Hello and welcome to another
3ABN Sabbath School Panel.
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We are so glad that you
have joined us for a study
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as we journey
through the Book of Acts,
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and see the growth, the
explosion of Christianity
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throughout the world there.
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We are in lesson #9, "The
Second Missionary Journey"
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of the Apostle Paul, and
before we go any farther...
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I want to introduce to
you to our panel here today:
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Sitting on my left - Mr.
Danny Shelton, Mollie Steenson,
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Pastor C.A. Murray
and Ms. Shelley Quinn,
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and it's always a privilege
to share with each one of you,
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and thank you for the
study that you put in,
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for the preparation
that you do to bring
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the word of God to
those people at home,
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it's a blessing.
I'm happy to do it.
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So what I want to do right
now is give you the website.
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If you would
like to download the
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"Adult Bible Study Guide,"
if you would like to follow
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along with us, you would
go to the website that is:
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ABSG.Adventist.org
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that stands for "Adult
Bible Study Guide".Adventist.org
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and you can follow along
with us or we always encourage
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you here at 3ABN to visit
your local Seventh-day Adventist
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Church - they would
love to welcome you in,
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and you could join a
Bible study group there.
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Before we go any further
and open up the word of God,
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we always like to open
up in prayer and Pastor C.A.
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would you lead us in prayer
today? Be happy to do so...
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Gracious Father,
Our hearts have been so
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warmed and stirred as
we've seen how Your Spirit
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has moved so mightily to
begin this church, this movement
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which has circled the globe
and called so many millions
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of people to Jesus Christ.
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We thank You for the power
of the Holy Spirit which has
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been seen in the life
of Paul and Stephen, Peter,
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and so many
others, and we ask, Lord,
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yea we beg for that
same Spirit to attend us
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here today, as we
study Your word, as we try to
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understand that we can
be used mightily of Thee
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if we will but surrender to You.
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Help us to know, to
understand and to do
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and bless those who watch
and who hear - may together
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we be drawn that much closer
to our precious Lord and Savior,
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and we thank You, dear
Father, in Jesus name... Amen
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Thank you so much Pastor C.A.
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We are in lesson
#9 of our journey
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through the Book of Acts.
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This is on the second missionary
journey of the Apostle Paul.
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Two weeks ago, we looked at
his first missionary journey,
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that encompassed
over 12,000 miles. Wow!
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Paul and Barnabas set
sail from Antioch and they
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went with John Mark.
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If I can pretend
here... this is a map,
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I don't have a map to
show you, but pretend this
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is Palestine and north of
it is Antioch and then on the
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west side is the
Mediterranean Sea...
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So Jerusalem is here, probably
300 miles north is Antioch.
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They set sail from
here, this is the first
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missionary
journey... they went to Cypress,
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then they went north to what
we would call modern-day Turkey
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in here and they spent
some time 2 years' worth from
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AD 47 to 49, traveling through.
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They went to Lystra and
Derbe, and Iconium and Antioch
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Pisidian and these other cities
preaching the word of God.
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Now we're on the
second missionary journey
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and they don't
shorten the journey,
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they extend the journey.
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They over-doubled
the miles that they do,
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and they do between
2,700 and 3,000 miles
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on the second
missionary journey,
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and this took place
probably from AD 49 to 52
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or it could be 50 to 52,
50 to 53- somewhere in there.
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And if we hold up
our little map again,
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we have here... they
departed from Antioch again,
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the same place, but
instead of taking the boat
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to Cypress and going
north, they took the land route
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this way... they went up
to Tarsus and they revisited
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all the cities that they
had ministered in before...
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Lystra and Derbe and
Iconium, and all of those.
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Then they went over to
Troas and they took a boat
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because they received a call...
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"Come over to
Macedonia and help us."
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They went over to Philippi,
this is modern-day Greece
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this section here
and they went to Philippi
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and Thessalonica and
Berea, Corinth and Athens,
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and that's our study today.
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On this journey,
instead of Paul and Barnabas,
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it was Paul and Silas and
Timothy joined them later.
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And during the
second missionary journey,
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Paul also wrote the
Books of 1 and 2 Thessalonians,
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and maybe the Book of Galatians,
we're not entirely sure
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when that book was written.
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Let's read our memory text and
we'll go to the journey here,
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We are in Acts 18:9-10
and we'll read it together,
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and you can join us at home.
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"Do not be afraid, keep
on speaking, do not be silent
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for I am with you and no one
is going to attack and harm you
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because I have many
people in this city."
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On Sunday, we
look at back in Lystra.
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Now last week we talked
about the Jerusalem Council
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in Acts 15 and the decision
that the Gentiles did not have
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to be circumcised in
order to become Christians.
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Circumcision was not
necessary for salvation.
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Just after that, we
are in Acts 15:36...
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"Then after some
days, Paul said to Barnabas,
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"Let us now go back and
visit our brethren in every
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city where we have
preached the word of the Lord,
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and see how they are doing."
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You see, as you read the
Book of Acts, and as you read
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Paul's letters, his
passion, his love for the people
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the people that
he ministered to.
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"Now Barnabas was determined...
notice that word, "determined,"
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to take John Mark with him."
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Verse 38... But Paul insisted
that they should not take
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with them the one who had
departed from them in Pamphylia,
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and had not gone
with them to the work."
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So they had a little
disagreement or should
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we say - a large
disagreement over the situation.
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Why did Paul not
want John Mark to go?
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Well he had "deserted them,"
in the midst of their first
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missionary journey and
I asked myself, Mr. Danny,
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can I even blame Paul?
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You know, would I want
a coworker, would I want
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a partner in the
journey, in the ministry,
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who didn't pull their weight?
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Who didn't
really step forward...
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who, when things got
tough, "I'm going home to mama,
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I'm not gonna be here."
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So Paul says, "I don't
want anything to do with him,
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I want somebody else."
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And the contention was
so sharp for in verse 39...
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it became so sharp,
that they parted one
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from another - so
they actually split up.
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Barnabas took Mark
and sailed to Cypress,
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but Paul chose Silas
and departed being commended
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by the brethren to
the grace of the God."
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So who was right
in this situation?
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Well, you could
say, "Should one have
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submitted to the
other's authority?"
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We know Barnabas initially
was probably better known
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and well-respected;
he's the one who brought
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Saul to the brethren in
Jerusalem after his conversion.
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But then by this point,
you could probably say that
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Paul has eclipsed
Barnabas; he's better known;
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he's beginning to
write New Testament books;
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he's a great preacher.
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Are we called to ever
give someone another chance?
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I would say, "Absolutely!"
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Barnabas chose to give
John Mark another chance.
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Later, this is a beautiful
thing, many years later,
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in 2 Timothy, this is the
last letter that Paul wrote,
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the last Epistle
of Paul, 2 Timothy 4.
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He's imprisoned and he is
about ready to be killed...
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And he says, "Get Mark
and bring him with you,
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for he is useful
to me for ministry."
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So that tells you that
this sharp disagreement
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was eventually reconciled,
and that there was harmony
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once again in their work.
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So they departed on this
second missionary journey.
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Now before we get to Acts
16, and the first five verses
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talk about Timothy
joining the work...
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These are my three
take-aways from this
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situation with John Mark...
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#1... Our past mistakes
don't always define our future.
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Aren't you thankful
that God can still use you?
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I know I'm thankful
He can use me even after
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I messed up, after a make a
mistake - God is still willing
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to use me.
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I think John Mark
redeemed himself as it were,
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he grew up - you could say.
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He became a mature Christian.
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#2... Our fractured
relationship can be mended
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and even restored.
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God can heal your relationships
in His time and in His way...
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just like John Mark and
Paul experienced the healing
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in their relationship.
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#3... And the third take-away
I get from this is that
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it is never too late to forgive
someone who has hurt you.
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It's never too late to
reach out and say, "I'm sorry."
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It's never too late to
say, "Okay, I wanna do-over,
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and can we heal
this relationship?"
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So let's look
now at Acts 16:1-5...
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This is Timothy
joining the work.
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"Then he
came...this is Paul and Silas...
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"They came to Derbe and
Lystra ...remember they had been
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at Derbe and Lystra...
Lystra is where Paul had
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been stoned and had
been taken out of the city
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and left for dead on the
last missionary journey...
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and behold a certain disciple
was there, named Timothy,
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the son of a certain
Jewish woman who believed,
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but his father was Greek.
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He was well spoken of by
the brethren who were at Lystra
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and Iconium."
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So Paul and Silas journey
here, they met Timothy again.
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We know from 2 Timothy 3:10-11,
Paul's epistle there to Timothy,
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that Timothy had
witnessed Paul's suffering.
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Timothy had been there,
had been introduced to Paul
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and Barnabas on the
first missionary journey.
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What is Timothy's heritage?
His father was a Greek.
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His mother and his
grandmother were Jewish.
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He had an excellent training,
and probably tradition says
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he was in his late
teens when he met Paul,
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and when he first
began this journey with Paul
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Now verse 3, to me, is
very interesting in light of the
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Jerusalem Council that
we just studied last week.
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Verse 3 says, "Paul
wanted to have him meet Timothy,
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go on with him."
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Paul saw something in
Timothy that he wanted.
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He saw a young man
who was on fire for God.
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He saw a young man who
had dedication and zeal,
00:11:15.27\00:11:18.27
and who would be
passionate in helping him
00:11:18.31\00:11:20.38
support this work.
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Paul wanted him to go and he
took him and circumcised him,
00:11:22.41\00:11:26.88
remember his father was
a Greek, so Timothy was not
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circumcised yet.
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He came and circumcised him
because of the Jews who were
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in that region, for they all
knew that his father was Greek.
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And as they went through
the city, they delivered to
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them the decrees to keep,
which were determined by the
00:11:38.99\00:11:42.70
apostles and
elders at Jerusalem."
00:11:42.73\00:11:44.53
So what was the decree
that they were taking with them?
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That would be the
letter we read about in Acts 15
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that James and the
elders wrote saying that it is
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not necessary to be circumcised
in order to join the church.
00:11:53.41\00:11:57.28
and yet, Paul
just asks, Timothy,
00:11:57.31\00:12:00.05
you need to be circumcised.
00:12:00.12\00:12:01.68
So, initially you can
say, well why did he have to be
00:12:01.72\00:12:04.29
circumcised, if they're going
out and delivering a letter
00:12:04.32\00:12:06.59
saying, "Circumcision
is no longer necessary."
00:12:06.62\00:12:09.76
Well I believe,
obviously, Paul understood...
00:12:09.79\00:12:13.13
It was not the
requirement for salvation.
00:12:13.16\00:12:15.20
That is not why he had
Timothy be circumcised.
00:12:15.23\00:12:18.90
It was to avoid
prejudice among the Jews.
00:12:18.93\00:12:22.94
Some people still
struggling with that.
00:12:22.97\00:12:24.91
And as an uncircumcised
Jew, he would be forbidden to
00:12:24.94\00:12:28.21
enter the temple as well.
00:12:28.24\00:12:29.74
So they wanted to clear that up,
so there would be no question
00:12:29.78\00:12:33.21
when Timothy went out.
00:12:33.25\00:12:35.22
Timothy is integral to the work
00:12:35.25\00:12:37.35
of Paul and
Silas on their journey.
00:12:37.39\00:12:39.59
He is mentioned by name
in Paul's letters more than
00:12:39.62\00:12:43.43
anyone else.
00:12:43.49\00:12:45.23
He is actually
called an apostle.
00:12:45.26\00:12:47.03
In 1 Thessalonians 2:6, Timothy
became one of the apostles.
00:12:47.10\00:12:50.80
He pastored the church in
Ephesus and tradition says
00:12:51.60\00:12:56.37
that he was maybe
martyred there around AD 97,
00:12:56.40\00:13:01.24
but he worked and he
labored and he ministered.
00:13:01.28\00:13:04.41
He was, as it
were, an ambassador,
00:13:04.45\00:13:06.75
a representative for
Paul ministering to many
00:13:06.82\00:13:10.09
of the different churches.
00:13:10.12\00:13:12.02
So as we close here in
my time, I want to look
00:13:12.05\00:13:14.26
at Timothy for just a moment...
00:13:14.29\00:13:16.76
The advantages that
Timothy possessed because
00:13:16.83\00:13:19.29
of his godly
heritage passed down to him
00:13:19.33\00:13:22.80
from his mother and grandmother.
00:13:22.83\00:13:25.00
We see the advantage of
wise and careful early training.
00:13:25.03\00:13:30.71
Now you can come to
Jesus no matter where you are
00:13:30.77\00:13:33.58
or you can be 100 and
come to Jesus and He will
00:13:33.64\00:13:37.61
accept you just as you are.
00:13:37.65\00:13:40.08
At the same time, I
think because of Timothy's
00:13:40.12\00:13:42.92
early training... and what
does it say in 2 Timothy 3?
00:13:42.95\00:13:46.22
"From childhood, you have
known the Holy Scriptures."
00:13:46.25\00:13:49.02
So because of his early
training, he was especially
00:13:49.06\00:13:52.93
equipped as a young man,
a late teenager, early 20s,
00:13:52.96\00:13:57.80
to already take his
place in the gospel work and to
00:13:57.83\00:14:01.20
be an effective
worker for the Lord Jesus.
00:14:01.24\00:14:04.01
Now we see here,
after this, they journeyed,
00:14:04.04\00:14:07.91
and they wanted to go a
couple of different places,
00:14:07.94\00:14:10.18
and the Holy
Spirit forbade them.
00:14:10.25\00:14:12.38
The Holy Spirit
said, "No, don't go there."
00:14:12.41\00:14:15.35
And then Paul,
this is Acts 16:9...
00:14:15.38\00:14:20.46
"Paul had a vision at night,
00:14:20.49\00:14:23.19
and a man of Macedonia
stood and pleaded with him
00:14:23.22\00:14:26.53
saying, "Come over to
Macedonia and help us.
00:14:26.56\00:14:30.23
Now after he had seen
the vision, immediately
00:14:30.27\00:14:33.50
we sought to go to
Macedonia, concluding that
00:14:33.54\00:14:35.87
the Lord had called us to
preach the gospel to them."
00:14:35.90\00:14:39.04
What I like about this is
Paul is sensitive to the leading
00:14:39.07\00:14:41.61
of the Holy Spirit.
00:14:41.64\00:14:42.98
When the Holy Spirit
says, "Don't go to this region,"
00:14:43.01\00:14:45.15
he doesn't go, and then
when he received his vision,
00:14:45.18\00:14:48.15
"Go over to Macedonia and
help people," what happens?
00:14:48.18\00:14:50.89
Immediately, they got
up, they went from Troas,
00:14:50.95\00:14:53.82
and took the
journey over to Macedonia,
00:14:53.86\00:14:56.22
and that leads us to Philippi.
00:14:56.26\00:14:57.79
Okay, wow! All I can say
is, next time put me before
00:14:57.83\00:15:03.87
Jill, not after her.
00:15:03.90\00:15:05.23
You had some great information,
you do such a great job.
00:15:05.27\00:15:08.07
She has such a gift
for teaching - thank you.
00:15:08.10\00:15:11.64
Well we're talking
about "Mae-cedonia"/Macedonia,
00:15:11.67\00:15:14.28
however you
want to pronounce it,
00:15:14.31\00:15:15.64
but Paul and his companions
then traveled to Philippi,
00:15:15.68\00:15:18.05
and there, they
established the first Christian
00:15:18.08\00:15:21.12
congregation in Europe,
and I mean that's a big feat.
00:15:21.15\00:15:24.09
Okay, basically here on
Monday, I'm going to be talking
00:15:24.12\00:15:28.12
through, it's Acts
and you follow with me.
00:15:28.16\00:15:30.43
We're going to
start with verse about 11
00:15:30.46\00:15:32.26
and go through
maybe 30 some odd...
00:15:32.29\00:15:34.40
Now some of us know
the stories, but I tried to
00:15:34.46\00:15:37.23
study this and just stick
with it, but I seemed to get
00:15:37.27\00:15:39.37
sidetracked sometimes;
my little mind brings up
00:15:39.40\00:15:42.24
some other thoughts,
but what I want to talk
00:15:42.27\00:15:45.61
about here is that it says
that Paul and those with him
00:15:45.64\00:15:49.78
decided they
stopped at a riverside...
00:15:49.81\00:15:51.91
And it was on Sabbath
and normally they would go
00:15:51.95\00:15:55.08
to the synagogue on the
Sabbath, but this particular
00:15:55.12\00:15:57.59
time - maybe there
wasn't a synagogue near,
00:15:57.62\00:16:00.12
but they met and there
was some women who were
00:16:00.19\00:16:02.16
praying and they met
with these and some were
00:16:02.19\00:16:04.63
Gentiles and some were Jews...
00:16:04.66\00:16:06.36
And so they went and
met with them on Sabbath;
00:16:06.39\00:16:08.73
one of them was Lydia and
Lydia had become a believer,
00:16:08.76\00:16:11.70
and Paul said, Hey, I
should baptize you and your
00:16:11.73\00:16:14.97
whole house and
basically he did and she said,
00:16:15.00\00:16:18.54
Well why don't you
come over to our...
00:16:18.57\00:16:20.38
He's probably imaging
Sabbath potluck, right?
00:16:20.41\00:16:24.15
We've just preached and
been to the riverside...
00:16:24.18\00:16:26.21
hey, why don't you come
over to my house and we'll feed
00:16:26.25\00:16:30.49
ya and we'll just have a
great time and you can preach
00:16:30.52\00:16:32.95
to the rest of my household,
this is gonna be a lot of fun.
00:16:32.99\00:16:36.06
So Paul said,
"Great," well they were
00:16:36.09\00:16:38.06
going along and
then guess what happens?
00:16:38.09\00:16:40.00
As they're traveling along,
all of a sudden there's this
00:16:40.03\00:16:43.33
woman and this
woman, she has the spirit of
00:16:43.37\00:16:46.43
divination... now I
didn't really know what
00:16:46.47\00:16:48.77
divination was, so I decided
to look it up to make sure...
00:16:48.80\00:16:52.17
But she had a
spirit of divination which
00:16:52.21\00:16:54.94
her masters brought her.
00:16:55.48\00:16:57.21
This woman says
here, I want you...
00:16:57.25\00:16:59.28
and she continued to
follow Paul around and I think
00:16:59.31\00:17:02.45
she got on his
nerves enough that he said,
00:17:03.92\00:17:05.89
"Okay, I'm going to
handle this in a Spiritual way."
00:17:05.92\00:17:08.79
So guess what he did?
00:17:08.82\00:17:10.76
He told the demon
to come out of her.
00:17:10.79\00:17:13.06
Well when that
happened, that made
00:17:13.09\00:17:15.06
the folk very angry
because that was their money.
00:17:15.10\00:17:17.80
She was their bread-winner.
00:17:17.83\00:17:20.74
So now, here's a
woman that doesn't have the
00:17:20.77\00:17:22.64
spirit of divination.
00:17:22.67\00:17:24.01
I looked it up, it
says, it's a Latin word, it
00:17:24.04\00:17:26.51
comes from "divinare,"
meaning to foresee or to be
00:17:26.54\00:17:30.75
inspired by a
god... that's a little "g."
00:17:30.78\00:17:33.92
To practice divination is
to uncover hidden knowledge
00:17:33.95\00:17:37.52
by supernatural means.
00:17:37.59\00:17:39.32
It also is
associated with the occult.
00:17:39.35\00:17:41.76
It involves
fortune-telling, soothsaying
00:17:41.79\00:17:44.33
as it used to be called.
00:17:44.36\00:17:45.96
For from the ancient
times, people used divination
00:17:45.99\00:17:48.86
for a number of
reasons; to gain knowledge
00:17:48.90\00:17:50.83
for the future, of course that's
the way they can make money.
00:17:50.87\00:17:53.44
We have those today - people
claiming... you can see them on
00:17:53.50\00:17:55.74
television - will
tell your fortune.
00:17:55.77\00:17:58.14
The practice continues as
those who claim supernatural
00:17:58.17\00:18:01.14
insight - read palms,
tea leaves, what they call
00:18:01.18\00:18:04.11
tarot cards, star
charts and many other things.
00:18:04.18\00:18:07.82
So that goes on, so Paul
says, I'm going to have no
00:18:07.85\00:18:11.05
part in this, but the
men said, "Okay, we've had
00:18:11.09\00:18:15.22
it, so somehow they
were able to get him;
00:18:15.26\00:18:18.39
they took him into the
city, into the marketplace,
00:18:18.43\00:18:21.30
and all of a sudden,
they were able to get those
00:18:21.33\00:18:24.47
in charge to
come... government leaders
00:18:24.50\00:18:26.50
to come and say, "You
know what, we're going to put
00:18:26.53\00:18:28.94
these people in prison."
00:18:28.97\00:18:30.31
Now Paul, was going for
potluck... he was going to have
00:18:30.34\00:18:33.91
a good time that
day; felt like everything
00:18:33.98\00:18:36.34
was going to be going
his way and now he finds
00:18:36.38\00:18:39.15
himself... so this time
they don't want him out,
00:18:39.18\00:18:41.55
so they say, "Put him inside
the prison as far as you can,
00:18:41.58\00:18:45.02
and they put stocks on his
legs where he can't possibly,
00:18:45.05\00:18:49.06
Paul and Silas, they can't
possibly get out of this thing.
00:18:49.09\00:18:52.76
Well now, you say, here's
a guy, he's just had a rough
00:18:52.79\00:18:56.30
day, Sabbath is over,
it's beginning the first day
00:18:56.33\00:18:59.63
of the week and on
Sunday, but at midnight
00:18:59.67\00:19:03.37
what are they doing...
instead of crying, screaming,
00:19:03.44\00:19:06.71
and begging and
pleading and saying "Woe is me,
00:19:06.74\00:19:10.61
if I didn't have any bad
luck, I'd have no luck at all."
00:19:10.68\00:19:12.88
They didn't do
anything like that!
00:19:12.91\00:19:14.28
It says they were
singing, and praising.
00:19:14.35\00:19:17.52
Praising God at midnight.
00:19:17.55\00:19:19.85
Now I don't think it's
an accident and hopefully
00:19:19.89\00:19:22.76
you don't either,
that right at that time,
00:19:22.79\00:19:25.79
all of a sudden there
was this big earthquake...
00:19:25.83\00:19:27.86
So the earthquake comes and
it's so big of an earthquake,
00:19:27.86\00:19:32.53
it had to be God-ordained
of course, that it loosened,
00:19:32.57\00:19:35.54
not only opened the
cells, but it loosened the binds
00:19:35.57\00:19:39.24
on them, I mean - that
must have been some earthquake!
00:19:39.27\00:19:41.81
Probably off of the
Richter scale, but then they
00:19:41.84\00:19:45.61
saw the jailer,
and guess what he did?
00:19:45.65\00:19:47.62
He grabbed his sword and
said, he's getting ready to
00:19:47.65\00:19:51.19
kill himself because he
knew, let these prisoners out,
00:19:51.22\00:19:54.76
I'm dead... so they
said, "Whoa, whoa, whoa...
00:19:54.79\00:19:56.73
Paul and Silas, don't do that;
00:19:56.76\00:19:58.36
you don't do
that, we're still here."
00:19:58.39\00:20:00.20
Now this man couldn't imagine,
00:20:00.23\00:20:02.50
they were set free,
and they didn't take off.
00:20:02.53\00:20:04.60
First of all, he had
been listening to them
00:20:04.63\00:20:06.70
all evening, praying and
singing praising the Lord.
00:20:06.74\00:20:10.77
So he was so amazed by that,
that he actually said to them,
00:20:10.81\00:20:14.31
"You know what? I
need what you have.
00:20:14.34\00:20:17.61
How can I be saved?"
And what did they say?
00:20:17.65\00:20:19.81
"Believe on the name
of the Lord Jesus Christ,
00:20:20.82\00:20:23.18
then thou shalt be
saved." That's right.
00:20:23.22\00:20:25.15
And in a short time, he
took them, Paul and Silas,
00:20:25.19\00:20:29.02
to his home; they preached
to the rest of his household,
00:20:29.06\00:20:32.83
and it says that
they all were baptized.
00:20:32.86\00:20:34.56
Isn't that amazing - when God
shows up, things happen! Amen!
00:20:34.60\00:20:38.77
Through His people,
that's the amazing thing,
00:20:38.80\00:20:41.10
the love of God - that He could
love us enough to even use us
00:20:41.14\00:20:44.64
as frail, human agents to
take the gospel to the world.
00:20:44.67\00:20:48.14
So it wasn't Paul, we
know that earlier in his
00:20:48.18\00:20:50.61
life, he was the persecutor,
now he became persecuted,
00:20:50.68\00:20:54.62
but the blessing of
God... I've always said this,
00:20:54.65\00:20:57.32
is on the go, "Go
ye into all the world."
00:20:57.35\00:21:00.46
But I want to say
something about baptism,
00:21:00.49\00:21:03.19
and this may be a
little controversial,
00:21:03.22\00:21:05.03
I don't want to be too
much so, so I'm going to stick
00:21:05.06\00:21:07.00
with the Bible, but we should
realize that we're baptized
00:21:07.03\00:21:10.87
into Jesus Christ. Amen!
00:21:10.93\00:21:12.47
We are not baptized
into a church, if you will.
00:21:12.50\00:21:15.64
A lot of folks will
say, "I was baptized into the
00:21:15.67\00:21:18.61
church," you know,
such and such date."
00:21:18.64\00:21:21.64
When we accept Acts 16:31,
"Believe on the Lord Jesus
00:21:21.68\00:21:27.82
Christ and thou shalt be saved,"
00:21:27.85\00:21:29.55
I have to take that
at exactly what it says.
00:21:29.58\00:21:32.05
There are numerous Scriptures,
Mark 16:16, Acts 22:16,
00:21:32.09\00:21:36.42
Galatians 3:17, Luke
3:16 and 21-30, Acts 8:36-38.
00:21:36.46\00:21:44.67
My point is here without
trying to get too off-track
00:21:44.70\00:21:47.94
that we're baptized into Jesus
Christ - that means we accept,
00:21:47.97\00:21:53.34
we believe, we want to do
like Jesus when He was dead,
00:21:53.41\00:21:57.21
buried and resurrected,
we're doing that in the
00:21:57.28\00:21:59.38
physical in water baptism.
00:21:59.41\00:22:02.88
Then we come out a new
creature, but sometimes
00:22:02.92\00:22:06.19
we put so much emphasis
being baptized in the church.
00:22:06.22\00:22:09.42
Now, does that mean that
we don't need to worry about
00:22:09.46\00:22:11.83
doctrine and we
don't need instruction?
00:22:11.86\00:22:13.50
Absolutely, we do and I
don't believe that people
00:22:13.53\00:22:17.43
should be admitted into
a church, a local church,
00:22:17.47\00:22:22.60
if and why would they want to be
00:22:22.64\00:22:24.27
if you don't
believe what's being taught.
00:22:24.31\00:22:26.54
Let's say, for instance,
there are people who say,
00:22:26.57\00:22:29.24
"Well I think it's
okay to smoke and drink."
00:22:29.28\00:22:31.08
Well you know
what? Join another church
00:22:31.11\00:22:32.98
because there are many of
the churches whose pastors
00:22:33.01\00:22:35.78
smoke and drink or
priests smoke and drink.
00:22:35.82\00:22:38.22
So I would say -
join a church like that,
00:22:38.25\00:22:40.92
but I would like to
just hear our people
00:22:40.96\00:22:43.26
understand that we're
baptized into Jesus Christ,
00:22:43.29\00:22:46.66
and, yes, then we should be
entered into church fellowship,
00:22:46.70\00:22:51.10
but it's not mandatory because
the way the Bible says it
00:22:51.13\00:22:54.84
to me and if I'm
mistaken, you all could tell me,
00:22:54.87\00:22:57.57
we're baptized into
Jesus Christ, then we want to
00:22:57.61\00:23:01.48
join a church; that's
where we get together;
00:23:01.51\00:23:03.75
that's where we begin to
study and thank God for the
00:23:03.78\00:23:06.92
layman and the
pastors and those helping us
00:23:06.95\00:23:09.72
because once you join a
church, now you're part of a
00:23:09.75\00:23:12.69
family who are continually
00:23:12.72\00:23:15.06
working together to learn more
and to evangelize to the world.
00:23:15.09\00:23:18.86
Then I want to say
one other little point...
00:23:18.89\00:23:21.03
And, I hope I didn't
mess that one up too bad,
00:23:21.06\00:23:23.00
but another
little point was this...
00:23:23.03\00:23:24.77
On the Sabbath, when we started
out, it says Paul and Silas
00:23:24.80\00:23:28.97
went to the
river on the Sabbath,
00:23:29.00\00:23:31.51
there was no synagogue there.
00:23:31.54\00:23:32.87
This is interesting to me and
people don't seem to realize it,
00:23:32.91\00:23:36.58
that 60 to 70 years after
the crucifixion and resurrection
00:23:36.61\00:23:43.85
of Christ, these apostles
and the new Apostolic Church,
00:23:43.89\00:23:49.49
they weren't going to
church on Sunday because
00:23:49.52\00:23:51.59
of the resurrection of
Christ, what day were they going
00:23:51.63\00:23:54.50
worshipping? Sabbath!
Over and over and over...
00:23:54.56\00:23:56.80
Sabbath
Scriptures: Acts 13, 14:42, 44;
00:23:56.83\00:24:02.44
Acts 17:1-2; Acts
18:4... I can go on, my time is
00:24:02.47\00:24:07.31
running out, but 60 to 70 to
80 years after the crucifixion
00:24:07.38\00:24:13.31
of Christ, the
new church, everybody,
00:24:13.35\00:24:16.69
kept the
seventh-day Sabbath. Amen! Amen!
00:24:16.72\00:24:18.45
No one said, "Oh well,
because Christ died, I think now
00:24:18.49\00:24:23.02
we'll go to church on Sunday."
00:24:23.06\00:24:25.99
No, they didn't.
As their custom was,
00:24:26.03\00:24:28.26
just as when it
talks about Jesus...
00:24:28.30\00:24:30.03
so to me, it's very important
for those of you watching
00:24:30.07\00:24:32.77
and listening today,
let's do what Jesus did...
00:24:32.80\00:24:35.64
and that is to go to
church on His Holy Sabbath Day.
00:24:35.67\00:24:40.08
And I just think it's
such a blessing to study
00:24:40.14\00:24:43.01
and see what these people
did because we need the fire,
00:24:43.04\00:24:46.21
we need what they
had in the Book of Acts,
00:24:46.25\00:24:48.92
and that may be a newfound
experience with the Holy Spirit.
00:24:48.95\00:24:53.86
Say "Lord, accept me
just as I am, fill me with
00:24:53.92\00:24:56.93
the anointing of
Your Holy Spirit,"
00:24:56.99\00:24:58.33
when you do that,
God will bless you
00:24:58.36\00:25:00.63
abundantly and
exceedingly more than
00:25:00.66\00:25:02.63
you could ever
ask or think. Amen!
00:25:02.66\00:25:04.80
Well Amen and Amen!
00:25:04.83\00:25:06.17
You know, I get to
continue with this study
00:25:06.20\00:25:09.77
with Paul and Silas.
00:25:09.80\00:25:12.07
Paul and Silas were in Philippi.
00:25:12.11\00:25:14.28
You know, they didn't
even have a synagogue there,
00:25:14.31\00:25:17.55
and they still got in trouble.
00:25:17.58\00:25:19.91
But what happened
to Paul and Silas?
00:25:19.95\00:25:21.65
They got put in
jail, did they not?
00:25:21.68\00:25:23.52
They got put in jail
because they interfered with the
00:25:23.59\00:25:28.66
lady that had the
demonic spirit and so in casting
00:25:28.69\00:25:32.39
that demonic spirit
out, they no longer had their
00:25:32.43\00:25:36.06
source of income,
but, boy, Paul and Silas
00:25:36.10\00:25:38.80
got persecuted a
lot and now that's
00:25:38.83\00:25:41.17
what we're going to look at.
00:25:41.20\00:25:42.54
I get to look at Tuesday which
is "Thessalonica and Berea."
00:25:42.57\00:25:46.64
So when Paul and Silas
were released from prison,
00:25:46.68\00:25:50.55
they left Philippi,
they and their companions
00:25:50.61\00:25:54.28
and they went to Thessalonica
00:25:54.32\00:25:56.55
which is the
capitol of Macedonia.
00:25:56.58\00:25:58.22
now did we read earlier where
they had this Macedonian call,
00:25:58.25\00:26:02.16
did they not?
Where in vision, God told
00:26:02.19\00:26:04.66
them to go to Macedonia.
00:26:04.69\00:26:06.03
Now you would think,
if God gave you the vision
00:26:06.06\00:26:08.50
and you're
being obedient to Him,
00:26:08.53\00:26:10.27
that nothing bad is
going to happen to you.
00:26:10.30\00:26:12.20
Well let's look at
this... Okay, I'm going to start
00:26:12.23\00:26:14.90
in Acts 17:1-4...
00:26:14.94\00:26:17.94
"Now when they had
passed through Amphipolis...
00:26:17.97\00:26:22.64
and if anybody wants
to pronounce these words
00:26:22.68\00:26:24.88
better, you go right
ahead... and Apollonia,
00:26:24.91\00:26:28.02
they came to
Thessalonica where there was a
00:26:28.05\00:26:31.45
Synagogue of the Jews."
00:26:31.49\00:26:33.15
Now, then it says,
"Then Paul, as his custom was,
00:26:33.19\00:26:37.96
went into them and for
three Sabbaths, reasoned
00:26:37.99\00:26:42.23
with them from the Scriptures."
00:26:42.26\00:26:43.83
Now when it says that
Paul reasoned with them
00:26:43.87\00:26:47.90
from the Scriptures,
what Scriptures are we
00:26:47.94\00:26:49.84
talking about?
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John?
00:26:49.87\00:26:52.27
No! They weren't
even written yet.
00:26:52.31\00:26:54.38
This is from the Old
Testament and look what
00:26:54.41\00:26:57.31
they were expounding...
what Paul was expounding from
00:26:57.35\00:27:00.15
the Old Testament
explaining and demonstrating
00:27:00.18\00:27:03.42
that the Christ had to suffer
and rise again from the dead
00:27:03.45\00:27:07.09
and saying, "This Jesus whom
I preach to you is the Christ.
00:27:07.12\00:27:11.59
And some of them were persuaded;
00:27:11.63\00:27:13.93
and a great
multitude of the devout Greeks;
00:27:13.96\00:27:17.07
and not a few of the leading
women joined Paul and Silas."
00:27:17.10\00:27:21.77
Paul and Silas were
having a very successful
00:27:21.80\00:27:25.17
evangelistic campaign.
00:27:25.21\00:27:26.98
God was blessing and
great multitudes joined them.
00:27:27.01\00:27:30.98
That they joined
them... seems to indicate
00:27:31.01\00:27:34.32
they formed a separate group and
met apart from the synagogue,
00:27:34.35\00:27:37.82
possibly at Jason's house.
00:27:37.85\00:27:39.95
Now God is
blessing, look at Acts 17:5...
00:27:39.99\00:27:44.96
"But the Jews who were
not persuaded became...
00:27:44.99\00:27:49.70
what's that next word? Envious.
00:27:49.73\00:27:52.03
Now Jill, I'm going
to quote this from the
00:27:52.07\00:27:54.34
New King James Version,
but I want you to quote it
00:27:54.37\00:27:56.57
in the King James...
I'm still a King James
00:27:56.60\00:27:58.64
Version girl, I'm sorry.
00:27:58.67\00:28:00.11
But from the New King James...
00:28:00.14\00:28:01.78
"For where envy and
self-seeking exists, confusion
00:28:01.81\00:28:07.15
and every evil thing are there."
00:28:07.18\00:28:09.55
Now... "For where envying and
00:28:09.58\00:28:11.52
strife is, there is
confusion and every evil work."
00:28:11.55\00:28:14.89
Every evil work, so
they became envious.
00:28:14.92\00:28:18.13
What is envious? They had envy.
00:28:18.16\00:28:22.63
And where there is
envying and striving,
00:28:22.66\00:28:24.83
there is EVERY evil work.
00:28:24.87\00:28:26.84
They took some
of the evil men...
00:28:26.87\00:28:28.50
now this is what they
did here in Thessalonica...
00:28:28.54\00:28:31.31
They took some of the evil
men from the marketplace...
00:28:31.34\00:28:33.91
Now who is it that took them?
00:28:33.98\00:28:35.41
This is the Jewish
rulers, the Jewish leaders.
00:28:35.44\00:28:38.95
They're the ones
that were envious.
00:28:38.98\00:28:41.15
"... From the
marketplace and gathered a mob,
00:28:41.18\00:28:43.69
set all the city in an
uproar and attacked the house
00:28:43.72\00:28:47.06
of Jason and sought to
bring them out to the people.
00:28:47.09\00:28:49.79
Now they were seeking to
bring Paul and Silas out,
00:28:49.82\00:28:52.23
Paul and Silas weren't there.
00:28:52.26\00:28:54.10
But when they did not find
them, they dragged Jason...
00:28:54.10\00:28:58.23
poor Jason, he was
just a young convert...
00:28:58.27\00:29:00.77
and some brethren to
the rulers of the city,
00:29:00.80\00:29:03.44
crying out, "These
who have turned the world
00:29:03.47\00:29:05.91
upside-down, have come here too.
00:29:05.94\00:29:08.58
... Jason has harbored
them and these are all acting
00:29:08.61\00:29:12.65
contrary to the
decrees of Caesar saying,
00:29:12.68\00:29:15.92
"There is another king - Jesus.
00:29:15.95\00:29:18.45
And they troubled the
crowd and the rulers of the city
00:29:18.49\00:29:21.42
when they heard these things.
00:29:21.46\00:29:23.86
So when they had
taken security from Jason
00:29:23.89\00:29:27.03
and the rest, they let them go."
00:29:27.13\00:29:28.43
So now, Paul and
Silas aren't there.
00:29:28.46\00:29:31.20
Look in verse 10...
00:29:31.23\00:29:35.17
"Then the brethren
immediately sent Paul and Silas
00:29:35.20\00:29:38.84
away by night to Berea."
00:29:38.87\00:29:40.81
And I got to thinking...
See, the rulers and the mob
00:29:40.88\00:29:46.21
didn't actually get
to Paul and Silas. Why?
00:29:46.25\00:29:48.62
Because the brethren
were protecting them.
00:29:48.65\00:29:51.52
It says the brethren took
them and sent them to Berea.
00:29:51.55\00:29:56.39
Now why would they do this?
00:29:56.42\00:29:57.96
This is Paul's
second missionary journey,
00:29:57.99\00:30:00.80
and I know we've
studied that first
00:30:00.83\00:30:02.96
missionary journey, but let me
just give a little recap to it.
00:30:03.00\00:30:06.27
The first missionary
journey that Paul went on...
00:30:06.30\00:30:10.21
He was in Antioch - what
happened to him in Antioch?
00:30:10.27\00:30:14.28
He got run off.
00:30:14.31\00:30:16.85
The crowd rose up
against him and ran him out
00:30:16.91\00:30:19.98
of the city in Antioch.
00:30:20.02\00:30:24.15
Ran him down into Iconium.
00:30:24.19\00:30:26.72
Now what happened
to him at Iconium?
00:30:26.76\00:30:28.79
The crowd rose,
the people came down,
00:30:28.82\00:30:32.46
stirred up the crowd again
and poor Paul got run off again.
00:30:32.49\00:30:37.20
Well now, he goes
from Iconium to Lystra.
00:30:37.23\00:30:41.24
Do you know what?
He's having great success
00:30:41.27\00:30:43.44
in Lystra, is he
not? What happens?
00:30:43.47\00:30:46.04
The people that stirred
up the crowds came down to
00:30:46.07\00:30:51.05
Lystra, stirred up the
crowds there and you know what
00:30:51.08\00:30:54.72
they did to poor Paul?
00:30:54.75\00:30:56.08
They stoned him to the
point to where they thought
00:30:56.12\00:30:58.95
he was dead and they left him.
00:30:58.99\00:31:01.79
So everywhere Paul
goes, he... you know, I think
00:31:01.82\00:31:06.03
I could get a
complex if I were Paul.
00:31:06.06\00:31:08.46
But here he is, on his
second missionary journey,
00:31:08.50\00:31:11.67
and the first place he
goes, he gets put in jail.
00:31:11.70\00:31:15.14
Well then he
goes to Thessalonica
00:31:15.17\00:31:17.47
and if he doesn't
get run off again!
00:31:17.51\00:31:20.08
But this time, the
brethren take him by night
00:31:20.14\00:31:24.21
and send him to Berea.
00:31:24.25\00:31:25.58
So now we've got him at Berea.
00:31:25.61\00:31:27.08
Let's see what
happens there. Verse 10...
00:31:27.12\00:31:30.69
"When they arrived, they went
into the synagogue of the Jews."
00:31:30.75\00:31:33.36
So Paul, as was his
custom, anytime he arrived
00:31:34.36\00:31:39.16
in a new city and
there was a synagogue,
00:31:39.19\00:31:41.26
he went to the
synagogue of the Jews because
00:31:41.30\00:31:46.23
he always felt he needed
to bring this gospel message
00:31:46.27\00:31:50.14
to the Jewish brethren first.
00:31:50.44\00:31:53.81
And verse 11...
"These were more fair-minded
00:31:53.84\00:31:57.91
than those in Thessalonica
in that they received the
00:31:57.95\00:32:02.15
word with all readiness and
searched the Scriptures daily
00:32:02.18\00:32:06.02
to find out
whether things were so.
00:32:06.05\00:32:09.32
Therefore many of
them believed, and also
00:32:09.36\00:32:11.83
not a few of the Greeks,
prominent women as well as men.
00:32:11.86\00:32:15.40
Now, they used the term
"fair-minded" in verse 11.
00:32:16.03\00:32:20.70
It's the word
"eugenes" which means wellborn,
00:32:20.74\00:32:27.24
are of noble birth.
00:32:27.28\00:32:30.11
These Jews from Berea are
praised - not simply because
00:32:30.15\00:32:34.08
they agreed with Paul and Silas,
00:32:34.12\00:32:36.05
but because of their
willingness to search
00:32:36.08\00:32:39.29
the Scriptures daily
to find out for themselves
00:32:39.32\00:32:42.66
whether these things were true."
00:32:42.69\00:32:44.73
Now this is a statement
that was in our Quarterly,
00:32:44.76\00:32:47.56
and I like this statement.
00:32:47.60\00:32:48.90
The statement is:
"An emotional response to
00:32:48.93\00:32:52.63
the gospel without
the necessary intellectual
00:32:52.67\00:32:56.44
conviction - that means
knowledge of God's word,
00:32:56.47\00:32:59.87
tends to be
superficial and short-lived,
00:32:59.91\00:33:02.94
and that reminded me of
the seed that was sown by
00:33:02.98\00:33:06.92
the sower in Mark 4:5-6,
let me read that to you...
00:33:06.95\00:33:11.55
That's Mark 4:5-6...
"Some fell on rocky places
00:33:11.59\00:33:16.02
where it did not have much soil.
00:33:16.06\00:33:17.86
It sprang up quickly
because the soil was shallow,
00:33:17.89\00:33:20.96
but when the sun came
up, the plants were scorched
00:33:20.96\00:33:23.63
and they withered. Why?
00:33:23.67\00:33:25.17
Because they had no root.
00:33:25.20\00:33:26.74
How do we develop our roots?
00:33:26.80\00:33:28.30
Faith comes by hearing and
hearing by the word of God.
00:33:28.34\00:33:32.31
Oh these Bereans, they
didn't just take what Paul
00:33:32.34\00:33:36.04
and Silas said, they searched
the Scriptures for themselves.
00:33:36.08\00:33:38.98
You know what they were doing?
00:33:39.01\00:33:40.38
They were putting down roots.
00:33:40.42\00:33:42.42
So that when persecution
arises, you've got your roots
00:33:42.45\00:33:46.92
firmly established. Amen!
00:33:46.96\00:33:49.02
Okay, let me
continue... Verses 13-15
00:33:49.06\00:33:52.69
"And when the Jews
from Thessalonica learned
00:33:52.73\00:33:55.40
that the word of
God was preached,
00:33:55.43\00:33:57.20
by Paul at Berea,
guess what they did?
00:33:57.23\00:33:58.90
They came down there
and stirred up the crowds.
00:33:58.93\00:34:01.54
Then immediately the brethren
sent Paul away to go to the sea,
00:34:01.57\00:34:05.97
but both Silas and
Timothy remained there,
00:34:06.01\00:34:09.78
so those who conducted
Paul, brought him to Athens."
00:34:09.81\00:34:13.31
So now we have seen
Paul go from Philippi to
00:34:13.35\00:34:17.59
Thessalonica, to Berea
and now he's going to Athens,
00:34:17.62\00:34:20.86
and Danny, tell us what
the great commission is.
00:34:20.89\00:34:23.46
Well, Jesus says
in Matthew 28:18-20...
00:34:23.53\00:34:26.49
"Go ye therefore and
make disciples of all nations
00:34:26.53\00:34:29.43
baptizing them in the
name of the Father, the Son,
00:34:29.46\00:34:32.03
and the Holy
Spirit, teaching them
00:34:32.07\00:34:33.70
to observe SOME of
the things... ALL things,
00:34:33.74\00:34:36.00
I'm sorry, ALL of the things."
00:34:36.04\00:34:37.37
So with Paul doing
this, he was fulfilling this
00:34:37.41\00:34:39.74
great commission,
but just in case he were
00:34:39.77\00:34:42.84
to happen to think he
could get settled in somewhere,
00:34:42.88\00:34:45.41
there's a thing called...
let me just give you the
00:34:45.45\00:34:48.68
definition: Diaspora or
dispersion - That's to sow
00:34:48.72\00:34:53.02
throughout or to
distribute in foreign lands
00:34:53.05\00:34:56.32
or scatter abroad.
00:34:56.36\00:34:57.69
Paul went in the
first missionary journey
00:34:57.73\00:35:01.06
to all of those cities;
every time he'd get thrown out,
00:35:01.10\00:35:03.90
he had to go to
another city. What did he do?
00:35:03.97\00:35:06.50
He developed a church
there as well, and he developed
00:35:06.53\00:35:10.21
followers and believers.
00:35:10.24\00:35:11.57
So this is what has
happened here in the second
00:35:11.61\00:35:13.88
missionary journey...
Oh C.A., I'm out of time!
00:35:13.91\00:35:16.85
But just think about this,
every time Paul got displaced,
00:35:16.88\00:35:20.72
he just - he bloomed
where he was planted!
00:35:20.75\00:35:23.89
C.A., your turn.
Amen. Praise the Lord!
00:35:23.92\00:35:25.99
Good! Amen!
00:35:26.02\00:35:27.46
On Wednesday, we look
at Paul and now he goes to
00:35:27.49\00:35:30.33
Athens and I'm
reading from Acts 17:15-22...
00:35:30.36\00:35:33.70
We will move
through this fairly quickly.
00:35:33.73\00:35:37.03
So those who conducted
Paul brought him to Athens,
00:35:37.07\00:35:40.14
and receiving a command
for Silas and Timothy to come
00:35:40.20\00:35:45.04
to him with all
speed, they departed."
00:35:45.07\00:35:47.54
I'm in verse 16...
"Now while Paul waited
00:35:47.58\00:35:50.01
for them at Athens,
his spirit was provoked
00:35:50.05\00:35:52.61
within him when he saw that the
city was given over to idols.
00:35:52.65\00:35:56.58
Therefore he reasoned in
the synagogue with the Jews
00:35:56.65\00:36:00.19
and with the Gentile
worshippers and in the
00:36:00.22\00:36:03.56
marketplace with those
who happened to be there."
00:36:03.59\00:36:07.60
And let me go a little
further. "Then certain Epicurean
00:36:07.66\00:36:11.40
and Stoic philosophers
encountered him and some
00:36:11.43\00:36:14.70
said, "What does
this babbler want to say?"
00:36:14.74\00:36:17.41
Others said, "He seems to be
a proclaimer of foreign gods,"
00:36:17.44\00:36:21.81
because he preached to them
Jesus and the resurrection."
00:36:21.84\00:36:25.28
Verse 19... "And they took him
and brought him to the Areopagus
00:36:26.28\00:36:29.05
saying, "May we know
what this new doctrine
00:36:29.08\00:36:32.19
is of which you speak?"
00:36:32.22\00:36:34.66
Verse 20... "For
you are bringing some
00:36:34.69\00:36:37.13
strange things to our ears.
00:36:37.16\00:36:38.99
Therefore we want to
know what these things mean."
00:36:39.03\00:36:42.96
Verse 21... "For all
the Athenians and the
00:36:43.00\00:36:44.47
foreigners who were
there spent their time
00:36:44.50\00:36:46.80
in nothing else but either to
tell or to hear some new thing."
00:36:46.84\00:36:51.97
By the time Paul got to Athens,
he had developed a fairly
00:36:54.31\00:36:59.05
well-informed methodology in
most of the cities that he went.
00:36:59.08\00:37:03.55
Go to the synagogue, start
there, get a read for what's
00:37:03.62\00:37:07.09
going on in that city and then
sort of moved out from there,
00:37:07.12\00:37:09.92
but when he got
to Athens, he changed
00:37:09.96\00:37:13.66
his methodology somewhat, in
fact, not somewhat radically.
00:37:13.73\00:37:17.40
Paul in 1
Corinthians 9:19 says that...
00:37:17.47\00:37:22.97
"I'm the servant of
all, I have become all
00:37:23.00\00:37:24.97
things to all people."
00:37:25.01\00:37:26.37
Now we must be careful
with that because we know it
00:37:26.41\00:37:30.45
doesn't mean
CHANGING what you believe
00:37:30.48\00:37:33.85
to accommodate someone else,
00:37:33.92\00:37:35.62
or changing how you
behave, we know that is
00:37:35.65\00:37:38.89
so because last week we
saw that little fracas between
00:37:38.92\00:37:42.89
Paul and Peter, so
we know he's not talking
00:37:42.92\00:37:44.69
about changing
their belief systems.
00:37:44.73\00:37:46.36
What he is saying
is.. sometimes you have to
00:37:46.39\00:37:49.06
accommodate the gospel to
meet the ears of those that
00:37:49.10\00:37:53.03
you're trying to win.
00:37:53.07\00:37:54.47
The gospel is not
"one size fits all."
00:37:54.50\00:37:56.67
You have to look at
your audience, find out how
00:37:56.71\00:37:59.67
to approach...
and Christ did this.
00:37:59.71\00:38:01.11
Christ talked to
Nicodemus differently than He
00:38:01.14\00:38:03.18
did the woman at Samaria.
00:38:03.21\00:38:04.55
He talked to Mary different
than He spoke to Martha,
00:38:04.58\00:38:06.88
so He's adjusting the gospel
presentation so it meets the
00:38:06.95\00:38:11.52
needs of those individuals
that you're trying to reach,
00:38:11.55\00:38:14.09
and this is what
Paul is trying to do here.
00:38:14.12\00:38:16.22
Athens was one of
those places that Paul
00:38:16.26\00:38:18.89
changed his methodology.
00:38:18.93\00:38:20.83
Of course, when you
think of Greek culture,
00:38:20.86\00:38:22.73
they worship a
well-developed pantheon of gods,
00:38:22.76\00:38:27.64
more than almost any
other city he went to
00:38:27.67\00:38:30.84
or any other country he went to.
00:38:30.91\00:38:32.84
The Greek
culture was full of gods!
00:38:32.87\00:38:36.95
There was literature
that talked about the gods.
00:38:36.98\00:38:39.58
Idolatry was well-entrenched
and it was buttressed by
00:38:39.61\00:38:43.62
a philosophy that
truly informed to determine
00:38:43.69\00:38:48.52
everything they did;
their society was determined
00:38:48.56\00:38:51.09
by the gods;
sociology, how they made war;
00:38:51.13\00:38:53.70
how they worshipped.
00:38:53.73\00:38:55.50
You know, this thing
about Grecian ideology,
00:38:55.53\00:38:58.63
it was highly, highly
developed and there was
00:38:58.67\00:39:01.40
literature to support this.
00:39:01.44\00:39:02.77
So this was a brand new
territory and the gospel
00:39:02.80\00:39:06.34
had not gone to anyplace quite
00:39:06.37\00:39:08.24
as sophisticated
as Athens before.
00:39:08.28\00:39:11.15
You got the Odyssey and
the Iliad, the works of "Homer,
00:39:11.18\00:39:14.25
Plato,
Aristotle, Socrates," plays,
00:39:14.28\00:39:18.22
different kinds of
things, so this was a very high
00:39:18.25\00:39:21.29
culture - it was a
pagan culture to be sure,
00:39:21.32\00:39:23.76
but it was a very high
culture and the gods were very
00:39:23.79\00:39:27.73
much entrenched
into their society.
00:39:27.76\00:39:30.57
So Paul now is so
distressed because he is seeing
00:39:30.60\00:39:32.77
statues and gods every
place, that he's changing his
00:39:32.80\00:39:35.60
methodology because he had
to get out of the synagogue
00:39:35.64\00:39:38.64
and into the streets,
and begin to address some
00:39:38.67\00:39:41.38
of this stuff because he's...
I don't think he has ever
00:39:41.41\00:39:43.55
seen a place like this
before... that's so "idol-heavy
00:39:43.58\00:39:47.65
and idol-dominated."
00:39:47.68\00:39:49.68
So when he spoke at the
Areopagus, he didn't quote
00:39:49.72\00:39:54.89
Scriptures or go through
the classic Jewish history
00:39:54.92\00:39:57.36
like he did in other places
because this would have made
00:39:57.43\00:39:59.93
no sense to them.
00:40:00.00\00:40:01.30
They didn't have that history,
00:40:01.33\00:40:03.43
and they didn't
have that understanding.
00:40:03.53\00:40:05.03
So he spoke in a way
that would resonate with the
00:40:05.07\00:40:08.14
high
functioning, sophisticated...
00:40:08.17\00:40:10.61
The Sabbath School Lesson
calls them "cultured pagans."
00:40:10.67\00:40:13.98
These are not
people running around
00:40:14.08\00:40:15.41
in loincloths and bear skins.
00:40:15.44\00:40:16.81
No, these are cultured
people with the high society.
00:40:16.85\00:40:19.78
Much of what Paul communicated
could not be comprehended
00:40:21.85\00:40:26.12
by the Grecian society because
of their god-consciousness,
00:40:26.15\00:40:30.09
and their
understanding of metaphysics,
00:40:30.13\00:40:32.43
and things spiritual.
00:40:32.46\00:40:34.03
So there was no way
that they could accept
00:40:34.10\00:40:37.63
this idea of an imminent
god, this idea of a close god
00:40:37.67\00:40:42.80
who loved you and cared
about you and was concerned
00:40:42.84\00:40:46.01
about every aspect of your life.
00:40:46.04\00:40:48.34
For them, the gods were
distant and not really caring,
00:40:48.38\00:40:53.65
kind of capricious - the
idea of monotheism was certainly
00:40:53.68\00:40:58.15
alien to them.
00:40:58.19\00:40:59.69
When you think about
the pantheon of Greek gods,
00:40:59.72\00:41:02.49
they were astonishingly
human, you know, in the way
00:41:02.52\00:41:06.83
that they
interfaced with mankind.
00:41:06.90\00:41:09.10
They were angry, they were
petty, they were vindictive,
00:41:09.13\00:41:12.77
they were vengeful,
they were spiteful, they were
00:41:12.80\00:41:17.57
appeasement-needy.
00:41:17.61\00:41:19.04
They seemed to possess
the worst characteristics
00:41:19.07\00:41:22.88
of human nature.
00:41:22.91\00:41:24.45
So that's the kind of gods
they were used to dealing with.
00:41:24.48\00:41:26.48
The idea of a one-god who
was loving and cares and is
00:41:26.51\00:41:30.55
imminent and wants to be a
part of your life - is totally,
00:41:30.59\00:41:33.22
totally alien to their thinking.
00:41:33.25\00:41:35.22
You had Aries, Poseidon,
Apollo, Hermes, Zeus, Hades and
00:41:35.26\00:41:40.96
all these different gods mixed
with mythological literature,
00:41:40.96\00:41:45.77
and a lot of this was
adopted by the Romans.
00:41:45.80\00:41:48.94
They changed the
names, but the same gods,
00:41:48.97\00:41:50.47
and the same mindset.
00:41:50.54\00:41:51.87
So let's look at 1
Corinthians 1:23...
00:41:51.91\00:41:55.94
1 Corinthians 1
and I'm in verse 23...
00:41:57.58\00:42:07.06
"But we preach Christ crucified,
00:42:12.03\00:42:15.43
to the Jews a stumbling block,
00:42:15.46\00:42:18.07
and to the Greeks foolishness."
00:42:18.10\00:42:21.00
So the Jews can't get
over the fact that we are saved
00:42:21.04\00:42:25.57
by grace through faith.
00:42:25.61\00:42:26.94
They're just tripping on that,
it's a stumbling block, Shelley,
00:42:26.98\00:42:29.61
it just makes no sense to
a people who we talked about
00:42:29.64\00:42:34.22
last week, Mollie, were
really impressed by the temple
00:42:34.28\00:42:38.79
and worshipped in the
temple, by study of the law...
00:42:38.82\00:42:42.12
You know, in Jerusalem
alone, you got 6,000 Pharisees,
00:42:42.16\00:42:45.09
you only got about
35,000 people in the whole city,
00:42:45.13\00:42:47.46
and 6,000 are Pharisees,
you know, studiers of the law.
00:42:47.50\00:42:50.63
And the other
thing is good works...
00:42:50.70\00:42:52.07
so when you've got this
background in your mind,
00:42:52.10\00:42:55.20
the idea that "I just need
to come and confess Christ,
00:42:55.24\00:42:59.04
and surrender my life to Him is
a stumbling block, that's rough!
00:42:59.07\00:43:03.18
And we see this - that most of
the... what's a word I can use,
00:43:03.21\00:43:08.78
most of the energy to
try to destroy the new work,
00:43:08.82\00:43:12.52
if not most, certainly
much of it was coming from the
00:43:12.55\00:43:15.76
Jewish community - they
just weren't ready for it.
00:43:15.79\00:43:18.56
And we saw this with
Stephen, we saw it with Peter,
00:43:18.59\00:43:21.73
we saw it with many disciples...
00:43:21.76\00:43:23.10
"When I cannot silence
you, I want to kill you." Right.
00:43:23.13\00:43:26.40
That's demonic - that's more
than just we have a different
00:43:26.43\00:43:29.80
idea on how to serve God.
00:43:29.84\00:43:31.17
That's the devil superimposing
himself into the life of
00:43:31.21\00:43:34.71
those who do not
want to serve Christ.
00:43:34.74\00:43:37.31
So - I want to
kill... so Paul's life is
00:43:37.35\00:43:39.51
threatened many, many times.
00:43:39.55\00:43:40.88
He is stoned and left for dead.
00:43:40.92\00:43:43.05
Now we want him to
die... so many, many times,
00:43:43.08\00:43:45.92
we see this - so for the Jews,
00:43:45.95\00:43:48.39
it's a stumbling
block, they can't get over it.
00:43:48.42\00:43:49.82
For the Greeks, makes no
sense, it's just foolishness.
00:43:50.69\00:43:55.80
How can you have a
God that loves you?
00:43:55.86\00:43:57.87
Our gods, we
have to appease them;
00:43:57.90\00:43:59.87
we've got to live
certain kinds of ways;
00:43:59.90\00:44:01.97
you gotta do
certain kinds of things...
00:44:02.00\00:44:03.51
and when the gods get good
and ready, they just dump us,
00:44:03.54\00:44:05.77
you know, that's the
kind of god they have.
00:44:05.81\00:44:08.11
And now Paul is preaching
this God, this loving God
00:44:08.14\00:44:11.28
... foolishness!
We just don't see it.
00:44:11.31\00:44:13.75
You know, I'm so glad
that God's word does not
00:44:16.45\00:44:19.45
return unto Him
void. Amen! Amen!
00:44:19.49\00:44:20.89
You know, when
you preach the word,
00:44:20.96\00:44:22.32
somebody is gonna get saved!
00:44:22.36\00:44:23.83
Somebody's heart is
going to be touched, you know,
00:44:23.86\00:44:25.99
it's gonna go out
and it's going to capture
00:44:26.03\00:44:28.40
some heart and come back.
00:44:28.43\00:44:29.76
Now Paul had troubles and trials
in EVERY city, but praise God,
00:44:29.80\00:44:34.70
he had success
in EVERY city. Yes
00:44:34.74\00:44:37.41
There were men and women who
gave their hearts to the Lord,
00:44:37.47\00:44:40.24
and the reason that his
second journey, Shelley, took so
00:44:40.28\00:44:42.64
much longer than the
first journey is because he had
00:44:42.68\00:44:44.81
to go back and visit
those churches again that had
00:44:44.85\00:44:47.42
been started from
that first journey.
00:44:47.48\00:44:49.02
So he did the first work
and then he did EXTRA work,
00:44:49.05\00:44:51.89
and it shows
that God was blessing.
00:44:51.92\00:44:54.26
And He blessed in
Athens, it wasn't maybe the
00:44:54.29\00:44:57.09
biggest evangelistic
crusade he ever had,
00:44:57.13\00:44:59.83
but he did sow some
seeds for the gospel and Athens
00:44:59.86\00:45:02.80
has to be considered a
success because Dionysius
00:45:02.83\00:45:05.77
a member of the council and
Damaris, a woman of stature,
00:45:05.80\00:45:10.11
both came to the
gospel; both came to Christ
00:45:10.14\00:45:13.98
through the preaching of Paul.
00:45:14.01\00:45:15.38
Amen and Amen! Thank you C.A.
00:45:15.41\00:45:17.68
Now he's going to go
from Athens to Corinth,
00:45:17.71\00:45:21.68
and if you think
Athens was interesting,
00:45:21.72\00:45:24.49
I'm sure that his hair
was up on the back of his neck
00:45:24.52\00:45:27.99
when he reached Corinth. Amen!
00:45:28.02\00:45:30.33
We'll be looking in Acts
18 and we will get through
00:45:30.36\00:45:33.16
as many of the first
19 Scriptures as possible.
00:45:33.19\00:45:36.16
Verse 1 says...
"After these things, Paul
00:45:36.20\00:45:38.97
departed from Athens
and he went to Corinth."
00:45:39.00\00:45:42.34
Now Corinth was a very
important metropolitan center
00:45:42.37\00:45:46.51
area - it had two harbors.
00:45:46.54\00:45:48.74
And at the time of Paul's
day, the population was about
00:45:48.78\00:45:53.01
700,000, two-thirds
of whom were slaves.
00:45:53.05\00:45:56.75
But this was the center of
trade for the Mediterranean Sea,
00:45:56.79\00:46:01.16
and it was a cultural
and political and commercial
00:46:01.19\00:46:05.16
center, if you will,
of Greece - more important
00:46:05.19\00:46:08.80
than Athens even.
00:46:08.83\00:46:10.27
And on the hill, just
behind the City of Corinth,
00:46:10.30\00:46:15.14
it was a flat-topped hill
and they had a temple to the
00:46:16.57\00:46:22.11
goddess of love and war
and her name was "Aphrodite."
00:46:22.84\00:46:29.28
Now this is interesting...
00:46:29.32\00:46:31.09
The way in which
they worshipped Aphrodite
00:46:31.12\00:46:35.99
they gave of their finances,
but there were 1,000 temple
00:46:36.02\00:46:44.13
prostitutes, men and
women and the worship was to
00:46:44.17\00:46:50.27
engage in sexual activities
with these prostitutes.
00:46:50.31\00:46:53.74
That is how they worshipped
Aphrodite and when you
00:46:53.78\00:46:58.25
think about this, the
city's walls were just
00:46:58.28\00:47:03.08
the scandal of
the ancient times.
00:47:03.12\00:47:06.35
In the Greek
language, they actually made
00:47:06.39\00:47:10.56
a verb out of the
name, they called it...
00:47:10.59\00:47:14.50
"to corinthianize" and
that meant to practice whoredom.
00:47:14.56\00:47:18.83
So that's how bad Corinth was.
00:47:18.87\00:47:21.57
Paul comes in to
Corinth and what a challenge!
00:47:21.60\00:47:25.67
Only God could overthrow this!
00:47:25.71\00:47:28.11
But the interesting thing...
00:47:28.14\00:47:29.61
when you read First
and Second Corinthians,
00:47:31.51\00:47:33.72
these were written to
the church that's going to be
00:47:33.75\00:47:36.58
established at Corinth and
he's overcoming their various
00:47:36.62\00:47:40.26
problems and you can
see why when you look at the
00:47:40.29\00:47:42.69
history of the city... why
they had all of these problems,
00:47:42.72\00:47:46.16
these Pagan
worshippers who he converted.
00:47:46.19\00:47:48.00
But then on his
next missionary journey,
00:47:48.03\00:47:51.20
on the third missionary journey,
00:47:51.23\00:47:52.90
Paul writes the
letter to the Romans,
00:47:52.93\00:47:55.44
my favorite book in
the Bible, from Corinth.
00:47:56.97\00:47:59.64
Okay, verse 2...
"He found a certain Jew
00:47:59.67\00:48:02.71
named Aquila, born in Pontus,
who had recently come from
00:48:02.74\00:48:06.38
Italy with his wife Priscilla,
because Claudius had commanded
00:48:06.41\00:48:09.85
that all the Jews
should depart from Rome...
00:48:09.88\00:48:14.86
we see the historians are
saying that this deportation,
00:48:14.89\00:48:18.33
when Claudius sent them
out, was because of disturbances
00:48:18.36\00:48:22.60
in the Jewish community
that had to do with Jesus,
00:48:22.63\00:48:27.44
where they were
out preaching Jesus.
00:48:27.47\00:48:29.67
So most likely Aquila
and Priscilla were already
00:48:29.70\00:48:33.48
Christians.
00:48:33.51\00:48:34.91
It says, he came to
them, so because he was of the
00:48:34.94\00:48:38.28
same trade, he
stayed with them and worked,
00:48:38.31\00:48:41.25
for by occupation,
they were tentmakers.
00:48:41.28\00:48:44.59
So we don't see any evidence
that Paul preached to them
00:48:44.62\00:48:48.72
to convert them, so we're
just assuming that they were
00:48:48.76\00:48:50.96
already Christians and they
become his lifelong friends.
00:48:50.99\00:48:54.60
He takes them back when
he makes his return trip
00:48:54.63\00:48:58.17
to Antioch - he
takes them with him.
00:48:58.20\00:49:00.17
He leaves them in
Ephesians and they open up their
00:49:00.20\00:49:04.17
home as a
house-church in Ephesus...
00:49:04.24\00:49:07.21
I said he leaves
them in Ephesians,
00:49:07.24\00:49:08.98
he leaves them in
Ephesus and then years later,
00:49:09.01\00:49:12.11
when they move back to Rome,
they open up their home again
00:49:12.15\00:49:15.92
for a house-church and
Paul even says that they
00:49:15.95\00:49:19.55
saved his neck.
00:49:19.59\00:49:20.92
You know, so they were
very devoted friends of his,
00:49:20.99\00:49:24.16
but the interesting thing about
Priscilla and Aquila is that
00:49:24.19\00:49:28.03
they're always
mentioned together as a couple.
00:49:28.06\00:49:30.87
They had a very
effective ministry as a couple,
00:49:30.90\00:49:35.60
and you know that Paul
had shared the benefit of
00:49:35.64\00:49:39.91
his great knowledge with
them because when they found
00:49:39.94\00:49:44.15
Apollos, who was a
very articulate teacher
00:49:44.18\00:49:47.52
of the way through
Jesus, he knew not enough
00:49:47.55\00:49:52.62
so what did they do?
00:49:52.65\00:49:53.99
They quietly bring him inside
and they bring him up-to-date.
00:49:54.06\00:49:57.89
But I want to
make this one point...
00:49:57.93\00:50:00.60
Priscilla and Aquila practiced
the gift of hospitality.
00:50:00.63\00:50:04.77
Did you know that your
home can be an incredible
00:50:04.80\00:50:08.47
evangelistic tool in
the hands of the Lord,
00:50:08.50\00:50:11.17
and that's what they did!
00:50:11.21\00:50:12.84
Okay, so Acts 18:4...
"He reasoned in the synagogue
00:50:12.87\00:50:18.91
every Sabbath and
persuaded both Jews and Greeks,
00:50:18.95\00:50:21.72
and when Silas and
Timothy had come from Macedonia,
00:50:21.75\00:50:25.09
Paul was compelled by the
Spirit and testified to the Jews
00:50:25.12\00:50:29.99
that Jesus is the Christ."
00:50:30.03\00:50:32.33
So Silas and Timothy,
they arrived from Macedonia
00:50:32.36\00:50:36.83
with the financial support
from the churches that allows
00:50:36.90\00:50:40.27
Paul to go into
full-time ministry preaching
00:50:40.30\00:50:43.44
without having to work.
00:50:43.47\00:50:44.84
You know, that's something
that was interesting about Paul,
00:50:44.87\00:50:47.31
his policy always was
that he supported himself
00:50:47.34\00:50:50.61
in these ministries
as he is reaching out,
00:50:50.68\00:50:54.15
BUT, what did he teach
in 1 Corinthians 9:14...
00:50:54.18\00:50:58.42
He said, "Those who preach the
00:50:58.45\00:51:00.26
gospel, should
live from the gospel."
00:51:00.29\00:51:02.56
So he wasn't setting
an example, it was just
00:51:02.59\00:51:06.26
an area in which he
took personal pride that
00:51:06.29\00:51:09.00
he would support himself.
00:51:09.03\00:51:10.53
Verse 6... "But
when they opposed him,
00:51:10.57\00:51:13.80
and they blasphemed
him... this is when he's
00:51:13.84\00:51:16.67
in the synagogue...
he shook his garments
00:51:16.71\00:51:20.38
and said to them, "Your
blood be upon your own heads,
00:51:20.44\00:51:23.75
I am clean. From
now on, I will go
00:51:23.81\00:51:26.08
to the
Gentiles," and as you said,
00:51:26.11\00:51:27.85
Paul's practice was always,
as a Jew and his responsibility
00:51:27.88\00:51:33.72
to his countrymen,
to his nationality.
00:51:33.76\00:51:36.46
He always went to the synagogues
first, but then if they
00:51:36.49\00:51:39.29
rejected him, he'd turn and
go to the Gentiles and here he
00:51:39.33\00:51:44.60
does something very Jewish...
00:51:44.63\00:51:46.67
He shakes his clothes
out saying, "I'm free of your
00:51:49.57\00:51:53.61
blood, it's on your
own head," because what
00:51:53.64\00:51:56.68
he's saying to them is
ultimately they are their
00:51:56.71\00:52:00.62
own judges - it is
their rejection of Christ
00:52:00.65\00:52:04.95
is what brings
upon them the judgment.
00:52:05.29\00:52:08.62
But even though he says,
"I'm going to go to the Gentiles
00:52:08.66\00:52:11.96
from now on," we know
that he continues to return
00:52:11.99\00:52:14.73
to the Jewish synagogues.
00:52:14.73\00:52:16.40
Okay, verse 7, Acts
18... "He departed from there
00:52:16.43\00:52:20.34
and entered the house of
a certain man named Justus,
00:52:20.40\00:52:22.70
one who worshipped
God, whose house was
00:52:22.74\00:52:25.04
next door to the synagogue.
00:52:25.07\00:52:26.41
Then Crispus, the ruler of the
synagogue, believed on the Lord
00:52:26.44\00:52:31.11
with all of his household.
And many of the Corinthians
00:52:31.15\00:52:34.88
hearing, believed
and were baptized."
00:52:34.92\00:52:38.19
Don't you know that this
was a tremendous defeat for
00:52:38.22\00:52:42.32
the Jews when the ruler of
the synagogue and his whole
00:52:42.36\00:52:45.56
household became Christians,
but it must have really
00:52:45.59\00:52:49.86
given Paul an incentive to
continue his mission there.
00:52:49.90\00:52:53.77
And despite the strong Jewish
opposition to Paul's meetings,
00:52:53.80\00:52:58.17
we see that there's Jews that
are believing, some Gentiles
00:52:58.21\00:53:01.48
are believing, but MANY of
the Corinthians, these pagan
00:53:01.51\00:53:05.41
people believed
and were baptized.
00:53:05.45\00:53:07.98
But still, there was a
very intense struggle between
00:53:08.02\00:53:12.99
Paul and the Jews,
and surely he must have
00:53:13.02\00:53:15.49
felt like, "Hey, I
need to get outta here."
00:53:15.52\00:53:18.56
But God then speaks to him...
00:53:18.59\00:53:20.60
Acts 18:9, this is so precious.
00:53:20.63\00:53:23.53
He says, "Now the Lord
spoke to Paul in the night by a
00:53:23.57\00:53:26.74
vision." And this is what
God said, He said, "Do not be
00:53:26.80\00:53:30.21
afraid, but speak and do not
keep silent; for I am with you
00:53:30.27\00:53:34.04
and no one will attack
or hurt you; for I have many
00:53:34.08\00:53:37.91
people in this city."
00:53:37.95\00:53:39.61
God was promising
His protection, but why?
00:53:39.65\00:53:42.42
Because He knew there
were many people in the city
00:53:42.45\00:53:45.55
of Corinth who, once they heard,
they would accept the gospel
00:53:45.59\00:53:49.82
and be baptized.
00:53:49.86\00:53:51.19
So He is promising Paul
many conversions in Corinth.
00:53:51.23\00:53:55.60
And then it goes on to say that
he stays there for 18 months,
00:53:55.63\00:54:03.17
and then we've got a
Jew that rises up and says,
00:54:03.20\00:54:07.38
"Hey, he's trying to
persuade people to worship
00:54:07.41\00:54:11.98
God, you know,
contrary to the law of God."
00:54:12.01\00:54:15.58
And they seized him and
they take him before Gallio...
00:54:15.62\00:54:20.76
And it says, "When Paul
was about to open his mouth,
00:54:20.79\00:54:23.09
Gallio said to the Jews,
"If this were a matter of
00:54:23.12\00:54:26.23
wrong-doing or wicked crimes,
O Jews, there would be reason
00:54:26.26\00:54:29.43
why I should bear with you,
but if it's a question of words
00:54:29.46\00:54:32.67
and names of your own
law, look to it yourselves,
00:54:32.70\00:54:35.74
for I don't want to be
a judge of such matters."
00:54:35.77\00:54:38.64
And he drove them away
from the judgment seat."
00:54:38.67\00:54:41.31
So God kept His promise,
that He would protect him.
00:54:41.34\00:54:44.68
And then it says, "All
the Greeks took Sosthenes,
00:54:44.71\00:54:48.45
the ruler of the synagogue,
they beat him before the
00:54:48.48\00:54:51.69
judgment seat, but
Gallio took no notice of this."
00:54:51.72\00:54:55.69
Then Paul takes Priscilla
and Aquila on his return trip
00:54:55.72\00:54:59.49
to Antioch, leaves them
in Ephesus and there they had
00:54:59.53\00:55:04.67
such a positive response
in that he promised the people
00:55:04.70\00:55:08.90
he would return if
it were the will of God.
00:55:08.94\00:55:11.21
Thank you so much Shelley,
what an incredible study to
00:55:11.24\00:55:14.78
hear each one of you
share the explosion, as it were,
00:55:14.81\00:55:18.31
of Christianity, the spread
of Christianity as Paul made
00:55:18.35\00:55:21.75
the second missionary journey.
00:55:21.78\00:55:23.49
And I want to give
each one of you a moment to
00:55:23.52\00:55:25.79
share a little bit
more from your day.
00:55:25.82\00:55:27.36
Mr. Danny... Acts
16:31: "Believe on the Lord
00:55:27.39\00:55:30.63
Jesus Christ and thou
shalt be saved." Amen!
00:55:30.66\00:55:33.40
Then #2, "Be baptized
into the Lord Jesus Christ."
00:55:33.43\00:55:37.43
#3... "Join the remnant church.
00:55:37.47\00:55:40.40
You want to be among
people who have truth.
00:55:40.44\00:55:43.87
Once you join that...
Now Jesus says something
00:55:43.91\00:55:47.28
very specific
and individually...
00:55:47.34\00:55:49.31
"Go ye into all the
world," that's every one of you.
00:55:49.34\00:55:52.28
We all are ye's...
Your own personal testimony
00:55:52.31\00:55:56.65
is your greatest asset that
you have - don't hide it under
00:55:56.69\00:56:00.42
a bush - let it go
to the entire world.
00:56:00.49\00:56:03.99
And, Danny, on top of that,
you've got them in the local
00:56:04.06\00:56:07.30
church, you've got
them studying God's word,
00:56:07.36\00:56:09.23
you've got to get
a good root system,
00:56:09.26\00:56:11.07
and how does
that root system come?
00:56:11.10\00:56:12.87
"Faith comes by hearing,
and hearing by the word of God."
00:56:12.90\00:56:15.47
So let us drive you into
God's word where that word will
00:56:15.50\00:56:19.34
fill you to
overflowing and you will have a
00:56:19.37\00:56:21.88
strong confidence in our Lord
and Savior. Amen! Amen! Amen!
00:56:21.91\00:56:25.38
So once you have filled
yourself with the Spirit,
00:56:25.41\00:56:27.22
realize there is a
science to salvation.
00:56:27.25\00:56:30.39
There is a methodology,
find out what the people
00:56:30.42\00:56:33.59
know, what they're doing
and then give them the gospel
00:56:33.66\00:56:36.49
in a way that is acceptable
to them and you will find
00:56:36.52\00:56:39.09
that the word of God will
convert souls and change lives.
00:56:39.13\00:56:42.20
Amen! Amen! Amen!
I'd say Acts 18:9...
00:56:42.23\00:56:45.63
"Do not be afraid, speak, do not
keep silent, for I am with you."
00:56:45.67\00:56:50.11
And I think that's what
the Lord wants us to do,
00:56:51.07\00:56:54.24
is to speak out and as you
said, " Share a testimony."
00:56:54.28\00:56:57.61
Amen! Thank you Shelley,
Pastor C.A., Mollie and Danny
00:56:57.65\00:57:00.95
for sharing from your
heart and from the word of God.
00:57:00.98\00:57:03.15
I want to leave you at
home with a closing Scripture...
00:57:03.18\00:57:05.35
We've been studying about
the persecution that took place
00:57:05.62\00:57:08.66
as a result of Paul's
evangelistic ministry.
00:57:08.69\00:57:11.06
Romans 8:35...
"Who shall separate us
00:57:11.09\00:57:14.20
from the love of Christ? Amen!
00:57:14.23\00:57:15.56
Shall tribulation or distress,
or persecution, or famine,
00:57:15.60\00:57:18.53
or nakedness, or
peril or a sword?"
00:57:18.57\00:57:20.37
No in all these things.
00:57:20.44\00:57:22.20
You at home, us here,
can be more than conquerors
00:57:22.24\00:57:25.71
through Jesus
Christ who loves us.
00:57:25.74\00:57:27.41
We'll see you
next week. Bye, bye.
00:57:27.48\00:57:29.54