Grace Christian Fellowship: Christian Teachings from Acts

Acts 27-28 "Paul to Rome"

Today I would like to finish the book of Acts. From next week we will jump over to the letters of Peter, and then come back to study the Gospel of Luke.
From the beginning of this book it has been about the Holy Spirit, the church and the spread of the gospel into the world. I would like to explore with you in these last two chapters, what lessons can we learn as Christians from this book as a whole. What is the main teaching of the book of Acts for us?
We believe that the word of God, the Bible, is profitable for us (2 Tim 3:16) We don't just study God's word because we think it might have some good ideas for us, we study it because it has power to change our lives. Let us turn to the final chapters of Acts.

"And when it was decided that we should sail to Italy, they delivered Paul and some other prisoners to one named Julius, a centurion of the Augustan regiment. So, we entering a ship of Adramyttium, we put to sea." (Acts 27:1-2)

They meant to send Paul by sea to Rome, but the voyage did not go smoothly. They ended up getting stuck in a harbor that was not suitable for winter. The winds would blow through the harbor and tear up their ship. So they decided to chance bad weather and make for a better port. Paul advised against it but the centurian was more persuaded by the owner of the ship than by Paul who was just a prisoner. However, as Paul feared, the ship was caught in a storm and blown off course for many days.
Folks this is a pattern in the book of Acts. It is a pattern in real life and ministry. Our plans, and reality only rarely mesh together. The disciples' plan was for Jesus to come back in glory and set up the kingdom of God in Jerusalem. Peter's plan was to appoint apostles and run the church like a sect of Judaism. Philip's plan was to serve the widows of the church humbly and fairly. But instead of what they expected, here comes the storm, blowing them off course. Instead of Jesus returning triumphantly, the disciples were blown away by the Holy Spirit. Instead of becoming a religious community in Jerusalem, God raised up Paul to persecute the church and drive them out into Judea and Samaria and the ends of the earth. As Philip ran for his life, God made him more than a refugee, using him to share the gospel with the Samaritans and the Ethiopian.
Let me teach you a basic principle of God. God's ways are higher than ours. Listen to (Isa 55:9) "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts." What does this mean for us? First it means that we must be open to new things. We must be flexible. Peter on the rooftop had a vision of the sheet coming down from heaven full of many kinds of unclean food. "Rise Peter, kill and eat." "Not so Lord, I have never eaten anything common or unclean." "What God has cleansed you must not call uncommon."
Who is in charge in your life? Are you willing to obey God in everything? Or are you only willing to obey in those areas where you agree with God, where you understand what He is doing? If so then you are placing yourself above God. You are putting God into the role of a trusted counselor. When He has good advice you are willing to listen. But God is not our adviser, He is our Lord. Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord. Don't get angry at God for messing up your plan. Submit to the much wiser, much higher plan that He has for your life.
Practically speaking though, how do we deal with the sudden changes that God throws at us? How do we cope with God's higher plan? How did the apostles in the book of Acts? When Jesus left, what did they do? They went into prayer in the upper room. When Peter was chained, when Paul and Silas were in prison, again praise and prayer.
How does this help? Let us start with praise. First, praise takes our eyes off of the problem before us and puts them on the solution. It allows us to see clearly the situation that we are really in. Not a hopeless situation, but a situation in which we can call on the help of Almighty God. Second, praise has the added benefit of driving away the enemy. Satan would like to add to your problems by adding fear and confusion, but praise clears this away like shining a light into a dark room. Third, praise is a testimony to those who hear of the glory of God. Not only was Paul and Silas saved but also their jailer and the other prisoners who were listening in.
Then prayer. With prayer comes peace. "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Phil 4:6-7)

So Paul is blown off course. Not only are they lost, but the sailors on the ship try to escape during the night in the small boats. Not only do the sailors try to leave them, but the soldiers try to kill all the prisoners so that none would escape, not only this but the ship crashes against the rocks and they all must swim for their lives. All of this and yet not one of the 276 persons on the ship was hurt. Paul said to them, God told me, "Do not be afraid, Paul; for you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you.' (Acts 27:24)
The second major teaching of the book of Acts is that God's promises are sure. You see God had told Paul that He was going to Rome. God's ways are higher than our ways, the route to Rome might be totally different than the one that Paul would have picked for himself. His life might have been in danger numerous times, the situation might have looked hopeless. And yet Paul trusted that God would keep His promise. Folks listen up, this is the most difficult thing about following God. We serve a God who we cannot understand, who works in mysterious ways, who suprises us continually, and AT THE SAME TIME has revealed Himself to us, binds Himself to us with promises, and never changes; yesterday, today and forever the same. If you try to set God into concrete, sure enough He will break out. But at the same time He is the solid rock on which we can build our house. He is our shelter in the storm of His own making.
But this is not to say that God is fickle, or unstable. It is not like He is for us one moment and against us the next. It is not like He turns His favor off and on like a light. It reminds me of taking my son across a busy highway. Cars travelling at high speeds in each direction; very scary for a 5 year old. And yet he has a hold of my hand, so he knows that it will be ok. But if you think about it, it is Daddy who is taking him across this highway to begin with. Daddy is both the source of his present "storm" and his shelter from it.
The word that the Lord repeats in the book of Acts, is "Fear not". This is the core ingredient of walking by faith. It is the conviction that however terrible the storm that you are going through right now, Jesus walks it with you. Remember that all things have been placed under Him. He has the authority to calm the winds. God doesn't love you one day and then toss you overboard the next. His promise is sure. He will never leave you or forsake you.
The island that Paul and his shipmates were shipwrecked on was called Malta and the natives of that island were exceptionaly kind to them. Except as Paul was throwing a piece of wood on the fire, a poisonous snake came out of wood fastened onto his arm. All of the natives were waiting around for Paul to fall over dead, thinking that this must be the justice of the gods for some evil that he had done. But instead of falling over Paul just kept right on going! Remember the promise of Jesus in Mark 16? "They will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover." Paul went on to heal Publius' father in law, and many others who were sick on the island. God's promises are sure! Live by the promises of God!

After three months on Malta Paul finally headed for Rome. And true to what he had done all through his journeys, he first went to the Jews to preach to them the good news of Jesus Christ. Actually this time they all came to him, as he was under house arrest. But just like in Jerusalem, and every other city he had been to, the Jews did not receive the gospel with joy. Instead they started to argue and dispute about it. We have seen this again and again and in it is the third major teaching of Acts. Paul quoted from Isaiah to them, "Go to this people and say: 'Hearing you will hear, and shall not understand; and seeing you will see and not perceive; For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them." (Acts 28: 26-27)

This third major teaching is that although the Jews would not hear, would not see, would not understand the grace of God, God kept sending Paul to them. God's grace is for everyone. Jesus Christ died for the sins of the whole world. That includes the sins of the Jews, the sins of Hitler, the sins of the South American drug cartels and the sins of American affluence. 2Pe 3:9 tells us that "God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance."
Knowing this is what spurred Paul on to keep preaching the gospel even though noone would listen. God's heart is to save. But realise the other side of this as well. Jesus Christ died for the sins of the world so that whosoever BELIEVES shall not perish but have everlasting life. God's heart is to save, but we must also believe. Although Paul tried, the Jews would not believe.
Have you ever witnessed to someone who just would not believe in Christ? Of course. Usually we say to ourselves that we are planting seeds and go on to the next person. But there are also people that we just cannot walk away from. Like the Jews for Paul. He just couldn't pass up an opportunity to share the good news with them, even though he knew that it would cause trouble. Because he cared for them too deeply just to give up.
Don't give up! God's grace is for all. God did not just pick a special chosen group to die for. He died for the world. Unless your friend arrived on the last UFO that means he died for him too.
But know that your friend must believe in Jesus for themselves. It might take time. Now their ears might be hard of hearing, their hearts dull, but at the right time, all of the words that you spoke to them will suddenly come into focus. You cannot force anyone to be saved, you cannot persuade someone against their will, you cannot trick anyone into heaven. Even though God can command the waves to be still, He cannot command faith, or love. Neither can you. What you can do is make sure that you are giving them the best example of faith and love that you can. Give them a clear model in your life of the faith that is so difficult for them to understand, and then pray that God will open their eyes, open their ears, open their hearts.

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