What is he doing in us?

Paul Turner II
Nov. 5, 2023

Take your Bibles and turn to Joshua 23. Let's pray. Father God, thank you for this morning, Lord. Thank you for  giving us your word. Lord, we realize that your word is not just  something to keep around the house.  But that it's something to read and meditate on and study and Lord, I pray that we are all students of your word,  that your word guides us in every moment of every day,  in every decision, big and small. And Lord, may we find comfort this morning in your words. It's in your son's name. I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. 

I had you open your Bibles to Joshua 23. That's where you are. Let me begin with something that happened to me when I was probably five or six years old. We lived in a  double wide trailer, and between our house and the neighbor's house, there was a row of spruce trees. I don't remember how big they were at the time, but they were big enough for a five or six year old boy to get under. Okay, and they, the branches came all the way to the ground, and behind the row of spruce trees the neighbor's yard kind of went up a hill, and their house sat at the top of the hill, maybe 20 or 30 feet above the spruce trees. The perfect angle for watching what was going on  under the spruce trees. And I had discovered a pack of matches  in the kitchen drawer, and...  absconded with, ran off with the matches to the spruce trees, and I thought this would be fun. I'm going to build myself a little fire and of course, I had no idea that there was a rat in the neighborhood living in the house above me, and she ratted me out. She called my parents. She called my mother and told my mother that her precious little baby boy was out playing with matches underneath The spruce trees.  Now, at five or six years old, I had no idea of the danger of playing with matches. I've always given my kids lots of opportunities to light fires and do things like that because I don't want them to want to take the matches and play with them. I would rather do it in a supervised environment.  But needless to say, I was out there playing with matches and it was very dangerous and I never did get anything started before my experience was ruined and I was called back in the house and I don't remember if I got in trouble or not or if I just got a talking to.

I don't remember all those details and they're not important.  But the thing is, playing with matches is a dangerous thing, isn't it?  Especially when you're sitting under spruce trees that are filled with pitch. Man, if those needles had caught on fire, it would have been an epic burndown of the neighborhood. But luckily,  the Lord protected me. Wisdom intervenes, at least by others on my behalf.  How many of us have been paying attention to what's going on in Israel  and Gaza and the Middle East?  How many of you are aware that in Europe, in countries, in nations in Europe  today,  houses and businesses are being marked with the Star of David? Have you heard that? It's happening. I saw a video of it. It's happening. How many of you are aware of pro Hamas protesters in the U.S. college campuses?  How many of you are aware of the flood of fighting age men, single men, from across the globe coming across our southern border? Who here thinks we are sitting on a powder keg?  Globally, we are sitting on a powder keg. Everywhere lines are being drawn, sides are being taken.  I wanted to address this this morning because I don't want it to be the elephant in the room. We're all paying attention to it. We're all watching it. We at least should look at it from a  biblical perspective.

We need some biblical perspective to understand what's going on. If you speak about one side, you're accused of of, of supporting, you know, you're supporting that side. If you speak against one side, you're supporting the other. You can't say anything without finding yourself being accused of supporting the other side when it's very possible that there's things that could be said about both sides that need to be said. I remember a preacher who on multiple occasions said  that we are reliving 1930s Germany.  You remember that guy?  He looked very similar to me. Well, I'd like to update that just briefly this morning.  I believe right now we are living in late 1930s, early 1940s Germany.  You see, on September the 1st, 1939, that was the date that Germany invaded Poland. Boundary lines between nations had been crossed.  Anybody familiar with boundary lines being crossed in a country called Ukraine?  Anybody aware of boundary lines being crossed in a, in,  in what is referred to as Palestine, or coming into Israel, and now Israel going into Gaza? We see these lines, these lines that have been drawn being crossed by, by armies, by missiles, by, by jets, by all of these things. 

The next thing that took place after September 1st, 1939, if you are a student of history, you know that in 1940, America was funding and supplying weapons to nations who were involved in the conflict.  Does anybody think that's aware, everybody aware that that's happening today?  By the billions, that's happening today?  By December of 1941.  The United States of America was involved in both theaters of war. We are sitting on a powder keg,  and the world is playing with matches. It's a little unnerving, isn't it? 

How should we as believers,  how should we,  as the body of Christ,  look at everything that's going on around us?  That's an important question.  You see, the world, it's easy to get caught up in the emotions of everything that's going on. It's easy to react and respond from a position of fear. And, and in case you're unaware of this, the media, the, the, the national media, the online media, the media, they, they, they depend on that. They depend on you responding and reacting in fear. And those fears feed the conversations that take place. Around the dinner table, and in the restaurants, and in the diners, and, and online, things are said back and forth between people. Some of it said it is accurate, some of it said it is absolutely wrong, and absolutely insane. But things are said because people are responding in fear.  And fear drives decisions that are not usually...Wise  2nd Timothy chapter 1 and verse 7 says God Have no you stay in Joshua  2nd Timothy 1 7 says God  hath not given us the spirit of Fear that's not a hard concept to understand is it  and yet how often do ww?  Do we find ourselves a little unnerved by everything that's going on in the world?  I mean, I have family members that are old enough to, that if, if a war, if a global war broke out,  I have a son and a son in law who would be of age. 

It's a little, a little unnerving, isn't it? But the Bible says, God hath not given us the spirit of fear,  but of power  and of love  and of a sound mind.  All three of those are important,  but I think that the third one is. Crucial.  God has given us a sound mind.  In 2 Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 7 it says, We walk by faith  and not by sight. Because if we walk by sight, guess what? We will find ourselves enveloped in fear. Absolute terror at what's going on.  And that's where the world finds itself today. If you want my 10 second honest opinion, I think the United States of America is just... We're just waiting for  the present day sinking of the Lusitania  or the present day Archduke Ferdinand incident, the thing, the attack of Pearl Harbor. We're just waiting for that event  that sways  the court of public opinion into saying we need to be in this conflict. 

It's coming.  How do we handle that as the body of Christ?  How do we respond to that?  You see, we walk by faith, not by sight. But that's not a blind faith. Our faith is rooted in truth, or it should be. We don't have to walk blindly into these things. God has given us truth.  Truth that we need to lean into hard. For everything, whether it's global, whether it's, whether it's personal, whatever it is, we need to lean into this book. This book must be our guide in every decision, in every attitude, in every, every aspect of everything that goes on in our lives.  So with that idea in mind, I had you turn to Joshua chapter 23. How should we look at this situation? You know, when it comes to Israel, there are two schools of thoughts.  Generally, there are two schools of thought with the nation of Israel. One school of thought is that Israel is still under that covenant relationship, that God is in this dispensation of grace, that those covenants are still in full effect. 

And so that is one view of that. The other view  is that  God has made a covenant relationship with Israel.  And we can go to Romans chapter 11 and we can see where it says that God keeps His promises. He is going to honor His covenant relationship with Israel.  But I believe that Scripture bears out the fact that during this dispensation of grace, that Israel has been set aside in unbelief, and with that setting aside, their covenants have been put on hold.

Now,  those are two very different views. of Israel.  And while while some may hold to the fact that those covenants are still in effect today, and I may hold to based on scripture and what eyes and they're doing that based on scripture, and I'm coming at it from the standpoint that that that they are, they are no longer in effect at this current moment.

But God will resume that covenant relationship with Israel.  I would like to say that for what is going on today in the Middle East,  that question is irrelevant.  And I will show you why that question is irrelevant. I had you turn to Joshua, Chapter 23. Today we walk by faith, not by sight. That's that walk by faith is not a faith that is in ignorance. It is found in truth. And so I thought it would be good to go to the words of a dying man to get some truth. In Joshua, Chapter 22 verse one, then Joshua called. The Reubenites and the Gadites and half the tribe of Manasseh.  Now go down to verse 14. 

I'm sorry, I'm in the wrong chapter. 23, that didn't sound right. Joshua 23. 1, And it came to pass a long time after that the Lord had given rest unto Ishmael from all the enemies roundabout, that Joshua was, Joshua waxed old and was, and stricken in age. Now verse 15 14  and behold that this day. This is Joshua speaking behold this day I am going the way of all the earth He is dying and he knows it and you know that in all your hearts and in all your souls That not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spake concerning you All are come to pass unto you, and not one thing hath failed thereof.

Isn't that so comforting?  He's dying, and he says, you know, God has kept every promise he's ever made to you.  How many of you agree with that?  Absolutely. God has kept every promise. And at this time, he certainly had as well. Now look at verse 15. Therefore, it shall come to pass that as all good things come upon you, which the Lord your God promised you, To which all those present before Joshua that day were saying, That's right!

Whoo! All right!  Semicolon. So shall the Lord bring upon you all evil things, until He hath destroyed you from off this good land which the Lord your God hath given you. Whoo! Whoo! How's that for words of a dying man? Joshua. Joshua comes to these Israelites and he says, Listen, God has kept every promise He's ever made to you. 

But you need to remember that he has also promised you that if you break that covenant, there are consequences.  So shall the Lord bring upon you all evil things  until ye have, until he have destroyed you from off this good land which the Lord your God hath given you.  God is going to keep his promises, both the ones you like  and the ones you don't like so much. 

Look at verse six, Joshua 23 verse six, he says to them, be therefore very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses that you turn not aside therefore to the right hand or to the left hand or to the left. Oh, listen, here's a lesson to learn. I'll do this very quickly.

Obedience to God is a courageous thing.  Everybody got that? Obeying God takes courage. It takes guts to do what God says. It makes no difference what dispensation you live in. It takes guts to obey God's Word. Make God's Word the authority. Look at Joshua 23, verse 11. Take good heed, therefore, unto yourselves, that ye love one another.

The Lord your God. How are they going to love the Lord their God? He's take heeded that you love him. How are they going to love him?  By obeying him, by being courageous and obeying his word.  Now look at verse 12  else. If you do in any wise, go back and cleve unto the remnant of these nations. Even these that remain among you and shall make marriages with them and go in unto them and they to you. 

Now listen very closely to verse 13.  Know for a certainty. You know, when God speaks, when God communicates a message, it's always important. When God says something leading up to the message, know for a certainty. It's one of those moments where you're like, you know.  Okay, I'm gonna pay attention here. This might not be good. Know for a certainty that the Lord your God will make, will no more drive out any of these nations from before you.

But they shall be snares and traps unto you, and scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until ye perish from off this good land, which the Lord your God hath given you. Woo! Wow, that's a great response. Wow!  What is he saying? If you're not courageous, if you're not obedient to the covenant relationship which we established, which I, God, have established with you, Israel, if you break that covenant, if you do not love me, if you do not obey me,  know for a certainty these 13. 

Until ye perish from off this good land which the Lord, your God, hath given you.  It says down there in verse 16, When ye have transgressed the covenant of the Lord your God, which he hath commanded you, and have gone and served other gods, and bowed yourselves to them, then shall the anger of the Lord be kindled against you, and ye shall perish quickly from off the good land which he hath given unto you. 

God said what he said, didn't he?  Under the covenant, there were consequences.  In 2 Kings 17, don't go there, we don't have time.  2 Kings 17 verses 22 and 23, you can write that down.  I wrote down exactly how it says it. Israel was carried away out of their land.  In 2 Kings 25, five chapters later, because the kingdom was divided at that time, 2 Kings 25, 21, Judah was carried away out of their land. 

What did God promise them with certainty?  If they broke the covenant, if they didn't obey, if Israel was not courageously obeying God and His Word, there would, this was the consequence, this was the outcome.  Israel repeatedly throughout their history  broke their covenant relationship with God, did they not? 

Israel committed murder  by which you and I and every person who professes  to be Jewish today.  Can come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ can be saved. Israel did that.  It's what it says in Acts chapter 2. Peter calls them out. Calls out his own people and says,  You murdered him. 

Now before I go on, I'm going to say this several times.  Hamas is wicked.  Wicked.  And evil. Islam is wicked and evil. 

But I will also say that Israel's struggles today  are in part  due to their disobedience to God's word thousands of years ago.  They did not drive out the inhabitants as they were commanded.  They did not obey God.  They broke the covenant with the one who was their protector. Now let me say, I am not  attacking Israel in this. 

Christians today  disobey God all the time.  And I'm going to get to the lessons that we have to learn, that we have to learn.  But, but let me continue. And again, let me say, Hamas is wicked and evil. Islam is wicked and evil. I am not giving them a pass. I am not taking their side by any stretch in this. I'm just putting all the facts together as scripture gives them to us. 

I believe Israel has every right to defend themselves against this, against this wickedness. They were attacked.  They were attacked. They have a right to protect their people.  And again, let me say, Hamas is wicked and evil. 

But we can look  at scripture  and see the effects of Israel's disobedience as well.  In Joshua 23, 13, God said what he said, didn't he?  If they didn't obey the covenant.  So you see why I'm saying,  if you think Israel is under the covenants.  Or if you think Israel is not under the covenant. While that's an important discussion to have for understanding what's going on today.

It's almost irrelevant because if you think they're under the covenant still today in the dispensation of grace, and while I may disagree with you on that, if you think they're under the covenant, then you have to apply Joshua 23 to that understanding and realize that  God is not. Going to drive out the inhabitants from before Israel today Israel may drive out the inhabitants they may wipe Hamas from off the face of the planet as they have promised and said because they have a superior army and because they have all these weapons and bombs and Quite frankly because they're receiving a lot of funds and weapons from around the world Specifically from the United States of America that may happen  But we can't mistake what Israel is doing  with God's  hand of protection and keeping his covenant relationship with them. 

Because Israel,  if you think they're under that covenant, you must also admit  that they are not obeying that covenant that they have with Israel. On the other hand, if you think that, if you believe that Israel is not under that unbelief and God will one day. Pick up that dealing with the nation of Israel again. 

I'll do this very quickly, rather than having you turn there. In Romans chapter 10 in verse 1, Paul writes that Israel has a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.  Romans 10, 1 to 3.  And that they walk according to their own righteousness, not according to  His righteousness. 

And Romans chapter 11 verses  25 to 32 speaks of the fact that Israel was set aside in unbelief, but also says that God will keep and honor his covenant promise with them. 

What can we do?  What can we do?  We can pray  for the whole situation. We need to pray for the whole situation. You know why we need to pray?  Let me give you the number one reason why we pray.  For this situation in particular.  Because right now, people are dying.  Both on the side of Israel  and the side of Hamas. 

And on both sides, people are dying and going to a Christless eternity.  Because they have not trusted in what Jesus Christ  did for them on that cross.  We need to pray for the salvation of souls.  We also need to pray because there are Christians in Gaza, there are Christians in Israel who are there as missionaries reaching the lost  and their lives are in danger.

You need to pray for that whole situation. 

Why do I share this though? There are three overlapping reasons why I shared this this morning and I have to move quickly through this.  First of all, I think the first reason that I want to share, wanted to share this was this morning was because to give a biblical context to the events that we have all seen in the news.

Romans 15. 4 says, Those things that were mentioned aforetime were written for our learning.  We need to make sure that we are in this book, learning from this book, so that we can look at the events of this world in light of this book. And let me just say, too, we need to do it from the point of understanding the Word of God rightly divided.

I can't tell you how many things I've heard on Christian radio and other things  this week about how, you know, looking at... Gog and Magog and Armageddon and all of these things because they fail, they're looking at these things that are taking place in the book of Revelation and somehow trying to apply them to today. 

We are not living.  In the events of Revelation, the rapture of the church, the body, praise the Lord, the rapture of the church, the body of Christ must come first. That doesn't mean we're not going to face difficulties and hardships. That's the other thing I've heard lately that I don't have time to get into this morning, but this idea that, that people who believe in the pre tribulational rapture are just looking for an escape. 

That is not true.  The only reason, the only way that, that the antichrist can come in at the beginning of the tribulation is an established peace on earth.  Is if there is wars going running rampant over the earth when he comes in at the beginning of the tribulation, we are not looking to escape anything. 

We're just not promised that we are going to go through the tribulation.  The second thing, so we need to learn from scripture about those events because there's much to learn about that. The second thing, and these are, I said these are overlapping. The second thing that we need to learn from what's going on over there today is obedience. 

to God and the importance of obedience to God.  As I said earlier, we walk by faith. 2 Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 7.  Believing that phrase, while there's more to it, believing that phrase begins on the foundation  that we are taking God at His word.  You can't obey what you don't know.  It's important  as Christians. 

That we know what God's Word says and obey what God's Word says,  and we need to learn that by looking at the effects of Israel's disobedience.  It should cause us to examine our own personal obedience or lack thereof.  And the third overlapping point that I wanted to make this morning is that  when we disobey God's Word,  it doesn't just affect  The person disobeying God's word. 

You've heard me through the years speak of multi generational impacts of decisions that have been made.  When I look back to Joshua 23, I've come to the conclusion that it's not multi generational, it's multi millennial.  Israel's disobedience, way back there, has a multi millennial  impact on the world. 

Apostasy.  Disobedience to God is fatal. At this point, what we're looking at is global fatalities based on the disobedience that took place thousands of years ago. Global fatalities!  Man, if that doesn't wake us up and cause us to realize how important it is that we pay attention  to what we are doing  as it says and has been quoted so many times in Hosea chapter 8 and verse 7.

Speaking of Israel, it says they sow the wind.  And they will reap the whirlwind.  I don't care who you are.  That's a true statement.  Said in a more 2023  version.  Play stupid games.  Win stupid prizes.  You know, there are effects. If we sow disobedience to God and His word back here, there will be  a ripple effect to that. 

How important is it  that we obey God's Word explicitly?  And that obedience begins with knowing His Word intricately. We must know what the Word of God says. 

This is supposed to be a message of encouragement and contentment.  It's okay.  It's okay. 

It's okay.  Man.  Turn to 1 Corinthians. 1 Corinthians chapter 12. 1 

Corinthians chapter 12. I want you to look at this because I know you've all looked at it in the past. You've all read it in the past. You've all heard it in the past.  Unless you slept through some of my sermons, you've all heard it and read it and heard sermons on it in the past.  1 Corinthians.

Christine's not here. I can't even call her on it.  First Corinthians 12, For as the body is one and hath many members, and all the members of that one body are many, as one, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, bond or free, and all made to drink into one spirit.

For the body is not one member, but many. How many of you are familiar with this? 

What can we do  as the body of Christ?  Sometimes that's said almost in despair. What, what can we do? I  mean, I'm not, I'm not anywhere near that tinderbox in the Middle East. I'm not anywhere near anything that's going on. I'm just, I'm just here. I'm just here in Oshkosh, little old me in Oshkosh, little old Grace Bible Church in Oshkosh.

What can we do? I mean, beyond pray. I mean, we, yes, pray. Start with prayer. Everything should start with prayer. What can we do? 

I mean, think about it. This church doesn't even have a pastor,  do you?  How many of you would like a pastor?  Yeah. Yeah. Let's have a pastor. 

Do you remember when I preached on 1st Corinthians chapter 12  and how I shared from from that passage that no part of the body of Christ is more important than any other?  It's a true statement, right? I mean, he goes into great detail demonstrating to them, you know, the eyes not any more important than year.

The foot's no more important than the hand. The hands no more important than the foot. And I said that! I said there is no part of the body of Christ that, that is any more important than any other. And I said specifically, as your pastor, I am not any, any more important when I, when I was your pastor. I'm not any more important than, than anyone. 

I am, I am equal member of the body of Christ.  I know you would like a pastor.  What if it took you as long to get a pastor  as it took to get a building? 

What if it took that long? I know, I know some are thinking, Oh boy, don't do that. Please Lord, don't let that happen.  You know, when I left, I struggled with that decision.  Not because I didn't think it was the right decision.  But you do go through this  emotional response. 

And so I wrestled with that decision and I searched this book.  Because I needed comfort. I needed clarity. 

And I would like to share just a little bit of that very briefly with you this morning, and then tie that together with everything else that we've talked about. This is not a two part message, really. It all fits together. Trust me.  But I, I struggled with that.  And I did search the scripture, and God brought me to 1 Corinthians chapter 12, and the very comments that I had made. 

But I can tell you this, as I began to study 1 Corinthians chapter 12, God made it very real to me. And  I praise the Lord for God making it very real to me. It's one thing to preach knowledge about a passage, but God made it very personal for 1 Corinthians chapter 12 and the next things that I'm going to share with you. 

I wanted to make sure. I wanted to know.  Am I leaving,  am I leaving the sheep without a shepherd? 

And I'm telling you, God absolutely drilled my heart. 

After studying 1 Corinthians chapter 12 and knowing what it said, but needing to understand what it said, 

I looked up the word, the Greek word for pastor.  Pay attention very closely to this. 

The Greek word translated pastor is used 18 times.  in the New Testament.  18 times. 

17 times  it is translated shepherd.  Now let's do the math. 

Very good.  18 take away 17.  One time.  Paul uses the Greek word  one time.  One time  in 18 it's translated pastor in Ephesians chapter 4 verse 11.  One time in the entire New Testament is the word pastor used.  One  time.  Paul never uses it and it is translated shepherd. Never.  He uses it once. He doesn't use the Greek word  in every book, in every letter that he wrote.

He literally uses the Greek word once and only once and that one time it is translated pastor. 

And as I'm, as I'm, as I'm looking at this, I'm thinking,  holy moly,  we put a lot of stock  in a position, in a man, in a position with a title whose, whose literal title that we give him, that we honor him with is used literally only epistles, one time. 

So now I've read 1st Corinthians 12, I understand that no part is more important than another, and now God has brought me to this realization that the term pastor is only used once in Paul's epistles.  And so that now I'm curious. Anybody else curious at this point? Yeah, so I keep going.  I read the opening of every one of Paul's epistles.

Every one. 

What do we know about those letters?  Those letters deal with some pretty heavy stuff, don't they?  Immorality, 

false teaching,  legalism,  all kinds of things.  Every letter  is addressed with the exception of  Timothy, Titus, and Philemon. But the church epistles  are addressed to the whole body.  And I'm looking at this and I'm putting this through the lens of 1 Corinthians chapter 12 and I'm thinking, Wait a minute here. 

Every letter is addressed to the whole body, to the saints which are at,  to the brethren which are at, with the exception of  Philippians, which speaks to the saints which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons. They're all just generally addressed to everybody who is a believer in Corinth, everybody who's a believer in Rome, everybody who's a believer in Ephesus or Philippi or wherever it is. 

Not one letter, not one,  was addressed to the pastor. 

So then I started thinking, well, who is the pastor  at these churches?  We don't know.  We don't have names.  Not one of them do we know the name of a pastor. Yes, Timothy or Titus may have gone and preached at a place for a while, but I'll get to them in just a second, and I'm rushing through this. But, but listen.

We don't even know the names of the pastors.  God, God did not feel it important enough to include their names. 

And here I am looking at this thinking, wait a minute.  I'm concerned about  leaving.  And now you're a church in a world that's on the brink of global war  and there's not even a shepherd and yet  the name pastor is practically non existent in the New Testament.  And certainly practically nonexistent in Paul's epistles.

Every letter was addressed  to the, to the body, to everyone to be read. So that they could deal with the heartache, the struggles, the problems, the issues.  Was never addressed to the pastor. 

Now I'm really curious. So then I go to the pastoral  epistles. We all call them the pastoral epistles. Right?  You know they're not.  They're not really pastoral epistles.  Timothy was, was, was not, he was not a pastor. Think about this. If, if, we don't have time, but if you went to, write this down, Acts 16, 1 to 3, Paul shows up in, in what, Lystra and Derby?

And he meets this young man, Timothy.  Timothy is,  This is a great opportunity. Here's this church with this homegrown young man who could who could be the next pastor of great of Grace Bible of Grace Bible Church. Lystra Grace Bible. They'll nobody has an original thought, right? Grace Bible Church Derby.

You know, everybody uses the Grace Bible Church.  You know what Paul does when he leaves town?  He takes him with him.  I mean, Paul was a different, different bird.  You know, you'd think he'd be establishing, he's establishing these churches  and here's a, here's a pastor to, to take over to fill that pulpit. He says, now I'm taking him with me. 

We think of Titus. Titus is a pastoral epistle. Titus wasn't a pastor.  Titus's job was to go to the island of Crete and travel around and establish elders in all of these churches. A hundred cities. There is no way. I was a pastor for 18 years. There is no way that a guy could travel around and establish elders in a hundred churches and be a pastor. 

He's not pastoring  now, for the crazy part, we, we haven't even gotten to the crazy part yet. And this was all in my study because I like, am I, am I doing the right thing?  Paul would travel around and establish churches and he would travel to church a and he would spend between. 20 and 30 years establishing that church and then he would leave there and he would go to the next church and spend 20 or 30 years there grounding those people, establishing those people. 

He averaged four months,  four months.  He spent as little as some could argue two weeks  and as much as 18 months establishing every church that he planned, every church that we have a letter written to.  Two weeks to 18 months  and then he would leave.  Some of those churches, we don't know if any of them had pastors. 

I can show you that some of them didn't even have elders when he left.  He would just leave them.  Did, did Paul,  did Paul have so much faith in these people?  Just knew that they would not fail.  Heh, I know that's not true. Cause he wrote letters back to those people saying, Hey, oh foolish Galatians. Right? He knew that they would make mistakes.

He knew that they would make missteps.  How could he do that? How could he just  abandon them? 

You know what I realized when I got to the end of this?  I came to the realization.  A very simple,  but very important realization. 

That we all need to come to.  And that is this.  I realized.  That Paul  trusted Christ  and his grace,  working through his body  to do what God promised he can and will do.  Let me say that again.  I realized Paul trusted Christ and his grace. He wasn't trusting the Galatians, he wasn't trusting the Corinthians, he wasn't trusting  BOOM!

Oh, sorry. Sorry. Uh,  but Paul...  was trusting  Christ.  What a concept.  What a concept.  We trust Christ for salvation, don't we?  Because we have no other option.  But to come along  and trust Christ 

and, and the  trust is in Christ doing what God, what God has said He would do through His body.  It's about Him.  Working,  working through us. 

I'm gonna leave you with two passages. 

I'll just read them to you. 2nd Corinthians chapter 9 verse 8.  This is kind of a passage that, we have adopted.  We started a YouTube channel called Consumed by Grace  and it's from this verse 8.  And God is able to make all grace abound toward you. That ye always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work. Isn't that the greatest verse? And God is able.  If the verse ended there, how wonderful is that? God is able. But then there are all these absolutes. To make all grace abound toward you. That ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work. Ephesians 3:20 says, Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think. What can I do?  What can little old me do? What can grace Bible Church Oshkosh do? I  think we're asking the wrong question.  It's putting the emphasis on  me.  It's what can he do?  What is he doing?  in us.  Our job is not so much to do, but to simply get out of the way and let him do. That's how Paul, the Apostle Paul,  lived  his life and his ministry  and it turned the world upside down. Maybe that's what we need to get back to.  

Let's pray. Father, thank you for this morning. Thank you for this time. Thank you for your word. Lord, I do pray that we  Well, we certainly can't find comfort in the events of this world and the circumstances of this world. May we find comfort  and boldness  in understanding  what Christ can do,  what Christ is doing through His body. May we have the wisdom to simply get out of His way.  It's in Jesus name I pray, Amen.

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