WEBVTT - It's A No Go 0:00:01.960 --> 0:00:04.519 Hey, this is Stephen Ferdick. I'm the pastor of Elevation 0:00:04.760 --> 0:00:07.000 Church and this is our podcast. I wanted to thank 0:00:07.040 --> 0:00:10.360 you for joining us today. Hope this inspires you. Hope 0:00:10.360 --> 0:00:12.400 it builds your faith. Hope it gives your perspective to 0:00:12.400 --> 0:00:18.000 see God is moving in your life. Enjoy the message. Philippians, 0:00:18.079 --> 0:00:21.400 Chapter one, verse fifteen, Paul speaking. It is true that 0:00:21.440 --> 0:00:23.680 some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others 0:00:23.720 --> 0:00:26.760 out of goodwill, and the latter do so out of love, 0:00:27.440 --> 0:00:30.920 knowing that I am put here. Remember, I'm where I'm 0:00:30.960 --> 0:00:34.839 supposed to be, regardless of how I got here, I 0:00:34.920 --> 0:00:38.320 was put here. That's a way of seeing life that 0:00:38.360 --> 0:00:41.239 will set you free from the need to understand all 0:00:41.280 --> 0:00:44.600 of the events as they're happening, just to decide in 0:00:44.680 --> 0:00:49.280 advance wherever I end up that must be where God 0:00:49.360 --> 0:00:52.199 has me. Now, this can get dangerous because you can 0:00:52.320 --> 0:00:56.280 end up blaming God's sovereignty for your lack of responsibility. 0:00:57.080 --> 0:00:58.880 You know, I lost the job. I guess God wanted 0:00:58.880 --> 0:01:00.880 me to lose the job. God wanted you to show 0:01:00.920 --> 0:01:04.760 up on time, and so let's don't get carried away. 0:01:04.760 --> 0:01:07.760 But when the situation is out of my control. It's 0:01:07.800 --> 0:01:11.760 not out of God's hands. Amen. Yeah, I feel the 0:01:11.760 --> 0:01:13.560 spirit of God on that, because when he says I'm 0:01:13.560 --> 0:01:16.800 put here, that's one way of seeing it. He's positioned, 0:01:17.520 --> 0:01:21.360 and he sees himself as stationed rather than seeing himself 0:01:21.360 --> 0:01:26.240 as stuck. So the location doesn't change, but the lens 0:01:26.280 --> 0:01:30.280 he views his situation through is changing through the years. 0:01:30.319 --> 0:01:32.880 And since he's old now he has this great perspective 0:01:32.920 --> 0:01:36.039 and we get in on it through this letter that 0:01:36.080 --> 0:01:38.959 he wrote to the Philippian Church. So some people like 0:01:39.040 --> 0:01:42.800 me and some don't. But he says, the former preach 0:01:42.880 --> 0:01:47.400 Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely supposing they can 0:01:47.440 --> 0:01:50.160 stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. 0:01:51.960 --> 0:01:55.280 And this has been my mantra all week. What does 0:01:55.840 --> 0:02:00.320 it I found a new radio station wd IM does 0:02:00.360 --> 0:02:03.080 it matter? And when all this nonsense starts playing in 0:02:03.080 --> 0:02:06.320 my head, I just I turned the dial and I 0:02:06.360 --> 0:02:09.400 try to find a different signal, the signal that lets 0:02:09.400 --> 0:02:12.240 me know. I can't think short term and I can't 0:02:12.280 --> 0:02:17.000 let little things, the little foxes, spoil the vine. I 0:02:17.000 --> 0:02:19.920 can't let the flies get into ointment and mess up 0:02:19.960 --> 0:02:23.040 something sweet. So I got to get my priority straight. 0:02:23.160 --> 0:02:27.320 Now according to God's purpose for me? What does it matter? 0:02:27.919 --> 0:02:31.280 And I don't know if you if you want it 0:02:31.360 --> 0:02:35.840 or not, but we made some bracelets that just say 0:02:36.120 --> 0:02:39.680 wd IM on them. I got mine. I said it 0:02:39.680 --> 0:02:42.560 as a joke, and the team liked it so much. 0:02:42.600 --> 0:02:47.560 They made twenty five thousand of these bracelets. And it's 0:02:47.680 --> 0:02:49.400 really helpful. You might want to put it on your 0:02:49.440 --> 0:02:52.760 husband's wrists every once in a while. What does it matter? 0:02:53.000 --> 0:02:55.240 Just a little reminder of be yours today until we 0:02:55.360 --> 0:02:58.800 run out, and if we run out, what does it matter? 0:02:59.040 --> 0:03:04.320 You're not gonna be upset about that? What does it matter? 0:03:05.280 --> 0:03:07.919 It's not that I don't care about what people think, 0:03:07.960 --> 0:03:12.160 it's that it no longer controls me. So what does 0:03:12.160 --> 0:03:15.880 it matter? The important thing is that in every way, 0:03:15.880 --> 0:03:19.520 whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And 0:03:19.560 --> 0:03:25.240 because of this I rejoice, Yes, yeah, yeah, and I 0:03:25.280 --> 0:03:28.840 will continue to rejoice. What you're gonna do about it, devil? 0:03:28.840 --> 0:03:30.680 You hit me with your best shot, and I'm still 0:03:30.680 --> 0:03:35.280 in church. I will continue to rejoice. Now, you could 0:03:35.480 --> 0:03:38.160 knock the smile off my face if you tried. I'm 0:03:38.320 --> 0:03:42.400 still smiling, and my back hurts, but I'm still smiling. 0:03:43.120 --> 0:03:46.760 With my grain headaches, but I'm still smiling, and my 0:03:46.880 --> 0:03:50.160 kids are out of control, but I'm still smiling while 0:03:50.160 --> 0:03:54.240 I yell through clenched teeth, for I know that through 0:03:54.280 --> 0:03:56.920 your prayers, in God's provision of the spirit of Jesus Christ, 0:03:57.000 --> 0:03:59.960 what has happened to me will turn out from my delivery. 0:04:00.400 --> 0:04:02.600 Not eagerly expect and hope that I will in no 0:04:02.720 --> 0:04:08.720 way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage. So oh, 0:04:09.200 --> 0:04:12.240 I'm not asking God to reduce the conflict. I'm asking 0:04:12.320 --> 0:04:16.880 him to increase my courage for the conflict, so that 0:04:17.040 --> 0:04:22.200 now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, 0:04:22.240 --> 0:04:24.000 whether by life or by death. For to me, to 0:04:24.040 --> 0:04:26.279 live is Christ and to die is Gain. I can't lose. 0:04:27.360 --> 0:04:31.559 If I am to go on living in the body, well, 0:04:31.720 --> 0:04:37.800 this will mean fruitful labor for me. And the next line, 0:04:38.120 --> 0:04:42.240 I just laughed because he's talking like he's choosing a 0:04:42.360 --> 0:04:48.800 show on Netflix. What shall I choose? Oh, And he's 0:04:48.839 --> 0:04:51.960 talking about life and death. But he's come to the 0:04:52.680 --> 0:04:55.760 point in his life where he's like, well, either way, 0:04:55.800 --> 0:05:02.760 I'm cool. I don't even know between the two. I 0:05:02.839 --> 0:05:05.039 kind of want to get out of here. This world 0:05:05.080 --> 0:05:07.360 is a crazy place. And I'd like to see Jesus. 0:05:08.000 --> 0:05:10.680 I got a reward waiting with my name on it, 0:05:11.080 --> 0:05:12.839 and I want to see the one who died for 0:05:12.960 --> 0:05:15.520 me and bled for me, and I want him to 0:05:15.560 --> 0:05:18.200 wipe every tear from my eye. And I want to 0:05:18.200 --> 0:05:20.960 be in his presence. And I kind of like to 0:05:21.200 --> 0:05:23.599 I'd kind of like to depart. I desire to depart 0:05:23.640 --> 0:05:26.719 and be with Christ, which is better by far, but 0:05:26.880 --> 0:05:31.120 it's more necessary for you that I remain in the body. 0:05:32.640 --> 0:05:36.360 So since you still need me, I probably can't leave. 0:05:37.480 --> 0:05:40.680 I'd like God to take me to heaven, but He's 0:05:40.680 --> 0:05:44.560 probably gonna make me stay. I know that I will 0:05:44.600 --> 0:05:47.440 remain and I will continue with all of you for 0:05:47.600 --> 0:05:52.920 your progress and joy in the faith. So I asked God, 0:05:54.040 --> 0:05:57.520 can I go to heaven? And so look at your 0:05:57.520 --> 0:06:00.200 neighbor and give them my sermon title. It's a no. Oh. 0:06:05.240 --> 0:06:09.080 Now look at it from the perspective of the Philippian Church, 0:06:09.800 --> 0:06:13.000 who would have been excited to receive this letter with 0:06:13.120 --> 0:06:17.640 news about their beloved Apostle Paul. I can almost hear 0:06:18.640 --> 0:06:21.960 their feet stampeding through the streets. I can almost hear 0:06:21.960 --> 0:06:25.039 them knocking on the door of Lydia, who was the 0:06:25.080 --> 0:06:28.960 first convert when Paul passed through Philippi and she opened 0:06:29.000 --> 0:06:31.560 her heart and then her home, and that's how the 0:06:31.560 --> 0:06:34.599 whole church got started in Philippi in a sense, and 0:06:34.680 --> 0:06:38.719 so I can hear through the streets of Philippi. Hey, Lydia, 0:06:39.080 --> 0:06:41.440 we got a letter from Paul because they couldn't follow 0:06:41.480 --> 0:06:45.320 him on Instagram, and so they had been waiting for 0:06:45.520 --> 0:06:48.800 news of his release or his execution, or the date 0:06:48.839 --> 0:06:50.799 of his release. But we need to know how Paul 0:06:50.920 --> 0:06:53.240 is doing, and we really need him out of prison 0:06:53.320 --> 0:06:56.360 so he can help us accomplish the purpose of God. Hey, 0:06:56.640 --> 0:06:59.440 we got a letter from Paul. Come on, Lydia, and 0:06:59.680 --> 0:07:04.560 maybe that Roman jailer was still around who locked Paul up, 0:07:05.040 --> 0:07:08.000 and then when Paul and Silas sang at midnight and 0:07:08.240 --> 0:07:10.640 refused to leave the prison until they led that man 0:07:10.680 --> 0:07:13.320 to the lord because they were more concerned about him 0:07:13.360 --> 0:07:17.440 being free than them being free. And maybe he comes around, 0:07:17.480 --> 0:07:19.640 and maybe they all meet up at Lydia's house, if 0:07:19.680 --> 0:07:22.040 she's still living. And we got a letter from Paul. 0:07:22.160 --> 0:07:24.680 And you know when you get an urgent email and 0:07:24.720 --> 0:07:27.280 you just skim past the polite stuff. Paul and Timothy 0:07:27.280 --> 0:07:30.440 service Jesus Christ, yea God's Holy people Christ, Jesus Philipia. 0:07:30.680 --> 0:07:33.880 Is he getting out? Paul? Do we need to get 0:07:33.920 --> 0:07:37.520 the Welcome Home from Prison committee together? Are you coming 0:07:37.600 --> 0:07:39.920 to see us? What did Caesar say? Do you have 0:07:39.960 --> 0:07:42.440 a date set of you been able to defend yourself? 0:07:43.680 --> 0:07:46.600 And they must have been surprised that Paul only gave 0:07:46.760 --> 0:07:52.800 a half of verse to his situation and the rest 0:07:53.080 --> 0:07:57.480 of the entire letter. Paul teaches them a lesson and 0:07:57.560 --> 0:07:59.160 it's this, and I want to do my best to 0:07:59.200 --> 0:08:02.960 teach you today. God help me teach this today. He 0:08:03.040 --> 0:08:10.440 teaches them how to be released in reverse, how you 0:08:10.520 --> 0:08:15.280 can still be in the same situation that you prayed 0:08:15.320 --> 0:08:19.040 to get out of. But even though you're still in 0:08:19.080 --> 0:08:24.560 that situation, you are free in your spirit. So we 0:08:24.640 --> 0:08:25.880 have to go quick. I don't have a lot of 0:08:25.880 --> 0:08:28.600 time to tell you this. But God is more interested 0:08:28.720 --> 0:08:32.320 about freeing you in your spirit than he is freeing 0:08:32.360 --> 0:08:36.480 you from your situation. This is a core teaching and 0:08:36.559 --> 0:08:39.800 a core tenant not only from this pulpit, but it 0:08:39.880 --> 0:08:43.120 is the essence of the gospel. Is that God is 0:08:43.160 --> 0:08:48.240 more interested in delivering us on the inside, changing us 0:08:48.320 --> 0:08:53.920 on the inside, and rearranging our internal condition than he 0:08:54.080 --> 0:08:58.400 is about arranging our external affairs. This gospel is not 0:08:58.640 --> 0:09:02.240 popular to preach in an age that is so consumed 0:09:02.280 --> 0:09:07.640 with changing scenery. We are more concerned with the scenery 0:09:07.920 --> 0:09:11.840 than we are with our spirits. And Paul is teaching 0:09:11.920 --> 0:09:14.160 us a lesson. We'd be wise to listen to him. 0:09:14.400 --> 0:09:25.280 He says, I'm not out yet, but I'm free. I'm 0:09:25.320 --> 0:09:32.440 still right here in this cell physically, but spiritually, I'm 0:09:32.480 --> 0:09:41.120 free free from what, Free from pain, No, no, I'm hurting, 0:09:42.679 --> 0:09:46.040 Free from uncertainty, though I don't know what they're gonna 0:09:46.040 --> 0:09:50.160 do to me, free from Have you ever asked God 0:09:50.160 --> 0:09:54.760 to set you free from certain people and He keeps 0:09:54.800 --> 0:09:57.240 trying and you keep texting them back. So work with 0:09:57.360 --> 0:10:04.439 the Lord. That was a whole series right there, and 0:10:04.880 --> 0:10:10.920 Paul says, I'm free. Oh you're coming home. No, but 0:10:11.000 --> 0:10:18.679 I'm free. I'm I'm free, I'm I'm I'm free. Watch this. 0:10:18.679 --> 0:10:21.440 This is what I've been praying lately. I stopped praying 0:10:21.720 --> 0:10:26.280 God set me free from it, whatever it is. You 0:10:26.320 --> 0:10:31.760 know this imagination that if that got better, I would 0:10:31.800 --> 0:10:36.280 be better, Because sometimes that got better and I got worse. 0:10:38.440 --> 0:10:41.520 So I stopped praying God set me free from it, 0:10:42.360 --> 0:10:45.720 because sometimes God set me free from the situation, and 0:10:45.800 --> 0:10:50.400 I took myself into a new situation, and I took 0:10:50.440 --> 0:10:54.880 my same change from the last situation, the last relationship, 0:10:55.200 --> 0:10:59.040 into the new relationship. So lately I've been praying, and 0:10:59.080 --> 0:11:01.120 if you want to pray it me repeat after me. 0:11:01.360 --> 0:11:13.360 God set me free from me. If you don't get that, 0:11:13.520 --> 0:11:17.000 you haven't lived long enough, because you will get tired 0:11:17.080 --> 0:11:21.480 of yourself at some point, and you will get tired 0:11:21.559 --> 0:11:24.080 of making your own movies of which you are the 0:11:24.120 --> 0:11:28.240 star and everyone else is a prop and you will 0:11:28.320 --> 0:11:32.480 want something bigger in your life then how I feel 0:11:32.520 --> 0:11:35.920 in this moment. You want something bigger in your life 0:11:36.040 --> 0:11:39.600 then what I am earning. You will want something bigger 0:11:39.920 --> 0:11:45.800 in your life then status. And so Paul said, I'm 0:11:46.360 --> 0:11:52.280 I'm free, Not not the freedom that you can see, 0:11:52.720 --> 0:11:59.880 but i am I'm free from the invisible prison. Yeah. 0:12:00.120 --> 0:12:05.640 So I'm free because I'm releasing some things. And Paul says, 0:12:05.640 --> 0:12:12.120 I'm I'm releasing myself from the prison of resentment. I'm 0:12:12.160 --> 0:12:16.839 releasing myself from the need to know the reason why 0:12:17.200 --> 0:12:20.320 everything is the way it is. I'm releasing myself. And 0:12:20.360 --> 0:12:24.640 it's really beautiful because he could have waited around to 0:12:24.679 --> 0:12:28.720 be set free by somebody else, but he decided, I'm 0:12:28.720 --> 0:12:30.760 going to use the keys that God has given me. 0:12:32.679 --> 0:12:37.680 So I've got my own keys called faith and trust 0:12:38.360 --> 0:12:43.320 and praise and gratitude, and so I don't need you 0:12:43.440 --> 0:12:48.080 to free me. I am setting people free from my 0:12:48.280 --> 0:12:53.040 need for them to validate me. I found freedom when 0:12:53.080 --> 0:12:55.880 I realized that I have all of the resources I 0:12:55.960 --> 0:12:59.160 need through the spirit of God. And it is through 0:12:59.200 --> 0:13:01.920 the provision of His spirit, pau. It's just an intro, 0:13:02.559 --> 0:13:05.920 but it's so good because Paul's saying, I'm not out, 0:13:06.200 --> 0:13:10.000 but I'm free. Nothing has changed in my situation, but 0:13:10.120 --> 0:13:14.120 I don't need my situation to change. God has changed me. 0:13:14.640 --> 0:13:18.040 And whom the Son sets free is free. Indeed, I 0:13:18.160 --> 0:13:23.200 stop screaming I'm just When you get free, it makes 0:13:23.240 --> 0:13:26.440 you want to holler when you get free. It makes 0:13:26.440 --> 0:13:28.920 you want to clap. When you get free, it makes 0:13:28.960 --> 0:13:31.280 you want to shout. It makes you want to throw 0:13:31.360 --> 0:13:41.760 off the change, shout up free. Look at the person 0:13:41.840 --> 0:13:45.040 next to you and say, free from what you think 0:13:45.080 --> 0:14:01.120 of me. I look mons and worship people to think 0:14:01.200 --> 0:14:07.280 I'm one of those weird Christians. I think it's kind 0:14:07.280 --> 0:14:12.520 of weird that somebody that didn't die for you would 0:14:12.600 --> 0:14:16.720 dictate the level of your faith, and that you would 0:14:16.720 --> 0:14:21.480 ever be ashamed of the Gospel when you claim to 0:14:21.520 --> 0:14:25.520 be free. If He set you free, we don't have 0:14:25.720 --> 0:14:29.560 long Take ten seconds and praise him like you're free. 0:14:30.800 --> 0:14:37.440 That's good. Six five, four three two one Philippius, Chapter one. 0:14:38.120 --> 0:14:42.560 Paul said, I'm free. I don't know whether I'll get 0:14:42.560 --> 0:14:46.160 out of this prison, but whether or not I get 0:14:46.200 --> 0:14:50.360 out of this prison is not the hinge on which 0:14:50.680 --> 0:14:55.240 my faith swings, because I made a decision to be free, 0:14:56.120 --> 0:15:02.800 free of bitterness, free of blame, real freedom, freedom that 0:15:02.960 --> 0:15:07.120 nobody can give you but Jesus, and freedom that nobody 0:15:07.160 --> 0:15:11.720 can take away. It's a different kind of freedom. It's 0:15:11.760 --> 0:15:13.760 not just the freedom to do whatever you want and 0:15:13.840 --> 0:15:19.120 say whatever you want that pretend freedom. It's a real freedom. 0:15:19.160 --> 0:15:21.960 It's a deep freedom. It's a freedom that I hope 0:15:21.960 --> 0:15:23.840 to experience more and more in my life. And I 0:15:23.880 --> 0:15:26.760 pray the same for you. Because Paul said, I want 0:15:26.800 --> 0:15:29.360 you to be free. Isn't it funny that he's he's 0:15:29.400 --> 0:15:34.280 praying for them, he's in prison, and he's the freest 0:15:34.320 --> 0:15:38.520 one of them all. Some of the least free people 0:15:38.560 --> 0:15:40.280 I ever met in my life had the most stuff, 0:15:42.960 --> 0:15:46.600 And Paul is so free at this point. He's free 0:15:46.600 --> 0:15:51.520 from the need to know what happens next. He's free. 0:15:52.120 --> 0:15:54.600 He's free. Wouldn't it be good to be free like that? 0:15:57.120 --> 0:16:02.200 And he sets himself free instead of waiting for someone 0:16:02.200 --> 0:16:06.360 else to And how he does it is kind of 0:16:06.360 --> 0:16:10.160 a cool I guess it's a psychological and theological lesson 0:16:10.200 --> 0:16:15.080 all at once. He does it by remembering, because if 0:16:15.080 --> 0:16:17.800 he dwells too much on what he's going through right now, 0:16:18.600 --> 0:16:21.680 it will cause him to lose hope. If he dwells 0:16:21.680 --> 0:16:24.360 too much on what's going to happen next, it'll cause 0:16:24.440 --> 0:16:26.480 him to be unstable, and he can't control that anyway. 0:16:27.520 --> 0:16:30.880 So listen, Blataney, He says, give me my camera. He says, 0:16:31.240 --> 0:16:34.560 I thank my God in every remembrance of you. This 0:16:34.680 --> 0:16:39.680 is Philippians chapter one, in every prayer with joy, and 0:16:39.720 --> 0:16:44.360 I thank him for your partnership in the Gospel from 0:16:44.360 --> 0:16:49.640 the first day until now. So he revisits in his 0:16:49.800 --> 0:16:54.760 mind a time, maybe thirty years earlier, that he began 0:16:54.840 --> 0:16:58.840 this work with these friends in Philippi and now he's 0:16:58.840 --> 0:17:01.440 writing them a letter about his current situation. But the 0:17:01.480 --> 0:17:03.920 way that he deals with his anxiety, how many of 0:17:03.960 --> 0:17:05.560 you are dealing with anxiety in your life, and you 0:17:05.600 --> 0:17:07.320 don't mind raising your hands so I can preach right 0:17:07.359 --> 0:17:15.680 to you. He remembers, He remembers, and he concludes something 0:17:16.320 --> 0:17:20.959 when he revisits his memory of God's faithfulness. Because there 0:17:21.520 --> 0:17:25.160 is a way of remembering the past that will paralyze 0:17:25.560 --> 0:17:28.600 the potential of today, but there is a way of 0:17:28.640 --> 0:17:32.159 remembering the past that can fuel your faith for tomorrow. 0:17:33.119 --> 0:17:36.600 Paul does the latter. He says, I thank my God 0:17:36.680 --> 0:17:40.160 every time I remember you and I remember your partnership. 0:17:40.200 --> 0:17:43.119 I'm not in this by myself, from the very first 0:17:43.280 --> 0:17:47.560 day until now. And I am confident of this that 0:17:47.600 --> 0:17:52.160 he who began a good work in you, who started it. 0:17:53.560 --> 0:17:55.800 That's what they used to say in middle school when 0:17:55.840 --> 0:17:58.000 there was a fight and you get dragged in the 0:17:58.040 --> 0:18:01.520 principal's office, and so we used to have a say. 0:18:01.520 --> 0:18:04.280 And I didn't start it, but I finished it. And 0:18:04.320 --> 0:18:08.000 so God does both. And when the devil starts picking 0:18:08.080 --> 0:18:12.120 on you, don't forget who started it. If God started 0:18:12.119 --> 0:18:14.280 a good work in you, guess what he's gonna do. 0:18:15.040 --> 0:18:18.439 He's gonna finish it. Now, you won't know all the 0:18:18.520 --> 0:18:22.159 details when it starts. But God is not like you, 0:18:22.240 --> 0:18:26.080 and so he knows the end from the beginning. God 0:18:26.119 --> 0:18:28.880 saw the last frame of the movie before he started 0:18:28.920 --> 0:18:35.040 casting or directing. So God reveals these things to us 0:18:35.040 --> 0:18:38.480 in reverse. It's like Abraham, I'm gonna bless the whole 0:18:38.560 --> 0:18:41.320 art through you. Okay, can you tell me how no 0:18:43.160 --> 0:18:46.639 go to the land. I will show you and the 0:18:46.800 --> 0:18:57.640 details will unfold as your obedience does. Yeah. And so 0:18:57.840 --> 0:19:02.159 Paul says, I remember how that started, and I know 0:19:02.200 --> 0:19:05.320 who started it. It was God because I wasn't even 0:19:05.359 --> 0:19:10.520 trying to get to Philippi. Actually, when I think about 0:19:11.920 --> 0:19:16.480 how I came to you, how we started, it was 0:19:16.520 --> 0:19:22.479 almost an accidental miracle. I call it that, knowing that 0:19:22.600 --> 0:19:26.320 nothing is an accident to God. But one day I'm 0:19:26.320 --> 0:19:27.879 going to preach, when I ever get the courage to 0:19:27.920 --> 0:19:33.320 do it, a whole sermon called miracles by mistake, just 0:19:33.320 --> 0:19:37.680 like what feels like the worst mistake of your life. 0:19:37.800 --> 0:19:42.200 And it was really God using human weakness to display 0:19:42.240 --> 0:19:48.840 divide strength. My young people know what's a love it? 0:19:51.440 --> 0:19:55.719 So Paul, he has like a faith flashback. David did 0:19:55.800 --> 0:19:59.119 the same thing. There's Goliath. He's big line was big, 0:20:00.880 --> 0:20:07.680 the bear was big. The bigger they come. So if 0:20:07.720 --> 0:20:12.720 the lion went and the bear went, Goliath is about 0:20:12.760 --> 0:20:19.760 to go. This is called a faith flashback, and Paul says, 0:20:19.800 --> 0:20:24.520 I remember I'm released in reverse. It's kind of weird. 0:20:24.720 --> 0:20:26.359 In order to go forward with faith, I got to 0:20:26.359 --> 0:20:33.240 remember how I went out preaching, and I went to 0:20:33.640 --> 0:20:37.320 the Jews first. But as I was preaching to the Jews, 0:20:37.920 --> 0:20:41.360 the Gentiles wanted to hear it too, and the message 0:20:41.400 --> 0:20:45.400 was too big because God told Abraham, I'll bless all 0:20:45.440 --> 0:20:49.359 people through you. And so God started using me to 0:20:49.359 --> 0:20:52.560 do what he said he would do, and he chose me. 0:20:53.400 --> 0:20:57.080 In fact, Acts nine calls Paul God's chosen vessel. We've 0:20:57.080 --> 0:21:03.480 been talking about choices. Always remember you didn't choose God. 0:21:05.040 --> 0:21:12.919 He chose you. And if he started it, he's the 0:21:12.960 --> 0:21:18.240 author and finisher of your faith. So I started preaching, 0:21:19.480 --> 0:21:25.800 went on a little tour, started some churches Galatia, went 0:21:25.880 --> 0:21:28.240 really all around. I wanted to take the gospel further, 0:21:29.119 --> 0:21:32.480 and when I got home, the people who should have 0:21:32.480 --> 0:21:39.240 been celebrating were suspicious. Because sometimes we don't like, when 0:21:39.400 --> 0:21:44.359 God doesn't meet our rules of who he's supposed to 0:21:44.359 --> 0:21:46.959 reach and who he's supposed to bless you were what 0:21:47.080 --> 0:21:54.080 the church you listen to? What you come on? Man, 0:21:54.560 --> 0:21:57.000 you can't you can't be a Christian. This is what 0:21:57.040 --> 0:21:59.840 they thought. You know, you have to keep the Sabbath, 0:22:01.359 --> 0:22:03.480 you have to be circumcised. Now let me tell you 0:22:03.480 --> 0:22:10.680 what that did. That shut down the men's ministry. And 0:22:10.680 --> 0:22:12.320 Paul was like, no, I don't think so. I think 0:22:12.359 --> 0:22:14.640 it's about the inside. I don't think it's about the outside. 0:22:14.840 --> 0:22:17.800 I think that's what Jesus came for. So we could 0:22:17.880 --> 0:22:21.439 stop fixing things up on the outside and smiling pretty 0:22:21.520 --> 0:22:24.240 like our life is, be interest and get real and 0:22:24.320 --> 0:22:28.720 come into the presence of God imperfect. I don't think 0:22:28.720 --> 0:22:31.520 it's really important what you wear or if you can 0:22:31.640 --> 0:22:35.840 say the right words. I don't think that matters. I 0:22:35.840 --> 0:22:40.240 don't think that's the priority. And so he just he 0:22:40.320 --> 0:22:45.320 shared the gospel freely, freely with everybody the grace of God. 0:22:46.520 --> 0:22:49.040 When we got home, had to have a little meeting 0:22:50.080 --> 0:22:53.320 to decide could the gentiles come in to the church. 0:22:55.160 --> 0:23:00.840 And it was a rowdy meeting, but ultimate they said, 0:23:01.080 --> 0:23:05.439 you know, we probably should just we probably should just 0:23:05.480 --> 0:23:09.119 go with God. Imagine that if God's doing something, we 0:23:09.119 --> 0:23:13.000 should probably stay out of his way. So go ahead, Paul. 0:23:13.400 --> 0:23:16.439 Not that we really like you anymore, but we're not 0:23:16.480 --> 0:23:20.640 going to stop you. So go preaching. Now. Paul leaves 0:23:21.280 --> 0:23:23.200 to go preach again, but this time he has an idea. 0:23:23.280 --> 0:23:26.600 He's like, I need to go check on the churches 0:23:26.640 --> 0:23:29.399 that I started and see how they're doing. I need 0:23:29.440 --> 0:23:31.919 to go back to some of the places where we 0:23:32.040 --> 0:23:36.719 planted a church and see if the seeds have become trees. 0:23:37.720 --> 0:23:41.080 I need to go strengthen people in the faith that 0:23:41.920 --> 0:23:45.240 begin and I want to see if they're still moving. 0:23:45.520 --> 0:23:50.480 I want to see if their choices are becoming habits 0:23:50.920 --> 0:24:00.119 are becoming automatic. Can bring me that, Yeah, yeah, so 0:24:00.200 --> 0:24:02.159 Paul perfect. Paul was like, oh, make sure there's no 0:24:02.200 --> 0:24:06.480 missing pieces. I want to make sure that what God 0:24:06.560 --> 0:24:12.280 started gets completed. Come here, Tyler, and so he goes 0:24:12.400 --> 0:24:16.880 on this preaching tour. Hashtag Strengthened the Saints, hashtag check 0:24:17.080 --> 0:24:20.240 check in on the church. Now you can't take Barnabas. 0:24:21.359 --> 0:24:24.359 Barnabas was the first Christian that liked Paul. Most of 0:24:24.440 --> 0:24:26.840 Christians didn't like Paul because Paul used to kill Christians. 0:24:29.160 --> 0:24:31.280 It's kind of hard to apply for a senior pastor 0:24:31.400 --> 0:24:37.800 job with that on your resume. Our guest speaker tonight, ah, 0:24:40.680 --> 0:24:45.280 you know. But Barnabas was like, nah, he's cool. And 0:24:45.280 --> 0:24:47.920 then Paul and Barnabas got in a fight about john Mark. 0:24:48.560 --> 0:24:51.440 Because it doesn't matter how delivered you get, you never 0:24:51.480 --> 0:25:00.639 fully get delivered from drama. How left the there was 0:25:00.680 --> 0:25:03.760 too much drama. What church are you going to join? 0:25:06.400 --> 0:25:12.000 Because the moment you joined that one, we'll have drama too. Anyway, 0:25:12.560 --> 0:25:17.479 So Paul goes preaching. Now I want to illustrate this 0:25:17.520 --> 0:25:22.240 to you, how the grace of God was unleashed, and 0:25:22.280 --> 0:25:24.520 really that's what the whole Book of Galatians is about. 0:25:25.680 --> 0:25:28.119 One of the places Paul went to check on. He 0:25:28.240 --> 0:25:32.800 went to Galatia and this this might be a little 0:25:32.840 --> 0:25:36.919 complicated for just like a normal sermon, but maybe you 0:25:36.920 --> 0:25:39.359 could study it on your own time. I try to 0:25:39.359 --> 0:25:41.480 put enough in these messages that you can take home 0:25:41.560 --> 0:25:44.720 some tupperware and then go back and visit things that 0:25:44.760 --> 0:25:48.480 you want to look more into. But Paul had an 0:25:48.480 --> 0:25:51.840 idea to go check on the churches, and God didn't 0:25:52.000 --> 0:25:56.080 tell him to do it. In fact, Paul, in this 0:25:56.440 --> 0:26:01.439 particular scenario, he's not so much being led by God 0:26:01.520 --> 0:26:04.160 to do it as he is being led by his 0:26:04.240 --> 0:26:07.200 burden to do it. And the only reason I point 0:26:07.280 --> 0:26:08.959 that out is because I think a lot of us 0:26:09.000 --> 0:26:12.760 think that God leading us looks like this, you know, 0:26:13.680 --> 0:26:17.800 and that's almost how we follow Christ, Like, okay, God, 0:26:19.240 --> 0:26:26.800 come on, Tyler, make the face. Okay, God, you're not 0:26:26.800 --> 0:26:31.159 making the face time, you look too happy? Okay. But 0:26:31.280 --> 0:26:33.880 actually it was more like this. Paul set out, go ahead, 0:26:33.920 --> 0:26:42.240 and God went with him. So that's a simple principle. 0:26:44.040 --> 0:26:49.639 Divine empowerment often awaits human initiative. And so Paul went 0:26:49.680 --> 0:26:52.280 out and he went to check on the churches and 0:26:52.320 --> 0:26:55.360 it was a very effective trip, a very effective preaching tour. 0:26:55.640 --> 0:26:57.840 He couldn't take Barnabas, so he took Silas, which is 0:26:57.840 --> 0:27:01.280 good because Silas liked to sing, and they needed to 0:27:01.320 --> 0:27:06.959 sing at midnight when everyone's chains were so tight, so 0:27:07.080 --> 0:27:10.879 that everyone's chains could come loose, because God will put 0:27:11.119 --> 0:27:14.479 in your life who you need for the season that 0:27:14.520 --> 0:27:19.400 you're in. Just because Barnabas left doesn't mean God did. 0:27:20.280 --> 0:27:23.480 So pick up Silas and hit the road, and Paul said, 0:27:23.520 --> 0:27:29.399 let's go. Let's go, and Acts sixteen four records what 0:27:29.440 --> 0:27:32.879 happened next. They traveled from town to town, and they 0:27:32.920 --> 0:27:35.480 told all the churches good news. We met with the 0:27:35.480 --> 0:27:39.720 Council of Jerusalem. You don't have to be circumcised, and 0:27:39.800 --> 0:27:48.480 all the men said so. So Paul's like, all right, 0:27:49.160 --> 0:27:52.879 put down your knives. We're not doing that anymore. Just 0:27:53.520 --> 0:27:56.159 here's what you do. Don't worship idols, don't eat food 0:27:56.960 --> 0:28:01.240 with the blood still in it, strangled animals, and you 0:28:01.280 --> 0:28:04.080 can come to the kingdom. And they went around delivering it. 0:28:04.119 --> 0:28:08.480 And what would happen next verse The churches were strengthened 0:28:08.480 --> 0:28:11.639