Breaking the Mold - 1

Greetings, once again, in the name of Jesus Christ our Savior, or welcome to another midweek lifestream service from the empty auditorium of the beacon Baptist Church on Kirkpatrick Rd. in Burlington, NC, who would have dreamed when all of this covert began back in March that we still be dealing with it in a significant degree. Six months later, we are seeing some encouraging signs.

What I can tell, the number of cases and deaths and so forth are declining. According to the official statistics but we are still in a situation where be careful were trying to do that, trying to be careful and cautious without being fearful without without living our lives under the constant fear of catching the covert virus because we are in the hands of God and we do not want to be negligent about things that we should and can do but ultimately worry in God's sovereign control and we therefore rest our lives in his care, knowing that he can protect us only if it's his will for us to be healthy and well and remembering that we are invincible in this world, until God is ready to call his home and when God is ready to call his home. We can't stay a moment longer we are. These things are out of our control so we rejoice in God's sovereign rule and in his gracious care text for tonight is from James chapter 1, every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God. A few announcements will be continuing our present schedule as far as our church meetings are concerned about. We are beginning to also add a few things and I'll explain that in just a moment, but as far as our regular services. Sunday morning is our only people present service at 9 o'clock or 930.

Rather hear the auditorium we are maintaining social distancing.

We have every other pew blocked off and we do ask people to wear a mask if you're able to do so, but we are enjoying being able to gather together we are enjoying lifting our voices together in song we are enjoying the fellowship of the saints, and we are resting in the finished work of Jesus Christ, and rejoicing in the salvation which he has given Sunday night at 6 o'clock and an Wednesday night at 7 o'clock, which is what where we are right now the services are being conducted only by means of the Internet. Thank you for tuning again tonight trust that the Lord will meet with us in this way since we are not meeting together in one location.

However, our ladies coffee encourages now gathering or regular meetings, as they have in years gone by the format is a little bit different this year. But the Tuesday morning meetings are continuing and are looking at the at the time it is 915 at the beacon Fellowship Hall.

The first meeting was his last Tuesday.

That was a good attendance again proper social distancing, and wearing bass, but a good attendance and a very profitable Bible study and there is a nursery available for the weekday session. There are no night sessions this year, but there is ice Saturday once a month session for those who are not able to act attend on Tuesday morning and that one for the first time will meet this coming Saturday, September 12 at 10 o'clock at the home of Claudette Lorch who lives in Greenway Park in Graham need to give her a call at 892-338-8618. If you plan to attend next Tuesday morning here at the beacon Fellowship Hall. There will be the 915 service again so that is that is cranking up that has has been maybe our first classroom ministry that we have resumed since the covert restrictions now. The second thing that we are adding is artful Bible conference which will be October 4-7, Wednesday, or Sunday rather through Wednesday and will be having all of the regular meeting Sunday morning 930 Sunday night, 6 o'clock Monday Tuesday Wednesday night at 715 so please keep that in mind. Mark your calendar and plan to join us for those meetings.

If you possibly can. Speaker is Jim Orrick Pastor Jim Orrick from Louisville, Kentucky. He wrote a book that we have read and enjoyed, and some of our people heard him of the Bible conference last year in Ocean City, New Jersey, and so we have invited him to come and administer God's word to us at that time. Beyond that, we will see we are making plans to start back on Wednesday night. By the first of the year if not before, but the impact clubs are preparing to start in January and so we've got that coming along and hope that will be able to do that, according to the intended schedule little by little we are trying to move back to normalcy. Let me at this time give you our praises and prayer requests, and then I will read some missionary correspondence correspondence is in just a moment or praising the Lord that the unborn child of Stephen Stacy Collins does not have the spinal muscular atrophy gene that they thought he had the thought. Both parents had it, but by further testing indicated that only one parent has it in the child is not praising the Lord to Scott the laureate in the Philippines is recovering from tend you beaver praising the Lord to Michelle Lau's mother is doing well that he may and were praising the Lord the Robert suite had a heart catheterization at Duke that appears to have been successful. That was a procedure that they were not able to do locally did not really have any way to help them further.

But God directed him to Dr. and to resources and do medical center that proved to be very beneficial. He's breathing better and has no chest pain. We thank the Lord our government official of the week is Village of Alamance Alder member M Barry Krause some of our members who are still needing our prayers would include Rob Conrad who is back home today had had to go to the hospital overnight once again last night and he has been to the hospital several times recently but this time it proved it proved to be a dehydration and upset stomach. Because the antibody antibiotics. He was on and he was not eating and drinking regularly so he's home and much better for which were thanking the Lord your Guthrie's had some some test that have been concerning to her, but the doctors don't seem to be as concerned as perhaps she was there. There is something there but doctors not in a big hurry. She has a appointment. I think around the middle of October please remember Drew and prayer.

We had Michael Hannon had surgery today to remove her thyroid and that was successful but the last word we had was that she is having some bleeding, presumably from her throat and some other things you probably thing undoubtedly spending the night in the hospital hopefully will be able to go home tomorrow. The ark Pope, who suffers with COPD will be having an MRI is next Wednesday, September 16 Debbie red was rushed to the hospital this last weekend and it proved to be severe vertigo which can really throw one for a loop. It certainly did at the so were thankful was nothing more serious than that but that in itself can be rather can be serious until it clears up so we need to pray for Debbie and we mentioned that Anna Whittington is now struggling with shingles.

Please pray for under others she'll actors having difficult recovery from her recent major surgery. She may be in the hospital for several weeks and then for rehab or nursing home facility for a number of months. Her husband is the only one who's able to visit her because of the covert 19 restrictions Rebecca Ellis granddaughter Paul and Gail Ellis will have a heart catheterization in Charleston, South Carolina September 17 that will be next Thursday Tyler Rankin dilute Darla Hayes, lips, nephews, son is home from Duke hospital but still has double vision caused by the blame brain believe that he had the doctors anticipate that that blood will be absorbed by his body in time and that should clear up the vision but that remains to be seen. Also, he has hearing loss and it remains to be seen whether that is a total hearing loss in one year or not, but he if if there's any possibility of improving his hearing (reconstructive surgery on the bones around his ear so he's not out of the woods completely, he still got quite a ways to go, then we want to continue to pray for Becky Travis, the sister of Rose Bradshaw's home from the hospital and continues physical therapy in regard to our missionaries.

We continue to pray for Trevor Johnson and Paul Snyder were both in the states dealing with health issues and family issues. And then of course our brother Stuart wall South Africa. He is recovering from a liver transplant surgery major surgery that he had last week.

He's having some some symptoms of of the mental confusion that they had hoped would clear up by now, but has not, so they're going to be doing, perhaps by now I've already done an MRI on his brain to see if there's something else going on in his head just lingering results from the surgery and then they also determined that he has cancer in his adrenal gland and that surgery is scheduled for tomorrow and as far as I know they're going ahead with that so please pray for him.

These he's got a ways to go. By the way that adrenaline for adrenal surgery. However, it is properly pronounced was originally scheduled for yesterday, but because of his weakened condition. They held it off for two days, but there is danger of cancer spreading and so they need to get in there and get that taken care of by Mark Mitchell that we are praying for, passed away over the weekend. He was a believer rejoice in his home, going in pray for the family behind. We also continue to pray for David Moxley who has cancer will be having a scan on September 28 to determine if the treatments are causing the cancer to shrink and we are praying for Ben Vestal, the brother of Lori Craig was a member of our church brother Ben lives in Lynchburg Virginia is under hospice care and has declined further treatment. So it is not anticipated that he's going to live a great deal longer then was a member of our church in the early days, we remember him with great joy. I read the words of one him is him written by Eric Alexander Scottish pastor. He wrote this in the year 2001, so it's 19 years old now, it is a wonderful song of worship is a prayer Lord, we bow before your glory manifested in your son radiant with your perfect beauty.

He is heavens 11 one. Saving grace has given us a vision open dives that once were blind, he on whom we brought derision now delights our heart and mind such as Savior, now exalted well deserves our heart help praise dying.

He has death defeated risen he reigns for endless days now in heaven interceding Jesus friend of sinners.

Pray for the weakest daily pleading, all sufficient is his grace all that we might know you better, Jesus Christ our living Lord let our love grow daily greater as we hear your holy word. There you have revealed your glory.

There we marvel at your grace, feed our soul and make us like you till we see face to face, shall we pray, Lord, we do bow before your glory.

We thank you for the revelation of that glory in your son the Lord Jesus Christ, we thank you that in the pages of Scripture, we can learn of him and see something of his glory, and thereby learn more about you, Almighty God, triune God father son and Holy Spirit. Ceric mysterious Trinity three and one father we bow before your Majesty, we bow before your glory. We bow before your wisdom and your power bow before your throne.

We give you grateful praise. We pray now that you will quiet our hearts before you help us to rest upon your word.

Help us to glorify you by trusting you by demonstrating to those around us that we are trusting you and not in our own resources. Help us Lord to serve you faithfully and well. Upon this earth and then Lord receive us at the proper time into your presence. To learn more about your glory to worship and serve you throughout all eternity. We ask these things in Jesus name I begin reading a thank you note it comes to us from evangelist David Morris. We were able to extend a little financial help to him recently because of all of his financial support comes from meetings that he conducts week by week. He normally has a very full schedule which is nearly every week of the year and some church somewhere, but with covert, of course, many of those meetings. Nearly all of them have been canceled and he writes to Pastor Barkman to become brethren.

I'm so very grateful for your generous gift of these unique and uncertain months of shutdown and restriction I deeply appreciate your concern and encouragement so very evident in your gift is meetings have been canceled. Thank you for your kindness and blessing. My family and me in these days. May God continue to bless you in Christ signed David. I have the most recent letter from missionary Dave and Julie route officer South Africa and they write dated Tuesday yesterday September 8 we frequently mentioned Dave's mother many in our email updates wish to thank you for your prayers and to report that our dear mother slept peacefully into her heavenly home last evening. We are sad that we were not able to be with her, but we are grateful that our two sons Jared and Justin spent time with her grandmother past few days brought many great joy by their visit hours before her passing.

We are specially comforted by her sweet Christian testimony so we do not sorrows those with no hope. We will wait to hold memorial service at her church on the garden route when we are home. God is good. We are rejoicing about a life well lived.

Jesus came, Julie came home for a short furlough and got stranded because they couldn't turn because of the coven.

So they're waiting for things to open up so they can return to South Africa. They are living in a missionary home in Raleigh Carolina and I think it's likely that they will be worship with us this Sunday just coming to be with us in our worship forward to hopefully seeing them this coming Sunday morning. I have a letter here from Libby Dreisbach supported many years in the Philippines as missionaries until God called Jean home rather unexpectedly and abruptly with a heart attack and left Libby without her husband so she likes to pressure supporters I write this letter.

Ask pressing my incredible Thanksgiving for all your care and prayer for these many years of John and I ministering to the Lord as your servants in the Philippines with John sudden unexpected leaving for heaven. My grieving process was lengthy deep plea painful, yet truly beautiful is God used every moment to re-create me into his adoring child becoming a new me through the process beauty from ashes you stood with me as I have used the past nine months to take are never used but will John always desired sabbatical in full-time ministry in order to become more usable for him. I've been able to train both in a new Bible story ministry and ongoing classes in life and widow coaching which has so enriched me and changed my life. Your financial support has also continued to support the water filtration and auto audio Bible ministries in the Philippines for the past one and 1/2 years I have been specifically supplicating with God to bring me a miracle man, husband, knowing clearly that I was meant to do this life and ministry.

Alongside such a man I had a specific lifts that only God could provide you with a lifetime of faith building and stretching of the decades I will not.

I gave up hope for that man, December, January months of introspection, rearranging my soul, yielding up my plans and brutally honest conference conversations finding truths about his creating me that I had not taken time to clarify what in God's time. God placed Bill Belton, a recent widower right into my path. Bill and I are now engaged. Please join us in prayer for all of our nine children that's combined for the two families to join us in our joy, our love story is truly a miracle from God. We are eager to begin the rest of this precious time together serving God. Then she goes on to say, please discontinue your financial support immediately. She no longer needs missionary support and that she's going to be entering into a new partnership in a new life of serving the Lord grateful for this provision of God's direction of God for our dear sister Libby Dreisbach. Finally, I have a letter from Armando and Sarah Orsini in Rome, Italy.

Sarah Orsini is the daughter of Renato and Sherry Giuliani. We have supported in their work in Rome for many many years. But such a privilege to be able to do that and God saved Armando in their ministry and brought Armando and Sarah together as husband and wife and now they're serving the Lord their and he's primarily involved in the literature ministry, which is extensive and very significant and he does translation and helping with that publishing work. He writes dear brothers and sisters.

This is our second letter of the year 2020. During the summer heat.

God keeps giving us strength and energy to carry on our work in August we will be working on several important books. We covet your prayers because we need the wisdom and ability to comes from God and I skipped some choose go on to this poor in June we had the privilege of publishing this precious evangelistic booklet finding God in a world fleeing from truth containing a selection of thoughts of blasé Poss call Pascal the famous scientist Christian believer, I revise the Italian translation using the original French text. Please pray for this useful and valuable text takes some people to God really prepares and gifts of the airline do this kind of work. Praise the Lord for this dear man in a few days. The book suffering gospel hope when life doesn't make sense by David Paul Tripp will be available. I finish the Italian translation in July. I highly recommend this volume as I consider one of the most important books that I've translated so far, the sensitive themes presented with biblical balance in a large dose of humility. This dear pastor has himself experienced a very serious illness is still dealing with its irreversible consequences, his thoughts concerning his way of facing this hard trial are genuine, honest and scriptural. In this book Tripp analyzes the traps in which we can fall when we receive the unwanted visit of suffering as well as a glorious comforts of God which we have every day forever as his children. Glad that book is now available in Italian. A great book for any of you to acquire in English.

Again it is suffering gospel hope when life doesn't make sense by Paul David Tripp in July also finished revising the biography of William Carey missionary to India translated for the first time Italian in 1956. This book needed to be corrected using the original English text and update in the Italian language. Renato is now working on it on it for final revision to enrich it.

We are also adding some brief extracts from Carey's diary letters, God willing. The book will be available in September.

Presently I'm working on the commentary of the first letter to the Corinthians written by Peter Marder for mingling 1499 to 1563 most important Italian theologian of the Protestant Reformation along with Jerome Sankey us.

Our text will include all his comments on chapters 12 through 14. Which of course deals with the question of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. My work consists in reviving reviving the Italian revising. Rather, the Italian translation in light of the original text. I hope to finish the revision by the end of this month so that the book can be available in seven timber in September. I will work together with Renato on the translation revision of the book the God who was there by Francis Schaeffer. This important book is not easy to translate and revise due to the many compounded expressions and vital concepts. Please pray for us because book such as this are very rare in Italy. Finally in September I will also continue translating the commentary. Paul's letter to the Ephesians, written in 1594 by Italian reformer Jerome Sankey us originally written in Latin plan on publishing it in two volumes. The first one in December 2020 and then he goes on and puts few personal things that are going on himself and his wife and their ongoing lives in this area and with that I ask you to open your Bible with me to ask chapter 11 and continuing the format that I began to Wednesdays ago with an emphasis upon the work of missions.

I turned to another text that also deals with that important matter. Something that we give special attention to on Wednesday night as we read missionary prayer letters and talk about the work of missions and here we read one of the earliest accounts of missionary laborers and missionary expansion as it happened in the first century going out from the church that was established in the city of Jerusalem. The wonderful missionary account in acts chapter 11 tells us about the gospel spreading into Syria and how God opened the door of the gospel to Gentile. That of course was God's plan revealed actually the Old Testament Scriptures, but not well understood by the people of God, even Christians who Jewish Christians in the early part of the first century didn't seem to understand how it was that God was going to bring the gospel to the Gentiles the had the miss understanding that the way God was going to say Gentiles was to first make them Jews and then make them Christians the way that the Jewish Christians of the first century became Christians. They of course were born as Jews reared as Jews practice the Jewish religion came by the work of God's Holy Spirit to understand that Jesus of Nazareth was the Jewish Messiah promised by God and understanding that they embraced Jesus Christ and became Christians, but they didn't think of themselves as those who had had been converted from Judaism to the entity. They thought of themselves as those who were now complete Jews because they had now embraced the Jewish Messiah and their work was to preach to their fellow Jewish brethren, that Jesus is the Christ. Something that they had come to understand, often with much difficulty something that they wanted her Jewish brethren to understand. Recognizing that many of them only came to that understanding with great difficulty in the majority of Jews never came to that understanding at all. As you know, and then they saw occasional Gentiles coming much by way of Israel Gentiles like well like Cornelius. The Roman centurion in the city of Caesarea, who was a devout worshiper of God in the in the synagogue along with the Jews worshiping. According to the Scriptures.

Given by Moses in the Old Testament prophets, and he came to embrace Jesus Christ but he came first, by way of Israel and then through Israel.

He came to Christ, we see the same thing with the Roman centurion in the city of Capernaum. When Jesus healed his servant, and here was a devout man was worshiping alongside the Jews in the synagogue and came to understand Jesus as the Messiah. So it's clear that the Jews had this concept that God yes is going to say Gentiles yes the gospel is going to go out into all the world, but it's going to point Gentiles to Abraham and Isaac, and Jacob been from their Jesus.

And that isn't the way that God intended it to unfold to tune for the gospel to unfold for the salvation of Gentiles to unfold and so there was a real barrier in the minds of Jewish people that had to be overcome. That's were reading about in acts chapter 11 I read now beginning in verse 19 of those who were scattered after the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia Cypress and Antioch, preaching the word to no one but the Jews only see their mindset.

They are going Christ to go into all the world.

They are preaching the gospel, but there preaching to Jews only.

Your idea is as I've already explained that if the gospel goes beyond the Jews. It will be because God attracts Gentiles into the places the synagogues were the Jews worship and they will hear the gospel alongside the Jews and will and in a sense become completed Jews just like these Jews had become completed Jews, but we read in verse 20. Some of them some of those who were scattered abroad were men from Cyprus and Sirena when they had come to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists preaching the Lord Jesus to the Hellenists to the Greeks to the Gentiles and to those who were not worshiping Jewish synagogues in the hand of the Lord was with them in a great number believe and turned to the Lord. The news of these things came to the years the church in Jerusalem and they sent out Barnabas to go as far as Antioch when he came that had seen the grace of God. He was glad, and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart.

They should continue with the Lord, for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith and a great many people were added to the Lord. Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to seek Saul and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch so it wasn't for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch and in those days prophets came from Jerusalem to Antioch. Then one of them named Agatha stood up and showed by the spirit that there was going to be a great famine throughout all the world, which happened to the days of Claudius Caesar in the disciples, each according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brethren dwelling in Judea this they also did and send it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul, well let's break this passage down and work through it verse by verse.

The really for parts in this passage that I just read in acts 1119 through 30 and I have labeled them number one evangelism number two church planting number three deprive a shipment number four. Response first of all evangelism that takes us back to verses 19, 20 and 21 and he begins by an account of faithful evangelists to work scattered because of persecution. I read verse 19 again all those were scattered after the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia Cypress and Antioch, preaching the word to no one but the Jews only faithful evangelists who were scattered because of persecution that takes us back to chapter 8, you recall probably recall that in chapter 6. One of the first seven deacons was Stephen.

Stephen was a was a deacon but he was also a powerful preacher.

Deacons are always gifted to preach, but they may be and Stephen certainly was. He was a gifted preacher and he preached in the synagogues and he was convincing a lot of Jews that Jesus is the Christ, the Christ, the Messiah, they were looking for the Messiah and he showed them from their own Scriptures that Jesus met all of the qualifications that God gave the Old Testament for the Messiah and that they should therefore recognize that the God promised Messiah had come, and he was Jesus of Nazareth and Stephen was especially gifted to persuade many to believe in Jesus but those who didn't believe were enraged by his success in his powerful preaching and there on ability, inability to resist him the power of the spirit with which she preached so they took him and they stoned him to death, he became the first Christian martyr and after his death, the persecution cranked up at school we read in chapter 8. Now Saul, we read about him in chapter 11. Something happened between chapter 8 and chapter 11. Saul was consenting to his death.

That is Stephen's death at that time a great persecution arose against the church which was a Jerusalem and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles, devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house dragging off men and women committed them to prison. Therefore, those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word and that statement is now picked up in chapter 11. Now those who were scattered after the persecutions arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia Cypress and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only, so that thought is introduced in chapter 8 persecution is scattering the Christians out from Jerusalem away from the persecution fleeing persecution in the going preaching preaching the gospel as they go.

Now the reason why the information Chapter 11 doesn't continue immediately upon that statement in chapter 8 is because we do need to learn about some other things that happened in between including most significantly the conversion of Saul of Tarsus who was persecuting the church and was on his way to Damascus in a inactivity of persecution omission of an persecution when he was arrested by Jesus Christ on the Damascus Road and Jesus showed Saul that he was absolutely wrong about the Messiah, and about the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Saul was convinced that Jesus was not the Messiah that he was in fact a deceiver.

He had deceived people into thinking that he was the Messiah, but that he wasn't why he was Saul who was a student of the Old Testament Scriptures. Why was Saul so convinced that Jesus was not the Messiah. When others starting same evidence the same Scriptures the same information that they had about this Jesus of Nazareth had come to the opposite conclusion that he was in fact the Messiah will there are two answers to that question one on the ground level and one on the level of of the heavens. In other words, there is a human reason and there is a divine reason from a human standpoint. Saul and others like him starting the Old Testament Scriptures about the Messiah had focused primarily upon those Scriptures that foretold a raining Messiah, a glorious Messiah, a ruling Messiah.

Okay, someone who comes to sit upon the role the throne of David and to recover David's throne of glory recover the kingdom. The great kingdom that was built under the reign of David became even more grand and glorious during the days of Solomon. David's son and then course went into gradual decline after that. Over the centuries, until near the first century. There is no kingdom there is no king wrong rules over Israel. They are the servants of Rome and they chafed that they long for the Messiah. They long for this promised kingdom to come, and they focused on those Scriptures that portrayed Jesus in his glory and power and reign and majesty and they tended to discount the Scriptures that talked about his suffering and his dying, which are included in the Old Testament, but it's possible to study the Scriptures selectively. In fact will do that if we are not careful will all do that one will even do that to some extent if we are careful we do that because we don't understand truth perfectly, but we ask God the Holy Spirit to help us to study the Scriptures comprehensively just to to take into account all the information that the Scriptures give us upon any subject, so that we don't become guilty like these first century Jews of ignoring truth about Messiah, and of course now we know that both strands of truth are absolutely correct, the promised Messiah is a raining king.

But the promised Messiah is also a crucified life and it turns out that that part is humiliation in his death took place in his first coming, but there will be a second, and that his second coming, he will come in glory and majesty to rule in terrain. They didn't understand that that's the human level, and that's why Paul Saul, later to be called Paul. That's why Saul was absolutely convinced that Jesus Christ was a deceiver is not the Messiah, he was crucified, died Me the Messiah is not ruling in writing. He didn't rescue Israel from political bondage to road.

He didn't sit upon David's throne yes restored David's glorious kingdom to Be the Messiah.

Absolutely not.

And Saul was absolutely convinced on the basis of his understanding of Scripture that Jesus was not the Christ, and he was wrong wrong wrong. I caution you to understand. You can be very certain of things that you believe you understand from Scripture and could possibly be wrong. So Jesus struck Saul down on the Damascus Rd., Jesus spoke to him from heaven. Saul was struck down the Damascus Road he knew had been struck down by God blazing like his voice from heaven. He knew that God was speaking to him and so he said to this voice that spoke to him. He said who are you, Lord. I think he was already beginning to have doubts about what he believed in what he what he the mission that he was on and persecuting Christians who are you, Lord.

And what did the voice from heaven, the voice of God say to him I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. I'm Jesus. Who are you, Lord, I am Jesus the Lord of glory the Lord in heaven. The Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is Jesus whom Saul was persecuting was now in heaven resurrected from the dead, sitting upon the throne of the universe solves understanding of Scripture was flipped upside down in a matter of about two seconds or less. Suddenly he saw Scriptures entirely different light. He who was a student of Scripture realized that the conclusions he had drawn and was adamant about was absolutely certain were correct were not correct. They were wrong.

He had been wrong and he needed to change his whole perspective that he did in an instance that I sent this can be explained on the human level because the scholars and studied the Old Testament Scriptures and had focused on certain Scriptures to the neglect of others. Once they focused on the ones that they delighted in they were looking for a raining Messiah to liberate them from Rollingwood to elevate Israel to the place of glory and honor. Once again, that's what they delighted in. That's what they long for.

So that's what they focused on and so they missed truth that was so very vital that's on the human level, but what's the other answer the other answer is, it takes the work of God, the work of God's Holy Spirit, open the mind to open the heart to cause truth to come shining into the soul to give sinful men and women fallen sons of Adam, a spiritual understanding which they don't have of themselves to get give them the ability to understand Scripture is a truly that's what Saul received was this powerful illumination came to him from heaven and completely reversed his thinking that this is what is taking place in between chapter 8 and chapter 11. Now Saul is a Christian. Now Saul is a preacher. Now Saul is an evangelist. Now Saul is an apostle called to that, by the Lord Jesus Christ and at the time we come to chapter 11. Saul is back in his hometown of Tarsus because he had to flee from Damascus because the Jews would've the death there if they could get their hands on them and then he went to Jerusalem and pretty soon the Jews found out they were. He was there.

They were determined to killing and so he escaped what to Tarsus far far away. The Jewish zealots and there he was, no doubt reaching no doubt evangelizing that we have no record of anything that took ice during the time he was in Tarsus and it would be easy.

Therefore, to conclude that we can't be dogmatic about this, but would be easy to conclude that even though he was preaching and evangelizing. There was not a lot of of spiritual fruit visible fruit from his labors. It's always fruitful to preach the gospel, but it doesn't always bear visible fruit. Our job is to preach the gospel, but the results are in the hands of God, the one who determines where there's going to be a great harvest. The one who determines where there will not be such a great harvest is the great apostle Paul who turned out to be one of the most fruitful preachers that have ever lived and who had lots and lots and lots and lots of conversions of churches planted a visible fruit for the Lord Jesus Christ. In the course of his lifetime, but he was not universally fruitful in every location where he went. Even the accounts we find in the book of acts we find places Paul went and there were very few conversions may be just one or two, not even enough. Apparently to establish a church that he went other places and back. The gospel just exploded and many were saying. The charges were started.

That happened more often. Actually, than in the more barren places, but there were some barren places such as the city of Athens. Paul preached in Athens. There is no record of a church left behind when he left Athens and then he went not far from Athens to Corinth and there he preach and a strong, thriving church was established. What made the difference. Those who don't understand the sovereign rule of God say well Saul was off his game and in Athens. He wasn't wasn't preaching is fervently he wasn't using the right methods and techniques he got a little careless got a little slack and lax and didn't have results in an recognizing that no doubt in disappointment as he left Athens. He determined to double down and work harder and be more energetic and more winsome and more persuasive. Therefore he had better results in Corinth nonsense nonsense nonsense is not a a an indication of that anywhere in the Scripture difference is in the sovereign will of God in Athens. Couple of folks believed not many folks believe, who believed in Athens when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, while others said we will hear you again on this matter.

So Paul departed from them, from among them.

However, some men joined him and believed, among whom was Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named emeritus demerits and others with maybe three or four maybe half a dozen were given the names of name of two. We know for sure and then use the word others, but as I say there's no indication that the church was left behind. I'm sure that those who were saved.

However many there were half a dozen fewer probably met together, studied the Scriptures and prayed that there wasn't apparently a congregation large enough to actually establish a church and to appoint elders and to see that church established yet, Paul goes to Corinth just the opposite God spirit comes in great power. In fact, Paul had a vision in the night at a time when he was somewhat discouraged in Corinth about whether what he was doing was was being effective or not. And Jesus came to Paul the middle of the night and said don't be discouraged. I still have many people in this city. They were here because I have many people in the city but they haven't come to faith in Christ. Yet, you're going to have to preach the gospel to the end they will.

I will give them to you. I have given them to Christ and I will give them to you in the preaching of the word, and so continue on the persevering, they encouraged continue on. That was God's doing. God did that in Corinth God Paulding Corinth. Even when Paul might have left more quickly prematurely. God didn't do that in Athens.

That's the sovereignty of God work is no other way to explain except by the sovereignty of God is his work.

It's his choice. It's his decision. He is sovereign in these matters well I think time has pretty will caught a short just got our toe dipped into this passage tonight.

Lord willing, will come back again next Wednesday night and take it from here and continue on. Now shall we bow our hearts together how we praise you, heavenly father for your saving power. Your marvelous grace how we praise you heavenly father that you love laid hold on.

You have saved and cleansed and filled us, we might be channels of your grace to others. Lord we long to be thanked, we praise you tonight that this unborn child of Stephen Stacy Collins does not have the SMA G how we rejoice in this blessing.

We thank you that Scott Gloria has recovered from his dingy fever in the Philippine we rejoice in this good report of Betty May the mother of Michelle while they were so grateful for the help you gave to Robert Sweet. Now he is his arteries are are unblocked and he's without chest pain and he is recovering nicely.

We thank you for we desire a Lord to lift up before your throne those government officials that you have placed in our line. We pray especially tonight for the village of Alamance altar member Barry Krause. We commit him to you and pray that you will guide him in directing and provide for him. Give him insight into your true father we pray for all of our government officials from the greatest to the league from the national level down to the local from the White House down to the frail Lord you might work in the lives of all of these people that you might use them to enable your people to live quiet and peaceable life's pray for Rob Conrad that you might continue to strengthen him. We pray for Drew Guthrie as she waits her next doctor's appointment in October.

We pray for Leanne Michael Hanna.

She's recovering from her thyroid surgery today for our focus. He has his MRI next week.

Pray for Debbie read that you might strengthen her and help her to recover good health. Once again we pray Frank Whittington might touch her body and and relieve her of the difficulty and pain. The shingles pray for Sheila Eck who has a long road of recovery that you might strengthen hurriedly pray for Rebecca Ellis. She has his heart catheterization next week in Charleston, South Carolina for Tyler Rankin. Thanking you that he's home from do. He is life is no longer in danger as it was, yet father there are some lingering lingering effects of this accident, and we pray will restore his vision and his hearing. We pray for Rose Bradshaw sister Becky Travis.

She's dealing with recovery from her broken leg. Pray Lord for our missionary brother Stewart law. We thank you all. We thank you. We thank you for finally bringing him to this liver transplant.

We thank you for the report. Even today that his liver is functioning well that it has accomplish the purpose for which this surgery was arranged father. There are no other issues, we commit him to you for the Lord, we pray that you clear his mind. Pray Lord that you will give him successful adrenal gland surgery tomorrow.

Pray the cancer will be arrested and will no longer threaten him.

Pray that his and he will recover will be able to serve you for some years to come. Pray for the family. Mark Mitchell pray for David Moxley and we pray for Ben Vestal this dear brother in Lynchburg Virginia that you might minister much to him during this time of his week now.

Father, we commit our lives to you and to your gracious kindness. Please direct us and uphold us and strengthen us as we ask these things now in Jesus name