Sermon – “Some Were Persuaded”

¹⁶ Now when we 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.

¹⁷ And it 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, ¹⁸ who, when they had examined me, wanted to let me go, because there was no cause for putting me to death. ¹⁹ 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. ²⁰ 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.”

²¹ Then they said to him, “We neither received letters from Judea concerning you, nor have any of the brethren who came reported or spoken any evil of you. ²² But we desire to hear from you what you think; for concerning this sect, we know that it is spoken against everywhere.”

²³ So 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 from both the Law of Moses and the Prophets, from morning till evening. ²⁴ And some were persuaded by the things which were spoken, and some disbelieved. ²⁵ 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, ²⁶ saying,

‘Go to this people and say:
“Hearing you will hear, and shall not understand;
And seeing you will see, and not perceive;
²⁷ For the hearts of this people have grown dull.
Their ears are hard of hearing,
And their eyes they have closed,
Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears,
Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn,
So that I should heal them.” ’

²⁸ “Therefore let it be known to you that the salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will hear it!” ²⁹ And when he had said these words, the Jews departed and had a great dispute among themselves.

³⁰ Then Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented house, and received all who came to him, ³¹ preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him.

¹³ For you have said in your heart:
‘I will ascend into heaven,
I will exalt my throne above the stars of God;
I will also sit on the mount of the congregation
On the farthest sides of the north;
¹⁴ I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,
I will be like the Most High.’

³⁰ What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith; ³¹ but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness. ³² Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, ^[b]by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone. ³³ As it is written:

“Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense,
And whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”

²¹ Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren who are with me greet you. ²² All the saints greet you, but especially those who are of Caesar’s household.

²³ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

Some were persuaded we’re going to go to actually after $28.00 verses $1631.00 now when we came to Rome disinterring delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard but Paul was permitted to dwell by himself with the soldier who guarded him and it came to pass after 3 days that Paul called the leaders of the Jews together so when they had come together he said to them Men brother and 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 to let me 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 these chains then they said to him we need to receive letters from Judea concerning you nor have any of the brother who came reported were spoken any evil of you but we desire to hear from you what you think for concerning this sect talking about Jesus the way concerning this sect. We know that it is spoken against everywhere so when they had appointed him a day many came to him at his watching to whom he explained and solemnly testified of the Kingdom of God persuading them concerning Jesus both from the Law of Moses and the prophets from morning till we’ve seen now how would you like to been in that service from morning to evening maybe they had a lunch break right and some were persuaded by the things which were spoken and some disbelieved friend that’s the way of it some will be persuaded and some will disbelieve so when they did not agree among themselves they departed after Paul said one word the Holy Spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah the prophet to our father saying go to this people would say hearing you will hear and shall not understand and seeing you will see and not perceive for the hearts of this people have grown Dall their ears are hard of hearing and their eyes they have closed lest they said see with their eyes and hear with their ears Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn so that I should heal them therefore that it be known to you that the salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles and they will hear it he said they will hear it they will perceive they will understand their hearts will not be dogged. They will hear it and when he had said these words the Jews departed and had great dispute among themselves then Paul dwelt 2 whole years in his own rented house and received all who came to him preaching the came of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence and no one forbidding him and he got out his blessings to there in the reading of His Holy Word let us pray gracious Heavenly Father we do thank you for your work your word it guides us and teaches us encourages us live so supple or God and Father we just sank you for we just pray that your spirit would open our hearts more debt than not be dull but let them receive what you have forced today and Father God that we would use the words that you’ve given us that we would be encouraged to go out into persuade others father that’s what this is about that we would persuade others to believe in your Son Jesus Christ and may these words spoken today do just that father for your glory and for expansion of your kingdom in Jesus’ name amen thirsty this morning that mass may just thirst everywhere that the Apostle Paul went whether he went upon his own free will or whether he went as a prisoner he went as a missionary for Jesus Christ so whether he was free or whether he was in change he preached Jesus Christ and Him crucified the apostle Paul was brought to Rome as a prisoner because he had made an appeal to Caesar he had been arrested and placed in the custody partly because the Roman commander in Jerusalem thought that Paul might be harmed by the crowd he thought that they might tear him apart so in part here rested pauperism safety but mainly because it was God’s planned course of action by which he would have Paul make his way to Rome. God had planned that Paul would go to Roman and this was the plan course that God had chose the god use this plan he had been preaching to the Jews a droops in and sharing how the Lord appeared to him on the road to Damascus he share with them how even himself had previously sought to put an end to the preaching of Christ how he stood there wasa Stephen was stoned and accepted 2220 he says and when the blood of your martyr Stephen was shed I also was standing by consenting to his death and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him I believe verse 21 is what brought their anger to the point of range that’s where Paul shared how the Lord had called him the witness to the Gentiles they were outraged at this the Paul was going to be the witness to the Gentiles my friends the Jews had much disdain for the Gentile people after all the Jews were God’s chosen people they considered themselves gods the league God’s chosen people God had given the Jews 613 commandments to follow I shared a couple weeks ago that Israelites ability to follow God’s commandments the fall of his statutes would bring great blessing upon the nation if they were faithful but their inability to follow His commandments and statutes would bring curses upon the nation of Israel they had a massive responsibility to be faithful to God they had a massive responsibility to demonstrate God’s love to the nations around them but there’s no wonder that they had formed the idea within themselves that they were better they were better than the Gentiles in the minds in their hearts the jet they thought the Gentiles were less holy than them that’s a fact the Gentiles had all received a mere 7 commandments. 7 commandments known as the laws of Noah the non Jews that chose to follow the 7 laws of Noah was regarded as righteous gentiles their 7 commandments were not to worship idols not to curse God not to commit murder not to commit adultery beast ality or sexual immorality not to steal not to eat flesh torn from living animals and to establish a court of justice. Scripture said that they listen to Paul until he spoke those words that he was the minister to the Gentiles and they said depart with him he is not fit to live versus 26 and 27 are passing said Hearing you will hear and shall not understand seeing you will see and not perceive for the hearts of this people have grown Dall their ears are hard of hearing and their eyes they have closed lest they should see with their hearts with their eyes and here are 3 years that’s it should understand with their hearts and turn so that I should heal them I want to suggest to you this morning that pride pride my friends is what caused them not to understand to not receive the word of Paul spoke to them they were prideful you know the other I truly believe that the average person out on the street if you would stop and talk with them and ask them what the 1st sin was if they have just a tiny little tidbit of Biblical knowledge understand it they’re going to tell you that it was when Adam and Eve ate of the Tree of Knowledge of beauty right you say that was the 1st sin but what motivated me what motivated Eve to eat of that tree Genesis 34 and 5 then the serpent said to the woman. You will not surely die for God knows that in the day that you eat of it your eyes will be open and you will be like God knowing good and evil you will be like God pride was at the root of it pride was at the root of that decision the she would be like God and if you will consider the arrogant rebellion of Satan before the world was as we know it we see that pride actually was the original sin the original sin was actually not eve Satan his sin against God Isaiah 1413 at the 1314 says For you have said in your heart speaking of Satan I will ascend into heaven I will exult my for throne above the stars of God I will also sit on the Mount of the congregation on the farther side of the north I will ascend above the high the heights of the clouds I will be like the most high pride Satan’s motive was to be like the most the most high he was prideful because of his beauty he was prideful because of the position of eminence that he had been given pride became his stumbling block and if it was his downfall is it any wonder that Satan uses pride to bring down about the downfall of others think about that he knows how it works the Jews have been given a position of eminence as God’s chosen people Romans 9 versus 3333 What shall we say then that Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained to righteousness even the righteousness of faith. But Israel pursuing the lower prices this has not attained to the law of righteousness why because they did not seek it by faith but as it were by the works of the law for they stumbled at that stumbling stone as it is written Behold I lay in Zion a stumbling stone a rock of offense and whoever believes on him will not be put this shame they stumbled if that stumbling stone What is that my friends it is faith what is a stumbling stone you’re going uphill when you keep stumbling over this big rock what you start when you fall down and roll back down you just you can’t get by that stumbling stone you just keep tripping over it it is faith that’s the stumbling stone the faith of righteousness the faith that comes we’re right this is a comes by faith I’m a get that in the right direction there they could not conceive that idea that a person could be saved by faith and not by the works of the law they could not get past it they could not get around it could not get over that stumbling stone they could not comprehend. One verse said that their hearts had grown dog as a reason they did not receive the message of faith the Greek meaning of dogs it used in this passage means so lacking in interest as to cause mental weariness and they had a description of this it was a boring evening with on in arresting people imagine spending an entire evening and a tired day if you will with someone that has completely different interests than you do and they just keep sharing and talking going on and on and on and you know what you do right you tune them out. You’re so bored you’re not paying any attention to what you’re saying that’s Dawna’s you know it might describe a lot of people’s thoughts about Christianity today right there’s a lot of this interest today in anything to do with Christ and Christianity maybe a lot of the fault lies within the church they were boring them to death I don’t know I was talking with a pastor friend a few weeks ago and he was sharing how one of the churches that he used to have in his charge that the pastor that’s there now does not believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God He says that all the writings of Moses shouldn’t even been put in the Bible well maybe that’s why people are getting bored because they are not hearing the Living Word of God Maybe there is pastors in the papa to do not believe that the scriptures are the inspired word of God he for 12 and 13 says for the Word of God is living by friends the Word of God is living it is powerful and sharper than a 2 edged sword pierce and even to the division of soul and spirit of joints and morrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intense of the heart and there is new creature hidden from his sight but all things are naked and open to the eyes of him to whom we must give accounts his word is powerful in living let’s not bore people to death but let’s give him the living Word of God and get back to our scripture we can again see God sovereign will playing out in Paul circumstances being taken the wrong just as we saw them play out in Joseph life back when we as in Genesis we saw that when Joseph was a slave the God was with him he found favor we saw that when he was falsely accuse accused him put in prison that he was even with him in prison preparing him for what he had in store for him. To be 2nd only to pharaoh in Egypt we saw God sovereign will playing out we see God So our will play out in Paul’s case he wasn’t kept with the common prisoners he was a for the privilege to be by himself though not completely by himself he had a guard Paul had to guard with him all the time this privilege may have been due to the terms in which Festus wrote about him the letter that was sent with him to the Roman officials it could be in the high terms in which Julius spoke of him but either way it allowed Paul’s fellow workers in the Gospel to come and visit that allowed his fellow workers to come and care for any needs that Paul may have had verse 23 and 4 said that many came to him at his lodging to me explain them solidly testified of the Kingdom of God persuading them concerning Jesus from both the Law of Moses and the prophets from morning to evening and some were persuaded some are persuaded by the things which are spoken and some disbelieved he was a for that opportunity to be able to continue to preach back and Paul was a prisoner in Judea the governor at the time the governor Judea was Festus festa shared with King Agrippa how his predecessor Felix had left him a prisoner with a reason he left him is because Felix pro crest unaided Felix did not want to make a decision on what to do with Paul he couldn’t find any just cause of course supporting the death but he did not want to release Paul why he didn’t want to upset the Jews he knew if they release Paul the Jews would be upset they wanted to kill Paul in Roman governors back then it further in these regions they had one thing in mind. It Vance their position or at least maintain the one they had so if the Jews would have wrote letters to Rome and told him what Felix had done he might have lost his position but he’s worried about going up the ladder right so he lays Paul there with his procrastinate kick the can down the road pass him off to the next governor so fast the shares with King a grip about Paul and he says I would like to hear him myself I would like to hear what this man has to say so they had a big to do and can’t grip and his wife and Festus and the whole audience and Paul gets up and preaches shares his testimony shares Christ in a dnd evolve Paul’s preaching came Agrippa said Paul you almost persuade me to become a Christian Paul said I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me today might be both almost an all together sets as I am except for these chains king of Rip almost you almost persuade me to be a Christian you hear many different opinions on witnessing for Christ trying to convince or persuade people to believe the way we do founder of Campus Crusade Campus Crusade for Christ Bill bright says that some will say that a man’s religion is so personal that we shouldn’t discuss it. Others will say I don’t like people who are dogmatic and fanatical about religion they try to force their views on everybody they meet and some will say why have most religion I’m happy with that bill bright said during approximately 50 years of sharing Christ and training others to do the same I found no biblical rational to justify fearing those type of responses as a reason to not witness the apostle Paul was compassionate about sharing Christ trying earnestly to convince to persuade all to believe as he believed to believe in Jesus Christ His heart was grieved for his fellow Jews he wanted all of them to believe as he did except for the chains right Romans 91 through 4 this is the New Living Translation says one with Christ as my witness I speak with utter truthfulness my conscience and the Holy Spirit confirm it my heart is filled with bitter sorrow in a nun in grief on ending grief for my people my Jewish brothers and sisters I would be willing to be forever cursed cut off from Christ if that would save them they are the people of Israel chosen to be God’s adopted children God revealed His glory to them he made covenants with them and gave them his law he gave them the privilege of worshipping him in receiving his wonderful promise when was the last time you experience an ending grief for the Souls of others for your brothers and sisters have you experienced on ending grief he says I would be willing to be cut off from Christ that is powerful. To say I would be willing to be cut off from Christ if that would save my brothers and my sisters do we have that kind of concern for their selves Paul would spend 2 more years under house arrest in Rome he was allowed some freedom and said the Pope welding his own rented house and receive dog came to him but remember he was still not completely alone he had a guard think about that point he had a guard who was kept under guard every day and I don’t know how many hours Roman guards worked I don’t know if they worked 8 hour shifts 12 hour shifts I don’t know I do know in the parable that Jesus shares about the workers paid equally that the former went out of the 11th hour and found some and brought the man they only work one hour or so that tells me that farmers back then work 12 hours but with farmers are hard working right I don’t know about Roman guards 8 hours 12 hours probably that’s as good with 12 but think about that 2 years 730 days how many guards would have rotated in and out of Paul’s presence in 2 years time and we all know Paul right does anybody believe that he did not witness to those guards right not to hand one up I’ll guarantee you Paul witnessed to those guards we can see the effect of Paul’s ministry in Rome in full Libyan’s for verse 2123 it says greet every saint in Christ Jesus the brother and who are with me greet you all the saints greet you but especially those who are of Caesar’s that especially those who are of Caesar’s household the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all amen during the time of Paul’s. Imprisonment or under guard Nero was the emperor of Rome now I know there are passage said that Paul made an appeal to Caesar Caesar friends as a title is describing a Roman emperor like President Nero with his name still Caesar was his title Nero was an extremely cruel and wicked man but the passage from Libyan said that some from Caesar’s household actually became believers in Jesus Christ not do not believe that he would be referring to the guards as the ones of Caesar’s household but it could have been the guards that shared Christ with Caesar’s household or maybe even had taken them to visit Paul because many came to see him but either way even within Caesar’s household Some were persuaded some were persuaded how. To believe in Jesus Christ you know there may be a lot of indifference to Christianity Today Christians maybe consider radicals today some may feel we’re intolerant because we don’t accept their moral views but we need to stand for righteousness we need to stand on God’s Word we must not be dissuaded from witnessing for Christ by whatever their reactions may be we must not be dissuaded we must remember the power of the Holy Spirit and that he was in us is greater than he was in the world my friend Satan wants to silence the church we cannot let that happen I truly believe with all my heart that the pressures being applied from those outside the church while actually work to embolden the church I believe I’m just stating that today I believe it. You know there might be a lot of uncertainty in our future today there might be a lot of scary things out there I don’t know but friends are know this you were born for such a time as this don’t doubt that for a 2nd you you and I ever one listening never want to hear you were born for such a time of this we’re living in the time that God ordained that we would be it’s no accident nothing that has happened in the around the world in the past year or in or nation in the past year has surprised God nothing has surprised God He is still in control he’s still on the throne and we as his people what are we to do trust him he is the one we are to look to the one that calls us his children his sons and daughters he does not think of us as units he said the 1st 4 multiply that just came in there we must be like Paul we must have hearts that are broken for the last poll said and I brother when I came to you did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God Friday term and not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified that’s him 1st Corinthians 21 and 2 Paul was a man who had the equivalent of 2 Ph D.’s in theology by the time he was 21 years of age a man who wrote with great insight on the whole scope of theology but nevertheless his focal point was this Christ and Him crucified Jesus Christ in the midst of all the chaos his focal point was Christ and His crucified in the midst of all of our chaos what must our focus point be Christ and Him crucified. There is no other name under heaven by which we can be saved no other name no other way says I am the Way the Truth and the life friends this is our hope and our hope is that some will be persuaded convinced perswade them yes we want them to be like us in that they believe in Jesus Christ the only begotten Son of God who came to take away the sins of the world that is the message the church has put your hope and Jesus Christ trusting God believe in His Word He will not tell you a lie but he will reveal the truth and the truth is that he loves you he loves you he loves me and Jesus died for our sins that we might be made righteousness the righteousness that comes by faith your are no everyone here believes in Jesus Christ but someone’s here in the us and you have not put your trust in God and Son Jesus Christ are encourage you to do so ask him to forgive your sins committed to your heart take up residence in the be the Lord of your life he wants to be your savior he died for all but not all or say only those who believe in him so trust in him today today is a day of salvation because we don’t know that we have a tomorrow Amen amen.