You're there in Acts chapter 14 and
Last week we we saw and we and as a matter of fact if you guys want to go just back a few pages
I mean a page or so to about verse 45 of
Acts 13 so last week we we saw Paul's first missionary
Mission
And in that, we saw that they were already dealing with opposition.
We saw about L.M.I. and then we saw them preaching the word of God boldly to the Gentiles.
We saw different things.
We saw the Holy Ghost setting Barnabas and Paul aside for the work of the ministry of the Lord.
And now we're in chapter 14 and they're continuing on this journey, right?
And so right there, let's just look really quickly in verse 45 of chapter 13 and says,
the multitudes, they were filled with envy and spake against those things which were spoken by
Paul contradicting and blaspheming, then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold and said it was necessary
that the Word of God should first have been spoken to you, but seeing ye put it from you and judge
yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. For so hath the Lord commanded
us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, as thou shouldest be for salvation unto
And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord, and
as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.
So there we see that again, just like we had seen here in the end of chapter 14, it says,
And the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region.
And then pay attention there, we start on 45, and it says the Jews, they spake with envy,
right?
But then in 50, it says, But the Jews stirred up the devout and honorable women and the chief
men of the city.
and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas and expelled them out of their coasts,
but they shook off the dust of their feet against them and came into Econium,
and the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Ghost.
But we're going to see almost a very similar interaction as they continue here on their journey,
and we're there in verse 1, but in chapter 13, trouble was already stirring.
I don't know how fast word carried, or if they're just the fact that they're just showing up and preaching the word of God is stirring
Probably the latter of my two statements, right? And so we see that they're what dealing with
They press forward and they're still dealing with persecution
With rejection with hardship and it not only gets instead of before it gets better. What does it do? It gets worse
Chapter 14 is actually one of my favorite stories
Because Paul does something that just still to this day and every time I read what we get there. It just shocks me, right? We're such a
We need society. I mean it's such a
Like a sensitive society that we would not be able to do what Paul did in chapter 14 today
Lots of Christians would probably just give up
in chapter 13, not even make it to chapter 14,
but Paul not only makes it to chapter 14,
I mean, he just continues going.
And of course, when I'm talking about chapters,
we're talking about his journey.
But there in verse one, it says,
and it came to pass.
At Iconium that they went both together into the synagogue of the Jews and so spake
That a great multitude both of the Jews and also of the Greeks believe so they're preaching boldly
Not only the Gentiles, but now the Jews are getting saved, right?
They were rejecting in chapter 13, but this group of Jews is getting saved
and
They keep preaching right there and that says but the unbelieving Jews. What do we see there again?
This is the third time now in as many as like 10 15 verses is but the unbelieving Jews
stirred up the Gentiles and made their minds evil affected against the the brethren
So it doesn't matter if you're saved or unsaved people can influence you
I mean today the Jews are what is it the Jews are making people's minds evil affected against the brethren
How many Christians, I'm talking brothers in Christ would not stand with us as a matter of fact sister Liberty sent me this article
And I think it's great of this guy this pastor
I think it's um, let me look it up just because
Because I want to publicly you know just say that we do back people like that, but I know they probably won't back us
But it's okay
Central Baptist Church in Deer Park
The pastor of that church, I don't remember his name right now. He's standing up against, I guess, the superintendent of that school or something like that.
She's a lesbian dyke.
Now the problem with what they're doing is not that they're standing up for it, it's just that they're not completely 100% saying the whole truth.
And what I mean by that is he's like, hey, I'm standing up against this because it's biblically wrong, which I agree with 100%.
Like and he's meaning love to everybody
Like if the reality is he he should do it out of hate towards the sodomites and love towards those children
But I'm not picking on the guy
I mean just not everybody reads the Bible as much and and extrapolates all the info and then the the individual who's
Supporting them is the it's called the Texas pastors council or something like that. It's led by a gentleman by the name of David Welch
Now, this group is more politically involved than they are biblically involved.
And what I mean by that is these guys, and I know because when I was a chief of staff
in 2013, this guy was still leading the same council and...
They they they'll tow the line until it becomes political. There's certain things that they just won't cross over
So even on the sodomite issue, they'll fight certain ways, but not completely and what I mean by that is we are not gonna cave
We are not gonna pull back as a matter of fact
I didn't give you the title of the sermon this morning or this afternoon
But it's you know acts 14
We will not be silenced because you see that Paul and them will not be silenced and what I mean by that is nobody's trying to maybe
Technically silence me right now, but anybody who preaches the word of God is being silenced in some form shape way or form
As a matter of fact, I do believe there's some form of silencing
I might not be Pastor Anderson or Pastor Shelley where they're like not even allowed on YouTube
But you know brother Mo has been like putting at least two or three clips. I don't know if you guys follow our channel, but
He's been putting like two or three clips of all of our sermons, like almost on a daily basis.
And there was a point where they were like starting to get some traction, like a thousand, two thousand views, which is, you know, for shorts is not that great.
And then all of a sudden it just got throttled down to like single digits or, you know, triple digits.
And, you know, what's changed?
Nothing's changed other than probably, you know, they're starting the algorithm does pick up on that stuff, especially with AI.
It's amazing what they could pick up.
I mean, they can just pick up whatever they want.
And this group of pastors.
I don't, for a fact, I mean, I don't think they directly did it, but one of the pastors
that used to serve there, I don't think he serves there anymore, definitely, him and
I don't see eye to eye.
This is 10 years ago, a lot of people don't know this, but now I didn't know I was ignorant
at the time, but I filed paperwork to run for the mayor of Houston.
Now, I did it wrong because I filed at the state where you're supposed to file that.
at the city level at City Hall.
So that was the only thing I did wrong,
but I actually filed and then the word got out really quick.
I mean, it was quick.
Like it was within a couple of days.
I hadn't told anybody and somehow the council member
I was serving for found out and then so-and-so found out.
And then I had a little bit of traction
and I remember I got a call from,
I think his last name is Riggles.
You guys know that big church off of the Beltway and 45 Grace Baptist Church as you're going
to the island?
They're big Republican stronghold.
They do like Republican events there and all that stuff.
And I remember he called me and at the time, I don't remember the guy's name, but it was
a black gentleman, a black lawyer that was running for the mayor and he was real liberal,
but he was running on the conservative ticket and I said, look, I'm a Christian.
I'm pro-live, I'm anti-queer.
I mean, obviously I wasn't saying it like that at the time.
You know, that's changed my vocabulary.
It's hardened towards the enemies of God over the years,
but anyways, but I said all the things
that I still believe what I believe now.
I just didn't know how to voice it as well as I know how.
And he said, well, the other guys already,
he beat you to the punch.
And I'm like, but the guy's bad, he's a bad guy.
I said, I think he plays for both sides.
Like, how are you gonna back this guy up?
He's like, well, he came to us first.
Like they would they have no backbone you wouldn't stand and basically that ended my my mayoral my mayoral candidate career
Which I'm glad it did cuz
That's not how you fix America or the city of Houston.
We fix it by preaching the word of God.
What we're going to do Saturday, you know, go out there and soul winning and pull people
out of hell, that is more impact than if I were to become the mayor of Houston.
I really believe that.
At the time I didn't, but now I do, you know, it's just one of those things.
But as we see there, you know, what is it, there's always a group of Jews that are making
up the minds and they're affecting the minds of the brethren evil, right?
Through Jesus Christ, by faith alone, they believe like we do on salvation.
They might not agree on everything else, but salvation, they have it down.
Like, if we sat with them, we could have a conversation about
one saved, always saved, eternal security.
But the minute we got to the Jews...
We wouldn't be eye-to-eye. You know, they have the Jewish flag and they're they're wearing the shawl
You know I was watching what's that guy the one in Washington con or whatever?
He supposedly like a messy anecdote you and there was a clip of him
I guess you know he takes the the wafer the big one and he goes the Lord
You know he cut it in half and they do all the it's very dramatic and very sensational and I'm like
Don't know. It's just we're we're in it. We're in an interesting time. I'll say that right
Well, let's go there to verse 3 it says long time therefore a boat they speaking boldly in the Lord
But you know, even though their their minds were evil affected against them. What did Paul and Barnabas do?
They said they long time therefore a
Bode boldly in the Lord which gave testimony into the word of his grace and granted signs and wonders to be done by their hands
Hey, they weren't backing down
It says, but the multitude of the city was divided and part held with the Jews and part
with the apostles.
And when there was an assault made both of the Gentiles and also of the Jews with their
rulers to use them despitefully and to stone them.
I want you to pay attention there on the stoning part says they were aware of it and fled to
And I also want you to pay attention there look and they preached and there they preached the gospel
Because the other thing that Christians get wrong today is I think they have this mentality. They have to just preach to it like
You know, that's how you know, you don't read your Bible
You guys remember Jeff Foxworthy and remember he's like, you know, you know how you know you're a redneck or whatever
Remember, that's how you know you're a redneck and then he pull us in there
This is how you know you're not a Bible-reading Christian
Because instead of going soul-winning to the most receptive areas you keep choosing the most unreceptive groups to go soul-winning to
They're like, let's go preach to the Jews. You can't go preaching in Jew land. You just can't
Oh, let's go down to Montrose and during what, you know, Pride event month and let's go pass out water and preach the God
They don't care. They hate the Lord Jesus Christ. Look, and if you look at Paul, they're being attacked
I mean, they stayed there even though there was division
But the minute it escalated to the point where they weren't going to be receptive says that they left
They left and what did they do and then there they preach the word of God, right? The gospel
And so, you know, turn your bottles over to Matthew 10 Matthew 10
I'll read for you really quick in 2 Timothy 4 verse 2 the Bible says preach the word be instant in season out of season
And of course, we're prove or buke exhort with all on suffering and doctrine
But the I think that we sometimes miss that right instant in season and out of season
It doesn't matter what the season is, meaning I love the way the Lord sometimes
breaks, dumps things down for us, just in case there was a question about it,
which apparently there would be in today's day.
It doesn't matter what time, where it is, what, the Word of God is always relevant.
In season and out of season, when is the day of salvation?
Today is the day of salvation.
Right, if you go there in Matthew 10 and it's verse 21, it says,
Jesus is talking and we catch him here midway and it says in the brother shall deliver up the brother to death and
The father the child and the children shall rise up against their parents and cause them both to be put to death
And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake, but he that endure it to the end shall be saved
You know, there's Christians today that will criticize other Christians for having bad children when the Bible literally tells you that you're gonna be hated
by your own family
It says, but when they they persecute you in the city, what does it say flee ye into another for barely I sent to you
She'll not have gone over the cities of Israel till the Son of man become
The disciple is not above his master nor the servant above his Lord
It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master and the servant as his Lord if they if they have called the master of the house
Bells above how much more shall they call them of his household?
But then he gives us some great encouragement says fear them not therefore for there's nothing covered
This shall not be revealed and hid this shall not be known
What I tell you in darkness that you speak in light and what you hear in the ear
That preachy upon the house tops and fear not them which kill the body but are able not able to kill the soul
But rather fear them with fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell
Hey, God says when you're praying remember we're talking about prayer when you pray in secret when I reveal things to you
When you spend time in the word alone, you know, there's people I've seen those, you know, every once in a while
I don't do it as often just because I'm going to get really expensive in number two. I just
I've never been like that. I try, you know, you see those pastors that make these videos where they're like,
where they'll take pictures where their study is really perfect, right?
And they have the Bible and the coffee and they have all their pens and colors. I just, I try but,
you know, I'm just my, I'm, Mo, Mo will attest to it. Like, I'm here and I'm like, all right, Mo, let's sit down and then
Oh, I've got a call and like I'm walking around the building took them on the phone and then I come back and I'm like
What was I doing with you? Oh, I forgot and then I would let me go, you know, it's just it's never ending, right?
but you
You see those people when you go to sometimes and they're carrying their Bible around like you'll go to ever been like a Starbucks or something like
a real nice coffee shop and all like early in the morning and you see like that one guy and
He's preparing his sermon and then other people are joining them. They're having like a Bible study group like in public
I always think it's so every once I'll like I'll just sneak a I'll get a little nosy and I'm just like oh man
I wish I could say something but I'm not gonna I'm not gonna say anything of that kitty like I'm just so tempted to be like
No, you're wrong
You're preaching the wrong word. You're not even using the right bible
but it would go nowhere, so it doesn't matter, that would just be my ego.
Go back a few pages to Acts 5, and then in verse 28 we see a similar thing.
We've already seen this, but it's always a great reminder.
What does Peter say?
He says, saying, they told him, right?
They're telling Peter, saying, that we not strayly command you
that you should not teach in this name,
and behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine,
and in 10, in verse 28, to bring this man's blood upon us,
then Peter and the apostles answered to say we ought to obey God rather than men, right?
We just, we preach. When the city turns against you, when you don't pack up, you stand up,
right? We're going to preach God's word, no matter what. And we're not just going to preach, you know,
I know that the gospel is a death barrier in resurrection, but the gospel really is
From Genesis all the way to Revelation
That's why we go through
Books of the Bible, that's why halfway through this year
We'll go through the book of Acts and then I'll probably go I've been thinking about it
I'm I might just start on the book of Job. I haven't decided but you know, we go through Old Testament
We go through New Testament
You know, I was saying about the other as like man
There's way more Old Testament there is New Testament and the New Testament's the better Testament
You know why God left us the Old Testament?
To remind us how good the New Testament is.
Because they had it rough.
You know, we complain about things.
We have it easy compared to the world.
And I know things are tough, like, you know, things happen, but it's good to read the Bible just to remind yourself how not tough you don't have it.
I don't know if that made any sense, but whatever.
But that was, and I don't know, I don't even know if I gave you the first point.
That's what I'm saying. Sometimes I'm just going and going and going.
But the first point was that you keep preaching the gospel, and when you preach the gospel, it creates hostility, right?
Preaching the gospel creates hostility. That's just a fact.
And it is true. It doesn't matter. I mean, we we don't get it as often because Houston is really receptive
But we get people cussing us out or telling us stuff or just like a couple of weeks ago when I had that guy
Advocating for the devil as to why God doesn't I mean, it's just weird stuff, right?
Point number two today is that
The crowd that crowns you will soon be the crown the crowd that'll stone you
And so one of the things we have to remember, especially as a preacher, I just keep that
in mind.
I love, we're about to put a post together about just how much growth we've had and it's
great.
But I don't live under the delusion that just because you're here today, you're going to
be here tomorrow.
Let me just, let me make that evidently and extremely clear.
If you never show up again, I'm still going to show up.
And you're showing up doesn't influence my showing up.
And I'm not trying. I don't mean this like in a negative like I love you guys
I'm glad that you show up. It's always better to preach to a group of people than it isn't but I
Try to pray and I really do this is probably one of the few areas where I can speak
Strongly about because I'm a people pleaser by nature
I think I've told you guys that before and outside of the pulpit
I might cave to something like with you one on one, right?
Like I might just give in and there's times
where maybe you don't notice it,
but we're doing something in the church or something.
Somebody says something and I'm just like, okay,
like I just kind of become a people pleaser.
I'm just a pushover about it.
I don't really, it's not something,
but from the pulpit, if you don't like what I preach,
I don't care if you've been my friend for 20 years
or you've been my friend for,
I'm going to try to keep that division line, right?
Because the fact that if I just let you guys influence me and I do what you say, even if
you're, even if you're staunch and really hardcore, but we might not agree on one thing,
one day you're going to turn on me.
I'm not saying you guys are, but human nature is human nature.
I go into every business deal,
let's just remove the church for a second,
but I do the same thing in the church,
but every time I start a new business relationship,
the very first thing I tell those people,
like they're like, hey, let's partner up on this.
And then I'm like, no problem.
I said, but I'm just telling you right now,
just so you know the way that I'm thinking about you
is that I'm just going in assuming
that you're gonna screw me over.
Oh, that sounds really harsh.
I would never do that to you the people that have said I don't never do that to me
You know what they did screwed me over
But you know why I say that it's not because I'm like some prophetic future teller. It's because it's human nature
We all get anointed anointed with each other. We all get familiar with each other. We all and one thing is
We become like a family. I mean, it's inevitable, right? You spend time with people. You're gonna get to know people
So the one thing that we naturally do is we're gonna look at their flaws
Not their positive things that the the way to look at the positive is we have to actually train ourselves to say
You know what in spite of Pastor Ray is not reading the Bible
Well and and going off on rabbit trails at least he's preaching the word of God, right?
Because they're really like that's how people tend to criticize, right?
Most people would be like, man, Pastor Reyes is like, he says he's going to finish and then he never finishes and he says it like 20 times, you know, like, I know, because I mean, jokingly, we have people that tell me that, right?
I don't have a problem with that. I'm just saying that's the human nature of things. And I'm not even picking on you guys. I do that, right? If I'm looking at people, I tend to have to overcome the fact that I've already noticed all the negative things in somebody.
That's nature. That's human nature.
And, unfortunately, what happens is with our families, well, they're our family.
Like, my kids are my kids.
My wife is my wife.
I'm with them 24-7.
You learn to either love that or you have problems.
Well, I know I'm not going to get divorced.
I know I'm committed to my kids forever.
So we've overcome that.
But it's not the same when you kind of add someone to the family like in the church
That you're not used to living with right because one thing is like my wife
Maybe doesn't and I don't she doesn't do this, but this is the most common complaint
I hear is let's just say that my complaint was that she doesn't leave the cap on the toothpaste on
You know, you can learn overcome it
But at the same time if I went on a missions trip with someone and they didn't do that
You know how annoying that would be like it would be really and then just trying to keep that to yourself longer than a week
Would eventually bubble up and and fester because it's not your wife or your kids, right?
So we really have to like kind of train that out of ourselves
And that's what we're gonna see here like the same people who were excited about Paul man. They turned on them quickly
Let's go there, you know to acts 14 and go there to verse 8, but basically
Paul what does he do here? He's gonna heal a crippled man, right and the people are basically almost worship him like a god
And then the Jews stir the people up and the same crowd, the same crowd that was behind them,
stones him. This is the part of the scripture I tell you, I love this part, not because they
stoned him, but they left him for dead. They literally stoned him so bad, they put him unconscious,
they left him for dead, right? And we see this here, let's go there, verse eight, it says,
and there's sad a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother's womb,
The same heard Paul speak, who steadfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed, said with a loud voice,
Stand upright on thy feet, and he leaped and walked.
And when the people saw that Paul had done what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices saying in the speech of Laconia,
The God to come down to us in the likeness of men.
They called Barnabas, Jupiter, and Paul mercurias,
Because he was the chief speaker then the priest of Jupiter, which was before the city brought oxen and garlands unto the gate
And would have done sacrifice with the people which when the Apostles
Barnabas and Paul heard of they rent their clothes and ran in among the people crying out say sirs
Why do you do these things? We also are men of like passions with you
and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God which made heaven and
earth and the sea and all things that are therein when times past suffered all nations to walk in
Nevertheless, he left out himself without a witness in that he did good and gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons
Fulfilling our hearts with food and gladness and when these sayings
Scared restrained the people they that had done not done the sacrifices unto them now
We're gonna stop there. Oh, I'm sorry verse 19 and there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Econium who persuaded the people and having stoned Paul
Drew him out of the city
Supposing he had been dead. They flattered him, right? They're like you're like a god think about this
If you really think that this guy's like a deity, wouldn't you reverence him and
Immediately in a span of just some explanation and clearing this up it went from you're a god to now. We're gonna kill you
Right. That's why I went. That's why I say it. I mean in in and
Know that sometimes you guys are sincere and I appreciate that but whenever people compliment me on my preaching
It's kind of weird like it's one of the things I'd rather not listen to right just because I'm always like my my antenna
My my spidey senses go up, right that maybe these this person is flattering me
And then all I'm hearing with that is they're gonna either turn on me or
This is gonna happen or that that's not the case all the time
I'm just saying that's something that I I keep because you read the Bible so much everywhere you go where there's a little bit of flattery
There's back stabbing. I mean, it's just like it's like a hundred for almost a hunt
I don't know. I I guess have I'd look all stories, but it feels like it's a hundred percent like the minute somebody flatters
They just turn around. I mean these guys literally they're like you're mercurious and you're Jupiter
And then we get down to verse 19 and it says well the juice stirred them up
And they're persuading the people and they having stone Paul drew him out of the city supposing have been dead
now
Go over to Jeremiah 17 really quick and I'll read for you Galatians 1 verse 10
The Bible says for do not I persuade men or God or do I seek to please man for if I yet pleased men
I should not be the servant of Christ
In John 2 verse 24 why you turn under Jeremiah 17 the Bible says but Jesus did not commit himself unto them
This is at the end of just like a
Conversation he's having. I just like the way it's it's it's said here says because he knew all men
And he did not that any should testify of man for he knew what was in man
What did Jesus know what I just told you like maybe in subconsciously I learned it from the Bible was what do you know?
Man are fallen by nature, right?
Myself look, I'm not just picking on you. I say that I'll be here
I feel confident that I'll be here, but human nature dictates that there's always the possibility
that I could turn.
That's why it's so important that not only do I hold you accountable, but you hold me
accountable.
I literally heard a clip from a sermon.
I'm not even going to touch it today because I want to bring it better and I want to make
sure I, but I heard a clip and I've already heard some weird stuff from this pastor who
used to be part of the new IFB.
They used to preach some good stuff and now it's weird and then I mean, I don't know how many of you saw
Pastor Shelley debated
McMurtry and I mean the guy's literally nuts
now I can I can say with all the confidence of the world because I sat there for two hours listening to this guy drone and drone and
Drone about the fact that he's not dogmatic on anything
But he is speculative about a bunch of things that he's nerdy about and I think to myself
I don't care that you're speculative. I have things that I speculate on in the Bible, right? I
Just don't know that I'm gonna spend that much time
Directly or indirectly to the congregation letting them know about my speculations because isn't my job to not speculate in your mind
But leave you with truth
Right if I think of something in the Bible that I'm not sure about and I speculate
The technique biblically I believe that I'm supposed to keep that to myself
It's it's clear because the Bible wants me it says look preach the word in season and out of season
God's not saying hey when you preach the word of speculation, it's truth
Right if I'm preaching truth, that's the most 99% of the time or 90% at least let's go because I'm not perfect
I should be preaching truth
Meaning that the 10% that sneaks in should be just because of my fallen nature because I make mistakes because that's life
But you should be only hearing truth or the majority of truth from me
Who speculates in the Bible the devil
Doesn't he just create space? I mean, I didn't by the way, don't take me out of context
I'm not saying McMurtry is a devil. I'm just saying who speculates in the Bible. Where do we learn it from?
We're all you know
Don't be like the Jews who their father was a devil be of Jesus Christ, right who your father is Jesus Christ
Like that was the weirdest thing for me that they just spent so much time on speculation
You know, I watched it and he's like they would ask him questions. They're like, so you believe this. He's like well
No, I'm not dogmatic about it
Man, I'm just speculating and I just spend all my life speculating about this one thing and now I'm just telling people about it like
That's weird
There's this one thing I talked to one pastor about it's not anything weird by me, but it feels weird to me
I and it's just a and it has to do with like the
the resurrection
The Saints right and just look and I've never said and I won't say it just because that and it's not even I'm not
I verify some as it doesn't even sound wrong. It's just I'm not a hundred percent. I'd rather not leave you with that
Now I'm not you're like what it doesn't matter
That's the whole point right it doesn't matter like it doesn't matter because it my whole goal is to strengthen your faith
My duty is to make sure that you are now more sure about your faith than you were when you started coming here
Right that in six months you would be more bold because you're more sure of a sure word
Right, don't you just love when somebody comes up to you and you're not even prepared and but the Lord's just you know
You're you're so waiting so much and you're reading your Bible so much that all of a sudden you just draw it verses
You hadn't thought about in maybe weeks or months. It's happened to me
I remember this Mormon guy came to knock on our door to sell us a pest control
And I called him out on being a Mormon and then he started having a conversation with me and the next thing you know
I was like
Talking and I was using verses that I hadn't thought about in a while, but that's because we're always reading them
Right, and we we've had these arguments and we've rehearsed them. That's what you that's what needs to be done when you're preaching, right? Not
speculation
Go to Jeremiah 17 in verse 5 right about says thus sayeth the Lord curse be the man that trusted thin man and
Make it flesh his arm and whose heart departed from the Lord for he shall be like the heath in the desert
Not your heath, so be it, but heath
This is lower lower case and she'll not see you in the good cometh, but she'll inhabit the parched places in the wilderness
In assault land and not inhabit it blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord whose hope the Lord is
Look the only way you trust the Lord is because you know his truth
These people that's why they stoned Paul because they weren't grounded in truth
They didn't really think he was a God they just wanted to think you know
They just wanted to make believe so they could make themselves feel better, right?
In other words men's applause shouldn't matter we shouldn't be men pleasers and I'm not just talking about myself even yourselves
Right we need to please God not man
So now we've seen that preaching the gospel what creates hostility
It's gonna create problems all the time
It might not be so public because we just not but believe me. I know that we create problems, right? It just happens
Happens in my life. I every once in a while hear of it, you know people you guys ended up here because you preach the truth
As a matter of fact, you know
Brother Mike came here like two years ago for for Beanstance for he was and actually he's one of the nice
If you ever talked to me one of the nicest guys you ever talked to so I know he wasn't like I would be
And he addressed it with like the pastor at the church he was serving and the pastor was really staunch on repenting your sins
And you know what? We're not we're not staunch on repenting your sins
We're staunch on a clear gospel message
That's how he ended up not because of how I know him or anything like that
Anytime you preach the word is just I'm gonna create hostility
And then the crowd that crowns you will be the one that will soon stone you
So we just can't be swayed by people and point number three is that you can't kill a man or a woman of God
Now in this example, you can't literally kill
Paul but even if they were to kill the body, you know what they're never gonna be able to stop us
Because we're not preaching ourselves. We're preaching Christ
God's word won't stop and you will always reward our efforts even if we die early
Right right here. We see in verse 20, but this is one of my favorite parts of scripture
They think Paul's dead
But he rose up and where'd he go?
He went right back into the city and then he went back ordaining people preaching in every church
I mean literally verse 20 says how be it
as the disciples stood round the bottom.
So the disciples come to check on Paul,
like he's dead or he looks dead.
You know, you see those times where you're like show up,
somebody goes unconscious,
you're like, is this person dead or not?
You know, you're still in the hospital.
Sometimes that, you know, you got to go check.
And that's what they're doing.
He says he rose up and came into the city.
And the next day he departed with Barnabas and Derby.
Now, you got to put this in perspective.
If he was knocked out by stoning,
He didn't just get up and he's like ready to run a marathon. He's probably concussed.
He's probably nauseous.
I mean, these are things that happen when if you,
if he was knocked unconscious,
when you get up out of an unconscious state,
I've never been knocked unconscious,
but I know for a fact people will tell you,
especially the fighters, they're like,
when you get up, it's not like coming back from sleep.
You're groggy, you're sick.
Like you're just, your body's kind of,
you're nodding at me, maybe you've been knocked unconscious.
Yeah, like it's not, you don't get up like,
oh, that was a wonderful sleep.
You feel all weird.
Like it's really bad.
Now I have taken like heavy doses of maybe antibiotics,
where like it just,
You know, it hits you real strong and then you get when you finally come out of it.
You're just like, you don't feel great.
So it's not like Paul just got up and he's like, let's go.
You know, it's more like, like what's going, they probably have to clean them up.
He probably had cuts and source.
Like that's what I see.
And it says, he rose up and came into the city and the next day departed with Barnabas
and Derby.
Now, if the disciples are round about him, what's the nature of that?
Just like we're negative sometimes.
We're also positive, right?
If someone's in need, well, they're probably like, Paul, rest up, stay home.
Let me clean your wounds.
Take some time off.
Isn't that what that's probably what they were telling them?
You're getting burnt out.
Look, man, you almost died.
And it says, now Paul's like, nah, I'm going to go,
I'm going to go to the next city.
I'm taking Barnabas and I'm going to Derby.
And when they had preached the gospel to that city
and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra,
to Cognum and to, man, Paul's like,
I don't know how much time I had.
As a matter of fact, I almost died.
So let me just go now to four more cities.
That should be our attitude.
Like we should be near death and be like,
where can I go so many next?
Not oh, you know poor little old me. I mean Paul's not feeling sorry for himself. The guy almost died
They left him for dead. They stoned him to death
And it says in verse 22 says confirming the souls of the disciples and
exhorting them to continue in the faith that we must through much tribulation
Enter into the kingdom of God, you know, he just leads by example
Man, I wish I had Paul's attitude. Think about it. He's just going out. Nothing gets in his way
He's got a thorn on his side. He keeps preaching. They leave him for dead. He keeps preaching a snake bites him
And he should die and he keeps preaching they stripe them
You know, they they foam with stripes on his back and he keeps preaching they throw him in jail
And he keeps preaching like bro. When are you gonna stop preaching when I die?
And from the little history that I've done, because I know a lot of people believe Paul died a certain way,
but from the Bible doesn't tell us, and from the little history that I've done,
I'm of the belief that he just died of old age. He just died, whatever, natural causes or whatever,
but he wasn't killed. He just ended his journey.
Because the Bible
Gives us doesn't give us that and it's just the way he's always just it would make sense to me
I mean, he's literally so stonk for that. Why would the Lord take him out if he's just like literally you knock him out
And he gets up and he's like, where's the next fight? Let's go. I
Mean, that's in that's that's powerful to me
This is by by far one of my favorite parts of scripture like you just can't beat the fact that Paul like there's no excuse
For you not to go soul-winning on Saturday
Oh, I'm too tired
Were you stoned to death almost no, okay? Well, then show up, you know, oh my this happened
Or I don't have this around where you stoned almost to death. No, and I don't know why you're not here
I mean, I'm just being really honest with you
I'm not gonna pick on you and by the way you guys know I only say it's from pulpit
I never maybe on Moe because he's 23 and he's young you got to toughen him up
He's the only one I might pick on
You know Moe gets tired if he works for me for like I'm just kidding. I'm just giving you a hard time
Am I I'm just kidding
I had a mentor who would give me a hard time about your age
So, you know, it's only fair that I pass it down, but go over to Romans 8
Go to Romans 8, but the Bible makes that statement very clear, right?
If we go to 2nd Corinthians, you're in Romans 8, but in 2nd Corinthians, the Bible tells us in verse 8 of chapter 4 says,
We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed. We are perplexed, but not in despair,
Persecuted, but not forsaken, cast down, but not destroyed. Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus Christ, that the life
also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.
We can't we got to just stop with the excuses is basically what it's coming down to right power 24 16
The Bible says for a just man fall seven times and rise this up again, but the wicked shall fall into mischief
Look, we're all gonna fall. We're all gonna make mistakes. We just got to take Paul's attitude and look honestly
You're at you unless you've been stoned almost to death
Anything that you mess up on should never be an excuse for not continuing to do the Lord's work. Oh
I have a B setting sin and I messed up
Confess it and show up. Oh, you know, I just didn't get paid enough and I don't
Confess it ask the Lord to figure it out and show up
You know what if you ask the Lord if you're if you're truly willing to show up for a fact the Lord will figure it out
For you now, it's not gonna look like the contemporary churches where they're like hey pray for money and money's is gonna show up
I don't know what that's gonna look like it might look like you have to just swallow some pride in and ask for her a handout
in the right spirit, right?
Or it might look like, I don't know,
there's so many examples,
or it might just look like you have to talk to your boss
about, hey, I need to miss Wednesday and Sunday,
and run the risk of getting fired.
Or, you know, putting your foot down with your family,
maybe your wife or your husband aren't a staunch,
and you're like, I need to be in church no matter what.
But I don't want you to go to church, you know, there's family. I mean, I'm not making this stuff up
There's couples like that. I remember meeting a guy who was always at all these church events and I'm like, where's your wife?
He's like, oh my wife hates
All this stuff
But I just show up anyways and always bring my daughter
I mean, no excuses.
We don't know, you know, and I'm trying to be like vague so nobody feels like, because
I'm not picking on him.
I'm just thinking of random things, but you know, as you think of them, it's probably
going to hit home closest.
It's going to hit a close home, close to home for some people, right?
You're there in Romans eight, go to verse 16.
The Bible says, the spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of
God.
And if children, then heirs, heirs of God, and join heirs with Christ, if so be that
we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
For I reckon that the suffering of this present time are not worthy, the sufferings, I'm sorry,
are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
We need to remind ourselves of these verses because it doesn't matter.
It's going to be so much better in heaven.
Right?
Life is tough.
Prepare sermon this thought came to me earlier today
You know, we talk a lot about how tough life is
Life is meant to be tough, right? Like God life is a test
So you might as well just serve the Lord because it doesn't matter how good you you think the people that are you know
Especially today where social media just portrays only the good side of people right that the lady who's like
Selling makeup or something. It looks like she has a perfect room and life the one that
What are they what are the popular ones like you know?
I have a wife and she gets they have a feed and then I have a feed right everybody and all the feeds
AI is following you like whatever pops up on your phone is not what it's going to pop on my phone, right?
I mean, I'm not looking at lipstick or stuff like that, but if women are showing their lifestyle
It's always like oh all my children are perfect and I get up early in the morning and my kitchen is clean
And blah blah blah or the guys are like oh when I go to work
It's like I get up at six o'clock in the morning
And then I eat my breakfast and I work out for 30 minutes exactly on the dot
and I shower in exactly five minutes and then I'm at work and everything's perfect.
That's a bunch of BS. Life is tough, right? Like you're being tested all the time.
So why not get tested in Christ where at least you know you're getting rewards in heaven and
you're growing here on this earth? Where when you come out of it, you're more at peace,
you're more patient, you're just better at life, right? I used to be much more short-tempered
And then since I've gotten saved,
I'm way more short tempered now than when I was younger
because I read my Bible more and the Bible says,
hey, you need to just be patient and tribulation.
Don't be like this with other people.
You know, because I used to get pick fights with everybody
because I have an ego and now it doesn't really matter.
You want to sound like an idiot?
Go for it, be my guest.
Like, it's helped me so much
that that's why I can get on Facebook.
Because honestly, I don't think...
10 10 years ago I could get on Facebook because man some stuff that's written on there
You just want to like admonish people, right?
But then you know what's gonna happen like I'm gonna say something and then what are they gonna do?
They're gonna say something back and then now my ego is involved and now I'm really trying to tell you how dumb you are
And then just it's a never-ending cycle like I see these people going back and forth. I'm like, when is this thing ever gonna end?
Never
So let's just you know, let the toughness of life
Make you tougher, but also remember that we will not be stopped. You cannot the
The devil cannot stop what we're doing
Right. I'm excited for this year because we've been doing great things
I'm excited for I'm more excited for Saturday than I'm for just about anything other than spending time with my family or being a church
I'm excited that what's going to help us get the church in order so that we can have a better
For those that don't know that's an inside joke for our church, but you know what's going on anyways
Well, let's go to the final point, right?
We have to stay what faithful to the end if you look
Paul creates hostility with what preaching the gospel and it's Paul and Barnabas
But really Paul's leading the charge and I've already talked about it. What happened Barnabas kind of starts to fade away
It's not that he is, this is where we kind of start seeing this dichotomy or this divide.
You can be a Barnabas in life where you're like this great, you know, son of consolation
and you're leading great things, but then you're swayed easily and you just don't do
as much for the Lord.
Or you can be like Paul, where Paul gets stoned and he just keeps going, where he doesn't
overdo the emotions, right?
He also just understands that the crowd that's going to crown you is also the one that's going to stone you and literally in this example
They're like Paul you're mercurious because you're the chief speaker and then you know what we're now. We're gonna just kill you
But you can't kill a man or woman or God and I actually believe
That physically until God's done with you
The world can't touch you look you want to extend your life show up into the work of the Lord
You think look if God has a choice, I'm not playing God. I'm just going based on the Bible
Based on the Bible forget me if God has a choice and I know God has a lot of choices
But if we were just here and he's like
This guy never goes soul-winning
This guy doesn't do anything. He never shows up to church. He saved
And this guy over here, he's always like doing the work of the Lord. He's trying to improve
He gets over his ego and all that stuff, and I'm talking about mo not you. I'm just kidding
because Eli's like
No, and Eli right that you do in the work of the Lord. Who do you think God's gonna keep in the game?
Who does a coach keep in the game the guy who's a team player who's doing the job or the cocky guy who never you know
Who's like a ball hog?
You're gonna stay in the game
Go to Acts 14. Let's close this thing out. Go to Acts 14 in verse 23
The Bible says and when they had ordained them elders at every church and had prayed with fasting
They come and commended to them to the Lord on whom they believed and after that passed through
Decidia and they came to Pamphylia and when they had preached the word in Perga
They went down to Atalia and then sailed to Antioch from Wednesday had been recommended
to the grace of God for the work which they fulfilled.
And when they were come and gathered the church together,
they rehearsed all that God had done with them,
and now he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles,
and there they abode long time with the disciples.
Hey, their work got extended.
Look, translate to any part of your life.
Do the work of the Lord and then carry that over to like your job and the way you serve
your family and the way you love your wife and the way you raise your children and you
know what you're going to do.
You're going to buy it a long time.
Everybody, I was watching this, uh, this, uh, clip on, uh, I guess cause I follow AI
stuff about how
you know, Elon Musk is on record saying like, you know,
basically we're going to become like gods, right?
Cause he's trying to do the neuro thing.
And then I don't know if you know
there's this other billionaire who spends
an inordinate amount of money and time.
And he's like, basically reversed his aging.
He looks young.
I don't know if you've seen that.
They've done like these documentaries on him.
And he gets up in the morning, like at 430,
like literally he has a staff at his house.
I think he spent something like $2 million a year and what he does, it's crazy.
He gets up in the morning and remind me in case I forget to come back that he's acting
like a guy or I'll just tell you, he literally says, well, we're, we're basically creating
God with artificial intelligence and with technology.
He's like, because we're basically creating God in our image.
That was his quote.
This guy and he gets up in the morning and he eats like this perfect diet of like greens and juices that they
Concocted for him and they test his blood at certain hours
And then he does this perfect exercise and then he does his red light therapy
Then they put him through some machine and he comes out and he has to eat this perfect
Like this stuff is measured to the gram like this perfect meal
And then he has to go do this thing so he spends all day reverse
Reversing his life. I'm like dude. You're not even living life like how
Like this is every day, like he has to get up early
and it's several hours of his day,
just trying to like revert so he can look young
like his 18 year old son.
I'm like, whatever.
I mean, people are like, are you gonna dye your hair?
Nah, let it go gray.
I don't really care, like who cares?
I don't, I barely have enough time
to do the things that I wanna do,
let alone things that make me look younger or whatever.
But why are people doing that?
Because they really think they're gods.
because they think they can live forever.
And one of the things that these individuals have said
on record is they think that they're gonna be able
to extend it to the point where technology
is gonna get there and catch up with their goal
of living forever.
You know what's never gonna happen?
They're never gonna live forever.
They're gonna die and go to hell.
They will feel pain and anguish
and wailing and gnashing their teeth forever,
but they will never live forever.
When you say that you basically are creating God in your image, you know what you're doing? You're damning yourself
And I mean go to go to Matthew 25 will actually close out there, but I'll read for you a couple of verses
But Paul gets stoned and he doesn't just give up
He goes to the cities and he preaches the word and he starts more churches and he ordains more leaders
And he's fasting and he's praying and he's concerning confirming the souls of the disciples
Man, you're just going nuts for the gospel.
And 1 Corinthians 15 verse 57 of the Bible says,
but thanks be to God, which given this victory
through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore my beloved brethren, be steadfast, unmovable,
always abounding the work of the Lord,
for as much as you know that your labor
is not in vain in the Lord.
Colossians 1 verse nine of the Bible says,
for this cause, we also, since the day we heard it,
do not cease to pray for you.
And to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of His will and all wisdom and spiritual understanding that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every work and increasing in the knowledge of God.
It's interesting, right? There's people who want to increase in the knowledge of God that are saved, but they're not doing the work.
But the way to do it is they're praying, hey, we are praying for you that you walk worthy of the Lord. So what's the worth of the Lord?
unto all pleasing.
Being fruitful in every work, increasing in the knowledge.
Well, the Lord doesn't just want us to just,
obviously every work means even our secular work,
but where does it start?
It starts with our spiritual work, right?
I was telling Mary Sarah, like,
I told you guys a couple of weeks ago
how an employee left me and I've just been over busy,
but now things are better
because I was able to just,
You know sometimes it's a blessing to have something removed so you can kind of figure out where you're there was holes and stuff
And so I was telling her man. This is way better like now
I have a little bit more time to do the things that I want to do
But you know what it's because even with it when I was really stretched in what I didn't do is I didn't quit on the Lord
I'm not patting myself on the back because I also tell her keep me
keep me honest and I ask you as a church to be honest because the one thing that the only danger
about feeling a little bit of weight off your shoulders is that you have a little bit of weight
off your shoulders because what's our tendency to sit back and relax to kick up our feet and that's
when the devil creeps in right I want someone to keep me busier
You know what's the biggest blessing of having, and I'll stop picking on Moe after this sermon,
but I'll pick on you, but you know what's a blessing of having someone that you have to now
manage in the church that keeps me busy so that I'm not distracted on stupid things? I mean,
I'll just be honest with you. I'd rather not be thinking about some gossip or some thought that's
going to flee and get me in trouble. I just rather the Lord keep me busier. It's almost like that's
you're my spiritual currency, let me do this, somebody quits.
Now I have like twice as much work, but now I've been able to like level it out to
where now I can spend more time doing the work of the Lord.
And I told her look with all this free and then what happened is so now it's a little bit better at work
Which gives me more time, you know for the mystery
But I said man, honey if I didn't if I didn't have the church and if I wasn't preaching like I'm done for the day
Like I just be able to kick up my feet and watch
You know bench watch whatever is on Netflix and we go on vacation and all like that's what the world does, right?
Because they figure stuff out
Because our natural tendency is to figure stuff out to comfort when it should be our natural tendency to be to figure stuff out
So we can add more discomfort
Right now that I have a more free time at work. Let me figure out how I can work harder in the church
And if and if I figured out of the church, well, let me figure out how we can start maybe another church
And if I figure that out, let me figure out how we can ordain more people like that's what we should be doing
We should always be pushing to do more not less. Oh, well, I'm getting older. I have aches and pains
Doesn't matter Paul was stone
I know I keep coming back to that but to me it's just like, you know, I don't know if you know this
But when they stoned people back then it wasn't like pebbles
They were grabbing like stone the reason it's called stones because they literally were grabbing the biggest stones
They could find and not keep people out with them
I can I if he got knocked out and they thought he was dead that was a serious blow
Like I just don't know what else to say like Paul's like standing there next thing, you know, he's out
Go to you're there Matthew 25. Let's read that last verse 21. It says his Lord said unto him
This is the parable of the talents. I only want to read this one part
Master comes back asked for the report and it says and the guy said hey
I turned your talents into more talents and it said his Lord said unto him well done
Thou good and faithful servant that was been faithful over a few things
I will make the ruler of many things. Enter thou into the joy of thy world."
You know, if I could say something to the young people and the crowd is,
don't be above anything. That's why college is bad,
because college makes you think that some jobs are beneath you.
And when I came out of college, I thought I owned the world.
Because that's what professors do, right?
They convince you that you're now smarter,
you're educated, you're well-spoken.
Then you go to your first job and you're being like,
hey, can you pay me $100,000 or like, for what?
I have a college degree from a good company.
Dude, what have you done for me lately?
I know I said that the other day, right?
Like, are you kidding me right now?
Seriously, I know how to do, you know,
software and all that stuff.
I've made millions with no software.
Let me just remind you right. I remember when I would like go place like as a young guys like hey
I can do the spreadsheet and all that stuff. They're like, that's great
That's the way I've been doing it. Look how much money I've made right?
Like we need to be faithful over the opportunities God gives us the small things and when you least expect it
He's gonna give you the big things and we don't know I think that that's
The one thing we need to realize is even myself is that there's always little things that God's making us faithful over
Even if we're in charge of a lot of things
Like don't ever be so high-minded that you can't clean a toilet. I
Use that example because most people would not clean a toilet if it wasn't on their pay on their pay description on their job
Who's ever met that guy? Hey, can you help me with this? Oh, that's not my job description
What I just it was not that big of a deal. I just need you to help me with this one
Or you know, you know, who's the worst you'll know here because
Doctors and some nurses people like that. I know I don't know that I don't think you're like that
But oh, I'm not gonna jeopardize my license for that. I
Hear I mean, I've worked with a lot of doctors. Oh, that's gonna jeopardize my I'm like how
How dense are you like I've I've actually read a lot of this stuff like
The the way you're exaggerating this one thing is it is amazing what it means is you're just lazy
Right, that's why we have what are unions. Oh, I'm not the I'm not the whole digger. I'm just a whole
Cover what do you mean? Yeah, I know my shovel is only used to put dirt in the hole
So whose shovels that guy his shovels to pull dirt out of the hole. Don't be that guy just
Do the job that needs to be done.
Same thing in the church.
If a job needs to get done, do it.
We have people like that.
You know, I appreciate Sister Sylvia showing up.
Sister Karen's been cleaning the church for,
I don't know, I probably says way before I showed up, right?
And there's people like the unheard of.
You know what?
God makes you faithful over little
to make you faithful over much.
Like, don't make excuses.
You know, that's why I love some of the people who show up to church aches and pains doesn't matter show up
I was telling
The last thing because I guess we need to stop working on was this because then you and I talk all day
And I'm just using you in the uh, we need to like not be together was it because I'm just thinking of all because we cover stuff
Right now I was telling them like I was like, you know one of the things that you need to keep mindful is pay attention
To to who's in church? Who's doing those good soul winning? Who's doing the things?
I said because those are the people that I want to reward in the church
You say that sounds biased it is because God's bias
Didn't even mean that's literally the parable. It's like you didn't do anything. So why should I give you anything?
You want something from God do something for God?
Right. You already got salvation. So what more do you want?
Well, God never answers my prayers. When was the last time you actually prayed the way you need to pray? Oh
God doesn't did you show up to church? Did you?
You know take care of your family. Did you read your Bible this morning? Did you pray last night?
People don't want to do it. It's like the supermost basic things and nobody wants to do it
But let's go ahead and close in order prayer heavily follow Lord. Thank you so much for today. Thank you for your blessings Lord
thank you for just the opportunity to serve in this church and
I know we have an old building Lord, but at least we have a building and we're really grateful for it Lord
I appreciate those here in attendance today. I appreciate their willingness to listen
I appreciate their faithfulness, Lord, and I look forward to all those that are willing to show up and do the work on
Saturday, I pray that you would just bless the soul winning efforts and that we would be able to pull many from
Out of the pit of hell, Lord. And Lord, I just pray that you would also remind us that when battles come
When we're stoned to death and they leave us and think that we're dead when we get up
We don't complain about it. We just go and preach the word again
We ask all this, Lord, in your precious name and the name that's above all names.
In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.