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Acts chapter 28, as we bring 
the book of Acts to a conclusion this morning in our morning worship. God willing, we'll look at the 
gospel according to John in the coming weeks. For now, let's 
read Acts chapter 28, and then our focus is on the latter portion, 
verses 11 to 31. So beginning in chapter 28 at 
verse one, now when they had escaped, they then found out 
that the island was called Malta, and the natives showed us unusual 
kindness, for they kindled a fire and made us all welcome, because 
of the rain that was falling and because of the cold. But 
when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the 
fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened on his 
hand. So when the natives saw the creature hanging from his 
hand, they said to one another, no doubt this man is a murderer, 
whom though he has escaped the sea, yet justice does not allow 
to live. But he shook off the creature 
into the fire and suffered no harm. However, they were expecting 
that he would swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But after they 
had looked for a long time and saw no harm come to him, they 
changed their minds and said that he was a god. In that region, 
there was an estate of the leading citizen of the island, whose 
name was Publius, who received us and entertained us courteously 
for three days. And it happened that the father 
of Publius lay sick of a fever and dysentery. Paul went into 
him and prayed, and he laid his hands on him and healed him. 
So when this was done, the rest of those on the island who had 
diseases also came and were healed. They also honored us in many 
ways. And when we departed, they provided such things as were 
necessary. After three months, we sailed 
in an Alexandrian ship, whose figurehead was the twin brothers, 
which had wintered at the island. And landing at Syracuse, we stayed 
three days. From there, we circled round 
and reached Regium. And after one day, the south 
wind blew. And the next day, we came to 
Putuoli, where we found brethren and were invited to stay with 
them seven days. And so we went toward Rome. And 
from there, when the brethren heard about us, they came to 
meet us as far as Appii Forum and Three Inns. When Paul saw 
them, he thanked God and took courage. Now when we came to 
Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain 
of the guard. But Paul was permitted to dwell by himself with the 
soldier who guarded him. 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 receive 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. 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 in turn, so that I should heal them. Therefore, 
let it be known to you that the salvation of God has been sent 
to the Gentiles, and they will hear it." And when he had said 
these words, the Jews departed and had a great dispute among 
themselves. 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. Amen. Well, let us pray. Father, we 
thank you for the written word of the living and the true God. 
We know it's given by inspiration of God. We know it's profitable 
for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction 
in righteousness. And we pray that you would encourage 
our hearts now as we continue on with this book of Acts, as 
we conclude it this morning. God, we have seen great and wonderful 
things in the making of disciples, in the planting of the church, 
and how 12 men turned the world upside down under the power of 
God Almighty. Lord, we pray that the same sort 
of power we see here would be demonstrated in our own day. 
We know that it is, God. We see it when sinners are saved. 
We see it when saints are made more holy. God, we would cry 
out to You for even more, that You would demonstrate Your sovereign 
power, Your glorious grace, and Your mercy. And we pray this 
for Your glory's sake. Fill us now with Your Spirit, 
forgive us now for all of our sin, and guide us as we study 
Your Word. And we pray through Christ our 
Lord. Amen. Well, this is, in fact, a wonderful 
book and it is, in fact, a glorious thing to consider the salvation 
of sinners, the planting of churches, and the missionary enterprise. 
And that is what we see in the book of Acts from the beginning 
to the end. Well, as we conclude it this 
morning, we'll look first at the arrival in Rome in verses 
11 to 16, and then the ministry in Rome, verses 17 to 31, conducted 
by the Apostle Paul. Notice, with reference to their 
arrival, verse 11 tells us that after three months, so they spent 
three months, the winter months, on that island of Malta. Remember, 
previously the Apostle had given them advice that they should 
reconsider continuing on in the voyage. They obviously did not 
listen to him, and that brought the shipwreck. God Almighty secured 
the souls, but the ship was lost, so they end up on Malta for that 
period of three months. Now as far as historians say, 
February would have been the time that you could begin sailing 
again. So most likely this is February of AD 60. So Paul is 
in prison in this first Roman imprisonment. I'll explain a 
bit more about that later on. from the years A.D. 60 to 62. So they go from Malta, and we 
notice the journey to Rome. They get another ship that was 
from Alexandria, and it had the twin brothers. That figurehead 
was the twin brothers. These brothers were Castor and 
Pollux. They were the sons of Jupiter 
and Leta. They were the gods of navigation and the guardians 
of sailors. So the apostle didn't say, you've 
got pagan iconography on your ship, therefore I can't sail 
on it. No, he had to go as a prisoner 
with reference to this particular convention. And so he boards 
the ship and Luke records for us their journey on the way to 
Rome. And one thing that is noteworthy 
is found in verse 15. And from there, when the brethren 
heard about us, they came to meet us as far as Appii Forum, 
and three ends. When Paul saw them, he thanked 
God and took courage. Paul was not the founder of the 
church at Rome. In fact, Paul wrote Romans about 
three years earlier, three years previous to this particular time. 
But he was certainly eager to visit Rome, not in this condition, 
of course, where he would be on house arrest, but he was encouraged 
that the saints from the church in Rome come to see him. This 
was a good thing. They perhaps had heard, or some 
of them may have heard, what had gone on in terms of his arrest, 
and they might be a little bit hesitant to go and greet him. 
And I suspect that's why Luke tells us what he does when Paul 
saw them, he thanked God and took courage. Not courage, to 
live, not courage to preach, not courage to do the things 
that he was called to do, but took courage in light of the 
fact that the church in Rome was favorable to him, that they 
had not been put off. Because we know that in times 
of controversy, there is division, and there is confusion, and there 
is chaos. And so when there is solidarity 
between Paul and the saints in Rome, the apostle is very thankful 
for that, because unity and solidarity and camaraderie are to be eagerly 
sought after in the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. The apostle 
tells us in Ephesians 4 that we're to endeavor to keep the 
unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. We're to seek to preserve 
it. were to fight for it, not fight 
one another, but fight for it in terms of a situation where 
we can give a good presentation to the onlooking world concerning 
our unity in the Savior. And then notice that they arrive 
in Rome according to verse 16. Now, when we came to Rome, the 
centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard, 
but Paul was permitted to dwell by himself with the soldier who 
guarded him. Now, that is obviously the case 
in terms of his innocence. Everybody associated with Paul, 
in terms of the Roman Empire, knew that he was innocent. The 
commander from Judea, Claudius Lysias, knew that he was innocent. Felix knew that he was innocent. 
Festus knew that he was innocent. Agrippa knew that he was innocent. 
Julius, the centurion that was on the ship, knew that he was 
innocent. So all these men, understanding that he was innocent, nevertheless 
gave him, they had to keep him incarcerated because he had appealed 
to Caesar, but nevertheless they gave him benefit. They gave him 
liberty. They gave him the ability, though 
chained to a guard, to nevertheless rent his own quarters and live 
there until Nero would summon him to appear before that Supreme 
Court. So the apostle was looked upon 
favorably, if not always by the Roman Empire, at least in this 
particular situation. Later, it would be under Nero 
that Paul would lose his head. But at this particular time, 
the first five years of Nero's reign were, in fact, good ones. 
In fact, some have suggested it was a golden age in the Roman 
Empire before Nero lost it, before Nero went nuts, before Nero then 
targeted the Church of Christ for extinction. There was a fire 
in Rome in AD 64, and Nero blamed it on the Christians. Well, in 
60 to 62, Nero wasn't a bad guy. And I'm gonna argue later when 
we finish out the section in verses 30 to 31, that Nero let 
him go, that there was more ministry for the Apostle Paul. In Eusebius's 
Ecclesiastical History, he mentions as much, that Nero released the 
Apostle Paul and that he had a couple more years of ministry. 
It is then that he wrote 1 Timothy and Titus, and then that he wrote 
Hebrews and 2 Timothy. He was probably martyred in about 
the mid 60s under Nero's reign. But at this particular time, 
he was not perceived to be a threat to the Roman Empire. And again, 
let that sink in for just a moment. Nero released him. Nero released 
him. We have premiers in our country 
that don't release pastors from jail cells. And yet Nero, who 
was described by John Fox as a beast and would ultimately 
become a beast, nevertheless had the wherewithal in the early 
60s to let the Apostle Paul go. He understood that he wasn't 
a threat. He understood that he wasn't about sedition. He 
understood that overthrow the empire was not the intent of 
the apostle, but simply to preach the empire of our Lord Jesus. Look at one of the letters that 
Paul wrote during this time. Philippians chapter one. Philippians 
chapter one. Look at what Paul says concerning 
this time. Verse 12, I want you to know 
brethren that the things which happened to me, this is his first 
Roman imprisonment, AD 60 to 62. He writes the prison epistles 
at this time, this being one of the prison epistles. 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 Why is that? Because as 
Paul is chained in his own rented quarters, he tells the guard 
why it is the case. He tells the guards, who most 
likely were changed every four hours, what it was that he was 
being incarcerated for. But notice in verse 13, it has 
become evident to the whole palace guard and to all the rest that 
my chains are in Christ. And most of the brethren in the 
Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold 
to speak the word without fear. Brethren, I would suggest that 
in our prayers, privately, as families, and corporately in 
the church, we pray for application of verse 14. That the churches 
throughout Canada and the pastors that serve them would hear of 
James Coates and would then therefore be emboldened to go and preach 
the gospel. to realize that Christ is the 
head of the church, to realize that Christ is over all things, 
to realize that every ounce of authority in heaven and on earth, 
including the COVID-19 pandemic, is under the government of our 
sovereign king. Why is it that we are hesitant? 
Why is it that we are fearful? Why is it that we don't step 
out in faith and proclaim the gospel of Jesus? Again, if we could go to Walmart 
today, if we could go to Swiss Chalet, which by the way I notice 
is closed down over there by Walmart, if we could go to any 
of these places without fear of death immediately, then why 
not the church? Why can't we gather together? 
Why can't we extol the name of our blessed Savior when everybody 
outside of here is doing whatever it is they please on this particular 
Sunday? Look at what Paul says. Verse 
14, And most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident 
by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. 
It seems to be going in the direct opposite direction today. In 
fact, we're being condemned. James Coates is being looked 
at as a criminal, even by professing Christians. Brethren, let me 
make this very clear. Canada, bad, with reference to 
James Coates. James Coates, Good. That's as 
simple as it can possibly be. That man has been thrown in jail 
while child molesters are free. That man has been targeted as 
a menace to society. When again, every other business 
is operative. Every other business is open. 
was a pastor recently that asked our premier about the disparity 
between closed churches and businesses. Do you know that our premier 
admitted it? Our premier announced it? Our 
premier said we've had a vested interest in businesses staying 
open so that people could have their jobs and so that we can 
continue the revenue stream in Canada, which by the way, brethren, 
I fully agree with. but to then target the church 
because we're not producing, we're not serving in a way that 
they want to quantify as being realistic. We have to remain 
closed and that they're going to try and make allowances soon 
so that the Muslims can engage in Ramadan and the Christians 
can engage in Easter. I have a sinking suspicion. Heartfelt 
suspicion they're going to facilitate the Muslims and Ramadan a whole 
lot quicker than they're going to facilitate the Christians 
and Easter and yet again This isn't persecution. This isn't 
discrimination. I don't know what else to say 
four months in I really didn't ever think we'd be here four 
months later church closure order and that there is this sort of 
a Lack of earnestness on the part of the church to get back 
at it This is the reality that we face. And for the apostle 
Paul in prison, the people that heard about him in prison, they 
were emboldened to go out and speak the glory of the gospel 
of the Lord without fear. Fear is paralyzing us. Fear is 
incapacitating us. Fear is keeping us in our living 
rooms instead of in the house of God Almighty. And I realize 
this isn't comfortable, and I realize people will listen to this and 
say, he's overboard, he's this, that, and the other. Brethren, 
They have effectively rendered our charter of rights and freedoms 
null and void. I got to tell you, waking up 
on Friday felt different. And I'm not a charismatic, feely 
sort of guy, but I've always thought our liberties are greatly 
restricted. But to see this, to see the judge 
essentially sound just like the crown attorney who rehearsed 
the health orders and just told us how reasonable they are, Well, 
obviously, brethren, they're not so reasonable at Walmart. Obviously, they're not so reasonable 
at Costco. I mean, those places are Petri 
dishes. Those are the places where it 
oftentimes does spread, but guess what? They don't contact trace 
there. You could go to Costco and then 
come to church, having gotten it at Costco, and then the church 
gets blamed. Oh, but that's not discrimination. 
Okay. You know again, what's it gonna 
take for us to actually say they have that have an axe to grind 
Seemingly against the church of the Lord Jesus for Paul when 
he's in that prison He is speaking the truth to the guards and for 
Paul the people that knew of his imprisonment were emboldened 
They went out there for they proclaim the glorious gospel 
of Jesus Christ. They didn't say well, it's all 
over now It's all done the chief apostle to the Gentiles is sidelined. So we're all gonna just have 
to bide our time and wait No, that's not it at all. Some of 
the people reading Acts 28 and some of the commentators with 
Acts 28 think that the book ends on an open-endedness. Luke never 
tells us what happens with reference to Paul before Nero. It is specifically 
open-ended. Paul does his thing and the rest 
of the church does their thing. They proclaim the gospel of free 
and sovereign grace. That's the emphasis as we wind 
down in this book. Now notice, secondly, his ministry 
in Rome, verses 17 to 31. He's got a first meeting with 
the Jews in verses 17 to 22, a second meeting with the Jews 
in verses 23 to 29, and then the book concludes, in verses 
30 and 31. Let's look at this first meeting 
with the Jews in verses 17 to 22. He reviews his history. He reviews why it is he's now 
in Rome. He reviews why it is he's now 
chained to a Roman soldier. He wants to educate these men. He wants to tell them why. He 
doesn't want to try and hide from them. He has an earnest 
desire. The gospel goes to the Jew first 
and also to the Greek. The Lord Jesus Christ said with 
reference to the salvation of Paul, he would testify before 
Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. And that's how the 
latter half of the book plays out. It is Paul obeying what 
Christ had said to him in terms of his mission and in terms of 
his movement in the empire. So he reviews the history. Notice 
in verse 17, we see the initiative of Paul. Paul called the leaders 
of the Jews together. Again, he didn't just sit idly 
by, oh, well, I'm in jail now for two years. I'm just going 
to lay down and catch up on some rest. First thing he does is 
contact the Jews from Rome and says, I want to see you. Remember 
on his missionary journeys, where would he stop first when he went 
from city to city? He would go to the synagogues 
of the Jews. There he'd preach the hope of 
Israel, which is the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, to both 
Jews and God-fearing Greeks. So Paul takes this initiative 
and Paul calls for these Jews so that he can review for them 
why he is there. Notice that he underscores his 
innocence with reference to the Jews. Look at verse 17. 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. 
So he asserts, once again, his innocence with reference to the 
Jews. Remember that the charges are summarized for us in chapter 
24 by the orator Tertullus. He had indicated that Paul was 
one who tried to promote sedition in the empire. As well, Paul 
was a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes, and then Paul 
tried to desecrate the temple by bringing a Gentile in there. 
So those were the three charges. Obviously, they all affected 
the Jews to one degree or other. If Paul was trying to instigate 
the Jews to promote sedition in the empire, that would have 
horrific implications for those Jews. If Paul was, in fact, this 
ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes, we get rid of the 
ringleader and then the sect collapses. And then as well, 
the idea of desecrating the temple, that was right up there with 
desecrating or blaspheming God himself. So these were serious 
charges. And again, Paul maintains his 
innocence with reference to that. 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. That's Paul's nice way of saying 
that the Romans saved my bacon from these murderous Jews. Because 
that's exactly what happened. Remember in chapter 21, when 
they first make these allegations concerning Paul, they're beating 
him to the point of killing him. It's at that point that Claudius 
Lysias dispatches troops to save Paul. And the same sort of thing 
obtains later when there is this conspiracy hatch among more than 
40 persons that would neither eat or drink until they had killed 
Paul. Well, Paul gets wind of that by his nephew and then informs 
the governor, rather the commander, Claudius Lysias. So what does 
Claudius Lysias do? He gets a lot of troops, he secures 
the Apostle Paul to transport him to Caesarea so that he can 
stand before Felix and then Festus and then Agrippa. It was the 
Roman government that saved the Apostle Paul from the murderous, 
bloodthirsty, unbelieving Jews. So Paul is very gracious in this 
instance when he says, yet I was delivered as a prisoner from 
Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans. That is a wonderfully 
concise summary statement, but when we know what really obtained, 
we see how he is being very humble and very gracious and very careful 
with reference to his hearers. Now, notice as well, he maintains 
his innocence with reference to the Romans. Verse 18, who? The Romans. When they had examined 
me, this was Felix, this was Festus, this was Agrippa. When 
they had examined me, wanted to let me go because there was 
no cause for putting me to death. He just didn't do anything wrong. 
Not that he was innocent, morally pure without sin or blemish. 
That's not what I mean when I refer to Paul's innocence. I mean with 
reference to offenses against the Jews and with reference to 
offenses against the Romans. The three charges leveled against 
him were simply false. They made them up. They lied. 
And again, brethren, I hate to be the bringer of bad news, but 
sometimes the opponents of Jesus don't always play fair. They 
don't always play nice. They don't always play according 
to the rules. They'll lie, they'll cheat, and 
they'll deceive because they're operating under the banner of 
their father, the devil, who was a murderer and a liar from 
the beginning. There's no truth in him. There's 
no desire for life in him. There's only misery, pain, and 
destruction. Unfortunately, his minions on 
earth have followed in his train. They like pain, misery, destruction. For everybody, not them. to be 
sure. So Paul maintains his innocence 
with reference to the Romans. He declares it, and then he highlights 
his appeal in verse 19. Again, why am I here in Rome 
at this time? Here's the answer. But when the 
Jews spoke against it, Talk about an appeal process! I mean, the 
commander sees that he's innocent, Felix sees that he's innocent, 
Festus sees that he's innocent, Agrippa sees that he's innocent, 
and the Jews nevertheless maintain that he's guilty on every point. 
So Paul says, according to verse 19, since this was in fact the 
case, I had to make an appeal, to the Supreme Court. I appealed 
to Caesar, not only for that reason, but as well to get to 
Rome. You see, the apostle was told 
by vision in 2311 that as he had testified in Jerusalem, so 
he must testify in Rome. And so the apostle knew that 
he must go there. He probably would have liked 
the luxury liner. He probably would have liked 
the midnight buffet. He probably would have liked 
amateur night in the ship's community hall. He probably would have 
enjoyed all things, but under God's providence, it was shipwreck. 
Under God's providence, it was threat first from sailors abandoning 
ship, threat second from soldiers wanting to kill the prisoners, 
and then that pesky viper or snake on the island of Malta. Again, not the way you and I 
plan a vacation, is it? But for the Apostle Paul, he 
understands divine sovereignty and he understands providence. 
And if God has purpose to get him to Rome, it's God's purpose 
and God's decree to do so. And whatever that may entail, 
the Apostle Paul was more than willing to go through. So verse 
19, 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. 
He's not there to stick it to the man, whether Jew or Roman. 
He doesn't appeal to Caesar so that he can see every single 
wrong righted and be vindicated in a way that all of us crave. 
No, that's not Paul's point. And one of the reasons why he 
wants to appear before Caesar is not simply for himself, but 
for posterity. Whatever happens here in the 
empire will set a precedence. It will set a pattern or a paradigm 
for other Christians, other pastors, other missionaries, other evangelists, 
other persons operative in the Roman Empire. So the apostle 
does this, again, not just for himself, but because now there's 
precedent set. And we can learn a whole lot 
from the apostle when we survey his life and ministry in this 
latter part of the book of Acts. He not only testifies to the 
Jews, he not only testifies to the Gentiles, but the way that 
he testifies before civil government is admirable. It is wonderful. It is glorious. Remember in chapter 
25 when Festus says, Paul, much learning is driving you mad. You're out of your mind. You've 
left the reservation. You're nuts. You're wacko." If 
he lived today, he'd say, you're a conspiracy theorist. And what 
does Paul say? He says, I'm not mad, most noble 
fastest, but I speak the words of truth and reason. So the words of truth and reason, 
whether we're before Jews, whether we're before Gentiles, or whether 
we're before civil government, it is the words of truth and 
reason that ultimately at least should win the day in civil court. That it doesn't is an unfortunate 
testimony to the severe sinfulness of all mankind everywhere. So 
Paul then tells them, this is why I'm here. Now notice in verse 
20, 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. See what he says? It's not because 
I'm promoting sedition in the empire. It's not because I'm 
a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. It's not because I 
tried to desecrate the temple. I am here, he says to these Jews, 
because of the scriptures that you affirm are the word of the 
living and true God. In other words, Paul's chains 
are owing to the hope of Israel. We see that hope connected in 
chapter 23 to the resurrection from the dead. We see it connected 
in chapter 24 to the resurrection of the dead. And then we see 
it before Agrippa in chapter 26, connected to the Lord Jesus 
Christ as the one risen from the dead, who is then the orchestrator 
of the resurrection of the dead. In other words, Paul is on trial 
because of the Old Testament Scriptures and their terminus 
in our Lord Jesus Christ. It remained a theological battle. It remained a theological issue. The Jews who had rejected Jesus 
as the Messiah are the Jews that want to crucify, or rather murder, 
the Apostle Paul. Paul, however, is saying, I'm 
not the one who's reading the scriptures wrong, you're reading 
the scriptures wrong. I mean, he says it a little more 
graciously than that, but that is essentially what he says. 
Remember 2 Corinthians 3, 2 Corinthians 4. He knew these men had a veil 
over their eyes. He knew these men, because of 
their sin and transgression, were under the judgment of God 
Almighty. He understood sovereign grace 
was necessary. to open their eyes, to call them 
out of darkness into marvelous light. He understood all these 
realities. And so he tells them, it's for 
the hope of Israel. In other words, I've simply gone, 
the apostle Paul says, where Moses and the prophets told me 
to go. In Romans 10.4, the apostle tells 
us that the Lord Jesus Christ is the end of the law. And end 
there doesn't mean that as believers in Jesus Christ, you can go out 
and commit adultery. As believers in Jesus Christ, 
you can go out and covet. As believers in Jesus Christ, 
you can go out and murder. As believers in Jesus Christ, 
you can go out and break the Sabbath. The end of the law, 
according to Romans 10.4, is the purpose. The goal, why are there law and 
prophets? Because they pointed Israel to 
Messiah. Why did Moses and the prophets 
write? To tell Israel of her champion, 
to tell Israel of her anointed, to tell Israel of the one in 
whom there is forgiveness, redemption through his blood. That prophet 
Isaiah 49 that we read, that's not the only servant song. There's 
one in 42, there's one in 50, there's one in 53. They portray 
for us various facets of the ministry of Messiah. 53 perhaps 
being the most clear. It's so often referred to in 
the New Testament. That man of sorrows, that one 
acquainted with grief, that one whom Yahweh was pleased to bruise. Why? in order to save his people 
from their sins, brethren. When John the Baptist lays eyes 
on Jesus Christ and says, Behold the Lamb of God who takes away 
the sin of the world. Do you know what you should be 
thinking about? Leviticus. You should be thinking 
about that sacrificial system. You should be thinking about 
the Levitical priesthood. You should be thinking about 
the Day of Atonement. You should be thinking about 
the blood of bulls and goats and those things, which could 
never take away sin, but pointed them forward to Christ, who does 
take away sin. So Paul says, it's for the hope 
of Israel that I am on trial today. And when you ask the question, 
well, where does the Bible present Jesus in the Old Testament? I 
mean, where do we begin? Well, we begin at the beginning, 
Genesis 3.15, the promise of the seed of the woman who would 
crush the serpent. That blessed one that would be 
born of a woman, he would be man, according to Genesis 3.15, 
and he would be a man who renders decisive victory over the serpent, 
and he would do so through his own sufferings and death. All 
of that is in Genesis 3.15. Genesis 22, we learn about substitutionary 
atonement. When Abraham takes that ram caught 
in the thicket and puts it on the altar instead of his son 
Isaac. We learn about it in Deuteronomy 
18. We see that referred to in Peter's sermon in Acts chapter 
3. God will raise up a prophet like Moses. Hear him. And then throughout the prophets, 
throughout the Psalter, we have Psalm 22 that is going on about 
crucifixion. Several hundred years before 
crucifixion was a rampant form of punishment. We see all of 
these statements concerning Messiah. Isaiah 9, 6, and 7, not only 
the Messiah himself, but the nature of his kingdom. Micah 
5, the promised Messiah would come from Bethlehem, Ephrathah. 
What the prophet Micah is saying is that salvation for Israel 
originates in a cradle in Bethlehem. It happened thus with David and 
it will happen thus with David's greater son. You see, all of 
the law and the prophets have as the scope of scripture, our 
blessed Lord Jesus Christ. If you are not reading your Old 
Testament, may I gently and lovingly and trying to be gracious to 
encourage you to read, you learn of Jesus. He understood this. Luke 24, we'll refer to that 
in a moment. But in John 5, he tells the Jews, 
you search the scriptures for in them, you think you have eternal 
life, but these are they which testify of me. not some generic 
savior, not some generic messiah, but Jesus Christ, the second 
person of the blessed trinity, that one who for us men and for 
our salvation came down from heaven, who assumed our humanity 
with all the essential properties and the common infirmities thereof, 
and yet without sin, everything that makes man man, Christ took 
on himself so that he could live for us, so that he could suffer 
for us, so that he could die for us, and so that he could 
be raised again for us. You see why Paul calls this the 
hope of Israel. It is most glorious. Imagine 
those Israelites in the Old Testament under the time of the or when 
there were no judges in Israel and everybody did what was right 
in their own eyes, or under those monarchs that were absolutely 
wretched men, they nevertheless had the hope of Scripture that 
there was a hero and a champion coming and he would vindicate 
his people, he would save his people, and he would glorify 
the Father in the midst of it. It is a most blessed hope that 
we possess, and brethren, as those who have partaken by God's 
grace, It is imperative upon us to not be hopeless. We cannot 
let them beat us down. We always have the Savior, whoever 
lives to make intercession for us. He rules and reigns over 
all things for the church. We ought to be hopeful. We ought 
to be encouraged. We ought to be greatly helped 
by the reality that our blessed Christ affords hope to his people. Now, notice the response of his 
audience. verses 21 and 22. They said to 
him, we neither receive 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. That might have been an understatement 
as unbelieving Jews with a church in their town. They probably 
knew a little bit more about the enmity that obtained between 
the Jews and the Christians at the level of who is the Messiah. The Christians confessed Jesus 
as Messiah. The Jews thought they were nuts 
and the Jews thought they were revolutionary and the Jews wanted 
to disenfranchise them. So perhaps they are just holding 
back a little bit in terms of what they actually knew. Now 
that brings us to the second meeting with the Jews. The first 
thing we see is his testimony concerning the kingdom of God. 
Verse 23. 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. See, the Messiah, the hope of 
Israel, the Lord Jesus Christ, is himself intricately connected 
to the kingdom of God. In fact, that's how he begins 
his public ministry in Matthew 4, 17. Repent, for the kingdom 
of God is at hand. You see, Christ is the sovereign 
over it, and Christ is the one by which men enter it. And so 
that Paul discourse concerning the kingdom of God should not 
surprise us. Notice his methodology, something 
we should expect from the apostle. Look at verse 23. They appoint 
a day, many come, and then he explains and solemnly testifies. When he goes to the synagogues, 
he does the same thing. Paul's whole emphasis isn't on 
experience. Paul will use his experience 
insofar as it illustrates the doctrinal truth involved. But 
for Paul, religion, Christianity specifically, isn't just an experience. It's not just a feeling. It's 
not just a set of emotions that makes you feel good from time 
to time. No, it is an intellectual faith. It is the words of truth and 
reason. It is something that can be explained. It is something that can be expounded. It is something that can be described. It's not ethereal. It's not otherworldly 
in the sense that we have no ability to connect with it whatsoever. I mean, to hear some preachers, 
to hear some persons involved with Christianity, it's all about 
feeling. It's all about experience. It's 
all about mysticism. It's all so esoteric, and it's 
all so Gnostic. The Gnostics were the kinds of 
people in the first century, second century more likely, that 
had a direct line to God. They didn't need written documents. They had a direct connection 
to God. Brethren, we are not Gnostics. 
We do not have that direct connection in the sense that our alarm goes 
off in the morning, and we just sort of wait until the Lord directs 
us. Go have the Wheaties, then go 
put on your shoes, and then go to work. That's not what Christianity 
is! We search the scriptures. We 
understand the documents. We look at the doctrine. We understand 
that they're applicable and sufficient for conviction and reproof and 
correction and instruction and righteousness. And so Paul takes 
pains to not just share his experiences and to share his visions and 
to share the great miracles that he had undertaken. How many of 
us would have done what Paul did? He has these Jews come to 
him and instead of saying, man, you should have been with us 
in Malta. I was just putting a whammy on everybody that came. 
The islanders were bringing their sick and they were bringing their 
hurting and they were bringing those people that were in big 
trouble. And I just, I laid hands on them and they were healed. 
And for me, I got a Viper on my hand. I just shook it off 
and I was waiting. He doesn't do that. There's an analogy to 
that in the Old Testament. Remember Samson. We have this 
picture of Samson, that he's this big bumbling oaf that is 
governed by his lusts and passions. Me see woman, me take woman. 
That's not Samson, brethren. You've been lied to about Samson. 
Four times in the Samson narratives do we see the Spirit of Yahweh 
come upon him. How many other men in scripture, 
four times is it asserted that the Spirit of God came upon him? 
And for a real life illustration of this principle, Samson kills 
a lion with his bare hands and he doesn't tell anyone. He would 
have failed on Facebook, wouldn't he? I mean, today, that would 
have been the first day. I can't wait to get a selfie 
with me and the lion, you know, and then make sure it's my status. You know, I was walking home 
today and this lion attacked me and I killed him. That's not 
the men of God, brethren. The apostle Paul had just been 
instrumental, an agent by which several sick people on the island 
of Malta had been healed. He doesn't mention one whit about 
that. What matters is Jesus. What matters 
is the Law and the Prophets that point men to Jesus. That's what's 
important. That's what sinners need. That's 
what is desperately necessary in our own day. He tells them 
of Christ. He persuaded them concerning 
Jesus, and he does this, notice, from the Law and the Prophets. 
Luke 24, 27. Jesus, we read of, And beginning at Moses and all 
the prophets, he expounded to them and all the scriptures the 
things concerning himself." See, the Apostle Paul took his cue 
from the life and ministry of Jesus. Again, Jesus doesn't say 
to his disciples, hey, I just rose from the dead. I mean, they 
could see that to be sure. Jesus doesn't say, you know, 
all I've ever done is just heal people and make people good. 
No, he preaches Jesus from the scriptures. See, this is one 
of those things where you wonder, when will the church finally 
arrive on this? Our task, our job, our privilege, 
our blessing is to preach Jesus from the scriptures. That's it, 
that's what we're about. Again, the premier may not like 
that, it may not contribute more tax revenue, which I think it 
actually does because all of us pay taxes, just because the 
church as church is an exempt entity, just indicates that people 
back then were a lot smarter than we are today. but with reference 
to what can we produce? The glorious gospel of free and 
sovereign grace. We can tell the mortal out there 
that is paralyzed with fear over the virus, that there is a way 
of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus. There is something 
that far transcends this lower world. There's something that 
far exceeds this momentary light affliction. Did you see that 
in 2 Corinthians 4? Yes, we have momentary light 
affliction, but they are exceedingly, or they are transcended by the 
exceeding weight of glory. All the misery, all the problems, 
all the hardship, all the afflictions, all the difficulties that we 
face in this earth are going to be gone. We're gonna be in 
the presence of God most high, world without end, amen. We're 
gonna see the altogether lovely. We're gonna see the chief among 
10,000. We're gonna be in the presence of the one who made 
us to worship him. He has redeemed us such that 
he'll bring us into that heavenly Jerusalem so that we will worship 
him. What does John say in John 21 
and 22? I saw no temple there, why? because God and the Lamb are 
its temple. It is dwelling place. That is 
the movement of Scripture. Adam and Eve had it in the garden. 
They forfeit it in their sin. Christ restores us by his grace 
and salvation to bring us into dwelling place, the presence 
of God Most High. See, for the apostle Paul, that 
was everything. Notice as well, he does this 
from morning till evening. Boy, there were giants in the 
land in those days. There were giants in the land 
in those days. I wonder how many people whined, 
oh, he's going on too long. My lunch is getting cold. I'm 
sure they took breaks. Paul wasn't a pharaoh. He wasn't 
an evil taskmaster. I'm sure he let him go to the 
washroom and eat and have a glass of water, whatever. But brethren, 
the message itself indicates its importance. It's a from morning 
till evening message. I love what F.F. Bruce says, 
commenting here. He says, throughout that day, 
he labored to prove to them that the gospel of Christ was the 
fine flowering of Israel's religion. that the whole course of Hebrew 
history and prophecy led up to it and was consummated by it. So the Apostle went to the Law 
of Moses. He went to Genesis, to Exodus, 
to Leviticus, to Numbers, to Deuteronomy. Yes, Christ is in 
each of those books. And then he went to the prophets, 
Micah and Amos and Obadiah and Jonah and Nahum. He went to Isaiah 
and Jeremiah and Ezekiel. He went to the prophets to show 
how they, along with Moses, pointed forward to the Lord Jesus Christ. And that was a morning till evening 
message. Now notice their response according 
to verse 24. Some were persuaded by the things 
which were spoken and some disbelieved. So even after a day of instruction 
by the Apostle Paul from the Law of Moses and the prophets, 
there are still those who don't believe. If anything underscores 
sovereign grace, this does, right? I mean, the reality that Benjamin 
Franklin most likely went to hell is a stark reminder of the 
sovereignty of God's grace. Benjamin Franklin was a close 
personal friend of George Whitefield, and Benjamin Franklin attended 
the preaching of George Whitefield. Now, from all reports, Whitefield 
could bring it. Whitefield didn't need amplification, 
and Whitefield could hit 10,000 people with the voice. He took 
seriously the prophet Isaiah. Cry aloud, spare not, lift up 
your voice like a trumpet and make known to Jerusalem its sins. 
So Ben Franklin, in the presence of that, didn't get saved. Why 
not? If it's all about free will, 
if it's all about decision-making, if it's all about the ability 
of the orator, it's not. It doesn't depend upon him who 
wills or upon him who runs, but upon God who shows mercy, according 
to Paul in Romans 9.16. So the apostle Paul testifies, 
and some embrace it, some receive it, some see that Jesus is the 
subject or the object, rather, of Moses and the prophets. But 
then there are those who do not. And that underscores what Paul 
tells us in 2 Corinthians 2, 14-16. He says, now thanks be to God 
who always leads us in triumph in Christ and through us diffuses 
the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. For we are to 
God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and 
among those who are perishing. You know how as you live your 
Christian life there's certain sermons or certain preachers 
that stick out in your mind? I remember Pastor Albert N. Martin 
preaching this sermon. And he was speaking in the manner 
of men because God doesn't have a nose. But he says how God is 
on the throne and He smells it when that gospel goes forth. 
It's a sweet fragrance to him as that word is declared. See, 
we think it's only when the word is received. Paul says it's when 
the word is declared. That fragrance goes into the 
holy nostrils of our God, again, anthropomorphically, and God 
is pleased by it. Because listen to what Paul says. 
and through us diffuses the fragrance of his knowledge in every place. 
For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are 
being saved and among those who are perishing. To the one we 
are the aroma of death leading to death and to the other, the 
aroma of life leading to life." And who is sufficient for these 
things? See what Paul says, it's the 
declaration of the gospel that brings glory to God. Not if it 
works, Not if persons get saved. If the gospel is preached successfully, 
according to a lot of people in the history of the church, 
God is well-pleased. God is in the business of saving. 
God is in the business of not saving. That's his prerogative. The church must simply be faithful 
to testify about Jesus, to use the law and the prophets and 
the apostles to show men women, boys and girls, that Christ is 
Messiah, that Jesus rather is the Christ, the Son of the living 
God, and the one in whom there is salvation. John Gill makes 
the observation in terms of the distinction between these two 
groups. He says this difference among them, some believing and 
some not believing, was not owing to the power of the free will 
of man, as if some of themselves would and did believe, and others 
would not, but to the distinguishing grace of God. For faith is not 
of man, it is the gift of God, it is the fruit of electing grace, 
and is given in consequence of it. It isn't the fact that we 
believe and therefore we're elect. We believe because by God's grace 
we're elect. The consequence or the effect 
is not the cause or the condition. Again, this is something that 
would hopefully make theology a whole lot more easy if people 
just pondered it for about 30 seconds. And then notice he appeals 
to the prophet Isaiah, and this offended them. Here's how I know 
wokeness has affected the church. Wokeness, at least one of its 
tenants, is easily offended. Everybody's so easily offended. 
Brethren, we can have disagreements and not go to hell. I know that 
may seem odd, but we can. We can take different positions, 
not on Trinity, not on justification by faith, not on the inspiration 
of Scripture. There's things that are non-negotiable. 
But when it comes to eschatology, I don't like that guy because 
he's not my brand of eschatology. Who cares? Let's not be so easily 
offended by everything. We always want to just take our 
marbles and go home, because after all, they don't want to 
play with my marbles. Who cares? There's things that don't matter 
in the grand scheme of things. There are non-negotiable things 
that we must insist upon, but there are those things that we 
don't need to be all woke over. It's not just if you openly espouse 
the bizarre sexual ethics propagated today or the bizarre notions 
of everything being racist today that makes you woke. If you're 
easily offended and you just get so put off by every jot and 
tittle, I mean, you see it, right? You see it today, Dr. Seuss offended 
somebody somewhere. Like, who is that miserable person? Dumbo offends me? Again, maybe, 
and then this is it. Well, because you don't understand, 
that shows you're racist. Okay, I guess so. It's just getting 
a bit bizarre, brethren. But it shouldn't be in the church. 
We shouldn't be so offended when somebody takes scripture and 
shows us that we may possibly, potentially be wrong. But it 
was an appeal to the prophet Isaiah, Isaiah 6, that called 
narrative when Isaiah, And the year that King Uzziah died, saw 
the Lord high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled 
the temple. And the angels cried, holy, holy, holy is the Lord 
of hosts. The whole earth is filled with His glory. So Paul 
reaches back to the prophet Isaiah for a similar context and brings 
that to bear upon the people that he is speaking to. But notice 
that Paul underscores the divine inspiration of Holy Scripture. 
Notice in verse 25, the divine inspiration of Holy Scripture. Isaiah didn't write Isaiah 6 
because he just got inspired by a sunrise. He was under inspiration 
of the Holy Spirit. Notice, the Holy Spirit spoke 
rightly through Isaiah the prophet to our fathers. It's a textual 
variant. If you have the non-King James 
tradition, it likely says, your fathers. And that would be a 
legitimate step. Paul is now having gone from 
our fathers to a your fathers to show that the same way they 
responded to the prophet Isaiah is the same way that you're responding 
to me over the same message concerning Jesus Christ. And interesting, 
this is an ascription of deity and personhood to the Holy Spirit 
as well. You see, it's Yahweh described 
in Isaiah chapter 6. Yahweh is Father, Son, and Holy 
Spirit, such that the Apostle Paul can say, the Holy Spirit 
spoke rightly through Isaiah the prophet to your fathers, 
saying, Go to this people and say, hearing you will hear and 
shall not understand, 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. Same context in the prophet Isaiah. Unbelief and idolatry was rampant 
in Israel. In fact, if you go back to Isaiah 
6, that again is his call narrative. And so this is the instruction. 
It's Isaiah 6, 9 and 10. Paul is likely quoting from the 
Greek translation of the Old Testament Scriptures, what we 
call the Septuagint, and it's the same thing. And think about 
Isaiah for a moment. I mean, here's Isaiah, he's called, 
he sees the glory of Yahweh, he gets the marching orders, 
and God says to him, and by the way, your ministry's gonna fail. That's what he says. Not everybody, 
there's always a remnant. God's always had a remnant according 
to his grace. But with reference to the prophet 
Isaiah, you're gonna go preach and sing, they're not gonna see. 
Hearing, they're not gonna hear. And understanding, they're not 
gonna understand. See, they are wretched, they are idolatrous, 
they are unbelievers, they are those who are ripe for the judgment 
of God Almighty. So Paul invokes that, appeals 
to it, and says that is essentially what is transpiring here. Jesus 
does the same thing in Matthew chapter 13, when he's questioned 
about parabolic teaching. See, we missed that one too. 
Jesus says specifically that one of the reasons for parables 
is an act of judgment against unbelievers. That's what he says 
in Matthew 13, 14, and 15. We see it in John chapter 12. 
We see it in Romans chapter 11. The Apostle Paul interprets the 
rejection of ethnic Israel, at least in part, to the reality 
that they themselves have rejected Jesus, and as a result, they 
have brought upon themselves the judgment of God Almighty. 
But of course they're offended and of course they want to leave 
because he has brought truth to bear upon them. Now notice 
what happens in verse 28. Therefore let it be known to 
you that the salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles 
and they will hear it. helps you understand his emphasis 
in Romans 1.16, I'm not ashamed of the gospel. For it is the 
power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes, to the 
Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it, the righteousness 
of God is revealed from faith to faith that as it is written, 
the just shall live by faith. There was a chronological order 
in terms of Jew first and then to the Gentile. Peter says that 
in Acts chapter three as well. The covenant promises were made 
to the nation of Israel, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They certainly 
included the Gentiles. We see that back in the Noah's 
prophecy in Genesis chapter nine. And then we see it to the fathers 
in Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. That in them, all the nations, 
all the families of the earth would be blessed. But when Messiah 
comes, he comes to his own. His own receive him not. And 
then through the agency of his apostles, he sends that gospel 
to the Gentiles. We saw that in Isaiah 49, as 
we read at the outset of scripture. I'm not just giving Christ, the 
father says, to the tribes of Jacob. That's not a great display 
of his power and his majesty. When I want to impress my wife 
in the weight room, I don't just do the bar, I throw some plates 
on there. I want her to know that I'm strong. 
And that's what God says concerning Messiah. He will be a light unto 
the Gentiles. Men from every tribe, tongue, 
people, and nation will come to Israel's God through the Messiah 
Christ by the grace of God, believing on Him. It is a most glorious 
and blessed message. Verse 29, there's a variant. 
If you have a non-King James tradition, then you probably 
don't have verse 29 or it's in the margin, but it's certainly 
what happened. And when he had said these words, 
the Jews departed and had a great dispute among themselves. They 
didn't like it. They didn't like the implications. 
They didn't like the reality. They didn't like the knowledge 
of a God who had judged them over their failure to reckon 
with the Messiah. As if it's somehow suspect with 
God to ever do anything untoward toward his creatures that happen 
to be rebels and mutinous and those who raise the fist at him 
and against his Christ. And then the book ends. Notice 
in verses 30 and 31. the nature of his imprisonment. Then Paul 
dwelt two whole years in his own rented house and received 
all who came to him." Do you know what you're not doing when 
you're in house arrest for two years? You're not making money. You're just not. I don't get 
anywhere in scripture that Paul was sitting on a big load of 
dough. The church has helped him. The church has sent money. 
The church has supported. The church has cared. The church 
has made sure that he was able to be in his own rented house 
for that two year period. And so he could receive everybody 
who came to him and he could preach and teach to them the 
kingdom of God almighty. That is precisely what he does, 
preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which 
concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding 
him." What a contrast! In the synagogues and in the 
cities, they hated him! They despised him! They tried 
to kill him! They seized him in Jerusalem 
and buffeted him and wanted to murder him! Men took an oath, 
they engaged in conspiracy to rid the world of the Apostle 
Paul. And so where does Paul find liberty? He finds it in 
house arrest in the Roman Empire, such that he can receive everybody 
who comes to him and he can preach to them concerning the kingdom 
of God. Isn't it true God's ways are not our ways? Isn't it true 
that in the midst of something very crooked, God can make it 
straight? Isn't it something that Paul 
says in Philippians 1, I preach to the palace guard and all those 
who know what's happening to me are emboldened and they go 
out and they preach the truth as it is in Jesus. Let me speak 
quickly to that whole idea of the open-endedness of the book. 
In other words, Luke doesn't tell us what happened to Paul 
before Nero. May I just say something before I get thrown out? Study 
Bibles and commentaries and, well, I'll say study Bibles. 
The dating in those books aren't always accurate. It's not always 
the case. I mean, most today just assume 
that John wrote Revelation in 80, 95, or 96. No, no, no, no, 
no. It's probably before 80, 70. 
The same thing with the gospel records. Today, scholarship tells 
us that Mark was first. Well, the fathers all treated 
Matthew as first. There's great reasons and arguments 
to be made that Matthew was the first gospel narrative. And then Luke wanted to write 
under the authority of the apostle Paul, because they were close 
friends. And then Mark was simply lectures by Peter in the city 
of Rome. And Mark basically recorded those 
things. The dates of the Gospels are a lot sooner and a lot earlier 
than the study Bibles have. You know, you get like dates 
of 80s, 60s, or late 60s with reference to Matthew, Mark, and 
Luke. No, 40s for Matthew. It was already circulating. It 
was already out there. It was already being proclaimed. 
It was already being preached. So most likely Luke wrote this 
while Paul was still in the first Roman imprisonment. He didn't 
know what would happen with reference to Paul standing before Nero. 
But with reference to the open-endedness, it is open-ended. There's no 
crescendo, there's no triumphalism, there's no high note. And then 
Paul stood before Nero and he pointed at him and he said, here 
I stand, I can do no other. That's not what happens in the 
book of Acts. What happens is he's there under 
house arrest, receiving everybody he'll come to have, preaching 
and teaching the kingdom of God. Why the open-endedness? Well, 
in the first place, as mentioned earlier, there is evidence from 
extra-biblical sources that Paul was released and ministered more. That is the position that I assume. I believe that 1 Timothy and 
Titus were written probably 63-64, and then Hebrews. Yeah, I believe 
Paul wrote Hebrews. And 2 Timothy was the last letter 
of the Apostle in about AD 64. So in 60-62, the Apostle Paul, 
in prison, writes the prison epistles. He writes Ephesians, 
Philippians, Colossians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and 
Philemon. He receives everybody that comes 
to him and he teaches and he preaches to them the kingdom 
of God. With reference to why, let's just say Luke wrote after 
it. Let's just say Luke did write in 65, 60, let's say he wrote 
in 70 or 96 or whatever, and he doesn't mention Paul. Well, 
in the first place of the disposition with Paul in terms of Nero, the 
first place, it's the acts of the apostles. It's not the biography 
of the apostle Paul. In the second place, the ending 
is consistent with the rest of the book. Where does the accent 
fall in the rest of the book? It falls on preaching the kingdom 
of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus 
Christ. As well, the ending is consistent with the ministry 
of the church as a whole. There was an agency, I think 
it's still extent, it was started by a guy that I'm no fan of, 
but it's called Acts 29. And that's, you know, really 
keen or cute what they did. But I kind of see the implication 
that the church today carries on after Acts 28. So far as that 
is the emphasis, great. I wouldn't name my organization 
a made-up book, but hey, I guess I understand the emphasis. The 
church carries on. What Paul does in this house 
of wrath, the rest of the church is doing. The rest of the church 
is engaged in. But the primary emphasis As to 
why the book ends the way it does is to show fulfillment in 
the book. Turn back to Acts chapter 1. 
It's been a while since we've been there, but let's turn back. Two texts and then we close. Acts 1.1, the former account 
I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and 
teach. Luke wrote Luke, and Luke wrote 
Acts. Look at the subject matter of 
Luke, the gospel of. Verse one, the former account 
I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and 
teach. The book of Acts gives us all 
that Jesus continues to do and teach. In fact, scholarship has 
rightly understood it would be better called the Acts of the 
Risen Lord Jesus, because that's the emphasis. But then notice 
the purpose for the entire book. Notice in verse 8, but you shall 
receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall 
be witnesses to me in Jerusalem. Acts chapter 1 to 7 take place 
in Jerusalem. When the persecution comes, when 
Stephen is martyred, the church scatters from Jerusalem. They 
then go to Judea Samaria. That's the next block of material 
in the book. That's chapters 8 to 13-ish when 
we get to the conversion of the Apostle Paul, or the missionary 
journeys of the Apostle Paul. Paul took up that last part of 
the book and to the end of the earth. Now, if you were sitting 
in Jerusalem today, Rome would not be considered the end of 
the earth. But if you were sitting in Jerusalem in the first century, 
Rome would be considered the end of the earth. So what is 
Luke telling us in this open-endedness? God's word is sure. What Christ has purposed for 
his church has come to pass. What Christ has purposed for 
his people will go forward. They have testified in Jerusalem, 
Judea, Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth. Mission accomplished. Now, obviously, the gospel goes 
from Rome to the rest of the uttermost parts of the earth. 
But in the first century context, readers would have understood, 
in light of 1 8, that it wasn't open-ended, but it was fulfilled. what Christ had purposed for 
his church had transpired, which underscores the faithfulness 
of God Almighty and underscores the power of the Christian gospel 
in terms of salvation for everyone who believes, to the Jew first 
and also to the Greek. And if you have not believed 
the gospel, then I wanna end on that high note to look unto 
the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall live. Let us pray. Our Father, we thank You for 
Your Word. We thank You for this Book of Acts and the blessed 
things that it teaches us concerning Christ in terms of what He continues 
both to do and to teach. And God, I pray that the Church 
today would continue to go forward and to preach the Lord Jesus 
Christ from law, prophets, and apostles, to testify concerning 
the Kingdom of God, to reason and to explain to declare independence 
upon the Holy Spirit. And may you send forth the Spirit 
into the hearts of men, women, boys and girls, all throughout 
the earth, that they may receive these things and believe on Him 
who is altogether lovely and chief among 10,000. Thank you 
for this meeting together. Thank you for the house of God. 
Thank you for the grace of God that we've experienced. And we 
pray through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. We'll close with 
a brief time of meditation.