Acts 28: 17-31

Turn with me in your Bibles to Acts 28.

If you're looking in a pew Bible, that is page 937.

This morning we are concluding our eight-month-long series in the book of Acts

and reading the last half of the last chapter.

So let's read that together.

Acts 28, starting at verse 17.

After three days, he, Paul, called together the local leaders of the Jews.

And when they had gathered, he said to them,

Brothers, though I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers,

yet I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans.

When they had examined me, they wished to set me at liberty

because there was no reason for the death penalty in my case.

But because the Jews objected, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar,

though I had no charge to bring against my nation.

For this reason, therefore, I have asked to see you and speak with you

since it is because of the hope of Israel that I am wearing this chain.

And they said to him,

We have received no letters from Judea about you,

and none of the brothers coming here has reported or spoken any evil about you.

But we desire to hear from you what your views are.

For with regard to this sect, we know that everywhere it is spoken against.

When they had appointed a day for him, they came to him at his lodging in greater numbers.

From morning till evening, he expounded to them,

testifying to the kingdom of God,

and trying to convince them about Jesus,

both from the law of Moses and from the prophets.

And some were convinced by what he said,

but others disbelieved.

And disagreeing among themselves,

they departed after Paul had made one statement.

The Holy Spirit was right in saying to your fathers through Isaiah the prophet,

Go to this people and say,

You will indeed hear, but never understand.

And you will indeed see, but never perceive.

For this people's heart has grown dull,

and with their ears they can barely hear,

and their eyes they have closed,

lest they should see with their eyes,

and hear with their ears,

and understand with their heart,

and turn, and I would heal them.

Therefore let it be known to you

that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles.

They will listen.

He lived there two whole years at his own expense,

and welcomed all who came to him,

proclaiming the kingdom of God,

and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ,

with all boldness,

and without hindrance.

Well, the book of Acts ends

with the apostle Paul confined

under house arrest in Rome.

Rome was the largest city

in the ancient world,

populated by over one million people.

The city was full of three- to five-story apartment buildings,

crammed against each other,

surrounded by busy streets on all sides,

perhaps with a small interior courtyard within.

Most people rented small cubicles,

or simple two-room apartments,

with no running water,

little climate control,

and no soundproofing.

Rental prices were exorbitant,

four times higher than elsewhere in Italy,

but the apartments were notoriously badly maintained.

This is where Paul found himself,

stuck.

For two whole years,

awaiting trial,

verse 16 says,

Paul was allowed to stay by himself

with the soldier who guarded him.

He was literally chained to a guard.

The guard would rotate every four hours.

He was confined to his simple apartment,

and perhaps the hallways

and adjoining courtyard of his building.

He could receive visitors,

but he was restricted

from moving about freely.

Now, some of you

may be able to identify with Paul,

understand what he was feeling.

Perhaps you've visited people in prison,

or even spent time in prison,

or facing charges,

whether rightly or wrongly.

Maybe you know what that feels like.

But even if you've never been confined

for legal reasons,

I wonder if you felt stuck,

or isolated,

or confined.

Maybe you feel financially stuck.

You're in debt.

Or you don't have enough money

to get what you want.

Maybe you feel relationally isolated.

Perhaps you feel stuck in your house,

raising your kids.

You feel like you have few opportunities

for intellectual engagement,

an adult company.

Maybe you feel confined in a marriage

that isn't what you hoped

or expected it would be.

Maybe you feel geographically constrained.

Maybe you're here in New Haven

for one reason,

because your spouse is here,

and you would never choose

to live here yourself.

Or you're here because you're homeless.

You literally have nowhere else

but the shelter to stay.

Maybe you look around

at all the people from Yale,

and you think,

what am I here for?

I have no value in this city.

Or maybe you are at Yale.

Maybe you feel swamped

by five extracurricular organizations

recruiting you to join them.

Freshmen just wait for the bazaar this afternoon.

Or by massive amounts of reading

expected by your professors,

or by the demands of your lab

and the pressure to publish.

Maybe you feel vocationally confined.

Maybe you're unemployed.

All the doors seem to be closing on you.

Or maybe you have a job,

but it feels toilsome

and futile and draining.

What we see here

at the conclusion to the book of Acts

is the Apostle Paul confined and chained.

He's been a captive in Roman custody

for four and a half years.

Two years in Caesarea,

six months on the way to Rome,

two more years in Rome.

He stood trial

before the Jewish ruling council

in Jerusalem,

before Governor Felix

and Governor Festus

and King Agrippa in Caesarea.

And at the end of the book,

he's still awaiting a verdict.

But despite his prolonged confinement,

the Apostle Paul was not just surviving,

he was thriving.

He was proclaiming the kingdom of God

and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ

with all boldness

and without hindrance.

That word boldness

can also be translated joyful freedom.

It's a word that means openness,

courage,

straightforwardness,

fearlessness,

clear,

candid,

confident speech

without hindrance,

without being prevented

or restrained,

without giving up

or holding anything back.

Well, this morning,

I want us to see how

even when we feel

most stuck

and isolated

and confined

that we can not only survive

but thrive.

that by the power

of the Holy Spirit,

we can speak

of the risen Lord Jesus

with all boldness

and without hindrance.

This morning,

I want to look at two things

that Paul was convinced of.

Two things

that made him bold

and unhindered,

joyfully free

to not hold anything back

despite his physical captivity.

First of all,

Paul was convinced

of God's faithfulness

in fulfilling his promises

to the people of Israel.

Now, I would imagine

that if you feel stuck

or confined

or isolated

that probably most of us

don't immediately think about

God's promises long ago

to the people of Israel.

But this is actually

a crucial point.

Let me explain.

The reason why

Luke wrote

both the Gospel of Luke

and the Book of Acts

was to introduce Gentiles

in the Roman Empire

to a faith rooted in

the land,

the people,

and the scriptures

of Israel.

If you look at

the first few verses

of Luke and Acts,

Luke addresses a man

named Theophilus.

He calls him

Most Excellent Theophilus.

Luke chapter 1, verse 3.

Luke 1:3

Which may indicate

that Theophilus

was a high-ranking

Roman official.

Because Luke uses

that same term

to refer to

Governor Felix

and Governor Festus

in Acts 24 and 26.

But whoever Theophilus was,

the recipient of these books,

he seems to have been

a recent convert

to Christianity,

a new believer

who had some questions,

some uncertainties.

Luke says,

at the beginning

of his Gospel,

I'm writing these things

to you

in order to assure you

of the certainty,

of the trustworthiness,

of the things

that you have been taught.

Now perhaps you,

like Theophilus,

are new to Christianity.

Maybe you're new to church.

Perhaps you have

questions or doubts.

One of the ways

Luke goes about

reassuring Theophilus

of the trustworthiness

of the Christian faith

is by showing

that in Jesus,

God has fulfilled

his ancient promises

to the people of Israel.

You see,

long ago,

God promised Abraham

that his descendants

would grow into

a great nation

and that through

his offspring,

all the peoples

of the earth

would receive

God's blessing.

Now if you read

the Old Testament

at various times

throughout Israel's history,

it seems like

God's plan

and God's promise

were hanging by a thread

and nearly tanked.

Right?

At one point,

the people of Israel

are living in Egypt

and they're gradually

enslaved.

They're living

under the tyranny

of Pharaoh

who wants to

annihilate them.

They were despairing

and embittered

but God was faithful.

He raised up

Moses and Aaron

to set his people free.

Well,

once they escaped

from slavery in Egypt,

they wandered

in the desert

for 40 years

and sometimes

God himself

became so angry

at their complaining

and disputing

and faithlessness

and rebellion

against him

that he nearly

wiped them out.

But God raised up

Moses

to stand in the gap

and intercede

for them.

God was faithful

to preserve them

through the desert.

Later on,

they entered

the promised land

but then they were

divided

by internal rivalries

and threatened

by enemies

who were more powerful

than they

but God was faithful

once again.

He sent his Holy Spirit

on a man named David

and to save David

through mocking

and suffering

and rejection

and exile

and death threats.

And after David's suffering,

God raised David

up to glory

as the king

who unified

the people of Israel

and defeated

their enemies.

But then after David,

it all went downhill again.

The kingdom divided.

The nation of Israel,

instead of becoming

a light to the world,

they became

often just as corrupt

and immoral

and idolatrous

as everyone else.

Over and over,

God sent the prophets

to call them back

but they refused

to listen.

When God called Isaiah

to be a prophet,

he said,

go and tell this people

they will hear

and not understand.

They will see

but not perceive

because their hearts

have grown dull,

their ears heavy,

their eyes blind

and so the cities

will lie waste

without inhabitants,

houses without people.

The land will be

a desolate waste.

And in 587 BC,

that's exactly what happened.

Jerusalem was destroyed,

the people were carried

into exile.

It seemed like

it was all over.

But once again,

God was faithful.

He preserved a remnant

through the exile

and he brought them

back home once again.

Over and over

through the history

of Israel,

we see this pattern

that despite the people's

rejection

and unfaithfulness

that God was faithful

to his word

and he was faithful

to his people.

And in the gospel

of Luke,

what Luke shows us

is that in the coming

of Jesus,

God was faithful

to his promises

to Israel

by sending Jesus

into the world

to be the promised Messiah.

If you read

in Luke chapter 1,

Luke 1 · chapter mention

Mary,

the mother of Jesus,

proclaims,

God has helped

his servant Israel

in remembrance

of his mercy

as he spoke

to our fathers,

to Abraham

and his offspring.

And then Zechariah

says a similar thing,

blessed be the Lord,

the God of Israel,

he's visited

and redeemed

his people.

He's raised up

salvation for us

in the house of David

as he spoke

through his holy prophets

from of old.

God's faithful

to his promises

and as Luke unfolds

the life of Jesus,

the way Luke tells

the story,

he shows us

that Jesus relived

the story of Israel.

Jesus spent 40 days

in the wilderness

where the people

of Israel

had spent 40 years

and rebelled

against God

and Jesus faced

the greatest temptation

of all,

Satan himself

and he stood firm

and he held on

to God's word

and then Jesus

went up to Jerusalem,

the city where David

had reigned as king

and many people

hailed him

as the king

who comes

in the name

of the Lord.

But Jesus reminded

his disciples

over and over

that his kingdom

would not be defined

by military force

but by service

and love.

And finally,

Jesus relived

Israel's greatest tragedy

of all,

the exile.

In his death

on a cross,

he was condemned,

rejected,

mocked,

and laid waste

and buried

in a tomb.

Once again,

it seemed like

it was all over.

But once again,

in the most glorious way,

God was faithful

just as God

had sustained David

through his suffering

and later raised him

up to glory.

God sustained Jesus

through his suffering

and death

and raised him up

to glory

through his resurrection

and not only that,

he exalted Jesus

as the promised Messiah

of Israel

and the rightful Lord

of all creation.

The child of Abraham

through whom all

the nations of the world

would receive God's salvation

and God's blessing.

That's what Luke

wants us to know.

And you might ask,

what does this have to do

with the apostle Paul

confined in his house

in Rome

and what does that

have to do with us today?

Well, look at what Paul did

in verse 17

when he finally got to Rome.

After three days,

doesn't waste any time,

he called together

the local leaders

of the Jews.

He intentionally engaged

the Jewish leaders

in Rome

as he had done

in every city

that he visited

because Paul was

deeply convinced

of God's faithfulness

to his promises

to Israel.

Paul said in verse 20,

it's because of the hope

of Israel

that I'm wearing

this chain.

Paul was absolutely

convinced

of God's faithfulness

to Israel

and so on the one hand,

Paul gladly identified

with his people.

Look at verse 17.

He talks about our people,

the customs of our fathers.

Verse 19,

he said,

I had no charge

to bring

against my nation.

Now,

Paul had been

beaten up

by a Jewish mob

in Jerusalem,

nearly killed,

falsely accused

of a capital offense

by some Jews

from Asia

who then no-showed

in court

during the trial.

Paul probably could

have launched

a countersuit

against them

for malicious prosecution.

He probably had

some evidence,

but he says,

I have no charge

to bring.

Even though

he had been

badly treated

by many Jews

in many different places,

Paul calls together

the Jews in Rome

and he says,

I want you to know

I have nothing

against you.

I have nothing

against our people.

I want to speak

with you.

I mean,

isn't that how

many people

become prejudiced

against one group

of people

or another?

They have bad experiences

with some people

in a particular group

and then they see

everyone in that group

through that lens.

But Paul did not

do that.

You see,

the Christianity

that Paul preached

and Luke wrote about

is not anti-Jewish

or anti-Semitic.

In one sense,

Christianity is not

a new religion

that began

2,000 years ago.

It's an outgrowth

of God's covenant

with Abraham,

Isaac,

and Jacob

that started

long before that.

The Apostle Paul

would have been horrified

at the history

of Christian

anti-Semitism

over the last

2,000 years.

Not only people

like Hitler

who twisted the cross

into a swastika

and certainly

was not a true Christian,

but even great

Christian leaders

like John Chrysostom

and Martin Luther

expressed deep hostility

toward Jews

as a people

on several occasions.

And then think

of all the ordinary

German Christians

during the Holocaust,

some of whom

acted heroically,

but many of whom

remained silent.

There's an ugly history

of Christians

being violent

at worst

and passive

at best

toward Jews

as a people.

We should recognize it

and pray that God

will cleanse our hearts

and give us

the burning love

that Paul had

for his own people

even when he had been

badly mistreated

by some of them.

Paul gladly identified

with the people

of Israel.

But at the same time,

Paul courageously testified

to his fellow Jews

about Jesus,

their Messiah

who called

for their allegiance.

Verse 23,

he tried to convince them

about Jesus,

both from the law

of Moses

and from the prophets.

In verse 25 to 27,

he issued a warning

and challenge

in the words

that Isaiah

had spoken long ago.

Paul did not believe

that God has one covenant

for Jews

and another covenant

for Gentiles

and therefore Christians

who were assumed

to be Gentiles

should not seek

to persuade Jews

to become believers

in Jesus.

Paul did not believe that.

Paul himself

was a Jewish believer

in Jesus the Messiah

and he wanted

every one of his Jewish

brothers in the flesh

to become his brothers

in the Messiah as well

and some did.

Verse 24,

some were convinced.

Now what does this look like

practically for us?

To believe

in God's faithfulness

to his promises

to Israel

fulfilled in Jesus.

Well for some of us

I think the first step

would be to become familiar

with the first half

of our Bible.

It's called

the Old Testament.

Paul reasoned about Jesus

from the Old Testament.

Many of us

don't have a clue

what half of the Old Testament

is all about.

Where do you start?

First,

read through the Old Testament

in large chunks

so you get the big picture.

Lots of people

get bogged down

in the details.

Focus on the big story.

Listen to it

while you're driving

in the car.

Or if you're strapped

for time,

read the first

and last chapter

of each book

and skim the rest.

It works sometimes.

It doesn't work

in Leviticus,

just a warning.

It works mostly

in the narrative books.

If you want

a study guide

to help you get

the big picture,

there's a great one

called Full of Promise.

It's not a long book.

It's a study guide

that will help you

see the big picture

of the Old Testament.

I'll give you one for free

if you want it,

if you'll use it.

Or come to the evening service

this fall.

We're preaching through

the book of 2 Samuel.

Focus on the life of David,

one of the central characters

in the Old Testament.

That's a great way

to dig into the Old Testament

or join a study group

that's focused on

reading through

an Old Testament book.

So first,

let's get to know

the Law and the Prophets,

the Hebrew Scriptures.

For some of us,

the first step

might be initiating

relationship

with your Jewish neighbors.

If you're a Yale student,

go eat at Slifka.

The food's great.

Or visit one of the Jewish services

over the High Holy Days

later this month.

Learn from the wisdom

that God has given

to the Jewish community

over the centuries.

If you have Jewish neighbors

or coworkers,

ask good questions.

Like,

tell me more about Yom Kippur,

the Day of Atonement.

What does that mean to you?

In Leviticus 16,

it says,

on one day of the year,

atonement shall be made

to cleanse the people

from all their sins.

But before you ask

your Jewish friend

what they think

about Yom Kippur,

reflect on

what the Apostle John says

in the New Testament.

the blood of Jesus Christ

cleanses us

from all sin.

That Jesus is

that ultimate

cleansing sacrifice.

He has actually provided

that cleansing sacrifice

that deep down

we all know

we really need

in order to draw near

to God

and be made right

with God.

See,

as we listen well

to God's word

in the Old Testament,

as we listen well

to our Jewish neighbors,

we'll be able to testify

as Paul did,

courageously and freely,

about Jesus the Messiah,

the fulfillment

of God's promises

to Israel.

So that's the first thing

that Paul was convinced of.

God's faithfulness

to his promises

to Israel.

But the second thing

that he was convinced of

was God's purpose

to bring his salvation

to the nations.

Verse 28,

therefore let it be known

to you

that this salvation

of God

has been sent

to the Gentiles.

They will listen.

And we've seen this theme

throughout the book of Acts.

In Jesus the Messiah,

God has not only fulfilled

his ancient promises

to Israel,

he's carried forth

his eternal purpose

to bring salvation

to the world,

to the ends of the earth.

And this isn't just

a New Testament innovation.

The prophet Isaiah said

to Israel,

I will make you a light

for the nations

that my salvation

may reach the end

of the earth.

That was God's promise

to Abraham in the first place.

You see,

this is why

in writing a book

for Gentile Christians

in the Roman Empire

like Theophilus,

Luke cared so much

to establish

how God had been faithful

to his promises

to Israel.

I mean,

if you're a Gentile Christian

living now,

why does it matter

if you know

how God fulfilled

his promises to Israel?

Well,

one of the answers is

because in Jesus Christ,

God has now made promises

to you,

too.

And you need to know

how God was faithful

to his promises

in the past

so that you'll be confident

that he will likewise

fulfill his promises

to you in your life,

just like he did to them,

even when it seems

like all is lost,

even when you've

seriously messed up,

even when you're depressed

and can't see the light,

even when you feel stuck

and confined

and isolated.

God is faithful

to his promises,

just like he always

has been.

Luke wanted Theophilus

and all his readers

to know that the gospel

of Jesus is not just

some fringe Jewish sect.

It's not just for one

kind of people

in one part of the world.

It's for all kinds

of people everywhere.

And this is why

in the book of Acts,

Luke has taken us

on a long journey

from Jerusalem,

the focal point

of God's promises

to Israel,

all the way to Rome,

the largest city

in the world,

the capital

of the pagan empire,

with many twists

and turns

along the way.

You know,

if you've been journeying

with us

through the book of Acts

or if you've read through it,

consider the variety

of different people

that the gospel of Jesus

has touched

and transformed

along the way

from Jerusalem to Rome.

Educated Jewish scholars

like Paul

who went from being

a zealous enforcer

of the law

to a joyful

proclaimer of grace.

High-ranking Roman centurions,

soldiers like Cornelius

whose prayers

were answered

and on whom

the Holy Spirit fell.

Lonely African dignitaries

like the Ethiopian eunuch

who found in Jesus

a treasure

better than sons

and daughters,

better than traveling

the world.

Intellectual Athenian leaders

like Dionysius

and Damaris

who joined Paul

and believed

even when others mocked.

Well-to-do businesswomen

like Lydia

whose heart

was open to God

and who opened

her home to the church.

But it wasn't just

well-to-do

high-ranking

intellectual types.

It was also

disabled men

like Aeneas

who was set free

from inhibitions

and restored

to a life

of meaningful activity.

Devout women

like Tabitha

who spent her time

and resources

clothing vulnerable widows

with honor

and dignity.

Sleepy teenagers

like Eutychus

who became living examples

of the life-giving power

of Jesus.

He fell out the window

died

and was raised to life

all in the middle

of Paul's sermon.

And a hardened

Philippian jailer

who nearly killed

himself in terror

and that same night

found joy

and salvation

through faith in Jesus

along with his entire

household.

Luke wants us to see

the gospel of Jesus

is for men

and women

for rich

and poor

for Jew

and Gentile

for world leaders

and ordinary folks

for prisoners

and jailers

for able-bodied

and handicapped.

It's for all kinds

of people everywhere.

It's for you.

The book of Acts

is not a biography

of early church leaders.

It's not written

to glorify the exploits

of Peter and Paul

or compare them

to one another.

Interestingly,

Paul's story

is left unfinished.

For four and a half years

for the last eight chapters

he's been awaiting trial.

Standing trial five times

and then it gets continued

and passed on

to another court.

On the boat to Rome

an angel of the Lord

assured Paul

he would certainly

stand before Caesar

and then he gets to Rome

and the story ends.

No trial before Caesar.

No final verdict.

We're left wondering

would he be vindicated

or would he be martyred?

If you want to know

what happened to Paul

you have to piece together

the story from other sources.

Most likely

he was vindicated

and released

then carried out

a mission to Western Europe

perhaps to Spain

where he always wanted to go.

That would have been

the end of the earth

seen then.

Two or three years later

he came back to Rome

where he was arrested

and this time

beheaded by Emperor Nero.

That's the most likely

conclusion to Paul's life

that we can't be totally sure

but that's not where Luke

leaves us.

Luke doesn't leave us

marveling at Paul.

He leaves us marveling

at the prevailing power

of the word of God

to overcome all kinds

of opposition

as it spreads

from Jerusalem

to the end of the earth.

He doesn't wrap up

the story neatly.

He leaves us in the middle

of an ongoing story

because we are invited

to step into that story

and continue it.

Turn in your bulletin

to page four

the middle page.

There's an outline

of the book of Acts.

Acts 1:8

Chapter 1 verse 8

quoted at the top

the risen Lord Jesus

said to his disciples

you will receive power

when the Holy Spirit

comes upon you

and you shall be

my witnesses

in Jerusalem

and Judea

and Samaria

and to the end

of the earth.

And that's the progression

of the book of Acts

as you can see

in the outline.

Now Rome

would not have been seen

as the end of the earth.

It would have been seen

as the center of the empire.

But as they said

back then

all roads lead to Rome

and therefore

if you get to Rome

you can get anywhere.

And if the gospel

of Jesus

can take root in Rome

it can go anywhere

and everywhere.

Now along the way

from Jerusalem to Rome

the Christian message

and the Christian messengers

have faced

all kinds of opposition

both internal

within the church

and external

from opponents.

They faced opposition

in Jerusalem

from jealous

temple authorities

who wanted to shut down

the Jesus movement

from the start.

From deceptive church members

Ananias and Sapphira

who wanted to appear

sacrificially generous

when they really weren't.

From grumbling

Greek speaking widows

and neglectful

Hebrew speaking Christians

that nearly led

to a church split

right from the start.

From greedy magicians

in Samaria

who wanted to buy

the gift of God

with money.

From zealous

Jewish Christians

who wanted Gentile believers

to adopt

not only

the faith in the Messiah

but also their culture

and their traditions.

From slave owners

in Philippi

who made a fortune

off a fortune telling slave

and were furious

when she was set free.

From a violent mob

in Thessalonica

who accused the apostles

of turning the world

upside down.

From mocking intellectuals

in Athens

who were addicted

to novel ideas

but allergic

to Paul's proclamation

of the resurrection.

From well-meaning

but mistaken believers

in Tyre

who urged Paul

to take an easier road

instead of the difficult

and dangerous visit

to Jerusalem.

From self-serving judges

in Caesarea

who postponed their verdicts

in hope of a bribe.

From raging storms

on the Mediterranean

and poisonous stakes

on Malta

but none of these obstacles

could stop

the progress

of the word of God.

There are six major sections

in the book of Acts

and they each concluded

the summary statement

about the progress

of God's word

despite internal

and external opposition.

At the beginning

of this last major section

1921

Paul resolved

in the spirit

to go to Jerusalem

and then to Rome

and that's exactly

what he did.

Perhaps not in the way

he envisioned

but he got there.

And so Luke's

final summary statement

verse 31

is a word of triumph.

Despite Paul's chains

and confinement

being stuck

in his apartment

the message

of the kingdom of God

and the Lord Jesus Christ

goes forth boldly

and unhindered.

Even in Rome

Paul's chains

were the gospel's wings.

He was chained

to a guard

that rotated

every four hours

for Paul

that was an ongoing

opportunity

to speak about the gospel.

He had a captive audience

who couldn't leave him

even if they wanted to.

In Philippians 1

he wrote

I want you to know

brothers and sisters

that what has happened

to me

has really served

to advance the gospel.

It has become known

throughout the whole

imperial guard

and to all the rest

that my imprisonment

is for Christ.

Furthermore

the Christians in Rome

were encouraged.

Most of the brothers

and sisters

having become confident

in the Lord

by my imprisonment

are much more bold

to speak the word of God

without fear.

Other Christians

also spoke

with this joyful freedom

without holding anything back.

At the end of Philippians

Philippians 4:22

chapter 4 verse 22

Paul refers to some

in Caesar's own household

who had become

believers in Jesus.

When Paul wasn't

proclaiming the kingdom of God

to his guards

or his inquiring visitors

or meeting with

his fellow Christians

who came to visit him

and care for his needs

he was writing.

Philippians

Ephesians

Colossians

Philemon

Ben Witherington

in his commentary

on Acts

concluded it this way

no obstacle

could hinder

the word of God

from reaching

the heart of the empire

and the hearts

of those who dwelled there

in the end

God was sovereign

and God

was faithful

to his word

and his people

no obstacle

was too great

for the God

who raised Jesus

to overcome

in bringing salvation

to the world

that he loved

and brothers and sisters

in the Lord Jesus Christ

there is no obstacle

that you are facing

in your circumstances

in your past

in your present

or in your future

that is too great

for the God

who raised Jesus

from the dead

to overcome

because he is sovereign

and he is faithful

to his word

and his people

even when you feel stuck

and isolated

and confined

you too can live

with all boldness

and without hindrance

as the word of God

dwells richly

in you

and when the word of God

dwells richly in you

the word of God

will go forth from you

into your workplace

into your marriage

into your college

into your apartment building

into the homeless shelter

into the prison

your prison

whatever that might be

brothers and sisters

live with joyful freedom

live without holding

anything back

God has been faithful

to his promises

to Israel

and God has purposed

to bring his salvation

to the ends of the earth

to all kinds of people

everywhere

including us

and now we are called

to carry on that story

let us pray

Almighty God

we thank you

for your faithfulness

to your word

and to your people

for your faithfulness

to your promises

to Israel

and for your purpose

to bring salvation

to the ends of the earth

and we pray

that you would empower us

as you did Paul

by your Holy Spirit

that we would

live and speak

with all boldness

and without hindrance

in Jesus name we pray

Amen