2024-02-25- Sundy School- Man's Extremity is God's Opportunity

Gospel Light Holiness Church

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Title2024-02-25- Sundy School- Man's Extremity is God's Opportunity

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In Lesson 13, the theme is "Man's Extremity is God's Opportunity." The main idea is that God uses men, miracles, and circumstances to bring sinners to Christ. The transcription discusses Paul's shipwreck on the island of Melita (Malta) and how it was part of God's plan. The people on the island showed kindness to Paul and his companions. The passage emphasizes the need to trust in God's plan and be open to unexpected situations. Turn to Lesson 13, the last lesson in this Wholeness Heritage, and then also Acts 27 and 43 where we left off last Sunday. We're going to try to make our way through the whole chapter there, Lord willing. Try not to worry you with a whole lot of reading, but we've been in Acts so long I didn't want to cheat us out of the final part of Acts there. But I don't think it'll hurt us to read it all. So, Lesson 13, Man's Extremity is God's Opportunity. The theme this morning says, God uses men, miracles, and circumstances to bring sinners to Christ. Divine providence can turn a shipwreck into salvation for the lost. Our golden text comes out of Mark 16 and 18 this morning. It says, They shall take up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them. They shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. Our introduction this morning says, God had an unexpected missionary trip scheduled for the Apostle Paul. It started with the shipwreck recorded in Acts 27. Although the Bible does not specifically say that men were converted, the respect these people had for Paul at the end shows they accepted his message. Paul was cast upon Melita, which was an island with inhabitants that were uncivilized. All that came to pass upon the island is a good lesson about the way that God works for the salvation of man. He can take storms, snakes, and sicknesses and transform them into a platform to preach the gospel on. Trust is also a main topic in the scripture. God has a plan for our lives. So, we ended last week with a shipwreck. Most of you probably remember. We'll turn back, like I said, a couple of verses to Acts 27 and 43. That's where we left off. Maybe a couple more down, but we'll start there in 43. But it says in Acts 27 and 43, But the centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from their purpose and commanded that they which could swim should cast themselves first into the sea and get to land. Remember, the soldiers wanted to kill all the prisoners, Brother Quentin. They couldn't think of any other way of keeping them together. That was their job, get them to roam. I don't know if maybe dead or alive, but their lives might be at stake if they let them run. But Paul had found favor with the centurion named Julius, and so the prisoners were saved because of that. And 44 says, And the rest, some on boards and some on broken pieces of the ship, and so it came to pass that they escaped all safe to land. So some of them swam. If you knew how to swim, you swim on to Melita, to the shore of Melita. And if you don't know how to swim, the back of the ship was being busted up, and there's pieces floating around. You just grab a hold of them and doggy paddle on in. It probably was quite the sight for the, I guess, militias is how you would say it. They don't even, these people, the soldiers, they don't even know where they're at at this point. Right now they don't. They shipwrecked on the island. Some of them swam ashore. Some of them swam on pieces. The back end of the ship was busting up. And could you imagine what these barbarians would have thought seeing all this, and especially if the soldiers had started killing all the prisoners? I mean, that would be quite the experience. And I'd like to make the point, if you were shipwrecked and seen dry land, how would you react? Would you worry how well you swam if you were dressed for the occasion? You may still be dependent upon your old life, like those broken pieces, but just bring it to shore with you, and then God will work it out. Some of us know how to swim to shore and need to, but have too much pride. If we aren't hesitant to come to dry land when we need to, how will we convince others to do it? We need to teach our children how to get to dry land by swimming there ourselves. They need to see us coming ashore sometimes and giving our lives to God and laying it in God's hands. Acts 28 and 1, getting into the final chapter of Acts. Verse 1 says, And when they were escaped, then they knew that the island was called Melita. They figured it out. Once they got safely on shore and the confusion settled, they knew where they were. These were experienced sailors, and they knew the area pretty well, but the storm didn't deliver them to the main port, Brother Austin. Most commentaries agree that there was a main port on the other side that they would most likely usually port at. I don't know if that's, you know, that's not what the Bible says for sure, but that's what they say here, that they probably came in on the back side of it. Either way, there was much confusion through the storm, and they wasn't anchoring at a port. They just kind of got shoved on the island. So there was a whole lot of confusion there, but once they got ashore, they figured out where they was for whatever reason. And Melita, which is called Malta, is still there. It's 17 miles long. I've got a map here. I haven't brought a map in quite a while. The orange there, as they passed it around, the orange is kind of the route that was taken, maybe not specifically supposed to be taken that way, but that orange will illustrate the route from Caesarea that they took. And then, of course, the storm kind of sidetracked them and got them to the banks of Melita there. And what I think is really the reason why I wanted to show you all that was that Melita, or Malta now, is 17 miles long and 9 miles wide. It would have been 50 miles south of Sicily, and it would have been another thousand miles if they missed Melita in the trajectory that they was going to get to Tunisia. And I just think it's amazing. It's almost like a speck. I looked it up. The Mediterranean Sea is about a thousand miles long. And this island that's 17 miles long, the storm had sent them right to that island for whatever reason. And we know what the reason is when we read it. God had a plan. God wanted them to hit that little speck of land 17 miles long in a thousand-mile Mediterranean Sea. The ship would have probably never made it another thousand miles or another 200 miles, excuse me. But God was in control, and he wanted them to shipwreck right there on that island. Our introduction told us that Paul was put on an unexpected missionary trip, and that's exactly what it was. Sometimes life gives us a pit stop. It interrupts our plans. But it's actually God, if we're in God, ordering our steps. It may be through a sickness, a job change, or a great many number of things. But if we're asking God to order our steps, we shouldn't just throw our hands up and get aggravated. We should say, okay, God, what do you want me to do here? Why am I here? Show me. I'm looking around. I'm willing to know what you're trying to do here. And that's the way Paul was. That's the way he always accepted every challenge and every interruption in his life. There's a road that I think we read about, even in our Sunday school, that's the shortest and most convenient route from Jerusalem to Galilee. But the Jews often wouldn't take it. It went through Samaria, and the Jews didn't like the Samaritans. But in John 4 and 4, it says the Bible says concerning Jesus, and he must needs go through Samaria. Why would anyone need to go through Samaria? It's full of low-class Israelis that have married into a bunch of Babylonians at some point. There was something in Samaria that was precious to Jesus. It was a lady that had been married about five times. Sometimes a shipwreck drops us in an unexpected place, and sometimes we just get a nudge from the Holy Ghost to take the way we normally wouldn't, to get out of our comfort zone and do something for God. Either way, we need to have eyes and hearts open and ready to work for God. A stranger might come our way and sit down in the midst of us. Your testimony might perfectly identify with their situation that one of us preachers might not. It could very well be your testimony. Acts 28 and 2 says the barbarous people shoot us no little kindness, which means they showed them a lot of kindness, for they kindled a fire and received us every one because of the present reign and because of the code. Have you ever been shipwrecked and found a people that showed you no little kindness? I have. Or a Savior that has showed you no little kindness when your life is shipwrecked. Romans 5 and 8 says, But God commendeth his love toward us, and that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. And then Ephesians 2 and 4 says, It all reminds us that, But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ. By grace ye are saved, and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. We were all shipwrecked at one time, but God, who is rich in mercy, gave us that great love and made us alive together and made us sit together in heavenly places. I feel like that's where we're at this morning. I'm thankful that he didn't bypass that sinful road that I lived on. He said, I must go talk to Michael. He's in trouble. I must go that way. He showed me no little kindness, Brother Tim. As a side note, the barbarians, now we look at barbarians or the barbarous people, we look at that word barbarian as cruel or a brutal people, but back then it just simply meant non-Greek. They was a non-Greek people. They were an uncivilized people, but they showed them lots of kindness. Verse 3 says, And when people had gathered a bundle of sticks, I'm sorry, and when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, I'm not wearing my glasses because Brother Anthony's been wearing his. I got an infection in my eye last night, and it was bugging me to death, and I was too lazy to go put it in a case, so I pulled it out and just like flicked it, so it's somewhere in the bedroom. But I've got these glasses, and I'm terrible at it. I can't decide where I want to look at, so you'll have to excuse me. And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat and fastened on his hand. Notice that Paul was gathering a bundle of sticks, Sister Allie. Paul was a prisoner, but by this point he had made quite the name for himself. The master of the ship has failed. The owner of the ship's advice was void, but Paul was the man at this point. Even the centurion would agree at this point, take care of Paul, we need him. He's making the right decisions. He's a leader. Paul was tired, hungry, and wet. But guess what? So was everyone else. Paul was always mindful that he was a tool in the master's hand. Winning a soul to the Lord was always the number one priority in Paul's mind. He swam to shore, and he'd seen new faces, and he thought, okay, Lord, use me. Who do you want me to help here? Is that what you do when trouble arises or you come to an unexpected place? Maybe you might start a new job, and you look around. Okay, Lord, why did you put me here? Who needs you here? Romans 1 and 14 says, I'm a debtor both to the Greeks and to the barbarians, both to the wise and to the unwise. So as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. He says, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel. That word ready in Greek means predisposed. Everything that is in him was predisposed or conditioned to preach the gospel. At any time the Lord was ready for him to, he was ready. What did that mean for Paul? What does that mean for us? As much as is in me is the key. It didn't simply mean that when he was asked to preach, he'd study God's Word for a little bit, although that's important. It didn't mean he said a prayer right before he went before a congregation. Again, very important. He was ready. He was predisposed to preach the gospel. Predisposed means to have a tendency toward a specified condition, opinion, or behavior. He was a preacher with as much as that was in him. When he got out of bed in the morning, he was a preacher. When he got to work, he was a preacher. When he went to Walmart, he was a preacher. When he got an oil change, he was a preacher. Now, Paul didn't have these things, but we do. When he was at the supper table, he was a preacher. When he went to bed at night, he was a preacher. People could just about look at him and know that he was a preacher. That's why the Jews hated him so much. He was effective. A part-time preacher and a part-time sinner would have thrilled the Jews. They would have let him go do whatever he wanted to do. Winning a soul didn't start with the preaching. It started with gathering the sticks. I've had bosses that I wouldn't even take advice on which restaurant to go to, much less my salvation. Winning a soul starts when that co-worker needs a hand, and no matter your position, you're willing to help them. Don't be surprised if someone doesn't accept your invitation to church when you're only good to them once in a while. Don't snub your nose to them all week and then tell them that you're praying for their sick husband or wife. You're not ready to win a soul when you pray over your meal at Texas Roadhouse and you're Sunday best and then you leave a dollar tip. We are a full-time, sowed-out children of God 100% of the time, even if we have a bad day or a cold or the flu. That's what made Paul ready to preach the gospel. And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat and fastened on his hand. The Bible is clear that the viper fastened to Paul's hand. It wasn't just a graze. You know, in Paul's mind, not in Paul's mind, but you would think this would be a good time to give up. Paul was a falsely accused prisoner shipwrecked on an island, and as he's trying to make the best of it, he gets snakebit out of everybody. Verse 4 says, And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live. So he might have escaped the shipwreck, Brother Quentin, but vengeance is coming for him. Now he's snakebit, so he's going to die. He's in for it. He's supposed to die. He's a murderer. It's not in your book, but I'll read this. I thought in the Holiness Heritage it was really good concerning this. In this we learn that all men have an inner consciousness of right and wrong. While these people were not servants of the true God, they did have moral laws which demanded punishment if it were broken. They also believed in a higher power that would execute vengeance upon the wicked. In our society, man has learned to deny this inward sense of justice. To the humanist, there is no evil person, just one who was uneducated or one who was raised in the wrong environment. This philosophy causes courts to make rulings that favor the perpetrator of the crime rather than protecting the victims. It is strange that these people would accuse Paul of murder because he had been involved in the death of Christians when he persecuted the church. Most of us do not think of Paul the murderer but the apostle. The grace of God changed the nature of this man, and we do not know him as a violent man but a godly one. His justification was completed in Jesus Christ, for he was not a murderer but a great man of God. I think the Holiness Heritage makes a good point there as well as a couple of other commentaries that I read because I didn't pick up on it right away. These were barbarians largely untouched by civilization. They do not appear to know anything about the gospel, but yet they have a God-given soul and with that a conscience. They have a conscience. They're not sure what this means for them, but by the grace of God, he sends Paul to show them. It's not just the governors and Caesar that God is interested in. There's these barbarians that God loved as well. I think it's amazing. Seventeen miles long and a thousand-mile radius, they shipwreck right there. It wasn't just get straight to Caesar. Paul might have thought that, but there's these barbarous people that God loved as well. And he said, Paul, we need to stop here first. We must needs go to Melita. We need to realize as preachers our end goal should not be to grace that minister's comfort stage. That's great, but the nursing homes, the jails, the community, that's great work as well. I commend Brother Ronnie for those things and the ladies that work the women's prison as well. Acts 28 and 5. They told me they'd be listening tomorrow, so there's a shout-out to Brother Ronnie and Sister Glenda, hello. And he shook off the beast into the fire and felt no harm. Paul has an uninvited interaction with a snake, and God protected him. There's nothing in the Bible that speaks to making this a part of our regular worship services. We don't go walking on water and hold services on top of a lake either, although it would be a pretty short service. Some of us would like that. Acts 28 and 6 says, Howbeit they looked when he should have swollen or fallen down dead suddenly, but after they had looked a great while and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god. These snakes lived among the barbarians. They knew what fate would come to Paul shortly. But Paul just simply shook the snake off and kept right on. Brother Jameson preached very well on this at Brother Austin's house a while back. Some of you might remember, I do. But there was no swelling or death that would follow. They could only come to one conclusion. Paul was a god. Although the barbarians were wrong, they were simply uneducated about the power of God. It was plain to see that there was something different about this man Paul. He wasn't a god, but he was protected and directed by one. Within just a few moments, the barbarians had come to a realization that the Jews still hadn't wrapped their heads around after many years. God has opened a door for Paul to teach them about Christ through the snake bite. But right now, Paul has gone from a murderer to a god in these people's eyes that quick. Paul will have to make sense of all this to an uncivilized people. But don't forget, Paul was always ready, led by the Holy Ghost. That's quite the task for a man, I would think. There's a language barrier there. There's a culture shock. I mean, they don't know this man. Paul had quite the undertaking here. But through the power of the Holy Ghost, he would work it out. Acts 28 and 27 says, In the same quarters were possessions of the chief man of the island, whose name was Publius, who received us and lodged us three days courteously. Publius is a Roman name, the chief man of the island, that lets us know that Publius was the Roman presence in Melitta. This was still Roman territory. He was definitely a prominent figure because on this island that was 17 miles long, as we said, and 9 miles wide, he could lodge 276 strangers in a moment's notice. That's pretty nice. Verse 8 says, It came to pass that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and of a bloody flux, to whom Paul entered in and prayed and laid his hands on him and healed him. Just as being a child of God, no matter your stature in life, you are not immune to disease or trouble. Publius' father was in trouble here. He had a chronic fever and probably like a bloody diarrhea that most likely could have been a hard battle that most assuredly led to dehydration and then death. But they just saw a man shake off a deadly snake bite. Paul visits this man and lays hands on him while praying to God, and Publius' father is healed. A man of God willing to visit the sick is crucial. Willing to lay his hands on the sick is very important. But what made the difference was prayer, and the people needed to see that. Paul was not a god, but he had access to the God. Paul was willing, ready, and available, but God did the work. Romans 5 and 1 says, Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Paul had access to Christ through his faith. Healed in Acts 28 and 8 means ea omae, in Greek, ea omae. So let's read it again. And it came to pass that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and of a bloody flux, to whom Paul entered in and prayed and laid his hands on him and healed him. Ea omae means to make whole. He made him whole. Then Acts 28 and 9 says, So when this was done, others also which had diseases in the island came and were healed. So after Publius' father was healed, others in the island that were sick came and wanted to be healed, obviously. They were like, there's a man down there that can heal somebody. Let's get down there ourselves. I want to read what the Holiness Heritage has here. In 9, others also were healed. It says 9, others also were healed. It says, Paul was in the right place to have the news of this healing spread. From the governor's place, many heard of this answer to prayer. This drew a great crowd of people who needed to be healed. Many diseases were healed, showing that the Lord was not limited to curing just the sickness of Publius' father. A physician is limited, but God is not. God was exalted to his rightful position. I wanted to read that because there's not a discrepancy here. I think Brother Vance or whoever wrote this maybe just left it laying because I really want to get it right. It says in Acts 28 and 9, so when this was done, others also which had diseases in the island came and were healed. If you go back to the Greek word here in healed, it's slightly different. It means therapeuo, which means simply to wait upon or to minister to. And healed, like I said up here, I can't really pronounce it, but what he did for Publius' father, it flat out says that he made him whole. There's not really a discrepancy there. That's just the Greek word. If you went back to the Greek, it would say therapeuo, and then up here in Publius' it would have said ea omehi. Both of it means that he healed them, but it's slightly different. They waited upon these others that came, and they ministered to them. It could mean that he healed them or relieved them in some way, but we also read in Paul's letter to the Colossians 4 and 14, Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas greet you. It's not my point, but I find it endearing that Luke gives Paul all the credit, and Paul tells us that Luke was a beloved physician. I know it's an inspired word of God. My point is, I wonder if Paul didn't heal everybody he came across, just a flat-out healing. It's easy to see these disciples and apostles when I'm reading it as some traveling magician band that just went along and zapped you, zapped you, zapped you, and then headed on their way. But that's not exactly what happened. Healing was important, but they needed God. They needed salvation. Paul was already being looked at as a god. Would he just have people lined up, healing them one by one, or did they minister to the souls of these people? What good would it have done for their souls if he just went along just zapping everybody and healing them? I'm not totally sure, but it's just a thought. Acts 28 and 10, who also honored us with many honors, and when we departed, they laded us with such things as were necessary. We are not told how many or if any souls were converted, but they were obviously grateful for these men being shipwrecked on their island. Paul allowed himself to be used by God once again under bad circumstances. What kind of impression do you think this left on the soldiers that were in charge of Paul? It was Paul's obedience once again that came through for everyone that was on that ship. Remember that they hadn't listened to Paul in the past. They held on even though Paul warned them not to leave the fair haven, so they ended up throwing their supplies, had to throw all their supplies, their tackling, their food, and they threw it overboard because they were sinking. They had to throw it all away. But here once again, Paul's obedience had found favor in these people in Melitta, and they loaded them back up and restocked them with supplies because of Paul and because of God. Now they're being restocked with these supplies. Acts 28 and 11 says, And after three months we departed into a ship of Alexandria, which had wintered in the Isle, whose sign was Castor and Pollux. And landing at Syracuse we tarried there three days. They had learned their lesson and decided to stay put for the winter before sailing on to Syracuse. They stayed there for three days until things were better, which is the capital of Sicily. Verse 13 says, And from thence we fetched a compass, and came to Regium. And after one day the south wind blew, and we came the next day to Puteoli. If any of you still have that map, the green shows you all that. When they compassed around, it just kind of means they went around that coast there. They circled about the coast of Italy. 14 says, Where we found brethren, and were desired to tarry with them seven days, and so we went toward Rome. And from thence, when the brethren heard of us, they came to meet us as far as Epiphorum and the three taverns, whom when Paul saw, he thanked God and took courage. After a long, hard journey, Paul is greeted by some brethren. This was a site for sore eyes for the Apostle Paul, I'm sure. Bible scholars believe that Paul had sent his letter to the Romans around 57 A.D. while Paul was in Corinth. This would have been a peaceful time for the church, but Paul knew that they still needed doctrine and instruction. They obviously thought a lot of Paul's lettering came to seem. This would have been about a 43-mile walk, and Paul was encouraged by their welcoming and thanked God. It's good to see, just to me personally, and I'm sure to you too, it's good to see Paul have a good moment here. It's been a hard road for Paul. We've been on this journey with Paul, and he hasn't had too many moments like this. It's almost like a king's greeting. If a king was coming ashore, there would be lots of people coming. He would be a king in our eyes, a great man of God there. I'm glad that people come and welcomed him. Verse 16 says, When we came to Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard, but Paul was suffered to dwell by himself with a soldier that kept him. Paul was allowed to stay alone on house arrest, but he had a guard watch over him. A lot of commentaries, and I don't know, Brother Tim, if you've studied how much you've studied on this, is a lot of people saying that he was chained to a guard. I didn't see that, but there's a couple of verses that might allude to the fact that he was chained to a guard, and they were saying like every six hours they would switch a different guard, which is amazing if that was a fact because we know that Paul was preaching and praying. It's just amazing to think that somebody had to be tied to him for six hours a day. I don't know that that's true, but it's pretty amazing. Quite the opportunity for Paul. I think he would probably really enjoy that. Like I said, I'd like to finish off this chapter, and it would be a little bit of reading here. There's one thing there saying that he was bound with a chain. Paul is having a meeting with the head Jews in Rome and catching them up to speed about why he's there, how this came to pass. He's just kind of filling them out. These are the head Jews. Most of the time when Paul came to an area, he talked to the head Jews there. 21 says, to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses and out of the prophets from morning till evening. They gathered at Paul's house, and Paul got the opportunity to preach about the kingdom of God, persuading them about Jesus, using the Old Testament from morning until night. Wouldn't you like to have been there? 24 says, and some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not. So just like the church today, some believed, some didn't. You can be the greatest preacher in the world, the greatest there is to offer, and some simply will not believe. We can only try to do our best. 25 says, and when they agreed not among themselves, they departed. After that Paul had spoken one word, well spake the Holy Ghost by Isaiah the prophet unto our fathers. It seems that an argument must have broke out among the Jews, and Paul quotes Isaiah, saying, Go unto this people, and saying, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand, and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive. For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed, lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. Be it known therefore unto you that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it. And when he had said these words, the Jews departed, and had great reasoning among themselves. Paul was glad that some had received the gospel, but burdened that others had turned a deaf ear. He warned them that even though they won't receive the gospel, the Gentiles will. It wasn't the gospel's fault. The gospel was still effective. It was just as effective as it ever was. And that's the same today. But it must be received. There must be a response. Jesus tells his disciples in Matthew 10 and 12, And when you come into a house, salute it. And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it. But if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you. And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when you depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. Verily I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah and the Day of Judgment than for that city. The sad fact is that some will not receive the good news of Christ. Just try your best, and if they won't, move on to somebody else. Somebody will. Verse 30, And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him, preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no man forbidding him. So after all that, we never really get the details of Paul going before Caesar. If that was important, God would have put it in here in grave detail. But he didn't. History tells, and most agree, that sadly Paul was beheaded by Caesar at a later date. But don't feel bad for Paul. Remember several weeks ago in Acts 21, Paul's trying to do his best to get to Jerusalem for the feast, and a prophet Agabus takes his girdle and binds himself and tells the disciples that Paul will be bound in like fashion. And this scares all the disciples, and they say, Paul, maybe we shouldn't go. Let's think about this. But do you remember Paul's response in verse 21 and 13 says, Then Paul answered, This is also the same man that wrote to the Philippian church in Philippians 1 and 20, whether it be by life or by death. And finally in 2 Timothy 4 and 6, Paul writes, Josephus claims that Paul ran to the chopping block. And that's not confirmed in the Bible, but it wouldn't surprise me one bit. He was ready to die for Christ. Paul writes again unto the church of Philippi in Philippians 3 and 10, unto the resurrection of the dead. So if Acts doesn't end in this great trial, what is the conclusion? Brother Tim told us a while back that it just goes on. We are that new church. I think that it also lies in his letter to the Philippian church. As Paul closes his letter with a greeting in Philippians 4 and 21, he says, The brethren which are with me greet you. All the saints salute you, chiefly they that are of Caesar's household. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. Greetings especially from your brothers and sisters from the household of Caesar. Paul just very casually drops a bombshell in my eyes. When I read that, it goes straight to my heart. Greetings from someone in Caesar's house. God was looking to save someone in Caesar's house all along. The beatings, the imprisonments that we just read about, the shipwrecks, the snakebite, could all have been for a child, a spouse, a brother, a sister, or a lowly slave or a soldier that God had his eye on right in the house of Caesar. So we shouldn't question, God, why did you put me at this job? Why did you place me here at this point in my life? Why would you call me to this church? Why does this sickness come my way all of a sudden? Why would you stick me with this co-worker? You may find yourself in a Caesar's household. It might be the exact opposite from where you think you ought to be. But if God has led you there, there is a reason. Keep your eyes peeled. God's wanting to use you for someone. We're closing a little earlier than I thought, but Matthew 16 and 24 says, Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. That's it.