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Romans 15:22-33 · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

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Good morning, everyone. Open up your Bibles to Romans.
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For those who may be joining us today, we've been going through the book of Romans for quite some time now.
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We're getting towards those latter chapters, but as has been mentioned already today, we just believe that what you need to hear and what God's people need to hear is the Scripture.
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We need to hear God's Word, not man's. We don't need to have a good Word. We need the Word.
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And so that desire, we usually preach verse by verse through different books of Scripture and letting the Holy Spirit use the Word of God to apply it to our hearts.
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And so we've been moving through Romans. If you would like to catch up, all the sermons are online on our website.
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But we're getting to these latter chapters of Romans. Chapter 15 is where we will be today.
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And we're talking about, in chapter 15, Paul's explaining his mission to the Gentile people, the non-Jews in the Roman world,
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and spreading the Gospel and planting churches in the Gentile world for the glory of God.
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So today, we will be starting in verse 22 and going all the way down to the end of chapter in 33.
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But Paul mentions here that his plan is to eventually come to the Romans, because he actually had never been to Rome before.
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And from there, go on to Spain.
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But before any of that happens, he mentions that he first must go to Jerusalem.
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And so, all these things will kind of be.
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But we're going to unpack the text today mainly with two questions.
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And to save us time, we'll just eat it bit by bit.
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But the first question, we'll see in verses 22 through 29.
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But what are Paul's plans?
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What are Paul's plans?
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So let's read together in verse 22.
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He says,
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Bringing aid to the saints.
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For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem.
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For they were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them.
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For if the Gentiles have come to share in the spiritual blessings,
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they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings.
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When, therefore, I have completed and have delivered to them what has been collected,
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I will leave for Spain by way of you.
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I know that when I come to you, I will come in fullness of the blessing of Christ.
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So, I thought the best way to kind of walk through this would be chronological.
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Because he kind of says like,
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I'm here now, but I'm going to come to you.
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But first I'm going to go to this.
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And sort of goes back and forth.
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So, in my brain I'm trying to like establish like where did he actually go first and move out from there.
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So, we see clearly that one of his plans is,
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because he's currently in Corinth writing to the Romans,
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his plan is to go to Jerusalem first.
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You see that in verse 26.
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But, so before he comes to Rome,
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he plans to bring a collection that he's been gathering from all the Gentile churches.
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All the churches that he has planted and been a part of and ministered to.
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He's been collecting money, gifts, supplies, and order
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to bring it to the believers who were in Jerusalem
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because they were not doing well.
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They were struggling financially.
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They were poor.
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They needed assistance.
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And so, Paul basically says,
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he picks up this major theme of the letter.
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This isn't just an example of what Christians should do to show generosity.
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If you picked up on this,
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it's a main theme in his letter.
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That is the debt that Gentile believers owe to their Jewish roots.
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You see that in chapter 11, verse 8.
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In chapter 15, 8 and 9.
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So, he says that these churches like Macedonia and Achaia
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were pleased to make a contribution to the poor saints in Jerusalem.
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And he says,
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indeed, they owe it to them.
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For the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings.
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So, meaning like the truths of the gospel
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that were preached to the Gentiles
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by Jewish apostles,
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by Jewish prophets, teachers, and so on.
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They ought also to serve in the material blessings.
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So, this gift that he's going to take to Jerusalem
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comes from many different churches.
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Thessalonica, Philippi, Corinth, etc.
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And also, he wants to gather some from the Romans
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in order to go and give to them.
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And you see that they're thankful to be a part of this work.
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They're not doing this begrudgingly.
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They are blessed to take part in providing the needs
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and alleviating some of the suffering of their fellow Jewish believers there.
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So, these Gentiles and us, right,
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stand in debt to the Jews
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for the spiritual blessings of the Jewish people.
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And so, they are joyful to share, like in that,
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assistance financially.
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I just thought it was interesting
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while I was studying this
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that Paul assumes that financial aid for needy Christians
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is just a normal part of the Christian life.
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He didn't have to make a huge argument for why they ought to.
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He basically is just saying,
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that's what we do.
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That's a part of how we live this Christian life
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by providing for the needs of fellow believers.
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And he goes on by telling the Romans
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that that visit of,
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he asked them to support him in prayer.
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And he also is just trying to discourage
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any kind of division or infighting
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between Jews and Gentiles in the church.
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He wants them to be unified.
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One, to put aside just that part of who they think they are
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and say, hey, you're part of something greater.
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You are the church.
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You are the believers.
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And so, after he has collected that
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from these Gentile churches,
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he will go to Jerusalem,
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then to Rome, then to Spain.
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So then, to Rome.
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This is his next part, if you notice that.
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He says, Paul planned for a while to go to Rome,
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but he had been hindered.
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He had been prevented.
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And he knew that at some point,
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God would eventually bring him
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to the imperial city, Rome.
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The seat, the most powerful place
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in the ancient world at this time,
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especially to the Gentile world.
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And so, he had been hindered
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from coming to see them,
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prevented primarily because of what he says
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prior to this,
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that his main goal was to plant churches
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in the unreached areas
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in the eastern part of the empire.
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And so, that was his main objective.
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So, to plant churches
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and to preach the gospel in pivotal cities
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to where the gospel would go outward.
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Corinth, Thessalonica, Athens, etc.
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And so, from there,
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he plans to go on to Rome itself.
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And remember, he wrote from Corinth.
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This was three years
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before he actually would go to Rome.
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And it would be sort of a dream
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come true to him, really.
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But if you want to just...
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I mean, I don't have a lot of places
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for you to turn outside of our main text,
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but just flip over to the beginning
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of the book of Romans.
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Romans chapter 1.
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Just to kind of pick up on this.
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But you can feel his desire
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and his love for the Roman believers.
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In chapter 1,
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we'll start in just verse 7.
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He goes,
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First,
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First, I thank my God,
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through Jesus Christ,
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for all of you,
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because of your faith
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is proclaimed in all the world.
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For God is my witness,
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whom I serve with my spirit
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in the gospel of His Son,
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that without ceasing,
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I mention you 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 at last succeed
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in coming to you.
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For I long,
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I yearn,
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I desire to see you,
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that I may impart 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 mutually encouraged
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by each other's faith,
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both yours and mine.
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So, again,
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that desire he has here,
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he's hoping to soon realize
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and to be able to come
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to Rome itself.
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So you can go back
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to Romans 15.
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Now we see, next,
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that in verse 24 and 28,
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that Paul mentions
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that after leaving Rome,
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his plan is to journey to Spain.
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to begin a fourth missionary trip.
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If you look in a lot of your Bibles,
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well, at least a lot of the ones
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that I've seen,
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they have little maps in the back,
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they have Paul's missionary journeys
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in the back.
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Usually, you might just see three,
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but I'm pretty certain
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there was a fourth
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going on the way to Spain.
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Remember,
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if you look in chapter 15 again,
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that it was always Paul's desire
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to go to unreached peoples.
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You see this in verse 20 and 21.
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He says,
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Lest I make it my ambition
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to preach the Gospel,
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not where Christ has already been named,
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lest I build upon
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someone else's foundation,
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but as it is written,
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those who have never been told
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of Him will see,
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and those who have never heard
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will understand.
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So, Paul was particularly gifted
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and directed by God
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to be a pioneer
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to go where the Gospel
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had not yet been taken yet.
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Well, there was no Gospel,
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no church.
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The name of Jesus
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had not yet been heard.
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So, not necessarily to go
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to where there was already
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established churches.
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It was to go where there were no churches.
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And so, this makes his desire
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to go to new territory,
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particularly Spain,
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because, this is astounding,
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he had nowhere else to go
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in the eastern part of the empire.
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Isn't that crazy?
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Like, he pretty much,
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you see his map and his head,
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he just checked it off.
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Like, been there,
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been there,
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the church is growing
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and flourishing here,
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and now he basically says,
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I've finished that.
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So, now I look west
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to Rome and Spain.
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He plans to go on.
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The eastern Mediterranean
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had been somewhat reached.
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But I think it's astonishing
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that in verse 23,
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he's basically saying,
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I'm finished.
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My work is done.
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There's no more places
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in these regions for me to go.
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My missionary task is complete.
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So, praise the Lord.
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So, he's eager to go on
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to Rome and then to Spain.
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So, it's remarkable though
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that in 25 years
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of frontier mission work
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in the eastern Mediterranean,
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it was finished.
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Of course, there were still
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thousands and millions
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that hadn't been reached yet
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in those places,
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but it's not God's design
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for men like Paul
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to win everybody to Christ.
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That's the job of local churches,
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local believers,
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local pastors,
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the job of an indigenous group
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where they are.
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So, I mean, just,
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to pause on this.
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Are you aware of our
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collective responsibility
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to reach the lost around us?
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And are you aware
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of your personal responsibility
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to know, to live,
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to teach the gospel
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to unbelievers
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in the spirit that God has you
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in your school,
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in your place of work,
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your social circles?
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your social circles?
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And very often,
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you know,
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I say this a lot up here,
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but it bears repeating
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because I know that
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if you were to go back
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to last week's sermon
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and then maybe even go back
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a month,
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how much of that
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have all of us
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put into practice
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in our lives
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with God's help?
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But are unbelievers
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even on your radar
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at all?
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Or do you,
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quote,
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leave it to the professionals?
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Like,
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we're so professional.
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Not really.
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And do you, like,
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really desire
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to see the lost
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come to Christ?
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It isn't the job
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of men like Paul
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to reach everybody.
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So, therefore,
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Paul hopes to go to Rome
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to meet with the saints
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in the church there,
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and then he desires
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to use them as a base,
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ascending base,
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to go to Spain.
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He says,
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I hope to see you
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in passing as I go
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to Spain
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and to be helped
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on my journey there
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by you.
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So,
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Spain,
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in the first century A.D.
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was a firm
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and established
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part of the Roman Empire.
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I promise not to bore you
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the history,
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the ancient history part of me
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just wants to
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understand
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people don't get
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stoked about it
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as I do.
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So,
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but,
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it's located
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on the far eastern side
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of the empire.
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It was called Tarshish
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in the Old Testament.
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Spain was a major center
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of commerce and culture
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and provided much
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in the way of prosperity
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and security
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for the Roman Empire.
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For the military,
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it gave massive amounts
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of manpower,
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horses,
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and very important,
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this,
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like the,
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you ever heard
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of Spanish steel,
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the gladius expaniensis,
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the Roman sword
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that they used
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in the legions
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was made
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from Spanish steel.
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They had substantial
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crops for the empire
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to feed the empire.
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And a lot of well-known
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Romans in history
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came from Spain.
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Seneca,
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the great philosopher
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and statesman
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who infamously
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tutored Nero,
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failed at that.
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he actually said
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it's something pretty cool.
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Like, you know,
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there's a lot of cool
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things that he said,
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but this shows
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that common grace
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is a real thing.
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A wise man
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never asks
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what another man serves,
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for only his actions
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will speak the truth.
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And so,
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he was one,
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Seneca,
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also some emperors,
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including Trajan,
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who expanded the empire
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to its greatest length.
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And so,
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it was very critical
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to Paul
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that he goes there
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because that was
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a very epicenter
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in a lot of ways
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of the Roman empire.
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So,
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strategic location
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for Paul to go
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and evangelize
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and plant the church.
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So,
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you see,
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his plans are going
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to go to Jerusalem,
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then I'm going to go to Rome,
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and then I'm going to go
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to Spain.
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Alright?
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But,
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this is question number two.
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Did God
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allow Paul
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to accomplish
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his plans?
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Now,
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some of us have
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this idea
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that
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Paul would just,
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you know,
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just get him
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to work himself
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into some kind
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of spiritual frenzy
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and God would just
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speak to him
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in a vision
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about where to go.
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That did happen,
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but usually,
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Paul,
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just like us,
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he used his wisdom,
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he used
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what he knew
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about life,
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and he made decisions.
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God did,
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on occasion,
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direct him,
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but Paul is aware,
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very aware,
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of a huge truth
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that we need to grasp.
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It says in
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Proverbs 16,
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9,
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the heart of a man
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plans his way,
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but the Lord
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establishes his steps.
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We make our plans,
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but at the end of the day,
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we're not sovereign,
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we're not omnipotent,
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and God directs
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our steps.
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Right?
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It goes on,
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there's other Proverbs.
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Proverbs 19,
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21,
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many are the plans
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in the mind
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of a man.
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That surprises
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some women.
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There's many plans
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in our heads,
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right?
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But,
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it is the purpose
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of the Lord
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that will stand.
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So,
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we make these thoughts,
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we have these plans,
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but God's purpose
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stands.
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True?
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Yes.
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Mysterious?
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Yes.
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But the Bible writers
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fully knew
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that as they planned
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and went about
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their daily lives,
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they believed that
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their entire lives
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fell under God's
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sovereign rule
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and His providence.
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and they even
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confess,
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Proverbs 20,
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24,
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a man's steps
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are from the Lord.
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How then
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can man understand
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his way?
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So,
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we are told about this
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in the Scripture
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and we can't fully
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grasp it or understand it,
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but we make plans
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and we offer them up
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to God
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and ask that He
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would use them
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as He sees fit,
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but ultimately
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they are in His hands.
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And Paul was very
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aware of this.
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And so,
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he often uses
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tentative phrases.
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He goes,
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he said in Acts 15,
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verse 28,
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it seemed good
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to the Holy Spirit
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and to us
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to do this.
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And to the Corinthians
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he wrote,
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for I do not want
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to see you now
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just in passing.
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I hope to spend
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time with you
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if the Lord permits.
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So,
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meaning that he
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had these plans
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but he submitted them
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to God's sovereignty.
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So,
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are you humbled
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by that spiritual reality?
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Because Paul
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definitely was.
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Do we acknowledge
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God
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and seek Him
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in the making
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of our plans?
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Or do we ignore Him
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if He's not really
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a part of the equation?
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Very careful.
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We need to be
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very careful there.
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And so,
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what happened?
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What happened
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to all these
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different trips
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that he had planned?
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Let's just unpack them.
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Alright?
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So,
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did Paul make it
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to Jerusalem?
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Yes,
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he did.
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Read about it
18:42
in Acts.
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And so,
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Paul made it
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to Jerusalem.
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He was warned
18:47
ahead of time
18:48
before he went
18:48
to Jerusalem
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in Acts 21.
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Agabus prophesied
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that if you go there,
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I say by the Holy Spirit
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that you will suffer.
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Like,
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you're going to be,
18:58
you know,
18:58
in great persecution there.
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And so,
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Paul said,
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basically,
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like,
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I'm ready to go
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and I'm ready
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to die
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for Jesus.
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I don't really care.
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So,
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even if he was warned,
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I mean,
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I want you all
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to just stop
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and think about that.
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Like,
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let's say that God,
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by some crazy chance,
19:17
revealed to you
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what would happen
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to you
19:19
if you went
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to a certain place.
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Your thinking
19:23
would be,
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well,
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if it would go well,
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then I would go there.
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Right?
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But Paul,
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this was sort of mind-blowing.
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That suffering
19:31
awaited him there.
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And he still went.
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This was sort of mind-blowing.
19:36
Even when God did give him
19:38
a glimpse of the future,
19:39
he didn't run from it.
19:41
He went towards it.
19:43
So,
19:43
he suffered greatly
19:44
in Jerusalem.
19:46
He was eventually attacked
19:46
by a large mob
19:48
and they accused him
19:51
of breaking their law.
19:52
And he addressed the mob
19:54
and basically shared
19:55
his testimony
19:55
and the gospel with them.
19:57
And they rejected him.
19:58
And then they went on
19:59
to try to scourge him,
20:01
which wouldn't be new to him.
20:04
But,
20:04
this is very rare
20:05
that Paul usually does this.
20:07
I think he only does it
20:09
if it will serve God's purpose.
20:11
Not out of a selfish reason
20:13
to escape pain.
20:15
But,
20:16
he's about ready to be scourged
20:17
in that there's a Roman centurion
20:19
next to him.
20:20
And he goes,
20:21
hey,
20:22
is it lawful
20:24
for you to flog a man
20:25
who is a Roman citizen
20:27
before he is condemned?
20:29
So,
20:30
the centurion's like,
20:30
oh,
20:31
shoot.
20:32
And he went to the tribune
20:33
and said,
20:33
what do you want to do?
20:35
This man is a Roman citizen.
20:37
So,
20:37
meaning it's against the law
20:38
for us to just
20:39
scourge him
20:40
without a trial.
20:41
Like,
20:41
he has to be under Roman law.
20:44
So,
20:44
they were in kind of a panic.
20:46
So,
20:46
Paul was eventually in prison
20:48
when he was in Jerusalem.
20:50
But,
20:51
as a Roman citizen,
20:52
he could appeal
20:53
to Caesar
20:54
for a final trial.
20:57
So,
20:57
that's what
20:58
led him on to Rome.
20:59
So,
21:00
next to Paul,
21:01
did God allow Paul
21:02
to make it to Rome?
21:04
Again,
21:05
the answer is yes.
21:06
Three years
21:07
after writing them,
21:08
Paul's plan to come to Rome
21:09
was finally realized.
21:11
And,
21:12
however,
21:13
not in the way he intended.
21:15
he went,
21:17
not as a,
21:17
quote,
21:18
free man,
21:18
but as a prisoner.
21:20
He walked up the Via Appia
21:22
for five days to Rome.
21:24
And,
21:24
it had been a long,
21:25
crazy journey to get there,
21:26
which you can read about
21:27
in Acts.
21:29
Very difficult.
21:30
But,
21:30
as he even,
21:31
before he was even in
21:32
the city itself,
21:33
there were believers
21:34
coming out to greet him.
21:36
And,
21:36
I think that that's like
21:36
so encouraging.
21:38
A place that he had never been.
21:39
There were believers.
21:40
And,
21:40
they were coming out
21:41
to meet Paul
21:42
as he came toward
21:43
the city gate.
21:45
of Rome itself.
21:47
God had remained
21:48
faithful to him.
21:49
He said,
21:49
you must,
21:50
you will testify
21:51
in Rome.
21:52
That's what God told him.
21:53
So,
21:54
God was keeping his word
21:55
and following through.
21:58
So,
21:58
as was his style
21:59
when he got to Rome,
22:00
he sought out
22:01
the Jewish population
22:02
and began sharing with them.
22:04
They had the scriptures.
22:05
They had the knowledge.
22:06
And,
22:06
it says that some believed
22:08
and most,
22:09
but most rejected.
22:10
And so,
22:11
but he didn't give in
22:12
too easily.
22:12
It actually says
22:13
in Acts that
22:14
he went on
22:15
from morning
22:16
to evening
22:17
expounding the scriptures
22:18
to them.
22:19
So,
22:20
when's the last time
22:20
any of us ever did that?
22:22
So,
22:22
all night,
22:23
all day,
22:23
he's like sharing
22:24
the scriptures,
22:25
sharing the gospel
22:26
with these Jews.
22:28
But then,
22:29
again,
22:30
as was his way,
22:31
he kind of turned
22:31
that from the Jews
22:33
to his undivided attention
22:34
to reaching the Gentiles.
22:37
So,
22:38
a lot of this
22:39
you have to kind of go
22:40
outside
22:41
and kind of understand
22:42
what happened,
22:42
but Paul's trial
22:44
probably did not come
22:45
for at least two years
22:47
while he was in Rome.
22:49
It could do the fact
22:51
that many cases
22:52
were stacked up
22:53
before his,
22:54
or his was just not seen
22:55
as that important enough
22:57
to jump to the front
22:59
of the queue
23:00
of the emperor.
23:02
But,
23:02
can you just imagine,
23:03
that's why Paul's there
23:04
in Rome.
23:05
He's under house arrest.
23:07
He hasn't tied to Paul
23:08
for two years
23:09
and what that was kind of like.
23:11
But,
23:12
that was not wasted time
23:13
at all
23:14
in God's sovereign plan.
23:16
During that time,
23:17
God inspired many
23:18
of the letters
23:19
that we hold dear today.
23:21
While he was in Rome,
23:22
he penned Ephesians,
23:23
Philippians,
23:25
Colossians,
23:25
and Philemon
23:26
while he was here.
23:28
So,
23:28
this wasn't wasted time
23:29
while he was under
23:30
house arrest.
23:32
He's been passed down
23:33
to us,
23:33
survived,
23:34
and in our hands today.
23:36
In Paul's time
23:37
under house arrest,
23:38
he preached the gospel.
23:40
In Acts 28,
23:42
verse 30 and 31,
23:43
it says,
23:43
Paul lived there
23:45
two whole years
23:46
at his own expense
23:48
and welcomed all
23:49
who came to him
23:50
proclaiming the kingdom
23:52
of God
23:53
and teaching about
23:53
the Lord Jesus Christ
23:55
with all boldness
23:56
and without hindrance.
23:59
So,
24:00
on this first trip
24:01
to Rome,
24:02
we had this impression
24:03
that he was just
24:03
always in a dungeon.
24:04
He actually lived
24:05
as a Roman citizen
24:06
under house arrest
24:08
pretty comfortably
24:09
and he could share
24:10
the gospel
24:10
with anybody
24:11
who came
24:12
to talk to him.
24:15
So,
24:15
Roman law
24:16
allowed him
24:17
all these things.
24:18
So,
24:19
it's safe to assume
24:20
that he just walked
24:21
all over the city of Rome
24:22
and shared Christ
24:24
with all that he could
24:26
even while he was
24:26
under guard.
24:27
And so,
24:28
he used that freedom
24:29
well probably
24:30
from 60 A.D.
24:31
to 62 A.D.
24:33
But,
24:34
we don't really know
24:35
what happened
24:35
fully,
24:37
but Paul's trial
24:39
probably didn't come
24:41
for two years
24:42
and when it was heard,
24:43
it was heard
24:43
at the southeastern part
24:45
of the Roman Forum
24:47
and the emperor
24:49
who at that time
24:50
was Nero,
24:51
he would hear
24:53
very important cases,
24:54
very important situations,
24:55
but,
24:56
as we know,
24:57
for Nero,
24:57
he wasn't really
24:58
a great statesman,
24:59
he kind of liked
24:59
theater and music
25:00
a lot better
25:01
and not really
25:02
dealing with serious matters
25:03
and so,
25:04
often,
25:05
the less important things
25:07
were delegated
25:08
to the captain
25:10
or the commander
25:11
of the Praetorian Guard
25:12
which was,
25:13
you know,
25:14
his personal bodyguard.
25:16
And so,
25:16
it is very possible
25:18
that Paul never
25:19
appeared
25:20
before Nero
25:21
but that would have
25:22
been a sight to see
25:23
like the world's,
25:24
one of the ancient
25:24
history's
25:25
greatest tyrants
25:27
actually face-to-face
25:28
with one of the
25:29
greatest Christians.
25:31
We don't know
25:32
that that happened
25:32
but,
25:34
at any rate,
25:36
Christianity as a whole
25:37
was not really
25:38
considered a threat
25:39
by the empire
25:40
at this time.
25:41
At that time,
25:41
it was not.
25:42
So,
25:43
all evidence
25:44
seems to point
25:44
to him eventually
25:45
being released
25:46
and went on
25:48
from there.
25:50
The charges
25:50
brought against Paul
25:52
were infractions
25:52
of the Jewish law
25:53
as we see
25:55
in Acts
25:55
and not seen
25:56
as a serious threat
25:57
in the eyes
25:57
of Rome
25:58
at that time.
25:58
This is just
25:59
sort of a sect
26:00
of Judaism
26:01
is what they thought.
26:02
They didn't really
26:03
consider it
26:04
a big deal.
26:05
Even in Acts 26,
26:06
King Agrippa
26:07
even said,
26:09
this man
26:09
might have been
26:10
set free
26:10
had he not
26:11
even appealed
26:12
to Caesar.
26:13
So,
26:14
there's one reason
26:15
to think that.
26:15
There's no,
26:18
when we read
26:19
in Acts
26:19
when Paul
26:20
actually arrives
26:21
in Rome,
26:22
they didn't really
26:23
even hear anything
26:23
about him.
26:24
They were like,
26:24
oh,
26:24
well,
26:24
we didn't know
26:25
you were under arrest.
26:26
So,
26:26
word of that
26:27
had not even
26:27
reached them
26:28
yet.
26:30
Then secondly,
26:31
under house arrest,
26:33
Paul writes
26:33
of his confident
26:34
release.
26:35
He's pretty sure
26:35
that he'll be
26:36
found innocent.
26:40
He wrote
26:40
to the Philippians,
26:42
I hope therefore
26:43
to send Timothy
26:44
just as soon
26:46
as I can.
26:48
and I trust
26:49
that the Lord
26:50
will shortly
26:51
send me
26:53
to you also.
26:54
So,
26:54
I mean,
26:54
he's planning
26:55
on eventually
26:56
coming back
26:56
to see the
26:57
Philippians
26:57
after his
26:58
imprisonment.
26:59
So,
27:00
he seems
27:00
very confident
27:01
in that release
27:01
and for those
27:02
reasons,
27:02
it's pretty safe
27:03
to assume
27:04
that he wasn't
27:05
found guilty
27:06
and he was
27:06
released from
27:07
this sentence
27:10
that he had.
27:11
So,
27:11
that leads
27:12
to the last
27:12
question here.
27:13
But,
27:14
lastly,
27:14
did Paul even
27:15
make it to
27:16
the western
27:17
stretch of the
27:17
Roman Empire,
27:18
to Spain?
27:19
Did he go
27:19
there?
27:20
Well,
27:22
no visit of
27:22
Paul is
27:24
recorded in
27:24
the New
27:24
Testament,
27:25
but it's
27:26
highly possible
27:27
he went
27:27
there after
27:28
his release.
27:29
There's some
27:30
extra-biblical
27:31
sources,
27:32
historical evidence
27:32
that say that
27:33
Paul did
27:35
go there.
27:36
Twenty years
27:37
after Paul
27:38
went to
27:39
Rome,
27:40
Clement of
27:40
Rome wrote,
27:41
an early
27:42
church father,
27:42
Paul preached
27:43
in the east
27:44
and in the west.
27:46
He won
27:46
genuine glory
27:47
for his
27:47
faith,
27:49
having taught
27:49
righteousness
27:50
to the whole
27:50
world and
27:51
having reached
27:52
the farthest
27:52
limits of
27:54
the west,
27:55
which at
27:56
that time
27:56
would be
27:56
Hispania,
27:57
Spain.
27:58
So,
27:59
early church
28:00
fathers wrote
28:01
about Paul
28:01
going there,
28:02
and again,
28:03
if he was
28:03
released,
28:04
why wouldn't
28:05
he go there?
28:05
Right?
28:06
So,
28:06
that's probably
28:07
what happened.
28:08
He went on
28:08
to Spain.
28:09
This gets
28:10
into the
28:11
third and
28:11
last question.
28:13
I'll ask
28:13
the Romans.
28:15
This is
28:15
verse 30
28:16
and 33.
28:17
But how
28:18
did Paul
28:18
ask the
28:20
Romans to
28:21
pray for
28:21
him?
28:22
Alright?
28:23
You see
28:24
this in
28:24
verse 30?
28:26
He says,
28:26
I appeal
28:27
to you,
28:28
brothers,
28:29
by our
28:30
Lord Jesus
28:31
Christ,
28:32
and by the
28:33
love of the
28:33
Spirit,
28:34
to strive
28:34
together with
28:35
me in
28:35
your prayers
28:36
to God
28:36
on my
28:37
behalf,
28:39
that I
28:39
may be
28:39
delivered
28:40
from the
28:41
unbelievers
28:41
in Judea,
28:43
and that
28:43
my service
28:44
for Jerusalem
28:45
may be
28:46
acceptable
28:47
to the
28:47
saints,
28:48
so that
28:49
by God's
28:50
will,
28:51
I may
28:51
come to
28:52
you with
28:52
joy and
28:53
be refreshed
28:54
in your
28:54
company.
28:55
May the
28:56
God of
28:56
peace be
28:57
with you
28:57
all.
28:58
Amen.
29:00
So,
29:00
he appeals
29:01
to them,
29:01
he calls
29:02
them,
29:02
he entreats
29:03
them,
29:04
by their
29:05
mutual love
29:06
for the
29:07
Lord Jesus
29:07
Christ and
29:08
the love
29:08
of the
29:09
Holy Spirit,
29:10
to pray
29:11
with them.
29:12
And first
29:13
he asks,
29:14
like,
29:14
I know
29:14
that I'm
29:15
going to
29:15
go to
29:15
Jerusalem,
29:16
and like,
29:17
I'm asking
29:18
for deliverance
29:19
from all
29:20
the persecution
29:21
that will
29:22
be there.
29:23
And so,
29:24
did God
29:24
answer that
29:25
prayer?
29:26
It seems
29:26
like he
29:26
didn't,
29:27
but he
29:27
did,
29:27
because they
29:28
didn't kill
29:29
him,
29:29
they didn't
29:29
put him
29:29
to death.
29:30
Their desire
29:31
to do that
29:32
was frustrated
29:33
by God's
29:34
sovereignty,
29:35
but he
29:36
did go on
29:37
to Rome,
29:37
just not the
29:37
way he had
29:38
intended,
29:39
right?
29:39
We make
29:39
our plans,
29:41
but God
29:41
directs our
29:42
steps.
29:44
So he
29:44
did go to
29:45
Rome,
29:45
but not as
29:45
a free man,
29:46
but as
29:47
a prisoner.
29:48
God had
29:49
his own
29:49
way of
29:50
sending him.
29:51
And so,
29:52
in Acts
29:53
24,
29:54
verse 17,
29:54
it does
29:55
suggest that
29:56
the Jerusalem
29:57
believers were
29:58
thankful for
29:59
that contribution.
30:00
They were
30:01
very grateful
30:01
that Paul
30:02
brought.
30:03
And then he
30:04
asked for
30:04
basically spiritual
30:06
refreshment.
30:07
Like,
30:07
I want to
30:08
come to
30:09
you by
30:09
God's
30:09
will and
30:11
meet these
30:12
Roman Christians
30:12
face to
30:13
face and
30:14
share fellowship
30:15
with them,
30:16
worship with
30:17
them,
30:18
eat together
30:19
and laugh
30:20
together and
30:20
have great
30:21
fellowship
30:21
together.
30:23
That was
30:23
what he had
30:24
prayed for.
30:25
That sweet
30:26
time in
30:26
Rome,
30:27
he would be
30:27
refreshed by
30:28
their company.
30:29
me.
30:30
And so,
30:32
speaking as
30:33
like from
30:34
the point
30:34
of the
30:34
view of
30:35
the Roman
30:35
church that
30:35
he's writing
30:36
to,
30:37
who are
30:39
the saints
30:39
that God
30:40
uses to
30:42
bring refreshment
30:43
to your soul?
30:46
Encouragement
30:46
and refreshment
30:47
to the souls
30:48
of your
30:49
fellow believers?
30:51
Or are you
30:52
mostly taxing
30:53
for people
30:54
to be around?
30:55
I feel
30:56
that I can
30:56
be that way
30:57
sometime.
30:57
I want to
30:59
ask God
31:00
to help me
31:01
be a source
31:01
of refreshment
31:02
for others.
31:04
And then he
31:04
ends with a
31:05
benediction here.
31:06
He says,
31:07
finally closes
31:08
by praying,
31:09
may the God
31:09
of peace
31:10
be with you
31:11
all.
31:12
Amen.
31:13
So,
31:13
just as we
31:14
see in
31:14
verse 13,
31:15
God is the
31:15
God of hope.
31:16
He's also
31:17
the God
31:18
of peace
31:19
to those
31:20
who belong
31:20
to His
31:21
Son and
31:22
put their
31:23
trust in
31:24
Him.
31:25
And so,
31:26
in conclusion,
31:27
it's very
31:29
easy to be
31:29
like,
31:30
wow,
31:30
this is just
31:30
a lot of
31:31
details.
31:32
But,
31:33
I've really
31:33
tried to
31:34
think through
31:35
and pray
31:35
what would
31:35
be some
31:37
good appropriate
31:37
application
31:38
for some
31:39
of this.
31:40
But,
31:41
I think
31:42
what came
31:43
to my
31:44
mind
31:44
was
31:45
Paul had
31:48
finished
31:49
his task.
31:51
And,
31:52
we read
31:52
in John,
31:54
if you
31:55
want to
31:55
join me
31:56
there,
31:57
we'll
31:57
close there
31:58
in just a
31:58
second,
31:58
but John
31:59
17,
32:01
verses 4
32:03
and 5,
32:04
this is
32:04
when Jesus
32:05
is praying
32:06
to the
32:06
Father.
32:09
And,
32:10
this is a
32:11
phrase that
32:12
haunts me
32:14
daily,
32:15
and often
32:16
can keep me
32:17
awake at
32:18
nights.
32:20
And,
32:21
I need to
32:21
work on
32:22
that in my
32:22
own life.
32:24
But,
32:25
Jesus prayed
32:26
in John
32:26
17,
32:27
verse 4,
32:29
basically saying,
32:29
Father,
32:30
I glorified
32:31
You on
32:32
the earth,
32:33
having
32:34
accomplished
32:35
the work
32:35
that You
32:36
gave me
32:36
to do.
32:39
So,
32:39
Jesus was
32:40
fully
32:41
and completely
32:43
satisfied
32:44
with accomplishing
32:46
all the work
32:46
that the
32:48
Father had
32:48
given Him
32:49
to do
32:49
on the
32:50
earth.
32:51
And,
32:52
with that
32:52
approving
32:53
conscience,
32:53
that peace
32:54
of mind,
32:55
he then
32:56
prayed,
32:57
and now,
32:58
Father,
32:59
glorify me
33:00
in Your
33:00
presence
33:01
with the
33:02
glory that
33:03
I had with
33:03
You before
33:04
the world
33:04
existed.
33:06
So,
33:07
Paul was
33:09
able to
33:10
say that
33:10
with God's
33:11
help,
33:11
he had
33:11
finished the
33:12
task of
33:13
planting
33:14
churches in
33:16
the eastern
33:16
part of the
33:17
Roman Empire.
33:18
By God's
33:19
grace,
33:20
he had done
33:20
it.
33:20
And so,
33:21
from there,
33:21
the gospel
33:22
is going
33:22
to go
33:22
out to
33:23
all these
33:23
nations,
33:24
to all
33:25
these
33:25
peoples.
33:27
And at
33:27
the end
33:28
of his
33:28
life,
33:30
so,
33:30
what happened
33:31
eventually,
33:31
we know,
33:32
is that
33:33
after this,
33:34
after he was
33:34
released from
33:35
Rome the
33:36
first time,
33:37
he probably
33:38
went on to
33:38
Spain and
33:39
did some
33:39
other things.
33:40
But,
33:41
when he
33:41
came back
33:42
again
33:43
through Rome,
33:46
persecution
33:46
had started.
33:48
And believers
33:49
were being
33:50
imprisoned and
33:51
tortured and
33:52
killed in
33:53
the arenas.
33:56
And so,
33:57
he is basically
33:58
on death
33:59
row in
34:00
Rome.
34:00
He was
34:00
imprisoned
34:01
officially.
34:02
And he
34:03
wrote in
34:05
his letter
34:06
to Timothy,
34:07
2 Timothy
34:08
4, 6,
34:09
and 8,
34:10
For I am
34:12
already being
34:12
poured out as
34:13
a drink
34:13
offering,
34:15
and the
34:15
time for
34:15
my departure
34:16
has come.
34:18
Sounds like
34:18
what Jesus
34:19
said.
34:20
I have
34:20
fought the
34:21
good fight,
34:21
I have
34:21
finished the
34:22
race,
34:22
I have
34:23
kept the
34:23
faith.
34:25
Henceforth,
34:25
there is
34:26
laid up for
34:26
me the
34:26
crown of
34:27
righteousness,
34:28
which the
34:29
Lord,
34:29
the righteous
34:29
judge,
34:30
will award
34:31
to me on
34:32
that day.
34:33
And not
34:34
only to
34:34
me,
34:36
but also
34:39
to all
34:40
who have
34:40
loved his
34:41
appearing.
34:43
So,
34:44
Christ,
34:44
said that
34:47
he was
34:48
going with
34:48
a clear
34:48
conscience
34:49
and joy
34:50
to the
34:50
Father
34:50
because he
34:51
had
34:51
accomplished
34:51
the work
34:52
that God
34:53
had gave
34:53
him to do
34:54
on the
34:54
earth.
34:56
Paul,
34:56
likewise,
34:57
I've
34:57
accomplished
34:58
the task
34:59
of what
35:01
God put
35:02
me here
35:02
to do.
35:04
And so,
35:05
what is it
35:06
that God
35:09
has
35:10
specifically
35:11
burdened
35:12
you with,
35:13
given you
35:14
holy
35:14
desire for,
35:17
that when
35:18
your hour
35:18
comes,
35:19
whether it's
35:19
by a
35:20
natural
35:20
death
35:20
or
35:21
unnatural,
35:22
you'll be
35:23
able to
35:23
say that
35:25
I have
35:26
accomplished
35:26
all that
35:27
you gave
35:27
me to do
35:27
on the
35:28
earth,
35:28
and now
35:28
I'm
35:28
coming
35:29
to you.
35:30
What would
35:31
that be?
35:31
What would
35:33
it be?
35:34
The confidence
35:35
saying I'm
35:36
coming to
35:36
you,
35:36
having
35:36
accomplished
35:37
that work
35:37
for the
35:37
sake of
35:38
your name,
35:39
I've
35:39
finished
35:40
the race,
35:40
I've
35:40
kept
35:41
the faith.
35:43
What
35:43
holy
35:44
ambition
35:45
do you
35:46
have?
35:48
And one
35:49
story I
35:50
read about
35:50
in 1906,
35:53
there was a
35:54
Scotsman named
35:55
James Fraser.
35:56
He was
35:57
studying
35:57
engineering
35:58
originally.
35:59
He kind
35:59
of planned
35:59
just to
35:59
make a
36:00
career for
36:00
himself and
36:01
be prosperous
36:01
in London.
36:03
He was
36:03
studying for
36:04
engineer.
36:06
And later,
36:06
he became
36:07
desirous and
36:09
burdened to
36:10
go to the
36:10
unreached
36:11
people at
36:11
that time
36:12
in the
36:13
Yuan province
36:14
of China.
36:16
And he
36:17
desired to
36:17
go and do
36:18
frontier
36:19
missions and
36:20
evangelism.
36:21
And the
36:22
turning point
36:22
in his life
36:23
when he was
36:23
in college,
36:25
and he
36:26
read a
36:27
two-penny
36:27
pamphlet
36:28
that had
36:29
these two
36:30
sentences in
36:31
it.
36:31
If our
36:33
master
36:33
returned
36:34
today to
36:34
find millions
36:35
of people
36:35
un-evangelized
36:37
and looked,
36:39
as of course
36:40
he would
36:40
look,
36:41
to us for
36:42
an explanation,
36:43
I cannot
36:44
imagine what
36:45
explanation we
36:46
should give.
36:48
One,
36:49
of the most
36:50
certain thing
36:50
that I am
36:52
certain of,
36:53
what excuses
36:55
would we
36:56
make before
36:58
the Lord?
36:59
What are
37:00
we accustomed
37:00
to making
37:02
in such
37:03
good conscience
37:04
now that
37:05
we should be
37:05
wholly ashamed
37:06
of then?
37:08
And so,
37:09
sorry, that
37:10
kind of moved
37:11
me and I
37:11
barely had a
37:11
hard time
37:12
reading it.
37:14
What excuses
37:15
are we
37:16
comfortable with
37:16
now that
37:18
we will be
37:18
ashamed of
37:19
on that
37:20
day when
37:22
the Lord
37:23
comes?
37:24
And my
37:26
prayer for
37:27
my life,
37:28
and you
37:28
can just
37:29
pray for
37:29
my peace
37:30
of mind,
37:30
I feel
37:30
like I
37:31
put too
37:32
much burden,
37:33
too much
37:33
weight on
37:34
myself to
37:35
finish.
37:36
I just
37:36
have a very
37:37
keen awareness
37:38
that God
37:38
has extended
37:39
my life.
37:39
He's doing
37:40
that to all
37:40
of us,
37:40
but I'm
37:41
just maybe
37:41
more aware
37:42
of that
37:42
than some
37:43
of you
37:43
are.
37:44
And so,
37:45
I feel a
37:45
burden to
37:46
make good
37:47
on what
37:47
He has
37:48
given me.
37:49
Not so I
37:50
can earn
37:50
salvation,
37:52
but just
37:53
because I
37:53
want to
37:54
honor Him.
37:55
So,
37:56
that's what
37:56
Christ said,
37:57
that's what
37:57
Paul said.
37:59
So,
37:59
what is it
37:59
in your
38:00
life that
38:00
you can
38:01
say,
38:01
I've
38:01
accomplished
38:01
the work,
38:02
I've
38:02
finished
38:03
the task
38:04
that He's
38:05
put me
38:05
on the
38:06
earth to
38:06
do?
38:07
And with
38:08
that,
38:08
let's pray
38:09
together.