WEBVTT - Skip Heitzig - Oct 29 - 7:30 am

0:00:01.290 --> 0:00:04.370
<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Connect with Skip Heitzig. We're so glad you've

0:00:04.390 --> 0:00:07.870
<v Speaker 1>tuned in today. At Connect with Skip, we're passionate about

0:00:07.910 --> 0:00:11.030
<v Speaker 1>helping you grow in your relationship with Jesus. That's why

0:00:11.070 --> 0:00:14.670
<v Speaker 1>we share verse-by-verse Bible teaching that's both clear and practical,

0:00:15.130 --> 0:00:18.170
<v Speaker 1>so you can live out God's truth wherever He's placed you.

0:00:18.870 --> 0:00:21.700
<v Speaker 1>And you can stay connected beyond the broadcast when you

0:00:21.730 --> 0:00:25.420
<v Speaker 1>sign up for Pastor Skip's free weekly devotional. You'll receive

0:00:25.480 --> 0:00:30.140
<v Speaker 1>biblical encouragement, exclusive content, and helpful resources to guide you

0:00:30.250 --> 0:00:34.870
<v Speaker 1>deeper into God's Word delivered straight to your inbox. Signing

0:00:34.930 --> 0:00:38.489
<v Speaker 1>up is quick, easy, and completely free. Sign up today

0:00:38.510 --> 0:00:45.839
<v Speaker 1>at connectwithskip.com. That's connectwithskip.com. Now, here's today's message from Pastor

0:00:45.880 --> 0:00:46.760
<v Speaker 1>Skip Heitzig.

0:00:47.560 --> 0:00:49.839
<v Speaker 2>What Paul does is, in most all of his letters,

0:00:49.880 --> 0:00:52.100
<v Speaker 2>he has a little section at the front where he says,

0:00:52.380 --> 0:00:55.590
<v Speaker 2>here's my prayer request for you, and it's worth studying.

0:00:56.300 --> 0:00:58.780
<v Speaker 2>The prayers of the Bible, it's worth studying the prayers

0:00:58.920 --> 0:01:03.320
<v Speaker 2>of Paul because Bible prayers and the prayers of the

0:01:03.380 --> 0:01:06.180
<v Speaker 2>Apostle Paul were right to the heart. They weren't extraneous.

0:01:06.380 --> 0:01:10.680
<v Speaker 2>They weren't superfluous. They were heartfelt and they were to

0:01:10.720 --> 0:01:13.569
<v Speaker 2>the heart for the most important stuff. So he prays

0:01:13.610 --> 0:01:16.650
<v Speaker 2>for them. First, he prays for their love, that their

0:01:16.690 --> 0:01:20.250
<v Speaker 2>love might abound. Now, he acknowledges they already have love.

0:01:20.310 --> 0:01:23.270
<v Speaker 2>That's the fruit of the Spirit. These are saved people.

0:01:24.980 --> 0:01:29.760
<v Speaker 2>but he prays that their love would abound, that is overflow,

0:01:31.700 --> 0:01:39.590
<v Speaker 2>still more and more. Now, do you remember what we

0:01:39.690 --> 0:01:43.290
<v Speaker 2>read when we were in Romans chapter 5? I don't

0:01:43.310 --> 0:01:46.229
<v Speaker 2>expect you to remember every verse we've covered, but I'll

0:01:46.250 --> 0:01:47.590
<v Speaker 2>bring it to your mind. You go, oh, I know

0:01:47.630 --> 0:01:52.350
<v Speaker 2>that verse. It says, for the love of God has

0:01:52.410 --> 0:01:57.360
<v Speaker 2>been shed abroad in Remember that verse? The love of

0:01:57.400 --> 0:02:02.630
<v Speaker 2>God has been shed abroad or poured out in our hearts.

0:02:03.370 --> 0:02:09.370
<v Speaker 2>And the idea is copiously poured out. So the love

0:02:09.389 --> 0:02:11.389
<v Speaker 2>of God has been poured out in our hearts, and

0:02:11.470 --> 0:02:16.280
<v Speaker 2>so he's praying that that love might abound more and more.

0:02:17.540 --> 0:02:21.940
<v Speaker 2>Now follow my thinking. If the love of God is

0:02:22.100 --> 0:02:26.730
<v Speaker 2>poured out into our hearts, by God into your heart,

0:02:27.450 --> 0:02:32.290
<v Speaker 2>it means you have a capacity to love. You have

0:02:32.330 --> 0:02:35.950
<v Speaker 2>a new capacity to love. You can never have the excuse,

0:02:36.090 --> 0:02:38.929
<v Speaker 2>I just don't love him anymore. I just don't love

0:02:38.970 --> 0:02:46.630
<v Speaker 2>her anymore. You have an unlimited capacity to love. The

0:02:46.710 --> 0:02:49.190
<v Speaker 2>love of God is poured out in our heart. So

0:02:49.610 --> 0:02:54.239
<v Speaker 2>if the love of God is poured into you, then

0:02:54.470 --> 0:02:56.940
<v Speaker 2>you should also expect that the love of God should

0:02:56.960 --> 0:03:01.060
<v Speaker 2>be able to be poured out of you. If it

0:03:01.100 --> 0:03:04.140
<v Speaker 2>can be poured into you and God is unlimited in

0:03:04.200 --> 0:03:07.780
<v Speaker 2>his love toward you, then you have a capacity to

0:03:07.940 --> 0:03:12.300
<v Speaker 2>show unending love, whether you think you can or not,

0:03:12.380 --> 0:03:15.720
<v Speaker 2>whether you feel like it or not, you can. Paul

0:03:15.860 --> 0:03:19.669
<v Speaker 2>acknowledges that and says, I know you have love, but

0:03:19.690 --> 0:03:27.210
<v Speaker 2>I hope it overflows, it abounds more and more, but

0:03:27.270 --> 0:03:31.730
<v Speaker 2>notice this, in knowledge and in all discernment. Now, before

0:03:31.770 --> 0:03:34.570
<v Speaker 2>I get to that, let me just share something with

0:03:34.610 --> 0:03:36.970
<v Speaker 2>you that was a personal experience. I've told some of

0:03:36.990 --> 0:03:39.090
<v Speaker 2>you about this, but it's been so long. I need

0:03:39.110 --> 0:03:41.720
<v Speaker 2>to remind those of you who didn't know this. But

0:03:41.790 --> 0:03:46.440
<v Speaker 2>years ago, when Saddam Hussein was in power in Iraq,

0:03:46.640 --> 0:03:50.840
<v Speaker 2>anybody alive at that time? Okay, so when Saddam Hussein

0:03:50.880 --> 0:03:55.710
<v Speaker 2>was in Iraq, I traveled there when he was the dictator.

0:03:56.710 --> 0:04:03.150
<v Speaker 2>And I brought with me like 20,000 Operation Christmas Child

0:04:03.170 --> 0:04:08.089
<v Speaker 2>shoeboxes that you had collected, that we had collected, that

0:04:08.130 --> 0:04:12.610
<v Speaker 2>got processed through Operation Christmas Child. And I took them

0:04:13.930 --> 0:04:21.380
<v Speaker 2>from Jordan across the desert into Iraq and we stopped

0:04:21.420 --> 0:04:23.520
<v Speaker 2>at the borders, we brought these trucks with us, all

0:04:23.560 --> 0:04:25.370
<v Speaker 2>these presents, took a long time, it was hard to

0:04:25.380 --> 0:04:28.230
<v Speaker 2>get there, to give to the children during that very

0:04:28.310 --> 0:04:33.010
<v Speaker 2>difficult time when we were at war with them. I

0:04:33.089 --> 0:04:37.710
<v Speaker 2>met with the Minister of Religious Affairs and a few

0:04:37.810 --> 0:04:40.800
<v Speaker 2>military generals who we had a meeting together and I

0:04:40.839 --> 0:04:43.940
<v Speaker 2>was with the team, it wasn't just me. But they

0:04:43.960 --> 0:04:49.000
<v Speaker 2>made a statement on public Iraqi television that is worth

0:04:49.040 --> 0:04:53.160
<v Speaker 2>telling you about. They said, up until now, because of

0:04:53.200 --> 0:04:57.430
<v Speaker 2>your position in the West against us in Iraq, we've

0:04:57.500 --> 0:05:01.190
<v Speaker 2>always believed that the West, he said the Christian West,

0:05:02.730 --> 0:05:06.910
<v Speaker 2>hated us. But by this gesture of giving gifts to

0:05:06.990 --> 0:05:11.730
<v Speaker 2>our children, out of the blue, undeserved, a gift just

0:05:11.930 --> 0:05:15.719
<v Speaker 2>poured into our country. He said, we now understand that

0:05:15.760 --> 0:05:21.510
<v Speaker 2>you Christians love us. Now, it was a decision to

0:05:21.550 --> 0:05:23.029
<v Speaker 2>go there. It wasn't like, you know, I just have

0:05:23.050 --> 0:05:27.690
<v Speaker 2>this feeling in my heart toward Iraq. It's like God

0:05:27.750 --> 0:05:32.570
<v Speaker 2>commanded us, let's do this. Let's just show God's love

0:05:32.589 --> 0:05:35.529
<v Speaker 2>and see what happens. And wow, it made a great impact,

0:05:35.810 --> 0:05:40.630
<v Speaker 2>as that ministry continues to do. So I pray, my

0:05:40.870 --> 0:05:43.070
<v Speaker 2>first prayer is that your love would abound more and more,

0:05:44.330 --> 0:05:50.110
<v Speaker 2>but in knowledge and discernment. Now here's how I want

0:05:50.130 --> 0:05:53.560
<v Speaker 2>you to think about this. Think of love as a

0:05:53.650 --> 0:05:58.820
<v Speaker 2>river flowing, right? All this water is flowing. If water

0:05:59.040 --> 0:06:05.960
<v Speaker 2>flows without embankments and goes everywhere, it's called a flood.

0:06:07.610 --> 0:06:13.029
<v Speaker 2>So think of the left, this is your left, right?

0:06:13.730 --> 0:06:17.539
<v Speaker 2>The left bank of the river as knowledge. That's the

0:06:17.570 --> 0:06:21.740
<v Speaker 2>left bank, knowledge. The right bank, discernment. So Paul says,

0:06:21.880 --> 0:06:25.219
<v Speaker 2>I want your love to flow and abound and gush

0:06:25.360 --> 0:06:32.620
<v Speaker 2>out more and more within the confines of knowledge and discernment.

0:06:34.580 --> 0:06:41.620
<v Speaker 2>You see, love is more than just emotion gushing out. Love,

0:06:42.740 --> 0:06:47.099
<v Speaker 2>God's love, is responsible love. Now any parent knows this.

0:06:49.400 --> 0:06:52.310
<v Speaker 2>When I was being raised, my parents would sometimes give

0:06:52.350 --> 0:06:58.190
<v Speaker 2>me gifts and sometimes they would give me spanks. When

0:06:58.230 --> 0:07:02.250
<v Speaker 2>they gave me gifts, I knew they loved me. When

0:07:02.290 --> 0:07:05.350
<v Speaker 2>they spanked me, I thought they didn't love me. But

0:07:05.370 --> 0:07:09.270
<v Speaker 2>did they? They did love me. They loved me so

0:07:09.330 --> 0:07:11.110
<v Speaker 2>much they didn't want me to grow up like an

0:07:11.170 --> 0:07:18.410
<v Speaker 2>idiot and irresponsibly. So they disciplined me. So love is

0:07:18.730 --> 0:07:25.040
<v Speaker 2>sometimes expressed in different ways, but it's still love. And

0:07:25.100 --> 0:07:28.920
<v Speaker 2>so love to be responsible needs the bank of biblical

0:07:29.000 --> 0:07:35.840
<v Speaker 2>knowledge and discernment, making a difference, distinguishing. So think of

0:07:35.940 --> 0:07:41.650
<v Speaker 2>love being responsible. Jesus sometimes said, blessed are you to people.

0:07:42.690 --> 0:07:45.390
<v Speaker 2>At other times, he would say, woe unto you, scribes

0:07:45.450 --> 0:07:50.460
<v Speaker 2>and Pharisees, hypocrites. But in both occasions, Jesus was incarnate

0:07:50.540 --> 0:07:57.300
<v Speaker 2>love speaking. Filled with love. Different expression of love. Love

0:07:58.000 --> 0:08:01.360
<v Speaker 2>can't just be willy-nilly flooding out emotionally. It has to

0:08:01.400 --> 0:08:07.570
<v Speaker 2>be confined by knowledge and discernment. That brings balance. So

0:08:07.650 --> 0:08:11.130
<v Speaker 2>I'm praying that your love would gush out, would abound

0:08:11.190 --> 0:08:13.720
<v Speaker 2>more and more because it's poured into you, it can

0:08:13.760 --> 0:08:17.940
<v Speaker 2>pour out of you, but within the embankments of knowledge

0:08:18.120 --> 0:08:24.080
<v Speaker 2>and discernment. That you may approve the things that are excellent,

0:08:25.380 --> 0:08:29.940
<v Speaker 2>and that you may be sincere and without offense until

0:08:30.000 --> 0:08:32.119
<v Speaker 2>the day of Jesus Christ. That's a prayer that I

0:08:32.179 --> 0:08:34.900
<v Speaker 2>have for myself. I don't want to be an offense

0:08:34.960 --> 0:08:36.950
<v Speaker 2>to the gospel or to the cause of Christ. Lord,

0:08:36.990 --> 0:08:41.000
<v Speaker 2>keep my life from being an offense to I want

0:08:41.020 --> 0:08:44.040
<v Speaker 2>to make Jesus more famous, not less famous, not infamous.

0:08:45.640 --> 0:08:48.470
<v Speaker 2>And so he says that you will approve the things

0:08:48.490 --> 0:08:50.570
<v Speaker 2>that are excellent, that's part of the expression of love,

0:08:50.630 --> 0:08:57.329
<v Speaker 2>that you may be sincere. Sincere is a word, interesting word.

0:08:58.570 --> 0:09:03.910
<v Speaker 2>It means sun-tested, sun-tested. Now let me explain that. The word,

0:09:04.030 --> 0:09:07.880
<v Speaker 2>English word sincere comes from the Latin word, two Latin words,

0:09:08.120 --> 0:09:16.540
<v Speaker 2>sine sera, which literally means without wax. Without wax. It

0:09:16.620 --> 0:09:20.090
<v Speaker 2>is believed that the word originated from an ancient practice

0:09:20.610 --> 0:09:24.850
<v Speaker 2>of statue making and porcelain making in the ancient world.

0:09:25.830 --> 0:09:27.829
<v Speaker 2>So if you ever go to a museum like in

0:09:27.910 --> 0:09:32.680
<v Speaker 2>ancient Rome, one thing you notice, those people had lots

0:09:32.840 --> 0:09:39.319
<v Speaker 2>of statues. I mean humans, emperors, horses, And so there

0:09:39.340 --> 0:09:43.560
<v Speaker 2>were artisans always carving something out of marble. And you

0:09:43.600 --> 0:09:45.750
<v Speaker 2>know how long it would take to make one statue,

0:09:45.950 --> 0:09:50.370
<v Speaker 2>typically a human-sized statue? It would take a sculptor working

0:09:51.550 --> 0:09:56.140
<v Speaker 2>every day for one solid year to make one of

0:09:56.860 --> 0:10:02.940
<v Speaker 2>those thousands upon thousands of statues. It took Michelangelo to

0:10:02.980 --> 0:10:06.500
<v Speaker 2>make the larger statue. David took him a little over

0:10:06.559 --> 0:10:10.830
<v Speaker 2>two years working every single day on that project. So

0:10:10.850 --> 0:10:15.090
<v Speaker 2>I don't know if you've ever had much experience with

0:10:15.150 --> 0:10:17.570
<v Speaker 2>taking a hammer and chisel and carving a nose or

0:10:17.610 --> 0:10:21.160
<v Speaker 2>an ear or a face out of stone. But I

0:10:21.240 --> 0:10:27.290
<v Speaker 2>imagine that it's quite difficult and laborious. And what happens

0:10:27.429 --> 0:10:33.270
<v Speaker 2>if you're carving an ear and you slip and you

0:10:33.330 --> 0:10:38.250
<v Speaker 2>bust the earlobe off? Well, I guess you have a

0:10:38.290 --> 0:10:40.720
<v Speaker 2>couple of choices. You scrap it and you start all over.

0:10:41.340 --> 0:10:45.300
<v Speaker 2>Or what they would do, a practice was developed in

0:10:45.340 --> 0:10:48.210
<v Speaker 2>the ancient world where they figured out a way to

0:10:48.230 --> 0:10:53.270
<v Speaker 2>get marble dust mixed with wax and fill in the

0:10:53.390 --> 0:10:59.819
<v Speaker 2>area that was blemished, either in plates, bowls, earthenware, or

0:11:00.420 --> 0:11:07.900
<v Speaker 2>in marble statues. And so artisans would sell their wares

0:11:08.160 --> 0:11:17.490
<v Speaker 2>and they would tag it sine sera, without wax. Sun-tested.

0:11:18.790 --> 0:11:23.050
<v Speaker 2>Because let's say a wife makes a beautiful statue in

0:11:24.070 --> 0:11:28.380
<v Speaker 2>honor of her husband's birthday, invites the neighborhood over, the

0:11:28.420 --> 0:11:33.000
<v Speaker 2>statue's outside glistening in the morning sun, but then the

0:11:33.320 --> 0:11:36.880
<v Speaker 2>morning sun turns into the noontime sun and the afternoon sun,

0:11:36.900 --> 0:11:39.400
<v Speaker 2>and now it's quite hot, and you're looking at that ear,

0:11:39.679 --> 0:11:43.740
<v Speaker 2>and the ear starts shifting, changing, drooping, And you go,

0:11:43.840 --> 0:11:47.660
<v Speaker 2>oh my goodness, that's not a real marble ear. That's wax.

0:11:48.600 --> 0:11:54.850
<v Speaker 2>It's fake. The sun has tested it. It's not sine sera.

0:11:56.190 --> 0:11:58.830
<v Speaker 2>It's filled with sera. It's filled with wax.

0:11:59.690 --> 0:12:03.230
<v Speaker 1>This is Connect with Skip Heitzig. Your support helps reach

0:12:03.250 --> 0:12:07.050
<v Speaker 1>people every day with biblical truth that brings clarity, hope,

0:12:07.290 --> 0:12:11.260
<v Speaker 1>and direction in difficult times. And this month, we'd love

0:12:11.300 --> 0:12:14.020
<v Speaker 1>to thank you with a timely resource centered on God's

0:12:14.100 --> 0:12:17.800
<v Speaker 1>power to restore what's broken. When you give today, you'll

0:12:17.840 --> 0:12:22.450
<v Speaker 1>receive City in Shambles, Pastor Skip's complete 18-message study through

0:12:22.490 --> 0:12:26.990
<v Speaker 1>Nehemiah on CD plus digital download. These messages will help

0:12:27.030 --> 0:12:30.770
<v Speaker 1>you understand how God works in times of confusion and instability,

0:12:31.250 --> 0:12:34.280
<v Speaker 1>how revival begins in the hearts of His people, and

0:12:34.340 --> 0:12:38.240
<v Speaker 1>how to move from passive concern to courageous faith and action.

0:12:39.040 --> 0:12:42.140
<v Speaker 1>Your gift helps extend the reach of Connect with Skip Heitzig,

0:12:42.480 --> 0:12:46.390
<v Speaker 1>connecting more people to God's Word. Request your resource when

0:12:46.429 --> 0:12:51.090
<v Speaker 1>you give $ 50 or more at connectwithskip.com slash offer or

0:12:51.150 --> 0:12:57.199
<v Speaker 1>by calling 800-922-1888. Now, if you're looking for a way

0:12:57.240 --> 0:13:00.079
<v Speaker 1>to go deeper in your Bible study, here's a great

0:13:00.140 --> 0:13:01.220
<v Speaker 1>way to do just that.

0:13:01.640 --> 0:13:05.820
<v Speaker 2>Learning your Bible matters. I'm committed to teaching God's word,

0:13:06.000 --> 0:13:09.380
<v Speaker 2>and I want you to understand the depth of scripture

0:13:09.740 --> 0:13:12.920
<v Speaker 2>for yourself. That's why I want to invite you to

0:13:13.000 --> 0:13:16.360
<v Speaker 2>join me in a 90 day through the entire Bible

0:13:16.820 --> 0:13:21.349
<v Speaker 2>reading challenge using the YouVersion Bible app. We call it

0:13:21.750 --> 0:13:25.449
<v Speaker 2>Jesus People Grow. So for 90 days, we're going to

0:13:25.550 --> 0:13:28.710
<v Speaker 2>read together God's word. We're going to learn it, receive it,

0:13:29.330 --> 0:13:31.590
<v Speaker 2>and we're going to let it shape us. so that

0:13:31.620 --> 0:13:35.610
<v Speaker 2>we can also be faithful in sharing good teaching with others.

0:13:36.010 --> 0:13:40.070
<v Speaker 2>So join me. Let's learn our Bibles and grow in

0:13:40.110 --> 0:13:40.970
<v Speaker 2>the Word of God.

0:13:41.550 --> 0:13:43.730
<v Speaker 1>Now, here's more from Pastor Skip.

0:13:44.670 --> 0:13:51.170
<v Speaker 2>So the idea of sincere means honest, without hypocrisy, true blue,

0:13:51.750 --> 0:13:56.190
<v Speaker 2>that your life would be sincere, not phony, not fake,

0:13:56.630 --> 0:14:01.670
<v Speaker 2>the real deal. Being filled with the fruits of righteousness

0:14:01.730 --> 0:14:04.089
<v Speaker 2>which are by Jesus Christ to the glory and the

0:14:04.150 --> 0:14:07.110
<v Speaker 2>praise of God. A life that is real, a life

0:14:07.150 --> 0:14:11.610
<v Speaker 2>that produces righteous fruit will bring glory to God. That's

0:14:11.650 --> 0:14:14.829
<v Speaker 2>the Christian life. That's what his prayer is for this

0:14:14.910 --> 0:14:18.170
<v Speaker 2>group that he loves. Verse 12, but I want you

0:14:18.210 --> 0:14:22.640
<v Speaker 2>to know, brethren, that the things which happen to me

0:14:24.400 --> 0:14:27.280
<v Speaker 2>have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel.

0:14:28.460 --> 0:14:31.040
<v Speaker 2>so that it has become evident to the whole palace

0:14:31.140 --> 0:14:35.550
<v Speaker 2>guard and to the rest that my chains are in Christ.

0:14:35.650 --> 0:14:38.510
<v Speaker 2>And most of the brethren in the Lord have become

0:14:38.610 --> 0:14:41.690
<v Speaker 2>confident by my chains and are much more bold to

0:14:41.770 --> 0:14:47.640
<v Speaker 2>speak the word without fear. Now, I told you at

0:14:47.670 --> 0:14:50.520
<v Speaker 2>the beginning that Paul never planned to go to Philippi, right?

0:14:50.540 --> 0:14:56.500
<v Speaker 2>You remember that? He did, however, plan to go to Rome.

0:14:58.070 --> 0:15:01.050
<v Speaker 2>He even wrote to the Romans and said, pray that

0:15:01.080 --> 0:15:03.220
<v Speaker 2>by the will of God, I'm on my way to Jerusalem,

0:15:03.240 --> 0:15:08.220
<v Speaker 2>but pray that I won't get hassled there. Pray that

0:15:08.260 --> 0:15:11.800
<v Speaker 2>I'll be able to go freely because I plan to

0:15:11.920 --> 0:15:18.220
<v Speaker 2>visit you in Rome shortly thereafter. That's what he planned.

0:15:19.040 --> 0:15:23.250
<v Speaker 2>That's not what happened. What happened is, again, his life

0:15:23.290 --> 0:15:26.210
<v Speaker 2>took a different turn. What happened is he gets arrested,

0:15:26.850 --> 0:15:31.100
<v Speaker 2>falsely accused, spends two years in Caesarea, trial after trial

0:15:31.160 --> 0:15:34.360
<v Speaker 2>after trial, appeals to Caesar, makes it to Rome, spends

0:15:34.460 --> 0:15:38.820
<v Speaker 2>two more years there. He is confined. Now, if you're

0:15:38.860 --> 0:15:42.160
<v Speaker 2>a preacher and your whole goal is to get as

0:15:42.300 --> 0:15:44.680
<v Speaker 2>many people as you can to listen to the message

0:15:44.700 --> 0:15:51.240
<v Speaker 2>you have to proclaim, once you're incarcerated, you think it's over.

0:15:52.680 --> 0:15:59.120
<v Speaker 2>My plans have just been shipwrecked. The gospel is now hindered.

0:16:01.080 --> 0:16:04.380
<v Speaker 2>But he says, brethren, I want to tell you what happened,

0:16:04.400 --> 0:16:07.100
<v Speaker 2>and I want you to understand that what happened to me,

0:16:07.200 --> 0:16:11.760
<v Speaker 2>my arrest, my incarceration, the things which happened to me

0:16:11.800 --> 0:16:15.830
<v Speaker 2>have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel.

0:16:17.410 --> 0:16:20.130
<v Speaker 2>You go, really? The furtherance of the gospel? How could

0:16:20.150 --> 0:16:24.190
<v Speaker 2>the gospel be furthered if you, as a preacher, getting

0:16:24.230 --> 0:16:28.140
<v Speaker 2>as many people as you can to Hear your message.

0:16:29.060 --> 0:16:33.540
<v Speaker 2>Can't go and preach your message. You are now confined. Well,

0:16:33.700 --> 0:16:39.110
<v Speaker 2>he explains. So that it has become evident to the

0:16:39.270 --> 0:16:43.630
<v Speaker 2>whole palace guard. The palace guard he's referring to are

0:16:43.670 --> 0:16:49.110
<v Speaker 2>the elite guards of Caesar Nero called the Praetorian guards.

0:16:50.430 --> 0:16:55.490
<v Speaker 2>The whole palace guard. He was under house arrest. soldiers

0:16:55.540 --> 0:16:59.290
<v Speaker 2>were chained to him for a few hours at a time.

0:16:59.310 --> 0:17:02.470
<v Speaker 2>A soldier would be chained to Paul, then another soldier

0:17:02.510 --> 0:17:04.929
<v Speaker 2>would take his place, then another soldier. That's how he

0:17:04.950 --> 0:17:07.770
<v Speaker 2>lived for two years. I want you to know the

0:17:07.810 --> 0:17:10.250
<v Speaker 2>things that have happened have actually turned out for the

0:17:10.350 --> 0:17:13.149
<v Speaker 2>furtherance of the gospel so that it's become evident to

0:17:13.170 --> 0:17:15.990
<v Speaker 2>the whole palace guard and to all the rest that

0:17:16.030 --> 0:17:23.210
<v Speaker 2>my chains are in Christ. Can you imagine anybody being

0:17:23.310 --> 0:17:26.800
<v Speaker 2>chained to Paul, the Apostle, Can you imagine what they're

0:17:26.820 --> 0:17:29.600
<v Speaker 2>going to hear from Paul the Apostle? Do you think

0:17:29.760 --> 0:17:32.500
<v Speaker 2>they're going to hear the gospel, like within the first

0:17:33.160 --> 0:17:35.110
<v Speaker 2>one or two sessions they're being chained to the guy?

0:17:36.380 --> 0:17:38.709
<v Speaker 2>You know, that's, Paul would just beeline it right to

0:17:38.750 --> 0:17:41.090
<v Speaker 2>the gospel every time I think he had a conversation.

0:17:42.290 --> 0:17:46.250
<v Speaker 2>So these poor soldiers didn't have a chance. They're being

0:17:46.310 --> 0:17:48.750
<v Speaker 2>chained to the guy who's the mouthpiece of the gospel

0:17:49.270 --> 0:17:53.750
<v Speaker 2>everywhere he goes. And I'm guessing that the church at

0:17:53.890 --> 0:17:58.210
<v Speaker 2>Rome Because there is a church in Rome and it

0:17:58.590 --> 0:18:00.590
<v Speaker 2>is growing and they have faith in God and they're

0:18:00.609 --> 0:18:02.990
<v Speaker 2>praying for their city. Maybe some of their prayers when

0:18:03.020 --> 0:18:05.840
<v Speaker 2>they got together, can you imagine a prayer like this? Lord,

0:18:05.859 --> 0:18:08.859
<v Speaker 2>we just pray that you would even reach Caesar's household.

0:18:09.440 --> 0:18:14.159
<v Speaker 2>Somehow reach into the Praetorian elite guards and get the

0:18:14.220 --> 0:18:16.320
<v Speaker 2>gospel there. I don't know how you could do that.

0:18:16.859 --> 0:18:19.720
<v Speaker 2>But Lord, you are God and you can make a

0:18:19.760 --> 0:18:21.640
<v Speaker 2>way where there is no way. Some prayer like that.

0:18:22.630 --> 0:18:26.230
<v Speaker 2>Lo and behold, Paul gets arrested, thrown in that prison,

0:18:26.369 --> 0:18:30.429
<v Speaker 2>chained to praetorian guards. Eventually, we find out at the

0:18:30.530 --> 0:18:33.630
<v Speaker 2>end of the book of Philippians, many of them had

0:18:33.770 --> 0:18:37.580
<v Speaker 2>come to Christ and wanted Paul to send greetings to

0:18:37.619 --> 0:18:42.420
<v Speaker 2>the church in Philippi on their behalf. They were changed men.

0:18:43.619 --> 0:18:47.439
<v Speaker 2>And so the gospel isn't being hindered, it's being furthered.

0:18:47.780 --> 0:18:50.640
<v Speaker 2>And not only is it being furthered by him sharing

0:18:50.920 --> 0:18:56.600
<v Speaker 2>in that household setting to the guards and to anybody

0:18:56.640 --> 0:18:58.520
<v Speaker 2>in Rome who came to visit him. He could share

0:18:58.560 --> 0:19:01.260
<v Speaker 2>and disseminate the truth, but also the letters that he

0:19:01.300 --> 0:19:03.720
<v Speaker 2>would write. So Paul didn't see this as, this is

0:19:03.780 --> 0:19:06.560
<v Speaker 2>really a bummer, man. You know, I need to be out.

0:19:06.640 --> 0:19:08.679
<v Speaker 2>I need to be free. He thought he knows the

0:19:08.700 --> 0:19:12.260
<v Speaker 2>gospel is not bound. I might be bound. The gospel

0:19:12.320 --> 0:19:17.139
<v Speaker 2>is not bound. And he'll say that. Our message is

0:19:17.220 --> 0:19:22.260
<v Speaker 2>not bound. Only I am bound. But because I am bound,

0:19:22.320 --> 0:19:24.600
<v Speaker 2>I'm bound to these soldiers, and some of these soldiers

0:19:24.940 --> 0:19:29.679
<v Speaker 2>are receiving Christ. So I love this, the furtherance of

0:19:30.020 --> 0:19:33.280
<v Speaker 2>the gospel, so that it's become evident to the whole

0:19:33.300 --> 0:19:37.680
<v Speaker 2>palace guard and to the rest that my chains are

0:19:38.030 --> 0:19:42.170
<v Speaker 2>in Christ. Now let me speak to you who feel

0:19:42.210 --> 0:19:49.889
<v Speaker 2>like you're chained to something or someone or some circumstance.

0:19:51.040 --> 0:19:56.859
<v Speaker 2>You think, man, I'm a housewife. I'm chained to my responsibilities.

0:19:56.920 --> 0:20:01.000
<v Speaker 2>I'm always doing stuff for my kids all the time.

0:20:01.080 --> 0:20:04.320
<v Speaker 2>My husband, my kids, my husband, my kids. I don't

0:20:04.359 --> 0:20:06.620
<v Speaker 2>have the freedom. I didn't go to school for this.

0:20:06.680 --> 0:20:09.139
<v Speaker 2>I didn't really think this would be this hard. You

0:20:09.160 --> 0:20:14.190
<v Speaker 2>might just feel confined. Understandable to feel that way. But

0:20:14.250 --> 0:20:17.409
<v Speaker 2>let me encourage you and point to an example. Her

0:20:17.450 --> 0:20:23.800
<v Speaker 2>name was Susanna Wesley. She had 19 children. I don't

0:20:23.820 --> 0:20:27.800
<v Speaker 2>know even how she did that. But she had 19 children.

0:20:28.960 --> 0:20:32.460
<v Speaker 2>And two of those children were John and Charles Wesley

0:20:32.520 --> 0:20:37.080
<v Speaker 2>who shook the British Isles with the gospel. And it

0:20:37.160 --> 0:20:42.440
<v Speaker 2>started in that confined place as she shared the gospel

0:20:42.500 --> 0:20:46.680
<v Speaker 2>with them. Others of you might be confined by a

0:20:46.740 --> 0:20:53.040
<v Speaker 2>medical situation, an ailment, an illness. You feel so confined.

0:20:53.340 --> 0:20:56.800
<v Speaker 2>You're an invalid. You might be hearing this message in

0:20:56.859 --> 0:20:58.940
<v Speaker 2>some kind of a facility, some kind of a home.

0:21:00.840 --> 0:21:05.199
<v Speaker 2>Charlotte Elliott, as an invalid, wrote some of the best

0:21:05.320 --> 0:21:10.500
<v Speaker 2>hymns we still sing to this day. They're expressions of

0:21:10.720 --> 0:21:14.659
<v Speaker 2>deep gratitude and faith in God in the worst of times.

0:21:15.980 --> 0:21:19.580
<v Speaker 2>So no matter what situation of confinement you find yourself in,

0:21:19.680 --> 0:21:23.500
<v Speaker 2>think of it this way. These things that have happened

0:21:23.560 --> 0:21:27.810
<v Speaker 2>have happened to me for the furtherance of the gospel.

0:21:29.170 --> 0:21:32.750
<v Speaker 2>Paul is in prison. And he's not the only one.

0:21:32.790 --> 0:21:35.510
<v Speaker 2>Martin Luther is going to be later on put in

0:21:35.550 --> 0:21:40.419
<v Speaker 2>the Wartburg jail. And aren't we glad he was thrown

0:21:40.490 --> 0:21:42.689
<v Speaker 2>in jail because when he was in jail, he was

0:21:42.750 --> 0:21:47.169
<v Speaker 2>able to translate the entire New Testament into German. Or

0:21:47.250 --> 0:21:49.790
<v Speaker 2>John Bunyan, aren't we glad he was in the Bedford

0:21:49.890 --> 0:21:53.780
<v Speaker 2>jail to write and give us the wonderful book Pilgrim's Progress.

0:21:55.119 --> 0:21:57.060
<v Speaker 2>The things that have happened to me have happened for

0:21:57.119 --> 0:22:01.640
<v Speaker 2>the furtherance of the gospel. My chains are in Christ.

0:22:01.720 --> 0:22:04.200
<v Speaker 2>In other words, I'm bound to Christ, not to a soldier.

0:22:04.680 --> 0:22:07.550
<v Speaker 2>I'm here because I This is where he wants me,

0:22:07.609 --> 0:22:11.409
<v Speaker 2>Christ wants me, I'm bound to him. And verse 14,

0:22:11.410 --> 0:22:13.730
<v Speaker 2>we have time to close with this, so we finish

0:22:13.770 --> 0:22:20.209
<v Speaker 2>half the chapter, almost. And most of the brethren in

0:22:20.270 --> 0:22:24.750
<v Speaker 2>the Lord have become confident by my chains and are

0:22:24.890 --> 0:22:30.969
<v Speaker 2>much more bold to speak the word without fear. What

0:22:30.990 --> 0:22:35.410
<v Speaker 2>does he mean? The Christians in Rome, It was getting

0:22:35.470 --> 0:22:38.290
<v Speaker 2>very difficult to be a Christian in Rome. There's persecution

0:22:38.330 --> 0:22:41.300
<v Speaker 2>that is arising. You get arrested for being a Christian.

0:22:41.680 --> 0:22:43.880
<v Speaker 2>You get thrown in jail for being a Christian. You

0:22:43.900 --> 0:22:47.580
<v Speaker 2>get beaten and killed and maimed for being a Christian.

0:22:47.619 --> 0:22:50.900
<v Speaker 2>And the persecutions were on the rise. And because of that,

0:22:50.960 --> 0:22:57.530
<v Speaker 2>many believers were afraid to speak. But then Paul comes

0:22:57.609 --> 0:23:02.159
<v Speaker 2>along and he's in their city jail and he is

0:23:02.590 --> 0:23:05.290
<v Speaker 2>writing letters and speaking to the Praetorian Guard, and the

0:23:05.310 --> 0:23:08.070
<v Speaker 2>Christians hear about that, and they have thoughts like, if

0:23:08.190 --> 0:23:12.270
<v Speaker 2>Paul can preach while he's in prison, then certainly I

0:23:12.310 --> 0:23:16.430
<v Speaker 2>can preach being out of prison. I can reach my

0:23:16.600 --> 0:23:20.080
<v Speaker 2>family and my neighbors and my community. I'm not going

0:23:20.100 --> 0:23:23.420
<v Speaker 2>to shut my mouth. If Paul, even in prison, facing

0:23:23.660 --> 0:23:27.820
<v Speaker 2>possible death, is sharing his fate, I'm going to be

0:23:27.940 --> 0:23:31.220
<v Speaker 2>more bold to share my fate. He became an encouragement

0:23:31.240 --> 0:23:33.639
<v Speaker 2>to them. That's the idea of, the brethren in the

0:23:33.700 --> 0:23:37.150
<v Speaker 2>Lord have become confident in my chains and are much

0:23:37.210 --> 0:23:42.050
<v Speaker 2>more bold to speak the word without fear. So that's

0:23:42.109 --> 0:23:45.649
<v Speaker 2>another plus. Another reason he is thrown in jail is

0:23:45.690 --> 0:23:49.630
<v Speaker 2>to encourage believers who are out of jail to not

0:23:49.670 --> 0:23:55.930
<v Speaker 2>be fearful, but to be bold, to be vocal. Now, unfortunately,

0:23:56.190 --> 0:24:01.880
<v Speaker 2>some Christians in the church weren't all on board and

0:24:01.960 --> 0:24:05.560
<v Speaker 2>taking Paul as a good example. In fact, there are

0:24:05.619 --> 0:24:09.140
<v Speaker 2>some Christians that were actually opposed to Paul the Apostle.

0:24:10.480 --> 0:24:13.360
<v Speaker 2>We're going to learn about them next week as we continue.

0:24:15.460 --> 0:24:17.870
<v Speaker 1>We're so glad you joined us today on Connect with

0:24:17.890 --> 0:24:21.810
<v Speaker 1>Skip Heitzig. Before you go, here's a reminder. When you

0:24:21.830 --> 0:24:25.090
<v Speaker 1>give $ 50 or more this month, we'll send you City

0:24:25.150 --> 0:24:29.330
<v Speaker 1>in Shambles, Pastor Skip's complete study through Nehemiah on CD

0:24:29.410 --> 0:24:33.940
<v Speaker 1>and digital download, as our thanks. These messages offer practical

0:24:34.000 --> 0:24:37.480
<v Speaker 1>biblical insight for anyone burdened by the brokenness they see

0:24:37.520 --> 0:24:41.120
<v Speaker 1>in the world around them, helping you respond with faith, prayer,

0:24:41.400 --> 0:24:45.580
<v Speaker 1>and hope instead of fear or despair. Your support helps

0:24:45.619 --> 0:24:48.710
<v Speaker 1>keep this Bible teaching ministry on the air, connecting more

0:24:48.770 --> 0:24:52.770
<v Speaker 1>people to God's Word. You can give today at connectwithskiff.com

0:24:52.810 --> 0:24:57.630
<v Speaker 1>slash offer or call 800-922-1888. See you next time. Make

0:24:58.369 --> 0:24:59.189
<v Speaker 1>a connection at.

0:24:59.790 --> 0:25:05.869
<v Speaker 2>The foot of the crossing. Cast your burdens on His wood.

0:25:06.070 --> 0:25:07.790
<v Speaker 3>Make a connection.

0:25:21.369 --> 0:25:25.310
<v Speaker 1>Connect with Skip Heitzig is a presentation of Connection Communications,

0:25:25.590 --> 0:25:29.750
<v Speaker 1>connecting you to God's never-changing truth in ever-changing times.

0:25:30.320 --> 0:25:33.340
<v Speaker 3>Ready to go deeper in your faith and discover your calling?

0:25:33.580 --> 0:25:36.899
<v Speaker 3>The School of Ministry at Calvary Church in Albuquerque is

0:25:36.960 --> 0:25:41.419
<v Speaker 3>designed to equip you with practical Bible teaching, hands-on ministry training,

0:25:41.640 --> 0:25:45.879
<v Speaker 3>and real-world experience. Whether you're called to lead, serve, or grow,

0:25:46.180 --> 0:25:49.510
<v Speaker 3>this is your next step. Classes are forming now. Visit

0:25:49.630 --> 0:25:55.730
<v Speaker 3>calvarysom.org to learn more and apply today. That's calvarysom.org. The

0:25:55.810 --> 0:25:59.730
<v Speaker 3>School of Ministry at Calvary Church. Your calling starts here.