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Hello and welcome to the
Middletown Baptist Church podcast,

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where we are proclaiming the
truth to the world.

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My name is Pastor Josh and I
want to thank you for listening to

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this podcast.

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I hope that this podcast can
be a blessing to you and strengthen

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you in the word of God.

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Now come along, let's look
into the Bible and see what God has

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for us here today.

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We're going to go ahead and
get our Bibles out, and I'd like

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you to turn with me, if you
can, to Acts, chapter 19.

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We're going to pick up where
we left off a couple weeks ago.

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We, we did not study in Acts
last week.

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We had a special guest with
us, and we're thankful for that.

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But we are back in Acts,
chapter 19.

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And if you don't remember, two
weeks ago, we saw Paul's ministry

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there in the book of eph or
not the book of Ephesus, the city

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of Ephesus, the book of Acts,
he's there in Ephesus.

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And we left off in verse
number 10.

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And this is after some
individuals have hardened their hearts,

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specifically the Jews, the
Jews of that city harden their heart

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against the preaching of the
Gospel from Paul.

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And so he transitioned to
preaching to the Gentiles.

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And it says in verse 10 that
he continued doing this in the space

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of two years.

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And so we see that in, in the
relative speaking, Paul really spent

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some time here in Ephesus,
and, and he had this time for a specific

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purpose, and that was to teach
and preach the truth.

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And it says there that he
dwelt there in Asia until all those

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heard the word of the Lord
Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.

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And so we know that there was
a huge emphasis in Paul's ministry

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and teaching people who Jesus
is and what he has done for them.

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And that should be the
emphasis in, in all of our churches

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this, this series Acts,
Authentic Church through scripture,

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has been teaching us how we
should be doing church.

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And you know, there's a lot of
people's perception of church depending

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on where they grew up,
depending on where they have been,

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depending on what type of
church they attended, if they attended

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church at all.

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So for a lot of people, when
you mention the word church, they

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come up with a preconceived
idea about what it's all about.

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Sometimes if you say the word
church, people think about a building,

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they think about the actual
facility that people are meeting.

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If you say to some people
church, they're thinking about religion

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and traditional acts that we
have to follow.

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But when we look at scripture,
we see really who is the church.

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The church is the individuals
that are saved, born again, that

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are growing and teaching and serving.

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That's the church.

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And so authentic church is
really creating disciples.

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It's telling people about the
truth of Jesus Christ and then seeing

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them grow.

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But what makes a church
authentic is that we are preaching

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the truth.

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The authenticity of a church
is preaching Jesus not, not, not

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being a counterfeit.

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Now there are a lot of people
today that are meeting in a place

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called church or, or they're
calling themselves a religion or

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a faith, but they are counterfeit.

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And we're going to see in this
passage here this evening that there

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were some individuals who were
walking the same way that Paul was

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walking.

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They were saying similar
things to what Paul was saying, but

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they were fake because they
did not have a relationship with

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Christ.

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And so what makes us authentic
is a relationship with Christ.

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What makes us an authentic
church is that we're preaching Jesus.

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What, what, what makes us
authentic Christians is that we know

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Jesus in a personal way.

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Not that we do a work, not
that we meet in a place, not that

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we claim a name, but that we
are walking with Jesus in a personal

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relationship.

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That's why I'm very careful to
use the word religion.

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I know what we mean by hey,
I'm a religious person.

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But I'm very careful to talk
to somebody like my faith is the

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same as any other religion in
this world.

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We have to be careful with
that because religion is this essentially

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I need to do to get something
where our, our faith is not due to

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get it's believe in something
that has already been done for us.

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And so we need to be very
cautious when we talk about that

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word religion.

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Because again, if we use that
word religion in this world, what's

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everyone to lump us into?

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Well, they're going to say
it's just another religion like every

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other religion.

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So let's get here and let's
look at this main text and you'll

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understand where I'm going
with this.

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Verse number 11 says this.

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And God wrought special
miracles by the hands of Paul.

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So, so in his ministry here in
Ephesus, we see that God was working

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through Paul to perform what
we see here.

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As it says special miracles.

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In, in the Greek, that word
special also means unique or unusual.

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And so before we think that
this passage of scripture is describing

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how every church should be, we
need to understand that this is unusual

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to Paul.

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This is unique to his ministry
as an apostle.

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I am not an apostle.

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I did not witness Jesus's
earthly ministry.

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And so therefore these Things
that Paul does, I cannot claim as

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a promise to me.

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These are unusual things.

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And what happens sometimes is
people take a one time event in scripture

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or a period of time which is
transitionary here in the book of

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Acts, and they say, well, this
is for me.

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And so they, they use the
exception as the rule.

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And so what we're about to see
here is a, is a passage of scripture

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that some people will take and
use as a promise to them and they

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follow the example of Paul and
therefore do things that are not

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biblical.

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So let's see what, what we're
talking about here.

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Verse number 12 says so that
from his body were brought unto the

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sick handkerchiefs or aprons,
and the diseases departed from them

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and the evil spirits went out
of them.

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Now if you don't understand
what this is saying here, it's saying

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that they took handkerchiefs
of Paul that touched him.

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Actually it's, it's literally
his, his sweat rags that remember

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he was a tent maker and so he
would have handkerchiefs with him.

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And for some way they
understood that these handkerchiefs,

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if they were touching
individuals, would heal them.

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It would heal them from their
diseases and it would cast out demons.

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Now you would say, is that
something that we should practice

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today?

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Um, I, I, I wouldn't, I
wouldn't advise for you to take my

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sweaty rags as a pastor and
touch your friends with that.

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That's not, that's not for us today.

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And this is an apostolic
action in a transitional time.

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And for, for special things
for Paul.

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We know that even with Peter,
you remember Peter, his shadow.

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When people would walk in a
shadow, there was healing.

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And so these were apostles
which are different than today.

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And so there's a lot of
people, I, I've seen this.

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If you call into this number,
I will pray over this handkerchief

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and you will be healed.

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Problem is, is that I don't
believe that that's something that's,

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that's given to us in
scripture today.

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I believe that God does the healing.

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And by the way, I do believe
that God still heals.

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Okay?

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There are still miracles
happening today.

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So a lot of times when people
hear me preach, they say, pastor,

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you don't believe in miracles,
okay, you're speaking against these

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miracles.

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No, I'm not speaking against
these miracles.

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I'm speaking against an
individual who says he has the power

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to heal.

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It's ultimately God who has
the power to heal.

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We pray for individuals.

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The Bible even says in the
book of James we can lay hands on

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them and pray for them and
anoint them but folks, I am not powerful

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enough to do the healing.

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And even as we see here, Paul
is not powerful enough to do the

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healing.

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God gives him that power.

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And so ultimately, what we can
understand in, in context to our

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church today is that there
were people who had authentic faith

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and there were people who did not.

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We're about to see some
examples of some individuals that

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try to do the same thing that
Paul was doing, but they can't do

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it.

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And we're going to see the difference.

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And so what do we learn from
verse 12 is this.

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Wonderful things were
happening through the ministry of

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Paul.

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The power of God was evident
in his ministry.

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The, the, the healing of God
was evident in his ministry.

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The marks of the Holy Spirit
were all over his ministry.

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So what we could say is this.

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He had a fruitful ministry.

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And so what Paul was doing was
essentially allowing the power of

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God to be used through his ministry.

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Paul never claimed to be the
one who was doing the work.

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Remember, he says, you're here
this morning.

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What did Paul say?

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I am nothing.

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Okay, I, you know, who, who
was Paul, who was Apollos, but just

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ministers of the gospel.

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That's First Corinthians,
chapter three.

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And so what we have to
understand is this.

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Paul, as he's serving God and
as he has this relationship with

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God, everyone is witnessing
Paul's fruit.

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Everyone is witnessing the
power of God through Paul's ministry.

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So we could say this would be
like an individual today that is

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preaching and, and there's
fruit in his preaching.

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Okay?

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So may, maybe many people are
getting saved under this individual's

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ministry.

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It would be very clear that
the power of God is working through

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this individual.

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So let's see what happens next.

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Verse 13.

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And there were certain
vagabond Jews.

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These were, were what we're
gonna see here in a little bit were

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charlatans.

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They were fakes.

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They were basically scammers.

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And they were riding on the
coattails of Paul.

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They were watching Paul's
ministry and they said, well, what

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Paul is doing seems pretty attractive.

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We can maybe make some money
off of this.

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So we're gonna try to copy Paul.

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And, and so what does it do?

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It says, certain vagabond
Jews, exorcist.

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So, so they claim to cast out
demons, okay.

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Just like Paul was doing.

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Took upon them to call over them.

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And, and by the way, see what
that phrase there says?

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It says took upon them,
meaning they, they're taking it upon

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themselves.

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This is not a call of God.

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This, this is not that God is
commissioning them for a Work.

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They said, we're gonna do this.

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And so this is a man made
decision, not based in the power

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of God, not based in the
direction of God.

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They said, this seems like a
good idea.

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So it would be me like, like
me watching someone start a church

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and seeing all these people
coming there and they're, wow, look

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at all that happening.

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That seems like a good idea.

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I'm gonna follow that.

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And there's no spirit led decision.

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It's just a decision in their flesh.

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And so it says they took upon
them to call over them which had

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evil spirits, the name of the
Lord Jesus and saying, we abjure

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you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth.

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You see what they do here?

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They, they, they see
individuals that are possessed by

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demons, okay?

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And that was happening at the
time of the book of Acts.

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And I do believe can happen today.

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Not that every single person
that's struggling with something

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is possessed by a demon.

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But we do know that that is a
possibility in our theology.

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They, they witness these
individuals that are possessed by

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demons.

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And what do they do?

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They use the name of Jesus.

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They, they even call out the
name, as it says there in verse 13,

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they call out the name of the
Lord Jesus.

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And they say, we adjure you by
Jesus whom Paul preaches.

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00:10:34,400 --> 00:10:38,740
Now if you don't catch that,
they don't say, my Jesus, my Savior.

241
00:10:39,480 --> 00:10:42,096
They say, this is the Jesus
that Paul preaches.

242
00:10:42,128 --> 00:10:44,432
And so what they're doing is
they're trying to piggyback on the

243
00:10:44,456 --> 00:10:46,136
power of God through Paul's life.

244
00:10:46,328 --> 00:10:48,088
And so we see a problem here.

245
00:10:48,224 --> 00:10:50,536
They don't claim that Jesus is
their Savior.

246
00:10:50,648 --> 00:10:52,808
They're using a methodology.

247
00:10:52,904 --> 00:10:55,288
They're using steps that Paul
has taken.

248
00:10:55,344 --> 00:10:58,936
They no doubt have seen Paul
do this very same thing, claiming

249
00:10:58,968 --> 00:11:01,336
the power of God upon an
individual's life and seeing a demon

250
00:11:01,368 --> 00:11:01,848
cast out.

251
00:11:01,904 --> 00:11:02,632
But what are they doing?

252
00:11:02,656 --> 00:11:06,040
They're trying to copycat him
in their own power and their own

253
00:11:06,080 --> 00:11:06,808
strength.

254
00:11:06,984 --> 00:11:10,808
And, and so what we see is
these, these apostolic miracles were,

255
00:11:10,864 --> 00:11:15,458
were to validate Paul's
message, the message of Jesus Christ.

256
00:11:15,594 --> 00:11:18,546
And so some of these miracles
involve casting out demons.

257
00:11:18,738 --> 00:11:21,602
And, and, and we know that
even Jesus did that within his own

258
00:11:21,626 --> 00:11:22,034
ministry.

259
00:11:22,082 --> 00:11:26,630
And so these religious fakes,
these, these charlatans here in Ephesus,

260
00:11:27,370 --> 00:11:30,350
they thought, hey, you know
what, we can do the same thing.

261
00:11:30,730 --> 00:11:32,594
And, and it says who they are
in a moment.

262
00:11:32,642 --> 00:11:34,114
Verse 14 actually says this.

263
00:11:34,202 --> 00:11:38,274
And there were seven sons of
one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the

264
00:11:38,282 --> 00:11:39,630
priest, which did so.

265
00:11:40,380 --> 00:11:43,188
And so we see it's these,
these guys that we call the Sons

266
00:11:43,204 --> 00:11:44,084
of Skiba.

267
00:11:44,212 --> 00:11:46,676
And they see success in Paul's ministry.

268
00:11:46,708 --> 00:11:50,164
They see fruit in Paul's
ministry specifically with exercising

269
00:11:50,212 --> 00:11:51,044
these demons.

270
00:11:51,172 --> 00:11:54,180
And they, they, they try to
create a formula to have the same

271
00:11:54,220 --> 00:11:55,300
outcome as Paul.

272
00:11:55,460 --> 00:11:56,644
So, so let me pause there.

273
00:11:56,652 --> 00:11:58,084
And you say, well, what's
wrong with that?

274
00:11:58,172 --> 00:11:59,844
They're claiming the name of Jesus.

275
00:11:59,972 --> 00:12:02,212
They're trying to cast out
demons, they're trying to do a good

276
00:12:02,236 --> 00:12:02,660
thing.

277
00:12:02,780 --> 00:12:06,532
The, the problem with it is
that they've tried to formulize the

278
00:12:06,556 --> 00:12:07,316
work of God.

279
00:12:07,428 --> 00:12:12,772
They, they've tried to reduce
down the power of the Spirit to a

280
00:12:12,796 --> 00:12:13,572
methodology.

281
00:12:13,716 --> 00:12:15,220
And what do we see in churches today?

282
00:12:15,260 --> 00:12:18,660
We see people that say if you
do step one, step two, step three,

283
00:12:18,700 --> 00:12:19,860
you'll see a church grow.

284
00:12:19,980 --> 00:12:21,556
And they remove the spirit of God.

285
00:12:21,588 --> 00:12:22,804
They remove the call of God.

286
00:12:22,852 --> 00:12:24,452
You say, Pastor, I've never
heard of that.

287
00:12:24,476 --> 00:12:26,212
Trust me, there's books
written about that.

288
00:12:26,316 --> 00:12:28,724
If you just do these 10 steps
that have nothing to do with the

289
00:12:28,732 --> 00:12:30,596
Bible, you can grow a church.

290
00:12:30,788 --> 00:12:35,142
You offer this, be seeker
sensitive, find out people in your

291
00:12:35,166 --> 00:12:36,518
community what they want.

292
00:12:36,654 --> 00:12:37,750
Well, they want this.

293
00:12:37,870 --> 00:12:39,382
So let's, let's give them that.

294
00:12:39,486 --> 00:12:41,462
Now is there anything wrong
with trying to find the people that

295
00:12:41,486 --> 00:12:43,430
you're ministering to and
trying to meet needs?

296
00:12:43,550 --> 00:12:46,486
No, but the problem is, is
that if we put that as the number

297
00:12:46,558 --> 00:12:49,350
one decider of what we're
going to do instead of the power

298
00:12:49,390 --> 00:12:50,150
of God.

299
00:12:50,310 --> 00:12:53,010
And so what they've tried to
do is they've tried to reduce down

300
00:12:53,470 --> 00:12:56,518
this specific thing, casting
out demons to a step by step process.

301
00:12:56,574 --> 00:13:00,700
Well, Paul says Jesus's name,
so we'll say Jesus's name.

302
00:13:01,000 --> 00:13:04,352
And, and they claim to say,
well the same Jesus that Paul is

303
00:13:04,376 --> 00:13:06,544
preaching is the Jesus we claim.

304
00:13:06,632 --> 00:13:08,672
The problem is, is they have
no relationship.

305
00:13:08,736 --> 00:13:11,232
Let's, let's, let's go a
little bit further here because this

306
00:13:11,256 --> 00:13:11,984
is very interesting.

307
00:13:12,032 --> 00:13:13,460
This is so very interesting.

308
00:13:13,960 --> 00:13:18,432
So, so they come, verse 15 and
the evil spirit talks back to them.

309
00:13:18,616 --> 00:13:20,080
This is so unique.

310
00:13:20,240 --> 00:13:23,530
We don't see a lot of
situations in, in, in this case case,

311
00:13:23,570 --> 00:13:28,390
but what we will see is that
the, the actual evil spirit here

312
00:13:28,690 --> 00:13:30,458
gives rebukes.

313
00:13:30,474 --> 00:13:33,146
These guys basically in what
he says, it says this.

314
00:13:33,218 --> 00:13:35,034
And the evil spirit answered
and said Jesus.

315
00:13:35,082 --> 00:13:38,430
I know that's kind of interesting.

316
00:13:38,850 --> 00:13:42,634
The Bible tells us that the
demons believe that Jesus exists

317
00:13:42,682 --> 00:13:43,630
and tremble.

318
00:13:44,290 --> 00:13:48,794
We even know that in Jesus's
interactions with demons and evil

319
00:13:48,842 --> 00:13:52,736
spirits that um, they're
afraid of him, they tremble at Jesus.

320
00:13:52,928 --> 00:13:55,760
So there is power in the name
of Jesus, but not just in the Name

321
00:13:55,800 --> 00:13:58,288
of Jesus, but in the person of
Jesus Christ.

322
00:13:58,424 --> 00:13:58,960
Okay?

323
00:13:59,040 --> 00:14:01,728
So they say, we know Jesus, okay?

324
00:14:01,824 --> 00:14:04,720
Lest you think that just
saying the name of Jesus cast out

325
00:14:04,760 --> 00:14:05,104
everything.

326
00:14:05,192 --> 00:14:08,176
They claim the name of Jesus,
but they say, I know Jesus.

327
00:14:08,368 --> 00:14:11,248
And here's another thing, what
a testimony it is for Paul.

328
00:14:11,264 --> 00:14:13,120
They say, Paul, I know, right?

329
00:14:13,160 --> 00:14:14,992
So, so the enemy knew Paul.

330
00:14:15,056 --> 00:14:15,280
Why?

331
00:14:15,320 --> 00:14:16,620
Because Paul was doing things.

332
00:14:17,130 --> 00:14:20,530
Paul, Paul was on fire for God
and Paul was being used by God.

333
00:14:20,610 --> 00:14:24,642
And so there's a recognition
of Jesus, God, and there's a recognition

334
00:14:24,706 --> 00:14:26,230
of his servant Paul.

335
00:14:26,890 --> 00:14:28,466
But this is, this is interesting.

336
00:14:28,498 --> 00:14:28,930
I love this.

337
00:14:28,970 --> 00:14:30,802
He says, but who are ye?

338
00:14:30,946 --> 00:14:32,530
Basically, I don't know you.

339
00:14:32,650 --> 00:14:33,746
Never heard of you.

340
00:14:33,898 --> 00:14:35,870
You've never caused me any
issues before.

341
00:14:36,410 --> 00:14:39,394
And, and, and I think that
that's a lesson for us to see that

342
00:14:39,482 --> 00:14:40,994
the distinction is this.

343
00:14:41,082 --> 00:14:44,720
There was no relationship
between these Jews, Jewish charlatans

344
00:14:44,800 --> 00:14:45,840
to Jesus.

345
00:14:46,000 --> 00:14:47,744
There's no connection there.

346
00:14:47,912 --> 00:14:51,792
And so when we call out on the
power of God, the reason why we can

347
00:14:51,816 --> 00:14:54,592
receive the power of God is
because of the relationship that

348
00:14:54,616 --> 00:14:56,192
we have with Jesus Christ.

349
00:14:56,376 --> 00:14:58,704
The Bible says in the book of
Hebrews, Hebrews, chapter four, you

350
00:14:58,712 --> 00:14:59,632
can reference this.

351
00:14:59,736 --> 00:15:02,672
The reason why we can access
the throne of grace is because of

352
00:15:02,696 --> 00:15:04,460
our great high priest, Jesus Christ.

353
00:15:04,840 --> 00:15:07,712
And so what we can tell is
that these individuals here had no

354
00:15:07,736 --> 00:15:08,966
relationship with Jesus.

355
00:15:09,128 --> 00:15:12,714
They tried to formulize this
process of getting these demons to

356
00:15:12,722 --> 00:15:14,378
leave for their own personal gain.

357
00:15:14,474 --> 00:15:15,930
But there's no power of God there.

358
00:15:15,970 --> 00:15:17,466
There's no power of the spirit.

359
00:15:17,658 --> 00:15:20,682
And I think there's another
lesson to be heard here that, that

360
00:15:20,706 --> 00:15:24,298
the enemy knows and it goes
after those who are causing them

361
00:15:24,354 --> 00:15:25,162
issues, right?

362
00:15:25,266 --> 00:15:27,818
And, and what we can see here
is that this, these individuals,

363
00:15:27,834 --> 00:15:28,842
they didn't even know them.

364
00:15:28,946 --> 00:15:29,258
Why?

365
00:15:29,314 --> 00:15:31,242
Because there was no reason
for them to get in the way of what

366
00:15:31,266 --> 00:15:31,914
they were doing.

367
00:15:32,002 --> 00:15:34,218
Because what they were doing
was counterproductive to the kingdom

368
00:15:34,234 --> 00:15:34,872
of God.

369
00:15:35,026 --> 00:15:37,852
Folks, when you, when you
don't live for Jesus Christ, the

370
00:15:37,876 --> 00:15:39,260
enemy's not gonna come against
you, right?

371
00:15:39,300 --> 00:15:39,516
Cause.

372
00:15:39,548 --> 00:15:40,316
Cause he's got you.

373
00:15:40,388 --> 00:15:42,140
He's got you doing what he
wants you to do.

374
00:15:42,180 --> 00:15:43,436
Wasting your life.

375
00:15:43,588 --> 00:15:46,204
Really, folks, a lot of times
when we step up for the cause of

376
00:15:46,212 --> 00:15:49,132
the gospel, that's when we
face persecution, that's when we

377
00:15:49,156 --> 00:15:50,156
face opposition.

378
00:15:50,268 --> 00:15:52,764
And when we face that
opposition, say, great, wonderful,

379
00:15:52,812 --> 00:15:55,120
I know I'm doing the right
thing for the cause of the gospel.

380
00:15:55,780 --> 00:15:58,444
And so what we can see here in
this case is that these individuals

381
00:15:58,492 --> 00:16:00,146
lacked a relationship with Christ.

382
00:16:00,268 --> 00:16:03,750
That they, they wanted to use
the name of Jesus, but they did not

383
00:16:03,790 --> 00:16:05,766
have the right to use the name
of Jesus.

384
00:16:05,798 --> 00:16:07,170
They were not part of the family.

385
00:16:07,470 --> 00:16:11,638
It would be like someone
saying to me, you know, like, I'm

386
00:16:11,654 --> 00:16:12,838
an only child, right?

387
00:16:12,974 --> 00:16:17,702
Okay, so one day when,
hopefully it's a long, long time

388
00:16:17,726 --> 00:16:21,622
in the future, one day when my
parents pass on to eternity, you

389
00:16:21,646 --> 00:16:23,370
know, they're leaving.

390
00:16:23,790 --> 00:16:26,076
They're everything to me.

391
00:16:26,198 --> 00:16:29,700
And this other guy comes
alongside and, and he goes, hey,

392
00:16:30,200 --> 00:16:32,048
I'm your long lost brother.

393
00:16:32,224 --> 00:16:35,508
And, and, and he comes and he
says, I, we got to split this 50,

394
00:16:35,603 --> 00:16:36,032
50.

395
00:16:36,216 --> 00:16:39,360
And first of all, we're going
to say, number one, no, where were

396
00:16:39,400 --> 00:16:39,792
you?

397
00:16:39,896 --> 00:16:42,544
Number two, let's take a blood
test to make sure this is okay, you

398
00:16:42,552 --> 00:16:45,088
know, and, and, and he's not
my brother, right?

399
00:16:45,144 --> 00:16:47,632
He has no claim to my family name.

400
00:16:47,736 --> 00:16:51,876
He has no claim to say that
he's part of the Massaro family,

401
00:16:52,008 --> 00:16:52,252
right?

402
00:16:52,276 --> 00:16:53,468
And that's the idea.

403
00:16:53,564 --> 00:16:56,012
These individuals are not part
of the family of God, but yet they

404
00:16:56,036 --> 00:16:57,660
want to claim the power of God.

405
00:16:57,740 --> 00:17:01,244
You can't claim the power of
God and the promises of God and the

406
00:17:01,252 --> 00:17:03,324
provisions of God if you're
not part of his family.

407
00:17:03,412 --> 00:17:06,412
And so, and so the distinction
of an authentic church is this, that

408
00:17:06,436 --> 00:17:09,116
we're preaching a relationship
with Christ.

409
00:17:09,268 --> 00:17:10,748
A relationship with Christ.

410
00:17:10,884 --> 00:17:14,732
And I need us to think about
this here today when we think about

411
00:17:14,836 --> 00:17:16,252
what we are teaching in the church.

412
00:17:16,276 --> 00:17:17,356
What are we teaching our children?

413
00:17:17,428 --> 00:17:20,942
Because that's really, if you
want to take a snapshot of what a

414
00:17:20,966 --> 00:17:23,770
church is teaching, look at
what they're teaching their children,

415
00:17:24,150 --> 00:17:25,070
okay?

416
00:17:25,230 --> 00:17:29,198
Because the children, that's
who the, the next generation is gonna

417
00:17:29,214 --> 00:17:30,158
be in the church.

418
00:17:30,334 --> 00:17:32,974
I heard a youth pastor telling
me recently, he said, you know what,

419
00:17:33,062 --> 00:17:35,326
adults are just grown up teenagers.

420
00:17:35,438 --> 00:17:38,110
I was like, you know, that
makes a lot of sense in many more

421
00:17:38,150 --> 00:17:39,086
ways than one, right?

422
00:17:39,158 --> 00:17:40,650
But the idea would be this.

423
00:17:40,950 --> 00:17:42,110
What are we teaching our children?

424
00:17:42,150 --> 00:17:43,198
Are we teaching our children?

425
00:17:43,254 --> 00:17:48,140
Hey, you should be a part of
this religion.

426
00:17:48,800 --> 00:17:51,780
You have to do X, Y, Z for God
to love you.

427
00:17:52,480 --> 00:17:55,656
You have to do this and this
and this and then God will love you.

428
00:17:55,728 --> 00:17:57,496
Those are all wrong teachings.

429
00:17:57,608 --> 00:18:01,144
We want to teach to our
children a relationship with Jesus

430
00:18:01,192 --> 00:18:01,688
Christ.

431
00:18:01,824 --> 00:18:06,168
You look at statistics today,
look at statistics of young people

432
00:18:06,224 --> 00:18:08,300
leaving the church, okay?

433
00:18:08,880 --> 00:18:11,816
It's staggering how many young
people are walking out of churches

434
00:18:11,848 --> 00:18:13,722
when they turn to 18 years old.

435
00:18:13,896 --> 00:18:14,518
Okay?

436
00:18:14,614 --> 00:18:14,966
Why?

437
00:18:15,038 --> 00:18:15,718
That's a big question.

438
00:18:15,774 --> 00:18:17,490
I don't have all the answers
to that.

439
00:18:18,350 --> 00:18:23,606
But we interview the young
people who stay, okay?

440
00:18:23,798 --> 00:18:29,062
And, and one of, if not every,
I would say it's exclusively the

441
00:18:29,086 --> 00:18:32,438
reason is that most
individuals that stay within church

442
00:18:32,534 --> 00:18:33,126
say this.

443
00:18:33,198 --> 00:18:35,302
I have a relationship with Christ.

444
00:18:35,486 --> 00:18:36,102
Okay?

445
00:18:36,166 --> 00:18:38,070
It was something more than
just going to church.

446
00:18:38,150 --> 00:18:41,072
It was something more than
just following my parents religion.

447
00:18:41,166 --> 00:18:43,804
It was something more than
just following, you know, a person,

448
00:18:43,892 --> 00:18:46,092
a pastor, because a pastor is
going to leave.

449
00:18:46,156 --> 00:18:48,940
Because some people's teaching
is this, just get your young people

450
00:18:48,980 --> 00:18:52,492
to fall in love with the youth
pastor or fall in love with the pastor.

451
00:18:52,556 --> 00:18:54,716
The truth is, is that what
happens when the youth pastor leaves

452
00:18:54,748 --> 00:18:55,836
and the pastor leaves?

453
00:18:55,868 --> 00:18:58,908
Okay, well then, oh no, we
don't have anyone here to believe

454
00:18:58,964 --> 00:18:59,772
in, folks.

455
00:18:59,836 --> 00:19:03,436
We preach Jesus and it doesn't
matter who's in this pulpit, right?

456
00:19:03,508 --> 00:19:04,508
And that's the idea.

457
00:19:04,604 --> 00:19:08,246
We preach Jesus and so I don't
care who's in this pulpit.

458
00:19:08,278 --> 00:19:11,030
Obviously we want someone who
qualified and preaching the word.

459
00:19:11,110 --> 00:19:14,038
But that does, that should not
matter with the concept of what we're

460
00:19:14,054 --> 00:19:14,982
doing within the church.

461
00:19:15,046 --> 00:19:16,770
And so the idea would be this.

462
00:19:17,070 --> 00:19:21,510
When we are hopefully an
authentic church, we teach people

463
00:19:21,630 --> 00:19:24,214
that everything that we do is
wrapped up in a relationship with

464
00:19:24,222 --> 00:19:24,710
Jesus Christ.

465
00:19:24,750 --> 00:19:28,278
So I, I don't get up to an
unsaved person and say this, well,

466
00:19:28,334 --> 00:19:29,190
Jesus loves you.

467
00:19:29,230 --> 00:19:30,934
He's going to give you
everything that you've ever wanted.

468
00:19:30,982 --> 00:19:31,830
He's going to protect you.

469
00:19:31,870 --> 00:19:32,890
He's going to guide you.

470
00:19:32,990 --> 00:19:36,082
Folks, we're lying to an
individual if they are not a child

471
00:19:36,106 --> 00:19:36,658
of God.

472
00:19:36,754 --> 00:19:39,410
Okay, so, so what do we tell
that individual?

473
00:19:39,490 --> 00:19:40,242
The individual?

474
00:19:40,306 --> 00:19:41,790
You need Jesus Christ.

475
00:19:42,090 --> 00:19:43,906
You need a relationship with him.

476
00:19:44,058 --> 00:19:46,110
Jesus is the way, the truth
and the life.

477
00:19:46,410 --> 00:19:48,850
And so what we can see here in
this passage of scripture is that

478
00:19:48,890 --> 00:19:52,594
these individuals were fakes,
they were counterfeits and they had

479
00:19:52,602 --> 00:19:53,910
a counterfeit message.

480
00:19:54,250 --> 00:19:57,634
And so let's go a little bit
further because what did I say?

481
00:19:57,722 --> 00:20:01,122
Don't expect the power of God
to rest upon you if you don't have

482
00:20:01,146 --> 00:20:02,350
a relationship with Christ.

483
00:20:03,060 --> 00:20:06,636
Don't expect the provisions of
God to be upon your life as Jehovah

484
00:20:06,668 --> 00:20:10,092
Jireh, if you don't have Jesus
in your life and don't expect the

485
00:20:10,116 --> 00:20:11,388
protection of God.

486
00:20:11,564 --> 00:20:13,532
Look, look at what happens in
this next verse.

487
00:20:13,596 --> 00:20:14,588
So interesting.

488
00:20:14,764 --> 00:20:18,988
And the man in whom the evil
spirit was leaped on them.

489
00:20:19,124 --> 00:20:21,612
So, so as, as you know,
theologically speaking.

490
00:20:21,676 --> 00:20:27,452
And the, the, the evil spirit
was indwelling a human being and

491
00:20:27,476 --> 00:20:30,076
the human being that the
spirit was indwelling jumps upon

492
00:20:30,108 --> 00:20:34,870
them and overcame them and
prevailed against them.

493
00:20:35,490 --> 00:20:37,034
So what we can see is this.

494
00:20:37,122 --> 00:20:40,602
If you are a believer in Jesus
Christ, he protects you from the

495
00:20:40,626 --> 00:20:41,466
evil one.

496
00:20:41,618 --> 00:20:45,642
There, there is, I And, and,
and I firmly believe this, that a

497
00:20:45,666 --> 00:20:48,570
believer in Jesus Christ can
claim the power of Jesus Christ,

498
00:20:48,610 --> 00:20:50,266
can claim the protection of
Jesus Christ.

499
00:20:50,338 --> 00:20:53,242
And though we can go through
difficulties, we're, we're not going

500
00:20:53,266 --> 00:20:55,322
to have the enemy prevail
against us.

501
00:20:55,426 --> 00:20:58,622
But here, in this case, the
enemy prevails against them, so that

502
00:20:58,646 --> 00:21:03,570
they fled out and of the house
naked and wounded.

503
00:21:04,310 --> 00:21:06,318
The Bible says here that there
was no protection.

504
00:21:06,414 --> 00:21:07,730
Paul was protected.

505
00:21:08,310 --> 00:21:12,526
Paul, Paul, Paul was protected
until God's timing.

506
00:21:12,638 --> 00:21:15,806
We know that eventually Paul
through, through scriptures and through

507
00:21:15,878 --> 00:21:19,694
church history that Paul was
killed for his faith.

508
00:21:19,822 --> 00:21:22,462
But that was in God's timing
leading up to that.

509
00:21:22,486 --> 00:21:24,602
God protected him in every
single way.

510
00:21:24,726 --> 00:21:27,442
And if it's God's will for us
to do something, there's protection

511
00:21:27,506 --> 00:21:27,970
there.

512
00:21:28,090 --> 00:21:30,162
But what we can see here is
that there's no protection on these

513
00:21:30,186 --> 00:21:33,266
individuals because why
they're not in the family of God.

514
00:21:33,298 --> 00:21:34,310
They're not protected.

515
00:21:34,650 --> 00:21:40,210
And so the ploy of these seven
sons of Sceva backfired on them because

516
00:21:40,250 --> 00:21:42,738
really what happened is, is
they can fake it for a while, but

517
00:21:42,794 --> 00:21:46,658
you cannot fake true faith
when you're against the enemy.

518
00:21:46,754 --> 00:21:49,122
Okay, they were, they were
tricking the humans there.

519
00:21:49,146 --> 00:21:51,142
They were, they were tricking people.

520
00:21:51,246 --> 00:21:53,462
No, no doubt people are buying
into that.

521
00:21:53,566 --> 00:21:57,270
But when the rubber meets the
road and the true test comes, your

522
00:21:57,310 --> 00:21:59,210
true faith will be revealed.

523
00:21:59,710 --> 00:22:02,770
And, and, and there's a lot of
people who can fake it.

524
00:22:03,070 --> 00:22:03,990
Okay?

525
00:22:04,150 --> 00:22:07,382
Someone can get up and be a
great speaker and memorize a script

526
00:22:07,526 --> 00:22:08,998
and look very compelling.

527
00:22:09,094 --> 00:22:11,574
There's someone who can get up
and sing a song and it seems like

528
00:22:11,582 --> 00:22:15,210
they really know what amazing
grace is, but that doesn't mean anything.

529
00:22:15,630 --> 00:22:18,178
The test is when the struggle comes.

530
00:22:18,334 --> 00:22:20,666
The test is when the enemy
comes against us.

531
00:22:20,818 --> 00:22:23,850
Are we willing to say that,
hey, I'm an authentic Christian,

532
00:22:23,930 --> 00:22:28,058
when the struggles come, when
the storms come, because really that's

533
00:22:28,074 --> 00:22:29,402
the true test of faith.

534
00:22:29,546 --> 00:22:34,314
And so no doubt they were
faking it, and no doubt people believed

535
00:22:34,362 --> 00:22:35,914
in that counterfeit.

536
00:22:36,042 --> 00:22:39,322
But what we can see here is
that they are revealed to be false.

537
00:22:39,466 --> 00:22:41,510
And so the demon turns on them.

538
00:22:41,890 --> 00:22:45,860
The demon possessed man jumps
on them, gives them a beating and,

539
00:22:45,900 --> 00:22:50,600
and leaves them as assessed
there, naked and without anything.

540
00:22:51,420 --> 00:22:55,040
You say, well, how can we, how
can we learn from this?

541
00:22:55,980 --> 00:22:58,820
Well, we could either be like
Paul, who has a relationship with

542
00:22:58,860 --> 00:23:02,228
Christ, who's able to claim
the power of God, the provisions

543
00:23:02,244 --> 00:23:06,020
of God, the protection of God,
or we can be like the sons of, of,

544
00:23:06,140 --> 00:23:09,998
of these, the Sceva, and, and
allow ourselves to be counterfeits,

545
00:23:10,124 --> 00:23:12,506
fakes you say, well, none of
us are fake, Pastor.

546
00:23:12,538 --> 00:23:15,098
Well, the reality is that all
of us to some degree have levels

547
00:23:15,114 --> 00:23:17,610
of hypocrisy in our life and
we just have to be careful about

548
00:23:17,650 --> 00:23:17,946
that.

549
00:23:18,018 --> 00:23:19,466
But what I would say is this.

550
00:23:19,618 --> 00:23:25,802
A, a, as a believer in Jesus
Christ, we have an opportunity to

551
00:23:25,826 --> 00:23:28,170
display to people what it
means to have a relationship with

552
00:23:28,210 --> 00:23:28,790
him.

553
00:23:29,090 --> 00:23:33,082
And so when we compare the
work of Paul and we compare the work

554
00:23:33,106 --> 00:23:37,788
of these other fake professors
of Jesus, we see that the difference

555
00:23:37,884 --> 00:23:44,764
is the power of Christ resting
upon Paul and the lack of power resting

556
00:23:44,812 --> 00:23:46,076
on these individuals.

557
00:23:46,188 --> 00:23:49,260
So the gospel is the difference.

558
00:23:49,340 --> 00:23:52,332
And, and, and we see that
happening here more and more as the

559
00:23:52,356 --> 00:23:53,308
story goes along.

560
00:23:53,364 --> 00:23:55,004
And so what can we take with us?

561
00:23:55,092 --> 00:24:00,620
Well, first there is an enemy
and the enemy is dangerous and we

562
00:24:00,660 --> 00:24:03,144
should not fight against the
enemy outside of the power of God.

563
00:24:03,212 --> 00:24:05,472
I, I, I want to take you to a
passage of scripture in the book

564
00:24:05,496 --> 00:24:05,856
of Jude.

565
00:24:05,888 --> 00:24:08,480
We just studied this on our
Wednesday night series.

566
00:24:08,520 --> 00:24:09,392
But I want you to see this.

567
00:24:09,416 --> 00:24:11,536
For some of you that are not
part of our Wednesday night series

568
00:24:11,688 --> 00:24:14,512
or, or even if you were, I
think this is important to see.

569
00:24:14,616 --> 00:24:16,512
How do we face against evil?

570
00:24:16,576 --> 00:24:17,776
How do we face against evil?

571
00:24:17,808 --> 00:24:20,064
Because I think that a lot of
people think, well, you know what,

572
00:24:20,072 --> 00:24:24,700
I can handle it, you know,
and, and the reason why is because

573
00:24:25,640 --> 00:24:30,890
Satan and evil sometimes can
be betrayed on Hollywood shows as

574
00:24:30,930 --> 00:24:34,282
kind of like a joke, kind of
like every other monster out there

575
00:24:34,306 --> 00:24:36,410
in the world, you know, you
can handle them.

576
00:24:36,450 --> 00:24:38,842
It's all just fun and games.

577
00:24:39,026 --> 00:24:42,314
The Bible says very clearly
that we have an enemy that's walking

578
00:24:42,362 --> 00:24:45,482
about like a roaring lion
seeking whom he may devour.

579
00:24:45,626 --> 00:24:50,950
And the Bible compares Satan
to someone who wants to devour us.

580
00:24:51,330 --> 00:24:54,682
And so I, I always tell people
we're going to talk about this on

581
00:24:54,706 --> 00:24:55,130
Wednesday night.

582
00:24:55,170 --> 00:24:57,062
So just of a pitch for
Wednesday night, we're going to be

583
00:24:57,086 --> 00:25:00,774
talking about the theology or
the study of evil and specifically

584
00:25:00,822 --> 00:25:02,726
the study of our enemy, Satan.

585
00:25:02,918 --> 00:25:04,450
We need to know who we're against.

586
00:25:04,830 --> 00:25:07,030
And, and what I will tell you
is this.

587
00:25:07,150 --> 00:25:10,490
Satan is not all powerful, okay?

588
00:25:10,910 --> 00:25:12,650
Satan is not omnipresent.

589
00:25:13,390 --> 00:25:16,650
Satan is not all knowing.

590
00:25:17,230 --> 00:25:20,022
But I will say that he has
been around a lot longer than we

591
00:25:20,046 --> 00:25:20,610
have.

592
00:25:21,240 --> 00:25:25,952
He, he is, has a lot more
resources than we have than in our

593
00:25:25,976 --> 00:25:26,976
own strength.

594
00:25:27,168 --> 00:25:31,488
And without the power of God,
he will, he will get to us.

595
00:25:31,624 --> 00:25:33,648
And what we have to see in the
book of Jude.

596
00:25:33,824 --> 00:25:35,488
Hopefully I gave you enough
time to turn there.

597
00:25:35,544 --> 00:25:38,460
The book of Jude, verse number nine.

598
00:25:39,320 --> 00:25:43,728
We see a very interesting
story of Michael the Archangel.

599
00:25:43,904 --> 00:25:48,440
And Michael the Archangel, as
it says here in verse nine, says

600
00:25:48,480 --> 00:25:53,752
that he was contending or
fighting with the devil, disputing

601
00:25:53,816 --> 00:25:56,220
over the body of Moses.

602
00:25:56,800 --> 00:25:58,648
Now some of you might not know
that story.

603
00:25:58,784 --> 00:26:00,088
You, you know, you're like, what?

604
00:26:00,144 --> 00:26:01,096
I've never heard that story.

605
00:26:01,168 --> 00:26:02,472
It's in the book of Jude.

606
00:26:02,616 --> 00:26:05,208
And we believe Jude is inspired.

607
00:26:05,304 --> 00:26:07,336
We believe that this is the
complete word of God.

608
00:26:07,448 --> 00:26:10,696
So what the Bible tells us is
that Michael the Archangel and Satan

609
00:26:10,728 --> 00:26:12,376
were disputing over the body
of Moses.

610
00:26:12,408 --> 00:26:13,598
You might say why?

611
00:26:13,784 --> 00:26:15,490
Um, I don't know why.

612
00:26:15,530 --> 00:26:16,658
It doesn't give us the why.

613
00:26:16,714 --> 00:26:18,370
I have a lot of speculation why.

614
00:26:18,490 --> 00:26:21,346
One of the reasons why they
might want to have the body of Moses

615
00:26:21,378 --> 00:26:24,338
is because a lot of people
believe that Satan wanted to use

616
00:26:24,394 --> 00:26:27,746
the body of Moses as an idol
for the people of Israel, right?

617
00:26:27,818 --> 00:26:30,834
They, they looked up to Moses
and so if he could have the, if he

618
00:26:30,842 --> 00:26:32,626
could have the body, because
no one knew where in the Bible tells

619
00:26:32,658 --> 00:26:35,234
us earlier on that no one knew
where Moses was buried.

620
00:26:35,362 --> 00:26:38,626
So, so if Satan could use the
body of Moses possibly for an idol

621
00:26:38,658 --> 00:26:40,508
or something that could keep
their eyes off of God.

622
00:26:40,634 --> 00:26:43,192
Um, but anyway, nonetheless,
we don't really know exactly why

623
00:26:43,216 --> 00:26:45,496
and we don't really need to
know why, but we know that Satan

624
00:26:45,528 --> 00:26:49,180
and Michael were disputing
over the body of Moses.

625
00:26:49,600 --> 00:26:53,992
And if anybody, if anybody
could use their own power, it would

626
00:26:54,016 --> 00:26:56,344
be Michael the Archangel, the
most powerful angel.

627
00:26:56,392 --> 00:26:56,980
Right?

628
00:26:57,360 --> 00:26:59,752
But what does Michael do?

629
00:26:59,936 --> 00:27:04,856
Says here, very interestingly,
durst not bring against him a railing

630
00:27:04,888 --> 00:27:11,252
accusation, but said the Lord
rebuked Michael the Archangel used

631
00:27:11,436 --> 00:27:15,840
the power of God to fight
against the enemy, not his own power.

632
00:27:16,140 --> 00:27:18,324
And I think that one of the
many reasons why that's there in

633
00:27:18,332 --> 00:27:20,788
Scripture is to teach us how
we fight against the enemy.

634
00:27:20,884 --> 00:27:22,932
We fight against the enemy
through the power of God and not

635
00:27:22,956 --> 00:27:24,036
our own strength.

636
00:27:24,228 --> 00:27:26,852
And, and so again, one of the
things that we can learn through

637
00:27:26,876 --> 00:27:30,756
this passage here in the book
of Acts is that Satan is real, demons

638
00:27:30,788 --> 00:27:34,878
are real, and we need to fight
against them and the power of God.

639
00:27:34,894 --> 00:27:39,102
But then we also really need
to realize that even Satan and the

640
00:27:39,126 --> 00:27:44,126
demons recognize the authority
of God, the authority of Jesus Christ.

641
00:27:44,278 --> 00:27:44,862
You see that?

642
00:27:44,886 --> 00:27:45,726
Remember they said Jesus.

643
00:27:45,758 --> 00:27:46,490
I know.

644
00:27:48,550 --> 00:27:51,582
And James chapter two, verse
19, you guys are familiar with that

645
00:27:51,606 --> 00:27:55,250
verse that the devils believe
or the demons believe and tremble,

646
00:27:55,830 --> 00:27:58,450
and so they recognize the
authority of Jesus.

647
00:27:59,380 --> 00:28:03,052
But then we also can, can know
this and, and kind of see kind of

648
00:28:03,076 --> 00:28:06,124
the conclusion here when it
comes to the idea of what we can

649
00:28:06,132 --> 00:28:09,132
learn from this Passage is
that the, the true distinction of

650
00:28:09,156 --> 00:28:11,612
an individual that has the
power of God in their lives is a

651
00:28:11,636 --> 00:28:13,468
relationship with Jesus Christ.

652
00:28:13,524 --> 00:28:16,812
And so if it goes on there in
verse number 17 it says, and this

653
00:28:16,836 --> 00:28:20,316
was known to all the Jews and
the Greeks also dwelling in Ephesus.

654
00:28:20,348 --> 00:28:22,080
So this was not a private affair.

655
00:28:22,580 --> 00:28:28,106
This was a public display of
the power of God and the lack of

656
00:28:28,178 --> 00:28:31,610
the power of God upon these
seven sons of Sceva.

657
00:28:31,690 --> 00:28:36,030
Okay, so eventually it's
revealed that they were fake.

658
00:28:36,610 --> 00:28:39,402
And so how do we show the
power of God?

659
00:28:39,546 --> 00:28:42,922
We show the power of God by
relying on our relationship with

660
00:28:42,946 --> 00:28:43,514
him.

661
00:28:43,682 --> 00:28:45,610
It's similar to what Paul
talked about.

662
00:28:45,730 --> 00:28:47,190
When I'm weak, he's strong.

663
00:28:48,050 --> 00:28:50,310
So, so what does this look
like for, for today?

664
00:28:50,690 --> 00:28:55,604
If there's a church or a
movement or a religion or anything

665
00:28:55,732 --> 00:28:58,932
that says that hey, we're
using the name of Jesus, we're the

666
00:28:58,956 --> 00:29:02,612
same as you, we don't just go,
oh well it must be good.

667
00:29:02,796 --> 00:29:04,120
They said Jesus.

668
00:29:04,460 --> 00:29:05,460
What does the Bible say?

669
00:29:05,500 --> 00:29:08,120
The Bible says that there will
be different Jesuses preached.

670
00:29:08,860 --> 00:29:11,540
And, and, and the reason I'm
telling you this is because this

671
00:29:11,580 --> 00:29:12,868
is a popular movement today.

672
00:29:12,924 --> 00:29:15,828
Popular movement today is just
saying this, hey, they're good people

673
00:29:15,884 --> 00:29:17,220
because they're preaching Jesus.

674
00:29:17,300 --> 00:29:20,710
It might be a different Jesus.

675
00:29:22,090 --> 00:29:24,962
It might be that they're
preaching a Jesus that is not the

676
00:29:24,986 --> 00:29:26,258
Jesus of scripture.

677
00:29:26,434 --> 00:29:27,698
Say what, what do you mean by that?

678
00:29:27,754 --> 00:29:30,150
Did you know that Jesus is
mentioned in the Quran?

679
00:29:30,970 --> 00:29:33,510
The Muslims believe that Jesus exists.

680
00:29:34,170 --> 00:29:36,710
They believe that he's a
worker of miracles.

681
00:29:37,450 --> 00:29:39,394
But do they believe in the
Jesus of scripture?

682
00:29:39,442 --> 00:29:42,210
The way, the truth, the life,
that Jesus is the son of God?

683
00:29:42,290 --> 00:29:43,442
No, they don't.

684
00:29:43,586 --> 00:29:48,492
And I can list multiple, let
me say it this way and I'm safe.

685
00:29:48,556 --> 00:29:51,052
I, I feel like I'm safe to say
this, if not, correct me later.

686
00:29:51,156 --> 00:29:55,340
But all false religions have a
wrong view of Jesus, right?

687
00:29:55,380 --> 00:29:56,460
We, we can all agree with that.

688
00:29:56,500 --> 00:29:58,320
They all have a false view of Jesus.

689
00:29:58,660 --> 00:30:01,452
It doesn't matter how right
they are, if they have a wrong view

690
00:30:01,476 --> 00:30:03,436
of Jesus, they, they have a
wrong view of everything.

691
00:30:03,588 --> 00:30:06,476
And, and, and Jesus even says
that even, even in the New Testament

692
00:30:06,508 --> 00:30:08,508
we see that they say test all
the spirits, right?

693
00:30:08,564 --> 00:30:11,550
Whether they come from God,
what do they preach about Jesus?

694
00:30:12,130 --> 00:30:15,610
And so these individuals were
preaching hey, Paul's Jesus.

695
00:30:15,770 --> 00:30:19,034
So, so, so they wanted to have
some kind of relationship with Jesus.

696
00:30:19,162 --> 00:30:22,314
They wanted to be in some way
tangentially related to Jesus.

697
00:30:22,362 --> 00:30:25,130
They wanted the effects of
Jesus's ministry.

698
00:30:25,210 --> 00:30:27,898
They wanted the blessings of
Jesus's ministry, but they didn't

699
00:30:27,914 --> 00:30:29,162
want a relationship with Jesus.

700
00:30:29,226 --> 00:30:31,946
And we see a lot of
specifically American Christians,

701
00:30:31,978 --> 00:30:33,590
but Christians across the world.

702
00:30:34,610 --> 00:30:39,442
And I say Christians with air
quotes because there are.

703
00:30:39,546 --> 00:30:41,538
You talk to a lot of people,
they'll say they're Christians.

704
00:30:41,634 --> 00:30:42,306
Are you a Christian?

705
00:30:42,338 --> 00:30:43,430
Oh, I'm a Christian.

706
00:30:43,770 --> 00:30:45,298
What makes you a Christian?

707
00:30:45,474 --> 00:30:47,670
Well, I believe Jesus exists.

708
00:30:48,250 --> 00:30:49,154
Well, that's not.

709
00:30:49,242 --> 00:30:50,546
That doesn't make you a Christian.

710
00:30:50,658 --> 00:30:50,930
What.

711
00:30:50,970 --> 00:30:52,870
What is the definition of a Christian?

712
00:30:54,410 --> 00:30:55,470
Little Christ.

713
00:30:55,770 --> 00:30:56,386
I'm.

714
00:30:56,418 --> 00:30:57,710
I'm a follower of Christ.

715
00:30:58,090 --> 00:30:59,138
He is the way.

716
00:30:59,194 --> 00:30:59,986
He is the truth.

717
00:31:00,018 --> 00:31:01,128
He is the life.

718
00:31:01,314 --> 00:31:03,196
Believing that Jesus exists is
not enough.

719
00:31:03,268 --> 00:31:03,916
I wish.

720
00:31:04,028 --> 00:31:05,980
I wish that I could sit up
here and tell you today that everyone

721
00:31:06,020 --> 00:31:09,356
that believes that Jesus
exists is saved, but that the Bible

722
00:31:09,468 --> 00:31:10,960
doesn't say that that's true.

723
00:31:11,460 --> 00:31:12,412
So what do we have to do?

724
00:31:12,436 --> 00:31:14,988
We have to be very clear in
the Jesus that we teach.

725
00:31:15,084 --> 00:31:18,300
We have to be very clear in
what the Bible says about Jesus.

726
00:31:18,380 --> 00:31:18,812
And, And.

727
00:31:18,836 --> 00:31:20,348
And what we have to do is we
have to.

728
00:31:20,404 --> 00:31:23,596
We have to preach a
relationship with Christ, a relationship

729
00:31:23,628 --> 00:31:25,388
with him and forgiveness of sin.

730
00:31:25,484 --> 00:31:27,320
And so what I would say is this.

731
00:31:27,880 --> 00:31:31,600
When we're looking at the
world today in popular culture, someone

732
00:31:31,640 --> 00:31:32,816
might say, hey, you know what?

733
00:31:32,888 --> 00:31:34,992
Hey, they say the word Jesus.

734
00:31:35,136 --> 00:31:38,992
They say the word love, they
say the word saved, they say the

735
00:31:39,016 --> 00:31:39,584
word heaven.

736
00:31:39,632 --> 00:31:41,104
They must be from us.

737
00:31:41,272 --> 00:31:44,048
Go deeper, take another step
and say what?

738
00:31:44,104 --> 00:31:44,864
What about Jesus?

739
00:31:44,912 --> 00:31:45,728
Are they preaching?

740
00:31:45,824 --> 00:31:46,080
I.

741
00:31:46,120 --> 00:31:49,248
I just showed Alicia a video
today, okay?

742
00:31:49,424 --> 00:31:50,880
I was like, catch this.

743
00:31:50,920 --> 00:31:54,250
I heard a guy preaching, and.

744
00:31:54,290 --> 00:31:54,618
And I.

745
00:31:54,674 --> 00:31:57,866
I'm gonna try to paraphrase
what he said, because I can't quote

746
00:31:57,898 --> 00:32:03,322
him exactly the way he said
it, but he said one day, I was in

747
00:32:03,346 --> 00:32:06,954
a room alone, and Jesus came
to me and he gave me this vision.

748
00:32:07,002 --> 00:32:08,922
And he came and he.

749
00:32:08,946 --> 00:32:11,226
He wrapped his arms around me
and he said, you know that pastor

750
00:32:11,258 --> 00:32:12,794
that said something bad about you?

751
00:32:12,882 --> 00:32:16,330
So apparently, by way of
context, this pastor had another

752
00:32:16,370 --> 00:32:18,464
pastor say something bad about
him, okay?

753
00:32:18,562 --> 00:32:19,600
And hurt him.

754
00:32:19,900 --> 00:32:21,732
You know that pastor that hurt you.

755
00:32:21,836 --> 00:32:25,268
You know what I want?

756
00:32:25,324 --> 00:32:29,920
I need you to forgive me,
because he's one of my children,

757
00:32:30,380 --> 00:32:32,132
and, and he's part of me.

758
00:32:32,236 --> 00:32:33,412
So can you please forgive me?

759
00:32:33,436 --> 00:32:37,800
This guy's saying that Jesus
is coming and asking him for forgiveness.

760
00:32:38,300 --> 00:32:39,540
This is a pastor of a.

761
00:32:39,580 --> 00:32:42,900
Of a big church, and he's
literally preaching that Jesus was

762
00:32:42,940 --> 00:32:46,226
asking this flawed human being
for forgiveness.

763
00:32:46,348 --> 00:32:47,878
Folks, that is heresy.

764
00:32:47,974 --> 00:32:50,214
Jesus does not need to ask
anyone for forgiveness.

765
00:32:50,262 --> 00:32:51,270
He's perfect in every way.

766
00:32:51,310 --> 00:32:51,750
Does not.

767
00:32:51,790 --> 00:32:52,822
Does not sin.

768
00:32:52,966 --> 00:32:53,430
And, But.

769
00:32:53,470 --> 00:32:55,494
But it sounded good because he
was up there and there was a lot

770
00:32:55,502 --> 00:32:55,926
of emotion.

771
00:32:55,958 --> 00:32:57,254
There was a lot of music playing.

772
00:32:57,342 --> 00:32:59,702
And he was up there and
everyone's saying, amen, okay?

773
00:32:59,766 --> 00:33:00,422
Oh, I feel you.

774
00:33:00,446 --> 00:33:00,646
Yeah.

775
00:33:00,678 --> 00:33:03,254
Jesus came and asked for, you
know, for forgiveness.

776
00:33:03,302 --> 00:33:06,326
Folks, if someone's preaching
that Jesus is asking for forgiveness,

777
00:33:06,358 --> 00:33:06,758
that is.

778
00:33:06,814 --> 00:33:07,910
That is heresy.

779
00:33:07,990 --> 00:33:08,838
That is wrong.

780
00:33:08,934 --> 00:33:09,878
Run away from that.

781
00:33:09,934 --> 00:33:12,866
And that's just one example of
many things that people will preach

782
00:33:12,898 --> 00:33:13,666
different than Jesus.

783
00:33:13,698 --> 00:33:15,650
And so you say, why are you
railing on this?

784
00:33:15,690 --> 00:33:18,290
Because all you gotta do is
get on the Internet for about five

785
00:33:18,330 --> 00:33:20,866
minutes and you can find about
a thousand heresies about who Jesus

786
00:33:20,898 --> 00:33:21,426
is.

787
00:33:21,578 --> 00:33:22,050
And, and.

788
00:33:22,090 --> 00:33:24,450
And I don't want to sit here
and pick out churches and pick out

789
00:33:24,490 --> 00:33:25,026
pastors.

790
00:33:25,138 --> 00:33:26,242
All I want to say is this.

791
00:33:26,266 --> 00:33:28,114
It's like the counterfeit
money, folks.

792
00:33:28,162 --> 00:33:31,870
If it's not the real thing,
throw it out, reject it.

793
00:33:32,490 --> 00:33:33,922
And, and so that's what we're
seeing here.

794
00:33:33,946 --> 00:33:35,730
And so this is a public thing.

795
00:33:35,770 --> 00:33:39,186
Verse 17, it says, and this
was known to all the Jews and Greeks

796
00:33:39,218 --> 00:33:40,646
also dwelling in Ephesus.

797
00:33:40,738 --> 00:33:42,926
And fear fell on them all.

798
00:33:43,078 --> 00:33:45,134
And the name of the Lord Jesus
was magnified.

799
00:33:45,182 --> 00:33:45,390
So.

800
00:33:45,430 --> 00:33:46,430
So Jesus uses this.

801
00:33:46,470 --> 00:33:50,686
God uses this as a way to
point people to having an authentic

802
00:33:50,718 --> 00:33:52,014
relationship with Christ.

803
00:33:52,182 --> 00:33:52,894
Okay?

804
00:33:53,022 --> 00:33:54,734
They see what it means to be fake.

805
00:33:54,782 --> 00:33:57,470
And there was great revival here.

806
00:33:57,510 --> 00:33:57,950
Verse 18.

807
00:33:57,990 --> 00:34:01,486
And many that believed came
and confessed and showed their deeds.

808
00:34:01,518 --> 00:34:06,858
And so it was actually God's
judgment upon these false teachers

809
00:34:06,974 --> 00:34:09,430
that drove many people to the
true Jesus.

810
00:34:10,490 --> 00:34:14,190
And, and, and so what I would
say for us here tonight is this.

811
00:34:14,730 --> 00:34:18,578
Don't allow false teaching to
drive you away from Christ.

812
00:34:18,714 --> 00:34:21,714
Allow false teaching to bring
you to Christ more.

813
00:34:21,882 --> 00:34:22,306
Right?

814
00:34:22,378 --> 00:34:25,202
The more people preach that we
don't need Jesus is actually, the

815
00:34:25,226 --> 00:34:28,418
more we need Jesus, the more
people starting to preach that it's

816
00:34:28,434 --> 00:34:29,378
all about you.

817
00:34:29,514 --> 00:34:29,826
It's.

818
00:34:29,858 --> 00:34:31,630
The more that it's not about me.

819
00:34:32,090 --> 00:34:37,450
Look, the Bible was not
written as me as the centerpiece.

820
00:34:37,950 --> 00:34:38,310
And.

821
00:34:38,350 --> 00:34:41,770
And likewise, the Bible was
not written as you as the centerpiece.

822
00:34:42,350 --> 00:34:45,530
The Bible was written as Jesus
is the centerpiece.

823
00:34:45,950 --> 00:34:46,358
So.

824
00:34:46,414 --> 00:34:54,662
So if a sermon or a ministry
or a study is about you and you are

825
00:34:54,686 --> 00:34:59,502
the hero of the story and God
is helping you become the best you

826
00:34:59,606 --> 00:35:01,742
that you are this and you are that.

827
00:35:01,766 --> 00:35:01,950
The.

828
00:35:01,990 --> 00:35:02,590
The truth is this.

829
00:35:02,630 --> 00:35:02,846
Yeah.

830
00:35:02,878 --> 00:35:04,334
Yes, you have identity in Christ.

831
00:35:04,422 --> 00:35:06,030
Yes, you have victory in Christ.

832
00:35:06,150 --> 00:35:09,774
But at the end of the day, the
call to action is not, I need to

833
00:35:09,782 --> 00:35:11,038
think better about myself.

834
00:35:11,134 --> 00:35:12,810
I need to think better about Christ.

835
00:35:13,110 --> 00:35:15,822
Now, the more I think properly
about Christ, the more properly I

836
00:35:15,846 --> 00:35:16,814
think about myself.

837
00:35:16,942 --> 00:35:17,230
So.

838
00:35:17,270 --> 00:35:18,558
So it's not about self hate.

839
00:35:18,654 --> 00:35:18,958
Okay?

840
00:35:18,974 --> 00:35:21,806
By the way, I don't teach that
we should flog ourselves.

841
00:35:21,918 --> 00:35:26,008
There are some teachers and
preachers out there in a very small

842
00:35:26,064 --> 00:35:28,872
group that say we should
actually harm ourselves because we

843
00:35:28,896 --> 00:35:31,256
should hate ourselves because
our flesh is evil.

844
00:35:31,288 --> 00:35:32,792
That's not a good teaching.

845
00:35:32,856 --> 00:35:34,120
Okay, what?

846
00:35:34,160 --> 00:35:37,784
Because the Bible says that we
present our bodies, a living sacrifice

847
00:35:37,832 --> 00:35:40,168
wholly acceptable unto God,
which is our reasonable service.

848
00:35:40,304 --> 00:35:43,592
It doesn't say that our bodies
can't be used by God, so we need

849
00:35:43,616 --> 00:35:44,440
to kill our bodies.

850
00:35:44,520 --> 00:35:46,936
No, the Bible says that we
should use our bodies for the cause

851
00:35:46,968 --> 00:35:49,246
of the gospel, so we shouldn't
hate ourselves.

852
00:35:49,408 --> 00:35:52,082
Cause sometimes when I get up
here and preach and I say, guys,

853
00:35:52,226 --> 00:35:54,594
you know, we're inadequate,
people go, well, Pastor, why are

854
00:35:54,602 --> 00:35:55,122
you telling me?

855
00:35:55,146 --> 00:35:55,586
I'm not?

856
00:35:55,658 --> 00:35:57,282
Am I supposed to not like myself?

857
00:35:57,426 --> 00:36:00,562
No, but if the idea is love
Jesus Christ properly and you will

858
00:36:00,586 --> 00:36:02,070
see yourself properly.

859
00:36:02,890 --> 00:36:05,490
Problem that we have in
American society today is that we

860
00:36:05,530 --> 00:36:07,378
actually think better of
ourselves than we should.

861
00:36:07,514 --> 00:36:09,170
And see, and that's the idea.

862
00:36:09,330 --> 00:36:12,962
But, but if you love Christ
properly, here, here's a.

863
00:36:12,986 --> 00:36:14,834
Here's a thing that someone
taught me a long time ago, and I

864
00:36:14,842 --> 00:36:16,164
was just shocked by it.

865
00:36:16,322 --> 00:36:17,648
But it actually is true.

866
00:36:17,744 --> 00:36:18,672
It's very basic.

867
00:36:18,736 --> 00:36:21,552
If you love Christ properly,
you will love your spouse properly.

868
00:36:21,616 --> 00:36:24,448
If you love Christ properly
first, you will love your children

869
00:36:24,504 --> 00:36:25,088
properly.

870
00:36:25,184 --> 00:36:28,928
If you love Christ first, you
will understand who you are in yourself

871
00:36:29,024 --> 00:36:29,744
properly.

872
00:36:29,872 --> 00:36:33,488
So it's having a proper
perspective of Christ puts us in

873
00:36:33,544 --> 00:36:37,152
the place where we're properly
aligned in every other area of our

874
00:36:37,176 --> 00:36:37,696
life.

875
00:36:37,848 --> 00:36:41,824
So if we want to be a properly
aligned church, who do we see properly?

876
00:36:41,872 --> 00:36:42,720
Christian Christ.

877
00:36:43,980 --> 00:36:45,524
And we reach people in the community.

878
00:36:45,612 --> 00:36:50,580
Not because, hey, look at what
we have or look at what we do or

879
00:36:50,620 --> 00:36:51,892
look at whatever.

880
00:36:52,036 --> 00:36:53,972
Let's point people to Christ.

881
00:36:54,076 --> 00:36:55,440
That's what Paul did.

882
00:36:56,140 --> 00:36:59,396
So the Lord Jesus at the end
of verse 17, and I like this phrase

883
00:36:59,428 --> 00:37:03,316
here, the name of the Lord
Jesus was magnified.

884
00:37:03,428 --> 00:37:03,988
What.

885
00:37:04,124 --> 00:37:04,532
What if?

886
00:37:04,556 --> 00:37:07,080
That was the testimony of
Middletown Baptist Church.

887
00:37:08,550 --> 00:37:09,342
What if, what if?

888
00:37:09,366 --> 00:37:11,582
What if there was a book
written about us at the end of time

889
00:37:11,606 --> 00:37:13,710
and they say, Middletown
Baptist Church, what were they known

890
00:37:13,750 --> 00:37:14,330
for?

891
00:37:15,030 --> 00:37:17,326
They had a really good potluck
meals on Sundays.

892
00:37:17,358 --> 00:37:18,606
I mean, that's.

893
00:37:18,638 --> 00:37:18,830
I.

894
00:37:18,870 --> 00:37:19,358
I like that.

895
00:37:19,414 --> 00:37:20,126
It's a good thing.

896
00:37:20,198 --> 00:37:23,678
I wouldn't want to, you know,
say, say bring bad food in.

897
00:37:23,734 --> 00:37:26,570
But the idea is, is that we
want to be known for more than that.

898
00:37:27,190 --> 00:37:31,310
That the Lord Jesus was
magnified, that he was lifted up,

899
00:37:31,350 --> 00:37:31,966
that he was.

900
00:37:32,038 --> 00:37:34,690
That he was exalted that he
was the centerpiece.

901
00:37:34,830 --> 00:37:35,818
That's what it's all about.

902
00:37:35,874 --> 00:37:36,458
Verse 18.

903
00:37:36,514 --> 00:37:40,810
And many that believe came and
confessed and showed their deeds.

904
00:37:40,890 --> 00:37:42,026
So what does this mean?

905
00:37:42,178 --> 00:37:45,510
Means belief comes first.

906
00:37:45,970 --> 00:37:47,146
Follow me here.

907
00:37:47,298 --> 00:37:52,346
Belief, confession and works
show their deeds.

908
00:37:52,378 --> 00:37:53,194
It's not works.

909
00:37:53,242 --> 00:37:58,682
Confession and then believe
starts with belief, and with that

910
00:37:58,706 --> 00:38:00,430
belief does come repentance.

911
00:38:00,740 --> 00:38:01,100
Right?

912
00:38:01,140 --> 00:38:02,236
We turn away from our sin.

913
00:38:02,268 --> 00:38:03,100
We should turn away from.

914
00:38:03,140 --> 00:38:06,040
We should want to turn away
from our sin after we believe.

915
00:38:06,500 --> 00:38:08,780
We should want to serve after
we believe.

916
00:38:08,820 --> 00:38:09,532
But what do you see here?

917
00:38:09,556 --> 00:38:09,900
Is this.

918
00:38:09,940 --> 00:38:14,892
That they believe and
confessed and showed their deeds.

919
00:38:14,956 --> 00:38:16,000
They worked.

920
00:38:16,340 --> 00:38:17,612
So it's not works.

921
00:38:17,756 --> 00:38:19,804
Confession, belief.

922
00:38:19,932 --> 00:38:21,240
It's the other way around.

923
00:38:21,540 --> 00:38:22,364
It's belief.

924
00:38:22,412 --> 00:38:23,148
Belief in who?

925
00:38:23,204 --> 00:38:24,200
Jesus Christ.

926
00:38:24,580 --> 00:38:28,156
Many of them also, which use
curious arts, brought their books

927
00:38:28,188 --> 00:38:33,420
together and burned them all
before all men.

928
00:38:34,600 --> 00:38:37,072
And they counted the price of
them and found it.

929
00:38:37,096 --> 00:38:40,432
50,000 pieces of silver, you
might say.

930
00:38:40,456 --> 00:38:40,640
What.

931
00:38:40,680 --> 00:38:41,120
What are we.

932
00:38:41,160 --> 00:38:41,472
What are we.

933
00:38:41,496 --> 00:38:42,416
What are they talking about here?

934
00:38:42,488 --> 00:38:47,776
These people that watch these
charlatans, these mystics get judged

935
00:38:47,808 --> 00:38:48,976
by God were con.

936
00:38:49,048 --> 00:38:51,728
Convicted of their own mystic arts.

937
00:38:51,824 --> 00:38:55,860
And they took these things and
they put that before this fire and

938
00:38:55,900 --> 00:38:56,612
they burned it up.

939
00:38:56,636 --> 00:38:58,804
And they said, no longer are
we going to allow these things to

940
00:38:58,812 --> 00:38:59,412
dictate our life.

941
00:38:59,436 --> 00:39:00,308
We want Jesus Christ.

942
00:39:00,364 --> 00:39:02,276
And the Bible says here that they.

943
00:39:02,348 --> 00:39:04,884
They counted up the price of
all the stuff that they destroyed.

944
00:39:04,932 --> 00:39:08,724
And 50,000 pieces of silver,
which I was looking at some commentaries

945
00:39:08,772 --> 00:39:11,540
and, you know, obviously it
all depends, but we're talking like

946
00:39:11,580 --> 00:39:13,172
millions of dollars in our
currency today.

947
00:39:13,196 --> 00:39:18,196
It was like this big, big show
and sign of submission to Christ.

948
00:39:18,268 --> 00:39:19,920
Now I've been part of services.

949
00:39:20,710 --> 00:39:21,310
I.

950
00:39:21,430 --> 00:39:22,590
We got five more minutes here.

951
00:39:22,630 --> 00:39:23,774
Just give me a second.

952
00:39:23,942 --> 00:39:27,550
I've been part of services
where we were so charged up with

953
00:39:27,590 --> 00:39:29,886
what the preacher was
preaching that we all threw our stuff

954
00:39:29,918 --> 00:39:30,494
in the fire.

955
00:39:30,582 --> 00:39:31,310
Was there.

956
00:39:31,430 --> 00:39:32,718
All right, we were brought.

957
00:39:32,894 --> 00:39:35,854
Bringing our tapes from home
on our CDs and our DVDs that were

958
00:39:35,862 --> 00:39:36,558
all sinful.

959
00:39:36,654 --> 00:39:38,782
And this guy had this big
bonfire and he's like, all right,

960
00:39:38,806 --> 00:39:40,238
everyone throw it in the fire.

961
00:39:40,374 --> 00:39:42,350
And we were like, yeah, we
threw it in the fire.

962
00:39:42,390 --> 00:39:43,070
That was a good act.

963
00:39:43,110 --> 00:39:45,070
But the problem was, is that
people kept some.

964
00:39:45,110 --> 00:39:46,366
Some tape back home.

965
00:39:46,518 --> 00:39:49,432
They had a backup plan or they
had digital files to back it up.

966
00:39:49,456 --> 00:39:52,632
The problem is, is that if we
just throw things in the fire, that

967
00:39:52,656 --> 00:39:54,344
immediately takes out the.

968
00:39:54,512 --> 00:39:57,460
The instrument of evil in our life.

969
00:39:58,000 --> 00:40:01,368
But if we don't change the
heart, we'll go right back.

970
00:40:01,504 --> 00:40:02,520
We'll go right back.

971
00:40:02,640 --> 00:40:02,920
And.

972
00:40:02,960 --> 00:40:06,920
And many of Those people that
threw it in the fire, I knew them

973
00:40:07,040 --> 00:40:09,880
and I knew what they went
right back to a couple weeks later.

974
00:40:10,000 --> 00:40:10,280
And.

975
00:40:10,320 --> 00:40:13,208
And so it's not so much of
destroying the things in our life

976
00:40:13,264 --> 00:40:14,296
that cause the sin.

977
00:40:14,328 --> 00:40:14,520
That.

978
00:40:14,560 --> 00:40:15,754
That is an element of it.

979
00:40:15,832 --> 00:40:16,630
And I'm all for that.

980
00:40:16,670 --> 00:40:18,726
You say, pastor, I got some
things in my life that are causing

981
00:40:18,758 --> 00:40:19,606
me sin.

982
00:40:19,798 --> 00:40:20,198
I.

983
00:40:20,254 --> 00:40:20,486
I'll.

984
00:40:20,518 --> 00:40:21,878
I'll be the one that starts
the fire.

985
00:40:21,934 --> 00:40:22,198
Okay?

986
00:40:22,214 --> 00:40:23,398
Right there in the back in the
fire pit.

987
00:40:23,414 --> 00:40:24,326
We'll throw it in the fire.

988
00:40:24,398 --> 00:40:26,726
But we're also gonna talk
about how God can give you the victory

989
00:40:26,758 --> 00:40:28,406
and the desire for those things.

990
00:40:28,478 --> 00:40:31,606
And that's exactly what we see
here, is that verse 20.

991
00:40:31,678 --> 00:40:33,330
Okay, and we'll stop here.

992
00:40:34,030 --> 00:40:39,690
So mightily, mightily grew the
Word of God and prevailed.

993
00:40:40,510 --> 00:40:42,230
So, so, so what they did was this.

994
00:40:42,270 --> 00:40:42,470
They.

995
00:40:42,510 --> 00:40:43,430
They used this.

996
00:40:43,470 --> 00:40:47,512
And they used this opportunity
of their confession and their works

997
00:40:47,576 --> 00:40:51,500
to a place where the Word of
God was amplified.

998
00:40:51,920 --> 00:40:52,616
So, so.

999
00:40:52,688 --> 00:40:54,820
So the goal was this.

1000
00:40:55,440 --> 00:40:58,200
Not that they would just
remove all the bad things from their

1001
00:40:58,240 --> 00:41:02,712
life, but that the Word of God
was infused into their life.

1002
00:41:02,896 --> 00:41:03,880
And, and so it.

1003
00:41:03,920 --> 00:41:04,136
It's.

1004
00:41:04,168 --> 00:41:06,536
It's a life guided by the Word
of God.

1005
00:41:06,648 --> 00:41:08,328
So, so a lot of people say,
don't give me the Word.

1006
00:41:08,344 --> 00:41:09,672
I want to be guided by the Spirit.

1007
00:41:09,736 --> 00:41:12,552
Folks, the Word of God tells
us what the Spirit wants for our

1008
00:41:12,576 --> 00:41:13,140
life.

1009
00:41:13,880 --> 00:41:15,312
People will say, you know what?

1010
00:41:15,416 --> 00:41:17,056
Well, the Spirit led me to do
this sin.

1011
00:41:17,088 --> 00:41:19,648
No, the Spirit never led you
to do a sin that was your flesh.

1012
00:41:19,744 --> 00:41:22,224
Because the Spirit will never
lead you in contradiction to what

1013
00:41:22,232 --> 00:41:23,088
the Word of God says.

1014
00:41:23,144 --> 00:41:23,552
Why?

1015
00:41:23,656 --> 00:41:25,424
Because the same person wrote it.

1016
00:41:25,512 --> 00:41:26,000
Okay?

1017
00:41:26,080 --> 00:41:28,112
The Holy Spirit inspired the
Word of God.

1018
00:41:28,176 --> 00:41:30,592
And so God is not going to
contradict himself.

1019
00:41:30,736 --> 00:41:35,392
And, and so we see that the
Word of God grew and prevailed in

1020
00:41:35,416 --> 00:41:36,128
their midst.

1021
00:41:36,224 --> 00:41:38,592
And after these things ended,
Paul purposed in the Spirit when

1022
00:41:38,616 --> 00:41:41,546
he had passed through
Macedonia and Achaia to go to Jerusalem,

1023
00:41:41,578 --> 00:41:45,194
saying, after I have been
there, I must also see Rome.

1024
00:41:45,322 --> 00:41:48,650
So he sent into Macedonia two
of them that ministered unto him,

1025
00:41:48,690 --> 00:41:50,602
Timotheus or Timothy and Erastus.

1026
00:41:50,666 --> 00:41:52,618
But he himself stayed in Asia
for a season.

1027
00:41:52,674 --> 00:41:55,450
So that kind of concludes that thought.

1028
00:41:55,490 --> 00:41:58,154
We're going to see that even
in this time period, there's going

1029
00:41:58,162 --> 00:42:01,546
to be confusion in Ephesus and
an uprising because of human nature.

1030
00:42:01,658 --> 00:42:02,666
But we'll stop there.

1031
00:42:02,738 --> 00:42:05,338
But one of the things I want
you to see through this whole passage

1032
00:42:05,434 --> 00:42:08,380
at the end of verse 17, and at
the end will all.

1033
00:42:08,420 --> 00:42:13,772
Verse 20, end of verse 17,
authentic church has the name of

1034
00:42:13,796 --> 00:42:15,760
The Lord Jesus magnified.

1035
00:42:16,660 --> 00:42:21,276
An authentic church has the
Word of God growing and prevailing

1036
00:42:21,308 --> 00:42:22,320
in their midst.

1037
00:42:23,460 --> 00:42:27,356
A growing church, biblically
speaking, is a church that wants

1038
00:42:27,388 --> 00:42:28,844
the Word of God more.

1039
00:42:29,012 --> 00:42:29,292
So.

1040
00:42:29,316 --> 00:42:30,204
No, no, no, Pastor.

1041
00:42:30,252 --> 00:42:33,404
Growing churches, when the
doors, when people are filing out

1042
00:42:33,412 --> 00:42:33,804
the doors.

1043
00:42:33,852 --> 00:42:36,132
No, that's not necessarily a
growing church.

1044
00:42:36,316 --> 00:42:36,932
Okay?

1045
00:42:36,996 --> 00:42:39,716
That's a church that has more
people, but that's not a church that's

1046
00:42:39,748 --> 00:42:40,276
growing.

1047
00:42:40,388 --> 00:42:42,692
Now, can a church that has a
lot of people be growing at the same

1048
00:42:42,716 --> 00:42:42,900
time?

1049
00:42:42,940 --> 00:42:44,308
Yes, I.

1050
00:42:44,364 --> 00:42:48,532
I like to look out and see the
pews filled on Sunday mornings, and

1051
00:42:48,556 --> 00:42:49,716
I would like to see it on
Sunday nights.

1052
00:42:49,748 --> 00:42:50,884
But I'm thankful that you're here.

1053
00:42:50,972 --> 00:42:52,932
But on Sunday mornings, I look
out and I'm like, hey, you know,

1054
00:42:52,956 --> 00:42:55,540
we're starting to fill up the
pews, and that's a good thing.

1055
00:42:55,660 --> 00:42:57,220
But we can't say that that's enough.

1056
00:42:57,260 --> 00:42:59,924
What we have to say is that
are these people growing in the Lord

1057
00:42:59,972 --> 00:43:02,564
in the depth of their
knowledge of the Word of God and

1058
00:43:02,652 --> 00:43:04,128
application of the Word of God?

1059
00:43:04,244 --> 00:43:07,624
That's the bigger picture of
growth because we can be a thousand

1060
00:43:07,712 --> 00:43:12,300
miles wide but be an inch deep.

1061
00:43:13,520 --> 00:43:13,880
And.

1062
00:43:13,920 --> 00:43:15,672
And I think that we should
have deep roots.

1063
00:43:15,736 --> 00:43:16,248
Psalm 1.

1064
00:43:16,304 --> 00:43:16,664
Psalm.

1065
00:43:16,712 --> 00:43:19,336
Psalm 1 is the passage of
scripture that we have dedicated

1066
00:43:19,448 --> 00:43:22,136
to our son Silas as his life passage.

1067
00:43:22,168 --> 00:43:25,096
Now, he might change that when
he gets older, but in that passage

1068
00:43:25,128 --> 00:43:29,272
of scripture, it says a lot,
but it talks about a man who loves

1069
00:43:29,336 --> 00:43:30,344
God's word.

1070
00:43:30,472 --> 00:43:33,224
And it says that he shall be
like a tree planted by the rivers

1071
00:43:33,272 --> 00:43:36,040
of water that bringeth forth
his fruit in his season.

1072
00:43:36,160 --> 00:43:38,168
His leaf also shall not wither.

1073
00:43:38,344 --> 00:43:39,944
And so what does that mean?

1074
00:43:40,112 --> 00:43:43,416
That means that we want to be
deep Christians depth.

1075
00:43:43,528 --> 00:43:47,128
So that when the storms of
life come, we have those deep roots.

1076
00:43:47,224 --> 00:43:50,200
Because you know what a tree
we had a couple years back, we had

1077
00:43:50,240 --> 00:43:50,744
trees.

1078
00:43:50,872 --> 00:43:52,952
There was a big storm.

1079
00:43:53,096 --> 00:43:54,024
It was something called.

1080
00:43:54,112 --> 00:43:56,494
I don't even know what it was
called, but it was like this storm

1081
00:43:56,542 --> 00:44:00,090
system that like pushes air
down and then pushes it out.

1082
00:44:00,550 --> 00:44:02,798
And all these trees uprooted
back there.

1083
00:44:02,934 --> 00:44:06,414
And we realized that some of
these trees had really shallow roots.

1084
00:44:06,462 --> 00:44:09,454
They're really tall trees, but
the root system isn't that deep.

1085
00:44:09,582 --> 00:44:11,774
Well, that tree looked like
the strongest tree in the world to

1086
00:44:11,782 --> 00:44:12,046
me.

1087
00:44:12,118 --> 00:44:13,886
Like, that tree is like 40ft tall.

1088
00:44:13,998 --> 00:44:14,398
That tree.

1089
00:44:14,414 --> 00:44:16,046
I can't put my arms around
that tree.

1090
00:44:16,158 --> 00:44:20,062
It looked good on the outside,
but what happened is that it wasn't

1091
00:44:20,126 --> 00:44:20,846
deeply rooted.

1092
00:44:20,878 --> 00:44:24,530
And the storms of life came,
and that was the test.

1093
00:44:24,830 --> 00:44:27,570
Some of those trees that were
deeply rooted Stayed there.

1094
00:44:27,870 --> 00:44:29,798
And so that's what it's like
in a Christian's life.

1095
00:44:29,854 --> 00:44:32,250
Oh, well, look, Pastor, I'm in church.

1096
00:44:32,670 --> 00:44:33,926
I look the part.

1097
00:44:34,078 --> 00:44:35,654
I talk like a Christian.

1098
00:44:35,782 --> 00:44:38,010
I can even claim the name of Jesus.

1099
00:44:38,430 --> 00:44:42,214
But if there is no depth to
the root system, if there is no depth

1100
00:44:42,262 --> 00:44:47,142
to our belief, it'll look fine
until what the challenge comes, the

1101
00:44:47,166 --> 00:44:48,332
storm of life comes.

1102
00:44:48,486 --> 00:44:52,016
And that's when we see the
true test of a Christian's depth.

1103
00:44:52,048 --> 00:44:56,064
And so we as a church, yes, we
want to be miles and miles wide.

1104
00:44:56,112 --> 00:44:59,552
We want to expand our church,
we want to build new buildings, we

1105
00:44:59,576 --> 00:45:00,912
want to have more properties.

1106
00:45:01,056 --> 00:45:02,960
But also, let's get deep.

1107
00:45:03,120 --> 00:45:06,256
Let's get deep, because that's
where true strength in the Lord comes.

1108
00:45:06,408 --> 00:45:10,448
And so that is the story of
the seven sons of Sceva.

1109
00:45:10,464 --> 00:45:12,352
I don't know if you've ever
heard of that story, but it's an

1110
00:45:12,376 --> 00:45:13,008
interesting story.

1111
00:45:13,064 --> 00:45:16,822
Some fake guys, and the power
of God was not resting upon them,

1112
00:45:16,846 --> 00:45:17,750
and they were defeated.

1113
00:45:17,830 --> 00:45:20,406
But obviously, we know that
the power of God was resting on Paul's

1114
00:45:20,438 --> 00:45:21,702
life because of his relationship.

1115
00:45:21,766 --> 00:45:23,570
So let's have a relationship
with Christ.

1116
00:45:24,110 --> 00:45:26,582
If we can teach anybody
anything at our church, it's that

1117
00:45:26,606 --> 00:45:29,910
we need Jesus and we need to
have an authentic relationship with

1118
00:45:29,950 --> 00:45:30,530
him.

1119
00:45:31,230 --> 00:45:32,438
I want to be.

1120
00:45:32,574 --> 00:45:34,166
I want to connect with people
at the church.

1121
00:45:34,198 --> 00:45:37,558
I think that it is my role as
a pastor to.

1122
00:45:37,614 --> 00:45:39,862
To equip the saints for the
work of the ministry.

1123
00:45:40,006 --> 00:45:42,502
Um, but the reality is, is
that I don't want people to fall

1124
00:45:42,526 --> 00:45:43,942
in love with me.

1125
00:45:44,126 --> 00:45:46,262
I want people to fall in love
with Jesus.

1126
00:45:46,406 --> 00:45:47,174
And that's.

1127
00:45:47,222 --> 00:45:48,570
That's the challenge.

1128
00:45:49,070 --> 00:45:50,198
The challenge is this.

1129
00:45:50,254 --> 00:45:51,878
Let's not keep our eyes on, man.

1130
00:45:51,934 --> 00:45:53,670
Let's not keep our eyes on a program.

1131
00:45:53,790 --> 00:45:56,630
Let's not keep our eyes on a
church formula that.

1132
00:45:56,670 --> 00:45:57,030
You know what?

1133
00:45:57,070 --> 00:45:57,814
We don't need a.

1134
00:45:57,902 --> 00:45:58,726
A church formula.

1135
00:45:58,758 --> 00:46:00,214
We got the church formula
right here.

1136
00:46:00,302 --> 00:46:01,430
Follow scripture.

1137
00:46:01,590 --> 00:46:03,030
Like, you know, there.

1138
00:46:03,070 --> 00:46:05,246
There are tactics and tools
that can work in this town.

1139
00:46:05,358 --> 00:46:06,446
It might not work in this town.

1140
00:46:06,518 --> 00:46:08,974
It might work with this
pastor, but it might not work with

1141
00:46:08,982 --> 00:46:09,550
this pastor.

1142
00:46:09,630 --> 00:46:12,046
As long as we're following the
word of God, we have the freedom

1143
00:46:12,158 --> 00:46:13,534
to do what we need to do.

1144
00:46:13,622 --> 00:46:15,982
But the truth is, is that if
we deviate from this and think that

1145
00:46:16,006 --> 00:46:18,478
there's another book that's
better than this, we.

1146
00:46:18,534 --> 00:46:19,406
We've missed out.

1147
00:46:19,478 --> 00:46:20,926
This is the core piece.

1148
00:46:21,038 --> 00:46:23,630
And I don't care if there's
2,000 people or.

1149
00:46:23,670 --> 00:46:24,990
Or 20 people here.

1150
00:46:25,110 --> 00:46:27,982
That's what the core should
be, and that's the goal for us as

1151
00:46:28,006 --> 00:46:30,622
believers, so hope that that's
been beneficial to you here this

1152
00:46:30,646 --> 00:46:30,846
evening.

1153
00:46:30,878 --> 00:46:31,988
We'll continue on our study.

1154
00:46:32,094 --> 00:46:33,912
We'll look at acts, chapter 19
next week.

1155
00:46:33,936 --> 00:46:38,072
And we'll look at the
confusion in Ephesus.

1156
00:46:38,216 --> 00:46:41,820
Cause believe it or not, in
our humanity there's confusion.

1157
00:46:42,320 --> 00:46:48,136
And there, there, there is
this man named Demetrius, which we're

1158
00:46:48,168 --> 00:46:48,792
gonna study.

1159
00:46:48,896 --> 00:46:53,080
And he makes this silver shine
shrine to Diana.

1160
00:46:53,240 --> 00:46:55,080
And they, they come up with
this chant.

1161
00:46:55,160 --> 00:46:55,400
Great.

1162
00:46:55,440 --> 00:46:57,080
Is Diana in Ephesus?

1163
00:46:57,240 --> 00:47:00,196
So, so quickly they forgot the
power of God.

1164
00:47:00,228 --> 00:47:02,772
And so quickly we can forget
the power of God and build our own

1165
00:47:02,796 --> 00:47:04,804
shrines to Diana.

1166
00:47:04,852 --> 00:47:07,012
Not literally to Diana, but
you guys know what I mean.

1167
00:47:07,036 --> 00:47:09,044
We build our own shrines to
things and we miss it.

1168
00:47:09,052 --> 00:47:10,560
So that's what we're going to
talk about next week.

1169
00:47:11,100 --> 00:47:13,764
Thank you again for listening
to the Middletown Baptist Church

1170
00:47:13,812 --> 00:47:14,612
podcast.

1171
00:47:14,756 --> 00:47:17,280
I hope that this sermon has
been a blessing for you.

1172
00:47:17,740 --> 00:47:19,956
You would like to find out
more information about our church

1173
00:47:19,988 --> 00:47:23,604
or this sermon, you can find
us at middletownbaptistchurch.org

1174
00:47:23,732 --> 00:47:26,530
or find us on Facebook or YouTube.

1175
00:47:26,950 --> 00:47:31,550
You can also email me directly
at Josh Massaro at middletownbaptistchurch.

1176
00:47:31,630 --> 00:47:32,254
Com.

1177
00:47:32,422 --> 00:47:35,918
If you've enjoyed this
podcast, please subscribe and follow

1178
00:47:35,974 --> 00:47:38,930
along for future podcast and updates.

1179
00:47:39,350 --> 00:47:40,478
Thank you so much.

1180
00:47:40,614 --> 00:47:41,454
God bless.

1181
00:47:41,582 --> 00:47:42,630
Have a wonderful day.