1 00:00:04,720 --> 00:00:08,360 This is ERC Sundays, the messages at Emmaus Rd. 2 00:00:08,360 --> 00:00:12,280 Church in DeWitt, Iowa. ERC is a Church of people 3 00:00:12,280 --> 00:00:15,320 striving to grow in Jesus and make him known to others through 4 00:00:15,320 --> 00:00:19,560 our faith, words and actions. Find out more about our church 5 00:00:19,600 --> 00:00:23,360 at emmausrdonline.org. Here's this week's message. 6 00:00:25,360 --> 00:00:27,400 We are finishing. We did it. 7 00:00:29,040 --> 00:00:34,600 We've been in East OR, we've been in Acts since Easter and we 8 00:00:34,600 --> 00:00:38,880 are finishing up Chapter 28 today. 9 00:00:40,080 --> 00:00:44,800 If you recall from last week, Paul is on journey. 10 00:00:44,800 --> 00:00:48,880 He's in captivity. He's been on trial for years. 11 00:00:49,880 --> 00:00:52,360 A storm and a shipwreck. They get shipwrecked on the 12 00:00:52,360 --> 00:00:55,520 island of Malta, and from there they eventually get sent out 13 00:00:55,760 --> 00:00:57,600 again. They get back on their journey. 14 00:00:57,600 --> 00:01:02,640 All along the way, Jesus renews his promise to Paul that he will 15 00:01:02,960 --> 00:01:05,519 bring the gospel to the ends of the earth, that he will. 16 00:01:05,800 --> 00:01:10,160 He will preach the gospel to rulers and kings and all 17 00:01:10,160 --> 00:01:13,960 peoples, and he's promised that he's going to do it in Rome. 18 00:01:14,040 --> 00:01:16,880 So Paul is safe and secure in this promise. 19 00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:20,040 That hasn't changed, though the circumstances have changed. 20 00:01:20,240 --> 00:01:23,720 And though the route that Paul probably had in his mind of how 21 00:01:23,720 --> 00:01:28,040 he was going to get to Rome wasn't, it was changing along 22 00:01:28,040 --> 00:01:30,360 the way, right? There was strife and there was, 23 00:01:30,560 --> 00:01:33,760 there was persecution. There were detours along the 24 00:01:33,760 --> 00:01:37,280 way, but the word from Jesus that he would make it to Rome, 25 00:01:37,280 --> 00:01:40,160 that he would preach in Rome, that hasn't changed and it's 26 00:01:40,160 --> 00:01:44,720 been reiterated to him. It's been encouraged to him by 27 00:01:44,840 --> 00:01:47,880 Jesus, by the Holy Spirit along the way. 28 00:01:49,840 --> 00:01:55,160 Then we get to finally where we are in Acts chapter 28. 29 00:01:55,160 --> 00:01:58,240 We're going to pick up at verse 16 this morning. 30 00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:01,520 Verses will be up on the screen. If you want to follow along, 31 00:02:01,800 --> 00:02:04,120 there's Bibles in the chair racks in front of you. 32 00:02:04,480 --> 00:02:08,840 We're going to pick up Acts chapter 28 starting at verse 16, 33 00:02:08,840 --> 00:02:14,480 reading in Jesus name. When we came into Rome, Paul was 34 00:02:14,480 --> 00:02:18,520 allowed to stay by himself with the soldier who guarded him. 35 00:02:19,320 --> 00:02:21,560 After three days, he called together the local leaders of 36 00:02:21,560 --> 00:02:23,240 the Jews. When they had gathered, he said 37 00:02:23,240 --> 00:02:26,880 to them, Brothers, though I had done nothing against our people 38 00:02:26,880 --> 00:02:30,480 or the customs of our fathers, yet I was delivered as a 39 00:02:30,480 --> 00:02:33,600 prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans. 40 00:02:34,240 --> 00:02:36,560 When they examine me, they wish to set me at liberty. 41 00:02:36,560 --> 00:02:39,360 Because there was no reason for the death penalty in my case, 42 00:02:39,800 --> 00:02:42,760 but because the Jews objected, I was compelled to appeal to 43 00:02:42,760 --> 00:02:46,160 Caesar, though I had no charge to bring against my nation. 44 00:02:46,920 --> 00:02:50,400 For this reason, therefore, I have asked to see you and speak 45 00:02:50,400 --> 00:02:54,200 with you, since it is because of the hope of Israel that I am 46 00:02:54,200 --> 00:02:59,840 wearing this chain. They, the Jews, said to him, We 47 00:02:59,840 --> 00:03:02,120 have received no letters from Judea about you, and none of the 48 00:03:02,120 --> 00:03:04,920 brothers coming here has reported or spoken any evil 49 00:03:04,920 --> 00:03:07,960 about you. But we desire to hear from you 50 00:03:08,080 --> 00:03:11,880 what your views are. For with regard to this sect we 51 00:03:11,880 --> 00:03:14,840 know that everywhere it is spoken against. 52 00:03:15,520 --> 00:03:17,680 When they had appointed a day for him, they came to him at his 53 00:03:17,680 --> 00:03:20,360 lodging in greater numbers from morning till evening. 54 00:03:20,360 --> 00:03:23,040 He expounded to them, testifying to the Kingdom of God and trying 55 00:03:23,040 --> 00:03:26,120 to convince them about Jesus, both from the law of Moses and 56 00:03:26,120 --> 00:03:29,040 from the prophets. Some were convinced by what he 57 00:03:29,040 --> 00:03:33,320 said, but others disbelieved and disagreeing among themselves. 58 00:03:33,320 --> 00:03:37,280 They departed after Paul, after he had made one statement. 59 00:03:38,120 --> 00:03:41,160 The Holy Spirit was right in saying to your father's through 60 00:03:41,160 --> 00:03:47,240 Isaiah the prophet, quoting Isaiah here, back to the people 61 00:03:47,240 --> 00:03:51,520 of Israel, back to the Jews. Go to this people and say, you 62 00:03:51,520 --> 00:03:53,560 will indeed hear, but never understand. 63 00:03:53,960 --> 00:03:57,600 You will indeed see, but never perceive, for this people's 64 00:03:57,600 --> 00:04:00,560 heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, 65 00:04:00,560 --> 00:04:03,920 and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their 66 00:04:03,920 --> 00:04:06,200 eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, 67 00:04:06,240 --> 00:04:08,600 and turn. And I would heal them. 68 00:04:09,680 --> 00:04:12,080 Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has 69 00:04:12,080 --> 00:04:14,240 been sent to the Gentiles. They will listen. 70 00:04:17,000 --> 00:04:19,240 He lived there two whole years at his own expense. 71 00:04:19,240 --> 00:04:22,640 Paul did lived in Rome and welcomed all who came to him, 72 00:04:23,080 --> 00:04:25,400 proclaiming the Kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord 73 00:04:25,400 --> 00:04:29,520 Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance. 74 00:04:31,560 --> 00:04:36,520 This is the word of Godfather God, Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit, 75 00:04:36,720 --> 00:04:39,240 open our hearts and minds to teach us by the truth of Your 76 00:04:39,240 --> 00:04:43,480 word here this morning. May Your word go forth 77 00:04:43,480 --> 00:04:47,280 unhindered. May it go forth in all boldness 78 00:04:47,680 --> 00:04:51,520 for your glory and our good in Jesus name, Amen. 79 00:04:54,600 --> 00:04:59,720 When we came into Rome, remember that Luke is authoring this 80 00:04:59,720 --> 00:05:02,640 letter, this book and at this point he's a travelling 81 00:05:02,640 --> 00:05:06,160 companion of Paul's. They've made it. 82 00:05:06,400 --> 00:05:08,520 They've made it to the promised city. 83 00:05:09,720 --> 00:05:14,040 Paul still under some sort of pseudo house arrest because he's 84 00:05:14,360 --> 00:05:17,440 remember he's waiting to be on trial with Caesar. 85 00:05:17,440 --> 00:05:21,400 He actually filed an appeal because the Jews were constantly 86 00:05:21,960 --> 00:05:25,120 accusing him, though without standing. 87 00:05:25,240 --> 00:05:27,800 And we, we've the past few weeks, we've made our way 88 00:05:27,800 --> 00:05:31,320 through Felix and Festus and Agrippa and all this sort of 89 00:05:31,320 --> 00:05:34,360 Court of Appeals thing. Finally, Paul just says, you 90 00:05:34,360 --> 00:05:36,040 know what? We're going to Caesar. 91 00:05:36,080 --> 00:05:40,160 I'm appealing to Caesar. So you all just leave me alone. 92 00:05:40,160 --> 00:05:43,040 You've had no complaint. None of these rulers have found 93 00:05:43,200 --> 00:05:48,000 anything worth killing me for. And now I just want, I want to 94 00:05:48,000 --> 00:05:52,360 hear it from the Supreme Court. Basically is is where he's going 95 00:05:52,360 --> 00:05:56,760 to Caesar, that Caesar would decide and ultimately it would 96 00:05:56,760 --> 00:05:58,200 be finished one way or the other. 97 00:05:58,200 --> 00:06:00,640 He would either be charged guilty and killed or he would be 98 00:06:00,640 --> 00:06:02,880 set free for good. And no one could overturn that. 99 00:06:04,400 --> 00:06:08,120 So they get to Rome, verse 17. After three days, he called 100 00:06:08,120 --> 00:06:10,520 together the local leaders of the Jews because remember, he's 101 00:06:10,520 --> 00:06:13,160 still operating under this promise that he would bring the 102 00:06:13,160 --> 00:06:16,080 gospel both to Jews. The, the quote UN quote people 103 00:06:16,080 --> 00:06:21,000 of God and also the Gentiles, basically everybody else. 104 00:06:22,840 --> 00:06:27,040 He comes before them and he as he does so well, we've seen it 105 00:06:27,160 --> 00:06:28,840 in the courtrooms with the rulers. 106 00:06:28,920 --> 00:06:31,800 We see it now with just regular ordinary people. 107 00:06:32,000 --> 00:06:34,080 Paul meets them where they're at. 108 00:06:34,080 --> 00:06:38,800 Brothers, I'm one. I'm one of you as you are, 109 00:06:39,120 --> 00:06:41,120 though I had done nothing against our people. 110 00:06:41,120 --> 00:06:44,720 He again includes him in the group against our people or our 111 00:06:44,720 --> 00:06:47,200 customs. I was delivered as a prisoner 112 00:06:47,520 --> 00:06:50,760 from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans. 113 00:06:51,240 --> 00:06:55,840 He then goes on to to relay his experience of they found no 114 00:06:55,840 --> 00:06:58,560 reason to kill me. So I'm here. 115 00:06:58,680 --> 00:07:01,960 I'm bringing the gospel to you because they have no charge to 116 00:07:01,960 --> 00:07:06,920 prevent me from speaking. For this reason, then, verse 20, 117 00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:11,040 I have asked to see you and speak with you, since it is 118 00:07:11,040 --> 00:07:14,560 because of the hope of Israel that I am wearing this chain. 119 00:07:15,840 --> 00:07:20,080 Make no mistake, even though the rulers and the authorities had 120 00:07:20,080 --> 00:07:25,600 found no formal reason to kill or even incarcerate Paul for the 121 00:07:25,600 --> 00:07:28,600 foreseeable future, they didn't like what he was doing. 122 00:07:29,040 --> 00:07:30,320 They were. They weren't a fan. 123 00:07:30,360 --> 00:07:33,640 But they were also fearful of the fallout of the rebellion 124 00:07:33,640 --> 00:07:38,000 might come if they made Paul a martyr without having a valid 125 00:07:38,000 --> 00:07:40,680 case against him. And by their laws, because he 126 00:07:40,680 --> 00:07:45,560 was a Roman citizen, they couldn't just Willy nilly often 127 00:07:45,840 --> 00:07:48,280 there. There would be an uprising, 128 00:07:48,280 --> 00:07:52,160 there would be rebellion that they probably couldn't handle at 129 00:07:52,240 --> 00:07:56,040 at this point. So Paul referencing this 130 00:07:56,040 --> 00:07:59,520 persecution, it's because of the hope of Israel that I'm wearing 131 00:07:59,520 --> 00:08:02,280 this chain. I'm still being persecuted for 132 00:08:02,280 --> 00:08:06,440 sharing the gospel of Christ from, for completing this 133 00:08:06,440 --> 00:08:09,480 message, this mission from Christ to you. 134 00:08:10,000 --> 00:08:12,640 It's gotten me chains. It's gotten me shackles. 135 00:08:12,880 --> 00:08:15,840 I've only received persecution, but still here is word. 136 00:08:15,840 --> 00:08:21,440 Still, I'm here for you to speak with you, to tell you of this 137 00:08:21,440 --> 00:08:26,000 hope that I have. They countered, they said. 138 00:08:26,000 --> 00:08:27,560 We've received no letters, no word. 139 00:08:27,680 --> 00:08:30,480 None of the brothers have spoken any evil about you. 140 00:08:30,480 --> 00:08:34,799 We haven't heard any of this, this bad news, but we want to 141 00:08:34,799 --> 00:08:37,520 hear it from you. We want to hear it from your 142 00:08:37,520 --> 00:08:40,120 mouth. And it's interesting that they 143 00:08:40,120 --> 00:08:46,600 focus so much on your views. We want to hear from you because 144 00:08:46,600 --> 00:08:49,640 I think in the moment we don't see it exactly in the text in 145 00:08:49,640 --> 00:08:55,880 the moment Paul's still humbly in that Christ be magnified 146 00:08:55,880 --> 00:08:58,360 attitude. You've heard Pastor Chris and I 147 00:08:58,360 --> 00:09:01,120 say it before. These aren't our words of truth 148 00:09:01,120 --> 00:09:05,520 that we're teaching here. It's it's God's word of truth 149 00:09:06,280 --> 00:09:09,960 that we are then proclaiming people. 150 00:09:10,160 --> 00:09:12,760 I, I've gotten the question before, what do you, what do you 151 00:09:12,760 --> 00:09:15,840 think about abortion or what, or what do you think about same sex 152 00:09:15,840 --> 00:09:18,360 marriage? And yes, I can have my thoughts 153 00:09:18,360 --> 00:09:22,360 about those things, but the better, more reflective question 154 00:09:22,360 --> 00:09:25,400 for, for a Christian or Christ follower, what does God's word 155 00:09:25,400 --> 00:09:29,880 say about those things that has to inform if I'm purporting to 156 00:09:30,560 --> 00:09:35,720 follow Christ, I better be following what he said about 157 00:09:35,920 --> 00:09:38,680 these things. Otherwise I'm just following me. 158 00:09:39,240 --> 00:09:42,920 I'm just following my feelings or my emotions or my 159 00:09:42,920 --> 00:09:48,760 experiences. They asked Paul for what his 160 00:09:48,760 --> 00:09:52,320 views are. His response is really, well, 161 00:09:53,760 --> 00:09:58,360 this is what Jesus's views are and this is what I'm going to 162 00:09:58,360 --> 00:10:04,480 tell you. So they decide on a day he gives 163 00:10:04,480 --> 00:10:08,520 them the whole gamut, the whole message of the gospel relays his 164 00:10:08,520 --> 00:10:12,040 experience of conversion, how he used to be a persecutor. 165 00:10:12,200 --> 00:10:18,160 Now he's a proclaimer of the gospel trying to convince them 166 00:10:18,720 --> 00:10:25,080 verse 23 here about Jesus, both from the law of Moses and from 167 00:10:25,080 --> 00:10:30,920 the prophets. Remember, we we have we have 168 00:10:30,920 --> 00:10:34,680 modern Bibles that are in a nice little package right here, like 169 00:10:34,680 --> 00:10:38,560 just just a little book that we have all the word of God in at 170 00:10:38,560 --> 00:10:41,600 this time. The best they really had was 171 00:10:41,600 --> 00:10:46,120 scrolls. There wasn't a big comprehensive 172 00:10:46,600 --> 00:10:49,160 collection of the Bible. Really, it wasn't practical to 173 00:10:49,160 --> 00:10:53,600 carry around all of that word. And remember, the New Testament 174 00:10:53,600 --> 00:10:56,040 didn't really exist at this time either. 175 00:10:56,040 --> 00:10:59,720 Paul actually hadn't written several of his letters to the 176 00:10:59,720 --> 00:11:02,120 early church at this moment in time. 177 00:11:03,560 --> 00:11:09,400 So it's interesting that even from the Law of Moses, the first 178 00:11:09,400 --> 00:11:13,560 five books of the Bible, and from the prophets, the rest of 179 00:11:13,560 --> 00:11:21,240 the Old Testament, though Jesus isn't the main person walking 180 00:11:21,240 --> 00:11:25,840 around in any of that timeline right on earth, didn't come to 181 00:11:25,840 --> 00:11:31,040 earth till after all of that. There's still enough in those 182 00:11:31,040 --> 00:11:36,280 scriptures in the Old Testament to convey the gospel of Jesus 183 00:11:36,280 --> 00:11:41,120 Christ to these people. It sounds cliche, and we talk 184 00:11:41,120 --> 00:11:44,640 about the Christology of the whole Bible, how the whole Bible 185 00:11:44,640 --> 00:11:48,760 points to Jesus, but we see it lived out here in Paul. 186 00:11:48,760 --> 00:11:51,720 He's saying these scriptures that you do have these, this Old 187 00:11:51,720 --> 00:11:53,960 Testament that you are maybe familiar with. 188 00:11:53,960 --> 00:11:55,800 It's the only scripture that you would have. 189 00:11:56,400 --> 00:12:00,200 It all screams to Jesus. It all points to Jesus. 190 00:12:01,480 --> 00:12:05,120 I'm telling you about the fulfillment of what you've been 191 00:12:05,120 --> 00:12:08,320 looking forward to in these scriptures, in this Old 192 00:12:08,320 --> 00:12:12,760 Testament reading. That's all I'm doing. 193 00:12:13,160 --> 00:12:17,200 I'm the the, the Savior, the Emmanuel that you have been 194 00:12:17,200 --> 00:12:18,760 looking for. That was talked about in the 195 00:12:18,760 --> 00:12:22,920 prophets. He came, He died, He rose, and 196 00:12:22,920 --> 00:12:32,180 he did it for you. And some were convinced by what 197 00:12:32,180 --> 00:12:37,380 he said, but others still disbelieved. 198 00:12:42,300 --> 00:12:49,960 There's been many moments over the course of this journey that 199 00:12:49,960 --> 00:12:54,880 Paul had to be wildly frustrated that he had to question the 200 00:12:54,880 --> 00:12:57,880 purpose of what he was even doing. 201 00:12:58,400 --> 00:13:05,680 Was he affecting lives? Did the gospel even move in 202 00:13:05,680 --> 00:13:08,600 power to change lives? Because he has had so many 203 00:13:08,600 --> 00:13:13,200 instances like this where he lays out all of the truth and 204 00:13:13,200 --> 00:13:17,600 all of the grace and all of the goodness for a people that are 205 00:13:17,600 --> 00:13:23,040 sorely in need of it. And they say, no, I'm good. 206 00:13:23,640 --> 00:13:26,680 Not not interested in that. Thanks. 207 00:13:28,320 --> 00:13:33,960 I'll figure it out on my own. So Paul's reminded of these 208 00:13:33,960 --> 00:13:39,200 words from Isaiah, the same words that were spoken to Isaiah 209 00:13:39,320 --> 00:13:41,320 through Isaiah, go to this people. 210 00:13:41,320 --> 00:13:44,400 It's the same problem that Isaiah even had, bringing the 211 00:13:44,400 --> 00:13:47,120 message of God. Go to this people and say, you 212 00:13:47,120 --> 00:13:49,040 will indeed hear, but never understand. 213 00:13:49,040 --> 00:13:52,160 You will indeed see but never perceive. 214 00:13:53,040 --> 00:13:56,600 The gospel had been told to them, had been shown to them, 215 00:13:56,600 --> 00:14:02,040 had been testified to them in the life of Paul, pointing them 216 00:14:02,040 --> 00:14:08,160 to Jesus. Their hearts and minds and eyes 217 00:14:08,200 --> 00:14:12,840 were closed to it. They did not want to adopt the 218 00:14:12,840 --> 00:14:21,640 posture of saying, God, I know I'm not enough, only you, Jesus, 219 00:14:21,640 --> 00:14:28,520 only the finished work of you, dying on the cross, raising from 220 00:14:28,520 --> 00:14:32,800 the dead, that is the only thing that can give me hope. 221 00:14:33,000 --> 00:14:38,480 They didn't have the posture of humility necessary to 222 00:14:38,480 --> 00:14:42,800 acknowledge that, to walk in the light of the gospel. 223 00:14:44,320 --> 00:14:50,240 So Paul reminds them of this Old Testament rebuke and this 224 00:14:50,240 --> 00:14:52,800 warning, though it was spoken to the Israelites in the Old 225 00:14:52,800 --> 00:14:55,600 Testament, it's spoken to the people now. 226 00:14:58,160 --> 00:15:01,720 It's still as relevant of a warning for us today. 227 00:15:03,800 --> 00:15:07,880 For this people's heart has grown dull with their ears they 228 00:15:07,880 --> 00:15:13,200 can barely hear and their eyes they have closed unless they see 229 00:15:13,200 --> 00:15:15,520 with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with 230 00:15:15,520 --> 00:15:18,520 their heart and turn. It's that same word that that 231 00:15:18,520 --> 00:15:22,520 repentance that turned from this life and turned towards Jesus. 232 00:15:23,520 --> 00:15:27,120 Then I would heal them. But they didn't do the turning 233 00:15:27,120 --> 00:15:28,840 they didn't want. They didn't want to leave the 234 00:15:28,840 --> 00:15:32,120 things of the world behind and turn to the things above. 235 00:15:34,080 --> 00:15:37,880 So their eyes stayed closed, their ears stayed shut, and 236 00:15:37,880 --> 00:15:40,440 their hearts did not have understanding. 237 00:15:44,080 --> 00:15:49,080 Church, may we never be a people whose hearts grow dull for 238 00:15:49,120 --> 00:15:53,120 Jesus. May we never be a people whose 239 00:15:53,120 --> 00:15:58,720 ears are deaf to the hope and grace and love that His Word 240 00:15:58,720 --> 00:16:01,800 brings. May we never be a people whose 241 00:16:01,800 --> 00:16:09,120 eyes are blind to see how He's working in our lives and in the 242 00:16:09,120 --> 00:16:17,560 lives of those around us. And may we always be a people 243 00:16:18,640 --> 00:16:22,840 acknowledging His goodness in those things, in the things that 244 00:16:22,840 --> 00:16:31,160 we see, in the words that we hear, that He is the One that 245 00:16:31,160 --> 00:16:34,840 every good and perfect gift is from above, from him. 246 00:16:34,840 --> 00:16:39,880 May we acknowledge and have an attitude of gratitude for him 247 00:16:39,880 --> 00:16:47,920 each and every waking moment we get to the end. 248 00:16:47,960 --> 00:16:53,920 And there's kind of an odd ending to this verse 30. 249 00:16:54,600 --> 00:16:58,240 He lived there two whole years at his own expense and welcomed 250 00:16:58,240 --> 00:17:02,440 all who came to him. We don't know all of the 251 00:17:02,440 --> 00:17:04,040 visitors that he had in this two years time. 252 00:17:04,040 --> 00:17:05,800 Remember, he's under house arrest. 253 00:17:05,800 --> 00:17:08,599 There were, there were soldiers that were assigned to guard and 254 00:17:08,599 --> 00:17:12,319 and station him, but he was, he was a skilled tent maker, a 255 00:17:12,319 --> 00:17:14,720 leather worker. So he was, he's been doing that 256 00:17:14,720 --> 00:17:17,280 along the side on his missionary journeys to this point for the 257 00:17:17,280 --> 00:17:21,119 past 20 years. It's, it's right to assume that 258 00:17:21,119 --> 00:17:24,440 he continued doing that and working on that to provide for 259 00:17:24,440 --> 00:17:30,320 his lodging and his staying. We know the letter Philemon in 260 00:17:30,320 --> 00:17:35,520 the New Testament writes about 1 Onissimus, a slave who actually 261 00:17:35,520 --> 00:17:38,600 came and and visited Paul. That would have been in this two 262 00:17:38,600 --> 00:17:45,240 year period of time. He also wrote the letters to the 263 00:17:45,240 --> 00:17:48,400 Philippians and the Galatians and the Ephesians, I'm sorry, 264 00:17:48,400 --> 00:17:51,720 the Philippians, Galatians and Colossians in this two year 265 00:17:51,720 --> 00:17:53,440 period of time. That's when he sent out those 266 00:17:53,440 --> 00:17:57,200 early church letters. So though he was confined to 267 00:17:57,200 --> 00:18:06,080 this space, though he was still under arrest, verse 31, he was 268 00:18:06,080 --> 00:18:09,480 able to proclaim the Kingdom of God and teach about Lord Jesus 269 00:18:09,560 --> 00:18:12,360 with all boldness and without hindrance. 270 00:18:12,560 --> 00:18:14,720 Though on the outside it seems like he would have been 271 00:18:14,720 --> 00:18:19,400 restricted to this one place, his teaching, his encouragement, 272 00:18:19,520 --> 00:18:22,240 and ultimately the building blocks for the churches. 273 00:18:22,240 --> 00:18:34,000 We know it Now still went forth. These are also the closing 274 00:18:34,360 --> 00:18:41,360 verses of Acts. Luke does not record. 275 00:18:42,080 --> 00:18:44,080 We have to rely on other historical sources. 276 00:18:44,080 --> 00:18:48,920 Luke does not record how or when Paul died. 277 00:18:52,320 --> 00:18:59,760 Why do you think he did that? It's kind of what I asked the 278 00:18:59,760 --> 00:19:04,200 kids at the start. And as I reflected on that this 279 00:19:04,200 --> 00:19:09,240 week, that's that's kind of the answer that I found myself 280 00:19:09,240 --> 00:19:14,360 giving. He didn't record Paul's death 281 00:19:15,200 --> 00:19:21,000 because it was more about how Paul lived than how he died, 282 00:19:21,400 --> 00:19:26,440 right? He didn't record Paul's death 283 00:19:26,440 --> 00:19:29,480 because that was not the end for the church. 284 00:19:29,680 --> 00:19:33,880 The church would continue to go on and the Kingdom of God would 285 00:19:33,880 --> 00:19:36,840 continue to go forth with all boldness and without hindrance. 286 00:19:37,360 --> 00:19:47,770 Death couldn't stop it. For us. 287 00:19:47,770 --> 00:19:55,370 I think it's very similar. How we live our lives is going 288 00:19:55,370 --> 00:20:00,130 to in the end being end up being far more memorable. 289 00:20:02,120 --> 00:20:06,000 Far more impactful than how we die. 290 00:20:09,320 --> 00:20:14,800 Yes, there are some heroic instances that that could mark 291 00:20:14,800 --> 00:20:17,600 significant events, but think about the most famous person 292 00:20:17,600 --> 00:20:21,680 that you know and how they died. Kristen and I were talking about 293 00:20:22,000 --> 00:20:24,400 Elvis this morning. Does anyone know how Elvis died? 294 00:20:29,120 --> 00:20:34,920 Is that is how he died more memorable than how he lived? 295 00:20:37,120 --> 00:20:43,680 I don't think so. But then that got me thinking 296 00:20:43,680 --> 00:20:48,360 about of how much do we elevate the life that Paul lived? 297 00:20:48,360 --> 00:20:55,040 Because I also don't think that Paul would say the life he lived 298 00:20:55,120 --> 00:20:57,720 was so much more important than how he died. 299 00:21:02,640 --> 00:21:09,600 The life that Jesus Christ lived was ultimately more important 300 00:21:10,000 --> 00:21:15,840 than how Paul died. Paul wasn't here for accolades. 301 00:21:17,280 --> 00:21:22,920 Paul wasn't here to be the greatest apostle, though some 302 00:21:23,280 --> 00:21:25,280 rightly so, have have called him that. 303 00:21:29,440 --> 00:21:33,720 Paul lived a life that was faithful to what Jesus called 304 00:21:33,720 --> 00:21:37,120 him to. And I still hold to that 305 00:21:37,120 --> 00:21:41,040 conclusion that I gave it, that I gave the kids a few moments 306 00:21:41,040 --> 00:21:44,440 ago. Jesus Christ is the only figure 307 00:21:44,440 --> 00:21:51,840 in history whose death was more important than their life. 308 00:21:52,600 --> 00:21:58,000 I think everybody else think of inventors, celebrities even, 309 00:21:58,280 --> 00:22:04,160 even heroes, even people who did lay down their life for others 310 00:22:04,160 --> 00:22:11,720 and died heroically. I think even that final life 311 00:22:11,720 --> 00:22:16,200 saving action was probably more informed by the life they lived, 312 00:22:16,200 --> 00:22:20,200 the person they were, the whatever the character or ethic 313 00:22:20,280 --> 00:22:26,880 or faith they had that brought them to that point to lay down 314 00:22:26,880 --> 00:22:32,320 their life for their friends. Still far more defined by the 315 00:22:32,320 --> 00:22:34,480 life they live than the life they died. 316 00:22:35,040 --> 00:22:38,720 Jesus flips that on his head and he was the only one in existence 317 00:22:38,920 --> 00:22:40,720 who lived a completely perfect life. 318 00:22:41,120 --> 00:22:48,040 He lived the best life, the most perfect life, and his death was 319 00:22:48,040 --> 00:22:54,320 still greater. His death, his perfect sacrifice 320 00:22:54,320 --> 00:23:02,040 poured out for this rebellious people, for us rebellious 321 00:23:02,040 --> 00:23:06,240 people, was still greater than the life that he lived. 322 00:23:07,440 --> 00:23:10,880 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his 323 00:23:10,880 --> 00:23:15,360 life for his friends. He showed the greatest action of 324 00:23:15,360 --> 00:23:26,360 love on the cross and and he called you his friend in that 325 00:23:26,440 --> 00:23:32,760 action Jesus Christ called each and every person throughout the 326 00:23:32,760 --> 00:23:39,280 course of history His friend. You are secure in that hope 327 00:23:39,920 --> 00:23:46,560 today. So Church. 328 00:23:53,160 --> 00:23:59,000 The story of Paul did not end up being one that focused on how he 329 00:23:59,000 --> 00:24:04,240 died. The story of the book of Acts is 330 00:24:04,240 --> 00:24:14,640 so much more on how he lived. In the example of Christ, Paul 331 00:24:14,720 --> 00:24:20,040 at no point was living not to die. 332 00:24:22,160 --> 00:24:25,320 He was not living his life to avoid the dying. 333 00:24:26,120 --> 00:24:29,600 He went straight to the place that it was promised he would 334 00:24:29,600 --> 00:24:39,160 die, that it would end in Rome. He was not living his life so 335 00:24:39,160 --> 00:24:48,200 focused on not dying, on avoiding death, that it affected 336 00:24:48,200 --> 00:24:53,480 how he lived. May we as a people, as a church, 337 00:24:57,360 --> 00:24:59,160 there's a lot of dying churches out there. 338 00:24:59,640 --> 00:25:03,440 There's a lot of struggling churches and peoples out there 339 00:25:03,680 --> 00:25:07,520 that have gotten wrapped up and focused in how to not die. 340 00:25:10,760 --> 00:25:18,160 That makes me sad. Breaks my heart for those groups 341 00:25:18,160 --> 00:25:23,360 of Christians that are now focused on how to not die than 342 00:25:23,360 --> 00:25:30,520 on how they should live. I think that's kind of a self 343 00:25:30,520 --> 00:25:34,680 fulfilling prophecy though. If we live our lives as a 344 00:25:34,680 --> 00:25:39,480 church, as a people, as followers of Christ focused on 345 00:25:39,720 --> 00:25:44,880 not dying, I think we're probably going to end up right 346 00:25:44,880 --> 00:25:48,440 there constantly figuring out how not to die, then how we 347 00:25:48,440 --> 00:25:52,960 ought to be living. I think we have this example 348 00:25:52,960 --> 00:25:58,440 here in Paul. We're not just Biden time on 349 00:25:58,440 --> 00:26:07,120 this earth. We're not just waiting to return 350 00:26:07,120 --> 00:26:11,640 to ash. You're made for more. 351 00:26:11,960 --> 00:26:20,360 You're made to bring this unhindered gospel with all 352 00:26:20,360 --> 00:26:24,560 boldness, without hindrance to the ends of the earth. 353 00:26:26,480 --> 00:26:31,320 They're made for more. Let's live in his life. 354 00:26:36,640 --> 00:26:38,880 Thanks for listening to ERC Sundays. 355 00:26:39,160 --> 00:26:42,320 To support the work God is doing an Emmaus Rd. church, visit 356 00:26:42,320 --> 00:26:45,280 emmausrdonline.org/giving.