# Just keep serving

October 23, 2025

This is Paul’s first missionary journey. And you remember last week we talked about how he was sent out of Antioch. We have a…

A little picture. If you put that picture up there, Brother Josh, I’m going to turn off some of these lights here. And this is typically the pictures you’ll see when they’re talking about Paul’s first missionary journey. And remember, he was sent out of Antioch, all right? This is Antioch of Syria. It’s not Antioch, Tennessee. I know some of you are thinking that, you know. But you can kind of think of that. There are different locations. Up here’s another Antioch. Bessidia. And this is Antioch of Syria. I heard someone mention here recently. I think it’s 47 states has a Columbus city in it. You look that up. A little bit like that.

They left Antioch. Remember the church sent them out. And we’re praying. I hope you are praying for the Lord to send them missionary or missionaries out of our church. And they left Antioch. Then they went to… or Solution up. I really doesn’t say anything about that. Maybe there’s just a coastal town they were leaving from. Then they went down to the island of Cyprus. And they kind of, they went through the whole island. And they started over here in Salamis. And the Bible doesn’t say a whole lot about that, but they made their way. They preached to the synagogue there, but they made the way through the island. And when they came down here to Paphos, remember, that’s where the deputy of the country was. And remember the sorcerer, Elamace, he was stood them, and Paul preached at him and proclaimed he’d get blind, and he did get blind, and then the deputy got saved. All that happened there in Pathos, and then from there they went up here, up into Perga.

Oh, this is Asia Minor. We’ve got the seven churches of Asia Minor, the book of Revelation. But they went to Perga right there. Now, in Perga, the Bible tells us a little bit just to touch. The main thing about that, that’s where John Mark left. All right. He was part of the missionary team. And maybe because of the, maybe because what happened here and the sorcerers after him, I don’t know, or just, there’s a little bit of a hint about it later on. We’ll study it, but I’m getting ahead of myself. But he leaves. Just want you to kind of notice that. He leaves. John Mark does there.

And then they go from Perga, Perga, up into Antioch, a basidium, all right? This was not mentioned near as much in the Bible. This Antioch has really becomes a revival hub. And it kind of replaces. Oh, I wouldn’t say replaces. But Jerusalem was really with a hub in some ways. And now Antioch is the center. They’re sending missionaries out. And they end up here in Antioch for a while. And God just blesses it a great way in Antioch. Remember that’s when they went to synagogue and they preached. And some of them wanted to come back. They came back the next Sabbath day. I don’t think they’re going to go to the worship, but they’re going to preach the gospel of the Bible list that many times. That’s where the Jewish people would go. It goes to a great opportunity to witness. And they go there. Remember that first time they opened the floor. Anybody want to talk? Don’t do that with a preacher. Paul said, man, you want to talk? Hey, I’m going, you know. And he preached in him. The next Saturday, Sabbath day, they show up in the whole city’s there. Man, it’s awesome. The place is packed out. Can’t fit them all in there. I mean, people had to wait. I don’t know, but maybe people had to wait outside. I mean, just, it’s awesome. And people are hearing, people are getting saved. It’s a wonderful, wonderful thing that happens.

And remember, certain of the Jewish people, what happened? One word, what happened? They got envious. And last one is that we spent the majority of our time talking about envy. I want a harmful tool in the devil, but the devil loves to use envy. And he uses envy, and boy, they stir up people and problems. And really, they get Paul and Barnabas kicked out of the city. And they take off and they enter into, let’s see if I got this thing, where are we at here? They enter into Iconium over here.

All right. Now we’re in chapter 14. Let’s just read a couple of verses about this. Chapter 14. Look at verse number one. And it came to pass in Iconium that they went both together into the synagogue of the Jews and so spake that a great multitude both of the Jews and also the Greeks believed. But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and made their minds evil affected against the brethren. That’s interesting. I wonder what tactic they used. They made their minds evil effect toward. I wonder if they said, man, they’re fanatics. I mean, religions, you know, Christianity, you know, but these people are just fanatical. They’re over the top. Going to synagogues and preaching. I mean, what in the world? I mean, everybody knows. They’re like, this is like a circus show. Maybe they use the tactics where they’re not intelligent. They’re kind of the podunk, ignorant people. Everybody knows you don’t go in a synagogue and say all this. I don’t know what all kind of tactics they use. But somehow they affected the people. Maybe they said, well, it’s all right what they’re saying, but there’s better ways to do this. Just witnessing on the job site, you know. Every family reunion they come to, they witness to somebody. You know what I’m going. But they somehow, they evil affected the minds of these people against the brother. What amazing. I would be curious when we get to heaven to find out what all they were saying about those missionaries. It probably, whether it was true or not, who knows, probably wasn’t, but it worked.

And it evil affected the people towards the brotherhood to the point that they were going to kill them. Paul and Marnumus learned about the plot, and they said, hey, they’re trying to kill us, and so they left town. Now, think about it, they got kicked out of Antioch already, and now they get kicked out of Iconia. How’d you feel if you’re a missionary and you get kicked out of places? That’s what’s going on. Let’s find out after this, after Iconium, they left. They went over to Listeria, and right down here, Listerra, from Iconen down to Listera. And down there, there was a crippled man. He was crippled from the time he was born. We don’t know how old this man is. But he never could walk. And God uses Paul to heal this man. It’s amazing.

And boy, when the people saw that, they thought, wow, that’s a miracle. These men are gods come down to earth. And to begin, they were going to worship Paul and Barnabas. This is an amazing thing to me. I don’t know exactly the lapse of time, but they’re going to worship them. And then some Jews over here from Antioch come down. And they make the way over to Listera, and they begin to spread more rumors. Remember the envious people. And they travel. I mean, sometimes when people are just bent on destroying you, maybe someone on YouTube or Facebook or whatever, they’re just going to go after you. That’s kind of way they’re following them. And the amazing thing to me is the group of people at one point, they’re going to worship them. They brought the garland out and the sacrifice. They’re going to worship Paul. And Paul and Martin running, hey, don’t do that. We’re a sinner. We’re messed up just like you, you know. But then a day or two later, I’m not sure how much lapse of time those same people that wanted to worship them are now going to kill them. By they be careful of it going by a popular opinion it’s amazing how quickly people can turn one day they love you the next day who look out man i mean be careful about the polls who cares what the polls say well i want to know what god says you know.

And, but boy, they just flip and they turn on them. It’s amazing. And in fact, let’s look at it and see, look down, this is amazing. Look down in verse number 19. Same city. And looks at what happens. Verse number 19. And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium who persuaded the people. By the way, nowadays it don’t have to be truth. It just has to be persuasive. I’m telling you what, on social media for sure. By the way, I fear sometimes we’re getting where we can debate and whatnot on social media, but we can’t do one-to-one person to person. We can’t even talk. We’re losing some of that. But anyway, they’re persuasive. They’re persuasive. And look what happens. Who persuaded the people and having stoned. Paul drew him out of the city supposing he had been dead. Wow.

I mean, it’s to the point that these people that were taking these big boulders, these big rocks, and just, just as hard as they could, just, just, just, just, hit him on the head and everywhere else. And Paul’s laying there a bloody mess. I never forget years ago, we had a, before we had dumpsters back here, we had just trash cans. And we had a possum getting one of, we had the larger trash, and the possum got one of the larger trash cans. And me and my son, Sini, you’re going to think I’m an animal hater. I am with a dumper trash over and over again and I’ve got to clean it up at my, I am a little bit there, you know. But anyway, we, that possums in there, he couldn’t get out. And, man, we and my son, we had a little bit of a field day. And we thought that guy’s dead, man, he’s gone. I mean, you know, just, there ain’t the way that guy lived through that. I said, I don’t let the guy go. He’s dead anyway, you know. Man, we flipped that trash down over. Boom, he took off his gall, man. He still had a lot of life left in him. Those guys are tough. And I heard one guy talk. I don’t know if it’s true or not, so I’m preaching. I can tell him either way, you know, but he said he ran over one and he walked away. I don’t know. Run over his head is what he said. But those guys are tough. But Paul, my daughter’s like, Dad, did you have to tell that story? But, uh, Paul, they left him there for dead. And they drug him outside the sea. Like you drag a piece of trash out. And drug him outside the city for dead. Kind of a sad thing.

Now, let me just stop for a second here and can I give you some pastor pollology? What I think happened. Look over, if you would, in 2nd Corinthians chapter number 12. 2nd Corinthians chapter number 12 nothing to argue over I mean they can be wrong if they want to be but look over here in chapter number 12 I think Paul that by the way the timeline 14 years later is here in 2nd Corinthians 12 so the timeline adds up it would be right.

And look what he says, 2nd Corinthians chapter number 12. Look at verse number one, would you please here? It is not expedient for me, doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. I knew a man in Christ above 14 years ago. Well, that would line up with Listera. If you try the best you can to timeline, it would be 14 years ago. Whether in the body. I cannot tell, or whether out of the body, I cannot tell God knoweth. I think he’s saying whether the guy was dead or alive, I’m not sure. I think he’s told him about himself. He talks about glory and went up to heaven. Why would it, if it was somebody else, why would he, you know, battle being proud about it. But he said, whether in the body, out of the body, I can’t, I don’t know if I was dead or alive. Have you ever heard about people hanging in between death and life? Used to hear it more. Nowadays, they give them so much morphine in things and drugs. Used to hear more about when people were dying, they would talk about, you know, I see so-and-sour, see my mom or I see the Lord and all these things looking into heaven.

And I think that’s where Paul was. He said, this guy here, I think he’s referenced back to bite himself when he was drug out of the city for dead. He said, whether he’s dead or alive, who knows? What’s what it says there in the bottom of verse number two? Such and one called up to the third heaven. That’s the abode of God. And I knew such a man, whether in the body or out of the body, I cannot tell. God knows how that he was called up into paradise and heard unspeakable words which it is not lawful for a man to utter of such an one will I glory yet of myself I will not glory but of mine infirmities for though I would desire to glory I shall not be a fool for I will say the truth but now I forbear lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be or that he he heareth of me unless I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelation, that’s why I think it was Paul talking about him. He was doing third person trying to be kind of distant from him. He didn’t want to be proud. I got this, I went to heaven and all that. But why would he have to have a thorn in the flesh to keep him humble if it wasn’t him? I think it’s about himself. And verse number seven, through the abundance of the revelation, there was given to me a thorn of the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. You know the rest of the story. He was all the Lord thrice. Lord said, my grace is sufficient for the, my strength and made perfect in weakness. I think he’s referencing back over here to Listra, where he’s stoned, and they thought the guy’s dead. And they drug him outside the city walls and left him for death. By the way, he may have been dead. It’s kind of hanging in between life and death. They just beat him to a pulp. Drug him out there, that’s when he went to the third heaven.

By that’s interesting, you used to hear more stories about people that are lost as they’re dying and saying it’s getting hot on the screens. There’s plenty of books and things out about all that. It’s amazing. I was kind of hoping my dad maybe, you know, as he was dying, he could catch a glimpse, but he was on so much medicine. And that’s typically the way it is now. So you don’t hear quite as many stories about that. But I think it’s a biblical thing. I think that’s what’s happened to Paul here. But here’s the amazing thing about it. Look here. Oh, let’s go back to chapter 14, chapter 14. And oh, look in verse number 20, how be it, Acts 14, 20, how be it as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up.

I think Paul is laying there in just a pull of blood, half dead, half alive, who knows, and they’re standing around and just weeping and sobbing. I’d imagine some of them’s praying. God heard those prayers. I don’t think it was Paul’s own strength. The guy’s about dead. I mean, I mean, my wife works the ER one day a week and, you know, usually they’re about dead. They just don’t all of a sudden stand up and walk. All of a sudden, the guy just, Paul gets up. Pretty amazing. I think God raised him up. I don’t think it was just human strength. It’s God said, and Paul rose up. I like this. What did he do? Verse number 21, how bit as a disciple stood around the bottom, he rose up and came into the city. He said, I’m not letting it with me. I’m getting back in there. Well, they say, when you get knocked off a horse, about the best thing you can do to get back on it. I’m going to get back in there. And I went back in there. And the next day, now the next day, he departed with Barnabas to Derby. He said, well, time for us to leave.

Now, they went to Derby and down here and they preached the gospel. They didn’t let up. And from there, they decided they went back. Notice the one coming here. Then they went back. They followed the route back home. And they went back to these cities. And they encouraged those that gotten saved. And they told them, hey, look, this is part of the Christian life. Probably Paul had some scars. Man, Paul, you didn’t look that rough before. What in the world? All those gashes and scars. He says later on, I bury my body, the marks. They’re like, wow. And Paul said, now look, if you’re going to be a good Christian hour day and time, there’s going to be tribulation. By the way, yea, and all that live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. And he teaches them. There’s going to be some persecution. They encourage them. They appoint elders in every church, all the churches that got started. They appoint elders in them. They go back down here and a little bit, a new city here. They didn’t go back to the island. They come back and they go back over here to Antioch. And they spend a lot of time with the home church. That’s the first missionary journey. appalled in this missionary team.

I won’t just kind of mention a couple of things. We’ll go home here a second. Y’all still out there? Maps a little different. Sometimes the visual helps so you can kind of see where they went on the first missionary journey. But you know, it doesn’t matter when you try to do something for God, especially when winning souls are involved in. As a part of it, there’s going to be opposition. There’s just going to be it. It’s just part of it. And let me say this about it. Usually the opposition is going to be loud and persistent.

You say, why are they loud? Well, because the devil, he’s the leader of that opposition. And remember the devil, he’s a roaring line. He’s not quiet. He’s a big mouth. And he gets this crowd, and usually that opposition against you at work or wherever it may be, it’s usually loud and persistent. Let me say this, often it’s bitter people. More often than not, their bitterness goes back, usually some trauma, typically in their childhood. They might not have it all figured out, but I’m almost guaranteed. And they’re just bitter. And this will hear this in our day and time. Well, I got church, chirp. Well, this church did me this and this passion, this, this, hey, can I say this friend, I was at Vanderbilt about a year ago, and I was in there and someone in the ER, and a guy got bar hurt. I’m talking about literally, trauma warm. They were trying to keep him stable, get him stabilized, about to die because they got the bar fight. I never hear anybody say, well, what about bar hurt? Come on now. I don’t care where you go. You go to Walmart long enough, you’re going to get your feelings hurt at Walmart. And I’m not making an excuse for us treating people wrong in a church or a pastor did this, that other. But somewhere along the live, I’m going to say, hey, it’s my responsibility to get in God’s out, no matter anybody’s been in church very long, been heard of church for it. I got awful. I wasn’t planning on saying too much. It’s true. By the way, that tell you, that fellow in the bar hurt, he got hurt, hurt, hurt. To the point I shouldn’t have looked at all that. Boy, there’s a bloody scene. I never heard of people that a bar hurt.

But usually it’s bitter people. They’re very, very loud and persistent and a roaring line, and they’re usually bitter people. Got some kind of tragedy. I’m not saying being mean to those people. Usually got some trauma going on, but it’s so much excuses at our day and time. And then usually they’re very persuasive. I mean, these people, they were persuasive. They could travel to other cities and… And they could persuade people that were going to worship them. And I’m not for worshipping them, for sure. But these people were going to worship them, and these people were so persuasive, they would change them for people that were going to worship them to people that stoned them. They were persuasion. A lot of times, you’re going to have opposition that’s very persuasive. And you’re going to say, well, I can’t measure up with their persuasiveness and what all they’ll say about you. You ain’t got a measure up to it. You just keep doing right. Vinges his mind, said the Lord I’ll repent. God take care of that. But often the opposition, I mean, co-workers that come against you and you’re trying to be a testimony at work and be a witness on them, they’re going to be persuasive. Don’t let that intimidate you.

But opposition is going to come, friend. You just mark it down. Now, let’s look and say a couple things. What did Paul and Barnabas? What do they do with the opposition? Look back over chapter 13. Chapter 13, this is really when the opposition began. And I want you to see what they did. Chapter 13, would you please? Chapter 13, verse number 15. Y’all there tonight, amen? Look at this, but the Jews stirred up the devout and honorable women and the chief men of the city in raised persecution against Paul and Barnab’s and expelled them out of their coast.

What did they do about it? Well, we’ll never preach again in the gospel, no way. We need to tame our message down. Notice what they said. But they shook off the dust of their feet against them. They shook it off. You see, when things like that happen, it tries to stick to you. I think of someone, and of course I don’t want to say too specifically because I don’t want to try to, you know, expose who it is, but they went, they’ve, and when I say soul winning, it doesn’t have to be door to door soul winning. It can be solding to your neighbor. That’s a wonderful way. Soul winning family reunion. That’s a co-workers, man, they’re stuck with you for eight, ten hours a day. It’s a great place to witness. They can’t get out of there, you know. But wherever high in the gas station, man, putting tracks on the gas pump or hand of the guy, all those ways. But I think of one of our individuals, I think maybe one time, maybe more. But they had a little opposition at a door. And they said, the devil was working there. And as far as I know, they never been out again with it. I think they try here. But I’m saying there’s going to be opposition. And you’re going to have to learn to shake that off.

There’s two things about this. Shake the dust off from the cell phones. Shake them all off. There’s a couple things. Here’s one thing. You shake it off because you don’t want, what does the Bible say? You don’t want that dust on you, that dirt on you in the day of judgment. You don’t want any of that on you. And I think also it’s because, hey, don’t carry that with you throughout the day. Leave it there. Shake it off and leave that there. Don’t carry that around for the next 10 years because so-and-so did this and up. Shake it off and go. Mom, can I have your phone? You just never know, huh?

Now, here’s something. We’ve got to get back this thing here, you know. You shake the dust off and go into the next task. It usually helps you get that off your mind because you got somebody else to minister to. They kept going. Number one, they shook it off and they kept moving. I’m telling you so often, just the next person or the next, God’s working, and that helps you shake that off of that. Don’t stop. Don’t stop. The old, not the Quaker, but the… Oh, we got some of here in Tennessee, the old Amish people here. Never yell, whoa, in the middle of a mud puddle. Keep going to get stuck. So, shook it off, kept moving.

Now, look at this next thing here. Verse number 52. Well, we’ll finish up, 51. They shook the dust off their feet against him and came into Iconium, and the disciples were filled with, what’s the next word? Joy. Keep your spirit right. That’s going to be a battle. You feel like you’re alone at work. Everybody else cussing and filth and, you know, you’re going to the locker room. You can’t look anywhere. You’ve got to have blinders on them. And you’re going to feel like, you know, you’re all to keep your spirit right. Don’t let it get your spirit. Reject bitterness. I’m not going to go there. How in the world or why should I be bitter when God save me? I’m going to heaven for all the terms. He’s been too good to me and washed away my sins for me to get bitter. Don’t get better. Keep your spirit right. Work at it. Rejoice in the Lord.

And then notice what he said, verse 52 there, feel with joy, and the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Ghost. Let me just going to kind of use that way, and I think it’s right for us to it. Keep walking with the Lord. Keep walking with the Lord. You’re going to have ups, you’re going to have downs, keep praying, keep in the Bible, keep walking with God. You’re not going to be filled with the Holy Ghost unless you’re walking with Him. Keep after it. You’re not going to be perfect. Nobody’s perfect at it. Nobody is. I’m going to keep walking. I haven’t prayed all day long. Get you back in there. I’m sorry. I need to connect with you. Keeping the word. Get you some Bible verses, memorize them, just trying to work with something. Be filled with the Holy Ghosts and just keep walking with the Lord. What they did.

Then just real quickly, notice some things they did not do. What things did they? They didn’t do these things here. Verse number 21, chapter 14, verse number 21. And they’re all way, all way over to Derby now, the last leg of their journey. They’re over in Derby, verse number 21. And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and I taught many, they returned again to Listeria, and to confirming it all along. Here’s the thing. They didn’t stop witnessing. When it makes us back up, we’re afraid to give out any more tracks, and we’re afraid to speak up at family reunions, or we’re afraid just to witness at work or in our neighborhood because you got this one, they got some opposition. That’s what Satan wants. He won. That’s what he’s trying to get you to quiet now. You’re never going to pass that anymore. They just kept, did they have opposition? Man, they had opposition to all these cities. Where they went, they had opposition. I mean, you just mark it down. They have this guy down here, this sorcerer. And then the Jewish people up here specifically, then they follow them to hear, they hear, and into their journey, they’re still witnessing. Keep witnessing. Don’t let it stop you, friend.

Look in this. Look at this. Something about them. Look at verse number one of chapter 14. Verse number one, it came to pass. Verse one of chapter 14, it came to pass an iconium that they went both together into the synagogue of the Jews. And what’s the next word? And so spake. You’re saying that they were bold. Amen, they were loud and proud. Not obnoxious, but they were, they were so spake. Look in verse number 33, verse number three of chapter 14, long time, therefore a bold day speaking boldly in the Lord. But you gave testimony under the word of his grace and granted signs and wonders to be done by their hands. They’re bold about it. Don’t lose your boldness. You stay in there. Well, there’s plenty other ways to do it than get them into magic selling and show them a gospel video and try to. Yeah, there is, but hey, pray Lord, I like the way we’re doing it better in the way you’re not. Just keep witnessing. Don’t let it stop you. Keep your boldness. Keep your boldness. Keep your boldness.

He passed not gospel tracks. We had a, we had a, for a while, I don’t know why. For a while, we had several people, different people putting gospel tracks in the beer cases at Walmart. And we had R.U. at that time, reformers, unanimous. And they were putting those tracks in there. And I think I know who it was. We had a couple of them at the time. But anyway, and somebody got one of those tracks, and he called the church the next day, and this guy was mad. I mean, he was just, he said, that track, it bothered me so bad, it made me sick. I didn’t say anything. I said, dude, you just got a hangover. That’s all, man. He said, I’m going to sue the church. I’m going to sue the reformers, unanimous. He said, I’m going to sue everybody. He’s just mad at the world. The next day, hangover is what it was, you know. But I’ll tell you what else it was. It was conviction, friend. And so I said, hey, no more passed out tracks. No, Frank, he passed him out. He passed him out. He never sued us. We’re all right. Don’t let opposition stay. Keep your boldness. By the way, pretty good place they needed, amen. Yeah. Just, just don’t live in fear. That’s what the devil wants. God’s not giving us a spirit of fear. I love old Paul. We’ve already read it. But they had stoned him, half killed him, drug him outside the city for dead. And he rose up. He said, I’m not going to let it get me. I’m going to get back in the city. I think it was a little bit just, I don’t want to live in fear for the rest of my life. I’m going to go back in that city. Now the next day he left. He said, well, I, you know, my mom didn’t raise any dumb boys besides my brothers, amen, you know. But he said, I’m not going to let me. And he went back in there. Keep your boldness. Keep witnessing.

And then, let me, what did they not do? They didn’t stop witnessing. And then let me say this. They didn’t fight with the opposition. They didn’t. Well, you know, I can fight fire with fire. Let’s go after those Jewish people. You don’t find you doing that. Let me debate you for a while, buddy. Three hours later, four people got to say, but you’re over there to debate with them. They didn’t do that. They didn’t. They didn’t. It fights with all these Jewish people. They just kept winning, soul, preaching the gospel, standing for the Lord. You know, the Bible talks about wise as serpents and harmless as doves. We merged with Bible Way. There used to be Bible Way Baptist Church here. Miss Mickey, she must be in the nursery. Miss Mickey was a part. She’s in the nursery. She was a part of Bible Way. And they had some people. And we merged and we bought the place to 150, $169,000, something like that. We paid for it. And that was, of course, 20-something years ago. And we merged, but then they’re started getting rumors spread around that Pastor Paul stole the church. And I never forget I was up here. It used to be Circle K, the gas station up here. Maybe is it a Circle K now? It’s something else now, I think. Not the, what is it? Yeah, right there, right there by the vet, right there real closely. Anyway, that gas station right up there, yes, right up there. Yeah, I know what you’re talking about. Right there. And I remember I was getting gas and a fella came up and he said, you know, they’re spreading around town that you stole that church. You know, they’re telling everybody about that. He said, what are you going to do about it? I said, nothing. Just going to keep winning souls. Just going to keep telling people by Jesus. Nothing. And it died out. You know, I’m amazed sometimes when Christians want to suit other Christians over just, stop all the fussing fighting. Let them talk about you. I’ll take care of that stuff.

Look over, if you were real quick, look over at Isaiah 5470 is a great, great verse. Look over at that, Isaiah 54, 17. We’ve got to hurry along here, by goodness. Look at Isaiah 54. And look at verse number 17. Somebody at worst going to start a campaign against you. By the way, they did it to Hudson Taylor. They said he was kidnapping kids. Boy, it caused some riots. Then people back in England heard about it. He lost some support on it. You know what he said to do? Let’s keep winning souls. What does that do? Look at this. Isaiah 54. Look at verse number 17. Isaiah 54, 17. Y’all there tonight, amen? No weapon. Did you hear that? No weapon. Well, they got social media. No weapon. They’re on Instagram. No weapon. Well, they’re telling everybody at school. No weapon. Well, everybody in the neighborhood, they believe a lie now. No weapon that is formed against these shall prosper. And every tongue that shall rise against the in judgment, thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their righteousness. I like this. That person used to think, why not put that in there? Because you’re not going to be perfect in at all. But your righteousness isn’t of you. And their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord. Remember we had a years ago, a guy come, good guy, had a good ministry, children’s home, and a lot of rumors and things were sped around and he said, but you know what they’re saying about me? Said, no, really, I don’t. Well, they don’t get caught about all that junk. I said, hey, brother, look up Isaiah 5417. You’ll be all right. Used to have it. Our church in Alabama, I was a youth director there, and there’s a Brother Donnie, happiest guy or just happy, happy, happy. I mean, he taught the third to sixth grade boys. He called him God’s Army. He would come in dressed in camouflage on Sunday morning, and he was going to teach God’s Army’s class. Man, he drove a van route, just exciting. Always on the top side. Always happy camper. And one time I had to go to him. Something was going on in the church. He said, hey, Brother Donnie, I got to talk. I was supposed to talk about this thing. And he said, man, I didn’t know anything about it. He said, I’m always the last one to hear about anything going on. I said, never changed, never changed. That’s the best way to be. That’s why I felt so happy. Don’t try to keep up with all the gossip. When souls, make a difference, friend. Yeah. No weapon that is formed against your shop. What a wonderful thing.

And then they didn’t stop encouraging and organizing Christians. They went back through and encouraged all those Christians. By the way, when you got opposition, you know, the best thing you can do go encourage someone else. I was hoping to be here tonight. I was going to use them as illustration. But last, I think it was last Thursday, brother John Sharp called or text. He said, man, can you come by? I’m battling. I’m down. You know, just breathing and all that. And, you know, I said, Paul, you need to go by. It was selfish. I’ll be honest with you. I didn’t really go by. I did somewhat for Brother John. I love Brother John, but I went by for me because I knew I needed to go encourage someone else. Because, you know, I hope it encouraged me. He says it did, but you know, I think I left more encouraged than him. And Paul kept encouraging other Christians in the middle of all this opposition. He’s going back to all these churches that is encouraged. Hey, there’s tribulations going to happen. It encourages and organized, puts elders in every church. And then we’ve got a last thing, last thing. Look in the bottom of chapter number 14, the bottom of chapter 14. And what does it say? Verse 26, then it sailed. To Antioch, that’s in Syria, from whence they had been recommended by the grace of God for the work which they fulfilled. And when they were come, and they gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with him and how he had opened the door of faith into the Gentiles. And there they abode long time with the disciples.

Can you just say the last thing here? Get some rest with some good Christians. I mean, they’re done with that journey. Boy, they stayed faithful. But when it’s all, it gets some good rest with some good Christians. That’s so important. Let me just a couple things. We’ve got five minutes, five minutes. You know, if you can travel 100 miles an hour for one hour. You’re going to travel 100 miles, but if you can travel 50 miles an hour for 10 hours, you travel 500 miles. Sometimes you need a rest. Better to travel 50 miles an hour than 100 miles an hour. A hundred miles, man, if I drove my car, my truck, 100 miles an hour, I imagine it may only last 10 minutes if that. My wife, she’s been… 100 miles an hour for over 10 minutes, I think, in the car. And it stays still going. Her car is fast, by the way. Someone, we’ve seen Miss Tatter. You all know, brother Jimmy Tetter, we’ve seen his wife the other night. Jimmy Tettor, he was there for years and years. She’s an older widow. She’s got this bug, though. And I said, Miss Tetter, you still got your bugs? She said, oh, yeah. She’s always satisfied. I said, you’re still racing people? She said, yeah, I’ll beat you. Sweet on win a letter, I’ll beat you. Well, maybe my truck. I don’t know, my wife’s car is pretty fast. But find the fastest speed you can go over the long haul. Go at that rate. Sure, a lot of people go 100 miles an hour for an hour. The other fellow traveled a half a night, it’s 50 miles an hour for day and day. He travels a whole lot farther. The Christian life is not a sprint. It’s a marathon. Someone said, you don’t measure Christianity in years. You measure it in decades. And they rested. They did a great job. Kemp after it. They went home and got around some good Christians. They hung out for a while. Took it easy.

Let’s about our heads and close our eyes, if you would please. Our heads are bad, our eyes are closed. I just want to challenge you tonight. Don’t let, don’t let opposition hinder you or turn your volume down. Hey, let’s keep her spirits right. Let’s walk with, keep walking. Keep winning after, walking with the Lord, winning souls. Don’t get bitter. Don’t get fighting with them. Just keep doing God’s will for your life. Let’s stand, if you would, please. Let’s spend some time with the Lord about that. Maybe there’s an air in your life. You just stopped. Lord, I need to get back in there for you, even though opposition. Go back in there for you. You do that. Father, thank you for your word. Lord, I kind of random tonight. I pray you at you. Something was sad to help people, Lord, please. Thank you for Paul and Barnabas, our example. How you kept them going strong. Keep us going strong for you like that, Lord, please. Over the long haul. And Lord, well, thank you for what you do. In Jesus, in the name of pray. Amen.

Original File: 2025-10-23 - Pastor Paul Chisgar ＂Just keep serving＂ - Wednesday PM 10⧸22⧸2025