(Disclaimer: This transcript is auto-generated and may contain mistakes.)

All right, so as you all know, I'm just coming back from that Midwest fundamentalist conference in Cincinnati, Ohio And man, what a great conference that was There's a lot of people there that were stirred up and on fire and ready to serve the Lord Heard a lot of great preaching as well as participate a lot of great soul winning, too We went out to these government housing projects and and it was so receptive out there People are just out and about the weather was nice and we had opportunity to get in a conversation after conversation And a lot of people got saved. I think the total number for the two days was like 65 souls saved So it's really really really good conference and one of the things though that came up that Just kept drawing my mind back to The Bible in the back of ultimately the book of Acts, you know The book of Acts is my favorite book of the whole Bible. It always has been since I got saved I love the fact that you have all these exciting stuff I think this is like the most some of the most exciting stories is found in the book of Acts Where you see people you see believers you see Christians, you know after Jesus Christ is resurrected now It's their job to go out and do this work and you see all these stories of people Going out and preaching the Word of God and way way way back I remember having a conversation with Pastor Anderson at like some of the very first days or weeks of Attending that church and just commenting on how man wouldn't it be great to? Live in this time, you know in the book of Acts and they're doing all these great things and they're you know It's all this work being done It's all exciting and I'll never forget the response and I don't remember it verbatim But I'll never forget the essence of what the response was from Pastor Anderson saying, you know, well there's no basically there's no reason why we can't have that still today and Still have people fired up and still do the same great works and still to go out and do this, right? There's there's no reason why? That level of excitement can't be done and that spirit can't be done today and all that great work can't be done today and that was that was Momentous for me because it's a yes stupid, of course, right? It's such an obvious truth But sometimes you could get yourself in a mentality or in a mindset of just all that's the past and that was then but now No, we're in the layer to see an age right and you hear this stupid stuff preached and you know what other people may be lukewarm It doesn't mean you have to be And even just a little bit of encouragement that little word just saying you know what we can do the same thing Amen that's exciting And you know what we can do the same thing and you know what that's what God wants us to do and that's what God Is instructing us to do and he's probably you know, practically ready to bang his head against the wall going This is what you're supposed to be doing Right. Here is the example. It's written down for you It's been preserved for you and Christians throughout ages have had this at a disposal to see and go and do likewise And I think this is happening and I think there are churches now They're still trying to carry the mantle and still trying to carry that torch and bring the light of the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ And do these great amazing acts and you know, what I think is interesting is that anytime you have people they get motivated And get excited and start doing big things and start doing great works for God You're gonna have opposition and you know what when you see the opposition The world's gonna tell you or liberal Christianity is gonna tell you the watered-down Christian is gonna tell you Oh, you must not be doing it, right? Because they think that everybody is gonna love Jesus and everyone should accept you and that and that you should never have anybody Trying to shut you down, you know, because then you're not doing it, right? You're not being nice enough You're not being friendly enough. You're not being loving enough or whatever They want to say but you know what? I'm sorry when I read the Bible when I read about people who really were getting things done It was opposition after opposition after opposition trying to be shut down being arrested being beaten being thrown in jail having people go around and and Just try to bring people against you That's what I see happening And this is no different and you know what it's encouraging to me and you know, it's motivating It's motivating that group and this is this is the thing that the enemy will never understand Is that the harder you try to stop people like us from doing what we're doing? The harder we're gonna go off and we're gonna fight and we're gonna do even more And you're gonna stir us up and fire us even more and we're gonna do even greater works Go ahead bring it on try to stop us. See what happens You're gonna you're gonna make us even more motivated to reach even more people because that's what's happening But it's interesting also because you know these people these these false brethren These false prophets these God haters the people that want to stop the work from being done They're gonna be out there like snakes trying to poison people's minds against what's being done But without even going in-depth on Any of the reasoning that the people who are trying to attack are making if you just take it from a high level and you compare What's being done recently? With just what we see in Scripture. It's pretty easy to see who's right and who's wrong And what I mean by that is you start looking at the tactics that people are using So looking at the tactics are looking at that and how they're going about trying to silence and try to stop us You see this over and over and over again throughout the Bible and we're gonna spend a lot of time this morning going through Literally going through the book of Acts and seeing how the disciples were trying to be Stopped and trying to have their message censored and trying to be shut down from having speaking engagements And you know what else you're gonna find also as we go through this When you see the godly people the righteous people disciples, they didn't go out trying to shut down Other people's speaking events they didn't go out and and We're going into the synagogue and we're shutting down this and we're gonna have a protest and we're gonna scream our heads off and shout Down these rabbis who are true preaching their false gospel and we're gonna make sure that they can't speak You never see a godly person doing that you never see a person of God going out and just making sure no we need to shut Down this and shut down it. You know why because they're actually motivated to go out and do the right thing They're not worried about silencing every false teacher They're saying we don't have time for that because we're out just spreading the gospel We're out doing the right thing So we don't have time to go and just make sure we could shut everyone else down from speaking the people who do that are weak and Cowardly and they have no they have no way of getting people and drawing people their message because they don't have the truth and They need to use a tactic like shutting people down because they've got nothing on their own to combat and I'm calling out and rebuking by name the people who are responsible for trying to shut down the events and succeeded in getting Hotels where we are holding conferences to get us kicked out They succeeded They succeeded in getting us to be annoyed They succeeded in getting us to have to move equipment and have to tell people no now we're meeting here They succeeded in in that but they didn't succeed in shutting down the conference because you know what everyone who was scheduled to preach still preached and It is good. They didn't succeed in stopping the soul winning Because all the soul winning times that were scheduled all got met and people went out and people got saved So all the work and all everything that was that was intended on being done was done anyways So all you did was waste all of your own time Troll tailbearer Tuttle and Todd of the treason files A lot of alliteration in the title of my sermon this morning because that's what it's called the trolls and tailbearers Tuttle and Todd Bob Tuttle and Todd. I don't know what his last name is I don't care to do that much research to figure out who all these people are, but they say their names publicly so that's who they are and they have the reason files is what their YouTube channel is and a website but call the treason files because basically, they're just treasonous against the Lord but That's all they are is trolls and tailbearers now they claim to be journalists But really they troll channels they troll all the new IFB stuff and Watch all of it and try to get up-to-date on all of it and they claim to report facts, but they're really just tailbearers Anybody any slanderer any railer who's willing to say anything against any of these churches? They're gonna eat it up and then republish it and broadcast it and do whatever And I just took a little bit time quite a while ago when the first time I had heard about this at all or seeing the website I Started reading through it they claim to report the facts and be these great journalists their journalism sucks Okay, it really does honestly like it's this isn't and it's not just because they're saying so they're saying stuff against you or against your friends You know, that's why you're saying that no Because I know facts. I know fat like literal facts. I know facts about people. I know facts about pastors I know facts that are reality and I know lies and On their website all they do is they publish a lot of lies and oftentimes It's stupid things that don't even matter one way or the other But it just demonstrates how poorly How poor they exhibit journalism, you know why because they're not journalists They're gonna claim to be journalists, but they're not they hate God and There's trying to confound godly people from doing a good thing So they're gonna go out and use whatever means they can to try to get people their their minds ill-affected towards brethren that's all they're trying to do and They're a bunch of gossip urs in trolls now in Acts chapter 17 We see here an event. We're gonna start reading again in verse number one The Bible says now when they had passed through and phippilis and Apollonia they came to Thessalonica Where was a synagogue of the Jews and Paul as his manner was went in unto them and three Sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures So here's a synagogue of the Jews where they weren't believing in Jesus Christ They Paul go in there like we gotta shut down his false gospel right now No Paul as his manner was went in there and reasoned with them out of the scriptures That was his tactic of doing the right thing He's trying to lead people to Christ he's trying to show them the error of their way and saying hey no you're doing this wrong This is the right way of doing it verse 3 opening and alleging that Christ must needs have suffered and risen again from the dead and that this Jesus whom I preach unto you is Christ and Some of them believed and consorted with Paul and Silas and of the devout Greeks a great multitude and of the chief women Not a few so they're having success in winning people to the Lord winning people to Jesus Christ and showing them out of the scriptures Hey, look Jesus Christ. He died was buried rose again for you and he had to have happened Here's the scripture this proves that this shows it and a lot of people believed Right. So as soon as they're starting to have this great success look at verse number five. It says but the Jews which believe not Moved with envy. So what is part of their motivation for sabbatists? They're envious. They don't like that. They're having this great impact They don't like that. They're having this great influence They believed differently. They didn't believe in Jesus Christ They had their own false religion and now they're envious because wow, here's people actually doing something Hey, here's people coming to our town and there's people that are showing up to listen to them Hey, there's people here and they're actually doing work. They're actually go out and reach people We can't have that and they're envious over what they're doing because these people did nothing these stinking Pharisees They were sitting on their rears. They don't do anything and these Calvinists like Tuttle and stuff. They think they're serving God so much They're not going out and reaching anybody are you kidding me? They're envious that the people who are going out and doing the work because they're not doing it themselves They think oh I'm spending my time real wise that I'm doing all this stuff and I'm gonna stop them and shut them down you fool The Jews which believe not moved with envy took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort and Gathered a company and set all the city on an uproar and Assaulted the house of Jason and sought to bring them out to the people So what's happening here is the Jews that believe not they're just trying to get a lot of people stirred up Against the Apostles, right? They're just just whoever they could get and they're and they're hiring people the baser sort, right? Just just Degenerates out there to go and do their bidding. I'm not saying that Tuttle is doing that Okay, but we can see the example of exact of a of a similar methodology of what they're trying to do and stirring up all these other people against These men of God and the people who are doing the right thing and doing a good work To cast them out of this and also that's what they want to do They want us out of Cincinnati because there's people that that are part of that group of few people that live in Ohio or whatever You're you're gonna get out of our hometown or whatever Didn't happen Verse six and when they found them not they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city crying these have turned the World upside down or come hither also See people doing the right thing. They're turning the world upside down Who else is doing that turning the world upside down that's what you know, that's a good indicator you found the truth When the whole world's getting flipping out and going crazy over the work that you're doing And the other thing that's interesting too about these about these fools about these trolls and these tale bearers Why are they focused on us so much? We got a small church Ultimately past me. He has got a small church And you know, we don't have these huge mega churches. We have small churches Why do they care about it? Why aren't they going out and shutting down the cults the Jehovah's false witnesses and the Mormons? Why aren't they going down and shutting down their services and stopping their events and go why aren't they doing that? Because they know that they're not there's there's not a threat But they know that we are even though we may have small numbers we're doing great works You know, we're against those guys too, yeah, really I Think you're on the same team Then jump down to verse number 13 Bible said oh, no verse 7 verse 7 still because that there's one more point I want to make here and it says whom Jason hath received so these have turned the world upside down or come here They're also whom Jason hath received and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar saying that there is another King one Jesus, so what are they trying to do? They're trying to get the government involved against the work that they're doing You know how they're trying to get us kicked out of these places They're saying oh look we took these pictures Caesar. They're not wearing masks They're in your building, and they're not wearing masks We're gonna call the health department, and we're gonna have them come down because they're not wearing their masks That's the tactic that they used looks kind of familiar doesn't it oh They're doing things contrary to the decrees of Caesar Why do you care so much? people are voluntarily going into a place of like-minded people They judge their own risk And you're gonna go and try to use and that's how they use it against these hotels because they're trying to get the hotels in Trouble because the hotels have a financial interest in staying open Right so they don't want to have You know health problem your health codes whatever being called or whatever on them so that they may potentially get shut down So that's why they buckle under that pressure But Does it does it sound like a godly Christian to go out and just starting to find all these little these laws these lot these Man-made laws and going you're not following the laws. You know we need to shut these people down. Oh, man. Yeah You snake You weasel There's no integrity there's no honesty in that you pathetic little cowards Because they know they can't come down They can't come down and confront us with the truth. You know their so-called truth They can't come down and confront us with the Bible because they know they're gonna get shut down Because they don't have the truth and now that they don't even have the courage to do so anyways The people that came they came out the first day when I was preaching I saw one of these guys They were sitting in there They weren't sitting even enter They were all the way in the back and some guy had his phone out And he was taking some pictures, and you know I'm preaching So I'm not just focused on what someone's doing standing way in the back, and I didn't know what they're doing anyway I thought they were just recording And when pastor me he had noticed there's someone trying to come in with a side the side doors He went out there because he thought it was someone trying to just come in at you know Coming in a little bit late, and you know the side entrances are locked because you want everybody coming in through the rear I mean it makes sense right we have our main entrance coming into the rear here So we have people come you know logistically just makes a lot of sense so the side doors are locked He thought they were trying to find the place and open up the door so we went out there And it was just he said something you know when they watch these videos. They say oh they exchanged words You know the words were exchanged He went out there to see oh you guys here for the conference, and they're like no and they ran and then literally ran He said these guys are like middle-aged people. I couldn't make his ex I'm like how old were they I'm thinking I'm trying to think like there's no way that there's people actually These trolls are actually coming to the event in my mind. I'm just thinking who would do that Who's gonna take their time on a Thursday evening to come out to a hotel and see oh are they preaching here? We're gonna get them. I'm just thinking that's ludicrous enough anyways that someone would take the time to go out and do that So I'm just thinking like when I heard someone just just right like literally ran down the hallway I'm thinking it's got to be some kids right You know some teenagers are staying at a hotel, and they're wandering around You know and they're just kind of looking at things and and and whatever and they feel like they got caught doing something and And they're rent. They're running away No, but that wasn't the case cuz that to me that would make sense I Remember being a little kid in wandering places We're not supposed to be getting into stuff, and then you run because someone catches you even though you're not really doing anything wrong That's how they ran They ran like Howard's, but then it but then we realized no that actually was them and brother He has said they're like in their 40s or something. I mean he didn't know exactly how old they were just looking I mean you're like middle-aged, and I'm thinking like I can't see myself running Like like what are you doing here? Are you kidding me? How weak do you have to be how cowardly do you have to be? But this is this is who the enemy is this is who these people are A bunch of stinking cowards. You know the wicked flee when no man pursue it. That's how you know they're wicked Your middle agent is running away like that. You're wicked Especially when no one's pursuing you saying oh hey the front door is over here you want to come in the conference That's what happened It's craziness But that's what they did here oh Hey Jason's got these guys over here. They're doing things contrary to the crease of Caesar. They're not wearing their masks You know it's interesting though when I was in that hotel who stayed in that hotel I Didn't I didn't wear a mask one time and no one said one word to me You know I don't care people were messaged again, I've said this before I doesn't matter to me go ahead I'm not I'm not bagging on people for wearing masks. It's not that's not the issue at all I Just think people should be free to choose whether they want to wear one or not And it's interesting how something that really wasn't a big deal became a big deal Just because we're having a conference there or just because some bully wants to try to to get us shut down But then look at verse number 13 In the same chapter chapter 17 about says, but when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the Word of God was preached of Paul Berea because when they when they ended up leaving here in Thessalonica, they're leaving right They move on and they're like okay. We're gonna preach the gospel here Berea So these Jews who are causing all these problems there Says when they had knowledge that the Word of God was preached of Paul Berea they came there They're also and stirred up the people so this this Tactic or this mindset of just following them everywhere. They're going trolling them That's what wicked people do and that's what they did to the apostles and the disciples in the book of Acts And they're still doing the same thing today the tactics haven't changed So it's pretty easy to identify the wicked people and people trying to stop the work of God because they're doing the exact same things They're gonna follow you everywhere you go to try to stop the preaching of the Word of God But you know what to me that's just encouraging because it just says hey I'm in good company If I'm being part of something that that people are just continually trying to shut down and they're acting like this and they're acting like Little weasels and they're going and trying to do whatever they can to shut you down You know what that tells me that tells me I'm on the winning side That tells me I'm on the right side because that's how people react. That's how wicked people react against the truth That's how cockroaches react to the light Flip back if you would to act chapter 7 I said we're gonna go through a lot of the book of Acts because we see these various Methodologies and tactics being used and I think this applies perfectly to those trolls and tailbearers Tuttle and Todd Todd from the reason files And you know Tuttle instead of instead of attacking this guy I don't know how old he is, but he says on his on his website that he's he has great grandchildren and That you know, he had attended church for a real long time But he thought he was saved you swear you're saved he really wasn't saved but now he's saved and this guy just believes in a hardcore lordship salvation and Just total work. She's oh, no, it's not my works. But you know how you know people are saved if we're doing works It's total lordship salvation, you know Tuttle for the time Because you're an aged man and been around for a long time for the time you ought to be teachers You have one that that you have you have need that one teach you again Which be the the principles of the oracles of God, you know, the fundamentalist conference instead of trying to shut it down You should have took up a seat and listen to it Because you have a problem with the foundations You thought you were saved before and you weren't and guess what you think you're saved now and you're not And I hope you're not a reprobate You sure are acting like one. I hope you're just like Saul who was Attacking the churches of God but was doing so ignorantly and unbelief Look At act 7 verse number 51 Because the people I just cannot stand the Word of God They just want to stop their ears that they don't want to hear they don't want to reason But he calls it the reason files. He doesn't want a reason He can't stand the truth. He wants to stop his ears like they did act chapter 7 of course is that famous passage where Stephen becomes a martyr and Stevens preaching his great sermon and then the Jews just couldn't take it anymore and they stop their ears and they run on them and They stone them and they kill them verse number 51 This is the rebuke given forth By Stephen saying ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised and heart and ears Ye do always resist the Holy Ghost as your fathers did so do ye and you know what that Tuttle's a Calvinist, too And you know what for Calvinists? There's part of their tulip theology Irresistible grace. What do you say about acts 751? Ye do always resist the Holy Ghost? How can it be irresistible if the Holy Ghost is dealing with someone and it's irresistible I mean, it's a sovereign God. It's irresistible. You cannot resist when the Holy Ghost is Christ's colony. You can't You always resist the Holy Ghost He's not saying you always resist a man you always resist the Holy Ghost You can resist the Holy Ghost because God has given you a free will he's given you the ability to choose Whether you're gonna accept that calling whether or not you're gonna put your trust in Jesus Christ or not. You have that choice God doesn't just will it over your will and just say nope. I don't even care if you don't want I'm just taking you anyways He doesn't do that He's given us free will he's given us the opportunity to make a choice and people these people are being Rebuked here because they always resist the Holy Ghost as your father's did so did ye and you know what? They don't like to hear that look at verse number 52 Bible says which of the prophets have not your father's persecuted and they have slain them Which showed before of the coming of the just one of whom you have now been You have been now the betrayers and murderers Who have received the law by the disposition of angels and have not kept it When they heard these things they were cut to the heart and they gnashed on him with their teeth so They don't like to hear that truth They don't like being called out for what they did. They don't like being called murders They don't like saying oh you're resisting the Holy Ghost because they were religious people. They thought they had the truth they didn't But this is how they respond they respond and wrath and anger and malice Here we see how Stephen responds verse 55 but he being full of the Holy Ghost looked up steadfastly in the heaven and saw the glory of God Jesus standing on the right Hand of God and said behold I see the heavens open and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God Then they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and ran upon him with one accord they stopped their ears I mean literally did it didn't want to hear the message so much that all they could do is just go No and stop their ears and then just run on them and just try to silence him because I couldn't take it This is how the enemy responds to the truth to the light when it's being shown. They can't handle it but notice on the flip side, that's not how the godly how the Apostles and the disciples when they ran across someone who spoke falsely and They weren't stopping their ears and killing them. You never see that happen They could just curse them and move on And go about their business. They don't they don't just just say no I can't stand it That the Bible says that they couldn't resist the wisdom of Stephen It says in verse 58 says and cast him out of the city and stoned him and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet whose name was Saul and they stoned Stephen calling upon God And saying Lord Jesus received my spirit He kneeled down and cried with loud voice Lord laid not this sin to their charge and when he had said this he fell asleep So you see the difference between the wicked people and the righteous one Flip over to Acts chapter 9 They can't hear it they want to shut it down Acts chapter 9 verse number 1 We're gonna see here Saul before before he got saved He was doing wicked things He was a wicked person Okay. Now he got saved. Thank God right and he did the things that he did ignorantly in unbelief But he still did a lot of really wicked things That's why he said he's chief of sinners and he did all these things and basically if he could be saved He's kind of showing how God can still show mercy on people and they can still become saved Even though they're doing some really really really bad things Right and that and that was another reason I think for you know that that we can read all this about the Apostle Paul And there's that great testimony there There's there's so many things to learn from that but let's look at what Saul was doing before he became the Apostle Paul verse number one It says in Saul yet breathing out And slaughter against the disciples of the Lord went unto the high priest and desired of him letters to Damascus To the synagogues that if he found any of this way whether they were men or women He might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. So this is what wicked people do is they utter threatenings Right and I go out and try to threaten you and try to get people an authority to say Oh, give me the permission to go and get these guys. I want to arrest these guys I want to take them down and we're gonna threaten them and we're gonna do whatever we can to get them to shut up That's what people do That are against the truth But we don't see the people who are for the truth doing we don't see the disciples again it this is this is Repetitive we see this over and over and look at Acts chapter 13 Preventing souls from being saved It's another tactic Because why would they try to shut down, you know, I understand why the the homos want to shut down a conference that's completely against them I Understand that I mean you're saying things that are just completely contrary against them. This is a fundamentalist conference so a foundational truths like Salvation the Word of God, you know everything that Hebrews 6 is talking about in the first two verses You know baptism things like that these just real basic truth. That's what it means to be fundamental Foundational I preach a whole sermon about that on the first night The sermon was just about being fundamentalist and why it's right Why does that drive people not why would that drive someone nuts Logically it should have no you should have no cause for that, you know, what else was going on though is the soul winning and if the in and if these doctrines which What's the funny thing is is that even like like my sermon? I'm not gonna speak for the other ones necessarily because I don't I don't even know I Don't know if my sermon goes against what they even believe Maybe it does maybe it doesn't I don't know but my point is like they're trying to go through all this ever shut down if it's Not because of the doctrines are being taught there Then why is it the only other reason would be because of the soul winning? Because we're going out and actually reaching people there Because why would you get it's like shutting down a church. Why do you care about shutting down a place where? We all believe the same thing. Even if you shut us down. We're still gonna believe the same thing It's not going to change what we believe getting someone shut down and the people attending our conference We all believe the same thing. It's why we're coming together. We were going there to stir up people in another area and Help edify them and motivate them and do you know and do good in that area as well as go out and reach the people of the city so Even just the concept of trying to shut someone down. It's like we all believe we're not gonna change our beliefs by shutting down our conference and It wasn't an open conference in the sense that we advertise it and broadcast it for just everyone to show up It was limited seats. It was offered to people who wanted to come anyways Not that we were you know, turning people wary they were just but the whole point was to preach to like-minded people We're not going and imposing our will on people that don't want to hear what you have to say Whatever like not at the conference And we don't impose our will on anyone anyways and we go out soul-winning we talk to people who want to talk to us We preach the gospel to people who are willing to listen We're not trying we're not trying to take these people that were like stoning Peter that shut their ears and going like like no You're gonna hear us. We would like we don't do that Because it's fruitless and foolish They don't want to hear you want to hear But we see here in acts 13 an example of Some devilish person trying to prevent people from getting saved. That's exactly what was going on as well in this conference by Tuttle and Todd Acts 13 verse number 5 and when they were at Salamis They preached the Word of God and the synagogues of the Jews and they had also John to their minister verse number 6 X13 6 and when they had gone through the aisle unto Paphos They found a certain sorcerer a false prophet a Jew whose name was bar Jesus Which was with the deputy of the country? Sergius Paulus a prudent man who called for Barnabas and Saul and desired to hear the Word of God So here's someone he wants to hear the Word of God. He's requesting it. He's asking here come here. Please and preach to me I want to hear the Word of God You know what I was invited by someone who lives in Ohio to come to this conference Someone was putting this on I was invited By Brett Stockton who lives out there and has a group of people live out there and inviting saying hey We want you to come and preach for us. Can you please preach the Word of God to us here? Verse number 8 but elements the sorcerer for so is his name by interpretation withstood them Seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith Then Saul who also is called Paul filled with the Holy Ghost set his eyes on him and said oh full of all subtlety and all Mischief thou child of the devil thou enemy of all righteousness Wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? These are people trying to prevent the Word of God from being preached and he's calling this guy a child of the devil You know a child of the devil their characteristics and their attributes. They're subtle. They're full of all mischief They're just trying to cause these problems Enemy of all righteousness and they're perverting the right ways of the Lord verse 11 now behold the hand of lords upon thee and thou Shalt be blind not seeing the Sun for a season and immediately there fell in him a mist and a darkness and he went about Seeking some to lead him by the hand then the deputy when he saw what was done believed being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord Paul Did not shut him down the guy down He cursed him in the name of the Lord and you know what God heard him and God took care of it He didn't have to pick up a stone He didn't have to take his mask and put it on Bar Jesus right so he'd shut up and put duct tape around it or do anything like that God did it for him God took care of it for him And what's what I really love what's really interesting about this I don't know if you've ever heard this or noticed this before in verse number 12 so Just just prior to this When Paul curses this guy He has this miss in this darkness and basically he becomes blind So it's like whoa he just like like to me That's the astonishing thing right to be like if you were to stand in there Why do you want to hear the Word of God? You're like man that that dude just like he just caused that guy to go blind Right you would think like like just naturally you might just think like that's really a that's the astonishing thing But that's not why the deputy was astonished look at verse number 12 It says then a deputy when he saw what was done believed being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord. I Mean the doctrine it's the teaching and the teaching was trying to be stopped that the doctrine is what was trying to be prevented and The doctrine is what had the power anyways It was a teaching of Lord as a power of God through the doctrine that that was able to do these things and you know What it's the doctrine of Christ that base fundamental foundational teaching doctrine of Christ that that Jesus Christ died Was buried and rose again from the dead That is power That's astonishing oh You mean to tell me there was a man that that did all these things and healed all these people and Never commit sin and he was he was crucified and actually put to death but death couldn't stop him And he rose again from the dead And you guys saw him, you know, that's astonishing You put your faith in that and the faith that he did all that for you There's real power there Jump down to verse number 45 again. We just see The same themes repeating themselves from the enemies, but when the Jews saw the multitudes they were filled with envy again They're envious because they see all the all the crowds all the people doing the work, right? and all the people responding and Spake against those things which were spoken by Paul Contradicting and Blaspheming then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold and said it was necessary at the Word of God Should first have been spoken to you But seeing he put it from you and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life lo We turn to the Gentiles and you know It's funny is that at least the the people in the book of Acts the the enemies had a lot more boldness Than the people that we faced so and and I'm not comparing ourselves Completely to what the apostles and disciples went through because they experienced way way way way way worse persecution Right, so don't don't you know, I'm not getting this complex about we're suffering just exactly like they know what I'm trying to point out with the tactics being used and The subtlety and the mischief and and just the snake like attributes That are that were being used back then are the same ones being used today Our level or severity of the persecution is much much much lighter It is it was a nuisance It was an irritation now it still fires us up But it but it wasn't it wasn't like what they were going through other than just in a similar tactic and in the people The characteristics of the wicked people are the same today as they ever have been Verse number jump down to now verse number 49 here in Acts 13 If I was in the word of the Lord Was published throughout all the region but the Jews stirred up the devout and honorable women and the chief men of the city and raised Persecution against Paul and Barnabas and expelled them out of their coasts So they're saying you guys got to get out of there got to get out of get out of our town, right? You get get out of our coasts So they raised they're trying to get people to bring persecution verse 51 But they shook off the dust of their feet against them and came unto Iconium. And again, this is the Christian response You know, we're gonna shake off the dust of our feet against you. And if you don't know exactly what that means What does it mean it when it says it shook off the dust of their feet against them? Well, Jesus told his disciples To shake off the dust of their feet as a testimony against people Who were basically gonna be wicked people and not receive you and I'm gonna read this for you from mark 6 verse 11 About reason whosoever shall not receive you nor hear you when you depart fence Shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them you saying the reason why you're gonna do this It's a testimony against them and he went on to say verily I say unto you It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city Now Jesus was giving him giving the disciples that instruction of shaking off the dust of their feet basically against an entire city so if you go into the city and like no one wants to hear the Word of God and It's just real cold and unreceptive and no one wants you there and no one's even gonna accept you into their house So you could do this work. He says, you know what to shake off the dust your feet and move on Because shaking off the dust of your feet is a testimony showing you know what? I don't even want the dust of your feet of your city to be to cleave to me Because the judgment from God is gonna come and I don't have anything to do with you when that judgment comes You've had your opportunity now I'm not even gonna I'm not even gonna take one little grain of sand or dirt with me as I depart from your city God's gonna judge you and bring you to dust and ashes like he did with Sodom and Gomorrah. So That was towards the city, but we see in Acts 13 They shook off the dust of their feet against these Jews who are causing all these problems It wasn't against necessarily the entire city But it was against these wicked people who are trying to get everyone stirred up against them So obviously you can make the application like that and you know what I'm doing the same exact thing With these people who are trying to shut down You know what we're doing and and the work that's being done here. We're going to shake the dust off our feet against them Does that mean I'm gonna go I'm gonna go and I'm gonna you know Use my computer skills and I'm gonna get their website shut down and I'm gonna you know Try to find I'm gonna find some dirt on them and get them shut that no, I'm not gonna do that time for that We got a lot more important things to do I'm gonna shake the dust of my feet off and go do something for the Lord I'm gonna spy I'm gonna fight the spiritual battle not the carnal battle Right the carnal battle is going around and trying to do you shut these you know I'm gonna go and try to shut the JW's down and the Mormon sound You know what? There's gonna be false doctrine a false religion all the time There's some people who always want to have that have itching ears. They're gonna heap to themselves These teachers are gonna say what they want them to say anyways They're always gonna be there. So I'm not gonna go and just try to shut them all down That's the carnal mind trying to figure out how to stop something I'm gonna fight the spiritual battle and I'm gonna preach the Word of God and and let the Word of God do the do the cutting and Do the piercing for me? Last place will look at chapter 14 Verse number one and it came to pass in Iconium that they went both together Into the synagogue of the Jews and so spake that a great multitude both of the Jews and also the Greeks believed But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and made their minds evil affected against the brethren and You know these snakes they're gonna try to get you to focus on the lies or speculate on some details to make your mind evil affected About others or try to lead you astray in some way and that's what the reason files does They take all this speculation and they look at things that happen and you know admittedly some bad things that happen with you know made with pastor Romero and just other incidents have happened in their churches that were a Spot and a blemish and and you know a shame But then they try to to spread that further than it actually went and try to Come up with these stories and you've got people who are disgruntled and you've got false brethren that have crept in unawares And now are out of churches and they're trying to to slander and spread lies and stuff and don't get caught up in all those little stupid lies and falsehoods Because all they're trying to do is get your mind evil affected against people who are doing good works And that's why one of the ways that the Bible explains of how you can know whether a tree is good or not is by its fruits How are they reproducing? How are the do the pastors have a ministry where they have that people following them and all the people are saved and they're bringing Forth saved Christians and people who are believers or are they not doing that are they bringing forth, you know reprobates and You can tell that but you know, you can't tell that from a distance either. You actually have to go You actually have to go in person physically. You're never gonna know that on the internet you won't You need to talk to people you need to talk to the congregation. You need to talk, you know See what's going on and go out with them as they do the work Oh, you know be a part of it and then you'll be able to get an idea for the fruit of the ministry If you just went based off of what people say online and who they claim that they follow or even click You know people can be lying all day long. You have no idea And people just throw out speculations and insinuate things and they don't even have evidence and that's what these so-called journalists do Well, we're saying we're just reporting on what they said Well, how about you report the facts instead of just what he said she said you a bunch of gossips a bunch of ladies Sorry ladies, I don't know offense to you because these guys are way worse Tail bearers And yeah, I think the rebuke was necessary I just thought it was interesting though to Kind of see the same tactics play out with with what's going on and what and what we're doing and Honestly, the impact that you're having the impact that we're having is Is significant if it wasn't people wouldn't be out there trying to shut it down They wouldn't they wouldn't care So don't ever get discouraged Continue be motivated keep doing the work, you know, I feel like we're still just barely scratching the surface Like I and I know that we are There's so much more work to be done, but let's be minded in a way that is on a big impact scale Let's be like because I don't feel like we're like like that. We're turning the world upside down like the disciples were But I'd like to be known for that. Hey these guys that are turning the world upside down now We may be part of a bigger group. That is But I mean I want to be at the at the front Right, let's lead that charge Let's be known as a church that's turning the world upside down But it's not because we're just coming up with some brand new things and we have some new doctrine and we're some cult but it's because of the Word of God because we're truthfully going out in preaching the Word of God and not censoring the Word of God and preaching all of the Word of God and Actually dedicated and will give of ourselves and give sacrifices of our time to go out and reach people and to promote the Word of God and do so to the best of our Ability because we actually believe in it We actually care about it There's sincerity and integrity and truth and people will see that and it's gonna make an impact and change on people when you can go Forth bearing the Word of God shining that light and and people will see the sincerity as well as the truth of the gospel That we could be good workmen that needeth not to be ashamed that people can see our testimony That you actually do believe this and then be much more willing to receive the Word of God in its truth Let's turn the world upside down You know what as we do so don't be surprised when people try to shut us down and stop us Don't be surprised when people call the fire department. Oh, they don't have their certificate of occupancy. Remember that Don't be surprised when people try to shut down events don't be surprised what you know, I'm still seeing and have a vision for us being able to host and do other conferences and other things ourselves as we Gain steam and momentum to be able to do more things like that, too We're gonna run into obstacles People don't want to hear the truth But let don't let that get you down. Let it fire you up. It's part rides have a word of prayer Dear Heavenly Father Lord, we thank you so much for these great truths that we see in the book of Acts man The book of Acts is so exciting Lord I pray that you would please just fill us with your spirit and your power that we can go out and do Similar acts like like we're done way back after the resurrection of Christ dear Lord and that you would you would help us to do these great things and to see Multitudes get saved dear Lord and I pray that you would just help us to be a light that shines In a dark place and help us to just to do your will Lord and not to get distracted and I get caught up in carnal fights But that we could be spiritually minded. It's in Jesus name we pray. Amen