Witness

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Or in here if you would take your Bibles out and turn to the book of Acts and we're going to a I know I know what the screen says, but I'm going to actually ask you to turn to chapter 21 and we're going to be looking this morning at 2619 through 29 in particular, but I want us to understand what's got us to this point. Right? We've been in the book of Acts that we've been talking about different things that are happening. We've been looking at this early church and how God was at work how Jesus was continuing his ministry through his people I ever see the gospel going out. Well a couple weeks ago. We stopped all as we came into it in the text. Paul has come back from his third missionary journey and then in chapter 21, he's going to Jerusalem. And so is I just going to kind of skim through this and then hit some highlights you follow along there in twenty one. He's going to Jerusalem and he gets to Jerusalem in and there's rumors being spread amongst the Jews that Paul is seeking to destroy the Jewish faith. He's not he's proclaiming Jesus as the Fulfillment of the Jewish faith, but in order to reassure to worth the citizens there in Jerusalem in order to open doors for gospel Proclamation. He agrees with James to go into the temple and to take a bow while he's taking that Val. He's arrested for causing a disturbance because people began to accuse him of bringing a gentile into the temple with them and he defends himself and he says wait a second timeout. I'm not doing anything wrong. I am simply Proclaim and get the Messiah we've waited for so long has finally come. Well, this gets way out of control the Romans. Involved in now, all of a sudden Paul has a double problem. He's got his Society the culture around him the Jewish people who want to see him dead and now he's got these Romans to think that Paul is the one breaking the peace Paul is the one causing all of these problems. And so they say we're going to flog you pause. Hold up time out can't do that. I'm a Roman citizen. Yes. I'm a Jew but I'm also a Roman citizen and you have to try me for so now he's on trial in the Jewish Minds on religious charge now, he's on trial in the Roman mind on Civic charges. And what's he going to do? Well Paul's going to do what Paul does Paul is going to share the gospel. He's going to share the gospel with the Jews. He's going to share the gospel with the Romans and that continues for a little while here and we see several different opportunities that he has as we walk through 22 and 23 and then in 23 Paul gets sent. The governor of Judea now, it's just a brief and I do mean brief history lesson because with as much as you guys ate for Christmas, I know that your attention span is going to be really short. And so I mention the word history in people's eyes start drooping. So this is going to breathe. I promised Felix is the governor of Judea. Now the way this worked was the Romans were appointed governor for an area and so and so Paulding is set to him. Now. This Governor would be some someone hack into our state Governor I guess but he's more particularly focused in Judea on keeping the peace and making sure the taxes keep running in and I that's that's his job. And so those two are very closely tied together because if there's unrest in the community of the taxes aren't getting paid. So this guy says no wheat, we've got to keep the peace and soap all as it is it Peter in his mind is brought on trial before the governor. Well I he comes before the governor. The governor says, you know one thing leads to another Paul gets put in prison for 2 years 2 years. No trial the governor really doesn't think Paul's meant to be in prison, but he wants Paul to pay him a bribe to get out ball won't pay him a bride, but he just keep speaking of Jesus every time they get together eventually feel it keeps him. So long did Felix gets replaced as governor and they send a new governor in a lot about the Christians. Can you a lot about the Jewish faith, but the replacing the comes in the guy named fast as he does not know a lot about this and so now he's got this prisoner that his predecessor had locked up, but he knows nothing about it. So he calls Paul in. It is well tell me what's going on Fall begins to Sharon and Festus Isabel. Why don't why don't we just settle this, you know, go back to Drew Smith Lake. If you take me back to Jerusalem is the Destin's the Jews will kill me. If you take me there. This is really, you guys think politics in the United States is complicated try being here where there's down this there's this Governor the bestest and then there's also this King Agrippa and he's King over the region and it's a whole big political mess over there but fastest can't figure out what to do. She calls King Agrippa who's at least historical. Aware of the Jewish faith. He's he's got a background in Judaism. So he understands and knows the prophets. He's got it and so fast is called him innocent. Can you help me figure out what to do with this guy Paul? Because the Jews that says worthy of death, but I'm listen to my I can't figure out anything. He's done worthy of death. So Agrippa shows up and he wants to hear Paul's arguments. He wants to hear what all might say in defense of himself. And so Paul precedes to share with these two guys. Exactly the same thing to be in shared with the Jews before. I've done nothing wrong. I am on trial now for simply saying that the Messiah that you've been waiting for his come and and I was persecuting these people until Jesus the resurrected Christ showed up to me and he told me to go tell others and that's all I'm trying to do is b o b t all I'm trying to do is obey him. I am being a witness and that's what I want us to look at this morning. We're going to look at 19 through 29 because Paul says in his defense before that passage. He says I was sent by this resurrected Craftsman this resurrected Jewish Carpenter. I was sent to be a witness. What is he sent to be a witness of? Well, let's read in verse 19 we pick up.

In chapter 26 there for O King Agrippa. I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision but declared first of those in Damascus then in Jerusalem throughout the all-region throughout the whole region of Judea and also to the Gentiles that they should repent and turn to God for forming deeds in keeping with the repentance for this reason that you squeeze me in the temple and tried to kill me to this day. I've had to help it comes from God and so I stand Here testifying both small and great saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would come to pass that the Christ must suffer and it by being the first to rise from the dead he would Proclaim light both of our people and to the Gentiles as he was saying these things in his defense pesticide would allow boys Paul you are out of your mind. Your great learning is driving you out of your mind deposit. I am not out of my mind most excellent Festus, but I am speaking true and rational words for the king knows about these things into him. I speak boldly for I am persuaded that none of these things. Has not been done in the corner King Agrippa. Do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe and Agrippa said to Paul in a short time. Would you persuade me to be a Christian Paul said whether short or long I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me this day might become such as I am except for these chains. Paul does what Paul has been doing he Bears witness, but this morning as we reflect on the Christmas that just passed. And we think about what it means that Christ would come in that way. The Jesus would be born as a baby and Woodrow and would suffer and would be tempted and would be tried in which each and would heal and would preach and would die and be resurrected. We need to understand it Christmas maybe over. But its implications continue and they place a great burden on us who know to use the cliche the reason for the season. Christmas places a burden on us to witness just like it did Paul what I want us to look at today. What I don't want us to leave 20/20 without is a clear understanding of both the contents of our witness and the character we ought to have as Witnesses, you know that the word Witnesses one of those things if it's a noun it's a verb it can do a lot of different things and even within that even if you just take the noun, right it can be two different things witness can be a person who saw something and is called upon to testify to what he thought witness can also be the content of that testimony Witnesses both of those things. But I want us to see is that Paul sets for us and is available both of how to communicate the content of what we witness. But also what character we ought to have as Witnesses. So before we dive any further into this, would you pray with me?

Lord God this can't be Just Another Sunday for us if Christmas is true God this can't be just another day.

Just another building with lights and decorations. God I pray that today because of Christ's birth. That this would be a point of change for us. And God that you would fill us with a confident. Hope a certainty.

In the truth of the gospel and God that you would bring our lives into Conformity with that Truth by the power of your spirit. I ask it in Jesus name. Amen. Let's take these one at a time. Let's look first at the content of Paul's Witness. And then let's understand how that is the content for our witness look with me. Inverse is 19223. I'm going to read these again just to make sure we don't miss it. Therefore O King Agrippa. I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but they cleared first to those in Damascus then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judy and also to the Gentiles but they should repent and turn to God performing deeds in keeping with their repentance for this reason. The juice sees me in the temple and tried to kill me to this day. I've had the help that comes from God. So I stand here to testify both too small and too great thing nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would come to pass that the Christ must suffer and it by being the first to rise from the dead he would Proclaim light to our people and to the gym now, this is one of those moments. Just like the wise men in the Shepherds and baby Jesus that through over-familiarity with we can sometimes begin to assume the gospel instead of actually knowing the guy we can assume the contents of the Gospel without actually being able to articulate what the gospel actually is. Right? How many of you guys are JRR Tolkien fans?

All of this is a sad day for me. My heart is breaking. How many of you are Lord of the Rings Fanatics, there's a difference like some of you guys or like man, he's talking about the Lord of the Rings again Harry goes but there's a difference between people who are fans of The Lord of the Rings and people who are Fanatics for the Lord of the Rings and then there's those of you who've never even read watch seen heard anything about it and I will pray for your poor benighted soul. Put on the one hand you have these people who are fans of the Lord the Rings. They see in the movies, right? You know, they made the movies in the theaters in a good story. I like that and then you have the Fanatics and these are people who have read the books like every year watch the extended editions which by the way that's like 4 and 1/2 hours per movie or something like that, but they didn't wash them is like a thing where they just sit down and watch all three movies in one sitting that is like my perfect day. All right, but they take it even farther than I would because these people actually know how to like read and write at least one language from Middle Earth. Did you guys know that token developed languages for the characters in the story? Do you can read and write Elvish you can you can learn to speak dwarvish and they're Fanatics are the people that they take the time to learn that I find myself somewhere in the middle, right? Not over here with the people who like the movies. I like them. They're pretty good. I'm over here. I have read all three books multiple times. I've read the backstory the still silmarillion, and I really really like it, but I've never Taking the time to learn Elvish. I really confuse people who are fans when I talk about something like Tom Bombadil if you've only seen the movie, do you have no idea right there? I don't think it's in the movies. Well, it wasn't that was a mistake. Okay? But then I really frustrate the Fanatics because they're they find out that I had that I've read all this and they find out that I read the multiple times and they're like, oh you must in and they start speaking Elvish no mic. No idea what you're saying. You're weird. Here's the problem. Here's the problem. I think we do the same thing with the gospel. And I think that in particularly in our context particularly in North American Christianity, we have a tendency to do the same thing with the gospel wear either like you had to I saw the movie, you know, it's pretty good. I show up once a week and listen to some guy talk about it. Yeah, it's good stuff. I like it. And then you got people who are over here who are like, you know, I'm in church. Every time the doors are open. I do 10 Bible studies every morning. I pray for 5 hours a day. And then yeah, you know, this is cool and I might my pick up the Bible before I run out the door to work in the morning. Here's the problem. There is no possibility. There is no possibility of being mildly interested in the gospel if it's truly changed your life. CS Lewis which we won't even get into The Chronicles of Narnia. All right. CS Lewis said this and this is one of my favorite quotes Christianity if false is of no importance and if true is of infinite importance, the only thing it cannot be is moderately important. If you're here this morning, I'm making an assumption and then this is probably a terrible assumption to make but I'm assuming that there is at least part of you that says there could be something to this Christianity thing if you're here this morning, so I'm assuming that there's nobody in that category this morning who saved Christianity of no importance. I don't even know why I showed up this morning. I thought this was this was Walmart, and I'm really confused.

Right. I don't think there's anybody here like that, but I'm afraid that there are some of us sitting here who like yeah, you know Christmas is great in the whole baby. Jesus thing is awesome. And I really like, you know, some of the songs we sing here in Jesus, you know, he seems like a pretty cool dude, and and I really just really want to kind of claim this Christianity thing for myself, but it's not making a difference once I walk out of here. That's my fear. Is that sit we would be sitting here doing the impossible taking something but if it's false is of no importance if it's true is of infinite importance and we're saying, you know a thing. It's it's it's moderately important to my life. We cannot do that. When you see the Jesus life death and Resurrection are of infinite importance when you understand with Paul that the content of the Gospel witness is it there was a baby born who was God In the Flesh and he lived a sinless life and he died a death that we could not die and return from and yet he returned because he was without sin. And in doing so he conquered death. He conquered sin and he invites anybody who is willing to believe in him and submit themselves to him as Lord. He invites them to come. And to let him pay the penalty for your sin for those moments when you have rejected the way that you know, you ought to walk in for those moments that you have chosen to place your desires ahead of the needs of someone else for those moments when you've said to God, I don't care what you say is right. I want to do what I want to do. Jesus take the penalty for that. And he offers you life.

that cannot be moderately important that cannot be worth only a couple hours of your time on a Sunday morning. That cannot be anything but reality in which you now walk and live if it is true that Jesus Christ lived the Jesus Christ died in the Jesus Christ rose again, it changes everything about your life. Abraham kuyper said there is no corner of Creations to paraphrase. There's no corner of creation over which Christ does not declare mine. We live. We breathe we interact we laugh we eat we cry. We love all under. the reign of Christ Because He Lives because he died in because he rose again this is true and yet we seem to have confused Christianity the way which is a term that comes up in this text that we didn't read earlier. We confuse the way of following Christ out of Christianity with that of paying lip service to Christianity. We confuse owning Christ as Lord and submitting our life to him with repeating a prayer.

Getting some fire insurance and maybe showing up for church every once in awhile. We confuse what's going on. We get this confused then and how we begin to engage others right at the content of The Gospel According to Paul in this moment where he stands before the governor of Judea and the King of Judea, he stands before these two, very important government officials who have an incredible impact on their Kingdom on the society over which they rain is Rome's representatives. And the one thing that he says, this is what I need you to understand if Jesus Christ live Jesus Christ died in Jesus Christ rose again, that's all he says, and yet we confuse our witness and we change the content of our witness when we engaged Public Square we seem to think that people need from us what they don't actually need from us if Paul standing before the two most important government officials of his day said the life death and resurrection of Jesus is the only thing I've got to talk about then why in the world do we think that what people need us to talk about is defending the Ten Commandments being placed in our Civic buildings? That's how we witness know. That's not how you witness. That's how you started arguing on Facebook. If you're witnessing you are talking about the life the death and the resurrection of Jesus.

Defending Christendom is not the same thing as following Christ. People don't need us. To defend the Ten Commandments they need us to declare Christ. People don't need us to boycott businesses that would dare to print happy holidays on their products instead of Merry Christmas. That's not Witness.

If it's not declaring the life the death of the resurrection of Jesus, we've missed it. The world doesn't even need us as Christians to call down the wrath of God upon their sins.

God's going to ask God's got that handled. Okay.

We are assured. Did there is coming a day where did Jesus Christ who lived who died and who rose again will return and when he returns he will return to judge the world according to righteous. The world doesn't need us. to condemn them the world needs us to hold up to Showcase to scream from the rooftops to celebrate to display to declare and to live in an infectious. Joyful manner that says the life the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ is true. The life the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ are the content of the Gospel. There are a ton of things in the Bible that are important. The Bible is inspired in an air that is my firm belief. But we get it twisted if we're looking at the Bible and we're saying we need this thing. No, we need this thing because it points us to the life the death and the resurrection of Jesus the content of our witness must be nothing left and the life-changing reality that God became flesh. Did he live that he preached that he taught that healed that he died and that he rose again, but I want you to know that that's not the final step for that's not the end of the his witness is not enough to Simply declare to an unbelieving world will Jesus did live just did that kid Rides Again?

We have to go beyond that and we have to call for a response. We have to tell people not only is this true in the same way that two plus two equals four is true and some of you are impressed cuz you know my math skills. I just got that right. Not only do we could declare the truth of the gospel and say this is a fundamental reality, but we need to tell people what they do with that reality. We need to demonstrate to people what that truth mean. It's not the content of our witness is the fundamental truth. Jesus lived died and rose again, but it's also to call people to believe to repent to serve and to share To believe to repent to serve and to share that's what Paul says. This is what I was going about doing was telling people about the life the death in the resurrection of Jesus, and I was calling them to respond looking for some 19. But I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision. I declared first of those in the bathrooms than in Jerusalem throughout the region of Judea. It's also to the Gentiles that they should repent and turn to God for forming deeds in keeping with repentance. I told them to eat. This is true. If you believe that this is true like you believe two plus two is four then you need to repent of your sins. You need to turn away from a way of life that has you at the center and you need to put Christ there. You need to climb down off the Throne of your heart. And you need to in Throne. Jesus is king. That's what the kingdom means believe that the gospel is true that Jesus lived died and rose again. repent of your self-centered self-directed mean manner of life and then note that note the order here. I think this matters believe repent and then serve. serve believe that this is true repent of what in your life is not in line with that truth and then serve because you've been changed by this Truth live the life that Jesus would live if Jesus were you That's part of the Gospel message. Jesus can set you free how fulfilled you feel seeking your desires. How fulfilling is your life chasing money chasing Fame chasing hours chasing success. chasing a new car how fulfilling is that the moment you get it you have the sense of letdown? Chuck Colson the name that many of you are probably familiar with he described he was the architect of of this great political Victory and you describe the the moment after the results from the election came in. And you describe this feeling empty? He described as sensitive. Disappointment everything he'd been working for everything you'd given the last three years of his life to it happens. And it gets it and it lets him down.

Does that sound like your story is that you think that sounds like your neighbor story? Hey, you've been chasing this thing. You've been chasing this thing that you thought was going to satisfy you but it didn't let me tell you about Jesus eat lived. He died he rose again. And if you believe that turn away from your self-centered way of life, you will find the Fulfillment you're looking for because instead of living for yourself, you'll begin to live for others instead of trying to dry out the life plan that you want instead of writing the story with you as the hero you're going to write the story with Jesus as the hero and you're going to do the kind of things that Jesus did in order to point other people to him believe that the gospels true repented what's on in line with that truth serve because you're Changed by that truth, but it's not done yet. The content of our witness is the life in the death in the resurrection of Jesus. It's calling for a response. You need to believe this you need to repent and you need to serve but it also is calling you to share. How do we know? How do we know this?

Because we're human. If you found something if you found something that answered all of your problems that that promise to solve every difficulty you faced if you found something so magical so amazing.

And it truly did change your life. How could you not share that? How could you not tell others about that? How could you not say look look at Jesus and look what he did for me and he can do that for you. Sharing is so often and I'm guilty of this, you know, it's so so often we treat evangelism like this this four letter word in the church. I like this taboo subject. We don't want to touch or if we do deal with it. We just try to guilt one another into sharing the gospel like a if you haven't been telling people that Jesus, you know, you're like a third-rate to make second-rate, you know. You just not Measuring Up know I'm convinced from the New Testament that what is required of us is not guilt tripping one another into spewing out some memorize gospel presentation. But what is required of us is to snow fall in love with the gospel. So be completely transformed by the truth of the life the death in the resurrection of Jesus that we can't help the talk about it. Then we can't help but share that's what Paul finds himself doing here. Right? He preaches like three or four sermons here at the end of act increases the Jews. He preaches a Felix fastest Agrippa and he's talking daily with other people that says right like Paul is just preaching the gospel. And you know, what's remarkable. He said the same thing every time. He is in nemard with the love of Christ. He is enamored with the gospel truth that Jesus really lived. He is blown away by the fact that God would die to save his creation. He's Amazed by the fact that Jesus's resurrection opens the way for us to have hope of that resurrected life as well. And so he just shares it the content of our Witnesses the life death and resurrection of Jesus and the call to respond believe repent serve and share now. I want to interrupt through moments.

And I want you sitting where you're at say.

Not am I witnessing will get to that. But I want you to ask yourself. Do I believe this? is this in fact true if Christmas not the glitz and glamour commercialized version were thinking of but if the birth of Christ really happens As a fulfillment of God's promise to redeem a people for himself. And if Jesus really lived in really did the things that we read about in Matthew and Mark and Luke and John and if you really taught the things that he taught like in The Sermon on the Mount maybe really was healing all those people.

And if you really died. But he also really rose again.

You got to do something with that information. It cannot be just mildly interesting. It cannot be just a theological concept that you tuck away in some corner of your gray matter and pull out a couple times a year Christmas and Easter. for the God and country folks, maybe Fourth of July to It's going to be your reality got to Define you and my question for you. This morning is does the life death and resurrection of Jesus Define your life.

Or is it something that defines a couple hours on Sunday? Is the life and the death and the resurrection of Jesus something that has led you to not just believe that it is true in the sense that the Earth is round. I guess that's debatable in these days, isn't it?

Is it something that is as true as two plus two equals four in your mind? And has it led you than to repent of trying to direct your own life? If got if God should take the Old Testament prophets and could speak so consistently through them pointing us to this coming Messiah pointing us to the suffering servant is one who would die for the sake of his people if they could speak for thousands of years. So consistently pointing us to Christ.

If God could so orchestrate history that if the exact right moment, Jesus was born.

Why can't you trust him with your life? Why can't you put him in charge? Why do you want to keep trying to control your own narrative? If he could do that. Nation Kingdom centuries all of them orchestrated and working out to the point where Jesus was born at the exact right moment. I'm pretty sure you can trust him with your 50 60 70 80 90 some of your hundred maybe years. It's not going to be too much for him to handle. It is too much for you to handle. You'll make a mess of it. So believe that this is true repent of directing your own life and let God have the wheel let him drive.

And when you do you'll find that your attitude to the people around you begins to change you'll begin to want to serve them. You'll begin to want to love the mule begin to want to share the gospel with them. But only if you believe repent Only if you say this is true, Jesus lived died and rose again, and it means I'm not in charge anymore will those things happen? So if you're today here today, and that's not your reality. You've not experienced that transformation do not leave here without settling in your mind once and for all did Jesus really live die and rise from the dead and have turned over control of my life to him. Am I Desperately Seeking the word of God to understand more of this Christ who I can trust my life to That is my channels do today is Christ King in your life nail that down. Before you walk out of these doors nail that down before 20 20 turns into 20 21. nail that down now Jesus lived died and rose again. I'm going to turn away from anything in my life. That denies that truth. And I am going to serve others and I'm going to share this good news because it's true. That's the contents of her when it looks like just to get back here the content of our Witness. I think you got it. I hope you got it. Jesus and the change that he can make in my life and your life and people we talked to his life. What about the character of the witness are because Paul as he's on trial here. Not just telling us this is the content of the Gospel. He's showing us what it means to live like as a witness for the gospel. He's demonstrating for us. What can what can happen when we Let Jesus be king in our lives? When we submit to him as Lord and I want us to see this in verse 19, read it a couple times but it says oh King Agrippa. I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, right? Jesus shows up to Paul. And what is Paul do? He'll Bass. The character of a witness is first and foremost somebody who obeys Jesus's commands. If you're declaring with your mouth, Jesus lived died and rose again, and you need to believe and repent and serve and share and you're not believing repenting serving or sharing how much Credence do you think people are going to give to your message?

The character of the witness matters is almost not as much but almost as much as the content of the message the character of the witness as somebody who obeys Jesus's commands at Red Hills. What do you say? What are those commands?

Love God love others and Make Disciples of all of his commands. No, but those some up his commands. To love God to love others and to make disciples. Alright, we can say him.

Are we leaving them? Is it a slogan? Or is it the way of our life? when people walk in to our fellowship to our gatherings do they hear? an advertising campaign or do they see the reality of Our Lives as we seek to love God love others and make disciples. Which one do you think will make the biggest difference in Iron County? Which one do you think will bring transformation to Southern Utah? Which one do you think will transform the world? a slogan

or a group of people who say together at Jesus gang. He told us to do these things are going to go do them.

Character the witnesses the we obey Jesus commands in in verse 25 and 26. He demonstrates a witness for somebody who speaks truly wisely and boldly look at verse 25 with me. So this is just after Festus accuses him of losing his mind for declaring that Jesus rose from the dead. And Paul says I'm not out of my mind most excellent meses but I am speaking true and rational words. The king knows these things so I speak boldly. As witnesses to the reality of the Gospel as witnesses to the life the death in the resurrection of Jesus. We ought to obey Jesus planet. We have to speak true lie about these things. How can you speak truly about something that you've never studied for yourself? How can you speak truly about the life the death and the resurrection of Jesus if you've never taken the time to know about the life death and resurrection of Jesus? People talk about reading through the Bible in one year people talk about, you know, this Abyss Bible reading planner that Bible reading plan. Here's my suggested Bible reading plan for you. Read the Gospels.

I didn't I mean like that's the whole plan.

Read the gospels until you know backwards and forwards the truth of Jesus so that when you go to speak you can with clarity. But with certainty declare, let me tell you about the life the death in the resurrection of Jesus cuz I have read Matthew and Mark and Luke and John. Over and over and over and I understand what these early witnesses to Christ were saying about this Messiah about this King. Speak truly seek to know Jesus more and more by reading the account of his life. This is not to take away. From the importance of reading Genesis to Malachi or acts to Revelation but it is to say if you don't nail down the truth of the life the death of the resurrection of Jesus doesn't matter how much you know of the word outside of that. Nail this down Jesus. It's shown to us in the gospel. So seek the truth of him consistently in them. Next thing. He speaks is he speaks wisely talk about having rational word. Right look people like to make fun of other faiths and and and I am I am just as guilty at times. But we believe some pretty crazy stuff as Christ followers the whole virgin birth thing. Like I'm not sure if anybody in here knows but that's usually how that works. Write the whole Resurrection thing is kind of counterintuitive. That's not the way the universe generally trends.

Do these things are not usual? Can they be rational? Yes. If you start with the assumption that matter is all there is and there's nothing else than know this doesn't work. But if you start with the assumption that God is All of these things make logical sense because history is no longer a series of interactions between various groups of people. It is now something that is Sovereign Lee superintendent by a Creator God who yet loves his people and is working all things together for good to those who love him and who are called according to his purposes. And science is no longer the purposeless direction. They random interactions of molecules bouncing around inside this universe. Now it is something that a creator has intentionally set up and intentionally is guiding forward. For his own it for his own plan for his own purpose. All of reality is rational if you start with God. And I would love to have a conversation with you about how irrational it is if you don't start with God.

But we can speak wisely to those around us. However, going back to the content of our witness. We must speak wisely about the things that matter. Mentor of mine once told me Brandon you're really good at answering questions that nobody's asking. That's not what we want our witness to be. We don't want our witness to be these random collections of fact that we've assembled. No, we want our witness to be what the witness are the bee's life death and resurrection of Jesus. So we want to major in the major things in minor in the minor things. So speaking wisely is not just speaking rationally and consistently, but it's also speaking aptly and fittingly Recognizing when what's needed is an argument about the origin of the universe and recognizing win what's needed is to say regardless of how the universe began. Let me tell you about Jesus. We need to understand that to speak truth. But to speak it wisely. Finally Paul says that he's speaking boldly. He's talking to a group of this guy knows the property grew up as a Jew understands the prophets. Just polish speaking boldly to him. Does that mean that we can only speak the gospel boldly when were talking to somebody that understands the prophets? No, nor does it mean that we have to go about making obnoxious fools of ourselves and pestering people the other day. I was I was flying on an airplane and in Preachers always have these stories about like sitting down on a plane next to somebody and leading them to Christ, you know. I've never had that experience. I just I'll just tell you now like today. Consider like that down. I'm playing a everybody's got masks on right. This is under coronavirus and there's a guy sitting like right across from you that most of the Flies have been on there been real spread out and stuff at this guy's like right across the aisle. Yes talk to this guy selling over said. Hey, man, where are you going?

Puts his earphones in and opens his book.

I'm not the quickest guy in a social situation, but even I knew he's not looking for a conversation right now.

Did I rip the earphones out and say hold on I was going to tell you about something really important. No, I didn't cuz I prayed God if there's an opportunity. Let me take it this is clearly not that opportunity. And so I'm content to sit back and trust. God was I ready to share? Yes. Did I have to share because I'd like to myself up for it. No boldness is not being obnoxious. It's not talking yourself out of talking to people cuz that's what normally happens. I sit down on the airplane him. Like I do you not really talk to this guy, but I don't know if I'm by the time I get psyched up enough to talk to him like we're Landing. Boldness is simply not talking yourself out of talking to somebody and if they don't want to talk don't talk, that's it a group of sitting there. He wants to hear what Paul has to say. Paul says her and I want to tell you boldly. Because the opportunity is there finally the character of the witness. So we obey Jesus commands. We speak truly wisely and boldly and finally we desire salvation for all. We desire salvation for all look at what Paul says in verse 29 and this is in response to a short or long. I would to God that not only you but all who hear me might be as I am except for these chains. Agrippa I would love to convince you whether it took me just today or if it took me a hundred years. I would love to convince you of this true that I would love for everybody that hears me. To know the truth did Jesus Christ live Jesus Christ died in Jesus Christ rose again, and it changes everything. Not skip the chains for you. If I could I wouldn't want you to be locked up and stuck in a prison cell. But I would want you to know the truth of Christ. There's a popular saying like if you were the only person on Earth Jesus would have still died for you. It's true. It's true. If you were the only person on Earth, I believe that God would have still sought to redeem you. from your stance But you're not the only person on Earth.

There are 7 plus billion human beings wandering the face of this globe. Just demographics just surveys tell us at least 5 billion of them. Do not know Christ as Savior.

That ought to hit us.

That ought to challenges.

That's something lot to keep us up at night. To know that there is one way. For mankind to be saved. And not everybody has heard it. That's why the church exists. We're not here because the world needed another social club. We're not here because people might get bored if they didn't have something to do on Sunday morning. We're here to take the gospel that is transformed us. And extend it to the ends of the Earth. And everything we do on to be driving towards that reality either taking the gospel or raising up those who will take the gospel. That's why we're here for no other purpose. Church

Witness

witness give testimony to the reality of what you've seen in the gospel. Witnesses in your words and in your Deeds that the gospel might go and that's all maybe safe let spray.

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