WEBVTT

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 We hope that you enjoy this teaching from Christ Church.

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 This material is copyrighted and no unauthorized duplication, redistribution, or any other

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 use of any part is permitted without prior consent from Christ Church.

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 Good morning.

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 My name is Catherine St. Clair, and I'm reading the scripture lesson for today.

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 This is a reading from the Acts of the Apostles, Acts chapter 28, verses 16 to 31.

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 When we got to Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself with a soldier to guard him.

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 Three days later, he called together the local Jewish leaders.

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 When they had assembled, Paul said to them,

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 Although I have done nothing against our people or against the customs of our ancestors, I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans.

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 They examined me and wanted to release me because I was not guilty of any crime deserving death.

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 The Jews objected, so I was compelled to make an appeal to Caesar.

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 I certainly did not intend to bring any charge against my own people.

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 For this reason, I have asked to see you and talk with you.

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 It is because of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain.

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 They replied,

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 We have not received any letters from Judea concerning you, and none of our people who have come from there has reported or said anything bad about you.

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 But we want to hear what your views are, for we know that people everywhere are talking against this sect.

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 They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying.

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 He witnessed to them from morning till evening, explaining about the kingdom of God and from the law of Moses and from the prophets.

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 He tried to persuade them about Jesus.

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 Some were convinced by what he said, but others would not believe.

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 They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement.

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 The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your ancestors.

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 When he said, through Isaiah the prophet,

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 Go to this people and say,

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 You will be ever hearing, but never understanding.

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 You will be ever seeing, but never perceiving.

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 For this people's heart has become calloused.

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 They hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes.

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 Otherwise, they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn.

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 And I would heal them.

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 Therefore, I want you to know that God's salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen.

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 For two whole years, Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him.

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 He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.

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 This is the word of the Lord.

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 Thanks be to God.

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 You may be seated.

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 Thank you for that scripture reading.

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 Good morning, Christ Church.

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 My name is Andrew.

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 I'm one of the pastors here.

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 We're so glad to be worshiping with you.

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 Like Jonathan said, we'd love to chat with you afterwards if you're new over coffee.

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 We also have a deacon, Gabriel.

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 He's that guy in the bright orange lanyard.

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 He's here to pray for you if you'd love that as well.

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 Jonathan and I would like to pray for you as well,

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 if that's something that you feel like you could use this morning.

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 So, welcome again to Christ Church.

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 Will you join me in prayer as we come to hear what God has to say to us this morning?

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 Our Father, the enemy would have us to disregard your word.

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 The enemy would have me fail in preaching your truths this morning.

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 The enemy would have all the people here listening, distracted from what you have to say.

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 But you're greater than he who is in the world.

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 And we give you praise for that.

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 So, would you bless the preaching of your word?

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 Would it be less of me and more of you?

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 And would we be amazed at the power of your holy word,

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 inspired by your wonderful spirit,

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 who longs to do amazing things in and through us,

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 fallible us.

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 We pray all these things in the name of Jesus.

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 Amen.

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 Well, Christ Church, today is the last sermon in our series in the book of Acts.

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 And actually, we've been in Acts since April,

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 so it's been quite a while.

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 Chelsea has been saying to me,

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 Andrew, your sermons are starting to sound the same.

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 You know, maybe we had a little bit too much of Acts.

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 No, it's okay.

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 It's just my lack of being a good preacher.

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 But here we are at the end of Acts.

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 We're going to head into Deuteronomy next,

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 but we're going to close it out right now.

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 And today, we're skipping ahead quite a bit.

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 We're going from last week,

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 where Jonathan preached from Acts 20 about Paul's farewell to the Ephesian elders.

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 And we're skipping ahead to his imprisonment in Rome, right?

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 In the last 16 verses of this book.

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 But in wrapping up, what I want to do is,

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 I want us to notice, you know,

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 how far we've come in this 28-chapter book known as the Acts of the Apostles,

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 or really what it is, is the Acts of the Holy Spirit in and through the Apostles.

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 All right?

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 So I want to take us back a little bit,

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 just give us a brief overview to kind of get us all the way here

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 to the last 16 verses of the book of Acts.

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 So it all began right in chapter 1 with the resurrected Jesus,

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 who spent 40 days of his new resurrected life doing what?

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 Preaching and teaching about the kingdom of God.

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 That's what he did right after he was resurrected for those 40 days.

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 He taught about the kingdom of God.

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 And then you have to remember what his disciples asked him

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 as he preached about the kingdom of God.

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 They asked him,

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 Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?

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 And what did he say?

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 He didn't directly answer the question.

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 He says, you guys are so preoccupied with the timing of the kingdom,

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 but what you really need to know is that you will receive power

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 when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.

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 And while you are so preoccupied with whether or not the kingdom

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 is going to be restored to Israel, to your nation,

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 guess what?

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 I have a bigger plan.

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 And you will be my witnesses from Jerusalem to Judea to Samaria,

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 even to the ends of the earth.

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 And then boom, Jesus says, peace out.

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 He ascends into heaven to the right hand of his Father in heaven.

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 As disciples are left to figure out, okay, now what?

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 What's next?

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 He didn't even answer our question about whether or not the kingdom

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 was going to be restored to Israel.

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 So they just wait and they just pray and they stay in community.

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 And as Jesus said, the spirit does come upon them at Pentecost.

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 The spirit comes upon them and they preach the name of Jesus

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 and they do many signs and wonders in his name.

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 And the poor are lifted up.

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 And those who are overlooked are looked upon with compassion.

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 And many people begin to join this Jesus movement in Jerusalem.

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 But then what happens?

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 The Jewish establishment, they kill Stephen, right?

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 The first martyr in the church.

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 And then they send out one of their top Pharisees, Saul,

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 to go and persecute the church.

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 But what happens?

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 The church only scatters and spreads the news about Jesus even further.

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 To Samaritans and Ethiopians.

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 And Saul himself, this great persecutor of the church,

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 he is converted.

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 And what you have is a multi-ethnic church that is formed

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 and born in Antioch, the third largest city in the Roman Empire.

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 And so it's not the Jerusalem church,

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 but this Gentile populated church now in Antioch

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 that becomes the main headquarters,

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 the main benefactor for the early church's benevolence ministries

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 and its outreach and evangelism mission ministries.

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 And this church in Antioch, they send Paul even further north,

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 even further east into the Mediterranean world.

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 And the good news about Jesus is preached

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 in all kinds of influential international cities

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 like Athens and Corinth.

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 And yes, it's often met with resistance.

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 It's often met with dangerous threats.

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 Sometimes even whole cities are uproaring against Paul.

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 Sometimes there's violence and Paul is stoned

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 by Jewish and Gentile communities.

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 And yet, Christian churches continue to pop up

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 all over the Mediterranean world

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 as more than a few people are persuaded about Jesus.

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 Now that brings us to last week.

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 Last week, Paul said his farewell to the Ephesian elders,

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 marking the end of his third missionary journey.

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 And between then and now, between Acts chapter 20

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 and today, Acts chapter 28,

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 there's quite a bit that's happened.

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 After his Ephesian farewell, Paul, led by the Spirit,

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 he says, I feel like I need to go to Jerusalem.

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 So he goes to Jerusalem, and of course,

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 what does he do in Jerusalem?

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 He worships his God in the temple.

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 But what he also did when he worshiped his God in the temple

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 was he brought his Gentile companions with him,

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 his brothers in Christ who had been converted by his ministry.

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 He brings them into the temple to worship this God

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 that they all worship in the name of Jesus.

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 But you can imagine now how that looked, right,

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 to the ethnocentric Jewish establishment.

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 And so in Jerusalem, he is confronted by an angry Jewish mob.

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 They're jealous.

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 These religious leaders who only had eyes

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 for the restoration of their nation and their ethnic culture

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 and not the whole of Israel,

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 not the whole of the people of God,

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 they didn't have eyes to see the beauty

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 of this truly Jewish Jesus movement,

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 how this truly Jewish Jesus movement

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 was accomplishing an amazing thing,

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 extending the hope of Israel to the nations.

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 And so they're offended, and offended by Paul's gospel

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 and offended by Paul's actions, they seek to kill him.

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 And they stir up the whole city against him,

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 and it looks like he's about to get killed,

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 but what happens?

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 According to God's plan, he's saved.

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 He's protected by who?

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 Actually, he's protected from his people

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 by the Romans who occupied Israel, by the Romans.

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 And then he's taken up further north

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 to a town called Caesarea,

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 and he stays there for two years,

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 not able to do much other than try to talk

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 to his captors, his prison guards,

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 and even the governor there about Jesus.

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 That's what he's up to.

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 And eventually, the Jewish establishment,

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 they come up to Caesarea,

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 and they're starting to bring more charges against Paul

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 because they want to see this guy killed.

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 They really want to kill this guy

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 who they believe is anti-Israel.

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 So they come up to Caesarea,

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 and they bring charges against him

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 that he is against their law.

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 He's offended their law.

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 He's offended their temple.

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 He's even offended Caesar.

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 They're bringing all these charges

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 in the hopes that he will get executed.

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 And Paul says, all right, bet.

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 I appeal to Caesar.

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 Here, let's take it to the highest court in the world

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 and see whose case is stronger.

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 Let's take my message about Jesus

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 to the center stage of the empire

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 before the highest earthly authorities in the land,

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 and let's see.

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 So he's transported now from Caesarea to Rome on a ship,

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 but he almost doesn't make it.

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 He almost doesn't make it.

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 He goes through a shipwreck,

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 and then the prison guards are like,

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 oh, shoot, all the prisoners are just gonna get away,

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 and we're gonna get in big trouble,

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 so why don't we kill all the prisoners?

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 And then, because of Paul's reputation,

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 they decide not to after all,

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 and all the prisoners, everyone is saved.

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 And then he goes onto this island in Malta,

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 and he's bit by a poisonous snake.

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 And then, here we are in Acts chapter 28.

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 He made it to Rome, guys.

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 He made it to Rome.

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 He made it.

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 And through all of this, it's like,

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 will he make it to Rome?

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 Will God's witnesses truly make it

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 to the ends of the earth?

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 Well, here he is, by the hand of God,

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 in the heart of the Roman Empire at the end of Acts.

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 Now, a question I want us to consider is,

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 well, how might you end this story?

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 What kind of ending might you expect from this story?

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 Paul, this central missionary

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 in the second half of the book of Acts,

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 he's overcome all kinds of adversity,

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 and now he's in the heart of the Roman Empire.

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 How might you have ended this story?

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 Well, for me, maybe it's just because

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 my oldest, Cammy, is super into Cinderella

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 and Disney princesses right now,

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 but if it were up to me, with my last 16 verses,

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 I'd probably feel the need to vindicate this hero, right?

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 And write a nice, happy ending with liberty,

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 and victory, and finality,

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 to tell his triumph in Rome,

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 and how the whole empire turned to Jesus,

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 or at least of how Paul, you know,

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 at least avoided execution,

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 and launched a successful church planting movement in Rome.

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 But is that how this book ends?

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 Is that how this book ends?

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 Is that what we heard a moment ago,

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 read by Catherine St. Clair?

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 No.

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 How does Acts end?

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 It ends with the great apostle Paul in chains,

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 under house arrest.

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 And really, it kind of underwhelmingly ends

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 with him really just doing the same old thing

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 that he does in all those other chapters.

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 Chelsea was right.

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 He does do the same thing over and over again, right?

00:13:58.480 --> 00:14:00.699
 He goes and he preaches to the Jewish people

00:14:00.699 --> 00:14:02.259
 every single time he enters the city,

00:14:02.579 --> 00:14:04.419
 and then he preaches the same old message,

00:14:04.559 --> 00:14:06.139
 verse 23, about the kingdom of God

00:14:06.139 --> 00:14:07.519
 from the law and the prophets,

00:14:07.620 --> 00:14:09.199
 trying to persuade people about Jesus.

00:14:09.860 --> 00:14:11.279
 And then, as it says in verse 24,

00:14:11.559 --> 00:14:12.639
 like in many other places,

00:14:12.639 --> 00:14:15.120
 the results are mixed, right?

00:14:15.580 --> 00:14:16.319
 They're just mixed.

00:14:16.840 --> 00:14:17.980
 And then, as was his pattern,

00:14:18.080 --> 00:14:20.740
 he turns his attention to the Gentiles.

00:14:21.259 --> 00:14:22.679
 That's what he does in verse 28.

00:14:23.419 --> 00:14:24.740
 And then it ends, it just says,

00:14:25.019 --> 00:14:26.960
 he stayed under house arrest for two years,

00:14:27.319 --> 00:14:29.139
 and he just kept doing the same thing.

00:14:29.740 --> 00:14:31.720
 Verse 31, he proclaimed the kingdom of God

00:14:31.720 --> 00:14:34.259
 and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ

00:14:34.259 --> 00:14:37.279
 with all boldness and without hindrance.

00:14:37.899 --> 00:14:39.919
 And that's how this account ends.

00:14:39.919 --> 00:14:43.559
 Not extraordinary, but super ordinary.

00:14:44.259 --> 00:14:44.939
 Super ordinary.

00:14:45.740 --> 00:14:47.159
 And I don't know about you,

00:14:47.699 --> 00:14:49.099
 but doesn't this strike you

00:14:49.099 --> 00:14:51.199
 as kind of a bummer of an ending

00:14:51.199 --> 00:14:53.459
 to this series in the book of Acts?

00:14:53.979 --> 00:14:56.079
 Like, why does this book of Acts,

00:14:56.319 --> 00:14:57.860
 recorded by the great apostles,

00:14:58.139 --> 00:14:59.699
 inspired by the Holy Spirit,

00:15:00.500 --> 00:15:02.860
 why does it end in such an unspectacular

00:15:02.860 --> 00:15:05.899
 and even unsatisfying way?

00:15:05.899 --> 00:15:09.620
 Why is there no surprising last minute,

00:15:09.759 --> 00:15:12.259
 once and for all, final Christian triumph?

00:15:13.379 --> 00:15:15.819
 What we read that happens here in Rome,

00:15:16.079 --> 00:15:17.699
 it isn't much different, really.

00:15:17.939 --> 00:15:19.639
 Maybe it's even less impressive

00:15:19.639 --> 00:15:20.919
 than what we've seen happen

00:15:20.919 --> 00:15:22.379
 in other chapters in Acts, right?

00:15:22.399 --> 00:15:24.240
 In other cities in the Roman world.

00:15:25.139 --> 00:15:26.120
 Here, we're not even told

00:15:26.120 --> 00:15:28.740
 if there's a happy ending or a sad one.

00:15:29.299 --> 00:15:30.840
 The author of Acts isn't interested

00:15:30.840 --> 00:15:33.659
 in giving any such details to us.

00:15:34.299 --> 00:15:35.659
 So what kind of story is this?

00:15:36.100 --> 00:15:36.980
 And what's the point?

00:15:37.740 --> 00:15:39.659
 I mean, why would anyone be attracted

00:15:39.659 --> 00:15:41.259
 to the kingdom that is preached

00:15:41.259 --> 00:15:43.539
 by this missionary Apostle Paul here

00:15:43.539 --> 00:15:45.439
 who is imprisoned and unable

00:15:45.439 --> 00:15:48.439
 to even convince his own people about Jesus?

00:15:49.199 --> 00:15:51.059
 And how could anyone expect

00:15:51.059 --> 00:15:53.059
 to be inspired by a story

00:15:53.059 --> 00:15:55.139
 with such unspectacular

00:15:55.139 --> 00:15:59.240
 and even an unsatisfying ending, right?

00:16:00.199 --> 00:16:01.339
 Well, for the rest of this sermon,

00:16:01.539 --> 00:16:03.279
 what I wanna do is I wanna make the case

00:16:03.279 --> 00:16:05.759
 that in this ending of Acts,

00:16:05.919 --> 00:16:07.179
 this ending of Acts is actually

00:16:07.179 --> 00:16:11.079
 the perfect ending for expressing Christ's kingdom

00:16:11.079 --> 00:16:13.159
 and inspiring Christ's church,

00:16:13.240 --> 00:16:15.419
 the perfect way to end the book of Acts,

00:16:15.539 --> 00:16:17.220
 particularly in what it teaches us

00:16:17.220 --> 00:16:18.500
 about the kingdom of God

00:16:18.500 --> 00:16:20.740
 and also in what it calls us to do

00:16:20.740 --> 00:16:22.439
 as Christ's church.

00:16:23.120 --> 00:16:25.519
 So first, how does the unspectacular ending

00:16:25.519 --> 00:16:27.299
 we see here in the book of Acts,

00:16:27.299 --> 00:16:29.459
 how does it actually beautifully express

00:16:29.460 --> 00:16:31.620
 the nature of the kingdom of God,

00:16:31.680 --> 00:16:32.780
 of Christ's kingdom?

00:16:33.660 --> 00:16:35.000
 I mean, isn't the kingdom of God,

00:16:35.100 --> 00:16:36.780
 the sphere of God's reign,

00:16:36.879 --> 00:16:38.240
 supposed to be marked with joy

00:16:38.240 --> 00:16:40.480
 and happiness and triumph?

00:16:41.160 --> 00:16:42.740
 And yet Acts, which began with,

00:16:43.100 --> 00:16:44.540
 it began quite well, right,

00:16:44.560 --> 00:16:45.840
 with the risen Jesus preaching

00:16:45.840 --> 00:16:47.019
 about the kingdom of God,

00:16:47.379 --> 00:16:48.379
 it ends with the preaching

00:16:48.379 --> 00:16:49.560
 about the kingdom of God too,

00:16:49.860 --> 00:16:53.280
 but by this prisoner who's chained

00:16:53.280 --> 00:16:54.600
 and can't even go out.

00:16:54.600 --> 00:16:56.680
 But what kind of a king

00:16:56.680 --> 00:16:58.320
 would let his great messenger

00:16:58.320 --> 00:16:59.580
 become a prisoner?

00:17:00.180 --> 00:17:01.240
 And what kind of a kingdom

00:17:01.240 --> 00:17:04.079
 could he seriously be preaching in chains?

00:17:04.360 --> 00:17:06.059
 Where was Paul's happy ending?

00:17:07.559 --> 00:17:09.680
 You know, this week we had youth group twice,

00:17:09.860 --> 00:17:11.319
 once with the older kids

00:17:11.319 --> 00:17:12.400
 and once with the younger kids,

00:17:12.460 --> 00:17:13.539
 and when we were with the older kids,

00:17:13.599 --> 00:17:15.640
 we went over Psalm 1 this past week,

00:17:15.700 --> 00:17:16.559
 this past Wednesday.

00:17:17.019 --> 00:17:18.880
 Blessed is the man that does not walk

00:17:18.880 --> 00:17:20.140
 in the counsel of the ungodly.

00:17:20.519 --> 00:17:22.039
 You know, he's like a tree

00:17:22.039 --> 00:17:23.640
 planted by streams of water,

00:17:23.640 --> 00:17:25.540
 yielding fruit in its season,

00:17:25.640 --> 00:17:26.740
 whose leaf does not wither.

00:17:26.820 --> 00:17:28.340
 Whatever he does prospers,

00:17:28.400 --> 00:17:29.100
 and so on, right?

00:17:29.780 --> 00:17:30.860
 And I challenged our youth.

00:17:31.000 --> 00:17:33.420
 I said, picture, consider

00:17:33.420 --> 00:17:34.640
 what it really means

00:17:34.640 --> 00:17:36.620
 to have a truly blessed life.

00:17:36.660 --> 00:17:37.460
 That's what I want our kids

00:17:37.460 --> 00:17:38.700
 to really pursue,

00:17:38.820 --> 00:17:40.520
 a truly blessed life.

00:17:41.180 --> 00:17:42.960
 And we ended up getting

00:17:42.960 --> 00:17:44.480
 onto the topic of happiness.

00:17:45.240 --> 00:17:46.259
 And we talked about how God

00:17:46.259 --> 00:17:48.020
 truly does want us to be blessed.

00:17:48.160 --> 00:17:50.920
 God truly does want us to be happy.

00:17:51.780 --> 00:17:53.040
 But then one of the youth said,

00:17:53.640 --> 00:17:54.580
 but isn't that impossible?

00:17:55.540 --> 00:17:57.200
 Isn't it impossible for us

00:17:57.200 --> 00:17:59.560
 to always be happy in this world?

00:18:00.400 --> 00:18:01.740
 And another one chimed in.

00:18:01.780 --> 00:18:03.420
 He said, yeah, it is impossible.

00:18:04.140 --> 00:18:04.680
 It is.

00:18:05.480 --> 00:18:06.940
 But then he thought about it

00:18:06.940 --> 00:18:07.880
 and he qualified and said,

00:18:07.960 --> 00:18:09.480
 actually, it is impossible

00:18:09.480 --> 00:18:11.320
 until heaven.

00:18:12.259 --> 00:18:13.800
 Until heaven, right?

00:18:14.540 --> 00:18:16.180
 And see, this is what the ending of Acts

00:18:16.180 --> 00:18:17.420
 confirms to us

00:18:17.420 --> 00:18:18.880
 about the kingdom of God.

00:18:18.880 --> 00:18:21.440
 Yes, the kingdom is inaugurated

00:18:21.440 --> 00:18:24.040
 by the risen and ascended Christ

00:18:24.040 --> 00:18:24.960
 who sits on the throne

00:18:24.960 --> 00:18:26.540
 at the right hand of his Father.

00:18:27.140 --> 00:18:27.940
 And because of this,

00:18:28.080 --> 00:18:30.240
 we do have an abiding hope,

00:18:30.320 --> 00:18:32.640
 a joy that can never be snuffed out.

00:18:33.000 --> 00:18:35.100
 And yet, this inaugurated kingdom

00:18:35.100 --> 00:18:36.860
 is yet to be consummated.

00:18:37.600 --> 00:18:39.060
 We still pray every week,

00:18:39.280 --> 00:18:40.780
 your kingdom, please come,

00:18:41.540 --> 00:18:43.820
 with grief and with lament.

00:18:43.819 --> 00:18:44.799
 Not without hope,

00:18:45.339 --> 00:18:47.599
 but always keeping it real with God,

00:18:47.759 --> 00:18:48.879
 keeping it real with ourselves,

00:18:49.039 --> 00:18:50.799
 keeping it real with each other.

00:18:51.759 --> 00:18:52.859
 The kingdom is already

00:18:52.859 --> 00:18:54.799
 and the kingdom is not yet.

00:18:54.899 --> 00:18:56.159
 And that's why Paul could write

00:18:56.159 --> 00:18:58.599
 while chained to a Roman prison guard

00:18:58.599 --> 00:18:59.460
 for two years,

00:18:59.679 --> 00:19:00.599
 in his prison epistles,

00:19:00.720 --> 00:19:01.519
 Colossians 4, he says,

00:19:02.039 --> 00:19:02.819
 remember my chains.

00:19:03.339 --> 00:19:04.700
 And in Philippians 4,

00:19:04.759 --> 00:19:06.480
 he says, rejoice in the Lord always.

00:19:06.819 --> 00:19:08.419
 And again, I say, rejoice,

00:19:08.679 --> 00:19:10.279
 for I have learned to be content

00:19:10.279 --> 00:19:12.000
 whatever the circumstances.

00:19:12.000 --> 00:19:14.680
 It's already and not yet.

00:19:14.779 --> 00:19:15.960
 And I know for some of us

00:19:15.960 --> 00:19:16.799
 who've been here for a while,

00:19:16.980 --> 00:19:19.299
 it might seem like we talk about this a lot,

00:19:19.380 --> 00:19:21.099
 the alreadyness and the not yetness

00:19:21.099 --> 00:19:22.119
 of Christ's kingdom,

00:19:22.180 --> 00:19:23.799
 but we return to it again and again

00:19:23.799 --> 00:19:25.279
 because it's so important.

00:19:26.259 --> 00:19:28.980
 See, the unspectacular ending of Acts

00:19:28.980 --> 00:19:31.940
 and Paul's less than ideal circumstances

00:19:31.940 --> 00:19:34.160
 in these last 16 verses

00:19:34.160 --> 00:19:36.220
 are actually quite common

00:19:36.220 --> 00:19:38.440
 to the experience of living

00:19:38.440 --> 00:19:41.220
 in this already not yet kingdom of God.

00:19:42.000 --> 00:19:43.740
 Living in this kind of kingdom,

00:19:44.039 --> 00:19:45.319
 this already not yet kingdom,

00:19:45.700 --> 00:19:47.299
 there are definitely wins for sure.

00:19:47.579 --> 00:19:48.279
 The kingdom is here.

00:19:48.359 --> 00:19:49.759
 The spirit is already at work.

00:19:49.859 --> 00:19:50.640
 Verse 16 says,

00:19:50.779 --> 00:19:52.839
 the Roman guard showed Paul kindness

00:19:52.839 --> 00:19:54.700
 and let him live in his own house

00:19:54.700 --> 00:19:55.299
 with a guard.

00:19:55.819 --> 00:19:56.859
 Verse 24 says,

00:19:57.099 --> 00:19:58.799
 some people did believe in his message.

00:19:59.240 --> 00:20:00.079
 Verse 31 says,

00:20:00.160 --> 00:20:01.700
 the gospel goes out with boldness

00:20:01.700 --> 00:20:02.880
 and without hindrance.

00:20:03.579 --> 00:20:04.059
 But again,

00:20:04.160 --> 00:20:07.559
 this isn't some ultimate final triumph in Rome.

00:20:08.259 --> 00:20:10.279
 The kingdom of God is clearly present.

00:20:10.279 --> 00:20:12.160
 God's reign is definitely on display

00:20:12.160 --> 00:20:13.160
 in Paul's preaching

00:20:13.160 --> 00:20:14.799
 and in the people who receive his message

00:20:14.799 --> 00:20:15.379
 and yet,

00:20:15.839 --> 00:20:17.559
 the final victory of God,

00:20:18.039 --> 00:20:19.579
 the final victory of God's people

00:20:19.579 --> 00:20:20.519
 in history

00:20:20.519 --> 00:20:21.779
 has yet to come.

00:20:22.440 --> 00:20:24.240
 Paul is still in Roman chains

00:20:24.240 --> 00:20:25.759
 in a Roman kingdom.

00:20:26.819 --> 00:20:28.480
 Already and not yet.

00:20:28.799 --> 00:20:30.180
 And the more we Christians

00:20:30.180 --> 00:20:31.899
 internalize this dual reality

00:20:31.899 --> 00:20:33.000
 of the kingdom of God,

00:20:33.220 --> 00:20:34.759
 the better equipped we will be

00:20:34.759 --> 00:20:36.940
 to navigate our complicated,

00:20:37.279 --> 00:20:37.980
 complicated lives.

00:20:37.980 --> 00:20:39.279
 See, to come to grips,

00:20:39.559 --> 00:20:41.640
 particularly with the not yetness

00:20:41.640 --> 00:20:42.440
 of the kingdom,

00:20:43.120 --> 00:20:45.460
 is to recognize that God doesn't need us

00:20:45.460 --> 00:20:47.299
 to win for him to win.

00:20:47.480 --> 00:20:47.680
 Amen?

00:20:48.460 --> 00:20:49.640
 God doesn't need us to win

00:20:49.640 --> 00:20:50.380
 for him to win.

00:20:50.700 --> 00:20:52.000
 God doesn't need us

00:20:52.000 --> 00:20:53.480
 to have spectacular lives

00:20:53.480 --> 00:20:54.640
 for him to accomplish

00:20:54.640 --> 00:20:56.380
 his spectacular purposes.

00:20:57.380 --> 00:20:58.940
 No disappointments in

00:20:58.940 --> 00:21:00.019
 and with our lives

00:21:00.019 --> 00:21:00.920
 need ever crush

00:21:00.920 --> 00:21:02.279
 or demoralize us.

00:21:02.799 --> 00:21:04.279
 Our life circumstances

00:21:04.279 --> 00:21:06.220
 don't need to smoothly flow

00:21:06.220 --> 00:21:07.839
 into nice, happy endings

00:21:07.839 --> 00:21:09.460
 for us to be sure

00:21:09.460 --> 00:21:11.299
 that God's kingdom will come

00:21:11.299 --> 00:21:12.600
 and that God's kingdom

00:21:12.600 --> 00:21:13.440
 will endure.

00:21:14.480 --> 00:21:16.240
 And although the not yetness

00:21:16.240 --> 00:21:16.940
 of his kingdom

00:21:16.940 --> 00:21:18.079
 can seem frustrating,

00:21:18.279 --> 00:21:19.779
 as I'm sure it was for Paul,

00:21:20.400 --> 00:21:22.980
 it is also a beautiful thing.

00:21:23.420 --> 00:21:24.259
 It's also beautiful

00:21:24.259 --> 00:21:25.160
 because implicit

00:21:25.160 --> 00:21:26.360
 in the not yetness

00:21:26.360 --> 00:21:27.180
 of the kingdom

00:21:27.180 --> 00:21:29.539
 is the promise of fulfillment.

00:21:30.720 --> 00:21:32.120
 Not yet.

00:21:32.119 --> 00:21:32.679
 Not yet.

00:21:33.159 --> 00:21:34.679
 Not yet.

00:21:34.799 --> 00:21:36.479
 Not yet doesn't mean never.

00:21:36.659 --> 00:21:37.679
 It doesn't mean maybe.

00:21:37.899 --> 00:21:39.559
 It simply means not now,

00:21:39.659 --> 00:21:41.459
 but it's definitely coming.

00:21:42.579 --> 00:21:43.819
 And that's why the book of Acts

00:21:43.819 --> 00:21:45.719
 ends not with Apostle Paul's

00:21:45.719 --> 00:21:46.739
 heroic triumph,

00:21:47.179 --> 00:21:48.500
 an ultimate happy ending,

00:21:49.199 --> 00:21:50.519
 but with a preacher

00:21:50.519 --> 00:21:52.459
 under Roman house arrest,

00:21:52.819 --> 00:21:53.699
 preaching faithfully

00:21:53.699 --> 00:21:55.579
 and seeing a mixed response.

00:21:55.699 --> 00:21:57.299
 See, the point of this ending

00:21:57.299 --> 00:21:57.699
 is not,

00:21:57.979 --> 00:21:59.079
 hey, what happened to Paul,

00:21:59.279 --> 00:21:59.679
 the hero?

00:21:59.859 --> 00:22:00.779
 How did it all turn out?

00:22:00.779 --> 00:22:01.940
 Well, surely it turned out

00:22:01.940 --> 00:22:02.740
 well for him, right?

00:22:03.119 --> 00:22:03.399
 No.

00:22:04.039 --> 00:22:04.839
 We're not told

00:22:04.839 --> 00:22:05.960
 the end of Paul's story

00:22:05.960 --> 00:22:07.079
 in the book of Acts

00:22:07.079 --> 00:22:08.119
 because the book of Acts

00:22:08.119 --> 00:22:09.420
 isn't a story

00:22:09.420 --> 00:22:10.720
 about the Apostle Paul.

00:22:11.480 --> 00:22:12.200
 It's the story

00:22:12.200 --> 00:22:13.519
 of the Holy Spirit's

00:22:13.519 --> 00:22:14.599
 movement and extension

00:22:14.599 --> 00:22:15.740
 of Christ's witness

00:22:15.740 --> 00:22:17.519
 to the ends of the earth.

00:22:17.980 --> 00:22:19.059
 And in this book,

00:22:19.420 --> 00:22:20.759
 what is so much more important

00:22:20.759 --> 00:22:21.259
 than knowing

00:22:21.259 --> 00:22:22.139
 what happened to Paul

00:22:22.139 --> 00:22:23.019
 is what it says

00:22:23.019 --> 00:22:23.779
 in verse 31,

00:22:24.059 --> 00:22:25.099
 that the kingdom of God,

00:22:25.339 --> 00:22:26.599
 the lordship of Jesus Christ,

00:22:26.839 --> 00:22:28.160
 continued to be proclaimed

00:22:28.160 --> 00:22:29.519
 with all boldness

00:22:29.519 --> 00:22:31.119
 and unhindered.

00:22:31.799 --> 00:22:33.599
 In and through unfavorable,

00:22:33.879 --> 00:22:35.460
 limited circumstances,

00:22:35.900 --> 00:22:37.039
 the kingdom of God

00:22:37.039 --> 00:22:38.839
 endures and advances

00:22:38.839 --> 00:22:39.900
 in the heart

00:22:39.900 --> 00:22:41.299
 of the Roman Empire.

00:22:42.420 --> 00:22:43.259
 And so rather than

00:22:43.259 --> 00:22:44.299
 discourage us

00:22:44.299 --> 00:22:46.220
 or leave us unsatisfied

00:22:46.220 --> 00:22:47.639
 with such a weak ending

00:22:47.639 --> 00:22:48.400
 to this story,

00:22:48.480 --> 00:22:50.000
 this should actually inspire us

00:22:50.000 --> 00:22:51.299
 to keep going

00:22:51.299 --> 00:22:52.059
 as actors

00:22:52.059 --> 00:22:53.900
 in this unfolding story.

00:22:53.900 --> 00:22:54.920
 You know,

00:22:54.980 --> 00:22:55.900
 not only does this

00:22:55.900 --> 00:22:57.240
 underwhelming ending

00:22:57.240 --> 00:22:57.920
 in Acts

00:22:57.920 --> 00:22:59.519
 point us to the often

00:22:59.519 --> 00:23:00.920
 unsatisfying experience

00:23:00.920 --> 00:23:02.300
 of Christian living

00:23:02.300 --> 00:23:04.220
 in the kingdom of God,

00:23:04.700 --> 00:23:05.759
 but it also points us

00:23:05.759 --> 00:23:06.720
 beyond itself.

00:23:07.180 --> 00:23:07.820
 Because again,

00:23:07.960 --> 00:23:09.620
 the point is not

00:23:09.620 --> 00:23:11.060
 that this story

00:23:11.060 --> 00:23:11.600
 is about Paul,

00:23:11.680 --> 00:23:12.340
 it's a story

00:23:12.340 --> 00:23:13.040
 about the work

00:23:13.040 --> 00:23:14.019
 of the Holy Spirit,

00:23:14.120 --> 00:23:15.140
 a work that is largely

00:23:15.140 --> 00:23:15.940
 unfinished.

00:23:16.960 --> 00:23:17.140
 See,

00:23:17.180 --> 00:23:18.440
 in this conclusion of Acts,

00:23:18.940 --> 00:23:19.480
 the author,

00:23:19.620 --> 00:23:21.140
 he's intentionally writing

00:23:21.140 --> 00:23:22.660
 an underwhelming ending.

00:23:22.660 --> 00:23:24.420
 He's intentionally doing this

00:23:24.420 --> 00:23:26.320
 with no details whatsoever

00:23:26.320 --> 00:23:27.600
 of what happens next

00:23:27.600 --> 00:23:28.080
 for Paul,

00:23:28.720 --> 00:23:29.500
 just ending with

00:23:29.500 --> 00:23:30.600
 the gospel was proclaimed

00:23:30.600 --> 00:23:31.620
 with all boldness

00:23:31.620 --> 00:23:32.820
 and without hindrance.

00:23:32.940 --> 00:23:33.140
 Why?

00:23:33.259 --> 00:23:33.860
 Because the author

00:23:33.860 --> 00:23:34.759
 was not intending

00:23:34.759 --> 00:23:35.779
 to write a definitive

00:23:35.779 --> 00:23:36.820
 the end

00:23:36.820 --> 00:23:37.940
 at the end of the Acts

00:23:37.940 --> 00:23:38.700
 of the Apostles.

00:23:39.279 --> 00:23:40.440
 The author was intending

00:23:40.440 --> 00:23:41.019
 to write

00:23:41.019 --> 00:23:42.860
 to be continued.

00:23:43.680 --> 00:23:45.040
 That's why it ends this way.

00:23:45.600 --> 00:23:46.720
 It's meant to make us feel,

00:23:47.080 --> 00:23:47.300
 oh,

00:23:47.700 --> 00:23:48.779
 to be continued.

00:23:49.600 --> 00:23:50.660
 And then the question is though,

00:23:50.660 --> 00:23:51.640
 to be continued

00:23:51.640 --> 00:23:53.020
 by who,

00:23:53.120 --> 00:23:53.540
 you ask?

00:23:53.980 --> 00:23:54.380
 By who?

00:23:55.120 --> 00:23:55.300
 Well,

00:23:55.340 --> 00:23:56.200
 by the rest of us,

00:23:56.580 --> 00:23:57.180
 the church,

00:23:57.680 --> 00:23:58.500
 or more accurately,

00:23:58.640 --> 00:23:59.340
 the Holy Spirit

00:23:59.340 --> 00:24:01.140
 working in and through us

00:24:01.140 --> 00:24:02.020
 his church.

00:24:02.980 --> 00:24:03.240
 See,

00:24:03.360 --> 00:24:04.600
 while the Acts account

00:24:04.600 --> 00:24:05.660
 concluded with Paul

00:24:05.660 --> 00:24:06.620
 in verses 31,

00:24:06.880 --> 00:24:08.460
 the actions of God's Spirit

00:24:08.460 --> 00:24:10.380
 continues with the church

00:24:10.380 --> 00:24:10.980
 even today

00:24:10.980 --> 00:24:11.540
 all throughout

00:24:11.540 --> 00:24:12.360
 the rest of this age

00:24:12.360 --> 00:24:14.180
 until the return of Christ

00:24:14.180 --> 00:24:15.020
 and the consummation

00:24:15.020 --> 00:24:15.580
 of his kingdom.

00:24:15.840 --> 00:24:16.820
 The story wasn't over.

00:24:17.000 --> 00:24:18.360
 The story isn't over.

00:24:18.580 --> 00:24:20.180
 It was and it is

00:24:20.180 --> 00:24:21.400
 to be continued.

00:24:22.340 --> 00:24:22.480
 Again,

00:24:22.520 --> 00:24:22.620
 see,

00:24:22.680 --> 00:24:23.720
 Christianity is not

00:24:23.720 --> 00:24:25.700
 simply a set of doctrines

00:24:25.700 --> 00:24:26.320
 or beliefs

00:24:26.320 --> 00:24:28.100
 to give your assent to

00:24:28.100 --> 00:24:28.900
 nor is it

00:24:28.900 --> 00:24:30.600
 a list of rules

00:24:30.600 --> 00:24:32.200
 to obey and follow.

00:24:33.000 --> 00:24:34.100
 It's a wonderful story.

00:24:34.759 --> 00:24:35.820
 It's a wonderful story.

00:24:35.960 --> 00:24:37.420
 It's a grand narrative

00:24:37.420 --> 00:24:39.360
 of what God is up to

00:24:39.360 --> 00:24:40.200
 in this world,

00:24:40.580 --> 00:24:42.060
 what God has been up to

00:24:42.060 --> 00:24:43.320
 since the creation

00:24:43.320 --> 00:24:43.880
 of the world,

00:24:43.940 --> 00:24:44.520
 since the beginning

00:24:44.520 --> 00:24:45.360
 of time.

00:24:46.400 --> 00:24:47.480
 And while God's people

00:24:47.480 --> 00:24:48.660
 have always had a role

00:24:48.660 --> 00:24:49.280
 as actors

00:24:49.279 --> 00:24:50.879
 in this divine drama,

00:24:51.240 --> 00:24:52.259
 the book of Acts,

00:24:52.660 --> 00:24:53.399
 this account

00:24:53.399 --> 00:24:54.440
 of what the earliest

00:24:54.440 --> 00:24:55.960
 followers of Jesus did

00:24:55.960 --> 00:24:56.859
 after he ascended

00:24:56.859 --> 00:24:57.700
 into heaven,

00:24:58.220 --> 00:24:58.940
 the book of Acts

00:24:58.940 --> 00:25:00.139
 marks a unique time

00:25:00.139 --> 00:25:01.139
 in the unfolding

00:25:01.139 --> 00:25:01.980
 of the drama

00:25:01.980 --> 00:25:03.160
 of God's story.

00:25:03.859 --> 00:25:04.379
 Think of it,

00:25:04.579 --> 00:25:05.399
 think of this history

00:25:05.399 --> 00:25:06.639
 as a Shakespearean

00:25:06.639 --> 00:25:08.019
 play with five acts.

00:25:08.539 --> 00:25:09.700
 You have act one,

00:25:09.839 --> 00:25:10.799
 creation and fall.

00:25:10.940 --> 00:25:12.299
 God creates the world,

00:25:12.539 --> 00:25:13.680
 yet the problem of sin

00:25:13.680 --> 00:25:15.099
 enters upon the scene.

00:25:15.639 --> 00:25:16.459
 Then act two,

00:25:16.939 --> 00:25:17.359
 Israel.

00:25:17.799 --> 00:25:19.079
 God graciously chooses

00:25:19.079 --> 00:25:19.619
 a people

00:25:19.619 --> 00:25:21.559
 and promises to establish

00:25:21.559 --> 00:25:22.719
 the kingdom that they

00:25:22.719 --> 00:25:24.079
 forfeited at the fall.

00:25:24.939 --> 00:25:26.879
 Then act three,

00:25:27.279 --> 00:25:27.599
 Christ,

00:25:27.759 --> 00:25:29.000
 the king of that kingdom,

00:25:29.179 --> 00:25:30.419
 he enters into history

00:25:30.419 --> 00:25:31.679
 and he inaugurates

00:25:31.679 --> 00:25:32.319
 the kingdom

00:25:32.319 --> 00:25:33.639
 and promises to consummate

00:25:33.639 --> 00:25:34.639
 it upon his return.

00:25:35.500 --> 00:25:36.139
 And then there are

00:25:36.139 --> 00:25:36.939
 two more acts.

00:25:37.259 --> 00:25:38.240
 The final act

00:25:38.240 --> 00:25:39.539
 is act five, right?

00:25:39.759 --> 00:25:40.439
 New creation,

00:25:40.439 --> 00:25:41.480
 that final rest

00:25:41.480 --> 00:25:42.439
 that we all long for,

00:25:42.500 --> 00:25:43.279
 the consummation

00:25:43.279 --> 00:25:44.240
 of the world,

00:25:44.240 --> 00:25:44.720
 the kingdom

00:25:44.720 --> 00:25:45.660
 that Jesus

00:25:45.660 --> 00:25:46.539
 and the prophets

00:25:46.539 --> 00:25:47.200
 and the apostles

00:25:47.200 --> 00:25:48.160
 all foretold.

00:25:48.220 --> 00:25:49.680
 This imperishable

00:25:49.680 --> 00:25:50.480
 new heavens

00:25:50.480 --> 00:25:51.140
 and new earth

00:25:51.140 --> 00:25:51.920
 where every tear

00:25:51.920 --> 00:25:53.039
 is wiped away

00:25:53.039 --> 00:25:53.660
 and justice

00:25:53.660 --> 00:25:54.359
 and shalom

00:25:54.359 --> 00:25:55.799
 reign forever and ever.

00:25:56.819 --> 00:25:57.200
 But see,

00:25:57.279 --> 00:25:58.140
 what the book of Acts

00:25:58.140 --> 00:25:59.480
 marks and kicks off,

00:26:00.000 --> 00:26:00.519
 this book,

00:26:00.599 --> 00:26:01.120
 this ending,

00:26:01.700 --> 00:26:02.480
 it kicks off

00:26:02.480 --> 00:26:03.640
 act four.

00:26:04.200 --> 00:26:05.220
 If act one

00:26:05.220 --> 00:26:06.240
 was creation and fall,

00:26:06.660 --> 00:26:07.400
 if act two

00:26:07.400 --> 00:26:08.779
 is Israel,

00:26:08.779 --> 00:26:09.579
 if act three

00:26:09.579 --> 00:26:10.160
 is Christ,

00:26:10.240 --> 00:26:11.039
 and if the last act

00:26:11.039 --> 00:26:11.759
 is new creation,

00:26:12.120 --> 00:26:12.720
 act four

00:26:12.720 --> 00:26:15.000
 is the church age.

00:26:15.700 --> 00:26:16.700
 That is the act

00:26:16.700 --> 00:26:17.880
 that we inhabit.

00:26:18.299 --> 00:26:19.360
 And what's so unique

00:26:19.360 --> 00:26:20.380
 about act four,

00:26:20.500 --> 00:26:21.620
 this church age,

00:26:21.700 --> 00:26:22.279
 is that unlike

00:26:22.279 --> 00:26:23.799
 the first four acts,

00:26:24.259 --> 00:26:25.019
 the people of God

00:26:25.019 --> 00:26:25.539
 in act four

00:26:25.539 --> 00:26:27.079
 are all uniquely filled

00:26:27.079 --> 00:26:28.160
 with the power

00:26:28.160 --> 00:26:28.839
 and the presence

00:26:28.839 --> 00:26:29.960
 of the Holy Spirit.

00:26:30.500 --> 00:26:31.100
 And we're called

00:26:31.100 --> 00:26:32.200
 to improvise

00:26:32.200 --> 00:26:32.880
 rather than just

00:26:32.880 --> 00:26:34.000
 parrot what has already

00:26:34.000 --> 00:26:34.440
 been said

00:26:34.440 --> 00:26:35.299
 in the sacred Hebrew

00:26:35.299 --> 00:26:35.720
 scriptures.

00:26:36.200 --> 00:26:36.759
 We,

00:26:37.120 --> 00:26:37.559
 as a people

00:26:37.559 --> 00:26:38.460
 from every tribe,

00:26:38.779 --> 00:26:39.100
 nation,

00:26:39.099 --> 00:26:39.879
 and tongue

00:26:39.879 --> 00:26:40.579
 are now called

00:26:40.579 --> 00:26:40.959
 in a sense

00:26:40.959 --> 00:26:41.859
 to go beyond

00:26:41.859 --> 00:26:43.459
 the sacred page

00:26:43.459 --> 00:26:44.799
 on history's way

00:26:44.799 --> 00:26:45.419
 to the fifth

00:26:45.419 --> 00:26:46.779
 and final act.

00:26:47.639 --> 00:26:48.079
 Of course,

00:26:48.219 --> 00:26:48.839
 this doesn't mean

00:26:48.839 --> 00:26:49.439
 we just do

00:26:49.439 --> 00:26:50.399
 whatever we want.

00:26:50.759 --> 00:26:51.399
 It's an age

00:26:51.399 --> 00:26:52.059
 that's guided

00:26:52.059 --> 00:26:52.980
 by the Spirit

00:26:52.980 --> 00:26:54.139
 and we're to remain

00:26:54.139 --> 00:26:55.079
 in character

00:26:55.079 --> 00:26:56.740
 and we're to act

00:26:56.740 --> 00:26:57.419
 consistently

00:26:57.419 --> 00:26:58.699
 with the first three acts

00:26:58.699 --> 00:26:59.619
 and the final act.

00:27:00.159 --> 00:27:01.299
 But even with these parameters,

00:27:01.619 --> 00:27:02.179
 act four,

00:27:02.359 --> 00:27:03.819
 this age of the church

00:27:03.819 --> 00:27:04.579
 that we presently

00:27:04.579 --> 00:27:05.480
 inhabit as Christians

00:27:05.480 --> 00:27:06.500
 between the two comings

00:27:06.500 --> 00:27:07.180
 of Jesus,

00:27:07.519 --> 00:27:08.180
 it's an age

00:27:08.180 --> 00:27:09.500
 of improvisation,

00:27:09.960 --> 00:27:10.619
 of discerning

00:27:10.619 --> 00:27:11.480
 the Spirit's way

00:27:11.480 --> 00:27:12.079
 in new

00:27:12.079 --> 00:27:13.900
 and diverse contexts,

00:27:14.559 --> 00:27:15.680
 of asking questions

00:27:15.680 --> 00:27:17.319
 of the here and now.

00:27:18.019 --> 00:27:18.839
 What does it look like

00:27:18.839 --> 00:27:19.759
 to worship Yahweh

00:27:19.759 --> 00:27:20.839
 as a woman?

00:27:21.420 --> 00:27:22.440
 A woman in the

00:27:22.440 --> 00:27:23.720
 patriarchal ancient world

00:27:23.720 --> 00:27:24.619
 or a woman today

00:27:24.619 --> 00:27:26.180
 in post-Christian world?

00:27:26.720 --> 00:27:27.539
 What does it look like

00:27:27.539 --> 00:27:28.599
 to worship Yahweh

00:27:28.599 --> 00:27:29.579
 as a slave

00:27:29.579 --> 00:27:30.420
 or a prisoner

00:27:30.420 --> 00:27:31.220
 or a migrant

00:27:31.220 --> 00:27:33.039
 or an oppressed minority?

00:27:33.240 --> 00:27:33.819
 What does it look like

00:27:33.819 --> 00:27:34.980
 to worship as someone

00:27:34.980 --> 00:27:35.599
 from Africa

00:27:35.599 --> 00:27:36.180
 or Europe

00:27:36.180 --> 00:27:36.900
 or Asia?

00:27:37.940 --> 00:27:38.940
 Just some of the

00:27:38.940 --> 00:27:39.640
 many questions

00:27:39.640 --> 00:27:40.340
 that the church

00:27:40.340 --> 00:27:41.779
 in this act four,

00:27:41.880 --> 00:27:42.779
 in this church age,

00:27:43.140 --> 00:27:43.940
 has been called

00:27:43.940 --> 00:27:45.060
 to work out

00:27:45.060 --> 00:27:46.900
 or perhaps closer to home.

00:27:47.660 --> 00:27:48.500
 What does it look like

00:27:48.500 --> 00:27:49.440
 to worship Yahweh

00:27:49.440 --> 00:27:51.140
 in this post-Christian

00:27:51.140 --> 00:27:52.480
 secular moment

00:27:52.480 --> 00:27:54.120
 as a software engineer

00:27:54.120 --> 00:27:54.660
 at Google

00:27:54.660 --> 00:27:55.680
 in the Bay Area

00:27:55.680 --> 00:27:56.960
 or as a teacher

00:27:56.960 --> 00:27:57.920
 in the Berkeley

00:27:57.920 --> 00:27:58.580
 or Oakland

00:27:58.580 --> 00:27:59.820
 public school districts

00:27:59.820 --> 00:28:01.860
 or as a PhD student

00:28:01.860 --> 00:28:02.700
 here at Cal

00:28:02.700 --> 00:28:04.200
 and not just on

00:28:04.200 --> 00:28:05.500
 an individualistic level

00:28:05.500 --> 00:28:07.099
 but also on a corporate level?

00:28:07.380 --> 00:28:07.859
 What does it mean

00:28:07.859 --> 00:28:09.039
 for Christ Church East Bay

00:28:09.039 --> 00:28:10.359
 to worship Yahweh

00:28:10.359 --> 00:28:11.279
 in the midst

00:28:11.279 --> 00:28:12.119
 of our city's

00:28:12.119 --> 00:28:13.539
 homelessness crisis?

00:28:15.200 --> 00:28:17.180
 How is the global church

00:28:17.180 --> 00:28:18.339
 to respond

00:28:18.339 --> 00:28:19.099
 to the rise

00:28:19.099 --> 00:28:19.839
 of the Taliban

00:28:19.839 --> 00:28:20.559
 in Afghanistan

00:28:20.559 --> 00:28:21.920
 or the disasters

00:28:21.920 --> 00:28:22.380
 in Haiti

00:28:22.380 --> 00:28:23.680
 or the border crisis

00:28:23.680 --> 00:28:24.440
 that we're facing?

00:28:25.579 --> 00:28:27.160
 The underwhelming ending

00:28:27.160 --> 00:28:28.180
 in the book of Acts,

00:28:28.259 --> 00:28:28.420
 see,

00:28:28.559 --> 00:28:29.400
 it's a call.

00:28:29.400 --> 00:28:31.460
 It's a call from God

00:28:31.460 --> 00:28:32.640
 to consider

00:28:32.640 --> 00:28:34.300
 how we are to act out

00:28:34.300 --> 00:28:35.980
 and how we are to improvise

00:28:35.980 --> 00:28:36.840
 our roles

00:28:36.840 --> 00:28:38.040
 in Act 4

00:28:38.040 --> 00:28:39.540
 as the church.

00:28:40.060 --> 00:28:41.340
 How will we be witnesses

00:28:41.340 --> 00:28:42.140
 of Christ

00:28:42.140 --> 00:28:43.120
 to the ends

00:28:43.120 --> 00:28:43.940
 of the earth?

00:28:44.980 --> 00:28:46.160
 Remember at the outset

00:28:46.160 --> 00:28:46.840
 of this book,

00:28:47.420 --> 00:28:48.900
 Acts chapter 1 verse 8,

00:28:48.980 --> 00:28:50.060
 Jesus said to the church,

00:28:50.720 --> 00:28:51.720
 you will be

00:28:51.720 --> 00:28:53.060
 my witnesses.

00:28:53.620 --> 00:28:54.519
 You will be

00:28:54.519 --> 00:28:55.259
 my witnesses.

00:28:55.440 --> 00:28:56.000
 He didn't say

00:28:56.000 --> 00:28:57.080
 you should be.

00:28:57.079 --> 00:28:58.039
 He didn't say

00:28:58.039 --> 00:28:59.039
 you can be.

00:28:59.119 --> 00:28:59.500
 He didn't say

00:28:59.500 --> 00:29:00.460
 do you want to be?

00:29:01.039 --> 00:29:01.639
 He said

00:29:01.639 --> 00:29:02.720
 you will be.

00:29:03.740 --> 00:29:04.699
 This is what we are.

00:29:05.259 --> 00:29:06.379
 This is what we are,

00:29:06.559 --> 00:29:07.099
 Christ's church.

00:29:07.159 --> 00:29:08.199
 Whether we play

00:29:08.199 --> 00:29:09.399
 and improvise the role

00:29:09.399 --> 00:29:10.559
 well or not,

00:29:10.659 --> 00:29:12.460
 we are witnesses

00:29:12.460 --> 00:29:13.359
 of Christ.

00:29:14.500 --> 00:29:15.419
 So the question for us

00:29:15.419 --> 00:29:16.859
 is how are we witnessing?

00:29:18.279 --> 00:29:19.879
 How are we witnessing

00:29:19.879 --> 00:29:20.939
 to Christ?

00:29:21.879 --> 00:29:22.759
 Are we giving off

00:29:22.759 --> 00:29:23.259
 an aroma

00:29:23.259 --> 00:29:25.079
 or a stench

00:29:25.079 --> 00:29:26.419
 among the various

00:29:26.420 --> 00:29:27.240
 audiences

00:29:27.240 --> 00:29:28.200
 that God

00:29:28.200 --> 00:29:28.960
 has placed us

00:29:28.960 --> 00:29:29.539
 in front of?

00:29:30.380 --> 00:29:31.200
 I want us to notice

00:29:31.200 --> 00:29:31.900
 how Paul,

00:29:32.420 --> 00:29:33.560
 he notices,

00:29:33.820 --> 00:29:34.640
 he recognizes

00:29:34.640 --> 00:29:35.660
 that he is a witness

00:29:35.660 --> 00:29:36.860
 no matter his circumstances

00:29:36.860 --> 00:29:37.480
 and he doesn't

00:29:37.480 --> 00:29:38.480
 sit on his hands,

00:29:38.539 --> 00:29:39.340
 he doesn't wait

00:29:39.340 --> 00:29:41.060
 for better life circumstances

00:29:41.060 --> 00:29:43.019
 to start serving God again.

00:29:43.720 --> 00:29:44.519
 In his two year

00:29:44.519 --> 00:29:46.039
 stint in Caesarea

00:29:46.039 --> 00:29:47.640
 when his only audience

00:29:47.640 --> 00:29:49.240
 was the governor Felix,

00:29:49.759 --> 00:29:49.980
 he said,

00:29:50.080 --> 00:29:50.519
 all right, cool.

00:29:51.080 --> 00:29:51.779
 I'm just gonna share

00:29:51.779 --> 00:29:52.160
 the gospel

00:29:52.160 --> 00:29:53.080
 with this one guy.

00:29:53.420 --> 00:29:54.480
 This must be my calling

00:29:54.480 --> 00:29:55.160
 in this season.

00:29:55.160 --> 00:29:56.100
 He doesn't try to

00:29:56.100 --> 00:29:57.100
 open up,

00:29:57.220 --> 00:29:58.160
 force open doors

00:29:58.160 --> 00:29:59.040
 that God closed.

00:29:59.580 --> 00:30:00.580
 He simply goes

00:30:00.580 --> 00:30:01.180
 through the ones

00:30:01.180 --> 00:30:02.259
 that God opens.

00:30:02.720 --> 00:30:03.680
 Same thing here in Rome,

00:30:03.720 --> 00:30:04.080
 he doesn't say,

00:30:04.340 --> 00:30:04.900
 well, my hands

00:30:04.900 --> 00:30:06.180
 are literally tied,

00:30:06.700 --> 00:30:07.340
 these chains

00:30:07.340 --> 00:30:08.140
 and this house rest

00:30:08.140 --> 00:30:08.640
 are preventing

00:30:08.640 --> 00:30:09.160
 the gospel

00:30:09.160 --> 00:30:10.160
 from going forth.

00:30:10.220 --> 00:30:10.620
 No, he says,

00:30:10.700 --> 00:30:11.460
 if I can't get out

00:30:11.460 --> 00:30:11.820
 of Rome,

00:30:12.420 --> 00:30:13.100
 let the people

00:30:13.100 --> 00:30:14.300
 come to me.

00:30:14.980 --> 00:30:16.019
 He invites the Jewish

00:30:16.019 --> 00:30:17.000
 leaders in

00:30:17.000 --> 00:30:17.700
 to hear what he has

00:30:17.700 --> 00:30:18.060
 to say,

00:30:18.120 --> 00:30:18.820
 verse 17.

00:30:18.940 --> 00:30:19.940
 Just three days

00:30:19.940 --> 00:30:21.180
 after he arrived

00:30:21.180 --> 00:30:21.860
 in Rome.

00:30:22.000 --> 00:30:22.720
 He hardly even

00:30:22.720 --> 00:30:23.500
 takes a breather

00:30:23.500 --> 00:30:24.460
 after that crazy

00:30:24.460 --> 00:30:25.400
 shipwreck

00:30:25.400 --> 00:30:26.420
 and the snake bite

00:30:26.420 --> 00:30:27.059
 and all that.

00:30:28.019 --> 00:30:28.700
 In verse 30,

00:30:28.759 --> 00:30:29.480
 it says he welcomed

00:30:29.480 --> 00:30:30.460
 many visitors,

00:30:30.620 --> 00:30:30.940
 actually.

00:30:31.920 --> 00:30:32.759
 And since he couldn't

00:30:32.759 --> 00:30:33.080
 go out,

00:30:33.160 --> 00:30:33.860
 he just had people

00:30:33.860 --> 00:30:34.640
 come to him

00:30:34.640 --> 00:30:35.180
 and he continued

00:30:35.180 --> 00:30:36.559
 to preach boldly,

00:30:36.880 --> 00:30:37.700
 even while chained

00:30:37.700 --> 00:30:39.259
 to a Roman guard

00:30:39.259 --> 00:30:40.420
 under house arrest.

00:30:41.259 --> 00:30:42.160
 And history tells us

00:30:42.160 --> 00:30:42.799
 that during this

00:30:42.799 --> 00:30:44.120
 two year stint,

00:30:44.340 --> 00:30:44.900
 what he did

00:30:44.900 --> 00:30:45.500
 was he wrote

00:30:45.500 --> 00:30:46.400
 the beautiful,

00:30:46.559 --> 00:30:47.200
 the magnificent

00:30:47.200 --> 00:30:48.579
 prison epistles.

00:30:49.400 --> 00:30:49.960
 Ephesians,

00:30:50.200 --> 00:30:50.680
 Philippians,

00:30:50.839 --> 00:30:51.480
 Colossians,

00:30:51.900 --> 00:30:52.380
 Philemon.

00:30:53.359 --> 00:30:54.160
 See, nothing,

00:30:54.720 --> 00:30:55.259
 nothing,

00:30:55.779 --> 00:30:56.640
 no circumstance

00:30:56.640 --> 00:30:58.339
 could keep Paul

00:30:58.339 --> 00:30:59.839
 from bearing witness

00:30:59.839 --> 00:31:00.660
 to Christ.

00:31:01.599 --> 00:31:02.019
 To him,

00:31:02.099 --> 00:31:02.579
 the gospel

00:31:02.579 --> 00:31:03.940
 was too important.

00:31:04.539 --> 00:31:05.500
 It was too important

00:31:05.500 --> 00:31:06.299
 to be halted

00:31:06.299 --> 00:31:07.339
 by his chains

00:31:07.339 --> 00:31:08.740
 and his circumstances.

00:31:09.279 --> 00:31:10.059
 And God's power

00:31:10.059 --> 00:31:10.279
 was,

00:31:10.779 --> 00:31:11.559
 God's power

00:31:11.559 --> 00:31:12.640
 to make much

00:31:12.640 --> 00:31:13.759
 out of our limitations

00:31:13.759 --> 00:31:14.599
 was too great

00:31:14.599 --> 00:31:15.480
 for Paul to believe

00:31:15.480 --> 00:31:16.360
 that his hands

00:31:16.360 --> 00:31:17.759
 were ultimately tied.

00:31:18.819 --> 00:31:19.360
 After all,

00:31:19.440 --> 00:31:19.940
 Paul worshipped

00:31:19.940 --> 00:31:20.460
 a king

00:31:20.460 --> 00:31:22.779
 who by being crucified

00:31:22.779 --> 00:31:23.960
 on a Roman cross

00:31:23.960 --> 00:31:25.200
 could remove

00:31:25.200 --> 00:31:26.140
 the curse

00:31:26.140 --> 00:31:26.960
 of the world.

00:31:27.920 --> 00:31:28.759
 What circumstance

00:31:28.759 --> 00:31:29.920
 was going to stop him

00:31:29.920 --> 00:31:30.559
 from preaching

00:31:30.559 --> 00:31:31.140
 that king?

00:31:31.940 --> 00:31:32.680
 So for Paul,

00:31:33.079 --> 00:31:33.880
 every circumstance

00:31:33.880 --> 00:31:35.500
 was not a hindrance

00:31:35.500 --> 00:31:37.079
 but an opportunity.

00:31:37.539 --> 00:31:38.279
 An opportunity

00:31:38.279 --> 00:31:39.360
 to play his part

00:31:39.360 --> 00:31:40.240
 in God's drama

00:31:40.240 --> 00:31:42.039
 as a faithful witness

00:31:42.039 --> 00:31:43.019
 of this crucified

00:31:43.019 --> 00:31:44.240
 and risen king.

00:31:44.240 --> 00:31:45.859
 And that is how

00:31:45.859 --> 00:31:46.380
 the gospel

00:31:46.380 --> 00:31:47.620
 was able to thrive

00:31:47.620 --> 00:31:49.120
 even under house rest

00:31:49.120 --> 00:31:49.620
 in the heart

00:31:49.620 --> 00:31:51.079
 of the Roman Empire.

00:31:51.799 --> 00:31:52.700
 For while its messengers

00:31:52.700 --> 00:31:53.559
 could be chained

00:31:53.559 --> 00:31:54.740
 and beaten

00:31:54.740 --> 00:31:55.839
 and murdered,

00:31:56.720 --> 00:31:57.359
 the gospel

00:31:57.359 --> 00:31:58.700
 cannot be chained.

00:31:59.180 --> 00:31:59.799
 The spirit

00:31:59.799 --> 00:32:00.960
 cannot be chained.

00:32:01.799 --> 00:32:02.579
 And the kingdom

00:32:02.579 --> 00:32:03.440
 that we proclaim,

00:32:03.640 --> 00:32:04.319
 it will never

00:32:04.319 --> 00:32:05.700
 stop advancing

00:32:05.700 --> 00:32:06.620
 no matter how bad

00:32:06.620 --> 00:32:07.539
 I am of a preacher,

00:32:07.839 --> 00:32:08.980
 no matter how unfaithful

00:32:08.980 --> 00:32:09.859
 we are as witnesses.

00:32:09.859 --> 00:32:10.879
 So why not join

00:32:10.879 --> 00:32:12.199
 this kingdom movement

00:32:12.199 --> 00:32:13.779
 by the spirit of God?

00:32:15.179 --> 00:32:15.799
 Christ Church,

00:32:16.479 --> 00:32:17.599
 are we waiting

00:32:17.599 --> 00:32:18.079
 for better?

00:32:18.539 --> 00:32:19.019
 Are we waiting

00:32:19.019 --> 00:32:19.519
 maybe even

00:32:19.519 --> 00:32:21.019
 for perfect circumstances

00:32:21.019 --> 00:32:22.119
 before we give

00:32:22.119 --> 00:32:23.000
 our lives fully

00:32:23.000 --> 00:32:24.599
 to bearing witness

00:32:24.599 --> 00:32:25.479
 to Christ?

00:32:26.279 --> 00:32:26.919
 Are we waiting

00:32:26.919 --> 00:32:27.959
 to just check off

00:32:27.959 --> 00:32:29.240
 a few more boxes

00:32:29.240 --> 00:32:30.119
 on our list

00:32:30.119 --> 00:32:30.759
 of things to do?

00:32:30.819 --> 00:32:31.619
 Finish my degree,

00:32:32.519 --> 00:32:33.279
 get that promotion,

00:32:33.439 --> 00:32:34.039
 find a spouse,

00:32:34.359 --> 00:32:35.000
 start a family,

00:32:35.159 --> 00:32:35.659
 buy a home,

00:32:35.939 --> 00:32:36.919
 conquer my anxiety,

00:32:37.119 --> 00:32:37.859
 wait for the delta

00:32:37.859 --> 00:32:38.979
 or lambda variants

00:32:38.979 --> 00:32:40.159
 to get figured out?

00:32:41.419 --> 00:32:42.779
 Or might it be

00:32:42.779 --> 00:32:43.899
 that God

00:32:43.899 --> 00:32:44.959
 is calling us

00:32:44.959 --> 00:32:46.219
 to bear witness

00:32:46.219 --> 00:32:47.019
 in and through

00:32:47.019 --> 00:32:48.439
 our very imperfect

00:32:48.439 --> 00:32:49.579
 circumstances?

00:32:50.879 --> 00:32:52.019
 What might that look like?

00:32:52.879 --> 00:32:54.059
 What might that look like?

00:32:54.279 --> 00:32:55.919
 Not looking for things

00:32:55.919 --> 00:32:56.979
 to settle down,

00:32:57.459 --> 00:32:58.000
 but saying,

00:32:58.519 --> 00:32:59.079
 my life

00:32:59.079 --> 00:33:00.000
 and world

00:33:00.000 --> 00:33:00.939
 and circumstances

00:33:00.939 --> 00:33:02.259
 are far from what

00:33:02.259 --> 00:33:03.419
 I'd like them to be,

00:33:03.979 --> 00:33:04.859
 and yet God,

00:33:05.339 --> 00:33:05.799
 the kingdom

00:33:05.799 --> 00:33:07.159
 is yours.

00:33:07.859 --> 00:33:08.439
 Jesus,

00:33:08.579 --> 00:33:08.979
 the kingdom

00:33:08.979 --> 00:33:09.899
 is yours

00:33:09.899 --> 00:33:11.159
 and I'm still

00:33:11.159 --> 00:33:11.939
 going to act out

00:33:11.939 --> 00:33:12.459
 my role

00:33:12.459 --> 00:33:14.139
 as your witness.

00:33:15.240 --> 00:33:15.539
 For, you know,

00:33:15.619 --> 00:33:16.519
 to wait upon

00:33:16.519 --> 00:33:17.919
 better circumstances

00:33:17.919 --> 00:33:18.899
 is actually

00:33:18.899 --> 00:33:19.959
 to be held captive

00:33:19.959 --> 00:33:21.219
 to an alternative

00:33:21.219 --> 00:33:21.819
 kingdom.

00:33:21.979 --> 00:33:22.479
 That's exactly

00:33:22.479 --> 00:33:23.319
 what the enemy

00:33:23.319 --> 00:33:24.159
 wants.

00:33:24.919 --> 00:33:25.899
 If Paul had stopped

00:33:25.899 --> 00:33:26.619
 bearing witness

00:33:26.619 --> 00:33:27.500
 and just waited

00:33:27.500 --> 00:33:28.500
 for a better opportunity,

00:33:28.639 --> 00:33:29.399
 I'm just gonna chill

00:33:29.399 --> 00:33:30.079
 and watch Netflix

00:33:30.079 --> 00:33:31.019
 for the next two years

00:33:31.019 --> 00:33:32.019
 because I can't go out.

00:33:32.819 --> 00:33:33.919
 Even if he had never

00:33:33.919 --> 00:33:35.819
 explicitly bowed down

00:33:35.819 --> 00:33:36.779
 to a Roman god

00:33:36.779 --> 00:33:37.799
 or a Roman emperor,

00:33:38.839 --> 00:33:39.960
 it wouldn't really be

00:33:39.960 --> 00:33:40.539
 that he stopped

00:33:40.539 --> 00:33:41.139
 bearing witness.

00:33:41.299 --> 00:33:41.940
 He would actually

00:33:41.940 --> 00:33:42.819
 just have been

00:33:42.819 --> 00:33:43.460
 bearing witness

00:33:43.460 --> 00:33:44.319
 to the weakness

00:33:44.319 --> 00:33:45.399
 of the kingdom

00:33:45.399 --> 00:33:46.299
 of Christ

00:33:46.299 --> 00:33:47.279
 and the supremacy

00:33:47.279 --> 00:33:48.139
 of the kingdom

00:33:48.139 --> 00:33:49.200
 of his captors,

00:33:49.399 --> 00:33:49.819
 the kingdom

00:33:49.819 --> 00:33:50.920
 that had imprisoned him.

00:33:51.960 --> 00:33:52.559
 See, that's what's

00:33:52.559 --> 00:33:53.059
 at stake.

00:33:53.980 --> 00:33:55.460
 We are Christ's witnesses.

00:33:56.099 --> 00:33:56.960
 That is the message

00:33:56.960 --> 00:33:57.859
 of the book of Acts.

00:33:58.099 --> 00:34:00.240
 We are Christ's witnesses,

00:34:00.480 --> 00:34:01.059
 Christ's church.

00:34:01.059 --> 00:34:02.539
 So the question is,

00:34:02.619 --> 00:34:03.559
 will we bow down

00:34:03.559 --> 00:34:05.099
 and submit to the kingdoms

00:34:05.099 --> 00:34:05.919
 of this world

00:34:05.919 --> 00:34:07.879
 or will we,

00:34:08.039 --> 00:34:08.400
 like Paul,

00:34:08.579 --> 00:34:08.840
 will we,

00:34:08.980 --> 00:34:09.659
 like Christ,

00:34:10.380 --> 00:34:10.880
 insist,

00:34:11.059 --> 00:34:11.920
 even chained

00:34:11.920 --> 00:34:12.940
 under house arrest,

00:34:13.519 --> 00:34:14.940
 even hanging crucified

00:34:14.940 --> 00:34:15.960
 upon the crosses

00:34:15.960 --> 00:34:16.679
 of the powers

00:34:16.679 --> 00:34:17.340
 of this world,

00:34:17.500 --> 00:34:18.699
 will we insist upon

00:34:18.699 --> 00:34:19.940
 and bear witness

00:34:19.940 --> 00:34:21.119
 with our whole lives

00:34:21.119 --> 00:34:22.299
 to the greater

00:34:22.299 --> 00:34:23.880
 imperishable kingdom

00:34:23.880 --> 00:34:25.400
 of the crucified

00:34:25.400 --> 00:34:26.759
 and risen Christ?

00:34:27.420 --> 00:34:28.420
 Will you pray with me?

00:34:31.059 --> 00:34:35.579
 Lord, have mercy upon us

00:34:35.579 --> 00:34:39.340
 for our inaction,

00:34:40.639 --> 00:34:42.079
 our disobedient action,

00:34:42.659 --> 00:34:45.039
 for the poor witness

00:34:45.039 --> 00:34:46.219
 that we have been

00:34:46.219 --> 00:34:47.440
 to the world

00:34:47.440 --> 00:34:49.539
 concerning your kingdom,

00:34:51.059 --> 00:34:51.920
 concerning your king.

00:34:55.360 --> 00:34:57.860
 God, we need you.

00:34:58.279 --> 00:34:59.219
 We need your spirit

00:34:59.219 --> 00:35:00.880
 to empower us

00:35:00.880 --> 00:35:02.119
 to repent.

00:35:03.220 --> 00:35:04.280
 We need your spirit

00:35:04.280 --> 00:35:05.220
 to empower us

00:35:05.220 --> 00:35:06.840
 to be that bright

00:35:06.840 --> 00:35:07.740
 and shining city

00:35:07.740 --> 00:35:08.220
 on a hill

00:35:08.220 --> 00:35:09.680
 that we've so often

00:35:09.680 --> 00:35:10.420
 failed to be.

00:35:12.200 --> 00:35:13.260
 And we have no

00:35:13.260 --> 00:35:13.880
 grand illusions

00:35:13.880 --> 00:35:14.740
 that we can do this

00:35:14.740 --> 00:35:15.300
 on our own.

00:35:16.519 --> 00:35:17.000
 So that's why

00:35:17.000 --> 00:35:17.760
 we come to you.

00:35:18.660 --> 00:35:19.420
 Because we want

00:35:19.420 --> 00:35:20.160
 to be your witnesses.

00:35:20.920 --> 00:35:21.500
 We want to be

00:35:21.500 --> 00:35:22.420
 faithful witnesses,

00:35:23.700 --> 00:35:24.460
 bearing witness

00:35:24.460 --> 00:35:26.079
 to the most beautiful message,

00:35:26.200 --> 00:35:26.960
 the greatest story

00:35:26.960 --> 00:35:27.539
 ever told,

00:35:27.660 --> 00:35:28.700
 the story of redemption,

00:35:29.019 --> 00:35:30.619
 the story of King Jesus.

00:35:30.880 --> 00:35:31.860
 who is Lord.

00:35:33.559 --> 00:35:34.019
 Lord,

00:35:34.340 --> 00:35:35.599
 would you stir up

00:35:35.599 --> 00:35:36.300
 our hearts

00:35:36.300 --> 00:35:39.440
 with a passion

00:35:39.440 --> 00:35:41.019
 for your kingdom,

00:35:42.800 --> 00:35:43.460
 a zeal

00:35:43.460 --> 00:35:44.940
 for the honor

00:35:44.940 --> 00:35:45.800
 of the Lord Jesus.

00:35:48.160 --> 00:35:49.519
 Lord, would we encounter you

00:35:49.519 --> 00:35:50.140
 in that way?

00:35:50.920 --> 00:35:52.160
 And would we be glad?

00:35:53.340 --> 00:35:54.180
 And would we be like

00:35:54.180 --> 00:35:54.720
 that tree

00:35:54.720 --> 00:35:55.940
 that is planted

00:35:55.940 --> 00:35:56.960
 by streams of water,

00:35:56.960 --> 00:35:58.659
 that yields its fruit

00:35:58.659 --> 00:35:59.400
 in season

00:35:59.400 --> 00:36:00.619
 and whose leaf

00:36:00.619 --> 00:36:01.480
 does not wither.

00:36:02.539 --> 00:36:03.800
 And whatever we do,

00:36:03.940 --> 00:36:04.679
 may it prosper,

00:36:05.320 --> 00:36:06.260
 may it flourish

00:36:06.260 --> 00:36:08.220
 as we remain

00:36:08.220 --> 00:36:08.780
 and abide

00:36:08.780 --> 00:36:09.920
 in Christ,

00:36:10.240 --> 00:36:10.720
 our King.

00:36:11.380 --> 00:36:12.380
 As we seek first

00:36:12.380 --> 00:36:30.300
 in the ay

00:36:30.300 --> 00:36:30.940
 in the country

00:36:30.940 --> 00:36:31.079
 in the universe

00:36:31.079 --> 00:36:31.200
 for the honor

00:36:31.200 --> 00:36:32.380
 and the

00:36:32.380 --> 00:36:33.099
 all

00:36:33.099 --> 00:36:33.360
 fathers

00:36:33.360 --> 00:36:34.599
 and we

00:36:34.599 --> 00:36:35.320
 know

00:36:35.320 --> 00:36:35.599
 what so foram

00:36:35.599 --> 00:36:36.000
 to

00:36:36.000 --> 00:36:36.400
 to the

00:36:37.260 --> 00:36:38.019
 almost

00:36:38.019 --> 00:36:38.260
space

00:36:38.260 --> 00:36:38.340
 and i

00:36:38.340 --> 00:36:39.059
 would

00:36:39.059 --> 00:36:39.800
 see you