This Is Not the End
Introduction:
After a long and arduous journey, Paul finally
arrives at Rome. It has been a difficult and dangerous trip.
(Acts 27:24) “saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought
before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail
with you.’ ” NKJV Paul is placed under house arrest but is not
idle. He meets with the Jewish leaders, receives several visitors,
and writes several of the New Testament epistles during his two-year
stay.
Text:
Acts 28:17-31
Body:
I.
Paul Meets with the Jewish Leaders
Acts 28:17-22
“And it came to pass after three days that Paul called the leaders
of the Jews together. So when they had come together, he said to
them: ‘Men and brethren, though I have 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, who, when they
had examined me, wanted to let me go, because there was no cause for
putting me to death. But when the Jews spoke against it, I was
compelled to appeal to Caesar, not that I had anything of which to
accuse my nation. For this reason therefore I have called for you,
to see you and speak with you, because for the hope of Israel I am
bound with this chain.’ Then they said to him, ‘We neither received
letters from Judea concerning you, nor have any of the brethren who
came reported or spoken any evil of you. But we desire to hear from
you what you think; for concerning this sect, we know that it is
spoken against everywhere.’ ” NKJV
·
Paul explains why he is there in Rome. He denies any
wrongs committed against the Jews; his desire is to win some of them
to Christ. (Romans 9:1-5) “I tell the truth in Christ, I am
not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit,
that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. For I
could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren,
my countrymen according to the flesh, who are Israelites, to whom
pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the
law, the service of God, and the promises; of whom are the fathers
and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all,
the eternally blessed God. Amen.” NKJV
(Romans 10:1) “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer
to God for Israel is that they may be saved.” NKJV
·
The Roman official had found him innocent of breaking
any Roman laws. (Acts 23:29) “I found out that he was accused
concerning questions of their law, but had nothing charged against
him deserving of death or chains.” NKJV
·
Paul makes a distinction between his listeners and
those Jews who had wronged him. Paul assures them he has no
intention of bringing an accusation against the Jewish nation.
·
He declares he is in chains because of the hope of
Israel – the coming of the Messiah and the resurrection of the dead.
(Acts 23:6) “But when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees
and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, ‘Men and
brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee; concerning the
hope and resurrection of the dead I am being judged!’ ” NKJV
(Acts 26:6-7) “And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the
promise made by God to our fathers. To this promise our twelve
tribes, earnestly serving God night and day, hope to attain. For
this hope’s sake. King Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews.” NKJV
·
The Jerusalem Jews had never sent word to Rome about
Paul. But they had heard negative reports concerning the cause he
preached. (Acts 24:5, 14) “For we have found this man a plague, a
creator of dissension among all the Jews throughout the world, and a
ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. 14 But this I confess
to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect, so I
worship the God of my fathers, believing all things which are
written in the Law and in the Prophets.” NKJV Satan is still
doing the same thing today.
II.
Paul Preaches to the Jews
Acts 28:23-29
“So when they had appointed him a day, many came to him at his
lodging, to whom he explained and solemnly testified of the kingdom
of God, persuading them concerning Jesus from both the Law of Moses
and the Prophets, from morning till evening. And some were
persuaded by the things which were spoken, and some disbelieved. So
when they did not agree among themselves, they departed after Paul
had said one word: ‘The Holy Spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah
the prophet to our fathers, saying, Go to this people and say:
Hearing you will hear, and shall not understand; And seeing you will
see, and not perceive; For the hearts of this people have grown
dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have
closed. Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their
ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So
that I should heal them.’ And when he had said these words, the
Jews departed and had a great dispute among themselves.” NKJV
·
No doubt Paul remembered the words of Jesus in Acts
23:11. “But the following night the Lord stood by him and
said, ‘Be of good cheer, Paul; for as you have testified for Me in
Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome.’” NKJV He
uses this opportunity to evangelize the Jews in Rome. His testimony
is centered around the Kingdom of God. This was the subject of
Jesus’ teaching after His resurrection. (Acts 1:3) “to whom He
also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible
proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the
things pertaining to the kingdom of God.” NKJV See also John
3:3, 5) “Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Most assuredly, I say to
you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’
5 Jesus answered, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born
of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” NKJV
He also tried to persuade them that Jesus was the long awaited
Messiah. (Acts `17:2-3) “Then Paul, as his custom was, went in
to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the
Scriptures, explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to
suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, ‘This Jesus whom I
preach to you is the Christ.’ ” (Acts 13:16, 23, 32-33, 38-39)
“Then Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said, ‘Men of
Israel, and you who fear God, listen:’ 23 From this man’s
seed, according to the promise, God raised up for Israel a Savior –
Jesus – 32 -33 And we declare to you glad tidings – that
promise which was made to the fathers, God has fulfilled this for us
their children, in that He has raised up Jesus. As it is also
written in the second Psalm: ‘You are My Son, Today I have
begotten You.’ 38-39 Therefore let it be known to you,
brethren, that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness
of sins; and by Him everyone who believes is justified from all
things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.”
NKJV
·
As is typical with any gospel sermon, some believed
and some did not. Then they began to argue. They departed after
Paul gave them a solemn warning. He quoted Isaiah 6:9-10.
“And He said, ‘Go, and tell this people; Keep on hearing, but do not
understand; Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’ Make the heart of
this people dull, And their ears heavy, And shut their eyes; Lest
they see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand
with their heart, And return and be healed.’” NKJV This
text emphasized the danger of continually rejecting God’s Word.
Note the following verses. (Matthew 13:14-15) “And in them the
prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: ‘Hearing you will hear
and shall not understand, And seeing you will see and not perceive;
For the hearts of this people have grown dull, Their ears are hard
of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see
with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should
understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.’”
NKJV (Romans 11:8) “Just as it is written: ‘God has given
them a spirit of stupor, Eyes that they should not see And ears that
they should not hear, To this very day.’” NKJV
·
Then Paul declares that the Gentiles would be more
receptive of the gospel that the Jews. (Isaiah 42:1, 6)
“Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul
delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth
justice to the Gentiles. 6 I, the Lord, have called You in
righteousness, And will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You
as a covenant to the people, As a light to the Gentiles,” NKJV
III.
Paul Continues Preaching
Acts 28:30-31
“Then Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented house, and received
all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the
things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no
one forbidding him.” NKJV
·
Even though he was chained day and night, he didn’t let that stop
him from preaching at every opportunity. (Ephesians 6:19-20)
“and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may
open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for
which I am an ambassador in Chains; that in it I may speak boldly,
as I ought to speak.” NKJV
·
He had opportunities to preach to the palace guard.
(Philippians 1:12-13) “But I want you to know, brethren, that the
things which happened to me have actually turned out for the
furtherance of the gospel, so that it has become evident to the
whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in
Christ;” (Philippians 4:22) “All the saints greet you, but
especially those who are of Caesar’s household.” NKJV
·
He also wrote four of his epistles while chained
there in Rome: Philemon, Colossians, Ephesians, and Philippians.
Conclusion:
Acts is not the end of the story. It is not the
final word on the spread of the gospel. The gospel will continue to
be taught because it is “the power of God unto salvation.”
Bobby Stafford
January 15, 2017
Acts: Lesson 58 Acts 28:17-31
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