The Book of Acts tells how the early Church grew after Jesus’ ascension. The Holy Spirit came at Pentecost, giving believers power to preach boldly. Peter and Paul were key leaders in spreading the gospel, which moved from Jerusalem to the Gentile world. Even through persecution, the Church grew strong through prayer, unity, and generosity. God used ordinary people, including former enemies like Paul, to carry out His mission. Christians today are called to be Spirit-filled, faithful, and bold as they continue the work that began in Acts.
[Music] It is a wonderful thing to see
you this morning. I trust God that you had a wonderful weekend. Today we will
be in Acts of the Apostles chapter 21. But before we dive into that teaching, I want to
share something with you this morning. And I want to talk to you today about eternal preparation.
What do I mean by that? Where do you want to spend your eternity when you die? Do you want to
spend your eternity in heaven? If yes, if that is yes to you, then what preparation have you made
about securing that eternity? Now my good friends, oftentimes we invest in this physical retirement.
You know, you put money away, you invest in 401k, you do other investments so that when you are old
and you stop working, you will be able to survive. But there is nothing wrong with that. I encourage
you to do that. But there is a preparation that is way more important than physical preparation. And
that preparation is your spiritual preparation, your spiritual retirement where you will spend
eternity when you die. My good friends, that preparation must be made now while you are still
alive. Because once you die, it becomes too late. To secure your eternity in heaven, there is only
one way to do it. And that way is putting all your trust in Jesus Christ, receiving him as your Lord
and your Savior, depending upon him on what he did on the cross for you, not depending on your good
works or your merit or your self-righteousness. Jesus Christ made it very clear in John 14:6.
I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me. So my good friends,
your eternal security is only but one fast prayer away. And I can lead you into that prayer right
now. You see hell is a real place. Those who fail to receive Jesus Christ when they are still
alive, they will die a Christless death. And the consequence of that is an eternal separation.
Is hell. Hell is not a place where souls go and die and they are alighted. The Bible tells us
that it is a place, it is a lake burning with fire and brimstone where people will be tormented
forever and ever. It is an outer darkness and you don’t want to spend your eternity there. So I want
to lead you now in that prayer. If you pray this prayer with all your heart today, you can be sure
that when you die, you will spend your eternity in heaven. Pray with me. Father, I come to you in the
name of Jesus Christ. I believe he is your Son who died for my sins and you raised him up from the
dead on the third day. Dear Lord Jesus Christ, please come into my life today. Be my Lord and
my Savior. I believe that I am now born again. My name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. I
am a child of God and I turn away from my sins. Thank you, Father, for the gift of Jesus Christ to
the world. Amen. Congratulations. If you said that prayer, you have now an eternal security. Please
continue your walk with Jesus Christ. Today, I want to introduce to you my new book. You
see, finally, the book of Revelation is out. You remember when we covered the book of
Revelation you know months ago. So the book is out right now and the subtitle to this book is um the
final hour. You know the book of Revelation is a message of hope. Some say it is hard to understand
but if you take it at face value it is very easy. The book of Revelation is more than symbols,
visions and mysteries. It is a powerful letter of encouragement written to the church, written to
believers facing trials just to remind us that God is in control, that Christ has the final victory
and those who belong to Jesus Christ will share in his victory. It also reminds us about that new
world that is coming. The world without sorrow, pain, death or suffering. So it will be a very
good resource for you. Your private study time, your family study time and also small
Bible study. It is available now on Amazon and also on our website www.kuim.org
. Blessed be the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. So my good friends, you remember last week we were in
Acts of the Apostles chapter 20 and I want to give you a brief overview of what we covered before we
dive into today’s teaching. So after the uproar in Ephesus, remember the one that was started by
Demetrius the silversmith when he mobilized other people to start a riot because he said that Paul
was teaching people that things that are made with hands are not gods. So he was losing his business.
Demetrius and his men made silver images, you know, shrines of Diana. So that’s how they
made their own profit. So when this happened, Paul encouraged the believers in Ephesus. From Ephesus
then he went down to Macedonia region. That area he planted churches already. You are talking about
Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea. He encouraged the brethren there as well. And then he went down
south to Greece. He was there for three months. But while he was in Greece, his original plan was
to sail from Greece back to Syria. But there was a plan from the Jews to kill him. So what Paul did
was he changed his plan and he went up north again to Macedonia. And from there he was accompanied
by so many companions all the way to Troas. Now you remember what happened in Troas. He was
there and on the first day of the week, Sunday, Paul knew that he would travel the next day. So
he had a very long sermon. He talked to them till midnight even till the next day. And the young
man named Eutychus who was sitting by the window fell from the window and he was taken up dead. So
Paul by the power of the Holy Spirit brought him back to life and from there he bypassed Ephesus
but called for the elders of Ephesus to meet him at Miletus. Now in Miletus he gave them a farewell
message. In that message he told them he reminded them about his humble sacrificial service ministry
amongst them. He also reminded them about how he did not shrink from revealing to them the whole
counsel of God. So therefore he is not guilty of any man’s blood. Furthermore, he told the elders
to watch over themselves and as well as those that God has brought into their part. He encouraged
the elders to feed their flock with the word of God and never to fleece them or to use them as
merchandise, but reminded them of the word of Jesus Christ that it is more blessed to give
than to receive. And finally he told them to be on alert for savage wolves because there will
be those who will come from outside in order to devour the flock of Christ and also some will come
from within. That’s what we covered last week. So with that we’re going to go ahead and dive into
today’s teaching. Before we do that, let’s have a word of prayer. Heavenly Father, how grateful
we are as you continue to give us opportunities to come in your presence to study your word to
be taught by your Holy Spirit. Apostle Paul in Romans chapter 10 verse 9 said, “If you will
confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus Christ, believe in your heart, God raised him from the
dead, thou shalt be saved.” Father, we pray that you will help us to remember always that there
is one gospel and that one gospel is salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, that
salvation is not by our works or our merits. Help us to have this consciousness. Sometimes
we are easily carried away and we forget that we are saved by grace through faith and that’s the
way that we will be sustained. Today we are in Acts of the Apostles chapter 21. We pray you will
teach us by the greatest teacher, the Holy Spirit of God. Give us revelation and clarity. Give us
wisdom, understanding, light that we will be able to understand what we are about to study today.
Help us to always put those things in practice. Father, we thank you for your goodness towards
us. Your thoughts towards us, they are precious. Great is the sum of them. If we should number
them, they are more in number than the sand of the sea. Yes. When we awake, we are still in your
presence. We join the heavenly creatures right now in one voice we say, “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God
Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. You are worthy to receive all glory, honor, and power.
You created all things for your pleasure. They are and were created.” And everybody said, “Amen.” in
the matchless name of Jesus Christ. Good friends, let’s go ahead and dive into today’s teaching.
I’m excited and I trust God that you are excited as well as we receive the precious word of life
from Jesus Christ of Nazareth by his Holy Spirit. Acts of the Apostles chapter 21 verse one. Now
it came to pass that when we had departed from them and set sail, running a straight course,
we came to Cos, the following day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara. And finding a ship
sailing over to Phoenicia, we went aboard and set sail. When we had sighted Cyprus, we passed it
on the left, sailed to Syria, and landed at Tyre, for there the ship was to unload her cargo. And
finding disciples, we stayed there seven days. They told Paul through the Spirit not to go up
to Jerusalem. When we had come to the end of those days, we departed and went on our way, and
they all accompanied us with wives and children, till we were out of the city, and we knelt down
on the shore and prayed. When we had taken our leave of one another, we boarded the ship, and
they returned home. Excuse me. Verse seven. And when we had finished our voyage from Tyre, we
came to Ptolemais, greeted the brethren and stayed with them one day. On the next day, we who were
Paul’s companions departed and came to Caesarea and entered the house of Philip the evangelist,
who was one of the seven, and stayed with him. Now this man had four virgin daughters who
prophesied. And as we stayed many days, a certain prophet named Agabus came down from
Judaea. And when he had come to us, he took Paul’s belt, bound his own hands and feet, and
said, “Thus saith the Holy Spirit, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt,
and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.” Verse 12. Now when we heard these things, both we
and those from that place pleaded with him not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, “What do
you mean by weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound but also to die in
Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.” So when he would not be persuaded, we ceased,
saying, “The will of the Lord be done.” In this section here, Paul and his
companions now sailed along the coast, going from Miletus. Now remember when Paul
finished encouraging the elders in Miletus. From Miletus now Paul and his companions
sailed to Cos, from Cos they got to Rhodes, from Rhodes they got to Patara, and then
from Patara they went to Phoenicia. They passed Cyprus and then they landed at Syria,
in Tyre. Now Tyre is modern-day Lebanon. So the disciples there in Tyre urged Paul
not to go to Jerusalem by the Spirit. So Paul after being there for seven days, Paul
and his companions continued their journey, and they came to Caesarea. Now in Caesarea, while
they were there, they lodged at the house of Philip. Remember Philip in Acts chapter 6, one of
the seven deacons, and also in Acts chapter 8 he traveled to Samaria. He was the one that preached
the gospel there and God did so many signs, miracles, and wonders through him. This is the
Philip we are talking about here. The same Philip here we are told he had four virgin daughters who
prophesied. So think about this house. You have an evangelist and four prophetesses. You see the
work of the Holy Spirit in this house. While they were there, a prophet came from Judaea named
Agabus. You see how the name sounded? Agabus. He showed up and while he was there he performed
a symbolic act. He took Paul’s belt and bound his own hands and feet saying, “This is how the Jews
in Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him to the Gentiles.” As a result
of this, they also pleaded with Paul and said, “Don’t go up there. Don’t go to Jerusalem.” But
Paul wasn’t so happy. Paul said, “Why are you weeping? Your weeping is breaking my heart. Am I
not supposed to fulfill the plan and the purpose of God in my life? Are you telling me to shrink
back now? I’m not going to do that.” So this passage here shows how Paul’s unshakable decision
to follow Jesus Christ and his will manifested — a decision so strong and so concrete that nothing
was able to stop him from going to Jerusalem. There is a very important principle that I
want you to glean from this section. If you’re writing notes, write: God’s will may involve
suffering. God’s will may involve suffering. What am I saying here? The will of God in
our lives sometimes will allow suffering, not the avoidance of that suffering. You see here
both believers in Tyre and in Caesarea persuaded Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. And we are told
here they did it by the Spirit. So they had a word of knowledge by the Holy Spirit of God.
So Paul insisted to go to Jerusalem. Does it mean that Paul was walking in disobedience? That
is the question. But remember here that the same Holy Spirit that gave them the word of knowledge
also lives in Paul. So I believe that Paul had a more revelation knowledge than they did, because
Paul confirmed what they said when he said that everywhere I go the Spirit of God testifies that
suffering is waiting for me. But the Spirit of God may also have given Paul a higher revelation
to proceed, to go on in the will of God. So sometimes we should not confuse
God’s warnings with his prohibitions. What the word of knowledge — the purpose of the
word of knowledge that came from the believers in Tyre and in Caesarea — is to prepare the mind for
the danger, for the trial, for the valley ahead. Just like when you blindfold a man and you
throw a punch at him, he will receive the full effect of that punch. But if that one
is not blindfolded and the punch is coming, even though you will still land that
punch, they will dodge it somehow to cushion the effect of that punch, just like
they did with Jesus Christ when they covered his face and they struck him and said,
“Prophesy, who is it that smote thee?” So the purpose of the word of revelation that came
from the believers here is to prepare the mind of Paul for the valley that is around the corner. So
now I want to talk to you about the reason why we go through valleys and trials in life, because
God allows them. So they are inevitable. If you are a Christian, whether you are a Christian
or not, by this time you understand that they are inevitable. Challenges, trials, persecutions,
they will come your way. It’s not something that you can say I will not receive. Oh no, they’ll
come. They’ll come to you. As Christians it is part of our Christian package. The difference is
this: unbelievers have their own type of trial and believers will go through a different type
of a trial, but they will still come. So I’ll give you today four reasons why we go through
valleys. Very important. If you write a note, number one is because of our own mistakes. You
see, God created us as free moral agents. He’s given us the power to make choices. And sometimes
we make wrong choices that land us in the storm. For example, Jonah. You remember when God told
Jonah to go to Nineveh and preach to them and warn them, he decided to go the other way around.
He bought a ship and sailed toward Tarshish. Instead of going east, he went west. And because
of his disobedience, he was swallowed by a great fish, and he spent three days in the
belly of that fish. Something that was avoidable. But because of his mistake, he had
to suffer that trial. He had to suffer that challenge. Number two, because
of another person’s decision. Good friends, we live in a fallen world, and
sometimes the decisions people make will affect us. You know the government may make a decision
that will affect so many people, will put them in a valley, will cause them to suffer. You remember
Joseph. He was not in Egypt because he chose to go on vacation there. He didn’t wake up one morning
and say, “Hey, bros, I’m going to Egypt.” No, it was his brothers who made that decision for
him, and then he went there and went through his own valley. Number three, because of Satan. You
see, we have an accuser of the brethren. That’s what the Bible calls Satan. The day you made
the decision to receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and your Savior was the day you defected from
Satan’s camp. Prior to that, you were a child of Satan. You did everything he wanted you to do. He
had you in control. You were separated from God. Satan was your father. But you got born again, and
now because of your association with Jesus Christ, you become his enemy. So he will do everything
possible to put storms in your way, trials, tribulations, to cause you to stumble, to
overthrow your faith. You remember Job. The sufferings of Job weren’t because Job decided to
do that—woke up one morning and said, “I want to suffer now, so give me trials, O Lord.” No, Job
didn’t do that. Rather it was the enemy, it was Satan. And then number four, a very important one,
because God leads us there. You see, God allows trials and sufferings in our life not as a way of
punishment. Even though sometimes it may be a way of chastening, remember whom the Lord loves,
he chastens, and scourges every child that he receives. Sometimes it may be just a way of
discipline, but he allows sufferings in our lives. The reason why he does that
is to train us to maturity and also for greater use. But if God allows you
to go through that suffering, you’ll be rest assured he will be there with you all the way. You
remember Psalm 23 and verse 4 says, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” So God
says he will be with you in your valley. “When you pass through the waters, I will be with thee;
and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire,
thou shalt not be burned” (Isaiah 43:2). So, this is the way that we—what I
just gave you now—are the reasons why we go through trials and through valleys. Remember now, even though we don’t want to go
through valleys in life, I told you earlier they are inevitable. But there are benefits of
valleys in our life, and I’m going to give you some benefits right now. Oh yes, there are some
things that we receive when we go through valleys. So do not be discouraged when they come to
you. All you want to do is open your eyes. Ask God and pray to God to show you what
he wants you to learn from this valley. Do not pray, “God remove this valley. I don’t
want it. I don’t want it.” That is not a good prayer. It will not happen. If God allows it
in your path, there is a reason why it comes to you. So don’t miss out on the benefits. So
I’m going to tell you now the benefits of going through a valley. Number one is for deeper
dependence on God. If you’re writing notes, deeper dependence on God. You see,
valleys will strip away our self-reliance. They will bring us to the end of ourselves.
They will drive us to that place of prayer, that intimacy and that trust in God. It is in the
valley that we acknowledge that God’s grace is sufficient for us, that his power is made perfect
in weakness. It is in the valley. Think about it in your own life. Think about the time when you
were closer to God. Most of the times they are the times when you were in a valley, you were drawn
closer to God. You had that fellowship with God. It brings you to that place of saying, “God I come to the end of myself and I yield
now to your strength and to your power.” That’s the importance of our valley. Number
two, it gives us a stronger character and faith. It gives us a stronger character and faith. It
produces spiritual maturity and stability in our lives. You see, a valley is a place where things
grow. You know that, right? Things grow better in the valley than on the mountain tops. You know
that. So, a valley is a place where we are molded. It is a place where we are strengthened,
a place where we are purified. You know, like gold has to go through purification by
fire before it will come out as pure gold. The impurities must be eliminated
by fire, by heat, by pressure. So it is a place where we build
stronger character. Then when you come out you are far much better than
you were before you got into that valley, so that when you get to that mountain
top you will be able to sustain it there. I give you an example. James, writing in
chapter 1 verse 2 all the way to verse 4, said, “My brethren, count it all joy
when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your
faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be
perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” So it tells you here that the trial of your faith
will produce something. That thing is patience, character. So you see here while
you are going through that trial, even though you don’t like it, even though
it may seem too heavy, too strong for you, something is building in you. There
is something going on in you. You are becoming stronger and stronger, producing a
better character. And Paul in Romans chapter 5 verse 3 echoed the same thing: “And not only
so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and
patience, experience; and experience, hope.” Number three, it gives us a
clearer revelation of God’s power. It is in the valley that we
experience God’s provision, his comfort, his miracles more vividly
than when we are on the mountain top. Remember when Israel was sandwiched
between the Red Sea and the armies of Pharaoh. That was when they discovered the
power of God. It was unveiled to them when God told Moses to stretch forth his hand,
his rod over the Red Sea and divide it. If we were on the mountain tops, we would be
very comfortable there. We wouldn’t know the power of God. But in the valley, we discover how
powerful our God is—the one who says, “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is
there any thing too hard for me?” It is in the valley that we will discover it much
more than when we are on the mountain top. Number four, it gives us a
greater ministry to others. What do I mean by this? After
you’ve been through a valley, you are now in a better position to minister
to others going through a similar valley. You’ll be able to comfort them. Remember
in 2 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 4, Paul giving thanks to God, thanking him
for comforting them in their trials so that they are able to use the same comfort that God
comforted them with to comfort others who are going through the same trial. It qualifies you
to be able to say to a brother or to a sister, “I’ve been there before, and this is how God
rescued me. This is how he manifested his power.” And you become a source of strength
to them, to give them hope. So when the brethren, the believers in Tyre and
Caesarea did not succeed—especially in Caesarea—in persuading Paul not to go to Jerusalem,
they said, “The will of the Lord be done.” So true discipleship and Christianity require
our complete surrendering to the will of God. Yes, Jesus Christ modeled it to us in Luke
22:42. You remember when Jesus Christ prayed in the garden of Gethsemane. He asked God,
“Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not
my will, but thine, be done.” Today I’m going to give you the importance of
surrendering to the will of God. You know when I started my Christian walk with Jesus Christ I
used to think that when you pray and say God let your will be done that it is a effectless prayer.
That’s what I believed then. But as I studied the word of God I begin to understand that as a matter
of fact it is the best prayer you can ever pray. Prayer according to the will of God and
the timing of God is the best prayer ever. So I want to give you today uh four as a matter of
fact I’ll give you five of them today. Importance of surrendering to the will of God. Number one if
you’re writing note write it aligns us with God’s perfect plan. When you surrender to the will of
God, you align yourself with God’s perfect plan. Remember, God sees the end from the beginning.
That’s what we are told in Isaiah 46:10. We are limited in our understanding. God
sees everything all at once. Do you know why they say God is omnipresent? It’s not
only because he sees you there and him there and that one over there. It is because
everything is in his presence. Everything is in his presence. So he sees it all. And
because everything is in his presence, he knows everything. That
talks about his omniscience. So when we step out of our
limited understanding and we align ourselves with the perfect plan of God, we prosper. Number two, it brings peace and rest
to us when you surrender yourself to the will of God. When you say,
“Oh God, let your will be done, not my own will. I don’t know what to do in this
situation. I ask your will to be done in my life.” It takes you away from that place of
wrestling with your own ways. And you know when we wrestle in our own ways, it brings
us to the place of anxiety, fear, and worry. When we surrender to the perfect will of God, you
know what it does? It brings us to that place of inner peace. And that’s why Isaiah writing in
chapter 26:3 says you will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee because
he trusts in you because he trusts in your own perfect will. You come to that place
of inner peace not in a place of anxiety and worry because you try to do it on your own
ability or on your own plan on your own timing. Number three, it strengthens our faith. So faith grows, you know, when we hand
the control over to God. When you say, I am not going to walk by sight. I
don’t care what I see now or what I hear or how I feel in this situation here. I
am going to trust the will of God to happen. When you stand in front of opposition and
you declare your position that you are not going to give in regardless of what you see
that you’re going to wait for the perfect will of God that grows your faith. It makes your
faith stronger and stronger and even stronger. Number four, it produces
spiritual growth and obedience. Jesus Christ modeled it for us. That’s
what I said earlier when he said not my will but your will be done. So
when we follow the examples of Jesus Christ you know what it does
it matures us into true disciples. Now you are when you are obedient,
you grow spiritually because you are trusting in the perfect will of
God to be done. Finally, number five, it positions us to the place to receive
God’s blessings and also to be used by him. So, it opens the door for us to walk through, for God to work through us. When
we surrender to his own will, when we do it in our own ways, we block the blessings of God. Because God
is only going to bless what he approves. And how can God approve something if you want to
do it on your own without asking his will to be done and in his own perfect timing? It positions
us in that place that God can use us as a vessel for his own glory. So we continue in verse 15. And after those
days we packed and went up to Jerusalem. Also some of the disciples from Caesarea
went with us and brought with them a certain Mnason of Cyprus, an early disciple with whom we
were to lodge. And when we had come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly. On the following
day, Paul went in with us to James. And all the elders were present. And when he had greeted them,
he told in detail those things which God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. And when
they heard it, they glorified the Lord and they said to him, “You see, brother, how many myriads
of Jews there are who have believed, and they are all zealous for the law. But they have been
informed about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying
that they ought not to circumcise their children, nor to walk according to the customs. What then?
The assembly must certainly meet, for they will hear that you have come. Therefore, do what we
tell you: We have four men who have taken a vow. Take them and be purified with them, and pay their
expenses so that they may shave their heads, and that all may know that those things of which they
were informed concerning you are nothing, but that you yourself also walk orderly and keep the law.
But concerning the Gentiles who believe, we have written and decided that they should observe no
such thing except that they should keep themselves from things offered to idols, from blood, from
things strangled, and from sexual immorality.” In this section here from Caesarea, now Paul
and his companions traveled to Jerusalem, and they were welcomed by the brethren. So the
next day Paul went and he met with the apostles as well as James the half brother of Jesus
Christ and the elders. He reported in detail all that God had done among the Gentiles
through his ministry. So he told them, hey this is what God did in Macedonia.
This is what God did in Galatia region. He probably told them about Eutychus, the one who
slept and fell from the third story and was taken up dead. So he told them the wonderful things
the Lord did through his ministry. So the leaders glorified God but also they raised a concern. They
said, “Hey, Paul, many Jews, we have many Jews now who have believed in Jesus Christ, but they remain
zealous for the law. They still like to practice their customs, their traditions, the law of Moses.
To them, Judaism is not out of the window. They love the feasts. So they practice all these things
and the rumors spread that you travel telling Jews in other parts of the world not to circumcise
their children, not to practice Jewish customs.” But we have a plan for you. There’s something we
want you to do to get you out of this trouble. So they told Paul, you know, we have
four men here ending their purification, right? I think he’s talking about Nazirite vow
here. At the end of a Nazirite vow, someone will shave their head and then offer the sacrifices
required by the law to end the Nazirite vow. So they told Paul, “Go ahead and pay
their expenses, mingle with them, purify yourself with them so that when
people see you, you know, with them, oh, they’re going to think those things
we heard about him, they are not true.” And Paul had no problem with that. So he did what
they told him to do. And then the elders said, as for us elders here, we reaffirm our earlier
decision. You remember when we covered Acts of the Apostles chapter 15, Jerusalem Council.
Yes. Then they said we reaffirm what we said there. And what was the content of
that council? That you are not saved by, uh what? Gentiles are not required to keep
the law of Moses. Rather, they gave them four rules of sensitivity so that they will not offend
Jewish believers. And those rules are: number one, they should not eat anything strangled.
They should not eat anything sacrificed to idols. They should not eat blood. And finally,
they should stay away from sexual immorality. So what do we learn from this section here? So we learn that the gospel unites
but requires wisdom in differences. If you’re writing in your note, the gospel unites us but requires
wisdom when it comes to differences. So we know that Paul never compromised the truth
that salvation is by grace through faith alone. If you read all the epistles of
Paul, that’s what he says there. You are saved by grace through faith alone, not
by works, not by your own merits or actions. Paul always emphasized that there is only one
gospel and that gospel is Jesus Christ crucified, raised from the dead. Anyone who believes
in what he did will be saved. Put your trust in Jesus Christ and you will be saved.
That’s what Paul has preached all this time. We know that anytime we add anything to the
gospel, it is no longer gospel. Anytime we add something to Jesus Christ, it is no longer
gospel. Anytime we say Jesus Christ plus this, plus baptism, or plus Eucharist, or
plus sacrament, or plus whatever works, it is no longer salvation. What you are
saying is that what Jesus Christ did on the cross was not sufficient.
That’s what you are declaring. There is a place for good works in Christianity.
Oh yes, after we are born again, that is the place for good works. Because if you are really
born again, there will be a corresponding action. If the Holy Spirit of God is in you
and recreated your spirit, you will do those things that are pleasing to God. But those
things are not the criterion for salvation. They are only fruits of salvation. They are not
the root. The root of salvation is only one: Jesus Christ crucified and your trust in what
he did on the cross. That’s what Paul stood for. But Paul was willing to adapt to practices
and customs just to avoid unnecessary offense. You know what I’m saying to you today is this.
If the traditions and the rituals of your denomination make you happy, go for them. As long
as they are not sin, number one, and number two, you are not depending on them for salvation.
Let me say it again. If traditions and rituals make you happy, enjoy them. As long as you are
not depending on them for your salvation and as long as those things are not sin in the sight of
God. I mean, go for them, enjoy them. So we know that Paul was falsely accused by these people
from Asia, the Jews from Asia. For they said that Paul went telling people not to circumcise
the children and not to keep the customs and the traditions of the Jews. But that is not so because
we have instances in the Bible where Paul embraced customs but upheld salvation by grace. And
I’m going to give you some examples today. So number one, you remember in Acts of the
Apostles chapter 16 verse 1 all the way to 3 when Paul had to circumcise Timothy because
Timothy had a Greek father. Paul had to circumcise him so that he did not stumble the Jews or those
Jews that would come to faith in Christ Jesus. He knew that circumcision is not a criterion
for salvation, but he went ahead and circumcised Timothy. Number two, Paul observed vows and
purification rites. You remember in Acts of the Apostles chapter 18 verse 18 when Paul
wanted to end his second missionary journey, we were told that at Cenchrea he
shaved off his hair to end the vow. And also here we read that Paul identified
himself with those ending their purification rite. Number three, remember Paul was
hastening toward Jerusalem so that he would keep the Feast of Pentecost.
That’s what we covered last week. So he had to meet with the elders at Miletus
instead of going to Ephesus so that he would be able to arrive in Jerusalem
on time for the Feast of Pentecost. So he was there to observe a feast. Now this
feast is not a criterion. Pentecost is not a criterion for salvation. But Paul was there. So
Paul knew within him that all these feasts point to Jesus Christ. Do you know that? Even though
the Jews who were celebrating this feast did not know about this, Paul knew within himself
that these feasts were pointing to Jesus Christ. You name it. Is it Passover? The Bible
tells us that Jesus Christ is our Passover who suffered for us. That’s what Paul wrote. And
the Bible tells us he is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. What happens
in Passover? They sacrifice an animal, a lamb, thanking God for delivering them from Egypt,
when that angel of death passed over them. Is it Pentecost? Now the Pentecost, the Jews celebrate Pentecost as
a symbol of the firstfruits. And the Bible tells us that Jesus Christ is the
firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. Is it the feast of tabernacles?
Because there are three things the Jewish men are required to
attend. We have the Pentecost, you have the Passover and the Sukkot
which is the feast of tabernacles. So the feast of tabernacles is also a symbol
of God dwelling among his people. You know they remember how God was present with them in
the wilderness for 40 years, how he kept them, provided for them. And the Bible tells us
that the Word took flesh and tabernacled with us. Jesus Christ took flesh, tabernacled
with us. As a matter of fact, tabernacles, the feast of tabernacles, is a feast that points
to the back, to the present, and to the future. To the back in the sense that God dwelt with them in
the wilderness. Presently Jesus Christ is here in our midst through the power of the Spirit of God.
And in the future there is a day when we’re going to be tabernacled in his presence in heaven. So
all of these feasts they point to Jesus Christ. And I want to read something to you. Hold your
place in Acts of the Apostles and then take a right turn to the next book and to Romans and I
want to show you something. Romans chapter 14, if we read from verse 4 to 6, “Who are you to
judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to
stand, for God is able to make him stand. One person esteems one day above another,
another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes
the day, observes it to the Lord. And he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not
observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks. And he who does not eat,
to the Lord he does not eat and gives God thanks.” So that’s what Paul is saying, the same thing
here. He’s encouraging people not to judge. He says if somebody wants to keep all the
feasts or the holy days of obligations, let them go ahead and keep. And if they
say no, every day is just the same, he said there’s nothing wrong with that. As long
as it is to the Lord, as long as you are not using these things as a criterion for salvation. You
remember in Colossians chapter 2:16, “Let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a
festival or a new moon or Sabbaths.” And it tells us that these things are shadows of things that
are yet to come, but the substance is Christ. They are shadows. As long as you don’t observe
them to replace Jesus Christ as the only way of salvation, enjoy them to the full till it
overflows. Blessed be the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. So we are making tremendous progress
today and we are now to the end of today’s teaching. So this is the last section. Verse
26: Then Paul took the men, and the next day, having been purified with them, entered
the temple to announce the expiration of the days of purification, at which time an
offering should be made for each one of them. Now when the seven days were almost ended,
the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on
him, crying out, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against the
people, the law, and this place. And furthermore, he also brought Greeks into the temple and
has defiled this holy place.” For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him
in the city, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple. Verse 30: And all the
city was disturbed; and the people ran together, seized Paul, and dragged him out of the
temple; and immediately the doors were shut. Now as they were seeking to kill him, news came to
the commander of the garrison that all Jerusalem was in an uproar. He immediately took soldiers
and centurions and ran down to them. And when they saw the commander and the soldiers, they
stopped beating Paul. Then the commander came near and took him, and commanded him to be bound
with two chains; and he asked who he was and what he had done. And some among the multitude cried
one thing and some another. So when he could not ascertain the truth because of the tumult, he
commanded him to be taken into the barracks. And when he reached the stairs, he had to
be carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob. For the multitude
of the people followed after, crying out, “Away with him!” just like they did to
Jesus Christ, “Away with him!” Then, as Paul was about to be led into the
barracks, he said to the commander, “May I speak to you?” He replied, “Can you speak
Greek? Are you not that Egyptian who some time ago stirred up a rebellion and led the four
thousand assassins out into the wilderness?” But Paul said, “I am a Jew from Tarsus,
in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city; and I implore you, permit me to speak to the
people.” So when he had given him permission, Paul stood on the stairs and motioned
with his hand to the people. And when there was a great silence, he spoke to
them in the Hebrew language, saying, So in this section here, just like Paul was
advised by the elders to take the four men who were ending their purification rite so that people
would see that he is not against the customs of the people, Paul did so. And while he was in the
temple doing this, some Jews from Asia—remember areas that Paul had been, you’re talking about
Macedonia region, Galatia—so they saw Paul in the temple and they stirred up the crowd, falsely
accusing him of teaching against the law and also of defiling the temple by bringing Gentiles
into it. So this mob seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple. They started beating him.
They wanted to kill him. That was their purpose, to put an end to his life. But the
Roman soldiers intervened. You know the commander of the garrison heard that
the whole city was in an uproar. Quickly he took his soldiers and his centurions
and they went there to stop the uproar. So they laid hold of Paul and put him
in custody, bound him with two chains. They couldn’t figure out what was going
on because some people were saying one thing and others another. Some were there who
didn’t even know what was going on. Just like the protests we have today, people there but
they don’t know the reason why they are there. So we will find out that even though the commander
wanted to flog Paul when we get to next week, Paul will tell him, “Are you going to flog a
Roman citizen without trying him first?” So the commander found out that Paul was a Roman citizen.
So Paul used that opportunity and asked him, “I want to talk to this crowd. Please
give me permission to speak to them.” And then the commander granted that
permission to Paul. You know what? Next week we are going to cover what
Paul said to them—a very important speech or address. So what do we learn from
this section here? If you’re writing notes, number one, the Holy Spirit gives
boldness. So Paul remained composed here, still faithful here. Even in the midst of
opposition, he had to address the crowd boldly. Where do you think that boldness came
from? It came from the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit of God. So I want to speak to you
now about the importance of being filled with the Holy Spirit. Remember the baptism of the Holy
Spirit or being filled with the Holy Spirit is a subsequent experience after someone is born
again. What are the advantages? Number one, it gives you the power for service. You would not
be able to serve in your own might or power apart from the Spirit of God successfully. No, it’s not
possible. He gives you the boldness to speak the word of God. And we see that manifesting here with
Paul. And also it gives you the power to live a victorious Christian life. When you are filled
with the Spirit of God, the word of God will come alive to you. The Holy Spirit will teach
you, give you revelation and understanding of the truth of the word of God. You will be able to
stand challenges, temptations, overcome addictions and things like that. When you are filled with the
Spirit of God, you have the wisdom to know what to do, when and how to do it. It’s an experience
that you pray to God and ask him to fill you with his Holy Spirit. And he will. He will.
That’s what he said he will do. He will do it. So, you don’t have to wait any longer if
you’re not filled with the Holy Spirit. Pray today and ask God, “Fill me today with
your Holy Spirit.” Just like you promised, Jesus said, “If anyone asks the Father, he will
give the Spirit to that one. Fill me today. I want to be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
And you receive it by faith. Remember, it is by faith. It’s not going to be by
your works or by your effort. Just like salvation is by faith, the infilling
of the Spirit of God is also by faith. So in your life as a Christian, whether you
are a minister, whether you are just sharing the word of God, or at your own secular job,
depend on the Holy Spirit to do it. Remember the scripture that says, “The race is not
to the swift, nor the battle to the strong.” Remember the scripture that says, “Not
by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord.” One way you can do something is
by might or by power—oh yes, by depending on your physical ability or by your intellectual
ability or by your connections. Oh yes, there are those who choose to do things that way.
But the Bible tells the children of God, don’t do it that way. It’s not by might. It’s not by power.
But he wants us to depend on the power of the Spirit of God. Whether you are a minister or just
someone sharing the gospel or at your secular job, depend on the power of the Spirit of God. At
your secular job, it is the power of the Spirit of God. When you depend on the Spirit of God,
it is that power that will make you stand out, will make you do things that other people
will not be able to do at that place of work, will make you shine brighter and brighter, will
make you that oasis of hope to those who are in the valley and the light to those who are in the
darkness. When you depend upon the Spirit of God, So many people who have tried to accomplish
things on their own power failed. It will wear you out. You aren’t programmed to do
it on your own accord. That is why we must remember that the Holy Spirit of God lives in
every one of us if you’re born again. Depend, have that intimacy, that connection,
that communication, that fellowship with the Holy Spirit of God. Be conscious of his
presence in you and depend on him in everything, both big or small. And you will see how you will
begin to excel every day higher and higher and even higher. Blessed be the name of the Lord Jesus
Christ. So when we are confronted, when we stand in the midst of opposition, Jesus Christ said when
they bring you to the government, to the people, when they present you there because of the gospel,
he says don’t worry about what you’re going to say. The words will be given to you at that
hour, at that moment. That’s what Paul did here, depending upon the Spirit of God, he would talk to
them. We will cover his speech next week. So God wants us to open our mouth. “Open your mouth and
I will fill it.” If you open, God will fill it by his Spirit. Now God will not fill mouths that are
closed. You know when you see people sometimes you want to minister to them, they are sitting just
right beside you, but you want to say something but you don’t want to say something. You want to
say something but you don’t want to say something, you know, and then the opportunity
passes you by. Until your mouth is open, you will be amazed the words the Spirit of God
will put in your mouth to speak to that one there. So always depend on the Spirit of God.
He is going to help you. That brings me to what Isaiah wrote in chapter 41 verse
10, “Do not be afraid, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will
strengthen you. I will help you. I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness.”
So God says he will help you. Don’t be afraid to minister, to share the good news.
He’s going to hold you with the right hand of his own righteousness. Number two,
God’s protection belongs to his children. You see, Paul’s Roman citizenship and the timely arrival of the commander of the garrison
and his soldiers prevented Paul’s death. So Paul would have been dead if the commander did not arrive on time. But you know God is always there to deliver.
All you have to do is trust in his deliverance. The Bible says that he has given his angels
charge over you to keep you in all your ways, to bear you up in their hands, lest
you dash your foot against a stone. God will always be there and he
will use sometimes unbelievers, circumstances and situations that don’t
make sense to deliver you. Remember, we serve the living God, the sovereign
God. The Bible tells us that God has established his throne in heaven.
His sovereignty rules over all. When God stretches forth his hand,
both he that helps shall fall, and he that is helped shall fall to the
ground, and they shall perish together. The Lord of hosts has made a plan, the
Bible tells us. Who can frustrate it? Who can hinder it? He has stretched forth his hand.
Who can hold it back? There’s no one who can do that. So God knows how to deliver his people
and right on time. Have this consciousness. It’s going to help you a lot. It’s going to
save you a lot of fear and a lot of anxiety knowing that God is there always with you
and he will deliver you to the uttermost. Be obedient to God and leave the consequences
to him. Did you catch what I said now? I say be obedient to God, leave the consequences
for him. I give you examples because I believe that unless you are done with the mission
God assigned you to do, if you’re walking in the will of God and in obedience, unless
you are done with what he assigned you to do, you are invincible in the eyes of the enemy. I
mean surely they’ll gather together but not by me. Anyone who gathers against you for your
sake will fall for your sake. They will try to do something. Oh yes. But no weapon
fashioned against you shall prosper. Even when the wicked, your enemies and
your foes come up to eat up your flesh, the Bible says they will
stumble and they will fall. For example, Paul—we have instances in
the Bible of his near-death experiences. Example, in Ephesus, remember when Demetrius
started that uproar, Paul wanted to go in there, but he was stopped by his friends.
If Paul had gone in there it would have been his death. God prevented him
from that death. You remember at Lystra when they stoned him and left him for dead,
they thought he was dead. God kept him alive. And then we have another example right here
in this chapter when the mob laid hold of him, wanted to kill him, and God saved
his life through the commander. Another example is Peter. You remember Peter when
Herod Agrippa the first laid hold of James the brother of John and killed him. He took Peter and
put him in custody trying to kill him after the feast. But God delivered him. Why? Because Jesus
Christ already told Peter when he’s going to die. And when he’s old, someone will lead him to
go to the place that he didn’t want to go. So we are called by God to do his work. He that
calls us will also furnish us with everything that is necessary to do his work. If we are
ready to depend on him and walk in obedience, what is he going to furnish us with? The power
of his Holy Spirit. That’s the greatest thing that you need. The greatest person that you
need to accomplish your task on this earth, whether it be in the ministry or in your
personal life. What else does he furnish us with? The power of his angels to
deliver you from every destruction. What then is your own part? Be obedient, my
friend. Trust in God and believe that he is able to deliver you, that he who has begun this
good work in you will continue to perform it until the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed
be his holy name forever. Good friends, I have come to the end of today’s teaching, but I want to
offer an opportunity to anyone who is not yet born again. If you are not walking now with Jesus
Christ, I want to introduce him today to you. After we pass on from this earth, there is a place that our spirits will
spend eternity. Only two locations—either in heaven or in hell. These two places
are real. They are not just imagination. That place where you’re going to spend
eternity, whether in heaven or in hell, is based on the decision you make right now
when you are alive. To go to heaven there is only one way, not too many ways. That
way is through Jesus Christ of Nazareth, to believe what he did for you on the cross.
On the cross, Jesus Christ said—it is finished. He said the work of salvation is finished,
complete. Now it is given to you as a free gift. All you have to do now is to receive
it by faith. He does not want you to depend now on your own effort or works to go to
heaven, but depend on what he did on the cross. Put your trust that Jesus Christ died on
the cross for you that you may be saved. And ask him to come into your life to be your Lord and
your Savior. It is a very simple thing to do. Do not wait and say, “Let me go and clean up my
acts before I will commit, before I will ask him to come into my life.” No. Jesus Christ died for
sinners. He wants you to come as you are. When you come as you are, he will clean you up. His Holy
Spirit will come and live in you and give you now the ability to clean up your acts. So I invite
you today to make that decision. I call it the best decision ever anyone can make. A decision
that is greater than gold, silver, diamond, precious stones. A decision that is bigger than
wealth. Because all of these things are fleeting. But the decision to have eternity in heaven is
the best decision, the wisest decision anyone can make. Are you ready to make that decision
right now? Because it’s only but a prayer away. So I’m going to lead you now in a prayer. Pray it
with all your heart and mean it, and now, right now, you become a child of God. If you would die,
you will spend your eternity in heaven with Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Pray with me. Father, I come
to you in the name of Jesus Christ. I believe he’s your Son who died on the cross for my own sin,
and you raised him up from the dead on the third day. Dear Jesus Christ, I ask you, please come
into my life today and be my Lord and Savior. I believe I am born again. I’m a child of God.
My name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, and I turn away from my sin. Thank you, Father,
for the gift of Jesus Christ in the Word. Amen. If you pray that prayer, congratulations. You are
now a child of God. Please look for a Bible-based church. Become a member so you can be taught the
Word of God, for that is the only way you can grow in your Christian walk. For Peter says, “Desire
the sincere milk of the Word of God that you may grow thereby.” I want to use this opportunity
to thank our partners all over the world, those that are helping us to spread the good news
through their financial support, their prayers, and their services to this ministry. If you want
to become a partner, please go to our website; it is www.kuim.org
. Remember, only those who hear the good news and
do what the good news says are those who reap the benefits of the Word of God. So I urge you today,
good friends, always be a doer of the Word of God. I want to pray for you today. May the Lord bless
you, keep you, guide you in all your ways. May he lift up his countenance upon you and give you that
wisdom, wisdom from above, and give you peace, peace that passes all understanding, even in the
midst of your turmoil. I pray that his holy angels will always watch over your going out and your
coming in, to deliver you from every destruction; that he will open doors of opportunities for you.
I pray that his holy hands will be upon you today to heal you of every disease or sickness in
your body; that he will lift you out of that pit where you are right now and set your feet
upon the rock. I pray that God will bless the rest of your week in the name of Jesus Christ.
And everybody said, “Amen.” My good friends, it does not matter what you see, what you hear on
the news, how bad things are, what the enemy is throwing your way. Let none of these things move
you. As children of God, we walk by faith. We do not walk by sight. So I want to encourage you
today to believe that surely there is an end, and your expectation will never be cut off.
Blessed be the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. My good friends, I want to introduce to you my new
book, and this book is titled James and Colossians with a subtitle Walking in Wisdom. This two-in-one
commentary book contains life-changing letters for every believer. The book of James calls believers
to live out a genuine faith, one that produces godly works, endures trials, controls the tongue,
and shows passion. For you know, James said, “Faith without works is dead.” The book of
Colossians lifts our eyes to Jesus Christ, who is the center of it all. It declares the
supremacy of Jesus Christ over all creation, as well as his sufficiency for every
believer. This will be a very good resource for you and for your family, a
good gift for a friend. It will also be a good resource for Bible study groups. Now
it is available on our website www.kuim.org or also on Amazon.com. Remain blessed in the
name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. I am excited to tell you about my new book.
The title of this book is Living in Victory: The Things That Belong to Us. There are so many
things in the Bible, in the Word of God, that belong to us, and sometimes out of ignorance we
don’t know about these things, so we go without. This book is loaded with information, telling us
about the things that belong to us and how to lay hold of those things and make use of them now, not
in the sweet by and by. It is available on Amazon, and you can also get it from our website kuim.org,
and the information will be on your screen. My good friends, I want to introduce to you my
new book titled Understanding Galatians and the Philippians. It is an insight and commentary
on these two epistles. The book of Galatians teaches us that it is only by grace that we
are saved, not by works. And in Philippians, we learn that God is always with us, encouraging
us as we go through our trials and tribulations, giving us the strength, the joy, and the peace
that we need to be more than conquerors. This book covers these topics in detail. It is
going to be a very good resource for you and for your family and friends. So now it’s
available on Amazon as well as on our website www.kuim.org
. Always remain blessed in the name of
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.