 Amen, Acts chapter 28. So this is our third week in Acts chapter 28. We're gonna finish up Acts chapter 28 and kind of conclude The study in the book of Acts tonight. So what's happened so far? In the first part of Acts chapter 28 Paul, of course, they shipwrecked at the end of Acts chapter 27 Paul's on his way to Rome. He's appealed to Rome. He's appealed to Caesar to escape the tyranny so to speak of the Jews the Unjustice of the Jews that were just trying to trick him trying to sabotage him and try to just basically murder him in Jerusalem. So he escaped He was taken to Caesarea and the Romans actually kind of rescued him to a degree And then of course he shipwrecks into what's you know now known as Malta The island of Malta, he shipwrecks there. He does a you know He gets bit by a snake there and then of course He gets many people saved on the island of Malta, but we're gonna start off in Acts chapter 28 and verse number 16 Tonight where Paul is actually on his way back He's on his way now from the island. He's heading north back to Rome. So he's actually going to get to Rome At the end of the book of Acts right so all of this culminates in at Rome in the book of Acts right look it down at verse number 16 of Acts chapter 28 Where the Bible reads it says and we came to Rome and the Centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard But Paul was suffered to dwell by himself with a soldier that kept him So now keep in mind that you know Paul is not being mistreated by the Romans at this point He's been persecuted by the Jews through his first second and third missionary journeys all the way back to you know Acts chapter 12 when he starts his missionary journeys. He's being chased all over Asia chased all over Macedonia and Greece and all these places by the Jews and It's actually the Romans that rescue him in Jerusalem He calls out the fact that he's a Roman citizen and the Romans grab him and then he appeals to Caesar And so he's kind of at this point and then of course he actually saved all these soldiers in this shipwreck Remember they didn't listen to him when he said hey You shouldn't set sail in this this time of year and they didn't listen to him They got stuck in this storm for like two weeks out in the sea and they listened to him And he saved everyone so at this point the Romans are not Unfriendly to Paul though. He is still a prisoner all right look at verse number 17 It says it came to pass so he's in Rome now it came to pass it after three days Paul called the chief of the Jews together and when they were come together. He said none of them So for me to stop right here He gets to Rome. He's been wanting to go to Rome the whole time. He's been wanting to go to Rome He's you know, he's he's wanting to spread the gospel up there. He's being chased all over by the Jews What's the first thing he does when he gets to Rome? He goes to make the Jews mad there? This this shows you that Paul just didn't care All right, and that's kind of me going to be the point that I'm going to get at at the end of the sermon tonight But Paul was just like He had no regard for his life at all none I mean he goes and he goes right to the group of people that had been trying to kill him all over all these Different continents that he's been on all right, so he goes and he gathers the Jews in Rome together For what to preach Christ to them right? How does he think that this is good? He knows how this is going to go all right He knows that maybe some will accept it But the vast majority are going to come after him and be against him all right look at verse number 17 It says when they were come together he said unto them men and brethren though I've committed nothing against the people or customs of our fathers yet I was delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans Who when they had examined me would have let me go because there was no cause of death in me But when the Jews spake against it I was constrained to appeal to Caesar not that I ought ought to accuse my nation Not that I had ought to accuse my nation of for this cause Therefore I've called for you to see you and speak with you because that for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain so Paul is just remember Paul's a Pharisee Paul's a Jew and He's just like I he will not give up He will not give up and he's like for the hope of Israel He's going to find if there's a remnant. He's going to find it is what Paul was saying all right look at verse number 21 and they said unto him we neither received letters out of Judea concerning thee Neither any of the brethren that came showed or spake any harm of thee now I don't really believe that personally, but that's just my opinion all right that that they haven't heard anything about Paul at this point These Jews in Rome look at verse number 22, but we desire to hear of thee what thou thinkest For us concerning the sect we know that everywhere it is spoken again So Paul is like the leader of this sect remember they were called Christians first at Antioch right Christians was kind of like a Make fun of name right it was kind of a it means little Christ So they're calling you know all these people that were running around preaching Jesus They called them you know little Jesuses is they're trying to like make fun of them It's kind of like you know the the Anabaptist right and the Anabaptist is what they called You know when the Catholic Church was founded and the Catholic Church added they added Baptism to salvation amongst many other things and the Baptists were just like the Baptists were not Baptists they were just what Jesus was they were just what John the Baptist was They were just following the doctrine that Paul preached that the Apostles preached the original Christianity and so they were getting people saved that had been baptized as babies in the Catholic Church and they were Baptizing them after they got saved as the Bible says Not to get them saved, but after salvation you're to be baptized Nothing to do with going to heaven or being saved just what Jesus commands us to do and so the Catholic Church called us Re-baptizers and a Baptist, but it's important these names are important because now We can trace Baptist doctrine all the way back to that time because there was people Re-baptizing at that time, but look if you've been I've been re-baptized, but I've only been baptized once Because when I was baptized as a baby in the Lutheran Church, that's not baptism. It's something Some church made up. It's not biblical baptism, but anyway all that to say this They're like concerning this set that everywhere it is spoken against and when they had pointed him a day they came to him Many to him in his lodging so he's under house arrest, but he's given all this freedom by the Romans people are allowed to visit him He's allowed to just preach to people during this whole time. He's under house arrest to whom he expounded and testified what the kingdom of God Persuading them concerning Jesus both out of the law of Moses out of the prophets from morning until evening So what does he use? He uses he uses the Bible. He uses the oracles of God to preach the gospel to the Jews Because what that's what they claim to believe right? That's what they claim to believe So if you believe Moses you'll believe Jesus so somebody that doesn't believe in Jesus or wouldn't wouldn't believe the story of Jesus They didn't believe the Bible. That's what the Bible says again and again Jesus himself said that look at verse 24 and some believe the things which were spoken and some believe not When they agreed not amongst themselves they departed after that Paul had spoken one word well spake the Holy Ghost by Isaiah's the prophet Isaiah the prophet is what he's talking about here unto our fathers Saying go unto this people and saying hearing you shall hear and shall not understand and seeing you shall see and not perceive For the heart of this people is waxed gross and their ears are dull of hearing and their eyes have they closed let They lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and should be converted And I should heal them be it known therefore unto you that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles and That they will hear it so this is you know This is the prophecy from Isaiah that we've talked about many times during the book on the study of the book of Acts where You know the the Jews are not receiving as a as a general Population there was of course some that believed you know, this is the remnant. There's always a remnant as the Bible teaches But most as a large, you know group and as a as a religious Sect of the Jews they did not accept Jesus the mainstream Jewish leaders did not accept Jesus Christ alright, so the Bible here is saying it's because their heart was waxed gross This is why Jesus said that he spoke in parables. He said why do they speak in parables? He's like because I don't want them to understand these religious leaders that don't even believe the Bible They don't even believe Moses, you know, they're not gonna believe me. I don't want them to understand This is what the Bible is repeating here It says be it there known unto you that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles and that they will hear it So many Gentiles were getting saved all the the churches that we talked about throughout this study Those were those were Gentile churches, you know, Ephesus Philippi, you know, Thessalonica all the seven churches of Asia that are talked about in Revelation chapter 2 Revelation chapter 3 these are all Gentile churches that Paul went with his Companions and actually started and so the Gentiles are being saved and they are Accepting it look at verse number 29 We had said these words the Jews departed and had great reasoning amongst themselves and Paul dwelt two whole years in his hired house and received all that came in unto him and Preaching the kingdom of God and teaching those things which concerned the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence No man forbidding him. So the Bible says that Paul just remained under house arrest and Just kept preaching the word of God people came to his house He just kept preaching the gospel to people again and again and again for two years And then that's how the book of Acts and you say what in the world? What happened to Paul? What happened to Paul? Well, the Bible doesn't specifically tell us what exactly happened to Paul But we can get an idea if you turn to 2nd Timothy chapter 4. I'll tell you what I believe Happened to Paul. I do believe the Bible backs this up secular history also talks about what they believe happened to Paul And I'll get I know Secular history is not the Bible. All right, and it's not doctrine and we're never going to take doctrine from that But I do believe that matches what we see in 2nd Timothy chapter 4 with Paul So Paul most people think that Paul was in Rome around AD 60 AD 62 somewhere around that time that he was in Rome Starting in those years. I mean most people would agree with that just kind of adding up the years the missionary journeys This whole thing and just looking at you know all the things that the Bible documents about Paul and then Looking at even you know the emperors at the time, you know even you know, Claudius and I'll show you that Claudius is the emperor right before Nero and he's mentioned a couple times in Acts chapter 11 Acts chapter 18 look at 2nd Timothy chapter 4 So adding this up we can see that Paul's in Rome at about AD 60 All right, look at verse number 6 of 2nd Timothy chapter 4 So who's Timothy Timothy is a young preacher that Paul was training for the ministry. All right So Paul talks very fondly of Timothy the tea books in the Bible You know Timothy and Titus especially those are you know called the pastoral Epistles, you know where it's talking about, you know, that's where you'll find in 1st Timothy chapter 3 You'll find the qualifications of a pastor all right listed out in 1st Timothy chapter 3 and look in great detail, right and you know because he's training Timothy for the ministry He's like hey you want to be a pastor of a church These are the qualifications that you need to have and like that's what we take from the Bible as Qualifications for somebody that would be sent out to be a pastor. All right Look at verse number 6 of 2nd Timothy chapter 4. So all that to say this Paul's writing to Timothy He says for I am now ready To be offered and the time of my departure is at hand. So right away that sentence right there He's saying you know the end of my life is coming, but he doesn't just say I'm dying He says I'm ready to be offered meaning. He's comparing himself To a sacrifice. He's comparing himself to something that is killed and this is a pretty staunch evidence to me that not only was Paul I believe the secular account in the martyrs mirror other places that Paul was beheaded by Nero Which completely fits what Nero did But I also believe that Paul knew he was going to be executed because he was able to write this letter It also matches that he was given time. He was treated very well up to that point by the Romans But he says I'm ready to be offered and the time of my departure is at hand. I've fought a good fight I finished my course. I have kept the faith Henceforth. He says there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness Which the Lord the righteous judge shall give me at that day and not to me only but on onto all then that also love His appearing so I mean offered means Sacrifice and what comes with sacrifice, you know sacrifices always came with blood Because without blood there is no remission. So look, I believe he knew he was going to be executed All right, Paul was in Rome from AD 60 62 somewhere around those dates And if you look up the Roman emperor's rule Nero is the one who actually started there was ten there's ten documented Roman Persecutions and the first one started with an emperor named Nero now Nero the story of Nero was he was the if you look at Acts chapter when to go back to Acts chapter 11 Look at Acts chapter 11 verse number 28 acts chapter 11 verse number 28 acts chapter 11 is right when Paul You know comes on the scene. I mean the book of Acts ever since Acts chapter 7 the end of Acts chapter 7 is Really a story about the ministry of Paul largely. All right, but look at Acts chapter 11 verse 28 It says there stood up one of them named Agabus and signified by the spirit that there should be a great Deer throughout all the world which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar so here's you know the Caesar at that time was a man named Claudius now Nero was Claudius's adopted son. All right, so Nero was adopted by Claudius at the age of 13. All right, and Nero You don't have to read too much about Nero to know that he was a complete psychopath All right, he was also really into the arts and theater, but you know you can connect those dots yourself. All right but the point is he Started the first Roman persecution of 10 Roman persecutions which ended right around, you know 313 When Constantine decided to create, you know to grab Christianity and grab Roman paganism and combine them and Create this thing that we call Roman Catholicism today. All right, that's not Christianity All right, it's it's a combination of what you know Constantine and his government, you know created with the you know The heretics that showed up to Nicaea, but the point is Nero He's the adopted son of the previous emperor. He starts Claudius is killed at like 54 AD and Nero starts raining when he's like 16 or 17 years old, so he's ruling Rome when he's just a kid All right, and he is ruling when Paul arrives in Rome So you say well what changed why wasn't Paul killed right away? Well the story goes and you know you can find it. I'm talking. I'm not talking biblical history now I'm talking just what history will tell you the story goes. I mean if you've ever heard the The phrase, you know, you know, he you know Nero fiddled while Rome burned This comes from the fact that in AD 64 there was a huge fire in Rome Now this is you know documented history. There was this massive fire in Rome Many historians think that Nero actually started the fire that he actually started the fire in this certain area because he wanted to build theaters and arenas and things like this and expand things that he wanted in this area But in order to you know appease the people and now you know the idea was he never fiddled on the roof But the idea was he he loved music and he was like having a party watching the basically watching the city burn Is is kind of the story? All right. He didn't necessarily fiddle. I don't even think fiddles were a thing back then, but the point is Nero There was this great fire in AD 64 and Nero blamed the fire on this new sect the Christians All right, he blamed the fire it Largely is believed that it was a political move to to save his own you know tale from the people because he actually was You know threatened to be overthrown. He actually killed himself in AD 68 just a few years later AD 69 something like that, but he blames the Christians and Nero goes on this rampage of Slaughtering Christians and he I mean he shows what I wouldn't even the martyrs mirror documents a lot of it I won't even read it to you, but it's just this is where he put Christians in the arenas and they were eaten by animals And he would throw children out in the arenas to be eaten by lions and you know, they would put You know animal sheepskins on a bunch of people and put them out in the arena and let line just just sick twisted Psychotic things he would burn people he would burn Christians on stakes Wall to light his parties at night I mean the man is burning at the lowest part of hell as I talked to you tonight. All right, so he was a very very psychotic person all right, and it seems Quite feasible to me to believe that Paul while he was going to be offered Nero probably was going to execute Paul while he was going on this rampage of killing Christians all right, so and that's the martyrs mirror account is that Paul was taken out and he was He was beheaded. He was beheaded in this place where they beheaded Many people so that was the demise of Paul and I believe that it's accurate I believe that it matches second Timothy chapter 4. I believe Paul lived a couple of years in Rome I believe he preached the gospel to as many people as he could that people came and visited him and that He was executed by Nero in that first Roman persecution, but the point is this I Want to talk about the summary of Paul's life tonight? That's really what I want to talk about as we end the study of the book of Acts Paul Think about it think about everything that we've talked about Throughout the life of Paul the entire book of Acts starting in Acts chapter 7 is really about Paul Is really focused on the works of Paul and the people that were with him think about these missionary journeys that he went on He goes on this first missionary journey where he goes up and he goes and he wants to crosses the Mediterranean Sea and Him and Barnabas continue while Mark leaves because he doesn't want to continue on and they continue on and they go through This terrible time of persecution through these cities and then not only that But they go back the same way through the same cities this after they they stoned him they thought they killed him They did all these this was the first missionary journey And then he goes on a second and third missionary journey. He goes to Jerusalem Twice and then he goes and he just goes on this remember when he was on his way to Jerusalem the last time Everybody all the churches all the places that he planted were crying. They were weeping. They were saying don't go Even the Holy Spirit said you're good to be bound in Jerusalem Like they're going to be after you. They're going to come after you. What did Paul say twice? When he was warned by all these people including God Paul said I don't care about my life When he was warned by all these people including the Holy Spirit. He not only said it, but he showed it He literally cared nothing about his life. You want to talk about boldness? We have to talk about Paul Because Paul was the bold example in the Bible I mean, what a life then he goes to Rome and he goes straight to the people that he knows will be hostile to him But he knows some will get saved isn't that interesting if you go to a group of a hundred people And you knew that 98 of those people you would make angry and And to but two of those people would get saved What would you do and make angry to the point where they'd want to physically hurt you and kill you? But Paul would go to that group of a hundred people and he would preach the gospel because he didn't care about his life And he said that again and again and again. So Paul. I mean, what a life What a life Paul is a great example in the title of the sermon if I had one tonight was this life or the next What's important? What does the Bible say should be important to us and Paul is the epitome of this question This life or the next because turn to Philippians chapter 3 because let me tell you something Paul had it all Paul wasn't some some guy without a job That didn't know what was going on and all of a sudden he got saved and got zealous Paul Paul was on the top of his game Paul had money Paul had power Paul had Respect Paul had whatever he wanted in his life. Look at Philippians chapter 3 verse number 5 Paul's talking about himself here He says circumcised the eighth day of the stock of Israel He's talking about himself of the tribe of Benjamin and Hebrew of the Hebrews as touching the law of Pharisee concerning zeal Persecuting the church touching the righteousness, which is in the law blameless He's talking about he's like he was he was a fairer. He was he was taught Pharisee He was he was a religious leader of leaders He was a Hebrew of the Hebrews. He what did he what did he need? He had everything He had he had a name. I mean he was he was zealous for what he was doing at that time But look at verse number seven Look at verse number seven. This is really the key right here. He says, but what things were gained to me? He says all these things all these things were were gained to me He says what those I counted loss for Christ. He's like gave it all up Paul wasn't some nobody That got saved and then got zealous Paul was this leader that had everything He had the respect the power everything that he needed he's like he counted he threw it all away He counted it all loss Yeah, people today can't come to church. You got saved people today They won't walk into church God commands them clearly come to church people today don't want to go to church But Paul is such a great example because he counted everything loss. He gave it all up up to and including his own life at the end turn to 2nd Corinthians chapter 11 you see because all the and I'm glad 2nd Corinthians chapter 11 is in the Bible because With as much detail in Acts chapter 8 through Acts chapter 28 as we get about Paul's missionary journeys His trips to Jerusalem his trip to Rome and then the end of his life with all the detail that we didn't even We didn't even scratch the surface of what Paul actually went through Paul gives us a nice little summary of things. He's a old man. He went through a shipwreck. He was shipwrecked three times Look at 2nd Corinthians chapter 11 verse number 18 Paul's talking to people that that are that are puffed up here He's talking about people that are they're thinking they're awesome. He's like they're thinking there They're great Christians and all this he's like seeing that many glory after the flesh all glory also For you suffer fools gladly seeing you Seeing you yourselves or wives For you suffer if a man brings you into bondage if a man devour you if a man take off you if a man exalt himself If a man smite you in the face, I speak as concerning reproach as though we had been weak How be it where isn't wearing so ever and he is bold. I speak foolishly. He's being sarcastic here I am bold also He's saying are they Hebrews so am I are they Israelites? He's talking about people that are coming in and saying they're great to this church coming in and and teaching stupid things and Making them do stupid things. He's like are they his Israelites? So am I are they the seed of Abraham? So am I are they ministers of Christ? I? Speak as a fool He says I am more and now he says he says look he's like he's like no one can compete with me Look what he says. He says in labors now This is the kind of bragging that Paul does Paul's gonna do some boasting He's gonna do some boasting on how much he suffered is what he's gonna boast on here He says in labors more abundant in stripes above measure in prisons more frequent in deaths off He's like no one's been no one's worked harder than me. No one's been beaten more than me No one's been in prison more than me. No one's truck been you know been tried to be killed more than me of The Jews now you get what you're like why that's kind of a broad statement Let's get in some detail. He says of the Jews five times Received I 40 stripes save one 40 stripes save one So they whip you 39 times so they don't accidentally hit you over 40 times So he's been he's been beaten. He's been whipped 200 times minus five. He's been whipped 195 times on his back Thrice I was beaten with rods once I was stoned that was in the Bible Thrice I suffered shipwreck one of those we studied and a night and day. I've been in the deep in journeyings often in perils of waters in perils of robbers in perils by my own countrymen in Perils by the heathen in perils in the city in perils in the wilderness in perils in the sea in perils among false brethren Even when I was in churches That I started I was in peril because there was false prophets in those churches that were trying to get to me I mean regulations Read all the letters that he's he's yelling at people in first Corinthians and trying to correct these churches Because as soon as he leaves these churches, you know grievous wolves come in and start preaching false Gospels false doctor you say what did false doctrines start right away? right away in Weiriness of painfulness and watchings often in hunger and thirst in fastings often in cold and nakedness Besides those things that are without That which cometh upon me daily the care of all the churches, and he's just like he's like besides all the physical stuff Besides all the physical stuff I'm constantly worried about the churches Notice he didn't say universal church He said I'm worried about the churches That's why he's writing all these epistles all these letters to the Ephesians to the Corinthians to the Philippians To the Thessalonians. He's writing all these letters because he's concerned for them. He's hearing about things He's got people going to these churches saying oh they got fornication going on in that church And he's writing letters back and telling them like he you know what he cares And he says who is weak and am I not weak who is offended and I burn not If I needs if I must needs glory He's saying if I'm gonna brag He's like I will glory of the things which concern my infirmities. He's like I'm a brag. I'm gonna brag About my suffering But what he's saying what he's saying is hey all these people that think they're so great in your church All these people that are coming in and they're they're they're leading you astray in your church that are all boasting He's like all boast all boast about my infirmities. He's saying I win you can't compete with me Is what Paul is saying even in 2nd Corinthians chapter 12 just a chapter later He he lists that he's he's got a thorn in his flesh. He's got something some kind of Physical ailment that is is bothering him in his life on top of all this On top of everything and the stress He's got a physical ailment and and he asked God to take it away from him three times and God says no He's like my strength is made perfect in weakness So he's just gonna have that physical ailment as well turn to Hebrews chapter 13, but here's what Paul understood You say, how could he possibly go through that? How could he possibly live a life like that? I don't see a lot of Paul hanging out laughing and And having a lot of joy in the book of Acts But Paul was completely focused on something else Paul knew this and Paul wrote Hebrews I mean the Holy inspired by the Holy Spirit of course, but look at Hebrews chapter 13 Look at Hebrews chapter 13. Look what the Bible says in verse 13 The Bible says let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp Bearing his reproach For here he's saying let us go to people Let us go to People in the world people outside the camp outside our church Let us go to people in the world bearing his reproach bearing the reproach of Christ saying you know bearing All the things that Paul listed in second Corinthians chapter 11 Which I don't think many of us can list even one of those things that Paul listed in second Corinthians chapter 11 He's like no we go outside the camp bearing whatever comes to us is what Paul is saying here. Why? Why would I do that? Why would I do that when I can live my life in California and have a pretty decent life here? Why would I want any reproach to come to me at all because this is why I look at verse 14? For here we have no continuing city He's saying you know what and I'll say to you tonight Fresno's not my city That's what he's saying You ever heard that the pair of this is the paraphrased, you know Refrigerator sticker that says this world is not my home. He's saying we have no continuing city, but we seek one to come This isn't our home and guess what that's easy to say, but Paul lived that Paul lived this idea that this life here it Getting stuff for myself here is nothing It means nothing the pain and the suffering that I have here Hey, this world is not my home. He's saying I seek one. He's like we seek one to come and Paul knew that Paul knew that here look So why I mean, why do we pay so much attention to it is the question if we know this and Paul lived this. Why do we pay so much attention to this home here? Why do we pay so much attention to the things here because the things in it? Don't matter Look even the Bible even says we talked about this Sunday morning The Bible even says our family our children even those things can be detriments to us because look We get much. I mean I get much joy from my family. I love being married I think being married is one of the biggest blessings that God can give you on this earth. That's that's what I believe I Get much joy from having children. I love my children, but look even the point of your family It is is for the kingdom of heaven not for here Yeah, we get the joy But the idea of my family according to the Bible is so I can get my children saved I Can raise my children in a in a strong Christian home with a strong Christian mother and a strong spiritual leader for a dad and I can raise them properly. They'll get saved. They'll become strong. You know what they'll go out and get other people saved That's the idea Because this world is not our home And you know what 99% of all the people living in this temporary city that we live in are not saved So it's our mission That's what our family's for and that's why God tells us. Hey do it this way. It's all about the kingdom of heaven folks It's not about Fresno It's not about this life and what we get in this life turn to 1st Corinthians chapter 3 But hey, if you need it, here's a little bit more motivation for you turn to 1st Corinthians chapter 3 Turn to 1st Corinthians chapter 3 1st Corinthians chapter 3 look at verse number 8 of 1st Corinthians chapter 3 look God does promise us rewards and Paul mentions that Paul mentions that in verse number 8 where he says henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness Paul knew there was rewards waiting for him He knew that look at 1st Corinthians chapter 3 in verse number 8 The Bible says he that now he that planteth and he that watereth are one and every man shall receive his own reward according to his labor saying hey you go out and you preach the gospel nobody wants to listen But maybe you plant some seeds in people's hearts. He's like hey, that's good. That's fruit All right, and then he that goes out maybe you know I know I know friends of mine I know friends of mine that are like that are that are awesome fruit bearing Christians today They had to get the gospel like four times like literally somebody knocked on their door several times And they're just like I don't know yeah, I don't know and they're just thinking about it And then somebody comes along in waters Somebody comes along in waters again, and then all of a sudden hey, they get it they get saved And then somebody comes along is like oh yeah now that you're saved, you know, you should probably be doing something We're talking over a period of years So he that planteth and he that watereth are one that's fruit for we are laborers together with God You're God's husbandry. You're God's building So we're laborers together and according to the grace of God which is given unto me Paul as a wise Master builder I love that I've laid the foundation and another buildeth there on but let every man take heed now He'd how he buildeth there upon again showing Showing Paul saying look he's like I've laid you a foundation and he tells us in the next verse what that foundation is He's like I've laid you a foundation And he says for other foundation can no man lay than that is laid which is Jesus Christ He's like I gave you a foundation Of the gospel of the true gospel then he says in Galatians chapter 1 if anybody else comes along and perverts this gospel He's like they're a cursed let them be a cursed He's like even if I come back and teach another gospel even if an angel comes back and teaches another gospel Let them be a cursed let them go to hell is what he's saying. He's like there's only one foundation on the master builder I came here I planted this church and I planted it on the foundation of the gospel of Jesus Christ because guess what if there's a church planted it doesn't have the right gospel that is not founded on the gospel of Jesus Christ that you are Saved by believing and trusting on the Lord Jesus Christ and that's it No works on top of that that is not a church that is a false foundation. That is something else all together He's saying there's only one foundation There's only one foundation. He's like now build He's like now build upon this foundation build upon the gospel How by by working by laboring that's what he's saying now look at this. He says now if any man build upon this foundation gold silver precious stones Wood hay stubble now look there's two categories of things there. Would you not agree? There's gold silver precious stones. We're getting a metaphor here Okay, a lot of people like there's a lot of false doctrine that comes from the next couple of verses But it's pretty silly. He's saying there's some value gold silver precious stones And then he's saying that there's wood hay and stubble, right? You say well, you know doesn't would have value But there's a test that this stuff is going to be put to look at verse 13. He says every man's work shall be made manifest For the day shall declare it because it shall be revealed by fire and The fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is If any man's work abide which he had built there upon he shall receive what he shall receive a reward If any man's work shall be burned He shall suffer loss Now this is actually a great a great verse for eternal security right here So what he's saying is is if you go through your life if you're saved If you're saved and you go through your life and you do nothing of value for the kingdom of heaven You do nothing, but collect two by fours you collect hay bales and you go out and you collect a bunch of a bunch of straw All that stuff is going to burn up on this day All those works are going to be tried by the Lord when you're standing in front of the Lord But look at the last part of the verse it says but he himself shall be saved So you're not gonna go Jesus isn't gonna he's not gonna send you to hell You're saved. I mean you're eternally saved. You're eternally secure whether you do another good thing in your life Whether you do a good thing in your life the Bible says you know your salvation is not of works keeping it is not of works The point is you are going to come to this point So the Christian that gets saved and takes that gift and keeps it to himself and tells nobody else how to get it And does nothing else doesn't walk into a church never tells his kids, you know anything about the gospel Yeah, his kids will probably go to hell for that because they'll never learn the truth But all those works that he did all the you know He went out and he pursued a career and he was really good at his job And he got a big retirement account and you know he he got a big house and he did all these things and maybe he He was a leader in some secular organization or gave money to charity or whatever. It's all gonna burn up That's what the Bible saying because it has nothing to do with the kingdom of heaven It's all gonna burn up and you know what that saved Christian at that moment is gonna suffer loss He's gonna he's gonna know that he wasted his life He's gonna know that he should have done Things that mattered he should have went after the gold and the silver and the precious stones. We're not talking about literal things we're talking about things of eternal value When you go out and you find someone that you ask if they want to know how to get to heaven and you open up the Word of God and you show them and you preach Jesus Christ like what Paul did for his whole life And you pass that person from death to life and they are now saved and they are sealed forever The Bible says look that has eternal value Nothing can take that away That work will be tried by fire and it will still be there and you'll be rewarded for it So yeah, if you need that God's got it waiting for you. I'm still pretty happy that I'm saved I'm still pretty happy that I'm not going to hell I mean, I'm glad that there's gonna be rewards in heaven You know for the things that I do and the things that you know, you do I'm really happy that God has that here, but I'm just saying like I'm happy. I'm not going to hell Because I deserve to go to hell and you deserve to go to hell So that one is still kind of fueling me right now And I hope that fuels me, you know for the rest of my life on this earth whether that be five minutes or fifty years or whatever All right, turn it you know turn to 2nd Corinthians chapter 5 Actually, it just I'll just read it for you the judgment seat of Christ talks about the same thing The judgment seat of Christ talks about the same thing in 2nd Corinthians chapter 5 Where we're gonna stand before Christ and everyone is gonna receive the things done in his body Whether it be good or bad Meaning you are going to be rewarded for the good and you're gonna suffer loss You're gonna suffer loss. You're gonna you're gonna look you're gonna be you're gonna suffer loss There's a lot of people that you look at Christians today And there's a lot of people you we're gonna be walking around in heaven There's gonna be a lot of people walking around with a little Ziploc bag of ashes With their head hung I mean they're gonna be happy that they're in heaven But there's gonna be a lot of people just with a little bag of ashes Because they just never did anything for the Lord in their life Look, it's a it's a character thing Jesus does the same thing he says rejoice in Matthew chapter 5 be exceedingly glad for great is your reward in heaven Matthew 16 for the Son of Man shall come in the glory of his father with his angels and he shall reward every man according to his Works doesn't mean you're that's not a salvation verse It's talking about once you've trusted on Jesus. You're saved you will be rewarded for your works in heaven The Bible clearly teaches this but if you have no works You're just gonna have a bag of ashes and you're gonna feel the loss the Bible says And you're gonna think man. I should have spent my time differently on this earth You know, I think the biggest loss I think the biggest loss that Christians That Christians who are saved and do nothing for the Lord I think the biggest loss that they will see is People that were in their lives around them that are not in heaven with them if you've never took the time To read the Bible learn the Bible get into a church that will teach you how to give the the proper gospel like what Paul is doing and Then you spent all these this time in your life around all these people that you say you loved and You never once told them About the gift that you freely you didn't pay for it You didn't buy it. You didn't do anything great to get it Someone came and preached the word of God to you and you received it. I Remember I felt that way. I worked I worked with a man before I was saved I worked with this man for for close to five years and he was a Baptist in Texas and Him and I I was Lutheran and he was Baptist and he knew I didn't believe in eternal security He knew that I thought that if I lived a bad life That I could lose my salvation and him and I would go back and forth and to me It was like this kind of this fun little religious, you know, I liked him very much I never thought he was not going to heaven and To me it was just this little religious intellectual inner exercise that we would do every now and then and then several years later another Baptist Preacher gave the gospel to me and I got saved I Got a chance to go back to Texas not for that reason But I did go back a few years after I got saved and I had some kind of conference or something And I I had lunch with this guy And I said I said to this guy. It's like hey, you know You knew I was unsaved the whole time didn't you? He's like yeah, because I told him that I got saved. I told him some Baptist pastor pastor Anderson You know, I I heard the gospel and I did some studying and I just and I and I accepted it And I got saved through this this ministry of faithful word Baptist Church And I told Lance this this story and I said man, did you know I wasn't saying he's like yeah, I knew I'm like Thanks a lot, man You know could you but but maybe he didn't know how to give the gospel Maybe he didn't want to offend me. Whatever the reason is. I think that will be our biggest loss In our lives is that maybe we didn't know how maybe we didn't learn maybe we didn't Have the courage the boldness To do it but seeing people that we claim to love In our lives that are in hell While we walk around heaven with his look we're still in heaven We may have a ziploc bag a little sandwich bag of ashes, but we're still in heaven and we didn't earn that That was given to us freely and we should have gone out and like showed cuz look that's that's love Love I don't care what people say today Love is not lost Love is not perversion love sacrifice I Go and I tell my wife. I love you and I do nothing for her. I Treat her like garbage. I don't even recognize her and that's not love according to the Bible love is action Love this sacrifice love is what Jesus did for us and loving our neighbor is going out and showing them how to get that gift and That's that's the gold silver and the precious stones and what we'll be rewarded for that But the point I'm trying to get you to understand tonight as we as we close God is literally doing everything he possibly can in the Bible in his words To get you to make the right choices after salvation He's trying to get you to focus on the next life Not this life not this one and remember we like spectrums here Right remember the spectrum of dead faith and perfect faith Look, I don't care, you know how strong your faith is everybody It doesn't have the same strength of faith if you're saved you got at least enough faith where you believed on the Lord Jesus Christ But you know you can have a spectrum of dead faith like you do no works You just do nothing in your life You got dead faith and then you can have this spectrum of perfect faith No one's gonna be perfect faith, but it's a spectrum the Bible is talking about in James chapter 2 Paul's an example of Someone he's a he's the top of this spectrum someone that cared nothing about this life And that is what the beauty of Paul's story is and ultimately this spectrum of some of caring about this life Somebody that's just completely some saved person that's completely worldly is gonna take this salvation and run with it and do nothing And then you have Paul on the other side. It's the same spectrum of dead faith versus perfect faith It's exactly the same if someone who's entirely focused on this life lacks the faith That God says everything in his word He lacks the faith of God telling you none of this stuff in this life matters Only the kingdom of heaven matters, but someone like Paul who is completely focused I'm not saying Paul was perfect, but he was completely focused on the next life To the point where he shunned and even gave up anything good here in first Corinthians chapter 7 he even talks about He shunned marriage and and family so he could be the way he was and just push Hard all the time he says in first Corinthians chapter 6 or I'm set chapter 7 He says and he's and he says I'm speaking my own opinion basically what he says, but he's like I wish everyone was like me But God doesn't even expect us to not get married and as a matter of fact in first Timothy chapter 3 It's one of the God doesn't even expect a pastor He requires a pastor to be married, you know a pastor must be the husband of one wife the Bible says but Paul's this Extreme example of somebody that was just all in He was on that he was on that perfect faith side of things is what that tells me the man had strong Faith he didn't care because he knew what was coming. He didn't care because he knew what was waiting for him He even said that he even said that to letters to the churches. He's like, you know It's better if I die because I'm with Christ But it's better for you if I stay here and what did he do? He stayed Look, thank God. I mean he can like he conformed to Christ That's what we're supposed to do You know go actually go to Romans chapter 8. We'll end here go to Romans chapter 8 Go to Romans chapter 8 here. Here's your destiny. You say, I don't know. You know, what's my destiny as a Christian? What's my destiny as a Christian? Here's another verse that's Totally taken out of context today, but look the Bible says this It says for whom he did for know he did also predestinate look he foreknew you And he predestinates anybody that gets saved you say who does what God want to get saved everybody The Bible is very clear that God wants all men to be saved if it was up to God All men would be saved all men would believe on his son, but guess what God didn't make a bunch of robots down here You have free will you have the decision to be able to you know what? I'm gonna trust on Jesus and not myself. You have the the ability to make that decision after you get saved though Here's your destiny. Here's what God wants for you. He says For whom he did for know he also did predestinate to what to be conformed to the image of his son He wants you to be Christ-like. Are you ever gonna be sinless? No But he wants you to conform to the image of his son Paul's a pretty good example of that because Paul guess what Jesus did Jesus did nothing for himself Jesus came here to die for you and for me and for the sins of the world. That's the only reason he came here He came here for no reason for himself That's why I'll this this oh Jesus was married and all this stuff It's a it's a horrible heresy and it's an attack on the gospel because Jesus came no he didn't come here to get married He didn't come here to have joy and children and all these things He came here to suffer and die for the sins of the world. That's it And as far as the model of a Christian being conformed to the example of Christ Paul did a good job He didn't care about this world. He conformed to Christ and he didn't do anything that I can read for himself I'm not saying another laughed or never had any joy But he was completely focused laser focused on the next life That's why the acts of the apostles are in the Bible. It's a bar It's a bar for us. It's the acts of the apostles are for the saved Look the gospel is in the Bible, but the acts of the apostles the gospel is in the book But the acts of the apostles and what they did how they did it and why they did it It's a bar for us as saved believers and look folks. It's it's a high one It's a high bar especially as Americans none of us can say that we have nothing for ourselves in this life That we're not focused on myself included That we're not focused on things in this life when we should be focused on the spiritual things It's something that we'll struggle with and we should remember this and we should read these stories To reset ourselves and tell ourselves again and again and again Why we're here and where our real home is and look how many people around us depend on us Doing these acts. Let's bow our heads and have a word