Acts 28:11-31, The End, To Be Continued

Acts chapter 28 be meaning for verses 11 to the end of the chapter verse 31 hear the word of the

Lord After three months we set sail in a ship that had wintered in the island a ship of Alexandria With the twin gods as a figurehead putting in at Syracuse We stayed there for three days and from there

We made a circuit and arrived at Regium and after one day a south wind sprang up and on the second day

We came to Portilla There we found brothers and were invited to stay with them for seven days and so we came to Rome and the brothers there when they had heard about us came as far as the forum of Appius and Three taverns to meet us on seeing them

Paul Thank God and took courage and when we came to Rome Paul was allowed to stay by himself

With a soldier that guarded him After three days we called together the local leaders of the

Jews and when they had gathered He said to them brothers 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 when they had examined me They wished to set me at liberty because there was no reason for the death penalty in my case

But because the Jews objected I was compelled to appeal to Caesar Though I had no charge to bring against my nation for this reason

Therefore I have asked to see you and to speak with you since it is because of the hope of Israel that I am wearing this chain

And they said to him We have received no letters from Judea about you and none of the brothers coming here has reported or spoken any evil about you

But we desire to hear from you what your views are for with regard to the sect

We know that everywhere it is spoken against When they had appointed a day for him

They came to him at his lodging in greater numbers from morning till evening He expounded to them testifying to the kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus both from the law of Moses and from the prophets and some were convinced by what he said, but others disbelieved and Disagreeing among themselves.

They departed after Paul had made one statement The Holy Spirit was right and saying to our fathers through Isaiah the prophet go to this people and say you will indeed hear

But never understand you will indeed see but never perceive for this people's heart has grown dull and with their ears they can barely hear and their eyes they have closed lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and Understand with their heart and turn 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 listen

He lived there two whole years at his own expense and welcomed all who came to him

Proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance

May the Lord add his blessing the reading of his Holy Word Well, we've come to the end

It's nearly the end of 2019 Has it been a good year for you? For some here

I've experienced some some rough even tragic times in your families this year you're probably hoping that 2020 brings a wave of of life that washes all the tears of 2019 away a

New year, we hope will bring new everything Some believe that the time heals all wounds

But it doesn't not by itself We need faith and hope along with time we need the

Lord he might use time he might use 2020 That's 2000 2019 been a good year for you.

Oh, we had some good things. We had a graduation and a new career One of our members had a new grandchild other good things in 2019.

Now, it's almost at an end Is it a happy ending? They say having happy endings depends entirely on where you stop the story

That's the dilemma of people are in isn't it? They everyone wants a happy ending, but no one wants to end their story

Has it been a good year for the church? Well, we lost two good families the child's and the pinkums.

I'm sorry for that We can hope that maybe we'll see the pinkums again But we've had to say goodbye at least for now

But on the other hand, we had a Herbie Sometimes with the Sun you can play the drums with us and the

Goodman's who aren't here because they're in Indonesia But they should be coming back soon We've had a baptism of someone

Jesse who had originally said a couple of years ago when she first started descending with us

That she comes to church She goes to church in America because the Christian God is the American God and when she's in China, she worships the

Chinese way But she eventually saw that Jesus is Lord of all and was baptized

We're hoping for more like that in the coming year. We've had a good steady attendance at Jim jr.

Remarkably and Remarkably good attendance and mostly well -behaved For a little while.

It looked like we've come to the end of our Sunday evening program what we call Jim But we learned we have to aim it mostly at middle school aged

Kids and we've got a basketball coach to help with the kids and a lady who runs the hoop Don't shoot program partnering with us three weeks ago.

We had here on a Sunday evening We had 40 kids here, which is kind of like too many if the church ended now

Would we say it's a happy ending? Well, we've come to the end of acts now this whole year

We've been in acts with two detours one into the servant songs of Isaiah Last spring when

Philip used them to evangelize the Ethiopian eunuch and second first Corinthians When did the first Corinthians when

Paul came to Corinth acts began with Luke saying that he is continuing? The story from what

Jesus began to do and to teach in the gospel of Luke. He's continuing That story what

Jesus began to do in the teach implying that in this book and acts It's about what

Jesus has continued to do and to teach not even My god, some people think well other people

Followers of Jesus did after he was gone trying to carry on his legacy but Luke says literally

Jesus himself is Continuing has continued to do and to teach now usually through the church

You're through through Peter and Stephen and James and and Philip and Paul and other believers here and there but Jesus himself

Lucas saying through his hands and feet of his church has Continued to do and to teach

What he was doing in teaching before in the gospel of Luke only now

Jesus can do it all over the world at the ends of the earth Now we're at the end of acts

Is it a happy ending? the odd thing about acts Most people notice is that it doesn't feel like an ending at all when you get to the end.

Does it? Doesn't feel like an ending feel like you should be another chapters. You keep going. What happens to Paul?

Even though we've reached the end. It's practically screaming To be continued as if to say that the book that is all about what

Jesus continued to do and to teach ends by saying He is still continuing to this day to do and to teach

We see that here in three parts three final parts ending acts showing us that it is to be continued first the final leg

Second the final destination and finally the final words First there's the final leg.

That's the final leg of this long voyage they've been on where they were swept off course and through a raging storm through plots of the soldiers to kill all the

Prisoners through a shipwreck through a poisonous snake biting them finally to get to their destination

They had spent the winter in Malta after three months They thought it was then safe to sail again on board a ship with the carvings of the

Greek gods Castor and Pollux The sons of Zeus on the figurehead of the ship. That's what takes it's kind of ironic

I guess it's what takes Paul on his final leg of his journey now They have to go due north from Malta.

They just go straight north to the nearest to the port That's nearest Rome, which is here. I'm not sure how you pronounce this.

I'm pronouncing it put a lie Now it's pronounced pozole I'm not sure how that's pronounced either but it's something like that Change pronunciation a little bit, but it's a major port for traffic into Rome There notice when they arrive in this port in verse 14.

They met some brothers some fellow Christians They probably didn't know them.

They're not named here. They're just brothers The only thing they have in common with these people from in this

Italian port is that they are believers in Jesus But that's a lot It's enough to make them brothers

After the long journey on the third ship after being blown off course and during the storm washing the shore of Malta now they finally land in Italy and Paul is greeted by brothers

Brothers, he's never met before but these new brothers host Paul and his friends for a week

You know feed him take care of him. You have brothers and sisters You've never met before Scattered around the world the diaspora of the elect and other churches in apartment complexes for the poorest in Yancey Ville and rural

Ethiopia and high -rise apartments in Singapore and big cities in China among all kinds of people as much as we like here of this church

I like to emphasize we like to emphasize the importance of church membership that you'd be committed to a particular Church is the one for you for the fellowship and accountability

We also need to recognize as we saw in first Corinthians That there is one church and we are all brothers and sisters with all true

Christians in all churches and theology This is called the communion of Saints and the fellowship of all that all

God's people share Even if they've never met they don't go to the same church They're of a different race and in culture, but they're still brothers or sisters

It's important for us to understand both the need to be committed to a particular Church part of a specific body of people that I know and who know me and That all

God's people all true believers in Jesus are Our brothers and sisters so that we don't become we don't become cultic

You know like those people I debated last May who think that they are the Church of Christ kind of like professional football players

You know, I come from the Ohio State University. No, we we are not The Church and all others are false now sure some organizations

There are some churches that call themselves churches that really aren't But we don't claim to be the only true church.

We have brothers and sisters all over the world even if they do some things differently than we do we do we can still call them brothers and sisters

Here Paul is met by brothers with a when he first lands in Italy. They're hospitable. They host him for seven days

That's hospitality ever hosted for somebody for seven imagine hosting a stranger for seven days and so thus in verse

Luke says it's so or thus in this verse 14 In other words in this way with this kind of hospitality of brothers and sisters.

They made that last hike from that port putella putelli To Rome coming to the end of the last leg of their journey now in Rome Guess what they find brothers more exactly

The brothers come to them before they even actually get to Rome itself They these brothers lived in Rome But when they heard that Paul was on his way that Paul the

Apostle who wrote that magnificent letter to us just a few years ago They came out to meet him to some town south of Rome on the way

So that they could escort him in to the big city Those last few miles of that last leg of his journey to greet him like royalty

Going out to meet, you know Like people of when they hear the king is coming go out to meet the king and and walk him in here

They hear though the king the royalty they is an apostle in chains He's a prisoner

But he still deserved the royal treatment To have an entourage As he finally came to the end of his journey to Rome When he sees these brothers

He'd never seen before Coming to escort him in and verse 15 Paul Thank God it says notice that in verse 15.

He thanked God for these brothers. He'd never seen before He thanked God that God had other people in that city that cared about him

Even if they had never met him, but they knew that they were brothers They were attached as part of one body.

So he thanked God says he took courage He was encouraged God has other people here

His the body of Christ is here to the body was knit together in love and expressed their concern for each other here for Paul But by coming out by going out to walk with him those last few miles into Rome On the last leg of your journey

You want to know? You're not alone That's why we dare not leave.

Mr. Perry in the casual house unvisited That's why we can't leave any member just to kind of drift away

Uncared for it's not just the pastor's job Not just my job or in or if you have a big church

Sometimes they have a particular pastor pastor visitation or whatever they call him But here is it's the job of the body of all the members notice the first 15

It was just the brothers Don't say the elders in Rome just the brothers Just the average members of the church in Rome taking time off from whatever they usually did to go meet

Paul South of Rome and to walk with him. We commit to to be each other What brothers and sisters are supposed to do to walk together in Christian love?

To walk with each other sometimes through some hard times Here they literally walk together with Paul the prisoner to the city

Where he will be put on trial? in the coming year Will you walk with us

On that final leg of the journey Paul is met by brothers by Saints and when the Saints come marching in To Rome he is encouraged the

Romans allowed him to stay by himself under a house arrest Probably a house supply. Where'd you get a house at Rome? You think almost certainly?

Supplied by the brothers and sisters of the church that he had never met before But of which he was a part because all true

Christians are part of the church That's how the final leg ends Now he's at his final destination

Why is it Rome? Remember acts begins by the Lord Jesus telling us that the church will receive power from the

Holy Spirit and with that power They will be witnesses to Jesus first in Jerusalem where they start then

Judea the kind of the area around like our state in Samaria on the next

The next territory kind of semi foreign kind of like Canada to us into the ends of the earth

Now while acts can't tell the whole story of how the gospel gets to the ends of the earth

It does show us that it is getting there By getting to Rome the crossroads of that part of the earth

But why Rome? You know, we Westerners often exaggerate how important the

Roman Empire is one commentator read for this, you know Call the Roman Empire the whole known world

Like that this is all the civilization that there was in the entire world just what's in the Roman Empire And so thinking like that we think well, of course then he should go to Rome It's the capital of the whole known world but China had been an empire longer than Rome had it had more people and Invented printing and paper and the compass and gunpowder and many other things when

I go to China Had a flourishing culture literature When I go to China the capital of China at this time the

Eastern Han Dynasty was it? I hate what I have to try to pronounce Chinese words, but here goes Luo Yang the capital of China at that time that they go different though acts would be if the last one -third that we've been going through since November last one -third of acts instead of you know, instead of being about his

Voyage of to Rome how he made it to Rome. It was about Paul's journey to Luo Yang China What if Chinese culture had instead of journey to the

West with Sun Wukong? It had journey to the east with the Apostle Paul. That would be different wouldn't it?

What if China had become a Christian nation in the 4th century instead of the Roman Empire if China is too far away?

He said well, that's that's a long way from Israel when I go to India about half the distance of China It had empires at least from 322

BC. It had also literature and a lot Civilization tradition says the Apostle Thomas went to India and the

Indian Church traces its origins back to him or even closer east What about Persia?

They had an empire. They had civilization. They had literature It was an empire that Israel was near the border of like the capital of Persia may have been closer than Rome to Jerusalem Or about South you don't want to go east about South the

Empire of Aksum Which later became Ethiopia had already existed since 80 BC The Ethiopian eunuch had already given him

Paul a head start there. They also had literature or when I went at north The kingdom of Armenia due north of Israel in Turkey and the mountains had been founded in 321

BC They became by the way The first nation in the world to become officially Christian in the year 301 before Christianity was even legal in the

Roman Empire Shortly before the year 300 a man named Gregory later given the title of Gregory the

Illuminator from Armenia was visiting Caesarea in Turkey where Paul had been through and Planted the church there a couple of centuries before now

Gregory became a Christian and when he returned home to Armenia He won the king of Armenia to Christ and soon the whole nation was declared

Christian They Paul had gone there who knows that could have happened over 200 years earlier

So this idea that gets repeated They've got to say to our Westerners say to themselves that the Roman Empire was the whole known world.

This is nonsense There were many places civilized places with literature and culture and you know

Government a lot of places that Paul could have gone. So why did the Lord who was in control of all these events?

Take him to Rome We don't know because Bible didn't tell us but we can guess

Why West to Rome and in Europe? Because remember the outline in the mission of the book of Acts the witness to Jesus will go eventually starts in Jerusalem, but eventually goes to the ends of the earth to places like America Australia New Zealand Yes to China and India Ethiopia and Africa but to places like also

Hawaii Singapore Iceland Peru Korea How do you get to those places the fastest?

Who's gonna get to those places? Another way to ask it you need to go with people who are going to go out who are going to expand

Who will carry that message with them? Of course God looking forward into history actually ordaining history knew that it would be

Europe that it would explore and colonize and spread its Culture, so he sent the gospel with Paul there

Other people could go to India like perhaps Thomas went to India or Ethiopia or Armenia But the thrust of Acts and the thrust of the spread of the gospel really up until the 20th century

Would be through the West for example in the year 595 Another Gregory called

Gregory the Great the head of the church in Rome sent a team of missionaries from Rome Paul's final destination here from Rome to England Which was then pagan?

Eventually England which was at that time various Anglo -Saxon kingdoms eventually became

Christian about a thousand years later They became Protestant or reformed at least some of them did and then soon began colonizing

America, it's 1620 400 years from Next year coming in just a few days a group of reformed

Englishmen landed on Plymouth Rock bringing their reformed church with them and reformed believers in England and in New England America would be the pioneers of modern missions taking the gospel around the world

John Eliot For example a Puritan pastor in Massachusetts would win thousands of American Indians Native Americans to Christ Founding several what they called praying towns in New England made up of Christian natives

Somebody's called red Puritans in Massachusetts in the 17th century about a century later

William Carey a Baptist from England. It was inspired by Eliot went to India in 1793

Inspired by Carey the first American missionary out of Nairam Judson tried to go to India But the

British in charge wouldn't let him because US and in England were at war at the time war of 1812 So he got routed to Burma There's a magnificent book about the life of an

Nairam Judson called to the golden shore There are thousands if not millions of Burmese Christians to this day because of his ministry other

American missionaries inspired by Judson Went to Hawaii when it was an independent Kingdom Hudson Taylor from England would go to China and not just the coastal cities

Like Hong Kong and Shanghai, but inland China and he founded China Inland mission now, he did the gospel go with full -time missionaries like Hudson Taylor William Carey, but it went out with devoutly

Christian colonizers In other words, they were Christian people there was their job just happened to be particularly with the British government sometimes with government officials that for example

Stanford raffles was a British colonial official a statesman with the British government in Asia He was also an evangelical

Christian who encouraged churches to be established in the places that he was in control of Especially in Malaya.

He found an island at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula it's also the southern tip of continental

Asia and Founded a colony there in 1819 not only for commerce

But also as a base for churches and missionaries in Southeast Asia that base was Singapore and over the last generation

It has come to be called quote the the Antioch of Asia because it is now a missionary sending base like Antioch Sent out

Paul So why Rome and why the West? Because if you want to get to the ends of the earth

To Singapore to Hawaii to New Zealand to Korea Well, those are the people who are going there and God knew that before history was written and so sent

Paul there And that's what acts at least that last third of it is about his final destination is

Rome After three days in Rome, he called together the local Jewish leaders to meet him There's already a

Jewish diaspora there and as usual he begins by showing them that Jesus is the Messiah He recaps for them in verses 17 to 19 what he's what he's been through how he did nothing

That was against the Jews or their customs. He wasn't trying to destroy their traditions He said in first Corinthians chapter 9 to the

Jew. I became a Jew to win the Jews So he he would gladly do Jewish things

He he recaps that when he was put on trial the Romans wanted us wanted to set him free But only because the

Jews objected did he have to appeal to Caesar? He says in verse 19 that he has no charge against Israel.

He's not an enemy of Israel He says again in verse 20 it is because of the hope of Israel That I am wearing this chain dangling it for them to see the hope of Israel is the

Messiah and The resurrection the hope that all things Can be made new not with time not just with a new year

But by the power of God and that's been proven now with the resurrection of Christ.

It was already brought the new age The old age the age of sin and death would end he's saying that because that has happened

Christ has proven that with Christ's resurrection that we reach the end That a new beginning has started and because of that He's waiting at trial

They say, you know the men Jewish men here say they don't know anything about to him. We don't know you

There's no indictment against him that's arrived from Jerusalem, but they're curious what he has to say about the way

What they call again in a sect like in chapter 24 where the Roman lawyer accuses

Paul of preaching a new sect a new religion It's the same word here that they use now.

They've heard about it. Everyone they say is is speaking against it It's not a popular thing to do apparently at least they from their point of view so they invite him to tell them more

That's Paul's final destination Rome the center of the

Empire that will become a continent that will spread all over the world He's there invited to tell the gospel

Next are his final words At least in acts now access strategically placed

Several many speeches that tell us what God is doing First Peter's Pentecost sermon that tells us that these are the last days

Peter says the old age is ending now to this at the very end in chapter 28

We've come to the end of acts and it ends by telling us That the end has come and the work of Jesus is to be continued

They appointed a day to have a conference with Paul he couldn't leave But anyone could come to him

So a crowd of them more than before They come to hear him and he teaches them from morning until evening the entire day

You know basically a conference Intensive seminar in verse 23. He expounded or the word there could be thoroughly witnessed.

He explained through Scripture Says about the kingdom of God Interesting that term, isn't it?

The term prominent in the teachings of Jesus in the ministry of Jesus and the Gospels and now acts ends with that That's what he's teaching the kingdom of God that the new age had begun

There were at the end of the old age the present evil age of the dynasty of Satan and sin its end has

Come with the resurrection of Christ and a reign of God is now here It's not just another dynasty like David like they have been raised to believe a new empire with his capital in Jerusalem now the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of The Lord and of his

Christ of Jesus and he will reign forever and ever It's the same theme that the

Lord Jesus had taught the gospel of the kingdom That he illustrates with parables remember the parables

The kingdom of God is like seed so someone hard ground so much shallow someone weed infested ground

That's the way the kingdom is the word of its being spread it's held on to By those who cling to it with integrity.

They're the ones that bear much fruit who aren't hard -hearted or shallow Saying you know aren't the kinds of say

I love Jesus a lot of emotion One day and then they fall away as soon as they learn it takes some sacrifice or those who are deceived by by riches by materialism

That what Christmas is usually about these days. That's for some the promise that money whispers to us

That it is enough. We just need to get enough of it That they begin by seeking first some people who begin by seeking first the kingdom

But then they get more interested in the money they can make the big house they can get the nice cars they can drive

The good news of the kingdom of God is that God's rule has come already It may be small

Jesus said another parable remember like a mustard seed or just like a pinch of yeast and a big lump of dough

But it will eventually Permeate the whole world to the ends of the earth as we see here in Acts He showed them thoroughly witness to them

Paul did in this day -long seminar that Jesus was the Messiah Now he has all authority in heaven on earth and both the law the

Moses and the prophets Like those servant songs we saw last spring remember that They are about Jesus Paul explains this to them.

He shows them from Scripture now some were convinced He persuaded some and they would join the other brothers who were already there in Rome with growing the church, but others

Says they disbelieved the same Sun that softens wax hardens clay

It depends on what you're made of you wax or clay Whether you have an honest a good heart whether you have integrity whether your wax and so are melted by the heat of truth or whether you're

Kind of shallow you're in love with this present world and with a cash Whatever gadget whatever device that the world is saying you just got to have now

What the Puritans called? vanity fair All the things the stuff of this world that it tries to allure you with all the things in the commercials

Or the ego puffing of ethnic religion there were the people of God simply because of our birth

We are the chosen ones because we're born into the right family Some religious people are so in love with the intoxicating idea that they that idea of that God is dear

God simply by ethnicity by your family that they can't be pried away from it to think that our status before God depends not on our blood or our nation or on our religion our morality but on sheer grace on Unmerited favor on nothing in my hands

I can bring but only to the cross I could cling To many to the natural person person without the

Spirit of God. That's That's horrifying So they reject it Then Paul has final words for them quoting from Isaiah chapter 6 where Isaiah seen that a

Glorious vision of the Lord in the year King Uzziah died. He saw the

Lord high and lifted up Surrounded by seraphim who flew and hid their faces from the overwhelming

Glory, and they cried out. Holy. Holy. Holy Is the Lord of hosts the whole earth is filled with his glory with his heaviness and the temple shook with The boom of their voice and Isaiah knew in the glare of such holiness and purity that he was sinful he said woe is me for I am lost a

Seraphim in the vision takes coal from the from the Holy Fire for the sacrifices and touch it to his lips signifying purifying and says to him your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for and then for the first time

The Lord himself speaks What do you think he asked we think he speaks about?

Whom shall I send and who will go for us? He's calling for for missionaries

Who will go tell the people the word of the Lord Isaiah says here I am Send me and the glory of the

Lord draws him To be a prophet to be a missionary to his own people, but then the

Lord says Isaiah here Paul today sometimes us in verse 26 the people you go to They will hear sure because they have ears

But they won't understand They'll see what you show them But they won't perceive what it is

Because in verse 27 their heart is dull It's hard or shallow or filled with weeds with love for things

We love a money love a position of being seen as somebody you want to be called an apostle You don't want to pick up sticks for the fire love of ego of Individualism, you don't want to be accountable

Just to specific people love of pleasure love of stuff things you can hold In such hearts the filled with that they're dull

They can't hear or see What you're saying they they can't hear what you're saying because the ringing of the cash register

Is filling their ears They can't see what you're trying to teach because their opinion so stuff their heads.

They can't be taught their eyes are closed So they can't see anything looking at pornography or at cars or the newest

I Whatever the house they want. That's all they can see Not the suffering servant

Go to this people Go to them Isaiah with that prospect with that That kind of future for your message go to them

Isaiah Paul Maybe you go to them and warn them that they may think they've heard it all they've been to church

They've heard the sermons. They know the cliches They've heard it over and over again like a Christmas song played over and over on the radio.

Nothing is getting through If it would get through this gospel of the kingdom the good news that Jesus is the suffering servant who has borne our griefs and Carried our sorrows then that would be the end the end of the old life the old death life

Would be continued They would see but they couldn't see before That Jesus is

Lord. They would hear about life. They would understand Understand that you can't live for bread or rice or money alone then they would turn and repent and change their minds about whether they can serve

God and money about what in the end they must hold on to and what they must let go of then they would be different and the

Lord Would heal them The last words are that you you people

Who disbelieve even after having it thoroughly explained? You will still cling to your dollars to your stuff to your religion your arrogant belief that you are the special people

Paul's last words to them are It's the end for you

There are two kinds of people Those who have a happy ending and those who don't

Those who disbelieve in Jesus have an unhappy ending So because of that you disbelievers

Know that this salvation of God in verse 28 has been sent

To the Gentiles to the world to all kinds of people. It's not inherited by any nation

It's for believers from every nation and now it's being sent out there from here. It's gone from Jerusalem to Rome That could be the subtitle for the book of Acts from Jerusalem to Rome From Rome it's going to go to the end of the earth to all the kinds of people in it to England to America to China to India to Hawaii to Singapore to Ethiopia and in all those places

Paul says God will have a people he will have a diaspora a dispersion of his people and he says they

They will listen Paul God has a people Who will listen?

They won't be deceived by riches or ego. They'll have hearts with integrity. They'll seek first the kingdom of God They'll seek

Jesus more than money or whatever the world of the flesh of the devil offer them Their hearts will be soft their ears unclogged their eyes opened and so they will turn from whatever the world offers them this vanity fair and they will believe in Jesus and He will heal them

That's his final words Paul lived two whole years at his own expense almost certainly supported by those brothers welcoming to all who came to to talk to him

Basically operating a a teaching and counseling Center all about Jesus right there in the capital of the

Roman Empire He is proclaiming the kingdom of God in that last verse in Acts. That's how actually ends with Paul Proclaiming the kingdom of God Expounding the same message that the rule of God has come with Christ the same message about the rule of God that the

Lord Jesus had begun to teach and to do in the prequel to Acts Paul was declaring that the rule of God That it has come and he's challenging people to seek it first in their lives

Teaching that Jesus Christ was the king of the kingdom of God the servant of God who was despised and rejected by people a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief a man who had some bad years and so he could now sympathize with all of us who have tasted sorrow and bitter grief in 2019 he bore our griefs and Carried our sorrows because he was wounded for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities

Paul taught that boldly so even the guards chain to him heard it.

He taught the servant King Unhindered Lee without any obstacle or interference or censorship.

He was hindered. He was bound but the Word of God wasn't

So we come to the end Is it a happy ending? Well that depends on Whether you believe we have a good heart

Not dull. We see that Jesus the kingdom is better than cash.

Will you call him? King will you hear him calling you or does the noise of the world?

Drown him out We've come to the end Will your life your end have a happy ending well that depends on Where it ends if it ends in disbelief

You know with this world with dull hearts and closed eyes and clogged ears

It will end as tragically as the world does but the good news is that Jesus has