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Acts 28 · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

0:00
So the song, Speak O Lord, is a big encouragement to me.
0:05
Alex and I have a long history with that song.
0:07
He sang it many years ago when he was like a freshman in college up here at our college Bible study.
0:15
That's actually a modern hymn.
0:17
That wasn't written hundreds of years ago.
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That was written in the early 2000s.
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I commend Keith and Christy Getty to you.
0:24
They're modern-day hymn writers.
0:28
They're from Ireland.
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They're from northern Ireland, actually, County Armagh.
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So they write some really good songs.
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So dive into those, look them up.
0:40
They also wrote the music to End Christ Alone.
0:43
They're really well-known, so good gospel songs.
0:48
Okay.
0:49
We have made it to the end of Acts.
0:51
How many people were here at the start of Acts five years ago?
0:56
Oh, wow, okay.
0:57
So a few of you.
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So some of you college students are kind of coming in at the end of the movie.
1:02
So go back and read.
1:05
Go back and read Acts and enjoy the whole story.
1:09
But Paul has finally made it to Rome.
1:13
All right?
1:13
He finally made it.
1:15
That's kind of where we're looking today.
1:17
The gospel has gone out from Jerusalem and into the nations around the Mediterranean.
1:25
And finally, it kind of brings us to the close of Acts and just kind of stops right there.
1:32
So we're just going to read the text.
1:35
Acts 28.
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And we're just going to start in verse 11.
1:42
Just kind of rewind a little bit.
1:44
After three months, we set sail on a ship that had wintered in the island, a ship of Alexandria, with the twin guys as the figurehead.
1:58
Putting in at Cerro Cruz, we stayed there for three days.
2:02
And from there, we made a circuit and arrived at Ridium, which is the bottom tip of the Italian peninsula.
2:12
And after one day, a south wind sprang up.
2:15
And on the second day, we came to Petioloi.
2:17
There we found brothers and were invited to stay with them for seven days.
2:24
And so we came to Rome.
2:26
And the brothers there, when they heard about us, came as far as the forum of Appius and three taverns to meet us.
2:34
On seeing them, Paul thanked God and took courage.
2:38
And when he came into Rome, Paul was allowed to stay by himself with the soldier who guarded him.
2:43
After three days, he called together the local leaders of the Jews.
2:48
And when they had gathered, he said to them,
2:50
Brothers, though I had done nothing against our people or the custom of our fathers,
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yet I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans.
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When they had examined me, they wished to set me at liberty,
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because there was no reason for the death penalty in my case.
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But because the Jews objected, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar,
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though I had no charge to bring against my nation.
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For this reason, therefore, I have asked to see you and speak with you,
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since it is because of the hope of Israel that I am wearing this chain.
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And they said to him,
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We have received no letters from Judea about you,
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and none of the brothers coming here have reported or spoken any evil about you.
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But we desire to hear from you what your views are.
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For with regard to this,
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know that everywhere it is spoken against.
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When the appointed day had come,
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they came to him at his lodging in great numbers.
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From morning till evening he expounded to them,
4:00
testifying to the kingdom of God,
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and trying to convince them about Jesus,
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both from the law of Moses and from the prophets.
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And some were convinced by what he said,
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but others disbelieved.
4:14
And disagreeing among themselves,
4:15
as they departed after Paul had made one statement.
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The Holy Spirit was right.
4:21
And saying to your fathers,
4:22
to the prophet Isaiah,
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Go to this people and say,
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You will indeed hear,
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but never understand.
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You will indeed see,
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but never perceive.
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For this people's heart has grown dull,
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and with their eyes they can barely hear,
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and their eyes they have closed,
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lest they should see with their eyes,
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and hear with their ears,
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and understand with their heart,
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and turn that I would heal them.
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Therefore let it be known to you
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that this salvation of God
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has been sent to the Gentiles.
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They will listen.
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He lived there two whole years
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at his own expense,
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and welcomed all who came to him,
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proclaiming the kingdom of God,
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and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ
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with all boldness and without hindrance.
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Let's pray together.
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Father, we thank you that
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we have such a rich heritage
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in our faith in Christ,
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that we have many,
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a multitude,
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a great host that has
5:30
gone before us
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and have
5:33
carried their crosses,
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who have made disciples,
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who have preached the gospel,
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who have planted the church
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in dark areas.
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And God, I pray that today
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you would
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encourage us
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as those who
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are also a part of your church
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to live lives
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worthy of the gospel
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and to surrender all
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to Christ.
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I just ask that
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in Jesus' name.
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Amen.
6:04
So we're going to
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do a little bit of introduction
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and then we're going to
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go kind of unpack things
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a little bit
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by way of questions
6:11
kind of about the text.
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But first of all,
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I think it's amazing
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that when you look
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in these,
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the first few verses here
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in 11 through 16,
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you see that amazingly
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Paul, Luke,
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and the traveling party,
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they were met by believers
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three times
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along the way to Rome.
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And I think
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that would be
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an overwhelmingly
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encouraging thing to do.
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Just imagine
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the pressure
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and anticipation
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and intensity
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that Paul must have felt
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just going
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to Rome.
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And then
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to have people
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coming out
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all along the way
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to greet them
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who are already
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in the faith,
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brothers and sisters
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that are already
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there.
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They met him
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at Peteloi,
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which was
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130 miles
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like south.
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Then they met him
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at the Forum of Appius.
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Then at Three Taverns,
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which was about
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12 miles away.
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And so,
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I have some visual aids
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for you today.
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Again,
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I won't bore you
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with too much,
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but you can go ahead
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and put the first one up.
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But again,
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that's the Roman Empire,
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but if you look at it,
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it's amazing
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that God
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kind of launched
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the gospel out
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through the Roman world
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because
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the ancient world
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had never been able
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to be traveled
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as well
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as when Rome
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built all these roads.
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It went everywhere
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all over.
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We had access
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to Europe,
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to Asia,
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and to Africa
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from the Roman Empire.
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And the gospel
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was just shooting out
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all over the place.
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And it was amazing
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that like in God's providence,
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that's what he saw
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fit to do
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and so if you look
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at just Italy,
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I had to practice
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saying Petilloi.
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It didn't look
7:49
how he said that,
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but it's a little bit
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southeast of Rome there.
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So that's the journey
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that he traveled.
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He eventually
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would have run
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into the Via Appia,
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which is the main road,
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one of the major roads
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going into Rome.
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You can go to the next slide.
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It's really a picture
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of like the Roman roads.
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That's the Via Appia.
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That would have been
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the road that he would
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have entered
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into Rome by,
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a very well-known
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road through antiquity.
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But I imagine
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that it really
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blessed his heart.
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It said that
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he saw them
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and his heart
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was encouraged
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when he saw
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the believers
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coming to him
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all along the road
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and probably just
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strengthened him
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to go and face
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whatever awaited him
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in Rome.
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So he probably
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traveled five days
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or so on the Via Appia
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to Rome.
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And it had been
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a crazy, rough,
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and often despairing
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journey to get there.
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But God had promised him,
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if you remember,
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in chapter 23,
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he said,
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the following night
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the Lord stood by Paul
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and said,
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take courage,
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for as you have testified
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to the facts
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about me in Jerusalem,
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so you must also
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testify about me
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in Rome.
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So he knew that
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God had promised
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he would make it there.
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But if you study
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the journey
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that Nathan so well
9:11
taught us,
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what happened
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along that journey,
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very difficult
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to imagine.
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But he finally
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made it.
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And three years
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prior,
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in Corinth,
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that's where Paul
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wrote the Epistle
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of the Romans.
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So he knew
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there was a
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flourishing church
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in Rome.
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I want you to
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turn there with me,
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just to Romans
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chapter 1.
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So he wrote this
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while in Corinth.
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And though he had
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not personally
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visited Rome yet,
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he was blessed
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to hear about
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how the church
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had been growing
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there.
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So it was a dream
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come true
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for Paul to make
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it to Rome.
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He was so thankful
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to be there.
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And just listen
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to these words,
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like his longing
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for them,
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his desire
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to come and see
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them.
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We'll just start
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reading chapter 1.
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Look at verse 7.
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This is him writing.
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Listen to what he says
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three years prior.
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to all those in Rome
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who are loved
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by God
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and called
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to be saints.
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Grace to you
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and peace
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from God our Father
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and the Lord Jesus Christ.
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First,
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I thank my God
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through Jesus Christ
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for all of you
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because your faith
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is proclaimed
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in all the world.
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For God
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is my witness
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whom I serve
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with my spirit
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in the gospel
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of his Son.
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That without ceasing,
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I mention you
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always in my prayers
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asking that somehow
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by God's will
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I may now
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at least succeed
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in coming to you.
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For I long
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to see you
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that I may impart
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to you
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some spiritual gift
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to strengthen you.
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That is,
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that we may be
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mutually encouraged
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by each other's faith,
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both yours
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and mine.
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I do not want you
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to be unaware,
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brothers,
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that I have often
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intended to come
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to you,
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but thus far
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have been prevented
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in order
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that I might reap
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some harvest
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among you
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as well
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as amongst
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the rest
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of the Gentiles.
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I am under
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obligation
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both to Greeks
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and to barbarians,
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both to the wise
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and to the foolish,
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so I am eager
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to preach the gospel
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to you also
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who are in Rome.
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So Paul had
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this great yearning,
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this great longing
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to go and be
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with the believers
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in Rome.
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And I love how
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you can hear
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the longing,
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the humility even
11:38
of like,
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I am coming
11:39
to be mutually
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encouraged
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by your faith.
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Not like I am coming
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to lord over you
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and tell you
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I am an apostle
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and just direct you
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in many different ways,
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but he was like,
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I am blessed
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to see that the gospel
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has gone way beyond
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where I thought
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I would have carried it.
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So,
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we are going to
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go through this
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just in the form
12:00
of some questions.
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All right,
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so question number one,
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what happened
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while Paul was in Rome?
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What happened
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while Paul was in Rome?
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Well,
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as was his way,
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he typically sought out
12:18
the Jewish communities
12:20
that were already
12:21
in cities.
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It was a way that,
12:22
you know,
12:23
these people had
12:24
knowledge of the scriptures,
12:25
they had the knowledge
12:25
about the Messiah.
12:27
It was an easy
12:28
first step
12:28
when he came
12:29
to a new city
12:30
or town.
12:31
But Paul,
12:32
being unable
12:32
to actually go
12:34
to the synagogues,
12:35
like he invited them
12:36
to come
12:36
to his lodgings.
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So,
12:40
Paul was under
12:40
house arrest,
12:41
which in Roman law
12:43
wasn't that severe.
12:44
He had a lot
12:45
of freedom,
12:45
so don't,
12:46
you know,
12:47
in this section,
12:47
don't picture him
12:48
sitting in a coal dungeon
12:49
in chains.
12:51
He uses chains
12:51
just to kind of say
12:52
that I'm kind of bound,
12:53
like I'm under arrest,
12:55
but he had a lot
12:56
of freedom.
12:57
So he invited
12:58
the Jews
13:00
to come
13:00
and hear him.
13:01
They got their leaders
13:02
and then
13:02
they came
13:04
and as we see,
13:06
typically,
13:07
he reasoned with them,
13:08
he expounded
13:09
the scripture
13:10
from the law
13:11
and from the prophets
13:12
and then I'm sure
13:13
he even told them
13:14
his story
13:15
about how Christ
13:16
met him on the road
13:17
and saved him
13:17
and how he was
13:20
a persecutor
13:20
of the church,
13:22
but now he had
13:23
been commissioned
13:23
to preach the gospel
13:24
to the Gentiles
13:25
and to the Jews.
13:27
And, you know,
13:28
as usual,
13:29
right,
13:30
most disbelieved
13:31
and said,
13:32
you're crazy,
13:32
get out of here,
13:33
but in this case
13:34
it said that some
13:35
believed and others
13:36
disbelieved.
13:37
And in his sadness,
13:39
right,
13:39
his sadness
13:40
at their rejection,
13:43
he remembered
13:43
Isaiah's prophecy
13:44
written 700 years prior
13:47
that foretold
13:48
that many of Israel's
13:49
descendants
13:50
would not believe
13:51
in the Messiah.
13:52
And that's why
13:53
he remembered Isaiah.
13:55
And that was what
13:56
he said
13:56
when they were
13:57
leaving.
13:59
When was the last
13:59
time that you taught
14:00
or explained
14:01
the gospel
14:02
to someone
14:02
from an entire
14:04
day,
14:05
pleading with them,
14:07
going into the
14:08
scriptures,
14:10
pleading them
14:11
to see Christ
14:12
for an entire day?
14:13
That's what he did.
14:15
Then when it was
14:16
finished,
14:17
Paul basically,
14:18
as usual,
14:19
again,
14:20
he turned his
14:20
undivided attention
14:21
to the Gentiles.
14:22
right?
14:25
So,
14:25
we know that
14:26
he's in Rome
14:27
for trial.
14:28
We know that
14:29
he's awaiting trial,
14:31
hopefully,
14:31
by the emperor.
14:33
But there was
14:34
apparently a very
14:35
long delay
14:36
in Paul's trial.
14:38
He was coming
14:39
to trial,
14:39
but it says that
14:40
he probably waited
14:41
about two years
14:42
at least,
14:43
and he had not
14:43
appeared before
14:44
the court.
14:46
that could be
14:48
due to a lot
14:48
of facts.
14:49
One was,
14:49
there were so
14:50
many cases
14:50
stacked up
14:51
that he would
14:53
have to have
14:53
the emperor
14:54
himself override
14:55
it to get it
14:56
near the top
14:56
at the time.
14:59
And to be honest,
15:00
like,
15:00
Rome had some
15:01
bigger issues
15:02
going on,
15:02
and in his
15:03
mind,
15:03
the emperor's
15:04
mind,
15:05
it might not
15:06
have been that
15:06
big of a deal,
15:07
so he wasn't
15:07
that concerned
15:08
about getting
15:09
Paul to the
15:09
front of the
15:10
line.
15:11
So,
15:12
what the heck,
15:13
right?
15:13
He's in Rome
15:14
to go to
15:15
court before
15:16
the emperor,
15:18
so why is
15:18
he waiting so
15:19
long?
15:20
It seems like
15:21
wasted time,
15:22
right?
15:23
Nope.
15:25
Praise God
15:26
and God's
15:28
providence
15:29
and God's
15:29
sovereignty.
15:30
During Paul's
15:32
time under
15:32
house arrest,
15:34
this is when
15:35
God inspired
15:36
him to write
15:36
many of the
15:37
letters that we
15:38
hold dear today
15:39
that have
15:40
blessed believers
15:42
throughout the
15:42
centuries.
15:43
during this
15:44
time in
15:45
church history
15:46
while Paul
15:46
was under
15:47
house arrest,
15:48
these two
15:48
years,
15:48
this is when
15:49
he wrote
15:49
Ephesians,
15:50
Philippians,
15:52
Colossians,
15:53
and Philemon,
15:55
ancient writings
15:55
that have
15:56
survived and
15:57
have been
15:57
passed down
15:57
to us and
15:58
that you
15:58
hold before
15:59
you today.
16:00
He wrote
16:00
that while
16:01
he was
16:01
there.
16:03
So,
16:04
he also
16:04
wasted no
16:05
time.
16:06
He preached
16:06
the gospel.
16:08
He preached
16:08
the gospel.
16:09
You see
16:09
that?
16:10
Go back to
16:10
Acts,
16:10
by the way,
16:11
if you're
16:11
not there.
16:12
But go back
16:12
to Acts 28.
16:13
But in
16:14
verse 30,
16:14
he says,
16:15
he lived
16:16
there two
16:16
whole years
16:17
at his
16:17
own expense.
16:19
All right?
16:19
So he had
16:20
some comfortable
16:21
lodgings for
16:22
the most part.
16:24
And he welcomed
16:25
all who came
16:26
to him,
16:27
proclaiming the
16:27
kingdom of
16:28
God and
16:29
teaching them
16:29
about the
16:30
Lord Jesus
16:30
Christ with
16:32
all boldness
16:32
and without
16:33
hindrance.
16:35
I always
16:35
thought it'd
16:35
be interesting
16:36
to wonder,
16:36
like,
16:37
I'd love to
16:37
interview that
16:38
soldier that
16:39
was, like,
16:40
around him all
16:41
the time,
16:41
just to say,
16:42
what was that
16:42
like,
16:43
to be, like,
16:44
right by Paul
16:45
all the time,
16:45
and you had to
16:46
guard his
16:46
every step.
16:48
Might have
16:49
become a
16:49
brother,
16:49
who knows?
16:51
But the law
16:52
allowed Paul
16:52
to provide his
16:54
own quarters
16:54
as a Roman
16:55
citizen,
16:56
and he had
16:57
seen a lot
16:59
of freedom
16:59
during this
17:00
time.
17:01
So it's safe
17:02
to assume
17:02
that under
17:03
guard, he
17:04
could have
17:04
walked the
17:05
streets of
17:05
Rome,
17:06
he could have
17:06
gone to the
17:07
parks,
17:08
he could
17:08
have gone
17:08
to a lot
17:09
of the
17:09
public places
17:10
and the
17:11
forum,
17:12
and he
17:13
would have
17:13
had a lot
17:13
of freedom
17:14
just to go
17:14
and come
17:14
and go
17:15
as he
17:15
pleased.
17:16
So for
17:17
two years,
17:18
roughly 60
17:19
AD to 62,
17:21
that's when
17:21
he was
17:22
believed to
17:23
have been
17:23
there.
17:24
So don't
17:26
ever, if
17:27
you feel like
17:28
you're stuck
17:28
in a place,
17:29
and you
17:30
think, if I
17:30
could just
17:30
bust out of
17:31
the situation,
17:32
I think that
17:32
God could use
17:33
me so much
17:34
more than
17:35
just if I
17:35
was stuck
17:36
here,
17:36
right?
17:39
I've felt
17:39
that way
17:40
before, over
17:41
many years
17:43
of very long
17:44
hospitalizations
17:45
where I
17:45
wanted to
17:46
be here,
17:46
I wanted
17:47
to be
17:47
ministering
17:48
to people
17:49
here, but
17:51
I tried to
17:52
remember that
17:52
that's where
17:53
God had me,
17:54
and I tried
17:55
to be a
17:56
light to
17:56
doctors,
17:58
nurses,
17:59
visitors that
18:00
came to
18:00
see me.
18:01
I was even
18:02
trying to
18:02
share Christ
18:03
in the OR
18:04
one time,
18:05
and he cut
18:05
me off and
18:06
put me in
18:06
sleep right
18:06
when I
18:06
was getting
18:07
to the
18:07
juice of
18:08
it.
18:10
So I
18:11
had to
18:11
go back
18:11
and hunt
18:12
him a
18:12
blade,
18:12
like,
18:12
hey man,
18:12
you cut
18:13
me off.
18:16
But John
18:18
Calvin wrote
18:19
of that text
18:20
where it
18:20
basically says
18:21
that Paul
18:21
lived at
18:22
his own
18:22
expense,
18:23
and he
18:23
preached
18:23
the gospel.
18:24
He said,
18:26
the apostle
18:26
shows us
18:27
an excellent
18:28
example of
18:29
constancy,
18:30
and that he
18:30
offered himself
18:31
so willingly
18:32
to all those
18:33
who were
18:34
desirous to
18:34
hear him.
18:35
he remembered
18:36
that he
18:37
was no
18:38
less the
18:39
servant of
18:39
Christ and
18:40
a preacher
18:41
of the
18:41
gospel when
18:42
he was in
18:43
prison than
18:43
if he had
18:44
been at
18:44
liberty.
18:45
He thought
18:46
it was not
18:47
lawful for
18:47
him to
18:47
withdraw
18:48
himself from
18:49
any which
18:50
were ready
18:52
to learn,
18:53
lest he
18:54
shouldn't
18:54
neglect the
18:55
occasion which
18:56
was offered
18:56
to him by
18:57
God.
18:58
And therefore
18:58
he did
18:59
more regarding
19:00
the holy
19:01
calling of
19:01
God than
19:02
in his own
19:02
life.
19:02
So he
19:04
made the
19:05
most of
19:05
that time
19:06
and he
19:07
knew that
19:07
God had
19:08
him there
19:08
for that
19:09
reason.
19:10
So as he
19:11
awaited trial,
19:12
he waited
19:13
that two
19:14
years at
19:14
least.
19:16
So when
19:16
Paul's trial
19:17
did come,
19:19
we have to
19:21
rely basically
19:21
just on
19:22
ancient writings
19:23
and church
19:24
tradition in a
19:25
lot of ways
19:26
and just what
19:26
would have
19:27
happened to
19:27
someone who
19:28
was under
19:28
trial during
19:29
this time in
19:30
the first
19:30
century AD
19:31
in Rome.
19:33
Most likely
19:34
he would
19:34
have been at
19:35
the Basilica
19:36
of Julia,
19:36
which is
19:37
the southeast
19:38
corner of
19:39
the Roman
19:39
Forum.
19:41
The Roman
19:41
Forum,
19:42
I think you
19:42
can go to
19:43
the next
19:43
slide.
19:44
What is he
19:44
I think?
19:45
Yeah,
19:45
that's the
19:46
ruins of
19:47
the ancient
19:47
forum.
19:49
That's like
19:49
the marketplace
19:50
of Rome.
19:50
A lot of
19:51
big,
19:51
big events
19:52
happened there.
19:54
You can go
19:54
and walk
19:55
there today.
19:57
And so
19:57
that's probably
19:58
where his
19:58
trial took
19:59
place,
19:59
the Basilica
19:59
of Julia.
20:00
And at
20:01
this time,
20:02
the emperor
20:02
who served
20:04
as the
20:04
judge,
20:05
he would
20:06
usually invite
20:06
six of his
20:07
close advisors
20:08
to hear
20:08
cases and
20:09
to advise
20:09
on the
20:11
judgment
20:11
and the
20:12
outcome.
20:14
But during
20:15
the first
20:15
century,
20:16
there's
20:17
evidence,
20:17
there's
20:17
writings,
20:19
of if the
20:20
emperor didn't
20:20
hear a case,
20:21
he could be
20:21
delegated to
20:22
the commander
20:23
of the
20:24
Praetorian
20:25
Guard,
20:25
which was
20:26
obviously
20:27
gladiator.
20:28
They're the
20:28
guys that
20:29
wear purple.
20:29
So that
20:31
was like
20:32
the emperor's
20:32
household guard.
20:34
So they
20:34
could be
20:35
heard by
20:35
the commander.
20:37
There's
20:37
evidence of
20:38
that during
20:38
the reign
20:39
of Tiberius.
20:40
And it
20:41
was,
20:42
the emperor
20:43
typically only
20:44
dealt with
20:44
very,
20:45
very important
20:45
cases.
20:47
Cases that
20:47
had to do
20:48
with the
20:48
state or
20:49
just the
20:49
welfare of
20:50
the empire.
20:50
So probably
20:54
Nero,
20:55
who had
20:55
been the
20:55
emperor this
20:56
time,
20:57
delegated
20:57
those cases
20:58
and then he
20:59
would confirm
20:59
with sentences
21:00
afterwards the
21:01
smaller cases.
21:03
So it's very
21:04
entirely possible
21:05
that Paul never
21:06
appeared before
21:07
the emperor.
21:09
What a showdown
21:09
that had been
21:10
though.
21:10
I kind of
21:10
loved a scene
21:11
like Paul
21:12
sitting across
21:13
looking up
21:14
at Nero
21:16
himself,
21:17
talking about
21:18
Christ and
21:20
testifying,
21:21
but we
21:21
don't really
21:22
know.
21:23
Church history
21:24
doesn't say,
21:25
the scripture
21:26
doesn't say,
21:27
but what we
21:28
know at any
21:29
rate was
21:30
Christianity as
21:31
a whole was
21:32
not seen as a
21:33
major threat by
21:33
Rome yet.
21:35
And from
21:36
what we know,
21:37
they just saw
21:37
it as like a
21:38
little sect,
21:39
a split off
21:39
of Judaism,
21:41
and they
21:42
weren't that
21:42
concerned about
21:43
it.
21:44
So we are
21:45
pretty confident
21:46
there's a
21:47
growing popularity
21:48
that Paul
21:49
was released.
21:51
He was
21:51
released after
21:52
that trial
21:53
occurred.
21:55
A lot of
21:55
evidence points
21:56
to this.
21:56
Let me give you
21:57
three reasons
21:57
why Paul
21:59
was probably
22:00
released.
22:02
First of all,
22:03
the charges
22:04
that were brought
22:04
up against him,
22:05
if you remember,
22:06
were infractions
22:08
of the Jewish
22:08
law seen
22:10
throughout Acts,
22:10
right?
22:11
And not seen
22:12
as a very
22:13
serious threat
22:13
in the eyes
22:14
of the Romans.
22:14
If you remember,
22:16
in Acts 26,
22:17
King Agrippa
22:18
said,
22:18
this man
22:18
probably would
22:20
have been
22:20
set free
22:21
if he had
22:22
not appealed
22:22
to Caesar.
22:23
Just didn't
22:24
find any real
22:25
big fallout.
22:25
Come on,
22:25
you Jews,
22:26
calm down.
22:27
This is silly.
22:27
He's not
22:28
threatening us
22:29
at all.
22:30
So it wasn't
22:31
seen as a
22:32
big deal,
22:33
a major threat
22:34
yet.
22:35
And the Jews
22:38
even said,
22:38
we've received
22:39
no documents
22:40
about you.
22:40
We have not
22:41
even heard of
22:42
you before
22:42
he got to
22:43
Rome.
22:44
Secondly,
22:46
while under
22:47
house arrest
22:48
in Rome,
22:49
Paul often
22:50
writes in
22:50
his letters
22:51
that he's
22:51
pretty confident
22:52
that he'll
22:52
be released.
22:53
Pretty confident.
22:55
He says in
22:56
Philemon
22:56
verse 22,
22:58
Philippians 1,
22:59
25-26,
23:01
and as an
23:02
example,
23:04
he's writing
23:06
to the
23:06
Philippian
23:06
church,
23:07
and he's
23:07
saying,
23:07
I'm going
23:08
to send
23:08
Timothy to
23:09
you,
23:10
and this
23:10
is what he
23:10
says,
23:11
I hope
23:12
therefore
23:12
to send
23:13
him as
23:14
soon as
23:15
I see
23:15
how it
23:15
will go
23:16
with me.
23:17
And I
23:17
do trust
23:18
that the
23:18
Lord will
23:20
send me
23:20
to you,
23:22
and I
23:22
also will
23:23
come back
23:24
to Philippi,
23:26
that is.
23:27
So he was
23:28
confident in
23:28
his letters
23:29
that he would
23:29
be released,
23:30
that he would
23:30
see brothers
23:31
and sisters
23:32
he was
23:32
writing again.
23:34
Thirdly,
23:36
and lastly,
23:36
there are
23:37
several references
23:37
indicating that
23:38
Paul had a
23:39
fourth missionary
23:40
journey.
23:41
he referred
23:42
multiple times,
23:44
particularly in
23:45
Romans 15,
23:45
that he had
23:46
really hoped
23:46
to go to
23:47
Spain via
23:48
Rome.
23:49
From Rome,
23:50
go zip up
23:51
to Spain.
23:52
And church
23:53
history does
23:53
seem to
23:54
indicate that
23:54
he was in
23:55
Spain.
23:56
So those
23:58
are a lot
23:58
of reasons
23:58
why.
24:00
And when
24:00
he was
24:00
released,
24:02
that's when
24:02
he wrote
24:02
1 Timothy
24:03
and Titus
24:04
during that
24:05
span of
24:06
time.
24:07
So he
24:09
has trial,
24:10
who knows?
24:11
He was
24:11
before the
24:11
emperor or
24:12
not,
24:12
but he
24:13
was released
24:14
eventually,
24:16
I believe.
24:18
So,
24:19
second question.
24:21
That was
24:21
all like
24:21
what happened
24:22
while Paul
24:22
was in
24:22
Rome.
24:23
Second
24:24
question,
24:25
what happened
24:26
when Paul
24:26
left Rome?
24:27
Rome.
24:28
A lot
24:29
happened when
24:30
Paul left
24:31
Rome.
24:32
As we
24:33
just referenced,
24:34
he probably
24:34
went on a
24:35
fourth missionary
24:35
journey and
24:36
planted a
24:37
very strong
24:38
church in
24:39
Spain and
24:39
other places
24:40
as he went
24:41
throughout the
24:41
empire.
24:43
So,
24:44
that's one
24:45
thing.
24:45
He wrote the
24:45
letters of
24:46
1 Timothy and
24:46
Titus.
24:48
So,
24:49
giving you a
24:50
little bit
24:50
more background,
24:52
I hope
24:54
it's not
24:54
boring.
24:56
Some of you
24:56
need to learn
24:57
to enjoy some
24:57
things like
24:58
this to get
24:58
into the
24:59
world of
24:59
the Bible.
25:00
But,
25:01
go to the
25:01
next slide.
25:02
let's talk
25:07
about the
25:07
whack job
25:07
a little
25:09
bit.
25:11
So,
25:12
Nero
25:12
reigned
25:13
from 54
25:14
AD to
25:14
68
25:15
AD.
25:17
He was
25:17
set up
25:18
basically by
25:19
his
25:19
overbearing,
25:21
conniving
25:22
mother named
25:23
Agrippina.
25:24
She was the
25:25
second wife
25:26
of the
25:26
emperor
25:26
Claudius.
25:28
And,
25:28
she had
25:29
an agenda
25:30
to basically
25:31
somehow
25:32
get her
25:32
son on
25:32
the
25:33
throne
25:33
and that
25:34
she would
25:34
kind of
25:34
rule in
25:35
a way,
25:36
share power
25:37
equally with
25:38
her son.
25:40
So,
25:40
she plotted
25:41
and then
25:42
eventually,
25:43
no surprise,
25:44
right,
25:44
the story of
25:45
Roman history
25:45
poisoned
25:47
Claudius,
25:49
her husband,
25:50
and soon
25:51
after had
25:52
Nero marry
25:53
Claudius'
25:53
daughter,
25:54
Octavia.
25:56
So,
25:56
he was in.
25:57
He was the
25:57
next emperor.
25:59
That was
25:59
around 54
26:00
AD.
26:02
So,
26:03
his mother
26:04
was definitely
26:04
overbearing,
26:05
would not
26:05
leave him
26:06
alone,
26:06
really got
26:07
on his
26:07
bad side
26:08
eventually,
26:09
and he
26:10
lost it.
26:11
And,
26:11
eventually,
26:12
this psychopath
26:13
commanded his
26:15
own Praetorian
26:15
guard to go
26:16
and kill his
26:17
mom.
26:19
And,
26:19
as the
26:20
Praetorians
26:20
came into
26:21
her room,
26:23
she kind
26:23
of stood
26:23
up really
26:24
boldly,
26:24
looked at
26:25
them and
26:25
said,
26:26
stab right
26:27
here,
26:28
because this
26:28
is what
26:28
bore Nero.
26:29
that's
26:31
pretty
26:31
dramatic.
26:33
And,
26:33
so,
26:34
she died,
26:34
and then,
26:35
to kind
26:35
of seal
26:36
his power,
26:36
he also
26:37
killed his
26:37
wife.
26:38
He killed
26:38
Octavia.
26:38
He thought
26:39
she was
26:39
behind all
26:39
that,
26:40
too.
26:41
So,
26:41
very brutal
26:43
from the
26:44
get-go.
26:45
It was said
26:46
that he was
26:46
haunted by
26:47
his mother's
26:48
ghost the
26:48
rest of
26:49
his life.
26:49
He grew
26:50
more and
26:50
more freaked
26:53
out,
26:54
schizophrenic,
26:55
as the
26:56
years went
26:57
on,
26:58
just haunted
26:58
by his
26:59
mother's
26:59
ghost
26:59
throughout
27:00
the
27:00
palace,
27:01
writers
27:01
say.
27:03
So,
27:04
Nero,
27:05
not a good
27:06
guy,
27:06
not a
27:07
friend of
27:07
the church.
27:08
He was
27:09
not a
27:10
general,
27:10
he was
27:11
not a
27:11
guy who
27:12
would go
27:12
out and
27:13
fight battles
27:13
and lead
27:14
armies.
27:15
He was
27:15
really obsessed
27:16
with drama,
27:18
with theater,
27:19
with music,
27:20
and he
27:21
loved to
27:21
play the
27:21
liar.
27:22
He would
27:23
either
27:23
excommunicate or
27:25
kill you
27:26
if you
27:26
fell asleep
27:27
near one
27:27
of his
27:27
performances.
27:30
So,
27:31
he got
27:33
his way
27:33
most all
27:34
the time,
27:35
as did
27:36
most Roman
27:36
emperors.
27:37
He also
27:38
had a
27:39
lust for
27:40
building
27:41
pleasure
27:42
palaces.
27:44
He loved
27:45
luxurious
27:45
building.
27:46
A lot
27:47
of Roman
27:48
emperors
27:49
tried to
27:49
make their
27:49
mark by
27:50
building
27:50
something
27:51
amazing
27:51
throughout
27:52
the empire.
27:53
So,
27:53
he was
27:53
pondering
27:54
his
27:55
city
27:55
and
27:56
Nero,
27:57
he hated
27:59
Rome
28:00
itself.
28:01
He was
28:01
like,
28:01
it's one
28:01
of the
28:02
dirtiest,
28:03
filthiest,
28:03
gross
28:04
cities
28:04
ever.
28:05
It smells,
28:06
and so
28:06
he would
28:06
often talk
28:07
about how
28:08
much he
28:08
just couldn't
28:08
stand
28:09
by just
28:10
the city
28:10
of Rome
28:11
itself.
28:12
So,
28:14
during his
28:14
time,
28:15
during his
28:15
reign,
28:16
two revolts
28:17
sprang up
28:18
throughout the
28:19
empire,
28:19
two huge
28:20
ones,
28:20
two of the
28:20
biggest
28:21
defeats
28:21
in the
28:21
Roman
28:21
history
28:22
by an
28:23
uprising
28:23
province.
28:25
The one
28:25
was in
28:26
Britannia,
28:27
which was
28:27
Britain,
28:30
Boudicca,
28:31
the warrior
28:32
queen,
28:33
fought against
28:34
the Roman
28:35
legions there
28:35
but eventually
28:36
lost.
28:37
And then,
28:37
if you remember
28:38
the last
28:38
time,
28:38
the Judean
28:39
revolt started
28:40
at the
28:40
same time.
28:42
And Nero
28:44
had
28:44
excommunicated
28:45
one of the
28:46
empire's best
28:46
generals,
28:47
Vespasian,
28:48
because he
28:49
fell asleep
28:49
during one
28:50
of his
28:51
performances.
28:53
Vespasian was
28:54
the kind of
28:54
guy who
28:55
would rather
28:55
watch a UFC
28:55
match than
28:56
go to an
28:56
opera.
28:57
So,
28:58
he was not
28:59
into all
28:59
that.
29:00
So,
29:00
he was
29:02
excommunicated
29:02
but he
29:03
called him
29:04
back to
29:04
go quell
29:05
the rebellion
29:05
in Judea.
29:07
And so,
29:08
as the
29:09
summer came
29:10
in 64
29:11
AD,
29:12
in July,
29:14
Nero,
29:16
I forgot
29:17
to mention
29:17
this,
29:17
one of his
29:18
favorite poems
29:19
was the
29:20
fall of
29:21
Troy.
29:23
So,
29:23
think about
29:23
that,
29:24
a burning
29:24
city that's
29:25
being destroyed,
29:26
right?
29:27
That was
29:27
one of his
29:28
favorites.
29:30
And,
29:30
seemingly out
29:31
of nowhere,
29:33
not really,
29:33
there was a
29:34
huge fire
29:35
that started
29:36
on a hot
29:36
day in
29:37
July,
29:38
64 AD,
29:38
in the city
29:39
of Rome.
29:40
And it
29:40
burned for
29:41
nine days
29:42
and huge
29:42
parts of
29:43
the city
29:43
were consumed,
29:45
including the
29:45
areas that
29:46
were the
29:46
most affluent.
29:48
Right?
29:50
And Nero
29:51
was seen
29:52
atop a tower
29:53
watching the
29:54
fire,
29:55
playing the
29:55
lyre,
29:56
and reciting
29:57
the fall of
29:58
Troy.
29:59
And,
30:00
most scholars
30:02
believe,
30:03
as to the people
30:03
in this day,
30:04
that he had
30:05
started this
30:06
fire himself
30:07
to basically
30:08
clean out
30:09
the nasty
30:10
city,
30:10
and he kind
30:11
of wanted
30:11
to wipe it
30:12
clean.
30:13
He wanted
30:13
to build,
30:14
eventually,
30:15
he built
30:16
this huge
30:17
pleasure palace
30:17
called the
30:18
Domus
30:18
Aurea.
30:20
It was a
30:20
place,
30:20
like in the
30:21
prominent
30:21
place of
30:22
the city,
30:22
and it
30:24
was all
30:24
for himself.
30:25
And it
30:26
took years
30:26
to build.
30:28
And that
30:30
was where
30:30
a lot of
30:31
the citizens
30:32
were getting
30:32
very upset.
30:33
No one
30:33
was safe
30:34
under the
30:35
reign of
30:36
Nero.
30:36
Not even
30:37
Roman generals,
30:38
like no one
30:38
was safe.
30:39
And so,
30:42
as history
30:43
goes,
30:44
Nero had
30:45
to have,
30:45
he played
30:46
the political
30:46
game,
30:47
he was like,
30:47
I have to
30:47
have someone
30:48
to blame
30:49
for this
30:51
fire,
30:51
because they're
30:51
all pointing
30:52
the finger
30:52
at me.
30:55
So the
30:56
Roman historian
30:57
Tacitus,
30:58
who lived
30:58
under the
30:59
reigns of
30:59
Tiberius
31:00
to Vespasian,
31:02
he wrote,
31:03
therefore,
31:04
to scotch
31:05
the rumor,
31:06
Nero
31:06
substituted
31:07
as culprits
31:08
a class
31:10
of men
31:10
and women
31:10
whom the
31:11
crowd calls
31:13
Christians.
31:15
Vast
31:15
numbers of
31:16
them were
31:16
convicted.
31:18
Derision
31:18
accompanied
31:19
their end.
31:20
They were
31:21
torn to
31:21
death by
31:22
dogs.
31:24
They were
31:24
fastened
31:24
on crosses.
31:26
And when
31:26
daylight failed,
31:27
they were
31:28
burned to
31:28
serve as
31:29
lamps by
31:29
night in
31:30
the emperor's
31:31
garden parties.
31:33
Go to the
31:33
next slide.
31:35
This is a
31:36
famous painting
31:37
of the
31:38
emperor's
31:39
garden parties
31:40
as believers
31:40
were being
31:41
tied to
31:42
crosses and
31:43
burned for
31:44
entertainment.
31:47
So before
31:48
this,
31:49
persecution
31:49
had not
31:50
existed
31:50
formally
31:52
throughout the
31:52
empire,
31:53
but it
31:54
started
31:54
around this
31:56
time.
31:58
Christians
31:58
and Romans
31:59
throughout the
31:59
empire,
32:00
rumors were
32:01
spread about
32:02
them that they
32:03
sacrificed their
32:03
children,
32:04
that they
32:05
were cannibals,
32:07
that they
32:08
plotted rebellion
32:08
against the
32:09
empire.
32:10
So they
32:10
were burned
32:11
out of their
32:11
homes,
32:12
imprisoned,
32:13
beaten in
32:13
the streets,
32:15
often gang
32:16
raped in
32:16
alleyways,
32:18
forced to
32:19
and put
32:20
pressured on
32:21
to renounce
32:22
Christ.
32:23
Many put to
32:24
death in the
32:24
Circus
32:25
Maximus,
32:26
which was the
32:27
big charioteer
32:28
thing in
32:29
Rome,
32:30
torn to
32:32
death by
32:33
lions,
32:34
wild dogs,
32:35
his sport.
32:37
And one of
32:38
Nero's
32:38
favorites,
32:39
you can go
32:40
to the next
32:40
slide,
32:42
if this
32:42
just doesn't
32:43
look demonic,
32:45
remember he
32:45
likes drama,
32:46
he likes
32:47
theater,
32:48
he likes
32:49
ancient history,
32:51
so his
32:52
favorite was
32:53
to get a
32:53
reenactment
32:54
of the
32:55
Greek myth
32:56
of Diorsi,
32:58
which was
32:59
the queen of
32:59
Thebes in
33:00
Greek mythology,
33:01
and she was
33:02
supposedly executed
33:03
by being tied
33:04
to the horns
33:06
of a wild
33:06
bull and
33:07
then crushed
33:08
to death.
33:09
And church
33:10
historians,
33:11
excuse me,
33:11
Roman historians,
33:12
ancient historians,
33:14
say that Nero
33:14
took young,
33:15
beautiful Christian
33:16
girls who
33:17
wouldn't renounce
33:17
Christ and
33:19
tied them to
33:20
the bull to
33:22
reenact that
33:23
Greek myth,
33:25
then smashed.
33:25
so finally,
33:31
Paul does
33:32
loop back
33:33
around,
33:34
he comes
33:34
back to
33:34
Rome,
33:35
and when he
33:36
comes back
33:36
this time,
33:37
persecution
33:38
has started,
33:39
people are
33:40
being
33:41
tortured to
33:42
death,
33:44
he's,
33:45
according to
33:45
tradition,
33:46
in prison,
33:46
and this time
33:47
it was in a
33:47
dark,
33:48
cold dungeon
33:48
at the foot
33:49
of the
33:50
Capitol
33:51
Lion Hill,
33:52
a rough,
33:53
dark dungeon.
33:55
Hard to
33:56
imagine him
33:57
writing 2 Timothy
33:58
in that
33:59
context.
34:01
And
34:01
eventually,
34:02
as tradition
34:04
goes,
34:05
one church
34:06
historian
34:07
writes that
34:08
Paul was
34:08
beheaded
34:08
eventually.
34:11
And
34:11
so after
34:13
Nero
34:14
built the
34:15
Domicoria
34:16
and persecution
34:16
has started,
34:18
finally,
34:19
enough
34:19
senators,
34:21
generals,
34:22
and affluent
34:22
Romans that
34:22
had enough,
34:24
had enough.
34:24
And they
34:25
basically got
34:27
persuaded the
34:28
Praetorian Guard
34:28
to kill him.
34:30
And while
34:31
they were,
34:31
while he was
34:32
on run in
34:32
his palace,
34:33
as the guards
34:36
were closing
34:36
around him,
34:37
he had a
34:38
loyal slave
34:39
help him
34:40
ritually,
34:40
kind of
34:41
slit his own
34:42
throat.
34:44
And as I
34:44
said before,
34:45
his last words
34:46
supposedly were,
34:48
what an artist
34:48
dies in me.
34:49
and so
34:53
after his
34:54
death,
34:55
after his
34:56
journey to
34:58
eternal
34:58
punishment,
35:00
the empire
35:01
erupted
35:01
into civil
35:02
war.
35:03
So there
35:03
was a
35:03
huge civil
35:04
war in
35:05
the Roman
35:05
Empire,
35:06
where the
35:07
top generals
35:07
were competing
35:09
to see who
35:09
would be the
35:10
next emperor.
35:12
And while
35:12
all this was
35:12
going on,
35:13
the general
35:14
Vespasian
35:14
was still
35:15
in Jerusalem,
35:16
he kind
35:17
of just
35:17
waited it
35:18
out.
35:19
And
35:20
eventually
35:21
there was
35:22
so much
35:22
chaos in
35:23
the empire
35:23
that the
35:25
Roman armies
35:25
finally looked
35:26
to Vespasian
35:27
to restore
35:27
order and
35:29
named him
35:29
the next
35:30
emperor.
35:31
You can go
35:31
to the next
35:31
slide.
35:34
And
35:35
he became
35:36
the next
35:36
emperor,
35:37
and then
35:38
he started
35:39
really bringing
35:40
order.
35:40
He was the
35:41
first emperor
35:42
not descended
35:43
from Julius
35:44
Caesar directly.
35:46
So he sent
35:47
his son Titus
35:48
back to finish
35:48
the job in
35:49
Jerusalem,
35:50
and he
35:51
besieged
35:52
Jerusalem and
35:53
eventually
35:53
destroyed it,
35:55
burned the
35:56
temple down
35:57
by accident
35:58
supposedly,
36:00
and
36:01
Vespasian
36:03
later on
36:05
brought 10,000
36:06
Jewish slaves
36:07
back to Rome,
36:08
and with
36:09
money that he
36:09
had made
36:10
from plunder
36:10
from the
36:11
Jewish temple
36:11
and other
36:12
places,
36:12
he built
36:13
the most
36:14
well-known
36:14
icon of
36:15
the Roman
36:15
Empire,
36:16
the Colosseum.
36:18
So that's
36:18
why it was
36:19
called the
36:19
Flavian
36:19
Amphitheater.
36:22
So,
36:23
a sad
36:24
history that
36:24
kind of
36:25
followed after
36:25
Paul left
36:27
Rome.
36:28
Very sad,
36:29
very dark.
36:31
So,
36:33
but,
36:34
we're not
36:34
going to end
36:35
on that note
36:35
because the
36:37
church is
36:37
victorious
36:38
regardless of
36:40
all of this.
36:40
which goes
36:42
to our,
36:43
you can take
36:44
the slides
36:44
off now,
36:45
which goes
36:46
to our
36:46
third question,
36:48
where did
36:48
the church
36:49
expand after
36:50
Acts,
36:50
right?
36:51
It just
36:51
kind of
36:51
stops.
36:53
Well,
36:53
the gospel
36:55
really took
36:56
a deep,
36:57
deep foothold
36:58
in Europe,
36:59
a deep
37:00
foothold in
37:00
Europe.
37:00
It went
37:01
all the way
37:02
across to
37:03
Britain
37:04
and
37:05
Hibernia,
37:06
which was
37:07
the ancient
37:07
name for
37:08
Ireland.
37:08
It was
37:08
brought
37:09
there.
37:10
A lot
37:10
of the
37:11
British
37:11
Isles
37:11
and Spain,
37:13
France,
37:14
which would
37:15
have been
37:15
Gaul at
37:15
the time,
37:16
like the
37:16
church took
37:17
really a
37:17
stronghold
37:18
in Europe.
37:19
And it
37:20
went into
37:21
Africa as
37:22
well,
37:22
but didn't
37:22
go really
37:23
far south
37:23
into Africa.
37:25
It kind
37:26
of stopped
37:26
in Asia as
37:27
well because
37:28
there was
37:28
a Parthian
37:29
empire there.
37:31
and as
37:32
we know,
37:33
most of
37:33
us know
37:34
that most
37:36
of our
37:37
ancestors
37:37
here came
37:39
from Europe
37:40
and from
37:42
Europe the
37:43
gospel was
37:43
brought by
37:44
missionaries
37:44
and others
37:45
to the
37:46
new world
37:46
and as
37:48
that,
37:49
I love
37:50
the history
37:50
of this,
37:51
know that
37:52
there was
37:53
like a
37:53
state level,
37:54
a political
37:55
level that
37:56
expansion to
37:57
the new
37:57
world was
37:57
happening,
37:58
but I want
37:59
you to dig
37:59
way below
38:00
the surface,
38:00
you know,
38:01
if you ever
38:01
had the
38:01
time,
38:02
and just
38:02
look at
38:03
the believers
38:04
who were
38:04
coming over,
38:06
particularly
38:06
the Puritans.
38:08
They wrote
38:09
massive papers
38:10
about how
38:10
they saw
38:11
the new
38:12
world as
38:12
an unreached,
38:13
if you would,
38:13
area,
38:14
and that they
38:15
wanted to send
38:15
their people
38:16
over there to
38:17
preach the
38:17
gospel to
38:18
the natives.
38:19
I've seen
38:20
copies of
38:21
the Bible
38:22
translated into
38:23
Algonquin and
38:24
like other
38:25
Native American
38:26
translations.
38:28
They saw
38:28
that as a
38:29
chance to
38:29
expand the
38:30
kingdom,
38:31
guys like
38:32
Jonathan Edwards
38:33
and David
38:33
Brainerd took
38:35
the gospel
38:35
throughout the
38:36
new world.
38:38
And as the
38:38
centuries went
38:38
by, right,
38:40
we're a
38:40
product of
38:40
that.
38:41
The church
38:41
grew strong
38:42
in the
38:43
new world,
38:43
in America.
38:45
And as
38:46
time went
38:47
by,
38:48
centuries
38:48
went by,
38:50
Europe and
38:51
North America
38:52
began sending
38:53
missionaries
38:53
to Asia,
38:55
to China,
38:56
Japan,
38:57
other Asian
38:57
countries,
38:58
and now
38:59
as we
38:59
know,
39:00
it's making
39:00
its way
39:00
back across
39:01
the Middle
39:02
East,
39:02
right?
39:03
And that's
39:05
a very
39:06
fast,
39:07
quick summary
39:08
of like where
39:09
the gospel
39:09
has gone.
39:11
And of
39:11
course,
39:12
I'm not
39:12
being very
39:13
specific,
39:13
but that's
39:14
roughly what
39:15
was happening.
39:15
so the
39:17
gospel was
39:18
working its
39:18
way back,
39:19
and the
39:20
end will
39:21
come when
39:21
all the
39:21
nations are
39:22
reached.
39:26
Fourthly,
39:26
this is the
39:27
last question,
39:29
and we'll
39:29
wrap it up.
39:32
This is
39:33
personal.
39:33
I want you
39:34
to think
39:34
about this.
39:36
What are
39:36
you doing
39:37
to continue
39:39
the rich
39:40
legacy of
39:41
the church?
39:43
Acts was
39:44
a whole
39:45
history of
39:45
how the
39:46
church
39:46
started,
39:47
how Christ
39:48
through the
39:49
Holy Spirit
39:49
through the
39:51
apostles
39:52
planted the
39:52
church.
39:54
So what
39:54
are you
39:55
doing?
39:56
Do you
39:56
realize
39:57
that if
39:59
you're in
39:59
Christ,
40:00
you're a
40:00
part of
40:00
a really,
40:01
really rich
40:02
history and
40:02
family that
40:04
spans thousands
40:05
of years,
40:06
made up of
40:07
ordinary men
40:08
and women
40:08
who don't
40:09
usually have
40:10
a lot to
40:10
offer,
40:11
and that God
40:12
sees fit to
40:13
use to do
40:14
something,
40:14
for his
40:15
kingdom?
40:17
People who
40:18
are willing to
40:18
surrender their
40:19
lives all for
40:20
the cause of
40:20
Christ,
40:21
and many of
40:22
them given
40:22
their lives
40:23
to have an
40:24
eternal hope
40:25
in the life
40:26
to come.
40:27
The church is
40:28
victorious.
40:29
I mean,
40:29
it's going to
40:30
be victorious.
40:32
And whether
40:32
you want to
40:33
be a part of
40:33
that or not,
40:35
it's up to
40:36
you.
40:38
We have
40:39
one life,
40:40
let's use
40:41
it well.
40:43
Let's not,
40:43
if you
40:44
also study
40:45
just the
40:46
way the
40:46
history of
40:46
the church
40:47
has gone,
40:48
the places
40:48
where it
40:49
seems that
40:49
the church
40:50
has been
40:50
the longest
40:50
are the
40:51
places that
40:51
are growing
40:51
cold right
40:52
now.
40:53
Europe,
40:55
North America,
40:55
there's a
40:59
lot of
40:59
psalms and
41:00
scriptures in
41:02
the Old
41:02
Testament where
41:02
God is
41:03
saying,
41:03
like,
41:03
look,
41:04
Israel,
41:04
I have
41:04
blessed
41:05
you and
41:06
prospered
41:06
you so
41:06
that you
41:07
would be
41:07
my witness
41:08
to the
41:08
nations.
41:09
That is
41:09
the number
41:09
one reason
41:10
I have
41:11
prospered
41:11
you.
41:12
And if
41:12
you're
41:12
failing to
41:13
do that,
41:13
I will
41:14
judge you.
41:16
Not that
41:16
America is
41:17
a new
41:17
Israel,
41:18
not that
41:18
at all,
41:19
but he
41:20
has given
41:20
us so much.
41:21
Never in the
41:22
history of the
41:22
world has a
41:23
nation enjoyed
41:24
so much junk
41:24
as we have.
41:26
And America
41:27
is just
41:27
turning into
41:27
nothing but
41:28
Disneyland in
41:30
the kingdom
41:30
of God.
41:32
We have to
41:33
reach the
41:34
rest of the
41:35
nations and
41:35
Christ will
41:36
do it with
41:37
or without
41:37
us.
41:39
And so I
41:40
hope that you
41:41
will be willing
41:41
to weigh that.
41:43
Like,
41:43
what am I
41:43
doing?
41:44
Like,
41:44
your life
41:44
fits,
41:45
your life
41:46
is just a
41:46
drop.
41:47
All right?
41:48
You're nothing
41:48
by yourself.
41:49
Nothing.
41:50
And any life
41:51
that's spent
41:52
focused on
41:52
itself is a
41:53
miserable life.
41:55
Surrender it
41:56
all.
41:57
Live in the
41:58
big picture
41:59
of God's
41:59
kingdom.
42:01
And let's
42:02
keep our
42:03
eyes focused
42:03
on eternity.
42:06
In closing,
42:07
I'll turn to
42:08
2 Timothy
42:09
real fast.
42:11
2 Timothy
42:11
chapter 4.
42:13
2 Timothy
42:26
chapter 4
42:26
and verse
42:27
6.
42:28
Paul,
42:29
no doubt,
42:30
riding on
42:31
death row
42:32
in that dark
42:33
prison cell
42:34
in Rome,
42:36
awaiting his
42:36
death,
42:38
and in a
42:40
lot of ways
42:40
in despair.
42:41
a lot of
42:42
people had
42:43
deserted him,
42:44
left him.
42:46
He was,
42:46
in a lot of
42:47
ways,
42:47
he felt
42:47
alone.
42:50
And that's
42:50
why he's
42:51
riding to
42:51
Timothy,
42:52
a loyal
42:52
son of
42:54
his.
42:55
And so I
42:56
want you to
42:57
be able to
42:57
think about
42:58
this.
42:58
Like,
42:58
when you
42:58
close your
42:59
eyes,
43:00
will you
43:00
be able,
43:01
with a
43:01
clear conscience,
43:02
with confidence,
43:03
before God,
43:04
to kind of
43:05
say this when
43:05
you breathe
43:06
your last?
43:06
All right?
43:10
Verse 6.
43:12
For I am
43:13
already being
43:15
poured out as
43:16
a drink
43:16
offering.
43:18
The time of
43:19
my departure
43:20
has come.
43:21
I have
43:22
fought the
43:22
good fight.
43:23
I have
43:24
finished the
43:25
race.
43:25
I have
43:26
kept the
43:26
faith.
43:28
Henceforth
43:29
there is laid
43:29
up for me
43:30
the crown of
43:31
righteousness,
43:32
which the
43:32
Lord,
43:33
the righteous
43:34
judge,
43:34
will award
43:35
me on
43:36
that day,
43:38
not only
43:38
to me,
43:39
but also
43:40
to all
43:40
who have
43:41
loved his
43:42
appearing.
43:44
I pray
43:45
I'll be able
43:46
to say that.
43:46
I don't want
43:47
to,
43:48
I've come
43:48
close to
43:48
dying many
43:49
times,
43:49
and I
43:50
wanted to
43:50
be able
43:51
to say
43:51
without any
43:52
reluctance,
43:53
these words
43:55
with a
43:56
clear conscience.
43:58
Look at
43:58
that,
43:59
look at
43:59
that phrase
43:59
in verse
44:00
6.
44:01
He says,
44:01
my departure
44:02
has come.
44:03
Really cool
44:05
phrase,
44:06
departure.
44:07
It's both a
44:08
military and
44:09
a nautical
44:09
term.
44:11
As a
44:11
military expression
44:12
implies like a
44:13
tent being
44:14
broken down,
44:15
taken down to
44:16
go and move
44:17
on to another
44:17
location.
44:19
And as a
44:20
nautical term,
44:22
it's used for
44:22
hoisting an
44:23
anchor and
44:24
letting down
44:24
the sail to
44:25
catch the
44:25
wind to
44:25
go to
44:26
another
44:27
location.
44:28
It literally
44:29
could be
44:30
translated,
44:31
listen to
44:31
this,
44:32
loosing
44:33
away
44:33
upward.
44:35
The time
44:36
of his
44:36
departure
44:37
has come.
44:37
Loosing
44:38
away
44:38
upward.
44:39
A
44:39
beautiful
44:40
idea,
44:41
almost like
44:41
a balloon
44:42
that can't
44:43
wait to
44:43
have its
44:43
cord cut
44:44
so it
44:44
can just
44:45
fly up
44:46
into the
44:46
air.
44:47
An
44:48
image of
44:48
how eager
44:49
Paul was
44:50
to leave
44:50
and go,
44:51
to depart
44:52
and be
44:52
with Christ
44:53
for that
44:53
was far
44:54
better.
44:56
I hope
44:57
that we
44:58
will be
44:58
able to
44:58
say that.
44:59
We have
44:59
finished the
45:00
job.
45:00
We have
45:01
fought the
45:01
good fight.
45:02
kept the
45:03
faith.
45:05
So,
45:06
the church
45:06
is moving
45:07
on and
45:07
you're a
45:07
part of
45:08
it.
45:12
As we
45:13
pray together,
45:14
I'm going to
45:15
give you a
45:15
little bit of
45:15
time to
45:16
reflect on
45:16
all that
45:17
we've
45:17
learned
45:17
throughout
45:17
the book
45:18
of Acts,
45:19
all that
45:20
God has
45:20
challenged
45:20
you with
45:21
both then
45:22
and today.
45:25
And I'll
45:26
pray for us.
45:26
Let's pray
45:26
together.
45:27
Let's pray
45:26
together.