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Acts 21:27-22:29 · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

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Please join me in your copy of God's Word, which I hope you have with you.
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I hope it's well read and treasured in your hearts.
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To the book of Acts chapter 21.
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Our text this morning will begin in verse 27 of Acts chapter 21
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and go through verse 29 of Acts chapter 22.
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That's right, not three verses.
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We're going to go almost a whole chapter this morning.
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And this morning's sermon will be a bit different
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because this morning's text is such a long one.
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It's setting a stage for really the rest of Luke's second narrative
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for Paul's arrest and his coming trials, his journey to Rome.
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Also, because I'm just not feeling super hot today, here's the plan.
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As we read the text, I'm going to stop.
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I'm going to pause and I'm going to make comments.
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I hope for your benefit.
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I hope this will be helpful to you in understanding what's happening
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to the life of Paul as Christ ministers through him in Jerusalem.
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And then at the end of that, as I'm making notes through,
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at the end of that, we will do a brief outline,
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which will be the following.
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Number one, we'll note the ferocity of the crowd.
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Number two, the fearlessness of Paul.
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And number three, the faithfulness of Paul.
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So the ferocity of the crowd, the fearlessness of Paul.
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And number three, the faithfulness of Paul.
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Before I begin reading, beloved, let me remind you that this is God's word to us.
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That it was written for his glory and for our good.
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And we would all do well to listen to it in order to believe its promises and obey its commands.
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I'll begin in verse 27 of chapter 21.
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When the seven days were almost completed,
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the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple,
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stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him, crying out,
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Men of Israel, help!
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This is the man who was teaching everyone everywhere
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against the people and the law and this place.
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Moreover, he even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.
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For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city,
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and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple.
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Then all the city was stirred up and the people ran together.
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They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple,
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and at once the gates were shut.
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Recall that Paul, in order to maintain unity amongst the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem,
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was participating in a custom along with four men.
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We spent an expansive amount of time on this last week.
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Luke's reference to the seven days has to do with that custom,
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the purification that would have occurred at the end of that custom at the temple.
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So we see that Paul is participating in the custom,
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and Jews from Asia,
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that is Jews who had rejected the gospel in Ephesus
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and sought Paul's life there.
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Some of these Jews are now in Jerusalem,
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and they create a commotion by making a presumptive accusation
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that Paul has taken a Gentile,
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a non-Jewish person by heritage,
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in the holy place of the temple.
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The temple had various courts,
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the Holy of Holies at the center,
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that only the high priest went into one day a week,
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called the Day of Atonement.
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The holy place, which was reserved for Jewish worship,
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and then the court of the Gentiles,
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which Gentiles were allowed to be in.
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So they presumed, having seen Paul with Trophimus,
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I think that's how you say his name,
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that they had taken him in there.
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And I would suppose they're just looking for accusation to rail against him.
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The text says that we've read so far,
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at once the gates were shut.
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The temple guard closed the gates to the temple
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so that the temple would not be defiled by Paul's death.
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They have dragged him out in order to kill him.
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Continue reading in verse 31.
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And as they were seeking to kill him,
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word came to the tribune of the cohort
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that all Jerusalem was in confusion.
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He at once took soldiers and centurions and ran down to them.
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And when they saw the tribune and the soldiers,
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they stopped beating Paul.
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Now the tribune is the commanding officer of the cohort
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that's there of Roman soldiers that are there in Jerusalem.
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A cohort loosely means a band of soldiers.
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In this case in Jerusalem, there were a thousand soldiers,
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760 foot soldiers and 240 cavalry soldiers.
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There's a mention of both soldiers and centurions.
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So if your curiosity is piqued,
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the centurion was a professional officer of the Roman army.
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So also a soldier, but an officer in the Roman army.
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The tribune was charged with keeping the peace in Jerusalem.
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Remember, this is an occupying army.
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And he was meant with all of these Roman soldiers,
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the cohort of a thousand soldiers,
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to keep down any insurrections.
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So when there was an uprising,
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just like when Jesus was crucified,
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they worked to appease the population at any cost.
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If it meant crucifying our Lord and Savior,
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this is what they would do.
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If it meant arresting Paul,
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this is what they would do.
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They wanted to keep peace
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in the place that they were ruling over.
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So the tribune is not particularly sympathetic toward Paul.
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He's just meaning to keep the crowd in order,
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which in this case works out to Paul's benefit.
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Verse 33.
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Then the tribune came up and arrested him
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and ordered him to be bound with two chains.
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He would be bound between two soldiers.
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He inquired who he was and what he had done.
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Some in the crowd were shouting one thing,
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some another.
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And as he could not learn the facts because of the uproar,
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he ordered him to be brought into the barracks.
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And when he came to the steps,
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he was actually carried by the soldiers
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because of the violence of the crowd.
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For the mob of the people followed,
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crying out,
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away with him.
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So Paul is arrested by the commanding officer
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who assumes that he is guilty of something.
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Otherwise,
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why would the crowd be so furious with him?
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He has to be guilty of something.
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However,
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as he makes inquiry to Paul's crime,
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the crowd is in such an uproar,
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and so clearly not on the same page.
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One saying one thing,
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one saying another.
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This is mob violence
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that Paul finds himself in the middle of.
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But the tribune decides to take Paul to the barracks,
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which would have been just across the street
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from the temple where he could question him
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by torture for a confession.
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The crowd at this point is in such a frenzy
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that Paul has to be carried above the crowd.
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This is my presumption,
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but that he's actually carried,
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lifted up above the crowd for his safety
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so that he can, in fact, be questioned.
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Verse 37.
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As Paul was about to be brought into the barracks,
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he said to the tribune,
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may I say something to you?
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And he said,
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do you know Greek?
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Are you not the Egyptian then
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who recently stirred up a revolt
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and led the 4,000 men of the assassins
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out into the wilderness?
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Because Paul speaks in Greek to the tribune,
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the tribune wrongly assumes
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that Paul was an Egyptian man
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that some years earlier led a group,
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here Luke records,
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of 4,000 men
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to the Mount of Olives
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where he proclaimed
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that the walls of Jerusalem
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would fall at his command
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and the Romans would be routed.
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So there was a man from Egypt,
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we just know him as the Egyptian here,
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makes this bold proclamation
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that he would command the walls to fall
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and Rome would be driven out.
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Before that happened,
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Governor Felix led Roman troops against him,
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killing much of the insurrection,
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but the man known as the Egyptian escaped.
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Paul simply gives the tribune a simple response.
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Verse 39,
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Paul replied,
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I am a Jew from Tarsus and Cilicia,
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a citizen of no obscure city.
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I beg you,
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permit me to speak to the people.
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And when he had given him permission,
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Paul, standing on the steps,
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motioned with his hand to the people.
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And when there was a great hush,
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he addressed them in the Hebrew language,
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saying,
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Brothers and fathers,
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hear the defense that I now make before you.
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And when they heard that he was addressing them
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in the Hebrew language,
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they became even more quiet.
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I imagine they became even more quiet
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because of the mass confusion
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about who he was.
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Upon hearing him speak in Aramaic,
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I think many of the crowd recognized him as a Jew,
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which calmed some of their false assumption about him.
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So with the crowd now quiet,
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and Paul standing on the steps,
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he tells of his dramatic conversion.
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He tells them how he went from Christianity's
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most violent persecutor
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to Christianity's greatest missionary.
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Verse 3.
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And he said,
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I am a Jew,
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born in Tarsus and Cilicia,
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brought up in this city,
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educated at the feet of Gamaliel,
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according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers,
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being zealous for God
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as all of you are this day.
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I persecuted this way,
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speaking of Christianity,
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to the deaf,
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binding and delivering to prison
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both men and women
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as the high priest
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and the whole council of elders
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can bear me witness.
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From them I received letters to the brothers,
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and I journeyed toward Damascus
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to take those also who were there
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and bring them in bonds to Jerusalem
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to be punished.
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As I was on my way
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and drew near to Damascus,
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about noon a great light from heaven
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suddenly shone around me.
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And I fell to the ground
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and heard a voice saying to me,
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Saul, Saul,
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why are you persecuting me?
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And I answered,
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Who are you, Lord?
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And he said to me,
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I am Jesus of Nazareth,
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whom you are persecuting.
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Now those who were with me saw the light,
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but did not understand the voice of the one
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who was speaking to me.
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And I said,
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What shall I do, Lord?
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And the Lord said to me,
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Rise and go into Damascus,
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and there you will be told
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all that is appointed for you to do.
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And since I could not see
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because of the brightness of that light,
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I was led by the hand
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by those who were with me
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and came into Damascus.
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And one Ananias,
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a devout man according to the law,
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well spoken of by all the Jews
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who lived there,
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came to me
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and standing by me said to me,
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Brother Saul,
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receive your sight.
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And at that very hour
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I received my sight
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and saw him.
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And he said,
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The God of our fathers
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appointed to know his will,
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to see the righteous one
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and to hear a voice from his mouth.
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For you will be a witness for him
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to everyone
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of what you have seen and heard.
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And now why do you wait?
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Rise and be baptized
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and wash away your sins,
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calling on his name.
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Now it is worth pointing out
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at this point
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and noting that as Paul is telling
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of his conversion,
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he is sharing the gospel
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of Jesus Christ.
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He is weaving his story
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into the greater narrative
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of the world
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and God's redemptive purpose in it
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as he recounts the words
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of Ananias,
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Rise and be baptized
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and wash away your sins,
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calling on his name.
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Now I will spare you
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the Greek work it takes
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to arrive at the following conclusion,
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but Ananias' call
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to rise and be baptized
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and wash away your sins,
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calling on your name
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is more literally translated,
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and I appreciate ESV,
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which is the translation I'm using,
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making it sound poetic,
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but it's more literally translated,
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rise,
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get yourself baptized,
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and your sins washed away,
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having called on his name.
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That is,
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Ananias preached the gospel
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of salvation by grace alone,
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through faith alone,
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in Jesus Christ alone.
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He is not suggesting
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that baptism washes away sin,
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but that faith in Jesus Christ,
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calling on the name of Jesus Christ,
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washes away sin,
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which leads to the obedience
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of baptism.
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Hear it again.
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Rise,
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get yourself baptized,
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and your sins washed away,
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having called on his name.
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So the calling on the name
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precedes baptism.
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Verse 17,
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When I had returned to Jerusalem
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and was praying in the temple,
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I fell into a trance,
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and saw him saying to me,
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saw Christ saying to Paul,
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Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly,
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because they will not accept
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your testimony about me.
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And I said,
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Lord,
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they themselves know
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that in one synagogue after another
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I imprisoned and beat
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those who believed in you.
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And when the blood of Stephen,
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your witness,
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was being shed,
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I myself was standing by
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and approving
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and watching over the garments
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of those who killed him.
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And he said to me,
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Go,
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for I will send you far away
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to the Gentiles.
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So Paul recounts
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Jesus is commissioning him
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in a trance
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to carry the gospel
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to Gentiles,
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to non-Jewish peoples.
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It has always been
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God's purpose
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to make himself known
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throughout the world.
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In Psalm 86, 9,
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David writes,
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All the nations you have made
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shall come and worship
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before you, O Lord,
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and shall glorify your name.
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Many Jews
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had missed this reality.
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Many of them were hanging on
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to their ethnic
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and national identity
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as a people
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who had been invaded
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and were being ruled
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by Rome.
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They had missed
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that God intended
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His glory
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to go out
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amongst all peoples.
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Praise God.
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I think most,
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if not all of us,
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are benefits
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of that good purpose
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in the world.
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So,
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having missed that reality,
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the Jews,
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verse 22,
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Luke records for us,
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Up to this word
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they listened to Him.
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Then they raised
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their voices
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and said,
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so this is in response
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to Paul saying,
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Jesus commissioned me
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to go
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to the Gentiles.
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they raised their voices
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and said,
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halfway through verse 22,
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away with such a fellow
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from the earth.
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He should not be allowed
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to live.
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And as they were shouting
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and throwing off their cloaks
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and flinging dust
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into the air,
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the tribune ordered him
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to be brought
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into the barracks
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saying that he should be
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examined by flogging
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to find out why
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they were shouting
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against him
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like this.
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Jewish prejudice
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against Gentiles
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threw them
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once again
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into a rage
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which they expressed
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by calling again
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for Paul's death
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and making
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expressions
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of disdain
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in throwing off
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their cloaks
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and flinging dust
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into the air.
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And so,
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the tribune proceeds
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with his original plan
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to torture Paul
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to find out
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what he is guilty of.
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Verse 25,
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But when they had
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stretched him out
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for the whips,
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Paul said to the centurion
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who was standing by,
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Is it lawful
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for you to flog a man
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who is a Roman citizen
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and uncondemned?
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When the centurion
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heard this,
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he went to the tribune
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and said to him,
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What are you about to do?
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For this man
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is a Roman citizen.
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You see,
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Roman citizens
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were exempted
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from torturous methods
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of inquiry.
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So Paul,
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with a simple question
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asked,
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I think,
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in the way I read it,
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makes it known
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to a centurion
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that he is
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a Roman citizen.
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Is it lawful?
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Knowing full well
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it wasn't.
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For you to flog
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a man who is
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a Roman citizen
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and uncondemned?
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Paul's treatment
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could have cost
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the tribune
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his career
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or possibly
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even his life.
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So the centurion
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hastens to him
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and reports
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Paul's citizenship
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to the tribune
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who comes
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and questions Paul
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in order to confirm it.
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Verse 27,
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So the tribune
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came and said to him,
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Tell me,
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are you a Roman citizen?
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And he said,
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Yes.
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The tribune answered,
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I bought this citizenship
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for a large sum,
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which likely means
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that he had bribed his way
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into becoming a citizen.
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The law did not allow
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for such a thing,
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but likely he paid his way in
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through illegal bribery.
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Paul said,
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But I am a citizen by birth,
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a legitimate citizen.
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Verse 29,
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So those who are about
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to examine him,
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torture him,
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and ask him questions,
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withdrew from him,
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immediately.
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And the tribune
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also was afraid,
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for he realized
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that Paul was a Roman citizen
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and that he had bound him,
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unlawfully bound him.
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And this sets us up
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for the trials
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that are to come
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in coming weeks.
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So, as a reminder,
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and in brief,
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at least that's my intention,
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let's note together
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the ferocity of the crowd,
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the fearlessness of Paul,
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and the faithfulness of Paul.
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Number one,
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the ferocity of the crowd.
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Now, the way in which
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this crowd acts
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should be no surprise to you
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if you have been a student
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of the book of Acts
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along with us.
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We have seen in our study together
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a great number of crowds
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upset by the teaching of Paul.
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And we know that many years earlier,
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it was persecution of Christians
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in Jerusalem
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that flung wide the gates
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for a broad spreading
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of the gospel.
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Everywhere we've seen
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so far in the book of Acts,
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where the gospel is preached,
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there is opposition
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to the gospel.
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Dovetailing this morning
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with Paul's telling
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of his conversion
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in today's text,
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we can recall Luke's record
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following the stoning
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of the first Christian martyr,
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Stephen,
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which was overseen by Paul.
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We read in Acts 8,
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verses 1 through 4,
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And Saul approved
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of Stephen's execution.
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And there arose on that day
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a great persecution
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against the church in Jerusalem.
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And they were all scattered
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throughout the regions
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of Judea and Samaria
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except the apostles.
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Devout men buried Stephen
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and made great lamentation
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over him.
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But Saul was ravaging
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the church
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and entering house after house.
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He dragged off men and women
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and committed them to prison.
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And verse 4 says,
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Now those who were scattered
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went about preaching the word.
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Darkened hearts,
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apart from God's saving grace,
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want nothing to do
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with the truth.
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But rather,
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as Paul states in Romans 1,
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verse 18,
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these people,
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by their unrighteousness,
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suppress the truth.
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We find in our day
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this to be true.
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There's a great labor made
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to suppress the truth of God.
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Here, this crowd called
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for Paul's death.
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This morning,
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around the world,
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many Christians meet in secret.
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Many Christians will be hated,
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ridiculed,
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imprisoned,
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beaten,
21:45
and killed.
21:47
This should not
21:49
surprise us.
21:51
If we are
21:53
faithful witnesses,
21:56
we will not be
21:57
exempt
21:58
from this kind of disdain.
22:00
What should surprise us
22:02
is if we
22:03
don't experience
22:04
opposition
22:05
to the preaching
22:06
of the gospel.
22:09
The apostle Peter
22:09
wrote to Christians
22:10
experiencing persecution
22:11
in 1 Peter 4, 12,
22:14
Beloved,
22:14
do not be surprised
22:16
at the fiery trial
22:17
when it comes upon you
22:18
to test you
22:19
as though
22:21
something strange
22:22
were happening
22:23
to you.
22:25
And Paul wrote
22:26
to Timothy
22:26
in 2 Timothy 3, 12.
22:28
You're familiar with this
22:29
if you've been with us
22:30
in our study of Acts.
22:32
Indeed,
22:33
all who desire
22:34
to live a godly life
22:35
in Christ Jesus
22:36
will be persecuted.
22:39
I know that it will
22:40
take a different shape
22:41
in the place
22:42
that we live,
22:43
but we will
22:44
meet with opposition.
22:46
We will meet
22:47
disdain.
22:48
We will be met
22:49
with ferocity.
22:53
Beloved,
22:53
if we are faithful stewards
22:55
of the good news
22:56
that we have partaken of,
22:57
then the crowds
22:58
will be
22:59
ferocious.
23:01
If the prospect
23:02
of ferocious crowds
23:04
is frightful to you,
23:05
then let the example
23:07
of Paul serve you
23:08
in these next moments
23:09
as we look at
23:10
number two,
23:12
the fearlessness
23:13
of Paul.
23:17
Paul was not at all
23:18
surprised
23:19
by the ferocity
23:20
of the crowd.
23:22
As stated before,
23:23
he had experienced
23:23
such opposition
23:24
almost everywhere
23:25
that he went.
23:26
It was becoming
23:27
an old trick for him.
23:29
And he said
23:29
to the Ephesian elders
23:30
in Acts 20,
23:32
verses 22 and 23,
23:33
and now behold,
23:36
I am going to Jerusalem
23:37
constrained by the Spirit,
23:39
not knowing
23:40
what will happen
23:41
to me there,
23:42
except
23:42
that the Holy Spirit
23:44
testifies to me
23:45
in every city
23:46
that imprisonment
23:48
and afflictions
23:49
await me.
23:51
He was very aware
23:52
that something
23:53
in our term
23:56
bad
23:56
would happen
23:57
to him
23:58
in Jerusalem.
23:59
And he seemed
24:00
so very untroubled
24:01
by this,
24:03
believing, I suppose,
24:04
as he wrote
24:04
in Romans 8, 18,
24:06
for I consider
24:07
that the sufferings
24:08
of this present time
24:10
are not worth
24:11
comparing
24:12
with the glory
24:13
that is to be revealed
24:15
to us.
24:17
So he goes on
24:18
in Acts 20,
24:19
verse 24,
24:20
to say,
24:20
but I do not
24:22
account my life
24:23
of any value
24:24
nor as precious
24:26
to myself
24:27
if only I may
24:28
finish my course
24:29
and the ministry
24:30
that I received
24:31
from the Lord Jesus
24:31
to testify
24:32
to the gospel
24:34
of the grace
24:35
of God.
24:37
Paul believed
24:37
that his life
24:38
only had value
24:40
in that
24:41
it ascribed
24:43
value
24:43
to Jesus Christ.
24:46
He said as much
24:47
in Philippians 1, 21,
24:48
for to me
24:49
to live is Christ
24:50
and to die
24:52
is gain.
24:54
And in Acts 21,
24:56
the last part
24:57
of verse 13,
24:59
he said,
25:00
I am ready
25:00
not only to be
25:01
imprisoned
25:02
but even to die
25:03
in Jerusalem
25:04
for the name
25:05
of the Lord Jesus.
25:09
So Paul is
25:10
fearless
25:11
in the face
25:13
of opposition.
25:15
He believes
25:16
that if God
25:17
is for him,
25:18
no one
25:19
can be
25:19
against him.
25:21
He believes
25:22
that he is
25:22
filling up
25:23
what is lacking
25:23
in the suffering
25:24
of Christ.
25:26
And he believes
25:27
that this is
25:28
an opportunity
25:29
to preach
25:29
the good news
25:30
of Jesus.
25:33
Beloved,
25:33
do you seize
25:34
every opportunity
25:36
to make Christ
25:37
known?
25:38
Do you press
25:39
forward
25:40
or do you
25:42
shrink
25:42
back?
25:44
Are you a
25:45
faithful ambassador
25:46
of the gospel?
25:47
faithfulness
25:48
Let's be
25:49
further spurned
25:50
on by the
25:51
example of Paul
25:51
as we consider
25:52
number three,
25:54
the faithfulness
25:55
of Paul.
25:57
The faithfulness
25:58
of Paul.
25:58
I imagine
26:02
as Paul
26:04
is being
26:04
carried
26:04
to the
26:05
barrack
26:05
that he
26:06
whispered
26:07
a prayer
26:07
that went
26:07
something
26:08
like this.
26:10
Thank you,
26:11
Lord,
26:12
for gathering
26:13
another crowd
26:14
to hear the
26:14
good news
26:15
of your
26:16
saving grace.
26:17
Thank you
26:18
for allowing
26:19
me,
26:19
who once
26:20
was set
26:21
against you
26:22
and your
26:23
ways,
26:23
to now be
26:24
part of your
26:25
saving work.
26:26
Thank you
26:27
for granting
26:28
it to me
26:28
that I
26:29
should suffer
26:29
for Christ's
26:30
sake.
26:31
Thank you
26:32
for using
26:33
the wickedness
26:34
of Rome
26:34
to carry
26:35
me bound
26:35
up a
26:36
flight of
26:37
steps
26:37
where I
26:38
might
26:38
address
26:39
the
26:39
crowd.
26:40
Thank you
26:41
for your
26:41
goodness
26:42
to me.
26:44
Now,
26:44
oh God,
26:45
work mightily
26:46
by the hands
26:47
of your
26:47
servant
26:48
for the
26:49
sake of
26:49
your name.
26:50
Amen.
26:51
And then
26:52
Paul,
26:54
with kindness
26:54
and respect,
26:57
makes a
26:57
request
26:58
of the
26:59
tribune.
27:00
And I
27:00
love this,
27:01
especially
27:01
in our
27:02
day.
27:03
The most
27:03
popular thing
27:04
seems to
27:04
be to
27:05
rage
27:06
against
27:06
authority.
27:08
Says
27:08
simply,
27:10
may I
27:11
say
27:11
something
27:12
to you?
27:14
And then
27:14
he goes
27:14
on,
27:15
I am a
27:15
Jew from
27:16
Tarsus
27:16
and Cilicia,
27:17
a citizen
27:18
of no
27:18
obscure city.
27:19
I beg
27:20
you,
27:21
permit me
27:22
to speak
27:22
to the
27:23
people.
27:24
And then
27:25
to the
27:25
Jewish
27:25
crowd,
27:26
he says,
27:26
I am a
27:26
Jew born
27:27
in Tarsus
27:27
and Cilicia,
27:28
brought up
27:29
in the
27:29
city,
27:30
educated
27:31
at the
27:31
feet of
27:31
Gamaliel,
27:32
according
27:32
to the
27:32
strict
27:32
manner
27:33
of the
27:33
law
27:33
of our
27:34
fathers.
27:36
He
27:36
stands
27:36
in
27:37
solidarity
27:37
with
27:37
them,
27:38
being
27:38
zealous
27:39
for God
27:40
as all
27:41
of you
27:42
are
27:42
this
27:43
day.
27:44
Can
27:44
you
27:45
believe
27:45
that he
27:46
commends
27:46
them
27:47
for being
27:48
so
27:49
fired up
27:50
against
27:51
him?
27:52
He
27:52
says,
27:53
I also
27:54
am
27:54
zealous
27:55
as you
27:57
are
27:57
zealous.
27:59
Paul
28:00
respects both
28:01
the office
28:01
of the
28:01
tribune
28:02
and the
28:02
zeal
28:02
of the
28:03
Jews
28:03
and his
28:03
desire
28:04
to see
28:04
them
28:04
turn
28:05
from
28:06
their
28:06
ways
28:07
to
28:08
rightly
28:08
worship
28:09
Christ.
28:11
He's not
28:11
saying that
28:11
their action
28:12
is warranted,
28:13
but he's
28:15
rewarding
28:16
the
28:17
motivation
28:18
behind it,
28:19
proper
28:19
worship
28:19
of God
28:20
and he
28:20
wants to
28:20
see them
28:21
worship
28:21
God
28:22
as they
28:22
should
28:23
by Christ.
28:25
Then he
28:25
tells them
28:26
a story.
28:27
In telling
28:28
his story
28:29
to this
28:29
Jewish
28:30
audience,
28:31
Paul wants
28:31
them to
28:32
see God's
28:32
sovereign
28:33
working
28:33
in his
28:34
conversion.
28:36
Paul
28:37
wanted his
28:37
accusers
28:38
to know
28:38
as he
28:39
would write
28:39
to Timothy
28:40
in 1
28:40
Timothy 1
28:41
15
28:42
and 16.
28:44
The saying
28:45
is trustworthy
28:45
and deserving
28:47
of full
28:47
acceptance
28:48
that Christ
28:49
Jesus came
28:49
into the
28:50
world to
28:50
save sinners
28:51
of whom
28:52
I am
28:53
the foremost.
28:54
But I
28:55
received
28:55
mercy
28:55
for this
28:57
reason,
28:57
that in
28:58
me
28:58
as the
28:59
foremost,
29:00
Jesus
29:01
Christ
29:01
might display
29:02
his perfect
29:03
patience
29:03
and his
29:04
example
29:04
to those
29:05
who were
29:06
to believe
29:06
in him
29:06
for eternal
29:08
life.
29:09
I would
29:10
have liked
29:10
to have
29:11
known
29:11
what else
29:11
Paul
29:12
intended
29:12
to say.
29:14
The God
29:15
in his
29:15
sovereignty
29:16
and most
29:17
likely I
29:18
would suggest
29:18
as a
29:19
judgment
29:19
against the
29:19
people.
29:20
They cut
29:21
him off
29:21
and he's
29:22
carried
29:22
into the
29:23
barracks
29:23
and his
29:24
speech
29:24
stops
29:25
there.
29:27
But feel
29:28
the faithfulness
29:29
of Paul
29:30
in the midst
29:31
of that
29:32
kind
29:32
of situation.
29:34
If all
29:35
of you
29:35
suddenly
29:35
turned on
29:36
me
29:37
and were
29:37
yelling at
29:37
me,
29:38
I would
29:38
likely walk
29:39
out that
29:39
door.
29:40
Or jump
29:41
out that
29:42
window.
29:45
Paul
29:45
waves his
29:46
hand and
29:47
he hushes
29:48
an audience
29:48
and he
29:49
speaks to
29:49
them in
29:49
their
29:50
language
29:50
in the
29:51
way that
29:53
he had
29:53
hoped would
29:54
bring about
29:54
conversion,
29:56
bring about
29:56
faith.
29:57
We get
29:57
no record
29:58
of maybe
29:59
somebody in
29:59
that crowd
29:59
reached out
30:01
to the
30:02
Jerusalem
30:02
elders,
30:03
sought out
30:03
more about
30:04
this way
30:05
that they
30:05
were so
30:06
set against.
30:08
we don't
30:09
know,
30:10
but we
30:10
can observe
30:11
in Paul
30:12
his
30:12
fearlessness
30:13
and his
30:15
faithfulness.
30:17
Beloved,
30:17
if you are
30:18
in Christ,
30:19
you have a
30:20
similar story
30:21
to tell.
30:23
The
30:23
juxtaposition
30:24
of your
30:24
old self
30:25
to your
30:26
new self
30:26
may not
30:28
be as
30:28
stark as
30:29
Paul's
30:29
conversion
30:30
story,
30:31
but each
30:31
and every
30:32
person
30:32
who was
30:34
once dead
30:35
and has
30:35
now been
30:36
made
30:36
alive
30:37
by God's
30:38
mercy to
30:39
us in
30:40
Christ
30:40
has an
30:40
equally
30:41
miraculous
30:43
story
30:43
to tell.
30:46
In the
30:46
face of
30:47
ferocity
30:48
against the
30:48
gospel of
30:49
Jesus Christ,
30:50
are you
30:51
fearless,
30:52
trusting in
30:53
God's
30:53
sovereign
30:54
purpose
30:54
for your
30:55
good
30:55
and his
30:56
glory?
30:57
Are you
30:58
faithful
30:58
in the
30:59
telling
30:59
of your
31:00
story?
31:01
Let's pray
31:02
together.
31:02
Amen.