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Kansas City UBF, USA
March 18, 2014

HE PREACHED THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND TAUGHT ABOUT THE LORD JESUS CHRIST

Acts 28:30-31 "For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ."

My 2013 key verse was 2 Corinthians 4:1: "Therefore, since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart." Here the phrase "lose heart" is from the Greek word "ek-kakeo," whose typical meaning is to "lose heart" or to "give up." But the underlying meaning is to be cowardly and wicked. To lose heart or give up something good is to be cowardly and in fact to be wicked. Paul said, "Through God's mercy we have this ministry." By "this ministry" Paul meant the ministry of the word of God. By God's grace, in 2013, in spite of many shortcomings Kansas City UBF continued in the ministry of the word of God and I thank God for this.

My 2014 key verses are Acts 28:30-31: "For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ."

These are the last two verses of the book of Acts. The importance of these two verses is contained in the following remark: "Luke has shown how the gospel that Paul proclaimed entered Rome. Now he gives us this summary of Paul's two-year ministry while he was under house arrest as a prisoner in chains. In seeming to leave his book unfinished, he was implying that the apostolic proclamation of the gospel that was begun in the first century will continue until the consummation of the kingdom of God."

I would like to consider the influence of Paul's ministry of the word of God in those two years while he was a prisoner in chains. The influence of his ministry is well summarized in Philippians 1:12-14: "Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. Because of my chains most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly."

In short, Paul's becoming a prisoner in chains was used by God to advance the gospel. In two ways God used Paul to advance the gospel:

First, the whole palace guard and everyone else came to know that Paul became a prisoner in chains for Christ. The palace guard was the official bodyguard of the emperor, which took charge of all imperial prisoners. Ever since his arrest in Jerusalem, Paul had been chained to a guard, except for the moments on the ship carrying him to Rome. Now he was in the care of the palace guard. Paul had some freedom. He was living in a rented house. He could have visitors. But always there was the guard.

What did Paul do in this situation? He must have been tempted to complain. But Paul knew that he was a prisoner of Jesus Christ, rather than a prisoner of Rome. Paul witnessed the word of God to the guards. Paul witnessed the word of God to the first guard, and to the one who replaced him, and to another who replaced the second guard, and throughout the days, weeks, months, and years. In this way, in time Paul reached most of the imperial guard with the word of God.

Second, because of his chains in the Lord many brothers in the Lord were encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly. Many brothers in the Lord overcame their fear and became bold witnesses of the word of God through Paul's example.

On the first Lord's Day of 2014, we studied Philemon. Philemon 1:10 says, "I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains." As a prisoner in chains, Paul did not despair. Even as a prisoner Paul raised Onesimus as a disciple of Jesus. I am sure that Paul raised many disciples of Jesus other than Onesimus as a prisoner in chains.

In his grace God has called me to witness the word of God in UMKC campus. I pray that in 2014 I will follow Paul’s example in Rome as a prisoner in chains. May God help me to witness the word of God to UMKC students through 1:1 Bible study. May God help me to prepare the word of God through weekly reflection writing.

I thank God that Kansas City UBF ministry will be a partner of Uganda UBF ministry by participating in supporting Dr. Luke Lim and his family $300 per month in 2014.

One Word: Paul preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.

By Noah Lee