Caption transcript for In The Footsteps of The Rabbi From Tarsus: “Apostolic Ordination and Subsequent Missionary Journey” (3/12)

• 00:03 WITH DR. JEFFERY SEIF AND SANDRA LEVITT
• 01:00 A HEARTY SHALOM TO ALL OF YOU.
• 01:03 JEFFERY SEIF HERE
• 01:04 WITH MY FRIEND SANDRA LEVITT.
• 01:05 SHALOM
• 01:06 WELCOME TO ZOLA LEVITT PRESENTS.
• 01:07 WE'RE LOOKING AT PAUL.
• 01:09 WE'VE SEEN PAUL IN ANTIOCH SORT OF GETTING HIS FEET WET,
• 01:12 TEACHING AND PREACHING.
• 01:13 WE'RE GONNA LOOK TODAY AT THE MISSIONARIES...
• 01:15 VERY FIRST MISSIONARY TRIP.
• 01:17 GOES OUT ABOUT 700 MILES ON LAND,
• 01:20 500 MILES ON THE OCEAN,
• 01:22 HE'S IN HIS LATE 40'S
• 01:24 AND YET HE IS TAKING THE WORD OUT.
• 01:26 IT'S INTERESTING IN A WORLD WHERE
• 01:28 MOST PEOPLE DIDN'T TRAVEL 75 MILES OR 100 MILES
• 01:30 FROM THEIR PLACE OF ORIGIN IN THEIR ENTIRE LIFE.
• 01:33 WANT YOU TO OPEN UP YOUR BIBLES PLEASE IF YOU WILL,
• 01:36 LOOK HERE IN ACTS CHAPTER 13, VERSE 4, WE'RE TOLD,
• 01:46 GOD PROMPTS INDIVIDUALS TO GO BEYOND THEIR COMFORT ZONE
• 01:49 TO ENTER INTO, NOT THE "NO SPIN" ZONE, BUT THE "WIN" ZONE,
• 01:53 TO GET OUT THERE AND HELP PEOPLE COME TO KNOW THE LORD.
• 01:55 GLAD THAT GOD MOVES PEOPLE THAT WAY.
• 01:57 CORRECT?
• 01:58 WELL, IT'S GOOD AND THE TEACHING IS GOOD.
• 02:00 IT'S INTERESTING TO HEAR ABOUT THE BIBLE
• 02:02 AND THE BOOKS THAT PAUL WRITES
• 02:04 AND THE ENCOURAGEMENT HE GIVES TO THE PEOPLE THAT HE MEETS ON THE WAY.
• 02:06 THAT'S REALLY ENCOURAGING FOR US.
• 02:08 LOTS OF MILES, LOTS OF PEOPLE WHO DIDN'T LIKE HIM,
• 02:11 LOTS OF PEOPLE THAT DID LIKE HIM,
• 02:13 LOTS OF PEOPLE THAT HURT HIM.
• 02:15 LET'S GO TO JEFF AND TEACHING.
• 02:19 ENTHUSIASM COMES FROM THE GREEK
• 02:21 "ENTHEOS" AND IT MEANS "IN GOD".
• 02:25 AND YOU CAN BET THAT THE RABBI FROM TARSUS WAS BRISTLING WITH ENTHUSIASM.
• 02:30 AND HE'D NEED IT TOO.
• 02:32 HE'D CALL UPON THAT IN GOD,
• 02:34 THAT SENSE OF INSPIRATION,
• 02:36 "INSPIRITUS", MEANS TO BREATHE THE SPIRIT IN.
• 02:39 HE NEEDED IT TOO BECAUSE TRIALS AWAITED HIM
• 02:42 AS THIS MAN TRAVELED OVER LAND,
• 02:44 AS HE WENT BY SEA,
• 02:47 AS HE ENDURED SHIPWRECK,
• 02:49 AS THE HAZARDS OF THE JOURNEY IMPINGED UPON HIM MANY WAYS, MANY DAYS
• 02:54 BUT ONWARD HE WENT BRAVING ALL THE DIFFICULTIES ASSOCIATED WITH THE JOURNEY.
• 02:59 AND WHY IS THAT?
• 03:01 BECAUSE THE RABBI FROM TARSUS WAS A MAN WITH A MISSION,
• 03:06 "THAT THEY MAY KNOW THE MESSIAH OF ISRAEL IN THE WORLD BEYOND ISRAEL."
• 03:12 HE WAS CALLED, DESTINED FROM THE WOMB TO BE PRO-ACTIVE IN TELLING THE GREATEST STORY EVERY TOLD
• 03:20 TO THE PEOPLE THAT NEVER HEARD THE STORY.
• 03:22 AND OFF HE WENT COMMISSIONED FROM ANTIOCH WITH HIS ROAD BUDDY BARNABAS.
• 03:28 HE VENTURES WESTWARD.
• 03:30 HE WILL GO FROM ANTIOCH TO SELECIA
• 03:33 AND THERE HE'LL HOP ON THE WATERS OF THE HOLY LAND
• 03:36 AND HE WILL RIDE ATOP THE WAVES AND MAKE HIS WAY TO CYPRUS.
• 03:41 FIRST SALAMIS AND THEN OVER LAND FROM SALAMIS HE WILL MAKE HIS WAY TO PAPHOS
• 03:46 AND FROM THERE HE WILL MAKE HIS WAY ON TO THE ASIA MINOR MAINLAND AND GO NORTH.
• 03:53 HE'LL GO UP TO ANTIOCH IN PISIDIA
• 03:55 HE'LL LEAVE THERE AND HE WILL TURN EAST,
• 03:58 HE WILL GO TO ICONIUM, LYSTRA, DERBE,TURN AROUND;
• 04:02 THIS WAS A MAN THAT WAS NOT TO BE STOPPED.
• 04:06 HE HAD A STORY TO TELL.
• 04:08 I WANT TO LOOK AT HIS STORY IN A MOMENT.
• 04:10 BUT I WANT TO CONSIDER SOMETHING OF THE STORY TELLER
• 04:13 FOR LUKE TELLS US IN ACTS IN THE 13TH CHAPTER THAT PAUL, WHO HAD A VISION FOR THE WORLD,
• 04:20 CAME FROM A CHURCH THAT WAS CONSTITUTED BY PEOPLE FROM THE WORLD.
• 04:24 IF YOU'LL LOOK IN CHAPTER 13, VERSE 1,
• 04:27 YOU WILL SEE THERE WERE
• 04:28 PROPHETS AND TEACHERS
• 04:30 IN ANTIOCH PROPER.
• 04:32 WE LEARN OF, CERTAINLY, BARNABAS WAS THERE, THERE'S A FELLOW SIMEON WHO WAS CALLED NIGER.
• 04:38 WHY WAS HE CALLED NIGER?
• 04:39 IT'S A LATIN TERM FOR BLACK.
• 04:40 HE WAS A BLACK BROTHER.
• 04:42 HE WAS THERE.
• 04:43 WE'RE TOLD THAT LUCIUS OF CYRENE WAS THERE.
• 04:46 CYRENE WAS A MAJOR CITY IN NORTHERN AFRICA.
• 04:49 THESE WEREN'T ALL MESSIANIC JEWS FROM JUDEA.
• 04:51 PAUL WAS IN A CHURCH THAT WAS MADE OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE WORLD.
• 04:56 AND IT'S NOT COINCIDENTAL THAT PAUL'S GOING TO GET A VISION,
• 04:59 "HEY, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE CAN TAKE THIS STORY OF A MULTI-CULTURAL CHURCH
• 05:05 AND EXPORT THIS THING."
• 05:07 SEE, HE GOT IT.
• 05:08 HE DEVELOPED IN THAT PERSONALLY, SOCIALLY, SPIRITUALLY.
• 05:12 WE SEE HERE,
• 05:18 HE WAS RICH GUY.
• 05:20 IN THIS CHURCH THERE WERE RICH AND NOT SO RICH,
• 05:22 THERE WERE BLACK; THERE WAS WHITE, IF YOU WILL.
• 05:24 IT'S A COSMOPOLITAN GROUP.
• 05:26 PAUL LEARNED TO APPRECIATE DIFFERENT PEOPLE.
• 05:28 HE LEARNED WHAT A FELLOWSHIP LOOKED LIKE
• 05:30 WHEN IT WAS MADE UP OF PEOPLE THAT DIDN'T LOOK ALIKE.
• 05:33 AND SO WHAT HE DOES IS HE LEAVES THE LAND, HE GOES TO THE SEA,
• 05:37 HE GETS OFF THE SEA,
• 05:38 HE GOES UP ON DRY LAND
• 05:40 AND HE TELLS THE STORY OF A MESSIAH WHO CAME FOR ALL.
• 05:44 AND INDEED WHAT A STORY IT IS.
• 05:46 WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT IT IN A SECOND.
• 05:48 PAUL HAD A VISION FOR A FELLOWSHIP.
• 05:51 BUNCH OF FELLOWS IN THE SAME SHIP ROWING TOGETHER, ALL SORTS OF PEOPLE.
• 05:56 NO ONE HAD THAT VISION.
• 05:57 BUT PAUL DID, AND HE EXPORTED IT EVERYWHERE THAT HE WENT.
• 06:02 THE IMAGE OF A SHIP.
• 06:05 TODAY IN LANGUAGE WE THINK OF FELLOWSHIP, PARTNERSHIP, RELATIONSHIP,
• 06:08 THERE'S A LOT OF "SHIPPING" GOING ON.
• 06:11 PEOPLE WORKING TOGETHER TO GET THE BETTER OF THE WAVES TO MOVE ON TOP OF IT.
• 06:15 PAUL SAW THAT'S WHAT GOD WAS UP TO IN THE WORLD AND HE BROADCASTS THAT STORY.
• 06:20 IN THE 13TH CHAPTER OF ACTS PAUL MAKES HIS WAY TO ANTIOCH OF PISIDIA.
• 06:26 AS HIS CUSTOM WAS HE GOES INTO THE SYNAGOGUE.
• 06:29 WE'LL SEE IN VERSE 14 HE WENT THERE AND HE SAT DOWN.
• 06:34 THE RULERS OF THE HOUSE, THE LEADERS OF THE HOUSE, SAW THAT HE WAS A MAN OF RENOUN, THE JEWISH SCHOLAR
• 06:39 AND THEY ASKED HIM TO COME UP AND SHARE AND HE DOES.
• 06:42 WE'RE TOLD IN VERSE 16 THAT IN THE WAKE OF HIS INVITATION,
• 06:50 NOW, WHEN HE SAYS, "YOU WHO FEAR GOD",
• 06:52 HE'S NOT TALKING JUST GENERALLY ABOUT INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE REVERENTUAL TOWARD GOD.
• 06:56 "GOD FEARS" IS A TERM FOR INDIVIDUALS OF NON-JEWISH EXTRACT WHO WANT TO PARTICIPATE WITH THE JEWISH PEOPLE.
• 07:04 ITS INTERESTING, THE APOSTLE TO THE GENTILES, FOUND HIS GENTILES IN SYNAGOGUES.
• 07:08 THEY WERE HALF BAKED JEWS.
• 07:10 PAULS SAYS, "MEN OF ISRAEL, AND YOU GRAFTED IN SORTS, LISTEN TO ME"
• 07:14 AND HE GOES AND TELLS A STORY.
• 07:16 HE PREACHES THE BIBLICAL STORY,
• 07:19 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY WITH THE CHRISTOLOGICAL GLOSS, WITH AN EMPHASIS ON MESSIAH.
• 07:24 THE NET RESULT IS THERE'S A STIR.
• 07:27 PEOPLE SAY, "WELL, THE JEWS KICKED HIM OUT".
• 07:29 YEAH, BUT THAT'S A LITTLE OVER STATED.
• 07:31 YES, JEWISH AUTHORITIES GOT ANGRY
• 07:33 BUT THE REASON WHY THEY GOT ANGRY IS CAUSE A LOT OF THE JEWISH FOLK WERE FOLLOWING.
• 07:37 IT'S OVERLY SIMPLISTIC TO SAY ALL THE JEWS REJECTED HIM.
• 07:39 THEY DIDN'T.
• 07:40 IF YOU LOOK IN VERSE 42, SAME CHAPTER, WE'RE TOLD,
• 07:51 HEY, THE JEWS AND GENTILES ALIKE SAID, "COME ON BACK PAUL.
• 07:54 WE'RE HUNGRY.
• 07:55 WE WANT TO HEAR THIS."
• 07:56 BUT IN THE MEANTIME LUKE TELLS US,
• 08:06 AND THEIR SO DOING EVOKED THE IRE OF THE POWERS THAT BE WHO THEN STIR IT UP.
• 08:11 WHAT LUKE SHOWS IN PAUL'S JOURNEYS IS THAT THE APOSTLE TO THE GENTILES
• 08:15 ALWAYS WENT TO THE JEWS FIRST.
• 08:19 WHAT HAPPENS THEN?
• 08:20 HE MINISTERS, THERE'S SOME JEWS THAT ACCEPT, SOME JEWS DON'T,
• 08:24 THERE'S A STIRRING UP, THERE'S AN UPSET AND HE MOVES ON.
• 08:27 THE APOSTLE TO THE GENTILES ALWAYS WENT TO THE JEWS.
• 08:30 IT'S WHY HE SAYS IN ROMANS,
• 08:31 "I AM NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL
• 08:32 TO THE POWER OF GOD
• 08:33 FOR SALVATION."
• 08:35 ALL MEN TO THE JEW FIRST
• 08:36 AND ALSO TO THE GREEK.
• 08:37 TELL ME WHERE IS THAT "JEW FIRST" TODAY?
• 08:39 WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS LOOK AT THE BIBLE FROM A JEWISH PERSPECTIVE
• 08:42 AND LET THE JEWISH PEOPLE KNOW THAT THE MESSIAH HAS COME
• 08:45 AND LET THE CHRISTIAN PEOPLE DEVELOP A LOVE FOR THE JEWS.
• 08:48 THIS WE GET FROM PAUL, WE SEE IT EVERYWHERE HE GOES
• 08:51 AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO EXPLORE IT AS WE "WALK IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE RABBI FROM TARSUS."
• 09:10 I HOPE YOU'RE ENJOYING LEARNING ABOUT PAUL.
• 09:13 I'M ENJOYING TEACHING ABOUT HIM.
• 09:16 WE'RE LOOKING AT HIS MOVEMENTS NOW AND SOON WE WILL BE LOOKING AT HIS LETTERS.
• 09:21 AND SPEAKING ABOUT LETTERS,
• 09:23 MUCH AS PAUL WAS GIVEN TO WRITING LETTERS
• 09:25 I KNOW THAT SO ARE MANY OF YOU.
• 09:28 WE RECEIVE THOUSANDS OF LETTERS EVERY MONTH AND I READ MAIL.
• 09:35 I'D LOVE TO HOOK UP THAT INTERACTION WITH YOU
• 09:38 IF YOU WOULD DIAL 1-800-WONDERS.
• 09:42 YOU CAN GET ON OUR MAILING LIST,
• 09:43 YOU CAN RECEIVE OUR MAGAZINE,
• 09:45 YOU'LL BE READING ARTICLES
• 09:47 AND YOU'LL WANT TO RESPOND IN KIND
• 09:49 SO WE CAN GET THAT STORY GOING.
• 09:51 SPEAKING ABOUT STORY GOING,
• 09:53 AS WE GO DOWN LIFE'S HIGHWAY TOGETHER
• 09:55 I'VE OBSERVED THAT FEW ARE THOSE IN THE WORLD
• 09:57 THAT LOVE THE BIBLE FROM A JEWISH PERSPECTIVE.
• 09:59 IF YOU'RE THAT KIND OF PERSON WE WANT TO GET TO KNOW YOU.
• 10:02 1-800-WONDERS IS THE WAY TO DO THAT.
• 10:05 AND SPEAKING OF WONDERS,
• 10:07 IF YOU WOULD JOIN SANDRA AND ME FOR A TRIP OF A LIFETIME IN THE HOLY LAND,
• 10:11 IN THE BIBLE LAND OF ISRAEL,
• 10:13 IN THE GREEK LAND AS WELL, WHERE PAUL TRAVELED,
• 10:15 I WANT YOU TO KNOW THERE'S ROOM FOR YOU.
• 10:17 1-800-WONDERS.
• 10:21 ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I ENJOY SHOWING PEOPLE IN GREECE ARE THE GREEK ISLANDS,
• 10:25 THEY ARE JUST GORGEOUS
• 10:27 AND WE'VE SEEN YOU IN THE WATER
• 10:28 AND WE'RE GETTING READY TO SEE PAUL GO BACK TO JERUSALEM.
• 10:30 THE WATER IS JUST FABULOUS
• 10:33 AND THE ISLANDS...
• 10:34 IT'S JUST ALMOST ANOTHER PARADISE.
• 10:36 I LOVE IT.
• 10:37 WELL IT'S GREAT TO TRAVEL THAT PART OF THE WORLD.
• 10:39 PAUL CERTAINLY DID.
• 10:40 OH, DID HE EVER.
• 10:42 AND IN THIS SEGMENT HE'S HEADING TO JERUSALEM
• 10:44 TO FACE SOME UNPLEASANT MUSIC.
• 10:46 WELL, HOW CAN A JEW BE A JEW?
• 10:48 HOW CAN A GENTILE BE A JEW?
• 10:50 THIS IS THE BIG DEBATE.
• 10:52 THEY DIDN'T SORT IT OUT
• 10:53 AND IT SEEMS THAT THERE'S ALWAYS SOME CONFUSION AT THE BORDERS OF KNOWLEDGE.
• 10:56 AND PAUL'S GOT SOME EXPLAINING TO DO.
• 10:59 LIFE WITH THE LORD ISN'T ALWAYS EASY.
• 11:02 SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO CONFRONT THE UNCERTAINTIES
• 11:04 AND DEAL WITH THE REJECTION
• 11:07 AS PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND US
• 11:09 OR THEY DO UNDERSTAND US AND DON'T APPRECIATE US.
• 11:11 BUT PAUL DIDN'T WAX WITH HIS ENTHUSIASM.
• 11:14 OFF HE WENT TO GO STRAIGHTEN THINGS OUT IN JERUSALEM
• 11:18 AND FROM THERE BACK TO THE GRECO ROMAN WORLD.
• 11:21 BUT JERUSALEM WE GO NOW WITH PAUL
• 11:23 AS WE FOLLOW IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE RABBI FROM TARSUS.
• 11:35 SEEMS THAT IN JERUSALEM PROPER IN PROXIMITY TO THE TEMPLE THERE WERE PORCHES ROUND ABOUT,
• 11:40 AND ONE OF WHICH WE'RE TOLD THAT THE BELIEVERS MET.
• 11:43 IT WAS A PLACE CALLED "SOLOMON'S PORTICO"
• 11:45 AND THERE THEY WOULD TEACH AND DISCUSS THE ISSUES OF THE DAY.
• 11:48 AND THERE WAS A WHOLE LOT OF DISCUSSION GOING ON ABOUT A LOT OF THINGS.
• 11:52 PRINCIPAL AMONG THEM WAS THE QUESTION,
• 11:54 "WHAT ON GOD'S EARTH IS THE RABBI FROM TARSUS DOING?"
• 12:00 WORD HAD SPREAD OF HIS MINISTRY TO INDIVIDUALS OF NON-JEWISH EXTRACT.
• 12:06 AND PEOPLE WERE DISCONCERTED.
• 12:08 PRIOR TO THIS TIME THOSE WHO FOLLOWED JESUS WERE JEWISH PEOPLE.
• 12:12 THERE WERE WOMEN AND MEN OF JEWISH EXTRACT WHO LIVED AND FUNCTIONED AS JEWS.
• 12:17 THEY WERE JEWISH PEOPLE WHO WERE FOR JESUS.
• 12:20 BUT WHAT NOW?
• 12:21 WOMEN AND MEN OF NON-JEWISH EXTRACT WERE COMING IN
• 12:24 BUT THE QUESTION IS, "WHAT DO WE DO WITH THEM?"
• 12:27 THERE WAS A LARGE SEGMENT THAT SAID, "WELL, THEY MUST NEEDS BE ASSIMILATED INTO THE COMMUNITY."
• 12:31 AND THE WAY THEY DO THAT IS THEY WOULD BECOME JEWS TOO
• 12:34 AND THIS WOULD ENTAIL CIRCUMCISION, KOSHER DIETARY LAWS AND OTHER THINGS.
• 12:39 WELL, PAUL SAID, "HEY LISTEN, I DIDN'T HAVE THEM SIGN ON THE DOTTED LINE FOR THAT."
• 12:44 PAUL SAID, "THAT'S NOT WHAT I ADVOCATED FOR."
• 12:47 PAUL WAS BIG ENOUGH AND BOLD ENOUGH TO CAST A VISION THAT THIS JESUS WAS FOR "KOL HA AM",
• 12:53 "ALL THE PEOPLE",...
• 12:55 AND THAT WOMEN AND MEN OF NON-JEWISH EXTRACT WHO CAME INTO THE MOVEMENT,
• 12:59 VIS-A-VIS THE AGENCY OF THE RUACH HAKODESH, THE HOLY SPIRIT,
• 13:02 THAT THEY DIDN'T NEED TO BECOME JEWISH PEOPLE IN ORDER TO BE GOOD CHRISTIANS.
• 13:07 WELL, NO ONE HAD YET TO ADVOCATE FOR THIS AND FOR PAUL'S DOING SO, HE GOT IN TROUBLE.
• 13:14 YOU KNOW, GOOD NEWS MOVES FAST.
• 13:17 BAD NEWS CAN BE SUPERSONIC.
• 13:20 AND WORD GOT BACK TO JERUSALEM THAT PAUL WAS UP TO NO GOOD AND THEY CRIED FOUL.
• 13:29 WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO?
• 13:31 DID YOU KNOW THAT THERE IS CONFUSION TYPICALLY AT THE BOARDERS OF KNOWLEDGE?
• 13:35 DID YOU KNOW THAT PEOPLE WHO INNOVATE ALSO CONFRONT IN THE PROCESS OF THEIR SO DOING?
• 13:42 AND SO THE NET RESULT IS
• 13:43 THAT RIGHT AT THE BOARDERS OF KNOWLEDGE THERE CAN BE CAOS AND CONFUSION.
• 13:49 IT'S ALL PART OF GROWING.
• 13:50 AND WHY IS THAT?
• 13:52 BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE FORCED TO THINK NEW THOUGHTS,
• 13:54 TO EXPAND THE HORIZON AND SEE THINGS IN NEW WAYS.
• 13:57 IT'S NOT ALWAYS COMFORTABLE, BUT IT IS WHAT THE COST OF GROWTH IS ALL ABOUT.
• 14:04 I LIKE TO LIFT WEIGHTS IN A GYM AND THE OLD SAYING THERE, "NO PAIN, NO GAIN."
• 14:10 WHEN I'M RUNNING I THINK OF IT, WHEN I GET UNDER THE BARBELLS I THINK OF IT,
• 14:13 THAT WHAT IT IS, IS SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO STRUGGLE IN ORDER TO GET ON TO THE FUTURE.
• 14:18 PAUL EXPERIENCED THAT.
• 14:20 WHAT HAPPENED IS PAUL FINISHES THAT FIRST MISSIONARY JOURNEY AND HE'S IN ANTIOCH PROPER
• 14:26 AND THEN WORD IS SENT...
• 14:28 THERE'RE BRETHREN IN JERUSALEM THAT ARE ADVOCATING THAT PAUL IS IN BIG TROUBLE.
• 14:34 AND WHY IS THAT?
• 14:36 BECAUSE, HE'S TEACHING NEW THINGS AND PAUL GETS CALLED TO THE CARPET.
• 14:41 THIS ISSUE, THE ISSUE OF WHAT TO DO WITH NON JEWS WHO HAVE BECOME FOLLOWERS OF JESUS,
• 14:46 THIS ISSUE WAS SO BIG,
• 14:48 IT TOOK IN EFFECT A FULL ECCLESIASTICAL COUNCIL IN ORDER TO DEAL WITH IT.
• 14:53 IT WAS NOT A PETTY ISSUE.
• 14:54 IT WAS INDEED SIGNIFICANT.
• 14:57 TODAY, BY THE WAY, THE SHOE'S ON THE OTHER FOOT.
• 14:59 BACK THEN, THE CHURCH WAS ALL JEWISH
• 15:03 AND WHEN NON JEWS WERE COMING AND THEY'RE WONDERING, "WELL, WHAT DO WE DO WITH THEM?",
• 15:06 TODAY THE CHURCH IN MUCH RESPECT IS NOT CONSTITUTED BY JEWISH PEOPLE LIKE YESTERDAY.
• 15:10 AND NOW THE QUESTION IS, "WELL WHAT'S INCUMBENT UPON THESE JEWS WHO COME IN?"
• 15:14 WELL, BACK THEN THE ISSUE IS AS I'D SAID WAS WHAT TO DO WITH NONE JEWS?
• 15:17 AND IT WAS TENSE, IT WAS EMOTIONAL.
• 15:19 AND PAUL MADE HIS WAY TO JERUSALEM,
• 15:22 AND HE FACED THE CROWD AND HE ADVOCATED AT THIS FIRST COUNCIL OF JERUSALEM,
• 15:26 WHERE THERE EARLY BELIEVERS GOT TOGETHER
• 15:29 TO WEIGH IN ON THE ISSUE OF WHAT WILL BE INCUMBENT UPON WOMEN AND MEN OF NON JEWISH EXTRACT, WHO WANNA FOLLOW JESUS.
• 15:36 LET'S SEE WHAT HE HAD TO SAY.
• 15:41 WELL THERE WAS A MESS ALRIGHT.
• 15:43 THE RABBI FROM TARSUS REALLY STIRRED IT UP.
• 15:47 THEY ALL HAD TO GET TOGETHER.
• 15:50 AND I LOVE THE WAY THAT LUKE DESCRIBES,
• 15:53 HE LISTS THE PREMIER CHARACTERS
• 15:56 IN ACTS, CHAPTER 15, VERSE 6,
• 15:59 HE SAYS, "THAT THE APOSTLES
• 16:02 AND THE ELDERS CAME TOGETHER."
• 16:04 THE APOSTLES, THESE ARE THE SENT ONES,
• 16:07 THESE ARE THE PREMIER LEADERS AND ADVOCATES FOR THE MOVEMENT.
• 16:11 THE ELDERS COMES FROM THE HEBREW "ZEKENIM", THE BEARDED ONES.
• 16:14 THIS IS A GATHERING OF THE MEN OF RENOWN
• 16:18 AND THEY GATHER TOGETHER TO SLUG IT OUT
• 16:22 WE'RE TOLD IN VERSE 6,
• 16:23 "THEY CAME TOGETHER TO CONSIDER"
• 16:24 IN VERSE 7, "THAT THERE WAS
• 16:26 QUOTE "MUCH DISPUTE"
• 16:29 THEY COULDN'T COME TO TERMS WITH THE QUESTION, "WHAT TO DO WITH YOU?"
• 16:37 THIS JEWISH MOVEMENT WAS WONDERING,
• 16:39 "WHAT SHOULD WE REQUIRE OF WOMEN AND MEN OF NON JEWISH EXTRACT?"
• 16:44 AND THEY SLUGGED IT OUT, BACK AND FORTH, BACK AND FORTH.
• 16:48 AND THEN WE'RE TOLD, IN VERSE 7 THOUGH, THAT PETER ROSE UP.
• 16:52 NOW THAT'S GOOD TO SEE.
• 16:54 PETER HAD A PROBLEM WITH BEING A BIT SHEEPISH.
• 16:57 HE TENDED TO CRATER UNDER PRESSURE.
• 16:58 BUT NOW HE'S GOT A LITTLE BIT OF HUTZPAH, A LITTLE BIT OF HUMPH, SOME GUTS.
• 17:03 AND HE SHOULD STAND UP,
• 17:04 BECAUSE PETER OTTA KNOW,
• 17:06 BECAUSE PREVIOUSLY IN ACTS THE LORD LED PETER TO CORNELIUS SOMEONE FROM ITALY.
• 17:12 HE WAS A CENTURION WHO WAS THERE IN CAESAREA MARITIME.
• 17:18 AND PETER IS SENT TO HIM AND HE COMES TO FAITH,
• 17:21 SO PETER SHOULD KNOW THAT GOD IS ON THE MOVE INTO HEARTS AND MINDS BEYOND ISRAEL PROPER.
• 17:29 WELL, PETER GETS UP AND HE WEIGHS IN ON IT
• 17:31 AND HE WEIGHS IN ON PAULS SIDE, BY THE WAY.
• 17:34 SOMETIMES THEY DIDN'T GET ALONG, BUT HE'S WITH PAUL ON THIS ONE.
• 17:38 WE'RE TOLD THEN IN VERSE 12,
• 17:47 COULDA SAID, PAUL AND BARNABAS, CAUSE PAUL PRINCIPLE,
• 17:50 BUT THE TRUTH IS, IS THAT BARNABAS HAD EQUITY WITH THIS GROUP.
• 17:53 HE HAD GIVEN THEM A SIZABLE DONATION PREVIOUSLY.
• 17:57 AND HE LIVED AND DWELT AMONG THEM AND SO THEY RESPECTED HIM THE MORE SO.
• 18:01 PAUL WAS THE BIG QUESTION MARK, HE WAS THE CONTROVERSIAL FIGURE.
• 18:04 WELL WHAT HAPPENS HERE IS BARNABAS AND PAUL TALK ABOUT THE SIGNS AND WONDERS, ALL THAT GOD'S DOING.
• 18:09 AND THEN, FINALLY NO LESS THAN JESUS' CHRIST HALF BROTHER STANDS UP.
• 18:17 WE'RE TOLD IN VERSE 13,
• 18:20 THAT YA'AKOV, JAMES
• 18:22 IS THE ANGLO-SIZED
• 18:24 EQUIVALENT FOR YA'AKOV.
• 18:26 JESUS' BROTHER.
• 18:27 HE STANDS UP, HE WEIGHS IN ON THE MATTER SAYING,
• 18:30 "MEN AND BRETHREN, LISTEN TO ME."
• 18:32 AND WHAT DOES HE ADVOCATE FOR?
• 18:33 IN VERSE 19, HE SAYS,
• 18:35 "THAT WE SHOULD NOT PUT ANY BURDENS ON THESE WOMEN AND MEN OF NON JEWISH EXTRACT.
• 18:40 AND THIS BUSINESS TENDED TO,
• 18:42 THE CHURCH AGREED THAT ONE NEEDN'T BE A JEW IN ORDER TO BE A GOOD FOLLOWER OF JESUS.
• 18:54 THE TEACHING ABOUT THE JERUSALEM COUNCIL IS VERY INTERESTING TO ME, JEFF.
• 18:58 I THINK ABOUT PETER AND I THINK ABOUT PAUL,
• 19:01 HOW THEY ARE, REALLY THE HEADS
• 19:02 OF THIS NEW MOVEMENT THAT'S GOING ON.
• 19:04 AND YET IT'S JAMES THAT COMES IN AND SETTLES THIS DISPUTE.
• 19:08 WHAT MAKES A GENTILE JEWISH?
• 19:10 I THOUGHT THAT WAS REALLY A GOOD,GOOD POINT.
• 19:12 I THINK THAT IT TOOK THE TOP DOGS IN THE ORGANIZATION TO SETTLE IT,
• 19:16 REFLECTS HOW TEMPESTUOUS THE ISSUE WAS.
• 19:19 WELL, AND IT WAS, WHAT MADE ME A JEW?
• 19:21 WHAT MADE ME A CHRISTIAN?
• 19:22 WHAT MADE THIS MOVEMENT WORK?
• 19:25 THEY REALLY WERE PEOPLE THAT THOUGHT
• 19:26 YOU HAD TO BE CIRCUMCISED,
• 19:28 THAT YOU HAD TO KEEP ALL THE LAWS.
• 19:30 AND JAMES JUST SETS THEM STRAIGHT.
• 19:32 BACK THEN THE ISSUE WAS,
• 19:33 "WHAT'S INVOLVED IN GETTING GENTILES INTO THIS MOVEMENT?"
• 19:35 NOW THE QUESTION IS "WHAT'S INVOLVED IN GETTING JEWS?
• 19:37 THE BIG DEBATE WAS HOW MUCH LAW?
• 19:40 HOW MUCH GRACE?
• 19:42 WHAT MADE ME A GENTILE?
• 19:43 WHAT MADE ME A GENTILE THAT BELIEVED IN THE JEWISH RELIGION?
• 19:45 WHAT MADE THE JEWS, JEW?
• 19:46 IT WAS JUST REALLY A BIG HUBBUB, A BIG DEAL
• 19:49 THEY HAD A BIG ENOUGH DEAL THEY'D CALL A COUNCIL FOR IT.
• 19:52 THEY HAD TO GET ALL THE BIG ..., THE MOVERS AND SHAKERS
• 19:55 IN ORDER TO SETTLE THIS ISSUE,
• 19:57 "WHAT TO DO ABOUT GENTILES?"
• 19:58 DO THEY NEED TO BECOME JEWS NOW,
• 20:00 IN ORDER TO BE CONSIDERED FULL FLEDGE CHRISTIANS?
• 20:02 BUT IF THEY DO WHAT MAKES THEM BECOME JEWS?
• 20:04 SO NOW IT'S THE OTHER WAY AROUND,
• 20:06 HOW DO WE GET THE JEWS TO BECOME MORE MESSIANIC?
• 20:09 WHAT A STORY.
• 20:10 IT IS.
• 20:11 BUT I ALSO, THE INTERESTING PART IS THAT JAMES REALLY IS IN CONTROL OF IT.
• 20:14 HE SETTLED THE ISSUE.
• 20:15 PETER AND PAUL ARE MAKING THEIR PRONUNCIATIONS.
• 20:18 AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN JAMES COMES IN AND SAYS, "NO, NO, THIS IS REALLY WHAT HAS TO HAPPEN."
• 20:22 WELL, HE'S GOT SOME CLOUT;
• 20:23 THIS IS JESUS' HALF BROTHER.
• 20:26 IT'S NOT WHAT YOU KNOW,
• 20:27 IT'S WHO YOU KNOW.
• 20:28 WE ALSO TALKED TO DR. FISCHER AGAIN
• 20:30 AND IT'S JUST A WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL PRIVILEGE TO TALK TO HIM.
• 20:33 AND HE TALKS ABOUT MESSIANICS
• 20:34 AND I THINK YOU'LL LIKE THIS.
• 20:43 DR. FISCHER WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PAUL'S FIRST MISSIONARY TRIP,
• 20:46 ABOUT 1200 MILES,
• 20:48 IT TOOK HIM 2 YEARS.
• 20:49 HE WENT TO THESE PLACES,
• 20:51 HE CAME BACK TO THESE PLACES.
• 20:52 STONED AND TROUBLES EVERYWHERE AND YET,
• 20:55 HE CONTINUES TO WITNESS ABOUT MESSIAH.
• 20:58 I JUST...I THOUGHT IT WAS TERRIFIC.
• 21:00 YEAH, IT'S AN AMAZING STORY,
• 21:02 BOTH IN IT'S BEGINNING POINT TO IT'S END POINT.
• 21:04 AND FROM IT'S STARTING POINT IN ANTIOCH,
• 21:06 WHICH BRIEFLY REFERRED TO PREVIOUSLY,
• 21:09 THAT WAS QUITE A CREW AT ANTIOCH THAT GATHERED TOGETHER THERE.
• 21:12 NOT ONLY WAS THAT THE PLACE WHERE THEY'RE FIRST CALLED MESSIANICS,
• 21:17 BUT PART OF THE GROUP THAT WAS THERE THAT GATHERED HIS LEADERSHIP
• 21:21 WAS A MAN BY THE NAME OF MENIAN IS THE WAY WE USUALLY TRANSLATE IT.
• 21:24 HEBREW NAME WAS MENACHEM,
• 21:26 TURNS OUT THIS CHARACTER WAS A CO-LEADER OF THE SANHEDRIN WITH HILLEL.
• 21:32 SO WHEN THE PEOPLE BECAME MESSIANICS,
• 21:36 THEIR BACKGROUND GOES RIGHT UP TO THE VERY HEIGHTS
• 21:39 OF THE LEADERSHIP LEVELS OF JUDAISM,
• 21:41 SO THAT'S ONE OF THE GUYS THAT HE WAS HANGING AROUND WITH,
• 21:44 THEN OF COURSE HE WAS SELECTED BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD TO GO OFF ON THIS JOURNEY.
• 21:49 AND BOY THAT WAS QUITE A JOURNEY.
• 21:51 BUT ISN'T IT INTERESTING?
• 21:52 I LOVE THE WAY THE BIBLE TALKS ABOUT "THE SPIRIT TOLD HIM TO GO".
• 21:56 IT WAS NOT HIS CHOICE,
• 21:58 THIS WAS INSTRUCTIONS THAT HE GOT.
• 21:59 I THOUGHT THAT WAS SUCH AN ENCOURAGEMENT TO ALL OF US,
• 22:02 THAT GOD REALLY DOES DIRECT OUR PATHS,
• 22:04 RATHER THAN US JUST BEING OUT THERE. SORT OF HAPHAZARDLY.
• 22:10 NO, THE SPIRIT OF GOD PROMPTS US ALL IN AMAZING WAYS
• 22:13 AND I THINK TOO OFTEN WE EXPECT HIM TO DO THAT IN WAYS
• 22:15 THAT ARE OVERLY DRAMATIC AND SUPERNATURAL,
• 22:17 WHERE USUALLY IT'S JUST AN INNER LEADING
• 22:20 OR IT'S THE DIRECTION OF THE WORD OF GOD
• 22:22 AND WE'RE CERTAIN THIS IS THE WAY TO GO AND OBVIOUSLY FOR THE WAY HE WENT,
• 22:25 THE RABBI REALLY NEEDED THAT KIND OF FIRM INNER CONVICTION, BECAUSE OF THE STUFF HE FACED.
• 22:30 BOY, CAN YOU IMAGINE?
• 22:32 I CAN'T IMAGINE GOING AND DOING ALL THAT HE DID.
• 22:34 I JUST CAN'T.
• 22:35 OH, IT'S AMAZING STUFF
• 22:37 AND WHAT'S INTERESTING AND OFTEN MISSED IS HE WOULD GO...
• 22:40 IN EACH OF THESE PLACES, HE'D GO FIRST TO THE SYNAGOGUE.
• 22:42 HE'D NOT ONLY SHOW UP AT THE SYNAGOGUE,
• 22:44 BECAUSE OF HIS REPUTATION,
• 22:46 BECAUSE OF THE WAY IN WHICH HE DRESSED,
• 22:48 BECAUSE HE WAS RECOGNIZABLY PHARISAIC AND RABBINIC.
• 22:52 HE WAS INVITED TO SPEAK;
• 22:54 HE GOT A PLATFORM IN WHICH TO TEACH IN ALL THESE PLACES.
• 22:56 HE HAD A PROFOUND RESPECT IN THE SYNAGOGUES, IN WHICH HE ATTENDED.
• 23:01 HE WAS NOT JUST A GUY OFF THE STREET,
• 23:03 HE WAS AN ESTEEMED RABBINIC LEADER.
• 23:06 WELL, I MEAN HE LEARNED AT THE FEET OF GAMALIEL,
• 23:09 WHO WAS ONE OF THE MAJOR RABBIS OF HIS DAY.
• 23:12 AND OBVIOUSLY THAT IMPACTED HIM.
• 23:14 AND CERTAINLY ADDED TO HIS REPUTATION AND HIS CREDIBILITY.
• 23:18 IT'S AN INCREDIBLE STORY.
• 23:20 I LOVED SEEING THE JOURNEY
• 23:22 THAT HE WITNESSED TO PEOPLE
• 23:24 AND THEN HE WOULD COME BACK
• 23:25 AND GO BACK TO THE SAME PLACES AND MAKE SURE THEY WERE OK.
• 23:29 I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST TERRIFIC.
• 23:30 WELL, THAT'S ALL PART OF THE WAY
• 23:31 IN WHICH THE RABBIS IN THOSE DAYS WORKED.
• 23:33 IT WAS A DISCIPLESHIP, MENTORSHIP KINDA SITUATION.
• 23:37 AND WHEN THE STUDENTS OF THE RABBIS WERE CALLED "TALMUDIM" OR "STUDENTS",
• 23:40 THEY WERE REALLY APPRENTICES.
• 23:42 THEY WERE BEING MENTORED TO DO THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT THEIR RABBI WAS DOING.
• 23:46 SO, YEAH YOU GOTTA GO BACK, YOU GOTTA TEACH.
• 23:47 YOU GOTTA MAKE SURE THEY'RE OK.
• 23:49 GOTTA MAKE SURE THEY'RE OK.
• 23:50 AND IN THOSE DAYS THE SCHOOLS WERE NOT ROOTED TO ANY ONE PARTICULAR LOCATION.
• 23:54 THESE RABBINIC SCHOOLS WERE ITINERATE SCHOOLS,
• 23:57 THEY WERE TRAVELING SCHOOLS.
• 23:58 SO, TRAVELING RABBIS, TRAVELING SCHOOLS,
• 24:00 BOY THAT MAKES A WHOLE LOT OF SENSE IN THE WORLD OF JUDAISM IN THAT DAY.
• 24:02 IT DOES. THANK YOU.
• 24:04 YOU'RE MOST WELCOME.
• 24:14 ♪(Zola playing the piano)♪
• 25:13 ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION, SANDRA NOTED THAT;
• 25:15 MAN THAT DR. FISHER, TALKING TO HIM THAT THE TIME FLEW BY WAY TOO FAST.
• 25:20 AND 3 MINUTES ISN'T MUCH TIME.
• 25:22 IF YOU'D LIKE TO HAVE MORE TIME WITH DR. FISHER,
• 25:24 HE AND I WENT AT IT ON OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.LEVITT.COM.
• 25:32 AND IF YOU WANNA GO THERE YOU CAN PICK UP OUR POSTING ON DR. FISHER AND OTHERS
• 25:38 AS WE EXPLORE THE JEWISH ROOTS OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH.
• 25:41 HE IS REALLY GOOD.
• 25:43 ONE OF THE, JUST THE SWEETEST THINGS HE SAID, WHEN HE WAS SAVED,
• 25:46 HE THOUGHT THERE WAS ONLY 6 OR 7 OF THEM THAT WERE SAVED IN THE 70'S.
• 25:50 MY LATE HUSBAND ZOLA LEVITT FELT THE SAME WAY.
• 25:53 HE THOUGHT THERE WEREN'T BUT MAYBE A HALF A DOZEN SAVED.
• 25:56 AND IT TURNS OUT
• 25:57 THERE WERE MANY MORE THAT WERE SAVED AT THAT TIME THAN WHAT THEY THOUGHT.
• 26:01 WE'RE DISCOVERING NOW THAT THERE ARE MANY THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS
• 26:05 AND THOUSANDS OF JEWISH PEOPLE WHO ARE COMING TO FAITH.
• 26:09 AND OUR PRESENCE AS A TELEVISION MINISTRY
• 26:12 IN PART IS AN EXTENSION OF THAT REVIVAL. ABSOLUTELY
• 26:15 AND THOSE THAT VIEW AND SUPPORT US FINANCIALLY ARE CONTRIBUTING TO IT.
• 26:20 BUT IT'S NOT JUST THE JEWISH PEOPLE;
• 26:22 IT'S ANYONE THAT'S LISTENING TO US.
• 26:24 IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO KNOW WHO OUR SAVIOR IS,
• 26:26 OUR SALVATION, OUR ETERNAL LIFE.
• 26:28 THAT'S VERY, VERY IMPORTANT.
• 26:30 IT'S NOT JUST FOR THE JEW ONLY. THAT'S RIGHT.
• 26:32 NEXT WEEK, WE'RE GOING ON THE
• 26:33 2ND AND THE 3RD MISSIONARY TRIP.
• 26:35 PAUL GOES AGAIN,
• 26:37 THOUSANDS OF MILES AND MANY DAYS AND MANY YEARS.
• 26:39 WE'RE GONNA SEE PAUL NEXT WEEK.
• 26:40 JOIN US.
• 26:41 AND AS YOU GO, SHA' ALU SHALOM JERUSALEM,
• 26:43 PRAY FOR THE PEACE OF JERUSALEM.