Worlds were formed and we come to church to have that sense of do it again we right size everything now if there's one thing that the Apostle Paul got it's that God was big and that he was small a big God Small me sat. High and not not sad not ticked man like how come I got to be so small but but joyfully so gladly so finding my right size in this universe and next to the God who made everything so that's what we're going to be going for in this series and the title of this mass it is a kind of right where the life of Paul starts bigger than my religion bigger than my religion that's going to be all of the messages bigger than my bigger than my and you bring your thing that you think so big to God and all of a sudden you get it in its right size and this is where it starts for everybody let's take a moment and pray together Father thank You that we can bowing your presence now thank you for the joy I just personally that I find in being here and we pray now as we look into your word in this life the life of this one who served you so faithfully and so fruitfully we pray that you would help us to rightsize everything in our life Lord there's people here today whose trial whose burden who's whose a sinful struggle whose a long standing perplexity is out of proportion and we pray oh god that you would become a very large before our eyes and those things which we carry would become as they truly are in your presence so help us we pray in Jesus' name say it. Amen All right open your Bibles if you would please to the book of Philip begins the Libyans chapter 3 Philippians chapter 3 I'm going to do a little overview on the life of Paul here just to get us started but before I even do that let me read these 1st 6 verses of the New Testament a pistol written to the city of Philip Kathleen I've been there and saw the place likely where Paul was imprisoned in Philip just a city in Asia Minor and. But here's what he wrote to them finally my brother's wasn't really finally he had 2 more chapters to go is like a preacher right and just this final thing that means you're halfway home you know he says finally my brothers rejoice in the Lord to write the same things to you is no trouble to me and it is safe for you look out for the dogs. Look out for the evil doers look out for those who mutilate the flesh. For we are the real circumcision who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh Also if anyone thinks he has a reason for confidence in the flesh I have more circumcised on the 8th day of the people of Israel of the tribe of Benjamin a Hebrew of the Hebrews as to the law fairest see as to Zeal of persecutor of the church as to righteousness under the law blameless. Well that's the testimony of the Apostle Paul before his conversion and just some facts now if you like to kind of know about this person we're going to be studying for the next 10 weeks or so probably the most disputed and most discussed person in the New Testament after Jesus Christ is the Apostle Paul now without turning to every passage let me begin by saying that I believe what the Scriptures say about Paul some people dispute that I do not dispute that I believe is going to great far from a man I believe that the Bible is God's word or I believe that it is historically accurate in everything that it asserts and I believe we could trust it so I'm not going to make you turn every passage just here but here are some things we learn about Paul from the Scriptures Paul was Jewish I He was born in Tarsus let's put a little map up here he was born in Tarsus which you can see there is kind of straight north of the end of the message east end of the Mediterranean Sea and there in Tarsus which would be modern day Turkey is where he was born but he was raised in Jerusalem and he ended up way out here to the west in Rome is where he was ultimately martyred but in that little space of a real estate there across Italy across what is now Greece and into Turkey and around the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea That's where he spent his whole life he never went anywhere as far as we know other than just to that region Paul of course was a great missionary but before we even get to that he was raised in Jerusalem he was a Roman citizen now citizenship then was a huge deal with slavery and the classes of people and citizenship could be purchased and so it's very likely that Paul came from a wealthy family he was a citizen of Rome he was a citizen of Tarsus a lot of the people were just residents of those places but to be a citizen would be kind of like what we would say voting privileges and he was a recognized citizen of these 2 areas. His family business does anyone know it was the family business right 10 making Actually the term in the Bible a means a leatherworker but we know that he made tens out of leather and likely he was a tent maker but made of leather he was able to support himself he had I wasn't beholding to anyone and this wasn't something he figured out you know while he was on a hobby he had in college likely it was his family business his father was probably a tent maker his grandfather was a tent maker and he was born about 5 A.D. All right he died $67.00 A.D. Approximately So Paul lived to be how old are 62 years of age sound a lot of people here are older than that so that was the full extent of Paul's life on his birth name was Saul he was educated as a rabbi under Jamail ial who was a member of the Sanhedrin a very respected teacher probably the greatest teacher of that day so he went to the he went to Harvard and sat under the best professors so to speak. After the resurrection of Christ when the church was launched in Acts chapter 2 a Paul affair a C. Joined the opposition and began to persecute the church Paul was standing holding the coats in Acts Chapter 7 when the 1st martyr Stephen was stoned to death Paul was like hey you could throw that harder if you let me hold your coat. And so he took the coat off the guy held the coat so they could throw the stones harder to kill Stephen. He went from house to house dragging people out to be tortured and killed Christian. Overview of the Apostle Paul Xer life today on walk in the word it's the 1st message in our series this month and it's titled bigger than my religion request the big God Small me series today by calling Knesset 888581 word and stay with us there's much more teaching ahead from James MacDonald and walk in the word. What's your giant What's your biggest distraction to keep you from seeing the big picture no matter your send your problems your past he is bigger No one is too far but that God could reach them and find them and stop them and turn them around. With your donation to walk in the word today we'd like to send you a copy of the god is bigger 3 CD set along with the corresponding booklet called How to write size everything you'll learn how Paul conquered his biggest challenges by laying down his agenda and following God's prescription for his life and with your support of $100.00 or more will also send you the complete big God Small me 10 disc series on D.V.D. Along with a collection of scripture memory cards as a reminder of God's promises to you just call 581 we're. Glad to have you with us today on walk in the word with James MacDonald We're studying the life of the Apostle Paul in his journey to understanding God personally find more resources on the series Big God Small me on line at walk in the word dot org James MacDonald has titled Today's message bigger than my religion now in his conversion Paul was converted according to act after 19 acceptor 22 after 26 Jesus Christ appeared to Paul personally on the road to Damascus prior to that time he thought that being a fair a see a religious zealot and killing Christians that was very big to him but when Jesus Christ appeared to him that became very. Very small in a hurry and Paul became very small and God became very large To him it's just really awesome the story of his conversion we're going to get into that Paul was think of it this way he was a devout Bible man he was a student of the Scriptures he was a teacher of the Scriptures he was a book guy. That should make you wonder a little who's a Bible guy how many people here say well I'm kind of a Bible guy have put up your hands I'm kind of a bible person think a lot of you are I mean to the Scriptures Paul was to Saul was to it was also a church guy at the temple every time it opened committed to every ritual and look at not just a worshipper but a worker in the church in of that time the temple he was a worker he was a tireless servant of God as a ferrous are now to put all that together one word describes him he was religious All right he was religious every single form and formula that equaled faithfulness to God he was on it he was on it now the word religion is used 5 times in the New Testament and it's not necessarily ever and say not necessarily. Not necessarily a bad word religion I don't want to say like some people do that all religions necessarily look at some things getting baptized is a religious thing to do but Jesus commanded it remembering the Lord with the cup and the bread is a religious observance but Christ commanded it the problem with religion is not religious observance coming to church not for say King the assembling of ourselves together is a religious thing to do singing the worship songs 1st and then having the pastor get up is even a religious thing to do but once you get outside of what Christ commanded you need to turn down the rhetoric massively number one and you need to realize that those things by themselves do not even dare you to God OK of the 5 times it's used in the New Testament I would say half or more than half of those are using religion in a negative way. For example it says in the book of James that if you're religious but you can't control your tongue your religion is worthless you you say you love God but you can't stop running your mouth. That's a problem you're just a religious person it hasn't impacted you in any way in kolache Ans It talks about the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion not the Lord's table in communion like Jesus commanded but extra stuff not in the Bible Now if you've been coming to harvest for very long you know how down we are on religious stuff actually stop stuff not in the Bible Well Paul was really into the that stuff though really really into it religion is prescribed pattern worship religion is adding things to the Scriptures now religion is form without function rules without reason belief without Bible most often the word religion is now today extra things that have been added to the Scriptures that God does not require of us now Paul formally called Saul was dripping with religion he was swimming in religion he was drowning in religion and Jesus pulled him out the title this message is bigger than my religion and I want to go back through those attacks there and I want to now show you with that overview of Paul's life a jot this 1st thing down religious leaders religious leaders can't save me. But Jesus can you get than religious leaders cannot save me true or false all right religious and that's what Paul's getting into here notice and verse one Philippians 3 let's just go through it a verse at a time now let's look loved ones at God's word together starting in chapter 3 verse one right he says finally my brothers. Rejoice in the Lord that's really a main theme in Philippians joy we've talked through this whole book verse by verse in years gone by I rejoice in the Lord and then he says this to write the same things to you is no trouble to me and it's safe for you I like that repetition is a good teacher right repetition is a good protection page you see that crews vote that went down but not down because the water wasn't deep enough but sort of down and that sketchy guy that jumped off the boat and everything that was crazy right did you notice that it said in the news that they didn't even do that drill thing. How many people when you go on a cruise you have to drill for Chicago to do the drill they drag you out of your cabin 5 minutes after you get there you go stand in the back with a stupid with that orange thing called life jacket and and you've got to go you've got to go is that it's crazy who wants to do all that I do not but it's safe to go over and do something you've done over and over again sometimes it's just part of safety and that's what he's saying here is like a party told you most of this to write the same things to us it's not a problem I don't mind writing it down again it's safe some of the things that I'm going to say in this message I've said before but it's OK because it's a safe it's a good protection to be reminded that God has to be bigger than. Religion . Religious leaders can't save you so then he says well this is still a verse to look out for the dogs as not it's not a watch out for the Pit Bull it's not that. Right this is a pejorative a derogatory term seems harsh in our day of tolerance he's talking about man who's teaching distorts the Gospel OK and he's not super fired up about them he calls them dogs watch out for dogs that's a really good word of xor Taishan to a congregation in Philip I OK Watch out for the dogs Be careful you don't fall into false teaching Be careful you check everything you hear against God's word 1st Corinthians 153 and 4 as the gospel I can quote this and hopefully you can this is the gospel I delivered unto you what I also received how that Christ died for our sins according to scriptures that he was Barry and on the 3rd day He rose again according to the Scriptures Amen as the gospel I'm going to say it again I don't Paul said I delivered unto you That which I also received how that Christ died for our sins according to scriptures and how he was very and on the 3rd of these depart on the 3rd day He rose again according to the Scriptures say that's the gospel plainly and clearly stated let me give you say well how do I get the gospel Romans Chapter 10 verse 13 says Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be OK Save save save from what say from sin say from sin Romans 323 says that the wages of sin is death what you get for what you've done is death every person on your street every person in your office every person at your school . Is getting death for their sin and not just physical death because that wouldn't be much of a prediction right physical death and the turn will death separation from God in a place where everyone's going it's a broad road but some people get say see some people get saved from their sin you like how is that how that happened 2nd Corinthians 521 describes the gospel that Jesus Christ became sin for us who knew no sin Jesus wasn't sinful he but he became sin for us on the cross he became sin for us who knew no sin so that we might become the righteousness of God in him OK And so that's the good news of the Gospel that that the Gospel into words substitution now now I tell you this before but I don't mind reminding it because for you it's safe so the gospel into words substitutionary atonement substitutionary means in your place in my place in your place atonement means making payment you owed a debt you couldn't pay Christ paid a debt you owe to he took your place substitutionary atonement gospel into words substitutionary atonement gospel in 4 words Christ in my place all right that's the gospel you can never get tired of that you say will all right. How do you get it. Say from what. What did Christ do now what Romans $109.00 if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead you'll be saved do that right now if you've never done that do that right now don't wait till the end of the service don't wait till to morrow Don't wait till next week. Confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead and you'll be saved now that's the gospel and people don't know the mass it they don't know that by grace you can be saved through faith and it's not of yourself they don't know that it's a gift of God given to us so that no one could brag about it they don't know that salvation is given in no other name under half and by which we must be saved how to be saved. Here's what Paul did 2 things number one surrender your religious standing this is awesome he says but whatever again I had I counted as a loss for the sake of Christ and awesome everything that I could boast Dan I gave it all up for knowing Christ. Indeed I count everything as laws because of the how's that working for you Paul because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord for His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and I didn't just lay them down he says I count them as rubbish in order that I may gain Christ. And be found in him surrender religious standing and submit by faith to Christ as Savior. That's the hope we have as we draw closer to the day that in believing God has raised Jesus Christ from the dead we are saved what a big God we serve. Challenges loom large and they leave us exhausted by our struggle reach out to us as a thank you for your generous gift this month we want to give you a powerful 3 disc audio series called God is bigger plus the booklet titled How to rightsize everything take the step to ask Jesus Christ to be the center of your life today and watch God change your perspective ask for the god is bigger 3 CD set and the booklet when you call today with your donation you can always reach us at 885819673 that's 888581 word we pray these resources will be clip and empower you to trust God on a whole new level there's much more to come in this teaching about the life of the Apostle Paul called Big God Small me but if you ever miss a day with us here you can get the full teaching on our podcast subscribe today so you won't miss any part of this life altering stuff go to walk in the word dot org for more information or find us on your favorite podcast and we also invite you to share these resources from James McDonough with your friends and family and thanks for joining us today here on walk in the work be sure to join us every day this week as we continue to open God's word till next time remember stay in the scriptures. 2 on. This daily program as listener supported and sponsored by walk in the work. If you like saving money and chances are you or your children Wareham you down close I'm Chuck Bentley This. It's my money live from Crown recently one of my neighbors kindly offered me and my son some really fine clothes that he had gathered together when cleaning out his closet I wore one to work the very next day in my excitement of owning a new to me shirt I failed to see his university monogram on the sleeve of the name of a university that I did not attend when one of my coworkers pointed it out I had to fess up I was wearing a hand me down 1st I was content barest but then I thought of Matthew 6 lay it for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither boss nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal for where your treasure is there your heart will be also now for me hand me downs are a way to avoid using money that could be given to God's Kingdom in our family wherein use clothes is pretty normal kids grow fast so there's no reason to buy everything new I watch gladly except hammy downs for them and she happily passes things on to others when she can but clothes aren't the only things we purchase used we buy used cars used books and I still have a green leather sofa that I bought used 25 years ago for only $200.00 today you can buy used items on Craigslist Facebook marketplace Eve and even Amazon the key to buy new used quality items is having the cash set aside it's a great way to steward hard earned money and you do it by spending less than you earn now if one of our boys decides to get a degree from firm in university I'm all set Oh already have the shirt if you need encouragement with your finances or just practical help call the crown helpline 80722976 or go online to crown dot org. With today's Bible that we look at the blessing of generosity. He. Asked. Me. And we say. So. You can hear the good news of Christ anytime just about anywhere on the western slope by way of. Signals but you can also listen via the worldwide web at. Or through your smart devices. From the Apple Store play and listen anywhere anytime on the smart device and if you'd like to support with your financial gifts you can use your credit or debit card. Look for the donate button it's quick and easy. And truth for life. 91.3. And streaming live on the Internet. He sent his disciples out on a mission mission was to carry the message of the Kingdom of God to the people of Israel today and truth for life Alister big reviews this 1st mission trip and explains how it applies to our ongoing task as believers are in the Gospel of Mark Chapter 6. We've come now to the 2nd sentence of the 6th verus of the 6th chapter. If what we had been considering so far would a movie and I think it would be fair to say that so far the disciples have been extras but they have not been actors now Mark tells us this is all about to change Jesus has called them to himself he called Son we were fisherman he told them that they would become fishers of men in chapter 3 when we studied that together we saw how he took them up on to a mountainside calling them 1st of all to be with him in order that they might then go for busy him and it is during these past chapters that we have seen this time if you like of intensive training as they have been in the company of Jesus they have been observers of his mission they have been bystanders to his miraculous deeds but to this point they have not essentially been partners in that mission and all of this is about to change Mark tells us that the day has dawned and as you will see from the brief section that we read in relatively short order he provides for as the details the essential details of the sending out of the 12th. We ended halfway through verse 6 at the amazement of Jesus at the lack of faith of the people in Nazareth and we pick it up with a final sentence of verse 6 where it describes as Jesus going around teaching from village to village it's almost as if his rejection in Nazareth simply propels him once again out to do what he had come to do because if you recall from our studies in chapter one when he had begun to preach concerning the kingdom of God when he had cast out demons when he had healed a number of people the response had been so magnificent that in the early hours of the morning he had gone away by himself to pray the disciples had come and found him giving him the news that the whole community was stirred by his presence everybody was looking for him and then quite dramatically he says to his disciples let's get out of here let's go to other villages where I might preach the gospel and I think there is no question but they were taken aback by that surely we would want to stay here in this place of such obvious excess No says Jesus there is no time to waste we must get to the other villages. That was in response to success his movement to the villages here in the 2nd sentence of Vera 6 is not in response to success but it is in response to opposition and having been opposed by the people his own family his own relatives and his own he says let's just get out from here and off he goes once again going around teaching from village to village it would be fair for us to say that here we find him steadfast immovable and always abounding in the work of the Lord. And in various 7 the coach calls the play calling the 12 to him he sent them out 2 by 2. And sending you out on your own you'll be dangerous on your own you may face danger on your own companionship is good Jesus would have been familiar with Ecclesiastes chapter 4 that 2 are better than one because they have a good return for their work if one falls down another can help him up and so on and Jesus also would have been familiar with the practice of Judaism whereby no word could be confirmed except on the strength of 2 witnesses. And recognizing that his disciples were going into these communities it made perfect sense for these reasons and probably more besides for them to go out in this particular way to buy 2. Now he then gives them instructions and I want us to follow the line through here if I can. First of all notice saying before we leave our 7 that he gave them authority he gave them authority in other words they did not have authority in and of themselves their authority was a derived authority and it came from the one who had sent them they had seen the authority of Jesus over the powers of darkness and death they had seen his authority over creation they had listened to his words as others had done and seen their power and their impact and they had marveled but now they were going to be involved in this ministry they themselves were going to preach they would be involved in exorcism and it healing and what they were going to be was just an extension of the ministry of Jesus. And this little mini mission if you like this mission trip is foreshadow in what would one day become the great expansion of mission when after Jesus died and risen and ascended into heaven and sent of holy spirit these disciples would go out and preach again with authority and with power a power that was upon them and in them and by the time you get to the acts of the Apostles you find that Lucas telling us that on the occasions when they preached the research such are marked authority about how they said what they said that people looked at them and realizing that they were on learned and ordinary men the knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus that their credentials for extensive ministry were to be found in an intensive relationship with Jesus not credentials that were stuck on from some other place. But the credential of that intimate awareness of Christ his presence his power and His purpose which then gave to then the very authority busy with which they could go on and speak and in passing Let us just remind ourselves and especially for young men who might be thinking of going in to gospel ministry the pattern remains the same there is no institution in the world that can make you a minister of the gospel they can train you in certain things they can give you credentials and announce that you have completed certain courses but the only basis upon which you may ever go for Christ is because he has called you to himself 1 and you have lived with Christ and so it is from the presence of Christ that someone goes out with the authority of Christ to proclaim the word of Christ and to further the works of Christ that is the 1st point in their 7 authority Secondly when we go into verses 8 and 9 Jesus is something to say concerning simplicity simplicity he tells them to keep things simple keep it simple he says Take nothing for the journey except a staff no bread no bag no money in your belt sandals but not an extra Chuni Presumably this was for a number of reasons the presence of clutter or clobber reduces our ability to move and to move quickly and to move freely. And presumably this is part of what Jesus is conveying here the matter upon which they are about to embark is of such significance that they don't need to get all clobbered up the absence of bread the absence of the beggars bag the money and the extra Chuni would also make clear to them that their dependence was upon God their Heavenly Father elsewhere Jesus had said to them Have you looked at the birds lately they don't sow or Reaper gather into barns but your heavenly father provides for them and if you have lived and seen the beauty of these flowers you will know that Solomon and all of His Glory has not been a raid like one of these my friends my dear colleagues why in the world would you worry about what you eat or drink or what you put on your Heavenly Father knows you need these things but seek 1st the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you It is not about to say that in one moment and then tell them why no you clobber yourself with everything I've told you you don't need to worry about now he says I don't want you to do that and their commitment to simplicity would not only demonstrate their dependence upon their Heavenly Father but it would also encourage others to become dependent upon God. Now we must be very very careful that what is described we do not understand simply to be prescribed this is not a call to asceticism on the part of Jesus on an airing call I think Jesus is simply making the point that loyalty to the kingdom of God cuts the umbilical cord busy with their previous dependence upon material things after all a few of them had come from family business presumably they had a nice lifestyle they had boats they had they had fishing businesses and everything else Jesus had called them that pulled their boats up on the shore and they left everything and followed him now he's about to send them out into the community away from himself and into a world that they have not experienced before don't you think they might be tempted to say Well before we get going on this why don't we just slip down past my dad's house and get ourselves all cluttered up because this isn't going to be an easy deal let's go back and get some of the things that were necessary for us before Jesus says please don't do that fellas don't do that it's unnecessary it will be unhelpful to you now what is being done here is that Jesus is giving instructions for a dangerous mission. And he is encouraging them to act in a way that is in keeping with the task that he sets for them. And for us to try and press this into some kind of pattern for the post Apostolate church I think is to treat the Bible in a wooden fashion there is without question application principled application to our lives in the 21st century but I don't the get is very much to do with sandals and walking sticks. Now. Are sensible people you must work this out for yourselves but there surely is little question. That many of us are so surrounded by material clobber. That it is virtually impossible for us. To go should Jesus call us to go because we're mortgaged. Because we are overburdened. Because we have determined that all of these things are essential for this journey through life and so the idea of simplicity and flexibility and mobility is kind of I don't know. Some people I know have been parked their car in their garridge for months or for years because it's so full of. Stuff is the word so that's what Jesus say here's my authority go in my authority and here's my here's my directive for you simplicity and simplicity that will declare your dependency upon God busy and encourage others to be dependent and also it will give to you mobility and flexibility which is necessary in order that you can keep moving from place to place. Thirdly he gives them instructions concerning how they should deal with the issue of hospitality they are stand whenever you enter a house stay there until you leave that. And what does that mean if you apply the Bible in a wooden way what it means is that if you go into a house you're not allowed to leave the house if you happen to go into a house you've got to stay there until it's time to leave Clearly that's not what's being said Jesus is giving an instruction concerning the way in which we respond to or they respond to hospitality because you see the culture of the time guaranteed hospitality to traveling teachers and preachers. And as a result of that it was open to abuse and by the time you get to the writings of the DID Akira the shepherd of her Miss which are parallel pieces at the time of the early church specific instructions are given concerning how to give and receive hospitality and the reason being that it was so often abused either by people overstaying their welcome or by people bouncing from place to place and so on and so Jesus recognising all that is possible in this gives them this straightforward instruction they must be careful not to undermine the message that they're going to testify to by the way in which they conduct themselves in these most practical of contexts in other words he is reminding them that they're going on a mission not on a vacation. Now you can turn your vacation into a mission but you're not allowed to turn your mission into a vacation. And it's on a mission that they're growing. So they mustn't bounce from house to house surely that's part of what he's saying You mustn't just go flitting around from house to house as if somehow or another all that you are there for is to make social calls. Nor should you be on the lookout for upgrades. In other words if you find yourself in a one bedroom condo as a result of the invitation of Mrs Levi when you met in the marketplace and you discover that Mrs Bartholomew has a 4 bedroom ranch with a pool in the back you're not supposed to leave Mrs Levi for Mrs Bartholomew it won't look good it won't be good it isn't right because you will create the impression that what you're doing is actually vacationing or social climbing or making my kingdom message a means of enriching your own life and your own experience and thereby people will lose a measure of credibility when you begin to talk about the nature of the kingdom and they say well if it's really about that given it all up and following Jesus in this way how come you moved from Levi to Bartholomew's house and suggest you don't do that. The authority that undergirds them in their going the simplicity that should mark them the hospital Lety that they learn to accept and then fourthly in verse 11 the animosity that they are to expect. If any place will now welcome your listen to you and this is what you should do I can imagine them interjecting You mean like the way that Nazareth didn't welcome you Jesus and Jesus say yes is exactly what I have in mind. And so he prepares them for the fight that there will be places where the people neither want to hear them nor want to help them. And when you go to places that don't want to hear you and don't want to help you this is what you should do in other words what he's saying is this that their approach to ministry should be the approach of gentle persuasion and not that of forceful intrusion. Gentle persuasion but not forceful intrusion some of us think that because the authority that is given is mandated to us by the commission of Jesus to go into all the world that somehow or another we are allowed to just forcefully intrude on everything now. And the disciples have that made clear to them here but when the people react in this way busy says you shouldn't stay around flogging a dead horse just move on and as you move on shake the dust off your feet they understood what this meant the rabbis when they left Gentile territory shook the dust from their sandals in an expression of the fact that they were leaving behind the heathen and they were returning to the people of God they didn't want any of the defilement to follow them and so says Jesus I want you to do the same thing. It's interesting isn't it he doesn't say no if you run into a place it's a bit of a sticky wicket if you run into a place where people really don't want to hear you don't want to help you stay there until they do want to hear you and do want to help you. Would have been one thing would. Be tempted to do that. Or some might be tempted to say. In leaving Well 5 it doesn't really matter anyway we we wanted to come into Solon and and and tell our story. You know everybody has their own story everybody has their own reality everybody has their own faith journey you know so hey have a nice life and we'll be on our way and I would be very contemporary wouldn't it I don't mean to interfere with you I don't mean to press anything on you I know that you got a delay do now he says I want you in a prophetic act to take your sandals and shake the dust off them so that when they see you doing that it will be a testimony against them so that they will look at that and they will say these people who came in such simplicity. Declaring this truth with such authority who responded to the hospitality of people confronted by our animosity they are in dead seriousness about this. And of course they were and of course we are and then in verse $12.13 we have just a little summary of what they had gone out to do the summary of their mission is there and actually if you look at verse 30 just probably one page over in your Bible you will find the end of the story I will come to that later on but the apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all that they had done and taught and what was it the had done or just what we would expect they did what they had seen Jesus doing the proclaimed what they had heard Jesus' teaching Jesus had preached and so did day he had exercised demons and so the day he had healed the sick and so to day in other words they stayed with the basic program instead of the basic program they conveyed the words and the works of Jesus they had nothing else and neither do you and I. We have nothing else we have no other message the message that Jesus has given us to proclaim we can drain dress it up and check it up and fiddle around with it as much as we want but when you reduce it to his original minimum you discover that all that we have to convey to people is the story of who Jesus is and why he came and what he did. And we don't need anything other than story. That's the summary. And one final observation. Implicit in all of this is a sense of urgency a sense of urgency the very brevity with which Mark conveys this suggests this fi. The detailed instructions concerning what they should take and what they shouldn't take speaks not only to flexibility and mobility but also to the issues of urgency. But not to arrive in the place bogged down with all kinds of goods and chattels as if they were there for of a month's visit they're not there to pay particular attention to their accommodation they have a message to proclaim the kingdom of God is near and men and women need to repent That's our message today the kingdom of God is nearer now than it was when these fellows went out to do what Jesus said there is a day coming when Christ will return. There is a day coming when we will stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ and give an answer to him for our response to all the gifts that he has given us in life and our response to the message that he is given to us of the wonder of Jesus and what he is a complete for for sinners in his death upon the cross and by his resurrection that day is coming and that urgency calls those who are the Proclaimers of this message to press upon people the need to repent what is it to repent it is to have a change of heart a change of mind and a change of direction it is to be going one way and to encounter Christ and to turn around and go in an entirely different direction it is not simply to believe that Jesus existed is not to believe in Jesus even died on a cross it is not to be orthodox in the way which we give a cerebral response to information but it is to be arrested by Christ to discover that we need this Christ and to embrace him and all of His wonderful love and to be turned around and set off in an entirely new direction go out he says don't get cluttered up by stuff go. Share the kingdom of God. And in that there is an implicit call for those who hear to believe. And there is an explicit call. For those who proclaim to behave. In fight it is hard to read these viruses without recognizing that there is a direct correlation. Between the behavior of those who are sent. And the believing of those. Who are listeners. The call of today is an urgent call. Today is the day to believe. And if we're going to go with this message and today's the day when by God's help we bring our life's our behavior into line with our proclamation. You're listening to Allister bag and truth for life as Allister just stated today is the day to believe if you've never given your life to Jesus don't put this off any longer learn how to follow him when you visit us on line at truth for Life dot org slash the story. If you have already taken that step Today's message is a call to action our mission as believers is to bring the gospel to a lost and dying world but sharing the Gospel can be intimidating especially when we feel I'm prepared to answer the questions that others might have to help you prepare for tough conversations our team highly recommends a book written by Dr Irwin Lutes or titled 7 Reasons Why You can trust the Bible. Will send you a copy of this helpful book when you request it today along with a donation your financial support makes truth for life possible and the book is our way of saying thanks ask for 7 reasons why you can trust the Bible by Irwin Lutes or when you donate by calling and. 888-588-7884 or request the book on line at truth for life. I'm hoping you'll join us Wednesday when Allister continues our study of the Gospel of Mark the Bible teaching of Alister bag is furnished by truth for life. Where the learning is for little. Kids is. One of the biggest keys to. Make sure that. At the same time the. Effective parenting. Next time. Today. You've been listening to. 91.9. And heard on the Internet live at. The court must never be viewed as a partisan institution but his argument came at the end of a. Exchanges between Democrats and Republicans at his confirmation hearing Senator Ted Cruz says Democratic opposition to the Supreme Court. It's all about politics the fireworks we saw today stem not from concerns that Democrats raised about this nominee but rather from concerns they would raise about any nominee appointed by a Republican president President as accusing said of critics of Kabanov looking to inflict pain and embarrassment after a contentious opening day in the Senate Judiciary Committee the president describes the hearings as truly a display of how mean angry and despicable the other side is he tweets that it's so sad to see the Democrats will say anything Mr Trump says Cavanaugh is one of the most highly renowned jurists to ever appear before Congress. White House correspond a great collection also with us for News dot com Tropical Storm Gordon is strengthening and should hit the central U.S. Gulf Coast as a hurricane late Tuesday before moving over the lower Mississippi Valley on Wednesday National Hurricane Center Director Ken Graham says whatever happens with Gordon flooding is going to be a problem really trying to get the word out that whether it's a you know a low end hurricane or a tropical storm the impacts of the same you're still going to get that heavy rainfall flooding rainfall a factor of $4.00 to $8.00 inches maybe even to 12 in some areas and the storm surge so the bottom line is cost of the impacts not necessarily cost right whether it's a hurricane or a tropical storm as much as 8 inches of rain could fall in some parts of the Gulf states through late Thursday as to tropical weather moves and lead toward Arkansas tropical force winds from fast moving toward smashed into the coastline of Alabama on the western Florida Panhandle Tuesday evening this is S. Or a news. Pastor stands by his sermon Jesper Williams Jr is under fire for the things he said at a wreath the Franklins funeral last week Williams who is the pastor of Salem Bible Church in Atlanta took the opportunity to call for family unity within the black community and Amanda single motherhood Williams said quote In order to change America we must change black America's culture we must do it through parenting it has to be them in the home Michael Harrington S.R.M. News Britain's former chief rabbi says Jewish people are thinking about leaving the country because of anti-Semitism Jonathan Sacks tells the B.B.C. That for the 1st time in 362 years Jews have been in Britain many question whether it is safe to raise their children there he singled out Labor Party leader Jeremy Corbin for failing to address anti-semitic attitudes in the main opposition party Gordon Brown the most recent Labor Party leader to service prime minister is adding his voice to the chorus This is S. Or a news Nike has touched off a furor by wading into football's national anthem debate with an ad featuring former San Francisco 40 that his quarterback Collin capital stock in Nike dropped after the release of the new just do what adds the capper to gad reads believe in something even if it means sacrificing everything New York or Lou Orlando says Nike did this so capper Nick won't sue the N.F.L. He's done Wallace coverage little is feeling get it and look what it did not treat it all better for the football usually most companies stay away from politics for people like James Caan if politics brought her closer to Nike I have always wear new balance because I applied and now I would like to wear nice because I would be proud to wear night I'm a Donahue. It began. With a $6463.00 victory. With every gift. You're investing in the lives of countless people who tune in every day to people listen not only around the western slope but around the country. We counted are privileged to partner with you as we touch lives every day with the good news of Christ. 1354 East. Thank you so much. For the asking just. Will be happy to send you. You can also go. To see or download it any time. Christian radio for the western slope this is. True.