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00:00You may be seated congregation, I do want to say good morning to everyone and welcome
00:08to everyone, especially to our, our visitors.
00:16We'll give you a really warm welcome later, but we just want everyone in general to be
00:21welcome.
00:22While we're at it, yes, I have shorts on in the sanctuary, and so if, if your traditions
00:39have you bound and your mind can't receive the word, we will lay hands on you.
00:43We will pray for you, if you can't understand that it's almost a hundred degrees and, and
00:53any ministry gift knows this, that when you teach the word, the temperature rises.
01:00It truly does.
01:02So make your way to Ephesians chapter three, I tried to dress it, dress it up as best as
01:11I could, so, but it's hot.
01:16And when it's all said and done, I don't care what anybody thinks, so I'm still decently
01:22and in order.
01:26Ephesians three, fine verse one, saints, we have been since Christ has completed his work
01:37at the cross and the grave and has ascended to the right hand of the father, we, the church,
01:43have been living under grace.
01:46We are in the age of grace.
01:50And so what does that mean for us?
01:52What does that mean for us as believers?
01:56Well, let's look in this first verse of Ephesians three, let's read through verse 13.
02:03It says, for this reason, I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ, Jesus for you Gentiles, submitted
02:10to Christ.
02:13I do his bidding.
02:14This is what I'm, I'm in prison.
02:16If you're going to be imprisoned by anyone, let it be Christ.
02:19The prisoner of Christ, Jesus for you Gentiles.
02:23Remember Paul was the apostle, the messenger sent to the Gentiles to bring the message
02:28of grace to the Gentiles.
02:30Verse two, if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God, which was
02:38given to me for you, the dispensation of the grace of God.
02:46This word dispensation is a unique word and has unique meanings.
02:51One, one meaning is administration.
02:54Paul is saying the administration of grace has been given to me for you, the Gentiles.
03:03The word also means stewardship, management, or oversight.
03:10Paul is saying this responsibility to dispense this message of grace to you, the Gentiles
03:18has been bestowed on me, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus.
03:24Verse three, how that by, what, revelation, revelation.
03:32Paul received his assignment, his instructions by, by revelation.
03:38We read sometimes, Paul says, for I received from the Lord.
03:43This is how that by revelation, he made known to me the mystery as I have briefly written
03:50already by which when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the, here's that word again,
03:58mystery of Christ.
04:00Talk about this mystery for a second.
04:03The mystery of Christ is, is, is a part of the message that Paul revealed to believers.
04:11Paul speaks the most about the mystery revealed in the New Testament.
04:17I've shared this with you before, that the Old Testament prophets, they saw a lot, but
04:22they did not see the church.
04:24That was a space that was hidden from them.
04:27As a matter of fact, it was hidden from the adversary as well, so that he would not know
04:33the full scope or plans of God.
04:36That's why you don't find one Old Testament prophet prophesying about the church.
04:42They didn't see it.
04:44You see them prophesy about the coming of the Lord via virgin birth, the Messiah, and
04:51then you see them prophesying about the dreadful and fearful day of the Lord, the very end
04:56when he returns.
04:58But you don't find one Old Testament prophet prophesying about the church or the appearing
05:01of the Lord or the catching away of the saints because they didn't see it.
05:06That mystery would be revealed to us through Paul.
05:10Verse 5, it says, which in other ages, well, I just said it but now the Scripture's confirming
05:16it, which in other ages was what?
05:20Not made known to the sons of men as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to his, who?
05:30Holy apostles and prophets.
05:32You know you're talking about the New Testament age when apostles are mentioned.
05:37Because apostles don't show up until when?
05:39The New Testament.
05:40Yes, they are appointed, the disciples who would be the apostles were appointed in the
05:48ministry of Jesus, but you don't see them actively released into the world to spread
05:53the message of the Savior until after he has ascended, the Spirit of God has come upon
06:00them, filled them, and the church age, the age of the Ecclesia begins.
06:05So as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to his, who?
06:08His holy apostles and prophets that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs of the same body.
06:15The Gentiles should also be heirs with Jews of the same body and partakers of his promise
06:22in Christ through the gospel of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace
06:29of God given to me by the effective working of his power, verse 8.
06:36To me, who am less than the least, that's what I'll call humility, less than the least.
06:45He says I'm less than the least of all the saints.
06:49Paul often does this.
06:52He does it here in Ephesians 3.8.
06:53He does it in 1 Corinthians chapter 15 when he says, I am the least of them worthy to
06:59be called an apostle because of how I persecuted the church.
07:04I believe that Paul, now the Bible doesn't say this, so I'm letting you know in advance
07:08that this is what I personally believe.
07:11I cannot prove it with a clear and concise scripture and verse, but this is my personal
07:18belief.
07:19We all know that sin is an issue in our flesh, and we also know that the writer in Hebrews
07:27tells us to lay aside every sin that so easily traps us, that so easily ensnares us.
07:34What does that tell me?
07:35That tells me that for believers in the Lord, there are certain sins and may not be the
07:41same ones for everyone, but there are certain sins that so easily ensnare us.
07:47So we've got to stay on top of ourselves and lay those things aside.
07:51Well, I believe I know.
07:53What did I say?
07:54I believe I know the sin that so easily ensnared Paul.
07:58I believe that was the sin of pride.
08:01Here's why I believe it.
08:03He was a Pharisee of Pharisees.
08:05He was a strict teacher of the law.
08:10He was of the tribe of Benjamin.
08:12He was a Hebrew of Hebrews, and he knew it, and he would promote it, and he espoused it.
08:19And so there's a passage of scriptures over in Romans chapter 7, beginning around verse
08:2416, where Paul's talking about the sinful nature, and he makes this statement.
08:29He doesn't say what the sin is, but he says, what I desire to do, I can't seem to do.
08:37But what I hate to do, I seem to practice.
08:41He doesn't highlight what it is, but he's talking about an issue which really makes
08:45Paul relatable.
08:47Paul's saying that this graduation that I received from Judaism to becoming a disciple
08:56of Jesus Christ doesn't mean that I'm not also tempted like you are.
09:02And so he talks about the issues in his flesh, which we all have these issues in our flesh,
09:08and he's saying, my goodness, right is what I want to do, wrong is what I seem to do by
09:14nature.
09:16So he's always talking about staying on top of himself and how we need to stay on top
09:20of ourselves.
09:21That's why to the Ephesians, he writes, put to death the deeds of the old man.
09:28He writes to the Colossians, put on tender mercies, put on kindness, above all, put on
09:34love.
09:35He's driving it home.
09:36Here's what you put off, here's what you put on.
09:39Put off the nature of the old man, put on the nature of the new man.
09:43We see this in his epistles.
09:46We also know that he received a thorn in his flesh, a messenger of Satan, and he opens
09:53this passage up with statements like, like, though I desire to boast, I'm not a fool.
10:02He says, he says, it is doubtless for me to boast.
10:05As a matter of fact, it's not profitable.
10:08It's like he's consistently staying on top of himself so that his ego doesn't get ahead
10:13of him.
10:15And so, and so, he will make statements like this in his letters to the church.
10:19Statements like, to me, who am less than the least of the saints.
10:25And of course, if, if, if, if we would adopt this, this, this drive and this, and this,
10:32and this desire to, to, to be humble, we know that God resists the proud and gives grace
10:40to the humble.
10:43And we know that the first shall be last and the last shall be first.
10:47He says to me, who am least in the, less than the least of the saints, this grace was given
10:51that I should preach among the Gentiles, the unsearchable riches of Christ and to make
10:58all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, of the mystery, which from the beginning of
11:05the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through who Jesus Christ.
11:12Now, now I'm about to, I'm about to share with you how special you are.
11:19We as believers in the Lord, I'm about to show you where we rank amongst God's creation.
11:28You ever wonder why we were created last?
11:31Yeah, go through the six days of creation.
11:34Man was created last on day six.
11:37And then after that, God said, yeah, it's all good.
11:40I'm resting on day seven where his crowning achievement.
11:46That's why we are made in his image according to his likeness.
11:52And watch this.
11:53Look at this.
11:54Let me read verse nine again and then go right into 10.
11:57It says, and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of
12:04the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ.
12:09Verse 10, one of my favorite scriptures in the Bible.
12:12It says to the intent that when now, when now, when is now outstanding now is now.
12:27And we read this almost 1900 plus years from the time that it was written and the now was
12:36relevant then and it's relevant now.
12:40To the intent that now what?
12:41To the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known.
12:51Stop right there just for a second.
12:53To the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known.
12:58This already tells me that the manifold wisdom of God hasn't been made known up until this
13:04point.
13:07Now the manifold, let's talk about the manifold wisdom of God.
13:12Well, first off, I'm good with the wisdom of God.
13:17There's no wisdom like the wisdom of God, but there's an adjective here.
13:22There's a word describing the wisdom of God and that's the word manifold.
13:26Now you all hear me say this word every week, multiple times a week, manifold.
13:32It's one of my favorite Bible words.
13:35What does manifold mean?
13:37It means many.
13:41As a matter of fact, in science, we learned that the universe consists of manifolds.
13:49Throughout the universe, there are many folds.
13:52Well, if God is manifold and it would make sense that the universe would consist of manifolds
13:56being that the maker of the universe is manifold.
14:00So it says to the intent that now the manifold wisdom, oh, so the wisdom of God is multi.
14:08The wisdom of God is many.
14:10The word also means, watch this, multi-textured, multi-colored, and multi-layered.
14:17The wisdom of God has many layers.
14:19The wisdom of God has many colors.
14:21The wisdom of God has many textures.
14:24Now God's always been manifold, but clearly there needed to be a certain something occurring
14:29in the earth for his manifold wisdom to be made known.
14:34I submit to you that's the completed work of Christ, which ushers in the age of the
14:39church, the ecclesia, the body of Christ.
14:42So it says to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by who?
14:50So who is the entity or the organism making known the manifold wisdom of God?
14:57Us, the church.
14:59And who are we making it known to?
15:03The rest of the scripture says, to the principalities and powers where?
15:09In the heavenly places.
15:11If I didn't know what a principality was, if I didn't know what a power was, I know
15:16where they are.
15:19They're in heavenly places.
15:21You know what else operates in heavenly places?
15:24Angels operate in heavenly places.
15:26I really want you to see what God has entrusted to us, with us, given us.
15:36Angels have been here a lot longer than you and I.
15:42When were they created?
15:43I don't know, but here's what I do know.
15:46They were created before the earth.
15:50They were already here, which means they were already here before us because the earth was
15:54here before us because you needed the dust of the earth to make us.
16:01So he had to make the earth first, then make the dust of the earth and from the dust of
16:06the earth form man and breathe into man his nostrils.
16:10The Bible says man became a living creature, a living creature.
16:16So the Bible tells us that before the foundations of the earth were laid.
16:20In other words, when God was in heaven laying out blueprints for the earth, the Bible says
16:25the angels were rejoicing.
16:29They've been here longer than us.
16:30They've seen a lot more than we've seen.
16:33Angels are highly intelligent, but they don't know all things.
16:37And can you believe this?
16:38That it is us, the church, that will reveal to them God's manifold wisdom.
16:44It is us, the church, that will reveal to the principalities and powers and angels and
16:49other celestial creatures in heavenly places.
16:52It is us that will reveal to them and make known to them the multi-layered, multi-textured,
16:57multi-colored wisdom of God.
17:00What's that say about you?
17:03What's that say about us?
17:06God has honored us and privileged us to make known his manifold wisdom.
17:17I don't know about you, but that's, that's, that's, that's pretty impressive.
17:23That's verse 11.
17:26It says, according to the eternal purpose, which he accomplished in Christ Jesus, our
17:31Lord.
17:32It was accomplished in Christ Jesus, our Lord, in whom we have what?
17:37We have boldness and we have what?
17:40Access.
17:41And, and the boldness and that, and the access that we have comes with what?
17:47Confidence.
17:48Through.
17:49Okay, so it's through faith.
17:51So through the faith in him, we have boldness and access with confidence.
17:57We don't have arrogance, but we do have confidence.
18:02It's unfortunate when people can't tell the difference between the two.
18:08For example, I'm confident I can teach you this word.
18:10That doesn't mean I'm arrogant.
18:14I'm just confident.
18:15I mean, I can think highly of myself.
18:19You can think highly of yourself.
18:21Paul was just very clear that you should not think more highly than you ought to think.
18:26But I can think highly of me because God thought highly of me to save me.
18:35So if God thinks highly of me, I highly recommend we think of ourselves the way God thinks of
18:41us.
18:45And when God sees us, what does he see?
18:47Well, he looks at us through his son.
18:50So what does he see when he looks at us through his son?
18:54Through the head of the church.
18:56Everything the word says about us, that's what God sees.
19:01And God sees it as done.
19:03God doesn't see it as what you're going to become.
19:07It's settled in his sight.
19:09So we have to look at us the way God sees us.
19:13And we may not be experiencing it right now in the natural, so we have to believe it until
19:19it manifests.
19:21And when it manifests, we don't have to believe it anymore.
19:24It's done.
19:25It's settled.
19:26We know.
19:27Look at this.
19:28In whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in him.
19:32Boldness and access with confidence.
19:33It sounds a lot like the permission that's been granted to us to approach the throne
19:40of grace.
19:41And it says that we can boldly, boldly approach the throne of grace and we can obtain mercy
19:47and grace in time of need.
19:51So we are, say this with me, I have access, I have boldness with confidence.
19:59Verse 13, it says, therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you,
20:04which is your glory.
20:06Anytime Paul seems to talk about boasting and glory, glorying, if he's not talking about
20:11boasting on God, he's talking about boasting in tribulations and in those tribulations
20:18and those challenges.
20:19He's talking about giving God praise.
20:21In other words, what does it mean to magnify something?
20:24Anyone ever used a magnifying glass?
20:26Okay.
20:27So then what does it mean to magnify the Lord?
20:30So what do you think you should be doing when issues hit your life?
20:34Because remember, it's not about if it's about when.
20:37So when you fall into or when you come against, do you think it's most prudent to magnify
20:43the issue or magnify the God that's bigger than the issue?
20:48Okay.
20:50I think y'all are partially awake.
20:54Let's go to Romans 6.
20:57We just read about the dispensation of grace.
21:00Now we want to read about what we're under, which we know is grace or the law or the banner
21:07of grace.
21:09One scripture here in Romans 6, 14, Romans chapter 6, verse 14.
21:22When you have it, say, I have it.
21:26And this scripture reads, for sin shall not have what?
21:34And remember, we went over this chapter.
21:36This is referring to the sin nature.
21:39So the sin nature shall not have what?
21:42Dominion.
21:44The sin nature shall not have charge over us.
21:48The sin nature shall not rule over us.
21:52Why?
21:54Because we're not under law.
21:55Stop right there.
21:56Oh, when they were under law, the sin nature ruled them.
21:58Absolutely.
21:59That was their nature.
22:03Nature was God's chosen, God's elect, but they, by nature, were still slaves to sin.
22:11When you and I get born again, we become slaves to Christ.
22:15Our nature goes from unrighteous to righteous.
22:18So what's Paul saying here?
22:20Sin shall not have dominion over you.
22:22Why?
22:23Well, you're not under law.
22:24Well, what are we under?
22:26It says you're not under law, but under what?
22:28But under grace.
22:30Well how did we get under grace?
22:32Go to John's gospel account.
22:36I don't know what John's is, but I do know what John's is.
22:40Just mixing words, just creating a whole new vocabulary.
22:45John's gospel account, yeah.
22:47Go to John's gospel account.
22:53I can't tell you how many times I have watched myself, like I'll watch myself so that I can
22:58see where I left off.
23:00And I'm like, I know I didn't just say that.
23:04I'll attribute a scripture to the wrong address in the Bible.
23:08I will fumble a word, hoping you all didn't notice.
23:16John 1, find verse 14.
23:21All right, now we know that John opens up with, in the beginning, just like Genesis.
23:29In the beginning was the what?
23:34You all know it, the lagos, the word.
23:38In the beginning was the word, it says, and the word was with God, and the word was God.
23:46Wow, that's some serious detail.
23:51The word was with God, and the word was God.
23:55And then watch this.
23:56And then immediately after the scripture says, he was, not it, he was in the beginning.
24:03So the word is he.
24:06And I have a question for you.
24:08If the word was God, doesn't that mean the word is God?
24:17If the word was God, can God stop being God?
24:22No.
24:23And I submit to you, follow me on this logic, that if God could stop being God, it makes
24:31him that much more God.
24:37I'll tell you what I mean.
24:39Can you be God?
24:40No.
24:41What about me?
24:42Can I be God?
24:43No.
24:44So we don't have the power to be God.
24:46Only God is God, which means if God has the power to stop being God, you need the God
24:50kind of power to stop being God, which means that if with your God kind of power you stop
24:56being God, you must still be God, because only God can stop being God, which means he's
25:02never stopped being God.
25:05So if he was God, he is God.
25:09There's never been a time that the word was not God.
25:13Now when we keep reading, we get to verse 14, and it says what?
25:18The word who was in the beginning, who was with God, who was God, and therefore is God,
25:27the word became flesh and did what?
25:30And dwelt among us.
25:33This is the earthly life and ministry of our Savior.
25:36It says we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of
25:41what?
25:43Grace and truth.
25:46John bore witness of him and cried out, saying, this was he of whom I said, I told y'all he
25:53was coming.
25:56He who comes after me is preferred before me, for he was before me.
26:01See, he just proved he was God.
26:03John just said that the one who's coming after me came before me.
26:09He's preferred before me, and of his fullness we have all received in grace for grace.
26:15That's talking about John the Baptist.
26:16John the Baptist is who said this.
26:18And then look at verse 17.
26:19It says, for the law was given through who?
26:22Through Moses.
26:24But grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
26:30Well I'm on the other side of his finished work.
26:33So I'm on the grace and truth side.
26:35I'm not on the law side, which it doesn't mean that there wasn't truth on that side,
26:40but we're talking about the side of grace, which God has always intended for his creation
26:46to operate in his grace.
26:48So through Jesus came what?
26:51Grace and truth.
26:54So Paul says we're under—as a matter of fact, Paul first says that the dispensation
26:59of grace was given to him.
27:02He was given the responsibility of dispensing the message of grace to Christ's church, specifically
27:08the Gentiles.
27:10He then tells us that we're not under the law, we're under grace.
27:15And John here is telling us that while the law came through Moses, grace and truth came
27:20through Jesus Christ.
27:21Okay, well what do we have next?
27:24Well, let's take a look at Acts 13.
27:27Let's take a look at Acts 13 and look at the 42nd verse.
27:31Acts 13, 42.
27:40Let me know when you're there.
27:44Acts 13, 42.
27:46I have to be honest, that as much as I love technological advancements, I gotta be honest,
27:54I love the sound of pages turning.
27:57I love the sound of pages turning.
28:03Look at this, it says, it says, so when the Jews went out of the synagogue, when they
28:10went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them
28:16the next Sabbath.
28:19Well, it was a, it was a habit, it was law, it was custom, on the Sabbath the Jews would
28:30get together.
28:32We read about this in the Old Covenant.
28:34God called them holy convocations, which means a meeting, a gathering.
28:40And they would come together and they would read the Torah.
28:44And so, notice now, it says that when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles
28:49begged, so that means they must have heard what the Jews heard, and they want to hear
28:54more.
28:55It says, they begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath.
28:59It says, now when the congregation had broken up, many of the Jews and the devout proselytes,
29:06converts, followed Paul and Barnabas, who speaking to them persuaded them to continue
29:14in something.
29:15Let me ask you a question.
29:19How do you continue in something?
29:21In other words, how, how is it that you could be told to continue in something?
29:32Talk to me.
29:33At some point, you clearly started in the something.
29:38So if, if Paul and Barnabas is what, if Paul and Barnabas speaking to them persuaded them
29:45to continue in the grace of God, they must have been introduced to the grace of God.
29:51Because you can't continue in something you haven't been exposed to.
29:55The only way to continue in the Word is to be introduced to the Word.
29:58You gotta start off in the Word.
30:00You can't continue in faith if you've never been exposed to faith.
30:04You can't continue in love if no one has taught you love.
30:08So, so Paul and Barnabas speaking to them persuaded, didn't force them, but persuaded
30:16them, convinced them, you might want to continue in this, to continue in the grace of God.
30:22Well, on the next Sabbath, whoa, look at this, almost the whole city came together to hear
30:28the Word of God.
30:30What if, what if, what if next Sunday the whole city of Los Angeles came together to
30:34hear the Word of God?
30:36My goodness, what a sight.
30:40We would mess CNN up, MSNBC wouldn't know what to do with themselves.
30:48On the next Sabbath, almost the whole city came together to hear the Word of God.
30:53And by the way, what comes by hearing?
30:55Faith.
30:56It says, but when the Jews saw the multitudes, oh, oh, come on guys.
31:05They were filled with envy.
31:07Why, why y'all, come on, Jews of this day, why are you filled with envy?
31:18I mean, the Gentiles, they want to, they want to hear what you've been exposed.
31:23You've already exposed, you were hearing it.
31:26They want more.
31:29But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy and contradicting and
31:34blaspheming.
31:35They opposed the things spoken by Paul.
31:38Well, what was Paul speaking?
31:40Christ is Lord, we're under grace.
31:45Those would be the things that Paul would have been speaking.
31:47And the Jews are opposing this.
31:50It says, then Paul and Barnabas grew bold.
31:52You mean to tell me they weren't already bold?
31:55We're talking about Paul here.
31:57Seriously, Paul, listen, Paul wasn't perfect.
32:00So there were times where Paul's comrades, his associates, his partners in ministry,
32:06they had to, they had to, they had to pull his coat and bring him and pull him back from
32:13facing full riotous squads.
32:16There's numerous times where Paul probably would have lost his life because Paul was
32:20just zealous.
32:23I'm hitting all y'all with this gospel.
32:26I don't care if it's 7,000 of you and it's just me.
32:29Let's go.
32:30That was Paul.
32:32And that's the right attitude to have, but you just, you just have to execute at the
32:36right time.
32:37Verse 46, Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, it was necessary.
32:44Listen to this.
32:45All right.
32:46You're going to learn.
32:47I'm about to, I'm about to show you how you can go to hell.
32:49Yeah, I'm about to show you, I'm about to show you how a person can go to hell.
32:54Not you all.
32:55Y'all are saved.
32:57How an individual can go to hell, because you know, some people, some people, some people
33:01struggle with becoming a believer because they can't comprehend a God that would send
33:06people to hell.
33:08Well, well, there are only a select group God's going to send to hell and that's starting
33:18with, you know, the devil and his angels.
33:22They're going to be cast in all the followers of the antichrist.
33:26They'll be cast into the lake of fire.
33:29But the majority of the people that will find themselves in hell are people that sent themselves.
33:36I'll show you right now.
33:39God allows people to go to hell.
33:41Does he want them to go?
33:42No, because Paul writes to Timothy and in first Timothy chapter two, verses one through
33:47four, Paul articulates the desire of God.
33:51Paul tells Timothy, God desires all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the
33:55truth.
33:56That's the desire of God.
33:58But that's not the case.
33:59Does it mean it's something God can't do?
34:01Absolutely not.
34:02Not, not ability wise, but word wise.
34:06God, because he's the God that he is, he must, because he's bound to his word, honor your
34:13decision.
34:16We're going to read it right now.
34:18Look at this.
34:20Paul and Barnabas grew bold and they said what?
34:22It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first.
34:26Stop right there.
34:27Why?
34:28Why did Paul and Barnabas tell Jews that it was of necessity that the word be spoken to
34:32you first?
34:33Well, I'll give you a number of reasons.
34:35Number one, salvation is for the Jew first and then the Gentile.
34:40Jesus in his earthly ministry told his disciples, he said, preach only to the lost sheep of
34:44the house of Israel.
34:46Now there were Gentiles that benefited from his ministry, but he gave specific instructions.
34:50Preach only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
34:53Preach to Israel, preach, preach to my people, preach to them first.
34:58Paul said what?
34:59He said, he said, he said, salvation is for who first, not, not only, but who first, the
35:04Jew first and then the Gentile.
35:07And of course, God made a covenant with Israel and he's a keeper of his word.
35:11So Paul and Barnabas say, well, it was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you
35:15first.
35:16Since you rejected, since you, what, what, what, what did Paul and Barnabas tell the
35:27same Jews that they told that it was necessary that the word of God be spoken to them first?
35:34What did they say next?
35:36But since, since you rejected, Oh, Oh, so you mean the word of God and this specifically,
35:44this is talking about the message of salvation.
35:46So the message of salvation can be preached and there are those who will reject it.
35:54Greatest example of this we see is in Acts chapter 17, verses 16 through 34.
35:59This is when Paul is on the Areopagus.
36:04It translates the rock of Aries or Mars Hill.
36:09They were the Greek and Roman gods of war and, and there was a mythological event that
36:13occurred on this Hill, but, but, but it was a place where the philosophers got together.
36:18All the smart folk got together and they'd like to talk about new stuff, just new stuff.
36:24And guess what was new to their ears, this gospel.
36:27And they had a curiosity about it.
36:29So what does Paul do?
36:30Paul comes in and Paul with all humility shows how masterful he is.
36:36And he started, and he looks at all their relics, which by the way, this was in Athens
36:39at 17.
36:40Paul is in Athens and history tells us that there were more idols in Athens than people.
36:49They're just all over the place, idols.
36:52There were so many idols that there was even an idol that said, agnostos theos, which means
36:57to the unknown God.
36:58That's why agnosticism is the, is where it differs from atheism.
37:04Atheism says, I am denying that there is a higher being.
37:10Agnosticism says, I mean, agnosticism says, I'm not sure.
37:18Maybe he, she, it, I don't know.
37:22So to the unknown God, and he's preaching this, this gospel to them.
37:29And I have to be honest with you.
37:30It was very impressive.
37:31And when it's all said and done, the Bible literally tells us the first group, this is
37:35what they do.
37:36They mock him.
37:39They mock him.
37:41They scoff at the message, which means they did what they rejected it.
37:47They, they heard the same message everyone else heard and they chose to do what rejected.
37:55There was another group.
37:56They said, I'd like to hear you again on this matter.
38:03I like what I, I like what I hear.
38:05I don't know if I can make a decision now, but I would love to hear some more about this
38:10And we know that the Bible says that one plants the seed, one waters and God gives the increase.
38:16Right?
38:17So those are the reasoners, some reason.
38:20Then the last group, it says they just, they followed them.
38:22They were like, yeah, I like how that sounds.
38:23I believe.
38:24Right?
38:25They received.
38:26Rejectors, reasoners, receivers.
38:28When you preach the gospel, people are going to fall into one of those three categories.
38:32They're going to reject, they're going to reason, or they're going to receive.
38:35Well, Paul and Barnabas are preaching the gospel that was necessary to be preached to
38:40the Jews.
38:41And he says, they say, but, but since you, what, since you rejected, people will reject
38:51the message, unfortunately.
38:55And I don't mean, I don't mean ignoring people on corners with signs and bull horns, not
39:04taking anything away from what those individuals do.
39:07That takes courage, but, but I've got to go to the scripture to see how the gospel is
39:12supposed to be delivered to human ears.
39:16It should be delivered in a way to where it hits the spirit, not just the intellect.
39:25And then a person decides to reject, to reason, or to receive.
39:29Well, these Jews who were filled with envy, who were contradicting, blaspheming, and opposing
39:37the things Paul said, they chose to reject it.
39:42Let's finish this 46th verse.
39:43Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, it was necessary that the word of God should be spoken
39:47to you first.
39:48But since you rejected and you judge yourselves unworthy of what everlasting life, behold,
39:57we turn to the Gentiles.
40:00Now we know all Jews didn't reject.
40:02How do we know?
40:03Because there's a Jew telling them this.
40:05So we know all Jews clearly didn't reject.
40:07As a matter of fact, you don't have, you don't have, you don't have a church if you don't
40:11have Jews.
40:13So we know, but we're talking about the majority, the majority of national Israel rejected the
40:18Messiah.
40:19Well, well, let me ask you this question.
40:23If you, if you have judged yourself unworthy of eternal life or everlasting life, then
40:34what have you judged yourself worthy of?
40:39I would say that if I've judged myself unworthy of everlasting life, clearly I must be worthy
40:47of everlasting condemnation.
40:51Because there's only two options.
40:52There's no space in the middle.
40:56It's heaven and hell.
40:58In the very end, it'll be heaven.
41:01It'll be hell.
41:02Then in the very, very, very end, it'll be new Jerusalem on the new earth or the earth
41:06made new and the folk will still be in hell.
41:11That's what the Bible teaches.
41:13I can't even believe that today in 2024, there are pastors who will stand before congregations
41:17and say, heaven is real, but hell isn't.
41:22They exist.
41:23They're out there.
41:28What this sounds like to me, this sounds like this is a group of people who have sent themselves
41:35first class to hell because you did what?
41:40You rejected, okay.
41:43Verse 47, for so the Lord has commanded us, I have set you as a light to the Gentiles
41:47that you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.
41:52Now, when the Gentiles heard this, they're glad, they glorified the word of the Lord
41:56and then look at what it says next, and as many as had been appointed to eternal life
42:00believed.
42:01Why?
42:02Because when you believe, you're appointed to eternal life.
42:07That's really how we read this.
42:10As many as had believed, they had been what?
42:14Appointed to eternal life.
42:16Verse 49, and the word of the Lord was being spread throughout all the region, but the
42:21Jews stirred up the devout and prominent women and the chief men of the city, raised
42:25up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region.
42:31But look at this next verse.
42:32It says, but they just shook off the dust from their feet, and they just went to Iconium,
42:38and the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
42:40Paul said, okay, y'all don't want us here?
42:42No problem.
42:43We're gonna go preach the gospel over here.
42:46We're gonna go wherever the Lord sends us, but look at this.
42:49Look how many came and believed, and what was it that Paul was teaching?
42:54What was Barnabas teaching?
42:55Sharing.
42:56Yeah, the gospel of salvation, but the grace of God.
43:00And what is it?
43:01Think about this.
43:02Salvation is how I get into the grace of God.
43:04That is why Paul and Barnabas encouraged them to continue in it.
43:08Because see, when you get saved, praise God.
43:12If you truly got saved, if you were to die five minutes later, you're gonna be in the
43:17presence of the Lord.
43:19But God didn't save us for us to die immediately.
43:23We're still here.
43:24The majority of us, when we get saved, we're still living life, which means God wants us
43:28to be a light here.
43:30There's work for us to do here.
43:32Well, when you get saved, you need to learn the word.
43:37You gotta grow and learn some things as it relates to you from the word of God.
43:46That's the responsibility of pastors and teachers.
43:52We're to grow in the Lord and grow others in the Lord.
43:56That's what we're supposed to do.
43:58Sadly, too many people have these kinds of experiences during Sunday morning service
44:05where it feels great.
44:09It feels great.
44:11Worship was great.
44:13The shouting was great.
44:16The dancing was great.
44:17It was great.
44:19The hooping and the hollering was outstanding.
44:23It was excellent.
44:25What'd you learn?
44:34Because I tell you what, anytime I read the words of Jesus, I learn.
44:39When I read the words of Paul, I learn.
44:41When I read the words of Peter, I learn.
44:45You still with me?
44:46Okay.
44:47Look now, look at Acts chapter 20.
44:55Acts chapter 20, find the 17th verse.
45:00We'll begin there.
45:01Acts 20, 17.
45:08Okay, it reads, from Miletus, he sent to Ephesus and called for the elders of the church.
45:24And when they had come to him, he said to them, you know from the first day that I came
45:31to Asia, I always like to take this opportunity to let folk know what I'm reading here.
45:37What we're reading here when we see this word Asia.
45:41Now some may think it's not that important.
45:43I think it is.
45:44I just, I believe that when we're reading the scripture, if we can know what we're reading,
45:48we should know what we're reading.
45:50So how many of you have heard of Asia?
45:52Okay.
45:53How many of you, you have heard of the continent called Asia?
45:57And you know that it is one of seven continents on this planet.
46:03Now some people still get countries and continents mixed up, but there are seven continents.
46:11One of those continents doubles as a country.
46:13Which one is it y'all?
46:14Come on.
46:15Wow.
46:16I heard, I heard Afrastrasia, Afrastracartica, it's Australia.
46:27Okay, now, now.
46:33When I read Asia in the Bible, I need to know it's not talking about the continent of Asia.
46:38The Bible doesn't highlight any continents.
46:41You're not going to read about Europe, Africa, you're definitely not going to read about
46:45North or South America in the Bible.
46:48But you do come across Asia, but it's not talking about Asia as we know it today.
46:52It's not talking about the continent of Asia, it's talking about the modern day country
46:56of Turkey.
46:57Back then it was Asia.
47:01Asia is Turkey.
47:02Turkey is Asia when I'm reading it in the Bible.
47:04Okay?
47:05All right.
47:06It says, you know, from the first day that I came to Asia, see Ephesus is a part of Asia.
47:11Because if I today want to see the ruins of Ephesus, what country must I go to?
47:15I must go to the country of Turkey.
47:17Turkey, as they say it now, they don't want to be called Turkey anymore.
47:20I actually learned that I was just in Turkey.
47:22I'm sorry.
47:23I was just in Turkey in April.
47:27Trust me, you'll, you'll be hearing more about it.
47:29They do not want to be called Turkey anymore because of the animal.
47:33True story.
47:34True story.
47:36And you'll see, look it up.
47:37T-U-R-K-I-Y-E, Turkey, that's, that's what they want to be known as now.
47:43They're biblical Asia.
47:44That's what they are.
47:45It says, you know, from the first day that I came to Asia, in what manner I always lived
47:49among you, serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears and trials, which happened
47:55to me by the plotting of the Jews, how I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaim
48:04to you and taught you publicly from house to house, testifying to Jews and also to Greeks.
48:15Let's stop here for a second.
48:16Let me, let me, let me focus on this.
48:20When you're reading the word Greeks in the new Testament, it is always inclusive of the
48:29actual Greek people, but in some cases it may only be referring to Greeks or it could
48:38be referring to all Gentiles.
48:40Why?
48:41Well, the Greeks were the beginning of the Gentiles.
48:45We read about that scripture in, we read about the beginning of the Gentiles in the gospel
48:51and that would be the Greeks.
48:52How do we know it's the Greeks?
48:53Well, salvation is for the Jew first, then the Greek and the gospel in the new Testament
48:56is written in what language?
48:58The Greek.
49:01And you need to know this.
49:02Think of this.
49:03You can relate to this because in this country, what do we speak?
49:06You guys sure?
49:07You sure about that?
49:08Okay.
49:09All right.
49:10So we speak English right now.
49:11What kind of English do we speak?
49:13Do you think the British listen to us speak English and go outstanding, excellent, great
49:18pronunciation?
49:23Go listen to the originators of the English.
49:26They'll look at you like, like if you say zebra, they're like, what is that?
49:30It's a zebra.
49:33It is.
49:34It's a zebra.
49:35Right?
49:36Zebra spelled the same name, same way as Deborah, but you don't call her Debra.
49:40You call her Deborah, but somehow we decided to call, but we all know American English
49:45botches up all kinds of words, right?
49:50So we have this Americanized version of English.
49:55We know the English language that comes from our English overseers, colonists, colonizers.
50:05Okay.
50:07So back then, what was the most prominent language in the known ancient world?
50:14It was Greek.
50:15It was Greek.
50:16Even when the Roman empire came into power and they were bigger than the Greek empire,
50:20most Romans spoke what they spoke Greek.
50:23They spoke more Greek than they spoke Latin.
50:26Most of your, of your everyday people, they spoke Greek.
50:29Most Jews spoke and understood Greek more than Hebrew because Hebrew was seen as sacred
50:35only for the priests and the rabbis.
50:39There is a Bible called the Septuagint.
50:41What is it?
50:42It's a Greek translation of the old Testament.
50:43Why?
50:45Because back then folk wanted to read the old Testament and they couldn't read Hebrew.
50:50So there was a Greek translation.
50:52So the Greeks were, they were Alexander the great changed civilization forever.
51:00He did.
51:02So when I see this word Greeks, it's always talking about Greeks for sure, but it may
51:06be including other Gentiles who aren't Greeks.
51:11It says testifying to Jews and also to Greek.
51:13So what's he saying?
51:14I wasn't just testifying to Greeks.
51:15I was testifying to Gentiles, a number of different kinds of Gentiles testifying to
51:22them.
51:23What was I testifying?
51:24Repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
51:30And see now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to
51:36me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city saying that change in tribulations
51:43await me.
51:47Holy Spirit just giving Paul a heads up.
51:48This is what you're about to get into.
51:50And Paul's like, all right, we know he said that cause look at verse 24, but none of these
51:56things move me.
51:59Thank God for Paul, man.
52:03Could you do what Paul did?
52:04Might be easy to say yes on this side.
52:09Paul experienced some suffering for the church so that the church wouldn't suffer the way
52:15he did.
52:16A lot of our, our, our epistles in our church fathers, they, they went through some persecution
52:21to free us.
52:24Thank God for the, for the persecution they went through.
52:27Isn't it?
52:28Isn't it the same as, as for, for, for black people in this country?
52:32What our forefathers went through for us persecution and pain and suffering they went through for
52:37our freedoms.
52:39Well, church fathers did the same thing.
52:43The first apostles did the same thing.
52:45They went through the same thing.
52:46Look at this.
52:47Look at verse 23.
52:48Paul says, I don't know what's going to happen to me except what the spirit of God told me.
52:53And you know what he told me?
52:54He said, change in tribulations await you, Paul.
52:58Verse 24 he says, but none of these things move me, nor do I count my life dear to myself
53:05so that I, so that I may finish my race with joy in the ministry, which I received from
53:11the Lord Jesus to do what?
53:14To testify to the gospel of the grace of God, of the grace of God.
53:22Paul said, I'm not concerned about the change or the tribulations.
53:27I must get this message of grace to the masses.
53:33Verse 25 and indeed now I know that you all among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom
53:39of God will see my face no more.
53:45You'll see my face no more.
53:47He says, therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men
53:53for I've not shunned to declare to you the whole council.
53:58What is the whole council of God?
54:03I mean, I would think that that would be the entirety of the word of God.
54:10The whole council.
54:11I mean, whole in the Greek means all and council simply means purpose or the will of God.
54:19Isn't the word of God, the will of God?
54:21Okay, so then if Paul has purposed and has declared to them the entire will of God, what
54:31should we be declaring?
54:34What should men like me be declaring to you?
54:38Just a small part of the council of God?
54:41No, the entirety of the council of God.
54:47That's why when you come to this ministry, you're going to get it all.
54:52You're going to get it all.
54:55Sure, some things there may be a greater emphasis on.
55:00This ministry was built on the message of faith.
55:02Why?
55:03Well, you know, rumor has it, faith pleases God.
55:09There's another similar rumor that the just kind of, you know, live by faith.
55:14So, you know, we might really want to know about faith.
55:16Matter of fact, I submit to you that the only way to even receive or understand the council
55:21of God is by faith.
55:24Because how much stuff do we read in this book that makes absolutely no sense?
55:30Just I mean, just no sense or no logical person would do that.
55:36Why would you do that?
55:39Why would you be a woman who's been on her cycle for 12 years, 12 years?
55:46You're a Jew and by law, you are deemed unclean and you could be stoned.
55:57Why would you risk life to touch the hem of his garment?
56:02Oh, that's not logic.
56:05That's not intellect.
56:06That's faith.
56:08Every head bow, every eye close.
56:10Father, we thank you for your word.