Herbie Newell

Welcome to the Defender Bible study, a weekly encouragement to equip the body of Christ through the study of Scripture and Prayer to manifest a gospel to orphans and vulnerable children around the world. This podcast is a ministry of Lifeline Children Services, where we believe that defending the fatherless begins by being rooted in God's word.

Herbie Newell

It's Monday, November the 4th. 2024 and I'm coming to you from Birmingham, AL. Well, again we are. Taking a pause from. Our study on the book of John, the Gospel of John and we are taking the next several weeks, really dive into the art type of life lines, mission and ministry. But also what we believe should be the Church's archetype to caring for the vulnerable to. Caring for the. Vulnerable woman, the vulnerable child and the vulnerable. Family refers to an art type, is important, and that's why we're we're taking time to discuss it both with our staff, but also as a ministry because it describes the personality and mission culture and the structure of a mission or a ministry. It's important that the art type match the mission, and knowing and becoming the art type not only helps the way a mission operates and makes daily decisions, it also impacts the way that an organization and administry strategically makes goals for the. Furthermore, lifelines art type truly sets the vision. We have for. Those that we serve and so some. Of our staff. Have even asked us, well, why are we even shifting our art type? We see we have been more of a caregiver art type of an organization, but we took time to assess our current art type and believed. That we were acting at least internally as a caregiver. And I think if we're not careful. Many times in. The mission in the Ministry of Caring for. Orphans and vulnerable children. We too can get into a caregiver phase and it's not that a caregiver is wrong. It's not that a. Caregiver is bad. Bad. But I think that we in this mission have been called the champion, the gospel, and to hero Christ we wanna see life change, not just comfortability and A and a give a caregiver art type is is is is think of a nursing home or or think of a a hospital care that. For end of life Hospice care, we are literally trying to stable. You see, a caregiver is a stabilizing art type. It's a necessary art type for those that are providing for the well-being or the stability of its clients and employees. The caregiver is manifested by the care of the mission for the community and the social system. Harmony, cooperation and support. Characteristics experienced by caregiver. We see what we want to see is that we believe that this vision and therefore lifelines ministry needs to be more heroic. We need to have a hero art type, a hero art type brings energy and makes wants to make the world a better place to hear. It translates into vitality and. Discipline and focus and determination. There's a fair amount of self sacrifice in the hero for the betterment of the larger whole. You see a a heroic art type is not looking to just stabilize, they're looking to change for the better. Hero organizations have a cause and they are able to enlist others to that cause in order to be heroic. So we need to remember though, as a hero, typically you need an enemy and the reminder in this care for orphans and vulnerable children is that our enemy is not flesh and blood. Our enemy is not systems, it's not governments, it's not leaders. Know our enemy is the devil. Our enemy is darkness and we want to take the light to the vulnerable, so that not only can they be stabilized, but as lifelines. Vision says we want to see the vulnerable so transformed that they are in turn making disciples of future. Generations and so while our mission to equip the body of Christ to manifest the gospel to vulnerable children and women. Is heroic. We need to make sure that everything that we do, our witness, our ministry, is also heroic. And so with that, I want us to look at the book of Acts acts, chapter 14, verses one through 28. And what we're going to see is that Paul and Barnes are continuing on their missionary journey, going wherever the Lord. Opens the door for effective ministry and gospel proclamation. We're going to see even in verse one, that the gospel is spreading. And so as we read this passage, I want us to see 5 characteristics of a heroic witness who follows Christ wholeheartedly. And I believe by extension, as we see this in the apostle Paul. And Barnabas. We also can then take this to the ministry to orphan and vulnerable children. We're called to be heroic witness who follows Christ wholeheartedly in champions Christ. So it's with that verse one of acts, Chapter 14 now at Iconium, they entered together into the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews. The Greeks believed again. The gospel is spreading verse 2, but the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers, so they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord who bore witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands. But the people of the city were divided. Some sided with the Jews and some were the apostles. When an attempt was made by both Gentiles and Jews with their rulers to mistreat them, and to stone them, they learned of it and fled to Lystra and Derby cities of Waconia into the surrounding country. And they continued to preach the gospel. Not lystra. There was a man sitting who could not. His feet. He was crippled from birth and never walked. He listened to Paul speaking and Paul looking intently at him and seeing that he had faith to be made, well said in a loud voice, stand upright on your feet and he sprang up and began walking. When the crowd saw what Paul had done and lifted up their voices and sang in like honey. And the gods have come down to us in the lightness. Man Barnabas, they called Zeus and Paul Hermes because he was the chief speaker and the priest of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance to the city, brought oxen and Garland to the gates and wanted to offer sacrifice to the crowds. But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their garments and rushed out of the crowd, crying. Man, why are you doing these things? We also are men of light nature with you and we bring you good news that you should turn from these vain things to a living God who made the heaven and the earth and sea and all that is in them. In past generations he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways, yet he did not leave himself without with. For he did good by giving you reigns from heaven and fruitful seasons satisfying your hearts with food and gladness. And even with these words, they scarcely restrain the people from offering sacrifice to them. That Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, having persuaded the crowd they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city.

Herbie Newell

Supposing that he was.

Herbie Newell

Dead. But when the disciples gathered about him, he rose up and entered the city. And the next day he went on with Barnes to Derby. When they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, and returned to listen and to Iconium, and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith and saying that through many tribulations. We must enter the Kingdom of God, and when they appointed elders for them in every church with prayer and fasting, they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed. When they passed through, Presidia came to Pamphylia and when we had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Italia and when they had sailed to Antioch. Where they were commended to the grace of God for the work they have fulfilled, and then they arrived and gathered the church together and declared all that God had done with them and how he had opened up a door of faith to the Gentiles and they remained no little time with the disciples. And So what we see is again, the gospel is spreading. But then comes the 1st wave of criticism we see in this passage, Paul and. Barnabas are heroic. Witnesses who are tempted with criticism, but they're also tempted with praise. They're tempted with physical attack, and yet they persevere. We see in this passage that heroic witnesses persevere and follow Christ wholeheartedly. And the first thing we see. Of a heroic witnesses. A heroic witness is given spiritual gifts from the Lord we. See in verse one. This idea that they spoke in such a way, in other words, the Lord was giving them the gift of speaking. We know that Barnabas had the gift of encouragement, and Paul had the gift of evangelism, prophecy, and teaching, and beloved. Let's be reminded that we are all uniquely gifted for the task at hand. God has woven a tapestry of gifts. Among his body to be used in coordination from the spread of his. Fame and his. Glory. You see, a heroic witness is given spiritual gifts from the Lord. Why? Because we know the weapons of this warfare. We know that what we have is not from ourselves. But it's from the Lord. It's to keep us from exalting ourselves. Everything that we have comes from the Lord. So heroic witness has given spiritual gifts from the Lord. But then secondly, heroic witness is bold and daring in the face of great danger. We see this with in verse 2 that the unbelieving Jews poisoned their minds against the brothers, and they were speaking boldly. But the people of the city were divided verse four and attempt verse 5 was made to, to mistreat them, and stone them. But what do Paul and Barnabas do? Verse 7 and they continue. To preach the gospel. Even through great danger and peril, Paul and Barnabas grow in boldness and never take their eyes off the mission. They're heroic because they want to see Christ exalted. They don't grow weak or compromise. They continue to preach the good news of the Kingdom you see, beloved rather, the world applauds us or attacks us if they do not worship Jesus, they will die without real hope. Their approval or rejection of us has no bearing on our eternity or acceptance before God. So the question is, will we surrender our need to be loved, our need to be have peace and our need to have comfort? In order to truly love the loss and to complete the task, we have been given, are we willing to boldly serve the Lord without receiving the approval and applause of men? Are we willing to faithfully serve without even? Being noticed much at all. Jesus says in Mark 13 verses 11 through 13. This is when they bring you to trial and deliver you over. Do not be anxious beforehand. What you're to say, but say whatever is given to you in that hour for it is not you who speak but the Holy Spirit and Brother will deliver brother over to death and father his child and children will rise. His parents and have them put to death and you will be hitting all for my namesake. But the one who endures to the end will be safe. Paul says the church Philippi and Philippians 3/8 for I am now for, am I now seeking the approval of man or of God? Am I trying to please man? If I were trying to please man, I would not be a. Servant of Christ. You see below. But. Let us not fear the disapproval or rejection of man, but to continue to serve him faithfully. Paul and Barnabas were bold and daring. And never. Stopped preaching the. Gospel, even in the face of great danger, heroic witnesses, bold and daring in the face of great danger. But then third heroic witnesses humble in the light of God's sovereignty. You see, Lister was predominantly Greek with no Jewish synagogue. Typically the the posture of Paul, the posture of Barnabas, the posture when they would go and preach is they would go the Jewish synagogue, but we see and Lister, they don't go to the synagogue. Instead they were in the middle of the streets. They were they were wherever they could go. And it only took 10 Jews. To make a synagogue. And so we know that this is a predominantly Greek Pagan place, steeped in mythology, and bestowed a great honor. They bestow a great honor on Paul and Barnabas by calling them Little G Gots. But Paul and Barnabas so loved the gospel in God's glory that it pained them that the message can even be slightly delayed or deluded with the opportunity to be seen as a hero in this man who had been crippled walks. Paul and Bourne is not only refused to be exalted, but they are humiliated. Verse 14 tells us they tear their clothes in humiliation. They they tore their garments. They rushed out in the crowd. And what did they cry? They cracked. We're men like you. We're not the hero of the story. You see. A heroic witness realizes that we're not the hero. Jesus Christ is the hero. And Paul and Barnabas, the allure of human approval and acceptance, esteem and intense admiration of the crowd seemed more dangerous. It seemed more alluring and more of a threat than the temptation, and they confronted the people with a brave call to worship the living God. Verse 18 tells us even with these. Birds to to worship God they can scarcely. Constrain. They can scarcely stop and restrain the people from sacrificing to them. You see, the world would say the greatest is the most exhausted. But Jesus says the greatest is the servant, that the greatest is the one who helps one of these little. Children. So let. Us humble ourselves today and care for the poor, the needy, the outcast, and the orphaned by heroically. Him being our God, let us humble ourselves and sacrifice our pride, our possession, our schedules, to take the gospel to the nations and remember, beloved Jesus is the hero. So heroic witnesses humble in the light of God's sovereignty, but then 4th. Heroic witness perseveres even through the greatest of trials we see in verse 19 through 20 that the Jews were were following. Trying the all means and stuff out the gospel to kill Paul and to destroy the message. But Paul cannot be stopped because he lived for Christ and not for the things of this world. He looks even in the face. Of death and says what's the worst they can do? Kill me. And so we see in this passage that he was not unconscious. They stoned him. And they supposed that he was dead. Verse 19. But after being knocked out almost to the point of death, Paul doesn't leave and head home. No, instead, what does he go? He goes back to the cities they were preaching and persecute they they had been preaching and and persecuting him. He preaches for the sake and the name of the glory of God. As a matter of fact, look at verse 20, minutes says. But when the disciples gathered around, he rose up. When he entered into the city, what did he do? He went right back to Lustra. He spent the night in Lustra. He persevered. He wasn't scared. He didn't run. Oh beloved, I know. That in this battle to care for the. Poor the needy. The vulnerable child, the vulnerable orphan and the vulnerable family. Sometimes it can feel depressing. Sometimes it can feel like everything is against us, sometimes even when we've adopted or fostered those children in our home are bringing havoc in our home, and we want to run away. But we cannot. Give up easily for the witness of Christ. How much are we willing to endure? When we follow Christ in faith, he indwells us with remarkable boldness but also remarkable perseverance. Jesus says in Matthew 1028 do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul, rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Paul says the church at Galatia in Galatians 110 for my now seeking the approval of manner of God. Am I trying to please man? If I were trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ you. Seen the work that we do. Can be hard. Adoption is difficult. Foster care at times can feel impossible. Seeing families restored can seem unending, but we we must always endure. Because we will never endure more than. Our savior indoor to the.

Speaker

Cross.

Herbie Newell

He took our sin and our shame and he gave us his righteousness and his power to ingore for do, endure. For his glory. So beloved our God will give us the strength to endure the attacks, our adversary. Because the heroic witness perseveres even to the greatest of trials. But then last, and certainly not least, heroic, witness #5 is committed to fulfill the Great Commission. Verse 28 to 2020, fourth to 28 tells us that that Paul and Barnabas on their way back home, tired and weary, go. Once again to. Perga they've been met with hard and cold hearts. You see, they're committed to the gospel because they really want all to hear and have an opportunity to respond. They know that that there have been. People with cold hard hearts. They don't give up. They preach the gospel, not necessarily because Paul and Barnabas are the greatest at persevering, but because they believed that gospel would change people. And that's heroic. When you know that the message of the gospel is. What can change? What can reorient hearts? It's the hope of the gospel that is our mission. It is the hope of the gospel that is our message, and the question is beloved. Do we have courage and boldness to the point that we are an effective witness for his name to the nations, we must be heroic. We must be heroic witnesses. We must have realized that this is a heroic. Ministry for the sake of the gospel to the vulnerable child, the vulnerable woman and the vulnerable. Well, thanks for joining us for the defender Bible study this week. We are praying specifically. For all of those in the IT field. That are doing so much in it to keep us balanced both as a ministry but globally to even help see the Bible go forth and for communications and to connect our world for the message to go forth. Let's pray for those that are IT specifically as well.

Herbie Newell

Those that are I.

Herbie Newell

Be at lifeline. Let's just pray that. The Lord would. Use information technology for the spread of his gospel so that. We can be heroic witness to the. Nations thought of God. We thank you so much that you designed all things. That you even designed IT. The Internet computers technology more. We confess that just like any good gift from you that those things can be abused. Lord, we pray that we would use the things that we have from information technology that we, the things that we have from phones and and computers and technology that we would use those for your glory and for your good that we would not use them for evil, but we would use them for the spread of your hope and your God. Pray specifically for our IT team here at Lifeline and I pray that you give them the capacity they need to serve well as we not only Minister amongst 50 states, but also 30 plus nations. Pray that you would give them wisdom as they tackle the technical challenges that seem to be unending. Also pray that you give them. Them is they have projects that they work through, including databases and and printer solutions and technology solutions that give. Them what I pray you also connect giving to the needs that we have in technology and the needs that we have live with these projects. The father God, I also pray that that globally you would use technology to help your gospel spread and we would use it heroically to encourage and equip churches around the world to manifest the gospel. To orphans and vulnerable children more would you use technology for your glory, for your honor, for your namesake. For the spread of the hope of the. Gospel and the spread of this heroic ministry. To care for orphans, vulnerable children and vulnerable women. Lord God, we love. You we thank you for Jesus and we ask all. These things in your great name. The name above all names. The name that is the hero. Jesus. Christ.

Herbie Newell

Thanks again for joining us for the defender Bible study. If you enjoy making this podcast as part of your weekly routine, we'd love for you to take a moment to subscribe, rate and review the Defender Bible study to make it easier for more people to find for more resources and information on how you and your church can partner with Lifeline, please visit us at Lifeline. Child.org. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter by searching for Lifeline child, you can e-mail us directly at info@lifelinechild.org. We look forward to seeing you again next week for the Defender Bible study.