Were the people in the
Bible any different to us today?
00:00:03.50\00:00:06.27
Or ordinary
people like you and me?
00:00:10.31\00:00:12.57
What can we find
out from their lives
00:00:22.15\00:00:24.39
that will help us?
00:00:24.42\00:00:25.75
Find out with
Pastor Geoff Youlden
00:00:29.36\00:00:31.23
and Rosemary Malkiewycz,
00:00:31.26\00:00:32.96
here on "People Just Like Us."
00:00:32.99\00:00:38.40
We're glad
you've joined us today,
00:00:38.43\00:00:40.07
as we explore
another Bible character
00:00:40.10\00:00:42.74
and the lessons
that we can learn
00:00:42.77\00:00:44.41
from their life.
00:00:44.44\00:00:46.41
Who are we
looking at today, Geoff?
00:00:46.44\00:00:48.48
The great Apostle Paul.
00:00:48.51\00:00:49.94
Oh, he's one of
my favorite. Yes.
00:00:49.98\00:00:51.51
Well, I mean, he stands out,
00:00:51.55\00:00:53.92
particularly in the
New Testament, a giant.
00:00:53.95\00:00:57.02
The New
Testament is mainly Paul.
00:00:57.05\00:00:58.65
It is.
00:00:58.69\00:01:00.02
It's Jesus and Paul
more than anyone else.
00:01:00.06\00:01:01.89
Correct.
00:01:01.92\00:01:03.26
And when you think
about all that he went through
00:01:03.29\00:01:06.36
and the story that, you
know, that's associated,
00:01:06.39\00:01:09.50
I am always
reminded of that verse
00:01:09.53\00:01:11.70
that I think a
lot of people know.
00:01:11.73\00:01:13.97
And that's the
verse in Philippians 4:13,
00:01:14.00\00:01:17.51
where Paul said,
00:01:17.54\00:01:18.87
"I can do all
things through Christ
00:01:18.91\00:01:22.84
who strengthens me."
00:01:22.88\00:01:24.21
Yes.
00:01:24.25\00:01:25.58
And yet, have we ever considered
00:01:25.61\00:01:26.95
that when Paul wrote that
00:01:26.98\00:01:28.32
the chains were
hanging from his wrists,
00:01:28.35\00:01:30.62
he was in jail.
00:01:30.65\00:01:31.99
No. No, don't...
00:01:32.02\00:01:33.36
And most people
would have been discouraged
00:01:33.39\00:01:35.02
under the same circumstances,
but not the Apostle Paul,
00:01:35.06\00:01:38.06
like they chained his
hands, but not his spirit.
00:01:38.09\00:01:40.23
Yeah.
00:01:40.26\00:01:41.60
And he, as I
said, he stands out.
00:01:41.63\00:01:44.40
In fact, I've often
thought if you asked an artist
00:01:44.43\00:01:47.80
to draw that picture, you know,
00:01:47.84\00:01:49.87
I could imagine that
person would draw a man
00:01:49.90\00:01:52.74
standing on the
top of a mountain,
00:01:52.77\00:01:55.68
a sword in his hand
gleaming in the sunlight.
00:01:55.71\00:01:58.85
I can do all
things through Christ
00:01:58.88\00:02:00.22
who strengthens me,
00:02:00.25\00:02:01.58
but it's so far
away from reality
00:02:01.62\00:02:03.05
when he's
writing this in dungeon.
00:02:03.08\00:02:05.99
And, you know, I used to
think it would be a good thing
00:02:06.02\00:02:07.99
to get a prison for Christ.
00:02:08.02\00:02:09.36
I don't think that any longer
when I've read and studied
00:02:09.39\00:02:11.99
about those
prisons back in those days,
00:02:12.03\00:02:13.93
no sanitation, no
water, no windows,
00:02:13.96\00:02:17.37
I mean, the thing
would it just been
00:02:17.40\00:02:18.87
so, so discouraging and...
00:02:18.90\00:02:21.37
No sunlight.
00:02:21.40\00:02:22.74
No sunlight.
00:02:22.77\00:02:25.84
And yet Paul could write
there, I can do all things
00:02:25.87\00:02:28.34
through Christ
who strengthens me.
00:02:28.38\00:02:30.51
And Paul had the conviction
00:02:30.55\00:02:33.08
that the message must
go to the entire world.
00:02:33.11\00:02:35.88
It's a similar conviction
to what he has given to us,
00:02:35.92\00:02:39.15
that we must preach the
message to every nation,
00:02:39.19\00:02:41.52
kindred, tongue, and people.
00:02:41.56\00:02:43.56
Paul had that conviction too
as you read there in 2 Timothy.
00:02:43.59\00:02:47.83
And yet, Saul of Tarsus,
as he was originally known
00:02:47.86\00:02:53.94
brought fear in the
heart of every Christian.
00:02:53.97\00:02:56.54
To mention the
name Saul of Tarsus
00:02:56.57\00:03:00.11
would be like mentioning
Adolf Hitler to the Jews...
00:03:00.14\00:03:03.95
I was thinking
that exact person.
00:03:03.98\00:03:05.85
In the Second World War.
00:03:05.88\00:03:07.92
It was just, he was,
he hated Jesus Christ.
00:03:07.95\00:03:11.42
He hated
Christians with a passion
00:03:11.45\00:03:13.92
that it's probably
very hard to express.
00:03:13.96\00:03:17.59
And, you know, we
pick up his story there.
00:03:17.63\00:03:22.93
And it was the face of
Jesus on that Damascus Road
00:03:22.96\00:03:28.37
that really
changed the Apostle Paul...
00:03:28.40\00:03:33.38
So Saul to Paul.
00:03:33.41\00:03:34.74
Yes.
00:03:34.78\00:03:36.34
Changed Saul to Paul,
yes, and his conversion.
00:03:36.38\00:03:39.68
I mean, you remember his story,
00:03:39.71\00:03:41.42
you pick it up in the
eight or the ninth chapter
00:03:41.45\00:03:43.42
of the Book of Acts.
00:03:43.45\00:03:44.79
And he's there
breathing out threatening
00:03:44.82\00:03:48.02
against God's people
down in Damascus particularly.
00:03:48.06\00:03:52.59
And if you walk that road down,
you can still see Damascus,
00:03:52.63\00:03:55.46
it's like an, a
little oasis in the desert.
00:03:55.50\00:03:58.23
It's one of the,
perhaps the oldest
00:03:58.27\00:03:59.93
continually
inhabited city in the world,
00:03:59.97\00:04:03.14
been through a lot of
trouble of course more recently.
00:04:03.17\00:04:05.91
But he had this lit in
00:04:05.94\00:04:09.08
burning vengeance in his heart
00:04:09.11\00:04:12.15
against the Christians
down there in Damascus.
00:04:12.18\00:04:15.92
And over there in Philippians,
I just want to read this verse.
00:04:15.95\00:04:21.52
In fact if you have
3:8, he was so changed.
00:04:21.56\00:04:28.03
And he said it was the light
00:04:28.06\00:04:29.73
that shone in the face of Jesus
00:04:29.76\00:04:32.20
that changed his life.
00:04:32.23\00:04:34.40
And I believe, Rosemary,
00:04:34.44\00:04:35.80
that if we were to spend time
00:04:35.84\00:04:38.17
in contemplating
the life of Jesus,
00:04:38.21\00:04:39.97
particularly those events
00:04:40.01\00:04:42.31
regarding the
closing scenes of his life,
00:04:42.34\00:04:45.38
it would change us too.
00:04:45.41\00:04:46.75
And I think sometimes
00:04:46.78\00:04:48.12
if our love for
Christ is waning,
00:04:48.15\00:04:49.48
and we feel it, we're
not what we ought to be.
00:04:49.52\00:04:52.32
Spend some time thinking
about those closing scenes.
00:04:52.35\00:04:56.73
What He went through for us.
00:04:56.76\00:04:58.09
Yes, it changed the
Apostle Paul or Saul.
00:04:58.13\00:05:04.27
In fact, in verse 8 of
Philippians 3, he says this,
00:05:04.30\00:05:10.31
"Yet Indeed I also
count all things loss
00:05:10.34\00:05:15.38
for the
excellence of the knowledge
00:05:15.41\00:05:17.71
of Christ Jesus, my Lord,
00:05:17.75\00:05:19.81
for whom I have
suffered the loss of all things
00:05:19.85\00:05:25.15
and count them as rubbish,
that I may gain Christ."
00:05:25.19\00:05:29.62
Now, that's no play on words
00:05:29.66\00:05:31.63
when Paul here says
that he lost everything.
00:05:31.66\00:05:35.96
That's exactly what
happened in his life.
00:05:36.00\00:05:38.97
He lost his people.
00:05:39.00\00:05:40.64
They all turned
their back on him.
00:05:40.67\00:05:42.60
He lost his friends.
00:05:42.64\00:05:44.37
He lost his parents.
00:05:44.41\00:05:46.64
He lost his
money, because you see...
00:05:46.68\00:05:48.31
He would have
lost all his family.
00:05:48.34\00:05:50.05
Absolutely.
00:05:50.08\00:05:52.65
The Jews hated the Christians.
00:05:52.68\00:05:55.28
And, you know, let's not
be overly hard on the Jews,
00:05:55.32\00:06:00.59
but that's the situation.
00:06:00.62\00:06:03.22
And today, if a Jew
converts to Christianity,
00:06:03.26\00:06:07.00
their family will hold awake.
00:06:07.03\00:06:08.90
They're dead.
00:06:08.93\00:06:10.27
That, that
person is dead to them.
00:06:10.30\00:06:11.63
Yes.
00:06:11.67\00:06:13.00
So that back in Paul's time,
00:06:13.03\00:06:15.34
it would have been worse
00:06:15.37\00:06:16.71
because
Christians were a new sect.
00:06:16.74\00:06:18.17
A very small one of the sects.
00:06:18.21\00:06:19.57
They were the
followers of Jesus,
00:06:19.61\00:06:21.24
who was hated by the rulers.
00:06:21.28\00:06:23.71
Correct.
00:06:23.75\00:06:25.08
And they would have
encouraged the people that way.
00:06:25.11\00:06:28.52
And so he would
have been ostracized
00:06:28.55\00:06:31.05
by all the
people he knew before.
00:06:31.09\00:06:33.19
Well, when he left and
was put out of the family,
00:06:33.22\00:06:36.49
he went penniless.
00:06:36.52\00:06:38.39
Because back in those days,
00:06:38.43\00:06:39.76
there were no
banks like we have today.
00:06:39.79\00:06:42.00
And all the money
all the family money,
00:06:42.03\00:06:43.50
no matter who you
were in the family,
00:06:43.53\00:06:44.97
you would pile it
into the common pool.
00:06:45.00\00:06:47.27
You know, often
they would bury it
00:06:47.30\00:06:48.64
in the ground
like there's a story
00:06:48.67\00:06:50.07
in the New Testament about that.
00:06:50.11\00:06:51.61
And so when Paul left,
00:06:51.64\00:06:56.28
he would have left
absolutely penniless
00:06:56.31\00:06:59.81
when he became a Christian.
00:06:59.85\00:07:01.48
And he lost his job.
00:07:01.52\00:07:03.99
I mean, he was a
member of the Sanhedrin,
00:07:04.02\00:07:07.19
which was like the
political party of the day,
00:07:07.22\00:07:09.82
the parliament, he was
a member of parliament.
00:07:09.86\00:07:13.90
And he lost that when
he became a Christian.
00:07:13.93\00:07:18.23
Thankfully he had a trade. Yes.
00:07:18.27\00:07:20.54
He was a tent maker.
00:07:20.57\00:07:21.90
So he ended up having
to turn his hand to that.
00:07:21.94\00:07:24.47
Correct. But he
lost his big job.
00:07:24.51\00:07:26.41
I mean, tent
making compared to...
00:07:26.44\00:07:29.38
Being a politician.
00:07:29.41\00:07:30.75
Being a
politician, as we know today
00:07:30.78\00:07:34.02
it is no mean, no wage,
00:07:34.05\00:07:36.28
you know, so wage often
for the rest of your life.
00:07:36.32\00:07:38.52
So he turned his back on that.
00:07:38.55\00:07:40.56
Yes.
00:07:40.59\00:07:41.92
And then he lost his wife,
00:07:41.96\00:07:44.29
because no
person could be a member
00:07:44.33\00:07:46.43
of the Sanhedrin
and be unmarried.
00:07:46.46\00:07:49.36
So we believe on that basis
00:07:49.40\00:07:52.33
that probably Mrs. Paul said,
00:07:52.37\00:07:55.24
"Well, if you want to go back
and follow that crazy religion,
00:07:55.27\00:07:59.41
I'm going back to
mother and father."
00:07:59.44\00:08:01.51
And so she walked
out on the family.
00:08:01.54\00:08:04.71
Which makes sense that
Paul could have written
00:08:04.75\00:08:06.38
so much about marriage,
and husbands and wives.
00:08:06.41\00:08:08.95
Yes, yes.
00:08:08.98\00:08:10.32
He knows by experience.
00:08:10.35\00:08:11.89
In fact, not only
did he lose all that,
00:08:11.92\00:08:15.39
as he said in Philippians there,
00:08:15.42\00:08:17.26
but also the Bible says that,
00:08:17.29\00:08:19.96
well, God says to him in Acts 9,
00:08:20.00\00:08:21.86
I think it is Acts 9.
00:08:21.90\00:08:23.30
Let me just turn that up.
00:08:23.33\00:08:24.80
Acts 9:16,
00:08:24.83\00:08:31.77
where it says,
this is God speaking
00:08:31.81\00:08:34.61
because Jesus speaking, he says,
00:08:34.64\00:08:36.95
"For I, Christ, I
will show him, Paul,
00:08:36.98\00:08:41.58
how many things he must
suffer for My name's sake."
00:08:41.62\00:08:45.12
In other words,
00:08:45.15\00:08:46.52
not only did you
lose everything Paul.
00:08:46.55\00:08:48.66
but now I'm
telling you ahead of you
00:08:48.69\00:08:51.29
lies a whole lot of suffering.
00:08:51.33\00:08:55.10
That's a really nice message.
00:08:55.13\00:08:56.56
Well, you'd hardly
call that what you think
00:08:56.60\00:08:59.50
as an encouraging
message, will you?
00:08:59.53\00:09:01.00
Not at all.
00:09:01.04\00:09:02.37
As you're going to go through
a whole lot of suffering.
00:09:02.40\00:09:04.04
And, but he says,
00:09:04.07\00:09:05.67
I want to be
baptized right away,
00:09:05.71\00:09:07.38
even before he ate.
00:09:07.41\00:09:09.88
Because he had a
conviction to take the message
00:09:09.91\00:09:12.61
that he had seen
on that Damascus Road
00:09:12.65\00:09:14.78
and what he had
learned to, through the world.
00:09:14.82\00:09:18.59
In fact, as you read on
here in Acts 23:9, it says,
00:09:18.62\00:09:23.49
"Now after many days were past,
the Jews plotted to kill him."
00:09:23.53\00:09:26.96
Because he can
appreciate, it's like,
00:09:27.00\00:09:29.66
when we hear about wonderful,
00:09:29.70\00:09:31.50
the wonderful message of Christ,
00:09:31.53\00:09:34.10
the most natural thing for us
00:09:34.14\00:09:37.07
is that we want to
go and tell our family,
00:09:37.11\00:09:41.04
and often it's like
hitting against, you know,
00:09:41.08\00:09:43.91
a brick wall, bang,
00:09:43.95\00:09:45.51
because and that
was what Paul did.
00:09:45.55\00:09:48.22
He took it to the
Jews that were his family,
00:09:48.25\00:09:50.92
and they, it says,
plotted to kill him.
00:09:50.95\00:09:53.49
Then if you come
down to verse 26, it says,
00:09:53.52\00:09:56.16
"And when Saul
had come to Jerusalem,
00:09:56.19\00:09:58.69
he tried to join the disciples,"
00:09:58.73\00:10:00.36
in other words, the Christians,
00:10:00.40\00:10:01.96
"but they were all afraid of him
00:10:02.00\00:10:03.47
and did not believe
that he was a disciple."
00:10:03.50\00:10:05.53
And once again, you
can understand them.
00:10:05.57\00:10:07.34
I totally understand
where they're coming from,
00:10:07.37\00:10:09.87
because this man
was killing Christians.
00:10:09.90\00:10:13.07
Yes.
00:10:13.11\00:10:14.44
He even confesses
that he was getting them
00:10:14.48\00:10:17.25
to blaspheme Christ
and to deny their faith.
00:10:17.28\00:10:20.72
Yes.
00:10:20.75\00:10:22.08
And so when he comes back
down to Jerusalem after a while,
00:10:22.12\00:10:25.35
and starts to
try and join himself
00:10:25.39\00:10:27.86
to the disciples in
the church in Jerusalem.
00:10:27.89\00:10:29.86
Well, they didn't trust him.
00:10:29.89\00:10:31.23
They're gonna say,
"Hey, this guy's a bad guy."
00:10:31.26\00:10:33.23
Yes.
00:10:33.26\00:10:34.60
But through his works, he
had to show his allegiance.
00:10:34.63\00:10:37.00
Well, I can imagine, Rosemary,
when he gets to church,
00:10:37.03\00:10:40.27
that he got a wide berth.
00:10:40.30\00:10:41.70
No one sat next to him,
because they didn't trust him.
00:10:41.74\00:10:44.64
They thought he
was MI5 or someone.
00:10:44.67\00:10:48.14
Well, they wouldn't necessarily
want him to know who they were.
00:10:48.18\00:10:50.68
Exactly.
00:10:50.71\00:10:52.18
So they are the Christians,
the Jews wanted to kill him.
00:10:52.21\00:10:54.35
The Christians
wouldn't trust him.
00:10:54.38\00:10:55.82
And then in verse 26, it says,
00:10:55.85\00:10:57.19
"And when Saul
had come to Jerusalem,
00:10:57.22\00:10:58.65
he tried to join the disciples."
00:10:58.69\00:11:00.02
Right?
00:11:00.06\00:11:01.39
Then verse 29,
"And he spoke boldly
00:11:01.42\00:11:02.89
in the name of the Lord Jesus
00:11:02.92\00:11:04.43
and disputed
against the Hellenists,
00:11:04.46\00:11:06.56
but they attempted to kill him."
00:11:06.59\00:11:08.00
So he went to the Greeks next.
00:11:08.03\00:11:10.07
And they tried
to kill him as well.
00:11:10.10\00:11:12.97
And then he goes over
to Asia Minor to preach,
00:11:13.00\00:11:16.60
and the police
run him out of town.
00:11:16.64\00:11:19.77
Then he goes to Iconium,
the record says as you read on,
00:11:19.81\00:11:23.14
"And they tried
all have stoned him."
00:11:23.18\00:11:26.11
I mean, you imagine having
these stones thrown at you,
00:11:26.15\00:11:28.75
it's the most cruel
way of another city.
00:11:28.78\00:11:32.39
Then he was regarded as a
God because he healed someone
00:11:32.42\00:11:36.02
and so they
regarded him as a God.
00:11:36.06\00:11:38.23
And you know, popular
opinion as our politicians find
00:11:38.26\00:11:42.03
is not always a, an easy thing
00:11:42.06\00:11:44.73
one day, you're risen.
00:11:44.77\00:11:46.74
Think of the mountain?
00:11:46.77\00:11:48.10
Next day you are
a feather duster.
00:11:48.14\00:11:50.27
And so it is here
that Paul finds that,
00:11:50.31\00:11:55.91
in fact in Chapter 14,
00:11:55.94\00:11:58.35
if you just come over
further, Acts 14:9, it says,
00:11:58.38\00:12:03.45
"This man heard Paul speaking,
Paul observing him intently,
00:12:03.49\00:12:08.02
and seeing that he
had faith to be healed
00:12:08.06\00:12:09.69
and said with a loud voice,
00:12:09.72\00:12:11.06
'Stand up
straight on your feet,'
00:12:11.09\00:12:12.43
and he leaped and walked.
00:12:12.46\00:12:14.90
And when he, the
people saw what Paul had done,
00:12:14.93\00:12:16.73
they raised their voices saying,
00:12:16.77\00:12:19.03
in the Lycaonian language,
00:12:19.07\00:12:20.97
'The gods have come down to
us in the likeness of man.'"
00:12:21.00\00:12:23.67
So you see, he
was treated as a god.
00:12:23.71\00:12:26.24
But then as you read on
just a few more verses down...
00:12:26.27\00:12:29.24
Verse 19.
00:12:29.28\00:12:30.61
They, yes, verse 19,
00:12:30.65\00:12:31.98
"Then the Jews from
Antioch and Iconium came there,
00:12:32.01\00:12:34.15
and having
persuaded the multitudes,
00:12:34.18\00:12:36.48
they stoned Paul
00:12:36.52\00:12:38.19
and dragged him out of the city,
00:12:38.22\00:12:40.09
supposing him to be dead."
00:12:40.12\00:12:41.92
After just
treating him like a God.
00:12:41.96\00:12:44.09
Public opinion.
00:12:44.13\00:12:45.46
Some people come
with a bad report...
00:12:45.49\00:12:47.06
Don't trust public opinion.
00:12:47.10\00:12:48.43
And stoned him,
leave him for dead.
00:12:48.46\00:12:50.40
And so poor old Paul
here is, and we believe that
00:12:50.43\00:12:55.70
while he was lying
on the rubbish tent
00:12:55.74\00:12:58.31
because they
just dragged him out.
00:12:58.34\00:12:59.81
As far as I'm
concerned, he was dead,
00:12:59.84\00:13:01.64
they dragged him out,
threw him on the rubbish tip.
00:13:01.68\00:13:03.55
And we believe if you trace back
00:13:03.58\00:13:05.08
through the
chronology of the New Testament
00:13:05.11\00:13:06.98
that was probably at this
stage that he had that vision
00:13:07.02\00:13:10.12
when he was caught up to heaven.
00:13:10.15\00:13:12.39
He said, it was so real,
00:13:12.42\00:13:13.76
I don't know,
actually, whether I was there,
00:13:13.79\00:13:15.62
or whether I had
received a vision,
00:13:15.66\00:13:17.06
we're on Corinthians 12 there.
00:13:17.09\00:13:18.43
He also talks about
it in the third person.
00:13:18.46\00:13:20.16
And so someone else,
00:13:20.20\00:13:21.76
you know, from further on
that it must have been him.
00:13:21.80\00:13:24.70
Then over in 16:9, it says,
00:13:24.73\00:13:30.74
"And a vision
appeared to Paul in the night.
00:13:30.77\00:13:32.51
A man of Macedonia stood
in pleaded with him, saying,
00:13:32.54\00:13:35.41
'Come over to
Macedonia and help us.'"
00:13:35.44\00:13:39.05
Now once again,
00:13:39.08\00:13:40.42
imagine if you received a
call from a place and they say,
00:13:40.45\00:13:44.59
"Look, please come
over and take some meetings
00:13:44.62\00:13:47.22
and help the people
understand about Jesus."
00:13:47.26\00:13:50.16
You would expect, I
would expect anyway,
00:13:50.19\00:13:52.99
I think most of us would expect
00:13:53.03\00:13:54.66
when we got there,
that there would be
00:13:54.70\00:13:56.46
a welcoming party there for you,
00:13:56.50\00:14:00.04
to look after your
needs and so forth,
00:14:00.07\00:14:02.27
but that is not the
case with the Apostle Paul.
00:14:02.30\00:14:06.61
There was nobody.
00:14:06.64\00:14:08.98
And there was no expectation.
00:14:09.01\00:14:10.91
In fact, if you
go down to verse 22.
00:14:10.95\00:14:12.81
Well, he only saw
a vision, didn't he?
00:14:12.85\00:14:14.95
God was saying come over. Yes.
00:14:14.98\00:14:16.95
But he would think
00:14:16.99\00:14:18.32
that if God was
calling him over there
00:14:18.35\00:14:19.99
that there would be
people there to meet him,
00:14:20.02\00:14:21.72
but there was no one.
00:14:21.76\00:14:23.09
And then in verse 22,
00:14:23.12\00:14:24.59
as it go, says, tells the story,
00:14:24.63\00:14:26.63
"Then the multitude rose
up together against them,
00:14:26.66\00:14:29.43
and the magistrates
tore off their clothes,"
00:14:29.46\00:14:31.67
they just didn't
take off their clothes,
00:14:31.70\00:14:33.20
they tore them off,
00:14:33.23\00:14:34.74
"commanded them to
be beaten with rods.
00:14:34.77\00:14:37.27
And when they had
laid many stripes on them,
00:14:37.31\00:14:39.61
they threw them into prison,
00:14:39.64\00:14:40.98
commanding the jailer
to keep them securely.
00:14:41.01\00:14:44.38
Having received such a charge,
00:14:44.41\00:14:45.75
he put them
into the inner prison
00:14:45.78\00:14:47.58
and fastened their
feet in the stocks."
00:14:47.62\00:14:51.15
Now back in
those days, Rosemary,
00:14:51.19\00:14:53.12
when they flogged a man,
00:14:53.15\00:14:55.19
it was not just a
little gentle flog,
00:14:55.22\00:14:58.03
floggy, floggy, this,
they would have a whip
00:14:58.06\00:15:02.36
in which they
would tie wild bones,
00:15:02.40\00:15:06.13
which would, it means
that when it came down,
00:15:06.17\00:15:07.94
it would cut.
00:15:07.97\00:15:09.30
And then they
would have lead wires
00:15:09.34\00:15:10.67
which would bruise.
00:15:10.71\00:15:12.04
So the whip would come down
00:15:12.07\00:15:13.41
and cut and
bruise at the same time.
00:15:13.44\00:15:16.04
And if Paul was to take
off his coat and his shirt
00:15:16.08\00:15:18.65
and you saw his back today,
00:15:18.68\00:15:20.82
it would look like he'd
slept on fine wire netting.
00:15:20.85\00:15:24.32
Because he had
received so many welts
00:15:24.35\00:15:27.72
as a result of
his beating, and...
00:15:27.76\00:15:31.69
And they did 39
usually not 40, isn't it?
00:15:31.73\00:15:34.73
Yes, that's right.
00:15:34.76\00:15:36.10
We'll come to
that a little bit later
00:15:36.13\00:15:37.47
in further over
00:15:37.50\00:15:39.17
when he talks
about his credentials,
00:15:39.20\00:15:42.27
but it's
interesting that also then
00:15:42.30\00:15:44.71
not only would they open
up his back like sliced liver,
00:15:44.74\00:15:48.58
but then they would
get handfuls of salt,
00:15:48.61\00:15:51.31
and they would
rub it up and down
00:15:51.35\00:15:53.15
into those open wounds.
00:15:53.18\00:15:54.52
So you can just imagine...
00:15:54.55\00:15:55.95
You're just making
this sound really lovely.
00:15:55.98\00:15:57.72
Well, you, you're
catching your hand
00:15:57.75\00:15:59.85
with your knife in the kitchen
00:15:59.89\00:16:01.22
and put a bit of
salt in it, how it stings?
00:16:01.26\00:16:03.49
Would you imagine your back
opened up like sliced liver,
00:16:03.53\00:16:06.59
and then handfuls of salt rubbed
00:16:06.63\00:16:09.00
up and down into your back?
00:16:09.03\00:16:11.80
And we know that
that was the case,
00:16:11.83\00:16:13.97
because when the
jailer was converted,
00:16:14.00\00:16:17.11
the very first thing that he did
00:16:17.14\00:16:19.37
was to wash their stripes
00:16:19.41\00:16:21.14
because he was washing the
salt out of it, the stinging,
00:16:21.18\00:16:25.25
so that they could at
least have some comfort,
00:16:25.28\00:16:28.55
a little more
comfort than they had before.
00:16:28.58\00:16:31.79
But after they did that, though,
00:16:31.82\00:16:33.15
after they did the stripes,
00:16:33.19\00:16:34.72
and as you're saying the salt,
00:16:34.76\00:16:36.49
they threw them into prison now,
00:16:36.52\00:16:37.93
that wouldn't have
been anything gentle.
00:16:37.96\00:16:39.29
No.
00:16:39.33\00:16:40.66
And then they put them in stocks
00:16:40.70\00:16:42.03
to make sure
they don't get away.
00:16:42.06\00:16:43.40
Yes, indeed.
00:16:43.43\00:16:44.77
Now, that's some
of the opposition
00:16:44.80\00:16:46.63
that Paul met when
he became a Christian.
00:16:46.67\00:16:49.80
Let me just talk to you
about some of the obstacles
00:16:49.84\00:16:53.01
that Paul faced.
00:16:53.04\00:16:56.98
People often say to me,
00:16:57.01\00:16:58.35
"Well, why was Paul's
name change from Saul to Paul?
00:16:58.38\00:17:01.68
There must be some
reason that, that happened."
00:17:01.72\00:17:04.59
There is, because the
name Paul means the little man.
00:17:04.62\00:17:09.96
Because tradition tells
us that Paul was only 4'6"
00:17:09.99\00:17:13.90
or a meter and a half high,
00:17:13.93\00:17:16.56
which means that he was a
very, very small in stature.
00:17:16.60\00:17:21.64
Now, today that
makes a big difference.
00:17:21.67\00:17:26.07
If, you know, if
you're tall today
00:17:26.11\00:17:28.11
and you command
a certain respect
00:17:28.14\00:17:30.98
by the fact of your height.
00:17:31.01\00:17:34.72
But if you're a small person,
00:17:34.75\00:17:36.72
and we all know about
the small man syndrome.
00:17:36.75\00:17:39.72
If you're a small
person, do have a major problem.
00:17:39.75\00:17:42.22
Now back in those
days, it was even worse
00:17:42.26\00:17:44.26
because this was the day
00:17:44.29\00:17:45.63
when the Olympic Games
were invented and so forth.
00:17:45.66\00:17:47.83
And they used to run nude
of course in the Olympic Games
00:17:47.86\00:17:51.53
so that they
could see their muscles.
00:17:51.57\00:17:53.07
So you can
appreciate that Paul...
00:17:53.10\00:17:57.17
When he advertised the
fact that he was coming to town,
00:17:57.21\00:17:59.47
the little man's coming to town.
00:17:59.51\00:18:02.18
And that would have
been a great problem.
00:18:02.21\00:18:06.11
It would have been a
great detriment to Paul
00:18:06.15\00:18:09.78
when he was preaching.
00:18:09.82\00:18:11.15
In fact, it's
interesting to bear a testimony
00:18:11.19\00:18:14.42
to what I've just said
00:18:14.46\00:18:15.79
because sometimes
people might find that
00:18:15.82\00:18:17.59
a bit hard to understand.
00:18:17.63\00:18:18.96
Let me just read
you what his enemy said,
00:18:18.99\00:18:20.86
this is 2 Corinthians 10:10.
00:18:20.90\00:18:25.70
2 Corinthians 10:10,
00:18:25.73\00:18:31.94
where it says this.
00:18:31.97\00:18:35.48
This is his enemy
speaking, Rosemary.
00:18:35.51\00:18:38.28
This is not his
friends, but they say,
00:18:38.31\00:18:40.15
"For his letters, they say,
00:18:40.18\00:18:43.52
'are weighty and powerful...'"
00:18:43.55\00:18:45.45
Meaning that he
was a great writer
00:18:45.49\00:18:47.99
and we know that.
00:18:48.02\00:18:49.36
Yes.
00:18:49.39\00:18:50.73
He could write
very, very powerfully
00:18:50.76\00:18:52.79
but the text goes on to say,
00:18:52.83\00:18:55.40
"His bodily presence is weak..."
00:18:55.43\00:18:58.13
Which means that
he didn't count much
00:18:58.17\00:19:01.27
when he's, in his body.
00:19:01.30\00:19:03.74
Even and his
speech contemptible,
00:19:03.77\00:19:06.34
which means that he wasn't,
00:19:06.37\00:19:09.51
didn't have an easy
flow with his language.
00:19:09.54\00:19:11.75
He wasn't an orator. No.
00:19:11.78\00:19:13.75
And there would be many, many,
many people today, many of us
00:19:13.78\00:19:18.12
who would have far
more natural abilities
00:19:18.15\00:19:21.16
than Paul ever had.
00:19:21.19\00:19:22.99
And they were some of
the obstacles that he faced.
00:19:23.02\00:19:27.33
But a lot of people fortunately
00:19:27.36\00:19:29.06
would sit up all night
to listen to him speak.
00:19:29.10\00:19:31.17
Yes.
00:19:31.20\00:19:32.53
Well, then in 2 Corinthians 11.
00:19:32.57\00:19:35.17
It outlines some
of the difficulties
00:19:35.20\00:19:36.74
that he faced.
00:19:36.77\00:19:38.34
Just have a look
at the next chapter.
00:19:38.37\00:19:41.68
And, of course, he
was always been challenged
00:19:41.71\00:19:44.11
as to whether he
was a real apostle.
00:19:44.15\00:19:47.02
Yes.
00:19:47.05\00:19:48.38
And he says here,
in down in verse 23,
00:19:48.42\00:19:52.35
we start there it says,
00:19:52.39\00:19:53.86
"Are they ministers of Christ?"
00:19:53.89\00:19:55.39
He's now answering back,
"Are they ministers of Christ?
00:19:55.42\00:19:58.86
I speak as a fool.
00:19:58.89\00:20:00.33
I am more: in
labors more abundant,
00:20:00.36\00:20:04.13
in stripes above measure,
00:20:04.17\00:20:06.63
in prisons more
frequently, in deaths often.
00:20:06.67\00:20:11.57
From the Jews five times
00:20:11.61\00:20:13.91
I received forty
stripes minus one."
00:20:13.94\00:20:17.05
Now... That's the 39.
00:20:17.08\00:20:18.41
Yeah, that's, I mean,
00:20:18.45\00:20:20.12
most people died
under Roman whipping.
00:20:20.15\00:20:22.72
And this man
survived five lots of 39.
00:20:22.75\00:20:27.02
I mean, it's incredible
when you think about it,
00:20:27.06\00:20:29.66
the physical
endurance of the man.
00:20:29.69\00:20:32.13
But there's the, like you said,
00:20:32.16\00:20:33.60
the scars that
that would have left.
00:20:33.63\00:20:35.73
Well, the scars on
both his mind and his body,
00:20:35.76\00:20:39.47
I would think.
00:20:39.50\00:20:40.87
Verse 25 says, "Three
times I was beaten with rods."
00:20:40.90\00:20:45.44
Imagine how that would sting.
00:20:45.47\00:20:46.88
Oh, great fun.
00:20:46.91\00:20:48.28
"Once I was stoned,"
I can't imagine that...
00:20:48.31\00:20:52.61
Well, we read about that before.
00:20:52.65\00:20:53.98
Yes.
00:20:54.02\00:20:55.35
"Three times I was shipwrecked,
00:20:55.38\00:20:57.62
a night and a day I
have been in the deep..."
00:20:57.65\00:21:00.26
Now, I can't imagine
anything more frightening
00:21:00.29\00:21:02.82
than being out in the ocean,
00:21:02.86\00:21:05.89
in the Mediterranean
Sea as he would have been,
00:21:05.93\00:21:07.76
out in the ocean.
00:21:07.80\00:21:09.43
And they're spending a
whole day and a whole night.
00:21:09.46\00:21:12.67
I mean, it would be
bad enough during the day,
00:21:12.70\00:21:14.90
but then through the night
00:21:14.94\00:21:16.27
where you... you
couldn't see anything.
00:21:16.30\00:21:18.71
And he spent the whole
day and the whole night
00:21:18.74\00:21:21.51
bobbing around in the ocean.
00:21:21.54\00:21:25.21
And then it says in verse 26,
00:21:25.25\00:21:26.72
"In journeys
often, in perils of water,
00:21:26.75\00:21:30.69
in perils of robbers, in
perils of my own countrymen,
00:21:30.72\00:21:34.36
in perils of the
Gentiles, in perils in the city,
00:21:34.39\00:21:38.09
in perils in the wilderness,
in perils in the sea,
00:21:38.13\00:21:41.36
in perils among false brethren,
00:21:41.40\00:21:43.93
in weariness and toil,
in sleeplessness often,
00:21:43.97\00:21:49.10
in hunger and
thirst, in fastings often,
00:21:49.14\00:21:53.44
in cold and nakedness,
00:21:53.48\00:21:56.18
besides the other things
which come upon me daily,
00:21:56.21\00:21:59.61
my deep concern
for all the churches."
00:21:59.65\00:22:04.12
Just and any preacher
will can identify with that
00:22:04.15\00:22:07.62
is the concern
that you have for them,
00:22:07.66\00:22:09.99
the members of the church.
00:22:10.03\00:22:11.36
And he had so many.
00:22:11.39\00:22:12.73
He had so many, you're
right. So many churches.
00:22:12.76\00:22:14.60
And he finally
says, "If I must boast,"
00:22:14.63\00:22:17.43
if I'm going to boast, he said,
00:22:17.47\00:22:19.03
"I will boast in the things
which concern my infirmities."
00:22:19.07\00:22:24.57
And when you look through this,
00:22:24.61\00:22:28.64
you begin to see the conviction
00:22:28.68\00:22:30.15
that the man must have
had, that this was right.
00:22:30.18\00:22:34.82
I find to me personally,
00:22:34.85\00:22:36.18
Paul is such an
incredible character
00:22:36.22\00:22:38.35
because of what he was
00:22:38.39\00:22:39.75
before Christ
met him on the road.
00:22:39.79\00:22:42.02
And what he was after
00:22:42.06\00:22:43.86
that his
conversion was so thorough.
00:22:43.89\00:22:46.09
Yes.
00:22:46.13\00:22:47.46
Such a complete turnaround,
00:22:47.50\00:22:49.10
that he would
suffer all of these things,
00:22:49.13\00:22:52.20
and go through this
willingly for Christ.
00:22:52.23\00:22:54.54
Amazing.
00:22:54.57\00:22:55.90
And his
conversion was so thorough
00:22:55.94\00:23:00.88
that I can't help but believe
00:23:00.91\00:23:04.08
that he is right
and that Jesus is real.
00:23:04.11\00:23:07.08
Well, you
wouldn't get through that
00:23:07.12\00:23:08.45
unless you believe, believed it.
00:23:08.48\00:23:09.82
Exactly, what he went through.
00:23:09.85\00:23:11.19
It had to be right.
00:23:11.22\00:23:12.69
Have a look at 12:7,
00:23:12.72\00:23:14.36
where Paul also
tells us, he says,
00:23:14.39\00:23:18.09
"Lest I should be
exalted above measure
00:23:18.13\00:23:20.90
by the abundance
of the revelations."
00:23:20.93\00:23:22.60
Now you can appreciate the fact
00:23:22.63\00:23:23.97
that Paul received all
these visions and so forth.
00:23:24.00\00:23:27.37
There would be a
tendency to think
00:23:27.40\00:23:28.84
that he was just
perhaps a little bit better
00:23:28.87\00:23:31.67
than everybody else.
00:23:31.71\00:23:33.68
And he said, in case I
ever were tempted to think that,
00:23:33.71\00:23:37.98
"A thorn in the
flesh was given to me,
00:23:38.01\00:23:40.18
a messenger of
Satan to buffet me,
00:23:40.22\00:23:43.42
lest I be
exalted above measure."
00:23:43.45\00:23:47.06
And he, "Concerning this thing,"
00:23:47.09\00:23:49.96
he said, "I pleaded
with the Lord three times
00:23:49.99\00:23:52.96
that it might depart from me."
00:23:52.99\00:23:54.76
Now this is a
great encouragement to me
00:23:54.80\00:23:56.50
because often when we pray,
00:23:56.53\00:23:58.33
we ask God to
help us or to heal us,
00:23:58.37\00:24:02.27
or to do things for us.
00:24:02.30\00:24:03.87
And God sometimes doesn't
seem to answer our prayers,
00:24:03.91\00:24:07.81
at least the way we
think He ought to answer.
00:24:07.84\00:24:10.51
I'd like to remind,
folk, the Apostle Paul,
00:24:10.55\00:24:12.91
who was such a
perfect, good man.
00:24:12.95\00:24:16.35
And because sometimes
we're tempted to think
00:24:16.38\00:24:17.85
I must be very
bad, God doesn't...
00:24:17.89\00:24:19.85
God's not listening to me.
00:24:19.89\00:24:21.22
No, He answers others prayers,
00:24:21.26\00:24:22.59
but He doesn't answer my prayer.
00:24:22.62\00:24:23.96
I'm a bad person.
00:24:23.99\00:24:25.33
Paul was a very, very
good man, as we all understand.
00:24:25.36\00:24:27.46
And yet he asked God three times
00:24:27.50\00:24:30.13
to take this thorn
on the flesh from him.
00:24:30.17\00:24:32.13
And God answered him by saying
in verse 9, "he said to me,
00:24:32.17\00:24:34.97
'My grace is sufficient for you,
00:24:35.00\00:24:37.91
for My strength is
made perfect in weakness.'
00:24:37.94\00:24:41.98
Therefore most gladly
00:24:42.01\00:24:43.65
I would rather
boast in my infirmities,
00:24:43.68\00:24:45.95
that the power of
Christ may rest upon me.'"
00:24:45.98\00:24:48.12
In other words, he was saying
00:24:48.15\00:24:49.98
that God would give him,
00:24:50.02\00:24:51.42
allowed him to
keep his infirmity,
00:24:51.45\00:24:53.39
to keep him humble,
00:24:53.42\00:24:54.76
but also said that he
would never be tempted
00:24:54.79\00:24:56.59
to boast in his own strength,
00:24:56.62\00:24:59.33
because the natural inclination
of every human being.
00:24:59.36\00:25:03.13
When God does
bless us, we take the...
00:25:03.16\00:25:05.10
We think there's
something good about ourselves.
00:25:05.13\00:25:06.90
We begin to think
that we're better and good.
00:25:06.94\00:25:09.87
That's maybe one reason
00:25:09.90\00:25:11.24
why God allowed him to be short.
00:25:11.27\00:25:13.31
Maybe. Maybe.
00:25:13.34\00:25:14.88
As it was to help
keep him humble too,
00:25:14.91\00:25:17.05
because he knew what he
wanted him to do in life.
00:25:17.08\00:25:19.48
Well, then we find that
00:25:19.51\00:25:20.98
poor old Paul is
thrown into prison
00:25:21.02\00:25:22.48
and a friend comes to
him one day, Rosemary.
00:25:22.52\00:25:24.99
And Paul was so happy to
see a friend and he said,
00:25:25.02\00:25:28.06
"What good news of
me, have you got for me?"
00:25:28.09\00:25:29.86
And Paul, and the
friend says, "Paul, I'm sorry,
00:25:29.89\00:25:33.03
all your converts
back there that you brought
00:25:33.06\00:25:36.67
into the church
have all apostatized."
00:25:36.70\00:25:40.70
Now that's not enough to
break the heart of a lion,
00:25:40.74\00:25:43.77
I don't know what is.
00:25:43.81\00:25:45.14
But Paul will
not be discouraged,
00:25:45.17\00:25:46.51
what he did?
00:25:46.54\00:25:47.88
The only thing he could do,
00:25:47.91\00:25:49.24
he dipped his quill into ink,
00:25:49.28\00:25:51.35
and he began to write,
00:25:51.38\00:25:52.71
that's how we have the
books of the New Testament.
00:25:52.75\00:25:54.68
If it hadn't been for that,
00:25:54.72\00:25:56.15
we wouldn't have the
books of the New Testament
00:25:56.18\00:25:58.42
as he wrote,
writes to the Galatians,
00:25:58.45\00:25:59.92
O foolish
Galatians who's deceived you?
00:25:59.95\00:26:02.66
And... And to the Corinthians.
00:26:02.69\00:26:04.06
And to the
Corinthians, and so forth.
00:26:04.09\00:26:06.13
And then one day a
soldier comes to him
00:26:06.16\00:26:11.73
and says, "Paul, I
want you to come with me."
00:26:11.77\00:26:14.57
And Paul says,
"Where are you taking me?"
00:26:14.60\00:26:16.64
And he said, "Did
you just come with me?"
00:26:16.67\00:26:19.64
And they walk outside the prison
00:26:19.67\00:26:21.44
down the old pan way,
00:26:21.48\00:26:23.21
which is still there,
those cobblestones in Rome
00:26:23.24\00:26:25.91
are still there
that Paul himself
00:26:25.95\00:26:28.38
would have walked down,
00:26:28.42\00:26:29.75
and as they walk down the road,
00:26:29.78\00:26:33.05
they got somewhat there
00:26:33.09\00:26:35.62
and the soldiers
says, "Stay here."
00:26:35.66\00:26:39.33
And he put Paul's
head on the block.
00:26:39.36\00:26:43.20
And Paul uttered those words
00:26:43.23\00:26:45.53
that are immortalized
in our memory, and that is,
00:26:45.57\00:26:49.54
"I have fought a good fight.
00:26:49.57\00:26:52.57
I have finished my course.
00:26:52.61\00:26:55.21
I have kept the faith.
00:26:55.24\00:26:57.55
Henceforth there
is laid up for me
00:26:57.58\00:26:59.18
a crown of righteousness,
00:26:59.21\00:27:00.82
which the Lord
the righteous judge
00:27:00.85\00:27:02.18
shall give me
and not to me only,
00:27:02.22\00:27:03.55
but to all those
who love his appearing."
00:27:03.59\00:27:06.29
And Paul's head
rolled in the dust,
00:27:06.32\00:27:07.76
but his name was inscribed
in the Lamb's Book of Life.
00:27:07.79\00:27:10.66
Amen.
00:27:10.69\00:27:12.03
And, Rosemary, what
gives me courage about Paul,
00:27:12.06\00:27:13.83
if God can use a man like that,
00:27:13.86\00:27:15.46
that doesn't have
the natural abilities
00:27:15.50\00:27:16.90
that most of us have got.
00:27:16.93\00:27:18.60
If He can use Paul
with those disabilities,
00:27:18.63\00:27:22.74
how much more he could use
all of us if we consecrate,
00:27:22.77\00:27:25.84
because God doesn't
need a person with talent.
00:27:25.87\00:27:28.98
What God needs is
someone with complete surrender.
00:27:29.01\00:27:32.85
Someone who is willing.
00:27:32.88\00:27:34.22
Who's willing. Yes.
00:27:34.25\00:27:35.58
And as we
contemplate the life of Paul,
00:27:35.62\00:27:39.59
I just want to suggest
that if you are growing weary
00:27:39.62\00:27:42.29
in your walk with
God, read the Book of Acts,
00:27:42.32\00:27:44.69
find out what Paul went through,
00:27:44.73\00:27:46.49
and the faith that he still had,
00:27:46.53\00:27:48.56
and may that
encourage your faith
00:27:48.60\00:27:50.67
to stay close to God.
00:27:50.70\00:27:52.03
God bless you, and
we'll see you next time.
00:27:52.07\00:27:53.77