The Good, the Bad and the Beautiful
Pursuit Camp 2024 • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 2 viewsMIS: “When you can’t trust what God is doing, trust who God is.”
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
I told you last night that I was born and raise in the Dominican Republic.
If you don’t know anything about the D.R., know that it is a beautiful island in the middle of the Caribbean, that we share with the country of Haiti.
As a matter of fact, I used to live only 5 minutes from the Ocean!
Fun Facts about the Ocean:
Mora than 80% of the Ocean has never been mapped, explored or even seen by humans.
There are species of animals and plants that we haven’t even discovered.
We know more about what happens thousands of miles in the Outer Space, than what happens just a few miles in the deep of the Ocean.
“I say all that because, even though we know the ocean at a surface level (punt intended!) there is a world underneath the water waiting to be discovers.”
“Likewise, even though some of you began a journey with Jesus last night, there is so much more about God and His love for you, waiting to be discovered.”
💡 “These men and women who turned the world upside down for Jesus were people who had a profound relationship with Jesus”
That been said, open your bibles! 🕺🏽🪩 … To Acts 16.16
“A few things have changed since our story last night…”
The spotlight is not on Paul, rather than Peter.
The setting has change from Jerusalem, to the rest of the world.
“But some things have not changed…”
The message of Jesus, the Gospel, keeps spreading everywhere.
Jesus keeps transforming lives.
“… Turning the world upside down for Jesus.”
Explain the Text
Explain the Text
We pick up our story in the city of Philippi.
16 Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. 17 She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” 18 She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her.
Now, you would think she was doing Paul a favor! I mean, what the spirit was saying is true, isn’t it?
But it turns out there was something about how she shouted these things that eventually made her a distraction for all who wanted to hear Paul’s message.
Like when you are watching a YouTube video and an ad come up! How frustrating is that!?
Is not that the ad is bad - some of them are actually funny. But it’s the timing!
😫 It always comes up at the worst moment…
Eventually, Paul realizes she is possessed by an spirit, so turns to her and commands to leave her!
“Just like the story we heard last night about the man who was lame, some people were not thrilled about this miracle.”
Acts 16:19–21 (NIV)
19 When her owners realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities. 20 They brought them before the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar 21 by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice.”
Basically, her owners were furious!
They didn’t care the girl was freed from her spirit.
They only cared that her liberation was bad for business.
Ladies and gentlemen, here is an important lesson for us to learn: These are the true colors of sin.
⏸️
Sin doesn’t care about you.
Sin will never ask you how far your want to go, and then stop there.
Sin makes you all kinds of promises__________, but it never deliver its promises.
“Just one more time and that’s it!”
“It will make you feel better afterwards.”
“Nobody will find out.”
Sin doesn’t care if it hurting you, or if it destroying you.
💣 On the other hand, it wants to hurt you. It wants to destroy you!
⏸️ Sin is not your friend. It wants to be your pimp!
“So, seeing the family business was on the line, the owners of the girl seized Paul and Silas, and turned them to the authorities…”
Their charges? “These men are turning our city upside down.”
Luke continues…
Acts 16:22–24 (NIV)
22 The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. 23 After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer (/jeler/) was commanded to guard them carefully. 24 When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.
“Wow - Talk about a serious of unfortunate events.”
⚠️ “Here is the question that you are probably asking yourself: Where is God in all this?”
Paul and Silas, missionaries of the God, are being:
Stripped away from their clothes and beaten with rods. To the point that Luke, whose also happens to be a doctor, described it as being “severely flogged” (Ac 16.23).
As if that is not enough, they are thrown in the most secured cell, like some sort of criminals, and their feet fasten to a block of wood…
🐢 With their backs bruised, unable to move, unable to rest.
“All these for what?! Because they…”
Liberated a slave girl from her oppressors?
Because they were being faithful to God? Why is God not being faithful to them?
😡 Where is God in all this?!
⏸️
Prosperity Gospel
Prosperity Gospel
You are probably familiar with the term, “Prosperity Gospel”.
“Prosperity Gospel” is a false teaching movement which basically teaches that true faith in Jesus will always result in you being healthy and wealthy.
(I don’t know you, but Paul and Silas don’t look that healthy or wealthy to me!)
However, there is another form of “Prosperity Gospel” which is more subtle. It goes something like this:
⚠️ “If you are a good Christian, read your Bible and go to church every week, God will bless you and no trouble should ever come your way.”
This idea is so embedded in our minds that whenever something bad happens to us, the first though that comes to our mind is, “God is punishing me for something bad I did.”
😅 Maybe God is punishing me for not liking that Jesus post on Instagram.
Or for falling asleep during church.
“But the story of Paul teaches us that more often than not, this is not the case.”
🐢 “Sometimes, God intentionally prepare events in your life, not as an effect of something you did, but as a cause for something He wants to do in you!
In other words, God is not a God of reaction, but of proaction.
God never set things in motion, hoping they turn out alright.
He never adapts to the circumstances, because He always controls every circumstances.
🔥 “Nothing ever comes to pass which God has not worked in it a good and glorious purpose.”
Which is the same to say, 💣 “God is always causing the effect.”
So Eddy, you mean to tell me God also caused this pain in my life?
❤️🩹 “I mean to tell you God is using this pain in your life because He loves you, and wants to do something better in your life.”
Like an eagle mother who stops feeding her babies.
- She doesn’t starve them because she hates them, but because she loves them!
- She knows this is the only way they would leave the comfort of their nest, jump off the cliff, and learn how to fly!
“I’m sure there are many things that didn’t make sense to Paul and Silas, But one thing they knew for sure:
🔥God loves them! ⏸️ And that makes all the difference!
“You don’t believe me? Look how they responded…”
25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.
“In their darkest hour, while blood was still dripping from their backs, they were praying and singing to God.”
🐢
Not complaining, but praying!
Not cursing, but singing!
⚠️ “If you think about it, Paul and Silas had every reason to be angry at God. Because for a moment it looked as if…”
God had forgotten about them.
He didn’t care about them.
He was unfair to them.
🔥“But they choose to believe that God cared enough to want to listen to their prayers and that He was good enough to be worthy of their praise.”
🤯 “Here is something that blows my mind…”
🐢 💣 “Paul and Silas were worshiping the one who had the power to prevent all this and chose NOT TO (2x)
They Knew Who God Is
They Knew Who God Is
“How is this even possible? How can anybody have such faith in God that weather all trials?
“Well, let me ask you a question, 💣 do you know who God is?"
My brother Edrick is here today.
If Edrick comes up to me and say, “I can’t explain you now, but I need to punch you in the face.”
My response would be: 🥴“Can you not punch me in the nose?”
You see, I know my brother, and I know, if he really needs to punch me in the face, he would have a very good reason for doing that.
But if you tried to do the same, I wouldn’t let you near my face, because I don’t know you.
1. You could be pulling a prank on me.
2. You could trying to be funny with your friends.
🔥 “I simply don’t know you well enough to trust you”
“So, when Paul and Silas found themselves all beat up in prison, they knew God had a plan for all this, because they know who God is.”
💭 “You are probably thinking…”
😔 “Eddy - That’s the problem, I don’t know if I can trust God’s plan.”
“Paul and Silas trusted God, and look where it got them!”
✅ Granted - “I don’t ever want to end up like Paul or Silas either.”
I’ve done Bible Studies inside a Federal Prison and trust me, every time I go inside, I am so thankful I get to come back out!
😅 Im so thankful, in fact, that on my way back home I’m unconsciously driving 20 miles below the speed limit!
🚗💨 And that’s a lot coming from a Dominican!
🛑 But let me propose you something: If you can’t trust God’s plan, would you at least trust God’s goodness?
⏸️
God’s Glory Revealed to Moses
God’s Glory Revealed to Moses
In the Old Testament, God has a very unique conversion with a guy named Moses.
God called Moses to take his people out of Egypt, where they’ve been slaves for centuries, and lead them into the Promised Land.
Moses is not feeling very confident about this mission. As a matter of fact, Moses tell God, “if you don’t go with us, we will not go.” (Ex 33:15)
God ensures Moses that He will go out with them.
Moses, perhaps feeling like he was in a good streak, has another (a little out of bounce) request for God:
18 Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.”
“Now, this is a bold move on Moses’ part! But here is what he is asking…”
⚠️ “God, I want to know what you are all about.”
This is what God replies!
Exodus 33:18–19 (NIV)
18 […] Moses said, “[…] show me your glory.”
19 And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
Moses asked God to show him His glory, and God showed him His Goodness!
⚠️ Hear what God is trying to tell Moses:
God: “Moses, I am the definition of goodness.”
I am always good, and everything I do is good.
I am so good, that I never hold back my goodness!
God: “But know this, Moses, I always know what’s best for my people.”
Sometimes the best thing is to show mercy.
Sometimes the best thing is not to show mercy.
♥️ Sometimes having you beat up and thrown into prison, is the most loving thing I can do for them.
Just like Dr. Strange when he surrendered the Time Stone to Thanos!
Nobody believed Dr. Strange would surrender the Time Stone so easily!
But he foresaw that surrendering the Time Stone to Thanos, was the only way they could defeat Thanos.
So he did…
“…And just like Tony Stark trusted Dr. Strange, Paul and Silas trusted God!”
Why?
🔥Because God has already proven himself on the cross!
God loved Paul and Silas so much that He sent His own Son to die on their place.
There is nothing Jesus asked of Paul and Silas, that He did do for them on the cross.
🐢 Were Paul and Silas unjustly punished? Jesus was unjustly killed for them.
🐢 Were Paul and Silas body lacerated? Jesus’ body was crushed for them.
🔥 Were Paul and Silas’ feet fastened to the stock? Jesus’ hands and feet were nailed to the cross!
The price that Paul and Silas paid for obeying Jesus, does not even compare to the price Jesus paid for saving them.
🔥 God loved you the most, when you were at your worst! Would He not love you still as His child?
The Hope of the Gospel
The Hope of the Gospel
⚠️There is one more thing God proved on the cross: God can turn any curse, into a blessing!
💡Have you ever consider that Jesus’ greatest victory came only three (3) days after his greatest defeat?
The darkest day in the history of man was when Jesus died on the cross…
The brightest day in the history of man was when Jesus walked out of that grave!
And even though it was midnight for Paul and Silas, it was the dawn of a new day for someone else.
25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. 27 The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped.
According to Roman laws, if you ever lost a prisoner, you had to pay with your life.
Acts 16:28–31 (NIV)
28 But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!”
29 The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”
Eventually, the jailer gave his life to Jesus, and along with him, all his family!
♥️ All this time, God sent Paul and Silas to prison to bring salvation to the jailer and his family!
⏸️
“At the end of the day, is not that God didn’t care about Paul and Silas, but that He cared too much about the jailer and his family.”
Conclusion
Conclusion
So let me ask you this question, What would it take for you to know God and trust Him at this level?
“To trust God like Paul and Silas did, you need to know God like Paul and Silas did!”
Maybe for you - that means committing to have a daily quiet time with God.
Maybe for you - it means to set aside one year of your life and study God’s Word at the Bible Institute.
Maybe for you - it simply mean saying, “I am not part of a church, I will commit to being part of the Youth Group that brought me to camp and learn more about this God of the Bible.”
“Your counselors will love to talk to you more about how that next step may look in your life.”
⚠️ But whatever it is, you have to commit!
“You have to actively pursuit to know the God who wants to be known by you.”
[Let’s pray]