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Created Through Him

The real purpose

2/28/2013

26 Of whom I have no certain thing to write unto my lord. Wherefore I have brought him forth before you, and specially before thee, O king Agrippa, that, after examination had, I might have somewhat to write. 27 For it seemeth to me unreasonable to send a prisoner, and not withal to signify the crimes laid against him (Acts 25:26-27).

Festus had examined Paul and found no reason to have him condemned, but Festus was unwilling to release Paul and so Paul appealed to Caesar. Before being sent to Rome though King Agrippa asked to hear Paul. This may have been an effort to find actual charges against Paul or a genuine interest in hearing what Paul had to say. Either way what is clear is that these men could not thwart God’s purposes in all this. God’s will was for Paul to go to Rome to testify about the Gospel. So even though the charges brought against Paul were false and trumped up, Paul knew that his mission was to submit to God and preach the good news of the Gospel to all who would hear.

The choice

2/27/2013

24 And after certain days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, which was a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ. 25 And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee. 26 He hoped also that money should have been given him of Paul, that he might loose him: wherefore he sent for him the oftener, and communed with him. 27 But after two years Porcius Festus came into Felix' room: and Felix, willing to shew the Jews a pleasure, left Paul bound (Acts 24:24-27).

Felix was the Governor of Caesarea. Although Paul was under arrest he had an opportunity on multiple occasions to preach to Felix. Felix knew that there was something special about Paul. But Felix never truly believed and as we learn he was more interested in money, power and the pleasing of people rather than the surrender to the Gospel. In the end it is a choice between serving the living God of all Creation, and serving the god of this world. Paul chose the former and Felix chose the latter.

Witness

2/26/2013

11 And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome (Acts 23:11).

Paul was being threatened to be killed by members of the Sanhedrin. They wished him to be killed because of his testimony concerning Christ. In this verse Christ appears to Paul and reassures and reminds him that will testify about the Gospel not just in Jerusalem but in Rome as well. There is always a purpose behind hardship when spreading the Gospel. That purpose ultimately is to serve as a testimony to those both present and future that may hear the good news of the Gospel and believe. Paul’s witness and testimony was profound and effects believers to this day.

Changed

2/25/2013

3 I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day. 4 And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women (Acts 22:3-4).

Paul is describing the events and history leading up to his conversion. His point to the crowd was that he was once against Christ and that he had since been changed and was now a believer. So Paul wanted people to understand that they too could be changed. Paul’s message was not well received, and in fact he was arrested. Even though Paul was trying to help people see the truth, his message angered people. They were angered ultimately because they hated the Gospel message. There are no promises that message of the Gospel will be well received and in fact, often, at least initially, it is rejected very deliberately and bluntly. But we are to be faithful as Paul was, and try and help people see the truth.

True to the Gospel

2/24/2013

17 And when we were come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly. 18 And the day following Paul went in with us unto James; and all the elders were present. 19 And when he had saluted them, he declared particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry (Acts 21:17-19).

One of the reasons that Paul traveled to Jerusalem was to update the leaders of the church on the progress of the Gospel among the Gentiles. Paul went to James who was the leader of the church of Jerusalem. James was the Lord’s brother, not the apostle James (he had already been martyred by this time). James receives Paul gladly. However, there may have been another primary reason that Paul went to visit Jerusalem. As successful as Paul was in preaching to the Gentiles, he wanted to preach to his own people in an effort to save them. Remember that Paul, prior to his conversion, was a devout Jew and he wanted very much for his own people to be saved. We learn later in this chapter that Paul is rejected and beaten by the people, and yet again arrested. Through all of this, Paul remained true to the Gospel.

The course

2/23/2013

24 But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God. 25 And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more (Acts 20:24-25).

Paul is speaking to the church at Ephesus. He is telling them that he will never return to them. Paul was evidently aware that his time to preach was limited. In verse 24 notice that the focus of Paul is to finish the work he was given, and that work was to testify to the grace of God through Christ Jesus. Paul indicates that his mission is a course (or elsewhere in scripture, a race). The course is not designed by Paul, but rather by God and is for a set purpose. God asks each of us to finish the course set before us and in doing so testify to God’s grace through the Gospel of the Lord Jesus.

Special miracles

2/22/2013

10 And this continued by the space of two years; so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks. 11 And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: 12 So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them (Acts 19:10-12).

The apostolic ministry was a ministry that included many miracles (miracles were normative during this time). Miracles were clearly used as gracious acts, but more importantly they were used to help spread the Gospel. It must have been amazing to witness the power of God so obviously manifested. But while miracles, like the early church witnessed, are no longer commonplace, and the apostolic miracles ended with the death of the Apostles, the power of God through grace to change lives has continued and we are all eyewitnesses to God’s power to save, and to save mightily.

Be not afraid

2/21/2013

8 And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized. 9 Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace: 10 For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city (Acts 18:8-10).

Paul was a bold preacher, but even he needed reminding to speak without fear. Paul met resistant everywhere. In almost every town/city that Paul preached he was thrown in jail and beaten, several times to the point of death. But through all of this Paul remained faithful and multitudes believed on Christ. God uses people like Paul to be teachers and messengers of the hope of the Gospel. Paul knew though, that ultimately, God made the plan and would ensure that all who would hear and respond to the Gospel would be saved. This is still the case, God is in control and He never asks us to do something without providing the means to accomplish it.

Search the scriptures daily

2/20/2013

11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. 12 Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few (Acts 17:11-12).

When Paul and Silas preached the Gospel in Berea, many people believed and turned to Christ. Notice too that the Berean’s searched the scriptures daily. They certainly believed Paul and Silas but they verified what they were told against scripture. This too we should do as well. We do not simply believe what we are told. There can be and are false teachers, and so everyone must search the scriptures for themselves. We then hear the word preached, read the scriptures ourselves, and pray for wisdom and understanding.

Believe

2/19/2013

23 And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely: 24 Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks. 25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. 26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed. 27 And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. 28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. 29 Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, 30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? 31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house (Acts 16:23-31).

Paul and Silas had been led by the Holy Spirit to preach in Macedonia. They were in Philippi for just a short period time before being arrested, beaten and thrown in jail. Seemingly their missionary endeavor didn’t seem to be going well, but God’s will is never thwarted and what appeared to be bad news turned out to be just what God had planned. The Jailer that kept Paul and Silas prisoner became a believer in Christ. This is how God works. Paul and Silas were beaten and jailed for the purpose of bringing the good news of salvation to the jailer and his family. When God calls upon an individual, He always does so completely and effectively. And so all that call upon the name the Lord shall be saved.

Created Through Him