Well, good evening everyone.
And just, I came from. Jonathan has his football banquet, so.
I was there.
Getting something to eat and having to Wolf it down. I don't know if I have matched potatoes on me.
So we're we are in Acts 9 today.
X 9 wonderful Chapter. Arguably one of the most important events. In history. Besides our Lord Jesus.
You know the apostle Paul.
And before I jump into the chapter, just a few. Maybe, review. From how we are introduced to Paul and then how we now are.
This chapter then is about Paul and really there's a transition here the book is transitioning away from Jerusalem and Peter and now it's moving towards Paul.
Peter does have another chapter here in 10. Coming up but you'll see this in 11 but you'll see this transition in the book.
And here we are introduced to Paul. So remember back in Acts chapter 7, so Act chapter 7.
Stephen, there is sharing with. The the council, the Sanhedrin, the high priest.
All of these individuals, the religious leaders. And he is going through the history of the nation of Israel.
And then in 50, Acts 7, verse 51. You stiff necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears.
He wasn't there to make friends. You always resist the Holy Spirit as your Father did, so do you.
Which the which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute and they killed Those who foretold the coming of the Just One.
Of whom you now have become the betrayers. And murderers. Who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it.
When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart and they gnashed at him with their teeth.
They did this, they did not want to hear about this. Jesus, this just one and what had just happened.
But he being full of the Holy Spirit gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God. And Jesus standing at the right hand of God.
And said, look. I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man. Standing at the right hand.
Of God. You know, the religious leaders of the day, they knew exactly the implications of what he was saying.
And you see their reaction. Stephen. Saw heaven open and he saw the son of man.
He saw Jesus, the Son of Man. Standing at the right hand of God. They, they knew.
The these implications of what this was. And what he was saying and who that What that meant about who Jesus is.
Take a look at Daniel 7.
Daniel chapter 7 and again the Paul was very familiar. With these passages.
Leaders were very
Familiar.
And here we see in Daniel 7 verse 13. The vision of the ancient of days.
There on the throne and it says so he he seized the throne of God, the ancient of days.
Seated and then he says verse 13 I was watching in the night visions and behold One like the Son of Man.
Coming with the clouds of heaven, he came. To the ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.
Then to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom that all peoples, nations and languages should serve him.
Is dominion is an everlasting dominion. Which shall not pass away. And his kingdom, the one which shall not be, destroyed.
So here he, this is the Son of Man. Stephen is seeing this. Son of man, there and what a wonderful picture of the Son of Man standing to receive him.
There's another verse here, Ezekiel chapter one. Ezekiel chapter one
So we have this vision of these. Angelic creatures, these living creatures with wheels within wheels.
And there's these faces and it just. You know, it's something the, is, Ezekiel saw this, he couldn't even comprehend what he was seeing and he was explaining it in language that It's it doesn't do it justice what he saw but this is the, what, you know, he shares what he saw here.
And so he sees.
He sees in take a look at.
22 versus 22. Actually, sorry, verse 21. Windows went, these went, when those stood, they stood, sorry, it's hard place to jump into this.
These living creatures with the wheels were lifted up together with them for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels, the like the lightness of the firmament above the heads of the living creatures was like the color of awesome crystal stretched out over their heads and under the firmament their wings spread out straight.
One toward another, each one had. 2 which covered one side and each one had 2 which covered the other side of the body and when they went I heard the noise of their wings like the noise of many waters.
Like the voice of the Almighty, a tumult like the noise of an army. And when they stood still, they let down their wings.
A voice came from above the firmament. That was over their heads. Whenever they stood they let down their wings.
And above the firmament over their heads. Was the likeness of a throne? An appearance like a sapphire stone.
On the likeness of the throne was a likeness with the appearance of a man. Hi above it.
So here the prophet is seeing this vision. And. So he's seeing these angelic creatures and he's seeing them, but above them There's this firmament.
And then above the firmament, there's a throne. And then on the throne, there's a man.
That's our Lord Jesus.
High and lifted up.
So you see how they reacted to this. Is that what you're, Stephen, you were, so this is blasphemy.
But you are seeing this about Jesus. Back there in Acts.
X 7.
They, it says here. Verse 56 and and steam said look I see the heavens open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.
Then they cried out with a loud voice stopping their ears and ran. Had him with one accord and they cast mother city in a stone.
So like I said, they understood what this was. They understood what this meant. They understood what he was saying.
And that's why he had to be. Executed because this was blasphemy.
And we see something here it says. They cast him out of the city and stone him and the witnesses laid down their clothes.
At the feet of a young man named Saul. So Saul was there, Saul heard what Stephen was saying.
At this time. And so that's our the first time we're introduced to him. And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, Lord, do not charge them with this sin.
And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
So here we have, we're introduced to this young man. Name Saul. They laid their coats at his feet.
Some people think that that's a sign that he was the one that was overseeing this. And that could certainly be.
He was overseeing this execution so he they would lay their coats on him. And then so they were free to throw their rocks at him.
And then in verse 8.
Now Saul was consenting to his death. I'm sorry. Acts 8 verse one now Saul was consenting to his this so he saw this whole thing and he said yes this man needs to die
Paul. He was consenting to his death. He, and he knew this man had to die. Now, I read a, book I would recommend it FF Bruce Paul the apostle of the heart set free it's an excellent book some of the things I'm going to share right now have.
I got from that book, but. Take a look at Acts 22. I'm just gonna do kind of a quick overview of Paul.
X, 22.
You know, he was brought up. He talks about it here. He was a Pharisee.
He was a genius. He was Hellenistic, most likely. He grew up, you know, he was born in.
In tarsus but it so in x 22 First one, brethren and fathers hear my defense before you now.
So he actually goes through, we, we read this narrative 3 times in the book. Acts chapter 9 chapter 22 and chapter 26 about Paul's conversion.
This is Luke's. And 9 is going to be. Luke's narrative and then 22 and 26 is Paul is speaking it.
So here this time, Paul says, brethren and fathers hear my defense before you now. And when they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, they kept all the more silent.
Then he said, I am indeed a Jew born in Tarsus of Sicilia, Sicilia, and brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel taught according to the strictness of our father's law and was zealous.
Toward God as you are all today. As you all are today. So he was zealous. He was zealous for The glory of God.
He was zealous for You know, what he had learned.
And
He most likely would have accepted. That when the Messiah comes he learned all of these things he learned all these wonderful things about from the Old Testament about the Messiah and he probably would have accepted that when the Messiah comes, everything would change.
This would be a whole new age of of messiah. It would be the messianic age and that the law would be superseded by it.
It would be something new. He would probably, he's probably okay with that idea. That once the Messiah comes, everything's going to be brand new and different.
So it wasn't his devotion to the law that kept him from accepting Jesus as Messiah.
And certainly Jesus did not conform to his expectations. Of what the Messiah was or taught or did.
You know. The things that Jesus said and taught, things that he did. That probably wasn't it either that he rejected Jesus.
The the reason that Paul rejected Jesus as the Messiah was that he was crucified.
He was crucified. This is a complete contradiction. To his idea of the Messiah.
This would be impossible. To get past the Messiah. Crucified?
Now why, why is that? Take a look at Deuteronomy 21. Deuteronomy 21.
There is these could not be reconciled. In his mind. Deuteronomy 21 verse 22
If a man has committed a sin deserving of death. And actually, Paul probably didn't mind so I mean it wasn't whether Jesus died.
That he deserved it or not, that wasn't important to him either. If a man is committed a sin deserving of death and it and he is put to death.
And you hang him on a tree. His body shall not remain overnight on the tree, but you shall surely bury him that day.
So that you do not defile the land, which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance.
For he who was hanged? Is a cursed of God is a curse of God. He was crucified.
He was cursed of God. There is no way that this Jesus is The Messiah.
There's no way. Isaiah 11. Isaiah 11
Verse.
I say 11 one and 2.
There shall come forth a rod from the stem of Jesse and a branch will grow out of his his roots.
The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him. The spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
His delight is in the fear of the Lord it. This is about the Messiah. There's no way that he could reconcile those 2 things, that he's cursed and yet he is the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him.
Impossible.
So. This movement, this new sect had to be destroyed. What they were saying was blasphemy.
That Jesus. This carpenter's son was Messiah. There's no.
Where in fact he says in First Corinthians 1 23 that the cross is a stumbling block to the Jews It's a stumbling block.
Our Messiah. Hanging on a tree, a cursed of God, never.
So this sect. These people needed to be stopped. They were blaspheming God. And this just the thought of what Stephen said, they, held their ears shut.
And they were yelling so they couldn't hear it. It was so disturbing to them they needed to be stopped.
Whatever it takes. Whatever it takes, we have to stop this. We have to snuff out this group.
Even if it means execution, even if it means stoning to death.
Now, you know, Paul, he sat under the feet of Gamaliel. And he learned these things about The Messiah and the Old Testament scriptures.
All these things, but if you remember in axe 5, Gamelial said, you know, leave these men alone.
Leave these men alone. If this is If this is not of God, it's just going to fade away like everything else has.
Other people have come and gone. This will come and go. But if this is of God.
You cannot stop it and you will find yourself fighting against God. All did not concur with that.
You know, Gamaliel said, you know, let's just leave these people alone. He's like, no.
We need to take these people out. We need to destroy this movement. And Paul found himself fighting against God.
In this whole period.
So they're an axe 8. Next chapter 8. Is I read, Paul was consenting to his death, Stephen's death.
And it says at that time a great persecution acts 8 2. At that time, a great persecution, a role was against the church, which was at Jerusalem and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria.
Except the apostle. So, you know, this They're persecuting the believers in Jerusalem, but they're scattering and spreading their disease.
Like a virus. And you know it's just making Paul even more angry. That this, this blasphemy.
Is going forth. It says in development verse 2 and development carried Stephen to his burial. And made great lamentations over him.
As for Saul, he made havoc. Of the church entering every house. Dragging off.
Men and women, committing them to prison. Paul was unrelenting. He was committed.
He was uncompromising. Every house. You know, should we get this one? We'll just let them be no.
We are going there and we are removing them. And there we are putting them in jail.
I mean, he was. Like I said, unrelenting and committed. And actually these are some things that we actually can be thankful for and when he became a Christian.
And what he did and what he accomplished because of these same exact traits. So another let's take a look at Acts 26 And then we'll start in X 9.
But so this is another. So X. 26 is another.
Time when Paul is sharing this is this time is with Agrippa.
And here he's talking about some of the things that he's that he did. And where we are at right now with this.
Perfect. Paul being the persecutor. He says here in ax 26
Verse 9. Indeed, I myself thought I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
This I also did in Jerusalem and many of the saints I shut up in prison. Having received authority from the chief priests and when they were put to death I cast my vote against him, against them.
And I punish them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme and being exceedingly, er, enraged against them.
I persecuted them, even to foreign Cities. So he received authority from the high priest. He put people to death.
He cast his votes. Some people think that means maybe he was on the Sanhedrin because he had a vote when it came to people being put to death.
He forced ones to deny Christ. Compelled them. He went to foreign cities.
So, so Damascus was not the first time that he traveled to a foreign city to try to stop these Christians.
And then he goes on to a grip, but, Here we go to. X 9.
So that's just a little background of where we are, what's been happening. And Now we went through chapter 8.
Acts 8. And it left Paul and it, and. Brother Mike went through.
Acts 8. With Peter. But now we come back and we're back with Saul now.
And I read it between one and 3 years since Stevens martyrdom. From this point here. So one to 3 years.
So one to 3 years, Paul or Saul went. And destroyed. The church as much as he could.
So then the narrative returns to Paul. After the events of chapter 8. And we find him, we find false all, excuse me, we find Saul.
Still breathing threats and murder. He wasn't done. He was still breathing threats. And murder.
Against. The disciples of the Lord. He went to the high priest. So he was not content to leave the scattered disciples alone.
You know, they scattered away. They're not in Jerusalem anymore. We'll just let them be no.
We are hunting them down.
He was not content. He had to get them. And so he asked for letters. So something about Paul I think this interesting you may You may think that you know these other Jewish leaders that are there that he's going to you know they may have had political motivations.
You know they want to hang on to their power they want to maintain power and control over this and this church This fledgling group.
They're a risk. They're a threat to our power over the people. We need to maintain our position.
So we want to snuff this out. That wasn't Paul's. Motive at all.
He was a true believer. He was a true believer. He was this We had to take these people out.
He did not have any kind of you know, I want to maintain my position. That's not what he was about.
He was about These people are blaspheming the living God and we need to destroy them. And again, that's that's a that's another trait that we see in Paul where we're very thankful that that's the way he was.
He was a true believer. I mean, that's He pursued the Lord Jesus Christ with everything he had.
Just like he's pursuing this with everything he has. He was zealous.
He was zealous. Take a look at John 16. John, 16, I think this is interesting.
You know people say that you know the a true believer you can't You can't get them to compromise. They're dangerous.
You can't control them. You can bribe somebody you know you can bribe someone and they'll they'll stop but someone that's a true, like they're not gonna be you know, persuaded to stop.
But. John 16 Verse one, these things I have spoken to you that you should not be made to stumble, they will put you out of the synagogues.
Yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God. Service. That's that's Paul.
That's Paul. He was doing, he thought he was doing God's service and with all of his heart all of his mind all of his soul he was doing it for the Lord And that's exactly what the Lord Jesus Christ did.
So. So back in Acts 9. So Paul breathing out threats. And murder against the disciples of Lord went to the high priest.
And ask letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus. So Paul was Adding for a letter asking for letters of extradition so he could go into Damascus with these letters and given permission to take round up these believers and bring them back to Jerusalem.
So Rome may not have allowed this. But Damascus was under the jurisdiction of a radius.
The king and he may have been willing to copper to cooperate with Jerusalem's high priests.
So, so that's why he had these letters of extradition. So here we have. Verse 2, he asked for letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus.
So that as he found so that if he found any who were of the way Whether men are women, he might bring them bound to to Jerusalem.
So that's a that, that term the way it's only found in acts a few times.
It may have been derogatory you know the people of the way but anyway.
So he went to Damascus and he didn't make it. He didn't make it to the mass.
Something happened. So verse 3. As he journeyed, he came near Damascus.
And suddenly a light shone around him. From heaven. So axe 9 says a light shown from here from a light shown around him.
Chapter 26 says brighter than the sun. This light was brighter than the sun. And then chapter 22 says a great light.
This was a great light as he's traveling to Damascus. There was a great light.
And then he fell to the ground.
You know, what did he see? What did he see? A great light. He fell to the ground.
Did he see what Daniel saw? The Son of Man. Did he see what Ezekiel saw?
The likeness of a man on the throne?
Says then he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Why are you persecuting me?
And he said, who are you, Lord? Then the Lord said, I am Jesus. What? Gee, it's Jesus like It's, it's Jesus.
I mean, like. Talk about, you know, we talk about minds being blown and like. Paradigm shift and all these sorts of things.
This it is. Jesus, it's true. He, it's him. He is the one that.
Is sitting at the right hand the father. He's the one that is on the throne. It's Jesus.
You know, later on he would write Second Corinthians 4 6. For God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness has shine in our hearts.
The light of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. So that glory of God that he was so zealous to protect and fight for.
It's seen in Jesus Christ. And he just realized that now. That it's it is it's true this is who It's, it's him.
Stephen was right. What Stephen saw was right, it is Jesus. Again, it, you know, for him to Change his mind for him to come to a different conclusion from what he was.
Thinking. It had to be something, you know, dramatic. It had to be something. Like that for him to see it.
It's G, it's Jesus, it's him.
So.
Saul saw why are you persecuting me? You know, it's That's a precious truth.
The implications of that. That. The Lord Jesus identifies with his people. And when you persecute his people.
You're persecuting him. The body of Christ. If you remember in math you 20, so 25.
This is kind of a similar thought.
When the Lord's back on the earth, he's separating the sheep and the goats.
And he's commending. These individuals for feeding and and helping clothing. Clothing him And then it says.
When did we see you second verse 39? When did we see you sick or in prison and come to you?
And the king will answer and say to them assuredly I say to you in as much as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.
So it's that same kind of thought. You know, you serve the Lord, you serve. The Lord's People, you're serving Him.
You know, you persecute the Lord's people, you're persecuting him. That is their.
Union with him.
So, Paul had realized that he was fighting against. God. You this whole time everything that he was doing, he was fighting against God this whole time.
It says, Saul, why are you persecuting me? And he said, who are you, Lord?
Then the Lord said, I am Jesus. Whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.
Some of your versions may not have this here in the spot. There is no question that it is in chapter 26.
That idea kicking against the gos, it's when they would hook up the oxen to the plow.
And they didn't want the ox to kick their back legs. They didn't want them kicking.
So they would put sharp guards. That so if they kick they got hurt so they would stop kicking.
So it's, you know, stop kicking against. You know, the Lord. It's like, and it could also be thought of as your conscience, right?
Those pangs of conscience. You know it's wrong. You know what you're doing is wrong.
Yet you do it in anyway and you're kicking against those goals and it hurts but you keep doing it cause you're slave to sin.
So that's another thought about that. You're kicking against the gold, you're kicking against the the pricks it says in King James, the spirit convicting.
And maybe it was the death of Stephen. Maybe that's what it was. Maybe when he saw that he saw him cry out.
Seeing what he saw, he saw Stephen asking for, you know, that the Lord would not hold the sin against their charge when he saw that man die in the way that he did.
Maybe there was something that pricked. His conscience maybe there was something in the back of his mind said is this really true is this true?
And maybe all of the all of the breathing and threatenings and murder was all just trying to him to kind of cope with that.
Conscience being pricked all the time? I don't know. But we see the Lord.
Intervening. In this in his life here. Revealing himself to him in this wonderful way and him seeing the truth.
And then we find him. Per 6. So he trembling and astonished. Again, like I said, it, his mind was just blown.
His world was just you know, completely wiped and he, Trembling and astonished said, Lord, what do you want me to do?
That's a great thing. Yeah, you know You're trembling, you're astonished.
You don't know what to do. The Lord just says, just do the next thing, right?
Just do the next thing. I want you to arise and go to the city. And you will be told what you must do.
I'm not going to tell you the whole thing yet. But just do the first, do the next thing.
Get to the next place and then you'll know. That's that's I think there's great lessons there in following the Lord.
We don't always know everything. He doesn't lay everything out for us. So that we see everything what we're supposed to do just This next thing.
Just do this next thing. Trust me, trust me. And do this next thing. Arise and go, the next step.
And, you know, Paul, when he's, when he's sharing this. To King Agrippa.
He shares this story with King Agrippa and at the end he says I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.
Paul saw what the Lord had for him and he obeyed and he did what he called him to do.
So. And the men.
Who journeyed with him stood speechless hearing a voice but seeing no one so They heard. Something they didn't see anything so this was The Lord revealed himself.
To Paul, Seoul. Then Sol a rose from the ground and when his eyes were open he saw no one.
But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And he was there 3 days without sight and neither ate nor drink.
So there he was. Blind. A completely cut off from everything else. You know, him in the Lord for 3, for 3 days.
Him and the Lord just thinking about. You know who the Lord Jesus is. Thinking about what he saw, thinking about all the, thinking about all the scriptures he, knew and understood and putting pieces together.
About who the Lord is. And then, verse 10. Now, now here we, Find this man Ananias here.
In Damascus and the Lord reaches up to him. Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias and to him the Lord said in a vision, Ananias and he said, here I am Lord.
So the Lord said to him, arise and go to the street called Strait and inquire at the house of Judas.
For one called Saul of Tarsus. For behold he is praying. And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him so that he might receive his sight.
So here we see the Lord orchestrating this event, these 2 men coming together. And, and, IS he, he heard a solitaire.
He knows all about solidarity and, Lord, are you sure? Really? And an anonymous answered, Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to your saints.
In Jerusalem and he and here he has authority from the chief priest to bind all who call on your name.
But the Lord said to him, Go, for he is a chosen vessel of mine. To bear my name before Gentiles, Kings, and the children of Israel.
For I will show him how many things he must suffer. For my namesake. You know the Lord Shares with Ananized what some of the plans he asked for Paul.
And this is not a seeker friendly message. You follow this Lord Jesus and there is going to be suffering.
Yeah. That's yeah, that's that's not good marketing. Right. No, it's it's right.
That's this is what the Lord had for him and Paul and Paul being. Who he is when he sees.
You know, he's going to be zealous and he's going to pursue and he's going to be unrelenting.
Committed to what he saw in the heavenly vision. The Lord Jesus. And really that's that's really what I mean.
That's what it's about, right? It's about the Lord Jesus. The Son of Man, above.
You know, and you know, we, we look out here and we see things, but like he's up there, you know, and
And he loves us. And he you know, he's willing to associate himself with us. And he identifies with us and he's got the best for us.
So, we're 17 and an and Ice went his way and entered the house and laying his hands on him.
He said, Brother Saul, that's not wonderful. Brother Saul.
I would have a hard time with that. You know, there was someone that had that reputation that had that history and had that life.
And then I have a interaction with them and this this acceptance and Brother, I would have a hard time.
And a nice win his way and entered into the house, laying his hands on him and said, Brother Saul.
The Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road. As you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.
Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales and he received his sight at once and he arose and was baptized.
So when you had received food, he was strengthened, then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus.
So there's a thought that there's a break here because we read in Galatians one Paul sharing his biography in Galatians.
And he talks about this these same exact events, but then he talks about leaving Damascus for 3 years in Arabia.
And then coming back to the masks. So the thought is that there's a three-year break here between chat verses 19 and 20.
So. Or maybe between 20 and 21 so there's some congress there's some discussion about that where where this event happens where this 3 years happens because in Galatians he talks about this 3 years.
So immediately he preached, the Christ in the synagogues that he is. The Son of God.
That's you know that's that was really that's what he saw right that's what he was revealed to him and he was boldly proclaiming that reality then all who heard were amazed and said Is this not he who destroyed those who called on the name in Jerusalem and has come here for that purpose so that he might bring them bound to the chief priest.
But Saul increased all the more in strength and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus proving.
That this Jesus is The Christ.
And then we see here now after many days were passed, the Jews plotted to kill him.
But their plot became known to Saul and they watched the gates day and night to kill him. Then the disciples took him by night and let him down through the wall in a large basket.
So Paul had a way with people, right? Wanted to kill him. And when Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him and did not believe that he was a disciple.
But Barnabas, the son of consolation, took him. So here we have his brother, Ananias.
And we have Barnabas, these 2 brothers. Who? Took him in. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and he declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the road and that he had spoken to him and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name.
Jesus. So he was with them at Jerusalem coming in and going out and he spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus and disputed against the Hellenes, but they attempted to kill him.
Again, we see people trying to kill him. When the brethren found out they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him out of Tarsus.
Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified and walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit they were multiplied so I'm going to stop there.
So whoever's on next can take, from 32. But, you know, you see the Lord, you know, orchestrating this entire.
Thing, Paul going to recap on the church and he's converted and now the church is experiencing peace and people are growing and hearing the gospel.
People are hearing about the Jesus is the Christ that He is the Son of God and we see the church growing, continuing to grow and prospering.
So. Any comments or questions?
Alright, yes. Okay. And you should be excited. Oh yeah.
Yes, yes.
Yeah, and he understood him. You know, he understood. The way that they thought and reacted.
So, all right, let's pray. Our Heavenly Father, we thank you for your word.
We thank you that we can read these events. And being encouraged. We thank you. That we can come here and.
No who our Lord Jesus Christ is. And how we can. Grow in our knowledge of him. Help us Lord to to see him.
Help us Lord to pursue Him. And the uncompromising. Lord, help us to be like Paul.
To be willing to. Focus. All of our attention and be unrelenting in our pursuit of you.
Lord, we thank you. For Paul this example to us and we can follow him as he followed you.
Lord, we thank you in praising the name of our Lord Jesus Christ we pray. You.