Live & Share Your Faith No Matter What

During his first sermon in Africa, a new missionary was thrilled when the whole congregation loudly said “Amen!” after everything he said. Excited by their enthusiasm, he preached passionately. Later, he learned that in the local dialect, “Amen” sounded like “What?” They weren’t agreeing—they were just confused!

Historical/Cultural Context -

Luke was a physician and a travel companion of the apostle Paul. He wrote the book of Acts. The earliest possible date of Acts is immediately after the events that Luke recorded in, which would have been c. A.D. 62. Acts is addressed to “Theophilus,” about whom nothing more is known. Luke’s broader audience consisted primarily of Gentile Christians like Theophilus who had already “been taught” about Jesus.

Biblical Text -

Acts 28:11–31 NKJV

After three months we sailed in an Alexandrian ship whose figurehead was the Twin Brothers, which had wintered at the island. And landing at Syracuse, we stayed three days. From there we circled round and reached Rhegium. And after one day the south wind blew; and the next day we came to Puteoli, where we found brethren, and were invited to stay with them seven days. And so we went toward Rome. And from there, when the brethren heard about us, they came to meet us as far as Appii Forum and Three Inns. When Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage. Now when we came to Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard; but Paul was permitted to dwell by himself with the soldier who guarded him. And it came to pass after three days that Paul called the leaders of the Jews together. So when they had come together, he said to them: “Men and brethren, though I have done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers, yet I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans, who, when they had examined me, wanted to let me go, because there was no cause for putting me to death. But when the Jews spoke against it, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar, not that I had anything of which to accuse my nation. For this reason therefore I have called for you, to see you and speak with you, because for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain.” Then they said to him, “We neither received letters from Judea concerning you, nor have any of the brethren who came reported or spoken any evil of you. But we desire to hear from you what you think; for concerning this sect, we know that it is spoken against everywhere.” So when they had appointed him a day, many came to him at his lodging, to whom he explained and solemnly testified of the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus from both the Law of Moses and the Prophets, from morning till evening. And some were persuaded by the things which were spoken, and some disbelieved. So when they did not agree among themselves, they departed after Paul had said one word: “The Holy Spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah the prophet to our fathers, saying, ‘Go to this people and say: “Hearing you will hear, and shall not understand; And seeing you will see, and not perceive; For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.” ’ “Therefore let it be known to you that the salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will hear it!” And when he had said these words, the Jews departed and had a great dispute among themselves. Then Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented house, and received all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him.

-[Prayer]-

Life Principle - Be Creative, Ready & Don’t Grow Weary In Your Efforts To Share The Gospel No Matter How Bad Your Circumstances.

Life Point- Be Creative When Sharing The Gospel

Exegetical -

Acts 28:17–22 NLT

Three days after Paul’s arrival, he called together the local Jewish leaders. He said to them, “Brothers, I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Roman government, even though I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our ancestors. The Romans tried me and wanted to release me, because they found no cause for the death sentence. But when the Jewish leaders protested the decision, I felt it necessary to appeal to Caesar, even though I had no desire to press charges against my own people. I asked you to come here today so we could get acquainted and so I could explain to you that I am bound with this chain because I believe that the hope of Israel—the Messiah—has already come.” They replied, “We have had no letters from Judea or reports against you from anyone who has come here. But we want to hear what you believe, for the only thing we know about this movement is that it is denounced everywhere.”

Homiletical -

So Paul finally makes it to Rome. Now he was blessed enough to have a rental house where he was chained to a Roman guard. Not all prisoners were so well treated, it goes to the fact that he was a Roman citizen.

So he is under house arrest and can’t really go anywhere so he puts a call out to the Jewish leadership in Rome and he gathers a large crowd.

He tells them that because of the way he was treated in Jerusalem he decided to appeal to Caesar, even though he did nothing wrong.

They have no idea about Christianity and they are intrigued. So they invite Paul to tell them the Gospel.

Ponder for a moment the position Paul is in right now. He can’t do what he would normally do and spread the Gospel to the Jews first and then the Gentiles because he is under house arrest. So he keeps his pattern and brings the Jews to him.

This seems simple to us, but for the time it was a simple yet creative way to still spread the Gospel. We need creative ways to spread the Gospel. I mean we have many outlets to do that now. TV, Radio, Internet, Smartphones etc.

We are more connected now than we have ever been, yet more lonely than we have ever been.

Why?

One reason is because people don’t have Jesus in their lives.

Proverbs 18:24 NKJV

A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Matthew 28:20 NKJV

teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

But Pastor I am just not that creative. Well now is the time to ask God for creativity and wisdom.

James 1:5–8 NLT

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.

When we ask for wisdom we must trust that He will give us the wisdom we ask for and not go and get the world’s wisdom. When we share the Gospel we don’t need another program, we don’t need people just throwing events together. What we need is Jesus’ wisdom and follow that wisdom and watch God grow the church.

Illustration -

A missionary who made an impact in the 19th century was Hudson Taylor. He wore Chinese clothing and adopted their customs, showing that creativity in evangelism meant becoming relatable. He showed that something as simple as changing one’s outfit could break down barriers and open doors for conversations about Christ.

Life Point - Be Ready When Given Opportunities To Share The Gospel

Exegetical -

Acts 28:23–24 NLT

So a time was set, and on that day a large number of people came to Paul’s lodging. He explained and testified about the Kingdom of God and tried to persuade them about Jesus from the Scriptures. Using the law of Moses and the books of the prophets, he spoke to them from morning until evening. Some were persuaded by the things he said, but others did not believe.

Homiletical -

So a time is set for a large number of people to come back and see the proof that Paul had, from the scriptures, about Jesus.

He talks about the kingdom of God Using the law of Moses which would be the first five books of the Old Testament, known as the Pentateuch. Then he went to the books of the prophets and he taught and preached to them.

Now Paul can be very thorough. He spokes from morning until evening. This doesn’t meant that he didn’t take a break to eat or a break in general, just that the conference went on for hours.

What was the outcome of his efforts?

Some Jews became Christians while others did not believe what Paul was saying.

2 Timothy 2:15 NLT

Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.

2 Timothy 4:2 NLT

Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching.

1 Peter 3:15 NLT

Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it.

It is important that we know what we believe.

Let break that down further.

God expects us to know the primary beliefs of Christianity and share them with others when asked for the reason we believe.

Illustration -

You know, Peter talks about being prepared to give an answer for the hope we have. Imagine if Peter were alive today, he might say, 'Be like a waiter ready to take an order; you never know when a hungry soul will ask!'

We need to make our hope accessible and inviting.

Life Point - Don’t Grow Weary, But Continue To Share The Gospel

Exegetical -

Acts 28:25–31 NLT

And after they had argued back and forth among themselves, they left with this final word from Paul: “The Holy Spirit was right when he said to your ancestors through Isaiah the prophet, ‘Go and say to this people: When you hear what I say, you will not understand. When you see what I do, you will not comprehend. For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes— so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.’ So I want you to know that this salvation from God has also been offered to the Gentiles, and they will accept it.” For the next two years, Paul lived in Rome at his own expense. He welcomed all who visited him, boldly proclaiming the Kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ. And no one tried to stop him.

Homiletical -

As is common with people the crowd argued about what they were being taught and so Paul let’s those that don’t believe have it with both barrels.

He lets them know that Jesus is not just for the Jews, but for everyone who believes and he says, “you know what? They will believe it!”

For the next two years Paul lives in Rome at his own expense welcoming people who visited Him and proclaiming the Gospel.

It also tells us that no one tried to stop him.

I would guess not considering he was under Roman Guard 24/7. You don’t mess with the Roman Soldiers, it would not go well with you if you did.

This is where the book of Acts stops recording. It does not record that Paul eventually died as a martyr for Christ at the hands of Caesar.

A lot of people today would say Paul was a failure because he was imprisoned. No, he was not. He shared his faith in creative ways and it was God’s will that Paul should be imprisoned, because if he had not then we would not have all the prison epistles, the books of the Bible, that we have today. He wrote 2/3 of the New Testament and his writing were recognized by Peter as scripture.

2 Peter 3:14–16 NLT

And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight. And remember, our Lord’s patience gives people time to be saved. This is what our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom God gave him— speaking of these things in all of his letters. Some of his comments are hard to understand, and those who are ignorant and unstable have twisted his letters to mean something quite different, just as they do with other parts of Scripture. And this will result in their destruction.

Galatians 6:9 NKJV

And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

What do we learn here from Paul? Don’t stop sharing the Gospel no matter what situation you find yourself in.

Illustration -

Did you know that William Carey, often called the father of modern missions, faced severe criticism and ridicule for his zeal in sharing the gospel in India? Even his fellow church members doubted his efforts. Yet, against all odds, Carey persevered, translating the Bible into numerous languages. His story reminds us to keep pushing forward, no matter the weariness we feel.

Life Principle– Be Creative, Ready & Don’t Grow Weary In Your Efforts To Share The Gospel No Matter How Bad Your Circumstances.

Call to Action – altar call….