WEEK 9 Fellow Apostles, False Accusations, and Furious Adversaries Acts 17-20

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1 WEEK 9 Fellw Apstles, False Accusatins, and Furius Adversaries Acts Paul s Cnversin Then he tld me, The Gd f ur ancestrs has chsen yu t knw his will and t see the Righteus One and hear him speak. Fr yu are t be his witness, telling everyne what yu have seen and heard Acts 22:14-15 NLT Gd chse Paul t be an ambassadr fr Him Gd had been svereignly guiding Paul s life Paul s upbringing, cnversin, and ministry were all a part f Gd s plan In Acts 22, Paul tells the stry f his wn cnversin He tells it in his wn wrds It is an almst wrd-fr-wrd accunt f Acts 9 As I was n the rad, appraching Damascus abut nn, a very bright light frm heaven suddenly shne dwn arund me. I fell t the grund and heard a vice saying t me, Saul, Saul, why are yu persecuting me? Acts 22:6-7 NLT Paul s respnse Wh are yu, lrd? Acts 22:8 NLT A bright light frm heaven shne n Paul and thse traveling with him - This was a divine encunter The vice speaking t Paul says that he is the ne wh Paul was persecuting - Paul was persecuting Christians, and therefre Jesus We knw frm this questin that it is Jesus wh Paul encunters n the rad t Damascus When we read this, we knw that Jesus, the vice speaking t Paul, is Lrd. But, Paul desn t knw it is Jesus. Even if Paul knew it was Jesus, he didn t believe that Jesus was Lrd. S, why did Paul refer t this vice as lrd? - Paul was a Pharisee - He was a religius man - He knew that this encunter n the rad t Damascus was divine - He just didn t knw that this lrd f whm he was speaking t was Jesus The Lrd s respnse I am Jesus f Nazarene, the ne yu are persecuting. Acts 22:8 NLT Let s put urselves in Paul s shes here What was ging thrugh Paul s mind at this pint? - He knew this was a divine encunter 2018 Mmentum A Ministry f Christ Chapel Bible Church, Frt Wrth, TX

2 - He knew that this vice speaking t him was a lt mre pwerful than he was - He is tld that this divine, pwerful vice is the vice f the risen Lrd Jesus whm he is persecuting by denying Him as the Messiah and killing Christians - What wuld be ging thrugh yur mind if yu were Paul? Paul s secnd respnse What shuld I d, Lrd? Acts 22:10 NLT Why did Paul ask Jesus this questin? Was he submitting t Jesus in bedience? - Yes and N - Paul submitted t Jesus because he nw knew that Jesus is the Lrd - But, Paul had t have submitted ut f fear and nt ut f bedience - Paul must have been scared fr his life Jesus secnd respnse Get up and g int Damascus, and there yu will be tld everything yu are t d. Acts 22:10 NLT Jesus tld him t g int Damascus Paul was headed there t persecute Christians Nw, Paul had t have been thinking that a punishment awaited him in Damascus The wrds f Ananias Fr yu are t be his witness, telling everyne what yu have seen and heard. Acts 22:15 NLT This verse freshadws the rest f his life Paul s calling in life is tld t him right after his cnversin As we have learned, we t have this same calling and it begins at ur cnversin Leave Jerusalem! Paul is tld by the Jesus t leave Jerusalem 17 After I returned t Jerusalem, I was praying in the Temple and fell int a trance. 18 I saw a visin f Jesus saying t me, Hurry! Leave Jerusalem, fr the peple here wn t accept yur testimny abut me. Acts 23:17-18 NLT Why did Gd ask Paul t leave Jerusalem? - It wasn t yet time fr Paul t witness in Jerusalem - There wuld cme a day when Gd led Paul back t Jerusalem G t Jerusalem! 22 And nw I am bund by the Spirit t g t Jerusalem. I dn t knw what awaits me, 23 except that the Hly Spirit tells me in city after city that jail and suffering lie ahead. Acts 20:22-23 NLT In Acts 21, Paul began his trip back t Jerusalem His rute tk him t many places befre stpping in Tyre He stayed with fellw believers in Tyre Oppsitin frm his wn These believers prphesied thrugh the Hly Spirit that Paul shuld nt g n t Jerusalem. Acts 21:4 NLT Is the Hly Spirit cntradicting himself? N 2018 Mmentum A Ministry f Christ Chapel Bible Church, Frt Wrth, TX

3 He was leading Paul t Jerusalem and Paul knew that he suffered wherever he went Thrugh the Hly Spirit, these fellw believers in Tyre knew Paul was ging t suffer in Jerusalem, s they tld him nt t g Their actins and wrds came frm a human perspective and a desire t nt see Paul suffer Paul left Tyre and cntinued his jurney t Jerusalem Warnings and pleadings Paul arrived in Caesarea and met a man named Agabus He prphesied t Paul The Hly Spirit declares, S shall the wner f this belt be bund by the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem and turned ver t the Gentiles. Acts 21:11 NLT Agabus fretld what wuld happen t Paul Paul already knew that he wuld suffer This prphecy did nt surprise Paul The ther believers reacted t Agabus wrds They begged Paul nt t g t Jerusalem What s ging n? - They weren t telling Paul anything he didn t already knw - They were cnfirming what Jesus had said - But they were unknwingly cntradicting Gd s will Be careful nt t let men s cunsel trump Gd s Weigh all advice against the Scriptures Fllwing Gd s will wn t always make sense Paul was in gd cmpany The resistance he faced was similar t that encuntered by Jesus Frm then n Jesus began t tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary fr him t g t Jerusalem, and that he wuld suffer many terrible things at the hands f the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers f religius law. He wuld be killed, but n the third day he wuld be raised frm the dead. But Peter tk him aside and began t reprimand him fr saying such things. Heaven frbid, Lrd, he said. This will never happen t yu! Jesus turned t Peter and said, Get away frm me, Satan! Yu are a dangerus trap t me. Yu are seeing things merely frm a human pint f view, nt frm Gd s. Matthew 16:21-23 NLT The believers were speaking ut against the will f Gd by trying t persuade Paul nt t g t Jerusalem Fr the sake f Why all this weeping? Yu are breaking my heart! I am ready nt nly t be jailed at Jerusalem but even t die fr the sake f the Lrd Jesus. Acts 21:13 NLT Paul was willing t die, and nt fr just anything He was willing t die fr Jesus What are yu willing t die fr? Where des yur meaning in life cme frm? Where des yur purpse in life cme frm? Fr t me t live is Christ, and t die is gain. Philippians 1:21 ESV 2018 Mmentum A Ministry f Christ Chapel Bible Church, Frt Wrth, TX

4 Thy will be dne Seeing Paul s determinatin, his friends changed their tune The Lrd s will be dne. Acts 21:14 NLT Their discuragements turned t encuragement Paul Arrives in Jerusalem A warm welcme Paul was greeted warmly when he arrived He met with James and all f Jerusalem s church elders He related all f Gd s accmplishments amng the Gentiles Paul did nt take credit fr his missinary wrk because He knew that everything that happened was f Gd A wrd f warning James gave an accunt f Gd s accmplishments amng the Jews in Jerusalem But he als mentined that there was a ptential prblem brewing Paul had been accused f sme serius crimes He had suppsedly been teaching Jews t: Turn their backs n the Law f Mses Nt circumcise their children Ignre ther Jewish custms These were lies, but it didn t seem t matter A piece f advice Here s what we want yu t d. Acts 21:23 NLT James develped a plan t reverse their negative perceptin f Paul James is trying t prevent Paul s suffering This was his plan, nt Gd s His desire was ging t run int Gd s divine decree James plan did nt wrk He meant well, but it didn t turn ut well A mb was rused against Paul He was grabbed He was dragged ut f the Temple They tried t kill him He was beaten He was arrested They screamed, Kill him, kill him! James plan nly made Paul s suffering wrse The prphecy f Paul suffering in Jerusalem was cming t fruitin Paul s address t the crwd Paul shared his testimny with the crwd They listened until he repeated what the Jesus tld him: But the Lrd said t me, G, fr I will send yu far away t the Gentiles! Acts 22:21 NLT They immediately demanded Paul s death Away with such a fellw! He isn t fit t live! Acts 22:22 NLT 2018 Mmentum A Ministry f Christ Chapel Bible Church, Frt Wrth, TX

5 Paul addresses the Sanhedrin Again, things didn t g well Paul had t be remved when a rit brke ut amngst the Jews n the cuncil Paul ended up in prisn A wrd f encuragement The Lrd appeared t Paul that night and spke t him. Be encuraged, Paul. Just as yu have been a witness t me here in Jerusalem, yu must preach the Gd News in Rme as well. Acts 23:11 NLT Are yu kidding me? What is remtely encuraging abut any f this? - Nthing - BUT, Gd was nt dne yet - Gd had a plan that Paul culd nt see - Paul was t be encuraged by Gd s svereignty - Dn t judge the future will f Gd by present circumstances The Lrd is fr me, s I will have n fear. What can mere peple d t me? Yes, the Lrd is fr me; he will help me. I will lk in triumph at thse wh hate me. Psalm 118:6-7 NLT Paul s trip t Rme begins A devius plt 12 The next mrning a grup f Jews gt tgether and bund themselves with an ath nt t eat r drink until they had killed Paul. 13 There were mre than frty f them in the cnspiracy. 14 They went t the leading priests and elders and tld them, We have bund urselves with an ath t eat nthing until we have killed Paul. 15 S yu and the high cuncil shuld ask the cmmander t bring Paul back t the cuncil again. Pretend yu want t examine his case mre fully. We will kill him n the way. Acts 23:12-15 NLT A divine plan 16 But Paul s nephew his sister s sn heard f their plan and went t the frtress and tld Paul. 17 Paul called fr ne f the Rman fficers and said, Take this yung man t the cmmander. He has smething imprtant t tell him. Acts 23:16-17 NLT - What the Jews intended fr evil resulted in gd - Gd used their plt t fast-track Paul s departure - His will can t be avided r altered Paul made it t Gvernr Felix safely Felix rdered Paul t be kept in prisn until his accusers arrived - Paul was in the middle f Gd s will - But, it still required determinatin and faith Paul s Determinatin and Faith Paul was an active participant in Gd s will He was determined t glrify Christ at all csts He trusted Gd with his life, but was willing t lse his life if necessary 2018 Mmentum A Ministry f Christ Chapel Bible Church, Frt Wrth, TX

6 He was cmmitted t Gd s plan And, he lived in bedience t Christ s prmise Therefre, g and make disciples f all the natins, baptizing them in the name f the Father and the Sn and the Hly Spirit. Teach these new disciples t bey all the cmmands I have given yu. And be sure f this: I am with yu always, even t the end f the age. Matthew 28:19-20 NLT 2018 Mmentum A Ministry f Christ Chapel Bible Church, Frt Wrth, TX

7 HOMEWORK WEEK 10: TO CAESAR YOU SHALL GO! Acts 24-26:3 Begin the week by reading thrugh Acts and take nte f any verses, wrds r phrases that jump ut at yu. Cnsider what events r circumstances are significant in these chapters. Use the space belw t recrd yur thughts: Read Luke 21: What des Jesus predict wuld happen t the disciples? Nw read Acts 23: What des Luke describe happening in these verses that fulfills what Jesus had said? Take a lk at Acts 24:1-10. What are the charges that the religius leaders level against Paul? 2018 Mmentum A Ministry f Christ Chapel Bible Church, Frt Wrth, Texas

8 Lk at verses What was Paul s respnse t these accusatins? Read Acts 22: What d we learn abut Paul frm these verses? Read Acts 16:37. What happened? Why d yu think we shuld see Paul s Rman citizenship as part f Gd s svereign plan fr his life? Hw wuld his citizenship impact his ministry and the spread f the gspel? Lk at Acts 26: Paul has just finished giving his defense befre King Agrippa. But lk clsely at what the king says t Festus, the gvernr. Hw d these wrds reflect Gd s svereign will and plan fr the life f Paul? Read Prverbs 19:21. Why shuld this verse prvide us with cmfrt in the face f uncertainty? Take sme time t read the attached article by Matt Slick called, The Svereignty f Gd Mmentum A Ministry f Christ Chapel Bible Church, Frt Wrth, Texas

9 Gd s Svereignty. By Matt Slick Svereignty in relatin t Gd means that Gd has the abslute right t d with His creatin as He desires. Sme verses that supprt this are as fllws: Psalm 115:3, "But ur Gd is in the heavens; He des whatever He pleases." Isaiah 46:10, "Declaring the end frm the beginning and frm ancient times things which have nt been dne, saying, my purpse will be established, and I will accmplish all My gd pleasure;" Dan.4:35, "And all the inhabitants f the earth are accunted as nthing, but He des accrding t His will in the hst f heaven and amng the inhabitants f earth; and n ne can ward ff His hand Or say t Him, What hast Thu dne?" As yu can see, Gd declares that He des what He wants in heaven and n earth. But, in light f this declaratin, sme f us might ask, "If Gd is svereign and can d what He wants in the wrld, then why desn't He get rid f sin? Why desn't He heal all sickness? Why desn't Gd save mre peple, r all peple? Why des He allw terrrists t strike? Why d the wicked prsper? etc." We can ask mre persnal questins such as, "Why did my baby die? Why is it that when I pray fr smene t be well, they stay sick r seem t heal naturally later? Why is it my friend (r me) lst my jb and am having s much truble finding wrk? Why am I still suffering frm when I ask the Lrd t deliver me frm it?" The questins can g n and n. As Christians, we have t face the fact that these questins dn't have easy answers. We are tld that in spite f what we see, Gd is in cntrl, that the answers are smetimes beynd us, that we need t trust Gd, that these things are the result f sin in the wrld and that Gd is letting it have its curse, etc. Thugh these answers are all true, they d nt always cmfrt because ur pain smetimes ver-rides ur faith. In light f that, let me tell yu a true stry f suffering that was lessened by trusting in Gd and His svereignty even thugh the prayer fr healing was nt answered. A few years ag, my wife and I were expecting ur secnd child. At six mnths, after ne f the rutine examines during pregnancy, the dctr discvered a prblem with the baby. Our child, whm we named Jacb, had hlprcencephaly -- a chrmsme prblem that resulted in varius defrmities in Jacb's bdy. In shrt, Jacb culd survive in the wmb, but wuld mst certainly nt be able t survive utside it. Our sn was ging t die. Abrtin was nt an ptin fr us. Instead, we prayed and asked the Lrd t miraculusly heal Jacb during the remaining three mnths f pregnancy. We prayed and trusted Gd. Finally, when it was time fr Jacb t be brn, my wife endured the pains f childbirth and delivered Jacb int ur hands. One half ur later, the Lrd tk Him hme. Jacb died in ur arms. After the funeral and after many tears, peple came up t us and wanted t knw hw we were ding. We tld them that in spite f the pain and the lss, we were fine. We had trusted

10 Gd and relied n His wisdm, nt urs, t handle the situatin. We knew that because Gd was svereign, that He had allwed us t suffer this trauma. And, even thugh we did nt understand why, my wife and I were able t trust Gd t knw that HE understd why. We wuld simply find ut when we finally went t be with the Lrd urselves. Nw, this is the thing that s many Christians need t learn as difficult as it may be t accept. Gd is svereign. He has the right t take us at any time. He has the right t allw ur children t die. He has the right t let sickness bring us suffering. He has the right t d with us as we will and t allw things t happen t us that we cannt cmprehend and that we cannt explain. He wes us nthing. Yet, He lves us and is gracius. His grace and lve t use are based upn His Sn Jesus wh died n the crss and rse again fr ur sins. It is because f Jesus and nly because f Jesus that we receive any gd at all frm the Lrd. It is nt because we are gd in urselves r deserve sme srt f cmpassin frm Gd. We d nt, nt ne bit. But, because f wh Gd is, nt because f wh we are, Gd lves us and cares deeply fr us. Nevertheless, pain and suffering are a real part f ur lives and we cannt help but wnder smetimes "Why?" The answer lies in Gd's all-knwing character wh knws better than we d why things happen the way they d. These reasns He has nt decided t reveal t us. Therefre, we need t trust Gd that He lves us and that even thugh we might suffer great lss, Gd is still in cntrl. Smetimes, it cmes dwn t trusting Gd beynd yur ability t cmprehend. D yu trust Gd that much? Have yu relinquished yurself, yur life, yur breath (as Jesus did) t the Father f Glry s that He might d with yu as He wishes even if it means sending yu t sme place yu d nt want t g -- as in yur wn crss? Faith in Gd is never misplaced. But, answers d nt always arrive. Therefre, trust Gd in spite f what yu see. Praise His name in the middle f yur circumstances and bring glry t Him thrugh Jesus. Matt Slick is the President and Funder f the Christian Aplgetics and Research Ministry.