Secret Church Staying

Staying When You Didn’t Have To?

Have you ever stayed somewhere in a situation that normally people would leave?

Story, Helping Daniel with their move, getting near the end and being able to leave but stayed to help them get in

But what about when staying means you loose your freedom?

The year is 1995

The Movie Braveheart won best picture

The O.J. Simpson Trail was going on

Toy Story and Apollo 13 came out

Amazon sold it’s first book

And the Game Pogs or Milk Caps

Also Christianity was not welcome in Vietnam

Today we will look at the life of the evangelist To Dihn Trung,

who would travel hundreds of miles to the K’Ho tribe all on a bike

The K’Ho tribe was one of 60 tribes that the Vietnam government had strictly forbid Christians to evangelize

While he was riding his bike to the village he became surrounded by a squad of communist police and was beaten and video taped while being made fun of in front of the village people.

He was held for 6 months with out trial

when the world heard about it letters and phone calls trying to get him release happened so much so that the government offered him early release

But during Trung’s time on prison he started sharing the Gospel to the other inmates, and felt God called him there to share the Gospel

When they offered him release, He turned it down and served his full sentence so that he could continue to share the gospel.

The Question I wanted to ponder today is, Would I be willing to Stay? Even when it means giving up my freedom.

Acts 16:25–34 NIV

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!” The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized. The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household.

Paul and Silas could have taken off and have been free, and even in that moment it could have been seen as God was opening the door for them, but they listened to God and looked beyond the first look and saw they were still needed where they were

How do we look past what seems like the right path

The enemy can make things look good, and it can be easy to fall for

But how do we follow the right path that God has laid out?

let’s go with 3 ways to help us get to know God’s will in any situation

Spend Time With God

I have been asked “How do I hear God’s voice?”

People expect a loud voice booming and crazy, but this is not the case MOST of the time

more like God does not speak in an audible voice most of the time. God’s voice is sounding like a thought, but with a different feeling or conviction behind it. It’s often hard to shake, let go of, or you feel it in your gut.

The more time you spend with God, and the more you follow Him when you feel this way the easier it is to hear his voice

Romans 10:17 ESV

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

Be Still And Listen

We live in a culture that is scared to be bored, we are surrounded by noise 24/7. how can we hear that still small whisper when we can barely hear ourselves?

We need to set time to just be still and listen

Let Go Of What Is Holding You Back

There are things that hold us back from listening to God

tv

music

ect.

When we fill our time so we are unable to hear God because of our “Stuff” how can we expect to hear His voice

Also Sin, we when hold on to sin. Sin holds people back from hearing and following God.

Hebrews 12:1–2 NIV

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

To truly be able to seek God’s will even when things seem a certain way, we must be able to hear Him