From Acts To Us

Welcome and thank you for joining this message by David Entry at Carish Church.! In this season of Great Awakening, may God pour out His Spirit through His Word, refreshing your heart and awakening you to His will.

Acts chapter 28. I would like to read from verse 23. I'm reading from the King James Version. And when they had appointed Him a day, there came many to Him into His lodging, to whom He expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses and out of the prophets, from morning till evening.

And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not. And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed after that portal, spoken one word, well spoken of the Holy Spirit by Esaias, the prophets, unto our fathers, saying, Go unto these people, and saying, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand, and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive.

For the heart of these people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed. Lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and should be converted, and I shall heal them.

Be it not therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it. And when he had said these words, the Jews departed, and had great reasoning amongst themselves.

And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came unto him, preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ.

With all confidence, no man forbidding him. Here ends the reading of God's word. Amen. Shall we please pray?

Father, we thank you. We give you praise for giving us the privilege to be here. As we hear your word, we pray that we will hear from you.

As we hear your word, we pray that the heavens will be opened upon us. As we hear your word, we pray that you give us listening ears. Heal our hearts.

Heal our soul. Let us encounter Jesus. Reveal Christ to us. And use us for your glory. In Jesus' name. And all shall say.

Amen. Amen and amen. Amen. Now, when you look at our previous sessions, we saw how Paul has been in prison, and he appeared, or he summoned the leaders of the Jews so he could make a case before them.

He spoke to them. Not just so he could make a case, but so he could send the gospel to them. And last week, we ended by him. When they didn't want to receive, he said that, well, Isaiah prophesied about you.

And Isaiah said that these people have ears, but they will not hear. They have eyes. They will not see. Lest I will heal them. Because that's the condition of the fallen hearts.

The fallen hearts, which is very importantly, never is willing to receive God. The fallen hearts, which is, runs from God.

So a typical example is in Luke chapter 5, where Jesus told them. They said, we've told all night, but we didn't catch any fish. He said, catch your net on the other side.

And the Bible said, when they did that, they took in so much fish. And then, when Peter, a Jewish businessman, saw the breakthrough, a normal Jewish man will come into an agreement with you.

That you don't have to just say in your house, when I'm going for fishing, show me where to cast my net. And 70% of the profit will be to you. A Jewish man will want to. But rather, Peter fell on his feet.

And he said, depart from me. When he realized that he was dealing with deity, the fallen heart normally runs away from God. The natural disposition of the fallen heart.

So the Bible says that none seek God. Romans chapter 3. None seek after God. None. I said, there's none who understands. None who seeks after God.

Naturally, within ourselves, we will not seek after God. Don't want to see someone being religious. It's not because they are seeking after God. But sometimes, there is this need for God within us.

We will use other things to massage it or to fulfill the needs. But the true God, naturally, we will not seek after him. That is why when Jesus came, it was the religious leaders who killed him.

The more religious they were, the more ungodly they were becoming. They stayed away from God. So the point I'm making here is that naturally, the fallen man does not draw closer to God.

We run away from God when God shows up. Adam and Eve did that in the garden. Genesis chapter 3 from verse 10, 11. Adam, where are you? I heard your voice in the garden and I hid myself.

So Jesus posted this way in the book of John chapter 6. Chapter 6, I think verse 44, said, No one can come to me. Okay. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me does what?

Not that way. That's what? Draws. Draws. It's like, you know what? They put a rope on your waist and they are pulling you. Most of you, all of us, we are drawn to Christ.

Naturally, our face was away from Christ. We are living our life going. But for some reason, the gospel came and something began to draw. You think about yourself. You've been in church on a Sunday morning like you.

No, no. It wasn't your natural forte. So no one comes to him except God draws us. So the people, when they listen, the reason I'm saying that is people don't get converted by good arguments.

Because there is no intellectual pathway to God. Can I repeat that? Please. Don't think it is our glorious, wonderful submission.

You can be the best lawyer and you can preach the gospel and not win anybody. Because people coming to Christ is not a result of intellectual discourse, even though salvation does not sidestep your intelligence.

So you can say I'm saved. I can't think. I don't even know why I'm saved. But you must know why you are saved. Salvation must be reasonable. Must have a foundation of understanding.

A context of reasoning. That's why the gospel, the preaching of the gospel is not just left to emotive behavior. Your emotion. How I feel.

No, no, no. It's not about how you feel. What you know. You cannot be saved without knowing. Because the gospel has noticia.

Data. It's a data. It's content. It's news to be told. And you believe, watch this. You believe the news in order to be saved. So it is believing in a certain information that gets us saved.

But that information has the breath on it. When it's time for God to draw you. It's called the Holy Spirit. See, the Holy Spirit bears witness to the preaching of God's word.

So don't let us think the fact that what we are saying is reasonable can change somebody. Some time ago, somebody asked. I work with a very strong Jewish guy. It's very religious.

And I really want to explain this as to. And sometimes they are not interested. What are the things that I should say to the Jew? I said nothing but the gospel. The gospel that saves the armed robber.

Or the, you know, wild person who are religious. El Chippo. El Chapo. That same gospel. Okay, okay.

Watch this. There is no special gospel for the good person. Yes, sir. And then a gospel for the bad person. There is no special gospel for the religious. And a gospel for the criminal.

There is no special gospel. The gospel that can save the criminal in the prison is the same gospel that can save the professor. Hallelujah. The emeritus. Yeah. The same gospel that can save the king.

And the same gospel that can save the servant in the palace. The same. The same content. So it's for all. It's very interesting. The same content for all.

That is why it's not my job. And it's not our job to amend the gospel. Don't spray perfume on it.

Leave it the way it is. It might be smelly for some people. But the same smelly thing is perfume. Oh, I feel like printing. Hallelujah. The Bible in Romans chapter 1 calls it the gospel of God.

It's not my gospel. No pastor has a gospel. You can say my gospel when you have personalized the gospel of God. And that gospel is concerning his son.

Not your job. Not your breakthrough. Not your prosperity. Not your healing. The gospel. Oh, I feel like preaching now. The gospel is there.

It's there. Concerning. Concerning his son. So when you preach and they can't hear about Christ, you have not preached the gospel. You haven't preached the gospel.

And for your information, if you strayed into church and like what is going on in church, without knowing who Christ is, you are not saved. You are not saved.

The crudest way to put it, the raw way to put it, you are still going to hell. These are important things. Listen, I keep saying it, and I can't wait for the Bible to say this one I'm about to say.

It is not my preaching that makes the gospel work. It is the gospel in my preaching that makes my preaching work. How this lousy preaching I'm doing.

What can it do for you? What can it do? It is the gospel inside it. The gospel inside it. So Paul explained the gospel to them.

But Paul, the greatest apostle ever, the greatest theologian ever, the greatest preacher ever, next to you after, in the church, of the church, greatest apostle, greatest theologian, greatest preacher, greatest missionary ever.

Preach. And he was a lawyer by training. He said, concerning the law, when he was, before he became born again, he was blameless. So he had this impeccable track record, and now he's in Christ.

He preached to some people, they won't believe. I'm telling you, you don't have hope. If Paul could preach, and some people would not believe, then why are we preaching? Because he says, the gospel can make people stumble.

He said, Christ, Christ is a stumbling block. Not just a stumbling block. 1 Corinthians chapter 1, verse 23. He's an offense. He's an offense.

What we are preaching will offend some people. It will offend bad people, good people, religious people, nice people, intelligent people, foolish people.

I mean, the whole spectrum. The whole spectrum. He said to the Jews, it's a stumbling block. What are you? Christ, the stone of stumbling.

1 Peter chapter 2, verse 8. Isaiah chapter 14. He said, a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense. That's what we are preaching. You know. So, this should make you understand that.

It doesn't matter how much you explain. Paul did some explanation. Some people, okay, but God didn't call them, so it's not their fault. No, it's their fault. Because they block their ears.

They chose. When the gospel comes to you, it's your choice. Even though God is the one, those of us who chose, we cannot say, it is just us.

It says, it's the grace of God, lest any man should boast. No man can boast. Because it's not us. God, who is at work. Work in you. Both to will and to do.

So, you cannot, you cannot claim credit. When Peter said, Matthew chapter 16, Jesus said, who would Ruben say I am? Son of God. You are the son. Jesus said, blessed are you, someone by Jonah.

But I won't give you the credit. He said, this has been given to you, not just by your training, your education, your smartness, your intelligence. But it was given to you by the spirit of God, my father in heaven.

Do you understand what I'm going to say? And so, those of us who have come to accept God or accept Jesus, who are, let me put it a better way, biblical way. I prefer that one than accept.

Who are in Christ? You check if you find any religion anywhere in the world who claim their followers are inside the leader.

It's only we, Christians, we are in Christ. Hallelujah.

Therefore, if any man be in Christ. Hallelujah. We are in Christ and Christ is in us. He said, Galatians chapter 2 verse 20, I'm crucified in Christ.

Nevertheless, I live, yet not I, but what? Christ in us. We are the only group of people who are inside our Savior.

I'm in Christ. Sometimes when things are rough for you, people say, how are you going to tell me I'm in Christ? Not in crisis. Oh, I feel like preaching. I'm in Christ.

I'm in Christ. If you are not in Christ, it doesn't matter how well things are going for you. You're actually in crisis. So, Paul spoke to them.

He spoke to them. Some didn't believe. Others believed. And those who didn't believe, told them that, no wonder Isaiah said this about you. And Isaiah prophesied. So, this is not new. Prophesied that some will not believe.

And anyway, they left. And they left. And then, let's go to the next verse. I think I want to. But this is interesting. After the people have left, then Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented house.

Wow. Where was he getting the money? I know you are thinking. Yeah. Yeah. What did he do?

Somebody said rent advance. He paid two years advance. Sometimes, it takes scripture to explain scripture.

Okay. It takes scripture to explain scripture. Don't forget, I talked to you about analogia scriptura. It's a Latin word. That means that scripture speaks with one voice. So, he's saying something here, but you can actually get a bit more insight from another text.

Because scripture, from Genesis to Revelation, one voice. Nothing contradicts itself. Scripture speaks with one voice. Really. So, how did he get money? Just some of the things that people were caring for him.

So, he wrote to the Philippian church that you sent once and again for my need. In Philippians chapter 4, verse 15, 16, 17. Particularly 17.

He says, it's not because I need some gift from you. You know, but I'm just saying it to you. Because when I was in prison, you sent not once and for all. Those of you who give once and for all. He said. I'm not proclaiming anything.

It's in the text. The text is saying it. Yeah. He said. He sent. You sent once and again for my necessity. Okay.

So, the things I needed. He was saying. This letter was written when he was in prison in Rome. His first prison man. That two years. That's where someone was getting some of the money for his rent. Because.

For his. His necessity is there. Which includes rent. Includes his food. Yeah. Clothing and everything.

Including his iPad. And stuff. So. All lines of scriptures. And everything. He said.

He sent. Once and again. For my necessity. And he wrote about. Epaphroditus. In 2 Timothy chapter 1. From verse 13, 14, 15. That this guy was so good towards him.

That when he came to Rome. He did not rest. He searched for Paul. Everywhere. Until he found Paul. And he cared for Paul. He said. The Lord grant mercy.

The household of Onesiphorus. Sorry. For he often refreshed me. And was not ashamed of my change. Look at the next verse. But when he arrived in Rome. He sought me out. Very zealously. And found me.

Because. When he said he refreshed me. He's talking about. He cared for me. Look at the next verse. So. May God have mercy on him. And the Lord grant him that. On the day he'll find mercy. Because. He ministered to me.

At Ephesus. And. Not just that. He continues to also do that. So. People were caring for Paul. People were giving to Paul. That is why. In 1 Corinthians. He was writing things like.

If I've sown spiritual things to you. What is wrong. If I reap your natural things. 1 Corinthians chapter. 9 verse 11. If we have sown spiritual things to you.

What is wrong for a. Material. Use the word. Material things. And then. In 2 Corinthians. He told the Corinthians church that. You know. I don't want to really take from you.

Because you should learn from. Chapter 8. Learn from those in Macedonia. That even. Above all their. Poverty. They were willing to give. Way and beyond. And some of them.

Gave to his necessities. So in 2 Corinthians chapter. 13. He said. I'm coming. But I don't want to be a burden. On to you. I don't want to take from you. He said. Others are supporting me. So he was getting support.

From good people. I just said it. So you can. You can decide. Define. Who good people. Might be. Anyway. So. Paul.

Lived there. In his own rented house. For. Two. And. Two. Two years. And he received all those. Who came to you. So when they came. He would serve them.

Drinking water. I know he would serve them. Cook. That's just a joke. The verse 31.

I need you to take notice of something. When they came. That's all he was doing. People were coming to him. And he was preaching. The kingdom of God. And teaching. The things.

Which concern. This is so sweet. That's a proper pastor. Proper preacher. His main. Focus. And his main message. Is concerning Jesus Christ.

The things that concern. The Lord Jesus Christ. And he was doing that. With. Confidence. And no one forbidding him. What's the next verse? What's the next verse?

No next verse? Ah. But how can you finish a text like that? You can tell. It looks like they didn't finish it. This is the end of Acts. So what's all the points?

We are going. And this happened. This happened. Jesus started by saying. Go and preach the gospel. This happened. This happened. This happened. And then Paul was arrested. He was beaten. He was sent to Rome. And in Rome. So what happened?

Was he. Was he acquitted? Was he released? What happened to Paul? And he said for two years. It would have been interesting. If he said. He lived there permanently. He said for two years.

So after the two years. What happened? What next? That's Acts chapter 29. So okay.

Where is Acts chapter 29? I know you don't know where it is. Today I came to show you. Where Acts chapter 29 is. I feel like preaching.

Show me, sir. I came to show you where to find Acts 29. Because from the way Acts 28, 31 ended. It seems to suggest that it doesn't end yet.

If you follow the trajectory of the argument or submission. It tells you that it's not finished. So, where on earth is Acts 29?

Where on earth? Where on earth is Acts 29? Where is it? Where is it? Right here. They didn't finish because their gospel is not finished.

Watch this. Their gospel is not about Paul. It's not Paul's story. We are not here to study history lessons on Paul.

No! So, whatever happened to him is none of our business. Whatever we do, after we've been told, is now our turn.

He said, Hebrews chapter 12, Therefore, being seen, you are surrounded. Since you are surrounded with so great a cloud of witnesses, Everybody say witnesses.

Witnesses. Matis, that's the Greek word. Witnesses, or matus, depending on what translation you are using. Witnesses. We are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses.

Where are they? Acts chapter 1. Acts chapter 2. Acts chapter 3. Acts chapter 4. We see so many people inside. And people who backslide. People who didn't backslide.

People who embrace the gospel. People who embrace the gospel. People who die for the gospel. All these are witnesses. Because in Acts chapter 1, verse 8, Jesus said, He shall receive power after the Holy Spirit has come upon you, And ye shall be my witnesses.

My matis, which is translated, Eventually became translated in some parts as matis. That's the original word, matis. Matis, or matus.

Maturiah. So matus is a mati. The original, the word didn't actually mean someone who has just died. It originally meant someone who is in the witness box To give an account, a witness to something he has experienced.

Something she or he, he or she has encountered. Something, you don't go and stand in the witness box And they say, did you see that guy slap him? He said, which guy? The guy. He said, no, I don't know him.

I've never seen him. So why are you here? We have to kick you out of the witness box and bring. Is it possible that people are preaching without being witnesses? Is it possible that you can't even go out doing outreach, But you're not a witness for Jesus?

Both in your words and your works. Witnesses. But being an effective witness of Christ Is based on the Holy Spirit.

Not your experience. Not just your experience. Not just your background. Not just your education. Even though sometimes all those things can come in handy.

They can come in handy. But they are not necessarily needed. They are not the foundation. Or they are not the main purpose for our submission.

It's Christ. We are supposed to be witnesses. Watch this. Not just go witnessing. There's a difference between witnessing and being a witness.

We are supposed to be witnesses. Even when you are asleep. A police officer, when he's asleep, is he a police officer? Yes. When he's in uniform, is he a police officer?

Yes. How about when he's not in uniform, is he a police officer? Yes. It's just what he is. It just is. A medical doctor doesn't have to be in the hospital. Or maybe when you get to the hospital, then you become a doctor.

But there's nothing doctored about you. Yes. But he is. Yes. A medical doctor is. A witness is not only someone witnessing. When they are talking.

A witness is a life. I'm going somewhere with what I'm trying to say. So, Jesus Christ in Acts chapter 1 said that ye shall be witnesses unto me.

Then it starts from Jerusalem. Do you know who wrote the book of Acts? I told you. Luke. Okay. Luke, the doctor. Luke, the physician. But Acts was not the only book he wrote.

In fact, Acts is almost like the second Luke. So, there was a first Luke. And then the second Luke. Or like the way of first Corinthians, second Corinthians. That's what I mean. Okay.

I'm not talking about looking at something twice. So, the first Luke. Primarily. Watch this. Is the gospel according to Luke. Which focused on Jesus' mission from Galilee to Jerusalem.

So, the gospel according to Luke. Primarily focused from. The journey plan was from Galilee to Jerusalem. And then the second book of Luke. Was from Jerusalem to the uttermost parts of the world.

Now, the first book was just about Jesus' natural living. Human life. The second Luke. Was about Jesus' supernatural living in the church. The body of Christ.

Okay. The body of Christ. That's why the second Luke never finished. Because the book has not been closed. The story of the church hasn't ended. They've done their own.

Seeing we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witness. Now, it's our turn. Let us run. So, 1 Corinthians chapter 9, verse 25. Paul says, I so run.

I think the next verse. Everyone who completes. Look at the next verse. He says, therefore, I run thus. Let's look at New American Sanabeshi. Therefore, I run in such a way.

There's a way to run. The Christian life is a race. Run by grace. We have to. As soon as you are saved. What do you have to do?

Start running. You are not running for your dear life. You are running for your dear mission. Watch this. Paul said in Acts.

That therefore, none of these things move me. Neither count I myself dear to my. Acts chapter 20, verse 23. Neither count my life dear to myself. That I am my finished what?

Am I finished what? It's a race. So, in 2 Timothy chapter 4, verse 7. It said, I fought a good fight. I have.

So, Paul finished his own. Now it's your turn and my turn. So, he says that, see, we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses.

Let us run with perseverance, with patience. Let's keep running that we will obtain. And the way you should run is by looking unto Jesus. So, now coming back to the book of Acts.

We saw all the witnesses and the testimonies about these people in the book of Acts. We saw them, including the chief one, Paul. And I'm going to tell you in a moment why so much focus was put on Paul.

Paul is not Jesus. So, why was so much emphasis placed on him? So much so that right from Acts chapter 13, it looks like it's all about Paul. To the end that the book finishes with Paul.

Paul spent in two years. Why, Paul? But first of all, we have all these witnesses who have modeled race, running their race, who we are supposed to look at and continue the race.

That is the essence of Acts chapter 29. The Acts chapter 29 is to continue from where those in Acts chapter 1 to 28 left off.

So, we are supposed to continue. We are in Acts chapter 29. I know some of us are not aware, but your life is being written as a book. Amen. Amen. Amen.

Amen. probably effectively on stage.

We're fulfilling it much more effectively before we showed up on the stage. So being on the stage is just a continuation of, so the stage doesn't change us. But if you are waiting to appear on stage before you start fulfilling your destiny, by the time you appear before God, you are being outstaged.

So now, we saw all of them. So what about Paul? When you look at the, as I referred to recently, when you look at the content of what was happening from practically Acts chapter 21 down to 28, it looks like just the history of what happened to Paul.

No new doctrine was being chained out. He wasn't teaching how we should live the Christian life. No, there was no, really no new doctrine. But it was just telling about how a person lived his life.

He lived his life so much, which I taught, I think, a few weeks ago, that in Philippians 1.20, that Christ will be magnified in my body, right?

That Christ will be magnified in my body whether I'm dying or living. That's a witness. Whether I have a job or I don't have a job, it's not conditional.

So because I lost my job, I'm not going to church. You are not serious. You are not a serious Christian. Yeah. Because something happened to me, I'm not, I've, I've, I've, I've.

Especially those who say, God didn't answer my prayer. Yeah. Let us not serve God only in good times. Let us not serve God only when we seem to have experienced an answer to our prayer.

Because what we are praying for God to bail us out of might even be the means for the fulfilling of our destiny and our blessings. Because God is a sovereign God.

And that's what it's called, the providence of God. The ironic providence. You are praying and not happy because you've lost a job. But meanwhile, God is not answering your prayer for the new job because probably he's teaching you how to learn to depend on him without income for a period of time.

Paul said, I've learned, Philippians chapter 1, verse 12, how to abase. I feel like preaching, you know. I've learned. So Paul in Philippians was saying, now Philippians, don't forget, Philippians was a letter prison epistle.

So he wrote this book when he was in prison. And he wrote it to the church. He said, I've learned how to abase and how to abound. God, that Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by death or by life.

Now, that's the definition of a true witness. And so if we are going to be true witnesses of Jesus Christ, then we shouldn't be convenient witnesses. We should be witnesses for real.

That's what Acts chapter 29 is about. Acts chapter 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, all through 28 was written so that somebody can understand what it means to be a witness. That is why towards the end of Acts, the last seven chapters, we're focused so much about the history of a man who is going for Christ.

Not about doctrine, but about a man. So that is why focus was put on Paul, the way he was sold out. Can you imagine chapter 21, I think the verse 11, he said, why are you crying to break my heart?

I'm not only ready to suffer for Jesus, but I'm ready to actually die for his name. That's his position. That's 13. I'm ready to die, not only to suffer, but to die for this whole thing. So stop the fact that troubles are ahead of me.

It shouldn't break your heart. Because it's not breaking my heart. I want to do it excitedly. That's one. So focus on the life of Paul. But secondly, which is more important, the reason why Paul, but why should Paul pray in prison?

Somebody who is so willing to go anywhere, any land to preach the gospel. He was rather kept in prison. And how many Paul can travel to come to him in prison?

When he was two years under house arrest. For your information, remember, he was for two years in Caesarea. Okay. In Caesarea, after he was arrested, he was kept in two years in Caesarea.

And after Festus died, when he couldn't be acquitted. Okay. After the death of Festus. He said, but after two years, Precious Festus succeeded Felix. And Felix, wanting to do the Jews a favor, left Paul bound.

So two years, he was still bound. And then when Festus came, Agrippa came, they listened to him. That's when Paul said, I appeal to Caesar. So he said, then Caesar, you must go. Chapter 23.

So Paul ended up on his journey to Caesar. And remember the shipwreck and months and all. So give and take about a year. So two years and about a year.

Then another two years in prison. So he was in custody for about five years. He couldn't, he wasn't free to travel. What was he doing around that time? As I told you, he was churning out something that benefited Christians beyond where he was.

And not just beyond where he was within that season, but generations. How would we have heard the book of Ephesians? Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon were all written when he was in that two years.

Were all written when he was in prison for that two years. And look, how would you even understand understand how Christ should be glorified in the church if you don't go to Ephesians?

Ephesians teaches us how Christ should be glorified in the church. Philippians teaches us how we should rejoice even in the face of troubles and suffering. How we should live in Christ and rejoice in Christ. Colossians teaches us how Christ is the excellent one, preeminent one, the supreme one.

If you add anything to Christ, you lose everything. Christ plus nothing equals to everything. Christ plus other things equals to nothing.

You can find that in Colossians. And Paul was right. He wasn't just defending right sin matters to separate the law from grace. That one was early on in his missions.

But when he was in prison, he changed out deep in Philemon. The book of Philemon teaches us how Christ is our supreme intercessor. He's interceding on our behalf.

Paul said, I'm interceding on the behalf of the runaway slave Onesimus. Philemon, receive him on my behalf. Receive him. It gives us a beautiful picture about how Christ, even when you became born again, the things that you couldn't do right or you didn't do right, the little sins or big sins and whatever you went wrong after you became born again, still there's an advocate before the presence of God interceding on your behalf.

So in 1 John 2, verse 1, it says that, I'm writing this to little children, that you sin not. But if anyone sins, that means Christians can sin.

I didn't say Christians should sin. Why can Christians sin? Because they are human beings. Don't be so disappointed because you know you're a Christian and they sinned. And you call yourself a Christian. Leave that for the unbelievers.

But we internally, we know that in fact, if everybody in church is very holy and pure, you know that at least you are the exception. Oh, come on.

Don't behave like you don't know I'm talking about you. Everybody is good, but you. But you. Girl, you are spoiling the church.

Boy, you are spoiling the church. But the good news is, the others are potentially actually also spoiling it. So then, if we are combination and amalgamation, a conglomerate of sinners, we have been saved by grace and still stink at times.

That's the mystery behind Lazarus coming out of the tomb. He came, he was alive, but he was bound and still stinks. Alive, but still stinks.

That's the revelation behind Samuel Eustace, a peccator. At the same time, just, but not clean enough. We are so just and pure before God as a believer because your righteousness before God is not based on your right behavior, but it's based on his righteousness.

Christ's righteousness. That's what gives us an acceptance before God. So we can stand before God even though in ourselves, we still feel, I'm not good. I'm not good, but stand dressed in Israel, righteousness alone, for let's stand before the throne.

So he said, I've written these things to you that you sin not. It's there. You see, you sin not. I know you missed that one. Can we all read it out to God?

Let's go. I have your children. Please take right back to you that you sin not. And if they do not sin, we are not good. Do you see that? Yeah, Father.

Jesus Christ, our righteous. So he says that, first of all, don't sin. Tell somebody, don't. I didn't say, say don't sin. Just say don't. Because you don't know what someone has planned to do after church.

Just say don't. Can you preach with me? Look at someone, tell the person, please don't. Please don't. So, I feel like preaching, I feel like preaching, I feel like preaching.

He said, he said, I write these things to you that you sin not. Writing is synonymous to preaching. Okay. I preach these things to you so that, say not.

Don't say you, say I. We are there, you tell you that now you're telling me I shouldn't say. Talk about yourself. I'm the one preaching to you so you say I sin not.

Can we try it again? I preach these things to you so that, I sin not. Tell somebody, don't. No. Alright, because of my time, I have to try.

So, so he said, I write these things so that I sin not. However, if, it didn't say when. It cannot be because you are not perfect. If any man, that any man not talking about all human beings, we in the church.

If any man sin, we have an advocate, an attorney, someone who stands on our behalf before God. And that is, you see the beauty of it in the book of Philemon.

Paul was chaining out so much deep stuff. They are called prison epistles. He chained them out in Ephesians, in Philippians, in Colossians, in Philemon.

He was chaining out these things which transcended his days. 2,000 years on is still speaking. How would he have been able to? So, God had to separate him from the running around, sat him down so that he can be more beneficial to the body of Christ.

somebody who is a witness like this who says, for me to live is Christ, to die is gain. Christ should be magnified in my body, whether by death or by life. God said, we will do it.

Now, so, we have underscored why it was Paul and why God also kept Paul in prison. Now, quickly, so what happened to Paul? I know you want to know. According to early church history, Paul was released from prison after two years.

He appeared before Nero. Nero was one of the vilest rulers who ever lived. He murdered his own mother and murdered his own wife. Yes, Octavia.

He murdered Octavia, his wife. He's a wicked guy. But, Paul appeared, so watch this, this is very interesting. Paul appeared before such a cruel person. And Paul was going, at the time Paul appeared before him, he wasn't, he hadn't gone that extreme.

He was beginning to guess Paul's. So, potentially, God sent Paul to go and save that man. Historians believe, and church history believe, that he became, he went far off after Paul.

Because he had a message. Paul would have preached a message to him. And he blocked his heart. So God gave him up. That's when he became so vile. He went far. He was around 25 years old.

But afterwards, he went, Nero was a very wicked king. In July, AD 64, he burned the whole room down. Rome, as I told you last week, Rome had a population, most of those cities in those days had a population of about 10,000 people.

Rome had about 2 million people. And out of the 2 million, only few were rich. More than half were slaves. And out of the half were not slaves, few were rich, and then majority of those who were not rich were struggling, even some of them, to have a house to stay in.

They were no slaves, but life was hard. By the time Paul got to Rome, Rome was beginning to decline. And God sent him to the imperial capital to preach the gospel there because Rome was in decline.

That's right. So Paul didn't see Rome in the best of his glory. He got there in time before everything went haywire. Paul appeared before Nero. But Nero acquitted him and released him.

How do you know? He wrote to Philemon, Philemon 22. He told Philemon, prepare a lodging for me so when I'm released I can come to you. He knew he was going to be released. But meanwhile, also prepare a guest room for me, for I trust that through your prayers I shall be granted to you.

I'll be released. That's what it means. Philippians chapter 1 verse 25 and Philippians chapter 2 verse 24 all were indicating that Paul was going to be released and he was actually released. Because in Romans chapter 15 verse 24, Paul said that I want to go to Rome and go to Spain.

He says that whenever I journey to Spain I shall come to you. So Paul was planning to go to Spain for I hope to see you. This is, he was writing to the Romans before he ended up in Rome. So he always wanted to go to Spain.

So this is now extra biblical information. Early church fathers or early church history shows that Paul when he was released he went to Spain and then he went to Crete.

Because in Titus chapter 1 I think verse 3 he wrote to Titus and said I left you in Crete for this reason. But when you look at his missionary journey he never went to Crete. So at what point in that did he go to Crete?

He went to Crete after his first release. When he was released he went to Crete. He went to Ephesus so he can see Timothy. Went to spend time with Timothy. So he was in Crete.

He was in Spain. He was in Crete. He was in Ephesus. He was in Philippi. That's why he said he knew he was coming to them. He said when I will I will see your face very shortly. He said Philippians chapter 1 verse 25.

He said and being confident of this that I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress. He said if I die it's better but I know I'm staying. Look at chapter 2 verse 24.

Philippians 2 24. But I trust the Lord that I myself shall also come shortly. So he was and he did according to church historians. So he went to Philippi.

He went to Crete. He went to Spain. And then he went to Ephesus. Then finally it's believed that he was arrested again in Troas. Why? Now watch this. This is very important. This is just extra biblical information.

Nero was so wicked. In July 64 AD. In July. He felt like Rome was too crowded. He wanted a new city. So he burnt down the city.

He burnt. It was wilder than the great fires of London. He burnt down. It's in history. Just chat GPT you'll find out later. He burnt down the whole city. And then when people were upset with him he says not me.

It's the Christians. So he made the Christians scapegoat. That these are the ones. So he turned public mood against the Christians. The innocent Christians. He said that.

So that's when the greatest persecution happened. And they persecuted the Christians. Tortured them. Some of them. He used them. He poured coal on them. And he put them on trees.

And he used them as torch lights for his guarding parties. He was so wicked. So it was around that time. So Paul. Historians believe he was released in around 62 to 63 AD.

He was released around that time. All right. And then he was re-arrested. Re-captured about three to five years later. In trials. Why was he? Because now persecution started.

They were killing the Christians. And so Paul was re-arrested. And that's when he wrote 2 Timothy. So in 2 Timothy if you want to know what happened to Paul you can't finish by looking at 2 Timothy.

Paul's life really 2 Timothy chapter 4 verse 6. He said now my departure has come. He said it says that can we all read the hour from the screen? Is that okay?

Let's all read the hour. Let's go. For I am already being poured out as a dream of a dream and the time of my departure has happened. I'm already being poured out. He used two analogies or metaphor figures of speech to express his condition.

He said I'm being poured as a dream offering. Making reference to the Old Testament. Because why would Paul be an offering? Christ's offering has satisfied God. So why would he say me too am an offering? No.

Those days when you sacrifice whatever offering peace offering grain offering sin offering then they have the blood will also be poured as an oblation on the sacrifice.

But what happens is that sometimes when you burn the animal there will be some pieces left. But as for the drink nothing gets left. That's interesting. And so Christ is our actual action. This is important.

Christ is our actual offering before God. But Romans chapter 12 he said present yourself as a living sacrifice. So what sacrifice again? Our lives our witness in Christ makes us the drink offering upon his sacrifice.

Our lives our witness when I say witness you know I'm not talking I'm just talking your life as a witness is like becomes a drink offering. Philippians chapter 2 verse 17 look at how Paul puts it.

Philippians chapter 2 verse 17 he says that yes and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and the service of your faith. So my life being poured out is actually building your faith.

is actually making you do well. Is actually strengthening you. And I don't mind living as a sacrifice and my life be poured out.

And that's how every Christian should live. Acts 29 that's where you are. Our life should be when you do something little for the church we have to stop the pastor must announce the pastor must announce because you have done something for the church.

Every little thing you have to people are looking for ways to look glorified in church. It's a wrong place to look glorified because there's only one who should look glorified.

That's Christ. Christ. Christ. Colossians chapter 1 it says that that he might have preeminence 1 17 and 18. He is the firstborn amongst many that in the church he might and he is the head of the body which is the church who is the beginning the firstborn from the dead that in all things all things Christ may have he's the one who should be preeminent one preeminent one he's preeminence hallelujah and so so Paul was a drink offering he said that my life is being poured out as a drink offering and then secondly not just a drink offering and then he said that phraseology to depict his death he said the time of my departure has come his departure was not immediate but it was imminent it was imminent from the text the time has come because if it was immediate he wouldn't have asked the same text he wouldn't have asked him to bring the cloak in the verse 13 he wouldn't have asked to send

John Mark for his profitable to me he wouldn't have asked to bring the parchment and the cloak in the verse I think 20 21 he says that come before winter so he knew that he's not dying immediately but the time has come it does he never got released again and he was beheaded by Nero Nero got him beheaded then Nero finished him watch this why Peter was crucified they were going to crucify him he said no I'm not worthy to die like my this is not in the Bible extra biblical information I'm not worthy to die like my master so crucify me my master died like this crucify me upside down so Peter according to church history Peter was crucified upside down why was Paul not crucified because he was Roman citizen it's against Roman law to crucify Roman citizen it's only people who are known Romans who are crucified Roman citizen capital punishment is beheaded they chop off his head and he was he was happy to live for Jesus because he has finished his job so in look at the text again 2 Timothy

I'm finishing on this can you imagine I'm finishing Acts on 2 Timothy 2 Timothy chapter 4 verse 6 and 7 he said let's already I like it when we already loudly it's okay so I can finish quickly let's go I'm done as a drink of and the time of my departure is at hand let's go I have fought a good fight I have finished the race I have kept the faith hallelujah don't let any truth happen in your life that will make you not keep the faith nothing should happen in your life if you are a true witness if you live in Acts 29 you don't lose the faith because something happened to you you don't lose the faith you keep the faith you run your race you stay focused and keep doing what you know you got to do and not just that you fight a good fight listen being a Christian is a fight we are not only called to believe in the gospel we are called also to preach the gospel not only to preach we are also called to fight content for the faith he said

I fought a good fight of faith he fought for the faith fight for the faith of your family fight for the faith of your marriage now in your house don't say anyway it doesn't matter what the Bible is saying I'm tired no fight to keep the faith fight it's a fight fight to keep your purity that's a serious fight isn't it all of us all of us yeah it's true it's life and death because some of us you are sitting here you are worried about your lifestyle sometimes your lifestyle makes it look like you are not a Christian thank God you are not saved by your lifestyle many people have been preaching about your lifestyle your lifestyle Paul never focuses on your lifestyle he focuses on your death style he said I'm being poured out my life is gone for him when you focus on your death style it will help you live a glorious lifestyle

I've fought a good fight I've kept I've finished my race I've kept the faith therefore there's laid out for me a crown that crown has his name on it a crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous will give to me on that day I taught you that Paul had only two days on his calendar today and that day only two days on that day and not only me alone others like you and I those who live in Acts 29 who continue acts will also be given a crown of glory did you receive something today?

let's give Jesus praise Hallelujah We're so glad you joined us for this message by David H.E.

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