Nathan Schipper - Class 5: In Prison with Paul

Automatically transcribed. Accuracy is good but not perfect, and words are sometimes wrong. Trust the audio over the text.

1. 0:00

   Morning. Afternoon. G'day mate. Good. Awesome. So we've been here for nearly four weeks now. And I've got to say the longer I'm here the more weird this country seems. Like, you know, everybody says tonight on the menu it's roast beef and Yorkshire pudding. And I'm like, fantastic. I've never had this Yorkshire pudding stuff. I've heard about it. This is going to be good.

2. 0:32

   And I rock up there and it's like a shell. That is like false packaging. Pudding? Like just a shell? I couldn't believe it. And then last night, what's this thing about like you've got to sit on the ground to open a birthday card? There's this guy telling everyone to sit down on the floor because you've got to open a birthday card?

3. 0:50

   What's going on? I've never heard of this before. Where did this come from? Is this like a national thing when you open birthday cards and you're sitting on the floor? No? So Paul's just weird? Yeah, okay. Sorry? I could not work out what was going on. Sit on the floor to open a birthday card. That's the first time I've done it.

4. 1:20

   And I promise you I'll never do it again. Unless one of you guys send me a birthday card. Okay. I'm going to start with saying thank you. The kids have just loved it. It's been really awesome because you guys have looked after the kids and helped with the kids and played with the kids.

5. 1:47

   And they have just loved it. And that has allowed me to spend time with you guys and get to know you guys. And honey as well. I'll get there. APPLAUSE I think when we arrived we knew like probably 15 people. Like Lockie Smith, he goes to my ecclesia and Joe and Jules, they go to my ecclesia.

6. 2:17

   About 15 people, probably all of them from Perth. And then Duncan, I'd met him once. That was almost about it. So getting to know you as I have has been great. But yeah, thank you. Okay. If you ever decide to come to Australia... I've got to get past this. Thank you for looking after the...

7. 2:37

   LAUGHTER Thank you for looking after the kids. I got it out. LAUGHTER OK. If you ever decide to come to Australia and want to keep in touch, or want to keep in touch, we live in Perth in Western Australia. There's my email address, my phone number. And if you're on Facebook, I don't really like, really do Facebook.

8. 2:57

   But if you're on Facebook, that's who I am. I'm Nathan Skipper on Facebook, not Nathan Skipper. If you ever come to Perth and want somewhere to stay, give us a dial, drop me an email, and I'll find a hotel for you. No problem at all. LAUGHTER No, let us know. And we're more than happy to put you up or send you to Lockie's or Joe or Jules or Sam's or...

9. 3:16

   You know, there's plenty of other people in Perth who would love to meet young people. But you're more than welcome to come and stay. End of year studies, which is actually in December of every year over the Christmas, New Year period, is a really awesome time to come. You have sensational weather. And there's a week of studies and a camp in the middle.

10. 3:31

    It's a really good time to come. So if you want to get away from the snow, come to Perth for the end of year studies. Lockie can tell you all about it. It's a pretty awesome week. A really good week. OK, that's enough of that. Who am I? Sorry? No. Not... Not... Sorry?

11. 3:52

    Not to sell. No. Robert Ballard. Yes. Did anyone hear that? Say it again, Andrew. Robert Ballard. He's an American. LAUGHTER APPLAUSE OK, that is Robert Ballard. Does anyone know what he's famous for? Sinking. Being an American. LAUGHTER Almost. That's Andrew Fraser. I'm talking Robert Ballard. You're the guy who made us all sit on the floor so someone could open their birthday card.

12. 4:41

    You just keep quiet. LAUGHTER September 1, 1985, 350 miles off the coast of Newfoundland, in two miles deep of water, that man found the Titanic. And this is what he said after finding it. My first direct view of the Titanic lasted less than two minutes. But the stark sight of her immense black hull towering above the ocean floor will remain forever ingrained in my memory.

13. 5:08

    My lifelong dream was to find this great ship and during the past 13 years, the quest for her has dominated my life. What is dominating your life?

14. 5:27

    Is it your study? Is it your uni? Your schooling? Is it your career? Is it how much money you're going to make? How many houses you're going to own? Is finding a partner dominating your life? For 13 years, this guy was pressing forward just to find the ship. Just to find a ship that had sunk nearly 100 years earlier.

15. 6:00

    He just wanted to find it. It was his lifelong dream to find the Titanic. And the quest to find it dominated his life. What is dominating your life? The Apostle Paul said, when he was in prison, when the walls were high, when the lights were out, when the walls seemed absolutely insurmountable and there was no way out of the trauma and the terrifying situation that he was in, he said, the one thing I want is not freedom.

16. 6:34

    It's not a bottle of San Pellegrino. It's not like the newspaper. It's not a good meal. It wasn't anything other than to become progressively more deeply and more intimately acquainted with Jesus.

17. 6:54

    What is dominating your life? And importantly, where are you going to be in 10 years' time? Where are you going to be in 10 years' time? What plans have you put in place? Are you putting in place to say, this is where I want to be spiritually in 10 years' time? What is your goals?

18. 7:19

    What are they? It's a really important thing to think about. Where are you going? Okay. Put your hand up if you've stayed in jail. Just for overnight. Not as a visitor. I said stayed in jail. If you've overnighted in jail.

19. 7:44

    Probably none of us have been in jail. I think it's probably fair to say that none of us have probably been confined anywhere for a year. Let alone for two. Or for three. Or for a large percentage of your life. Probably the closest many of us have got is you're grounded. And you're not going out for two hours or two days.

20. 8:12

    No, you're not going anywhere. And it was really tough, wasn't it? It was really tough. In my house, when that sort of stuff happened to me, I had to go and weed the lawn. Go and pull the weeds out of the lawn. And the rule was an ice cream bucket. Like you think about it.

21. 8:27

    An ice cream bucket full of weeds. And it had to be pressed down and overflowing. You know, trying to get this spiritual thing out of pulling weeds out of the lawn. But I had to deliver to my parents a bucket of weeds pressed down and overflowing. And it's tough because all your friends or your mates are out there having fun and you're weeding the lawn with ma and pa.

22. 8:48

    Not particularly enjoyable. But that just lasted for a couple of days. Maybe for a couple of hours. But we're today in prison with Paul. We're going to get behind the bars of the jails in which he spent a lot of his life. We're going to observe him. Observe his behaviour. Observe the way he interacted with people.

23. 9:08

    We're going to listen to his conversations and take a peek at some of the things that he wrote while he was in prison. And we begin in Acts chapter 24. Back where we were, I think, the other night. Acts chapter 24.

24. 9:25

    Right. A few more questions because I've got heaps of smarties left, right? How many counties are there in Germany? 16. Who said that? The guy who gave me that question. Yeah, very well done. How many locks are there in Scotland? A lot.

25. 9:48

    29. I know that. So Australia gets another 10. One, two, three, four. Okay. Acts chapter 24. Where is Paul? Paul is in Caesarea, right? And you remember the story? The whole case had been based on hearsay and so it was dismissed. The court was closed and Felix put Paul back into custody and said, look, leave him at liberty.

26. 10:11

    Let his friends come to him but just keep him under some sort of security. So there's Paul. He spent some time there. Felix knew that he had a dilemma and he knew that he had to do something about it. He knew that he had to sort something before this case could progress any further.

27. 10:30

    And does anyone know how long Paul was in prison? Just about two years. Just waiting for Felix to get this information together. Just two years, you know. So you're 18. You're still in there when you're 19. You said your 20th birthday in prison. Happy birthday, Hannah and Joe, by the way. Hannah's having her 21st.

28. 10:50

    Imagine being in prison from like 19 to 21. Imagine being in prison for two years. What would that be like? That is the Apostle Paul, right? He's in jail for two years. Are there any charges laid against him? Not one charge at all. He's been held and been detained without charge. Now I just want to put that in perspective for a moment so that we actually can understand what we're talking about here.

29. 11:15

    Your country, the UK, has enshrined in law that no one can be detained for more than 24 hours without charge. You can't be detained for more than 24 hours. That is the longest someone can be held without a charge being placed. Unless they're suspected of terrorism, in which case it's 28 days. 28 days.

30. 11:42

    So my maths, and I could be wrong, that tells me the Apostle Paul was in prison for approximately 720 something more days, more than your country would allow. Without charge. No amnesty international. No human rights commissioners. Nothing. No lawyer. No support whatsoever. I don't know what it's like in your country, but our illegal immigrants get treated better than that.

31. 12:10

    No. Not Paul. Not Paul. And while in custody, what did he do? What did he do when he's in custody, sitting there year after year, month after month? What did he do? He wrote letters. He wrote letters. Did he write them to lawyers? No. No. He didn't write letters to lawyers. Was he complaining, whinging, demanding an immediate review of his case?

32. 12:31

    Felix, this is ridiculous. I've been here for so long. I want to get out of here. No. We would probably have written our memoirs and made a whole heap of money from it. But no. Paul wrote letters on joy, on grace. He didn't allow his circumstances to dictate his state of mind. Not once did Paul get impatient.

33. 12:57

    Not once did he get bitter about the way he had been treated. Not once did he say to the guards, hey, mate, can you just go and have a chat to Felix and just remind him, I've been here for two years, 12 days, 9 hours and 10 minutes. Not once. Seriously, get a move on.

34. 13:13

    Not once. Not once are we given any indication at all that he complained or that he felt that he'd been dealt with harshly or that it was all unfair. Luke records nothing that leads us to believe that Paul suffered from impatience, bitterness and regret. Not once.

35. 13:38

    So how do you handle those tough times? Well, Paul seems to say that we don't become impatient. It's pretty hard, isn't it? It's pretty hard. It's all easy to say. So easy to say. Just be patient. Just be patient. Just be patient. But it's so hard to put into practice. Things aren't going the way that you think they should go.

36. 14:07

    Things aren't happening as you think they should happen. They're not happening as fast as you think they should happen. And we get all impatient about it. We get all upset about it. Think about Paul. He was absolutely desperate to get to Rome, right? Absolutely desperate to get to Rome. Because he wanted to preach.

37. 14:27

    Desperate to get to work preaching in Rome. But he's held up. He's delayed. Does he get impatient? I think that's the time when we get most impatient, isn't it? That is the time. When our timing isn't met. When things just aren't happening according to our time frame. And our schedule. And when I want them to happen.

38. 14:53

    And that's when we get impatient. We hardly need reminding, do we? That things haven't quite gone like our father may have wanted them to go. Over the last 6,000 years.

39. 15:10

    Things haven't quite gone the way he would like them to go. But not only has he been long-suffering with the whole world. He's actually been long-suffering with you. With you.

40. 15:27

    With you. He hasn't been impatient. He's been long-suffering with you. You know, we really have no reason at all to allow impatience onto our list of characteristics. It really shouldn't rate. The next time you start feeling impatient, take a few deep breaths. Think about Paul. 720 days in custody. With absolutely no charge.

41. 16:03

    Acts chapter 4 and verse 27 tells us that two years on, he's still there. He's still in prison. Still there. And one more, one morning, Paul is busily penning letters. There in this prison in Caesarea. And he hears news. News comes down to him that Felix had just been booted out of office.

42. 16:25

    And he'd been sent all the way back to Rome. And a new governor was on his way to Caesarea. Changing of the guard, right? Changing of the guard. He'd been booted out of office. And another one was coming in. And like in a lot of countries around the world, there can be such a thing as a presidential or a governor's pardon.

43. 16:42

    And that could have happened right here. And Paul could have thought to himself, mate, I've been here for two years, nearly three now. Like really? Why couldn't you have pardoned me? Why couldn't you have just given me a governor's pardon and then I could get out there and just start doing the work that I love doing most?

44. 17:02

    Love going out there and preaching. Sharing the gospel with people. That's what I want to be doing. Why didn't you give me a presidential pardon, Felix? Why? I don't understand that. What's going on? What is the plan of God? Why am I here? Why am I still here? So many months after being put into this prison.

45. 17:20

    Why am I here? You know, young people, I'm going to ask you a question. What if Felix had released Paul? It's hypothetical, yes. Because it obviously didn't happen and we don't know. But we know from the previous chapter that there was a bunch of vultures waiting at the door who'd said we're not going to eat till he's dead.

46. 17:47

    So Paul would probably have been killed. And you see, God didn't want that. Maybe Paul didn't understand that. Maybe Paul just wanted to get out of there and to get out and preach the gospel and do what he wanted to do. But God said, no, no, no, no, no. It's all part of my plan.

47. 18:06

    I want you in prison, Paul. I want you here. Because you can write letters. You can write letters which are going to help people, not just for now, but for 2,000 years. That's why I want you here. Your best work is actually being done in prison. That's why I want you in prison.

48. 18:21

    I don't want you free. I don't want you killed. I want you in prison. I want you writing letters. That was the best thing for Paul. It was the best thing for Paul. It was in Paul's best interests that he stay in prison. But believing that is awfully hard. You're going through a terrible time in life.

49. 18:45

    You've got incredible pain and suffering. And somebody comes along and says, it's in your best interests. Wow, that's hard. That is really hard, isn't it? Really hard to hear when somebody comes into your life and says, it's actually in your best interests. It's okay. Things will happen. Things will work out. In time, it will all get sorted.

50. 19:04

    This is actually in your best interests. It's okay. Wow, that's hard. That is awfully hard to hear. If the circumstances in your life are far from perfect, and it's difficult for you at the moment, being told that it's in your best interests doesn't usually go down well. Doesn't usually go down well. But you know, Paul said, I know it is.

51. 19:33

    I'm going to read a passage for you. He says, But I would, you would understand, that what's happened to me has actually fallen out for the benefit of the gospel. What's happened to me has actually worked out for the benefit of the gospel. It's actually been in the best interests. It actually has.

52. 19:58

    Now, before we leave, Acts chapter 24, guys, I just want you to notice something. Have a look at verse 25. Acts chapter 24 and verse 25. Paul's in prison for a couple of years, right? And it seems that regularly, Felix called for Paul. As he reasoned of righteousness, this is Paul, as Paul reasoned of righteousness, temperance and judgment to come, Felix trembled and said, Go your way, Paul.

53. 20:21

    Go your way this time. When I have a convenient season, I will call for you. End of verse 26. He hoped that money would be giving him that he might loose Paul. Wherefore, he sought for him the oftener and communed with him often. Okay, so Felix is calling Paul to him often. Hearing this stuff, when it's a convenient season, when it's the right time, Dan, I'll listen to you.

54. 20:42

    Then I want to hear more about your message. Then I'll believe. Then I'll be converted. You know, guys, some people say, some people plan to repent at the 11th hour and then die at 10.30. And that's what happened to Felix. He was booted. He died at 10.30. Don't wait until the 11th hour to repent and be converted.

55. 21:06

    Don't wait. Felix did, and he was booted from office. And Acts chapter 25 starts by telling us that Festus, the new governor, the new PM, the new David Cameron, arrives in Caesarea. And he was determined, it tells us this, absolutely determined to get straight onto Paul's case. And so he headed straight down to Jerusalem to consult with the Jews there.

56. 21:28

    First one tells us, three days after arriving in Caesarea, he's packing his overnight bag and heading down to Jerusalem, or heading up, sorry, up to Jerusalem to have a chat with the leaders to discover more about this situation with Paul. You know, that's hardly enough time to unpack your bags, unpack your suitcases, hang up all your royal clothes, your trousers, hang up all the stuff that you've brought with you.

57. 21:53

    He's on the road. Straight up there to Jerusalem, he wants to get onto this case straight away. And it wasn't just about checking out the Supreme Court of the country, right? He didn't just want to do a royal tour of Jerusalem. No, he went straight down to consult with the high priest and the Jews about this situation.

58. 22:10

    Verse seven tells us that he comes back. He comes back to Caesarea, he's armed with information, and it says that when he was come, the Jews which came down from Jerusalem stood round about Paul and laid many and grievous complaints against Paul which they could not prove. So this time, right, there's no eloquent lawyer, there's no totalist about to slander and slam Paul.

59. 22:34

    There's none of that. It's just a group of unnamed Jews who surround Paul. And it was a scene that Paul was pretty accustomed to by this point in time. They're just piling one charge on top of the other to impress Festus with the fact that this was a pretty serious case that was of major importance.

60. 22:54

    Hey, Festus, this guy's no ordinary offender. He's pretty serious. He's done some pretty dodgy stuff. And although the charges were obviously serious in nature and deadly if they could be proved, they were empty and as the record says, they had absolutely no proof. You know, we don't know exactly what the charges were, but Paul's defence in verse 8 tells us all we need to know.

61. 23:19

    It tells us all we need to know. Paul rises to offer a very calm reply. In fact, he condenses his entire speech to what I think amounts to around 20 English words. And what does he say? No trace of anxiety, no bitterness, no impatience. He says, neither against the law of the Jews, neither against the temple, nor yet against Caesar, have I offended anything at all.

62. 23:52

    And having said that, he just sat down. You know, it's what he doesn't say that's really remarkable. He could have reminded them that the previous PM couldn't substantiate any of the charges. He could have reminded Festus, hey mate, the previous guy, he like dismissed the case, kicked it out of court, closed the court, because the charges couldn't be substantiated.

63. 24:18

    But he didn't do any of that. He didn't do any of that whatsoever. He could have reminded them of his Roman driver's license, but at this point in time he didn't do that either. He didn't do anything about it. He simply stood before the representative of the most powerful man in the earth and said, what is said about me is wrong.

64. 24:40

    I've done none of those things. But then notice what Festus does in verse 9. Festus, he's the new PM, right? David Cameron. They typically want to please the voters just after they've got into office. They want to get in their good books. So he's willing to do the Jews a pleasure. He answered Paul and he said, Paul, would you consider going to Jerusalem to answer these charges?

65. 25:05

    Would you consider going and being tried in Jerusalem? No doubt he tried to couch it in very inviting terms. terms. No doubt Festus was offering or trying to offer something that he would, that he hoped Paul would take up. Hoping that what he said would come across as a really attractive offer and Paul would go, yes, that is exactly what I want to do.

66. 25:33

    Unfortunately for Festus, Paul saw God's hand all over this. Paul saw God's hand all over it and it's at this point in time that he waived his Roman driver's licence. Hey, here's my driver's licence. Here's my Roman passport. You can't do this. I want to go to Caesar. I want to go to Caesar.

67. 25:58

    He saw God's hand all over this. Now, how do we know this? How do we know that Paul's standing there in court hearing what these guys are saying, hearing what Festus just said to him, do you want to go to Jerusalem and there have this case heard and Paul could see God's hand all over it.

68. 26:16

    How on earth did Paul see God's hand all over this? Well, firstly, and it's the only passage that I'm going to turn to to show in this, there are others but it's the only one I'm going to use. Acts chapter 23 and verse 11. Not long before, right? Just when he was in Jerusalem, a vision had appeared to him, chapter 23 verse 11, and the night following, the Lord stood by Paul and said, be of good cheer, Paul, for as you've testified of me in Jerusalem, so must you also bear witness of me in Rome.

69. 26:49

    You see, Paul saw this as an opportunity to honour the command of Jesus, you must go to Rome. Do you know, guys, Jesus had not said to him, you will go to Rome. Jesus had not said to Paul, it would be good if you could get to Rome and preach the gospel there.

70. 27:08

    Jesus hadn't said to Paul, Paul, I will take you to Rome. No, Jesus had said to Paul, you must go to Rome and that was a command, that was something that Paul had to do, it was something that Paul had to make happen. It wasn't all organised for him, the tickets weren't booked by Jesus and an itinerary given to Paul and saying, now you're off to Rome, no, Paul had to get himself to Rome and it's right here and right now that Paul says, Jesus told me, he's commanded me, I must go to Rome.

71. 27:42

    I'm going to lean on that promise right now, I'm going to lean on that command right now and waive my licence to Rome I go, to Rome I go. It's there that I wish to go. And how was that all possible? Do you know, guys, the charges that these men must have laid against the Apostle Paul have to have included a charge against Caesar.

72. 28:08

    They must have said in some way, shape or form that Paul had bagged out Caesar or was preaching against Caesar or was doing something to slander Caesar. They must have done that because it was impossible to appeal to Caesar on the basis of Jewish religious law. impossible. You couldn't do it. Caesar's not interested in arguing about Jewish religious law.

73. 28:35

    That's what Festus is there for. Festus can deal with that stuff. I deal with the big stuff. I'm Caesar, right? I deal with the big stuff. I don't want religious stuff in front of me. So the charges that these guys laid must have included a charge against Caesar and Paul can see it all coming together.

74. 28:53

    Paul can see it all coming together and he goes, here's my driver's license. I want to go to Rome. As I said before in one of the other talks, Paul never ever waived his driver's license for his personal benefit. Never. He pulled it out. He pulled it out. But it was never for his personal benefit.

75. 29:16

    He pulled it out here because Christ had given him a command that said you must go to Rome. You know, he's been in jail, right, for years and he doesn't think that God's forgotten him. He doesn't think that God's forsaken him. He's still thinking clearly. He's still thinking objectively after years of being in prison.

76. 29:43

    Would you be thinking like that after years in prison? This guy said it was hell. That's what he said. It was hell being in prison. Not Paul. Not Paul. The total opposite. He could see God's hand everywhere. Finally, having been shipwrecked, the Apostle Paul finds himself in Rome. Still smelling of seaweed, from being shipwrecked, he finds himself in an apartment in which he would live for a couple of years.

77. 30:18

    I want to ask a question. Why did God put the Paul, or put Paul and the passengers on that vessel through the traumatic experience of a shipwreck? the boat? I'm not asking, I'm not asking the question, why do we have the record of it? Because there were no mass baptisms as far as we know.

78. 30:46

    I'm asking, why did God put that boat on the bottom of the ocean? Does anyone have any ideas? we talked before. Exactly. So you know guys, this is such an awesome thing. This is why it pays to look at the Bible from a really big picture. Have a look at the end of Acts chapter 25.

79. 31:11

    Acts chapter 25 and we'll read verse 25. Festus is chatting to King Agrippa and this is what he says, I found, Acts chapter 25 verse 25, I found that Paul had done nothing worthy of death. He's done nothing wrong and that he himself has appealed to Caesar, I've got to send him. He's a Roman, I've got to do what he asked me to do.

80. 31:34

    Of whom I have no certain thing to write unto my Lord. I've got nothing to write to Caesar. I've got no letter of charges. I can't send anything with Paul to say this is what he's done wrong. Wherefore, O King Agrippa, I've brought you here, especially you, in the hope that you can examine him and afterwards I can have something to write.

81. 31:53

    For it seemeth to me, unreasonable to send a prisoner and not with all to signify the crimes laid against him. Well, as I said before, they had an empty page at the beginning and an empty page at the end. But they must have come up with something right? Because no prisoner could go before Caesar without a letter of charges.

82. 32:11

    Where did that letter of charges end up? On the bottom of the ocean. Which meant Paul was in prison for a couple of years while they sent back letters to Jerusalem saying, hey, we need more information on this guy. What's he done wrong? What's the letter of charges? What's happened? We need to know the case to be able to present to Caesar.

83. 32:28

    All the while, Paul is penning, well, just Ephesians, just Philippians, just Colossians, just Timothy, probably Hebrews, probably Philemon. You see, God put that boat at the bottom of the ocean so Paul could spend time in prison and do what Paul did best, which was right. Which was right letters, not just for the benefit of the people that lived when he did, but for you and me.

84. 32:55

    And like those letters, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Timothy, Hebrews, Philemon, probably some of the best letters in the Bible that tell us about a disciple's life, all written while he's in prison. Because God put a boat and 270 other people in the water so that one man could write a few letters for you.

85. 33:20

    is that awesome or what? That is awesome. That is absolutely awesome. So Acts chapter 26, 27 we find the Apostle Paul, he is in Rome and he dragged his chains around that apartment in Rome for two years. For two years. And it was on the north side of that busy city where Paul was under house arrest.

86. 33:49

    And it was no Blackpool Sands or no Bournemouth Beach in Devon. I went to Google and typed in 10 best beaches in the UK, right? And that's what it said. Is that right? Blackpool Sands? Yes. And Bournemouth in Devon.

87. 34:07

    Oh, sorry. Oh, really? Really? This is Perth beaches. That is where I live. That is where we all live. That is the beach where Lockie goes and surfs, where we go and swim and where we have a lot of fun. That is the beach. That is what beaches are like in Perth. But where Paul lived was nothing like that.

88. 34:32

    Absolutely nothing like that. And it wasn't even like Bournemouth in Dorset. Is that right? Yeah? Got it right. Nothing like that. It was a hide house with a cold concrete floor. And it was there that he was imprisoned for two years. I want you to try and imagine what it would have been like to visit Paul in that house.

89. 34:56

    Just imagine knocking on the door, being welcomed in by a soldier into the house. You walk through the main room and you find Paul sitting there dictating to Epaphroditus who's gripping the quill and feverishly writing a letter to you. Maybe Ephesians, maybe Philippians. The house had an atmosphere of happiness and we know that from the letters that Paul wrote while he was there.

90. 35:29

    His character, his personality hadn't been soured or hardened by all the troubles. He was kind. He was kind. He was tender-hearted. He was forgiving just as Christ had forgiven him. You see, that's what he wrote, didn't he, to the Ephesians, that you be kind, tender-hearted, !

91. 36:04

    For years now, be kind, tender-hearted, and forgiving. Tender-hearted in prison. Be forgiving. Be forgiving as Christ had forgiven you. He walked in love. He was still the great encourager that he had been all his life till that point in time. He was full of joy. He was fervent in prayer and in preaching.

92. 36:34

    He was still as passionate as ever about his beliefs. And you know, what makes this all the more amazing is the man simply would not grumble. He would not. By God's grace, he had lived, he'd learnt to live above it all. How? How would that be possible? It would just get you so down.

93. 36:58

    Have you guys got a prisoner here in England that, like, you know, the popular people everybody knows about, and they've been in prison for ages. There's question marks over whether they should be in prison or not. Do you guys have that sort of situation in England? No? In Australia, right, we've got this girl called Chappelle Corby.

94. 37:15

    She's stuck in jail, in prison. Half of Australia thinks she should be there, half of Australia thinks she shouldn't be there. You reckon that's about right? Half and half? Yeah, Lockie said half and half, so half and half it is. Some people think he should be in jail, some people think she shouldn't be in jail.

95. 37:30

    She is so bitter, her whole family are bitter. They've written books, they've written stories, they do media releases all the time saying how unjust this is, how wrong it is, how terrible it is, how she's just turning so bad, how attitude is going downhill. Paul's been in prison for longer than Chappelle Corby's been in prison and he's writing letters of joy and of happiness.

96. 37:52

    How? How had he learnt the secret of contentment? Where did that come from? What is the secret of contentment? in jail? Content? Are you for real? He was still smiling. He was still positive. He was as upbeat as ever. He still had a smile on his dial. Who am I?

97. 38:18

    Thomas Jefferson, who said that? Excellent. Does anyone know what Thomas Jefferson was famous for? Not the American or a American? Does anybody know? You're from Scotland? I thought it was. The third president of the United States. Yeah, what else?

98. 38:42

    One American laughing at another. Guys, watch this. This doesn't happen very often. What is Thomas Jefferson famous for? Come on, Andrew. The Declaration of Independence. He wrote it. Sorry? From the UK. Absolutely. Originally from the UK. But here it was who instituted the Declaration of Independence. It's actually awfully interesting. I'd love to just mention something about it, but I won't.

99. 39:07

    I don't have the time. It's just mind-blowing, really. Anyway, moving on. Okay, this guy, this guy, this guy, this guy was one day travelling across a river. He was with a group of people and they were travelling on horseback, right, because they didn't have limousines and Air Force One and Apache helicopters at the time that Thomas Jefferson was president.

100. 39:26

     And he was travelling across a river that was actually a large river and it had overflowed its banks. And each of the men was crossing the horseback, on horseback, and they were fighting for their life. It was hard to get across this river. It was incredibly hard. And there was with this group a lone traveller, just one lone traveller.

101. 39:44

     And he watched as the group crossed this treacherous river. And then he went up and asked the president if the president would take him across. And the president agreed without hesitation and said, sure, that's absolutely fine. The man climbed on safely, or the man climbed on and was safely taken to the other side.

102. 40:04

     And it was there that somebody said to him, why did you ask of the president for this favour? And the man said, I had absolutely no idea that it was the president. He said, but this is what I do know. All I know is that on some of your faces was written the answer no.

103. 40:23

     And on some of your faces was the answer yes. And his was a yes face. What is your face saying? What is your attitude? What is your face saying to the public, to the people that you share the gospel to? Paul's was a yes face. Yes. Three times in a very, very short letter, written while Paul was in this house, he mentions his circumstances.

104. 40:52

     I want you to fast forward to Philippians, if you can, please. Three times in a fairly short letter, Paul mentions his circumstances and it's a letter which was written while in this very house, while being imprisoned. Philippians chapter 1 verse 12, you're reading the verse that I read out earlier. But I want you to know that the things which have happened unto me have fallen out unto the furtherance of the gospel.

105. 41:22

     They've actually helped to promote the gospel. Now fast forward to Philippians chapter 4 and verse 11. not that I speak in respect of want, for I have learned in whatever state I am, and he's not talking whatever county, right? He's talking whatever situation I may find myself in, therewith to be content. Doesn't matter what situation I'm in, I'm going to be content.

106. 41:49

     Verse 12, finally, I know both how to be abased and I know how to abound everywhere and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. Three times Paul's writing about his circumstances and not once does he grumble. In all three of those situations he says it's actually been positive.

107. 42:09

     It has actually helped, it's actually furthered the work of the gospel. Not once does his circumstances determine and affect his level of contentment. He offers no conditions, no restrictions or boundaries on that at all. No, no, no. Regardless of his circumstances he chose to live above them. Though they were extreme, fairly extreme circumstances, unbelievable circumstances, his attitude remained bulletproof.

108. 42:47

     He had a yes face, in fact he had a yes face all the time. Now you may be sitting there and think, okay I'm just going to put that down to the temperament of Paul. There's some people who are just like that, they're just really chilled out, just really laid back people. Nothing really gets under their skin too much.

109. 43:05

     It takes a lot, a real lot to actually upset those people. So maybe the apostle Paul was like that. Maybe? Maybe? No. Not at all. Not one bit. How do we know that? The truth is contentment was not genetic for the apostle Paul, right? Because Paul wrote in verse 11, I have, what's the word?

110. 43:30

     Learned. I have learned in whatsoever circumstances I am, I have had to learn this. I've had to learn contentment. If you're like me and struggle to find contentment sometime when situations aren't going well, when life ain't great, that's for us. that's for me, right? That's for you. We're going to learn it. Paul did too.

111. 43:54

     Paul wasn't this supernatural hero who had this genetic thing that allowed him just to accept whatever happened. No, no, no. He learnt contentment. He learnt it. Paul deliberately cultivated it over time. He learnt how to sustain an excellent attitude despite the worst possible of circumstances. circumstances. He learnt to rise above his circumstances.

112. 44:22

     He learnt to live beyond them, to live above them. What an enviable attitude. What an enviable attitude. You may find yourself in a situation that's far less than ideal. Far less than ideal. Life's difficult. Becoming difficult. Frustrating. And maybe you're growing even more miserable every day as the circumstances become borderline unbearable and maybe even you feel like giving up.

113. 44:57

     You know, the great temptation is to allow that to embitter you. To allow that to turn you into someone who lives under a dark cloud with an overcast face, with a forecast for dreary to depressing days, with little or no chance of laughter.

114. 45:21

     That wasn't Paul. That wasn't Paul. You know, the great news is there is hope beyond your circumstances. There is hope beyond them. You can live above your circumstances. circumstances. And the way it's done is how Paul did it. Let the Father become the central focus in your life. You know, he alone, he alone can empower you.

115. 45:49

     He can assist you to live above your circumstances. Your external circumstances may not change, but deep within, you will change. Paul lived above these circumstances. That didn't mean he got out of jail. That didn't mean he wasn't beaten. Jesus lived above these circumstances, but that didn't mean that he wasn't beaten, that he wasn't crucified.

116. 46:15

     No, no, no. Living above your circumstances doesn't mean life's going to be happy, comfortable, and pain-free. It just means that you can live seeing the bigger picture. You can see God in it. You can see God at work and know. You can have the confidence that you're going to come out the other end and you're going to find yourself in the Father's kingdom.

117. 46:40

     The change happens within. Instead of seeing yourself as a victim, you'll begin to realise that your strength is not your own. It's not a strength that's come from you. No, it's a strength that's come from God. And that was Paul. That was Paul. Paul taught himself to do this, you see. And we can check out the benefits in this letter we're in right now, Philippians chapter 1.

118. 47:09

     There's three benefits. Three benefits that come from choosing to live above your circumstances. And the first is that the progress of the gospel is accelerated. The preaching of the gospel is enhanced as a result of your choice to live above your circumstances. Let's just read again for the third time. Philippians chapter 1 verse 12.

119. 47:34

     I want you to know that what's happened unto me has fallen out to promote the gospel. He's in prison. And he says it's actually helped to preach the gospel. If I was him, I'd be saying, the best thing possible would be for me to be out of here and preaching the gospel, planting ecclesias, talking to people.

120. 47:54

     And God says, no, the best thing for you is to actually be in prison. It's actually helped in the preaching of the gospel. Paul never viewed his confinement as a barrier to the gospel. But rather, he actually said, it's actually a catalyst for wider impact. More people are affected now. You know, that's the benefit of learned contentment.

121. 48:19

     When you live above your circumstances, you'll have little trouble spreading the message of the gospel. Not just to people out there who don't know about the gospel, right, but to each other. You'll have no trouble sharing the message and the joy of the gospel to your friends here and at your home ecclesia when you choose to live above your circumstances.

122. 48:44

     How? Why? What on earth do you mean? Well, you see, everyone will want to know. Everyone will want to know how on earth. You're able to live with such joy and positivity when your circumstances are so average.

123. 49:06

     Everyone will want to know. How do you do that? I know what's happened in your life. I know what you're going through. How are you doing that? How are you doing that? The second thing is when you live above your circumstances, the edge of the message is sharpened. It's never dulled. It is never dulled at all.

124. 49:31

     Do you know Paul says that his chains had actually become the best preaching tool ever? The best preaching tool ever. Not freedom. Not the ability just to walk into a synagogue and open the Bible and start talking. No, no, no. The best thing that's happened is I've been in prison because the message is sharper.

125. 49:52

     The best preaching tool I've had are these things, are these chains. This guy's for real, right? He's on death's row. He's on death's row and he says, rather than slumping in despair, rather than getting all upset after soldier, after soldier, after soldier, attaches their chain to me.

126. 50:13

     Rather than doing any of that, no, he says, this is the most awesome preaching opportunity. He had a captive audience. Can you imagine being a soldier chained to Paul? Walk in, all macho. Your gun holstered, ready to go. All macho, sit down next to Paul. Paul converted them. And when they walked out, they were kind, they were tender hearted, they were forgiving.

127. 50:48

     Paul tells us that. His message went through the barracks of Caesar's guards. He converted all the troops. He converted the crack SAS troops, the MI6 troops. He converted them. His message spread like wildfire through Caesar's household. Because of chains. Because of chains. Ever been stuck in a lift? Ever like being stuck in a lift for like half an hour?

128. 51:19

     What do you do? Captive audience guys. Awesome. Ever stuck on an aeroplane sitting there on the tarmac for hours? What am I going to do? Everyone's complaining, where's the water, where's the drinks? Captive audience. That's Paul. Paul viewed his confinement as a benefit, as a help to further and to spread the gospel message.

129. 51:42

     Those chains sharpened the message. And the third benefit of living above your circumstances is that the courage of others is strengthened. And I want to show you this in Philippians chapter 1, verse 13. This is what I was just referring to. So my bonds in Jesus are manifest in all the palace and in all other places.

130. 52:03

     And I want you to know this, Paul says, many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. When you live above your circumstances, when you choose to do that, the courage of others is strengthened. Other people go, if he can do it, so can I.

131. 52:25

     If he can in his situation and my situation is nowhere near as bad as that. My life is nowhere near as bad as that. If he can do that, so can I. How do you do that? How did you get to that point? Tell me, share it with me. I want to do what you're doing.

132. 52:43

     You see, when you choose to live above your circumstances, the message or other people are strengthened to spread that message, both out there and in here, just by living above your circumstances. And what Paul's telling us is that more and more and more and more people got to find out about the gospel because he was in prison.

133. 53:07

     Completely around the other way, right? Completely around the other way. Paul's thinking, maybe, Paul's thinking possibly, I should be out there preaching the gospel. That's where I do my best work. My best work is out there sharing the gospel with people. And God says, that's what you think. I'm going to put you in prison and show you that you being in prison has actually been the best preaching tool ever.

134. 53:30

     More and more and more and more people are finding out about the gospel because you happen to be stuck in prison. The three benefits of living above your circumstances, the progress of the gospel is accelerated, the message is sharpened, and the courage of others is strengthened. The courage of others is strengthened. Other people are inspired by what you are choosing to do.

135. 53:55

     Philippians 4 and verse 13, his secret to contentment. How is this all possible? How could he do this? Philippians 4 verse 13, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. How often they must have heard him say that. How often they must have heard him say that. Letters arrive, Ecclesiastes saying, Paul, we're so concerned.

136. 54:20

     We know you're in jail. What's going on? Are you okay? I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Amen. Send the letter off. That was his answer. I can do anything. I can do all things through Jesus Christ who strengthens me. You see, Paul's contentment was found in a person. Jesus Christ.

137. 54:43

     Jesus Christ made a difference. Christ taught him how to endure all circumstances, every situation, every challenge, no matter how hard it was, it could be endured through the power of Jesus Christ. Paul released all his rights, all his own strength. He let go of it all. He gave it all to Jesus Christ and in turn, Christ Jesus released all the strength that Paul would need, plus more, plus more.

138. 55:26

     Let's take the spotlight away from a man who was housed 2,000 years ago in a jail and let's focus that spotlight on you and your life. does God feel loved by you?

139. 55:51

     Does God feel loved by the way you're living your life? By the things you're thinking about? By the things you do? Does God feel loved by you?

140. 56:06

     Are you making a difference in the lives of those who are closest to you by the way that you respond to the circumstances in your life?

141. 56:16

     Are others inspired by your faith? Or are they discouraged by your fears? Are the attitudes of unselfish humility, of joyful acceptance, of strong determination, and thanksgiving, are they evident in your life?

142. 56:41

     If not, guys, start by refusing to let your situation determine your attitude. As we saw in Paul, the power to transform stubborn soldiers and the attitudes of fear and bitterness, anger, and defeat, it came from Jesus. and you know, he stands ready to pour his strength into you. He alone can do that, and he will.

143. 57:16

     He will. When, when, when, you give him full control in your life. You know, given time, you may face a situation somewhat like Paul did. it may not have the official intensity of a Roman court. It may not include a plot to end your life, but you will encounter those who don't seek your good.

144. 57:43

     You will. And when you do, do what he did. He stood firm on the promise of God, and it was that promise that enabled him just to keep going, just to keep going, and to trust in God. What if he didn't have that promise? What if he didn't have the promise? What if Christ hadn't told him that he had to go to Rome?

145. 58:13

     What if? You know, he may have given up. He may have lost faith. He may have questioned whether God was at work. Who knows? Who knows what would have happened in all its details, but one thing we know, having that promise gave him direction, gave him courage, gave him hope, and you're no different.

146. 58:40

     You're no different. Absolutely no different. If it wasn't for the promises that God has given us, we too would suffer from lack of direction. We too would struggle with courage, with faith, and with commitment. you see, it's those promises that kept Paul going, and it's those promises that keep you and me going as well.

147. 59:09

     You see, guys, the Bible is packed, absolutely jam-packed, full of promises. Promise after promise after promise after promise, and they're personal to you. They're personal to you. Find them. Find them. Connect your name to them. There's myriads of them, right? There is myriads of them. Become familiar with them. Live with them. Let them be your guide.

148. 59:34

     Let them be your comfort. And like Paul, you'll be able to withstand the fiercest storms that life throws at you. Doesn't matter what happens, even if it's jail, when you stand firmly on the promise of God, anything is possible. wait on the Lord, Ben, be of good courage, and he'll strengthen you. Wait on the Lord, Joe, be of good courage, he'll strengthen you.

149. 1:00:07

     Wait on the Lord, Kate, be of good courage, he'll strengthen you. The Lord is Hannah's light and Hannah's salvation. Who will she fear? the Lord is the light of Hannah's life.

150. 1:00:24

     The Lord is the light of Susie's life and salvation. Who will Susie fear? The Lord is the strength of Susie's life. Be still, Lara, and know that I'm God. Be still, Peter, and know that I am God.

151. 1:00:48

     If you don't live with any other promise, live with this one. I'll never leave you, and I'll never forsake you. Never. Never. Never. Never.

152. 1:01:13

     Who's that? I'm pleased you guys know who he is. I'm very impressed. He's one of my heroes. I think the guy was amazing what he did for your country and what he did for the world. I read a lot of his stuff. I really like it. And on October 29, in 1940, Winston Churchill, sorry, 1941, actually, Prime Minister Winston Churchill was invited to speak at Harrow School in Middlesex.

153. 1:01:44

     He was invited to speak at a graduation ceremony. And after a very long-winded introduction, listing all of his achievements and all of his successes, Winston Churchill stepped forward. And this is what he said. Never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever give up.

154. 1:02:08

     Your postcard for today, dear loved ones, never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever give up. Really looking forward to seeing you soon in the Father's kingdom, Paul. P.S., your crown is waiting for you. Never give up.