Acts: Trusting in God's Guidance and Overcoming Fear

Summary
In this episode, the hosts discuss the importance of spending time in the Word of God and being obedient to His calling. They highlight the example of Paul, who devoted himself completely to the Word and went where God led him. They also emphasize the need to prioritize the gospel and not be discouraged by rejection. The hosts share personal experiences of standing for the truth and the blessings that come from aligning with God's Word. They encourage listeners to make the Word of God the foundation of their lives and to trust in God's provision and guidance.

Takeaways
- Spending time in the Word of God and being obedient to His calling is crucial for our spiritual growth and effectiveness in ministry.
- When we prioritize the gospel and stand for the truth, God will bless and provide for us.
- Rejection should not discourage us, but rather motivate us to focus on those who are receptive to the gospel.
- The Word of God is the foundation of our faith and should be the guiding force in our lives.
- Trusting in God's provision and guidance enables us to overcome fear and boldly proclaim the truth.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:10

Welcome to the Be Disciples podcast with your hosts Kyle Morris, dakota Smith, david Glavin, chance Pollard, and this is episode number 114. Dang, I don't know, I might stop counting, it's just too many. But thank you all for joining us today on the podcast we took about. I don't know, it's been about almost a month since we had Dr Jim Ball on the podcast. A lot's been going on here at Ottawa Bible Church, along just within our individual lives, and so now we're back to getting back into the podcast. School's coming to an end, schedules are becoming a little bit lighter, and so we're excited to getting back into the podcast. School's coming to an end, schedules are becoming a little bit lighter, and so we're excited to get some more episodes in. Welcome to the podcast, guys.

Speaker 2: 0:52

Yeah, it's good to be back on. It's good to get things started again.

Speaker 1: 0:56

Yeah, I mean you went on vacation, that was good, spent some time with the family, chance and I. We went to the Spurgeon Library Conference, went and spend some time with the family Chance and I. We went to the Spurgeon Library Conference, went and got edumacated for a day for one day, and David has been doing all kinds of youth thing. He got rummage sale coming up, and so, man, there's still a lot going on, even with the summer. But there's a bit of a shift which I'm excited about. Some things come to an end, like Braves worship for the year at the college college, but then we get to pick up on other things throughout the summer.

Speaker 2: 1:27

So a good change, a good shift yeah, I think we're looking forward to a season of rest in the summer, if you could call it that maybe a rest from, you know, normal responsibilities and and stepping into ministry without that more rhythmic responsibility. There's still a ton to be done, so we'll still all be very busy, but you know, to take a break from the norm is good.

Speaker 1: 1:54

Yeah, rest is good. Time in prayer is good. If you're in the Ottawa community, we've got our prayer night May 5th. We do something called First Sundays. Most of those are prayer meetings. We've got some other First Sundays throughout the summer that are going to be a little different, about parenting and marriage Just things to look forward to. So if you're in the community here in Ottawa and Franklin County, we'd love to have you for those events. Just check out our website, OttawaBibleChurchcom. But we are studying the book of Acts, which has been a lot of fun to go through together to see what Paul's doing, what the church is doing, but ultimately what God is doing, the Holy Spirit. How is the Holy Spirit moving? How is the gospel being heard and presented? Who is the gospel going to? And even times where the Holy Spirit says no, don't go there, Paul, I want you to go somewhere else, things like that. And so we're picking up in chapter 18 today.

Speaker 2: 2:42

Yeah, let's pray and we'll dive right in Chance. Do you want to pray for us? Yeah, absolutely.

Speaker 3: 2:48

Father, we come before you in the name of Jesus, lord. We thank you for this opportunity just to sit around and dive into your word and spread it to the people who hear. God, I just pray that you'll lead our discussion and our time in the word today and that those who hear it will be lifted up for your glory, lord, and for your name. In Jesus' name, I pray, amen.

Speaker 2: 3:05

Amen, amen. So Acts, 18? Acts 18.

Speaker 2: 3:09

Starting in verse 1,. We'll just take it one chunk at a time. I think a good goal would be to go to verse 22 today, but just little bites at a time. It says in verse 1, after these things, he left Athens and went to Corinth, he being Paul, and he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, having recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla. Because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome, he came to them and because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and they were working for by trade. They were tent makers and he was reasoning in the synagogue every Sabbath and trying to persuade Jews and Greeks. But when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, paul began devoting himself completely to the word, solemnly testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. I think verses 1-5 have enough there to kind of investigate. So, guys, what are some things that you see?

Speaker 1: 4:12

Well, Paul leaves Athens where he just had a debate with the philosophical minds of the day.

Speaker 2: 4:18

Yes.

Speaker 1: 4:20

He left Athens and went to Corinth. And we get the letters to Corinth, which we know in the context of Scripture, some of the issues that went on in Corinth with the church and different circumstances of why Paul was there. So we get a lot more details in the letters about what is actually happening. But we also see Aquila and Priscilla in Paul's letters as people who are faithful, who are trusted, and so we have a little bit of background. Though he's just meeting them here, we kind of get an idea of who they are and the relationship that's built with Paul. So a little bit of a little bit of background. We know that they're Jewish here and that they come from Italy because the Jews were kicked out of Rome. That's a that's a pretty big deal, and so they went to Corinth and that's where they are and their tent makers and they're working, and so we get a little bit of background.

Speaker 1: 5:17

And then Paul, obviously, like he normally does, goes to the synagogues. He goes there to persuade the Jews and the Greeks about who Jesus is. And then we get a couple of his helpers, silas and Timothy, those he's discipling and which allows him to get maybe more intense. Maybe he doesn't have to do as much work outside of the synagogue now just focusing in on the Jews and the Greeks knowing who Jesus is, and so that gives us a little bit of background. Going into Corinth and what's going on just within five verses, yeah, I think the whole thing with Claudius here.

Speaker 2: 5:51

He commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. I think that's like an important historical marker. Here again, the Jewish people are being persecuted and as a result of this political persecution, whatever that might be it's almost like god, because if we're just familiar with the context of the entire book of acts, it seems like whenever there's any type of conflict, god is actually always the one that's sovereignly, like, still in control throughout those type of things, and so so look at what's happening. You have two individuals Aquila, he's the husband, priscilla, she's the wife, and, as a result of what's going on in the world, they're being moved for ministry, and maybe right now it just says that they're tent makers, but at the end of the day, what's taking place in their life seems to be utilized by God At the end of the day, like what's taking place in their life seems to be utilized by God.

Speaker 1: 6:45

Yeah, I think it's cool. We can kind of look back on recent times in the world and what moved people recently At least. Covid is a big one. Yeah, there's something called the great shift, where people maybe looked at their life and reprioritize things during that time, you know, and started focusing in on what's most important to them, and I think that caused a lot of movement and God used that movement for great things. I mean, you know, I moved during COVID to Kansas and so, you know, god moved in mighty ways in all people's lives on where we should be and where we should go.

Speaker 1: 7:21

And I think this is just another circumstance where God uses the events of the time to move people where he wants them to be, for his will, for his desires, purpose, and I think that's awesome to see God moving. Plus, luke we know writing the book of Acts always gives us historical markers because it is true history and so any history buffs out there. If you're into that, luke and Acts are great books to say look, this is the timeline in which things happen, because Luke's very detailed in that way. But yeah, I love seeing God move and two people come and they meet Paul in the circumstance of them having to leave somewhere that they called home, and and we're going to see a church be planted because of it, and we're going to see a church be planted because of it. Yeah, what do you guys think?

Speaker 4: 8:05

Also gives a little bit of, maybe a hint of, why Paul had a heart toward Rome.

Speaker 4: 8:13

He was headed toward Rome and if Priscilla and Aquila were part of his early influence, maybe what he had heard from the community there would have been part of that draw for him Historically. Just to kind of piggyback on what you guys were saying, the the exodus of the Jared. You know, god worked through exile, through exodus, through the diaspora, through the dispersion the Christian church through, through the Jewish community, and you see the influences of the exile to Babylon, to all the various places, even in preparation for Jesus coming. The influence of Israel in all the various places drew people's eyes to Jerusalem and to the Jews, you know. So they were looking out. The wise men were probably influenced by that and were looking for various reasons. And God, yeah, works today the same way.

Speaker 2: 9:17

Yeah, absolutely Chance. What do you think? I know that you've moved recently here to Ottawa. You know you can define recently how you must. It's not like you came, you know last month or yesterday, or something but yeah, has god moved in your life through the events of the times?

Speaker 3: 9:33

yeah, um, very much so. Like kyle was talking about, like during covet, even like kylie and I got married, we moved away from all of our family to texas and yet in that in our early marriage, got to be alone and form like what is our life of marriage and life together going to look like now and not having voices speak into that as much as we would if we were just surrounded by family back home and being like, well, my family does this, your family does that. So it was kind of cool even in that, in the midst of moving away and doing that, to what that formed in us now and the foundation we got to lay. So that was a cool kind of providence of the Lord in what we thought would be maybe not the most of fun things to do as moving away, especially during COVID and the uncertainty of that, and then actually moving back to Kansas not too long after, about a year after and so and and those things. The Lord had his hand in a lot of different areas as to leading us places.

Speaker 3: 10:26

And then we get home and see doors open perfectly to ministries calling us to and to work and provision, and that's why I love, here too, looking at how Paul is a tent maker by trade and he finds other tent makers and instead of being like oh no, I'm here to plant churches and do my thing, he's like I'm going to go work and do some stuff with them and take this opportunity to get my hands dirty and also do ministry alongside these guys together. So I think that's encouraging to see and I love watching how Paul continually does that where he's not just a guy. That is kind of on the one track of this is what I'm supposed to do. I'm not going to go anywhere else. He's willing to go and work and make some tents if he needs to.

Speaker 2: 11:04

Yeah, and I think maybe for our listeners there's going to be at least a fraction of listeners who can identify with this principle. But notice that it doesn't really say anything spiritual about Aquila and Priscilla. Like we only learn that they are like deeply mature believers because we see their names come up later on in the New Testament. But here it still says that Aquila was a Jew, a native from Pontus. It speaks of his wife, priscilla. It says that they've fled and basically it says that they met Paul because they had the same trade.

Speaker 2: 11:39

So interestingly enough imagine this the man who wrote half our New Testament was a tent maker before he could devote himself completely to the word of God in verse 5. And that season in Paul's life where he was confined and we all know this tension right when it felt like he was confined to tent making, it was actually God's will for him to be in that place of tent making for a season because it produced Aquila and Priscilla. So like I think so often when we are like stuck in the midst of, ah, I'm doing the tent making thing, but I want to be doing like my ideal ministry, like setting God's, like yeah, but it's not just you I'm developing. It's who you're meeting with in this time that I'm also getting ready to send out. It's who you're meeting with in this time that I'm also getting ready to send out.

Speaker 1: 12:30

So trying to say, like God, has purposes for, like the development of our life and the season that we're in. Yeah, I mean, I spent I don't know, the first 12 years of ministry with a different part, different full time job.

Speaker 1: 12:39

You, know, I didn't want to do that. You know, in my desire was not to work a separate full-time job and do part-time pastoral ministry. It was to be full-time, you know, and that took a really that took 12 years to get to a place, to where I could finally get to that, get an opportunity to be full-time and even having to move here with a part-time role and another job to begin with, to continue tent making per se. Um, you know that, just as part of the process, and I think, uh, paul here, we know his, we know how zealous paul is like, yeah, ministry title or not, yeah, ministry like he's gonna do ministry and he's like I'm gonna.

Speaker 1: 13:17

If I got a tent make, I'm gonna tent make and if that allows me opportunity to spread the gospel, I'm gonna do it, even if I don't like and it doesn't say he didn't like it, but, knowing Paul's personality, he probably was just like I just want to be in the word. I don't want to do anything else, I just want to be in the word and I want to teach people God's word and I want them to know Jesus and so, uh, definitely understand that season. I'm sure there's a lot of you out there that could be in that same type of season and I would just encourage all of you to be patient, be prayerful and just keep learning, even if you're not in the ideal situation for you. Wait on God and he will provide, and just keep going.

Speaker 4: 13:56

And that's part of my story too. I mean leading up to becoming coming on staff here at the church. I worked three years in construction and a couple of years in the oil field before that and led worship here for a couple of years while volunteering.

Speaker 4: 14:15

Yeah, while working full time and in another town, so I had a drive, so I leave early in the morning, get home late at night and, you know, serving in the church, and it just seemed like you know for me my prayer was Lord, you know, if it be your will, you know, whatever we did, what we could, but I always felt myself wanting to spend more time with family.

Speaker 4: 14:36

With Audrey and the kids wanted to spend more time in the church doing more things, but we were very limited and the Lord answered that prayer in calling us here. But there was a lot of patience and a lot of prayer and just really being content in where the Lord had me.

Speaker 2: 14:50

Yeah, I think maybe, on the flip side, sometimes this passage can be used to look down. I want to. Maybe look down is too strong, but to bring an argument as to say, like you know, he looked down is too strong. But to bring an argument as to say, like you know, pastors don't need to be paid Pastors. You know, like you know, I've heard this argument before. You know it would be wrong for you to. You know, seek full-time support. You should be doing something else as well.

Speaker 2: 15:16

And it's like I think you need to remember here that Paul did that for a season. He did that for a season. But verse 5 shows us you know his true desire. But when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia meaning he had more individuals to help him in the ministry Paul began devoting himself completely to the Word. So this actually mirrors a situation we've already seen. Is acts chapter six or seven, I forget the chapter where deacons were chosen. The elders were the ones saying, hey, we need to choose deacons to come and practically serve our people so that, so that we can devote ourselves fully to the word of god into prayer, and so like there is a place to say I'm doing this and this is a noble task and a noble work, but yet in the same breath, if I could be devoting myself fully to the deliverance of God's word, I'd rather be doing that. You know so, like tent making is a great thing, but in the same breath, like it's not a an obligation.

Speaker 1: 16:22

Yeah, and Paul, we know is in his letters is going to talk about receiving double honor, um, for for shepherding, double honorarium, right To to receive payment for the full-time ministry that you are doing. Um, we also have Paul talking about the importance of those called to certain giftings to the apostles, the sent ones to the evangelists, to the shepherds, there are called ones that are supposed to spend time in the word to equip the church to do the ministry, and that's an Ephesians. And so we know that Paul, his, his goal here is spending time with God in the word to equip Timothy, right First, second Timothy we know all about Timothy's equipping and other guys like Titus and and so on and so forth, so that they can go reach more people. So this idea of spending time in the word as a paid profession, um, and, and having some sort of negative place to it, no, god has called people to spend time being dedicated to his word so that the body of christ can be fed.

Speaker 1: 17:27

What does he tell peter? Go right, feed my lambs. Yeah, go tend my flock, go feed my sheep. Like peter is going to go and he's going to do these things for the Lord and that is going to be his job, his task, his calling, and it's an important calling but, and it needs to be respected. And so the opportunity comes from not to build tents. He's going to take it because he knows that he's called to something greater. I mean Jesus literally met him on the road to Damascus and called him to this something greater. I mean Jesus literally met him on the road to Damascus and called him to this. So you know, I'm sure he feels a great pressure to ensure that he's doing the tasks that God gave him, and so he's going to take that opportunity to be in the word.

Speaker 3: 18:07

Yeah, it's hard for me to ignore the undertones of, like, the humility and the humble nature of Paul through this too, knowing, like the past he had the life he was of. Like I mean, he's like a people to boast, like I have all the things to boast about and yet here he is making tents, just doing the humble thing of I'm going to go in wherever God calls me. If there's ministry to be done, I'm willing to do that. So I love seeing that in Paul's life as knowing he has the background, like he was under the top dogs and he was up there. It's like debating in the synagogues but yet taking opportunity to make tents and then produce, like that, the disciples that come from those humble circumstances and stuff.

Speaker 1: 18:43

Well, I mean, and Paul doesn't do this, he's not random, right? He's not just like I'll just go wherever the wind takes me. Like Paul is prayerfully going where God wants him to go. We know he's listening to the spirit because we already know he's been told not to go somewhere right to Asia, to go to Macedonia, and so we already know that in Acts. And so we also know that Paul establishes, uh, through the Holy spirit, the guidelines, uh and principles for leadership. Like Paul is very, very in tune with the spirit and what's going on and what he needs to do. He's structured, he's building leaders, he's discipling, he's evangelizing, and so we, we can, we can see all that Paul has done and really his letters back all this up. His letters allow us to see what Paul is truly doing with the people and it gives him that legitimacy of what his his intent with all of these people. So it's awesome to watch as you read the book of Acts, to be able to know the other letters and go, wow, like this is so cool.

Speaker 1: 19:46

Paul's building tents and he's focused on ministry. Silas and Timothy come. All right, that frees me up, it gives me some space. I'm going to dedicate myself to the word and I've got some other guys helping me out and we're going to keep moving forward. We're going to keep doing what we can to go spread the gospel and so if tent making is it, let's do it. If not, let's move to the next place and let's plant some more churches.

Speaker 2: 20:08

I think maybe one last principle just to share with our listeners would be this the text doesn't necessarily explicitly say this, but I think, as a principle, just godly wisdom would say don't despise the season that you're in, because God is working on testing your stewardship. And so, like one of the ways that you know you're called to full-time ministry is where you perpetually have this healthy, healthy discontentment in your soul, where you're like you know, I don't mind doing the tent making thing, I don't mind humbling myself, I don't mind stewarding what would appear to be a smaller responsibility. But as you continue to take on that mindset of humility, then it's like the Lord is building in you this muscle of assurance for when full-time stuff does come about. The Lord has basically proven to you look, you desired this all along. I was just keeping that burning desire within you. So thank you for being faithful with this. Now here you can have a higher responsibility.

Speaker 2: 21:13

That was my story. I was a high school English teacher, then a high school Bible teacher, then I became an associate pastor part-time, and then you know all the way to where I am here out of a Bible and I feel like I'm doing exactly what the Lord wants me to do and I don't know, like truly, what else I would be doing, and in fact, I don't even think I'm good at anything else Not that I'm good at ministry, but I feel like depending on the Lord for ministry that's the only thing I'm passionate about, so I don't even know what I would do.

Speaker 2: 21:43

Can't make tense Can't make tense.

Speaker 1: 21:45

If your Domino's delivery shows up late, it's because Dakota's delivering the Domino's.

Speaker 4: 21:49

Yeah, you give good hugs. I appreciate that and you're encouraging.

Speaker 2: 21:53

Maybe I'll hold up a sign I give free hugs. Make a living off that. No, that's free. Make a living off of free hugs At least a dollar.

Speaker 4: 22:01

That was the point of the joke. You're not good at that.

Speaker 2: 22:03

I'm not even a good I can't even be a comedian if I wanted to be so. So Paul began verse five devoting himself completely to the word, solemnly, like, with reverence, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ, he was the Messiah Verse 6,. But when they resisted and blasphemed, he shook out his garments and said to them your blood be on your own heads. I am clean For now on I will go to the Gentiles Guys. Just this little section here seems to be a pivotal point in Paul's ministry, not only by way of his occupation, but by way of his audience.

Speaker 1: 22:41

Yeah, I mean from this end of history. We know Paul is the one who went to the Gentiles. Well, here's the moment in which he turns to the Gentiles. He even says it out loud in a quote I'm, I'm not going to, I'm done with you guys, you guys are not listening, and he's, he's fed up with it, specifically to the Jews. And so, like you, I can't even imagine how angry you have to be to say your blood be on your own heads. I mean, that's pretty much like, fine, go to hell. I mean that's, you know, like, don't listen or keep leading people astray, right? So you know, keep going down that path, guys. Fine, I've already said what I've had to say. I'm moving on to people who will listen to me and we see some of those principles.

Speaker 1: 23:31

And as Jesus, you know, teaches the disciples, they go out two by two and what they should do if they're not received to, you know, dust off their, their sandals and and move on, don't, don't, don't, carry that with them. And so you know Paul is upset here. Obviously he cares for the Jewish people. He wouldn't, he wouldn't be so upset if he didn't care and he'd been going to the synagogues trying to reason with them. And they clearly aren't receiving it, and so he's going to continue to. He's just going to move on. Not that he'll never talk to a Jewish person again, but his ministry is going to be the nations.

Speaker 2: 24:05

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 24:06

Look, jesus came, israel rejected. What did he do? Moved on essentially to the, to the Gentiles. Not that the Jews couldn't receive Christ, because they can, but Jesus was prophesied to come first to his own people and then to the nations. Paul goes to his people, presents the gospel, and now he's moving on to the nations.

Speaker 1: 24:29

So Israel has had time and time and time again to receive the gospel, and this is just another example of a time where they've been presented the good news, they been presented the good news, they've rejected the good news, and then Paul moves on. And so we've seen this pattern. We see it all throughout the Bible, but we see it both in Jesus's ministry and now in Paul's ministry. And even Peter, right, peter's the one who confirmed with the Holy Spirit that the Gentiles could receive the Holy Spirit, and so with seven other jewish, uh, men, and so, um, you know, we we also think of peter's ministry, just to the jews, but peter was actually the one who was there when the holy spirit confirmed it, and so that we have witnesses on both ends of these things.

Speaker 3: 25:10

And I think that that again adds to the legitimacy of the apostles ministry, because all of them ministered to both jew and gentile and this, I feel like this also isn't a one-off thing for paul too, because we see this in romans, one where it comes back to, where he's drawing out why this thing happens, where he's saying, well, they worship the creation over the creator and because of that, like god delivers them over. So it's kind of I see that and this is, like you said, the very pivotal but seeing that same principle come about right here, where he's like hey, if you guys aren't willing to receive what I have, then go worship whatever you want. And I'm going to go find people, like you said, that are hungry, that that don't know the Lord, that are willing to follow and learn and be teachable, and that God also wants to love and save.

Speaker 2: 25:56

So yeah, teachable, and that God also wants to love and save. So yeah, I will say like, as someone who believes, god has consistently prompted me to evangelism in my own life there really is a time and a place to move on to people that are more worth your time and I know that sounds extreme, because the gospel is for everybody. But you know like if you're going to be rejecting, then fine, I would much rather plant a seed and then just move on and then actually have more fully invested conversations with people who actually have an interest in the gospel. Like I would rather be spending my time where fruit is going to be born rather than you know people rejecting. That's not to say you totally ignore the rejecters, but there's a time and a place where you say you know what? I got people more interested in the gospel that that need my attention right now. So it's time to move on, and I think Paul realizes that.

Speaker 3: 26:52

With that. Are there just for the listeners kind of, are there specific you guys like think about or not necessarily boxes to check? But in a conversation where you realize like this is not really going further into the gospel and further into a meaningful conversation, how do you kind of make that distinction decision? Because I know I have had that question come up before. So I'm curious, how do you guys deal with that when someone is kind of beyond their, their receiving part, you're saying you know what, this isn't really worth my time.

Speaker 2: 27:21

Yeah, well, for for me personally, um, I I love to ask the question if Christianity were true, would you become a Christian? Because if they say no, like even if it was true, I wouldn't become a Christian because I still disagree with it. Then it's like well, fine, then like, no matter what conversation we have over it being true, no matter what evidence that I show you, you're still going to reject. It's that. And then it's just also the tone or the shortness that they use. If I'm picking up, we just had an evangelism training a couple weeks back here at OBC. Kyle did a great job of pretending to be a man at the door who had just a filthy attitude towards me, knocking on his door and trying to talk to him about.

Speaker 2: 28:06

Jesus we had this great role playing going on. But if it's super intense then I try to do whatever I can to get the gospel message in there. But you can just naturally tell oh man, this, this conversation, is getting cut short. So attitude and time.

Speaker 1: 28:24

Yeah, I also think in the conversation, if they're pressing beyond, like if I've already presented the gospel and I keep redirecting back to scripture and I keep having to do that time and time again, but they keep pushing beyond it, that's what I, that's what I finally kind of get to the place in the conversation where I say, look, you know, I've already told you who Jesus is, what the Bible says, that's now something you're going to have to wrestle with now that you've been presented with this information, information and you know, you know. And then I try to. I try to get the conversation to end, because all they're doing is asking questions to, to try to end on a, on a point in which they can get their aha moment in like a high one yeah.

Speaker 1: 29:06

It's like I'm not here to do an aha moment. Here's the Bible, here's who Jesus is. Now you wrestle with it. I'm not trying to get you, I'm not trying to catch you up, I'm just trying to share the truth with you, and so I'm going to move on now, and so usually if that happens in a conversation, then I just kind of end. At that point I may change the subject to just move on to something lighter, because it's just not going anywhere.

Speaker 4: 29:30

Yeah, putting the ball in their court, no-transcript, and that gives them something to think about and to ask the questions for later. And also in a small community like Ottawa, people know where to find you Usually if you're having a conversation, even if it's in a public place. We go to Corner Market a lot and other various places and I mean I've had people come back to me after years who who have circled back around and wanted to have a deeper conversation and more seriously approach the Bible and the Lord, the.

Speaker 3: 30:34

Bible and the Word. I think that's very key and evangelism even is looking at that kind of question of hey, what is the end? All be all, what do you believe about Jesus Christ? Because we can debate all these secondary issues and things for hours if you want but if you don't actually believe in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ—.

Speaker 2: 30:52

None of it matters.

Speaker 3: 30:53

Yeah, that's it Put hinges on.

Speaker 2: 30:55

People want to take sidebar issues, and people will knowingly or unknowingly they will try to divert your attention from the gospel. And it's like listen, all the tertiary, all the secondary questions that you might have, that's great, but let's deal with the death and resurrection. That's what it all comes down to. If Jesus didn't rise again, then all of this is a hoax. If he did rise again, then he demands a response from you, and it just comes down to that. So that's kind of, to be honest, that's what I press my classes with. Like, Christianity is true If Jesus rose again. Christianity is not true if he didn't. And so you've got to examine the evidence of the resurrection.

Speaker 1: 31:32

Yeah, and I think those secondary arguments, tertiary arguments, however far you want to go, a lot of those aren't going to make any sense anyways if you don't believe in the truth, which is Jesus, death and resurrection. You know what I mean. A lot of times people will be like, well, how do we know the word was created? I'm like, okay, well, I can go through that biblically with you, but you're not going to believe me unless you believe in Jesus. But you're not going to believe me unless you believe in Jesus and the conversions that I've seen people coming to faith, truly in Jesus. It wasn't the creation account, it wasn't the flood, it wasn't these other things that saved them.

Speaker 2: 32:09

Those are necessary, those are necessary.

Speaker 1: 32:10

But it was their recognition that I'm a sinner and I need a savior. Yeah, and Jesus is that savior. Yeah, that's what. Jesus is that savior. Yeah, that's what it came down to. It wasn't those other things. Those other things can be built up later. Some of them maybe have been an influence towards the cross, and that's that's good because it's in the Bible. But it really comes down to what Paul's doing here, like he is talking about Jesus as the Messiah, as the one who has been raised from the dead, and I love this three words. I am innocent, yeah, yep, like what a cool phrase that he adds in there. I am innocent, he knows what he's saying is absolutely true. Yeah, he knows that he's been saved by the blood of Jesus Christ. And I'm going to move on, because I'm not arguing for my sake, I'm arguing for yours, and you guys aren't seeing that Moving on it also shows an accountability to the Lord higher than himself.

Speaker 4: 33:01

He's not sharing these things for himself or his own passion, but it's his calling from Jesus himself. Yeah, so it's like before the Lord. I've done my job.

Speaker 2: 33:15

Yep, I'm noticing the flow of this conversation. I hope it's okay with you guys, but rather than aiming after verse 22, I think it's good to land the plane at verse 11. So we've got verses 7 through 11. And here are some events that take place after 1 through 6. It says Then he left there and went to the house of a man named Titus Justice, a worshiper of God, whose house was next to the synagogue.

Speaker 2: 33:39

So he would have been a proselyte Jew right One converted to Judaism. Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with all his household, praise. God became a Christian and many of the Corinthians, when they heard, were believing and being baptized. So you could say this is the inception of the Corinthian church right there. Verse 9,. And the Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you and no man will attack you in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city. And he settled there a year and six months teaching the word of God among them. So he stayed for 18 months and he had the confirmation of God. Listen, you're going to be just fine here. Settle for a while. You know you've gone through enough persecution for a season. Keep working at the church of Corinth.

Speaker 1: 34:41

It's good to know that there were seasons Paul wasn't persecuted you know, because sometimes you read through Paul and you're like, oh bad, what a life, like just continually being like just people going after him either the Jews or the Romans or somebody trying to go after Paul and so this was clearly. There are times when Paul didn't have that and he got to spend time building up disciples, building up the church, and that's what we see in Corinth. It's really cool.

Speaker 4: 35:08

Shows a little bit of Paul's humanity. I mean, you don't get the hint that he's afraid of anything, he just opens his mouth not concerned about consequences to his physical health. But the Lord knew and it says don't be afraid. From what we've read, it's like oh, he was afraid. That's how he actually was afraid. Yeah, but not hindered.

Speaker 2: 35:31

When you read first corinthians, you know the letter opens up and it's paul mentions the fact. You know I came to you in fear and trembling with the good news of the word and it's it's because of his previous experience of persecution. And I also think you know there are a few churches that paul spent this much time with. He spent the majority of time, the time that he had, with the church of Ephesus, but then Corinth would have been second, which kind of goes to show you when he's writing to the Corinthian church that's going astray. In first and second Corinthians he does speak with so much compassion and affection for them because he knows them all very well. This is not some church he's temporarily planted and had somebody else delegated to look over it. This is like he spent a long time there.

Speaker 1: 36:16

Yeah, it wasn't just there for the ribbon cutting.

Speaker 2: 36:18

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And so you know it's interesting what the Lord does and giving him this confirmation, this verse actually is just near and dear to my heart Verse nine and 10. Many of you know my story of the Philippines and I'll keep this very short. But on the night when I was supposed to go to the southwestern island of the Philippines called Mindanao with the Bob Thiebaud organization, I didn't get on the plane because persecution and war and Muslim influence was breaking out and I didn't get on the plane. Bob Tebow came and he rebuked me in my hotel room for not staying committed and he said you're just like Peter. And he pointed his finger in my face and like nearly yelled at me and he said if you don't go, you'll never have stories.

Speaker 2: 37:05

And I actually felt convicted by the fact that I didn't go because before I made the decision to not get on the plane, I was reading that verse. Like the Lord led me to this, I didn't even necessarily know that's where the statement was at in Acts 18. But I read that and the Holy Spirit gave me confirmation hey, go to Zamboanga, you're going to be just fine. And I didn't listen. Thankfully, bob sent me on the trip a week later and it was incredible, but it was like man I should have. I should have listened to the Lord. I was going to be okay.

Speaker 1: 37:38

Yeah, a huge principle here that we need to follow in ministry is it's been repeated here in this text that we've read that Paul's concern was to be in the word, so that he could equip people and share the gospel. It's the word that he's concerned with. You know, whenever the word of God is the reason in which we're going to go, do something, I think it is a powerful, um, a powerful place to be in in the sense of I know God's going to provide, I know God's going to help here, because I'm aligning my desires with his word. His word is the priority. Yours was in the Philippines earlier this year. In Mexico, I got sick, but I knew that the word of God was more important and the Holy spirit confirmed that, yes, you need to go, I'll take care of you in your sickness. The word of God is more important and I think in any of those moments it has not failed me ever. When the word of God is the priority, when it is the mission to get it to other people, god provides and he gets you there.

Speaker 1: 38:45

I'm not saying it's going to be easy. I'm not saying you're not going to fear like Paul did. You're not going to get sick or maybe hurt or attacked or whatever it may be, but God will allow his word to get where he wants his word to be, and when we're faithful to it, we can trust him. And here the Lord comes to Paul and says you can trust me, don't worry about it while you're there. This is a time to invest in the people and it's a time to stay in the word, and then there'll be a moment you'll move on, but until then, you're good. Yeah, I'm just giving you that so that you can concentrate on the most important thing, which is the word of God. And isn't that cool to like, know that, like, if you're spending time in the word, that's what God wants you to be doing. Like, if you're, if you're not, spending time in the word, that is a clear sign of hey, man, you should spend some time with God and that's in his word. And so that's just a marker in your life.

Speaker 1: 39:41

Maybe you're listening and you're like I've been trying to get back in the word and listen to your podcast because I want to spend time in the word. If that is lacking as a spiritual discipline and it's even it's even kind of crazy to call it a spiritual discipline, even though it is, but it is the foundation. Like this is God's word. Why wouldn't you want to be reading it and spending time in it? Like this is all that.

Speaker 1: 40:03

This will give you everything you need for your Christian life, and so, when you're in it, your life it'll, it'll be seen in your life and God will allow you to see great things, do great things for him and, uh, you'll be able to get glimpses of the kingdom while you're working in his word and with his people, and I think that is the fruit that you'll be able to experience in your life. Until there is a new kingdom, there is a new earth to live on, and uh, and, and that'll be an awesome time. But teaching the word, spending time in the word I think right here we see God confirming with Paul and it helps us understand that when we spend time in the word, that is the most important thing.

Speaker 3: 40:41

It reminds me of a conversation that Kyle me and you had um with a student not too long ago, and he was like man I want to hear from the Lord.

Speaker 3: 40:47

I'm like cool, read the Bible. He's like, well, I want to hear from the Lord audibly. It's like cool, read from the Bible out loud. Yeah, that's it, and I think that's something that we see again here with Paul is that so steeped in the word, spending so much time like meditating over God's word and going exactly where he wants them to go, that he has no fear in those moments because he knows this is what God's called me to do. And even again, like if fear does come up, the Lord is affirming hey, don't be afraid, I'm with you, I'm the one that's going to be leading you and and calling you to do my will for these people, and so I think that's where his confidence is.

Speaker 3: 41:20

We know that Paul's confidence is not in his ability to withhold himself. It's in the Lord's ability to sustain him in every way, and I think that's why we get to see Paul do such awesome things. And again, going back just prior to this, we're like the men who have overturned the world, like they're here and like Paul was one of those guys that was doing the God, like the Lord's will, and running to the depths of the brokenness and finding exactly where God wanted him to be, by studying his word and being obedient to the spirit in every way. And God's affirming that and saying hey, don't be afraid, I'm with you. Keep talking about the things I'm putting on your heart, because they're important and someone needs to say them.

Speaker 2: 41:56

Yeah, and Kyle, you're right, on chance You're right on verse five, just to support it. It says Paul began devoting himself completely to the word Number one. You get it again in verse nine. Towards the end of it, god said don't be afraid any longer, but go on speaking about what, about the word, and do not be silent. Then you see it at the end of verse 11. He settled there a year and six months teaching the word of God among them. I think maybe this is a good place to land the plane. But the idea is, if you're standing for the word of God, there's always a blessing there. You know, we're in a particular situation right now where we don't need to go into detail, but we're trying to stand for the word of God in a particular issue in our community and I think if you're standing for truth and you're doing it with humility, god will honor that, god will bless that.

Speaker 1: 42:49

Yeah, I think anytime you, you make the word the foundation of your life and hopefully that's every day and I know we, we fall short and we're sinners and we're not perfect and we may say things that we, that that don't align with God's word, but the more you spend time in it, the more you spend time in prayer, the more you spend time in fellowship, the more you invest in your relationship with Jesus Christ. When those moments come, where you need to stand, you'll stand not because of your own doing, but because of the strength and the peace and the comfort and everything that God provides in those moments. That's what Paul's experiencing. It's God's provision for his people and saying, yes, you're standing on the word of God and I will be right there with you because those are my words and you take them seriously and you don't just use them day to day as just simple reminders about I just need to be a good person, but you're truly standing on them in the midst of persecution, in the midst of hard times, and I think when we can do that, our faith becomes more real. It becomes the day-to-day, the constant having to just put everything into the Lord and say, no, I trust you, lord, I may get flack for this, I may gain a reputation in a way that I don't necessarily desire, but as long as it's true, it is good, and it's for you, lord, that I'm willing to do it, and that's what Paul's doing. I think that's what we need to do. We just can't back down.

Speaker 1: 44:19

Just because someone disagrees with you Doesn't mean one you have to hate each other, right? No, it just means that this is an opportunity to share the word of God, the truth, and where these things come from in scripture and why we follow them and why they're important, and that gives us more opportunity to evangelize and be good witnesses and have a good testimony and stand up and say no, Jesus says this, and this is why I stand firm on it, this is why I have this, but I'm also going to treat you with respect, because God loves you too, yeah, and God values you and wants you to know him, and so I want you to know him too, not because I want you to agree with me, but because I want you to be saved. I want you to know Jesus, and so when we do that, well, um, I think we we get to see, eventually, the fruit.

Speaker 4: 45:14

And even if we don't see the fruit.

Speaker 2: 45:16

I trust that it'll happen because it's God's word. Yeah, amen, david, david, I love how we're laying in the plane and we're David close it out.

Speaker 1: 45:20

Well, thank you so much for listening to the be disciples podcast. We're trying to be disciples by the way.

Speaker 1: 45:27

Yeah, we're trying to be disciples, by the way. Yeah, we're trying to be disciples of Jesus, and so thank you so much for listening. We hope that you take God's word, that it equips you, it encourages you and it's something that you continue to spend time in. Again, this is just supplemental, hopefully, for your spiritual life, that you would spend time in a local church, whether that's Ottawa Bible Church or another church that puts God's word at the foundation, the authority over God's people, and so thank you so much for listening. We'll see you next time, thank you.