Pastor Eric Thomas Expectation Moment July 28, 2023

us God bless you because Greg good to have you all see you tonight good thank you for your opening mother Vaughn tell him I'm about to call on the prayer line I was I don't know how I managed not to do that I'm calling in right about now the prayer line good evening to everyone who's on the zoom line it's great to see each of you tonight got a nice Friday night crowd I'd like to have a nice Friday Night round a lot of y'all can take off and decide to come on on Bible study so I'm I'm Mighty grateful for that I'm gonna try to respect your time um hello fall line it's good to be on tonight we're going to pick up tonight in the book of Acts chapter 16. join me in chapter 16. of the book of Acts uh last night we kind of closed out with the situation that arose between Paul and Barnabas and we start we learned a couple things first of all even involved in actual ongoing Ministries um people can have disagreements and that's what happened between Paul and Barnabas Paul and Barnabas um had a difference of opinion that's what it was announced to Paul didn't want to take Mark Barnabas did listen to this Barnabas wasn't encouraged Paul may not have been an encourager in that way Paul was about to be as a preaching the gospel Barnes was about the the about the business preach the gospel but also a benefit into building people and it's not either one of them necessary was wrong he said they had a different opinion and I want us to understand and this is why I believe that we're in actbook of actions times God grows us sometimes there'll be difference of opinion now I'm going to say this in a way and I pray it comes off pastorally when we are doing the work of the Lord there will be disagreements there'll be times we don't see eye to eye but we must always put the cause of Christ above our own cause now I said that that's what we have to do it's easy to say well but uh yeah I know you know we're trying to preach Jesus but there's no but to it either you're for Christ and for lifting him up or you're for yourself and and so I've had to say I assess myself in that manner as well and I'm going to also be fully aware of that reality Paul and Barnabas disagreed but guess what happened both of them went on different missionary Journeys doing what sharing the gospel to all those who they came in contact with that's important that's important for us to know there was no this is about a doctoral issue the doctrine issue was addressed in the early process chapter 15. that was a doc that was whether or not people should be done circumcised the decision was no it was not biblical if based upon what they had even at that time it was not biblical for people to be have to be circumcised or to be saved because they went back and realized the prophecy said the guy that said that he was going to call the Gentiles as well and so that was a Doctrine issue that worked out well sometimes we're going to have personality issues or or perception issues and that's what happened here it's gonna happen especially as the body of Christ begins to grow matter of fact really don't have to be no big church it happens because people are human but as Christians we have to handle it in a different way Paul decided that he was going to take Silas and Barnabas said okay I take March and they went their way and I want to say they went their way because they didn't go separate ways they both went their ways to do what to preach Jesus Christ that's what they did and so now we pick up here chapter 16. uh the Bible says that according to plan that um Paul went to Derby and lystra and if you remember in chapter 15. Paul and Silas went to Derby I saw Paul and Barnabas what this dear David District preach the gospel people receive Christ and there were some who wanted to deify make them it's like the the Greek gods but they were able Bible says barely able to keep them in and not let them get carried away with the the the um mystifying and deifying poly Barnabas but Paul went back to see to believe his death she had said uh in chapter 15. and when he got there to durbination the Bible said there was a certain disciple his name was timothia so Timothy he was a son listen verses chapter one he was a son of a certain moment which was a Jewish and believed but his father was a Greek so now here's a situation that comes in there being listened and they see this man Timothy Timothy was Jewish because his mother was Jew which made him and also I hear this this made him a Jew because it was a birth mother was a Jew but because he was not circumcised so because he was not uh his father was a Greek and because he was not circumcised he was really actually was because he was not circumcised and had not followed the Jewish law he was considered to be an apostate which wasn't fair unnecessarily but that's what religion does see religion sometimes does stuff ain't fast now remember I said Christianity is not a religion it's a relationship with God so keeping this in mind we move on to chapter 16 verse 2. this man Timothy had a good reputation verse 2 says which was well reported uh by the Brethren that were at lystra and I called him the Bible says him with Paul have to go forth with him Paul chose Timothy to go with him on and as he continued this was the second missionary journey and during this time the Bible says that because of his report and because Paul decided to Heaven go forth in him he took him verse 3 says and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters for they knew all that his father was a Greek now somebody's got to ask a question wait a minute past Thomas did Paul just say in chapter 15 the people that need to be circumcised to be um Christian did he just say that and he did say that he and Barnabas both uh presented a powerful Spirit field case and as a result the the decision was not to require Gentile Christianity circumcised however Paul didn't do it in order that Timothy would be saved Timothy was already saved Paul didn't do it to appease God because God was already happy about Timothy's conversion to Christianity the reason why Paul did it was an order that the Jews who they were going to be ministering to witnessing to evangelization wouldn't be offended at this man Timothy because Paul's intentions were to bring him into the synagogue and apostates you was not allowed into the synagogue and as a result Paul wanted there to be effective Ministry and so as a result of his desire for fake to Ministry he circumcised Timothy I'm sure he explained to Timothy this is not just to get you saved you say but we want to do some work in a certain place that we want to make sure that there's nobody who's offended because what's the most important thing the most important thing is they hear the message of Christ I want us to hear that and I want us to understand that that sometimes we as in our evangelism in our ministry we have to make sure that we are operating in such a way as to not offend but it's there to invite that's what we have to understand that that may be um preconceived notices I'm going to go represent I'm gonna go out here in the deep Deep End right here that sometimes will be preconceived notions that we have Traditions that we uphold um or even Traditions others of hope that we that we have to be aware of and careful of as we administer and men and Revitalize to others um I I'll sell this one story some of you I've sold it so before um I'm very casual I'm very casual y'all know that I don't I'm you know uh represents the cousin who has the suits and ties to match I can't really pull it off but so but what I've come to learn is at times I go places I have to dress up um because I want them to not to be distracted by my sweat suit and not distracted by what I'm wearing I'm just using that as a minor example but I'm saying let us always be aware of these things not allowing anything to prohibit the message of Christ from being heard because sometimes that can happen sometimes the message of Christ can be um not heard it can be um ignored and marginalized because people looking at the person I'm not saying they should I'm just saying that's the reality Paul didn't say that the synagogue people in synagogues should feel that way he just knew they would feel that way and as a result his what was his priority was for people to hear about Jesus Christ ultimately as we look at evangelism witnessing sharing even ministering the people who come to Christ it is important that we consider that do we keep that in mind and be very diligent about not allowing any of our Traditions to handle people from learning I.E circumcision traditions and on the flip side that we don't offend those who are coming for the very first time because here's what Paul I know Paul felt I believe this Paul said if somebody comes to Christ that the spirit of God will move them to a place where they would have understanding but in order to receive the message they could not have their ears closed because of the fence that because in this case came to the coming in and they knew he was uncircumcised Paul says they knew the Bible said they knew his father was Greek they knew his mother was a Jew and he didn't want there to be any hindrance to the ministry and so as a result he circumcised him it just reminds us that our priorities almost always must be the sharing of the gospel of Christ that a people may hear Christ that they may receive Christ you can't receive Christ as you hear about Christ and you can't hear they can't hear about Christ if that Christ is not presented but there's also that yellow man that some people can't tune out because of perhaps the way there's a presentation all right let's move on here to verse four so we got on chemistry circumcised they're ready to go this second missionary journey and just for the record between chapters 15 and chapter 16 about five years elapsed about five years elapsed between I'm sorry between the first missionary journey and the second missionary journey there was five year difference between the journey time off and coming back to to um to to the coming back to the derby and listen so now verse 4 says as they went through the sentence they delivered them the decrees for to keep what decree the decree that the leadership had given um the decree that that Paul and Barnabas and and and and Judas and Silas had delivered they they read the decrees if they delivered those decrees um that the people know what Behavior was expected them these decrees were a dangerous for of the Apostles and Elders which were Jerusalem so they came and gave the message so this is this is doctrinal in the sense that it is you know coming from God through the apostles but the reality is it was for Behavior it was for church Behavior how the Christians should behave and as we look later at some of the letters that were written we understand the church behavior is important not just for the internal operations of the church the church Behavior was important so the world would recognize there was a difference between people of God and everybody else and so they delivered these decrees and verse 5 says this and this is why we know it was significant so where the church is established in the faith and increasing number daily as Paul Timothy and science went through the cities delivered the decrees preached the gospel the churches were established in the face that means that the churches were established not just on commonality but the churches were established from faith in God in through Jesus Christ the church was established on principles based upon the reality of a Risen Savior and based upon the love of a of an omnipotent God that's what the basis of that's what they were founded in the churches only can grow when the foundation is correct and quite frankly churches that flours it's kind of like the seeds that were thrown on Rocky so it's churches that are founded upon um a person a person that founded upon a passing fantasy Church to fight about anything else guess what they may flourish but they would drift away here we understand that this church is based upon Christ Jesus the Savior and as a result these churches were established in the faith and finally they increased in number daily that's what happened that's the churches kept growing and every time I think about their turn which we've heard a lot of times here in the book of vast we realize that church growth uh here in in from the very beginning on the day of Pentecost so now the churches continue to grow and continue to flourish sometimes it's exponential like on their Pentecost but sometimes it's a daily growth people come to hear Christ know Christ and Believe In Christ trust Christ and walk in Christ and so that's what was happening during this time verse 6 says now when they had gone throughout fergia and the region of galatia and was forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia I'm always like this right here because it gives us another understanding of the actual instruction of the Holy Spirit the impact of the Holy Spirit they will deferred you they went through galatia yes they were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia the Asia was there they couldn't go there and it was not like the Asian people people in that country blocking them why they didn't go because the Holy Ghost would not allow them to preach the word in Asia why well the reason had there been because the Holy Ghost didn't want them there was a timing was it it was not time was the people not read whatever the case was the Holy Ghost made the Declaration and as a result the people didn't go there a church that is inspired Guided by the Holy Spirit does what God wants when God wants it done sometimes that I've had this conversation other pastors sometimes you just want something done and I may as well please give us that you just try it and then when it does work you're depressed and saying what happened understanding it wasn't for that season that's the things that it's a simple problem to tell you about anybody else that we that that we talked about I wrote down a long time ago but just now it's happening why because it's the right time God told uh Paul and silence the temperature don't go to Asia yet don't go and as a result verse 7 says they they instead went to my mazia and they wanted to go into business but again the spirit did not allow them they try but the spirit will not allow them and I love it I love the idea that they were getting on got getting ready to get on the boat to go over to Asia in the spirit of God ah they said okay where are you going and they said we're gonna go that way we'll go another Direction God said no not now not now I love that they were so Spirit guided that they went exactly where God wanted them to go I'ma be honest with you all because I've been here in the book of Acts I've had pray more I've had to be more serious about the gods leading us because I don't want to do it based upon a feeling I want you to be in the face upon what's prudent or expedient I want to be based on the spirit of God and I pray that y'all pray for me to hear that hear the voice of the Lord as well because where we go and how we go should be based solely upon God's Direction in the spirit and the guidance that the holy spirit gives us all right let's get to one more verse verse um um eight says and they passing by mizia came down to trois now this is where they were supposed to be why because that's where they went they went there because that's what it was supposed to be so they got to throw us and the Bible says an Envision appeared to Paul in the night and that's for the man of Macedonia and and prayed him saying come over unto Macedonia and help us so power went to sleep he had a vision and that Vision was a man of Macedonia how he he knew he was Macedonia we don't know maybe it was the way he was stressed maybe it was his skin tone maybe whatever the case was maybe is in his speaking you heard of us accent whatever the case was the man asked Paul come over here unto Macedonia to help us and verse 10 says that after he had seen the vision and it really wasn't a dream it was a vision anthropolitan division immediately he says we Endeavor who he Paul Timothy and Silas Endeavor Works they got in position began the trip to going to Macedonia a surely Gathering that the Lord had called for us to preach the gospel before them in other words they when Paul woke up uh came to from his division he shared with him and said I said we need to go to mass snow that's okay and they just they just assumed that the Lord had called them to preach the gospel there in the Macedonian region verse 11. therefore Lucy from Troy as we came with a straight course to samothracia and the next eight Minneapolis what were they doing they were on their way to where God sent them this time is different because the first go-around they stopped at every city this time God has another specific plan this is why you can't you can't assume God's plan you got to ask God for the plan they pass by um and the next Indianapolis and then they went to Philippine which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia so then they went to Macedonia and the colony of in the in the Macedonia region and Paul says and we were in that City a body certain days here's what happened they went to the city of Philippi and they got to Philippine and they stayed there certain days they didn't just get there and start go to work they stayed at certain days and if God would endorse me I want to back up and come in this uh in a different way when I first came Pastor Reverend Davis myself and sister Davis had a long conversation about Community work um working with you the community does y'all remember Reverend Davis sister Davis had a strong desire to work with you and there was a lady and I can't think her name I just know her last name was Smith she was shared with us the real missions were sometimes required that the people doing the missionary work go to a place and learn the customs and learn the the um Behavior learn the the the routines of the people before they begin to evangelize and of course that triggered me to do a lot of reading and so I began to read about missionary Journeys and I found out that sometimes missionaries would go like a white missionary leave America and go to the Philippines maybe they would go to Colombia or some place that was far off the beaten path they would move there and they wouldn't even teach the gospel at first they would simply be there be with them maybe help custom some some um some trees down maybe help plant some crops they learned the customs and became uh acclimated to the people and then that's when they began to teach the gospel so somebody might say why is that well again it goes back to the concept that Paul uh showed earlier by circumcising uh Timothy they wanted to fit in so that they could be effective in sharing the gospel messages now let me jump to 2023 one day and some of you all don't hear who in that teacher's meeting we would have a teacher's meeting and during the teachers meeting um um a couple of words came up that I didn't even know about um since cancer is very neat uh sister girly a few others um um and and it was supposed to say but that was the ones who understood the word and at that very moment I realized okay we got some people who understand the culture and I believe quite frankly that that in this case and I'm not saying it's never happened before I'm just saying I actually saw how it manifests itself that understanding the culture um that this was a girl in and Sister veronese Kim understood the culture and as a result a lot of things that took place took place kind of uh commensurate with the youth that we were serving and so instead of us presenting them something that we knew we presented something they would receive even the songs we sing the learning that song a lot of little things you know it spoke to that it's quite frankly over the years that has always been the importance of Vacation Bible School especially when you're talking about Outreach we reach mountains to people um Young people particularly even at their parents as we found out and we able to reach them because we kind of over the last year have gotten to know and understand the culture better the concept better I'm saying this to say that evangelism witnessing in a strong church with a strong Evangelistic content like ours it's good to know it's good to kind of to Fellowship I don't know if you're going to dig in this Thomas on here but as I have begun to think more about our you know even our family fun day our outing our church picnic um it's all the more people around the more we get to know and the more we get to know the easier it is to share I just want to leave that on the table and that doesn't just go for church that goes for us as individuals how good is it to get to know somebody and then share Christ with them when you know them it kind of had a conversation with them it opens the door for you to be able to make connections in ways you could make unless you knew them and had understanding of who they were that's what happened here uh they got to the city Philippi and they stayed there certain days they stayed there for a little while and finally on the Sabbath verse 13 said on the Sabbath when I was sitting by Riverside where prayer was want to be made and we sat down and speaking to the women because she was already I can imagine they say that that representing they watched the comings and the goings and they came to realization hey it's the pope down there by the river and they praying let's instead of going to the synagogue let's go down and because normally they would go to the synagogue but this time because they got there and watched what was going on they were able to go to where people were I can imagine Paul and Timothy South had a little confidence that you know what and people praying they might be willing to hear this message to Christ and so they went down to the Riverside and began to talk to these women that had come to that place and verse 14 says in a certain woman named Lydia they sell a purple of the city of thyatria which worshiped God heard us I love this they saw this lady Lydia she was a worship of God Revelation was she a worship leader maybe she was she was leading them in worship leading them and singing leading them in prayer but whatever the case was um when she heard them that doesn't mean and she heard their words that means she received the message of Christ she heard them and her heart was open and she attempted to the things which was spoken to my power that means she received them and walked in them I'm gonna pause there before I push on I want us to see that right there that that that that there's a that was a symmetry there that they they watched they waited they observed they ministered they people came to Christ and it wasn't just Lydia the Bible says I'm guessing I'm gonna push on verse 15 where she was baptized in her house so it wasn't just her what did she do she got a whole household about I told you about Christ and when that happened she besought them that almost means she begged them saying if you think that we're faith of the Lord come here in our house and stay here and she constrained and why they say because they wanted she wanted to hear more about Jesus Christ I think that in this world we don't understand sometimes fully The Thirst for Christ people might not even know they thirsty for Christ they thirsty and it's our job to show and share them that who they're looking for is Jesus Christ I read that a philosopher said one day that there's a hole in every heart and then that was the biblical um uh a theologian that came back and said in that heart that whole can only be filled by a relationship with God and today in 2023 I still believe that to be true that that every heart has a hole and a whole can only be filled by Jesus Christ when we have a relationship with Christ the whole is full but for those who are seeking and searching they're looking for what we're talking about and so we can't be afraid to be bold and eyewitness why because they're looking for what we're talking about I was just my last story I was talking a friend of mine years ago and he sold um copy machines so common scenes and for those of you who may not know my story my first job was selling coffee machines I wish I sold zero but this guy had he's so accomplished and I asked him how was you so successful because I felt so I'm interested he said well I went places where I knew they need hypocrisy because I want places that you know he said sometimes I would come and stand and watch and if they took out a cop machine or I could see them having problems I saw them taking a lot of paper somewhere he said I knew they need coffee machine and he go in there and make his Spears what I want us to understand is he want that boldness knowing they they did when he saw somebody identified and knew they needed what he was selling let me say this everybody needs Christ everybody needs Jesus and so we don't have to look at people's windows to see they need Jesus if you don't know Jesus you need him and if you know him you need to know him better and so what I'm saying is our message is so relevant today in 2023. it was relevant in 2022 and to be relevant if Jesus don't come back first in 2024 and so I once I say this as I close to give us all the understanding of the necessity of our of our message and the bonus of which we should share Christ wherever we are I'm gonna stop tonight but I thank God for each of you and I thank God for um listening in and I pray these words with with strengthen us in our walk with Christ but also strengthen us in our service for the Lord let us pray father God in the name of Jesus but your people come tonight on this Friday night and I thank you Lord for every soul with a tuned in whether on the zoom line of the phone line we come tonight Lord to give your name the praise God I pray that you begin to transform each of us Lord um from being disciples to being servants and stewards Lord move us that we may continue to follow you but then we serve you and then we give our best to you I pray God tonight that you touch the hearts and minds of leadership and all the fellowship and the fellowship of Saint Pete Missionary Baptist Church that our priorities would be on sharing Jesus with others I pray God tonight as we declare these things as we stand on these things so that you grant our hearts peace and joy Lord let us begin our advantage of this Lord and the places just immediar around us in our homes and our families with our friends God give us the ability to let this words night be a blessed to us to our families may be bless our houses may be blessed and we may be blessed individually for serving you and sharing Christ I pray gone tonight that you would let your word get in our hands and feet do we can serve you Banner Lord let your word get in our hearts that we may be strengthening in our inner person God let your word gets in our ears that we may hear your words over the words and the words of the word of God let your word get uh on our minds in our minds we might have pieces of passion for all understanding that the fire regards to say request God bless your word get uh on our lips tongues vocal cord lungs and throat we can declare your word with boldness to a Dying World with concerning cast each other and even though it was humility to ourselves I pray God tonight that you uh give us peace and joy grace and mercy I pray God again that you build a Heritage around us and prevent and and quench the fire doctors say God let your word and bless us in such a way that we pray without ceasing give you thanks in all things and then Lord that we rejoice in our relationship with you in Jesus Christ God let us not quench your Holy Spirit but instead Lord let us be filled with your Holy Spirit empowered by your Holy Spirit and directed by your Holy Spirit God we love you we do thank you we do praise you in Jesus name amen God bless you hold on Zone

Channel: Saint Peter Missionary Baptist Church - Atlanta

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Id: NyEMiukv_hI

Length: 27min 11sec (1631 seconds)

Published: Fri Jul 28 2023