 So beginning at verse 18 reading to verse 19 Luke writes on the following day Paul went in with us to James and all the elders were present When he had greeted them he told in detail those things which God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry And so Paul and his ministry team have been making their way to the city of Jerusalem as we've been going through the recent Chapters of Acts that's what we've seen He was on the western border of Turkey all the way up into the north in a place called Troas And he had begun his movement south going towards Jerusalem And he had followed the coastline until he got to a place called Caesarea Caesarea is in the the nation of Israel and from Caesarea He traveled further south and made his way down to Jerusalem So when they had arrived in Jerusalem as we saw in verse 17 It says they had come to Jerusalem the brethren. He says received us gladly So they've made their way finally to the city of Jerusalem and it's been a while since these people have seen Paul as well as any of those who were traveling with him now Paul had desired to be in Jerusalem as we've seen he wanted to be in Jerusalem according to Acts 20 verse 16 in time that he might celebrate the Feast of Pentecost as I've told you that that means that the city of Jerusalem during that season there during that festival would have been very crowded Estimates range from anywhere from two million to four million Pilgrims who would have been in the city at that time and when you consider how small geographically The city of Jerusalem is it's not a very large city You would understand his desire to be there because it would be immense in terms of population for that season And he wanted to go there that I might be able to preach them not only that though He is also bringing financial aid to the church there in the city of Jerusalem because the church had been hit hard All the way back in chapter 11 There was a prophet by the name of Agabus and in verse 28 Agabus had prophesied that there would be a Famine throughout all the world and it hit and and the saints in Jerusalem had been especially affected by this famine And so during that time the church in Antioch had sent relief to the church in Jerusalem We see in Acts 11 29 and 30 how the disciples each according to his ability determined to send relief to the brethren Dwelling in Judea this they also did and send it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul And so he was on his way down there. He wanted to preach He also wanted to take care of those who were poor and had been affected Not only that there was persecution That was against the church there in the south in Jerusalem and the Jewish believers had been suffering and because of that Paul called for financial support for the church in Jerusalem Now he writes about this in 1st Corinthians 16 in verses two and three when he said on the first day of the week Let each of you lay something aside Storing up as he may prosper that there be no collections when I come and when I come Whomever you approve by your letters I will send to bear your gift to Jerusalem and so we we will combine different books and see that you See the the timeline of this chronological timeline How is this taking place and when you begin to look at other books you can see and piece it together Paul had hoped to go to Jerusalem He also had wanted to travel to Spain and then he wanted to move on to Rome You see that in Roman 16 and in the book of Romans he mentioned the offering that he was bringing to the saints in Jerusalem and so Acts tells us in in chapter 15 25 and 26. He said I'm going to Jerusalem to minister to the saints It pleased those of Macedonia and Nicaea to make certain contributions for the poor among the saints who are in Jerusalem so Paul has finally arrived He's able to care for the poor saints in the city now Paul told the Corinthians to approve the ones bearing The gift to Jerusalem. We actually know their names because he mentioned them in chapter 20 There was a guy named so better from Berea. There was Aristarchus and Secundus who were from Thessalonica There was Gaius of Derby Timothy as well as Tachycus and Trafimus of Asia So we already have their team and so Paul has come to deliver aid and give a report of God's work among the Gentiles That's what's taking place at this time And so that's where we begin at verse 18 where it says on the following day in other words in verse 17 They've already been welcomed and received so on the following day Paul went in With us that gives us insight that Luke was part of this with us to James and all the elders were present And so I want to give you a couple of insights in this as we begin So that that would have been either on the day of Pentecost or close to the day of Pentecost The city again is filled with all these pilgrims. It's crowded. It's very busy He's but Paul has come to speak to a man by the name of James James is Leading the church there in Jerusalem This James has already been mentioned. We've seen him already. He's a brother of Jesus He is he is mentioned in Matthew 13 Galatians chapter 2 as well as 1 Corinthians 15 And so James is a presiding elder over the church there at the city of Jerusalem So Paul and his team have come to meet with him as well as the leaders as well as the church elders Now I want to make a small notice of this because there's something we need to see gives us some insight Into Paul and his accountability. That's a very important thing to notice Paul came in and gave a report to the elders in other words He's informing them of what is taking place amongst the Gentiles especially Now we've seen him do that already We saw when Paul had left Antioch on his first missionary journey that he had returned with a report acts 1427 says on Arriving in Antioch they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them And how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles We saw it again when God was moving amongst the Gentiles and Paul had gone to Jerusalem He and Barnabas a team went and a team went to discuss what God was doing among the Gentiles Acts 15 verse 4 says on their arrival in Jerusalem They were welcomed by the church and apostles and elders to whom they reported all that God had done through them So I want to make one quick statement It's not the major statement, but it's a point for us all as a church to understand one of the marks of a false teacher One of the marks of a false teacher is the lack of accountability to others Every spiritual leader Myself every spiritual leader needs accountability Or else we become a dictator a tyrant we can easily flow into false teaching and Paul Was a man under under orders. He was a man who was accountable now He wasn't accountable to men as if these men meant something In terms of longer greater than our not it's nothing like that at all because he makes that very clear when he wrote to the Galatians in chapter 2 verse 6 He said God is not a respecter of persons What he's what he's doing though is he's showing biblical Accountability whenever a pastor just does what they want Whenever a spiritual leader just says what they want with no accountability never used in scripture or twisting scripture Whatever they may be doing and they have nobody that they that they ever have to speak to or listen to or Minister alongside of or gain knowledge and that person can be very dangerous And so somebody says well, then who are you accountable to well? I'm the exception nobody no the I've got it. I've got a group of men that I'm extremely accountable to I have men like Don McClure Mike McIntosh pastor all Reese several others. I'm part of a council and in that council We have accountability amongst ourselves you have to have it there needs to be a listening and ministering alongside of past pastor Jeff and I for many years had a relationship and a friendship Jeff Johnson in and and he's part of the council He was until his death and and we all have that you need to have that and So Paul had that it wasn't that he was less than it was that he was part of and There's part of of those who were leading the church were the ones that he spoke to and he let him know This is what's happening. This is how it's going This is what God is doing amongst the Gentiles because all spiritual leaders need to have an accountability And so verse 19 tells us when he had greeted them He told in detail those things which God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry So his reporting to them is evidence how that God is using him And he gave an account of his travels and ministry and he's sharing how the church has been growing especially Amongst these who are non-Jews as we've been going through acts We see that he had been in a region called Macedonia. He'd been in akea in Philippi, Thessalonica he'd been in Berea he'd been in Athens and Corinth and Ephesus and and He's sharing what the Lord is doing in these various cities and regions and he's telling them These are Gentiles are and this is how God is moving amongst the Gentiles And this is how they're coming to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ Remember there may have been residual Reluctance on the part of the church in Jerusalem because the church in Jerusalem There are those who are trying to Insight at the church to to force the Gentiles to become first full Jews and then to enter into the grace of God and and Paul had already been dealing with that They had been trying to bring the Gentiles under the law of Moses and some perhaps were still trying to do so And so as he's there, he's giving an account. This is what God is doing Amongst the Gentiles well as they hear that in verse 20 They glorified the Lord and and they said to him you see brother How many myriads of Jews there are who have believed but they have all been informed about you that you teach all the Jews Who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses saying that they ought not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs And so they're having this conversation as to what is taking place And so at first they they rejoice James and the elders rejoice But they also began to speak concerning what's taking place now They're not speaking only of Jerusalem They're speaking of Jewish believers in general and he says in verse 20 that they are all zealous for the law In other words, they believe that certain aspects of the law are still to be observed They're continuing to observe the feast and the Sabbath's dietary laws and rituals and things He says this is something that they continue to do because these were things that were given to them by God and they're honoring him by observing them That's why in verse 21 that says they have been informed about you and what you're teaching the Jews And so James now approaches the problem This is what we'll be looking at in a moment. The Jews have been told that you teach all the Jews to forsake Moses Now when it says they've been informed these lies have been drilled into the heart of these Jews The ones doing this were enemies of the cross and opponents of the Apostle Paul and They're saying that he is teaching the Jews to forsake Moses and in bed and abandoned their heritage Paul didn't teach them to abandon the law Paul taught them to properly understand its purpose to interpret it correctly He knew that in doing so Jewish people would come to understand who Messiah is Remember Jesus in Matthew 5 17 and 18 said this do not think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets I Did not come to destroy but to fulfill For assuredly I say to you until heaven and earth pass away One jot or one piddled will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled in Romans 10 Paul said it like this in verse 4 he said Christ is the end of the law For righteousness to everyone who believes Christ is the end of the law means the law all points to Jesus Christ In Galatians 3 24 through 26 he said the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ That we might be justified by faith now that faith has come We are no longer under the supervision of the law You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus And so Paul came to teach the Jews that Jesus fulfilled the requirements and That you don't have to follow these particular ordinances to have a relationship with God and so He's teaching them concerning those things So as for teaching them to cease following Jewish customs that wasn't that wasn't true As long as they didn't violate the spirit of grace it would have been acceptable Romans 14 5 and 6 one person esteems one day above another and other esteems every day alike Let each be fully convinced in his own mind He who observes the day observes it to the Lord he who does not observe the day to the Lord He does not observe it he who eats eats to the Lord for he gives God Thanks he who does not eat to the Lord. He does not eat and gives God. Thanks So he wasn't bringing them under bondage He was teaching them elements of it that they could live by Understand and all but that they're not saved by observing it. That was the point he was making But these people are saying to forsake it. Don't circumcise your children. Don't walk according to the customs Well, what then verse 2 the assembly must certainly meet for they will hear that you have come something has to be decided The Jews undoubtedly are going to meet about this. They're going to investigate you They'll investigate your way of life Paul and they're going to make a judgment concerning you And so he's suggesting at this point a compromise. They head off a confrontation Now that's going to require humility on the part of Paul to avoid a problem And that's something Paul would agree to why so that he might win them to Christ in 1st Corinthians 9 Verses 19 and 20 Paul said it like this. He said though. I am free and belong to no man I make myself a slave to everyone to win as many as possible To the Jews I became like a Jew to win the Jews to those under the law I became like one under the law Though I myself am not under the law so as to win those under the law to the Jew I became as a Jew. I understand the Jews. I am a Jew I understand all of the things related to that when he gives his testimony very very often He'll mention who he was his heritage his training and everything Philippians 3 gives a very clear Picture of all of that. He was under the law. He circumcised the eighth day from the tribe of Benjamin He speaks concerning those things in the righteousness that pertains to the law. He said I was found blameless So he's more than willing to speak concerning those things So that they might understand that he understands them that he identifies with them That's a very important thing when I first got saved. I would speak to whomever and Marie's the same way to this day when we talked to people and There because we had a Catholic background when we would talk to people and they begin to share with us Both of us have done this will say I get it. I was raised that way. I understand We're identifying It's not that we're saying that all of the things that we were taught are correct is simply saying I understand where you're Coming from and Paul understood that and so he would speak to the Jews. That's a Jew He understand everything about he was a rabbi. He was one of the premier elders in the rabbinic tradition of his day He was that he was a scholar of scholars. He was able to do that So to the Jew I became as a Jew so that I might win the Jew I became as as all men so that I might by all means save some of them I'm willing to do that and that's the point he's making here and so they're talking about this now and They're saying we've got to do something They're gonna hear that you've come verse 23 Therefore do what we tell you we have four men who have taken a vow take them and be purified with them pay their Expenses so that they may shave their heads and and that all may know that those things of which they were informed Concerning you are nothing but that you yourself also walk orderly keep the law But concerning the Gentiles who believe we've written and decided that that they should observe no such thing Except that they should keep themselves from things offered to idols from blood and and from things strangled and from sexual immorality And so they're giving him directions Now notice again verse 23 we have four men who have taken a vow these are Jewish converts to the Christian faith They've taken what it's called a vow a vow is a separation It's an oath of separation total separation to God and the vow that they're referring to you find in the Old Testament book of Numbers. It's called the vow of the Nazarete It's a vow voluntary vow of dedication to God Completely men and women could take it He usually had a time phrase a frame of around 30 days and when they had taken that vow They were supposed to observe it and observe certain things they they abstain from any kind of alcohol or grapes They they didn't cut their hair. They avoided contact with dead bodies And so as I mentioned, they were usually a restriction a time time frame normally 30 days But there were others who took this vow of the Nazarete and actually Lived it out on a longer way. Samson's a good example of it and John the Baptist also had taken such a vow Now when he says in verse 24 take them and be purified with them pay their expenses when this vow had been completed There'd be offerings made the hair would be cut it would be placed on the altar and and Dedicated and when they shaved their head it was an emblem or a mark of them ending the vow He says pay their expenses that included getting the you know the cost of getting the hair shaved and the Sacrifices which would include in this case four rams and eight lambs olive oil flour and Purifying himself was because he'd been in Gentile lands and therefore would have been considered defiled Now he says in verse 25 Concerning the Gentiles who believe we have written and decided that they should observe no such thing except That they should keep themselves from things offered to idols from blood from things strangled and from sexual immorality We've already seen this we've already decided this and he already knows that we saw that in Acts 15 You're saying Gentiles are not under the law So what Paul is doing is actually an exception as a Jewish believer to show the Jews that he's not guilty of their charges So all of this is leading up to verse 26 Paul took the men the next day having been purified with them entered the temple to announce the expiration of the days of purification at which time an offering should be made for each of them now when the Seven days were almost ended the Jews from Asia seeing him in the temple stirred up the whole crowd and Laid hands on him crying out men are Israel How this is a man who teaches all men everywhere against the people the law and this place and furthermore He's also brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple And all the city was disturbed and the people ran together seized Paul dragged him out of the temple Immediately the doors were shut Now as they were seeking to kill him news came to the commander of the garrison that all Jerusalem was in an uproar I can't imagine. I don't know about you But that's a terrorizing kind of thing. That's terrifying The idea that all these people are grabbing him and dragging him and they're wanting to put him to death and they're beating him Now let's look at this We know that as we've been going through the book of Acts that there have been antagonists Jewish antagonists who have been trailing who've been following him All the way back in chapter 13 when he had preached in a place called Pasidian Antioch and had made many Converts it had caused great opposition not only from the Gentiles, but also from the Jews and That's when we saw him having to leave and he went to another place called Iconium and That caused unbelieving Jews to rise in opposition and again They were stirring up the Gentiles in chapter 14 1 and 2 it says it happened in Iconium That they went together in the synagogue of the Jews and so spoke that a great multitude both of the Jews and the Greeks believed But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brethren There was a violent attempt Made to stone him. They fled to Lystra Acts 14 19 while in Lystra Jews from Antioch and Iconium came and having persuaded the multitudes They stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city supposing him to be dead This may be the same group that has been pursuing him They recognized him and they stirred up the crowd and They began to Cry out the false charges that had been circulated against him now You're gonna have to see something here as We look at this Verse 28 men of Israel help This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against the people the law and this place and furthermore He also brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place. Now. Why is that a big deal? No Gentile was allowed to enter into the restricted areas of the temple There's actually a sign that would be posted warning Gentiles Not to enter into this restricted place They actually archaeologists actually found a Complete tablet they found it in 1871 and it's now in the museum the Istanbul Istanbul archaeology museum and And it reads no stranger is to enter within the balustrade or the guardrail Around the temple and and enclosure whoever is caught will be himself responsible for his ensuing death That's how serious it is You may not pass a certain place and if you pass that place We will kill you and in this case Rome allowed the death penalty to be enacted. That's what's taking place The whole city according to verse 30 is disturbed. It's provoked. It's it's it stirred up the people are now gathering together in opposition and It reminds us of Acts 19 when the city of Ephesus Ephesus had had had come into an uproar And what we're looking at here and this is what I want to develop for a moment with you We're looking at The cost of discipleship We're looking at What it really means to be a Christian I believe that the church needs to awaken and I'm gonna share some things from my heart about this Believers need to wake up the world is shouting its antagonism towards Christ and Christians many good-hearted people who don't want to create tension or problems are Are shutting up and so the world thinks that it's winning the war and it is a war for a man's soul Well, the church is being quiet and is afraid for whatever reason and The more we allow the world to shout us down The more the world thinks it's in control There's a cost to following Christ and I don't know why we don't remember that I don't know why it is so important for For for Americans and I see a lot of this in generations that are coming up now who just don't want to To make other people uncomfortable when they themselves don't seem to be as uncomfortable as they should be over the things that are being said or done and Paul Paul is giving to us a Picture of what it means to be fully committed to Christ not everybody's gonna go through this Not everybody's going to be mobbed and and and and eventually be headed not everybody's gonna go through this But it shows us how Paul was It shows us what it means to be a Christian how to remain faithful in all things Even though times can be frightening and even dangerous And what he's going through is evidence That he's an actual follower of Christ As I was preparing this I was reminded of of a missionary everybody in my generation would have remembered this name Perhaps the name remains to be famous and remembered even in this generation. I don't know but David Livingston It was a missionary to Africa and I began to remember this man. He he he he lived in the 1800s from 1813 to 1873 and David Livingston, he's got a beautiful story, but David Livingston Spent something like 32 years Evangelizing in Africa from the south going up to the north and I read something that I extracted and I'll just read it to you speaking concerning his ministry there in Africa and And this writer says the field was difficult and his wife and children were often separated from him Eventually his wife was able to join him in Africa But on the day she touched African soil Acrippling African disease hit her and she later died in his arms Eventually he became so sick that they had to carry him on a stretcher as he preached One night it was cold and damp and raining and his heart began to pound More and more weekly. He asked one of his helpers not to disturb him that night Because he was too tired His assistant took him into a little hut and put him on the bed He saw Livingston shuffling out of bed getting down on his knees and praying The native stood at the door of the of the hut to keep him from the beast as the rain was pounding in and Somebody came in an hour or two later and said I want to see the master He said no, he's too tired. Could you wait until morning? He wanted to see him so they went in and when they saw he was praying they came out They went in a few hours later and he was still praying so once again they came out Finally they entered in one more time and he was there motionless on his knees His helper went up to him and and spoke to him But Livingston had breathed his last and died exactly the way he had lived in the presence of the Lord His heart was removed from his body his body was shipped to England and buried in Westminster Abbey in April of 1874 and those who had sent his body to England said His body may be buried in England, but his heart will always be in Africa Livingston was a man who was fully committed to his mission On one occasion a mission society had written him asking Have you found a good road to where you are if so we want to send other men to join you and Livingston replied if you have men who will come only if they know there's a good road I don't want them. I want men who will come if there's no road at all When we talk about the cost of discipleship Today people think the cost of discipleship is showing up once a year through a church service Or occasionally being part of something Cost of discipleship is picking up your cross daily and following him It's counting the cost and being aware that to be a believer in Jesus Christ Especially in unpopular days can even be a very dangerous thing The Apostle Paul didn't have a problem with that. He said I'm not only willing to go I'm willing to die for the Lord Jesus Christ and This is what discipleship is He knew what was waiting for him everywhere. He is going we've already seen this people were saying don't go there Agabas had recently told them don't go there. There's a cost In and in Acts 20 we saw in verses 22 23 He said now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem not knowing the thing that will happen to me there except the Holy Spirit Testifies in every city saying that chains and tribulations await me When he was saved God made it clear that he was going to suffer many things From the very beginning in in Acts 9 we saw when the Lord had spoken to ananias in in chapter 9 verses 15 And 16 and the Lord to go he's a chosen vessel of mind to bear my name before Gentiles kings and the children of Israel I will show him how many things he must suffer for my name's sake And Paul was willing to do that He knew that his personal sufferings had a purpose in the plan of God and second Timothy 2 10 He said I endure all things for the sake of the elect that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory I'll go through anything so that they may know the Lord And on a personal level he knew that they they would that he would receive a personal reward in 2nd Corinthians 4 17 He knew his suffering was in in vain. He said our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us in eternal glory that far outweighs them all Faithfully falling Christ is not without a cost to be an exacted And some don't understand such a cost and when they hear it they don't want to pay it But the fact is that in the pursuit of the Lord There's a picking up your cross daily and dying daily He knew that he was going to pay the ultimate price. He made it clear When he was speaking to the elders of Ephesus in Acts 20 20 through 24 He said this now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem not knowing the things that will happen to me there Except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city saying that chains and tribulations await me None of these things moved me nor do I count my life dear to myself so that I may finish my race with joy And the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus to testify to the gospel of the grace of God We saw in chapter 21 verses 11 through 14 How Agabus had prepared him for this time and he had told him you're going to be delivered into the hands of the Gentiles and And when those hearing what was being said remember how they had begged him don't go to Jerusalem But in 21 13 Acts 21 13 he said what do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart? I'm I am ready not only to be bound but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus That's Christianity This is Paul's beginning of the end if you will He's been desiring to be here. He knows what's awaiting him God has been letting him know in every city The chains and tribulations are awaiting you Agabus the prophet says don't go this is what's going to happen basically the people cry out say don't go I'm willing to go. He said and I'm willing to die This is what we do But he's getting the opportunity to do that what she desired. I need to go to Jerusalem. He's gonna have that opportunity now He's gonna speak to them We need we need more believers Who are willing to open our mouths when necessary? people's people who May be visiting this church You may be thinking well, that's easy for you to say you just stand up talk to us and you go into your office And then play golf the rest of the week. I don't play golf. I gamble. No, I don't do that We all pay a price We all pay a price. I was talking to people in College Secular colleges, I would I would speak up in class I Knew far less than I do now was a long time ago But I had I had prayed and I'd said to the Lord if nobody will speak then Lord I will That was something That I said very early in my walk with the Lord as shy as I am as quiet as I am Because those who those who may know me on a personal level know that I'm a very quiet person. I don't talk a lot But I do when I need to And I learned to do that a long time ago guys To sit in a class and to hear the things that were being said in secular college and Then the spirit would be stirring within my heart and my heart would begin to pound and I would think nobody's speaking up for you nobody's saying anything somebody has to Here are my Lord is me. I've done that Not just in this pulpit Not just at this age I've done that since I got saved Why? Because the gospel is that important And I don't care If people like me or don't listen. I was a hippie Everybody hated us They hated us even Pastor Chuck hated hippies You know those Get a job take a bath cut your hair put on some shoes Everybody may know if they saw the Jesus revolution or if they lived during that time We'll know that the hippies Were not liked We were rejected We were dirty We did drugs we were immoral We were the off scouring And America didn't like us And what did God do he grabbed the hearts of Kids who were willing to speak up and say I don't like this Just like he did with Paul Because Paul was somebody who was breathing out threatens against the Christians And what did God do? God changed him and he still went out and He preached with the same fervor, but this time we was preaching the love of God And he did the same kind of thing with My generation those of us who got saved during that movement that revolution And so we already were hated Doesn't matter as long as God loves you it doesn't matter who doesn't And that's how it worked with us God loves me I know who I am in Jesus Christ You guys need Jesus and we did that and we still do that We still tell people you need the Lord Jesus Christ He forgives sins. He cleanses you. He'll make you new You don't need the drugs. You don't need the promiscuity. You don't need those kinds of things What you need is him see and that's that Paul had this heart He saw all these millions of people who were there celebrating feasts that Christ had fulfilled Jesus fulfilled these things And he wanted he wanted to tell him he loved these people and they took him and they beat him And they dragged him and they're trying to kill him We're telling them God loves them They're telling them they need to turn to the Lord And they're upset notice what's happening as it says in verse Verse 30 the city was disturbed the people ran together. They seized paul They dragged him out of the temple shut the doors and they were seeking to kill him So in verse 32 they took soldiers the centurion took soldiers around the commander took soldiers And centurions ran down to them and they saw the commander and the soldiers they stopped beating paul They're trying to beat them to death The mob stopped paul is there. He's being dragged with soldiers the commander verse 33 begins the question Who is this? What has he done? And in verses 34 through 36, they're crying out one thing some another It's so loud. He can't hear what they're saying So they're moving him they taken him to the north a little to the west to where the the the guards are stationed And and the people are following and they're crying out behind and they're violent. It was chaotic It's a small area and you've got all these people the temple mount all together is about 37 acres And so he's being led up there in verse 37 paul was about to be led into the barracks He said to the commander may I speak to you? He was like can you speak greek? Are you not the egyptian who some time ago stirred up a rebellion led the 4 000 assassins into the wilderness? paul said i'm a jew from tarsis in silica a citizen of no mean city and i implore you permit me to speak to the people well The commander is surprised that paul is speaking greek to him He thought that he was a false prophet who had had earlier led an insurrection A jewish historian by the name of josephus Speaks about a false leader who had led the jews to mount the mount of olives to attack jr And in chapter 4 we're going to be introduced to an official named felix And it was this felix who defeated this insurrectionist and he killed four of them and captured 400 of them and captured 200 But the leader of the insurrection had escaped and so he's saying aren't you that leader and he says no verse 39 I'm a jew from tarsis. I'm not an egyptian. I'm a jew, but i'm also a roman citizen So he exercises his rights and he says give me an opportunity to speak and so It says in verse 40 when he had given him permission paul stood on the stairs Motioned with his hand to the people And When there was a great silence He spoke to them in the hebra language saying And we'll see that next week I'll tell you this I'll read one verse brethren and fathers hear my defense before you know Hear my defense the word defense Apologia It's where we get the word apology But he's not apologizing Apologia Speaks of a confident presentation Of christian doctrine in this context paul knew this was his moment And he faithfully began to give a defense of the gospel A presentation of the things that we most certainly believe paul knew who he was Because when he wrote to the philippians in chapter 1 verse 17 He said this he said knowing That i am set i have been strategically placed i am set For the defense of the gospel i have been set Defensively put in this place to be able to share I have been set in this place To give a reasoned explanation of why we believe What we believe And that's why we go verse by verse through the bible for you guys So you might have a reasoned defense For the things that you most surely believe Because there's hardly anything less attractive To the world Than for a christian to say i believe because i just feel it's true A lot of people feel things are true I believe because this is what the word of god most surely says is true That's a defense of the gospel We are not saved by our feelings We are saved by faith in the facts That inform our feelings My feelings don't dictate what is true What is true dictates what i feel And i need to know what it says So i can share with what god says That way we're defending the gospel We're presenting it And that's what paul is going to do Hear my defense before you now It's quiet as these people had just wanted to kill him And he's going to tell him tell them This is the truth may we be able to do the same