From
Acts to Revelation
Part
78 – Rome
Pastor Bruce A. Shields
INTRODUCTION
Remember, Luke is recording he and Paul's
travels.
The last two weeks have revealed Paul and
the crew of his prison vessel. Bound for Rome, running aground, and leaving the
276 men shipwrecked on the island of Malita.
There, Paul was bitten by a snake, but
lived, and the inhabitants of the island began coming to him for healing.
They eventually left on a new ship, and
arrived in Rome, where Paul is greeted by more believers. Who came to see him
when they heard of his arrival.
Remember, Paul is in Rome because the Lord
told him to come to Rome and preach the Gospel...so Paul, during his trial in
front of King Agrippa and Festus, appealed to Caesar, so he would be taken to
Rome.
Paul, in his obedience, receives special
protection, privilege, and treatment, not because he is compliant to his
captors, rather, because he is obedient to Christ.
Saul was rejected as king because he failed
to utterly destroy the Amalekites, instead choosing to keep the best of the
best for himself and to sacrifice to God. But God didn't want his sacrifice, he
wanted obedience.
I Samuel 15:22
“Does the Lord
delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as much as in obeying the Lord?
To obey is better than sacrifice,
and to heed is better than the fat of rams.”
as much as in obeying the Lord?
To obey is better than sacrifice,
and to heed is better than the fat of rams.”
Today we will see how God desires OBEDIENCE
rather than SACRIFICE.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE
Acts 28:16-20
17 Three days
later he called together the local Jewish leaders. When they had assembled,
Paul said to them: “My brothers, although I have done nothing against our
people or against the customs of our ancestors, I was arrested in Jerusalem and
handed over to the Romans. 18 They examined me
and wanted to release me, because I was not guilty of any crime deserving
death. 19 The Jews objected, so I was compelled
to make an appeal to Caesar. I certainly did not intend to bring any charge
against my own people. 20 For this reason I have
asked to see you and talk with you. It is because of the hope of Israel that I
am bound with this chain.”
In
today's scripture we will see;
1. God
desires obedience over sacrifice
2. Blessings
come through obedience
3. Obedience
is “how” we serve the Lord
I.
PAUL'S SPECIAL TREATMENT
a. Special
treatment, first by God (called blessings)
i. We see God protecting Paul, and giving him special
treatment during the storms and trials in his life...why? Because Paul is obedient.
a. He protected Paul at the Temple by bringing in the
Roman guards when the Jews attacked him.
b. He protected Paul with over 200 armed soldiers while
he traveled for his trial.
c. He protected Paul from the hurricane, which
shipwrecked the Roman prisoner ship on Malita.
d. He protected Paul from the venomous snake bite on
the island.
e. All because Paul is Obedient.
b. Special
treatment by the Centurion
i. He protected Paul on the ship, not wanting him
killed
ii. He gave privilege to Paul to teach and preach freely
iii. He allowed Paul to preach on the ship.
c. Special
treatment by King Agrippa
i. Who said, "If Paul had not appealed to Caesar,
I would release him, for he is guiltless."
d. and now,
special treatment by Rome
i. They provided him with special guard, and quarters
ii. They allowed him to walk the city, talk with people,
teach and preach as well as call meetings with the believer's and Jewish
leaders!!!
e. Why?
i. Paul received blessings, protection, benefits, and
special treatment BECAUSE he was obedient to the Lord.
ii. Obedience is actively (doing) serving God, doing
things the way He commands.
a. Not the way you think it should be done, or in the
manner you think is best, rather, doing WHAT God says, the WAY God says, WHEN
God says.
b. That, is obedience
iii. Paul was told to go to Rome and preach the Gospel,
and he did.
iv. We need to be actively serving too, if we wish to
have these same blessings in our life.
II.
PAUL PLEADS HIS CASE
a. Calling
the believers he found in Rome (vs. 15) and the Chief Jews in Rome.
i. We know from scripture that the believer's and the
Chief Jews were not working together, because when Paul addresses them in vs.17, he calls them "men and brothers".
ii. There is a distinction between the two sets of men.
b. Paul
states, "I did nothing, yet I am a prisoner"
i. Notice, Paul has endured trials, imprisonment,
beatings, floggings, stoning, left for dead, shipwrecked, bitten, and all of
these are his daily trials and tribulations, and yet, he continues to receive
blessings from God, as well as special treatment, and protection because of his
obedience.
ii. We are told in scripture, "Storms will
come...", we "Will have trials and tribulation...", we
"Will have difficulties...", all of these things promised in life,
for the believer, and the non-believer.
a. However, when the storms come, those who have built
their house on the rock (Jesus), will be able to withstand these storms. The
man who does not build his life on the rock, has built it upon sand, and will
come down with a great crash when the storm comes.
c. Paul
makes it clear in his statement to the brothers and Chief Jews
i. All of this is because of his proclamation of Christ
as the Messiah of Israel and the Savior of the world.
III. OBEDIENCE
IS FAR GREATER THAN SACRIFICE
a.
I
Samuel 15:22
“Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and
sacrifices
as much as in obeying the Lord?
To obey is better than sacrifice,
and to heed is better than the fat of rams.”
as much as in obeying the Lord?
To obey is better than sacrifice,
and to heed is better than the fat of rams.”
b. Most people who believe in God have hopes of his approval in
this life and for the eternal life to come. Furthermore, seeking God’s approval
will naturally be followed by an expectation of his blessings as well. However,
those seeking to be approved by God must be cautious when attempting to seek
his approval.
i. While God is able to know the thoughts and intentions of
every person, he cannot be manipulated into issuing blessings to those who
approach him in inappropriate ways and for inappropriate reasons.
c. Proverbs 16:25 says, “There is a way which seems right to a man,
but its end is the way of death.”
i. The Pharisees of Jesus’ day are a prime example of those
seeking the blessings of God in their own ways, yet at the same time were being
rejected by God.
ii. In speaking to a group of scribes and Pharisees, Jesus said
to them, “Woe to you, scribes and
Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe …, and you have neglected the weightier
provision of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the
things you should have done without neglecting the others.” (Matthew
23:23).
d. The scribes and Pharisees were assuming that God was blessing
them because they were issuing sacrificial tithes and offerings. However, Jesus
rebuked them for neglecting the greatest of acts — i.e. justice, mercy and
faithfulness.
i. These religious leaders believed they had God’s approval for
blessings, while all along; God was rejecting them.
e. David, king of Israel, came to realize that all his
sacrificial living before God was not at all what God desired of him.
i. While under deep repentant conviction of sin, David exclaimed
in a prayer to God “You do not delight in
sacrifice, otherwise I would give it. You are not pleased with burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. A broken and contrite heart, O God,
You will not despise.” (Psalm 51:16-17).
f. The thing King David came to realize, which the Pharisees
failed to realize, is that a relationship with God through a repentant faithful
life is more honorable and pleasing to God than any sacrificing.
i. Speaking of the time of eternal judgment, Jesus said, “Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord
Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and
in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never
knew you.’ ” (Matthews 7:22-23).
CONCLUSION
1.
God desires obedience over sacrifice
2.
Blessings come through obedience
3. We need to live a life of obedience, remembering justice, mercy and faithfulness
4. Your tithes, offerings and sacrifices are worthless, if you
are not living in obedience to the Lord.
No comments:
Post a Comment