Pastor Mac v.11 "I Don't Look Like What I Been Through! Acts 11:19-26

words of encouragement and inspiration

"A Few Minutes with Pastor Mac"
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Hello and good morning. Thank you for tuning in to another podcast of a few minutes with Castle Matt. We hope God is blessing us all on this Sunday morning. And we hope God savings for this new week. That is upon us. If you can't make service, don't forget it. We have to give the five app your donations and first fruits and praise giving the right app. And um, if you can't make it to service, so don't forget about that. We always want to make sure we give opportunity to uh so season to God's ministry. And if you can't make it again, our website as well, uh Give the website and on our app, uh Gibbilify. Thank you once again for being with us on a few minutes with Pastor Matter podcast. We're so glad to have you uh with us again, delighted and excited that God has given us another week behind us and a new Sunday. Uh this day, second Sunday of August 2026. We're glad that you're here. We hope that God is blessing you and keeping you your endeavors. Uh before we go on, let's pray. A little bit back from you, a little bit back. Word, a little bit of joy, Lord. You know, covering and shelter you provide as well. We thank you, God. We talk to you. Try to every day, Lord. We sure do because we want to be in the right relationship, also. Communicate conversation and communication so with you between us. But we thank you, Lord. You tell what you're going to do, and you bless this word. A message out of this text today to help inspire, encourage, and motivate us to be kingdom minded. We love you, we thank you. God bless this server that I am as we serve and Lord. Give me strength for my heart. I like the words of my mouth and meditation among be acceptable in that. Oh, my Savior, my redeemer. In Jesus Christ's name we pray it all. Amen. Again, glad to be with you, glad to have you with us again on today. Last time I gave you the text of Acts 11, 20 through 26. And that's we'll be where we can set up our tent pools for uh this morning. And uh next Sunday, Lord says the same. Uh we're gonna be Acts 12, uh, 4 through 11. I always give you that, read the entirety of the chapters to be trying to get through the book of Acts before the end of it. We got four more months. Wow. We're in the eighth month, so we got four more months. And I may be truncating as some in December at least, but uh we'll see how we go. We try to get through as many as we can. Uh, this book of Acts, which is a very uh uh book because it's the first ch uh first church uh in the first century. Uh it gives us a uh the basis by which we should be uh doing as we should do for um the kingdom. So that is a very, very awesome book that uh we need to have in our in our on our fingertips to study and uh to read and understand. So Acts eleven. So next week Acts 12, 4 through 11 again. You should remember to read the entirety of the book. The chapter rather. And uh so that we I won't be reading the whole chapter. Just read the text that we choose what you read for comprehension and understanding. Again, we're trying to muscle on through uh to the twenty-eighth chapter of Acts. So we're gonna try to get to this whole year. Just thinking I'm gonna rock with that. Try to get to the uh get to the end. But uh Acts eleven and uh actually I'm gonna start with 19. So then whatever translation we have, I'm reading the hand, whatever translation we have, we'll ask you to follow along. So then, since they weren't aware of these developments, those who were scattered because of the persecution that occurred in connection with the starting of Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch without telling the message of salvation to Christ to anyone except the Jews. But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who came to Antioch and began speaking to the Greeks as well, proclaiming to them the good news about the Lord Jesus. And the hand that the power and presence of the Lord was with them. A great number who believed turned to the Lord for salvation, accepting and drawing near to Jesus as Messiah and Savior. The news of this reached the ears of the church in Jerusalem. They sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he arrived and saw the grace of God that was bestowed on them, he rejoiced and began to encourage them, all with an unwavering heart to stay true and devoted to the Lord. For Barnabas was a good man, privately and publicly. His godly character benefited both himself and others, and he was full of the Holy Spirit, full of faith in Jesus the Messiah, through whom believers have everlasting life. And a great number of people were brought to the land to the Lord. And Barnabas left for Tarshus to search for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him back to Antioch for an entire year that they met with others in the church and instructed large numbers. And it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians. Have you ever received a package that looked like it had been through something? And uh the box was meant, the corners were crushed, uh, there was extra tape wrapped around it, the shipping label's barely hanging on. Before you open it, you thought, I know whatever's in this box has got to be damaged. Whatever's in here is in bad shape. And uh then for your the surprise when you open the box that what was inside was still intact. Uh the box showed evidence of the journey, but the condition of the box did not determine the value of what was inside. There are some people around you now, some people would be in church today who uh know what it's like to arrive carrying evidence of a difficult journey. You have some dents, some scars, some places where life had to put extra tape around you, have cried some tears that nobody saw you survive, some situations that nobody knows about. You walked through rejection, disappointment, grief, betrayed by people. You trusted had seasons when it appeared that everything was about to fall apart, but here you are. You may have been bent, but you did not break. You may have been wounded, but you still worship it. You may have been knocked down, but you're still standing. You may have been scattered, but you're still speaking the name of Jesus. Somebody ought to declare, I don't like, I don't look like what I've been through. And Acts 11 introduces us to some believers who have been through something. They'll watch the brother Stephen murdered, preaching the gospel, seeing persecution rise against the church, forced to leave their homes, and they were uh in unfamiliar cities, but they did not allow what happened to them to silence what God had placed in them. They carried the gospel with them. They entered Antioch and scattered believers, but before this passage was over, people were being saved, a church was being strengthened, and the disciples were being called Christians. They came into town carrying the evidence of persecution, but they left their mark on the city as people who belong to Christ. Their pain did not get the final word, the persecution did not get the final word, displacement did not get the final word. You may have been through trouble, but when the hand of God is on your life, trouble does not get to decide what you become. Well, first point, look at that. It says, trouble scattered them. At verse 19 through 20, says, Those in verse 19, so those who were scattered because of persecution. Spreading the good news about Jesus. These believers didn't leave Jerusalem because they had planned a missionary conference. They did not leave because they had discovered a better career opportunity. They did not leave because they wanted to experience a new culture. They left because persecution made it dangerous for them to remain where they were. At Acts 7, if you go back, remember 754 through 60 records the murder of Stephen. Acts 8.1 says that at that time there was a great what? Persecution against the church. Acts 3. Saul was at that time entering houses, dragging folk out and committing them to prison. These people have been through something. They have lost friends and homes and financial security, been pushed out of familiar surroundings to unfamiliar territory. But the text says something powerful. They were scattered, but they were not silenced. Many of us are in difficult times. We stopped praising the Lord. We we we we Acts 8.4 said, Therefore they that were scattered abroad went everywhere, preaching the word. Persecution changed the address, but did not change the assignment. Trouble moved location, but it did not uh remove their testimony. They they had to leave Jerusalem, but they had to they did not leave Jesus. They lost what was familiar, but they did not lose their faith. They did not arrive in Antioch only talking about what the enemy had done. They arrived talking about what Jesus had done. And that is a word for somebody today. Be careful that you do not allow what happened to you to become the only thing you talk about. Yes, you've been hurt. Yes, it was unfair. Yes, you did not deserve it. Yes, it changed some things in your life, but you still have a witness to share. You still have a testimony to give. You still have a savior to glorify. Your trouble may be part of your story, but that is not the whole story. John Calvin described the scattering this way. He said, Through the flight, the gospel was spread abroad in nations which were far off. Satan's intent was to shut the church down, but God used the pressure to spread the church out. The enemy said, I'm gonna silence your witness. God said, I'm gonna expand your audience. He said, The enemy said, I'm gonna destroy the movement. He said, You only move them a thing wider, bruh. Genesis 50 20 said, But as for you, you thought for evil, but God meant it for good. Romans 8 28, Paul said declares that, and we know that all things were together for good to them that love God. That does not mean everything that happened to us is good. Stephen's murder was not good, persecution was not good, being driven home uh from home was not good, but God does not need us to call evil good in order to affirm his power. The good news is that evil cannot stop God from doing what he's gonna do. God is so powerful that he can take what was intended to break you and use it to broaden you, he can take what pushed you out and use it to push you forward. He can take what looked like an ending and make it an entrance. I don't know who under the sound of my voice. But surviving trouble is not the full testimony. It is one thing to say I made it out. It's another thing to recognize who brought you out. And they didn't make it, and we don't make it because we are resilient. They succeeded, we succeed because God was present, and because God was in his present. Point two, grace strengthened them, and the hand, the power, and the presence of the Lord was with them. Great number who believed turned to the Lord. Well, that's enough right there. The songwriter wrote, Oh, to be kept by Jesus. The reason the ministry succeeded was not merely because they were brave, it was not because they had a perfect strategy, it was not because they had financial resources, it was not because the names were famous. In fact, Luke doesn't even give names, they were unnamed believers carrying an unchanging gospel under an unmistakable hand. The Bible said the hand of the Lord was with them. That phrase points to God's active power, his presence and favor. People preached, but God provided the power. They spoke the message, but God opened hearts. They planted the seed, but God produced the increase. Yes, alter makes a part church would be a kingdom-focused church. Why? Because of God. Paul later explained in 1 Corinthians 3 6 that I have planted a poll's water, but God get the increase. Jesus said in John 6 4 to 4, no man can come to me except the Father, which is that sent me, draw him. Zechariah 4.6 declares, not by might nor by power, but by my spirit, says the Lord of Holy. That means we cannot save anybody. We cannot argue anybody into the kingdom. We cannot manipulate anybody into genuine conversion. We are called to speak Christ clearly. But only God can transform the human heart. That is why we need more than talent. We need his hand. We need more than charisma. We need his hand. We need more than technology. We need his hand. We need more than a good building, good music, and good organization. We need the hand of God. I don't know who I'm talking to out there, but I need his hand. His hand can do what our hands cannot do. His hand can reach the heart of a stubborn child. His hand can break addiction. His hand can bring peace in a busted family. His hand can restore a wounded marriage. His hand can revive a tired church. His hand can make a sinner turn to Jesus. They believed and turned. The Bible says a great number believed and turned into the Lord. They did not merely admire Jesus, they turned to Jesus. They did not simply add Jesus to the old lifestyle. They changed the direction and allegiance. The Bible says, repent ye therefore, Acts 3.19, and be converted. Faith is not simply believing that Jesus exists. Faith says, My life is his as Savior and Lord. Repentance not merely feeling sorry for sin. Uh-uh. Repentance turns away from sin and toward God. When grace truly reaches you, something begins to change. You cannot meet Jesus and remain satisfied, living under the same old master. You will never be perfect, but you cannot remain the same when you come to know Jesus. Barnabas saw this grace of God. He said he reached Jerusalem and the church sent Barnabas. The news reached Jerusalem. The church sent Barnabas to Antioch, and Barnabas came and Barnabas began to encourage them to keep on keeping on. Verse 23 said, Who he, when he came and had seen the grace of God, was glad. How do you see grace? Well, grace itself is invisible, but grace produces visible evidence. Barnabas saw the people who had turned from idols to Jesus. He saw the Jews worshiping with the Gentiles. He saw change project. He saw spiritual hunger. He saw a growing church. He saw all of this. He saw people who did not look like what they had been through. And somebody, under the sound, the motherboards need to get to work in this church. Something's happened at Altamesa Park, Amp Church, Dallas. They ain't got time to be waiting around and Pop speeches now or never. Brother said we got to grind. Ephesians 2.8 teaches that we are saved by grace through faith, not by works, but we are also created in Christ Jesus unto good works. Works don't purchase the save the salvation. But your salvation produces fruit. Titus 2.11 says the grace of God teaches deny ungodliness and live soberly, righteously and godly. Grace is not merely God overlooking your condition. Grace is God entering your condition, saving you through Jesus, transforming your life. Barnabas encouraged them to remain faithful. He didn't tell them to hang on to the emotions, hang on to your personality, hang on to the He told them to hang on to the Lord. And the word carries the idea of remaining, continuing, and staying committed. That's what the church needs now. We need some committed folk. We don't need folk gonna just drop in, fly by, drop, drop out. Somebody needs to have a made-up mind. I'm staying with Jesus. When people leave, I'm staying with Jesus. When trouble comes, I'm staying with Jesus. When my feelings change, I'm staying with Jesus. When prayers appear and unanswered, I'm staying with Jesus. When I can't trace his hand, I will trace his heart. I'm staying with Jesus. Psalm 7326 said, My flesh and my heart failed, but God is my strength of my heart, my portion forever. Touch somebody around and said, Grace kept me when trouble tried to kill me. It was not by my strength, nor my intelligence, nor my money, nor my connects. It was grace. Grace woke me up. Grace held me together. Grace kept my mind. Grace gave me another chance. Grace gave me strength to keep walking. Grace strengthened me. Trouble scattered them. Grace strengthened them, but God was not finished. They had entered Antiochus, displaced believers, but the city would soon recognize them by a new identity. First, trouble scattered them. Second, grace strengthened them, but the new identity, Christ renamed them. At verse 25 to 40 through 26, Barnabas left for Tarsus to search for Saul. He found he brought them back to Antioch. Here they met and they said it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians. Barnabas understood that new believers needed more than an emotional moment. They needed biblical instruction. They needed doctrine. They needed discipleship. They needed to understand who Jesus was, what Jesus had done, and how followers of Jesus were called to live. So he went to get to Saul. Saul had his own conversion. And this reveals the humility of Barnabas. He knew Saul was gifted. He knew Saul had come to minister among the Gentiles. Saul was a chosen vessel, bear Christ's name before Gentiles, kings, and Israel. As the Bible said, Acts 9 15. Barnes could have tried to protect his own position, which sometimes I'm afraid the church tries to do. Some people don't want to lose their spot. He wasn't worried about that because he wasn't concerned about becoming prominent himself. He was more concerned about the kingdom. Calvin observed that Barnabas was willing to decrease personally so that Christ may be chief. We say increase. They don't have to receive all the credit. They just want the job done. The kingdom is bigger than one personality. That's what we got going on nowadays. And is where we some people think they got a monopoly on the kingdom and giftedness and anointed. No, God got several folk. If somebody can do it, they can just do it. Brought Saul back for a year. They talked, gathered with church and taught many people. Because we were following a mandate. Matthew 28, 19, 20. Said, Go ye therefore teach all nations, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. Acts 2, remember they said earlier they continue steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine. 2 Timothy 3.16 says, Scripture equips the believer for every good work. We need preaching to make a shout, but we also need teaching that help us to stand. That's why you should come to the Bible study. We have two. Come on in. A shout can lift you for a moment, but sound doctrine will steady you through a season. You need enough word in you to help you recognize error. You need enough word to resist temptation. You need word to handle disappointment. You need to know that God is still God when your emotions are unstable. You need enough word to keep you from building your faith on personalities. David said in Psalm 119, number 119, 11, Thy word have I hid in my heart that I may not sin against thee. Yeah, at the end of verse 26, Luke said the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch. He did not arrive carrying that name, the city became Began calling them Christians. It identify them as people who belong to Christ and who are associated with Christ. I don't know about you, but I want to be associated with Christ. I don't use Christians now more because they've been watered down, but I am a believer. I am been redeemed. I am blood boiled. I am part of the adoption of Jesus Christ. I am a new creature. So Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5 17, therefore, as any man is in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new. We were dead. Colossians 3 3. Your life is here with Christ in God. Paul said, Peter said in 1 Peter 2.9, you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation. You are not what happened to you. You are not what people called you. You are not your worst decision. You are not the addiction that wants control you. You are not the divorce you endured. You're not the mistake that embarrasses you when you're in Christ. Your history may give way to your scars, but it does not possess the authority to determine your identity. I am redeemed. Bought with a price. Jesus has changed my whole life. If anybody asks you just who I am, you can tell them that I am redeemed. And I am justified. Can you remember a time when uh you needed the Lord? Uh His hand protected me, uh, his hand provided for me. His hand guided me. Uh, his hand held me, his hand kept me from losing my mind, his hand kept me when I couldn't keep myself. Uh Charles Spurgeon declared we preach Christ crucified in simple language, in plain speech, such as the common people uh can understand. So let me make it plain. Jesus came down through forty-two generations, uh and he healed born of a virgin Mary, uh, walked the streets of Palestine, uh, he healed the sick and uh He raised the dead, uh, opened blinded eyes, uh, caused folk to start to walk, uh, preach good news to the poor. But one Friday they marched him up, Carrie's heel, uh and they put him between, lifted him up between earth and heaven, uh, died until the sun stopped shining, died till the moon dripped away in blood, died till the soldier said, surely, surely this must be the son of God. He took him off that cross, put him in a borrowed tomb, stayed there all night Friday night, stayed there all day Saturday and Saturday night, but early Sunday morning he got up with all power in his hand and because he got up I got a new name because he got up. I got a new life because he got up. I have a new future. My past can't not determine my present because he got up, my trouble can't define me. Because he got up, death cannot defeat me. Cause I belong to Jesus. I've been washed in his blood, saved by his grace, filled with the spirit, uh, kept by his power. He brought me through danger, uh, sickness and heartbreak. Uh I am redeemed. I don't look like what I've been through because of his grace. His grace is kept me. Invitation is extended now. If you don't know Jesus, I'm the pardon of your sins. If you would like to get to know him better and get saved, allow him to come into your life. Simply say this prayer. Jesus, I need you in my life. I believe you died and rose again on the third day. I trust you to control my life and to enhance my future. If you said that prayer, uh, it's as simple as ABC. Accept, believe, and commit. If you did that, we would love to hear from you. You may contact us through email, get praise on at house of praisepp.org. Or you may go simply to our website, www.houseofpraisepp.org. Contact us, and someone from our discipleship team will get back with you with other information you need in order to begin this new life in Christ. We love you to life. We look forward to hearing from you. Thank you again for listening to our podcast. We hope something was said, it would be a blessing for you, be a blessing for you this week. We know that we are still in the hands of God, and we will trust Him to keep and deliver us. Bless you, God bless you. County Lion, we love you to life, and you can't do anything about it. Look forward to next week. The Lord says the same. We hope that you are praying, reading the word, staying true, standing on the promises of the Lord. God bless you, and we'll see you next week.