Now we are all lured in by the promise of quick fixes, aren't we?
So we live in a world that wants things immediately and without much effort.
So maybe you're like me and you're lured in by the promise of six pack abs in 60 days
from someone who looks very athletic in the video.
I'm pretty sure it's just the lighting.
Maybe you want to lose weight and so you're pulled in by those adverts
that speak about the next superfood or that fruit that basically burns fat as you chew.
Maybe it's that cleaning product that promises to get away that stain
that you've had on the carpet for 30 odd years.
Or maybe it's that new kitchen appliance that the person on TV says you cannot live without.
Or it's that face cream that promises to keep wrinkles at bay until your dying day.
We all love a quick fix.
But in reality, these kind of overnight success ideas,
whilst they feed or desire for things to be done quickly,
with minimal effort and with so-called guaranteed outcomes,
they don't or they very rarely actually work.
Because people achieve goals not by going with the newest quick fix fad or trend,
but we achieve things by consistency.
The key to getting better at something or achieving a certain goal that you have
is not a quick dash, it's not a sprint,
but the consistent, dedicated discipline of hard work that will get you there.
Ask any doctor, any bricklayer, any plasterer, any muscly person,
they will tell you that the key to their achievements and the place they are in their careers or their appearance,
whatever it may be, the key is consistency.
And the same is true for the Christian life.
Because if we want to grow spiritually as a whole church family,
if we want to become a church family that is rooted in the Bible,
that has a desire to see the kingdom of God grow,
if we want our faith as individuals to grow into maturity,
then we need to be consistent.
This morning, as we conclude our series in Acts,
I want us to think about what that looks like.
What is the consistent Christian life?
In our short passage for today,
we see three things that make up a consistent Christian life.
And all of these things have come up in the book of Acts before,
but now we see them all in one place.
And so this morning we sit with Paul, who is still a prisoner,
and we can learn that even now, right at the end,
he has remained consistent in his walk with Jesus.
What a wonderful thing to be considering today,
as Jack has publicly declared his faith in Jesus.
Now he's not here.
Oh no, there he is.
Jack, as you know, the Christian life will not be easy.
Many bumps and obstacles will come in your way,
and many people in this room can attest to that.
But out of your love for Jesus,
and out of your desire to serve him,
live the consistent life until Jesus returns,
or you are called home.
And my prayer is that each of us would do the same
as we go through this life.
So here are three things that will help us consistently live
the Christian life from the end of Acts chapter 28.
The first thing that we see is that like Paul,
we should make the most of every opportunity
in verses 17 to 23.
So we need to remember that Paul has been in chains
since chapter 21.
He's been a prisoner.
And as we saw last week with Ian,
he eventually did travel all the way to Rome.
Now whilst in prison,
Paul wrote some of his letters to different churches,
and we get a glimpse of how he was doing,
what his priority was as he was imprisoned.
Now I know that if I was wrongly imprisoned,
on false charges that had no basis,
I would be pleading my innocence non-stop,
trying to convince my captors that they had the wrong guy,
that I should be released.
That's probably everyone's natural response, right?
But what does Paul do?
Well, we get a glimpse in Colossians chapter 4, verse 2,
where Paul's writing to a church,
and this is what he says.
Devote yourselves to prayer,
being watchful and thankful,
and pray for us too,
that God may open a door for our message,
so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ
for which I am in chains.
Pray that I may proclaim it clearly,
as I should.
So as Paul is sitting in chains in Rome,
most likely chained to a soldier,
his prayer request isn't that these chains would be gone,
isn't that he'd be found innocent,
but he asks that the church would pray,
that he would publicly and correctly
make Jesus known to all those around him.
Paul is living consistently,
whether in chains or a free man,
he always made the most of every opportunity
to share Jesus.
And he does the same in Acts chapter 28.
Look at verse 17 with me that we read earlier.
Three days later,
he, that's Paul,
called together the local Jewish leaders.
So not only was Paul under house arrest,
as verse 16 says,
which would probably mean a rotation of gods
who were quite literally a captive audience
to the message of Jesus.
Verse 30 also says that he had visitors
who came to the house who wanted to see him.
And then in verse 17,
he gathers local Jews to talk to them.
So even in Rome,
where he is in chains on false accusations
from some Jews,
even here he's trying to reach them
with the message of Jesus.
So Paul meets the Jews first in verse 17
at his own request.
And then again,
a second time in verse 23 at their request.
And this time it's a bigger crowd.
Every opportunity Paul gets,
he uses to share the gospel.
Now, so often we wait for the so-called
perfect conditions to share Jesus with people,
don't we?
We almost want people to come up to us
and ask us,
well, why do you believe in Jesus?
But realistically,
that won't happen all that often.
Instead, we should be living
the consistent Christian life
and making the most of every opportunity.
Telling people that we were at church
on the weekend
and what we were thinking about.
Opening up about your struggles
and how Jesus has helped you
or is helping you
through the storms of life.
Explaining to people
why you won't participate
in certain activities or behaviors.
explaining why you hold certain viewpoints
on political or cultural issues.
These are simple ways
that we can make the most
of every opportunity
to share Jesus.
But it also means standing up
for our faith
and taking opportunities
to speak about Jesus,
even in difficult circumstances.
In verse 22,
the Jews say that they hear
people everywhere
talking against this sect,
meaning Christianity.
And yet Paul continues to speak,
as verse 31 says,
with boldness
and without hindrance.
Now we've seen that before.
Remember in Acts chapter 21,
after a big crowd
started trying to beat Paul to death,
what did he do?
When he was saved
by the Roman soldiers,
he stopped and said,
can I please speak to the crowd?
And he started to teach them
about Jesus.
What does he do
whilst he's a prisoner
time and time again,
as Paul has his back up against it?
Threats coming at him
from every side.
He consistently lived
the Christian life,
made the most of every opportunity
to share Jesus.
And we should do the same.
Make the most of every opportunity.
And the second thing we see
to help us consistently
live the Christian life
that we see in Paul here
is that we should teach
everyone about Jesus.
Verses 23 to 31.
As has happened before
in Acts 13,
the second time the Jews come
to see Paul,
a larger crowd appears.
We see that in verse 23.
So it's the Jews
who arranged this second meeting
because they're intrigued
by what Paul thinks
and want to hear him speak.
So what does he do?
Well, he talks to them
in verse 20.
He said in verse 23,
it says,
he witnessed to them
from morning till evening,
explaining about the kingdom of God
and from the law of Moses
and from the prophets,
he tried to persuade them
about Jesus.
Now notice two key things
about Paul's witnessing
to these people in that verse.
He spoke to them
from morning till night
and from cover to cover.
This week at weekend
at the holiday club
that we've already heard about,
Jack and I were leading
a discussion group together.
And one of the questions
we asked the children was,
if someone came to you
and asked you to tell them
about Jesus,
what would you say?
Now they gave some
really good answers,
most of them really helpful.
But it probably took
about three or four minutes
and they were done.
Often people are taught today
to be able to share their story
of how they came to know Jesus
in three minutes.
That is a good thing to do.
But that's not what Paul does here.
See, he doesn't give
a short gospel presentation.
He doesn't give his listeners
a quick two ways to live booklet.
Instead, he spends hours
talking to these people
about Jesus,
explaining about the kingdom of God.
Paul takes his time
to explain God's great plan.
Now we will most likely
never be in a context to do this.
I don't know anyone
who will sit and have
an engaged conversation
about one topic
or about something
from morning until evening.
But we can spend time
with our non-Christian friends
and family members
and teach them about God.
Invest in them.
Talk about why we believe
what we do,
why we hold certain positions.
Because witnessing to someone
isn't a parachute situation
where you mention Jesus,
you maybe even quote John 3.16
and then you're out the door again.
Paul is investing time
in these people
and telling them about Jesus
from morning till evening.
But notice the second thing
is that he does it
from cover to cover.
Paul doesn't just mention
one little thing
or one aspect of the gospel
that is maybe bite-sized
or easy to handle.
But instead he sits them down
for a very long Bible study.
So often I hear people say
that we only need to tell people
that God is love.
And that is right.
God is love.
And we do need to tell people that.
But if we are to faithfully
witness about God
and teach everyone about Jesus,
then we need to be holistic
in our witnessing.
So yes, we share that God is love.
We also share that God is just,
that God is good,
and that God is judge.
We need to share with people
from Genesis to Revelation,
the whole counsel of God.
And that means
that we need to know our Bibles.
One of the most encouraging things
when I do house visits
is sitting with someone
who's elderly
and they pull out their Bible
that has clearly been used
and it is in bits.
So encouraging.
We have the immense privilege
of having God's word
in so many accessible ways today.
We should use all of them
for our own spiritual benefit,
but also so that we can faithfully
point people to Jesus
from the beginning of the Bible
to the end of God's big story.
It is an absolute joy
to be used by God
to share the good news of Jesus.
We sit here as a result
of that this morning.
Remember way back
in the beginning of Acts chapter 1,
the early church started
with a small group
in an upper room,
but through the power of God,
through a wonderful work
of the Holy Spirit,
through the efforts
of God's people
constantly sharing the gospel,
we sit here
having heard about Jesus.
We are here as a result
of what we see
in the book of Acts.
Now we can read Acts,
which is a historical account
of the beginning
of the church.
We can read the truth
that the gospel grows
as it is opposed
and we can see God
at work in wonderful ways,
but it didn't stop
in Acts chapter 28,
verse 31,
because the same thing
happens today.
The Lord continues to work
and the gospel continues
to go forth
as men and women,
through the power
of the Spirit,
share Jesus with the world.
And the responses
will be the same now
as they were back then.
Look with me at verse 24.
Some were convinced
by what he,
that's Paul,
said,
but others would not believe.
They disagreed
among themselves
and began to leave
after Paul made
his final statement.
Paul goes on to quote
from Isaiah,
highlighting that these people
had eyes to see the signs.
They had ears to hear
the message of Jesus
and yet their hearts
were hard.
They were unwilling
to see the work of God
that was happening
right in front of them.
They were unwilling
to listen to the truth
of Jesus
and repent
and put their trust in him.
Now as we go out
into this world
and we share the gospel
with people,
there will be those
who respond
with faith
and we greatly rejoice
at that new life.
There will also be those
who reject the gospel
and that is not on us.
God is the one
who brings about salvation.
We just have the privilege
of sharing Jesus
with others.
Living the consistent
Christian life
looks like making the most
of every opportunity.
It looks like teaching
everyone about Jesus.
And the third thing
that we see in these verses
is that to live
the consistent Christian life
we need to remember
that the gospel comes
with a house key.
Look at verses 30
to 31 with me.
For two whole years
Paul stayed there
in his own rented house
and welcomed all
who came to see him.
He proclaimed the kingdom
of God
and taught
about the Lord Jesus Christ
with all boldness
and without hindrance.
For two years
Paul was under house arrest
using the opportunity
to teach those
who visited him
but also using it
to write a lot.
While he was in Rome
he wrote the New Testament
letters of Ephesians,
Philippians,
Colossians and Philemon.
So even in the midst
of all of Paul's limitations
being under house arrest,
under constant supervision,
he wouldn't have been
in a big mansion
that would have allowed
tons of people
to come visit him
all at once.
But none of that stopped him.
Paul used to travel
from town to town,
from synagogue to synagogue.
He couldn't do that anymore.
He's stuck in one place.
Now he could have seen
all of that as a hindrance
to his ministry.
He could have given up.
He could have retreated
into isolation,
thrown down his tools,
but instead he embraced it
and used the circumstances
that he was in
to continue to share Jesus
through hospitality
for two years.
He welcomed
and he witnessed.
He used the means
that he had
to proclaim
the kingdom of God
and teach people
about Jesus.
Now maybe you live alone.
Maybe you think
that you can't cook
amazing food.
Maybe you have
a tiny dining room.
Maybe you don't even
have a dining room.
None of those things
are limitations
to stop you
inviting people
into your life
and sharing the gospel
with them.
Some of the best
conversations
I've had with people
are sitting on a couch
with a TV
in the background
with a takeaway
on my knees
or a cup of tea
in my hand
or a glass of water.
We don't need
to meet certain criteria
to share Jesus
in our homes.
We can use
what God has given us
to welcome
and witness.
Paul wasn't the only one
who did this.
Jesus,
most of Jesus'
conversations
about the kingdom of God
and his teachings
happened in hospitality
settings
around a dinner table
or over a meal.
See,
we can look at people
like Paul
and maybe some of the
well-known evangelists
today
and think that
there's something
special about them.
That they're doing
the work
so I can sit back
and relax
and do nothing.
The reality is
that every single Christian
has a unique
opportunity
to reach certain
groups of people.
You'll rob shoulders
with your friends
and family
and I'll rob shoulders
with mine.
I probably won't be able
to reach the wealthy
businessman
working in a law firm
down on Lothian Road
but you might.
I won't have the opportunity
to sit next to your
colleagues at work
in the lunch break
during a lunch break
but you do.
I won't have the chance
to speak to your friend
who is struggling
and looking for hope
in life
but you do.
Your life
and your home
provides you
with the perfect
opportunity
to live the Christian
life.
As you remember
the gospel
comes with a house key
and you boldly
without hindrance
proclaim the kingdom
of God
and teach people
about Jesus.
Verse 31
is the final thing
said about Paul
in Acts.
It's a summary sentence
of his last two years
the last two years
of his life.
He proclaimed
the kingdom of God
and taught about
the Lord Jesus Christ
with all boldness
and without hindrance.
Now I wonder
if you asked someone
to summarize
the last two years
of your life
in a sentence or two
what would they say?
Is the first thing
that would come to mind
that they would say
about you
that you proclaim
the kingdom of God
with all boldness?
Is that a determining
factor in your life?
Or would it be
that you're a nice person
who's managed
to perfect a new skill
over lockdown?
Or would it be
that you're a busy person
who still tries
to make time
to see other people?
I would love it
if all of our lives
could be summarized
by people saying
that we are men
and women
who love the Lord
who love his word
who love his church
who love the lost
and who spent
their time
proclaiming Jesus
to a world
that is dying
without him.
This might sound
like a really funny way
to end the book of Acts.
There's no mention
of Paul meeting
the church in Rome.
No mention
of his trial
before Caesar.
No mention
of his death either.
And I think Luke
has done that deliberately
to take the focus
off of Paul
and instead
to focus
on the continued work
of the spread
of God's word.
You know those
series you see
on television
or you watch online?
You get to that final episode
of the series
where everything's
been building up
to this point.
You're waiting
for the conclusion
and then it says
to be continued
and you scream
at the telly.
Verse 31
is basically
a big to be continued sign
because the focus
through our Acts
has been the spread
of God's word,
the spread of the gospel.
We see in Acts
chapter 6 verse 7
in chapter 9
verse 31
in chapter 12
verse 24
in chapter 16
verse 5
in chapter 19
verse 20
time and time again
the focus
has been
on the gospel
spreading
and it's always
been the consistent
same message
of Jesus Christ.
No frills,
no softening it,
no sugarcoating it
but simply presenting
the good news
of Jesus
to the world
and leaving the results
up to God.
Friends,
as we go into this world
and we try
to live the Christian life
we need to know
the gospel.
We never graduate
from the gospel
but we should
and we shouldn't be
promoting
any other messages
but consistently
telling people
the same message
that everyone
is born
into this life
in rebellion
against God.
Naturally
his enemies
and deserving
of his wrath
that nobody
can save themselves.
We can never
be good enough
or do enough
to be right
with God
on our own
but God
sent his son
Jesus
to take the
punishment
that we all
deserve
so that all
those who
believe in him
are forgiven
and made right
with God.
Jesus died
on the cross
dying the death
that we all
deserve.
He rose victorious
from the grave
defeating sin
defeating death
and has gone
to the Father
in heaven
where he is
preparing a place
for his people
and one day
when he returns
all the Lord's
people will gather
in his presence
for eternity
and all those
who reject
Jesus
will
in this life
will spend
eternity
under the just
wrath of God.
You see
the end of Acts
is just the end
of the beginning
of the story.
The story
of the spread
of God's word
continues today
as Christians
go out
and consistently
live the Christian
life.
As Jack
as we all
go into our work
our friend circles
our families
as we make
the most
of every opportunity
as we teach
everyone
about Jesus
and as we remember
that the gospel
comes with a house key.
See we're all
lured in
by the promise
of a quick fix.
We live in a world
that want things
immediately
without much effort
whether that's
getting six pack
abs
the newest
kitchen gadget
or a miracle
cleaning product
we love
a quick fix
but they rarely
work
because the key
is consistency.
That's how we
become better
at our jobs
that's how we
achieve the things
we want
and it's also
how we continue
to grow
and mature
in our faith
as we consistently
live the Christian
life.
That is how
God's word
spreads.
See the book of Acts
is a snapshot
of how the early church
grew and it should
encourage us
to see how great
our God is
and encourage us
to continue that work
for him
and for his glory.
Let's pray together.
Heavenly Father
we thank you
for the immense
privilege it is
to be your
witnesses in this
world.
Father we thank you
for the book of Acts
and all the things
we've been learning
over the months
that we've been
in this series
but Lord we pray
that by your spirit
you would enable us
to remember
everything that we learn
not only to remember
it but also to put
it into practice
that we would be
your witnesses
in Edinburgh
in our workplaces
in our family circles
and in our friend circles
would we point people
to you
with that same
consistent message
of Jesus Christ.
Father would you
help us grow
in our love for you
our love for your church
our love for your word
and our love
for the lost people
of this world.
In Jesus name we pray
Amen.