And So, We Came to Rome

JD gray her people constantly wanted to know what made Paul tech people are always sample you in this condition why you do what you do all you can be free.

It would be hard not know nobody told Ms. over you. Paul's manner of life provoked a question. Our lives should provoke a question test results come back with a hard diagnosis. The job doesn't work out bills are due or family member passes away prematurely. These situations can discourage the best, even in the midst of these difficult seasons. God calls us to make the most of our time and thankfully he's right there in the trenches with us as we do today on Summit life, we are turning to acts 28 to learn about how Paul furthered his mission of getting the gospel to round all well sitting around in jail.

Talk about hard times if you've missed any of the previous messages in our current study the book of acts you can listen to every broadcast online. JD Greer.com. Now let's join Pastor JD for his message titled, and so came to question for you. You have ever been either you really close to a tornado or hurricane at the beach when a hurricane came through a really bad once Rager and all our campuses. I really only been close to a tornado one time I was a high school stayed over with a couple friends.

Their parents want hold diamond and one touchdown brought about a quarter-mile from where we were were staying and magistrate of everything they say about it is true. It felt like a freight train but one of your house. It is terrifying heard about a couple guys at our North Raleigh campus who were here in Raleigh and I think it was 2011 when the tornado touched down some places in Raleigh and these guys were on their front porch in their words, enjoying the storm when they saw the wall cloud form and then the funnel cloud drop out of it. They said it was about 1/8 of a mile from their house was really close it look like they were come in their direction to these two guys sitting on the porch. One of them said when we got a go getter camera and the other guy said no we need to go get in the bathtub and so thankfully cooler heads prevailed and they got in the bathtub and I guess pulled a mattress over top of them in spoon and prayed, or whatever you do bathtub during a tornado, but they said that it was terrifying as you could hear all the destruction happening around them is no take out her house when they walked out after the tornado was over after that you pass basalt several houses in the neighborhood have been damaged. Evidently the touchdown the backyard of six trees had been stopped and for whatever reason. Adjusting the pass right over top of the house. What they said the same thing. They said it was terrifying. Just the sound of unbelievable power as it passed through. The reason I remind you of that for the reason I tell you about that is because that is exactly the image that Luke gives to the coming of the Holy Spirit asked to if you were here when I taught through acts to I talked about that that the way he describes it.

It says is like a mighty rushing wind, and I told you that mighty rushing wind is not a great translation in English the word really implies a tornado. This is no serene gentle breeze that blew through the room and you know about refresh them and gave them religious sentimental vibes that they just felt loving to whatever I happen later, but at that moment it was likely been picked up by hurricane and that kind aforesaid field, their spirits, we are going to see the apostle Paul 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. That is what that torrential wind coming into this is what it did to them in the space of a few years. The apostle Paul 3000 miles from where he started trying to get the gospel to places it has never been matched to bring us to be in the book of acts. If you could call it an ending, as I'm in a show you the book of acts doesn't really end and that's because you and I are still writing the book of acts in a way, you were not adding to Scripture. Of course, but still writing what's going on in acts this thing done. Stop Paul because it's never been about Paul Zimmerman about Paul's dreams are Paul's ambitions. It's been about what the Spirit of God wants to do in the church what he wants to do in you and in your world and your Rome as I will show you these last few chapters. Luke basically recounts for us. Paul's harrowing journey into Rome to cover all of them at once because there's a few things in there that I think are really important to learn but basically what you're doing is you're just going into Rome would call there are four things I believe the Holy Spirit wants us to see about our lives as we continue this journey, Paul the apostle started for them. Open your Bible. Section 25 want to know where to be and what you write this first one down this first one down number 11 live provocatively, live provocatively is the first thing I think you can see from his last job was with Paul here, 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 which was of course a lie.

Rome's question Paul they realize it's a lie, but they can't figure out what to do with Paul. Since everybody wants to kill him, so they sent him to the regional governor governor which is a guy named Felix I'm Felix question, Paul realizes he's innocent, but I know what to do. Sleep please Paul in prison for two years, which by the way can you imagine how difficult that was one thing to be outback just persecuted. It's another thing to just be forgotten about. For two years never been in a situation like that really got me for it was I would get it if it was persecution but I just feel like you forgot about me, but also too bad for Paul because it's during those two years.

He wrote most of the books that are in your New Testament. So if your mother situations right now. Start journaling or blogging because you never know what got to do it at all right as a Paul does. There's two years.

Eventually Felix the governor is succeeded as governor by gutting Festus. Festus is reviewing his new responsibilities when he discovers that Paul was in prison and he was to figure out why he's there.

So he 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, I feel Caesar now that was an old legal precedent where you could appeal straight to the top guide to Caesar, but the deal was you was that you had to abide by whatever Caesar said without appealing the Caesar at the this time of the got a Nero that's a guy that's not really he's a powder keg you got emotional C4 strapped to his chest at all points. This is a guy that Paul appeals to for justice, but he thinks hey. At least this way I can get big I can guarantee that I'm to get the gospel Rome will before Festus shifts Paul off the Caesar another governor in a 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 in verse 22. Then Agrippa said to Festus, by the way, Festus has to be the one of the worst names I've ever heard is not as a like Festival or faster. Uncle fester in the Adams family. I know what this name is from, but I would like to hear Agrippa says this man myself.

Then tomorrow said Festus for the rest of us, you will herein so festive us puts on this big fiesta for all the local authorities featuring Mary 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 in the anything wrong. He just, you know, like save you better get the mind of man is more and walked three. Why can't Paul be free. And here is my point.

People constantly wanted to know what made Paul to.

People are always sample. What are you in this condition, but what you do what you do all you can be free. It would be hard not know nobody told Ms. over you. Paul's manner of life provoked a question.

Our lives should provoke a question on the same circumstance you're not standing before. Agrippa, I realize that the people should be able to look at us and say I just don't get why you do what you do. Why are you so generous, why do you have such hope in such joy in the midst of pain. Why is it that you were so patient and forgiving the apostle Peter would say it this way in your hearts. First Peter 315 honor Christ the Lord is wholly watch this always being prepared to make a defense not even offense, but a defense to anyone who asked you for a reason for the hope that is within you the see how Peter is supposing that your life is provoking that question that people just looking at you and saying there's something that doesn't add up about you. Why did you do what you do so, you asked one how do you do that Peter and Paul apply that a number of different places in their letters to the church. The first one. Paul points out clutches up with reasonably how you do your work is is you should do your work. Colossians 3 in such a way with such fairness and such integrity, even when no one is looking for people to look at you and say I can tell you got a different master the money I can tell you work for different boss and the one that I work for. They should provide you should provoke the question by how you handle disappointment or persecution, or pain.

This is one I talk about a lot so I don't want to belabor it here but it is in pain and disappointment that you will find the best places that you can put the gospel on display. Anybody can have joy when things are going well and you're not in a bring great glory to God, despite showing everybody that he's made your life more awesome and there's it is when you have joy in the midst of things not going well but you sure that you got a foundation for joy that people in the world just do not have a virus when you the difference when happiness and joy got out but I'll review it.

Happiness and joy happiness comes from the root word happening so so happiness is when what you want to happen happens.

That's when you're happy.

Joy is not dependent on your happenings.

Joy is dependent on something different in many of us know how to be happy when the happenings of our life are favorable. What God wants us to demonstrate is that we have a joy that goes much deeper and much broader than our happenings in the midst of very bad happenings. We can still have joy because we have something of the world doesn't know about. I think I told you a few months ago about one of our campus pastors are brought out Riddell's dad. I'm very sick with stage IV cancer. Now you know many ways not able to do near what he was able to do in Riddell told me says is that is been a pastor for many years and what's been amazing to me is to watch that a lot of the men that my dad tried to reach for years to the ministries of his church that would not listen that now he is been able to impact them lead to Christ is well. Riddell said it. He said it appears that the sermons my dad is preaching from his cancer bad or more effective and louder and more persuasive than anything he ever said from the stage in the pulpit. It is in the midst of pain that you are able to provoke that question. That's when you preach the best sermons is your generosity of spirit that are provoke a question just a generosity that makes people say. I mean, you're beyond nice. There's just something about you that's extravagantly generous heard a story this week my wife shared with me. She thinks all this on Facebook or she had a conversation about this got our church that I know that was going somewhere here in Durham and those got broken on the side of the road to the Steiner church. That's the help this guy and it turns out the guys Carlsberg now is figured out it's the alternator so the guys a man I just I am not sure what to do and I have no money. I have no credit.

I just 08 he says would you he says I hate to ask this, but could you could you blow me some money that I can get this alternator fix them we got from our church… To limits as well. I do have money. He says, but no I will not loan you the money to get your alternator fixed is that I will give you the money to get your alternator fix is that I'm going to take care of this for you and all I needed to spot me for a week or two that I'll get paid and opt out payback. I said no I just want to give this to you as a gift and out. This donnybrook announced that he civil cases. I told Jeff that why would you please pain what are you doing this he said well since you asked, he said on the church that I go to what we believe what we teach what the Bible says is that God is been extravagantly generous for us when we were in a situation much worse than this one.

God did not loan us the blood of Jesus. He gave it to us. And so our church teaches that any time that we have a chance to show the kind of extravagant generosity is that we ought to this guy on the southern roses what church you go to reason why go to the summer church. He said he said here's what I have been I have about three hours only to other people and stopped to help and both of them were from the summer church listen to one got about email one formula for money. These are what is it about your church seed that is the kind of generosity that provokes the question were taught is to raise the question. I don't get it. Beyond nice humble what you do with your money order provoke the question near the average person in churches like ours gives 2.4% to the mission of God, the average American outside of churches like ours gives 2% really thought that extra .4% provokes the question most people assume the Christians are just people who are moderately more moral because we got a guilt complex. They don't assume there were people who live for entirely different kingdom generosity was supposed to beg the question not where you will more moral than I am. But there must be an investment fund that you have that I don't know about an invisible kingdom.

I cannot see your supposed to live in a way that provokes the question or something years ago that really help me think through this God's way and he said if you're going to do with your money.

What God tells you to do with your money. Listen to me at least three steps behind everybody else the same amount of money as you he said here's what I want you not to go in debt because the Bible tells you not to go in unsecured debt besets when everybody else is wanted up on a credit card to buy new clothes, lumber vacations, eat out, naughty out on you not to be doing that what you want, step by the number two ties, which means you can give 10% what God gives you back to him.

He says nothing to big old chunk out your budget. You can notice that to said number three you're gonna say because Proverbs tells you that's wise for the future is that when you do those three things your lifestyle right now is to be dramatically different than everybody that makes the same amount of money is you and your notice that, and so are they your life was supposed to provoke a question that I don't get why you do what you do is your life doing that when is the last time some I look at your life and said you've got to tell me what make sense of this madness live provocatively in a way that provokes the question sees opportunities at the end of Paul's message board chapter 26 S. LaBarbera page so that Paul goes on this role the end of his message showing how all the Jewish prophets of talk about Jesus and the will to King Agrippa and he says grip would you believe the prophets usually King Agrippa was an ethnic Jew and that 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 in Paul's like you believe the prophets, I know I know Agrippa that you believe it was as appalled will 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 would 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 they have been given an audience differently Jesus to the governors.

My question for you is that how you see your life.

Is that how you see your profession. Maybe God made you a doctor, not just because you are good medicine not just because it's a great way for you to provide for your family. Maybe he made you a doctor because he use that platform to give you a chance to share the gospel with other people who might otherwise not hear it. And by the way, when I say that am I talking about you doing something unethical and violate the doctor-patient whatever, but I'm thinking more about your peers. Maybe God made you a teacher so that you could have a platform to share Christ with other teachers in a way that's much more effective in how I could do it in here. Maybe God made you an athlete so that you could share Christ with other athletes because you know you guys think you listen to those of us or you don't like your great athletes so maybe it is that God put you there because he wanted to give you a platform to proclaim him college and high school students. Do you realize that you are on the single greatest unreached mission field in America. Maybe in high school and in college. You're not just there to get good grades. You are there to get good grades, you should do that. You're not just there to get great grades and set yourself up for a job maybe God has a strategic purpose for the 4568 12 years that you're in the be in that stage of life and maybe it is to use you as a witness. Also 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 | beginning chapter 27. Impressiveness football on a boat to sail to Caesar for the bow get swept up in a hurricane blowing out the sea.

Were they basically get lost for a month and 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 habit and listen to them. So this is Paul's divine. I informed you thusly moments.

Verse 22 now I urge you to take Harper there will be no loss of life among you, all 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 whole 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 as good of mumble Ewing 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 pipe. 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 hope in God. See verse 37 tells us there were 275 other prisoners or other people on the boat was oddball. Some work prisoners like him some soldiers and some are just travelers who picked the wrong boat but in that moment they're not prisoners of soldiers and travelers.

They've all got one thing in common and that is they are terrified and think they're about to die and so Paul takes off his apostle had and puts on his fellow traveler had and says now I as a fellow traveler in the same condition you are going to be able to tell you about the hope that I have in God that comes from the gospel 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 so that you can show them what hope from waving in the storm looks like what it's like to experience the presence of God in the midst of the storm because demonstrating the presence of God in the storm is more powerful to have them been calling from outside helping you learn to weather the storms of your life. You're listening to Pastor Jenny Greer in this assignment. Life we are in a series titled St. if he missed any of the previous messages you can listen to them online.

Jenny Greer.com and while you're online. You can also download the complete edited message transcripts seek and follow along and study further. Not JD.

We talked quite often about how we want our listeners to get connected to a local church and as it turned out as part of our mission here at Summit life. We've helped plant churches in cities all across the country can remind us how to find one of these church plant yet. We want you are Summit life listeners to be part of our mission.

That's the whole idea is not that that you're listening to us talk about it that you become part of you that the prayer you can do that by becoming a financial partner with us.

We are all part of one body of Christ, and we love to think about her Summit life community is as being together on mission actually back Molly it we we have some new churches that are to be launching soon in Orlando, one in St. Louis and one in Myrtle Beach that Molly let me take a minute to talk specifically to think they call them empty-nesters.

You might be considering moving to be closer to family. The grandchildren I'm here's here's a bold challenge, why not consider joining with one of her church plants in in your new city. I know that's a new thing will be uncomfortable, but here's a chance to be a part of something new that you reach a whole new group of people and they could could use the wisdom and the life experience that God has put into you that God could use that strategy to Greer.com there's a link in the bottom footer of every page to a list of all of our churches. You can find out about maybe there's one in your city already. If you want to be cities, you could just reach out to the pasture and and tell them where you are. You heard about how you get connected.

Consider joining the launch team in one of these. One of these other cities while you're on the website and make sure you look at our latest resource volume 2 of the study guide compensate and it was created for you are Summit life. This personal guidebook is jampacked with commentaries, study questions and topics for personal ask for your copy today when you get $25 or more to the street. Just give us a call 552 26 552 24 volumes one and two are both available when you get online dating and all of arsenic collaborative churches around the country. There's even one Molly that if it's dictating remind my next Thursday on my ministry