Acts 28:25  And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers,
26  Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive:
27  For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
28  Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it.
29  And when he had said these words, the Jews departed, and had great reasoning among themselves.
30  And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him,
31  Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.

By the grace of God, lost people cannot agree among themselves regarding spiritual matters. By God’s grace, saved people will never agree with lost people. The ecumenical movement of our day is working hard to bring lost people and professing saved people and possibly even some gullible saved people together. There are a couple of organizations at work in our time to try to facilitate this fake unity. One of those organizations is Action4Canada. Some who receive these devotionals may be familiar with this organization. You can check them out for yourselves if you so choose. If you have your eyes open you will soon discover them to be a tool being used to create confusion and a unity apart from the will of God. It is important to warn people of the dangers we are facing.
In our text, we see in verse 25 that the assumed solution to this current disagreement was for the people to depart. Pride was keeping them from submitting to the truth that Paul had carefully and clearly presented to them. As we read in verse 25, Paul had spoken one word and that word had led to the response of this group that included the chief among Jews.
Paul was directed by God to refer back to the prophet Isaiah in chapter 6:9-10. Isaiah was told by God of the challenge he was being called to face. He was not called to do this on his own. He would be under the direction of God. He was prepared for this challenge by God. God expects and in fact demands that His children function according to His will. Paul tells us in Romans 12, that it is reasonable of God to expect His child to present his body a living sacrifice unto God.
When a born again Christian fights against God’s will for him or her, that person is sinning against the true God. New Evangelicalism and the ecumenical movement have redefined sin and there is much confusion with regard to knowing the will of God because most have been infiltrated to some degree by these evil organizations.
The Bible commands those who are saved to come out from among these evil organizations and get into the truth. Christians can be deceived. However, the indwelling Holy Spirit works in the heart of the saved to show them the truth and to convince them of where they are going wrong. God does that through His Word and through faithful individuals who speak the truth to others. This is again why the true local church is essential for God’s child.
God’s Word is actually much clearer on many things than we are being led to believe by many. Biblical separation is not an elitist action. Biblical separation is taught by God to protect His children from the deception that is engulfing more and more people. Those who are truly saved must humble themselves and get into true churches that can help them to grow in the Lord.
Notice in verse 27 of our text that the issue is the heart. The heart of man needs to be changed and only God can do that. God does not force Himself on anyone. He knows His way is right, and He provides all that man needs to choose wisely. It is amazing to learn about the nature of God. He is so much wiser than man. The sad thing is that we choose not to listen to God. If it were not for the mercy of God no one would get saved.
In verse 28 Paul reminded these Jews that God was setting them aside and concentrating more on the Gentiles at that time. God has not shut out the Jews. They are still His chosen people. God made a promise to Abraham and God does not break His promises. Paul reminded the Jews that God wanted the Jews to be saved and He wanted to heal them spiritually.
In verse 29 the Jews heard Paul’s words; however, they did not respond to them properly. We read that the Jews departed. They had great reasoning among themselves. It is good to discuss God’s Word. It is also important to discuss God’s Word with those that God gives us to be our teachers and pastors. Self study is good. Jesus Christ promised to build His church. A true church is an assembly of believers who gather together under the direction of a God-called pastor around the Word of God.
In verse 30 we read that Paul spent two whole years in his own hired house. He was a prisoner, but still had to look after his own accommodations. God gave Paul great liberty to meet with others during that time. Obviously Paul was not able to work during this time, but God provided other saints to make sure that his needs were met. God is good and He shows us clearly in His Word the importance of supporting those who minister in the Word of God.
Verse 31 tells us what Paul talked to his visitors about. The heart of the apostle Paul was desirous to talk about the Lord. A true child of God appreciates the truth. Things of this world can be interesting, however, for the child of God knowing Him better is of greatest interest.
We read that no one opposed him. The Jews in Rome did not take the same approach as the Jews in Jerusalem. Then too, the Jews in Rome did not have opportunity to drag him out of town and stone him. He was under house arrest. He had a Roman soldier at his side at all times. God used the Roman law and the Roman soldiers to protect His faithful servant during this time.
Paul kept busy during this time. It was at this time that he wrote the books of Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians, Philemon, and possibly Hebrews. God had work for Paul to do and He made sure that Paul could do the work. God is good. All God asks is that His child be an obedient vessel He can work through. There are challenges for sure, but there are also great rewards.
Let us who are saved submit ourselves to God and allow Him to be glorified through us. As we do that we will be a blessing to others. We do not need to get sidetracked by numbers. Let us just be faithful and serve God. Knowing the peace of God is a wonderful thing. It is one of many blessings that God has in store for His faithful child now and into eternity. The apostle Paul encouraged Timothy with the promise of that crown of righteousness that awaits all true saints in Heaven.
Pastor Bartel