Sermon Audio

Exodus 20:12-13 5th & 6th Commandments

Sunday we come to the end of our study in the book of Acts. It has been quite a journey through the text. In the first chapter, Jesus said His disciples would be witnesses to Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. And that is what we have seen. We have followed the mission of His witnesses to all nations. We followed Peter, John, Phillip, Stephen, and Paul. We have seen much opposition to the spread of the gospel and the church. We have seen much hardship, suffering, and persecution of His witnesses, but we have also seen much faithfulness and perseverance as the Holy Spirit empowered them to be what Jesus commanded them to be. But this Sunday, we will come to the end of the story - or more accurately - the end of the beginning of the story.

As we look at the final verses in Acts, we will read an ending that isn’t quite what we are used to in good story-telling. We won’t have all our questions answered about Paul’s life. We won’t have resolution to the conflict we have seen through the last five chapters as Paul has gone from trial to prison to trial again. We won’t see him vindicated by those who oppressed and rejected him. In fact, we will see the same thing happen in Rome that has happened in every city in which Paul witnessed in. - THE SAME THING!

That isn’t the ending we want in the story, but it is the ending we need. Because the same will be true in our mission. This story is not about what happens to the messenger. This story is not about the messenger being vindicated in this life. It is about what Jesus is doing through His witnesses. It is about the gospel going forth to the world. That IS the story! And regardless of what events, cultural changes, political winds, or violent persecution arises, the gospel will continue being proclaimed until Jesus returns in glory. The gospel cannot and will not ever be silenced. To illustrate that point, God has allowed us the joy of baptizing believers in both services this Sunday. I hope you can join us in worshiping the King this Sunday.

Over the next two Sundays, our journey through the book of Acts will come to an end. Yet the book doesn’t close with a final climactic ending. Luke leaves the story unfinished with Paul testifying unhindered in Rome. The story is not finished. Today, the church is still on the same mission begun so long ago by the first disciples. The gospel has gone out from Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and continues to go to the ends of the earth. Chapter 28 picks up after the shipwreck which left Paul and company on an unidentified land. Here we are informed they have landed on the island of Malta, off the coast of Sicily. Paul will spend three months here before setting sail again for Rome. Although Paul’s journey to Rome is stalled, it is not without purpose. Paul finds kind and compassionate people on the island who show hospitality and care to he and his shipmates. God also does miraculous works of healing through Paul for the people of Malta over those three months. The storm and the shipwreck were not without purpose. God has brought Paul to this island because even these kind, friendly, compassionate, and moral people also need the gospel to be saved. The message of Christ is validated here as it was in the Temple of Jerusalem through miraculous signs. God has brought the kingdom promised to Israel all the way out here on the shores of this island. And when Paul finally does get to the vicinity of Rome, the church is there ready to receive him, encourage him, and fellowship with him as God fulfills His promise and Paul makes his way into the city. The church in Rome, established by unnamed and unknown believers, is God’s instrument in the city & comes out to receive this brother in Christ. And here we see that although Luke has focused our attention on the Apostle Paul for much of the book of Acts, the church - together - is the instrument that brings the gospel to the nations.

Sunday, we pick up where we left off in Acts 27. This chapter is devoted to the arduous sea voyage of Paul to Rome. Jesus told Paul in Acts 23:22 that Paul was being sent to Rome. But from the beginning of their voyage Paul was at the mercy of the wind and the decisions of others which led them into a violent storm. We saw that God’s promise doesn’t mean an easy journey. But we also saw the anchor which Paul held onto through all the obstacles and trials. He trusted in the promise of God. He told the people on the ship that an angel appeared telling him that he would get to Rome and no life would be lost, only the ship. And Paul tells them that he has faith in God that it will be as he has been told.

As we work through verses 27-44, we will see that God’s promise is also the only peace in the storm. Paul’s actions are opposite from the sailors and soldiers as the ship ultimately wrecks. But the peace that we see in Paul is not often what we think of as a "peaceful" response in the midst of trial. He is not passive, inactive. He does not "let go and let God." He acts with wisdom, with common sense as he prepares the men on the ship for what will be needed. The peace he demonstrates is peace that the promise will come to pass by God’s providence through their actions and decisions. It is a peace that is striving for the goal. And finally we see that God’s promise is always faithful. Even when the soldiers themselves decide to kill all the prisoners and threaten God’s promise that no life will be lost, we see God providentially working all things to fulfill his word. He is able - He is faithful to bring his witnesses all the way home. I hope to see you all this Sunday.

Acts 27 sees the beginning of Paul’s long journey to Rome. After all the trials and the two years of imprisonment, Paul is finally going to Rome just as Jesus promised him in Acts 23:11. It seems that Paul’s mission is no longer "on hold" and he is sailing by the will of God to the place God has ordained him to go. I would think there would be a brief note about the journey and then Luke would pick up telling us how Paul continued to witness in Rome, but that is not what happens here. Quite the opposite. Paul has a promise from Jesus that he will get to Rome, but every leg of this journey is fraught with difficulty from the winds, other people’s bad decisions, and an incredibly powerful and dangerous storm which ultimately shipwrecks the vessel. In fact, the 44 verses of chapter 27 are completely taken up with the difficulty and devastation of this journey. But how can this be? Paul is not Jonah. He is going exactly where God told him to go and doing exactly what God called him to do. As far as Scripture is concerned, Paul is directly in the center of God’s will - he is being faithful to his calling as a witness. And yet, all this suffering and difficulty swirls around every move he makes.

What we find here is that even though Paul bears a promise of God that he will reach his destination safely, it doesn’t mean the journey will be easy. And even when it looks like Paul is at the mercy of the wind, other people’s decisions, and the massive storm, Paul holds to the only anchor that is sure and certain. He holds to the word of God. When everyone else has lost all hope of being saved, Paul can say "I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told." (Acts 27:25)