Brother Gary Wednesday Evening 1/15/14

Brother Gary Wednesday Evening 1/15/14

This was written at the end of Paul’s first missionary journey.  When they came back to Antioch, They got together with the church as we would today.  This was about AD48:

Act 14:27  And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles.

The setting:

Act 13:1  Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

Act 13:2  As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.

Act 13:3  And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

Act 13:4  So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus.

Act 13:5  And when they were at Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: and they had also John to their minister.

They were sent forth and they preached the Word of God.  We know all of this but every one of us needs to seek God so that we know how to bring the Word of God into our dealings with People.  We are commissioned to make disciples, not necessarily friends. 

Our desire is to see men and women get help from God.  Every one of us here can speak of our family.  There are desperate needs in our family.  The only answer is in the Word of God.  The greatest need is the Word of God.

We need God to help us.

They were teaching and as they were, it wasn’t long until there was an uproar that took place.  It is interesting and we must come to terms with it, some people when they hear the message they acknowledge that they had that conviction in their heart before and may have tried to say that; this is truth. 

There will be others that have yielded to unbelief and have disregarded: for a man, valor, and for a woman, virtue.  If men don’t have a hunger for valor, the gospel will make them so angry that they will change color.  The same for women, if they don’t have a desire for virtue, when the Word of God comes forth it will anger them and they will not throw rocks at God but the message bearer becomes the bad man or woman in their eyes.

There have been millions that have paid the price, “I’m going to be true to God.  Son, if you take the message, good; if not, then I will still go on.”

Act 14:8  And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother's womb, who never had walked:

We don’t know how old this man was but he had never walked.

Act 14:9  The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed,

Act 14:10  Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked.

This is a beautiful account in the scripture.  This man was there and God allowed Paul and Barnabas to pass through there at just the right time.  Paul could tell that when this man heard the Word of God preached he knew, “He is taking this in and has faith to be healed.”

The people thought that the gods had come down.  Paul and Barnabus got them stopped and said, “No, we are just men like you.”

Act 14:19  And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and, having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead.

There are times when individuals have such an attitude against the gospel that they go out of their way to turn others from the gospel.  They even stoned Paul.

Act 14:20  Howbeit, as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up, and came into the city: and the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe.

As bad as it looked, the Word of God was going forth.  As they went they preached.

Act 14:21  And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch,

We live in a world of crises.  There are difficulties that happen in our families, in our personal lives.  We are subject to getting sick.  We are subject to things not happening like we had wished; they went right on preaching.

They continued the journey and returned to Antioch and told all that God had done for them and the good report, “The door of faith is open to the Gentiles.”

Rom 10:8  But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;

When a heart is turning toward God, it begins to realize that “I need God.”  If they are honest they realize, “I need something to clear me of my past.”  If they are not honest they will have a lot of excuses and a lot of people to blame. 

Until they realize, “I am lost and without God,” then you will not be able to help them.

If they will confess with the mouth the Lord Jesus, “I need a new beginning, a savior and a new life.”

And believe in their heart…

Rom 10:9  That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Rom 10:10  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

When they confess with their mouth that they are a sinner and ask God to forgive them of their sin, they get deliverance.  That is the only way that people get delivered from sin, the world, bad attitudes, and bad spirits.  Salvation means deliverance, it means help. 

The sister’s burden is not just isolated to her family.  Every family has problems.  The only way people get help from God and get to the door of faith is by really wanting help from God.  Just as it is with the sister’s family, when you pray for manifold conviction then get set for things to be bad. 

Be strong and valiant.  When things go bad, God is able to give you strength.  When someone gets saved, there must be the same pain and travail as there is when someone gives birth.  People don’t get out of Babylon by just not liking what is going on.  It takes travail for people to get out of Babylon and it takes someone saying, “That thing is wrong.”  We must travail to see people come out of Babylon.

I don’t like to go to Babylon even to funerals.  There are ugly spirits.  The biggest church in Plains: I have seen that preacher act so ugly so many times that there must be a houseful of unsatisfied people.  They say, “I’m saved, we are it, but I’m just kind of carnal.” 

Salvation means safety.  We are so blessed that there is a source of safety.  You and I know, because of the battles and because of watching people, that Satan is loosed from his prison.  In one of the towns that Karen’s sister lives in, a boy 12 years old received the thought to put a shotgun in his band instrument case, took it to school, and opened it up. 

Salvation means health.  You can have a healthy mind in a sick world.  You can have a healthy body.  If you are sick, put on a search for the door of faith.  God is a healer.

Rom 10:11  For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

Teach yourself: don’t you decide who will take the gospel.  Deep down inside they may be crying out for God.  Whosoever, whosoever shall call…

Rom 10:12  For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.

Rom 10:13  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

There is a door of faith.  Inside that door is the rich Lord that is the same over all.  You might think that you don’t want to ask too much from God.  Don’t hesitate.  You need lots of grace?  Then ask for lots of grace.  You need a miracle in your body?  Then ask for it.  If you need seven things then ask for the seven. 

He doesn’t say, I’ll only do this much for you because you are not educated, or because you don’t belong to a certain nationality.  He is rich.  He is almighty.

Rom 10:14  How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?

I want to tell you to not be afraid to tell your testimony with a lot of the Word of God.  People need to hear what God has done for you according to the Word of God.  None of us were always in the church.  We all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.  We all were in a need of a savior. 

We were all in dire straits.  If it wasn’t for God then we would be in dire straits more than any could imagine.

Rom 10:15  And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

It is wonderful to have the gospel of peace it gives us peace with the past, present, future, with neighbors, in our heart, in our soul, in our mind.

I fully understand how the residence of the world are in dismay because of the uneasiness of the world that is out there.  The greatest of miracles was when he saved my lost soul.

God is just the same today as when he healed the lame man.

Glad tidings of good things:  I was thinking of the people that we love and don’t have enough contact with.  They may be right here in the neighboring town.  I was thinking of this young man that I see every summer during VBS.  I only know that he is a young man married with a child or two. 

You don’t need to take special ed. to find out that this young man really needs God.  He doesn’t know much about God.  He sees the outward, but does he know about the good things of God?  He is just one; he has brushed the church since he was a boy.  Wouldn’t you love to tell the good tidings? 

Talking of Obama care will do nothing for your soul.  Right in the midst of all that we have a book of good tidings.  Good things are in store.  There are good tidings.

Rom 10:16  But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?

Rom 10:17  So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

A word picture of the beautiful door of faith:  Will I be challenged to have God open the door of faith to me?  There is this door of faith that is beautiful. 

You can look at a door and look at it.  Before we got doors we used to look around at doors. 

Let me tell you of a beautiful one, it is the door of faith.  It is open.  Every need supplied.  That means every need.  Emotional: I openly said that I have trouble with my mind kicking into gear way too early.  I’m anxious about this, that, and other things.  There is a place to go when that happens.  “God, I must get through this door and I must get my mind settled down.”

I couldn’t help but think of the vestibule of the door of faith.  This place where you go in and the dear ones before have been.  I thought of your saved mothers and saved fathers that have gone before. 

Someone got Sister Dorothy’s mother under the church of God message and she said, “That is truth.”  I can see those in my mind’s eye that signed the book and said, “I am going through.”

Dear old Sister Stinson, you get in that vestibule and you will see her handwriting. 

You remember Sister Peter when Johnny got half of his head blown off?  She got the word, “Don’t come to Sandiego, he is going to be just a vegetable.”  She didn’t believe it.  She said, “I have to go; that is my son.” 

The surgeon said, “I’m going to put the biggest plate in his head as I have ever put in.  He will be a vegetable anyway.”  She said, “My son has to live.”  She signed in at the door of faith.

Parents, you have a sister, a brother, a prodigal?  You sign in at the door of faith.  “God whatever it will cost to get what is needed.” 

There are some people that you just have to ask.  Some you have to do some real seeking.  “God, I am not going to accept what unbelief and the world is saying.”

You have to sometimes keep knocking until the door opens and until God does what needs to be done.  He is God.