Acts - Week 19 (28:16-31)

This is ERC Sundays, the messages at Emmaus Rd.

Church in DeWitt, Iowa. ERC is a Church of people

striving to grow in Jesus and make him known to others through

our faith, words and actions. Find out more about our church

at emmausrdonline.org. Here's this week's message.

We are finishing. We did it.

We've been in East OR, we've been in Acts since Easter and we

are finishing up Chapter 28 today.

If you recall from last week, Paul is on journey.

He's in captivity. He's been on trial for years.

A storm and a shipwreck. They get shipwrecked on the

island of Malta, and from there they eventually get sent out

again. They get back on their journey.

All along the way, Jesus renews his promise to Paul that he will

bring the gospel to the ends of the earth, that he will.

He will preach the gospel to rulers and kings and all

peoples, and he's promised that he's going to do it in Rome.

So Paul is safe and secure in this promise.

That hasn't changed, though the circumstances have changed.

And though the route that Paul probably had in his mind of how

he was going to get to Rome wasn't, it was changing along

the way, right? There was strife and there was,

there was persecution. There were detours along the

way, but the word from Jesus that he would make it to Rome,

that he would preach in Rome, that hasn't changed and it's

been reiterated to him. It's been encouraged to him by

Jesus, by the Holy Spirit along the way.

Then we get to finally where we are in Acts chapter 28.

Acts 28 · chapter mention

We're going to pick up at verse 16 this morning.

Verses will be up on the screen. If you want to follow along,

there's Bibles in the chair racks in front of you.

We're going to pick up Acts chapter 28 starting at verse 16,

Acts 28 · chapter mention

reading in Jesus name. When we came into Rome, Paul was

allowed to stay by himself with the soldier who guarded him.

After three days, he called together the local leaders of

the Jews. 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 examine me, they wish 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. They, the Jews, 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. Some were convinced by what he

said, but others disbelieved and disagreeing among themselves.

They departed after Paul, after he had made one statement.

The Holy Spirit was right in saying to your father's through

Isaiah the prophet, quoting Isaiah here, back to the people

of Israel, back to the Jews. Go to this people and say, you

will indeed hear, but never understand.

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.

Paul did lived in Rome 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.

This is the word of Godfather God, Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit,

open our hearts and minds to teach us by the truth of Your

word here this morning. May Your word go forth

unhindered. May it go forth in all boldness

for your glory and our good in Jesus name, Amen.

When we came into Rome, remember that Luke is authoring this

letter, this book and at this point he's a travelling

companion of Paul's. They've made it.

They've made it to the promised city.

Paul still under some sort of pseudo house arrest because he's

remember he's waiting to be on trial with Caesar.

He actually filed an appeal because the Jews were constantly

accusing him, though without standing.

And we, we've the past few weeks, we've made our way

through Felix and Festus and Agrippa and all this sort of

Court of Appeals thing. Finally, Paul just says, you

know what? We're going to Caesar.

I'm appealing to Caesar. So you all just leave me alone.

You've had no complaint. None of these rulers have found

anything worth killing me for. And now I just want, I want to

hear it from the Supreme Court. Basically is is where he's going

to Caesar, that Caesar would decide and ultimately it would

be finished one way or the other.

He would either be charged guilty and killed or he would be

set free for good. And no one could overturn that.

So they get to Rome, verse 17. After three days, he called

together the local leaders of the Jews because remember, he's

still operating under this promise that he would bring the

gospel both to Jews. The, the quote UN quote people

of God and also the Gentiles, basically everybody else.

He comes before them and he as he does so well, we've seen it

in the courtrooms with the rulers.

We see it now with just regular ordinary people.

Paul meets them where they're at.

Brothers, I'm one. I'm one of you as you are,

though I had done nothing against our people.

He again includes him in the group against our people or our

customs. I was delivered as a prisoner

from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans.

He then goes on to to relay his experience of they found no

reason to kill me. So I'm here.

I'm bringing the gospel to you because they have no charge to

prevent me from speaking. For this reason, then, verse 20,

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.

Make no mistake, even though the rulers and the authorities had

found no formal reason to kill or even incarcerate Paul for the

foreseeable future, they didn't like what he was doing.

They were. They weren't a fan.

But they were also fearful of the fallout of the rebellion

might come if they made Paul a martyr without having a valid

case against him. And by their laws, because he

was a Roman citizen, they couldn't just Willy nilly often

there. There would be an uprising,

there would be rebellion that they probably couldn't handle at

at this point. So Paul referencing this

persecution, it's because of the hope of Israel that I'm wearing

this chain. I'm still being persecuted for

sharing the gospel of Christ from, for completing this

message, this mission from Christ to you.

It's gotten me chains. It's gotten me shackles.

I've only received persecution, but still here is word.

Still, I'm here for you to speak with you, to tell you of this

hope that I have. They countered, they said.

We've received no letters, no word.

None of the brothers have spoken any evil about you.

We haven't heard any of this, this bad news, but we want to

hear it from you. We want to hear it from your

mouth. And it's interesting that they

focus so much on your views. We want to hear from you because

I think in the moment we don't see it exactly in the text in

the moment Paul's still humbly in that Christ be magnified

attitude. You've heard Pastor Chris and I

say it before. These aren't our words of truth

that we're teaching here. It's it's God's word of truth

that we are then proclaiming people.

I, I've gotten the question before, what do you, what do you

think about abortion or what, or what do you think about same sex

marriage? And yes, I can have my thoughts

about those things, but the better, more reflective question

for, for a Christian or Christ follower, what does God's word

say about those things that has to inform if I'm purporting to

follow Christ, I better be following what he said about

these things. Otherwise I'm just following me.

I'm just following my feelings or my emotions or my

experiences. They asked Paul for what his

views are. His response is really, well,

this is what Jesus's views are and this is what I'm going to

tell you. So they decide on a day he gives

them the whole gamut, the whole message of the gospel relays his

experience of conversion, how he used to be a persecutor.

Now he's a proclaimer of the gospel trying to convince them

verse 23 here about Jesus, both from the law of Moses and from

the prophets. Remember, we we have we have

modern Bibles that are in a nice little package right here, like

just just a little book that we have all the word of God in at

this time. The best they really had was

scrolls. There wasn't a big comprehensive

collection of the Bible. Really, it wasn't practical to

carry around all of that word. And remember, the New Testament

didn't really exist at this time either.

Paul actually hadn't written several of his letters to the

early church at this moment in time.

So it's interesting that even from the Law of Moses, the first

five books of the Bible, and from the prophets, the rest of

the Old Testament, though Jesus isn't the main person walking

around in any of that timeline right on earth, didn't come to

earth till after all of that. There's still enough in those

scriptures in the Old Testament to convey the gospel of Jesus

Christ to these people. It sounds cliche, and we talk

about the Christology of the whole Bible, how the whole Bible

points to Jesus, but we see it lived out here in Paul.

He's saying these scriptures that you do have these, this Old

Testament that you are maybe familiar with.

It's the only scripture that you would have.

It all screams to Jesus. It all points to Jesus.

I'm telling you about the fulfillment of what you've been

looking forward to in these scriptures, in this Old

Testament reading. That's all I'm doing.

I'm the the, the Savior, the Emmanuel that you have been

looking for. That was talked about in the

prophets. He came, He died, He rose, and

he did it for you. And some were convinced by what

he said, but others still disbelieved.

There's been many moments over the course of this journey that

Paul had to be wildly frustrated that he had to question the

purpose of what he was even doing.

Was he affecting lives? Did the gospel even move in

power to change lives? Because he has had so many

instances like this where he lays out all of the truth and

all of the grace and all of the goodness for a people that are

sorely in need of it. And they say, no, I'm good.

Not not interested in that. Thanks.

I'll figure it out on my own. So Paul's reminded of these

words from Isaiah, the same words that were spoken to Isaiah

through Isaiah, go to this people.

It's the same problem that Isaiah even had, bringing the

message of God. Go to this people and say, you

will indeed hear, but never understand.

You will indeed see but never perceive.

The gospel had been told to them, had been shown to them,

had been testified to them in the life of Paul, pointing them

to Jesus. Their hearts and minds and eyes

were closed to it. They did not want to adopt the

posture of saying, God, I know I'm not enough, only you, Jesus,

only the finished work of you, dying on the cross, raising from

the dead, that is the only thing that can give me hope.

They didn't have the posture of humility necessary to

acknowledge that, to walk in the light of the gospel.

So Paul reminds them of this Old Testament rebuke and this

warning, though it was spoken to the Israelites in the Old

Testament, it's spoken to the people now.

It's still as relevant of a warning for us today.

For this people's heart has grown dull with their ears they

can barely hear and their eyes they have closed unless they see

with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with

their heart and turn. It's that same word that that

repentance that turned from this life and turned towards Jesus.

Then I would heal them. But they didn't do the turning

they didn't want. They didn't want to leave the

things of the world behind and turn to the things above.

So their eyes stayed closed, their ears stayed shut, and

their hearts did not have understanding.

Church, may we never be a people whose hearts grow dull for

Jesus. May we never be a people whose

ears are deaf to the hope and grace and love that His Word

brings. May we never be a people whose

eyes are blind to see how He's working in our lives and in the

lives of those around us. And may we always be a people

acknowledging His goodness in those things, in the things that

we see, in the words that we hear, that He is the One that

every good and perfect gift is from above, from him.

May we acknowledge and have an attitude of gratitude for him

each and every waking moment we get to the end.

And there's kind of an odd ending to this verse 30.

He lived there two whole years at his own expense and welcomed

all who came to him. We don't know all of the

visitors that he had in this two years time.

Remember, he's under house arrest.

There were, there were soldiers that were assigned to guard and

and station him, but he was, he was a skilled tent maker, a

leather worker. So he was, he's been doing that

along the side on his missionary journeys to this point for the

past 20 years. It's, it's right to assume that

he continued doing that and working on that to provide for

his lodging and his staying. We know the letter Philemon in

the New Testament writes about 1 Onissimus, a slave who actually

came and and visited Paul. That would have been in this two

year period of time. He also wrote the letters to the

Philippians and the Galatians and the Ephesians, I'm sorry,

the Philippians, Galatians and Colossians in this two year

period of time. That's when he sent out those

early church letters. So though he was confined to

this space, though he was still under arrest, verse 31, he was

able to proclaim the Kingdom of God and teach about Lord Jesus

with all boldness and without hindrance.

Though on the outside it seems like he would have been

restricted to this one place, his teaching, his encouragement,

and ultimately the building blocks for the churches.

We know it Now still went forth. These are also the closing

verses of Acts. Luke does not record.

We have to rely on other historical sources.

Luke does not record how or when Paul died.

Why do you think he did that? It's kind of what I asked the

kids at the start. And as I reflected on that this

week, that's that's kind of the answer that I found myself

giving. He didn't record Paul's death

because it was more about how Paul lived than how he died,

right? He didn't record Paul's death

because that was not the end for the church.

The church would continue to go on and the Kingdom of God would

continue to go forth with all boldness and without hindrance.

Death couldn't stop it. For us.

I think it's very similar. How we live our lives is going

to in the end being end up being far more memorable.

Far more impactful than how we die.

Yes, there are some heroic instances that that could mark

significant events, but think about the most famous person

that you know and how they died. Kristen and I were talking about

Elvis this morning. Does anyone know how Elvis died?

Is that is how he died more memorable than how he lived?

I don't think so. But then that got me thinking

about of how much do we elevate the life that Paul lived?

Because I also don't think that Paul would say the life he lived

was so much more important than how he died.

The life that Jesus Christ lived was ultimately more important

than how Paul died. Paul wasn't here for accolades.

Paul wasn't here to be the greatest apostle, though some

rightly so, have have called him that.

Paul lived a life that was faithful to what Jesus called

him to. And I still hold to that

conclusion that I gave it, that I gave the kids a few moments

ago. Jesus Christ is the only figure

in history whose death was more important than their life.

I think everybody else think of inventors, celebrities even,

even heroes, even people who did lay down their life for others

and died heroically. I think even that final life

saving action was probably more informed by the life they lived,

the person they were, the whatever the character or ethic

or faith they had that brought them to that point to lay down

their life for their friends. Still far more defined by the

life they live than the life they died.

Jesus flips that on his head and he was the only one in existence

who lived a completely perfect life.

He lived the best life, the most perfect life, and his death was

still greater. His death, his perfect sacrifice

poured out for this rebellious people, for us rebellious

people, was still greater than the life that he lived.

Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his

life for his friends. He showed the greatest action of

love on the cross and and he called you his friend in that

action Jesus Christ called each and every person throughout the

course of history His friend. You are secure in that hope

today. So Church.

The story of Paul did not end up being one that focused on how he

died. The story of the book of Acts is

so much more on how he lived. In the example of Christ, Paul

at no point was living not to die.

He was not living his life to avoid the dying.

He went straight to the place that it was promised he would

die, that it would end in Rome. He was not living his life so

focused on not dying, on avoiding death, that it affected

how he lived. May we as a people, as a church,

there's a lot of dying churches out there.

There's a lot of struggling churches and peoples out there

that have gotten wrapped up and focused in how to not die.

That makes me sad. Breaks my heart for those groups

of Christians that are now focused on how to not die than

on how they should live. I think that's kind of a self

fulfilling prophecy though. If we live our lives as a

church, as a people, as followers of Christ focused on

not dying, I think we're probably going to end up right

there constantly figuring out how not to die, then how we

ought to be living. I think we have this example

here in Paul. We're not just Biden time on

this earth. We're not just waiting to return

to ash. You're made for more.

You're made to bring this unhindered gospel with all

boldness, without hindrance to the ends of the earth.

They're made for more. Let's live in his life.

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