 Amen. So you're there in Acts chapter 18. This is our third sermon in Acts chapter 18. We're looking at the end of Paul's missionary journey. If you have your maps in front of you, we'll see that in Acts chapter 18, kind of the overall theme here of what's happening in Acts chapter 18. We looked at a lot of doctrine and things that are going on. But Paul is basically, he was chased, he was chased to Corinth. So he was chased down to Corinth. And then at the beginning of the chapter, he arrives there first. And then Silas and Timothy, Timotheus is what it calls Timothy here. They meet up with him later. But the main thing is Paul meets the Jews, Aquila and Priscilla in Corinth. And then he stays in Corinth for over a year and a half, maybe close to two years. He stays there because the Lord tells him, hey, stay here for a long time. And so the whole team is kind of together there. We've got five people together. And then after he leaves Corinth, he takes Priscilla and Aquila with him across to Ephesus. And then, of course, he leaves by himself, goes over to Caesarea. If you're looking at your map, goes down to Jerusalem and then ends up in Antioch where he started. So it was a lot longer journey this time than the first one. But that's basically the path. He was in Corinth and he goes to Ephesus, down to Caesarea. He takes some trips by sail here and then goes back up to Antioch. But we're going to start out here in verse number 18 where we left off last week where the Bible says, and Paul after this, tarried there a good while and took his leave of the brethren and sailed then into Syria with him, Priscilla and Aquila, having shorn his head in Centuria for he had a vow. So here we see, of course, when he was in Corinth, he had all kinds of trouble that we talked about in the last couple of weeks. The Jews tried to bring him to the Romans and the Romans were just like, the Romans at this point were getting tired of the Jews. They were kicking them out of Rome. And the Roman governor there didn't want to hear what they had to say. So basically Paul was fine and they actually ended up beating the actual ruler of the synagogue that tried to bring Paul before the Romans. It's kind of a similar situation of what happened to Jesus. The Romans were kind of indifferent about the whole thing. Of course Pontius Pilate gave in to political pressure with Jesus, but same thing happened there. But anyway, in verse number 18 he leaves, he takes Priscilla and Aquila, but here at the end of the verse it says, having shorn his head in Centuria for he had a vow. So this is where we know that Paul, while he was in Corinth, he was underneath, he was in the state of taking a Nazarite vow at some point. We don't know how long the vow was, maybe it was the whole time that he was there. But this was the end of his vow where he shorned his head. Turn to Numbers chapter six and we'll look at this Nazarite vow and how this can apply to us today and why Paul may have taken this vow. So of course we know the Nazarite vow, we've studied the Nazarite vow before, we'll go over it real quickly here. But there was some Nazarites from birth. There's three Nazarites that were Nazarites from birth where God just declared them Nazarites for their whole life. And those Nazarites, those people in the Bible were Samson in the Old Testament, Samuel in the Old Testament, and then of course in the New Testament John the Baptist was under a Nazarite vow. So three people were just born into the Nazarite vow in the Bible. However, this was a vow that any person in the nation of Israel could just take. And it's detailed out in Numbers chapter six in the Old Testament. So let's take a look at it and see why Paul might have done this. And the Bible says in verse number one of Numbers chapter six, it says, And the Lord spake unto Moses saying, Speak unto the children of Israel and say unto them when either man or woman, so first of all, a man or a woman could take a Nazarite vow shall separate themselves to a vow, to vow a vow of a Nazarite to separate themselves unto the Lord. So I mean right away we get the purpose here, right? We get the purpose and you're going to see this purpose as we keep reading Numbers. But basically this is a vow where the point of this vow is to separate, not just separate but separate what? Unto the Lord. Okay, so there's a lot of things that go with this, a lot of detail. But it's basically to show that you're separating yourself unto the Lord. Look at verse number three. I mean this verse, I mean there's one word in Numbers chapter six should just pop out to you over and over again. He shall separate himself from wine and strong drink and shall drink no vinegar of wine or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes nor eat moist grapes or dried. So I mean obviously Samson was a Nazarite by birth but he wasn't very good at this, right? I mean Samson was kind of like tripping up every step of the way as far as being a Nazarite from birth. I mean he was going, you know, he walked, he wasn't supposed to go and touch a grape plant or a grape vine and he's walking through vineyards and he's doing all kinds of stuff that he shouldn't do. So you see that we're not supposed to, you know, not only not drink alcohol but look at verse number four. It says all the days of his separation shall he eat nothing that is made of the vine tree from the kernels even to the husk. No grape juice, no alcoholic wine, no non-alcoholic wine, no nothing that comes from, no raisins, nothing. All right? Look at verse number five. All the days of his vow of his what? Of his separation there shall no razor come upon his head until the days be fulfilled in which he separated himself unto the Lord. He shall be holy and let the locks of the hair of his head grow. So a man under a Nazarite vow is going to have, you know, long hair. You know, the Bible says that a man should have, you know, short hair. It's a shame for a man to have long hair. The Bible says, except, you know, if you're under a Nazarite vow. Look at verse number six. All the days that he again, what? Separated himself unto the Lord. He shall come at no dead body. So he's supposed to be, you know, pure. This is symbolizing him, you know, staying away from things that are not pure. He shall not make himself unclean for his father, for his mother, for his brother, for his sister, when they die. Because the constrication of God is upon his head. So if one of his relatives dies, he's not even supposed to be part of the funeral or part of anything with the body of one of his relatives that dies. Look at verse eight. All the days of his what? Separation he is holy unto the Lord. Now there's a lot of details in verse nine, ten, eleven about the priest and sacrifices. But look at verse twelve again. He shall consecrate unto the Lord the days of his what? His separation, and shall bring a Lamb of the first year for the trespass offering. But the days that were before shall be lost because his what? Separation was defiled. Again, talking about if he touched the dead body. And this is the law of the Nazarite when the days of his separation are fulfilled, he shall be brought out of the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. He shall make these offerings in verse fourteen, verse fifteen, verse sixteen. He shall offer in verse seventeen. And then look at this, verse number eighteen. It says, And the Nazarite shall shave the head of his separation at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. So this is why we can look at what Paul did here. We can say, okay, he's at the end of his Nazarite vow because he is now shaving his head. He's done with the Nazarite vow. He's shaving. I mean, you assume he had a beard as well. And he's done with his vow. And the priest shall take in the sodden shoulder of the ram and one unleavened cake out of a basket. And one unleavened wafer and shall put them upon the hands of the Nazarite after the hair of his separation is shaven. And then verse twenty, he has the way of offering. And then look at just verse number twenty one to end this. This is the law of the Nazarite who hath vowed. And of his offering unto the Lord for his separation. Besides that his hand shall, beside that his hand shall get according to the vow which he vowed, so he must do after the law of his separation. So this is something that we see in the Old Testament law. And what's the main point? I mean, I was saying that word again and again and again. The main point was it was a vow of separation. It was a demonstration of commitment to separate unto the Lord. Now turn to 2nd Corinthians chapter six. Turn to 2nd Corinthians chapter six. 2nd Corinthians chapter six. So look, you say, how is this relevant? How is this relevant to us? Well, here's the thing. As Christians, as Christians, if you look at the invite to our church, it says that we are a family integrated, King James only, Bible believing, you know, separated Baptist church. I mean, separated is in the description of our church. Because guess what? The Nazarite vow and the vow that Paul took and the Nazarite vow, it's described in the Old Testament. Look, folks, it's a picture of the Christian life. It is a picture of the Christian life. Because guess what? Look at verse number 17 of 2nd Corinthians chapter six. I mean, the point is this, God wants you separated. God wants us as Christians separated. Look at verse 17. It says, wherefore come out from among them? And what? It says, be ye separate. Who's them? Them is everybody. He's talking to Christians. He's talking to the church at Corinth here, the church that he spent two years building. And he's saying, look, look, these were Gentiles. These were Gentiles. He's saying, look, you're Christians. You're saved. You're not, you know, you're not Romans. You're not these Greeks anymore. He's like, you have to come out from among them and be ye separate. He's like, he wants you to look different. This is the application of the Nazarite vow to us today. Because look, it's a picture of the Christian life. I had to break it to you this evening, but God wants Christians looking different, talking different, you know, speaking different. People should know that there is something different about you. That is what being separated means. That's what separation in the Christian life is all about. Then look at the last part of the verse. It says, and touch not the unclean thing. You see, doesn't that sound familiar? As far as the Nazarite vow goes, he's talking about separating from worldly things, separating from sin, separating. Many sermons that you hear from this pulpit are all about how to separate from things that you're seeing in this world around you. The Bible doesn't want you part of all these wicked things that are going on. The Christian is to be separate today. Look, this is a problem. This is a major problem with, I use this term loosely, Christianity in America today, is that Christianity in America today, you go to most churches today, and what do they want to do? They want to look like the world. You want to have some pastor standing up and ripped up jeans and a Hawaiian T-shirt and flip-flops sitting on a stool trying to look like the world. He's trying to mix in with the world. Then what do they do? Everybody in their church went to a club on Saturday night, so what do they do? They got a bunch of smoke machines and lights going on and they got a rock band up here. It's like, hey, go to a rock concert on Saturday night, and you can come to a rock concert on Sunday morning. That is not separation. We are to look different. That is the point of the Nazarite vow. That is the point of the Christian life. God wants us separate, different, and then look at the end of the verse, and he says, and I will receive you. Look, he's not talking about salvation here. I'm going to explain to you what this means, but the Nazarite vow and this idea of separation, taking this vow of separation, is very much in the same philosophy as fasting in the Bible. You say, why would I separate or why would I do this? It's very much like this vow that Paul took is very much the same as the same philosophy, the same idea as fasting. Turn to Psalm 69 and I'll explain that to you. But just remember that where it says, and I will receive you because fasting is very similar in the promise that God gives us as far as why would you fast? I mean, you could fast today. Fasting is a biblical thing. You can fast. You could go and you could fast. Why would you fast? Let's look at what the Bible says. The Bible says in verse number 10, a verse number of Psalm 69, it says, when I wept, I chastened my soul with fasting. That was to my reproach. It's saying like, I'm bringing my soul low. This is the opposite of being lifted up. He's talking about, he's just bringing himself low. Look at Psalm 35 as I read for you, Daniel chapter 10, verse number three. Daniel says, when he was fasting, he says, I ate no pleasant bread. Neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth. Neither did I anoint myself at all till three whole weeks were fulfilled. So he's causing himself to suffer, to not have pleasant things. Look at Psalm 35 verse 13. Looking at what the Nazarite vow could have in common with fasting. Alright, look at verse number 13. But as for me, Psalm chapter 35 verse 13, but as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth. I what? I humbled my soul with fasting. And my prayer returned into my own baptism. Look, fasting is a demonstration to God of humility. That's why the Bible says when you fast, you're not supposed to, I mean, you've been reading Matthew, right? You've been reading Matthew. What were the Pharisees doing? Everything that they were doing was to show other people, was to show other people. They were the garments that they had were broadening the borders to make themselves look more important. Whenever they fasted, they're like, we were fasting. And they're just, you know, they're, you know, so you're not supposed to go into a fast and then come to church and tell all your friends and your brothers and sisters in Christ like, I'm fasting. I'm so spiritual. I'm fasting. You know, that's not what you're supposed to do. You're supposed to do it in private. You're supposed to, you know, look the same, just, but it's for humbling your soul. If you're bragging about fasting, that's literally the opposite of what it's for. You're literally defeating the whole purpose. So the point is, the point is turn to James chapter four. Fasting is to bring yourself low and to show humility before the Lord. You say, why would you do that? Why would you want to show humility before the Lord? Well, you know why? You know when people fast? People usually fast when they're going to the Lord in prayer. People fast when they're going to the Lord to ask Him to help them with something in their life. Remember in second Corinthians chapter six where it says, if you do these things, if you separate, you'd be separate unto me. If you demonstrate this, then I will receive you. Look at James chapter four and verse number six. So fasting brings you low. It demonstrates. Look, it is, look, fasting is a work that you do. Right? Fasting and taking a Nazarite vow, these are works. Nothing to do with salvation. These are works that you do to demonstrate something to the Lord. You're demonstrating your willingness to be separate. What do we talk about Sunday morning? You're demonstrating this idea that you can have control over yourself and you can actually tell yourself to do what the Bible says. See, that's the problem. People read the Bible, but they can't do the Bible because they have no control over their bodies. You know, their flesh wants to go do this, so they just go do it. They have no self control. This is why the New Year's resolutions die January 31st. Because people, they're like, this sounds like a really good idea. I'm going to lose some weight. I'm going to stop, you know, doing all this stupid stuff or whatever. And then they just like all those lusts come in and they just, they have no control over themselves. So fasting, taking this vow, separation in itself, it's a demonstration to the Lord that number one, you're humble towards Him. And number one, you're willing to do what He actually says. It's a demonstration to your heavenly Father. Look at verse number six of James chapter four. It says, so fasting, you're going to show God that you're humble. You're going to bring yourself low. You're going to make yourself humble before the Lord. But He giveth more grace. Wherefore, He saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth great, giveth grace unto the humble. Now, if you're going to the Lord in prayer, what do you want? Do you want God resisting you? When you go to the Lord in prayer, do you want God not receiving you? No, you want God receiving you with open arms. You want God saying, you know what? I'm just going to grant grace to my servant here. He's humble. He's showing separation. He's demonstrating, look, do you want God to resist you? You think just because you're saved, you're going to end up in heaven when you die that you're just going to be in good graces with God no matter what you do in your life? I'm sorry to ruin your night with the Bible, but the Bible says that God can literally resist you. If you get saved and you're sealed and you're always saved, nothing's going to stop you from being saved. You can become a proud person that has no humility. You can go to God and he's going to resist you. That's what the Bible says. This is why people ask. This is why people take that Nazarite vow. This is why people separate in their Christian lives because demonstrating to God, I mean, I think about it this way. Think about it from a parent's perspective. You know, God is our Heavenly Father. If you're saved tonight, you've been adopted as a son, the Bible says. Now, think about this just from a parent's perspective. If you have kids here tonight, just think about one of your kids coming to you to ask you, you know, I have older kids. My oldest son comes. I mean, he has his own car, but say he would come and say, hey, Dad, you know, first of all, say he just doesn't do anything that I say. He just causes all kinds of trouble. He never does any of his chores. He just, he's constantly causing strife and trouble in the house. He's just disrespectful. And then he comes to me and he says, hey, Dad, can I have the keys to the car and, you know, $50 to go shopping? I mean, what are the odds that I'm going to say yes. I'm going to be like, get out of here. What are you talking about? You know what I'm going to do? I'm going to resist that. I'm going to resist it. You're, you're not, you're not in my good graces. So I'm not going to what? I'm not going to give you grace. Whereas, you know, a son that would come to you and it's just like they're just hardworking. They're just humble. They're like, Dad, is there anything else I can do to help around here? They're just a total blessing to the household. They're what the Bible, you know, they're an obedient child. When that child comes to you, it's like there's nothing that you won't provide for that child. There's nothing. I mean, obviously, you know, nothing unsinful. But the point is, is this is what fasting is all about. This is what the Nazarite vow is all about. It's us demonstrating that we're willing to separate what the Nazarite vows a picture of how we should be as Christians. You should look different. People should know you're a Christian the first time they see you. The first four sentences that come out of your mouth. Look, this is an easy one today. We had a guy come here and work on the church when we were downtown. He came here and did some air conditioning work on the church. We were downtown. I wasn't the pastor at the time. We did some air conditioning work on the church. And this guy, like, I mean, look, I've been in construction for 23 years. You know, I've heard some stuff. But this guy, like, you know, he was up there with anybody I'd ever heard. And he's in a church. He's in a church. And then he find, you know, I'm like, you know, I tell him that, you know, I'm the satellite leader here and, oh, I go to church. Blankity blank blank blank. And he tells me what church he goes to. And you know why that is? That's because Christians everywhere, they're just trying to blend. They're trying to blend in with everybody else. There is no separation. They're taking away separation because people think, people think that, hey, you bring people in the church and then you tell them you got to be different. The Bible says act different, speak different, do different things. The Bible says you should go out and you should preach the gospel to people. You tell people this and that's not what people want to hear. People want to hear that everything's going to be great, no matter how you act, no matter how you look, no matter whatever you do, everything's going to be fine. That's not what the Bible says at all. All right? It's all about being in good graces with our Heavenly Father. Turn back to Acts chapter 18. I also think that Paul, you know, he was probably trying to show the Jews here that, you know, it's kind of an olive branch to the Jews. Here he's preaching that the law is dead basically and that Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven. And you know, he's probably just showing the Jews that like, hey, you know, I know the law. Paul used to be a Pharisee. You know, the difference between Paul and his beliefs on the Nazarite vial, his beliefs on circumcision. He also had Timothy circumcised. Don't forget that. But remember what Paul said. He said to the Jews, I became as a Jew. Paul was just trying to be as least, you know, he was trying not to offend the people but still tell them the truth. And I think that that was probably part of the reason. If I just had to guess, that's just my opinion. It's not in the Bible. But look at verse number 18. So Paul just comes out of his Nazarite vial. And then he goes to Ephesus and he brings Aquila and Priscilla. And look at what, you're going to start to see a pattern here. If you've been in this Bible study since the beginning, you're definitely recognizing a pattern on what Paul is doing when he goes and he preaches the Gospel somewhere and then he goes back to that place and he preaches the Gospel somewhere else. Let me read verse 19 for you. And he came to Ephesus and left them there, Priscilla and Aquila, but he himself entered into his synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. And when they desired him to tarry longer with them, he consented not, but bade them farewell saying, I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem. So he's like, I got to go. So he didn't stay at Ephesus very long, but I'll return again unto you, if God will, and he sailed from Ephesus. And when he landed, so now this was a long journey. So he sails, you know, a couple, you know, several hundred miles or maybe two hundred miles to Caesarea. He landed at Caesarea and gone up and saluted the church. He went down to Antioch. Down meaning, you know, if you look on the map it's north, but you know, it's downhill is how the Bible talks up and down. And when he had spent some time there, he departed and went over all the country of Galatia and Pharegia in order strengthening all the disciples. But in verse number 22, that's the end of Paul's second missionary journey. All right, but look at verse 23 and what he does. So you look at the journey that he took. He was gone for well over two years and he went, you know, probably three times further than he did in the first missionary journey. But then look what he does after verse 22. He says he spent some time at Antioch. It says he departed and went over all the country of Galatia and Pharegia in order strengthening all the disciples. Look at verse 24. In a Jew, in a certain Jew named Apollos, born in Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus. This man was instructed in the way of the Lord and being fervent in spirit, spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord knowing only the baptism of John. And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took under them and expounded under him the way of God more perfectly. So we kind of bounce to a different scene here in verse number 24 or 23 and 22 where we go back to Ephesus where Priscilla and Aquila were staying and they find this guy that was just, he was preaching things that were sort of correct but it was not really correct so they kind of corrected him and they expounded under him the way of God more perfectly. And what did Paul do in verse number 23? It says that he went and he departed, he went back to Galatia and he went around to all the places that he had already gone already and did what? He strengthened all the disciples. And then look at verse 27, the end of the chapter. And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren rode, exhorting the disciples to receive him who when he was come helped them much which had believed through grace. So now he's going and helping other people for he mightily convinced the Jews and that publicly showing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ. So the last thing I want to say about Paul's, the end of Paul's missionary journey and even with this last that we see Apollos who is basically he's sharpened by Aquila and Priscilla is this. Don't miss this pattern and this trend that is happening throughout Paul's journeys. And the trend is this. Paul goes and he preaches the Gospel somewhere. Turn back to Acts chapter 14. He goes and he preaches the Gospel. You see this pattern again and again and again throughout the book of Acts. He's not just preaching the Gospel and then walking away. Okay he is not just preaching the Gospel and saying see you later I'll write your letters. Paul is literally traveling back to these places if you look at the beginning of you know the missionary journey the second missionary journey. Paul literally went back through the places where he had the most persecution in the first missionary journey and even at the first missionary journey they went on this path that was kind of this if you're looking at it as a trail it's an out and back trail. So he went to all these towns and they were nearly killed. They literally thought they killed Paul remember and then he goes to another town and another town and the place where they thought they killed him they chase him down and they try to kill him again and then what does he do? Paul and Barnabas go back the exact same way they came. Why? Because they're strengthening the disciples. Because they didn't just go there and just preach the Gospel and say you're saved see you later. They're going back and they're making disciples. Look at Acts chapter 14 of verse number 22. This is what Paul is doing and this is why you keep seeing the same pattern again and again and again. Look at verse 22 it says confirming the souls of the disciples. So first of all there he's going and he's preaching the Gospel and then it says he's confirming the souls of the disciples and what? And exhorting them to continue in the faith and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. So look I mean this is fascinating. This is fascinating why because this is our challenge today. That's why this is fascinating. This is our challenge today. I mean and quite frankly this is a tough sell today. This is a tough sell. I mean the Gospel is one thing. The Gospel is one thing. You knock on somebody's door, you talk to somebody, somebody comes to church who's not saved. You just say hey would you like to know that you can know you're going to heaven. The Bible says you can know and then you give the Gospel to that person. I mean look that's good news. I mean that's a good thing. Many people are going to want to hear that. But then confirming the disciples. He goes back and he confirms the disciples because look he goes and he preached to all these people. I'm sure many of them didn't quite get it. Many of them maybe need to hear it again. Many of them have questions on doctrine. So he goes back and he confirms the disciples. But then look what it says. It says you know getting them to continue in the faith because guess what you're going to notice another pattern here is when he goes back pretty soon there's a church there. He goes back to these places in Ephesus, in Corinth, in Philippi and guess what? There's a church there. There's a church in someone's house. There's a church because guess what? There's disciples there now. And he does what? He convinces them that what? Through much tribulation they must enter into the kingdom of God. What does that mean? That you have to go through tribulation to be saved. Oh it's saying that if you're going to be a disciple I mean what was Jesus saying? In Matthew that you just read. He's constantly saying this is going to be difficult. He's constantly saying this is going to be tough. He's constantly saying you have to have your order of things in your life correct or you're not going to make it. I mean Acts chapter 14 of verse 22 and this entire pattern that we see Paul going through in the book of Acts is exactly the opposite of what Christianity is teaching today. I mean this would wreck Joel Osteen's day right here. I mean that through much tribulation I mean look would it be easier for me to get up here and say hey if you come to this church and you give this kind of money to this church God's going to make you rich. You come to this church and you do whatever I say and God is just going to bless you and bless you but instead not so what the Bible says though. The Bible says hey you get saved that's a free gift. That's a free gift that Jesus Christ paid for. You get saved but guess what? You want to become a disciple? This is what Jesus was talking about in Matthew. He's like you want to become a disciple. He's like nothing should stop you. Nothing should stop you. No one should get in your way. What kind of examples does he use in Matthew? Mothers, fathers, he uses the most extreme things. He's like are you kidding me? My mother and my father? He's like how about this one? Sons and daughters he says. Jesus is literally saying nothing should stop you or guess what? You're not going to make it. As what? To heaven? No. As a disciple. Because through much tribulation you will go through. I mean I'm going to tell you here you should become a soul winner. If you don't go soul winning you should. If you don't go out, if you're saved and you're not going out and you're not preaching the gospel to people I'm sorry but you're not right with God. That's what the Bible says. That's what Jesus told us to do. That's why it's called the first works. It's one of the like the first things that he said go out and preach the gospel to every creature. It's very simple but here's the thing. Now I have to tell you like look if you do that, if you do that your life is probably going to change. Why? Because you're going to go through much tribulation. Why? Because the devil doesn't want you getting people saved. Because Satan and all his demons he's walking or he's real and he's walking around on this earth and he can't take away your salvation but he can make you worthless. Isn't that what we see today? Even churches that have the gospel right. The few churches that have a correct gospel to do nothing. To do nothing for the Lord. Satan can take away your ability to bear fruit in this life. It's possible. How? He can get you into a bunch of sin. He can put you through a bunch of tribulation that you don't want to go through because who wants to go through tribulation? You know hey come to this church and start preaching the gospel and live a separated Christian life and people are going to give you trouble. But that's what the Bible says. That's the problem. That's what the Bible says. That we through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. This is why Paul is doing this. He's going back and he's saying you know what? He's like you guys got to continue. Now you're going to get into it. You're going to get through the gospels and you're reading in January. You're going to get into the epistles. You know what he's going to do in the epistles? He's going to sit there and he's going to do what? He's going to use that word in Acts chapter 14 verse number 22 that we see again and again and again in the Bible. Exhort. He's going and he's going to he's exhorting these people. He's exhorting them. He's saying hey you got all the sin in your church. You got to get it out. Hey you got some false doctrine in Galatians. You got people coming in and they're preaching a false gospel. Those people are damned. They're accursed. You got to get them out. It's like nobody should be able to come in and preach a false gospel in your church and he's going to go in. He's just going to exhort and exhort and exhort and strengthen them so they can be a strong church that Jesus Christ who's the head of those churches is happy with. But look it takes, I mean this is our challenge today folks. This is our challenge today. We have to go out. We are unlike any other church that you've ever been to because you're going to come here and you're going to hear and you're going to learn every page of the Bible. And a lot of people don't like that. A lot of people don't want to hear that. Then we're going to go and we're going to tell you, you know what I'm going to come up here and I'm going to tell you what the Bible says and say you should follow these things. You should do these things. And then I'm going to say hey and once you start doing these things you're going to go through tribulation. You're like oh man. But look that is what you got to think about this in 2023. Because this is what this, I mean you see no soliciting signs on people's doors. This is what we're selling. We're selling nothing. But this is what the Bible says. Yes salvation is a great thing. It's free. But you got to go out and you got to make a connection with people and tell them what this Christian life is about. And that's what Paul was doing. By confirming the disciples. By making disciples. Because look folks not everybody that's saved is going to become a disciple. Saved a disciple are not too, like they're not the same thing. Disciples are what was Jesus saying. It was the people, I mean all the people that came up to Jesus were like hey can we follow you? Can we follow you? He's like I got nowhere to sleep. And they're like I'm out. One guy, hey can I follow you? Have you done, have you ever sinned before? He's like no I'm perfect. You know give up all your money and you can follow me. I'm out. See following Jesus is the disciple. That's not how you get saved. That's how you be a disciple. That's how you, that's how you live a pleasing life to the Lord. Right so look you got to think about this in 2023 because it takes making a connection with people. You know I know that we go out we're soul winners and we go out and we go soul winning a lot. And we get people saved all over the world. But the thing is you know the Bible teaches that we should confirm disciples too. And that takes making a personal connection with people. And Paul look Paul is a perfect example of this because Paul and it shows you what kind of Christian you need to be too. Because Paul, I mean look Paul he had his order right. Jesus sitting here telling us in Matthew throughout his ministry, order that you need to have things in your life. He's basically saying like hey nothing can come in front of the kingdom of God. Nothing. It has to be first in your life. Now look we looked at how Paul we found out that Paul you know he met Priscilla in Aquila. Paul was a tent maker. Paul had a job. Paul worked. You know but guess what? Paul had his priorities right. Paul worked simply to support himself through his ministry. To be an example to people in his ministry. So Paul had his priority straight. Paul was a separated Christian and that's why he was able to do this. That's why he was able to go and confirm so many disciples in his life. But look a lot of people in America today even saved Christians are just they have a hard time you know putting God first in their life. You know they have a hard time you know people will put their Christian life on hold in a heartbeat but they'll never miss a day of work. You know this is a major problem in Christianity today. Paul had his order right. He had his order right and nothing would stop him. I mean if you don't get anything from Paul it's like nothing stops this guy. But God was first and that's why he was able to do so much. That's why he was able to go and give people the gospel. Get people saved. Even Jews saved and then go back and confirm those people. Strengthen those people. Tell them they're going to go through hard times and then guess what? Churches started. And now he's going to get into the epistles and he's going to start writing letters to all these churches that he confirmed. All these churches of these people that got saved and that he confirmed. So look I mean just a great example but I hope you don't miss this trend that we're starting to see in the book of Acts. That's the end of Paul's second missionary journey. Let's bow our heads and have a word.