Breaking the Mold - 4

Greetings, once again, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and welcome to the midweek lifestream service from beacon Baptist Church, 16, 22 Kirkpatrick Rd., Burlington, NC. Here it is October 14. The covert situation started well.

I don't know exactly when it all started, but I think we canceled services about the middle of March. So then we went a couple of months with no services in this guarded meeting on Sunday mornings, and here we are still meeting on Sunday mornings at a very reduced rate.

No Sunday school. No children's classes and live streaming on Sunday night and Wednesday night is not what we would've chosen, but we recognize that it is what God has appointed and we are convinced that what ever our God ordains is right so we are grateful to be children of the King and confident of his wise rule and recognizing that all that he does is good and gracious for his dear children, so this Sunday morning will be gathering together here in the auditorium at 930, we invite you to join us.

We will ask you to wear a mask unless you have a medical condition makes it prohibitive for you to do that will ask that you fist bump or elbow bump instead of shake hands will ask that you space yourselves in the auditorium. We have some of the pews marked to be to remain empty so we have to scatter ourselves around.

We been having wonderful services and we been having a few visitors would be delighted to have you. Whether you are a member or visitor and I recognize it. Primarily, I'm talking to members of tenders, beacon Baptist Church, but we are also aware that others tune in from all parts of the country and even some from other parts of the world. So welcome and thank you and I can imagine my mind that I'm talking to members of our church that I have not seen face-to-face for many many months and I miss you and I hope you miss us. I know you do and I understand you are one of those it's an especially vulnerable category and I understand your need to stay in but all I look forward to the day when you will be able to join us again and I'm grateful that some who were unable to join us for a while have now been able to do that and we have seen an increase in the numbers of those who are meeting with us on Sunday morning we had announced last Sunday that starting this Sunday this coming Sunday, October 18. We would begin having our Sunday evening service as a people present service, but we have changed that we've had several cases of covert infection in our congregation.

In fact, we've had more reported cases of positive results. Positive testing results. In the last week or 10 days of the most then we have had since the beginning of the pandemic only had a handful in all those months, and now we had another handful in the last few days and so with that in mind, we think it would be more wise if we would hold off and just continue the schedule were on now not increase the number of gatherings at this time so we will continue lifestream Sunday night at 6 o'clock Pastor Michael Carnes generally conducts that service and then of course Wednesday night which you are looking listening to tuning into at this time, we would encourage you to download and listen to the messages from our Bible conference that we had last week with Dr. Jim Warrick from Louisville, Kentucky, was an outstanding outstanding conference wonderful ministry of the word. Many people have reported that their hearts have been blessed. I would love for you to have your heart blessed. Similarly, and you can do so by visiting the beacon website and downloading those messages either on audio audio or video, whichever works best for you and listen to them. They will be very profitable for you. I am sure, have you not known, have you not heard the everlasting God, the Lord, the create tour of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary is understanding is unsearchable. Keep that in mind as we deal with the covert pandemic.

Well, let's update you on some things were praising the Lord that Nelly Hunter surgery went very very well on her elbow and she will not be recovering. Over the next several weeks. We are also thankful to report that Jude of Arroyo surgery did well or rather his healing has gone well from a rather severe cut that he had on his heel. We have had as I've already mentioned the number of covert cases and are congregation, I can report to you that none of them have been severe. Nobody has been hospitalized. Nobody has had severe symptoms. Amy Freeman is one of those and she has written reports she's doing very well with her covert Ken Elliott and Sue Elliott. Likewise, I've taught to Ken on the phone and Sue by email and both of them report that they are doing very very well. Praise the Lord for that.

Nancy Verdi is another one and she is doing well. In fact, I had the latest update from her. Just today by email and she tells me that her symptoms are very minimal and she's feeling very good so those are the ones we heard from and some others that were waiting to hear from Claudette Lorch also has tested positive, as has Kelsey. The final member of our churches tested positive, and so we have whatever how many that is five or six folks who tested positive recently and are dealing with that Art Pope is waiting on a report from a recent biopsy and quite weeks now since he had that which encourages me to think that nothing serious to shut up or the doctor would surely be calling him in for a consultation on dealing with with something serious if that's with the MRI showed but in the meantime he's also having difficulty with his legs and with the veins in his legs and he's also having that address so please pray for art. Pope Mary Shaw had extensive shoulder surgery today. She will now be recovering from that over an extended period of time. Shirley Watkins continues to recover from her recent time in the hospital at peak resources and that's a place where there's been another outbreak of covert in the county understand that they are handling it well. They will isolated one section, and Shirley seems to be doing fine. No, no reason to think that she has become infected, but she's there. And so we mentioned that when you pray for Shirley. Please pray that the Lord will protect her from covert were also praying for Jesse Pope Bernice of art Pope who is had one brain surgery and is scheduled for a second one that's out of the state of Washington and also for Isaias Lawson in the state of South Dakota is the grandson of Alden Pam Atkinson, who is having surgery this coming Monday spinal fusion, which will be the 22nd operation that he's had on his back is lifespan.

He must be about 12 1314 years old now.

It's hard to keep track of the time flies by so quickly but Don 22 operations he's had on his back. Three of them listen to the third one this this year to two previous ones. In the summer, but this is supposed to be the last one we hope truly will be the last anticipated surgery on his back forever. He said he has spinal bifida and this is been a long long long series of operations one after another for him. We are praying for our Christian brothers and sisters in the high lands of Papua, Indonesia, are facing intense and very very violent persecution at this time for missionaries. We are praying for Grace Goodman and her surgery recovery in Alaska for Trevor Johnson in the United States to address health issues and family issues Paul Snyder and Trish also in the United States for health and family issues getting good good reports from the Snyders thing seems to be going well in every every area of concern Stuart was doing well. I meant to bring my cell phone to the pulpit and read the latest text that we have about Stuart and I went off and left it sitting on my desk back in my office so I don't have that for you so I will just simply say that we did have texts forwarded to us from Laverne and it tells us that Stuart is doing well making progress. His liver continues to function well. He has a few things that he's dealing with which the doctor say are normal and should all clear up within three months of his surgery, which is now suppose at least a month behind us so is got a couple of months to go. Things are going so well that Laverne plans to return from Johannesburg where she's there with Stuart. She plans to return to their home in Zimbabwe. I think in December and then Stewart's planning to go in January. If the doctors releasing to do that but that's what they're doing at this time.

So we rejoice in that I might also mention that the Hokah family missionaries that have been worshiping with us while they are getting training at the airport right almost within sight of our church year are also in Alaska. That's the field of service that they're going to have as did the Goodmans before them that worship with us during the time that they were here you're not going to be with the same organization are not to be working closely together, but it is a missionary aviation ministry and the hookups are out there now investigating the organization that they'll be working with. But they will be returning for the still some training before they'll be going to Alaska Lord willing, we do want us express our sympathy to the family of Noah Foley 13-year-old died recently from a strange condition.

Our heart goes out to the family. We pray for him, praying for Ken Elliott's brother Russ Elliott who has a tumor on his long and surgery on October 23. Praying for a friend of Gloria Hendry who has cancer. Praying for Pastor Gary Kendricks, who ministered for 50 years in the eastern part of Alamance County.

In fact, part of the time. I think even was in the western edge of Orange County, but any rate, he's been there in the Bevan area. All of this time and he has pancreatic cancer. Praying for him and for his dear wife Sherry and their family and their church family is there dealing with the severe cancer and we continue to pray for Gaylord Revel in Wisconsin who is recovering from his heart ablation and is facing lung cancer is the father of Leah and Michael had was a member of our congregation. I promised you some missionary communications and one in particular which get to second but the first one is just a short note for missionaries David and untrue Anderson with Capitol ministries, holding Bible studies and ministering to legislate towards in the state of Virginia and they wrote a note dear Pastor Barkman we appreciate so much a faithful care.

In partnership with us in prayer for our civic leaders. We miss you and pray that God will give you strength and bless you with peace, love, David and untrue. Anderson told you my email that we would be reading a letter tonight from David Cassels in Chelmsford, England. David is a dear brother powerful preacher heading here to preach for us.

I've lost track of how many times over the years the first time back in the mid-1980s.

So that's how far back it goes. And one of our favorite preachers. He really blesses us with the ministry of God's word and we also have the privilege of providing a little bit of support as he pastors a small congregation in England that is not really large enough to support their pastor fully doing the best they can, but he writes dear brother Greg, another year, soon to be upon us. He's anticipating 2021. As in previous years.

We are sending a calendar from United Kingdom as a mere token of our deep appreciation for the love and fellowship shown to us by the beacon family sends a calendar every year. This is the most what should I say spectacular one yet show it to you if you can see it. It's the calendar of London beautiful pictures.

I can't wait to hang this up doesn't start until January 2021, so I'll have to wait a little while but every month has a beautiful picture from the City of London. Some of these places that are pictured on the calendar.

I have been to and others. I have not released. I don't remember seeing them.

That's the calendar like I continue the letter. At this point the cobra 19 situation continues to have a large influence in daily life here, as in the USA and much of the world, many questions are being raised, but so few satisfactory answers are forthcoming. One absolutely constant comfort is that God who holds us in his secure grasp his sovereign above all, and in complete control and he cares for us more than we can know in his providence. The Lord has used this virus to keep us for the time being. In the pastoral role in Chelmsford Chelmsford is a town I forget how many miles north of London. Not terribly far. I'll take a stab and say 30 something in that range could be a few more could be a few less. Quite a few people in Chelmsford commute every day to London to work taking the train to do that he says we are thankful that while it was not our plan is evidently his will and mercifully it is also very agreeable to the church here.

He had told me some time ago that he had planned to retire and move back to Ulster in Northern Ireland in his retirement, but he tells us that he still in Chelmsford and the pastor there and that this is because of covert, 19 I'm not sure exactly how those two facts join together precisely that I'm just reading what he wrote. I did talk to David, probably within the last two months by telephone and he talked about this then, but I stood still not clear in my mind exactly what it is about covert that has kept them in shells. Chelmsford at any rate, he says the book by Puritan John flavorful, the mystery of Providence encapsulates so much of benefit even in the title.

The mystery of Providence just one brief quote will be helpful at this time there are several things to be distinctly pondered and valued in one single Providence before we can judge the amount and worth of it. First, the seasonable seasonable notice of mercy may give it a very great value that it is timed that it is time so opportunity and occurs just when needed, makes it a thousandfold more considerable to you than the same mercy would've been another time. Thus, when our needs are permitted to grow to an extremity and all visible hopes fail then to have relief given wonderfully and Enhances the price of such a mercy."

Then he writes please give our sincere prayerful regards to all who gather at beacon. Your financial support.

More than that your prayerful support remains a rich encouragement in the bonds of sovereign grace and Christian love and wish you all God's richest blessings in 2021.

David and Isabel Cassels and below it. Second Thessalonians 316, I move on. I have a an email communication from Scott amylin and Daniel DeLorean the Philippines. The lorries worshiped with us here at beacon for several months before relocating to the Philippines amylin is from there and Scott and Scott, of course, is an American, but he has ministered in the Philippines. In years gone by, and he's returned there basically in his retirement for the purpose of continuing ministry and that needy land that he writes dear beloved brethren at beacon. I recognize that this update is long overdue.

Since I departed for the Philippines in June the Lord was profoundly merciful to me while traveling alone to the West Coast and then onto Manila, in the midst of a pandemic from March 10 through July 23 the Lord shielded our family for medical issues. As we travel. Once reunited began the final leg of our journey together as we relocated to bug Rio city.

I may not be pronouncing that right after a two-week visit with ambulance family in Quezon City. We eventually arrived at the Guido in July. On July 24. Sadly, shortly after arrival.

Amylin was stricken with covert and hospitalized for 12 days. Mercifully, she was largely symptomatic in her confinement was mostly precautionary. Nevertheless, her hospitalization was followed by another 14 days of quarantine, the day after her return from hospital. I was afflicted with dengue fever and mosquito borne illness.

I was hospitalized for four days with dangerously low, dangerously low blood platelet counts. Perhaps some of you have heard Trevor Johnson speak about battling Dan give is particularly painful and debilitating. In short, all of August and one week of September were lost to sickness and reparation the last few weeks of September have been spent getting settled in exploring the territory seeking a house to rent. Finding new family doctors homeschooling Daniel and searching for a church home after a rocky start were slowly making progress in God's kind Providence Culver delayed the start of the school year and the delay has granted to some catch-up time with Daniel's lesson. Through it all, our merciful father has remained near to us constantly reminding and reassuring us that he is with us at all times.

We are grateful to be receiving the prayer sheets and updates from our friends at beacon. These allow us to pray specifically and maintain a connection with you all. Meanwhile, we would cover your prayers as we get settled here find a church home and seek new ways to serve God. Thinking of you all and remembering the bonds of love bonds of love Christ, we shared in such a short time before departure. Warmly, in Christ, Scott amylin and Daniel DeLorean so good to hear from them will have two more letters, one long one short medial read the short and first this is from the green family. Jesse and Hannah and their two small children who were with us at beacon. I can't remember if that was a year ago or two years ago, but they they were they were with us when they run deputation. I think that was last year.

Maybe the year before.

Anyway as they were starting the deputation to go to the field because the field are going to is a dictatorship and a country that's very hostile to Christianity.

I'm not going to mention the country because the lifestream goes out all over the world, so I'm assuming the beacon folks know what country it is going to read the update. I'm going to leave out any references which would identify exactly where they are minute going to minister brothers and sisters in Christ. We pray that you are doing well as far as our plans go. Not much is changed, the necessary paperwork from a country close to the one they hope to go to permanently. But to be able to apply for visas is not yet come in once we get this in our visas, we can move to a particular place and begin learning particular language are scheduled meetings went well, like so many people they were locked down because of covert for several months and then they were able to start booking meetings again is reporting that those of gone will and we were able to be at some new churches and make some new friends. Also able to be with some churches and friends that we have already partnered with but have not been able to see for some time, he was encouraging to be with them and see God at work in their lives. I skip some things then how to pray. First, pray for God's direction in going to the neighboring country where they'll learn the language. Pray that God will help us grow our faith in him and what he is doing and keeping the stateside.

God ultimately did not create me for the countries are going to but for himself, God has called me to glorify him wherever I am, must encourage myself with this whenever I'm discouraged that I'm not in country where they're going. Second, pray that God would use us wherever we are to glorify him. Whether this happens while we visit churches. While we are in our home church.

While we are with our family and friends may God be glorified. May God keep and bless you and Christ signed Jesse great.

Do I have time for this letter from Larry and Carol Bunyan. I think not.

It's fairly long and love to share with you, but I'm sure will take me more than five minutes to read. I think I better get into the word or we may not make it so I'm opening my Bible to ask chapter 11. As we return to the same portion of God's word where we have been visiting and studying this portion together over the last several weeks first message from this passage was September 9 and here we are at October 14. This is for those who have not been with us before. This is an account of how God caused the gospel to break out from among the Jews. Jews only, which was the concentration at the beginning and start to bring in significant numbers of Gentiles. Now the Gentiles who are converted. The next chapter 11 are not the first Gentiles to come to Christ. But the first ones to come in any great numbers and the church that is planted in Antioch in this passage is the first predominantly Gentile church.

There have been some narratives saved before this, but we have not read of a church in Samaria up till this point, there have been others saved like Cornelius the centurion Caesarea. But no church, at least not one he may have. There may have been a church that is predominantly made up of Jewish believers that he attended wasn't there at the time that he was saved. We read of the Ethiopian eunuch who was saved in the desert is an individual went back to Ethiopia. We are quite confident that in his return to Ethiopia. The gospel spread their others were saved.

Eventually the church was started.

In fact, the whole number of churches we have a whole branch of Christianity that grows out of Ethiopia and in Egypt and those that is the Coptic church Coptic Christians.

They trace their beginning back to the Ethiopian eunuch in the book of acts, but this passage documents the first time when there was a large ingathering of believers from one Gentiles, and the planting of a church in a Gentile city. It is I've I've entitled this section breaking the mold because there had been a very strong assumption that the gospel was to go to Jewish people and though I think it's obvious that the early Christians believed that God was going to say Gentiles I think it's also clear that there mistaken concept was that is going to save them by first bringing them into the fold of Israel. In a sense, in essence making them proselytes to Judaism and then from there, becoming followers of Christ, so that basically they follow the same path that these Jewish believers did at Jews they receive Jesus as the promised Messiah. So they went from becoming worshiping, believing Jews to worshiping, believing Christian Jews believed that Jesus was the Messiah, they thought, I think that that's the way God intended to bring Gentiles into the family of God, but they were mistaken. God did not intend to bring Gentiles in byway of Moses by way of of Judaism by way of circumcision by way of of kosher dietary regulation and so forth God intended to bring Gentiles in by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

We are saved not by becoming Jews and then believing in Jesus we are saved when we believe in Jesus we are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone and that alone means faith in Christ alone, not faith in Christ clustered by circumcision, plus dietary laws and so forth. So this is the account where that truth became clear in the minds of these early Christians who were almost all Jewish believers and so with that explanation in background, we read again, ask chapter 11 beginning at verse 19. Now, those who were scattered after the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, preaching the word to no one but the Jews only, but some of them were men from Cyprus and Sirena.

They were Jews of the dispersion they were Jews, but they were not Jerusalem Jews, they work dispersion Jews from Cyprus and Sirena who were accustomed to intermingling with Gentiles. When they came to Antioch 300 miles north of Jerusalem, eight, a major Roman city. When they came to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists that is the Greeks preaching the Lord Jesus and the hand of the Lord was with them in a great number believed in turn to the Lord.

The news of these things came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem and they set out Barnabas to go as far as Antioch when he came and 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 in the faith, and a great many people were added to the Lord. Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to seek Saul when he found him, he brought him to Antioch so it was that 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 than one of them named Actavis stood up and showed by the spirit that there was going to be a great famine throughout all the world which also happened in the days of Claudius Caesar and the disciples, each according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brethren dwelling in Judea this they also did and Senate to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul. Let's pray father open our hearts to understand the portion of work of your word that we have read and to learn from it what you have appointed for us to learn. We ask in Jesus name, amen.

Well, if you been listening to previous broadcast previous messages brought which are also broadcast from this passage, you know that I have divided into four sections. One evangelism number two church planting number three deprive ratio number four.

Response we've already studied the section that deals with evangelism. The innovation that took place as these faithful evangelists carrying the gospel first to Jews broke out of the mold began to witness to Gentiles as well and that innovation surely it was receive divine endorsement because we read the hand of the Lord was with them and a great many believe in so Gentiles turned to the Lord. Gentiles repented of their sins Gentiles in great numbers believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. That is evangelism but secondly were talking about church planting, because I think it's important for us to understand what were talking about what we call mission. That's what is in view here. The missionary heart of the early church in a pattern of missions that is developing here a strategy for missions, a way of carrying out the work of worldwide missions when were talking about the work of missions were not talking about evangelism only.

Were talking about evangelism that when God blesses to save souls moves to the second step which is to establish churches to establish a church in the locality where the people are saved or they are scattered in several communities then churches in each of the communities where people are saved and so in a sense we could say that the goal of missions is church planting value Going to an area where there are no churches without first evangelizing. Obviously, you have to find ways to preach the gospel where there are no churches and we see that being done throughout the book of acts. Most of the book of acts. From this point forward is going to be the record of the apostle Paul's missionary labors and we see how we would go into a city. There were no Christians. There were no churches.

He would find a place to preach if there was a Jewish synagogue. He would begin their he preached the gospel there until they kicked them out and they almost always did.

After some weeks they got the they became irritated once it did not believe that this Jesus that Paul was preaching about was indeed the Messiah of their Old Testament Scriptures. They rejected that message and they rejected the messenger and kicked him out of the synagogue, in which case, depending on situation he would go elsewhere in public places to preach, or in some cases there were enough that went with him didn't believe who left the synagogue and followed Paul and so he already had a body of believers that needed to be organized into a church and trained and then they would be responsible for reaching their community church planting is the goal of mission churches are to take the responsibility of evangelizing their community. The missionary evangelist brings the gospel to an area but when God blesses it with the salvation of souls is not done, he's just started now.

He plants a church and when that's establish sufficiently that it can carry on without him. He will leave it behind in the hands of leaders elders appointed in every city and will go on to another place in the same thing all over again evangelize with the goal of planting a church and leaving a church in that location. That's why read later on toward the end of the book of acts. When Paul says something like I've completed the work that God gave me to do.

There is no more work for me in these parts say what has have you successfully evangelized everybody's everybody saved no there far more unconverted than converted will likely say there's no more work for me in these parts. He can say that because he seemed churches planted in every location and now he needs to go to places where there are no churches.

These churches will continue proclaiming the gospel in their community to the multitudes who are unconverted, it wasn't Paul's goal to convert everybody to Christ, that we would be thrilled if that it happened that was God's purpose and plan for him. It was Paul's purpose to plant churches and leave them the responsibility of evangelizing their community. That was the that was his work as a missionary that should be understood as the work of missionaries in our day and so were talking about the missionary heart of the local church. Step number one evangelism we read about that how that happened in the city of Antioch. Step number two church planting and how did that come about. It was very much a cooperative effort we have investigation supervision and instruction. Investigation verse 22 then news of these things. What thing will verse 21 the hand of the Lord was with him in a great number believed in turn to the Lord, the nose of goat great multitudes of Gentiles, believing the gospel in the city of Antioch that new spread as we read in verse 22. The news of these things came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem okay report comes to the mother church and what happens and they set out Barnabas to go as far as Antioch. The words they sent Barnabas specifically to this city and Antioch weather report was coming up.

Many people saved. He was to go to that place and to probably two report on what they heard.

To confirm it and to report back to the mother church, but as it turns out the need of church planting was so great that he never made the journey back to bring a report to Jerusalem get to that in the moment but Barnabas is chosen for this task, because he is a godly man, a mature man, a trusted man.

I think I showed you the last time his first appearance in this record is in acts chapter 4. His name was Joses. Joseph, who was a dispersion Jew who had come to Christ and was well thought of by the church in Jerusalem by the leaders of the church and one of the things that he did was he sold a piece of property in came and brought the proceeds and laid them at the apostles feet, but one of the other things we learn about him is that his name was changed to release a different name was given to him we might call it a nickname, but the apostles called him Barnabas which means son of consolation, or son of encouragement because his life and testimony. His words, his spirit is matter.

His way of of the ministry to people was so effective. It was so encouraging.

It had such a beneficial result upon others that he was named Barnabas, son of encouragement, son of consolation and when they needed somebody to go to Antioch to find out what in the world is happening up there. From these reports that we hear. Who did they send, but Barnabas this son of encouragement and so he arrives on the scene. Verse 23 and 20 he came and 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 the faith and a great many people were added to the Lord the church is growing. We read already that a great number by the witness of these persecuted Christians who came and broke out of the mold and preach the gospel to Gentiles. Now Barnabas who is himself a leader in the church in Jerusalem.

He is a recognized preacher of the word of God. He comes to Antioch and he begins to minister to these people and what happens the hand of the Lord is with him in a great many more are added to the Lord.

But what we are seeing here is another step in church planting this church is the church yet. It's a it's a group of fellowship of Christians, but they have no organization.

They have no leader. They have no God called God gifted God appointed pastor or pastors to teach them. They are just a loose fellowship of believers can I say something here from time to time, someone will ask me what do you think about the home church movement is not an easy question to answer because not every home church is alike, but many of them are not churches there called home churches, many of them are loose fellowship of believers, but there is no recognized pastor or pastors. There are no recognized deacons. There is no recognized membership. There is no understood level of accountability and so forth.

I mean I could go on and on about the things that are generally missing. Not always, there are exceptions.

It's not a building that makes a church or church. The church can be a church meeting in the house they did many times in the New Testament. That's not only not un-biblical. That's very wonderful if in fact this group of people. This meeting in the house develops into an organized New Testament local church.

But until that happens, it's not can call it a house church or home church but it's not a church, and what there was an Antioch was not yet a church now these were members of the bride of Christ, the universal church because they were saved. But as far as their local fellowship was concerned they were not yet a church they needed something more and Barnabas came to supply that and when he came he saw the grace of God. How do you see the grace of God. How do you see that that's what it says when he came and seen the grace of God was glad and encourage them all that with purpose of heart. They should continue with the Lord.

How do you see the grace of God the grace of God is the power of God is invisible in itself. It's kind of like the wind, the wind blows where it wills and the Holy Spirit operates as he wills, and the Holy Spirit administers grace. How do you see the grace of God. Well, what you actually see is the result of the grace of God. You see the fruit of the grace of God just like the wind. As Jesus said in John chapter 3 with Nicodemus, the wind blows and you don't see the wind which you hear it you see the effects of it.

You see the trees blowing in the wind blows strong. You know it's blowing stronger when the blame wind blows gently you know it is blowing gently, not because you see the wind but because you you hear a loud expression of the wind was blowing strong later expression of the wind when it's a when it's just a Zephyr you see the results of the wind blowing when it's a real strong wind, or hurricane.

You see some pretty devastating and that's what you see you see the effects of the wind. That is the Holy Spirit at work and that's the same thing with the grace of God. It's virtually the same thing were really talking about the same thing using different words but how do you see the grace of God in the lives of the people that God's grace has changed. Barnabas got there were defined.

He found people that formerly worshiped in the healing temples bowing down to idle praying to idols off making offerings.

The altars of idle. They were no longer doing that they stop that they put their idolatry. They are not worshiping the one true God. The invisible God, the maker of heaven and earth he found people who formerly had lives that work very licentious that were very sinful, very much. Contrary to the law of God. It's interesting how false religion so often justifies and even promotes immorality and lascivious living. That's so, it's a way wasn't paganism. It's often the way it is in America today, particularly when you're dealing with some of the cults. These weird cults I'm talking about.

I'm not talking about necessarily the larger cults the people to come and knock on our door not saying that there necessarily that way but these weird communal type cults that have a father figure and so forth. It is generally a called of adultery and immorality that is practice justified, sanctioned and given some kind of a religious covering as if this is somehow honoring to God.

And it is in the false religion of the false God that they represent, and that of course that's way all the pagan religions of that day were the Roman gods. The Greek gods they almost all involved temple prostitutes.

Many cases, both male prostitutes and female prostitutes, take your pick is the society was filled with immorality that went both directions and was current, encourage, so they have something for every style of immorality and this was was thought this was presented to zip. This is a way worshiping God have a relationship with a temple prostitute. That's an act of worship. If you're taught that it's pretty easy. Even if you know.deep down in your heart that can't be right. It's pretty easy to say yeah I like that I like that kind of religion. I like that kind of teaching what they're giving me a rationale of cloak of respectability to the sinful desires of my heart.

Isn't that wonderful know it's not sleeting you straight down the road to hell in bondage to your sin and blinded to the truth.

It's not wonderful but the carnal mind living in darkness steeped in sinful desires thinks that's wonderful and loves religion like that. But what did Barnabas find came to Antioch and he found multitudes of people who had thought this way, who had lived this way, who had changed and now they were living lives of decency and morality in godliness and purity and had laid aside their worship of idols and had laid aside their their immorality and they were reading the Scriptures and studying the word of God and meeting together for mutual edification and when Barnabas got there and saw the grace of God that is sought, the evidence of God's grace so powerfully at work in this congregation, he realized this is God at work. The reports are true. In fact, the half is not been told like Ken Dacey, Queen of Ethiopia who came to see Solomon remember she heard the reports in her home country about how magnificent was his kingdom. How wealthy was his kingdom. How how well organized was his kingdom. How wise was the king, and she thought this is this is got to be exaggeration can't be true. Nothing could be quite that good way explaining to me so she decided the only way to tell was to investigate bought for herself so this was a pretty big undertaking. She took a great retinue of people. There was quite a train of of chariots and conveyances went with this whole small army of people with Ken Dacey, Queen of Ethiopia to visit King Solomon and she saw with her own eyes, and she listened to his wisdom with her own ears as he talked to her and her conclusion was why the report that I heard did give the half of it.

It's more magnificent. It's more impressive it's more amazing than even the reports of came to me that's the picture I'm getting here in Chapter 11. Barnabas comes to Antioch to investigate these reports of come to out of the call it the ears of the church in Jerusalem and now he's come to to investigate and what he sees the grace of God. He says why this is more wonderful than the reports indicated. I'm amazed items I wouldn't I would hardly believe it. If I were to hear and could see it for myself and so he recognized the work of God. He recognized lives were changed. He recognized people who had been completely turned inside out people who who truly did turn from their sins and left behind were walking a narrow path pleasing to God.

No explanation for it except the new birth, the work of God in their hearts the grace of God and so when he saw that he was glad he was encouraged to deep encouraged them with purpose of heart. They should continue with the Lord, that they should strengthen their commitment and persevere and so this is what Barnabas ditties remember son of consolation son of encouragement is encouraging them to continue on with Christ, but he recognizes that there is still a need. Verse 24 for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit in the faith, and a great many people were added to the Lord. Verse 25 then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to six. All were not going to have the have time to get into that what he sees is we need to organize this group of believers is loose fellowship into a church with order with discipline with sound doctrine with recognized preachers, spiritual leaders, that's what comes next and they need to be instructed systematically and regularly and deliberately over a period of time and that's what comes next. To turn this group of born-again believers into a real strong local church organized along New Testament lines where we are going to have to stop there and conclude with the word of prayer father how we rejoice in studying this report. Next Chapter 11 is wonderful to our year and instructive to our minds and helpful to our thoughts as believers who are interested in the spread of the gospel throughout this world. If I don't want to praise you that Amy Freeman and others are doing well with their covert diagnosis.

We praise you that Nelly Hunter's surgery went well and she's now recovering. We praise you that Judah of Roy is doing well from this serious cut she had. We pray for Burlington counsel member Bob Ward that you will guide him in his role of civic responsibility. We pray for Claudette to Lorch with her current covert diagnosis and Canon Sue Elliott. Likewise, and also Nancy Verdi and Kelsey Perry. We pray for our pope and for his needs to Mary Shaw that she might recover from the surgery she had today we pray for Shirley Watkins, our dear sister, that you will protect her from covert issues recovering at peak resources and others in that place that you might protect them.

Pray for Jesse Pope in the state of Washington. We pray for Isaias Lawson as he's facing his 22nd surgery on his back this coming Monday were glad the Lord that he's coming to the end of the road on the surgery said they anticipate this to be the last one father I pray that it may go well and that he may recover and that this will be very beneficial to him.

We pray for Pam Atkins and she's out there helping Thomas and Christie in the family and keeping the children helping with the children.

The younger three children is Isaiah's going through this time.

We pray for the Trevor Johnson family and the Paul Snyder family and for Stuart and Laverne want thank you so much for the good report them.

We pray for the Noah Foley family as they deal with this heart crushing loss of their 13-year-old son. We pray for Russ Elliott with a lung tumor and Tammy Ferguson with with cancer and and pastor Gary Hendrix with his cancer and for Gaylord ramble we pray as he deals with cancer now.

Father, we commit ourselves in all of these need into the omnipotent hand of the gracious heavenly father who has called us unto yourself. We pray these things in Jesus name