In this sermon, the pastor acknowledges that he does not have all the answers to why certain events happen in our lives. However, he encourages the congregation to turn to God's Word for understanding and guidance. The sermon focuses on the theme of God's amazing ways, highlighting that His ways are not our ways. The pastor references the Great Commission in Matthew 28, emphasizing the call to go and teach all nations. He also discusses the challenges and persecution faced by early Christians, noting that they were forced out of their comfort zone and began preaching the word of God. The sermon concludes with the reminder that the gospel is powerful and contagious, urging believers to live it out and share it with others.

The first announcement that I would want to share with you would be that for those of you that are not our church members, but our guests, our belief in terms of the Lord's Supper is if you are a born again believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, then we welcome you to gather with us tonight in the Lord's Supper. The scripture challenges us, we're to examine ourselves to be sure that we're right with God before we do that, but that's between you and God. We welcome you to come and join us tonight for the Lord's Supper. The message is built around the meaning and the application of the Lord's Supper and I pray that you'd come and be blessed. So we give you an open invitation to come and be with us. There are many things that happen in our Christian lives that we have difficulty being able to accept and understand. We wrestle, for example, with Romans 8.28, which says all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. Part of our problem may be that we stop there because the next verse says, for whom He did foreknow, He did also predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. And therefore, the challenges that we find in life. Many times we struggle with what does this mean? Why did God allow this to happen? What is His purpose in this? I quickly admit to you as pastor that I do not have all the answers to those questions. But I believe when such things happen in our lives, that should not cause us to run away from God, but instead should cause us to run to God's word so that we might have an understanding of what God would be trying to teach us through the event that is going on in our life right at that particular time. The title of the message this morning is God's Amazing Ways. How many of you would agree with me that God's ways are not your ways? Number two, how many of you are thankful that God's ways are not your ways? Someone said that they thought that one of the things that we would be celebrating in heaven would be that God didn't answer some of our prayers because He had a better plan and a better way. And I think it's worthy of thinking about that and making some applications in our life. This morning as we study God's amazing ways, I want us to go on a bit of a journey and we want to start in Matthew chapter 28 in that regard, Matthew chapter 28. The great commission is the commission to go. Verse 18 of Matthew 28, Jesus came and spake unto them, his disciples saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. As we look at that great commission, that great commission is go. That has not been rescinded and it was very powerfully proclaimed to those disciples in a way that had they really wrapped their heart around it, it would have given them even greater enthusiasm in going. Because as Jesus is giving this announcement and this great commission, he begins with that all authority, all power is given unto him. And friends, if you know that God is in complete authority and has unlimited power and he gives you an assignment, what is to fear? What is to fear? I really would suggest to you there's nothing to fear because his sufficiency will become your sufficiency along the way. Now Acts 1, 8 is one that we're quite familiar with. Jesus said to his disciples, you shall receive power after the Holy Ghost has come upon you and you shall be my witnesses first in Jerusalem, then in Judea, then in Samaria, and then to the uttermost parts of the world. So they're given the commission go. They're told that all power is given unto him and they're given their marching orders to go and disciple and as they disciple, they will baptize and they will bring people into a relationship with him. Well as we deal with the situation of how did they fulfill and how did they respond to that? Go with me next, if you would, to Acts chapter 8, Acts chapter 8. And as you look in that first verse of Acts chapter 8, I'm going to jump into the middle of it a bit there. So follow with me. At that time, there was a great persecution against the church and they were all what? Scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except for the apostles. Someone is aptly said, because they didn't obey Acts 1, 8, there was Acts 8, 1. They were told to go to Judea, Samaria, and then to the uttermost parts of the world. But instead of going, what did they do? They huddled up. They huddled up. And when great persecution began to break out against them, then they scattered. I want to ask you a question. How many of you like comfortability more than uncomfortability? We're all that way. There was cozy there. There was something new. There was the church. They've seen the evidence of the power of God in their midst by the Holy Spirit. The apostles were there and there was teaching. And if you read in Acts chapter 2, the scripture says that daily they were gathering together. They were meeting and breaking bread. I think two applications are made, breaking bread in terms of they ate with one another. And secondly, they also remembered the Lord's Supper. They fellowshiped around that and they were continually in the apostles doctrine. So there was a great learning thing going on and they were comfortable. Here's the next part that it talks about in Acts 2. And they were being added to the church daily, such as the Lord sent unto them. Wouldn't you want to be in a church like that? The good things are going on and God's doing great things. And so they were comfortable in that. Well, now the persecution and now they are scattered. Look with me to verse four. Therefore they that were scattered abroad went everywhere. And now what are they doing? Preaching the word of God. They were forced out of their nest. And as they were forced out of that nest, they could go forth and they could go preaching the word of God. Friends, the gospel is catching. If you preach it and you live it and you pray, God is going to enable you to be able to contact and so to speak, infect other people with the gospel. That was the plan. Go and teach and preach and baptize. Go and do that. And so as they went, they were doing that and things were happening. Now, part of the things that were happening, of course, was that we see that the devil didn't like that, nor did the establishment church of those days like that. And if you look in Chapter 7 of Acts, Chapter 7, I'm not going to take time to go through that whole chapter, but we find there that there was a man who started out as a table waiter as a deacon in the church, Stephen by name, who was brought before the Sanhedrin and he totally flabbergasted them with the amount of wisdom and knowledge and understanding that he had. And he preached to them and they were brought under very, very, very serious conviction. And if you look at verse 54 of Acts, Chapter 7. It says, When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart and they gnashed on him with their teeth. But he being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing on the right hand of God and said, Behold, I see the heavens open and the Son of Man standing in the right hand of God. Then they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and ran upon him with one accord and cast him out of the city and stoned him. Notice the next part of that verse. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet whose name was Saul. Whose name was Saul. And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. Look to verse 1 of Chapter 8 that we skipped over a moment ago. It says in the first part of verse 1 of 8 and Saul was consenting unto his death. Saul was there. Saul heard Stephen preach. Saul as a witness stood there and based upon some study that I have done, he may have thrown a stone at Stephen. Because as a witness, if you recall, Jesus said to the woman, you know, regarding the woman at the well that he is without sin must what? Cast the first stone. And it appears that it was a common practice that the chief witness against someone would be the one to cast the first stone. Regardless, it says that the people there that were stoning him laid down their garments at Paul's feet, Saul at that point in time, literally so they could have more liberty in casting their stones and killing Stephen in the process. So as we look at what is happening there, we see, wow, this introduction to Saul is rather a negative one. Go with me to chapter nine. Acts chapter nine, verse one, and Saul, yet breathing out threatening and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and desired of him letters to Damascus, to the synagogue, that if he found any of this way, meaning any Christian, whether they were men or women, it did not matter to him. He might bring them bound unto Jerusalem for what purpose to force them either to recant their faith or to die. I want you to go backwards in your mind with me for just a second to a rather unpleasant time in recent American history. When it was not a irregular thing to watch on the news that ISIS was bringing forth people and putting pressure on them to renounce Christ or else have their head chopped off. How many know what I'm talking about? And we remember the pictures of individuals in orange suits taken down to the edge of the shore and being slaughtered. They are placed in a situation either you recant or renounce Christ or you will die. What do you think Paul was up to? Same thing, though beheading wasn't the method stoning, as we just read about with Stephen, was a method. And in this passage, it says he was breathing out slaughter and threatening against the church. And he was not picky whether it was men or women that were involved in that situation. That was his action against them. If we want to hear more about Paul, as he has become a believer in his testimony about his life back then, look with me, if you would, to Acts chapter 22, verse four and five. Paul has now been a believer for a number of years. He's now in Jerusalem and he has given a testimony before a mob that would have liked to stone him to death. And here's what we read. He says, and I persecuted this way, Christians, this way into death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women as also the high priest of bear me witness and all the estates of the elders agree with that. In other words, from whom also I received letters unto the brethren and went to Damascus to bring them, which were there bound and to Jerusalem for to be punished. Listen to his testimony before a group in Acts chapter 26, verse nine through 11. He's saying, this is what my life was like in the past when he was the persecutor and breathing out slaughter. He says, I barely thought with myself that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth, which then I also did in Jerusalem. And many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having authority from the chief priests. And when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them and I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme and being exceedingly mad against them. I persecuted them even under strange cities. How many of you see the zeal that Paul had against the church or Saul had against the church? He is very, very strongly against them. First Corinthians 15, nine. He reflects back on his testimony as a persecutor. He says, I'm least of the apostles that I'm not made or fit to be called an apostle. Why? Because I persecuted the church of God. Philippians three, six, a says concerning zeal, persecuting the church when he has confessed himself to be the chief of sinners in first Timothy, 113. He says, who was before a blasphemer and a persecutor and injurious that I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. Paul had a before and Paul had an after. As Saul before you've been introduced to his life. When we see him as Paul of Tarsus later, we see him after his conversion, after he became a new man and a new creature in Christ Jesus. So how did that happen? Well, go with me back to Acts chapter nine. We're going to pick up in verse three. Paul's witness is given here. The testimony of how he came to Christ. And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven. And he fell to the earth and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, who art thou, Lord? Did you ever hear a dumb question? That is a dumb question. Who art thou, Lord? Well, and the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks or against the goads. And he trembling and astonished, said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. And the man which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man. And Saul arose from the earth, and when his eyes were opened, he saw what? No man. No. He saw nothing. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink. Three days of severe silence, a self-imposed fast, you might say. And it must have been a deafening silence that he experienced there. Verse 10. There was a certain disciple of Damascus named Ananias. And to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord. I'm going to pause for just a second. I believe from the bottom of my heart, Paul had that man's name already on a piece of paper. He was coming. And I believe Ananias' name was probably on one of those warrants that he had. And God, friends, listen to me. God works in mysterious ways his wonders to perform. His ways are not our ways. His ways are much higher than our ways. Look at verse 11. And the Lord said unto him, Arise and go into the street which is called straight and inquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus. For behold, he prayeth and hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight. And Ananias answered, Lord, send somebody else. Don't you think that was on his heart? Because look at what it says. I have heard by many of this man how much evil he hath done to the saints at Jerusalem. And here he hath authority from the chief priest to bind all that call upon thy name. But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way, for he is a chosen vessel unto me to bear my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake. Friends, God's ways are not our ways. If you had taken a poll of the church in those days and asked them how many of you think that the one who is persecuting the church will become the greatest missionary of the church? How many votes do you think that would have gotten? Do you really believe that the church overall was praying, Oh, Lord, just bring Saul into our fellowship? How many of you think with me that he might have been saying, surely out there on the road somewhere, there ought to be a thief with a sharp knife that could solve this problem? They wanted to get rid of him, I am sure. That's just their natural. And even in their their greatest moment of spirituality, I think they wrestle with the possibility that this man could ever become one of them. But friends, look at what is spoken there in verse 15. The Lord declared that Paul was a chosen vessel. How many of you find that hard to understand? A chosen vessel. He didn't look like that, did he? He looked like a condemned vessel. One worthy of condemnation and judgment. But he's a chosen vessel. Not unto man, but unto God. That had a call in that choosing of him to bear his name before Gentiles, but not just Gentiles, but what else? Kings and Jews, the children of Israel. For I will show him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake. Friends. If you would read in Second Corinthians, Chapter 11. About Saul's now become Paul testimony about the amount of suffering he did. You will be overwhelmed. He talks about how many times he was whipped, how many times he was shipwrecked on and on. He describes all the events that he had gone through. As a chosen vessel, he was chosen not only to carry out the gospel, but he was also chosen to suffer for the name's sake of the very one that he persecuted. We read on. Verse 17 and Ananias went his way and entered into the house and put in his hand on him said Brother Saul. That's great. Verse. The Lord, even Jesus that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, has sent me that thou mightest receive thy sight and be filled with the Holy Ghost. And immediately there fell from his eyes at his as it had been scaled. And he received sight forthwith and arose and was baptized. What a transition, a man. And when he had received meat, he had not eaten for three days, nor drunk. He was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples, which were Damascus. He's meeting with the believers, many of them for whom he had come to arrest and to take back to Jerusalem to punish. Look at verse 20 and straightway. He preached Christ in the synagogues. He is that that he is the son of God. Therefore, if any man be in Christ, what is the scripture say? He is a new creation. Old things pass away and behold, all things become new. One day breathing out slaughter against the church the next day, as it were preaching Christ in the synagogue. How many of you think that's the mighty power of God? Now, secondly, let me ask you a question. How many of you think that God could use you in a radical way like that? He can. He will. They'd love to. Question is our availability and our willingness and obedience to what he calls us to do. Well, I just need while I'm here to to show you one other thing that I I find is rather interesting. Jump down with me to verse twenty six when Saul was come to Jerusalem. He has said to join himself to the disciples. He wanted to join the ministerial alliance in Jerusalem. But they were all what? What's the matter with those guys? They were all afraid of him. Believe not that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way and that he had spoken to him. And now he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. And he was with them coming in and going out at Jerusalem. And he spake boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus and disputed against the Grecians. But they went about to slay him, which when the brethren knew, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him forth to Tarsus. Then had the church what? Rest throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria and were edified and walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost were multiplied. God's ways are not always. His ways are so much higher. Who would have thought that that would be how God would choose to work? Turn with me if you would to Acts chapter eleven. Reflecting back on the persecution and the scattering in verse 19 of Acts 11, it says now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen traveled as far as Phineas and Cyprus and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only. And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene and which when they were come to Antioch spake unto the Grecians preaching the Lord Jesus and the hand of the Lord was with them and a great number believed and turned unto the Lord. Then tidings of these things came into the ears of the church, which was in Jerusalem and they sent forth Barnabas that he should go as far as Antioch, who when he came and had seen the grace of God was glad and exhorted them all that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. In other words, they needed discipleship for he was a good man and this is Barnabas. We're talking about full of the Holy Ghost and of faith and much people was added into the Lord then departed Barnabas to Tarsus for to seek who saw and when he had found him he brought him unto Antioch and it came to pass that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church and taught much people and the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch in a time frame here in a little over a year. What change that happened in Saul's life from killing followers persecuting followers to discipling new Christians and being edified and built up and strengthened in the faith in a great great way Paul you was used of God and perhaps the greatest missionary of the first two centuries amazing how he went forth in that mighty power of God and he witnessed to use and Gentiles and he was of course as predicted even before Kings call Paul give me God used Paul as an extreme Jew to carry the gospel to the Gentiles turn with me if you would to the book of Philippians. Chapter three verse four Paul says though I might also have confidence in the flesh meaning in his past credentials if any other man think if he were of that he might trust in the flesh I more circumcised the eighth day of the stock of Israel of the tribe of Benjamin and Hebrew of Hebrews as touching the law of Pharisee concerning zeal persecuting the church touching the righteousness which is the law blameless. He went from being a super zealous Jew persecuting the church to become a follower of Jesus Christ and a disciple maker and a minister of righteousness to God Paul also we find that God used him to edify and equip the church the book of Romans chapters one through eleven all a doctoral thesis of sorts for Paul chapter twelve through sixteen is application time read Ephesians one through three and see the depth of the doctrine that is presented there read verses four through six and see the application read Colossians chapter one verses one through twenty three and get into super deep stuff of theology about Christ in terms of his incarnation and how God used him in such a fabulous way Paul's training was in one area but God turned him inside out and around and him to be a great teacher and a quipper of the church and friends it was not only good for those back then but it's good for us now where would we be without the letters of Paul God's ways are not our way man wouldn't have predicted that the way it would go when they saw him persecuting the church I suspect like I said earlier they wanted him dead God wanted him alive in Christ God used him in such a fabulous fabulous way we also find that God used Paul in another very serious way and that was in the equipping of ministers to go and do the work not only did he have Titus and Timothy but he equipped many others to go out as as preachers to do the work that was being done what an amazing thing now I want to draw us if I can up to today and God can use the current anti Christian bias and hatred that is present in the media in the political world and entertainment and educational realm to motivate the church if we are indeed in the last days then there's a high probability that the church today is the Laodicean church how many remember what the Lord had against the Laodicean church they were neither hot nor cold lukewarm and what you want to do you him out of his mouth John sixteen thirty three he said in this world you will have persecution but be of good cheer I have overcome the world we find that the Lord communicated something else second Timothy three twelve who all who live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution not might will the church today needs motivated let me suggest something to you perhaps God is at work through the negative anti Christian activities going on in our country to try to wake up the church to do what the church ought to be doing just as acts one eight acts eight one where to go where to preach or disciple were to be witnesses were to be salt were to be light and if we're not doing that then we become good for what nothing but to be cast out and trodden under the feet of man I just want to challenge us to consider that perhaps God in his most unusual way is causing us to realize more and more persecution and again one or two things will happen either we're going to go hide we're going to deny Christ or we're going to stand for the faith and suffer persecution question is what are we going to do we look at first Peter three verse fifteen and we are told the word is sanctified the Lord God in our heart and we're ready always to give an answer to every man who asked us a reason of the hope that is within us you know how that happens that happens as we stand as a testimony for the Lord Jesus in the midst of all the opposition and persecution going to Denver or as a perk I get to go to Chick-fil-a now some of you are thinking that I just have something against be I don't I've got something in favor of the man that had the guts to stand up and take a stand for Christ regardless of the opposition and he's suffering everywhere and you want to know what I see when I go to Denver I see chip to let Chick-fil-a with cars in double lines lined up in the parking lot being filled and night next door McDonald's begging for a customer to come in God will honor those that honor him and you know what we've got too many people that way you know I got to kind of have a low profile because if I stand up for Christ I'll lose business hadn't worked that way for him I talked to you here a while back about Hobby Lobby and a stand for Christ and God has honored them and we have individuals who have been taken to court and they've been sued why because they stood for their convictions against gay marriage against same-sex marriage they said I will not compromise my faith in regard to paying for abortions I'm against that stuff and some people are hiding under the car under the covers because they afraid somebody might hear and some are standing up and they're giving their testimony and friends that's what we need more of not just here and there but everywhere and when it says but sanctify the Lord God in your heart it literally means that you set apart Christ as your Lord what did Paul ask who art thou Lord the day sanctify the Lord God in your heart he's first and friends if he's first then there's not a question where we stand right why call you me Lord Lord not do not the things that I say we must take the stand we must speak the truth it's interesting also that we need to recognize that the church needs to be motivated that suffering for Christ is part of our so great gift of salvation listen to what it says in Philippians one twenty nine run to you it is given on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him but also to suffer for his sake we love the promise of eternal life do we love the promise of suffering for his sake or would you try to avoid that the church needs to be motivated to come back to realizing that's as great a part of our salvation as is our eternal life listen to me in other parts of the world predominantly those that are controlled by Muslim Buddhists and Hindus when someone makes the decision for Jesus Christ they sign on the line to suffer for Christ's sake how many of you know what I'm talking about they're doing it right we're not always doing it right we're undercover agents instead of being up front witnesses for the Lord thirdly if necessary we should be motivated that if we have to we will die not just suffer but we'll be willing to die for our faith in Christ and actually after twenty verse twenty four here are the words Paul says but none of these things move me neither count I my life dear unto myself so that I might finish my course with joy and the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus to testify the gospel of the grace of God Paul said for me to live is what Christ to die is game and he says you know what I'm kind of torn I'm torn between dying and going on to heaven you know how he's figuring on his dying right but he was willing if necessary to die he loved the concept of heaven but he also then went said but I feel like God's probably going to leave me here longer to suffer longer for the sake of the gospel but whatever doesn't matter to me absent from the body as to what be present with the Lord and one other thing that I believe the church today needs to be motivated and stirred up by is a heart for the lost a willingness to testify for the name of Jesus Christ second Peter three nine says for the Lord is not slack concerning his promise as some men count slackness but is long suffering to us we're not willing that any should who can provide that next word perish but that all but that all should come to eternal life in verse fourteen report brethren seeing that you look for such things be diligent that you may be found of him in peace without spot and blameless and account that the long suffering of the Lord is salvation and you want to know something interesting as Peter is writing that if you finish out the last part of verse fifteen he says even as our beloved Paul wrote in words that sometimes are difficult to understand that's the way friends I pray I look forward I anticipate the rapture even so come quickly Lord Jesus that day would be a good day a man that day would be a good day but as long as I'm still here and as long as you're still here what's our mission the Great Commission go go go and live the testimony for the Lord Jesus Christ and if you suffer for righteousness sake raise your reward should and could be motivated by the amazing way that God chooses to work he uses what seem like. Dead end streets to open the door with huge opportunities if we could just receive those in that fashion we would be blessed and the kingdom would be enlarged let's pray Heavenly Father your ways are not our ways your ways are much higher than our ways your scripture also declares that your word does not return void but it will accomplish that or until you send it so father you called us to be your witnesses to be a testimony to tell other people the good news of Jesus Christ in the case of Saul of Tarsus the Lord Jesus witnessed him and he can still do that today but Lord he also commissioned us to be spokesmen to be witnesses to be proclaimers faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God and and we are called upon to to go forth and preach the gospel beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel how will they hear without a preacher at Caruso someone proclaiming the truth you've called us to that not just a paid preacher but not just a missionary but to any and all who name the name of Christ you call us to be your witnesses go forth and stand on the shame of me for Jesus Christ so this morning father there may be someone here in this room someone that listen to this CD on a later point that might have an attitude of a Saul of Tarsus argumentative hateful opposing desiring somehow shut down Christianity and my father for such a one we have great encouragement because Paul was over the top that way and you redeem him father there's someone perhaps in the lives of folks that are here this morning who is a friend or a neighbor and they have said such things as don't you ever mention that name to me again father thank you that you're bigger than that father thank you that you can orchestrate the circumstances of life where that person may be calling us up and say please tell me about Jesus or may we be available may we be motivated may we be excited about going forth to proclaim the gospel with great dependence upon you and your Holy Spirit to do the work as we pray as we purpose to be obedient move in the church or bring revival and bring Lord the new souls into the family of God that the church might grow and spread the good news and pray this in Jesus name take your him those please return to him number.