Acts 28:17-31 - The Story Of The Gospel Continues

All right. So we started the book of Acts just about a year ago. And if you're anything like me, you will need a refresher as to what the book of Acts has been all about, right? The book of Acts begins with a man named Luke, who begins writing, Acts as a history to send to Theophilus, and this is a sequel to his first book that is also in the book. Also in the New Testament, a hundred youth group points who can, you know, knows who the book is. We do this randomly in youth group, but I don't think it's hard. I think most of you guys can probably guess it. It is the book of Luke, right? Luke is the story of Jesus. Acts is the story of the movement that he started continuing through his apostles and this continued chronicle of that in Acts they're mostly referred to as the way. But today we know it, know it commonly as Christianity and Acts focuses on the acts of the apostles and them carrying out the mission that they were entrusted with by Jesus. Right. And we get a snapshot of this mission that Jesus gives his apostles in Acts one eight, right? And it says this in Acts one eight, right before Jesus ascends into heaven. He gives the disciples this mission. He says, but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be my witnesses, both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest parts of the earth.

What is their mission to be his witnesses. What Jesus said, what he did, what he commands, and what he promises to do. They are to go forth and bear witness to that. Who does Jesus command them to go to? Well, first, their next door neighbors, they're in Jerusalem right now. They're all from Judea. So they're can go to their neighbors and friends as well as Samaria, which are the Jewish Jewish cousins. They're kind of rivals. They kind of don't like each other, but they're cousins, essentially. They're going to their next door neighbors and then also to even the remotest parts of the earth. Right? This message of Jesus, this witnessing message, is for all nations and all peoples throughout the earth. And that scene seemingly is monumental and impossible for these disciples to do, but Jesus promises to send the Holy Spirit to help them accomplish this goal. Write the Book of Acts details for us all the ways in which the Holy Spirit works in the lives of the apostles to carry out this mission of bringing the gospel, advancing the kingdom of Christ to the world. And it's the story of less than a dozen people, dozen Jews, discipling and going throughout the world and creating a mass movement of people that is made up of Jews and Gentiles throughout the Roman world and beyond. And the book of Acts also focuses on two apostles.

The first 12 chapters of the Book of Acts focuses on the Apostle Peter and his ministry to mostly Jewish people, and the last half of the book of Acts. Chapters 13 through 28 focuses on Paul and his ministry to mostly Gentiles and Peter. Both Peter and Paul, as well as the whole church, faces a number of obstacles, trials, and different things that make it hard for them to bear witness to Christ. And in second Corinthians chapter 11, Paul sums up what he has gone through during this period of Acts to bear the gospel to the world. In second Corinthians 1124 through 28, it says this five times I received from the Jews 39 lashes. And that's not eyelashes. That's like a whip, right? All right. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. A night and a day I spent in the deep. I've been on frequent journeys in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren. I've been in labor and hardship through many sleepless nights in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And apart from such things, there is a daily pressure on me of the concern for all the churches. This is what Paul went through, but also the church as a whole during this time period is facing very similar things, very similar threats and dangers.

And despite what Paul has endured, his greatest desire isn't for his comfort, safety, or security or to retire somewhere. I mean, it would be pretty awesome to retire on a Greek beach. And I'm sure if I was Paul, that's what I would be thinking about doing. But instead, he focused, focuses his entire strength and will on the health and growth of the church. And it receives all his energy and devotion and time. In the Book of Acts records his three missionary journeys throughout the Roman world, going through Asia Minor, what would be today Turkey, Greece and other other places. And we we read some of the churches that he started as well as went back to visited during these three missionary journeys, churches that you are probably familiar with, such as Corinth, Ephesus, Thessalonica, Philippi, because those are all letters that we have from Paul to those churches that he started in our scriptures. And it's up for debate that in acts 28. He is on his fourth missionary journey. And why it's up for debate is that Paul isn't necessarily going on this missionary journey on his own accord. He is being forced by the Roman government because he appealed to Caesar and he travels. He takes a voyage from Jerusalem to Rome in a very roundabout way because of all the things that happened to him. But even with all of that happening, Paul is still preaching the gospel and bearing witness to Christ the same as he has always done, just instead of people he chooses to.

He just does it with the people he's forced to spend time with, that being his prison guards, fellow prisoners, and the random strangers he meets along the way. And as we have read or heard from Pastor Nathaniel for the past several weeks. Paul is relentless in his efforts to be a witness for Christ, no matter the circumstance and where he finds himself, which is a great example for us to have and to strive for. And to be honest, if I were Paul last week, Paul got to Rome, which is where we'll be. We'll continue from when I got to Rome, I would be like, okay, finally I can rest, right? I've been on this voyage, this crazy voyage where I almost died a few times. Apart from that, before that, I was doing all these things where I didn't get any rest. I was constantly in danger. Now I'm where I'm supposed to go. You know, I have a prison guard watching over me, so at least I'm not in danger of people coming in and taking me out now so I can finally get some rest. Maybe I can talk to an attorney or a lawyer who knows Roman law well, so I can present my case towards Caesar and make sure that I'm. I'm good and not condemned. But that's not really what Paul does. We see what Paul does in Acts 28:17 and says this after three days, Paul called together those who were the leading men of the Jews. And when they had come together, he began saying to them, brethren, though I had 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. And when they had examined me, they were willing to release me, because there was no ground for putting me to death. But when the Jews objected, I was forced to appeal to Caesar. Not that I had any accusation against my nation. For this reason, therefore, I requested to see you and to speak with you, for I am wearing this chain for the sake of the hope of Israel. They said to him, we have neither received letters from Judea concerning you, nor have any of the brethren come here and reported or spoken anything bad about you. But we desire to hear from you and what your views are for concerning this sect. It is known to us that it is spoken against every where. The question is, why is Paul so interested in talking with them? Well, as we have gone through the book of Acts, you might have noticed a pattern of Paul's that wherever he went, he would first go to the synagogue, right? He would go to the synagogue where the Jews are, and he would begin to explain from scriptures that Jesus is the Messiah, the long awaited one, the the anointed one of Israel that they had been waiting on all this time.

And he does so from looking at the law and the prophets, their scriptures, and explaining that to them. And the problem in Rome, as well as his problem right now, is that he is not free to go anywhere. And so essentially, what he does and effectively what he does is instead of go to the synagogue, he gets the synagogue to come to him. Right? But his task will be hard because I mean, as admittedly so their view of Christianity, their view of what Paul is preaching is already, you know, obscured. Because what it says in verse 22. 22 it says, we desire to hear from you what your views are for concerning this sect. It is known to us that it is spoken against everywhere. Essentially, we've heard about this in everybody we've talked to says it's terrible that it's awful. Right. And it doesn't sound like a good. A lot of good press has reached the Jewish community in Rome. Right. To say only they've only heard negative things. But fortunately for Paul, as well as the Church of Rome, is that the leaders there are open minded or curious to. Was what Paul will say. And so they say, let's hear you out. Continuing on into Acts 28:23, it says this when they had set a day for Paul, they came to him at his lodging and in large numbers, and he was explaining to them by solemnly testifying about the kingdom of God and trying to persuade them concerning Jesus from both the law of Moses and from the prophets, from morning until evening, right? What Paul does is what he's always done, even when he is in prison.

He opens up the scripture, and he begins to explain to them that the law and the prophets were fulfilled in Jesus, and they point to him as the Messiah, and that the Messiah had to die, be buried, and rise again. And now he offers peace and life and relationship and life with God by grace, through faith, not through works of the law who believe in him. And now, as a reader of Scripture reading this passage, the thing that jumps out to me is, Paul, what scriptures did you cite? What were you explaining? What did you go through? Like, can we have verse references for this? Of course, they didn't have verse references back then, but that's another matter. Anyways. All we can do is speculate as to what Paul brought up. Paul might have brought up Genesis 315, where God promises right after Adam and Eve sinned, and he promises them that there would be one born of a woman whose the. The serpent would bruise his heel, but he would crush the serpent's head. Right. And Christ was the only one truly just born of a woman, right? Not only that, but his heel was bruised.

He was mortally wounded, but it did not kill him. He rose again, and by dying and rising again, he crushed the power. The head of the serpent by conquering sin and death. Right. Or, you know, maybe he brought up Genesis 315. Maybe he brought up the story of Abraham, where Abraham was called by God to go to Mount Moriah and sacrifice his one and only son. And as Abraham goes and attempts to do this, the angel of the Lord stops him right at the moment he's about to do that. And the Lord provides a ram as a temporary sacrifice instead of his one and only son, only for God to thousands of years later send his own one and only son to die in the place of not just Abraham and Isaac sins, but all of our sins, right? The number of stories that paint a picture that illustrate that foreshadow and allude to who Jesus is going to be. And what he has to do is really, it's almost beyond numbering in the Old Testament. Right. Whether it is the stories that I referenced or Isaiah or Psalms, the Exodus story, or the sacrificial system in the law, they all point to who Jesus is. And the reality is, is that Paul probably talked about these and talked about much more because as it says in verse 23, he talked to them, preached to them from morning until evening.

So I want you guys to remember that the next time you yawn in here and want to take, you know, close your eyes, remember that we only have an hour and I'm not going from morning until evening and be grateful for that fact. So how did they respond to Paul opening up scriptures and showing them that Jesus is the Messiah? Acts 28:24 gives us their response. It says some were persuaded by these things spoken, but others would not believe. Now, out of everyone in the New Testament, I think Paul would be the least shocked about people rejecting Jesus or these people rejecting Jesus because Paul was in that same boat. Just a few years ago, maybe a few few more than a few years. But you know, years ago, Paul was in that exact position. And not only did Paul just reject Jesus, but he made it his life's mission to end the followers of Jesus. Right? Being there at the first martyr of Steven holding the coats that we see in acts chapter seven, as well as actively going and trying to arrest Christ's followers in Damascus, where he has his experience, where he sees the risen Christ and gives his life to Jesus. Out of everyone, he would understand why people. And right here, specifically Jewish people are resistant to believe that Jesus is the Christ. And he explains why in Romans ten one through four it says this, brethren, my heart's desire in my prayer to God for them is for their salvation.

And he is talking about the Jewish people here. You know that by reading chapter nine as well as verse two, for I testify about them, that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. For not knowing about God's righteousness and seeking to establish their own. They did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes right. Seeking to establish their own righteousness instead of subjecting themselves to the righteousness of God. Maybe this is best illustrated with the idea of the Pharisees and the Sadducees. The Pharisees and the Sadducees knew the scriptures better than just about anybody who has ever lived right. They had the Torah as well as other books of the Bible, just completely memorized from front to back. They could just say it, spit it out verbatim. I struggle with verses, but they have entire books memorized. And not only that, but they lived during the time of Jesus saw Jesus perform miracle after miracle fulfilled the prophecies that were in the Old Testament. And they heard his teaching, and they saw all these things being fulfilled in their own time. And if anyone should have recognized who the Messiah was, it should have been them. But that's talking about it in a purely factual and intellectual way. They knew the most. They saw Jesus do what the scriptures talked about, but they still rejected Jesus and conspired to kill him.

Why? Well, they did so not out of ignorance, but out of arrogance. The Bible talks about them being jealous of what Jesus was doing. Jesus told them to repent and believe in him. And they needed that. They needed to be born again, right. Jesus, talking to Nicodemus in John three, who is a Pharisee, says, you need to be born again. Jesus was ministering to the sinners that. And he was saying the same thing to them in. The Pharisees thought that they were in a class above them, and Jesus told them as well as the sinners plainly, that their own righteousness, their keeping of the law, their morality, their devotion to God, their religion and fervor, and keeping it wouldn't save them that they were indeed whitewashed tombs, and that only he was the way, the truth, and the life, the resurrection, offering eternal life to all who would believe, but for them to believe that Jesus is the Messiah would mean that they are not the own, their own Messiah. To trust in Jesus, they would be making him big in themselves. Small. To repent and believe in Christ is to admit that you are in sinner, in need of a Savior, and that you are wholly inadequate and desperate for a radical transformation, and that your work, your way and your own goodness is not enough. And that was a bridge too far for them. And of course, this isn't exclusive to just Jewish people at all by any means, because everyone and anyone to believe in Jesus is to surrender that messiahship that lordship over our own lives and give it to Christ, trusting in his way and in his purposes.

And it wasn't out of a lack of knowledge that the religious leaders rejected Jesus or the Jews in the synagogue. It was because of their pride, ego, and self righteousness. And that's what Paul's will say in the next couple of verses. And that's what Romans ten one through four is describing to us, because our hearts and the desire to be master over them, to decide what good and evil is for us to believe that we are the exception to the rule, or better is a much bigger obstacle to faith in Jesus Christ than intellectual assent. Which is why James, in his book James four through six, as well as repeated throughout in Scripture in many different ways, says this God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble. Continuing in Acts 28 through 25, It says this.

And when they did not agree with one another, they began leaving. After Paul had spoken one parting word, the Holy Spirit rightly spoke through Isaiah the prophet to your father, saying, go to this people and say, you will keep on hearing, but will not understand, and you will keep on seeing, but will not perceive. For the heart of this people people has become dull, and with their eyes they see. With their ears they scarcely hear, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and return. And I would heal them. Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles. They will also listen. When he had spoken these words, the Jews departed, having a great dispute amongst themselves.

Now, some versions don't have verse 29. I wish I had a reason for that, but I don't. Today that is some extra homework. You can get some extra credit by looking up why that is left out of the ESV for all those who are interested in that. But what Paul does is give the people their scripture to chew on. And quite clearly there is a lot of spirited debate amongst them about what Paul has just shared, because it is kind of a revolutionary idea that the Messiah that they have been waiting for has already come, and they're debating on whether he is right or whether he is wrong, and whether Jesus is who he says he is and who Paul says he is. And this new information is uncomfortable, causing division and strife amongst them. And the reality is, guys, is that it isn't just uncomfortable and divisive amongst them, but it's also for us. Why? Because this verse demonstrates these verses rather demonstrate the reality that not everyone who hears the gospel will believe.

Matthew 10:34 through 39. Perhaps one of the most difficult things to wrestle with what Jesus taught. He says this. Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn a man against his father, a daughter against his mother, a daughter in law against her mother in law. A man's enemies will be the members of his own household. Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me. Anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it. And whoever loses their life for my sake will find it. As a father of a young son. Now, as the kids say, this verse hits different, right? I. Thanks for laughing. I can't think of anything more terrifying than the fact that I cannot decide whether my son believes in Jesus or not. And I'm certain that, you know, with this crowd, I'm not the only one who fears that. I'm also sure that all of us have friends or family that are unbelieving. And just as there was tension back in Acts, there is tension now in our own lives, strife, strife because of that division. So what are we to do? Are we to force everyone to believe by the point of the sword and say, if you don't, we're going to, you know, punish you? Or do we retreat and create a commune with just Christians? And you have to be Christian to be there? No.

Just to clarify, both of those are not the answer, right? Both of those have been tried in history and both are not the answer. And Paul gives us it. Jesus gives it. Paul demonstrates for us what it means to be a follower of Jesus. As someone who keeps sharing the word keep, keeps witnessing to Christ everywhere he goes, whether in word or deed. As someone who follows Christ sincerely and genuinely and loves others just as Christ loves him, right? Above all that, Paul's faith is firmly planted in Christ, knowing that it is Christ alone that saves. That he is faithful to do so, and that Christ ultimately loves the people that Paul is ministering to even more than himself and Paul. Paul's job is to just share Christ. We see this understanding in Paul's letters to his protege, Timothy. We're going to read some in first and second Timothy. Second Timothy four two says this preach the word, be ready in season and out of season. Reprove, rebuke, exhort with great patience and instruction. I think that's Paul's writing to his to his protege, his fellow pastor, who is now taking over a church. But I tell you what, those are great verses for parents as well, right? With great Patients and instruction.

First Timothy two three through four shows us the heart of God. It says, this is good and acceptable in the sight of our God, our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. God so loved the world. Second Timothy 112 says this. For this reason I also suffer these things. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day. Our faith in Christ as believers should not just be limited to ourselves. But also to the ones we love. And I'm going to be honest with you guys, that's going to be harder. But what we know through reading scriptures is that the Lord is good, that he is faithful, that he loves, and that we can trust him. It is only him that saves. We cannot do that. We cannot force people to believe. But he is good. And that doesn't absolve us from the responsibility of bearing witness for Christ and to Christ. But what it does mean is that the result is in his hands, and it is much better that way. Now for the final verses in the book of Acts, Acts 28:30 through 31, which says this. And he stayed two full years in his own rented quarters, and was welcome, welcoming all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness un hindered.

Yeah, that's the end of the book of Acts. Anyone else feel a little disappointed by the ending? I mean, it's great. Paul is doing what we just talked about. He is continuing to preach the word in and out of season, whether he's imprisoned or not. And he will be a faithful minister to Christ in this time, writing books such as Philippians and Philemon and more. But it's not really an ending. There is no resolution, no conclusion, no end of a character arc for either Peter or Paul. And maybe that's the point. Acts really doesn't have an ending because the story of Acts is the story of the church. The story of what Jesus started in the book of Luke and transitioned to in the book of Acts. And the body of Christ is still alive even till this day. And these early chapters of church history are critical because they are the foundation of what has been laid and what we are to follow. And it's where we come from and what we are doing now. Ephesians 212 says this remember that you were at the time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus, you who were formerly far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ, who is in the body of Christ, who is a part of the church.

Those who are brought near by the blood of Christ. Verse 19. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and are of God's household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole building being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the spirit. The story of the church, the story of the body of Christ, doesn't end in Acts chapter eight because it is still being written today with each one of us here worshiping, celebrating, and learning about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who has reconciled us by his own blood so that no matter what language we speak, what ethnicity we belong to, or what family we were born into. We now have a family and are a part of this story as the body of Christ, the church. And how do we become a part of that church? By believing in Christ. By believing in Christ, we receive Christ's righteousness. His blood covers us by trusting in him for salvation, laying aside our pride, our ego, our self-righteousness, and our claims of being Messiah and clinging to Christ. Paul and Peter write the the two main characters of Acts, as well as the main apostles that set the foundation for the church of which Jesus started and is the chief cornerstone are in complete agreement about this, Even though they've had their disagreements in the past, they agree through the Holy Spirit.

Paul wrote Ephesians and through the Holy Spirit first Peter. Peter writes this in First Peter two four through ten. It says this in coming to him, that being Christ, as to a living stone, which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For this is contained in Scripture. Behold, I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious cornerstone. And he who believes in him will not be disappointed. This precious value, then, is for you who believe. But for those who disbelieve the stone which. The builders rejected. This became the very cornerstone and a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense. For they stumble because they are disobedient to the word and to this doom they were also appointed. But. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who have called you out of darkness and into his marvelous light. For once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God. You had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.