Before Kings, Acts Lesson 4

We're in a multi-season multi-episode series called X. It's rise of church, van a three season series. We had chapters 1 through 9, that series. We had chapters ten through 21 and now we're doing chapters 21 through 28. And this particular Series has season, sorry. It's 1 Series 3 Seasons multiple episodes. So, this is season 3, which is six episodes and today is episode 4. In the story. We've been watching the Holy Spirit give birth to a joyful, powerful witnessing Fellowship that we all know as the Church of Jesus Christ. And the main character of our story. The Apostle Paul has been all over the world of his day. I'll I'll use modern day countries to describe where he's been. He's been in Israel. He's been in Syria. He's been all over turkey. He's been in Greece. He's been in and among the islands of the Mediterranean Sea, and he's been proclaiming the news about Jesus. And now, he has returned to Israel. And we're wondering some things, we are wondering is he going to get killed? Because last time we we were in the story we read about 40. Actually more than 40 men who made a vow, we will not eat until Paul is dead. So we're wondering is he going to live And then we're wondering if he does live, is he going to just rot in prison? Because he has been in prison in Sesser Ria, which is on the coast in Israel for two years, not because he was convicted of a crime, but because the governor who's in charge, has been doing a favor to the Jews, the Jews by just keeping Paul away. So I didn't do anything wrong. There's not been a trial that has made a decision about him but he's been kept in jail for 2 years. And we're wondering is he ever going to get to Rome? Which is where he wants to go, and where God seems to have indicated that he will go, but we haven't seen that happen yet. So we're we're wondering about all the sinks and and now here's maybe the important question. Why does this story matter? The story matters because the same Holy Spirit who motivates and guides and empowers the followers of Jesus in this book. Is the Holy Spirit who motivates and guides and empowers rise up Church. We're just learning about how the Holy Spirit acts about how Jesus acts, how God, the Father acts, and where we're getting a picture of what really committed followers of Jesus. Look, like, Because rise up churches. A current-day example of a powerful joyful, witnessing Fellowship of Jesus. Just happen to be in the place where God has placed us, Sam, Neymar. Where is he, right? There is going to read the story for us and then we're going to dig into it.

To Telegram. Alright, thank you.

acts 25 1 through, 2632 Three days after arriving in the province, bestest went up from cesarina to Jerusalem, were the chief priests and the Jewish leaders appear before him and presented the charges against Paul, the requested Festus, as a favor to them, to have Paul transfer to Jerusalem for. They are preparing an ambush to kill him along the way. Fastest answered Hall is being held at sasariya and I myself, I'm going there soon. Let some of your leaders calling me and if a man has done anything wrong, they can press charges against him. There. After spending eight or ten days with them, fastest went down to see sasariya the next day, he can be in the court and ordered that all, be brought before them. And Paul came in the Jews, who would come down from Jerusalem, Stone around him. They brought many serious charges against him, but they could not prove them. Then, Paul made his defense, I have done. Nothing wrong against the Jewish law or against the temple or against Caesar fastest wishing to do the Jews. A favor said to Paul, are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial before meet there? At least charges all answered. I am now standing before Jesus Court, where I ought to be trying, I'm not done any wrong to the Jews, as you yourself know, very well. If however, I am guilty of doing anything deserving death, I do not refuse to die, but if the charges brought against Me by these Jews are not true. No one has the right to hand, me, over to them, I appealed to Caesar after fastest, head convert conferred with his counselor, he declared you appealed to Caesar to Caesar you will go. Few days later, King, Agrippa and Bernice arrive at sasariya to pay their respects to Festus since they were spending many days there Festus discuss discussed all his case with the King. He said, there's a man here whom Felix left as a prisoner when I went to Jerusalem, the chief priests and the Elders of the Jews, brought charges against him and asked that he be condemned. I told him that it is not the Roman custom to hand over any one before they have faced their accusers and I've had an opportunity to defend themselves against the charges. When they came here with me I did not delay. The case is f****** being the court the next day and ordered that the man to be brought in When is the q's got up to speed? They did not charge him with any of the crimes, I expected instead, they had some points of dispute with him about their own religion, and about a dead man named Jesus who Paul claimed his life. I was at a loss how to investigate such matters. So I asked if you would be willing to go to Drew swimming stands for out there on these charges. But when Paul made his appeal to be held over for the emperor's decision, I ordered him held until I could send him to Caesar. Then Agrippa said to Festus, I would like to hear this man myself. Your plaid tomorrow. You will hear him. The next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great Pomp and enter the audience room with a high-ranking military officers in The prominent men of the city at the command of Festus Paul is brought in Festus and King Agrippa and all who are present with us. You see this man the whole Jewish Community has petitioned me about him in Jerusalem and here in cesarina shouting that he ought not to live any longer. I found he had done nothing, deserving death, but because he made his appeal to the emperor, I decided to send him to roam, but I have nothing to do. I have nothing definite to write his majesty about therefore, I have brought him before all of you and especially For You King. Agrippa so that as a result of this investigation, I may have something to write for. I think it is unreasonable to send a prisoner on to roam without specifying the charges against him. Then Agrippa said to pull your permission to speak for yourself. Sir Paul motion with his hand and began to the defense. King Agrippa, I consider myself, fortunate to stand before you today as a make, my man defense against all the accusations of the Jews and especially so, because you are well, acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies, therefore, I beg you to listen to me patiently, The Jewish people all know, the way I have lived ever since I was a child from the beginning of my life in my own country. And also in Jerusalem, they have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing that conform to the strictest sect of all religion, living, as a Pharisee. And now is because of my hope and what God has promised, our ancestors that I am on trial today. This is the promise our twelve tribes are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night. King. Agrippa it is because of this hope that these Jews are accusing me. Why should any of you consider it incredible? That God raises the Dead. It was I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus Jesus of Nazareth and that is just what I did in Jerusalem on the authority of the chief. Priests said many of the Lord's people in prison and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them many time. I went from one sinugod to another to have them punished. I tried to force them to blaspheme, I was so obsessed with Prosecuting them that I even hunted them down in foreign cities. On one of these Journeys, I was going to the baskets with the authority and condition of the chief priests about noon. Can you grab her? As I was on the road? I saw the light from Heaven brighter than the sun blazing around me and my companions. We all fell to the ground. I Heard a Voice saying to me and Aramaic. Saul Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads that I asked, who are you? Lord, I am Jesus. Whom you are persecuting the word implied. Now, get up and stand on your feet out of here to you to point to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen and we'll see of me our rescue from your own people. And from the Gentiles, I'm sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from Darkness to light and from the power of the of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those, who are saying Sanctified by faith in me, So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from Heaven, first of those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea. And then to the Gentiles, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds. That's why some of you sees me in the temple courts and tried to kill me. But God has helped me to this very day. So I stand here and testify to too small and great alike. I'm saying, nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said, would happen that the Messiah would suffer. And as the first to rise from the dead, would bring the message of light to his own people and to the Gentiles. At this point Festus interrupted Paul's defense, you are out of your mind. All you shouted your great learning is driving. You insane? I'm not insane, most excellent. Bestest, or if I what I am saying is true and reasonable. The king is familiar with these things and I can speak freely to him and convinced that none of this has escaped, his notice that it was not done in a corner. King Agrippa do you believe the prophets? I know you do. When a group of said to Paul do you think then it's such a sort that short time you can persuade me to be a Christian or applied short-timer long? I pray to God that not only you but all who are listening to me. Today, may become what I am except for these chains, the king Rose, and with the governor and Bernice and those sitting with after they left the room to be dancing to one another, this man is not doing anything that deserves death or imprisonment or grandpa said, the fastest this man could have been set free. If you did not feel too Caesar.

That was a marathon of reading, so thank you for doing it. All right, so and and what do we do when we have a marathon of reading? We got it sort of Make it smaller. So the way I would like to do that, it is. I just picked out some verses that I would like to comment along the way. So let's see. I have my

All right. First. Whoops. Bursary. They requested Festus as a favor to them, to have Paul transferred to Jerusalem for. They were preparing an ambush to kill him along the way. So, do you remember Adam Hubbard a couple weeks ago, talking about those forty men, who said, that they weren't going to eat until they killed Paul and Adam wondered, did they die? Because he didn't eat. Or did they give themselves permission to eat? We don't know what happened to them, but this is two years later and they haven't changed their strategic plan, which is get Paul to travel in between Jerusalem and caesarea. So that a group can Ambush and kill him. So that's that's still what's happening? Paul has been in prison for two years. Like I said earlier, not with any legal reason, but because Felix, who used to be the governor wanted to do a favor to the Jews and left Paul there. Festus is now new in the job, and he also would really like to do a favor for the Jews if he could. But he says no to this request. He's, he seems to have a sense that there's something fishy going on. And so what he says for them is I'm going back to caesarea, why don't you send some people with me and we can have a trial there, so they have to settle for that.

Best verses new and so King Agrippa and Bernice come to visit him and they have this audience in an assembly hall where Agrippa and Bernice come in with Pomp. And when the Military Officers of the area come in, and when the well-known people, that it's a celebrity Gathering and Festus is the new guy, and he's got these celebrities there, so he wants to entertain them. And the most interesting thing he's got going on is he has his prisoner Paul. So, he calls Paul in to make a presentation to them. We've met several Harrods. This is Herod Agrippa. The second you've heard of Herod. Who was the king. When Jesus was born, there was a different Herod. When Jesus was growing up, we met Herod Agrippa one in Acts chapter 12. You might remember about him that he killed James, and the Jews liked it. So, he arrested Peter Peter was set free from prison by an Angel. And you might remember, Herod Agrippa one as the king who was making a speech in front of people and they said, you are a God and he was just drinking it in and then he collapsed and later, he died, Well just very humbly. Go read it. Chapter Acts, chapter 12. That's the father that's Herod Agrippa one. This is Herod Agrippa 2 and Bernice is not his wife. We don't think Bernice is his sister. Bernice Bernice is second husband died. And so she moved in with her brother Agrippa and because there were rumors, she had a plan to marry another guy but that didn't work out. And finally, she just said, yeah, let him say what they want to say. And so she moved in with Agrippa and a historian. Josephus says that in Rome, this was the gossip of the day. What is the nature of the relationship between Agrippa and Bernice? Oh that's a gathering. And like celebrities like to do this particular celebrity couples kind of on the edge of you know what's accepted and so everybody's just interested in them. And Paul has an opportunity to speak to this group of people. So this week she gives we've heard two other time. So this is now time 3 of Paul describing how he turned around from being a Jew who was against Jesus to a follower of Jesus and he's just talking in these verses about how strongly he was persecuting. Christians. I like because it's it seems like good language. I like the way that the second part of this first has Paul saying I was so obsessed with persecuting them that a even hunted them down in foreign cities. And then Paul represents what Jesus said to him. And this time when Paul summarizes, what Jesus says to Amy and clued some details that he didn't include. Before Jesus tells him, I'm going to rescue you from your own people, and from the Gentiles. And I'm sending you to them, that them seems to refer to both groups, God, sent Paul to the Jews and God sent Paul to the Gentiles. That's the breath of what his ministry's about and Paul uses some different language this time. Put some different words in Jesus mouth. Not contradicting what he said before, but expanding on it and uses the theme of Darkness and Light. Jesus tells him, I'm going to open their eyes and turn them from Darkness to light from Satan, to God, so that they might receive forgiveness of sins. And so that these Jews the Old Testament people of God than these gentiles The new people of God would all have a place of belonging in the family of God.

Paul wanted, especially King Agrippa who grew up around the Jews and whose whose subjects were the Jews. He wanted him to hear that. That Paul wasn't doing something off the path of what the Jews ought to do. But rather he was doing exactly what God wanted the Jews to do. He said, I'm not saying anything beyond what the Old Testament said, would happen. He didn't say Old Testament, he said the prophets and Moses, but that's what the prophets and Moses means, Moses would be the first five books. The profits would be the other books. He could have gone a little farther and talked about the writings but Moses and the prophets is short. For the, the Old Testament Bible in the Old Testament, of the Bible said would happen that the Messiah would come. And that's Jesus, he came and that the Messiah would suffer and the Messiah would be the first to be raised from the dead as an example to the rest of us that we would rise from the dead and that the Messiah would bring the message of Lights to his own people into the Gentiles. So we remember, Jesus saying to people, I am the light of the world. This Darkness to light theme.

It's interesting and all that that Fest just kind of quietly is listening until Paul says, Jesus was raised from the dead and it seems like that's the thing that gets him to jump up and say you are out of your mind. Your great learning has driven. You insane. Why is he so offended? He is listen to all this. Now, he's just he can't take it. It seems to be that the Greeks were offended, especially by the idea of the Resurrection from the dead. It, it seems that in the Greek way of thinking your mind is going to heaven, your mind, and the idea ideas that's heaven. And this body of ours is a ball and chain, and we can't get rid of it soon enough. So, it seems that for the Greek people, the idea of our bodies being raised to life, again wasn't very attractive at all, and I think that's why Festus who's a Greek jumps out of his chair and can hardly stand it, we saw the same thing back in Acts chapter 17, when Paul was in Athens talking to a Greek audience and when he got to the point that he describes Jesus as rising from the dead, that's the point when some of the peoples, Weird at him. So, It's an offense. It seems especially to Greek people and Festus jumps up at that point. And in our group, we marveled at how courageous Paul his So Festus, the governor who has control over Paul's life jumps up and is angry at him. And Paul didn't say I'm sorry, if I offended you, he didn't even look at Festus, he look at King Agrippa who's the one? Who knows the Jews and he says to King Agrippa King Agrippa you know what I'm talking about. You believe in the prophets, right? And King Agrippa replies to him. You think in this short amount of time you're going to make me into a Christian. And how would you reply to that? Might you reply? I'm sorry if I offended you. I didn't mean to imply that you would become a Christian that fast. That's not what Paul says. He says very graciously but quite courageously. Short time, or long. No skin off my teeth you to wake. I pray to God. That not only you, but everybody who's listening to me, would to me today, may become what I am except for these chains. I don't, I don't wish to years in prison when you didn't do anything wrong, and I don't wish these shackles that are on my wrists on anybody, but I wish everybody would become like, I am meeting a person who has recognized, who Jesus is and who's following him. then in this episode, the last thing that happens before the screen goes black and the credit start scrolling up is The guests, leave the room and they walk out into a side room. I'm picturing they're having Refreshments now and they're standing around talking with each other and Agrippa and Festus and others standing and reflecting say to each other. This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.

And the screen goes black and we have to show up next week to find out what happens next. So just to get right to it. I have a couple of takeaways but I would like after I ate sure my takeaways with you to provide a little spot for one or two or three. See, you know, how it goes. Have you to share? I'd love to hear what jumps out at you about this door. So I'm going to put a screen up in a couple minutes. That says, I think I feel I wonder and We'd love to hear. If anybody in this room has some stuff that's that's rolling around in your head, but here are my takeaways number one, the way of Salvation. We didn't read this verse, so I'm putting it up here. Now, Sam ride it, but I didn't highlighted I preached that they should repent and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds. 10. Interesting questions. A good question to ask. What do we think that the early Christian said, when they gathered people together and they were going to give explanation about Jesus? And it seems that they said this or something close to this Repent and turn to God and then lived like a person who repented and turn to God. So here's my words, their way of Salvation, repent, another way to say it would be disavowal, the Darkness Darkness to light Satan to God. What do you, what is it that we repent of you could, you know, maybe you're thinking about your own sin but it's bigger than that. It's it's turning your back on Darkness, straining. Your back on Satan and turning towards something but part one is turning your back. Part two is then what you turn to Ward. Turn to God, which in this context, is about embracing Jesus. And Jesus is the one who describes him as well as the light of the world. So we're in this Darkness, light theme turn from Darkness to light, which is another way of saying, turn your back on, Satan, turn your face to where Jesus and then live like a person who has repented and turn to God. Meaning The Deeds don't come first. The Deeds come after. I like the way a guy named Bill hybels said it. He said, in the Bible religion is not spelled D, o do. That's not how the Bible spells religion, many of the world's religions would spell religion. It's about what you do. You're climbing a ladder of Good Deeds, hoping that you can get up to God and that's not the Bible's picture at all. The Bible spells religion, done it is what Jesus has already done. So the Turning is just recognizing life, is not there. And the, and the embracing is recognizing that forgiveness in life are gifts to me in Jesus that I received by faith, and then comes the deeds. And the Deeds are not earning your way. The Deeds are just living up to. What has happened? You turned your back on something and you turn towards something. So you would expect that. Now you're going to live like a person who has repented and turn toward God. It's not d o b d o n e, x take away. S take away is just a picture of the way God acts. God may allow it looks bad to bring you to something good. So in about three weeks Sam, and I are oldest daughter. Christie is moving from San Diego to Michigan with her husband and their two kids and stop one in terms of places to live is our house. So we're going to share our house with this family of four for a while. Here's the story. They've been trying because it wasn't pretty good jobs in San Diego, to buy a house in San Diego. California. And they've made welmont offers of $650,000, for an 1100 square foot, little fixer upper But they couldn't get it because it wasn't enough money. and, I think one day when they were wondering, could we spend less on food and squeeze some more money out of the family budget? They just finally recognize this isn't going to work and we've been knowing this for a long time. I don't, I don't really know what it was. That made the decision. I just know that day. They tried hard really hard to find a house and they couldn't and I think are disappointed in some ways that that didn't work. Our daughter has an MBA, she's pretty smart about financial things, it just couldn't work. So they made this decision to relocate their lives in the midwest, maybe they'll stay here. Maybe they'll locate somewhere else. Drew is going to start his own business as a filmmaker. So we have a son of the filmmaker and his son-in-law is a filmmaker and our daughter is going to do her. Same job remotely I might point in telling this story is they don't really know. If this is all going to work out, great. They're in a way having to leave is kind of sad, but they're following God into something created by the circumstances that are behind them. And sometimes God requires you to go through something bad on the way towards something good and I wonder how that might be true for you. All right, so last screen. I think I feel I wonder, I would love to hear somebody in this room. Share something that jumping out at you today, as you listen to the story or maybe as you were in a small group that disgusted

Yes.

Cami right turn to hear, right? So Cami was saying she's hearing. It's good not to worry about what other people think. Because sin in the sentence. Paul doesn't really care what other people think, but he's still presents the gospel and maybe sometimes worrying about what other people think stops us from presenting the gospel. Is that that fair good, thank you.

How about somebody else?

Yeah.

Yeah.

Karen's talking about how amazing it is. That Paul kept himself together in this two years of not, being able to move things forward, like covid. 2 years of putting the brakes on waiting.

Drake.

Yeah.

Yeah, Greg's asking what was he doing? And he's he's not the kind of person to sit there and do nothing.

Awesome, thank you. All right.

We're not going to have a closing. Some today we're going to we're going to end and then we're going to go on to our picnic. So let me see how should we do this? I think we should just all stand up and

I'll say a prayer. I feel like we should, we should pray in response to the word and then we'll receive the blessing.

Thank you for your word, which is a lamp to our feet.

Thank you for the way of Salvation that you described in your word. so different from the other messages we hear in the world which are you have to be good enough to make it And what we hear you saying is we simply turn. Our backs to the darkness in our faces towards you the light and and walk into life with you. Thank you for that. Thank you for the reality that even if things aren't going the way we wish they were going that we often can trust that you are going to bring us through something that's hard to a destination. That's good. And we pray that for people, we know, like Christy and Drew at, but others who are here in this room right now who are journeying through something difficult, on the way to something good from you and we ask for that. Lord, we ask that out of the bad things. People might be experiencing today that you would be creating something good. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

May the Lord bless you and keep you may the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to. You may the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace and everybody said, amen. Okay. Picnic Carmen is going to kind of organize food. Carmen. Would you waive? Okay, Greg is going to organize. Cornhole. So Greg would you waive so nobody knows who you are. And Julie said that she would take a turn at the bounce house. Keeping an eye on. We need somebody to referee the bounce house, otherwise it becomes the house of Destruction. So, but I think, Julie could use at least one partner, so that she could have a little break and maybe eat some food and stuff like that or play. So, if you're willing to take a turn at the bounce house, would you talk to Julie? I think that's all we need to go to. No, yes.

Oh sure. Anything else? All right. And I know how is your due? This transition of food is always a picture of your provision, so thank you. Lord, for today's food and how you are always providing. Amen.