21 After we tore ourselves away from them, we set sail straight for Cos, the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara. 2 Finding a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, we boarded and set sail. 3 After we sighted Cyprus, passing to the south of it, we sailed on to Syria and arrived at Tyre, since the ship was to unload its cargo there. 4 We sought out the disciples and stayed there seven days. Through the Spirit they told Paul not to go to Jerusalem. 5 When our time had come to an end, we left to continue our journey, while all of them, with their wives and children, accompanied us out of the city. After kneeling down on the beach to pray, 6 we said farewell to one another and boarded the ship, and they returned home.

7 When we completed our voyage from Tyre, we reached Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and sisters and stayed with them for a day. 8 The next day we left and came to Caesarea, where we entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the Seven, and stayed with him. 9 This man had four virgin daughters who prophesied.

10 After we had been there for several days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. 11 He came to us, took Paul’s belt, tied his own feet and hands, and said, “This is what the Holy Spirit says: ‘In this way the Jews in Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him over to the Gentiles.’” 12 When we heard this, both we and the local people pleaded with him not to go up to Jerusalem.

13 Then Paul replied, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”

14 Since he would not be persuaded, we said no more except, “The Lord’s will be done.”

15 After this we got ready and went up to Jerusalem. 16 Some of the disciples from Caesarea also went with us and brought us to Mnason of Cyprus, an early disciple, with whom we were to stay.

17 When we reached Jerusalem, the brothers and sisters welcomed us warmly. 18 The following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present. 19 After greeting them, he reported in detail what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.

20 When they heard it, they glorified God and said, “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are who have believed, and they are all zealous for the law. 21 But they have been informed about you—that you are teaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to abandon Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or to live according to our customs. 22 So what is to be done? They will certainly hear that you’ve come. 23 Therefore do what we tell you: We have four men who have made a vow. 24 Take these men, purify yourself along with them, and pay for them to get their heads shaved. Then everyone will know that what they were told about you amounts to nothing, but that you yourself are also careful about observing the law. 25 With regard to the Gentiles who have believed, we have written a letter containing our decision that they should keep themselves from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from what is strangled, and from sexual immorality.”

26 So the next day, Paul took the men, having purified himself along with them, and entered the temple, announcing the completion of the purification days when the offering would be made for each of them. 27 When the seven days were nearly over, some Jews from the province of Asia saw him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd, and seized him, 28 shouting, “Fellow Israelites, help! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people, our law, and this place. What’s more, he also brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.” 29 For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with him, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple.

30 The whole city was stirred up, and the people rushed together. They seized Paul, dragged him out of the temple, and at once the gates were shut.

31 As they were trying to kill him, word went up to the commander of the regiment that all Jerusalem was in chaos. 32 Taking along soldiers and centurions, he immediately ran down to them. Seeing the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. 33 Then the commander approached, took him into custody, and ordered him to be bound with two chains. He asked who he was and what he had done. 34 Some in the crowd were shouting one thing and some another. Since he was not able to get reliable information because of the uproar, he ordered him to be taken into the barracks. 35 When Paul got to the steps, he had to be carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the crowd, 36 for the mass of people followed, yelling, “Get rid of him!”

REACH: Underneath the Gentile missions of the apostle Paul, a tension had been simmering, and it reached its boiling point in Acts 21. Relative freedom to roam had marked the journeys of the apostle and his companions up until this chapter. But not anymore. As John Stott noted, “So far Luke has portrayed his hero on the offensive, taking bold initiatives under the leading of the Holy Spirit to evangelize most of Asia Minor and Greece” but now would find “himself on the defensive” (The Message of Acts, p.335). Wide open fields of Gentile harvest were exchanged for the narrow confines of legal proceedings with government officials. 

It’s as if the gospel train was trucking along through the ancient world, but post-Ephesus, it came to a grinding halt. What happened and why did it matter to Luke to spill so much ink narrating about it?

Recall the Spirit’s first move in Acts. He emboldened Peter to proclaim the gospel, and that message formed the basis of the new community, the church. The gospel birthed the church by the outpouring of the Spirit. The Spirit broke down the walls that separated people from one another. That day, he formed a prophetic community that commended the gospel for its uncommon unity, not merely courageous people who declared the gospel in word only. The advancement of the mission to the ends of the earth preoccupied the last few chapters of Acts but now, in Acts 21, the unity of the church was threatened. Did the Gentile mission mean Paul just ran over the Jews to get to those “far off”? Did a priority on Gentiles create an attitude of superiority toward their Jewish brothers and sisters in Christ? 

The tension of unity, unity of mission and unity of the people of God, had reached a boiling point. Thus, the Spirit made it clear that Paul, the Gentile apostle, needed to circle back to Jerusalem, even though that meant hardship, and the ends of the earth would have to wait. The warmth of the meeting between the members of the Jerusalem church leadership evidenced they were on good terms with Paul, and how the elders worshiped when they heard Paul’s report on what “God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry” were good signs of oneness in the mission (21:19).

Lingering over this story was another one. Luke masterfully overlaid Jesus’ trial over Paul’s story. Paul, like Jesus, was tossed around in Jerusalem between Gentile and Jewish authorities. Paul, like Jesus, was falsely accused of wrongdoing by his own people. The subtle merging of Jesus’ journey with Paul’s was intended to bring a not-so-subtle message to the church. The unity of the people of God ultimately grounded itself in the church’s union with Christ. The Gentile missionary, Paul, embodied a zeal for Jerusalem that exuded Christ’s heart to unify the people of God. The Spirit was poured out so the church might be one as she poured out her life for the world. 

Paul’s posture to heed the elder’s advice to take a Jewish vow to preserve an already fragile situation embodied the mindset Gentiles must embrace if they were to preserve the “unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:3). 

Pray: Pray for the humility of believers across the world to address tensions of ethnic strife within their own hearts. Particularly, pray for the ethnic strife that exists between the Han Chinese and Hui that blinds even believers from seeing their needy neighbors.

RESISTANCE: Paul’s passion for unity was blood-earnest. As some well-intended believers, including Luke, tried to convince him to steer clear of Jerusalem because they knew suffering awaited, Paul responded, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus” (21:13). It pained Paul that other believers would put his personal well-being over the health and unity of the church. Paul’s zeal for Jesus’ glory to reach the ends of the earth did not squash his zeal for the unity of the people of God. The Spirit constrained both passions.

What about us? Is there a fragmented relationship with someone in the body that needs to be mended? Are we embodying a mindset that puts the needs of others above our own? Are we one, for the glory of God and the mission of Jesus? A fragmented people will not further the progress of the gospel.

REALITY: Churches that embody an uncommon unity give glory to the peace-making activity of the Spirit and the peace-creating work of the cross. Unity in diversity is hard for us in Birmingham and hard for the global church around the world. But it is a must. Paul didn’t go to Jerusalem to address a secondary issue. Jesus spilled his blood just outside Jerusalem to make us one, and Paul was willing to spill his as well. 
 
Pray: Pray for the Spirit to unify local churches and international churches in Kuala Lumpur, Dubai, and other urban centers, by embracing one another and proclaiming the gospel boldly together.

³⁷ As he was about to be brought into the barracks, Paul said to the commander, “Am I allowed to say something to you?”

He replied, “You know how to speak Greek? ³⁸ Aren’t you the Egyptian who started a revolt some time ago and led four thousand men of the Assassins into the wilderness?”

³⁹ Paul said, “I am a Jewish man from Tarsus of Cilicia, a citizen of an important city. Now I ask you, let me speak to the people.”

⁴⁰ After he had given permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned with his hand to the people. When there was a great hush, he addressed them in Aramaic:

22 “Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense before you.” ² When they heard that he was addressing them in Aramaic, they became even quieter. ³ He continued, “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia but brought up in this city, educated at the feet of Gamaliel according to the law of our ancestors. I was zealous for God, just as all of you are today.⁴ I persecuted this Way to the death, arresting and putting both men and women in jail, ⁵ as both the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify about me. After I received letters from them to the brothers, I traveled to Damascus to arrest those who were there and bring them to Jerusalem to be punished.

⁶ “As I was traveling and approaching Damascus, about noon an intense light from heaven suddenly flashed around me. ⁷ I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’

⁸ “I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’

“He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, the one you are persecuting.’ ⁹ Now those who were with me saw the light, but they did not hear the voice of the one who was speaking to me.

¹⁰ “I said, ‘What should I do, Lord?’

“The Lord told me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told everything that you have been assigned to do.’

¹¹ “Since I couldn’t see because of the brightness of the light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me, and went into Damascus. ¹² Someone named Ananias, a devout man according to the law, who had a good reputation with all the Jews living there, ¹³ came and stood by me and said, ‘Brother Saul, regain your sight.’ And in that very hour I looked up and saw him. ¹⁴ And he said, ‘The God of our ancestors has appointed you to know his will, to see the Righteous One, and to hear the words from his mouth, ¹⁵ since you will be a witness for him to all people of what you have seen and heard.¹⁶ And now, why are you delaying? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on his name.’

¹⁷ “After I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance ¹⁸ and saw him telling me, ‘Hurry and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’

¹⁹ “But I said, ‘Lord, they know that in synagogue after synagogue I had those who believed in you imprisoned and beaten. ²⁰ And when the blood of your witness Stephen was being shed, I stood there giving approval and guarding the clothes of those who killed him.’

²¹ “He said to me, ‘Go, because I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”

²² They listened to him up to this point. Then they raised their voices, shouting, “Wipe this man off the face of the earth! He should not be allowed to live!”

²³ As they were yelling and flinging aside their garments and throwing dust into the air, ²⁴ the commander ordered him to be brought into the barracks, directing that he be interrogated with the scourge to discover the reason they were shouting against him like this. ²⁵ As they stretched him out for the lash, Paul said to the centurion standing by, “Is it legal for you to scourge a man who is a Roman citizen and is uncondemned?”

²⁶ When the centurion heard this, he went and reported to the commander, saying, “What are you going to do? For this man is a Roman citizen.”

²⁷ The commander came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?”

“Yes,” he said.

²⁸ The commander replied, “I bought this citizenship for a large amount of money.”

“But I was born a citizen,” Paul said.

²⁹ So those who were about to examine him withdrew from him immediately. The commander too was alarmed when he realized Paul was a Roman citizen and he had bound him.

³⁰ The next day, since he wanted to find out exactly why Paul was being accused by the Jews, he released him and instructed the chief priests and all the Sanhedrin to convene. He brought Paul down and placed him before them.

23 Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, “Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience to this day.” ² The high priest Ananias ordered those who were standing next to him to strike him on the mouth. ³ Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! You are sitting there judging me according to the law, and yet in violation of the law are you ordering me to be struck?” ⁴ Those standing nearby said, “Do you dare revile God’s high priest?”

⁵ “I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest,” replied Paul. “For it is written, You must not speak evil of a ruler of your people.” ⁶ When Paul realized that one part of them were Sadducees and the other part were Pharisees, he cried out in the Sanhedrin, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. I am being judged because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead!” ⁷ When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. ⁸ For the Sadducees say there is no resurrection, and neither angel nor spirit, but the Pharisees affirm them all.

⁹ The shouting grew loud, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees’ party got up and argued vehemently: “We find nothing evil in this man. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?”

¹⁰ When the dispute became violent, the commander feared that Paul might be torn apart by them and ordered the troops to go down, take him away from them, and bring him into the barracks. ¹¹ The following night, the Lord stood by him and said, “Have courage! For as you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so it is necessary for you to testify in Rome.”

¹² When it was morning, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves under a curse not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. ¹³ There were more than forty who had formed this plot. ¹⁴ These men went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have bound ourselves under a solemn curse that we won’t eat anything until we have killed Paul. ¹⁵ So now you, along with the Sanhedrin, make a request to the commander that he bring him down to you as if you were going to investigate his case more thoroughly. But, before he gets near, we are ready to kill him.”

¹⁶ But the son of Paul’s sister, hearing about their ambush, came and entered the barracks and reported it to Paul. ¹⁷ Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the commander, because he has something to report to him.”

¹⁸ So he took him, brought him to the commander, and said, “The prisoner Paul called me and asked me to bring this young man to you, because he has something to tell you.”

¹⁹ The commander took him by the hand, led him aside, and inquired privately, “What is it you have to report to me?”

²⁰ “The Jews,” he said, “have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the Sanhedrin tomorrow, as though they are going to hold a somewhat more careful inquiry about him. ²¹ Don’t let them persuade you, because there are more than forty of them lying in ambush—men who have bound themselves under a curse not to eat or drink until they have killed him. Now they are ready, waiting for your consent.”

²² So the commander dismissed the young man and instructed him, “Don’t tell anyone that you have informed me about this.”

²³ He summoned two of his centurions and said, “Get two hundred soldiers ready with seventy cavalry and two hundred spearmen to go to Caesarea at nine tonight. ²⁴ Also provide mounts for Paul to ride and bring him safely to Felix the governor.”

²⁵ He wrote the following letter:

²⁶ Claudius Lysias,
To the most excellent governor Felix:
Greetings. ²⁷ When this man had been seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them, I arrived with my troops and rescued him because I learned that he is a Roman citizen. ²⁸ Wanting to know the charge they were accusing him of, I brought him down before their Sanhedrin. ²⁹ I found out that the accusations were concerning questions of their law,and that there was no charge that merited death or imprisonment. ³⁰ When I was informed that there was a plot against the man, I sent him to you right away. I also ordered his accusers to state their case against him in your presence.

³¹ So the soldiers took Paul during the night and brought him to Antipatris as they were ordered. ³² The next day, they returned to the barracks, allowing the cavalry to go on with him. ³³ When these men entered Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they also presented Paul to him. ³⁴ After he read it, he asked what province he was from. When he learned he was from Cilicia, ³⁵ he said, “I will give you a hearing whenever your accusers also get here.” He ordered that he be kept under guard in Herod’s palace.

REACH: Paul never wasted a moment to declare the truth about Christ. Even as he was being falsely accused and arrested at the close of Acts 21, Paul requested that the tribune allow him to address the crowd who had just beaten him and caused a riot that led to his arrest. Paul continued to do everything he could to remove any barrier for the Jewish crowd to hear the good news one more time. He spoke in the Hebrew language so they could understand and told his personal story to help place himself in their own Jewish context, referencing high profile authorities to quickly establish his ability to speak on the matter (22:3). He was one of them. Christ had transformed his life, and he wanted them to know that Christ could transform theirs. Paul had them in the palm of his hand as he shared, until of course, he referenced the extension of salvation to the Gentiles.

To a Jewish mind, it was unthinkable that a heavenly vision in the temple would send Paul to the filthy Gentiles (22:18). The crowd harshly reacted by raising their voices to drown out Paul, “away with this man!” Anyone who would speak such heresy was not fit to live. Repulsed by him, the crowds violently rejected Paul by shaking their cloaks, wanting nothing to do with him anymore.

The tribune now had to determine why the people reacted against Paul in this way. There was no obvious crime. Why were they shouting against Paul (21:34)? It was determined that torture would be the best method to bring out the truth in Paul, because surely he had done something terrible to cause such a reaction. But there was no truth to their charges. Innocent and without blame, Paul was stretched out with bound arms prepared for torture, until one simple question regarding his Roman citizenship shifted him from a victim of circumstance to the master of the situation. Immediately the interrogators withdrew. As the Roman orator Cicero described, “To bind a Roman is a crime, to flog him is an abomination, to slay him is almost an act of murder” (Against Verres 2.5.66).

Paul’s earthly citizenship preserved his life in that moment, but it was Paul’s heavenly citizenship that solidified his boldness to risk his life for the sake of others knowing Christ. Paul stood before his accusers and confessed that he had lived a blameless life (23:1). He was innocent and there was no reason to be in those chains or on trial. The tribune could not reach consensus as to why Paul was on trial and even admitted to Felix the governor that the charges were not deserving of death or imprisonment (23:29).

However, Paul knew the reason for his trial. There was one reason he was in chains. One reason why he was imprisoned. One reason his life was threatened. Paul declared it before the Pharisees and Saducees, “It is with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial” (23:6).

Paul continued to declare this before his accusers and the government rulers with no hesitation. Though Paul was in chains, the Lord came to him and gave a word of comfort, assuring Paul that it was God’s purpose that he bear witness in Rome (23:11). In the midst of life-threatening circumstances, the mission was not cut short. God will accomplish His purposes, even if his main apostle is derailed from the ends of the earth. The message will press on.

PRAY: Pray for God to grant us the singular resolve of Paul to declare Christ even in the face of life-threatening circumstances. Pray for the boldness of our persecuted brothers and sisters around the world as they face injustice and need this boldness now.

RESISTANCE: Paul was on trial for one reason – Jesus was alive and that meant the dawning of the new age. That truth dominated this whole story. That truth changed his life. As a result, he wanted everyone to know and believe that Christ kept His promise to come and save us from our sins, and He rose again to do it. When people react to the gospel preached, they either become glad or mad. The Jewish people were not happy that Paul was declaring the risen Lord and the arrival of the age to come. This gospel, this truth, remains to be offensive to many who hear it now.

REALITY: According to the World Watch List, the leading researchers for the persecuted church, there are an estimated 245 million people in over 50 countries who are facing regular persecution for following Jesus Christ. These are our brothers and sisters who need our prayers. Click here to see the list of 50 countries where persecution is the most restrictive

PRAY: Pray for God to give The Church at Brook Hills opportunities to serve our persecuted brothers and sisters around the world. Pray for wisdom on how best to engage with those who we know are suffering.

24 Five days later Ananias the high priest came down with some elders and a lawyer named Tertullus. These men presented their case against Paul to the governor. ² When Paul was called in, Tertullus began to accuse him and said: “We enjoy great peace because of you, and reforms are taking place for the benefit of this nation because of your foresight. ³ We acknowledge this in every way and everywhere, most excellent Felix, with utmost gratitude. ⁴ But, so that I will not burden you any further, I request that you would be kind enough to give us a brief hearing. ⁵ For we have found this man to be a plague, an agitator among all the Jews throughout the Roman world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes.⁶ He even tried to desecrate the temple, and so we apprehended him. By examining him yourself you will be able to discern the truth about these charges we are bringing against him.” ⁹ The Jews also joined in the attack, alleging that these things were true.

¹⁰ When the governor motioned for him to speak, Paul replied: “Because I know you have been a judge of this nation for many years, I am glad to offer my defense in what concerns me. ¹¹ You can verify for yourself that it is no more than twelve days since I went up to worship in Jerusalem. ¹² They didn’t find me arguing with anyone or causing a disturbance among the crowd, either in the temple or in the synagogues or anywhere in the city. ¹³ Neither can they prove the charges they are now making against me. ¹⁴ But I admit this to you: I worship the God of my ancestors according to the Way, which they call a sect, believing everything that is in accordance with the law and written in the prophets. ¹⁵ I have a hope in God, which these men themselves also accept, that there will be a resurrection, both of the righteous and the unrighteous. ¹⁶ I always strive to have a clear conscience toward God and men. ¹⁷ After many years, I came to bring charitable gifts and offerings to my people. ¹⁸ While I was doing this, some Jews from Asia found me ritually purified in the temple, without a crowd and without any uproar. ¹⁹ It is they who ought to be here before you to bring charges, if they have anything against me. ²⁰ Or let these men here state what wrongdoing they found in me when I stood before the Sanhedrin, ²¹ other than this one statement I shouted while standing among them, ‘Today I am on trial before you concerning the resurrection of the dead.’”

²² Since Felix was well informed about the Way, he adjourned the hearing, saying, “When Lysias the commander comes down, I will decide your case.” ²³ He ordered that the centurion keep Paul under guard, though he could have some freedom, and that he should not prevent any of his friends from meeting his needs.

²⁴ Several days later, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, he sent for Paul and listened to him on the subject of faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁵ Now as he spoke about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix became afraid and replied, “Leave for now, but when I have an opportunity I’ll call for you.” ²⁶ At the same time he was also hoping that Paul would offer him money. So he sent for him quite often and conversed with him.

²⁷ After two years had passed, Porcius Festus succeeded Felix, and because Felix wanted to do the Jews a favor, he left Paul in prison.

25 Three days after Festus arrived in the province, he went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. ² The chief priests and the leaders of the Jews presented their case against Paul to him; and they appealed, ³ asking for a favor against Paul, that Festus summon him to Jerusalem. They were, in fact, preparing an ambush along the road to kill him. ⁴ Festus, however, answered that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and that he himself was about to go there shortly. ⁵ “Therefore,” he said, “let those of you who have authority go down with me and accuse him, if he has done anything wrong.”

⁶ When he had spent not more than eight or ten days among them, he went down to Caesarea. The next day, seated at the tribunal, he commanded Paul to be brought in. ⁷ When he arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him and brought many serious charges that they were not able to prove. ⁸ Then Paul made his defense: “Neither against the Jewish law, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I sinned in any way.”

⁹ But Festus, wanting to do the Jews a favor, replied to Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem to be tried before me there on these charges?”

¹⁰ Paul replied: “I am standing at Caesar’s tribunal, where I ought to be tried. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as even you yourself know very well. ¹¹ If then I did anything wrong and am deserving of death, I am not trying to escape death; but if there is nothing to what these men accuse me of, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar!”

¹² Then after Festus conferred with his council, he replied, “You have appealed to Caesar; to Caesar you will go.”

¹³ Several days later, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived in Caesarea and paid a courtesy call on Festus. ¹⁴ Since they were staying there several days, Festus presented Paul’s case to the king, saying, “There’s a man who was left as a prisoner by Felix. ¹⁵ When I was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews presented their case and asked that he be condemned. ¹⁶ I answered them that it is not the Roman custom to give someone up before the accused faces the accusers and has an opportunity for a defense against the charges. ¹⁷ So when they had assembled here, I did not delay. The next day I took my seat at the tribunal and ordered the man to be brought in. ¹⁸ The accusers stood up but brought no charge against him of the evils I was expecting. ¹⁹ Instead they had some disagreements with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, a dead man Paul claimed to be alive. ²⁰ Since I was at a loss in a dispute over such things, I asked him if he wanted to go to Jerusalem and be tried there regarding these matters. ²¹ But when Paul appealed to be held for trial by the Emperor, I ordered him to be kept in custody until I could send him to Caesar.”

²² Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear the man myself.”

“Tomorrow you will hear him,” he replied.

²³ So the next day, Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the auditorium with the military commanders and prominent men of the city. When Festus gave the command, Paul was brought in. ²⁴ Then Festus said: “King Agrippa and all men present with us, you see this man. The whole Jewish community has appealed to me concerning him, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he should not live any longer. ²⁵ I found that he had not done anything deserving of death, but when he himself appealed to the Emperor, I decided to send him. ²⁶ I have nothing definite to write to my lord about him. Therefore, I have brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after this examination is over, I may have something to write. ²⁷ For it seems unreasonable to me to send a prisoner without indicating the charges against him.”

REACH: Paul, having been delivered from a plot to kill him, found himself in Caesarea, and for five days he waited, under arrest, for the leaders of the Jews to come to meet him there. Upon their arrival, the high priest Ananias and some of the elders brought false charges before the governor. Paul was accused of insurrection throughout the empire, heresy, and defilement of the temple. These were serious charges that brought serious consequences, but Paul knew no proof of the charges could be offered. After a nod from Felix, Paul took up his defense and articulated a cheerful response to the allegations against him, proving once again his fear of God and confidence in Christ was much greater than his fear of man and what they might do to him (24:10).

Paul answered all of the charges against him. He pointed out that he went up to Jerusalem to worship, not to start a war and not to engage in debate in the synagogue, temple, or city. In fact, if anyone could be accused of stirring up a crowd and inciting the city to riot, it was Paul’s initial accusers (Acts 21). Paul was not a heretic, but a man who lived his life in service and in worship to God. While Paul emphasized the uniqueness of Christianity, he also emphasized the continuity with his Old Testament Jewish roots, “I worship the God of our fathers, believing everything laid down by the Law and written in the Prophets” (24:14). Paul’s actual purpose for coming to Jerusalem was not to defile the temple, but to deliver charitable gifts to the the Jews who were in need. His purpose, even though he knew the danger and risk of proximity to his enemies, was to deliver an offering from the Gentile churches to the Jewish believers. His pastoral impulse to care for the Jewish believers resulted in his imprisonment. But it was worth it.

PRAY: Love demands risk-taking for the good of others and can be misunderstood. Pray for us as a church to be freed to love others and meet needs as Paul was here.

RESISTANCE: Even though Paul’s defense proved his innocence, Felix, like the tribune before him, delayed his decision and kept Paul in custody. In fact, Paul would remain in prison for two years until Felix was replaced by the new governor, Festus. Paul’s circumstances in custody included some measure of freedom and access to his friends and believers there. They took care of him, communicated with him, practiced the ministry of presence, and brought him what he needed. During this extended time, there was much work to be done to strengthen the churches that had been established. The apostolic responsibility kept Paul focused. During his imprisonment he wrote the books (letters) of Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon, strengthening the believers and future generations of the church. Once again, God’s plan could not be stopped. Not even chains on the main messenger of the gospel would stop its advance. The gospel was bigger than Paul. It goes forward through the power of the Spirit, cultivating the faithfulness of the church.

REALITY: It is important to recognize the display of God’s grace to Paul in and through his friends and the believers who cared for him while he was in prison (24:23). Like Paul, those that have been sent out as missionaries often face intense and sometimes difficult situations that require unique displays of partnership and care. The Church at Brook Hills currently has 23 long-term missionary units serving in some of the most difficult places and among some of the most difficult peoples to reach with the gospel. In addition to the 23, there are a dozen or more individuals and families currently in the sending process. Our purpose as a church is not only to send these brothers and sisters out, but also to sustain them for the work for which God has set them apart. Like the brothers and sisters who strengthened Paul in his hours of need, this requires effort and resources for sustainability. Praise God for the A-Teams that keep each of our long-term missionaries tethered to the brothers and sisters here in our fellowship. These A-Teams support our missionaries through prayer, through regular communication and accountability, and often times with their presence as they go and visit our people. One of the challenges we continue to face is adequate housing resources and vehicles for our long-term missionaries when they are stateside for extended periods of time. What if we could have an opportunity like the believers around Paul that were there to refresh him and encourage him right here near us? What if they could be so close in proximity to us to report to us what God has done?

PRAY: Pray for God to give wisdom to the Global Team and to other leaders at Brook Hills on how to provide the needed resources to care for and sustain those who have been sent out from among us. Ask God to show us what areas of sacrifice can be made to sustain our people and preserve the work God has entrusted to all of us. Ask God to reveal ways you can participate.

¹³ When they observed the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed and recognized that they had been with Jesus. ¹⁴ And since they saw the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say in opposition. ¹⁵ After they ordered them to leave the Sanhedrin, they conferred among themselves, ¹⁶ saying, “What should we do with these men? For an obvious sign has been done through them, clear to everyone living in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. ¹⁷ But so that this does not spread any further among the people, let’s threaten them against speaking to anyone in this name again.” ¹⁸ So they called for them and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.

¹⁹ Peter and John answered them, “Whether it’s right in the sight of God for us to listen to you rather than to God, you decide; ²⁰ for we are unable to stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

²¹ After threatening them further, they released them. They found no way to punish them because the people were all giving glory to God over what had been done. ²² For this sign of healing had been performed on a man over forty years old.

²³ After they were released, they went to their own people and reported everything the chief priests and the elders had said to them. ²⁴ When they heard this, they raised their voices together to God and said, “Master, you are the one who made the heaven, the earth, and the sea, and everything in them. ²⁵ You said through the Holy Spirit, by the mouth of our father David your servant:

Why do the Gentiles rage
and the peoples plot futile things?
²⁶ The kings of the earth take their stand
and the rulers assemble together
against the Lord and against his Messiah.

²⁷ “For, in fact, in this city both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, assembled together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, ²⁸ to do whatever your hand and your will had predestined to take place. ²⁹ And now, Lord, consider their threats, and grant that your servants may speak your word with all boldness,³⁰ while you stretch out your hand for healing, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” ³¹ When they had prayed, the place where they were assembled was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God boldly.

REACH: In Acts 1:8, Jesus plainly told the disciples, “You will be my witnesses.” There was no question as to what they were on the earth for: to bear witness to Christ, to tell of who He was and what He came to accomplish, and to tell of His salvation for the world. This was the greatest news. The believers had the greatest gift. They had knowledge of the risen Savior. They were equipped with God’s Spirit and had been given all the resources needed to do the things Christ told them to do. They lacked nothing. They simply needed to open their mouths and declare Christ to a world that was hostile and would reject them. Easy, right?

There wasn’t one believer then, and not one believer today, that does not struggle with timidity, fear, anxiety, and hesitancy to say what ought to be said, when it ought to be said. Everyone, including Paul, needed help to open their mouths and speak the Word of God. There was a built-in reminder that man, apart from Christ, could accomplish nothing.

We revisited an earlier portion of Acts today to show you a consistent theme in the early church. In Acts, the church prayed for boldness. Paul always prayed that God would help him to open his mouth, praying that he would have a word when he needed a word to make known the gospel with boldness (Ephesians 6:19-20). Besides Jesus, there was not a bolder person in the world than Paul. But he knew, like the rest of the church, that he was dependent on prayer and the Holy Spirit for that posture. In Acts 4:23, we see the church praying for boldness just like Paul.

Boldness was contagious. Collectively, they knew the source of boldness was not within themselves. God was the source. Boldness for Paul was not standing up for what he thought was right. No, Paul and the other believers prayed specifically to be bold to speak the Word of God: to tell of His ways, to tell of His purposes, to proclaim His Word. Their words, like our words, have no power to save. They knew that the only way people would hear and know and be saved was for the Word of God to be spoken. So they prayed. They prayed to boldly proclaim God’s Word (13:46), to preach Jesus (9:27, 29), to preach about the kingdom (19:8), to bear witness to the Word of His grace (14:3), and even to boldly proclaim the mystery of the gospel (Ephesians 6:19).

What usually followed was conversion and a collision - riots, persecution, and divisions in the crowds. The bold proclamation of the Word of God had power and didn’t allow anyone to leave unchanged one way or the other.

PRAY: We want to be a people who act in boldness to speak the Word of God and to proclaim boldly in the face of opposition, the way of God and the resurrected Christ. Pray against a Spirit of apathy.

RESISTANCE: Paul was in the barracks of the prison, mostly because the tribune was terrified that he would be torn to pieces. As much as it was for his protection, the frustration on Paul’s behalf had to be high. Paul was imprisoned because people were angry at what he so boldly proclaimed. Paul was being held unjustly. The claims against him were unmerited and unprovable. He was innocent. And yet, he found himself in the barracks of the jail.

A sweet reminder came the following night when the Lord gave Paul a promise saying, “Take courage for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome” (Acts 23:11). Deliverance was sure because Rome was where God ordained Paul would testify.

Paul must have been even more emboldened. We see his boldness play out before Felix and Festus, and mostly with King Agrippa, as Paul said, “For the king knows about these things, and to him I speak boldly. For I am persuaded that none of these things has escaped his notice, for this has not been done in a corner.” Paul continued by asking King Agrippa, “Do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe” (Acts 26:27). Talk about boldness! Paul had the guts to blatantly ask the King, at his party, in front of his guest, “Don’t you believe?”

REALITY: We must be bold. We are the witnesses now. We are the ones who are equipped by His Word and empowered by His Spirit to proclaim Christ to those who have never heard. We must be prepared. Are we confident in God’s Word? Do we know how to share the gospel? Can we effectively step out in courage, open our mouths and declare to a dying world the greatest news of salvation? The amazing thing about the gospel is that we are simply the mouthpiece. God does the work. He is the one with the power. He and He alone can save. We simply have to bear witness. But oh… it takes boldness. He is the source of that as well.

PRAY: Pray for God to make us a people who are bold to proclaim the Word of God. Pray we will not be marked by fear and timidity, but rather marked as a people who walk confidently in Christ, for whom the concerns of others outweighs our personal concerns. Pray for God to open our mouths and as we bear witness, and for Him to deliver people from darkness into light.

26 Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.”

Then Paul stretched out his hand and began his defense: ² “I consider myself fortunate, that it is before you, King Agrippa, I am to make my defense today against all the accusations of the Jews, ³ especially since you are very knowledgeable about all the Jewish customs and controversies. Therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently.

⁴ “All the Jews know my way of life from my youth, which was spent from the beginning among my own people and in Jerusalem. ⁵ They have known me for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that according to the strictest sect of our religion I lived as a Pharisee. ⁶ And now I stand on trial because of the hope in what God promised to our ancestors, ⁷ the promise our twelve tribes hope to reach as they earnestly serve him night and day. King Agrippa, I am being accused by the Jews because of this hope. ⁸ Why do any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead? ⁹ In fact, I myself was convinced that it was necessary to do many things in opposition to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. ¹⁰ I actually did this in Jerusalem, and I locked up many of the saints in prison, since I had received authority for that from the chief priests. When they were put to death, I was in agreement against them. ¹¹ In all the synagogues I often punished them and tried to make them blaspheme. Since I was terribly enraged at them, I pursued them even to foreign cities.

¹² “I was traveling to Damascus under these circumstances with authority and a commission from the chief priests. ¹³ King Agrippa, while on the road at midday, I saw a light from heaven brighter than the sun, shining around me and those traveling with me. ¹⁴ We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice speaking to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’

¹⁵ “I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’

“And the Lord replied: ‘I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting. ¹⁶ But get up and stand on your feet. For I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and a witness of what you have seen and will see of me. ¹⁷ I will rescue you from your people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them ¹⁸ to open their eyes so that they may turnfrom darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a share among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

¹⁹ “So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision. ²⁰ Instead, I preached to those in Damascus first, and to those in Jerusalem and in all the region of Judea, and to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works worthy of repentance. ²¹ For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and were trying to kill me. ²² To this very day, I have had help from God, and I stand and testify to both small and great, saying nothing other than what the prophets and Moses said would take place— ²³ that the Messiah must suffer, and that, as the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light to our people and to the Gentiles.”

²⁴ As he was saying these things in his defense, Festus exclaimed in a loud voice, “You’re out of your mind, Paul! Too much study is driving you mad.”

²⁵ But Paul replied, “I’m not out of my mind, most excellent Festus. On the contrary, I’m speaking words of truth and good judgment. ²⁶ For the king knows about these matters, and I can speak boldly to him. For I am convinced that none of these things has escaped his notice, since this was not done in a corner. ²⁷ King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you believe.”

²⁸ Agrippa said to Paul, “Are you going to persuade me to become a Christian so easily?”

²⁹ “I wish before God,” replied Paul, “that whether easily or with difficulty, not only you but all who listen to me today might become as I am—except for these chains.”

³⁰ The king, the governor, Bernice, and those sitting with them got up, ³¹ and when they had left they talked with each other and said, “This man is not doing anything to deserve death or imprisonment.”

³² Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been released if he had not appealed to Caesar.”

REACH: Jesus told his disciples in Luke 21:12-13 they would be persecuted and delivered to the synagogues and prisons, and they would be brought before kings and governors for His name’s sake. Even though they would be persecuted in this way, He promised them the “Holy Spirit will teach you at that very hour what must be said” (Luke 12:12). This was not time to run and flee but the time to be bold and bear witness.

Christ is ultimately triumphant because He is alive and sovereign, yet the reality is that we live in the time in between his inauguration and his consummation. We live in a world in conflict. Those who follow Jesus will be met with unplanned obstacles and persecution. He promised it. We live confident that God reigns over that as well. God intends persecution to be a strategic opportunity for witness to the truth of the gospel. Nothing can interrupt God’s plan. Hindrances may abound, but unhindered remains the consistent theme of gospel advance.

Most of Paul’s witness to Christ was given in circumstances he did not necessarily plan. Even though Paul had a very clear strategic plan for his mission (Romans 15:20-21), God constantly shifted Paul to fit into His master plan for evangelism and church multiplication. Though it may feel sometimes as though there are many setbacks, none of them are without gospel purposes. God orchestrates the movement of people to advance His gospel. He is looking for those who are along for the journey like Paul.

Jesus said, “They will deliver you up to prisons and take you before governors and kings. That will be a time for witness” (Luke 21:12-13). Like Paul, we must, in every circumstance, especially the unplanned ones, be ready to bear witness to Christ.

PRAY: Christians all over the world need the Holy Spirit to give them the words to say before those in authority. Pray against fear in the believer’s hearts in Nepal who face threatening circumstances. Pray for us to not fear stumbling over our words and for the Holy Spirit to give us what we need.

RESISTANCE: In Acts 26, we find Paul before King Agrippa, the same Agrippa whose great-grandfather, Herod, plotted to kill baby Jesus. The same Agrippa whose great-uncle murdered John the Baptist, and later tried Jesus, whose father was the one who later imprisoned Peter and beheaded James. How in the world did an obscure, Jewish-Christian missionary have an audience with the king of all Palestine, especially a king whose ancestors hated Christ? Because God planned it. God had an evangelistic purpose for this moment for the advancement of His kingdom.

The whole Jewish council, three of the highest political officials in Palestine (Felix, Festus, and Agrippa), and all of the prominent members of Caesarea hear the good news of Christ because Paul was arrested and imprisoned on false charges. Be encouraged! God has gospel purposes even in the setbacks of our lives.

REALITY: The enemy’s schemes and God’s great commission make spiritual warfare unavoidable. As Paul, himself, wrote, “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12). If God had wanted to release Paul from prison in Caesarea He could have, but He didn’t. Instead, all along the way, He employed Paul and others, “to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me” (Acts 26:18). Just like Paul, we are called to engage with this enemy by proclaiming the gospel. To do so we must be strong in the Lord (Ephesians 6:10) and put on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:11).

PRAY: Pray for God to open eyes and turn sinners from darkness to light, from the power of Satan to God, through our church planting efforts across the world. Pray for conversions and for new churches to be planted.

Acts 26:12-18

¹² “I was traveling to Damascus under these circumstances with authority and a commission from the chief priests. ¹³ King Agrippa, while on the road at midday, I saw a light from heaven brighter than the sun, shining around me and those traveling with me. ¹⁴ We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice speaking to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’

¹⁵ “I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’

“And the Lord replied: ‘I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting. ¹⁶ But get up and stand on your feet. For I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and a witness of what you have seen and will see of me. ¹⁷ I will rescue you from your people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them ¹⁸ to open their eyes so that they may turnfrom darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a share among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

Romans 15

1 Now we who are strong have an obligation to bear the weaknesses of those without strength, and not to please ourselves. ² Each one of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. ³ For even Christ did not please himself.On the contrary, as it is written, The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me. ⁴ For whatever was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that we may have hope through endurance and through the encouragement from the Scriptures. ⁵ Now may the God who gives endurance and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, according to Christ Jesus, ⁶ so that you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ with one mind and one voice.

⁷ Therefore accept one another, just as Christ also accepted you, to the glory of God. ⁸ For I say that Christ became a servant of the circumcised on behalf of God’s truth, to confirm the promises to the fathers, ⁹ and so that Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,

Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles,
and I will sing praise to your name.

¹⁰ Again it says, Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people! ¹¹ And again,

Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles;
let all the peoples praise him!

¹² And again, Isaiah says,

The root of Jesse will appear,
the one who rises to rule the Gentiles;
the Gentiles will hope in him.

¹³ Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

¹⁴ My brothers and sisters, I myself am convinced about you that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge,and able to instruct one another. ¹⁵ Nevertheless, I have written to remind you more boldly on some points because of the grace given me by God ¹⁶ to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, serving as a priest of the gospel of God. My purpose is that the Gentiles may be an acceptable offering, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. ¹⁷ Therefore I have reason to boast in Christ Jesus regarding what pertains to God. ¹⁸ For I would not dare say anything except what Christ has accomplished through me by word and deed for the obedience of the Gentiles, ¹⁹ by the power of miraculous signs and wonders, and by the power of God’s Spirit. As a result, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum. ²⁰ My aim is to preach the gospel where Christ has not been named, so that I will not build on someone else’s foundation, ²¹ but, as it is written,

Those who were not told about him will see,
and those who have not heard will understand.

²² That is why I have been prevented many times from coming to you. ²³ But now I no longer have any work to do in these regions, and I have strongly desired for many years to come to you ²⁴ whenever I travel to Spain. For I hope to see you when I pass through and to be assisted by you for my journey there, once I have first enjoyed your company for a while. ²⁵ Right now I am traveling to Jerusalem to serve the saints, ²⁶ because Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. ²⁷ Yes, they were pleased, and indeed are indebted to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual benefits, then they are obligated to minister to them in material needs. ²⁸ So when I have finished this and safely delivered the funds to them, I will visit you on the way to Spain. ²⁹ I know that when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.

³⁰ Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, through our Lord Jesus Christ and through the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in fervent prayers to God on my behalf. ³¹ Pray that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea, that my ministry to Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, ³² and that, by God’s will, I may come to you with joy and be refreshed together with you.

³³ May the God of peace be with all of you. Amen.

REACH: What was on Paul’s heart as he sat in that jail cell? It had to be Spain. Resonating in his ear had to be the letter he had written to the church in Rome and what he laid out for them (Romans 15:19–33). “From Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation, but as it is written, ‘Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.’ This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you. But now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to come to you, I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for awhile….When I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected, I will leave for Spain by way of you.”

Reality is often hard to swallow. Paul’s plans were hindered, and Spain would be off the table. He would make it to Rome, but Spain would be touched by the gospel through different means.

Paul’s broad ambition was on display in his letter to the Romans. He made it his ambition to preach the gospel where Christ had yet to be named. He set an example for us as the church today, as we send out Pauline-like laborers to the frontier regions of the world that have yet to hear.

At Brook Hills, we often talk about our global priorities being aimed at those who are unreached or have little to no access to the gospel. This is regular language that, like Paul, helps keep us laser focused on what God has prioritized for His church. Is there lostness around us? Yes. Do people in our families and in our neighborhoods need Christ? Yes. We must proclaim it to them. We must ask for boldness and then open our mouths and proclaim the Word of God to those who need salvation. Are you confident that the Lord wants to use you? Do you believe that the church is the agent in which God will accomplish His mission? God has no plan B.

The difference in “lostness” around us and “unreached” is access. There is lostness all around us. But the lost here in Birmingham have access to the gospel. There is a church on every street corner. They are your neighbors. They have us. We are here in the city. We are the access for them. In unreached contexts, there are very few or no chances of interacting with a Christian, so the people there will most likely be born, live their entire lives, and die without ever hearing the gospel. There are damning consequences to this reality. Our church functions locally as our neighbor’s access point to the gospel. It also is intended to function in that way globally as we send qualified people to go and proclaim Christ. Going next door, and going to the nations, to pour out our lives to make disciples of all nations – that’s the rhythm of our corporate life. The frontiers must never drop from our sight. Their need is urgent, and the ramifications eternal.

RESISTANCE: The gospel is either flowing unhindered through us to the nations or we’re unhinged from His mission. It is our corporate privilege to love Him, to grow in Him, and to make disciples of Jesus here and around the world. We cannot sit around and wait for the world to come to us to be saved. Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. He left one place and went to another place. He gave up the glories and comforts of His heavenly home in order to go where the people were and tell them about the Father. And He said as the Father had sent Him into the world, He sends us (John 17:18).

Our mission at Brook Hills in Birmingham can never merely be a “come and see” mission. We must always be a “go and tell” kind of faith family. This requires us to lay our lives down for the sake of those who do not know Christ.

he Global Team at Brook Hills equips and empowers The Church at Brook Hills to make disciples of all nations. We do this in two contexts: where the church exists we want to strengthen it, where the church doesn’t exist we want to help establish it. We do this by sending sound laborers short-term, mid-term, and long-term, by sustaining those we have sent-out, and by striving alongside strategic partners for gospel advance.

REALITY: Just as God broadened the horizons of the early church’s missional ambitions, God is at work in similar ways at The Church at Brook Hills. We have been approached by partners to consider various avenues for engaging unreached peoples in our day. It will require diverse pathways to get people there. Is God leading you to go be a traditional long-term missionary whose main focus is church planting among an unreached people group? Maybe God is opening up doors for you to use your profession or skillset to work and live in a different country among an unreached people group, filling out church planting teams. Maybe you are retired and God is leading you to consider where you can spend major portions of your year living and contributing to church planting efforts. Are you a student who has a summer or a semester to join a team overseas? Are you a part of an A-team, serving alongside our long-term workers? Just like in Acts, many different believers play a role in gospel advance: Priscilla and Aquila come alongside Paul, Philip and Stephen boldly proclaim despite not being “apostles,” Timothy’s mom invests in Timothy who becomes a key partner for Paul, Apollos takes up the pastoral work in Corinth, and countless others make up the broader team. But everyone was engaged and intentional about sharing Christ to see new areas of the world reached for Christ. And that’s the same need in our day.

PRAY: Pray for God to set apart laborers from among us and to open a door for gospel work in these new areas. Pray for us, as a church, to engage deeply in the work of advancing the gospel around the globe.

ACT: If God is wanting you to take a step of obedience to be one of these laborers who go, our Global Team would love to walk with you as you seek the Lord. Find a Global Team member at the Global Kiosk every Sunday or email our ministry assistant (alison@brookhills.org) to request a conversation.

Maybe, this is not you but you want to be more involved with our Global efforts here at Brook Hills. Your first step may be going on a Short-Term trip, contributing to the Global Offering, or picking up a prayer card from our kiosk and praying more regularly for our missionaries. All of these opportunities are on the Brookhills.org/global website where you can learn more.

27 When it was decided that we were to sail to Italy, they handed over Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion named Julius, of the Imperial Regiment. ² When we had boarded a ship of Adramyttium, we put to sea, intending to sail to ports along the coast of Asia. Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, was with us. ³ The next day we put in at Sidon, and Julius treated Paul kindly and allowed him to go to his friends to receive their care. ⁴ When we had put out to sea from there, we sailed along the northern coast of Cyprus because the winds were against us. ⁵ After sailing through the open sea off Cilicia and Pamphylia, we reached Myra in Lycia. ⁶ There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy and put us on board. ⁷ Sailing slowly for many days, with difficulty we arrived off Cnidus. Since the wind did not allow us to approach it, we sailed along the south side of Crete off Salmone. ⁸ With still more difficulty we sailed along the coast and came to a place called Fair Havens near the city of Lasea.

⁹ By now much time had passed, and the voyage was already dangerous. Since the Day of Atonement was already over, Paul gave his advice ¹⁰ and told them, “Men, I can see that this voyage is headed toward disaster and heavy loss, not only of the cargo and the ship but also of our lives.” ¹¹ But the centurion paid attention to the captain and the owner of the ship rather than to what Paul said. ¹² Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided to set sail from there, hoping somehow to reach Phoenix, a harbor on Crete facing the southwest and northwest, and to winter there.

¹³ When a gentle south wind sprang up, they thought they had achieved their purpose. They weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete. ¹⁴ But before long, a fierce wind called the “northeaster” rushed down from the island. ¹⁵ Since the ship was caught and unable to head into the wind, we gave way to it and were driven along. ¹⁶ After running under the shelter of a little island called Cauda, we were barely able to get control of the skiff. ¹⁷ After hoisting it up, they used ropes and tackle and girded the ship. Fearing they would run aground on the Syrtis, they lowered the drift-anchor, and in this way they were driven along. ¹⁸ Because we were being severely battered by the storm, they began to jettison the cargo the next day. ¹⁹ On the third day, they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands. ²⁰ For many days neither sun nor stars appeared, and the severe storm kept raging. Finally all hope was fading that we would be saved.

²¹ Since they had been without food for a long time, Paul then stood up among them and said, “You men should have followed my advice not to sail from Crete and sustain this damage and loss. ²² Now I urge you to take courage, because there will be no loss of any of your lives, but only of the ship. ²³ For last night an angel of the God I belong to and serve stood by me ²⁴ and said, ‘Don’t be afraid, Paul. It is necessary for you to appear before Caesar. And indeed, God has graciously given you all those who are sailing with you.’ ²⁵ So take courage, men, because I believe God that it will be just the way it was told to me. ²⁶ But we have to run aground on some island.”

²⁷ When the fourteenth night came, we were drifting in the Adriatic Sea, and about midnight the sailors thought they were approaching land. ²⁸ They took soundings and found it to be a hundred and twenty feet deep; when they had sailed a little farther and sounded again, they found it to be ninety feet deep. ²⁹ Then, fearing we might run aground on the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight to come. ³⁰ Some sailors tried to escape from the ship; they had let down the skiff into the sea, pretending that they were going to put out anchors from the bow. ³¹ Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.” ³² Then the soldiers cut the ropes holding the skiff and let it drop away.

³³ When it was about daylight, Paul urged them all to take food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day that you have been waiting and going without food, having eaten nothing. ³⁴ So I urge you to take some food. For this is for your survival, since none of you will lose a hair from your head.” ³⁵ After he said these things and had taken some bread, he gave thanks to God in the presence of all of them, and after he broke it, he began to eat. ³⁶ They all were encouraged and took food themselves. ³⁷ In all there were 276 of us on the ship. ³⁸ When they had eaten enough, they began to lighten the ship by throwing the grain overboard into the sea.

³⁹ When daylight came, they did not recognize the land but sighted a bay with a beach. They planned to run the ship ashore if they could. ⁴⁰ After cutting loose the anchors, they left them in the sea, at the same time loosening the ropes that held the rudders. Then they hoisted the foresail to the wind and headed for the beach. ⁴¹ But they struck a sandbar and ran the ship aground. The bow jammed fast and remained immovable, while the stern began to break up by the pounding of the waves. ⁴² The soldiers’ plan was to kill the prisoners so that no one could swim away and escape. ⁴³ But the centurion kept them from carrying out their plan because he wanted to save Paul, and so he ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land. ⁴⁴ The rest were to follow, some on planks and some on debris from the ship. In this way, everyone safely reached the shore.

28 Once safely ashore, we then learned that the island was called Malta. ² The local people showed us extraordinary kindness. They lit a fire and took us all in, since it was raining and cold. ³ As Paul gathered a bundle of brushwood and put it on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened itself on his hand. ⁴ When the local people saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “This man, no doubt, is a murderer. Even though he has escaped the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live.” ⁵ But he shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no harm. ⁶ They expected that he would begin to swell up or suddenly drop dead. After they waited a long time and saw nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.

⁷ Now in the area around that place was an estate belonging to the leading man of the island, named Publius, who welcomed us and entertained us hospitably for three days. ⁸ Publius’s father was in bed suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went to him, and praying and laying his hands on him, he healed him. ⁹ After this, the rest of those on the island who had diseases also came and were healed. ¹⁰ So they heaped many honors on us, and when we sailed, they gave us what we needed.

¹¹ After three months we set sail in an Alexandrian ship that had wintered at the island, with the Twin Gods as its figurehead. ¹² Putting in at Syracuse, we stayed three days. ¹³ From there, after making a circuit along the coast, we reached Rhegium. After one day a south wind sprang up, and the second day we came to Puteoli. ¹⁴ There we found brothers and sisters and were invited to stay a week with them. And so we came to Rome. ¹⁵ Now the brothers and sisters from there had heard the news about us and had come to meet us as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns. When Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage. ¹⁶ When we entered Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself with the soldier who guarded him.

REACH: In Acts 27 we have a story about a storm. Paul was transferred with other prisoners to a ship that was bound for Rome, but quickly got caught up in a deadly northeaster storm that threatened the lives of all that were on board. All hope of being saved was lost and it was in that moment that Paul was found, once again, steadfast in the Lord (27:20). Paul had no reason to doubt God’s word that he would make it to Rome to stand before Caesar. Not even a violent storm would stop what God had planned. This storm also showed God was continuing to place Paul in front of people who needed Christ. Paul was on a ship full of prisoners and pagans who worshipped all kinds of gods. No one, except those who were with Paul, worshipped the one true God. God alone had the power and authority over the wind and the waves. No one boarded that ship expecting to see God’s power on display, yet God used the storm to open the door for them to hear that Christ had come to save them and set them free.

The storm also caused Paul and his shipmates to wreck on an island where there were people who needed to hear about Christ. Paul got to spend time on Malta visiting people and praying for them. God once again displayed His power as many were healed through this unexpected turn of events.

RESISTANCE: Followers of Christ face storms like this, literally and figuratively. Throughout the book of Acts, we witness Paul lashed, beaten with rods, stoned, and even shipwrecked. Danger came at him from all sides in hardship, hunger, thirst, trials, and prison. This story about a storm serves to remind us of the reality of God in the midst of our storms. God has power and authority over all things. He can be trusted. His gospel will go forth.

REALITY: We have been saved by the gospel that Paul preached. Romans 3:21-26 is one of the greatest paragraphs in all of Scripture. God has presented Christ as an atoning sacrifice. We are saved through faith in Jesus Christ. On the cross, Christ bore our sins and willingly drank down the wrath of God that was due our sin. Praise God we have been saved by this gospel. We are also set apart for this gospel and we are not ashamed. As a church we are engaged with some of the toughest people groups on the planet. We know this gospel is the power of salvation to everyone who believes, and even if it is hard to see sometimes, we know this gospel has power. God is the one who sends us. He is the one who sets apart servants for specific missions. We represent the King who has all authority in heaven and on earth. He has called us, He has commissioned us, and that is why we go. Even if we don’t see fruit, we go, we trust. So we must constantly keep this question before us, “Just where is it that God wants to take us? To take me?”

If we look back and review Paul’s first, second, and third missionary journeys, the goal was always to get to Spain. Romans 15 reminds us that Paul wanted to get the gospel where it had not yet reached. But Paul didn’t make it to Spain. Did he fail? No. 200 years after Paul’s death, the gospel had not only spread to Spain, but even beyond. The gospel is unstoppable and those of us who are saved have the privilege, like Paul and the early believers, to proclaim it and to submit ourselves to its advancement. So Brook Hills, where will we go? Where is the Spirit leading us? Who has not heard?

PRAY: Pray for God to remind us of the good news of the gospel. Praise God for saving us. Thank Him for setting His people apart for mission. Pray for God to reveal the people and places where He wants us to engage. Pray for God to call out more laborers from among us to go and for all of us to find our place in God’s global plan. Visit the map here of unreached people groups we looked at in Week 1. See where the gospel has yet to penetrate and then pray.

¹⁷ After three days he called together the leaders of the Jews. When they had gathered he said to them: “Brothers, although I have done nothing against our people or the customs of our ancestors, I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans. ¹⁸ After they examined me, they wanted to release me, since there was no reason for the death penalty in my case. ¹⁹ Because the Jews objected, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar; even though I had no charge to bring against my people. ²⁰ For this reason I’ve asked to see you and speak to you. In fact, it is for the hope of Israel that I’m wearing this chain.”

²¹ Then they said to him, “We haven’t received any letters about you from Judea. None of the brothers has come and reported or spoken anything evil about you. ²² But we want to hear what your views are, since we know that people everywhere are speaking against this sect.”

²³ After arranging a day with him, many came to him at his lodging. From dawn to dusk he expounded and testified about the kingdom of God. He tried to persuade them about Jesus from both the Law of Moses and the Prophets. ²⁴ Some were persuaded by what he said, but others did not believe.

²⁵ Disagreeing among themselves, they began to leave after Paul made one statement: “The Holy Spirit was right in saying to your ancestors through the prophet Isaiah ²⁶ when he said,

Go to these people and say:
You will always be listening,
but never understanding;
and you will always be looking,
but never perceiving.
²⁷ For the hearts of these people
have grown callous,
their ears are hard of hearing,
and they have shut their eyes;
otherwise they might see with their eyes
and hear with their ears,
understand with their heart
and turn,
and I would heal them.

²⁸ Therefore, let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen.”

³⁰ Paul stayed two whole years in his own rented house. And he welcomed all who visited him, ³¹ proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.

REACH: It’s hard to imagine a more inconclusive conclusion to a book. Look at how open-ended the last word on the narrative is: “Paul stayed two whole years in his own rented house. And he welcomed all who visited him, proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance” (Acts 28:31). “All boldness, unhindered” as other translations have it. We can imagine the dot-dot-dot in Luke’s mind. The man may be confined but the gospel cannot be confined. The message forges onward, with all boldness, unhindered… Trace those dots down the line of human history and you will eventually arrive at our missional moment in Birmingham, Alabama. We live in that cliffhanger moment between Paul’s life and Jesus’ second coming. When He comes again, the final period on gospel advance will be written.

Luke may have finished Acts but his final message to us is clear: the gospel has unfinished business in the world. All boldness, unhindered. That word serves as a fitting conclusion to Acts because the implications remain open-ended. The Spirit uses those words to breath fresh wind into the sails of our global ambitions for Christ.

Yet when we look in the mirror or we look at ourselves as The Church at Brook Hills, our expectations can easily drop. Unhindered feels like a distant ideal when our own inadequacies stare back at us. But remember how the gospel advances in Acts and why Jesus gifted us with His Spirit. That early movement did not ride the momentum of charismatic personalities or human strength. A bunch of nobodies turned the ancient world upside down. Michael Green captures this dynamic well in his book, Evangelism in the Early Church, writing:

“It was a small group of eleven men whom Jesus commissioned to carry on his work, and bring the gospel to the whole world. They were not distinguished; they were not well educated; they had no influential backers. In their own nation they were nobodies and, in any case, their own nation was a mere second-class province on the eastern extremity of the Roman map. If they had stopped to weigh up the probabilities of succeeding in their mission, even granted their conviction that Jesus was alive and that his Spirit went with them to equip them for their task, their hearts must surely have sunk, so heavily were the odds weighted against them. How could they possibly succeed? And yet they did” (29).

And here we are. A bunch of nobodies in the middle of Alabama. We’ve taken their seat as the underdogs in our day. The odds are mounted heavily against us. The same obstacles remain today. Yet, the same Spirit that empowered them empowers us now. The same message found on their lips is the same message we proclaim today. Death has not regained its sting 2,000 years later, so we can stare it down with unswerving resolve just as they did. Jesus was king then and He hasn’t vacated his throne. Their time was then. Our time is now.

The gospel has unfinished work in the world.

Unhindered was the final word on the gospel story in their day.

Will it be ours?

RESISTANCE /REALITY: We pursue transformation, so we abide biblically. That’s one of our core pursuits as a church. We’ve abided in the book of Acts this month and we expect the Spirit to have used this word to transform us. Write down some thoughts on how this journey through Acts together has impacted you.

PERSONAL REFLECTION: We began the study focused on how the Spirit created a people who were both devoted to one another as the church and boldly devoted to the cause of taking the gospel to the ends of the earth. Write your answers to the questions below.

Thinking of our roots, how has the Spirit prodded you to be more faithfully devoted to the church body? Are there particular action steps you need to take to be obedient?

Thinking of our reach, how has the Spirit prodded you to be more engaged in helping extend our reach? Are there particular action steps you need to take to be obedient?

Think of the significant shifts in the narrative of Acts, particularly of the players and the prayers that were involved. Who were some of the major characters you remember? How did prayer lead to gospel advance? Do your personal ambitions and your prayers line up with the gospel’s ambition to reach the ends of the earth?

CORPORATE REFLECTION: Would you take a few minutes to share with us something you learned and a prayer for The Church at Brook Hills in light of Unhindered? Please email it to unhindered@brookhills.org. We may use some of these prayers in other forms of communication to help others know how the Lord has worked through this time to shape us as a people.

The Roots & Reach Mission Project Team would like to thank you for praying for them and for seeking the Lord alongside them during this significant season. They can’t wait to share with you some of the opportunities that have come together this month as we have prayed.