The Last Lap

You see, it was common in this day for Caesars to attach the name Curios to their own name, Lord, Lord Caesar. In fact, a good Roman citizen, a faithful Roman citizen of the empire, would rise and every morning offer a pinch of incense to Caesar, and he would utter the words, Caesar is Lord. And the Apostle Paul, chained to a Roman soldier, is preaching that Caesar is not Lord.

There is only one Lord, and that is the Lord Christ, Jesus. In 1 Corinthians 15.58, the Apostle Paul wrote this, Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord. That's exactly how Paul lived his life. Based on all you know about Paul, what epitaph would you have inscribed on his tombstone?

What words can suffice to sum up a life so wholly spent on bringing glory to Jesus? Today on Wisdom for the Heart, Stephen Davey closes out his series from the book of Acts. We're looking at the final verses today.

In this message, Stephen is calling the last lap. Turn this morning for our final session in the book of Acts to the last two verses. As you're turning, when we first opened the book of Acts a decade or so ago, the Lord Jesus was giving his disciples a mandate to take the Gospel and reach Jerusalem with it and go into Judea and Samaria and then to the uttermost part of the earth. They had obeyed their Lord. And what Luke is chronicling for us is the expansion of the Gospel as it reached Jerusalem and went out into Judea and Samaria.

And now here, as Luke puts down his quill, it has reached to the center of the civilized world. Let's read his last paragraph, Acts chapter 28, verse 30 and verse 31. And he stayed two full years in his own rented quarters and was welcoming all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness unhindered. There are two points to the content of Paul's preaching and teaching.

Point number one is the truth about the kingdom of God. Narrowly interpreted, the kingdom of God would be the coming kingdom. We know as the millennial kingdom, that thousand year reign of God through Christ on planet Earth, that will follow the tribulation period when Israel is regathered. Perhaps Paul was pointing to his Jewish listeners and gentile, telling them of this coming kingdom when all Earth's kingdoms, Rome included, will be set aside.

And this one, this king will reign and rule on planet Earth. Broadly interpreted the phrase the kingdom of God simply refers to the realm where God is king, the place where his name is honored, where his laws and his principles are obeyed and followed, where he is glorified. The kingdom, that kingdom, that loose interpretation can be here and it can be now.

I wonder if we took that and tried to apply it in our own lives. I wonder if men and women, if you showed up to the place where you work tomorrow and you announced to your boss and to your associates, maybe your partner, maybe your employees, you stood and you said, I want you to know that this is the kingdom of God and I am here to honor his name and follow his principles and obey his laws. My desk, my cubicle, my office, my corporation is the kingdom of God.

Be an interesting way to start the new week. I wonder, men, what would happen if you came home from work one day and you announced to your family, our home is the kingdom of God. Within these walls, his name will be glorified. We will honor him. We will follow his principles. We will obey his laws.

This house is God's kingdom. Point number two was the truth about the Lord Jesus Christ. The last part of verse 31, he simply gives us the full title, the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul rarely referred to Jesus simply as Jesus. He usually attached the triumphant names of Lord and Christ.

And I encourage you to, for the most part, do the same. The term Lord or Kurios simply meant master or ruler. It was the name and that Lordship that became a part of the first sermon ever preached in this dispensation of grace we call the church age. When the apostle Peter stood and he preached, whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

He declared a new truth. You see, it was common in this day for Caesars to attach the name Kurios to their own name, Lord, Lord Caesar. In fact, a good Roman citizen, a faithful Roman citizen of the empire would rise and every morning offer a pinch of incense to Caesar and he would utter the words Caesar is Lord. The apostle Paul, which I find fascinating, chained to a Roman soldier, is preaching that Caesar is not Lord.

There is only one Lord and that is the Lord Christ, Jesus. Jesus, by the way, was an ordinary Jewish name special to the church. It was at this time, though, born by thousands of Jewish boys and men, Iesus. It was the counterpart of the Old Testament name Yeshua or Joshua. It had special significance when attached to this one because he was indeed the rescuer, the redeemer, which is what Joshua means, Iesus means. The last name here, Christos, was a special title reserved for the Messiah. In fact, in Matthew 16, 16, Peter will say under the inspiring influence of God the Father of Christ, thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

It means anointed one. It was the title reserved for the one who would come and redeem his people. So this is highly significant to hear that Paul is preaching in this flat the truth about Jesus that he was master Lord and that he was also Messiah Christos. Now, Paul endured two years of house arrest and then many believe was released. It seems that when you put some of the clues together, for instance, Philemon intimates a visit to Colossae. 1 Timothy references visits of Paul to Macedonia and even another visit back to the elders of Ephesus, which I'm sure was surprising to them and wonderfully invited. Titus mentions Paul's visit to Nicopolis and 2 Timothy mentions Troas. Something happened evidently, according to Roman law. Others have pointed out that there was a statutory limitation of two years, and it seems that no one had arrived from Jerusalem to condemn Paul to accuse him.

And so that limitation period was exceeded and Paul was released. Did Paul ever testify before Nero? Did the Caesar ever hear the gospel?

While we have no evidence, we do have the promise. And so we believe that he did. For in the previous chapter in this book of Acts, Chapter 27, verse 24, God encouraged Paul during that time of shipwreck by saying to Paul, You must testify before Caesar. Eusebius, the third century historian, states that Paul made two defenses before Nero and was released after his first defense. In fact, he uses 2 Timothy, Chapter 4, verse 16 is his evidence where Paul says, At my first defense, no one stood with me.

All deserted me. So what Paul did do, though, after he was released, is go about his missionary journey and travel for several more years. Then history informs us around this period of time that Nero degenerated into a madman. He kicked his wife to death while she was carrying their child.

He poisoned a number of relatives. He was full swing into all kinds of immorality and and even married another woman after executing her husband. Then finally, Nero set Rome on fire. I want you to listen to what Tacitus says, who is a Roman historian living during the time of the Apostle Paul. This is what he said as Nero tried to deflect suspicion of having put the torch to Rome. And by the way, more than half of Rome was destroyed in the fire. Nero looked for a scapegoat, and he found one.

Listen to what Tacitus said. Wherefore, in order to stop the rumor Nero put forward as guilty and afflicted with exquisite punishments, those who were hated for their abominations and called Christians by the populace. Therefore, first of all, those who had confessed to being Christians were arrested. And then, as a result of their information, a large number were implicated not so much on the charge of burning Rome as for hatred of the human race.

I find that interesting. They were brought before the judges and condemned for hating the human race. Now we're not told why they were condemned as haters of the human race. It really sent me thinking. I can only imagine it was because the Christians were the ones who were saying that all have fallen short of the glory of God and all are condemned and all are sinners and must come to Christ.

I guess they could make an argument upon that logic. He writes, they died by methods of mockery. Some were covered with the skins of wild beasts and then torn by dogs. Some were crucified.

Some were burned as torches to give light at night. Men felt that their destruction was not so much on account of the public welfare, but simply to gratify the cruelty of Nero. Well, Paul was a leader of the Christian community, and historians say that while in Corinth, he was re-arrested and brought back to Rome.

This time, however, he is not given a little apartment and some freedom. He is imprisoned in the Mamertine prison. It was the dungeon, the darkest and deepest of Rome.

It was nicknamed the rat's nest. It would be during this period of time that Paul would write his final words to his son in the faith and to the church. And by the way, it will be in just a few months that Nero himself, before Paul is executed, will commit suicide. And I couldn't help but contrast these two men representing two different kingdoms, ending their lives two different ways, and yet having two totally different eternal destinies. Well, I want to make some final points of application and sort of tie up my final comments of this book and this man. If you're following in your notes, I want to make two comments.

First of all, it is this. The most revealing times of a person's perspective are times of great opposition. You go back to the very last word of the Book of Acts. It's a rather surprising word to me. Paul is preaching. Verse 31 tells us about the kingdom of God and and of the Lord Jesus Christ, teaching people all about him. And it says that he did it with openness.

And here's the word on hindered. How do you come up with a word like unhindered? Paul was imprisoned. Even though it had freedom to move about that that apartment, he was still chained to a Roman guard. Yet from their perspective, Luke and Paul's under inspiration, revealing the perspective of God. In fact, the gospel was going forth unhindered. The design of God allowed this captivity, but from his perspective, nothing shackled the gospel. You see, the Book of Acts is not the triumph of Paul. It isn't the triumph of Peter. It isn't even the triumph of the church. It is the triumph of God through the church and through his servants. Nothing can hinder the gospel, which is the power of God unto salvation. And that apartment became the headquarters for a global missionary movement. The same perspective, by the way, of Paul came through in First Corinthians Chapter 16 verse nine, where he said, There is a wide door for effective service open to me, and there are many adversaries.

Now, which is it? Is it a wide door open for effective ministry or many adversaries? To the perspective of Paul, you can have both. One does not exclude the other. Can you imagine us today saying, Look at all the challenges facing the church and the hurdles and the opposition and the adversaries made what a great opportunity. It's a wide open door. Well, this is Paul's perspective, and this perspective of Paul and our perspective today, by the way, comes through loud and clear during times of great opposition.

Second thought is this. The most revealing times of a person's values are times of great adversity. One anonymous author wrote, Adversity introduces a man to himself. Have you ever met yourself with fresh understanding while under great adversity?

That's true. And I want you to I want to show you the values of Paul. Take your Bibles and turn to Paul's last words. Second Timothy Chapter four. Paul wrote this letter while he was locked up in the rat's nest, the Mamertine prison, and he ends his last letter to Timothy with some very personal requests, which reveal, by the way, what Paul treasured the most. Verse nine. Make every effort to come to me soon. Timothy is writing to for Demas, having loved this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica.

Cretans has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me. Pick up Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for service.

Paul's first personal request was deeply emotional. Timothy, I am in this dark dungeon and I want to see you again. And would you come and be with me and bring with you on your way? Mark, in other words, bring my friends.

I need them and value them. Did you notice the words in verse 10? Demas, having loved this present world, has deserted me. Those painful words.

The apostle Paul wasn't above this notice for 16 at my first defense. No one supported me. Is he complaining? He's just sharing his heart. But all deserted me.

May it not be counted against them? Notice verse 17. But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me. Yeah, Paul, you're supposed to say that. Wasn't the Lord good enough?

The Lord was good enough. But in verse 21, Paul goes back to say, make every effort to come to me before winter. It's interesting to me, ladies and gentlemen, that as one author wrote, in the good times, our friends know who we are, right?

But in the bad times, we know who our friends are. So come and be with me, he says. Request number two. Bring my coat. Verse 13. I left it at Troas with Karpus.

Roughly translated Timothy. I forgot my coat at Karpus's house. Bring it when you come. So encouraging to hear that the great apostle was a bit forgetful, huh?

Ever lost your glasses or your keys? Even the great one, the apostle Paul left his coat at that fellow's house. Also, verse 13. Bring the books.

Request number three. These were secular books, by the way. This is history and poetry. We know from his sermon to the Athenians that Paul was well versed in secular poetry and he evidently loved to read it. Well, bring the books.

I want that kind of intellectual stimulation and enjoyment. But most importantly, the last words in verse 13. Bring especially the parchments. This was a reference to the vellum or the leather skinned copies where Paul had portions of the Old Testament written out. He wants his copy or his version of the Bible, the Old Testament. Bring the scriptures. Charles Ryrie suggested that Paul may have wanted the Old Testament scriptures so he could read certain passages over and over again, such as all nations before God are as nothing. God brings the princes of the earth to nothing.

Or maybe to read an Old Testament passage over and over again like, thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind has stayed on thee because he trusteth in thee. Well, lying here in the Mamertine prison, he wanted to read and he wanted to read the word most of all. As William Tyndale, by the way, was waiting in the castle dungeon for his execution. He wasn't sure it was going to happen.

We know that it eventually did this month, some 400 years ago now. He wrote this letter to the governor of the castle in his dungeon. He was incarcerated. By the way, it is the only letter or written element of his personal life to survive history.

This is all we have. But I want you to listen as he writes this letter to the governor. I believe that you are not ignorant of what has been determined concerning me by the council. Therefore, I entreat your lordship and that by the Lord Jesus that if I am to remain here in prison during the winter, you will be kind enough to send me from my goods a warmer cap, for I suffer extremely from cold, which is considerably increased in this cell. The procurator has a woolen shirt of mine. If he will be kind enough to send it, I wish also his permission to have a lamp in the evening for it is wearisome to sit alone in the dark.

We stopped just a minute. Did you hear what he just said? Here's the man who gave us and affect the English Bible. And he's ending his life by sitting alone, cold and in the dark. And he asks for a lamp and he bears his soul.

And he says it's wearisome to sit alone in the dark. But above all, I entreat and beg you to kindly permit me to have my Hebrew Bible, Hebrew grammar and dictionary that I may spend my time with that study. And in return, may you obtain your dearest wish, provided always it be consistent with the salvation of your soul. But if before the end of winter, a different decision be reached concerning me, I shall be patient abiding by the will of God to the glory of the grace of my Lord Jesus Christ. Signed W. Tyndale. Isn't it amazing how similar the ending of these two lives were and their faithfulness? And I had to ask the question and I want to ask you, if you only had a few months to live, what would you ask for?

What would you value? What would comfort you? Better yet, could you be comforted? Or would you, as I've tried to imagine myself, what would I sit in that dark, cold dungeon and rail against God who would allow this to happen in my life?

Or would we be drawn nearer to God? After a few months, church historians record that Paul was dragged from his dungeon cell and taken outside. Were his crimes read before an audience? We don't know. Was he allowed another opportunity to testify before Nero?

We don't know. But all that we know is he was taken outside the city gates and beheaded with a Roman sword. Perhaps he was taken outside the city gates to keep the Christians and the Roman citizens from rallying.

How can you do this? This heinous crime to the apostle? We don't know. But frankly, the order to execute Paul made no sense at all. It's kind of like Hitler ordering the execution of a few believers only months before he would commit suicide himself. Just didn't make sense. Dr Bonhoeffer was one of those men that died just a just a matter of days before the liberation.

It didn't make earthly sense. But sometime before Nero's final breath, as Satan clutched with a stronger grip than ever around this man who had become a madman by following this evil one, sometime before Nero planned to run from his kingdom and escape his praetorian guards, sometime before he packed in his goods the poison that he would take, sometime during those final maddening days, the enemy whispered in his ear, You have unfinished business in the prison. Kill the apostle Paul. Paul was not a threat to the kingdom of Rome. He had already written that the Romans should pray for Nero.

He had written that they should pay their taxes. Ladies and gentlemen, Paul was the best that Rome could ever hope to have. Yet Paul was a threat to Satan's kingdom of this world. Paul was an obstacle to the doctrines of demons. Paul was an enemy of the prince of darkness.

Kill him. Nero ordered it. God allowed it. So the historian Eusebius records for us that Paul was taken one mile outside the city of Rome along the road called the Ostian Way, where there is a monument today marking the place. And he was told to kneel down. And the sword was raised by the Roman soldier, and it flashed for a moment in the sunlight.

And then it came down. And the apostle of grace, the champion of Christ, reached the tape. With that, we bring to a close this message and this series from the book of Acts.

Today's message is called The Last Lap. On our website, we've posted the archive of Stephen's Exposition of Acts, and you can listen there or download the full length messages free of charge. In addition, Stephen has a set of three Bible study guides that go along with this series. The series we just wrapped up is Acts Volume 3, but all three volumes take you through the entire book of Acts.

If you're a teacher or the leader of a group Bible study, many others have used these books for that as well. Our website is wisdomonline.org. Our phone number is 866-48-BIBLE, or numerically, it's 866-482-4253. Call us any business day between 830 a.m. and 430 p.m. Well, thanks again for joining us today. Next time, Stephen begins a series from the life of Joseph. Join us for that right here on Wisdom for the Heart.