And So, We Came to Rome, Part 2

Today on Senate life much needed encouragement from JD green or do not buy into the lie that you need a perfect life to share the gospel. The testimony of a fellow traveler is the most powerful testimony of all. So why church wake up wake up and pray up and sing up and read up a payoff.

Just don't give up let up or shut up until everybody in your community is because that's what the Spirit of God is wanting to. As always, I'm your host Molly's if you're new to the program today are so glad you joined us. Teaching series from the book of acts titled sense exploring the mission of the early church and today Pastor Jenny reminds us that God often uses that in the middle of storms to make the biggest impact on the lives of those around if you missed any of the previous messages in this study in the book of acts you can listen online or if you'd like to send the message transcripts download them for free Katie Greer.com now turning your Bible. Chapter 28 finally fulfill his dream of getting the gospel to Rome which is some 2997.4 miles from where the Spirit first ascended up on the church in that upper room in Jerusalem to bring us to be in the book of acts. If you could call it an ending, is about to show you – doesn't really mess because you and I are still writing the book of acts in a way were not adding to Scripture. Of course, but still writing what's going on in acts these last few chapters. Luke basically recounts for us. Paul's harrowing journey into Rome.

There are four things I believe the Holy Spirit wants us to see about our lives as we continue this journey for Paul the apostle started for them. Open Bible section 2501st one down number 11 live provocatively.

Let me I catch you up on what's happened between chapter 2025. When Paul left the Ephesian elders in acts 20 which is what I preach there couple weeks ago.

If you recall, we left there. He got to Jerusalem to observe the Passover just like you planned is what he told the Ephesian elders I want to do when he gets there.

Some of the Jewish authorities recognize him and they go tell the Roman rulers that Paul has come there to start a revolt, so they sent him to the regional governor which is a guy named Felix Felix question, Paul realizes he's innocent, but I know what to do. Sleep please Paul in prison for two years. Eventually Felix the governor is succeeded as governor by gutting Festus three calls Paul to stand in front of him not recall that Paul has been languishing in prison for two years wondering what is going on. So the first thing Paul says when he comes out to stand before Festus is Caesar thinks hey. At least this way I can get big I can guarantee that I'm to get the gospel to Rome before Festus shifts Paul off the Caesar another governor in the neighboring region, Herod Agrippa comes to visit Festus and says hey I hear that you got Paul and Festus is yet Agrippa says I've heard about this guy. I would like to hear Agrippa says this man myself been tomorrow since estimates for the rest of us. You will hearing so festive us puts on this big fiesta for all the local authorities feature strength American grievances molded in the centerpiece of that fiesta is Paul defending himself. Agrippa wants to know why is it that all the Jews hate this guy wisely imprisoned Paul's manner of life provoked a question.

Our lives should provoke a question you asked one how do you do that is when you have joy in the midst of things not going well but you show that you got a foundation for joy that people in the world just do not have your life was supposed to provoke a question that I don't get why you do what you do is your life doing that live provocatively in a way that provokes the question sees opportunities heavy in the Paul's message board chapter 26 S. LaBarbera page so that Paul goes on this role the end of his message showing all the Jewish prophets of talk about Jesus and to King Agrippa and he says grip would you believe the prophets seeking Agrippa was an ethnic Jew and he would've been about eight years old when Jesus died on the cross so you likely living in Jerusalem remembers all the stuff going down, and Paul like you believe the prophets, I know I know Agrippa that you believe it was as appalled to wait a minute, and a short time you try to persuade me to be a Christian. All this is not about you try to convert me. This is about you try to save your own life. Paul said, whether short or long with it to be a long time or short time. I would to God that not only you but also boulders your hearing yesterday might become just like me except of course for these chains. Paul's life is on the line, but he thinks hey have a given audience.

Typically Jesus to the governors. My question for you is that how you see your life call so whatever situation, whether advantageous for him or not is a platform they got a given him to proclaim Jesus. Are you capitalizing on your platforms. Which leads me to number three.

Embrace sovereignty, embrace sovereignty | begin at 727 Herod and Festus football on a boat to sail in the Caesar for the bow get swept up in a hurricane blowing out the sea.

Were they basically get lost for a month.

I mean, seriously, this guy Paul cannot catch a break any verse 21 since they been without food now for a long time. Paul stood up among them and said man you should listen to me and not have set sail from Crete and incurred this injury and loss.

Paul had warned them at the beginning of this chapter through special word from the Holy Spirit that they shouldn't do this, verse 22 it now. I urge you to take part for there will be no loss of life among you on membership this very night just to before me, an angel of God, to whom I belong and whom I worship and he said not every ball you must stand before Caesar and behold God has granted you all those who sell with you in a great bull's-eye cake to get me to Rome and he's going mumble you in with me for you to get there safely to so take heart man fry faith in God that will be exactly as I've been told, but we must run around on some island multi dealt there's a deal. Paul did not let the storm make him doubt God's control. In fact, Paul's soul in the storm God arranging an opportunity for him to share his open God as a Christian, God does not always shield you from the storm. He allows you to go through the same storms.

Everyone else is going through because demonstrating the presence of God in the storm is more powerful to them than calling to them from outside of the store is on the cancer bad that you can more persuasively say my body is in pain, but my spirit is filled with hope because one day my God will wipe away every tear from my eyes and I know that the pain that I now experience in my body is not even worthy to be compared to the glory that shall be revealed in me. It is from the grave side of a child or the midst of your third year of not being able to be pregnant or after your fourth miscarriage that you can say bless the Lord all my soul and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases and redeems your life from the pit crown. She was steadfast love and mercy and satisfies your soul with good. It is from the position of being treated wrongly for when you have been forgotten about. When you have been fired for doing the right thing that you can proclaim to others in the same situation though my father and mother have forgotten me, you will Lord will take me and you will lift up my head high above all my enemies. It is easier to proclaim hope as a fellow traveler than it is to call people in a from a place of a perch of safety who are in a storm. That's when God helps you preach your best sermons. Listening is when you been broken by sin that you can proclaim the sweetness of God's forgiveness and the healing power of his grace. Do not buy into the lie that you need a perfect life to share the gospel. The testimony of a fellow traveler is the most powerful testimony of all. One of the reasons we show 70 testimony videos around here is we know that sometimes it is somebody who is speaking from the midst of the storm can be more effective than a guy standing up here on stage for some of you think what he's got nothing in common with me. I am we had 100 destroyed all the time in various roles we have one where we always ask permission like a we share your story. This person said yes.

Here's what I want you to be able to share my through this person was coming to Christ audible address of a life of some really bad decisions. A lot of sin and he said this and I will defend it said because it wasn't you on the stage when the guy the stage that convinced me to become a Christian. It was when there were a couple of people in this church you have the same simple struggles. I had that befriended me and they share their hope, their redemption in Christ.

That's what change my heart and show be that the gospel could heal me neither proclaim Jesus in the midst of a storm of doubt have found it when I go on college campuses and I'm talking to students who have questions, they tend to listen to me more when I share with them own doubts than when I sound like a Wikipedia answer man for Jesus.

You being honest about your own questions and tell me we got this question two is about. Does that make sense. But here's my unit. Listen to your pastor, but I do still have any request I don't ever doubt you the lion or you still think that much about stuff the greatest Christians in the world have asked questions.

You listen your testimony to Christ is more powerful if it comes from within the storm in brokenness and weakness and pain, contrary to the prosperity gospel is your place of weakness not your place of strength that provides the best platform for your testimony because God did not put you on earth and save you demonstrate your awesomeness put you on earth and saved you to demonstrate his graciousness. So God puts you as a fellow traveler through storms to experience the same things everyone else experiences so we can put on display. His hope in you, and he controls even the angry winds and the waves and the husband who deserted you and the friend who betrayed you for his purposes, so embrace that God has sovereignly placed you where you are to proclaim him, which leads me to number four.

Thank you. Number four live sets. This brings us to the last two verses of entire books and flip over there. Chapter 28 list sent is Luke ends the book, verse 30, Paul lived there. Rome two whole years at his own expense under house arrest. He welcomed all who came to him proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance the ends once awesome right. Paul's proclaiming Jesus, there would nobody stop and am awesome. But wait a minute he's there on trial. Is he going to be released is his appeal to Caesar works.

Nero have a good day.

We don't know we face on the book of acts we don't know we we do know by the way that Paul wanted he intended to go from Rome to Spain. The T-bills at numbers 1522. How to get around when you go to Spain so he can be first but gotta preach Christ there. That's when his dreams, what is he make it this he did or did the dishes, get the point we don't know if the book of acts as acts ends as of often told you in a cliffhanger.

Cliffhangers are all the rage now. I'm sure you watching television into the cliffhanger topic you become a backing for my wife and I refuse to watch shows when they come out on channels and we don't want because I just cannot stand the cliffhanger, so I wait till it's over a DVR the whole season, then I would sit down on a Saturday and I watch from start to finish on the way cliffhangers are so much better today than they used to be, have told you when I was a kid, Dukes of Hazard always in the cliffhanger. But you knew exactly what was going to happen only big midair they're going to land safely exercises our works now you have no idea. That's how Luke ends this book in a cliffhanger you're not told what happens to Paul in his dreams.

Why because it's not about Lucas trying to tell you something by any but was what.

It's not about Paul or his dreams. It's about the spirit in the gospel that we know from history that eventually all would be released they would go to Spain. Many been rearrested and beheaded by Nero, why not record all that in this book. This is Luke's way of saying to the Nero's of the world.

You can kill and imprison Paul, but you can't stop the gospel because it was never about him anyway so cut off his head and the gospel goes on, always dead with the spirit remains both on places that nobody's ever gonna try something with ever tried. That's were trying not all of it works sometimes you nothing in an proverbial present.

We got a backup. We try something else.

But we just ourselves, although we keep going because it start with us and then with us, the torrential wind of the spirit we see fill the church in acts and blow Paul 2997.4 miles across the planet is the same spirit that is at work in us and wants to blow through our DU to hear the very end of our series, I want to give you, leave you with four ways that I want to ask you specifically to live sets four ways. I want you to live sent just jot these down A out you live sent in your inviting OSHA take risks in your invitations. How would you invite neighbors to come to our church that you think would never come.

One will do three things. One can grow your faith when you do that. Number two, number two is to get the spirit of God to do some impossible moments were he not for the fierce persecutors off of a horse, and he transforms and changes a person would look like for every follower of Jesus in the summer church is a God, could you use me to do something incredible because is not about me and my ability to persuade the God spirit of God. I know you were seeking and saving those who are lost. God, who is it, what neighbor what coworker what Frank is it that you want me to open my mouth and what you begin to pour through me to them. I am not to tell me stories about my kids, because always think it's annoying when people do that all the.sit not your kid, your kids are awesome I love your for your kids, or just in general. So I only do it when they do something awesome and this week I was out on my back porch and back deck and my nine-year-old just or not comes down to database for the Lord literally rose 1 of the issues of 20 or two outside, no more than two think one is a billionaire but hundreds go? And so later. This is on the kitchen counter. This note there is a couple there's a family better rings with our family. That's haven't yet crossed the line of faith and my daughter knows that she writes them hide a work of all my courage to write you this because I'm usually scared or shy in front of adults that I don't know too well.

I wanted to encourage you to keep thinking about how much God loves you and all that he did take away your sense God loves us all and he gave his life for people who bullied him to death and literally to death. There is literally, I pray for you a lot hoping you will decide to follow Jesus. God is working in you because he wants to adopt you as a part of his family, and you can become his child. I'm really praying for you.

Love in Christ, Allie is unprovoked and I can say I cannot share a lot of stories. But when the Navy followed her deep conviction. I thought I have to share them.

What is it look like for the summer church to have people that hate the courage of a nine-year-old and to say God I know that you have me here and I just want to say to somebody.

Jesus loves you and Jesus has a plan for you and that's why were friends when you live sent in your invitations once you live sent in your volunteering will send your volunteering this year and what some of you to start giving back to those areas of the church that have been giving to you people in his church, a been a blessing to you and it's time for many of you to start being one back to them also are the sweetest testimonies about this the other night. You nights ago I was one of her high school on testimony services and are as young men are church graduate high school. This year's name is Preston Preston is a remarkable young man in multiple ways, but his dad passed away a couple years ago was that was very bold here in our church now impressions give way to go off to college and somebody pointed me to a Facebook post that he put up which he talks about how after his dad died. There were a couple of men in our church who really begin to invest in him after his dad passed away and he said this at the end of that Facebook post. He said that as much as I love and appreciate there is man they would've been a failure at their job if they were the ones that I remember and thought about most. They pointed me to eternity.

They help me realize that there's a mission before me in this next stage of life, walk through that mission with the leadership of the King of Kings and my Prince of peace, and I would add my eternal father, Jesus Christ set up for the church is as we are a father to the fatherless.

We are a family net income from you sitting every week listening to a died give a sermon. It comes when you volunteer you get in ball, not even her lesson per month about talking you okay I'm talking a lot of you to treat this church like you treat your favorite restaurant not play any special or like a suitable come here for a while and I was gonna flit around over there. You need to get off your RAND and you need to get involved in the ministry of the church you go from consumer to disciple okay the people are clapping. The ones are volunteering each week really burned out as a need you to help okay so I'm want you to live sets in your volunteering. What you listen. Your generosity.

Listen we don't need your money. I hope you understand that. And God certainly does not need your money, but to build campuses in order you to reach new areas of trim new leaders of missionaries and pastors take millions of dollars, and I'm not worried. The monies already in the bank. God is temporarily held it in some of your banks right now and all you do is ask God is what you asked what is God entrusted to me that he intends me to use for his kingdom don't you start to live sent in your generosity.

I want you lastly live sent in your face will send in your faith. I want you to believe God with us for the future is not my dream it's not my ambition, God put me here because is not about Paul and certainly not about me it's not about Baldelli would be about me.

So what you begin to dream with us about the future, not just our church's future. But the mission of God in the world.

I want you to pray for that person in your workplace or neighborhood that you think would never darken the doors of the church. How would you pray for them.

Starting today every single day. I want you to pray for unutilized church assets around the country and here in Raleigh-Durham that using them as well as I have there just sitting there there churches that are dying inside and I want you to pray to one of two things will happen the galley to revitalize the church, or he would take that asset which is worth billions of dollars. Would you add them all up and put in the hands of some of our church planters or church planters like ours around the country that will take them and leverage them and use them to extend the mission of God and ask God to do that if I why want you to pray that God would dump millions of dollars on the local church, not just ours with other local churches what you pray.

That he would take all the trillions of dollars around the runaround or country but you put them in the hands of local churches in the God would give local churches the ability to be great stewards of those monies. Parents and other adults in our church want you pray boldly for teenagers that God would raise up this next generation that that that this next generation would get it and it would leave the church after high school and they would normally not leave the church of the high school but they would go on to call our nation back to Christ and to see the great commission. Spread around the world. I want you to believe God for the people in your life. Specifically, action doesn't end because it still being written and ends in a cliffhanger because you and I are writing the next chapter.

Paul got the gospel room when you get the gospel your community. We don't know because you're writing a chapter, but the spirit of God that was tearing through Paul's heart is available to you and he can write that choppers objectively see you as he could be Paul. So why church wake up wake up and pray up and sing up and read up and pay up. Just don't give up let up or shut up until everybody in your community has, because that's what the Spirit of God is wanting to do believe God with us for the unreached people groups in our day there. 6546 unreached people groups of 10,000 people or more that have no access to the gospel at all. I want you to believe God with us to ignore generation. Our generation will see all these people groups have a church, a thriving church established all the one that was your biggest too big of a really did you know that in Paul's day was of this matter. Not in Paul's day there was one church for every 12 unreached people groups are one church in order to witness would have to plant a church in 1200 doesn't even sound that undoable to me today. Listen verse 680 churches for everyone. Unreached people every church is one 680 of the people group just not say churches we would see this thing is not doing as Jesus said to come back and I would like to be sooner rather than later. Very lengthy study through the book of acts. I hope the primary message. This teaching series has been clear being sent isn't just for professional Christians we've seen over and over how the gospel goes into new areas. First, through regular people like you and me to the question asked is what's next for you. Have you considered a short-term mission trip. Are you a missionary spreading the gospel in your world or are you part of the mission field still needing to fully understand the gospel. This mission is so important to assist Senate life that we get a percentage of every dollar donated to the ministry to the mission of planting new churches we'd love to have you partner with us today when you get to Senate life you are helping us deliver these Bible teaching messages meant to take you deeper into the gospel. Remember, you're also helping start and establish new churches all across the country as our way of saying thank you.

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It's titled think back to me come to the end of our teaching series on here you can go back and remind yourself all the amazing show percent max volume 2 need to suggested amount of $25 or more, how he thinks. 335-5320 866-335-5224 go online when you visit JV.com Molly that events and that's a wrap on another powerful teaching series asked again, be sure to join us tomorrow when JD describes the radical life, new series called theory writing on Senate life changing your ministry