A Kingdom for Everyone
A Kingdom For Everyone • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Announcements:
Lots of eating!
If you are a first-time guest or tenth-time guest or anything in between, join us for a potluck after (second) service.
Join us this Wednesday for a picnic as our Wednesday gatherings resume.
Next Sunday, Aug 31, we will have a breakfast potluck instead of classes at 9:45 between our services.
There are lots of details in your bulletin. Please take advantage of these opportunities to be with your brothers and sisters in Christ. Let all things be for building up the body of Christ.
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The world doesn’t like the idea of this kingdom for everyone. The world only embraces the narrow few that service their selfish desires - people they like, people who are similar, people who benefit them.
We have seen how Paul has been moving both with passion and by the Spirit. In doing so he has come under fire. His preaching actually moved people to change their lives - both Jews and Greeks. When the Jews and Gentiles actively practiced their faith in Jesus, they acted differently. It was noticed. And people didn’t like it. In fact, they felt compelled or justified to stop it.
To this point as we have been going through the book of Acts, we have seen Paul driven out and chased from town to town by Jewish unbelievers.
Last week when we were in Acts we saw Paul in Ephesus, and the word of the Lord was having great affect. A bunch of people who came to believe burned their sorcery books, worth 50,000 pieces of silver. About 167 years worth of wages. That’s some real change! Well, this real change is about to have some real consequences.
23 About that time, serious trouble developed in Ephesus concerning the Way.
24 It began with Demetrius, a silversmith who had a large business manufacturing silver shrines of the Greek goddess Artemis. He kept many craftsmen busy.
25 He called them together, along with others employed in similar trades, and addressed them as follows: “Gentlemen, you know that our wealth comes from this business.
26 But as you have seen and heard, this man Paul has persuaded many people that handmade gods aren’t really gods at all. And he’s done this not only here in Ephesus but throughout the entire province!
27 Of course, I’m not just talking about the loss of public respect for our business. I’m also concerned that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will lose its influence and that Artemis—this magnificent goddess worshiped throughout the province of Asia and all around the world—will be robbed of her great prestige!”
They are losing business, primarily, but challenging the customs by which they make their money. These seemed to be the two big things in Ephesus - their goddess and their prosperity. These new beliefs challenged that system. They stirred up a great riot that had to be dispersed by the authorities.
Luke records Pauls journeys revisiting many churches in Greece, dodging the persecution of the Jews much of the time. But then Paul becomes convicted in the Spirit to return to Jerusalem and then to make a journey to Rome. So he sets sail for Jerusalem but stops near Ephesus on the return journey.
17 But when we landed at Miletus, he sent a message to the elders of the church at Ephesus, asking them to come and meet him.
18 When they arrived he declared, “You know that from the day I set foot in the province of Asia until now
19 I have done the Lord’s work humbly and with many tears. I have endured the trials that came to me from the plots of the Jews.
20 I never shrank back from telling you what you needed to hear, either publicly or in your homes.
21 I have had one message for Jews and Greeks alike—the necessity of repenting from sin and turning to God, and of having faith in our Lord Jesus.
22 “And now I am bound by the Spirit to go to Jerusalem. I don’t know what awaits me,
23 except that the Holy Spirit tells me in city after city that jail and suffering lie ahead.
24 But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.
25 “And now I know that none of you to whom I have preached the Kingdom will ever see me again.
They share their tearful goodbyes.
1 And when we had parted from them and set sail, we came by a straight course to Cos, and the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara.
2 And having found a ship crossing to Phoenicia, we went aboard and set sail.
3 When we had come in sight of Cyprus, leaving it on the left we sailed to Syria and landed at Tyre, for there the ship was to unload its cargo.
4 And having sought out the disciples, we stayed there for seven days. And through the Spirit they were telling Paul not to go on to Jerusalem.
5 When our days there were ended, we departed and went on our journey, and they all, with wives and children, accompanied us until we were outside the city. And kneeling down on the beach, we prayed
6 and said farewell to one another. Then we went on board the ship, and they returned home.
7 When we had finished the voyage from Tyre, we arrived at Ptolemais, and we greeted the brothers and stayed with them for one day.
8 On the next day we departed and came to Caesarea, and we entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him.
9 He had four unmarried daughters, who prophesied.
10 While we were staying for many days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea.
11 And coming to us, he took Paul’s belt and bound his own feet and hands and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘This is how the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’ ”
12 When we heard this, we and the people there urged him not to go up to Jerusalem.
13 Then Paul answered, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”
14 And since he would not be persuaded, we ceased and said, “Let the will of the Lord be done.”
Paul was more than willing to suffer. He was planning on it.
10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.
12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
We have heard of missionaries that have gone into dangerous places in the world. Have you ever heard of a missionary who KNEW he was going to be imprisioned or killed and went anyway? I’m sure there are some.
Lk 6:22-23; 32-36
22 What blessings await you when people hate you and exclude you and mock you and curse you as evil because you follow the Son of Man.
23 When that happens, be happy! Yes, leap for joy! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, their ancestors treated the ancient prophets that same way.
They called in the apostles and had them flogged. Then they ordered them never again to speak in the name of Jesus, and they let them go.
41 The apostles left the high council rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus.
42 And every day, in the Temple and from house to house, they continued to teach and preach this message: “Jesus is the Messiah.”
18 “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first.
19 The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.
20 Do you remember what I told you? ‘A slave is not greater than the master.’ Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you.
Paul understood this. This is the example Paul gives us. This is what a life that forsakes the world looks like.
Paul says 1 Cor 11:1
1 Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.
Paul explains his rationale.
And I will continue to rejoice.
19 For I know that as you pray for me and the Spirit of Jesus Christ helps me, this will lead to my deliverance.
20 For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die.
21 For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better.
22 But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don’t know which is better.
23 I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me.
24 But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live.
Are we willing to die?
What are we willing to do? Is Jesus real to us? Will we share? Will we live differently?
