Acts Chapter 8:1-6

We look at things through a weird land from having it all last back home as God. What does the Bible say about going back to visit us in Romans chapter 8 verse 28.

This is and we know that we think we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. Notice we know and everything. How can that be bad things happen in the hands of God. He can use that will pastor. What about when I stumbled on one about one half fault. What about when I say leave and then you went to see because you brought back to the fact that you are saved by grace through your work computer notice. Some a little bit how much more compassion you have for other people that are messing welcome to cross the bridge with David McGee.

David is a senior pastor of the bridge in Kernersville, North Carolina. As we look around this world, we can see many things but if we only look with our natural eyes will miss a lot today. Pastor David explains how it's important to look at the world through God's eyes as he continues in the book of acts chapter 8 here's David McGee with his teaching persecution strengthens the church. Last week we were looking chapter 7 and Stephen was martyred and were interviewed in that chapter 2 new character this guy name Saul and it says that they laid the guys close are they laid close that Saul's feet as they were throwing rocks and executing Stephen and we talked about the fact that that may have meant that Saul is actually in charge of what was going on there were not sure.

One theory so acts chapter 8 verse one is now Saul was consenting to his death. At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles that will freeze consenting to his death. Some people actually believe that all was part of the Sanhedrin and actually voted for Stephen to be executed were not sure if that is true, it brings up interesting thing that in order to be a member of the Sanhedrin. Paul would've had to been married. Maybe you're sitting there going to pop talks about being single later on yes but it would've been very very unusual for an adult Jewish male not to be married.

What probably happened was when Saul was converted to Christianity, his wife left because of her Jewish roots possibility.

I wanted to introduce to you. It's interesting because were going to see this persecution is a constant theme in the book of acts, persecution got done some really cool people persecute boy that happens in this persecution understand when they call the other is to be persecution, not more people died in the last century for being Christians than any other century in history. Persecution still happens martyred still happens is people around the world this morning that if they were call meeting in a church to be executed on November her distorted neat story years ago in Russia there was an underground church meeting. The story says, and in these two soldiers burst call so you know what roadkill everybody won't renounce her faith and walk out of the room a couple people said you know what I renounce my faith. I renounce Jesus and they walked out after those people walked out the soldiers. One of them fire the machine gun in the air and he looked at the people he said we too are believers in Jesus, but we had to be sure about you guys, because we could lose our lives and families to be executed because we believe in Jesus and we had to be sure pretty cool story will happen if you were in that room.

It's amazing thing that we think that as the church is persecuted that it would dwindle down. That's not what you see historically is not what you see in the Bob you actually see the church flourishes when there's persecution so you know why people run around and I know David liberal wrote that book about persecution in America part of you should say appraised and cleared out West best do away with the gray area. Let's figure out who's in and who's not playing the game whose real who's just talking the talk and walk in the wall men were stew and devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him, Stephen, were told in the last chapter had been killed and it says that the made great lamentation over him. Now it's interesting that last verse of chapter 7 says he fell asleep. That's used whenever a believer in the Bible passes away doesn't say about necessarily being dead because member what Jesus said is it on the resurrection and the life. Anybody who believes in this will never die and never die.

It's an amazing thing he won't state that she won't state that so they very Stephen and we deal with an issue comes up sometimes in Christianity, the Bible doesn't talk about cremation doesn't talk about not heard all sorts of wackiness. I've heard some people say well you are cremated, you're done. You can't go to heaven because God can't gather up all the ashes to give you your glorified body is nonsense. You mean God can't form a body out of the ashes.

The same God who formed the body out of the dust sale silly that I'm not to be cremated. I don't want to be cremated and I think if there is a there is a picture there of being buried in the ground just like we sow a seed that grows later barrier bodies in the ground to be glorified to be resurrected. Now, the moment you dive pulses to be absent from the body to be present with the Lord. The moment you pass away your spirit is with the Lord but understand there is a physical resurrection of the Bible talks about nothing in burials, a picture for that but the important thing is when you know Jesus you don't just sit in the ground. You don't just stay dead. And also if you know Jesus, if you know somebody that goes that that passes away and we use the phrase will be lost in losing we know right where they are. It's it's not goodbye see you later or in the words of integrity. TFN Tata for now verse three*all think of the church, entering every house and dragging off men and women committing them to prison. Saul's very religious, persecuting people for the wrong reason and and you have to even in reading this right now he's is misdirected but at least he's passionate now understand it. Sometimes I'll talk to somebody and that we talk about somebody else's faith of their faith in and say what I believe as long as your sincere sincere. Where is that here that's taught in here because you know you can be sincerely want to go to Florida but if you had out of Kernersville going north. You may be sincerely want to go to Florida but you are going sincerely be lost. This people are going the wrong way to have a dish that I am the way the truth and the life support was misdirected but again he's passionate with pastor why are you saying that because here's the deal when I'm sharing with somebody occasionally. You know I've had people get really freaked out specially in street ministry you're going up so they know the good news about His Dentate St. in Greensboro said that this guy just start hollering through up his hands and his wife got all of their and I thought go. I don't see why because when I got some I say have you heard the good news about Jesus ago. Yeah man of her all about those that hold that scared because her heart is far see sometimes when you get reaction from family and friends.

Severe reactions encourage loved ones because they might be getting close. Is this really starting to bother them that they're not walking with the Lord now don't be Either bothered but be happy that there's a reaction that they might be drunk, be being drawn closer men ever score. Therefore, those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word. Verse four starts off with. Therefore, I think was J.

Vernon McGee. This is whenever you see and therefore you have to stop and wonder what it's there, so therefore what's going on.

Well what's going on.

The persecution of the church. Horrible, horrible some goods coming out of using something good is coming out of some bad, absolutely no one is guy can do that. That's what God does. Now let's talk about some sometimes we get the situations we look at it with our human wisdom with oldest is really back.

Maybe we have well-meaning friends gathered around it is that it's horrible is this working you even think you the gift of encouragement and so we have that going on and we begin to think what this is something and then sometimes something that the world would perceive as good as I get it all you know a lot of people wonder, do this. Like anything minimum we had $1 million. You know, life, life would be good. I'd be happy to be filled with joy really think so. I don't think anything just because you had a few more dollars and therefore he had a bunch more bills that you would be happy.

Nothing to be further from the truth. We walk in and they knew that the North Carolina education lottery thing yet lottery is a tax on people who are bad at math is really what it is and we think you know we think well the blame. I won the lottery over to be on easy street really meet sure couple examples with Evelyn Adams $15.4 million became a compulsive gambler lost it all. A few years through the lottery blood Post $116.2 million through the lottery's former girlfriend successfully sued him and his brother hired hitmen to kill a few years later he was broke to an end. He went to jail for firing a gun over bill collector is now broke Charles Riddle want to million dollars and got divorce suit indicted for selling cocaine and became broke really hurt $13.1 million in two years later was broke.

Divorce addicted to crack in charge of murder, you will win the lottery, you see, we look at things through weirdly and sometimes we know last bad. What does the Bible say about good and bad visits. In Romans chapter 8 verse 28. This is and we know that we think we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

Notice we know and everything pastor. How can that be bad things happen in the hands of God. He can use that will pastor.

What about when I stumble and what about one fault.

What about when I say leave and then you win see because you brought back to the fact that you're saved by grace through your work as a matter fact, if you ever noticed how after stumble a little bit how much more compassion you have for other people that are messing much more mercy.

Your will and extend other people. So even now nothing in it when you get out here, go, stumble, so you can have more mercy and compassion, even in those dumplings and those grumbling God can be glorified in your minutes. Life lesson here in a world of uncertainties, we can know God is a good guy. We can know is a good God you can believe that.

And if ever you come into a circumstance where you begin to wonder fall back on what you know if you get into life at times of uncertainty fall back on what you do not, and you can know this God is a good God, you may not understand what's going on in your life you may be uncertain about what's going on you like but you can know that God is a good got you so often we look at our lives and in the natural we look at our lives with a natural you know how easy it is to pull the natural and yet we go through our lives looking at things with our human eye. Going was good but it's bad. So the word God says a word against his guys can use it all to draw you closer for year for the purposes of bringing you and strengthen you closer and closer to him. The Bible puts it this way. Second Corinthians 57 for we walk by faith, not by sight. Something we walk by faith will be right back with more from David McGee on cross the bridge right now.

Here's a word from associate pastor DA Brown. We want to take just a minute to pray for some cities in our listening audience. Specifically, Merlin Pendleton, Portland, Powell Butte Prairie city in Redmond Oregon. What we take for the people living in the cities where we pray that you would draw them into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Father we pray for their homes, that there be unity and love that they would fall you with all your heart and soul and strength. As a family we pray for the pastors and churches in these areas God that you would anoint them to teacher word. Verse by verse. Even Lord that you get the pastors wisdom and discernment, how to serve and love the people that God brings Lord we love you. We thank you for the cities. We pray that you do a mighty work in the name of Jesus.

Amen, amen. Thank you brother and now get back to David McGee as he continues teaching verse by verse two years ago. John F. Kennedy son died in part of the reason he died in that plane crash may remember this oriented and he had a few hours but I don't believe he had his instrument rating and what that means is that when you lose visual sign when you you get a fog and you not sure what's going on what you do is you check your instruments that are on the national tell you where you are in your altimeter know how far up you are you level because it's easy to get disoriented when you're up there. Life is like that sometimes you get in the middle of something and you get disoriented and you get kinda confused and what you do in those times you check the instrument rating their instruments and you said okay how my doing this book today. This book will tell you the new living translation puts that verse and second gringos like this.

This is why we live by believing and not by saying see at this point the church is think in some horrible this happen this persecution. But something remarkable is coming out. The church is now leaving Jerusalem calico mother bird kicking the baby out the nest and it may not have to wonder if that didn't happen with age still be in Jerusalem if you want to go to Christian church you have to go to Jerusalem every morning that because of the but that's what happened.

Persecution came the church spread verse five then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preach Christ to them in the multitude the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.

God had told him this was going to happen. God had told them that this was going to happen. God said if you do this is what I'm member. One of the key verses in the book of acts is chapter 1 verse eight says, but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem and in all today and Samaria and to the end of the earth to God was bringing this worst now they were in Samaria. They were telling people about the goodness of God because God is always faithful.

And God has some resources.

It is then, and this is an FCC given receive power from the Holy Spirit and energetic not only be witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria and into the end of the year in a school because that's the way the Lord works in you need understand the Samaritans and the Jewish people. They did not get along. The Samaritans, in part, were from when the Assyrians came in and they were intentionally diluting the Jewish bloodline.

So the Assyrians were mixing with the Jewish people producing the Samaritans in the Samaritans, became their own entity and they started saying, well, the, the rest of the Old Testament is not true. The first five books of the Bible and then they begin doing this thing. They built their own temple in Mount Darlene and that's what you see Jesus talking of the Samaritan woman about in John chapter 4 when she says we worship here. You guys worship their Jesus went nowhere about now. There was bad bad glide between the Jewish people in the Samaritan people effective you were in northern Israel and you were taken something to southern Israel. The most direct route would be to go through Samaria but that's not what they did, they would go around Samaria in a while because they felt like the dirt in Samaria was unclean and they would mark goods, it came through Samaria as being unclean. So that cast the light when they took their synergies as your Samaritan. That was a slam when Jesus told the story about the good Samaritan that was a big we need understand and then you may remember in Nehemiah and Ezra Nehemiah. They were going to build the wall back in the Samaritans that will help you and they said no. We really don't want your help this American circuit will tear down a lot about blood. They were very much considered infidels of you will Jewish people as Interesting and wears a first-place church went from Jerusalem Samaria now see what I'm talking about Samaritans your your cool. I mean, you're probably not Samaritan tell you what I mean you probably never met Samaritan. There's not many in the world now, but what does make you uncomfortable.

What what people group makes you uncomfortable. What people group.

Do you look at go go suspicious. This is what if you member John in the Gospels, they go into a town and they don't like him and there's some there's some racial stuff going on there because the your skin look different. Their language is different and you and you notice John's response becomes like Jesus call down fire from coastal juices.

You know you don't know is clear here that Jesus in his wisdom didn't give John the power to call down fire from heaven we can be thankful that we don't have that power you because you probably would've used it at the at the wrong time. You know weight in the grocery store on 59 left 16. You know, call down fire from heaven and toe sliding my pulldown protocol now environment you can think what I don't have that you sit near earthly in but John went from what we call down fire from heaven. Listen to what he says in his epistle. First John 420. He says if someone says I love God hates his brother is a liar, for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he is not seen in this commandment we have from him that he who loves God must love his brother also. Life lesson here. We should love one another, including other people groups. We should love one another, including other people groups went what people group. You have hostility for her distrust or suspicion are just not an open loving attitude toward what people group. Is it is it is Indians as Asians is whites is black visit men is that women as elderly as that you visit Hispanics visit Islamic is gaze.

The people with AIDS, people with piercings or tattoos. People don't dress like you identify who those people are in your heart and your mind and every single person in or out and begin the playful. I don't mean just God don't smite him. I mean, God bless and begin to take a hard look at your heart's towards other people way too much hatred and bitterness is going on in this world in the name of God in the religion. Let us not be like this is really easy as we talk about the Jewish people in the Samaritan people coming about in her got convicted right, but also is very quiet here in about about Jewish people.

I feel about you.

Everybody in here has it has it so that I can, put a little pressure on including myself. I'm not suggesting this is especially if you're new here. I am not for this worldwide, ecumenical movement of you know let's all stand in a circle with Buddhist and Islamic sin and the high let's all join hands and sing Kumbaya.

You know, we don't need to do that we shouldn't do. We should love one another and there's people. God's place people in this fellowship to help you get over some of the stuff that you brought in your for you to begin to let go of and you should look at your own heart and ask yourself some hard questions confronting some of the evil in your heart so that you can be set free to love people the way God intended for you to love people.

It's bizarre to me that the people that have been shown so much grace and mercy are known for being so harsh and critical judgment on the that disturbed Sebring to reach people we entered on the walls can keep walls between us build walls between snow and God wants friend. You know for sure that your sins have been forgiven. You can know right now own Legion. A short simple prayer simply telling God you're sorry and asking him to help you to live for him. God wants you to pray this prayer so much that he died to give you the opportunity and the ability to ask him to forgive you.

Please pray this prayer with me out loud right now. Dear Jesus, I believe you died for me that I could be forgiven and I believe you were raised from the dead that I could have a new life not done wrong things I have sent and I'm sorry. Please forgive me of all those things. Please give me the power to live for you. All of my days in Jesus name, amen friend of you prayed that prayer according to the Bible.

You've been forgiven you've been born again, so congratulations for you just made the greatest decision that you will ever make. God bless you, if you prayed that prayer with David for the first time we'd love to hear from you visit, cross the bridge.com and click on God's plan for new life to receive our first steps packaged with helpful resources to help you begin your walk with Christ. God wants to bless you and encourage your relationships today. Whether you are married, considering marriage or engaged to be married. We have a resource for you pastor David wants to send you his four part video series allies stay friends. Allow God to minister to your marriage through his word today. This was an unforgettable weekend that encouraged many marriages and you and your spouse can be encouraged to allies stay friends is our thanks for your generous gift today to help more people hear God's truth on this station and beyond, so they can cross the bridge from death to life. Please visit cross the bridge.com today to give a gift of any amount and get your copy of allies stay friends ODA before we go. What are some ways that we can bless our listeners each day. You can wake up with encouragement from Pastor David to the word of God is email devotional life lessons to consider daily reading plan and the thought to meditate on throughout your day. From the heart. The David McGee those are terrific and it's easy and it's free so folks sign up today, cross the bridge.com. Thanks again for listening and join us next time.

As David McGee continues teaching verse by verse through the book of acts