WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.240 --> 00:00:02.200 Hey, everybody, we're the Bibble guys, and if you're just 2 00:00:02.240 --> 00:00:05.280 tuning in recently, just know that we are showing a 3 00:00:05.320 --> 00:00:07.120 little bit of reruns for a few months, and then 4 00:00:07.120 --> 00:00:09.839 we'll be back bigger and better than ever on August 5 00:00:09.919 --> 00:00:13.519 thirty first, because behind the scenes we're taking a hiatus 6 00:00:13.519 --> 00:00:14.720 to do some very important things. 7 00:00:14.759 --> 00:00:18.399 Yeah, we're building building out a new studio and we've 8 00:00:18.440 --> 00:00:21.399 got some new structure. Super excited about it. So August 9 00:00:21.480 --> 00:00:24.359 thirty first, brand new content. But in the meantime, enjoy 10 00:00:24.440 --> 00:00:25.559 some of our greatest hits. 11 00:00:25.960 --> 00:00:27.800 Well, today we're going to be looking at the Apostle 12 00:00:27.839 --> 00:00:30.000 Paul's version of the Sermon on the Mount. 13 00:00:30.079 --> 00:00:32.200 This is where he really lays it all out, and 14 00:00:32.240 --> 00:00:35.280 this is the foundation of the way that he does ministry. 15 00:00:35.359 --> 00:00:39.719 So he's Chris, I'm Jeff, and we're the Bible guys. 16 00:00:49.960 --> 00:00:51.840 So Chris Man, these have been great questions. 17 00:00:52.039 --> 00:00:54.520 Yeah, all week long, we've been actually looking at the 18 00:00:54.600 --> 00:00:57.200 questions that people have submitted. We did a thing called 19 00:00:57.200 --> 00:00:59.399 Stump the pastor where we ask people to email in 20 00:00:59.520 --> 00:01:01.920 any question is that you want us to discuss, whether 21 00:01:01.960 --> 00:01:04.480 hard or not so hard, and people have sent them 22 00:01:04.480 --> 00:01:07.760 in to Info at the Bible guys dot com. 23 00:01:07.879 --> 00:01:08.000 Yea. 24 00:01:08.079 --> 00:01:10.400 And so if you have questions today and you think 25 00:01:10.439 --> 00:01:12.680 of something that you want us to send in maybe 26 00:01:12.719 --> 00:01:14.280 a couple weeks from now, we'll do this again. 27 00:01:14.760 --> 00:01:19.480 Good questions are a signal that people are good thinkers. Yeah, right, 28 00:01:19.519 --> 00:01:20.799 If you can think of a good question, you're a 29 00:01:20.840 --> 00:01:23.400 good thinker. You're pondering the right things in the right way. 30 00:01:23.480 --> 00:01:25.519 So I think it's these have been great. Yeah. 31 00:01:25.560 --> 00:01:28.040 So this comes from Kelly r. 32 00:01:28.319 --> 00:01:30.920 Oh and this one's special to you especially. 33 00:01:31.200 --> 00:01:36.319 Yes, it says do animals have souls? Especially dogs? Especially 34 00:01:36.680 --> 00:01:40.640 especially dogs? My sister and I go rounds on this 35 00:01:40.760 --> 00:01:44.640 because I feel dogs are God's angels. Besides, how can 36 00:01:44.840 --> 00:01:49.159 a living creature that feels pain not have a soul? So, 37 00:01:49.879 --> 00:01:52.840 and I think that really the sentiment behind this is 38 00:01:53.599 --> 00:01:55.799 are our pet's going to be in heaven? Right? 39 00:01:55.959 --> 00:01:56.159 Yeah? 40 00:01:56.319 --> 00:01:58.760 Because you know that's really I mean, she's asking about 41 00:01:58.760 --> 00:02:02.480 souls and there's a technical answer to that, you know, body, soul, spirit, 42 00:02:02.519 --> 00:02:05.079 that kind of thing. But I think that the reason 43 00:02:05.120 --> 00:02:08.280 why we're focusing on souls is because we talk about 44 00:02:08.319 --> 00:02:10.960 God saving our soul and our soul being in heaven, 45 00:02:11.039 --> 00:02:12.879 you know that kind of thing. Yeah, but let's talk 46 00:02:12.879 --> 00:02:13.800 about that technically. 47 00:02:14.159 --> 00:02:19.680 Yeah, So as a human, you're a body, right, your 48 00:02:19.719 --> 00:02:23.599 physical body, Yep, You're a soul, that's what's alive in you, 49 00:02:24.159 --> 00:02:26.360 and you're a spirit. That's what makes it possible for 50 00:02:26.400 --> 00:02:29.840 you to connect with God. The Bible says that humanity 51 00:02:30.240 --> 00:02:32.719 was made in the image of God. The image of 52 00:02:32.759 --> 00:02:35.400 God is that spirit. The Bible Jesus says, God is 53 00:02:35.400 --> 00:02:37.240 a spirit, and those who worship him must worship him 54 00:02:37.280 --> 00:02:41.199 in spirit and in truth. So the uniqueness of humanity, 55 00:02:41.319 --> 00:02:43.400 of all the rest of creation is that we're not 56 00:02:43.479 --> 00:02:45.479 just a body and a soul. We also have a spirit. 57 00:02:45.520 --> 00:02:47.840 The spirit has the ability to connect with God. Now, 58 00:02:48.159 --> 00:02:51.879 because of sin, our spirit is dead and in Jesus, 59 00:02:52.240 --> 00:02:56.639 Jesus makes our spirit alive when we were repent of 60 00:02:56.639 --> 00:02:59.800 our sins and turned to him in faith. Right. So 61 00:03:00.439 --> 00:03:05.319 that is the thing that makes humanity different. But it 62 00:03:05.400 --> 00:03:08.680 seems like, let me give you this. In Genesis chapter one, 63 00:03:09.719 --> 00:03:14.240 verse thirty, God references all of the created beings. He 64 00:03:14.360 --> 00:03:17.199 references animals and birds and all those things, and he 65 00:03:17.719 --> 00:03:21.599 says everything that has life, and that word that has 66 00:03:21.680 --> 00:03:24.520 life is talking about the breath of life. In Genesis 67 00:03:24.560 --> 00:03:27.479 chapter two, verse seven. The Bible says that God breathed 68 00:03:27.520 --> 00:03:31.439 into Adam the breath of life, and man became a 69 00:03:31.520 --> 00:03:36.000 living soul. So this living soul, this life, whatever that 70 00:03:36.159 --> 00:03:39.280 is that is there's light in the eyes, and then 71 00:03:39.280 --> 00:03:41.479 when the body dies, there's no the light goes out, 72 00:03:41.479 --> 00:03:44.159 you know what I mean. That's the soul, that is 73 00:03:44.199 --> 00:03:48.840 the life thing. Certainly there animals have the breath of 74 00:03:48.879 --> 00:03:53.240 life like we do. So yeah, I think the animals 75 00:03:53.240 --> 00:03:57.560 do have souls, yes, I agree, yeah, yeah. 76 00:03:56.400 --> 00:04:01.319 And then there's also verses that you looked up for 77 00:04:01.400 --> 00:04:01.960 this question. 78 00:04:02.280 --> 00:04:05.000 Yeah, talk about asking about heaven, right, right. 79 00:04:04.840 --> 00:04:10.000 And so there's a bunch of animals specifically evidence in eternity. Yeah. 80 00:04:10.280 --> 00:04:12.919 So so let's let's talk about heaven just generically for 81 00:04:12.960 --> 00:04:15.240 a moment. So we tend to think of heaven as 82 00:04:15.240 --> 00:04:19.040 being a place that's different in like so many different ways. 83 00:04:19.120 --> 00:04:22.800 Most people have a really you know, vague understanding of heaven. 84 00:04:23.160 --> 00:04:27.920 You know, it's clouds and apparently a gait and naked 85 00:04:27.920 --> 00:04:31.279 babies bouncing from cloud to cloud, playing harps and you 86 00:04:31.279 --> 00:04:32.560 know all that kind of stuff. What are you going 87 00:04:32.600 --> 00:04:36.680 to do in heaven? You know, And it's different, it's 88 00:04:36.759 --> 00:04:40.000 super different from here, and that's just not what the 89 00:04:40.000 --> 00:04:45.560 Bible describes. So the Bible describes and the idea of 90 00:04:45.600 --> 00:04:49.360 heaven is a little bit difficult. So heaven right now 91 00:04:49.439 --> 00:04:53.319 is where God is. Eventually, when all this is done, 92 00:04:53.360 --> 00:04:56.480 the book Revelation says that God destroys our heavens and 93 00:04:56.519 --> 00:04:59.920 our earth that means our atmosphere, our space, our planet, 94 00:05:00.079 --> 00:05:02.000 and then he makes a new heaven and a new Earth, 95 00:05:02.319 --> 00:05:06.519 and then the Holy City comes down, So the city 96 00:05:06.560 --> 00:05:10.560 God lives in will come down and meld with this earth. 97 00:05:10.879 --> 00:05:12.920 Similar to remember in the podcast we talked about how 98 00:05:13.000 --> 00:05:15.079 Jesus was living both in the spiritual realm and the 99 00:05:15.079 --> 00:05:16.839 physical realm at the same time. You could touch him, 100 00:05:16.839 --> 00:05:18.759 but he could walk through walls, he could eat fish, 101 00:05:18.920 --> 00:05:22.000 but he could also just suddenly appear those two things. 102 00:05:22.319 --> 00:05:25.000 So basically that's what happens, is this Holy City, the 103 00:05:25.000 --> 00:05:27.920 new Jerusalem, will come and meld with the new Earth 104 00:05:27.959 --> 00:05:34.279 that God makes. But all the signals are that there's commerce, 105 00:05:34.439 --> 00:05:39.000 there's comings and goings, there's rulers, there's gates, there's trees, 106 00:05:39.120 --> 00:05:42.600 there's rivers, there's animals, there's horses. We know that Jesus 107 00:05:42.600 --> 00:05:45.000 comes back on a white horse and so do his followers. 108 00:05:45.079 --> 00:05:47.480 If there's horses, that means people have to take care 109 00:05:47.519 --> 00:05:51.519 of horses, sweep out the stalls. Right, all that stuff, 110 00:05:51.720 --> 00:05:56.360 everything heaven eternity. Let's go beyond heaven eternity. When it's 111 00:05:56.360 --> 00:05:59.120 all done and God blends it all together, it's the 112 00:05:59.240 --> 00:06:03.240 perfect It's everything that you and I have now only perfect. 113 00:06:03.360 --> 00:06:05.199 It's the perfect way. There'll be no more death, there'll 114 00:06:05.199 --> 00:06:07.079 be no more sin, there'll be no more jealousy, there'll 115 00:06:07.079 --> 00:06:10.279 be no more cheating, no more violence, no more disease. 116 00:06:10.680 --> 00:06:13.399 It'll be perfect. But it's going to be a society 117 00:06:13.639 --> 00:06:18.519 of humans interacting with God. Right, that's it. Total society. 118 00:06:18.720 --> 00:06:21.160 So in that context, whether you're talking about in the 119 00:06:21.160 --> 00:06:26.800 millennium or in the Kingdom of Jesus after the New Earth, 120 00:06:26.839 --> 00:06:30.000 the new Heaven and New Earth. It mentions in Isaiah 121 00:06:30.079 --> 00:06:34.439 chapter eleven wolves. So there's your dog by the way, lady, right, 122 00:06:34.519 --> 00:06:42.680 So there's wolves, lambs, leopards, goats, calves, lions, cows, bears, cobras, horses. 123 00:06:42.839 --> 00:06:44.839 You just go on and on. God mentions all kinds 124 00:06:44.879 --> 00:06:48.439 of animals that are in eternity. So, yes, I believe 125 00:06:48.439 --> 00:06:52.680 that animals have souls. Yes, there will be animals in eternity, right. 126 00:06:52.600 --> 00:06:55.439 Right, Yeah, So yeah, I was just telling jeff Ry 127 00:06:55.519 --> 00:06:57.480 for the podcast started, I said, I've got a bunch 128 00:06:57.480 --> 00:07:00.240 of cats and dogs that I'm looking forward to see. See. 129 00:07:00.319 --> 00:07:02.519 Yeah, I hope to see to see ye. Yeah. I 130 00:07:02.519 --> 00:07:04.759 don't know about a resurrection for the animals. I don't know. 131 00:07:04.839 --> 00:07:06.959 The Bible doesn't say anything about that, but it's okay 132 00:07:06.959 --> 00:07:10.639 to to extrapolate and go. Animals are living their living beings, 133 00:07:10.639 --> 00:07:12.560 they have the breath of life in them, and there 134 00:07:12.560 --> 00:07:15.759 are animals and eternity, so yep, And that's really. 135 00:07:15.519 --> 00:07:18.279 What we know, right right, So most of the answers 136 00:07:18.319 --> 00:07:21.480 to stump the pastor questions are nobody really knows for 137 00:07:21.519 --> 00:07:24.879 sure because it's not crystal clear. But with everything that 138 00:07:24.920 --> 00:07:28.800 you just laid out, there's a lot of really fair conclusions. 139 00:07:28.240 --> 00:07:31.240 That's right, that can tell us eternity in Christ will 140 00:07:31.279 --> 00:07:31.959 be perfect. 141 00:07:32.240 --> 00:07:32.480 Yep. 142 00:07:33.040 --> 00:07:35.759 So if you need a patent in heaven or any eternity, 143 00:07:36.079 --> 00:07:36.600 gott a hook. 144 00:07:36.639 --> 00:07:36.800 Yep. 145 00:07:36.839 --> 00:07:41.000 I'm sure that's great, which makes my wife very happy 146 00:07:41.000 --> 00:07:41.959 because she's a dog person. 147 00:07:42.199 --> 00:07:43.360 Yes, for sure. 148 00:07:43.920 --> 00:07:46.160 Our two dogs are named Gucci and Chanel, and I'm 149 00:07:46.199 --> 00:07:48.680 ashamed by them. I love them, but I'm ashamed by 150 00:07:48.720 --> 00:07:52.360 their names, right, Gucci and Chanel. I lost my man 151 00:07:52.399 --> 00:07:54.279 carved when we got those two. 152 00:07:54.680 --> 00:07:55.480 That's funny. 153 00:07:55.519 --> 00:07:57.560 Well we name our dogs after things we can't afford. 154 00:07:57.800 --> 00:07:59.560 Well, you know, my famous line is that when we 155 00:07:59.600 --> 00:08:03.160 get married, my wife like argued like like hard argued, 156 00:08:03.480 --> 00:08:05.680 I've always had dogs grown up, she always had cats. 157 00:08:05.879 --> 00:08:08.079 And I said, so I wanted dogs, she wanted cats, 158 00:08:08.079 --> 00:08:09.920 and we compromised and we got four cats. 159 00:08:12.319 --> 00:08:15.120 Yeah, yeah, so there you go. It's the same thing 160 00:08:15.160 --> 00:08:17.959 I didn't want anymore. And Bonnie wound up getting Gucci, 161 00:08:18.600 --> 00:08:20.680 and he was so cute. He's really sweet, he's very 162 00:08:20.720 --> 00:08:25.160 emotional and very dialed into, you know, very engaging. But 163 00:08:25.279 --> 00:08:28.199 then Bonnie was so upset that he's lonely all the 164 00:08:28.240 --> 00:08:30.879 time that he so Gucci has his own puppy, and 165 00:08:30.959 --> 00:08:35.000 that's who Chanel is. Chanelle's is Gucci's puppy, And yeah, 166 00:08:35.120 --> 00:08:37.919 I so Gucci and Chanel things we can't afford. So 167 00:08:38.080 --> 00:08:39.799 I suggested Bonnie, if we get a third dog, we 168 00:08:39.840 --> 00:08:44.480 should just name it Retirement. Right, I can't afford retirement either. 169 00:08:44.519 --> 00:08:45.799 So hey, okay, I. 170 00:08:45.759 --> 00:08:48.840 Want to go on record and just say, like I 171 00:08:48.840 --> 00:08:53.240 had this cat named Champ twenty one years I've I'm 172 00:08:53.240 --> 00:08:54.960 going to look at God and say, I want to 173 00:08:54.960 --> 00:08:55.639 see Champ again. 174 00:08:55.679 --> 00:08:56.320 You want to see Champ. 175 00:08:56.399 --> 00:08:58.480 I want to see Champ. Yeah, and I gotta believe 176 00:08:58.519 --> 00:08:59.480 I'm gonna see him again. 177 00:09:00.120 --> 00:09:03.480 So your animals are named better than mine. Yeah, let 178 00:09:03.519 --> 00:09:04.759 me say, Champ is so cool. 179 00:09:04.840 --> 00:09:06.720 And then I got a cat named Maximus. 180 00:09:06.759 --> 00:09:07.960 Maximus, Oh, that's cool. 181 00:09:08.039 --> 00:09:09.799 That's the opposite of Gucciel. 182 00:09:13.120 --> 00:09:17.600 Maximus carries Gucci channel around like a bag, right right, yeah, 183 00:09:17.679 --> 00:09:21.759 over your shoulder. So okay, Well, we are continuing in 184 00:09:21.799 --> 00:09:26.320 this line of Paul and Barnabas. So it's Barnabas and 185 00:09:26.320 --> 00:09:29.639 Paul still right, but they are on this mission of 186 00:09:29.919 --> 00:09:33.200 spreading the Gospel in communities that had never ever heard 187 00:09:33.720 --> 00:09:38.600 about salvation through Christ. Right, and so they begin to 188 00:09:38.679 --> 00:09:42.679 move and they move into Antiocha Pasidia, which is now 189 00:09:42.679 --> 00:09:45.600 on the on the Turkish mainland what is now modern 190 00:09:45.679 --> 00:09:48.600 day Turkey. So we're going to start up in chapter 191 00:09:48.639 --> 00:09:50.080 thirteen of the Book of Acts, and we're going to 192 00:09:50.159 --> 00:09:52.480 read verse thirteen. It says Paul and his companions then 193 00:09:52.519 --> 00:09:56.240 left Paphos by ship for Pamphilia, landing at the port 194 00:09:56.279 --> 00:09:59.600 of port Town of Perga. There, John Mark left them 195 00:09:59.600 --> 00:10:02.159 in return to Jerusalem, but Paul and barnab Has traveled 196 00:10:02.200 --> 00:10:06.039 inland to Antioch of Pisidia. On the Sabbath, they went 197 00:10:06.080 --> 00:10:08.120 to the synagogue for the services, and after the usual 198 00:10:08.120 --> 00:10:10.480 readings from the books of Moses and the Prophets, those 199 00:10:10.519 --> 00:10:13.159 in charge of the service sent them this message, brothers, 200 00:10:13.440 --> 00:10:15.240 if you have any word of encouragement for the people, 201 00:10:15.240 --> 00:10:17.559 come and give it. So Paul stood and lifted his 202 00:10:17.600 --> 00:10:20.600 hand to quiet them and started speaking. Men of Israel, 203 00:10:20.639 --> 00:10:23.120 he said, and you, God fearing gentiles, listened to me. 204 00:10:24.320 --> 00:10:27.200 The God of this nation of Israel chose our ancestors 205 00:10:27.200 --> 00:10:29.440 and made them multiply and grow strong during their stay 206 00:10:29.480 --> 00:10:32.039 in Egypt. And then with a powerful arm, he led 207 00:10:32.039 --> 00:10:35.120 them out of their slavery. Up he put up with 208 00:10:35.159 --> 00:10:38.000 them through forty years of wandering in the wilderness. Then 209 00:10:38.039 --> 00:10:40.679 he destroyed seven nations in Canaan and gave their land 210 00:10:40.679 --> 00:10:42.960 to Israel as an inheritance. All this took about four 211 00:10:43.000 --> 00:10:46.159 hundred and fifty years. After that, God gave them judges 212 00:10:46.200 --> 00:10:48.399 to rule until the time of Samuel the Prophet. Then 213 00:10:48.440 --> 00:10:50.320 the people begged for a king, and God gave them 214 00:10:50.360 --> 00:10:52.759 Saul son of Kish, a man from the tribe of Benjamin, 215 00:10:52.759 --> 00:10:55.440 who reigned for forty years. But God removed Saul and 216 00:10:55.480 --> 00:10:58.039 replaced him with David, a man about whom God said, 217 00:10:58.080 --> 00:11:00.240 I have found David's son of Jesse, a man after 218 00:11:00.279 --> 00:11:02.759 my own heart. He will do everything I want him 219 00:11:02.759 --> 00:11:05.720 to do. And it is one of King David's descendants, Jesus, 220 00:11:05.879 --> 00:11:08.960 who is God's promised savior of Israel. Before he came, 221 00:11:09.240 --> 00:11:11.720 John the Baptist preached that all the people of Israel 222 00:11:11.919 --> 00:11:13.639 needed to repent of their sins and turned to God 223 00:11:13.679 --> 00:11:16.519 and be baptized. As John was finishing his ministry, he asked, 224 00:11:16.639 --> 00:11:18.759 do you think I'm the Messiah? No, I'm not, but 225 00:11:18.840 --> 00:11:21.600 he is coming soon, and I'm not even worthy to 226 00:11:21.600 --> 00:11:24.559 be his slave. And untie the sandals on his feet. Brothers, 227 00:11:24.720 --> 00:11:27.320 you sons of Abraham, and also you God fearing gentiles. 228 00:11:27.480 --> 00:11:30.080 This message of salvation has been sent to us. The 229 00:11:30.080 --> 00:11:32.720 people in Jerusalem and their leaders did not recognize Jesus 230 00:11:32.799 --> 00:11:35.559 as the one the prophets had spoken about. Instead, they 231 00:11:35.559 --> 00:11:37.879 condemned him, and in doing this they fulfilled the prophet's 232 00:11:37.879 --> 00:11:41.159 words that are read every Sabbath. They found no legal 233 00:11:41.200 --> 00:11:43.080 reason to execute him, but they asked Pilot to have 234 00:11:43.159 --> 00:11:45.320 him killed anyway. When they had done all that the 235 00:11:45.320 --> 00:11:47.960 prophecies said about him, they took him down from the 236 00:11:48.000 --> 00:11:50.399 cross and placed him in a tomb. But God raised 237 00:11:50.440 --> 00:11:51.960 him from the dead, and over a period of many 238 00:11:52.000 --> 00:11:54.000 days he appeared to those who had gone with him 239 00:11:54.000 --> 00:11:56.799 from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now witnesses to the 240 00:11:56.799 --> 00:11:59.399 people of Israel, and now we are here to bring 241 00:11:59.440 --> 00:12:02.720 you this good news. The promise was made to our ancestors, 242 00:12:02.759 --> 00:12:05.360 and God has now fulfilled it for us their descendants, 243 00:12:05.480 --> 00:12:08.399 by raising Jesus. This is what the second Psalm says 244 00:12:08.399 --> 00:12:11.120 about Jesus. You are my son today. I have become 245 00:12:11.159 --> 00:12:13.440 your father. For God had promised to raise him from 246 00:12:13.440 --> 00:12:15.840 the dead, not leaving him to rotten the grave. He said, 247 00:12:16.000 --> 00:12:18.279 I'll give you the sacred blessings I promised to David. 248 00:12:18.480 --> 00:12:20.919 Another psalm explains it more fully, you will not allow 249 00:12:21.080 --> 00:12:23.159 your holy one to rotten the grave. This is not 250 00:12:23.200 --> 00:12:25.679 a reference to David, for after David had done the 251 00:12:25.679 --> 00:12:28.240 will of God in his own generation, he died, was 252 00:12:28.279 --> 00:12:30.799 buried with his ancestors, and his body decayed. No, it 253 00:12:30.840 --> 00:12:34.000 was a reference to someone else, someone whom God had 254 00:12:34.080 --> 00:12:37.519 raised and whose body did not decay. Brothers, listen, we 255 00:12:37.559 --> 00:12:40.159 are here to proclaim that through this man, Jesus, there 256 00:12:40.240 --> 00:12:43.360 is forgiveness for your sins. Everyone who believes in him 257 00:12:43.399 --> 00:12:46.120 is declared right with God, something that the law Moses 258 00:12:46.120 --> 00:12:48.960 could never do. Be careful, don't let the prophet's words 259 00:12:48.960 --> 00:12:51.120 apply to you, for they said, look, you mockers, be 260 00:12:51.159 --> 00:12:53.240 amazed and die, for I am doing something in your 261 00:12:53.279 --> 00:12:55.960 own day, something you wouldn't believe even if someone told 262 00:12:55.960 --> 00:12:58.720 you about it. As Paul and Barnabas left the synagogue 263 00:12:58.799 --> 00:13:00.960 that day, that people beg them to speak about these 264 00:13:00.960 --> 00:13:03.960 things again. The next week. Many Jews and devout converts 265 00:13:03.960 --> 00:13:06.200 to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, and the two men 266 00:13:06.639 --> 00:13:08.960 urged them to continue to rely on the grace of God. 267 00:13:09.519 --> 00:13:11.639 The following week, almost the entire city turned out to 268 00:13:11.679 --> 00:13:13.600 hear them preach the word of the Lord. But when 269 00:13:13.639 --> 00:13:16.000 some of the Jews saw the crowds, they were jealous, 270 00:13:16.000 --> 00:13:18.279 so they slandered Paul and argued against whatever he said. 271 00:13:18.720 --> 00:13:21.480 Then Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly declared, it was 272 00:13:21.519 --> 00:13:23.519 necessary that we first preached the word of God to 273 00:13:23.559 --> 00:13:26.120 you Jews, but since you've rejected it and judged yourselves 274 00:13:26.159 --> 00:13:28.679 unworthy of eternal life, we will offer it to the gentiles. 275 00:13:28.679 --> 00:13:30.679 For the Lord gave us this command when he said, 276 00:13:30.679 --> 00:13:32.519 I have made you a light to the gentiles, to 277 00:13:32.519 --> 00:13:37.279 bring salvation to the first corners of the earth. That's 278 00:13:37.399 --> 00:13:40.720 I think that was it. Yep, I read one extra verse. 279 00:13:40.559 --> 00:13:42.159 You did, but it's okay, that's okay, good. 280 00:13:42.200 --> 00:13:43.240 It was a good one. Yeah. 281 00:13:43.279 --> 00:13:48.279 Yeah, that's funny. So so you know, it's it's so great. 282 00:13:48.399 --> 00:13:53.240 How Paul is he's capturing all the Old Testament. Yeah, 283 00:13:53.279 --> 00:13:56.679 and you know he's number one. Let's keep in mind 284 00:13:57.000 --> 00:14:02.960 he's trying to he's trying to use their education, and 285 00:14:03.000 --> 00:14:05.519 he's trying to give them a greater understanding and connect 286 00:14:05.519 --> 00:14:09.600 the Old Testament dots to Jesus. And he connects it 287 00:14:09.759 --> 00:14:13.039 by prophecy. He can exit by lineage, right, he can 288 00:14:13.039 --> 00:14:16.679 exit by by promises and current events. I mean he 289 00:14:16.679 --> 00:14:18.960 puts he puts all of it together and and and 290 00:14:19.080 --> 00:14:22.120 tries to help them understand and h And keep in 291 00:14:22.120 --> 00:14:25.240 mind that Paul was a Pharisee himself, and so he 292 00:14:25.320 --> 00:14:28.240 knew the Bible, he knew the Old Testament, he knew 293 00:14:28.240 --> 00:14:30.879 everything that they're you know, that they knew and understood. 294 00:14:31.440 --> 00:14:34.919 And then at the end he actually talked about certain 295 00:14:35.000 --> 00:14:39.519 Jews had rejected the Word of God and how Gentiles 296 00:14:39.559 --> 00:14:42.080 are more open to it. It seems that's the implication, right, 297 00:14:42.639 --> 00:14:45.399 and so he's given given the Gospels to the Gentiles. 298 00:14:46.000 --> 00:14:50.360 I just think it's very interesting how Paul is qualified 299 00:14:50.399 --> 00:14:50.960 for both. 300 00:14:51.840 --> 00:14:53.960 You know, he's perfectly qualified. 301 00:14:53.559 --> 00:14:56.480 Perfectly qualified, you know he is he is the right 302 00:14:56.559 --> 00:14:59.720 man for the job. And every time I read things 303 00:14:59.759 --> 00:15:03.799 like this, I try to imagine how people receive Paul, because, 304 00:15:03.840 --> 00:15:05.399 you know, they first had to get over the fact 305 00:15:05.399 --> 00:15:07.840 that he was once a persecutor of Christians. They had 306 00:15:07.840 --> 00:15:10.600 to get over that. They but once you believe his story, 307 00:15:10.919 --> 00:15:13.799 you believe that he's a converted person, that he's now 308 00:15:13.799 --> 00:15:16.320 playing for the other team, and so much so to 309 00:15:16.360 --> 00:15:19.320 where now he's starting to be referred to as Paul, right, 310 00:15:19.639 --> 00:15:23.559 So that part's gone, and then you realized, Wow, this 311 00:15:24.080 --> 00:15:27.519 guy is perfectly qualified. And you know, the thing that 312 00:15:27.559 --> 00:15:29.919 stands out when I read this passage is this is 313 00:15:29.960 --> 00:15:32.879 that God perfectly has qualified you for the mission that 314 00:15:32.919 --> 00:15:35.480 he sends you on. He has perfectly placed you where 315 00:15:35.519 --> 00:15:39.639 you are to make a difference. And I'm sorry, I'm 316 00:15:39.679 --> 00:15:41.799 sort of rambling, but let me tell you real quick story. 317 00:15:42.200 --> 00:15:47.399 So I transferred high schools from my middle of my 318 00:15:47.440 --> 00:15:49.960 sophomore year, I went to from Cheney High School to 319 00:15:50.000 --> 00:15:52.600 Woodrow Wilson High School. And it was from the west 320 00:15:52.639 --> 00:15:55.639 side to the to the south side. And it was 321 00:15:55.679 --> 00:15:57.960 a very very bad high school. We had like metal 322 00:15:57.960 --> 00:16:03.080 detectors walking in. It was really bad, right, It was 323 00:16:03.120 --> 00:16:05.279 just a really really bad part of town. But we 324 00:16:05.279 --> 00:16:08.080 only went there because I challenged my mom to stop lying. 325 00:16:08.759 --> 00:16:11.080 Does it ever take that? So at the time we 326 00:16:11.080 --> 00:16:15.360 were stealing cable. We only got into low income housing 327 00:16:15.399 --> 00:16:19.000 developments because my aunt Carol was worked there and she 328 00:16:19.159 --> 00:16:22.360 and she put our resume on the top, even though 329 00:16:22.360 --> 00:16:25.440 the people were waiting for government assistance for years, so 330 00:16:25.480 --> 00:16:28.000 they were paying us two hundred and twelve dollars a 331 00:16:28.039 --> 00:16:31.159 month to live there. The government was so we had 332 00:16:31.240 --> 00:16:35.200 free rent. We quite literally stole cable from our neighbors. 333 00:16:36.080 --> 00:16:38.440 We were on food stamps and my mom was working 334 00:16:38.480 --> 00:16:42.519 three jobs under the table so illegally. So everything we 335 00:16:42.519 --> 00:16:46.679 were doing in our lives financially was wrong. So I 336 00:16:46.720 --> 00:16:48.960 became a Christian right at that time, and I went 337 00:16:49.000 --> 00:16:51.559 to my mom and said, hey, mom, m don't just 338 00:16:51.600 --> 00:16:54.559 trust God and do things right and not do things wrong. 339 00:16:54.919 --> 00:16:57.559 And she's like, I can't afford to do things right. 340 00:16:58.120 --> 00:17:00.320 And I said, yeah, but just trust God and just 341 00:17:00.799 --> 00:17:03.240 see what he does. So then she came to me 342 00:17:03.279 --> 00:17:05.160 and she's like, Okay, I trusted God. I bought a 343 00:17:05.200 --> 00:17:08.640 house for twelve thousand dollars in the south side of Youngstown. 344 00:17:09.480 --> 00:17:12.880 The whole house was twelve thousand dollars. Wow, that'll show you, okay. 345 00:17:13.559 --> 00:17:15.559 And I was like, you may have to change schools. 346 00:17:15.559 --> 00:17:17.240 And then she looked at me and she goes, oh, 347 00:17:17.279 --> 00:17:19.079 I thought you told me that you need to trust God. 348 00:17:21.240 --> 00:17:24.160 And I was like what. And so my plan was 349 00:17:24.319 --> 00:17:27.319 I'm gonna lie, and I'm going to use my father's address, 350 00:17:27.319 --> 00:17:29.200 who lived in Austin Town, which was really nice. That's 351 00:17:29.200 --> 00:17:31.559 where my wife's from, Austin Town, right, So I was 352 00:17:31.599 --> 00:17:33.200 going to lie. So I had it all figured out. 353 00:17:33.720 --> 00:17:37.240 And then my pastor, who is my good friend, found 354 00:17:37.279 --> 00:17:40.200 out that I was going to lie. So he catches me. 355 00:17:40.720 --> 00:17:42.839 I'm walking out of church. He goes, hey, I hear 356 00:17:42.880 --> 00:17:45.480 you're going to Woodrow Wilson High School. That's super exciting. 357 00:17:45.680 --> 00:17:48.759 Because we have like little missionaries all over the place, 358 00:17:48.759 --> 00:17:52.079 and nobody really goes to Wilson. That's really exciting. And 359 00:17:52.079 --> 00:17:54.160 I was like, well, actually I was thinking about putting 360 00:17:54.160 --> 00:17:57.119 my dad's address down. And he goes, wouldn't that be 361 00:17:57.200 --> 00:17:59.720 a lie? And I said yeah, and he goes, you 362 00:18:00.160 --> 00:18:00.559 want to do that? 363 00:18:00.839 --> 00:18:02.279 Didn't you? Just trust God? 364 00:18:02.319 --> 00:18:05.200 Just trust God? I was like, son of a gun. 365 00:18:05.960 --> 00:18:09.359 So I ended up fine. And so I went to 366 00:18:09.440 --> 00:18:14.440 Wilson and all of that to say, here's where I discovered. 367 00:18:14.440 --> 00:18:15.880 And my two and a half years at Wilson. Even 368 00:18:15.920 --> 00:18:18.359 though I was mad at God for that and I 369 00:18:18.400 --> 00:18:24.839 really hated it, what I discovered was the smallest light 370 00:18:25.119 --> 00:18:28.880 shines the brightest in the darkest room. Right. So you're like, well, 371 00:18:28.920 --> 00:18:31.759 I'm just one person, right, I'm just one tiny person. 372 00:18:32.119 --> 00:18:36.079 Well guess what if the room is completely dark black, 373 00:18:36.759 --> 00:18:40.039 then even the smallest light will give light its brightest, right. 374 00:18:40.759 --> 00:18:42.559 And so a match is not going to do well 375 00:18:42.559 --> 00:18:45.839 in a lit room, right, The match doesn't really do 376 00:18:45.920 --> 00:18:48.240 much in a lit right. Okay, So all I have 377 00:18:48.359 --> 00:18:49.880 to say, that's what I think of I think of 378 00:18:49.920 --> 00:18:52.000 all of that. When I hear Paul, I think of 379 00:18:52.279 --> 00:18:56.680 man God sent him specifically, and he qualified it was 380 00:18:56.880 --> 00:19:00.359 he was perfect, and I still view it that way 381 00:19:00.400 --> 00:19:03.240 in my life. I was perfect for God to send 382 00:19:03.240 --> 00:19:04.400 me to that school at that time. 383 00:19:04.519 --> 00:19:08.079 Yeah, well, you read in other passages where Paul kind 384 00:19:08.079 --> 00:19:10.920 of regrets this past. He talks about himself as being 385 00:19:10.960 --> 00:19:14.039 the chief of sinners, that he's not worthy of God's grace, 386 00:19:14.119 --> 00:19:16.680 all these things. He's probably referencing. Hey, back when I 387 00:19:16.759 --> 00:19:19.640 was eager to kill Christians and right, you know, I 388 00:19:19.680 --> 00:19:19.880 was a. 389 00:19:21.720 --> 00:19:24.480 Legalistic jerk and regretting his atrocities. 390 00:19:24.599 --> 00:19:28.960 Yeah, but God's not gonna waste when when you surrender 391 00:19:29.000 --> 00:19:30.880 your life to him. God's not going to waste your hurts. 392 00:19:31.119 --> 00:19:34.079 He's not going to waste your your your past. He's 393 00:19:34.119 --> 00:19:36.160 not going to waste your past experiences. God's going to 394 00:19:36.240 --> 00:19:38.079 use those things. And there are going to be people 395 00:19:38.119 --> 00:19:40.680 that only you can reach. That's right, And that's why 396 00:19:40.720 --> 00:19:44.240 God sent the elite Pharisee. I mean, he's Harvard graduate 397 00:19:44.480 --> 00:19:47.279 level guy right in his day. I mean he has 398 00:19:47.279 --> 00:19:51.640 started under Gamalio and he goes all throughout all the 399 00:19:51.680 --> 00:19:55.039 synagogues in Asia Minor and presenting the Gospel, and he 400 00:19:55.039 --> 00:19:57.720 starts right where they are. He doesn't expect them to 401 00:19:57.720 --> 00:20:00.559