you done anything? You know and there has been meaningful,

not so much for yourself, for others. You know, something that

can actually translate into you know, what God actually cares about? Isn't it

what God actually cares about what touches people's heart and what touches God's heart as

well. You know, yesterday I was I was kind of blessed because I

met someone. You know, sometimes I took I would take when I have

an evening, I would take my son to go and shoot basketball. So

he likes to play, so I'll bring him and should So I was bringing

me and into the basketball court and I met someone. His name is turn

you uh, and he's a young adult. And I think just after mc

or I met him on the court and I was when I was shooting and

playing with playing around. Suddenly we strike a conversation then and he was you

know, what do you do? You know, I was telling this is

where I do when I come from. Then after that, oh, you

know, I don't know what to do with my life. I don't know

if I should do this, do this with so on the spot right,

I just he said that, hey, let's him give him some career advisor,

you know. Then other day are sometimes you know, you meet people

like that. Then I just felt like, hey, I told him,

hey, tonight you're free, give me a zoom caller and I'll give you

explain a bit further more, you know. Then I said, are you

sure? He said, yeah, yeah, yeah, no, sorry,

I've got time and maybe I'll let you know what time. You give me

a zoom call and you know, you send me your resume. I told

him to send me a resume and I would look true because he was telling

me that he is having problems sending his resume and you know, couldn't apply

what he gets. Let's semi resume. Then after that, when I look

at it and say, hey, who is really your resume? Said no

one. He said, Okay, now I realized that, you know a

few things that helped him not to improve it a lot more, and then

give him some advice on how he should really approach to some of his career

choices. Then speed forward now this year. Then I think he met me

and said, hey, Matt, you know I'm a senior now right now

in a delt now thanks to you, you know, thanks to you.

You know. I was like, oh think, no, no, no,

I owe you a dinner. You know. It's like, oh no,

seriously. Then on the sports say, hey, what do you think

I should do with my next one of my life? Right again? You

know, should I leave? Everybody is leaving right now, you know,

you know, I guess he kind of like, you know, look look

at me in the floor, a dependable advisor. See is where it kind

of got got to where he was right now, isn't it. So I

was like, okay, no, I give him advice. I said,

it should be your skill for the first five years, then you should be

on network for the next five years, you know, and then for the

next ten years you would leave off your skill and your network for the next

ten years, you know, something like that. He was like, oh,

this is actually very good advice. Or you know, when I when

I when I when I when I came up from that right Although he was

a I'm not sure whether he is a believer or unbelievers. I didn't.

I wasn't that front up front with him. I just remembered, you know

that a lot of times, actually the most fulfilling things in life are really

in ministry. You know, in ministry there are art ministry someone told me

before there are there are art ministries, and there are heart ministries. Art

art and their heart ministries both are important, but heart will always take precedence

over the art. You know. I always encourage, you know, anyone

who's serving the Lord, say, if you serve in ministry, in the

worshiing ministry, great, continue to do that. But you cannot just do

one. You have to do the heart ministry as well. You must be

involved in heart ministrymings. You must allow someone to speak into your life,

and you've got to be able to sow into another life as well. And

you realize the wine becomes sweeter when you're pour into someone else's life. Yeah,

I mean right, it's really that. So my question is that if

you feel like, hey, what have I have this been productive? It's

not about how many books you read, how many costUS you sign up on

nine you know, whether you went to the mountains and you know, no,

have you sown into someone's life? Yeah, I mean right, you

know, you put a bit and they realize that in two three years it

comes out so much fruit. You know, you don't realize sometimes the words

that you speak and the moments that you spend people are read so much for

their lives. You know, even until now, I tell you, I

remember the people who so into my life. I remember there was one time

in university. I know this pastor by his name is Stuart Ray. I

think he's gone with the lot already. You know, I see him a

lot of times, you know, but I don't really know him. You

know, he comes across as someone who's teaching is a bit boring. But

I'll be very honest, I was like, oh that at that young mind,

at the young age of my life, I could appreciate it, you

know, So why is this feather? I like this pastor Malla, now,

this pastor Molla, you know, all this kind of talk. You

know, I help that. But then when I one day then he you

know, I don't know why it happens so much that he was sending me

off to my home. Then as a young man, I was like,

yeah, okay, that's thank you so much. Then and there after that,

you know, I don't know why. I started explaining to him,

it's like a few you know, going through some things in my life.

Then he asked me, mad, why did I come over to my house

tomorrow? Stay with me tomorrow? I pick you up. I was like,

what Saturday? Are you saying? You sure? What are you doing

tomorrow? Why you have to lose? Oh, but I got church on

Sunday. You come to my church then they just have a visit. Okay,

okay, okay, so he said, then ask him what time do

you want me to wake up? And say, wake up? Wake up

at five o'clock in the morning. Was like, what five o'clock? Why,

it's only because my house is a buil of distance. So I said,

okay, fine, I'll wake up five o'cloding the money. So I

wake at five o'clock in the morning, and sure he showed up. There's

my oh simple car, and from there in Melbourne and all and he drove

all the way from Melbourne picking me up and then went to Geelong. You

know how far is Geelong? How many hours? Two hours? Right?

He drove. He took two hours to drive to me and then two two

hours to drive back. So he we woke at for something, you know,

three, three, four o'clock in to pick me up at five.

You know. Okay, it's like he hardly knows me, you know,

and he did that for me. So I was like, wow, he

will do that for me. I hardly know him, and somehore in my

mind, I was like, I find this guy a bit boring, you

know. That's that's ignorant me, ignorant me. I'm not saying well,

I'm right, I'm just saying I was very ignorant at that time. So

he drove me and he will pick me up hardly same match. I just

look at the view, only it's the longest view I've ever seen. Something

you always expect to sit in the car of a pastor or have a long

talk. Not hardly say much as so I just look at a long view

lots of green and gray and brown and all arrived at his house. You

know. It's like, oh, I took many deep into the cottage.

You know. His house is like from the sixties. You know, it's

like those very pretty china and ports and then very old school beds and stuff

like that. So it's interesting, man, here's one the children are already

grown up and not working there. Stayed there simple. Then he brought me

around to his simple church. And the church is very beautiful, very simple,

very small town church. And then all the washes just the road,

and they are filled with Argentinians, Japanese, Spanish, they have you know,

Canadians who get together and then they and then they pray for me and

then ministered to me and then talk to me. You know, I was

like wow. And then after he brought me back. You know, actually

I don't think I caught much to go stuff, you know, but I

caught one thing, you know, is that when someone is willing to sow

into your life, your life changes. I caught one thing more than anything

else. I felt his wine pouring into my life, and it was sweet,

and I understood that. You know that, you know, the rest

of your life as a human person, as a human being, you should

always be generous with your time because it changes people's lives. Because once I

experienced that, right, I knew that I could never look at another young

person and neglect them the same way I do, because he did that for

me, You get mean, right, he did that for me, and

I was like, my life was changed. I was like, why would

he do such a thing big for me? But I appreciated it so much

and I realized that, you know, because of that, I see ministry

very very differently, very very differently. But God bless his soul for what

he has done, you know, I you know, like I said,

sometimes you don't need to meet someone must meet. Every man meet every week.

I mean I try that, Okay, I try, and all the

leaders try that. But sometimes it's not about how often you meet, you

know, it's the quality that you mean. You know, you know,

today I'm going to go through, uh, continuing on this series on the

Book of X. Right. You know why I go through the Book of

X and then Paul's missionary work because it actually mimics what a Christian life should

be and how Christian ministry should be like. And you, as you go

through Paul's missionary journey, right, you will see a lot of similarity in

what we go through as church as believers. What he experienced, the highs

and the lows, the challenges, but also the blessings. And when you

start to study what she goes through, right your self, feel encourage Hey,

this is worth doing. Hey we're on the right track. Hey,

disbuild the Lord's house. Amen. All right, So before I start,

let's start with the word pray you. Okay, Hello, Yah, Father,

We thank you for this day. We believe the Lord your presence is

with us this morning. So, Lord, we asked that you will open

our hearts upon our mind to study your word, to let your word speak

and minister, and so learn our hearts. Listen, let our hearts be

attentive to your word. Let it be open, let it yield fallo God,

and surrender farloga to the truth and power of your word. And so

we commit this time, Lord, onto your hands. May your presence be

with us in Jesus name, we pray. Amen. So I covered part

one of Paul's first missionary trip. Okay, I know this is a few

months ago because I checked Spotify and I was like, hey, when did

I preach the last time? He was saying quite a few months ago,

so some of you might have a lot of you might not have remembered what

I preach. So I give a very very quick recap. Now, quiz

how many missionary trips did Paul go through? Ding Ding, Ding, Ding,

Ding? Ding ding ding ding ding ding. Any brave souls? Who

says one? Who says three? Who says five? Hey you say four?

Oh, very brave? You know he didn't take my options? You

take yourself four. Well, why are you saying some people say four?

How many? How many people say? For I saw two? Brave soul

says say for four? Who else say it? For? Known? For

the crowd? You know, the crowd may betray you, and you know

it's always the truth, you know, Now say five? See they change

a minor idea? I told you, I told you how many? Four?

Sure? Six? Get that? And you're suffering quickly? Okay?

Three? Three missionary trips. Okay, three major missionary trips. Of course

his trips he went there some of the first one was the shortest one,

second one was longer. The third one was the longest. Okay, you

go through many of us. So we're going coming through the first one.

And the first one was from started from X thirteen. Okay, so maybe

can you flesh up the slide that I have? Okay, tip that map

there now? The starting point where Paul began his missionary was from where from

Antioch? On the right side. There you see Antioch of Syria. Okay,

on the far right there. If you go downn south, there's nothing

out there. You go down south, it's Jerusalem. Okay. On the

right there, I don't know if a point in life you go down south

is Jerusalem. Now the Church of Antioch. Who was it planted by?

What was the first church that was planted outside Jerusalem? First church outside Jerusalem?

The Church of Antioch, first church. Okay, it was not planned

by the disciples, you know, you're like, hey, let's pray and

then plant, and you know it was because people are running away because of

persecution. They ran, and they ran up to the north. And when

after the North and the believers went there and decided to share. I'm keeping

very short now, Okay, they start to share, and from there many

people believe, and including the non Jews. Okay, the Gentiles believe as

well. And so the church in Jerusalem hurt that report. It's like,

whoa there means there is a church happening in Antioch. How come we didn't

know, you know? And what are they believing? We don't have any

email correspondents. Remember the time, there's no Bible, am I keept?

I'm telling you guys that there is no Bible there. It's not here.

You can open your eyepad. No, then the church can go through study,

can download MTG, can go on YouTube, chair no such thing.

One and all everything is by the divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit. So

the apostles in Jerusalem they became alarmed, and so they had to go and

verify. Because they came, they carried the name similar name as the believers.

Another quiz. Before they were known as Christians. What were the believers

called? Sorry, follow those of the way? They were called the people

of the way. Turn to your neighbors, say are you the people of

the way. There was actually the term for Christians. You know the way.

This is the way, you know? And the Mandalorian this is the

way? You know. No, they're called they're called the people of the

way. I am the Way, the truth and the life. No God,

Christians, the people are the way. And so they were hurted.

They were so people. You know, in Antioch they were known as the

people of the Way, and then later on they were known as Christians.

And so the apostles were worried and concerned because the Antio people were associating themselves

with Jerusalem. Okay, when you associated with another entity right or being associated

accidentally, there is danger because whatever the counterparty does or represents affect you.

You get mean right. So if they behave wrongly, then they'll say,

ah, it's because of the Jerusalem people. You get mean right. So

they had to go and verify. What's what did they do? They send

this? The send the apostles first? Who was there? Who did their

first? Send Barnabas. Okay, they send Barnabas there sid Barnabas up there

to verify. Barnabas was a guy who was known to be very full of

faith and a man full of encouragement. Okay, he is a gift.

He's a grief for us. Was a gift of encouragement. He goes there,

he can encourage, He sees things. He doesn't look at what you

don't have. He look at what you have. You know, he doesn't

look at hey, how can you don't have a building, how can you

don't have the apostle? What can you don't have the teaching? He looks

at what you have and he greatly encourages. And he's a generous giver as

well. Okay, he went there, he was so encouraged because whatever they

believe was in accordance with what the Lord has revealed. And he knows that

this can only be done because of the Holy Spirit. So the Holy Spirit

was doing work. The church bears witness through Barnabas, and Barnabas testifies it.

They say that this is of the Lord. Okay, he sends a

letter there, but then he says that there there's much work that we have

to do. Clearly, God has planted church ahead of us. You know,

imagine a quite amazing that the church is not ready to multiply it,

but God plants the church ahead of you. You know, he said,

we're not ready to multiply homes at but God multiplies the home ahead of you.

You know, crazy right, Well, we don't have leaders, but

no, I'm going to do it. This is how how how God does

things. You know, it's amazing. You know. Then only when we

realize it, then we are trying to catch up with the lot. Oh

yeah, God is working there. It's amazing. It works first and then

people follow, and so Bannabas says that, but there's much work to do.

We need to teach them, We need to make sure they are rooted

and grounded. They are young in their faith and so Bannabas. Remember who

can speak because Antel it's not it's not Jerusalem. They are filled with Greeks

and Romes and Egyptians and minor Asian people from minor Asia who can speak their

language, who will demand and the respect, you know. So he started

to realize, Hey, I know there is an apostle who has been exile

and not so not so welcome in Jerusalem. And that guy was Paul.

Paul was a celebrity. You know. He was like a one lead Hong

and no one whole, not very good nowadays, Okay, he's like the

Excheran, you know, not Singapore had Taylor Swee or cold Play. He

is the celebrity boy, the golden boy of Jerusalem, you know, then

turned into not so golden redeala. So now he cannot stay in Jerusalem because

he stayed there. It's gonna cause he's going to bring problem to the apostles.

So he stands in Tasas, Okay, in this island there, Okay,

and then they can see island in the seed that Tasas. So they

brought Paul from Tasas from the West all to anty there to come come and

strengthen the church. Then as they were ministrying, remember I told you there's

no Bible and all. So without the Bible, how do you know that

the teaching from you know, from certain people were really the word of God?

How? Check Wikipedia? That's chagipt How to verify without the Bible?

No? So, how the way did you know that? For the believers

to know what is the world? God? What's true? Apostles? God

gave apostles. Okay, what does it mean to be a parcel? Okay,

now there's another long story, but basically parcels word carries weight and authority

because, first of all, Jesus recognizes them. Every authority stems from one

main source from Jesus, where Jesus delegates authority. Okay, so the aparstles

received delegated authority recognized by Jesus. That is the first witness. The second

witness that follows the apostles is what signs and wonders. And see what I'm

saying now, delegated authority. They will teach the world, but the word

will also accompany with signs and wonder. Later, when I go through some

of the stories, you will see this, this thing happening again and again,

their bad winners to Jesus Christ. They preach the word. There are

people who will oppose them, but they cannot overcome it because as Paul preachers,

signs and wants reinforces, and they cannot overcome. So the only thing

they can do is to throw stones. It's amazing, you know. That's

how the church grew. So the word came with authority until the fullness of

God's work comes in the Bible for all believers to come, you get I

mean right, But in that age, it was the age of the parcels,

the season of the apostle. Let's say, it's an apostle's movement.

So Antil was blessed. They had Barnabas. They have Paul teaching in the

Church of antio Or. It's like you have the best talent, you know,

And there was pray and pray and then extra thing. Suddenly, you

know, they received the word from the Holy Spirit. What's the word set

aside for me? Paul and Barnabas for the word that I sent them to.

Huh. Suddenly, hey, pastor Gloria, you founded excurius. Suddenly

you're being sent to plant another church. Then your best worship liber are taken

out. So your best home leader also taken out. Also, oh,

your best leader. Holy spirit is set apart from them. I'm gonna send

them away. Cannot be. Oh, God, you're a good God.

How can it be? But this is a holy spirit, says one and

all. You read the book? You really extra thiner. I mean we

can go back to my previous preaching. So God to set apartner. How

can that be? You know there are believers who only attends to vices are

based on pastors or then so they will as for people. Hey, can

I look at the pastor schedule? Oh he's coming out, okay, then

I will show up. Don't do that. Don't do that. God can

take it. Take God and put and take away a pastor anytime one,

a preacher, anytime one. You know you were based there because the Lord's

calling, Stay there until the Lord tells you to leave. You got mean,

right, don't't be like that. Don't be a Christian celebrity chasing after

the superstars. You know, seriously, don't do that. If there's the

case of Paul and Barnabas they left and teel so the whole church left is

it? And bye bye gone and wipe from the Book of X Is that?

How is that? How past missionary starts cannot be? But yet sometimes

we do. You know, sometimes we we're a bit immature, you know.

We we do based on our flesh. We think it's God, but

it's not. So we got an exis That's why I said it's good to

read the Bible. What does the Bible not exemplify? What is the spirit

eximplified? As such a very young age, this church, who has received

great apostles, great teaching, was us to let go, let go because

God said, I've got mission work for them. So the church at the

very young age was called to exercise faith, faith and a release and let

go in your own life as well. What is God telling you to release?

Sometimes like oh God, I will not let go. Sometimes you may

say God, like oh, let my home leaders. I know it's so

comfortable. I don't use my house, use their house, and so I'm

like, no, no, my house is always the tea people are so

small, their house bigger. But God is going to take their house away,

that nice food, that nice hospitality, And God said the only house

they had is yours. Do you despise your house. Who gave you your

house? It may be a small room over up to the Lord. You

know what I mean? Right? So if you read in the extra thing

and what did the what did the church of and you do they said that

Lord, we will obey. And immediately what did they do? They raise

leaders? Look at the least and then what they do? They raised leaders

were never heard before they had the race leaders? So you get me right.

So the Church of God art is not chaotaking one, you know,

it's not centain lead random. Hey, you become a church leader like hey

you no, No, there is an author. But God is the one

who pushes the agenda, constantly pushing their agenda. So the church leadership's responsibility

is to hear from God and to move the rest of them. Of the

body is to have faith and respond accordingly in bad faith as well. You

get me right. It's a very important role. If not, the whole

entire book of Exile is one third of the book and the rest is all

the church. Because the churches have faith belief, and they grew and they

grew, and they grew all the way until Rome. Without that they could

have done that. So now Because of that we have Antioch became, nor

what Antio has now that it's known for one thing, they became as known

as the sending church. Turned to your neighbor and say that Antioch is the

sending church. You want to be a sen church. See that the first

church planted outside of Jerusalem is called a sending church. I believe that that

is what churches are meant to be. Has always been the case. Churches

are meant to be a sending church. But for Israel, they missed the

mark. For how many millennials they existed there. They still start in Jerusalem.

They still stuck in Jerusalem, you know, stuck in Jerusalem. They

have a nice temple, their own worship, right. But my heart is

for the Gentiles. Have you brought my name into the gentiles? They might

may be known among the nations. When Jesus did his MINSI for three years,

then after two years my disciples got out. There was always God about

Israel as a nation. They've missed it. But God is redoing it,

redoing this redoing the message the Kingdom of God must go out. Make no

mistake about it. Oh, I'm just this is my introduction on the ina

Okay, I'm gonna hurry up. Okay, so everybody clears off us.

You get a good recap ready about what is happening here. And so we

see Paul. He travels down first to the island of Salamisalami. Okay,

Salami is maybe there's a history there. Then they when the pathalls, and

now they I think they went to straight Italia. Okay. Then they went

to Antioch. There's another antio called the Antio of Phrygia of thy Regia.

And then we are going to start from Iconium. Okay. Then I'm gonna

read here from xt. Chapter fourteen. How much time to have Okay,

let's do this. Now it happened, Okay, please open up your Bible

if you can. Now it happened in Iconium. Then they went together to

the synagogue of the Jews. Synagogue is the are the places where the Jews

meet together, and where they have teaching, they have prayer, they have

their cleansing serum, and so on and so forth. Okay, And so

spoke okay that the great multitude multitude, both of the Jews and the Greeks

believe. Wow. So both their own people and the Greeks believe okay,

but the unbelieving Jews stirred up the gentiles and poison their mind against the breathron

Okay, wherever, what do you learn from here? Whenever you're doing the

lot's work, the enemy resists one. Sometimes it comes from your own people.

Don't be surprised. Sometimes you do a google in the church. Are

your resistance come from the church? From within the church? Wine? Sometimes

you find discourage mine from your own homes. I know. Sometimes you do

business and it comes from your own family. And one and on true or

not. Don't be surprised. I'm not saying that you conclude immediately make the

enemy number one. You'd always look in your bead and who is no,

no, no, no, just don't be surprised. Everything is by prayer

and by supplication. So Christians, whether you're in your family, in the

church or the outside, you must be a very good judge of character and

situation. Must be very good, must be very clear, must be very

shocked. Is this really from the low from men? Okay? They said

that, but the unbelieved Jews stirred up the gentiles and poisoned their mind against

there they stayed a long time. Okay, So what it means is that

there was a great resistance and the unbelieving Jews they were upset. What what

they're upset about? Mainly okay, they were they believe. They are okay

with Jesus. They're okay with Jesus being baptized, They're okay with Jesus doing

want the cross. They are almost okay with Jesus rising from the dead.

But the one thing they cannot okay with. You know what is that that

this good news is preached to the gentiles. They cannot take it. There's

one thing. What did they say? If you want to believe, you

must be a Jew first, So you need to be a Jew to become

a Christian. So they poison their mind. Okay, a poison their mind

of the gentle say that no, you cannot you must follow Moses. You

must follow you must be circumcised. You say, if you believe, if

you believe, then doing you don't believe in Moses. If you don't believe

in Moses, you are not a Jew. Okay, I'll take it.

This this issue prop up again and again and again, and so what they

do do they start to poison their mind. Wow, you know that the

enemy that's three things are to poison, to d c if you know.

First is to dilute. Okay, I can write this down. First is

to dilute. Dilute means what to add and water, but not always just

water. Now, okay, other contaminants you contaminated or at alcohol, whatever

it is, to dilute it, to contaminate it, to contre predict.

Hey, the contradict and the blesspheme. Lastly is the bless theeme. Now

what does blastpeme actually mean? What does bless theeme actually mean? Anybody know?

Using God's name in vain? Yes? More specific? What does blastpheme

mean? Let me give you a very quick one. Okay, write this

now. To blest theme is to call what is good evil and to call

what is evil good. Simple. To bless theeme is to call what is

good evil, what God is good deem good evil, and to call what

God is deemed evil good. To switch blasphemis. Yeah. It has a

matter of not just interpretation, but authority. You know, you get to

decide what is good and you are contradating with God. Okay, it's a

very very very powerful thing. So the devil in there's someone in the garden

definitely said. Surely God did not say that, because he knows the day

when you eat of the fruit, you'll be like him. Why is it

able to know good and evil? God say that? No, blessphee,

there's what is See when people start to cannot not start to confuse you say

that God, did God really say that? Did Poor really say there?

Did Jesus really say that? No, he did not say that. You

see, it escalates, you know, ask you to doubt the sauce.

Do you remember? And so when Christians don't remember their water, they get

confused, you know they are. Now when the enemy sees you're biting it,

they go oh, right outright blaspheming, calling what is good? What

God has could evil and evil to? Why do you follow the Sabbath?

Sabbath not good? Liar, you follow Sabbath? You cannot earn much business

one work if I give tis an offering, No, Lord has all the

money. It's not about that. So you're calling good evil and evil good.

Now let me ask you this question right now, when you look into

the world, the news, the social medias, the propaganda, the values

that they are teaching, do you see a lot of blaspheming. Recently,

Google has a Gemini and this ai Gemini that refuse to call pedophile a a

criminal, refuse to call b of our criminal. They say that it's a

form of attraction. So why is the lesson? Don't see trust AI?

Okay, AI is only you can tell. You can use AI. But

remember who's in control the AI. They are whatever you type and they ultimately

control the input. You know you can mean right. So the world is

blaspheming without realizing it because in their eyes they think they are right. They

are woke, they are cool, they are more loving, and in the

end days Christians will be the one looked as unloving, unkind, unaccepted and

unaccepting and biggots because we are so narrow minded. How can you believe in

the world of God? How can you be the only way narrow minded?

I will not believe in such a religion. This is what the world would

be, will will look like. We will look like bad guys. You

know, this is what the will be, and we will look like bad

guys, and they will make themselves look like good guys. So scary,

isn't it? But it is what the world is like. They was this

is the power of blaspheming, okay, calling good evil and evil good.

Okay then, but so therefore inversitary. Therefore it talks about because the apostles

witness so much blaspheming poisoning on their mind, they stayed a lot longer there,

speaking boldly in the Lord who was bearing witness to the world of his

grace. Now there's very obviously a war happening of Paulse preaching, Barnabas is

preaching, and then the enemy trying to poison. So what happens? Okay,

so it says there, okay, they stayed long and they spoke boldly.

So the Christian response is to be bold. Okay, So when you

face blasphemous things, you know, things are so you're like, wow,

if they even think of saying that and do that, you know you get

shot. It gets stunning on that what I can't believe. You know,

people will go so far. But in this time you've got to be bolder.

You get me in right, You cannot retreat and say, oh,

maybe I got a prayer. You're gonna be bold. So they boldly there

was they spoke boldly in the Lord. In the means that in the truth

in the in the grace of the Lord. And what happens when you do

that, When you speak boldly, it becomes so powerful that even Heaven gets

pulled down and intervene. Even Heaven comes down and intervene. You know why,

because you're not speaking on your own, You're speaking on behalf of Heaven's

authority. The pausels come on behalf of the Jesus authority is the delegated authority.

But they were speaking so boldly, and Jesus say, speak and speak

and go for and the time comes, Oh, will come and intervene.

Heaven gets pulled down, stays who was bearing witness to the world of his

grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by the hands. It canna

be not so. There's always two parts. One the parcels. When they

go and find there will always be speaking bodly. It is word with the

right hand, and the left is the signs and wonders. And the enemy

cannot overcome them. Okay, left hand, that's right right hand and left

hand. Wherever the Lord goes. So this is the miracle of the of

the of the apostles, of the Word of God. You can say whatever

you want in this time and season. It's the same thing as well.

We can know all the knowledge, we can give all the theology. But

what overcomes the enemy is not just one hand. It's two hands speaking baldly

in the Lord and science and wonder, which is the witness of Heaven.

What we need this time is the witness of Heaven. But the witness of

Heaven will only come if the Christians will speak boldly. Ah, colonel,

I'm saying, you must know the word of God, you must be bold.

Then the Heaven's witness will come. But a lot of times we shrink.

We shrink. The churches are not able to share the truth boldness.

And there's no signs and wonder. It is weak, it's powerless. The

outside people say, you just talk on me, but there's no signs and

wonders. There follows them. Okay, everybody, okay, so far you

learn something here. This is how the apostles h was actually working. See

there was all there was science and wonder that could not overcome it. So

Jesus said, it's the same thing. In Jesus, I am doing the

right thing, and my my and my work's beare witness. Give me Jesus

was always we I go the word of truth, and my work's bare witness,

even the word, even the prophetic word from the from all the prophets

bear witness to me and my work's bad witnesses. But yet you still disbelieve.

Okay, now it's says here, But then we despite all these things,

the multitude was divided, not everybody believed. Partsided with the Jews and

partsided with the apostles cities. He says it in verse four. And when

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

to abuse and stone them, sounds familiar, right, sounds familiar from where?

From the times of Jesus, isn't it? They could not overcome him.

They cannot overcome him by word. They cannot overcome him by words.

So what did they do? The last final stage of evil is one violence.

There's the only thing they can do. Violence. From the time of

Abel and Cain, Abel was the first prophet. Enough, the next time

our teacher guys say, actually, Abel was the first prophet is actually mentioned

in the book of Hebrews. Hebrews, the book of Hebra called Able a

prophet. Abel pleased the lord, but Kine displeased the lord. But Abel

was trying to speak truth and counsel his brother. Barkin resisted and could not

overcome the world and the works of Abel, and what's what, he killed

and murdered him. Violence takes over, So be careful when you're a violenter.

Never married, never don't marry a violent man. Don't associate yourself with

a violent man. It is not a coincidence. Never a coincidence. You

don't certainly, oh I'm born violent, No such thing, or I have

a violent genetic No, it is a progression where you arrive that time.

What I'm saying here, it's a progression, especially when you're drive cars.

Don't be violent, okay, seriously, okay. Don't don't tellgate a violent

man, or be be tailgated by a violent man. Okay, okay.

So so verse six, And they became aware of it and fled to Listra

and Derby cities at Laconia and so okay, Now that's how I'm gonna draw

quickly through a close I'm gonna skip some part here, part two, Okay,

the book of the part of Listra. I'm not gonna say too much

about it. There's basically a miracle of healing that happened there, but no,

basically Paul healed the man who was born lame from his mother's woman but

crippled from the mother's woman. Uh. Then Paul healed him, and the

whole city decided to treat Paul and Silenced as gods. They called, uh,

uh, Paul Zeus. How many of you know what Zeus is?

Not the coffee? I saw somebody Reacher your buying coffee was like, who

who's use coffee? Slightly? Zeus? Okay, Zeus? And then they

called Paul's used They called Banavaus hermits. Why did they call why do you

think they call him? Him dead? Okay, you have time, gave

me fifty more minutes. Okay. A lot of the cities at that time,

right at that time. Uh, the most of the nations, Roman,

Greeks and the rest are they're very religious. The Roman and the Greek

religions are very similar, okay, just different names. So for example,

in Greek you have Zeus, right, okay. In Rome, what is

the equivalent god god called Jupiter? Okay, they're similar. Okay. In

Greek you have Aris okay arias the god of war or some people feel like

play PlayStation five. Okay, it's as in Greek is the god of war,

in Rome is who mars? Okay. In Greek you have Poseidon,

and Rome you have Neptune. And in Greek you have Ephrodite, and in

Rome you have Venus, so on and so forth. So the religions has

the same. Basically they copy each basically the rong copy the Greeks like,

okay, so that they do. And not only they worship greatly, but

a lot of their cities are founded based on the legends and the laws of

the Greek of the gods, so much so they have fat we called what's

that term? Uh? They have the cities actually adopt a name. Okay.

So for example, the city of Athens. What is the main god

of Athens. It's a give you a clue, female, Athena, And

Athena is known as the goddess of what wisdom? Ah? What was what

is Ethens known for? What? Do they attract the most? All the

scholars or the mathematicians, all the smart people. So they draw that every

city has a law. They have the adopted god and goddesses. Okay,

So they take on their similar uh, backstory and after the names of these

ones as well. So the city of Lystra it's the same as well.

And the city of Listra is you know who is there adopted God Zeus.

Now it's not just that adopted God Zeus, but actually have a backstory how

the city started as well. You want to know that about this history?

You know, I don't want to. I won't tell you how many of

you say yes, sure, Okay, I'll give you five minutes. Okay.

No, I'm sharing not because it's it's it's not because it's facts,

you know. I want to share with you so that the Bible becomes real

real. You know. It's not because I think why these people are so

weird? One, I know why this is real. The city of Listra

started the story of Zeus and her Miss. Her Miss is the goddess of

God of sorry, no, it's his speed, right, messenger. It's

a messenger become interested in all these things. Okay. So the two came

down to this city and they but they hit themselves and they disguised themselves as

common men. Okay. And this actually story is actually it's a real one.

You know. It's written by this guy called od O. V.

I. D. In his book called the Metamorphosis, and it's a metamorphosis

is his opposed grande. You know, opus grande. It's not a starbuck

drink, okay. Oppus grande means his masterpiece. Okay, my master work.

And he wrote a lot of books and poetry, and his his opposed

grand most famous book was called Metamorphosis. And in that Metamorphosis was a story

about how Listra was found. And it started with Zeus and Hermi is coming

down to this city. This guy is as men. And when they asked

for hospitality among the cities, among the peasants and the farmers and the people

of this city, they will refused and rejected and ridiculous, okay, But

they were accepted by this old couple, okay, who received them in their

small little house. And you know, there's some stories that like the goose

and the geese, and then there are wine never finished, you know.

But remember a lot of these writers are their their stories are tend to have

a lot of influence from from other sources, from Middle Eastern, from mister

Potomian, even from Bible. He will realize as well. And so the

story says that when Zeus and Hermits reveal themselves of who they are to this

couple. He says that we want to reward you. Oh Microsoft, okay,

okay, that's that. Okay, I always blame Microsoft and asking.

So they revealed themselves to all. This couple say, oh, this is

who we are. I want you to run up to the mountains there.

Before that, I would like to grant you a wish, ask what you

desire. And then after that, I want you to run up to the

mountain and don't go down, okay, and because if because what we're gonna

do, we're gonna flood the city and kill everyone else. So when you're

run up to the mountain, and so the couple said that, oh,

we will want to just serve in your house, you know, to be

a steward of the temple. So Zeus and Hermus granted them. So when

they ran up, they decided to look back. Okay, So sorry,

I told you they were not supposed to look back. Okay. So they

look back, and as they look back, they turned into two trees.

And so in that temple, so you know the temple they were dedicated to

the Jews, there were two trees inside there supposed to leave their couple and

they were inside the temple. Okay. So now coming back to X fourteen

present time, Okay, this city has been in bondage of this what they

call it folk lore and this legend, this myth, you know, and

the worships used like crazy. Okay. Suddenly they see Paul and Barnabas out

of nowhere performing a miracle to heal a crippled men from womb you know,

from mother's age. And this guy who was the main priest saw this.

What did they scream? Zeus and hormies have descended upon us. If we

neglect to recognize and honor them, our whole city is going to be flooded.

And my head is on the chopping block. There was where what they

were coming from. They took whatever they believe in the temple really literally true,

okay, and so they want to bring the non this. So they

get everyone in the temple and then asking the worship and then want to take

the bull and wanted to sacrifice it. Paul said, no, no,

no, we are just like men. Okay, maybe I will read it

here verse fourteen. But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard this, they

tore their clothes and ran in among the multitude, crying out and saying,

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

same nature like you were, not gods, well like men of the same

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

things. With a miracle. He's able to tear down what they believe for

centuries, you know, change an entire town. Okay, we praise the

Lord there. One day, you know, God will give us this power.

A miracle, isn't it? Isn't it's not by the preaching or by

the power and the work of his saying. God is able to do that

to free people from bondage. Just amen. And he says that now that

you should turn from these useless things to the Living God. God is alive,

who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and all things that

are in them, who in bygone generations allowed nations to walk in their own

ways. Nevertheless, he did not leave himself without witness. God is faith,

isn't it? God gave a witness in that He did good, gave

us reign from heaven and fruitful seasons, feeling her hearts with food and gladness.

And with this thing they go scarcely restrain the multitudes from sacrificing to them.

They just barely stop them from doing the wrong thing, just barely.

But despite all this miraculous work, people being set free from oh he means

that there's not we don't need to only the miracle is not reserved to God.

And in fact they are actually not alie. In fact they are walking

among us. What kind of power? What kind of authority do these people

carry? How can we inherit as well? Can we receive this power as

well? And despite all this happening right the Jews followed them from antio heere

the evil will not let you go so easily. And that's the truth.

You know. Sometimes you think you want to let go, you want to

move on, but some of the things follow you. It's not all your

fault, you know. Some of it is your fault because you still allow

certain things in your life. But some things it's just because you are calling

so much trouble, the devil has to come and stop you. It's similar

that there was like these people are I chased them away, I tried to

stone them, but these people still going going to another city, and doing

so, they came all the way from one another city, persuaded the multitude,

and they stone palled and dragged him out of the city, supposing him

to be dead. I think they're still in too like not to die.

However, but when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up and went

into the city, and the next day he had departed with Barnabas and Derby.

Scary, isn't it seeing God doing great works? But yet that he

was almost ton to death. And then as I drawed a close here,

I'm really closing, okay, twenty one here. And when they preached the

gospel okay to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra,

Iconium and TiO. So what pole day is that he went backtrack? He

went He got to the map earlier, yes, oh no more, yes,

okay. Now, so from Antio to Iconium to Listra to Derby,

and from there he track his way. So he went from left to right,

then from right to go back up again he backtrack. It's like you

go to JB, from Ko to JB, not to Malacca to I don't

know who, Toma Grays and Bla, then to JB. Then from a

JB. You go back the same path, come back to kl okay okay.

So he backtrack his way okay, and he says there he invest twenty

two. What did he do along the way? He strengthened the souls or

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

through many tribulations, enter the Kingdom of God. Why did he have

to do that? Why did he have to backtrack to these cities and strengthen

them? See these other question you never ask yourself when you read true when

you slow down a bit and you start to ask and pryor a bit,

no, take a school level and prior a bit. Why why did he

have to do that? Because what have they heard? See God? Believe

you? Or when they poke him? Oh great news. Then two weeks

later, okay I'm paraphrasing here, two weeks later they heard the news Paul

was at Listra he almost got stone to death. In fact, we thought

they were death. Did he die? How do you think that would do

to the What do you think that news would do to the believers? If

I came and preach then the next way, I said, because I preached

the same message I almost got stone to death. Would you invite me back?

You'd be scared, isn't it? You'd be scared. The same people

who stole me to death are going to bring him to hear to you if

this guy is the same preacher. He went to Singapore, went to Jojo,

went to Nagri, Simba went to Malacca. And then ever he had

preached that people stoned him. Would you want to come here? You'd be

scared. You'd be scared, So he was. The people were terrified,

so he went back. He had to strengthen. So it actually highlights the

ministry working on the poor, was always thinking about their faith. He doesn't

care about his own injury, you know, he cares. I worry about

my injury what it does to the people know so much about me. That's

a pastor real heart. There's a really pastor real heart putting others before himself,

you know. So he has to work all the way and likely this

and this is the path of way he was stored before, and he's putting

himself in the injured again. No, did you realize that? We never

thought about it, isn't it? But when you think, oh, yeah,

you're right. Ah, he went back the same power because his eyes

were I need to strengthen them less they worry, they're gonna be that.

Not that my I bring a bad example. I bring a dead testimony.

But he brings them the truth. He strengthened the souls and the disciples their

minds, their hearts, and their will, exhorting them to continue in the

faith. We must do everything we have for the church to continue in the

Fai people. You do worship, you do homes, you do communion.

Sometimes you pray for service again and again, all for what so that we

continue in there. Hey strong, he was falling asleeper, so that we

will continueing there. So then we continue in there. It's worth fighting for

people. This is worth what Paul actually endure to continue in the faith.

And he says that we must, through many tribulations, enter the Kingdom of

God. There's a pathway, not people. If you are looking for a

one way ticket to go to heaven. Sorry, the scenery is filled with

tribulations. Unfortunately. So he was telling them the truth and so in verse

twenty three, So when they had appointed elders in every church and prayed with

fast thing, they commanded them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

So on the pathway when he went back right, what did he do?

Did he stay with them? Oh, Paul, you're such a great preacher.

This church cannot continue without you. So all the churches he planted all

died. Cannot be no matter how many churches he planted in one missionary trip.

People have to rise up. There was there a Bible School, Bible

School, antiong Bible School and Jerusalem were no not online cause you no,

no, my God, you just went there appointed who they appointed elders,

you know, appoint the elders what he appointed elders. And I said,

it's not it cannot do it by men's strength. It's really only through the

power of the Lord. God has to give us the strength. God.

We need to plant something, we need to raise our people. So give

us the candidate who we can appoint us. But elders are neither. They

must be ordered. There must be leadership in every church, and they pray

and fasting and committed them to the law. So every appointment in every church

must must be done with fasting, with submission, and must be committed to

the law. That's why we do what X commissioning ah, makes sense.

It's not men's tradition. It is biblical, biblical people. So you and

that's why the church must honor it. You know, understand a lot of

times hour because it's a church tradition. No, it's biblical people. I'm

showing you right now. It is biblical. It's the right thing to do.

Okay. And then verse twenty four, and after their pastor prosidire,

they came to a panphilia. Okay, jump to verse twenty seven because of

time and now, when they had come and gathered the church together, basically,

Paul, you know, he'd done his first missionary trip. He came

back to Anti he's sending church. And what did he do when he came

and gathered the church to get everyone together? They reported, meaning Paul and

Barnabas reported all that God had done with them and that he opened up the

door of face to the gentiles. So they stayed a long time with the

disciples. So what did Paul do. Paul is a man under submission.

Paul is a man on the submission. Imagine Paul went and planted all the

churches and doesn't come to Antio. Let me choose one of the churches.

And then just planted how the church in Antio and the church in Jerusalem will

have no authority over him, will not know what he preached, will not

be able to support whatever they did do. And if anything happens from there

these cities, right, all these opposing enemies are of Greeks and Jews are

they're going to spread their news coming down. You know, Paul knew that

he neededcovery because it involves the whole entire region what he is doing. The

churches must be united in submission. You can't mean right, it involves Jerusalem.

Imagine if all the Jews are went down there and say that Paul has

gone roke Romans on his own patha and he's creating a stir but and he's

not reporting to Jerusalem, but Jerusalem becomes a victim of his actions. How

the Book of X gone ready? Bye bye? We won't have the Book

of X ready and all the letters of Paul are gone ready. But because

he remained under submission, he believes that Heaven rules. But the works that

he do is that so that all may know. Amen, How do you

guys feel after I take you guys on the road trip? Interesting? Uh,

it's like the hobbit, you know, like on the journey. Hey,

let's see what Paul is seeing. Let's see you experience what Paul is

doing. But when you go into detail, you wow, this is what

church actually looks like. And to some people here you actually feel encourages in't

it on the right path. But we gotta do more. We got to

continue in the faith. It's not easy. Some of us face lost,

some of us are you know, a delay and cultural hardship. But we

must encourage one another. But more importantly, I want to let you know

this year, I believe that many are being called to rise up. Many

some of you call to become a leader. Some of you are going to

be called to become a home leader, or to teach cow to do,

call to lead. Some being the market juice in the church in the marketplaces.

If you say no again, is it really coming from your flesh out

of inconvenience? Because we all have that. No, trust me, we're

all the eye. But I have that as well. Time is short.

Time is really really short. God is gonna raise and God in this business

is about He went ahead of the city of the Church of Jurissalem when Afair

of the Church of Entio as well. God will come upon you. When

are you going to rise up? When are you going to step up?

Where are our pastors? Where are our elders, future elders and pastors in

this church? Our leaders? We need you guys, you know, yeah,

we really need you guys to step up in such a time as this.

Don't say you cannot, don't say you don't have the whole, don't

say that people will not respect me. Don't say that all they are all

just my peers and they were no, no, no, no no,

I've been there and done that. I used to have all these excuses.

But God will give you that grace. God will give you that strength.

God will give you the appointment. We hope you've been blessed by this message.

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