For today, we're going to close out the Book of Acts.

We left off last time with Paul in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea,

being transferred by ship from Cessaria and Israel to Rome, Italy,

where he will stand trial before Caesar Nero.

The year is around 60, 61 AD. where he will stand trial before Caesar Nero.

The year is around 60, 61 AD.

The Roman Empire is the world power at this particular time.

Paul is a prisoner because he's been accused by his fellow Jews of preaching heresy.

Paul has gone around preaching the good news of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, not salvation through obedience to the law, which is the way that

the Jews had customarily understood the law. They believe the law was a means to salvation.

But we understand, and Paul understood, and he's trying to help people realize that the law was put in

place to lead us to Christ. The law was intended to expose our need for a savior. When we put our

lives, when we measure our lives up against the law of God, we become painfully aware that we fall

short. And so the law was intended to motivate us to find a savior. And of course, the Savior is

Jesus. And the Messiah was predicted all through the Old Testament scriptures so that when

Jesus came, we would recognize him and know him as the Savior who's coming into the world to

save sinners, like you and me. But the Jews had relied so much on the law, they made the law a means to an end.

And they believed that obeying the law is what guaranteed their salvation. Paul comes along and says,

no, no, no, the law was pointing us to Christ. Messiah is here. You have to put your faith and

trust in him. The law, the moral code is still intact to help us

understand the righteous character of God that we should be willing to do what is right according

to the commandments of God, but not in order to be saved. In response to what Christ has done for us,

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