God Sent Me

As leader in the Wesleyan-Holiness movement, Lee preached the doctrine of entire sanctification as an itinerant pastor throughout the pulpits of the African Methodist Episcopal denomination.

Her life story exemplifies the 19th-century American religious movement's focus on personal holiness and sanctification.

In 1836, Lee became the first African American woman to publish an autobiography.

Lee later recalled that she did not receive religious instruction as a child. She was not formally educated, but taught herself to write.

In 1807, Lee began hearing voices telling her to "Go preach the Gospel! Preach the Gospel; I will put words in your mouth."

Gospel Preaching Machine:

In 1832, from the second day of July to the fifteenth day of October, years following, 1833, Jarena Lee had preached 138 sermons, and travelled between 27 and 28 hundred miles.

In the year 1835 Jarena Lee travelled 721 miles, and preached 692 sermons.

In 1836 I travelled 556 miles, and preached 111 sermons;

She also spoke in churches with some false brethren. as members. They that are not for us are against us, and if they are against God's ministry, whether male or female, they are against God, who says I send by whom I will, for all are one in Christ Jesus. May the Lord pardon their errors, and make them be careful how they handle edged tools.

The Lord owned the word, and the hearty Amens that went up, caused the woods to echo.

As soon as I enter a city I can feel the spirit that I may have to contend with;

Ministry spanning the states of Massachusetts, Connecticut, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, & Maryland, & the South with risk to her own personal freedom.

The Holy Spirit Sent Jarena Lee

Transition To Body- Receiving Leading of the Holy Spirit In Our Community (through prayer & expectation the Holy Spirit will speak through fasting)

Last Week’s “God Told Me”

The Holy Spirit Said

Acts 13:1–2 ESV

1 Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”

Though it is the church that “sends off” Barnabas and Saul (v. 3), the narrator reiterates his belief that the church functions as an instrument of God’s spirit, for v. 4 immediately says that they were “sent out by the Holy Spirit.”

J. Bradley Chance, Acts, ed. Leslie Andres and R. Alan Culpepper, Smyth & Helwys Bible Commentary (Macon, GA: Smyth & Helwys Publishing, Incorporated, 2007), 209.

VERSE 4 REMINDS us that the Holy Spirit is the one who ultimately sends his servants out. The first place of ministry for the missionaries was the area Barnabas came from, the island of Cyprus southwest of Antioch, to which they sailed from Seleucia, the port city of Antioch. They began their ministry in the northeastern city of Salamis, preaching first in a synagogue in keeping with the principle of going to the Jews first (Rom. 1:16). But they soon took a new step, directly approaching a Gentile official who sent for them (13:7).

Body

God Sends Messengers To His People (To Proclaim The Word of God)

Acts 13:4–5 ESV

4 So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. 5 When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And they had John to assist them.

Proclaim the Word of God

Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 33.204 καταγγέλλω; ἐξαγγέλλω

to announce, with focus upon the extent to which the announcement or proclamation extends—‘to proclaim throughout, to announce, to speak out about.

Synagogues

Christian assembly place’ [LN], ‘meeting place’ [CEV]. This noun denotes a building of assembly, associated with religious activity. Normally a building in which Jewish worship took place and in which the Law was taught [LN]. It denotes a place of assembly for the Jews [BDAG].

Belinda Cheng and Robert Stutzman, An Exegetical Summary of Acts 1–14, Exegetical Summaries (Dallas, TX: SIL International, 2017), 361.

Romans 3:1–4 ESV

1 Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? 2 Much in every way. To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God. 3 What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? 4 By no means! Let God be true though every one were a liar, as it is written, “That you may be justified in your words, and prevail when you are judged.”

God Sends Witnesses Throughout The Community (To Evangelize Everyone)

Acts 13:6–7 ESV

6 When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they came upon a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus. 7 He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God.

To go through-

This verb means to travel around through an area, with the implication of both extensive and thorough movement throughout an area [LN]. It means to travel or move about from place to place through an area [BDAG].

Belinda Cheng and Robert Stutzman, An Exegetical Summary of Acts 1–14, Exegetical Summaries (Dallas, TX: SIL International, 2017), 362.

Illustration: Faithfulness of Teen’s Challenge (especially the women- came just a little over 9 months ago, they know the healing power of Jesus Christ in the life of His followers

a man of Intelligence

Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 32.27 συνετός, ή, όν; ἐπιστήμων, ον

pertaining to being able to understand and evaluate—‘intelligent, insightful, understanding.’

Sought to hear the Word of God

Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 25.9 ζητέω; ἐπιζητέω

to desire to have or experience something, with the probable implication of making an attempt to realize one’s desire—‘to desire, to want to.’

God Sends Servants To Confront Opposition (To The Faith)

Acts 13:8–12 ESV

8 But Elymas the magician (for that is the meaning of his name) opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. 9 But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him 10 and said, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? 11 And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time.” Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand. 12 Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord.

Came Upon Opposition

Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 27.27 εὑρίσκω

to learn the location of something, either by intentional searching or by unexpected discovery—‘to learn the whereabouts of something, to find, to discover, to come upon, to happen to find.’

Bar-Jesus

is an Aramaic name which means ‘Son of Joshua’, and the Greek equivalent of Joshua is ‘Jesus’ [Bar, BECNT, EBC, NICNT, PNTC, TH, TNTC, TRT]. This adds a note of irony, since the first opponent of Paul and Barnabas is a false prophet named ‘Bar-Jesus’ [BECNT].

Belinda Cheng and Robert Stutzman, An Exegetical Summary of Acts 1–14, Exegetical Summaries (Dallas, TX: SIL International, 2017), 362.

Elijah

1 Kings 17:1 ESV

Now Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.”

Jeremiah

Jeremiah 34:15–16 ESV

You recently repented and did what was right in my eyes by proclaiming liberty, each to his neighbor, and you made a covenant before me in the house that is called by my name, but then you turned around and profaned my name when each of you took back his male and female slaves, whom you had set free according to their desire, and you brought them into subjection to be your slaves.

Amos

Amos 7:10–12 ESV

Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel. The land is not able to bear all his words. For thus Amos has said, “ ‘Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel must go into exile away from his land.’ ” And Amaziah said to Amos, “O seer, go, flee away to the land of Judah, and eat bread there, and prophesy there,

John the Baptist

Mark 6:18 ESV

For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”

Every Saints Should Have a Saul-Paul Type Nature To Them

In this passage we see a “Saul-Paul,” two-pronged thrust for two very different people. As a Jew he confronted the troubled Jewish man by the name of Bar-Jesus who was a false prophet and a sorcerer; and as a Roman he influenced the life of a Roman proconsul named Sergius Paulus. We can understand why Paul used his Roman name and background to establish a relationship with the intellectual proconsul. He told him about Jesus Christ and the man showed signs of becoming a believer. Then Bar-Jesus, who had apparently been the proconsul’s mentor up to that time, jealously stepped in to prevent Paul from converting him. Paul’s background in the Hebrew faith enabled him to see the exact nature of the false prophet’s distortion. He was obviously demon-possessed.

Lloyd J. Ogilvie and Lloyd J. Ogilvie, Acts, vol. 28 of The Preacher’s Commentary Series (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc, 1983), 206.

Filled With The Holy Spirit

2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV

21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Our Weapons of Necessity

2 Corinthians 10:3–6 ESV

3 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, 6 being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.

Ephesians 6:12–18 ESV

12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,

Proconsul believed, when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord.

Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 31.102 πιστεύω; πίστις, εως

to believe in the good news about Jesus Christ and to become a follower—‘to be a believer, to be a Christian, Christian faith.’

Astounded & Overwhelmed

Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 25.219 ἐκπλήσσομαι

to be so amazed as to be practically overwhelmed—‘to be greatly astounded.’

Matthew 5:5 ESV

5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

Matthew 5:9 ESV

9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

Matthew 5:39 ESV

39 But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.

Luke 6:28 ESV

28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.

Ephesians 4:15 ESV

15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,

Ephesians 4:26 ESV

26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,

James 1:19 ESV

19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;

1 Corinthians 9:22 ESV

22 To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some.

See What Kind Of Love The Father Has Given To Us..

1 John 3:1–2 ESV

1 See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.

Transition To Close- God’s Love Letter

A MILITARY man one day was talking to a young lady whom he had fallen in love with. He was soon to be overseas on assignment and wanted her to wait for his return. He told her he would write her every day just to let her know how serious he was about pursuing her. He wrote her every single day for a year and a half and every single day she received his letters. When he came back home a year and a half later, much to his chagrin, she had married the mailman.

Well everyday day you wake up

Every time you open up your Bible and read it

And on Every Sunday:

you receive a letter from your heavenly Father, LORD and saviour Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit

The preacher is just the mailman

Don’t spiritually marry the mailman..

The Old Hymnist Johnson Oatmanwho wrote long ago:

1 How to reach the masses, *men of ev'ry birth, For an answer Jesus gave the key: “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, Will draw all men unto Me.”

Refrain: Lift Him up, (Lift the precious Savior up), Lift Him up, (Lift the precious Savior up), Still He speaks from eternity: “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, Will draw all men unto Me.”

2 Oh! the world is hungry for the Living Bread, Lift the Savior up for them to see; Trust Him, and do not doubt the words that He said, “I’ll draw all men unto Me.” [Refrain]

3 Don’t exalt the preacher, don’t exalt the pew, Preach the Gospel simple, full and free; Prove Him and you will find that promise is true, “I’ll draw all men unto Me.” [Refrain]

4 Lift Him up by living as a Christian ought, Let the world in you the Savior see; Then men will gladly follow Him who once taught, “I’ll draw all men unto Me.” [Refrain]

You Are A Letter From Christ…

2 Corinthians 3:2–3 ESV

2 You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all. 3 And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

Let the Word of Christ Dwell In You

Colossians 3:16–17 ESV

16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

All Scripture is Breathed Out by the Holy Spirit

2 Timothy 3:16–17 ESV

16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

Guard Your Way According To the LORD’s Word

Psalm 119:9–11 ESV

9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. 10 With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! 11 I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.

Give Me Life, O LORD, According To Your Word

Psalm 119:105–107 ESV

105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. 106 I have sworn an oath and confirmed it, to keep your righteous rules. 107 I am severely afflicted; give me life, O Lord, according to your word!

Everyone Who Hears These Words Of Mine

Matthew 7:24–25 ESV

24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.

The Stone The Builders Rejected

Psalm 118:22–24 ESV

The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Blessed Are Those Who Hear The Word of God & Keep It

Luke 11:27–28 ESV

27 As he said these things, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!” 28 But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”

Jesus’ Words Will Not Pass Away

Matthew 24:35 ESV

35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

The Word Of Our God Will Stand Forever

Isaiah 40:8 ESV

8 The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.

Close-Let’s Talk About The Eternal Word of God

In The Beginning Was the Word…

John 1:1–5 ESV

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

The Word Became Flesh & Dwelt Among Us…

John 1:14–18 ESV

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’ ”) 16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

Jesus Was Sent Up By The Holy Spirit Into The Wilderness

Matthew 4:1–4 ESV

1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4 But he answered, “It is written, “ ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ”

Jesus Is…

John 14:6 ESV

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

For God So Loved The World…

John 3:16–21 ESV

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

You Will Receive Power When the Holy Spirit Has Come Upon You

Acts 1:8 ESV

8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

All Authority In Heaven & On Earth Has Been Given To Jesus

Matthew 28:18 ESV

18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

Go Therefore & Make Disciples of All Nations…

Matthew 28:19–20 ESV

19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

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