 We're looking at Acts 28, and again, this is our last installment in our study in the book of Acts. And so let's begin reading in Acts chapter 28 at verse 1. I'll read to verse 6, and we'll get into our study. Acts chapter 28, beginning at verse 1, reading to verse 6. Now, when they had escaped, they then found out that the island was called Malta, and the natives showed us unusual kindness for they kindled the fire and made us all welcome because of the rain that was falling and because of the cold. But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened on his hand. So when the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, no doubt this man's a murderer, whom though he has escaped the sea, yet justice does not allow to live. But he shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm. However, they were expecting that he would swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But after they had looked for a long time and saw no harm came to him, they changed their minds and said, he's a god. Well, they endured a storm as we know. Let me introduce this chapter by reminding you they had 14 days of enduring a storm. And Paul and some 275 other passengers had become shipwrecked. As it says here, they landed on a small island in the Mediterranean. If you were looking at a map and you saw Sicily, which is the football that the boot of Italy is kicking, well, this island, Malta, is 60 miles south of Sicily. Verse 2 tells us that the passengers are stranded and they're huddling on the beach. They're cold, they're wet, they're exhausted. And as they're on the shore, the natives approached them. And as it says here, that they showed them unusual kindness. In other words, they treated them decently. They kindled a fire for them and they helped them to become comfortable. And so as all of this is taking place, verse 3 says, Paul gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire. And a viper came out because of the heat and fastened on his hand. So one small thing, just an aside here, but notice with me, Paul is busy serving the people because that's what Christians do. Christians serve. He points that out in chapter 20, verse 34, when he had said, yes, you yourselves know that these hands are provided for my necessities and for those who were with me. In 1 Thessalonians 4, verse 11, he commands, work with your own hands as we commanded you. And so Paul was an example of somebody who was busy serving. And so he is busy gathering sticks in order to keep the bonfire burning because he didn't want the other people to do all the work. He's exhausted, but he's still serving. So he's placing the sticks on the bonfire. And as he's doing so, one of them wasn't really a stick at all. It was a viper, a deadly poisonous snake. And the viper fastened itself on Paul's hand. Well, as this took place, verse 4 tells us, the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand and they began to speak to one another. No doubt this man's a murderer whom though he has escaped the sea, yet justice does not allow to live. And so they had noticed that Paul was there being guarded by Roman soldiers, so naturally they assume him to be a criminal and they say he's a murderer. Somebody wrote that they have a sense of cosmic justice. In other words, he's receiving a fit judgment for his crime. This idea of reaping what you sow is found in the old as well as the New Testament. In Job chapter 4, verse 8, it says, even as I have seen, those who plow iniquity and sow trouble reap the same. And so there's this sense that if you do evil, evil will be returned to you. In Galatians chapter 6, verses 7 and 8, do not be deceived. God is not mocked. For whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption. And he who sows to the spirit will of the spirit reap everlasting life. Sometimes people will say, I don't know why the Lord has mad at me. And sometimes it's not simply that he's mad at you. It's that we're reaping what we're sowing. We blame God so much when in reality it's really something that we're doing to ourselves. Well, as this is happening, they're beginning to speak amongst themselves and that's what they're saying. No doubt this man's a murderer. Why would he be a murderer? Well, because capital punishment is being enacted, the viper is fastened on him, it's poison a snake, he's going to die. But notice how it says here, and I find this interesting how casually he does it. In verse 5, he shook off the creature into the fire, suffered no harm. However, they were expecting that he would swell up or suddenly fall down dead so they're just watching him. But after they had looked for a long time and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a God, which is an interesting way of thinking. Now, why would Paul be calm? Here's something for you by way of application, because he calmly shakes the viper off of his hand and goes about his business. Why would he be so calm when he has just been bitten by a poisonous snake? And the answer to that is simple. God had promised him that he would make it to Rome and he's taking God at his word. In Acts 23.11, it reads, the following night the Lord stood by him and said, Be of good cheer, Paul, for as you have testified for me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome. So he was holding fast to what God had said to him and that's why he could do that. As far as shaking his hand and dropping this snake into the fire, remember Mark 16, verses 17 and 18, how Jesus said, These signs will follow those who believe. In my name they will cast out demons. They will speak with new tongues. They will take up serpents. And if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them. So that's a promise if you go to a potluck at church, you don't die. They will lay hands on the sick and they will recover. Now the Islanders are watching him carefully. They're waiting for him to begin to puff up to swell, to die and so seeing that he doesn't, they change their mind and they say, well this man must be really a God. Verse 7, in that region there was an estate of the leading citizen of the island whose name was Publius, who received us and entertained us courteously for three days. And it happened that the father of Publius was sick of a fever and dysentery. Paul went into him and prayed and he laid his hands on him and healed him. So when this was done, the rest of those on the island who had diseases also came and were healed. They also honored us in many ways and when we departed, they provided such things as were necessary. And so as this is taking place, we notice Paul prays for this man's father and after he's healed, it's an opportunity for him to preach the gospel. You know, I receive reports and so do you, I'm sure, of how sometimes the Lord would do a miracle in another land. We hear this quite often, by the way, in South America and now we're getting more reports from the Middle East how the Lord will do a miracle and when he does a miracle, how people are gathering together to hear the reason that this happened. It happens in a lot of crusade outreaches in the African continent also. In the United States, it's less frequent because in the United States, we have a tendency of trusting in technology and medicine. But when you don't have an aspirin and you've got a splitting headache, what do you usually do? You pray. You pray. God help me. You know, and I discovered a long time ago that I can rely a lot more on aspirin, not that I shouldn't and I'm not saying you shouldn't either. But I've discovered that I can rely a lot of times on just some basic medicinal things but that when I'm without, I find myself more open saying, God, could you please move? Could you please move? In a particular case, what happens is Paul does a work that awakens the curiosity and the need for an explanation. And so Paul had prayed, there was a miracle and now he begins to preach and share. Again in Mark 16, verse 20, it says they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. And so as they were proclaiming the word or would preach the word, God was moving and honoring his word. It's interesting how in verse 10 it says this, they also honored us in many ways and when we departed, they provided such things as were necessary. This is an aside, but it's interesting to note. The word honor, when it says they honored us, the word honor is often used to signify a financial recompense or a present. The point that is being made here is Paul administered to them in a practical way and they supported him for what he had done. And they honored him by giving him those things that were needed. Verse 11, after three months we sailed in an Alexandrian ship whose figurehead was the twin brothers which had wintered at the island and landing at Syracuse, they went all the way to New York. No, I'm just teasing. Landing at Syracuse, we stayed three days. From there we circled round and reached Regium and after one day the south wind blew and the next day we came to Puglioli where we found brethren and were invited to stay with them seven days and so we went toward Rome and from there when the brethren heard about us they came to meet us as far as Happy Eye Forum and three ends when Paul saw them he thanked God and took courage. I'll spend a few moments looking at this with you. Obviously this is just giving to us a place-by-place account of the travel so I'll just touch those lightly. They've gotten a ship, they're being transported to Italy. The ship is from Alexandria, Egypt was more than likely part of what was called the Imperial Grain Fleet. Castor and Pollux were sons of Zeus who in Greek mythology protected sailors. So they travel a hundred miles to Syracuse to Sicily and they went to the southern tip of Italy. They travel to Puglioli which is a seaport 150 miles from Rome. It had a large population of 100,000 and there was a Christian colony there and that's what we're looking at when it says in verse 14 we found brethren and were invited to stay with them seven days and so we went toward Rome and from there when the brethren heard about us they came to meet us. We'll look at that in just a moment. So a church had been planted there by an unknown church planter. It says we were invited to stay there for a week. These people were gracious and generous. Notice how it says the brethren heard about us. Now these would be Romans who live around 150 miles away and it says that they heard he was coming and they met them at the Apiae Forum and three ends. So the Apiae Forum is 43 miles south of Rome and what was called the three ends is 33 miles from Rome and so they sacrificially walked just to greet Paul and show him love and support and when Paul says that he thanked God and took courage for them he's thanking them for the visible show of love and support that moved him. I want to talk with you for just a moment about that. A couple of things. One, this reveals to us the church at its best. These are people who are being hospitable. Verse 14, we were invited to stay with them. So one, this shows the church at its best. Generosity has always been not only an earmark of the church but it's also been extremely attractive because in a world that is filled with selfishness it's unusual to encounter people who are generous. You can occasionally encounter an individual who is generous because there are obviously many who are generous but it's unusual to encounter several people who are generous and to me that's one of the beautiful earmarks of believers is the generosity that they show to one another and the hospitality that is afforded to those in need. When I first got saved, as a matter of fact before I got saved and this was one of the ingredients that the Lord used in bringing me to Christ I would go to a friend's house and he was a Christian or at least a proclaiming one he professed to be a Christian and he had a lot of friends who would come over who were Christians and I would show up sometimes just before they ate because there was a time when the young Jesus freaks would actually hang around a lot together and prayed a lot and worshipped a lot and read the Bible together and it was almost a communal kind of mentality so when I would come over as an unbeliever I would go into the house and they would be making meals and serving one another and to me that was interesting because the people I was hanging with at that time were all about themselves you know whenever some of you are familiar with this whenever you're in the kind of lifestyle that I was living in which was dominated by alcohol and drugs it was more a matter of you finding a way to barter to get something from somebody I'll give you a joint if you give me a ride that kind of thing the thought of actually showing generosity well it's something that you would speak about because after all generosity is a good thing to speak about but to actually be generous well that's something different and so when I used to go over to my friend's house and I would walk in and they would make a meal and invite me to the table and feed me I was blown away by it I really was because I wasn't used to people giving like that I wasn't used to it and I would say okay you gave now what do you want as a matter of fact I had this philosophy that if somebody hands you something be very careful that they don't grab your wrist when you take it because there are so many who use things to get people that I had this attitude that I don't trust anybody who wants to be generous with me because they want something and I'll find out what it is later on but they definitely want something was at this house and there were people who were generous it blew my mind because I'd never been around generous people before it was very very attractive and I really do believe that that is one of the marks of the church generosity and hospitality are very attractive in 1 Peter chapter 4 verse 9 we're commanded be hospitable to one another without grumbling in 3 John verses 5 through 8 beloved you do faithfully whatever you do for the brethren and for strangers who have borne witness of your love before the church if you send them forward on their journey in a manner worthy of God you will do well because they went forth for his namesake taking nothing from the Gentiles we therefore ought to receive such that we may become fellow workers for the truth and so we didn't have to the early church didn't have to go to the world to ask for help the church cared for itself we've seen that haven't we as we've gone through acts all the way from chapter 2 and chapter 4 and various other places since then how that people would make sure that they were able to care for those in genuine need and that was just a mark of the church and that's what took place Paul and he goes to this area and he's on his way to Rome and here comes some brethren from the church and they take care of him and minister to him because that's what Christians do a second thing it says when Paul saw them he thanked God and took courage that also gives us insight into the blessings of being in the family of God in Hebrews 13 verse 3 it says remember the prisoners as if chained with them those who are mistreated since you yourselves are in the body also now these would have included members of the church of Rome it may be some who are referred to in the closing of the book of Romans if you read the book of Romans the 16th chapter contains a lot of names that Paul is saying greet these people greet Aquila greet Epinaeotus greet Andronicus or Junius and Herodion there are different names that he mentions because they had relationship what we have right now and here's the second thing I wanted to share with you what we have right now that we have to deal with as the body of Christ in the United States is we are substituting artificial relationships for actual relationships what do I mean by that I've got 5,000 Facebook friends are they really my friends I think they are because they keep asking for money no um well of course they're not of course they're not how many friends do you think you can really have in a lifetime and how many people do you really have and do I really have in my life that I can say this is really a friend because we have a lot of acquaintances and we know a lot of names and we may have a lot of head nod hellos in church but how many do you have do I have that if you're really down and really in need you know you can pick up a phone and you can dial and immediately you'll get hold of this person who will drop everything and come and help you how many of us have real friends like that very few we have a lot of acquaintances and what we've seen in our this generation and I'm seeing it and I believe it's real is a substitution of actual relationship for artificial relationship so you can go to a church that doesn't have a pastor preaching he's on the screen and there's nobody there that the pastor doesn't come down and spend time or have opportunity to why and that's acceptable now because people believe that the messenger the one whom I see on the screen is just as important or even more important sometimes than the message that I'm receiving and what we have is we have an artificial relationship even in church today we have artificial relationships because I can get a text message and I get a lot so do you if you have the service and all and there was a time when your telephone that you carry in your pocket you actually used to talk on it I know that's ancient history I realize that but now we have a device that's been invented so I could speak we have a device that we don't use in that way anymore why because we can get our text messages and our emails on it and what that helps me to do is manage my time by rejecting conversation with somebody who calls me so they can call me we'll say and leave a voice message but I may not get back to them for two or three days as per when I have time to do it I may not even check my voicemail which I don't sometimes for a long time I have 18 voicemails I just remembered I had to check them and then you get text messages and what do you do when you get the text message well some of us respond quickly but many don't will respond when it's convenient for us to do so what am I really doing what I'm really doing is saying that your effort to reach me on my phone that you have access to me at any time through your effort is going to be moderated by my desire to talk to you that means that I can be as selfish as I want because I don't have to talk to you if I don't want to I don't have to respond to you if I don't want to and yet we say we've got deep friendships when in fact we don't when in fact we bury our faces in our phones at our convenience but we really don't even notice real life around us and we don't that's why people are getting in crashes that's why people walking down the street are getting hit by cars because they're not even noticing because they're so caught up reading the message and see this is artificial this isn't real the scripture says weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice the bible speaks concerning real human relationships where you actually get to know people and you get to bear one there's burdens and you get to pray for one another and and you have real human relationship people are threatened by it several years ago I had been in Japan I'd been in a cafe church they actually meet in the church in Tokyo this one of the prefectures in Tokyo and before the message the pastor said to the church turn to your neighbor and pray and ask God to minister to you I was so impressed by that now that's deep spiritual reality yeah if I'm saying God speak to my heart chances are when the word goes out he will so I thought that was great and then he closed the service by saying now ask the Lord together would you please help me to obey what you just taught me I think that's good so I brought it home to the church did I ever make a mistake some of you were in the church at that time I said you know what I explained I said I think it's a good thing to pray for one another I lost hundreds of people hundreds left the church I don't know those strangers I don't like me and that disappointed me very few things have very few things have I thought at that time I had made the mistake of believing that we were more mature than that as a congregation and in fact we weren't I misjudged my own church I misjudged it because I didn't realize that asking someone to actually pray with somebody else was that threat I didn't realize that my bad I made a poor judgment I still think it was a great thing to do but the fellowship wasn't ready for it and I pressed on the church that which they were not ready for and I saw hundreds leave the church within two months unbelievable we need real fellowship we really do I want you to notice again in verse 15 in the portion when Paul saw them he thanked God and took courage that's what the church ought to do it ought to cause us to see our brothers or our sisters and thank God and be encouraged because we have support in this world that we're living in where people are in opposition to the message it's a great thing to have those who love the Lord in support of you now moving on Paul's taking a long walk to Rome imagine with me for a moment what he'd be seeing he's been longing to go to Rome and now he's on his way and so I was reading something and let me just read it to you as they neared the city the Appian Road would present more of its characteristic features the tall milestones the stately tombs the side gave to the road the appearance of one long cemetery and bore their record of the fame or the vanity, the wealth or the virtues of the dead as they drew nearer still Paul's companions would point out to him the grove and the sacred spring in the valley of Egeria he would pass the cemetery of the Jews of Rome lying on the east of the Appian Way to see the beginning of the catacombs where the Christians who were excluded from the cemetery of the Jews laid their dead to sleep in peace continuing his journey Paul and his companions would come within view of the pyramid of Chaos Cestius would pass under the arch of Drusus and enter the city by the Porta Capena proceeding from there to the Palace of the Caesars which stood on the Palatine Hill and looked down on one side upon the Forum on the other upon the Circus Maximus so as he's walking into the beauty and magnificence of Rome this is what he's seeing now it says in verse 16 when he came to Rome the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard but Paul was permitted to dwell by himself with the soldier who guarded him so Paul finally gets his heart's desire he's in the magnificent city of Rome and he had been determined to go to Rome to preach Christ in this incredible city in Acts 1921 it says when these things were accomplished Paul purposed in the spirit when he had passed through Macedonia and Ikea to go to Jerusalem saying after I've been there I must also see Rome later Paul would be taken before the Jewish council and he ended up incarcerated in Acts 2311 says the following night the Lord stood by him and said be of good cheer Paul as you have testified for me in Jerusalem so you must also bear witness at Rome so he is now in Rome and he's prepared to continue his mission of proclaiming Jesus so verse 16 tells us that the centurion delivered the prisoners and he had a special privilege of not being placed in a cold damp cell God was caring for him providing for him in Acts 2820 says a faithful man will abound with blessing and God was showing him his favor again in verse 17 he came to pass after three days that Paul called the leaders of the Jews together so when they had come together he said to them men and brethren though I have done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers yet I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans who when they had examined me wanted me to go because there was no cause for putting me to death but when the Jews spoke against it I was compelled to appeal to Caesar not that I had anything of which to accuse my nation for this reason therefore I have called for you to see you and speak with you because for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain so Paul doesn't waste any time at all he immediately desires to speak to the elders of the Jewish community now this has become his normal practice the first people that he would go to normally would be his fellow Jews and he introduces himself and he addresses the charges as we just read that have been lodged against him why do you do that well he wanted them to hear from him firsthand he wanted them to know the gospel and he wanted them to hear it unprejudiced by others notice how verse 20 he says for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain for the hope of Israel is Messiah who is to come it is the hope of life in him by resurrection and he is saying it is for that cause because Jesus had been resurrected that is why I am being held in chains in verse 21 he says they said to him we neither receive letters from Judea concerning you nor have any of the brethren who came reported or spoke in any evil of you but we desire to hear from you what you think concerning this sect we know that it is spoken against everywhere so it is interesting how they do this notice they are diplomatic they say well we are familiar with Christian doctrine but you know it is controversial you see 10 years earlier Jews had been expelled from Rome for clashing with Christians they are very familiar with Christian doctrine and so they are basically saying hmm this is interesting but verse 22 we desire to hear from you what you think for concerning this sect we know that it is spoken up against everywhere so now he has the opportunity to explain the gospel first hand and what he wants to do is he wants to persuade them he wants to share with them it says in verse 23 when they had appointed him a day many came to him at his lodging to whom he explained and solemnly testified of the kingdom of God persuading them concerning Jesus and the prophets from morning until evening the word persuading means to confidently attempt to win someone over and how was he trying to win them over he pointed to them the law of Moses as well as the prophets he wanted to show them what scripture said concerning Messiah so that they would see what had happened with Christ with something scripture had predicted would happen so as he is giving them a Bible study and sharing with them all of these things verse 24 some were persuaded by the things which were spoken and some disbelieved so when they did not agree among themselves they departed after Paul had said one word the Holy Spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah the prophet to our fathers saying go to this people and say hearing you will hear and shall not understand seeing you will see and not perceive for the hearts of this people have grown dull their ears are hard of hearing and their eyes they've closed thus they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears thus they should understand with their hearts in turn so that I should heal them therefore let it be known to you that the salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles and they will hear it when he said these words the Jews departed and had a great dispute among themselves Paul throughout two whole years surrendered house and received all who came to him preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concerned the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence no one forbidding him so we'll close the book of Acts with a few last things as always as always the gospel is divisive it proves to be divisive some were persuaded others refused to believe what the gospel has to say I haven't always been a pastor and I haven't always been the pastor of this church as a young believer I was brought into the knowledge of Christ through a revival that was sweeping the United States I was brought into faith in Christ and I was blessed to be put in the Calvary Chapel family so the only thing I've ever known from the time I was 20 years old until my age now 10 years now the only thing that I've ever known is what you get every time you come to Bible study that's all I know I know that without God man is going to perish without Jesus man has no relationship with God I know that the Bible is the word of God and that people everywhere need to repent and receive Christ I know that I believe with all of my heart that it's important to take the faith that God gave to me and to share it and I was doing that long before I was a pastor long before I was capable of even explaining the gospel clearly I knew basic things once I was blind now I say I was deaf now I hear I was dead but now I am alive I knew those things because I was hearing that in the Bible studies and that's why I thank God for faithful Bible teachers who influenced me throughout my life I never never sat under a pastor who told me that you can't trust the word of God I never sat under a pastor who tried to entertain me with the latest thing coming down the pike that was a novel thing for the church I never had that I had faithful pastors and faithful teachers all my life as a Christian so the only thing I know is to open the book and to read it that's what I know and to treat it as if it's God's word because it is and I know that through the embracing of the word of God people are changed but I also know that the claims of the gospel are to those who are unsaved ridiculous you really believe that there was a man named Jesus who was alive who was killed and three days later rose from the dead you really believe that you really believe that only only through Christ can a person go to heaven you believe in a heaven where do you get all of this well I didn't invent it I found it in the word of God and so when I got saved I made it my life a determinate plan to try and understand God's word that's what I've been trying to do now for 47 years and I can't say that I really understand it that well so if you feel sometimes that you're overwhelmed with your inability to understand me too me too I don't ever want to come on to you my church as if I've got it all nailed and it's all in this little box of truth I'm still growing I'm still trying to understand I'm still pursuing and I'll do that until one day when I finally say oh that's and then I'll die a long time ago and I'll say this quickly I remember telling the church this when our church was new I said it's not that the Lord needs someone to speak for him he certainly doesn't he does a fine job on his own he certainly doesn't need me but I will speak for him I will if God gives me the opportunity I will somebody should somebody should say good somebody should say Jesus saves somebody should say God transforms lives somebody should say there's forgiveness in him somebody should say you have to be alone somebody should say God can be with you he will be with you'll never leave you he'll never forsake you somebody ought to say that that's what the bible teaches Paul had this great desire this great desire I want to go to Rome and I want to share with the people there about the goodness of God and he finally gets his opportunity to do that but the gospel always proves to be divisive there were some persuaded and others who refused to believe what it says some were willing to receive Messiah others wanted to remain under Moses' law it says in verse 25 they didn't agree among themselves even as their fathers had rejected the prophets they rejected him and that's why Paul responds by saying the spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah the prophet to our fathers you are stiff-necked and you resist what God wants to do and he gave him a word that I think was a stinging word it was a rebuke but it was right that's why he says in verse 28 therefore let it be known to you that the salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles they will hear it Gentiles we heard it we heard it we did hear it and God changed our lives well the bible says that Paul remained in Rome for two years as a prisoner he was under house arrest and while he was there he continued his ministry he was restricted but not without fruit while he was there Paul evangelized he wrote four letters he wrote Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and Philemon he says to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2, 8 and 9 remember that Jesus Christ of the seat of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel for which I suffered trouble as an evil doer even to the point of chains but the word of God is not chained so he used this time to continue his ministry of teaching and evangelizing in Philippians 1, 12 through 14 he said I want you to know brethren that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard and to all the rest that my chains are in Christ and most of the brethren and the Lord having become confident by my chains are much more bold to speak the word without fear he spoke to the palace guard guarded by these elite guards and they would be chained to him and they'd have to do shifts with him and so every time the guard would come in and would relieve the one who was before him he would chain to Paul can you imagine what Paul was doing with every guard who came in he was unable to leave but they were coming to him and before you know it like he says the whole palace guard has heard in Philippians 4, 22 he said all the saints greet you but especially those who are of Caesar's household so he was able to reach them too so the word of God has not changed some of you have jobs that you're saying oh man I hate this job I wish that I had opportunities to go out and share the gospel and reach people for Christ there are many people like that but the bottom line is that's why you're in that job you can reach with the gospel of Jesus Christ they're not going to come to a church but they're stuck with you and you can share with them you don't have to shove it down their throat or anything but just by being there and being a witness to them and using opportunity when given is a blessing so finally it says preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence and with all of the other things that are benefiting him now commentators say that he was set free from this particular imprisonment after the two years and they reasoned that the Jewish leaders who had been lodging the complaints and charges against him never appeared to formalize them therefore his charges would have been dismissed ultimately he was re-arrested and ultimately he lost his life of the prison that he had been held in, he was taken to the side of the road and he was beheaded for his faith in Jesus Christ. This is a man who said, I have fought the good fight. I have finished my race and God is going to reward me. And when you read the story of the apostle Paul, you can't help. You can't help but admire him. And one of these days, by the way, one of these days we're going to have an opportunity to meet this guy. And that's going to be cool. That's going to be so cool to see him. His writings have been used to reach so many people. God used this man in a tremendous way. But I love just, I just love the last thing. I'll read it again and then we'll pray. It says, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him. Come on in, he'd say, I got some things to talk to you about. And he'd share the gospel with all these warriors, all of these amazing soldiers. Paul wasn't afraid of them. He wasn't intimidated by them. He saw what an opportunity is to preach the gospel to them. They'll never hear it any other way. God sent me here, put me in these chains in order that I might be able to remove the chains from them. Mine are physical, theirs are spiritual. Their chains can be removed by the gospel.