WEBVTT 00:00:03.120 --> 00:00:05.759 Welcome to the Kingdom Life Podcast. 00:00:06.160 --> 00:00:10.400 Have you ever made plans for a trip the next season? 00:00:10.640 --> 00:00:13.279 Or even just the next step in life? 00:00:13.599 --> 00:00:16.399 Only to be reminded by the Holy Spirit. 00:00:16.640 --> 00:00:18.719 If it is the Lord's will. 00:00:19.199 --> 00:00:25.199 As believers, we can make plans, but we must always hold them with open hands. 00:00:25.839 --> 00:00:28.800 That God's will is greater than our own. 00:00:29.679 --> 00:00:34.560 I understood this as he reasoned with the Jews in Acts 18. 00:00:37.200 --> 00:00:41.759 He reminded them that he would retire if it was God's will. 00:00:42.479 --> 00:00:44.320 Today after Alex Day. 00:00:49.359 --> 00:00:53.039 As we look at what it means, follow God's direction. 00:00:59.200 --> 00:01:08.239 We've been studying the book of Acts, and in the book of Acts, we see the advance of the kingdom in the first 30 some years of the church's history. 00:01:08.560 --> 00:01:10.799 At this point, we're around year 20. 00:01:10.959 --> 00:01:19.840 Jesus had said that this gospel of the kingdom would go from Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and then to the uttermost parts of the earth. 00:01:20.000 --> 00:01:22.079 We are in the part that's the uttermost. 00:01:24.480 --> 00:01:33.680 We're caught up in the uttermost, but but we see that the apostle Paul, he was the apostle to the Gentiles, he's the one who primarily pushed it outward. 00:01:34.480 --> 00:01:36.000 It's the one that God had used. 00:01:36.400 --> 00:01:45.040 And we are, as we look at Acts chapter 18, we're in Paul's second missionary journey, and we will be in verses 18 through 23 this morning. 00:01:45.200 --> 00:01:53.120 Verses 18 through 23 is where we'll be today, and we're going to cover through the end of his second missionary journey. 00:01:53.280 --> 00:01:56.239 But before we dive in, I want to ask you guys a quick question. 00:01:56.400 --> 00:02:07.920 How many of you use Apple Maps or Google Maps or some other app software to get you places that you don't know where to go to? 00:02:10.000 --> 00:02:11.599 All right, it's a good number of you. 00:02:11.759 --> 00:02:12.960 Just hands down. 00:02:13.520 --> 00:02:30.159 How many of you use an app like Google Maps, Apple Maps, or some other map app to get you to a place you already know where to go to just to make sure there's not a traffic jam, an accident, or something? 00:02:32.080 --> 00:02:33.360 Alright, that's it. 00:02:33.680 --> 00:02:34.639 Me too. 00:02:36.240 --> 00:02:40.000 I will open up Google Maps before I go to Costco. 00:02:43.360 --> 00:02:46.879 I I will open up Google Maps when it's time to go downtown. 00:02:46.960 --> 00:02:49.120 If I have to go downtown, especially, let me make sure. 00:02:49.199 --> 00:02:51.039 Do I need to go around bounce secures? 00:02:51.199 --> 00:02:52.319 What do I need to do? 00:02:52.639 --> 00:02:57.680 Google lead me in the way that I should go. 00:02:59.919 --> 00:03:06.159 So it's my regular discipline, my routine to do that, except this week. 00:03:07.680 --> 00:03:09.919 I had a meeting in Colombia this week. 00:03:10.159 --> 00:03:12.400 Now let me preface what I'm getting ready to say with this. 00:03:12.479 --> 00:03:14.159 I don't like driving in Colombia. 00:03:14.319 --> 00:03:16.080 I don't like driving to Colombia. 00:03:16.159 --> 00:03:19.599 I don't like driving in Colombia, and I don't like leaving Colombia. 00:03:20.560 --> 00:03:22.159 I don't know, it's just something about it. 00:03:22.240 --> 00:03:24.879 That whole interchange with 26 and 20 and everything. 00:03:24.960 --> 00:03:27.199 It always is always traffic in Colombia. 00:03:29.599 --> 00:03:33.199 I made it to Columbia, had a meeting, and then it's time to leave. 00:03:33.280 --> 00:03:34.080 I get ready. 00:03:34.240 --> 00:03:34.879 I head out. 00:03:34.960 --> 00:03:39.759 And of course, right when you're in 26, it's right within you know the city, there's a traffic jam. 00:03:39.840 --> 00:03:41.039 It doesn't matter what time it is. 00:03:41.199 --> 00:03:46.719 So this is this was in the afternoon before rush hour, but but that ain't no excuse. 00:03:46.879 --> 00:03:49.759 I mean, it was a lot of traffic, you know, just traffic there. 00:03:49.919 --> 00:03:56.719 But normally, once you get past Irmo, you're on I-26, going back to to Greenville. 00:03:56.960 --> 00:03:59.199 Once you get to Irmo, it kind of clears out. 00:04:00.319 --> 00:04:04.560 Some of you know what I'm talking about, right around that Irmo area, things will clear out. 00:04:05.520 --> 00:04:08.960 Well, this time though, it didn't. 00:04:09.520 --> 00:04:23.680 That didn't come to a stop, like a parking lot or anything, but it just kept stopping and starting, slowing down and then picking back up and slowing down and like, man. 00:04:25.360 --> 00:04:29.920 And you know, got all those heels, and so it's yeah, I'm my head is always on a swivel when I'm on 26. 00:04:30.000 --> 00:04:32.480 You never know a truck gonna be barreling down on you, doesn't see you. 00:04:32.560 --> 00:04:35.920 So I'm always kind of looking around, and just I don't like 26. 00:04:36.000 --> 00:04:36.959 I don't like it. 00:04:38.000 --> 00:04:43.360 And we would get up to 55, and then like, man, this is so slow. 00:04:44.639 --> 00:04:48.639 55 is slow on 26. 00:04:49.439 --> 00:04:51.920 Because the speed limit is 77. 00:05:00.240 --> 00:05:02.240 Blake, except for you. 00:05:03.360 --> 00:05:05.519 You, my son, it's 70. 00:05:05.680 --> 00:05:07.439 But for the rest of us, it's 77. 00:05:07.680 --> 00:05:09.839 I mean, because you can go a little, maybe 76. 00:05:09.920 --> 00:05:20.399 You can go a little bit above, you know, and pray for me if pray for me, but but uh you can generally go with the flow of traffic, but this was 55, 35, stopping and starting. 00:05:20.480 --> 00:05:22.879 I was so frustrated, and then it hit me. 00:05:23.600 --> 00:05:26.639 I didn't check Google Maps. 00:05:28.879 --> 00:05:37.120 Now, so if you tell anybody about this, I I'm gonna, oh, we're recording this, aren't we? 00:05:37.279 --> 00:05:37.600 Okay. 00:05:40.800 --> 00:05:46.720 So the phone, what had happened was the phone got in my hand. 00:05:50.639 --> 00:06:01.120 And and it and it uh maps, Google Maps just was popped open and and and and then the home button was pushed, and it just all happened. 00:06:01.439 --> 00:06:06.079 And and you know what what what uh she said? 00:06:07.680 --> 00:06:10.079 She said, You're on such and such road. 00:06:10.319 --> 00:06:24.319 She gave me the directions, stay on 26, showed all kinds of red bars and yellow, and then after that, she said, traffic congestion ahead, something like that. 00:06:24.560 --> 00:06:27.839 Traffic is heavy ahead, you're still on the fastest route. 00:06:33.519 --> 00:06:42.000 I had hopped on too late, and because I had hopped on Google Maps too late, there were no more options. 00:06:43.279 --> 00:06:49.360 I had to just go with the congestion and everything else than the stop and the starting. 00:06:49.600 --> 00:06:52.879 I had to do all that before I could get home. 00:06:53.279 --> 00:06:57.040 Now I never questioned whether or not I would get home. 00:06:57.279 --> 00:06:59.199 I didn't have any question about that. 00:06:59.360 --> 00:07:03.680 I knew confidently we I felt like I was I was going to make it. 00:07:04.319 --> 00:07:06.959 I didn't know when, but I knew I was going to make it. 00:07:07.199 --> 00:07:08.800 Ended up being about 15 minutes late. 00:07:08.879 --> 00:07:14.000 Now that's not much, maybe in the grand scheme of things, but it was only supposed to take an hour and 26 minutes. 00:07:15.839 --> 00:07:17.120 I got it mapped out. 00:07:17.199 --> 00:07:18.959 That's how long it was supposed to take. 00:07:19.279 --> 00:07:20.480 Only 15 minutes late. 00:07:20.639 --> 00:07:37.600 I was fully confident that I was going to make it, but if I had just checked before I left, I could have saved myself a lot of friction and a lot of congestion because Google Maps would have given me a better route. 00:07:39.759 --> 00:07:42.399 A lot of us, that's our walk with God. 00:07:44.240 --> 00:07:52.560 I am fully confident if you have professed your faith in Jesus Christ, Jesus is your Lord, you repented of your sins, everything else, you know he died on the cross for your sins, etc. 00:07:52.720 --> 00:07:52.879 etc. 00:07:53.040 --> 00:07:53.199 etc. 00:07:53.439 --> 00:07:59.759 If you have believed the gospel, God will bring you home. 00:08:00.800 --> 00:08:02.480 Philippians 1, 6. 00:08:02.720 --> 00:08:05.040 Paul said, I'm confident of this very thing. 00:08:05.279 --> 00:08:10.079 That he that began a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. 00:08:10.240 --> 00:08:20.480 That means he's gonna keep working, keep working, even when you don't see him, he's working to bring you home because he is the way maker. 00:08:21.920 --> 00:08:57.360 But our choices will determine how congested and how difficult that road is, and often our unwillingness to listen, our boneheadedness, or just our forgetfulness, if we don't check in with God, we could end up going a route that's longer, congested, more frustrating. 00:08:58.000 --> 00:08:59.600 We'll get home. 00:09:00.480 --> 00:09:03.039 But it didn't have to be that hard. 00:09:03.679 --> 00:09:06.879 How many of you would say, I want the road that's easy? 00:09:08.159 --> 00:09:10.480 Okay, I'm not saying it from the Matthew 7 perspective. 00:09:10.559 --> 00:09:15.039 I'm just saying you tell me you, you, you, I I want the way that the Lord has. 00:09:16.559 --> 00:09:21.279 I want that route and not my way. 00:09:22.720 --> 00:09:34.399 Today in Acts 18, verses 18 through 23, you're tempted just to read right past these six verses because the next section has to deal with Apollos, and we like Apollos and that story. 00:09:34.720 --> 00:09:42.799 This portion, though, is just so rich for us and lessons just in dealing with life. 00:09:42.960 --> 00:09:50.080 There's a couple principles, a couple kingdom truths I'm gonna give you, but by and large, there's some life application here. 00:09:50.320 --> 00:09:55.679 As we see the Apostle Paul use God's map. 00:09:55.919 --> 00:09:59.519 There's Google Maps, but then there's God's map. 00:09:59.759 --> 00:10:01.200 We want God's map. 00:10:02.159 --> 00:10:08.799 Paul uses God's map, and we get to see the blessing and the benefit of it. 00:10:09.039 --> 00:10:13.200 So as I said, we are in Acts chapter 18 today. 00:10:13.440 --> 00:10:15.120 Acts chapter 18. 00:10:18.799 --> 00:10:24.960 And taking a look there at the beginning, verse 18, uh Luke begins with after this. 00:10:26.000 --> 00:10:26.960 After this. 00:10:27.279 --> 00:10:29.440 Well, after what, Paul? 00:10:29.600 --> 00:10:35.440 When you see something like after this, well, you gotta look back and refresh your mind, your your your memory on what happened before this. 00:10:35.679 --> 00:10:49.519 The after this was Satan had used Paul's opponents to bring a unified attack against Paul and against the church at large. 00:10:50.399 --> 00:10:55.039 Jesus had told Paul in a vision, don't go anywhere. 00:10:55.279 --> 00:10:56.720 Keep on preaching. 00:10:57.039 --> 00:10:59.360 I have many people in this city. 00:10:59.679 --> 00:11:03.759 So Paul uncharacteristically stayed in Corinth. 00:11:04.080 --> 00:11:15.039 He continued to minister and deserve, and there were a great number of people who got saved, including, including the synagogue leader, Crispus. 00:11:16.320 --> 00:11:18.399 Many came to faith in Christ. 00:11:18.720 --> 00:11:28.559 He continued to serve, and then came this attack, this unified attack by many of the Jewish leaders who were jealous and wanted to shut this down. 00:11:28.720 --> 00:11:35.600 There was a new pro-council, governor, if you will, that had been put in place. 00:11:35.840 --> 00:11:40.799 And in this attack, they thought that they could they could exercise some leverage with him. 00:11:41.200 --> 00:11:44.639 Tell him this is an unsanctioned religion. 00:11:44.720 --> 00:11:46.799 I'm paraphrasing, this is unsanctioned religion. 00:11:46.879 --> 00:11:49.519 You need to do something about it, they are a threat. 00:11:50.559 --> 00:11:52.879 But he was hip to their game. 00:11:53.919 --> 00:12:02.240 Before Paul could even launch a defense, he said, Hey, if this was something that had to do with violence or some crime, I would hear the case. 00:12:02.320 --> 00:12:08.480 But because this is about words concerning your law and traditions and so what, get out. 00:12:10.000 --> 00:12:11.039 Get out of my courtroom. 00:12:11.200 --> 00:12:13.440 Wasn't really a courtroom, but he said, get out of my presence. 00:12:13.519 --> 00:12:13.840 I'm done. 00:12:13.919 --> 00:12:15.440 I don't even want to hear it. 00:12:16.720 --> 00:12:27.120 And that decision, because he was a pro-counsel, and this decision as pro-counsel had reverberating effects because of his influence. 00:12:27.200 --> 00:12:48.399 He set a precedent that this faith, the way Christianity was really just like a subset of Judaism, and therefore, because it was a subset of Judaism, it was uh able to receive the rights and benefits of being a sanctioned official religion. 00:12:48.559 --> 00:12:54.159 There will be no persecution against it because it's legit. 00:12:57.279 --> 00:13:01.519 That protected the faith for about ten years. 00:13:02.000 --> 00:13:11.919 They could go unhindered without fear of the Roman Empire bringing judgment and persecution. 00:13:12.960 --> 00:13:14.720 But the enemy meant for evil. 00:13:14.879 --> 00:13:16.240 God worked it for good. 00:13:17.759 --> 00:13:20.799 Jesus never said the weapon wouldn't be formed. 00:13:21.200 --> 00:13:25.039 But he did say it wouldn't prosper. 00:13:25.679 --> 00:13:27.519 That's the after this. 00:13:28.080 --> 00:13:34.000 After that decision, it says in verse 18, after this, what did Paul do? 00:13:34.159 --> 00:13:34.879 Read it for me. 00:13:35.039 --> 00:13:35.840 Paul, what? 00:13:36.399 --> 00:13:37.519 Many days longer. 00:13:38.080 --> 00:13:40.000 Many days longer. 00:13:40.879 --> 00:13:43.360 See, he understood God had opened this door. 00:13:43.600 --> 00:13:47.600 And Jesus had said, Don't leave, I have many people in the city. 00:13:47.679 --> 00:13:50.799 So he stayed many more days. 00:13:51.440 --> 00:13:55.519 This window was open, there was safety, there was opportunity here. 00:13:55.679 --> 00:14:04.559 In Corinth of all places, the church was established, disciples being made, but there came time to move on. 00:14:05.679 --> 00:14:12.159 After staying many days longer, he then took leave of the brothers. 00:14:13.759 --> 00:14:19.840 Took leave of the brothers, and he set sail for Syria. 00:14:21.759 --> 00:14:24.720 It was time to go, and he took leave of the brothers. 00:14:24.799 --> 00:14:29.600 But understand, this wasn't like a cold kind of corporate, all right, peace out. 00:14:29.759 --> 00:14:39.360 This was a warm, heartfelt kind of you know farewell between uh people who genuinely, authentically cared. 00:14:39.519 --> 00:14:42.559 He led them to faith in Christ, established them in the faith. 00:14:42.720 --> 00:14:43.679 They loved him. 00:14:45.120 --> 00:14:47.679 But it was time to move on. 00:14:48.000 --> 00:14:52.159 He took leave of the brothers and set sail for Syria. 00:14:52.320 --> 00:14:53.919 But he wasn't alone. 00:14:54.639 --> 00:14:59.039 He also took with him Priscilla and Aquila. 00:14:59.519 --> 00:15:08.480 Priscilla and Aquila, believers, Jewish, were also leather workers. 00:15:09.039 --> 00:15:13.200 They worked in leather and and uh and and skins. 00:15:13.519 --> 00:15:19.600 They Paul occupied a trade, and along with them, they did this together, they were partners together. 00:15:19.759 --> 00:15:22.240 He went along with Aquila and Priscilla. 00:15:22.879 --> 00:15:26.399 And then he does something interesting in Sancria. 00:15:28.080 --> 00:15:30.080 He cut his hair. 00:15:32.080 --> 00:15:37.840 He cut his hair, for he was under a vow. 00:15:44.000 --> 00:15:46.480 Sancria was about seven miles away from Corinth. 00:15:46.559 --> 00:15:48.639 It was on the opposite side of this seacoast. 00:15:48.720 --> 00:15:54.639 So Corinth was a port city, and and you the little narrow strip of land about three miles, you had the opposite end. 00:15:54.720 --> 00:15:58.080 That's why so many people would travel through, and even boats would be pulled across logs. 00:15:58.159 --> 00:15:59.519 It was just a shortcut. 00:15:59.759 --> 00:16:08.559 And so Sancria was on the other side, and he goes on the other side, and before he hops on a ship to leave from there, he cuts his hair. 00:16:11.039 --> 00:16:11.679 Why? 00:16:11.919 --> 00:16:14.960 Because he was under a vow. 00:16:17.919 --> 00:16:24.399 Now, we're not told specifics about this vow, but most scholars will tell you this is probably a Nazarite vow. 00:16:24.639 --> 00:16:28.399 And you see the prescriptions for it in Numbers chapter 6. 00:16:28.720 --> 00:16:35.919 This was a voluntary vow that Jews would undertake in an expression of gratitude to God. 00:16:36.399 --> 00:16:52.879 It was a time of separation, consecration, so that they could focus on God and again express their gratitude to God or to seek his direction, his protection for something that is coming up ahead. 00:16:53.120 --> 00:17:05.200 Here's a Nazirite vow, here's uh a specific definition, a Jewish voluntary pledge of separation and intense devotion to the Lord for a set period of time. 00:17:05.759 --> 00:17:07.200 It was temporary. 00:17:08.400 --> 00:17:21.200 It was temporary, and it involved uh usually about a month or so, but it involved separation from anything made out of grapes. 00:17:21.519 --> 00:17:25.680 So wine, grape juice, vinegar made out of grapes. 00:17:25.839 --> 00:17:29.759 So staying away from that, not touching a corpse. 00:17:30.000 --> 00:17:34.480 No, don't touch a a uh a body, a corpse. 00:17:34.720 --> 00:17:39.039 And the third one was let your hair grow long. 00:17:39.599 --> 00:17:43.039 Do not cut your hair for the duration of the vow. 00:17:44.160 --> 00:17:50.240 So it was a time again of separation and this focus, concentration on God. 00:17:52.799 --> 00:17:55.920 Temporary and voluntary. 00:17:57.200 --> 00:18:09.279 Now, at the end of the vow period, the person who had made the vow would go to the temple, and the priest would shave his hair. 00:18:10.160 --> 00:18:31.759 And at that time, the offerer would have brought three sacrifices: a male lamb, a female lamb, and and uh another uh another animal, but burnt sacrifice, a fellowship sacrifice, and so three animals along with uh cakes and and and then these offerings, it was i.e. 00:18:32.000 --> 00:18:33.440 it was expensive. 00:18:33.759 --> 00:18:36.319 It was a it was a real sacrifice. 00:18:36.640 --> 00:18:46.640 And at that point, the hair would be burned along with you know everything else, deconsumed, and and that would end the vow. 00:18:46.720 --> 00:18:51.920 But the vow had to end in the temple in the prescribed way. 00:18:52.799 --> 00:18:56.160 A time of separation and sacrifice. 00:18:58.240 --> 00:19:04.000 The question we have to ask ourselves is why would Paul do that? 00:19:05.680 --> 00:19:07.279 Why would Paul do it? 00:19:13.039 --> 00:19:22.640 Because it's an expression of gratitude and thanksgiving to God that had been a part of his culture since he was born. 00:19:25.119 --> 00:19:31.119 He cut his hair, but didn't cut his hair in the prescribed way. 00:19:31.920 --> 00:19:37.279 The prescribed way was to take it, you know, be uncut till you get to Jerusalem. 00:19:37.680 --> 00:19:52.160 At that time, what many would do, those who were in the diaspora who weren't close to Jerusalem, but they do, they would get their hair cut at the end of the 30 days, whatever prescribed period it was, and they would bring it with them when they uh whenever it was they did arrive in Jerusalem, and then along with the sacrifices and everything else. 00:19:52.319 --> 00:19:58.400 So apparently that's what he had in mind, but understand, there's an offering of sacrifices. 00:20:01.839 --> 00:20:06.640 Well, wasn't Jesus the perfect sacrifice? 00:20:07.119 --> 00:20:10.319 Didn't all the other sacrifices point to Jesus? 00:20:10.640 --> 00:20:13.039 Peace uh offerings, burnt offerings? 00:20:13.200 --> 00:20:14.400 He fulfilled all of it. 00:20:14.559 --> 00:20:17.920 All of the sacrifices in the law pointed to Jesus. 00:20:18.160 --> 00:20:28.319 So, Paul, aren't you the great evangelist, apostle to the Gentiles, teaching that it's not by law but by grace and you don't need to keep? 00:20:28.720 --> 00:20:31.119 Yeah, he was all of that. 00:20:31.759 --> 00:20:36.400 He didn't give this, make this vow or give this offering because he had to. 00:20:37.440 --> 00:20:39.599 He did it because he wanted to. 00:20:40.480 --> 00:20:42.640 And part of his heritage. 00:20:43.519 --> 00:20:54.480 When you wanted to express gratitude to God for his protection, for his provision, or to petition for his guidance along the way, this is what you did. 00:20:54.559 --> 00:21:01.279 And Paul's heart was so grateful because the Lord Jesus said, Don't leave, stay. 00:21:01.440 --> 00:21:03.920 I'm gonna watch over you, I'm gonna protect you. 00:21:04.000 --> 00:21:08.799 He stayed another year and a half, and God was faithful to everything he promised. 00:21:08.960 --> 00:21:15.359 So while he was in current, he decided, I'm gonna take a vow because I'm just so thankful to the Lord. 00:21:15.599 --> 00:21:17.359 Paul, you don't have to do that anymore. 00:21:17.440 --> 00:21:19.680 It's not part of it, it's not in the law. 00:21:19.920 --> 00:21:24.160 It's not about legalism to me, it's in my heart. 00:21:27.039 --> 00:21:28.960 This is just what I do. 00:21:29.759 --> 00:21:35.519 You know some phrases what I do when I want to get close to you. 00:21:36.480 --> 00:21:40.240 This is what he did when he wanted to express his gratitude. 00:21:40.480 --> 00:21:47.119 He didn't have to, and this wasn't a strategic thing to prove to other people I'm still a Jew. 00:21:47.279 --> 00:21:51.920 It had nothing to do with that because he started it before he left. 00:21:52.559 --> 00:21:53.759 He had plenty of time. 00:21:53.920 --> 00:21:57.039 He could have done all of that in Jerusalem where more people would have been watching him. 00:21:57.119 --> 00:21:58.559 This wasn't a show. 00:21:59.279 --> 00:22:02.559 This was About him and the Lord. 00:22:03.039 --> 00:22:16.240 Again, in the first century context, Jewish context, an individual typically undertook this vow either as an expression of profound thankfulness for past blessings or as an earnest petition for future grace and protection. 00:22:19.440 --> 00:22:21.039 This was in his heart. 00:22:21.279 --> 00:22:22.559 And he did it. 00:22:22.880 --> 00:22:23.519 Why? 00:22:23.920 --> 00:22:26.799 Because grace liberates. 00:22:27.680 --> 00:22:30.640 Often we don't look at grace from this perspective. 00:22:30.799 --> 00:22:35.039 We often think of grace as in you don't have to keep that checklist anymore. 00:22:35.119 --> 00:22:38.160 You don't have to do this, this, this, you don't have to do that. 00:22:38.400 --> 00:22:47.759 Well, if that thing got you close to God and that was part of your expression of gratitude and love for God, you are free to do it. 00:22:51.119 --> 00:23:01.920 The key thing is, are you doing it out of gratitude or because of some legalistic tradition? 00:23:02.400 --> 00:23:06.079 You think this is earning your favor with God. 00:23:06.880 --> 00:23:10.720 Paul wasn't any more saved because he did this. 00:23:14.240 --> 00:23:18.240 Kingdom Truth One, legalism is a transactional compliance to rules. 00:23:18.319 --> 00:23:20.559 That's legalism, checking the box. 00:23:20.880 --> 00:23:29.680 But the gospel of grace invites us to a personal, intimate, unique, one-of-a-kind relationship with God. 00:23:31.920 --> 00:23:33.680 Yeah, I put all of them there. 00:23:33.839 --> 00:23:35.839 Personal, intimate, unique. 00:23:38.240 --> 00:23:45.279 You should have a language, a vernacular with the Lord that's different from anybody else. 00:23:47.519 --> 00:23:51.920 Because no one knows you like he does. 00:23:52.559 --> 00:23:57.359 No one knows you as he does and still loves you. 00:23:59.519 --> 00:24:07.759 What he's done for you, nobody else can claim credit for. 00:24:46.079 --> 00:24:48.079 Not because he had to, but because he wanted to. 00:24:48.240 --> 00:24:54.799 And because Jesus came to him in the day of trouble and delivered him. 00:24:56.240 --> 00:24:58.799 And he glorified the Lord. 00:24:59.200 --> 00:25:00.480 Heart-driven. 00:25:01.119 --> 00:25:03.519 Heart-driven, personal devotion. 00:25:04.240 --> 00:25:06.799 Because of his living relationship with God. 00:25:07.440 --> 00:25:14.960 So, Saints, here is my first life application for you. 00:25:16.480 --> 00:25:20.400 Don't let doing for God become a replacement for being with God. 00:25:23.519 --> 00:25:38.799 Don't let your service for God become your substitute for being with God because understand He can get done what He desires to get done without you. 00:25:40.559 --> 00:25:48.640 We are called into a relationship, and it's in the context of that relationship that we're able and empowered to do His will. 00:25:48.799 --> 00:25:52.640 We're not here because God needs us to do anything. 00:25:53.200 --> 00:25:59.119 So, so don't substitute activity for presence. 00:26:01.440 --> 00:26:03.359 Sometimes we can fall into that trap. 00:26:03.519 --> 00:26:08.799 I know, Lord, I hadn't spent a whole lot of time with you, but I'm doing all these different ministries. 00:26:09.279 --> 00:26:23.039 I'm ushering, greeting, I'm doing men's ministry, I'm doing this ministry, I'm teaching, I'm preaching, I'm doing this or this, I'm reaching out, I'm going to hospitals and I'm praying over the sick and I'm laying hands on this or that. 00:26:23.119 --> 00:26:23.759 You know. 00:26:26.400 --> 00:26:41.200 Jesus said in Matthew 7 that many on that day will say, many will say, we did this, Lord, we did that, you never knew me. 00:26:42.880 --> 00:26:47.519 Never assume your activity is evidence of a relationship. 00:26:51.200 --> 00:27:05.039 And we all who are engaged, following the Holy Spirit, engage with striving to do and glorify Him, whatever the capacity is, don't get caught up in it. 00:27:07.119 --> 00:27:09.920 If you have to pull away from something. 00:27:38.960 --> 00:27:40.799 But I'm doing it for Jesus. 00:27:43.119 --> 00:27:50.640 What we do for the glory of God is to be an overflow of our relationship with Him. 00:27:50.799 --> 00:27:53.599 Otherwise, it's just running in the flesh. 00:27:55.039 --> 00:27:56.720 And you can't keep doing that. 00:27:56.880 --> 00:28:00.079 You can the Holy Spirit can bring you back to self and praise God. 00:28:00.160 --> 00:28:14.240 I've often run too far, but you can end up hitting a whole lot of congestion if you try to do instead of B. 00:28:14.799 --> 00:28:16.400 Jesus modeled this perfectly. 00:28:16.480 --> 00:28:28.240 You know, in uh in what we find in Luke chapter 10 is Jesus and the disciples, they go to Caesarea, and there Jesus heals Peter's uh mother-in-law. 00:28:28.640 --> 00:28:34.000 And then the whole town figures out that he's there, and oh, I'm in the wrong text scripture. 00:28:34.480 --> 00:28:35.359 I'll get there in a minute. 00:28:35.440 --> 00:28:45.359 But Luke chapter 10, verses 41 through 42, the Lord answered her, Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. 00:28:46.720 --> 00:28:51.200 Mary has chosen a good portion which will not be taken away from her. 00:28:51.759 --> 00:28:54.319 We're familiar with that Mary Martha thing. 00:28:54.799 --> 00:28:57.359 Sit at Jesus' feet. 00:28:57.599 --> 00:29:00.079 That's what he desires more than anything else. 00:29:00.160 --> 00:29:02.400 And he says, I'll partner with you to get everything done. 00:29:02.480 --> 00:29:04.240 I want you to get done. 00:29:06.079 --> 00:29:09.440 But there's not everything we're doing, is what he wants to get done. 00:29:10.640 --> 00:29:17.680 And secondly, this your relationship with God should be alive, vibrant, and physically and distinctively different than anyone else's. 00:29:19.359 --> 00:29:25.440 If all you think about in terms of your relationship with God is what you can and can't do, you are missing out. 00:29:31.119 --> 00:29:36.720 Once you discover, really focus on God and who he is and what he's done, loving him is easy. 00:29:41.200 --> 00:29:43.599 But your relationship should be vibrant. 00:29:44.160 --> 00:29:47.200 What I'm speaking of is this, there should be a song. 00:29:48.640 --> 00:29:51.200 That's just something you and the Lord understand. 00:29:51.279 --> 00:29:53.279 It's just the beat of it. 00:29:53.599 --> 00:29:54.079 Yeah. 00:29:54.640 --> 00:30:07.200 Just like you know, somebody you in love with here, you know what we got that special song, and all of a sudden, do, do, do all of a sudden just hits you, and that, and you think about that special someone. 00:30:07.519 --> 00:30:12.559 There should be a song in your heart of gratitude to God. 00:30:12.799 --> 00:30:16.319 Once you hear that, it's like all your troubles go away. 00:30:16.480 --> 00:30:17.839 No one else can get it. 00:30:18.000 --> 00:30:19.759 Others may not know that song. 00:30:20.000 --> 00:30:22.640 Others, it won't hit them the way that it hits you. 00:30:22.880 --> 00:30:25.279 They may look at you like, what is happening? 00:30:25.440 --> 00:30:26.799 You just don't know what I'm doing. 00:30:26.960 --> 00:30:28.000 Ooh, he's done for me. 00:30:28.559 --> 00:30:29.759 Thank you, Jesus. 00:30:29.920 --> 00:30:32.000 There's gonna be a song like that. 00:30:33.119 --> 00:30:35.119 Maybe there's something in nature like that. 00:30:35.279 --> 00:30:38.000 Some people connect with God best in nature. 00:30:38.079 --> 00:30:40.400 They gotta go outside and go to a park. 00:30:40.480 --> 00:30:45.599 And there's one particular park when they get by the spring, by the swings at that park. 00:30:45.680 --> 00:30:51.759 They remember, oh wanna thank you because I was climbing up to you for a jump and when I'm passing by the swings. 00:30:52.079 --> 00:30:53.200 You bless me. 00:30:53.359 --> 00:30:58.720 And the kids among the swings now are like, why is she jumping and climbing and everything else? 00:30:58.880 --> 00:31:02.000 It's because you know what that place means to you. 00:31:02.160 --> 00:31:04.160 You should have a special place. 00:31:07.440 --> 00:31:10.319 I told you about my woodpecker's experience. 00:31:10.400 --> 00:31:12.640 You know, I hear a woodpecker and it just touches me. 00:31:12.799 --> 00:31:17.839 The Lord just, I have formed you uniquely, my son, like I formed that woodpecker. 00:31:18.400 --> 00:31:23.359 Like none of throwing up his head against a tree and survives. 00:31:28.880 --> 00:31:31.839 I'm not throwing up my head against a tree. 00:31:32.160 --> 00:31:42.799 But what I'm saying is the woodpecker is especially uniquely designed to throw up his head up against a tree and multiple mouth and has shock absorbers in his brain. 00:31:42.880 --> 00:31:45.759 We would have all kinds of concussions because we weren't designed for that. 00:31:45.920 --> 00:31:55.839 But God designed the woodpecker with its claws, its beak, what it's made of, a lit screen in its nostrils to keep all the sawdust out. 00:31:56.640 --> 00:31:58.799 The woodpecker is a product of design. 00:31:58.880 --> 00:32:05.839 And he, God's, whenever I hear one, just as I made that, he's uniquely, wonderfully made. 00:32:06.000 --> 00:32:06.960 How much more for you? 00:32:07.119 --> 00:32:08.400 I have formed you for this, son. 00:32:08.480 --> 00:32:10.160 I have prepared you for this, my son. 00:32:10.319 --> 00:32:20.400 I am now no one else may stop when they hear a woodpecker, but everything stops for me when I hear a woodpecker. 00:32:20.559 --> 00:32:22.319 They're like, come on, Pastor, what you doing? 00:32:22.400 --> 00:32:23.279 I'm gonna pause right here. 00:32:23.519 --> 00:32:27.839 I'm just gonna listen to that because there's just something about the woodpecker. 00:32:33.359 --> 00:32:34.240 Yes, Jesus. 00:32:34.400 --> 00:32:35.119 Hallelujah. 00:32:39.279 --> 00:32:40.640 I'm not playing y'all. 00:32:40.720 --> 00:32:42.240 I've been in my office sometimes. 00:32:42.400 --> 00:32:44.319 I'm diligently working and I'm here. 00:32:45.200 --> 00:32:46.400 I'm running outside. 00:32:47.599 --> 00:32:49.200 I want to hear it. 00:32:49.680 --> 00:32:51.519 I want to be next to it. 00:32:51.759 --> 00:32:53.440 Then I look for it. 00:32:53.759 --> 00:32:54.720 Where is it? 00:32:54.960 --> 00:33:01.599 Sometimes God allows me to see it and it just look at him go. 00:33:02.720 --> 00:33:05.359 Doing what God created him to do. 00:33:06.240 --> 00:33:09.200 Lord, I just want to do what you created me to do. 00:33:09.359 --> 00:33:11.119 Help me to stay in my lane. 00:33:11.279 --> 00:33:20.480 Help me not to get off course and get in congestion and traffic that I have no business me and in because you made me uniquely. 00:33:22.079 --> 00:33:24.559 Man, you got to protect that relationship. 00:33:25.680 --> 00:33:27.039 You you've got to walk in that. 00:33:27.119 --> 00:33:30.240 If you don't enjoy that, I want to encourage you just to say, Lord, I want that. 00:33:30.720 --> 00:33:31.440 He'll give it to you. 00:33:31.519 --> 00:33:34.000 You you just come and seek and you just reflect. 00:33:34.880 --> 00:33:35.759 He'll give that to you. 00:33:35.839 --> 00:33:36.559 He will love you. 00:33:36.640 --> 00:33:38.000 Oh, just trust me. 00:33:38.559 --> 00:33:39.920 You want that intimacy. 00:33:41.279 --> 00:33:42.960 You want that intimacy with him. 00:33:43.519 --> 00:33:46.400 You don't want your relationship with God to wither. 00:33:46.880 --> 00:33:47.519 Wither away. 00:33:47.759 --> 00:33:50.400 But anything without attention, it will wither. 00:33:51.680 --> 00:33:53.599 Feed that relationship with God. 00:33:55.200 --> 00:33:59.119 So Paul has that connection with God, that relationship with him. 00:33:59.359 --> 00:34:02.880 That's not about just doing, he's not like a tool. 00:34:03.119 --> 00:34:04.559 He is has a relationship. 00:34:04.720 --> 00:34:07.359 He knows he's his son and he's grateful. 00:34:07.599 --> 00:34:12.079 He's not a tool, he's a child of God. 00:34:14.159 --> 00:34:20.000 That's the reason why he takes his vow, vow of gratitude for what the Lord has done in intimacy and relationship with him. 00:34:20.159 --> 00:34:23.519 So now we'll see how that develops in his life in these next steps. 00:34:23.679 --> 00:34:27.840 Verse 19, they came to Ephesus. 00:34:28.400 --> 00:34:31.519 Now we're not going to dive too much into Ephesus this morning. 00:34:31.920 --> 00:34:37.679 We got plenty of time to dig into Ephesus and the significance of that city. 00:34:38.320 --> 00:34:46.400 But um what I just want to draw attention to here about Ephesus is that it was the capital of Asia. 00:34:46.719 --> 00:34:54.559 It was a huge metropolis, big city, about uh 200,000 to a quarter of a million people. 00:34:54.960 --> 00:35:03.840 It was known for the Temple of Artemis and all that went along with that, one of the seven wonders of the world. 00:35:04.159 --> 00:35:08.079 It was known for that and known for its worship of Artemis. 00:35:08.320 --> 00:35:18.639 It was busy, a lot of it was cosmopolitan, it was right there on the coast and like everywhere else, steeped with immorality and idolatry. 00:35:19.039 --> 00:35:21.519 Perfect place to establish a church. 00:35:30.559 --> 00:35:38.400 Okay, he left Scylla and Aquila there in Ephesus. 00:35:39.760 --> 00:35:40.079 Okay. 00:35:41.440 --> 00:35:42.639 Left them there. 00:35:43.599 --> 00:35:48.800 But he himself went into the synagogue and he did what? 00:35:50.320 --> 00:35:53.119 Reasoned with the Gentiles. 00:35:55.039 --> 00:35:56.320 I'll just testing y'all. 00:35:58.880 --> 00:36:02.960 He reasoned with the Jews, and that means dialogue, going back and forth. 00:36:03.119 --> 00:36:04.159 He goes into the synagogue. 00:36:04.239 --> 00:36:05.360 This was his practice. 00:36:05.519 --> 00:36:06.480 This is what he would do. 00:36:06.559 --> 00:36:09.920 He would go into the synagogue and he would reason, and that's dialogue to go back and forth. 00:36:10.000 --> 00:36:12.000 This isn't a monologue, this is a dialogue. 00:36:12.079 --> 00:36:19.119 He would answer questions, answer the hard questions, be there and just say, Jesus is the Messiah, he's the long-awaited Messiah, he is the deliverer. 00:36:19.519 --> 00:36:19.679 What? 00:36:19.840 --> 00:36:21.039 A crucified carpenter? 00:36:21.360 --> 00:36:23.519 Yes, that Jesus, he is the Messiah. 00:36:23.599 --> 00:36:24.480 He would go back and forth. 00:36:24.639 --> 00:36:29.119 He reasoned with them, pulling out scriptures from the Old Testament, prophecies, and so forth. 00:36:29.679 --> 00:36:30.880 He's fulfilled them all. 00:36:31.039 --> 00:36:32.639 That's reasoning. 00:36:34.320 --> 00:36:37.280 And then an unusual result happens. 00:36:39.360 --> 00:36:44.559 They asked him to stay for a longer period. 00:36:48.159 --> 00:36:51.280 That is unexpected. 00:36:51.599 --> 00:36:58.639 What normally happens when he goes to a synagogue and he begins to reason with folks about what normally happens? 00:36:59.760 --> 00:37:00.639 He gets beat down. 00:37:00.719 --> 00:37:01.760 That's what I heard. 00:37:02.159 --> 00:37:14.159 Fast forwarding a couple of steps, but there would be some grief and people getting upset about it, and then the leaders getting jealous, and then he'd be harassed, and it happened so many times, so many times. 00:37:14.320 --> 00:37:17.280 That's nothing like uh you see uh you see uh Philippi. 00:37:17.440 --> 00:37:23.039 You see, all these different times, all of this persecution would erupt, but he didn't hear. 00:37:23.920 --> 00:37:26.320 They asked him to stay. 00:37:28.400 --> 00:37:29.920 But what did he do? 00:37:32.159 --> 00:37:33.760 He declined. 00:37:35.280 --> 00:37:35.920 Wow. 00:37:37.199 --> 00:37:40.960 No, can't do it. 00:37:41.599 --> 00:37:45.599 This decline means no, and absolutely no, I can't. 00:37:45.920 --> 00:37:48.559 No, no, no, no, try, no, no, don't try to twist my arm. 00:37:48.639 --> 00:37:49.440 This is a no. 00:37:49.679 --> 00:37:51.440 This is a firm no. 00:37:54.880 --> 00:37:59.360 This passage that we're reading, maybe you know the letter to the Ephesians. 00:37:59.440 --> 00:38:01.519 We that's the book of Ephesians in our New Testament. 00:38:01.840 --> 00:38:04.400 He didn't establish the church at Ephesus here. 00:38:05.039 --> 00:38:11.199 This wasn't a time he establishes the church and does all these other things with the church and stays an extended period of time. 00:38:11.280 --> 00:38:12.639 That's this isn't it. 00:38:13.519 --> 00:38:16.159 He does do something brilliant, though. 00:38:17.280 --> 00:38:20.159 He sets up Priscilla and Aquila. 00:38:21.280 --> 00:38:24.400 They're setting up camp, getting their business together and everything else. 00:38:24.639 --> 00:38:30.800 Why build relationships, show folks how to live the gospel, live out the gospel. 00:38:30.960 --> 00:38:33.679 Remember how he did and how he operated in Corinth? 00:38:33.840 --> 00:38:38.719 He was working with Priscilla and Aquila, and people would see how they behaved and they conducted themselves. 00:38:38.960 --> 00:38:44.960 And that went along with telling people about Jesus, but he would he lived it out before him. 00:38:45.199 --> 00:38:47.599 You can see him doing that through Priscilla and Aquila. 00:38:47.760 --> 00:38:50.480 Live amongst the people, show them and tell them. 00:38:50.559 --> 00:38:54.320 Don't just tell them about Jesus, show them the change that Jesus can make. 00:38:54.480 --> 00:38:55.840 So that's brilliant. 00:38:56.079 --> 00:38:59.039 But Paul, this is Ephesus. 00:39:01.440 --> 00:39:03.039 This is Ephesus. 00:39:03.440 --> 00:39:05.679 This is an evangelist dream. 00:39:06.320 --> 00:39:09.119 The diversity, people traveling through. 00:39:09.360 --> 00:39:21.039 You could plant a church here and then everything would, you know, the people would share the gospel from here forward and get on the ports, get on boats, and this is this is what you wanted. 00:39:21.760 --> 00:39:35.280 When you started this trip, Ephesus was the capital of the region called Asia. 00:39:36.320 --> 00:39:41.360 And where did Paul and his team want to go first? 00:39:42.400 --> 00:39:50.320 When they got there, just a couple years before this, where was his first intention that he wanted to go? 00:39:51.280 --> 00:39:53.280 He wanted to go to Asia. 00:39:54.000 --> 00:40:09.519 And there was this east-west, you know, highway like I-26 that would go from west to east, that would take them from, you know, where they had visited the early churches, and then would travel across about 1,500 miles. 00:40:09.599 --> 00:40:11.360 So it's more like I-40. 00:40:12.559 --> 00:40:18.480 Take them across, and that would lead to it, uh, it would end in Ephesus. 00:40:19.360 --> 00:40:23.280 I believe his plan was to go across Asia, get to Ephesus. 00:40:23.679 --> 00:40:25.760 Everything there is at Ephesus. 00:40:26.079 --> 00:40:27.840 But what did the Lord do? 00:40:28.000 --> 00:40:32.159 Tell him the Lord blocked it. 00:40:32.719 --> 00:40:34.079 Then he tried Bithynia. 00:40:34.320 --> 00:40:36.079 The Lord blocked it. 00:40:36.400 --> 00:40:40.960 They ended up in Troaz, and then a Macedonian man said, Come over and help us. 00:40:42.400 --> 00:40:47.199 Okay, it wasn't God's plan a couple years ago, but now here appears to be an open door. 00:40:47.360 --> 00:40:48.480 They want me. 00:40:50.719 --> 00:40:52.639 In the synagogue, they want me. 00:40:52.800 --> 00:40:55.840 Isn't that a sign that this is the right way to go? 00:40:57.119 --> 00:40:59.840 Remember one of the lessons we had a few weeks ago? 00:41:00.079 --> 00:41:04.239 Just because the door is open, that doesn't mean you're called to go through it. 00:41:08.239 --> 00:41:16.239 When God had opened the doors in Philippian jail, the jails had opened up, and Paul and Silas did not leave, and then the jailer got saved. 00:41:16.400 --> 00:41:20.000 Not every door that opens means you're the one to go through it. 00:41:21.920 --> 00:41:27.760 This was a great, wonderful opportunity, but he declined. 00:41:28.000 --> 00:41:34.800 Now he was under a time constraint, and we find this in uh in like the King James and New King James. 00:41:34.960 --> 00:41:40.719 We find this, this is shown in other uh some of the older uh or some other manuscripts. 00:41:40.880 --> 00:41:57.519 It says in verses 21-20, when they asked him to stay longer with them, he did not consent, but took leave of them, saying, I must by all means keep this coming feast in Jerusalem, but I will return again to you, God willing, and he sailed from Ephesus. 00:41:57.840 --> 00:42:01.440 You can say that that he he had a date with the temple. 00:42:01.599 --> 00:42:05.599 I need to get to the temple, and I got to go, I've made a vow. 00:42:05.920 --> 00:42:11.599 Or in some other way, the Lord has said, You have to go. 00:42:13.280 --> 00:42:15.119 I must go now. 00:42:15.360 --> 00:42:19.920 I can't wait any longer, or I'll miss the window. 00:42:21.519 --> 00:42:32.320 I checked with God's map, and God said, Don't turn and deviate and go this route, even though it sounds like it's the best route. 00:42:32.559 --> 00:42:34.000 It looks like the best route. 00:42:34.159 --> 00:42:36.400 It's what you even wanted. 00:42:36.800 --> 00:42:38.960 Now is not the time. 00:42:40.079 --> 00:42:43.039 Continue on the original path. 00:42:43.519 --> 00:42:49.440 This isn't a sign for you to get started, it's laying a groundwork for the future. 00:42:49.840 --> 00:42:52.639 If he had delayed, he would have missed the window. 00:42:53.119 --> 00:42:55.679 But he doesn't leave without making a promise. 00:42:56.079 --> 00:42:57.760 He took his leave of them. 00:42:58.079 --> 00:43:02.400 On taking his leave of them, he said, I will return to you. 00:43:04.320 --> 00:43:05.119 Say it. 00:43:06.559 --> 00:43:08.719 If God wills. 00:43:13.039 --> 00:43:14.880 If God wills. 00:43:15.599 --> 00:43:17.119 I desire to be back. 00:43:17.280 --> 00:43:20.480 I will be back if the Lord wills. 00:43:21.360 --> 00:43:25.519 Paul has submitted himself to God's agenda. 00:43:26.079 --> 00:43:33.519 He has entrusted his safety, traveling safety, all of his plans, ministry plans, everything else. 00:43:33.679 --> 00:43:39.519 He has submitted it to the Lord's will, and he held his desires in open hands. 00:43:39.840 --> 00:43:42.239 He had a calendar, but it was written in pencil. 00:43:42.480 --> 00:43:46.480 Lord, you can erase all of my plans and take in your plans. 00:43:46.559 --> 00:43:52.159 So it's if the Lord wills, not my will, but Lord, your will be done. 00:43:52.400 --> 00:43:59.599 Now, human pragmatism, human wisdom would say, hey, strike it, you know, while it's hot. 00:44:00.960 --> 00:44:08.159 You gotta go in and you gotta take the most advantage, but pragmatism isn't always God's plan. 00:44:08.880 --> 00:44:13.199 What seems to be the most effective doesn't mean that's what God wants. 00:44:14.239 --> 00:44:22.400 Genuine faith is not based on what seems to be to us the best route. 00:44:23.119 --> 00:44:24.559 We want the Lord's route. 00:44:24.719 --> 00:44:28.159 We want to check in Him with Him before we make any decisions. 00:44:28.480 --> 00:44:29.679 Acts 16, 6. 00:44:29.760 --> 00:44:34.719 This is where we see Paul's desire to get through Asia. 00:44:34.880 --> 00:44:42.320 They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. 00:44:43.519 --> 00:44:46.800 But here's the familiar passage, Proverbs 19, 21. 00:44:46.880 --> 00:44:52.159 Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. 00:44:56.400 --> 00:45:02.559 True submission says we submit to God's overriding purpose, whatever that might be. 00:45:02.800 --> 00:45:09.519 And looking at James chapter 4, verses 14 and 15, yet you don't know what tomorrow will bring. 00:45:09.599 --> 00:45:10.480 What is your life? 00:45:10.800 --> 00:45:18.079 You are a mist, like a vapor, like a morning fog that appears for a little time and then vanishes. 00:45:18.159 --> 00:45:24.320 Instead, you ought to say, if the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that. 00:45:25.039 --> 00:45:29.199 Don't fall for the illusion of human autonomy. 00:45:30.639 --> 00:45:32.800 The Lord is the one who's in control. 00:45:33.039 --> 00:45:35.599 We should always say, if the Lord wills. 00:45:35.840 --> 00:45:43.760 Even people who don't say, if it's the Lord's will, they are also in submission to God's will because He is sovereign. 00:45:44.079 --> 00:45:46.880 And we should seek first what His will is. 00:45:47.039 --> 00:45:49.199 What is the will you desire for me? 00:45:49.360 --> 00:45:52.880 Now I know I couldn't, I'm gonna make it, but what's your plan? 00:45:52.960 --> 00:45:58.400 I'm not planning on going into sin, Lord, but I want to do what's the decision between these two good paths? 00:45:58.639 --> 00:46:02.719 That's what I want to get there, though. 00:46:03.360 --> 00:46:05.280 Kingdom Life point three. 00:46:07.039 --> 00:46:12.079 Learn how to say no to the crowd so you can keep your yes to the Lord. 00:46:15.679 --> 00:46:17.119 Learn to say no. 00:46:18.159 --> 00:46:19.840 So you can say yes. 00:46:22.639 --> 00:46:25.840 Following the Lord means you're gonna hurt some folks' feelings. 00:46:27.039 --> 00:46:29.280 I tell you what, you're not gonna stand before man. 00:46:31.199 --> 00:46:34.079 When this is all over, you're gonna stand before the Lord. 00:46:34.639 --> 00:46:40.559 And and so you don't it's it's it's it's like you don't want to make other people an idol. 00:46:41.119 --> 00:46:45.679 Like I'm trying to get something from them that I can't get from God. 00:46:46.400 --> 00:46:52.559 Whatever affirmation, anything like that we want to get, it is through our relationship with God, not through man. 00:46:52.719 --> 00:46:55.039 Don't make people your God. 00:46:56.320 --> 00:46:58.960 You lead to burnout, exhaustion, mission drift. 00:46:59.039 --> 00:47:12.159 You go that way that route of just choosing your way, or maybe even not seeking Him at all, congestion, things getting being harder than they have to be, being burnt out because you're doing it in your strength. 00:47:12.320 --> 00:47:14.719 There's something about not listening. 00:47:15.039 --> 00:47:18.000 You can get into a habit of not listening to God. 00:47:18.239 --> 00:47:23.679 You can get into the habit of just doing things in what is pragmatic, what seems to be the best option. 00:47:23.760 --> 00:47:25.440 I'm not saying that's not always what God does. 00:47:25.599 --> 00:47:28.800 God sometimes does say, do it this way. 00:47:28.880 --> 00:47:30.880 It's the most, it's the most logical choice. 00:47:31.039 --> 00:47:32.480 It's with wisdom. 00:47:33.760 --> 00:47:35.840 But you always want to check with them first. 00:47:36.480 --> 00:47:38.320 Do you still want to submit yourself? 00:47:38.639 --> 00:47:40.159 Jesus modeled this perfectly. 00:47:40.239 --> 00:47:42.000 This is the passage I was going to get to. 00:47:42.079 --> 00:47:44.079 Uh I was I was alluding to earlier. 00:47:44.239 --> 00:47:54.719 Uh Jesus being in Caesarea, he had uh healed Peter's son, uh mother-in-law, and then everybody started bringing sick folks to him, and he healed all throughout the day. 00:47:55.280 --> 00:47:56.800 And then he went away. 00:47:57.039 --> 00:47:59.280 Verse 42 of Luke 4. 00:47:59.440 --> 00:48:02.480 When it was day, he departed and went into a desolate place. 00:48:02.639 --> 00:48:06.320 Mark tells us he went away to a desolate place to pray. 00:48:07.039 --> 00:48:09.840 And he prayed throughout the evening. 00:48:10.639 --> 00:48:15.519 Then the people sought him and came to him and would have kept him from leaving them. 00:48:15.679 --> 00:48:25.280 But he said to them, I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to other towns as well, for I was sent for this purpose. 00:48:29.840 --> 00:48:36.960 Develop the courage to say, I'd love to do that. 00:48:37.920 --> 00:48:43.519 However, it's not what the Lord has for me in this season. 00:48:44.480 --> 00:48:47.280 If he wills, I'll be able to do it. 00:48:47.519 --> 00:48:52.480 He may say no permanently, but when you say if it's the Lord's will, hey, that's it. 00:48:52.639 --> 00:48:54.800 When it's the Lord's will, he'll make it known. 00:48:55.679 --> 00:49:00.639 Don't you know the Lord wants you to know his will more than you want to know his will? 00:49:01.039 --> 00:49:04.159 Don't you know God isn't playing hide and seek from us? 00:49:05.199 --> 00:49:09.039 He desires, he desires us to walk in his will more than we do. 00:49:10.400 --> 00:49:11.679 He has called us. 00:49:12.159 --> 00:49:16.800 So listening, doing that, Paul again saying he he declined. 00:49:16.960 --> 00:49:22.639 He didn't go on the difficult path because he had that relationship with God and he knew I must get. 00:49:23.519 --> 00:49:25.599 I must get to Jerusalem. 00:49:26.159 --> 00:49:27.360 I have to get there. 00:49:27.519 --> 00:49:29.840 And he had a timeline, a time frame. 00:49:30.079 --> 00:49:31.199 So he he leaves. 00:49:31.280 --> 00:49:34.320 He sets sail from Ephesus, verse 22 and 23. 00:49:34.800 --> 00:49:38.960 When he landed at Caesarea, he went up. 00:49:39.840 --> 00:49:46.960 He went up, and that means uh, you know, he goes up in elevation, and he goes up and he greets the church. 00:49:47.119 --> 00:49:48.320 What church is that? 00:49:48.559 --> 00:49:50.639 That's the church in Jerusalem. 00:49:50.960 --> 00:49:55.599 Going up was always going up in elevation because Jerusalem sat up on a hill. 00:49:55.679 --> 00:49:59.840 You know, he had to go up, and then you would go down to go other places. 00:50:00.000 --> 00:50:06.400 So he goes up to the church in Jerusalem and he greets them. 00:50:07.360 --> 00:50:13.440 Now, mind you, he's going to go back to Antioch, his sending church. 00:50:14.000 --> 00:50:21.760 But before doing that, he goes up to Jerusalem, to the mothership, where the whole thing got started. 00:50:22.159 --> 00:50:24.400 He goes there and he greets them. 00:50:24.880 --> 00:50:43.199 Now that may sit not seem like a whole lot to us, but that was powerful for Paul to do because as he's gone through this mission trip, he's been gone for a couple years on this mission, hundreds of Gentiles, uncircumcised Gentiles, have come to faith in Jesus Christ and are now part of the family of God. 00:50:43.360 --> 00:50:47.679 And they are all part of the family of God, and he gets to report that to them. 00:50:48.000 --> 00:51:00.000 If they didn't know about this, then there might have been a pervasive myth that there was two separate churches, that there was a schism, that there's the Gentile group and then the Jewish group. 00:51:00.079 --> 00:51:03.039 But no, he came in to say we're still one body. 00:51:03.519 --> 00:51:04.400 We're one. 00:51:04.559 --> 00:51:06.320 And let me tell you what God has done. 00:51:06.480 --> 00:51:11.039 We had that Jerusalem Council a couple years ago where we all decided what we asked the judge. 00:51:11.280 --> 00:51:13.599 Let me tell you about what God has done. 00:51:13.760 --> 00:51:22.000 Listen, what he has done here is he's done something that everyone who is in church leadership, ministry leadership needs to do. 00:51:22.239 --> 00:51:23.599 Be accountable. 00:51:28.800 --> 00:51:30.960 Let me tell you what God has done. 00:51:31.119 --> 00:51:32.960 You you sent me, you released me. 00:51:33.039 --> 00:51:34.239 Let me tell you what God has done. 00:51:34.320 --> 00:51:35.280 Let me testify. 00:51:35.519 --> 00:51:38.960 He greets the leaders there. 00:51:39.280 --> 00:51:39.840 Riley. 00:51:40.800 --> 00:51:47.119 He shares what God has done, he submits it and says, Look what God has done through this. 00:51:47.280 --> 00:51:48.079 You released it. 00:51:48.159 --> 00:51:49.119 We made this decision. 00:51:49.199 --> 00:51:54.480 Now look, hundreds, maybe thousands, have come to faith in Jesus. 00:51:54.800 --> 00:51:56.079 So he went up. 00:51:57.119 --> 00:51:59.920 And that ends up that protects the unity of the church. 00:52:00.079 --> 00:52:03.039 And then he went down to Antioch. 00:52:04.159 --> 00:52:08.559 He goes back to the sending church, the church that had launched him out. 00:52:11.280 --> 00:52:15.360 At the end of chapter 15 of Acts, they had sent him out. 00:52:17.760 --> 00:52:23.920 Paul and Silas, along the way, that got connected with Luke and got connected with Timothy, all these other things. 00:52:24.239 --> 00:52:25.679 He returns back. 00:52:25.840 --> 00:52:28.239 Again, that accountability. 00:52:29.360 --> 00:52:32.719 This completes the second missionary journey because that's where he left. 00:52:32.800 --> 00:52:35.920 He goes home back to his sending church. 00:52:37.119 --> 00:52:42.079 We went down to them and spends some time there as well. 00:52:44.079 --> 00:52:52.880 But then after spending some time there, then he went from one place to the next. 00:52:53.119 --> 00:53:00.960 He doesn't stay there long because the Holy Spirit is the one driving him, directing him. 00:53:01.199 --> 00:53:13.440 He went from one place to the next, which means passing through in successive order, a systematic, intentional journey from town to town. 00:53:13.599 --> 00:53:21.280 He goes from one place to the other through the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening the disciples. 00:53:22.000 --> 00:53:26.960 All the churches that he established earlier in Galatia, he goes back again. 00:53:27.760 --> 00:53:37.840 Throughout that region, he goes back, and this these were some of he had a lot of issues with these churches, but he went back to strengthen them, which means to build up. 00:53:38.000 --> 00:53:46.719 He builds them up and it has this uh uh to steadfast, to set fast and to fix and to establish permanently uh to fix it in place. 00:53:46.800 --> 00:53:49.280 That's what his purpose, that's what he did. 00:53:54.239 --> 00:54:11.199 And it and we end up after we're gonna take a little detour from Paul as we start chapter 19, but we will pick back up and he shows up in Ephesus a good 1,500 miles, which would have taken nine weeks to travel if he was walking by foot six days a week. 00:54:11.599 --> 00:54:20.159 He ends up in Ephesus, but before he goes to Ephesus, he goes back through the mountains, all these difficult places, even places where he had been persecuted before. 00:54:20.400 --> 00:54:25.119 He goes back there because the disciples needed to be strengthened. 00:54:25.440 --> 00:54:32.480 He chose all the dust and all the fatigue because that's what it takes to build up disciples. 00:54:34.400 --> 00:54:35.280 It is not easy. 00:54:35.440 --> 00:54:46.239 Galatians 4.19, this is what he talks about, my little children for whom I am again in anguish, in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you. 00:54:47.199 --> 00:54:49.679 This is the very people he's talking about. 00:54:51.119 --> 00:54:56.400 Our last kingdom truth is this kingdom true, kingdom impact requires accountability and commitment to discipleship. 00:54:56.559 --> 00:54:58.880 Commitment to discipleship and accountability. 00:54:58.960 --> 00:55:01.440 It's not enough just to lead people to Jesus. 00:55:02.000 --> 00:55:04.639 It's not enough just to say, Oh, I got some hands up. 00:55:04.880 --> 00:55:07.360 Somebody said a prayer, and now we're gonna forget about them. 00:55:08.639 --> 00:55:09.760 No, it doesn't. 00:55:10.639 --> 00:55:16.800 It takes that, it takes uh uh discipleship, but also accountability across all levels. 00:55:18.400 --> 00:55:22.880 Accountability across all levels, and and that's how we grow. 00:55:23.199 --> 00:55:27.519 We don't grow in isolation, we don't grow separate from each other. 00:55:29.039 --> 00:55:31.039 Colossians 1.28, we know this one. 00:55:31.199 --> 00:55:32.000 Oops. 00:55:33.199 --> 00:55:43.039 Colossians 1.28, we proclaim him warning and teaching everyone with all wisdom that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 00:55:43.199 --> 00:55:44.079 Paul says that. 00:55:44.159 --> 00:55:44.880 This is our goal. 00:55:44.960 --> 00:55:46.320 We want to warn and teach. 00:55:46.480 --> 00:55:48.960 That means hold people accountable and encourage them. 00:55:49.119 --> 00:55:52.400 You have to be involved in people's lives to be able to do that. 00:55:53.280 --> 00:56:00.480 To be able to warn, you've got to know where somebody is going and know that it's off and speak to them in love about it. 00:56:00.880 --> 00:56:03.440 Watch out, don't fall for that trap. 00:56:03.760 --> 00:56:06.639 And it's not just the responsibility of leaders. 00:56:07.039 --> 00:56:19.119 Looking at chapter 3, verse 16 in Colossians, let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your heart to God. 00:56:19.840 --> 00:56:22.000 That's all of our responsibilities. 00:56:22.320 --> 00:56:25.920 Accountability, discipleship requires accountability. 00:56:26.159 --> 00:56:34.880 Paul going back again is part of accountability on his part because he wanted to be back, but also I want to see how y'all are doing. 00:56:36.639 --> 00:56:38.559 T Mobile wasn't around to give them a call. 00:56:38.719 --> 00:56:40.320 Hey, I'm right around the corner. 00:56:40.880 --> 00:56:42.480 You know what happens when a family does that? 00:56:42.559 --> 00:56:46.400 Hey, we're coming, and they're not, you know, unannounced. 00:56:46.480 --> 00:56:47.119 But you know what happens? 00:56:47.280 --> 00:56:48.559 They give you like 30 minutes. 00:56:48.639 --> 00:56:54.159 So you got the time to move everything out of the living room and put it in the bedroom or in a closet, trying to get everything straight. 00:56:54.480 --> 00:56:56.079 Paul just shows up. 00:56:56.400 --> 00:56:59.119 Hey, bros, what's happening? 00:57:00.719 --> 00:57:04.000 Tell me what you're thinking, tell me what you're going through. 00:57:04.800 --> 00:57:06.000 Who are you looking at? 00:57:06.159 --> 00:57:07.360 Who are you turning away from? 00:57:07.519 --> 00:57:09.679 What do you believe God says about X, Y, and Z? 00:57:09.760 --> 00:57:11.920 He wants to make sure they're firm in the faith. 00:57:12.239 --> 00:57:15.280 Last life application principle. 00:57:15.440 --> 00:57:20.960 Don't let past church hurt become your justification for sinful, unaccountable isolation. 00:57:22.239 --> 00:57:26.719 Some people are watching from home because their last church hurt them. 00:57:27.519 --> 00:57:29.840 And not justifying what they did. 00:57:30.000 --> 00:57:37.039 But I'm saying if you decide I'm just going to watch at home, I had somebody say you're my seventh favorite preacher. 00:57:38.960 --> 00:57:40.719 I didn't quite know how to take it. 00:57:40.800 --> 00:57:43.679 This was like, I mean, I've got to watch you every Sunday. 00:57:43.760 --> 00:57:45.360 You're my seventh favorite one. 00:57:45.440 --> 00:57:47.039 You've gone through seven. 00:57:47.360 --> 00:57:49.360 When do you have time to go to church? 00:57:50.480 --> 00:57:52.400 I don't have a church. 00:57:53.519 --> 00:57:56.559 I just now I'm I'm just taking a break from church. 00:57:56.719 --> 00:58:01.440 You know, once you start saying I'm taking a break from church, don't you know it's easy to get into that habit? 00:58:02.400 --> 00:58:06.960 And if you're away from the body, who's going to tell you that you're wrong? 00:58:08.079 --> 00:58:12.320 Who are you sharing your spiritual gift with and whose are you receiving from? 00:58:12.480 --> 00:58:20.960 When we are interdependent, don't allow church hurt to be your justification for unaccountable isolation. 00:58:22.239 --> 00:58:23.679 I'm just not coming. 00:58:23.840 --> 00:58:24.960 They hurt me. 00:58:25.679 --> 00:58:26.639 Guess what? 00:58:27.039 --> 00:58:32.960 You in relationship with other human beings, sinful folk, they hurt you and you hurt them. 00:58:33.199 --> 00:58:35.599 I promise you, you hurt somebody else's feelings. 00:58:35.679 --> 00:58:38.719 I promise you, you said something that got received the wrong way. 00:58:38.880 --> 00:58:41.519 I guarantee you you offended somebody. 00:58:44.719 --> 00:58:53.599 But we hurt and we repent and we forgive and we grow and we continue throughout because we're family. 00:58:53.840 --> 00:58:58.480 You're not gonna go grow isolated from God's family. 00:58:58.800 --> 00:59:06.719 Don't use what your previous church did to justify staying away from the body. 00:59:09.599 --> 00:59:13.920 If you look at what Paul did, wrapping up here, 1 Thessalonians 2.8. 00:59:14.079 --> 00:59:25.440 He says about this time that he was with them, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God, but also our own selves, because you were very dear to us. 00:59:26.079 --> 00:59:33.840 Willing to share my very life, resources, and everything else with you, because you have become dear to us. 00:59:35.840 --> 00:59:42.800 Paul travels thousands of miles, but it's all under the direction of the Holy Spirit. 00:59:44.559 --> 00:59:46.559 So let me conclude here with this. 00:59:46.880 --> 00:59:56.159 Maybe you feel like your spiritual life, you're just everything is just filled with congestion cars are backed up, and and you're just why is it so hard? 00:59:58.079 --> 01:00:08.000 Is it possible is it remotely possible that maybe you've taken a road that the Lord said not to go? 01:00:10.400 --> 01:00:13.840 And and you're experiencing the result of that. 01:00:14.400 --> 01:00:23.760 Is it is it is it possible that you consulted God's map. 01:00:24.800 --> 01:00:28.559 But God's map said you need to listen to brothers and sisters in Christ. 01:00:28.880 --> 01:00:32.639 Sometimes he speaks through the body and not just you in your quiet time. 01:00:34.320 --> 01:00:44.000 But because you didn't want to humble yourself to anyone else, you took a path that is congested and not what God had intended, but he will go with you through it. 01:00:45.679 --> 01:00:47.840 Maybe just some reflection. 01:00:48.719 --> 01:00:51.599 Maybe you chose a way just because you wanted to go. 01:00:51.920 --> 01:00:55.840 And sometimes it's hard just because the journey is difficult. 01:00:56.159 --> 01:01:01.119 And the Lord says, I'm gonna get glory through you as you travel through and these other folks see you. 01:01:01.599 --> 01:01:13.920 It's just real, it's good room for for investigation and communication with God, but whatever it is, church, it starts with an authentic relationship with God. 01:01:15.519 --> 01:01:17.679 Have that song, have that place. 01:01:19.440 --> 01:01:23.360 That special place, just you and him, that special song, just you and him. 01:01:23.840 --> 01:01:25.440 That's what he created us for. 01:01:25.679 --> 01:01:28.159 And that only that creates us. 01:01:28.800 --> 01:01:35.119 It's only then that we thrive when we go in that direction and listen to him and let him guide us. 01:01:35.840 --> 01:01:37.840 Lord, thank you so much for this time, this word. 01:01:38.079 --> 01:01:40.639 Thank you for his challenge, thank you for his promise. 01:01:40.880 --> 01:01:42.639 Thank you, Lord, for walking with us. 01:01:43.119 --> 01:01:52.239 We know you're working everything in our lives together for good, and the best, the good, is being transformed and being like Jesus. 01:01:53.119 --> 01:01:54.480 It's in his name that we pray. 01:01:54.639 --> 01:01:55.679 We love you, Lord. 01:01:55.920 --> 01:01:57.360 In the name of Jesus, amen.