“Facts in Acts” ( 18 part sermon series on Book of Acts )



“Facts in Acts” ( 18 part sermon series on Book of Acts )

09/27/09 Sermon # 18: “ Paul’s Witness in Rome! ”

( Text: Acts 28:11-31 )

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Here we are! This is the final sermon in my 18 part sermon series on the Book of Acts. Of course, I did not cover every detail and event recorded in the Book of Acts. Instead, throughout the course of these 18 sermons I have focused on several main events in the first decades of the Christian Church after Jesus’ ascension to heaven.

The title of this sermon series is: “Facts in Acts.” Why is that title important? It is important because it helps us remember that the Book of Acts gives us FACTS that took place in history – real people, real places, real events. Most important of all, the Book of Acts bears witness to the FACT of Jesus – the eternal Son of God who entered our world in human flesh to save us from sin and eternal damnation.

You see, unlike man-made, non-Christian religions, the Christian Faith is not based on human opinions, myths and fairy tales. On the contrary, the Christian Faith is based on FACT! The Christian Faith is based on God’s acts in history as He dealt with real people in real places. Therefore, when you hear these readings from the Book of Acts you are being confronted with the facts of God’s actions in history that also make a claim on your life today. With that said, let’s examine our reading from Acts chapter 28 – the final chapter in the Book of Acts.

Today’s reading begins with these words: “After three months we put out to sea in a ship that had wintered in the island.” Those words were written by a man named Luke – the same Luke who wrote the Gospel of Luke. And did you notice that little word “we” ? That word “we” tells us that Luke is giving us information that he witnessed and experienced in person. He was there! He was a companion of the Apostle Paul himself!

Now, Luke says that after three months they put out to sea. If you were here last Sunday, you will recall that King Agrippa ordered that Paul travel to Rome to stand trial in Caesar’s court. But on the way to Rome, their ship entered a storm and was stranded on a small island by the name of Malta – about 100 miles south of Sicily. They stayed there 3 months, and then obtained another ship and used that to resume their journey to Rome.

After leaving Malta they end up in Syracuse – a city on the southeastern coast of Sicily. They stayed there 3 days. Then they left from there and eventually end up in the city of Puteoli – located on the western coast of Italy about 200 miles south of Rome. They met some fellow Christians there, and stayed with them for 1 week.

After that, they eventually end up in the city of Rome – just as Jesus said that Paul would. You see, all of Paul’s travels were part of God’s plan to give Paul many opportunities to speak about Jesus to many people in many places – and now Paul has a chance to witness about Jesus in the capital of the Roman Empire!

Once they arrive in Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself in his own rented home while being guarded by a Roman soldier. Paul was allowed this courtesy at this point in his life because he was a Roman citizen and therefore he had the right to certain benefits and special treatments under the law.

Nevertheless, he was still a prisoner. He couldn’t go anywhere alone. In fact, he was likely chained to the Roman soldier. You know, I can’t help but think that Paul took advantage of that situation to tell his Roman guard about Jesus. In fact, Paul wrote his letter to the Philippians while he was imprisoned in Rome.

Listen to what Paul says in Philippians chapter 1: “Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.”

We can learn something from this, my friends. Just like God was in control of Paul’s life, God is in control of our lives. Now that doesn’t mean that we can’t make our own plans and decisions and go about our business. However, as Christians, we live our lives and make our plans with the understanding that God is in control and will guide our circumstances to suit His purposes.

For example, listen these words from the Book of James: “Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.’ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow … Instead, you ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.’”

Did you hear that? God is using James to teach us that we must repent when we arrogantly think that we are in control of our own lives and schedules. Christ will forgive us for such sinful thinking, and then He will lovingly help us understand that as we make our plans and go about our lives we should constantly be praying: “If it’s the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”

So, as we go through life and make our plans, we must remember that God is in control and He will guide our circumstances to give us opportunities to witness to others about Jesus and the hope we have in Him. We need to remember this -especially when God allows us to go through hard times. God will not only use our suffering to strengthen our faith in Him. God will also use our trials to give us opportunities to witness to others about the hope we have in Christ. With that understood, let’s get back to our reading.

Luke goes on to write that 3 days after arriving in Rome, Paul called together the leaders of the Jews in that city. He assures them that the Jews from Jerusalem are falsely accusing him. He stresses that he has done nothing against his people or against the teaching of the Old Testament.

In fact, Paul insists that it is because of the hope of Israel that he is in chains. In other words, the Jews who want Paul put to death are failing to see that Paul’s teaching and preaching about Jesus is the center and fulfillment of the entire Old Testament. The very Jews who want Paul dead should be thanking him for bringing them the truth about Jesus – their Messiah and Savior.

However, the Jews in Rome are not sure what to make of all this. They have heard rumors about these Christians, and the rumors were not good. But they are willing to give Paul a chance to explain himself, and so they arrange to meet with Paul on another day.

When that day finally arrives, large numbers of people – both Jews and Gentiles – turn out to hear what Paul has to say about Jesus. Listen to what Luke writes about this event that he witnessed himself: “From morning till evening [Paul] explained and declared to them the kingdom of God and tried to convince them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets.”

Here we see that Paul uses the Old Testament to show the Jews that their own Scriptures point to Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

In fact, did you notice how long they listened to Paul? Luke says that Paul taught the Scriptures from morning all the way into the evening. They spent the whole day examining Holy Scripture!

This should be a lesson for us. How can we expect to be strong in our faith and be equipped to be faithful witness for Jesus if we don’t take time to study Holy Scripture?

Now, I’m glad you’re all here at this Service. But I pray that more of you will consider attending Sunday Bible Class so that you can grow even more in your knowledge of God’s Word and thereby be equipped to be a faithful witness for Jesus in this world.

We need to examine our schedules and rethink our priorities so that we have the time grow in the knowledge of the Scriptures that God has so mercifully given to us in our own language. I’m currently taking our Sunday adult Bible Class through the Gospel of Matthew which teaches us how Jesus fulfills the entire Old Testament when He entered this world to save us from our sins. I encourage you to take time to receive this gift from God – the opportunity to study Scripture and learn about Jesus. With that said, let’s see what Luke writes next.

Luke writes the following about the Jews who heard Paul’s teaching: “Some were convinced by what [Paul] said, but others would not believe.” Did you hear that? Some believed God’s Word, and others did not. Luke didn’t say that some did not understand. No! They understood perfectly what Scripture teaches because Paul carefully showed how it points to Jesus. But sadly, they refused to believe the Truth. They valued their own opinions more than they valued God’s Word. Now, what can we learn from this?

First, if you believe Holy Scripture and trust in Jesus as your Lord and Savior, don’t pat yourself on the back. Scripture clearly teaches that the Holy Spirit is the one who works repentance and faith in the hearts of us sinners. So, if we believe, then we must give all glory to God whose Holy Spirit worked through God’s Word to open our hearts and give us faith in Jesus.

Second, if people refuse to believe when they hear God’s Word proclaimed, then they have no one to blame but themselves. God wants all to be saved through faith in Jesus, but when people trust themselves and resist the Holy Spirit they thereby push away the forgiveness and salvation that God longs to give us.

Therefore, we need to pray for people who refuse to repent and trust in Jesus. We need to pray that God’s Spirit will break through their hard hearts and give them repentance and faith. Unless that happens, they will not be saved.

In fact, Paul quoted from the prophet Isaiah to make that very point. Listen: “…this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.”

How does this apply to us? Simply put, you need to hear and read God’s Word if you are to remain in the Faith, because that’s how the Holy Spirit nurtures us and keeps us focused on Jesus. Also, when you do read Scripture and hear God’s Word taught and preached, then receive and believe it.

You see, if you ignore God’s Word or push God’s Word away, your heart will grow harder and harder – and one day it could be hardened beyond all hope of salvation. That’s why God wants us to continue to witness to people as long as they are willing to hear us – because God wants all sinners to be saved before it’s too late.

In fact, Paul warns the unbelieving Jews that for some of them it may already be too late. They have rejected the Truth for too long. So Paul says: “…I want you to know that God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!” Now, Paul didn’t say this to be mean. Instead, he said this so that the unbelieving Jews would repent and say: “We have sinned! We want Christ’s salvation, too! Teach us about Jesus. We will listen.”

My brothers and sisters, the Holy Spirit moves us Christians to pray that same prayer every day: “We have sinned! We want Christ’s salvation. Teach us about Jesus. We will listen!” So, as we keep the preaching and teaching of God’s Word at the center of our lives, the Spirit will continue to open our hearts so that Jesus may fill us with His mercy, love, wisdom and eternal hope.

Luke ends the Book of Acts with these words: “For two whole years Paul stayed there in is own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.”

This is God’s House. We have the privilege of coming hear so that we can learn about the kingdom of God and about the Lord Jesus Christ. Pray that God will move more people to come to this house so that more people may hear about Jesus.

Also, as you leave this place, remember that God is in control of your lives and He plans to use YOU to be a witness to others about Jesus so that more and more people can rejoice in His salvation.

Amen!

Amen!

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