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2023-12-10- Sunday School- Milestones in the Life of Paul
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The main ideas from this information are: - The topic is Milestones in the Life of Paul, focusing on his actions and adherence to the law. - Paul believed that God counted him faithful and put him into ministry, despite his unworthiness. - The church sometimes falls into the trap of analyzing and discussing without taking action. - Paul was not afraid of opposition and wanted to attend a meeting despite his brethren's concern for his safety. - The assembly in Acts 19 becomes confused and chaotic due to opposition towards Paul's preaching. - The town clerk steps in and dismisses the assembly, recognizing that Paul did not intend to harm the community. - Paul preached the name of Jesus and did not speak against other gods or idols. - The importance of recognizing Jesus as Lord and confessing Him as such. So the topic this morning is Milestones in the Life of Paul. And the theme will be, Paul was a man of action and law. In this lesson we will see the movement, message, miracles, and healing of the Apostles. Our go-to text this morning is in 1 Timothy 1 and 12, one of my favorite scriptures. And I thank Christ Jesus, our Lord, who has enabled me so that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry. And Paul speaking there, I feel the same way this morning, but he hasn't counted me faithful. There's this world, you look back on my life and say, don't add up, that you should be up there, or you should live the way you're living, or that you're a child of God, it just doesn't add up, but God counted me faithful. I've got a different starting point with God that this world might not know about, right? And I'm thankful that I had that start with him, that he would count me faithful and put me into the ministry. I'm definitely not worthy. The introduction this morning, we'll read that there at the bottom. It says, a radio talk show host was overheard saying that some in the government were in the paralysis of analysis. All they wanted to do was to form committees and research the problems that the nation faced. Sometimes the church can get into this mentality as well. They read books about prayer, soul winning, and revival, but do little more than learn about the subjects. Paul did not just discuss things that needed to be done, but went about trying to accomplish something positive for the world. That's what I want to do this morning. This doesn't mean that he acted without thought, but that his meditations became motivations for action. Action without thought can be reckless, but thought without action is crippling in Christians and churches. I'd like to look back to Acts 19 and 24 when we left off last week. We kind of rushed through that, and we're getting ready to talk about an uproar in Acts 20. If you want to remind us what that uproar is, Acts 19 and 24. We'll just turn back one chapter there. Acts 19 and 24 says, For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith which made silver shrines for Diana, brought no small gain unto the craftsman. When he called together with the workmen of like occupation and said, Sirs, you know that by this craft we have our wealth. Moreover, you see and hear that not alone in Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul had persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods which are made with hands, so that not only this our craft is in danger to be said it not, but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, and all Asia and the world should worship her. Demetrius is trying to appeal to their livelihood here. That Paul is hurting their wallets. He keeps preaching Jesus, and they think they're not going to be able to feed their families. This is our craft. This is how we make our living, is making idols. And not only that, he's putting down the great goddess Diana. Everybody worships her. We can't let this go on. Everybody can't be wrong for the justice. But everybody can be wrong. The majority of this world is wrong. We don't follow the majority. We don't follow what everybody's doing. I looked up the Gallup post. It says 71% of Americans believe in homosexual marriage. So everybody can be wrong, but let God be true. Verse 28 says, And when they heard these things, they were full of wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of Ephesus. And the whole city was filled with confusion. And having caught Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul's companions, in travel, they rushed with one accord into the theater. So they began to assemble to try something like a town's meeting. Verse 30 says, And when Paul would have entered into the people, the disciples suffered him not. And certain of the chiefs of Asia, which were his friends, sent unto him, desiring him that he would not adventure himself into the theater. Paul was a pretty bold man. And he wasn't afraid of his world. He wasn't afraid of opposition, brother Ronnie. And he wanted to go into this meeting, but his brethren counseled him not to. They were worried for him. And I love this part because it hadn't been too long since Paul was going around persecuting the church. But he has loyal friends in this early church that are showing concern for him. I've had a couple of rough weeks, some of you know. And I haven't felt God by any means or even had a thought to. But just been having a tough time. And some of y'all rallied around me and sent me texts and things like that and let me know you prayed for me. And I really appreciate that. It means a lot. I love my church. I love to be a part of the people that's concerned for me, brother Ronnie. Verse 32 says, Some therefore cried one thing and some another, for the assembly was confused. And the Lord, our Lord, knew not wherefore they were come together. This assembly is getting out of hand and there's lots of confusion. It's the people that won't listen to the truth. They're serving the God of death. They're serving a dead God that they either made with their own hands or purchased and it's causing much confusion that most of them don't even know why they're even there at this point. Right. Don't that speak to the hour that we're living in? Yes, sir. People give in to their own lust so much that there's a new name that describes them every day. You know, people joke and call them the alphabet people and things like that. I guarantee you that the old, and I'm not bragging on them or nothing, but back in the 80s and 90s, homosexuality was a causative bunch of people. Right. I doubt they even like to attach their name to some of these things that are going on. I think about the Black Lives Matter community. They'll get so mad that they'll start tearing up their own town. Yeah. Does it make any sense? No, sir. I've got a brother-in-law, most of you know him, Jacob. Probably everybody knows him. He's joined himself to these Black Lives Matter parades and things like that and he's became a vegan, which I don't think there's really anything so wrong with that. But it seems like he's always trying to stand for some cause other than the cause of Christ that maybe justifies the way that he's living and maybe gets one up on the Christian community or something like that. And it's just, really all it is is confusion because he's not away from the truth. I don't take any pleasure in saying that. I pray for him every day. Verse 33 says, And they threw Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. And Alexander beckoned with the hand, and would have made his defense unto the people. But when they knew that he was a Jew, all that was going forth in about the space of two hours cried out, Great is Diana of Ephesus. And when the town clerk had appeased the people, he said, Ye men of Ephesus, what man is there that knoweth not how the city of Ephesus is the worshipper of the great goddess Diana, and of the animal which fell down from Jupiter? Seeing then that these things cannot be spoken against you, ye ought to be quiet, and to do nothing rashly. For ye have wrought hither these men, which are neither robbers of churches, nor yet blasphemers of your goddess. Wherefore, if Demetrius and the craftsmen which are with them have a matter against any man, the law is open, and they are deadly. Let them please one another. But if you inquire in anything concerning other matters, it should be determined in a lawful assembly. For we are in danger to be called in question for this day's uproar. There being no call, whereby we may give an account of this concourse. When he had thus spoken, he dismissed the assembly. So this is the uproar we're getting ready to talk about. But here's a town clerk here, Sister Glenda, that steps in and talks a little sense into the crowd, and finally dismisses them. He basically tells them they haven't spoken against Paul, they haven't spoken against Dion at all. Demetrius, if you have a problem with these men, take it up with the law. But this uproar is uncalled for. The town clerk gets it all together right, but I love what he says. He says, For ye have wrought hither these men, which are neither robbers of churches, nor yet blasphemers of your goddess. He had enough sense to see that Paul hadn't come there with any agenda to hurt the community financially or anything of the matter. He didn't want to take anything away from Brother Dion. Paul was just preaching the name of Jesus, and there was no justification for the uproar. Acts 4 and 12 says, Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. If y'all hold your place there and turn with me to Philippians 2 and 5. Keep in mind that Paul was just preaching the name of Jesus. He wasn't talking against Dion or anybody. Philippians 2 and 5 says, Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion as man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above everything, that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of thanks in heaven, and thanks in earth, and thanks under the earth. And in every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, the glory of God the Father. Every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, the glory of God the Father. He said, Let this mind be in you, or think about this, or look at it this way. Every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, the glory of God the Father. Not just every tongue should confess that Satan is wrong, or Satan is bad. I'm not being a Satan sympathizer this morning, or trying to not denounce sin, but sometimes we focus too much on the problem and not the problem solver. Sometimes we give Satan too much power and too much credit, Brother Ronnie. Sometimes his name is being spoken of too much in the church, I believe that. Any publicity is good publicity for Satan, because when we're speaking the name of Satan, we aren't speaking the name of Jesus, Brother Austin. There's power in the name of Jesus. James 2 and 19 says, Thou believest that there is one God, will thou doest well. The devils also believe in trembling. Satan doesn't tremble when you speak bad of him. It's when you speak the goodness of Jesus. Psalm 148 and 13, Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is excellent. His glory is above the earth and heaven. I looked that up in the Hebrew, the word excellent is salgad. And it means in excessively high. In excessively high. The name of Jesus is in excessively high, Brother Justin. That sounds like bad news, doesn't it? But it's not. He's in excessively high. But in John 12 and 28, if you turn with me to John 12 and 28, it says, Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it and will glorify it again. The people, therefore, that stood by heard it, said that it thundered. Others said an angel spoke to him. Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sake. Now is the judgment of this world. Now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. Jesus grants us access to him by the way of the cross. For if he be lifted up, he will draw us unto him. We have no access on our own. It's through Jesus Christ, our Lord. We must call on the name of Jesus to access the inaccessibility of Jesus. You can talk about the devil all you want. You can say how bad he's been to you all week. The devil can work with that. But when you start calling on the name of Jesus, the devil becomes a non-factor. We reach heights that he cannot access. Diana starts getting tossed out the window. Diana starts being burned in the fire pit. Diana starts getting deleted off the phone. Spotify gets cleaned up. Pandora stations will disappear. You'll no longer be struck with fear when your spouse needs to borrow your phone. All my life I was using my phone. Did I text and clear my browsing history, Sister Glenda? You don't have to live like that. Just start speaking the name of Jesus. I thought about Dagon and the story back in the Old Testament where the Philistines had stolen the ark and they put it in the house of Dagon. And it seemed to be common practice for the temple when you had victory over an enemy, you take your God and bring Him back to your God and give Him more power. But you can't add to God's power. Nor will God be a part of your arsenal. It's either Him or nothing. We don't come to church and get some God and bring Him back to our God at home. It'll never work. God will not be a part of your army. He won't be just one of your gods. And you can't add to His power. If you want victory over something, just start speaking the name of Jesus. Romans 10 and 13 says, For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Matthew 1 and 41 says, And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins. Acts 1 and 30 says, By stretching forth thine hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of the Holy Child Jesus. Luke 10 and 17, And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. So Paul wasn't on a campaign against Diana, but merely spreading the name of Jesus Christ. People naturally started throwing her out and realizing there was no value in buying those things made by hand. Now let's get into Acts 20 and 1. Acts 20 and 1 says, And after the uproar was ceased, Paul called unto him disciples and embraced him, and departed for to go to Macedonia. So after this uproar, Paul thought it best to move along. He loved us to feed the church, and they had done a great work together. Brother Vance notes that at times some see the bravery and boldness of the Apostle Paul and think that he was kind of an unfeeling man. But in his prayer words to the deacons and disciples, we beheld a compassionate man. That's what Brother Vance said. Nothing in the word of God is in their back. You may feel like Paul embracing him is just kind of a throwaway line, but God wanted us to know that Paul hugged these men before he departed. That's an example for us to let brotherly love continue. If God has led you on to do another work, depart with love. If God leads someone out of this church to do another work, and I mean it from the bottom of my heart, if He leads anybody out of this work, it'd be hard on me, it'd be hard on Brother Vance, it'd be hard on all of us. But let them depart with love. No slander, no backbiting, no whispering. You might disagree, but hugs and prayers to that brotherly love continue. Acts 22 says, And when he had gone over those parts and had given them much exhortation, he came in the group. And there were three months. And when the Jews laid wait for him as he was about to sail into Syria, he purposed to return to Macedonia. Paul went throughout the churches that were established in Macedonia to keep the faith. Paul went throughout the churches that were established in Macedonia to encourage them to keep the faith. He was planning to go to Syria from that point, but there were some non-believing Jews that were trying to kill him, so he rerouted to Macedonia. We're not told how Paul came to this knowledge, but we do know as Christians that God will direct our paths and lead us out of any pain if we trust in him. As Moses told Israel in Deuteronomy 31 and 6, Be strong and of good courage. Fear not, nor be afraid of them. For the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee. He will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. We do not have to blindly go through life wondering if we were making the right decisions or going the right way. Proverbs 3 and 6 says, In all thy ways acknowledge him, and direct thy paths. Back to Acts 20 and 4, And there coming him into Asia, so turned of Berea, and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus, and Secondus, and Gaius of Derbe, and Timotheus, and of Asia, Tychonicus, and Trophimus. These gone before Tereus for us at Troas. And we sailed away from Philippi and came unto them at Troas in five days, where we opposed seven days. So he thought we were getting out of weird names when we got out of the Old Testament. But there it is. It makes me love the name Paul. Let's read the Holiness Heritage before there accompanied him and in five areas for us at Troas. So it's before there accompanied him and in five areas for us at Troas. There were times that Paul was alone in his work of the Lord. Sometimes this was out of necessity, and other times he needed to be alone with the Lord for personal devotion. In most of the instances of Paul's travels we find him with someone. He was not a loner in his works. This is a lesson for some who try to accomplish great things by themselves. This is also some of the greatest talents along the way. Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they call, the one will lift up his fellow, but woe to him that is a loner when he calls for he has not another to help him up. Others accompany Paul for encouragement and strength. None is so strong that they should go against the powers of hell alone. In 5 it says, for all of the seven mentioned in verse 4 went with Paul to Troas to make preparation for the call to Paul. While there were seven men listed to travel with Paul, it is obvious that there is an age by the way the writer used the word thus in verse 5. The author of the book of Acts was with Paul at this time, and Luke was faithful to the man of God until the end. And brethren, let me interrupt you. The list of men who went with Paul was loyal to the cause of Christ. Soter was possibly mentioned in Romans 16.21. He's named a little bit different there. I looked it up. Aristarchus was with Paul in Ephesus, and he was threatened by an angry mob that went to stop the spread of the gospel. He accompanied Apostle on his voyage to Rome. A fellow prisoner, Aristarchus was listed as a fellow laborer in Phil 1.24. Second is only mentioned here. He has a Roman name, and it has the meaning of second. Possibly he was the second child of a servant father. Although we know little about this man, he kept good company, and this speaks well of him. I've read a few commentaries on this, and it may be speculation, but the name second is sometimes further rotting. It means second, and they would say that slaves would be named by their slave master, Numbers. The second would be the second slave of the owner, and he was named by Numbers. It just kind of shows you that the ground is level at the cross. Anybody can do a work for God. God can save any man and put a work in any man's life. I like that thought. I don't know if that's exactly gospel. I couldn't find it in the Bible, but I thought that was a good thought, and that is true. Gaius is said to have been Paul's host in Romans 16 and 23, and esteemed and loved friend of John in 3 John 1 and 1. Timotheus was a well-known companion of Paul, and we all know him, and had two letters sent to him that we call 1 and 2 Timothy. Paul considered Tychonicus a faithful minister and fellow laborer. In some scriptures, he was sent by Paul on a special mission. There were females accompanying Paul to Jerusalem, and it was named when the riot broke out in the temple. He was said to be left in the middle of them because of the sickness. These men were faithful to the apostles in labors and travels. It was comforting to have like-minded individuals with him, for he was a very controversial figure. Persecution was easier to bear than one who did not have the pain of loneliness also. I like where he sits there. Again, I'd like to say at this point that I am very thankful for my church. I know that we all are. These men with Paul were from all different walks of life, but Paul found value in serving the Lord with them. I was preaching here Wednesday night for the riot, but before I got up, I came here with a knee, and my heart was heavy. I hadn't built God or anything like that, but I showed up prepared to preach, of course, but there just seemed a distance there that no matter what I tried, I couldn't pray, and it seemed like the closer I got to church, the further I was hidden from God, Sister Linda, and I don't mean that in a bad way, it's just the truth. Sometimes it just feels like there's a gulf there, and there's nothing that I could do to bridge that gap, and I was nervous to even preach. I knew I hadn't done anything wrong. There was maybe a lot on my mind or something, but sometimes it's just like that, and I couldn't shake it. I'm not sure whose idea it was, but the service started differently than it normally did. Sister Michelle sang a song, I don't know the name of it, but it was about Do you remember the name of it? It was about getting to God. Yeah. But the thought crossed my mind Sister Linda, it wouldn't look very good if I went up in prayer and I'm preaching that night. That would look kind of funny. That crossed my mind, but I quickly thought to myself, well, why not? Who needs to get ahold of God more than the preacher? Brother Tim mentioned us being a family shortly after, and that was the exact word that was rolling around in my heart, the word family. And I come up here and got to prayer, and that gap was just bridged automatically, and I could feel God, and it was something I couldn't even do on my own before I come to church. I was trying to do it, but I couldn't get there. But with the help of the church, and just the singing and everything, it got me where I needed to be with the Lord, and I appreciated that so much. I'm still thankful for my church. I wouldn't say anything for my prayer closet, Brother Arnie, but no matter who you are or how far you've come, don't get too far along that you think you don't need this altar. And the accompaniment of the prayers don't God place you here with me. We're here together for a reason. There are things that you will find up here that you might not get anywhere else. The act of humility and public display of leaning on God and your church folk is sometimes just what you need and won't come from a prayer closet. You may have the thought, I'm going to try to get the Holy Ghost at home because I don't want anyone to see me act that way. That is quite possibly the reason why you're not getting the Holy Ghost. Ecclesiastes 4 9 When my father got saved, just a few years before he left this world, he was just a very zealous Christian, and he wouldn't hesitate to raise his hand and to speak. He would come to Highway Holiness and never been there before. He would get up and testify, and I just loved the zeal that was on him. You could tell he really had an experience with God. He wasn't alive long enough. He gave his heart to God so late in life that he wasn't alive enough to maybe get so far along that he lived exactly the way we do or anything like that. But he, without a doubt, had it. And I was so thankful for that. But my memoir would tell me all the time, if I get saved, I sure don't want to act like that. Well, she never acted like that. I would like to see her do that one of these days. Sometimes, all the time, we need to serve Him in humility and not worry about what we look like or act like. We are a family here. And sometimes just letting go and letting God is what we need. Ecclesiastes 4, 9, just... I might have wrote this wrong, but... 4, 9, 12 is what I wrote. But two are better than one. Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him that is alone when he falls, for he hath not another to help him up. Again, it's two lie together and they have two. But how can one be warm alone? And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken. Let's move on to verse 27. Two are better than one. Acts 27 says, And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow, and continued his speech until midnight. And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them. This seems to be the first example of the early church setting aside the first day of the week as the Lord's day. There's other examples, but this is kind of a certain look here. We should conduct ourselves according to the example that the Bible teaches of this early church. There's a reason that this word of God has been preserved. The word of God has not changed, and neither should we. There's not going to be a better way to do things down the road, but it often will not find a better way to handle sin. The Holy Ghost was not just for the early church. God's standard for living was not just for the early church. I've got an uncle that believes that way. We should follow these examples as closely as we can, not worrying about what other churches are doing. There are many churches that would never stand for changing the day of worship, but have long forgotten or abandoned other practices of how they should conduct themselves the rest of the week. We are God's children seven days a week. We don't clock in as God's servants on Sunday morning or 8 o'clock. And this goes for other aspects of our lives. We are to tithe 10%, but that doesn't mean that we're to be careless with the rest of what God has provided us. And I'll be honest here, God has been working on me with this right now. I'm not excluded from needing Sunday school, and I'm thankful when the Holy Ghost checks me in the middle of the lesson that I'm preparing for the church. And this part is for me to come up to somebody else. Can I justify everything I bought last week when the need arises and I have nothing left to give to somebody? Do I have to take that overtime at my job in this church because I really need to, or is it because I'm living a lifestyle that bleeds my flesh? We need to give God our first, but that doesn't mean the rest of it is just ours, and we can do what we want after that. It doesn't buy us a ticket to do what we want to do. Let's read 2nd, The Miracle of Paul, 7, 1st day of the week. The Miracle of Paul, 1st day of the week. In this verse, we get a glimpse of normal worship patterns of the early church. It is plainly said that the first day of the week was when the disciples came together. This follows the manner in which the eleven gathered after the resurrection. Paul also spoke of the church coming together on the first day of the week, and let every one of you lay by him the story of God's cross to him. It was on Sunday that the early church received their tithes and offerings. This day, the worship seemed to have changed in order to commemorate the resurrection of Jesus Christ on the first day of the week. If we want to follow in the footsteps of the early church, let us set aside Sunday for our Lord, for His day. He wrote here, Justin Martyr, the early church father, also referred to Sunday as the Lord's day. This expression is used by John in Revelation 1 and 10. Some have tried to make the Lord's day seem like the first day of the Lord, but practically all Greek scholars agree that the Lord is more prevalent than the Lord's day. This shows that the Lord has possession of one day especially in the week. This is not implying that He has given up His right to the other six days of the week, but that this one has been set aside for worship. Let's read on to Acts 28. Acts 28 says, And there were many like in the upper chamber where they were gathered together. Acts 29 And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep. And as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down asleep and fell down from the third loft and was taken up dead. I'm glad Brother Joseph wasn't up on the third floor last Sunday morning. He was doing a whole lot of yawning back there. I'm just not sure that I'd be able to help him like the way Paul did Eutychus there. I'm not offended when y'all show up to Sunday school tired. It just happens. I've been on that side of it for many years. I'm just glad you're here and to keep you engaged is really on me. And I felt doing that sometimes. I know I do, but I'm not offended when I see somebody yawn or come in tired. It's all part of being a human. It's easy to use Eutychus as an illustration. And it's been done many times and I don't think it's wrong to do that. It's kind of a low hanging fruit and obligatory for preachers to use Eutychus as an illustrated story, to pair this with events or scriptures like Ephesians 5 and 14 Wherefore he says, Awake thou that sleepest and ariseth in the dead, and Christ shall give thee life. See then that ye will walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, at the end of time, because the days are evil. To give this a spin and warn the church not to fall asleep spiritually is a natural way to go with it and it's been done many times and been well done. But I wonder if Eutychus would have ever imagined that this public near-death experience would have been used for an illustration. It's one thing to write Brother Johnson about yawning a couple times on a Sunday morning but it's another to drop three stories to your near-death in the middle of church and to have it used for two thousand years and as an example people wrote a code on God. How would you like to be that guy that made it in the Bible but it's because he fell asleep on the pulse of Paul? But I like the transformation we see in Paul here. Acts 20 and 10 says that Paul went down and fell on him and embraced him and said, trouble not yourselves for his life is in him. When we're introduced to Paul, I believe it's Acts 7 and then in 8 he was an accomplice in the death of Stephen. The Bible says he was consenting unto his death. Now he's preaching the gospel until midnight and a man falls to his death and Paul rushes out and fell on him and embraced him, Brother Ronnie. He says, trouble not yourselves for his life is in him. He went from consenting unto the death of a Christian to saying, don't worry about it, he's alive. Trouble not yourselves. I wonder if his mind went back to Stephen when he saw Enochus lying there on the ground. I'm thankful for the change God can make in a man. I'm thankful that he chose to change a man like me when I was underserved to give me a ministry. 2 Corinthians 5 and 17 says, therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. All things are passed away. Behold, all things are become new. The other day when Brother Austin was up here praying, I remember saying Lord, I don't know what's going on but you can fix it. I've said that many, many times. But there was just something about that time and I don't know why, I didn't say it was authority or power, I just had believed it and for whatever reason it just resonated with my spirit, Brother Jim and I felt the Holy Ghost really strong in that moment when Brother Austin was praying. And it went from just a thought to a fact immediately, Brother Ronnie. It was always a fact but I believed it like I never believed it but I remember believing it before. I started seeing the power of God like a light switch. Have you ever been in a dark place? I was in a cave one time and we had lost our flashlight and we were sneaking in a cave over here in Eastview and you couldn't even see it in the half-baked face you've heard people talk about if you've never experienced it yourself. It was so dark. But nobody ever walks into a dark room and says, boy, it's really dark in here, I'm not sure that light switch would even work. It doesn't matter if it's a little dark or a lot dark, when you hit the light switch light comes into the room. 1 John 1 and 5 says, this then is the message which we have heard of him in declaring to you that God is light and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness, we lie and do not the truth. But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another. And the blood of Jesus Christ this time cleanses us from all sin. When God says, let there be light, there's light and there's no darkness in it at all. It doesn't matter how dark it used to be, that's irrelevant. When God decides to take a sickness he just takes it, brother Tim. When God decides, I will use that man he will be used. It doesn't matter what he used to be. God has brought some of us from a mighty long way. But why does Paul preach until midnight? It wouldn't be presumptuous to think that Paul thought that every message might be his last. Brother Ronnie was speaking to me last night along these lines. What if it's the last time I get to talk to someone? What would I say? Every time we get behind the school pit or we testify or sing a song or whatever we do, we should do it with the urgency and the conviction that this ought to be our last opportunity. Acts 20 and 11 did when he therefore was come up again and had broken bread and eaten and talked a long while leaving the rest of the day so he departed. After Paul tended to Eucharist he went back up and fell ship with the saints. I would have liked to have been a part of that fell ship, Sister Glenda. I'm sure they had a lot of things to discuss about, Sister Glenda. A fell ship is important. I know that it might not be mandatory but if you are able, it's good to show yourself friendly and fell ship. We had a great time here last night. I think we all agree on that. I sure appreciate everything that was done. The decorations didn't hang themselves, the gift surprises didn't hide themselves. A whole lot of effort went into it last night and I appreciate Sister Glenda. She's not here, but I appreciate her for doing all that. There was a lot of clean up and different things. I didn't do a whole lot of that, but I appreciate everything that was done. I appreciate my church. I've said it several times, but that's on my heart. Acts 20 and 12 and they brought the young man alive and were not a little comforted. And this proves the feeling that was amongst God's people there that night. There was a crisis to burden because someone knew how to get ahold of God. Paul surely came with the power of prayer that night and he also had an opportunity to see it. There are needs all over this church house this morning. There may not be many of us, but if there's one there's a need and there's many needs this morning. God has not changed. We're having a church service much like this one here. I may not be Apostle Paul, Brother Tim may not be Apostle Paul, but we all have access to the same God and that hasn't changed. If you came here with a need, you can go home comforted. Hebrews 13 and 8 says Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today and forever. Acts 20 and 13 and we went before the ship and so they're intending to take him home. So he had appointed himself to go as well. Let's read together through the musings of Paul. He minded himself to go forth. The musings of Paul minded himself to go forth. Luke and Paul's other traveling companions went on himself and so the Apostle wanted to walk and be alone in this part of the church. He was going to Jerusalem and was risking his life ahead of time. This time alone was the time to speak to the Lord and think about the decisions that were ahead No matter how busy a person may get, they need time alone to have fellowship with God. It seems that during this walk, Paul received direction for the rest of his journey. I talked about the power of praying together and the importance of fellowship, but we definitely don't want to neglect that alone time with our Lord. There should be a balance there. Jesus himself often traveled with Peter, James and John and all the other disciples, but even him shows the importance of getting along with God. Let's not neglect that either. Our soul needs a well-balanced diet of reading God's word, a prayer closet, and coming to the house of God. If we neglect one, we will soon stop seeing the value in the other two. Acts 20 and 14 Acts 20 and 14 says, And when he met with us at Bethesda, we took him in and came to Middleton. And we sailed then from Canaan the next day over against Chios. And the next day we arrived at Samos and Teres at Trogillium. And the next day we came to Melchizedek. For Paul had determined to sail by Ephesus, because he would not spend the time in Asia. For he hated it if it were possible for him to be at Jerusalem the day of Pentecost. 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