Acts 28:11-31, The End, To Be Continued

Acts Ends With Paul’s Voyage to Rome

Acts chapter 28 be meaning for verses 11 to the end of the chapter verse 31 hear the word of the Lord. After three months we set sail in a ship that had wintered in the island a ship of Alexandria With the twin gods as a figurehead putting in at Syracuse.

We stayed there for three days and from there We made a circuit and arrived at Regium and after one day a south wind sprang up and on the second day We came to Portilla. There we found brothers and were invited to stay with them for seven days and so we came to Rome and the brothers there when they had heard about us came as far as the forum of Appius and Three taverns to meet us on seeing them.

Paul Thank God and took courage and when we came to Rome Paul was allowed to stay by himself With a soldier that guarded him. After three days, we called together the local leaders of the Jews and when they had gathered He said to them brothers though.

I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers yet I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans when they had examined me. They wished to set me at liberty because there was no reason for the death penalty in my case.

But because the Jews objected I was compelled to appeal to Caesar Though I had no charge to bring against my nation for this reason. Therefore I have asked to see you and to speak with you since it is because of the hope of Israel that I am wearing This chain and they said to him We have received no letters from Judea about you and none of the brothers coming here has reported or spoken any evil about you.

But we desire to hear from you what your views are for with regard to the sect. We know that everywhere it is spoken against. When they had appointed a day for him They came to him at his lodging in greater numbers from morning till evening.

He expounded to them testifying to the kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus both from the law of Moses and from the prophets and some were convinced by what he said, but others disbelieved and Disagreeing among themselves.

They departed after Paul had made one statement The Holy Spirit was right and saying to our fathers through Isaiah the prophet go to this people and say you will indeed hear. But never understand. You will indeed see but never perceive for this people's heart has grown dull and with their ears they can barely hear and their eyes they have closed lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and Understand with their heart and turn and I would heal them.

Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles. They will listen. He lived there two whole years at his own expense and welcomed all who came to him Proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.

The End, To Be Continued

May the Lord add his blessing to the reading of his Holy Word. Well, we've come to the end. It's nearly the end of 2019. Has it been a good year for you? For some here I've experienced some some rough even tragic times in your families this year you're probably hoping that 2020 brings a wave of of life that washes all the tears of 2019 away.

A New year, we hope will bring new.

Everything.

Some believe that the time heals all wounds. But it doesn't not by itself. We need faith and hope along with time we need the Lord he might use time he might use 2020. Has to tell in 2019 been a good year for you.

Oh, we had some good things. We had a graduation and a new career. One of our members had a new grandchild. Other good things in 2019. Now, it's almost at an end. Is it a happy ending? They say having happy endings depends entirely on where you stop the story.

That's the dilemma of people are in isn't it? They everyone wants a happy ending, but no one wants to end their story. Has it been a good year for the church? Well, we lost two good families the childs and the pinkums.

I'm sorry for that. We can hope that maybe we'll see the pinkums again, but we've had to say goodbye at least for now. But on the other hand we hire Herbie. Sometimes with the Sun you can play the drums with us and the Goodman's who aren't here because they're in Indonesia.

But they should be coming back soon. We've had a baptism of someone Jesse who had originally said a couple of years ago. When she first started descending with us that she comes to church. She goes to church in America because the Christian God is the American God and when she's in China, she worships the Chinese way.

But she eventually saw that Jesus is Lord of all and was baptized. We're hoping for more like that in the coming year. We've had a good steady attendance at Jim jr. Remarkably and Remarkably good attendance and mostly well-behaved.

For a little while. It looked like we've come to the end of our Sunday evening program what we call Jim. But we learned we have to aim it mostly at middle school aged Kids and we've gotten a basketball coach to help with the kids and a lady who runs the hoop Don't shoot program partnering with us three weeks ago.

We had here on a Sunday evening. We had 40 kids here. It's just kind of like too many if the church ended now. Would we say it's a happy ending? Well, we've come to the end of acts now this whole year.

Acts Is the Story of What Jesus Continues to Do and Teach

We've been in acts with two detours one into the servant songs of Isaiah Last spring when Philip used them to evangelize the Ethiopian eunuch and second first Corinthians. When did the first Corinthians when Paul came to Corinth acts began with Luke saying that he is continuing?

The story from what Jesus began to do and to teach in the gospel of Luke. He's continuing. That story what Jesus began to do in the teach implying that in this book and acts. It's about what Jesus has continued to do and to teach not even.

Maybe a lot some people think well other people Followers of Jesus did after he was gone trying to carry on his legacy but Luke says literally Jesus himself is Continuing has continued to do and to teach now usually through the church.

You're through through Peter and Stephen and James and and Philip and Paul and other believers here and there but Jesus himself Lucas saying through his hands and feet of his church has Continued to do and to teach What he was doing and teaching before in the gospel of Luke only now Jesus can do it all over the world at the ends of the earth.

Now we're at the end of acts. Is it a happy ending? The odd thing about acts Most people notice is that it doesn't feel like an ending at all when you get to the end. Does it? Doesn't feel like an ending feel like you should be another chapter.

She keep going. What happens to Paul? Even though we've reached the end. It's practically screaming To be continued as if to say that the book that is all about what Jesus continued to do and to teach ends by saying He is still continuing to this day to do and to teach.

We see that here in three parts three final parts ending acts showing us that it is to be continued first the final leg. Second the final destination and finally the final words. First there's the final leg.

That's the final leg of this long Voyage they've been on where they were swept off course. And through a raging storm through plots of the soldiers to kill all this Prisoners through a shipwreck through a poisonous snake biting them finally to get to their destination.

They had spent the winter in Malta after three months. They thought it was then safe to sail again on board a ship with the carvings of the Greek gods castor and Pollux. The sons of Zeus on the figurehead of the ship.

That's what takes it's kind of ironic I guess it's what takes Paul on his final leg of his journey now. They have to go due north from Malta. They just go straight north to the nearest to the port. That's nearest Rome, which is here.

I'm not sure how you pronounce this. I'm pronouncing it put a lie. Now it's pronounced pozole I'm not sure how that's pronounced either but it's something like that Change pronunciation a little bit, but it's a major port for traffic into Rome.

There notice when they arrive in this port in verse 14. They met some.

Brothers.

Some fellow Christians. They probably didn't know them. They're not named here. They're just brothers. The only thing they have in common with these people from in this Italian port is that they are believers in Jesus.

But that's a lot. It's enough to make them.

Brothers.

After the long journey on the third ship after being blown off course and during the storm washing the shore of Malta now they finally land in Italy and Paul is greeted by.

Brothers.

Brothers, he's never met before but these new brothers host Paul and his friends for a week. You know feed him take care of him. You have brothers and sisters. You've never met before. Scattered around the world the diaspora of the elect and other churches and apartment complexes for the poorest in Yanceyville and rural Ethiopia and high-rise apartments in Singapore and big cities in China among all kinds of people as much as we like here of this church I like to emphasize we like to emphasize the importance of church membership that you'd be committed to a particular Church is the one for you for the fellowship and accountability.

We also need to recognize as we saw in first Corinthians that there is one church and we are all brothers and sisters with all true Christians in all churches and theology. This is called the communion of Saints and the fellowship of all that all God's people share even if they've never met.

They don't go to the same church. They're of a different race and in culture, but they're still brothers or sisters. It's important for us to understand both the need to be committed to a particular church part of a specific body of people that I know and who know me and That all God's people all true believers in Jesus are.

Our brothers and sisters so that we don't become we don't become cultic. You know like those people I debated last May who think that they are the Church of Christ kind of like professional football players.

You know, I come from the Ohio State University. No, we we are not. The Church and all others are false now sure some organizations. There are some churches that call themselves churches that really aren't.

But we don't claim to be the only true church. We have brothers and sisters all over the world even if they do some things differently than we do we do we can still call them brothers and sisters. Here Paul is met by brothers with a when he first lands in Italy.

They're hospitable. They host him for seven days. That's hospitality ever hosted for somebody for seven imagine hosting a stranger for seven days and so thus in verse. Luke says it's so or thus in this verse 14.

In other words in this way with this kind of hospitality of brothers and sisters. They made that last hike from that port Putella Patel I To Rome coming to the end of the last leg of their journey now in Rome.

Guess what they find.

Brothers.

More exactly. The brothers come to them before they even actually get to Rome itself. They these brothers lived in Rome. But when they heard that Paul was on his way that Paul the Apostle who wrote that magnificent letter to us just a few years ago.

They came out to meet him to some town south of Rome on the way. So that they could escort him in to the big city those last few miles of that last leg of his journey to greet him. Like royalty. Going out to meet, you know.

Like people of when they hear the king is coming go out to meet the king and and walk him in here. They hear though the king the royalty they is an apostle in chains. He's a prisoner. But he still deserved the royal treatment to have an entourage.

As he finally came to the end of his journey to Rome. When he sees these brothers. He'd never seen before. Coming to escort him in. In verse 15 Paul. Thank God it says notice that in verse 15. He thanked God for these brothers.

He'd never seen before. He thanked God that God had other people in that city that cared about him. Even if they had never met him, but they knew that they were brothers. They were attached as part of one body.

So he thanked God says he took courage.

He was encouraged.

God has other people here. He's the body of Christ is here to the body was knit together in love and expressed their concern for each other. Here for Paul. But by coming out by going out to walk with him those last few miles into Rome.

On the last leg of your journey. You want to know? You're not alone. That's why we dare not leave. Mr. Perry in the casual house unvisited. But that's why we can't leave any member just to kind of drift away.

Uncared. For it's not just the pastor's job. Not just my job. Or in or if you have a big church. Sometimes they have a particular pastor pastor visitation or whatever they call it. But here is it's the job of the body of all the members.

Notice the first 15. It was just the brothers don't say the elders in Rome.

Just the brothers.

Just the average members of the church in Rome taking time off from whatever they usually did to go meet Paul South of Rome and to walk with him we commit to to be each other. What brothers and sisters are supposed to do to walk together in Christian love?

To walk with each other sometimes through some hard times. Here they literally walk together with Paul the prisoner to the city. Where he will be put on trial? in the coming year. Will you walk with us.

On that final leg of the journey Paul is met by brothers by Saints and when the Saints come marching in To Rome he is encouraged. The Romans allowed him to stay by himself under a house arrest. Probably a house supply.

Where'd you get a house at Rome? You think almost certainly? Supplied by the brothers and sisters of the church that he had never met before. But of which he was a part because all true Christians are part of the church.

Rome Is Not the End of the Mission

That's how the final leg ends. Now he's at his final destination. Why is it Rome? Remember acts begins by the Lord Jesus telling us that the church will receive power from the Holy Spirit and with that power They will be witnesses to Jesus first in Jerusalem where they start then Judea the kind of the area around like our state in Samaria on the next.

The next territory kind of semi foreign kind of like Canada to us. Then to the ends of the earth. Now while acts can't tell the whole story of how the gospel gets to the ends of the earth It does show us that it is getting there.

By getting to Rome the crossroads of that part of the earth.

But why Rome?

You know, we Westerners often exaggerate how important the Roman Empire is. One commentator read for this, you know. Call the Roman Empire the whole known world. Like that this is all the civilization that there was in the entire world just what's in the Roman Empire.

And so thinking like that we think well, of course then he should go to Rome. It's the capital of the whole known world. But China had been an empire. Longer than Rome had it had more people. It invented printing and paper and the compass and gunpowder and many other things.

When I go to China and had a flourishing culture literature. When I go to China the capital of China at this time the Eastern Han Dynasty was and I hate what I have to try.

To pronounce.

Chinese words, but here goes Luo Yang the capital of China at that time that think how different though acts would be if the last one-third that we've been going through since November last one third of acts instead of you know, instead of being about his.

His voyage of to Rome how he made it to Rome. It was about Paul's journey to Luo Yang China. What if Chinese culture had instead of journey to the West with Sun Wukong? It had journey to the east with the Apostle Paul.

That would be different wouldn't it? What if China had become a Christian nation in the 4th century instead of the Roman Empire? If China is too far away, he said well, that's that's a long way from Israel when I go to India.

About half the distance of China it had empires at least from 322 BC. It had also literature and a lot of Civilization tradition says the Apostle Thomas went to India and the Indian Church traces its origins back to him or even closer east.

What about Persia? They had an empire. They had civilization. They had literature. It was an empire that Israel was near the border of like the capital of Persia may have been closer than Rome to Jerusalem.

How about South?

You don't want to go east. How about South? The Empire of Aksum Which later became Ethiopia had already existed since 80 BC. The Ethiopian eunuch had already given him Paul a head start there. They also had literature or when I went at north.

The kingdom of Armenia due north of Israel in Turkey and the mountains had been founded in 321 BC. They became by the way The first nation in the world to become officially Christian in the year 301 before Christianity was even legal in the Roman Empire.

Shortly before the year 300 a man named Gregory later given the title of Gregory the Illuminator from Armenia was visiting Caesarea in Turkey where Paul had been through and Planted the church there a couple of centuries before now Gregory became a Christian and when he returned home to Armenia He won the king of Armenia to Christ and soon the whole nation was declared Christian.

They Paul had gone there who knows that could have happened over 200 years earlier. So this idea that gets repeated. They've got to say to our Westerners say to themselves that the Roman Empire was the whole known world.

This is nonsense. There were many places civilized places with literature and culture and you know Government a lot of places that Paul could have gone. So why did the Lord who was in control of all these events?

Take him to Rome. We don't know because Bible didn't tell us but we can guess. Why West to Rome and in Europe? Because remember the outline in the mission of the book of Acts the witness To Jesus will go Eventually starts in Jerusalem, but eventually goes to the ends of the earth to places like America Australia New Zealand.

Yes to China and India Ethiopia and Africa but to places like also Hawaii Singapore Iceland Peru Korea. How do you get to those places? The fastest. Who's gonna get to those places. Another way to ask it.

You need to go with people who are going to go out who are going to expand who will carry that message with them. Of course God looking forward into history actually ordaining history knew that it would be Europe that it would explore and colonize and spread its culture.

So he sent the gospel with Paul.

There.

Other people could go to India like perhaps Thomas went to India or Ethiopia or Armenia? But the thrust of acts and the thrust of the spread of the gospel really up until the 20th century.

Would be through the West.

For example in the year 595 Another Gregory called Gregory the Great the head of the church in Rome sent a team of missionaries from Rome Paul's final destination here from Rome to England. Which was then pagan?

Eventually England which was at that time various Anglo-Saxon kingdoms Eventually became Christian about a thousand years later. They became Protestant or reformed at least some of them did and then soon began colonizing America, it's 1620 400 years from.

Next year coming in just a few days a group of reformed Englishmen landed on Plymouth Rock bringing their reformed church with them and reformed believers in England and.

In New England.

America would be the pioneers of modern missions taking the gospel around the world. John Elliot. For example a Puritan pastor in Massachusetts would win thousands of American Indians. Native Americans to Christ founding.

Several what they called praying towns in New England made up of Christian natives. Something's called red Puritans in Massachusetts in the 17th century. About a century later William Carey a Baptist from England.

He was inspired by Elliot went to India in 1793. Inspired by Carey the first American missionary out of Nairam. Judson tried to go to India but the British in charge wouldn't let him because the US and in England were at war at the time war of 1812 and.

So he got routed to Burma. There's a magnificent book about the life of an environment called to the Golden Shore. There are thousands if not millions of Burmese Christians to this day because of his ministry other American missionaries inspired by Judson Went to Hawaii when it was an independent Kingdom.

Hudson Taylor from England. We'd go to China and not just the coastal cities like Hong Kong and Shanghai. But inland China and he founded China inland mission. Now he did the gospel go with full-time missionaries like Hudson Taylor William Carey, but it went out with devoutly Christian colonizers.

In other words, they were Christian people there was their job just happened to be particularly with the British government. Sometimes with government officials that for example Stanford raffles was a British colonial official a statesman with the British government in Asia.

He was also an evangelical Christian who encouraged churches to be established in the places that he was in control of especially in Malaya. He found an island at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, it's also the southern tip of continental Asia and Founded a colony there in 1819 not only for commerce.

But also as a base for churches and missionaries in Southeast Asia that base was Singapore and over the last generation It has come to be called quote the the Antioch of Asia because it is now a missionary sending base like Antioch sent out Paul.

So why Rome and why the West? Because if you want to get to the ends of the earth to Singapore to Hawaii to New Zealand to Korea. Well, those are the people who are going there and God knew that before history was written and so sent Paul there and That's what acts at least that last third of it is about his final destination is Rome.

Paul’s Defense Before the Jewish Leaders

After three days in Rome, he called together the local Jewish leaders to meet him. There's already a Jewish diaspora there and as usual he begins by showing them that Jesus is the Messiah. He recaps for them in verses 17 to 19 what he's what he's been through.

How he did nothing that was against the Jews or their customs. He wasn't trying to destroy their traditions. He said in the first Corinthians chapter 9 to the Jew. I became a Jew to win the Jews. So he he would gladly do Jewish things.

He he recaps that when he was put on trial the Romans wanted us wanted to set him free. But only because the Jews objected did he have to appeal to Caesar? He says in verse 19 that he has no charge against Israel, he's not an enemy of Israel.

He says again in verse 20. It is because of the hope of Israel. That I am wearing this chain dangling it for them to see the hope of Israel is the Messiah and The resurrection the hope that all things Can be made new not with time not just with a new year.

But by the power of God and that's been proven now with the resurrection of Christ. It was already brought the new age. The old age the age of sin and death would end. He's saying that because that has happened Christ has proven that with Christ's resurrection that we reach the end.

That a new beginning has started and because of that He's waiting at trial. They say you know the men. Jewish men here say they don't know anything about them. We don't know you. There's no indictment against him that's arrived from Jerusalem, but they're curious what he has to say about the way.

What they call again in a sect like in chapter 24 where the Roman lawyer accuses Paul of preaching a new sect a new religion. It's the same word here that they use now. They've heard about it. Everyone they say is is speaking against it.

It's not a popular thing to do apparently at least they from their point of view so they invite him to tell them more. That's Paul's final destination Rome the center of the Empire that will become a continent that will spread all over the world.

He's there.

Invited to tell the gospel. Next are his final words at least in acts. You know access strategically. Place Several many speeches that tell us what God is doing. First Peter's Pentecost sermon that tells us that these are the last days.

Peter says the old age is ending now to this at the very end in chapter 28 We've come to the end of acts and it ends by telling us that the end has come and the work of Jesus.

Is to be continued.

The Kingdom of God, the Messiah, and the Prophets

They.

Appointed a day to have a conference with Paul. He couldn't leave. But anyone could come to him. So a crowd of them more than before. They come to hear him and he teaches them from morning until evening the entire day, you know, basically a conference.

Intensive seminar in verse 23 he expounded or the word there could be thoroughly witnessed. He explained through Scripture. Says about the kingdom of God. Interesting that term, isn't it? The term prominent in the teachings of Jesus and the ministry of Jesus of the Gospels and now acts ends with that.

That's what he's teaching the kingdom of God that the new age had begun. There were at the end of the old age the present evil age of the dynasty of Satan and sin its end has. Come with the resurrection of Christ and a reign of God is now here.

It's not just another dynasty like David like they have been raised to believe a new empire with his capital in Jerusalem. Now the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of The Lord and of his Christ of Jesus and he will reign forever and ever.

It's the same theme that the Lord Jesus had taught the gospel of the kingdom. That he illustrates with parables. Remember the parables. The kingdom of God is like seed so someone hard ground it's much shallow someone weed infested ground.

That's the way the kingdom is the word of its being spread it's held on to. By those who cling to it with integrity. They're the ones that bear much fruit who aren't hard-hearted or shallow. Saying you know aren't the kinds of say I love Jesus a lot of emotion.

One day and then they fall away as soon as they learn it takes some sacrifice. Or those who are deceived by by riches by materialism. That what Christmas is usually about these days. That's for some the promise that money whispers to us.

That it is enough. We just need to get enough of it. That they begin by seeking first some people who begin by seeking first the kingdom. But then they get more interested in the money they can make the big house they can get the nice cars they can drive.

The good news of the kingdom of God is that God's rule has come already. It may be small. Jesus said another parable remember like a mustard seed or just like a pinch of yeast and a big lump of dough.

But it will eventually Permeate the whole world to the ends of the earth as we see here in Acts. He showed them thoroughly witness to them. Paul did in this day-long seminar that Jesus was the Messiah.

Now he has all authority in heaven on earth and both the law the Moses and the prophets. Like those servant songs we saw last spring remember that They are about.

Jesus.

Paul explains this to them. He shows them from Scripture now some were convinced. He persuaded some and they would join the other brothers who were already there in Rome with growing the church, but others Says they disbelieved the same.

Sun that softens wax hardens clay. It depends on what you're made of you wax or clay. Whether you have an honest a good heart whether you have integrity whether your wax and so are melted by the heat of truth.

Or whether you're.

Kind of shallow. You're in love with this present world. And with a cash. Whatever gadget whatever device that the world is saying you just got to have now. What the Puritans called? Vanity fair. All the things the stuff of this world that it tries to allure you with.

All the things in the commercials. Or the ego puffing of ethnic religion. There were the people of God simply because of our birth. We are the chosen ones because we're born into the right family. Some religious people are so in love with the intoxicating idea that they that idea of that God is dear God simply by ethnicity by your family that they can't be pried away from it to think that our status before God depends not on our blood or our nation or our religion our morality but on sheer grace on.

Unmerited favor.

On nothing in my hands I can bring but only to the cross. I could cling to many to the natural person person without the Spirit of God, that's. That's horrifying. So they reject it. Then Paul has final words for them quoting from Isaiah chapter 6 where Isaiah seen a Glorious vision of the Lord in the year King Uzziah died.

He saw the Lord high and lifted up Surrounded by seraphim who flew and hid their faces from the overwhelming Glory, and they cried out. Holy. Holy. Holy is the Lord of hosts the whole earth is filled with his glory with his heaviness and the temple shook with the with the boom of their voice and Isaiah knew in the glare of such holiness and purity that he was sinful.

He said woe is me for I am lost. A Seraphim in the vision takes coal from the from the Holy Fire for the sacrifices and touch it to his lips signifying purifying and says to him your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for and then for the first time the Lord himself speaks.

When you think he asked we think he speaks about whom shall I send and who will go for us? He's calling for for missionaries Who will go tell the people the Word of the Lord. Isaiah says here I am Send me and the glory of the Lord draws him.

To be a prophet to be a missionary to his own people, but then the Lord says Isaiah here Paul today sometimes us in verse 26 the people you go to. They will hear sure because they have ears. But they won't understand.

They'll see what you show them. But they won't perceive what it is. Because in verse 27 their heart is dull. It's hard or shallow or filled with weeds with love for things. We love a money love a position of being seen as somebody you want to be called an apostle.

You don't want to pick up sticks for the fire love of ego of Individualism you don't want to be accountable just to specific people love a pleasure love of stuff things you can hold. Such hearts the filled with that they're dull.

They can't hear or see What you're saying they they can't hear what you're saying because the ringing of the cash register Is filling their ears. They can't see what you're trying to teach because their opinion so stuff their heads.

They can't be taught their eyes are closed. So they can't see anything. Looking at pornography or at cars or the newest I. Whatever the house they want. That's all they can see. Not the suffering servant go to this people.

Go to them. Isaiah with that prospect with that. That kind of future for your message go to them. Isaiah Paul. Maybe you go to them and warn them that they may think they've heard it all they've been to church.

They've heard the sermons they know the cliches. They've heard it over and over again like a Christmas song played over and over on the radio. Nothing is getting through if.

It would get through.

This gospel of the kingdom the good news that Jesus is the suffering servant who has borne our griefs and Carried our sorrows. Then that would be.

The end.

The end of the old life the old death life Would be continued. They would see but they couldn't see before That Jesus is Lord. They would hear about life. They would understand Understand that you can't live for bread or rice or money alone.

Then.

They would turn and repent and Change their minds about whether they can serve God and money. About what in the end they must hold on to and what they must let go of. Then they would be different and the Lord Would heal them.

The last words are that you? You people Who disbelieve even after having it thoroughly explained? You will still cling to your dollars to your stuff to your religion your arrogant belief that you are the special people.

Paul's last words to them are It's the end.

For you.

There are two kinds of people. Those who have a happy ending and those who don't. Those who disbelieve in Jesus? Have an unhappy ending. So because of that.

You disbelievers.

Know that this salvation of God in verse 28 has been sent To the Gentiles to the world to all kinds of people. It's not inherited by any nation. It's for believers from every nation and now it's being sent out there from here.