A Tale of Three Cities
First B Jackson
2025-05-04

Automatically transcribed. Where this and the recording disagree, the recording is the record.

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Maybe if we start singing, it'll sing them in from the vestibule. How about that? Would you stand with me? And we're gonna sing through a few hymns, and I'm just gonna sing off the wall today. Maybe I'll grab a hymnal.

Redeemed. Hymn number three fifty six. Welcome and we're glad you're here. We had a couple of surprises in the first service. Some of them were technical difficulties and some of them were just homecoming.

It was really, really good to see a couple of folks that hopefully will show back up before the end of this service too. Redeemed how I love to proclaim it. Would you join me in song?

Redeemed how I love to proclaim it. Redeemed by the blood of the lamb. Redeemed through his infinite mercy, his child and forever I am. Redeemed, redeemed, redeemed by the blood of the lamb. Redeemed, redeemed his child and forever for him.

Redeemed and so happy in Jesus. No language my rapture can tell. I know that the light of his presence with me doth continually dwell. Redeemed, redeemed, redeemed by the blood of the lamb. Redeemed, redeemed his child and forever I am.

I think of my blessed redeemer. I think of him all the day long. I sing for I cannot be silent. His love is the theme of my song. Redeemed, redeemed, redeemed by the blood of the lamb.

Redeemed, redeemed his child and forever I am. I know I shall see in his beauty the king in whose lie delight, who lovingly guarded my footsteps and giveth me songs in the night. Redeemed, redeemed, redeemed by the blood of the lamb. Redeemed, redeem his child and forever I am. Amen.

And on the next song will be, let's see, glory to his name, hymn number four ninety three. Four ninety three. This reminds me, every time I go, not every time. Most times when I go home, I end up leading the music at the little church I grew up in. This this service is that.

It reminds me that so much. Glory to his name. Hymn number four ninety three.

Down at the cross where my savior died. Down wherefore cleansing from sin I cried, there to my heart was the blood applied. Glory to his name. Glory to his name. Glory to his name.

There to my heart was the blood applied. Glory to his name. I am so wondrously saved from sin. Jesus so sweetly abides within. We're at the cross where he took me in.

Glory to his name. Glory to his name. To his name. There to my heart was the blood applied. Glory to his name.

Oh, precious fountain that saves from sin. I am so glad that I entered in. There, Jesus saves me and keeps me clean. Glory to his name. Glory to his name.

Glory to his name. There to my heart was the blood applied. Glory to his name. Come to this fountain so rich and sweet. Cast thy poor soul at the savior's feet.

Plunge into day and be made complete. Glory to his name. Glory to his name. Glory to his name. To his name.

Amen. Y'all can

have a seat. Whoo. My glasses are walking away from me. Is that hot in here

to y'all? Yeah. Oh, my goodness.

Can you we can open a couple of windows. That would be great. I'm sweating like a pig up here. Awana is on tomorrow night and it's more than just Awana. It's Awana's Grand Prix.

So the big race is here. They've been preparing the cars for the last couple of weeks. Thank you, Dave. They're preparing the cars for the last couple of weeks and it's on. The the race is on and it's right here down the center aisle probably tomorrow night, 05:45 is the start.

So Iwana is on. It'll be awards night also, but the race is probably the big draw. Keeping with the road theme, road trip is our vacation Bible school theme this year. Road trip VBS twenty twenty five will be June 23 through the twenty sixth in the morning from nine to twelve, and that is gonna be great. Amy Jordan is the one that's kinda in charge.

Amy and Philip Jordan are the ones that are in charge of it, And if you want to volunteer, there's still space for our volunteers. If you have know of a kid that's not already signed up, you can sign them up. So that ought to be a lot of fun road trip. If there's anything else that I should announce, but I'm not going to, it's going be on the website. Firstbjackson.org is the place.

If you've got the QR code, that QR code will take you to the website and that's what we're trying to communicate that way more than any other way. I do have one exception to that. May 31, May 31, last day of the month is going to be my sister's closet. Do you all know what that is? So, those of you who are nodding your heads know what that is.

It is a like a clothing exchange, we'll call it. So, if you'll bring in gently used items or a lot of people bring in stuff that they bought and they never wore, you can bring it in. Casey McCooey is the one who will be heading it up and we'll set up either in the fellowship hall or the sanctuary depending on the size of of the goods that show up and we'll set up and on May 31, invite folks, have em come in, and y'all can, sort of a swap. It's it's a lot of fun. My sister's closet, May 31.

Put it on your calendar. Remember that. And I think the missions moment. So, we have started doing these at the announcements. This is Ted and Kim Rabinold.

They've been here within the past year. A lot of you all remember him. He is very vibrant, a very vibrant speaker. And so, Ted and Kim Rabinold originally from Pennsylvania, but they live in the Ruqua Valley in Tanzania. They had a grandbaby born pretty recently.

When Tanya and I were there, during the time that we were there, they had a grandbaby born in Nairobi and so they were in Nairobi for the birth of that grandkid and we got to spend all morning with them, and had breakfast with them, and got to talk and catch up on everything. They are literally on the road between Nairobi and Tanzania right now, and it's like a three day journey. So it's a it's a pretty good ride to where they're going out in the middle of nowhere but they're doing amazing work, a symbiotic relationship sort of work between agriculture and animals and people and the way that they serve that that the process serves each other is pretty profound. So, we'll be praying for Ted and Kim Rabinol. They are just a joy.

He speaks he speaks Swahili wonderfully. And so to go to a restaurant with somebody that's just that, you know, ebullient and flowing over and she does too but his is just amazing. So, pray for them, for their discipleship team, for farm products, for evangelism and I wanna pray for them right now. God, for our friends, Ted and Kim, thank you for introducing us through Steve Landis. Thank you for the support that this church has shown them and I pray lord that you would do your will and your way in Tanzania.

Thankful for them. Amen. Oh, here we are. The next song. Would you stand with me?

Is there anything that I've forgotten or left out? There's one thing. Actually, I'll I'll I'll mention it later. Never mind. Here we are.

Sorry, Josh. I'm getting ahead of myself. What's the song? Jennifer, what's the song? 325.

Three twenty five. Alright. Perfect. Three twenty five. That reminds me of an old joke that I won't tell right now.

Why should he love me so? Alright. Here we go.

I'll send my savior to die in my stead. Why should he love me so? Meekly to Calvary's cross he was led. Why should he love me so? Why should he love me so?

Why should he love me so? Why should my savior to Calvary go? Why should he love me so? Second verse. Nails pierced his hands and his feet for my sin.

Why should he love me so? He suffered sore my salvation to win. Why should he love me so? Why should he love me so? Why should he love me so?

Why should my savior to Calvary go? Why should he love me so? Oh, how he agonized there in my place. Why should he love me so? Nothing withholding my sin to efface.

Why should he love me so? Why should he love me so? Why should he love me so? Why should my savior to Calvary go? Why should he love me so?

Amen. Amen. And the next one will be worthy, you are worthy. Here's number 260.

10106.

Hey, that's even better. 106. I'm glad we don't run on protocol. This is probably a different song than the one that we're gonna be singing up there on the that's fine. I'm just saying.

We'll see. We're gonna sing 106. It might be a duet. Okay. It might come up up there.

We'll see. Oh, y'all all know this one. Yes. You can keep it.

Worthy, you are worthy. King of kings, Lord of lords, you are worthy. Worthy. You are worthy. King of kings, Lord of lords, I worship you.

Holy, you are holy. King of kings, Lord of lords, you are holy. Holy, you are holy. King of kings, Lord of lords, I worship you. Jesus, you are Jesus.

King of kings, lord of lords, you are Jesus. Jesus, you are Jesus. King of kings, lord of lords, I worship you. I

worship you. Amen. I'm overwhelmed this morning with, y'all can have a seat. Yeah, do that. Thank you, Dave.

I don't run on protocol. I wish I did. Sometimes, my my brother is the protocol guy at the church that I grew up in and I just have to look to him and see whether he's sitting down, standing up, and what's going on. Also, it's funny since having been home recently, aunt Laura said, in between verse one and verse two, she said, do you want to speed this thing up? And I said, yes.

She said, then wave your arm. That's what the director does. So, if you see an exaggerated waving of the armor, we're working together on this. Thank you very much. God be praised.

I'm so thankful to be here this morning. I'm so thankful for the homecoming that we've experienced already this morning and some of some of us lord are just overflowing with your goodness, with your grace, with your love, with your mercy, and your forgiveness and and some of us lord are just overflowing with your joy. I thank you for those joyful people and their return. I thank you for the new life of spring, for the for the budding of the flowers and the trees and for so much that is obvious here right now. In Jesus name, I ask for your blessing on this offering.

Everything that's placed in these plates whether it's financial resources or metaphorically, lord, it is our time and the meditations of our mind and our heart. The words that come out of our mouth in conversation with our friends and neighbors. In Jesus name, I ask you to bless all of those things that you would multiply em and do your kingdom's work that the service that we give lord would be fruitful. In Jesus name, I stand amazed and overwhelmed. Amen.

Wow. Thank you. Near to the heart of God. Amen. I I have an introduction to make.

Would you come up here? Do you mind? I'm going to make him do it anyway. Can we? So, we're going into Acts 14.

Hey, here we are.

This fellow,

I mentioned him last week. Y'all remember I mentioned him last week in the service and he texted yesterday and early in the morning and said, hey, are you at the church? And I said, no, I'm not at the church but I'm available anytime. Call whenever it's good. He goes, I'm I I don't know if I'll be asleep or whatever.

I said, just call me anytime. I tried to call him. He didn't answer. And then, I said, unless I'm in the canyon, I'll answer the phone. Call me wherever I am.

I think it don't matter if I'm at the church. He was at the church. He was here. He wanted to see me and to before he saw everybody else but he's here this morning. Jennifer, would you mind if he does communion just play something pretty?

So, thank you. Thank you for being here, and he has returned, and it lines up so well, so well with what's going on in the scripture today.

I wanted to surprise pastor Ray, but it I wanted to surprise him. I didn't tell him that I was in The States, and I wanted to see him face at the moment. It didn't work anyway.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. So it lines up so well, and it's amazing kinda thank you. Yeah.

We love your buddy. He is here by himself right now. He is attempting to secure housing here in Jackson this week and working on that kind of a not exactly a scouting trip. The whole family is coming back end of this month beginning of June, somewhere in there. Somewhere.

Mid June. Okay. So, he's he is returning to us but it lines up well with the scripture today and I'm going to turn right into that but thank you, buddy. We'd love you and the work that they have been doing in Romania, it's amazing to hear and we'll hear more about that later but not later today, later, later. Okay.

Acts fourteen one through 28, the whole fourteenth chapter is a tale of three cities. It mentions more than that but a tale of three cities, Iconium, Lystra, and Derby. If you remember from last week, we were in Pisidian Antioch and then from Pisidian Antioch, they went to Iconium. Now, in Iconium, which is right there, you can see, this is modern day Turkey. From Pisidian Antioch.

They went over to Iconium and they entered the synagogue. Now, wait a second. Last week, do you remember in Pisidian Antioch, they went to the synagogue and they presented Jesus as the Messiah, the long expected one that you should have recognized if you know the law and the prophets, you should recognize this guy and and Paul, main speaker, Barnabas two, Paul and Barnabas go into Pasidian Antioch. Remember, John had already gone back to Jerusalem, John Mark. When they go into the synagogue, they presented in the first Sabbath was so amazing and a lot of people came to believe the gospel, the Messiah, Jesus, and then, they said, we want to hear more about this and they even followed them throughout the week.

We want to hear more about this good news that you're sharing. Come back next Sabbath. Make sure that you're here next Sabbath. Please come back and tell us all of these different ways of understanding what we already know to be true. And when they came back the next week, the place was absolutely full.

People who had not been there in a long time came in and they were zealous for the traditions of men. They were zealous for the traditions of their fathers in such a way that they antagonized them to the point persecuted them to the point that they went to Iconium. Actually, it says, they shook the dust off of their sandals and said, we are going to the Gentiles. Now, if you're reading in chapter fourteen, one of the last things they did was shake the dust off their sandals at the synagogue and say, you have rejected this. We had to present it to you first but you've rejected him because you've rejected it, we're going to the Gentiles.

They gathered other Gentile believers on their way out of town but they went to Iconium and this is a cool thing. They entered into the synagogue. They started with the people that were supposed to know. They had been gathering Sabbath after Sabbath after Sabbath and hearing from the law and the prophets and in last chapter, it was obvious that after the law and the prophets were spoken, then, they said, brothers, if you have a word of exportation, tell it to us now and that's when they started. So, here we are in Iconium.

They entered the synagogue of the Jews together, Paul and Barnabas and they spoke in such a way that a large number of people believed. They were shedding new light on the Old Testament, the scriptures that they all knew and loved and they shared that in a way that number of people believed, both of Jews and of Greeks, presumably God fearers who were at the synagogue, but the unbelieving Jews, the ones who are not ready for this change, the ones who are not ready for this good news, the ones who are not ready to receive Messiah Jesus, the unbelieving Jews stirred up the minds of the Gentiles and embittered them against the brothers. They were insistent especially it says of against the Gentiles. So, the unbelieving Jews said, don't listen to them. Don't listen to them.

Stirred them up. Now, last week, I shared a word. It is Ephegero. Ephegero from last week. It was instigated.

It's the same word. It's it's translated in this passage as stirred them up and if you read further down in the New Testament, Jews twice, both times, once in Acts 13, once in Acts 14, speaking of the same group of people and it says, they aroused them against. They stimulated them against. They excited them against. It's a very negative word.

There is a way to stir somebody up into love and good works. Hebrews says, do that. It's a different word. So, the unbelieving Jews stirred up the minds of the Gentiles and and tried their best. They were exciting them against the words spoken by Paul and Barnabas and it says, therefore, Paul and Barnabas spent a long time there in Iconium and they were speaking boldly with reliance upon the Lord.

If you're on mission, you must be on mission. Utterly reliant on the Lord. They spent a long time there speaking boldly with reliance upon the Lord. Boldly comes up in Acts four after Peter and John are beaten and imprisoned and given a strong talking to by the Sanhedrin. What shall we do?

Please God or men. It's going to be one or the other and when they went back to pray, they didn't pray that they wouldn't be beaten. They didn't pray that they would escape any harm or that they wouldn't be jailed. What they prayed is that they would continue to speak boldly with reliance upon the Holy Spirit and this is coming to to fruition. So, they were speaking boldly with rights upon the Lord and the Lord himself was the one who was testifying to the word of his grace.

It's either going to be law or it's going to be grace. Old testament is law, old covenant is law, new testament, new covenant is grace. They spend a long time there speaking boldly. God was testifying to his grace and the miracles authenticated the message. He was granting that signs and wonders be performed by their hands.

But the people of the city were divided. The gospel always divides the room. The people of the city were divided. Some sided with the Jews, the unbelieving Jews, and some others sided with the apostles. The gospel has a way of either you accept it or you reject it and anytime you present it, you'll people will either accept it or reject it or they'll hear more later as we will see in Acts 17.

When an attempt was made by both the Gentiles and the Jews with their rulers, so this is folks who had had their hearts embittered against the message of the gospel and of the Jewish leadership in that area. They along with their rulers, local rulers, began to treat them abusively and to stone them. Does that sound like missionary fun right there? It sounds like missionary life though. It's it's not always going to be easy.

They they became aware of the plot and they fled to the cities of Lycaonia which is a region, Lystra and Derby are two cities that are a part of the Lake Ionia and all of this is within Galatia. On the Thursday men's study during lunchtime, we're what we're going through right now is the book of Galatians and it is all about you've accepted the grace of God. Why would you turn back to the law? Oh, foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you? These are some of the people who have bewitched them.

Judaizers insisting that you must keep the old Jewish law. They became aware of the plot. They fled to the cities of Lycaonia, Lystra, and Derby. So, if you're looking on your map, I know y'all love maps. Here we are on the first missionary journey.

They left from Pisidian Antioch to Iconium and they went to Lystra and Derby and it says, and the surrounding region. So, in this region, they're gathering people as they go and they're continuing to preach the gospel. They're putting ever before the people the message that Christ is Messiah. Jesus is the anointed one and he is the long expected king of the Jews and they're putting it out there and some people are accepting, some people rejecting. In Lystra, what happened in Lystra?

In Lystra, that's not too terribly far. More a little a day's journey probably, maybe a little more than a day's journey from Iconium to Lystra. In Lystra, there was a man who was sitting, who was whose feet were incapacitated. Now, he had been disabled from his mother's womb. He had never walked.

This just the setup reminds us of several stories from the ministry of Jesus but in Lystra, a man who's sitting incapacitated, never had walked, and this man was listening to Paul as he was bringing the gospel and Paul looked at him intently and he saw that he had faith to be made well. This man was sitting there listening and beginning to put his faith in Christ even before the healing which is about to happen and he said, Paul said, chief speaker, he said with a loud voice, stand up right on your feet and the man leaped up and began to walk and the leaping up reminds me of the guy in the by the Pool Of Siloam. Remember that story? He leaps up. He grabs up his mat.

He begins walking off. Religious persecution immediately follows but hey, he's still leaping for joy and glorifying God as he goes. He began to walk and when the crowd saw what Paul had done, they attributed it to Paul. Luke says, when the crowd saw what Paul had done and Paul recognized that God was present to heal that guy and God would, I mean, Paul never would have said that he did that. He would have said God did that but this says, when the crowd saw what Paul had done, they raised their voice saying in the Lycaonian language.

It wasn't in a language apparently that Paul or Barnabas understood. They began saying in their own regional dialect, the gods have become like men and they've come down to us. A theophany, this is not unheard of in Greek mythology. We call it mythology. They call it religion.

In the Greek religion, they would see the gods coming down and taking on the form of a bull or a goat or a person and they were capricious, small g gods. The capricious gods, you never really could tell exactly how they were going to act but they started saying in their own regional dialect. The gods have become like men and they have come down to us and they began calling Barnabas Zeus. Zeus is the chief of the gods. Now, Barnabas, we we kind of minimize Barnabas a lot of times because Paul was the major speaker.

He's the one who wrote all the letters. Barnabas was a son of encouragement. He was doing ministry the whole time too but he doesn't get as much presses. You know, the guy who wrote two thirds of the New Testament. They began calling Barnabas Zeus.

Now, Zeus is the head of all of the Greek gods. This is one of the seven wonders of the ancient world is the Temple Of Zeus and that statue seated on the throne there is 41 feet tall and it's the only one of the seven wonders of the world where we don't know where this is. It was obliterated, destroyed, it is no longer to be found any of it, but we know exactly what it looks like because we have lots of detailed depictions of it. He has an eagle sitting on one side of him. He has a a staff and it's showing how he's in charge.

That is an the whole world in his hand right there. That's supposed to be the world in his right hand. Zeus was the guy that was the God of sky, thunder, lightning, and if he didn't do exactly like Zeus wanted you to do, what did you get? Lightning. Smited.

You were in real trouble if you didn't placate Zeus. And so, when they thought that man just have been healed, they attributed that power to the gods. Actually, they said Barnabas was Zeus and Paul was Hermes since he was the chief speaker, the messenger God. You remember that mostly from FTD florist using him as their mascot. The winged feet and the winged helmet where he's carrying messages for So, Paul was the one carrying the message.

They called him Hermes. Now, they're saying all this in the Lyconian language. Moreover, the priest of Zeus heard about what happened. He was just outside the city and he brought in oxen and garlands to the gates and he wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds and this is the best thing that's ever happened to the the prophet of Zeus, right? The priest of Zeus, He thinks the often he happened and it happened in Lystra in my town and so he gathers up the oxen and the garlands head to the gates.

This is a fairly famous painting. While I was in seminary, this was at the Columbia Museum in Columbia, South Carolina. It's not there anymore. I had to really search to find it But this is the priest of Zeus who's pointing to the offerings that he has brought in and all of these other people that are worshipers of Zeus are coming alongside and giving obescence and adoration and sacrifice in animals. And the reason for that is fear.

Straight up fear and seeing that this God has presenting himself at least in their minds, they start to attribute everything Paul has done to the God Zeus and Hermes but when the apostle apostles Barnabas and Paul heard about it. When they finally got it, whether it's translated to him or they finally understood what the people were saying, they tore their robes. Actually, pretty nice depiction of them tearing their robes. It's an old testament expression of grief, an expression of remorse, an expression of no, no, no, no, no. That's not the real deal.

That's not what's happening here. They were dismayed and aggravated that anybody would ever attribute something that belongs only to God to them. If you remember earlier in our study, I brought out few paragraphs from Josephus antiquities and the passage that says that Herod Agrippa the first was in a gathering where people were coming in and actually they were coming in and they were kind of sucking up to him. They were there to try to placate him because they really needed the resources from his country and so, they were the people of Tyre and Sidon and they were there and they were adoring Herod a group of the first and they attributed to him divinity. They said, oh, he speaks with the voice of a god and not a man and it says, and because he did not give the glory that belong to God alone, to God almighty, really.

Worms ate him and he died. So, we've seen a couple of different places where people receive the worship of God. Actually, Cornelius in chapter 10, when Cornelius and Peter comes into his house and he falls down on his face before Peter and Peter grabs him by the arm and says, get up. I'm a man just like you. This is what we're going to see.

This is Saint Paul and Barnabas at Lystra. There's a lot going on in the picture. 1637, Bartolomeus, Greenberg. It's a Dutch painting. Oil on wood.

They rushed out into the crowd when they figured out what was going and they were crying out saying, men, why are you doing these things? Quit it. Stop it. Just like Peter said, get up from there. We are also men.

We are not to be adored in this way. We are not to be put up on a pedestal in this way. We are men just like you of the same nature as you. The only difference between us and you is that we've accepted the good news of the gospel and they preach the gospel. Again, that's what they do.

They're carrying the message. Apostles are those who are sent out. They are sent out with a message and they're preaching it. This is a great commission from Mark. He says, go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.

As you go, just be going and presenting it to everyone. And we're preaching the gospel to you and we're telling you, please turn from these useless things. These fairy tales, these superstitions, these gods that you made up, and turn to a living God who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything that is in them, creator God. In past generations, Paul says to them, he permitted all the nations to go their own ways. As the world was standing in need of a savior.

Like, we get different different points. We've got the adamic covenant in Eden where Adam walks with God and then he falls away and we've got this no way at covenant where all the people fell away except for Noah and his family and then, immediately after the flood, they fall away. When God is reaching to reach to the world, he reaches out and it says, Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness and Abraham's family. He's the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. In past generations, he permitted that all the rest of the nations go their own ways selected a few but he did not leave himself without a witness to the whole world, to everyone.

In that he did good and he gave rains from heaven and fruitful seasons. This is what theologians would call general revelation. In Matthew five, Jesus in the sermon on the mount, he says, God causes his son to rise on the evil and the good. He is always revealing himself to everyone. He causes his son to rise on the evil and good.

He sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. That's general revelation. Let me back up for a second. You've heard that it said you should love your neighbor and hate your enemy. Well, that's just the way we are naturally but supernatural.

He's saying, love your enemies. Pray for the ones who persecute you so that you may prove yourselves to be sons of your father who is in heaven, who is like this. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good. What did Paul and Barnabas have to do with these pagan Zeus worshiping people? Nothing except for they were sharing the light of the gospel with them.

He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good. He sends his rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Everybody does that. Tax collectors do that.

If you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Even the Gentiles, heathen, nations do that. Don't they do the same? Therefore, he's calling them into a place of perfection which is only available through Jesus's death, the spirits leading, and the father's will. He's calling them into that.

A general revelation living here, I think that we have a specific, just a glorious beauty around us all the time and so general revelation when I say from Psalm 19, a lot of y'all this will be a familiar passage. The heavens are telling of the glory of God. I think it's Judy's photographs of the night sky where it's just a swirling mass of unbelievable expanse. The heavens are telling of the glory of God. Their expanse declares the work of God's hands.

Day after day, they pour forth speech. Night after night reveals the knowledge of God and there is no speech and nor are there any words wherein those voices are not heard. This was actually when we were missionaries to the death in Mexico. This was one of our main things is the heavens are telling the glory of God. Day after day, it pours forth speech.

There's no language where that voice is not heard. Their line has gone out in all the earth. Their words to the end of the world. Romans one says it this way, for since the creation of the world, his invisible attributes, that is his eternal power and his divine nature have been clearly perceived, being understood by what he has been made. Creation tells the story of a creator.

Such that they and we are without excuse. For even though they knew God and it says they knew him just by seeing the work of his hands. Even though they knew God, they didn't honor him as God. They didn't give thanks to him but they became futile in their reasonings, their senseless hearts were darkened and claiming to be wise. They they became as fools.

That was true back in the pagan times of antiquity and in the scientific times of our day. If you look at what has been made and you come up with anything except for God and you attribute it to anything except for God, then, you are guilty of idolatry and suppression of the truth. They exchange the glory of incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible mankind, of birds, of four footed animals, and crawling creatures. If you look at that statue of Zeus, it has all of those things on it. Satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.

He has given to all peoples reigns from heaven and fruitful seasons and satisfying your hearts with food and gladness and even by saying these things, Paul and Barnabas, only with difficulty did they restrain the crowds from offering sacrifices to them. They didn't deserve it and they knew it and they tried to stop him but it was hard but it says, the Jews from Antioch. Now, Antioch was the last town that that they were in. No, it's two towns ago. Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, the Jews from Antioch, and Iconium came.

These are the same folks who last chapter, the devout women of prominence, the leading men of the city that instigated the persecution against Paul and Barnabas, drove them out of their region, and then chased them down. Persecution by the way, to pursue is what persecution really means. Going after them. So, they went after them. Now, from Pisidian Antioch and Iconium to Lystra and having won over the crowds, they stoned Paul.

They didn't just plan to stone him this time. They actually stoned Paul and they dragged him out of the city and they left him for dead. Oh, by the way, I mentioned the Blues Brothers every once in a while. This is a scene from the Blues Brothers. Acts is a story of we're on a mission from God and the Blues Brothers is we're on a mission from God.

There's a scene where somebody takes a rocket launcher and knocks down a hotel that these guys are staying in and the whole rubble comes down on him and while the disciples stood around him, he got up, dusted himself off, walks away and the next day, he left with Barnabas for Derby. It is. A 106 miles to Chicago. We've got a half a pack of cigarettes and a full tank of gas. Yeah.

No. They went from Lystra to Derby and in Derby, it says, after they had preached the gospel to that city, it doesn't specifically say they started in the synagogue in this case. They'd already announced they were going to the Gentiles. In Lister, they went to the synagogue first and they might have here too but when they went in, it says, after they preached the gospel to that city and they had made a good number of disciples. That's the great commission from Matthew.

Go therefore and be making disciples of all the nations. Baptizing them in the name of the father, son, and Holy Spirit and be teaching them to follow all that I have commanded you. How did you do that? You do it by following all that he commanded you. It's more caught than it is taught.

Teaching them to follow all that I've commanded you and behold, I'm with you always to the end of the age. So, they returned to Lystra. He just got stoned in Lystra, not like got stoned, sorry. They stoned him in Lystra. I'm sorry.

Came out funny to me. They returned to Lystra where he had been stoned by the people there from Iconium and Antioch. It says, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch. Oh my goodness. Derby, Lystra, Iconium, Antioch.

And they were strengthening the souls of the disciples. They came back around and they were there visiting the people that they knew that had accepted the gospel and now, no doubt, we're facing the same kind of persecution that ran them out of town but they were strengthening souls of disciples and they were encouraging them to continue in the faith though it is difficult. It is through many tribulations that we must enter into the kingdom of God and that sounds a lot like Jesus too. Jesus in the upper room discourse, we're going to go to a time of communion. The same night he was betrayed, the same night that he instituted the Lord's supper.

This is one of the things that he just told his disciples in John sixteen thirty three. All of these things I've spoken to you. Now, that's chapter fourteen, fifteen, and 16. All of these things I've spoken to you so that in me, you may have peace. Even if the world is pursuing, even if there's persecution, even if there's difficulty, death, famine, pestilence, whatever it is.

In the world, you have tribulation and trouble but take courage. I've overcome the world. It's through resurrection but he overcame the world. Now, when they had appointed elders, so they go back to these cities and they don't just encourage them and they don't just strengthen their souls. They also appoint elders and put people sort of in charge.

People who had accepted the message of the good news of the gospel had related well to the Old Testament law and prophets and they set elders in place for them in every church and having fasted and prayed, prayed and with fasting. They entrusted them to the Lord in whom they had believed. There is as missionaries, there's only so much that you personally can do. Being humble and submitted and willing and obedient is what you can do but God's going to do the work. He's gone before you.

He'll be there after you. The Holy Spirit that sent you is the same Holy Spirit that can sustain. When Christ said, I will build my church, he meant it. Amen. They passed through Pisidia, Pisidia, Lycaonia, and Pamphilia.

All of those are regions of Galatia. They passed through Pisidia and they came into Pamphilia If they went Derbalistria, Iconium, Antioch, and they went straight back instead of going the the original route. They went back towards Perga and this says, when they had spoken the word in Perga, the first time they went through Perga, it does not mention that they stopped and spoke there. They left from Paphos, Sergius Paulus, and they went up to, I think there was probably a connection where he said, go to Pasidian Antioch. Go up there.

Talk to my people. That's where they are And so they were in a hurry. It seems to get there. It doesn't mention that they preached in Perga the first time through but on the way back, they stopped in Perga and then they went down the hill to the coast to Italia, Antolia, Turkey is where that is these days. It's right next to Perga.

Where they had been and then it says, from there, they sailed back to Antioch. Antioch was where this very diverse church, these very diverse group of elders had sent them out and they sent them out on this first missionary journey and they're coming back and that's why I said, it's so great to see Florine this morning. He comes back in after having done the work that we sent him out to do, that God sent him out to do. He is now returning back to Antioch. He'll be back in a few weeks with his family but it's great.

They sailed there to Antioch where they have been entrusted to the grace of God and for the work that they had accomplished. It's good to know that we're on a mission from God and it will not be thwarted. No matter how it feels, it will not be thwarted. So they go back. It does not mention them going through Paphos, they just probably hugged the coast until they got back to Seleucia and then up the hill to Antioch.

Now, when they had arrived and when they had gathered the church together of which, you know, Simeon called Niger and the Lucius from Cyrene, Barnabas, Paul, these all these guys gathered together. When they had arrived and gathered the church together, they began to report all the things that God had done with them and how he'd open the door of faith to the Gentiles. Amen. That's cool and they spent a long time with the disciples and we're expecting that Florine and Violetta will do that too. That's great.

There's a lot that God has had going with them and there's a lot that he's called them back to and I'm thankful for that. Here we are on our map going back to Antioch and that's the end of the first missionary journey. I have just a few words to say today because of communion and because Florian snuck up on us. I'm gonna ask him if he'll come up and play something pretty in a minute but a little history before the Kenya portion of our trip. I'm gonna ask Tanya if she'll share a lot about the the the lion's share of the stuff about Kenya.

We'll get to it next week or the week after probably, but a little history before the Kenya portion before I say that. If you're zeroing in on Kenya, you get there, Nairobi is a place pretty much everybody lands if you go by air. Back in 1991, Roseanne and her husband Darton, many of you all knew both of them. I never met Darton. I got here just after he had passed and so Roseanne and Darton Welch in their retirement, after they retired, she for being a nurse and for being an engineer, I believe.

They went as seasoned citizens, senior citizens, right? They went in their retirement to go be missionaries in 1991. I think it was a Southern Baptist initiative to send out the retired folk that are seasoned in the gospel to different places around the world and they had been somewhere in South America in 1991. They went to Kenya and they were specifically there in Lemurutown, Kenya, near Lemurutown. There's a place called Brackenhurst.

Brackenhurst is sort of a compound where people gather and it's a conference center, but that place is just a gorgeous little respite nowadays and it's the place that we stay when we go. It's the place where where Roseanne and Darton were stationed and Togoni Baptist Church is outside of the gate and they started relationship with Tigoni Baptist in 1991. Now, here we are at 2025 and that's who we visited while we were there. Pastor Joseph Kamal was the youth pastor when Roseanne and Darton were there in 1991. One of the ladies in the youth group who is now head of the ministry, the Emma girls or the Nema girls.

She was in the youth group when Roseanne and Darton were there the first time around and the people who work at Brackenhurst, the ones who serve by bringing meals and by taking care of the rooms and accommodations and the grounds and everything else. All the people that work there, a lot of them live within walking distance outside of the gate of the compound in a very very poor location. They did not have water. They definitely didn't have hot water and Roseanne and Darton recognized the need and they started serving the people and served them well. They've got water there.

They got hot water there and they are were very well received by the people. And when we moved here in 2012, after Darton had passed, Roseanne had the desire to go back and she wanted to go back and so she did and she was at the time I think 78 or 79 years old, somewhere in there. 2012, Roseanne wanted to go back. Tanya being the missionary that she is. Roseanne and Tanya connected immediately when we got here in June.

I think in October and November, they went together. Pascal, Tanya, Roseanne, together and getting there, they ran into that gal, Grace Lacanje, who was in Roseanne's youth group and Tanya and Grace started talking and Grace has this plan that God is laying on her heart that she needs to do to minister to young girls and Tanya helped with that. Pascal even helped with that. In 2013, after they came back and talked it up, really. What is God doing there?

There are so many amazing things and 18 other ladies besides Roseanne went back. The Tigoni team, August 2013. We sent back from this church. We sent them out on a mission and they returned. That was a it was an adventure and prayer for most of the church folk because right before the ladies left from here, the day before, the Nairobi Airport International Terminal burnt.

They flew in and they flew in and their baggage claim was an attempt. I flew in two or three days after them and we stayed for a few weeks after. Actually, it was just a few weeks before the Westgate Mall was sieged. This was an amazing time for that little ministry that Grace and Tanya talked about to blossom, to bud out as I was praying earlier today about the springtime of this, the new ministry was forming and these ladies gathered all of the Emma girls in one place and celebrated them and what God was doing in them And then in 2014, Roseanne went back and Kimberly Fort Isap went with her from here. And then our family joined up with them after they've been there for a while.

They stayed for an extended period. That's the last time that Roseanne was able to go. Now, we celebrated her eightieth birthday in 2013 there. She's 91 now. She moved Within the last year, she moved down to Rock Springs and we've been down to visit her a couple of times.

I've talked to her on the phone this week. I've talked to her quite a bit. And it's pretty amazing to see that though she has not been there in eleven years, she still keeps up with everything that's going on. I'll let Tanya tell you more about our 2025 trip but I want to say this that you don't ever have to stop ministering. So, Roseanne moves down to Rock Springs and she's there.

She's finally, she said found a church that that feels pretty homey at home to her and she goes there. She still watches when she can to this service but she also recognized there was no Bible study in her assisted living facility, nursing home. So, started one. 91. I'm thankful.

This is us with Ted and Kim Ray Bernal. I'll leave the rest of it for Tanya to to share about Dave and Kim Hatfield and a few others but we're going to go to a time right now of communion. So, Imma invite the ushers forward and Imma, would you just play something pretty? I love saying that. Thankful for you, brother.

You sneaky little joker. I'm going to pray as ushers come forward and God, thank you. We will glorify you. By your spirit, we want to live in submission. Jesus carried out with perfection.

He walked it out in the flesh. We we're going to celebrate the Lord's supper and what he said about his body and his blood, the body that was given, his perfect record was given for all who will believe. So, lord, we practice an open table right here. If there's anybody who's put their faith in Christ in this room, it's an open table for them to celebrate the life that was lived out in perfection and the perfect record that was offered and also through the sacrifice of his innocent blood. In Jesus name, we ask your blessing on this for everyone who would partake and for those lord who let it pass because they do not yet believe.

I pray that you would work on their hearts through your word and through the testimony of the other witnesses in the room that have seen what God can do. In Jesus name, I ask your blessing on this little cracker representation of the body of Jesus Christ. Amen. Now, on the same night that Jesus was betrayed, he took bread after supper and after having given thanks, he said to his disciples there and he's still saying it to us, this is my body which is given for you. Take this and eat of it.

Do it as often as you will in remembrance of me. In the same manner that he did that, he also took the cup. We're gonna distribute that here in just a second. For them, it would have been a common cup, but for us, it's these little plastic cups of grape juice. I'm gonna ask a blessing on that.

Lord, thank you. Thank you for living it out and thank you for your voluntary and sacrificial death that Hebrews says was sufficient once for all. In Jesus name we gather because of the way you lived and because of the way that you died. Glory to God for your resurrection. Would you, Lord, bless this little representation of your blood, this little plastic cup of grape juice?

Would you bless each one who would partake? And again, Lord, if there's anyone here who has not accepted you, I pray that you would turn their hearts into a soft place for the gospel through the people who are gathered in your name right here. In Jesus name, I pray that you would advance your good gospel. Amen. Thank you, Tim.

And in the same manner that he had taken the bread, he also took the cup after supper and he said to them that were gathered there and we have it recorded in John, we have it recorded. And he said, this is the new covenant in my blood. Oh, the old covenant is so difficult and so conditional. And, the new covenant is fulfilled in the blood of Christ. He says, this is the new covenant in my blood.

Take of it and drink and do it as often as you will in remembrance of me. And Paul later says that every time that we do this, we proclaim the Lord's death until he comes again and his death simply put as an end for the power of sin. It cancels sin. Would you stand with me? And I think we're gonna sing the doxology.

Is that fine? Alright. We'll just do that.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise him all creatures here below. Praise him above ye heavenly host. Praise father, son, and holy ghost.

And now may the Lord bless and keep you and cause his face to shine upon you and it may reflect off of you onto your friends and neighbors and acquaintances throughout this week. In Jesus name, amen. Amen.