Convergence

0:00 I wanted to read, read a prayer that I received this week. Uh, this is a call for prayer from Christian leaders in Iran. Uh, it is called An Edict for Lasting Peace in Iran. In the name of the one who was, who is, and who is to come. Who is above all and before anything that was. All things are from Him, through Him, for Him, and in Him are held together. He is eternal, manifest in

0:47 the flesh, but with no sin, justified in the Spirit, witnessed to by angels, believed on in the world. He is the Most High, the Sovereign, the Powerful, and Supreme over all. He alone is worthy of adoration. He was slain to receive power. Now resurrected, all riches, wisdom, strength, and honor belong to Him. He is full of mercy, grace, and truth. He is the eternal judge, and He alone has the power to forgive sins. Blessed be His holy name. His name is Jesus, and He is God. May the grace and peace of our Savior,

1:32 Jesus, who is God, be upon you. This edict is from the leadership of fifty-two Jesus Kingdom movements throughout Iran. In the words of our Messiah, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God." For the last six hundred years, the peoples of our country have experienced, excuse me, have suffered under the oppression of evil. And today, we are praying for peace to come to our land. We request that every Jesus follower on earth join with us in this opportunity to rescue our nation from evil and to build up every family, tribe, language, and people in our land to

2:18 worship and honor Jesus, our God and King. "The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them. He delivers them from all their troubles," Psalm thirty-four:seventeen. Pray for the end of violence, terror, and all kinds of evil that have controlled the hearts and minds of the people of Iran. There can be no peace without the rule of the Prince of Peace, and we call on believers everywhere to intercede on behalf of every person in Iran. "I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving be made for all people, for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet

3:04 lives in all godliness and holiness," First Timothy two:one through six. We ask for prayer by name for each of the religious and political leaders of Iran. Ask the Most High God to intervene through signs, wonders, dreams, and visions that they might find salvation in Jesus, the one mediator between God and humankind. We ask for every person to find forgiveness for sin and freedom from shame by humbling themselves before Jesus, who is the ransom for all people. This is our kairos moment, and we must not miss this. In our hearts, we carry the burden of reaching all ninety million of our brothers and sisters who are now badly suffering in spirit and

3:52 body. We must rescue thousands of children whose future lives have been taken from them and directed toward violence and death. Together, by the mercy of God, let us hear the words of Jesus and let the children come, restoring their hearts, their lives, and their future into God's kingdom. We must also, also rescue this next generation from the lies they have been told and the hopelessness that has settled over millions of these young men and women. Many have lost loved ones, seen their hopes destroyed, and they do not deserve a future of violence, evil, and war. We pray for a generation of Esthers and Daniel to

4:37 rise up again from Iran and exalt the Most High God and the salvation available through Jesus, our Savior King. Now, let us unite and contend for peace and the rule of love to find freedom in the hearts of all Iranians. Let us pray until this request has become a reality in every village, every town, every city, and among every language group in Iran. Avinu shebashamayin, our Father in heaven. Lord, we come to you, and we unite and stand in agreement with this prayer. Lord, we ask that you would raise up a generation of Esthers and Daniels

5:25 to stand for you and to exalt you as the Most High God and to proclaim salvation available through Yeshua, our Messiah. Lord, we pray for dreams and visions and wonders and signs to be made known, to make Yeshua known throughout Iran. Lord, we join with the body of Messiah in Iran and pray for them and for their safety, and we bless you in Yeshua's name. Amen.I'd

6:10 like to invite Rabbi Sean to come forward at this time. You see, I had a day totally off, and I couldn't resist just saying something up here. Avinu sh'vashamayim, our Father in heaven, Lord, I thank you for Rabbi Sean. Lord, I thank you for his heart and his dedication to serving you here at Baruch Hashem. Lord, I pray that you would speak to us today, that you would open up our ears to hear from you through his lips, and we bless you in Yeshua's name. Amen. Amen. Thank you, Rabbi Ari.

7:00 I see God in the convergence of things. A baby born into a family that was rejected by the government. They were ordered to put their babies to death, but resisted. A young girl that refused to obey an unjust law and had compassion on a child. This child would be raised within the royal court. He prospered, though he would be killed if his ethnicity were found out. He struggled with identity questions relating to both the oppressed and the oppressor.

7:46 A baby is born into a poor family, forced to travel a far distance to register because of a decision of a powerful ruler. The young mother traveled at the peak of pregnancy. There were no proper accommodations for the birth, and the baby was delivered in unsanitary conditions, finding his first bed in a feeding trough for animals. It was an era marked by high taxes, political paranoia, and a deep longing for liberation from an oppressive regime. The child was raised in a town so obscure that people wondered if anything good could come out of

8:34 it. A baby is born in Atlanta, Georgia, in nineteen twenty-nine. His parents did not have the right to vote. He would attend racially segregated schools and could not enter the restaurants of the ruling class or even drink from their water fountains. At age twenty-six, he would lead a protest against a segregated bus system, organizing a sophisticated carpool system with over two hundred volunteers. In response, he was arrested, jailed, and his home was bombed while his wife and infant daughter were inside. He was a fourth-generation

9:22 Baptist minister. When he read Genesis, he reflected that all humanity was created in the image of God. When he read the story of the Exodus, as we did today, he saw hope for the deli-- for the deliverance of an oppressed people. When he read the Gospels, he saw a deliverer who contested a violent government with nonviolence and was put to death publicly for his message, though standing for righteousness. He had a vision for a country where all people had equal rights. He captured the imagination of the

10:07 country through this challenging yet compelling sermons and social action. When he considered Moses with his vision of a promised land that he himself would not live to enjoy, he realized that he may not live to see the future he envisioned. He realized that he might not make it to the age of forty, and he was correct. At age thirty-nine, he was fatally shot at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. led a unique life marked by an intense convergence of political pressure. Although he was raised in the church

10:55 within a healthy, loving family, he could not stand by while his people were being oppressed. The scriptures gave him a picture of a better world, and he spent his life fighting for it. Obviously, he was not able to eradicate racism in society. However, he brought about a great deal of change in our country. We would be so much worse without his life. Like Moses and Yeshua, he suffered so that others could flourish. In addition to emerging out of a challenging context, Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

11:41 formed his theology upon ethical principles. Additionally, he had clear and definable goals in mind and was able to articulate them in such a way that welcomed others. Through his commitment to nonviolent resistance and the prevalence of American television, our country's brutality was put on full display in such a way that it impacted the conscience of the American people.I was pleasantly surprised this week to learn from my mother that my grandfather had met with King. They were the same age and even had the same number of children. King was the speaker for the Rabbinical

12:30 Council of America Con, Convention at the Concord. Today, we will be looking at Acts chapter twenty-five, verses one through twelve. Like Moses, Yeshua, and King, Paul finds himself caught up in the government machinery. He's being held in prison in Caesarea for no crime. The Roman governor Felix was awaiting a bribe and perhaps seeking to appease his wealthy constituents in Jerusalem. Yet there was a change of the guard. Festus emerges as the new governor.

13:16 While Luke, our narrator, is ambivalent concerning the morals of Governor Festus, Festus is clearly more motivated to take action than his predecessor, Felix. Paul had now spent two years at Caesarea, and he had made the most of his incarceration. He received visitors, formulated his theology, and even witnessed to the governor. However, Paul's season in Caesarea is coming to a close. The new governor had different motivations and would not be holding out for a bribe. Paul, Festus, and the Judean leaders each had their own

14:03 goals in mind, and God is at work in the midst of these political tensions. The title of my message is Convergence. The point is that we should consider the specific details of our lives, our ethics, and our goals. I have broken the passage into three sections accordingly. First, God is involved in the details, the little things of our lives. Second, ethics are essential for godly living. And lastly, our goals define our pursuits. My outline can be found on the

14:50 YouVersion app, and there are handouts in Spanish and English available if you simply raise your hand. I will be reading from the Tree of Life version of the Bible. Acts twenty-five, verses one through five read as follows. Three days after Festus arrived in the province, he went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. There the ruling kohanim and the leading Judeans brought charges against Paul. They were urging him, asking a favor, to have Paul sent to Jerusalem, planning an ambush to kill him on the road. Festus then answered that

15:37 Paul was being guarded at Caesarea, and that he himself was about to go there shortly. "So then," he said, "let the prominent men among you go down with me, and if there is any wrong in the man, let them accuse him." God is involved in the details of our lives. Who likes being uncomfortable? Anyone? Any hands? The prior examples that I mentioned, Moses, Yeshua, King, all shared this element of a highly difficult context from which they emerged, and Paul is no different in

16:24 this regard. He was raised as a Pharisee and rose to great heights among his people, likely becoming a member of the Sanhedrin. In any case, he had enough authority in Jerusalem to persecute Messianic Jews, to receive letters from the high priest and the council, and even to vote to condemn and oversee the deaths of Messianic Jews. This all must have been very impressive to put upon his resume. Paul is unique in that he went from being an active oppressor to an oppressed person. As a result of his personal encounter with Yeshua,

17:12 he went through a great transformation. While he remained a zealous Jew, his view towards Yeshua and his followers changed dramatically. He went from being a prominent leader among the Sanhedrin to a prominent Messianic Jew, seeking not only the welfare of his people Israel, but also of the nations. The text does not depict the extent to which he incurred guilt for his former actions against Messianic Jewish believers. However, he is now willing to pay whatever cost is necessary to proclaim Yeshua to the highest authorities.

17:57 And amazingly, within his context, he is able to access the highest leaders in Israel as well as Caesar, the most powerful political figure in the world. It was pointed out in Wednesday Night Live, a Bible study which you should all be attending, and no, you don't need to be a memberThat like Joseph, Paul waited two years in prison. There was a new governor, Porcius Festus, who had taken over for Governor Felix. Felix was a highly complicated character in the

18:42 narrative. He was open to many conversations with Paul and had extensive knowledge concerning the way of Yeshua. He even brought his Jewish wife, Drusilla, to meet Paul. However, when Paul's teaching on righteousness, self-control, and coming judgment would become too intense, Felix dismissed Paul back to his quarters. Luke tells us that Felix was seeking a bribe rather than seeking to be transformed by the gospel. Somehow, Paul ended up spending two years in this holding pattern. Paul appears to be quite a driven man.

19:27 He clearly had goals in mind. Foremost, the divine impression that he would testify of Yeshua in Rome. If Paul could have appealed to Caesar at any moment as a Roman citizen, I wonder what prevented him from doing that for these two years. We will explore this a bit further in the coming verses. However, to consider the other examples mentioned earlier, Moses lived forty years and rose to be a prince in Egypt, and then another forty years as a shepherd in Midian before he confronted Pharaoh. Yeshua was about thirty years of age when he began his public

20:12 ministry. Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. received his license to preach at age eighteen, was ordained as a Baptist minister at nineteen, and became pastor of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, at age twenty-five. Perhaps you're thinking that King started pretty early in ministry, and you're right. However, King's context in Montgomery, Alabama, is what gave him proximity to what would become known as the Montgomery Bus Boycott, where Rosa Parks was arrested for resisting segregation. This is when King's ministry would take a radical shift and thrust him

20:58 onto the world stage. All of these lives share a time of spiritual formation in preparation for world-changing conflict. While we do not wish for suffering in our lives, it is the suffering that gives us the impetus for change and prophetic response. I imagine that these two years of imprisonment gave Paul a significant amount of time to study and to formulate his theology. Some scholars suggest that Philippians was written during Paul's imprisonment in Caesarea. I suggest reading the letter from the Birmingham Jail if you wish to

21:44 see how King's imprisonment impacted his ministry. Paul's context in Acts twenty-five is the change of the guard. Felix is out, and Festus is in. While Luke displays Festus as yet another corrupt politician, he is different than Felix. While Felix kept Paul in a holding pattern for two years, Festus is looking to take action on Paul's case as soon as possible. Going up to Jerusalem was important for the governor, who wished to be in good standing with the elites in the priesthood. The ruling priests and leading Judeans were seeking a favor from

22:31 Festus. He was able to placate them without giving them specifically what they wanted. We don't know why Festus did not grant their wish. Perhaps he was starting his regime, and he did not want to be pushed around or bullied by the Judean leaders. Perhaps the logistics of bringing Paul just didn't make sense, as Festus would soon be returning to Caesarea. In any case, the Judean leaders were hiding their true motive for moving the case, as they wished to kill Paul in an ambush on the road. Perhap-perhaps Festus wished to assert his authority by reviewing the case himself before making such a decision, and

23:19 God is involved in all these details. We realize, I think, that God is involved in the details of our faith, what we believe about Yeshua, and how we seek to be a witness for the Lord. I think we get all that. However, we can fail to realize the presence of God in the other details of our lives. We may fail to recognize the way that God is at work in our families, in our workplaces, and the problems in the world that we wish would just go away. In fact, and this is just as uncomfortable for me as it is for you,

24:06 God is at work in the areas of our lives that we are displeased with. The seed is buried and dies, and something new emerges. Have you ever had your heart broken? Have you ever had your dreams dashed? Has your life ever fallen apart?This is not at all pleasant, but it is the context from which new life emerges. Here, one of the greatest lights to ever shine for Yeshua is confined, imprisoned for two years, and it wouldn't be the last time either. We see that Paul is highly resilient and highly adaptable. He becomes a witness while he

24:55 is incarcerated, though he committed no crime. He is strategic and makes the most of the opportunity. He holds onto his faith and his calling in spite of things going very poorly from a human perspective. What context do you find yourself in today? What is the main thing that is bothering you? Can you identify it? That's the first step to doing something about it. Do you see that God is involved in the details of your situation? Do you see that the Spirit of God, the Ruach, is involved, not just in

25:40 you, but everyone involved in your life? Some of you are thinking, "That's crazy." Maybe so, but consider this. The word Ruach means breath. It also means spirit. It also means wind. It is the air that we breathe. For those of us that are living and breathing, we are partaking of the Spirit of God which dwells in us. However, we are not the only ones breathing the air. All humanity

26:26 and every creature is breathing the same air and experiencing the presence of God, the breath, the wind, the spirit, the Ruach. The difference is that some of us recognize this and some do not. Yet, as followers of Yeshua, we can fail to see the presence of God or the image of God in others, and sometimes we are not even willing to recognize that the Ruach is present in the lives of other followers of Yeshua, Jesus. What situation in your life seems outside of the purview of

27:12 God? What if you began to see what God was doing precisely in that difficult, uncomfortable situation? This is what marked the lives of Moses, Yeshua, King, and Paul. To what extent does this mark your life? Acts twenty-five, verses six through nine read as follows, "After spending not more than eight to ten days with them, he went down to Caesarea. The next day he sat on the judgment seat and ordered Paul to be brought in. When he arrived, the Judeans

28:00 who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing against him many serious charges, which they could not prove. Paul said in his defense, 'I have committed no offense against the Torah of the Jewish people or against the temple or against Caesar.'" Ethics are essential for godly living. Festus spends a little more than a week with the Jerusalem elites, and it was wise for him to be in such relationship with them. Jerusalem was a hotbed of rebellion and an important

28:47 city in Festus' province. The Judean leaders would also be incentivized to get close to the new governor. And though Festus was not Jewish, he clearly knew the vernacular as he described in his own words, going down to Caesarea. Although Caesarea was techli- technically north of Jerusalem, one must descend to go to Jerusalem. Even though it was a place of political corruption, physically and symbolically, one going to Jerusalem is always making aliyah or going up. One departing is always going down.

29:34 It's also interesting to note the dual role of Festus. He is not only the governor shaking hands and kissing babies, he is also the judge over cases within his province, as we see in the case of Paul. Festus does accommodate the Judeans who had come fro-- come from Jerusalem to accuse Paul. However, he maintains the home court advantage. The picture of these Judean leaders surrounding Paul and accusing him is quite visceral, especially in light of their lack of evidence and murderous intent.

30:19 I hope that you never have to witness such animosity in the eyes of another. However, Paul was able to stand in the face of such vile and unjustified hatred.What empowered him to withstand such animosity? As we mentioned earlier, Paul was aware of the presence of God. And furthermore, on a human level, he would have been uniquely qualified to understand such murderous zeal, as he was once persecuting Messianic Jewish people himself. However, while these elements are implied in the text, Paul is explicit upon what

31:08 grounds he is able to withstand such accusations. He has committed no offense against the Torah of the Jewish people, or against the Temple, or against Caesar. Notice that Paul understands how the system works. He does not present himself as the great spiritual authority or even mention that God had promised to send him to Rome. That would have been very foolish at this point. Rather, he recognizes his context, a Roman court, as well as his accusers from among his brethren. While we are not told explicitly what

31:55 accusations the Judean leaders make against Paul on that day, we might presume that they were similar to the charges brought to Felix two years earlier. He's a pest. He's stirring up riots among the Jews. He's a ringleader of the sect of the Nazratim. Perhaps they thought of some new ones over the two years which they had to ruminate upon the matter. However, just as was the case two years prior, they had no evidence with which to back up their charges. Maybe at this point, they thought that they could at least get Paul locked up for another two years or so,

32:40 like they had before, in order to avoid the threat to the status quo that he represented. In Paul's three-pronged defense, he responded to all factions which could seek to judge him. Concerning the Pharisees, Paul had committed no offense against the Torah. Concerning the Tzedukim, the Sadducees, Paul had committed no offense against the Temple. And concerning Rome, Paul had committed no offense against Caesar. Although we don't know the specific charges against Paul at this point, by mentioning Caesar, it is possible that Paul is seeking to

33:25 steer the discussion. However, Festus is also a clever man, and he has his own motives in mind. He is still playing the political game with his wealthy constituents. Perhaps if he grants them a favor, he can be rewarded later. So, in seeking to appear objective, which is important for a judge and a Roman governor presiding over a trial between the Judean leaders and a Roman citizen, Festus asks Paul if he would be willing to move the trial to Jerusalem. Remember, Claudius Lysias, the Roman commander, had already brought Paul before the Sanhedrin.

34:14 His reasoning was that the charges against Paul concerned Jewish law. However, knowing Paul was a Roman citizen, and that Lysias almost got Paul killed three times, which he didn't mention, he sent Paul to Caesarea. So Paul has been through all of this before. He had already testified before the high priest, the highest authority. Paul had already learned that the Sanhedrin wanted to kill him, or at least a sizable number of them. So Paul would know firsthand that this was not an empty threat. Furthermore, he had just witnessed the vitriol of his opponents in the court.

35:00 Paul was a smart man, and he wasn't about to walk into their trap. However, with the judge and governor Festus suggesting a retrial in Jerusalem, Paul surely would have felt the pressure mounting upon him. So before we move forward in the narrative, let's learn something from Paul. If Paul had done wrong, or if the Judean leaders had come prepared with evidence of a crime, Paul would have not received a favorable outcome. He did not have any friends or other witnesses on his behalf to represent him in the court. However, Paul was emboldened by his

35:45 innocence. Mark Twain said, "If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything." That helps as we get older. Yeshua said, "The truth will..." Right. These earlier examples all had to suffer because of unjust laws. You might think of Joseph, Moses, Yeshua, King. Paul had not broken any laws, and still he was persecuted. Society is simply not kind to certain populations. However, Paul could suffer with dignity. Although no lawyer

36:32 was provided to Paul in standing against his fierce and clever accusers, Paul could stand firm.He even had the chutzpah to push back upon Festus, the Roman governor presiding over his case. Paul's ethics empowered his boldness. What are your ethics? Have you ever given serious thought to this? You know, there's a reason why I now drive slowly on BeltLine Road, and it's not because I'm some great ethicist. Rather, I have learned by experience what happens when I violate the

37:17 code, and I do not wish to be punished again, especially on the Richards-Richardson side, it's even worse. Note to self, uh. And perhaps if there were no speed limits, we would all be doing a hundred. However, what if there were no law in any sphere of life? What if we were free from the law? What if there was no legal consequence? Would you still do good? You don't have to answer out loud. But this gives you a sense of your own personal convictions and ethics. Perhaps you are the kind of

38:05 person that will not steal even if you know you won't get caught. That's personal ethics. And if we're honest with ourselves, we each probably have some strong ethical convictions, some areas where we have a high degree of self-control. Conversely, we each possess some weaker areas where it is only the fear of consequence that keeps us from doing wrong, namely BeltLine Road. And then in addition to this, we have areas where we just sin, doing wrong even though we know it is

38:51 wrong, thus violating our own morals and our own conscience. I don't believe that Paul was a flawless person. He obviously had made some poor decisions in his past, and he continues to struggle with temptation just like the rest of us. I was just thinking of Festivus for the rest of us, but- Sorry. However, concerning these accusations which were being brought against Paul, there was no need for him to have a cover-up. I won't make any jokes about cover-ups. He could stand up to questioning

39:39 without legal representation in a high court here and with a clear conscience. Are you comfortable with the life that you are living? I'm not talking about living comfortably in the sense of sipping champagne while you're thirsty. Is your conscience clean? Are you pleased with your own conduct? We all sin and fall short of the glory of God, but we can also live in such a way that we do not need to be ashamed. Having personal ethics or standards of living can help us to flourish

40:27 in spite of the challenges of life. Paul was not ashamed and was ready to answer for his conduct, as he knew that deep down he had been ethical in such matters. Acts twenty-five, verses ten through twelve read as follows, "But Paul said, 'I am standing before Caesar's judgment seat, where I ought to be tried. I have done no wrong to the Judeans, as you know very well. If then I am in the wrong and have committed anything worthy of death, I do not

41:12 seek to escape death. But if there is nothing to their charges, no one can turn me over to them. I appeal to Caesar.' Then when Festus had consulted with the council, he responded, 'You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you shall go.'" Our goals define our pursuits. Each character in this narrative has a specific goal which dictates their actions and their words. Festus seeks to move the f-- the trial to Jerusalem, only wishing to curry

41:57 favor with the Judean elites. The Judean leaders make accusations without evidence, and look at how close they get to having their way. They're this close. Paul, however, the prisoner, has his own goals. Here is where the hand of the Lord works on behalf of the oppressed. Moses resists Pharaoh. Yeshua pushed back on the societal norms, showing love and kindness to Samaritans and Gentiles. King pushed back on an oppressive system that didn't even allow his people to vote.This kind of

42:45 boldness comes from prophetic vision. Paul had experienced a visit from the Lord a couple of years prior to this event. The Lord said-- You know what the Lord said? We just said it three times when we finished reading the Book of Exodus. "Chazak! Take courage! For just as you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome." Paul carried this vision with him. Returning to the earlier question, you may wonder, having received such a vision, why Paul did not immediately appeal to Caesar.

43:34 He could have done it two years ago, right? Perhaps, as Paul notes in verse ten, he's already standing before Caesar's judgment seat, as Festus is the Roman governor and representative of Caesar. It can also be noted that Paul was able to receive friends and minister while he was in Caesarea. He was able to witness to Felix and Drusilla, as we remember from last week. Felix was also giving Paul the sense, even if it was false, that he would rule on the case when Claudius Lysias returned, even though he had no intention of calling Claudius Lysias. If you've ever worked with the

44:20 government, you'll realize that things don't always move as quickly as we desire. Perhaps the present of the-- the presence of the Lord was strong with Paul while he was imprisoned. Maybe it caused the time to move a little quicker than one would expect. In any case, Paul finds himself in a pinch point. There seem to be two roads before Paul. The road to Jerusalem is certain death. Besides, Paul had already witnessed to the chief priests and the Sanhedrin. And Festus makes it clear that

45:06 though Paul has done no wrong, he's not going to release him. Think about that. If you're innocent of the crimes you're being accused of, you might imagine that a just judge would simply release you. Perhaps Paul knew he would eventually testify in Rome, but he didn't know the timing. If the past two years had been any indication, Paul was not going to be experiencing much, much justice in Rome either. With the option of being set free somehow off the table for Paul, and the governor and accusers all pushing for moving the trial to

45:53 Jerusalem, Paul pulls out the wild card that he has been holding this entire time. He appeals to Caesar. I can't help but think of Uno when I... Note that no one tells him that this is an option during his trial. In fact, given how poorly Paul had been treated up to this point, he would have to be a madman to make such an appeal. And there is some scholarly debate concerning whether a Roman citizen could appeal to Caesar at any time. You might imagine that many criminals, before they were

46:40 sentenced, sensing things were going downhill, would suddenly appeal to Caesar, so at least they could live another day. Clearly, Paul using this phrase did not automatically grant him permission to go before Caesar. Rather, Festus consulted with his counsel and then granted Paul's request in the most ominous way possible. Before appealing to Caesar, Paul makes it clear that he is willing to pay the price of death should he deserve it. Those are dangerous words to say in such company. Again, I allude to these other characters of faith. Moses was willing to die

47:28 on behalf of the transgressions of his people. He paved the way to the Promised Land, though he himself did not walk in it. Yeshua died on behalf of the transgressions of Israel and the nations, paving the way for new life and even resurrection from the dead. King was assassinated while standing for civil rights. This tragedy accelerated the Fair Housing Act of 1968 and established a legacy of fighting for equality which continues today. Paul's death is not recorded in the book of Acts, but his sacrificial life and death should inspire each of us to have kingdom-oriented

48:15 goals worthy of the God that we serve. So, I realize it's a daunting question considering the cast of characters I just mentioned, but why are you here? What are your goals? Can you name one? I invite you to think of a goal that you have presently, and it doesn't need to be world-changing. Maybe you have a vision from the Lord. Maybe you've been inspired by scripture.Maybe there's something you simply know is right in your kishkes. It's sometimes easier to state a small,

49:01 manageable goal before moving on to something larger. Maybe you need to do your laundry. Maybe you need to finish your homework. Maybe you need to spend some time with a spouse, a child, or a friend, and these are good things. But I implore you additionally to do great things for God. Have what one author calls a big, hairy, audacious goal. Have something that seems ridiculous and even unattainable. Bring it before the Lord. It's usually good to be rational, I think.

49:46 But I invite you for just a moment to crawl out of the shell and to avail yourself to the Lord. Listen and make yourself available. Your goals define your pursuits and your destiny. King had a dream. I know that just those words evoke his sermon. What's your dream? And what are you doing to pursue it? Paul was quite clever. He knew the rules of the game. If you remember, just before his lashing, he revealed his Roman

50:31 citizenship, the wild card. Pick up four. Here, just as he was being set up for assassination, he appealed to Caesar. How'd he have two of those? This Shabbat, as we rest, let's take time to consider the details of our lives. Do you believe that it, that it's all coincidental, the things that are happening to us and around us? Or are you able to see God's hand in the details? When opposition comes, and it will, our lack of ethics can make us vulnerable. What are your personal

51:20 ethics and where do they come from? What rules do you stand by? Finally, Paul is able to navigate this political quagmire as a result of the guidance received from the Lord. Paul had a particular vision that was guiding his life, and this vision allowed him to outsmart even his toughest adversaries and witness to Yeshua in the greatest way possible. What goal or goals have you received from the Lord? What grand vision are you moving toward? Is it from the Lord or just your own ego?

52:09 This Shabbat, let's consider the specific details of our lives, our ethics, and our goals. Shabbat shalom. Yevarechecha Adonai ve'yishmerecha. Ya'er Adonai panayv eylecha vi'chuneka. Yisa Adonai panayv eylecha ve'yasem lecha shalom.

52:54 Yisa Adonai panayv eylecha ve'yasem lecha shalom. B'shem Yeshua, meshiheinu. In the name of our Messiah, Yeshua. Shabbat shalom.