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The End - The Book of Acts · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

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  Speaker 1: Let us pray. And Paul dwelt two whole years in
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  Speaker 1: his own hired house, and received all that came in
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  Speaker 1: unto him, preaching the kingdom of God. Acts 28, 30
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  Speaker 1: and 31. With each passing day, week, month, and year
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  Speaker 1: of my journey, I thank you that through my steadfast
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  Speaker 1: dedication to you and my craft, I am now gaining
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  Speaker 1: the respect and influence needed for me to take my
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  Speaker 1: life to the next level. When people hear my name,
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  Speaker 1: I thank you, Lord, that they see that I am
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  Speaker 1: a person of action and that I get things done.
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  Speaker 1: Like Paul in his lifetime, I stand in the shadow
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  Speaker 1: of great men and women who've gone before me to
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  Speaker 1: show me that faith in God is never wasted confidence.
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  Speaker 1: May Paul's ability to focus on objectives, and not obstacles,
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  Speaker 1: rub off on me. May Paul's words remind me to
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  Speaker 1: speak with authority and credibility. And lastly, may Paul's dedication
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  Speaker 1: to never compromise and never drift from God-given absolutes and
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  Speaker 1: instruction be the anchor in which I set out to
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  Speaker 1: establish the life of my ministry, family, business, and personal growth.
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  Speaker 1: In Jesus' name.
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  Speaker 2: Amen.
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  Speaker 1: Listening to these daily prayers strengthens your relationship with God.
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  Speaker 1: Continue hearing from the Lord by listening to today's Bible
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  Speaker 1: in a Year. Brought to you by BibleInAYear.com.
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  Speaker 2: The End In our last story, Paul endured storms and
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  Speaker 2: shipwrecks with his captors on their journey to Rome. The
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  Speaker 2: wind and waves were relentless, and the hope of the
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  Speaker 2: men was fading. The men were left shipwrecked and defeated
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  Speaker 2: on the shores of Malta. Now we reach the end
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  Speaker 2: of Paul's recorded journey as he finally makes his way
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  Speaker 2: to Rome. He meets the believers in Rome and is
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  Speaker 2: embraced by the Jews, inspired by the Book of Acts.
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  Speaker 3: Hello, Jack Graham once again with the Bible in a
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  Speaker 3: Year podcast. Thanks for joining us. In our last episode,
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  Speaker 3: we heard how the ship that carried Paul and other
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  Speaker 3: prisoners headed to Rome was overwhelmed by a storm and
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  Speaker 3: forced to run aground on an island. Throughout days of
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  Speaker 3: terror and distress, Paul comforted the crew and passengers, telling
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  Speaker 3: them that the God he served would spare every life
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  Speaker 3: on ship. After more than two weeks of peril, They
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  Speaker 3: finally arrived safely on the island of Malta, just as
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  Speaker 3: Paul said they would. Today we'll hear how the inhabitants
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  Speaker 3: of Malta were kind and welcoming, and how God works
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  Speaker 3: through Paul to heal the sick on the island and
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  Speaker 3: to provide a way to leave the island. We'll also
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  Speaker 3: hear of Paul's arrival in Rome, the welcome he received
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  Speaker 3: from the church there, and the openness of the Jews
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  Speaker 3: in Rome to hear about hope in Jesus Christ. So
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  Speaker 3: let's listen now to this reading from the book of Acts.
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  Speaker 2: The soldiers, sailors, and prisoners all lay on their backs
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  Speaker 2: looking up at the blue skies above. They were exhausted,
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  Speaker 2: sapped of all energy. Months at sea with rain and
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  Speaker 2: wind beating down at them had taken its toll. However,
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  Speaker 2: they were happy to be on shore, even if it
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  Speaker 2: was because of a shipwreck. Luke and Paul lay on
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  Speaker 2: the sand, unbelievably grateful to God for his protection. As
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  Speaker 2: they stared at the baby blue skies, they heard a
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  Speaker 2: rustling in the trees behind them. The men arose to
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  Speaker 2: their feet to find natives peering out at them. They
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  Speaker 2: emerged from the plants with trepidation, seeing that the Romans
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  Speaker 2: still carried some of their weapons. It didn't take long
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  Speaker 2: for the men to make peace with the natives. They
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  Speaker 2: were surprisingly kind and shared their food with the men.
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  Speaker 2: Their gentleness was unusual but refreshing. As the night came,
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  Speaker 2: they all sat by the fire, warming themselves with the
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  Speaker 2: bright flames. Paul arose to gather more sticks to put
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  Speaker 2: into the fire, not knowing that a viper lay hidden
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  Speaker 2: in the reeds. Paul picked up the reeds and carried
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  Speaker 2: them to the fire. He threw them in. The viper,
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  Speaker 2: still among the twigs, leapt out of the flames and
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  Speaker 2: fastened itself to Paul's hand. All the men stepped back,
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  Speaker 2: afraid of more vipers emerging from the fire. Yet Paul
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  Speaker 2: seemed to not be alarmed. He quietly shook his hand
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  Speaker 2: above the fire, and the viper perished by the flames.
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  Speaker 2: The natives stood in silence, waiting for Paul's hand to
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  Speaker 2: swell up and his face to grow pale. But nothing happened.
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  Speaker 2: Paul did not have a fever or chills. His hand
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  Speaker 2: did not swell, nor was he in pain. The natives
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  Speaker 2: watched him curiously through the flames. They observed his calm
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  Speaker 2: demeanor and gentle smile. Who is this man? they whispered.
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  Speaker 2: He must be a god. Although Paul suffered no illness,
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  Speaker 2: the chief of the village became very ill with fever
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  Speaker 2: and dysentery. Sweat beat down his brow and chills covered
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  Speaker 2: his entire body. Paul knelt beside him, joyful for the
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  Speaker 2: opportunity to care for him. He prayed over him, as
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  Speaker 2: well as all the other people on the island who
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  Speaker 2: were diseased, and all of them were cured. They honored
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  Speaker 2: them and rejoiced over Paul and his companions, so much
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  Speaker 2: so that they allowed them to set sail with their
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  Speaker 2: only vessel back to Rome. When they entered Rome, they
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  Speaker 2: were greeted by believers who had been expecting them. The soldiers, sailors,
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  Speaker 2: and prisoners were all embraced by the Roman church. Their
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  Speaker 2: love for them was overwhelming. Their love and care was
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  Speaker 2: like a warm blanket to a weary soul. Paul's heart
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  Speaker 2: melted when he met the believers at Rome. He had
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  Speaker 2: always desired to see them, and now he finally had
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  Speaker 2: a chance. After three days, Paul called for the Jewish
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  Speaker 2: leaders to gather. He told them of his plight and
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  Speaker 2: his rivalry with the Jews in Israel and Asia. However,
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  Speaker 2: the Jews in Rome were less hostile towards Paul. We
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  Speaker 2: have not heard any evil words spoken against you, they said.
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  Speaker 2: In fact, we would love to hear your message. So
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  Speaker 2: Paul preached the gospel to all the Jews in Rome.
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  Speaker 2: They more than anyone knew about the oppression of the
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  Speaker 2: Roman Empire. They more than anyone desired a savior, so
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  Speaker 2: they listened. Their hearts were enthralled by the message of Christ.
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  Speaker 2: His love, mercy, and fulfillment of prophecy drew them in.
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  Speaker 2: Some believed, others did not. However, Paul was embraced by them.
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  Speaker 2: Paul's life would not end in a bed surrounded by
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  Speaker 2: loved ones. Eventually, he would go before Caesar and be
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  Speaker 2: deemed as a threat. Despite his end, Paul served as
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  Speaker 2: an example to all who believed in Jesus. He was
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  Speaker 2: an example that someone dedicated to evil can be used
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  Speaker 2: for good. He was an example of the weakness being
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  Speaker 2: used as strength. He was an example of hardship being
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  Speaker 2: used for the glory of God. Paul the Apostle, once
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  Speaker 2: Saul the Pharisee, died with his head apart from his shoulders.
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  Speaker 2: Yet his work for the gospel echoes still. His letters
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  Speaker 2: to the churches have strengthened generations of Christians to elevate
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  Speaker 2: Jesus above all else. Thus ended the recorded Acts of
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  Speaker 2: the Apostles. Yet the same Spirit lives in every believer
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  Speaker 2: to this day. The same Spirit who healed millions, preached
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  Speaker 2: boldly in the temple, gave visions for redemption and led
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  Speaker 2: with grace, still lives in the hearts of all those
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  Speaker 2: who believe in Christ. So the acts of the believers
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  Speaker 2: still continue to this day, leading people to the presence
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  Speaker 2: of God and creating a culture of flourishing until Jesus returns.
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  Speaker 3: Amen. In today's reading, the shipwrecked sailors, soldiers, and prisoners
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  Speaker 3: are on the island of Malta where they are washed up, shaken,
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  Speaker 3: but safe. To their great surprise, those who lived on
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  Speaker 3: Malta were kind and hospitable, helping them gather kindling and
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  Speaker 3: start a fire for warmth. Paul set to work gathering
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  Speaker 3: firewood too and was bitten by a viper, a poisonous
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  Speaker 3: snake which should have killed him. The Maltese people seeing
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  Speaker 3: this assumed he must be evil and this was an
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  Speaker 3: act of cosmic justice. They were sure he would swell
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  Speaker 3: up and die, but he shook off the snake and
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  Speaker 3: walked away unharmed. God had spared Paul, and God had
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  Speaker 3: protected this man and opened doors for Paul to heal
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  Speaker 3: the sick in Malta. We also know that Paul never
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  Speaker 3: missed an opportunity to share his faith in Jesus Christ,
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  Speaker 3: to share the hope that is ours in Christ. He
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  Speaker 3: is a great example always for us wherever we go
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  Speaker 3: that we would tell people about Jesus. After several months
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  Speaker 3: on the island, they were given a boat to depart
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  Speaker 3: and conclude the journey to Rome. It had been a long,
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  Speaker 3: arduous voyage, and finally Paul was going to get his
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  Speaker 3: opportunity to tell Caesar himself, the most powerful man in
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  Speaker 3: the world, about the Lord Jesus Christ and preach to
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  Speaker 3: him of the gospel. Their arrival in Rome had been
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  Speaker 3: anticipated by the brothers and sisters there, and they were
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  Speaker 3: greeted warmly by believers, some who had traveled from across
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  Speaker 3: the region. Paul was given a great deal of freedom
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  Speaker 3: and allowed to lodge by himself with only a Roman
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  Speaker 3: soldier there to watch over him. Paul, of course, would
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  Speaker 3: share the gospel with these soldiers every time they would
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  Speaker 3: exchange duty. Paul had eagerly awaited a chance to meet
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  Speaker 3: with the church in Rome, so we can imagine how
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  Speaker 3: overjoyed he was to finally get the opportunity, even under
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  Speaker 3: these circumstances of imprisonment. But it was not only the
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  Speaker 3: believers whom Paul wanted to see. He reached out to
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  Speaker 3: the Jews in Rome to tell his side of the
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  Speaker 3: story and assure them that he was not causing the
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  Speaker 3: kind of trouble he was being accused of in Jerusalem.
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  Speaker 3: These Jews were much more reasonable, and they received no
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  Speaker 3: report about Paul from Jerusalem. Not only were they not
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  Speaker 3: opposed to Paul, they wanted to hear what he believed
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  Speaker 3: about Jesus, the Messiah. They had heard about this group
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  Speaker 3: known as The Way. Taken from the words of Jesus,
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  Speaker 3: I am the way, the truth, and the life. This
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  Speaker 3: is now an opportunity for them to hear about this
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  Speaker 3: way of salvation through Jesus Christ. And this man, Paul,
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  Speaker 3: spoke with compassion and strong convictions. In Acts 28, 23,
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  Speaker 3: we read when they had appointed a day for him,
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  Speaker 3: they came to him at his lodging in greater numbers.
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  Speaker 3: From morning till evening, he expounded to them, testifying to
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  Speaker 3: the kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus,
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  Speaker 3: both from the law of Moses and from the prophets.
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  Speaker 3: It might be easy to miss the importance, the significance
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  Speaker 3: of this passage. Remember that in every city, Paul went
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  Speaker 3: to the temple seeking out the Jews to share the gospel.
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  Speaker 3: And in every city, he was run out. often under
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  Speaker 3: cover of night, lest he would be killed by the Jews.
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  Speaker 3: Now Paul is under house arrest, unable to go to
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  Speaker 3: the temple. But these religious people came to him. You see,
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  Speaker 3: the gospel cannot be stopped. The message of Jesus is unstoppable.
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  Speaker 3: It will not be hindered. God will always provide a
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  Speaker 3: way for lost people to hear about his word through
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  Speaker 3: faithful Christians. We must be faithful as Paul was and
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  Speaker 3: so many others have been throughout the generations and be
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  Speaker 3: bold in our witness and take every opportunity we have
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  Speaker 3: to share Christ. After Paul had shared, some believed and
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  Speaker 3: were added to the number of Christians in Rome. Others
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  Speaker 3: were not convinced and remained in their unbelief, but they
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  Speaker 3: did not seek to harm Paul. The book of Acts
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  Speaker 3: closes on an incredibly happy note, telling us that Paul
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  Speaker 3: lived peacefully there for two years openly sharing Christ with all.
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  Speaker 3: During this time there, Paul wrote letters to the Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians,
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  Speaker 3: and also the letter to Philemon. His letters give hope, strength, wisdom,
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  Speaker 3: and faith to us today, just as they did when
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  Speaker 3: he wrote them so many years ago. These words, of course,
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  Speaker 3: were not just the words of a man, but the
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  Speaker 3: Word of God. For God's Word is inspired, breathed out
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  Speaker 3: by the Holy Spirit. All Scripture is is given by
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  Speaker 3: inspiration of God. And when we read the Bible, from
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  Speaker 3: Genesis to Revelation, we are reading God's book. We are
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  Speaker 3: reading the book all about Jesus. Paul was eventually released
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  Speaker 3: and continued his missionary work in Europe. But later, Paul
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  Speaker 3: would be arrested again by Emperor Nero, the Caesar, and
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  Speaker 3: would be martyred for his faith. As he would later
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  Speaker 3: describe to Timothy in his letter to him, he had
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  Speaker 3: fought the good fight. He had kept the faith. He
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  Speaker 3: had finished the course, and along the way, he had
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  Speaker 3: blessed countless people and still does today through the centuries
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  Speaker 3: by his own personal example of faithfulness and boldness and compassion,
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  Speaker 3: his missionary zeal for the lost and the least and
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  Speaker 3: the last all around the world, and he gave us
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  Speaker 3: these magnificent New Testament letters that we still read today
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  Speaker 3: for our Christian growth. But we need to remember this,
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  Speaker 3: as in any book of the Bible, we miss the
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  Speaker 3: point If we look to the human personalities or the
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  Speaker 3: characters of the Bible as the heroes, Paul himself was
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  Speaker 3: a hero, but he always pointed people to Jesus. He
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  Speaker 3: always stepped aside and pointed to Christ and said, Jesus
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  Speaker 3: is Lord. The book of Acts is a wonderful story
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  Speaker 3: of the New Testament church, and it reminds us that
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  Speaker 3: the witness of Christ cannot be stopped. The gospel of
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  Speaker 3: our Lord Jesus Christ, his death, burial, and resurrection is
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  Speaker 3: It marches all around the world so that all may
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  Speaker 3: ultimately hear. Paul's life ended, but God's work and witness
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  Speaker 3: did not. And the same Holy Spirit that guided Paul,
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  Speaker 3: who strengthened him through persecution, beating, imprisonment, and even death,
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  Speaker 3: this Spirit, the Holy Spirit, lives in us and enables
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  Speaker 3: us and empowers us to proclaim the name of Christ today.
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  Speaker 3: May we continue to be faithful and fervent till the
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  Speaker 3: whole world hears. Dear God, we thank you for the scriptures.
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  Speaker 3: We thank you that you have inspired these words, not
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  Speaker 3: just of human origin, but by the Holy Spirit, that
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  Speaker 3: the Bible is your book. And we thank you for
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  Speaker 3: the story of Acts, the story of the church and
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  Speaker 3: Christians as they press forward with the message of hope
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  Speaker 3: and salvation all across the known world and ultimately to
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  Speaker 3: the whole world. May we and our generation be bold
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  Speaker 3: in our witness and continue to work faithfully and for
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  Speaker 3: the Lord Jesus Christ, growing His church, building believers until
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  Speaker 3: He comes again. In Jesus' name, amen. Thank you for
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  Speaker 3: listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast. I'm Pastor
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  Speaker 3: Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. Download the Pray.com app and
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  Speaker 3: make prayer and Bible study the priority of your life.
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  Speaker 3: If you enjoyed this podcast, share it with someone you love,
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  Speaker 3: now at www.bibleinayear.com. And if you want more resources on
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  Speaker 3: how to tap into God's power for Christian living, visit jackgram.org.
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  Speaker 3: When you visit us at jackgram.org, You will find many
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  Speaker 3: free resources as to how you may grow in your
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  Speaker 3: faith and share your witness with the gospel. We would
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  Speaker 3: love for you to take us up on that offering.
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  Speaker 3: God bless you.