Be Courageous: You Must Also Testify in Rome

August 24, 2025 · Acts

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Series · Acts · Week 104 of 120

Scripture referenced 16 passages

The passage this message was preached from, in full, with every other passage it reached for.

Jeremiah 10:6 quoted as 'Lord, there is no one like you, for you are great and your name is full of power' before a song

6 There is no one like you, Yahweh. You are great, and your name is great in might.

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Acts 21:14-16

starting point of the passage, Paul and companions heading toward Jerusalem

14 When he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, “The Lord’s will be done.”

15 After these days we took up our baggage and went up to Jerusalem.

16 Some of the disciples from Caesarea also went with us, bringing one Mnason of Cyprus, an early disciple, with whom we would stay.

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Acts 21:17-26

Paul arrives in Jerusalem, meets James and elders, told to join four men in a purification vow

17 When we had come to Jerusalem, the brothers received us gladly.

18 The day following, Paul went in with us to James; and all the elders were present.

19 When he had greeted them, he reported one by one the things which God had worked among the Gentiles through his ministry.

20 They, when they heard it, glorified God. They said to him, “You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed, and they are all zealous for the law.

21 They have been informed about you, that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children neither to walk after the customs.

22 What then? The assembly must certainly meet, for they will hear that you have come.

23 Therefore do what we tell you. We have four men who have taken a vow.

24 Take them, and purify yourself with them, and pay their expenses for them, that they may shave their heads. Then all will know that there is no truth in the things that they have been informed about you, but that you yourself also walk keeping the law.

25 But concerning the Gentiles who believe, we have written our decision that they should observe no such thing, except that they should keep themselves from food offered to idols, from blood, from strangled things, and from sexual immorality.”

26 Then Paul took the men, and the next day, purified himself and went with them into the temple, declaring the fulfillment of the days of purification, until the offering was offered for every one of them.

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Acts 21:27-36

Jews from Asia stir up the crowd, Paul dragged from the temple, Romans intervene

27 When the seven days were almost completed, the Jews from Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the multitude and laid hands on him,

28 crying out, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against the people, and the law, and this place. Moreover, he also brought Greeks into the temple, and has defiled this holy place!”

29 For they had seen Trophimus, the Ephesian, with him in the city, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple.

30 All the city was moved, and the people ran together. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple. Immediately the doors were shut.

31 As they were trying to kill him, news came up to the commanding officer of the regiment that all Jerusalem was in an uproar.

32 Immediately he took soldiers and centurions, and ran down to them. They, when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers, stopped beating Paul.

33 Then the commanding officer came near, arrested him, commanded him to be bound with two chains, and inquired who he was and what he had done.

34 Some shouted one thing, and some another, among the crowd. When he couldn’t find out the truth because of the noise, he commanded him to be brought into the barracks.

35 When he came to the stairs, he was carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the crowd;

36 for the multitude of the people followed after, crying out, “Away with him!”

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Acts 21:37-40

Paul asks the commander for permission to speak to the crowd

37 As Paul was about to be brought into the barracks, he asked the commanding officer, “May I speak to you?” He said, “Do you know Greek?

38 Aren’t you then the Egyptian, who before these days stirred up to sedition and led out into the wilderness the four thousand men of the Assassins?”

39 But Paul said, “I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no insignificant city. I beg you, allow me to speak to the people.”

40 When he had given him permission, Paul, standing on the stairs, beckoned with his hand to the people. When there was a great silence, he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, saying,

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Acts 22:1-21

Paul's defense before the crowd, recounting his conversion and call to the Gentiles

1 “Brothers and fathers, listen to the defense which I now make to you.”

2 When they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, they were even more quiet. He said,

3 “I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, instructed according to the strict tradition of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God, even as you all are today.

4 I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.

5 As also the high priest and all the council of the elders testify, from whom also I received letters to the brothers, and traveled to Damascus to bring them also who were there to Jerusalem in bonds to be punished.

6 As I made my journey, and came close to Damascus, about noon, suddenly a great light shone around me from the sky.

7 I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’

8 I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you persecute.’

9 “Those who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid, but they didn’t understand the voice of him who spoke to me.

10 I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ The Lord said to me, ‘Arise, and go into Damascus. There you will be told about all things which are appointed for you to do.’

11 When I couldn’t see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus.

12 One Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well reported of by all the Jews who lived in Damascus,

13 came to me, and standing by me said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ In that very hour I looked up at him.

14 He said, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you to know his will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear a voice from his mouth.

15 For you will be a witness for him to all men of what you have seen and heard.

16 Now why do you wait? Arise, be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’

17 “When I had returned to Jerusalem, and while I prayed in the temple, I fell into a trance,

18 and saw him saying to me, ‘Hurry and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not receive testimony concerning me from you.’

19 I said, ‘Lord, they themselves know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue those who believed in you.

20 When the blood of Stephen, your witness, was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting to his death, and guarding the cloaks of those who killed him.’

21 “He said to me, ‘Depart, for I will send you out far from here to the Gentiles.’”

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Acts 22:22-29

crowd turns against Paul at the mention of Gentiles, commander orders flogging, Paul claims Roman citizenship

22 They listened to him until he said that; then they lifted up their voice, and said, “Rid the earth of this fellow, for he isn’t fit to live!”

23 As they cried out, and threw off their cloaks, and threw dust into the air,

24 the commanding officer commanded him to be brought into the barracks, ordering him to be examined by scourging, that he might know for what crime they shouted against him like that.

25 When they had tied him up with thongs, Paul asked the centurion who stood by, “Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman, and not found guilty?”

26 When the centurion heard it, he went to the commanding officer and told him, “Watch what you are about to do, for this man is a Roman!”

27 The commanding officer came and asked him, “Tell me, are you a Roman?” He said, “Yes.”

28 The commanding officer answered, “I bought my citizenship for a great price.” Paul said, “But I was born a Roman.”

29 Immediately those who were about to examine him departed from him, and the commanding officer also was afraid when he realized that he was a Roman, because he had bound him.

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Acts 22:30

commander releases Paul and orders the Sanhedrin to assemble

30 But on the next day, desiring to know the truth about why he was accused by the Jews, he freed him from the bonds, and commanded the chief priests and all the council to come together, and brought Paul down and set him before them.

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Acts 23:1-10

Paul before the Sanhedrin, struck on the mouth, divides Pharisees and Sadducees over resurrection

1 Paul, looking steadfastly at the council, said, “Brothers, I have lived before God in all good conscience until today.”

2 The high priest, Ananias, commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth.

3 Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! Do you sit to judge me according to the law, and command me to be struck contrary to the law?”

4 Those who stood by said, “Do you malign God’s high priest?”

5 Paul said, “I didn’t know, brothers, that he was high priest. For it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’”

6 But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Men and brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. Concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead I am being judged!”

7 When he had said this, an argument arose between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the crowd was divided.

8 For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit; but the Pharisees confess all of these.

9 A great clamor arose, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees’ part stood up, and contended, saying, “We find no evil in this man. But if a spirit or angel has spoken to him, let’s not fight against God!”

10 When a great argument arose, the commanding officer, fearing that Paul would be torn in pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him by force from among them, and bring him into the barracks.

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Acts 23:11

the Lord tells Paul to be courageous and that he must testify in Rome

11 The following night, the Lord stood by him, and said, “Cheer up, Paul, for as you have testified about me at Jerusalem, so you must testify also at Rome.”

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Acts 15

Jerusalem Council letter referenced regarding Gentile believers abstaining from certain things

1 Some men came down from Judea and taught the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised after the custom of Moses, you can’t be saved.”

2 Therefore when Paul and Barnabas had no small discord and discussion with them, they appointed Paul and Barnabas, and some others of them, to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders about this question.

3 They, being sent on their way by the assembly, passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles. They caused great joy to all the brothers.

4 When they had come to Jerusalem, they were received by the assembly and the apostles and the elders, and they reported all things that God had done with them.

5 But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.”

6 The apostles and the elders were gathered together to see about this matter.

7 When there had been much discussion, Peter rose up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that a good while ago God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the nations should hear the word of the Good News, and believe.

8 God, who knows the heart, testified about them, giving them the Holy Spirit, just like he did to us.

9 He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith.

10 Now therefore why do you tempt God, that you should put a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?

11 But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they are.”

12 All the multitude kept silence, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul reporting what signs and wonders God had done among the nations through them.

13 After they were silent, James answered, “Brothers, listen to me.

14 Simeon has reported how God first visited the nations, to take out of them a people for his name.

15 This agrees with the words of the prophets. As it is written,

16 ‘After these things I will return. I will again build the tabernacle of David, which has fallen. I will again build its ruins. I will set it up,

17 That the rest of men may seek after the Lord; all the Gentiles who are called by my name, says the Lord, who does all these things.

18 All of God’s works are known to him from eternity.’

19 “Therefore my judgment is that we don’t trouble those from among the Gentiles who turn to God,

20 but that we write to them that they abstain from the pollution of idols, from sexual immorality, from what is strangled, and from blood.

21 For Moses from generations of old has in every city those who preach him, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath.”

22 Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole assembly, to choose men out of their company, and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas: Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, chief men among the brothers.

23 They wrote these things by their hand: “The apostles, the elders, and the brothers, to the brothers who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: greetings.

24 Because we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, saying, ‘You must be circumcised and keep the law,’ to whom we gave no commandment;

25 it seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to choose out men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,

26 men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

27 We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who themselves will also tell you the same things by word of mouth.

28 For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay no greater burden on you than these necessary things:

29 that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality, from which if you keep yourselves, it will be well with you. Farewell.”

30 So, when they were sent off, they came to Antioch. Having gathered the multitude together, they delivered the letter.

31 When they had read it, they rejoiced over the encouragement.

32 Judas and Silas, also being prophets themselves, encouraged the brothers with many words, and strengthened them.

33 After they had spent some time there, they were sent back with greetings from the brothers to the apostles.

35 But Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.

36 After some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s return now and visit our brothers in every city in which we proclaimed the word of the Lord, to see how they are doing.”

37 Barnabas planned to take John, who was called Mark, with them also.

38 But Paul didn’t think that it was a good idea to take with them someone who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia, and didn’t go with them to do the work.

39 Then the contention grew so sharp that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him, and sailed away to Cyprus,

40 but Paul chose Silas, and went out, being commended by the brothers to the grace of God.

41 He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the assemblies.

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Isaiah 49

Jews appointed to be a light to the Gentiles

1 Listen, islands, to me. Listen, you peoples, from afar: Yahweh has called me from the womb; from the inside of my mother he has mentioned my name.

2 He has made my mouth like a sharp sword. He has hidden me in the shadow of his hand. He has made me a polished shaft. He has kept me close in his quiver.

3 He said to me, “You are my servant; Israel, in whom I will be glorified.”

4 But I said, “I have labored in vain. I have spent my strength in vain for nothing; yet surely the justice due to me is with Yahweh, and my reward with my God.”

5 Now Yahweh says, he who formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, and to gather Israel to him, for I am honorable in Yahweh’s eyes, and my God has become my strength.

6 Indeed, he says, “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel? I will also give you as a light to the nations, that you may be my salvation to the end of the earth.”

7 Yahweh, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, says to him whom man despises, to him whom the nation abhors, to a servant of rulers: “Kings shall see and rise up; princes, and they shall worship; because of Yahweh who is faithful, even the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”

8 Yahweh says, “In an acceptable time I have answered you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you. I will preserve you, and give you for a covenant of the people, to raise up the land, to make them inherit the desolate heritage,

9 saying to those who are bound, ‘Come out!’; to those who are in darkness, ‘Show yourselves!’ “They shall feed along the paths, and their pasture shall be on all treeless heights.

10 They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun strike them: for he who has mercy on them will lead them. He will guide them by springs of water.

11 I will make all my mountains a road, and my highways shall be exalted.

12 Behold, these shall come from afar; and behold, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim.”

13 Sing, heavens; and be joyful, earth; and break out into singing, mountains: for Yahweh has comforted his people, and will have compassion on his afflicted.

14 But Zion said, “Yahweh has forsaken me, and the Lord has forgotten me.”

15 “Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yes, these may forget, yet I will not forget you!

16 Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands. your walls are continually before me.

17 Your children hurry. Your destroyers and those who devastated you will leave you.

18 Lift up your eyes all around, and see: all these gather themselves together, and come to you. As I live,” says Yahweh, “you shall surely clothe yourself with them all as with an ornament, and dress yourself with them, like a bride.

19 “For, as for your waste and your desolate places, and your land that has been destroyed, surely now that land will be too small for the inhabitants, and those who swallowed you up will be far away.

20 The children of your bereavement will say in your ears, ‘This place is too small for me. Give me a place to live in.’

21 Then you will say in your heart, ‘Who has conceived these for me, since I have been bereaved of my children, and am solitary, an exile, and wandering back and forth? Who has brought these up? Behold, I was left alone. Where were these?’”

22 Thus says the Lord Yahweh, “Behold, I will lift up my hand to the nations, and lift up my banner to the peoples; and they shall bring your sons in their bosom, and your daughters shall be carried on their shoulders.

23 Kings shall be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. They will bow down to you with their faces to the earth, and lick the dust of your feet; Then you will know that I am Yahweh; and those who wait for me shall not be disappointed.”

24 Shall the plunder be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captives be delivered?

25 But Yahweh says, “Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the plunder retrieved from the fierce; for I will contend with him who contends with you, and I will save your children.

26 I will feed those who oppress you with their own flesh; and they will be drunk on their own blood, as with sweet wine. Then all flesh shall know that I, Yahweh, am your Savior, and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.”

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Romans 9

Paul would have given his own life so his people would know and believe the gospel

1 I tell the truth in Christ. I am not lying, my conscience testifying with me in the Holy Spirit,

2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing pain in my heart.

3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brothers’ sake, my relatives according to the flesh,

4 who are Israelites; whose is the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service, and the promises;

5 of whom are the fathers, and from whom is Christ as concerning the flesh, who is over all, God, blessed forever. Amen.

6 But it is not as though the word of God has come to nothing. For they are not all Israel, that are of Israel.

7 Neither, because they are Abraham’s offspring, are they all children. But, “your offspring will be accounted as from Isaac.”

8 That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as heirs.

9 For this is a word of promise, “At the appointed time I will come, and Sarah will have a son.”

10 Not only so, but Rebekah also conceived by one, by our father Isaac.

11 For being not yet born, neither having done anything good or bad, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him who calls,

12 it was said to her, “The elder will serve the younger.”

13 Even as it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”

14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? May it never be!

15 For he said to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”

16 So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who has mercy.

17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I caused you to be raised up, that I might show in you my power, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”

18 So then, he has mercy on whom he desires, and he hardens whom he desires.

19 You will say then to me, “Why does he still find fault? For who withstands his will?”

20 But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed ask him who formed it, “Why did you make me like this?”

21 Or hasn’t the potter a right over the clay, from the same lump to make one part a vessel for honor, and another for dishonor?

22 What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction,

23 and that he might make known the riches of his glory on vessels of mercy, which he prepared beforehand for glory,

24 us, whom he also called, not from the Jews only, but also from the Gentiles?

25 As he says also in Hosea, “I will call them ‘my people,’ which were not my people; and her ‘beloved,’ who was not beloved.”

26 “It will be that in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ There they will be called ‘children of the living God.’”

27 Isaiah cries concerning Israel, “If the number of the children of Israel are as the sand of the sea, it is the remnant who will be saved;

28 for He will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness, because the LORD will make a short work upon the earth.”

29 As Isaiah has said before, “Unless the Lord of Armies had left us a seed, we would have become like Sodom, and would have been made like Gomorrah.”

30 What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, who didn’t follow after righteousness, attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith;

31 but Israel, following after a law of righteousness, didn’t arrive at the law of righteousness.

32 Why? Because they didn’t seek it by faith, but as it were by works of the law. They stumbled over the stumbling stone;

33 even as it is written, “Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and a rock of offense; and no one who believes in him will be disappointed.”

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Deuteronomy 18

the Lord will send one like Moses, referenced when Ananias speaks to Saul

1 The priests the Levites, all the tribe of Levi, shall have no portion nor inheritance with Israel. They shall eat the offerings of Yahweh made by fire and his portion.

2 They shall have no inheritance among their brothers. Yahweh is their inheritance, as he has spoken to them.

3 This shall be the priests’ due from the people, from those who offer a sacrifice, whether it be ox or sheep, that they shall give to the priest the shoulder, the two cheeks, and the inner parts.

4 The first fruits of your grain, of your new wine, and of your oil, and the first of the fleece of your sheep, you shall give him.

5 For Yahweh your God has chosen him out of all your tribes, to stand to minister in Yahweh’s name, him and his sons for ever.

6 If a Levite comes from any of your gates out of all Israel, where he lives as a foreigner, and comes with all the desire of his soul to the place which Yahweh shall choose;

7 then he shall minister in the name of Yahweh his God, as all his brothers the Levites do, who stand there before Yahweh.

8 They shall have like portions to eat, in addition to that which comes from the sale of his family possessions.

9 When you have come into the land which Yahweh your God gives you, you shall not learn to imitate the abominations of those nations.

10 There shall not be found with you anyone who makes his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices sorcery, or an enchanter, or a sorcerer,

11 or a charmer, or a consulter with a familiar spirit, or a wizard, or a necromancer.

12 For whoever does these things is an abomination to Yahweh. Because of these abominations, Yahweh your God drives them out from before you.

13 You shall be perfect with Yahweh your God.

14 For these nations that you shall dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery and to diviners; but as for you, Yahweh your God has not allowed you so to do.

15 Yahweh your God will raise up to you a prophet from among you, of your brothers, like me. You shall listen to him.

16 This is according to all that you desired of Yahweh your God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, “Let me not hear again Yahweh my God’s voice, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I not die.”

17 Yahweh said to me, “They have well said that which they have spoken.

18 I will raise them up a prophet from among their brothers, like you. I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I shall command him.

19 It shall happen, that whoever will not listen to my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.

20 But the prophet who speaks a word presumptuously in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.”

21 You may say in your heart, “How shall we know the word which Yahweh has not spoken?”

22 When a prophet speaks in Yahweh’s name, if the thing doesn’t follow, nor happen, that is the thing which Yahweh has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You shall not be afraid of him.

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Exodus 22:27

quoted as 'you shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people' after Paul apologizes for insulting the high priest

27 for that is his only covering, it is his garment for his skin. What would he sleep in? It will happen, when he cries to me, that I will hear, for I am gracious.

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Romans 15:13

closing benediction: 'may the God of all hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing'

13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope, in the power of the Holy Spirit.

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Recap

The message in order, in a few minutes of reading.

This message followed Paul's arrival in Jerusalem, his arrest in the temple, his address to the crowd from the stairs of the Antonia Fortress, and his appearance before the Sanhedrin, closing with a direct word from Jesus that Paul would testify in Rome. The pastor worked through Acts 21 through 23 at a deliberate pace, letting the historical detail and the drama of the narrative carry the weight. The thread running through it all was what it looks like to hold your convictions with both courage and courtesy in the middle of a crowd that has already made up its mind.

What was said

Paul arrived in Jerusalem and met with James and the elders, who were genuinely glad to hear what God had done among the Gentiles. But they were also managing a large and zealous Jewish-background congregation, and they told Paul plainly that rumors about him had been circulating. The word on the street was that Paul had been telling diaspora Jews to abandon Moses, stop circumcising their children and walk away from their customs. James and the elders knew that was not the whole picture, but they also knew their people, and they asked Paul to take on the expenses of four men under a Nazirite vow and complete a purification ritual alongside them, so that everyone could see he was not against the law.

The pastor took some care here to point out that Paul was not antinomian. He believed the law was good and understood what it was for. He started in the synagogue every place he went and argued from the Hebrew scriptures. What he was against was the idea that the law saved anyone. Taking the vow was not a compromise of his convictions; he had done the same thing himself not long before this.

Before the seven days of purification were finished, Jews from Asia who recognized Paul from Ephesus spotted him in the temple and accused him of bringing a Gentile past the balustrade into the sanctuary. The pastor showed the text of the actual stone inscription that marked that boundary, warning that any foreigner who crossed it would be responsible for his own death. The charge was not true, but the crowd did not wait to sort that out. They dragged Paul out, shut the temple doors behind him and began beating him.

The Roman commander of the Antonia Fortress, which overlooked the temple mount, came down fast with soldiers. He had Paul bound with two chains and tried to get a straight account of what had happened, but people were shouting different things and he could not find out the facts because of the uproar. The pastor paused on that line and let it sit for a moment without pressing it very hard.

Being carried up the stairs toward the barracks, Paul politely asked the commander in Greek for permission to speak to the crowd. The commander had assumed he was an Egyptian agitator, but the Greek and the mention of Tarsus signaled otherwise, and he gave his permission. Paul stood on the stairs and addressed the crowd in Aramaic, which quieted them further. He told his own story from the beginning, careful to include himself with them, identifying as a Pharisee educated under Gamaliel who had himself persecuted followers of Jesus. The crowd stayed with him through all of it until he got to the moment when Jesus told him to go to the Gentiles, and then everything broke open again.

When the commander tried to get answers by flogging, Paul asked one calm question: is it lawful to flog a Roman citizen who has not been condemned? That stopped the proceedings. The following day, still trying to understand the charge, the commander brought Paul before the Sanhedrin. Paul identified himself as a Pharisee and declared he was on trial for the hope of the resurrection of the dead, which immediately split the room between the Pharisees and the Sadducees. The commander had to send soldiers down a second time to pull Paul out before he was torn apart.

That night, back in the barracks and safe, Jesus stood near Paul and told him to be courageous, that just as he had testified in Jerusalem, he must also testify in Rome. The pastor noted that Jesus did not say Paul should not have come. He met Paul where he was and gave him a clear word about what was ahead. That was where the message stopped.

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James and the elders told Paul that thousands of Jewish believers in Jerusalem were still zealous for the law, and they asked him to take part in a purification ritual to show he was not against his own people. What does Paul's willingness to do that tell us about how he thought about serving people whose background and practices were different from the communities he had been working in?
The pastor pointed out that when the mob seized Paul, they dragged him out of the temple and immediately the doors were shut, and he called that a metaphor alongside it being a real event. What did he mean by that, and what does it stir up in you to think about?

and 3 more questions in the guide

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Speaker 2The church. And my prayer was, Lord, please bless our church family with your Holy Spirit, Lord. Would you please touch our hearts, Lord? And may we gather together in a beautiful way that we see your work done in our lives. Amen?

Until we depart from this world, we are work we are a work in progress. Amen? But as long as we stay focused on the Holy Spirit, he will guide us and he will walk in our lives, and he will direct our paths in the right direction. Now, bless the Lord of my soul. Hallelujah.

Amen? We're gonna have a special three this morning. Maria is gonna lead us in this beautiful song. And let's worship the Lord and feel his presence. Amen?

If you don't wanna sing, that's fine. Close your eyes and have a beautiful prayer in your heart with your savior. Amen? Heavenly father, thank you for giving us the privilege to be here, Lord. It's so great to sing and to worship you, Lord.

That's why we are here, Lord. Touch our hearts, Lord. Holy Spirit, speak to us. Bless us this morning, Lord, so we can be equipped, trained, so we can serve you outside of this building. In your precious name, pray.

Amen. Pastor.

Speaker 1Oh, yeah. Think y'all can have a seat. What are they now? So here they are. WANNA registration is open.

That is starting. First day is September 15 and that's coming fast. So if you'd like to register, can go to our website. That little QR code would probably take you to that website. Iwana registration is open.

That's pre k, like two years old, all the way up to fifth grade, and that is happening September 15. If you are a volunteer that would like to help out with that or if you know of a child that would like to be involved in that or parents who would like to get their children involved in it, let us know. That's a good thing. Guatemala missions trip. That's happened in October 11 through the eighteenth with Hope of Life International.

And Mike tells me that there's gonna be in between services an informational gathering down in the connect hour. Is that right? Today? Yes. This morning.

So a little more information if you wanna know more about it. First b jackson dot org is the place to go on the Internet, but if you'll go down the hall, Mike will let you know more about it. Guatemala missions trip, Zacapa, Guatemala October 11 through the eighteenth, that's coming up. Seeking truth in your twenties is happening out there off of Zenith Drive behind the airport. Spring Gulch Road extended out that direction.

Sunday night, 06:30, there's McCooley right there waving his hand. We're taking a break from three or Okay. Okay. It's happening eventually. Is that right?

Is not tonight? No. Not tonight. Okay. We're taking a break for three or four weeks, but be praying for that.

That has been very very good all summer long, well attended, and I have heard lots and lots of good things from that. So that will be back in about a month or so. The JH Women's Bible Study, Community Bible Study on Wednesdays will start happening September 10. It'll go through October 29, 10AM to noon. They're gonna be covering the book of Genesis and that will be at the Presbyterian Church of Jackson Hole, PCJH on South Park Loop.

Sometimes it's here, sometimes it's at Gateway. This time, it's gonna be at PCJH. Childcare will be provided and you can sign up for it at jhwomensbiblestudy.com. That's ladies from all of the churches in the Valley, virtually all the churches in the Valley getting together. And Sisters Saved by Grace, I think someone else is gonna make this announcement.

It is a maybe not. There she comes. Sisters saved by grace. Here you go.

Speaker 3Good morning, We started a small group of women who fellowship and do Bible study in COVID. And we are still meeting and we're gonna start up on September 4 this year. All women in the church are invited. It's on Thursday nights. It's from six to eight.

And this year, we're gonna be studying prayer. And so often we think of prayer as our prayer list and our prayer requests that somebody gives us, that prayer is really a gift of God for relationship with him. And that's what we're gonna be studying. So we would love to see you on September 4. And we will have a book, and it'll be $10 and 06:00 in the fellowship hall.

So thank you.

Speaker 1Thank you. Thank you That's Nancy Baxter, if you don't know. And what's next? Old bills and first B's benevolence fund. So our the thing that we use our old bills money.

How do you say that? That's about right. Old bills is a way of amplifying giving. Maybe I'll start there. Usually, a dollar given through the Community Foundation of Jackson Hole ends up being about a dollar and 0.5 coming to whatever organization.

And there are lots of other organizations in town, lots of other organizations in town. Donations towards any of those five zero one c threes are amplified if you give through the Community Foundation in this season from August 15 to September 12. What we happen to use that money for is our benevolence fund that helps us and the email this week went out and there are like four or five things that just happened this week of ways that we are able to say yes to people when they are in need because of that. So that's happening and it is the season, August 15 through September 12. If there's anything else, our church website is pretty good.

It handles most of that. And if you don't know, you can call us and we'll tell you what else is going on. Did I forget anybody or anything? I don't see anything. Would you stand with us then?

And we'll go straight on back into worshiping the Lord together. I'm glad that I'm here today, and I'm glad that y'all are here today.

Speaker 2Amen. Jeremiah ten six says, Lord, there is no one like you, for you are great and your name is full of power. Let's sing that. Amen? Our God Praise the Lord.

Amen. Lord, we thank you for this day. We thank you for your love and goodness, Lord. Oh, God. It's so good to be here, Jesus.

Lord, I'm as we gather here and we are saved by your grace, lord, there is a thankfulness in our hearts. But, lord, I'm praying for those that do not know you right now, Lord Jesus. Would you please find a way to reach in their hearts? Would you please, Lord, use us as instruments to be able to tell them about your goodness so they can come under the same covenant through the blood of Jesus Christ, Lord? Jesus, give us the strength to be able to open our mouth and to share the good news about you.

In your precious name, I pray. Amen. This song is like a good steak. For real. So imagine you're sitting at dinner.

Right? Salad is there, breadsticks, and other stuff, and then the steak is not there. So this song is the song.

Speaker 1Amen. Y'all can have a seat. I'm gonna ask the ushers to come forward. And if you would pray with me silently while I pray aloud. Lord, thank you for this place to gather this morning for this for this little representation of the body of Christ here in this particular place at this particular time.

Lord, we thank you that you have tied us together with everyone who put their faith in Messiah to come before Jesus during his earthly ministry and since then, we're tied together in faith, the church, Lord. Those who have been called out of and into. God, I pray that you would allow us the breath in our lungs and the vocalizations of our mouth, Lord, that our heart would overflow with what's in there. And what is in there would be your love and your mercy and your forgiveness. Your good news, your gospel.

I pray Lord that it would so touch our lives in a way that we realize it and that it comes out, Lord. Would you help us get over all of the stuff from the past that we need to get over? And would you help us as we go into the future, Lord, to just be reaching out, to be reaching out with the good news of the gospel. Would you allow us to live it in our lives and to use our words to put a fine point on it, to articulate the good news. Your will, Lord, done in your way, that's what we wanna be about doing.

Amen.

Speaker 2Amen. The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. He bakes me like thou lingering pastures, and he leads Let's sing that one more time, please. Amen.

Praise the Lord.

Speaker 1Amen. Amen. And it is time for children's church downstairs. That's good. Alright.

So, it's been two weeks since that I have not preached. So you all know what that means. I am super nervous. I was here both times though, that helps a little bit. But here we are and we are up to the very next verses from where I stopped last time.

I stopped at twenty one fourteen. I actually gave you a heads up on fifteen and sixteen that they are heading towards Jerusalem. Now, if you remember from a few weeks before that, Paul had he's just absolutely convinced he must go towards Jerusalem, but in every town that he goes to. Every place he goes, people are prophesying. And it says in the spirit, even the last place that he was, it said, and they were warning him in the spirit not to go to Jerusalem, but he feels he must.

And so, he's going towards Jerusalem. This is what's happening. The clicky clicker is not clicking right now, Josh. Okay. Here we go.

So after these days, we got ready and we started on our way up to Jerusalem. Luke is with him. Luke's with him. He's a firsthand witness. He's given the account after all of these folks were saying, you ought not do it Paul, please don't do it Paul, please don't do it.

You can go, but go later. It's just not right right now. He says, nope, we're going. And Luke says, and so we got ready, we started on our way up. Some of the disciples from Caesarea, that's the last place that they were together.

Caesarea, Maritime Caesarea is on the coast. It's right there actually. So this is an outpost. 5,000 soldiers are stationed there. It's sort of a Caesar's palace, not like the one in Vegas, but it is a place where Caesarea is one thing, Jerusalem is the absolute epicenter of all that is religious Judaism.

It's the place, and he's going at Pentecost. He wants to be there by Pentecost. That's his whole plan. That's why he's been running so hard and so fast to get there. He feels like it's got to be now.

So Caesarea is on the coast, Cyprus you see up there, they're staying with Menneson of Cyprus. He's a disciple of long standing and they're going to stay with him. You all know how that is. You got people staying with you, I got people staying with me. Where you wanna be, that's where you wanna be.

Right? So here it is. After we arrived in Jerusalem, Luke says, the brothers and sisters received us gladly. That's good because what is he expecting? Chains and affliction.

But the brothers and sisters are the ones that receive them well. These are folks who have trusted in Christ. Since it's Jerusalem, we can kinda see that it's probably Jewish background believers because that's what's present in Jerusalem. In the following day, Paul went in with us, Luke's still with him to James. James is the leader of the church in Jerusalem.

He's the head guy. So in the following day, Paul went in with us to James and that all of the elders were present. These are folks who were believers. It was not the Sanhedrin, not the Jewish background opposition. This is Jewish background Christians and they were all present.

And after he had greeted them, Paul agreed them, he began to relate one by one the things which God had done. This is a humble statement right here. He's not saying what he did, he's saying, you wouldn't believe it. It was fantastic. We went to this place and we went to that place and look what God has done.

So he's telling them this, but look at the things which God had done among the Gentiles. By the way, would you all listen fast this morning? We got a lot of ground to cover. I meant to mention that to start out with. I'm trying to hit a natural stop, and I feel like if you stop the flow anywhere before I stop it, it's going to be hard to do.

So we're going to go to a natural stop in chapter 23. Okay. After he agreed with them, he began to relate one by one the things which God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. He saw it firsthand. He saw how God was working.

And when they had heard about them, when when they'd heard about what? When they had heard about the things which God had done, okay, they began glorifying God. That's the proper response. So these are believers, Jewish background believers. They're with James.

If you see James's letter in the New Testament and Paul's letters in the New Testament, you can see that James is a hardcore Jewish guy. Now, but he's also absolutely no doubt about it converted. He's a Christian. They began glorifying God and they, the elders in James said to Paul, you see brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who believe. It's great what God's doing among the Gentiles, but I want you to know that since you left town, there's been a revival here too.

Our people have been accepting our Messiah, Jesus. And so there are thousands here among the Jews who have believed and also they're zealous for the law. Now, if you know about Galatians and you know about a lot of the other books of the New Testament that Paul has written to the Gentiles, a lot of what he talks about is this balance of of grace and grace, it's all about grace, yes. But he also doesn't ever blast a Jewish person for their practice of the law, ever. Now, when it comes to Jews and Gentiles getting along, that's a difficult situation to be in.

Now, what were the Jews supposed to be according to Isaiah? I think it's 49. They're supposed to be a late, a light, not a late, a light to the Gentiles. It says it throughout the Old Testament actually. I'm gonna bless you to be a blessing to others.

Everyone who will come to believe like Abraham. Everyone who will come to believe, I'll bless. Whoever you bless, I'll bless. Whoever you curse, I'll curse. That's scary.

Okay. Great what God's doing among the Gentiles. I think that's wonderful. And know that he's doing a great work among this Jewish background folks too, and all of these folks are still pretty zealous for the law. They're Jews Jews.

They're Jewish Jews. They're really going for it. So those folks have been told about you, and it's a telephone game. They've been told about you from parts far flung, and by the time it gets back to us, this is what they've been told about you. That you're teaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles, the diaspora Jews, the ones who've been spread out all over the world, that is the way that they have been treated honestly for a long time.

They've they've been told about you that you're teaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to abandon Moses, get rid of the law, get rid of Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children nor walk according to the customs. That's what they have heard about you, Paul. So is Paul antinomian? He's not. He's not antinomian.

He believes that the law is good. He understands what the law is good for, and he expresses that over and over, but he's not antinomian. He's not. So what is to be done? So what is to be done?

James and the elders say to Paul, okay. So this is what they've been told. This is where you are. I see he's working in the Gentiles. I see he's working in the Jews.

So what is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come, and I promise you, it's going be trouble for you. We have not had sufficient time to make them aware of what's going on. Your accelerated schedule may have caused us a little bit of difficulty. Therefore, please do as we tell you.

We understand our people better now than you do. You've been gone long time. We understand what's going on here better than you do. Yes, the gospel is moving forward. So do as we tell you.

We have four men who have a vow upon themselves. These are poor, probably poor guys that couldn't pay for themselves. Taking and probably a Nazarite vow, it's a month long vow at least, could be longer. We have these four guys who have taken a vow upon themselves. Would you take them along and purify yourself together with them for him because he's coming back from Gentile lands, it would have been a week long thing, a seven day purification deal.

So you take these four guys and purify yourself together with them and pay their expenses, so that they may shave their heads. If you look back just a few chapters, Paul had taken this exact same vow recently. Well, recently as far as the text of scripture, probably been two years since he did it. But he'd taken that Nazarite vow, he shaved his own head. So it's not something he hasn't done.

He's not an Anonymian. He is still a practicing Jewish guy. He he is. He understands that Jesus is the sacrifice. He gets that.

This purification ritual is something else. This vow is something else. It's not for salvation. Don't think that it is. Take them along, purify yourself together with them and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads, and then everyone will know that there's nothing to what they've been told about you.

But that you yourself also conform keeping the law. Now does he? Yeah. He does. And he knows what it's all about.

What's he doing in the Gentiles telling that they don't have to go back to them? He's Jewish. His background is Jewish. He understands that it pointed towards Christ, it was not Christ. He understands that Christ fulfilled the law, but he still practices.

Why does he start in the synagogue every place he goes? Why does he express from their scriptures, the old testament stuff from Moses? Why does he go in and say, listen, this is what it's about everywhere that he goes. Yeah. But regarding the Gentiles who have believed, we sent a letter.

Remember, so the Jews, they're still practicing and that we understand and this is the most Jewish place on earth. This is where they're gonna do this Paul. They're gonna do it. And if you'll go do this, it'll show them that you're not against them, that you're with them. But regarding the Gentiles who believe, we sent a letter.

You know about the letter. We decided that they should abstain from meat sacrificed idols from blood, what is strangled from sexual immorality. If they'll do that, it will go well. That's what the chapter says back in the Jerusalem Council, fourteen fifteen, Acts. So you know that that's what we said.

This is kind of the limitations that we put on them, but God is free to save whoever he saves through his good gospel. All of us believe in Messiah. This is we're walking out the practice. And then Paul, it says, took along the men. And the next day, after purifying himself together with them, he went into the temple and he was given notice of the completion of the days of purification, seven days for him, longer for them, until the sacrifice was offered for each of them.

It's not for salvation. It's not for salvation. That's important. Now, when the seven days were almost over, probably on the seventh day, the Jews from Asia, oh boy, remember Asia. Ephesus is in Asia, all around Ephesus is considered to be Asia, and he had had some significant difficulty.

Remember there was a riot in Ephesus? Yeah. That's one of the things. He also was hindered from going into Asia earlier. He stopped in for a brief time, and then when he got back, he stayed longer there than anywhere else.

So he had time to see a lot of people come to Jesus, and he also had time to make a lot of enemies. So when the seven days were almost over, the Jews from Asia, upon seeing him in the temple, began to stir up all the crowd and they laid hands on him. They grabbed hold of Paul and crying out, these Jews of Asia cried out, men of Israel, help. This is the guy. He's the one who instructs everyone everywhere against our people and the law and this place.

He's against us. Now, Paul was there, literally there, doing a purification ritual. This is the guy and you can almost hear the venom. And besides, he's even brought Greeks into the temple, and he's defiled this holy place. Now, that's the worst thing that they've charged him with so far.

Actually, for us that might be like, I don't see what the big deal is because you're not a first century Jewish person. They had previously seen him with Trophimus the Ephesians. Trophimus the Ephesians is an Asian. He's from Asia. He's one of the people that they knew, and they saw Paul with him.

It says in the city, they saw him and they assumed that he had taken him into the temple. They thought that Paul had brought him into the temple and so thinking that, that's why they made that report. Now, had not seen him in there. According to the text, it doesn't look like he took him in there. I don't think Paul would have done that.

I don't think James would have let him do that. There's not much chance that he ever went in. For those of us who are not first century Jewish, that covers us all. This is a stone. This is this one's in its entirety.

This is one of the stones of the balustrade that is between the Court of the Gentiles and the sanctuary of the temple. And so this thing, there are actually This is a piece of one in a museum, the Museum of Israel, and this one is a This one is made to be more easily read, an inscription in another museum. This is a copy, you know, it's made up. But that's what it says. In fact, this is what it says.

Let no foreigner enter within the parapet and the balustrade which surrounds the sanctuary. And there were a bunch of these. They were placed all the way around. And it said, whoever is caught doing so will have himself to blame for his ensuing death. Would you cross that line?

I wouldn't cross that line. No trial, no nothing. That's just do this, you know what to expect. Right here is your limit. Don't go beyond that.

So then the whole city was provoked. They were provoked because they thought that Paul had that Paul had sullied the temple. And if he did that, it was defiled until they killed him. That's the rule. Yeah.

It's a big deal. So the whole city was provoked. The people rushed together. They took hold of Paul. They dragged him out of the temple.

This is on the other side of those stones. That's where he was when they saw him. They dragged him outside of that area, and immediately the doors were shut. Now, first for the Jew then to the Gentile. This is this is this is an actual thing that actually happened.

They dragged him out of the temple, slammed the door shut. I get that, but boy, what a metaphor. He's doing his best towards his people. As Roman nine says, he would have given his own life so that his people would know and believe the gospel. So they seize him while he's doing what they want him to do, and drag him out, and immediately the doors were shut.

It's it's a it's a metaphor for that in addition to it being the truth. While they were intent on killing him, a report came up to the commander of the Roman cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion. Now, when we see Jerusalem in the New Testament, there's a lot of times where it's in confusion. A lot of what we think about the passion of the Christ, there's a a time period of heightened religious festivals, there's always something going on. And you'd think, how can they get there so fast?

Well, this is the Antonia Fortress. This is right next to the temple. Actually, this is a model that's in Israel these days. It's enormous. But this is the Antonia Fortress, and that's the temple.

So you can see that. You can look down and see when something's going on. It's not hard to see. But the report comes up, hey, y'all got to get down here. Next thing, he immediately, the commander of the Roman cohort there, who does not want a riot, he immediately took along some soldiers and centurions.

He ran down to the crowd, down because they were above, looking down, and when they saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. When the Jewish guys saw the Romans approaching, they stopped. We're not doing anything. Looking all innocent, they stopped beating Paul. And then the commander came up and took hold of Paul, and he ordered that he be bound with two chains, and then he began asking who he was and what he had done.

Okay. He's trying to figure out what's going on. He is the law in this place, and so he's trying to figure out what's going on. But among the crowd, some were shouting one thing and some another. And when he could not find out the facts because of the uproar, Let me just have a seat for a moment.

Have you all felt like you just cannot figure out the facts for the uproar in our lives today? Some are shouting one thing and some are shouting another. It is exhausting. It is absolutely exhausting. He could not find out the facts because of the uproar.

So he ordered that Paul just be taken out of the situation where his life was in danger, and be brought into the barracks. And when Paul got to the stairs, you remember the picture? It's the stairs going up. It's a good place. When Paul got to the stairs, it came about that he was carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob.

Mob tends towards violence. Mob tends towards riot. Great numbers of people do not think well. Individuals can think well, but man, you can get caught up in a mob so easily. When Paul got to the stairs that came about that he was carried by the soldiers because of the mob for the multitude of the people kept following them shouting, away with him.

Get him out of here. They don't want him anywhere near that temple. And as Paul was about to be brought into the barracks, he said to the commander, may I say something to you? This is one of the most polite. It's the most polite way you could possibly say something.

He's being carried, think crowd surfing, up the stairs. He goes, can I have a moment? May I say something to you? And the soldier responds, do you know Greek? And he said, if you know Greek, you're not the Egyptian.

This is who he assumed he was. From all the uproar, he couldn't tell what was going on, but his assumption in AD fifty four, just four or five years before this is happening right now, there was an Egyptian who some time ago stirred up a revolt, led 4,000 men of the Assassins, that's the name of their group, out into the wilderness. It didn't come of anything against the whole Roman army. It's not likely to, but you don't want that sort of thing on your watch. And so his assumption was this guy is a bad guy.

We know who this is. But when he asked him something so politely in Greek, do you know Greek? I I still have to keep going back to this right enough. I love this line. The majority did not know what for what reason they had come together.

Paul said, I'm a Jew of Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no insignificant city. Tarsus is a free city. At that point, they should have known he was Roman. Tarsus, it wasn't Alexandria in name, like Alexandria is a place of learning. Tarsus was just as big a place of learning.

Half a million people there, big city, not insignificant in any way, and I beg you, allow me, please, let me speak to the people now that I've got a platform and some bodyguards. Please. And when he had given him permission, he waited on permission. Paul standing on the stairs motioned to the people with his hand, and when there was a great silence, probably miraculous because it's hard to imagine the people calming down. In Ephesus, they screamed for two hours, great is Artemis of the Ephesians.

You know, this seems bigger than that. But Paul standing on the stairs motioned to the people with his hand and when there was a great silence, he spoke to them in the Hebrew dialect Aramaic saying, brothers and fathers, also polite, also including himself with them. It's not oppositional in any way. Brothers and fathers, hear my defense which I now offer to you. So this is Paul's defense before the Jews is the heading in some of your Bibles, and he actually does it in Aramaic, but he does it according to sort of a Latin Greek, exordium, narratio proofs, you know, provatio.

So here it is, brothers and fathers, hear my defense what I now offer you. And when they heard that he was addressing them in Aramaic, they began even became even more quiet, and he says, there's that story telling technique again of the historical present. He says, I am a Jew, born in Tarsus Of Cilicia. Where did I hear that? Four verses ago.

But brought up in this city, I was educated under Gamaliel, and you all know Gamaliel. Strictly according to the law of our fathers, being zealous for God, just as you all are today. I understand why you're doing what you're doing. I've been there. I persecuted this way, the one that I'm following now.

I persecuted this way to the death, binding and putting both men and women into prisons as also the high priest and all the council of the elders can testify. When I left here, had the writs in my hand. From them, I also received these letters to the brothers and started off for Damascus in order to bring even those who were there to Jerusalem as prisoners to be punished. I understand why I'm being carried away. I was one of the people who would have carried me away, but I was that.

I've been called into something new. But it happened that as I was on my way, I was approaching Damascus at about noon and a very bright light suddenly flashed from heaven all around me on all sides of me, and I fell to the ground and I heard a voice saying to me, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? Every time that I hit this and you hit it a lot in acts, actually, we're gonna hit it two more times. Every time that I hit this in acts, it always, you know, we call ourselves, we think about, oh, this is the body of Christ. When I prayed this morning, this little representation of the body of Christ.

Paul was, Saul was, after followers of the way, and when he has a direct encounter with Christ, he says, why are you persecuting me? That's heavy. That's cool. I fell to the ground. I heard a voice saying to me, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?

And I answered him, who are you, Lord? And he said to me, I am Jesus the Nazarene. I'm the one you're persecuting. It might look like you're persecuting these folks that you think are not following the law the way they ought to be. You're persecuting me.

And those who are with me saw the light, but they didn't understand the voice of the one who's speaking to me, and I said, what shall I do, Lord? What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said to me, get up, go on into Damascus, that's where you were going, and there you'll be told about everything that has been appointed for you to do. You can't handle it right now. But since I couldn't see because of the brightness of that light, was blinded.

I came into Damascus and I was led by the hand. As virulent as he was when he left Jerusalem, going forward militantly, going to take these people back, and then he's led by the hand into the city where he was gonna go persecute people, and those are the people that received him. Now, a certain guy, Ananias, a man who was devout by the standard of the law and well spoken about by all the Jews, lived there. He came to me and standing nearby, he said to me, brother Saul, receive brother, Saul, receive your sight. And at that very moment, I looked up at him.

You think Ananias knew who Saul was before that? God spoke to him directly, so yes, we do know that immediately before that, but probably before that. He was gaining fame for being the guy who did what it was that he was going to do. And at that very moment, I looked up at him and he said, the God of our fathers has appointed you to know his will and to see the righteous one. That's what he calls Jesus.

That's what the prophets often called Jesus. He's speaking to a guy who knew the prophets. He's speaking to a guy who knew Torah. He's speaking to a guy who knew Deuteronomy 18 where it says, the Lord will send for you one like me. Listen to him.

And Paul hadn't Saul had not been listening to him. The God of our fathers has appointed you to know his will to see the righteous one and to hear a message from his mouth for you will be a witness for him to all people of what you have seen and what you have heard. Think about that for a moment. That's what he's doing right now. He's a witness up there on the top of the stairs near the Antonia Fortress near the temple, and he's telling all the people of what he has seen and what he's heard.

Now, why do you delay? Get up and be baptized. Get yourself baptized. That's what it says. It sounds very southern to me.

In the Greek, it's like get up and get yourself baptized. Wash away your sins by calling on his name. Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Doesn't matter if you're Jew, Gentile, doesn't matter your religious background. Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved because he's calling you out of something and into something completely different.

Then it happened, when I returned to Jerusalem and I was praying in the temple that I fell into a trance and I saw him saying to me, hurry and get up out of Jerusalem quickly because they will not accept your testimony about me. Ain't that sad? He has all the learning, he has all the understanding, he has a direct message directly from God, but people will not let their religiosity They won't won't listen to the truth because of their religiosity, because of their cultural tradition, because of man's traditions. And I said, Lord, they themselves understand that in one synagogue after another, I used to imprison and beat all those who believed in you. Lord, surely they'll know.

I get to tell them this, that's why he's wanting to tell the story right now. Surely Lord, they'll do this. Jesus, come on. Let me tell them. And Jesus just told him, get out of here.

They're not gonna believe your testimony about me. They shut the door on that, quite literally. And when the blood of your witness, Stephen, he continues, when the blood of your witness, Stephen, was being shed, I was also standing nearby and I was approving and I was watching over the cloaks of those men who are killing him and there's some of y'all here right now that remember that or your dads remember it. And he said to me, go, go for I will send you far away to the Gentiles. And he's been doing that.

He's been doing that for some time now. They listen to him up to this statement. They're fine up till they're listening because it's it is pretty inclusive. Our our brother, sister, all that love love love, but it says, but then Messiah Jesus said, go to the Gentiles, and they were listening to him up to that statement, and then they raised their voices and said, away with such a man from the earth for he should not even be allowed to live. He should already be dead.

Why are we listening to him at all? And as they were shouting and they were throwing off their cloaks, just like you would beat out a carpet, they were getting the dust off of it, like, get him out of here. I don't want to have anything to do with even what's around this guy. They're tossing dust up into the air and the commander, the Roman commander, ordered that he be brought into the barracks saying that he was to be interrogated by flogging, that is enhanced interrogation. That is the interrogation it's talking about.

We're gonna beat him and interrogate him at the same time, so that he would find out the reason why they were shouting against him in that way. I don't get what's going on in your little petty nonsense, but I'm going beat you until you tell me what it is. But when they stretched him out with straps, Paul said to the centurion who was standing there, and they already told him he was from Tarsus Of Cilicia, is a free city and should have meant that he was already a citizen. But he's in the middle of what could be a riot, so when they're spreading his arms and legs out with straps, Paul said to the centurion who was standing there, is it loss ful for you to flog a man who's a Roman? And yet, uncondemned.

You haven't given me my due process. Is it lawful? Actually, it wasn't even lawful to bind a Roman even if at this point, if you found him condemned. You still didn't do that. There was dignity in being a Roman citizen.

And so anyway, when the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and told him, so what are you what are you about to do? This man's a Roman. When the seven days were almost over, the Jews from Asia upon seeing him in the temple began to stir up all the crowd and laid hands on. Wait a second. Did I just do that again?

Hopefully, it'll get back to where I'm supposed to be. The commander ordered He brought be brought into the barracks. There we go. Sorry. I had a 150 slides this week because I did that.

I went from chapter 22 back to chapter 21 and redid it, and I I did the same set of slides two times. I doubled the slides this week. And thank God I didn't have to deal with this again. Really. Thank you, Lord.

The commander ordered that he be brought into the barracks saying that he was to be interrogated by fogging. There we go. Somebody's gonna stretch them out. When the stewardenturion heard When this, what are you about to do? This man's a Roman.

Tell me, are you a Roman? And he said, yep. Yes. I'm a Roman. The commander answered, well, cost me a lot.

It cost me a lot to be a Roman citizen. The service that he had put into the military probably is how he bought his citizenship. And he said a large sum of money, probably perhaps. And Paul said, I was actually born a citizen. I was born into a free city, and I was born a citizen.

I have been that my whole life. Therefore, those who are about to interrogate him by flogging immediately backed away from him and and the commander himself was also afraid because he had given the order to beat a Roman citizen. When he found out that he was Roman and because he had had him put in chains, absolutely illegal, actually, he could be punished because he had done that. Now, on the next day, want to know for certain why Paul had been accused by the Jews, let it calm down overnight. Here we go on the next day.

He released him, but he ordered the chief priest and all the council to assemble. I'm sure with the presence of Roman overseers, and he brought Paul down. He placed him before the council. So remember our little semi circle of the 70? There's 70 people on this Sanhedrin council.

They're sitting smartest guy in the middle all the way out to the dumbest on the ends. That's what they would generally do. And so the council assembles and they bring Paul down and they place him right in the middle as James as Peter and James and John as other disciples had been accused before that. Now, looking intently at the council, Paul said, brothers, he still considered himself the brother. Brothers, I live my life with an entirely good conscience before God up to this day.

I was ignorant. He says that in multiple places. He said, I was ignorant and God was merciful to me in my ignorance, but when the truth came to me and I embraced it, I know that I am washed clean. I live with a clean conscience before God. Brothers, I've lived my life with an entirely good conscience before God up to right now, But the high priest Ananias, not the same guy in Damascus.

But the high priest Ananias commanded those standing beside him to strike him on the mouth, hit that guy. I don't care if the Romans are watching. This is our business. I'm the high priest. He just blasphemed, hit him in the mouth.

And Paul said to him, God's gonna strike you, you whitewashed wall. You're not listening to what I'm saying. Do you sit to try me according to the law and in violation of the law, you order me to be struck? I haven't been found guilty yet. You just had somebody punish me.

That's not right. But those present said, are you insulting God's high priest? I can't believe what they said about him. He's our leader for crying out loud. You can't insult that guy.

And Paul said, sorry. I was not aware, brothers. Sorry. When I left, it was a different high priest. I didn't know he was the high priest, I don't know what he looks like.

We don't have LinkedIn. For it is written, you shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people. Exodus twenty two twenty seven says, you shall not curse God and you shall not curse a ruler of your people. And you know, we see David doing that when Saul is pursuing him and he says, I'm not gonna touch the Lord's anointing. He's the Lord's anointing, even though he's dead wrong, you know.

But Paul Uh-oh. Did I leave something out? Paul said, oh, I was not aware brothers that that he is the high priest. It's written and I know it I wouldn't have done it had I known it. Sorry about that, my bad.

But Paul perceiving that one group were Sadducees and there was another group present that were Pharisees, he began crying out in the council. Brothers, I'm a pharisee, son of pharisees, and I'm on trial for the hope of the resurrection of the dead. Now, that is a grenade. He throws that right in the midst of them and they go for it. When he said this, a dissension occurred.

We there's nothing new under the sun. You get a little group of people and they will divide if you give them a chance. He said this, now wait a second. He's a pharisee and the pharisees believe in resurrection of the dead. Well, it'll say this.

Here we go. When he said this, a dissension occurred between the pharisees and sadducees and the assembly was divided. They can't decide anything divided for the sadducees say there's no resurrection nor any angel nor any spirit, but the pharisees acknowledged them all. They acknowledged the spiritual realm and the resurrection, and Christ has been resurrected, and that's what Paul preaches everywhere he goes. And so, the pharisees acknowledged this.

This is hilarious to me. The very next line says, and a great uproar occurred, of course it did, and some of the scribes of the Pharisee party stood up and started arguing, heatedly saying, we find nothing wrong with this man. Let him go. Everything's hunky dory. He's on our team.

Suppose a spirit or angel has spoken to him. And when a great dissension occurred, the commander was afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them. And so the government, the Roman government, which by the way, we know that the people hated the Roman government. We know that that's the case. The Jews hate the Roman government.

We know that. We know a lot of oppressed peoples hated the Roman government. But in the New Testament, centurions always wear a white hat, always. They're good guys, every single time. And the government is what's protecting them right now.

When a great dissension occurred, the commander was afraid that Paul be torn to pieces. He ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force and bring him back into the Antonio Fortress, back into the barracks. So there he is safe, protected, and this is where we're going to end today. Twenty three eleven says this, but on the following night, the Lord Jesus Christ stood near him and said, be courageous. It's pretty courageous what he's just done.

You know, be courageous for just as you have testified to the truth about me here in Jerusalem. And you know what? He doesn't castigate him and say, shouldn't have come. I told you not to come. The spirit told you not to come.

We're here now. We're here now. Be courageous, Paul. For just as you've testified to the truth about me here in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome. Now, there's a lot that happens between here and Rome.

But Paul has now direct word directly from Jesus that you're gonna make it to Rome. Praise God. That's the stopping point I was looking for. Can I pray and as the band comes back up? Lord God, with all this information, with all this history, would you allow us to extrapolate out of it, Lord, the actual truth that that we need for today in a divided land, in a divided time.

More than the majority, lord, or at the majority have no idea why they're showing up to the fight, but they're showing up to the fight. So Lord, I pray that we would be people of peace, that we would be instruments of your peace, that we would be polite, and winsome, and helpful, and give a clear and accurate defense of the hope that is within us that is not one-sided. It's not from or for one side or for the other lord, but it is all about Jesus. Would you allow us the grace, to turn our eyes on Jesus in such a way that other people would turn and look to Jesus too. May we follow after Paul in the way that he was following after you.

May we receive a fresh word as to our mission and our audience, and may we recognize the moment when we're in it, when we get a chance to speak a good word. In Jesus name, may we be a light. In Jesus name, amen. But if you wanna come forward to pray, you're welcome to pray. If you wanna come forward and talk to me, I'll turn the microphone off and quit playing the bass.

Lord God, would you do your will and your way right now among us. Lord, I pray that we'd be ready. Amen. Lord God almighty, I pray that we would be open and sensitive to your spirit's movement. I'm thankful, Lord, for the business that you have with us.

I pray to be open, Lord, to doing business with you. In Jesus' name, I pray for your blessing on this assembled crowd. Amen. And now, may the God of all hope fill you with all joy and peace and believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit, you may abound in hope. Amen.

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Defending Your Faith Mob Mentality Paul'S Arrest Resurrection Debate Roman Citizenship Standing Firm

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