WEBVTT 00:00:26.399 --> 00:00:44.399 The divine work of God, how God works in, through, and around us for His purposes, the divine work of God. 00:00:44.399 --> 00:00:46.759 And we're going to see that in Acts chapter 18. 00:00:46.759 --> 00:00:57.359 We're going to see the divine orchestration, the divine encouragement, divine intervention, and the divine impact. 00:00:57.359 --> 00:01:01.799 Many of you maybe, if you're like me, watched an old movie. 00:01:01.799 --> 00:01:11.239 And that's just always-- every time I ever share a movie and I kind of give the plot away, people get on to me. 00:01:11.239 --> 00:01:13.879 But I would say this movie is 75 years old. 00:01:13.879 --> 00:01:18.840 So if you haven't watched it yet, I don't know what to say about that, OK? 00:01:18.840 --> 00:01:22.280 But when I was a child, when I watched it, it was even old then. 00:01:22.280 --> 00:01:23.359 I was at my grandmother's house. 00:01:23.359 --> 00:01:25.079 It was probably seven or eight years old. 00:01:25.079 --> 00:01:31.079 And there was this movie that came on TV called The African Queen, OK? 00:01:31.079 --> 00:01:36.480 Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn are playing the part of these two people. 00:01:36.480 --> 00:01:38.719 One is a guy named Charlie. 00:01:38.719 --> 00:01:43.519 And he's kind of a rough and tough boatsman. 00:01:43.519 --> 00:01:45.959 And he's living out in East Africa. 00:01:45.959 --> 00:01:50.319 And basically, he's kind of a mercenary. 00:01:50.319 --> 00:01:57.120 And he's running supplies, dynamite, alcohol, even the mail. 00:01:57.120 --> 00:02:00.480 And people pay him to deliver this stuff, right? 00:02:00.480 --> 00:02:08.159 And so he's making money as he takes his African queen, his steamboat, up and down the Nile River. 00:02:08.159 --> 00:02:11.520 And then there is a lady who's there. 00:02:11.520 --> 00:02:13.039 And her name is Rosie. 00:02:13.039 --> 00:02:16.879 And she's a missionary there in East Africa. 00:02:16.879 --> 00:02:18.520 And she's with her brother. 00:02:18.520 --> 00:02:21.800 And they have a school and a church. 00:02:21.800 --> 00:02:26.800 But one day, when World War I breaks out, the Germans come in. 00:02:26.800 --> 00:02:31.360 And they began to burn the village and round everyone up. 00:02:31.360 --> 00:02:34.039 Rosie's brother gets into a confrontation. 00:02:34.039 --> 00:02:35.560 He ends up dying. 00:02:35.560 --> 00:02:41.520 And then Rosie jumps in the steamboat with Charlie and narrowly escapes. 00:02:41.520 --> 00:02:44.159 Now, they're two polar opposite people. 00:02:44.159 --> 00:02:45.800 She's a missionary. 00:02:45.800 --> 00:02:47.520 And he's a mercenary, OK? 00:02:47.520 --> 00:02:49.759 So they're exactly opposite. 00:02:49.759 --> 00:02:51.080 And so they take off. 00:02:51.080 --> 00:02:54.840 And they're headed to this lake where they think they'll be safe. 00:02:54.840 --> 00:02:58.199 And maybe they can even contribute and help with the war efforts. 00:02:58.199 --> 00:03:08.560 And so the stories about how that steamboat, small steam of the African queen, as it goes down this river, and they encounter these rough tides and rapids. 00:03:08.560 --> 00:03:10.599 And they narrowly make it through. 00:03:10.599 --> 00:03:12.520 And then I'll never forget this scene. 00:03:12.520 --> 00:03:15.080 Then all the mosquitoes and bugs come out. 00:03:15.080 --> 00:03:16.919 And they're just everywhere. 00:03:16.919 --> 00:03:18.719 And they make it through that. 00:03:18.719 --> 00:03:21.520 And then they pass a fortress where the Germans are. 00:03:21.520 --> 00:03:22.639 They begin to shoot at them. 00:03:22.639 --> 00:03:24.479 And they hit the boat. 00:03:24.479 --> 00:03:26.479 And there's some damage to the boat. 00:03:26.479 --> 00:03:29.759 But Charlie's able to ultimately fix it. 00:03:29.759 --> 00:03:33.000 And then they think they're getting close. 00:03:33.000 --> 00:03:36.680 But then they hit this marsh swamp area. 00:03:36.680 --> 00:03:40.280 And they realize, man, this is going to be really tough. 00:03:40.280 --> 00:03:41.919 And so the boat keeps going for a while. 00:03:41.919 --> 00:03:43.080 And then it kind of gives out. 00:03:43.080 --> 00:03:45.439 And then they're trying to push it with poles. 00:03:45.439 --> 00:03:48.879 And then eventually, Charlie has to get out. 00:03:48.879 --> 00:03:50.400 And he's in that swamp. 00:03:50.400 --> 00:03:52.000 And that thickens in that mud. 00:03:52.000 --> 00:03:54.719 And he's pulling that boat. 00:03:54.719 --> 00:03:57.800 And finally, they hit a spot where it just bottoms out. 00:03:57.800 --> 00:03:59.080 And this levels up. 00:03:59.080 --> 00:04:00.120 They can't go any further. 00:04:00.120 --> 00:04:01.039 They're out of water. 00:04:01.039 --> 00:04:02.919 They're out of supplies. 00:04:02.919 --> 00:04:07.439 And Rosie kind of prays a prayer, recognizing that this is it. 00:04:07.439 --> 00:04:08.759 They're not going to make it, right? 00:04:08.759 --> 00:04:09.599 They're going to die. 00:04:09.599 --> 00:04:17.959 What they did know was just another 100 yards, because of all the reeds, they couldn't see it, was the lake that they were trying to get to, with the fresh water. 00:04:17.959 --> 00:04:21.079 And kind of their objectives would have been met, right? 00:04:21.079 --> 00:04:22.720 But they don't know that. 00:04:22.720 --> 00:04:26.279 And so they pass out thinking they're going to die. 00:04:26.279 --> 00:04:31.639 But little did they know, about 100 miles up the river, there's a torrential storm brewing. 00:04:31.639 --> 00:04:33.920 And the rain begins to pour. 00:04:33.920 --> 00:04:37.120 And as it pours, it begins to enter into that river. 00:04:37.120 --> 00:04:38.720 And the streams run in. 00:04:38.720 --> 00:04:41.000 And it eventually comes to where they are. 00:04:41.000 --> 00:04:50.759 And while they're still passed out, the water rushes in and it lifts up the boat, and pushes the boat out into the lake. 00:04:50.759 --> 00:04:55.199 And later on, they awaken, and they see where they are. 00:04:55.199 --> 00:05:03.040 And that happened, you know, it's kind of that old Oswald Chambers, do everything you honestly and ethically can, and entrust the rest of God. 00:05:03.040 --> 00:05:05.240 That's what Oswald Chambers defines faith. 00:05:05.240 --> 00:05:17.319 There's a great picture of the orchestration of how God works, and how He orchestrates behind the scenes, when we don't necessarily see, understand, or even believe. 00:05:17.319 --> 00:05:25.600 So as we look at Acts chapter 18 today, we will see how God is divinely at work. 00:05:25.600 --> 00:05:29.879 We see how He's working in and through and around Paul. 00:05:29.879 --> 00:05:35.899 We see the divine orchestration, the divine encouragement, the divine intervention, and the divine impact. 00:05:35.899 --> 00:05:41.279 If you have your Bibles, let's begin in Acts chapter 18, beginning with the first verse. 00:05:41.279 --> 00:05:47.120 And after this, Paul left Athens, and he goes to Corinth. 00:05:47.120 --> 00:05:59.079 Now Corinth is regarded as probably the most wicked, the most depraved city in all of the known world. 00:05:59.079 --> 00:06:05.519 Matter of fact, the Greeks and the pagans even used the word Corinth as a pejorative. 00:06:05.519 --> 00:06:13.240 They would use the word Corinthian in association with just moral depravity and wickedness. 00:06:13.240 --> 00:06:17.680 If you were called a Corinthian, that was saying something. 00:06:17.680 --> 00:06:20.399 It was saying you are so wicked. 00:06:20.399 --> 00:06:30.319 And so this town, this city, that is under primarily Roman occupation, is a place where anything goes. 00:06:30.319 --> 00:06:39.759 There are thousands of temple prostitutes, and there are multiple ways where you can just kind of do whatever it is that you want. 00:06:39.759 --> 00:06:43.959 And this is the city that Paul is walking into. 00:06:43.959 --> 00:06:47.040 This is this place where God is leading him. 00:06:47.040 --> 00:06:58.600 And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, and recently from Italy with his wife Priscilla because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. 00:06:58.600 --> 00:07:00.199 So what's happening here? 00:07:00.199 --> 00:07:08.120 Paul's left Athens, God has led him to Corinth, and it's probably almost overwhelming. 00:07:08.120 --> 00:07:20.439 Matter of fact, when he gets there, he begins to walk up and down the streets, and that's probably where he meets and encounters at the marketplace this couple named Aquila and Priscilla. 00:07:20.439 --> 00:07:26.779 Now Aquila and Priscilla are not in Corinth because they wanted to be. 00:07:26.779 --> 00:07:39.759 They're in Corinth because the Bible tells us that the Emperor Claudius had expelled all of the Jews, and the Christians came under that title as far as the Roman Empire was concerned. 00:07:39.759 --> 00:07:50.439 So Claudius, sometime between 49 and 51 AD, has sent out the Edict, if you're a Jew and Christians, well, then you must leave. 00:07:50.439 --> 00:07:51.279 You have to leave. 00:07:51.279 --> 00:07:58.920 So he's expelled all of them, and they are here because they've been kicked out of Rome. 00:07:58.920 --> 00:08:08.300 And so God has orchestrated that they be here, not because it was their desire, their plan, but for God's ultimate purposes. 00:08:08.300 --> 00:08:13.879 And here we see that Paul meets them, and they have the same trade. 00:08:13.879 --> 00:08:21.199 The Bible says that they had the same trade and he stayed with them and worked with them, for they were tent makers by trade. 00:08:21.199 --> 00:08:26.720 And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath and tried to persuade the Jews and the Greek. 00:08:26.720 --> 00:08:30.480 So Paul has come in Corinth, and he needs money, right? 00:08:30.480 --> 00:08:31.699 And so he's a tent maker. 00:08:31.699 --> 00:08:34.399 We use that term sometimes for pastors. 00:08:34.399 --> 00:08:43.080 Like when I started in the ministry, like I had the job that I fed myself with, then I was a minister on the side, right? 00:08:43.080 --> 00:08:44.840 And so that's not uncommon today. 00:08:44.840 --> 00:08:46.399 And this is exactly where Paul is. 00:08:46.399 --> 00:08:47.840 So Paul has this trade. 00:08:47.840 --> 00:08:51.120 He has this skill of making tents. 00:08:51.120 --> 00:08:54.519 And that was a very popular trade at that time. 00:08:54.519 --> 00:08:57.159 And so Aquila and Priscilla have that same trade. 00:08:57.159 --> 00:08:59.240 So he probably meets them in the market center. 00:08:59.240 --> 00:09:03.559 They began to talk and they realized that they share faith in Christ. 00:09:03.559 --> 00:09:07.200 Paul finds them and he realizes he's not alone. 00:09:07.200 --> 00:09:14.919 And the Bible tells us that every Sabbath, Paul is going to the synagogue and he's trying to persuade the Greeks and the Jews. 00:09:14.919 --> 00:09:21.919 So we see how God has divinely orchestrated this process so far for the apostle Paul. 00:09:21.919 --> 00:09:34.200 And then in verse five, the Bible says, when Silas and Timothy arrived in Macedonia, Paul was occupied with a word testifying to the Jews that Christ was Jesus. 00:09:34.200 --> 00:09:40.159 And when they opposed and reviled him, he shook out his garments and said to them,"Your blood be on your head. 00:09:40.159 --> 00:09:40.980 I'm innocent. 00:09:40.980 --> 00:09:49.559 From now on, I will go to the Gentiles." So Paul has gone to the local synagogue where the Jews would have been. 00:09:49.559 --> 00:09:58.879 And he's trying to persuade, he's talking to them, he's meeting people and he's telling them about Christ and that Christ is the Messiah, but they are rejecting him. 00:09:58.879 --> 00:09:59.799 They're not just rejecting. 00:09:59.799 --> 00:10:02.799 Matter of fact, the word used in the Greek here means blasphemous. 00:10:02.799 --> 00:10:07.320 So they are either blaspheming Christ or Paul, probably Christ. 00:10:07.320 --> 00:10:26.120 And Paul is so frustrated that he says,"Okay, the blood be upon your head." And now we know that Paul later ministers to Jews, we'll see it here in this text, but he becomes so upset and so frustrated with the negativity and with the attacks that he kind of lashes out. 00:10:26.120 --> 00:10:36.940 But what's interesting when he does this, the Bible says, "And he left and went next door to the house of a man named Titus Justice, a worshipper of God. 00:10:36.940 --> 00:10:40.820 And his house was next door to the synagogue." So here's the picture. 00:10:40.820 --> 00:10:42.320 Paul's at church. 00:10:42.320 --> 00:10:43.759 Nobody's listening. 00:10:43.759 --> 00:10:45.059 Everybody's mad. 00:10:45.059 --> 00:10:46.200 Everybody's blaspheming. 00:10:46.200 --> 00:10:47.919 Everybody's discrediting. 00:10:47.919 --> 00:10:50.279 They're talking about how Christ is not true. 00:10:50.279 --> 00:10:51.559 Christ is not real. 00:10:51.559 --> 00:10:53.080 He's not the Messiah. 00:10:53.080 --> 00:10:58.159 And he becomes so frustrated that he probably ends up where God wanted him to begin with. 00:10:58.159 --> 00:11:00.720 The Bible says he went next door. 00:11:00.720 --> 00:11:06.399 He goes next door, and then here's a guy named Titus Justice Titus, and he is a God fear. 00:11:06.399 --> 00:11:22.799 Remember, God fear is not someone who's been raised in the faith, not someone who's been raised in Judaism, but it's someone who has come to the place where they believe there is one true God that Yahweh is God, even though they've not been through all the traditions and the ceremonies. 00:11:22.799 --> 00:11:24.700 So this is justice. 00:11:24.700 --> 00:11:26.039 This is where he goes to. 00:11:26.039 --> 00:11:30.080 And when he gets there, he begins to share with him. 00:11:30.080 --> 00:11:39.799 And then we even see, and just later on, probably a few weeks from then, one of the rulers, matter of fact, the ruler of that synagogue comes to faith in Christ. 00:11:39.799 --> 00:11:43.120 And guess where the Corinthian church will meet? 00:11:44.759 --> 00:11:46.480 Titus Justice's house. 00:11:46.480 --> 00:11:52.440 Again, you see the divine orchestration of God. 00:11:52.440 --> 00:12:01.000 And the Bible tells us in verse eight that Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, he believes in the Lord in his entire household. 00:12:01.000 --> 00:12:06.000 In many of the Corinthians, hearing Paul believed and were baptized. 00:12:06.000 --> 00:12:14.279 You see, these Corinthians, who would not have come into the synagogue, are now coming into one of their neighbor's homes. 00:12:14.279 --> 00:12:23.039 And God orchestrates and uses what Paul would think would have been so negative, God uses for his good. 00:12:23.039 --> 00:12:25.879 That happens today still in our lives. 00:12:25.879 --> 00:12:51.240 And the Bible says that in verse nine, after this has happened, and this probably could have been weeks or even months after this happened, after many Christians hearing Paul, excuse me, many Corinthians hearing Paul believe and were baptized, the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent for I am with you. 00:12:51.240 --> 00:12:56.240 So we're reading this text and we see all these wonderful things that have happened. 00:12:56.240 --> 00:13:03.039 But then all of a sudden we see this, that Paul has this vision where God comes and speaks to him and tells him not to be afraid. 00:13:03.039 --> 00:13:04.500 You know why he told him that? 00:13:04.500 --> 00:13:06.019 Because he was afraid. 00:13:06.019 --> 00:13:07.679 That's why he's telling them that. 00:13:07.679 --> 00:13:09.360 Paul is struggling. 00:13:09.360 --> 00:13:14.919 Matter of fact, if we go to first Corinthians, Paul writing a letter to the Corinthians church. 00:13:14.919 --> 00:13:18.399 In chapter two, verse three, you know what Paul tells us right there? 00:13:18.399 --> 00:13:26.000 He says, "When I was with you in weakness and fear"and much trembling, I was struggling. 00:13:26.000 --> 00:13:27.940 "I was scared. 00:13:27.940 --> 00:13:30.220 "I had heard the threats. 00:13:30.220 --> 00:13:34.360 "I had seen what these people could do"and I was scared. 00:13:34.360 --> 00:13:40.080 "I didn't think I could go on." And God gives him divine encouragement. 00:13:40.080 --> 00:13:43.200 He gives him a divine word. 00:13:43.200 --> 00:13:55.240 He gives him this vision and he says,"Do not be afraid, but go on speaking"and do not be silent for I am with you"and no one will attack you or harm you. 00:13:55.240 --> 00:14:02.600 "For I have many people in this city who are my people." Now Paul, I mean, think about it. 00:14:02.600 --> 00:14:03.879 We go back to chapter 16. 00:14:03.879 --> 00:14:05.360 He's been beaten before. 00:14:05.360 --> 00:14:07.320 He's been in prison before. 00:14:07.320 --> 00:14:08.360 Come on, Paul. 00:14:08.360 --> 00:14:10.559 You've bucked it up before. 00:14:10.559 --> 00:14:11.480 But can I tell you this? 00:14:11.480 --> 00:14:13.799 That's all well and good for us to say. 00:14:13.799 --> 00:14:17.840 But I'll tell you this, one beating is about all I could ever take in my life anyway. 00:14:17.840 --> 00:14:19.639 You know what I mean? 00:14:19.639 --> 00:14:22.240 And Paul probably still has a limp. 00:14:22.240 --> 00:14:29.200 He's probably still hurting and he's thinking,"Oh Lord, please, I do not want to go through this again. 00:14:29.200 --> 00:14:32.360 "God, I'm scared. 00:14:32.360 --> 00:14:33.960 "Can I just stop? 00:14:33.960 --> 00:14:45.159 "I just want to quit." And God, because he's orchestrated, because he's led, because he's put Paul here for such a time as this, he gives him a promise. 00:14:45.159 --> 00:14:46.799 He gives him a word. 00:14:46.799 --> 00:14:50.600 He tells him, "Hey, Paul, don't be afraid. 00:14:50.600 --> 00:14:57.000 "Keep on speaking because I am with you." Can I tell you this? 00:14:57.000 --> 00:15:08.159 As we follow Christ, when God puts us somewhere, when he purposely creates a place for us to be and he moves and leads us, here's what we can know. 00:15:08.159 --> 00:15:10.919 He will be with us. 00:15:10.919 --> 00:15:11.960 We don't have to be afraid. 00:15:11.960 --> 00:15:16.639 The problem is when we get outside of his will, does that mean that I will never suffer? 00:15:16.639 --> 00:15:17.480 No. 00:15:17.480 --> 00:15:19.039 Does that mean I will never struggle? 00:15:19.039 --> 00:15:20.279 That I will never be hurt? 00:15:20.279 --> 00:15:21.519 Not what it means at all. 00:15:21.519 --> 00:15:29.000 It means that the designed sovereign grace of God is upon you and nothing can go through his hand. 00:15:29.000 --> 00:15:33.039 Nothing can happen to you that doesn't go through his hand. 00:15:33.039 --> 00:15:36.240 And so that's exactly what is happening here. 00:15:36.240 --> 00:15:40.240 And as we move on, we'll see how that plays out. 00:15:40.240 --> 00:15:44.879 The Bible says in verse 11 that he stayed a year and a half teaching the word of God among them. 00:15:44.879 --> 00:15:49.779 So he stays another 18 months with this divine encouragement. 00:15:49.779 --> 00:15:53.539 Now you might be saying to yourself today, so what does that look like for me today? 00:15:53.539 --> 00:15:55.600 What does divine encouragement look like? 00:15:55.600 --> 00:15:56.639 What does that mean? 00:15:56.639 --> 00:16:05.480 Well, certainly God encourages through prayer and scripture, but let's talk about a few ways that we can more in depth understand the divine encouragement of God. 00:16:05.480 --> 00:16:09.039 Number one is recognizing that God forgives. 00:16:09.039 --> 00:16:11.159 He encourages us by forgiveness. 00:16:11.159 --> 00:16:13.659 It doesn't matter what our past has been. 00:16:13.659 --> 00:16:25.519 We've all made mistakes, but we don't have to be trapped because the God of the universe loved us so much that he sent his son that lived the life that you and I should have lived and died the death that we should have died. 00:16:25.519 --> 00:16:34.279 And his blood covers us and we are right before God because of Christ Jesus, not because of our efforts. 00:16:34.279 --> 00:16:35.919 And he forgives us. 00:16:35.919 --> 00:16:48.360 The Bible tells us in 1 John 1.9 that if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us of all unrighteousness. 00:16:48.360 --> 00:16:53.360 He makes us right in spirit and in heart as he forgives. 00:16:53.360 --> 00:16:56.840 He sustains us. 00:16:56.840 --> 00:17:09.440 Paul writing to the Philippians in chapter four, verse 9, 19 says this,"For my God shall supply all of your needs"according to his riches and glory through Christ Jesus. 00:17:09.440 --> 00:17:14.759 "Jesus will sustain us." Again, does that mean hard times will not come? 00:17:14.759 --> 00:17:15.920 Not what it means at all. 00:17:15.920 --> 00:17:18.440 It means he will give you the strength and the power. 00:17:18.440 --> 00:17:23.440 He will meet your needs according to his riches and glory. 00:17:23.440 --> 00:17:27.960 The purpose for which you were created. 00:17:27.960 --> 00:17:31.160 And the Bible also says that he shields us. 00:17:31.160 --> 00:17:44.359 In Psalms chapter five, verse 12,"For you bless the righteous, O Lord,"you cover him with a favor as with a shield." We have the favor of the Lord. 00:17:44.359 --> 00:17:45.759 It is as a shield. 00:17:45.759 --> 00:18:01.960 Now, when I have favor with someone, whether it be my spouse, my children, a friend, a family member, when I know they believe in me, when I know that they have my back, when I know that they will stand with me, it doesn't mean, again, I won't have difficulties. 00:18:01.960 --> 00:18:07.519 It doesn't mean that I won't have hard times or struggles, but I know there's someone who stands with me. 00:18:07.519 --> 00:18:10.119 I know in whom I can depend. 00:18:10.119 --> 00:18:11.319 It is a confidence. 00:18:11.319 --> 00:18:12.779 It is an encouragement. 00:18:12.779 --> 00:18:18.319 And that's exactly what it means to be within the favor in the shield of God. 00:18:18.319 --> 00:18:20.960 And God directs us, right? 00:18:20.960 --> 00:18:32.400 As we trust in the Lord with all our heart and lean not on our own understanding and all our ways acknowledge him, he will make the straight your paths. 00:18:32.400 --> 00:18:35.559 He directs us, he gives us guidance and leadership. 00:18:35.559 --> 00:18:40.559 His spirit moves as we listen, as we obey, as we respond. 00:18:40.559 --> 00:18:43.519 And last but not least, he redeems. 00:18:43.519 --> 00:18:56.960 Psalms 130 verse seven said,"Oh, Israel, hope in the Lord, for with the Lord,"there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption." I love that word, plentiful redemption. 00:18:56.960 --> 00:18:57.960 What does it mean? 00:18:57.960 --> 00:19:14.440 Your translation might say, "an abundance of redemption." It means that God can take anything from our lives, any struggle, any difficulty, any tears, any heartaches, and he will ultimately redeem it. 00:19:14.440 --> 00:19:16.980 He will ultimately use it for his good. 00:19:16.980 --> 00:19:19.480 Now, does that always happen right here on earth? 00:19:19.480 --> 00:19:20.740 Maybe not. 00:19:20.740 --> 00:19:40.079 But for his glory, for eternity, he will redeem all pain, all suffering, all heartache, all tragedies of the believer in Christ Jesus, either here or there or both, in abundance, completely in totality. 00:19:40.079 --> 00:19:54.519 I love that because sometimes when we ask that question, why, Lord, we don't always get an answer, but here's what we've been promised, that there will be an abundance of redemption, plenty's redemption. 00:19:54.519 --> 00:20:01.440 As we move on, we see here some divine intervention after this promise. 00:20:01.440 --> 00:20:08.519 Matter of fact, we see divine intervention from someone who doesn't even recognize God. 00:20:08.519 --> 00:20:21.519 But when Galio was pro-counsel of Achea, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him before the tribunal, saying this man is persuading people to worship God contrary to the law. 00:20:21.519 --> 00:20:22.359 Now let's stop there. 00:20:22.359 --> 00:20:25.359 So Galio, Galio is a Roman official. 00:20:25.359 --> 00:20:46.099 Matter of fact, history, we have four different historical resources outside of the Bible that tells us that Galio did serve in this capacity and he served in this capacity in Corinth between 49 and 52 AD, which is exactly, Paul's probably here around 51, 52 AD. 00:20:46.099 --> 00:20:50.519 So Galio has been commissioned, he's been placed here for such a time as this. 00:20:50.519 --> 00:20:51.359 Does he know it? 00:20:51.359 --> 00:20:52.180 Does he understand it? 00:20:52.180 --> 00:20:53.880 Nope, but look what God does. 00:20:53.880 --> 00:20:57.640 Remember that promise that I'm not going to allow them to hurt you? 00:20:57.640 --> 00:21:03.960 The Bible tells us right here in this passage that he's being accused. 00:21:03.960 --> 00:21:10.759 The Jews, maybe even some of the Greeks have grabbed him, they're taking him before the council and they want him punished. 00:21:10.759 --> 00:21:12.720 They want him expelled. 00:21:12.720 --> 00:21:22.759 And the Bible says that when Galio hears this, Paul starts to open his mouth and he's gonna try to defend himself. 00:21:22.759 --> 00:21:31.480 But Galio said to the Jews,"If it were a matter of wrongdoing or vision crimes,"O Jews, I would have reason to accept your complaint. 00:21:31.480 --> 00:21:35.519 "But since it's a matter of questions about words"and names and your law, see to it yourselves. 00:21:35.519 --> 00:21:41.960 "I refuse to judge on these things." And he drove them from the tribunal. 00:21:41.960 --> 00:21:43.460 So what's happened here? 00:21:43.460 --> 00:21:49.140 So you've got a group of people who are really mad, who really want to see Paul punished. 00:21:49.140 --> 00:21:50.519 They want to see him in prison. 00:21:50.519 --> 00:21:52.000 They want to see him beaten. 00:21:52.000 --> 00:21:54.539 They want to see him probably dead. 00:21:54.539 --> 00:22:01.000 Paul knows this and they grab him as a mob and they take him to the city court, so to speak. 00:22:01.000 --> 00:22:04.960 It's an outside area and you can still see it today in Corinth. 00:22:04.960 --> 00:22:10.559 And the council, the man in charge there from the Roman empires and named Galio. 00:22:10.559 --> 00:22:14.359 And Galio hears this and he goes, "I don't think so. 00:22:14.359 --> 00:22:17.299 "Matter of fact, I don't even want you here. 00:22:17.299 --> 00:22:18.759 "And here's the deal. 00:22:18.759 --> 00:22:20.039 "This guy's a Roman citizen. 00:22:20.039 --> 00:22:21.920 "This sounds like you've got Jewish problems. 00:22:21.920 --> 00:22:23.799 "Sounds like you've got tradition problems. 00:22:23.799 --> 00:22:28.119 "That's up to you." But in doing so, Galio makes a ruling. 00:22:28.119 --> 00:22:32.200 And from this point on, they in Corinth, they cannot hurt Paul. 00:22:32.200 --> 00:22:33.619 Now they can lodge complaints. 00:22:33.619 --> 00:22:35.000 They can say things to him. 00:22:35.000 --> 00:22:36.359 They can talk about him. 00:22:36.359 --> 00:22:38.519 But they're not going to be able to put him in prison. 00:22:38.519 --> 00:22:41.680 They're not going to be able to physically touch him. 00:22:41.680 --> 00:22:43.279 And so what happens? 00:22:43.279 --> 00:22:50.200 And by the way, you see the divine intervention by someone who didn't even know Christ or didn't even care. 00:22:50.200 --> 00:22:53.039 God's using, God's given him that vision. 00:22:53.039 --> 00:22:54.720 So what happens then? 00:22:54.720 --> 00:23:03.000 And they, the mob, they see Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and they beat him in front of the tribunal and Galio doesn't even pay attention to this. 00:23:03.000 --> 00:23:04.119 So what happens? 00:23:04.119 --> 00:23:10.279 So the guy who's in charge, Sosthenes, who's the ruler of the synagogue, he would have been the lead guy. 00:23:10.279 --> 00:23:12.799 He's told him, "Hey, let's take him before Galio. 00:23:12.799 --> 00:23:13.640 "Let's do that. 00:23:13.640 --> 00:23:15.519 "Let's get him and maybe we can get him in prison. 00:23:15.519 --> 00:23:18.039 "Maybe we can get him excommunicated,"get him out of here. 00:23:18.039 --> 00:23:22.920 "Maybe we can even beat him." And again, I'm conjecturing a little bit here. 00:23:22.920 --> 00:23:25.119 And so he tells them that. 00:23:25.119 --> 00:23:26.400 This crowd goes. 00:23:26.400 --> 00:23:27.240 They said, "All right, loud. 00:23:27.240 --> 00:23:28.079 "Yeah, let's do that. 00:23:28.079 --> 00:23:29.059 "Let's don't take action yourself. 00:23:29.059 --> 00:23:31.279 "Let's take him before Galio." So they do that. 00:23:31.279 --> 00:23:34.680 And he gets to Galio and Galio says, "I don't think so. 00:23:34.680 --> 00:23:40.640 "I think you just deal with whatever you want to,"but no, he's a Roman citizen. 00:23:40.640 --> 00:23:44.720 "He hasn't done anything worthy of being punished. 00:23:44.720 --> 00:23:57.920 "So you work out whatever it is that you do"when you disagree with others"and your faith and your Judaism." And so what happens then is that mob that's so angry, they get so mad that they beat their leader. 00:23:57.920 --> 00:23:59.680 They beat Sosthenes. 00:23:59.680 --> 00:24:00.519 Isn't that amazing? 00:24:00.519 --> 00:24:02.440 God's already said, "Hey, look, I'm gonna go with you. 00:24:02.440 --> 00:24:03.779 "I'm gonna be with you. 00:24:03.779 --> 00:24:07.400 "You're not gonna get hurt." Matter of fact, the guy who's gonna lead all this, he's gonna get hurt. 00:24:07.400 --> 00:24:09.160 He's the one that's gonna take the beating. 00:24:09.160 --> 00:24:16.460 Don't you love the orchestration, the divine orchestration, the divine encouragement, and the divine intervention of God? 00:24:16.460 --> 00:24:28.240 And then we're going to skip this next section in the interest of time, and we're going to go to verse 24, where we continue to see the divine intervention and divine impact. 00:24:28.240 --> 00:24:31.039 There's a guy named Apollos, the Bible tells us. 00:24:31.039 --> 00:24:44.240 Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus, and he was an eloquent man, competent in the scripture, and he had been instructed in the way of the Lord. 00:24:44.240 --> 00:24:48.079 Apollos, now we read about Apollos a couple of times in the New Testament. 00:24:48.079 --> 00:24:51.160 Remember how Paul will say in Corinthians? 00:24:51.160 --> 00:25:01.359 He said, "Look, I planted Apollos watered,"and God gave the increase." So this guy, Apollos, I mean, he's a sharp dude. 00:25:01.359 --> 00:25:10.640 He's from Alexandria, and Alexandria, Egypt, was regarded probably as the pinnacle of academic knowledge and understanding. 00:25:10.640 --> 00:25:21.319 It hosted the world's largest library by far, and it was full of books in a time where books themselves were ridiculously expensive. 00:25:21.319 --> 00:25:27.440 Matter of fact, for a book the size of the Old Testament, it would have taken over 300 sheep. 00:25:27.440 --> 00:25:38.839 It would have cost 300 sheep to do that, so it's very expensive, and yet this, depending on which scholars, anywhere from a half of a million to a million books are there. 00:25:38.839 --> 00:25:40.359 People would go there to learn. 00:25:40.359 --> 00:25:41.519 They would go there to glean. 00:25:41.519 --> 00:26:01.279 There were great philosophers like Philo there, and Alexander has come up next to this library, being able to study and being able to read even the Old Testament that's translated into Greek, and so he's from a distinguished area, and not only that, he's eloquent. 00:26:01.279 --> 00:26:03.799 He's a great communicator. 00:26:03.799 --> 00:26:07.480 He's a great orator, and he's competent. 00:26:07.480 --> 00:26:12.480 He knows the Scriptures, and he's been instructed. 00:26:12.480 --> 00:26:16.480 He's had formal training, so get the picture. 00:26:16.480 --> 00:26:18.779 This guy is a great speaker. 00:26:18.779 --> 00:26:20.119 He's probably good-looking. 00:26:20.119 --> 00:26:21.599 He's eloquent. 00:26:21.599 --> 00:26:22.599 He's a great communicator. 00:26:22.599 --> 00:26:23.839 He's got charisma. 00:26:23.839 --> 00:26:25.660 He's Destin Garner, all right? 00:26:25.660 --> 00:26:35.200 Like he's, you know, like this guy has it all going on, right, and he comes, and God is using him. 00:26:35.200 --> 00:26:38.200 He's having an impact on people. 00:26:38.200 --> 00:26:57.279 As he teaches, the Bible says he spoke and taught accurately things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John, and he began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. 00:26:57.279 --> 00:26:58.519 Now, here's the picture. 00:26:58.519 --> 00:27:29.319 God has led this man, Apollos, who is a sharp, academic, excellent communicator, full of charisma and stature, to Ephesus, to teach and to preach the word of God, and people hear it, and they're impressed, and he puts himself in a position amongst the believers as he's teaching, and remember Aquila and Priscilla, remember the people that God orchestrated that they be here at such time as this? 00:27:29.319 --> 00:27:32.160 Now, Aquila and Priscilla are in Ephesus. 00:27:32.160 --> 00:27:36.160 They were in Corinth, where God used them to encourage Paul. 00:27:36.160 --> 00:27:38.160 Now Paul has told him to go to Ephesus. 00:27:38.160 --> 00:27:39.000 They're in Ephesus. 00:27:39.000 --> 00:27:43.559 Now they're encouraging, in the background, Apollos. 00:27:43.559 --> 00:27:45.799 And matter of fact, they're from Pontus. 00:27:45.799 --> 00:27:49.359 That's not a city that had any kind of academic esteem. 00:27:49.359 --> 00:27:51.559 It's kind of a backwater city, right? 00:27:51.559 --> 00:28:04.039 But that's where they're from, and they've been with Paul, and they've listened to the Scriptures, and the Bible tells us this, that Aquila and Priscilla are listening to him, and they recognize there's something deficient. 00:28:04.039 --> 00:28:08.079 There's something not accurate about what he's teaching about Christ. 00:28:08.079 --> 00:28:11.799 He's been through the John, so to speak, the John the Baptist training. 00:28:11.799 --> 00:28:12.640 It tells us that. 00:28:12.640 --> 00:28:14.480 He had the baptism of John. 00:28:14.480 --> 00:28:21.519 He had heard John who had a tremendous impact on the world at that time before he passed away and continues. 00:28:21.519 --> 00:28:25.880 And so now he's here, but there's something deficient. 00:28:25.880 --> 00:28:27.240 He's not been with Paul. 00:28:27.240 --> 00:28:28.319 He's not been with Jesus. 00:28:28.319 --> 00:28:29.759 He believed Jesus is Christ. 00:28:29.759 --> 00:28:31.960 He knows about the death, burial, and resurrection. 00:28:31.960 --> 00:28:41.720 But whether it's something to do, probably, with the Holy Spirit not understanding how the Spirit works, because he wasn't there when Acts chapter two occurred. 00:28:41.720 --> 00:28:43.460 He was in Egypt. 00:28:43.460 --> 00:28:48.460 Or whether it has something to do with not understanding the grace we're saved through faith. 00:28:48.460 --> 00:28:52.079 We don't know exactly, but we know there's something deficient. 00:28:52.079 --> 00:28:53.640 So what happens? 00:28:53.640 --> 00:29:01.440 Aquila and Priscilla, these simple people, they go to him and go, "Look, hey, let me help you here. 00:29:01.440 --> 00:29:05.839 You have a couple of things that aren't exactly accurate. 00:29:05.839 --> 00:29:07.319 And here's the miracle. 00:29:07.319 --> 00:29:08.359 Here's the amazing thing. 00:29:08.359 --> 00:29:09.200 You know what happens? 00:29:09.200 --> 00:29:11.400 He listens. 00:29:11.400 --> 00:29:12.920 He listens. 00:29:13.900 --> 00:29:15.940 He's got it all going. 00:29:15.940 --> 00:29:19.099 He's got everything in a bag of tricks, right? 00:29:19.099 --> 00:29:22.140 I mean, people like that often don't listen to anybody, right? 00:29:22.140 --> 00:29:24.900 Like everybody, "Ooh, Apollos, man, he's sharp. 00:29:24.900 --> 00:29:26.099 Man, he's got charisma. 00:29:26.099 --> 00:29:27.420 Man, he knows his scripture. 00:29:27.420 --> 00:29:33.319 Man, he knows his stuff." A lot of times, you know, people like that don't get confronted. 00:29:33.319 --> 00:29:36.700 But Aquila and Priscilla are moved to go and confront him. 00:29:36.700 --> 00:29:38.740 And then amazingly, he listens. 00:29:38.740 --> 00:29:51.579 Can I tell you, to experience divine impact in our life, for God to use us outside of prayer and scripture, I believe this to be the most essential trait that we can possess. 00:29:51.579 --> 00:29:58.140 I think it's the most important thing about us that we can be if we really wanna grow in the knowledge of Christ. 00:29:58.140 --> 00:30:00.980 If we really wanna see God work in and through and around us. 00:30:00.980 --> 00:30:01.799 And you know what that is? 00:30:01.799 --> 00:30:04.220 It's a spirit of teachability. 00:30:04.220 --> 00:30:09.140 It's humility, certainly, but it's a spirit of being teachable. 00:30:09.140 --> 00:30:11.700 Are you teachable? 00:30:11.700 --> 00:30:18.940 Are you willing to listen when someone who cares or someone who knows points out something? 00:30:18.940 --> 00:30:23.859 And do you invite people like that into your life to speak into your life? 00:30:23.859 --> 00:30:33.180 You know, I am so blessed because God has given me the opportunity to have people speak into my life and correct me pretty much every week. 00:30:33.180 --> 00:30:37.019 Thank you, church, for all the ways that you helped me. 00:30:37.019 --> 00:30:39.980 But can I tell you this? 00:30:39.980 --> 00:30:49.859 A lot of times, a lot of the things that I've learned have been 'cause people have questioned, because people have asked, because people have lovingly even confronted. 00:30:49.859 --> 00:30:52.759 And the tragedy is not what happens. 00:30:52.759 --> 00:30:56.039 It's what we fail to learn from what happens, right? 00:30:56.039 --> 00:30:58.579 So here's the deal about being teachable. 00:30:58.579 --> 00:31:02.319 Teachable can be defined into these three words. 00:31:02.319 --> 00:31:04.980 Are you willing to learn? 00:31:04.980 --> 00:31:05.819 Are you open? 00:31:05.819 --> 00:31:07.480 Or do you already think that you know everything? 00:31:07.480 --> 00:31:14.740 I love that Apollos, he's listening to someone who's less educated than him, who has less stature than him. 00:31:14.740 --> 00:31:17.140 He's willing to learn. 00:31:17.140 --> 00:31:17.980 And can I tell you this? 00:31:17.980 --> 00:31:27.740 I believe that God often speaks not through the great scholars and philosophers of life, but through everyday people living out the gospel. 00:31:27.740 --> 00:31:30.940 Number two, unlearn. 00:31:30.940 --> 00:31:36.460 Being teachable means we're willing to unlearn some things that we've learned growing up. 00:31:36.460 --> 00:31:38.740 And you might ask, well, give me an example of that. 00:31:38.740 --> 00:31:41.500 What are some things I need to maybe unlearn? 00:31:41.500 --> 00:31:44.900 Well, all of us have heard things growing up, right? 00:31:44.900 --> 00:31:48.740 Maybe it was from our parents, maybe it was from the church we grew up in. 00:31:48.740 --> 00:31:53.980 And if we study enough, at some point, we might encounter that something we heard was not exactly right. 00:31:53.980 --> 00:31:56.339 And then we have the choice to do this. 00:31:56.339 --> 00:31:59.160 We can go, well, that's what I was taught growing up. 00:31:59.160 --> 00:32:00.660 That automatically makes it right. 00:32:00.660 --> 00:32:02.619 So I'm not gonna listen, not gonna hear that. 00:32:02.619 --> 00:32:03.460 I'm just gonna move on. 00:32:03.460 --> 00:32:06.099 I'm not gonna study, I'm not gonna search the scripture, I'm not gonna pray. 00:32:06.099 --> 00:32:07.380 I'll give you one in my life. 00:32:07.380 --> 00:32:14.259 My sweet mother, who's a part of our church, she's 90 years old, just probably the biggest influence I ever had in my life. 00:32:14.259 --> 00:32:19.019 But when I was growing up, my mom would quote a verse to me all the time. 00:32:19.019 --> 00:32:20.299 I would say it was her favorite verse. 00:32:20.299 --> 00:32:23.460 She probably wouldn't say that, but I would say, mom, you quote that the most often. 00:32:23.460 --> 00:32:31.500 And it was this, she would say,"Cleanliness is next to godliness."(congregation laughing) Get in there and clean up your room, young man. 00:32:31.500 --> 00:32:33.299 Clean up this kitchen, clean up this mess. 00:32:33.299 --> 00:32:35.380 Cleanliness is next to godliness. 00:32:35.380 --> 00:32:41.420 Well, when I was in college, I said this to somebody and they go,"You know that's not in the Bible." I'll go, "Oh, yes, it is." My momma quoted it all the time. 00:32:41.420 --> 00:32:45.859 (congregation laughing) Yeah, I could not find it and went and talked to a professor. 00:32:45.859 --> 00:32:48.940 And he said, "Yeah, that's not there." And I go, "Good night. 00:32:48.940 --> 00:32:51.980 "My momma been telling me this all my life. 00:32:51.980 --> 00:32:55.539 "It gotta be right if it comes from your mama, right?" But it wasn't. 00:32:55.539 --> 00:32:59.299 I remember going back and saying, mom, you said that this verse, where is that in the Bible? 00:32:59.299 --> 00:33:03.740 And she goes, "I don't know." I said, but mom, actually it's not in the Bible. 00:33:03.740 --> 00:33:08.180 She goes, "Are you sure?" I said, "Yes, ma'am." She goes, "Well, it should be." So that's the way we're gonna live. 00:33:08.180 --> 00:33:10.980 That's right. (congregation laughing) Okay? 00:33:10.980 --> 00:33:13.500 Some of us just need to unlearn things that we've heard. 00:33:13.500 --> 00:33:25.420 We need to be open that God can work and adjust and reframe and help us to re-understand some things that we have lodged in our mind that it's just easier to just roll on with. 00:33:25.420 --> 00:33:28.140 Now, I'm never gonna talk, I'm not talking about tenets. 00:33:28.140 --> 00:33:30.859 I'm not talking about the non-negotiables of the gospel. 00:33:30.859 --> 00:33:36.059 I'm not talking about that there is a God that we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. 00:33:36.059 --> 00:33:47.140 And we are not at peace with Him until we come to the place where we recognize Christ, who is God in the flesh, and live the life that we should have lived, and died the death that we should have died. 00:33:47.140 --> 00:33:50.579 And through the death, burial, and resurrection, He covers our sin. 00:33:50.579 --> 00:33:54.500 And the righteous of Christ Jesus is applied to our lives. 00:33:54.500 --> 00:33:56.900 Those are tenets, non-negotiable. 00:33:56.900 --> 00:33:58.140 You don't have to think about it. 00:33:58.140 --> 00:34:02.059 You just affirm them, you believe them, you pray them, you live them. 00:34:02.059 --> 00:34:06.660 But there are teachings that are important, and it's important that we read Scripture. 00:34:06.660 --> 00:34:08.860 It's important that we have interpretations. 00:34:08.860 --> 00:34:16.780 But we also recognize sometimes there are some things that we may misunderstand or that we may be wrong on. 00:34:16.780 --> 00:34:26.619 I've shared with you before, there's a pastor that used to be down the street, he was a great guy, very well-educated, but we had a difference of interpretation on several issues. 00:34:26.619 --> 00:34:34.619 Not on the tenets, not on the big ones, but on baptism, on church leadership, and even about communion and what it meant. 00:34:34.619 --> 00:34:36.420 Does that remain he's not a Christian? 00:34:36.420 --> 00:34:37.420 Nope. 00:34:37.420 --> 00:34:40.659 That means that one of us is not right, okay? 00:34:40.659 --> 00:34:45.980 Now I think I'm right, and that's what we think, and I think Scripture shows that, but that's not what he thinks. 00:34:45.980 --> 00:34:47.340 But you know what I have to do? 00:34:47.340 --> 00:34:49.420 I have to have an open hand, right? 00:34:49.420 --> 00:35:00.980 Recognizing, hey, we're going to teach, preach, and live out the tenets of the faith, and then we're gonna study to show ourselves approved that we need not be ashamed. 00:35:00.980 --> 00:35:11.179 Rightly divide the word of truth, the teachings of Christ, and how we apply that, and we are open when necessary to being corrected. 00:35:11.179 --> 00:35:13.260 Can I tell you this? 00:35:13.260 --> 00:35:15.539 You know where we really learn, at least I do. 00:35:15.539 --> 00:35:24.539 Where I really learn the most is from my failures, when I just completely drop the ball, when I'm just completely wrong. 00:35:24.539 --> 00:35:31.699 That God gives us this gift of failure to make us look up, and to make us trust Him. 00:35:31.699 --> 00:35:37.099 So being teachable is learning, unlearning, and relearning truth. 00:35:37.099 --> 00:35:42.300 That's what teachable means, and to have divine impact, that's what's necessary. 00:35:42.300 --> 00:35:50.900 And the Bible says in verse 27, and when Apollos wished across to Achea, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. 00:35:50.900 --> 00:35:55.820 And when he arrived, he greatly helped those who through grace had believed. 00:35:55.820 --> 00:36:03.699 For he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the scriptures that Christ was Jesus. 00:36:03.699 --> 00:36:15.579 I love how Apollos is used to impact the lives of so many, as he listens to God, and as he listens to godly counsel. 00:36:15.579 --> 00:36:17.940 And that's what you and I must do today. 00:36:17.940 --> 00:36:22.940 For God to impact, for God to work, and to use us. 00:36:22.940 --> 00:36:28.019 We need to put ourselves in a position where God can do that. 00:36:28.019 --> 00:36:32.380 We need to put ourselves in position to receive godly input. 00:36:32.380 --> 00:36:39.500 That's why it's so important that we come to church together, that we do groups together, that we serve together. 00:36:39.500 --> 00:36:44.500 God often speaks through the body of Christ. 00:36:44.500 --> 00:36:57.699 We often learn and grow, not just through individual, but through talking it out, and having questions, and listening with other believers, and particularly with godly counsel. 00:36:57.699 --> 00:37:08.500 Number two, for God to work in our lives, and to impact our lives and others, to be teachable, we must accept correction and learn from failure. 00:37:08.500 --> 00:37:17.619 Now, boys and girls, I'm going to read a verse of scripture to you, and I don't want you to use this word inappropriately, and listen to your parents, whatever they tell you about using this word, okay? 00:37:17.619 --> 00:37:24.599 So I'm just gonna give a little disclaimer right now, and it's Proverbs chapter 12, verse one. 00:37:24.599 --> 00:37:30.940 And this word is not used very often in scripture, so when it is, you need to really pay attention, but here's what it says. 00:37:30.940 --> 00:37:37.980 Whoever loves discipline, loves correction, loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid. 00:37:37.980 --> 00:37:42.039 Here's that word right there. 00:37:42.039 --> 00:37:49.000 Do you think the proverb, the writer of Proverbs, do you think he was trying to communicate something here? 00:37:49.000 --> 00:37:50.340 I think so. 00:37:50.340 --> 00:37:54.340 I think this is meant to sting a little bit for you to grasp it. 00:37:54.340 --> 00:38:10.820 He's saying, look, if you're not open to feedback, if you're not letting people in your life correct you, if you're not putting yourself around people who can speak into your life, and you don't, or when they do, you don't listen, then you're being stupid. 00:38:10.820 --> 00:38:12.739 Okay, I won't say that word again, parents. 00:38:12.739 --> 00:38:34.059 But you see the strength and the power and the magnitude of how important it is that we allow people to speak in their eye, and number three, act on what is given after Apollos heard this, after he corrected, he goes and he teaches it, and he shares it, and God uses him mightily. 00:38:34.059 --> 00:38:48.420 We see from this passage that God's work has been happening as he divinely orchestrates, as he divinely encourages, as he divinely intervenes, and we see the divine impact. 00:38:48.420 --> 00:39:04.420 You know, in our world today, it's easy for us to find ourselves just falling for whatever the world or whatever the narrative that we read and hear the most, we can find ourselves falling into that trap. 00:39:04.420 --> 00:39:17.900 And the enemy who's always pushing, the darkness that's always pushing in, we just have to recognize and be careful that that's not possible, that's always occurring. 00:39:17.900 --> 00:39:19.460 So what do we do about that? 00:39:19.460 --> 00:39:25.460 Well, here's what he often does for believers, he tries to get us to do something called projecting. 00:39:25.460 --> 00:39:29.179 Some of you sociology, psychology, people know exactly what that is. 00:39:29.179 --> 00:39:36.860 We want to get focused on something else we don't like, and not listen to what we do need to listen to, and not do what we need to do. 00:39:36.860 --> 00:39:39.059 So we get sidetracked, right? 00:39:39.059 --> 00:39:42.099 The enemy gets us to project upon something else. 00:39:42.099 --> 00:39:44.940 He gets to, you've heard this before. 00:39:44.940 --> 00:39:51.300 Well, yeah, I believe God, I believe the gospel, but what about all the evil in the world? 00:39:51.300 --> 00:39:52.579 What do you do about all that? 00:39:52.579 --> 00:39:53.420 What do you do with evil? 00:39:53.420 --> 00:40:01.980 Or somebody says, well, it's just hard for me to really believe and believe this is really relevant today,'cause look at all the suffering that's going on in the world today. 00:40:01.980 --> 00:40:15.980 And people will project, or someone will say something like this, they'll say something like, well, you know, I mean, what about people who haven't heard the gospel, and what about people with special needs that don't understand, what does God do then? 00:40:15.980 --> 00:40:22.739 I mean, you know, if we're all sinners, and we all are responsible, how does God handle all that? 00:40:22.739 --> 00:40:30.900 Well, you know, it was amazing this week, literally this week, just a few days ago, one of our special needs ministers, Amy, sent me this email. 00:40:30.900 --> 00:40:35.860 And I just found it incredibly fascinating and convicting. 00:40:35.860 --> 00:40:41.059 She said, she's telling the story here, did I ever tell you about my cousin's daughter, Lucy? 00:40:41.059 --> 00:40:52.539 Her parents, her family are all unbelievers, and they're actually hostile toward Christianity, hostile about anything that has to do with Jesus. 00:40:52.539 --> 00:41:01.500 They have an older daughter, Lucy, whose special needs, she's nonverbal, she's never been able to talk or communicate in any manner. 00:41:01.500 --> 00:41:14.519 But they came across this special program, this spelling program, where she can use her large motor skills, she can use her hands to move things, and is able to communicate by moving these things. 00:41:14.519 --> 00:41:19.340 That's more complicated than what I'm telling you, but it's a special technology. 00:41:19.340 --> 00:41:22.980 And now she's able to communicate on some level. 00:41:22.980 --> 00:41:32.099 And come to find out, Lucy said she knew who Jesus was, and that she had a relationship with him. 00:41:32.099 --> 00:41:40.099 And they began to, again, talk through this technology as she uses her hands, her large motor skills to move. 00:41:40.099 --> 00:41:48.179 And she tells them, yes, I believe in Jesus, just I know Jesus, and some of my friends who are nonverbal, they do as well. 00:41:48.179 --> 00:41:55.460 And remember that her family not only doesn't go to church, not only Christian, they don't even believe it and they're hostile toward it. 00:41:55.460 --> 00:41:58.579 And so they begin to talk, like, where did you hear this? 00:41:58.579 --> 00:42:02.059 Like, how did you come to this? 00:42:02.059 --> 00:42:03.300 And you know what she says? 00:42:03.300 --> 00:42:12.900 She said, "Jesus came to me in my spirit"and revealed himself." And she believed and accepted. 00:42:12.900 --> 00:42:16.860 She's never spoken, she's never written, and God has come to us. 00:42:16.860 --> 00:42:17.699 Can I tell you this? 00:42:17.699 --> 00:42:22.980 We get so worried about what if, what this, what that, when the truth is, God is on the move. 00:42:22.980 --> 00:42:25.639 He's working in and around us. 00:42:25.639 --> 00:42:36.460 The question is, will we join him as believers in Christ Jesus, as he orchestrates, as he encourages, as he intervenes, as he impacts? 00:42:36.460 --> 00:42:37.820 Will you pray with me? 00:42:37.820 --> 00:42:41.699 Dear Jesus, thank you for your great grace that's been afforded to us. 00:42:41.699 --> 00:43:10.619 Lord, thank you for the power of your Holy Spirit that is not confined to our boundaries of words, our boundaries of understanding, but Lord, it's not by our might or our strength, but it's by your spirit that you are working, that you are revealing yourself, that you are orchestrating, that you are intervening, that you are encouraging, and that you are impacting the world that we live in. 00:43:10.619 --> 00:43:20.300 Lord, if there's one today that has not put their faith in you, I pray this would be the day that they transfer their trust to what you've done through the death barrel and resurrection. 00:43:20.300 --> 00:43:25.579 Lord, for believers who are struggling or wondering, God, are you really there? 00:43:25.579 --> 00:43:26.659 Are you really working? 00:43:26.659 --> 00:43:29.980 Lord, I pray that you would encourage them through your word. 00:43:29.980 --> 00:43:39.980 You would encourage them through the power of the Spirit that they might understand, even in my weakness, you are strong. 00:43:39.980 --> 00:43:48.780 That your Spirit prevails, and it's not by my works, but it's by your Spirit. 00:43:48.780 --> 00:43:56.460 Let that become, Lord, the slogan of our life is we trust and believe in you. 00:43:56.460 --> 00:44:00.340 In the name of Christ, we pray, amen. 00:44:00.340 --> 00:44:08.699 If you're here today and you are ready to trust Christ, if you're ready to begin that relationship with him, I would encourage you to do that. 00:44:08.699 --> 00:44:10.219 We still have leaders down front. 00:44:10.219 --> 00:44:13.860 Also, we have cards in the back of each seat. 00:44:13.860 --> 00:44:19.219 If you're visiting with us, would you take one of those cards out and fill that out with as much information as you're comfortable? 00:44:19.219 --> 00:44:32.539 And if you have a prayer request or a question, member or visitor, if you wanna know about faith, baptism, anything, we can assist you with, write that on there, and you can give it to one of us at the front, or you can put it in the offering basket on the way out. 00:44:32.539 --> 00:44:40.340 Also, if you're online, you can click on that link right there, and there's a minister who would love to pray with you or connect with you in any way that you would wish. 00:44:40.340 --> 00:44:43.900 And then we encourage you to give as an act of worship as well. 00:44:43.900 --> 00:44:47.619 And you can do that online, or you can do that in offering boxes as you leave. 00:44:47.619 --> 00:44:51.099 But as God speaks to you, you respond.