Rome Sweet Rome - Part A

Paul's passion was the gospel. You will never understand Paul's life at all until you understand this keen what drove this man forward in life all the way to his death was one thing and one thing only and that is the message of the gospel love to watch people live. I mean, what would make him go from place to place to get beat up, thrown in jail kicked out of town go to the next town beat up thrown in jail every year, year after year in every place. Either he's a nutcase, for he loved the fact that some will be transformed in that city and it never got old.

Watching people get you planning to visit a new city. The first thing you generally want to get lined up as a place to stay and traditionally if you have any friends to stay with you go to a hotel, but with the rise of the Internet. We have other options that you can stay at homes or rent rooms in the city. It's a great way to get into the heart of a place to see what it's really like well today, and correctly Skip weekend edition skip. Isaac prepares the regular study of the life of Paul that will close. She impacts Paul's arrival and say what was a new city for him. Well, Paul certainly had a local place to stay, but it wasn't what he originally hope for will get to that here adjustable. But before we do.

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So Bible survival apps as we begin this past I gotta admit I feel a little sad today in closing out our study of the life of Paul. I have grown so much to appreciate and love this man in the last six months. As I poured over writings about him read again the Scriptures that we read together and I sound dumb but I found myself even getting a little emotional. This week, as I consider Paul's final days on the earth. It's like saying goodbye to my friend see you later in heaven even though read more of him and in years to come. The name of this message is Rome sweet Rome it was a place Paul had always wanted to go and let's begin with prayer before we even start reading this morning, heavenly father in this final study that we have together and Paul's long road to Rome.

We pray that on our own journey our own road that our priorities are decisions are goals are plans would all be in accordance with your perfect plan for our lives, we want to make a difference. We don't presume to think we could make the kind of difference. Paul made but you've given us some sphere, some platform to do that. We pray that we would do it faithfully in Jesus name, amen. I wonder if you heard about a guy named Itzhak cut during he was 108 years old when he died. He was a rabbi in Jerusalem who died in January 2006, and 108.

They say when he died. He was so famous in Israel that 2 to 300,000 people attended his funeral out of the streets of Jerusalem. That's not what makes them unique makes them unique is before he died he told his followers on Yom Kippur, the day of atonement. He said I know who the Messiah is I know his name. Fact is that I met him, he wrote down what he said was Messiah's name on up piece of paper, sealed it and asked his followers not to open it till after his death and what it was. Read it shocked the Jews in Jerusalem, especially his followers for it.

Read Yehoshua yes you or Jesus is the Messiah, it said, but let me let me continue.

You may not get that excited. Many have known his name, but not believe that he is the Messiah. Now were unsure as to exactly whom he was speaking because he had very different ideas of the Messiah.

If you read his writings.

You might think it's Jesus, the one we know you might not, but now you compare each category with another rabbi who came to Christ, we been studying him Saul of Tarsus. He didn't rattle a few cages. He shook the world and he is been shaking it for the last 2000 years. In his writings. Saul of Tarsus, a.k.a. Paul the apostle's conversion is so dramatic it's mentioned three times in the book of acts we been studying that we followed him.

We followed him from the synagogue in Jerusalem where he told the man to go ahead and kill Stephen the first martyr we followed him on the Damascus road when he himself was transformed. We saw him preaching in Damascus till he had to get kicked out. We followed him down to Arabia for about three years work in solitude. He reassessed his life. We followed him back to Jerusalem where he preached it up again and created a stir and had to be taken out back to Tarsus, his hometown, where he spent up to seven years until Barnabas called for him to go to Antioch and Antioch. He started his ministry from Antioch. We followed a month three missionary journeys around Galatia Asia minor, Macedonia, Greece, and then finally on that long boat ride and shipwreck to Rome.

We have seen a soldier we have read about and studied, and on compromising unrelenting preacher of the gospel and I want to ask this question and in closing out the study of the life of Paul. What kind of statement are you making with your life if you think about your goals, your plans, your dreams, what are you doing now. That will leave a legacy for later on.

Think about life for just a moment, let me frame it a little bit differently.

Tim Heyman writes in the average lifetime. The average American spends three years in business meetings is way too long.

313 Years Watching Television Way too long is right will spend $89,281 on food consumes 109,354 pounds of food makes 1811 trips to McDonnell. No wonder we got problems spend $6881 and vending machine will eat 35,138 cookies on the figure this stuff out, and 1483 pounds of candy will catch 304 colds will be involved in six motor vehicle accidents and will be hospitalized eight times that the average for men.

12 times is the average for women don't asked me to go there and will spend 24 years sleeping all of that and then you die and that's it. So that's the question what are you doing in all of this to leave a legacy. What kind of a statement are you making with your life. There's a cathedral in Milan Italy that has three arches as you go in on one arch is inscribed in stone, a beautiful rose and underneath it says all that pleases is but for a moment on the opposite far arch is inscribed cross in stone and it reads all the troubles is but for a moment and over the biggest the central and largest arch is the inscription that reads nothing is important, save that which is eternal. Paul had this uncanny way did he not of always going through that central arch in life and taking all of his activities.

All of his goals, plans and dreams and thinking of his life in the temporary with an eternal perspective so acts 28 we begin in verse 11. Paul's arrival at Rome, which was marked by fellowship. After three months we sailed in Alexandrian ship whose figurehead was the twin brothers which had wintered at the island sailing at Syracuse. We stayed three days there. We circled around and reached regimen after one day the south wind blew in the next day we came to put TOA.

We found brethren and were invited to stay with them seven days and so we went toward Rome and from there when the brethren heard about us. They came to meet us as far as appy forum and three ends when Paul saw them he thanked God and he took courage when we came to Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard, but Paul was committed to dwell permitted to dwell by himself with a soldier guard Rome at last the place. Paul dreamed of the place that dominated his life for the second part of his life he always wanted to go there. He wrote to the Romans and said I'm common.

He always planned, just a note on the literature of Luke and acts, you know that the writer Luke wrote two books gospel of Luke in a sequel. The book of acts and Luke had a style in his writing. That is, he followed the flow of travel in Luke the flow is from Galilee to Jerusalem, the book of acts is from Jerusalem to Rome and of Jerusalem dominated Jesus mind than Rome dominated Paul's mind.

Why is the answer, in part, Romans 15 verse 20. It is always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known so that I would not be building on someone else's foundation. Rome itself was a magnificent city still is.

Rome is originally built on seven hills on the Tiber River. Architecturally magnificent town. If you've ever been there, just the Coliseum in the forum, but beyond that, there was the three circuses. The Circus Maximus and to others that were around the forum and these weren't circuses like with clowns and monkeys Circus in those days was a building where chariot races were conducted. Pantheon was built by Caesar Augustus to worship all the false gods of Rome, magnificent building. They say Roman baths, aqueducts, temples, and I mentioned the forum at one in the Coliseum. At the other in the member team president right in the middle of the forum stood the golden milestone that had inscribed on it. The distances to all of the major cities in the Roman Empire was the golden milestone work, we get the old saying all roads lead to Rome. It was also a very wicked city morally. We know that from the writers themselves. Seneca Roman writer said Rome is a cesspool of iniquity, another writer juvenile said Rome is a filthy sewer so why does Paul want to go to Rome in the first place and we keep asking that question. You know if it's okay.

It's a great big city but it's filthy. Why go there the same reason he wants to go to Corinth or Ephesus or Athens because light shines the brightest in the darkest places if all roads lead to Rome than the reverse must also be true. All roads will lead from Rome.

If you can get the greatest message ever preached to the greatest city in the world. It could be exported everywhere from Rome while he goes he makes it. He is met by locals. We see in verse 13 through 15 sum, all the way from Rome to the appy forum which is 43 miles outside of town.

Just think about what that means. These believers walked 43 miles just to welcome Paul to town and three ends is about 30 miles out of town is a little closer but still walking 30 miles to meet somebody. It must have been highly emotional for Paul. Just seeing these believers because it says he thanked God and he took courage. Think about that. There's Paul walking on the road than he's told these are brothers who have come from Rome to see you and he said H became courageous.

It's not hard to understand why is it he belonged it to be there.

Member Romans chapter 1, for I long to see you that I might impart some spiritual gift and to you that we be mutually encouraged. He wrote to them, he planned to go there. He's been waiting in a prison in Caesarea two years to get there.

Took a long boat ride that took the better part of a year with delays and a shipwreck now he's come to Rome and he sees for the first time believers pause on that thought which are have you ever thought how important encouragement is to a servant of God, you know, it doesn't take much.

It didn't take much it could take a visit, a word card go so far this this week I stopped to see an old saint who used a minister around here years ago was now weakened.

I do stop by for a few minutes and talk to them for a lefty took my arm and he said thank I didn't do anything. I was just visiting him. You know, if you were this week to sit down and write a note to one of our missionaries to say I've been praying for you this week and thinking about you, especially since Sunday and told me to do this but you know how far that would go to encourage one of them. Listen to this. Paul Wright second Corinthians chapter 7 verse six.

Nevertheless, God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus. Titus didn't do anything you just came and that was enough to bring comfort just to see him did it for him. Well simple encouragement as a way of greasing the gears of ministry and making a servant of the Lord, a missionary, an apostle like this just gain enough courage to say I'm in a go all the way. Not can equip a little boy at home showed how important encouragement was what he said to his dad. Let's play darts dad.

Here's how it works. I'll throw them and you say that was wonderful little boy just knew he needed dad's encouraged let's go to verse 17 Nancy how it's not just the arrival that marked the stay in Rome but the gospel, for we read it came to pass after three days the Paul called the leaders of the Jews together. So when they had come together. He said to them in, and brethren, though I have done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers, yet I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans who, when they had examined me wanted to let me go because there was no cause for putting me to death. But when the Jews spoke against it, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar. Not that I had anything of which to accuse my nation.

For this reason, therefore I have called you to see you and to speak with you because for the hope of Israel, I am bound with this chain. Then they said to him, we neither receive letters from Judea concerning you, nor have any of the brethren who came reported or spoken any evil of you, but we desire to hear from you. What you think for concerning this sect. We know that it is spoken against everywhere, that word sect is a very interesting work heresy actually a waiver about this Christian heresy. We would like to know your opinion.

So verse 23 when they had appointed him a day.

Many came to him at his lodging, to whom he explained, and solemnly testified of the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus from both the law of Moses and the prophets from morning till evening, and some were persuaded by the things which were spoken and some disbelieve. So when they did not agree among themselves, they departed after Paul said one word. Listen to his last final message to these leaders, the Holy Spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah the prophet to our father saying go to this people and say hearing you will hear, and shall not understand, and seeing you will see and not perceive for the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them therefore let it be known to you that the salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles's and they will hear spoke from years of experience when he said that one when he had said these words, the Jews departed and had a great dispute among themselves. Then Paul dwelt to hold years in his own rented house and received all who came to him. Okay, here's the flow of Paul's time at Rome he comes any rest for three days very long. We think of the boat ride is been on three days later he's back to work is a steward of the gospel. So he brings the Jewish leaders in the first thing he does in Rome is to get the Jewish leaders now have you noticed a pattern with the apostle whether he is in Lister Derby I Tony him anywhere.

He first goes to a Jewish synagogue because he's Jewish she's a rabbi. He always starts there.

He never bore any animosity toward the Jewish nation even though they accused him falsely and persecuted him in every city you'd think after a while. Forget the synagogue and legal right to the marketplace. He never did. That was his pattern and he tells us in Romans one. I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the two first and also for upholstery in Rome wasn't exactly comfortable will finish out or look at it next weekend here in Québec we Skip weekend division Skip IT concludes this teaching. Rome's we grow we hope you've learned a lot from this series. Paul's long road to row which unpacks Paul's passion and focus on spreading the gospel to everyone he could. If you are encouraged by today's teaching of like to share with a friend, you could purchase a copy of audio CD for only six dollars or if you'd like to get the entire 22 teaching package that's available as well find out more and order today@connectwithskip.com you can also find out more about this month's special offer. Would you like the future hundred years ago Amanda John Watkins curated this facility and try predicted by the day exterminating cockroaches and mosquitoes and we no longer use the C, Q, or acts still at Xerox's truth beyond our ability to predict guidance in his word tells us everything we need to know about what's ahead. Known as the end times we want to help you understand with the future holds. I think you can understand the book of Revelation to include helpful illustrations and to study distantly.

Resources argued, thanks for your donation today of $35 or more to help keep these Bible-based teachings on the music connectwithskip.com/offer to give today to get your copy if you can understand the book of Revelation or call 800-2218 88, 892 1880 always landed at his long for destination bones. We grow, join us for the inclusion of the series next week during connect with Skip weekend division presentation of connection to God's ever-changing true it ever-changing time