Author: missionspaul

Unhindered!

Acts 28:31 “He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ—with all boldness and without hindrance!”

So here we are … the last verse!

How does Luke end his account?

He certainly doesn’t tell us what happens to Paul.

He doesn’t tell us how Paul was feeling, if he was struggling being kept under house arrest chained to a guard.

Instead he focuses on what Paul does, the work of God. The gospel of Jesus Christ is Luke’s focus not Paul. It is the same today. We are people within the story of God. What is His story? It is the good news of Jesus.

Luke says that no man was able to stop Paul sharing this good news.
No man can stop you either.
Paul may die but his gospel will never die.

Whatever happens to you, your gospel will never die.

Let the Acts of the Spirit carry on in every generation till Christ comes again.
Who is trying to stop you today?
You may be not where you want to be but the gospel message will never be stopped.

What a way to end the account: “without hindrance!”

The Acts of the Church, of you, will carry on, the gospel of the person that Luke ends with, “the Lord Jesus Christ”. We need to be unashamedly, unafraid and unhindered at declaring the Lordship of Jesus to our world today.

I hope you have been blessed as much as I have by Luke’s account of the unhindered work of the Spirit!

The Whosever

Acts 28: 30 “For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him.”

It would have made for a nice ending if Luke had waited for the trial to commence and that Paul was released. We all love a happy ending.

We don’t have that. We simply have a further 2 years of Paul being chained to a guard, making it a 4 year term in total.

He is in a rented house paid for by either himself or probably the church have been raising the money. Don’t think it is some sweet suburban house with a garden etc. It was probably a small apartment in a densely crowded Roman slum.

So here we are at the end of Acts. The rise of the Church, revivals, miracles, mission journeys across the nations and it ends here, chained for 4 years and now in a home that is not much to look at sits an extraordinary man who welcomes all who came to see him.

Maybe we are disappointed. But maybe the reality encourages us.

The Church that you belong to may have constraints, it may not have the freedom you desire and it may not be the prettiest to look at, but it is welcoming. And who does it welcome? It welcomes all.

The 19^th hymn declares:

“Whosoever heareth!” shout, shout the sound! Send the blessed tidings all the world around; Spread the joyful news wherever man is found:   “Whosoever will may come!”

May we continue to welcome the whosoever no matter our circumstance.

Therefore

Acts 28:28 ““Therefore I want you to know that God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!”

Paul sees that he has been sent and Israel was his first love, he desired so much for them to hear the gospel but he has been rejected just like Isaiah. I can picture tears in his eyes as he announces the gospel has been sent to the Gentiles and whereas the Jews reject they will accept.

We need wisdom to understand that at times ‘therefore’ is waiting to be used:

Because of the fact that Jesus is eternal … Acts 2: 26 “Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest in hope”

Because of the fact that Jesus is the One the prophets were looking for and who has been raised to life … Acts 2:36 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”

Because there were others like the Apostles who were gathering crowds of people, like Theudas and Judas the Galilean, but both came to nothing, Gamaliel said … Acts 2:38 “Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail.”

Because the Gentiles were turning to God but not to Jewish practices, at the Council of Jerusalem, James stood up and quoted the prophet Amos and then stated … Acts 15:19 “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.”

Because Paul knew he would never see the Ephesian elders again referring to his past he says … Acts 20:26 “Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you.”

Therefore …

Because of who Jesus is, therefore … how will you decide to live?

Because of what Jesus did, therefore … what does this prove to you?

Because of your experience of past events, therefore … what decision will you make?

Because of you reading the Word of God, therefore … how will this shape your thinking and action?

Because you are moving on, therefore … what will you say today to bring comfort to those you leave behind?

Locked-in and locked-out

Acts 28:27 “For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.”

Paul sees that he has been sent and Israel was his first love, he desired so much for them to hear the gospel and he has been rejected, but it wasn’t so much him but the fact that they were rejecting Jesus which caused the pain in his heart.

The reason why they would not hear or see or understand is because their hearts had become hardened. Not that they knew this. If you had asked them then they would say their hearts were open to God. They were worshippers and held to the laws of God. They were not Gentiles, unbelievers. But they were locked-in. They were closed off from any further revelation from God other than that of Abraham and Moses. It is still possible today. We can hold to a revelation of God, an experience, a moment in time, a move of God’s Spirit that was so special and historical that it changed our lives for ever and we live in that experience for the rest of our lives. In order to honour that moment, to honour God, to preserve His move and word then we continue to focus solely on what happened, everything we do is from that point, it is our filter and everything has to pass through it. Anything new is rejected. What happens unbeknown to us is that the beautiful experience has become a calloused place in our lives. It has trapped us and we now no longer hear and see and understand what God wants to do today.

We need to unlock our heart. We need to change our prayers. We need to use new vocabulary. We need to search again. We need to focus on something new of the nature of God. If our God is a Holy God who demands our repentance and our submission then perhaps it is possible we can become so locked in to that revelation that it hardens us to the truth that He is a God of grace, love, mercy who enjoys being called “Daddy” (Abba Father).

If we ever become locked-in then we will be locked-out from progressing in knowing God. This is what happened to God’s people in Isaiah’s day and of Paul’s and it is still true today. Let it not be us.

 

Rejection of the next move

Acts 28: 26 “‘Go to this people and say, “You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.”

As the leaders of the Jews began to walk away from Paul in disgust, he quotes the prophet Isaiah. It is from chapter 6 where Isaiah has finally said ‘Here I am send me’ and then God tells him that the people will reject him. Paul sees that he has been sent and Israel was his first love, he desired so much for them to hear the gospel and he has been rejected.

There is an aspect of the ministry/missions life where as you go there needs to be no surprise when you are rejected. It is part of the course. How many more would say ‘Here I am send me’ if there was a guarantee of revival success? How many want an Isaiah ministry? The people are going to listen but they will not hear, they will look but they won’t see.

Is this because the presentation of the gospel was faulty? Is it because Isaiah/Paul or whoever is not gifted enough? Should this be a sign that they are finished now, that they should come home? The answer is of course NO.

The hardest thing is to try and show people an aspect of God they did not know when they are locked in to a revelation of God that is steeped in their culture generationally. Mono-revelatory people of God often reject the next revelation or move of the Spirit. Rejection hurts more when it comes from people of God than those who never knew Him.

What did Isaiah do? What will Paul do? What will you do?

Truth makes it possible

Acts 28: 25 “They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement: “The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your ancestors when he said through Isaiah the prophet …”

We are coming to the end of Luke’s account of Paul’s life and ministry.

Would it end with revival? No it didn’t even end with unity. The Jewish leaders were arguing so much that it was wise for them to leave. Paul’s gospel had divided the camp. We will find out what Paul says in the next few verses but he chooses to quote Isaiah 6 where the prophet speaks judgment on God’s people. Paul says this is that. The Holy Spirit was right back then, but it was for now. “We are the generation experiencing what He said to Isaiah all those years ago.”

The gospel is not acceptable if it calls out the wrongdoing of people.

The gospel divides if it doesn’t stay in the middle of the road accommodating everyone’s views.

The gospel is received if it is a message of love but not if it is a message of instruction.

So people disagree and people leave and the results for Paul on that day are poor, only some believe. No revival. No big harvest. No outpouring.

So why did Paul speak the way he spoke if he knew this may happen?

What do you want?

Do you want to please as many people as you can? Is that success for you?

If you stick with what you know is truth people may disagree with you and it may well be the best thing for them to leave you but you will survive the losses, the truth sets you free from the pressures of pleasing everyone. There are times in your life when you will find truth is indeed your best friend.

Face it. Deal with it. Move on.

Acts 28:24 “Some were convinced by what he said, but others would not believe.”

Even a super-apostle finds there are times when people think he is not telling the truth! So that encourages you and me who swing from those who are convinced and follow and those who refuse to believe what we are saying is true.

A few days ago someone wrote to me and told me they believed I was lying over a certain matter. I was obviously telling the truth but faced with the frustration of not knowing how else to convince the person who would not believe. People either look at you with disdain because they think you are manipulating the truth or with sympathy because they think you are misguided. But what do you do when people will not believe you?

Jesus instructed us to shake the dust off our feet when we left a town that did not welcome or listen to us (Matt 10:14). When his disciples turned away and refused to follow him, Jesus asked the Twelve if they wanted to do the same (John 6:66).

1. There will be people who will not believe you. Face it.
2. This is not a sign that you should alter your course. Deal with it.
3. It is important to know who is really with you. Move on.

 

Dates and Diaries

Acts 28: 23 “They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day, and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying. He witnessed to them from morning till evening, explaining about the kingdom of God, and from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets he tried to persuade them about Jesus.”

You will have seen how we have just finished the first World Conference for Elim leaders.

The date had been set 10 months previously.

It gave the 102 delegates from 32 nations the time needed to get their visas amongst other things to be in the UK. Sadly there were many who couldn’t get their visa and were not here.

They had time to prepare themselves in prayer to come. It gave them time to talk to their own leadership teams about what questions they should bring with them.

It gave time for the number of leaders who were coming to be totalled.

We had time to prepare the necessary arrangements from transport to accommodation to the churches who would host them at weekends and to the arrangements in the conferences. We were ready. We all were because a date had been set.

When the leaders of the Roman Jews told Paul we want to know more about the ‘sect’ he could have immediately launched into a defence of it. But a date was arranged.

It is wise to slow a conversation down and arrange a date in the future to meet because it gives both sides time to prepare.

Some people have nothing in their diary and are therefore not prepared for anything. Some people’s diaries are too full and therefore have no preparation time for the event. Dates and diaries are essential and when used correctly can help to shape our lives efficiently and more effectively.

Learners ask questions

Acts 28: 22 “But we want to hear what your views are, for we know that people everywhere are talking against this sect.”

They should be praised for wanting to know Paul’s views. They had heard damning reports about this Christianity and they sought for the thoughts of Paul.

“What are your thoughts on this matter?” If only more people would ask that question.

Instead of passing judgment on what they do not know: “what do you think?”

Instead of carrying out certain actions: “what do you think?”

Instead of pretending to know everything: “what do you think?”

Never get to a place or a position in life when you do not have to ask that question.

Success is not being able to answer every question but it is to be able still find the question and ask the right person.

Ask someone today, “what do you think?”, you may grow through that answer.

Lies or truth

Acts 28:21 “They replied, “We have not received any letters from Judea concerning you, and none of our people who have come from there has reported or said anything bad about you.”

Were they lying? It would be strange that the mob from Jerusalem had not contacted their friends in Rome about this disturbing man called Paul, who they believed should be put to death.

Were they telling the truth? Had they not heard from Jerusalem because the mob there knew they wouldn’t win in such a stronghold for Roman citizens so didn’t inform the leaders there? Did the Roman Jews returning from Jerusalem miss this whole debacle? Did they return before it all commenced with the attacks against Paul?

We have all known people who feel justified to lie. What they want outweighs how they get it. Similarly we all know times when we feel justified not to believe what is being portrayed as the truth.

I wonder how Paul is feeling as he hears this. Does he believe them or not? Does he care?

If Paul was in a panic in prison then what they said would matter.

If Paul needed help from anyone no matter who they were then what they said would matter.

If Paul was crying out to God for a change of circumstance then what they said would matter.

But he wasn’t.

Paul was at peace, he was where God wanted him to be. And so are you, you are strategically placed today, so whatever man says to you it doesn’t really matter whether they have a hidden agenda or not, whether they are lying or telling the truth, you are where God wants you to be.

Paul only looked to God for help not man. The help Paul wanted was open doors not from house arrest but open doors for the gospel. And so do you. You don’t need any man to help you. Your help comes from God alone.

Paul didn’t need a change of circumstance; he wanted to optimise every circumstance. And so do you. You don’t need to be lifted out of a situation you simply need the creative keys to make something of it.

So don’t worry what man says, whether they are hiding something, you don’t hang on their every word but the Word of God who leads and guides you every day.