S1: Today on Bold Steps with Mark Jobe, we'll explore how
S1: to handle life when the pressure is on.
S2: What's coming out of you while you're under pressure? Is
S2: it complaining and criticism and negativity and discouragement and gossip?
S2: Or is it I'm going to look to the heavens
S2: and raise my voice and bless your name. I'm wondering
S2: what's coming out of you under pressure.
S1: Welcome to Bold Steps with Mark Jobe. Mark is founding
S1: pastor of New Life Community Church in Chicago. I'm Wayne Shepherd. Well, Mark,
S1: everyone responds differently to God's voice. And so today we're
S1: going to be looking at the responses of several people
S1: in Scripture who encountered Jesus and talk about how we
S1: should react not only to God's voice, but also when
S1: the pressure is on, especially when the pressure is on.
S3: Yeah. And Wayne, that's the reality is that we don't
S3: all respond to God the same way. It's different things
S3: that get our attention. In this account. We're going to
S3: see a businesswoman. We're going to see a demon possessed
S3: young lady, and we're going to see a jailer. They
S3: encounter God, but each of them encounter God a different way.
S3: And that's the beauty of it. Think of your own story.
S3: God reached you in a unique way that's probably different
S3: than your husband or your kids or your neighbor. But nonetheless,
S3: we have to respond to the voice of God and
S3: the noise that God makes.
S1: All right, this comes from the book of acts. We're
S1: in chapter 16. Make some noise. I love that title.
S1: Here's Mark job.
S2: In acts chapter 16. This is a story of how
S2: it all got started. This is a story of people's
S2: lives being changed. I'm going to introduce you to three
S2: people today. A business woman. High end business woman. A
S2: slave girl that was demon possessed. And a jailer that
S2: had a powerful encounter with Jesus. You know, the church
S2: is very diverse. How about it? If the church is
S2: doing its job, it should have people from all kinds
S2: of backgrounds. Look around you for a minute. Just take
S2: a moment. I know it's rude to stare behind you,
S2: but just take a moment to look around this auditorium.
S2: Could you do that? Go ahead. Do it. There's some
S2: pretty handsome people in this auditorium, right? Good looking people.
S2: But there is a huge diversity in this place. Some
S2: of you grew up Christians. Some of you never came
S2: to a church until recently. Some of you grew up
S2: in that side of the tracks. Others grew up in
S2: the other side of the tracks. Some of you came
S2: to God because your grandmother prayed for you. Some of
S2: you came to God because you had a radical encounter
S2: with the power of Jesus recently that turns you around,
S2: God has a way of bringing many people from different
S2: backgrounds to form his body that we call the church.
S2: The title of my message is make some Noise, make
S2: some Noise. Recently we had a radio broadcast in our chapel,
S2: a live radio broadcast in our chapel, and the producers
S2: of the radio show, when they went on the air,
S2: they were on the sidelines telling the audience to clap.
S2: They were based. They basically said in between, make some noise, clap.
S2: And so before the show went on, we all clapped
S2: and made some noise because they coached us. They wanted
S2: people that were listening via the airwaves to know that
S2: there was an audience in the place, and the only
S2: way they could know is if we made some noise.
S2: I was at the United Center a while back watching
S2: a Bulls game, and I was in the nosebleed section
S2: of the bleachers. And as I was trying to see
S2: the ants playing on the court down there, a guy
S2: came up and I can only describe him as a cheerleader.
S2: He came into our section and he was hired by
S2: the United by the Bulls organization to stir up the crowd.
S2: And so he had a sign that said clap. And
S2: he was stirring people up, and he was going like this.
S2: And he kept saying, make some noise, make some noise.
S2: And he stirred up the crowd. And so all of
S2: that section started to cheer and shout and make some noise.
S2: Why were we making noise? Because we wanted the players
S2: to know that we were in the house. When we're
S2: in the House, we encourage those that are playing the game.
S2: You make some noise. And there's times that we have
S2: to get loud, make some noise because we believe in something,
S2: because there's something that's so close to us that we're
S2: so excited about, that we can't contain ourselves and we
S2: want to make sure we make some noise. I believe
S2: that any time we're in the house of God, it's
S2: worth making some noise to the praise of God. So
S2: can I ask you? One, two, three, make some noise
S2: in Jesus name for the glory and honor of God.
S2: Can I ask you to make some noise? Yeah. There
S2: you go. Yeah. See? I knew you had it in you.
S2: We're just letting the neighborhood know there's something happening right
S2: there in that auditorium. We're serving notice to the spiritual
S2: world around us. There are some people in the house
S2: that are excited about the King of Kings and Lord
S2: of lords, whose name is Jesus Christ, the Savior of humanity. Yeah.
S2: And so once in a while, we make some noise.
S2: But I also know that sometimes under pressure, we all
S2: have sounds that we make. And sometimes what comes out
S2: of us is aren't always the best. You're in a
S2: traffic jam on I-55. Someone's cutting, cutting in front of you.
S2: People are honking their horns, and you're feeling the stress
S2: and the pressure of having to be somewhere on time.
S2: And let me tell you that the pressure's on when
S2: you start being squeezed. Sometimes the noise comes out. And
S2: for some of us that aren't sanctified, sometimes it's not
S2: a sanctified sound. We have a little dog in my house.
S2: Her name is Angel. My wife bought her a toy.
S2: And it's something interesting with this toy that every time
S2: you put pressure on this toy, you squeeze the toy.
S2: It makes a squeaky sound. I know that every time
S2: you put pressure on it, a squeak comes out of it.
S2: And I'm just wondering today that if you're under pressure,
S2: if you're feeling the weight of finances, the weight of
S2: family issues, the weight of a marriage struggle, the weight
S2: of a bad doctor's report, the weight of frustration at
S2: work with some coworker. I'm wondering what kind of sound
S2: is coming out of you. I'm wondering what kind of
S2: noise you're making under pressure. I'm just wondering out loud.
S2: Think about it for a second. What's coming out of
S2: you while you're under pressure? Is it complaining and criticism
S2: and negativity and discouragement and gossip? Or is it Lord,
S2: I'm under pressure. So under pressure, I'm going to look
S2: to the heavens and raise my voice. And bless your name.
S2: I'm wondering what's coming out of you under pressure. Because
S2: the verse that stood out of all of acts, chapter
S2: 16 to me was verse 25. The apostle Paul and
S2: his sidekick Silas have just been beaten with rods, attacked
S2: by a mob, clothes stripped off their bloody, they're bruised,
S2: they're bleeding, and they're put in shackles, and they're taken
S2: and thrown into the darkest part of the prison in
S2: maximum security. And look at what it says. About midnight,
S2: Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God,
S2: and the other prisoners were listening. Oh, I love that.
S2: What happened when they were squeezed? Hymns and praise were
S2: squeezed out of them. They made some noise in the
S2: middle of their pressure, and when they made noise that
S2: glorified God because they were in such a difficult situation,
S2: all the prisoners around them started listening to the noise
S2: that they were making, because it was unusual that in
S2: those kind of circumstances, they would be praising God. So
S2: I started looking at this passage and thinking about what
S2: God was doing to form this church called the Church
S2: of Philippi. There's three people that you see, and they
S2: respond to different noises, different sounds. The first one that
S2: we see in acts chapter 16, verses 13 through 15,
S2: is we see a businesswoman, a high end businesswoman. She
S2: would be a businesswoman today that would be selling designer
S2: clothes on Michigan Avenue, an entrepreneur, a leader, a smart
S2: lady that believed in God but had not known God.
S2: The Bible tells us about. Her name was Lydia and
S2: she sold purple. She was a dealer of purple clothing
S2: which was high in clothing in that time. And Scripture
S2: tells us that she had a knowledge of God. She
S2: was a worshiper of God, but she had never come
S2: to know God. How many of you know, if you
S2: look at verse 14, one of the woman listening was
S2: from a city called Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in
S2: purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord
S2: opened her heart to respond to Paul's message. This was
S2: a woman, a smart, intelligent businesswoman that feared God and
S2: prayed to God but had never met God. She had
S2: never had an encounter with God through His Son, Jesus Christ.
S2: She needed to hear the sound of clear teaching to clarify,
S2: to bring her to God. How many of you. How
S2: many of you in this place believed in God before
S2: you came to know God? You knew about God. You
S2: were raised in religion, but you really had never met God.
S2: How many of you? Yeah, there's a lot of you.
S2: This woman had to hear the sound, the noise of
S2: sound teaching to bring her to God. She had to
S2: see someone sat down and clearly explained Scripture in a smart,
S2: intellectual manner that she could comprehend because she was a businesswoman.
S2: So she needed her intellect to be spoken to. She
S2: needed it to make sense. She needed someone to prove
S2: from the Bible what they were talking about was true.
S2: And so Lydia responded to the sound clear teaching of
S2: the Apostle Paul as he explained Scripture to her. And
S2: finally it clicked in her mind and it made sense.
S2: And she came to God. She needed the. The sound
S2: of clear teaching.
S1: Listening to the Bible teaching of Mark job here on
S1: Bold Steps, we're going to pause for a moment to
S1: let you know that we always love to hear from
S1: listeners about how God is using Mark in this program
S1: to really make a difference in your life today. This
S1: ministry of God's Word through bold steps. One of our listeners, John,
S1: was kind enough to write and tell us this. He says,
S1: my faith and walk have grown tremendously over the 25
S1: years of listening to Moody, and I'm so grateful. From
S1: the early days of conversion through remarriage, a couple of
S1: job losses, etc., I've turned here for help and support
S1: and to enhance my walk with God. Thank you so
S1: very much, Mark. You need to cover your ears for
S1: this part. But he says Doctor job is tremendous.
S3: Well thank you, John. We appreciate the encouragement. We really do, John,
S3: and so many others. It's a reminder that we go
S3: through difficult times. It sounds like you've had your share
S3: of challenges, but it's the power of the word that
S3: continues to reach out and give us second and third
S3: and fourth chances. So thank you, John, for giving us
S3: that word of encouragement. Keep listening and share it with
S3: your friends.
S1: Yep. Thanks for reaching out. And if you would like
S1: to reach out to us anytime through our website, just
S1: do that at bold steps.org. Tell us your story. Well,
S1: let's go back into the message now. Make some noise.
S1: Here's Mark job once again.
S2: The second person that we find in this story is
S2: the slave girl. She. It tells us in acts chapter
S2: 16 that when Paul and Silas were on their way
S2: to this place of prayer, in verse 16, it says
S2: they were met by a female slave who had a
S2: spirit by which she predicted the future. That's called a
S2: spirit of divination. She earned a great deal of money
S2: for her owners by fortune telling, and she followed Paul
S2: and the rest of us shouting, these men are servants
S2: of the Most High God who are telling you the
S2: way to be saved. She kept this up for many days.
S2: This was a slave girl, a young slave girl. In
S2: the days of the Roman colonies. Slaves were considered a
S2: piece of property. People could kill them, dispose of them,
S2: sell them, abuse them, and there would be no criminal
S2: charges because they were considered a piece of property, like
S2: a piece of furniture would be to the masters. This
S2: young girl had a special gift. Her owners had Discovered
S2: that she had this capacity to foretell the future. She
S2: had glimpses into the future. What would happen her. Her
S2: reputation had spread so much that people were coming and
S2: paying big bucks for her to foretell their future, as
S2: she would be one of the ladies that as you
S2: that you pass her house and she would have a
S2: neon sign. Psychic reader, come in, let me read your palm.
S2: But she was making a lot of money, and her
S2: masters were promoting her as a fortune teller. If you
S2: want to know your future, come. Let her lay hands
S2: on you. Look into your eyes and she will predict
S2: your future. Your future. Now, she had a supernatural ability,
S2: but it wasn't an ability given to her by God.
S2: It was an ability given to her by a spirit.
S2: And when she saw Paul and Silas, she recognized the
S2: spirit inside of her. Recognized that they were men of God.
S2: And so she started shouting out, these are men of God.
S2: They have a message from God. They are proclaiming the
S2: way of salvation. Now, any casual observer could have concluded
S2: that she had the Holy Spirit and not an evil spirit,
S2: because sometimes an evil spirit masquerades as the Holy Spirit.
S2: How many of you know that? I know people in this. Well,
S2: I've talked to a lot of people, and you may
S2: be one of them that in your past background you
S2: would go to people that had quote unquote, spiritual powers
S2: and they would do their heebie jeebie over. You blow smoke,
S2: crack eggs. You know what I'm talking about. A little
S2: curandera down the street. I'm not going to ask you.
S2: How many of you been to. One, because I don't
S2: want to know. I'm not sure I want to know.
S2: But you've been to that background where and you think, well,
S2: she's a spiritual person. Why? Well, she had a Bible
S2: and a picture of Jesus as she was cracking her
S2: eggs on my stomach and blowing smoke over me and and,
S2: and breaking a curse over me. So I just thought
S2: she was of God. I thought she was a Christian.
S2: The enemy at masquerades as as God himself. Anything that
S2: God does, the enemy tries to replicate and duplicate and imitate,
S2: to confuse believers. This woman had a spirit of divination.
S2: She was able to tell the future. And then the
S2: Bible says, I love this because it's the apostle Paul
S2: it's talking about. And it tells us that in verse 18,
S2: she kept this up for many days. Every time Paul
S2: and Silas passed, she would follow them, saying, these are
S2: men of God. Listen to their message. They bring the
S2: way of salvation. And then it tells us in this
S2: verse that finally it says, finally Paul became so annoyed.
S2: Aren't you glad that Paul became annoyed? Isn't good to
S2: know a man of God that wrote a bunch of
S2: books in the Bible gets angry. Paul became so annoyed
S2: that he turned around and he said to the spirit,
S2: in the name of Jesus Christ, I command you, come
S2: out of her. And at that moment her spirit left. Now,
S2: there's a couple of things I really like about this passage.
S2: First of all, sometimes we have to get so annoyed
S2: that we actually do something about a situation some of
S2: us tolerate a lot, until we become so annoyed that
S2: finally the holy boldness of God kicks in and we
S2: actually take a bold step that we probably should have
S2: taken a week ago, or a month ago, or three
S2: months ago. How many of you know what I'm talking about?
S2: Sometimes we have to get annoyed and listen to me.
S2: Anger is not a sin. It's what we do with
S2: our anger that become that becomes sinful. Anger is an emotion.
S2: And God has foreordained and created anger to give us
S2: a burst of energy. If anger is used in the
S2: right way, it gives us a burst of energy to
S2: take actions that we normally wouldn't take but that we
S2: need to take. Paul became angry, annoyed, and he turned
S2: around to the slave girl that was shouting at them
S2: and he said, in the name of Jesus, how many
S2: of you know there's power in the name of Jesus?
S2: In the name of Jesus. It's like when they tried to,
S2: the seven sons of Siva went and cast out. They
S2: were casting out demons in Jesus name, even though they
S2: weren't believers in Jesus yet. the demons recognize the name
S2: of Jesus. There is power in the name of Jesus Christ,
S2: the righteous One. Paul said, in the name of Jesus,
S2: come out of her. And at that very moment, this
S2: young girl that had had the spirit of divination given
S2: to her by a spirit that was oppressing her at
S2: that very moment, this young girl was liberated from that
S2: oppressive spirit. Now, for Paul, it was a victory. But
S2: for her masters, it was a defeat because suddenly what
S2: they were using to earn money, she lost her power
S2: to foretell the future. And so the Bible says that
S2: her masters became very angry at Paul and Silas. Don't
S2: mess with an unrighteous person's money because that will stir
S2: up a riot. They didn't care about this slave girl,
S2: but when they stopped earning money, then suddenly they were
S2: ready to cause a riot. You know, sometimes the world
S2: is that way. You know that right now people don't
S2: care that much what we believe in. People don't care
S2: that much what we preach about, but mess with the income.
S2: And then suddenly there's a riot. Oh, they not they might.
S2: They got the pimps on 47th Street. May not care
S2: what we believe. May not care that this is a
S2: church here, but you start converting prostitutes and having them
S2: leave that lifestyle and come to God, and then suddenly
S2: the unrighteous have a problem with the church because they're
S2: losing their income and their money. How about it? I
S2: believe when the Church of God begins to take influence
S2: in a city, and when we begin to change the
S2: culture of a city, then we begin to change the
S2: way people make money in a city as well. And
S2: the righteous begin to prosper, and the unrighteous begin to
S2: have less prosperity, because the kingdom of God brings about
S2: a cultural change. And sometimes people resent that when it
S2: begins to happen. And so we have a businesswoman that
S2: she had to hear the sound of sound teaching. We
S2: have a slave girl that she didn't need teaching. Even
S2: if they would have given her teaching, she would have
S2: been blind to it. What she needed is the sound
S2: of a power encounter. Paul had to shout, be set
S2: free in the name of Jesus. She didn't need a
S2: Bible study in which she was being taught the Word
S2: of God in depth. Word of God. She needed a
S2: power encounter with God. You see, we all come to
S2: God different ways.
S1: You're listening to Bold Steps, the Bible teaching ministry of
S1: Mark job. And we'll continue with part two of this
S1: message titled Make some Noise next Time. So make plans
S1: to keep listening. And if you miss any part of
S1: today's message or if you want to catch up, you
S1: can listen to this program wherever you are just by
S1: downloading our podcast. Simply open up your favorite podcast app
S1: and click the subscribe button. You'll find us listed as
S1: bold steps with doctor Mark Jobe, and it only takes
S1: a few seconds to make sure you don't miss a
S1: minute of these daily biblical messages. To learn more, visit
S1: us online at bold steps.org. Mark. A lot of people
S1: feel drawn to Jesus, perhaps, but there's just something holding
S1: them back. A question they can't get past or a
S1: doubt they've never had answered. I'm sure you encounter this,
S1: don't you?
S2: Yeah.
S4: As we talk to people about Jesus and about the gospel,
S4: sometimes there's lingering questions that become roadblocks or stumbling blocks
S4: to people embracing Christianity. Mhm. And maybe you have a son,
S4: a daughter, a friend, a coworker that gets stuck on,
S4: you know, things like, how can God be good when
S4: I see so much evil and suffering around us? Or,
S4: you know, I've been taught evolution, you know, does evolution
S4: contradict that? There is a creator God.
S1: Or the fact that I have doubts I can't possibly
S1: come to Jesus if I have doubts.
S4: Yeah, many of us struggle with those things, and our
S4: monthly gift offer today is the case for Faith by
S4: Lee Strobel, who was a investigative reporter for a major
S4: newspaper in Chicago, and his own struggle with doubt led
S4: him to explore. And as an investigative reporter, he actually
S4: came to the conclusion that, wait a second, God is true.
S4: The Bible is real. Jesus is the way. And so
S4: he tackles these issues from that mindset. And I think
S4: a lot of people would find that helpful.
S1: Well, request your copy. When you give a gift of
S1: any amount to support bold steps, give online at bold
S1: steps.org or call us at 800 D.L. Moody, that's (800) 356-6639.
S1: You can also send your gift and request the case
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S1: Bold Steps, 820 North LaSalle Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois, 606 ten.
S1: And as you head into the weekend, we'd like to
S1: leave you with one more invitation to become a bold partner.
S1: The monthly contributions of our bold partners are what makes
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S1: at bold steps.org. That's all the time we have. I'm
S1: Wayne Sheppard, inviting you to join us again. When Mark
S1: explains what you can do to draw others to God
S1: through you. That's coming up Monday on Bold Steps with
S1: Mark Jobe. Bold steps is a production of Moody Radio,
S1: a Ministry of Moody Bible Institute.