The Unhindered Gospel: Lessons from the Final Chapters of Acts

[00:00:00] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:00:00] Good morning and welcome to First Baptist Church of Mooresville or should I say welcome back to First Baptist Church of Mooresville. I feel like this is the time where we should stop all that we're doing and reintroduce ourselves but it is great to finally be back and we are just very appreciative of your understanding of the past two weeks. Our goal was to keep everyone safe throughout these storms but we're glad those are behind us and we're able to come back into this space of worship and worship the one true living God. Zoe, thank you so
[00:16:30] so much. That is an absolutely wonderful way to open up our time of worship, but thank you for leading us in worship, and more importantly, thank you for sharing your gifts and talents with the kingdom of God and honoring God with all that you do. Thank you for being here. Thank you
[00:16:46] if you are in our overflow. Thank you if you are from home. However it is that you may be joining us this morning, we come to, again, worship the one true living God. Perhaps this morning you have
[00:16:58] some questions about First Baptist Church of Morrisville. I want to tell you the highlight of my time this morning was as I was out this morning gathering and greeting folks as they were coming in. I had someone pull me aside and say they wanted to reach out to me and ask me
[00:17:12] about membership here at First Baptist Church. That is the highlight of my Sunday. But perhaps this morning you have some questions about how you can become a member, how you can get connected with a Bible study. You'll find a connect card in the pew in front of you. We just encourage you to
[00:17:26] fill that out. We'll reach out to you this week, answer any questions you may have, or perhaps you have some prayer needs that you would like to share with us, or you're looking for a place to
[00:17:35] serve. You're ready to take that next step, whatever it is that you have in your heart this morning.
[00:17:41] Fill that Connect card out, place it in the pew, or excuse me, in the offering plate as it is passed around, and again, we'll be happy to reach out to you and answer any questions you may have. Perhaps
[00:17:52] this morning, you are a first-time guest, and we would love the opportunity to, again, welcome you and just get to know you. So at the conclusion of our service, we invite you to meet us at the
[00:18:02] Welcome Center here in the back. We have a small gift as a way of saying thank you for being here, but we would just love to shake your hand, introduce ourselves, and to get to know you
[00:18:11] a little bit more. I have one final announcement before we begin our worship this morning.
[00:18:17] we are in need of about two or three gentlemen and a truck to help us move a couch that I think needs to be moved by tomorrow if you have some time tomorrow and you have big muscles we welcome
[00:18:31] you to come and help us out so at the conclusion of our service if you will find myself or pastor Seth we'll share more information about times and where we'll be picking that couch up so
[00:18:41] thank you so much and let's now prepare our hearts and our minds for worship well good morning

[00:18:52] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[00:18:52] It is great to be in the house of the Lord this morning.
[00:18:56] Amen.
[00:18:58] But I need to tell you, being in this church doesn't bring us any nearer to God than standing in the kitchen merely makes you a chef.
[00:19:08] It's not about attendance.
[00:19:09] God's not checking the role.
[00:19:12] He's checking our hearts.
[00:19:14] And so our verse this morning, draw near to God and he will draw near to you, is active pursuit.
[00:19:21] it's about what's in your heart so this morning as we begin think about the call to active pursuit to humble ourselves to purify our hearts and to seek him with sincerity when james wrote those
[00:19:36] words he was he was writing to believers who were struggling with the world with being double-minded that's appropriate to us he could have been writing to the church of morseville so as we open our service this morning, I invite you if you're able to stand, and we're going to sing

[00:19:55] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[00:19:55] these words, never once did you ever leave me alone. Pray together. Gracious Father, great is

[00:23:43] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[00:23:43] your faithfulness. From morning by morning, you mercies we see. As we gather in this place, we acknowledge that all we have needed, Lord, you have provided for us. We thank you that your compassions never fail and that they are new every morning and that your faithfulness is indeed
[00:24:01] greater than we can comprehend. Lord, help us to never forget it is the wonderful grace that makes this drawing near even possible. We don't come to you based on our own merit or worthiness, for your grace reaches deeper than the depths of our sin. Lord, we ask that you open our hearts
[00:24:21] now to receive your word. Help us to draw near to you with sincere hearts and clean hands, knowing that as we seek you, you're promised to draw near to us. May this time together be more
[00:24:35] than attendance, but a genuine encounter with your presence. Strip away any pretense, any hardness of heart, any distraction, Lord, that would keep us from truly meeting with you today. In Jesus' name

[00:24:49] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[00:24:49] we pray and all who agree say amen please be seated in church family we're

[00:30:47] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:30:47] so glad you're here today we've got several exciting things coming up so let me walk you through a few announcements starting with our youth cool that video about got me y'all starting with our youth tonight our students are hosting a
[00:31:02] youth Super Bowl party we'll kick things off at 5 30 p.m. with worship and Bible study and then at 6 30 p.m we're going to watch the game together this will be a wonderful time
[00:31:12] of fellowship and fun we will have pizzas but don't forget to bring snacks appetizers or desserts to share with your friends and also students don't forget that we are collecting items for the super bowl of caring we thank god for the amazing growth in our student ministry this summer we will be
[00:31:32] traveling to beach camp and participating in mission opportunities and we want all students who are interested to have an opportunity to go one way that you can support our students is by purchasing tickets for the pancake jamboree that is coming up on Saturday February 21st from
[00:31:53] 7 to 11 a.m. for just $10 you can enjoy all you can eat pancakes breakfast meat and drinks you can purchase tickets by visiting our students at the table outside just after the service today or during dinner on Wednesday nights if you
[00:32:09] would like you can also purchase tickets online you can scan the QR code on the flyer at the sales table outside another way that you can help is by purchasing FBC merch we've got several t-shirts and sweatshirts available that you can wear
[00:32:24] proudly while helping get the name of FBC out to the community. Some items are on display here at the church, and you can order by email or by scanning the QR code that's in your bulletin.
[00:32:37] A big thank you to Mary Ann Greenhill for putting all of this together for us.
[00:32:42] I also want to highlight a few important things happening this week. Circle of Faith will be meeting Tuesday at 2 p.m. in Building C. This is a mission opportunity for the ladies of our church
[00:32:54] as they visit homebound members and nursing home centers.
[00:32:58] All ladies are invited to be a part of this meaningful time of mission and encouragement.
[00:33:03] Also, a reminder that Wednesday Night Live has started back.
[00:33:07] We'll begin with a delicious meal at 5 p.m., followed by activities for the whole family.
[00:33:12] Children's music and missions begin at 6 p.m., and the FBC youth group will meet up on the third floor.
[00:33:19] And we'll also have four fantastic adult Bible studies.
[00:33:23] This semester, we're offering the 12 Women of the Bible, Baptist teaching, Financial Peace University, and an end-time study that is offered at both 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. Make sure that you sign up for one of these studies. Finally, we
[00:33:38] are currently in the middle of our canned food drive. Please bring your canned food donations and drop them off by next Sunday. This is a simple but powerful way for us to serve the families in need right here in our community. Now, let us
[00:33:52] prepare for a time of giving let's pray Heavenly Father we thank you for the joy of gathering as your church family again today we praise you for the life and the growth that we see among our congregation especially in our students
[00:34:10] our families and the many ways that you are working through this church Lord thank you for the opportunities before us times of fellowship moments of discipleship and chances to serve both near and far. We thank you for hearts that are willing to
[00:34:25] serve. Use these efforts, Lord, to reflect your love and bring hope to others. As we come now to this time of giving, we recognize that everything that we have comes from you. Take these gifts that
[00:34:39] we offer today and use them for your glory to strengthen this church, to reach our community, and to further your kingdom.
[00:34:47] Shape our hearts to be generous, faithful, and joyful givers.
[00:34:51] We offer this prayer and these gifts in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord.
[00:34:55] Amen.

[00:34:56] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[00:34:56] And at this time, we're dismissing for Children's Church.

[00:38:18] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[00:38:18] If you're visiting with us today, they'll be downstairs.
[00:38:25] Easiest way for you to gather them is up the ramp behind the piano.
[00:38:30] Turn right, down the steps, turn right again.
[00:38:32] Or if you need the elevator, keep going.
[00:38:34] turn left and the elevator will be down the hallway on your left we say each week about the importance of prayer and encourage you pick up a prayer sheet be in prayer for this congregation the needs that extend beyond these walls but
[00:38:53] also to let us know if you or someone in your family is in need of prayer so at this time let's go to the Lord in prayer Heavenly Father we come before you now as a congregation, united in our need for your touch upon our lives. We draw near
[00:39:10] to you, not because we are worthy, but because of the wonderful grace of Jesus, grace that is greater than all our sin, grace that reaches to the highest mountain and flows to the lowest valley. Lord, we lift up those among us who are
[00:39:29] are hurting, those battling illness in body, mind, or spirit. For Lord, we know that you are the great physician, and we ask for your healing hand to move powerfully in their lives. Restore what is broken, mend what is wounded, and bring wholeness where there is pain. Let your grace
[00:39:51] wash over them like a mighty rolling sea, bringing comfort and renewal. Lord, we ask for discernment in a world filled with competing voices and endless distractions.
[00:40:05] Help us to recognize your voice above all others.
[00:40:10] Give us wisdom to make decisions that honor you.
[00:40:16] Give us clarity to see the path you've set before us and give us courage to walk in it faithfully.
[00:40:24] Guide us, Lord, in every area of our lives, in our homes, in our work, in our relationships, and in our service to you.
[00:40:33] when we are uncertain be our compass when we are weary be our strength when we lose our way be the light that leads us back and father we pray especially for those who are struggling today those wrestling with doubt those crushed by
[00:40:50] grief or overwhelmed by circumstances those feeling alone in their battles those who feel they've wandered too far to return remind them Lord that your grace is sufficient and that it's broader than the scope of their wandering and deeper than the
[00:41:08] depths of their struggles. Lord, we lift up some very specific prayer requests that are on our prayer list. For Dawn Blake and Karen Porches at home recovering from surgery. For Gussie Payne as she awaits scan results. For Jenny Abernathy as she awaits surgery later this month. For Phil
[00:41:35] Hagler, our frequent guest pianist, and his wife Linda in the passing of Linda's mother this week.
[00:41:42] For Mark Pitts and his family as he has come under the care of hospice. Lord, we lift up those in this congregation that are homebound, that are in care facilities, and for those that are taking care of them. We remember Jason Owings, Joe Whitaker's nephew. He's in Missouri and he is
[00:42:07] awaiting spinal surgery at the end of this month. Lord, give us as your people compassionate hearts to see them, willing hands to help them, and humble spirits to walk alongside them. Help us to be the body of Christ to one another, bearing each other's burdens and pointing one another
[00:42:27] back to your marvelous, infinite, and matchless grace. All of this we ask in the faithful name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, and all who agree say, amen.

[00:42:41] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:42:41] Well, good morning, everyone.
[00:42:52] I sound incredibly weak.
[00:42:54] Good morning, everyone.
[00:42:56] I'm so glad that you're here.
[00:42:57] Thank you for everyone that's joining us.
[00:42:59] And the overflow, we have actually a really big crowd in the overflow right now, so I so appreciate you all.
[00:43:04] I want to ask you to do something kindly, if you will.
[00:43:07] Please go ahead and get your Bibles and begin to turn them to the book of Acts.
[00:43:12] We're actually going to start in Acts chapter 20. Now, what I'm going to do today is I'm going to try to finish the book of Acts this morning. And I have eight chapters I need
[00:43:23] to go through. Don't be nervous. We started this series a year ago going chapter by chapter, verse by verse. And I know what you're thinking, wait a second, it typically takes you one to two
[00:43:36] weeks just to get through one chapter. You're going to go through eight today? Well, we are.
[00:43:39] we need to press the fast forward button just a little bit kind of close it out and today kind of take a bird's eye perspective of how this book ends now i'm gonna here's what i'm praying for
[00:43:51] is that today because obviously we're not going to go into a lot of detail in these last eight chapters so what i'm praying for is that today when i highlight the story that this is actually
[00:44:02] going to propel you to go back home and to just wrestle with god's word and to study it i hope it really does encourage you to dig deeper into these stories. Listen, our job as a church is to make
[00:44:15] disciples. Well, how do you know if someone's becoming a disciple? Here's what I found. It's when people become a self-feeder, right? Think about when it comes to your kids. How do you know they're healthy? How do you know they're growing? How do you know they're maturing? Well, they start
[00:44:30] feeding themselves. Well, the same principle that's true for the body is also true for the soul.
[00:44:35] And if the only time you're reading the Bible is when you come in here on Sunday mornings and you see a scripture up on the screen, it's not me spoon feeding you or something, right?
[00:44:46] God wants you to be a self-feeder where it's you, the Bible, the Holy Spirit, and a kitchen table just sitting there and saying, all right, God, what do you have for me?
[00:44:55] So I'm praying that today you're going to take some of these stories and that you'll go home and that you'll actually be a self-feeder and just dig into God's word.
[00:45:02] Acts chapter 20 is where we're going to start.
[00:45:05] Before we do that, though, as you turn there, can I tell you one quick story?
[00:45:09] Because it's been like 30 years since I've seen you all.
[00:45:12] So, okay, one quick story, okay?
[00:45:14] Some of you may have heard this before.
[00:45:16] My oldest daughter, Lila Blake, when she was in first grade, now that's been a minute.
[00:45:22] That's been a while ago.
[00:45:23] You know, she's driving right now.
[00:45:26] Pray for us.
[00:45:26] and uh so but when she was in first grade she had a little friend in her class who came to her one day and this little friend's parents were going through a really messy divorce and this little
[00:45:39] girl asked my daughter she said does your mommy and daddy fight do they yell and scream at each other and Lila without even thinking said uh only when someone throws up which is true because
[00:45:53] Wendy and I both have incredibly weak stomachs, and when the kids were smaller, they'd get sick.
[00:45:58] We just couldn't handle that. They're older now. They can kind of take care of themselves.
[00:46:01] Anyways, I'm getting off track. She says, only when someone gets sick. And the little girl's like, okay, wait a second. Does your mommy throw things at your daddy? No. Does your daddy take his fist and punch, you know, holes in walls? And she said, no. And then this little girl looked at
[00:46:18] and said, well, I sure wish your parents were my parents.
[00:46:24] My daughter comes home and she's telling me that and two things happen.
[00:46:27] One, my heart broke for this little girl.
[00:46:31] She's just trying to figure out what's normal, what's not.
[00:46:35] But on the other side of that, beyond me feeling sorry for this little girl, I also felt incredibly honored in the way my daughter spoke about me and her mom.
[00:46:45] And I started thinking about that.
[00:46:46] If that honored me, well, how are we supposed to honor God?
[00:46:50] You know, that's a question I struggle with when I first gave my heart to Christ.
[00:46:53] How do you give someone honor who already has all the honor to begin with?
[00:46:59] Well, I think you do it like this.
[00:47:01] You live your life in such a way that other people are gonna look at you.
[00:47:08] They see your joy.
[00:47:09] They see your peace.
[00:47:10] They see your contentment, not because of your circumstance, but even despite your suffering, they see this joy in you.
[00:47:17] They look at you and they say, man, I don't know what it is about you, but I want what you got.
[00:47:21] i wish your dad was my dad i wish your heavenly father was my heavenly father amen and what i want to show you these last eight chapters is that's the way paul is living his life lord
[00:47:41] jesus we need your help this morning i certainly need your help i want to try to cover a lot of material and i don't have a whole lot of time to do it so the words you want me to say let me recall
[00:47:51] them. And if there's something you don't want me to say, get it out of my mind quickly. Father, I pray that you help us understand your word because your word is powerful and it's perfect.
[00:48:03] But in this moment, we need it to become personal. So Father, we just pray their hearts be changed in Christ's holy name. Amen. Acts chapter 20 is where we're going to start. This is actually where
[00:48:16] I was with you last time we were in person. Paul had been in Ephesus for the last three years.
[00:48:22] remember he leaves athens in acts 17 then in acts 18 he's uh from 20 he's up in ephesus and when he gets finally he's going to leave ephesus but before he leaves he gives him a farewell speech and that
[00:48:35] was the last time we were together we looked at that farewell speech i just want to remind you what paul says here acts chapter 20 starting in verse 22 it says this and now behold i am going
[00:48:46] to jerusalem do you notice paul says i'm leaving ephesus and i'm going to jerusalem but look at is, here's the reason I'm going to Jerusalem, is because I'm constrained by the Spirit. Paul says, I'm not confused, I'm constrained. Constrained means to grab a hold of, and that's what Paul's
[00:49:02] saying. God's got a hold of me right now. He's making it clear that I need to leave this place, and I need to go to Jerusalem. I don't know exactly what's going to happen to me there,
[00:49:11] but I do know one thing. Verse 23, look at this. He says, except that the Holy Spirit testifies.
[00:49:18] So that's important, because that means God is speaking to me. This isn't out of my agenda.
[00:49:23] This isn't out of my plans, my aspirations, my will. God alone is speaking to me that in every city, check this out, imprisonment and afflictions await me. In other words, Paul, leave Ephesus.
[00:49:36] God's made it clear to Paul, leave Ephesus and go to Jerusalem. And by the way, as you go, you're going to have to suffer. And Paul, Paul, who is so obedient, says, okay, Lord, if that's what it takes, that's what I'll do. So Paul leaves Ephesus to go to Jerusalem. Now,
[00:49:51] if you watched online last week, I told you that the Holy Spirit wasn't just speaking to Paul in this moment. The Holy Spirit was also speaking to the entire church. In chapter 21, there's a prophet
[00:50:02] by the name of Agabus who comes in to let the whole church know, yeah, when Paul gets to Jerusalem, there's going to be some affliction that awaits him. And sure enough, that's exactly what happens.
[00:50:12] When Paul ends up in Jerusalem, it's actually during Passover, and like any good Jewish citizen celebrating Passover, Paul goes into the temple to pray. Well, while Paul is praying in the temple, there's some Jews from Asia who see him, and they get extremely upset. If you will, jump all the way
[00:50:32] to chapter 21, verse 27. Look at this. When the seven days were almost completed, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd. When it says they stirred up the
[00:50:46] whole crowd, it means that there's a few of them that's upset, but now they're getting everyone that's, everyone upset. And look at this, and they laid hands on him. That's probably one of the biggest understatements in the Bible. When it says they laid hands on him, here's what that means.
[00:51:02] paul's praying these jews from asia go and get paul they drag him out of the temple and y'all they just start welling on him they just start beating him up look at this verse 28 crying out
[00:51:16] men of israel help this is the man who is teaching everyone everywhere against the people and the law in this place moreover he even brought greeks into the temple and is to follow this holy place you
[00:51:27] see they were upset because they thought some of the people there with paul was actually greek and shouldn't be in the temple. By the way, did you notice what they said here? That this is the man
[00:51:35] who is against the people, the law, and this place, and he's defiled the temple. Those are some major accusations. And so what happens when they drag Paul out into the temple court here, there's this
[00:51:47] kind of mob mentality that takes over, and there's this massive group that just starts punching, kicking, and beating Paul. Well, it is so severe that the Romans have to intervene. This Roman officer, the Bible calls him a tribune, comes in, tries to break it all up and arrest Paul, which,
[00:52:05] by the way, is mind-boggling to me. You don't arrest the people that's beating up the innocent guy. Instead, you arrest the innocent guy. Well, that's what they do. They get Paul. I'm just kind of getting a mental picture of this. Here's Paul in handcuffs, bleeding, bruised, busted up. And
[00:52:22] all of a sudden, he asked this officer, can I speak to the crowd? It's like, wait, what? You want to speak to the people who just beat you up? And Paul's like, yeah. And so Paul turns around
[00:52:32] and all of chapter 22, it's one of the longest sermons we have from Paul. Paul gives his testimony and he begins to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. Well, at the end of that, it doesn't sell anyone
[00:52:44] down. Instead, it hypes them all up and they want Paul dead. This riot breaks out and they say, we need to kill Paul. We need to have him beaten to death. We need to have him flogged. But the
[00:52:55] problem is Paul's a Roman citizen. And you can't just randomly kill a Roman citizen. They had to have a trial. So what they decide to do is kind of put together this little makeshift trial real
[00:53:04] quick just to prove Paul's innocence. So they get some religious leaders, some Pharisees and some Sadducees together, make this little council here in Jerusalem, and they make Paul stand before them.
[00:53:15] But Paul doesn't even get a chance to speak. As soon as these guys walk in, they punch him in the mouth. After they yell at him for a while, finally Paul gets to speak. And you know what he says when
[00:53:26] he gets a chance to speak? He shares the gospel, the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Well, these guys get so mad about it. Now they want to kill Paul. Jump to all the way to Acts 23 verse 10. Look at
[00:53:40] this. And when the dissension became violent, the tribune, that's the officer there, afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and to take him away from among them by force and bring him into the barracks. In other words, okay, we just got to put Paul in
[00:53:58] prison because everybody wants to kill him. But the problem is, is after they put Paul in prison in Jerusalem, this doesn't settle the tension down. If anything, it just riles people up. Eventually, the entire city is about to revolt. They're about to start a coup, take over the prison,
[00:54:17] and drag Paul out just so they can kill him. It's interesting. Paul's sister's kid, his nephew, actually hears about this and warns the Romans. So the Romans are like, okay, we can't have a revolt here in Jerusalem, so we got to get Paul out of the city. So they actually send Paul to
[00:54:34] another city called Caesarea. When Paul gets into Caesarea, they put him in front of the governor of Judea, a goblin named Felix. And all Paul has to do here is stand in front of Felix and say,
[00:54:47] hey, Felix, I don't really know why I'm in trouble. All I was doing is praying. I won't do it again.
[00:54:52] But instead, when they put Paul in front of Felix, you know what Paul does? Anybody want to take a guess? He begins to preach the gospel of Jesus. Can I catch my breath for one second and just
[00:55:03] kind of recap this for a little bit. Let me put this in a, in a different way that might help you understand. Okay. And by the way, this is a terrible analogy, but it's the best I could come
[00:55:11] up with. Imagine after church today, you go with your small group or your Sunday school class and you go out there, you go eat Mexican, go to Rio 150. Okay. And as the food comes out, you look at
[00:55:23] your small group and say, Hey, can I pray? Can I say the blessing? Like, absolutely. Of course, we're a small group. You should. And so you're praying. Well, the people in the restaurant are so offended by you praying that in the middle of your prayer, these guys get you. They drag you out
[00:55:39] of the restaurant. That would never happen, but for the sake of argument, they drag you out of the restaurant. They bring you in the middle of Church Street, and they just begin to beat you, kick you,
[00:55:48] punch you. More and more people begin to join. It's so violent. The Morrisville Police Department is called. They have to come, but instead of arresting those people, they arrest you. They lodged you in the Iredell County Detention Center. Well, that night, it turns out that all the
[00:56:05] residents in Iredell are so mad, they're going to stage a coup. They're going to break into prison so they can kill you. So the police department says, well, we can't keep you here. So they
[00:56:14] transfer you to Raleigh just to keep you safe. And they tell you, we're going to put you in front of a state judge. And all you have to do is tell this judge that you didn't mean any harm by praying
[00:56:25] before your quesadilla came out, okay?
[00:56:27] So now they put you in front of the state judge, and as you're there in front of the state judge, you look at the judge and you say, Judge, do you know Jesus?
[00:56:37] Now, as crazy as that sounds, that's exactly what happened to Paul.
[00:56:42] Paul's put in front of the governor, Felix, and he starts sharing the gospel with Felix.
[00:56:48] Jump all the way to chapter 24, verse 21.
[00:56:51] Other than this one thing that I cry out while standing among them, It is with respect to the resurrection of the dead that I'm on trial before you this day.
[00:57:01] Look at this.
[00:57:02] He keeps on preaching.
[00:57:03] Verse 25, and as he reasoned about righteousness, what an interesting way to put it, reasoned about righteousness.
[00:57:11] Well, whose righteousness?
[00:57:12] The righteousness of Jesus and self-control and the coming judgment.
[00:57:18] In other words, listen, Governor Felix, God is coming back one day.
[00:57:22] Felix was alarmed and he said to go away for the present when I get an opportunity I will summon you at the same time he hoped that money would be given by Paul so he sent him often and
[00:57:34] conversed with him kind of interesting Felix is going to put him in prison but every few months he's going to get Paul out of prison just so he can talk to him it's an important detail for later
[00:57:45] on he said well wait a second how long was Paul in prison look at this verse 27 when two years had lapsed. Felix puts Paul in prison for two. Why? Because he was praying, and because people
[00:58:01] beat him up, and they wanted to kill him, and now Paul's in prison for two years. That's exactly what's happening here. And every couple months, he'd just get him out of prison, want to talk to
[00:58:10] him a little bit, then he'd put him back in prison. Now listen, it's in that moment, these two years, that Paul, while he's in prison at Caesarea, that's actually when he's writing the majority of the New Testament letters that we have in our Bible. All right, just point that out right now,
[00:58:25] because if you're in here and you feel sidelined, forgotten, stuck, you feel like you're in a season of suffering, sometimes that's when God does his best work. And my advice to you is maybe start
[00:58:35] journaling in this moment so you can just see exactly everything that God's up to right now.
[00:58:40] Well, after two years, notice this, there's a new governor who comes in. There's a guy by the name of Festus. Also, if you're in here pregnant, looking for a good biblical baby name, there you
[00:58:51] go, Festus, okay? So Festus replaces Felix, and Festus is looking at all of his responsibilities like, oh, well, what is it exactly I need to do? And he finds out that Paul is in one of his prisons
[00:59:03] in Caesarea. So Festus calls Paul out to talk to him, but here's the thing. Before Festus can ask him anything, Paul appeals to Caesar. Now, here's what you need to know about this. There's this
[00:59:15] kind of owed legal right as a Roman citizen. This law that if you wanted to, you could appeal your case directly to Caesar himself. It was for any Roman citizen. Now that sounds good until you
[00:59:27] realize who the Caesars are. Now these were not men who were known as like, you know, emotional stability or wisdom or kindness. Particularly not the Caesar that was ruling when Paul was alive, a guy by the name of Nero, the most psychopathic leader that's ever lived. This guy practiced
[00:59:46] genocide as if it was state policy. This is the guy who literally burnt down half of Rome.
[00:59:51] This is the guy who fed Christians to the lions. This is the guy who took Christians, men and women, children, doused them in gasoline, tied them to a post, lit them on fire so they could be the
[01:00:02] streetlights of Rome. And Paul says, I appeal to him, which means Nero's going to hear this and no one else. And look what Festus says to him, chapter 25, verse 12. Then Festus, when he had conferred
[01:00:13] with his counsel, answered, to Caesar you have appealed, and to Caesar you will go. All right, that's fine. We'll let Caesar have the final word on you. After the last two years that you've been
[01:00:24] here in jail, you want to leave Caesarea? By all means, we'll take you to Rome. Now, in a weird side story, before they send Paul to Rome, word gets out that Festus has been talking to him.
[01:00:34] there's another governor a god the name of Agrippa Herod Agrippa that's right from the Herods the grandson of Herod the great who committed all the genocide in Bethlehem to the toddlers two years old or under the nephew of Herod Anipus the guy who killed James in Acts 12 this Herod
[01:00:54] Agrippa who's also a governor says hey I've heard about Paul my whole life and it turns out Festus you got me one of your prisons. I'd like to talk to him. Then Agrippa said to Festus, I would like,
[01:01:05] look at this, to hear from the man himself. Can I get an audience with Paul? And Festus says, yeah, you can. So before they send Paul to Rome, these two governors get together, and they have this huge public hearing. And it's almost like a circus. Think of the red carpet
[01:01:22] being rode out. And then in the middle of that, you got Paul being led up here with chains. And now when Paul is standing in front of these two very powerful and eccentric leaders, you know what
[01:01:33] he says? You know what he does? He preaches the gospel. Go to chapter 26, verse 21. For this reason, the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. To this day, I have had the help that
[01:01:45] comes from God. And so I stand here testifying, both small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would come to pass. Agrippa, you say you know religion. You say you know the prophets. I'm only telling you what Moses has already said, that the Christ must suffer,
[01:02:02] and that by being the first to raise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles. Paul just preaches, and at the end of this sermon, they say, okay, well, we don't
[01:02:13] think you're dangerous. We do think you're crazy, and we would let you go, but you've already appealed to Caesar, so we got to send you to Rome. So they put Paul on his ship. They send him to Rome, but
[01:02:24] halfway through the voyage, there's a hurricane that happens. It's like, oh man, can this guy get any more bad luck? I pastor an old church mama one time who used to say this, if it wasn't for bad
[01:02:35] luck, I wouldn't have any. And so there's this hurricane that happens. It blows the ship off course. Eventually the ship wrecks. By the way, there's 275 people on board this ship. Other prisoners like Paul, sailors, guards, and then just travelers. Well, when this ship wrecks, everyone's
[01:02:54] safe, but they are petrified. Paul stands up in front of everyone. Anybody want to guess what he starts doing? He starts preaching. He starts sharing the gospel. Jump all the way to Acts 27, verse 22. Yet now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you,
[01:03:11] but only of the ship. For this very night there stood before me an angel of God to whom I belong and whom I worship. And he said, do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand before Caesar.
[01:03:22] and behold, God has granted you all those who sell with you. So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told. He says, listen, you guys follow me and you'll be
[01:03:36] all right. You know why? Because I'm following Jesus. And they listened to him. And so Paul leads them to this kind of remote island where there's these natives. Well, as they're starting to talk to these natives, Paul's trying to build a fire. And as he's building a fire, jump all the
[01:03:52] way to chapter 28, look at this. When Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and put them on the fire, a viper comes out because of the heat and fastened to his hand. Paul gets bit by a snake.
[01:04:03] It's like, are you kidding me? One more thing here? Well, they just assume Paul's going to die, but he doesn't die. When he doesn't die, they're like, hey, how come you didn't die? And Paul gives Paul
[01:04:12] a chance to tell them. Anybody want to guess? The gospel. Paul begins to preach, listen to this, a three-month revival in healing service breaks out on this island. And after three months, they finally get on their ship. They're able to go to Rome. Now that they're in Rome,
[01:04:30] guess who's about to hear Paul's case? Nero, Caesar. But because the judicial system in Rome was a lot like America, it takes a while to have a trial. They have to keep Paul in custody.
[01:04:44] but instead of putting him in prison, they put him in house arrest. I want to share with you, are you ready? The last two verses in the book of Acts, Acts 28, verses 30 through 31.
[01:05:00] He, Paul, lived there for two whole years at his own expense. He welcomed all who came in, proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with boldness and without hindrance. You did it, church. You made it through the whole book of Acts in one year. Good job.
[01:05:24] That's the last two verses. And I know what you're thinking. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Where's the court trial? Where's Paul staying in front of Nero? Now, we know that after two years, Nero is going to talk to Paul and kill Paul, have Paul beheaded. But this is
[01:05:39] actually where the book ends. We never get to the trial where Paul's staying in front of Nero. And I know what you're thinking. Like, wait, wait a second. Where's the ending bow? Where's the, where's the final verdict? Where's all the courtroom drama? Where's Paul's final speech?
[01:05:56] Where's his final monologue? Why does it end in such a kind of anticlimactic ending? Why does it just drop off like this. There's two reasons the book of Acts ends like this. I want to give you
[01:06:10] one right now, and Lord willing, I want to give you another one next week, okay? You thought we were done with Acts, but we got just a little bit longer to go, okay? So I'll give you one right now.
[01:06:18] Listen, here's why Acts ends the way it does. You ready? Up to this point, at least for the last eight chapters, who have we been talking about? Paul. And when you hear Paul's story, clearly
[01:06:30] there's something about this guy, right? People are drawn to Paul, either good or bad, either love him or hate him, whether with conviction or with hostility. For example, those Asian Jews there in Jerusalem were drawn to him so much that they wanted to beat him up.
[01:06:47] What about that council in Jerusalem that just punched him in the mouth and wanted to tear him to pieces, wouldn't even let him speak. They were clearly drawn to him. Or all the people in
[01:06:57] Jerusalem who wanted to raid the prison for his blood. But there was also other people that was drawn to him. For example, when Felix had him in Caesarea, every couple months Felix would take him out of prison just so he could talk to him. Or what about when Agrippa hears that Festus has
[01:07:13] him, Agrippa says, I want to hear from the man himself. Or the fact that they was in a shipwreck, Paul stands up to speak in front of 275 guys while he himself is a prisoner. He's speaking to
[01:07:26] soldiers, and they just listen to him, and they just do what he says? Or what about when he gets on this abandoned island, and all the natives begin to listen to Paul? Listen, wherever you
[01:07:37] was at, when Paul began to speak, people would begin to listen, and there was something about this guy that would just draw you in. What was it? What was it that made Paul tick? What was it
[01:07:50] about Paul that was so special? Can I let you in on a secret? Nothing. There's nothing about Paul.
[01:08:00] What was drawing people wasn't Paul.
[01:08:08] It was the one who lived within him.
[01:08:13] And his name is Jesus and Jesus alone.
[01:08:18] Amen.
[01:08:20] And so it ends this way, not knowing the final verdict on Paul, because it was never about Paul in the first place.
[01:08:30] Paul is confined, but first Baptist, the gospel is free.
[01:08:34] Paul is locked up at home, but the gospel is running loose. And because the gospel is running loose, because Jesus lived in Paul, that changed the way Paul lived. Look at this. There's two words here that I just love. With boneness and without hindrance. With boneness and without
[01:08:57] hindrance. Because when Jesus lives in you, can I tell you something? If he really lives within you and you give him your life unapologetically with total surrender, it means you can live a life unhindered now for the kingdom. Let me give you three observations quickly within five minutes.
[01:09:15] Let me give you three observations that we can learn from Paul, how you can live unhindered for the kingdom. Here's the first one. Would you write this down? Number one, just live sent.
[01:09:25] Did you notice that about Paul? It was never his own agenda. It was never about his own plans. He lived sent. He was actually sent. He believed that he had an assignment from God, and he followed
[01:09:35] through with that. That means you have to do three things. Let me give you the first one. A, you need to develop a missional mindset. The way you view your life right now, do you do that through the
[01:09:45] lens of mission? Do you see your life through the lens of mission? Listen, Paul would later say this in Philippians chapter 3. He said, but our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a
[01:09:57] Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. Paul says, my citizenship is in heaven. This is not my home. Morrisville's not my home. North Carolina is not my home. America's
[01:10:16] not my home. For Paul, he would say, Rome is not my home. Jerusalem's not my home. Caesarea is not my home. So that's why when Paul was put in prison, he didn't gripe and he didn't complain. See, most
[01:10:28] of us, if we had been falsely accused and put in prison for two years, we would gripe about how we couldn't go back to our homes and how uncomfortable this was. But not Paul, because Paul knew that all
[01:10:39] of this was in his home anyway. His citizenship was in heaven and in heaven alone. And everything you see before you one day, brothers and sisters, it is going to dissolve. It is going to burn up
[01:10:50] and it is going to disappear. The only thing that ever lasts is eternity and eternity alone.
[01:10:55] I've explained to you like this before. Imagine you have a friend who went on a business trip, a two-day business trip, and when they get back, you ask them how they went, and this friend tells
[01:11:04] you that, well, they spent the first day painting the hotel room walls. They didn't really like the color of the wall, so they painted them. What would you tell your friend? That that's stupid, right? He was there for two days. Why would you do that? But brothers and sisters, there's a lot
[01:11:19] of people, even in this church, who are living their lives as foolishly as painting hotel room walls. This life is not going to last forever. It is here today, gone tomorrow, like that vapor cast
[01:11:31] into the ocean. And Paul knew that. He said, my citizenship is in heaven, and this is not my real home. Amen? Listen, when you believe that, there's only three things that can happen. If you really
[01:11:42] believe that heaven is your home, then that means that, well, you're just living this life so you can have the very best, so you can enjoy things. If this isn't your home, then maybe you're treating
[01:11:53] this like a tourist, like you're on vacation. You just want the best. And if that's the case, you know what you're going to project on the church? The church is going to become like a
[01:12:02] cruise ship, and people in your life are just going to try to serve you and pamper you, and you're going to be sorely disappointed. Maybe you know how tough life is. You're like, all right,
[01:12:10] this isn't my home, but I'm like a displaced refugee. And then all of a sudden, because you you have these deep needs, you start treating things like the church like a rescue boat.
[01:12:20] And you're trying to project on other people something you want them to do for you that only God alone can do for you. But listen, can I tell you something? You're not a displaced refugee and
[01:12:30] you're not a tourist. Listen, you're a missionary that's been sent. And when you start looking through those lens, then you know what the church becomes. It's not a cruise ship and it's not a rescue boat, now all of a sudden the church becomes an aircraft carrier where we gather together and
[01:12:47] then we're sent out on mission. Is that the way you're living your life right now? Is that the way where you realize every single day God has something that he's actually wanting me to do?
[01:12:59] Listen, if you're going to develop a missional mindset, that means write this down. You got to learn how to start seizing opportunities. The interruptions actually become assignment work, becomes platform. Neighborhoods become mission fields. And this season that you're in is actually
[01:13:14] an opportunity that God has now given you, even if it's a painful season. By the way, Paul's best work, every time he preached the gospel, wasn't when he had, you know, got a promotion at work
[01:13:25] or engaged. It's when he was in prison or in a shipwreck. It's when he was in a storm. Stop waiting for the right moments and realize that every moment is ordained by God. Even if you're
[01:13:36] a storm, a health storm, a marriage storm, a financial storm, a grief storm, a disappointment storm, an anxiety storm, an I feel forgotten storm, that God can still use me in this moment and put on those missional lenses. And how are you going to do that? Write this down. Embrace
[01:13:50] God's sovereignty. Embrace his sovereignty. That God is still in control. He's still sitting on the throne. He still goes before me, walks beside me, hedges me in the back, and lives within me.
[01:14:00] And then would you do this? Would you just trust the grace of God? If you do those two things, I'm telling you, your life will be completely different. You embrace God's sovereignty and you trust his grace. If you do that, I am telling you, your worries will look different. The way you pray
[01:14:17] will look different. That's what Paul did. Paul lived as if he was sin. Here's the second thing.
[01:14:23] He didn't just live sin. He lived boldly. Let me show you this last verse in Acts one more time.
[01:14:29] It says this, he lived there for two whole years at his own expense, and he welcomed all who came to him, proclaiming the kingdom of God, teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.
[01:14:46] Four things that Paul does here.
[01:14:48] Look at this, to live boldly, that means you gotta have open doors.
[01:14:51] He welcomed people.
[01:14:53] He actually brought people in to his home.
[01:14:56] You know, when we think of hospitality, our southern definition of hospitality is pound cakes greeting cards and text messages ain't nothing wrong with that keep the pound cakes are coming but that's not the biblical
[01:15:09] definition of hospitality do you know how you say hospitality in koine greek it means the love of strangers actually means opening up your home and being inconvenienced Can I ask you a question? We pray for the youth all the time. Some of us complain about this
[01:15:32] generation. What would it look like if First Baptist said, you know what, it's just no longer okay with us, but there's more foster kids than foster homes in Iredell County, and we're actually going to open up our doors, and we're going to invite people in. Listen, some of you have confused
[01:15:54] kindness with intentionality. God did not just call you to be kind. God called you to be intentional and to put yourself out there in such a way so other people can be reached. What would happen
[01:16:09] if those neighbors you have, you actually started inviting them over and actually cooking for them or opening up your home? This is what Paul did. Paul welcomed people in because he had open doors. Not only did he have open doors, look at this, he had an open Bible. He didn't just
[01:16:23] welcome. Did you see that? He taught from what he teached the Bible. He taught the Bible. And he didn't just teach part of the Bible. He taught the whole word of God, which meant he had an open
[01:16:35] mouth. Let me give you this last one, because with boldness and without hindrance, that meant that Paul had open courage as well. Listen, let me give you the last one as Bethany begins to wrap this up. Open doors, open Bibles, open mouth, open courage. That's what it means to live boldly.
[01:16:55] here's the last one. I hope you saw this in Paul's life. Would you just live with persistence?
[01:17:03] Would you live with persistence? With such abandonment, such abandonment to God, total surrender to God, unapologetically, Lord, here's my life. I want to live sent. I want to live boldly. And I'm just going to live with a sense of persistence. Can I ask you something?
[01:17:22] would you just be unhindered and bold in your inviting?
[01:17:28] Would you take risk in the people you're inviting to church?
[01:17:31] Invite the neighbor you assume that's never going to come.
[01:17:34] Invite that coworker that you see every single day.
[01:17:39] Invite that family member of yours that you've constantly been praying for.
[01:17:43] Because sometimes, and you may not know this, what you think is an invitation to church is actually God cracking the door for salvation.
[01:17:51] Would you pray this prayer?
[01:17:54] Lord, give me one name, give me one moment, and give me courage.
[01:18:00] I want to ask you not just to be unhindered in your inviting.
[01:18:04] Would you be unhindered even when it comes to your serving?
[01:18:09] Many of you, we're going to talk, these next four things, we're going to talk more about these in the coming weeks.
[01:18:14] Many of you have been so blessed by First Baptist.
[01:18:17] You've been blessed by this church.
[01:18:18] You've been blessed by the people in this church.
[01:18:21] Let me just be very blunt with you.
[01:18:23] Now it's time for us to turn this around.
[01:18:25] It's time for you to be the blessing.
[01:18:27] It's time for you to step up.
[01:18:31] Listen, we're not trying to fill slots here.
[01:18:34] We're trying to form disciples.
[01:18:36] We're not babysitting kids.
[01:18:37] We're trying to build foundations.
[01:18:40] We need people to step up.
[01:18:41] We're going to give you plenty of opportunities in the weeks to come to hear about some special ways you can step up.
[01:18:46] But would you go ahead and be praying that right now?
[01:18:48] Lord, when it comes to my serving, I want to be like Paul, where I have Jesus in me with such total surrenderment that even in my serving, I'm not hindered. I'm unhindered. Would you write this down? Would you
[01:19:03] be unhindered in your generosity? It is hard to say that Jesus is worth everything when it just doesn't change everything in your life. It's hard to say that Jesus is worth everything when he doesn't change everything in your life. Some of you trust God with salvation. You say, Lord,
[01:19:28] I trust you enough to trust you with my eternity, but I don't trust you enough to give you my checkbook. I don't trust you enough to tithe. I don't trust you enough to put you first financially.
[01:19:42] I want to ask you a question. In the next couple weeks, would you just go ahead and make a decision right now when it comes to my inviting, when it comes to my serving, when it comes to my generosity?
[01:19:54] Lord, you have it all because of who you are, because I'm going to live with total abandonment to you. Here's the last one. Are you unhindered and bowed when it comes to your prayer life?
[01:20:09] unhindered and bow when it comes to prayer life you know charles spurgeon that great that great preacher one time they they would ask him what is the secret to your preaching you know he never said study which that is important he never talked about rhetoric or or different
[01:20:28] communication fields instead charles spurgeon always said one thing the secret to his preaching was the bowler room in a london tabernacle right under the pulpit there was a bowler room where as the service began,
[01:20:44] brothers and sisters would come down and they would pray the entire time Spurgeon preached.
[01:20:53] He said, that's the secret.
[01:20:55] The unglamorous and secret work of prayer.
[01:20:58] Can I ask you something serious?
[01:21:00] Have you been unhindered in your prayers?
[01:21:04] Their prayers for that grandbaby of yours, for that child of yours, for that spouse of yours for that parent of yours when's the last time you've came to the altar and you just came to the altar and you grabbed a hold of it and you said lord i'm not leaving
[01:21:24] till i you do what i know you can do when's the last time you said lord i want to be here on my knees and i want your heart stirred because the gospel is still loose paul may have been confined
[01:21:41] paul may have been put in prison but not the gospel paul's dead but jesus is alive and well and he's still moving and he's still working in morrisville and he's still working in your life
[01:21:55] when's the last time you've been unhindered in your prayers that sweet hour prayer sweet hour prayer that calls me from a world of care and bids me at my father's throne makes all my wants
[01:22:07] and wishes. No. I want to give you a chance to do that right now.
[01:22:12] Brothers and sisters, we're going to relaunch in the next couple of weeks.
[01:22:15] We're going to be looking at these four things and what that actually means to be unhindered.
[01:22:20] Here's what I want you to take away today. You can live a life like that.
[01:22:24] It's not because you're special. It's not because you have it all together. But it's because Jesus Christ is here and He's the one that's in charge.
[01:22:31] Listen, maybe today you say, you know what, Seth? I have fallen way short.
[01:22:36] I'm not living the life I ought to be.
[01:22:38] I'm not living unhindered like Paul did.
[01:22:41] But listen, let me ask you, is he just and faithful to forgive you of all your sins?
[01:22:46] Absolutely.
[01:22:47] Today can be that day where you come and you say, God, I'm sorry, I've been so numb to this, but today's the day I repent.
[01:22:54] Today's the day I give you my heart.
[01:22:56] Today's the day I renew my relationship with you.
[01:22:59] I want to live a life that's so unhindered that when people look at me, they say, man, I don't know what it is about you.
[01:23:07] But I wish your heavenly father was my heavenly father.
[01:23:12] And maybe for you today, that seems so impossible because you've never made that decision.
[01:23:17] You've never trusted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.
[01:23:20] I just want you to know this altar is going to be open.
[01:23:22] And today's the day, today's the day you can come, say, God, here's my life.
[01:23:26] I completely and totally surrender to you.
[01:23:29] Brothers and sisters, Bible says you confess with your mouth, believe in your heart that Jesus is Lord and that God raised him from the dead.
[01:23:35] and that in that moment, he is just and faithful to forgive.
[01:23:38] And he says, I will take you as my own to be an heir unto the kingdom of adopted son and adopted daughter, that you can be mine.
[01:23:45] But you gotta ask.
[01:23:47] Won't you stand right where you're at?
[01:23:48] Let's pray together.
[01:23:48] Father, we thank you for who you are.
[01:23:51] Father, we thank you for giving us the book of Acts.
[01:23:53] We thank you for over the last year letting us go through this, Father.
[01:23:57] And Father, we just pray today that you would help us not be more like Paul, but to have total surrender so like paul jesus lives within us which means we can have a faith that's unhindered well i pray that if someone's never made that decision before they've just been
[01:24:23] trying to do this on their own they've never experienced that joy never experienced that peace so today would you would you convict them oh father would you bring them up here so that today's the day they can surrender so they can die to themselves. Therefore, they can be raised
[01:24:41] alive in, through, and for you. Father, maybe there's someone here who they've called upon your sweet name. Maybe they've done that years ago. But over the years, life has made them become numb. They no longer have the eyes of a missionary. They no longer live life as being sent. They no
[01:25:00] longer live life boldly. They no longer live with persistence. They've not been very persistent in their prayers. They've not been persistent in their serving. They've not been persistent in their giving or even their inviting. Oh, Lord, would you stir something in them today? Father,
[01:25:15] I pray that they'd be so on fire for you that if nothing else, people will come for miles just to watch them burn. Father, I pray that they'd be so on fire for you that their families would be
[01:25:26] shaken. Father, that their spouses would notice, their kids would notice, that generations would be changed because of the way you are setting a fire in people's hearts this morning. The gospel is not locked up. The gospel is not confined. It is wild, and it's loose, and it's free, and it's
[01:25:44] moving, and it's here right now. So, Lord, let us feel that. We pray all of this in your holy

[01:25:50] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[01:25:50] and most exalted name, and all those who agreed said. But right after, we're going to give about

[01:28:05] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[01:28:05] maybe two minutes, okay? You have a long-winded preacher, so we've already went over a little bit, but we're going to give about two minutes, and then we are going to launch into a church business meeting. So for those of you who want to stay, stay. For those of you who don't want to
[01:28:22] stay, you can leave, but we encourage everyone to stay. This is always, we call this worshipful work, and so that way you can hear about what's going on in the life of the church. So I want to
[01:28:33] pray for us, and then we're going to go ahead and transition to the next part of our business.
[01:28:38] Father, we thank you for who you are. We thank you for your mercy and for your grace. Father, would you just help us be people that live unhindered? Would you help us be people who
[01:28:47] live boldly, live sent? Father, not because there's anything special about us, but because you're perfect, because you're the one that's overcame death, because you're the one that's in control, competent, sitting on the throne.
[01:29:01] Father, we trust you.
[01:29:02] We love you.
[01:29:03] And we pray that as we leave here now, that we would be so on fire for you, Father, that we would be bowed with our neighbors, with our family.
[01:29:10] Father, that we can leave here and tell the people in Morrisville the sweet and precious name of Jesus.
[01:29:16] So Father, as we do that, would you bless us, keep us, make your face shine upon us and give us traveling mercies until we meet again.
[01:29:22] We pray all of this in your holy and most exalted name and all those who agreed said, amen.
[01:29:28] You are dismissed.