Podcasts about Herod Agrippa

Jesus Chooses the 12 Apostles (Luke 6): Peter, Andrew, James & John | Church History & Discipleship This episode of Theology and Apologetics with Thomas Fretwell continues Luke 6 as Jesus, amid escalating conflict with the Pharisees, spends a night in prayer and chooses twelve disciples as apostles. The teaching explains what it means to be a disciple and highlights that the apostles were ordinary men whom God used to change the world. It compares the four apostle lists (Luke 6, Matthew 10, Mark 3, Acts 1) and notes a likely structure of three groups of four led by Peter, Philip, and James son of Alphaeus. The episode then profiles Simon Peter and Andrew, and James and John, drawing from the Gospels and church history: Peter's leadership, failures and restoration, ministry in Rome, and martyrdom; Andrew's evangelistic role and crucifixion; James's death by Herod Agrippa; and John's transformation, writings, exile to Patmos, and long ministry in Ephesus. Become a supporter and get unlimited questions turned into podcasts at: www.patreon.com/theologyandapologetics YouTube Channel: Theology & Apologetics www.youtube.com/channel/UChoiZ46uyDZZY7W1K9UGAnw TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@dr.fretwell?_t=ZN-8w8NXIFTHkc&_r=1 Instagram: www.instagram.com/theology.apologetics Websites: www.ezrafoundation.org www.theologyandapologetics.com

What do the rulers named Herod in your New Testament have to do with each other? The answer is more connected than most people realize. In this Beyond the Notes episode, Pastor Russell Howard traces the Herodian dynasty across four generations, beginning with Herod the Great at the birth of Jesus and ending with Herod Agrippa II in the court of Governor Festus during the apostle Paul's imprisonment. He covers the family's role in the death of John the Baptist, the martyrdom of James the apostle, and Paul's appeal to Caesar, while also walking through how the first-century Jewish historian Josephus independently confirms the biblical account of Herod Agrippa the First's death. Two takeaways anchor the episode: the apologetic value of secular history confirming Scripture, and the question of generational momentum. If your family has handed you a difficult legacy, your generation carries both the possibility and the accountability to break that pattern. If you inherited a godly one, the call is to treasure it and carry it forward. Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026 Visit Our Website at McGregorPodcast.com New to McGregor? Plan a visit at mcgregor.net/plan-a-visit

Paul stands before Herod Agrippa, giving us a Master Class in Gospel witness and apologetics.

Why did God allow Herod Agrippa to execute James, arrest Peter, and then only act against him when he allowed people to call him an oracle from God? This sermon was preached on Saturday, March 28, 2026.

Abruptly, woefully, the apostle James dies, murdered by Herod Agrippa. The narrative paints a portrait of a persecutor in all his contradictions and frustrations. But we learn not only about him but from him, drawing lessons about the kingdom of a greater and kinder king, even our Lord Jesus Christ, who governs all things for the good of his people and the glory of his name. His kingdom comes, regardless of the opposition.

FROM TODAY'S RECAP: - Article: Who was Herod Agrippa? - Video: Acts Overview (Part 2) - TBR in Spanish Note: We provide links to specific resources; this is not an endorsement of the entire website, author, organization, etc. Their views may not represent our own. SHOW NOTES: - Follow The Bible Recap: Instagram | Facebook | TikTok | YouTube - Follow Tara-Leigh Cobble: Instagram - Read/listen on the Bible App or Dwell App - Learn more at our Start Page - Become a RECAPtain - Shop the TBR Store - Credits PARTNER MINISTRIES: D-Group International Israelux The God Shot TLC Writing & Speaking DISCLAIMER: The Bible Recap, Tara-Leigh Cobble, and affiliates are not a church, pastor, spiritual authority, or counseling service. Listeners and viewers consume this content on a voluntary basis and assume all responsibility for the resulting consequences and impact.

Who was Herod Agrippa I? What can we learn from what the Bible says about Herod Agrippa I?

Ezra 5 tells of the work of building the house of God recommencing with the prophets of Yahweh - Haggai and Zechariah - supporting and encouraging the work. Still the attempts to frustrate the building came from Tatnai, the Governor on the other side of the river (the Jordan). The faithful Jews continued building while Tatnai's letter was sent to Darius (the Persian king). The Jews faithfully answered as to why their realm had been overturned and to their obedience to the God of heaven and the decree that came from king Cyrus to rebuild Jerusalem and the temple. The Jews suggested that search be made in the Chronicles of the kings of Persia to prove their claim. Chapter 6 tells us that the search was made in the house of the scrolls in Ecbatana proving the accuracy of the Jews' claim. A letter came from king Darius asking Tatnai and his people to materially support the building of the temple. Verses 15-18 report the completion and dedication of the house of God. From verses 19-22 we read of the great joy as the new kingdom of Judah kept the Passover. Let us be daily builders of God's House and let those labours bring joy to our hearts.Chapter 7 of Hosea contains some very graphic Hebrew poetry. From the rulers of the nation to the common people they were so intent on sexual depravity that they are described by the figure of a baker with an overheated oven. They had no shame for what they were doing. Another of the figures sees them as a dove that cannot make up her mind on whom to dote - Egypt, or Assyria. God wanted it otherwise and even when judgment was brought on them they didn't repent. A soft and penitent heart is always to be found among the LORD's children.In Acts 25 we are told that, when Festus was determined to send Paul to Jerusalem, the Apostle had no alternative but to make his appeal to Caesar. After a short period of time Festus conducted another hearing of Paul's matters. Festus once again sought the favour of the Jews and at this time Paul announced that he would exercise his right as a Roman Citizen to be judged by Caesar. Herod Agrippa and his wife Bernice were visiting Caesarea and at this time Festus requested they hear Paul's case for Festus was struggling with the wording of the charge against Paul. Festus explained to Agrippa that to him there was no capital crime, but simply matters concerning Jewish law. With great pomp and ceremony Agrippa, Bernice and all the other dignitaries entered the judgment hall. Festus was seeking Agrippa's opinion on the nature of the charge to appear on the letter to be sent to Caesar. Chapter 26 records Paul's defence and appeal to Agrippa to embrace the Christian cause. Paul tells his audience of his fervour for the Jewish way and his concerted opposition to Christianity. But when he was confronted by the risen Lord Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus everything changed. He told the audience of his great commission and then knowing king Agrippa to be a man who read the prophets he appealed to the king to adopt the Christian belief. Festus, being embarrassed by the situation, attempted to finish the hearing immediately by declaring Paul to be mad due to his great learning. Paul was not to be silenced so quickly and continued to ask Agrippa whether he believed the prophets. He stated plainly I know you believe them king Agrippa. At this point king Agrippa and all the dignitaries rose and left with the king stating Paul's innocence. Let us remember that we are bondslaves to our Lord Jesus Christ and as his prisoners let our testimony burn before all to whom we witness.Thanks for joining us - we pray you found these comments helpful in your appreciation of God's words, join again tomorrow

Ezra 5 tells of the work of building the house of God recommencing with the prophets of Yahweh - Haggai and Zechariah - supporting and encouraging the work. Still the attempts to frustrate the building came from Tatnai, the Governor on the other side of the river (the Jordan). The faithful Jews continued building while Tatnai's letter was sent to Darius (the Persian king). The Jews faithfully answered as to why their realm had been overturned and to their obedience to the God of heaven and the decree that came from king Cyrus to rebuild Jerusalem and the temple. The Jews suggested that search be made in the Chronicles of the kings of Persia to prove their claim. Chapter 6 tells us that the search was made in the   house of the scrolls in Ecbatana proving the accuracy of the Jews' claim. A letter came from king Darius asking Tatnai and his people to materially support the building of the temple. Verses 15-18 report the completion and dedication of the house of God. From verses 19-22 we read of the great joy as the new kingdom of Judah kept the Passover. Let us be daily builders of God's House and let those labours bring joy to our hearts. Chapter 7 of Hosea contains some very graphic Hebrew poetry. From the rulers of the nation to the common people they were so intent on sexual depravity that they are described by the figure of a baker with an overheated oven. They had no shame for what they were doing. Another of the figures sees them as a dove that cannot make up her mind on whom to dote - Egypt, or Assyria. God wanted it otherwise and even when judgment was brought on them they didn't repent. A soft and penitent heart is always to be found among the LORD's children. In Acts 25 we are told that, when Festus was determined to send Paul to Jerusalem, the Apostle had no alternative but to make his appeal to Caesar. After a short period of time Festus conducted another hearing of Paul's matters. Festus once again sought the favour of the Jews and at this time Paul announced that he would exercise his right as a Roman Citizen to be judged by Caesar. Herod Agrippa and his wife Bernice were visiting Caesarea and at this time Festus requested they hear Paul's case for Festus was struggling with the wording of the charge against Paul. Festus explained to Agrippa that to him there was no capital crime, but simply matters concerning Jewish law. With great pomp and ceremony Agrippa, Bernice and all the other dignitaries entered the judgment hall. Festus was seeking Agrippa's opinion on the nature of the charge to appear on the letter to be sent to Caesar. Chapter 26 records Paul's defence and appeal to Agrippa to embrace the Christian cause. Paul tells his audience of his fervour for the Jewish way and his concerted opposition to Christianity. But when he was confronted by the risen Lord Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus everything changed. He told the audience of his great commission and then knowing king Agrippa to be a man who read the prophets he appealed to the king to adopt the Christian belief. Festus, being embarrassed by the situation, attempted to finish the hearing immediately by declaring Paul to be mad due to his great learning. Paul was not to be silenced so quickly and continued to ask Agrippa whether he believed the prophets. He stated plainly I know you believe them king Agrippa. At this point king Agrippa and all the dignitaries rose and left with the king stating Paul's innocence. Let us remember that we are bondslaves to our Lord Jesus Christ and as his prisoners let our testimony burn before all to whom we witness.   Thanks for joining us - we pray you found these comments helpful in your appreciation of God's words, join again tomorrow 

Title: “The Maltenes Mission” Part 1 Text: Acts 28:1-6 FCF: We often struggle fearing our circumstances rather than seeing them as opportunities to preach Christ. Prop: Because God providentially provides platforms for us to preach Christ, we must trust and proclaim the Lord. Scripture Intro: [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to Acts chapter 28. In a moment we'll read from the Christian Standard Bible starting in verse 1. You can follow along in the pew bible or in whatever version you prefer. Today we officially begin the last chapter of the book of Acts. With it, we begin the final episode of the maritime adventure of Paul on his journey to Rome. Paul, his companions, the soldiers, the sailors and all the other passengers on board the Alexandrian grain ship have all come safely to shore. But now what? It is still November. They are on an island they don't recognize. They are cold, tired, hungry, and drenched. How will God providentially preserve them through the winter? Let's find out. Please stand with me to give honor to and to focus on the Word of God as it is read. Invocation: Most Gracious God, we humbly seek Your presence today to ask that You send Your Spirit to reveal truth from Your Word. Speak persistently and loudly. Show us, convict us, move us, shape us with the Words of Scripture. We pray that You would uncover Your providential work to prepare a platform for the gospel to be preached. We pray that even if the circumstances are painful for us that we would not give way to fear, but would stand firm in trusting You and preach Christ crucified to the lost. Convict us of our negligence and our panic. Help us to see the greatest mission we have and to do it for Your glory. We pray this in Jesus' name… Amen. Transition: Many people are ill equipped and unmotivated to hear the gospel message. Its truths are aggressive because they call men to repent of things that they cherish. Men love sin. But God not only prepares the heart of one of His lost sheep to hear the gospel, but He also prepares the circumstances for the message to be preached. For the Maltenes people, God prepared them to hear the truth. And He did this by… of all things… a snake bite. Let's look. I.) God providentially provides platforms for us to preach Christ, so we must preach the gospel. (1-4) a. [Slide 2] 1 - Once safely ashore, we then learned that the island was called Malta. i. Luke dutifully records for us again, that the people who could swim as well as those who could not arrived safely to the shore. ii. In the process of landing on the beach, certainly they would have looked for shelter. Being a beach, but not the main port on the island, there would probably have a small fishing village nearby. iii. [Slide 3] In this process they would have learned that the island they landed on was indeed the island of Malta. iv. Perhaps with shock they would have recognized how far the storm had carried them while also getting them closer to their intended destination of Italy. v. Indeed, in the last two weeks they had been blown by this Nor'easter about 476 Nautical miles west, which is just shy of 550 miles. b. [Slide 4] 2 - The local people showed us extraordinary kindness. They lit a fire and took us all in, since it was raining and cold. i. Luke using the term “Local people” here is actually the word “barbarians”. This indicates to us that these people probably did not speak Greek as a primary language. More than likely the Maltenes people spoke Punic which would be a dialect of Phoenician language. ii. And even though the main dock in Malta would have been sufficiently Hellenized, this village was probably less so. iii. Still there is no reason to believe that the shipwrecked crew was completely unable to converse with the people. They probably knew at least some Greek or Latin. iv. Luke marvels at the uncommon care the locals gave to the shipwrecked passengers. Many times small villages become quite closed off and suspicious of new people. Against that stereotype, these islanders went out of their way to help. v. The rain and cold had left these tired, drenched, hungry, and sleep deprived people in a truly miserable state. vi. For at least two weeks they had been battling no small storm and now they wash up completely helpless. vii. In this setting, it would be easy to prey upon them or fear them. But instead, they receive all 276 people and build a fire – probably several, to warm them all. c. [Slide 5] 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. i. As a prisoner of Rome, Paul would have no doubt been one of the first to be forced to go and look for more fuel for the fire. ii. Of course, this was probably a welcome task standing on dry land with the promise of warmth. And certainly, we wouldn't expect Paul to refuse to help in menial duties. iii. In the midst of this, Paul lays a bundle of sticks on the fire and unbeknownst to Paul there was a viper hiding within. iv. The word “viper” indicates to us that this was a venomous snake. v. But here is the problem. Today, there are no venomous snakes on the island of Malta. And for that matter, there are actually no woodlands on Malta either. 1. Some scholars have put so much weight on this fact that they have endeavored to find a different island than Malta for this shipwreck. 2. However, these two problems are actually easily explained by one fact. 3. Malta today has almost 600,000 people living on an island that has an area of only 122 square miles. 4. That is a ratio of almost 5,000 people per square mile. This makes it one of the more densely populated places in the world. 5. With population being so dense, woodlands would have disappeared long ago and along with woodlands the environment for venomous snakes. 6. Therefore, there is no reason to question Luke's identification of this snake as venomous. vi. This snake was probably one, that although now is either extinct or eradicated on Malta, was at the time known and avoided by the Maltenes people. vii. As any snake would do, after being roused from its more dormant state in the cold and fleeing the heat of the fire, it attacks a perceived threat upon its life. viii. In this case, it would be Paul. ix. The snake bites and latches hold of Paul's hand. d. [Slide 6] 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.” i. There are a few layers here that I want to unpack concerning the Maltenes' reaction to this viper biting Paul. ii. They say three things. 1. They conclude that Paul is a murderer since this snake bit him. 2. He was saved from the sea, but this was merely a temporary escape for him. 3. Finally, they conclude that Justice has not allowed Paul to live. iii. All three things they say… are true in a manner of speaking. iv. First, I want to go in backward order of their statements, They conclude he is a murderer and the last two statements contribute to that thought in unique ways. Justice has not allowed him to live. 1. Notice how the word Justice in the CSB is capitalized. 2. This occurs not just in the CSB but in several other modern translations of this passage. 3. The word Justice could be translated simply as a lowercase letter j with that meaning. 4. However, the Greek goddess of Justice was named Dike… Justice. The word Luke uses here. 5. What seems clear is that these people were fairly religious. They recognize that the Greek goddess of justice, who always repays a life for a life and always hits her mark, seems to have hunted Paul down through Poseidon's realm and finally found him here on Malta. 6. Justice always wins, she has caught Paul. This is their conclusion. 7. Is this true? 8. Well… in a way. But it didn't happen by Dike's doing. Compared to the God who actually caught up with Paul, she is not a god at all. 9. We have already seen the Judge of the living and the dead catch up with Paul. Haven't we? 10. In one sense Paul stood up that day and kept going… but in another way Paul died that day in the dust on the road to Damascus. 11. Paul himself says “I have been crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, Christ lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by the faithfulness of Jesus Christ who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” 12. True Justice… the King of Glory… has already hunted down and found Paul. And killed him… by killing Paul's sin and former life on the same cross He died on. Paul only lives now because Jesus lives in Him. 13. Whatever sins Paul has committed, were killed with Christ. And that same Just Judge has commissioned Paul to go to the ends of the earth with the good news. 14. That is why he is here. Justice sent him here… but not to die. But to preach the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. v. Second, they conclude that his salvation from the sea was a temporary escape. 1. No doubt they couch this in superstitious understanding similar to our idea of cheating death and karma. 2. You can only run for so long before it all catches up to you. 3. Job's friends had the same conclusion. 4. But in a way, they are right. 5. Paul will eventually be executed by the same Roman government who hold him in chains now. His rescue from the sea is ultimately only a temporary one. 6. But at the same time, his permanent rescue, his permanent salvation has already been secured. 7. And that is why he is here. To tell these people… about that salvation. vi. That brings us to what they conclude. That Paul is a murderer because he was bitten by a venomous snake. 1. Now why might they conclude this? 2. Well, as we've already said, history records that the Maltenes people were quite religiously attuned. They were a religious melting pot of Phoenician, Greek, and Roman influences. a. And this is a very old concept. b. As we've already said, dating back to the first book of the bible written, the book of Job, that when you commit sins in life, eventually you will get divine payment for them. c. It is the concept of reciprocity. d. The Old Testament also says surely your sins will find you out. e. The New Testament says that what you will reap what you sow. f. Many religious backgrounds have this sort of teaching. Including Phoenician, Greek, and Roman. 3. And the Maltenes people, though religious and superstitious, were not idiots. a. They know Paul is a prisoner. There are guards watching him all the time. b. They probably know that their destination is Rome itself. Certainly, prisoners being transported to Rome are probably not going for small crimes. c. It is really that much of a leap for them to think that Paul's crime is a serious one? 4. Finally, we must ask the question… is Paul a murderer? a. Luke thinks Paul is. Luke said that he was breathing out murderous threats toward the church. b. Paul thinks Paul is. Paul himself said that he persecuted the church to death. He calls himself the chief of sinners. 5. The Maltenes people are right! Paul is a murderer. And anyone who has ever hated or despised someone is a murderer too. 6. But Paul is here now to preach to these people, how God can take murderers like him and destroy their sin and raise them up to righteousness. e. [Slide 7] Summary of the Point: Luke writes this second episode of Paul's maritime adventure with a clear focus. He is emphasizing the providence of God to get Paul to Rome to preach the gospel to the Emperor. Here we see God's hand delivering Paul safely from the storm but right into the teeth of a viper. And we might wonder… why? Paul did deserve to die for all he had done to God's people. But Jesus saved him instead. Now he is on this island, not fleeing from the goddess of justice, but instead preaching the love of the One who will one day judge the living and the dead. God is just in that He will certainly judge sinners. But he is also the justifier of sinners who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ, for Christ is the One who satisfied the justice of God for them on the cross. Because of the Maltenes' religious beliefs and God allowing the snake to bite Paul, now Paul has an platform to preach the gospel to them. To tell them about justice AND mercy. God will do the same for us. He will providentially open doors for us to share our faith. The doors may not be painless for us. Indeed, they may hurt us a lot. But we must be faithful to share the gospel with those the Lord has brought to us. [Slide 8 (blank)] Transition: Of course, Paul can't preach the gospel message if he dies from a snakebite. Jesus can't keep his promise if Paul dies of a snakebite. God would be a liar if Paul doesn't go before Caesar because he died of a snakebite. What is the only option for Paul? He must live. Let's see how. II.) God providentially provides platforms for us to preach Christ, so we must have faith without fear. (5-6) a. [Slide 9] 5 - But he shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no harm. i. As we knew would be true, Paul lives. ii. In fulfillment of what Jesus says Luke 10:19 and possibly in Mark 16:18, we see Paul handling a venomous snake without being poisoned and without dying. iii. He simply shakes the creature off into the fire. iv. This doesn't appear to be a panicked reaction. Nor does it seem to be done in malice or hatred. Nor does it seem to be some kind of spiritual cleansing ritual, as if he is warding off a spiritual by burning the source. v. Paul simply eliminates the threat against him and others by calmly shaking the snake into the fire. vi. He trusts God explicitly, that the snake will not harm him, no doubt as he bandages the two puncture wounds in his hand. vii. Paul did not seek out the snake to prove that he was from God or that his faith was genuine. Paul didn't do this on purpose as some kind of display of Spiritual maturity as some churches do who handle snakes on purpose. viii. Paul trusted God, unphased by this snakebite, knowing that he would go to Rome and stand before Caesar. Why? ix. Because God said he would. x. This is faith without fear. b. [Slide 10] 6 - They expected that he would begin to swell up or suddenly drop dead. i. Though Paul did not fear, the Maltenes people were afraid for him. They were convinced that despite Paul acting like all was normal – that he would certainly swell up and/or die. ii. There is no hint here that they simply mistook the snake that bit Paul as a venomous one when it actually wasn't. iii. These are natives of this island and the sticks did not come from the ship. Therefore, it is reasonable to conclude that this snake was indigenous and most likely well known to the Maltenes people. iv. So, they waited. v. And waited. vi. And… waited. c. [Slide 11] After they waited a long time and saw nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god. i. Before, they concluded that the gods were out to get Paul. ii. That he must have been some terrible person who had murdered someone and justice finally caught up to him. iii. But having waited a long time to watch if he would die or suffer any ill effects, and finding nothing out of the ordinary occurring, they change their minds. iv. Again, we are given insight into the deeply religious and somewhat superstitious nature of the Maltenes people. v. They have just witnessed a miracle. And because of this, they go from thinking Paul is a vile human being to concluding that Paul must be an invulnerable divine being. vi. This isn't the first time Paul was mistaken for a god. vii. In Lystra, after Paul and Barnabas healed a lame man, they were mistaken for Zeus and Hermes. The people of Lystra then began to offer sacrifices to them. viii. Paul and Barnabas tore their clothes and with great effort stopped the people of Lystra from worshipping them. ix. There is no record here of the Maltenes people trying to worship Paul. Luke is somewhat brief with the Maltenes narrative. x. But we see how volatile their opinion of Paul is. xi. But just like in Lystra, after denying deity, Paul will have a unique opportunity to share the gospel with these people. xii. He is not a god… but He is sent by THE One True God. He is God's ambassador sent here with a message for them to hear. And this miracle proves that they should listen to him. xiii. [Slide 12] As a side note here, and one we must address before we close out this point … 1. Keen observers will note that Luke does not actually say that Paul shares the gospel with the Maltenes people. 2. Luke doesn't record a single conversion. 3. So, am I being a little presumptuous to think that Paul shared the gospel with these folks? 4. Not at all. For three reasons. a. We know the heart of Paul. i. He has preached the gospel to Jews, to gentiles, before the Areopagite, in the hall of Tyrannus in Ephesus, before Felix and Festus and Herod Agrippa. ii. We have no reason to believe that he stopped now. iii. And Luke doesn't always need to spell things out for us. iv. He has written thousands of words giving us the track record of Paul. v. He probably expects us to fill in the blanks. b. We know the purpose of sign gifts. i. Throughout the book of Acts God has used sign gifts to authenticate the message of the gospel. ii. Paul did not die from this snake bite and, as a bit of a spoiler for next week, he will heal a prominent Maltenes figure before departing for Rome. iii. Since Luke has linked signs like these to the authentication of the gospel message, again he probably assumes we will wisely link it without him saying it explicitly. c. Lastly, we know the history of Malta. A Christian community sprang up on the island of Malta. i. Not only that, but the earliest records indicate that this happened in the same general time frame that Paul was on Malta. ii. Also, there are some records that indicate that the first Elder of the Christian church on Malta was a man named Publius whom we will meet next week. 5. And so, I think we can confidently say that Paul did indeed preach the gospel here and while wintering here for three months, he helped to establish the church on Malta. d. [Slide 13] Summary of the Point: Just as God providentially provided an avenue for preaching the gospel to the Maltenes by allowing His servant Paul to be bitten by a snake, so also God now miraculously prevents Paul from being poisoned to authenticate that same message. If they will believe he is a god because he did not die from this snake bite, perhaps they can believe that he is God's message bearer bringing them the message of the gospel. But Paul's reaction is key here. He doesn't panic. He doesn't start sucking the venom out. He doesn't pace around the fire nervously waiting for the same reactions the locals waited for. Instead, he shook off the snake and did nothing unusual. If it wasn't for the two puncture marks, they might have wondered if he had been bitten at all. We too may face even unpleasant things that God has providentially arranged for us so that we have a platform to share the gospel. But how we face those unpleasant circumstances may impact the openness of some to hear the message. In the midst of this, we must not allow fear to win out over faith. Instead, we must trust the Lord. Conclusion: So CBC, what have we learned today that informs and corrects our beliefs and shapes our lifestyles? Basics of Faith and Practice: [Slide 14] God's providence is the undisputed primary theme in the book of Acts. God is always moving to advance the Kingdom of His dear Son through the work of His Spirit. Certainly, God at times does this on His own without any human agency, but most often in the book of Acts God empowers and commissions His church to go and preach the gospel. Here we see God using a snake bite and its failure to harm Paul to give him a platform to preach the gospel to these very religious people. So, we must look for God's providential hand to create platforms for us to live by faith and share the gospel. And though those platforms may be painful and even life-threatening, we must not fear what men can do to us. We have the words of life. Let us hold His banner high. But let me apply this a little more directly to us today. 1.) [Slide 15] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that God providentially arranges platforms for us to preach the gospel. a. From every tribe, every tongue, every nation, every ethnicity, both genders – God is calling to Himself a royal priesthood. b. While we certainly have some, who like Paul, are called to other parts of the world to share the gospel to people outside of their context… c. Most of us are called to be ambassadors for the Kingdom of God right where we are. d. God has equipped us to be in the right situation with the right strengths and skills to be lights that shine in the darkness for His Kingdom. e. And that is not just to stand up and live holy and loving lives before others but to call to repentance sinners who have offended a holy God with their wickedness. f. To preach Christ crucified for sinners. g. To call sinners to turn from their wicked ways and trust in Christ. h. You and I are uniquely suited to share Christ to our friends, our family, and our neighbors. i. Not only that, but all that we face in life, and all the trials and tribulations shape us to be in positions where we can give the gospel call in a real and impactful way. j. The Maltenes were a religious and even superstitious people. God turned their eyes toward justice and then wowed them with a miracle. All so Paul could preach Christ crucified for sinners. k. God is the same today. He orchestrates the events of our lives to provide a platform for His gospel call to go out. l. But as the Lord Jesus lamented, the harvest is plenty but the harvesters are few. m. So, what must we do? n. First, something we must not do… 2.) [Slide 16] De-Exhortation: “What actions should we stop doing” or “What behaviors do we naturally practice that this passage tells us to stop doing?” We must not fear our circumstances. a. God may lead us down some very difficult paths to share the gospel with others. b. We may be surrounded by enemies, we may be hated by many, we may be shouted down, we may face certain death. c. In those times we should not fear. d. We should not fear what men can do to us. e. We should not fear what could or could not happen. f. We should not fear that we might die before God's plan for our lives is realized. g. We should not fear at all. Why? h. Not because we are brave, strong, determined, or resolute. i. Not because our cause is just or because we are something special… j. If we lack fear for these reasons, then we are trusting in ourselves. k. The reason we should not fear is because we trust the Lord. We trust that His ways are perfect and that His will will be done. l. But not fearing doesn't mean we are passive either. We must also… 3.) [Slide 17] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don't naturally do or aren't currently doing?” We must trust the Lord and share the gospel. a. In spite of the danger, in spite of the difficulty and trials we may face. We must share the gospel. b. We are on this earth for such a short time. We only have so many days to preach Christ crucified. c. To make disciples is the commission of the church. And God has equipped us to do just that. d. We preach the gospel and teach disciples to obey Christ. This is the primary mission of the church. e. Wherever Paul was, and in whatever state he was in, he preached Christ crucified. This wasn't because he was an evangelist. It is because he was a Christian. And although he received a specific commission to go to the gentiles and to Caesar, his commission was the same general commission given to all believers. f. We don't all have to go to some far away place. And hopefully we don't all have to get bitten by a snake. g. But all of us must preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. Because it and it alone is the power of God unto salvation to the Jews first and also to the gentiles. h. There is also something in this text that corrects something we might believe. 4.) [Slide 18] Refutation: “What lies must we cast down” or “What do we naturally believe, or have been taught to believe, that this passage shows is false?” We must deny that God is either all justice or all mercy. Both are errors we must avoid. a. A young apologist that is making some waves today named Wes Huff was recently on a podcast talking about the differences between other religions and Christianity. b. He astutely observed that all religions besides Chrsitianty have strong aspects of either justice or mercy. c. He zoomed into Hinduism and Buddhism and pointed out how there is a very strong justice emphasis within it. Karma is 100% just. What you reap is a product of what you have sown… every time. There is no mercy. d. But Islam is the opposite. Allah, almost arbitrarily, hands out mercy to people who have died allowing them to enter paradise. But what happens with the evil they did during their life? What happens to all the actions they committed that are out of step with what Allah desires? e. In a word, nothing. There is no justice. Some get what they deserve and others don't and there is no real rhyme or reason for why. f. The Maltenes clearly believed in an all-justice god. You can't hide from a god who rights wrongs and trades a life for a life. The idea of reciprocity is strong with them. g. How amazing it would have been for them to be told that Paul was a murderer, but that the same God who will judge him is the one who died to pay for his sin. h. And that leads us to the most comforting thought that only Christianity preaches, and it just so happens to be the heart of the gospel of Jesus Christ… 5.) [Slide 19] Evangelism: “What about this text points us to Jesus Christ, the gospel, and how we are restored?” God is both Just and the Justifier of all who believe on Christ. a. Proverbs 17:15 says that whoever justifies the wicked is an abomination to Yahweh. b. So how is it that God is NOT an abomination to Himself? c. I want you to listen very carefully to what I'm saying because I don't want you to misunderstand me. d. Depending on your definition of forgiveness, you might be under the impression that when God forgives you, your sins magically disappear from the record. They are, erased. e. But my friends that isn't what forgiveness means. Forgiveness is a financial term. f. When you are forgiven a financial debt, does that mean that the person who gave the loan magically gets all their money back? No. g. Someone has to pay the debt. Forgiveness is simply saying… it isn't you. h. In this way, every single sin will be paid for. Every single one. Every single sin is an act of treason against a holy God. And every single sin you commit must be paid off in full. i. God is Just. Not one sin will be left unaccounted. God will NOT justify the wicked. He will not call someone innocent who still has an outstanding debt. j. But God, in His mercy, has chosen to take the debt Himself. He has chosen to pay the penalty for sin in the second person of the Godhead. He has paid with His death the whole amount for every single person who believes on Jesus as Savior and Lord. k. God is Just… and the justifier of those who believe on Christ. Because although every sin must be punished… He laid on Christ the chastisement that was due to us. By His stripes… we are healed. l. God is not Dike… hunting down the guilty. One day He will raise all of the dead to life and put them before the judgment seat of Christ to measure their works. And all who are measured by their works will pay for every single sin they have committed by enduring eternity in the lake of fire which is the second death. m. God doesn't hunt down the guilty. They will come to Him when He calls for them. When it is time for all things to be made right and justice to be delivered… they will come to Him. n. But God does hunt down some of us. He aims to destroy us but then to raise us up to a new life in Christ. o. My friends… are your sins paid for or will you pay for them yourself? p. Only those who believe in true faith… who believe and keep believing… who believe so much that they pursue Christ as their Savior and Lord… only these have had their sins paid. Their sins were red like scarlet… q. But He has washed them white as snow. r. Will you turn from your sin and believe on Jesus Christ today? [Slide 20 (end)] Let me close with a prayer by the Reformer John Calvin. Lord, as you urge us daily to repentance, and we are stung with the consciousness of our own sins, help us not to grow stupid in our vices or deceive ourselves with empty flattery. Instead, help us to carefully examine our own life, and then together confess that we are all guilty-not just of light offenses, but of offenses that deserve eternal death. And no other cure remains for us ... except your infinite mercy. So we seek a share of that grace which has been once offered to us by your Son, and is daily offered to us by his gospel. By relying on him as our mediator, we entertain hope even in the midst of a thousand deaths, until we are gathered into that blessed life bought for us by the blood of your only Son. For it is in His name we pray this… Amen. Benediction: And now may Jesus, Who satisfies our longings like nothing else can do Who is more pleasant than all the fancies of our golden dreams May that Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else. Until we meet again, go in peace.

Title: “The Maltenes Mission” Part 1 Text: Acts 28:1-6 FCF: We often struggle fearing our circumstances rather than seeing them as opportunities to preach Christ. Prop: Because God providentially provides platforms for us to preach Christ, we must trust and proclaim the Lord. Scripture Intro: [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to Acts chapter 28. In a moment we'll read from the Christian Standard Bible starting in verse 1. You can follow along in the pew bible or in whatever version you prefer. Today we officially begin the last chapter of the book of Acts. With it, we begin the final episode of the maritime adventure of Paul on his journey to Rome. Paul, his companions, the soldiers, the sailors and all the other passengers on board the Alexandrian grain ship have all come safely to shore. But now what? It is still November. They are on an island they don't recognize. They are cold, tired, hungry, and drenched. How will God providentially preserve them through the winter? Let's find out. Please stand with me to give honor to and to focus on the Word of God as it is read. Invocation: Most Gracious God, we humbly seek Your presence today to ask that You send Your Spirit to reveal truth from Your Word. Speak persistently and loudly. Show us, convict us, move us, shape us with the Words of Scripture. We pray that You would uncover Your providential work to prepare a platform for the gospel to be preached. We pray that even if the circumstances are painful for us that we would not give way to fear, but would stand firm in trusting You and preach Christ crucified to the lost. Convict us of our negligence and our panic. Help us to see the greatest mission we have and to do it for Your glory. We pray this in Jesus' name… Amen. Transition: Many people are ill equipped and unmotivated to hear the gospel message. Its truths are aggressive because they call men to repent of things that they cherish. Men love sin. But God not only prepares the heart of one of His lost sheep to hear the gospel, but He also prepares the circumstances for the message to be preached. For the Maltenes people, God prepared them to hear the truth. And He did this by… of all things… a snake bite. Let's look. I.) God providentially provides platforms for us to preach Christ, so we must preach the gospel. (1-4) a. [Slide 2] 1 - Once safely ashore, we then learned that the island was called Malta. i. Luke dutifully records for us again, that the people who could swim as well as those who could not arrived safely to the shore. ii. In the process of landing on the beach, certainly they would have looked for shelter. Being a beach, but not the main port on the island, there would probably have a small fishing village nearby. iii. [Slide 3] In this process they would have learned that the island they landed on was indeed the island of Malta. iv. Perhaps with shock they would have recognized how far the storm had carried them while also getting them closer to their intended destination of Italy. v. Indeed, in the last two weeks they had been blown by this Nor'easter about 476 Nautical miles west, which is just shy of 550 miles. b. [Slide 4] 2 - The local people showed us extraordinary kindness. They lit a fire and took us all in, since it was raining and cold. i. Luke using the term “Local people” here is actually the word “barbarians”. This indicates to us that these people probably did not speak Greek as a primary language. More than likely the Maltenes people spoke Punic which would be a dialect of Phoenician language. ii. And even though the main dock in Malta would have been sufficiently Hellenized, this village was probably less so. iii. Still there is no reason to believe that the shipwrecked crew was completely unable to converse with the people. They probably knew at least some Greek or Latin. iv. Luke marvels at the uncommon care the locals gave to the shipwrecked passengers. Many times small villages become quite closed off and suspicious of new people. Against that stereotype, these islanders went out of their way to help. v. The rain and cold had left these tired, drenched, hungry, and sleep deprived people in a truly miserable state. vi. For at least two weeks they had been battling no small storm and now they wash up completely helpless. vii. In this setting, it would be easy to prey upon them or fear them. But instead, they receive all 276 people and build a fire – probably several, to warm them all. c. [Slide 5] 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. i. As a prisoner of Rome, Paul would have no doubt been one of the first to be forced to go and look for more fuel for the fire. ii. Of course, this was probably a welcome task standing on dry land with the promise of warmth. And certainly, we wouldn't expect Paul to refuse to help in menial duties. iii. In the midst of this, Paul lays a bundle of sticks on the fire and unbeknownst to Paul there was a viper hiding within. iv. The word “viper” indicates to us that this was a venomous snake. v. But here is the problem. Today, there are no venomous snakes on the island of Malta. And for that matter, there are actually no woodlands on Malta either. 1. Some scholars have put so much weight on this fact that they have endeavored to find a different island than Malta for this shipwreck. 2. However, these two problems are actually easily explained by one fact. 3. Malta today has almost 600,000 people living on an island that has an area of only 122 square miles. 4. That is a ratio of almost 5,000 people per square mile. This makes it one of the more densely populated places in the world. 5. With population being so dense, woodlands would have disappeared long ago and along with woodlands the environment for venomous snakes. 6. Therefore, there is no reason to question Luke's identification of this snake as venomous. vi. This snake was probably one, that although now is either extinct or eradicated on Malta, was at the time known and avoided by the Maltenes people. vii. As any snake would do, after being roused from its more dormant state in the cold and fleeing the heat of the fire, it attacks a perceived threat upon its life. viii. In this case, it would be Paul. ix. The snake bites and latches hold of Paul's hand. d. [Slide 6] 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.” i. There are a few layers here that I want to unpack concerning the Maltenes' reaction to this viper biting Paul. ii. They say three things. 1. They conclude that Paul is a murderer since this snake bit him. 2. He was saved from the sea, but this was merely a temporary escape for him. 3. Finally, they conclude that Justice has not allowed Paul to live. iii. All three things they say… are true in a manner of speaking. iv. First, I want to go in backward order of their statements, They conclude he is a murderer and the last two statements contribute to that thought in unique ways. Justice has not allowed him to live. 1. Notice how the word Justice in the CSB is capitalized. 2. This occurs not just in the CSB but in several other modern translations of this passage. 3. The word Justice could be translated simply as a lowercase letter j with that meaning. 4. However, the Greek goddess of Justice was named Dike… Justice. The word Luke uses here. 5. What seems clear is that these people were fairly religious. They recognize that the Greek goddess of justice, who always repays a life for a life and always hits her mark, seems to have hunted Paul down through Poseidon's realm and finally found him here on Malta. 6. Justice always wins, she has caught Paul. This is their conclusion. 7. Is this true? 8. Well… in a way. But it didn't happen by Dike's doing. Compared to the God who actually caught up with Paul, she is not a god at all. 9. We have already seen the Judge of the living and the dead catch up with Paul. Haven't we? 10. In one sense Paul stood up that day and kept going… but in another way Paul died that day in the dust on the road to Damascus. 11. Paul himself says “I have been crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, Christ lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by the faithfulness of Jesus Christ who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” 12. True Justice… the King of Glory… has already hunted down and found Paul. And killed him… by killing Paul's sin and former life on the same cross He died on. Paul only lives now because Jesus lives in Him. 13. Whatever sins Paul has committed, were killed with Christ. And that same Just Judge has commissioned Paul to go to the ends of the earth with the good news. 14. That is why he is here. Justice sent him here… but not to die. But to preach the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. v. Second, they conclude that his salvation from the sea was a temporary escape. 1. No doubt they couch this in superstitious understanding similar to our idea of cheating death and karma. 2. You can only run for so long before it all catches up to you. 3. Job's friends had the same conclusion. 4. But in a way, they are right. 5. Paul will eventually be executed by the same Roman government who hold him in chains now. His rescue from the sea is ultimately only a temporary one. 6. But at the same time, his permanent rescue, his permanent salvation has already been secured. 7. And that is why he is here. To tell these people… about that salvation. vi. That brings us to what they conclude. That Paul is a murderer because he was bitten by a venomous snake. 1. Now why might they conclude this? 2. Well, as we've already said, history records that the Maltenes people were quite religiously attuned. They were a religious melting pot of Phoenician, Greek, and Roman influences. a. And this is a very old concept. b. As we've already said, dating back to the first book of the bible written, the book of Job, that when you commit sins in life, eventually you will get divine payment for them. c. It is the concept of reciprocity. d. The Old Testament also says surely your sins will find you out. e. The New Testament says that what you will reap what you sow. f. Many religious backgrounds have this sort of teaching. Including Phoenician, Greek, and Roman. 3. And the Maltenes people, though religious and superstitious, were not idiots. a. They know Paul is a prisoner. There are guards watching him all the time. b. They probably know that their destination is Rome itself. Certainly, prisoners being transported to Rome are probably not going for small crimes. c. It is really that much of a leap for them to think that Paul's crime is a serious one? 4. Finally, we must ask the question… is Paul a murderer? a. Luke thinks Paul is. Luke said that he was breathing out murderous threats toward the church. b. Paul thinks Paul is. Paul himself said that he persecuted the church to death. He calls himself the chief of sinners. 5. The Maltenes people are right! Paul is a murderer. And anyone who has ever hated or despised someone is a murderer too. 6. But Paul is here now to preach to these people, how God can take murderers like him and destroy their sin and raise them up to righteousness. e. [Slide 7] Summary of the Point: Luke writes this second episode of Paul's maritime adventure with a clear focus. He is emphasizing the providence of God to get Paul to Rome to preach the gospel to the Emperor. Here we see God's hand delivering Paul safely from the storm but right into the teeth of a viper. And we might wonder… why? Paul did deserve to die for all he had done to God's people. But Jesus saved him instead. Now he is on this island, not fleeing from the goddess of justice, but instead preaching the love of the One who will one day judge the living and the dead. God is just in that He will certainly judge sinners. But he is also the justifier of sinners who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ, for Christ is the One who satisfied the justice of God for them on the cross. Because of the Maltenes' religious beliefs and God allowing the snake to bite Paul, now Paul has an platform to preach the gospel to them. To tell them about justice AND mercy. God will do the same for us. He will providentially open doors for us to share our faith. The doors may not be painless for us. Indeed, they may hurt us a lot. But we must be faithful to share the gospel with those the Lord has brought to us. [Slide 8 (blank)] Transition: Of course, Paul can't preach the gospel message if he dies from a snakebite. Jesus can't keep his promise if Paul dies of a snakebite. God would be a liar if Paul doesn't go before Caesar because he died of a snakebite. What is the only option for Paul? He must live. Let's see how. II.) God providentially provides platforms for us to preach Christ, so we must have faith without fear. (5-6) a. [Slide 9] 5 - But he shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no harm. i. As we knew would be true, Paul lives. ii. In fulfillment of what Jesus says Luke 10:19 and possibly in Mark 16:18, we see Paul handling a venomous snake without being poisoned and without dying. iii. He simply shakes the creature off into the fire. iv. This doesn't appear to be a panicked reaction. Nor does it seem to be done in malice or hatred. Nor does it seem to be some kind of spiritual cleansing ritual, as if he is warding off a spiritual by burning the source. v. Paul simply eliminates the threat against him and others by calmly shaking the snake into the fire. vi. He trusts God explicitly, that the snake will not harm him, no doubt as he bandages the two puncture wounds in his hand. vii. Paul did not seek out the snake to prove that he was from God or that his faith was genuine. Paul didn't do this on purpose as some kind of display of Spiritual maturity as some churches do who handle snakes on purpose. viii. Paul trusted God, unphased by this snakebite, knowing that he would go to Rome and stand before Caesar. Why? ix. Because God said he would. x. This is faith without fear. b. [Slide 10] 6 - They expected that he would begin to swell up or suddenly drop dead. i. Though Paul did not fear, the Maltenes people were afraid for him. They were convinced that despite Paul acting like all was normal – that he would certainly swell up and/or die. ii. There is no hint here that they simply mistook the snake that bit Paul as a venomous one when it actually wasn't. iii. These are natives of this island and the sticks did not come from the ship. Therefore, it is reasonable to conclude that this snake was indigenous and most likely well known to the Maltenes people. iv. So, they waited. v. And waited. vi. And… waited. c. [Slide 11] After they waited a long time and saw nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god. i. Before, they concluded that the gods were out to get Paul. ii. That he must have been some terrible person who had murdered someone and justice finally caught up to him. iii. But having waited a long time to watch if he would die or suffer any ill effects, and finding nothing out of the ordinary occurring, they change their minds. iv. Again, we are given insight into the deeply religious and somewhat superstitious nature of the Maltenes people. v. They have just witnessed a miracle. And because of this, they go from thinking Paul is a vile human being to concluding that Paul must be an invulnerable divine being. vi. This isn't the first time Paul was mistaken for a god. vii. In Lystra, after Paul and Barnabas healed a lame man, they were mistaken for Zeus and Hermes. The people of Lystra then began to offer sacrifices to them. viii. Paul and Barnabas tore their clothes and with great effort stopped the people of Lystra from worshipping them. ix. There is no record here of the Maltenes people trying to worship Paul. Luke is somewhat brief with the Maltenes narrative. x. But we see how volatile their opinion of Paul is. xi. But just like in Lystra, after denying deity, Paul will have a unique opportunity to share the gospel with these people. xii. He is not a god… but He is sent by THE One True God. He is God's ambassador sent here with a message for them to hear. And this miracle proves that they should listen to him. xiii. [Slide 12] As a side note here, and one we must address before we close out this point … 1. Keen observers will note that Luke does not actually say that Paul shares the gospel with the Maltenes people. 2. Luke doesn't record a single conversion. 3. So, am I being a little presumptuous to think that Paul shared the gospel with these folks? 4. Not at all. For three reasons. a. We know the heart of Paul. i. He has preached the gospel to Jews, to gentiles, before the Areopagite, in the hall of Tyrannus in Ephesus, before Felix and Festus and Herod Agrippa. ii. We have no reason to believe that he stopped now. iii. And Luke doesn't always need to spell things out for us. iv. He has written thousands of words giving us the track record of Paul. v. He probably expects us to fill in the blanks. b. We know the purpose of sign gifts. i. Throughout the book of Acts God has used sign gifts to authenticate the message of the gospel. ii. Paul did not die from this snake bite and, as a bit of a spoiler for next week, he will heal a prominent Maltenes figure before departing for Rome. iii. Since Luke has linked signs like these to the authentication of the gospel message, again he probably assumes we will wisely link it without him saying it explicitly. c. Lastly, we know the history of Malta. A Christian community sprang up on the island of Malta. i. Not only that, but the earliest records indicate that this happened in the same general time frame that Paul was on Malta. ii. Also, there are some records that indicate that the first Elder of the Christian church on Malta was a man named Publius whom we will meet next week. 5. And so, I think we can confidently say that Paul did indeed preach the gospel here and while wintering here for three months, he helped to establish the church on Malta. d. [Slide 13] Summary of the Point: Just as God providentially provided an avenue for preaching the gospel to the Maltenes by allowing His servant Paul to be bitten by a snake, so also God now miraculously prevents Paul from being poisoned to authenticate that same message. If they will believe he is a god because he did not die from this snake bite, perhaps they can believe that he is God's message bearer bringing them the message of the gospel. But Paul's reaction is key here. He doesn't panic. He doesn't start sucking the venom out. He doesn't pace around the fire nervously waiting for the same reactions the locals waited for. Instead, he shook off the snake and did nothing unusual. If it wasn't for the two puncture marks, they might have wondered if he had been bitten at all. We too may face even unpleasant things that God has providentially arranged for us so that we have a platform to share the gospel. But how we face those unpleasant circumstances may impact the openness of some to hear the message. In the midst of this, we must not allow fear to win out over faith. Instead, we must trust the Lord. Conclusion: So CBC, what have we learned today that informs and corrects our beliefs and shapes our lifestyles? Basics of Faith and Practice: [Slide 14] God's providence is the undisputed primary theme in the book of Acts. God is always moving to advance the Kingdom of His dear Son through the work of His Spirit. Certainly, God at times does this on His own without any human agency, but most often in the book of Acts God empowers and commissions His church to go and preach the gospel. Here we see God using a snake bite and its failure to harm Paul to give him a platform to preach the gospel to these very religious people. So, we must look for God's providential hand to create platforms for us to live by faith and share the gospel. And though those platforms may be painful and even life-threatening, we must not fear what men can do to us. We have the words of life. Let us hold His banner high. But let me apply this a little more directly to us today. 1.) [Slide 15] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that God providentially arranges platforms for us to preach the gospel. a. From every tribe, every tongue, every nation, every ethnicity, both genders – God is calling to Himself a royal priesthood. b. While we certainly have some, who like Paul, are called to other parts of the world to share the gospel to people outside of their context… c. Most of us are called to be ambassadors for the Kingdom of God right where we are. d. God has equipped us to be in the right situation with the right strengths and skills to be lights that shine in the darkness for His Kingdom. e. And that is not just to stand up and live holy and loving lives before others but to call to repentance sinners who have offended a holy God with their wickedness. f. To preach Christ crucified for sinners. g. To call sinners to turn from their wicked ways and trust in Christ. h. You and I are uniquely suited to share Christ to our friends, our family, and our neighbors. i. Not only that, but all that we face in life, and all the trials and tribulations shape us to be in positions where we can give the gospel call in a real and impactful way. j. The Maltenes were a religious and even superstitious people. God turned their eyes toward justice and then wowed them with a miracle. All so Paul could preach Christ crucified for sinners. k. God is the same today. He orchestrates the events of our lives to provide a platform for His gospel call to go out. l. But as the Lord Jesus lamented, the harvest is plenty but the harvesters are few. m. So, what must we do? n. First, something we must not do… 2.) [Slide 16] De-Exhortation: “What actions should we stop doing” or “What behaviors do we naturally practice that this passage tells us to stop doing?” We must not fear our circumstances. a. God may lead us down some very difficult paths to share the gospel with others. b. We may be surrounded by enemies, we may be hated by many, we may be shouted down, we may face certain death. c. In those times we should not fear. d. We should not fear what men can do to us. e. We should not fear what could or could not happen. f. We should not fear that we might die before God's plan for our lives is realized. g. We should not fear at all. Why? h. Not because we are brave, strong, determined, or resolute. i. Not because our cause is just or because we are something special… j. If we lack fear for these reasons, then we are trusting in ourselves. k. The reason we should not fear is because we trust the Lord. We trust that His ways are perfect and that His will will be done. l. But not fearing doesn't mean we are passive either. We must also… 3.) [Slide 17] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don't naturally do or aren't currently doing?” We must trust the Lord and share the gospel. a. In spite of the danger, in spite of the difficulty and trials we may face. We must share the gospel. b. We are on this earth for such a short time. We only have so many days to preach Christ crucified. c. To make disciples is the commission of the church. And God has equipped us to do just that. d. We preach the gospel and teach disciples to obey Christ. This is the primary mission of the church. e. Wherever Paul was, and in whatever state he was in, he preached Christ crucified. This wasn't because he was an evangelist. It is because he was a Christian. And although he received a specific commission to go to the gentiles and to Caesar, his commission was the same general commission given to all believers. f. We don't all have to go to some far away place. And hopefully we don't all have to get bitten by a snake. g. But all of us must preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. Because it and it alone is the power of God unto salvation to the Jews first and also to the gentiles. h. There is also something in this text that corrects something we might believe. 4.) [Slide 18] Refutation: “What lies must we cast down” or “What do we naturally believe, or have been taught to believe, that this passage shows is false?” We must deny that God is either all justice or all mercy. Both are errors we must avoid. a. A young apologist that is making some waves today named Wes Huff was recently on a podcast talking about the differences between other religions and Christianity. b. He astutely observed that all religions besides Chrsitianty have strong aspects of either justice or mercy. c. He zoomed into Hinduism and Buddhism and pointed out how there is a very strong justice emphasis within it. Karma is 100% just. What you reap is a product of what you have sown… every time. There is no mercy. d. But Islam is the opposite. Allah, almost arbitrarily, hands out mercy to people who have died allowing them to enter paradise. But what happens with the evil they did during their life? What happens to all the actions they committed that are out of step with what Allah desires? e. In a word, nothing. There is no justice. Some get what they deserve and others don't and there is no real rhyme or reason for why. f. The Maltenes clearly believed in an all-justice god. You can't hide from a god who rights wrongs and trades a life for a life. The idea of reciprocity is strong with them. g. How amazing it would have been for them to be told that Paul was a murderer, but that the same God who will judge him is the one who died to pay for his sin. h. And that leads us to the most comforting thought that only Christianity preaches, and it just so happens to be the heart of the gospel of Jesus Christ… 5.) [Slide 19] Evangelism: “What about this text points us to Jesus Christ, the gospel, and how we are restored?” God is both Just and the Justifier of all who believe on Christ. a. Proverbs 17:15 says that whoever justifies the wicked is an abomination to Yahweh. b. So how is it that God is NOT an abomination to Himself? c. I want you to listen very carefully to what I'm saying because I don't want you to misunderstand me. d. Depending on your definition of forgiveness, you might be under the impression that when God forgives you, your sins magically disappear from the record. They are, erased. e. But my friends that isn't what forgiveness means. Forgiveness is a financial term. f. When you are forgiven a financial debt, does that mean that the person who gave the loan magically gets all their money back? No. g. Someone has to pay the debt. Forgiveness is simply saying… it isn't you. h. In this way, every single sin will be paid for. Every single one. Every single sin is an act of treason against a holy God. And every single sin you commit must be paid off in full. i. God is Just. Not one sin will be left unaccounted. God will NOT justify the wicked. He will not call someone innocent who still has an outstanding debt. j. But God, in His mercy, has chosen to take the debt Himself. He has chosen to pay the penalty for sin in the second person of the Godhead. He has paid with His death the whole amount for every single person who believes on Jesus as Savior and Lord. k. God is Just… and the justifier of those who believe on Christ. Because although every sin must be punished… He laid on Christ the chastisement that was due to us. By His stripes… we are healed. l. God is not Dike… hunting down the guilty. One day He will raise all of the dead to life and put them before the judgment seat of Christ to measure their works. And all who are measured by their works will pay for every single sin they have committed by enduring eternity in the lake of fire which is the second death. m. God doesn't hunt down the guilty. They will come to Him when He calls for them. When it is time for all things to be made right and justice to be delivered… they will come to Him. n. But God does hunt down some of us. He aims to destroy us but then to raise us up to a new life in Christ. o. My friends… are your sins paid for or will you pay for them yourself? p. Only those who believe in true faith… who believe and keep believing… who believe so much that they pursue Christ as their Savior and Lord… only these have had their sins paid. Their sins were red like scarlet… q. But He has washed them white as snow. r. Will you turn from your sin and believe on Jesus Christ today? [Slide 20 (end)] Let me close with a prayer by the Reformer John Calvin. Lord, as you urge us daily to repentance, and we are stung with the consciousness of our own sins, help us not to grow stupid in our vices or deceive ourselves with empty flattery. Instead, help us to carefully examine our own life, and then together confess that we are all guilty-not just of light offenses, but of offenses that deserve eternal death. And no other cure remains for us ... except your infinite mercy. So we seek a share of that grace which has been once offered to us by your Son, and is daily offered to us by his gospel. By relying on him as our mediator, we entertain hope even in the midst of a thousand deaths, until we are gathered into that blessed life bought for us by the blood of your only Son. For it is in His name we pray this… Amen. Benediction: And now may Jesus, Who satisfies our longings like nothing else can do Who is more pleasant than all the fancies of our golden dreams May that Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else. Until we meet again, go in peace.

Lesson 18Acts 26:1-27:12. Realizing his limited understanding of the Jewish religion and culture, Festus brought Paul before Herod Agrippa, but after hearing his defense, the bewildered leaders lamented the fact that Paul had appealed to Caesar, as they believed him innocent of the charges.To learn more about Michele and to support this international ministry please visit https://intheword.com

A meditation preached by Fr. Eric Nicolai on July 25, 2025, the feast of St. James, at Lyncroft Centre in Toronto. Jesus called James and his brother John as they mended their nets on the Sea of Galilee. Their mother approached Jesus, asking that her sons be seated on either side of him in his kingdom. Jesus replied, “You do not know what you are asking.” Jesus turned to the brothers: “Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink?” “We can,” they declared. James was, in fact, the first apostle to share in the cup of martyrdom, under Herod Agrippa around the year 44. Saint Josemaria loved that readiness to follow Jesus, to go all the way. He underlined their response, "Possumus". We can frame this in terms of our readiness and openness to be well formed: to have the piety of children and the doctrine of theologians.Music: Michael Lee of Toronto.Thumbnail: James the Apostle, detail of the mosaic in the Basilica of San Vitale, Ravenna, 6th century.

13 And Jesus came into the quarters of Caesarea Philippi: and he asked his disciples, saying: Whom do men say that the Son of man is?Venit autem Jesus in partes Caesareae Philippi : et interrogabat discipulos suos, dicens : Quem dicunt homines esse Filium hominis? 14 But they said: Some John the Baptist, and other some Elias, and others Jeremias, or one of the prophets.At illi dixerunt : Alii Joannem Baptistam, alii autem Eliam, alii vero Jeremiam, aut unum ex prophetis. 15 Jesus saith to them: But whom do you say that I am?Dicit illis Jesus : Vos autem, quem me esse dicitis? 16 Simon Peter answered and said: Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God.Respondens Simon Petrus dixit : Tu es Christus, Filius Dei vivi. 17 And Jesus answering, said to him: Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona: because flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee, but my Father who is in heaven.Respondens autem Jesus, dixit ei : Beatus es Simon Bar Jona : quia caro et sanguis non revelavit tibi, sed Pater meus, qui in caelis est. 18 And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.Et ego dico tibi, quia tu es Petrus, et super hanc petram aedificabo Ecclesiam meam, et portae inferi non praevalebunt adversus eam. 19 And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose upon earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven.Et tibi dabo claves regni caelorum. Et quodcumque ligaveris super terram, erit ligatum et in caelis : et quodcumque solveris super terram, erit solutum et in caelisThe Apostles Peter and Paul are the two Princes of the Apostles, the foundations of the Church, on which she is firmly established as on a rock. This feast is almost entirely devoted to St Peter, the Bishop of Rome, the great Apostle of the Gentiles being more specially honored on June 30th. The lessons and prayers of this Mass describe how his Lord and Master Jesus Christ prepared the fervent Aostle, St Peter, for the supreme office of the Papacy. After the Descent of the Holy Ghost St Peter preached the Gospel in Judea and was cast into prison by Herod Agrippa. He was miraculously delivered by an Angel and established his see first at Antioch, and then finally at Rome, where the first pope exercised for twenty-five years the Supreme Authority vested in him by Christ Himself. He was arrested, and like St Paul suffered martyrdom A.D. 65. This feast marks the day of the translation of their relics.

Being around Jesus isn't the same as knowing Jesus. We can know scripture, we can go to church, but it's our heart that God is seeking above all else. For the next stop in our series "When Jesus Ruined My Life," we see how frutiless knowledge can be without the boldness to step out in faith.

Garth Heckman The David Alliance TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com    Acts 12 6 The night before Peter was to be placed on trial, he was asleep, fastened with two chains between two soldiers. Others stood guard at the prison gate. 7 Suddenly, there was a bright light in the cell, and an angel of the Lord stood before Peter. The angel struck him on the side to awaken him and said, “Quick! Get up!” And the chains fell off his wrists. 8 Then the angel told him, “Get dressed and put on your sandals.” And he did. “Now put on your coat and follow me,” the angel ordered. 9 So Peter left the cell, following the angel. But all the time he thought it was a vision. He didn't realize it was actually happening. 10 They passed the first and second guard posts and came to the iron gate leading to the city, and this opened for them all by itself. So they passed through and started walking down the street, and then the angel suddenly left him. 11 Peter finally came to his senses. “It's really true!” he said. “The Lord has sent his angel and saved me from Herod and from what the Jewish leaders had planned to do to me!” 12 When he realized this, he went to the home of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where many were gathered for prayer. 13 He knocked at the door in the gate, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to open it. 14 When she recognized Peter's voice, she was so overjoyed that, instead of opening the door, she ran back inside and told everyone, “Peter is standing at the door!” 15 “You're out of your mind!” they said. When she insisted, they decided, “It must be his angel.” 16 Meanwhile, Peter continued knocking. When they finally opened the door and saw him, they were amazed. 17 He motioned for them to quiet down and told them how the Lord had led him out of prison. “Tell James and the other brothers what happened,” he said. And then he went to another place. 18 At dawn there was a great commotion among the soldiers about what had happened to Peter. 19 Herod Agrippa ordered a thorough search for him. When he couldn't be found, Herod interrogated the guards and sentenced them to death. Afterward Herod left Judea to stay in Caesarea for a while.   Gods ways are not our ways…   Peter is out cold waiting to be executed…   It took a group of people praying… how is your church at that? How are your friends at that?   God broke the law by breaking Peter out of Jail.   Rhoda was so awestruck that she left Peter in the dark.   Peter though freed was wise enough to tell everyone to be quiet…    He was free, but also smart enough to get out of town.   God's plan does not seem fair or make much sense and even might seem cruel. Herod had the guards all executed for their role in this… fair, unfair.. its up to God to decide… we just follow orders of the Holy Spirit.    Did you ever think that maybe we limit God moving in our life because we want answers that are supernatural, but safe and in order?  God is not like that.

View & Download NOTES This Sunday, May 11th, was Mother's Day. Interestingly, the background to our study in Acts 12 is that a prayer meeting is being held at the home of a mother -  John Mark's mother. It reminds us that so often in life, somewhere in the background a mom has been praying, and women have been faithfully praying not only for their families but for the family of God.  Acts 12 is a time of great persecution against the Christians in Jerusalem. One of the apostles, James, is executed by Herod Agrippa. Peter, the apostle, is arrested and faces the same threat. The Christians in Jerusalem are obviously rattled by these events. Yet, it's clear that God is not rattled at all. The God to whom we pray in times of deep crisis is clearly on the throne. His purposes are being advanced. He will build his church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.  Prayer is driven by an awareness that there is no event in our lives that is outside of the Father's providence and will not ultimately work for the glory of God and the good of His people. It's not the disciples who are at risk here but God's enemies. Prayer is meant to be a sanctuary for the people of God. It is a haven of rest in the storms of life where we are reminded that God has us and will not let us go.  This Sunday's message is called, Our Unshakable God. Let's come and sing, celebrate, and recalibrate our hearts around the truth that in our darkest moments and uncertain times, God is unshakable.  In Christ, Kevin Dibbley, Senior Pastor

In Acts 25 tells us that, when Festus was determined to send Paul to Jerusalem, the Apostle had no alternative but to make his appeal to Caesar. After a short period of time Festus conducts another hearing of Paul's matters. Festus was again seeking the favour of the Jews and at this time Paul announces that he would exercise his right as a Roman Citizen to be judged by Caesar. We then hear of Herod Agrippa and his wife Bernice visiting Caesarea and at this time Festus requests that they hear Paul's case as Festus was struggling with the wording of the charge to be made against Paul. Festus explains to Agrippa that in his opinion there was no commuting or a capital crime, but simply matters concerning Jewish law. With great pomp and ceremony Agrippa, Bernice and all the other dignitaries enter the judgment hall. Festus seeks Agrippa's view about the nature of the charge to appear on the letter to be sent to Caesar. Chapter 26 records Paul's defence and his earnest appeal to Agrippa to embrace the Christian cause. Paul tells his audience of his fervour for the Jewish way and his concerted opposition to Christianity. But when he was confronted by the risen Lord Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus everything changed. He tells the audience of his great commission and then knowing king Agrippa to be a man who read the prophets he appeals to the king to adopt the Christian belief. Festus, being embarrassed by the situation, attempts to finish the hearing immediately by declaring Paul to be mad due to his great learning. Paul was not to be silenced so quickly and continues to ask Agrippa whether he believes the prophets. Paul states plainly I know you believe them king Agrippa. At this point king Agrippa and all the dignitaries rise and leave with the king stating Paul's innocence.

Acts 12 records the death of Herod Agrippa, illustrating the dangers of pride and the consequences of seeking personal glory instead of giving glory to God. Through Agrippa's downfall, Pastor Brandon emphasizes that God does not share His glory and warns against being a "glory thief." Ultimately, he encourages believers to continuously seek God's glory and recognize their need for Him, finding hope and strength in Christ alone. Brandon Bachtel | Acts of the Church www.stonepointchurch.com

Daily Dose of Hope April 15, 2025 Day 2 of Week 3   Scripture – Mark 6:14-29   Prayer:  Almighty God, I come before you today with a sense of gratefulness.  You are Lord of all and yet you care for me.  Thank you, Lord.  Help me walk through this day with humility and your wisdom; help me represent you well.  Lord, in these next few moments of silence, help me gather my scattered thoughts, I want to hear your voice...Come Holy Spirit, and guide this time.  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back, everyone, to the Daily Dose of Hope, a Deep Dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today is day two of three in Mark 6 and our focus is shifting back to John the Baptist.   Our section starts with King Herod asking about Jesus, who was gaining quite a bit of fame in the area.  One person answered that he might be John the Baptist reincarnated.  This gets Herod concerned, as he had John executed not long before.    Let's talk briefly about the Herods.  These were political figures appointed by the Roman government to oversee Judea.  Most people consider them very insecure puppet kings.  They did what the Romans wanted and in return got to keep their power and wealth.  While they considered themselves to be Jewish, they really were not and they certainly didn't behave they obedient Jews, which certainly did not endear them to the “real” Jewish residents.  Just for some context, Herod the Great was the ruler at the time of Jesus' birth (remember the one who ordered all the male babies to be killed in Bethlehem?)  He was an extremely violent king and is said to have killed his wife, her two sons, and anyone he perceived as a threat.  Not a nice guy.  His own son, Herod Antipas, is the one in today's Scripture.    This Herod had decided to divorce his own wife to marry his brother Philip's wife, Herodias.  It was quite a messy family situation.  Philip was still alive and Herodias was both Herod Agrippa's and Philip's niece.  Basically, Herod was trampling all over God's laws and John the Baptist had called him out on it.  Herod could have easily executed John because he spoke out against the marriage, but he chose not to do so.  Herod keeps John in prison but alive. It seemed that Herod actually had a lot of respect for John because he considered him a righteous man of God.   But Herodias, the wife/niece, was a different story.  She hated John for the way he spoke out.  So she bided her time until she was able to get her revenge.  The time came when at Herod's birthday party.  Herodias' daughter performed some kind of very seductive dance for the guests (keep in mind the dysfunction of this family).  In return for her provocative dance, a probably fairly drunk and lustful Herod offers the daughter anything she wants.  She asks her mother what to ask for and Herodias knows this is her opportunity to get rid of John the Baptist.  Herodias instructs the girl to ask for John the Baptist's head on a platter.  Herod was distressed at this, as he did admire John, but he felt the need to honor the very public request.  He sends the executioner to the prison and John is beheaded immediately.    The brutality of this narrative is a bit shocking.  Because Jesus was a man of peace, I think we sometimes forget how violent the Roman world was at that time.  The Romans, and in turn, the Herods, ruled with an iron fist.  They had perfected the art of frequent execution.  Keep in mind, there was no due process.  People could be killed or tortured for just about anything.  There was political tension, frequent uprisings, heavy taxation, and people were jailed for not being able to pay their fair share.  There was desperate poverty and the poor faced incredible hardships.    It was into this world that Jesus came.  You can see why the people were so ready for his message.  But is our world any different?    I'm going to close today with John 16:33.  These are the words of Jesus, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”   Blessings, Pastor Vicki  

We are happy to have you with us! If there are any issues with the stream feel free to message Miss. Abby who is working the A/V system this service.

In today's episode, we see Peter pulling another miracle escape. But it's not because he is an early Harry Houdini. No. It is because Peter serves a miracle-producing God. We hear the story of his escape, but then we also hear of the tragic death of Herod Agrippa the First. Who instead of giving glory to God, decided to take it all for himself and paid the ultimate price. Listen to this weeks episode to hear of the last great adventure of Peter recorded in the Book of Acts, and the reintroduciton of Saul of Tarsus after disappearing from the story for over 12 years. But now, the story will center on him and his missionary work. Turn to Acts 11 and 12 to follow along.

Friends of the Rosary, Merry and Holy Christmas! Today, December 27, is the feast day of Saint John, Apostle and Evangelist, "the disciple whom Jesus loved." He was the apostle who remained at the foot of the Cross. He was also in the Transfiguration and was one of the first witnesses to the Resurrection. To him, Jesus entrusted his Mother. John was honored as one of the three pillars of the Church. After the persecution of Herod Agrippa, in which his brother was beheaded, John traveled to Asia Minor, where he composed his Gospel and epistles. On the island of Patmos, while he was in exile, he wrote the book of Revelation. He died in Ephesus around the year 100. Ave Maria!Jesus, I Trust In You! Come, Holy Spirit, come! To Jesus through Mary! + Mikel Amigot | RosaryNetwork.com, New York • Enjoy this video and enhance your faith in our newly released iOS app • December 27, 2024, Today's Rosary on YouTube | Daily broadcast at 7:30 pm ET

SHOW NOTES: - Head to our Start Page for all you need to begin! - Join the RECAPtains - Check out the TBR Store - Show credits - TBR New Testament plan on the Dwell App! FROM TODAY'S RECAP: - Acts 6:1-7 - Matthew 2 - Article: Who was Herod Agrippa? - Video: Acts Overview (Part 2) - TBR in Spanish BIBLE READING & LISTENING: Follow along on the Bible App, or to listen to the Bible, try Dwell! SOCIALS: The Bible Recap: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter/X | TikTok D-Group: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter/X TLC: Instagram | Facebook D-GROUP: D-Group is brought to you by the same team that brings you The Bible Recap. TBR is where we read the Bible, and D-Group is where we study the Bible. D-Group is an international network of Bible study groups that meet weekly in homes, churches, and online. Find or start one near you today! DISCLAIMER: The Bible Recap, Tara-Leigh Cobble, and affiliates are not a church, pastor, spiritual authority, or counseling service. Listeners and viewers consume this content on a voluntary basis and assume all responsibility for the resulting consequences and impact. Links to specific resources and content: This is not an endorsement of the entire website, author, organization, etc.. Their views may not represent our own.

20.10.24//Acts 12:1-24_Herod Agrippa vs Peter and God//Church Hill//Rob Forsyth by Church Hill Anglican

20.10.24//Acts 12:1-24_Herod Agrippa vs Peter and God//Church Hill//Justin Moffatt by Church Hill Anglican

0525 希律亞基帕一世 Herod Agrippa I 1 by 靈修廣播站

0526 希律亞基帕二世 Herod Agrippa II by 靈修廣播站

ACTS 26:1-15 1 Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You have permission to speak for yourself." So Pail motioned with his hand and began his defense: 2 "King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today as I make my defense against all the accusations of the Jews, 3 and especially so because you are well acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies. Therefore, I beg you to listen to me patiently. 4 The Jews all know the way I have lived ever since I was a child, from the beginning of my life in my own country, and also in Jerusalem. 5 They have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that according to the strictest set of our religion, I lived as a Pharisee. 6 And now it is because of my hope in what God has promised our fathers that I am on trial today. 7 This is the promise our twelve tribes are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night. O king, it is because of this hope that the Jews are accusing me. 8 Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead? 9 I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10 And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the saints in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. 11 Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished, and I tried to force them to blaspheme. In my obsession against them, I even went to foreign cities to persecute them. 12 On one of these journeys I was going to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. 13 About noon, O king, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions. 14 We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, 'Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.' 15 Then I asked, 'Who are you, Lord?' 'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,' the Lord replied."  FROM THE LESSON The Herodian Dynasty - it lasted for four generations and was an opponent of Jesus and his movement all throughout the New Testament. It started with Herod the Great who had tried to destroy the infant Jesus. His son, Herod Antipas, was the one who had John the Baptist beheaded. His son, Herod Agrippa, was the one who had James put to death with the sword in Acts 12. His son, Herod Agrippa II, was the one who Paul stands before in Acts 26. Paul's Speech Before Agrippa II - it is Paul's last and longest speech in the book of Acts. It begins in verse 2 and lasts through verse 23. It is the third time the reader of Acts hears the story of Jesus' appearance to Paul on the road to Damascus. The other two times are in Acts 9 and in Acts 22. Conversion Story - "the language of conversion may be misleading because at no point did Paul waver in his belief that the God of Abraham was and is the true God, the one and only creator God. Paul didn't change Gods. And from his point of view, he didn't even change religions." (NT Wright) Hope of Israel - Paul preached that the hope of Israel has been fulfilled in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The resurrection fulfills Paul's hope in God in three ways: 1 Hope is rooted in resurrection promise. 2 Hope is renewed in resurrection praise. 3 Hope is realized in resurrection practice.  DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 1 How would you define hope? How is biblical hope different from the way hope is used in our everyday language?  2 Hope is rooted in resurrection promise. Read Acts 26:6. Discuss what it means for our hope to be rooted in the promises of God. 3 Hope is renewed in resurrection praise. Can you remember a time when your hope was renewed through worship? Share the story with your group. 4 Hope is realized in resurrection practice. Can you remember a time when something that you desperately hoped for was actually realized? Share with your group. How did it make you feel? How did it affect the way you live? Because of the resurrection of Jesus, we have a realized hope. How does the resurrection of Jesus Christ transform the way we hope?

ACTS 24:22-27 22 Then Felix, who was well acquainted with the Way, adjourned the proceedings. "When Lysias the commander comes," he said, "I will decide your case." 23 He ordered the centurion to keep Paul under guard but to give him some freedom and permit his friends to take care of his needs. 24 Several days later Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was a Jewess. He sent for Paul and listened to him as he spoke about faith in Christ Jesus. 25 As Paul discoursed on righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and said, "That's enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you." 26 At the same time he was hoping that Paul would offer him a bribe, so he sent for him frequently and talked with him. 27 Two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus, but Felix because Felix wanted to grant a favor to the Jews, he left Paul in prison.  FROM THE LESSON Felix the Governor: The Roman historian, Tacitus wrote about Felix that he “practiced every kind of cruelty and lust, wielding the power of a king with all the instincts of a slave.” Drusilla the Jewess: Her mother was a Jew, however her father was Herod Agrippa, the one who killed the apostle James, the brother of John in Acts 12. Her great-uncle was the one who had John the Baptist beheaded, and her great-grandfather was the one who had tried to kill Jesus in Bethlehem. Three Reasons for Faith in Christ Jesus: 1 Because of righteousness What are you going to do about yesterday's sin? The answer is to have faith in Christ Jesus as your Savior. The answer is to trust Him with your past. 2 Because of self-control What are you going to do about today's struggles? The answer is to have faith in Christ Jesus as your Lord. The answer is to trust Him with your present. 3 Because of the judgment to come What are you going to do about tomorrow's scenarios? The answer is to have faith in Christ Jesus as your Judge. The answer is to trust Him with your future.  DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 1 If someone had asked you last week to give them a compelling reason as to why you have faith in Christ Jesus, how would you have answered the question?  2 Discuss with your group the deal of eternity: the exchange of your sin for His righteousness. How does the reality of this exchange transform the way you live? 3 The only way to have self-control is to be under His control. Discuss the importance of relying on the Lord through the Holy Spirit when life seems out of control.  Are you going through any struggles today that the group can be praying about? Share with the group.  4 Do you worry or get anxious about the future? What kinds of things do you worry about? We often talk about having faith in Jesus as our Savior and Lord, but what do you think about having faith in Him as your Judge?  5 The answer to all three faith questions is to have faith in the person of Jesus Christ. Which of the three do you find most difficult: to trust Him with your past, your present, or your future? Why?

Friends of the Rosary, Today, July 25th, we celebrate the feast of St. James, the Apostle, also known as James the Greater (to distinguish him from the other Apostle, St. James, who was chosen later.) James the Greater was St. John's brother and the son of Zebedee, the fisherman from Galilee. Christ Jesus called him Boanerges, "son of thunder.” Along with John and Peter, he witnessed the Transfiguration and accompanied later Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemani. He started evangelizing Spain, a country that is his patron saint today. In Saragossa, along with some followers, he received the visit of the Blessed Virgin — Our Lady of Pillar. Later, he would be beheaded in Jerusalem in the year 42 or 43 A.D. on the orders of Herod Agrippa. Since the ninth century, the faithful have been going on pilgrimage to St. James of Compostella in Galicia, Spain. There, they can visit a breathtaking shrine with the saint's relics. The Camino de Santiago, "the Way of St. James," is one of the most frequented pilgrimages in Christendom along with Rome or the Holy Land. The pilgrim paths to Compostella form a network over Europe, dotted with pilgrims' hospices and chapels. Ave Maria!Jesus, I Trust In You!St. James, Pray for Us! Come, Holy Spirit, come! To Jesus through Mary! + Mikel Amigot | RosaryNetwork.com, New York • ⁠July 25, 2024, Today's Rosary on YouTube | Daily broadcast at 7:30 pm ET  

Send me a Text Message!Acts 26 is the culmination of the love story that started in Acts 25, the love story between God and the family of Herod Agrippa. It's also about evangelism. And let's be honest, many of us have a love/hate/worry/guilt relationship with evangelism. Maybe that's because we've defined evangelism as, "Getting the hard sell from someone who acts like they're my best friend but has never taken the time to get to know me." But that's not really evangelism. Literally evangelism means proclaiming good news. It's not about persuading people you are right about the Bible. It's proclaiming good news. What's the good news? God loves you. He sent Jesus to die for you. You are proclaiming the love story of God. What if evangelism is nothing less than inviting people into the world's greatest love story?

Today's message "God's Purpose Always Prevails" from the series "To Be Continued" we look into Peter's miraculous escape from prison in Acts 12. Herod Agrippa's persecution of the early church sets the stage for Peter's imprisonment, prompting fervent prayer from believers. Through divine intervention, Peter is freed from chains and delivers a powerful message to the church, emphasizing the importance of prayer and experiencing God's peace in difficult times. The message reflects on God's protection, contrasting James' martyrdom with Peter's deliverance, and concludes with the reminder of God's sovereignty and the continued growth of His church through bold missionary endeavors.

Acts Lesson 28 – Chapter 12 THE BOOK OF ACTS Lesson 28, Chapter 12 We just barely got into Acts chapter 12 last week, and the first thing we see mentioned in the chapter is that Herod Agrippa is now the King of Judah. The chapter will end with his death. His grandfather Herod the […] The post Acts Lesson 28 – Chapter 12 appeared first on Torah Class.

The demise of Herod Agrippa reminds us that we can accept a complement from our fellowman (Proverbs 27:2), but we are not to accept their outright worship.

Saturday, 2 March 2024   And after some days King Agrippa and Bernice came to Caesarea to greet Festus. Acts 25:13   A more literal rendering is, “And some days having passed, Agrippa the king and Bernice came down to Caesarea, having saluted Festus” (CG).   In the previous verse, Paul was told that because he had appealed to Caesar, to Caesar he would go. Now, the narrative continues with, “And some days having passed.”   While Paul was awaiting his transfer to Rome, an indeterminate amount of time elapsed. However, during that time, the narrative introduces two people, “Agrippa the king and Bernice.”   Lengthy commentaries on these two abound if you want to learn more about them. In short, however, Agrippa is Herod Agrippa, the son of Herod Agrippa I. He was a brother of Drusilla, the wife of Felix, seen in Acts 24:24. The Pulpit Commentary lists some of the facts about him and Bernice –   “He was only seventeen at his father's death, and so not considered by Claudius a safe person to entrust his father's large dominions to. But he gave him Chalets, and afterwards, in exchange for it, other dominions. ... He was the last of the Herods, and reigned above fifty years. Bernice was his sister, but was thought to be living in an incestuous intercourse with him. She had been the wife of her uncle Herod, Prince of Chalets; and on his death lived with her brother. She then for a while became the wife of Polemo, King of Cicilia, but soon returned to Herod Agrippa. She afterwards became the mistress of Vespasian and of Titus in succession (Alford).”   Of these two, it says they “came down to Caesarea, having saluted Festus.” This would be a formal introduction to the new procurator. If they were already acquainted, it would be a congratulatory visit to his appointment. Either way, they have come to acknowledge his being placed in his role as the new governor.   Life application: One can see the same formalities today when dignitaries come to the office or residence of a newly appointed or elected official. Luke carefully records these events, describing what occurred when it is relevant to the ongoing narrative.   The visit of these two, and their interactions with Paul, will be carefully noted and detailed. The Lord is setting out His word so that we can see how the message of the gospel went forth and what were some of the workings that made it possible.   As you read the Bible, think about what is presented and why. We are being given insights into how the transfer from the Jewish-led to Gentile-led church took place, why it was so effective, and what will occur, even into the future as the words of Paul's epistles are fulfilled.   Look at the minute details and also look at the wider picture. A beautiful panorama of history is taking place before our eyes as we read and contemplate this precious word.   Heavenly Father, thank You for including us in the process of what occurred in the past so that we can know how we got to where we are now as Christianity spread in Israel and then beyond, even to the furthest extents of the world. We can see Your guiding hand in all of it. Hallelujah! We are seeing Your word fulfilled, even before our eyes. Amen.

Pastor William continues our series in Acts by diving into the story of Herod Agrippa, focusing on the importance of not judging a situation too quickly. Learn about God's plan and perspective, even in the midst of difficult circumstances, from Acts 12. Discover the dangers of pride and the significance of God's glory in this inspiring and insightful teaching.

At first glance, this story seems unnecessary. Herod Agrippa has only just come on the scene, and already Luke narrates his demise? But there are fascinating contrasts between this story and the previous one—most interestingly, contrasting how the Church responds to Herod's oppression and how the people of Tyre and Sidon respond. Ultimately, Herod's power is nothing compared to God's, and the Church continues to flourish in spite of opposition. So join us as we study “The Blasphemy” from Acts 12:20-25!

Every human being needs encouragement. Many of us are our own worst critic, so a sincere compliment or word of thanks can be like a “cup of cold water” to someone who's thirsty. Of course, there are people who are proud, but in most cases, I think, much of that is bluff, or if nothing else the passing of time tends to humble even the best of us. Discouragement, self-hatred and shame become the enemies we wrestle with. So when someone speaks positively to us it can have a powerful impact…so powerful that if wielded by the wrong person such words can be used to control us. They can lure us into a strange state of self-deception in which we actually begin to believe what we're being told. And if someone doesn't rescue us by confronting us with the truth, it can ruin our personality and take away our effectiveness in serving God. Luke's account of Herod's strange death allows us to watch a man fall prey to flattery. For years this man had pretended to be a devout Jew, yet when a crowd of people tell him he is a god, for a few seconds he believes it, for a few seconds he basks in their worship and in that few seconds God's patience runs out. An angel strikes him and exposes the lie. Admittedly, Herod Agrippa's death is bizarre, but the forces at play in that amphitheater aren't. They are all too familiar. We've all felt the temptation to believe too much about ourselves, to receive flattery, because we are all in need of encouragement. How we speak to one another is of great concern to God. The Bible has much to say about this topic. So let's learn from Herod's example what to avoid, and then let's learn how God wants us to compliment and honor one another.

While praying on a rooftop in Joppa Peter received an amazing vision. God spoke to him three times in that vision, but afterward he had no idea what He'd been trying to tell him. It had remained a puzzling mystery until the moment he stepped into the home of a Roman soldier. As he stood there looking at their faces and feeling God's presence in the room, he instantly understood. In fact he finally understood something Jesus tried to teach him years earlier. So this was what He meant when He kept preaching about reaching Gentiles. He'd tried to understand, but it just never made sense before. Now, at last, he could see it, and it was so clear he marveled he hadn't seen it before. Two days earlier when the messengers arrived at the gate he knew God wanted him to trust these strangers and go with them, so he left Joppa and came to Caesarea, and now here he was, only a short distance away from Herod Agrippa's palace, in the living room of one of the officers of his palace guard. The sensation he felt at that moment was not unlike the time he stepped out of the boat and walked on water. It was both frightening and exhilarating at the same time. His life could be at risk, and he had to violate his conscience to even be here. After all, Jews weren't supposed to be in Gentile homes. But here he was…and amazingly, Jesus was here too. And finally, he understood why. 

This media has been made available by Mosaic Boston Church. If you'd like to check out more resources, learn about Mosaic Boston, or donate to this ministry, please visit mosaicboston.com.Oh Holy God, Heavenly Father, we come to you in reverence and trepidation at your greatness, your mightiness. You are a glorious God. And Lord, we thank you so much that you did not leave us in our sin, in our darkness, but you sent your son Jesus Christ, the light of the world, the truth, the way, the life. And Jesus, we thank you for providing a way for our salvation, for our forgiveness of sin, for our transfer from the domain of darkness into the kingdom of your beloved son. And Lord Jesus, we thank you for proclaiming the truth as boldly as you did, and that boldness took you to a cross.And we thank you for the example of your choice servants who proclaim the truth, no matter the consequences, many of whom were martyred for the faith. And we thank you that their blood was the seed of the church. We thank you for all those that you sent while we were still in darkness to proclaim the gospel to us boldly. And we thank you, Lord, that you give us grace and that you empower us by the power of the Holy Spirit to go and proclaim the gospel to anyone who would hear.And I pray, Lord, that you grow our fearlessness in proclamation of the word of God, the truth, the gospel no matter what the consequences, no matter the opposition. I pray that you make us so people who care more about what you think than even what earthly rulers think about us. And Lord, help us proclaim the truth and love and in kindness, but boldly. Lord, we thank you for the example of your disciples, the apostles, and we thank you for the example of John the Baptist who proclaimed the truth to a king, an earthly, wicked, degenerate king, and he was beheaded for it.And Lord Jesus, as we look at that example, I pray, let us just marvel at the fact that a little embarrassment, a little discomfort when we proclaim the truth, how many of us are thwarted from continuing the mission because of that and how silly all of that is in comparison to those who've gone before us. And Lord, as the world turns even darker in opposition to you, more godless and persecution becomes an ever present reality. I pray that we unflinchingly continue to further your kingdom by proclaiming your truth.Bless our time, the holy scriptures today. We pray all this in the beautiful name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, amen. On this Communion Sunday, the title of the sermon is Proclaim the King's Excellencies as we continue through our sermon series in the Gospel of Mark. When the Lord Jesus Christ saves a sinner, he doesn't just save us from something, he saves us for something. And that for something should preoccupy our hearts and minds and that for something must be the purpose and the direction of our lives.Yes, Lord, you've saved me from hell. You've saved me from eternal punishment, from bondage to sin, from being a pawn of Satan. Now what would you have me do? And the Lord answers and says, "Become fishers of men. Continue to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ so people are freed from the nets of Satan and sin to the new exodus and following Christ." And how do we do this? We do it by proclaiming the excellencies of the king.In 1 Peter 2:9 it says, but you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession that you may proclaim the excellencies of him, who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you are not a people, but now you are God's people. Once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Did you notice the purpose? He says, this is why God saved us, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Christ. This is the purpose of every elect, blood-bought, redeemed, justified child of God.Our purpose is to be representatives of Christ and to represent Christ is to do the work that Christ did and continues to do, which is to proclaim the truth that Jesus is king and he rules the world with his law, the 10 commandments. To proclaim Christ is to tell people that they have sinned, that they have transgressed commandments. They are under God's wrath. However, whosoever repents of their sin and believes in Christ will be forgiven, will be given mercy, and will be given a mission to proclaim the excellencies of Christ.And for Christ to procure mercy for us, what did that entail? Entailed a gruesome, gory, grim sacrifice. It demanded crucifixion. Jesus Christ was crucified for proclaiming the truth. Therefore, we shouldn't be surprised and should actually expect that when we lovingly, faithfully, kindly proclaim Christ, this will come at a cost. For some of us, it may even require death itself just like our Lord and just like John the Baptist and just like most of the apostles. Today, we are in Mark 6:7-29 as we continue our series, Kingdom Come.Would you look at the text with me? And he, Christ, called the 12 and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff, no bread, no bag, no money in their belts, but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics. And he said to them, "Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there. And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them."So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them. King Herod heard of it, for Jesus' name had become known. Some said, "John the Baptist has been raised from the dead. That is why these miraculous powers are at work in him." But others said, "He is Elijah." And others said, "He is a prophet like one of the prophets of old." But when Herod heard of it, he said, "John, whom I beheaded, has been raised."For it was Herod who had sent and seized John and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, because he had married her. For John had been saying to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife." And Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death. But she could not, for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly.But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his nobles and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. For when Herodias' daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests. And the king said to the girl, Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you." And he vowed to her, "Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom." And she went out and said to her mother, "For what should I ask?" And she said, "The head of John the Baptist."And she came in immediately with haste to the king and asked, saying, "I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter." And the king was exceedingly sorry, but because of his oaths and his guess, he did not want to break his word to her. And immediately the king sent an executioner with orders to bring John's head. He went and beheaded him in the prison and brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. When his disciples heard of it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.This is the reading of God's holy, inherent, Infallible, authoritative word. May he write these eternal truths upon our hearts. Three points to frame up our time. Proclaim that people should repent, proclaim the law and the gospel fearlessly, fearing God is the secret to fearlessness. First, proclaim that people should repent. In verse seven, he, Jesus, called the 12 and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. Why two by two? This is probably reflecting the Jewish practice of sending official representatives in pairs.And also in the Hebrew scriptures, there is a stipulation that two witnesses are required to establish legal testimony. So he commissions the 12 to extend the work that he was doing. He said, "I have come to teach the word of God and to proclaim the gospel for the kingdom of God is here for people to repent and believe." So here he sends out the 12 two by two. Practically why two by two, well, this provides for encouragement in particular in those moments where there is rejection.When a whole town says, "We want nothing to do with the message of God. Get out," at those moments, we need encouragement, and also accountability to continue proclaiming the truth as it has been given and not trying to make it more palatable for people by softening it. And this here shows us that we need Christian community. We need brothers and sisters in our lives for our own souls, but then also for the effectiveness of the mission that Jesus called us to. We need Christian community.We need the church. Hebrews 10:24 says, "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love in good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day drawing near." So even back then in the early church, they already had the issue where people believed that all I need is Jesus. All I need is scripture. I don't need the church. I don't need spiritual authority or accountability. Even back then, people were neglecting to meet together as is the habit of some.So friends, continue to make it a priority to come to church. I'm obviously speaking to people who are at church. Good job, keep doing what you're doing. But for those who are listening online, and I think during COVID when we were streaming our services, people just got into the pattern of like, that's okay. That's not okay. That's why we took our streaming off. And I'm even tempted at the point of take all the sermons offline. Offline is not real. It's not real. That's just enough to get you into church.And not just church, but community. At Mosaic, we are a church that draws thousands over the course of a year. There's thousands that come and there's thousands that go. So how are we to experience community? How do we experience this two by two ministry? We do that through our community groups. So if you are not in a community group, these are small groups of brothers and sisters that meet all across the city, all across the region over the course of the week, we'd love to have you join.Ecclesiastes 4:9 says, "Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe him who is alone when he falls and has not another lift him up. Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him. A threefold cord is not quickly broken." And here in our verse it says that he began to send them out.Not only does this communicate that this is the start of their mission, but also it communicates that the mission continues, that Jesus continues to send us out as he had sent them out. And he says it began to send, this is the verb form of the word apostle, an apostle is someone who has been sent out with the authority of another. And Jesus, while still on earth, physically sends out the disciples to gain experience ministering the word of God.He entrusts them with his authority, gives them an opportunity to use the authority to make the mistakes that they would make in using that authority so that they can come back to Jesus. He would rectify it and clarify and continue to train them up to serve him. This is just an example of the ministry that Jesus had already been doing. And Mark 6:6, that's the verse before our text. He was in Nazareth and Galilee. He marveled because of their unbelief. That's his hometown.And he went out among the villages teaching. Despite rejection that he encountered in his hometown, he doesn't give up on his people. He continues to minister to them by sending the apostles out for another round of redemptive teaching. Now, we are not apostles, but we are disciples of Jesus Christ. We are followers of Jesus Christ, and most of us most likely aren't called to being international ministries or cross-cultural ministries, missionaries or full-time pastors and teachers. But we are called to bear witness to Jesus Christ wherever we are.We might not be sent around the world, but we are still sent across the street. Our city is our mission field and, you and I, we're laborers that Christ sends out to gather in the harvest right here on our doorstep. I don't know if you've noticed, but traffic has been getting worse in the area. The congestion's terrible, the double parking. I've never seen so many people double parking. I think it's the Uber Eats and such, but I used to get irritated by traffic and irritated by people double parking.I've chilled out partially because I changed my music. I started listening to monastic chants in my vehicle. It's very soothing. It helps with driving in peace. It's tremendous. And now whenever I'm in traffic, I get behind someone, I'm like, okay, you're double-parked. All right. I just pray for them, like Lord, save this person from their wicked ways of not following the law and such. But as I see people, there's people from all over the world all around us. The Lord is drawing people from all over.They're here. This is why we exist. We are on mission to proclaim the gospel to all who would listen, to all who would hear. And we have the authority of Jesus Christ. Just as he gave to his early disciples, he has given to us as the church. He says, go and make disciples of all nations. And he says, when you do, when you make disciples of all nations, I am with you until the end of the age. We experience the fullness of Christ's presence in particular when on mission proclaiming the truth.And his authority and the authority that he gave to the disciples is his own. He doesn't just pray to the Father. Father, I pray that you empower them. No. He gives them his own authority which reminds us of who Jesus really is. He is the Son of God. He is God. Authority resides in him and he exercises rule over the church as it goes and he does command us to go and proclaim. In Mark 6:8, he charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff, no bread, no bag, no money in their belts, but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics.The staffs were used for walking on rough terrain and for defense against wild animals and criminals, et cetera. And Jesus here says, okay, fine. Take a staff, but no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. And what he's saying is, I'm going to provide. You're on mission doing my work. It's my business that you are going about doing, and I will provide for you in the same way that I provided for the Israelites in the desert. If you remember, the Israelites were sustained by God. They didn't have food, but he sent food from heaven.Rain manna. Their clothing by God's grace was supernaturally preserved from deterioration and Jesus instructs them to take just the basics of staff and sandals, which is an allusion to Exodus 12:11 when he was preparing them during the Passover meal before the Exodus. It says Exodus 12:11, in this manner you shall eat it with your belt fastened, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord's Passover. So the disciples' missionary journey is similar to the old exodus, but their journey is a new exodus. T.Hey are people who are called by Jesus for freedom from sin and bondage and to go about and travel lightly so that they move quickly to call people out of bondage to sin and Satan. I do want to mention the Bible never sees renunciation of physical goods as a good in itself, but only as a necessity in some circumstances. This particular renunciation was not intended as a universal rule binding all disciples at all times. Though the simple faith that Jesus will provide when we are in the middle of his will doing his work, that is a universal rule.Later in Gethsemane, after the disciples had thoroughly learned this lesson to rely on the Lord for his provision, to depend only on him, after they learned that lesson, Jesus said, now that he is leaving, we are to procure resources in Luke 23:35. And he said to them, "When I sent you out with no moneybag or knapsack or sandals, did you lack anything?" They said "Nothing." And he said to them, "But now let the one who has a moneybag take it, and likewise a knapsack. And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one."First time he sends them out while he was still here. He says, "Don't take any money. Don't take a sword. Don't take food." The second time, he says, "When I leave, I want you prepared. I want you to have resources." After they learn to depend on the Lord, the Lord says, "We are to be prepared with resources if we can have them." Why? Because poverty is never the ideal in the Bible. Although if need be, it must be gladly embraced in God's service for Christ's sake. Verse 10.He said to them, "Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there. And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them." And here the mission of the disciples according to Christ must be marked by a humble persistence. They were to be aware that not everyone's going to receive this message. Many will actually be opposed to it and reject it.And whenever the disciples are accepted, they should remain in the place where they are and enjoy the resources that those who accepted the message would provide them with. But we are to be prepared as they were to be prepared that rejection is a reality of being a faithful proclaimer of the gospel. Mark 13:13, and you will, this is a promise, you will be hated by all for my name's sake, but the one who endures to the end will be saved.He says, "Shake the dust that is on your feet when you are rejected," is a sign that when you are rejected, you are to reject the place that has rejected the message. And the very difficulty of the act, dust is not so easily removed, especially from sandaled feet that have been walking on unpaved middle Eastern roads. Hence, that the depth of feeling that evokes it. Not even the tiniest reminder of the place should be left upon them. They must assiduously purge themselves of every trace of it.And God himself will see to the latter on the day of judgment when the very dust will cry out as a witness against them. And verse 12. So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent and they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them. They proclaimed that people should repent, not just sharing of the gospel. Sharing assumes that we're offering something that people want, share a recipe or share a meal or share a good laugh.But we aren't called to just share the gospel, we're called to proclaim that people should repent and boldly declare it whether it's welcome or not. I remember when I just moved to the city and I didn't know how to start a church as a church planner... I did street evangelism. I was just walking around the streets and I did spiritual surveys and asked people if they'd have a couple minutes to answer some survey questions I had. After the 1,000th conversation and no one got saved, I'm like, Lord Jesus, does this text apply to me?Can I dust off my boots from the dust of Boston, please? This was a message for them in this particular journey, but there were other examples where they lived in an area for years and they continue to administer. The emphasis here isn't on leaving a place. The emphasis here is on not taking a rejection personally. They're not rejecting you, they're rejecting the Lord, and that should grieve our hearts, but it can't immobilize us and we shouldn't be surprised by it. You can't take it personally because then that just keeps you from proclaiming the gospel.They reject you, go to the next person and to the next person and to the next person. It's not we that converts people, it's God that does it. We are to sow the seed and to proclaim the truth and testify to it. What is the message? The message is that time is short. We're all mortal, and judgment is coming. Hell is real. And we are to flee the wrath that is to come. We are to hear the alarm sounding and get ourselves to safety. And the only source of safety, the only refuge, the only sanctuary is our savior Jesus Christ.And the message is that everyone is to repent. There are no impendent people in the kingdom of heaven. All who enter the kingdom have mourned over sin, forsaken it and sought pardon for it. In this particular commissioning, Jesus is preparing his disciples for what will happen on Pentecost when they will receive a permanent commission to proclaim the gospel to the ends of the earth. And Jesus here is preparing them for after they receive the Holy Spirit to do things greater than even he did, which is a startling statement.But in John 14:12, he says, "Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I'm going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it." What does it mean that we're going to do greater things than Christ himself did? Well, he's not talking about individually. He's talking about as a church, as the body of Christ.We've been given talents and opportunities, and together, he's saying, we're going to do greater things than Christ did in his incarnate state when he was on earth. The disciples went and proclaimed the gospel, cast out demons, and healed people by anointing them. And James 5:14 says, "Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord." Point two is proclaim the law and the gospel fearlessly.Verse 14, King Herod heard of it for Jesus' name had become known. Some said, "John the Baptist has been raised from the dead. That is why these miraculous powers are at work in him." There's only two passages in the Gospel of Mark not about Jesus Christ, and those two are about John the Baptist in chapter one. And here John was the forerunner of Jesus' ministry and also the forerunner of Jesus' death. And in both cases, both men stood before wicked, cowardly, tyrants fully aware of the innocence of both John and Jesus.And nevertheless, they feared the pressure of the people, and therefore they executed John and James. I do want to point out that it wasn't the disciples' names that were made known. As they did their work, as they proclaimed the gospel, as they healed people, it was the name of Jesus that had become known. The disciples preaching in wonder working are the means for Christ's name to become known. The miracles worked by the 12 disciples were really performed by Christ.It was his authority, his power. They were wielding his power. And the work's done by the disciples didn't cause the people in Galilee or even King Herod to wonder who are these disciples. They're wondering who is this Jesus that they are proclaiming. They weren't confused whose power it was. And that brings us to King Herod. Who is this Herod? This is Herod Antipas. He is the son of King Herod the Great who tried to kill Jesus when he was born. King Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great, ruled in the Transjordan region from 4 BC until his exile in 39 AD.This is the king whom Jesus called that fox in Luke 13, a reference to King Herod's malice, his cunning, his shrewdness and lack of pity and his love of degenerate decadence. In 39 AD, he was recalled to Rome and replaced by his nephew, the infamous Herod Agrippa, who later killed James and imprisoned Peter. In Mark 6:15 it says, but others said he's Elijah and others said he is a prophet like one of the prophets of old. But when Herod heard of it, he said, "John, whom I beheaded, has been raised."Actually the dirty work wasn't done by Herod himself, it was by an executioner as we see later in the text. But here in the Greek, there's an emphatic I myself have beheaded. This is John whom I myself had beheaded, which reveals that King Herod's conscience has been disturbing him. His conscience has been terrifying him. It shows us that although he thought himself a king, he wasn't king over his conscience. The truth was the law of God was. And for Herod, the supernatural miracle, he thought Jesus was John comeback from the dead, and he believed it.That supernatural miracle itself was not enough to bring him to repentance. That's how stubborn he was and hardened in his sin. The assumed divine miracle, John's resurrection, is a cause not for celebration but for terror. And here I also want to point out that John was so Christlike that when Herod hears about Christ, he confuses Christ with John. That's how much John had decreased so that Jesus could increase. He represented Jesus with his whole being. Who was John the Baptist?He was a miracle child born to the aged Zacharias and his wife Elizabeth. He was a Nazarite from birth, a result of explicit orders of the angel Gabriel. His hair was never cut. He never touched a dead body or drank fermented drink, according to Numbers 6. And he took up the clothing of the ancient prophets wearing a rough coat of camel's hair and leather belt and subsisting in the wilderness and the diet of locusts and wild honey. He was a man of good conscience and therefore moral courage.When he spoke the word of God, everybody knew that it rang true because of John's integrity. And he would lose his head, but not his witness. John made way for the Lord, preparing the way for Christ by boldly denouncing sin and calling people to radical repentance, as seen in Matthew 3:7. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.And do not presume to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father,' for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. Even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I'm not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he'll burn with unquenchable fire."Jesus is neither John the Baptist, Herod got it wrong, nor Elijah. Jesus was John's contemporary, so he's not him. And with respect to Elijah, Mark already said he linked Elijah with John, not Jesus. And Jesus wasn't just a prophet. He did use that term to characterize himself, but it definitely wasn't sufficient to characterize him. Verse 17. For it was Herod who had sent and seized John and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, because he had married her.For John had been saying to Herod, "It's not lawful for you to have your brother's wife." And here, what is John appealing to? It's not lawful. What law is he appealing to? Look how simple and plain and straightforward his message was. It's not lawful for you to have another man's wife. You've committed adultery, Herod. You've transgressed the Seventh Commandment. You've taken Herodias from your brother, so she is an adulterous as well, and he's calling them to repentance.He proclaims the plain truth regardless of the consequences. And what he's telling King Herod, consider himself a king, he's saying, there's a king above you. There's a law above you. You are not above the law. It's the law of God, and the law of God is law over everyone. It's enforced over everyone. It doesn't matter if you identify as a Christian, it doesn't matter if you identify as a believer of the scripture, none of that matters. God is God over everyone. His law governs everyone. Some people erroneously think that when you preach the gospel, you never mention the law.When you're sharing "the gospel," the law isn't necessary. The law is only for believers. First trust in Jesus, get grace, and then we can talk about the law, then we can talk about how you are to live. This is false, because you can't call people to repentance if they do not know what they are to repent of. And John as an Elijah like figure is zealous for the Lord and his law, and he's going to proclaim it to both Herod and Herodias no matter how much it antagonizes them, no matter how much they want to kill him.And that brings us to point three, fearing God is the secret to fearlessness. John, where did you get the power to be so fearless, so courageous, so bold in proclaiming this truth to a king? He got it from fearing God more than anyone else. He didn't care what King Herod thinks about him. He cared more about what King Jesus thinks about him. In verse 19, Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death. But she could not, for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe.When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, yet he heard him gladly." John's very existence caused Herodias unease in her conscience, yet she's hardened and seared in her conscience by her wickedness and won't rest until he is dead. And Herod feared John. He wanted to protect the life of John knowing that he's righteous and holy. So he arrests John to protect John from Herodias. This is how conflicted this man was. Herod was convicted by John's words, yet he gladly listened to them.Most likely the prison was in the same place where his palace was and he would just bring John up and say, "John, do your thing." And John with his camel hair and he's got his leather belt and he is like, "You broke commandment number seven. Repent. And Herodias too." And then Herodias gets mad and Herod's like, "Continue," and oh, just continuously gladly welcoming the message, feared the guy, knows it's true, it rings true, definitely resonates, and he's willing to listen. He's willing to observe, heard him gladly.But there was one thing that Herod wasn't willing to do. He wasn't willing to cease from his adultery. He wouldn't give up Herodias, and so he ends up ruining his soul. Verse 21. But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his nobles and military commanders and the leading man of Galilee. Those present at this party were the petty lords and the Roman battalion commanders, the tribunes. So these men gather in Herod's fortress palace where John was imprisoned.And the text doesn't explicitly say, but a birthday in such luxurious confines of the royal palace with all the big wigs certainly implied large quantities of alcohol. And from Mark's report, there's possibility that Herod was definitely well-lubricated when Herodias finally traps him in verse 22. For when Herodias' daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests. And the king said to the girl, "Ask me for whatever you wish and I'll give it to you."Josephus, the famed Jewish historian, tells us that this young woman named Salome was in her middle teens at this time, so she dances in a very explicit way. Here we see that King Herod gets excited to the point where his braggadocio is turned on and he vows in verse 23, "Whatever you ask me, I will give you up to half of my kingdom." And this is probably a figure of speech in any case, because the kingdom wasn't his to give. It was Rome's. And so verse 24, she went out and said to her mother, "For what should I ask?"And she said, "The head of John the Baptist." And she came in and immediately with haste to the king and asked, saying, "I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter." The instantaneous reply of Herodias implies premeditation. So the cunning demonic forces that have been working for John's downfall now at last have sprung their trap. Here Herodias is presented as another Jezebel, manipulating her cowardly and indecisive husband and seeking the death of the Lord's prophet.And one begins to wonder who initiated the adultery. Herodias didn't mention the platter. The platter was... It was a touch of the girl, the daughter's own ghastly touch. And verse 26. The king was exceedingly sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests, he did not want to break his word to her. The moment of truth has come for Herod. It's a crucial test of his soul. He has to decide between saving face and saving John. He knew who John was. He's a holy and righteous man. He knew that God's hand was upon him, and to go against John is to go against God.And he here now has to decide between the opinions of the noble guests and the truth. He's got to decide between gaining the world and gaining his soul. It says he was exceedingly sorry. He was greatly distressed. The word is only used one other time the New Testament, and that was to describe Jesus' pain in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus was greatly distressed when he saw the suffering before him. And here Herod's grief was real, but he had been trapped. And this shows us that grief over sin is not repentance.Being sorry over your sin or sorry over the situation that your sin has got you in, that's not true repentance. True repentance is turning from that sin and turning to a path of righteousness and following Christ. Herod's conscience had been awakened by John and he suppressed the truth because of what he feared others would think. I think there are many today who are in a similar predicament where you know that Christ is king, where you know that the holy scriptures are true.What else is other than scriptures? You know that eternal life is only found in Christ, and you're not public about it or you won't follow Christ in your daily life. And how many people's consciousness have been awakened to eternal truth and they've quenched that because of their fear of, what are my friends going to think? What's my family going to think? And whenever you have conversation like this about the gospel and you get people to the point where you got to make a decision and they're like, okay, what kind of Christian are you?I'm not a big fan of that question. A true one. There's only one type of Christian. You're saved or not. And if you are saved, you have to be public about it. You have to testify to the truth of it, to care more about what God thinks than what people think. Mark 6:27. Immediately the king sent an executioner with orders to bring John's head. He went and beheaded him in the prison and brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. Besides gratifying a sadistic whim, the production of the head on a platter is proof that John has been killed.And the title king is used over and over in our text in particular here. It's technically inaccurate. He wasn't a king. He was a tetrarch. He was a puppet for Rome. But the title king is repeated ironically because Herod wasn't a king. He was outwitted and manipulated by two women and hamstrung by his own oath and his fear of losing faith before his subjects. The supposed king wasn't king even over himself. He couldn't control himself much less his subjects. He's over mastered by his sin.He's over mastered by his desires. He's over mastered by his emotions, which swing wildly from superstitious dread, he thinks Jesus is John resurrected, to awe and fascination and confusion to arousal that seems to border on insanity and to extreme depression. In this context, his pretensions to royal authority appear almost like a farce. He appears to rule whereas actually his strings are being pulled by others. The tyrant isn't even a true king over himself. He's a slave to his own passions.Herod lets John die, and thus shows himself to be among those in whom despite their attraction to the kingdom of God, despite the fact that the seeds seem like they have been planted in his heart, he's gladly listening to the word, he's gladly listening to the sermons, but the cares and concerns of this age end up choking the word. A lesson for each one of us here is if you fear God more than man, you might lose your head, but not your soul. And if you fear man over God, you might keep your head.You might even become more prosperous and lose your soul in the process. And Jesus said, "What prophet is it to someone gain the whole world and yet lose their soul?" For Herod, saving faith was more important than saving his soul. Verse 29. When his disciples heard of it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb. We see finally in these verses how little reward one of God's greatest servants gets in this world. John's life after a life of faithful witness to Christ ends in unjust imprisonment and a violent death.Like Steven, like James and like the other apostles of whom the world was not worthy, he was called to seal his testimony with his blood. Histories like these are meant to remind us that the true Christians' best things are yet to come. His rest, his crown, his wages, his reward are all on the other side of the grave. Here in this world we must walk by faith and not by sight. And if we look for the praise of people, we're not going to get it. And here in this life, we must sow and labor and fight and endure persecution, and we are to know that this life is not all there is.One day retribution will come and heaven will make amends for all. Romans 8:18 says, "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us." 1 Corinthians 2:6. Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age who are doomed to pass away. But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for his glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this.For if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written, what no I has seen nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined which God has prepared for those who love him. These things God has revealed to us through the Spirit, for the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. We see what King Herod thought of John the Baptist. King Herod's opinion doesn't really matter. John the Baptist cared more not about what King Herod thought of him, but what King Jesus thought about him.And what did King Jesus think of John the Baptist? Well, Jesus tells us in Matthew 11:11, "Truly, I say to you, among those born of women, there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist. Until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the prophets in the law prophesied until John, and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. He who has ears to hear, let him hear."John the Baptist, according to Christ, was the greatest of all men that was ever born. Why? Because John knew his place, he knew his job, and his job was to proclaim Christ. He knew that he was to decrease so that Christ would increase. In John's cruel death, we're also given a glimpse of Jesus' faith, that Jesus' ministry would eventually take him to Jerusalem where he would be rejected and imprisoned and ultimately mocked, scourged, and crucified. And there are numerous parallels between John and Christ.Each was eagerly heard and become the object of curiosity of a leader. John with Herod, Jesus with Pilate, each false victim to his enemy's murderous intention, is arrested, bound, and ignominiously executed and buried. Thanks be to God, Jesus' head wasn't put on a platter. That Jesus, even though he was crucified, in his crucifixion, in his death, he conquered death and the grave and he rose on the third day. Since he's far greater than even John himself, he overcame death.And in his death, we see the death of death itself. The last recorded mention of Herod, this Herod, presents him as a hardened blasphemer. At the end of Jesus' life, Pilate sends Jesus to Herod and Herod has another opportunity to repent of his sin. In Luke 23:6, when Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. And when he heard that he belonged to Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him over to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem. At that time.When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had long desire to see him, because he had heard about him and he was hoping to see some sign done by him. So he questioned him at some length, but he made no answer. And the chief priest and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him. And Herod with the soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him. Then, arraying him in splendid clothing, he sent him back to Pilate. And Herod and Pilate became friends with each other on that very day, for before this they had been at enmity with each other. Herod gladly received the servants of John.And here you see the progression into sin, where when Christ is right before, he stands face to face with the Son of God, all he can do is mock. He's absolutely dead inside, jaded. He had passed the point of no return, a point when repentance is no longer given. Friends, you just need to know this is a reality. If you keep prolonging repentance, the day of repentance, the day of turning from sin and turning to Christ, at some point there will be a day of no return, at some point the gift of repentance will not be extended to you, at some point the Holy Spirit will stop wooing.So what do we need to do? If you hear God's voice today in your heart, repent of sin and turn to him. Acts 17. Paul before the men of Athens and the Areopagus, he says, "The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given insurance to all by raising him from the dead." Now, when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked.But others said, "We will hear you again about this." So Paul went out from their midst, but some men joined them and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them. Today, if you hear the voices of God, repent from sin and turn to Christ, recognize that Christ is the only way of salvation. His sacrifice on the cross is the only sacrifice that can atone for our sins and the wrath that they deserve.Today, we are celebrating holy communion in which we remember the sufferings of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on the cross on our behalf when he laid down his life for his sheep, for whom is communion. It is for repentant followers of Jesus Christ. If you are not a follower of Jesus Christ, if you have not repented of sin, if you have not believed in him, today is your opportunity to do that, repent of sin and turn to him. If you are a self-identified believer in Jesus Christ, but you know that there's unrepented sin in your life, sin that you have not left, we ask that you refrain from this part of the service.So do nothing for you. Instead, take time to meditate on the gospel. If you are a repentant follower of Christ, you'd like to partake of holy communion. And if you have not received the elements, please raise your hand and one of the ushers will bring them to you. And as they do that, I'll read 1 Corinthians 11:23-32. For I receive from the Lord what I also deliver to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread. And when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me."In the same way also, he took the cup after supper saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill and some have died. But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world. Would you pray with me over holy communion? Heavenly Father, we thank you for your lavish love and sending your Jesus Christ for us. Jesus, we thank you that you died on the cross for our sins while we were yet sinners.You died for us recognizing that this was the only way to save us from our sin and save us from the wrath to come. Lord Jesus, we thank you that even as you hung on that cross, you were busy forgiving people, crying out, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." We recognize from that text even ignorance of our sin is not defense against the wrath of God. So we plead the blood, we ask Jesus forgive us of our sins.We repent of breaking commandments, transgressing commandments, and we pray by the grace of God that you give us the power of the Holy Spirit to live lives of righteousness. As we remember your suffering on the cross today, let us be sobered by the fact that that's what it took to save us from our sin. So how can we continue living in sin? Give us a hunger and thirst for righteousness and continue to satisfy us with your presence. And Lord Jesus, we thank you that you did not stay dead.You rose on the third day, and today you are sitting at the right hand of God ruling and reigning. We pray that you continue to establish your kingdom all around the world and in particular in our region. And we pray all this in Christ's holy name, amen. There are two lids. You open the top lid to open the cup and the bottom lid to open the bread. On the night that Jesus Christ was betrayed, he took the bread. And after breaking it, he said, "This is my body broken for you. Take eat and do this in remembrance of me."Then proceeded to take the cup and he said, "This cup is the cup of the new covenant of my blood, which is poured up for the sins of many. Take drink and do this and remembrance of me." Oh Lord, we thank you that you have chosen us to be a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for your own possession, so that we may proclaim the excellencies of our king, a king who calls us out of darkness into your marvelous light. We thank you, Lord, that you offer us your mercy and your grace.We thank you that you offer us your presence in the power of the Holy Spirit. And we pray, Lord, that you continue to bless this church, continue to draw your elect, and continue to sanctify every single one of us so we grow ever more beautiful in your sight. Make us a people who are more courageous than ever, more bold than ever, proclaiming the gospel at every opportunity that we have. And make us a people, Lord, that revel in the fact that we are yours and you are a great and mighty king, an excellent king. And we love you and we pray all this in Jesus' name, amen.

This media has been made available by Mosaic Boston Church. If you'd like to check out more resources, learn about Mosaic Boston, or donate to this ministry, please visit mosaicboston.com.Oh Holy God, Heavenly Father, we come to you in reverence and trepidation at your greatness, your mightiness. You are a glorious God. And Lord, we thank you so much that you did not leave us in our sin, in our darkness, but you sent your son Jesus Christ, the light of the world, the truth, the way, the life. And Jesus, we thank you for providing a way for our salvation, for our forgiveness of sin, for our transfer from the domain of darkness into the kingdom of your beloved son. And Lord Jesus, we thank you for proclaiming the truth as boldly as you did, and that boldness took you to a cross.And we thank you for the example of your choice servants who proclaim the truth, no matter the consequences, many of whom were martyred for the faith. And we thank you that their blood was the seed of the church. We thank you for all those that you sent while we were still in darkness to proclaim the gospel to us boldly. And we thank you, Lord, that you give us grace and that you empower us by the power of the Holy Spirit to go and proclaim the gospel to anyone who would hear.And I pray, Lord, that you grow our fearlessness in proclamation of the word of God, the truth, the gospel no matter what the consequences, no matter the opposition. I pray that you make us so people who care more about what you think than even what earthly rulers think about us. And Lord, help us proclaim the truth and love and in kindness, but boldly. Lord, we thank you for the example of your disciples, the apostles, and we thank you for the example of John the Baptist who proclaimed the truth to a king, an earthly, wicked, degenerate king, and he was beheaded for it.And Lord Jesus, as we look at that example, I pray, let us just marvel at the fact that a little embarrassment, a little discomfort when we proclaim the truth, how many of us are thwarted from continuing the mission because of that and how silly all of that is in comparison to those who've gone before us. And Lord, as the world turns even darker in opposition to you, more godless and persecution becomes an ever present reality. I pray that we unflinchingly continue to further your kingdom by proclaiming your truth.Bless our time, the holy scriptures today. We pray all this in the beautiful name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, amen. On this Communion Sunday, the title of the sermon is Proclaim the King's Excellencies as we continue through our sermon series in the Gospel of Mark. When the Lord Jesus Christ saves a sinner, he doesn't just save us from something, he saves us for something. And that for something should preoccupy our hearts and minds and that for something must be the purpose and the direction of our lives.Yes, Lord, you've saved me from hell. You've saved me from eternal punishment, from bondage to sin, from being a pawn of Satan. Now what would you have me do? And the Lord answers and says, "Become fishers of men. Continue to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ so people are freed from the nets of Satan and sin to the new exodus and following Christ." And how do we do this? We do it by proclaiming the excellencies of the king.In 1 Peter 2:9 it says, but you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession that you may proclaim the excellencies of him, who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you are not a people, but now you are God's people. Once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Did you notice the purpose? He says, this is why God saved us, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Christ. This is the purpose of every elect, blood-bought, redeemed, justified child of God.Our purpose is to be representatives of Christ and to represent Christ is to do the work that Christ did and continues to do, which is to proclaim the truth that Jesus is king and he rules the world with his law, the 10 commandments. To proclaim Christ is to tell people that they have sinned, that they have transgressed commandments. They are under God's wrath. However, whosoever repents of their sin and believes in Christ will be forgiven, will be given mercy, and will be given a mission to proclaim the excellencies of Christ.And for Christ to procure mercy for us, what did that entail? Entailed a gruesome, gory, grim sacrifice. It demanded crucifixion. Jesus Christ was crucified for proclaiming the truth. Therefore, we shouldn't be surprised and should actually expect that when we lovingly, faithfully, kindly proclaim Christ, this will come at a cost. For some of us, it may even require death itself just like our Lord and just like John the Baptist and just like most of the apostles. Today, we are in Mark 6:7-29 as we continue our series, Kingdom Come.Would you look at the text with me? And he, Christ, called the 12 and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff, no bread, no bag, no money in their belts, but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics. And he said to them, "Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there. And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them."So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them. King Herod heard of it, for Jesus' name had become known. Some said, "John the Baptist has been raised from the dead. That is why these miraculous powers are at work in him." But others said, "He is Elijah." And others said, "He is a prophet like one of the prophets of old." But when Herod heard of it, he said, "John, whom I beheaded, has been raised."For it was Herod who had sent and seized John and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, because he had married her. For John had been saying to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife." And Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death. But she could not, for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly.But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his nobles and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. For when Herodias' daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests. And the king said to the girl, Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you." And he vowed to her, "Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom." And she went out and said to her mother, "For what should I ask?" And she said, "The head of John the Baptist."And she came in immediately with haste to the king and asked, saying, "I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter." And the king was exceedingly sorry, but because of his oaths and his guess, he did not want to break his word to her. And immediately the king sent an executioner with orders to bring John's head. He went and beheaded him in the prison and brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. When his disciples heard of it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.This is the reading of God's holy, inherent, Infallible, authoritative word. May he write these eternal truths upon our hearts. Three points to frame up our time. Proclaim that people should repent, proclaim the law and the gospel fearlessly, fearing God is the secret to fearlessness. First, proclaim that people should repent. In verse seven, he, Jesus, called the 12 and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. Why two by two? This is probably reflecting the Jewish practice of sending official representatives in pairs.And also in the Hebrew scriptures, there is a stipulation that two witnesses are required to establish legal testimony. So he commissions the 12 to extend the work that he was doing. He said, "I have come to teach the word of God and to proclaim the gospel for the kingdom of God is here for people to repent and believe." So here he sends out the 12 two by two. Practically why two by two, well, this provides for encouragement in particular in those moments where there is rejection.When a whole town says, "We want nothing to do with the message of God. Get out," at those moments, we need encouragement, and also accountability to continue proclaiming the truth as it has been given and not trying to make it more palatable for people by softening it. And this here shows us that we need Christian community. We need brothers and sisters in our lives for our own souls, but then also for the effectiveness of the mission that Jesus called us to. We need Christian community.We need the church. Hebrews 10:24 says, "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love in good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day drawing near." So even back then in the early church, they already had the issue where people believed that all I need is Jesus. All I need is scripture. I don't need the church. I don't need spiritual authority or accountability. Even back then, people were neglecting to meet together as is the habit of some.So friends, continue to make it a priority to come to church. I'm obviously speaking to people who are at church. Good job, keep doing what you're doing. But for those who are listening online, and I think during COVID when we were streaming our services, people just got into the pattern of like, that's okay. That's not okay. That's why we took our streaming off. And I'm even tempted at the point of take all the sermons offline. Offline is not real. It's not real. That's just enough to get you into church.And not just church, but community. At Mosaic, we are a church that draws thousands over the course of a year. There's thousands that come and there's thousands that go. So how are we to experience community? How do we experience this two by two ministry? We do that through our community groups. So if you are not in a community group, these are small groups of brothers and sisters that meet all across the city, all across the region over the course of the week, we'd love to have you join.Ecclesiastes 4:9 says, "Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe him who is alone when he falls and has not another lift him up. Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him. A threefold cord is not quickly broken." And here in our verse it says that he began to send them out.Not only does this communicate that this is the start of their mission, but also it communicates that the mission continues, that Jesus continues to send us out as he had sent them out. And he says it began to send, this is the verb form of the word apostle, an apostle is someone who has been sent out with the authority of another. And Jesus, while still on earth, physically sends out the disciples to gain experience ministering the word of God.He entrusts them with his authority, gives them an opportunity to use the authority to make the mistakes that they would make in using that authority so that they can come back to Jesus. He would rectify it and clarify and continue to train them up to serve him. This is just an example of the ministry that Jesus had already been doing. And Mark 6:6, that's the verse before our text. He was in Nazareth and Galilee. He marveled because of their unbelief. That's his hometown.And he went out among the villages teaching. Despite rejection that he encountered in his hometown, he doesn't give up on his people. He continues to minister to them by sending the apostles out for another round of redemptive teaching. Now, we are not apostles, but we are disciples of Jesus Christ. We are followers of Jesus Christ, and most of us most likely aren't called to being international ministries or cross-cultural ministries, missionaries or full-time pastors and teachers. But we are called to bear witness to Jesus Christ wherever we are.We might not be sent around the world, but we are still sent across the street. Our city is our mission field and, you and I, we're laborers that Christ sends out to gather in the harvest right here on our doorstep. I don't know if you've noticed, but traffic has been getting worse in the area. The congestion's terrible, the double parking. I've never seen so many people double parking. I think it's the Uber Eats and such, but I used to get irritated by traffic and irritated by people double parking.I've chilled out partially because I changed my music. I started listening to monastic chants in my vehicle. It's very soothing. It helps with driving in peace. It's tremendous. And now whenever I'm in traffic, I get behind someone, I'm like, okay, you're double-parked. All right. I just pray for them, like Lord, save this person from their wicked ways of not following the law and such. But as I see people, there's people from all over the world all around us. The Lord is drawing people from all over.They're here. This is why we exist. We are on mission to proclaim the gospel to all who would listen, to all who would hear. And we have the authority of Jesus Christ. Just as he gave to his early disciples, he has given to us as the church. He says, go and make disciples of all nations. And he says, when you do, when you make disciples of all nations, I am with you until the end of the age. We experience the fullness of Christ's presence in particular when on mission proclaiming the truth.And his authority and the authority that he gave to the disciples is his own. He doesn't just pray to the Father. Father, I pray that you empower them. No. He gives them his own authority which reminds us of who Jesus really is. He is the Son of God. He is God. Authority resides in him and he exercises rule over the church as it goes and he does command us to go and proclaim. In Mark 6:8, he charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff, no bread, no bag, no money in their belts, but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics.The staffs were used for walking on rough terrain and for defense against wild animals and criminals, et cetera. And Jesus here says, okay, fine. Take a staff, but no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. And what he's saying is, I'm going to provide. You're on mission doing my work. It's my business that you are going about doing, and I will provide for you in the same way that I provided for the Israelites in the desert. If you remember, the Israelites were sustained by God. They didn't have food, but he sent food from heaven.Rain manna. Their clothing by God's grace was supernaturally preserved from deterioration and Jesus instructs them to take just the basics of staff and sandals, which is an allusion to Exodus 12:11 when he was preparing them during the Passover meal before the Exodus. It says Exodus 12:11, in this manner you shall eat it with your belt fastened, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord's Passover. So the disciples' missionary journey is similar to the old exodus, but their journey is a new exodus. T.Hey are people who are called by Jesus for freedom from sin and bondage and to go about and travel lightly so that they move quickly to call people out of bondage to sin and Satan. I do want to mention the Bible never sees renunciation of physical goods as a good in itself, but only as a necessity in some circumstances. This particular renunciation was not intended as a universal rule binding all disciples at all times. Though the simple faith that Jesus will provide when we are in the middle of his will doing his work, that is a universal rule.Later in Gethsemane, after the disciples had thoroughly learned this lesson to rely on the Lord for his provision, to depend only on him, after they learned that lesson, Jesus said, now that he is leaving, we are to procure resources in Luke 23:35. And he said to them, "When I sent you out with no moneybag or knapsack or sandals, did you lack anything?" They said "Nothing." And he said to them, "But now let the one who has a moneybag take it, and likewise a knapsack. And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one."First time he sends them out while he was still here. He says, "Don't take any money. Don't take a sword. Don't take food." The second time, he says, "When I leave, I want you prepared. I want you to have resources." After they learn to depend on the Lord, the Lord says, "We are to be prepared with resources if we can have them." Why? Because poverty is never the ideal in the Bible. Although if need be, it must be gladly embraced in God's service for Christ's sake. Verse 10.He said to them, "Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there. And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them." And here the mission of the disciples according to Christ must be marked by a humble persistence. They were to be aware that not everyone's going to receive this message. Many will actually be opposed to it and reject it.And whenever the disciples are accepted, they should remain in the place where they are and enjoy the resources that those who accepted the message would provide them with. But we are to be prepared as they were to be prepared that rejection is a reality of being a faithful proclaimer of the gospel. Mark 13:13, and you will, this is a promise, you will be hated by all for my name's sake, but the one who endures to the end will be saved.He says, "Shake the dust that is on your feet when you are rejected," is a sign that when you are rejected, you are to reject the place that has rejected the message. And the very difficulty of the act, dust is not so easily removed, especially from sandaled feet that have been walking on unpaved middle Eastern roads. Hence, that the depth of feeling that evokes it. Not even the tiniest reminder of the place should be left upon them. They must assiduously purge themselves of every trace of it.And God himself will see to the latter on the day of judgment when the very dust will cry out as a witness against them. And verse 12. So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent and they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them. They proclaimed that people should repent, not just sharing of the gospel. Sharing assumes that we're offering something that people want, share a recipe or share a meal or share a good laugh.But we aren't called to just share the gospel, we're called to proclaim that people should repent and boldly declare it whether it's welcome or not. I remember when I just moved to the city and I didn't know how to start a church as a church planner... I did street evangelism. I was just walking around the streets and I did spiritual surveys and asked people if they'd have a couple minutes to answer some survey questions I had. After the 1,000th conversation and no one got saved, I'm like, Lord Jesus, does this text apply to me?Can I dust off my boots from the dust of Boston, please? This was a message for them in this particular journey, but there were other examples where they lived in an area for years and they continue to administer. The emphasis here isn't on leaving a place. The emphasis here is on not taking a rejection personally. They're not rejecting you, they're rejecting the Lord, and that should grieve our hearts, but it can't immobilize us and we shouldn't be surprised by it. You can't take it personally because then that just keeps you from proclaiming the gospel.They reject you, go to the next person and to the next person and to the next person. It's not we that converts people, it's God that does it. We are to sow the seed and to proclaim the truth and testify to it. What is the message? The message is that time is short. We're all mortal, and judgment is coming. Hell is real. And we are to flee the wrath that is to come. We are to hear the alarm sounding and get ourselves to safety. And the only source of safety, the only refuge, the only sanctuary is our savior Jesus Christ.And the message is that everyone is to repent. There are no impendent people in the kingdom of heaven. All who enter the kingdom have mourned over sin, forsaken it and sought pardon for it. In this particular commissioning, Jesus is preparing his disciples for what will happen on Pentecost when they will receive a permanent commission to proclaim the gospel to the ends of the earth. And Jesus here is preparing them for after they receive the Holy Spirit to do things greater than even he did, which is a startling statement.But in John 14:12, he says, "Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I'm going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it." What does it mean that we're going to do greater things than Christ himself did? Well, he's not talking about individually. He's talking about as a church, as the body of Christ.We've been given talents and opportunities, and together, he's saying, we're going to do greater things than Christ did in his incarnate state when he was on earth. The disciples went and proclaimed the gospel, cast out demons, and healed people by anointing them. And James 5:14 says, "Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord." Point two is proclaim the law and the gospel fearlessly.Verse 14, King Herod heard of it for Jesus' name had become known. Some said, "John the Baptist has been raised from the dead. That is why these miraculous powers are at work in him." There's only two passages in the Gospel of Mark not about Jesus Christ, and those two are about John the Baptist in chapter one. And here John was the forerunner of Jesus' ministry and also the forerunner of Jesus' death. And in both cases, both men stood before wicked, cowardly, tyrants fully aware of the innocence of both John and Jesus.And nevertheless, they feared the pressure of the people, and therefore they executed John and James. I do want to point out that it wasn't the disciples' names that were made known. As they did their work, as they proclaimed the gospel, as they healed people, it was the name of Jesus that had become known. The disciples preaching in wonder working are the means for Christ's name to become known. The miracles worked by the 12 disciples were really performed by Christ.It was his authority, his power. They were wielding his power. And the work's done by the disciples didn't cause the people in Galilee or even King Herod to wonder who are these disciples. They're wondering who is this Jesus that they are proclaiming. They weren't confused whose power it was. And that brings us to King Herod. Who is this Herod? This is Herod Antipas. He is the son of King Herod the Great who tried to kill Jesus when he was born. King Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great, ruled in the Transjordan region from 4 BC until his exile in 39 AD.This is the king whom Jesus called that fox in Luke 13, a reference to King Herod's malice, his cunning, his shrewdness and lack of pity and his love of degenerate decadence. In 39 AD, he was recalled to Rome and replaced by his nephew, the infamous Herod Agrippa, who later killed James and imprisoned Peter. In Mark 6:15 it says, but others said he's Elijah and others said he is a prophet like one of the prophets of old. But when Herod heard of it, he said, "John, whom I beheaded, has been raised."Actually the dirty work wasn't done by Herod himself, it was by an executioner as we see later in the text. But here in the Greek, there's an emphatic I myself have beheaded. This is John whom I myself had beheaded, which reveals that King Herod's conscience has been disturbing him. His conscience has been terrifying him. It shows us that although he thought himself a king, he wasn't king over his conscience. The truth was the law of God was. And for Herod, the supernatural miracle, he thought Jesus was John comeback from the dead, and he believed it.That supernatural miracle itself was not enough to bring him to repentance. That's how stubborn he was and hardened in his sin. The assumed divine miracle, John's resurrection, is a cause not for celebration but for terror. And here I also want to point out that John was so Christlike that when Herod hears about Christ, he confuses Christ with John. That's how much John had decreased so that Jesus could increase. He represented Jesus with his whole being. Who was John the Baptist?He was a miracle child born to the aged Zacharias and his wife Elizabeth. He was a Nazarite from birth, a result of explicit orders of the angel Gabriel. His hair was never cut. He never touched a dead body or drank fermented drink, according to Numbers 6. And he took up the clothing of the ancient prophets wearing a rough coat of camel's hair and leather belt and subsisting in the wilderness and the diet of locusts and wild honey. He was a man of good conscience and therefore moral courage.When he spoke the word of God, everybody knew that it rang true because of John's integrity. And he would lose his head, but not his witness. John made way for the Lord, preparing the way for Christ by boldly denouncing sin and calling people to radical repentance, as seen in Matthew 3:7. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.And do not presume to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father,' for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. Even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I'm not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he'll burn with unquenchable fire."Jesus is neither John the Baptist, Herod got it wrong, nor Elijah. Jesus was John's contemporary, so he's not him. And with respect to Elijah, Mark already said he linked Elijah with John, not Jesus. And Jesus wasn't just a prophet. He did use that term to characterize himself, but it definitely wasn't sufficient to characterize him. Verse 17. For it was Herod who had sent and seized John and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, because he had married her.For John had been saying to Herod, "It's not lawful for you to have your brother's wife." And here, what is John appealing to? It's not lawful. What law is he appealing to? Look how simple and plain and straightforward his message was. It's not lawful for you to have another man's wife. You've committed adultery, Herod. You've transgressed the Seventh Commandment. You've taken Herodias from your brother, so she is an adulterous as well, and he's calling them to repentance.He proclaims the plain truth regardless of the consequences. And what he's telling King Herod, consider himself a king, he's saying, there's a king above you. There's a law above you. You are not above the law. It's the law of God, and the law of God is law over everyone. It's enforced over everyone. It doesn't matter if you identify as a Christian, it doesn't matter if you identify as a believer of the scripture, none of that matters. God is God over everyone. His law governs everyone. Some people erroneously think that when you preach the gospel, you never mention the law.When you're sharing "the gospel," the law isn't necessary. The law is only for believers. First trust in Jesus, get grace, and then we can talk about the law, then we can talk about how you are to live. This is false, because you can't call people to repentance if they do not know what they are to repent of. And John as an Elijah like figure is zealous for the Lord and his law, and he's going to proclaim it to both Herod and Herodias no matter how much it antagonizes them, no matter how much they want to kill him.And that brings us to point three, fearing God is the secret to fearlessness. John, where did you get the power to be so fearless, so courageous, so bold in proclaiming this truth to a king? He got it from fearing God more than anyone else. He didn't care what King Herod thinks about him. He cared more about what King Jesus thinks about him. In verse 19, Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death. But she could not, for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe.When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, yet he heard him gladly." John's very existence caused Herodias unease in her conscience, yet she's hardened and seared in her conscience by her wickedness and won't rest until he is dead. And Herod feared John. He wanted to protect the life of John knowing that he's righteous and holy. So he arrests John to protect John from Herodias. This is how conflicted this man was. Herod was convicted by John's words, yet he gladly listened to them.Most likely the prison was in the same place where his palace was and he would just bring John up and say, "John, do your thing." And John with his camel hair and he's got his leather belt and he is like, "You broke commandment number seven. Repent. And Herodias too." And then Herodias gets mad and Herod's like, "Continue," and oh, just continuously gladly welcoming the message, feared the guy, knows it's true, it rings true, definitely resonates, and he's willing to listen. He's willing to observe, heard him gladly.But there was one thing that Herod wasn't willing to do. He wasn't willing to cease from his adultery. He wouldn't give up Herodias, and so he ends up ruining his soul. Verse 21. But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his nobles and military commanders and the leading man of Galilee. Those present at this party were the petty lords and the Roman battalion commanders, the tribunes. So these men gather in Herod's fortress palace where John was imprisoned.And the text doesn't explicitly say, but a birthday in such luxurious confines of the royal palace with all the big wigs certainly implied large quantities of alcohol. And from Mark's report, there's possibility that Herod was definitely well-lubricated when Herodias finally traps him in verse 22. For when Herodias' daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests. And the king said to the girl, "Ask me for whatever you wish and I'll give it to you."Josephus, the famed Jewish historian, tells us that this young woman named Salome was in her middle teens at this time, so she dances in a very explicit way. Here we see that King Herod gets excited to the point where his braggadocio is turned on and he vows in verse 23, "Whatever you ask me, I will give you up to half of my kingdom." And this is probably a figure of speech in any case, because the kingdom wasn't his to give. It was Rome's. And so verse 24, she went out and said to her mother, "For what should I ask?"And she said, "The head of John the Baptist." And she came in and immediately with haste to the king and asked, saying, "I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter." The instantaneous reply of Herodias implies premeditation. So the cunning demonic forces that have been working for John's downfall now at last have sprung their trap. Here Herodias is presented as another Jezebel, manipulating her cowardly and indecisive husband and seeking the death of the Lord's prophet.And one begins to wonder who initiated the adultery. Herodias didn't mention the platter. The platter was... It was a touch of the girl, the daughter's own ghastly touch. And verse 26. The king was exceedingly sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests, he did not want to break his word to her. The moment of truth has come for Herod. It's a crucial test of his soul. He has to decide between saving face and saving John. He knew who John was. He's a holy and righteous man. He knew that God's hand was upon him, and to go against John is to go against God.And he here now has to decide between the opinions of the noble guests and the truth. He's got to decide between gaining the world and gaining his soul. It says he was exceedingly sorry. He was greatly distressed. The word is only used one other time the New Testament, and that was to describe Jesus' pain in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus was greatly distressed when he saw the suffering before him. And here Herod's grief was real, but he had been trapped. And this shows us that grief over sin is not repentance.Being sorry over your sin or sorry over the situation that your sin has got you in, that's not true repentance. True repentance is turning from that sin and turning to a path of righteousness and following Christ. Herod's conscience had been awakened by John and he suppressed the truth because of what he feared others would think. I think there are many today who are in a similar predicament where you know that Christ is king, where you know that the holy scriptures are true.What else is other than scriptures? You know that eternal life is only found in Christ, and you're not public about it or you won't follow Christ in your daily life. And how many people's consciousness have been awakened to eternal truth and they've quenched that because of their fear of, what are my friends going to think? What's my family going to think? And whenever you have conversation like this about the gospel and you get people to the point where you got to make a decision and they're like, okay, what kind of Christian are you?I'm not a big fan of that question. A true one. There's only one type of Christian. You're saved or not. And if you are saved, you have to be public about it. You have to testify to the truth of it, to care more about what God thinks than what people think. Mark 6:27. Immediately the king sent an executioner with orders to bring John's head. He went and beheaded him in the prison and brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. Besides gratifying a sadistic whim, the production of the head on a platter is proof that John has been killed.And the title king is used over and over in our text in particular here. It's technically inaccurate. He wasn't a king. He was a tetrarch. He was a puppet for Rome. But the title king is repeated ironically because Herod wasn't a king. He was outwitted and manipulated by two women and hamstrung by his own oath and his fear of losing faith before his subjects. The supposed king wasn't king even over himself. He couldn't control himself much less his subjects. He's over mastered by his sin.He's over mastered by his desires. He's over mastered by his emotions, which swing wildly from superstitious dread, he thinks Jesus is John resurrected, to awe and fascination and confusion to arousal that seems to border on insanity and to extreme depression. In this context, his pretensions to royal authority appear almost like a farce. He appears to rule whereas actually his strings are being pulled by others. The tyrant isn't even a true king over himself. He's a slave to his own passions.Herod lets John die, and thus shows himself to be among those in whom despite their attraction to the kingdom of God, despite the fact that the seeds seem like they have been planted in his heart, he's gladly listening to the word, he's gladly listening to the sermons, but the cares and concerns of this age end up choking the word. A lesson for each one of us here is if you fear God more than man, you might lose your head, but not your soul. And if you fear man over God, you might keep your head.You might even become more prosperous and lose your soul in the process. And Jesus said, "What prophet is it to someone gain the whole world and yet lose their soul?" For Herod, saving faith was more important than saving his soul. Verse 29. When his disciples heard of it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb. We see finally in these verses how little reward one of God's greatest servants gets in this world. John's life after a life of faithful witness to Christ ends in unjust imprisonment and a violent death.Like Steven, like James and like the other apostles of whom the world was not worthy, he was called to seal his testimony with his blood. Histories like these are meant to remind us that the true Christians' best things are yet to come. His rest, his crown, his wages, his reward are all on the other side of the grave. Here in this world we must walk by faith and not by sight. And if we look for the praise of people, we're not going to get it. And here in this life, we must sow and labor and fight and endure persecution, and we are to know that this life is not all there is.One day retribution will come and heaven will make amends for all. Romans 8:18 says, "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us." 1 Corinthians 2:6. Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age who are doomed to pass away. But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for his glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this.For if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written, what no I has seen nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined which God has prepared for those who love him. These things God has revealed to us through the Spirit, for the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. We see what King Herod thought of John the Baptist. King Herod's opinion doesn't really matter. John the Baptist cared more not about what King Herod thought of him, but what King Jesus thought about him.And what did King Jesus think of John the Baptist? Well, Jesus tells us in Matthew 11:11, "Truly, I say to you, among those born of women, there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist. Until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the prophets in the law prophesied until John, and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. He who has ears to hear, let him hear."John the Baptist, according to Christ, was the greatest of all men that was ever born. Why? Because John knew his place, he knew his job, and his job was to proclaim Christ. He knew that he was to decrease so that Christ would increase. In John's cruel death, we're also given a glimpse of Jesus' faith, that Jesus' ministry would eventually take him to Jerusalem where he would be rejected and imprisoned and ultimately mocked, scourged, and crucified. And there are numerous parallels between John and Christ.Each was eagerly heard and become the object of curiosity of a leader. John with Herod, Jesus with Pilate, each false victim to his enemy's murderous intention, is arrested, bound, and ignominiously executed and buried. Thanks be to God, Jesus' head wasn't put on a platter. That Jesus, even though he was crucified, in his crucifixion, in his death, he conquered death and the grave and he rose on the third day. Since he's far greater than even John himself, he overcame death.And in his death, we see the death of death itself. The last recorded mention of Herod, this Herod, presents him as a hardened blasphemer. At the end of Jesus' life, Pilate sends Jesus to Herod and Herod has another opportunity to repent of his sin. In Luke 23:6, when Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. And when he heard that he belonged to Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him over to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem. At that time.When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had long desire to see him, because he had heard about him and he was hoping to see some sign done by him. So he questioned him at some length, but he made no answer. And the chief priest and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him. And Herod with the soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him. Then, arraying him in splendid clothing, he sent him back to Pilate. And Herod and Pilate became friends with each other on that very day, for before this they had been at enmity with each other. Herod gladly received the servants of John.And here you see the progression into sin, where when Christ is right before, he stands face to face with the Son of God, all he can do is mock. He's absolutely dead inside, jaded. He had passed the point of no return, a point when repentance is no longer given. Friends, you just need to know this is a reality. If you keep prolonging repentance, the day of repentance, the day of turning from sin and turning to Christ, at some point there will be a day of no return, at some point the gift of repentance will not be extended to you, at some point the Holy Spirit will stop wooing.So what do we need to do? If you hear God's voice today in your heart, repent of sin and turn to him. Acts 17. Paul before the men of Athens and the Areopagus, he says, "The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given insurance to all by raising him from the dead." Now, when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked.But others said, "We will hear you again about this." So Paul went out from their midst, but some men joined them and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them. Today, if you hear the voices of God, repent from sin and turn to Christ, recognize that Christ is the only way of salvation. His sacrifice on the cross is the only sacrifice that can atone for our sins and the wrath that they deserve.Today, we are celebrating holy communion in which we remember the sufferings of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on the cross on our behalf when he laid down his life for his sheep, for whom is communion. It is for repentant followers of Jesus Christ. If you are not a follower of Jesus Christ, if you have not repented of sin, if you have not believed in him, today is your opportunity to do that, repent of sin and turn to him. If you are a self-identified believer in Jesus Christ, but you know that there's unrepented sin in your life, sin that you have not left, we ask that you refrain from this part of the service.So do nothing for you. Instead, take time to meditate on the gospel. If you are a repentant follower of Christ, you'd like to partake of holy communion. And if you have not received the elements, please raise your hand and one of the ushers will bring them to you. And as they do that, I'll read 1 Corinthians 11:23-32. For I receive from the Lord what I also deliver to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread. And when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me."In the same way also, he took the cup after supper saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill and some have died. But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world. Would you pray with me over holy communion? Heavenly Father, we thank you for your lavish love and sending your Jesus Christ for us. Jesus, we thank you that you died on the cross for our sins while we were yet sinners.You died for us recognizing that this was the only way to save us from our sin and save us from the wrath to come. Lord Jesus, we thank you that even as you hung on that cross, you were busy forgiving people, crying out, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." We recognize from that text even ignorance of our sin is not defense against the wrath of God. So we plead the blood, we ask Jesus forgive us of our sins.We repent of breaking commandments, transgressing commandments, and we pray by the grace of God that you give us the power of the Holy Spirit to live lives of righteousness. As we remember your suffering on the cross today, let us be sobered by the fact that that's what it took to save us from our sin. So how can we continue living in sin? Give us a hunger and thirst for righteousness and continue to satisfy us with your presence. And Lord Jesus, we thank you that you did not stay dead.You rose on the third day, and today you are sitting at the right hand of God ruling and reigning. We pray that you continue to establish your kingdom all around the world and in particular in our region. And we pray all this in Christ's holy name, amen. There are two lids. You open the top lid to open the cup and the bottom lid to open the bread. On the night that Jesus Christ was betrayed, he took the bread. And after breaking it, he said, "This is my body broken for you. Take eat and do this in remembrance of me."Then proceeded to take the cup and he said, "This cup is the cup of the new covenant of my blood, which is poured up for the sins of many. Take drink and do this and remembrance of me." Oh Lord, we thank you that you have chosen us to be a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for your own possession, so that we may proclaim the excellencies of our king, a king who calls us out of darkness into your marvelous light. We thank you, Lord, that you offer us your mercy and your grace.We thank you that you offer us your presence in the power of the Holy Spirit. And we pray, Lord, that you continue to bless this church, continue to draw your elect, and continue to sanctify every single one of us so we grow ever more beautiful in your sight. Make us a people who are more courageous than ever, more bold than ever, proclaiming the gospel at every opportunity that we have. And make us a people, Lord, that revel in the fact that we are yours and you are a great and mighty king, an excellent king. And we love you and we pray all this in Jesus' name, amen.

SHOW NOTES: - Head to our Start Page for all you need to begin! - Join the RECAPtains - Check out the TBR Store - Show credits - Listen to Scrooge: A Christmas Carol   FROM TODAY'S PODCAST:  - Acts 6:1-7 - Matthew 2 - Article: Who was Herod Agrippa? - Video: Acts Overview (Part 2) - TBR in Spanish   SOCIALS: The Bible Recap: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter D-Group: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter TLC: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter   D-GROUP: The Bible Recap is brought to you by D-Group - an international network of discipleship and accountability groups that meet weekly in homes and churches: Find or start one near you today!   DISCLAIMER:  The Bible Recap, Tara-Leigh Cobble, and affiliates are not a church, pastor, spiritual authority, or counseling service. Listeners and viewers consume this content on a voluntary basis and assume all responsibility for the resulting consequences and impact.

From Luke's chronology of the early church, an unlikely character appears. Herod Agrippa, a persecutor of The Way, makes an early morning speech. The rising sun illuminates his silver tunic, and his audience proclaims him a god. Is the lesson that we are not to take glory for ourselves, or is there something more? Join Dr. James Boice next time, on The Bible Study Hour as he explores a minor story with a major purpose. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/81/29

How does understanding God's nature help us understand missionary work and priesthood authority? Dr. Michael Goodman explores the expanding Church, Peter's growth, and God's prophetic pattern for teaching His children.00:00 Part 1–Dr. Michael Goodman01:11 Introduction of Dr. Michael Goodman03:12 Background and context04:49 God's plan involves everyone07:56 Teaching Jews and then Gentiles08:55 Understanding the nature of God 10:17 Cornelius's vision and conversion13:25 Peter's vision of clean animals and missionary work17:03 Policy, programs, and progress19:03 Edmund from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe20:11 Is it salvific?22:30 The Cornelius story continues25:20 God is no respecter of persons30:04 God is biased toward His children31:58 Elder Bednar teaches how God teaches 34:08 The prophetic pattern36:13 Acts 10 and Article of Faith 937:41 Converting to Christianity questions40:30 The Holy Ghost and the power to remember42:05 The persecution of Stephen46:48 Learning to accept Saints 50:29 Herod Agrippa, James, and Peter imprisoned55:20 Trusting God and His timing59:42 Emily Watts' story of a pioneer girl1:02:18 Elder Foster shares a story about a girl that drowned1:05:25 John Mark is introduced1:08:04 Paul and Barnabas and a sorcerer1:13:15 The History of Israel in Acts1:15:50 Paul is successful 1:19:49 End of Part 1–Dr. Michael GoodmanPlease rate and review the podcast.Show Notes (English, French, Spanish, Portuguese): https://followhim.coFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/followhimpodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/followhimpodcastYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/FollowHimOfficialChannelThanks to the followHIM team:Shannon Sorensen: Executive Producer, SponsorDavid & Verla Sorensen: SponsorsDr. Hank Smith: Co-hostJohn Bytheway: Co-hostDavid Perry: ProducerKyle Nelson: Marketing, SponsorLisa Spice: Client Relations, Editor, Show NotesJamie Neilson: Social Media, Graphic DesignWill Stoughton: Video EditorKrystal Roberts: Translation Team, English & French Transcripts, WebsiteAriel Cuadra: Spanish Transcripts"Let Zion in Her Beauty Rise" by Marshall McDonaldhttps://www.marshallmcdonaldmusic.com/products/let-zion-in-her-beauty-rise-piano

Today, we feature a powerful devotional thought from Pastor Greg's Daily Devotion. Follow Daily Devotions from Greg Laurie here. --- We can't create a revival. We can't organize a revival. But we can agonize in prayer for a revival. A revival is a supernatural invasion of God. It is something that God does for us and not something we do for Him. One person defined revival as a community saturated with God. Richard Owen Roberts, who wrote a great book called Revival, described it as “an extraordinary movement of the Holy Spirit producing extraordinary results.” A. W. Tozer defined revival as that which changes the moral climate of the community. Revival is nothing more or less than a new beginning of obedience to God. And really, nonbelievers don't need revival; they need salvation. The church needs revival. Revival is for believers only, but evangelism is for nonbelievers. Charles Spurgeon said, “To be revived is a blessing which can only be enjoyed by those who have some degree of life. Those who have no spiritual life are not, and cannot be, in the strictest sense of the term, subjects of a revival. A true revival is to be looked for in the Church of God.” I don't think most Americans have heard an authentic, biblical gospel presentation. In fact, I think we have a lot of “almost Christians” in our nation today. They know a little about the gospel, but they don't understand it fully. They haven't responded to it or embraced it. For example, when the apostle Paul presented the gospel to Herod Agrippa, the ruler said, “You almost persuade me to become a Christian” (Acts 26:28 NKJV). One of the greatest revivals in human history started with one man, Jonah. Initially he ran from God, but ultimately he came to his senses. God has called us, like Jonah, to go and preach the gospel. The question is, are we doing it? --- JESUS REVOLUTION is in theaters everywhere February 24, 2023. Catch an early screening February 22. Go to https://jesusrevolution.movie/  This podcast is supported by the generosity of our Harvest Partners.Support the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SHOW NOTES:  - All the info you need to START is on our website! Seriously, go there. - Join our PATREON community for bonus perks! - Get your TBR merch - Show credits   FROM TODAY'S PODCAST:  - Acts 6:1-7 - Matthew 2 - Article: Who was Herod Agrippa? - Video: Acts Overview (Part Two)   SOCIALS: The Bible Recap: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter D-Group: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter TLC: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter   D-GROUP: The Bible Recap is brought to you by D-Group - an international network of discipleship and accountability groups that meet weekly in homes and churches: Find or start one near you today!   DISCLAIMER: The Bible Recap, Tara-Leigh Cobble, and affiliates are not a church, pastor, spiritual authority, or counseling service. Listeners and viewers consume this content on a voluntary basis and assume all responsibility for the resulting consequences and impact.