Your Plans, God's Plan, Part 2 Series

Before we really get started this morning, I feel the need to say something. In this political season, I think I need to say, “I am Scott Maze and I approve this message” -:).

What if you could say one sentence that the entire world could understand? What would you say? Our study of Acts concludes today by featuring Paul’s steadfast calling on his life. If you asked Paul, “If you could say ONE sentence that the entire world could understand? What would you say?” Jesus died and rose again so that alienated rebellious sinners could experience God’s rich mercy. He has spent four years in chains but Paul has finally arrived in Rome (Acts 28:14)!

“Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen.” 30 He lived there two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him, 31 proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance” (Acts 28:29–31).

Everything has gone wrong for Paul. Everything! He’s been imprisoned. He’s nearly assassinated. He’s falsely accused. He’s been stoned. While everything has gone wrong for Paul but everything went right for the gospel.

“Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, 9 for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound” (2 Timothy 2:8–9)!

God supernaturally orchestrates everything so that the gospel is unstoppable. The gospel of God’s rich mercy is offered in His Son, Jesus, is unstoppable.

1. A Disappointing Ending

The final episode of any good TV show is always eagerly anticipated by fans. What’s your favorite TV show? MASH and Dallas, Seinfeld and Friends, or This is Us Here is the most WATCHED series finale ever (in order): 1) MASH (105.9 million), 2) Cheers (84.4 million), 3) Seinfeld (76.3 million), and lastly, 4) Friends (65.9 million). Some long-running TV shows how a wonderful ending while others have a disappointing ending.

Acts’ ending disappoints us. Let’s be honest … this is a disappointing ending for many of us. You have this big exciting story & it drops off without a conclusion. Imagine if I told you about a woman who was about to give birth in the backseat of a taxi but didn’t finish the story. All the excitement builds up but I don’t tell you how it ends for the young mother. You want to know, “Did she have the baby in the cab? Did she make it to the hospital? What was the baby’s name?” We all want to know, “So what happens to Paul?”

Why does Acts end so abruptly? Acts isn’t the story Paul’s life. Instead, Acts is the story of the unstoppable gospel. Acts is leaves you with an open-ended conclusion. And because of the unstoppable progress of the gospel, through faithful people, that story is still unfolding even to this today…

The final words in the Greek text of Acts is the “unhindered.” God supernaturally orchestrates everything so that the gospel is unstoppable. The gospel of God’s rich mercy is offered in His Son, Jesus, is unstoppable. From our perspective, the early church had one obstacle after another. Still, God supernaturally orchestrates everything so that the gospel is unstoppable.

Paul’s Death

Still, Acts doesn’t “put a bow” on Paul’s story. Instead, we see Paul finally arrives in Rome (Acts 28:14). Again, he’s hard at work sharing the gospel with both Jews and the people of Rome just as we have every step along the way. But what happens after Acts?

Let me speak to those in the room who really are students of the Bible for a moment. The two years’ captivity of Acts 28:30 would take us to the year 62, but Luke simply does not tell us what happened after that. It is likely that his accusers never appeared & so the charges against him were dropped. Now, history does speak to Paul’s death & his story after the book of Acts. Early Christian tradition indicates that Paul was released from a Roman prison & had another period of public ministry. He finally was imprisoned again after 64 (the year of the great fire in Rome, which led to the Nero’s persecution of Christians). A well-known historian, Eusebius of Caesarea, tells us that Paul was came a second time to Rome where he was decapitated by the emperor, Nero around AD 64 during Rome’s great fire. It’s is likely during this second arrest that he writes the New Testament books of 1 & 2 Timothy, and Titus. He likely was decapitated under Nero between the years 65 and 67. Most likely, Paul was not yet 60 years old when he became a martyr for the faith: “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:6–8).