Week 32, Acts 28:17 31 Hook Main Point: God sends us throughout the earth to live as His faithful representatives. Current Event: Think back to high school, do you remember plot diagrams? This exercise challenges the reader to identify the different components of a story s plot: the introduction, rising action, climax, falling action and resolution (click https://www.scholastic.com/content/dam/teachers/lesson plans/migrated files inbody/lessonplans_graphicorg_pdfs_plotdiagram.pdf for an example). 1 Break your class into groups and ask them to diagram one or more of the following movie plots: 1. Beauty and the Beast 2. Star Wars 3. The Wizard of Oz 4. Old Yeller 5. It s a Wonderful Life 6. Casablanca 7. The Lion King 8. Mary Poppins 9. Gone with the Wind 1 https://www.scholastic.com/content/dam/teachers/lesson plans/migrated files inbody/lessonplans_graphicorg_pdfs_plotdiagram.pdf.
10. Singin in the Rain Transition: Today we will conclude our study in the book of Acts, the exciting story of the birth of the Church.
Week 32, Acts 28:17 31 Book Main Point: God sends us throughout the earth to live as His faithful representatives. Text Summary: Acts 28:17 31 The book of Acts is Luke s record of the birth of the Church and the testimonies of the early Christians. This week s study concludes his narrative while inviting us to begin ours. We have seen many disciples and apostles faithfully obey Jesus commission to take the Gospel to all people, but Luke has worked to pull back the curtain on their struggles and victories in an effort to show the reader that it s a mission all Christians can and should join. These final verses wrap up one of the most impactful Christian witnesses of the early church, that of the apostle Paul, former religious zealot and persecutor of Jesus and His people, who is now a faithful representative of Christ before all audiences. Luke ends his work with a window looking out to the rest of the world, bringing the boundless light of the Gospel into view as Paul s earthly life grows dim. The mission of God has yet to be completed, and the invitation for our participation still stands. Read: Acts 28:17 22 [Read] Sub Point: Christians are called to faithfully display Christlike character. Verses 17 20 Paul is still under house arrest, as Luke described him in verse 16, so he calls the Jewish religious leaders together for a visit to where he is staying (v. 17). 2 He immediately begins the conversation with the inclusive use of our (our people, our fathers), seeking to build a bridge with the non Christian Jewish community who have come to hear his side of the story (v. 17). Though belief in the Gospel does differentiate them spiritually, Paul seeks to connect with the leaders through their commonalities, their shared history and culture. Q: What commonalities do you look for when building relationships with non Christians? Paul states his innocence in two ways. He declares he has done nothing wrong against the Jews, and he reports that the Romans had found him innocent of breaking any law deserving punishment (vv. 17 18). He walks a delicate line between rejecting the Jews accusations and refraining from speaking poorly about them as a people. This is a conciliatory speech (v. 19). 3 Though these sentences don t track precisely with the accounts we read earlier, Paul is simply giving a summary of the intent of the Jews and the outcome of his examinations. Though it was 2 Marshall, 442. 3 Marshall, 443.
Festus who shied away from pronouncing him innocent, ultimately pressure from the Jews in Caesarea shaped the course of his hearings. His preaching of the Gospel had angered them, and they wanted him to be punished one way or another (Acts 25). Though Paul sometimes speaks quite bluntly, here he adopts a more peaceable tone of voice. His final statement before the Jews respond is another attempt at bridge building. He refers to his mission as seeking the hope of Israel (v. 20). This is why he has come, not to dispute or be justified, but to share with them the Messianic hope for the world that has risen from among their people and their history. As Jesus taught, Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God (Matthew 5:9; cf. also Romans 12:18, 14:19). Verses 21 22 Paul sees a successful first step in his conversation with the local religious leaders. They are intrigued to learn more about this sect they have observed (v. 22). It is interesting to note that Paul is essentially starting with a blank slate in their eyes, since they claim not to have heard bad news or false rumors about his ministry (v. 21). They invite him to speak more about his beliefs so they can learn why this new faith is stirring up controversy (v. 22). Q: When have you falsely assumed the worst about what people thought of you? Q: How has God surprised you by opening up an unexpected door for Gospel conversations? Read: Acts 28:23 31 [Read] Sub Point: God uses us to send the message of the Gospel throughout the world. Verses 23 25 Paul receives a large number of guests at his rental home as he continues his conversation about the Gospel with them (v. 23). 4 God has provided him with yet another large platform to proclaim the Gospel. Luke records a summary of his teaching points that matches the teaching method he used in the past with Barnabas at Antioch (cf. Acts 13) and was used by Peter in Jerusalem (cf. Acts 2 and 3). Paul shares with them the earthly biography of Jesus and uses the Hebrew Scriptures to prove Jesus messianic identity and mission (v. 23). Paul s teaching receives the same sort of mixed response that we see recorded from Jesus first sermon in Luke 4 and throughout Paul s ministry. 5 Whenever the message of the Gospel is proclaimed, hearts are exposed and their inclinations toward sin or toward God are laid bare. Luke records that some were convinced, but others would not believe (v. 24). This leads to their exit from the home, still in disagreement over the message of the Gospel (v. 25). 4 Marshall, 444. 5 Marshall, 444.
Q: What makes us discouraged by a mixed bag of results when we share Jesus with people? Q: How have you allowed peoples responses to define whether your mission was a success? Verses 26 27 Paul concludes his time with this audience by reflecting on the vision of the prophet Isaiah, whom God used to deliver judgment on everyone who rejects His voice (vv. 26 27; cf. Isaiah 6:8 10). Jesus Himself refers to this passage when teaching with parables (Luke 8:10). 6 He explains to His disciples that teaching from God s Word will always expose and confirm the Spirit s work in someone s heart. If a person has rejected God, His Word will reveal his deafened hearts; conversely, open eyes will reap a harvest of good fruit from the seeds that are planted. Paul uses these verses to describe the Jewish rulers. Q: How has your sharing been rejected by someone with a closed attitude toward God? Q: How has God used your sharing to open up further conversation and relationship with someone who is ready to learn more about God? It is helpful to meditate on the powerful properties of God s Word. It is a gift to us, full of living power that actively shines the light of conviction on our sin and offers the power to be forgiven and healed. It can be a troublesome message to hear because God s Word brings the diagnosis of sin, which is painful to hear and accept, but at the same time it wounds in order to heal. 7 We should be willing to receive correction and instruction from the Bible, then in turn be faithful to share the same teachings with others who need to hear the Gospel. Q: What is something God s Word has convicted you about lately? Q: How has the Bible helped you better understand God s mercy and forgiveness? Verse 28 Paul concludes this time of sharing by declaring a poignant truth God s message of salvation has continually been rejected by the Jewish people, from whom the Savior of the world arose, and now God has seen fit to release the Gospel into the world regardless of its future Jewish audience. This is a sad statement, because it highlights the inability of religious zeal to open hearts to Jesus. But it is also exciting because it confirms God s plan to continue shining the light of the Gospel into the darkened corners of the world (cf. Isaiah 9:1 2, 49:5 6). Paul speaks with hope that the Gentile nations will hear about Jesus and come to believe in Him (Luke 2:29 32, Matthew 12:15 21; cf. Isaiah 42:1 4, 60:1 3). 6 Luke s account, while containing only one verse of quotations, functions as a reference to the longer account of Jesus teachings preserved in the other gospels (cf. Matthew 13:10 17) and now re stated here by Paul. 7 Marshall, 445.
Verses 29 30 Luke finishes this account by leaving us with a picture of Paul s sharing freely with whomever he comes in contact with (v. 29 30). It is tempting to think that Paul is the main hero of this story, but this ending proves that Luke has a greater perspective than just the life of Paul. If this book were about defending Paul, Luke would have wrapped up his biography with a more conclusive ending by recording his martyrdom for the Gospel. Instead, Luke leaves his reader with the open ended statement that the Gospel was still being shared with boldness and without hindrance (v. 30). Q: How have you learned to view your life within God s plan for global salvation? This is the only time the Greek word for without hindrance is used in the New Testament, and it gives the picture of something set free, unfettered, or not held back. The word for boldness is used especially in conjunction with freedom of speech. So we are left with the overall sense that the message of the Gospel has been set free to go throughout the world, from Jew to Gentile, to all ends of the earth, just as Jesus commanded in Acts 1:8. God promises through the prophet Isaiah that He will send His word out into the earth to accomplish its purposes, and it will not go out without reaping a harvest (Isaiah 55:10 11). It is good to remember that nothing that men can do can stop the progress and ultimate victory of the gospel. 8 Q: When have you been discouraged by what seems to be a silencing of the Gospel message in your society or community? Q: How can you remind yourself that God s Word knows no limits to the scope of its reach? 8 Marshall, 447.
Week 32, Acts 28:17 31 Took Main Point: God sends us throughout the earth to live as His faithful representatives. Group Activity: Teacher, break your class into groups and challenge them to plot the story of the book of Acts. When groups have concluded the exercise, ask them to share their results. What was their view of the resolution? In what ways did the story challenge them? Lesson Conclusion: Luke has left enough literary clues throughout the second half of Acts that Paul is ultimately heading to his death. The end of his life parallels Jesus journey to Jerusalem, and history records for us that Paul was executed by the Romans. 9 By refraining from merging the end of Acts with the definitive end of Paul, however, Luke is noting for the reader that Paul s theme was not his own situation but the gospel. 10 He doesn t resolve the tension of whether Paul s trial proved him innocent, because Paul is just one part of the greater story of the global Church that Luke is inviting his readers to join. It s incredible to realize that God desires to use us as His messengers, to give a voice and feet to taking the Gospel around the world. Paul cites Isaiah when he declares How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news! (Romans 10:15b; cf. Isaiah 52:7). Paul knew firsthand the joys and dangers of being a messenger of the Gospel and devoted his life to raising up new generations of Christ followers bold enough to join the mission. 11 How is the Holy Spirit drawing you deeper into the mission of the Church? How is God calling you to be His witness to local and foreign people? It s never too late to be a witness for Christ! Challenges Build bridges How do you approach conflict? From a place of self defense or with an attitude of relationship building? It is crucial to our testimony as Christians to handle ourselves with gentleness and humility, even when others disagree with us. Ask God to help you guard your tongue and transform your attitude so you can share the Gospel with others in a loving manner. Find out if your church offers courses on mediation, conflict resolution or evangelism so you can learn effective approaches from others who are especially gifted in these areas. Pray that God would cultivate the Fruit of the Spirit in your heart so they naturally influence your approach to evangelism. 9 Marshall, 447. 10 Marshall, 444. 11 Gospel means a report of good news that is carried throughout a kingdom to announces a major victory. In this case, it is the message of Jesus victory over sin and death that is announced to all corners of the world.
Embrace the cut God s Word is a light that exposes our sin and a sword that cuts away the parts of us that are in love with sin. How often do you read the Bible for its correction? Reserve some of your time alone with God each day for confession and repentance for the sin His Word exposes in your life. Are there passages you avoid reading because they provide too much conviction? Try again to read them with an open ear to what God is saying through them. Read through Psalm 119, and meditate on the multi faceted power of the Bible to work in all areas of our lives. Pray that you would desire God s correction and not attempt to run from it. Join the mission If you are not already involved in local or global missions, sign up! Ask your church leaders for ways to be involved locally or overseas. Sacrifice a week for a mission trip or several hours each week for activities that share the Gospel and build relationships with non Christians. Ask the Holy Spirit for natural points of connection within your current community, whether it is work, family, your neighborhood, etc. Do a Bible study on the global vision for salvation that the prophet Isaiah writes about in his book. Commit to praying for your church s missionaries on a regular basis, and ask to hear their stories of helping to spread the Gospel throughout the world