Hello and welcome to 3ABN
Sabbath School Panel today.
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What a privilege it is to
share this Sabbath with you,
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and this study in
the great Book of Acts.
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Absolutely an incredible book,
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one of my
favorites in all the Bible.
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But we have today some special,
I'm gonna just call them
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my brothers and
sisters here with us today,
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that we're going to be
doing this study and we want you
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to study with us at home.
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Now, if you would like
to get the study guides,
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you can go to the
internet: ABSG.Adventist.org
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If you do that, you
can get these study guides
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absolutely free - we suggest
that you go to your nearest
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Seventh-day Adventist Church,
they'll be happy to give you
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the guides as well as
study with you and you can meet
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new brothers and
sisters in the faith this way.
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But today I would
like to introduce our guest
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starting with... our
panel I should say, not guest,
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but starting with
Sister Mollie and Ms. Mollie,
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you look really
nice today. Oh thank you!
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How am I doing
so far? Very good.
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Ms. Yvonne Shelton,
you also are looking very
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spiffy and
pretty today. Thank you.
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And Sister
Shelley, I won't even say,
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"We saved the best for
last," so I'll just say,
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"All you women
look beautiful today."
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How am I doing C.A.? You
got it perfectly. Alright.
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And Pastor C.A. Murray, he
even looks pretty good today.
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Yes he does!
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We're here to have a
good time in the Lord,
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but we really are
needing to ask God's blessings,
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this study is an
amazing study, the Book of Acts,
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and so what I'd
like to do is ask Yvonne,
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would you pray for us? Surely.
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Father God, We just
thank You so very much
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for the privilege
of opening Your word
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and studying and sharing.
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It is such a great
blessing to be able to do this,
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and so we pray that
Your Holy Spirit will just be
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with us, guide us and
direct us, and that every word
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that's spoken,
Lord, have Your approval.
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We thank You and praise You.
In Jesus name... Amen, Amen!
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Well, we're going to start
today, my part, of course, is
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the "Journey to Rome,"
but we have a memory verse,
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and if ya'll want to look at it.
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The memory text
today is in Acts 27:24.
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It's Acts 27:24,
it's a pretty short one,
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so we can kinda
read it here together...
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"Do not be afraid, Paul;
you must stand before Caesar."
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Alright, "Do
not be afraid, Paul,
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you must stand before Caesar."
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So somewhere, we're
actually looking over
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Acts 27 and 28.
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We're gonna find out
that this is very important
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to Paul to find out he
doesn't need to be afraid
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because if anybody ever
could have maybe intrepidation
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and be a little
afraid, it's Paul.
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He's been in a lot
of jams. Yes. Right!
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When I look at his
life compared to mine,
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sometimes I think...
Paul had went through
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a whole lot more
than I went through.
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But, he also - you remember,
was a great persecutor;
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now, he's on the
other end being persecuted,
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but he's much happier being on
this end, than on the other end,
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and that's what happens
when you accept the Lord Jesus
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Christ and understand
His will for fallen man.
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Paul had long
wished to go to Rome,
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but I don't think he
wished that he would go
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as a prisoner aboard a
ship and especially when we find
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out all that we
are going through.
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So I'm going to kind
of give you some history
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unlike those of you
who know me very well,
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I just speak from the heart,
I talk - today I have so much
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information and I've
made so many notes, I figured
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if I had stayed up till
3:30 making notes this morning,
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that I probably should
read what I did to make sure I
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get it all in
because our time is short.
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But I'm going to give you some
facts and build up to this...
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While being held in custody
in Caesarea, Paul appealed
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to the court to have his
case heard as a Roman citizen
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to Caesar, but what's
interesting - if you go back to
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chapter 26, King
Agrippa listened to him,
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remember he said, "Almost
thou persuadest me," but then
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he says when Paul leaves,
"This man should have left
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well enough alone, because
actually he's done nothing
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to be bound or for death,
he actually could be set free,"
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but Paul, listening to
others, said, "I'm going to go
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to Caesar and plead my case."
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So instead of being
set free, Paul then ends up
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as a prisoner and he is taken
on a ship and in the hands of
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Julius - this man is important.
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He's a centurion of Augustus.
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He actually took a
liking to Paul and showed him
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a number of favors
such as visiting with Luke
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and Aristarchus.
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Now, some of these
words I hope I'm pronouncing
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them right, but if you
don't know, that's okay,
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you may not know how
to pronounce them either.
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So here's where we
end up, on his way to Rome
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when an angel said to Paul,
which was our memory verse,
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well this one is and it
says, "Do not be afraid;
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you must stand before
Caesar and behold, God has
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granted you all
those who sail with you,"
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so during the trip,
we're going to find out
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when things are really
happening, that Paul brings
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some security, some
peace to the group because
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at first they don't
listen to him, but I'm gonna let
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you all describe that, so
I want to get to the actual
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trip and what happened.
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It says here, "Later when
writing to the Philippians,
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from Rome, Paul
wrote, "All saints greet you
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especially those of
Caesar's household."
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So what happened, it was
prophesied that he would be
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before the Gentiles and before
the kings and his appearance
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before Caesar was a
fulfillment of this prophecy.
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So later, he wrote about
it, "All saints greet you
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especially those of
Caesar's household," he says in
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Philippians 4:22.
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So it seems that he made
friends with the household
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of Caesar when he
got there waiting for
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his case to be tried - he
was under what we would call
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"house arrest."
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So, now the emperor at the
time was the tyrannical Nero,
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although he was
actually relatively sane at this
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stage of his life, so I'm
going to leave it to there
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cause later we know
what happened, but he was the
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emperor then.
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Now setting the stage
again, Empress Pompeia may have
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influenced him as
according to Josephus,
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she was a worshiper of
the true God and probably
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favorably
disposed to Christians.
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But, about 200 years
later, Eusebias recorded that
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after defending
himself successfully,
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it is currently reported that
the apostle again went forth
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to proclaim the gospel
and afterwards came to Rome
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a second time, but
this time he was martyred,
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I think, 67 A.D.
or so under Nero.
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Now, on the ship Paul was
a prisoner - we talked about,
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and it seems interesting
to me, I started to say
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"funny," but "interesting
to me that he was accompanied
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by Luke, he's a prisoner and
another Christian Aristarchus.
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Okay, now how does a
guy that's a prisoner
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take friends with him on a ship?
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So I said, "I better
look that up, there's gotta be
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more to this than just
- well, Julius liked him."
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We know the centurion liked
him, there has to be more to it.
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But what I found out in my
little study was that Paul's
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ship was a public conveyance
and that other passengers
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were allowed on board.
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So there was a total -
you know how many - what 276
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passengers on board.
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So let's quickly go over
this, we're going to put some
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graphics up because I
can't do like Jill and do a map
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on my - she's always
doing her maps on her hand...
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so I actually have to
have a graphic and we're going
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to try to cover,
quickly as I can, I may not
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get through all of
it, but will hand it
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over to the rest of them. Okay.
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The account in the "Acts of
the Apostles" of Paul's voyage
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to Rome and his shipwreck
en route is supported by
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a wealth of historical detail.
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No other passage in
the Testament has such a
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striking evidential confirmation
of historical accuracy.
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Not only are the political,
social and legal details
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of the voyage and the shipwreck
striking in their accuracy,
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but also in their meteorological
and nautical details.
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Okay, leaving Caesarea,
the ship arrives in Sidon...
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is it Sidon?
Alright Sidon... and it's
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67 miles to land and to travel
that distance in a single day,
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requires a leading wind.
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The prevailing wind at that
time of the year in Acts 27:9
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says - reveals that it was
early fall, was from the west.
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This would have allowed
them to cover the distance
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in the time stated.
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Luke records that the
prevailing wind forced the ship
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to pass east and north
of the islands of Cypress.
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Now, landing at Myra,
the centurion transfers
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Paul and the other prisoners
to an Alexandrian grain ship
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bound for Rome, so
Myra was a major port,
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and what happened - it
was a shipping port in the
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eastern empire - it lay
directly north of Alexandria;
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Egypt on the far
side of the Mediterranean.
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An Egyptian ship sailing
for Rome would have to sail
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north to Myra at this
time of year because it was
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impossible to sail
directly northwest to Rome.
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The prevailing wind
from the west forced ships
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sailing from Egypt to Rome
to follow this indirect route.
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So Luke, in Acts 27:1, states
that the ship they boarded
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in Caesarea was sailing
for ports along the coast
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of the province of Asia.
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In other words, the ship
was not really bound for Rome,
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but was making ports of
call along the southern coast
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of what today is Turkey,
as you can see from the maps.
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The harbor at Myra was
one of the great transshipping
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ports of the ancient
Mediterranean; thus, it makes
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sense that Paul and the
others would leave the coastal
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vessel there and
board a larger grain ship
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for the final leg of the trip.
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Now, from Myra to Crete -
the Egyptian grain ship leaves
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Myra, then sails
westward for several days;
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finally they stand
off the town of Cnidus
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having reached that
point only with the greatest
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difficulty - Paul talks
about that and some of you
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will a little bit later on here.
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Because the wind is
against them, the ship's captain
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decides to sail
southwest in order to pass the
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south island of Crete.
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After passing Cape Salmone on
the eastern end of the island,
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they make their way
along the southern coast.
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It is with difficulty, again,
that they reached a harbor
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called "Fair Havens," we'll
hear more about that today also.
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The distance from Myra to
Cnidus is only 130 land miles.
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The ship could have covered
that distance in a single day
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with a favoring wind.
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But Luke says it took several
days which again confirms
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that the prevailing
wind was against them.
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Okay, there's
another interesting piece
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of nautical evidence, had Paul's
ship turned to the southwest
00:11:01.49\00:11:05.09
at any point, Myra and Cnidus,
00:11:05.13\00:11:07.73
they would have
never reached Crete.
00:11:07.76\00:11:09.30
The islands in their
path would have prevented them
00:11:09.33\00:11:12.43
from turning to get
behind Crete until the angle
00:11:12.47\00:11:15.60
of descent such as
that from the northwest wind
00:11:15.64\00:11:19.67
would have made the
maneuver impossible.
00:11:19.71\00:11:21.78
Southern Crete could not
be reached by ancient sailing
00:11:21.81\00:11:24.88
ship from any point
along their route except by
00:11:24.91\00:11:27.88
turning southwest to Cnidus.
00:11:27.92\00:11:30.25
After Paul's ship reached
Cape Salome on the eastern
00:11:30.29\00:11:34.89
edge of Crete, they ran
along the southern coast
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and used the island as
a shelter from the wind.
00:11:37.73\00:11:40.90
Luke records that it was
with difficulty several times
00:11:40.93\00:11:44.10
that they reached the harbor of
00:11:44.13\00:11:45.73
Fair Havens and then he
states that they halted there
00:11:45.77\00:11:48.34
but he doesn't say why.
00:11:48.37\00:11:50.17
But meteorological and nautical
evidence tells us why...
00:11:50.24\00:11:53.94
Looking at the map of southern
Crete, you will see that
00:11:54.01\00:11:57.11
Cape Matala lies just 4 miles
west of Fair Havens' harbor.
00:11:57.18\00:12:02.75
At Cape, the coast
curves to the north.
00:12:02.78\00:12:05.12
Had their ship
sailed past Cape Matala,
00:12:05.15\00:12:08.02
they would have been
exposed to the northwest wind
00:12:08.06\00:12:11.06
and would have found it
impossible to continue westward.
00:12:11.09\00:12:14.30
Now the reason for their halt
at Fair Havens was to wait for
00:12:14.30\00:12:18.40
a change of wind.
00:12:18.43\00:12:19.77
So Luke's statement that they
made the harbor at Fair Havens
00:12:19.80\00:12:23.00
only with difficulty
also fits into this evidence.
00:12:23.04\00:12:27.24
A sailing ship working its
way westward against a northwest
00:12:27.28\00:12:30.51
wind, even under the
shelter of Crete, would have had
00:12:30.55\00:12:33.82
problems reaching Fair Havens.
00:12:33.88\00:12:35.35
Now to me - I hope
it's not too boring to you,
00:12:35.38\00:12:38.09
but we're substantiating
what Paul has said...
00:12:38.12\00:12:40.76
what Luke has said
actually about this trip.
00:12:40.82\00:12:43.49
Now Luke 27:10...
Paul warned them not to go
00:12:43.53\00:12:47.00
to Phoenix because he told
them there would be much damage
00:12:47.03\00:12:49.33
to the ship and their
lives and the centurion believed
00:12:49.36\00:12:52.57
the master of the ship,
which you can understand that
00:12:52.60\00:12:55.30
since Paul wasn't a seaman.
00:12:55.34\00:12:57.71
But now, so we're going to talk
about sailing in a minute here
00:12:57.74\00:13:01.18
to Phoenix - it was past
the Jewish Day of Atonement
00:13:01.21\00:13:03.95
mid October when the
wind finally changed.
00:13:03.98\00:13:06.55
A fair wind from the south
began to blow and the captain
00:13:06.58\00:13:09.62
decided to make for a
better harbor at Phoenix
00:13:09.65\00:13:12.55
on the western end of Crete.
00:13:12.59\00:13:14.16
Because of the
lateness of the season,
00:13:14.19\00:13:17.36
his decision was
somewhat controversial.
00:13:17.43\00:13:20.10
During the winter
months, no ship sailed on the
00:13:20.13\00:13:22.30
Mediterranean - as Luke
records they could either
00:13:22.33\00:13:25.13
winter at Fair Havens or
use the temporary southern wind
00:13:25.17\00:13:29.04
to make for
Phoenix, so what did they do?
00:13:29.07\00:13:31.37
Luke maintains that
Fair Havens was not a good
00:13:31.41\00:13:33.84
winter harbor and that
the captain and the sailors
00:13:33.88\00:13:36.71
wanted to try for Phoenix.
00:13:36.75\00:13:38.08
The argument against
sailing for Phoenix was the
00:13:38.11\00:13:40.58
lateness of the season
with the real possibility of
00:13:40.62\00:13:45.02
sudden and
adverse wind that could
00:13:45.05\00:13:48.59
literally cause a shipwreck.
00:13:48.62\00:13:49.99
Now we're going to go quickly,
00:13:50.03\00:13:51.36
I've got just a
few more minutes...
00:13:51.39\00:13:52.73
In verse 13 of Acts
27, Luke says that after
00:13:52.76\00:13:55.46
leaving Fair Havens, the
ship sailed close to shore.
00:13:55.50\00:13:58.83
Cape Matala lies 4 miles
south, get this - south by west
00:13:58.87\00:14:03.17
to Fair Havens with the
wind now coming from the south
00:14:03.20\00:14:06.14
from Cape Matala - it
was 34 miles to Phoenix
00:14:06.17\00:14:09.48
with the southern wind
now favoring their course.
00:14:09.51\00:14:12.28
They should have reached
the harbor in a few hours...
00:14:13.92\00:14:16.32
Instead, there was a
violent change in the weather;
00:14:16.35\00:14:19.12
a gale suddenly roared down
on them from Crete's 7,000 foot
00:14:19.15\00:14:23.36
tall mountains forcing them
to turn and run before the wind.
00:14:23.43\00:14:28.10
Luke records that the sailors
called this wind "Euraquilo,"
00:14:28.13\00:14:31.57
it's says an unusual
name, it has been found in one
00:14:31.60\00:14:34.50
ancient inscription
and it's a slang compound
00:14:34.54\00:14:37.07
of Greek and Latin.
00:14:37.11\00:14:38.44
The Greek "euros" means east
and Latin "aquilo" means north.
00:14:38.47\00:14:42.71
So it translates as a nor'easter
or a strong winter wind.
00:14:42.74\00:14:47.48
Meteorological evidence
reveals that a sudden change
00:14:47.52\00:14:51.42
from a mild southerly to a
violent north easterly wind
00:14:51.45\00:14:55.72
often occurs late in
the eastern Mediterranean.
00:14:55.76\00:15:00.23
So according to Luke,
they ran before the wind
00:15:00.26\00:15:02.46
to avoid capsizing;
they found temporary
00:15:02.50\00:15:04.93
shelter in the small
island of Cauda - southwest of
00:15:04.97\00:15:08.44
Cape Matala.
00:15:08.47\00:15:09.80
Now, they drift for 14
days, Mollie is going to have
00:15:09.84\00:15:13.61
a different word for
that, but they call it drifting
00:15:13.68\00:15:15.71
for 14 days and so then
they end up in a shipwreck
00:15:15.74\00:15:19.85
and so what we're doing
is just setting up the stage
00:15:19.88\00:15:23.72
and so, hopefully, on
the map again as I mentioned,
00:15:23.79\00:15:25.99
I'm not like Jill, so I
have to give you the map
00:15:26.02\00:15:29.16
and let you follow,
but what we're finding out
00:15:29.19\00:15:31.36
historically that
it's been proven that
00:15:31.39\00:15:34.83
Luke's account of this story,
even though he's not a seaman,
00:15:34.83\00:15:39.53
is very accurate, according
to the seamen of our days
00:15:39.57\00:15:42.94
because you know what...
if they did what he said,
00:15:42.97\00:15:45.41
this is exactly what
would have happened and they
00:15:45.44\00:15:48.21
probably would have
ended up where Mollie
00:15:48.24\00:15:50.11
is going to take
us to the shipwreck.
00:15:50.15\00:15:51.75
Okay, what a wonderful
foundation you've laid here.
00:15:51.78\00:15:55.02
You know, Danny used
the word "drift" and I take
00:15:55.05\00:15:57.25
objection to that
word... I knew you would!
00:15:57.29\00:16:00.32
Because when you think
of "drifting," you think of
00:16:00.39\00:16:03.26
drifting along... they
weren't drifting along.
00:16:03.29\00:16:05.69
They were being
driven by the wind. Okay
00:16:05.73\00:16:08.70
At one point it says,
"They just left the ship
00:16:08.73\00:16:11.90
drive" because there was
nothing they could do about it.
00:16:11.93\00:16:14.44
Well I want to look at
this from maybe a little bit
00:16:14.47\00:16:17.54
different perspective.
00:16:17.61\00:16:18.94
I want to look at prophetic
interventions that Paul
00:16:18.97\00:16:22.61
brought to bear and
we're going to see some
00:16:22.64\00:16:25.31
were unheeded - the
first one was unheeded,
00:16:25.35\00:16:28.35
but at some point,
you know what they started
00:16:28.38\00:16:30.69
doing? They
started listening to Paul.
00:16:30.72\00:16:32.72
So I want to lay
this very quickly.
00:16:32.75\00:16:34.52
Let's look at Acts 27,
we'll be in 27 now for this
00:16:34.56\00:16:40.00
portion for Monday - Monday
we look at "The Shipwreck,"
00:16:40.03\00:16:43.33
and we're going to start
in verse 9 and go through 12.
00:16:43.37\00:16:46.50
"Now when much time had
been spent and sailing was now
00:16:46.53\00:16:50.21
dangerous as Danny
so firmly established,
00:16:50.27\00:16:53.74
because the Fast was
already over, Paul advised them
00:16:53.78\00:16:58.15
saying, "Men, I perceive
that this voyage will end with
00:16:58.18\00:17:01.18
disaster and much loss,
not only of the cargo and ship,
00:17:01.22\00:17:05.45
but also our lives.
00:17:05.49\00:17:07.22
Nevertheless, the centurion
was more persuaded by the
00:17:07.29\00:17:10.76
helmsman and the owner
of the ship - than by the
00:17:10.79\00:17:13.19
things spoken by Paul and
because the harbor was not
00:17:13.23\00:17:16.97
suitable to winter in...
look at these next 3 words...
00:17:17.00\00:17:21.54
"The majority advised..."
00:17:21.57\00:17:23.17
Do you know what
the King James says?
00:17:23.20\00:17:24.91
"The more part advised..."
00:17:24.94\00:17:26.98
Do you know what
that means Danny?
00:17:27.01\00:17:28.51
They took a vote -
that's what they did and the
00:17:28.54\00:17:31.78
majority said,
"Let's go forward."
00:17:31.81\00:17:34.22
The more part
advised, the majority advised
00:17:34.25\00:17:36.58
to set sail from there also.
00:17:36.62\00:17:39.62
If by any means they
could reach Phoenix or
00:17:39.65\00:17:42.39
harbor of Crete upon
opening toward the southwest
00:17:42.42\00:17:45.46
and northwest and winter there.
00:17:45.49\00:17:48.40
In the beginning of the journey,
00:17:48.43\00:17:50.23
the centurion, Julius, treated
Paul well, but had no reason
00:17:50.27\00:17:56.04
to trust his nautical judgment.
00:17:56.07\00:17:59.57
After two weeks,
things changed - because for
00:17:59.61\00:18:04.31
two weeks they were drifting,
they were driving in the wind.
00:18:04.35\00:18:08.65
Now Paul had already
gained the centurion's respect
00:18:09.45\00:18:13.52
with his prophetic intervention
about the shipwreck.
00:18:13.59\00:18:16.89
What happened to that ship?
00:18:17.79\00:18:19.79
Was it exactly
what Paul told them
00:18:19.83\00:18:21.73
that it was going to happen?
00:18:21.76\00:18:23.30
So Paul's first prophetic
intervention - was it heeded?
00:18:23.37\00:18:27.44
No, it wasn't heeded - they
rejected the word of the Lord.
00:18:27.47\00:18:31.51
They listened to a
vote taken by the people.
00:18:31.54\00:18:36.01
Oh, that ought to
tell us something, okay.
00:18:36.04\00:18:38.28
Now Paul has a second prophetic
intervention and that's
00:18:38.31\00:18:42.25
Acts 27:21-26...
"But after long abstinence
00:18:42.28\00:18:47.72
from food..." (now what's
happening in the meantime?
00:18:47.76\00:18:50.53
... and the word that I
remember is "Euroclydon"
00:18:50.56\00:18:54.83
which is a huge storm -
is that not the correct word?
00:18:54.86\00:18:57.83
A huge storm raging at sea.
00:18:57.87\00:19:02.10
Paul stood in the midst of
them and said, "Men, you should
00:19:02.14\00:19:05.51
have listened to me and
not have sailed from Crete."
00:19:05.54\00:19:09.08
(he said, "I told you so)
and incurred this disaster
00:19:09.11\00:19:12.68
and loss and now I urge you
to take heart for there will be
00:19:12.71\00:19:17.45
no loss of life among
you, but only the ship."
00:19:17.52\00:19:20.09
Now what he's saying is,
"None of you men are going
00:19:20.12\00:19:22.02
to die, but this
ship is going to be lost."
00:19:22.06\00:19:25.19
Verse 23... "For
there stood by me this
00:19:25.23\00:19:28.90
night an angel of God to
whom I belong and whom I serve,
00:19:28.93\00:19:32.80
saying, "Do not be afraid
Paul, you must be brought before
00:19:32.83\00:19:36.71
Caesar; and indeed God
has granted you all those who
00:19:36.74\00:19:40.81
sail with you.
Therefore take heart, men,
00:19:40.88\00:19:43.78
(Paul tells them)
for I believe God that it
00:19:43.85\00:19:46.82
will be just as it was told me.
00:19:46.85\00:19:49.22
However, we must run
aground on a certain island."
00:19:49.25\00:19:53.66
Now the first time Paul
had a prophetic word for them,
00:19:53.69\00:19:57.63
he said, "Men I perceive,"
now that isn't nearly as strong,
00:19:57.66\00:20:04.07
in my thinking, as "An
angel of the Lord stood by me
00:20:04.13\00:20:07.40
and told me."
Right. That's right!
00:20:07.44\00:20:09.34
Although that perception
was accurate perception,
00:20:09.37\00:20:12.41
this time he said, "An
angel of the Lord stood by me."
00:20:12.44\00:20:16.58
And what we see here
is, "The men heeded,"
00:20:17.65\00:20:21.45
they listened to
this one, didn't they?
00:20:21.48\00:20:23.12
Alright, Acts 27:27...
00:20:23.15\00:20:25.69
"Now when the 14th night
had come, (how long had they
00:20:25.72\00:20:28.56
been drifting on the
sea... being in this horrendous
00:20:28.59\00:20:32.89
storm at sea?)
"Fourteen nights had come
00:20:32.93\00:20:36.73
as we were driven up and
down in the Adriatic Sea,
00:20:36.80\00:20:40.60
about midnight, the
sailors sensed that they
00:20:40.67\00:20:43.84
were drawing near to some land."
00:20:43.87\00:20:45.37
Now this is
midnight, pitch black, on a sea
00:20:45.41\00:20:48.44
that's in total turmoil,
but the sailors perceived
00:20:48.48\00:20:51.85
that they were
drawing near land."
00:20:51.88\00:20:53.21
How could that be?
They were probably hearing
00:20:53.25\00:20:55.95
the waves
crashing against the rocks.
00:20:55.98\00:20:58.49
Now that would give you
a good sense of security...
00:20:58.52\00:21:01.52
in a ship, and you're sensing...
in a storm and you're getting...
00:21:01.56\00:21:07.40
They started taking soundings
and knew that they were
00:21:07.40\00:21:10.53
nearing land; however,
the storm was still raging.
00:21:10.57\00:21:14.10
Now verses 30-38...
"And the sailors were seeking
00:21:14.14\00:21:18.17
to escape... (well
yeah - they thought
00:21:18.21\00:21:20.28
the ship was going to
drive into the rocks any minute)
00:21:20.34\00:21:22.88
...from the ship, when
they had let down the skiff
00:21:22.91\00:21:25.85
into the sea, under
the pretense of putting out
00:21:25.88\00:21:28.38
anchors from the prow."
00:21:28.42\00:21:29.75
Now what were they doing?
00:21:29.78\00:21:31.12
They took the boat,
like the lifeboat and they
00:21:31.15\00:21:36.06
were going to drop it
down and they were going to
00:21:36.09\00:21:38.89
get in it and escape -
while they were pretending to
00:21:38.93\00:21:42.96
be doing
putting the anchor down.
00:21:43.00\00:21:44.73
Now Paul speaks
up the third time...
00:21:44.77\00:21:47.47
And that's in verse 31...
"Paul said to the centurion
00:21:47.50\00:21:51.31
and the soldiers, "Unless
these men stay in the ship,
00:21:51.34\00:21:54.94
they cannot be saved."
00:21:54.98\00:21:58.41
And you know what they did?
00:21:58.45\00:21:59.78
They let that lifeboat go.
00:21:59.81\00:22:02.45
Listen to this, verse
32... "Then the soldiers
00:22:02.48\00:22:05.42
cut away the ropes of the
skiff and let it fall off."
00:22:05.45\00:22:08.36
(They listened to Paul.
00:22:08.39\00:22:10.03
Paul said, "You get in
that boat - you're not going to
00:22:10.06\00:22:12.76
make it - you stay with the
ship and you're going to live.)
00:22:12.79\00:22:16.46
And as day was about to dawn,
Paul implored them all to take
00:22:16.50\00:22:22.07
food saying, "Today is
the fourteenth day you have
00:22:22.10\00:22:25.37
waited and continued
without food and eaten nothing.
00:22:25.41\00:22:29.14
Therefore I urge
you to take nourishment
00:22:29.18\00:22:32.21
for this is for your survival."
00:22:32.25\00:22:34.12
Paul knew what was ahead
of them, he knew that the
00:22:34.18\00:22:38.35
ship was going to
run aground and he knew
00:22:38.39\00:22:42.59
that these soldiers were
going to have to swim to shore,
00:22:42.62\00:22:46.23
so they hadn't eaten in
14 days, so they had to have
00:22:46.26\00:22:49.56
nourishment to
give them strength,
00:22:49.60\00:22:51.50
it was for their survival.
00:22:51.53\00:22:53.10
He goes on to say, "since not
a hair will fall from the head
00:22:53.13\00:22:57.44
of any one of you."
00:22:57.47\00:22:58.81
And when he had said
these things, he took bread
00:22:58.84\00:23:01.18
and gave thanks to God and
in the presence of them all
00:23:01.21\00:23:03.85
and when he had broken
bread, he began to eat.
00:23:03.88\00:23:06.01
Then they were all encouraged,
00:23:06.05\00:23:08.08
and also took
food for themselves.
00:23:08.12\00:23:10.32
And in all we were (as
we said earlier 276 people).
00:23:10.39\00:23:15.09
So when they had
eaten enough, they lightened
00:23:15.12\00:23:17.99
the ship... (once again,
they had already thrown off
00:23:18.03\00:23:20.20
all of the strappings of
the ship - what they did this
00:23:20.23\00:23:24.37
time was they threw off
the cargo. Remember this was
00:23:24.40\00:23:27.44
a grain ship) "It
says they threw out
00:23:27.50\00:23:30.17
the wheat into the sea."
00:23:30.21\00:23:31.61
Now let's look at the
shipwreck itself. Verse 39...
00:23:31.64\00:23:35.88
"When it was day, they
did not recognize the land,
00:23:35.91\00:23:39.01
but they observed a bay
with a beach, onto which
00:23:39.05\00:23:42.22
they planned to run
the ship if possible.
00:23:42.25\00:23:44.65
And they let go of the anchors
and left them in the sea,
00:23:44.69\00:23:47.42
meanwhile, losing the
rudder ropes; and they hoisted
00:23:47.46\00:23:49.79
the mainsail to the
wind and made for shore.
00:23:49.82\00:23:52.36
But striking a place where
two seas met, they ran the ship
00:23:52.39\00:23:56.43
aground (just like Paul
said they would) and the prow
00:23:56.46\00:23:59.10
stuck fast and remained
immovable, but the stern
00:23:59.13\00:24:04.04
was being broken up by
the violence of the waves.
00:24:04.11\00:24:06.78
And the soldiers' plan
was to kill the prisoners,
00:24:06.81\00:24:10.25
lest any of them
should swim away and escape.
00:24:10.28\00:24:13.55
But the centurion (thank
God for Julius) wanting Paul
00:24:13.62\00:24:19.99
to be saved, kept them
from their purpose and commanded
00:24:20.06\00:24:23.29
that those who could
swim (remember why Paul
00:24:23.32\00:24:25.86
had them eat - so they would
have strength to swim to jump
00:24:25.89\00:24:29.23
overboard first and
get to land) and the rest,
00:24:29.26\00:24:32.57
some on boards and
some on parts of the ship.
00:24:32.60\00:24:35.54
And so it was
that they all did what?
00:24:35.57\00:24:38.67
safely escaped to land.
00:24:38.71\00:24:40.94
Just like the word of the
Lord came to Paul and Paul
00:24:40.98\00:24:44.61
spoke it to those on the ship.
00:24:44.65\00:24:46.88
Now just as Paul had told
them the ship and all the cargo
00:24:46.92\00:24:51.92
were lost, but not a soul
was lost - the ship went down
00:24:51.95\00:24:56.29
and I think of this...
00:24:56.32\00:24:59.76
We all go through raging storms,
00:24:59.79\00:25:02.00
any of you ever been
through a raging storm?
00:25:02.03\00:25:04.37
We all go through
raging storms in our life,
00:25:04.40\00:25:07.70
and just like Paul, as
long as we have the Lord
00:25:07.74\00:25:11.04
with us, we will get
to the other side. Amen!
00:25:11.07\00:25:14.44
The ship might go down,
but God will be with us.
00:25:14.48\00:25:17.55
God doesn't always
deliver us from the storm,
00:25:17.58\00:25:20.72
but we can rest in
this assurance - He always
00:25:20.75\00:25:23.79
goes through those
storms with us. Amen! Amen!
00:25:23.82\00:25:27.26
Thank you Mollie!
00:25:27.29\00:25:28.66
Well I have Tuesday's lesson,
Paul's ministry on Malta,
00:25:28.69\00:25:35.06
and it's taken from Acts
28, and I'm going to start with
00:25:35.10\00:25:41.57
the first verse and kind
of go through these 10 verses
00:25:41.60\00:25:45.37
and talk about what
was going on with Paul.
00:25:45.41\00:25:48.91
So it says here in
verse 1 of chapter 28...
00:25:48.94\00:25:53.18
"Now when they had
escaped, they then found out
00:25:53.21\00:25:56.08
that the island
was called "Malta."
00:25:56.12\00:25:58.69
Prior to their escape,
they didn't know where they were
00:25:58.72\00:26:02.79
because they watched the
sky, they watched the stars,
00:26:02.82\00:26:07.83
and they got a lot of
their nautical information
00:26:07.86\00:26:12.20
basically from the sky.
00:26:12.23\00:26:13.57
Well the sky was all dark,
00:26:13.64\00:26:15.40
so they didn't
know where they were.
00:26:15.44\00:26:17.01
They found out once
they landed on Malta...
00:26:17.04\00:26:20.11
And it's interesting to me that
Paul had said that they were
00:26:20.18\00:26:24.08
going to be on a certain island,
00:26:24.15\00:26:26.08
so if you go back to chapter
27, and verse 26, he said,
00:26:26.11\00:26:31.32
"However, we must run
aground on a certain island."
00:26:31.35\00:26:34.99
This is part of that
prophetic movement that Paul
00:26:35.02\00:26:39.76
has his impetus here from
God saying that they were going
00:26:39.79\00:26:45.70
to be on a certain island.
00:26:45.73\00:26:48.64
And so, in verse 2 it
says... "And the natives showed
00:26:48.67\00:26:53.14
us unusual kindness; for
they kindled a fire and made
00:26:53.17\00:26:57.88
us all welcome, because
of the rain that was falling
00:26:57.91\00:27:01.22
and because of the cold."
00:27:01.25\00:27:03.65
Now the New King James Version
says - uses the word "natives,"
00:27:03.72\00:27:08.22
but the original Greek
says, "barbaros" from which
00:27:08.26\00:27:11.56
we get "barbarians,"
but these people weren't
00:27:11.59\00:27:14.36
barbarians, they were
foreigners - they were people
00:27:14.40\00:27:16.80
with whom communication
was not that easy because
00:27:16.87\00:27:21.04
they spoke another language.
00:27:21.07\00:27:23.94
So it's interesting that Paul
00:27:24.01\00:27:26.31
and Luke were able to
communicate with them.
00:27:26.34\00:27:28.14
We don't know whether
that was because of God's gift
00:27:28.18\00:27:32.85
to them that they could
communicate or if somebody
00:27:32.88\00:27:35.92
was there interpreting,
but we know that they were
00:27:35.95\00:27:39.05
able to communicate with them.
00:27:39.09\00:27:41.12
So these people showed kindness,
some of these were prisoners
00:27:41.16\00:27:48.26
that had landed on their
shores and yet the natives
00:27:48.30\00:27:52.13
there showed them kindness
and kindled the fire for them.
00:27:52.17\00:27:56.24
So that was really an amazing
thing because some of these
00:27:56.27\00:28:01.98
folks were
prisoners, they didn't know how
00:28:02.01\00:28:03.38
dangerous they were
going to be or whatever.
00:28:03.41\00:28:05.78
But they kindled a fire
for them and these people
00:28:05.81\00:28:09.88
they had been
threatened with drowning;
00:28:11.02\00:28:13.49
they had swam from
the ship to the shore,
00:28:13.52\00:28:18.23
so they were all bedraggled
and just weak probably
00:28:18.26\00:28:24.27
and tired, overwhelmed from the
14 days of being on the ship.
00:28:24.30\00:28:29.04
So Paul in verse 3, it
says... "But when Paul had
00:28:29.07\00:28:34.18
gathered a bundle of sticks
and laid them on the fire,
00:28:34.21\00:28:37.18
(now notice the
natives kindled the fire,
00:28:37.25\00:28:41.18
but Paul wasn't just
letting them do everything,
00:28:41.22\00:28:45.05
Paul was a servant -
Paul had a servant's heart,
00:28:45.09\00:28:48.09
so he was taking
sticks as well to the fire)
00:28:48.12\00:28:52.56
And he had gathered a bundle
of sticks and laid them on the
00:28:52.59\00:28:55.60
fire and when he did
that, a viper came out
00:28:55.63\00:28:58.90
because of the heat
and fastened on his hand.
00:28:58.93\00:29:02.27
A viper is like a
rattlesnake or a copperhead.
00:29:02.30\00:29:06.47
It fastened on his
hand, so when the natives
00:29:06.51\00:29:09.18
saw (verse 4) the
creature hanging from his hand,
00:29:09.21\00:29:12.98
they said to one another,
"No doubt, this man is a
00:29:13.01\00:29:15.92
murderer, whom, though
he has escaped the sea,
00:29:15.95\00:29:19.15
yet justice does
not allow to live."
00:29:19.19\00:29:21.42
In other words, "This
guy did something really bad,
00:29:21.46\00:29:24.26
because he didn't
drown, but justice is making
00:29:24.29\00:29:27.13
sure that
something happens to him."
00:29:27.13\00:29:29.13
Well justice actually was
the personification of one of
00:29:29.16\00:29:35.07
their gods - the Maltese
people worshiped goddesses.
00:29:35.10\00:29:39.24
They were into goddess
worship, and the justice
00:29:39.27\00:29:43.78
that they're saying was
not allowing him to live,
00:29:43.85\00:29:46.28
they might have
been referring to "Dike,"
00:29:46.31\00:29:48.75
who, in their mythology,
was the daughter of Jupiter,
00:29:48.78\00:29:54.29
and she was the
goddess of justice.
00:29:54.32\00:29:56.46
So here, they are
applying their own mythology
00:29:56.49\00:29:59.46
to what Paul did.
00:29:59.49\00:30:01.10
"But Paul shook off
the creature into the fire
00:30:01.13\00:30:05.50
and suffered no harm."
00:30:05.53\00:30:07.40
And then this kind of
goes along with Mark 16:17-18
00:30:07.44\00:30:13.01
where Jesus said, "And
these signs will follow those
00:30:13.04\00:30:16.51
who believe; in My name
they will cast out demons;
00:30:16.54\00:30:19.68
they will speak
with new tongues;
00:30:19.71\00:30:21.35
they will take up serpents
and if they drink anything
00:30:21.38\00:30:24.95
deadly, it will by
no means hurt them;
00:30:24.99\00:30:27.32
they will lay hands on the
sick and they will recover."
00:30:27.36\00:30:30.49
And this is what happened
to Paul - this snake jumped
00:30:30.53\00:30:34.23
on him and there
were no symptoms.
00:30:34.30\00:30:39.27
What could some of
the symptoms be if you get
00:30:39.30\00:30:42.80
bitten by a viper?
00:30:42.84\00:30:44.17
#1... Bruising of skin.
00:30:44.24\00:30:46.71
#2... Severe
immediate pain and swelling.
00:30:46.74\00:30:50.18
#3... Changes in heart rhythm.
00:30:50.21\00:30:52.78
#4... Signs of
shock and even death.
00:30:52.81\00:30:55.78
So nothing happened to Paul.
00:30:55.82\00:30:59.55
When he got bitten by
that snake, I guess it hurt,
00:30:59.59\00:31:03.12
but he shook it off
and there were no symptoms.
00:31:03.16\00:31:07.00
Verse 6...
"However they were expecting
00:31:07.03\00:31:10.63
that he would swell up
or suddenly fall down dead.
00:31:10.67\00:31:13.70
But after they had looked
for a long time and saw no
00:31:13.74\00:31:16.67
harm come to him,
they changed their minds
00:31:16.71\00:31:19.37
and said that he was a god."
00:31:19.41\00:31:21.18
Now this must have
been like deją vu for Paul
00:31:21.21\00:31:24.48
because in Lystra,
the people there also
00:31:24.51\00:31:29.28
kind of thought that
he and Barnabas were gods,
00:31:29.32\00:31:32.49
and so he had to let them
know there that he wasn't.
00:31:32.52\00:31:37.53
In verse 7 it says...
"In that region, there was
00:31:37.59\00:31:40.66
an estate of the
leading citizen of the island
00:31:40.70\00:31:43.40
whose name was
Publius who received us and
00:31:43.43\00:31:47.57
entertained us
courteously for three days."
00:31:47.60\00:31:50.47
Now, we know that there
were 276 people who were on that
00:31:50.54\00:31:55.24
ship - we don't know
whether the "us" that Luke is
00:31:55.28\00:31:58.41
referring to would be
all the people on the ship
00:31:58.45\00:32:02.45
or just Luke and
Aristarchus and Paul.
00:32:02.48\00:32:05.49
We do know that
Publius whose name means
00:32:05.52\00:32:08.46
"popular," he was a very
kind man, he was hospitable
00:32:08.49\00:32:13.93
and he hosted
them for three days.
00:32:14.00\00:32:17.43
So they stayed with
them for three days and while
00:32:17.47\00:32:19.27
they were there,
Publius' dad was very sick.
00:32:19.30\00:32:22.80
He had dysentery and fever.
00:32:22.84\00:32:25.11
And so Paul prayed for
him, he laid hands on him.
00:32:25.14\00:32:31.91
Verse 8 says... "Paul
went in to him and prayed,
00:32:31.95\00:32:34.78
and he laid his hands
on him and healed him."
00:32:34.82\00:32:37.59
And in James 5:14-15, we see
that that is what we should do.
00:32:37.62\00:32:44.46
In James 5:14-15, it
says... "If anyone among you
00:32:44.49\00:32:48.60
is sick, let him call
for the elders of the church
00:32:48.63\00:32:51.03
and let them pray over
him, anointing him with oil
00:32:51.07\00:32:54.10
in the name of the Lord.
00:32:54.17\00:32:55.50
And the prayer of
faith will save the sick,
00:32:55.54\00:32:57.77
and the Lord will raise him up.
00:32:57.81\00:32:59.67
And if he has committed
sins, he will be forgiven."
00:32:59.71\00:33:03.24
So, Paul laid hands on Publius'
father and he was healed.
00:33:03.28\00:33:08.55
Now this is a small island
and so word gets around fast.
00:33:08.58\00:33:12.39
So once they found out
that Publius' father was healed,
00:33:12.42\00:33:17.46
then all these
people came with their sick,
00:33:17.53\00:33:20.96
and it says in verse
9... "The rest of those on the
00:33:21.00\00:33:24.60
island who had diseases,
also came and were healed."
00:33:24.63\00:33:29.04
Now, Luke was a
physician, but he doesn't say
00:33:29.07\00:33:32.24
that he was
involved in this necessarily.
00:33:32.27\00:33:34.54
But Paul who was the
prophet of God - Luke was too,
00:33:34.58\00:33:40.48
but Paul was, I
think, doing the primary one
00:33:40.52\00:33:43.85
involved in this healing
and it says here in verse 10...
00:33:43.89\00:33:47.56
"They also honored us in
many ways and when we departed,
00:33:47.62\00:33:51.09
they provided such
things as were necessary."
00:33:51.13\00:33:54.66
And Malta, it seems, is
one of the oldest Christian
00:33:54.73\00:33:59.33
communities in Europe.
00:33:59.37\00:34:02.10
After Paul left, the
people obviously had received
00:34:02.14\00:34:06.98
the Lord Jesus Christ
and so that was a place
00:34:07.01\00:34:13.42
of ministry for Paul.
00:34:13.45\00:34:16.72
There are a few take-aways
that I have from this...
00:34:16.79\00:34:19.79
First of all,
sometimes our plans
00:34:19.82\00:34:23.19
and God's plans don't match up.
00:34:23.22\00:34:25.29
So God knows what's
going to happen - we don't,
00:34:25.33\00:34:29.16
and we all, as my
Sister Mollie said, we all have
00:34:29.20\00:34:33.07
shipwrecks in our lives.
00:34:33.10\00:34:35.27
We all have a "Malta" experience
where something unexpected
00:34:35.30\00:34:40.78
happens and we have to
know that God is in control
00:34:40.84\00:34:44.41
that God will bring us through.
00:34:44.45\00:34:45.95
And then, we need to
stay centered in God.
00:34:45.98\00:34:49.45
People are fickle; on
one hand, you know the people
00:34:49.48\00:34:52.89
were saying... "Oh he
has to be a murderer,"
00:34:52.92\00:34:55.66
and then the other...
they made Paul a hero.
00:34:55.69\00:34:58.13
So we have to... don't
worry about what other people
00:34:58.16\00:35:00.96
are saying - you stay centered
and focused on God. Amen!
00:35:00.96\00:35:05.33
And then God can use YOUR
shipwreck to bless others.
00:35:05.37\00:35:10.44
So no matter what
you're going through,
00:35:10.51\00:35:12.61
you can build a
testimony and share how God
00:35:12.64\00:35:17.45
has brought you through your
own personal Malta experience.
00:35:17.48\00:35:22.18
AMEN! Very good and I'm
so glad you had that lesson
00:35:22.22\00:35:25.19
and not me - talking
about the snake being
00:35:25.22\00:35:28.22
fastened on to
him, it was... oh.
00:35:28.26\00:35:30.93
Oh I'm sorry
Shelley, I forgot one!
00:35:30.96\00:35:33.90
If you have a bad
experience, shake it off!
00:35:33.93\00:35:38.73
My lesson is
Wednesday's and it's called,
00:35:39.83\00:35:43.07
"Paul in Rome Finally"
00:35:43.10\00:35:45.61
So after three months on Malta,
00:35:45.64\00:35:47.44
they spent a full
three months there,
00:35:47.48\00:35:48.88
Paul and his companions
finally continued their journey,
00:35:48.91\00:35:53.48
they arrived at Puteoli
and this is where they would
00:35:53.52\00:35:57.69
travel to Rome by road.
00:35:57.72\00:35:59.59
So Paul had visited with
those brothers in Puteoli
00:35:59.62\00:36:04.56
for a full week, so no doubt,
I believe they are the ones
00:36:04.59\00:36:09.33
who sent ahead a little
note ahead to Rome saying,
00:36:09.36\00:36:13.74
"He's here," you know,
so Acts 28:15, it says...
00:36:13.77\00:36:18.04
"And from there (from
Puteoli) when the brethren
00:36:18.07\00:36:20.98
heard about us, they
came (these are the brethren
00:36:21.01\00:36:24.68
in Rome), they came
to meet us as far as
00:36:24.71\00:36:28.68
Appii Forum and Three
Inns and when Paul saw them,
00:36:28.72\00:36:32.95
he thanked God
and took courage."
00:36:32.99\00:36:36.29
Now first of all,
these were probably people
00:36:36.32\00:36:39.39
of the home
churches, I would imagine.
00:36:39.43\00:36:41.73
Paul had lots of
friends though, in Rome,
00:36:41.76\00:36:44.03
even though he
had never been there,
00:36:44.07\00:36:45.53
but the Three Inns was
33 miles from Rome and then
00:36:45.57\00:36:51.91
the Market of Appii was 43
miles, so it could have been
00:36:51.94\00:36:55.78
two different
groups that came out.
00:36:55.81\00:36:57.61
But the interesting thing
is that all of these people
00:36:57.65\00:37:02.48
were excited... Paul had
written to them several years
00:37:02.52\00:37:06.45
earlier saying of his
intentions to come to Rome.
00:37:06.49\00:37:09.69
Nobody expected him
to show up in the manner
00:37:09.72\00:37:13.06
in which he did - in
chains, chained to a soldier.
00:37:13.09\00:37:17.17
But Paul probably was
feeling a little apprehensive
00:37:17.20\00:37:22.10
... "Are the brethren going
to be ashamed of me because
00:37:22.14\00:37:24.97
here I am showing up in chains,"
and they walked all these
00:37:25.01\00:37:29.44
distances to meet him
and it says that as these
00:37:29.48\00:37:35.25
faithful brethren came on to
cheer him on and welcome him,
00:37:35.28\00:37:39.25
he thanked God and took courage.
00:37:39.29\00:37:42.52
So verse 16... "Now
when we came to Rome,
00:37:42.56\00:37:45.66
the centurion delivered
the prisoners to the captain
00:37:45.69\00:37:48.50
of the guard, but
Paul was permitted to
00:37:48.53\00:37:51.33
dwell by himself with
the soldier who guarded him."
00:37:51.37\00:37:57.07
Obviously since he did
not have to go into a prison,
00:37:59.67\00:38:04.08
he got to have his
own private dwelling.
00:38:04.11\00:38:07.78
When Festus wrote his
official report to Caesar,
00:38:07.82\00:38:12.59
he probably said, "according
to Roman law, this guy
00:38:12.62\00:38:15.56
has not done
anything, he's not guilty of any
00:38:15.59\00:38:18.29
significant crime, this is
just some religious matter,"
00:38:18.33\00:38:23.67
so instead of being
sent to the regular prison,
00:38:23.70\00:38:27.44
he's allowed to have
his own house and this is
00:38:27.47\00:38:32.01
really cool... BUT,
it wasn't as much freedom
00:38:32.04\00:38:35.58
as you and I might think.
00:38:35.61\00:38:37.25
According to Roman
custom, he would be chained
00:38:37.28\00:38:39.88
to a soldier 24/7...
unless they gave him a little
00:38:39.91\00:38:44.65
break in the
evening, we don't know,
00:38:44.69\00:38:46.09
I mean, to sleep.
00:38:46.12\00:38:47.46
But, now let me tell
you, that was such a bad...
00:38:47.49\00:38:51.93
as they chained him, the
soldiers were changed out
00:38:51.96\00:38:55.26
every 3 hours, but Paul
would have been in those chains
00:38:55.30\00:38:59.90
constantly.
00:38:59.93\00:39:01.34
So it says in Acts
28:17... "And it came to pass,
00:39:01.37\00:39:06.57
after three days (so he's
got to his new little place,
00:39:06.61\00:39:10.18
he's getting settled in,
maybe he got to see some of
00:39:10.21\00:39:13.25
his friends and everything)
Paul called the leaders
00:39:13.28\00:39:16.42
of the Jews together.
00:39:16.45\00:39:18.42
You know, as his practice
was, he always ministered to the
00:39:18.45\00:39:24.29
Jews first and the thought that
occurred to me is - he couldn't
00:39:24.36\00:39:27.50
go to the synagogue, but
the synagogue could come to him.
00:39:27.56\00:39:30.87
So he says, "Men and
brethren, though I've done
00:39:31.77\00:39:34.84
nothing against our people
or the customs of our fathers,
00:39:34.87\00:39:38.27
yet I was delivered as
a prisoner to Jerusalem
00:39:38.31\00:39:42.14
into the hands of the Romans,
who, when they had examined
00:39:42.18\00:39:46.08
me, wanted to let me go
because there was no cause
00:39:46.11\00:39:49.15
for putting me to death.
00:39:49.18\00:39:50.59
But when the Jews spoke
against it, I was compelled
00:39:50.62\00:39:55.52
to appeal to Caesar,
not that I had done anything
00:39:55.56\00:39:59.03
of which to accuse my nation.
(and I think what he's saying
00:39:59.06\00:40:02.03
there is, you know, by appealing
to Caesar, they could have
00:40:02.06\00:40:05.73
thought that - you know,
those Jews maybe thought that
00:40:05.77\00:40:09.60
he was appealing against
the Jews when it was just
00:40:09.64\00:40:15.48
in the opposite, he
was appealing against the
00:40:15.51\00:40:18.25
Roman courts to which
the Jews had delivered him,
00:40:18.28\00:40:21.88
but because of their protest,
he hadn't been acquitted, right?
00:40:21.92\00:40:27.56
Because we know that both
Felix and Festus would have
00:40:27.62\00:40:30.13
released him if it
hadn't been for them) Right.
00:40:30.19\00:40:32.13
But he says, "For this reason
therefore I have called for you
00:40:32.16\00:40:36.10
to see you and speak with
you because (watch these words)
00:40:36.13\00:40:42.24
for the hope of Israel, I
am bound." (and we'll come
00:40:42.27\00:40:48.34
back to that in a minute)
00:40:48.38\00:40:49.71
So here, he gets settled
in, he brings the local Jewish
00:40:49.74\00:40:54.75
leaders before him to explain
his innocence and what he's
00:40:54.78\00:40:58.79
doing is - he's trying to
create an atmosphere of trust
00:40:58.82\00:41:02.72
because Paul wants to make
sure that these people know
00:41:02.76\00:41:07.60
he is a
trustworthy person because
00:41:07.60\00:41:10.43
he wants to preach the
gospel and the hope of Israel,
00:41:10.47\00:41:14.94
the coming of the Messiah and
00:41:14.97\00:41:20.48
how Jesus'
resurrection was the fulfillment
00:41:22.44\00:41:24.98
of Israel's ancestral hope.
00:41:25.01\00:41:27.85
So now verse 21...
"Then they said to him,
00:41:27.88\00:41:31.22
"We neither received letters
from Judea concerning you,
00:41:31.25\00:41:35.39
nor have any of the
brethren who came reported
00:41:35.42\00:41:39.96
or spoken anything evil
of you." (they're surprised,
00:41:40.00\00:41:43.60
and he was surprised)
00:41:43.63\00:41:45.97
You know, he'd been in Malta
for three months - shipwrecked.
00:41:46.00\00:41:51.77
There was plenty of time
for Jerusalem to send a report
00:41:51.81\00:41:55.81
down for the church
leaders, the synagogue leaders
00:41:55.84\00:41:58.31
to get that report to Rome.
00:41:58.35\00:42:00.12
They could have crawled
there in three months, you know.
00:42:00.15\00:42:02.65
But the thing is, is that
what I believe is that since
00:42:02.68\00:42:06.86
the Jewish leaders had
him, he was outside of their
00:42:06.89\00:42:10.13
jurisdiction now.
00:42:10.16\00:42:11.93
They were beginning to
lose interest in his case
00:42:11.96\00:42:14.93
because they weren't
worried about him causing
00:42:14.96\00:42:16.53
them anymore trouble and
it was kind of out of sight,
00:42:16.56\00:42:19.53
out of mind.
00:42:19.57\00:42:21.47
So but then they say,
"But we desire to hear from
00:42:21.50\00:42:27.38
you - what you think
for concerning this sect,
00:42:27.44\00:42:32.41
(speaking of The
Way that followed Jesus)
00:42:32.45\00:42:35.65
we know that it is
spoken against everywhere."
00:42:35.68\00:42:40.42
Now I want to back
up and say one thing...
00:42:40.46\00:42:42.22
The Jews had been
expelled when Claudius had made
00:42:42.26\00:42:46.39
decree 10 years earlier.
00:42:46.43\00:42:48.63
Obviously, it
was temporary because
00:42:48.66\00:42:52.80
they began
returning around AD 64.
00:42:52.83\00:42:56.57
But they felt insecure in
Rome still and that may have
00:42:56.64\00:43:03.88
explained their
lack of communication.
00:43:03.95\00:43:06.51
They weren't
reaching out to Jerusalem
00:43:06.55\00:43:08.85
to find anything out.
00:43:08.88\00:43:11.42
Now, with the Romans,
they looked at Christians
00:43:11.45\00:43:15.72
as just another Jewish
sect, but they began to feel
00:43:15.76\00:43:21.53
that Christianity was
against the Roman establishment
00:43:21.56\00:43:29.24
because Christians
believed in one God;
00:43:29.27\00:43:31.47
the Romans believed in
many gods including Caesar,
00:43:31.51\00:43:35.14
but the Christians
were committed to a
00:43:35.18\00:43:37.75
higher authority, Caesar.
00:43:37.78\00:43:39.41
So they are surprised they
had not received any information
00:43:39.45\00:43:43.75
from Jerusalem about Paul,
but they decided to hear him,
00:43:43.79\00:43:46.92
and Paul's long-term
desire to finally get to share
00:43:46.96\00:43:52.19
the gospel of God's
grace and the truth about the
00:43:52.23\00:43:55.56
resurrection of
our risen Savior.
00:43:55.60\00:43:59.23
He finally gets to do
this, he came through shipwreck,
00:43:59.27\00:44:04.57
many trials, chains, but
God worked all things together
00:44:04.61\00:44:09.98
for his good - did he not?
00:44:10.05\00:44:12.08
I mean, that's what I
love about how God works this,
00:44:12.11\00:44:15.72
and He's going to
allow him his heart's desire
00:44:15.75\00:44:20.06
to preach in Rome, not only
to the Jews but to the Gentiles.
00:44:20.09\00:44:24.96
So we know he had
many, many converts there.
00:44:24.99\00:44:27.60
And this actually, Acts
28:21... we don't see anymore
00:44:27.60\00:44:33.60
persecution of Paul
while he was in Rome.
00:44:33.64\00:44:37.17
This led inevitably to
his release from his first
00:44:37.21\00:44:42.01
imprisonment, but then I
believe Danny, it was you
00:44:42.04\00:44:44.45
that mentioned in the
open, that Paul would later
00:44:44.48\00:44:48.05
be again imprisoned in Rome
00:44:48.08\00:44:51.02
which would end
in his martyrdom,
00:44:51.05\00:44:53.76
but God works in all
things to go for good
00:44:53.82\00:44:58.13
for those who love Him and are
called according to His purpose.
00:44:58.16\00:45:01.86
For those He foreknew, He
predestined to be conformed
00:45:01.90\00:45:05.20
to the image of His Son
Jesus Christ. Amen! Amen.
00:45:05.23\00:45:08.07
He certainly did that for Paul.
00:45:08.10\00:45:09.90
So very well said.
00:45:09.94\00:45:11.61
So much here, I want to
go immediately to Acts 28,
00:45:11.64\00:45:15.74
and I'll begin
reading at verse 23...
00:45:15.78\00:45:17.68
The Bible says... "So
when they had appointed
00:45:17.71\00:45:20.52
him a day, many came to
him at his lodging, to whom he
00:45:20.55\00:45:27.09
explained and solemnly
testified of the kingdom of God,
00:45:27.16\00:45:30.73
persuading them concerning
Jesus from both the Law of Moses
00:45:30.76\00:45:35.90
and the Prophets,
from morning until evening.
00:45:35.93\00:45:39.40
A full day of
preaching, what preacher
00:45:39.43\00:45:42.54
would not love
that? All day preaching!
00:45:42.57\00:45:47.04
Ellen White says this...
"Like the stars in the vast
00:45:47.08\00:45:52.55
circuit of their appointed
path, God's purpose knows no
00:45:52.58\00:45:58.15
haste and no delay."
00:45:58.19\00:46:01.49
Paul, after the trauma and
drama of his voyage - which also
00:46:01.52\00:46:07.03
allowed him to witness, by
the way - to the power and might
00:46:07.13\00:46:08.83
of the Lord, now gets
to fulfill lifelong dream.
00:46:08.86\00:46:14.50
He gets to preach in Rome,
and as you well said, Shelley,
00:46:14.54\00:46:19.01
his practice was - when he
went to a town, was to go to
00:46:19.04\00:46:22.71
the synagogue - he
could not do that in Rome,
00:46:22.74\00:46:25.41
but he had the privilege of
the synagogue coming to him.
00:46:25.45\00:46:30.39
It does not surprise me
that he arrives in chains,
00:46:30.42\00:46:34.42
and I don't know if
the brethren were upset
00:46:34.46\00:46:36.66
because at this time
Christianity was still
00:46:36.73\00:46:39.26
religio-illicitate...
it was an illegal religion.
00:46:39.29\00:46:41.90
It was still a
house religion underground
00:46:41.93\00:46:44.33
which is why the
Book of Hebrew was written
00:46:44.37\00:46:47.00
because so many of the
Jews were thinking about
00:46:47.04\00:46:48.64
going back to Judaism
since it was a legal religion.
00:46:48.67\00:46:52.17
And, of course, the book
was written to get them to
00:46:52.21\00:46:54.61
understand that Jesus is
- can I say - the real deal,
00:46:54.64\00:46:58.41
don't go back,
keep going forward.
00:46:58.45\00:47:01.65
So now he is placed in the most
heaven blessed of situations.
00:47:01.68\00:47:05.85
He is in his own condo
for two years, you know,
00:47:05.89\00:47:09.76
he gets to stay in his
own home for two years.
00:47:09.79\00:47:12.13
He is chained, but it's
not like a little short chain.
00:47:12.16\00:47:14.30
This is a fairly lengthy chain.
00:47:14.36\00:47:15.93
He is not bound, like he's
got to move like Siamese twins.
00:47:15.96\00:47:20.54
He's got some space.
00:47:20.57\00:47:22.27
It's not the best of situations,
00:47:22.30\00:47:24.44
but it is a situation
that allows him to minister
00:47:24.47\00:47:27.58
to his guards - even to those
in the home of the emperor,
00:47:27.61\00:47:32.11
and to really let
his light shine in this
00:47:32.15\00:47:37.62
dark and foreboding situation.
00:47:37.65\00:47:40.19
You will recall that 13
weeks ago, we went to a text
00:47:40.26\00:47:45.49
Acts 1:8, do you
remember that text? Yes!
00:47:45.53\00:47:49.60
And in that text -
well let me just read it...
00:47:49.63\00:47:53.70
I've got it right
here, I will just read it.
00:47:53.74\00:47:55.54
Jesus
speaking... yes Acts 1:8...
00:48:06.55\00:48:10.32
"But you shall receive
power when the Holy Spirit
00:48:11.95\00:48:16.02
has come upon you and
you shall be witnesses
00:48:16.06\00:48:19.39
to Me in Jerusalem and
in all Judea and Samaria
00:48:19.43\00:48:24.60
and to the ends of the earth."
00:48:24.63\00:48:26.94
Everything that we have
dealt with for the past 13 weeks
00:48:26.97\00:48:32.57
has been an outgrowth
of that bequest of power.
00:48:32.61\00:48:37.68
We saw Stephen under
the power of the Lord.
00:48:37.71\00:48:40.22
We saw Peter under
the power of the Lord.
00:48:40.25\00:48:42.82
And then in chapters 14
and 15, we pivoted to Paul
00:48:42.85\00:48:46.25
under the power of the Lord.
00:48:46.29\00:48:47.69
Each of these
recipients of this bequest of
00:48:47.72\00:48:51.43
dunamis power which
is miracle working power,
00:48:51.46\00:48:54.60
but more than that,
it's power that is sufficient
00:48:54.63\00:48:58.47
to get the job done. Amen!
00:48:58.50\00:49:00.17
This is physical power!
Danny if you have a stump
00:49:00.20\00:49:04.34
in your yard, you can
say to that stump "move,"
00:49:04.37\00:49:07.78
because it's your
yard, but that's not enough.
00:49:07.81\00:49:11.25
you gotta get the
Kubota out. That's right.
00:49:11.28\00:49:14.25
So this is the Kubota -
this is the physical ability
00:49:14.28\00:49:17.12
to get the job done and
so now, we see in Paul's life
00:49:17.15\00:49:20.49
also - the reception of
that power and how that power
00:49:20.52\00:49:23.32
works in the lives of those who
yield themselves to the Lord.
00:49:23.36\00:49:27.13
So Paul's
ministry is heightened,
00:49:28.13\00:49:32.63
Agrippa said to Festus
"You know that of this guy
00:49:32.67\00:49:37.67
hadn't appealed to Rome,
he'd be free by now." Right
00:49:37.71\00:49:40.68
But the truth is that if
he hadn't appealed to Rome,
00:49:40.71\00:49:43.58
he'd be dead by now because
there was a plot to kill him
00:49:43.65\00:49:47.45
on the way, so the truth
is, God takes care of His own.
00:49:47.52\00:49:52.45
Amen! You know,
God will protect you.
00:49:52.49\00:49:54.66
God will take care of
you, God will guide you.
00:49:54.69\00:49:58.56
The sad thing is one
chapter or two earlier,
00:49:58.59\00:50:02.03
we see Felix turn his
back on the call of God;
00:50:02.06\00:50:05.10
we see Festus turn his
back on the call of God;
00:50:05.13\00:50:08.37
we see Agrippa turn his
back on the call of God.
00:50:08.40\00:50:11.84
All of these had a
personal audience with Paul,
00:50:11.87\00:50:15.48
and decided - not now,
not now, that's not what I
00:50:15.51\00:50:20.42
want in my life.
00:50:20.48\00:50:21.82
So Paul did not
have universal success,
00:50:21.85\00:50:24.82
but he had great success
and the Lord blessed his work
00:50:24.85\00:50:29.99
and he became a shining light
00:50:30.03\00:50:33.09
and a light to the people.
00:50:33.13\00:50:36.53
I got two things to read
before my time slips away...
00:50:36.60\00:50:39.00
This is in the Friday's lesson
that we don't often get to see,
00:50:39.03\00:50:44.47
and then I've got one
more text in the Bible.
00:50:44.51\00:50:46.11
"Christ has given to
the church a sacred charge.
00:50:46.14\00:50:50.08
Every member should be a
channel through which God
00:50:50.11\00:50:53.75
can communicate to the world,
the treasures of His grace,
00:50:53.78\00:50:57.25
(we all ought to be Pauls)
00:50:57.32\00:50:58.89
the unsearchable riches
of Christ. There is nothing
00:50:58.92\00:51:03.53
that the Savior
desires so much as agents who
00:51:03.56\00:51:07.50
represent to the world
His Spirit and His character.
00:51:07.50\00:51:11.03
There is nothing that
the world needs so much as
00:51:11.07\00:51:14.94
a manifestation through
humanity of the Savior's love.
00:51:14.97\00:51:19.71
All heaven is waiting for
men and women through whom
00:51:19.74\00:51:25.41
God can reveal the
power of His Christianity."
00:51:25.45\00:51:30.99
"Long has God waited
for the Spirit of service to
00:51:31.02\00:51:34.42
take possession of the
whole church so that everyone
00:51:34.46\00:51:38.23
shall be working for Him
according to his ability."
00:51:38.26\00:51:42.76
And that's what we see in
the life of Paul and that's what
00:51:42.80\00:51:45.63
Christ wants to see in the
life of each and every servant
00:51:45.67\00:51:50.24
of the Most High God.
00:51:50.27\00:51:53.31
Acts is Luke's
recitation of Paul's life,
00:51:53.34\00:51:58.38
but I want to read
something that Paul wrote
00:51:58.41\00:52:01.38
himself in 2 Corinthians 2:14,
and I will close with this...
00:52:01.42\00:52:07.96
Paul says, "Now thanks be
to God who always leads us in
00:52:07.99\00:52:16.93
triumph in Christ."
00:52:16.97\00:52:18.70
I see this in the
life that Paul had and the
00:52:18.73\00:52:21.44
things that we were
saying, just was it last week...
00:52:21.47\00:52:23.61
we don't have fingers
enough to count the times that
00:52:23.67\00:52:26.01
people were
plotting to kill Paul. Right.
00:52:26.04\00:52:28.31
There were many, many,
dozens of plots to kill him.
00:52:28.34\00:52:31.98
And, of course, they all
failed, he did finally die in
00:52:32.01\00:52:36.48
Rome several years
later, but he didn't die
00:52:36.52\00:52:40.56
one second before God
had something for him to do.
00:52:40.62\00:52:43.79
He didn't cheat death, God gave
him a long and successful life.
00:52:43.83\00:52:47.00
So I read again...
"Now thanks be to God
00:52:47.86\00:52:49.83
who always leads us in
triumph in Christ and through
00:52:49.86\00:52:54.17
us diffuses the
fragrance of His knowledge
00:52:54.20\00:53:01.48
in every place for we are
to God the fragrance of Christ
00:53:01.51\00:53:05.85
among those who are
being saved and among those
00:53:05.88\00:53:09.12
who are perishing."
00:53:09.15\00:53:10.72
So what do we smell
like? Smell like Jesus.
00:53:10.79\00:53:14.06
We smell like Jesus. We
are the fragrance of Jesus.
00:53:14.09\00:53:16.73
And triumph is
guaranteed because God ALWAYS,
00:53:16.76\00:53:20.96
ALWAYS, leads His
people to triumph. AMEN! Amen!
00:53:20.96\00:53:25.60
I love it, thank you so much.
00:53:25.63\00:53:27.00
Paul also says in
Philippians 4:11...
00:53:27.04\00:53:29.70
That we should - that he,
and of course we should too,
00:53:29.74\00:53:33.07
be content in all
state, whatever state we're in.
00:53:33.11\00:53:37.01
Now if anybody could say
that from experience - was Paul.
00:53:37.05\00:53:40.88
So Mollie told us that
in the time of trouble,
00:53:40.92\00:53:44.79
"Don't jump ship."
00:53:44.82\00:53:46.45
She says, "Stay in the
ship to be saved," right?
00:53:46.49\00:53:48.62
So I'm going to encourage
you - there are many of you,
00:53:48.66\00:53:52.26
you get discouraged;
sometimes you go to church
00:53:52.29\00:53:54.36
and you say, "Well that
person didn't treat me right,
00:53:54.40\00:53:56.06
or this one
didn't treat me right..."
00:53:56.10\00:53:57.50
Finally, "You know what,
I think I'll just stay home,
00:53:57.53\00:54:00.17
I might even
start my own church."
00:54:00.24\00:54:01.90
You know, we get discouraged,
God has called us as a
00:54:01.94\00:54:05.41
movement together to
take the Three Angels Messages
00:54:05.44\00:54:08.11
to a lost and dying world.
00:54:08.14\00:54:09.68
So even if
somebody disappoints you,
00:54:09.71\00:54:12.15
even if it looks like
things aren't going your way,
00:54:12.18\00:54:15.85
don't leave the
ship, stay in the ship
00:54:15.88\00:54:17.49
if you want to be saved.
00:54:17.52\00:54:19.02
And that means stay in
close to those who love Jesus,
00:54:19.05\00:54:22.79
and keep the commandments
of God and be prepared
00:54:22.82\00:54:26.23
and awaiting the second
coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.
00:54:26.26\00:54:29.10
You know Yvonne says that
even in the worst of times
00:54:29.13\00:54:33.80
and when trouble really, really
bites you just "shake it off."
00:54:33.84\00:54:38.47
Right? Gives us encouragement.
00:54:38.51\00:54:40.04
We were talking
about Paul on the island.
00:54:40.08\00:54:42.24
So it's amazing that he
went from - "Oh this man is a
00:54:42.28\00:54:45.61
murderer, he's
getting what he deserves,"
00:54:45.65\00:54:48.55
to "He must be a god."
00:54:48.58\00:54:50.35
Well what that did and God
uses - see, He can use anything.
00:54:50.39\00:54:53.96
So if He can use a
poisonous snake, I know he used
00:54:54.02\00:54:56.42
a donkey but now a
poisonous snake in order to
00:54:56.46\00:54:59.56
show Himself, believe it
or not, through - hey, Paul
00:54:59.59\00:55:03.90
has My blessings on
him, so now these people
00:55:03.97\00:55:06.37
were willing to
listen and look how many
00:55:06.40\00:55:08.84
were saved on this island.
00:55:08.87\00:55:10.21
So wherever Paul
went, he was content.
00:55:10.24\00:55:12.71
I'm amazed that he was
content and he continued to
00:55:12.74\00:55:15.98
witness no matter what.
00:55:16.01\00:55:18.25
Shelley says, "If you
can't go to the synagogue,
00:55:18.28\00:55:20.62
bring it to you." Right?
00:55:20.65\00:55:22.95
So Paul finally got to
share the gospel in Rome.
00:55:22.98\00:55:26.15
You said that was his
dream, what he had to do.
00:55:26.19\00:55:28.82
Yes, he may have been
bound to someone, but he got
00:55:28.86\00:55:31.56
to have an impact on Caesar's
household, actually the guards,
00:55:31.59\00:55:35.63
everyone around him and we
know the story of the jailer
00:55:35.66\00:55:38.30
earlier and so, no
telling, they probably changed
00:55:38.33\00:55:41.60
guards every three
hours because too many were
00:55:41.64\00:55:44.44
getting converted and
they wanted to put in another
00:55:44.47\00:55:46.84
one who didn't
believe. That's right!
00:55:46.88\00:55:48.48
Paul was busy... I'd be
like, aww, this is terrible,
00:55:48.51\00:55:52.25
Paul was saying, "Man,
this is great! I got another guy
00:55:52.28\00:55:55.18
I can witness to right
here, they call this prison,
00:55:55.22\00:55:57.89
they call this house
arrest, that's alright by me."
00:55:57.92\00:56:00.72
That's the way Paul does.
00:56:00.79\00:56:02.12
So C.A. says, "Even when
you're bound - to his guard,
00:56:02.16\00:56:06.56
it says, you can witness
to everyone and you said that
00:56:08.30\00:56:11.50
"God takes care of
us no matter what."
00:56:11.53\00:56:13.97
And you also said
that Paul and all of us
00:56:14.04\00:56:17.74
... none of us will ever
die prematurely to God's will.
00:56:17.77\00:56:21.48
Now, the Bible says, "Blessed
in the sight of the Lord
00:56:21.51\00:56:24.48
are the death of His
saints," so people say,
00:56:24.51\00:56:26.45
"Well, Paul still died,"
well yeah, that's been how many
00:56:26.48\00:56:30.19
years ago - you know,
nearly 2,000 years ago.
00:56:30.22\00:56:32.72
Of course he died, but
he died the physical death,
00:56:32.75\00:56:36.42
but he's going to raise, at the
last trumpet he will be raised,
00:56:36.46\00:56:38.96
he will look up and
say, "Lo, this is my God
00:56:38.99\00:56:42.13
whom I've waited for,
He has come to save me."
00:56:42.16\00:56:45.23
And so today, that's our
prayer for each and every one
00:56:45.27\00:56:48.14
of you that as we look at
our own life, and we study
00:56:48.17\00:56:52.47
the life of all these
great apostles, but we also
00:56:52.51\00:56:55.51
see their humanness, we
also see where they made
00:56:55.54\00:56:58.35
a lot of mistakes...
but God can take those
00:56:58.38\00:57:01.08
mistakes and turn them
into triumph and to victory.
00:57:01.12\00:57:05.12
And I'm so thankful that
we serve a God of love...
00:57:05.15\00:57:07.32
He cared enough to die on
the cross of Calvary - to make
00:57:07.39\00:57:10.36
a plan of salvation for
each and every one of us.
00:57:10.39\00:57:13.19
Today, if you're not a
Christian, or even if you've
00:57:13.23\00:57:16.06
been and you feel like you're
not as close to the Lord...
00:57:16.10\00:57:18.80
Say, "Lord, please come
into my heart and my life.
00:57:18.83\00:57:21.77
I submit and
commit my life to You,
00:57:21.80\00:57:23.61
God will bless you abundantly.
00:57:23.64\00:57:25.41
Our time is all gone for today,
so we'll see you next week.
00:57:25.44\00:57:28.54
Join us for Sabbath School.
00:57:28.58\00:57:30.95