WEBVTT 00:00.910 --> 00:04.810 Man, the title my sermon this morning is I love black people. 00:04.990 --> 00:08.610 Again, the title this morning is I love black people. 00:08.870 --> 00:13.790 Now, when it comes to evangelizing, they're typically very receptive to the gospel. 00:14.270 --> 00:15.750 That's one of the reasons why I love them. 00:15.950 --> 00:19.970 And right now, a bunch of our church members are down on a missed trip in the Caribbean. 00:20.570 --> 00:23.470 They're witnessing to black people all day, every day, 00:23.470 --> 00:27.370 because that's pretty much the demographic that you get down there in the Caribbean. 00:27.370 --> 00:30.570 I remember when I was in Bible college at Hiles Anderson, 00:31.030 --> 00:34.310 they had different ministries that you could join and take part of. 00:34.570 --> 00:40.150 And I actually specifically chose the what they called the black chapel ministry. 00:40.790 --> 00:45.090 And this was a ministry where I would go up every Saturday and Sunday for over two years, 00:45.190 --> 00:49.390 preaching and soul winning and ministering in Englewood. 00:49.650 --> 00:52.970 Not the one that you would think of like Englewood, like Los Angeles, 00:53.190 --> 00:56.270 but this is a different Englewood, but it's just as black. 00:56.270 --> 00:59.070 In fact, it's blacker than the LA Englewood. 00:59.230 --> 01:03.390 I mean, you could go there for years and literally never even see another white person. 01:03.650 --> 01:07.930 I actually got pulled over by the police for driving while white, if you can imagine that, 01:08.030 --> 01:10.330 because they're like, what are you doing in this neighborhood? 01:10.950 --> 01:12.130 You don't belong here. 01:12.550 --> 01:13.830 Like, are you here to buy drugs? 01:13.950 --> 01:17.110 I'm like, no, I'm here doing church work. 01:17.530 --> 01:20.590 But I'm telling you, Chicago is very, very segregated. 01:20.950 --> 01:24.950 Most cities like Phoenix isn't like that, but Chicago is very segregated. 01:24.950 --> 01:26.950 I went there for over two years. 01:27.490 --> 01:28.370 Lots of people saved. 01:28.530 --> 01:34.410 We went back about five or six years ago and revisited that same exact area of Englewood. 01:34.790 --> 01:37.130 We had a new IFB soul winning marathon there. 01:37.710 --> 01:38.910 It was super receptive. 01:39.330 --> 01:41.190 Lots of people saved great success. 01:42.150 --> 01:46.910 And you know, when we've done different soul winning marathons across the country 01:46.910 --> 01:51.750 and we would often pick areas specifically because they're a black area, 01:51.750 --> 01:55.610 because a lot of times that's just going to be a receptive area to go preach the gospel. 01:56.310 --> 01:59.130 Now look, obviously the Bible tells us to go into all the world 01:59.130 --> 02:01.570 and preach the gospel to every creature. 02:02.170 --> 02:05.630 And the Bible also says go either for and teach all nations, 02:06.510 --> 02:08.790 baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, the Holy Ghost. 02:09.310 --> 02:13.850 But obviously it makes the most sense to go to places that are receptive 02:13.850 --> 02:17.850 and if there are certain areas or demographics that are unreceptive, 02:17.850 --> 02:19.030 we might hit it once. 02:19.470 --> 02:22.230 But if it's receptive man like the Apache Reservation or something, 02:22.290 --> 02:23.550 we're going to hit it over and over again. 02:24.330 --> 02:26.950 And so I want to show you in the Bible this morning, 02:27.150 --> 02:31.030 I'm going to show you two different stories about black men in the Bible. 02:31.530 --> 02:35.050 We've got, of course, Acts chapter 8 with the Ethiopian eunuch. 02:35.450 --> 02:39.150 And then we've got Jeremiah 38 about ebed melech. 02:39.510 --> 02:44.430 So Acts chapter 8 gives us an example of a black man who was very receptive to the gospel. 02:44.430 --> 02:47.630 Okay, look what the Bible says there in Acts chapter 8 verse 26. 02:48.410 --> 02:50.650 And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip saying, 02:51.190 --> 02:56.790 Arise and go toward the south under the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert. 02:57.310 --> 03:02.850 And he arose and went, behold a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority 03:02.850 --> 03:08.030 under Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure 03:08.030 --> 03:10.590 and had come to Jerusalem for to worship. 03:10.590 --> 03:15.030 Now, here's the thing, a eunuch is a man who has been castrated. 03:15.590 --> 03:20.750 Okay, so he has had his, you know, part of his reproductive anatomy surgically removed 03:21.130 --> 03:25.530 and often men who are in high positions around queens 03:25.530 --> 03:30.590 and other royal female figures would be mutilated in this way. 03:30.710 --> 03:35.990 They would be castrated in this way to make sure that they could not father any children 03:35.990 --> 03:41.550 or anything like that, that there'd be no infidelity on the part of these female officials. 03:41.950 --> 03:45.670 And so, you know, this isn't necessarily the way that you want to go through life as a man. 03:46.230 --> 03:50.750 You know, the same thing happened to Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the Bible. 03:51.250 --> 03:54.630 Obviously, this is a barbaric practice, not something that's good. 03:54.990 --> 03:56.830 But you know what? This is what happened to him. 03:56.890 --> 04:02.110 So he's a guy who, you know, in one sense, he's an unlucky guy in that sense. 04:02.110 --> 04:06.310 But in another sense, he is actually a very important man 04:06.310 --> 04:08.670 because he's a treasurer for the Queen of Ethiopia. 04:08.990 --> 04:11.870 Ethiopia was a pretty powerful kingdom at this time. 04:12.230 --> 04:16.590 And so he's got a lot of authority and he's going to Jerusalem to worship, 04:16.910 --> 04:19.350 but he doesn't know about Jesus Christ. 04:19.650 --> 04:25.470 He's thinking about just the Old Testament religion of the prophets and the law of God and so forth. 04:26.250 --> 04:28.690 And so it says in verse 28, 04:31.550 --> 04:34.590 was returning and sitting in his chariot, 04:35.110 --> 04:36.830 read Isaiah the prophet. 04:36.990 --> 04:39.990 So he's on his way home from Jerusalem and he's reading the Bible. 04:40.350 --> 04:41.310 He's reading the book of Isaiah. 04:41.970 --> 04:42.170 Okay? 04:42.650 --> 04:43.470 Now, here's the thing. 04:43.610 --> 04:47.210 One of the reasons why I think that black people are often really receptive to the gospel 04:47.210 --> 04:51.030 is that usually they, even if they're totally unsaved, 04:51.030 --> 04:54.290 they usually have relatives, at least, to our Baptist 04:54.290 --> 04:59.710 or at least some kind of a family connection to Baptist or the Bible. 05:00.070 --> 05:02.430 So this will often make them kind of open when you say, 05:02.490 --> 05:03.890 hey, I'm from a Baptist church. 05:04.170 --> 05:05.470 A lot of times there's a connection there. 05:05.730 --> 05:08.950 And this guy was kind of the same way where he already had a connection 05:08.950 --> 05:10.910 to the Old Testament scriptures. 05:11.410 --> 05:12.810 He's already reading Isaiah. 05:13.330 --> 05:15.270 He already knows a little bit about this. 05:15.270 --> 05:19.830 And so Philip, it says, you know, 05:19.950 --> 05:22.410 is prompted by the Spirit to go talk to this guy. 05:22.510 --> 05:23.250 It says in verse 29, 05:23.410 --> 05:24.710 then the Spirit said unto Philip, 05:25.190 --> 05:27.210 go near and join thyself to this chariot. 05:27.750 --> 05:29.590 And Philip ran thither to him 05:29.590 --> 05:32.370 and heard him read the prophet Isaiah and said, 05:32.650 --> 05:34.290 understandest thou what thou readest? 05:34.750 --> 05:39.130 And he said, how can I, except some man, should guide me? 05:39.390 --> 05:43.390 And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. 05:43.390 --> 05:45.510 So look, this guy wants to hear the gospel. 05:45.670 --> 05:48.410 He's saying, man, get in the car, you know, climb in, 05:48.910 --> 05:51.270 explain it to me, teach me the Bible. 05:51.770 --> 05:52.550 This guy's receptive. 05:52.730 --> 05:53.130 And you know what? 05:53.130 --> 05:55.650 When we're out soul-winning, that is what we're looking for. 05:56.030 --> 05:57.870 That guy who wants to get saved. 05:58.290 --> 05:59.750 And look, sometimes it could be frustrated 05:59.750 --> 06:03.150 when you're out evangelizing and just being turned down 06:03.150 --> 06:05.330 and so many people saying no to you 06:05.330 --> 06:07.830 and some people will even be rude or unkind to you. 06:08.090 --> 06:11.390 But it's always worth it when you get to that one person 06:11.390 --> 06:14.190 who really wants to hear the gospel and wants to know. 06:14.550 --> 06:15.930 That's why when I'm out soul-winning, 06:16.210 --> 06:19.530 if somebody says no to me, I can't get out of there fast enough. 06:19.890 --> 06:20.830 I'm not mad. 06:20.990 --> 06:21.650 I'm not offended. 06:22.050 --> 06:24.730 I'm not going to stick around and argue and fuss about it. 06:24.870 --> 06:27.630 I'm just like, great, the faster you tell me no, 06:27.870 --> 06:29.450 then you're just not wasting my time 06:29.450 --> 06:32.070 because I know that there's that other guy down the street 06:32.070 --> 06:35.290 that is just ready and waiting to hear the gospel. 06:35.570 --> 06:36.970 And that's what we live for, 06:37.130 --> 06:39.810 is that person who wants the gospel. 06:39.810 --> 06:43.950 I'm not just out there trying to just preach to people 06:43.950 --> 06:44.730 who don't want to listen. 06:44.950 --> 06:46.770 What's the point when there are all kinds of people 06:46.770 --> 06:47.970 who do want to listen? 06:48.770 --> 06:50.670 And so this guy wants to hear the gospel. 06:51.110 --> 06:52.310 That's what we're looking for. 06:53.170 --> 06:55.650 But he says, look, I can't just figure it out on my own 06:55.650 --> 06:56.410 from reading the Bible. 06:57.070 --> 06:59.730 And a lot of people think that you can get saved 06:59.730 --> 07:01.690 from just reading the Bible by yourself 07:01.690 --> 07:04.010 or that if we just hand people a Bible 07:04.010 --> 07:06.250 or just pass out new testaments or something, 07:06.570 --> 07:08.430 somehow they're going to just figure it out 07:08.430 --> 07:09.450 or get saved on their own. 07:09.830 --> 07:12.470 But the problem is that unsaved people 07:12.470 --> 07:14.030 cannot understand the Bible. 07:14.730 --> 07:16.450 The Bible says the natural man 07:16.450 --> 07:18.830 receive it not the things of the Spirit of God, 07:19.150 --> 07:20.610 for their foolishness unto him 07:20.610 --> 07:22.330 neither can he know them 07:22.330 --> 07:25.270 because they are spiritually discerned. 07:25.350 --> 07:27.970 And so unsaved people don't have the capability 07:27.970 --> 07:30.310 to understand the Scripture. 07:30.710 --> 07:33.230 That's why the Bible says in 1 Corinthians 3 verse 5, 07:33.510 --> 07:36.130 who then is Paul and who is Apollos, 07:36.130 --> 07:39.510 but ministers by whom you believed 07:39.510 --> 07:42.890 even as the Lord gave to every man. 07:43.410 --> 07:46.490 So the Bible says, look, everybody who's saved 07:46.490 --> 07:49.270 has been given someone in their life 07:49.270 --> 07:52.150 who at some point explained the gospel to them, 07:52.430 --> 07:53.950 ministers by whom they believe. 07:54.210 --> 07:55.290 And when it says ministers, 07:55.630 --> 07:57.310 we're not saying it's necessarily a pastor. 07:57.610 --> 07:59.490 It could be man, woman, boy, or girl 07:59.490 --> 08:01.510 who basically was used by God 08:01.510 --> 08:04.190 to present the gospel, to explain the gospel, 08:04.190 --> 08:06.710 either to plant the seed, water the seed, 08:06.990 --> 08:09.070 or be there for the reaping itself, 08:09.470 --> 08:13.150 but someone has to teach the unsaved person the gospel 08:13.150 --> 08:15.730 because they don't have the Holy Spirit's indwelling 08:15.730 --> 08:19.410 and they need a Christian who is indwelled by the Holy Spirit 08:19.410 --> 08:22.490 to actually be able to explain that to them. 08:22.530 --> 08:25.270 That's why he said, how can I understand it 08:25.270 --> 08:28.110 except some man should guide me? 08:28.570 --> 08:29.970 And so it says in verse 32, 08:30.170 --> 08:32.050 the place of the Scripture which he read was this. 08:32.050 --> 08:34.690 He was led as a sheep to the slaughter 08:34.690 --> 08:37.190 and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, 08:37.770 --> 08:39.210 so opened he not his mouth. 08:39.590 --> 08:42.050 In his humiliation his judgment was taken away 08:42.050 --> 08:44.130 and who shall declare his generation 08:44.130 --> 08:46.150 for his life is taken from the earth? 08:46.410 --> 08:48.370 Of course this is Isaiah 53. 08:48.690 --> 08:51.470 And man, if you read the whole chapter of Isaiah 53, 08:51.790 --> 08:54.790 you have to be totally blind to not see 08:54.790 --> 08:56.550 that it is about the Lord Jesus Christ. 08:57.410 --> 08:59.110 I mean it is just so blunt. 08:59.430 --> 09:01.190 You know, he's wounded for our transgressions. 09:01.190 --> 09:04.410 He was bruised for our iniquities, right? 09:04.730 --> 09:06.910 The chastisement of our pieces upon him. 09:07.250 --> 09:08.830 By his stripes were healed. 09:09.410 --> 09:11.410 All we like sheep have gone astray. 09:11.770 --> 09:13.250 We've turned everyone to his own way 09:13.250 --> 09:17.270 and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all, right? 09:17.650 --> 09:19.650 And so that chapter, Isaiah 53, 09:20.510 --> 09:23.070 is something that is very clearly talking about Jesus. 09:23.450 --> 09:26.250 And so this is what the guy happens to be reading. 09:26.530 --> 09:28.310 Obviously God has worked out this timing 09:28.310 --> 09:30.530 that the guy just happens to be 09:30.530 --> 09:33.190 in one of the best, most messianic passages. 09:33.730 --> 09:34.650 That's what he's reading. 09:35.070 --> 09:36.770 And then Philip runs along 09:36.770 --> 09:39.210 because God told him to run along at that time. 09:39.410 --> 09:40.070 And boom. 09:40.350 --> 09:43.350 Look, God is often preparing the hearts of people 09:43.350 --> 09:45.770 for us before we even get there 09:45.770 --> 09:46.850 to preach the gospel to them. 09:47.710 --> 09:49.490 You know, when we go out soul-winning, 09:49.790 --> 09:51.390 we'll often get to people's door 09:51.390 --> 09:54.350 and that person's already been thinking about these things. 09:55.010 --> 09:57.150 Circumstances have led up to this point 09:57.150 --> 09:59.450 to where they're open and they're ready 09:59.450 --> 10:00.450 and they're interested. 10:01.010 --> 10:01.390 And you know what? 10:01.390 --> 10:04.770 I believe that God is guiding and directing us 10:04.770 --> 10:05.610 when we go out soul-winning 10:05.610 --> 10:08.230 to the people that he wants us to preach to that day. 10:08.410 --> 10:09.330 And that's what we pray. 10:09.430 --> 10:11.410 We always pray, God, please lead us 10:11.410 --> 10:12.910 to the people that are receptive. 10:13.230 --> 10:15.350 Lead us to that person that you want us to preach to. 10:15.590 --> 10:17.270 And I believe God answers that prayer 10:17.270 --> 10:19.370 because we're praying according to his will. 10:19.790 --> 10:20.570 He's hearing us. 10:20.870 --> 10:24.190 And so often people have already been prayed for. 10:24.710 --> 10:26.090 The seed has already been sown. 10:26.090 --> 10:27.530 It's already been watered. 10:27.630 --> 10:28.910 God's already working. 10:29.430 --> 10:30.830 I mean, look, in this situation, 10:30.970 --> 10:32.890 this guy's already just read 10:32.890 --> 10:35.350 one of the best Messianic passages. 10:35.690 --> 10:37.010 He's just ready to go. 10:37.610 --> 10:38.990 You know, I'd say he's white under harvest, 10:38.990 --> 10:39.630 but he's black, 10:39.830 --> 10:41.650 but he's ready to hear the gospel. 10:42.130 --> 10:43.930 And look, God is out there 10:43.930 --> 10:45.370 getting people ready 10:45.370 --> 10:47.050 and preparing the hearts before you. 10:47.170 --> 10:49.550 And then we just enter into that 10:50.090 --> 10:51.490 and it's already ready to go. 10:52.250 --> 10:54.890 You know, going soul-winning is powerful. 10:54.890 --> 10:56.430 And you know what's funny? 10:56.830 --> 10:58.370 You got a bunch of bozos out there 10:59.070 --> 11:00.190 criticizing soul-winning. 11:00.850 --> 11:02.630 Oh, soul-winning doesn't work. 11:03.070 --> 11:04.130 It's not real. 11:04.590 --> 11:05.790 Y'all are just going around 11:05.790 --> 11:07.190 and just praying a prayer with people. 11:07.430 --> 11:08.590 We're just so dumb about that. 11:08.730 --> 11:11.390 It's like, well, the Bible talks so much 11:11.390 --> 11:13.210 about evangelizing and preaching the gospel. 11:13.490 --> 11:14.470 And in the Bible, 11:14.830 --> 11:16.270 the people who go out and preach the gospel, 11:16.370 --> 11:17.490 they end up getting results. 11:18.490 --> 11:20.710 And yet the people who are down on soul-winning 11:20.710 --> 11:21.710 and criticizing soul-winning, 11:22.450 --> 11:24.450 it's not like they're doing some other method 11:24.450 --> 11:26.850 where they're just getting Boku Salvation. 11:28.030 --> 11:29.390 Do these people just think 11:29.390 --> 11:31.110 people just don't get saved or something? 11:31.310 --> 11:32.690 Or that people just rarely get saved? 11:32.950 --> 11:34.090 Yeah, at your church, 11:34.250 --> 11:36.310 maybe people get saved once in a blue moon, 11:36.690 --> 11:38.450 but sorry, that's not going to work 11:38.450 --> 11:40.610 to preach the gospel to the whole world 11:40.610 --> 11:42.930 getting somebody saved every six months 11:42.930 --> 11:44.890 or every year, every year and a half. 11:45.210 --> 11:47.050 No, it's going to take weekend, 11:47.290 --> 11:48.910 week out, day in, day out, 11:48.990 --> 11:51.010 people out there doing a serious amount of soul-winning. 11:51.590 --> 11:52.730 In order to get it done. 11:54.210 --> 11:56.830 And look, why would it not work? 11:57.210 --> 11:58.590 What could be more basic 11:58.590 --> 12:00.830 than just opening your mouth boldly 12:00.830 --> 12:02.230 to make known the mystery of the gospel? 12:02.730 --> 12:04.190 Like, what could be more basic 12:04.190 --> 12:06.510 than one guy opening a Bible 12:06.510 --> 12:08.530 and telling another guy how to be saved? 12:09.070 --> 12:12.170 I mean, it's just the most basic, normal thing. 12:12.270 --> 12:13.590 How could it ever be outdated? 12:14.490 --> 12:16.150 How could it ever go out of style? 12:16.490 --> 12:17.990 How could it ever stop being relevant? 12:18.470 --> 12:19.950 And if God is up in heaven 12:19.950 --> 12:22.570 and the Bible says God is not willing 12:22.570 --> 12:23.870 that any should perish 12:23.870 --> 12:25.430 but that all should come to repentance. 12:25.810 --> 12:27.810 So God's up in heaven wanting people to get saved. 12:28.690 --> 12:30.770 I'm down here wanting to get people saved. 12:31.610 --> 12:33.190 Lost souls are out there 12:33.190 --> 12:35.430 that want to go to heaven like the Ethiopian eunuch. 12:36.650 --> 12:37.670 Why in the world 12:37.670 --> 12:40.170 would God not bring this together 12:40.170 --> 12:40.930 and make it happen? 12:41.810 --> 12:44.290 Why wouldn't He bring the guy who wants to get someone saved 12:44.290 --> 12:45.650 to the guy who wants to get saved 12:45.650 --> 12:47.390 and then the Holy Spirit does the work 12:47.390 --> 12:48.890 because He wants people to get saved. 12:49.010 --> 12:51.950 I mean, to me, it's absurd and foolish 12:51.950 --> 12:55.350 to think, oh, soul winning is not real, soul winning doesn't work. 12:55.570 --> 12:57.090 That's just a bunch of lazy people 12:57.090 --> 12:58.010 who don't want to go soul winning 12:58.010 --> 12:59.070 because soul winning is hard work. 12:59.750 --> 13:01.370 So they want to just make excuses. 13:02.650 --> 13:04.410 So God's already working on this guy. 13:05.490 --> 13:06.990 So then it says in verse 35, 13:07.190 --> 13:08.410 then Philip opened his mouth 13:08.410 --> 13:09.950 and began at the same scripture 13:10.330 --> 13:11.710 and preached unto him Jesus. 13:12.070 --> 13:13.590 Here's the thing, when you're out preaching the gospel 13:13.590 --> 13:14.510 you've got to use the Bible. 13:15.390 --> 13:17.130 Philip's going to use the Bible 13:17.130 --> 13:18.210 to get this guy saved. 13:18.710 --> 13:20.850 You want to be an effective soul winner? 13:21.250 --> 13:22.250 Use Bible verses. 13:23.350 --> 13:25.270 Don't just paraphrase or explain things 13:25.270 --> 13:26.010 in your own words. 13:26.390 --> 13:28.430 Open your Bible and show them 13:28.430 --> 13:30.750 actual word for word verbatim verses 13:30.750 --> 13:32.710 Romans 3, 10, 13:32.970 --> 13:33.930 Romans 3, 23, 13:34.290 --> 13:36.510 Romans 6, 23, Romans 5, 8, 13:36.990 --> 13:37.970 John 3, 16. 13:38.570 --> 13:40.670 Go through and show them those scriptures. 13:40.670 --> 13:42.310 Why? Because faith comes 13:42.310 --> 13:44.650 by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. 13:45.390 --> 13:46.230 God's Word 13:46.230 --> 13:47.650 has power. 13:48.730 --> 13:49.850 And the Bible says 13:49.850 --> 13:52.150 over and over again that the so-word 13:52.150 --> 13:53.410 is sowing the Word. 13:53.950 --> 13:55.950 That's how you get people saved, the Word. 13:56.310 --> 13:58.010 The Bible says receive with meekness 13:58.010 --> 13:59.510 the engrafted Word 13:59.510 --> 14:01.670 which is able to save your souls. 14:02.310 --> 14:05.170 Acts 11 verse 14 14:05.170 --> 14:06.870 who shall tell the words 14:06.870 --> 14:08.490 whereby thou and all thy house 14:08.490 --> 14:09.090 shall be saved. 14:09.710 --> 14:11.790 So it's the Word that gets you saved. 14:12.270 --> 14:13.130 So use the Bible. 14:13.710 --> 14:16.150 It says in verse 36 as they went on their way 14:16.890 --> 14:18.450 so he's preaching about Jesus 14:18.450 --> 14:20.330 he's using the Bible, he's giving them the gospel 14:20.330 --> 14:22.110 and as they went on their way they came 14:22.110 --> 14:24.230 into a certain water and the eunuch said 14:24.230 --> 14:26.410 see here's water what hinder me 14:26.410 --> 14:27.010 to be baptized. 14:27.890 --> 14:30.570 And Philip said if thou believest 14:30.570 --> 14:32.250 with all thine heart thou mayest 14:32.250 --> 14:34.470 because look that is the prerequisite for getting baptized 14:34.470 --> 14:36.650 is you got to get saved first 14:36.650 --> 14:37.930 and then baptized. 14:38.530 --> 14:40.370 If thou believest with all thine heart 14:40.370 --> 14:41.370 thou mayest be baptized. 14:42.210 --> 14:43.730 And then he answered and said 14:43.730 --> 14:46.130 I believe that Jesus Christ 14:46.470 --> 14:47.890 is the Son of God 14:48.490 --> 14:50.470 and he commanded the chariot to stand still 14:50.470 --> 14:52.250 and they went down both into the water 14:52.250 --> 14:53.910 both Philip and the eunuch 14:53.910 --> 14:55.210 and he baptized them. 14:55.410 --> 14:57.650 So a couple things we can learn about baptism here is that 14:57.650 --> 14:59.830 number one you got to be saved first 14:59.830 --> 15:01.470 you got to believe with all your heart 15:01.470 --> 15:02.850 on the Lord Jesus Christ first 15:03.570 --> 15:04.610 then you get baptized 15:04.610 --> 15:06.470 and then number two when they got baptized 15:06.470 --> 15:08.950 notice they went down both of them 15:08.950 --> 15:10.870 down into the water and he baptized them 15:11.370 --> 15:12.830 baptism always takes place 15:12.830 --> 15:14.010 in deep water in the Bible. 15:14.330 --> 15:17.210 There's no sprinkling or pouring in the Bible 15:17.210 --> 15:19.070 that's garbage, that's nonsense 15:19.070 --> 15:20.210 and isn't it interesting 15:20.210 --> 15:22.950 that the same people want to baptize babies 15:22.950 --> 15:25.450 who have not believed with all their heart 15:25.450 --> 15:26.990 because they don't believe anything 15:26.990 --> 15:28.770 because they don't know anything because they're just a baby 15:28.770 --> 15:30.490 they're not even to an age 15:30.490 --> 15:32.370 to comprehend what's going on 15:32.370 --> 15:33.930 the same people want to 15:34.280 --> 15:35.970 defy this and baptize a baby 15:36.260 --> 15:38.190 are the same ones who want to do some stupid 15:38.190 --> 15:40.410 sprinkling pouring fake 15:40.410 --> 15:42.190 baptism that's not real 15:42.190 --> 15:44.150 the word baptism 15:44.150 --> 15:45.730 means immersion 15:46.370 --> 15:48.390 we are buried with 15:48.390 --> 15:50.510 them by baptism into his death 15:50.510 --> 15:52.770 that like as Christ was raised up 15:52.770 --> 15:54.250 from the dead even so 15:54.250 --> 15:56.010 we also should walk in the newness of life 15:56.010 --> 15:57.910 so when you're dunked under the water 15:57.910 --> 15:59.790 that's a picture of Christ being 16:00.210 --> 16:01.610 dead and buried 16:02.130 --> 16:03.770 and then coming up out of the water 16:03.770 --> 16:05.090 is a picture of the resurrection 16:05.090 --> 16:07.610 what is sprinkling water on someone's head 16:07.610 --> 16:09.910 are you buried by just sprinkling a little dirt 16:09.910 --> 16:11.390 on someone? I mean I don't know 16:11.390 --> 16:12.670 maybe you went out and murdered someone 16:12.670 --> 16:14.470 you want to bury them in a shallow grave 16:14.470 --> 16:15.870 you just throw a little dirt on top 16:15.870 --> 16:17.970 well the police are going to discover that body 16:17.970 --> 16:18.650 pretty quick 16:20.330 --> 16:22.270 but burial is underground 16:23.110 --> 16:24.970 and we're buried with them by baptism 16:24.970 --> 16:26.230 because we're going underwater 16:26.230 --> 16:28.470 the Bible says that John was 16:28.870 --> 16:30.590 baptizing an anon near to Salem 16:30.590 --> 16:33.230 because there was much water there 16:33.230 --> 16:35.270 why would you need to baptize 16:35.530 --> 16:37.130 in a place where there's much water 16:37.130 --> 16:38.670 if it's a sprinkling 16:38.670 --> 16:40.610 or a pouring that's nonsense 16:40.610 --> 16:43.110 and then you have these weird quotes 16:43.110 --> 16:44.930 from these early church 16:44.930 --> 16:46.750 writings and church fathers 16:46.750 --> 16:49.090 you know from the first second century 16:49.090 --> 16:51.090 about sprinkling and whatever 16:51.090 --> 16:52.870 look my friend there are already 16:52.870 --> 16:55.010 heretics and false prophets while the Bible 16:55.010 --> 16:56.690 was being written just because 16:56.690 --> 16:58.310 something's old doesn't make it right 16:58.870 --> 17:00.050 it doesn't make it accurate 17:00.050 --> 17:01.850 so you have these books that say 17:02.570 --> 17:04.550 well you know if there's no 17:05.090 --> 17:06.570 cold water available 17:06.570 --> 17:08.810 like when did the Bible 17:08.810 --> 17:09.670 mention the temperature 17:10.730 --> 17:12.670 it's like if there's no cold water 17:12.670 --> 17:14.150 available use warm water 17:14.150 --> 17:16.710 if there's no running water use 17:16.710 --> 17:18.530 a basin of water and if there's 17:18.530 --> 17:19.970 not a big enough basin of water 17:19.970 --> 17:21.270 then you just sprinkle 17:21.270 --> 17:23.510 and then sometimes they'll even go further 17:23.510 --> 17:25.730 and say oh well if there's no water 17:25.730 --> 17:27.590 you could just use sand or something 17:27.590 --> 17:28.210 it's like what? 17:28.970 --> 17:31.330 humans don't live anywhere where there's no water 17:31.890 --> 17:33.790 there isn't any place on this planet 17:33.790 --> 17:35.870 where humans could be alive where water isn't 17:35.870 --> 17:37.730 there because of the point that 17:37.730 --> 17:39.810 humans need water for survival 17:39.810 --> 17:41.490 and if it's a hike or whatever 17:41.490 --> 17:42.870 then you need to take that hike 17:43.470 --> 17:44.770 and go get baptized 17:44.770 --> 17:48.210 the planet's 70% water people 17:48.210 --> 17:49.650 I think we can figure this out 17:50.490 --> 17:51.970 we live in a desert 17:51.970 --> 17:53.870 and we can still find plenty of places 17:53.870 --> 17:54.830 to dunk people 17:54.830 --> 17:57.970 but it's like oh it's not available 17:57.970 --> 18:00.230 and then by the way they brought this 18:00.230 --> 18:02.210 up to King James there was a famous 18:02.210 --> 18:04.090 incident where at the same 18:04.090 --> 18:06.110 meeting where King James decided to 18:06.110 --> 18:07.430 commission the Bible translation 18:07.430 --> 18:09.830 they had an argument about baptism 18:09.830 --> 18:11.990 and one of the bishops of 18:11.990 --> 18:13.690 the Anglican church brought up this thing 18:13.690 --> 18:15.790 of like well you know so and so 18:15.790 --> 18:17.950 the church father said that if there's 18:17.950 --> 18:19.810 no water available they could use sand 18:19.810 --> 18:21.870 and King James famously told the person 18:21.870 --> 18:23.670 well maybe you could just baptize them and 18:23.670 --> 18:25.290 piss because that would still be more Biblical 18:25.290 --> 18:26.910 than sand okay 18:26.910 --> 18:29.330 and it just like ruined the guy's career 18:29.330 --> 18:31.370 like King James just ended the guy's career 18:31.370 --> 18:33.030 in one statement okay 18:33.030 --> 18:33.970 but you know what? 18:35.350 --> 18:36.430 that's stupid 18:37.030 --> 18:38.670 the bottom line is 18:38.670 --> 18:41.450 being baptized is being dunked underwater 18:41.450 --> 18:43.290 every single instance 18:43.290 --> 18:45.470 they go to a place where there's much water there 18:45.470 --> 18:47.390 they go down both of them down 18:47.390 --> 18:49.070 into the water and he baptized them 18:49.070 --> 18:51.190 the Bible says Jesus when he was baptized 18:51.190 --> 18:53.430 came up straight way out of the water 18:53.430 --> 18:55.230 right and he saw the spirit 18:55.230 --> 18:56.730 of God descending on him like a dove 18:56.730 --> 18:58.830 and so baptism is 18:58.830 --> 19:00.870 by immersion there's no like 19:00.870 --> 19:02.750 well if there's no water available 19:02.750 --> 19:04.050 or if someone's on their deathbed 19:05.010 --> 19:07.370 someone's on their deathbed then they just don't get baptized 19:09.590 --> 19:11.150 the Catholics tried to say 19:11.150 --> 19:13.550 oh when water came out of Jesus' side 19:13.550 --> 19:14.830 it squirted the 19:14.830 --> 19:16.830 the thief on the cross and that's how you got baptized 19:16.830 --> 19:19.010 you know what? that's a bunch of made up 19:19.010 --> 19:20.990 mumbo jumbo okay 19:22.210 --> 19:23.090 baptism isn't 19:23.090 --> 19:24.390 necessary for salvation 19:25.250 --> 19:26.890 so if someone is so 19:27.590 --> 19:29.030 invalid or crippled 19:29.030 --> 19:31.650 that they can't be baptized well then maybe they're just not going to get baptized 19:32.170 --> 19:33.130 the thief on the 19:33.130 --> 19:35.110 cross didn't get baptized and he's still 19:35.110 --> 19:37.090 in heaven you don't have to be 19:37.090 --> 19:38.850 baptized to be saved you have to believe 19:38.850 --> 19:40.610 with all your heart to be saved 19:40.610 --> 19:42.950 and then after you believe on Christ 19:42.950 --> 19:44.190 you get baptized 19:44.690 --> 19:47.130 as a picture or a token or a symbol 19:47.130 --> 19:49.450 of the salvation that has already taken place 19:49.930 --> 19:51.270 so baptism is like 19:51.270 --> 19:53.890 my wedding ring right this ring doesn't make me married 19:53.890 --> 19:55.570 this ring is a symbol 19:55.570 --> 19:57.910 to other people to show them that I am married 19:57.910 --> 19:59.470 so if I take it off 19:59.470 --> 20:01.610 I'm still married if I put it on you 20:01.610 --> 20:03.390 you're not suddenly married to my wife 20:03.390 --> 20:05.070 okay this ring 20:05.070 --> 20:07.050 is not to show me that I'm married 20:07.050 --> 20:08.170 because I already know that I'm married 20:08.170 --> 20:11.110 I won't have to look down at this and need this as a reminder 20:11.110 --> 20:12.810 like oh crap I'm married 20:12.810 --> 20:14.010 I gotta go home to my wife 20:14.010 --> 20:16.110 I already know I'm married 20:16.110 --> 20:18.030 this is more a symbol to other people 20:18.030 --> 20:19.730 showing other people that I'm married 20:19.730 --> 20:21.530 it's an outward sign 20:21.530 --> 20:23.310 baptism is the same way 20:23.310 --> 20:26.190 you can still know for sure that you're saved 20:26.190 --> 20:27.530 you know you're going to heaven 20:27.530 --> 20:29.890 you've believed on Christ and then baptism 20:29.890 --> 20:32.070 is just a way to publicly show that 20:32.070 --> 20:34.710 and you could be married and never get a wedding ring 20:34.710 --> 20:35.390 and you'd still be married 20:35.390 --> 20:37.350 and I guarantee you that there are men 20:37.350 --> 20:39.630 who are married that have never worn a wedding ring 20:40.330 --> 20:41.510 when I was a child 20:41.510 --> 20:43.570 that seemed like a lot of men did not wear wedding rings 20:43.570 --> 20:45.350 nowadays it seems more 20:45.910 --> 20:47.810 on vogue for both men and women 20:47.810 --> 20:48.850 to always wear a wedding ring 20:48.850 --> 20:50.690 but who knows what I'm talking about 20:50.690 --> 20:52.730 like in that previous generation 20:52.730 --> 20:54.790 a lot of men just never got a wedding ring 20:54.790 --> 20:55.810 they just never wore a wedding ring 20:55.810 --> 20:58.250 the wives got it and the men didn't 20:58.250 --> 21:00.450 it was just a cultural thing 21:00.450 --> 21:02.410 did that make them any less married 21:02.410 --> 21:04.470 no now I do think that 21:04.470 --> 21:06.390 having a wedding ring is a nice thing 21:06.390 --> 21:08.330 it's a good thing it's something that we should do 21:09.010 --> 21:10.150 and in the Bible 21:10.150 --> 21:12.350 obviously baptism is a commandment 21:13.130 --> 21:14.410 but guess what 21:14.410 --> 21:16.030 we all break a lot of commandments 21:16.030 --> 21:18.530 and thank God being saved isn't 21:18.530 --> 21:20.050 by keeping commandments being saved 21:20.050 --> 21:21.530 by believing on Jesus 21:22.130 --> 21:24.410 so look if you if you're here this 21:24.410 --> 21:26.390 morning and you're saved 21:26.390 --> 21:27.670 and you know you're going to heaven 21:27.670 --> 21:29.650 but you've never been baptized 21:29.650 --> 21:31.650 after you got saved you should get baptized 21:31.650 --> 21:33.730 this morning you should get baptized 21:33.730 --> 21:35.490 right away because if you say well 21:35.490 --> 21:37.570 I got baptized as a baby no you didn't 21:37.570 --> 21:38.910 you got sprinkled as a baby 21:39.490 --> 21:41.190 you got wet as a baby 21:41.190 --> 21:42.290 you did not get baptized 21:42.290 --> 21:45.110 no no no they dunked me well if you got dunked 21:45.110 --> 21:46.590 before you were saved it doesn't count 21:47.310 --> 21:49.070 you say how many times do I need to get baptized 21:49.070 --> 21:50.010 one time 21:51.430 --> 21:52.510 after you're saved 21:53.090 --> 21:54.230 in deep water 21:54.230 --> 21:56.570 in the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost 21:57.630 --> 21:58.030 right 21:58.030 --> 21:58.910 that's all you need 21:59.870 --> 22:01.690 look if you've been baptized 22:02.150 --> 22:03.790 after salvation deep water 22:03.790 --> 22:06.090 name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost 22:06.090 --> 22:06.870 you're good to go 22:07.750 --> 22:09.690 otherwise you should get baptized this morning 22:09.690 --> 22:11.290 we have a baptistery we have water 22:11.290 --> 22:13.030 we have changed clothes we have towels 22:13.030 --> 22:15.310 we'll baptize you today we'll get it taken care of 22:15.310 --> 22:16.710 but you know what you can just say 22:17.430 --> 22:18.430 I'm not going to 22:18.430 --> 22:20.110 well guess what you're still going to heaven 22:21.450 --> 22:22.830 I'm not holding the keys 22:22.830 --> 22:25.170 to heaven back there at the baptistery 22:25.170 --> 22:26.070 saying hey you know 22:26.070 --> 22:27.990 you got to get in this water to go to heaven 22:27.990 --> 22:30.210 no you go to heaven by believing in Jesus 22:30.210 --> 22:32.310 that whosoever believeth in him 22:32.310 --> 22:33.650 should not perish but have eternal life 22:33.650 --> 22:34.770 that's what the bible says 22:36.090 --> 22:38.590 so what does it mean to believe with all your heart 22:38.590 --> 22:40.710 it means you put all your faith in Jesus 22:41.450 --> 22:41.890 not 22:41.890 --> 22:44.450 well I'm trusting Jesus and my good works 22:44.930 --> 22:46.630 I'm trusting Jesus and Buddha 22:46.630 --> 22:48.890 Jesus and the spirit in the sky 22:48.890 --> 22:50.530 great grandfather great spirit 22:50.530 --> 22:52.610 no you got to put all your faith 22:52.610 --> 22:54.490 in Jesus now look 22:54.490 --> 22:56.290 obviously we as human beings 22:56.890 --> 22:58.650 some people have more faith than others 23:00.070 --> 23:01.130 you know some people 23:01.130 --> 23:02.130 are of little faith 23:02.770 --> 23:04.070 some people have great faith 23:04.730 --> 23:07.010 the quantity of faith doesn't matter 23:07.010 --> 23:08.850 you could be a person 23:08.850 --> 23:11.190 of very little faith very low 23:11.190 --> 23:12.950 faith individual you know people talk 23:12.950 --> 23:14.310 about like low IQ individuals 23:14.630 --> 23:16.870 you know there's certain like low faith individuals 23:17.670 --> 23:19.990 you could be a really low faith individual 23:19.990 --> 23:21.990 as long as you take all the faith 23:21.990 --> 23:23.630 that you do have and put it all on Jesus 23:23.630 --> 23:24.750 you're saved 23:25.650 --> 23:27.290 it's sort of like the widows might 23:27.290 --> 23:29.330 you know she cast in everything she had 23:29.330 --> 23:31.070 even though it was a tiny amount of money 23:31.570 --> 23:33.150 that was everything that she had 23:33.150 --> 23:35.290 you know and obviously this is a carnal 23:35.290 --> 23:36.830 illustration because I don't think 23:36.830 --> 23:38.610 that we should do any gambling whatsoever 23:38.610 --> 23:40.430 and gambling is wrong 23:40.430 --> 23:42.710 but here's the thing it'd be sort of like 23:42.710 --> 23:43.930 if you went to a casino 23:43.930 --> 23:45.810 and you had a little bit of money 23:45.810 --> 23:47.370 and you put it all on Jesus 23:48.450 --> 23:49.670 right that's salvation 23:49.670 --> 23:51.610 you could put a lot of money on 23:51.610 --> 23:53.850 you know whatever the number on the roulette 23:53.850 --> 23:55.710 wheel or whatever or you could put a little money 23:55.710 --> 23:57.910 the only point is you gotta put all your money 23:57.910 --> 24:00.130 on Jesus that's how you get saved 24:00.130 --> 24:02.130 you gotta believe with all your heart 24:02.130 --> 24:02.850 and you may 24:04.070 --> 24:05.910 so of course he does he says 24:05.910 --> 24:07.850 yeah man I believe that Jesus Christ 24:07.850 --> 24:09.810 is the son of God right that's what 24:09.810 --> 24:11.010 you have to believe to be saved 24:11.010 --> 24:12.710 you gotta put all your faith and trust 24:12.710 --> 24:14.350 in Jesus the son of God 24:14.770 --> 24:16.590 his death barrel and resurrection of course 24:16.590 --> 24:19.110 Isaiah 53 is a great passage to explain that 24:19.110 --> 24:20.910 they both go down into the water 24:20.910 --> 24:22.830 he baptized him by immersion 24:22.830 --> 24:24.350 he dunks him underwater 24:24.890 --> 24:27.130 and here's what's funny when he comes out of the water 24:27.130 --> 24:27.890 verse 39 24:27.890 --> 24:30.530 the spirit of the Lord caught away Philip 24:30.530 --> 24:32.790 that the eunuch saw him no more 24:32.790 --> 24:35.310 and he went on his way rejoicing so notice this 24:35.310 --> 24:36.190 think about this 24:36.190 --> 24:38.430 Philip is baptizing the eunuch 24:38.430 --> 24:40.510 and literally when the eunuch 24:40.510 --> 24:41.650 pops out of the water 24:42.250 --> 24:42.790 Philip's gone 24:43.830 --> 24:45.570 like that's how fast he's gone 24:45.570 --> 24:48.350 it's just like Philip is just whisked away by the spirit of God 24:48.350 --> 24:49.430 so it's a miracle 24:49.430 --> 24:52.290 that Philip is teleported away 24:52.290 --> 24:54.610 whisked away and what's funny is that 24:54.610 --> 24:56.430 again the critics of soul winning 24:56.430 --> 24:58.130 the people who criticize 24:58.130 --> 25:00.210 going out evangelizing 25:00.210 --> 25:02.310 and soul winning they'll often say like 25:02.310 --> 25:03.630 oh you didn't follow up 25:03.630 --> 25:05.710 you need to do more follow up 25:05.710 --> 25:07.910 you didn't plan to church in every single place 25:07.910 --> 25:08.530 you went soul winning 25:08.530 --> 25:10.670 well first of all there's already a baptist church 25:10.670 --> 25:11.870 in every town in America 25:12.730 --> 25:14.310 it's not my fault if they're lame 25:15.510 --> 25:17.290 some are awesome some are lame 25:17.290 --> 25:18.250 not my problem 25:18.810 --> 25:20.390 there are baptist churches everywhere 25:20.390 --> 25:23.450 most of the countries we go soul winning there are baptist churches there 25:23.450 --> 25:25.090 there are options for people 25:25.550 --> 25:26.910 oh you didn't soul win 25:26.910 --> 25:29.030 and then do follow up 25:29.030 --> 25:30.930 and you didn't keep doing the bible study 25:30.930 --> 25:32.090 and keep going back to their house 25:32.090 --> 25:33.850 well how much follow up did Philip do 25:34.310 --> 25:36.830 I mean Philip gets the guy saved 25:36.830 --> 25:37.850 dunks him 25:37.850 --> 25:39.590 and then he's just like see a sucker 25:39.590 --> 25:42.010 and he's gone he couldn't have done 25:42.010 --> 25:43.570 follow up if he wanted to 25:44.630 --> 25:45.390 and look 25:45.870 --> 25:47.590 God is the one who whisked him away 25:49.750 --> 25:51.390 Philip could have kept preaching to the guy 25:51.390 --> 25:52.470 he could have kept teaching the guy 25:52.470 --> 25:54.450 he could have ridden with them all the way back to Ethiopia 25:55.210 --> 25:56.710 just taking a big road trip 25:58.270 --> 25:59.990 why did God whisk him away 25:59.990 --> 26:01.870 I'll tell you why God whisked him away 26:01.870 --> 26:04.210 because God had other people for him to go preach to 26:04.210 --> 26:04.650 and talk to 26:04.650 --> 26:07.990 and Jesus Christ when he's evangelizing 26:08.990 --> 26:10.390 he goes into a town 26:10.390 --> 26:12.370 preaches there gets a bunch of people saved 26:12.370 --> 26:14.230 they're begging him to stay 26:14.930 --> 26:16.570 they're saying stay here 26:16.570 --> 26:18.590 for days or weeks or months 26:18.590 --> 26:19.890 and you know what Jesus I gotta go 26:20.490 --> 26:22.630 so that I can preach in the other towns also 26:23.350 --> 26:24.630 so this thing of 26:24.630 --> 26:25.850 oh everywhere we go 26:25.850 --> 26:27.130 we have to just park it 26:27.130 --> 26:28.870 and be there for weeks or months 26:28.870 --> 26:31.330 no we can do some drive by 26:31.330 --> 26:32.430 get in 26:32.430 --> 26:35.090 get out helicopter style soul winning 26:35.090 --> 26:36.630 where we jump into an area 26:36.630 --> 26:38.830 knock all the doors get everybody saved 26:38.830 --> 26:40.650 that we can that will listen 26:40.650 --> 26:42.850 that will you know believe and then just get out 26:44.230 --> 26:45.130 totally biblical 26:45.130 --> 26:47.350 but you know what it's man's logic 26:47.350 --> 26:48.590 and man's reasoning that says 26:49.010 --> 26:50.490 oh how dare you do that 26:51.130 --> 26:52.950 that's like putting a baby in the dumpster 26:52.950 --> 26:55.370 and you're just leaving them as sheep with no shepherd 26:55.370 --> 26:56.510 and blah blah folks 26:56.510 --> 26:58.450 read the four gospels 26:58.450 --> 27:00.210 look at the evangelism 27:00.210 --> 27:02.010 that Jesus and the apostles did 27:02.010 --> 27:04.450 read the book of Acts and here's the thing 27:04.450 --> 27:06.250 yeah a lot of times in Acts 27:06.250 --> 27:08.470 the apostle Paul does post up somewhere 27:08.470 --> 27:10.190 for a year and a half two years 27:10.190 --> 27:12.270 and do a ton of discipleship 27:12.270 --> 27:13.270 and growth and everything 27:13.270 --> 27:15.670 but there are plenty of examples like this 27:15.670 --> 27:18.310 of just get them saved 27:18.310 --> 27:19.290 move on 27:19.290 --> 27:21.630 they're both valid 27:21.630 --> 27:23.490 I mean look here we are in Phoenix 27:23.490 --> 27:25.610 Arizona we got a crowd 27:25.610 --> 27:27.710 of people here and what are we doing right now 27:27.710 --> 27:29.670 we're learning the Bible we're being discipled 27:29.670 --> 27:31.830 we're getting fellowship we're here three times 27:31.830 --> 27:32.250 a week 27:33.510 --> 27:35.610 but guess what we also like to go 27:35.610 --> 27:37.550 other places and just helicopter style 27:37.550 --> 27:39.530 get people saved they're both biblical 27:40.130 --> 27:41.050 let's do both 27:42.270 --> 27:43.810 alright let's change gears 27:43.810 --> 27:46.110 and go to and by the way 27:46.110 --> 27:47.490 the proof for that is in verse 40 27:47.490 --> 27:49.770 it says that when Philip is whisked 27:49.770 --> 27:51.810 away he's found it azotus that's 27:51.810 --> 27:53.690 the New Testament or Greek spelling of 27:53.690 --> 27:55.790 Ashtod one of the cities of the Philistines 27:56.370 --> 27:57.970 he's preaching in all the cities 27:58.670 --> 27:59.990 God just had other people 27:59.990 --> 28:00.710 for him to preach to 28:00.710 --> 28:03.310 alright go to Jeremiah chapter 38 28:03.310 --> 28:05.250 let's change gears so we saw 28:05.770 --> 28:07.410 the example of 28:07.410 --> 28:09.530 Ethiopian eunuch title of the sermon this morning is 28:09.530 --> 28:11.190 I love black people 28:11.750 --> 28:13.230 okay and here's the thing 28:13.630 --> 28:15.210 in Acts chapter 8 28:15.210 --> 28:17.230 we have an example of a very 28:17.230 --> 28:19.230 receptive guy who really 28:19.230 --> 28:21.230 wants to hear the gospel just ready to 28:21.230 --> 28:23.250 get saved God leads Philip 28:23.250 --> 28:25.230 to this guy and he gets saved he's a black 28:25.230 --> 28:26.330 man because in the Bible 28:27.090 --> 28:29.070 Ethiopians are the quintessential black 28:29.070 --> 28:31.070 people so nowadays 28:31.070 --> 28:33.090 Ethiopians aren't really that dark 28:33.090 --> 28:35.030 because of just years of 28:35.730 --> 28:37.330 colonization and intermingling 28:37.330 --> 28:38.910 and stuff they've gotten lighter 28:38.910 --> 28:41.190 in skin color but if you read ancient 28:41.190 --> 28:42.850 Greek literature or the Bible 28:42.850 --> 28:45.170 they are like the blackest of the black 28:45.170 --> 28:47.050 at that time they're very black people 28:47.050 --> 28:49.010 and so we see that the Ethiopian 28:49.010 --> 28:50.870 eunuch was a super receptive person 28:50.870 --> 28:52.890 that God wanted this guy to get saved 28:52.890 --> 28:55.030 so he specifically pulled Philip 28:55.030 --> 28:57.070 off his mission and sent him 28:57.070 --> 28:59.150 to get this guy saved and you know 28:59.150 --> 29:00.870 what I think that we 29:00.870 --> 29:03.450 are going to go find some Ethiopian 29:03.450 --> 29:05.050 eunuchs out there we're going to 29:05.050 --> 29:06.890 find some people out there 29:06.890 --> 29:09.190 that are receptive and that want to be saved 29:09.190 --> 29:10.610 and that's the job 29:11.650 --> 29:12.950 but now I'm going to show you another 29:12.950 --> 29:14.930 story about an Ethiopian in the Bible 29:14.930 --> 29:16.510 this is Jeremiah chapter 29:16.510 --> 29:18.950 38 and here's the thing about this guy 29:18.950 --> 29:20.630 this is a guy who is actually 29:20.630 --> 29:22.590 a very loyal friend 29:22.590 --> 29:24.510 to the prophet Jeremiah 29:24.510 --> 29:26.870 now look what the Bible says in Jeremiah 29:26.870 --> 29:28.930 38 verse 6 they took 29:28.930 --> 29:30.350 then Jeremiah 29:30.770 --> 29:32.250 and cast him into the dungeon 29:32.870 --> 29:34.830 of Malchia the son of Hamalek 29:34.830 --> 29:36.630 that was in the court of the prison 29:36.630 --> 29:38.510 and they let down Jeremiah with 29:38.510 --> 29:40.630 cords and in the dungeon 29:40.630 --> 29:42.650 there was no water but mire 29:42.650 --> 29:43.710 so Jeremiah 29:44.340 --> 29:46.550 sunk in the mire this is basically 29:46.550 --> 29:47.450 like a sewer 29:47.450 --> 29:50.550 this is refuse 29:50.550 --> 29:52.550 this is sludge this is like 29:52.550 --> 29:54.350 the bottom of an outhouse 29:54.350 --> 29:55.910 this is a gross 29:56.630 --> 29:58.410 horrible unsanitary 29:58.410 --> 30:00.070 disgusting place 30:00.070 --> 30:01.870 where instead of just being in prison 30:02.420 --> 30:04.070 he's put in a quote dungeon 30:04.480 --> 30:06.490 but the Bible says there's no water it's just 30:06.490 --> 30:08.270 mire it's just muck 30:08.270 --> 30:10.070 it's just filth and Jeremiah 30:10.070 --> 30:11.230 is literally sinking 30:11.230 --> 30:14.050 in the muck and mire 30:14.050 --> 30:15.490 he's in a horrible situation 30:16.210 --> 30:17.850 verse number 7 now when 30:17.850 --> 30:19.130 ebed melech 30:19.130 --> 30:21.830 the Ethiopian now this literally 30:21.830 --> 30:23.670 the Hebrew words here ebed 30:24.050 --> 30:26.050 means servant melech means king 30:26.050 --> 30:27.790 those are some of the most basic words in Hebrew 30:27.790 --> 30:30.190 so when ebed melech 30:30.190 --> 30:31.890 his name means servant of the king 30:31.890 --> 30:34.070 but that's just his name the Ethiopian 30:34.070 --> 30:35.430 one of the eunuchs 30:35.430 --> 30:37.110 which was in the king's house 30:37.110 --> 30:39.410 heard that they had put Jeremiah in the 30:39.410 --> 30:41.150 dungeon the king then sitting 30:41.150 --> 30:43.370 in the gate of Benjamin ebed melech 30:43.370 --> 30:45.230 went forth out of the king's house 30:45.230 --> 30:46.930 and spake to the king saying 30:46.930 --> 30:49.330 my lord the king these men have done 30:49.330 --> 30:51.250 evil in all that they 30:51.250 --> 30:52.710 have done to Jeremiah the prophet 30:52.710 --> 30:54.550 whom they have cast into the dungeon 30:54.550 --> 30:56.910 and he is like to die for hunger 30:57.290 --> 30:59.090 in the place where he is for there's 30:59.090 --> 31:00.750 no more bread in the city look 31:01.210 --> 31:03.310 these are the kind of friends that you want to have 31:03.310 --> 31:05.330 when you're in trouble that will go to bat 31:05.330 --> 31:07.410 for you because 31:07.410 --> 31:09.330 look when the apostle Paul was 31:09.330 --> 31:11.010 thrown in prison a lot of his friends 31:11.010 --> 31:12.890 for shook him because they were quote 31:12.890 --> 31:14.210 ashamed of his chain 31:15.010 --> 31:17.090 and then there was Onesiferus who was not 31:17.090 --> 31:18.930 ashamed of the chain well here's an old 31:18.930 --> 31:20.990 testament example ebed melech 31:20.990 --> 31:22.390 is publicly 31:23.430 --> 31:24.650 outspoken saying look 31:24.650 --> 31:27.170 Jeremiah is innocent let's 31:27.170 --> 31:28.570 get him out of the muck and mire 31:28.570 --> 31:30.350 let's get him out of the dungeon you know 31:30.350 --> 31:32.510 these are the kind of friends that you want to have to go to bat for you 31:32.510 --> 31:33.910 and here's the thing 31:33.910 --> 31:36.270 most of the men of Judah they're not 31:36.270 --> 31:37.230 going to bat for Jeremiah 31:38.570 --> 31:40.450 so who do you think is a better friend 31:40.450 --> 31:42.070 who do you think is a better brother 31:42.070 --> 31:44.190 who do you think is a better 31:44.850 --> 31:45.250 companion 31:46.850 --> 31:48.810 some Judean some Judah guy 31:48.810 --> 31:50.710 some Jew who doesn't 31:50.710 --> 31:52.670 help doesn't care doesn't 31:52.670 --> 31:54.410 stand up for you or the black 31:54.410 --> 31:56.150 man who's actually going to help you out 31:57.430 --> 31:58.230 ebed melech 31:58.230 --> 32:00.390 and you know at the end of the day when you're a Christian 32:00.390 --> 32:01.950 and you're living for God 32:01.950 --> 32:04.390 and you're serving God you know what you're going to find 32:04.390 --> 32:06.270 is that sometimes it's not always 32:06.270 --> 32:07.310 your physical family 32:07.790 --> 32:09.790 it's not always the people you grew up with 32:09.790 --> 32:12.130 it's not even always the people of your same 32:12.130 --> 32:13.490 nationality or ethnicity 32:14.070 --> 32:16.010 that are going to become your best friends 32:16.010 --> 32:18.070 your biggest allies the people 32:18.070 --> 32:20.050 that are really there for you you know sometimes 32:20.050 --> 32:21.890 it's going to be very different 32:21.890 --> 32:24.050 people that God brings across your path 32:24.050 --> 32:26.430 because we're all one in Christ Jesus 32:27.330 --> 32:28.550 you know and we're going to end up 32:28.550 --> 32:30.010 having more in common 32:30.010 --> 32:31.650 and more affinity 32:32.230 --> 32:34.150 with our brothers and sisters in Christ 32:35.130 --> 32:36.490 than unsaved people 32:36.490 --> 32:38.390 who just happen to be from the same 32:38.390 --> 32:40.470 part of the country or part of the world that we're from 32:40.470 --> 32:42.270 or they just happen to be our blood 32:42.270 --> 32:44.210 relatives you'll end up forming closer 32:44.210 --> 32:45.870 relationships and closer bonds 32:46.390 --> 32:47.890 with your brothers and sisters in Christ 32:48.290 --> 32:49.490 red and yellow black and white 32:50.050 --> 32:52.210 and by the way when you see these people online 32:52.210 --> 32:53.910 that are white supremacists 32:53.910 --> 32:55.830 and they just can't stop talking about race 32:55.830 --> 32:57.590 and everything's about race for them 32:57.590 --> 32:59.690 you know what they're just showing that they're just 32:59.690 --> 33:01.690 very immature and carnal 33:01.690 --> 33:03.390 as a Christian when they feel that way 33:04.030 --> 33:05.810 you know because like they're just 33:05.810 --> 33:06.830 looking at the flesh 33:07.410 --> 33:09.090 they're not thinking about the spirit 33:09.890 --> 33:11.870 spiritual things and you sit there 33:11.870 --> 33:13.590 and say oh you know well my race 33:13.590 --> 33:15.370 is the best and look bro 33:15.370 --> 33:17.550 at the end of the day what matters 33:17.550 --> 33:19.190 is the spiritual side of things 33:19.970 --> 33:21.330 you know and you'd rather 33:21.330 --> 33:23.470 have an ebed melech 33:23.470 --> 33:24.630 on your side 33:25.060 --> 33:26.310 than one of these Jews 33:26.310 --> 33:27.470 that's a bozo 33:29.130 --> 33:30.790 and so ebed melech 33:30.790 --> 33:32.190 he's doing what a true friend does 33:32.190 --> 33:34.630 he speaks out he gets involved 33:34.630 --> 33:36.070 he helps out his friend 33:36.070 --> 33:37.650 he's not ashamed of the chain 33:38.650 --> 33:40.790 and so he says this 33:40.790 --> 33:41.970 and then it says in verse 10 33:41.970 --> 33:45.010 then the king commanded ebed melech 33:45.010 --> 33:47.050 the Ethiopian saying take from hence 33:47.050 --> 33:49.010 30 men with thee and take up 33:49.010 --> 33:50.930 Jeremiah the prophet out of 33:50.930 --> 33:52.490 the dungeon before he die 33:52.490 --> 33:54.850 so you know presumably ebed 33:54.850 --> 33:56.610 melech is literally saving 33:56.610 --> 33:58.730 Jeremiah's life because 33:58.730 --> 34:00.050 he's probably going to die down there 34:00.050 --> 34:02.730 he's not getting bread he's not getting water 34:02.730 --> 34:04.510 and he's living in filth 34:04.510 --> 34:05.230 in this dungeon 34:06.790 --> 34:08.590 so ebed melech took them in 34:08.590 --> 34:10.650 with him verse 11 and went into the house 34:10.650 --> 34:12.010 of the king under the treasury 34:12.010 --> 34:14.330 and took then old cast clouds 34:14.330 --> 34:16.270 and old rotten rags 34:16.270 --> 34:18.090 and let them down by cords 34:18.090 --> 34:19.510 into the dungeon 34:20.020 --> 34:21.110 to Jeremiah 34:21.110 --> 34:23.530 and ebed melech the Ethiopian 34:23.530 --> 34:24.670 sent him to Jeremiah 34:24.670 --> 34:27.650 put now these old cast clouds and rotten rags 34:28.040 --> 34:29.490 under thine armholes 34:29.490 --> 34:31.370 under the cords so basically you know 34:31.370 --> 34:33.750 armhole is obviously armpits 34:34.160 --> 34:35.090 so he's saying you know 34:35.090 --> 34:37.290 he lowers down like a makeshift 34:37.290 --> 34:39.710 rope thing just out of rags 34:39.710 --> 34:41.130 and whatever cloth they can find 34:41.130 --> 34:43.470 and then he says hey put this under your armpits 34:43.470 --> 34:45.410 you know it tells me that Jeremiah is probably 34:45.410 --> 34:46.970 in a pretty weakened condition 34:47.690 --> 34:49.290 it's not like he's climbing 34:49.290 --> 34:50.650 the rope like in gym class 34:50.650 --> 34:53.310 or even holding on normally with his hands 34:53.310 --> 34:55.090 it's more like they have to make a loop 34:55.090 --> 34:57.090 that can go around his armpits 34:57.090 --> 34:59.350 so that he can just be dragged up 34:59.350 --> 35:01.550 through no effort of his own 35:02.710 --> 35:04.190 and so they end up 35:04.190 --> 35:05.290 pulling him out 35:05.290 --> 35:07.450 it says in verse 13 they drew up 35:07.450 --> 35:09.430 Jeremiah with cords and took him up 35:09.430 --> 35:11.410 out of the dungeon and Jeremiah 35:11.410 --> 35:12.850 remained in the court 35:13.270 --> 35:13.970 of the prison 35:15.150 --> 35:16.830 now flip over if you would to 35:17.470 --> 35:18.430 Jeremiah 39 35:18.430 --> 35:20.130 so he's not out of prison 35:20.130 --> 35:23.230 but at least he gets out of just the most filthy 35:23.230 --> 35:24.510 hole that he was in 35:24.510 --> 35:26.290 and gets put in a normal prison 35:26.290 --> 35:28.390 and he's able to get some bread and water 35:28.390 --> 35:30.610 and survive and ride out 35:30.610 --> 35:31.730 these trials and tribulations 35:31.730 --> 35:34.490 now in the end God's gonna bless Jeremiah big time 35:34.490 --> 35:36.610 and he's gonna be taken care of 35:36.610 --> 35:38.090 and everything's gonna go great for him 35:38.090 --> 35:40.510 but this is a really hard time in Jeremiah's life 35:40.510 --> 35:41.990 where he's on the point of death 35:41.990 --> 35:43.530 elsewhere in Jeremiah 35:44.030 --> 35:45.750 he says to the king 35:45.750 --> 35:47.990 do not send me back to that place 35:47.990 --> 35:49.470 or I'm gonna die there 35:49.970 --> 35:52.510 he was in the worst pit of his life 35:52.510 --> 35:54.050 and who pulled him out 35:54.050 --> 35:55.390 Ebed Melek pulled him out 35:56.150 --> 35:56.630 Ethiopian 35:56.630 --> 35:59.250 now in Jeremiah chapter 39 35:59.930 --> 36:02.190 Ebed Melek gets a special shout out 36:02.190 --> 36:03.410 in the word of God 36:03.410 --> 36:05.670 for having done this great deed unto Jeremiah 36:05.670 --> 36:06.530 in the previous chapter 36:06.530 --> 36:08.690 look at verse number 15 of chapter 39 36:08.690 --> 36:10.710 now the word of the Lord came unto Jeremiah 36:10.710 --> 36:13.690 while he was shut up in the court of the prison saying 36:13.690 --> 36:15.130 go and speak 36:15.550 --> 36:17.530 to Ebed Melek the Ethiopian 36:17.530 --> 36:19.770 saying does say at the Lord of hosts 36:19.770 --> 36:20.450 the God of Israel 36:20.450 --> 36:23.330 behold I will bring my words upon this city 36:23.330 --> 36:24.710 for evil and not for good 36:24.710 --> 36:27.630 and they shall be accomplished in that day before thee 36:27.630 --> 36:29.410 but I will deliver thee 36:29.410 --> 36:30.730 in that day say at the Lord 36:30.730 --> 36:33.110 and thou shalt not be given in the hand 36:33.110 --> 36:35.110 of the men of whom thou art afraid 36:35.110 --> 36:36.970 for I will surely deliver thee 36:36.970 --> 36:39.110 and thou shalt not fall by the sword 36:39.110 --> 36:41.690 but thy life shall be for a pray unto thee 36:41.690 --> 36:43.350 because thou hast put thy trust 36:43.350 --> 36:44.370 in me say at the Lord 36:44.370 --> 36:45.730 look it's pretty cool 36:45.730 --> 36:47.850 when a special sermon 36:47.850 --> 36:49.970 a special shout out 36:49.970 --> 36:52.070 several verses in the word of God 36:52.070 --> 36:53.690 are actually dedicated 36:53.690 --> 36:56.090 not just to the deeds that you did 36:56.090 --> 36:58.830 not just to the good works that Ebed Melek did 36:58.830 --> 37:00.510 in chapter 38 37:00.510 --> 37:02.770 but also you know about the fact 37:02.770 --> 37:04.450 that God noticed what he did 37:04.450 --> 37:06.030 God saw what he did 37:06.030 --> 37:08.310 and God said you know what I'm going to reward you 37:08.310 --> 37:09.910 and when other people are dying 37:09.910 --> 37:11.370 other people are suffering 37:11.370 --> 37:14.290 other people are getting smoked in Jerusalem 37:14.910 --> 37:16.050 namely the Jews 37:16.970 --> 37:18.130 he said you know what 37:18.130 --> 37:19.930 you are going to be okay 37:20.450 --> 37:21.470 you are going to survive 37:21.470 --> 37:24.110 and I am going to save you out of that adversity 37:24.110 --> 37:26.130 because of what you did for Jeremiah 37:26.130 --> 37:27.730 I'm going to reward you 37:27.730 --> 37:29.150 you don't have to worry about anything 37:29.150 --> 37:30.790 look that would feel pretty good 37:30.790 --> 37:33.110 if you're Ebed Melek and you get this sermon 37:33.110 --> 37:35.890 telling you hey man God's going to take care of you 37:35.890 --> 37:37.950 and God's specifically revealed to Jeremiah 37:37.950 --> 37:38.950 that he will not be killed 37:40.350 --> 37:41.630 now I want to point out 37:42.210 --> 37:42.990 that in 37:43.750 --> 37:45.590 verse number 17 it says 37:45.590 --> 37:47.850 I will deliver thee in that day say at the Lord 37:47.850 --> 37:49.790 and thou shalt not be given into the hand of the men 37:50.430 --> 37:51.890 of whom thou art afraid 37:51.890 --> 37:54.130 look was Ebed Melek 37:54.130 --> 37:55.730 afraid was he scared 37:55.730 --> 37:58.210 yeah and here's the thing the Christian life 37:58.210 --> 37:59.590 is lived by 37:59.590 --> 38:00.330 human beings 38:01.050 --> 38:02.890 by normal people like you and me 38:02.890 --> 38:04.910 I mean Elijah was a man 38:04.910 --> 38:06.710 subject to like passions that we are 38:07.350 --> 38:08.650 he was just like us 38:09.450 --> 38:10.750 and so here's the thing 38:10.750 --> 38:13.190 we are sometimes going to be afraid 38:13.730 --> 38:15.950 in our lives we're going to be scared 38:15.950 --> 38:17.430 but Ebed Melek 38:17.430 --> 38:19.790 is the kind of a guy where even when he's 38:19.790 --> 38:21.650 scared he still steps up to the plate 38:21.650 --> 38:22.370 and does what's right 38:22.370 --> 38:24.710 you know because guess what 38:24.710 --> 38:26.390 we're all going to be scared at times 38:26.390 --> 38:28.410 the difference is if we're going to let that 38:28.410 --> 38:29.790 cowardice and fear 38:30.290 --> 38:31.970 prevent us from doing the right thing 38:31.970 --> 38:34.130 or whether we're going to overcome that fear 38:34.590 --> 38:36.170 and just say yeah though 38:36.170 --> 38:38.170 I walk through the valley of the shadow of death 38:38.170 --> 38:40.850 I will fear no evil for thou art with thee 38:40.850 --> 38:41.530 with me 38:41.530 --> 38:44.350 and then in Revelation it says fear none of those 38:44.350 --> 38:45.330 things which thou shalt suffer 38:46.650 --> 38:48.710 and so it's like fear not Ebed Melek 38:48.710 --> 38:49.850 I know you're scared 38:49.850 --> 38:51.290 I know you're scared of these people 38:51.290 --> 38:53.090 don't worry about it I got your back 38:53.870 --> 38:54.690 because look 38:55.210 --> 38:57.670 the best way to be safe is with God 38:57.670 --> 38:58.350 protecting you 38:59.750 --> 39:02.010 it's not by leaning on your own understanding 39:02.010 --> 39:03.790 I mean Ebed Melek could have just said 39:03.790 --> 39:05.350 well I don't want to get involved with Jeremiah 39:05.350 --> 39:07.390 because what if he goes in there 39:07.390 --> 39:09.190 and says hey man 39:09.190 --> 39:11.910 it's not right Jeremiah is innocent 39:11.910 --> 39:13.510 why'd you throw him in the pit 39:13.510 --> 39:15.530 what was Jeremiah being accused of again 39:15.530 --> 39:17.890 Jeremiah is accused of treason 39:17.890 --> 39:19.910 he's being accused of 39:19.910 --> 39:22.010 being a defector to the Babylonians 39:22.010 --> 39:23.190 and that he's a traitor 39:23.190 --> 39:24.850 now it's not true it's a lie 39:24.850 --> 39:27.410 but Jeremiah is falsely accused of being a traitor 39:27.410 --> 39:29.630 now wouldn't it have been pretty easy 39:29.630 --> 39:32.090 for somebody to say to Ebed Melek 39:32.090 --> 39:33.130 hey you know what 39:33.130 --> 39:34.870 if you're going to bat for this traitor 39:34.870 --> 39:36.010 maybe you're a traitor too 39:36.010 --> 39:37.850 we're going to throw you in there with Jeremiah 39:37.850 --> 39:39.730 I mean he's risking 39:39.730 --> 39:42.710 by putting his neck out for Jeremiah 39:42.710 --> 39:45.750 and he's risking maybe getting killed 39:45.750 --> 39:47.410 or getting thrown in 39:47.410 --> 39:49.830 with Jeremiah getting lumped in with Jeremiah 39:49.830 --> 39:51.710 getting put in the muck with him 39:51.710 --> 39:53.810 but yet he overcomes that fear 39:53.810 --> 39:55.190 that the Bible says he had 39:55.190 --> 39:58.230 that he was scared but he did the right thing anyway 39:58.230 --> 39:59.870 he spoke truth anyway 39:59.870 --> 40:01.910 he stood up for his friend anyway 40:01.910 --> 40:03.650 he was loyal to the man of God 40:03.650 --> 40:05.210 anyway and what happened 40:05.210 --> 40:07.210 God says well I'm going to deliver you from your fears 40:07.830 --> 40:08.990 I'm going to take care of you 40:08.990 --> 40:10.030 you're going to be fine 40:12.010 --> 40:13.670 you're not going to be given into the hand 40:13.670 --> 40:14.830 of the man of whom thou art afraid 40:14.830 --> 40:16.730 and then he says in verse 18 40:16.730 --> 40:18.650 at the end because 40:19.070 --> 40:20.890 thou hast put thy trust in me 40:20.890 --> 40:22.790 sayeth the Lord you see it takes 40:22.790 --> 40:25.150 faith to stand with 40:25.150 --> 40:26.970 the people of God when they're being persecuted 40:27.590 --> 40:29.110 to stand with the man of God 40:29.110 --> 40:30.970 when he's being persecuted it takes faith 40:30.970 --> 40:32.990 why because you know well the man of God 40:32.990 --> 40:33.750 is preaching the Bible 40:34.770 --> 40:37.250 and I believe the Bible and the doctrine 40:37.250 --> 40:39.110 is on point the doctrine is sound 40:39.110 --> 40:40.530 I'm staying with the man of God 40:40.530 --> 40:42.590 you know what you gotta believe the Bible 40:42.590 --> 40:43.910 to take that kind of a stand 40:44.810 --> 40:46.350 it's a lot easier to just go 40:46.350 --> 40:48.470 man of God's 40:48.470 --> 40:50.570 losing popularity I don't know if he's 40:50.570 --> 40:52.470 winning not winning and you know what 40:52.470 --> 40:54.490 there are some preacher friends and I use 40:54.490 --> 40:56.710 the word friend loosely over the years 40:56.710 --> 40:58.570 that I've had that basically 40:58.570 --> 41:00.450 they will stand with you if you're winning 41:01.430 --> 41:02.470 and if you're losing 41:02.470 --> 41:04.110 they're not going to stand with you and it's like 41:04.110 --> 41:05.770 hey are you winning are we going to win 41:05.770 --> 41:07.590 they just want to be on the winning side 41:07.590 --> 41:09.490 well you know what I already know I'm on the winning side 41:09.490 --> 41:11.590 because if I'm with the Bible I'm always 41:11.590 --> 41:13.370 on the winning side because of God 41:13.370 --> 41:14.910 before us who can be against us 41:15.650 --> 41:17.590 but these carnal preachers 41:17.590 --> 41:19.630 they want to be on the winning side with this 41:19.630 --> 41:21.550 world the winning side carnally 41:21.550 --> 41:23.570 the winning side right here now no I just 41:23.570 --> 41:25.230 want to do the right thing and you know what 41:25.230 --> 41:27.830 if standing up for my friend 41:27.830 --> 41:29.790 if standing up for a man of God 41:29.790 --> 41:31.670 or the people of God are standing up 41:31.670 --> 41:33.350 for right and doctrine and truth 41:33.350 --> 41:35.270 if I knew that it was going to make 41:35.270 --> 41:36.630 half the church quit 41:36.630 --> 41:38.190 or all the church quit 41:38.190 --> 41:39.990 but it's not even a decision 41:41.490 --> 41:42.950 you just do what's right 41:44.290 --> 41:45.250 you know I 41:45.250 --> 41:47.370 find that the hardest decisions in life 41:47.370 --> 41:49.070 are the ones where you don't know what 41:49.070 --> 41:49.890 the right thing is 41:51.310 --> 41:53.010 the hardest decisions in life 41:53.010 --> 41:54.390 is where the Bible is not clear 41:54.830 --> 41:57.130 and you're like oh man what do I do 41:57.130 --> 41:58.390 what does God want me to do 41:58.390 --> 41:59.890 do I go to the right hand of the left 41:59.890 --> 42:01.870 folks when the Bible is clear on something 42:01.870 --> 42:03.850 those are the no-brainer decisions 42:06.050 --> 42:07.910 it's like oh what's it going to cost me 42:07.910 --> 42:10.130 it doesn't matter if it costs you everything 42:10.130 --> 42:12.430 you do what the Bible says 42:12.430 --> 42:14.310 those are the no-brainer decisions 42:14.310 --> 42:16.010 you stand with the man of God 42:16.010 --> 42:17.210 you stand with the people of God 42:17.210 --> 42:19.670 when the Bible is clear you stand on it 42:19.670 --> 42:21.030 those are no-brainers 42:21.030 --> 42:22.630 and you don't even worry about it 42:22.630 --> 42:23.510 you don't even think about it 42:24.730 --> 42:26.450 like oh man you know 42:26.450 --> 42:28.230 is God going to take care of me 42:28.230 --> 42:30.550 well you know what you just got to put your trust in God 42:30.550 --> 42:32.170 that's what the Bible says 42:32.170 --> 42:33.970 and you know what kind of level 42:33.970 --> 42:35.530 of commitment God expects 42:35.530 --> 42:37.090 he says be faithful unto death 42:37.090 --> 42:38.970 and I will give thee a crown of life 42:39.810 --> 42:41.830 so in conclusion last place 42:41.830 --> 42:43.630 we're going to turn act chapter 10 is this 42:44.230 --> 42:45.350 act chapter number 10 42:46.090 --> 42:47.610 in conclusion I want to say this 42:47.610 --> 42:48.850 don't get caught up 42:49.410 --> 42:50.630 in the trends 42:50.630 --> 42:52.710 of being negative toward 42:52.710 --> 42:55.610 or hating certain races of people 42:55.610 --> 42:57.850 it's a stupid trend 42:57.850 --> 42:59.990 it just makes you a foolish person 42:59.990 --> 43:01.650 it just shows that you're carnal 43:01.650 --> 43:02.570 you're not spiritual 43:02.570 --> 43:03.910 you're not smart 43:03.910 --> 43:05.410 you're not a mature Christian 43:05.410 --> 43:07.830 if you're seeing the outward appearance 43:07.830 --> 43:09.670 if you're just looking at the flesh 43:09.670 --> 43:11.670 if you're seeing as man sees 43:11.670 --> 43:14.190 you're just showing that you are not 43:14.190 --> 43:15.490 a spiritual person 43:15.490 --> 43:17.830 because a spiritual man 43:17.830 --> 43:19.590 is not going to judge people 43:19.590 --> 43:21.690 based on their race 43:21.690 --> 43:22.990 or the color of their skin 43:22.990 --> 43:24.610 and being caught up in that 43:24.610 --> 43:27.810 just shows that you don't really know the Bible 43:27.810 --> 43:30.010 or you don't really care that much about the Bible 43:30.010 --> 43:31.390 if you have that priority 43:31.390 --> 43:33.630 and look I understand and I'm not saying 43:33.630 --> 43:35.070 that every person 43:35.610 --> 43:37.510 who's racist or who's ever been racist 43:37.510 --> 43:38.950 is a horrible person 43:38.950 --> 43:41.590 because I know a lot of people are just kind of brought up that way 43:41.590 --> 43:43.790 or maybe they just live in an area 43:43.790 --> 43:46.250 where they've only seen bad examples 43:46.250 --> 43:48.230 of that particular group of people 43:48.230 --> 43:48.990 you know I remember 43:48.990 --> 43:50.490 for example I had a certain 43:50.490 --> 43:52.630 extended family relative 43:52.630 --> 43:53.890 they came and visited 43:53.890 --> 43:55.610 and where he was from 43:55.610 --> 43:58.150 he just didn't really have 43:58.150 --> 43:59.590 a lot of good examples 43:59.590 --> 44:01.410 of people that weren't white 44:01.410 --> 44:04.010 so he's living around white people 44:04.010 --> 44:06.190 and then the people that are not white 44:06.190 --> 44:07.650 were gypsies 44:07.650 --> 44:09.190 and they were criminals 44:09.190 --> 44:11.390 and a lot of them were reprobates 44:11.390 --> 44:13.470 evil, scammers 44:13.470 --> 44:14.810 sexual perverts 44:14.810 --> 44:16.950 and so like that's his exposure 44:16.950 --> 44:19.110 and I'm trying to explain to him 44:19.110 --> 44:20.110 look man 44:20.110 --> 44:21.710 we're in America now 44:21.710 --> 44:24.590 that we're not in your home country 44:24.590 --> 44:26.050 this isn't the gypsies 44:26.050 --> 44:28.490 and I'm saying look our church is filled 44:28.490 --> 44:30.910 with all kinds of great people 44:30.910 --> 44:32.470 red, yellow, black and white 44:32.470 --> 44:34.050 and he showed up at the church 44:34.050 --> 44:36.390 and he told me wow you're totally right 44:36.390 --> 44:37.950 these people are great, these people are awesome 44:37.950 --> 44:39.270 then he went to the park 44:39.270 --> 44:41.050 and he spent some time at the park 44:41.050 --> 44:42.290 and he said wow you're totally right 44:42.290 --> 44:44.790 at the park I saw all these nice 44:44.790 --> 44:45.770 normal families 44:45.770 --> 44:47.670 and they're black people, Mexicans 44:47.670 --> 44:49.970 they're just nice families playing with their kids 44:49.970 --> 44:51.270 look some people 44:51.270 --> 44:54.050 they just haven't really been exposed to 44:54.770 --> 44:55.330 examples 44:56.030 --> 44:57.670 of quality people 44:57.670 --> 44:59.570 from different ethnicities 44:59.570 --> 45:01.630 but here's the thing I can promise you something 45:01.630 --> 45:04.210 there are quality people of every ethnicity 45:04.870 --> 45:06.010 how do I know that 45:06.010 --> 45:08.170 because first of all the bible talks about 45:08.170 --> 45:09.430 how when we get to heaven 45:09.430 --> 45:11.130 there's going to be people in heaven 45:11.130 --> 45:14.290 from every nation, every kindred, every tongue 45:14.290 --> 45:15.990 whatever and then look what the bible says 45:15.990 --> 45:17.390 in Acts chapter 10 verse 34 45:17.390 --> 45:20.090 it says then Peter opened his mouth 45:20.090 --> 45:21.810 and said of a truth 45:21.810 --> 45:24.110 I perceive that God is 45:24.110 --> 45:25.470 no respecter of persons 45:26.350 --> 45:28.450 but in every nation 45:28.450 --> 45:29.910 he that feareth him 45:29.910 --> 45:31.450 and worketh righteousness 45:31.950 --> 45:33.370 is accepted with him 45:33.370 --> 45:35.390 he said look in every nation 45:35.390 --> 45:37.410 somebody who fears God 45:37.410 --> 45:38.650 and works righteousness 45:38.650 --> 45:40.070 is acceptable to God 45:40.070 --> 45:41.830 and God doesn't put a difference 45:41.830 --> 45:44.090 between one nation and another 45:44.090 --> 45:46.370 because all the nations before God 45:46.370 --> 45:47.870 are counted as less than nothing 45:48.710 --> 45:51.050 and so he will accept 45:51.050 --> 45:53.310 anyone from any nation 45:53.310 --> 45:55.410 and the reason I wanted to give you these two examples 45:55.410 --> 45:57.190 is because the Ethiopian 45:57.190 --> 45:58.390 eunuch is a great example 45:58.390 --> 46:01.010 for just being receptive to the gospel 46:01.010 --> 46:03.390 and that's one of the reasons I love black people 46:03.390 --> 46:04.530 is just because like 46:04.530 --> 46:06.970 that's a pretty receptive demographic usually 46:06.970 --> 46:09.030 and so we focus a lot of soul winning 46:09.030 --> 46:10.450 in those black neighborhoods 46:10.450 --> 46:11.670 and we're going to continue to do that 46:12.330 --> 46:13.770 anywhere we can find them 46:14.330 --> 46:15.730 we'll go and we'll preach 46:15.730 --> 46:17.930 because guess what a soul is a soul 46:17.930 --> 46:20.770 it doesn't matter what color they are 46:21.230 --> 46:23.390 it just matters that they're a human being 46:23.930 --> 46:25.270 for whom Christ died 46:25.270 --> 46:26.410 and we want to get him saved 46:26.410 --> 46:27.790 and they have just as much value as next 46:27.790 --> 46:29.930 but the reason I wanted to show you this other example 46:29.930 --> 46:31.230 of Eped Melek 46:31.670 --> 46:33.310 is that this isn't just an example 46:33.670 --> 46:35.310 of a black dude that got saved 46:35.690 --> 46:37.950 this is a black dude who's an awesome Christian 46:38.570 --> 46:39.650 who's actually 46:39.650 --> 46:41.850 the most loyal friend here 46:41.850 --> 46:43.210 who's actually 46:43.930 --> 46:45.130 stepping up to the plate 46:45.130 --> 46:47.110 and going to bat for the man of God 46:47.110 --> 46:49.210 when other people aren't 46:49.210 --> 46:50.610 when nobody else cares 46:50.610 --> 46:52.070 when nobody else is doing it 46:52.070 --> 46:55.790 this guy ends up being a very loyal friend 46:55.790 --> 46:57.410 and a very zealous Christian 46:57.410 --> 46:59.510 willing to overcome his fears 46:59.510 --> 47:01.910 and actually put himself out there 47:01.910 --> 47:03.910 and stand up for what's right 47:04.710 --> 47:05.910 and so yeah 47:05.910 --> 47:07.670 in conclusion don't get caught up 47:07.670 --> 47:09.550 in all of the racial hype 47:09.550 --> 47:12.130 obviously there's this stupid thing 47:12.130 --> 47:13.650 of just acting like 47:13.650 --> 47:14.890 all white people are racist 47:14.890 --> 47:16.310 from the other perspective 47:16.310 --> 47:19.130 like this hyper sensitivity to racism 47:19.130 --> 47:20.730 we don't want to get sucked into that 47:21.130 --> 47:23.010 hyper sensitivity to racism 47:23.010 --> 47:25.970 but then also we don't want to get sucked into 47:25.970 --> 47:28.070 like oh well people have been calling me racist 47:28.070 --> 47:29.870 my whole life so I'm just going to be racist 47:29.870 --> 47:31.930 you know and then just start getting negative 47:31.930 --> 47:33.570 toward groups of people 47:33.570 --> 47:35.170 and you know what instead of 47:35.670 --> 47:37.890 let's just say you know I may be hitting a little 47:37.890 --> 47:39.910 close to home with anyone who's listening right now 47:39.910 --> 47:42.030 and you're just like well I just don't like black people 47:42.030 --> 47:44.030 whatever here's the thing if you don't like black 47:44.030 --> 47:45.950 people you know what the best thing you can do 47:45.950 --> 47:46.830 is get them saved 47:47.610 --> 47:49.390 because then they'll become better people 47:49.990 --> 47:51.710 because every single person who gets saved 47:51.710 --> 47:54.010 becomes a better you know what's going to make a better white person 47:54.010 --> 47:55.450 a saved white person 47:55.890 --> 47:57.830 you know what's going to make the Chinese man better 47:57.830 --> 47:58.990 getting him saved 47:58.990 --> 48:01.070 you know what's going to make the black man better 48:01.070 --> 48:03.030 getting him saved you know what's going to make 48:03.030 --> 48:04.670 the Iranian better 48:04.670 --> 48:05.730 get him saved 48:07.950 --> 48:10.470 salvation is what is going to cause 48:10.470 --> 48:11.670 the carnal 48:11.670 --> 48:14.050 man to actually be able 48:14.050 --> 48:15.610 to live a righteous 48:15.610 --> 48:17.830 life through the power of the Holy Spirit 48:17.830 --> 48:19.210 and so 48:19.210 --> 48:21.610 instead of just picking people apart 48:21.610 --> 48:23.250 criticizing groups of people 48:23.250 --> 48:25.810 because guess what you could criticize any group of people 48:26.330 --> 48:27.650 and yeah different groups 48:27.650 --> 48:29.390 of people might have their strengths and weaknesses 48:29.390 --> 48:31.330 but at the end of the day you know what 48:31.330 --> 48:32.870 every person is an individual 48:33.990 --> 48:35.410 and if we can be 48:35.410 --> 48:37.230 saved and walking in the Spirit 48:37.230 --> 48:39.970 we can be great men we got you know I would love to be 48:39.970 --> 48:41.470 like Ebed Melik 48:41.470 --> 48:43.390 except for I don't want to get castrated amen 48:43.390 --> 48:44.750 but other than that 48:44.750 --> 48:46.530 I want to be the kind of man 48:46.530 --> 48:48.310 that Ebed Melik was 48:50.170 --> 48:51.410 and so it's not 48:51.410 --> 48:52.930 our ethnicity that's important 48:52.930 --> 48:54.230 it's not our nationality 48:54.230 --> 48:56.850 it is whether we're saved 48:57.450 --> 48:58.790 whether we're serving God 48:58.790 --> 49:00.770 whether we're loyal to the people of God 49:00.770 --> 49:02.110 being a good friend 49:02.110 --> 49:04.210 having courage being saved 49:04.210 --> 49:06.690 that is what makes you great in the eyes of God 49:06.690 --> 49:09.050 and if we see through a spiritual lens 49:09.050 --> 49:10.690 the people that we like 49:10.690 --> 49:12.650 we're going to like the Spirit filled 49:12.650 --> 49:14.870 soul winning Christians and we're not going to care what color they are 49:15.410 --> 49:16.650 you know we're going to like 49:16.650 --> 49:18.710 the zealous preachers and the zealous 49:18.710 --> 49:20.910 soul winners and we're going to look up to them 49:20.910 --> 49:22.710 even if they're a different color 49:22.710 --> 49:24.090 than us we don't care 49:24.530 --> 49:26.130 because we don't see as man sees 49:26.630 --> 49:28.490 man looks on the outward appearance 49:28.490 --> 49:30.070 but God looks on the heart 49:30.070 --> 49:32.450 Father we thank you so much 49:32.450 --> 49:33.650 for your word Lord 49:34.130 --> 49:35.870 we thank you so much for these 49:36.490 --> 49:38.230 examples from the Bible of great men of God 49:38.230 --> 49:40.390 like Philip and the Ethiopian 49:40.390 --> 49:42.110 eunuch and Ebed Melik 49:42.110 --> 49:44.290 Lord help us to learn from these examples 49:44.770 --> 49:46.190 and aspire to be great 49:46.190 --> 49:48.330 and Lord I pray that no one 49:48.330 --> 49:50.790 would look down on people of another race 49:50.790 --> 49:52.690 but also I pray that people of another race 49:52.690 --> 49:54.270 would not somehow 49:54.270 --> 49:56.510 think that that's an excuse 49:56.510 --> 49:58.430 for not achieving great things 49:58.430 --> 49:58.790 because 50:00.030 --> 50:02.590 apparently you can use anyone to do great things 50:02.590 --> 50:03.830 and so 50:03.830 --> 50:05.890 Lord I just pray that every single person 50:06.410 --> 50:08.190 would live up to their full potential 50:08.190 --> 50:10.310 as a Christian and Lord I pray that we would 50:10.310 --> 50:12.370 get as many people saved on the mission 50:12.370 --> 50:13.270 trip in the Caribbean 50:13.270 --> 50:15.710 and here at home as we can 50:15.710 --> 50:17.310 Jesus name we pray amen