Worship Gathering 10/25/20

God of all Nations not to mention. I'm from Arkansas lead International Church Planters. I am a husband of one wife. She is my greatest Earthly treasure. She's seeded right here on the second row and we are celebrating our 17th anniversary today. So praise the Lord for his faithfulness in marriage, he is good and I am thankful that I I'm have been blessed with such a wonderful wife. Acts 16 is a part of the story of the expansion of the Gospel from Jerusalem to Judea and Samaria. To the ends of the Earth God is good and merciful and merciful and in all of his ways and his goodness and mercy, they were portrayed in the Life Death and resurrection of Christ for the Forgiveness of sins and for the adoption of Sinners moreover his goodness and mercy are extended through the lives of Believers as he advances his kingdom to All Nations across the globe and really nowhere is this more evident than when he does that through the testimony. of a blood bot saint and that's what we see in Acts 16. We have a wonderful example of this. Let's read the text first and we'll start in verse 25. And I will read 2 verse 34.

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God and the prisoners were listening to them and suddenly there was a great earthquake so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened in everyone's Bonds were unfastened when the Jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open. He drew his sword and was about to kill himself supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried with a loud voice do not harm yourself for we are all here and the Jailer called for lights and rushed in a tent rambling with fear. He fell down before Paul and Silas then he brought them out and said sirs what must I do to be saved and they said believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved you and your household and they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who are in his house and he took them that same hour. That that same hour of the night and wash their wounds and he was baptized at once he and all his family. Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them, and he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God to pray Lord. We thank you for your word. We thank you for a thorough record of the spread of the Gospel from Jerusalem to Fort Gay. We are seated here today as probably all of us Gentiles because you led Paul and others to take the gospel outside the nation of Israel. Lord we worship you and we ask you to give us clarity now to understand your word help us to know what it means and believe it and Obey it it's in Jesus name we pray. Amen. In the account of the earthquake that shook Paul and Silas has shackles free A great miracle takes place. I'm sure you picked up on it when we just just read or maybe you didn't know there was a great miracle there and it wasn't the earthquake.

A pagan enemy of God repented of sin and placed his faith in the message of the Gospel. Not only that but it's whole household also believe in and they were granted eternal life. God does not turn back any who come to him humbly seeking Mercy. The power of God is evident it in his creation when we look around us and it's evident in the lives of Believers the Believers that are sitting around you now. when God draws people to himself through the testimony of Believers that indeed is a miracle worthy of praise and recognition. The Christians role in God's work to save Sinners is to always be ready to give an account of their hope and joy, even in a prison just as Paul did when the Jailer pleaded for truth about salvation. Yesterday my brother Jared she shared a bit about a woman named perpetua one of the early Christians in the in the church and her story is fascinating. You may know a bit about it. I'm sure she was a Roman citizen. She had some status and one of the slaves in her house, one of the the people who was a servant and actually in the possession of our family became a Christian and threw that slaves testimony perpetua this young woman became a Believer she began to meet with those Christians in in hiding and Secret To Worship the Lord through the ordinary means of Grace that would seem they would read the word and they would pray together and during one of those meeting some Roman soldiers busted in they've got wind of the secret meeting that was happening that was illegal because she'd only worship the emperor. And how they arrested them now Perpetuas father came to the court begging on her behalf pleading book for her life to be spared and then they wanted to spare her because she was a Roman citizen and didn't look good for them to to execute someone like that. So they said you know what Perpetual you can be forgiven just burn some incense to the emperor confess that Caesar is Lord. You hear you've heard the phrase Jesus is Lord. It's using the New Testament that had a very significant meeting meaning because you only confessed Caesar is Lord. So all she had to do was do that, but she didn't She said no, I will only worship the one true and living God so that they came for the execution. And it might not be exactly as you think it would be because the way that the Christians were executed in those days often times was in the Colosseum. It was sport tickets were sold people gather together to see these Christians ripped apart by wild beasts perpetua Felicity the slave and a group of other Christians were were the group being executed that day as they were being taken from the prison of this is just a side note to encourage my brother as they're being taken from their prison to the Coliseum, but their Pastor showed up, He wasn't he wasn't caught up in the raid and he said I'm going with him.

I did not go with him to watch. He said I'm going with them to Shepherd them unto death.

And that's what happened. So you might think I'm going to finish the story with and they were miraculously rescue that the angel shut the mouth of the beast, but that's not what happened. They were torn to shreds they died for their faith.

And here we are talking about them.

Those who have been with Christ have the fragrance of Christ. Those who have been with Christ live a life that is different than the world. We are A peculiar people those who have experienced the power and the mercy in the purpose of God live a life as citizens of a different Kingdom. We don't live differently because we've decided to abide by a new ethical code or because we're trying to earn God's favor something we can never do. Anyway, it's because of what Paul wrote he said if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. The new has come or what is evil described when the Lord said I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you. I will remove Your Heart of Stone and give you a heart of Flesh. God uses the sweet-smelling lives of Christians who have been in the presence of God and have experienced his grace and mercy to draw those who are lost to himself.

And this is what we see in our text today. This isn't the case in the story of Paul and Silas in the Philippine prison. So I want to bring out from the text three attributes of God. And then with those attributes, I want to encourage you toward 3 mission mindsets. This is emissions. Text. In fact a axe is emissions book. The Bible is emissions book. We are missionaries in a Strange Land. So I want to highlight the three attributes of God from the from the passage and those are his power his mercy and his purpose and then along with those three Mission mindsets, but let me let me set the the scripture that we just read in a bit of context. I want you to know where we are in the course of this of this story. So Paul obviously has already been saved. He's already headed to Damascus. He's already encountered the the resurrected Christ. He's all right. Stop. He's already been on one missionary journey. This is his second missionary journey. He has just left Jerusalem where they had the the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15 where they decided that yes, the gospel should go to the Gentiles now as he and Barnabas were preparing to go out again on the second missionary journey. They had a conflict that got Crossways with each other Barnabas said, hey Paul, let's take John Mark with us. He can be of help to us will have a third guy to to help with the work and Paul said, nope. No way. We are not taking John Mark because in the first missionary journey, he joined us, but then he abandoned us. He got he got scared or got too much for him and he he left so Barnabas we are not taking John Mark. I'll Barnabas said actually we are I don't know how long it back and forth like that, but they actually split up Barnabas took John Mark. They went their own way on their own missionary journey and Paul took Silas another Lord never desires for his children to be in disunity. But even in our sinfulness and sometimes in our disunity, he uses it for his purposes and his good but we follow Paul and Silas that end up in Philippine Macedonia and they show up there and what Paul always did was he went to the the synagogue writing went to talk to the Jews first almost always willing Phillipi there weren't enough Jewish people to to form a synagogue of it to build one. So what they would do in those situations is the the few Jews that were there they would meet together in somewhere in a group to have prayer. He knew that and he got word that they were meeting by a river. So that's where he in Silas went. They went they met a woman named Lydia and it's amazing though. It says send a text bear that Lydia's heart was opened to the gospel to the message of Paul. Now we often times are Rush past that and we think of how wonderful that Lydia open your heart to the gospel good for her, but actually not with a text says it says that it says that God opened her heart. Isn't that amazing heart of merciful wonderful got it. When I look back on on when the Lord saved me back back in February, February 7th 1998 the Lord saved my life in Tulsa, Oklahoma a pagan sinful. Idiotic I could say cuz if I'm talkin about myself 17 year old kid got open my heart. He absolutely kicked the door in praise God for that. Well, that's what he did for Lydia and as they're leaving the river and going about their business this slave girl starts to follow them and she starts proclaiming. These are Servants of the most high God. They have the message of Salvation which sounds like a pretty good thing to be saying about Paul and Silas cuz it's true but it's weird. She just keeps saying it and screaming and saying it over and over and over and over 4 days. She's doing this. So Paul finally gets full of fed up with a turns around and he casts out this Spirit. It says it you speaks to the spirit in Casas Cassidy out of her. Well, her owners got really upset about that because she was also a fortune teller and they would make money off of of her so they created the big Ruckus and the authorities came and beat Paul and Silas beat them up with their clothes took him to jail. That's where we are. about midnight like it's a story or text. Can God do all things. Yes, God can do all his holy will the old Baptist catechism reminds us scripture testifies of his omnipotence. Our Lord is great vast and power. His understanding is infinite Psalm 147:5 in him. We have also received an inheritance because we were predestined according to the plan of the one who works out everything in agreement with a purpose of his will Ephesians 1:11. So, how was God power manifested in Acts 16. This is our first point the power of God look at verses 25 and 26 about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God and the prisoners were listening to them and suddenly there was a great earthquake so that the foundations of the prison were shaking and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's Bonds were unfastened. We see God's power throughout this entire account, but it's especially evident in in these first two verses a careful reading reveals really two kinds of Miracles taking place that the miracle that we most readily recognizes is the occurrence of the earthquake, right? That's a pretty amazing earth-shaking literal literally earth-shaking event a miraculous Phenom, but also it reveals to to any who read it that nothing outside of of creation start. Nothing in creation is outside of God's power outside of his control outside of his prerogative. Now there's another miracle here these two verses that you you may have overlooked and into me it's just as compelling and actually a lot more relevant the fact that two men who were in prison. Bloodied and bruised feet in shackles in a dark dank cold rat-infested prison because of their love and service to God. We're singing songs of praise and praying to God. What a miracle. But not amazing. These men had truly been transformed by the gospel. Remember what I said about the fragrance of Christ coming from those who have been with him. It's proven by the fruit and their lives in the most difficult of situations their lives smelled of sweet Grace. So what difference does a proper view of God's omnipotence his power is might what difference does that make? Well if God is Not all-powerful. And he certainly isn't trustworthy is he? It if God isn't able to accomplish his purposes. If God is too weak to carry out his plans than our faith is ill-placed who wants to worship a god like that too in their right mind would serve and worship a God who is unable to save who is too weak to accomplish all of his will yet? Here's the thing though many Christians profess that God is all-powerful. I think if I asked each one of you and hear you by say, yes, God can do anything. He wants to do God can accomplish all his holy will But it it's weird because many Christians don't live that way. We live as though he isn't it. Let me put it a different way. Although Christians many Christians claim to believe that God is all-powerful. They sure do worry enough a lot.

I can't say many have to say outright 30 baucom says and I'm just as guilty. God you are mighty to save and then we go go home and wring our hands what's going to happen next? What a Christian beliefs about God makes a tremendous difference in his daily living his thoughts words attitudes actions are all informed and undergirded by his understanding of who God is what he truly believes and the person who believes and knows that God is able to accomplish all his holy will knows a restful peace that the world cannot offer that money cannot offer that job security cannot offer. That's why Paul wrote don't worry about anything but in everything through prayer and petition with Thanksgiving present your requests to God and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and Minds in Christ Jesus. That's why the psalmist wrote in 37 one fret not thyself because of evildoers And let me change that a bit fret not thyself because of November 3rd. Fret not thyself because of covid-19. Here's our missions mindset. Number one God is able to accomplish his plan for the Nations. Therefore I will obey his call without fear or worry. God is able to accomplish his plan for the nation's therefore. I will obey his call without fear or worry. There's a young man in Kenya that I've worked with for years name Timothy that have trained and spent time with their and his at his church and his home and he told me a story very early on in our relationship that that is amazing

In Kenya, you have some big cities and then you have very rural areas with with really nothing there but small villages and he told me of two evangelists that were friends of his and they went out in the truck with a do they travel at these villages to preach the gospel. They stay the night sleep in their truck and go to another Village and do the same thing and see what the Lord might do as they try to preach Faithfully. I got to 1 village where their traditional religion was had a very strong hold and they were very opposed to any outside beliefs coming in they preach the gospel in the kind of the center area of the town there and then they fix the middle by fire outside of their truck that night. They got their truck and leaner seats back to go to sleep. they woke up to some strange sounds and maybe the brightest light that they'd ever seen because their truck was on fire. The village had common wrapped the doors is quietly so that they couldn't be opened doused the truck and gasoline and set it Ablaze. They died. I said Timothy. That's I'm sorry. That's terrible. So what what what will you do? he said will go preach the gospel.

Those who believe that God is powerful and mighty and not that's he's going to change every difficult outcome of that. God is truly God truly Almighty omnipotent all-powerful then they go without worry without fear trusting in Him the second attribute the mercy of God the mercy of God in this is my favorite one.

In 27 wheat we see the shift of the The Narrative here. It says when the Jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open. He drew his sword to kill himself now. He he was doing that because he would be killed. Anyway, if he had to let the prisoners out there would have been a lot of Shame brought to him. So he wanted to go ahead and finish the job immediately, but Paul cried in a loud voice verse 28. Do not harm yourself. We're all here. Look at burst 30 then he brought them out and said sirs. What must I do to be saved. They said believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved you and your whole household and they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who are in his house and he took them in the same hour of the night and wash their wounds and he was baptized at once he and his family. He brought them up into the house that food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God how I love that love that. How desperately Every Soul needs the mercy and grace of God how dried and withered all men and women are apart from God when the Bible speaks of Grace. It's talking about unmerited favor the favor that God gives to people who don't deserve it. And when we talk about Mercy, it's the punishment of God withheld from people who who do deserve it. It's two sides of the same coin. It's like the Game Hunter who goes out in and shot and badly wounded a lioness who was watching over her Cubs, but he felt to kill her. Dodger tried to flee but it was was no good. The line is soon overtook him and in Desperate fear, he curled into a fetal position in the ground waiting for the waiting for the crushing blows and and The Tear of his own flesh. Of course, the hunter deserved to be mauled, but that isn't what happened instead of the Lioness nuzzled him. She purred licked his cheek. What happened to your well the Lioness showed Mercy by not inflicting the retribution that the hunter deserved and she showed Grace. By showing the hunter undeserved affection and kindness now. What is the mercy and Grace that we see in Acts 27 What are acts 16 verse 27 through 34? It's interesting to think that the Jailer had that night it was there in prison on guard. He had probably had a pretty normal day up until that point. He he maybe he repaired a part of the tile and its roof that was leaking a bit probably played with his kids. He probably spoke with his wife about different matters of the household. He also probably had bowed down before statues. He offered sacrifices to them and burned incense to the emperor Caesar who he considered to be a deity. And in that evening. He kissed his wife and hugged his children went off to work. The fact of the matter is that that Jailer was dead in his sins and trespasses. He he was not an innocent party in this story. He was an enemy of God hit shaking his fist in God's face yet. He defended the one true and living God through his selfishness Pride lust and most of all his idolatry. Send and fallen short of God's glorious standard the wages that he earned for his stiff-necked Rebellion. It was death. He wasn't righteous. He did not seek God he did not do what was good yet

Yet while this man was still dead in his sins and trespasses. God sent Paul and Silas to him. God sent Paul and Silas to testify to him about Jesus Christ. He caused an earthquake to initiate a crisis and then got open his heart just as he did Lydia's the day before to believe in the gospel and repent of sin what Mercy what Grace? But that's not all.

God save this man's wife and his children. I can just Envision the jailer. Tossing is Idols into the cooking fire that night as his wife prepared a meal the step before Paul and Silas her hair still wet from baptism. submissions mindset number 2 attribute is God's mercy missions mindset number 2 is every single person who comes to Christ for Mercy will receive Mercy. Therefore I will invite all lost souls to come to Christ for salvation. Brothers and sisters, you don't have to worry that if you go out on this street you cross the road and you you go to a house and knock on the door and you invite someone to call upon Christ for salvation. You don't have to worry if Jesus is going to receive them or not. That's not your concern. Jesus is ready to receive all humble Sinners those who call upon the Lord will be saved shushufindi Ecuador a couple years ago with a good brother named Bobby. He's a he is calling his street preaching. It's not something that I've been involved in something I've ever really done to be honest to just stand up on a street corner in a public place and begin to preach haven't done that.

He was on the trip and that's his heart. So he's looking for opportunities. And in fact, we're in the airport at one point. He said hey, do you think we should stand up in preacher? And I don't know. I'm not really sure you tell me we're in this little village and he actually he and I are going to the store to get some supplies. We're doing a men's training there at a church. We leave the facility were going to storm coming back and all of a sudden there's this big motorcycle accident actually a car and a motorcycle ride in this road that were standing by and you know, it's just chaos. Everyone is okay that the motorcycles been to all up in that. He's a little bit higher, please. Okay, the police come for a few minutes and then they leave and there's the crowd is there. Erase Milling around and Bobby says it's time. And I said, okay whatever you say and of course, he doesn't speak Spanish. I speak Spanish. So I'm his translator and he stands up on the curb here as high as he can get and he says friends. I need to tell you something and course. Here's to you know, American guys that don't look anything like he's ecuadorians and every kind of looks at us and this is a real strange situation and then he he precedes to preach well. Guess what he preaches. He doesn't preach motorcycle safety. It doesn't preach how to care for the wounds of the guy that got hurt. He doesn't preach how to get a good job or have his best life now or to have a good marriage or to have grow a strong family unit. He calls upon Sinners to look to Christ for mercy. With confidence was because Jesus will never Cast Away any who come to him?

Number 3 the purpose of God. So you got the power of God mercy of God the purpose of God, we can't help but see The Sovereign hand of God in all of this. In fact about the book of Acts in Jesus told his followers and x.18 that they would be his Witnesses in Jerusalem right there Judea Samaria the ends of the Earth and we're seeing that come to pass right here. Next 16. Macedonia is getting towards the ends of the Earth.

Specifically we can see God's purpose is coming to fruition in in with specific persons here. We can see how God is working things out to fulfill the mission to bring his purposes about one for example is simply that the slave girl who was delivered from that demon now, we don't know what happened with her afterwards, but we can be sure that God worked out his purposes there, but we saw how God put that situation together so that she would be freed from her slavery to that demon. Another way is to think about the Magistrate's here. Now. We didn't get to that look at verse 35. But when it was day, the magistrates sent the police saying let those men go and the Jailer reported these words to Paul saying the magistrates have sent to let you go there for come out now and go in peace. I really like this part pause pause pause a tough guy says, but Paul said to them they've beaten us publicly uncondemned and who are Roman citizens and have thrown us into prison and do they now throw us out and Secret? No, let them come themselves and take us out. And then when the magistrates hear that their citizens, they're very afraid the day before they beat them. They put their clothes. I put them in stock Center prison. Now, they're wanting to let them let them go the Bible says let everyone submit to the governing authorities. Since there is no Authority except from God and the authorities that exist are instituted by God verse Romans. 13:1. God has ordained Civil Authorities to be under his authority and those Civil Authorities exercise authority over the people. It's for God's Own glory for the good of people God's given them the power of the sword to defend and help those who do good and to punish those who do evil. Furthermore magistrates being under the authority of God, whether they recognize it or not are used by God to work out his purposes in this world. Think about this account through God's purpose his Sovereign oversight those civil magistrates in Acts 16. They were born educated trained and then installed and serving that day so that they could throw Paul and Silas in prison why so that that Jailer and his family could be saved.

So what does it mean that God is working on his purpose in that way either these providential that is Sovereign wealth the 16th at 89 helps us here. It says this God the good creator of all things in his infinite power and wisdom up holes direct syringes and governs All Creatures and things from the greatest to the least by his perfectly wise and holy Providence to the purpose for which they were created. And the bottom line is this God governs his creation Faithfully wisely unfailingly. And what does that mean? What it means that God can be trusted. This is a God who is worthy of worship? This is a God in whom a Believer can truly rest his power and his purpose his Providence Usher's Christians that Romans 8:28 is true. We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God who are called according to his purpose God's Providence Asher's Christians that Philippians 1:6 is true. I am sure of this that he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. In fact, all of the promises of the Bible are Rock Solid foundations for Christian Living because the God who made them is all-powerful all-knowing and above all The Sovereign lord of the universe universe he is trustworthy He is powerful. He is good and he is working out his purposes. So here's missions mindset number three God directs all circumstances. with wisdom for the good of those called according to his purpose.

Here comes the therefore.

Therefore I will rejoice in God. Worship God and serve him Faithfully even in trial persecution or suffering.

Here's a key application of of God's Providence that our suffering is not in vain. Got wasted. It's not the devil winning.

We are in Christ should fight to keep these truths about God and these Mission mindsets clear in our hearts. And they're perfectly summed up in the life in the work of Christ. Really we see these in Christ. So let me let me point one thing out one episode of Christ's life out to close. Because in Christ we see the invisible. God Jesus was powerful wasn't he? Tacoma storms to cast out demons Jesus was merciful. Come to me all you who are heavy. Laden.

And we see God's Providence in Jesus's life with do you remember the man born blind? And the people asked him Jesus they're trying to trick him and they say Jesus who was born who sinned so that this man would be born blind. Was it his parents or someone else? Listen to what Jesus said he wasn't because someone Sandy said it was that that the works of God. May be displayed in him. So let me change change it make it more General. Why was this man suffering? So that the works of God may be displayed in him now. Let me make it personal. if he is suffering has Come upon you for a reason that you cannot figure out. You haven't brought it on yourself because of a sinful action, but you're suffering. Well, you are suffering that the works of God may be displayed in you.

Now remember what Jesus said about Lazarus remember Lazarus died. He was in the Tomb for days and he said I'm glad that I didn't make it in time to heal him. Why? That you may believe.

So put those two episodes together.

think about your own suffering with the Lord can do through it your suffering that the works of God may be displayed in you that those who see those Works might believe

Amazing how God works out his purposes providentially in our lives even those that we don't necessarily want or enjoy the great lie in sub-Saharan African. I seen it here, too. God wants us to be healthy wealthy and wise that's a lie.

That's a lie. God wants us to be like Christ. God wants us to be holy.

the Lord uses suffering in our lives for our good and His glory just as he did Paul and Silas God is powerful merciful and he works out his purposes. Remember the the lady who was pressing in on Chrysler has a bunch of crowds or coming around they were wanting to see this man wanted to see a miracle or see him produce of food out of thin air, and she thought if I can just Touch the Hem of His Garment this Blood issue that I've had all of my life that I've spent all of my savings on if I can just touch him just the tip of his cloak She presses in and she grabs ahold of it and the Lord stops and turns around and says who touched me. I felt the power go out of me. She says it was me.

Says go in. Peace, you are healed of your suffering of your disease the mercy of Christ the power of God the Providence of bringing that together. The Lord has placed you where you are gifted you as he's gifted you and he's put you in the circumstances whether it's suffering or not for his glory and for you are good. Remember that he is powerful that he is merciful and that he is working out his purposes. And remember that you are on Mission. As a result of those truths act invite others to call upon that mursi. Don't fret don't worry and realize that whatever circumstance you're in God is using that to work out his plans on this Earth.