["Pomp and Circumstance"]
Good evening, everyone. Welcome to Faith and Word Baptist Church.
Great to see you all here at the service.
Please have a seat for that hymnal.
We'll open up that hymnal to sound number 328.
Begin this evening's service by singing the song number 328.
All right, we're gonna have a great time.
We're gonna have a great 28.
["Pomp and Circumstance"]
All right, well, if you'd like a bulletin, just go ahead
and slip up your hand. Brother Fabian will bring you one.
As always, our service times are there on the upper left-hand side
every Sunday at 10.30.
Again, at 5.30 p.m., Thursdays at 7.00.
We're going through the Book of Acts.
We will be in Acts chapter...
Can I get a bulletin, please?
Acts chapter number 22.
We've got the Salvations and Baptisms.
Thank you listed below there.
And then, of course, continue to pray for the soul winners
that are over in Nigeria.
So I know they're over there doing a great work
and seeing a lot of souls saved.
But it's also a very dangerous, rough part of the world,
so pray for them that they continue to have safety
and great success.
And also, we have the Small Town Soul Winning coming up
this Saturday, October 17th, at Eloy, Arizona.
Is there anyone here that would like to participate in that
this weekend that's able to?
We've got one so far, so that's enough for me.
So just plan on, if you're wanting to go,
just plan on being here at 9 o'clock,
and we'll go make a day of it with the folks from Tempe.
And then also on the back,
we've got the Missions Conference coming up next month.
Don't forget the yearbook photos at the end of this month.
That's going to be here sooner than you realize,
so please come on out, get your photo taken,
get a high-quality resolution photo for free,
and also get your photo in the yearbook as well.
We've got the Chili Cook-Off coming up
at the end of this month, too.
Keep in mind some of the notes there.
You have until 6 p.m. to get them entered.
We'll have a few sides, as well as cider provided,
and there will be awards for those that manage to earn them
by getting for second or third place.
That's going to do it for announcements.
We'll go ahead and sing one more.
We're going to count up Soul Winning, first of all.
We're going to go back to Friday,
if anyone has anything from Friday.
And what about Saturday?
Was there anything for the group Saturday?
Was there a group Saturday?
Anything for Sunday?
Five on Sunday.
And then what about Monday?
Am I going back too far?
Where am I in the calendar here?
Nothing for Monday?
What about Tuesday?
I'm just counting this.
I'm going back to Friday because I wasn't here Sunday.
I don't know if it got done or not.
Tuesday and then Wednesday.
Anything Wednesday?
You were just getting ready for Thursday, which is today.
Anything for today?
Anything at all?
Anybody?
I don't know.
All right.
Thank you, brother.
Okay.
Enough of that.
Let's go ahead and sing one more song
with the preaching tonight.
Let's sing one more song.
we found out all about the things that were going on there with the church in
Jerusalem including the fact that they had compromised and were still observing
a lot of these Jewish customs that they had a lot of things out of law including
the certain vow that they had if you remember James said we had here four men
that have taken upon him a vow and he pointed out to Paul all of the believing
Jews that were concerned about the things that Paul was teaching which were
the right things that Paul was teaching and we got into the fact how you know
Paul himself was compromised due to the peer pressure of James there in
Jerusalem and then Paul actually went into the temple and took upon that vow
or at least appear to have taken a vow when he in fact hadn't and things didn't
go the way they anticipated they were hoping to kind of smooth things over with
everybody concerning Paul and the exact thing that they did want to have happen
happened they grabbed Paul they're ready they're beating him literally they're
they're gonna beat him to death until the centurions show up the Romans show
up they rescue Paul and if you remember last week he goes up on the stairs and
he speaks with the captain there and he asks if he can speak and that's where we
pick up his speech that begins in verse 1 tonight there in verse 1 it says men
and brethren and fathers hear ye my defense which I make now unto you so
he's addressing the crowd that was just beating him and would have killed him
the Bible says and when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew tongue to them
they kept the more silence and he saith I am verily a man which am a Jew born in
Tarsus a city in Cilicia yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel and
taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the father
this day so what he's doing here is he's trying to persuade the Jews and he's
doing that by trying to give him some of his bona fides he's kind of saying hey
you know I was just like you
I was just saying his conversion to them okay he says in verse 4 and I persecuted this way
meaning Christianity unto death building excuse me binding and delivering into
prisons both men and women as also the high priest of bear me witness and all
the estate of the elders from whom I received the letters unto the brethren
and went to Damascus to bring them which were bound they're bound unto Jerusalem
for to be punished so he says even high priest knows the elders know that this
is in fact the case I'm not just making this up that I was going around
previously and rounding up Christians and binding them and putting them into
prison to be punished verse 6 now he gets into the conversion that we are all
familiar with from acts 9 it says and it came to pass that as I made my journey
it was gone nigh unto Damascus about noon suddenly they're shown from heaven a
great light round about me and I fell onto the ground and heard a voice saying
unto me Saul Saul why persecutest thou me and I answered that who art thou Lord
and he said unto me I am Jesus of Nazareth whom thou persecutest and they
that were with me saw indeed the light and were afraid but they heard not the
voice of him that spake to me okay now if you would go to Acts chapter 9
because you might notice that this the way Paul's telling it here is a little
different than what's described in Acts chapter 9 and it's again an important
lesson and some people will attempt to make this into some kind of a
contradiction okay but they forget one of the principal rules of Bible
interpretation that we always go with the statement over the story it's is it
true that Paul said this yes everything that's being recorded by the by the
scripture here is what Paul said okay but it differs a little bit from Acts 9
and what is described by the narrator Luke under the inspiration of the Holy
Spirit okay if you look there in fact Acts chapter 9 won't take time to read
the whole thing he's it's it's the topic that's being covered in Acts 22 it's
it's this story right is the road on the road to Damascus right and says in verse
7 and the men this is after the great light appears that he just described in
Acts 22 and the men which journeyed with me with him okay stood speechless
hearing a voice but seeing no man now when Paul just described it in Acts 22
says that they heard not the voice right but it clearly says here that they did
hear the voice so which is it well I go with acts 9 because that's the narrator
of the scripture right acts 9 is correct they did hear the voice I mean who's to
say Paul did Paul go around and ask everybody did you hear a voice did you
hear a voice do you hear a voice or do you just assume that right probably just
assume that so maybe you know it's been a lot of years have come by things get a
little hazy a little fuzzy it is a recalling of this instance and you know
he leaves this detail out or he gets it wrong it's really not a big deal but it
does again remind us of the way in which we ought to interpret scripture we
always want to go with the statement not the story it's true that Paul said all
this but you know he got some things wrong okay he's not recalling it
perfectly that's how I explain that you know people say well explain the
contradiction here between acts 22 and acts 9 well Paul just got it wrong you
know you see that in other places where men are saying things and doing things
that the Bible is just recording albeit that it's it's wrong in one way or
another or it's just mistaken okay so I didn't want to point that out because
you might run across that sometimes okay so people might try to point that out to
you but it's really not that big of a deal and it's a good time to again just
be short up on Bible interpretation and how to read scripture verse 10 going you
can keep something in acts 9 we will be back later but if you want to go back to
acts 22 we'll pick it back up here in the story so Paul again is just
rehearsing to the Jews that were you know gonna kill him only moments ago
about his conversion he's declaring his conversion unto them excuse me it says
the verse said and I said what shall I do Lord and the Lord said unto me arise
and go into Damascus and there it shall be told thee of all the things which
thou would appointed for thee to do and when I could not see for the glory of
that light being led by the hand of them that are with me I came into Damascus
and one Ananias a devout man Ananias excuse me a devout man according to law
having a good report of the Jews which dwelt there came unto me and said and
stood and said unto me brother Saul received thy sight and the same hour I
looked upon him now the reason why Ananias is calling him brother there is
not because Paul has already been saved some people will think think that when
when Paul saw Christ that that was at the moment of his conversion but we know
that God has given to every man a minister and that faith come cometh by
the by by the hearing of the preaching of God's Word faith cometh by hearing so
that lines up with what we know with what it comes to salvation in the
scriptures right that you have to have somebody preach you the gospel it's not
enough for have Jesus shown up in that great light Paul had to have somebody
explain this to him okay and that's what's going on here with Ananias he's
essentially telling him you know you need to be baptized you need to wash
away your sins you need to call upon the name of Lord okay but he's calling
him brother here you know he's coming into the room and so to speak he came
and unto me and stood and said unto me brother Saul so he's dressing him as
brother and some people say aha see right there he's already saved because
he's calling him brother but when you look at the way in which Paul is
describing Ananias and you have to remember who it is that he's talking to
in this chapter you can see why it is that Ananias called him brother okay
and why Saul or Paul rather at this point is making sure that he you know
he's he's using that same term he called me brother right one it says in verse
12 that he was a devout man right according to the law and having a good
report of all the Jews right and what did Paul just get done doing here in the
first you know seven verses or so he was giving him his bona fides hey you know I
was brought up at the feet of Gamaliel I was brought up in this city I was
zealous according to law I was you know I was like you guys right and I and the
high priest knew who I was the elder I had letters from them I'm your brother
in that sense right he's saying that it was a kinship here so I I think that's
why Ananias is addressing him as brother and you have to remember in the story in
Acts 9 Ananias is very hesitant to go and do this God tells him hey go preach
to Saul and he's like you know he has a reputation that he wreaks havoc in all
the churches like the same guy is destroying the faith and you want me to
go talk to him so maybe when Ananias is walking in there he's sure to dress him
as brother like hey remember we're both Jews you know don't take me out you know
he's still maybe a little hesitant okay so there's the human element there right
so I think that's why he's calling him brother because there's this kinship
they have in being Jews and being people who were zealous of the law or of course
Ananias has already saved at this point but he's still using that term as kind
of an icebreaker so to speak with Saul right this is the first time they're
running into Saul after he's been you know sort of pacified from you know
persecuting all the Christians and that's that use of that term brother is
something you'll see throughout Scripture when it's not even referring
necessarily to brethren in the Lord right like we would call one another
brothers because we're saved you know we address one another as as brethren
because we're both born-again children of God you know we are both joint heirs
with we're all joint heirs with Christ so that's how we refer to one another in
that familial term right but you'll see in other passages in fact go over to
first Corinthians chapter number five where that term is used just to describe
somebody who has you know an affection for or something in common with or an
affinity with another person there's something else that gives them that kind
of common ground so to speak okay for example you're going to 1st Corinthians
5 you'll remember call in Judges chapter 21 after that civil war where they had
almost destroyed an entire tribe of Benjamin that they said and the children
it's Bible says the children Israel pented to them for Benjamin their
brother of course that was a familial relation this is one tribe that is cut
off from Israel this day you have other examples where David is calling Jonathan
his brother although they're not obviously related in first Kings you
have that old prophet that throws himself upon the the body of the of the
young prophet you know that was slain by the lion and he says my brother right so
because why because they have an affinity they have something in common
they're both preachers right there was something there that they had in common
that made them brothers so to speak okay and even out in the world people will do
this people will call each other brothers if they go to you know
different if they have different organizations that they meet at and
things like that we're not the only ones that do it okay so that's why he's using
that word brother there because they have something in common and it's not
the fact that they're both Christians I mean Saul isn't even saved yet at this
point in story he was literally on his way to kill Christians or imprison
Christians at the very least so that's why he's using that term brother as ice
breaker because they have this thing of being zealous for the law being Jews in
common so that's why they're he's using that there Ananias in Acts chapter 9 if
you look at first Corinthians chapter 5 look at verse 9 it says I wrote unto you
an epistle not to company with forticators yet not altogether the
fornicators of this world or with the covetous or extortioners with idolaters
for then you must needs go out of the world but now I have written unto you
not to keep company if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator
covetous or adult or a railer or a drunkard or an extortioner with such a
one no not to eat so we're all familiar with first Corinthians 5 here a chapter
on church discipline sins that will get you kicked out of the local church but
notice who it is it's supposed to get kicked out of a church if you're guilty
of the sin it's a brother someone who is called a brother so if somebody comes in
here and we wouldn't really call them a brother right then we wouldn't hold them
to this standard of course we would preach it and we would bring it to their
attention and hopes that they would get those sins out of their life and in time
you know there there would come a time where we would say hey you either have
to get this right or get out right but we wouldn't do that day one a visitor
comes in here you know something let's just say you know some young couple
comes in here and it's it's just kind of obvious that they're not married they're
living in fornication you know we wouldn't say well you know I'm we're
glad here thanks for visiting don't come back until you get right okay because
they're not a brother at that point you know a brother would be somebody that
it's kind of has been faithful to church it's kind of a regular to church you
know somebody that you've grown a little more familiar with someone you would
consider a member and I know I've kind of I've already kind of given my how I
think about you know who do you consider a church member right at what point
would you consider somebody a church member and I've expressed having the
very low standard of anybody that attends church at least once a month okay
because that's very low but I and we say where to get that well it's
completely arbitrary you know and it's not you know it's not something that's
in the Bible right but it's like you know we have that health care through
Samaritan and I'm often you know for church members you know the Samaritan
will say hey is this person you know a member of your church they want to know
that they're they're Christians at their church going people if they're gonna
provide them you know health insurance so they'll reach out to church
leadership can you confirm that these people aren't just you know good getting
on Google and looking up a church and saying oh yeah it's where I go to church
and one of the questions they ask is do they go to church do they attend
services at least once a month so if that's good enough for them I figure
well you know I guess I guess that's the bare minimum it takes to get health
insurance you know if you're showing up here at least once a month you know I
would probably consider you a brother I would say that that that guy's a brother
he's a church member here okay so we could see how this term is being used
right it's being used in Acts chapter number 22 as just kind of a familiarity
there just because there's some common ground you're just kind of breaking the
ice with him but in other instances you know it's it you're being called a
brother at a local church that means something you know we don't just call
anybody and everybody brother in fact sometimes I think recently I was out I
was doing something and I was working you know I was having some kind of
interaction I can't remember the details with somebody who wasn't a Christian who
wasn't I don't know if they were saved or not I didn't ask him but you know I
did they weren't going to church it was just this brief interaction and I was
just you know sometimes you're just feeling kind of cool you're just like no
problem brother you know and I just called him brother and it didn't mean
anything to him but I'm like man I shouldn't have said that this guy's not a
brother he's probably not a brother right because when I call somebody
brother you know it's like that means something that there's there's there's
weight to that when we call greet one another you know as brethren in Christ
that should that should mean something but I don't want to get hung up on that
tonight we've got some more to go through but let's look at acts go back to
acts 22 he says they're carrying on with the story in verse 14 and he said the
God of our fathers has chosen thee so this is Ananias speaking to Paul that
thou shouldest know his will and see that just one and shouldest hear the
voice of his mouth where thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou
has seen and heard and you know that's kind of exactly what's taking place
here he's being a witness of the things that he saw and heard that day to these
Jews in Jerusalem and now why terriest thou arise and be baptized and wash away
thy sins calling on the name of Lord now I'm not gonna do a deep dive on this
everyone here understands that we are not saved by baptism okay and we could
go to several passages to prove that you say well why is he saying it in that
order well I don't know he's just the order he put it in it doesn't really
matter obviously we know that sin does not wash away our sins it's the it's the
the answer of a good conscience toward God and not the putting away of the
filth of the flesh okay what washes away our sin is calling on the name of the
Lord and when we call on the name of God of the Lord Jesus Christ and we
believe that's what washes away our sins we all understand that verse 17 and it
came to pass when I was coming into Jerusalem even while I prayed in the
temple I was in a trance now this is kind of an interesting story we get a
little bit more details of what took place in Acts chapter 9 if you want to
go back to Acts chapter 9 please remember Saul got saved and then he's
brought to Jerusalem by Barnabas and at first the brethren don't receive him and
then he's there in Jerusalem for a while and then he's brought to the
brethren Peter and others by Barnabas and then he we get this some details of
some things that took place there where he actually went into the temple now I
don't think he's referring to the this this instance in acts 22 being in the
temple and praying I don't think that's what he's referring to in verse 17 right
because in acts 22 verse 17 he's saying he's recalling his salvation the
Damascus Road experience Ananias coming to him then verse 17 and it came to pass
and I came again to Jerusalem right so he's referring back to the time that he
went to Jerusalem after that not because he's in Jerusalem right now okay so he's
not I don't think he's referring to the immediate instance that just took place
in acts 21 he's referring back to acts 9 okay you don't get all this in acts 9
but you get a little bit more details from it from Paul's perspective if you
look at verse 26 it says in acts 9 verse 26 and when Saul was come to
Jerusalem okay he is say to join himself to the disciples but they were all
afraid of him and believe not that he was a disciple he said he's not a
brother I was like no he is okay but Barnabas his brother took him and
brought him to the Apostles and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in
the way and how he had spoken to him and how he had preached boldly at Damascus
in the name of Jesus he's saying this guy's legit he's preaching Christ he
saved his changed man and when he was come excuse me when he was come excuse
me I mean he's with them coming in and out at Jerusalem so he's tearing there
for a while and he spake boldly in the name of Lord Jesus and disputed against
the Grecians the Grecians were Jews that were not born within Judea they were
they were Greek speaking Jews basically that's what a Grecian is okay and that's
who he's disputing with but they went about to slay him and this ties in with
what is being described in Acts 22 this that he's saying he was in Jerusalem
he's a saying there he's preaching and he's disputing with these Greek speaking
Jews the Grecians okay verse 30 which when they knew they brought him down to
Caesarea and sent him forth to Tarsus so they say Paul you got to get out of here
you got to take off they're gonna kill you going back to acts 22 you can see
how this ties in so it says in verse 17 he went came to pass when I was again
come to Jerusalem that's Acts chapter number 9 even when I prayed in the
temple I was in a trance and in verse 18 and saw him saying unto me make haste
and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem for they will not receive thy testimony
concerning me referring to the Grecians I believe that's who the Lord is
referring to here he's saying these guys are not going to receive what you're
disputing with them they're not going to receive it they've hardened their
hearts and in fact they're going to try and kill you but I love verse 19 because
Paul has got such a burden for his brethren he's got such a burden for his
kinsmen in the flesh right the Jews and you know we could criticize him for it
and say it's a waste of time why are you preaching these people they had their
chance but at the same time you have to appreciate the fact that Paul has a
burden you know I would rather that somebody has a burden for maybe an
unreceptive group of people than no burden at all you know much better is it
to have somebody who's zealous and on fire maybe for a less receptive people
group than somebody who has absolutely no burden at all for anybody you know
and that type of thing is out there we want to be careful that we don't
criticize people and mock people when we see them attempting to minister to other
people that we might say well what a waste of time now obviously there are
some people in this world that it would be a waste of time to minister to they're
called reprobates okay and we're not going to get into all that and but
believe me there's plenty of people out there that want to go out there and
waste their time ministering to reprobates to the homos and things you
know and I'm not gonna say god bless you I'm gonna say you know good luck maybe
or you know hopefully nothing bad happens to you hopefully don't go
treating you know hopefully they don't turn a bunch of greetings on you and try
to kill you or something and try to beat you up okay but there are other
people groups that we would consider very unreceptive okay for example
Muslims Muslim anyone who's running the Muslims out solely knows that's a very
hard group of people to get saved but yet you'll sometimes you'll come across
and I recently came across somebody who has a burden for those people and is
trying to minister to that that community is trying to reach out to the
Muslim world and trying to bring the gospel into that dark place that
spiritually dark place that is you know Islam you know and it would be really
easy for us to just sit back and say why waste your time on those people why
waste your time on people that you know are worshipping and reading a book that
was written by an illiterate pedophile you know and that's not an exaggeration
you know we could and we could mock that and scoff that and bring all these
things up but you know God bless the guy that has that that burden I'm glad
there's somebody that has it because that means I don't have to do it for one
you know okay well then I'll take all the low-hanging fruit I'll go minister
the rest of the people you want to cover the Muslims God bless you brother and I
mean that sincerely God bless that guy at least he has a burden at least he has
a heart for somebody rather than the person who has just grown cold in their
Christianity and has no burden for anyone at all no matter what people
group they're part of no matter what false religion they're involved in you
know we could criticize Paul here we don't also could take a lesson from him
to not lose our burden and to and to strive for the preaching of the gospel
of Christ even if it's difficult even if it's hard even if we're in an
unreceptive area to not let that unreceptiveness that coldness quench
our zeal for the gospel okay and I love how he replies to the Lord in this he's
arguing with God he's not calling he's not saying God's wrong he's just saying
yeah but you know he's trying to make his case and I think that's a something
else we could take from this is you know God we can have an influence on the
Lord we can't we can maybe change God's mind about some things now I'm not
saying obviously it didn't work out here in this instance but you know Paul tried
God's telling in verse 18 make haste get thee quickly out of Jerusalem for they
will not receive thy testimony concerning me and I said Lord they know
that I imprisoned and beaten every synagogue then that believed on thee
saying they're gonna believe Lord they know that my testimony I've got the
credentials to minister to these people I've beat up Christians and I've
imprisoned them they were gonna listen to me and when the blood of thy martyr
Stephen was shed I also was standing by and consenting unto his death and kept
the raiment of them that slew him what's he doing here he's trying to convince
God no Lord they will receive your testimony through me and you can say it
was right or wrong but at least he has a burden for these people and at least
he understands something about God is that God is somebody who can be
persuaded not always the answer still might come back no but at least he's
trying much better that that Paul is here trying at least and trying to
persuade God and trying to reach out to people the people who who don't want to
do anything whose zeal has grown cold who don't care about the lost and aren't
trying to persuade God of anything at all and it's nothing new you'll see it
with other men of God throughout the scripture if you would go to Romans
chapter number nine I'll just remind us of a couple of course we all know in
Genesis 32 Jacob wrestled with the Lord until the breaking of the day and he
said I will not let thee go unless and accept you tell me your name and we know
how that story goes he touched the hollow the the hollow of Jacob's thigh
he walked with a limp from there after and he changed his name to Israel what
about Moses when God came to him and said hey you're gonna go back to Egypt
and you're gonna deliver my people and he's arguing with God oh I'm a slow
speech I can't speak well the Bible says that God was mad at him but he provided
Aaron he said all right I'll take away that excuse to look at Romans chapter 9
verse 1 he says I say the truth in Christ I lie not my conscience also
bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost he says God knows I'm not lying that I have
great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart we read these stories and
actually look Paul what are you doing why waste your time with these people
look how they've treated you Paul they've persecuted from city to city and
now you're in Jerusalem and you've even compromised on things that you believe
and have preached elsewhere and now you're even in an attempt to try to you
know get them over on your side and to influence them for to come over fully
and to do away with the things of the law and yet they they're beating you to
death what are you talking about Paul why are you why are you standing on the
stairs why not just follow that Romans attorney and into the tower and be safe
and be done with these people but instead he says let me talk to them he
speaks in their own language and he tries to make his case the same people
that just moments ago we're going to literally kill him why are you doing
that Paul because I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart and he
says God knows I'm not lying for I could wish that myself were cursed from
Christ for my brethren my kinsmen according to the flesh talking about his
his Jewish brethren his Jewish relations and he's saying there I I wish that
myself were accursed for my brethren what is he saying there by accursed he's
saying I would be willing to go to hell for them that's what he means by that
you know if me going to hell would save the nation of Israel I would do it
that's what he's saying that's very powerful I don't know that I'd be
willing to go to hell for anybody I don't know that I could get up here
tonight and say I say the truth in Christ and lie not the Holy Ghost bear
me witness that I would go to hell for so-and-so and I apologize to my wife
already who's watching from home sure my children too I mean I would like to
think that obviously that's a huge hypothetical that's never going to
happen hell's that I mean I understand how horrible hell is at least as far as
the Bible describes it to us none of us can fully imagine the the terrors of
hell what it's and how horrible it truly is but I think Paul had a grasp on it I
think Paul was saying this lightly I think he meant that every word of it I
don't think he's waxing eloquent I think Paul honestly would have done that if it
was possible he would have done it I don't think he's being overly dramatic
so we could sit here we could criticize Paul for reaching out to a group of
people that you know really are very unreceptive put to put it lightly but
can could not Paul then turn around it and criticize us for having no burden at
all for anyone I hope not you know we should all you know it maybe we're not
burdened for some you know Christ rejecting group of people a bunch of
people who who hate the gospel and hate God and hate the Bible and hate the New
Testament hate Christianity you know maybe we're not going to go out and have
a great burden for a people that have hardened their hearts towards the things
of God but can we have a heart for people that just don't know any better
that are just ignorant of the things of God who's have just been had their minds
blinded by Satan this world they're just lost sheep wandering they haven't you
know really taken aside on this thing called the gospel they haven't taken
aside on on Christianity that aren't opposed to it they're just ignorant they
just don't know any better we could criticize Paul but what would Paul say
to us you say oh Paul you're wasting your time on those people could Paul
look at us and say well you're not wasting your time on anybody he says I'm
willing to go to hell for them I'm willing to go to hell for my kinsmen in
the flesh the Jews the people that were just beating him that's who he's
referring to in Romans 9 the people that have stoned him left him for dead the
people that have whipped him and beat him and opposed him and and and worked
up great I mean caused riots we've read it we've been reading up all these
chapters all saying after all that I'd still go to hell for them go to James
chapter number five at least Paul you see Paul here at acts 22 I don't want to
know if I don't know if arguing is the right word but he's trying to make his
case with the Lord when God says they're not going to receive your testimony he
says but here's the reasons why they white Lord I mean imagine that you're
arguing with the God of the universe this omniscient omnipotent the
all-knowing all-powerful all-present God who knows the beginning from the end
who's telling you they won't receive your testimony so well you know you
might want to reconsider Lord because after all you know what my history you
know my background with them you know I've got some credentials I've got some
street cred with the Jews over there because I persecuted the church so you
know you might you might want to reconsider that Lord what would possess
Paul to do that his burden what would possess Paul to argue with God like that
the fact that he had a burden for these people and not low-hanging fruit burden
for people that were very hard to get saved he's asking isn't he that's really
what he's doing he's making his case he's asking God can I go and try and we
saw it in acts 20 and acts 21 where people are coming to Paul and saying
don't the Holy Spirit's forbidding him he's saying don't go down Jerusalem but
you know he's got it prophets are coming to him you've got the the you know
different people coming and trying to make the case warning him not to go down
Jerusalem he goes anyway because of that burden that he had look at James 5
verse 16 it says confess your faults one another and pray for one another that
you may be healed the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man of dayleth
much you know Paul probably spent a lot of time praying for these people not
just preaching to them but praying for them I have to imagine there were
probably a lot of tears shed over these people there were probably a lot of
sleepless nights there are probably some worn-out knees on Paul's part where he's
just on his knees begging God to save these people and he's a fervent
righteous man just praying then we got the example of Elias it says in verse
17 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are Elias Elijah is no
different than me and you in the same flash the same temptations the same
trials the same persecutions more so than any of us have gone through and yet
he prayed earnestly they might rain and rain out for the earth on the space of
three years and six months and he prayed again then have game rain and the earth
brought forth their fruit look if how much time we spent praying for people
how much time have we spent praying for people that maybe have expressed you
know hostility towards us when it comes to the gospel you know a lot of times we
just write people off you know we preach in the gospel they don't want to hear it
and we say well reprobate people it's funny but people do do that I've heard
people say that well you know I've I preached the gospel to my mom a couple
times now and I think she's a reprobate because she doesn't want to hear it it
might be that you know it's because one she's the saint you're the same person
whose butt she wiped when you were little and it's kind of hard to sit
there and take you know instruction on the most important question on life from
your child people forget about the dynamics at play it's kind of hard it's
a very humbling thing for a parent when their child their little baby boy their
little baby girl come to them and say let me let me explain to you the meaning
of life let me explain to you what's gonna happen when you die you know
life's most most compelling questions mom dad I figured it out let me teach
you it's it's hard you have to you have to appreciate that dynamic I know that
was the case with my mom she didn't want to hear it and it took 10 years and and a
whole lot more it took 10 years and cancer and a deathbed to get her to
finally come around and it also took me not just you know breathing down her
neck every time I saw her it took me just being consistent and doing you know
what else doing praying praying so don't write off these people don't write off
your loved ones don't write off you know your kinsmen in the flesh even if they've
been hostile even if they seem unreceptive instead of preaching at I
mean we should just spend a little more time praying getting a burden so that
when we do have opportunity to preach it comes across as genuine and sincere
they could see it in our eyes they can hear it in our voice they can feel it in
our presence when we find they're given opportunity to preach to them because
we spent time praying for them you know God challenges us to prayer God
challenges us to ask we all know the verses go over to keep something there
we'll just go back to James 4 we know these verses he said Amalekai bring the
tithes into the storehouse that you may be meet in my house and prove me now
therewith Jesus said in Matthew 7 ask and it shall be given you seeking you
shall find knock and it shall be opened for everyone that asketh receiveth and
he that at seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh it shall be opened he goes
on and said in verse 9 or what man is there of you whom if his son asked bread
he will give him a stone or if he asked a fish you'll give him a serpent say
which one of you guys is gonna you know if your son or daughter comes you and
says hey I'm hungry you're gonna say well here chew on this rock they're
gonna say hey can I have a bite of that fish Ted no but you can have this
scorpion why don't you go chew on that tarantula you say you wouldn't do that
he goes on he says if ye then being evil I love how God just cuts through it all
just you know you're evil if you being evil you're not perfect if you being
evil not to give good gifts unto your children how much sure your Heavenly
Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him he says you
know how to give good gifts God God is so much better than you of course he's
gonna give those things that are asked of him so you have to ask ourselves why
is it that more Christians don't have the things that they asked for it's
because I don't ask why aren't more people saved because they're not preached
to they're not prayed for the burdens not there it's just not there you know
in a parallel passage in Luke 11 it's clarified what those good things are
that are given to us from heaven he said how much more shall your father which is
in heaven give good things to them that ask him they go good things that sounds
good right I'm gonna ask for this good thing and this good thing and this good
thing and we think about all the material wealth and all the other things
all just the vain fleeting things that we might want in this world say well if
I can ask for all that maybe I'll get it but God doesn't say that's what those
good things are Jesus warned and said beware of covetousness for a man's life
consistent consistent not in the abundance of his possessions Paul tell
that Paul tells us that we should be having fruit and raiment let us be there
with content and that we should not desire to be rich that the love of money
is the root of all evil so when Jesus says that God will give us good things
if we ask him just as we would give good things to our children what is he
referring to when Luke 11 he says if you then being evil not to give good gifts
unto your children how much your Heavenly Father give the Holy Ghost the
Holy Spirit to them that ask him that's what we need in our lives is the Holy
Spirit that's the good thing that God wants to give us you know and if we
would ask God for the Holy Spirit it would probably help us with a lot of
things in our lives we give us wisdom discernment give us that joy peace long
suffering gentleness goodness faith meekness temperance all those fruits of
the Spirit and you would also give us it probably give us a burden for the
lost and the Bible says that hell and destruction are before the eyes of the
Lord how much more so the hearts of the sons of men maybe if we ask for the Holy
Spirit we'd have a maybe a deeper understanding of what hell is like
maybe we'd be more concerned with spiritual things in this life than just
the carnal things in this life the things that really matter the things
that Jesus said are the good things and I believe that we if we ask God for the
Holy Spirit he would give it to us why then don't so why are there so many
Christians that don't have it why are there so many Christians that are just
leaving carnal fruitless lives why is that have such a shallow Christianity
and such a shallow spirituality why is it because they don't ask is it because
God's holding out my God's like oh I see you asking I'm a poor dog psych no
God's saying if you ask ask you shall receive pocket shall be open seek you
shall find you know how to give you don't hesitate to give your kids good
gifts the things that they need their daily sustenance if you got down and
prayed every morning God help me with give me the Holy Spirit give me victory
over sin give me the fruit of the Spirit my life help me to not get caught
up in the things in this world to be entangled to the affairs of this life
help me to be a good soldier help me to endure hardness help me to have a
burden God would pour that out on us God would give us that the reason we don't
have it is because we don't ask that's what he says in James 4 we all know it
verse 1 from whence come wars and findings among you come they not hence
even of your own lusts that war in your flesh he lusts and have not you kill and
desire to have they cannot obtain you fight in war and you have not because he
asked not God's saying the only reason we're caught up in the in the lust of
the flesh and caught up in desiring and not having the only reason we don't have
the Holy Spirit in our lives the reason we don't have that burden we don't have
the fruit of the Spirit it's because we don't ask for it you ask and receive not
that you may ask amiss go to 1st John chapter number 5
I'll continue reading from James 4 it says in verse 5 do you think that the
spirits scripture saith in vain the spirit that dwelleth in us lust it to
envy he's not talking about the Holy Spirit there he's saying the spirit that
dwells in man lusts to envy that that's what man is that's what's in every one
of our hearts to just envy and covet and lust after all the things of this world
he says but he giveth more grace wherefore he saith God resist the proud
to give grace to the humble what would happen is if we actually ask for the
Holy Spirit is we would get humble we might have to step back and say wow I'm
pretty proud well my priorities are completely out of
whack that takes humility to admit that
that's why people don't ask look at 1st John chapter number 5 verse 14 it says
and this is the confidence that we have in him that if we ask anything according
to his will he here with us well you may not have to know what God's will is yep
we don't have to actually read this Bible and go to church and learn the
Word of God and know what to ask for it yep that's why people don't do it they
don't pray because they know if they got down to pray for some of the things they
really wanted God goes would say why are you asking for a scorpion why are you
asking for a stone we might not see it that way but that's how God sees he says
you're asking you're not asking for good things you're not asking for spiritual
things you're not asking for the Holy Spirit you're not asking for those
things they're gonna help you and nourish you spiritually you're asking
for just carnal worldly fleshly things and so we don't ask and we don't pray we
don't have the burden we don't have the fruit of the Spirit in our lives that
doesn't change the fact that if we would ask it would be given us and that's what
I get at this lesson tonight with Paul Paul you know had a burden probably
because he prayed for it Paul was a man of prayer and Paul it was even so bold
in prayer that you could say he argued with God a little bit he was bold enough
to say well you know second thought Lord maybe they would receive the message
can I at least try and when he's being warned not to go to Jerusalem he's just
that burdens not stopping him he's since well maybe I can change God's mind maybe
if God just sees how intent I am and sincere I am and he understands the
burden that's my heart and he hears my prayer maybe God will move and maybe God
will do something at least he had the guts to try at least he had the
spirituality to ask at least he was a man of prayer this has in verse 15 and
we know that he hear us whatsoever we ask we know that we have the petitions
that we desire of them if we ask these things that are according to his will
that's the trick to getting prayer answered you gotta start asking the
things that God actually wants to give you I've been praying for that Bugatti
for months you don't need a Bugatti or whatever it is the kids are crazy about
I just like that word Bugatti right it's great word wonderful word right we asked
for all that these carnal things all these worldly things and look God knows
that the the needs that we have before we even ask them he knows the petitions
that we have before we even make them and God's you know by all means we
should be asking for our daily bread we should be asking for provision we should
be asking for you know the ability to go to work and pay the bills and all those
things that we have need of and God gives us those things I mean a lot of
times God gives us those things that we haven't even asked for him as he makes
the you know the the the the rain to fall in the just the unjust alike you
just give them to him but how often do we think him but you know there's a lot
of other things we could be asking God for we could be asking God for a burden
we could be asking God to save people we could be asking God for boldness to
preach the gospel look if the fire has gone out in our hearts for the lost we
must rekindle that we must ask God help me to have a burden we could criticize
Paul all day long why are you talking to those people they're not gonna listen
Paul could turn around and say well where's your burden who are you burdened
for who are you praying for what did you try to convince God of lately let's
continue let's just wrap it up here verse 21 he says and he said unto me
depart for I will send the far hand son of the Gentiles said so you know Paul
tried and we all go say see see told you so Paul tells you so God said God
didn't want to do it God would said no you should even bother what a waste of
time well Paul said at least I tried at least I have a burden least I try to
convince God of something and God said no and sometimes the answer is just
gonna be no you just got something else in mind I will send the far hence under
the Gentiles and we know that that's the trigger word right there Gentiles and
they gave him 22 and so the crowd that he's been speaking to and and witnessing
to this whole time they gave him audience unto this word unto what word
that last statement statement depart for I will send the far hence unto the
Gentiles right that's how they're hearing it no I don't think Paul was
saying it like that I don't think Paul was saying God's done with you he's
saying this is just what God said and he probably had more to say he was probably
to go ahead and I went to the Gentiles and I preached to them and tell some
stories and come and now I'm now I'm back here because I have a burden for
you but they wouldn't let him finish calls that Paul's not saying this at
with malice in his voice he's just telling the story he probably was going
to continue on but they cut him off once they heard that that got that God
sent him to the Gentiles they're like okay well you started out good the whole
part about you persecuting the church and hailing men and women and calling
them out to prison and and we like that and then and you brought up the part
about where we martyred Stephen we stone him we like that they're like okay go on
continue where is this going we're like what we're hearing okay we know how you
yeah that's true you were given letters by the high priest and the elders to go
off and do that we remember that mm-hmm they're for that but as soon as he
mentions what God sent me to the Gentiles they lose their minds shut up
no you're done that's it we don't want to hear anymore they give audience under
this word then lifted up their voice and said away with this such a fellow from
the earth for it's not fit that he should live I say kill him kill him for
what for trying to preach the gospel to the Gentiles it's not fit that he should
live because he's suggesting that God cares about other people than Jews and
as they make a show out of it and as they cried out they can cast off their
clothes and threw dust into the air what a scene you want to talk about a
protest you know these freaks today don't have a clue they just show up with
some green hair and some you know and some derogatory statements on some sign
and they think they don't do it let's let's see you know actually don't throw
any clothes up in the air please you know unless it's like a coat I don't
think they were stripping bare here the freaks today they wouldn't have much
clothes to throw up before they were in their birthday suit the way they dress
it was like throw some dust in the air buddy I mean these guys knew how to make
a scene and what is it that they're so upset about just the mere suggestion
that they should go under the Gentiles that Paul was sent to the Gentiles verse
24 and the chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle at bay
that he should be examined by scourging that he might know wherefore they cried
so against him he said we're gonna beat the truth out here that that works right
people will say anything under duress you beat somebody long enough they'll
tell you whatever you want to hear so they bind him and then of course Paul
said under the centurion that stood by is it lawful for you to scourge a man
that is a Roman and uncondemned so he's kind of invoking his civil rights here
basically right when the centurion heard that he went told the chief
captain saying take he without do us for this man is a Roman you know and that
wasn't something you just threw out there okay because it was found out you
weren't a Roman and you were claiming to be one there would probably be a severe
punishment for that because being a Roman citizen was a great privilege back
then it came with a lot of you know just different civic privileges you know a
right to trials and to be able to face your accusers and acquittals and things
like that so that's what Paul's kind of doing here he's kind of playing the card
that he's a Roman then the chief captain came and said unto him tell me art thou
Roman he said yay the chief captain answered with a great sum obtained I
this freedom but Paul said I was but I was freeborn and people speculate how
Paul came to be Roman it was because the city you know he's in Tarsus and that
was under a certain Roman people were declared to be Roman citizens that were
born there under a certain Emperor some be able to speculate it's because his
father was in the army that's where Paul would have learned tent making from him
and because his father served in the Roman army he was given Roman
citizenship and therefore Paul was born into Roman citizenship it really
doesn't matter
they saying I was freeborn first 29 then straightaway they departed from him
what should have examined him and the chief captain also was afraid after that
he knew he was a Roman and because he had bound him so you can get a sense of
what it would meant to be a Roman back then you didn't just get to bind Romans
and and just beat them and whip them mercilessly so you can see how much it
would have it would have been not fun to not be a Roman because that meant they
could do all that to you verse 30 on the morrow because he would have had known
the certainty of the way before he he was accused of the Jews he loosed him
for his bands and commanded the chief priest and all their council appear and
brought Paul down and set him before them so it's kind of another cliffhanger
just like last week then we move into this next scene where Paul's facing his
accusers and the chief captain's gonna kind of hear them out and we'll see what
plays out there but it is interesting that Paul you know he kind of had to
invoke his Roman citizenship at this point and if it wasn't for his Roman
citizenship and the Romans coming to rescue him you kind of wonder what might
have become of Paul at this point because Paul we know from the story was
going against the will of God God it was not God's will firm to go to Jerusalem
that was a mistake you say you know the Bible records that well it goes back to
that first part of the sermon where Paul you know it says oh they didn't hear a
voice whereas the narrator says they did hear a voice man the Bible get things
wrong even if they're just recollecting something or even if they do something
you know that is just against the will of God completely the Bible records it
okay it's interesting that God didn't really maybe you could say well the
Romans was God intervening perhaps you know maybe something else would have
happened but to me it's almost seems like God was like okay well it gave you
chance I warned you and maybe that would have been it that would have been
it but Paul kind of had to get himself out of that Jam didn't he it was his
Roman citizenship that you know saved his bacon at the end there you don't
really see God jumping in there it's kind of it's kind of interesting you
could make the argument that that was God jumping in and you know that's that
you know you might be right about that but to me it's interesting that he has
to he has to play that card because in other instances God you know intervenes
and causes things to come to pass and protects him and later on in the story
we know that God is you know when he comes to him and Paul's in prison there
in Jerusalem and says you know you're gonna stand before Kings you're gonna
witness again God still continues to use I'm not saying that God suddenly was
done with him and you know God knows the beginning from the end and maybe he was
just gonna okay Paul well I'm gonna go let and let you take a beating for a
while before the Romans get here you know and I'm not just gonna miraculous
you're gonna have to get yourself out of this one because you got yourself into
it you kind of made his bed he had to sleep in it for a bit so we definitely
want to try to persuade God in our lives we want to pray and we want to do God's
will and if we have a burden you know we need to pursue that but at the same time
we also have to know that there's limits that God has his own designs in our
lives too that God has his will for our lives and we don't want to resist that
okay it's it's good to pray and ask God for things it's good to try influence
God and persuade God that's possible you say how can I persuade God well and one
one way is we could pray and ask God for the Holy Spirit because God's not just
gonna give us the Holy Spirit unless we ask and it sounds to me from what we
read tonight that it's not that hard to persuade God of that so maybe before we
start trying to persuade God of these great magnificent things these great you
know monumental things that we want to do in our lives let's make sure we're
trying to persuade God of the you know the easier smaller things the basic
things that God will just without hesitation give to us because those are
the things that we truly need those are the things that we need the most the
Holy Spirit that's what's gonna give us that burden and you know without that
burden there's gonna be people that are gonna die and go to hell that didn't
have to that if we had prayed and gotten a burden we could have gone out
and reached and won to the Lord that's a reality we're not Calvinists here you
don't believe in this doctrine that if God wants them saved they'll get saved
that's wrong last I checked God wants is not willing that any should perish but
that all should come to repentance that he's a savior of all men especially
those that believe he's the savior of all men that whosoever believeth on him
should not perish but everlasting life so God wants everyone safe so why isn't
everyone getting saved I understand it's because some people rejecting the
gospel but the fact is it's because some of us don't have a burden for the lost
if we've lost that we need to pray and ask God let's persuade God of that you
know and it'd be real easy to criticize other people for trying to preach the
gospel to maybe a people group that we would just write off but before we do
that let's examine our own hearts and make sure we're having grown cold to
people that would get saved very easily it's quite a closer word prayer dear
Lord again thank you for the testimony of Paul Lord not a perfect man but a
zealous man a bold man and a man who had a great burden Lord for those that he
knew the world around him Lord and that was used mightily by you and Lord thank
you for his testimony Lord and the challenge that he represents to us Lord
to to to try to reach you know whoever we can to become all things to all men
that we might by all means save some Lord help us to have that same burden we
ask these things in Christ's name amen all right we'll go ahead and sing one
more song before we go
you