You
Good evening, you want to turn to your first song this evening. We'll turn to song 66 at Calvary
Song 66 at Calvary
There in the verse
There was multiplied to me there my burden so found liberty
By God's Word at last my sin, I learned then I trembled at the law
Till my guilty soul imploring turn to Calvary
Oh
Mercy there was great and grace was free
But and there was multiplied to me
Then my burden so found liberty
at
Calvary
Oh
the love that drew
salvation's plan oh
The grace that brought it down to man. Oh
The mighty goal that God did spend
Calvary
Mercy there was great and grace was free
But and there was multiplied to me
there my burden so found liberty at
Calvary
Now I give to Jesus everything
Now I gladly own him as my king
Now my raptured soul can only sing of God
Marie
Mercy there was great and grace was free
But and there was multiplied to me
there my burden so found liberty at
Calvary
Good singing brother Nick, would you listen prayer this evening, please?
Amen our next song let's go to 262
262
The light of the world is Jesus 262
There in the first the whole world was lost in the darkness of sin the light of the world is Jesus
Like sunshine at noonday is glory shown in the light of the world
is
Jesus come to the light is shining for thee
Sweetly the light has dawned upon me
Once I was blind, but now I can see
the light of the world is
Jesus no darkness have we who in Jesus abide the light of the world
is
Jesus we walk in the light when we follow our guide the light of the world is
Jesus come to the light is shining for thee
Sweetly the light has dawned upon me
Once I was blind, but now I can see
the light of the world is
Jesus each wellers in darkness with sin blinded eyes the light of the world
is
Jesus go wash at his bidding and light will arise the light of the world is
Jesus come to the light is shining for thee
Sweetly the light has dawned upon me
Once I was blind, but now I can see
the light of the world is
Jesus no need of the sunlight in heaven. We're told the light of the world is
Jesus the lamb is the light in the city of gold the light of the world is
Jesus
Come to the light is shining for thee
Sweetly the light has dawned upon me
Once I was blind, but now I can see
the light of the world is
Jesus
Good singing
If you need a bulletin brother Brandon can get you one on the inside
We have our service and so winning times and we have our totals
I think we had two out so winning today was there anything to report outside of today's so winning by chance this week
one okay great and
Then also we have our Bible memory passage. We're on Romans chapter 8 verse 8 and
If you can quote that to a non family member you can receive a special ice cream treat on the right
We have the list of expecting ladies if you please keep all of them in your prayers
As well as we have our upcoming men's conference and there should have already been an email did anybody sign up and not
Get an email already or not notice the email
Okay, well we sent an email. Please just respond to that and then there's gonna be another follow-up
That'll have a little bit more instruction as far as just some reminders details of stuff. You should bring
And everything like that
But I'm really excited about our men's conference and then also if you have any other peer requests throughout the week
You can either submit those via email
More let me know about that. And so that's pretty much all I have
four announcements at this time
Let's go ahead and go to our third song for the evening. Let's go to song 404 when the battle's over
Number
404 when the battle's over and this one's a little bit different because you sing the the verse first like that chorus
Twice because you have the two they're right there clumped together and then you go down and sing that chorus all together
So sing the first two on line one and then we'll go out on the chorus down the first
Soldier of the cross
And shall I fear to own his cause or blush to speak his name
And when the battle's over we shall wear a crown. Yes, we shall wear a crown
Yes, we shall wear a crown and when the battle's over
We shall wear a crown in the New Jerusalem
Wear a crown
Wear a bright and shining
crown
And when the battles over we shall wear a crown in the New
Jerusalem
Must I be carried to the skies on flowery
Beds of these
while
others fought to win the prize and sailed through bloody seas and
When the battles over we shall wear a crown. Yes, we shall wear a crown
Yes, we shall wear a crown and when the battles over we shall wear a crown in the New
Jerusalem
Wear a crown
Wear a bright and shining
crown
And when the battle's over we shall wear a crown in the New
Jerusalem
Should I must fight if I would reign increase my courage Lord
I'll bear the toil
Enjoy the pain
Supported by thy word
And when the battle's over we shall wear a crown. Yes, we shall wear a crown
Yes, we shall wear a crown and when the battle's over we shall wear a crown in the New
Jerusalem
Wear a crown
Wear a bright and shining
crown
And when the battle's over we shall wear a crown in the New
Jerusalem
Very good singing
At this time we'll turn our Bibles to Acts chapter 11 brother Brandon's gonna read for us Acts chapter number
11 fall along as he reads the entire chapter
All right, we were there in Acts chapter 11 and the Bible reads and the apostles and brethren that were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had
also
Received the Word of God and when Peter was come up to Jerusalem
They that were of the circumcision contended with them saying thou wentest into to men uncircumcised and didst eat with them
But Peter rehearsed in the matter from the beginning
Expounded it by order unto them saying I was in the city of Joppa praying in a trance
I saw a vision a certain vessel descendant as it had been a great sheep
I let down from heaven by the four corners and it came even to me upon
The which would I had fastened mine eyes and I considered and saw four-footed beasts of the earth and wild beasts and creeping
Things and fowls of the air and I heard a voice saying unto me arise Peter slay and eat
But I said not so Lord for nothing common or unclean hath at any time entered into my mouth
But the voice who answered me again from heaven what God hath cleansed thou called not uncommon
And this was done three times and all were drawn up again unto heaven behold immediately
There were three men already come unto the house where I was sent from Caesarea unto me and the spirit and the spirit
Bade me go with them. Nothing doubting moreover
The six brethren accompanied me and we entered into the man's house and he showed us how he had seen an angel in his house
Which stood and said unto him?
sent me to Joppa and call for Simon whose surname is Peter who should tell thee the
The words whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved
And as I began to speak hope the Holy Ghost fell on them as on us the beginning then remembered
I the word of the Lord how he had said John indeed baptized with water
But ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost
For as much then as God gave them like the gifts as he had did unto us who believeth in the Lord Jesus Christ
What I was I that I could withstand God when they heard these things they held their peace and glorified God saying
Then have God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life
Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen
Traveled as far as Phineas and Cyprus and Antioch preached the word to none
But unto the Jews only and some of them were made of Cyprus and Cyrene
Which when they had were come to Antioch spake unto the Grecian's preaching the word Jesus the Lord Jesus
And the hand of the Lord was with them in a great number believed and turned unto the Lord
then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church was
Which was in Jerusalem and they sent forth
Barnabas that he should go far as Antioch
Who when he came and had seen the grace of God was glad and exhorted them all that with purpose of heart
They would cleave unto the Lord for he was good man and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith and much
And much people was added unto the Lord then departed Barnabas of Tarsus for the seek saw and when he had found him
He brought him unto Antioch and it came to pass that a whole year that they assembled themselves with the church and taught much
People and the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch
We've been going to the book of Acts and we're here in chapter number 11 and
Says it's kind of a recap of a story that we've already
Covered with Peter in chapter number 10 where Peter had gone and
He had preached unto Cornelius and gotten a lot of people saved
Well going back home
Not everybody's excited about that message, which is it's kind of it's kind of crazy when you think about it
But it's just reality and we're gonna look at some other stories, but it says in verse number one
and
The apostles and brethren that were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the Word of God and when Peter was come up
To Jerusalem they that were of the circumcision
Contended with him saying thou when is into men uncircumcised and did his eat with them
Now what's interesting in this story is they've heard how the Gentiles have gotten saved
They received the Word of God and you would think people would be excited about it
But notice their initial reaction when they hear about this is to get mad at
Peter and to contend with him and they're so offended that he would eat with them
They're so offended that he would have fellowship with the Gentiles and it really
Honestly is a spirit of racism as you think about it. I mean you see these Jews
They really can't stand the idea of a Gentile getting saved or other nations or the heathen getting saved
And this is not a new thing in the Bible. This is not something that
Is just isolated it's one event
It also makes me think of another story in your Bible go if you went to the book of Jonah the book of Jonah
It's kind of it's in the minor prophets right before the New Testament. You have Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah, Jonah
Micah, so if you're around that area, it's kind of right there. It's a real short book right before Micah and
Kind of right there after Amos and Obadiah
But Jonah is kind of a similar picture here to the Jews
not wanting the Gentiles to get saved because Jonah is
Commander of the Lord to go and preach unto the Ninevites or to go to preach unto Nineveh and Nineveh signifies or symbolizes
The Gentiles the heathen and Jonah doesn't want to do that
he runs away the Bible says he flees from the presence of the Lord and
Because of that he gets into a ship and he's headed to Tarshish
God sends a strong storm against Jonah and
It causes all of the the sailors to be upset. They're like, you know, we got to figure out what's going on
God's obviously mad at us. He's mad at someone on the boat and when Jonah tells them why he's on the boat
They're like, well, it's obviously you you know
Like you're the problem and then Jonah says well throw me off throw me over and into the sea and it'll be calm
And you know that it's interesting because the book of Jonah has so much symbolism and I'm not gonna go through all of it
But that's a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ, isn't it?
how you know
They're in trouble and they have to sacrifice somebody in order for them to be saved
And that's a picture of how Jonah kind of pictures Christ now, how does Christ die?
Well, he dies on the cross. What happens to his soul? His soul goes down into hell, doesn't it?
Well, what happens to Jonah's soul it gets or what happens to his body, right?
He gets swallowed up by the whale and in chapter number two
He even says in verse two and I said I cried by reason of mine affliction
unto the Lord and you heard me out of the belly of hell cried I and now hurt is my voice and
so we have that picture of the gospel and
And we have this great picture of Jonah picturing Jesus Christ being in hell and for Jonah. This is kind of a metaphor
You know, he's not literally in hell but being in the Wells belly. It's like hell unto him
And so he's just saying this as a metaphor
But it's really a prophecy of the Lord Jesus Christ and how he's literally
Gonna be crying in his affliction out of the belly of hell and God hears that prayer and after three days and three nights
What happens? Well, the whale spits out Jonah and just with the gospel
Jesus has risen again from the dead and comes back to life. And so Jonah pictures that gospel
Now through the gospel then Jonah goes and preaches doesn't he?
And and who does he preach to and who's receptive to that preaching of the gospel?
the Ninevites
Which is who the Gentiles which is again gonna be illustrated in the book of Acts
It's really prophesied here in the book of Jonah notice. He's not going back home. He's not going to Judah
He's not going to some tribe of the children of Israel and preaching of them
He's preaching under the Ninevites and they are gonna be the ones that get saved and his message isn't even a popular one
It's not a nice one or a positive one. He says in verse number
4 and Jonah began to enter into the city of days journey and he cried and said yet 40 days and
None of us shall be overthrown. That's not a very positive message. Is it?
You know, he's just going around just saying you guys are doomed. You guys are destroyed. You know, it's over for you guys
It's kind of interesting that 40 days number two because you know
It's kind of like in a picture of like Christ was there with them for how long 40 days, right?
So you got lots of different parallels here, but look at verse 5 so the people of Nineveh
Believed God and we also see another picture here. The Gentiles are very receptive to the message of God
They're actually very receptive to God's Word, even though they're very evil. They're very wicked
They're very sinful and this in the Ninevites if you study in other chapters in the Minor Prophets
It talks about them being a very it's a bloody city and they're very wicked and they're very evil
Yet at this moment of preaching they believe God they claim a fast
And ends up that God spares the city of Nineveh. Now you would think what would Jonah's reaction be?
Let's be like great, you know, even though I disobeyed the Lord
I went and I preached and I saved this city and God spared them
But what does it say in chapter 4 verse 1 but it displeased Jonah exceedingly. He was very angry
Isn't that kind of an interesting reaction? It's like man. He's preaching all these people
Why because he just hates the needs hates the Ninevites, you know
He just doesn't want them to be saved and is I think for some people that are really, you know
Loving in their heart or they're really pure in mind
It's kind of foreign to them to think about like hating a certain group of people
But it's a very common attitude and in fact, you know, even conservatives today even a lot of Americans today
They love to tout and talk about how they're not racist and they say oh, we're not racist yet
If you ask them was it okay to just bomb the Middle East they'd be like sure let's do that
You know, I kill all the Muslims, you know, like no it there's no problem with them
You know, there's always usually a group of people that everybody would would condemn, you know
People would just say like yeah who cares North Korea by or you know
the Middle East by or Mexico by or they just pick some area that they just don't really care about and it's not a
Big deal. It's not really any
You know hair on their back or anything if God just wiped them out tomorrow
They don't really care
But this is not the attitude of a Christian
But really what's being prophesied here is the attitude of the Jews towards the Gentiles notice. The Jews are not excited
About the Gentiles getting saved in Acts chapter number 11, which is pictured here with Jonah being very angry at what God's bearing
Nineveh look at his answer in verse number two
And he prayed unto the Lord and said I pray thee O Lord was not this my saying when I was yet in my
country therefore I fled before unto Tarshish for I knew that thou are a gracious God and merciful slow to anger and of great kindness and
Repent is thee of the evil therefore now O Lord take I beseech thee my life for me for it is better for me
To die than to live
Now this is crazy
Because what Jonah is saying is he's saying I knew that if I preached to them they would get saved and
I didn't want to do it
He's saying like I knew I knew that you're long-suffering he said that was my saying
He said look was this was not this my saying when I was yet my country. He's saying therefore I I fled
Why is it that he truly fled? It's because he didn't want them to get saved
He was so angry at the fact that they were gonna get saved and look some people had this attitude
Some people don't want to see good happen under theirs think about the parable of the two sons
okay, you have a father he has two sons and one son asked if he can have his portion of the inheritance right now and
Then he goes and he squanders it and he wastes it and then when he comes back his brother's not excited that his brother
Came back
He doesn't want his brother to come back. He doesn't want his brother to have the love of his father
He's not glad that his brother's been restored. Hey, you know, there's a lot of people
They're not excited when someone gets saved because they're more wicked than them or you know
They've done worse things than them. And so they just want them to basically suffer more
They want them to go to hell or they want them to not be restored. This is an ungodly an unbiblical, you know
philosophy
You say how does that exist? Well, you know
There's a lot of Baptist churches where they will not go soul winning or send invitations to the poor neighborhoods in their area
Why because they don't want those people to come to their church do they
They don't want them to get restored and they say we know if we go invite them
They'll show up
You don't think that the big fancy church if they went into the poor area and said hey
We're having a free food fellowship and we're inviting everybody. You'll want to come they'd be like, yeah
And they're like if we get free rides, they're like sign us up
But if you think they don't want them to come to church
They don't want them to come and ruin their little special club
They don't want to have the riffraff come into their church so to speak so they just won't preach in the gospel
They won't go and reach under the lost. Hey, they realize if you go down into Mexico
It's more receptive than America, but you know what? They don't want Mexicans to be saved because they just don't really care
You know and there's a lot of people with a Jonah heart today
There's a lot of people with a Jew heart today where they're not excited about
Ninevites getting saved. They're not excited about Gentiles getting saved
They're not excited about the poor the lame or whoever getting saved today
You know what from God's perspective a soul is a soul
And we shouldn't care if if they're going to come to our church if they're not
You know what color skin they are what language they speak where they're from
I mean me and Jeffrey have been going to this soul winning complex or this apartment complex recently
It's only Spanish speaking and they never want to come to my church probably
You know what they get saved and they're real receptive
And you know
I shouldn't despise them because they speak Spanish or despise them because they're poorer than most every people or that be they probably won't
Come to my church and say well y'all can just go to hell then
No, we should go and reach them with the gospel and we see that the Jews they struggled with this
They were upset at Peter going to the Gentiles and restoring the Gentiles
why because they thought they're better than the Gentiles and
They want to keep that status they want to keep that
Preeminence they want to keep that attitude of we're better than them
And if they get saved and they have the same Holy Ghost then how come how are Jews better than Gentiles?
They're not and that's a problem for them. They don't want that to be the case
They don't want to believe that you know
There's sometimes American exceptionalism where everybody thinks that well Americans are just better than everybody else who said that
God didn't say that God's not a respecter of persons and you know, just because you're a merit from America
Does it make you better than any other person?
You know, the nation's are nothing to God. He doesn't really care and Jonah, you know, he has a bad attitude here a
lot of people have a bad attitude and
Look what it says in verse 3 or verse 4 then said the Lord doest thou well to be angry
He's saying this is it right for you to be angry
And then the answer is no, okay, God always he already knows the answer to the question
Yes, okay, but he's just like he's trying to help Jonah out and sometimes God asks us questions to help us out
But you know, the question is is it righteous to be angry that people got saved?
It's like no, that would be that would be a weird attitude to be mad that someone got saved
Now he gives this parable to him where basically the sun's beating on him and he has a gourd
That comes out and protects him from the Sun it gives him a shade and everything like that
But then a wind and a worm come and destroy the gourd
So now all of a sudden Jonah has the Sun beating down on him again. He's kind of mad
He's really mad about the worm, you know, and he's really upset and then God's saying like why are you so disappointed that the gourd died?
And in your disappointed that it was destroyed, but you wouldn't have been disappointed if an entire city
was destroyed and he points out how Nineveh had six score thousand persons meaning a hundred and twenty thousand persons that
Cannot discern between their right hand and left hand and also much cattle
So we have a cool picture go back if you would to actually realize I just want to point that out
And really how the the prophecy there is picturing what the gospel of Jesus Christ
It's picturing how the Jews are gonna be upset about the Gentiles getting saved yet many Gentiles are gonna get saved
And you know think about it if God cares about a city of a hundred and twenty thousand how much more
The entire world filled with Gentiles by the time we're in the New Testament
I mean think about how many people God has created and allowed to exist and to him
He's like, I don't want to just waste this
You know, a lot of people would look at the world today and they'd be fine
If a whole nation went to hell, you know what God looks at every nation and says hey
There's a lot of people in here. They don't even know the difference between their left and the right hand
They're just ignorant. No one's taught them and to God he doesn't want to just waste all of those souls
God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come unto repentance
Hey, God wants every person in North Korea to be saved. Hey, God wants every single person in China to be saved
Hey, God wants every single person in India to be saved
God wants every person in Africa and South America and in Canada even you know
He actually wants Canadians to be saved. Don't you know, you know, sorry about that, but he wants them to be saved, too
Sorry not sorry, you know
But the reality is we shouldn't want anyone to go to hell
We should want as many people to be saved. We shouldn't be respecters of persons about it now
Right now it's kind of hard to travel. You know, it's a lot more difficult
Most countries are on lockdown. You got to get swabbed in every orifice a hundred times or something
I don't know but you know to me, I think that it's gonna change
I don't think that it's gonna be like that forever because the Bible clearly says that the Gospels can go out into all the
world and I really feel like the Gospels being kind of
You know localized right now
But what we should do is we should really focus on our local areas and we should really focus on we have an opportunity
Right now to still reach everybody in Houston with the gospel and we're not even close to giving them the gospel
I mean we're so far from giving everyone the gospel and we need to have a
Heart that says I want everyone to be saved and even going into neighborhoods where they're not that excited that you're there
And let's be honest
There are some neighborhoods in this area that are not very excited that we would come and knock on their door right now
Because the media is filling them with lies
The media is telling them that white people hate everyone
You know white people hate every minority and every group and demographic and I've noticed it seems like there's some difference
You know a couple years ago. I'd walk into a lot of minority rich
Neighborhoods and they would have no problem with me being there preaching the gospel now
I've been in some areas and they're just like mad that you exist as a person
But you know what? Even if the Ninevites aren't glad that I'm there
I'm still there to preach the gospel and I've gotten a lot of people either saved or
Very interested in the things of God that are not white
Even recently and you know what?
There's still people to reach and there's still people to go out and preach the gospel do and we shouldn't have Jonah's attitude
And say well, I don't I'm just gonna hide
I'm just gonna go to Tarshish. I'm just gonna live my life
No, I thought it was when the battles over we shall get a crown not when we go and hide
We'll get a crown and you know
It is a battle life is a battle and I think if you look at life as a battle
It'll help you because people are like it's hard. It's a battle
Who thinks that going to war is gonna be easy?
War is hard war is difficult. There's enemy. There's pressure
There's an there's all kinds of uncomfortable things that are going on and you know, you have to realize that life is tough
But when it's over, it's it's easy
Get ready to enjoy later
Get really excited about all of the pain-free life and heaven
You say what about the pain-free life now as you get older it gets worse. I've already learned this. I've already noticed
I'm not even that old yet and it already hurts. Okay, when I was young it didn't hurt when you're
Enjoy being a child. Okay, it doesn't hurt. It's fun
You just wake up and do whatever and life's just great. You start getting older everything hurts
Sleeping hurts, you know if you lay in the wrong position it hurts
okay, I mean just if you get hurt it takes way longer to heal and
Everything's just more difficult. There's more stress. There's more pressure, you know, enjoy being a child
But it's you it's vanity and child and youth are vanity
At the end of the day you need to grow up and realize you're in a war
You're in a battle and it's gonna be tough
There's gonna be a lot of tough things and you're gonna have people that don't that don't appreciate the work that you did even your own
brethren
This is not like just some random yahoos. This is Peter's closest contemporaries
This is people that knew the Lord Jesus Christ and they're not excited about the works that he did
They're not happy that he got people saved and he even knew that they were gonna be like that
Look at verse 4, but Peter rehearsed the matter from the beginning. So he's like he was like ready
He's like, oh man, I better have a good story here because they're gonna be really mad
Even he himself whenever the Lord gave him the parable by eating bacon. He was like not so Lord
Then he tried it. He was like, alright, well
This is okay, we'll take the bacon not the pig's feet though Jeffrey, okay. No, all right
You have to pray extra for that one
verse 4
But Peter rehearsed the matter from the beginning and expounded it by order unto them saying I was in the city of Joppa praying
And in a trance I saw a vision a certain vessel to send
And as it had been a great sheet let down from heaven by four corners and it came even to me
Upon the which when I had fastened mine eyes
I considered and saw four foot of beasts of the earth and wild beasts and creeping things and fowls of the air
And I heard a voice saying unto me arise Peter slay and eat
But I said not so Lord for nothing common or unclean had that any time entered into my mouth
The voice answered me again from heaven what God hath cleansed that call not thou common
And this was done three times and all were drawn up again into heaven and behold immediately
There was three men already come unto the house where I was sent from Caesarea unto me
And the Spirit bade me go with them nothing doubting moreover these six brethren accompanied me
And we entered into the man's house
And he showed us how he had seen an angel in his house
Which stood and said on him send men to Joppa and call for Simon whose surname is Peter who shall tell thee words?
whereby thou in all thy house shall be saved and so we have a retelling of chapter number 10 Peter is relaying the
message and
Obviously hey if you want to eat pig's feet apparently God says I'm not supposed to call it common
But you better pray for that meal okay, so it's sanctified by the Word of God in prayer, but
Here's the thing this was a parable and the carnal truth is this that the Old Testament dietary restrictions
They were for a time, but Christ being come you know that's no longer a restriction in the New Testament
Okay, we are praise the Lord in the New Testament
We got bacon, and we got all kinds of good stuff going on
You know the Sabbath was a fulfilled as Christ is our Sabbath and the lamb
Sacrifice was fulfilled with Christ being our lamb sacrifice, and so we don't have to do all these rituals
We don't have to do all these certain commandments that were tied to the pictures of Christ
But this is another picture of the fact that
Unclean beasts were a picture of the Gentiles a picture of the heathen and just like Jonah you know
Saved the heathen back then we're supposed to also save the heathen now
And this is a common misconception and the Old Testament some people be like well if you're a heathen you can't even get saved
That's not true
Heathen were saved in the Old Testament to the Ninevites believed God to you had a name in the Syrian
He got saved too and even Jesus
He's preaching about how certain people that were not Jews got saved or
Prophets came unto them and not to the children of Israel, and they get all mad about it
He's like hey, they went to the widows of Zaretha. You know they're going to you know
They're talking a name in the Syrian you know he's bringing up examples of how even
unsaved you know these Gentiles are getting saved even in the Old Testament and
That in the New Testament is nothing new you know in the Old Testament
They're supposed to be a light on the Gentiles and the New Testament supposed to be a light on the Gentiles
It's the same message, okay
It's just that the Jews were not getting the job done the Jews have rejected the Lord the Jews were not following his commandments
They weren't believing in the Lord
They weren't that shining in light so God's going to take away
The gospel from them God's going to take away that light from them
and he's going to give it unto a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof and what nation is that a
spiritual nation of believers
People who believe because it was never about flesh and blood flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God and flesh and blood
Was not pleasing unto the Lord it was only the saved
yet God used physical examples of the Old Testament to preach unto a spiritual truth in the New Testament and
He makes it clear to Peter hey
You're supposed to go and preach to every single person when I said going to all the world preach the gospel every creature
I meant it
You know I wasn't and I wasn't talking about the dogs and the cows or whatever
I'm talking about the Gentiles is what he meant teach all nations
What does that mean every it doesn't mean just Judah?
It doesn't mean just Mary it means literally everywhere and so Peter is seeing that fulfilled before his eyes
And he's telling these guys look I went these guys were with me
You know these six brethren ask them about it, but he makes a really profound statement in verse 14. He says this
This is Cornelius his words to him, but who shall tell thee words?
Whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved, so we notice two really important factors when it comes to salvation number one
It's words that get you saved
Then he say very clearly that he's going to tell you words, and what's the emphasis of the words that?
You're gonna be saved from the words, it's the Word of God that saves us
He's not gonna do a special baptism. He didn't say
Send it to this guy who's gonna dunk you in special water, and you're gonna be saved
He didn't say hey you have to go and confess your sins to him
No, he said he is gonna tell you words and by his words
You're gonna get saved now. It's not just Peters words. It wasn't just Peters opinion
It was what him preaching the Word of God you say. How do you know that well? Let's go to first Peter
Let's ask Peter. What saves us and
The Bible makes it clear to the Word of God that saves us, but let's get a second opinion
Let's get Peter. Let's have Peter explain us what it takes to get saved first Peter chapter 1
verse number 23 being born again not of corruptible seed but of
Incorruptible by the Word of God which liveth and abideth forever so notice
Whose words is it that gets us saved the Word of God, and you say whose opinion is that Peter?
But it's not just Peter's the Holy Ghost because holy men are holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy
Ghost he says that in the second he he says that later in the second epistle, okay
But he also says in verse 25, but the Word of the Lord endures forever, and this is the word
By wit which by the gospel is preaching to you
So you're saying hey the Word of God is how you get the gospel and that's how you get saved is by hearing words
And people will be like oh you just think you can go out and just preach people a little message
And they pray and get saved yes
And you say why that's what Peter did that's what Peter said
That's what Cornelius was instructed of by the angel is that it's the words of God
That saves us we believe the Word of God the Bible says faith
Cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God now. Here's an important aspect to understand
What saves me faith, okay?
But can I have faith without the Word of God?
Not saving faith obviously I can have faith in the wrong object right I could believe in something
That's wrong
But I can't have the faith that saves me without the Word of God because it's my faith and what God told me
That's going to save me. It's my faith in John 3 16. It's my faith and the gospel message
It's my faith in the words that he's entrusted. You know to us the Word of God the King James Bible
That's what we believe and get saved
So if you want to get someone saved you better open up the Word of God
And you better preach them the Word of God
some people think that you can get saved by just
generically telling them about
The gospel or you know some people have these like these tools they have like I don't know what you call it
It's like this weird box or something that you can kind of fold around and it's just like just tell your story
Well, you know I was a sinner, and you know I was doing drugs and one day
I heard about Jesus, and I decided to turn for my sins to get saved. It's like that doesn't save anyone
And
You know what it's by the foolishness of preaching that God chooses to save us so obviously we have to expound the Word of God
Obviously we're going to explain the Word of God in simplest terms, and we're going to make it manifest
But it's the Word of God that has the power and without the Word of God salvation cannot take place
We must have the Word of God go to Luke chapter number eight
Let me show you a few more verses on this this is an important doctrine. That's found all throughout the Bible
But it's also being mentioned here that Cornelius is being told by the angel. He's going to come tell you some words
That's going to get you saved
Now why is that important because here's the thing if they don't hear how are they going to believe?
How shall they hear without a preacher is what the Bible says you know when it's giving the explanation of how someone gets saved
In Romans chapter number 10 it says how shall they hear without a preacher and how shall they preach except
They be sent so we need to send people out
That are going to preach the Word of God
And then when they hear the Word of God they can choose to believe it and call upon the name of Lord
And they get saved that's the exact picture of getting someone saved
But we have to have the Word of God in the mix without the Word of God. We have no message to bring
it's there's a
story in the Old Testament when David
Has been his son Absalom has been killed
And there's a messenger that's going to that wants to come and tell him about Absalom
But he's not bidden to go
But he just runs anyways he just you know he just kind of eggs
He's just fine like can I go can I go and then he shows up, and he's like. What's the message?
He has nothing to say
Why because it's not about the Jovis witnesses they go out, but they don't have the words to save you
The Mormons go out they don't have the words to save you and their words are usually found from the devil and the book
Of moron or in their their wicked false Bible, and they just can only reprobate people
You know they're not going to get anyone saved it takes the Word of God to get someone saved
We don't see the fruit look what soul winner goes out also with a different version than the King James Bible is getting people
saved riddle me that
You know a lot of people get upset about us being King James only or they're like
Oh, you think the Word of God is only the King James Bible yes, and
I'm like well show me one soul winner. That's using a different versions getting people saved on a regular basis. Just one I
Mean I can show you hundreds and thousands of soul winners using King James Bible getting people saved left and right
Show me one using the NIV show me one using the ESV show me one using one of these modern the message
Oh
It's so it's so relevant. It's so easy to be understood that thing is trash and
People get so mad the fact that I burn false Bibles every single year, but guess what?
If it's not the Word of God, I don't have a problem burning it
And you know what if it's gonna even even if it was 99% of the Word of God just 1% error is worthy of me
Burning it because I don't want any you know little 11 11 at the whole lump
So the Bible says and it's it's damned
It's it's just ruined, and I'm not destroying the Word of God when I'm destroying the NIV
I'm destroying the Word of God when I'm destroying the King James Bible
Okay, so I'm not gonna sit here and destroy it, but even if I did you know what happened
If someone coughed kovat all over this, you know
Right can it like sit on?
I'm just you know messing with you a little bit, but obviously they say it could be on stationary objects
What does it was infested with kovat you know or infested with some kind of disease wouldn't we burn it without hesitation?
I mean if it truly had leprosy what have had leprosy
What does the Bible say if it's some some kind of object had leprosy you burn it okay?
Because this is just paper and ink
Okay, but the Word of God is gonna bite forever. I'm not saying that a physical object is somehow special
It's the words that are special. It's the words that are being preserved and by
Destroying an NIV and handing someone a King James Bible. I'm actually preserving the Word of God
Whereas if I'm allowing the NIV to go out and be printed and bought and sold
You know the old King James could just waste away. You know this Bible is not gonna last forever
The words of God will though and you know what the even the translations that we got from the Word of God
They weren't original there were copies
Because why because physical paper is gonna deteriorate. What do we do we need to preserve the words?
Okay, and we need to preach the words. That's what has the power not this physical book
I'm not sitting here saying this particular physical book is any kind of special
It's the words in it that are special
Okay, and we have to have the word to get someone safe Luke chapter 8 look what it says in verse number 11
Now the parable is this the seed is the Word of God
So there's a parable of the sower where a sower is going out and sowing seed and then Jesus tells you
What that means it's the Word of God
That's that seed
Now what sense does it make to go ahead and walk around and not throw seed? What is that gonna benefit?
What if I was just walking around in my field, but I'm not throwing any seed down
Am I gonna get any crops from that?
No, that would be the same as going out without the Bible that'd be the same as going out without the Word of God
You're not gonna get anything with that now the Word of God
Obviously the seed is not always going to bring forth fruit, right?
If you throw some on the wayside, that's not gonna have any fruit, you know, you throw it in some places
It's not even gonna get saved at all
But lots of people will get saved in this parable gives you four categories only one doesn't get saved the wayside
The other ones get saved it even says in verse number, let's just keep reading a little bit verse 12
Those by the wayside are they that hear then come with the devil and take it away the word out of their hearts lest
They should believe and be saved. So notice some people will hear the gospel
Some people even accept it into their heart, but they don't believe it and they don't get saved
That's why I don't like that phrase accepting Jesus in your heart because notice these people in verse number 12
Have the Word of God in their heart, don't they but are they saved?
No, and and I'll tell you this there are people that sincerely have
Respect for the Bible they sincerely even have it in their heart in the sense that what out of them out of the abundance
Of the heart the mouth speaketh, right? Don't you run into people that are not saving they can quote you the Bible
How did it get there?
Obviously that seed got planted down into their heart and they've read the Bible, you know
I've got a lot of foreign countries and they can quote you all kinds of Bible verses and they're not even saved
What do they have to do? They have to actually believe it to be saved
They actually have to let that seed germinate in their heart and it takes some watering and then God giving the increase
But if they did believe they get saved that's why I also when I'm preaching the gospel to somebody
If they've they've gotten the seed, you know the seeds in their heart
I planted it, but they don't want to pray with me
I show them this verse and I say look you obviously have the Word of God in your heart now
I've obviously given you the gospel
But if you choose not to believe now the devil may come and distract you he may cause you to forget what I just told you
And if you decide to end up not praying you won't go to heaven
You won't get saved and I said you've already told me you believe that so
Why don't we just tell God now so you can know you're saved and that doesn't always work
But sometimes it has compelled people to say, you know what? All right, let's do it
You know, let's pray and let's get saved the next group
It says they on the rock are they which when they hear receive the word with joy
And these have no root which for a while believe and in time of temptation fall away
So these people got saved but they lose their they lose their faithfulness in God and they this
Decide not to trust the Lord in all the areas of their life
They decide not to put their faith in the Lord for their
Security and for the remaining works and so they end up just going back to the world and living of the world
They're still going to heaven
But they're gonna miss out on the rewards of heaven and they're gonna
Essentially be chastised very heavily on this earth now
I'm not gonna go through this whole parable
But what I wanted to point out to you is this you have to have the Word of God to get saved and all
These examples some element is always there
It's the Word of God and without the Word of God you are not gonna get saved now another thing that was mentioned though
Was not just the words
Because he's saying yeah, he's gonna come tell the words, but it's also a person, isn't it?
And it's not just some person because didn't the angel from an angel from heaven
Came to Cornelius. Why didn't the angel get him saved?
Like could you think the angel didn't know the gospel?
You think the angel didn't have any idea of the death burn resurrection? You don't think he knows John 3 16 or something?
No, it's just that God is committed unto us the ministry of reconciliation
God has chosen us to be the ambassadors for Christ
Look Jesus Christ could just show up to every single person like this and just preaching the gospel himself if he wanted
You know what? He's chosen us to go out and to preach the gospel
he wants us to be those ministers go go to first Corinthians chapter 3 and
Another important key is the fact that you have to be saved to get someone saved
He didn't just ask a random person to give him he didn't ask Caiaphas to come give him the gospel
He didn't ask Judas to come give him the gospel Judas had already killed himself
He asked Peter a saved man to come and give him the god. Why would he say? Hey, there's this one person
Simon Peter, I want him to come and give you the gospel and some people say this
You only need the Word of God to get saved. You don't need Peter and
Even if Peters not saved you don't even need him to be saved. This is utter foolishness
This is utter nonsense and it's very unbiblical and it's a very dangerous doctrine
The thing you have to understand in the book of Acts is it later tells us that they had Moses in every single city
Preached every single Sabbath day
Everybody already had the Word of God
Okay, and even some people in the Bible had the Word of God and decide not to believe in get saved
So the Word of God on its own, you know is not a guarantee that someone's gonna get saved number one
But number two it takes a saved preacher to explain to someone how to get saved
How so they hear without a preacher?
They can't but you know in the same book Romans chapter number 10. It says the word of faith. It's nigh unto thee
It's in it's in your heart and it's in your mouth. He's saying you're quoting Isaiah 53 not even realizing what's about
Just like the in Acts chapter number 8 the guy
He's like understand is what thou readest and he says how can I accept some man should guide me
you could literally teach someone you could have someone memorize every verse in the Bible and
They still wouldn't be saved
They have to have a saved soul winner come and preach them the gospel and if you actually believe that then you would realize
The importance you have in this world
Because I don't think it'd be take very much for me to convince you that there's not a lot of people that are
saved and
Not only that there's not a lot of people that are saved and willing to go and preach the gospel either. It's a small small
Number and for Cornelius it was Peter or nothing
What if Peter had said you know what I?
Understand the Bible I understand that vision, but I don't want to go preach to Cornelius
He wants to be a Jonah he wants to run away
How would Cornelius get saved he wouldn't the Bible says if our gospel behead?
It's head to them that are lost there are literal people dying and going to hell every single day
And if someone would have just gone and loved them and preached them the gospel they could have been saved
But God is a God of hypotheticals and God makes it very clear that we can make a difference in this world
The choices that you make will make a difference and we have the opportunity to get people safe
And if you decide to hide your light under bushel more people will go to hell
We have the
Responsibility to go and preach the gospel
You know don't have this Calvinist viewpoint well everybody that's gonna get saved is gonna get saved
If that were true, then everyone would be saved because God's not willing that any should perish, but that all should come
Unto repentance God wants every single person to get saved, but you know what he's decided that
It's gonna have to have men that have faith in him that are gonna go out and preach that gospel that are gonna
Get some saved and they're gonna be a minister of the word look what it says in first Peter or first Chronicles
I'm sorry first Corinthians chapter 3 verse number 5
Who then is Paul and who is Apollo's but ministers?
By whom he believed even as the Lord gave to every
Man now the context of this is not exactly about how to get someone saved per se
But you can take from this passage some really important doctrines here
He's really rebuking the Corinthians, and he's trying it. He's trying to explain to them that
The person that got you saved doesn't matter as far as if it was Paul or Apollo's
It doesn't matter, but it doesn't matter that they were saved
Okay, so it doesn't matter if I got someone saved or Mo got them saved or brother Nick got them saved
Or it doesn't matter who in here preach the gospel and they got saved by
But you know what they had to been saved
Okay, and notice that it was ministers by whom you believe so it's both the Word of God
And it's that minister of the word
It was the person coming and preaching the gospel and notices the Lord gave to every man. There's not an exception here
He doesn't say well some of you got saved reading the Bible
Some of you got saved by reading a tract and some of you got saved by someone preaching the gospel
Hey, there was a minister to every one of you
And he's saying who cares if this side of the room got saved by me and this side of the room got saved by Apollo's
He's like if you're on team
Paul or team Apollo's your carnal
He's saying if you got saved by this pastor or that pastor or this man or this soul winner or whatever
It doesn't matter. You're not on their team
You're on team Christ or you're on the wrong team you carnal person you but the reality is from this chapter
We can still realize that it takes a saved person to get them saved
Look at verse number nine for we are labors together with God
You're God's husbandry. You're God's building now
Here's riddle me this if the only thing getting you saved is the Word of God, then how did we labor with God?
It's because it also takes the minister it also takes the person going out and we labor with God
We're together
Doing the ministry and doing the work God needs us
God wants to use us and we're important to getting people say go to Romans chapter 1 for a moment
You're Romans chapter 1 and I'm spending a little bit of time on this
But I think it's probably one of the most important verses that we can get out of Acts chapter 11
Because we already heard the story but what's one of the profound conclusions of this that Cornelius needed Peter
The Gentiles need these saved Jews to come and preach in the gospel
Imagine if we could just say well, all you need is the Word of God to get saved then couldn't they say?
well, they already have Moses and
and didn't
Whenever Lazarus died went up to heaven and the rich man was in hell
And the rich man was asking for a preacher or someone to come back and tell them about the dead
Didn't he say they have Moses let them hear them
So
If I combine that can I just say oh well they have Moses work
But is that really is that really what that is instructing is just saying? Yep. They have the Bible. Good luck
So we just mail everybody in Houston a Bible and say like let's go home
You know how many people get saved we just mail them a Bible no one
Nada
you know how many people get say we got and preach the gospel a lot of people will get sick and
In the reality is it takes faith to give faith
Okay, the Bible says everything brings forth after its own kind and even spiritually. This is the exact same way
You know someone that's an unsaved devil is only gonna bring forth unsaved devils, you know
They make them twofold more the child of hell than themselves
They're not getting anybody saved Joe Lowstein's not getting anybody saved in Houston
TD Jakes isn't getting anybody saved up in the Dallas or the area whose other horrible Ed Young
Is there an Ed Young here? I don't think he's saved. He's not getting anybody saved here
Any other is there another famous preacher in Houston? I don't know. Is he in Houston?
Okay, well he's definitely a false prophet but I
Mean there's got it. There's there's a huge church everywhere. What about that sage?
Isn't there like a sage Mont or something over here? It's like the the biggest church
They've got the biggest cross I've ever seen over there right off the highway after the Samuelson highway
They're not getting people saved
Why because they don't have the King James Bible and they don't have people going out with that faith
Producing that faith look at Romans chapter 1 look at verse number 16 for I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ
for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth to the Jew first and
Also to the Greek for therein is the righteousness of God revealed
From faith to faith as it is written to just a little by faith
Why does Paul want to go and preach the gospel because it's revealed from his faith
To give them faith is what he's teaching. That's why he said in verse number 15
I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are on also. Why does he want to preach the gospel?
Cuz it's gonna say couldn't he just said well, I sent y'all guys a letter. It's good. I
Mean he did didn't he and if you're gonna say I'm gonna send somebody a letter to get saved
Wouldn't Romans be about the best like letter you could send it's called the Romans Road, right?
I mean isn't this isn't Romans sufficient to get someone saved
I know we use other verses and I do like I love John 3 16
We like to use verses and and revelation and you may even use I use Ephesians 2 8 9
There's other places but isn't Romans enough
Technically couldn't you show them Romans 3 23 Romans 5 8
You could show them Romans 3 28
Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law
I mean we could just sit there and we could just let Romans just lights up the gospel
I mean
It's just like gospel gospel gospel and a lot of the things that we even teach could be articulated
Solely in the book of Romans
But he didn't say I wrote this epistle so that you could be safe
No
He says I want to come to you guys and I want to preach you guys the gospel
Because the gospel has that power and it's revealed from faith to faith
Why because it takes a saved person to produce another saved person the unsaved never
Accidentally stumble onto the light and give the light and get anybody saved. You are important go back
We would accept number 11
Go back to good action or 11
So it's an important revelation that's being discovered here in the book of Acts
And we have to understand that these epistles that we have are written after this
You know, this is kind of like a slow roll for them
They're kind of starting to realize like wow
We have this power we have the Word of God
But we need to go out and we need to give people the word so that they can get saved
Verse 15 and
As I began to speak the Holy Ghost fell on them as on us at the beginning
Then I remembered I the Word of the Lord how that he had said
John indeed baptized with water
The East shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost for as much then as God gave them the light gift
As he did unto us who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ
What was I that I could withstand
God and so I love this phrase here in verse 17
He says he gave the like gift
So they got a gift notice the salvation is a gift and you say well, how do you get that gift?
Well, he tells us who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ
Isn't the Bible just so consistent?
Salvation is a gift and how do you get it by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ?
How did they get it?
It was a gift and they believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and he says the like gift meaning what?
The same gift that the Jews God is the same gift that Gentiles got why because it's not a different gospel
Jesus didn't go some people literally preach that Jesus was teaching a different gospel than Paul
They say that Jesus was teaching works plus faith
Because he is preaching repentance and they had to turn from their sins or whatever
Obviously Jesus Christ did tell them to stop sinning, but you know, it wasn't to get saved
To get saved you is telling them to believe on him. It's called the gospel of John. It's a really good book
Maybe you should open it up. There is no different gospel. There's one gospel. It's the death bearing resurrection
What is that picture? He paid all of our sins either you believe he paid all your sins or you don't
What is not believing that Jesus paid all your sins look like you also have to get baptized
Oh, you also have to go to church. Oh, you also have to turn from your sins
You also have to do some kind of a work
Which means that God didn't pay all of your sins because if Jesus truly paid all of your sins, what is there left to do?
It's done that's why it's called saved
Saved it's done. And look those that believe the Lord Jesus Christ. They got the light gift. They are
Baptized with the Holy Ghost now. This is a special event
Baptized means it immersed. Okay, so and completely encompassed so they're like fully filled with Holy Ghost
They're able to speak with other languages that they had never even learned and
It was just an evidence of the fact that they were immediately saved
I mean they got saved just like the Jews and it's a picture and I think that God's giving
These special gifts for lots of reasons. Okay. One reason is to confirm the words of the Apostles
But a second reason is this think about this. Isn't there a lot of people that put doubt on someone's salvation?
Even if they gave the right answers like they would look at someone that's really sinful or something and they would say well
I know they say they believe in Jesus, but do they really?
You know
They if they really believe would they steal if they really believe would they drink alcohol if they really believe wouldn't they be coming?
To my church if they really they put a lot of doubt on someone's salvation, right?
But here's the thing
When you have the Holy Ghost coming upon you and you're speaking another language like they're doing and reforming these signed gifts
Or whatever, it's hard to be like nope. He's not really saved
Think about the foolishness of that
So I think God's is giving these outward signs to make it just so obvious
So that people can't just be like, I don't know if they really got saved, you know
I don't know if these people really it's like look what he's doing, you know, he's obviously saved
He obviously received the Holy Ghost
They obviously got the same gift and it's just helping them realize these people really got paid
You know the Gentiles because to them the idea of a Gentile getting saved was like impossible
They thought it was not possible. So even if they given lip service, they've been like you're not saved
You're a Gentile, but then when they have the Holy Ghost combined, it's like oh
You know, I got I don't know how to I don't know how to gain say that
I don't know how to you know discredit that so obviously, you know
God's performing these miracles and signs and wonders to help confirm his word, isn't he?
But today you don't really need that
We don't have to you know, we don't have this prejudice where we just think like, oh man, you know
Obviously might say that but we can realize from the whole of Scripture if they're confessing Christ. I mean what else is there?
Yeah, they could be lying. But other than that, I mean they're saved verse number 18
When they heard these things they held their peace
So notice it shuts them up when they hear that they receive the Holy Ghost, doesn't it?
Now that's what that means. They held their peace
Holding their peace means they're no longer contending with Peter. They're no longer getting mad at him for eating with the Gentiles
They're no longer, you know saying things. They're finally just like kind of like
They held their peace and it says this and glorify God saying then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life
And I love that phrase because they got repentance on the life
But here's the thing. How did they get their repentance on a life? Well verse 17 told us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ
So it was a gift they believed and notice there's repentance on the life
So what is repentance in life believing on the Lord Jesus Christ? That's what repentance on the life is
says in verse 19 now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travel as far as Phineas and Cyprus and
Antioch preaching the word to none
but unto the Jews only so
19 is not necessarily like chronological. It's kind of also just like recapping like what's been happening
Because it's talking about the persecution that rose about Stephen Stephen was way earlier
you know Stephen was in chapter number seven where he was killed and
and verse number eight is where they were kind of spread abroad and
Preaching the word but we'd kind of like followed and focused on Peter. So think about it like, you know
Everyone's scattered out preaching the gospel and we elapsed. I don't know the exact time. Let's say a couple years
We followed Peters timeline now
It's saying let's go back and talk about how there was lots of people that were spread out
When they were spread out, they were only preaching to the Jews Peter was only preaching to the Jews
Everybody was only preaching to the Jews Peter preaching to the Gentiles was unique
Okay, this was like a unique thing. That was like specifically to him and a few people it says this in verse number
20 and
Some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene
Which when they were come to Antioch spake unto the Grecian's preaching the Lord Jesus. So he's saying
Everybody going out from the persecution of Stephen was only preaching to Jews
Now that just means the people that were of the religion of Judaism those that are going to the synagogue
Those that would claim to you know, believe in the Old Testament everything like that. They're only preaching to those people
They're not preaching just everybody else in the city
However, there was a one other small group that did that and it's talking about them being an Antioch now
This is what's really important about what it's saying here is it says this in verse 1 and the hand of the Lord was with
them
So notice there's lots of people going out and preaching and then it says the hand of Lord was with who?
The people that are preaching to the Greeks the ones that were preaching to the Gentiles to the Grecian's
And it says and a great number believed and turned on the Lord doesn't that sound like Jonah's story?
He's preaching them the under the
Ninevites and a great number of them believed and turned to the Lord verse 22 then tidings of these things came
Under the years of the church, which was in Jerusalem and they sent forth Barnabas that he should go as far as Antioch
So they've heard from Peter
Gentiles are getting saved then they hear from Antioch people in Antioch
Some of these Grecian's are getting saved. So they send Barnabas
Okay, and it says in verse 23 who when he came and had seen the grace of God was glad and
Exhorted them all that with purpose of heart. They would cleave under the Lord now it makes sense
Why they would send Barnabas because what is his attitude when he finds out that the Gentiles got saved
What does the Bible say? He was glad
So is Barnabas, you know really mad about Gentiles getting saved. No, he was glad he had the right attitude verse 24
For he was a good man and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith and much people's added in the Lord
So when you have the right attitude God can use you to group do great works
When you're excited about certain people getting saved God can use you to do great works. Now Barnabas is called the son of consolation
Consolation could you know the root word there is console
Right and and what is to console it's to help someone that feels bad, you know, someone that's going through a hard time
Difficult or or maybe they're not
The the premier person or you know, you think about the consolation prize, you know, what is that?
It's a nice way of saying the loser, you know
If you're just kind of a loser
Barnabas is like the son of constantly. He's like the guy there that's gonna help console the loser
He's gonna help console the second place and look in comparison. The Gentiles are kind of the losers to the Gentiles
They're kind of the second place citizens to the Gentiles, but you know what Barnabas doesn't care
He wants to console and help remedy these type of people and he wants to reach out to those people and you know
What God wants to use people that have a heart like that that have a heart to reach
Those that you know are maybe a second chance or give somebody
another opportunity people that have a rougher upbringing or
More issues or anything like that Barnabas was the type of person that liked to reach out to these people
And he was glad that they're being added in the Lord
Not only just the Gentiles like a verse what I've then departed Barnabas to Tarsus for to seek Saul
Now Saul is definitely someone that needs a second chance because Saul
Initially was killing Christians. He was persecuting the house of God. This is not Peter
You know Peter was always on the Lord's side, you know, John's the beloved disciple, you know and in Jesus love
I mean these people are just always first place. They're always been on the Lord's side
They've always been used by God. It's all with someone who was against God
Saul has a bad past Saul is one who you know when he looks at inward
He says that he's like the worst and he's chief of sinners
Now don't take that super literally, okay?
Judas is worse than than Saul. Okay
But just inwardly how does he feel about himself? He's saying man. I'm like the worst sinner
You know, I'm like someone that I shouldn't even be here
He's it has a very lowly perspective of himself and in some ways it's legit in some ways
Yeah, he was a pretty big screw-up. He was literally persecuting the Church of God
He literally was doing a lot of bad things and wrong things, but he was sincerely wrong
Okay, and since he was sincerely wrong God ended up saving him and using him but notice God uses Barnabas
to redeem
Saul to help out Saul to seek out to Saul would Saul have been as greatly used without Barnabas
I believe no and
In fact, where does Paul go his first missionary journey? Where is he sent out of?
Antioch and Acts chapter 13 when we get a little bit closer
He's gonna be sent out and who does he go with Barnabas and he goes out on all those great missionary journeys
and does a lot of great works and
What would I say here? Look sometimes there's
People of God that go through a hard time or they need a second chance or they need someone to reach out to them and
you can be a Barnabas unto them and you can help bear their burdens and
Restore them and redeem them and they can then be greatly used by God again
You know, there's some people that need a Barnabas in their life
They need someone to come unto them and say
You know try to seek for them and try to help them and try to restore
Them and try to pray for them and you know when we see brothers and sisters in Christ that get out of the fight
for whatever reason
What attitude could be like good riddance?
Glad you're gone
I guess you're weak
You know or they kind of make fun of them in their heart or they kind of have that older brother syndrome
Where they don't want to see the younger brother come back
They don't want to see the younger brother be restored
But that's not our attitude our attitude should desire for those people to get back in the fold
To get back to serving God and some people they are nervous about coming back, you know
They feel like people be mad at them or disappointed or look down upon them
But we should never do that to people that astray and then want to come back and you know as this church
You know starts to have history. I mean, it's been a pretty new church as the church has history
we'll have people to leave and
You know, hopefully we'll have stories where people came back, you know have stories where people get back in the fold
They they get back into serving the Lord they grow stronger again in the Lord and you know
some people kind of have a little bit of a Christian life where it's a little bit of a rocky road and
We want to be the Barnabas to come alongside those people and love those people and help those people
No matter what they were like to us and no matter what, you know, Saul obviously was persecuting the Church of God
It's possible that someone who saw literally persecuted had to end up seeing him come to church think about that
Somebody I was literally like he threw in jail
Now wouldn't it be easy to be like I don't like Saul, you know
He threw me in jail and it wouldn't it be easy for you
Someone did you wrong and they get out of church and you think like well good, you know
I don't want them to come back
But that's not the right attitude the right attitude would be you want them to be restored you want them to be
redeemed and
The Bible makes it clear in verse number 26
Let's read a little bit more says and when he'd found him he brought him on the Antioch and it came to pass that
That a whole year they assembled themselves with the church and taught much people and the disciples were called Christians first
Yeah, so not only Barnabas seek for him. He brings him back notice. He brought him on the Antioch
so he gets him back into church and
And I like how it changes and it says and it came to pass that a whole year
they
assembled themselves with the church and
Taught much people so it's like Barnabas he he and then it's they
and then it's they and they taught the people and
It says the disciples were called Christians first at Antioch. So now Antioch is getting a little bit of a name
It's getting a little preeminence where they're called Christians because that's where you really start to see the church forming
And it's one of the early churches verse 28 and there stood up one of them named
Agabus and signified by the spirit
There should be a great dearth throughout all the world which came to pass in the days of Claudia Caesar
Then the disciples every man according to his ability to determine us in relief under the brethren which dwelt in Judea
Which also they did and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul now
I'll finish on this thought and we see you know
An explosion of the Gentiles getting saved and the Christians are coming from Antioch and we call ourselves Christians today Christians being like Christ
but
We kind of see two different churches here
We have Jerusalem, which is pretty much the only church that exists and then we see a second church Antioch
Now what's interesting is their relationship because Antioch is lacking in something. What are they lacking in?
Knowledge they're lacking in leadership. They're lacking in ministers. So what did Jerusalem send them to them?
Barnabas and you know, they're gonna send them other prophets and other teachers
But Jerusalem they just got wrecked by Paul
Chapters the rate and everyone was scattered except for the Apostles. So what are they lacking in?
Probably money some finances or whatever some relief and what is Antioch rich in I guess they're rich in money
So they send money to Jerusalem. So notice
Antioch has money so they send money to this one church
The other church is rich in what preachers and pastors and leadership
So they send them that and they have this trade-off
They have this sharing of their wealth of their riches and you know riches can be physical
But it could also be in other things, you know in some churches they have
You know a lot of money, but they lack in preaching and you know, we see the sharing of preachers
We see the sharing of resources
you know one thing you could look at is
Look at our church pure words Baptist Church and look at steadfast Baptist Church a couple years ago
Wasn't there a point in time where our church?
Was you know, it has a pastor that's full-time and here and they have nothing their leadership is Adam Fannin
It's not very rich in leadership and preaching. Okay, and Donny Romero stepping down, but they might have more financial resources
Don't they and so what do we do we?
decided to take them and help them and you guys are gracious enough to allow me to go up there and bless those people and
Help them and look that church is thriving that church is going really well now
And there's lots of people that are serving the Lord and the things of God are going really well and you know vice-versa
Sometimes that church blesses us with money
You know that we wouldn't have the resources to do things and some of the trips and things that we get to go on
But we get to see that that shared
Commonality and you know as one church begins to grow in certain areas of riches
They should be willing to share and distribute with other churches
Notice back then they're not obviously we believe in independent Baptist churches
Okay, I'm not against that but notice they care about other churches. They're not just so self-absorbed
That they're not willing to help out other Saints, you know, we're all in the same team here and
We really should just care about the work of the Lord going forth and you know
What'd make me really sad is to think about a church that had a lot of great soul winners serving the Lord
That just all of a sudden got destroyed and no one was going so winning
Think about Barnabas attitude didn't Barnabas say, you know what?
I'm gonna go and seek for Saul
But some people might got mad about that
Some people might have been mad that someone would go and seek for Saul and restore
Saul and go and do that work, but you know what?
He was someone that was gonna console those that have had problems and restore them and redeem them and help them
And you know what?
God greatly blesses Barnabas and he greatly uses Saul and then we we're gonna pretty much switch from Peter
To Barnabas and Saul and in pretty much just about Paul, which he's also called Paul
Okay, we're just it's gonna be the Paul show here in the rest of the book of Acts and you know
Peter he does a great work
but a lot of the people in Jerusalem don't ever get on the right page and they don't see the the
potential of all the Gentiles and
So it really turns into the Paul show and we don't want to get so full of ourselves
That we don't reach out to other people and let other people thrive
Couldn't we I mean look if I had never taken on steadfast Baptist Church
Some but you could argue that this church would potentially been better, right?
Maybe this church would have a few more people in it or maybe our church could have done a few more things just here locally in
Houston or maybe we could have had a few more people say but just in general for the whole work of the Lord
Is it better?
You know and that's a question that we all have to ask ourselves and you know what I
Appreciate the people that have you know stuck with pure words Baptist Church and are continuing to thrive here
It shows the humility that you're willing to serve God and and even take less to give more into others
Because isn't that isn't that sacrificing financially is taking less money that you have and giving you know giving it to someone else
But there's other things you can give other than
Physical money can't you take a Barnabas and give them to somebody else or take?
You know a preacher or take some kind of a burden on of yourself and give it to someone else
And you know what this church is taking a lot of burdens on themselves and you know
The Lord is is pleased when people are willing to sacrifice for his cause and for his name's sake and you know
It's not about pure words batteries. It's not about steadfast Baptist Church
It's about Lord Jesus Christ and it's about us redeeming and restoring people and getting them on his team
We shouldn't be so carnal to worry about all those things. Hey, God will bless us in due time
We humble ourselves and you know what this church is a very humble Church
And I really appreciate you guys and I love you guys and I pray that when we read stories like this
we had we'd see the benefit of
reaching out to others and
esteeming other better than yourself and being willing to give things even when it may be difficult and
See how the Lord will make it turn into something great, you know, if we just trust in him suppose in prayer
Thank you father so much for this chapter. Thank you so much for this church and the people that are here
I pray that we continue to be motivated to keep serving you and realize our importance
That you want to use us as
Saved ministers to go out and to share our faith and get other people saved and that we have an important job an important role
And I pray that whatever blessings and gifts that you give us that we wouldn't be selfish with them
But we'd be even willing to share and to distribute those things and we'd be able to restore other people that are hurting
People that go through difficult times and that we wouldn't just care about our needs and our wishes and our wants
But that we would love others in Jesus name we pray. Amen
Let's go to our final song in our hymnal
Let's go to song 397 we'll finish 397 a little as much when God is in it
397 a little as much when God is in it there on the first in the
Harvest field now ripen. There's a work for all to do
Hark the voice of God is calling
to the
harvest calling you
Little is much when God is in it
labor not
for wealth or fame
There's a crown and you can win it if you'll go
in Jesus name
Does the place you're called to labor?
seems so small
and little known
It is great. If God is in it and you'll not
Forget his own
Little is much when God is in it
labor not
for wealth or fame
There's a crown and you can win it if you'll go in Jesus name
Are you late?
aside from service
body worn from toilet care
You can still be in the battle in the sacred
place of prayer
Little is much when God is in it
Not
for wealth or fame
There's a crown and you can win it if you'll go in Jesus name
when the
Conflict here is ended and our race on earth is run
He will say to all the faithful
Welcome home my child well done
Little is much when God is in it labor not
for wealth or fame
There's a crown and you can win it if you'll go in Jesus name
Thanks for coming god bless you're dismissed
You