1 00:00:01,930 --> 00:00:02,990 Praise the Lord. 2 00:00:04,150 --> 00:00:06,190 It is very good to be here. 3 00:00:06,690 --> 00:00:14,940 I just want to greet you all in 4 00:00:14,940 --> 00:00:16,720 the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. 5 00:00:19,020 --> 00:00:24,520 There's just so much in that that we 6 00:00:24,520 --> 00:00:27,930 just can rejoice in. 7 00:00:29,710 --> 00:00:31,870 A little verse that came through my mind 8 00:00:31,870 --> 00:00:34,050 this morning a lot was Psalms. 9 00:00:34,210 --> 00:00:37,690 I like that psalm that says, if I 10 00:00:37,690 --> 00:00:40,690 can quote it now, it's, because you have 11 00:00:40,690 --> 00:00:45,710 been my help I will rejoice in the 12 00:00:45,710 --> 00:00:46,930 shadow of your wings. 13 00:00:47,790 --> 00:00:50,190 And it just forms this picture of a 14 00:00:50,190 --> 00:00:54,390 brooding hen, you know, with her chiclets, chickens. 15 00:00:55,510 --> 00:00:58,210 And that's where we need to be found. 16 00:00:58,610 --> 00:01:04,470 That's where probably many times the Lord clucks 17 00:01:04,470 --> 00:01:06,210 like a chicken to get us back. 18 00:01:06,450 --> 00:01:08,510 And we need to be tuned to hear 19 00:01:08,510 --> 00:01:09,290 that cluck. 20 00:01:10,890 --> 00:01:15,470 Anyhow, if we're under that wing, then we 21 00:01:15,470 --> 00:01:19,310 are protected. 22 00:01:20,810 --> 00:01:23,430 Another verse, while Rob was speaking, I was 23 00:01:23,430 --> 00:01:27,510 just really blessed with a verse somewhere in 24 00:01:27,510 --> 00:01:30,410 John where it talks about these things that 25 00:01:30,410 --> 00:01:35,870 speak unto you, that you shall have peace 26 00:01:35,870 --> 00:01:36,850 in the world. 27 00:01:36,930 --> 00:01:40,030 You have tribulations, but I have overcome the 28 00:01:40,030 --> 00:01:40,310 world. 29 00:01:41,290 --> 00:01:42,890 And that's yet another thing that we can 30 00:01:42,890 --> 00:01:43,990 just rejoice in. 31 00:01:48,080 --> 00:01:50,100 Rejoice under the shadow of his wings. 32 00:01:52,220 --> 00:01:55,240 And many other countless things just kind of 33 00:01:55,240 --> 00:01:58,260 fit that whole pattern of God being good 34 00:01:58,260 --> 00:02:03,310 and how that, oh, just some little thoughts 35 00:02:03,310 --> 00:02:05,590 of how there in John it says, the 36 00:02:05,590 --> 00:02:08,169 Gospel of John, soon after it starts in, 37 00:02:08,210 --> 00:02:10,570 it says that the law came through Moses, 38 00:02:10,750 --> 00:02:13,590 but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 39 00:02:14,630 --> 00:02:15,970 And I just had to ponder on that 40 00:02:15,970 --> 00:02:21,530 a bit how, if you read into it 41 00:02:21,530 --> 00:02:22,810 a little bit, it seems like the law 42 00:02:22,810 --> 00:02:24,470 was missing this grace and truth. 43 00:02:25,250 --> 00:02:27,350 The intent of the law was good, but 44 00:02:27,350 --> 00:02:29,890 how it worked itself out throughout generations, it 45 00:02:29,890 --> 00:02:33,790 seemed like grace and truth just somehow lacked 46 00:02:33,790 --> 00:02:34,430 there. 47 00:02:35,970 --> 00:02:38,130 But not so with the Lord Jesus. 48 00:02:39,790 --> 00:02:41,550 He brought us grace and truth. 49 00:02:44,940 --> 00:02:45,860 Let's rejoice in that. 50 00:02:47,160 --> 00:02:48,580 The world goes on. 51 00:02:48,860 --> 00:02:53,780 It has its things that it rejoices in. 52 00:02:54,080 --> 00:02:54,940 It's short-lived. 53 00:02:56,000 --> 00:02:58,880 There's a destination for those kinds of pleasure 54 00:02:58,880 --> 00:02:59,980 rejoicings. 55 00:03:00,940 --> 00:03:02,340 No, I think what we're talking about here 56 00:03:02,340 --> 00:03:05,560 is, is something that we have, we have 57 00:03:05,560 --> 00:03:07,860 a faith in, we have a hope for, 58 00:03:09,100 --> 00:03:11,900 the things that it cannot be seen necessarily, 59 00:03:12,660 --> 00:03:13,740 but we still hope for it. 60 00:03:15,880 --> 00:03:19,600 And, and that way our rejoicing is very 61 00:03:19,600 --> 00:03:20,540 different than the world. 62 00:03:22,460 --> 00:03:24,280 The world will always have tribulation. 63 00:03:26,680 --> 00:03:28,440 It will always have the woe is me, 64 00:03:30,200 --> 00:03:33,040 the here I am again stuck, or something, 65 00:03:33,080 --> 00:03:33,840 something like that. 66 00:03:33,980 --> 00:03:35,760 Just, you name it. 67 00:03:35,880 --> 00:03:37,880 The turkeys die, the chickens get sick. 68 00:03:39,100 --> 00:03:40,900 I don't have to mention all those things, 69 00:03:41,040 --> 00:03:42,200 but just, that's how it goes. 70 00:03:42,880 --> 00:03:44,740 But that happens to the Christians too. 71 00:03:44,960 --> 00:03:48,840 It's, it's, it's the attitude we have when 72 00:03:48,840 --> 00:03:51,520 those things come that put us in that 73 00:03:51,520 --> 00:03:54,380 different, in that different category, in the kingdom 74 00:03:54,380 --> 00:03:54,900 of God. 75 00:03:57,210 --> 00:04:06,980 So, well, I guess I'll do 76 00:04:06,980 --> 00:04:09,040 another little lesson on Acts. 77 00:04:09,760 --> 00:04:12,240 We're getting back there towards the end. 78 00:04:15,149 --> 00:04:19,070 And I just want to keep pointing out 79 00:04:19,070 --> 00:04:21,210 some things that are of interest to me 80 00:04:21,210 --> 00:04:23,790 and that stand out to me, and I 81 00:04:23,790 --> 00:04:25,610 think they do to you all as well. 82 00:04:29,830 --> 00:04:32,850 The other little thing I had spoken up 83 00:04:32,850 --> 00:04:35,710 with in my living room, and it's recorded 84 00:04:35,710 --> 00:04:38,010 and stuff, and it didn't know for sure 85 00:04:38,010 --> 00:04:39,790 how good it came out and stuff, but 86 00:04:39,790 --> 00:04:41,850 just some thoughts in review. 87 00:04:42,230 --> 00:04:45,490 I, I just really, I, it seems like 88 00:04:45,490 --> 00:04:49,290 I can read through the Acts here and 89 00:04:49,290 --> 00:04:51,790 find new things about all the time, and 90 00:04:51,790 --> 00:04:55,290 just things to, to meditate on that are 91 00:04:55,290 --> 00:04:58,970 good, things to question myself in, see if 92 00:04:58,970 --> 00:04:59,470 I'm right. 93 00:05:00,170 --> 00:05:03,570 And the first thing would be, and if 94 00:05:03,570 --> 00:05:05,650 you all want to page to Acts 23, 95 00:05:06,890 --> 00:05:10,550 I'll just read verse, my main, my main 96 00:05:10,550 --> 00:05:12,810 chapters are 25 and 26, that's where I'm 97 00:05:12,810 --> 00:05:15,850 going, but just in review a few things 98 00:05:15,850 --> 00:05:16,130 there. 99 00:05:19,060 --> 00:05:22,200 It says, Paul earnestly beholding to counsel said, 100 00:05:22,320 --> 00:05:24,200 men and brethren, I have lived in all 101 00:05:24,200 --> 00:05:26,500 good conscience before God until this day. 102 00:05:27,960 --> 00:05:29,720 And it was then that the high priest 103 00:05:29,720 --> 00:05:32,720 got really upset and, and smitten him on 104 00:05:32,720 --> 00:05:33,540 the, on his mouth. 105 00:05:37,060 --> 00:05:39,200 I think Paul was saying this with a 106 00:05:39,200 --> 00:05:40,900 true, sincere, honest heart. 107 00:05:41,520 --> 00:05:43,740 He had a good conscience before God. 108 00:05:46,080 --> 00:05:48,380 He had not acted out of deceit or, 109 00:05:48,460 --> 00:05:52,920 or vain or, or any way that was, 110 00:05:53,100 --> 00:05:54,260 was crafty. 111 00:05:59,230 --> 00:06:01,590 But, but the accusations against him were not 112 00:06:01,590 --> 00:06:01,850 so. 113 00:06:02,010 --> 00:06:04,810 The accusations against him, maybe we'll read it 114 00:06:04,810 --> 00:06:07,770 today, were like, he is, he is the 115 00:06:07,770 --> 00:06:08,610 leader of a cult. 116 00:06:08,850 --> 00:06:09,970 He is a part of the ring. 117 00:06:10,630 --> 00:06:12,110 He is a ring leader of a cult. 118 00:06:12,430 --> 00:06:14,090 He profanes the temple. 119 00:06:17,450 --> 00:06:20,250 Notorious man, like they, they were after him 120 00:06:20,250 --> 00:06:22,790 in a, in a bad way. 121 00:06:23,690 --> 00:06:26,790 But through all that, Paul still, he just, 122 00:06:26,930 --> 00:06:29,350 he just knew he had a clear conscience 123 00:06:29,350 --> 00:06:30,130 before God. 124 00:06:34,760 --> 00:06:36,360 And so I want to touch on a 125 00:06:36,360 --> 00:06:38,500 few verses that relate to that. 126 00:06:39,120 --> 00:06:42,660 And the first one, I'll go to 1st 127 00:06:42,660 --> 00:06:43,340 Timothy 1. 128 00:06:43,540 --> 00:06:46,800 This is again, Paul speaking about having a 129 00:06:46,800 --> 00:06:47,420 clear conscience. 130 00:06:56,860 --> 00:07:00,840 1st Timothy 1, 18. 131 00:07:02,420 --> 00:07:05,820 This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, 132 00:07:06,040 --> 00:07:09,260 according to the prophecy which went before on 133 00:07:09,260 --> 00:07:12,620 thee, that thou by them mightest war a 134 00:07:12,620 --> 00:07:17,160 good warfare, holding faith and good conscience, which 135 00:07:17,160 --> 00:07:20,740 some having put away concerning faith have been, 136 00:07:21,260 --> 00:07:22,240 have made shipwreck. 137 00:07:22,740 --> 00:07:24,760 And then he gets specific and he says, 138 00:07:25,560 --> 00:07:28,740 who is Hymenaeus and Alexandria, whom I have 139 00:07:28,740 --> 00:07:30,680 delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not 140 00:07:30,680 --> 00:07:31,460 to blaspheme. 141 00:07:34,880 --> 00:07:36,780 Still it's specific in who it was, but 142 00:07:36,780 --> 00:07:38,520 what actually happened, I don't, I don't really 143 00:07:38,520 --> 00:07:38,780 know. 144 00:07:38,920 --> 00:07:41,240 Some kind of act of blaspheming. 145 00:07:42,680 --> 00:07:44,380 They probably were crafty. 146 00:07:44,560 --> 00:07:46,980 They probably were deceitful in their handlings of 147 00:07:46,980 --> 00:07:52,660 facts, their handlings of, you know, trying to 148 00:07:52,660 --> 00:07:55,820 maybe manipulate or pull, pull people to themselves 149 00:07:55,820 --> 00:07:57,840 away from Paul is what I am suspicious 150 00:07:57,840 --> 00:07:58,160 of. 151 00:07:58,320 --> 00:08:03,020 And that was called blaspheming, an act worthy 152 00:08:03,020 --> 00:08:04,460 to be delivered unto Satan. 153 00:08:08,600 --> 00:08:10,700 And so Paul here was encouraging Timothy to 154 00:08:10,700 --> 00:08:12,300 hold, hold the faith. 155 00:08:13,260 --> 00:08:15,200 Seems like somewhere else he said something about 156 00:08:15,200 --> 00:08:18,660 holding the mystery of a faith, holding the 157 00:08:18,660 --> 00:08:22,320 mystery of faith in a clear conscience. 158 00:08:23,680 --> 00:08:26,560 If someone has that reference, I think we're, 159 00:08:27,800 --> 00:08:29,480 I think it's right in here too somewhere, 160 00:08:29,620 --> 00:08:30,360 if I remember right. 161 00:08:33,409 --> 00:08:36,210 First Timothy 6, holding to the mystery of 162 00:08:36,210 --> 00:08:37,809 faith with a, with a clear conscience, is 163 00:08:37,809 --> 00:08:38,150 that where it is? 164 00:08:44,660 --> 00:08:46,220 It's, it's somewhere in there. 165 00:08:46,300 --> 00:08:47,000 It's what it says. 166 00:08:47,380 --> 00:08:50,980 And so it's yet another, another thing that 167 00:08:50,980 --> 00:08:54,040 Paul said, you know, that's an important ingredient 168 00:08:54,040 --> 00:08:55,780 for our Christian walk. 169 00:08:56,740 --> 00:08:58,980 And I want that. 170 00:08:59,380 --> 00:09:00,700 I think we should all desire that. 171 00:09:01,220 --> 00:09:03,860 And I'm confident that you all do desire 172 00:09:03,860 --> 00:09:04,080 that. 173 00:09:05,080 --> 00:09:06,900 This is what, this is what the Apostle 174 00:09:06,900 --> 00:09:07,480 Paul had. 175 00:09:07,980 --> 00:09:11,260 And he professed it before the high priest 176 00:09:11,260 --> 00:09:13,240 and the council there, and he got smit 177 00:09:13,240 --> 00:09:13,900 on his mouth. 178 00:09:20,200 --> 00:09:20,820 Okay. 179 00:09:21,600 --> 00:09:25,340 Second Corinthians 4, another good verse to go 180 00:09:25,340 --> 00:09:28,940 to for that. 181 00:09:36,620 --> 00:09:41,000 Second Corinthians 4 verse 2, but have renounced 182 00:09:41,000 --> 00:09:42,500 the hidden things of dishonesty. 183 00:09:43,720 --> 00:09:44,940 Let me read verse 1. 184 00:09:45,360 --> 00:09:48,140 Therefore seeing we have this ministry as we 185 00:09:48,140 --> 00:09:50,080 have received mercy, we faint not. 186 00:09:51,860 --> 00:09:53,220 Like saying we don't give up. 187 00:09:54,420 --> 00:09:58,340 But having renounced things of dishonesty, not walking 188 00:09:58,340 --> 00:10:01,200 in craftiness nor handling the word of God 189 00:10:01,200 --> 00:10:05,300 deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth, commending 190 00:10:05,300 --> 00:10:08,120 ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight 191 00:10:08,120 --> 00:10:08,660 of God. 192 00:10:11,590 --> 00:10:16,410 I guess if I would, it kind of 193 00:10:16,410 --> 00:10:26,000 holds its own without too much emphasis, just 194 00:10:26,000 --> 00:10:29,320 how the things of dishonesty are to be 195 00:10:29,320 --> 00:10:29,880 rejected. 196 00:10:31,580 --> 00:10:33,560 The handling of God's word deceitfully is to 197 00:10:33,560 --> 00:10:36,840 be worked against. 198 00:10:38,420 --> 00:10:43,000 These are things that I think they want 199 00:10:43,000 --> 00:10:44,380 to just kind of naturally rise up in 200 00:10:44,380 --> 00:10:45,240 our flesh sometimes. 201 00:10:47,880 --> 00:10:49,220 It's a part of the battle. 202 00:10:50,880 --> 00:10:53,240 But like it says somewhere in the scriptures 203 00:10:53,240 --> 00:10:55,980 that there is no temptation so great that 204 00:10:55,980 --> 00:10:57,260 God does not give us a way of 205 00:10:57,260 --> 00:10:57,620 escape. 206 00:11:00,410 --> 00:11:01,870 And that's just yet another thing that we 207 00:11:01,870 --> 00:11:03,450 can have. 208 00:11:03,770 --> 00:11:07,770 That's yet another thing that we do have 209 00:11:07,770 --> 00:11:10,930 if we find ourselves under the, you know, 210 00:11:10,990 --> 00:11:12,710 rejoicing under the shadow of his wings. 211 00:11:17,170 --> 00:11:17,590 All right. 212 00:11:21,500 --> 00:11:24,080 Yeah, it might seem like I go through 213 00:11:24,080 --> 00:11:25,780 these things, there's going to be different things 214 00:11:25,780 --> 00:11:27,380 to talk on and different things that stand 215 00:11:27,380 --> 00:11:29,840 out to me, but that's just a little 216 00:11:29,840 --> 00:11:30,540 bit how it goes. 217 00:11:30,700 --> 00:11:32,620 When you read through Acts, there's just a 218 00:11:32,620 --> 00:11:39,330 lot going on, a lot that's good. 219 00:11:39,630 --> 00:11:40,450 It's just good for us. 220 00:11:43,670 --> 00:11:45,130 A couple of quick things there through Acts 221 00:11:45,130 --> 00:11:45,730 23. 222 00:11:51,170 --> 00:11:52,350 Yeah, I thought I had a few. 223 00:11:52,650 --> 00:11:57,210 Okay, verse 11 says, 23 verse 11, and 224 00:11:57,210 --> 00:11:59,290 the night following the Lord stood by him 225 00:11:59,290 --> 00:12:00,850 and said, be of good cheer. 226 00:12:00,850 --> 00:12:04,210 Here the Lord himself came to the sight 227 00:12:04,210 --> 00:12:07,030 of Paul, to his sight, and he said, 228 00:12:07,170 --> 00:12:16,400 be of good cheer, Paul, for as thou 229 00:12:16,400 --> 00:12:18,940 hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must 230 00:12:18,940 --> 00:12:21,060 thou bear witness also at Rome. 231 00:12:22,640 --> 00:12:25,000 And that verse helps me a little bit 232 00:12:25,000 --> 00:12:29,180 in understanding why Paul might have appealed to 233 00:12:29,180 --> 00:12:34,580 Caesar, Augustus Caesar, I believe, why he chose 234 00:12:34,580 --> 00:12:37,600 this hard path of when he was given 235 00:12:37,600 --> 00:12:39,020 the option to go all the way to 236 00:12:39,020 --> 00:12:39,280 Rome. 237 00:12:40,580 --> 00:12:45,600 And the Lord had already told him in 238 00:12:45,600 --> 00:12:49,460 a vision that he must bear witness in 239 00:12:49,460 --> 00:12:49,760 Rome. 240 00:12:51,180 --> 00:12:53,060 He must preach the good news in Rome. 241 00:12:54,080 --> 00:12:56,500 So I don't know, am I just reading 242 00:12:56,500 --> 00:12:57,880 into it to make that link or not, 243 00:12:58,100 --> 00:13:00,540 but it stood out to me that further 244 00:13:00,540 --> 00:13:02,840 back we'll read maybe yet how that Paul 245 00:13:02,840 --> 00:13:03,860 chose to go. 246 00:13:04,400 --> 00:13:06,200 I think it was pretty much his choice 247 00:13:06,200 --> 00:13:07,660 to appeal to Caesar. 248 00:13:08,760 --> 00:13:12,400 And then Agrippa said, if you appeal to 249 00:13:12,400 --> 00:13:13,720 Caesar, you will go. 250 00:13:20,620 --> 00:13:22,240 Okay, maybe I should just read this whole 251 00:13:22,240 --> 00:13:22,500 thing. 252 00:13:27,590 --> 00:13:29,610 Maybe starting at verse 14 there, and they 253 00:13:29,610 --> 00:13:31,410 came to the chief priests and elders and 254 00:13:31,410 --> 00:13:34,150 said, we have found ourselves under a curse, 255 00:13:34,390 --> 00:13:38,430 great curse that we will not eat until 256 00:13:38,430 --> 00:13:39,650 we have slain Paul. 257 00:13:42,920 --> 00:13:46,920 Now, therefore you with the council signify to 258 00:13:46,920 --> 00:13:49,560 the chief captain that he bring him down 259 00:13:49,560 --> 00:13:50,820 unto you tomorrow. 260 00:13:52,200 --> 00:13:57,780 This is the Jews in a very deceitful 261 00:13:57,780 --> 00:14:01,660 way, conspiring against Paul, figuring out how they 262 00:14:01,660 --> 00:14:04,840 could possibly set things up to where they 263 00:14:04,840 --> 00:14:06,020 could kill him. 264 00:14:08,520 --> 00:14:11,660 And so they went to the chief captain 265 00:14:11,660 --> 00:14:14,720 and said, yeah, just bring Paul down from 266 00:14:14,720 --> 00:14:20,700 Caesarea to Jerusalem and we'll try his case 267 00:14:20,700 --> 00:14:21,320 there in Jerusalem. 268 00:14:22,100 --> 00:14:23,560 But in their minds, they were like, on 269 00:14:23,560 --> 00:14:25,940 the way, we're going to kill him. 270 00:14:30,350 --> 00:14:33,010 It says, as though you would inquire something 271 00:14:33,010 --> 00:14:34,490 more perfectly concerning him. 272 00:14:35,270 --> 00:14:40,470 And we, wherever he come here are ready 273 00:14:40,470 --> 00:14:41,110 to kill him. 274 00:14:41,930 --> 00:14:43,130 I don't know that they told all that 275 00:14:43,130 --> 00:14:45,490 to the high council, but that was their 276 00:14:45,490 --> 00:14:47,170 intents. 277 00:14:48,330 --> 00:14:51,490 Anyhow, the story goes, Paul's sister's son heard 278 00:14:51,490 --> 00:14:53,770 of their lie in wait and went and 279 00:14:53,770 --> 00:14:55,410 entered into the castle and told Paul. 280 00:14:56,070 --> 00:14:58,370 Then Paul called one of the centurions unto 281 00:14:58,370 --> 00:15:00,250 him and said, bring this young man to 282 00:15:00,250 --> 00:15:03,270 the chief captain, for he has a thing 283 00:15:03,270 --> 00:15:03,910 to tell him. 284 00:15:04,230 --> 00:15:05,790 So he took him, brought him to the 285 00:15:05,790 --> 00:15:08,290 chief captain and said, Paul, the prisoner, called 286 00:15:08,290 --> 00:15:11,330 me unto him and prayed me to bring 287 00:15:11,330 --> 00:15:13,750 this young man unto thee, who has something 288 00:15:13,750 --> 00:15:15,230 to say to you. 289 00:15:15,530 --> 00:15:17,570 And the chief captain took him by the 290 00:15:17,570 --> 00:15:20,290 hand and went with him aside privately and 291 00:15:20,290 --> 00:15:22,250 asked him, what is it that you want 292 00:15:22,250 --> 00:15:22,690 to tell me? 293 00:15:22,930 --> 00:15:24,950 And he said, the Jews have agreed to 294 00:15:24,950 --> 00:15:27,630 desire thee that thou would bring Paul down 295 00:15:27,630 --> 00:15:33,030 tomorrow into the council as they would inquire 296 00:15:33,030 --> 00:15:34,610 something of him more perfectly. 297 00:15:35,470 --> 00:15:38,190 But do not thou yield unto them for 298 00:15:38,190 --> 00:15:40,270 their lie in wait for him more than 299 00:15:40,270 --> 00:15:42,670 40 men, which have bound themselves with an 300 00:15:42,670 --> 00:15:44,890 oath that they will neither eat or drink 301 00:15:44,890 --> 00:15:47,650 till they have killed him. 302 00:15:49,090 --> 00:15:49,650 That's Paul. 303 00:15:50,070 --> 00:15:53,370 And they are ready, looking for a promise 304 00:15:53,370 --> 00:15:54,010 from thee. 305 00:15:54,450 --> 00:15:57,050 So the chief captain then let the young 306 00:15:57,050 --> 00:16:00,810 men depart and charged him, don't tell anyone, 307 00:16:01,070 --> 00:16:01,370 basically. 308 00:16:02,090 --> 00:16:05,050 And then, and he called unto him two 309 00:16:05,050 --> 00:16:07,890 centurions saying, make ready 200 soldiers to go 310 00:16:07,890 --> 00:16:11,690 to Caesarea and horsemen three score and 10 311 00:16:11,690 --> 00:16:14,890 and spearsmen 200 at the third hour of 312 00:16:14,890 --> 00:16:15,210 the night. 313 00:16:16,310 --> 00:16:19,650 So the commanders got his officers in gear 314 00:16:19,650 --> 00:16:22,350 and they put together this, like a mob 315 00:16:22,350 --> 00:16:26,630 of troops, something close to over 400 troops. 316 00:16:27,830 --> 00:16:29,230 And they ordered that Paul would be on 317 00:16:29,230 --> 00:16:30,270 his own horse. 318 00:16:32,690 --> 00:16:35,790 And what came to my mind was that 319 00:16:35,790 --> 00:16:37,870 I'm not sure if they quite understood who 320 00:16:37,870 --> 00:16:41,330 they're predicting, other than Paul being a Roman 321 00:16:41,330 --> 00:16:41,730 citizen. 322 00:16:41,990 --> 00:16:45,850 The reason Paul even got spared the first 323 00:16:45,850 --> 00:16:48,950 time around in some earlier chapters was because 324 00:16:48,950 --> 00:16:53,710 he made it known to the chief captains 325 00:16:53,710 --> 00:16:55,650 that he is a Roman citizen. 326 00:16:56,430 --> 00:16:58,530 And just like that, they took him into 327 00:16:59,650 --> 00:17:03,109 protective custody and kept him there. 328 00:17:03,250 --> 00:17:05,290 And they were really trying to seek out 329 00:17:05,290 --> 00:17:07,630 the matter further and see what's going on 330 00:17:07,630 --> 00:17:11,109 here to the degree that they would put 331 00:17:11,109 --> 00:17:14,010 together this big of an army of troops 332 00:17:14,010 --> 00:17:18,329 to take him from one place to the 333 00:17:18,329 --> 00:17:18,450 other. 334 00:17:18,550 --> 00:17:20,930 I'm not sure, Caesarea to somewhere, I'm not 335 00:17:20,930 --> 00:17:21,329 sure where. 336 00:17:26,380 --> 00:17:29,980 Anyhow, those are just some things that stand 337 00:17:29,980 --> 00:17:30,680 out to me. 338 00:17:31,220 --> 00:17:34,340 But if we can transfer from there back 339 00:17:34,340 --> 00:17:36,680 to how Paul then actually got very good 340 00:17:36,680 --> 00:17:40,080 opportunity to speak to these Roman officers, that 341 00:17:40,080 --> 00:17:44,220 would be Felix, Festus, even to King Agrippa. 342 00:17:46,300 --> 00:17:48,200 They were starting to back off a bit. 343 00:17:48,280 --> 00:17:50,720 They were like, oh, well, especially when Paul 344 00:17:50,720 --> 00:17:56,180 started speaking to them about righteousness, judgment, and 345 00:17:56,180 --> 00:17:58,960 some other thing, like soundness or some kind 346 00:17:58,960 --> 00:18:00,200 of other quality. 347 00:18:00,760 --> 00:18:02,700 They were like, oh, they kind of backed 348 00:18:02,700 --> 00:18:03,000 off. 349 00:18:03,060 --> 00:18:04,740 And they were like, in a more convenient 350 00:18:04,740 --> 00:18:05,840 time, we will hear you. 351 00:18:07,880 --> 00:18:09,620 So I'm just not sure if they actually 352 00:18:09,620 --> 00:18:12,620 knew who they were taking into protection here. 353 00:18:12,720 --> 00:18:15,300 But in that way, God had it so 354 00:18:15,300 --> 00:18:16,760 that Paul was protected. 355 00:18:17,720 --> 00:18:21,680 And as much ministry opportunity that he'd already 356 00:18:21,680 --> 00:18:27,260 taken and done, having had to make two 357 00:18:27,260 --> 00:18:29,540 big trips and a third trip up through 358 00:18:29,540 --> 00:18:33,600 other provinces, God still had more work for 359 00:18:33,600 --> 00:18:34,880 him, even at this time. 360 00:18:45,870 --> 00:18:47,650 Maybe we'll jump up and get going on 361 00:18:47,650 --> 00:18:49,590 Acts chapter 25. 362 00:18:49,770 --> 00:18:50,910 I thought there was a few other things 363 00:18:50,910 --> 00:18:54,770 that were just good there through 24. 364 00:18:55,030 --> 00:18:57,030 Maybe they'll kind of be brought out later, 365 00:18:57,030 --> 00:19:01,150 if you all see anything being pointed out. 366 00:19:01,410 --> 00:19:05,550 But Acts chapter 25 and 26 largely are 367 00:19:05,550 --> 00:19:10,390 then Paul being in front of these officers, 368 00:19:10,570 --> 00:19:16,930 Roman officers, governors, kings, and just the profound 369 00:19:16,930 --> 00:19:19,730 things that he had to say to them, 370 00:19:19,830 --> 00:19:22,790 and just the wisdom he was given to 371 00:19:22,790 --> 00:19:24,890 speak to them in a convicting way. 372 00:19:26,290 --> 00:19:28,530 And I think it largely had to do 373 00:19:28,530 --> 00:19:31,030 that he really had a clear conscience and 374 00:19:31,030 --> 00:19:38,310 that different things that he wrote in the 375 00:19:38,310 --> 00:19:39,810 epistles would describe that. 376 00:19:40,510 --> 00:19:43,130 He would say he has not desired any 377 00:19:43,130 --> 00:19:44,130 man's gold or silver. 378 00:19:45,070 --> 00:19:48,370 Like throughout the epistles, you can see that 379 00:19:48,370 --> 00:19:51,490 Paul had a clear conscience and that he 380 00:19:51,490 --> 00:19:54,910 had always taken opportunity to preach, and that 381 00:19:54,910 --> 00:19:55,990 brought on a clear conscience. 382 00:19:57,270 --> 00:19:59,330 Many other things, you can just start naming 383 00:19:59,330 --> 00:19:59,530 them. 384 00:19:59,690 --> 00:20:03,530 Paul did it, and in that way, he 385 00:20:03,530 --> 00:20:05,350 was clear in his conscience. 386 00:20:07,940 --> 00:20:09,340 It'd be like saying that's how he was 387 00:20:09,340 --> 00:20:10,400 working out his salvation. 388 00:20:12,020 --> 00:20:14,280 I guess we all know that our consciences 389 00:20:14,280 --> 00:20:18,200 can be deceived, and those are all things 390 00:20:18,200 --> 00:20:20,700 that we need to guard against and stuff. 391 00:20:20,940 --> 00:20:23,800 But still, Paul just, he is that example 392 00:20:23,800 --> 00:20:26,260 of having a clean, clear conscience. 393 00:20:27,740 --> 00:20:31,080 And he did it through speaking in all 394 00:20:31,080 --> 00:20:31,520 honesty. 395 00:20:31,820 --> 00:20:34,900 He did it through just being a trustworthy 396 00:20:34,900 --> 00:20:35,380 man. 397 00:20:35,720 --> 00:20:40,200 Throughout all his preachings, he never travels and 398 00:20:40,200 --> 00:20:40,500 stuff. 399 00:20:41,040 --> 00:20:42,580 He would say over and over how he 400 00:20:42,580 --> 00:20:44,360 never was a burden on, never tried to 401 00:20:44,360 --> 00:20:45,860 be or never was a burden on anyone, 402 00:20:46,040 --> 00:20:47,380 but supplied for his own needs. 403 00:20:52,660 --> 00:20:54,540 Okay, Acts chapter 25. 404 00:20:57,960 --> 00:21:01,240 The 24 ends with Paul having an opportunity 405 00:21:01,240 --> 00:21:05,940 to, okay, maybe we need to just hit 406 00:21:05,940 --> 00:21:06,540 that a little bit. 407 00:21:06,640 --> 00:21:11,320 Starting in Acts 24 verse 24, after some 408 00:21:11,320 --> 00:21:13,580 days when Felix was with his wife Drusilla, 409 00:21:14,240 --> 00:21:17,380 which was Jewish, he sent for Paul and 410 00:21:17,380 --> 00:21:21,260 hurt him concerning the faith in Christ. 411 00:21:23,550 --> 00:21:27,810 I don't know, was he, it says in 412 00:21:27,810 --> 00:21:30,810 the New Living Translation, sending for Paul, they 413 00:21:30,810 --> 00:21:32,550 listened as he told them about the faith 414 00:21:32,550 --> 00:21:33,070 in Christ. 415 00:21:33,490 --> 00:21:35,470 I don't know that they were actually inquiring, 416 00:21:36,010 --> 00:21:37,590 but of course, this was just going to 417 00:21:37,590 --> 00:21:38,510 be a thing that he was going to 418 00:21:38,510 --> 00:21:41,990 talk about, the faith he had in Christ. 419 00:21:43,250 --> 00:21:47,790 And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and 420 00:21:47,790 --> 00:21:52,070 judgment to come, Felix trembled and said, go 421 00:21:52,070 --> 00:21:53,510 thy way for this time. 422 00:21:54,090 --> 00:21:56,390 When I have a convenient season, I will 423 00:21:56,390 --> 00:21:57,070 call for thee. 424 00:21:57,830 --> 00:22:02,470 We don't read anything anywhere that Felix ever 425 00:22:02,470 --> 00:22:05,590 lived up to that, where he actually did 426 00:22:05,590 --> 00:22:07,830 look for that season that he would again 427 00:22:07,830 --> 00:22:08,390 see Paul. 428 00:22:09,130 --> 00:22:13,150 All we see here is that, let's just 429 00:22:13,150 --> 00:22:13,450 read it. 430 00:22:13,530 --> 00:22:16,130 And he, he hoped that also that money 431 00:22:16,130 --> 00:22:19,410 should have been given him of Paul, that 432 00:22:19,410 --> 00:22:20,250 he might lose him. 433 00:22:23,650 --> 00:22:25,330 I mean, just in the back of his 434 00:22:25,330 --> 00:22:26,890 mind, he was like, well, if this guy 435 00:22:26,890 --> 00:22:28,310 would just give me some money, I'd free 436 00:22:28,310 --> 00:22:29,670 him up and he could go his way 437 00:22:29,670 --> 00:22:31,710 and I'd be, I'd go my way. 438 00:22:35,630 --> 00:22:38,330 Wherefore, he sent for him the offener and 439 00:22:38,330 --> 00:22:39,190 communed with him. 440 00:22:39,450 --> 00:22:41,350 Okay, it does say that he would commune 441 00:22:41,350 --> 00:22:43,850 with him often. 442 00:22:44,910 --> 00:22:49,110 But after two years, Porcius Festus came into 443 00:22:49,110 --> 00:22:52,690 Felix's room and Felix, willing to show that 444 00:22:52,690 --> 00:22:55,490 he was a favor, left Paul bound. 445 00:22:57,110 --> 00:22:59,250 Now when Festus was coming to the province 446 00:22:59,250 --> 00:23:03,210 of, after three days, he ascended from Caesarea 447 00:23:03,210 --> 00:23:03,910 to Jerusalem. 448 00:23:05,390 --> 00:23:07,830 Apparently these governors would make their rounds. 449 00:23:08,390 --> 00:23:11,370 And so, so here he was in Jerusalem. 450 00:23:12,130 --> 00:23:13,890 Then the high priest and the chief of 451 00:23:13,890 --> 00:23:17,770 the Jews informed him about Paul and besought 452 00:23:17,770 --> 00:23:24,080 him and desired favor against him that he 453 00:23:24,080 --> 00:23:27,340 would send for him to Jerusalem, lying in 454 00:23:27,340 --> 00:23:29,780 wait in the way to kill him. 455 00:23:30,360 --> 00:23:33,960 Yet another planned ambush that did not work 456 00:23:33,960 --> 00:23:34,240 out. 457 00:23:35,500 --> 00:23:37,480 But Festus answered that Paul should be kept 458 00:23:37,480 --> 00:23:39,920 at Caesarea and that he himself would depart 459 00:23:39,920 --> 00:23:41,140 shortly, thither. 460 00:23:41,960 --> 00:23:49,480 So Festus, this new governor, expressed his plans 461 00:23:49,480 --> 00:23:53,300 of going to Caesarea anyhow and encouraged Paul's 462 00:23:53,300 --> 00:23:55,160 accusers to just come up there and present 463 00:23:55,160 --> 00:23:55,680 their case. 464 00:23:57,240 --> 00:24:01,300 Let them therefore, he said, which are, which 465 00:24:01,300 --> 00:24:03,520 among you are able, go down with me 466 00:24:03,520 --> 00:24:05,460 and accuse this man if there be any 467 00:24:05,460 --> 00:24:06,300 wickedness in him. 468 00:24:08,500 --> 00:24:10,880 And when he had tarried among them more 469 00:24:10,880 --> 00:24:14,700 than 10 days, he went unto Caesarea and 470 00:24:14,700 --> 00:24:17,180 the next day, sitting on the judgment seat, 471 00:24:17,300 --> 00:24:18,540 commanded Paul to be brought in. 472 00:24:23,620 --> 00:24:25,640 And when he was come, the Jews, which 473 00:24:25,640 --> 00:24:28,300 came down from Jerusalem, stood round about and 474 00:24:28,300 --> 00:24:31,580 laid many and grievous complaints against Paul, which 475 00:24:31,580 --> 00:24:32,760 they could not prove. 476 00:24:37,460 --> 00:24:39,300 I just can't imagine the frustration for the 477 00:24:39,300 --> 00:24:43,800 Jews having, having no ability to really make 478 00:24:43,800 --> 00:24:46,920 their case in front of, of Festus. 479 00:24:49,730 --> 00:24:51,730 Try one thing, then try another thing. 480 00:24:51,970 --> 00:24:55,350 And through manipulation and many grievous words and 481 00:24:55,350 --> 00:24:57,830 complaints, they tried to make their case. 482 00:24:59,530 --> 00:25:03,190 But they just, they just came up empty 483 00:25:03,190 --> 00:25:03,670 every time. 484 00:25:09,580 --> 00:25:12,980 While Paul answered for himself, neither against, okay, 485 00:25:13,040 --> 00:25:15,000 this is Paul speaking, neither against the law 486 00:25:15,000 --> 00:25:17,300 of the Jews, neither against the temple, nor 487 00:25:17,300 --> 00:25:20,460 yet against Caesar have I offended anything at 488 00:25:20,460 --> 00:25:20,800 all. 489 00:25:22,220 --> 00:25:24,340 There's that pure and clean conscience. 490 00:25:27,780 --> 00:25:31,180 But Festus, might as well say cowarding under 491 00:25:31,180 --> 00:25:34,400 the Jews to give them a pleasure, giving 492 00:25:34,400 --> 00:25:40,200 them a pleasure, answered Paul and said, will 493 00:25:40,200 --> 00:25:42,160 you go up to Jerusalem and there be 494 00:25:42,160 --> 00:25:44,280 judged of these things before me? 495 00:25:47,100 --> 00:25:50,760 And Paul said, no, I stand at Caesar's 496 00:25:50,760 --> 00:25:53,120 judgment seat where I ought to be judged. 497 00:25:53,260 --> 00:25:55,020 To the Jews have I done nothing wrong, 498 00:25:55,020 --> 00:25:58,080 no wrong as they very well know. 499 00:26:00,030 --> 00:26:01,510 Paul just put it right back in their 500 00:26:01,510 --> 00:26:01,830 lap. 501 00:26:01,970 --> 00:26:03,490 Luke, you have not, you have not been 502 00:26:03,490 --> 00:26:06,250 able to accuse me of anything with any 503 00:26:06,250 --> 00:26:08,630 kind of validity and you know it. 504 00:26:10,190 --> 00:26:12,950 For if I be an offender or have 505 00:26:12,950 --> 00:26:15,310 committed anything worthy of death, I refuse not 506 00:26:15,310 --> 00:26:15,750 to die. 507 00:26:16,370 --> 00:26:17,810 But if there'd be none of these things 508 00:26:17,810 --> 00:26:22,050 were of these accused me, no man may 509 00:26:22,050 --> 00:26:23,670 deliver me under them. 510 00:26:23,670 --> 00:26:25,470 I appeal unto Caesar. 511 00:26:29,450 --> 00:26:32,790 Then Festus, when he had conferred with the 512 00:26:32,790 --> 00:26:37,370 council, answered, as thou appeal unto Caesar, unto 513 00:26:37,370 --> 00:26:39,870 Caesar thou shalt thou go. 514 00:26:41,570 --> 00:26:44,630 This would be the verse that I was 515 00:26:44,630 --> 00:26:49,950 earlier making a connection with Paul already having 516 00:26:50,550 --> 00:26:52,810 received a vision from the Lord Jesus that 517 00:26:52,810 --> 00:26:53,670 he must go to Rome. 518 00:26:55,410 --> 00:26:59,930 And how all to explain that, to look 519 00:26:59,930 --> 00:27:00,770 at that, I don't know. 520 00:27:02,750 --> 00:27:04,550 But he knew he had to go. 521 00:27:04,950 --> 00:27:08,710 He saw an opportunity and he appealed to 522 00:27:08,710 --> 00:27:08,970 Caesar. 523 00:27:23,860 --> 00:27:26,700 Okay, verse 13, and after certain days, King 524 00:27:26,700 --> 00:27:29,840 Agrippa and Bernice came unto Caesarea to salute 525 00:27:29,840 --> 00:27:31,040 Festus. 526 00:27:34,950 --> 00:27:37,190 And if you look at some other versions, 527 00:27:40,270 --> 00:27:43,470 they were basically coming by, just doing what 528 00:27:43,470 --> 00:27:46,830 the politics do to come, came by and 529 00:27:46,830 --> 00:27:47,830 just puff each other up. 530 00:27:48,330 --> 00:27:50,190 They came to salute Festus, but it really 531 00:27:50,190 --> 00:27:53,250 was more like they came to admire him. 532 00:27:53,390 --> 00:27:58,470 They came to, maybe other versions say respect 533 00:27:58,470 --> 00:28:01,390 him, or you can just kind of imagine 534 00:28:01,390 --> 00:28:04,130 their ways about those things. 535 00:28:04,470 --> 00:28:05,850 It still happens today. 536 00:28:13,310 --> 00:28:14,850 And when they had been there many days, 537 00:28:15,150 --> 00:28:17,790 Festus declared Paul's case unto the King saying, 538 00:28:18,410 --> 00:28:21,070 there is a certain man left in bonds 539 00:28:21,070 --> 00:28:21,730 by Felix. 540 00:28:22,190 --> 00:28:26,370 Remember Felix was the man earlier that said, 541 00:28:26,630 --> 00:28:28,010 I will call for you on a more 542 00:28:28,010 --> 00:28:28,810 convenient time. 543 00:28:31,880 --> 00:28:34,000 About whom when I was at Jerusalem, the 544 00:28:34,000 --> 00:28:36,000 chief priests and the elders of the Jews 545 00:28:36,000 --> 00:28:39,240 informed me, deciding to have judgment against him. 546 00:28:41,480 --> 00:28:45,600 To whom I answered, it is not the 547 00:28:45,600 --> 00:28:48,340 manner of the Romans to deliver any man 548 00:28:48,340 --> 00:28:52,020 to die before that he, which is accused, 549 00:28:52,160 --> 00:28:56,260 have the accusers face to face and have 550 00:28:56,260 --> 00:28:59,380 license to answer for himself concerning the crime 551 00:28:59,380 --> 00:29:00,160 laid against him. 552 00:29:04,900 --> 00:29:07,900 Therefore, when they were come thither, without any 553 00:29:07,900 --> 00:29:10,780 delay on the morrow, I sat on the 554 00:29:10,780 --> 00:29:13,300 judgment seat and commanded the man to be 555 00:29:13,300 --> 00:29:17,440 brought forth against whom, when the accusers stood 556 00:29:17,440 --> 00:29:20,780 up, they brought none accusation of such things 557 00:29:20,780 --> 00:29:24,380 as I supposed, but has certain questions against 558 00:29:24,380 --> 00:29:27,540 him of their own superstition. 559 00:29:28,320 --> 00:29:31,100 And in one Jesus, which was dead, whom 560 00:29:31,100 --> 00:29:38,700 Paul affirmed to be alive, because I doubted 561 00:29:38,700 --> 00:29:41,000 of such matter of question, I asked him 562 00:29:41,000 --> 00:29:43,040 whether he would go to Jerusalem and there 563 00:29:43,040 --> 00:29:44,980 be judged of these matters. 564 00:29:45,680 --> 00:29:49,120 But when Paul had appealed to be reserved 565 00:29:49,120 --> 00:29:51,940 unto the hearing of Augustus, I commanded him 566 00:29:51,940 --> 00:29:54,720 to be kept till I might send him 567 00:29:54,720 --> 00:29:55,620 to Caesar. 568 00:29:56,720 --> 00:30:00,880 Then Agrippa said unto Festus, I would also 569 00:30:00,880 --> 00:30:02,160 hear the man myself. 570 00:30:02,460 --> 00:30:04,860 Tomorrow, said he, thou shalt hear him." 571 00:30:05,820 --> 00:30:11,780 So this is King Agrippa and Festus communicating 572 00:30:11,780 --> 00:30:19,250 about the prisoner, Paul, just helping each other 573 00:30:19,250 --> 00:30:22,070 catch up on the latest of the process 574 00:30:22,070 --> 00:30:24,570 of the case. 575 00:30:26,070 --> 00:30:29,410 And we see through that, that even they, 576 00:30:31,450 --> 00:30:35,610 um, it was just obvious that this man 577 00:30:35,610 --> 00:30:37,470 is, is not, not guilty. 578 00:30:37,950 --> 00:30:39,630 He's being accused by the Jews. 579 00:30:39,950 --> 00:30:41,870 He has appealed to Caesar. 580 00:30:42,250 --> 00:30:45,820 What do we do anyhow? 581 00:30:45,940 --> 00:30:51,280 So Agrippa was gonna just have his, his 582 00:30:51,280 --> 00:30:52,080 turn with him too. 583 00:30:52,240 --> 00:30:53,240 He asked to see him. 584 00:30:53,700 --> 00:30:58,140 Verse 23, when Agrippa was come and Bernice 585 00:30:58,140 --> 00:31:00,520 with great pump and was entered into the 586 00:31:00,520 --> 00:31:02,620 place of the hearing with the chief captains 587 00:31:02,620 --> 00:31:04,340 and the principal men of the city at 588 00:31:04,340 --> 00:31:07,080 Festus' command, Paul was brought forth. 589 00:31:11,010 --> 00:31:13,650 And Festus said, King Agrippa and all men 590 00:31:13,650 --> 00:31:17,290 which are here present with us, you see 591 00:31:17,290 --> 00:31:19,230 this man about whom all the multitude of 592 00:31:19,230 --> 00:31:21,050 the Jews have dealt with me, both at 593 00:31:21,050 --> 00:31:24,310 Jerusalem and also here crying that he ought 594 00:31:24,310 --> 00:31:25,830 not to live any longer. 595 00:31:28,450 --> 00:31:30,590 But I have found that he has committed 596 00:31:30,590 --> 00:31:33,990 nothing worthy of death, that he himself has 597 00:31:33,990 --> 00:31:34,970 appealed to Augustus. 598 00:31:36,110 --> 00:31:37,890 I have determined to send him. 599 00:31:39,630 --> 00:31:41,010 And this last verse, I'm just going to 600 00:31:41,010 --> 00:31:41,790 read it in the New Living. 601 00:31:41,990 --> 00:31:43,710 I just think it brings out so much 602 00:31:45,220 --> 00:31:47,880 of the hidden things of the case. 603 00:31:49,820 --> 00:31:52,220 But what shall I write the empire for? 604 00:31:52,280 --> 00:31:53,980 There is no clear charge against him. 605 00:31:55,240 --> 00:31:57,500 So I brought, so I have brought him 606 00:31:57,500 --> 00:32:00,180 before you all and especially you, King Agrippa, 607 00:32:00,300 --> 00:32:02,800 so that after we examine him, I might 608 00:32:02,800 --> 00:32:03,940 have something to write. 609 00:32:05,320 --> 00:32:07,160 For it makes no sense to send a 610 00:32:07,160 --> 00:32:09,680 prisoner to the empire without specifying the charges 611 00:32:09,680 --> 00:32:10,420 against him. 612 00:32:12,000 --> 00:32:14,780 It just brings out the dilemma they were 613 00:32:14,780 --> 00:32:18,120 in trying to condemn someone that really was 614 00:32:18,120 --> 00:32:18,580 not guilty. 615 00:32:21,900 --> 00:32:24,260 This is the same pattern that came forth 616 00:32:24,260 --> 00:32:24,840 with Jesus. 617 00:32:26,140 --> 00:32:27,320 Very, very similar. 618 00:32:27,580 --> 00:32:29,300 We could just go find the pages and 619 00:32:29,300 --> 00:32:30,200 it would just be very same. 620 00:32:31,440 --> 00:32:32,840 Pilate wasn't in the same spot. 621 00:32:33,260 --> 00:32:38,160 He was asked to condemn someone that even 622 00:32:38,160 --> 00:32:39,360 he desired to release him. 623 00:32:39,640 --> 00:32:43,250 But that's how it goes. 624 00:32:43,870 --> 00:32:49,470 Part of our cross is to be falsely 625 00:32:49,470 --> 00:32:50,410 accused by the world. 626 00:32:55,390 --> 00:32:57,030 And even worldly Christians do it to us, 627 00:32:57,370 --> 00:32:59,510 or those that falsely profess Christianity. 628 00:33:00,630 --> 00:33:01,910 They do it to us. 629 00:33:02,030 --> 00:33:03,710 And that's okay. 630 00:33:04,390 --> 00:33:04,990 That's okay. 631 00:33:05,190 --> 00:33:06,010 That's how it was at the beginning. 632 00:33:06,650 --> 00:33:08,670 You can expect it now. 633 00:33:15,070 --> 00:33:19,050 Something we've read so many times how the 634 00:33:19,050 --> 00:33:23,950 Jews just without any conscience towards life wanted 635 00:33:23,950 --> 00:33:25,610 to kill Paul. 636 00:33:27,270 --> 00:33:29,530 And then if we take our minds back 637 00:33:29,530 --> 00:33:32,330 over that culture and back over their beginnings. 638 00:33:33,690 --> 00:33:33,810 Yeah. 639 00:33:36,230 --> 00:33:36,690 Say again. 640 00:33:40,190 --> 00:33:41,510 Later in Rome he got beheaded. 641 00:33:44,100 --> 00:33:45,400 Yeah, we won't quite get to that today, 642 00:33:45,540 --> 00:33:46,280 but you're right. 643 00:33:51,190 --> 00:33:56,330 So my thought is how, just how, I 644 00:33:56,330 --> 00:33:58,090 think it's another reason why Paul could so 645 00:33:58,090 --> 00:34:01,350 freely write to the Galatians that law has 646 00:34:01,350 --> 00:34:02,570 become a sin unto you. 647 00:34:03,650 --> 00:34:07,650 See how this became a sin to them. 648 00:34:07,790 --> 00:34:10,590 The law that they tried to uphold and 649 00:34:10,590 --> 00:34:15,909 squeeze into their, used for their benefit and 650 00:34:15,909 --> 00:34:18,389 stuff, had become a sin unto them. 651 00:34:18,590 --> 00:34:20,210 Maybe there's no link to make there, but 652 00:34:20,210 --> 00:34:24,650 if you think back over that culture, God 653 00:34:24,650 --> 00:34:29,350 had set out the children of Israel to 654 00:34:29,350 --> 00:34:32,030 be a separate people, not to indulge themselves 655 00:34:32,030 --> 00:34:34,110 in the ways of the nations. 656 00:34:35,969 --> 00:34:38,270 And they progressed more that way where they 657 00:34:38,270 --> 00:34:43,230 fell away and they, what God had intended 658 00:34:43,230 --> 00:34:50,010 to become something good, it still was good, 659 00:34:50,510 --> 00:34:53,190 you know, but the people went and took 660 00:34:53,190 --> 00:34:56,390 it and turned it into something, something bad. 661 00:34:56,570 --> 00:35:00,110 A little bit like we, like Paul is 662 00:35:00,110 --> 00:35:02,910 encouraging Timothy that, that we are not to 663 00:35:02,910 --> 00:35:04,490 hold the word of God deceitfully. 664 00:35:05,210 --> 00:35:06,810 I think this would be about the best 665 00:35:06,810 --> 00:35:09,110 example that you could find that people were 666 00:35:09,110 --> 00:35:10,690 holding the word of God deceitfully. 667 00:35:11,630 --> 00:35:14,870 The Jews using their, their law to try 668 00:35:14,870 --> 00:35:18,010 to condemn Paul so that they can kill 669 00:35:18,010 --> 00:35:18,230 him. 670 00:35:23,660 --> 00:35:27,520 Anyhow, I just wondered whether there'd be, I 671 00:35:27,520 --> 00:35:29,400 mean, surely all of these things have a 672 00:35:29,400 --> 00:35:31,380 certain shadow in the present day that, that 673 00:35:31,380 --> 00:35:32,580 we also need to be aware of. 674 00:35:35,300 --> 00:35:58,380 God, yeah, yeah, 675 00:35:58,380 --> 00:35:58,760 you're right. 676 00:35:59,340 --> 00:36:02,460 It's, it's right here in these chapters. 677 00:36:11,520 --> 00:36:11,880 Yeah. 678 00:36:15,100 --> 00:36:19,480 It's amazing how the movie world is captivated 679 00:36:19,480 --> 00:36:23,700 by drastic, dramatic stories, and they'll even go 680 00:36:23,700 --> 00:36:25,320 to the Bible to develop them. 681 00:36:27,540 --> 00:36:30,160 And that I believe would be handling the 682 00:36:30,160 --> 00:36:35,160 word of God in craftiness and deceitful ways. 683 00:36:35,480 --> 00:36:36,740 I don't think we're supposed to do that. 684 00:36:39,530 --> 00:36:39,730 All right. 685 00:36:39,810 --> 00:36:41,450 So, so where we're at, I believe is, 686 00:36:41,690 --> 00:36:51,950 is this predicament that, that Felix 687 00:36:51,950 --> 00:36:57,710 was in, Festus in having to put together 688 00:36:57,710 --> 00:37:00,930 some kind of letter, some kind of writings 689 00:37:00,930 --> 00:37:03,490 to go along with, was this prisoner that 690 00:37:03,490 --> 00:37:06,030 was supposed to be doomed to die, but 691 00:37:06,030 --> 00:37:07,270 no one really could condemn him. 692 00:37:07,530 --> 00:37:09,150 And so it was a hard thing for 693 00:37:09,150 --> 00:37:09,370 him. 694 00:37:13,530 --> 00:37:17,890 What he wrote, I don't know, but King 695 00:37:17,890 --> 00:37:20,510 Agrippa, let's just read there in verse chapter 696 00:37:20,510 --> 00:37:23,550 26, King Agrippa said unto Paul, thou art 697 00:37:23,550 --> 00:37:25,890 permitted to speak for thyself, thyself. 698 00:37:26,250 --> 00:37:28,970 Then Paul stretched forth the hand and answered 699 00:37:28,970 --> 00:37:29,530 for himself. 700 00:37:30,370 --> 00:37:33,010 I think myself happy, King Agrippa, because I 701 00:37:33,010 --> 00:37:37,130 shall answer for myself this day before you 702 00:37:37,130 --> 00:37:39,390 about all the things whereof I am accused 703 00:37:39,390 --> 00:37:46,880 of by the Jews, especially because I know 704 00:37:46,880 --> 00:37:50,720 thee to be an expert in customs and 705 00:37:50,720 --> 00:37:53,840 questions which are among the Jews, wherefore I 706 00:37:53,840 --> 00:37:55,880 beseech thee to hear me patiently. 707 00:37:57,380 --> 00:37:59,620 My manner of life from my youth, which 708 00:37:59,620 --> 00:38:01,960 was at first among you, among my own 709 00:38:01,960 --> 00:38:06,960 nation at Jerusalem, knew all the Jews, basically 710 00:38:06,960 --> 00:38:08,520 saying the Jews know where I come from, 711 00:38:09,060 --> 00:38:12,580 they understand my beginnings, which knew me from 712 00:38:12,580 --> 00:38:15,380 the beginning, if they would testify that after 713 00:38:15,380 --> 00:38:18,320 the most strictest sect of our religion, I 714 00:38:18,320 --> 00:38:22,360 lived a Pharisee, and now I stand and 715 00:38:22,360 --> 00:38:24,380 am judged for the hope of the promise 716 00:38:24,380 --> 00:38:29,780 made of God to our fathers, under which 717 00:38:29,780 --> 00:38:32,900 promise our twelve tribes zealously deserve God day 718 00:38:32,900 --> 00:38:34,540 and night, hoping to come. 719 00:38:35,800 --> 00:38:38,620 For which hope's sake, King Agrippa, I am 720 00:38:38,620 --> 00:38:39,540 accused of the Jews. 721 00:38:41,160 --> 00:38:43,240 I think even though there was a bigger 722 00:38:43,240 --> 00:38:46,480 crowd there, Paul was getting pretty intense with 723 00:38:46,480 --> 00:38:47,020 King Agrippa. 724 00:38:47,840 --> 00:38:49,960 He knew the king knew about the Lord 725 00:38:49,960 --> 00:38:50,320 Jesus. 726 00:38:51,280 --> 00:38:53,380 He knew the king knew about everything that 727 00:38:53,380 --> 00:38:53,780 happened. 728 00:38:54,560 --> 00:38:56,440 There was nothing, it wasn't somewhere it reads 729 00:38:56,440 --> 00:38:58,160 something like these things weren't done in a 730 00:38:58,160 --> 00:38:58,440 corner. 731 00:38:58,840 --> 00:38:59,440 You know it. 732 00:39:00,120 --> 00:39:02,080 You know Jesus was deceitfully handled. 733 00:39:02,680 --> 00:39:03,400 You know he died. 734 00:39:03,540 --> 00:39:04,400 You know he resurrected. 735 00:39:05,220 --> 00:39:06,340 Are you willing to admit it? 736 00:39:09,100 --> 00:39:10,640 Verse 8, why should it be thought a 737 00:39:10,640 --> 00:39:13,460 thing incredible with you that God should raise 738 00:39:13,460 --> 00:39:13,920 the dead? 739 00:39:15,080 --> 00:39:20,840 Again, Paul pretty directly responding to, I think, 740 00:39:21,200 --> 00:39:26,240 looking at or talking to Agrippa, the king. 741 00:39:26,700 --> 00:39:30,400 I used to think within myself that I 742 00:39:30,400 --> 00:39:32,280 ought to do many things contrary to the 743 00:39:32,280 --> 00:39:34,140 name of Jesus of Nazareth. 744 00:39:34,740 --> 00:39:36,560 Which thing I also did in Jerusalem, and 745 00:39:36,560 --> 00:39:38,060 many of the saints did I shut up 746 00:39:38,060 --> 00:39:40,720 in prison, having received authority from the chief 747 00:39:40,720 --> 00:39:41,100 priests. 748 00:39:42,000 --> 00:39:44,020 And when they were put to prison, I 749 00:39:44,020 --> 00:39:45,660 gave my voice against them. 750 00:39:47,160 --> 00:39:52,380 It seems like Paul's interaction with the stoning 751 00:39:52,380 --> 00:39:54,700 of Stephen was maybe a bit more deeper 752 00:39:54,700 --> 00:39:56,360 than I previously had thought. 753 00:39:58,100 --> 00:40:00,060 Here it says, here Paul admits that he 754 00:40:00,060 --> 00:40:06,030 gave his voice against the saints when they 755 00:40:06,030 --> 00:40:07,410 were shut up in prison and when they 756 00:40:07,410 --> 00:40:08,230 were being put to death. 757 00:40:08,770 --> 00:40:15,490 And just seems like he threw his lot 758 00:40:15,490 --> 00:40:17,010 in with those that were stoning Paul. 759 00:40:17,130 --> 00:40:19,030 Even though it says, when we read the 760 00:40:19,030 --> 00:40:21,930 account of the stoning, it says there was 761 00:40:21,930 --> 00:40:24,590 a young man there guarding the clothes. 762 00:40:25,170 --> 00:40:27,230 But it does seem like Paul would be 763 00:40:27,230 --> 00:40:29,130 willing to admit that his interactions there was 764 00:40:29,130 --> 00:40:30,230 a little deeper than that. 765 00:40:31,870 --> 00:40:33,990 And I punished them often in every synagogue 766 00:40:33,990 --> 00:40:35,610 and compelled them to blaspheme. 767 00:40:38,070 --> 00:40:40,730 And being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted 768 00:40:40,730 --> 00:40:43,410 them even unto foreign cities. 769 00:40:45,030 --> 00:40:47,750 Paul had missionary trips before he was a 770 00:40:47,750 --> 00:40:50,490 Christian, but they were not Christian missionary trips. 771 00:40:52,290 --> 00:40:54,910 Whereupon, as I went to Damascus with authority 772 00:40:54,910 --> 00:40:57,610 and commission from the chief priests, at midday, 773 00:40:57,790 --> 00:41:00,010 O King, I saw in the way a 774 00:41:00,010 --> 00:41:01,770 light from heaven above the brightness of the 775 00:41:01,770 --> 00:41:04,690 sun shining around about me and them which 776 00:41:04,690 --> 00:41:05,530 churn it with me. 777 00:41:06,410 --> 00:41:09,450 And when we all fell to the earth, 778 00:41:09,550 --> 00:41:12,450 I heard a voice speaking unto me and 779 00:41:12,450 --> 00:41:15,590 saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why 780 00:41:15,590 --> 00:41:16,610 persecutest thou me? 781 00:41:17,550 --> 00:41:19,710 It is hard for you to kick against 782 00:41:19,710 --> 00:41:20,290 the pricks. 783 00:41:20,750 --> 00:41:21,150 Pricks. 784 00:41:23,560 --> 00:41:24,900 And it just again comes up. 785 00:41:25,200 --> 00:41:27,120 I think they could read something like, it 786 00:41:27,120 --> 00:41:30,060 is hard for you to go against the 787 00:41:30,060 --> 00:41:31,100 conscience that you have. 788 00:41:31,460 --> 00:41:33,440 You know better, but you don't do it. 789 00:41:34,280 --> 00:41:35,280 And that's a sin to you. 790 00:41:35,500 --> 00:41:36,780 It's hard for you to kick against the 791 00:41:36,780 --> 00:41:37,040 pricks. 792 00:41:41,620 --> 00:41:43,860 And note also how they were all fallen 793 00:41:43,860 --> 00:41:44,400 to the earth. 794 00:41:45,720 --> 00:41:47,460 It wasn't just Paul that was knocked down. 795 00:41:49,620 --> 00:41:51,020 I would hope those others that were knocked 796 00:41:51,020 --> 00:41:53,180 down were humbled as well. 797 00:41:55,800 --> 00:41:57,520 And I said, who are you, Lord? 798 00:41:58,380 --> 00:42:00,660 And he said, I am Jesus whom thou 799 00:42:00,660 --> 00:42:01,360 persecutest. 800 00:42:03,920 --> 00:42:06,160 Remember what Jesus had said, what you've done 801 00:42:06,160 --> 00:42:09,690 unto the least of these my, well maybe 802 00:42:09,690 --> 00:42:11,050 that one wouldn't fit all that well, but 803 00:42:11,050 --> 00:42:12,990 yeah, basically what we do to the least 804 00:42:12,990 --> 00:42:14,210 of these my brethren, you have done it 805 00:42:14,210 --> 00:42:14,810 unto Jesus. 806 00:42:14,970 --> 00:42:15,690 You've done it unto me. 807 00:42:17,110 --> 00:42:21,770 And so even though Paul persecuted saints to 808 00:42:21,770 --> 00:42:23,610 Jesus, it was as though he was persecuting 809 00:42:23,610 --> 00:42:23,990 Jesus. 810 00:42:25,170 --> 00:42:27,390 But rise, stand upon thy feet, for I 811 00:42:27,390 --> 00:42:29,750 have appeared unto thee for this purpose to 812 00:42:29,750 --> 00:42:31,450 make thee a minister and a witness both 813 00:42:32,190 --> 00:42:34,290 of those things which you have seen and 814 00:42:34,290 --> 00:42:37,430 of those things which I will show unto 815 00:42:37,430 --> 00:42:41,190 you in the future, delivering thee from the 816 00:42:41,190 --> 00:42:43,930 people and from the Gentiles unto whom now 817 00:42:43,930 --> 00:42:47,950 I sent thee, to open their eyes and 818 00:42:47,950 --> 00:42:50,330 to turn them from darkness to light and 819 00:42:50,330 --> 00:42:52,770 from the power of Satan unto God, that 820 00:42:52,770 --> 00:42:56,630 they may receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance 821 00:42:56,630 --> 00:42:58,990 among them which are sanctified by faith that 822 00:42:58,990 --> 00:42:59,530 is in me. 823 00:43:03,360 --> 00:43:06,240 For upon, O King Agrippa, I was not 824 00:43:06,240 --> 00:43:07,840 disobedient unto the heavenly vision. 825 00:43:08,740 --> 00:43:12,320 Again, this is Paul really making this communication 826 00:43:12,320 --> 00:43:13,360 between him and the king. 827 00:43:18,480 --> 00:43:21,220 But preach first unto them at Damascus and 828 00:43:21,220 --> 00:43:23,060 at Jerusalem and throughout all the coasts of 829 00:43:23,060 --> 00:43:25,420 Judea and then to the Gentiles that they 830 00:43:25,420 --> 00:43:28,120 should repent and turn to God and do 831 00:43:28,120 --> 00:43:29,700 works meet for repentance. 832 00:43:33,360 --> 00:43:36,180 For this cause the Jews caught me in 833 00:43:36,180 --> 00:43:38,440 the temple and went about to kill me. 834 00:43:40,020 --> 00:43:43,480 Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue 835 00:43:43,480 --> 00:43:45,600 unto this day witnessing both through the small 836 00:43:45,600 --> 00:43:48,260 and the great, saying none other thing than 837 00:43:48,260 --> 00:43:51,020 the things which the prophets and Moses did 838 00:43:51,020 --> 00:43:52,200 say should come. 839 00:43:55,110 --> 00:43:59,430 I just, again, I'm reminded how big a 840 00:43:59,430 --> 00:44:03,950 difference there is in how we understand just 841 00:44:03,950 --> 00:44:04,790 the thing that we read. 842 00:44:07,780 --> 00:44:12,780 Paul here understood the prophets and Moses and 843 00:44:12,780 --> 00:44:14,240 he understood the fulfillment of it. 844 00:44:14,860 --> 00:44:16,700 He understood it just made perfect sense to 845 00:44:16,700 --> 00:44:21,920 him when Jesus would say something like, not 846 00:44:21,920 --> 00:44:24,000 one shot or tittle shall depart from the 847 00:44:24,000 --> 00:44:25,240 law till all be fulfilled. 848 00:44:29,560 --> 00:44:32,840 Paul understood the fulfillment of the law and 849 00:44:32,840 --> 00:44:33,260 the prophets. 850 00:44:35,900 --> 00:44:37,860 And then on the other hand, when the 851 00:44:37,860 --> 00:44:42,760 others, the Jews, read these same words, these 852 00:44:42,760 --> 00:44:45,960 same scriptures, there's like this veil over their 853 00:44:45,960 --> 00:44:48,380 head and they just cannot, they cannot see 854 00:44:48,380 --> 00:44:49,260 this kind of truth. 855 00:44:53,330 --> 00:44:56,670 Okay, this is really linked together, verse 23, 856 00:44:56,810 --> 00:45:01,990 that Christ should suffer and that he should 857 00:45:01,990 --> 00:45:04,430 be the first that should rise from the 858 00:45:04,430 --> 00:45:07,250 dead and should show light unto the people 859 00:45:07,250 --> 00:45:08,190 and to the Gentiles. 860 00:45:11,160 --> 00:45:13,060 And so this is yet another thing that 861 00:45:13,060 --> 00:45:23,110 Paul understood as a fulfillment, you 862 00:45:23,110 --> 00:45:24,470 know, that Christ should suffer. 863 00:45:25,910 --> 00:45:27,430 He should be the first to rise from 864 00:45:27,430 --> 00:45:27,750 the dead. 865 00:45:28,970 --> 00:45:30,370 He will be the one that shows light 866 00:45:30,370 --> 00:45:31,950 to the people, to the Gentiles. 867 00:45:32,770 --> 00:45:35,170 And as he thus spoke for himself, Festus 868 00:45:35,170 --> 00:45:38,570 said with a loud voice, Paul, you're beside 869 00:45:38,570 --> 00:45:39,110 thyself. 870 00:45:39,490 --> 00:45:41,710 Much learning doth make thee mad. 871 00:45:46,220 --> 00:45:47,460 It's the only thing he had left to 872 00:45:47,460 --> 00:45:47,720 say. 873 00:45:49,300 --> 00:45:51,700 All through this, the grip was still quiet. 874 00:45:51,800 --> 00:45:53,140 It was Festus that spoke first. 875 00:45:56,890 --> 00:45:59,790 But he said, I am not mad, most 876 00:45:59,790 --> 00:46:02,390 noble Festus, but speak forth the words of 877 00:46:02,390 --> 00:46:03,610 truth and soberness. 878 00:46:09,320 --> 00:46:12,200 For the King knows of all these things. 879 00:46:12,600 --> 00:46:14,160 And I think so now he was speaking 880 00:46:14,160 --> 00:46:16,360 to Festus and like the King knows all 881 00:46:16,360 --> 00:46:17,000 these things. 882 00:46:17,660 --> 00:46:18,600 King Agrippa knows. 883 00:46:22,970 --> 00:46:24,710 For the King knows all these things before 884 00:46:24,710 --> 00:46:26,330 whom also I speak freely. 885 00:46:26,610 --> 00:46:28,170 For I am persuaded that none of these 886 00:46:28,170 --> 00:46:30,410 things are hidden from him. 887 00:46:30,930 --> 00:46:33,550 These things were not done in a corner. 888 00:46:34,670 --> 00:46:36,510 These things of Jesus being the first to 889 00:46:36,510 --> 00:46:38,470 rise from the dead, being a light to 890 00:46:38,470 --> 00:46:39,170 the Gentiles. 891 00:46:40,310 --> 00:46:42,710 Paul somehow knew that Agrippa knew about it, 892 00:46:43,110 --> 00:46:47,810 but just was too cowardly to really stand 893 00:46:47,810 --> 00:46:48,890 on his own feet with it. 894 00:46:51,470 --> 00:46:54,070 And then here, King Agrippa, believest thou the 895 00:46:54,070 --> 00:46:54,530 prophets? 896 00:46:55,230 --> 00:46:56,710 I know thou believest. 897 00:46:58,690 --> 00:47:01,230 And then it's this interesting, just like this 898 00:47:01,230 --> 00:47:04,050 heart-wrenching response from Agrippa. 899 00:47:05,790 --> 00:47:08,590 Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. 900 00:47:10,090 --> 00:47:11,510 Why not just all the way? 901 00:47:11,650 --> 00:47:13,130 Why not just, why just almost? 902 00:47:14,610 --> 00:47:17,110 There was, there was too much of a 903 00:47:17,110 --> 00:47:18,430 prestige in his life. 904 00:47:18,550 --> 00:47:20,730 There was too much to give up. 905 00:47:21,170 --> 00:47:23,170 There was too big of a cross to 906 00:47:23,170 --> 00:47:23,450 bear. 907 00:47:25,640 --> 00:47:27,760 The cost was just a bit too high. 908 00:47:29,660 --> 00:47:32,340 And then Paul says, I would to God 909 00:47:32,340 --> 00:47:35,200 that not only you, but also all that 910 00:47:35,200 --> 00:47:41,200 hear me this day, were both, both altogether, 911 00:47:41,660 --> 00:47:45,300 such as I am, except these chains. 912 00:47:47,800 --> 00:47:49,340 And when he had thus spoken, the king 913 00:47:49,340 --> 00:47:52,700 rose, the governor, and Bernice, they had sat 914 00:47:52,700 --> 00:47:53,140 with him. 915 00:47:54,600 --> 00:47:56,080 And when they had gone aside, they talked 916 00:47:56,080 --> 00:47:59,540 between themselves, saying, this man does nothing worthy 917 00:47:59,540 --> 00:48:01,400 of death or of bonds. 918 00:48:03,820 --> 00:48:06,040 Then said Agrippa and Hephaestus, this man might 919 00:48:06,040 --> 00:48:08,400 have been set at liberty if he had 920 00:48:08,400 --> 00:48:09,300 not appealed to Caesar. 921 00:48:13,580 --> 00:48:15,700 I thought I had a few more thoughts 922 00:48:15,700 --> 00:48:16,960 to go with that. 923 00:48:17,060 --> 00:48:27,900 I don't really know that 924 00:48:27,900 --> 00:48:28,400 I have. 925 00:48:28,520 --> 00:48:33,330 It's just a lot of things go through 926 00:48:33,330 --> 00:48:34,590 my mind when I read this and I 927 00:48:34,590 --> 00:48:37,950 just maybe might leave it at that. 928 00:48:38,190 --> 00:48:43,330 Just want to close off with a prayer 929 00:48:43,330 --> 00:48:44,910 and then we'll open it up for discussion. 930 00:48:46,410 --> 00:48:48,850 Hopefully some brothers have some thoughts about these 931 00:48:48,850 --> 00:48:49,110 things. 932 00:48:50,110 --> 00:48:51,430 Oh God be with us. 933 00:48:51,730 --> 00:48:54,790 Just want to thank you for yet another 934 00:48:54,790 --> 00:48:58,350 opportunity to read your word and to see 935 00:48:58,350 --> 00:49:00,030 the truth that flows through it. 936 00:49:00,890 --> 00:49:04,290 Thank you for grace and truth that came 937 00:49:04,290 --> 00:49:05,790 through the Lord Jesus Christ. 938 00:49:07,820 --> 00:49:10,140 Thank you that we can rejoice in the 939 00:49:10,140 --> 00:49:15,220 shadow of your wings, that in you, in 940 00:49:15,220 --> 00:49:17,520 the world, there's tribulation, but you have overcome 941 00:49:17,520 --> 00:49:17,980 the world. 942 00:49:19,980 --> 00:49:22,580 In you there is truth, the way, the 943 00:49:22,580 --> 00:49:23,340 truth, and the life. 944 00:49:23,660 --> 00:49:24,540 We thank you for that. 945 00:49:26,950 --> 00:49:28,190 We want to give our lives for you. 946 00:49:29,610 --> 00:49:31,110 In Jesus' name, amen. 947 00:49:34,650 --> 00:49:38,910 Appreciate what was shared today, Robert shared, Natalie 948 00:49:38,910 --> 00:49:42,610 shared, and I don't have a lot in 949 00:49:42,610 --> 00:49:46,960 mind, but thankful for that. 950 00:49:51,340 --> 00:49:57,500 I was thinking a bit about how Christ 951 00:49:57,500 --> 00:49:58,780 had to suffer a lot. 952 00:50:00,180 --> 00:50:06,360 It doesn't seem like he had a real 953 00:50:06,360 --> 00:50:12,050 pleasant life from his youth because of all 954 00:50:12,050 --> 00:50:13,730 the... 955 00:50:13,730 --> 00:50:14,950 He did have a free conscience. 956 00:50:15,510 --> 00:50:16,210 He did have that. 957 00:50:16,370 --> 00:50:21,810 He was right before God, but mankind, I 958 00:50:21,810 --> 00:50:23,350 think, always troubled him. 959 00:50:26,020 --> 00:50:30,860 And I think one reason that so many 960 00:50:30,860 --> 00:50:34,180 people fall away today is they think Jesus 961 00:50:34,180 --> 00:50:39,680 is this great Jesus, that everything's just fine, 962 00:50:39,760 --> 00:50:44,160 everything's just good, and don't realize that they're 963 00:50:44,160 --> 00:50:44,640 suffering. 964 00:50:45,520 --> 00:50:50,480 Paul suffered a lot, and the Anabaptists, I 965 00:50:50,480 --> 00:50:52,640 didn't read any of them, but that book 966 00:50:52,640 --> 00:50:54,920 was full of people that suffered and died 967 00:50:54,920 --> 00:50:55,380 for him. 968 00:50:56,940 --> 00:50:58,220 Their families were torn apart. 969 00:50:59,380 --> 00:51:02,700 Some were drowned, some were beheaded, some were... 970 00:51:05,180 --> 00:51:08,980 It's a distressful time for Christians if the 971 00:51:08,980 --> 00:51:12,000 law turns against them hard enough, and it 972 00:51:12,000 --> 00:51:13,100 happens from time to time. 973 00:51:16,980 --> 00:51:21,260 But there is that part of a clear 974 00:51:21,260 --> 00:51:25,980 conscience that we can rejoice in. 975 00:51:27,800 --> 00:51:30,380 I just see in one place where the 976 00:51:30,380 --> 00:51:32,640 disciples were rejoicing that demons were going out, 977 00:51:32,780 --> 00:51:34,780 and Jesus said, rather rejoice that your names 978 00:51:34,780 --> 00:51:36,360 are written in the book of life. 979 00:51:38,260 --> 00:51:44,390 I think it's okay to rejoice when I 980 00:51:44,390 --> 00:51:45,970 think of that young... 981 00:51:45,970 --> 00:51:47,430 I don't know how young he was, but 982 00:51:47,430 --> 00:51:49,830 that man that had his legs healed, and 983 00:51:49,830 --> 00:51:51,710 he couldn't walk. 984 00:51:51,830 --> 00:51:53,830 Maybe from his birth, I can't quite remember, 985 00:51:54,270 --> 00:51:58,330 but he was just leaping around and rejoicing, 986 00:51:58,470 --> 00:52:01,990 but maybe later he also had to suffer. 987 00:52:02,770 --> 00:52:08,770 Suffering is part of Christianity, and there's rejection 988 00:52:08,770 --> 00:52:12,950 that we have to go through. 989 00:52:17,590 --> 00:52:20,090 But then there's also the part of rejoicing 990 00:52:20,090 --> 00:52:26,430 and being right before God, and it's all 991 00:52:26,430 --> 00:52:27,030 a combination. 992 00:52:27,470 --> 00:52:29,550 We can't separate any of them. 993 00:52:30,970 --> 00:52:37,460 I wouldn't want to, but in Acts 24 994 00:52:37,460 --> 00:52:42,680 -25, it stood out to me, and as 995 00:52:42,680 --> 00:52:46,320 he discussed justice, this was talking to Felix, 996 00:52:49,780 --> 00:52:53,400 discussed justice, self-control, and the coming judgment. 997 00:52:54,780 --> 00:52:58,020 Felix became frightened and said, go away for 998 00:52:58,020 --> 00:52:58,560 the present. 999 00:52:58,920 --> 00:53:01,120 When I have an opportunity, I will send 1000 00:53:01,120 --> 00:53:01,520 for you. 1001 00:53:05,000 --> 00:53:07,360 And then, I don't know, I guess I've 1002 00:53:07,360 --> 00:53:09,640 read it before, but I didn't remember it 1003 00:53:09,640 --> 00:53:10,060 at the moment. 1004 00:53:11,040 --> 00:53:12,940 In verse 26, at the same time, he 1005 00:53:12,940 --> 00:53:14,560 had hoped that money would be given to 1006 00:53:14,560 --> 00:53:17,560 him by Paul, but he was just waiting 1007 00:53:17,560 --> 00:53:19,800 for a bribe for years, seems like. 1008 00:53:19,980 --> 00:53:21,540 Obviously, he thought Paul was just going to 1009 00:53:21,540 --> 00:53:26,300 give him lots of money, and the church 1010 00:53:26,300 --> 00:53:27,200 would come up with money. 1011 00:53:27,340 --> 00:53:28,600 I'm not sure what he had in mind, 1012 00:53:28,740 --> 00:53:30,800 but he was hoping to get money. 1013 00:53:33,200 --> 00:53:36,200 But when Paul was talking to him about 1014 00:53:38,260 --> 00:53:41,180 justice and self-control and the coming judgment, 1015 00:53:41,420 --> 00:53:42,480 he became frightened. 1016 00:53:47,560 --> 00:53:49,840 It wasn't something he wanted to hear. 1017 00:53:56,300 --> 00:53:57,380 Let's press into that. 1018 00:53:57,840 --> 00:53:58,560 God bless us. 1019 00:54:01,590 --> 00:54:02,670 Thank you, Brother Outley. 1020 00:54:02,770 --> 00:54:04,590 There's so many verses in there that you 1021 00:54:04,590 --> 00:54:07,850 could park on and just try to understand. 1022 00:54:08,070 --> 00:54:11,730 I appreciate Walter's comment about Festus about the 1023 00:54:11,730 --> 00:54:11,930 money. 1024 00:54:12,090 --> 00:54:13,430 I looked at the other one, too. 1025 00:54:13,730 --> 00:54:16,730 When Festus, he cried out with a loud 1026 00:54:16,730 --> 00:54:19,470 voice, you're crazy, you're beside yourself. 1027 00:54:20,110 --> 00:54:22,970 Like that, I mean, what would prompt him 1028 00:54:22,970 --> 00:54:23,590 to say that? 1029 00:54:23,730 --> 00:54:25,490 I guess a lot of times the Jews, 1030 00:54:25,630 --> 00:54:28,790 like take, for example, the man born blind, 1031 00:54:29,190 --> 00:54:32,470 and after he opened his eyes, rather than 1032 00:54:32,470 --> 00:54:34,930 give glory to the God, and Jesus healed 1033 00:54:34,930 --> 00:54:37,650 so many people in the Sabbath, instead of 1034 00:54:37,650 --> 00:54:40,170 saying, hey, this is a miracle, instead of 1035 00:54:40,170 --> 00:54:42,990 being like Nicodemus, they called the parents together 1036 00:54:42,990 --> 00:54:45,090 and said, hey, was he born blind? 1037 00:54:45,550 --> 00:54:46,650 How did that happen? 1038 00:54:47,290 --> 00:54:51,090 Their heart is not, as Jesus said in 1039 00:54:51,090 --> 00:54:54,510 Matthew 11, 25, I thank thee, O Father, 1040 00:54:54,710 --> 00:54:56,530 Lord of heaven and earth, because you have 1041 00:54:56,530 --> 00:54:58,790 hid these things from the wise and prudent, 1042 00:54:58,930 --> 00:55:00,150 and revealed it unto babes. 1043 00:55:00,590 --> 00:55:02,190 And again, in a couple of chapters later, 1044 00:55:02,350 --> 00:55:07,650 Isaiah says, in Matthew, he's quoting, I fulfilled 1045 00:55:07,650 --> 00:55:09,930 the prophecy of Isaiah, by hearing you shall 1046 00:55:09,930 --> 00:55:13,690 hear, and not understand, and seeing you shall 1047 00:55:13,690 --> 00:55:16,330 see, and yet not perceive. 1048 00:55:16,470 --> 00:55:18,890 For this people's heart is wax gross, and 1049 00:55:18,890 --> 00:55:23,150 the ears are dull of hearing, and the 1050 00:55:23,150 --> 00:55:25,510 eyes they have closed, lest at any time 1051 00:55:25,510 --> 00:55:26,530 you should see with the eyes and be 1052 00:55:26,530 --> 00:55:26,750 healed. 1053 00:55:27,390 --> 00:55:29,550 And so it would cause people to have, 1054 00:55:29,790 --> 00:55:31,430 as brother Atkins said, they get a feel 1055 00:55:31,430 --> 00:55:35,650 over them as hard-heartedness, no mercy, or 1056 00:55:35,650 --> 00:55:37,630 they just, I don't know, it's, they get 1057 00:55:37,630 --> 00:55:41,210 to a point, not really reprobate, but they 1058 00:55:41,210 --> 00:55:44,490 just, rather than seeing a miracle and praising 1059 00:55:44,490 --> 00:55:47,050 God, they would say, hey, you did it 1060 00:55:47,050 --> 00:55:50,790 on the Sabbath, you broke the rule, and 1061 00:55:51,930 --> 00:55:53,830 that's, it seems to be the mindset of 1062 00:55:53,830 --> 00:55:56,950 so many things. 1063 00:55:57,090 --> 00:55:58,550 Oh, by the way, and I apologize, I 1064 00:55:58,550 --> 00:56:00,870 said 1 Timothy 6, it's 1 Timothy 1, 1065 00:56:00,950 --> 00:56:03,810 verse 6, for that conscience thing, I thought 1066 00:56:03,810 --> 00:56:07,650 I knew that, but a clear conscience, but 1067 00:56:07,650 --> 00:56:12,350 yeah, and one of my strongest testimonies, my 1068 00:56:12,350 --> 00:56:15,130 faith is the fact that Paul laid down 1069 00:56:15,130 --> 00:56:17,730 his life for the gospel, and you know, 1070 00:56:17,790 --> 00:56:20,890 in 26, or 25, which you read, it 1071 00:56:20,890 --> 00:56:22,850 doesn't say about, he was blinded, like it 1072 00:56:22,850 --> 00:56:24,670 does in Acts 9 and Acts 16, the 1073 00:56:24,670 --> 00:56:26,630 light blinded, but when he's talking to Festus, 1074 00:56:26,850 --> 00:56:28,950 or Felix, rather, he just said that, you 1075 00:56:28,950 --> 00:56:31,290 know, I arise, it doesn't talk about his 1076 00:56:31,290 --> 00:56:34,910 own blindness there, showing, you know, hey, I 1077 00:56:34,910 --> 00:56:36,570 was blind for three days, and they led 1078 00:56:36,570 --> 00:56:38,850 me, he just said that, rise up and 1079 00:56:38,850 --> 00:56:42,670 go into Damascus and preach there, the Lord 1080 00:56:42,670 --> 00:56:43,470 be magnified. 1081 00:57:44,920 --> 00:57:50,600 Oh, teach me to number my days. 1082 00:57:51,560 --> 00:57:57,300 Teach me, O Lord, to number my days. 1083 00:57:57,740 --> 00:58:02,380 Teach me to number my days. 1084 00:58:02,380 --> 00:58:08,080 And let me be holy before the Spirit, 1085 00:58:09,000 --> 00:58:13,980 and daily in priesthood pray. 1086 00:58:13,980 --> 00:58:23,120 Life is like the sand, to dribble through 1087 00:58:23,120 --> 00:58:25,580 the grass. 1088 00:58:26,160 --> 00:58:34,920 Flowers we all fear, to perish as the 1089 00:58:34,920 --> 00:58:36,140 grass. 1090 00:58:36,140 --> 00:58:45,820 A thousand years with Thee, as yesterday is 1091 00:58:45,820 --> 00:58:47,960 past. 1092 00:58:48,460 --> 00:58:53,820 Teach me, O Lord, to number my days. 1093 00:58:53,860 --> 00:58:58,500 Oh, teach me to number my days. 1094 00:58:58,500 --> 00:59:05,180 Teach me, O Lord, to number my days. 1095 00:59:05,440 --> 00:59:10,000 Teach me to number my days. 1096 00:59:10,460 --> 00:59:17,260 And satisfy early my deep yearning heart, that 1097 00:59:17,260 --> 00:59:21,880 I may rejoice always. 1098 00:59:21,880 --> 00:59:29,700 Preach for years and then, our hope our 1099 00:59:29,700 --> 00:59:32,780 lives may hold. 1100 00:59:33,400 --> 00:59:42,060 Bleeding years we spend, a tale so quickly 1101 00:59:42,060 --> 00:59:43,660 told. 1102 00:59:43,660 --> 00:59:52,980 And just when priesthood stood, our labor we 1103 00:59:52,980 --> 00:59:54,360 behold. 1104 00:59:56,280 --> 01:00:01,720 Teach me, O Lord, to number my days. 1105 01:00:01,800 --> 01:00:07,000 Oh, teach me to number my days. 1106 01:02:22,960 --> 01:02:28,300 I must prevail. 1107 01:02:29,180 --> 01:02:33,140 I must prevail. 1108 01:02:35,440 --> 01:02:42,020 I must prevail, O Lord. 1109 01:04:51,180 --> 01:04:55,900 The first shall pass away, and the third 1110 01:04:55,900 --> 01:05:02,280 with loyal hearts will sing, glory, glory to 1111 01:05:02,280 --> 01:05:03,820 our King. 1112 01:05:05,280 --> 01:05:13,700 Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, amen. 1113 01:05:17,490 --> 01:05:21,490 Therefore, Lord and King of the Lord shall 1114 01:05:21,490 --> 01:05:29,650 return, and God with singing unto Zion, her 1115 01:05:29,650 --> 01:05:37,630 everlasting joy shall be upon their heads. 1116 01:05:37,630 --> 01:05:43,170 Therefore, Lord and King of the Lord shall 1117 01:05:43,170 --> 01:05:51,390 return, and God with singing unto Zion, her 1118 01:05:51,390 --> 01:05:59,850 everlasting joy shall be upon their heads. 1119 01:05:59,850 --> 01:06:09,410 They shall obtain gladness and joy, and 1120 01:06:09,410 --> 01:06:16,330 sorrow and mourning shall be away. 1121 01:06:16,330 --> 01:06:22,470 Therefore, Lord and King of the Lord shall 1122 01:06:22,470 --> 01:06:30,890 return, and God with singing unto Zion, her 1123 01:06:30,890 --> 01:06:38,330 everlasting joy shall be upon their heads.