1 00:00:07,870 --> 00:00:19,750 Acts Chapter 28 Last Sunday we were shipwrecked, 276 people and 2 00:00:19,750 --> 00:00:28,030 they finally have hit the land. Still not in Rome now when they 3 00:00:28,030 --> 00:00:32,189 had escaped. That's off the the vessels 4 00:00:33,520 --> 00:00:37,120 sinking. They then found out that the 5 00:00:37,240 --> 00:00:44,320 island was called Malta and the natives, that is the indigenous 6 00:00:44,320 --> 00:00:51,240 people of Malta, showed us unusual kindness for they 7 00:00:51,240 --> 00:00:55,120 kindled a fire, made us all welcome. 8 00:00:55,360 --> 00:00:58,440 Why? Because of the rain that was 9 00:00:58,440 --> 00:01:00,000 falling. Picture that. 10 00:01:00,960 --> 00:01:06,840 And because of the cold, you ever been at the ocean? 11 00:01:07,040 --> 00:01:10,640 Got wet? Ever fished in winter? 12 00:01:10,760 --> 00:01:15,480 Got wet. Cold hands are hurting. 13 00:01:15,840 --> 00:01:20,200 Can't tie anything. Well, remember, these have swam 14 00:01:20,200 --> 00:01:27,080 ashore, surfed ashore, made their way ashore and they're 15 00:01:27,080 --> 00:01:29,360 ringing wet. They're freezing cold. 16 00:01:29,360 --> 00:01:33,040 The sea has been rough, ocean has pounded them. 17 00:01:33,480 --> 00:01:37,920 They've got to the shore, including pool, and they're 18 00:01:37,920 --> 00:01:42,560 freezing cold. And now nothing better than a 19 00:01:42,560 --> 00:01:44,960 warm fire. Something to eat. 20 00:01:45,040 --> 00:01:47,880 Oh, trying to get those hands working again. 21 00:01:47,880 --> 00:01:51,200 You're in wet clothes. Maybe taking some of the clothes 22 00:01:51,200 --> 00:01:53,760 off the layers and putting them near the fire. 23 00:01:55,320 --> 00:01:59,360 And if you if you'd been shipwrecked, all you would want 24 00:01:59,360 --> 00:02:04,920 to do is what? Lay down just you mean You mean 25 00:02:04,920 --> 00:02:07,600 swimming not in? It's not. 26 00:02:07,600 --> 00:02:13,640 You're swimming at in a calm lake in a Tempest, and you've 27 00:02:13,640 --> 00:02:16,280 got to the shore swallowed seawater. 28 00:02:17,240 --> 00:02:21,360 What does Paul do? But when Paul gathered a bundle 29 00:02:21,360 --> 00:02:23,560 of sticks, Paul goes off and gets firewood. 30 00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:28,600 He's not not a young man at this time. 31 00:02:29,160 --> 00:02:32,440 He, he's been through the ringers yet. 32 00:02:32,440 --> 00:02:37,880 Paul always the servant. Nothing, you know, Oh, you know, 33 00:02:37,880 --> 00:02:39,880 I am the apostle. I don't collect firewood. 34 00:02:41,760 --> 00:02:43,880 Paul gathered a bundle of sticks. 35 00:02:44,200 --> 00:02:49,360 I still remember Helen and I are going to Calvary Chapel Bible 36 00:02:49,360 --> 00:02:53,320 College. And there was Chuck Smith in his 37 00:02:53,320 --> 00:03:00,040 late 70s, all power tools all laid out around this area, you 38 00:03:00,040 --> 00:03:04,760 know, drills, planes and everything. 39 00:03:05,080 --> 00:03:07,440 And he's fixing stuff all by himself. 40 00:03:09,200 --> 00:03:14,640 He, he was forever the servant, forever fixing stuff. 41 00:03:14,880 --> 00:03:17,240 It was, it was not like, oh, I don't do stuff like that. 42 00:03:17,240 --> 00:03:20,640 Oh, no. And here we find Paul. 43 00:03:21,280 --> 00:03:24,040 This is the heart of Paul. This is the man that you would 44 00:03:24,040 --> 00:03:28,120 want to follow. This is someone from Christ had 45 00:03:28,120 --> 00:03:30,440 changed Pharisee of the Pharisees. 46 00:03:30,440 --> 00:03:34,960 No, he's he's collecting the firewood and he gathered a 47 00:03:34,960 --> 00:03:37,480 bundle of sticks, laid them on the fire. 48 00:03:37,480 --> 00:03:42,080 What happens? A Viper came out because of the 49 00:03:42,080 --> 00:03:46,520 heat didn't just strike at him. Notice this and this is 50 00:03:46,520 --> 00:03:50,440 terrible. It fastened on his hand. 51 00:03:50,520 --> 00:03:58,800 It's latched onto him, Snake locked on Paul's hand. 52 00:04:01,080 --> 00:04:09,440 So when the Maltese people saw the snake hanging from his hand, 53 00:04:10,480 --> 00:04:12,520 I whispered to someone or another. 54 00:04:12,520 --> 00:04:15,040 You can imagine, no doubt this guy's a murderer. 55 00:04:15,040 --> 00:04:18,040 It's like he just got off a shipwreck and now what's 56 00:04:18,040 --> 00:04:22,000 happening to him? This is this is karma. 57 00:04:26,680 --> 00:04:30,560 Though he'd escaped the sea. Yet justice does not allow to 58 00:04:30,560 --> 00:04:32,200 live because they knew the snake. 59 00:04:32,640 --> 00:04:36,560 This is a poisonous snake. What does Paul do? 60 00:04:36,920 --> 00:04:38,920 Panic. Oh, woes me. 61 00:04:38,920 --> 00:04:40,800 God, I've just got off a shipwreck. 62 00:04:40,800 --> 00:04:44,520 I mean, you're telling me to go to Rome and now look, a snake. 63 00:04:45,120 --> 00:04:50,760 No. He goes and, and shakes it off. 64 00:04:52,240 --> 00:04:55,320 Man, this guy, you know, we, we have this image. 65 00:04:56,800 --> 00:04:59,560 And so he's a tough guy, remember, he's worked all his 66 00:04:59,560 --> 00:05:01,800 life, he's made tents and worked hard. 67 00:05:02,240 --> 00:05:07,200 He's taught hour upon hour, travelled 3 missionary journeys. 68 00:05:07,680 --> 00:05:10,680 He's been shipwrecked, made his way to shore. 69 00:05:11,880 --> 00:05:17,400 He's he's, he's, he's had illnesses and a snake latches on 70 00:05:17,400 --> 00:05:19,320 him. What does Paul do? 71 00:05:20,240 --> 00:05:24,680 He just shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no 72 00:05:24,680 --> 00:05:30,000 harm. In the end of Mark's gospel, it 73 00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:36,840 talks about poisonous snakes and those who follow Christ. 74 00:05:37,640 --> 00:05:41,880 Now, unfortunately, the weirdos in certain churches in the 75 00:05:41,880 --> 00:05:47,440 South, in Texas, bringing out the snakes during a church 76 00:05:47,440 --> 00:05:50,760 service, rattlesnakes and hand them around. 77 00:05:50,760 --> 00:05:54,160 They dance and stuff and carry on and they get bit and they 78 00:05:54,160 --> 00:06:00,040 die. Yeah, it's, it's tragic. 79 00:06:00,320 --> 00:06:04,880 And we don't go looking for snakes. 80 00:06:04,880 --> 00:06:09,080 I mean, in Australia, jump over our back fence, tiger snake 81 00:06:09,200 --> 00:06:13,360 paradise, our back fence. And I don't go over there and 82 00:06:13,360 --> 00:06:16,800 go. I'm a believer kicking through 83 00:06:16,800 --> 00:06:21,040 the grass every time a tennis ball goes over the fence. 84 00:06:21,200 --> 00:06:24,080 When the boys were younger and a football went over the fence, we 85 00:06:24,080 --> 00:06:28,560 worked out how are we going to get this ball without getting 86 00:06:28,560 --> 00:06:33,920 killed. Paul here doesn't tempt the 87 00:06:33,920 --> 00:06:36,680 Lord. But it's kind of interesting as 88 00:06:36,680 --> 00:06:40,400 we look at this because what's representative always of of a 89 00:06:41,080 --> 00:06:44,440 serpent. We saw the serpent introduced 90 00:06:45,000 --> 00:06:49,880 Genesis chapter 3. We see him throughout the Bible. 91 00:06:49,880 --> 00:06:51,640 He's a murderer. He's a destroyer. 92 00:06:52,280 --> 00:06:58,040 But Paul knows I'm going to run. There was a time when Martin 93 00:06:58,040 --> 00:07:04,440 Luther was disturbed in the night and he shot up in bed. 94 00:07:04,440 --> 00:07:09,600 And there he said, and he wrote, he saw who he believes Satan 95 00:07:09,600 --> 00:07:13,480 sitting on the end of his bed. And he went, it's just you. 96 00:07:13,640 --> 00:07:17,720 And he went back to bed. He went back to bed. 97 00:07:19,400 --> 00:07:24,400 You see, no shipwreck was going to stop Paul. 98 00:07:26,480 --> 00:07:28,520 No Roman soldiers were going to stop Paul. 99 00:07:29,640 --> 00:07:34,200 No snake was going to stop Paul. And no snake was going to stop 100 00:07:34,640 --> 00:07:37,400 God's promises. That's what you and I need to 101 00:07:37,400 --> 00:07:40,240 look at. No snake, nothing. 102 00:07:41,160 --> 00:07:45,640 And in doesn't it say in the end of Romans, the book of Romans 103 00:07:45,640 --> 00:07:49,680 chapter 8, that nothing can separate us from the love of 104 00:07:49,680 --> 00:07:54,200 God? Death, height, with you name it, 105 00:07:54,560 --> 00:07:58,480 any creature in the heavens, creatures below, nothing can 106 00:07:58,480 --> 00:08:01,280 separate us from the love of God. 107 00:08:01,880 --> 00:08:05,120 Nothing. And this is the promises of God. 108 00:08:06,320 --> 00:08:10,680 Paul lived his life and we begin a new book on Sunday, the book 109 00:08:10,680 --> 00:08:15,880 of Exodus and and and the promises of God are the 110 00:08:15,920 --> 00:08:20,600 foundation as we journey into the beginning of the book of 111 00:08:20,600 --> 00:08:24,320 Exodus. And here Paul just shakes it 112 00:08:24,320 --> 00:08:26,200 off. I think he's amazing. 113 00:08:26,480 --> 00:08:29,240 He's an amazing man. He doesn't win, He doesn't carry 114 00:08:29,240 --> 00:08:31,240 on. He's not precious. 115 00:08:31,240 --> 00:08:34,200 He's collected wood. He's got bit by a snake. 116 00:08:34,360 --> 00:08:37,520 He's been through a shipwreck. Paul's going to run. 117 00:08:38,880 --> 00:08:41,280 You see, this is what a man of God really looks like. 118 00:08:41,280 --> 00:08:43,280 You know, we often wonder what does a man of God looks like 119 00:08:43,280 --> 00:08:45,240 look like. We'll just look at the apostle 120 00:08:45,240 --> 00:08:48,240 Paul. He wasn't 6 foot 63 pic handles 121 00:08:48,240 --> 00:08:50,120 across the shoulders. That was Saul. 122 00:08:50,680 --> 00:08:55,600 Saul was a failure. He was just a little guy, but he 123 00:08:55,600 --> 00:09:00,760 was a man of God, a powerful, courageous, wonderful man of 124 00:09:00,760 --> 00:09:06,760 God. However, the Maltese, they were 125 00:09:06,760 --> 00:09:10,640 expecting that he would swell up or suddenly fall down dead. 126 00:09:10,880 --> 00:09:14,240 Why poisonous? But after they had looked for a 127 00:09:14,240 --> 00:09:17,800 long time and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds 128 00:09:17,800 --> 00:09:22,400 and said, oh, he's a God. So he's gone from a murderer to 129 00:09:22,600 --> 00:09:23,920 man. This guy's a God. 130 00:09:24,680 --> 00:09:30,200 So here's what you need to do. Don't worry what others think 131 00:09:30,200 --> 00:09:33,760 about you, good or bad. You know people. 132 00:09:33,920 --> 00:09:35,720 Well, I'm going to a room and I think everyone's talking about 133 00:09:35,720 --> 00:09:36,800 you. No one's talking about you. 134 00:09:36,800 --> 00:09:40,400 No one's interested in you. You know, we go, oh, well, what 135 00:09:40,400 --> 00:09:43,240 are we going to say? No, they they don't even know 136 00:09:43,240 --> 00:09:46,320 you're there. Don't worry about what people 137 00:09:46,320 --> 00:09:50,400 say, whether it's good or bad. What we need to know is what God 138 00:09:50,400 --> 00:09:51,560 thinks of us. That's it. 139 00:09:52,880 --> 00:09:59,880 What God thinks of us. And now it says in that region 140 00:09:59,880 --> 00:10:03,440 there was an estate of the leading citizen of the island, 141 00:10:03,440 --> 00:10:07,880 whose name was Publius. He received us, he entertained 142 00:10:07,880 --> 00:10:11,800 us courteously for three days. So they're a while there. 143 00:10:12,640 --> 00:10:17,120 And it happened that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever. 144 00:10:17,560 --> 00:10:21,520 They believe they're not sure, but there was a fever that was 145 00:10:21,520 --> 00:10:23,160 on the island called the Malta fever. 146 00:10:23,880 --> 00:10:26,680 It's not unusual on the island of Malta. 147 00:10:27,560 --> 00:10:30,920 And you get it for a period and it really makes you sick a lot, 148 00:10:30,920 --> 00:10:34,800 a lot. Like what do you get from 149 00:10:34,800 --> 00:10:38,360 malaria? Like malaria, it came through 150 00:10:38,360 --> 00:10:43,120 the milk of the goats on Malta. That's how it's passed through 151 00:10:43,920 --> 00:10:45,440 Malti. That's this fever. 152 00:10:46,800 --> 00:10:49,160 In that region there was a state, this man Publius, and his 153 00:10:49,160 --> 00:10:51,240 father is sick. And it happened that the father 154 00:10:51,240 --> 00:10:54,360 of Publius lay sick of a fever and dysentery. 155 00:10:54,920 --> 00:10:59,280 So Paul went into him. You go on, let's keep away. 156 00:10:59,520 --> 00:11:04,160 Masks on everybody. Masks on, keep away. 157 00:11:06,960 --> 00:11:10,200 And prayed. Isn't that a good thing to do if 158 00:11:10,200 --> 00:11:12,720 someone's sick? You know, I kicked myself over 159 00:11:12,720 --> 00:11:15,320 and over. It's the thing where I've missed 160 00:11:15,400 --> 00:11:20,080 and missed opportunities, small opportunities that are 161 00:11:20,080 --> 00:11:25,760 constantly where I should pray, offer to pray. 162 00:11:27,200 --> 00:11:31,040 And he laid hands on him. So he prayed, and he laid hands 163 00:11:31,040 --> 00:11:36,400 on him and healed him. So when this was done, the rest 164 00:11:36,400 --> 00:11:41,000 of those on the island who had diseases also came and were 165 00:11:41,000 --> 00:11:46,040 healed. Now this were healed is not the 166 00:11:46,040 --> 00:11:48,920 usual word for miraculous healing. 167 00:11:50,880 --> 00:11:56,280 Who else was on the island with Paul Aristarchus and Dr Luke? 168 00:11:57,120 --> 00:12:02,680 And so because of the change that Luke has used here for the 169 00:12:02,680 --> 00:12:08,400 word healed, it's what it means here, Luke wrote. 170 00:12:08,400 --> 00:12:11,480 It means they received medical attention. 171 00:12:12,560 --> 00:12:15,520 So here's the first missionary Dr Doctor Luke. 172 00:12:16,200 --> 00:12:19,600 And that's how medicine and hospitals broke throughout the 173 00:12:19,600 --> 00:12:22,640 world through Christianity. Missionary. 174 00:12:22,920 --> 00:12:25,520 So Doctor Luke Dennison. Yeah, you can take this here, 175 00:12:25,520 --> 00:12:28,160 treat that. And he's starting to treat the 176 00:12:28,160 --> 00:12:34,040 whole island in a beautiful way. They also wanted us in many 177 00:12:34,040 --> 00:12:35,720 ways. And when we departed, they 178 00:12:35,720 --> 00:12:40,880 provided such things as, when necessary, after three months. 179 00:12:41,280 --> 00:12:46,800 So it's another period of time. We sailed in an Alexandrian ship 180 00:12:46,840 --> 00:12:51,000 whose figurehead was the twin brothers, which had wintered at 181 00:12:51,000 --> 00:12:53,160 the island and landing at Syracuse. 182 00:12:53,160 --> 00:12:57,240 Syracuse was the capital, was the capital back then of Sicily. 183 00:12:57,320 --> 00:12:59,640 So they're getting close, but not there yet. 184 00:13:00,680 --> 00:13:05,160 And we stayed there three days. From there we circled round and 185 00:13:05,160 --> 00:13:09,080 reached region, and after one day the South wind blew, and the 186 00:13:09,080 --> 00:13:14,200 next day we came to Puyoli, where we found brethren. 187 00:13:14,520 --> 00:13:18,920 By the way, Syracuse was the home of Archimedes, the great 188 00:13:18,920 --> 00:13:25,720 mathematician, where we found brethren, and we're invited to 189 00:13:25,720 --> 00:13:32,280 stay with them seven days. And so we went toward Rome and 190 00:13:32,280 --> 00:13:36,240 from there, when the brethren heard about us from Rome, they 191 00:13:36,240 --> 00:13:41,640 came to meet us as far as happy, four of them and three Inns. 192 00:13:41,840 --> 00:13:45,720 And when Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage. 193 00:13:45,960 --> 00:13:49,280 This is called fellowship. This is why you need church. 194 00:13:50,040 --> 00:13:52,600 You're here tonight. You're getting what what many 195 00:13:52,600 --> 00:13:54,480 people are missing out on. We're getting fellowship, 196 00:13:54,880 --> 00:13:57,840 fellowship from other believers. We chat, we talk about the Lord. 197 00:13:58,040 --> 00:14:02,560 We we study the Bible together. Shortly we'll pray for for other 198 00:14:02,560 --> 00:14:05,680 people, and we'll pray for one another that you can't beat that 199 00:14:05,680 --> 00:14:08,160 fellowship. But it also tells us that the 200 00:14:08,160 --> 00:14:10,840 Gospel, remember, was already in Rome. 201 00:14:11,640 --> 00:14:13,400 There are already believers in Rome. 202 00:14:13,400 --> 00:14:21,800 And now when we came to Rome, finally, the centurion delivered 203 00:14:21,800 --> 00:14:23,600 the prisoners to the captain of the guard. 204 00:14:23,600 --> 00:14:26,240 But Paul was permitted to dwell by himself. 205 00:14:26,920 --> 00:14:29,120 But he's chained to a soldier who guarded him. 206 00:14:29,720 --> 00:14:33,160 Now in Rome, at this time, it's 800 years old. 207 00:14:33,160 --> 00:14:37,120 Rome, the city of Rome. By this time, the population of 208 00:14:37,120 --> 00:14:40,480 Rome at this time was around 2 million people. 209 00:14:40,760 --> 00:14:44,400 It's a big city of which one million were slaves. 210 00:14:45,800 --> 00:14:48,720 And it came to pass up to three days that Paul called the 211 00:14:48,720 --> 00:14:51,680 leaders of the Jews. Because Paul, he's not there on 212 00:14:51,680 --> 00:14:53,200 a vacation. He's not going. 213 00:14:53,200 --> 00:14:56,080 Oh, man, I've, I've been travelling for months. 214 00:14:56,080 --> 00:14:58,880 I need a bit of a break, just a little bit of quiet time. 215 00:14:59,040 --> 00:15:02,160 He's straight into it. And what does Paul, what did 216 00:15:02,160 --> 00:15:05,640 Paul do Whenever he went to a new city, he usually went to the 217 00:15:05,640 --> 00:15:07,520 synagogue. Sydney went there first. 218 00:15:07,680 --> 00:15:11,160 This time he calls all the leaders of the synagogue to come 219 00:15:11,160 --> 00:15:13,920 out and hear him. So they come out to hear this, 220 00:15:14,200 --> 00:15:16,720 this rabbi that's come from Jerusalem. 221 00:15:18,080 --> 00:15:20,480 So he calls the leaders of the Jews together. 222 00:15:21,320 --> 00:15:24,320 So when they'd come together, he said to them, Men and brethren, 223 00:15:25,000 --> 00:15:27,400 though I have done nothing against our people or the 224 00:15:27,400 --> 00:15:31,080 customs of our fathers, yet I was delivered as a prisoner from 225 00:15:31,080 --> 00:15:32,920 Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans. 226 00:15:33,080 --> 00:15:37,280 This is why I'm here letting you know my background, who, when 227 00:15:37,280 --> 00:15:40,360 they had examined me, wanted to let me go. 228 00:15:40,360 --> 00:15:44,200 That's the Romans, because there was no cause for putting me to 229 00:15:44,200 --> 00:15:45,160 death. I'm innocent. 230 00:15:46,480 --> 00:15:50,520 But when the Jews spoke against it, I was compelled to appeal to 231 00:15:50,520 --> 00:15:54,000 Caesar. Not that I had anything of which 232 00:15:54,000 --> 00:15:57,280 to accuse my nation for this reason. 233 00:15:57,280 --> 00:16:00,640 Therefore, I have called you to see you and speak with you 234 00:16:00,920 --> 00:16:02,600 because, and you know why I'm here. 235 00:16:02,800 --> 00:16:04,520 I want to tell you about Jesus Christ. 236 00:16:05,760 --> 00:16:07,920 You see, this is this is, this is Paul. 237 00:16:08,560 --> 00:16:12,400 This is his life. He's the speaker of the gospel. 238 00:16:12,400 --> 00:16:14,120 He's the proclaimer of the gospel. 239 00:16:15,080 --> 00:16:18,960 Because for the hope of Israel, I am bound with this chain 240 00:16:19,800 --> 00:16:21,640 because I'm a prisoner of Christ. 241 00:16:21,760 --> 00:16:25,400 This is why I'm in chains. Then they said to him, We 242 00:16:25,400 --> 00:16:27,960 neither received letters from Judea concerning you. 243 00:16:27,960 --> 00:16:30,840 We don't know anything about you, nor have any of the 244 00:16:30,840 --> 00:16:34,160 brethren who came, reported, or spoken any evil of you. 245 00:16:34,520 --> 00:16:37,160 But we desire to hear from you what you think. 246 00:16:37,440 --> 00:16:40,400 For concerning the sect, we've heard about them. 247 00:16:41,560 --> 00:16:44,640 We know that it is spoken against everywhere. 248 00:16:45,800 --> 00:16:49,800 So Paul now preaches Christ. This is why he wanted to go to 249 00:16:49,800 --> 00:16:52,360 Rome. So when they had appointed him a 250 00:16:52,360 --> 00:16:57,040 Dame and he came to him at his lodging, to whom he explained 251 00:16:57,800 --> 00:17:02,120 and solemnly testified what of of the Kingdom of God. 252 00:17:02,320 --> 00:17:06,040 The Kingdom of God is the coming of the Messiah, the 253 00:17:06,040 --> 00:17:10,160 establishment of the throne of God, the return of Christ that's 254 00:17:10,160 --> 00:17:13,720 coming, the millennial reign that's going to occur, the 255 00:17:13,720 --> 00:17:18,119 judgement upon the world that's going to occur before the coming 256 00:17:18,119 --> 00:17:22,319 again of Christ persuading them concerning Jesus. 257 00:17:22,319 --> 00:17:25,400 And how did he persuade them? Well, we're going to begin 258 00:17:25,400 --> 00:17:27,560 Exodus on Sunday. What? 259 00:17:27,560 --> 00:17:30,800 Why would we even bother going to an Old Testament book? 260 00:17:31,440 --> 00:17:35,920 Because Second Timothy 316 says all Scripture is profitable. 261 00:17:36,120 --> 00:17:39,840 And by the way, Paul is preaching, they don't have a New 262 00:17:39,840 --> 00:17:42,560 Testament. Paul hasn't written it all yet 263 00:17:44,120 --> 00:17:49,240 along with John and others. And so Paul from the law of 264 00:17:49,240 --> 00:17:54,040 Moses and you'll see Jesus so much in the book of Exodus and 265 00:17:54,040 --> 00:17:58,840 the prophets. Isaiah from morning till 266 00:17:58,840 --> 00:18:01,360 evening. He didn't go I've got 45 minutes 267 00:18:01,360 --> 00:18:05,320 with you guys as I was going no, from all day he went, let me 268 00:18:05,320 --> 00:18:08,640 tell you about Jesus. Let me tell you what this 269 00:18:08,640 --> 00:18:11,360 Scripture means what this this is referring to him. 270 00:18:11,520 --> 00:18:15,600 This is referring to Jesus of Nazareth from the law all the 271 00:18:15,600 --> 00:18:17,880 way through Moses. He spoke about the prophet. 272 00:18:17,960 --> 00:18:20,320 He's the prophet. Isaiah spoke about him. 273 00:18:20,400 --> 00:18:23,360 This is that he should suffer. He's the suffering servant and 274 00:18:23,360 --> 00:18:27,840 Paul just explains and expands and you know how good a Bible 275 00:18:28,560 --> 00:18:33,360 knowledge of the Bible Paul had with the Holy Spirit empowering 276 00:18:33,360 --> 00:18:36,320 him. Man, if you could record this, 277 00:18:36,520 --> 00:18:41,000 what an amazing study. Christ from the law and the 278 00:18:41,000 --> 00:18:46,480 prophets. So the best Bible teacher in the 279 00:18:46,480 --> 00:18:49,040 world is preaching, and you know what happens? 280 00:18:50,280 --> 00:18:53,400 Some believe, some didn't. That's where it's frustrating. 281 00:18:54,720 --> 00:18:58,520 Some believe, some didn't. Some were persuaded by the 282 00:18:58,520 --> 00:19:01,560 things which were spoken. Some disbelieve. 283 00:19:01,720 --> 00:19:03,400 This is the thing called free will. 284 00:19:03,560 --> 00:19:06,720 It's called choice. You and I can sit, we can hear 285 00:19:06,720 --> 00:19:09,880 the same message and go home and say, man, God really spoke to me 286 00:19:09,880 --> 00:19:11,800 about that. Oh, man, I've got to get my life 287 00:19:11,800 --> 00:19:13,000 right. That area and the other one 288 00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:17,720 right. I couldn't understand what was 289 00:19:17,720 --> 00:19:21,760 going on. Paul spoke of Christ from the 290 00:19:21,760 --> 00:19:26,640 Old Testament, not both from the law and the prophets of the 291 00:19:26,640 --> 00:19:31,360 Kingdom of God. Some were persuaded, some 292 00:19:31,360 --> 00:19:33,320 disbelieved. That happened on Mars Hill, 293 00:19:33,320 --> 00:19:35,760 didn't it? Some listened, some said, oh, 294 00:19:35,760 --> 00:19:37,520 come back. Some said, oh, disregard it. 295 00:19:39,240 --> 00:19:43,280 So when they did not agree among themselves, this is the Jewish 296 00:19:43,280 --> 00:19:48,120 leaders, they departed after Paul had said one word. 297 00:19:48,720 --> 00:19:51,840 Paul's going to bring them to a place of conviction. 298 00:19:52,080 --> 00:19:54,800 He's not just going to go, by the way, what I'm telling you, I 299 00:19:54,800 --> 00:19:57,480 just want to suggest you to kind of think about it. 300 00:19:58,000 --> 00:20:02,160 Mull over this for a bit. No, see, that's not preaching. 301 00:20:03,640 --> 00:20:08,600 Preaching doesn't let you fall into well, I'll I'll consider 302 00:20:08,600 --> 00:20:09,480 it. I'll Mull over it. 303 00:20:09,640 --> 00:20:12,600 God nowhere just says, well, have a think about that. 304 00:20:12,600 --> 00:20:15,160 All that what's going on, what I've said to you and yet get 305 00:20:15,160 --> 00:20:16,520 back to me when you when you're right. 306 00:20:16,520 --> 00:20:18,640 No, no, no, this is the word of God. 307 00:20:20,680 --> 00:20:24,640 This is the sharp 2 edged sword. It does two things. 308 00:20:24,640 --> 00:20:29,360 It convicts or you reject it and it condemns. 309 00:20:30,480 --> 00:20:39,480 And so Paul under the work of the Holy Spirit spoke rightly 310 00:20:40,040 --> 00:20:46,280 through Isaiah the prophet to our fathers saying, go to this 311 00:20:46,280 --> 00:20:47,720 people, Israel he's talking about. 312 00:20:47,720 --> 00:20:51,480 Remember he's talking to Jews and say hearing, you'll hear, 313 00:20:52,040 --> 00:20:56,120 but you won't understand. Seeing, you will see, but you 314 00:20:56,120 --> 00:20:59,640 won't perceive. For the hearts of this people 315 00:21:00,400 --> 00:21:04,280 have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing. 316 00:21:05,640 --> 00:21:10,040 Their eyes they've closed by the blind leading the blind. 317 00:21:10,520 --> 00:21:15,720 Jesus said, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with 318 00:21:15,720 --> 00:21:19,760 their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and 319 00:21:19,760 --> 00:21:22,120 turn, so that I should heal them. 320 00:21:22,240 --> 00:21:24,680 What's that? What's that scripture telling us 321 00:21:25,560 --> 00:21:28,280 that when you hear the word of God, you can't just go? 322 00:21:28,280 --> 00:21:35,000 I'm neutral. Oh, you know, no, no, that's a 323 00:21:35,000 --> 00:21:40,040 no. It's either yes or a no. 324 00:21:40,440 --> 00:21:47,840 It's not like no, Isaiah said. And Paul reiterates it to the 325 00:21:47,840 --> 00:21:50,000 Jews. He spoke to them about Jesus. 326 00:21:50,080 --> 00:21:52,680 He's putting it on the line. He knows he's going to die. 327 00:21:52,920 --> 00:21:58,160 He's not going to have the blood of these people on his body, on 328 00:21:58,160 --> 00:22:02,720 his record. He's the watchman. 329 00:22:03,960 --> 00:22:08,160 And so he quotes Isaiah and he says, Paul says if you reject 330 00:22:08,160 --> 00:22:13,520 Jesus, you can hear, but you'll never understand God. 331 00:22:13,640 --> 00:22:19,400 You must be born again. You can see, but you'll never 332 00:22:19,400 --> 00:22:25,120 perceive. Your hearts will be hard, your 333 00:22:25,120 --> 00:22:29,560 eyes will be closed, your ears shut. 334 00:22:29,760 --> 00:22:31,920 Why? Because God does that to us and 335 00:22:31,920 --> 00:22:33,360 says when you reject, OK, that's it. 336 00:22:34,160 --> 00:22:38,760 You reject because you really. And here's the reason behind 337 00:22:38,840 --> 00:22:41,240 what Isaiah is saying by the Holy Spirit. 338 00:22:41,240 --> 00:22:44,600 Don't forget, you don't want to turn to God. 339 00:22:45,800 --> 00:22:47,440 You know what's being said is true. 340 00:22:48,040 --> 00:22:50,240 You see, this is what the the word of God does. 341 00:22:50,600 --> 00:22:54,560 It penetrates our heart and inside of our hearts we know 342 00:22:55,600 --> 00:23:00,040 it's true. But you go, no thanks. 343 00:23:01,240 --> 00:23:05,560 You make a choice. You make a choice because you 344 00:23:05,560 --> 00:23:07,280 don't really want to turn to God. 345 00:23:07,280 --> 00:23:09,760 Why is that? I don't want to change. 346 00:23:10,400 --> 00:23:11,840 I like living the way I'm living. 347 00:23:13,680 --> 00:23:18,440 I'm not worthy enough and be healed of your sin. 348 00:23:19,760 --> 00:23:26,080 You see people like darkness, they like to stay. 349 00:23:26,480 --> 00:23:28,600 You know, many people come for counselling and when they come 350 00:23:28,600 --> 00:23:30,680 and say, you know, we're thinking of getting married, you 351 00:23:30,680 --> 00:23:32,640 know, we're thinking of doing this and we talk to them and 352 00:23:32,640 --> 00:23:34,040 say, well, this is what the word of God says. 353 00:23:34,200 --> 00:23:35,720 Are you living together at the moment? 354 00:23:36,480 --> 00:23:37,720 Yes. Well, you should stop that. 355 00:23:38,160 --> 00:23:39,880 If you're Christians, you shouldn't be living together to 356 00:23:39,880 --> 00:23:41,400 start with. That's fornication. 357 00:23:42,880 --> 00:23:45,320 It's not right. So here's if you're serious 358 00:23:45,320 --> 00:23:48,720 about God, then you need to live and separate, be a part. 359 00:23:49,880 --> 00:23:55,320 You see, people don't like when we give them the word of God. 360 00:23:55,320 --> 00:23:59,840 That's what people often don't come back because the word of 361 00:23:59,840 --> 00:24:05,320 God doesn't go, oh, OK, well, let's OK that that doesn't make 362 00:24:05,320 --> 00:24:06,720 you happy. How can we? 363 00:24:06,960 --> 00:24:09,240 How can we? What, what do we need to do to 364 00:24:09,240 --> 00:24:11,720 negotiate? God doesn't negotiate. 365 00:24:12,240 --> 00:24:19,840 This is the word of God. This is it and the change Jesus 366 00:24:19,840 --> 00:24:21,920 Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. 367 00:24:21,920 --> 00:24:24,960 He ain't changing. Neither is the word of God. 368 00:24:25,760 --> 00:24:31,920 So what's going to happen is OK, if God convicts then I have a 369 00:24:31,920 --> 00:24:37,600 decision to make. I am to obey and turn. 370 00:24:38,640 --> 00:24:41,960 That's why the Bible speaks. So on and on and on about what? 371 00:24:42,400 --> 00:24:51,160 Repent. 1 John 1 first chapter as believers as to believe we 372 00:24:51,160 --> 00:24:55,280 need to repent too continually. Yes, we're saved forever by the 373 00:24:55,280 --> 00:24:59,240 grace and mercy of God, but we will sin through the damn God. 374 00:24:59,240 --> 00:25:03,120 Forgive me for doing that. And if we don't want to repent 375 00:25:03,120 --> 00:25:05,880 of our stupidity that I've done today or the things that I've 376 00:25:05,880 --> 00:25:08,640 said that I or the things that I should have said and I didn't 377 00:25:08,640 --> 00:25:13,400 say, then I'm, I'm, I'm not, I'm not, I don't have a heart for 378 00:25:13,400 --> 00:25:17,480 God. Because you see, well, is sin 379 00:25:17,480 --> 00:25:19,360 bad for Christians? Yes, it's worse. 380 00:25:20,600 --> 00:25:23,080 It's worse than us. We got to get rid of it. 381 00:25:24,440 --> 00:25:28,880 And so Paul lays it out, verse 28. 382 00:25:29,120 --> 00:25:33,000 Therefore, let it be known to you that the salvation of God 383 00:25:33,000 --> 00:25:36,280 has been sent to the Gentiles. And Paul says, and they'll hear 384 00:25:36,280 --> 00:25:39,680 it. This is the natural branch and 385 00:25:39,680 --> 00:25:42,600 the unnatural branch. You don't want to listen to it. 386 00:25:43,120 --> 00:25:45,760 And what did Jesus tell of us? A parable. 387 00:25:45,880 --> 00:25:48,760 Remember the parable? Matthew 22, past Israel. 388 00:25:48,760 --> 00:25:51,120 Get there. Verses 1 to 14 of a great 389 00:25:51,120 --> 00:25:53,280 wedding feast. Who was invited? 390 00:25:53,440 --> 00:25:56,360 Oh, well, come on, I can't, can't make it. 391 00:25:56,720 --> 00:25:58,760 I got this. I got I bought land, I bought 392 00:25:58,760 --> 00:26:00,320 oxen. I've got this to do. 393 00:26:00,960 --> 00:26:06,040 Married me a wife, you know, and it's just rubbish. 394 00:26:06,760 --> 00:26:09,640 It just excuses. You don't want to go. 395 00:26:10,360 --> 00:26:12,880 So the next invitation went out. To where? 396 00:26:13,280 --> 00:26:16,920 The highways and the byways. Whosoever will whose. 397 00:26:17,120 --> 00:26:20,920 That's what you and I are Where the whosoever will we mean, I'll 398 00:26:20,920 --> 00:26:25,440 take it, I'll have Jesus, I'll have Jesus. 399 00:26:27,760 --> 00:26:32,000 And so when he had said these words, the Jews departed in a 400 00:26:32,000 --> 00:26:37,720 great dispute among themselves. And Paul dwelt 2 years in his 401 00:26:37,720 --> 00:26:40,840 own rented house, received all who came to him. 402 00:26:40,840 --> 00:26:42,400 What did he do in those two years? 403 00:26:43,040 --> 00:26:45,160 He preached every day the Kingdom of God. 404 00:26:45,200 --> 00:26:47,520 That's you're my job. That's why we're here. 405 00:26:48,640 --> 00:26:49,880 Our job. What's the what's the will of 406 00:26:49,880 --> 00:26:50,960 God? You're well. 407 00:26:51,240 --> 00:26:54,200 It's written on a surfboard. It's at the end of Mark and it's 408 00:26:54,200 --> 00:26:56,280 the end of Matthew. You don't have to work. 409 00:26:56,280 --> 00:26:57,600 I wonder what God wants me to do. 410 00:26:57,600 --> 00:26:58,680 I'll tell you what God wants you to do. 411 00:26:58,800 --> 00:27:01,440 It's in the Bible. Go into all the world and preach 412 00:27:01,440 --> 00:27:10,890 the gospel, teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus 413 00:27:10,890 --> 00:27:15,680 with all confidence, no one forbidding him. 414 00:27:18,640 --> 00:27:22,720 You see, the Jews of Jesus died looked for a political Kingdom. 415 00:27:23,200 --> 00:27:25,720 That's why Paul spoke about the Kingdom of God. 416 00:27:25,720 --> 00:27:29,000 He says don't go looking for some politician to come along. 417 00:27:29,000 --> 00:27:31,480 You and I don't need to look to some politician. 418 00:27:31,480 --> 00:27:33,560 Donald Trump is not the saviour of the world. 419 00:27:34,560 --> 00:27:42,680 Anthony Albanese is not the saviour of Australia, no 420 00:27:42,680 --> 00:27:51,000 politician is. But Jesus is going to rule this 421 00:27:51,000 --> 00:27:55,480 world for 1000 years. The King, he's the king of all 422 00:27:55,480 --> 00:27:58,360 kings. You see, the preacher of the 423 00:27:58,360 --> 00:28:02,200 gospel, as Paul did in Rome, has 2 messages. 424 00:28:02,760 --> 00:28:09,000 There's only two messages. 1A message for those who respond. 425 00:28:10,520 --> 00:28:13,440 He is a messenger of life. For God so loved the world that 426 00:28:13,440 --> 00:28:16,040 he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him 427 00:28:16,200 --> 00:28:18,120 should not perish, but have everlasting life. 428 00:28:18,320 --> 00:28:21,360 I want that. Then that message is for you. 429 00:28:22,080 --> 00:28:25,760 You're saved. Romans 10/9 and 10 If you 430 00:28:26,560 --> 00:28:28,920 believe in your heart, speak through your mouth the words of 431 00:28:28,920 --> 00:28:31,880 God, that Jesus Christ is Lord, you shall be saved. 432 00:28:32,440 --> 00:28:36,240 Simple as that. And the second message is for 433 00:28:36,240 --> 00:28:40,720 those who reject Jesus, the preacher adds to their own 434 00:28:40,720 --> 00:28:44,160 condemnation. Every time you hear the Bible 435 00:28:44,160 --> 00:28:46,880 and you reject it, man, it's, it's, it's worse. 436 00:28:48,000 --> 00:28:51,360 It's worse for you. Turn with me to Two Corinthians 437 00:28:51,360 --> 00:28:54,800 chapter 2, verse 16. Paul touches on that Two 438 00:28:54,800 --> 00:28:58,720 Corinthians chapter 2, verse 16. As we get to the end of this, 439 00:29:00,480 --> 00:29:02,360 I'll read it from verse 14 actually. 440 00:29:05,160 --> 00:29:08,360 Now thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ 441 00:29:09,280 --> 00:29:11,840 and through US diffuses the fragrance of his knowledge in 442 00:29:11,840 --> 00:29:15,240 every place. That's you and I, for we are to 443 00:29:15,240 --> 00:29:19,080 God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved. 444 00:29:20,360 --> 00:29:23,440 Ah, man, you give the gospel to someone who say they think 445 00:29:23,440 --> 00:29:25,560 you're man. Thanks for telling me about 446 00:29:25,560 --> 00:29:27,160 Jesus. You're great. 447 00:29:27,760 --> 00:29:30,320 Praise the Lord that you told me that you took the time and told 448 00:29:30,320 --> 00:29:32,920 me about Jesus. And among those who are 449 00:29:32,920 --> 00:29:40,640 perishing to the one you are the aroma of death leading to death, 450 00:29:41,000 --> 00:29:45,240 because as you give the gospel and they reject it, death is 451 00:29:45,240 --> 00:29:47,400 coming. It's confirming. 452 00:29:48,320 --> 00:29:50,800 And to the other. And when you're giving them the 453 00:29:50,800 --> 00:29:57,720 gospel of Christ and they receive it, it's the aroma of 454 00:29:57,720 --> 00:30:08,170 life leading to life. That is the end of the book of 455 00:30:08,170 --> 00:30:11,370 Acts. Aren't you looking forward to 456 00:30:11,370 --> 00:30:17,120 meeting Paul? He'll be in heaven somewhere and 457 00:30:17,120 --> 00:30:18,120 we'll go. Where's Paul? 458 00:30:18,200 --> 00:30:22,640 You'll hear AI just bang out some nails in that thing down 459 00:30:22,880 --> 00:30:26,120 there. I he's sweeping up, then. 460 00:30:26,320 --> 00:30:30,680 Then that'll be Paul, Servant of God. 461 00:30:33,640 --> 00:30:40,120 Roman Empire couldn't stop Paul. The Jewish religious leaders 462 00:30:40,480 --> 00:30:41,800 tried to kill him. They couldn't do it. 463 00:30:44,280 --> 00:30:52,560 The ocean shipwreck, a poisonous snake couldn't do it. 464 00:30:54,080 --> 00:30:56,160 Because, you see, he had the promise of God. 465 00:30:56,920 --> 00:31:00,840 Paul, were you going to run? And when he got the Rome, he got 466 00:31:00,840 --> 00:31:02,200 the Rome. And when he'd finished doing 467 00:31:02,200 --> 00:31:06,240 what he did in Rome, Paul went home. 468 00:31:08,280 --> 00:31:10,480 Well done by good and faithful servant.