Pastor Matt and Pastor Chris discuss Paul's re-encounter with the Jewish people in Jerusalem, and debate whether an encounter with a Bear or a Shark would be more survivable. ***SHOW NOTES***Paul initially gets the crowd by showing his pedigree and claiming to be just like them (v 1, 3-5)Often times if we hope to be able to make any headway in talking to people about the Gospel, we have to show them we were (or are) like them. We have to be able to bring down some of the dividing walls in order to have the space to share Jesus.In verse 12 he mentions that Ananias is “devout according to the law”. From chapter 9 we are well aware at this point that Ananias is in fact a Jewish Christian, and so apparently it was possible to both believe in Christ and been seen as someone who maintained respect in the first century Jewish community. Perhaps he was hiding his faith in Christ? But, even if he was Paul clearly points to him as someone who understands God’s plan through the person of Jesus Christ whom Ananias is quoted as calling “the Righteous One” (v14).At one point in life, God tells Paul to flee, but later He tells him to come back (V18)God’s prompting and plans for us are not a necessarily a straight, predictable path. Sometimes he’s going to tell us to speak, other times to stay silent. Sometimes to go. Sometimes to stay. And based on His perfect timing, what you’ve been prompted to do by the Holy Spirit now, could be different down the road as circumstances change.V 19-20 Paul was zealous for Jewish Law and customs. Although he is using his previous life as a way to defend himself to the mob, it must have still hurt to think back about his previous way of life and remember the faces of the people that he unjustly persecuted. Were it not for the Gospel, those would have been terribly haunting memories that would have created a tremendous amount of guilt. Yet, Paul lived as one free and forgiven! That’s the power of the Gospel! A man who was so powerful and dangerous, made meek, free and gentle.Where it all went wrong! V 21“Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.”Why did this reinvigorate the crowd to mob violence and the call for Paul’s life? Among other issues, the great offense of Paul was that it was supposed that he had brought Gentiles into the temple, thus desecrating the holy space of God. But is that how God feels or people feel? Does God tell certain people that they can’t have access to Him?Absolutely not!The radical message of Jesus Christ is that through belief, all people have access to God. In fact, we have such intimate access to God that we get to call Him “Abba,” Father.V 22-23 A violent and visceral reaction If you can imagine a child being told “no” and throwing a complete fit, you might be able to imagine the reaction of the people Paul is speaking to. Simply because Paul dare bring non-Jewish people into the worship of the God of the universe. Sometimes in churches and congregations, we can get comfortable in our own little sub-culture, and we don’t want any “outsiders” to be brought in and potentially change the good thing that we have going. This creates an “us vs. them” mentality, encourages discrimination, and ultimately closes the door to meeting Jesus. Important rights based on citizenship V 25-29Paul is spot on. Because he was born into his Roman citizenship, the guards would be committing a heinous crime if they harm him before a formal trial. The fact that he spent a lot of his life as a Jewish Pharisee, does not change the fact that he, by all rights, is also a Roman citizen.What then are our rights and responsibilities and Christians?Which rights are we not taking advantage of?What responsibilities are we not fulfilling?

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