WEBVTT 00:00:05.160 --> 00:00:09.140 Hey friends, welcome back here to the semi seminary 00:00:09.140 --> 00:00:12.480 and another episode of our Series that we're 00:00:12.480 --> 00:00:15.460 calling the Bible for grown -ups in this series. 00:00:15.699 --> 00:00:19.120 We're Looking at the acts of the Apostles. This 00:00:19.120 --> 00:00:22.339 is part five. It's entitled better not call Saul 00:00:22.339 --> 00:00:28.640 where the writer Luke Introduces us to this character 00:00:28.640 --> 00:00:32.320 Saul who will later be known as the Apostle Paul 00:00:32.750 --> 00:00:36.229 and we're also introduced to some very very fine 00:00:36.229 --> 00:00:40.030 literary work by Luke as he kind of walks through 00:00:40.030 --> 00:00:42.250 these next chapters showing us what's happening 00:00:42.250 --> 00:00:45.869 in Saul's life and at the same time showing us 00:00:45.869 --> 00:00:49.810 what's happening in the lives of the other apostles 00:00:49.810 --> 00:00:52.609 and evangelists. I hope you'll enjoy it and I 00:00:52.609 --> 00:01:00.320 will see you on the other side. can see how far 00:01:00.320 --> 00:01:01.979 along I can get. So tonight we're going to be 00:01:01.979 --> 00:01:06.920 looking at chapters 8 through 12 of Acts. Where 00:01:06.920 --> 00:01:10.480 we left off the last time we got together was 00:01:10.480 --> 00:01:16.359 Stephen had run into some bad news with some 00:01:16.359 --> 00:01:20.379 Hellenistic Jews and we want to recall briefly 00:01:20.379 --> 00:01:25.739 that there are two major groupings ethnically 00:01:26.090 --> 00:01:29.349 Although it's very diverse diverse as Christianity 00:01:29.349 --> 00:01:32.150 is today within Judaism in the first century 00:01:32.150 --> 00:01:36.129 those that were Hebraic Jews those that were 00:01:36.129 --> 00:01:39.950 ethnically and geographically located within 00:01:39.950 --> 00:01:44.129 Judea within Israel that we would think of as 00:01:44.129 --> 00:01:48.829 Israel anyway and Spoke Aramaic or Hebrew then 00:01:48.829 --> 00:01:51.370 with the influence of the Hellenized or the Greek 00:01:51.370 --> 00:01:57.120 world which comes along with the conquest of 00:01:57.120 --> 00:01:59.760 Alexander the Great we see the spread of Greek 00:01:59.760 --> 00:02:04.079 culture and So right here at the beginning of 00:02:04.079 --> 00:02:07.420 our discussion tonight. We're going to see this 00:02:07.420 --> 00:02:11.900 We're going to recall rather That there are these 00:02:11.900 --> 00:02:16.789 two thoughts of belief In this instance, they 00:02:16.789 --> 00:02:20.289 are ethnically and culturally separated, but 00:02:20.289 --> 00:02:23.129 they're also going to share a lot of commonalities 00:02:23.129 --> 00:02:25.669 with the way that we might group the Pharisees 00:02:25.669 --> 00:02:28.870 or the Sadducees. The Pharisees might be those 00:02:28.870 --> 00:02:32.009 that we would consider the Hebraic Jews. The 00:02:32.009 --> 00:02:34.710 Sadducees would be those that we might consider 00:02:34.710 --> 00:02:38.669 the Hellenistic Jews. And that distinction is 00:02:38.669 --> 00:02:40.810 a little bit too broad of a brush, but for the 00:02:40.810 --> 00:02:44.199 purposes of our discussion tonight. you might 00:02:44.199 --> 00:02:46.580 think of it that way. So as I talk about these 00:02:46.580 --> 00:02:50.360 Hellenized Jews that will end up being Hellenized, 00:02:50.360 --> 00:02:52.740 some of them being Hellenized Christians, those 00:02:52.740 --> 00:02:56.639 are people that would tend to think more like 00:02:56.639 --> 00:03:00.039 the Sadducees would think religiously, namely 00:03:00.039 --> 00:03:07.000 that there is no resurrection. The Sadducees 00:03:07.000 --> 00:03:10.319 are going to be the major grouping of Jewish 00:03:10.319 --> 00:03:14.219 thought. that believe that there's no afterlife. 00:03:15.039 --> 00:03:20.300 Afterlife. And so, one of the main objections 00:03:20.300 --> 00:03:23.680 amongst the Sadducees, or the Hellenized Jews, 00:03:24.240 --> 00:03:27.199 to Jesus Christ would be, he can't come back 00:03:27.199 --> 00:03:28.919 from the dead because there's no coming back 00:03:28.919 --> 00:03:31.860 from the dead for anybody. This is kind of the 00:03:31.860 --> 00:03:36.439 major thing. And really, they also held very 00:03:36.439 --> 00:03:40.789 strongly to... control of the temple, the sanctity 00:03:40.789 --> 00:03:43.870 of the temple, the Sadducees were in large part 00:03:43.870 --> 00:03:47.849 the ones that were in charge of the temple itself. 00:03:48.610 --> 00:03:51.849 And so the expression of the law through the 00:03:51.849 --> 00:03:56.370 Torah and the relationship between God and earth 00:03:56.370 --> 00:04:00.229 through the actual temple building, big deal 00:04:00.229 --> 00:04:03.449 to the Sadducees. So when guys like Stephen come 00:04:03.449 --> 00:04:06.590 along and they say Jesus Christ has raised himself 00:04:06.590 --> 00:04:09.219 from the dead, And because of the empowerment 00:04:09.219 --> 00:04:12.560 of the Holy Spirit, now that building is no longer 00:04:12.560 --> 00:04:14.620 the temple. But because the Holy Spirit resides 00:04:14.620 --> 00:04:17.459 in you, you're now the temple. That made the 00:04:17.459 --> 00:04:21.480 Sadducees folks really upset. So upset that when 00:04:21.480 --> 00:04:26.060 we ended our session last time, we saw the Sadducees 00:04:26.060 --> 00:04:29.060 taking him to the Sanhedrin, the Hellenized Jews, 00:04:29.800 --> 00:04:32.680 to be eventually put to death in evil stone. 00:04:33.620 --> 00:04:36.920 And we were introduced to this character at the 00:04:36.920 --> 00:04:39.199 very end of our study, a young man by the name 00:04:39.199 --> 00:04:43.899 of Saul, who not only was in support of Stephen's 00:04:43.899 --> 00:04:47.439 execution, but actually watched the men's cloaks 00:04:47.439 --> 00:04:50.620 while they did the stoning. And that's the character 00:04:50.620 --> 00:04:55.879 that we'll later learn to be Paul. But we were 00:04:55.879 --> 00:05:00.459 just, just introduced to Saul. And so we're going 00:05:00.459 --> 00:05:03.740 to open up tonight in Acts chapter eight, verse 00:05:03.740 --> 00:05:06.899 one. and we're just gonna pick up right where 00:05:06.899 --> 00:05:09.459 we left off at that moment of Stephen's death. 00:05:10.199 --> 00:05:13.800 And Saul approved of their killing him. On that 00:05:13.800 --> 00:05:16.300 day, a great persecution broke out against the 00:05:16.300 --> 00:05:18.899 church in Jerusalem and all except the apostles 00:05:18.899 --> 00:05:22.360 were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. 00:05:23.459 --> 00:05:26.079 And just real quickly, remember that that's one 00:05:26.079 --> 00:05:29.220 of the things that Jesus promised to his followers 00:05:29.220 --> 00:05:33.160 that they were to spread the word to... Jerusalem 00:05:33.160 --> 00:05:36.879 then to Judea Samaria and the rest of the ends 00:05:36.879 --> 00:05:41.139 of the earth right and so as What we're seeing 00:05:41.139 --> 00:05:45.040 here. Yes is certainly persecution of Christians, 00:05:45.060 --> 00:05:48.360 but we also might think of it as perhaps the 00:05:48.360 --> 00:05:51.139 impetus that was needed because really up until 00:05:51.139 --> 00:05:54.199 this point of Stephen, yes there had been tension 00:05:54.199 --> 00:05:56.939 amongst the Jewish people within Jerusalem and 00:05:56.939 --> 00:06:00.079 there certainly was tension amongst these early 00:06:00.079 --> 00:06:02.139 Christians, they're not called Christians at 00:06:02.139 --> 00:06:04.839 the time, but these early followers of the ways 00:06:04.839 --> 00:06:08.959 of Jesus, of this Nazarene insurrection as some 00:06:08.959 --> 00:06:13.000 of them call it. And the Jewish leaders there's 00:06:13.000 --> 00:06:15.379 tension to be sure but for the most part the 00:06:15.379 --> 00:06:18.920 churches experience Fairly good success and growth 00:06:18.920 --> 00:06:22.779 here in the early days following Pentecost Perhaps 00:06:22.779 --> 00:06:25.120 so much so that they might have found themselves 00:06:25.120 --> 00:06:27.660 a little too comfortable and might have just 00:06:27.660 --> 00:06:30.220 stayed in Jerusalem rather doing rather than 00:06:30.220 --> 00:06:33.019 doing what the Spirit had called them to do and 00:06:33.019 --> 00:06:35.800 that is to take the word outside of Jerusalem 00:06:35.800 --> 00:06:38.819 to Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth. 00:06:39.300 --> 00:06:41.480 So perhaps a little persecution was just the 00:06:41.480 --> 00:06:44.540 prod that these fellows needed, and sure enough 00:06:44.540 --> 00:06:49.779 they are scattered to Judea and Samaria. Godly 00:06:49.779 --> 00:06:53.120 men buried Stephen mourning for him deeply, but 00:06:53.120 --> 00:06:55.339 Saul began to destroy the church. Going from 00:06:55.339 --> 00:06:57.420 house to house, he dragged off both men and women 00:06:57.420 --> 00:07:00.319 and put them in prison. Those who had been scattered 00:07:00.319 --> 00:07:02.939 preached the word wherever they went. Philip 00:07:03.069 --> 00:07:05.649 It's going to be a guy who in our chapters today 00:07:05.649 --> 00:07:08.730 we're going to get to see a lot of his action. 00:07:08.810 --> 00:07:10.430 One of the things I think that's kind of neat 00:07:10.430 --> 00:07:15.649 about this section of the story here as Luke 00:07:15.649 --> 00:07:19.329 the writer has done is he will zoom in on a story 00:07:19.329 --> 00:07:22.589 that will involve guys like Peter or John or 00:07:22.589 --> 00:07:25.410 Philip and it'll zip out and he'll take you to 00:07:25.410 --> 00:07:27.649 another part of the story where we're learning 00:07:27.649 --> 00:07:30.189 something about what Saul is doing and then we'll 00:07:30.189 --> 00:07:33.240 kind of pull out. will push back in on these 00:07:33.240 --> 00:07:37.339 and so Luke is kind of telling these two or three 00:07:37.339 --> 00:07:40.560 different stories that are all kind of occurring 00:07:40.560 --> 00:07:43.879 at the same time and he does it by zipping in 00:07:43.879 --> 00:07:47.139 and taking a very close focus and then pulling 00:07:47.139 --> 00:07:49.540 out of that story because you can imagine in 00:07:49.540 --> 00:07:51.959 the birth of the early church there could have 00:07:51.959 --> 00:07:54.720 been hundreds and hundreds of stories Luke could 00:07:54.720 --> 00:07:58.639 have chosen to tell. He had that option to tell. 00:07:58.920 --> 00:08:01.379 But he's chosen these, and I think specifically, 00:08:02.019 --> 00:08:04.959 to kind of zoom in because at this point, we're 00:08:04.959 --> 00:08:08.959 really seeing a story of the growth of the church, 00:08:09.019 --> 00:08:11.759 but there's more than just one perspective. There's 00:08:11.759 --> 00:08:16.399 the perspectives of the apostles and the evangelists 00:08:16.399 --> 00:08:18.860 and the disciples. Then there's also the story 00:08:18.860 --> 00:08:21.579 of the persecution of the church in response 00:08:21.579 --> 00:08:24.310 to that growth. So I think that's what Luke is 00:08:24.310 --> 00:08:26.750 doing here, kind of shifting the scenes for us. 00:08:26.829 --> 00:08:30.250 We open up a story here kind of looking at a 00:08:30.250 --> 00:08:32.350 story that's going to involve Philip, Peter, 00:08:32.629 --> 00:08:36.809 and John. Now, those who have been scattered 00:08:36.809 --> 00:08:38.230 preached the word wherever they went. Philip 00:08:38.230 --> 00:08:40.690 went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed 00:08:40.690 --> 00:08:42.950 the Messiah there. When the crowds heard Philip 00:08:42.950 --> 00:08:45.370 and saw the signs he performed, they all paid 00:08:45.370 --> 00:08:48.950 close attention to what he had said. For with 00:08:48.950 --> 00:08:51.500 shrieks, impure spirits came out of many and 00:08:51.500 --> 00:08:53.320 many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. 00:08:53.639 --> 00:08:56.779 So it was great joy in the city. Now for some 00:08:56.779 --> 00:09:00.120 time the man named Simon practiced sorcery in 00:09:00.120 --> 00:09:03.340 the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. 00:09:03.960 --> 00:09:06.320 He boasted that he was someone great and all 00:09:06.320 --> 00:09:08.419 the people both high and low gave their attention 00:09:08.419 --> 00:09:11.379 and exclaimed this man is rightly called the 00:09:11.379 --> 00:09:13.769 great power of God. They followed him because 00:09:13.769 --> 00:09:15.929 he had amazed them for a long time with his sorcery 00:09:15.929 --> 00:09:18.490 but when they believed Philip as he proclaimed 00:09:18.490 --> 00:09:20.250 the good news of the kingdom of God in the name 00:09:20.250 --> 00:09:24.350 of Jesus Christ they were baptized both men and 00:09:24.350 --> 00:09:28.070 women. Simon himself believed and was baptized 00:09:28.070 --> 00:09:31.429 and he followed Philip everywhere astonished 00:09:31.429 --> 00:09:33.850 by the great signs and miracles that he saw when 00:09:33.850 --> 00:09:37.870 the apostles in Jerusalem had heard that Samaria 00:09:37.870 --> 00:09:42.159 had accepted the word of God They sit Peter and 00:09:42.159 --> 00:09:45.879 John to Samaria to check this out When they arrived 00:09:45.879 --> 00:09:48.860 they prayed for the new believers that they might 00:09:48.860 --> 00:09:51.779 receive the Holy Spirit Because the Holy Spirit 00:09:51.779 --> 00:09:56.559 had not yet come on any of them those that had 00:09:56.559 --> 00:10:00.539 believed in Jesus Christ and been baptized and 00:10:00.539 --> 00:10:04.399 that might cause our ears to go Excuse me. Why 00:10:04.399 --> 00:10:07.940 because that's not how some of us see how this 00:10:07.940 --> 00:10:12.419 whole thing works So the Holy Spirit had not 00:10:12.419 --> 00:10:14.799 yet come on any of them. They had simply been 00:10:14.799 --> 00:10:16.799 baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then 00:10:16.799 --> 00:10:19.820 Peter and John placed their hands on them and 00:10:19.820 --> 00:10:22.820 then they received the Holy Spirit. All right, 00:10:22.820 --> 00:10:25.539 so let's pause here because I think that this 00:10:25.539 --> 00:10:30.720 is a part of the story that leads to a lot of 00:10:30.720 --> 00:10:33.039 conjecture and misunderstanding exactly what 00:10:33.039 --> 00:10:35.379 is going on here because ultimately it seems 00:10:35.379 --> 00:10:39.019 like there's got to be a problem with what most 00:10:39.019 --> 00:10:42.070 of us believe. because we suspect that our baptism 00:10:42.070 --> 00:10:45.289 is of the same natures of Jesus Christ whereby 00:10:45.289 --> 00:10:48.250 we read in the very first chapter in Mark in 00:10:48.250 --> 00:10:50.490 the first chapter in 9th verse you can stay right 00:10:50.490 --> 00:10:54.330 where you're at just to recall Mark's a gospel 00:10:54.330 --> 00:10:57.629 account begins with the baptism of Jesus the 00:10:57.629 --> 00:11:00.570 ninth verse that very first chapter says at that 00:11:00.570 --> 00:11:02.789 time Jesus came from Nazareth and Galilee and 00:11:02.789 --> 00:11:06.159 was baptized by John in the Jordan Just as Jesus 00:11:06.159 --> 00:11:08.240 was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven 00:11:08.240 --> 00:11:11.860 being torn open and the Spirit descending on 00:11:11.860 --> 00:11:14.500 him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, 00:11:14.559 --> 00:11:18.679 you are my son, whom I'm with you, I am well 00:11:18.679 --> 00:11:21.440 pleased. Now we're baptized and we receive the 00:11:21.440 --> 00:11:25.820 Holy Spirit, right? Just like Jesus, right? That 00:11:25.820 --> 00:11:29.320 doesn't seem to be what's happening here. In 00:11:29.320 --> 00:11:32.460 fact, it's not until Peter and John lay their 00:11:32.460 --> 00:11:36.840 hands on them. That they receive the spirit So 00:11:36.840 --> 00:11:40.799 is it baptism plus Peter and John equals receiving 00:11:40.799 --> 00:11:43.299 the Holy Spirit? I hope not because Peter and 00:11:43.299 --> 00:11:45.559 John aren't around for us to lay their hands 00:11:45.559 --> 00:11:51.840 on us If this was the case, right? Then we would 00:11:51.840 --> 00:11:55.559 have a serious problem But the truth of this 00:11:55.559 --> 00:11:58.019 story one of the truths I think the story tells 00:11:58.019 --> 00:12:02.179 us it reminds us that anytime We try to reduce 00:12:02.179 --> 00:12:05.940 the action of the Holy Spirit to a formula I 00:12:05.940 --> 00:12:10.259 do this plus this equals this Holy Spirit kind 00:12:10.259 --> 00:12:13.419 of formula where we miss out on the mystery and 00:12:13.419 --> 00:12:17.000 power of the Holy Spirit We have to recall the 00:12:17.000 --> 00:12:20.779 mystery of the Spirit because anytime we try 00:12:20.779 --> 00:12:24.769 to reduce the Holy Spirit to an actioned formula, 00:12:25.529 --> 00:12:28.370 we let the mystery slip through our hands like 00:12:28.370 --> 00:12:32.549 grains of truth. In fact, Jesus says in the gospel 00:12:32.549 --> 00:12:34.269 account, according to John, the third chapter 00:12:34.269 --> 00:12:37.129 and eighth verse, the wind blows wherever it 00:12:37.129 --> 00:12:40.429 pleases. You hear it sound, but you can't tell 00:12:40.429 --> 00:12:44.529 where it comes from or where it's going. So it 00:12:44.529 --> 00:12:48.039 is with everyone born in the spirit. So let's 00:12:48.039 --> 00:12:50.100 set that over to the sides kind of put that on 00:12:50.100 --> 00:12:51.860 the back burner here We're gonna answer that 00:12:51.860 --> 00:12:54.100 question, but let's continue on with the story 00:12:54.100 --> 00:12:58.480 a little bit further When Simon that's this sorcerer 00:12:58.480 --> 00:13:01.919 Simon when Simon saw that the spirit was given 00:13:01.919 --> 00:13:05.200 at the laying of the Apostles hands He offered 00:13:05.200 --> 00:13:08.500 them money and said give me also this ability 00:13:08.500 --> 00:13:11.080 so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive 00:13:11.080 --> 00:13:14.740 the Holy Spirit Peter answered him as you would 00:13:14.740 --> 00:13:17.870 expect that he would by saying, may your money 00:13:17.870 --> 00:13:20.149 perish with you, because you thought you could 00:13:20.149 --> 00:13:23.250 buy the gift of God with money. Give no part 00:13:23.250 --> 00:13:25.149 or share in this ministry because your heart 00:13:25.149 --> 00:13:29.549 is not right before God. Repent of this wickedness 00:13:29.549 --> 00:13:32.370 and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may 00:13:32.370 --> 00:13:34.629 forgive you for having such a thought in your 00:13:34.629 --> 00:13:37.590 heart, for I see you're full of bitterness and 00:13:37.590 --> 00:13:42.269 captive to sin. Then Simon answered, pray to 00:13:42.269 --> 00:13:44.509 the Lord for me so that nothing you have said 00:13:44.509 --> 00:13:47.570 may come. may happen to me. Now let's look at 00:13:47.570 --> 00:13:51.129 a little bit closer at verse 18 because I think 00:13:51.129 --> 00:13:53.490 if we look a little bit closer at that verse 00:13:53.490 --> 00:13:57.570 it might begin to give us a clue as to this missing 00:13:57.570 --> 00:14:00.629 spirit and these Samaritan Christians we're talking 00:14:00.629 --> 00:14:03.769 about. People often misunderstand this verse 00:14:03.769 --> 00:14:06.590 in the Bible because they think that what Simon 00:14:06.590 --> 00:14:10.029 is asking for in verse 18 through just a casual 00:14:10.029 --> 00:14:12.929 glance is that he's trying to buy the spirit. 00:14:13.370 --> 00:14:17.210 without changing his heart or his mind. And of 00:14:17.210 --> 00:14:19.710 course, hopefully, our reaction would be the 00:14:19.710 --> 00:14:22.590 same as Peter's. As Christians, we know that 00:14:22.590 --> 00:14:25.950 God's no use for our money. He wants our hearts. 00:14:26.669 --> 00:14:29.009 And that's how we receive the Spirit. That's 00:14:29.009 --> 00:14:31.889 actually not what Simon's asking for in verse 00:14:31.889 --> 00:14:36.110 18. Simon wants the power to bestow the Spirit. 00:14:36.929 --> 00:14:40.330 Simon's not asking for the Spirit. He's asking 00:14:40.330 --> 00:14:44.200 for the power to bestow the Spirit. Simon's not 00:14:44.200 --> 00:14:47.000 trying to buy the Spirit with money instead of 00:14:47.000 --> 00:14:49.500 his heart. He's trying to buy the power of the 00:14:49.500 --> 00:14:53.379 Holy Spirit. Now, are we given the power of the 00:14:53.379 --> 00:14:57.039 Holy Spirit for our purposes? Moreover, is there 00:14:57.039 --> 00:15:00.580 anything that we're given? Anything at all that 00:15:00.580 --> 00:15:03.480 we're given in our lives that is for our glory? 00:15:04.740 --> 00:15:07.320 Our existence is to bring about the glory of 00:15:07.320 --> 00:15:13.559 God. So perhaps these Samaritan Christians received 00:15:13.559 --> 00:15:18.360 the Spirit when they did, not only to teach Simon, 00:15:18.639 --> 00:15:22.299 this sorcerer, but in the very retelling of this 00:15:22.299 --> 00:15:26.600 story tonight, to teach us this fundamental concept 00:15:26.600 --> 00:15:29.960 about our very lives, about everything that we 00:15:29.960 --> 00:15:33.759 receive from God. If there is nothing we receive, 00:15:33.840 --> 00:15:37.019 the very next breath in our bodies is not given 00:15:37.019 --> 00:15:41.500 to us for our glory, but for the glory of God. 00:15:42.659 --> 00:15:45.279 So after they had further proclaimed the word 00:15:45.279 --> 00:15:47.679 of the Lord and testified about Jesus, Peter 00:15:47.679 --> 00:15:50.799 and John returned back to Jerusalem from Samaria 00:15:50.799 --> 00:15:54.399 and preaching along the way. Now an angel of 00:15:54.399 --> 00:15:55.980 the Lord said to Philip, it's one of my favorite 00:15:55.980 --> 00:15:58.059 stories in the whole Bible. Now an angel of the 00:15:58.059 --> 00:16:01.139 Lord said to Philip, go south to the road, the 00:16:01.139 --> 00:16:04.539 desert road that goes from Jerusalem to Gaza. 00:16:05.039 --> 00:16:08.679 So he started out and on his way he met an Ethiopian 00:16:08.679 --> 00:16:11.360 eunuch, an important official in charge of all 00:16:11.360 --> 00:16:14.159 of the treasury of Candace. What's your Bible 00:16:14.159 --> 00:16:19.320 say? Anybody say Candace? Candace? Okay, Candace 00:16:19.320 --> 00:16:22.259 is also, it's where we get that name, Candace, 00:16:22.419 --> 00:16:25.659 that female name. It means the queen of Ethiopians. 00:16:26.980 --> 00:16:31.519 This man, this eunuch, who was very, very powerful 00:16:31.519 --> 00:16:35.179 within the Ethiopian kingdom. Super, super powerful 00:16:35.179 --> 00:16:39.080 guy, okay, had gone to Jerusalem to worship. 00:16:40.539 --> 00:16:43.500 And on his way home was sitting in his chariot 00:16:43.500 --> 00:16:45.820 and he was reading the book of Isaiah the prophet. 00:16:46.559 --> 00:16:50.139 The spirit told Philip, go to the chariot and 00:16:50.139 --> 00:16:53.039 stay near it. And Philip ran up to the chariot 00:16:53.039 --> 00:16:55.080 and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. 00:16:55.600 --> 00:16:58.259 And Philip asks him, do you understand what you're 00:16:58.259 --> 00:17:01.960 reading? And the eunuch says, how can I? unless 00:17:01.960 --> 00:17:04.940 someone explains it to me. So he invited Philip 00:17:04.940 --> 00:17:07.299 to come up and sit with him. And this is the 00:17:07.299 --> 00:17:09.640 passage of scripture that the eunuch was reading. 00:17:10.539 --> 00:17:13.640 He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and 00:17:13.640 --> 00:17:17.200 as a lamb before the shearer in silent, so he 00:17:17.200 --> 00:17:20.079 did not open his mouth. In his humiliation he 00:17:20.079 --> 00:17:22.900 was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his 00:17:22.900 --> 00:17:25.680 descendants for his life was taken from the earth. 00:17:25.740 --> 00:17:28.160 That is the quotation from the prophecy of Isaiah, 00:17:28.619 --> 00:17:32.289 the 53rd chapter, verses seven and eight. The 00:17:32.289 --> 00:17:35.549 eunuch asked Philip, tell me please, who's the 00:17:35.549 --> 00:17:39.809 prophet talking about? Himself or someone else? 00:17:40.990 --> 00:17:43.369 It was very interesting to me given where we 00:17:43.369 --> 00:17:46.049 are just in the chronology of the story of the 00:17:46.049 --> 00:17:49.789 church here in Acts. Isn't this the very story? 00:17:50.690 --> 00:17:52.970 Isn't this the very story of the hour in the 00:17:52.970 --> 00:17:56.029 city of Jerusalem given the death of Jesus and 00:17:56.029 --> 00:17:58.109 the birth of this group of his followers who 00:17:58.109 --> 00:18:00.670 claim that he's returned to life? I mean, is 00:18:00.670 --> 00:18:03.390 it this right now the question that's on the 00:18:03.390 --> 00:18:07.410 minds of everyone in Jerusalem? Who is the Messiah? 00:18:08.069 --> 00:18:10.710 Who's the prophet talking about? These early 00:18:10.710 --> 00:18:15.289 believers say, Isaiah is talking about Christ. 00:18:16.589 --> 00:18:19.250 Those that would not believe in Jesus as the 00:18:19.250 --> 00:18:22.150 Messiah would say, no, Isaiah is talking about 00:18:22.150 --> 00:18:25.990 himself here. Could both be true? Absolutely. 00:18:26.769 --> 00:18:29.250 Do I believe this to be a prophecy of the coming 00:18:29.250 --> 00:18:32.410 of Jesus Christ the Messiah? I and a bunch of 00:18:32.410 --> 00:18:34.529 other people would agree that that is the case. 00:18:34.910 --> 00:18:38.049 It's very interesting right here down in Gaza 00:18:38.049 --> 00:18:41.990 in the desert on the road with the Ethiopian 00:18:41.990 --> 00:18:45.069 eunuch. The very question that's at the heartbeat 00:18:45.069 --> 00:18:48.069 of the city of Jerusalem in that moment is the 00:18:48.069 --> 00:18:51.450 question that's on his lips. And Philip began 00:18:51.450 --> 00:18:54.369 with that very passage of scripture and told 00:18:54.369 --> 00:18:57.329 him the good news about Jesus. And as they traveled 00:18:57.329 --> 00:19:00.450 along the road, they came to some water, and 00:19:00.450 --> 00:19:04.650 the eunuch said, Look, here is water. What can 00:19:04.650 --> 00:19:07.690 stand in the way of me being baptized? And he 00:19:07.690 --> 00:19:11.450 gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip 00:19:11.450 --> 00:19:13.410 and the eunuch went down into the water, and 00:19:13.410 --> 00:19:15.950 Philip baptized him. When they came up out of 00:19:15.950 --> 00:19:18.029 the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took 00:19:18.029 --> 00:19:20.710 Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, 00:19:20.730 --> 00:19:24.069 but went on his way rejoicing. Philip, however, 00:19:24.250 --> 00:19:28.170 appeared at Azatus and traveled, that's also 00:19:28.170 --> 00:19:31.490 the modern city of Ashdod. It's about 22 miles 00:19:31.490 --> 00:19:34.410 away from Gaza. And traveled about preaching 00:19:34.410 --> 00:19:37.069 the gospel in all the towns until he reached 00:19:37.069 --> 00:19:41.029 Caesarea. Okay, so we're seeing the expansion 00:19:41.029 --> 00:19:46.130 of the gospel outside of Jerusalem proper. We've 00:19:46.130 --> 00:19:50.079 seen it expand out of Judea. Right? And into 00:19:50.079 --> 00:19:53.440 Sumeria, now we're even seeing it expanded to 00:19:53.440 --> 00:19:57.660 someone from Ethiopia. Ethiopia in the upper 00:19:57.660 --> 00:19:59.920 Nile, you have to, you may or may not know this, 00:20:00.059 --> 00:20:03.420 but Egypt, upper and lower Nile isn't the way 00:20:03.420 --> 00:20:05.920 we might think of it, like the uppers on the 00:20:05.920 --> 00:20:07.519 top and the lowers at the bottom, it's actually 00:20:07.519 --> 00:20:10.519 the opposite. So lower Egypt is the northern 00:20:10.519 --> 00:20:14.240 part of Egypt, upper Egypt is the southern part 00:20:14.240 --> 00:20:18.599 of Egypt, and Ethiopia is south of that. And 00:20:18.599 --> 00:20:22.039 that kingdom, that area, to many of the people 00:20:22.039 --> 00:20:23.859 that would have been contemporary to this time 00:20:23.859 --> 00:20:26.960 would have thought of that as the ends of the 00:20:26.960 --> 00:20:31.619 world, as you can imagine. So we're seeing the 00:20:31.619 --> 00:20:34.460 promise of Christ and His story being fulfilled 00:20:34.460 --> 00:20:39.200 just as He said here within the first eight verses 00:20:39.200 --> 00:20:41.500 of the Acts of the Apostles. Now I want to talk 00:20:41.500 --> 00:20:43.869 just a little bit about the eunuch. And then 00:20:43.869 --> 00:20:45.970 we're going to zip out of the Phillips story 00:20:45.970 --> 00:20:49.250 and we're going to zip into a Paul story or a 00:20:49.250 --> 00:20:54.190 Saul story at this point. Now, what's the religion 00:20:54.190 --> 00:21:00.750 of the eunuch? This is pretty crazy. Well, he's 00:21:00.750 --> 00:21:06.029 probably not a Jew because he's a eunuch and 00:21:06.029 --> 00:21:09.630 he couldn't have been a eunuch and been castrated. 00:21:10.000 --> 00:21:13.220 been a Jew because they had to be whole people. 00:21:15.559 --> 00:21:20.119 He certainly wasn't a Christian yet so he's believed 00:21:20.119 --> 00:21:22.259 to be something that's something that's called 00:21:22.259 --> 00:21:27.400 a prosthetolite which we somebody who fears God 00:21:27.400 --> 00:21:33.000 recognizes like God like Yahweh as God but is 00:21:33.000 --> 00:21:36.170 not a full convert does it hold to the dietary 00:21:36.170 --> 00:21:39.130 laws, obviously the physical requirements of 00:21:39.130 --> 00:21:42.410 the laws, but still would would think of themselves 00:21:42.410 --> 00:21:46.910 as someone who feared God, which meant that they 00:21:46.910 --> 00:21:49.430 could go to Jerusalem and worship in the outer 00:21:49.430 --> 00:21:53.430 courts of the temple, but go in no further. So 00:21:53.430 --> 00:21:57.549 here we have somebody, we have a convert who's 00:21:57.549 --> 00:22:00.609 not a Gentile, okay, that's important to point 00:22:00.609 --> 00:22:04.380 out here, he's not a Gentile because that part 00:22:04.380 --> 00:22:06.240 of the story will become important in a little 00:22:06.240 --> 00:22:10.400 bit. But we're seeing conversion of somebody 00:22:10.400 --> 00:22:14.779 that's not a Gentile, certainly, not a Jew, certainly, 00:22:14.900 --> 00:22:17.740 but somewhere, somewhere in between. So we're 00:22:17.740 --> 00:22:21.240 beginning to see Christianity spread even ever 00:22:21.240 --> 00:22:27.440 so slowly outside of Judaism. Okay, so chapter 00:22:27.440 --> 00:22:30.960 nine. Now we zip Philip out, we're going to go 00:22:30.960 --> 00:22:33.700 and look and see what's going on with. Saul right 00:22:33.700 --> 00:22:37.440 now. Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out 00:22:37.440 --> 00:22:40.000 murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. 00:22:40.940 --> 00:22:45.059 He went to those high priests in Jerusalem and 00:22:45.059 --> 00:22:47.799 he asked for letters of introduction so that 00:22:47.799 --> 00:22:53.299 he may go hunt Christians in Damascus. High priests 00:22:53.299 --> 00:22:56.960 in Jerusalem would not have had power over the 00:22:56.960 --> 00:22:59.359 priests in Damascus, but it would have been more 00:22:59.359 --> 00:23:02.259 of a letter, not a letter, a writ like he's got 00:23:02.259 --> 00:23:05.400 a warrant, but more like a letter of introduction 00:23:05.400 --> 00:23:08.559 saying, hey, this is one of our guys, he's up 00:23:08.559 --> 00:23:12.539 there doing something for us, recognize his authority, 00:23:13.339 --> 00:23:17.220 but with a please. It's not an order. It's more 00:23:17.220 --> 00:23:20.019 of an act of introduction. So he gets this letter 00:23:20.019 --> 00:23:23.059 from the high priests in Jerusalem and goes and 00:23:23.059 --> 00:23:26.440 heads towards Damascus so that he was to find 00:23:26.440 --> 00:23:29.559 anyone who followed the way. That's what they 00:23:29.559 --> 00:23:32.680 call Christianity at this very early moment. 00:23:33.619 --> 00:23:37.759 The following Christianity becomes the way. Whether 00:23:37.759 --> 00:23:41.039 men or women, he might take them as prisoners 00:23:41.039 --> 00:23:44.410 and bring them back to Jerusalem. Now on his 00:23:44.410 --> 00:23:47.490 way to Damascus on his journey suddenly a light 00:23:47.490 --> 00:23:50.250 from heaven flashed around him He fell to the 00:23:50.250 --> 00:23:52.849 ground and he heard a voice say to him Saul Saul. 00:23:53.250 --> 00:23:57.970 Why do you persecute me? Who are you Lord now 00:23:57.970 --> 00:24:00.289 Lord here doesn't mean Jesus Christ as Lord. 00:24:00.289 --> 00:24:06.089 It means sir Okay, so Who are you sir? It's basically 00:24:06.089 --> 00:24:09.789 what Saul is saying So let's pause here. So I 00:24:09.789 --> 00:24:13.220 want to note a few things So if Paul was heading 00:24:13.220 --> 00:24:17.859 to Damascus to look for Christians, that would 00:24:17.859 --> 00:24:20.440 meant that at least Christianity we now know 00:24:20.440 --> 00:24:26.220 has spread to Damascus. That's about 135 miles 00:24:26.220 --> 00:24:29.980 away in a fairly pedestrian society. Of course, 00:24:30.220 --> 00:24:32.019 there are chariots and horses and camels that 00:24:32.019 --> 00:24:35.660 were beasts of burden that were ridden, but still 00:24:35.660 --> 00:24:39.359 drastically, overwhelmingly a pedestrian society. 00:24:39.380 --> 00:24:43.099 That means 135 miles would be about 60 hours 00:24:43.099 --> 00:24:46.119 of walking. Just to kind of give you an idea 00:24:46.119 --> 00:24:48.799 of the distance now that we're talking about 00:24:48.799 --> 00:24:52.720 Christianity spreading outside of Jerusalem and 00:24:52.720 --> 00:24:57.640 even Nazareth proper, get the Galilee. I am Jesus, 00:24:57.819 --> 00:25:01.480 Jesus says, whom you are persecuting. Now get 00:25:01.480 --> 00:25:04.380 up. and go into the city and you'll be told what 00:25:04.380 --> 00:25:07.039 to do." The men who were traveling with Saul 00:25:07.039 --> 00:25:09.960 stood there speechless because they heard the 00:25:09.960 --> 00:25:13.099 sound but they didn't see anybody. Saul got up 00:25:13.099 --> 00:25:15.539 from the ground but when he opened his eyes he 00:25:15.539 --> 00:25:18.539 could see nothing. So they led him by the hand 00:25:18.539 --> 00:25:21.619 into Damascus and for three days he was blind 00:25:21.619 --> 00:25:25.380 and did not eat or drink anything. In Damascus 00:25:25.380 --> 00:25:28.200 there was a disciple by the name of Ananias. 00:25:28.619 --> 00:25:31.759 The Lord called to him in a vision, Ananias. 00:25:32.039 --> 00:25:37.720 And just like Samuel answers as a young boy back 00:25:37.720 --> 00:25:41.640 in the temple in 1 Samuel, when the Lord calls 00:25:41.640 --> 00:25:44.819 to him, he says the exact same thing. Yes, Lord. 00:25:46.400 --> 00:25:48.480 The Lord told him, go to the house of Judas, 00:25:49.220 --> 00:25:52.420 not the Judas, but Judas on straight street. 00:25:52.480 --> 00:25:55.400 This is the main east and west thoroughfare through 00:25:55.400 --> 00:25:59.319 the city of Jerusalem. And ask for a man from 00:25:59.319 --> 00:26:03.009 Tarsus. named Saul that's his hometown for he's 00:26:03.009 --> 00:26:06.190 praying in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias 00:26:06.190 --> 00:26:08.130 come and place his hands on him and restore his 00:26:08.130 --> 00:26:11.789 sight. Lord Ananias answered I've heard many 00:26:11.789 --> 00:26:14.470 reports about this man and all the harm he's 00:26:14.470 --> 00:26:16.829 done to your holy people in Jerusalem and he's 00:26:16.829 --> 00:26:19.910 come here with the authority from the chief priest 00:26:19.910 --> 00:26:23.470 remember in Jerusalem to arrest all who call 00:26:23.470 --> 00:26:27.210 your name so not only has Christianity spread 00:26:27.210 --> 00:26:32.130 all the way to Damascus But the persecution by 00:26:32.130 --> 00:26:34.710 Saul, the stories of what Saul's doing to wreck 00:26:34.710 --> 00:26:38.029 the church has also made it that far. Now I want 00:26:38.029 --> 00:26:41.170 you to turn with me just for a second to Acts 00:26:41.170 --> 00:26:50.049 26. Acts 26. Paul, you might know there's a good 00:26:50.049 --> 00:26:54.720 amount of tension between Paul and Peter. Peter 00:26:54.720 --> 00:26:57.059 being the rock upon Jesus says he'll build his 00:26:57.059 --> 00:26:59.400 church and Paul kind of comes along and ends 00:26:59.400 --> 00:27:03.019 up writing a third of the New Testament there's 00:27:03.019 --> 00:27:07.099 a rivalry between these two guys and one of the 00:27:07.099 --> 00:27:10.339 arguments that Peter would say if he was petty 00:27:10.339 --> 00:27:14.019 and Human like me, but he's not but if he was 00:27:14.019 --> 00:27:16.259 he would say something like look Paul's only 00:27:16.259 --> 00:27:19.599 got that one story about him seeing Jesus in 00:27:19.599 --> 00:27:22.480 Damascus And he tells that story every time you're 00:27:22.480 --> 00:27:26.509 turning around I was actually with Jesus. I would 00:27:26.509 --> 00:27:29.769 suspect Peter would say if he was like me, but 00:27:29.769 --> 00:27:33.130 he wasn't. And sure enough, he's got a point, 00:27:33.309 --> 00:27:35.910 because every time Paul turns around, Paul's 00:27:35.910 --> 00:27:38.150 retelling the story. And here we see Paul telling 00:27:38.150 --> 00:27:43.690 the story in Acts 26 verse 12. And the reason 00:27:43.690 --> 00:27:45.509 why I want to point something out here is because 00:27:45.509 --> 00:27:48.250 he says something in this retelling of the story 00:27:48.250 --> 00:27:51.089 that Luke doesn't include in his version in chapter 00:27:51.089 --> 00:27:57.799 9. So beginning with verse 12 Paul says one of 00:27:57.799 --> 00:27:59.960 these journeys I was going to Damascus with the 00:27:59.960 --> 00:28:01.700 authority and commission of the chief priests 00:28:01.700 --> 00:28:06.339 verse 13 about noon King Agrippa as I was on 00:28:06.339 --> 00:28:08.500 the road I saw a light from heaven brighter than 00:28:08.500 --> 00:28:11.259 the Sun blazing around me and my companions and 00:28:11.259 --> 00:28:13.240 we fell to the ground and I heard a voice saying 00:28:13.240 --> 00:28:16.400 to me in Aramaic or Hebrew if you have a footnote 00:28:16.400 --> 00:28:20.039 there Saul Saul why do you persecute me and then 00:28:20.039 --> 00:28:23.259 here's the extra sentence It is hard for you 00:28:23.259 --> 00:28:27.160 to kick against the goats. And then I ask, who 00:28:27.160 --> 00:28:31.380 are you Lord? And you can flip back there into 00:28:31.380 --> 00:28:34.579 Acts 9 if you want. I'll explain. Kicking against 00:28:34.579 --> 00:28:37.940 the goats. Anybody have any idea what an ox goat 00:28:37.940 --> 00:28:44.299 is? It is a long pointed stick that a farmer 00:28:44.299 --> 00:28:48.279 would use to prod the oxen as they plow the field. 00:28:49.000 --> 00:28:52.859 and the oxen if it knows what's good for it will 00:28:52.859 --> 00:28:57.359 take direction from the ox goad and go the way 00:28:57.359 --> 00:29:00.759 that they're being prodded because if they decide 00:29:00.759 --> 00:29:05.700 to kick against the ox goad they get stuck with 00:29:05.700 --> 00:29:10.319 the stick and it's interesting that Paul includes 00:29:10.319 --> 00:29:16.839 this part this additional words of Jesus because 00:29:16.839 --> 00:29:19.619 I think it tells us something perhaps significant 00:29:19.619 --> 00:29:23.880 in the mind of Saul even as he's persecuting 00:29:23.880 --> 00:29:27.599 Christians because if indeed Jesus says this 00:29:27.599 --> 00:29:31.240 to him what Jesus is basically saying is you 00:29:31.240 --> 00:29:35.700 know in your heart that I'm the truth why are 00:29:35.700 --> 00:29:39.420 you fighting it why are you fighting this Saul 00:29:39.420 --> 00:29:43.980 you're a smart guy you know that I'm telling 00:29:43.980 --> 00:29:48.470 the truth let go of your pride Let go of your 00:29:48.470 --> 00:29:52.789 position. Let go of whatever value you put on 00:29:52.789 --> 00:29:55.250 all of the things you are and you've accomplished. 00:29:55.369 --> 00:29:58.269 Remember, every time Paul turns around, he's 00:29:58.269 --> 00:30:01.309 saying, I was of the tribe of Benjamin. I was 00:30:01.309 --> 00:30:04.930 a Pharisee and I held all the dietary laws. He'd 00:30:04.930 --> 00:30:08.210 really love to list off all of these things that 00:30:08.210 --> 00:30:11.589 he was and that he had accomplished until he 00:30:11.589 --> 00:30:15.269 met Christ and he realized all of that is garbage. 00:30:16.100 --> 00:30:18.400 Christ is the only thing that matters and I think 00:30:18.400 --> 00:30:22.119 it's in this moment perhaps he for the first 00:30:22.119 --> 00:30:27.960 time comes to that realization But the Lord said 00:30:27.960 --> 00:30:34.119 to back to 9 verse 15 But the Lord said to Ananias 00:30:34.119 --> 00:30:36.579 go this man is my chosen instrument to proclaim 00:30:36.579 --> 00:30:39.579 my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to 00:30:39.579 --> 00:30:42.339 the people of Israel I will show him how much 00:30:42.339 --> 00:30:45.859 he must suffer for my name sure enough he will. 00:30:47.460 --> 00:30:49.980 Then Ananias went to the house in Internet placing 00:30:49.980 --> 00:30:53.519 his hands on Saul. He said brother Saul the Lord 00:30:53.519 --> 00:30:55.740 Jesus who appeared to you on the road as you 00:30:55.740 --> 00:30:58.599 were coming here sent me so you may see again 00:30:58.599 --> 00:31:00.740 and be filled with the Holy Spirit and immediately 00:31:00.740 --> 00:31:03.980 something like scales fell from Saul's eyes and 00:31:03.980 --> 00:31:06.900 he could see again. He got up and was baptized 00:31:06.900 --> 00:31:11.200 and after taking some food he regained his strength. 00:31:11.299 --> 00:31:14.470 Remember he hadn't eaten. for that time period, 00:31:15.049 --> 00:31:17.190 right? And I think that this is a part of the 00:31:17.190 --> 00:31:22.230 conversion process. The realization that my physical 00:31:22.230 --> 00:31:25.609 body must go be put on hold while my spiritual 00:31:25.609 --> 00:31:30.529 body is hungry. His spiritual body is fed. Then 00:31:30.529 --> 00:31:34.029 he's able to eat and regain his strength. Seems 00:31:34.029 --> 00:31:37.349 to be a lot of that. That's a fairly common message 00:31:37.349 --> 00:31:40.769 throughout the scripture. So I want to give you 00:31:41.899 --> 00:31:44.500 absolute authority that if you feel like you 00:31:44.500 --> 00:31:47.000 would just feel spiritually better by eating 00:31:47.000 --> 00:31:51.099 that chocolate cake, go ahead and do it. Regain 00:31:51.099 --> 00:31:57.619 your strength. Saul spent several days with the 00:31:57.619 --> 00:31:59.819 disciples in Damascus at once he began to preach 00:31:59.819 --> 00:32:02.599 in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God 00:32:02.599 --> 00:32:05.279 and all of those who heard him were astonished 00:32:05.279 --> 00:32:08.049 and asked, is it he the man? who raised havoc 00:32:08.049 --> 00:32:10.750 in Jerusalem among those who call on this name 00:32:10.750 --> 00:32:13.410 and has it he come to take the prisoners back 00:32:13.410 --> 00:32:16.390 to the chief priest yet Saul grew even more powerful 00:32:16.390 --> 00:32:19.529 and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving 00:32:19.529 --> 00:32:23.470 that Jesus is the Messiah. Now we go down to 00:32:23.470 --> 00:32:27.230 verse 23 which says after many days have gone 00:32:27.230 --> 00:32:30.089 by and I just want everybody to take a shot. 00:32:30.109 --> 00:32:32.970 How many days do you think many days gone by 00:32:32.970 --> 00:32:38.400 here is? It's two years. Two years worth of many 00:32:38.400 --> 00:32:43.299 days. He spends in Arabia. Now that's not modern 00:32:43.299 --> 00:32:46.960 day Saudi Arabia. That's going to be an area 00:32:46.960 --> 00:32:50.160 that's south and east of the Levant or Palestine. 00:32:50.839 --> 00:32:55.299 So he's basically getting out of Palestine where 00:32:55.299 --> 00:32:58.720 there's serious heat for what's going on with 00:32:58.720 --> 00:33:01.640 who he is. Because there was a conspiracy among 00:33:01.640 --> 00:33:03.910 the Jews to kill him. But Saul had learned of 00:33:03.910 --> 00:33:05.869 his plan. Day and night they kept close watch 00:33:05.869 --> 00:33:08.250 on the city gates in order to kill him. But his 00:33:08.250 --> 00:33:12.609 followers took him by night and lowered him into 00:33:12.609 --> 00:33:14.190 a basket through an opening in the walls. He 00:33:14.190 --> 00:33:17.089 was able to come in in the cover of darkness 00:33:17.089 --> 00:33:20.789 back into the city and preach and teach to believers. 00:33:21.509 --> 00:33:24.490 Now, when he came to Jerusalem, so this is some 00:33:24.490 --> 00:33:28.509 time later. Anybody want to take an idea how 00:33:28.509 --> 00:33:31.250 long it was some time later when he came to Jerusalem? 00:33:31.769 --> 00:33:39.710 Three years. So in these two paragraphs spans 00:33:39.710 --> 00:33:44.029 five years of time. So three years later he tries 00:33:44.029 --> 00:33:46.369 to join up with the disciples but as you can 00:33:46.369 --> 00:33:49.670 imagine even five years later they were all afraid 00:33:49.670 --> 00:33:52.869 of him. Not believing that he really was a disciple 00:33:52.869 --> 00:33:55.789 but Barnabas took him and brought him to the 00:33:55.789 --> 00:33:58.930 apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey 00:33:58.930 --> 00:34:00.869 had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken 00:34:00.869 --> 00:34:04.430 to him. and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly 00:34:04.430 --> 00:34:07.150 in the name of Jesus. So Saul did stay with them 00:34:07.150 --> 00:34:10.630 and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking 00:34:10.630 --> 00:34:13.570 boldly in the name of the Lord. And he talked 00:34:13.570 --> 00:34:16.829 and debated with, what does your Bible say? Who 00:34:16.829 --> 00:34:21.849 does he debate with? Greek -speaking Jews, Hellenistic 00:34:21.849 --> 00:34:26.550 Jews, yeah? Is that about the same thing? Greek 00:34:26.550 --> 00:34:29.489 -speaking or Hellenistic Jews, but they tried 00:34:29.489 --> 00:34:35.110 to kill him, so. Here we have Saul back in Jerusalem. 00:34:35.889 --> 00:34:38.469 This is the first time he's been back in Jerusalem 00:34:38.469 --> 00:34:43.010 since his conversion. And being Saul, he begins 00:34:43.010 --> 00:34:46.590 preaching and teaching and who's he arguing with? 00:34:47.190 --> 00:34:52.690 Hellenistic Jews. Now when we last saw Saul in 00:34:52.690 --> 00:34:56.750 Jerusalem, what was happening? Stoning of Stephen. 00:34:57.829 --> 00:35:01.670 Who was mad at Stephen? the Hellenistic Jews 00:35:01.670 --> 00:35:07.570 were mad at Stephen. Why? Right? Because Stephen 00:35:07.570 --> 00:35:10.309 was saying that Jesus had risen from the dead 00:35:10.309 --> 00:35:12.909 and that the indwelling of the Holy Spirit means 00:35:12.909 --> 00:35:15.070 you're the temple now not the building anymore. 00:35:15.510 --> 00:35:17.869 Two things that Hellenistic Jews really don't 00:35:17.869 --> 00:35:22.630 like. And here I find it just beautifully poetic 00:35:22.630 --> 00:35:27.309 that here we find Saul the last time he is in 00:35:27.309 --> 00:35:31.380 Jerusalem he has voted to have Stephen stoned 00:35:31.380 --> 00:35:33.840 for fighting with the Hellenistic Jews. It even 00:35:33.840 --> 00:35:36.619 holds onto the people's coats while they stone 00:35:36.619 --> 00:35:39.619 Stephen. And then when he comes back to Jerusalem, 00:35:39.639 --> 00:35:43.079 not only has he converted, he's taken the place 00:35:43.079 --> 00:35:46.599 of Stephen and is making the same arguments about 00:35:46.599 --> 00:35:50.519 Jesus. And I think that's just incredibly fascinating. 00:35:51.960 --> 00:35:54.360 Verse 30 says, when the believers learned of 00:35:54.360 --> 00:35:58.039 this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent 00:35:58.039 --> 00:36:01.059 him off to Tarsus, again, that's his hometown. 00:36:02.219 --> 00:36:05.960 And then the church, throughout Judea, Galilee 00:36:05.960 --> 00:36:10.019 and Samaria, enjoyed a time of peace and was 00:36:10.019 --> 00:36:13.699 strengthened, okay? It increased in number. So 00:36:13.699 --> 00:36:18.500 we get to verse 10, as Peter, oh, not yet, Peter's 00:36:18.500 --> 00:36:20.480 gonna tie us into the next story, we're gonna 00:36:20.480 --> 00:36:23.820 have a Peter story. As Peter traveled about the 00:36:23.820 --> 00:36:26.420 country, he went to visit the Lord's people who 00:36:26.420 --> 00:36:29.670 lived in Lido. It's about a 10 hour walk from 00:36:29.670 --> 00:36:36.349 Jerusalem, verse 10, okay? Chapter 10, right? 00:36:37.010 --> 00:36:40.050 That concludes with Peter doing various healings, 00:36:40.469 --> 00:36:43.170 right? Story about Peter doing some healing. 00:36:43.650 --> 00:36:45.230 We're gonna skip through that because we wanna 00:36:45.230 --> 00:36:47.710 get all the way to 12 tonight. So that's Peter 00:36:47.710 --> 00:36:51.309 doing his job. Paul, zip out on Paul, zoom in 00:36:51.309 --> 00:36:54.909 on Peter. Peter's doing his job, healing, preaching, 00:36:55.150 --> 00:36:58.849 and teaching the good news. But this is the turning 00:36:58.849 --> 00:37:01.590 point. This is where we actually see something 00:37:01.590 --> 00:37:05.489 ginormous take place in verse 10. Because now 00:37:05.489 --> 00:37:08.269 we're going to have to really come to grips with 00:37:08.269 --> 00:37:11.750 the fact that the kingdom of God is not just 00:37:11.750 --> 00:37:14.610 for God's chosen people, but it is for all the 00:37:14.610 --> 00:37:16.590 peoples of the world. And it's going to be a 00:37:16.590 --> 00:37:18.869 guy that's going to be by the name of Cornelius 00:37:18.869 --> 00:37:20.809 that's going to set this whole thing in motion. 00:37:21.519 --> 00:37:24.300 At Caesarea, there was a man named Cornelius. 00:37:24.599 --> 00:37:26.719 Now he was a centurion in what was known as the 00:37:26.719 --> 00:37:31.039 Italian regiment. So he's a Roman soldier. But 00:37:31.039 --> 00:37:33.400 he and all of his family were devout and God 00:37:33.400 --> 00:37:38.079 fearing. So he is clearly, clearly not of Jewish 00:37:38.079 --> 00:37:43.599 origin or religion, but he recognizes God. He 00:37:43.599 --> 00:37:47.139 is devout. So this is going to be somebody that's 00:37:47.139 --> 00:37:50.989 going to be now a Gentile. of the Greek -speaking 00:37:50.989 --> 00:37:55.250 world that is not a Jew that is working their 00:37:55.250 --> 00:37:59.570 way towards God. He gave generously to those 00:37:59.570 --> 00:38:02.150 in need. He prayed to God regularly. And one 00:38:02.150 --> 00:38:04.070 day, at about three in the afternoon, he had 00:38:04.070 --> 00:38:07.269 a vision. And he distinctly saw an angel of God 00:38:07.269 --> 00:38:10.650 who came to him and said, Cornelius. Cornelius 00:38:10.650 --> 00:38:14.110 stared at him in fear, as we all would. What 00:38:14.110 --> 00:38:17.389 is it, Lord? The angel answered, your prayers 00:38:17.389 --> 00:38:19.960 and gifts to the poor have come up. as a memorial 00:38:19.960 --> 00:38:23.239 offering before God. Now send men to Joppa to 00:38:23.239 --> 00:38:25.780 bring back a man named Simon who's called Peter. 00:38:26.380 --> 00:38:29.000 He's staying with Simon the tanner whose house 00:38:29.000 --> 00:38:32.440 is by the sea. When the angel who spoke to him 00:38:32.440 --> 00:38:34.820 had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants 00:38:34.820 --> 00:38:38.000 to the devout soldier who were his attendants 00:38:38.000 --> 00:38:39.739 and he told them everything that had happened 00:38:39.739 --> 00:38:43.179 and about Joppa. About noon the following day 00:38:43.179 --> 00:38:45.139 as they were on their journey approaching the 00:38:45.139 --> 00:38:48.769 city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. He became 00:38:48.769 --> 00:38:51.050 hungry and wanted something to eat. And while 00:38:51.050 --> 00:38:53.869 the meal was being prepared, he, Peter, fell 00:38:53.869 --> 00:38:58.710 into a trance. And in this trance, he saw heaven 00:38:58.710 --> 00:39:03.070 open in something like a large sheet being let 00:39:03.070 --> 00:39:07.489 down to earth by its four corners. And it contained 00:39:07.489 --> 00:39:11.750 all kinds of four -footed animals, as well as 00:39:11.750 --> 00:39:14.989 reptiles and birds. Your Bible might say birds 00:39:14.989 --> 00:39:18.719 of the air and beasts of the field. Then a voice 00:39:18.719 --> 00:39:23.900 told him get up Peter kill and eat time Okay 00:39:23.900 --> 00:39:27.199 Peter is a devout Jew and he is going to hold 00:39:27.199 --> 00:39:30.679 strictly to the the dietary laws that are found 00:39:30.679 --> 00:39:34.300 within the vertical law Which makes food based 00:39:34.300 --> 00:39:38.199 on the type of animal or the type of hoof that 00:39:38.199 --> 00:39:41.920 the animal house either clean or unclean and 00:39:41.920 --> 00:39:45.880 not only would he not eat the unclean animals, 00:39:46.260 --> 00:39:49.340 anybody who ate the unclean animals were also 00:39:49.340 --> 00:39:52.679 unclean to Peter. But Peter's had a vision from 00:39:52.679 --> 00:39:56.059 God who's telling him something very, very important. 00:39:57.179 --> 00:40:01.400 I give food, I give, we need food to survive. 00:40:01.539 --> 00:40:04.719 I give life to the world, God is saying to Peter. 00:40:05.579 --> 00:40:09.639 And he's saying, I give all kinds of life to 00:40:09.639 --> 00:40:15.369 the world. And Peter continues on, he says, I'm 00:40:15.369 --> 00:40:17.809 not going to kill these animals and eat them 00:40:17.809 --> 00:40:23.030 because I've never eaten anything impure or unclean. 00:40:23.289 --> 00:40:27.289 Right? The voice said do not call anything impure 00:40:27.289 --> 00:40:29.510 that God has made clean and this happened three 00:40:29.510 --> 00:40:33.110 times. And immediately the sheet was taken back 00:40:33.110 --> 00:40:37.809 to heaven. And obviously the context of the growth 00:40:37.809 --> 00:40:43.449 of the church out of Jewish ethnicity and religious 00:40:43.449 --> 00:40:47.300 belief to the wider world, we probably could 00:40:47.300 --> 00:40:49.900 see the fairly apparent meaning of this vision. 00:40:51.099 --> 00:40:55.519 That God has a purpose and a relationship with 00:40:55.519 --> 00:40:59.340 all of His creation. Not just the clean ones, 00:41:00.000 --> 00:41:02.860 not just the unclean ones, but all. There's no 00:41:02.860 --> 00:41:08.699 more clean or unclean unless I say, it's not 00:41:08.699 --> 00:41:12.300 your job to decide who gets to have a relationship 00:41:12.300 --> 00:41:15.360 with God and who doesn't. I'll take care of that, 00:41:15.440 --> 00:41:18.940 God says to Peter. When Peter was wondering about 00:41:18.940 --> 00:41:21.980 the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius 00:41:21.980 --> 00:41:24.679 found out where Simon's house was and stopped 00:41:24.679 --> 00:41:27.199 at the gate and they called out, asked if Simon, 00:41:27.519 --> 00:41:29.440 who was known as Peter, was staying there. When 00:41:29.440 --> 00:41:31.420 Peter was still thinking about the vision, the 00:41:31.420 --> 00:41:33.659 spirit said to him, Simon, three men are looking 00:41:33.659 --> 00:41:36.599 for you, so go get them and go downstairs. Do 00:41:36.599 --> 00:41:38.699 not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent 00:41:38.699 --> 00:41:42.449 them. Also another commonality with these stories 00:41:42.449 --> 00:41:45.070 that we see within acts that regard visions where 00:41:45.070 --> 00:41:48.409 the kind of the same vision comes to both groups 00:41:48.409 --> 00:41:51.829 I believe is a way of confirmation Right you're 00:41:51.829 --> 00:41:54.590 gonna have a vision from God that's gonna tell 00:41:54.590 --> 00:41:58.210 you this And also about this good then the vision 00:41:58.210 --> 00:42:00.150 is gonna come to this person too. So when you 00:42:00.150 --> 00:42:03.630 both meet Right vision from God. Yeah, I know 00:42:03.630 --> 00:42:06.949 I got the same thing But that's odd. I think's 00:42:06.949 --> 00:42:09.190 happen here So Peter went down and said to the 00:42:09.190 --> 00:42:10.889 men, I'm the one you're looking for. Why have 00:42:10.889 --> 00:42:14.869 you come? And the men replied, we have come from 00:42:14.869 --> 00:42:17.110 Cornelius the Centurion. He is a righteous and 00:42:17.110 --> 00:42:19.869 God -fearing man. He's respected by all the Jewish 00:42:19.869 --> 00:42:23.030 people. And an angel told him to ask you to come 00:42:23.030 --> 00:42:24.449 to his house so that he could hear what you have 00:42:24.449 --> 00:42:28.050 to say. Peter then invited the men into his house, 00:42:28.429 --> 00:42:31.409 into the house to be his guests. So the next 00:42:31.409 --> 00:42:33.230 day Peter started out with them and some of the 00:42:33.230 --> 00:42:35.760 believers from Joppa went along with him. And 00:42:35.760 --> 00:42:38.119 the following day, it's about a day's walk, he 00:42:38.119 --> 00:42:40.820 arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting 00:42:40.820 --> 00:42:42.500 them and had called together his relatives and 00:42:42.500 --> 00:42:46.320 close friends. As Peter entered the house, Cornelius 00:42:46.320 --> 00:42:48.400 met him and fell at his feet in reverence, but 00:42:48.400 --> 00:42:51.860 Peter made him get up. Peter said, I'm only a 00:42:51.860 --> 00:42:54.360 man myself. And while talking with him, Peter 00:42:54.360 --> 00:42:56.619 went inside and found a large gathering of people. 00:42:57.159 --> 00:42:58.820 He said to them, you are well aware that it is 00:42:58.820 --> 00:43:02.539 against our law for a Jew to associate or to 00:43:02.539 --> 00:43:07.380 visit a Gentile. And not only a Gentile, but 00:43:07.380 --> 00:43:10.920 I've shown up to a house full of you people, 00:43:11.639 --> 00:43:18.920 probably using the term you people. But God has 00:43:18.920 --> 00:43:21.039 shown me that I should not call anyone impure 00:43:21.039 --> 00:43:24.059 or unclean. So when I was sent for, I came without 00:43:24.059 --> 00:43:26.920 raising objection. May I ask why you've sent 00:43:26.920 --> 00:43:29.880 me? Cornelius answered three days ago, I was 00:43:29.880 --> 00:43:32.460 in my house praying at this hour, at three in 00:43:32.460 --> 00:43:34.840 the afternoon, and suddenly, A man in shining 00:43:34.840 --> 00:43:37.820 clothes stood beside me and said, Cornelius, 00:43:37.880 --> 00:43:39.460 God has heard your prayer and remembered your 00:43:39.460 --> 00:43:42.719 gifts to the poor. Send to Joppa, for Simon has 00:43:42.719 --> 00:43:45.199 called Peter. He's the guest, the home of Simon 00:43:45.199 --> 00:43:47.519 the tanner who lives by the sea. So I immediately 00:43:47.519 --> 00:43:49.699 sent for you, and it was good of you to come. 00:43:50.420 --> 00:43:53.599 Now, we are all here in the presence of God to 00:43:53.599 --> 00:43:55.940 listen to everything the Lord has commanded you 00:43:55.940 --> 00:44:00.139 to tell us. Peter begins to speak, and I realize 00:44:00.139 --> 00:44:02.420 how true it is that God does not show favoritism. 00:44:02.829 --> 00:44:05.230 but accepts from every nation the one who fears 00:44:05.230 --> 00:44:08.309 him and does what's right. You know the message 00:44:08.309 --> 00:44:10.690 God sent to the people of Israel, announcing 00:44:10.690 --> 00:44:12.630 the good news of peace through Jesus Christ who 00:44:12.630 --> 00:44:15.150 is the Lord of all. You know what has happened 00:44:15.150 --> 00:44:17.989 throughout the province of Judea, beginning in 00:44:17.989 --> 00:44:20.269 Galilee after the baptism that John preached, 00:44:20.849 --> 00:44:24.050 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy 00:44:24.050 --> 00:44:26.650 Spirit and power, and how he went around doing 00:44:26.650 --> 00:44:28.690 good and healing all who were under the power 00:44:28.690 --> 00:44:33.590 of the devil because God was with him. We are 00:44:33.590 --> 00:44:35.690 witnesses of everything He did in the country 00:44:35.690 --> 00:44:39.329 of the Jews and in Jerusalem. And they killed 00:44:39.329 --> 00:44:43.090 Him by hanging Him on a cross. But God raised 00:44:43.090 --> 00:44:45.250 Him from the dead on the third day and caused 00:44:45.250 --> 00:44:48.389 Him to be seen. He was not seen by all people, 00:44:48.849 --> 00:44:51.610 but by witnesses whom God had already chosen, 00:44:52.070 --> 00:44:55.030 by us who ate and drank with Him after He had 00:44:55.030 --> 00:44:57.969 rose from the dead. He commanded us to preach 00:44:59.000 --> 00:45:02.280 to the people and to testify that he is the one 00:45:02.280 --> 00:45:04.860 whom God has appointed as judge of the living 00:45:04.860 --> 00:45:08.440 and the dead. All the prophets testify about 00:45:08.440 --> 00:45:11.199 him that everyone who believes in him receives 00:45:11.199 --> 00:45:14.320 forgiveness of sins through his name. If you 00:45:14.320 --> 00:45:18.139 have to wonder, I wonder what these apostles 00:45:18.139 --> 00:45:21.340 and these evangelists must have said to these 00:45:21.340 --> 00:45:23.679 people to convince them to become Christians. 00:45:24.159 --> 00:45:31.639 That's it. That is theology, not 101, that's 00:45:31.639 --> 00:45:36.099 theology one. That's the beginning of Christian 00:45:36.099 --> 00:45:40.980 thought right there. Peter is explaining everything 00:45:40.980 --> 00:45:44.940 that is important to belief in Christ in that 00:45:44.940 --> 00:45:49.019 moment, at that very beginning. Anything that 00:45:49.019 --> 00:45:53.340 we have added to or taken away thousands of years 00:45:53.340 --> 00:45:58.139 later from this message is our fault. Because 00:45:58.139 --> 00:46:01.079 that's the story and that's really all that should 00:46:01.079 --> 00:46:04.719 be needed. While Peter was still speaking these 00:46:04.719 --> 00:46:07.480 words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard 00:46:07.480 --> 00:46:10.239 the message. The circumcised believers who had 00:46:10.239 --> 00:46:12.460 come with Peter were astonished that the gift 00:46:12.460 --> 00:46:14.579 of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on 00:46:14.579 --> 00:46:17.699 Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues 00:46:17.699 --> 00:46:20.679 and praising God. Then Peter said, surely no 00:46:20.679 --> 00:46:22.880 one could stand in the way of their being baptized 00:46:22.880 --> 00:46:25.780 with water. They've received the Holy Spirit 00:46:25.780 --> 00:46:29.489 just as we have. So he ordered that they be baptized 00:46:29.489 --> 00:46:32.250 in the name of Jesus and they asked Peter to 00:46:32.250 --> 00:46:35.570 stay with them for a few days and that is the 00:46:35.570 --> 00:46:39.829 first conversion of Gentiles into the Christian 00:46:39.829 --> 00:46:45.349 Church and the Apostles and the believers Throughout 00:46:45.349 --> 00:46:48.289 Judea heard that the Gentiles had received the 00:46:48.289 --> 00:46:51.829 Word of God so But Peter went up to Jerusalem 00:46:51.829 --> 00:46:57.010 the circumcised believers criticized him He comes 00:46:57.010 --> 00:46:59.329 back to the church in Jerusalem and they go, 00:46:59.670 --> 00:47:03.349 have you lost your mind? Not only did you leave 00:47:03.349 --> 00:47:06.030 and go visit one of them, you went into a house 00:47:06.030 --> 00:47:12.349 of them? And then you baptized them? These uncircumcised 00:47:12.349 --> 00:47:18.030 men? And you ate with them? And Peter says, you 00:47:18.030 --> 00:47:20.190 guys are not going to believe this, but I've 00:47:20.190 --> 00:47:23.639 had a vision. And I saw with its four corners 00:47:23.639 --> 00:47:26.420 coming down, and I saw four footed animals on 00:47:26.420 --> 00:47:31.440 the earth, wild beasts, reptiles, birds. And 00:47:31.440 --> 00:47:34.920 he recounts the entire story. And he recounts 00:47:34.920 --> 00:47:37.099 the fact that God had instructed him, the voice 00:47:37.099 --> 00:47:40.659 from heaven had instructed him, don't call anything 00:47:40.659 --> 00:47:43.599 impure that God has made clean. And it happened 00:47:43.599 --> 00:47:47.360 three times and it was pulled up to heaven again. 00:47:47.460 --> 00:47:49.880 Right then three men who had been sent from Caesarea 00:47:49.880 --> 00:47:53.409 stopped to the house. and he retells the entire 00:47:53.409 --> 00:47:56.289 story, but this is so, so important because this 00:47:56.289 --> 00:47:59.469 is not just a retelling of his adventures, but 00:47:59.469 --> 00:48:04.210 this is Peter's confirmation to the church that 00:48:04.210 --> 00:48:09.269 the church is to accept Jews and Gentiles alike. 00:48:10.710 --> 00:48:14.210 So we get kind of down to the last part of 11 00:48:14.210 --> 00:48:18.750 there, beginning with 22, right? So here this 00:48:18.750 --> 00:48:21.699 great story of Peter and Cornelius. And we're 00:48:21.699 --> 00:48:23.300 actually fortunate enough to kind of have the 00:48:23.300 --> 00:48:26.500 same story told to us two times in a row. And 00:48:26.500 --> 00:48:30.860 then Peter zips back out of focus and Paul back 00:48:30.860 --> 00:48:35.059 into focus. News of this reached the church in 00:48:35.059 --> 00:48:39.639 Jerusalem and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 00:48:39.860 --> 00:48:42.139 When he arrived, he saw the grace of God, what 00:48:42.139 --> 00:48:44.820 the grace of God had done. He was glad and encouraged 00:48:44.820 --> 00:48:46.320 them to remain true to the Lord with all their 00:48:46.320 --> 00:48:49.880 hearts. He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit 00:48:49.880 --> 00:48:52.289 and faith and a great number of people were brought 00:48:52.289 --> 00:48:55.369 to the Lord. Then Barnabas, remember where we 00:48:55.369 --> 00:48:59.369 left Saul? Then Barnabas went to Tarsus, his 00:48:59.369 --> 00:49:01.610 hometown, to look for him. When he found him, 00:49:01.630 --> 00:49:05.309 he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year, 00:49:05.469 --> 00:49:08.230 Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught 00:49:08.230 --> 00:49:11.130 them in great numbers. And the disciples were 00:49:11.130 --> 00:49:13.469 called Christians first at Antioch. And that 00:49:13.469 --> 00:49:16.030 is the very first time the word Christian is 00:49:16.030 --> 00:49:19.610 ever used to describe the followers of Jesus 00:49:19.610 --> 00:49:24.280 Christ. During the time this time some prophets 00:49:24.280 --> 00:49:26.960 come down from Jerusalem to Antioch One of them 00:49:26.960 --> 00:49:29.599 was named Agabus and he stood up through the 00:49:29.599 --> 00:49:31.860 spirit predicted that there'd be a severe famine 00:49:31.860 --> 00:49:34.460 that would spread over the entire Roman world 00:49:34.460 --> 00:49:39.219 and sure enough Remember Luke is writing this 00:49:39.219 --> 00:49:45.860 after the fact probably in 66 67 AD And so when 00:49:45.860 --> 00:49:48.920 he says does your Bible have in parentheses this 00:49:48.920 --> 00:49:52.090 happened during the reign of Claudius? Yeah This 00:49:52.090 --> 00:49:53.710 happened during the reign of Claudius and his 00:49:53.710 --> 00:49:57.230 reign as Roman Emperor was from AD 41 to 54. 00:49:58.190 --> 00:50:00.590 So Luke is kind of saying, hey, by the way, there's 00:50:00.590 --> 00:50:03.090 a prophecy in here amongst these early believers 00:50:03.090 --> 00:50:06.110 that sure enough came true. So we're gonna end 00:50:06.110 --> 00:50:08.909 with 12th. I'm gonna tell you this story about 00:50:08.909 --> 00:50:14.090 this weird guy named King Herod. And then we're 00:50:14.090 --> 00:50:17.670 going to put it into this and then our next time 00:50:17.670 --> 00:50:19.809 we're gonna actually see the missionary journeys 00:50:19.809 --> 00:50:23.460 begin. the trips out to places to found churches. 00:50:24.159 --> 00:50:27.780 It was about this time that King Herod Agrippa 00:50:27.780 --> 00:50:33.500 I, this is Herod the Great's grandson. Okay, 00:50:33.500 --> 00:50:38.139 so there's King Herod, then there's King Herod 00:50:38.139 --> 00:50:43.739 Antipas, then there's King Herod Agrippa I. He 00:50:43.739 --> 00:50:45.579 had arrested some people that belonged to the 00:50:45.579 --> 00:50:48.090 church and he wanted to persecute them. He had 00:50:48.090 --> 00:50:50.550 James the brother of John put to death the sword. 00:50:51.969 --> 00:50:54.449 And when he saw that this had the approval among 00:50:54.449 --> 00:50:57.889 the Jews, he got Peter arrested too. And this 00:50:57.889 --> 00:50:59.989 happened during the Festival of Unleavened Bread. 00:51:00.110 --> 00:51:02.889 That's that week before the actual Passover. 00:51:03.329 --> 00:51:06.230 We call it Passover week, but it's not. That 00:51:06.230 --> 00:51:08.989 final culminating meal is Passover. The week 00:51:08.989 --> 00:51:11.849 before it is the Festival of Unleavened Bread. 00:51:12.369 --> 00:51:15.429 So this is during Easter time for us Christians 00:51:15.429 --> 00:51:18.019 again. Peter's arrested, he gets put in prison, 00:51:18.400 --> 00:51:20.619 and he's guarded by four squads of four soldiers, 00:51:20.800 --> 00:51:25.159 16 soldiers guarding Peter. And he was gonna 00:51:25.159 --> 00:51:27.059 bring him out for public trial, but he was gonna 00:51:27.059 --> 00:51:30.880 wait until after the Passover feast. So he was 00:51:30.880 --> 00:51:33.400 in prison, and the people, the believers, were 00:51:33.400 --> 00:51:36.599 all praying to God for Peter. And the night before 00:51:36.599 --> 00:51:39.739 he was gonna bring him out to trial, Peter was 00:51:39.739 --> 00:51:42.579 sleeping between two of the soldiers. bound with 00:51:42.579 --> 00:51:44.820 chains and sentries stood guard at the entrance 00:51:44.820 --> 00:51:47.440 and suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and 00:51:47.440 --> 00:51:50.860 a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on 00:51:50.860 --> 00:51:53.019 the side and woke him up and said, quick, get 00:51:53.019 --> 00:51:57.400 up. And the chains fell off Peter's wrists. Then 00:51:57.400 --> 00:51:59.320 the angel said to him, put your clothes and sandals 00:51:59.320 --> 00:52:01.800 on. Peter did this. Wrap your clothes around 00:52:01.800 --> 00:52:04.260 you and follow me. That's angels very bossy. 00:52:04.840 --> 00:52:07.239 Then the angel told Peter followed him out of 00:52:07.239 --> 00:52:09.980 the prison. He had no idea what the angel was. 00:52:11.039 --> 00:52:13.099 He didn't really think it was really happening 00:52:13.099 --> 00:52:15.059 because he thought it was a vision. And then 00:52:15.059 --> 00:52:16.840 they passed through the first and second guards 00:52:16.840 --> 00:52:18.760 and then they came to the iron gate leading to 00:52:18.760 --> 00:52:21.559 the city and it opened up by itself and went 00:52:21.559 --> 00:52:23.820 through it. And when they walked the length of 00:52:23.820 --> 00:52:25.960 one street certain suddenly the angel was gone. 00:52:26.820 --> 00:52:31.179 And Peter then came to himself and, oh, now I 00:52:31.179 --> 00:52:33.019 know without a doubt the Lord has sent his angel 00:52:33.019 --> 00:52:35.619 and rescued me from Herod's clutches and from 00:52:35.619 --> 00:52:37.360 everything the Jewish people were hoping would 00:52:37.360 --> 00:52:41.000 happen. When this had dawned on him, he went 00:52:41.000 --> 00:52:44.099 to the house of Mary, the mother of John, also 00:52:44.099 --> 00:52:46.739 called Mark." John, Mark, the writer of the gospel 00:52:46.739 --> 00:52:50.219 account of Mark, his mother's house, perhaps 00:52:50.219 --> 00:52:53.360 where they were all hiding out on the day of 00:52:53.360 --> 00:52:55.320 Pentecost. I happen to believe not only were 00:52:55.320 --> 00:52:57.320 they hiding out on the day of Pentecost, but 00:52:57.320 --> 00:53:00.619 it is actually in her upper room in which they 00:53:00.619 --> 00:53:03.820 had the Last Supper. Just happens to be my personal 00:53:03.820 --> 00:53:06.260 belief. But he knows where to go because that's 00:53:06.260 --> 00:53:08.900 where all the Christians, that is ground central, 00:53:09.460 --> 00:53:13.480 that is the campaign headquarters for Christianity 00:53:13.480 --> 00:53:16.719 right here at John Mark's house. My favorite 00:53:16.719 --> 00:53:19.119 story, just because of the visual image of it, 00:53:20.179 --> 00:53:22.380 they were gathered there praying and Peter knocked 00:53:22.380 --> 00:53:26.619 on the outer entrance. There's an outside door 00:53:26.619 --> 00:53:29.679 and then a courtyard and then an inner door in 00:53:29.679 --> 00:53:32.739 most houses in the Middle East. So he's knocking 00:53:32.739 --> 00:53:36.400 on this outside door and a servant named Rhoda 00:53:36.400 --> 00:53:38.679 came to answer the door but she recognized this 00:53:38.679 --> 00:53:42.500 Peter and she was so overjoyed she ran back and 00:53:42.500 --> 00:53:45.320 didn't even bother to open the door and exclaimed 00:53:45.320 --> 00:53:47.739 it's Peter at the door. Now you would imagine 00:53:47.739 --> 00:53:50.440 they would have all thought Rhoda you've lost 00:53:50.440 --> 00:53:54.360 your mind right because he's in prison or he's 00:53:54.360 --> 00:53:57.219 dead and if he's dead it's his angel so he's 00:53:57.219 --> 00:54:01.039 dead but Peter kept on knocking. When they opened 00:54:01.039 --> 00:54:03.500 the door they saw him and they were astonished. 00:54:03.920 --> 00:54:06.219 Peter motioned with his hand for them to be quiet. 00:54:06.320 --> 00:54:08.119 Again, it's so beautiful if you can see him kind 00:54:08.119 --> 00:54:12.480 of like quiet. And describe to them how the Lord 00:54:12.480 --> 00:54:14.719 brought him out of prison. Tell James a little 00:54:14.719 --> 00:54:17.699 bit late for James, right? James is gone. And 00:54:17.699 --> 00:54:19.280 the other brothers and sisters about this and 00:54:19.280 --> 00:54:22.119 he left for another place. In the next morning 00:54:22.119 --> 00:54:25.400 there was no small commotion among the soldiers 00:54:25.400 --> 00:54:30.050 about what had become of Peter. had a thorough 00:54:30.050 --> 00:54:32.230 search made, and when they didn't find the people, 00:54:32.349 --> 00:54:34.949 they executed the soldiers, which was the custom 00:54:34.949 --> 00:54:40.070 at that time. But love the story of Rhoda here 00:54:40.070 --> 00:54:43.769 because Peter is able to escape a company of 00:54:43.769 --> 00:54:49.550 16 soldiers. He's able to be unchained. He walks 00:54:49.550 --> 00:54:51.750 through two gates to get out of the prison, and 00:54:51.750 --> 00:54:54.469 then the gate to the city opens up by itself, 00:54:54.750 --> 00:54:56.630 but he can't get into John Mark's house because 00:54:56.630 --> 00:55:00.260 Rhoda won't open the door. Kind of a funny story 00:55:00.260 --> 00:55:02.019 there. I can't help but think that that's not 00:55:02.019 --> 00:55:05.679 intended to be funny. So next week we're going 00:55:05.679 --> 00:55:09.380 to watch as Paul will begin what is known as 00:55:09.380 --> 00:55:12.639 the missionary journeys as he leaves and takes 00:55:12.639 --> 00:55:17.500 extended trips to plant churches outside of outside 00:55:17.500 --> 00:55:26.820 of the the immediate area. Any questions? Well, 00:55:27.739 --> 00:55:38.539 they didn't change. You have it. I hope that 00:55:38.539 --> 00:55:41.039 episode was as enjoyable for you to listen to 00:55:41.039 --> 00:55:44.099 as it was for me to prepare for in the coming 00:55:44.099 --> 00:55:47.059 parts. We're going to be looking at how this 00:55:47.059 --> 00:55:50.019 early movement of Christianity not only becomes 00:55:50.019 --> 00:55:54.699 a global, multicultural, multi -ethnic movement, 00:55:54.780 --> 00:55:59.380 but also one that begins to destabilize political 00:55:59.380 --> 00:56:04.380 entities without any actual force. It's going 00:56:04.380 --> 00:56:08.039 to be a fantastic transition in the early life 00:56:08.039 --> 00:56:09.960 of the church. I hope you'll come back and see 00:56:09.960 --> 00:56:13.699 us for part six. Hey, before I go, I just want 00:56:13.699 --> 00:56:15.679 to take a second to say thank you for listening. 00:56:15.760 --> 00:56:18.199 And if you like what we're doing here at the 00:56:18.199 --> 00:56:20.340 semi seminary, and if you could take just a moment 00:56:20.340 --> 00:56:24.199 to like this podcast, to subscribe to our channel 00:56:24.199 --> 00:56:28.440 also. If you could however you listen to the 00:56:28.440 --> 00:56:31.440 podcast if you could take the time to give us 00:56:31.440 --> 00:56:35.239 a five -star rating That helps the website and 00:56:35.239 --> 00:56:38.539 that helps the podcast get seen by more people. 00:56:38.559 --> 00:56:40.199 So if you do that, we'd certainly appreciate 00:56:40.199 --> 00:56:42.579 it We will see you next time here at the semi 00:56:42.579 --> 00:56:46.260 seminarian and until then be blessed and be a 00:56:46.260 --> 00:56:46.579 blessing