Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev19981018.htm

ACTS: THE LOCAL CHURCH AS GOD'S AGENCY FOR DISCIPLING
Part LIV: Understanding And Adjusting To MIXED RESPONSES To Our Christian Ministries
(Acts 28:17-31)
  1. Introduction
    1. Jesus ordered His disciples to go and make disciples of all men, Matthew 28:19-20; Luke 24:46-47.
    2. This "Great Commission" is a lofty calling. However, Scripture predicts that not all men will be saved, and that the majority will not accept Christ, cf. Mtt. 7:13-14. In fact, of those who accept the Word, it appears from Christ's parable in Matthew 13:23 that a minority of even those folk will in turn be fully productive!
    3. Witnessing, teaching or seeking to make disciples can thus be very discouraging unless we understand some facts in the process. Paul had that understanding in facing mixed results, providing a lesson for us:
  2. Understanding And Adjusting To MIXED RESPONSES To Our Christian Ministries, Acts 28:17-31.
    1. The Apostle Paul had longed since his days in Ephesus to preach in Rome, Acts 19:21.
    2. After that, Jesus twice confirmed this goal by visions to Paul, Acts 23:11 and Acts 27:23-24:
    3. Thus, the destination of Rome held a special place in Paul's heart, for he longed to preach the Gospel there and possibly influence the entire empire through his converts, cf. Rom. 15:22-23; Rom. 1:14-15.
    4. Yet, while in Rome, Paul's best ministry efforts yielded but mixed to seeming unfulfilled results, 28:17-25a:
      1. Paul did his best to minister the Word with influence to fellow Jewish countrymen in Rome, 28:17-23:
        1. Knowing that Jerusalem's Jews held Paul in a bad light, Paul "wanted to prevent any derogatory report from his Jewish enemies in Jerusalem" by calling a meeting with Rome's Jewish leaders to be the first to gi ve his side of his Jerusalem rapport problem, 28:17 (Ry. St. Bib., KJV, ftn. Acts 28:17).
        2. In doing so, he credibly defended himself without creating a suspiciously slanderous picture of his Jerusalem opponents: (a) Paul told Rome's Jewish leaders that he was innocent of the charges of damaging the Jewish people and their customs for which the Jews had gotten him bound, 28:17b. (b) He revealed that even the Roman authorities in Jerusalem thought he was innocent, 28:18. (c) Paul explained his current imprisonment was due to his appeal to trial by Caesar as the Jew s had refused to deal uprightly with Paul, Acts 28:19a. (d) However, Paul was careful to say that he did not have charges pending against Israel, for he only wanted to be acquitted, Acts 28:19b. This statement showed Paul did not have an unjust "ax" to grind with his opponents, giving credibility to his defense. (e) Paul then stated he wanted to tell the leaders about the hope of Israel, a term meaning the fulfillment of Scripture Kingdom promises to Israel, 28:20, Ibid., p. 430.
        3. When the leaders said they had not heard a bad report about Paul, and wanted to meet with him to hear what he had to say on his views, they set a day for Paul to minister to them, Acts 28:21-23a.
        4. Paul then addressed them on that day, speaking from morning until evening about how Christ was the Messiah, and that by exegeting the Jewish Scriptures of the Law and prophets, Acts 28:23b.
      2. Well, some believed and some did not, failing to come to a consensus among themselves, 24-25a.
    5. Since there was not yet any bad report from Jerusalem about Paul to produce this response, Paul quoted Isa. 6:9-10 to show that the hardness of hearts had caused this lackluster response, Acts 28:25b-27.
    6. Thus, Paul contented himself to minister as he could to Gentiles and others who would hear, 28:28-31:
      1. He announced to the Jewish leaders that he was going to minister to Gentiles who would hear, 28:28.
      2. For two years afterward, Paul ministered to all who came to him, preaching and teaching them with the liberty that God provided for him though he was a prisoner of Rome, Acts 28:30-31.
Lesson: (1) The mixed discipling response Paul got from Rome's Jewish leaders was NOT caused by their view of Paul being influenced by a slanderous report from Jerusalem, for Paul's interaction with them preceded that report, and he opened a positi ve door with them. (2) Rather, their response came from their OWN hard hearts. (3) Thus, Paul kept ministering to others who would hear him.

Application: (1) We must not become dismayed and quit just because of mixed or even undesirable responses to our efforts as though something in us or a report about us ruins our effectiveness. (2) It is the heart of the hearer that affects his res ponse to the Word. (3) Thus, positively work with the responsive with all confidence in God's equipping as God gives us the opportunity to do so!



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