The Power of Your Story

Amen. Amen. Amen.

Oh, where did you come from? Hey, I didn't even see you down there. You see the sky? I know. Yeah, it's the church. You can stay up here. It's okay. Yeah. He's fine. Okay. Good morning. Okay. We've had no kids all weekend and a lot of coffee, so this is going to go fast, I think. We're going to get started this morning. Reading out of Psalm 90. So, if we want to go ahead and stand. And we're going to be reading Psalm 91 verses 1 and 2. It says, "Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations, before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting, you are God." This is the word of the Lord. Let's pray. God, we thank you for the time we can gather together this morning. We thank you for everything that you've given to us. We thank you for everything to everlasting and that we can be shown your love and your beauty through nature and through friendships and through community in the church. We thank you so much for those that are here today and those that are watching online.

Be with our service today and allow it to glorify you. In Jesus' name, amen. All right, we're going to get started today by singing "The Battle Belongs." Thank you.

I don't be alone. God belongs to you. And if you are for me, who can be against me? God, you see the end. God, you see the end. When all I see is a cross, God, you see the empty tomb. So when I fight, I'll fight on my knees with my hands lifted high. Oh, God, the battle belongs to you. And every fear I lay at your feet, I'll sing through the night. Oh, God, the battle belongs to you. Almighty fortress, you go before us. Nothing can stand against the power of our God. Almighty fortress, you go before us. Nothing can stand against the power of our God. Almighty fortress, you go before us. Nothing can stand against the power of our God.

The power of our God. So when I fight, I'll fight on my knees, with my hands lifted high. Oh God, the battle belongs to you. In every field I lay at your feet, I'll sing through the night. Oh God, the battle belongs to you. Oh God, the battle belongs to you. If you want to remain standing, you can, or you can sit if you'd like. We're going to be moving into our prayer and share time. Before that, we're going to be singing. If you're watching online, there will be a phone number for you to text. If you have any prayer requests or anything you'd like to share with us, just please text that, and we'll share that here together. And then we'll be muted here during this time, and so give us a few minutes and we'll be back, and then we'll move into our time of communion. And so next, we're going to be singing "Glorious Day."

I was buried beneath my shame. Who could carry that kind of weight? It was my turn till I met you. I was breathing but not alive. All my failures I tried to hide. It was my turn till I met you. You called my name, and I ran out of the grave. Out of the darkness, into your glorious day. You called my name, and I ran out of the grave. Out of the darkness, into your glorious day. Now your mercy has saved my soul. Now your freedom is all that I know. The old made new. Jesus, when I met you. You called my name, and I ran out of that grave. Out of the darkness, into your glorious day. You called my name, and I ran out of that grave. Out of the darkness, into your glorious day.

I needed rescue. My sin was heavy. But chains break at the weight of your glory. I needed shelter. I wasn't open. Now you call me a citizen of heaven. When I was broken, you were my healing. Now your love is the air that I'm breathing. I have a future. My eyes are open. 'Cause when you called my name, I ran out of that grave. Out of the darkness into your glorious day. You called my name. I ran out of that grave. Out of the darkness. Out of the darkness into your glorious day. All right, you may be seated. You may be seated. You may be seated. You may be seated. You may seated. You may seated. You may seated. Amen. Amen. Amen.

All right, as we move into the Bible, let's pray. As we move into our time of communion, we're going to be singing "Never Once." You were with us, kneeling on this battleground, seeing just how much you've done, knowing every victory. It's your power in us. Scars and struggles on the way, but with joy our hearts can save. Yes, our hearts can save. Never once did we ever walk alone. Never once did you leave us on our own. You are faithful, God, you are faithful. Kneeling on this battleground, seeing just how much you've done. Knowing every victory, it's your power in us. Scars and struggles on the way, but with joy our hearts can save. Yes, our hearts can save. Never once did we ever walk alone. Never once did you leave us on our own. You are faithful, God. You are faithful. You are faithful, God. You are faithful.

Stars and struggles on the way, but with joy our hearts can't save. Never once did we ever walk alone. Carried by your constant race, held within your perfect peace. Never once, knowing never walk alone. Never once did we ever walk alone. Never once did you leave us on our own. You are faithful, God, you are faithful. Every step we are breathing in your grace. your grace You are faithful, God. You are faithful.

Every Sunday, Greg makes it a point to set aside a communion cup for me where I won't forget it, and three out of four Sundays, I forget it. Our girls, before they go to bed, probably for the last two weeks, have been asking to read a verse before they go to bed. Generally, that happens. They'll watch a movie or show, and they're a little scared, and they'll say, "Can we read a Bible verse?" We've been just reading some things through the Psalms, and kind of reading about how God is our refuge. In the 16th Psalm, it just says this, "Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge. I say to the Lord, you are my Lord, and I have no good apart from you." And so I've been reading verses like this to the girls for the past several weeks, and about three or four days in it, one of them goes,

"What does refuge mean? You've been saying that a lot." And we talked about how it means that God is a safe place, that He's like a fortress and a castle for His people. And as I've been thinking about that, we live in a world that seems like it's unpredictable. It seems like it's filled with conflict, and I don't just simply mean military conflict or violent conflict. We have conflict sometimes in our families, sometimes with people that we love in our workplaces. And we find ourselves sort of in this constant place where it seems like we're always struggling with something, or always fighting with something. And I think this picture that the psalmist keeps repeating, sort of over and over throughout the Psalms, is one that is so important for us as Christians to hold on to deeply.

That God is our refuge. That He is our safe place. He is the place that we go where nothing can harm us. And I like how in the second verse of that song it says, "Apart from you I have nothing good." That all goodness is found in God. And we see that so clearly in the message of the Gospel, that Jesus, the Son of God, stepped into our world to be near to us. And He took all of our brokenness, all of our sin, all of our shame, and all of our guilt upon His shoulders at the cross. But rising again, alive, brand new, He gives us His victory over death and sin and hell and fear and shame. And He truly is our refuge. So I want us this morning, as we break this bread and drink this cup,

to run to our God, who is our refuge, and that refuge purchased by the blood of His Son. So let's pray, and then we'll partake together. Father in Heaven, thank You for Your Word. I thank You for Your church. I thank You that You are our refuge, that You have never once left us, even in the midst of our conflicts and our struggles, even when we have run from You, that You have been there for us. We thank You that You forgive. We thank You that You show grace. We thank You that You bring us hope. And so as we break this bread and drink this cup, may we remember that true peace is only found in You, and it's only been accomplished through the sacrifice of Your Son. I ask that You bless this bread and this cup. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Paul writes that when Jesus, eating with the disciples from the night when He was going to be betrayed, He took bread. And when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for You. Do this in remembrance of me."

And Paul will continue in the same way. He took the cup after supper saying, "This cup is the new covenant. Do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me." "For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes." Normally, at this part of our service, we would have a Scripture reading. This morning, if we are not, you may notice your handouts look a little differently. That is because we are starting this morning in Acts chapter 21, verse 17, and we're going to finish up in Acts chapter 22, verse 29. So it's a lengthy portion of Scripture. Acts 21 goes down to almost 40 verses, I think 40 verses total. And so I had originally had all that Scripture in the handout, and it came out to like two and a half pages front and back.

And then I remembered we also have Bibles. In the chairs in front of you, there should be some Bibles there. So if you want to follow along, there's some notes on the handout, but we'll be kind of going through this Scripture this morning, taking a look as Paul arrives to Jerusalem. It's been belting to this point. For quite some time, Paul has collected an offering. He has gathered some companions, or I think more appropriately some of those companions have gathered themselves to Paul, specifically some of them for the purpose of physically protecting him as he travels with this offering for the struggling Christians in Judea. And as we finally arrived in Jerusalem, he's met with James, and then everything sort of happens very, very quickly. So we're going to dive into that right after we have a word of prayer. Father in heaven, thank you for Jesus.

Thank you for grace. Be with us this morning as we tackle this lengthy passage of Scripture. As we hear this account inspired by your spirit given to us by Dr. Luke, we just ask that you would help us to see the goodness of the gospel, how it transforms our lives, how it transforms how we think about others. And help us to see, as we hear Paul's words to his fellow countrymen, that you would help us to see what it means to share the gospel. Help us to see the opportunities you have given us to share the gospel. Help us to have the courage through your spirit to share the gospel. So help us this morning. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. So I was thinking about this text, and there's so much packed into it. I remember the worst museum visit that I had ever been to.

We had some friends, and they were coming down, and they were more friends of my parents than they were of me, but they said, "Can we stay with you?" I said, "That's fine." They said, "Do you want to go to Washington, D.C. with us and visit some museums?" I said, "Yeah, sure, I'll do that. Sounds fun." And so we had gotten to the Museum of American History, around the walking mall, right? You have the Museum of American History, of Natural History, the Air and Space Museum, a whole bunch of museums, in addition to all of these other things to see. I said, "We're only going to try to see everything." And we walked into the Museum of American History. We walked in and immediately went right into an exhibit, and for the next six hours, these people examined every word, every item in this one particular exhibit

that wasn't much larger than the size of this room. And I was like, "Guys, if we really want to see anything else today, we're going to need to move." They're like, "Well, we've got to read everything." And I was like, "Look, there's an exit sign. Let's read that and move to the next area." And so for the last three hours, I just sat outside on a bench with my phone going, "How much longer can this take?" And I think what was worse for me was just an exhibit. of like 47 dresses, which, you know, they had some historical significance. They were a little bit interesting, but they weren't six hours worth of interesting. And so when you go to a museum, there's a lot of different ways you can go through that. You can go through a museum and spend hours on every single detail in a very small area.

You can kind of run through the museum, try to see everything at once. You can go to sort of a specific area or, like I like to do, you can kind of move through and see what there is to see, gather the information, and then go home and have lunch. That's what my hope is. So we have a lot of information today in our text. There is so many different things. There's great theological depth to what is happening in this text. There's amazing sort of cultural significance to what's happening with the church and the Jewish Christians and the Gentile Christians. There is cultural significance. There is historical significance. Paul preaches a sermon in front of an angry mob. And so rather than try to hit every detail and be here for the next six hours, I kind of want to walk through this text with you gradually,

point out some things, and help us to sort of see, I think, two big things. First of all, the big thing I want you to see, first of all, is that the gospel changes how we see people, and how we react to people, and how we love people. Secondly, as Paul shares the gospel in front of an angry mob, I want us to consider what it means to share the gospel. Right? The church talks about evangelism, which is just simply saying sharing the good news about Jesus to those around you. And some of us, when it comes to sharing the gospel, our struggle is maybe that we feel like we're not equipped for that task, or we're not courageous enough, or maybe we don't see opportunities. So I want us to learn just a little bit from the Apostle Paul this morning, how to share the gospel.

So I want us to see those two things quite clearly. And we're going to start by talking about how the gospel changes how we see, and how we treat, and how we love others. And we're going to pick up in Philippians 1, before we go to Acts. Paul, in this very famous passage in Philippians 2, he begins to talk to the church about how they're to treat each other, love one another, be in unity, and then he's going to say this, "Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others as more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others." And we look at that and we say that's a big ask, right? That I would treat others as more important than myself, that I would do everything, genuinely, without conceit or without pride. How can I do that, right?

It's a good idea, but I don't know that I possess the capability to do that. Because, in part, people are difficult. You're difficult. I'm difficult, right? We struggle with one another. We have different priorities. We have different directions. We have different ways of doing things. And we exhaust each other. We frustrate each other. We cause each other grief, hurt, and trauma, all of these things. And then here is Paul saying, "Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others as more significant than yourselves." He said, "That's a good idea, but I don't think it's practical for the world in which we live. How can I do that?" So look at what Paul does. He says, "Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be held onto.

But he emptied himself by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men, and being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on the cross." And then Paul will go on about how Jesus was exalted and brought forth in glory. And there is this picture here. He says, "How can I do this thing where I live humbly in loving others, considering their priorities higher than my own?" And Paul says, "You can't, but you can look to Jesus, who will empower you to do this through the good news of the gospel." And the remarkable thing about Paul is he doesn't just write this, he lives it. And we see it in this beginning chapter of Acts chapter 21, verse 17. "When we had come to Jerusalem, the brothers received us gladly, and on the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present.

And after greeting them, he related one by one the things God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry, and they heard it and glorified God." So, Paul has arrived in Jerusalem, he has met with the church leaders. If you remember sort of where we've been traveling in Acts, the prediction of Jerusalem has been nothing good is going to happen, right? He'll go to a church, somebody will prophesy, and they'll say, "Hey, you're going to go to Jerusalem, you're going to be thrown in chains." At one of his last stops, a guy shows up, grabs Paul's belt, ties his hands together, says, "If you go to Jerusalem, this is what they're going to do, they're going to put you in chains." And Paul says, "I'm going to Jerusalem anyway." And so he gets there, meets with the brothers, they're excited, he meets with the remaining apostles led by James, and he begins to tell them what God is doing, and everybody is excited by what God is doing in the Gentiles.

So things seem like they're going well, right? Despite all the dire predictions, things seem like they're heading in the right direction, and that goodness only lasts for these first four verses. So in the middle of verse 20, they said to him, "You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews who have believed right?" The church has grown. There's thousands of Jewish Christians now. They are all zealous for the law, and they have been," this is where things start to go south, "they have been told about you, that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, teaching them not to circumcise their children or walk according to our customs." Or, "walk according to our customs." They said, "There's some rumors going around about you, Paul." There are some things that people are saying, and they're not true. We know they're not true, right? That's the context of this.

But this is what you're up against in regard to the Jerusalem church. That there are people who are spreading lies about what you do, what you teach, and your behavior among the Gentiles. Keep that in mind. And in verse 22, James, in his wisdom, says this, "What then is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come. Do therefore what we tell you." We have four men who are under a vow, likely a month-long vow where they would abstain from certain foods, from alcohol, from touching dead things, all of these things. At the end of the vow, you would cut your hair, you would make a donation to the temple, you would be consecrated again. He says, "We have four men under a vow. Take these men, purify yourself along with them, pay their expenses so they may shave their heads. Thus all of us will know that there is nothing in what they have been told about you, but that you yourself also live in observance of the law. But as for the Gentiles who have believed, we have sent a letter with our judgment that they should abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, from blood, what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality."

And then Paul took the men, and the next day purified himself along with them, went into the temple, giving notice when the days of purification would be fulfilled, and the offering presented for each of them. So imagine you're in Paul's situation. You've just returned from a spectacular missionary journey, right? You've preached the gospel throughout Asia. People have become Christians. Churches have been started. Churches have been strengthened. Churches have grown. You have done all of these amazing things, and it hasn't been easy, right? You've found a way. You have to work for a living. You're making tents. You've faced opposition. There are people who have followed you from town to town, stirring up unrest. You have been imprisoned. You have been falsely accused. You have been beaten. There are riots on your account. So all of this good that God has done, you have struggled through it all. And you get back to the place where Christianity started. They rejoice, and then they go, "Hey, nobody here likes you. And if you're going to be

here, you need to go into the temple. You're going to have to spend some money to take care of these guys. You're only here for a little while, but you're going to have to have to spend a week in purification. How would you feel? I've traveled. I've sacrificed. I've worked for the gospel. I've struggled. I've shed tears. I've been beaten. And all these Christians, they just want to believe a lie about me. I'd be tempted to be angry. This is unfair. Here I am who have done so much for the gospel. And this is how I am treated. Look at how Paul responds. He listens to the counsel of James. He inconveniences himself financially and in terms of his time in Jerusalem setting aside a week for purification to help those in the church see the truth about his life. You see what Paul does? He sets aside his comfort, his liberty,

what he deserves. He sets it aside for the good of these other Christians. These Christians that he would likely disagree with. He writes a whole letter about this in Galatians, but he loves these Christians who have believed the worst about him. And he loves them enough that he sacrifices and he limits his freedom for their good, right? Just like he wrote to the Philippian church. Paul doesn't just write it, right? He lives it. Let's pick up in verse 27. "When the seven days were almost completed, the Jews in Asia..." Remember, Paul has just come from Asia. These guys have also come from the area Paul has been. "Seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him, crying out, 'Men of Israel, help!' This is the man who is teaching everyone everywhere against the people of the law in this place."

Paul even brought Greeks into the temple and defied this holy place. They had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, and they supposed Paul had brought him into the temple. So the Jewish temple was divided into courts. And so, in the outermost court, Gentiles were allowed to be. But as you go further in, there's a court where Jewish men and women are allowed to be. A court where Jewish men are allowed to be. A court where the priests are allowed to be. And then you get into the temple itself, there's places in there, the Holy of Holies, where only the high priest can go. And he only goes once a year. And so, Paul is likely in one of these inner courts, either the court of the women or the court of Israel, the court of the Jewish men there. And these people who have been hassling Paul for the last several years see him. They grab hold of him. They begin shouting lies and unconfirmed rumors about him. Look at verse 30.

Then all the city was stirred up, and all the people ran together. They seized Paul, dragged him out of the temple, and the gates were shut. So he's in the inner part of the temple. They grab him. They drag him out into the court of the Gentiles, this big open area in the temple. They shut the gates of the temple so that Paul's defilement, like because he's unclean, won't spread to the rest of the temple. You know what they're going to do? They're going to kill him. Right? That is their plan. They're going to murder him right outside the gates of the temple. Verse 31, "As they were seeking to kill him, word came to the tribune and the cohort of Jerusalem was in confusion. He at once took soldiers and centurions and ran down to them, and when they saw the tribune and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul." And so there's a fortress of Antonio that was right next to the temple, overlooking the temple, staffed heavily with Roman soldiers doing Jewish feasts to prevent,

this very kind of thing. And the word goes out, these guys head out the doors, they march into the outer court of the temple, they surround Paul, everybody stops because you don't want to mess with the Roman soldiers. And here's what happened. Verse 33, "The tribune came up, arrested him, and ordered him to be bound with two chains." From here until Rome, Paul will be bound with chains, just as it was predicted by those prophets of God. He inquired who he was and what he had done. Some in the crowd were shouting one thing, some another. And as he could not learn the facts because of the uproar, he ordered him brought into the barracks. And when he came to the Stamps, he was actually, Paul is actually carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the crowd and for the mob of the people who are crying out, "Away with him!" And so the soldiers can't even walk Paul into the barracks, right? They've got to carry him because the crowd is in the middle of this riot and they're seeking to kill Paul.

And as Paul was about to be brought into the barracks, he said to the Tribune, "May I say something to you?" And he said, "Do you know Greek?" So he's surprised that Paul knows Greek. And he says, "Are you not the Egyptian who recently stirred up a revolt, led 4,000 men of the assassins out into the wilderness?" And so there was this guy about this time, a little bit before, who had an army of 4,000 assassins causing trouble in Jerusalem. They corner him on the Mount of Olives. They kill a bunch of his guys. He somehow escapes. into the wilderness, and this is who the Tribune thinks he is. Grab this Egyptian leader of the assassins. And Paul will say, "I am a Jew from Tarsus in Sicilia, a citizen of no obscure city. I beg you, permit me to speak to the people." When he had given permission, Paul, standing on the steps, motioned with his hands the people, and then when there was a great hush, he addressed it in the Hebrew language, right? So among this crowd are people who have been tormenting Paul's

ministry from years. Their accusations are untrue, unverified. Their words set into motion, a physical riot so intense that Paul was about to be murdered. And immediately the Roman soldiers show up. They assume Paul is the bad guy. You're the assassin who seeks to overthrow the Roman government. How would you respond in that situation? Lies and falsehoods in danger for your life? You've been beaten because of jealousy over your ministry by these Jews from the region of Asia. You're in chains by the Romans. What would you do? Would you seek to share the gospel with those who are trying to kill you? I don't know. It seems to me that my thought would be get out of there as quickly as possible. But Paul stands in front of a rioting crowd. And because the gospel has changed how he views people, these people who have wronged him, have hurt him, have lied about him, who have beat him, who have caused him to be put in chains, you know what he does?

He seeks to share the gospel with them. So here's what I want you to see. God has called you, equipped you, and given you opportunities to share the good news, the gospel, right? And that seems like an overwhelming task, right? I'm not courageous enough to do that. I'm not skilled or knowledgeable enough to do that. In Luke, the eighth chapter, there's this wonderful story. The disciples and Jesus are in a boat, and they're coming across the Sea of Galilee. They get to the other side, and there's this guy who is possessed by demons. And not just a few, right? He says, "My name is Legion," because the demons are essentially the number of a Roman legion. And he comes screaming down out of the hills. He has no clothes on, Luke tells us. He's bloody. He's been chained, and through his sort of supernatural strength, he has broken those chains. He comes screaming down at Jesus, "I know who you are," right? And if you get out of a boat, and a naked, bloody, screaming, angry guy covered in chains comes charging at you,

I don't know about you, but I'm paddling the other way as fast as physically possible. Not Jesus. He casts out the demons. When the town arrives to see the disruption, this man is wearing clothes, and in his right mind, and as Jesus gets ready to leave, he says, "I want to go with you." And Jesus simply says this, "Return to your home. Declare how much God has done for you." And this man, we don't even know his name, went away proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for you. done for him, right? The next time Jesus comes back to this area, they're asking him to leave because they're afraid. The next time Jesus comes back to this area, there are people who can't wait to see him because of the testimony of this man who told what Jesus had done for him. When we look at evangelism and sharing the gospel and we feel under-equipped and under-educated and under, we just don't have the ability. Look what Jesus simply says.

That's what I've done for you. And this is what Paul is about to do. Listen to Paul's sermon: "Brothers and fathers, the defense I now make before you." When they heard that he was addressing them in Hebrew, they became more quiet and he said, "I am a Jew born in Tarsus of Sicilia, but brought up in this city, under-educated, under the feet of Gamaliel, according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God, as all of you are this day. I persecuted this way." That's the church. To death. Binding, delivering to prison both men and women, as the high priest and the whole council of elders could bear me witness from them. I received letters to the brothers, and I journeyed toward Damascus to take those who were there and bring them in bonds to Jerusalem to be punished. And as I was on my way near Damascus, about noon, a great light from heaven shone around me. And I fell to the ground and I heard a voice saying to me, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?"

"Who are you, Lord?" And he said to me, "I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting." Now those who were with me saw the light, but did not understand the voice of the one who was speaking. "What should I do, Lord?" And he said, "Rise up, go into Damascus, and there you will be told all that is appointed for you to do." And since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand of those who were with me, and I came into Damascus. And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there, came to me and standing next to me. He said, "Brother Saul, receive your sight." And that very hour I received my sight and saw him. And he said, "The God of our fathers appointed you to know his will, and to see the righteous one, and to hear the voice from his mouth, for you will be a witness for him to everyone that you have seen and heard. And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized, wash away your sins, calling upon his name." When I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance, and I saw him saying to me, "Make haste, get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not believe your testimony."

about me. And I said, "Lord, they themselves know that in one synagogue after another, I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you. And when the blood of Stephen, your witness, was being shed, I myself was standing by, approving and watching over the garments of those who killed him. And he said to me, "Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles." Paul here shares his story. And he does it sort of in three parts. He talks about his past life, where he was. He talks about how God changed him. And then third, he talks about what God called him to do. And I don't want you to just think about the content of Paul's story, but consider the manner in which he shares the story of what Jesus has done for him. First of all, Paul speaks in a way that they understand, right? Sometimes when you're talking about spiritual things, we tend to use words that are hard for people to understand. For example, the idea of sanctification, which means being made more and more like Jesus. If I was to say, "Well, if you want me to understand, I'm going

following progressive sanctification." One of the three ways that sanctification is used in the Bible, right, that requires a whole bunch of explanation. Paul simply says, "Look how Jesus changed my life." Right? He speaks in a way they understand, both in terms of the language and the words that he uses. He speaks in concepts that they understand. And he doesn't just do it here. Right? Remember when he speaks to Greeks, he quotes their poets. When he speaks to Jews, he quotes their Scriptures. Now there's nothing wrong with good hearty theological language. I like it. But when you're talking to people who don't know Jesus, you need to speak in a way, and to share the gospel in a way that they understand. And that's what Paul does. He speaks in Hebrew. In fact, that's why the crowd gets so quiet so quickly, because they're speaking in a language that they understand. Secondly, Paul is loving and respectful as he talks about Jesus. First Peter, Peter will say this, "But in your hearts, honor Christ as Lord, as holy."

"Being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for the reason for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and respect." Right? It's not just about having the truth and proclaiming the truth. It's about how we do that, right? Because we can say things that are true, but we can say them in a harsh, hurtful way. And oftentimes when we speak in a harsh, hurtful manner, right, people immediately dismiss that. They don't listen to it. But if you can speak the truth in a way that is gentle and shows your care for others, right, it changes how they see it. So look at how Paul begins. He'll say, "Brothers and fathers," right? So he's speaking to those who are his age, but he's also speaking respectfully to those older men in the audience saying, "Listen, you're my brothers." In Moses, we have followed the same law. I had the same teachers. I lived in the same city. And he does so, not angrily, but with respect.

His words aren't confrontational until they get to the very end where he has to cause them to seek to make a decision. And even then, his words aren't angry. They're just simply truthful. He speaks gently and respectfully to this group of people who've just tried to kill him. And he uses the opportunities that God has given him. Think about the opportunities that God has given Paul. Isn't it remarkable that because of where Paul was born and how he was raised, he speaks Greek and Hebrew fluently? So the Roman soldiers, he needs to talk to them to get this opportunity, right? God has prepared him by letting him speak Greek. He needs to speak to these Jewish people in the temple. God has prepared him by teaching him Hebrew, right? His location, where he is, his education, his citizenship, as we will see. Let's take a look at that, these last few verses. Up to this word about going to how God had saved him, they listened to him. Then they raised their voices. As soon as he starts talking about

Gentiles, saying, "Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he should not be allowed to live." And as they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and fleeing dust in the air, the tribune ordered him to be brought into the barracks, saying that he should be examined by flogging to find out why they were shouting against him like this. So they're going to take Paul, they're going to stretch his arms out, and essentially think of like a cat of nine tails they would have used on a ship with a leather strap with all these different strands, and at the end of these strands there would be bone and glass embedded in them, and essentially the Roman soldiers would just beat you with that until you were a bloody mask with your skin being ripped, and then they would ask you questions to try to get to the truth, right? Because somebody who's being tortured like this is going to speak the truth. So look at what Paul does. When they stretched him out for the whips, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, "Is it lawful to flog a man who is a Roman citizen and uncondemned?" And when the centurion heard this, he went to the tribune and he said to him,

"What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman citizen." So the tribune came to him and said, "Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?" And he said, "Yes." And the tribune said, "I bought my citizenship for a large sum," but Paul said, "I am a citizen by birth." So those who were about to examine him withdrew from him and immediately, and the tribune was afraid, for he realized Paul was a Roman citizen and he had bound him. So Paul's Roman citizenship exempts him from preemptive punishment, right? You can't flog a Roman citizen. put a Roman citizen in chains unless you have a charge against them, unless a verdict has been panned down. And the punishment for this was that you would experience the punishment that you were about to give them or had given them if you punish a Roman citizen undeservingly. And not only is Paul a Roman citizen, he's a Roman citizen of high status, right? He's a Roman citizen by birth. Likely one of his ancestors, his father or grandfather, had done service to

the Roman Empire such that they were granted citizenship to them and to their descendants. And as they stretch Paul out, you can sort of picture Paul commonly saying, "Are you sure this is legal as I'm a Roman citizen?" And immediately everyone is in and up for it. You see what happens? God has prepared for this very moment by where Paul was born, who he was born to, the languages that he speaks, the places he was raised, the education, that he was given. You see, God is at work, right? And as we look through the opportunities that Paul uses to proclaim the gospel, we see how God has been preparing Paul from his entire life since he was born for these kind of moments to proclaim the good news about Jesus. So here's the thing. If you're a Christian this morning, you have a story to tell about what Jesus has done for you, right? Where you were, what Jesus did

to save you, the good news of the gospel, and what you're doing about it since then. And so the question I would ask is, can you tell your story, right? It doesn't have to be as intricate as Paul's or as long as Paul's, just simply how God has saved you. Can you tell it? Can you share it? How are you talking to people when you talk about Christianity and Jesus? Are you talking with gentleness and respect in a way that they understand? Are you using the opportunities that God has given you, the things that He has equipped you for? Most of all, I want to encourage you that God has equipped you. God has strengthened you. God will give you opportunities to share the gospel. And I pray that through the Spirit, He would encourage us with wisdom and strength to use those opportunities to share the good news. Let's pray. Father, thank you for how you have saved us. We thank you for how you have equipped us. Sometimes we don't realize

I think how much you have equipped us. Maybe by where we were born or the things we've experienced in this life, you have given us what we need to share the good news of the gospel. Make us aware of those opportunities. Give us the courage to take them. Help us to share the story of what you have done for us. Like that man on the edge of the Sea of Galilee, like Paul in the temple, that we would just tell people what you have done for us. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Sing about where our hope is found, and the hope that we want to share in the world.

This solid ground, firm through the fiercest drowning storm What heights of love, what depths of peace When fears are still, when strivings cease My Comforter, my all in all Here in the love of Christ I stand In Christ alone, who took on flesh The fullness of God in helpless faith This gift of love and righteousness Scorned by the ones He came to save Till on that cross, as Jesus died The wrath of God was satisfied For every sin on Him was laid Here in the death of Christ I live There in the ground His body lay Light of the world by darkness slain Then bursting forth in glorious day Up from the grave He rose again And as He stands in victory Sin's curse hath lost its grip on me For I am His and He is mine Brought with the precious blood of Christ

No guilt in life No fear in death This is the power of Christ in me From life's first cry To final breath Jesus commends my destiny No power of hell No scheme of man Can ever pluck me from His hand Till He returns Or calls me home Here in the power of Christ I'll stand No power of hell No scheme of man Can ever pluck me from His hand Till He returns Or calls me home Here in the power of Christ I'll stand We want to thank you for joining us this morning. I am so glad that you are here. Whether you're here online or here in person, we are very thankful for you. We'll be back here Wednesday night, talking a little bit, studying as Paul writes to Thessalonians, their struggles with dealing with the second coming of Jesus and what that entails and how the church is reacting to that.

And so we want to kind of walk through a little bit of that this Wednesday night in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. And then Wednesday or Thursday, the ladies are meeting here at the church at 1 p.m. and have a word of prayer, and then I'll share a verse of Scripture and we'll sing the doxology. Father in heaven, thank you for Jesus and for grace. Thank you for hope. Thank you for how you loved us and changed us. Help us to share that good news with the world. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. I'm going to end with Paul's words to the Ephesian elders. He says, "Now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified." Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen. Amen. Amen. Thank you.