WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.799 Welcome to DeSoto Hills Baptist Church. 00:00:02.959 --> 00:00:07.200 Our Sunday morning services are weekly at 9 and 10 30 a.m. 00:00:07.519 --> 00:00:11.439 You're listening to an audio recast of this past week's service. 00:00:11.599 --> 00:00:12.960 We hope you enjoy. 00:00:13.279 --> 00:00:14.240 God bless. 00:00:18.879 --> 00:00:22.239 Acts chapter 19, we'll begin reading in verse 21. 00:00:23.120 --> 00:00:31.679 You know, my driver's ed experience in high school was not a traditional driver's ed experience. 00:00:31.920 --> 00:00:40.640 Um the freshman football team we practiced during school, and so our period for taking driver's ed, we didn't have. 00:00:40.880 --> 00:00:44.320 But thank goodness our coach was also the driver's ed teacher. 00:00:44.479 --> 00:00:58.560 So what we did was just kind of hybrid after the after football season, he would teach the class, and we we would go to class when we would have been at practice, and then we just ran over into January and ran over into the spring semester. 00:00:58.719 --> 00:01:10.959 So as we got into the spring semester, I won't ever forget one day Coach Lyles came to me and tossed me a set of keys and said, Hey, I gotta go to Bill Williams Sporting Good and Tupelo, you're driving. 00:01:11.519 --> 00:01:12.959 Okay, let's go. 00:01:13.120 --> 00:01:18.560 So I got in the driver's ed car, and we're cruising down old Highway 6 headed to Tupelo. 00:01:18.719 --> 00:01:20.400 Some of you know exactly where I'm talking about. 00:01:20.560 --> 00:01:23.519 Cruising across Old Highway 6, headed to Tupelo. 00:01:23.840 --> 00:01:26.000 Coach Lyles was reading the paper. 00:01:26.159 --> 00:01:37.840 Um I was just driving right along, and um one thing about Old Highway 6 that you don't know if you've not traveled it is that it's it has hills. 00:01:38.719 --> 00:01:44.959 And I'm cruising right along, not gonna tell you how fast I was actually driving, because he was reading the paper. 00:01:45.040 --> 00:01:45.920 He didn't know. 00:01:46.159 --> 00:01:54.480 So I'm cruising on down the road and I topped one of those hills, and there was a car waiting to turn left. 00:01:56.239 --> 00:01:57.280 Mm-hmm. 00:01:58.079 --> 00:02:01.359 So I see him and I hit the brakes pretty good. 00:02:01.439 --> 00:02:05.920 I didn't lock them up, but I hit the brakes good, which made him drop the paper. 00:02:06.239 --> 00:02:11.280 Knew we couldn't turn left, so he just said, hit the shoulder. 00:02:11.520 --> 00:02:21.759 So I calmly passed that car on the shoulder of the road, calmly got back up on the road and just kept going. 00:02:22.240 --> 00:02:27.919 About a mile or two later, we were passing Pontiac Country Club, and Coach Lyle's the paper came down again. 00:02:28.000 --> 00:02:30.080 It was already back up, and he said, Huh. 00:02:30.479 --> 00:02:31.840 I said, Did that scare you? 00:02:31.919 --> 00:02:36.080 He's like, No, they're dredging the pool, they're dredging the pond at the country club. 00:02:36.319 --> 00:02:37.840 Didn't faze him at all. 00:02:38.159 --> 00:02:43.599 Point of this story is sometimes as we're driving down the road, there are disturbances in the way. 00:02:44.960 --> 00:02:54.479 As we are traveling the way following Jesus, sometimes there are disturbances in our way. 00:02:54.960 --> 00:03:07.840 As we turn to our passage today, what we're going to see is that Paul continued to bear witness to the kingdom of God even with a disturbance, a major disturbance in his way. 00:03:08.159 --> 00:03:18.240 And as we look at this and hear this message, hopefully we can see that and know that we are going to face disturbances as we follow Jesus too. 00:03:18.479 --> 00:03:28.879 But the challenge for us is to continue to bear witness, to be witnesses of Jesus Christ and the kingdom of God. 00:03:29.120 --> 00:03:43.919 So the question that we seek to answer then, if we know that he experienced witness experienced disturbances, hopefully we can look at his disturbance and understand some things that we might face and we might challenge. 00:03:44.080 --> 00:03:50.479 So the question we seek to answer is what disturbances arose in Paul's way? 00:03:50.719 --> 00:03:55.520 Hopefully, as we see those, we can see some disturbances that we may face as well. 00:03:56.000 --> 00:04:01.759 Acts chapter 19, I'm going to invite you, if you are able, to stand with me as we give honor to the reading of God's word. 00:04:02.719 --> 00:04:06.560 We're going to begin in verse 21 and read down through verse 41. 00:04:08.719 --> 00:04:20.800 Now, after these events, Paul resolved in the Spirit to pass through Macedonia and Achaia and go to Jerusalem, saying, After I have been there, I must also see Rome. 00:04:20.959 --> 00:04:29.279 And having sent into Macedonia two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed in Asia for a while. 00:04:29.519 --> 00:04:36.000 About that time there arose no little disturbance concerning the way. 00:04:36.560 --> 00:04:43.759 For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought no little business to the craftsman. 00:04:43.920 --> 00:04:51.439 These he gathered together with workmen in similar trades, and said, Men, you know that from this business we have our wealth. 00:04:51.600 --> 00:05:04.160 And you see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in almost all of Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away a great many people, saying that gods made with hands are not gods. 00:05:04.399 --> 00:05:22.720 And there is danger not only that this trade of ours may become into disrepute, but also the temple of the great goddess Artemis may be counted as nothing, and that she may even be disposed from her magnificence, she whom all of Asia and the world worship. 00:05:23.040 --> 00:05:28.959 When they heard this, they were enraged and were crying out, Great is Artemis of the Ephesians. 00:05:29.199 --> 00:05:39.199 So the city was filled with confusion, and they rushed together into the theater, dragging with them Gaius and Aristocras, Macedonians, who were Paul's companions in travel. 00:05:39.360 --> 00:05:51.839 But when Paul wished to go in among the crowd, the disciples would not let him, and even some of the Asiarchs who were friends of his sent him and were urging him not to venture into the theater. 00:05:52.240 --> 00:06:00.240 Now some cried out one thing, some another, for the assembly was in confusion, and most of them did not know why they had come together. 00:06:00.480 --> 00:06:19.439 Some of the crowd prompted Alexander, whom the Jews had put forward, and Alexander, motioning with his hand, wanted to make a defense to the crowd, but when they recognized he was a Jew for about two hours, they cried out with one voice, Great is Artemis of the Ephesians. 00:06:19.600 --> 00:06:32.399 And when the town clerk had quieted the crowd, he said, Men of Ephesus, who is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is temple keeper of the great Artemis, and of the sacred stone that fell from the sky? 00:06:32.639 --> 00:06:42.959 Seeing then that these things cannot be denied, you ought to be quiet and do nothing rash, for you have brought these men here who are neither sacrilegious nor blasphemers of our goddess. 00:06:43.360 --> 00:06:53.519 If therefore Demetrius and the craftsmen with him have to have a complaint against anyone, the courts are open, and there are pro counsels, let them bring charges against one another. 00:06:53.759 --> 00:07:00.160 But if you seek anything further, it shall be settled in a regular in the regular assembly. 00:07:00.399 --> 00:07:08.240 For we really are in danger of being charged with rioting today, since there is no cause that we can give to justify this commotion. 00:07:08.480 --> 00:07:12.879 And when he had said these things, he dismissed the assembly. 00:07:13.040 --> 00:07:14.480 Let's pray together. 00:07:14.800 --> 00:07:24.800 God, we thank you for your word, and we pray now that as we explore your word together, God, you will remove disturbances in our way. 00:07:26.160 --> 00:07:28.399 Father, and we will seek you. 00:07:29.040 --> 00:07:30.879 Jesus, it's in your name we pray. 00:07:31.199 --> 00:07:31.839 Amen. 00:07:32.480 --> 00:07:33.680 May be seated. 00:07:35.199 --> 00:07:38.800 So see what beginning this passage, what is happening here. 00:07:38.959 --> 00:07:43.680 Paul is in Ephesus and he desires to go back to Jerusalem. 00:07:43.759 --> 00:07:50.480 But if you look at a map, Ephesus is about here and Jerusalem is over here, but Paul didn't want to take the direct route. 00:07:50.639 --> 00:07:57.360 What he wanted to do was travel back up this way into Macedonia and make the long trip around to Jerusalem. 00:07:57.439 --> 00:08:01.360 And then when he got to Jerusalem, he wanted to go way over here to Rome. 00:08:01.439 --> 00:08:04.560 And you think, why would he not travel more direct paths? 00:08:04.639 --> 00:08:05.439 What is he doing? 00:08:05.600 --> 00:08:08.800 And I think there's three things we see in what Paul is doing here. 00:08:08.959 --> 00:08:16.319 First of all, he is traveling back to churches that have been started and established to follow up with them. 00:08:16.560 --> 00:08:18.000 We call this discipleship. 00:08:18.160 --> 00:08:27.439 You see, Paul wasn't just about, hey, having people come and telling people about Jesus and them believing in him and then him saying, good luck from here. 00:08:27.600 --> 00:08:28.720 Y'all figure it out. 00:08:28.800 --> 00:08:30.240 And that's not what Paul did. 00:08:30.399 --> 00:08:45.039 He always went back to places to where the gospel had been shared and where people believed and followed up with him to encourage them in discipleships and to encourage them to continue on this way that they are in. 00:08:45.279 --> 00:08:51.519 Not only do we see that, we also find out that Paul is trying to carry a monetary gift. 00:08:51.679 --> 00:08:58.799 He wants to go back to Jerusalem to carry a monetary gift that has been collected throughout the churches in Asia. 00:08:59.039 --> 00:09:04.879 One thing Paul is doing here is teaching the church that we are the church no matter our background. 00:09:05.039 --> 00:09:12.879 See, you have these Gentiles in churches who have collected money to send back to the church in Jerusalem, which was mostly a Jewish church. 00:09:13.039 --> 00:09:16.399 He is sending them back there to take care of each other. 00:09:16.559 --> 00:09:21.120 What he is teaching us here is look, as the church, we are supposed to help each other out. 00:09:21.200 --> 00:09:22.960 We are supposed to take care of each other. 00:09:23.120 --> 00:09:28.639 We are supposed to be concerned and show concern and share concern for each other. 00:09:29.039 --> 00:09:30.320 So we see Paul doing that. 00:09:30.480 --> 00:09:32.960 That's why he wants to go back to Jerusalem. 00:09:33.279 --> 00:09:36.159 But then we see Paul wanting to go to Rome. 00:09:36.799 --> 00:09:44.480 The reason he's wanting to go back to Rome is because what Jesus said way back in Acts chapter 1, verse 8. 00:09:44.720 --> 00:09:51.200 You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth. 00:09:51.519 --> 00:09:57.120 He wants to go to Rome to continue to share the gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth. 00:09:57.919 --> 00:10:03.360 Paul has seen the way, and he is following the way of Christ. 00:10:04.320 --> 00:10:08.559 But what we find is disturbances along the way. 00:10:08.960 --> 00:10:15.759 So again, we'll remind ourselves of the question: what are those disturbances that Paul finds in the way? 00:10:16.399 --> 00:10:23.679 Well, we are introduced in verse 23 to a guy named, or verse 24, to a guy named Demetrius. 00:10:23.919 --> 00:10:27.440 Demetrius was a silversmith there in Ephesus. 00:10:27.600 --> 00:10:35.039 He made little silver idols of the goddess Artemis, and he would make these idols and sell them. 00:10:35.759 --> 00:10:41.519 And what happens is Demetrius starts this coercion campaign against Paul. 00:10:41.840 --> 00:10:43.919 He begins to coerce people. 00:10:44.960 --> 00:10:48.639 And he begins with just other silversmiths. 00:10:48.720 --> 00:10:52.000 And we know his motivation here is greed. 00:10:52.720 --> 00:10:56.799 He is concerned that money is going to be taken out of his pocket. 00:10:56.960 --> 00:11:20.720 And so he begins and he goes to these other silversmiths, and then he begins and gets other tradesmen similar to his who, because of the message of the gospel that Paul is sharing, and because people are coming to know Jesus through this gospel message, what he begins to do is to appeal to those people and get them and he coerces them against Paul. 00:11:21.600 --> 00:11:26.399 Now, we understand that he is using greed here. 00:11:27.039 --> 00:11:34.000 And while that is definitely a temptation in our society today, the enemy doesn't always just use one thing. 00:11:34.320 --> 00:11:37.600 I mean, he could tempt us with lots of things. 00:11:38.480 --> 00:11:59.919 Pride, jealousy, lust, all kinds of things that the enemy can use to tempt us and to coerce us against the gospel, or to coerce society against the gospel, to create a disturbance along the way. 00:12:00.639 --> 00:12:03.200 We must be aware of these disturbances. 00:12:03.279 --> 00:12:14.960 And so what he does here is he works, he he appeals to that greed first, but then he moves on, and this coercion tactic, it it grows and it grows. 00:12:15.039 --> 00:12:20.240 And what he says, look, first he starts with just greed and then he moves on to their religion. 00:12:20.399 --> 00:12:26.960 He says, before you know it, what he's going to do is turn the world against our great goddess Artemis. 00:12:27.039 --> 00:12:29.519 And she is going to fall, and we can't let that happen. 00:12:32.720 --> 00:12:33.840 And he is appealing. 00:12:34.000 --> 00:12:38.559 He is coercing them that Paul is out to go against their religion. 00:12:38.879 --> 00:12:39.840 Is Paul? 00:12:40.879 --> 00:12:41.519 Yeah. 00:12:42.240 --> 00:12:44.480 I mean, he's not lying to them. 00:12:44.879 --> 00:12:46.480 That is what Paul is doing. 00:12:46.559 --> 00:12:50.000 I mean, he is preaching Jesus Christ, and Jesus is the way. 00:12:50.159 --> 00:13:01.679 Remember just a few weeks back when he was in Athens and he began to tell at the Areopagus about there is one God, the creator of the world. 00:13:01.919 --> 00:13:05.200 Yeah, he is teaching that. 00:13:05.759 --> 00:13:09.679 Then Demetrius moves on from religion to patriotism. 00:13:09.759 --> 00:13:13.519 He says, this is something that we hold in all of Asia. 00:13:14.000 --> 00:13:16.559 Paul is turning people against it. 00:13:16.799 --> 00:13:24.240 Listen, what Demetrius is doing is using a little bit of a lie or a little bit of the truth. 00:13:26.639 --> 00:13:30.000 And he is coercing people against the gospel message. 00:13:32.799 --> 00:13:36.159 Listen, that is going to be a disturbance that we are going to face. 00:13:38.639 --> 00:13:43.519 People are going to say about the gospel lots of things. 00:13:44.240 --> 00:13:45.919 We are closed-minded. 00:13:46.240 --> 00:13:47.360 We are bigoted. 00:13:48.320 --> 00:13:50.799 How can you say there is only one God? 00:13:51.279 --> 00:13:53.120 How can you belittle people? 00:13:53.519 --> 00:13:56.639 We're going to hear all kinds of things against the gospel message. 00:13:56.720 --> 00:14:06.720 And then people, people, because here's the thing: people are set in their ways, and when we bring change to them, that change causes them. 00:14:07.360 --> 00:14:11.279 And a lot of times this change, according to Metrius, it was a change of greed. 00:14:11.360 --> 00:14:14.799 He didn't want to lose this money from his pockets. 00:14:14.879 --> 00:14:20.559 But if it's pride, the change can be that pride is taken away from us. 00:14:20.720 --> 00:14:26.639 If it is ambition that can be taken away from us, there's lots of things that the world doesn't want to see. 00:14:26.720 --> 00:14:32.639 And so they create these disturbances along the way, these disturbances of coercion. 00:14:34.000 --> 00:14:37.759 Second, we see confusion. 00:14:38.320 --> 00:14:46.159 Twice in the next few verses, from verses 28 to verse 34, twice it talks about confusion. 00:14:46.320 --> 00:14:58.960 In verse 29, it says, So the city was filled with confusion, and they rushed together into the theater, dragging them with Gaius and Aristocus, Macedonians, who were Paul's companions in travel. 00:14:59.679 --> 00:15:11.200 Verse 32 it says again, Now some cried out one thing, some another, for the assembly was in confusion, and most of them did not know why they had come together. 00:15:11.440 --> 00:15:14.480 Now this is this is catch this picture. 00:15:14.799 --> 00:15:19.519 Some were shouting one thing, some were shouting completely another thing. 00:15:19.679 --> 00:15:23.200 They didn't even know what they were shouting because there was confusion. 00:15:23.279 --> 00:15:35.600 It reminds me of one time when my brother and I shared a bedroom and we were we were asleep one night and Clay walks in his sleep. 00:15:35.919 --> 00:15:43.200 Not only that, he has nightmares in his sleep, which can create quite the eventful night. 00:15:43.759 --> 00:15:49.600 One night he woke up in the middle of the night trying to kill a snake in our bed. 00:15:51.279 --> 00:15:57.600 He wakes up screaming, yelling, just pounding the bed, and I here I am. 00:15:57.759 --> 00:16:00.080 I'm scared he's gonna pound me. 00:16:00.639 --> 00:16:04.960 So I start screaming too, and they come back and say, What happened? 00:16:05.039 --> 00:16:05.679 What's going on? 00:16:05.840 --> 00:16:08.320 I said, Clay started yelling, so I started yelling. 00:16:08.480 --> 00:16:09.519 I just don't know what's happening. 00:16:09.600 --> 00:16:11.039 I don't know what's going on. 00:16:11.279 --> 00:16:12.799 It was confusion. 00:16:13.840 --> 00:16:17.840 That's kind of what we see happening here in Ephesus. 00:16:18.320 --> 00:16:22.960 They don't even know why they're rioting, they don't even know what's going on. 00:16:23.120 --> 00:16:28.080 There's just so much confusion that has been brought on by this coercion tactics of Demetrius. 00:16:28.159 --> 00:16:31.919 And so they're just yelling, and things have become out of control. 00:16:32.159 --> 00:16:38.960 They become, in their confusion, they become angry, and so they they drag some of Paul's friends into the theater. 00:16:39.039 --> 00:16:43.440 And when Paul seeks to go into the fray to help out, they they discourage him. 00:16:43.600 --> 00:16:45.279 They won't let him go in there. 00:16:45.519 --> 00:16:48.639 And then you see this man named Alexander who was a Jew. 00:16:48.720 --> 00:16:52.159 It tells us he he gets up and he tries to quiet the crowd. 00:16:52.240 --> 00:16:56.720 But when they we don't know why he was put forward, we don't know if he was a city official. 00:16:56.799 --> 00:17:00.639 We don't know if the Jews put him forward to try to separate them from Paul. 00:17:00.799 --> 00:17:12.799 We're not real sure, but but here's what happens when he gets up and starts speaking, all they do for two hours is scream, Great is Artemis of the Ephesians. 00:17:13.119 --> 00:17:14.400 For two hours. 00:17:15.839 --> 00:17:25.920 So in their confusion, they close their minds, not willing to listen to reason or rationale or anything. 00:17:26.799 --> 00:17:31.039 Listen, confusion is definitely a disturbance in the way. 00:17:32.640 --> 00:17:36.559 Our world is confused about Jesus and what he can bring. 00:17:37.039 --> 00:17:40.319 Our world is confused about the gospel message. 00:17:41.759 --> 00:17:48.640 But finally this morning, what we need to see is God is in control. 00:17:49.519 --> 00:17:56.319 The city clerk, who would have been a mayoral figure, stands up and he does quiet the crowd. 00:17:56.720 --> 00:18:11.279 Like what Tony Merida has to say about this when he said, On this occasion, God used the city clerk, the chief administrative officer, to prevent this ordeal from turning into a violent riot. 00:18:12.240 --> 00:18:13.680 God was in control. 00:18:14.000 --> 00:18:19.200 And what we see here is that God can use people who don't even know that God's using them. 00:18:19.440 --> 00:18:21.519 Why was he able to quiet the crowd? 00:18:21.759 --> 00:18:22.480 I'm not sure. 00:18:23.039 --> 00:18:25.440 Alexander couldn't, we don't know what it was. 00:18:26.400 --> 00:18:36.559 I'm becoming more and more convinced that God uses this clerk, and it had to come from something way more powerful than the clerk to quiet the crowd. 00:18:37.359 --> 00:18:39.440 I don't think it was the clerk who did it. 00:18:39.599 --> 00:18:59.200 The clerk speaking to me would be like when you go to that football game and your team is in a championship game or in a big game, and it comes down and you're about to win, and you see people hanging on the side, ready to jump onto the field. 00:18:59.440 --> 00:19:00.799 You know what I'm talking about. 00:19:01.039 --> 00:19:10.000 They're ready to jump on the field, and somebody on the loudspeaker comes on and says, just a reminder, please do not enter the field after the game. 00:19:10.720 --> 00:19:13.200 All right, do you know what fan is short for? 00:19:13.519 --> 00:19:14.480 Fanatic. 00:19:15.759 --> 00:19:21.359 It's gonna take more than somebody on the loudspeaker to stop the crowd. 00:19:21.440 --> 00:19:23.279 It's gonna take something more powerful. 00:19:23.440 --> 00:19:29.759 What I'm telling you is it is something more powerful at work here than the clerk to quiet the crowd. 00:19:30.799 --> 00:19:35.039 God is at work, it's not the clerk. 00:19:35.519 --> 00:19:39.680 And honestly, we see that the crowd is not in control of things. 00:19:40.720 --> 00:19:42.079 We see God is. 00:19:44.160 --> 00:19:54.559 So as disturbances come along the way for us, as disturbs disturbances rise up as things come, and these are just a couple of examples. 00:19:54.960 --> 00:20:02.319 As things come along the way, what we need to be reminded of and what we need to know is that God is in control. 00:20:03.920 --> 00:20:07.759 Again, Tony Marita sums up like this. 00:20:09.119 --> 00:20:13.599 This story shows how we advance the kingdom of Christ. 00:20:14.240 --> 00:20:18.960 It's not by weapons, force, or violence. 00:20:19.759 --> 00:20:21.920 Paul preaches the gospel. 00:20:22.559 --> 00:20:32.319 People get converted, they renounce sin and idolatry, and by the power of the Spirit, the whole social order is impacted. 00:20:33.039 --> 00:20:37.279 Don't underestimate the power of the gospel. 00:20:37.920 --> 00:20:44.160 He is exalting Christ in cities filled with idols. 00:20:44.799 --> 00:20:47.359 What are we to do with this message? 00:20:48.319 --> 00:20:50.000 Here's the challenge. 00:20:51.759 --> 00:20:55.599 Be witnesses of the kingdom of God. 00:20:56.799 --> 00:20:58.880 Tell people about Jesus. 00:21:00.079 --> 00:21:01.039 This morning. 00:21:04.880 --> 00:21:21.599 Listen, if you've never trusted Christ as your Savior, if you don't know this Christ that we're talking about, who is able to remove disturbances, or even if he doesn't remove them, to be in control of every situation where disturbances arise, today you can know him. 00:21:22.240 --> 00:21:28.559 He came, he lived, he died, he arose so that you may have life. 00:21:29.920 --> 00:21:33.599 If you don't know him, as we stand and sing, we invite you to come. 00:21:34.480 --> 00:21:49.039 Or maybe this morning, and here's one of my great fears is while disturbances can come from outside the church, may they never come from inside. 00:21:50.880 --> 00:21:52.400 Maybe this morning. 00:21:53.279 --> 00:22:02.960 Maybe this morning, if you recognize that there are disturbances in your life that you You have caused, that you have brought on. 00:22:03.759 --> 00:22:06.240 Maybe this morning you need to repent. 00:22:06.960 --> 00:22:10.240 Come and kneel at this altar and cry out to God. 00:22:10.559 --> 00:22:13.599 As we stand and sing, we invite you to do that. 00:22:14.079 --> 00:22:16.720 However, God is moving in your life. 00:22:16.960 --> 00:22:20.720 As we stand and sing this hymn of invitation, we invite you to come. 00:22:21.039 --> 00:22:22.640 Let's pray together. 00:22:23.680 --> 00:22:25.200 God, you are good. 00:22:26.480 --> 00:22:28.400 We thank you for this day. 00:22:28.960 --> 00:22:30.799 We thank you for all you've done for us. 00:22:30.960 --> 00:22:33.680 We thank you for how you are moving among us. 00:22:34.400 --> 00:22:38.960 But God, we recognize that there can be disturbances along the way. 00:22:40.000 --> 00:22:46.960 God, as we meet those disturbances, may we do like Paul and like these believers. 00:22:49.200 --> 00:22:50.880 And just trust in you. 00:22:51.920 --> 00:22:53.839 Trust that you are in control. 00:22:55.839 --> 00:22:59.200 May we be witnesses to the kingdom of God. 00:23:00.240 --> 00:23:01.519 We love you. 00:23:01.839 --> 00:23:04.400 Jesus, it's in your name that we pray. 00:23:04.799 --> 00:23:05.440 Amen. 00:23:06.799 --> 00:23:08.960 Thanks for listening to this week's sermon. 00:23:09.119 --> 00:23:15.039 If you have any questions for our pastor, feel free to reach out at DeSoto Hills.com.