WEBVTT 00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:02.319 I suppose I should say bienvenidos a todos. 00:00:02.879 --> 00:00:03.439 Yeah? 00:00:04.080 --> 00:00:06.400 I don't speak Spanish all that well. 00:00:06.639 --> 00:00:08.000 Took it in high school. 00:00:08.320 --> 00:00:10.000 Pero, kidney. 00:00:11.279 --> 00:00:13.759 Quiero aprender español. 00:00:13.919 --> 00:00:14.960 I want to learn Spanish, okay? 00:00:15.039 --> 00:00:16.559 So I need somebody's help to do that. 00:00:16.719 --> 00:00:17.280 Alright. 00:00:17.519 --> 00:00:18.640 Hey, welcome to church. 00:00:18.719 --> 00:00:19.839 We're back in the book of Acts. 00:00:19.920 --> 00:00:25.120 Uh I echo everything that Kyle said about Osvaldo and his leadership in worship. 00:00:25.440 --> 00:00:28.800 Osvaldo, you make me love Jesus more, if you can hear me. 00:00:29.359 --> 00:00:32.479 I love worshiping under your leadership, man. 00:00:32.719 --> 00:00:35.039 I want to worship Jesus like David, dancing. 00:00:35.200 --> 00:00:36.159 I love it. 00:00:37.520 --> 00:00:38.880 I'm thankful for you. 00:00:39.280 --> 00:00:42.159 Okay, all that to say, we're back in the book of Acts today. 00:00:42.240 --> 00:00:43.759 We had baptism last week. 00:00:43.840 --> 00:00:48.640 How incredible was that! Man, what a cool service we got to watch. 00:00:49.039 --> 00:00:50.640 But we're back in the book of Acts today. 00:00:50.719 --> 00:00:53.520 So you can, I'm just gonna uh tell you where we're going. 00:00:53.679 --> 00:00:57.600 Acts chapter 13, but we're gonna start in the last verse of chapter 12. 00:00:57.679 --> 00:01:03.520 So you if you have your Bibles, and I hope you do, you can start uh turning there, and we're gonna read that here in a minute. 00:01:03.679 --> 00:01:05.760 Uh but we're back in the book of Acts today. 00:01:06.400 --> 00:01:07.519 This week has been crazy. 00:01:07.599 --> 00:01:12.719 I've learned that every time Kyle asks me to preach, stuff goes wild for me in my life. 00:01:12.959 --> 00:01:25.280 Okay, so like I show up on Friday and they're for an event that was here, and just like tons of stuff was just different, and like with the AVL system, and I'm just running around with my hair on fire trying to figure out what's going on. 00:01:25.359 --> 00:01:26.719 And and I don't know what happened. 00:01:26.799 --> 00:01:29.680 Like, maybe somebody was just walking through clicking buttons for fun. 00:01:29.840 --> 00:01:32.879 Um, if that was you, let's talk after the service. 00:01:33.120 --> 00:01:36.079 Um I'm kind of kidding. 00:01:36.239 --> 00:01:47.920 Um but no, that happened, and then also on Thursday, our air conditioning unit broke at our house, which is it's fine because it's only a thousand degrees outside lately. 00:01:48.159 --> 00:01:51.120 So we luckily we have a backstop in our life. 00:01:51.200 --> 00:01:56.079 We're staying at my in-law's house whose air conditioning is running, and that helps us sleep at night, which is great. 00:01:56.239 --> 00:02:08.159 Uh, but I was, as we were there, the first night we were there, uh Griffin woke up in the middle of the night and was, it's the kind of thing where you fall asleep in a place where you're unfamiliar with, or like you forgot that you're not in your own bed. 00:02:08.240 --> 00:02:09.360 Have you ever had that before? 00:02:09.599 --> 00:02:15.439 I think that happened to him because he woke up at midnight and was just like in the hallway, crisscross applesauce, crying. 00:02:15.599 --> 00:02:25.360 And he's all the way upstairs, I'm all the way downstairs, and so I hear it on the monitor and I run upstairs, and when I get to the middle level, I start talking, and Griffin, hey, it's all right, buddy, I'm with you. 00:02:25.520 --> 00:02:28.960 And immediately when I start talking, he was fine. 00:02:29.120 --> 00:02:32.319 And it was all good, and we went back to bed and everything was fine. 00:02:32.479 --> 00:02:42.000 And as I'm thinking of that, what caused him to stop crying and feel comfort and feel like, okay, everything's alright, is not just the words I was saying. 00:02:42.159 --> 00:02:46.319 It's not just uh the words coming out of my mouth that it's okay. 00:02:46.400 --> 00:02:51.680 If he was in the hallway crying and he heard some random voice, hey Griffin, it's okay. 00:02:52.080 --> 00:02:58.800 He might quiet down for a second, but obviously is not gonna feel safe in peace and at home. 00:02:59.680 --> 00:03:03.039 He was comforted because he knows my voice, right? 00:03:03.599 --> 00:03:10.159 And what we see in the passage today is a church who is well familiar with the voice of the Holy Spirit. 00:03:10.400 --> 00:03:15.759 They know when the Spirit is speaking, and they are immediately obedient. 00:03:15.840 --> 00:03:22.560 We're gonna see a church that is sold out, surrendered to following the leadership of the Holy Spirit, and that's because they know his voice. 00:03:22.639 --> 00:03:23.840 And I pray that's true for us. 00:03:24.000 --> 00:03:28.960 I pray that we would be able to hear and recognize the voice of our good shepherd. 00:03:29.680 --> 00:03:35.360 So let's dive into this passage again, Acts uh 12 25 through 13 12. 00:03:35.599 --> 00:03:38.159 If you've got it open in your Bibles, say I'm there. 00:03:38.879 --> 00:03:39.759 Okay, that's good. 00:03:39.840 --> 00:03:41.520 That's a little bit better than last time. 00:03:41.759 --> 00:03:43.360 Uh we got more people with Bibles. 00:03:43.599 --> 00:03:46.159 By the way, if you don't have a Bible, we have free Bibles. 00:03:46.319 --> 00:03:48.879 Okay, so talk to somebody at our info booth. 00:03:49.039 --> 00:03:50.000 We've got free Bibles. 00:03:50.080 --> 00:03:52.479 We also have these Acts journals that everyone's going through. 00:03:52.560 --> 00:03:56.400 It's got the words on one side and a pay a place for notes on the other. 00:03:56.560 --> 00:03:58.159 Those are available out in the lobby. 00:03:58.240 --> 00:04:04.080 But let's dive into this and then we'll pray and we'll unpack what the Lord is communicating to us today. 00:04:04.400 --> 00:04:06.080 Acts chapter 12, verse 25. 00:04:06.319 --> 00:04:14.240 And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had completed their service, bringing with them John, whose other name was Mark. 00:04:14.800 --> 00:04:16.160 Chapter 13. 00:04:16.480 --> 00:04:20.319 Now they were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers. 00:04:20.560 --> 00:04:32.399 Barnabas, Simeon, who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Menaeon, a lifelong friend of Herod the a lifelong friend of Herod the Tetrarch, and Saul. 00:04:32.879 --> 00:04:41.519 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them. 00:04:41.759 --> 00:04:46.000 Then, after fasting and praying, they laid their hands on them and sent them off. 00:04:46.399 --> 00:04:54.319 So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. 00:04:54.560 --> 00:05:02.079 When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews, and they had John to assist them. 00:05:02.240 --> 00:05:11.519 When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they came upon a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar Jesus. 00:05:12.079 --> 00:05:20.399 He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. 00:05:20.720 --> 00:05:28.720 But Elimas, the magician, for that is the meaning of his name, opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. 00:05:28.959 --> 00:05:46.240 But Paul, who was also but Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him and said, You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? 00:05:46.959 --> 00:05:53.199 And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time. 00:05:53.360 --> 00:05:59.199 Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand. 00:05:59.759 --> 00:06:06.879 Then the proconsul believed when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord. 00:06:07.839 --> 00:06:08.800 Let's pray. 00:06:10.240 --> 00:06:14.079 Holy Spirit, we pray that you would speak clearly here among us. 00:06:15.040 --> 00:06:33.199 As we pursue you, as we read your word, as we learn about your action here, I pray that you would translate that to our lives, that you would do the work of teaching us how to be different and how we should change our ways, repent, and turn to you to look more and more like Jesus. 00:06:33.519 --> 00:06:35.199 We pray this in Jesus' name. 00:06:35.519 --> 00:06:36.160 Amen. 00:06:36.720 --> 00:06:39.360 Alright, so let's talk about this here for a second. 00:06:39.600 --> 00:06:41.120 I don't know if you know this. 00:06:41.279 --> 00:06:42.319 Well, let me just start here. 00:06:42.480 --> 00:06:46.399 Have you ever had a friend who tells you a story with all the wrong details first? 00:06:47.040 --> 00:06:58.319 And they spend all this time talking about details that don't really matter to you, and then they realize that they've been talking for a little too long, and so they just like skip through the important parts. 00:06:58.720 --> 00:07:00.399 It's probably your mother-in-law. 00:07:00.560 --> 00:07:01.439 I'm just kidding. 00:07:01.759 --> 00:07:02.879 Just joking. 00:07:03.519 --> 00:07:04.560 Just joking. 00:07:04.879 --> 00:07:07.040 Love a good mother-in-law joke. 00:07:07.680 --> 00:07:08.560 I'm joking. 00:07:08.879 --> 00:07:11.199 Joy, if you're watching, I'm joking. 00:07:13.439 --> 00:07:17.439 But that's how I read this passage, or at least verses one through three. 00:07:18.959 --> 00:07:21.600 Like when I get to heaven, I feel like I say this every time I preach. 00:07:21.759 --> 00:07:25.040 When I get to heaven and I see Luke, I'm gonna be like, dude, you are a brilliant writer. 00:07:25.120 --> 00:07:35.600 But Acts 13, 1 through 3, why did you talk about the details you talked about and not expect like you didn't want to take another sentence to talk about this other? 00:07:35.920 --> 00:07:37.839 Like, let me just let's think about this. 00:07:38.160 --> 00:07:48.319 He went through a lot of times talking about nicknames, cities of origin, upbringing of the people who, by the way, may or may not be related to the the what comes after. 00:07:49.199 --> 00:07:52.480 Think about this phrase, while they were worshiping the Lord and fasting. 00:07:52.639 --> 00:07:52.959 Okay? 00:07:53.199 --> 00:07:57.040 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, did they do this every day? 00:07:58.160 --> 00:08:00.480 Was this at their monthly encounter nights? 00:08:00.800 --> 00:08:03.120 Was this at their annual church conference? 00:08:03.360 --> 00:08:06.160 But he talked about the prophets and teachers at the very beginning. 00:08:06.240 --> 00:08:08.879 So was this just with the prophets and teachers? 00:08:09.279 --> 00:08:11.519 Like, did this happen at a church staff meeting? 00:08:11.680 --> 00:08:14.319 Is that where I need more details? 00:08:15.600 --> 00:08:27.439 The Holy Spirit said, the Holy Spirit said, said audibly to everyone through the prophets who were there, through a reading of the Old Testament. 00:08:27.600 --> 00:08:29.120 Like, what do you mean? 00:08:29.199 --> 00:08:36.480 I I want more detail about what the Holy Spirit said, not the fact that so-and-so was brought up with Herod the Tetrarch. 00:08:36.960 --> 00:08:38.480 I've got questions. 00:08:40.080 --> 00:08:42.320 After the this one's super interesting. 00:08:42.639 --> 00:08:47.440 So after they fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off. 00:08:48.000 --> 00:08:51.039 We've done missionary send-offs here on this stage. 00:08:51.360 --> 00:08:59.600 And as I would describe that, if I were Luke, I would say we placed our hands on them, then we prayed, and then we sent them off. 00:09:00.240 --> 00:09:03.679 Just imagine, step into my imagination here for a second. 00:09:04.080 --> 00:09:10.480 They prayed and fasted, then they were like, put their hands on them and just leave. 00:09:10.720 --> 00:09:11.600 Like, what does that mean? 00:09:11.759 --> 00:09:13.440 Did they pray for them while they put their hands on them? 00:09:13.600 --> 00:09:16.799 Was this a thing that they always do for the people they send out? 00:09:17.039 --> 00:09:18.159 What does this mean? 00:09:18.320 --> 00:09:23.679 I'm looking for more of a detailed description because I want to apply the details to my life. 00:09:24.639 --> 00:09:26.399 But here's the fact of the matter. 00:09:26.559 --> 00:09:32.720 Verses one through three, it's a vague description of exactly the kind of church I want to be a part of. 00:09:33.200 --> 00:09:39.600 Because all we know from this passage, we don't know exactly how the Spirit spoke to them. 00:09:40.639 --> 00:09:44.799 We don't know how long it took them to obey. 00:09:45.519 --> 00:09:47.279 We don't have much detail about this. 00:09:47.440 --> 00:09:51.039 All we know is that obedience followed the word of the Holy Spirit. 00:09:51.600 --> 00:09:55.279 All we know is that when God spoke, the people obeyed. 00:09:55.360 --> 00:09:58.480 They didn't negotiate with God, according to this text. 00:09:58.799 --> 00:10:01.840 I mean, God asked them to separate Barnabas and Saul. 00:10:01.919 --> 00:10:04.000 These are two key leaders of the church. 00:10:04.240 --> 00:10:08.879 They didn't go, hey, okay, God, that's really cool advice, but maybe we just send Barnabas. 00:10:09.200 --> 00:10:10.960 Uh, or maybe we just send Saul. 00:10:11.120 --> 00:10:15.759 Saul can go alone because if Barnabas goes, he's gonna take his cousin John, John Mark. 00:10:15.840 --> 00:10:17.919 So we don't want to lose all three of those guys. 00:10:18.159 --> 00:10:22.639 Like, they didn't bargain with the Lord, they didn't drag their feet in obeying him. 00:10:22.799 --> 00:10:27.840 All we know from this passage is that the Spirit speaks and the people obey. 00:10:27.919 --> 00:10:30.000 And I pray that that's true of our church. 00:10:30.240 --> 00:10:32.799 I pray that's true of us as an organization. 00:10:33.039 --> 00:10:35.919 I pray that that's true of me as an individual. 00:10:36.080 --> 00:10:39.200 When the Spirit speaks, the people obey. 00:10:40.000 --> 00:10:42.480 These were people who, I mean, think about it. 00:10:42.799 --> 00:10:48.480 They had to be well familiar with the voice of God, with the Spirit speaking among them. 00:10:49.600 --> 00:10:54.480 Because if it was like audibly to everybody, that would have been normal and part of what they did. 00:10:54.799 --> 00:10:55.840 We don't know that. 00:10:56.080 --> 00:11:07.519 If it was through one of the prophets, which is the likely answer, one of the prophets among them said, Hey, the Lord is telling me this, that would have been normal among them, and the people wouldn't have had any thoughts or questions. 00:11:07.759 --> 00:11:17.759 Man, are we familiar enough with the speaking of the Holy Spirit that we as a church would be like, if God said, Hey, separate from me Kyle and Stephen for the work I have for them? 00:11:18.080 --> 00:11:21.519 Would we have the trust in God to say, Alright, let's send them out. 00:11:21.679 --> 00:11:22.720 Let's do it. 00:11:23.360 --> 00:11:25.200 Would we have the ability to trust? 00:11:25.519 --> 00:11:27.360 Think about it as an individual. 00:11:27.679 --> 00:11:36.720 If the Lord said to you, separate from me your finances, separate from unto me this aspect of your life. 00:11:36.960 --> 00:11:40.799 Do we have the trust to say, yes, God, you you can have all of it? 00:11:42.159 --> 00:11:47.279 And send away key leaders and all in all of that, like what we saw in the passage. 00:11:48.960 --> 00:11:55.759 What we see in these first three verses is a fully surrendered, no hesitation, obedient church. 00:11:56.000 --> 00:11:57.759 So we keep moving in the story. 00:11:58.000 --> 00:11:59.440 Verses 4 through 12. 00:11:59.600 --> 00:12:05.120 Guided by the Spirit, Barnabas and Saul and John go to the island of Cyprus. 00:12:05.360 --> 00:12:11.440 Now, I love biblical geography because it's so different than the geography we're used to as Americans. 00:12:12.000 --> 00:12:16.720 I always thought, growing up, of like the missionary journeys of Paul. 00:12:16.960 --> 00:12:24.480 That's what we're talking about in this passage, is kind of the beginning of his first missionary journey of the Apostle Paul. 00:12:24.879 --> 00:12:28.559 I always thought of those as like big, giant, international. 00:12:28.799 --> 00:12:35.519 He spent long time going to this faraway land where they didn't speak the language and all of this stuff. 00:12:37.120 --> 00:12:42.000 But Antioch to Cyprus and where they went is about 140 to 150 miles. 00:12:42.720 --> 00:12:48.320 Like in the in the geography of this story, they were sent from Antioch. 00:12:48.639 --> 00:12:50.960 It would be like going from Denver to Buena Vista. 00:12:51.120 --> 00:12:52.320 Or Buena Vista. 00:12:52.399 --> 00:12:54.639 Sorry for you, Buena Vista folks. 00:12:55.120 --> 00:13:01.440 It's like their whole journey is Denver to BV and then go to Grand Junction and take the long way home. 00:13:01.519 --> 00:13:02.320 That's the route. 00:13:02.559 --> 00:13:06.480 Paul's first missionary journey wouldn't have even left, leave Colorado. 00:13:06.799 --> 00:13:19.039 This feels a lot like an RWYA missions trip, more than like this massive international move, because the first thing we see is they get to the island, and where do they go first? 00:13:19.600 --> 00:13:20.799 To the synagogues. 00:13:21.039 --> 00:13:23.440 They go to the synagogues to preach the gospel message. 00:13:23.600 --> 00:13:33.200 I was reading a commentary that talked about this as a uh this was actually a strategy of this missions trip to go to the synagogues first. 00:13:33.360 --> 00:13:47.519 Obviously, if you read Romans, Paul talks about the gospel being first for the Jew, then for the Gentile, and there's theological things there, but this actually could have been a missions strategy that they're gonna go to the people who are most receptive to their message. 00:13:47.759 --> 00:13:49.279 They're gonna go to the synagogues. 00:13:49.360 --> 00:13:49.679 Why? 00:13:49.840 --> 00:13:55.840 Because the synagogues are filled with people who already believe and affirm the Old Testament scriptures. 00:13:56.080 --> 00:14:04.480 They already affirm the Messiah that they're looking for, they already affirm all the foundation of our belief, which is the Old Testament. 00:14:04.639 --> 00:14:10.399 And so all they have to do is go to the synagogues and preach the gospel message that Jesus is the Messiah they're looking for. 00:14:12.240 --> 00:14:18.000 Paul and Barnabas sought out first the people who would be most likely to receive their gospel message. 00:14:18.240 --> 00:14:23.519 Have you thought about in your life through that lens, the people who don't know Jesus? 00:14:23.759 --> 00:14:24.720 That you know? 00:14:24.960 --> 00:14:38.320 Have you thought through that lens and looked at maybe your list of friends who don't know Jesus and you go, man, have you thought about who's most likely to receive, who's most open to that conversation and go there first? 00:14:39.120 --> 00:14:53.039 I hadn't thought about that that way, and that's something that the Spirit pointed out in my life of man, think about the people who are most likely, who are already open to the gospel conversations and go and take the gospel to them. 00:14:54.559 --> 00:15:05.120 So as they go and as they're moving across the island of Cyprus, they encounter a man named Bar Jesus, meaning son of Jesus or Son of Joshua. 00:15:05.440 --> 00:15:11.919 One commentary I was reading called that name or title to be, it would have been understood as son of the Savior. 00:15:12.879 --> 00:15:16.399 I'm guessing, we don't know it from the text, it's not explicit in the text. 00:15:16.480 --> 00:15:23.759 I'm guessing that this man, this Jewish magician, is in some ways tying himself. 00:15:23.919 --> 00:15:28.639 He's riding on the coattails of this thing that's happening in Judea through a guy named Jesus. 00:15:29.440 --> 00:15:35.759 He's he's right, he's tying his horse and trying to tag along, but what he's doing is twisting the truth. 00:15:36.480 --> 00:15:46.799 And the reason that he was able to have, like you think of Jewish magician, why on earth would they have any sort of influence with the regional leader on the island of Cyprus? 00:15:47.840 --> 00:15:53.440 Roman culture would have held Jews in high esteem on spiritual matters. 00:15:54.159 --> 00:16:02.960 In the Roman pantheon of gods and all of their different gods that they worship, they would have held the God of the Jews as somewhat legitimate. 00:16:03.200 --> 00:16:11.200 They wouldn't obviously hold him as the only and true God, but they would say, oh, you know, the Jewish people and their form of worship, they have they got something to say. 00:16:11.519 --> 00:16:13.360 When they speak, we should listen. 00:16:14.320 --> 00:16:17.200 And so that's why he might have gained steam. 00:16:17.279 --> 00:16:25.759 His message might have gained steam among the Romans and among the Roman world, but he would twist that through deception. 00:16:25.919 --> 00:16:27.039 He would twist that through. 00:16:27.120 --> 00:16:29.679 He was a magician, a sorcerer. 00:16:29.840 --> 00:16:34.639 Now, he likely wouldn't have been like a rabbit out of the hat kind of guy. 00:16:34.879 --> 00:16:39.360 He wouldn't have been the you know the sleight of hand what you see in in Las Vegas. 00:16:39.679 --> 00:16:50.720 He probably would have would have functioned more like an occult leader with Jewish roots, who has wild claims about God, and people hear these wild claims and go, ooh, he must know what he's talking about. 00:16:52.159 --> 00:16:56.799 I don't know if that sounds relatable to anything happening today, but maybe not. 00:16:59.200 --> 00:17:14.240 Barnabas and Saul, they they receive the opposition to their message because the true gospel that they're preaching, that they're bringing to the island, the truth of God, actually undermines what this man, Bar Jesus, is saying. 00:17:14.559 --> 00:17:19.119 It undermines, and really what that means is it undermines his position. 00:17:19.839 --> 00:17:29.039 One of the commentaries I was reading had this to say about maybe Bar Jesus' uh motivations for this, for opposing them. 00:17:29.200 --> 00:17:34.000 He said, Two reasons people oppose the gospel are pride and materialism. 00:17:34.400 --> 00:17:48.240 Many people arrogantly refuse to admit they are wrong, they refuse to humbly repent and say the gospel is true and salvation is in Christ alone, and many others refuse to give up their materialistic lifestyles to follow the path of discipleship. 00:17:48.480 --> 00:17:55.359 The gospel confronts idols, and when collisions happen, heated opposition sometimes ensues. 00:17:57.119 --> 00:17:59.680 It's kind of like in Lord of the Rings. 00:17:59.920 --> 00:18:00.240 Okay? 00:18:00.480 --> 00:18:02.319 I'm just kidding, I won't go there. 00:18:02.640 --> 00:18:06.400 I can feel my wife's eyes rolling somewhere. 00:18:07.119 --> 00:18:08.799 But it actually is like part of the story. 00:18:08.880 --> 00:18:10.960 You can ask me in the lobby and I'll tell you. 00:18:12.640 --> 00:18:14.640 Paul confronts this opposition. 00:18:14.799 --> 00:18:24.400 Now, listen, in our day and age, in our day and age and in our culture, in Western society, it's easy for us to view confrontation as bad. 00:18:26.319 --> 00:18:28.400 Paul sounds really judgmental right there. 00:18:28.559 --> 00:18:30.000 Who's he to judge? 00:18:30.559 --> 00:18:39.839 And we can think that speaking the truth and coming in opposition to people who oppose the truth can be this like bad thing that we shouldn't do. 00:18:39.920 --> 00:18:41.680 Oh, and there's no way Jesus would do that. 00:18:41.839 --> 00:18:43.359 Jesus was loving. 00:18:45.119 --> 00:18:53.519 But Luke is very intentional in pointing out the fact that Paul is empowered and filled with the Holy Spirit before he speaks this judgment. 00:18:54.000 --> 00:18:57.359 Before he opposes the one opposing them. 00:18:57.519 --> 00:19:05.279 He's filled with the Spirit, and the Spirit is the motivator of his words and his judgment and his harsh word. 00:19:05.519 --> 00:19:11.200 The the first, there's two reasons I think that this harsh word is included in this passage. 00:19:11.279 --> 00:19:12.559 It serves two purposes. 00:19:12.720 --> 00:19:18.240 First, it's another reminder that Paul is being led by the Spirit. 00:19:20.079 --> 00:19:29.200 Because if if that wasn't in there, it would be easy for us to go, oh man, we just need to be harsh against the people who judge us or the people who oppose us. 00:19:29.279 --> 00:19:32.559 We need to pronounce judgment and cause blindness. 00:19:33.200 --> 00:19:34.880 That's not the call of the passage. 00:19:35.039 --> 00:19:36.400 Let me be clear. 00:19:37.359 --> 00:19:46.160 The call of the passage is the reminder that Paul is filled with the Holy Spirit, even in the words that he's saying in confrontation. 00:19:47.119 --> 00:19:48.400 He's filled with the Spirit. 00:19:48.480 --> 00:19:51.119 He's obedient to what the Spirit is telling him to say. 00:19:51.279 --> 00:19:57.920 The second reason I think this exists is that it's a miraculous sign that God opposes those who are against him. 00:19:58.400 --> 00:20:03.680 And this miraculous sign causes this man of influence, the proconsul, to believe the truth. 00:20:03.920 --> 00:20:10.240 It gives legitimacy to the gospel message that Paul and Barnabas and Mark are bringing to the island. 00:20:10.400 --> 00:20:13.680 So let's just recap the story here, real quick. 00:20:15.039 --> 00:20:22.079 Paul uh sends out, or the church sends out Paul and Barnabas, who bring Mark with them. 00:20:22.559 --> 00:20:31.519 They go to Cyprus, they preach the gospel in the synagogue, their message gains traction, so much so that they're summoned to the regional leader. 00:20:32.480 --> 00:20:45.759 As they're preaching to him, the man comes against them, Bar Jesus comes against them, and they cause blindness, harsh message, and then the proconsul is moved, if you noticed it, by the message. 00:20:46.160 --> 00:20:51.119 He's moved by the word of their testimony, and he believes the gospel. 00:20:52.640 --> 00:20:55.759 So what do we do with this for us here today? 00:20:56.079 --> 00:21:00.880 Obviously, the call is not to just like, you know, cause blindness in people who oppose us. 00:21:02.240 --> 00:21:07.680 This passage isn't just an outline for how churches should send out missionaries. 00:21:08.799 --> 00:21:12.799 I think what we're gonna see is three targets, and here's why I say targets. 00:21:12.960 --> 00:21:21.839 Recently I've had uh the opportunity to go with my dad to a shooting range, a gun range, and I'm telling you, it is so fun to aim at something and hit it. 00:21:22.079 --> 00:21:23.440 It's a blast. 00:21:23.759 --> 00:21:25.119 Pun intended. 00:21:26.160 --> 00:21:27.440 It's a blast. 00:21:27.920 --> 00:21:29.039 I love doing it. 00:21:29.200 --> 00:21:36.240 And let me tell you something, when I first went to the range with my dad, and I've got this little 22, and we're just plinking around and aiming at a target. 00:21:36.640 --> 00:21:42.400 When I hit the bullseye, I didn't go, I've achieved target shooting. 00:21:42.960 --> 00:21:44.079 All done. 00:21:44.240 --> 00:21:48.079 There's no need to ever do that again because I have hit the target. 00:21:48.480 --> 00:21:53.119 No, I hit the target and was like, I want to do that every time I pull the trigger. 00:21:53.279 --> 00:21:54.559 I want to do that every day. 00:21:54.640 --> 00:21:58.240 That is so much fun to hit what you're aiming at. 00:21:58.319 --> 00:21:59.759 I think Paul even uses this. 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:02.960 Analogy in the New Testament in 2 Corinthians 5. 00:22:03.279 --> 00:22:14.240 He's talking about whether we're in heaven with God or away from home in our bodies, and he says, whether we're at home in heaven with God or whether we're away, we make it our aim to please him. 00:22:14.640 --> 00:22:23.279 And so I want to take that concept and from this passage pull out three targets that we can put up in our lives and aim at every day. 00:22:25.039 --> 00:22:32.400 Because the fact of the matter is this passage calls us to more than just, hey, let's create this system at our church of how we send out missionaries. 00:22:32.559 --> 00:22:36.400 It calls us to more than just, I'm going to think about this once and move on. 00:22:36.799 --> 00:22:42.880 This passage calls us to a lifestyle change, which is surrender to the Holy Spirit. 00:22:43.119 --> 00:22:49.359 The first target that I want to paint in our lives is the Spirit. 00:22:49.440 --> 00:22:50.400 How do I say it on here? 00:22:50.720 --> 00:22:53.440 The Spirit will guide my worship and prayer. 00:22:54.799 --> 00:22:57.119 The Spirit will guide my worship and prayer. 00:22:57.440 --> 00:22:59.519 Write that down if you're a note taker. 00:23:00.079 --> 00:23:02.400 Take a picture of it if you want to with your phone. 00:23:03.440 --> 00:23:12.000 I want that to be the bullseye in my life that as I pray, as I worship, the spirit is guiding all of it. 00:23:14.240 --> 00:23:19.519 Romans talks about where when we don't know what to pray, the Spirit prays for us. 00:23:20.079 --> 00:23:22.000 He'll tell us what to pray. 00:23:22.240 --> 00:23:34.079 When you come to pray and worship, when you pray in this room in our weekly gathering, when you pray and there's a prayer time, or maybe we say pray silently. 00:23:34.799 --> 00:23:40.400 I would guess that plenty of people, myself included, sometimes are going, I don't really know what to pray right now. 00:23:40.720 --> 00:23:44.000 Did you know that the God of heaven has opinions on what you should pray for? 00:23:44.720 --> 00:23:46.960 Did you know that he guides our prayer? 00:23:47.119 --> 00:23:48.559 He guides our worship? 00:23:49.920 --> 00:23:52.559 The spirit is the guide of all that we do. 00:23:52.640 --> 00:23:58.240 We see this as an institution in the passages, they send out all and bargain. 00:24:00.799 --> 00:24:04.160 No hesitation, no bargaining, no delay. 00:24:06.079 --> 00:24:07.759 They obey as a church. 00:24:10.160 --> 00:24:16.400 And honestly, the more I think about it, I'm glad that there's not a specificity to that whole part of the passage. 00:24:16.960 --> 00:24:19.680 Because if there was, we would again just create this system. 00:24:19.920 --> 00:24:22.720 This is how we do it, and we're never going to think about it again. 00:24:23.599 --> 00:24:28.720 The passage forces us to go, wow, the spirit guided their worship as a church. 00:24:28.960 --> 00:24:31.920 I hope that the spirit's guiding our worship as a church. 00:24:33.440 --> 00:24:39.519 That's target number one as a church, as an as uh an organization, but we also see it as individuals. 00:24:39.920 --> 00:24:42.319 These men are separated unto the spirit. 00:24:42.480 --> 00:24:50.000 If you read different versions of the Bible, the set apart for me Paul and Barnabas when the Spirit speaks in their worship. 00:24:50.559 --> 00:24:54.720 So many other versions of the Bible will say separate for me. 00:24:55.200 --> 00:24:57.839 Separate for me Paul and Barnabas. 00:24:59.279 --> 00:25:03.680 What does it mean to be a person who is separated unto the Spirit? 00:25:05.440 --> 00:25:09.359 Kyle gave me a book this week by a guy named Andrew Murray. 00:25:09.440 --> 00:25:11.599 He was talking about this exact thing, and here's what he said. 00:25:11.839 --> 00:25:21.519 A person who is separated unto the Holy Spirit is one who can and does sincerely say, Father, may the Holy Spirit have full dominion over me. 00:25:21.759 --> 00:25:33.039 In my home, in my character, in every word of my tongue, in every thought of my heart, in the feeling towards my fellow man, in every feeling towards my fellow man. 00:25:33.920 --> 00:25:37.680 May the Holy Spirit have entire possession. 00:25:39.039 --> 00:25:41.519 That was true of Paul Barbara in the story. 00:25:42.000 --> 00:25:45.920 They were fully surrendered when the Spirit speaks. 00:26:05.039 --> 00:26:07.759 Again, not a lot of details in this passage. 00:26:08.079 --> 00:26:12.240 When the Spirit says, separate from me Paul and Barnabas, I don't know that. 00:26:12.960 --> 00:26:14.799 Did they even know where they were going? 00:26:15.680 --> 00:26:17.279 Did they know they were going to Cyprus? 00:26:17.359 --> 00:26:23.119 Because the Spirit didn't say, hey, separate Paul and Barnabas because I'm sending them to this place to do this thing and do that. 00:26:23.759 --> 00:26:26.160 He said, separate me unto them. 00:26:26.240 --> 00:26:27.839 And the Spirit is the guide. 00:26:27.920 --> 00:26:32.400 In the next verse in verse 4, being sent by the Spirit. 00:26:32.559 --> 00:26:36.480 The Spirit is with them as they go, telling them where to go next. 00:26:36.880 --> 00:26:38.880 The Spirit is the guide for their journey. 00:26:38.960 --> 00:26:42.079 And man, I want that to be true of our life. 00:26:42.480 --> 00:26:44.240 I've shared this before from stage. 00:26:44.720 --> 00:26:46.799 I come from a family of pastors. 00:26:46.960 --> 00:26:51.279 It's kind of weird, but like my grandpa was a pastor, my dad's a pastor, I'm a big pastor. 00:26:51.519 --> 00:26:54.079 And I remember my grandpa telling me a story. 00:26:54.319 --> 00:27:02.160 He was an army chaplain on an army base, and he was saying, Man, we were out there and we just were seeing revival on our army base. 00:27:02.720 --> 00:27:04.880 The Lord was working in incredible ways. 00:27:05.200 --> 00:27:13.440 He said, One day I'm on base, driving from my house to this other side of the base, and I just felt the spirit say, pull over your car. 00:27:14.160 --> 00:27:16.960 He's like, pull over my car. 00:27:17.519 --> 00:27:18.480 Okay, I guess I will. 00:27:18.559 --> 00:27:20.079 And so he pulls over to the side of the road. 00:27:20.720 --> 00:27:29.119 And a couple minutes later, the private is walking, walking from one side of the base to the other, and he goes, Hey, you're the preacher, aren't you? 00:27:29.359 --> 00:27:30.319 You're the chaplain. 00:27:30.559 --> 00:27:32.480 I want to give my life to Jesus. 00:27:33.039 --> 00:27:35.119 Don't you wish it was that easy? 00:27:36.160 --> 00:27:39.440 My grandpa told me that story, and I was like, dang, dude. 00:27:40.000 --> 00:27:41.440 I wish it was that easy. 00:27:41.680 --> 00:27:42.880 It's incredible. 00:27:43.200 --> 00:27:52.640 The point of that, for me, as I reflect on that story, is that my grandpa was obedient to the Lord literally in his whereabouts. 00:27:55.519 --> 00:27:57.599 The Spirit said, pull over and you pulled over. 00:27:58.319 --> 00:28:00.319 I don't have to have answers for why. 00:28:00.559 --> 00:28:02.319 I don't have to know all the reasonings. 00:28:02.400 --> 00:28:08.559 I didn't, hey, the Spirit didn't say, hey, pull over because this other person's going to come up and give their life to Jesus, and I've got a plan for that. 00:28:08.880 --> 00:28:09.839 He said, pull over. 00:28:10.559 --> 00:28:13.200 And he was open to the work that God had brought in. 00:28:13.440 --> 00:28:15.759 And I pray that that's true for me. 00:28:16.000 --> 00:28:17.119 I pray that's true for you. 00:28:17.279 --> 00:28:19.279 I pray that's true for us as a church. 00:28:22.240 --> 00:28:27.519 The last target that I want to hang for us here today. 00:28:28.559 --> 00:28:30.799 Spirit will guide my word. 00:28:33.519 --> 00:28:43.279 Paul and Barnabas went to the synagogues as they went to the different places around the island of sure as they went before the proconsul to preach the good news to him. 00:28:44.400 --> 00:28:47.839 I promise you, they were going into that going, Spirit, I need help. 00:28:47.920 --> 00:28:49.279 I don't know exactly what to say. 00:28:49.519 --> 00:28:54.799 I don't know the right inroads to you know making the gospel presentable to this person. 00:28:55.039 --> 00:28:57.200 I need you to speak through me. 00:28:57.680 --> 00:29:00.160 And they did that as they shared the gospel. 00:29:00.480 --> 00:29:03.119 And many people came to know the Lord. 00:29:05.839 --> 00:29:09.839 Again, the passage doesn't lay out every detail of what they said. 00:29:11.599 --> 00:29:14.400 We don't know Paul's evangelistic strategy. 00:29:14.799 --> 00:29:19.279 We know that they were obedient to the Holy Spirit, even in their words. 00:29:22.160 --> 00:29:33.759 And so for us, our takeaway are these three targets to allow the Lord, I want to hit this target, that God would guide my prayer and how I pray. 00:29:34.079 --> 00:29:45.920 God would guide my approach to Him, that He would be the leader here among us as we worship as a corporate body, but in my own worship day to day, that He would lead me and guide me in my worship and prayer. 00:29:48.000 --> 00:29:50.160 I pray that God would guide my whereabouts. 00:29:50.240 --> 00:29:56.640 Maybe you're a person today going, man, I I feel like a job change is coming up and I'm just not sure. 00:29:58.160 --> 00:30:05.279 And you need the Spirit's guidance and you need to surrender to Him and what He's asking you to do and where He's asking you to go. 00:30:07.680 --> 00:30:12.640 And maybe you're a person who's going, Man, I would love for the Holy Spirit to guide my words. 00:30:13.200 --> 00:30:13.920 Think about this. 00:30:14.000 --> 00:30:16.240 As a parent, are there any parents in the room? 00:30:17.039 --> 00:30:22.799 Have you ever had a, you know, spirited discipleship with your kids? 00:30:25.519 --> 00:30:30.319 Where you, you know, there's a conflict and we gotta resolve it in the home. 00:30:30.960 --> 00:30:34.799 If you've ever had that, think about this the next time that happens for you. 00:30:34.880 --> 00:30:37.759 It's it might be on the car ride home from church. 00:30:39.680 --> 00:30:54.000 But I want you to think about the words that come from your mouth as a parent, the God of heaven who created you and who created your kids has opinions on how you're supposed to parent them. 00:30:54.720 --> 00:30:59.039 He has practical advice on the words you're supposed to say. 00:31:01.599 --> 00:31:03.839 Maybe you need that in your marriage. 00:31:04.720 --> 00:31:09.599 You might be on the car right home, and maybe it's not with your kids, maybe it's with your spouse, and there's a disagreement. 00:31:10.880 --> 00:31:16.880 The holy God of heaven is with you in that moment, going, here's what you need to say. 00:31:17.039 --> 00:31:18.799 Here's how you need to respond. 00:31:20.559 --> 00:31:21.759 Can you imagine? 00:31:22.000 --> 00:31:28.559 Imagine that in that moment, this God is in bodily form right next to you going, hey Grayson, listen. 00:31:29.359 --> 00:31:32.000 Here's how you need to respond to what your wife just said. 00:31:32.160 --> 00:31:34.799 Here's how you need to respond to what your kids just said. 00:31:36.720 --> 00:31:44.559 Can you imagine me going, uh, okay, God of heaven, creator of all things, thanks for the advice. 00:31:44.720 --> 00:31:46.079 I'll consider it. 00:31:47.920 --> 00:31:49.920 And yet that's what we do. 00:31:51.680 --> 00:32:12.000 So often we just we rest on our own uh habits and our own tendencies of how we respond in situations and how we parent and we don't go into every conversation, every day at work, every meeting at work, the interactions with our spouse and our kids, going, God, how do I need to show up here? 00:32:12.240 --> 00:32:13.680 What influence do I need to have? 00:32:13.839 --> 00:32:17.039 God, give me the words to say in this moment. 00:32:20.079 --> 00:32:24.720 All of this is just acts of surrender in the different areas of our life. 00:32:24.799 --> 00:32:29.680 We need to surrender to the spirit just like every person we see in this passage. 00:32:32.000 --> 00:32:39.440 If we want to experience the power and the movement of the Spirit as a church and as individuals in our lives, we need to be fully surrendered. 00:32:39.519 --> 00:32:43.519 And here's the thing about surrender and surrendering to the Lord. 00:32:43.759 --> 00:32:46.559 I think it's a consistent thing that we need to do. 00:32:47.839 --> 00:32:51.680 Growing up in church, we always talked about recommit your life to Jesus, recommit your life to Jesus. 00:32:51.759 --> 00:32:57.839 And that was, I always view that as like a one-time thing that you just recommit your life to Jesus and then you're done. 00:32:58.000 --> 00:33:05.200 What if we as a church recommitted our lives to surrender to the Spirit on a weekly basis here in this room? 00:33:05.920 --> 00:33:08.000 What if that was our aim? 00:33:08.880 --> 00:33:10.160 How would God use us? 00:33:10.240 --> 00:33:11.279 How would our lives change? 00:33:11.440 --> 00:33:21.839 How would the city change if we went into every week from Sunday going, hey, I surrender to the movement of the Spirit in all these three areas of my life? 00:33:22.319 --> 00:33:26.400 A few years ago, we my wife and I purchased a house, we renovated the house. 00:33:26.559 --> 00:33:29.359