Hello, friends,
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welcome to
Sabbath School Study Hour,
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and we're
continuing with our lesson
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from the Book of Acts
and which is in many ways
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really the fourth
gospel written by Luke.
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It's a continuation
of the Gospel of Luke.
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And today, we're
dealing with lesson number 11,
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Arrest in Jerusalem,
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better known as a
riot in the temple,
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and we have a memory verse,
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and the memory
verse is from Acts 23:11.
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And it says,
"The following night,
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the Lord stood near Paul
and said to him, 'Take courage,
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as you have testified
about Me in Jerusalem,
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so you must also
testify in Rome.'"
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So in just a moment,
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we'll get into the chapters
dealing with that lesson,
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but I forgot to mention,
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we have a special free offer,
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and if you'd
like a copy of this,
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it's 12 Steps To Revival,
00:01:23.88\00:01:26.05
and just call the
number on your screen,
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which is 866-788-3966,
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that's basically 866-Study-More,
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and ask for offer number 780.
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We'll send that to you free.
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You can also go to the
AmazingFacts.org website
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and you can download that.
00:01:42.80\00:01:44.40
And if you want,
if you're tech savvy,
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you can simply text "SH001"
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and text that to 40544,
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and they'll be
sending you that for free.
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Now for those that are here,
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if you have your Bibles
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and you'd like to
turn in your Bibles,
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we're going to
be covering Acts 21,
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Acts 22, and Acts 23.
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Now something
that's happening here
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that is a big
change in the Book of Acts,
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up until now,
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you know, we've been
getting history from Paul,
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Barnabas, and it
talks about Philip,
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and it talks about Peter,
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and you're hearing
about the different apostles,
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we call it the
Acts of the Apostles,
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but from this point on,
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you're pretty much just
going to be hearing about Paul
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and the
missionary journeys of Paul.
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Actually, a little
while even before that,
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it's delving mostly into
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the adventures
of the Apostle Paul.
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And so if you turn in
your Bibles to Acts 21,
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and I'm going to start reading,
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and this is going to sort of be
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something of an expository
Sabbath school study time,
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and we'll do a study together.
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"Now as it came to pass,
when we had departed from them,
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and we set sail
running a straight course,
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we came to Kos
the following day,
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and then to Rhodes,
and from there to Patara.
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And finding a ship
sailing over Phoenicia,
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we went aboard and set sail."
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Now when he talks about
sailing over to Phoenicia,
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that is the area
of Tyre and Sidon,
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which is north of Israel.
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"And when we want
to board, we set sail.
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When we had sighted
Cyprus, we passed on the left,
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and sailed to
Syria, and landed at Tyre,
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for there, the ship
was to unload her cargo.
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And finding disciples,
we stayed there seven days."
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Now Tyre is...
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It's a city north,
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sometimes they
were friendly to Israel,
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sometimes they were at war.
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Times when they were friendly,
during the time of David,
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who was it that sent
craftsmen down to help David
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build a house for himself?
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It's the King of Tyre.
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And during the time of
Solomon, the King of Tyre said,
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"Blessed be the Lord
God of your father David
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that has a wise
son on the throne."
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And they had a strong alliance.
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But then you read in Ezekiel 28
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and it pronounces a
curse on the king of Tyre
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and compares him to the devil.
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Tyre was a very wealthy city,
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but they had an intermittent
history with Israel.
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Where did Elijah go
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when he fled
during the time of famine?
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Stayed with a widow up
north in the area of Tyre.
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Who was the one gentile
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out of Israel that
Jesus did a healing for?
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It was also a
woman that had a daughter
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that was possessed by a
devil up in the area of Sidon,
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Tyre and Sidon, they call it.
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So anyway, they land there.
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Now one of the places
when the church took off,
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it began to grow,
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and they started
planting churches everywhere,
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and naturally one of
the places where church
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would be planted
was in the area of Tyre.
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And so when Paul
gets off the boat,
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it's no problem at all for him
to locate some of the believers
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that are in the area there
and to make contact with them.
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And so then they stay with them.
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And so you can go down here,
it says, "Finding disciples, "
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in verse 4, "we
stayed with him seven days.
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They told Paul
through the spirit,
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not to go to Jerusalem."
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And I want to just pause here
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and I want you
to notice something,
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I quickly covered this
in our study last week,
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but I want you to notice
how many warnings Paul gets.
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It's sort of an
ominous situation
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when he keeps going
down to towards Jerusalem
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and everyone is
telling him through the spirit,
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"Don't do it."
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You go to Acts 20:22,
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just so you remember this,
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"And see now,
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I go bound in the
spirit to Jerusalem."
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What does he mean
by bound in the spirit?
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It means, I feel
constrained that I need to go.
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"Not knowing the things
that will happen to me there,
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except that the Holy
Spirit testifies in every city
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saying that chains
and tribulation await me."
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Now if you knew for sure,
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chains and tribulation
were awaiting you on this road
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and you could have
peace and ease on this road,
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what road would you take?
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Would you go towards
the chains and tribulation?
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"But none of
these things move me,
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nor do I count my
life dear to myself
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so that I might finish my
race with joy and the ministry
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which I received
from the Lord Jesus
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to testify to the
gospel of the grace of God."
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Paul seemed so
determined to go to Jerusalem
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and yet he's the
disciple to the gentiles.
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But he just felt constrained
that he needed to go there.
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Now look Acts 21:4, we
just talked about this,
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"And finding disciples,
we stayed there seven days,
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they told Paul
through the spirit,
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not to go to Jerusalem."
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Now go with me to Acts 21:10,
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"And as we stayed many days,
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a certain prophet named
Agabus came down from Judea.
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And when he had come to
us, he took Paul's belt,
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he bound his own hands and feet,
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and he
prophesized and he said..."
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You know, sometimes the prophets
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who did things
in an illustrative,
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demonstrative way where they
would act out their prophecies.
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Some of you remember
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the times of King Jehoshaphat,
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the prophets of
Baal, they got these horns,
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and they put it on
their head, and they said,
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"Thus were these horns,
you will push the Syrians."
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And when Jeroboam,
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when Rehoboam, no, no,
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Jeroboam was having a talk
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with one of the prophets,
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as he was walking away,
he grabbed the prophet...
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No, no, Saul, sorry,
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he grabbed
Samuel's robe and he says,
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"Thus the kingdom is
going to be torn away from you
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and given to someone else.
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So sometimes, they
would illustrate these things.
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And then another
prophet told Jeroboam,
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he tore a garment into 12 pieces
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and he gave 10
of them to Jeroboam.
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So they do
things that were like,
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you know, like
something you do for,
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you know, kindergarten,
and in Sabbath school,
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they tried to illustrate a
point they would do things.
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So Agabus, he takes his belt off
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and he ties up his hands,
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he says, "Thus shall the
man be bound who owns this belt,
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" it was Paul's belt, "
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and deliver him into
the hand of the gentiles.
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Now when we heard these things,
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both we and those
who are from that..."
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Oh, wait, I want to stop.
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There's so much here.
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Now who is Agabus?
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He is a prophet,
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not only does he make
this prophecy and it comes true
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but it says in another place,
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he prophesied there'd
be a great famine in Israel
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and it comes true.
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So were there still prophets
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after the time of
Jesus and the apostles?
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You think, well,
the last of the prophets
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would be the apostles
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but here they
got another prophet,
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wasn't one of the deacons,
he wasn't one of the apostles,
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he was just a believer
that had the gift of prophecy.
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And so these gifts,
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they're still
part of the church,
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when you notice them.
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And then, "When we
heard these things,
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both we and those
who were from that place
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pleaded with him
not to go to Jerusalem."
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Luke is speaking here.
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"Paul answered,
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'What do you mean by
weeping and breaking my heart?
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For I'm not only
ready to be bound
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but also to die in Jerusalem
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for the name of
the Lord Jesus."'
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How many of us can say that?
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Ready to die for the Lord.
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"So when he
would not be persuaded,
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we ceased saying the
Lord's will be done."
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Now why did Paul go
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after the Holy
Spirit told everybody
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these terrible
things would befall you?
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Let me read
something else to you,
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Matthew 16:21.
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"From that time, Jesus
began to show His disciples
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that He must go to Jerusalem
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and suffer many
things from the elders,
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and the chief
priests, and the scribes,
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and be killed, and
be raised the third day.
00:09:59.16\00:10:02.23
And Peter took him
aside and rebuked him saying,
00:10:02.23\00:10:04.87
'Far be it from You,
Lord, shall this happen to You?'
00:10:04.87\00:10:08.44
But he turned,
and he said to Peter,
00:10:08.44\00:10:09.87
'Get behind me, Satan,
00:10:09.87\00:10:11.61
for you are an offense to me,
00:10:11.61\00:10:13.41
for you're not
mindful of the things of God
00:10:13.41\00:10:15.88
but the things of men."'
00:10:15.88\00:10:17.81
Just because the Lord tells you
00:10:17.81\00:10:20.48
that some trouble is coming,
00:10:20.48\00:10:22.58
does not mean you're
supposed to change directions.
00:10:22.58\00:10:26.42
Sometimes He tells
you to help brace you
00:10:26.42\00:10:29.36
for what's coming.
00:10:29.36\00:10:30.46
It was God's will for
Jesus to go to Jerusalem.
00:10:30.46\00:10:33.83
Just because Jesus knew
those things would happen,
00:10:33.83\00:10:36.36
God told Abraham,
00:10:36.36\00:10:38.17
"Your descendants are
going to go down to Egypt
00:10:38.17\00:10:40.30
and they're going to be captives
00:10:40.30\00:10:41.67
for several hundred
years and be afflicted."
00:10:41.67\00:10:45.47
Why did Jacob knowing
that prophecy go down to Egypt?
00:10:45.47\00:10:49.98
And it says, the
rest of the prophecy said,
00:10:49.98\00:10:52.28
"And God would bring them out
00:10:52.28\00:10:53.42
with great
abundance and mighty hand."
00:10:53.42\00:10:56.58
But He told him,
00:10:56.58\00:10:57.62
"You're going to
go through trials."
00:10:57.62\00:10:59.59
So sometimes God lets
us know ahead of time,
00:10:59.59\00:11:02.32
there's going to be trials.
00:11:02.32\00:11:03.43
Paul knew when he
went to Jerusalem,
00:11:03.43\00:11:05.36
the things we're
about to read about
00:11:05.36\00:11:07.23
were going to
happen and he went anyway.
00:11:07.23\00:11:10.33
Luke 9:51,
00:11:10.33\00:11:12.20
"Now when it came to pass,
00:11:12.20\00:11:14.67
the time had come for
him to be received up.
00:11:14.67\00:11:17.64
He steadfastly set his face
00:11:17.64\00:11:20.31
to go to Jerusalem."
00:11:20.31\00:11:21.91
What does it mean
you set your face?
00:11:21.91\00:11:23.48
It means you're not looking
over your shoulder like, well,
00:11:25.88\00:11:27.98
shall I do this or
shall I not do this,
00:11:27.98\00:11:29.85
it means you say this is...
00:11:29.85\00:11:31.32
You're focused, "I
am going to Jerusalem."
00:11:31.32\00:11:33.69
Another place it says,
00:11:33.69\00:11:34.72
"He set his face like a flint, "
00:11:34.72\00:11:36.56
meaning he said,
00:11:36.56\00:11:37.63
"Time has come,
I'm on my way to die,
00:11:37.63\00:11:39.76
and I'm not going
to change my mind."
00:11:39.76\00:11:41.93
So Paul, he was willing to
go to Jerusalem, like Jesus,
00:11:41.93\00:11:46.37
and be killed in Jerusalem
00:11:46.37\00:11:47.94
if he could just
reach some of his kinsmen.
00:11:47.94\00:11:50.91
How many of you
remember where Paul said,
00:11:50.91\00:11:52.81
and I forget which letter it is,
00:11:52.81\00:11:54.64
where he said,
00:11:54.64\00:11:56.58
"I would be willing to
die if Israel might be saved.
00:11:56.58\00:12:00.45
I'd be willing to perish
00:12:00.45\00:12:01.85
that my kinsmen might be saved."
00:12:01.85\00:12:04.75
Did Moses have the same attitude
00:12:04.75\00:12:07.06
when God said, "Look,
00:12:07.06\00:12:08.12
I'm going to just
strike these people dead,
00:12:08.12\00:12:09.62
but I'm going to make
of you a great nation."
00:12:09.62\00:12:11.89
Moses said, "Lord,
take my book out of the name
00:12:11.89\00:12:14.60
but don't do
this to Your people."
00:12:14.60\00:12:17.93
And so, you know,
00:12:17.93\00:12:19.17
this is the
self-sacrificing spirit
00:12:19.17\00:12:20.94
that Jesus and others have.
00:12:20.94\00:12:23.17
All right, so
going back to Acts 21,
00:12:23.17\00:12:28.44
"When we take a
leave of one another,
00:12:28.44\00:12:29.98
we boarded the ship
and they returned home."
00:12:29.98\00:12:32.01
Wait, I missed
something, verse 5, Acts 21:5,
00:12:32.01\00:12:35.75
"When we had come to the
end of those days, we departed,
00:12:35.75\00:12:37.79
and went on our way,
00:12:37.79\00:12:38.82
and they accompanied
us with wives and children
00:12:38.82\00:12:42.36
till we were out of the city."
00:12:42.36\00:12:43.66
So they're going to go from...
00:12:43.66\00:12:45.16
They're going to
probably walk from Tyre
00:12:45.16\00:12:46.23
down towards Jerusalem.
00:12:46.23\00:12:48.66
"And we knelt down on
the shore and prayed."
00:12:48.66\00:12:52.70
Now I don't want
to take this too far,
00:12:52.70\00:12:54.67
but I always like
to just mention this
00:12:54.67\00:12:56.60
because it's very
much out of style.
00:12:56.60\00:12:59.41
I'm thankful that
Granite Bay is a church
00:12:59.41\00:13:01.81
where we still kneel.
00:13:01.81\00:13:03.21
Now not everybody can kneel.
00:13:03.21\00:13:05.18
So those of you out
there with bad knees,
00:13:05.18\00:13:07.58
don't interpret
this as a guilt trip.
00:13:07.58\00:13:09.18
As you get older
and you kneel down,
00:13:11.72\00:13:13.12
you start saying,
"What else can I do
00:13:13.12\00:13:14.46
while I'm down here
before I get back up again
00:13:14.46\00:13:16.22
'cause it's so hard to
get up and to get down."
00:13:16.22\00:13:19.03
But you do say
something with your posture.
00:13:19.03\00:13:24.00
It says, "They
knelt and they prayed."
00:13:24.00\00:13:26.33
I always thought
it was really nice
00:13:26.33\00:13:27.40
when he's leaving,
00:13:27.40\00:13:28.74
they all saw him on
his way, wives, children,
00:13:28.74\00:13:31.74
they all followed him
part of the way down the road,
00:13:31.74\00:13:34.18
that was the custom.
00:13:34.18\00:13:36.11
When the angel and the
Lord were leaving Abraham,
00:13:36.11\00:13:39.28
he saw them on their way.
00:13:39.28\00:13:40.82
When Ruth and is it Orpah?
00:13:40.82\00:13:44.85
Were following Naomi,
00:13:44.85\00:13:46.49
they followed
her part of the way,
00:13:46.49\00:13:48.26
that was just
considered good manners.
00:13:48.26\00:13:50.09
Karen has always
tried to teach me
00:13:50.09\00:13:51.66
that when someone leaves,
00:13:51.66\00:13:52.73
see them to the door,
00:13:52.73\00:13:53.76
"You kind of
stand there on the door
00:13:53.76\00:13:54.83
and you wave as they leave,
00:13:54.83\00:13:55.86
you don't just
shout over your shoulder
00:13:55.86\00:13:57.10
as they leave
the house, goodbye."
00:13:57.10\00:13:58.90
And so that's
supposed to be good manners.
00:13:58.90\00:14:00.87
But then they
knelt and they prayed.
00:14:00.87\00:14:03.24
Can you name some
other places in the Bible
00:14:03.24\00:14:04.97
it talked about
kneeling when you pray?
00:14:04.97\00:14:07.38
Daniel 6.
00:14:10.48\00:14:13.72
He went up to his upper room,
and he knelt down, he prayed.
00:14:13.72\00:14:17.55
I'm waiting for
you, I got some others.
00:14:20.32\00:14:22.56
Solomon,
dedicating the temple, got...
00:14:22.56\00:14:25.83
This is the king,
got down on his knees
00:14:25.83\00:14:28.40
before the King of
the kings, and he prayed.
00:14:28.40\00:14:31.70
Jesus knelt down and prayed.
00:14:31.70\00:14:35.80
I believe, not only in
the Garden of Gethsemane
00:14:35.80\00:14:38.24
but you're going to
find a number of places
00:14:38.24\00:14:39.81
like that in the Bible
where they knelt and prayed.
00:14:39.81\00:14:41.84
So I just hope that the
church doesn't get to the place
00:14:41.84\00:14:45.15
where we in our
personal devotions
00:14:45.15\00:14:48.58
and in our
worship that we forget
00:14:48.58\00:14:51.89
to just respect by our posture
00:14:51.89\00:14:55.19
and adore God.
00:14:55.19\00:14:57.26
And I think that's important.
00:14:57.26\00:14:58.86
Amen?
00:14:58.86\00:15:00.26
All right.
00:15:00.26\00:15:02.23
So they knelt down, they prayed,
00:15:02.23\00:15:03.90
they reboarded the
ship, and they returned home.
00:15:03.90\00:15:07.94
"And when we had
finished our voyage from Tyre,
00:15:07.94\00:15:09.94
we came to Ptolemais,
00:15:09.94\00:15:12.51
greeted the brethren and
stayed with them one day.
00:15:12.51\00:15:15.14
On the next day,
00:15:15.14\00:15:16.75
we who were Paul's companions
00:15:16.75\00:15:20.15
departed and
came to Caesarea..."
00:15:20.15\00:15:21.85
That was a town on the coast,
00:15:21.85\00:15:23.32
Karen and I were
there a few months ago,
00:15:23.32\00:15:25.42
and there's still...
00:15:25.42\00:15:26.49
You can see the
coliseum that was built
00:15:26.49\00:15:28.76
and named in
honor of Caesar's wife,
00:15:28.76\00:15:32.06
so they named it Caesarea.
00:15:32.06\00:15:33.93
"And entered the house
of Phillip the Evangelist,
00:15:33.93\00:15:36.60
who is one of the
seven, and stayed with him."
00:15:36.60\00:15:39.93
Now this man, this is the
Philip who was originally,
00:15:39.93\00:15:42.70
Philip, a deacon, he
becomes an evangelist.
00:15:42.70\00:15:45.04
Remember he baptizes the eunuch
00:15:45.04\00:15:48.28
who was on his way to Ethiopia
00:15:48.28\00:15:50.25
and he also preaches in Samaria.
00:15:50.25\00:15:52.05
This man had four
virgin daughters who prophesy.
00:15:52.05\00:15:55.62
That word prophesied didn't mean
00:15:55.62\00:15:57.22
they went around
predicting the stock market.
00:15:57.22\00:15:59.32
It means that they taught,
00:15:59.32\00:16:01.46
they were also probably teaching
00:16:01.46\00:16:02.96
other women
different Bible truths.
00:16:02.96\00:16:06.96
"And as we stayed many days,
00:16:06.96\00:16:08.36
a certain prophet named
Agabus came down from Judah."
00:16:08.36\00:16:10.80
Now we just talked about that.
00:16:10.80\00:16:12.77
"When we heard those things,
00:16:12.77\00:16:13.90
both we and who
were from that place
00:16:13.90\00:16:15.87
pleaded with him
not to go and they said,
00:16:15.87\00:16:18.21
'The will of the Lord be done.'"
00:16:18.21\00:16:19.54
Verse 15, "After those days,
00:16:19.54\00:16:22.41
we packed and we
went up to Jerusalem,
00:16:22.41\00:16:24.78
also some of the disciples
from Caesarea went with us
00:16:24.78\00:16:28.12
and brought with him a
certain Mnason of Cyprus,
00:16:28.12\00:16:33.32
an early disciple,
with whom we were to lodge.
00:16:33.32\00:16:36.59
And when we had
come to Jerusalem,
00:16:36.59\00:16:38.59
the brethren
received us gladly."
00:16:38.59\00:16:40.96
Now this is quite an occasion,
00:16:40.96\00:16:42.43
Paul has been on a mission trip.
00:16:42.43\00:16:44.10
You get an idea
that traveling back
00:16:44.10\00:16:46.74
then was very time consuming.
00:16:46.74\00:16:49.40
You know, it's just incredible
00:16:49.40\00:16:51.27
if we tried to
explain to the apostles
00:16:51.27\00:16:54.34
that Karen and I had been
to the other side of the world
00:16:54.34\00:16:56.85
three times in one year.
00:16:56.85\00:17:00.62
It took them years to do that,
00:17:00.62\00:17:03.15
and some people many
times never came back.
00:17:03.15\00:17:06.22
I mean you and I have no idea
00:17:06.22\00:17:07.79
what it was like
to travel back then
00:17:07.79\00:17:10.36
and when husband told his wife,
00:17:10.36\00:17:11.39
"I'm going on a sea voyage."
00:17:11.39\00:17:12.93
You didn't know if
you'd ever see him again
00:17:12.93\00:17:14.36
or when you'd see him,
00:17:14.36\00:17:15.86
you couldn't be at
the dock waiting for him
00:17:15.86\00:17:17.30
because you never
know when they'd come back.
00:17:17.30\00:17:19.43
It was really hard on whalers'
wives even 150 years ago,
00:17:19.43\00:17:23.30
when they go all the
way from Boston down around,
00:17:23.30\00:17:27.74
there's no Panama Canal,
00:17:27.74\00:17:29.51
they'd go all the way
down around South America
00:17:29.51\00:17:31.65
out into the Pacific
Ocean to get whaling oil
00:17:31.65\00:17:34.12
and come back two years later.
00:17:34.12\00:17:36.18
That was rough.
00:17:36.18\00:17:37.89
And so here Paul, when he
goes on this missionary journey
00:17:37.89\00:17:40.06
and he finally returns to report
00:17:40.06\00:17:41.49
on what's happening
among the churches in Asia.
00:17:41.49\00:17:43.93
This is a big deal,
00:17:43.93\00:17:44.96
they get a church
assembly to come together
00:17:44.96\00:17:47.60
and to report.
00:17:47.60\00:17:50.80
And it said here that
"On the following day,
00:17:50.80\00:17:54.74
Paul went in with us to James."
00:17:54.74\00:17:57.64
Now who was the first pope?
00:17:57.64\00:17:58.74
Peter?
00:17:58.74\00:18:00.94
Where does it say Peter is
the first Chairman of the Board
00:18:00.94\00:18:02.98
for the early church?
00:18:02.98\00:18:05.28
Peter did have a prominent role,
00:18:05.28\00:18:06.65
but have you
noticed that as you read
00:18:06.65\00:18:08.12
through the Book of Acts,
00:18:08.12\00:18:10.42
who is usually considered
the patriarch of the church?
00:18:10.42\00:18:14.96
James.
00:18:14.96\00:18:17.13
Yeah, James is the one
sharing the Board in Acts 15.
00:18:17.13\00:18:21.73
James who was probably
an older brother of Jesus
00:18:21.73\00:18:24.33
wrote the Book of James,
00:18:24.33\00:18:25.87
one of the oldest
books in the New Testament.
00:18:25.87\00:18:29.74
So when they say that
Peter was the first pope,
00:18:29.74\00:18:33.34
it doesn't really teach that.
00:18:33.34\00:18:34.74
James was considered a
patriarch of the church.
00:18:34.74\00:18:37.11
He was given all the
honors of an apostle.
00:18:37.11\00:18:39.45
And so they meet with him.
00:18:39.45\00:18:42.25
And he had that
position for quite a while,
00:18:42.25\00:18:44.05
I think until he was
executed for his faith
00:18:44.05\00:18:46.99
during a certain persecution.
00:18:46.99\00:18:49.59
"They went in with us to James
and all the elders were present
00:18:49.59\00:18:53.13
and when we had greeted
them, he told in detail," Paul,
00:18:53.13\00:18:57.83
"told in detail of
those things that God had done
00:18:57.83\00:19:00.70
among the gentiles
through His ministry.
00:19:00.70\00:19:04.17
And when they heard it,
they glorified the Lord."
00:19:04.17\00:19:06.44
Now that must have
been some testimony service.
00:19:06.44\00:19:09.54
Paul is telling about
him and Silas praying in jail
00:19:09.54\00:19:12.48
and an earthquake that
opens the prison doors.
00:19:12.48\00:19:14.85
And he's talking about
the riots that took place
00:19:14.85\00:19:17.65
and the big
conversions that are happening,
00:19:17.65\00:19:20.76
and he is preaching
in the auditorium there
00:19:20.76\00:19:23.86
or the stadium in Athens,
00:19:23.86\00:19:27.30
and I mean
incredible things had happened,
00:19:27.30\00:19:29.43
you know, you're
talking about these
00:19:29.43\00:19:30.70
different missionary
journeys and all the miracles
00:19:30.70\00:19:32.67
that were done, Paul
is giving this report.
00:19:32.67\00:19:35.04
Now keep in mind,
this is the same Paul
00:19:35.04\00:19:38.87
when he was first converted
and they brought him to James
00:19:38.87\00:19:41.11
and the apostles, they
were very apprehensive,
00:19:41.11\00:19:43.65
they said, "This is the guy,
00:19:43.65\00:19:45.28
how do we know
he's not a double spy?
00:19:45.28\00:19:47.45
He was sent by the Pharisees
00:19:47.45\00:19:48.58
to kill all the
believers in Damascus,
00:19:48.58\00:19:51.42
now he's
claiming to be one of us,
00:19:51.42\00:19:53.09
we better be real careful."
00:19:53.09\00:19:54.32
They didn't trust him at
first until Barnabas came along.
00:19:54.32\00:19:58.23
Now he comes back
and he's, you know,
00:19:58.23\00:20:00.73
done this incredible
work among the gentiles
00:20:00.73\00:20:04.17
and they're glorifying the Lord.
00:20:04.17\00:20:07.27
"And they said to him,"
but they've got a concern,
00:20:07.27\00:20:10.41
"you see, brother,
00:20:10.41\00:20:11.47
how many myriads
of Jews there are
00:20:11.47\00:20:13.91
who have believed
00:20:13.91\00:20:15.34
and they're all
zealous for the law
00:20:15.34\00:20:18.11
but they've been
informed about you
00:20:18.11\00:20:19.91
that you teach the Jews
who are among the gentiles
00:20:19.91\00:20:23.02
to forsake Moses
saying that they ought
00:20:23.02\00:20:25.55
not to circumcise their children
00:20:25.55\00:20:27.52
or walk according to
the customs, what then?"'
00:20:27.52\00:20:30.66
Now let's just pause.
00:20:30.66\00:20:32.89
Is that true?
00:20:32.89\00:20:35.20
Partially.
00:20:35.20\00:20:36.70
What was Paul's
attitude about circumcision?
00:20:36.70\00:20:40.40
You read
Galatians, he's pretty clear.
00:20:40.40\00:20:42.17
People read Galatians
where he talks about the law,
00:20:42.17\00:20:44.57
they try to tie
that to the Sabbath.
00:20:44.57\00:20:46.44
Paul never
mentions the word Sabbath
00:20:46.44\00:20:47.94
in the Book of Galatians.
00:20:47.94\00:20:49.04
You know the word
that keeps appearing?
00:20:49.04\00:20:50.91
Circumcision, the big
battle was circumcision.
00:20:50.91\00:20:53.98
And Paul said,
"Circumcision is nothing,
00:20:53.98\00:20:57.62
uncircumcision is nothing,
00:20:57.62\00:20:59.72
but keeping the
commandments is what matters."
00:20:59.72\00:21:01.72
That's a quote.
00:21:01.72\00:21:03.16
And so yeah, he was
teaching the gentiles,
00:21:03.16\00:21:07.03
you don't have
to be circumcised.
00:21:07.03\00:21:09.66
And James is saying,
"You see how many myriads
00:21:09.66\00:21:13.67
of the Jews have
come to believe in Jesus."
00:21:13.67\00:21:15.80
So even in Jerusalem,
00:21:15.80\00:21:17.67
they had thousands
that were converted.
00:21:17.67\00:21:19.44
Now, how many were
baptized at Pentecost?
00:21:19.44\00:21:23.01
Three thousand.
00:21:23.01\00:21:24.91
And then a few weeks
later, they had another occasion
00:21:24.91\00:21:28.02
where there's a
healing and a preaching,
00:21:28.02\00:21:29.98
after Acts 3,
5,000 are baptized.
00:21:29.98\00:21:34.12
So now you get 8,000.
00:21:34.12\00:21:35.79
Jerusalem's not that big.
00:21:35.79\00:21:37.49
And then it says, "A great
many of the priests believed."
00:21:37.49\00:21:40.86
And when you read
Josephus account of Jesus,
00:21:40.86\00:21:44.10
you come to think
that even Josephus
00:21:44.10\00:21:45.73
was definitely a
follower of John the Baptist
00:21:45.73\00:21:49.27
but he may have even
believed that Jesus...
00:21:49.27\00:21:51.94
While he, Josephus says
00:21:51.94\00:21:52.97
he believes that
Jesus was Messiah.
00:21:52.97\00:21:55.11
And so there
were a great number,
00:21:55.11\00:21:58.28
but there were
more against than for
00:21:58.28\00:22:00.75
and that ultimately
turned into a persecution
00:22:00.75\00:22:03.02
and they had to kind of flee.
00:22:03.02\00:22:05.85
So they're concerned, they said,
00:22:05.85\00:22:09.12
"Look, Paul, you know,
00:22:09.12\00:22:11.66
we want to settle things down,
00:22:11.66\00:22:12.79
we're starting to
get some real resistance
00:22:12.79\00:22:14.63
from the religious leaders here
00:22:14.63\00:22:15.90
because so many
people are turning to Jesus.
00:22:15.90\00:22:17.93
It's created a great division
00:22:17.93\00:22:20.30
and you could
set everybody at ease
00:22:20.30\00:22:23.44
if you do some
very Jewish things.
00:22:23.44\00:22:26.14
If you take a vow,
and you go to the temple,
00:22:26.14\00:22:29.54
and you pay the
expenses for other people
00:22:29.54\00:22:31.41
that are taking
vows, that'll show
00:22:31.41\00:22:32.91
how dedicated you
are to the laws of Moses
00:22:32.91\00:22:35.98
and, you know,
go through your days
00:22:35.98\00:22:37.62
of purification in the
temple, and let them know that
00:22:37.62\00:22:41.26
you're a devout
follower of Moses."
00:22:41.26\00:22:44.79
And so Paul kind
of says, "All right."
00:22:44.79\00:22:47.56
So...
00:22:47.56\00:22:48.76
"But they have
him," in verse 21,
00:22:52.70\00:22:54.87
"they've been informed about you
00:22:54.87\00:22:56.07
that you teach the Jews
who are among the gentiles
00:22:56.07\00:22:58.21
to forsake Moses saying
00:22:58.21\00:22:59.57
they ought not
circumcise their children,
00:22:59.57\00:23:01.78
nor walk according to
the customs, what then?"
00:23:01.78\00:23:04.41
In other words,
what shall we do?
00:23:04.41\00:23:05.85
"The assembly
must certainly meet
00:23:05.85\00:23:07.95
and for they'll
hear that you're here,
00:23:07.95\00:23:09.98
therefore do what we tell you.
00:23:09.98\00:23:12.22
We have four men
who've taken a vow,
00:23:12.22\00:23:15.29
take them, be
purified with them,
00:23:15.29\00:23:18.09
pay their
expenses for their vow,
00:23:18.09\00:23:20.63
so they may shave their
heads and that all may know
00:23:20.63\00:23:24.10
that those things
that they were informed
00:23:24.10\00:23:25.87
of concerning you are nothing,
00:23:25.87\00:23:28.80
but that you yourself also
walk orderly and keep the law.
00:23:28.80\00:23:34.21
But concerning the
gentiles who believe,
00:23:34.21\00:23:36.24
we've already
written and decided
00:23:36.24\00:23:37.61
that they should
observe and do no such thing,
00:23:37.61\00:23:40.42
except they
should keep themselves
00:23:40.42\00:23:42.12
from things offered
to idols from blood,
00:23:42.12\00:23:44.09
from things strangled,
and from sexual immorality."
00:23:44.09\00:23:46.42
Now they're not
saying that the gentiles
00:23:46.42\00:23:47.82
don't have to keep
the Ten Commandments,
00:23:47.82\00:23:49.62
they're saying, among
these disputed things,
00:23:49.62\00:23:52.33
these are the highlights
we needed to emphasize.
00:23:52.33\00:23:54.83
Now, is it required
today for Christians,
00:23:54.83\00:24:00.44
does a Jew need
to sacrifice lambs?
00:24:00.44\00:24:04.07
Does a Jew need
to be circumcised?
00:24:04.07\00:24:05.97
Technically no.
00:24:08.74\00:24:10.78
But they believed, true,
00:24:10.78\00:24:14.52
the gentiles do not
need to keep these customs
00:24:14.52\00:24:19.02
but the Jews have to.
00:24:19.02\00:24:21.29
So even after Jesus died,
they had a hard time saying,
00:24:21.29\00:24:24.83
"You mean, we don't have
to do some of those things?"
00:24:24.83\00:24:28.40
They thought "Well,
we'll wink at the gentiles
00:24:28.40\00:24:30.83
but Jews have to
keep the laws of Moses,
00:24:30.83\00:24:33.84
and the laws of purification,
and things about the temple."
00:24:33.84\00:24:36.94
So it just took a long
time for them to get over that.
00:24:36.94\00:24:41.11
All right, verse 25.
00:24:41.11\00:24:42.78
So Paul agrees.
00:24:42.78\00:24:43.85
Now, was that a good thing?
00:24:43.85\00:24:45.28
Let me read a quote
to you from the book,
00:24:45.28\00:24:46.55
Acts of the Apostles, page 404,
00:24:46.55\00:24:50.02
"The Spirit of God
00:24:50.02\00:24:51.89
did not prompt this instruction.
00:24:51.89\00:24:54.72
It was the fruit of cowardice.
00:24:54.72\00:24:58.09
The leaders of the
church in Jerusalem knew
00:24:58.09\00:25:00.96
that by nonconformity
to the ceremonial law,
00:25:00.96\00:25:04.03
Christians would
bring upon themselves
00:25:04.03\00:25:05.63
the hatred of the Jews
00:25:05.63\00:25:07.04
and expose
themselves to persecution.
00:25:07.04\00:25:09.94
The Sanhedrin
was doing its utmost
00:25:09.94\00:25:12.21
to hinder the
progress of the gospel.
00:25:12.21\00:25:14.58
Men were chosen by this
body to follow up the apostles,
00:25:14.58\00:25:17.41
especially Paul,
00:25:17.41\00:25:18.68
and in every possible
way to oppose their work.
00:25:18.68\00:25:22.25
Should the believers
in Christ be condemned
00:25:22.25\00:25:24.22
before the Sanhedrin
as breakers of the law,
00:25:24.22\00:25:26.55
they would suffer
swift and severe punishment
00:25:26.55\00:25:28.96
as apostates from
the Jewish faith."
00:25:28.96\00:25:31.23
They were trying to avoid
00:25:31.23\00:25:33.19
complete
excommunication from Judaism.
00:25:33.19\00:25:36.90
You know what they're doing?
00:25:36.90\00:25:39.90
They're trying to
serve two masters.
00:25:39.90\00:25:44.77
They were trying to
still satisfy the Pharisees,
00:25:44.77\00:25:50.38
and the Sadducees,
00:25:50.38\00:25:52.08
and then satisfy the gospel
and the teachings of Christ.
00:25:52.08\00:25:55.82
Now what happens
when you try to satisfy
00:25:55.82\00:25:57.52
two opposing groups like that?
00:25:57.52\00:25:59.95
You make them all mad.
00:25:59.95\00:26:01.22
I won't say where or who
but I knew a pastor that...
00:26:03.83\00:26:07.40
He had a church that
got split on worship.
00:26:07.40\00:26:10.53
And one group in the church,
they wanted to have a more
00:26:10.53\00:26:12.97
rambunctious
demonstrative worship service,
00:26:12.97\00:26:16.84
more popular songs
and bring in some drums.
00:26:16.84\00:26:20.34
And the other group,
00:26:20.34\00:26:21.41
they wanted a more conservative,
00:26:21.41\00:26:22.78
traditional worship service.
00:26:22.78\00:26:25.08
So the pastor didn't
want to get anybody mad,
00:26:25.08\00:26:28.08
and he said, "Well,
we'll just have two services,"
00:26:28.08\00:26:31.59
which they ended up doing.
00:26:31.59\00:26:33.66
And the church just kind of
went at war with each other.
00:26:33.66\00:26:37.23
They said, "You
know, you're part of that
00:26:37.23\00:26:38.76
early service and you're
part of that late service."
00:26:38.76\00:26:40.66
And the pastor is trying
to make both groups happy.
00:26:40.66\00:26:42.70
How do you think
both groups ended up
00:26:42.70\00:26:44.27
feeling about the pastor?
00:26:44.27\00:26:46.57
They both lost respect for him.
00:26:46.57\00:26:49.14
You heard about the
man in the Civil War,
00:26:49.14\00:26:51.97
he lived very close to
the north and the south
00:26:51.97\00:26:54.08
and he didn't want
to make anybody mad.
00:26:54.08\00:26:56.78
And so he wore a blue
jacket and grey pants.
00:26:56.78\00:27:01.85
Because he didn't
want to make the north mad
00:27:01.85\00:27:03.79
and he didn't want
to make the south mad.
00:27:03.79\00:27:05.52
But the final result was that
00:27:05.52\00:27:06.99
the south shot him in the jacket
00:27:06.99\00:27:08.82
and the north
shot him in the pants.
00:27:08.82\00:27:11.46
So Aesop tells a
story one time, he said,
00:27:11.46\00:27:18.23
the bats wanted to be at
peace with all the animals
00:27:18.23\00:27:22.54
and they told the
birds, 'We're birds,
00:27:22.54\00:27:24.07
look we fly, we're birds.
00:27:24.07\00:27:26.24
And told the beasts,
we're beasts, look we crawl,
00:27:26.24\00:27:28.34
we eat bugs, we are beasts.
00:27:28.34\00:27:30.78
And they both got
disgusted with the bats
00:27:30.78\00:27:32.38
and they banished
them to the night.
00:27:32.38\00:27:35.48
So if you try to
make everybody happy,
00:27:35.48\00:27:39.19
you'll end up usually violating
00:27:39.19\00:27:40.42
your own
conscience in the process.
00:27:40.42\00:27:42.49
You got to stand for something.
00:27:42.49\00:27:44.09
Know what you stand for,
00:27:44.09\00:27:45.29
you're not going to
make everybody happy.
00:27:45.29\00:27:47.40
Paul ended up
trying to acquiesce.
00:27:47.40\00:27:51.07
You know, this was
the order the leader
00:27:51.07\00:27:52.67
but you can
read there, she says,
00:27:52.67\00:27:54.47
"The spirit did not
prompt this instruction,
00:27:54.47\00:27:57.01
it was a fruit of cowardice."
00:27:57.01\00:27:58.87
Now you know what that tells me?
00:27:58.87\00:28:01.94
Does the Bible say
that everything the apostles
00:28:01.94\00:28:03.75
did was right?
00:28:03.75\00:28:06.68
No.
00:28:06.68\00:28:07.85
I know that they were apostles,
they were spirit filled,
00:28:07.85\00:28:10.25
but you know what
the Bible says about men
00:28:10.25\00:28:11.72
and women of God?
00:28:11.72\00:28:13.29
That they have faults
and they make mistakes.
00:28:13.29\00:28:15.66
Was it the Holy Spirit
00:28:15.66\00:28:16.79
that inspired Elijah
to say, "Lord kill me.
00:28:16.79\00:28:18.79
I'm no better than anyone else."
00:28:18.79\00:28:20.63
No, he was discouraged,
00:28:20.63\00:28:21.83
or the Prophet
Jonah to start crying
00:28:21.83\00:28:23.97
under a bush because God
didn't destroy the Ninevites,
00:28:23.97\00:28:27.17
or when Paul
had to rebuke Peter,
00:28:27.17\00:28:29.44
because Peter
was showing favorites
00:28:29.44\00:28:31.94
when the Jews came to town,
00:28:31.94\00:28:33.04
he act like he
didn't know the gentiles.
00:28:33.04\00:28:35.38
And Paul rebuked
him publicly said,
00:28:35.38\00:28:37.05
"You're being hypocrite, Peter."
00:28:37.05\00:28:38.55
Paul rebuking the one
who preached at Pentecost
00:28:38.55\00:28:43.62
and Peter
evidently took it well.
00:28:43.62\00:28:45.82
He said, "Before the
Jews showed up from Jerusalem,
00:28:45.82\00:28:48.06
you're hobnobbing and
eating with the gentiles,
00:28:48.06\00:28:50.36
but when the Jews
came, you act like
00:28:50.36\00:28:51.43
you didn't know
your gentile friends.
00:28:51.43\00:28:53.13
You're being a hypocrite."
00:28:53.13\00:28:56.06
"I guess you're right."
00:28:56.06\00:28:57.57
And so just because
they were called of God,
00:28:57.57\00:29:00.37
and God spoke and
worked through them
00:29:00.37\00:29:01.74
doesn't mean
everything they did was right.
00:29:01.74\00:29:04.84
Did Paul and Barnabas
have a heated argument
00:29:04.84\00:29:07.01
about whether or not
they should take Mark?
00:29:07.01\00:29:09.58
Paul was wrong
00:29:09.58\00:29:11.45
'cause later you
find Mark ends up becoming
00:29:11.45\00:29:13.98
very faithful follower,
writes one of our gospels,
00:29:13.98\00:29:17.12
and Paul later
admits, "Send Mark to me,
00:29:17.12\00:29:20.29
for he is profitable
to me in the gospel."
00:29:20.29\00:29:23.53
So even Paul had
to later admit that,
00:29:23.53\00:29:25.83
"Yeah, Mark is profitable."
00:29:25.83\00:29:27.36
So they were people and they
sometimes made bad decisions
00:29:27.36\00:29:30.97
and this was
obviously a bad decision,
00:29:30.97\00:29:33.37
try to make everybody happy,
00:29:33.37\00:29:34.64
it turns into a riot
which I haven't gotten to yet.
00:29:34.64\00:29:38.21
Then Acts 21:26,
00:29:38.21\00:29:41.21
"Paul took the
man and the next day
00:29:41.21\00:29:43.01
having been purified with them
entered the temple to announce
00:29:43.01\00:29:46.08
the expiration of the
days of purification..."
00:29:46.08\00:29:48.45
They registered.
00:29:48.45\00:29:49.55
"At which time an offering
00:29:49.55\00:29:50.79
would be made
for each one of them.
00:29:50.79\00:29:52.32
Paul said he'd pay
for that to show his zeal
00:29:52.32\00:29:53.99
for the law and the sacrifice.
00:29:53.99\00:29:56.32
Now when the seven
days were almost ended,
00:29:56.32\00:29:59.69
the Jews from
Asia seeing him..."
00:29:59.69\00:30:01.73
The Jews in Asia all knew him.
00:30:01.73\00:30:03.97
And I understand that Paul was,
He had an obvious appearance.
00:30:03.97\00:30:08.27
"The Jews from Asia
seeing him in the temple
00:30:08.27\00:30:11.31
stirred up the whole crowd
00:30:11.31\00:30:13.14
and laid hands
on him crying out,
00:30:13.14\00:30:16.34
'Men of Israel help.
00:30:16.34\00:30:18.18
This is the man who
teaches all men everywhere...'"
00:30:18.18\00:30:21.85
Did he really do that?
00:30:21.85\00:30:23.42
"Against the people and the law
and this place the temple..."
00:30:23.42\00:30:26.99
That was their
most sacred shrine,
00:30:26.99\00:30:28.39
he's teaching
against the temple.
00:30:28.39\00:30:30.59
"Furthermore he brought
Greeks into the temple..."
00:30:30.59\00:30:32.79
That wasn't true.
00:30:32.79\00:30:33.90
"And has defiled
this holy place."
00:30:33.90\00:30:37.43
Now, you know, many
people have been killed
00:30:37.43\00:30:38.80
in the Bible
through false witnesses.
00:30:38.80\00:30:41.17
Stephen was killed
through false witnesses,
00:30:41.17\00:30:43.54
Naboth was killed, they
worked the people into a lather,
00:30:43.54\00:30:46.44
took him out and stoned him.
00:30:46.44\00:30:48.04
Jesus was killed
through false witnesses.
00:30:48.04\00:30:50.25
And now, several
people are bearing
00:30:50.25\00:30:51.88
false witness about Paul.
00:30:51.88\00:30:53.38
They don't know
what he's done in Asia.
00:30:53.38\00:30:55.08
They don't know who he
brought into the temple.
00:30:55.08\00:30:57.12
And the idea that he would
bring Greeks into the temple.
00:30:57.12\00:31:01.56
"For they had
previously seen him
00:31:01.56\00:31:02.96
in the city with Trophimus,
00:31:02.96\00:31:05.13
an Ephesian who was
with them in the city,
00:31:05.13\00:31:06.90
who they supposed Paul
had brought into the temple,"
00:31:06.90\00:31:09.06
which he hadn't, "And
all the city was disturbed
00:31:09.06\00:31:12.93
and the people ran
together and they seized Paul,
00:31:12.93\00:31:16.00
then they dragged
him out of the temple,
00:31:16.00\00:31:18.57
and immediately
the doors were shut."
00:31:18.57\00:31:20.01
You know, they thought
it might have been defiled,
00:31:20.01\00:31:21.68
they didn't want
the riot coming back in.
00:31:21.68\00:31:24.05
"Now as they were
seeking to kill him..."
00:31:24.05\00:31:25.51
Here's a mob that's trying
to tear him limb from limb.
00:31:25.51\00:31:29.25
"News comes to the
commander of the garrison
00:31:29.25\00:31:31.92
that all of
Jerusalem is in an uproar."
00:31:31.92\00:31:35.72
Now, would you want to
have Paul as your pastor?
00:31:35.72\00:31:39.59
How many of you
think it'd be great
00:31:39.59\00:31:40.63
to have Paul as your pastor?
00:31:40.63\00:31:42.36
Everywhere he
goes, he starts a riot.
00:31:42.36\00:31:43.87
I saw an
interesting little write up
00:31:47.00\00:31:51.44
on what people are
looking for in their pastor.
00:31:51.44\00:31:53.84
Everyone wants a perfect pastor.
00:31:53.84\00:31:56.11
And then someone wrote
down a description of Paul,
00:31:56.11\00:31:57.81
they didn't put
Paul's name on it.
00:31:57.81\00:31:59.35
They said, "Looking for
opportunity as a pastor,
00:31:59.35\00:32:02.08
I've been in
prison several times.
00:32:02.08\00:32:04.65
I caused riots as I
go from place to place
00:32:04.65\00:32:07.26
and it lists all the things..."
00:32:07.26\00:32:08.56
And people's like, "We
never want him as a pastor."
00:32:08.56\00:32:11.19
And they say,
"That's the Apostle Paul."
00:32:11.19\00:32:13.13
All right, "And they
dragged him out of the temple,
00:32:15.56\00:32:20.60
shut the doors, and
immediately the soldiers
00:32:20.60\00:32:23.74
and the
centurions ran down to them.
00:32:23.74\00:32:26.71
And when they saw the commander
00:32:26.71\00:32:27.94
and the soldiers they
stopped beating Paul."
00:32:27.94\00:32:30.81
He must have been
beaten for quite a while.
00:32:30.81\00:32:33.72
I mean, it must
have been 5-10 minutes
00:32:33.72\00:32:36.18
that they were just beating him.
00:32:36.18\00:32:37.79
It's amazing, he survived.
00:32:37.79\00:32:40.59
This is the mob of thousands.
00:32:40.59\00:32:43.22
"And they took
and they commanded him
00:32:43.22\00:32:44.79
to be bound with two chains..."
00:32:44.79\00:32:45.99
They figured, he must
be some terrible criminal.
00:32:45.99\00:32:48.80
No, you're never
supposed to bind a Roman,
00:32:48.80\00:32:50.40
remember from our earlier study,
00:32:50.40\00:32:51.70
he's a Roman citizen.
00:32:51.70\00:32:52.80
you never bind a
Roman without a trial,
00:32:52.80\00:32:55.17
without a warrant.
00:32:55.17\00:32:57.37
"They bound him and
they asked who he was,
00:32:57.37\00:33:01.94
and what he had done,
and some among the multitude
00:33:01.94\00:33:04.05
cried one thing
and some another.
00:33:04.05\00:33:06.38
So when he could
not ascertain the truth
00:33:06.38\00:33:08.18
because of the
tumult, he commanded him
00:33:08.18\00:33:10.72
to be taken into the barracks,
00:33:10.72\00:33:12.99
and then when he
reached the stairs,
00:33:12.99\00:33:14.42
he had to be
carried by the soldiers
00:33:14.42\00:33:16.22
because of the
violence of the mob."
00:33:16.22\00:33:18.86
You've probably
seen these concerts
00:33:18.86\00:33:20.03
where they carried someone
over their head, you know,
00:33:20.03\00:33:21.90
everyone in the crowd
is kind of reaching up
00:33:21.90\00:33:23.67
and they're
passing people along,
00:33:23.67\00:33:25.73
and here the
soldiers have to hold Paul
00:33:25.73\00:33:27.44
clean up off the ground
00:33:27.44\00:33:29.17
because they're
trying to tear at him,
00:33:29.17\00:33:31.84
and just filled
with so much anger.
00:33:31.84\00:33:36.14
Now do you know
most of the people
00:33:36.14\00:33:37.31
in the crowd don't
even know what's going on.
00:33:37.31\00:33:40.48
What spirit do you
think was filling that crowd?
00:33:40.48\00:33:44.49
Same spirit
that filled the crowd
00:33:44.49\00:33:46.49
that cried, "Crucify Him.
00:33:46.49\00:33:47.59
Crucify Him."
00:33:47.59\00:33:48.69
Devils had filled
the people in that crowd
00:33:48.69\00:33:51.69
to try to destroy Paul that day,
00:33:51.69\00:33:53.96
and I think angels
were there protecting him.
00:33:53.96\00:33:57.03
If you ever read
any of the stories
00:33:57.03\00:33:58.80
about John
Wesley, George Whitfield,
00:33:58.80\00:34:02.27
and some of the early
revivalists and reformers,
00:34:02.27\00:34:05.41
there were mobs that
often tried to kill them,
00:34:05.41\00:34:07.28
and it's a miracle
that they survived.
00:34:07.28\00:34:10.11
Wesley gives one account
where someone lunged at him
00:34:10.11\00:34:12.31
with a knife and
missed, just cut his clothes,
00:34:12.31\00:34:15.38
they punched him, and he said,
"I did felt like a feather."
00:34:15.38\00:34:18.85
And he said, he
just knew angels were...
00:34:18.85\00:34:22.42
They hit him with
a club and he said,
00:34:22.42\00:34:24.83
"I didn't feel a thing."
00:34:24.83\00:34:26.63
And he describes the
mobs trying to kill him
00:34:26.63\00:34:30.23
and he walks
right through the mob.
00:34:30.23\00:34:32.27
And I just know
that Paul probably had
00:34:32.27\00:34:34.54
angels watching him that day,
00:34:34.54\00:34:36.27
some of the angels came in
the form of Roman soldiers,
00:34:36.27\00:34:38.07
believe it or not.
00:34:38.07\00:34:40.64
So, let me see, I lost my place.
00:34:40.64\00:34:46.25
Yeah, "And when we
reached the stairs,
00:34:46.25\00:34:47.72
he had to be
carried by the soldiers
00:34:47.72\00:34:49.25
because of the
violence of the mob
00:34:49.25\00:34:50.92
or the multitude,
people following him,
00:34:50.92\00:34:53.29
crying out, away with him,"
00:34:53.29\00:34:55.02
which is what
they said to Jesus.
00:34:55.02\00:34:56.93
"Then Paul was about to
be led into the barracks
00:34:56.93\00:34:59.66
and he said to the commander,
'May I speak to you?'"
00:34:59.66\00:35:03.10
Now the commander's
surprised that he's speaking
00:35:03.10\00:35:04.87
such fluent Latin
or Greek rather, sorry.
00:35:04.87\00:35:07.70
"He said, 'Can you speak Greek?
00:35:07.70\00:35:09.37
Are you not that Egyptian
00:35:09.37\00:35:10.71
who some time ago
stirred up a rebellion
00:35:10.71\00:35:12.21
and led 4,000 assassins
out into the wilderness?'"
00:35:12.21\00:35:15.08
They misunderstood and thought
00:35:15.08\00:35:16.38
he was some common
enemy of the Israelites
00:35:16.38\00:35:20.02
and Paul said,
00:35:20.02\00:35:21.32
"I am a Jew from
Tarsus and Cecilia,
00:35:21.32\00:35:24.65
a citizen of no mean city,
00:35:24.65\00:35:26.65
and I implore you permit
me to speak to the people."
00:35:26.65\00:35:30.76
Now, why in the world would
the captain of the guard...
00:35:30.76\00:35:33.86
First of all, why
would Paul want to talk
00:35:33.86\00:35:37.47
with these people that
were trying to kill him?
00:35:37.47\00:35:41.34
You know, that is
an evangelist for you.
00:35:41.34\00:35:43.30
He just...
00:35:43.30\00:35:44.81
Here he is, you know,
probably bruised and he's cut,
00:35:44.81\00:35:48.51
and his clothes
were torn to shreds,
00:35:48.51\00:35:50.68
and they'd spit on him,
00:35:50.68\00:35:52.01
and they're
trying to carry him away
00:35:52.01\00:35:53.48
from the violence of
the mob, and Paul says,
00:35:53.48\00:35:55.68
"Wait, can I
please preach to them?"
00:35:55.68\00:35:58.92
That mean, what
kind of man is that?
00:35:58.92\00:36:01.32
He was consumed
with love for his people.
00:36:01.32\00:36:05.23
He didn't even
think about, I mean,
00:36:05.23\00:36:06.76
I'd be thinking
about self-preservation
00:36:06.76\00:36:08.63
at that moment, right?
00:36:08.63\00:36:10.30
Wouldn't you be
like shaking with terror?
00:36:10.30\00:36:12.27
And you're just like,
"Mob is trying to kill you."
00:36:12.27\00:36:14.30
Paul was so spirit filled,
00:36:14.30\00:36:15.67
all he could think
about was reaching the people.
00:36:15.67\00:36:19.01
With God, we all have that
kind of love for lost people.
00:36:19.01\00:36:21.61
He said, "Can I speak to..."
00:36:21.61\00:36:23.04
And then the other
amazing thing is that
00:36:23.04\00:36:26.65
he gives him permission.
00:36:26.65\00:36:28.95
He said, "Look, you
just called the riot,
00:36:28.95\00:36:30.25
you think I'm going
to let you talk to them,
00:36:30.25\00:36:31.45
it'll get even worse."
00:36:31.45\00:36:33.36
It says, "When he had
given him permission..."
00:36:33.36\00:36:34.79
The Holy Spirit had to do that.
00:36:34.79\00:36:37.56
"Paul stood on the stairs
00:36:37.56\00:36:38.83
and motioned with
his hand to the people
00:36:38.83\00:36:40.96
and there was a
great silence..."
00:36:40.96\00:36:42.96
Which there had to be
00:36:42.96\00:36:43.93
'cause there's no
PA system back there.
00:36:43.93\00:36:46.13
I mean, we've got a
little group here in this church
00:36:46.13\00:36:47.80
and you probably
wouldn't hear me very well
00:36:47.80\00:36:50.07
if it wasn't for the PA.
00:36:50.07\00:36:52.51
"Paul stood on the
stairs, a great silence.
00:36:52.51\00:36:55.54
He spoke to them in
the Hebrew language.
00:36:55.54\00:36:57.81
'Brethren and fathers..."
00:37:00.15\00:37:01.55
Here I am in Chapter 22 now.
00:37:01.55\00:37:03.92
"Brethren and fathers hear
my defense before you now.'
00:37:03.92\00:37:07.26
And when they heard him
speak to them in Hebrew,
00:37:07.26\00:37:09.19
they kept all the more
silent, 'Oh, he's one of us.'
00:37:09.19\00:37:12.76
Then he said,
'I am indeed a Jew,
00:37:12.76\00:37:15.46
born in Tarsus of Cilicia,
00:37:15.46\00:37:17.50
but brought up in this
city at the feet of Gamaliel,
00:37:17.50\00:37:21.00
taught according
to the strictness
00:37:21.00\00:37:22.70
of our Father's law,
00:37:22.70\00:37:24.07
and was zealous
toward God as you are today.
00:37:24.07\00:37:27.78
I persecuted
this way to the death,
00:37:27.78\00:37:30.95
binding and
delivering into prison both men
00:37:30.95\00:37:33.18
and women as also the
High Priest bears me witness,
00:37:33.18\00:37:36.48
and all the
counsel of the elders
00:37:36.48\00:37:38.45
from whom I receive
letters to the brethren...'"
00:37:38.45\00:37:40.49
He's now, he's kind
of implicating the elders
00:37:40.49\00:37:43.49
that they gave him
letters to persecute Christians.
00:37:43.49\00:37:47.23
"And I want to Damascus
to bring in chains even those
00:37:47.23\00:37:50.27
who are there to
Jerusalem to be punished...'"
00:37:50.27\00:37:52.67
Isn't it
interesting? What's happening?
00:37:52.67\00:37:55.40
He's been bound in Jerusalem.
00:37:55.40\00:37:57.81
They're getting
ready to whip him
00:37:57.81\00:37:59.41
for believing in Jesus.
00:37:59.41\00:38:00.94
He had once
been sent to Damascus
00:38:00.94\00:38:02.61
to bring people
to Jerusalem, bound.
00:38:02.61\00:38:06.08
It's interesting twist.
00:38:06.08\00:38:07.52
"Now as it
happened, as I journeyed
00:38:10.82\00:38:12.22
and came near Damascus at noon,
00:38:12.22\00:38:14.06
suddenly a great
light from heaven..."
00:38:14.06\00:38:15.59
He said it's not
the light of the sun
00:38:15.59\00:38:16.79
'cause it was at noon.
00:38:16.79\00:38:17.86
It's brighter than the sun.
00:38:17.86\00:38:19.46
"Shone around me and
I fell to the ground."
00:38:19.46\00:38:22.50
Some have wondered,
did he fall from a horse,
00:38:22.50\00:38:24.03
or did he just fall down.
00:38:24.03\00:38:25.93
"I fell to the ground
and heard a voice saying,
00:38:25.93\00:38:28.80
'Saul, Saul, why
are you persecuting Me?'
00:38:28.80\00:38:32.17
So I answered and
said, 'Who are You, Lord?'
00:38:32.17\00:38:35.11
He said, 'I am
Jesus of Nazareth,
00:38:35.11\00:38:36.95
who you are persecuting.'
00:38:36.95\00:38:38.81
And those who were with me
indeed saw the light afraid,
00:38:38.81\00:38:41.42
but they did not
hear the voice of Him
00:38:41.42\00:38:43.12
who spoke to me.
00:38:43.12\00:38:44.62
So I said, 'What
shall I do, Lord?'
00:38:44.62\00:38:47.52
And the Lord said to me,
'Arise and go into Damascus,
00:38:47.52\00:38:50.39
and there you
will be told all things
00:38:50.39\00:38:52.73
that you are appointed to do.'
00:38:52.73\00:38:54.93
And since I could not see
for the glory of that light,
00:38:54.93\00:38:58.13
being led by the hand
of those who were with me,
00:38:58.13\00:39:00.30
I came into Damascus."
00:39:00.30\00:39:02.20
And we read earlier
Paul's conversion story.
00:39:02.20\00:39:06.04
"Then a certain Ananias,
00:39:06.04\00:39:08.51
a devout man
according to the law
00:39:08.51\00:39:09.98
having a good
testimony with all the Jews
00:39:09.98\00:39:11.85
who dwelt there..."
00:39:11.85\00:39:12.95
Notice, he's emphasizing,
these are loyal Jews.
00:39:12.95\00:39:15.48
Ananias was a loyal Jew.
00:39:15.48\00:39:16.92
Why is he being
persecuted right now, Paul?
00:39:16.92\00:39:19.19
They say he's a disloyal Jew.
00:39:19.19\00:39:21.22
So he's saying,
"Look I'm a Jew of Jews,
00:39:21.22\00:39:22.56
I'm a Pharisee of the Pharisees.
00:39:22.56\00:39:24.43
You don't have to stop being
Jewish to be believe in Jesus.
00:39:24.43\00:39:28.36
You know, I tell
all my Jewish friends,
00:39:28.36\00:39:31.77
I say I'm more
Jewish than you are
00:39:31.77\00:39:33.97
because I got a
lot of Jewish friends
00:39:33.97\00:39:35.34
that they may go to
temple and they like,
00:39:35.34\00:39:38.41
you know, they go
together for bar mitzvah
00:39:38.41\00:39:40.74
or for Hanukkah or Purim,
but they don't keep Sabbath.
00:39:40.74\00:39:45.98
They're real careless
about if there's little pork
00:39:45.98\00:39:47.98
in their food and I said,
00:39:47.98\00:39:49.88
"Look, I'm a
better Jew than you are."
00:39:49.88\00:39:53.09
And the whole reason
that the Jews were raised up
00:39:53.09\00:39:55.09
is to announce
Jesus and you guys
00:39:55.09\00:39:57.06
have not announced Jesus yet.
00:39:57.06\00:39:58.99
So it gives me an advantage
where I have to talk to them.
00:39:58.99\00:40:03.33
Anyway, so
Ananias is send to them,
00:40:03.33\00:40:06.53
"He came to me..."
00:40:06.53\00:40:07.64
I'm in Acts 22:13
00:40:07.64\00:40:11.27
and he said, "Brother
Saul, receive your sight
00:40:11.27\00:40:13.81
and at that same
hour I looked upon him,
00:40:13.81\00:40:15.61
miracle took place..."
00:40:15.61\00:40:17.61
Second miracle, he said,
"I saw this miracle of Jesus."
00:40:17.61\00:40:20.85
Then he said, "The God of
our Fathers had chosen you
00:40:20.85\00:40:23.69
that you should know His
will and see the just one,
00:40:23.69\00:40:26.65
and hear the voice of His mouth,
00:40:26.65\00:40:28.49
for you will be
his witness to all men
00:40:28.49\00:40:30.29
of what you have seen and heard,
00:40:30.29\00:40:32.16
and now why are you waiting,
00:40:32.16\00:40:34.00
arise and be baptized
and wash away your sins
00:40:34.00\00:40:36.50
calling on the
name of the Lord?'
00:40:36.50\00:40:38.77
And it happened when
I returned to Jerusalem
00:40:38.77\00:40:40.70
and I was praying in the temple,
00:40:40.70\00:40:42.67
but I was in a trance,
00:40:42.67\00:40:44.37
and I saw him saying to me,
00:40:44.37\00:40:46.31
'Make haste and get
out of Jerusalem quickly,
00:40:46.31\00:40:49.34
for they will not receive
your testimony concerning me.'
00:40:49.34\00:40:52.88
So I said, 'Lord, they
know that in every synagogue
00:40:52.88\00:40:55.65
I imprisoned and beat
those who believe on You.
00:40:55.65\00:40:58.22
And when the blood of Your
martyr Stephen was shed...'"
00:40:58.22\00:41:00.29
People in
Jerusalem knew about that.
00:41:00.29\00:41:02.19
"I was also there standing
and consenting to his death
00:41:02.19\00:41:05.43
and guarding
the clothes of those
00:41:05.43\00:41:06.83
who were killing him.'"
00:41:06.83\00:41:08.50
Now I always
wondered, why did Paul,
00:41:08.50\00:41:10.73
why did he have to say this.
00:41:10.73\00:41:13.17
"Then he said to me,
00:41:13.17\00:41:14.40
'Depart I will send you far
from here to the Gentiles.'"
00:41:14.40\00:41:17.67
That was like poking your finger
00:41:17.67\00:41:19.11
in the eyes of
the Jews in the temple
00:41:19.11\00:41:22.08
because he had just been accused
00:41:22.08\00:41:24.01
of bringing a
gentile into the temple,
00:41:24.01\00:41:27.12
but Paul in sincerity saying,
00:41:27.12\00:41:28.25
"Look, I've had this experience.
00:41:28.25\00:41:29.35
I got to tell you my testimony.
00:41:29.35\00:41:31.29
I used to be the public enemy
number one of the Christians.
00:41:31.29\00:41:35.59
I was your accomplice in trying
to eradicate Christianity,
00:41:35.59\00:41:40.60
but Jesus appeared to me..."
00:41:40.60\00:41:41.80
And a lot of people
heard that sermon that day,
00:41:41.80\00:41:44.03
it had probably touched them.
00:41:44.03\00:41:45.97
There are probably
people around the cross
00:41:45.97\00:41:47.34
that heard Jesus
say, "Father forgive Him."
00:41:47.34\00:41:49.84
But they don't know what to
do and they never forgot that.
00:41:49.84\00:41:52.64
So I'm sure some
were touched by it,
00:41:52.64\00:41:54.11
but that was as far as
the crowd could handle.
00:41:54.11\00:41:56.71
Verse 22, "They listened
to him until this word..."
00:41:56.71\00:42:00.18
When he said, I'm
going to the gentiles,
00:42:00.18\00:42:01.75
that was the word
just filled them with rage.
00:42:01.75\00:42:04.59
"They said, 'Away with
such a fellow from the earth,
00:42:04.59\00:42:08.06
for he is not
worthy to live.'" Why?
00:42:08.06\00:42:09.76
Cause he would take
Jesus to the gentiles.
00:42:09.76\00:42:12.46
See they believe we
are the frozen chosen,
00:42:12.46\00:42:16.10
we are the ones, we are special.
00:42:16.10\00:42:19.33
They didn't understand
00:42:19.33\00:42:20.97
that God gave the
gospel to them to go to others.
00:42:20.97\00:42:23.81
They were supposed to share it.
00:42:23.81\00:42:26.01
"For he's not fit to live."
00:42:26.01\00:42:27.91
And as they cried out
and tore off their clothes
00:42:27.91\00:42:30.28
and threw dust in the
air, the commander ordered him
00:42:30.28\00:42:33.35
to be brought into the barracks,
00:42:33.35\00:42:34.92
he said that he should
be examined under scourging
00:42:34.92\00:42:37.95
that he might know why
they shouted against him."
00:42:37.95\00:42:40.29
The commander's there,
00:42:40.29\00:42:41.69
he didn't understand the Hebrew.
00:42:41.69\00:42:43.99
"And as they say
bound him with thongs..."
00:42:43.99\00:42:45.99
They're getting
ready to whip Paul.
00:42:45.99\00:42:49.13
"Paul said to the centurion
who stood by," got a question,
00:42:49.13\00:42:52.83
"is it lawful for
you to scourge a man
00:42:52.83\00:42:54.97
who is a Roman
and uncondemned?'"
00:42:54.97\00:42:56.34
Paul was
educated, he knew the law.
00:42:56.34\00:42:58.84
Now did we run into this earlier
00:42:58.84\00:43:00.18
when the Philippines put
him in jail and they said,
00:43:00.18\00:43:01.88
"Look, you beat
me, I'm condemned."
00:43:01.88\00:43:03.38
And they were petrified
00:43:03.38\00:43:05.15
because if you
did that to a Roman,
00:43:05.15\00:43:06.45
you could be receiving the same
punishment you gave to a Roman.
00:43:06.45\00:43:10.49
"When the centurion heard that,
he went and told the commander
00:43:10.49\00:43:13.36
saying, 'Be careful
what you do to this man.
00:43:13.36\00:43:14.96
He's a Roman.'
00:43:14.96\00:43:16.42
The commander
came and said to him,
00:43:16.42\00:43:17.66
'Tell me, are you a Roman?'
00:43:17.66\00:43:19.46
He said, 'Yes.'
00:43:19.46\00:43:21.00
The commander then answered,
00:43:21.00\00:43:22.43
'With a large sum I
obtain the citizenship.'"
00:43:22.43\00:43:25.27
Some soldiers were
from all over the empire,
00:43:25.27\00:43:26.94
if you weren't born Roman,
00:43:26.94\00:43:28.30
you could
purchase your citizenship.
00:43:28.30\00:43:31.27
And Paul said, "I
was born a citizen."
00:43:31.27\00:43:33.68
He was born in a Roman province.
00:43:33.68\00:43:36.51
"Then immediately
those who are about
00:43:36.51\00:43:37.91
to examine him
withdrew from him,
00:43:37.91\00:43:39.48
and the
commander was also afraid
00:43:39.48\00:43:41.75
when he found out he was a Roman
00:43:41.75\00:43:42.88
because he had bound him..."
00:43:42.88\00:43:44.02
So he probably unbound him.
00:43:44.02\00:43:45.72
"The next day 'cause he
wanted to know for certain
00:43:45.72\00:43:48.36
why he was accused by the Jews,
he released him from his bonds,
00:43:48.36\00:43:52.86
and commanded the chief priests,
00:43:52.86\00:43:54.13
and all their council to appear,
00:43:54.13\00:43:56.26
and they brought Paul
down and set him before them."
00:43:56.26\00:44:00.50
So now he said, "Look,
you guys got to bring some
00:44:00.50\00:44:02.97
official charge against him.
00:44:02.97\00:44:04.21
Why was this riot taking place?"
00:44:04.21\00:44:06.91
"Then Paul looking
earnestly at the council said,
00:44:06.91\00:44:09.38
'Men and brethren...'"
00:44:09.38\00:44:11.08
Now this is brilliant.
00:44:11.08\00:44:12.88
"I've lived in good conscience
before God until this day.
00:44:12.88\00:44:16.92
And the High Priest Ananias..."
00:44:16.92\00:44:18.95
Now, you remember that name?
00:44:18.95\00:44:21.02
He is the same one
that condemned Jesus.
00:44:21.02\00:44:24.49
"The High Priest Ananias
commanded those who stood by,
00:44:24.49\00:44:29.26
'Strike him on the mouth.
00:44:29.26\00:44:30.33
How dare he speak?
00:44:30.33\00:44:31.50
He hasn't been given
permission to speak to me yet.'"
00:44:31.50\00:44:34.37
And Paul, now
this is one reason,
00:44:34.37\00:44:36.44
have you heard before about
where Paul says he got a thorn
00:44:36.44\00:44:38.67
in his side sent by the devil?
00:44:38.67\00:44:41.31
Many believe the
thorn was his vision
00:44:41.31\00:44:44.31
and for several reasons,
00:44:44.31\00:44:45.95
one is when
Paul writes a letter,
00:44:45.95\00:44:47.52
he often has the
secretary write for him.
00:44:47.52\00:44:50.25
When he wrote a
letter himself, he said,
00:44:50.25\00:44:51.49
"Notice with what large
characters I'm writing..."
00:44:51.49\00:44:53.89
Because his vision was
very bad, he could see,
00:44:53.89\00:44:56.83
but he couldn't see
very well from a distance,
00:44:56.83\00:44:59.06
and he didn't know
it was the high priest,
00:44:59.06\00:45:00.73
you'll notice here.
00:45:00.73\00:45:02.73
"Paul says to him,
'God will strike you,
00:45:02.73\00:45:05.73
you whitewashed wall.
00:45:05.73\00:45:07.60
For you sit to judge
me according to the law
00:45:07.60\00:45:09.80
and you command me to be
struck contrary to the law?'"
00:45:09.80\00:45:13.14
And those who stood
by, they're flabbergasted.
00:45:13.14\00:45:15.68
"They said, 'Are you
reviling God's High Priest?'
00:45:15.68\00:45:18.51
Paul said, 'Oh, I didn't know
brethren, he was a High Priest,
00:45:18.51\00:45:21.38
couldn't see.'
00:45:21.38\00:45:22.85
For them Paul
now quotes the Bible,
00:45:22.85\00:45:24.55
'You shall not speak evil
of the ruler of your people.'
00:45:24.55\00:45:27.59
But when Paul perceived
that one part were Sadducees,"
00:45:27.59\00:45:30.29
including the high priest.
00:45:30.29\00:45:31.36
You know what a Sadducee is?
00:45:31.36\00:45:33.13
They don't believe in
angels, resurrection, spirit.
00:45:33.13\00:45:37.83
"And the other Pharisees..."
00:45:37.83\00:45:39.47
He knew about the
political division behind.
00:45:39.47\00:45:42.17
"He cried out in
the council and he said,
00:45:42.17\00:45:44.84
'Men I'm a Pharisee,
the son of a Pharisees
00:45:44.84\00:45:46.98
concerning the
hope of the resurrection
00:45:46.98\00:45:48.64
of the dead I'm
being judged...'"
00:45:48.64\00:45:50.28
'Cause it was about
Jesus' resurrection,
00:45:50.28\00:45:51.91
they didn't believe in.
00:45:51.91\00:45:52.98
So Paul, he
understood what was going on.
00:45:52.98\00:45:55.58
He knew very well
00:45:55.58\00:45:56.69
what was
happening in the Sanhedrin.
00:45:56.69\00:45:58.59
It would be like you walking
into Congress and you look
00:45:58.59\00:46:00.79
and you say, "I
need some friends here."
00:46:00.79\00:46:03.19
"I'm a Republican.
00:46:03.19\00:46:04.56
I've been a
Republican all my life."
00:46:04.56\00:46:05.86
And you know there's Democrats
and there's Republicans also,
00:46:05.86\00:46:08.00
and you've got the Republicans
against the Democrats
00:46:08.00\00:46:10.00
instead of them
being against you.
00:46:10.00\00:46:12.20
And so what Paul
did, he divided them
00:46:12.20\00:46:15.34
which is what he
should have done on the steps,
00:46:15.34\00:46:18.31
"Paul said,
00:46:18.31\00:46:19.47
'I'm being accused of the
resurrection of the dead.'
00:46:19.47\00:46:21.41
When he was
preaching to the crowd,
00:46:21.41\00:46:23.35
he would have all the
Pharisees on his side.
00:46:23.35\00:46:27.92
'I'm a Pharisee,
the son of a Pharisee
00:46:27.92\00:46:30.22
concerning the
hope of the resurrection
00:46:30.22\00:46:31.65
of the dead, I'm being judged.'
00:46:31.65\00:46:33.82
And when he said this,
a dissension arose between
00:46:33.82\00:46:35.96
the Pharisees and the Sadducees,
00:46:35.96\00:46:38.19
and the assembly was
divided for the Sadducees say,
00:46:38.19\00:46:40.63
'There is no resurrection
or angel or spirit.'
00:46:40.63\00:46:42.93
But the
Pharisees confessed both.
00:46:42.93\00:46:44.67
There arose great
outcry, and the scribes,
00:46:44.67\00:46:47.44
and the Pharisees partly
arose, and protested saying,
00:46:47.44\00:46:50.04
'We find no evil in this man,
00:46:50.04\00:46:51.91
but if a spirit or
an angel spoken to him,
00:46:51.91\00:46:53.84
let us not fight against God.'"
00:46:53.84\00:46:55.81
That's what Gamaliel said.
00:46:55.81\00:46:58.11
"Now there arose
great dissension,
00:46:58.11\00:46:59.51
the commander fearing Paul
might be pulled to pieces..."
00:46:59.51\00:47:01.78
This is the second time.
00:47:01.78\00:47:03.72
The commander has rescued
Paul from being pulled into.
00:47:03.72\00:47:07.99
He sends the soldiers
down to take him by force
00:47:07.99\00:47:10.49
from among them.
00:47:10.49\00:47:11.79
I mean, Paul's just
trouble everywhere he goes.
00:47:11.79\00:47:15.90
"And bring him
into the barracks,
00:47:15.90\00:47:19.13
but the following night
the Lord stood by him and said,
00:47:19.13\00:47:22.37
'Be of good cheer Paul,
00:47:22.37\00:47:24.34
as you have
testified for Me...'"
00:47:24.34\00:47:26.78
Now how many of you have read
00:47:26.78\00:47:27.81
a letter edition in your Bibles?
00:47:27.81\00:47:30.25
You know, what
color this is? It's red.
00:47:30.25\00:47:32.51
What does red mean?
00:47:32.51\00:47:34.45
Words of Jesus.
00:47:34.45\00:47:35.98
He says, "The
Lord stood by him."
00:47:35.98\00:47:37.32
He doesn't say He sent an angel.
00:47:37.32\00:47:39.82
Jesus was there with Paul.
00:47:39.82\00:47:42.39
"Be of good cheer, Paul,
for as you have testified
00:47:42.39\00:47:44.89
for Me in Jerusalem, you
must also bear witness at Rome."
00:47:44.89\00:47:49.33
Now that promise from
Jesus I think encouraged Paul.
00:47:49.33\00:47:53.50
We'll get to it later,
00:47:53.50\00:47:54.77
but when you're in the last
few words in the Book of Acts,
00:47:54.77\00:47:57.94
Paul is in a
terrible storm at sea
00:47:57.94\00:48:00.51
and everybody is afraid
for their life except Paul.
00:48:00.51\00:48:03.75
Everybody and all
those circumstances
00:48:03.75\00:48:05.55
make you think the
boat is going down.
00:48:05.55\00:48:07.28
Fourteen days, they're
out there tossed by the wind
00:48:07.28\00:48:09.58
and the waves, no star,
00:48:09.58\00:48:11.05
no guidance, they
don't know where they are,
00:48:11.05\00:48:12.75
they threw all
their food overboard.
00:48:12.75\00:48:14.89
They're about to be
shipwrecked on the rocks.
00:48:14.89\00:48:17.36
Paul's not afraid, why not?
00:48:17.36\00:48:19.73
Jesus said, Paul, you
still have to testify in Rome.
00:48:19.73\00:48:21.83
He hadn't been to Rome yet.
00:48:21.83\00:48:23.33
He wasn't worried.
00:48:23.33\00:48:25.00
It's like, Peter wasn't
worried when Jesus said,
00:48:25.00\00:48:28.17
"You're going to
die from crucifixion."
00:48:28.17\00:48:29.80
Here they threatened to behead
him the next day, Peter said,
00:48:29.80\00:48:33.14
"I don't know how he's
getting me out of this prison,
00:48:33.14\00:48:34.84
but Jesus told me
something different."
00:48:34.84\00:48:37.35
So he believed he
was going to survive.
00:48:37.35\00:48:40.45
"And when it was day,
00:48:40.45\00:48:41.72
some of the Jews
banded together..."
00:48:41.72\00:48:42.95
Notice this.
00:48:42.95\00:48:44.12
"They bound
themselves under an oath,
00:48:44.12\00:48:46.79
saying they
would not eat or drink
00:48:46.79\00:48:49.82
till they had killed Paul."
00:48:49.82\00:48:51.03
Now, that's pretty severe.
00:48:51.03\00:48:52.76
Not only not going to eat.
00:48:52.76\00:48:55.03
Karen and I were
in the Middle East,
00:48:55.03\00:48:58.23
it was during
Ramadan, and our bus driver,
00:48:58.23\00:49:02.60
he told us about
three quarters of the way
00:49:02.60\00:49:04.41
through the day he
hadn't eaten or had water
00:49:04.41\00:49:06.54
all day long in the desert.
00:49:06.54\00:49:08.94
And we were afraid
he was going to faint,
00:49:08.94\00:49:10.38
he's driving our bus
with, you know, 50 people on.
00:49:10.38\00:49:13.98
These people have made a vow,
00:49:13.98\00:49:16.28
but as soon as the sun went down
00:49:16.28\00:49:17.49
the Muslims
going to eat and drink.
00:49:17.49\00:49:19.92
These people aren't gonna
eat or drink 24 hours a day
00:49:19.92\00:49:22.49
until Paul was dead,
that's a pretty serious vow.
00:49:22.49\00:49:25.79
Later I think, we
read there's 40 of them.
00:49:25.79\00:49:28.16
Oh, yeah, here it is.
00:49:28.16\00:49:29.43
"Now there were more than 40
who had formed this conspiracy.
00:49:29.43\00:49:33.67
They came to the chief
priests and the elders and said,
00:49:33.67\00:49:35.70
'We've bound
ourselves under a great oath
00:49:35.70\00:49:37.94
that we will eat nothing
until we have killed Paul.'
00:49:37.94\00:49:42.04
Now therefore,
together with a council
00:49:42.04\00:49:43.98
suggested the commander
that he be brought down...'"
00:49:43.98\00:49:47.75
You know, it's really
dumb to make an oath like that
00:49:47.75\00:49:49.88
based on food
00:49:49.88\00:49:51.89
because you just
get weaker and weaker.
00:49:51.89\00:49:54.69
How many of you remember
King Saul made a dumb oath?
00:49:54.69\00:49:57.99
He pronounced the curse,
00:49:57.99\00:49:59.76
he's fighting
against the Philistines,
00:49:59.76\00:50:01.73
he tells the soldiers,
00:50:01.73\00:50:03.37
"Nobody is to eat..."
00:50:03.37\00:50:05.03
I think maybe he
said eat or drink anything
00:50:05.03\00:50:07.37
until I'm
avenged with my enemies.
00:50:07.37\00:50:09.77
Any of you remember that?
00:50:09.77\00:50:11.11
And the army just got weak
00:50:11.11\00:50:12.21
and they couldn't
chase them anymore.
00:50:12.21\00:50:14.48
So, anyway.
00:50:14.48\00:50:17.55
"And they said,
'Tomorrow as though
00:50:17.55\00:50:19.88
you are going to make
00:50:19.88\00:50:20.95
further
inquiries concerning him,
00:50:20.95\00:50:22.52
but we will be ready to kill him
00:50:22.52\00:50:23.85
before he comes near.'
00:50:23.85\00:50:26.25
So when Paul sister's son..."
00:50:26.25\00:50:28.49
Oh, that's one of the
first insights we've got,
00:50:28.49\00:50:30.66
who knows about Paul's wife?
00:50:30.66\00:50:34.10
We don't know
if Paul had a wife.
00:50:34.10\00:50:35.76
Some say he was married,
00:50:35.76\00:50:36.87
and she left him when
he became a Christian.
00:50:36.87\00:50:39.27
He seems to know
a lot about marriage
00:50:39.27\00:50:40.70
'cause he wrote
more about marriage
00:50:40.70\00:50:41.84
than the other apostle,
but never mentions his wife.
00:50:41.84\00:50:44.97
Some think he had
a wife and she died
00:50:44.97\00:50:46.91
because he was
part of the Sanhedrin
00:50:46.91\00:50:49.18
and you had to be married
00:50:49.18\00:50:50.25
to be part of the Sanhedrin,
00:50:50.25\00:50:53.58
but maybe not always.
00:50:53.58\00:50:56.05
And so no one really knows,
00:50:56.05\00:50:57.85
we know so little
about Paul's family,
00:50:57.85\00:50:59.72
but alas it says he had a sister
00:50:59.72\00:51:03.02
and he's got a nephew,
we just discovered that.
00:51:03.02\00:51:06.46
So it tells us,
00:51:06.46\00:51:09.70
"Paul sister's son
heard of their ambush,
00:51:09.70\00:51:13.07
and he went and entered
the barracks and told Paul..."
00:51:13.07\00:51:15.50
We hoped that they
had become believers.
00:51:15.50\00:51:18.27
"Then Paul called one
of the centurions and said,
00:51:18.27\00:51:20.31
'Take this young
man to the commander,
00:51:20.31\00:51:21.98
for he has
something to tell him.'
00:51:21.98\00:51:23.68
So he took him and brought
him to the commander and said,
00:51:23.68\00:51:25.58
'Paul the
prisoner called me to him
00:51:25.58\00:51:27.72
and asked me to bring
this young man to you.
00:51:27.72\00:51:29.75
He has something to say to you.'
00:51:29.75\00:51:31.49
Then the commander
took him by the hand,
00:51:31.49\00:51:32.95
went inside and
asked him privately,
00:51:32.95\00:51:34.96
'What is it you
have to tell me?'
00:51:34.96\00:51:36.76
He said, 'The
Jews have agreed to ask
00:51:36.76\00:51:38.96
that you bring Paul
down to the council tomorrow
00:51:38.96\00:51:41.43
as though they
want to do inquire
00:51:41.43\00:51:42.73
more fully about him.
00:51:42.73\00:51:44.33
But do not yield to them
for more than 40 of them lying
00:51:44.33\00:51:47.17
and wait for him, men
who have bound themselves
00:51:47.17\00:51:49.84
with an oath they
will neither eat nor drink
00:51:49.84\00:51:51.87
till they have killed him.
00:51:51.87\00:51:53.88
And now they are ready
waiting for the promise from you
00:51:53.88\00:51:56.41
or a commitment from you to go.
00:51:56.41\00:51:58.31
So the commander said,
'Let the young men depart.'
00:51:58.31\00:52:00.28
The commander said to him,
00:52:00.28\00:52:01.35
'Tell no man
that you've revealed
00:52:01.35\00:52:02.88
these things to me.'
00:52:02.88\00:52:05.32
And they call for
two centurions saying,
00:52:05.32\00:52:07.92
'Prepare 200 soldiers...'"
00:52:07.92\00:52:10.16
They only get 40 men...
00:52:10.16\00:52:12.23
"70 horsemen, 200 spearman
00:52:12.23\00:52:15.40
to go to Caesarea at
the third hour of the night,
00:52:15.40\00:52:18.40
the middle of the night,
00:52:18.40\00:52:19.60
and provide
mounts to set Paul on
00:52:19.60\00:52:21.90
and bring him
safely to Felix..."
00:52:21.90\00:52:23.77
Boy, they're going
through a lot of trouble
00:52:23.77\00:52:24.87
to protect this
one Jewish Roman.
00:52:24.87\00:52:28.28
Paul is getting the attention
of the whole empire, isn't he?
00:52:28.28\00:52:32.65
"Bring him to the governor
00:52:32.65\00:52:34.18
and he wrote a letter
in the following manner,
00:52:34.18\00:52:36.58
'Claudius Lysias,
00:52:36.58\00:52:38.75
to the most excellent
Governor Felix, greetings.
00:52:38.75\00:52:41.02
This man was seized by the Jews
00:52:41.02\00:52:43.43
and he was about
to be killed by them.
00:52:43.43\00:52:45.59
Coming with troops I rescued him
00:52:45.59\00:52:47.56
having learned
that he was a Roman...'"
00:52:47.56\00:52:48.93
Now he was about to
whip him when he learned it.
00:52:48.93\00:52:51.67
"And when I wanted to know
the reason they accused him,
00:52:51.67\00:52:53.84
I brought him
before their council,
00:52:53.84\00:52:54.87
I found out that
00:52:54.87\00:52:55.94
he was accused
concerning questions
00:52:55.94\00:52:57.37
of their law,
00:52:57.37\00:52:58.34
but had done
nothing charged against him
00:52:58.34\00:53:00.58
discerning of death or chains.
00:53:00.58\00:53:03.08
And it was told
me that the Jews lay
00:53:03.08\00:53:04.88
and wait for this man, I
sent him immediately to you
00:53:04.88\00:53:07.95
and also commanded
his accusers to state
00:53:07.95\00:53:11.35
before you the
charges against him.
00:53:11.35\00:53:13.46
Farewell."
00:53:13.46\00:53:14.52
It's a copy of the
letter from this Roman.
00:53:14.52\00:53:17.96
"Then the soldiers
as they were commanded,
00:53:17.96\00:53:19.79
they took Paul and brought
him by night to Antipatris.
00:53:19.79\00:53:24.07
The next day they let
the horsemen go on with him
00:53:24.07\00:53:27.47
and return to the barracks.
00:53:27.47\00:53:29.44
When they came to Caesarea
and they delivered the letter
00:53:29.44\00:53:32.81
to the governor, they
also presented him Paul.
00:53:32.81\00:53:35.74
And when the
governor had read it,
00:53:35.74\00:53:37.41
he asked what
province he was from.
00:53:37.41\00:53:39.71
When he understood he
was from Caesarea, he said,
00:53:39.71\00:53:42.85
'I will hear you when
your accusers have come.'
00:53:42.85\00:53:45.45
And he commanded him to be
kept in Herod's Praetorium."
00:53:45.45\00:53:49.66
And those 40 Jewish assassins
00:53:49.66\00:53:53.03
I guess have starved to death,
00:53:53.03\00:53:55.73
because they never
did really get to him.
00:53:55.73\00:53:58.30
Anyway you can just see
00:53:58.30\00:54:00.04
that Paul had a
pretty exciting life.
00:54:00.04\00:54:02.10
Now it's
exciting up to this point,
00:54:02.10\00:54:04.41
he ends up
spending quite a bit of time
00:54:04.41\00:54:06.71
from here on in and out of jail.
00:54:06.71\00:54:08.98
And a lot of the New
Testament is written to you
00:54:08.98\00:54:10.71
and I from his chains.
00:54:10.71\00:54:13.25
Sometimes God allows us
to go through hard things
00:54:13.25\00:54:15.52
when He knows He's going
to work it together for good.
00:54:15.52\00:54:17.45
You don't always know
00:54:17.45\00:54:18.52
until retrospect
how that happens.
00:54:18.52\00:54:21.52
Thank you, friends,
for studying with us today.
00:54:21.52\00:54:23.56
I want to remind you
that we have a free offer,
00:54:23.56\00:54:25.56
it's called 12 Steps
to Revival by yours truly,
00:54:25.56\00:54:28.53
and all you have to
do is call 866-788-3966,
00:54:28.53\00:54:32.87
we'll send you one.
00:54:32.87\00:54:33.94
Please ask for offer number 780.
00:54:33.94\00:54:36.64
God bless you till we
study His Word together again.
00:54:36.64\00:54:38.94
Among the people
living in the tropics,
00:54:49.98\00:54:51.82
for thousands of years
00:54:51.82\00:54:53.19
the coconut has been
a virtual tree of life.
00:54:53.19\00:54:56.49
The people use it for
food, for clothing, for water,
00:54:56.49\00:54:59.93
for tools, for soap, it
does just about everything.
00:54:59.93\00:55:04.53
The coconut has also
saved a lot of lives.
00:55:04.53\00:55:08.50
During World War II,
00:55:08.50\00:55:09.87
pilots that were
shot down or sailors
00:55:09.87\00:55:11.64
that were stranded
on Pacific Islands,
00:55:11.64\00:55:13.64
they lived for
many months on nothing
00:55:13.64\00:55:15.81
other than the coconut trees
that were on their islands.
00:55:15.81\00:55:18.85
Yes, sir, the
coconut is a tree of life.
00:55:18.85\00:55:22.35
One of the amazing
things about coconut
00:55:22.35\00:55:24.22
is they're designed
00:55:24.22\00:55:25.25
so they're actually
able to float across oceans.
00:55:25.25\00:55:28.39
Coconuts can go
thousands of miles
00:55:28.39\00:55:30.19
after many months be washed
up on some deserted sandy beach,
00:55:30.19\00:55:34.20
then they take
root, sprout, come to life
00:55:34.20\00:55:38.70
and they'll develop
a whole new ecosystem,
00:55:38.70\00:55:41.37
holding islands in
place through a hurricane.
00:55:41.37\00:55:43.84
When the ancient Polynesian
travelers crossing oceans saw
00:55:43.84\00:55:47.28
an island with coconut
trees, they knew there was hope.
00:55:47.28\00:55:50.65
It's amazing how in
virtually no time at all,
00:55:50.65\00:55:53.35
those living on Pacific
Islands know how to make baskets
00:55:53.35\00:55:56.45
and all kinds of tools
00:55:56.45\00:55:58.29
from the leaves
of the coconut tree.
00:55:58.29\00:55:59.95
The coconuts even
serve different purposes
00:56:03.16\00:56:05.16
at different times
in their development.
00:56:05.16\00:56:07.23
The younger green
coconut, they're full of water,
00:56:07.23\00:56:09.50
that'll keep you alive.
00:56:09.50\00:56:13.20
You can even make
utensils from the coconut.
00:56:13.20\00:56:15.77
My spoon is part of
the green shell and here,
00:56:15.77\00:56:20.38
this is a coconut jelly,
makes good for breakfast.
00:56:20.38\00:56:25.91
The more mature coconuts,
that's where you get the meat,
00:56:25.91\00:56:28.58
but you want to make
sure that they're not bad,
00:56:28.58\00:56:30.35
the way you test
this is you can hear
00:56:30.35\00:56:31.99
the water inside.
00:56:31.99\00:56:33.25
You bring that mike over here.
00:56:33.25\00:56:35.79
Can you hear it?
That's a good one.
00:56:35.79\00:56:38.03
How about we take a bite?
00:56:38.03\00:56:39.89
Now that makes meal
that will really fill you up
00:56:39.89\00:56:41.80
and it cleanse your
teeth at the same time.
00:56:41.80\00:56:43.77
Throughout the Bible,
00:56:46.84\00:56:47.90
Jesus uses a number of metaphors
00:56:47.90\00:56:49.90
to remind us that everything
00:56:49.90\00:56:51.11
we need to
survive comes from Him.
00:56:51.11\00:56:53.44
He says that
He's the living water.
00:56:53.44\00:56:55.44
Jesus tells us He
is the bread of life.
00:56:55.44\00:56:57.98
His robe covers us
with righteousness.
00:56:57.98\00:57:00.98
He is our good
shepherd that protects us.
00:57:00.98\00:57:03.49
Jesus is the living vine
00:57:03.49\00:57:05.02
through which we get our
life and our nourishment.
00:57:05.02\00:57:07.92
You might say Jesus
is like the coconut tree,
00:57:07.92\00:57:10.83
a tree of life.
00:57:10.83\00:57:12.39
You know, the first few
verses in the Bible tell
00:57:12.39\00:57:14.30
that God provided a
tree of life for man
00:57:14.30\00:57:16.87
so he could live forever,
00:57:16.87\00:57:18.53
but because of sin man
was separated from that tree
00:57:18.53\00:57:21.10
and from the garden.
00:57:21.10\00:57:22.54
But through trusting in Jesus
00:57:22.54\00:57:23.87
and trusting in His
sacrifice on the cross,
00:57:23.87\00:57:26.41
we once again will have
access to the tree of life
00:57:26.41\00:57:29.18
and have eternal life
with Him in the kingdom.
00:57:29.18\00:57:31.75
But this is all made possible
because we trust in Jesus,
00:57:31.75\00:57:34.88
who is the real tree of life.
00:57:34.88\00:57:36.85
Jesus said, "Unless you eat
My flesh and drink My blood,
00:57:36.85\00:57:39.29
you have no life in you."
00:57:39.29\00:57:40.86
But when we accept
Christ as our sacrifice
00:57:40.86\00:57:43.22
and we allow Him to cleanse
us and fill us with His Spirit,
00:57:43.22\00:57:45.96
we become new creatures,
00:57:45.96\00:57:47.40
and we can be
with Him in sharing
00:57:47.40\00:57:49.03
the gift of
everlasting life with others.
00:57:49.03\00:57:52.07
Matter of fact, we
could do that right now
00:57:52.07\00:57:53.64
by tossing a coconut out
00:57:53.64\00:57:55.07
and praying that it
lands on a deserted beach.
00:57:55.07\00:57:57.24