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Breaking the Mold - 6

Beacon Baptist / Gregory N. Barkman
The Cross Radio
November 11, 2020 7:00 am

Breaking the Mold - 6

Beacon Baptist / Gregory N. Barkman

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November 11, 2020 7:00 am

Pastor Greg Barkman continues his teaching from Acts 11 beginning at 25-30 after church updates and missionary reports.

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This coming Sunday night by lifestream at 6 o'clock. We will continue our series of missionary videos because we are in missions month and on our first Sunday night we had a video from Tom and Connie Chapman in Chile last Sunday night we had a video from Paul Snyder with his wife Trish and her family are in Radford, Virginia getting strong regaining their health and making preparations to return to the field when the Lord opens the door for them to do that is very much the desire to be there this coming Sunday night will be having a video from Mike Webster who is in France and were looking forward to that. So keep that in mind and join us by computer on Sunday night at 6 o'clock the Holy Spirit writing to the apostle Paul told us in Philippians chapter 4 be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. What a great reminder.

Is there a covert pandemic.

Be anxious for nothing, but in prayer and supplication make your requests known to God. Is there tension and turmoil in our society and in the political realm. Be anxious for nothing commit all these things to the Lord and trust him. He is Almighty he is all wise. He is more gracious than we could ever understand we trust him and all of these matters. One other announcement that I need to make and that is that peanut rescue mission will be conducting their greater vision banquet by lifestream this year rather than an in with people present as they have every year for many many years and all of us miss the opportunity. We look forward to those annual meetings and I have been to everyone unless I've been out of town think I've missed one perhaps two over the years but this year it will be live on YouTube and that's tomorrow night tomorrow night, November 12 from 630 to 8 PM 630 to 8 PM and you'll want to tune into that you can access it on the PRM website treatment rescue mission website and that's the way to find it will be a YouTube video or YouTube broadcast also in keeping with our missions month I have a him by Margaret Clarkson based on John 2021 entitled, so send I you by grace made strong so send I you by grace made strong to triumph or host of hell or darkness of death and sin my name to bear. And in that name to conquer. So send I you. My victory to win so send I you to take two souls in bondage the word of truth that sets the captive free to break the bonds of sin to loose debts fettered so send I you to bring the lost to me, so send I you. My strength to know when weakness, my joy and grief. My perfect peace in pain. To prove my power, my grace, my promised presence, so send I you eternal fruit to gain so send I you to bear my cross with patients and then one day with joy to lay it down to hear my voice. Well done, my faithful servant. Come share my throne, my kingdom and my crown as the father has sent me, so send I let's pray father. What a joy it is to know the Lord Jesus Christ and saving faith. We marvel, we are astounded at the grace that has rescued us from sin from darkness from spiritual death and from eternal destruction. We thank you Lord God that you have allowed us to proclaim a gospel to others the same gospel that come into our hearts by the illuminating power of your Holy Spirit freed us from bondage and rescued us from sin and father how wonderful it is that we can proclaim that same message to others. Praying that your spirit will do the same work in their hearts that you have done in hours. What a wonderful privilege.

It is the Lord to be in partnership with gospel messengers who fanned out across the globe and to preach the gospel in far-flung places. We thank you for that privilege. We pray that you may enable us to continue to be faithful to those that we have committed ourselves to in this work of mission pray now, Lord, that you will meet with us tonight as we gather by way of lifestream in the Jesus Christ greatly honored for. He prayed in his name. Prayer requests all take those next to the most moved to some communications we are praising the Lord that Rebecca Ellis, the granddaughter Paul and Gail Ellis has recovered well from her recent heart catheterization and Sabrina Gilley, daughter of Aaron and Wendy Lynch had eye surgery than that when will also our government official of the week is Elon Mayor pro tem Davis Montgomery and I have at least one thank you note from a Burlington city Council person who was our government official the week couple weeks ago. Kathy hikes and she writes dear Pastor Barkman thank you for the greetings and prayers from the beacon congregation. I appreciate that you include elected officials in your prayers and acknowledgments. Each week the work of the Council can be challenging sometimes and I am grateful for your support and prayers.

Sincerely, Kathy hikes and then the following receiving that we also got a phone call from Harold Owens. Another Burlington city councilman who responded to our selecting him as our government official the week by calling the office and expressing his thanks by telephone so many of our officials do really appreciate are doing this and let's be faithful to remember our designated government officials of the week in prayer as they come up week by week. Please continue to pray for Drew Guthrie. She has had a return of cancer and we are praying for her. She battles this disease and can report that her spirits are good. Her faith is strong. Please pray for Alice Marley dear member of our church you fell and broke her pelvis. She's now out of the hospital and is an elements healthcare for rehabilitation. Pray for her. Therefore her recovery and pray for her protection is one of the facilities that's had several cases of covert and we would certainly pray that God will protect our dear sister from that while she's in this facility. Please continue to pray for for Liddy Noris is recovering from her cracked wrist and broken bone in her arm. She has been to the doctor this week and the cast is going to remain for three more weeks and they think they can take it off and also Nelly Hunter has had her cast removed and has her arm now in a brace which is more comfortable than the cast and she's continuing to make good progress. Pray also for John Spencer as he is recovering from knee replacement surgery. Pray for Brooke Faust who is now home from a serious car accident. After a number of days at Cohen Hospital.

This is the daughter of Johnny and Pam Faust members of our church.

Also pray for Lee Vestal.

He has a number of health problems. He is probably going to be scheduled for knee replacement surgery. He went to the doctor. I think on Monday might've been Tuesday to it was Tuesday for consultation on that issue.

So we will get word before long. If he's going to be scheduled for surgery and then we received word this afternoon that William Green one of this longtime staff member subpoena rescue mission has covert and please pray for him. That's a dangerous situation for him, but it's also a dangerous situation for all the other residents of the Piedmont rescue mission. About 30 some men including Jonathan Wright member of our own congregation who is living there. Basically, on a permanent basis in helping in in the work there himself and of course when somebody gets it in a situation like that and everybody's at risk. So please pray for the residents of Piedmont rescue mission. We continue to uphold the family of Dr. Alan Karen's in prayer, who was our full Bible conference speaker Deacon twice in the year 2007 again in the year 2009, and we even talked with him about the possibility of coming again but at that time he had retired from his pastorate in South Carolina and had moved back to his home country of Northern Ireland and we just didn't could work out the arrangements to have him come back so just the two times we had him he was a great great blessing, delightful, delightful preacher of God's word touch the lives of many people is now home with the Lord.

Praying for his family were also pray for Dr. Margie persons body. Coy sister who had a really bad fall, and particularly injured her head. She had to have plastic surgery. She's had that now and she is recovering and let's pray for her full recovery right turning to communications. I have a thank you note from the Green family who are preparing to go to a field that probably we will not mention because this goes out potentially this is broadcast goes out all over the world. This is a restricted country, but they write dear beacon Baptist Church just wanted to say thank you for extending grace, patience and support during this unexpected time. Although our plans have changed. We trust that God is sovereign. As you may know, our current plan is to learn the language in another country. While we wait for our field of service to reopen.

We just learned that some paperwork we have been waiting for for our alternate country, language, country visa should come you weeks if this is true, we are hopeful that we can leave for the language country in January before our departure wanted to make sure supporters are currently receiving our monthly email updates.

If not, please contact us again thank you. Praise God for you all in Christ, Jesse Hannah Lila and Ezra agree Wes Guenther, the director of Ministries says beacon Baptist Church and would like to thank you for your special gift of $500 to tap. Forget the hook with close letters that force teacher teacher something teacher assistance program. Thank you Steve Lynch are special veteran of Wednesday night teacher assistance program and it's a ministry of sending training materials. Virtually all over the world and we contribute materials as people have heroes are suitable we send them on up to Pennsylvania and we also send the money from time to time to help shipping. He says this added gift was applied directly to the shipping cost of sending books to the ICM Bible college in India. Thank you for your support of tap ministries. Well let's see several letters I have to decide which ones I think I'm going to read one at this time from the Bahamas in the Czech Republic I can find the first page of only got the second one here of letting go off and leave the first one on my desk if I did, and we will not be hearing that when we is here. It is, but before I read that letter. I have a very short thank you from Renato Giuliani in Italy and we were corresponding back-and-forth about a upcoming visit.

He has to the states and then he says please when you can give all the dear saints and beacon. Our love in Christ, so there you are from Renato Giuliani in Italy now from the hollows in the Czech Republic. They write, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, we are composing this letter in the middle of a second wave of the pandemic.

If you keep up with the news. You may know the check is now the worst country in the world when it comes to daily cases and deaths per capita caused by covert while in the spring we were considered the model country for dealing with the what virus now.

It is the opposite. We are nearing a very strict lockdown and anticipate the governmental decision yet. All of this. Coronavirus did not hinder the work of Christ kingdom. So here is what is going on for the past several months. English can. We could not have our English camp in process processed whatever I can't pronounce the name of that town due to travel ban our home church was able to pull together a number of US missionaries in rents around the country and have an English camp here. Our oldest girls Hannah and Rachel spent a whole week helping with the camp and on the days that Anthony was teaching lessons from the book of Ecclesiastes, the whole family came and served together over the summer we attended a weeklong church family retreat where we had opportunity to fellowship with other like-minded churches here teaching from God's word pray and encourage one another.

Although the pandemic has posed some obstacles to our church planting efforts. We have seen God do amazing things in oh strong file new people are coming to both our worship services in our Bible study monthly worship services have consistent attendance anywhere from 40 to 50, and Anthony continues to preach through the history of redemption we have seen two young women who did not grow up in a Christian family come to Christ.

This is a huge praise and evidence of the grace of God. One of them. After several months of discipleship and preparation was baptized. Praise the Lord for his saving work.

Anthony has been discipling several young men who show potential desire to serve in leading positions in the new church plant. Anthony has also been helping a group of conservative believers within a Lutheran denomination south east of Estrada, who expressed a desire to become independent and start a Bible believing church. Most recently he taught at the youth conference at the moment they attend our worship services in Estrada.

That's a second church that the planting away from their home church in the city that I have trouble pronouncing. Then they said that furlough finally, as many of you know we were scheduled to come to the United States on furlough this coming November. Now, and if they had, they would have been staying in our missionary home. As we were delighted to be able to open it up to them. However, after some thinking in prayer, giving the present situation of the demands of ministry as well as the uncertainties imposed by the pandemic we have postponed our furlough to November 2021. We are sad that we will not be able to see any of you but hope will do so next year.

Lord willing, of course, you can connect with us by Skype or resume and we would be delighted to talk to you. Well I have two other letters and I don't have time to read one so I think I'll read this one from David Champlin and Sir, and he says we are still under covered 19 regulations. There is a 10 PM to 5 AM curfew. The number plate people at one place is limited to 10, except for funerals and religious services were 50 people are permitted by the way here, North Carolina the governor is changed the number of people gathering indoors from my think it was 25 to now 10. It does not apply to churches. We are buying court ruling removed from that from those restrictions. I continue reading David's David Champlin's letter social distancing of one of the half to 2 m. That's 5 to 6 feet must be observed. Facemasks must be worn hand sanitizer must be used. Person-to-person contact must be minimal. Some businesses keep count of the number of clients in the store at any time people wait outside until it's their turn to enter. We seen all of that here, though I haven't seen anything's life of that kind lately. Body temperatures are taken in hand sanitizer sprayed on hands before you can enter the public transportation has resumed after months of being shut down, barbershops, hair salons, beauty spas and some sports are allowed to reopen.

Schools are opening but are being watched to see if they are turning into places where the virus is spread, the current covered 19 regulations are in force until November 8. That's Sunday when the new regulations will be announced by the president.

He goes on to say some other things about the country being in financial difficulty due to indebtedness, which they're not now able to handle with because of the downturn in the economy related to covert. He says the rich churches we work with have resume services with limited numbers of people coming public transportation, having only resumed a short time ago with the cost of a ride having doubled. Also figures into the number of people attending many are still afraid that they did could become victims of the virus and so do not attend services, singing, sharing a pleasure being together is diminished by being separated masked and scattered around the area for the services held sounds very much like conditions were facing here the ideas we are exploring staggering services with in early and late morning or evening service.

The congregation being divided into groups a and B service times and preachers rotated server group has a chance to hear all the sermon bumping elbows and keeping social distance does not feel the same as a handshake or hug.

If it's her efforts are being made to start Bible studies, youth activities and Sunday school. The uncertainty concerning the near future causes many to wonder if these activities should be reserved or more time should be allowed to pass before restarting these activities.

I have been able to preach the various numbers of people in some of the churches at random times, depending on the covert regulations flights that have been allowed between Surinam and Holland and from there to the USA may be stopped due to the increase of covered 19 cases in Europe flights from Paramaribo to Georgetown and onto Miami made and back may be able to be resumed with two flights a week.

This is not happened since March the flight to Holland is cut off and the other one doesn't resume they would have no way basically getting out of the country, even if they had an emergency and needed to school for Lynn has been online outline since fourth quarter of last school year enrollment is down, she began the 2021 school year with only one student, but now two others have joined only one is a native English speaker, but all the parents are English speakers. She spends nine hours at school Monday through Friday teaching her students online and then converting her teaching materials into a form that can be sent home on Fridays when parents arrive at the school to return completed work and pick up the new work for the following week. We are very thankful being healthy all appliances working safety on the road sufficient income for the opportunities we have two share that letter from David and Lynn champ and with that we open our Bibles once again to ask chapter 11 Working Our Way through this passage, week by week, but never more often than every other week and sometimes even a bigger gap than that, but you recall that this is really when the Christians of that early church the Saints from Jerusalem who were all converted Jews scattered from Jerusalem by persecution went wherever they went wherever they were scattered, preaching the gospel, but limiting their preaching there witnessing to other Jews only because they didn't understand fully the purpose and plan of God, the great commission until they came to Antioch 300 miles north of Jerusalem and their some of them overcame their former reluctance overcame the cultural resistance that Jews had in their relationship with Gentiles and went ahead and preach the gospel to Gentiles, and God did a mighty work in any of them were saved reported that came back to Jerusalem and they sent Barnabas up there to check things out. Are these reports true the arrived on the scene and found out that they were true and were actually greater then the report that it come to them would have indicated it was a great work of God was going on. He settled down in Antioch talk to people, taught the disciples, but he soon had more more demands upon his time and his resources than one man could do and so he took a break and went to Tarsus were Paul Saul of Tarsus had gone after having escaped from Jerusalem because of persecution and he invited Saul to join him in Antioch as a copastor and Saul did that and they both came together and systematically the two of them taught the word of God to the assembly of the saints on a regular basis over year teaching them sound doctrine and the result of that was that these Christians began to be established in the Scriptures, established in the Christian lifestyle and after a year of that activity. We read the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch, then will take it up from there. In our message tonight, but I want to read that portion that I just summarize starting in acts 11 verse 19.

Now those 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 some of them were men from Cyprus and Sirena when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists preaching the Lord Jesus, the hand of the Lord was with them and 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 was, and seeing 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.Barnabas departed to Tarsus to seek Saul and what he had found to him he brought him to Antioch. So what was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people in the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch takes us through verse 26 I'm going to pause before continue reading verses 27 through 30 and remind you what has taken place talking about the work of missions and we see the first step is evangelism. When you go to places where there are no Christians you have to preach the gospel and pray that God will apply it to hearts and save souls, which is exactly what he did. So the first step is evangelism. They preach the gospel. First it was just scattered persecuted Christians people we would probably call Lehman who witnessed the gospel preached the gospel of God blessed them souls were saved. Evangelism occurred. That's the first step, but a loosely related group of believers who have no church, no organization, no regular assembly times, no pastors, no, no gifted teachers raised up by God are a very weak people and we need to go from evangelism for God's blessing. Evangelism to the salvation of souls, we need to go from evangelism to church planting church planting is what took place started with Barnabas and then when Saul of Tarsus was added went forward very, very strongly in the in the power of God's might.

And these people were were getting organized into a church into a recognizable body of believers growing in grace growing in knowledge to such an extent that they were recognized by the unconverted inhabitants of Antioch as being people that reflected Christ, the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.

Now the question is when you have progressed this far, God has blessed evangelistic efforts, God is blessing church activity efforts. People are now coming together with regular assemblies being taught the word of God being organized into a church being identified as members of the church coming under the ministry of of pastors and teachers such as Paul and Barnabas in all of this is going on.

The question is when do you know that that group of Christians who heart are now being organized into a church, what can you look at to say they have become a church that's a good question. Not one that's easily answered how to how do you come to the place we recognize a church has been established a church is in place we can rejoice that the goal of church planting has been accomplished not that church work is ever done. Not that when you get to that place.

You have nothing further to do work of teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you goes on to the end of the age.

And so that teaching and preaching work goes on, but when you get to the place where you say, this group of people formally just individual believers saved by the grace of God has now been organized into incorporated into functioning as and is recognized as a bona fide local church rather than just a loose fellowship of believers. There probably several good answers that question but the one of the passage before us is reached that point. When you see that church beginning to engage in ministry. Up until this time they are people who are being ministered to.

First the gospel to unconverted people. Someone must come and bring them the gospel unsay people are not going to be involved in gospel work so gospel must be ministered to them by others, as indeed it was God blessed souls were saved. However, loose fellowship of believers. So something more has to be done. Barnabas comes Saul, they preach Sunday by Sunday they work with these people.

They discipled these people. They grabbed the in the word of God changes are being made in their lives being recognized by the communities being Christlike. Things are taking place, but still up until this point everything has pretty much been others ministering to them. That's what has to be in the beginning, unconverted people are capable of ministry babes in Christ are equipped to do a lot of ministry though people should get busy serving the Lord whatever level they are able. As soon as they are able, but babes in Christ need to be grounded.

They need to be taught. They need to to move on from the simplicity the gospel to other truths in the word of God so that they can be equipped to do the work of the ministry. As Paul talks about Ephesians chapter 4. So how do we know when a church when a fellowship of believers has become a church. Well, it's when you see the work of the ministry going on within this congregation. Now we are given enough glimpse into this congregation, Antioch, to know all that's taking place so what we find in these next verses, I would not say is the first evidence of ministry but it's the first recorded what, but it at least shows us the pattern. This is how we can tell when a group of believers have moved from a fellowship that is being ministered to by others to a working unit that themselves are reaching out in ministry to other and here's what we read in verse 27. In those days prophets came from Jerusalem to Antioch and one of them named Agnes stood up and showed by the spirit there is going to be a great famine throughout all the world which also happened to the days of Claudius Caesar. Then 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 hand of Barnabas and Saul so we have number one evangelism number two church planting number three ministry no. This report of their ministry breaks down. Basically into two sections. There is first of all, a need in there. Secondly, a response to the need, the need was brought to them. They were made aware of it by the arrival of prophets that came from Jerusalem to Antioch, and particularly a leading one by the name of Actavis. What is a prophet of the New Testament context prophet of the New Testament context is the same as a prophet of the Old Testament context prophet is someone to whom God reveals truth directly that he then proclaims to other it was in office in the early church, as I will show you in acts. Rather, Ephesians, chapter 4, and I refer to these verses earlier, but I will now read them specifically, we read and I'm trying to figure out where to jump into the passage here then. Therefore, he says, verse eight, Ephesians 48 when he ascended on high that Jesus Christ he led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men.

This is the distribution of gifts to the church and I'll skip verses nine and 10. For the time being and ends drop down to verse 11 because this elaborates on what Paul by the spirit of God means what he says that Christ gave gifts to his church.

Verse 11 and he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelist and some pastors and teachers, for offices that were given to the church. These are gifted men. This particular case the gifts of Christ gave to the church water gifted men that he selected raised up equipped and gave to the church for its blessing for its edification for its growth gave the church. Apostles Paul of course is one of those he gave the church prophets, such as arguments, people who received divine revelation directly from God and proclaimed it to others. He also gave the church evangelist and I think that's basically the same thing that we call today a missionary and finally gave the church pastors and teachers, that's really too terms that describe one office pastor/teacher. Two of those gifts to those gifted offices from the early church have.

I'm quite convinced of past off the scene. They were intended to be temporary. The office of apostle was for the foundation. The church, the office of prophet was for the foundation. The church bought the office of evangelist are met. Missionary continued on in the office of pastor teacher continues on is that just my supposition was her scriptural warrant for that. Let me call your attention back to Ephesians chapter 2 it says now therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners with fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone, whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. Paul describes here the Church of God now are talking about the universal church body of Christ are different terms that are used for. But here he calls it the Church of God.

He describes it as being like a building.

Buildings have foundations and he tells us that in the foundation. There are three elements there are apostles there prophets and most important of all, Jesus Christ was a chief cornerstone that constitutes the foundation. Now we know that when Jesus did his work upon the earth's foundational work which of course is the most critical work of all that they might even be a church when he completed his work, he departed from Earth went back to heaven. He's no longer here doing his cornerstone work he did it. It's done he laid the foundation he laid the cornerstone church is being built up from that point in this text would indicate that we should expect the same thing to be true of apostles and prophets.

They too were in the foundation. They were part of that foundation stage of the church that make sense. Particularly the case of the prophets. When we keep in mind that up until this point the only scriptures written were the Old Testament Scriptures now are dealing with New Testament revelation a lot of revelation that is added to the Old Testament Scriptures that was not included in the Old Testament Scriptures.

Even though there's more in the Old Testament the many people realize we certainly should neglect the Old Testament we need to remember that in the early church when those preachers such as Paul and Barnabas were preaching from the Bible preaching from the Scriptures over they preaching from Old Testament. That's all they had was the New Testament they were preaching from the Old Testament is a lot more in the Old Testament. Many people recognize some people act as if will now that we got the New Testament we don't need the old we can just forget it and we pick up some of the interesting stories out of the Old Testament like David and Goliath Daniel in the lion's den, and so forth. But there's not much else in the evidence of any particular interest in use to us all, how wrong you are, but it's not all the revelation and we got a new covenant.

The Old Testament Scriptures centered on the old covenant when Christ died and shed his blood. He said this in the symbol of it is the communion service which they did not have the Old Testament.

That's a new ordinance for new covenant people and he said this cup is the new covenant, the new testament in my blood. This too is often easy drink it, in remembrance of me. So I got a new covenant people as an advancement at larger advancement for what was available in the Old Testament, but these people have no new covenant Scriptures accept what is communicated to them orally. They don't have it written down.

They can't read it for themselves until the epistles start to arrive, but at the time were talking about in the next Chapter 11. None of those have been written yet think a single gospel Matthew Mark Luke John was available to them.

None of the epistles of Paul had been written yet. At this time, ready the other apostles. They didn't have the written word of God, but they did have people who could proclaimed to them New Testament revelation orally. Who were they the prophets they received divine revelation from God, and they proclaimed it to the people and in that way.

They had their Old Testament Scriptures, augmented with new covenant Scriptures communicated to them orally by these prophets now have a long explanation to get to this particular prophecy aggravates comes from Jerusalem.

He's a property receives direct revelation from God, and he tells them about a famine agate was stood up and showed by the spirit of God that there was going to be a great famine throughout all the world which also happened to the days of Claudius Caesar, we can we can date this famine. We know when Claudius Caesar reigned the rain from A.D. 41 to 8054 so Actavis is a prominent New Testament prophet. He also shows up again later on in acts chapter 21 and tells the apostle Paul is you go to Jerusalem you're going to be greatly persecuted, you're going to be put in bondage are not going to be a free man to go to Jerusalem. He made that prophecy and indeed it was fulfilled. Paul want to Jerusalem. That's exactly what happened. So Actavis is a leading profit and he tells them a famine is coming now this is interesting because of the famine is going to be over the whole world.

I take that to mean at least the Roman world is going to affect everybody affect Rome affect Antioch were these people are, it will affect Jerusalem, but evidently the people of that day were keenly aware that the saints in Jerusalem were right on the edge because of greater persecution. They are the most other places. Christians were persecuted virtually everywhere, to some degree, but Jerusalem was the hottest area of persecution was the persecution hotspot. Talk about covert hotspots breaks out in greater greater numbers. Jerusalem is a persecution hotspot and most of the Jews who became Christians were selling tensely persecuted by their own community, their friends and relatives in neighbors who were Jews who refused to believe in Jesus, many of them lost their jobs. Many of them lost their homes, many of them work were just struggling to to eat and to feed themselves and if under those conditions, a famine descends.

These people are going to be in serious trouble. So hearing that prophecy the church at Antioch sprang into action. Then the disciples verse 29, each according to his ability. Similar languages found elsewhere in regard to giving end of the disciples, each according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brethren dwelling in Judea. This also they did consented to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul by the simple Saul is a special trip to Jerusalem to carry the offering from the church in Antioch to help the persecuted saints in this time of famine. Know what is the point.

This is the church ministry. When they heard of this need.

They didn't say what we sure hope those guys make it shorter to pray for them. I'm sure they did that to pray for them, but they said we need to help them and so they reached into their own pocketbooks. Every one of them according to his ability got involved. They determined to send relief that means first of all, there was a careful decision made on their part carefully weighed decision as to how much we ought to give first, there was a determination then having determine how much they should send the follow through with it. They determined to send relief to the brethren. This they also did we see similar patterns elsewhere in Scripture. But here it is always an interesting that when it comes to describe this church at ministry describes them, giving financially. That's an important ministry might've said well the first thing we would expect to see them doing is witnessing in the community. The question my mind that they were doing that, but it's not mentioned well if there's ministry involved. We would expect the most most likely thing they're doing is organizing classes, children's classes, and other things in the church and doing a greater and greater job of teaching the word of God to all the people in the congregation. The question my mind they were doing that as well. Well for talking about the ministry of the church. No doubt they had windows to lead and help find other places in the New Testament were that's an important ministry of the church and no doubt they got involved in something like that would've stayed.

They may have. This is very early.

We don't have any record of it here that's possible. But the one thing that is recorded for us is that these people were givers. They already apparently had the giving mentality.

They must've been involved in giving.

They were already doing it because when this came along. It wasn't something new and strange to them. They said all we know what to do.

How much can each one. How much can you give Brother so-and-so how much can you give sister so-and-so.

They all waited determined to send relief to the brethren injury and Jerusalem, which they also did not. We know they are a church, they are functioning. They are mature, they are ministering. Having been ministered to first by evangelists and then having been ministered to by teachers who came from other places to supply what was lacking in their own church. Now we see them to the place where they are ministering their reaching out to others. Now we can say church has been successfully planted in Antioch that we will close in prayer, father, how grateful we are that your plan for your church is a perfect plan grateful we are that we are members of the body of Christ, and we have opportunity to minister within the body, according to the gifts and abilities that you give to each of us how grateful we are for the ministry of prayer we come to offer thanks. First of all that Becca Ellis came through her heart catheterization in good shape and Sabrina Gilley came through very delicate. I surgery in good shape.

We want to intercede for our government official of the week Davis Montgomery in the city of Elon. We pray Lord that you will bless him that you will guide him that you will guard him that you will cause him to reflect upon truth and righteousness and justice and to serve the community of Elon in a in an honorable and godly way. We pray for truth Guthrie that you might minister to this dear sister, and likewise to Alice Marley.

She's recovering from her broken pelvis and letting Doris and Larry Hunter and Mary Shaw and Art Pope and John Spencer. All of these O Lord who are recovering from surgeries or expecting them in the near future. We pray for Brooke Faust. You will bring healing to her and to Lee Vestal and we pray for William Green Piedmont rescue mission that you might strengthen this brother and helping to fight off the scope environment.

Pray that you will protect the other residents from catching this disease. We pray for the family and friends of Dr. Alan Karen's even as we remember with such joy and gratitude is ministry among us know they touch the lives of so many others. Thank you father for giving such an able and capable preacher to the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you. Now, Lord, for calling him from his labors on earth into his heavenly rest. Pray for Dr. Margie persons that you might help her in her recovery. We pray for our nation for the confusion and turmoil that continues in our land. Pray Lord that you would be kind and gracious and that you might treat us. Mercifully, even though we acknowledge that we deserve to be treated in judgment but father we pray that you might be merciful to us that you might bring healing to our land. Our Lord that you will help us to honor you as we go our separate ways tonight and tomorrow. In the days to come as we ask these things in Jesus name