Episode Transcript
[00:00:08] Speaker A: Good afternoon. My name's Pastor Peter Yanada and this is my wife Sherry.
And we are here at Community Media of South Central Pennsylvania in New Oxford.
We are continuing teaching. This is an ongoing teaching every Wednesday at 4pm now throughout the month of October. I was in Africa, in Zambia and I'll talk a little bit about that, which is that trip and then my return is what inspired me to take a sidestep from the seven letters to the churches by Christ in Revelation. We'll pick that up again. But there's a very important concept that I want to talk about tonight. So I'll open in prayer and then we'll get right into the message.
I just thank you for the opportunity that we have the privilege to be ambassadors for Jesus Christ.
That we're given commandments to preach the gospel to the poor in spirit, to cleanse the lepers, to heal the sick, to cast out devils. And if you tell us to to raise the dead, that the same spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwells in us. And we're given commandments to go out into the highways and byways as representatives of Christ to show the world that Jesus is not dead, that God is alive.
And that when we do this in faith, you will manifest the dunamis power of your spirit. So I thank you for the message that you've given to me as I speak and give utterance to your message for the people that you knew would be listening tonight.
I know they will not return empty. They will accomplish that which you send them forth to accomplish for your good purposes, for your church and for this lost and dying world.
So we thank you and all glory go to you in Jesus name. Amen.
The message title for tonight is A Major Biblical Lesson of Seeking Fresh Guidance.
I'll repeat that. A Major biblical Lesson of Seeking Fresh Guidance. So we are going to take a look in the book of Acts today and also I'm going to give you a series of scriptures or reference them in two Samuel, chapter 5, verses 17 through 25 and First Chronicles, chapter 14, verses 8 through 17.
Now if you watch the news, it doesn't take very long to realize that the world humankind is becoming more and more unhinged each day. And the Bible speaks about that.
So we're not to be concerned if we're believers because the world is on track and we're heading towards the end of what's called the end of this age, the end of the church age age. It's important to understand that the church age is going to end at some point, and then God will come back and we'll see a tremendous amount of God's people grieve when they realize, when the Lord opens up their eyes and they realize that they murdered, that they crucified their Messiah.
They missed their visitation.
So tonight's message is to equip people with some testimonies and biblical truth so that you don't miss your visitation.
Because all of us have been called by God for specific purposes and we don't want to be asleep.
That's the term the Bible uses. We need to watch, we need to be aware, and we need to be in this betrothal period, preparation period, to get ready for the return of Christ, which we should be anxiously awaiting.
So my theme scripture today is from the book of Acts, and this begins in chapter 13, verses 1 through 3.
I want to key on, on verse 2 and verse 4.
This is the opening of a major biblical lesson of seeking fresh guidance.
So to start off with this set of scriptures is going to talk about Paul and Barnabas being sent off and who is sending them.
So they're meeting in Antioch, prophets and teachers and other people within the church.
And in verse two it is written, or like they say in Africa, the Bible says while they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, while they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, I can't emphasize that enough. The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God, the Spirit of truth, comforter, our helper said, set apart for me, Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them. This is the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Christ given to us to promise by the Father. If you're saved, you receive the Spirit and then you need to be baptized in the Holy Spirit.
So set apart for me, Barnabas and Saul, for the work to which I have called them, the work that they're called for, where they are going to go and the people group that they're going to be speaking to has been appointed to to them by the Holy Spirit. So two things have to happen.
Those people should be. And if you know what you've been called to do, you want to pray for God to prepare the way for you to come.
That's why we have the importance of this message. Because while that's happening, he's also going to be preparing you. And that's going to come in several different forms. Mainly you need to separate yourself from the world, be holy, for I am holy. And you need to prepare yourself to be able to do this work that the Holy Spirit's called you to do as he is going to equip you.
And then we get to verse 4. Now, verses 4 through 12 is Paul's preaching on Cyprus, the island of Cyprus. But beginning in verse four, the Bible says, so being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. So two important points here set apart for me, Barnabas and Saul, for the work to which I have called them. And then we see so being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went. They went on their way.
That's the inspiration.
They're sent off by the Holy Spirit. And I'm going to speak about this tonight, why this is important.
A major biblical lesson of seeking fresh guidance.
So we're going to look at two different things here from two different people, one in the Old Testament and one in the New Testament.
In the Old Testament, where this message title came from King David, a man after God's own heart, who replaced King Saul because of King Saul's rebellion and disobedience against what God was telling him to do and David's obedience. David is raised up over time as the king over God's people because he has a heart after God.
Now, we looked at the definitions of heart before, and Jeremiah 17, 9 says, who can know the heart? It's wicked or it's sick, depending on what version you're looking at in the Bible.
Above all things, who can know it? But this man, God said, has a heart after me.
So King David is going to have two major battles against the Philistines. The same enemy in the same valley. It's the valley of Repham Rephaim.
And the message. The major biblical lesson on seeking fresh guidance is rather than relying on past experience.
So I know I've spoken about this before, but quite often, because I'm called to be a missionary to the nations, I ask God, is it your will for me to go this month? And because it is his will for me to be a missionary, he has never said no.
He always says, soon, Peter. And then one time he says, now.
And then, doors open.
What we are going to see is that there can be doors opened by the Holy Spirit, there can be doors closed by the Holy Spirit. We need to know what we're looking at.
So these two battles are found in 2nd Samuel, chapter 5, verses 17 to 25, and 1st Chronicles, chapter 14, verses 8 to 17.
These consecutive battles against the same arch enemy of God's people showcase how God gave David completely different tactical instructions.
Same enemy, same Valley.
Same circumstance, but two different strategies.
So in the first battle, David is told to give a frontal assault at BAAL Paraxime.
So you can correct me on our website for my butcher mispronunciations.
[00:11:41] Speaker B: Butcher maybe.
[00:11:43] Speaker A: So the situation here is soon after David was anointed as king over all of Israel, the Philistines deployed.
They deployed their forces in this valley.
That's the situation.
And now I want you to write this down. The second point here is David's inquiry.
We are to be in a relationship with God and we should be able to hear his voice. Jesus said, my sheep hear my voice and I know them. It doesn't say I know their voice, it says I know them.
So David asked God, shall I go up against the Philistines?
That was his first question.
And the second one is, will you deliver them into my hand?
So God could have answered the first question. Yes.
And if David didn't continue his conversation, who knows what could have happened? But he knows to ask those two questions.
Shall I go up against these people, number one and will you deliver them into my hand?
So point three is God's command.
God answered simply, go up, for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into your hand.
So yes, go do it and I will deliver them.
The importance of this is when I was in Africa for two weeks, things happened that astounded me. More so than any other trip. Each one is built upon the other. This was the third trip in 13 months.
But I realized when I got back that I know in my heart that it has nothing to do with me except asking these questions that David did. It's your will for me to go, God.
And if I go, will you give me the messages and will you speak them and confirm them? Will you be faithful to your word and confirm the preaching following with signs, wonders and miracles?
Now why is that important?
Apostle Paul wrote to the Thessalonians and I think we'll have time to get to this.
But he said, I did not come to you in the preaching of man's words.
I came in the power of the Gospel. And that's where most people stop. But the second part of that sentence he says, and the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit.
The Greek term for the Holy Spirit in that context is Dunamis. It's where we get the word dynamite from.
And.
If we ask, and if we know how to hear God's voice and spend the time, the more you do that, the more you will realize that God is simply looking for your obedience.
He wants that relationship to be open, just like David did.
Now what was the outcome?
David launched a direct head on attack and routed the enemy.
That means they slammed into the front of the enemy and they just obliterated them. Rout means they turned, the enemy turned and ran away.
So he named the place BAAL Prazim.
Sounded better than when I said it the first time.
Whether I'm right or not, I don't know.
The meaning of that name is important because it means Lord of Breakthrough.
The word breakthrough I had to look up when I was in Africa because I was given six messages to give to these people.
And yet when I got there, the poster said Pastor Peter from America to do revival, breakthrough and counter meetings.
And I was thinking, how does that, what they just plastered my face all over the city of Lusaka to do, tie in with these six messages you gave me.
And the Holy Spirit led me to look up the word breakthrough, what that meant. It means basically what the definition of the Holy Spirit is. Power. The dunamis power of God to totally obliterate something and break through forcibly from end to end and from side to side completely. Boom.
So that was the outcome because David said, the Lord has broken through my enemies before me like a breakthrough of water.
Now when we get to one Thessalonians, we're going to see a forgotten concept of what we are commanded to do by God. That in my travels, other than in Africa, where they understand there is a demonic world and the spiritual world isn't just the Holy Spirit and we're commanded to deal with that.
So now battle number two comes, same enemy, the Philistines, same valley, two armies lined up against one another.
So the situation here is not long after their defeat, the Philistines regrouped and returned to the exact same valley.
So David again turns to God. So the second part of what's happening is David's inquiry.
Instead of assuming the previous strategy would work again, David humbles himself before God and inquires of the Lord a second time. He was not making an assumption. He wanted to know what God had in mind here.
So God's Command, Part 3.
This time God changed the strategy completely. So who knows what would have happened had David done and assumed what worked the first time.
So God instructed David, or God said, you shall not go up, circle around behind them and come upon them in front of the mulberry trees.
Totally different frontal assault the first time. Now he's to go around and behind him.
That's God's command.
And now God gives the divine signal.
God instructed David to wait until he heard the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees.
That sound was the signal that God's heavenly army had gone out ahead of them to strike into the Philistine camp.
Very important.
So what was the outcome? David obeyed, attacked from the rear and drove the Philistines out completely.
So once more there's total defeat of the enemy of God's people because the person in charge inquired of the Lord, heard the voice of God and did exactly what God instructed him to do.
So we have here examples of critical truths for spiritual warfare which we're going to touch on a little bit when we get to one Thessalonians.
So what happened? There's dependence over experience.
David was a highly skilled warrior, but he never let his expertise replace his dependence on God.
He was depending on God. The battle belongs to the Lord. He understood that concept.
So yesterday's strategy is not today's instruction.
God expects his people to seek fresh guidance for new seasons rather than copy pasting a formula from past success.
And I see that in my travels, where many, many gatherings have become spiritually insensitive to the presence of God because of the traditions that they've put in place.
And those traditions, whether they started out inspired by God or not, doesn't matter. But the fact is the Spirit's not present there.
They're relying on tradition. And what we're going to see is in this last days of the last days and perilous times.
My observations in my travels are that the church has lost it's discernment.
It can't discern when somebody new comes into the church. If they were sent there, separate unto me, Paul and Barnabas for the work that I have called unto them, or if they're sent in by the enemy, because the wolf in sheep's clothing, many people assume that's going to be somebody behind the pulpit, but they're in the congregation as well.
And there are people coming to our churches and observing, listening to the messages and then going back and praying against what each one of those churches or assemblies is attempting to do. The enemy knows how to do that. And we've lost that ability in the church to know how to do effective spiritual warfare.
[00:23:22] Speaker B: Unfortunately,
[00:23:25] Speaker A: the battle is the Lord's. Both strategies here they're different, but both required obedience.
The second battle vividly illustrates that God goes ahead of us to secure the victory. If you understand that. And this was an early message to me when I first went into the mission field, when Christ would repeatedly tell me, I'm Sending you and I'm going ahead of you to plow. I'm sending you to plow into rocky ground, Peter, but I'm going ahead of you. Just do what I say to do and remember what I did. In other words, remember my testimonies in the Bible.
So David King David is our first example.
Now I want to get back into the book of Acts and I did not know of this term until I researched it when I got back from Africa. But there is a phrase called the Macedonian call.
So this term, Macedonian call refers to a God given vision that directed the route Paul took on his second missionary journey.
He's being directed by the Holy Spirit.
This is recorded in Acts chapter 15, beginning with verse 39 through chapter 18 and ending with verse 22.
So Paul's plan was to visit and strengthen the churches he had planted in the Asian province of Galatia during his first journey, his first missionary journey, there were churches planted after that he hoped to take the gospel to unchurched regions.
That's one of the things apostles did back then, a true apostle. They went into areas to plant churches. They were preaching the gospel by the power of the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit is manifesting healings and miracles.
So if you see somebody with that title, you know what the definition, the biblical definition is an emissary or an ambassador of Christ sent by Christ to somewhere to preach the gospel. And when they do that, the evidence of that apostleship would be healings and miracles, the manifestation of those. Paul's going to talk about that and we'll see that in first Thessalonians when we get to it.
So after that, Paul hoped to take the gospel to unchurched regions. Paul and his companions at the time, Silas and Timothy, had plans to head directly west, but they were kept. Now I'm going to repeat, this is a scripture. This is Acts, chapter 16, verses 6 to 8.
Kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the Word in the province of Asia.
Now who kept them from going?
The Holy Spirit.
We can hear the voice of God clearly.
We can inquire as David did, He inquired of the Lord. But if we don't follow through with our questioning as to God's timing, we better have enough discernment, discerning of spirits to realize that God was closing a door here. What they thought they had to go do. Now, that doesn't mean they're in disobedience.
This is an example of them being sensitive to the Holy Spirit, the comforter, the helper, the Spirit of God, the power of God we see that in Acts 16, 6, 8.
So somehow the Holy Spirit made it clear to them at this point, plain to them, not to go southwest to the southwest portion of Asia Minor Minor.
They next tried heading north to Bithynia, located along the southern coast of the Black Sea. But again, the Spirit. This is Acts 16, 6, 7. The spirit of Jesus would not allow them to go there.
So the missionaries skirted the region of Mysia. Mysia and came to the seaport city of Troas.
So they're being led by the Spirit of God.
They're sensitive to the Spirit and they're following the timing that he lays out to them.
Now, I would say this doesn't necessarily mean that they're rogues out there going to do what they want, because when I go somewhere, I'm not given the whole picture. I just know I have to get to a certain place and then more is revealed to me.
So this makes sense to me, the way the Holy Spirit leads and guides me. Because I believe wholly that if I knew everything, I could get in the way of God achieving what he wanted to use me to do for whatever reasons he had there. I don't know those yet.
So it is evident by these scriptures that these early missionaries were sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit. And I want to repeat that it is evident by the Holy Scriptures that these early missionaries were sensitive to the leading and guiding of the Holy Spirit. This is what I don't see happening a lot in the church today.
I see people that are missionaries. They're going to where they always went, how they always did it.
And we're living in a time where you better have discerning of spirits and you better inquire of the Lord for your own safety, because the world is becoming more, more and more dangerous each day.
So as the Spirit closed doors, the missionaries continued to seek direction for their journey.
Now, after being redirected twice, Paul was at a standstill in Troas on the eastern coast of the Aegean Sea.
And there he received what we call the Macedonian call.
So during the night, this is Acts 16, chapter 16, verse 9. During the night, Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, come over to Macedonia and help us.
So this vision was the clear direction they needed.
Chapter 16, verse 10. After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. Acts 16:10.
So an interesting change of perspective occurs between verse 8 and verse 10. In verse 8, the narrative is written in the third party, they. But in verse 10, the first person, we.
So many think today that Luke had joined them and that he's the author of. Well, the Holy Spirit's the author. But that's why this changes into the singular, because at some point, Luke connected up with them.
So very important.
Paul obeyed the vision.
Now, when I ask of the Lord, when I inquire of the Lord, is it your will for me to go?
When he says, now, I am usually given, as the door opens, work to do, which, you know, I believe it's this set apart for me, Peter, for the work which I have called him to.
It's way more than a human being can do.
I don't even want to try to go do what I need to go do or what I've been instructed to do at that point.
So I will confirm that's a lot. Lord, is it your will for me to go do this?
And when he says yes, he always asks me a question, and the question starts with, but, but will you go do this?
And the minute that I open my mouth and say yes, he divinely downloads the messages into me.
Now, that doesn't mean that they're all printed out. It means I know what he wants to do in each message. But I can't stop pressing in. There's one door after another after another.
If I stopped there, I don't know what would happen.
But as I continue to follow the leading and guiding, as he's taking me step by step, I start to have dreams and visions like what Paul had, because I'm in obedience to him and I expect him to do this. Many of these visions are warnings. I'll see a building that I was never in, full of people.
And I see the response at the end of the preaching.
And then while I'm there, I recognize the building from the vision or the dream.
And when people get in the way of God's purpose, I was shown what God's will is. And at that point, I have to step away and say, lord, you can perceive my thoughts. That's not what you showed me. What should I do?
And he specifically tells me, walk up to the speaker that took the microphone and stand right by him. That's all he says. And when I get there, I'm realizing I'm now in his, what we call personal space. He's interrupted and he doesn't know what to do. And he says, brother, is there something you need to say? And what just comes out is, I need the microphone. I'm going to pray. Over the group as a whole and give them an opportunity to respond to the word of God.
And then at that point, I see what was in the vision.
So the vision could be a warning to not go somewhere. It could be some demonic thing that I'm now aware of. When I get to a certain place that has white beach sand, the Lord said, there's going to be layers of deception there. Layer after layer after layer. The enemy's going to come after you. Be aware. And as I now face circumstances with people that are under my care, other pastors that are traveling with me, and I'm looking at danger, it forces me to say, lord, these people are in my care.
Should I continue on or do I need to stop?
And when I hear him say, continue on, you need to get to where I want you to go, then I still know things are going to happen. But what happens is the people traveling with me at that point start to recognize there's God's here, but there's a person that he's on.
So we're going to get behind him and let him go first.
And when I saw that happening, I remembered the Lord said, whatever comes at you, make sure that those people are behind you because you're the one that I'm in front of.
So this is all real. It's very real. We just have to believe it and do it.
So during this time, What happened in Macedonia, we have the scriptures that talk about Lydia's conversion. Acts 16, verses 14 to 15, we have the deliverance of a fortune telling slave girl in chapter 16, verses 16 to 18, we have Paul and Silas imprisonment in Philippi in verses 16 to 28. We have the conversion of the jailer and his whole household in verses 29 to 34. And we have Paul's preaching in the Areopagus Pagus in athens in chapter 17, verses 16 to 34. These are just some of the highlights of his second missionary journey. That in the book of Acts we can see this is all in one chapter. Rolling into from 16 to 17.
And this is the kind of thing that if you hear God tell you to go do something, this is how fast things are going to happen. You're going to be walking in the spirit, led by the Spirit. And the miraculous is going to be an every hour event because you are in obedience to God.
You said yes, and now he's doing everything through you.
So five of the New Testament epistles were written in these churches through these areas.
Paul planted churches in response to this call.
Local bodies of believers in Philippi chapter 16, verse 40, Thessalonica, chapter 17, verse 4.
In Macedonia and in Corinth, near Achaia, chapter 18, verses 1 through 11.
So these churches that were planted played an important part in the growth of the early church.
Remember, separate me Paul and Barnabas, until unto the work that I have called them to do. Paul was separated out to go be the apostle to the Gentiles.
Now I want to get over to first Thessalonians a minute.
Now, interestingly enough, when I was on this trip, I was writing a daily journal and sending it to people back home that I knew well. There were several reasons. Some of them needed to be lifted up. They were discouraged because things that they were doing weren't. They didn't see the manifestation of God in it.
And we don't always see that. That doesn't mean they weren't doing what they were doing.
Sometimes you can be in an area and you are the one sent to plow into the rocky ground, and you'll never see what that did.
And you have to know that you hurt. You have to be content and be at peace knowing that you're where you're supposed to be in the time frame you're supposed to be there. And that's all we need to know. That's why we need to hear the voice of God and we need to follow the Spirit.
Now, this is a little bit of an offshoot here.
Paul was going to leave each of these areas. And when he left, grievous wolves in sheep's clothing was going to come into the church.
False prophets, false teachers.
Many times it was Jews trying to pull them back into the law.
But they were going to be stoned, they were beaten, they were imprisoned.
And he kept going. Paul kept going. In fact, he would write later, if I live, I live unto Christ.
If I die. Whether I die, I die unto Christ. Whether I live or die, I belong to Christ. I am Christ's. When I saw that scripture and I was asking God to send me on four missionary journeys, like he did to Paul, he showed me that scripture and he said, what do you think about that? And I meditated on it, and I thought, that is going to be what I live by.
Whether I live, I live unto Christ. Whether I die, I die unto Christ.
But I belong to Christ.
That's what Paul believed.
So in First Thessalonians, this is one of the churches that he planted during the Macedonian call that you just heard.
Verses 1 through 5 in the New King James version, the sectional heading is written, Paul's concern for their faith.
And you'll see that when you read these Scriptures, Paul had a concern for their faith.
In Hebrews, the author talks about a falling away from the faith to believers, true converts.
And then in the English Standard Version, the sectional heading reads Timothy's visit and report.
So when Paul was at Thessalonica, he had to leave abruptly because he was being persecuted.
It was an early church.
They didn't have time to be completely discipled, according to Paul. So he sends Timothy there to report on the condition of the church.
Timothy goes and he writes back to Paul. And that's going to generate part of this letter.
But I want to key in on two verses and then I'm going to read from my study notes.
Verse one. This is first Thessalonians, chapter three.
And I'm reading from the English Standard Version. Therefore, when we could bear it no longer, we were willing to be left behind at Athens alone.
And we sent Timothy, our brother and God's co worker in the Gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith that no one be moved by these afflictions. This is verse three. That no one be moved by these afflictions. Underline the word afflictions. We're going to talk about that in a minute. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this.
Notice he understands he's destined to do this.
For when we were with you, we kept telling you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction just as it has come to pass.
And just as you know, verse five, for this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you. Underline that the tempter had tempted you and our labor would be in vain. Now why would Paul the apostle to the Gentiles be worried about a church of true converts, faith, the condition of their faith, and talk about for fear that somehow the tempter, the devil, had tempted you and his labor would have been in vain.
Why would that be? That's something for you all to go look up and come about. Ask the Holy Spirit in prayer to reveal that to you.
And then in verses 6 through 10, this is Timothy's encouraging report.
But now that Timothy has come to us from you and has brought us the good news of your faith and love, and reported that you always remember us kindly and long to see us as we long to see you.
For this reason, brothers, in all our distress and affliction, we have been comforted about you through your faith. He's a true shepherd. He's comforted through their faith, the condition of their faith.
For now we live. If you are standing fast in the Lord, for what thanksgiving can we return to God for you? For all the joy that we feel for your sake before the Lord as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith.
I wonder what would happen to an assembly if two people were separated by the Holy Spirit to go do work there.
And then we look at verse 10 because they were to supply what is lacking in their faith and that assembly wouldn't receive them.
Wonder what would happen then.
One spirit, one body, many members.
Now that word afflictions.
And I want to move quickly here.
The followers of Christ must not regard trouble and persecution as alien to the Christian life.
Several months ago I heard somebody preaching a message to a large assembly. And they said Jesus didn't come. Jesus came that you would not have trials and tribulations. That seemed statement is unbiblical.
Now, there's two points here I want you to get a hold of.
Jesus said persecutions would come. If they hated me, they'll hate you.
Point number one, True believers who refuse to conform to the prevailing characteristics of the world will suffer tribulation.
A true believer who refuses to be conformed into the world, why would that be? Because you are being obedient to God's command. Be holy, for I am holy.
We saw that in verse 4, Acts 14:22, Romans 8:18, 2nd Timothy 3:12 and Matthew 5:10 will all confirm that.
And point 2, these trials must not be immediately identified as God's displeasure or judgment.
I'll repeat that. These trials must not be immediately identified or assumed as God's displeasure with you or judgment against you. And I'm telling you now, if you don't understand that, You're going to be in a world of hurt because the devil just convinced you to take your eyes away from God's purpose.
And rather than understanding that Christ finished it at the cross and that you have access to God's grace, His divine enablement, you're going to start mourning and seeking God to wonder what you did wrong. And he's waiting for you to ask for grace to walk through that and get on the other side of that trial and tribulation.
Sometimes it could be the shipwreck that Paul had in Rome.
Other times it could be just an hour's delay. But we have to hear from God and be led always by the Spirit.
You'll find Confirmation of what I just said in 1st Thessalonians 5, 9, Matthew 24:21, 2nd Thessalonians 1:6, and Revelation 3:10.
Now, the major point that I want to get to is verse five. The tempter had tempted you for this reason.
When I could bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith. He's worried about this church, this new church, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and our labor would be in vain.
This is the second time in this epistle, and we're only touching chapter three that Paul has referred to the activity of Satan in this letter.
The other one was in chapter two, verse 18.
So is he looking for the devil under every rock? No, but he's aware of the wiles of the devil.
The devil's aware of certain things.
The devil hates God, but he can't kill God, so he came to steal, kill and destroy God's people or God's purposes for them. And if he can deter you and distract you away from what God is trying to lead you, just like that Macedonian call, you're now veering to the left or the right of a narrow path he's trying to get you to walk on when you went through that straight gate.
So Paul personally knew the reality of Satan and evil spirits.
You can Confer Acts, chapter 16, verses 16 to 18, chapter 19, verses 13 to 16, Ephesians 2:2, Thessalonians 2:9. He's well aware of the activity of Satan and evil spirits.
That's why he would write in Ephesians, the armor of God.
So Paul personally knew the activity of Satan and evil spirits. And this is why we're talking about this being led. Are you being led by the Holy Spirit, or do you lack discernment? And you're being led by other spirits?
And I don't have time to get into it.
But there are familiar spirits.
I've seen them and I've heard them whisper to me.
And you need to rebuke that and get rid of them right away. You need to recognize where these are from.
So Paul personally knew the reality of Satan and evil spirits, as did Jesus Christ.
Matthew 13:39, Mark 3:14, 15, chapter 4, verse 15 in Mark, Luke 4:1, 13 and 33, 41. Now here's the point I want to make in my travels today.
Many no longer believe in the devil as a person, as a person or spiritual reality.
We're to have a personal relationship. You should know the person of God, our Father in heaven. You should know the person of Jesus Christ.
You should know the person of the Holy Spirit. For there are three that bear record in heaven. The Father, the Word and the Holy Ghost. And these three are one.
But we also need to recognize there is a person of the devil and he has a hierarchy of spirits, his minions, so to speak.
So oftentimes the devil is seldom mentioned, exposed or confronted directly in or by the church because the church can't recognize what spirits thereof.
Now, if you want to get a crash course in spiritual warfare, go to Africa.
These people grew up in a village with a witch doctor and they understand the spiritual realm is real.
What they need to do is see, see the spirit of God. The Dunamis power of God is more powerful than anything else there. Higher above all principality, power and might and dominion and above every name in this world and the one to come. All things are under his feet, Christ's feet. If you don't understand the authority that you have, you're going to be in trouble at some point. And the way the world is plummeting towards the end game, the end of the church age, those that survive are going to be those that discern what's happening. Because any church that winds up having a little bit of a move of God is going to experience the enemy coming in.
[00:56:20] Speaker B: Time's up.
[00:56:24] Speaker A: So the devil has successfully caused many to believe or act as if he is no longer a real enemy who takes people captive and that we need no longer drive out evil spirits as Jesus and the early New Testament believers did. When the glory of God begins to manifest, as it did at the crusade and in the house of God, the demonic is going to manifest and you got to deal with it. You take them aside silently and there's a thing, there's things that you need to do, but you need to do that.
I've seen this church in Africa grow to where they are now.
An army dealing with stuff the correct way as it comes, quickly, swiftly aside.
Many churches, I believe, I'll say I believe. Feel no need to challenge Satan directly with the power of God's kingdom.
These signs shall follow those that do believe.
So the kingdom of God advances by the confrontation with the powers of darkness and by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Darkness and light.
You were called out of the kingdom of darkness and translated into the kingdom of his dear son, Jesus Christ, the kingdom of light for the forgiveness of sins, even the forgiveness of sins. That's the redemption.
I'll close on that and we'll pick this up next week unless I get directed by the Holy Spirit. To go somewhere else. But we're going to continue in the Book of Acts.
If I have a different message or not the Book of Acts, we'll continue in Revelation.
I would like to finish the seven letters to the churches next week and then move on to some of the other topics and one of them will be true biblical salvation. And, and what does that mean for the believer?
So Father, I thank you that your words will not return empty.
Lord, those people that you have listened to this message that are pricked in their hearts, I pray that you lead them to a house of God, a house of prayer where you know they need to be.
And those offended by the message, because there are many offended, I pray that you soften their hearts and speak to them too, that the offense doesn't take root into bitterness and that they're not lost.
As Paul said, he was concerned over their faith, lest the enemy would come in and pull them away.
So I thank you for the opportunity given by Community Media to be here tonight.
Lord, I ask you to open heaven's gate storehouse and bless that ministry.
And I bless those people that heard the message and that are led by the Spirit in Jesus name, Amen.
[01:00:02] Speaker C: Holy, holy, holy.
Lord God almighty.
