THE WATCHMEN | Apostle Kemi Searcy | 10.30.22

 THE WATCHMEN

Ezekiel 33:1-9

1 The word of the LORD came to me: 

2  “Son of man, speak to your people and say to them, If I bring the sword upon a land, and the

people of the land take a man from among them, and make him their watchman, 

3  and if he sees the sword coming upon the land and blows the trumpet and warns the people, 

4  then if anyone who hears the sound of the trumpet does not take warning, and the sword comes

and takes him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. 

5  He heard the sound of the trumpet and did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself.

But if he had taken warning, he would have saved his life. 

6  But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that the people

are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any one of them, that person is taken away in

his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.

7 So you, son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a

word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me.

8 If I say to the wicked, O wicked one, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the

wicked to turn from his way, that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will

require at your hand.

9 But if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, that person

shall die in his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul.

God reviews Ezekiel's call to be a watchman for the nation as first established in Chapter 3.

As a watchman at the City Gate, he was personally responsible for warning the Inhabitants of

an enemy’s threats, and God’s impending doom and encourage repentance, in order to relieve

himself of blame.

I. YOU ARE A WATCHMAN

Call is of no private interpretation.

We must accept the God-given task of calling others to live justly and return to a right

relationship with God.

Job description of a Watchman is to:

Sound the Alarm – What You Hearing – What You Seeing

II. YOU CAN NO LONGER BE PASSIVE

Ezekiel 33:6

6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that the

people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any one of them, that person is

taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.

COMPEL

Luke 14:23-24

23 Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and

compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. 

24  For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.’”

PERSUADE

II Corinthians 5:11

11 Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known

to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences.

PLEAD

II Corinthians 5:20-21

20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us:

we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. 

21  For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the

righteousness of God in Him.

GALVANIZE

Shock or excite (someone) into taking action.

III. CONSIDER YOURSELF

Another word for galvanize:

Coat - (iron or steel) with a protective layer of Zink, to prevent rusting

Jude 1:22-23

22 And on some have compassion,  [j] making a distinction; 

23  but others save  [k] with fear, pulling them out of the  [l] fire, hating even the garment

defiled by the flesh.

II Corinthians 13:5

5 Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not

know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? —unless indeed you are disqualified –

Reprobate

IV. OVERCOMERS CROWN

Heavenly Reward

a. Crown of Righteousness – II Timothy 4:8

b. Incorruptible crown - II Corinthians 9:25

c. Crown of life - James 1:12

d. Crown of glory - I Peter 5:2

e. Crown of Rejoicing –

I Thessalonians 2:19

19 For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence

of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?

Daniel 12:3

3 Those who are wise shall shine Like the brightness of the firmament, and those who

turn many to righteousness Like the stars forever and ever.

Here And Now

Matthew 19:27-29

27 Then Peter answered and said to Him, “See, we have left all and followed You.

Therefore what shall we have?”

28  So Jesus said to them, “Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of

Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve

thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 

29  And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother  [h] or wife or

children or  [i] lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal

life. 

John 15:16

16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear

fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He

may give you.

The Profit of God | Pastor Tre Townsley | 9 am

The Profit of God

 Accountable: To be completely responsible for what one does and able to

give a satisfactory reason for it

 One major reason for the push to disprove the existence of God is to be

free from accountability to anyone

 The appeal of adulthood is to be free from the accountability to parents

I. Accountability in the Scriptures

A. Belshazzar

Daniel 5:24-27 24  Then the fingers of the hand were sent from Him, and

this writing was written. 25  “And this is the inscription that was written:

MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. 26  This is the interpretation

of each word. MENE: God has numbered your kingdom, and finished

it;  27  TEKEL: You have been weighed in the balances, and found

wanting

B. God’s Word

1. Spoken word

Isaiah 55:10-11 10  “For as the rain comes down, and the snow from

heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it

bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to

the eater, 11  So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It

shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please,

And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

2. Jesus, the Incarnate Word

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with

God, and the Word was God.

John 6:38-39(a)   For I have come down from heaven, not to do My

own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.  39  This is the will of the

Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose

nothing

John 16:28   I came forth from the Father and have come into the

world. Again, I leave the world and go to the Father.

John 17:12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your

name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them

is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be

fulfilled.

C. All creation

Hebrews 4:13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all

things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must

give account.

D. Man

Matthew 12:36   But I say to you that for every idle word men may

speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.

II. The Expectation of the Steward

A. Production

Matthew 25:14-30 14  “For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling

to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods

to them.  15  And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to

another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately

he went on a journey.  16  Then he who had received the five talents went

and traded with them, and made another five talents.  17  And likewise he

who had received two gained two more also.  18  But he who had

received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s

money.  19  After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled

accounts with them.

20  “So he who had received five talents came and brought five other

talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have

gained five more talents besides them.’  21  His lord said to him,

‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few

things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your

lord.’  22  He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you

delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents

besides them.’  23  His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful

servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler

over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’

24  “Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I

knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and

gathering where you have not scattered seed.  25  And I was afraid, and

went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what

is yours.’

26  “But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant,

you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have

not scattered seed.  27  So you ought to have deposited my money with

the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own

with interest.  28  So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has

ten talents.

29  ‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have

abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be

taken away.  30  And cast the unprofitable (achreios) servant into the

outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

B. Profit

Luke 17:7-10 7  And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending

sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at

once and sit down to eat’?  8  But will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare

something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have

eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink’?  9  Does he thank

that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I

think not.  10  So likewise you, when you have done all those things which

you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable (achreios) servants.

We have done what was our duty to do.’ ”

 My profitability can not be measured by the performance of others

Luke 18:9-14 9  Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in

themselves that they were righteous, and despised

others:  10  “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a

Pharisee and the other a tax collector.  11  The Pharisee stood and

prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like

other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax

collector.  12  I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I

possess.’  13  And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so

much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying,

‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’  14  I tell you, this man went

down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone

who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles

himself will be exalted.”

III. In Light of These Things…

A. Know the Investment

1. The investment common to all

1 John 2:2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not

for ours only but also for the whole world.

2. The individual investment

 Time

 Talents

 Abilities

 Money

B. Give Account to Oneself (regularly)

1 Corinthians 9:27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection,

lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should

become disqualified.

“Winning is not a sometime thing, it’s an all the time thing. You don’t

win once in a while. You don’t do things right once in a while—you do

them right all the time. Winning is a habit. Unfortunately, so is losing…”

Vince Lombardi

ACTS 28 Chapter 14 | Bishop Kyle Searcy | 9am

ACTS 28 Chapter 14

Now it happened in Iconium that they went together to the synagogue of the Jews, and so

spoke that a great multitude both of the Jews and of the Greeks believed. 2  But the unbelieving

Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brethren. 3  Therefore they

stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in the Lord, who was bearing witness to the word of

His grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.

4  But the multitude of the city was divided: part sided with the Jews, and part with the apostles.

5  And when a violent attempt was made by both the Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to

abuse and stone them, 6  they became aware of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of

Lycaonia, and to the surrounding region. 7  And they were preaching the gospel there. 8  And in

Lystra a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting, a cripple from his mother’s womb,

who had never walked. 9  This man heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently and seeing

that he had faith to be healed, 10  said with a loud voice, “Stand up straight on your feet!” And he

leaped and walked. 11  Now when the people saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices,

saying in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!”

12  And Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. 13  Then

the priest of Zeus, whose temple was in front of their city, brought oxen and garlands to the

gates, intending to sacrifice with the multitudes.

14  But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard this, they tore their clothes and ran in among

the multitude, crying out 15  and saying, “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men

with the same nature as you, and preach to you that you should turn from these useless things

to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them,

16  who in bygone generations allowed all nations to walk in their own ways. 17  Nevertheless He

did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and

fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.” 18  And with these sayings they could

scarcely restrain the multitudes from sacrificing to them.

19  Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there; and having persuaded the multitudes, they

stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. 20  However, when the

disciples gathered around him, he rose up and went into the city. And the next day he

departed with Barnabas to Derbe.

21  And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned

to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, 22  strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to

continue in the faith, and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of

God.” 23  So when they had appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they

commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

24  And after they had passed through Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia. 25  Now when they had

preached the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia. 26  From there they sailed to Antioch,

where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work which they had completed.

27  Now when they had come and gathered the church together, they reported all that God

had done with them, and that He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. 28  So they stayed

there a long time with the disciples.

I. SPEAKING BOLDLY WITH SIGNS AND WONDERS

Acts 14:1-3

Now it happened in Iconium that they went together to the synagogue of the Jews,

and so spoke that a great multitude both of the Jews and of the Greeks believed.

2  But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against

the brethren. 3  Therefore they stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in the Lord,

who was bearing witness to the word of His grace, granting signs and wonders to

be done by their hands.

II. WISDOM

Acts 14:4-7

But the multitude of the city was divided: part sided with the Jews, and part with the

apostles. 5  And when a violent attempt was made by both the Gentiles and Jews,

with their rulers, to abuse and stone them, 6  they became aware of it and fled to

Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding region. 7  And they were

preaching the gospel there.

III. THE POWER OF FAITH IN RECEIVING HEALING

Acts 14:9-10

And in Lystra a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting, a cripple from his

mother’s womb, who had never walked. 9  This man heard Paul speaking. Paul,

observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed, 10  said with a loud

voice, “Stand up straight on your feet!” And he leaped and walked.

IV. THE BLESSING AND BOUNDARIES OF HONOR

Acts 14:11-18

  Now when the people saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices, saying in

the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!”

12  And Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief

speaker. 13  Then the priest of Zeus, whose temple was in front of their city, brought

oxen and garlands to the gates, intending to sacrifice with the multitudes. 14  But

when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard this, they tore their clothes and ran in

among the multitude, crying out 15  and saying, “Men, why are you doing these

things? We also are men with the same nature as you, and preach to you that you

should turn from these useless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the

earth, the sea, and all things that are in them, 16  who in bygone generations allowed

all nations to walk in their own ways. 17  Nevertheless He did not leave Himself

without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons,

filling our hearts with food and gladness.” 18  And with these sayings they could

scarcely restrain the multitudes from sacrificing to them.

1 Peter 2:17

Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.

1 Cor 13:54-58

When He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that

they were astonished and said, “Where did this Man get this wisdom and these

mighty works? 55  Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And

His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? 56  And His sisters, are they not all with

us? Where then did this Man get all these things?” 57  So they were offended at Him.

But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country

and in his own house.” 58  Now He did not do many mighty works there because of

their unbelief.

V. THE DELIVERANCE OF GOD

Acts 14:19-20

Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there; and having persuaded the

multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be

dead. 20  However, when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up and went into

the city. And the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe.

1. He delivers us from some things

2. He delivers us in the Midst of some things

3. He delivers us from the consequences of some things we must fully endure

 He got up when the disciples gathered around him

VI. EVANGELISM THEN DISCIPLESHIP

Acts 14:21-23

And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they

returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, 22  strengthening the souls of the disciples,

exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, “We must through many

tribulations enter the kingdom of God.” 23  So when they had appointed elders in

every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom

they had believed.

VII. END OF FIRST MISSIONARY JOURNEY

Acts 14:24-28

And after they had passed through Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia. 25  Now when

they had preached the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia. 26  From there they

sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the

work which they had completed. 27  Now when they had come and gathered the

church together, they reported all that God had done with them, and that He had

opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. 28  So they stayed there a long time with the

disciples.

How Then Shall We Live | Chris Searcy | 9am

How Then Shall We Live?

Living a Godly live in an ungodly culture.

Matthew 22:44

44You also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect...

How then shall we live, while here in this temporary training ground?

Matthew 24:45-51

45 “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the

servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? 46 It will be good for that

servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. 47 Truly I tell you, he will put him in

charge of all his possessions. 48 But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My

master is staying away a long time,’ 49 and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to

eat and drink with drunkards. 50 The master of that servant will come on a day when he does

not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. 51 He will cut him to pieces and assign him a

place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Matthew 24 talks about the signs that will foreshadow the second coming of Yahweh.

He ends by admonishing them on how they should live through a parable.

The faithful and wise servant and the wicked servant are used as a roadmap for how the

Christian should live.

The faithful and wise servant is given a task by his master while he is away, it is to feed the

servants. When the master comes back and finds that that servant did and continued to do

everything he asked the master puts him in charge of all his possessions.

However, the wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ and he

then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. The master of that

servant will come on a day when he does not expect him He will cut him to pieces and assign

him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

The faithful servant sets his heart to obey his master.

The wicked servant starts out a good servant. My master is staying away a long time,’ and he

then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards.

Meaning that what he knew to do, he failed to do because he allowed the culture around him

and his inward darkness to take him away from obedience to his master.

“Culture is essentially the byproduct and consequence of human interaction within agreed

upon groups and subgroups.” - Chris Searcy

The bible makes it very clear what the culture of man kind will look like before the coming of

Christ.

2 Timothy 3:1-5

1But understand this: In the last days terrible times will come. 2For men will be lovers of

themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents,

ungrateful, unholy, 3unloving, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, without love

of good, 4traitorous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5having

a form of godliness but denying its power.

“Will we be like the faithful and wise servant who says no matter what is going on around me I

will obey my master. I will be faithful to the God who gave his life on Calvary for me!”

Matthew. 25:1-4, 8

1 Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out

to meet the bridegroom. 2 Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3 Those who

were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took oil...8 The foolish

said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’

In this parable, Jesus’ warning is that the wise can become foolish if they neglect following

Christ.

Romans 12:1-2

1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a

living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be

conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove

what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

1. Present your bodies a living sacrifice holy, acceptable to God: _Give your members____

This is the language of worship from the Old Testament. In coming to God, the worshiper

brought a sheep or a bull or a pigeon and sacrificed it on the altar as an offering to God. There

were different kinds of sacrifices but at the heart of it was that sin demanded punishment, and

the slain animal represented God’s willingness to accept a substitute so that the worshiper

might live and have an ongoing relationship of forgiveness and joy with God.

Romans 6:13

13 Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present

yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to

God as instruments for righteousness.

Present a living holy body to God” means give your members — your eyes, your tongue, your

hands and feet — give your body to do righteousness, not sin. That’s what would make a body

holy. A body is holy not because of what it looks like, or what shape it’s in, but because of what

it does.

2. Be transformed by the renewing of your mind. __Read the Word______

We are transformed by changing how we think. It begins by knowing what God is like and who

we are in Christ through the word of God.

2 Corinthians 10:4-5

4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down

strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the

knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.

3. Prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. _Growing in

discernment_

Apply biblical truth to new situations that may or may not be explicitly addressed in the Bible,

unto the renewing of the mind.

Ex. Ginger calling me at 30 asking how to tie her shoe.

The Bible does not tell you which person to marry, or which car to drive, or whether to own a

home, where you take your vacation, what cell phone plan to buy, or which brand of orange

juice to drink. It gives you the tools to renew your mind that you may prove what is that good

and acceptable and perfect will of God.

As we become renewed the manifestation of our lives will be good acceptable and perfect. And

we will be like the faithful and wise servant that did his masters will unto his return.

The Antioch Model | Bishop Kyle Searcy | 9am

ACTS 28

Chapter 13

The Antioch Model

1 Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas,

Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod

the tetrarch, and Saul.

2  As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas

and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”

3  Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.

4  So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to

Cyprus.

5  And when they arrived in Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the

Jews. They also had John as their assistant.

6  Now when they had gone through the island to Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false

prophet, a Jew whose name was Bar-Jesus,

7  who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. This man called for Barnabas

and Saul and sought to hear the word of God.

8  But Elymas the sorcerer (for so his name is translated) withstood them, seeking to turn the

proconsul away from the faith.

9  Then Saul, who also is called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him

10  and said, “O full of all deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all

righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord?

11  And now, indeed, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you shall be blind, not seeing the sun

for a time.” And immediately a dark mist fell on him, and he went around seeking someone to

lead him by the hand.

12  Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had been done, being astonished at the

teaching of the Lord.

13  Now when Paul and his party set sail from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia; and

John, departing from them, returned to Jerusalem.

14  But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the

synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down.

15  And after the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them,

saying, “Men and brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say on.”

16  Then Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said, “Men of Israel, and you who fear God,

listen:

17  The God of this people Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they dwelt as

strangers in the land of Egypt, and with an uplifted arm He brought them out of it.

18  Now for a time of about forty years He put up with their ways in the wilderness.

19  And when He had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, He distributed their land to

them by allotment.

20  “After that He gave them judges for about four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the

prophet.

21  And afterward they asked for a king; so God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe

of Benjamin, for forty years.

22  And when He had removed him, He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave

testimony and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do

all My will.’

23  From this man’s seed, according to the promise, God raised up for Israel a

Savior—Jesus— 24  after John had first preached, before His coming, the baptism of repentance to

all the people of Israel.

25  And as John was finishing his course, he said, ‘Who do you think I am? I am not He. But

behold, there comes One after me, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to loose.’

26  “Men and brethren, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to

you the word of this salvation has been sent.

27  For those who dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they did not know Him, nor even

the voices of the Prophets which are read every Sabbath, have fulfilled them in condemning

Him. 28  And though they found no cause for death in Him, they asked Pilate that He should be

put to death.

29  Now when they had fulfilled all that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from

the tree and laid Him in a tomb.

30  But God raised Him from the dead.

31  He was seen for many days by those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who

are His witnesses to the people.

32  And we declare to you glad tidings—that promise which was made to the fathers.

33  God has fulfilled this for us their children, in that He has raised up Jesus. As it is also written in

the second Psalm: ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.’

34  And that He raised Him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, He has spoken thus: ‘I

will give you the sure mercies of David.

35  Therefore He also says in another Psalm: ‘You will not allow Your Holy One to see corruption.’

36  “For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep, was buried

with his fathers, and saw corruption;

37  but He whom God raised up saw no corruption.

38  Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man is preached to you the

forgiveness of sins;

39  and by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be

justified by the law of Moses.

40  Beware therefore, lest what has been spoken in the prophets come upon you:

41 ‘Behold, you despisers, Marvel and perish! For I work a work in your days, A work which you

will by no means believe, though one were to declare it to you.’”

42  So when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be

preached to them the next Sabbath.

43  Now when the congregation had broken up, many of the Jews and devout proselytes followed

Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.

44  On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God.

45  But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy; and contradicting and

blaspheming, they opposed the things spoken by Paul.

46  Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, “It was necessary that the word of God should be

spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life,

behold, we turn to the Gentiles.

47  For so the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, that you should

be for salvation to the ends of the earth.’”

48  Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as

many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.

49  And the word of the Lord was being spread throughout all the region.

50  But the Jews stirred up the devout and prominent women and the chief men of the city,

raised up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region.

51  But they shook off the dust from their feet against them, and came to Iconium.

52  And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit

I. THE ANTIOCH CHURCH

1. The Diversity

Barnabas - was a Jew from Cyprus (4:36).

Simeon was also a Jew, (Niger) dark complexion possibly Simon of Cyrene who

carried Christ’s cross (Matthew. 27:32; Mark 15:21),

Lucius was from Cyrene in North Africa (cf. Acts 11:20).

Manaen - had high contacts had been with Herod Antipas, who beheaded John

the Baptist

Saul, a Jew trained in Rabbinical schools.

2. The Duties

Ministry to the Lord and Fasting…

Fasted again to lay hands on them…

3. The Holy Spirit and Missions

Acts 13:2

…“Now separate to me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called

them”

First Missionary Journey

Approximately 122 miles. Between 6 to 9 months

II. PAUL’S MESSAGE

1. History unto King David from whose seed God promised the Messiah would

come.

Acts 13:23

23  From this man’s seed, according to the promise, God raised up for Israel a

Savior—Jesus

2. John the Baptist as a witness

Acts 13:24-25

24  after John had first preached, before His coming, the baptism of repentance to

all the people of Israel.

25  And as John was finishing his course, he said, ‘Who do you think I am? I am not

He. But behold, there comes One after me, the sandals of whose feet I am not

worthy to loose.’

3. He was crucified and raised from the dead

Acts 13:26-30

26  “Men and brethren, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who

fear God, to you the word of this salvation has been sent.

27  For those who dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they did not know

Him, nor even the voices of the Prophets which are read every Sabbath, have

fulfilled them in condemning Him.

28  And though they found no cause for death in Him, they asked Pilate that He

should be put to death.

29  Now when they had fulfilled all that was written concerning Him, they took Him

down from the tree and laid Him in a tomb.

30  But God raised Him from the dead

4. Many saw Him alive

Acts 13:31

31  He was seen for many days by those who came up with Him from Galilee to

Jerusalem, who are His witnesses to the people

5. Jesus will never die again

Acts 13:34-35

34  And that He raised Him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, He has

spoken thus: ‘I will give you the sure mercies of David.

35  Therefore He also says in another Psalm: ‘You will not allow Your Holy One to

see corruption.’

6. You must receive Jesus and a warning not to reject Him

Acts 13:38-41

38  Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man is preached to

you the forgiveness of sins;

39  and by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you

could not be justified by the law of Moses.

40  Beware therefore, lest what has been spoken in the prophets come upon you:

41 ‘Behold, you despisers, Marvel and perish! For I work a work in your days, A

work which you will by no means believe, though one were to declare it to you.’”

a work in your days, A work which you will by no means believe, though one were

to declare it to you.’”

III. OPPOSITION TO THE GOSPEL

Acts 13:6-12

6  Now when they had gone through the island to Paphos, they found a certain

sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew whose name was Bar-Jesus,

7  who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. This man called

for Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God.

8  But Elymas the sorcerer (for so his name is translated) withstood them, seeking to

turn the proconsul away from the faith.

9  Then Saul, who also is called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him

10  and said, “O full of all deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all

righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord?

11  And now, indeed, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you shall be blind, not

seeing the sun for a time.” And immediately a dark mist fell on him, and he went

around seeking someone to lead him by the hand.

12  Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had been done, being astonished

at the teaching of the Lord.

 proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man – Intelligent but not spiritually

discerning

 Paul would witness to the small and great…

 What you go though is what you carry. Paul was struck blind when he was

persecuting Christians

Characteristics of False Prophets

1. They prophesy for financial gain

2. They use their influence to draw people to themselves not the bible

3. They put extra-biblical revelation on par with the bible

4. They prophesy out of a demonic spirit but make you believe it is from the

Lord

5. They prophesy to people based on info they receive on social media or from

other sources

6. Their lives produce bad or rotten fruit

7. They are usually immoral

IV. THE DANGER OF ENVY

Acts 13:44-51

44  On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God.

45  But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy; and

contradicting and blaspheming, they opposed the things spoken by Paul.

46 Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said “It was necessary that the word of God

should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy

of everlasting life, behold we turn to the Gentiles.

47 For so the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, that

you should be for salvation to the ends of they earth.’ “

48  Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the

Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed. 49  And the word of

the Lord was being spread throughout all the region. 50  But the Jews stirred up the

devout and prominent women and the chief men of the city, raised up persecution

against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region. 51  But they shook off

the dust from their feet against them, and came to Iconium.

Almost all persecution in the bible came from Envy included killing Jesus.

Envy results from feelings of or fear of displacement.

V. JOY AND THE HOLY SPIRIT

Acts 13:51-52

51  But they shook off the dust from their feet against them, and came to Iconium.

52  And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit