Journey To Rome Series

Introduction

Video Ill.: Acts 27-28, Paul’s Final Journey — Bible Babble — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUFROuIROqE

This morning, we are continuing our summer road trip, going along with Paul on his final journey to Rome as recorded in Acts.

We started by joining Paul and Barnabas on their first journey as they traveled throughout the province of Asia, teaching about Jesus. We saw that the gospel will always spark some kind of reaction from hearers. Sometimes its good; sometimes it isn’t.

We saw how Satan, through this world, tries to disrupt the spreading of the Gospel, but we also know that in the end, he will not win.

We then joined Paul, and his new traveling companion Silas, on his second journey. We saw how we need to be attune to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes God has something different in mind for us than what we may want to do. We need to listen and obey what the Spirit directs us to do.

We also saw that even in our darkest times, we can find joy because of our salvation in Jesus. It is in Him that we can find true hope and joy, not in the things going on around us in our world.

On Paul’s third journey, we saw that we should not fall asleep in church, but we need to be active and alive, taking advantage of the abundant life that Jesus gives His followers.

In his last goodbye to the elders of Ephesus, Paul encouraged the elders and the church to be careful, watching out for the flock, protecting against false teachers, and working hard to provide for those who are the weak among and around us.

This morning, Paul’s final journey would be one that takes him to Rome, to stand trial before Emperor Nero.

Though Paul would eventually lose his life on this journey at the hands of Nero, Paul would use this journey as a way to spread the gospel as far as he possibly could, at all cost.

This morning, as Paul journeys to Rome, let’s follow along and study a few of the events on this journey.

As we begin, we learn that we ought not wait for a more convenient day to surrender to Jesus.

Paul’s last journey would take him to Rome in the end. However, it started when he was arrested in Jerusalem in the temple in Acts 21, accused of defiling the temple by bringing Gentiles into the temple and saying that he was teaching that everyone should disobey the Jewish laws.

Paul would eventually be taken to Caesarea, where he would testify in front of the Roman Governor Felix, since Paul was a Roman citizen.

And that is where we find Paul in Acts 24.

Starting at verse 1, we read:

1 Five days later Ananias, the high priest, arrived with some of the Jewish elders and the lawyer Tertullus, to present their case against Paul to the governor. 2 When Paul was called in, Tertullus presented the charges against Paul in the following address to the governor:

“You have provided a long period of peace for us Jews and with foresight have enacted reforms for us. 3 For all of this, Your Excellency, we are very || grateful to you. 4 But I don’t want to bore you, so please give me your attention for only a moment. 5 We have found this man to be a troublemaker who is constantly stirring up riots among the Jews all over the world. He is a ringleader of the cult known as the Nazarenes. 6 Furthermore, he was trying to desecrate the Temple when we arrested him. 8 You can find out the truth of our accusations by examining him yourself.” 9 Then the other Jews chimed in, declaring || that everything Tertullus said was true.

10 The governor then motioned for Paul to speak. Paul said, “I know, sir, that you have been a judge of Jewish affairs for many years, so I gladly present my defense before you. 11 You can quickly discover that I arrived in Jerusalem no more than twelve days ago to worship at the Temple. 12 My accusers never found me arguing with anyone in the Temple, nor stirring up a riot in any synagogue or on the || streets of the city. 13 These men cannot prove the things they accuse me of doing.

14 “But I admit that I follow the Way, which they call a cult. I worship the God of our ancestors, and I firmly believe the Jewish law and everything written in the prophets. 15 I have the same hope in God that these men have, that he will raise both the righteous and the unrighteous. 16 Because of this, I always try to maintain a clear conscience before God || and all people.

17 “After several years away, I returned to Jerusalem with money to aid my people and to offer sacrifices to God. 18 My accusers saw me in the Temple as I was completing a purification ceremony. There was no crowd around me and no rioting. 19 But some Jews from the province of Asia were there—and they ought to be here to bring charges if they have anything against me! 20 Ask these men here what || crime the Jewish high council found me guilty of, 21 except for the one time I shouted out, ‘I am on trial before you today because I believe in the resurrection of the dead!’”