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!’”
22 At that point Felix, who was quite familiar with the Way, adjourned the hearing and said, “Wait until Lysias, the garrison commander, arrives. Then I will decide the case.” 23 He ordered an officer to keep Paul in custody but to give him some freedom and allow || his friends to visit him and take care of his needs.
24 A few days later Felix came back with his wife, Drusilla, who was Jewish. Sending for Paul, they listened as he told them about faith in Christ Jesus. 25 As he reasoned with them about righteousness and self-control and the coming day of judgment, Felix became frightened. “Go away for now,” he replied. “When it is more convenient, I’ll call for you again.” 26 He also hoped that Paul would bribe him, so he sent || for him quite often and talked with him.
27 After two years went by in this way, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus. And because Felix wanted to gain favor with the Jewish people, he left Paul in prison. (Acts 24, NLT)
“When it is more convenient, I will call for you.”
How many have said that to the call of God over the years?
It’s a sad thing that Felix said.
Scripture reminds us that we are not guaranteed tomorrow. We may never have that more convenient time.
Solomon said in Proverbs 27:1:
1 Do not boast about tomorrow,? for you do not know what a day may
bring.
(Proverbs 27, NIV)
James wrote in James 4:13-14:
13 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.” 14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. (James 4, NIV)
Jesus said in Matthew 24:35-36:
35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
36 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” (Matthew 24, NIV)
The point is this: we need to make sure that our relationship with God is what it ought to be now. Not tomorrow. Not in a few days, a few weeks, a few months. Not at a more convenient time.
There are so many things in this world that makes making the decision to surrender to Jesus as Lord inconvenient. Self-centeredness. Money. Power. Control. All things that are centered around this world, and not centered around God. When looking at the decision to have a true relationship with God, in the view of these things, it’s inconvenient. It’s uncomfortable. It’s just not the right time.
The Tyranny of Convenience
Source: Tim Wu, "The Tyranny of Convenience," The New York Times Sunday Review (2-16-18)
Copied from Preaching Today
https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2018/april/tyranny-of-convenience.html
Law professor and technology expert Tim Lu claims that convenience is an underestimated force that drives our daily lives. We want nearly everything about our lives to be convenient, efficient, and easy. Wu calls convenience "the most powerful force shaping our individual lives and our economies." He writes:
As Evan Williams, a co-founder of Twitter, recently put it, "Convenience decides everything." Convenience seems to make our decisions for us, trumping what we like to imagine are our true preferences. ([For example,] I prefer to brew my coffee, but Starbucks instant is so convenient I hardly ever do what I "prefer.") Easy is better, easiest is best.
Of course there are benefits to some of life's conveniences, but he also warns that there can be a dark side. Wu argues:
With its promise of smooth, effortless efficiency, it threatens to erase the sort of struggles and challenges that help give meaning to life. Created to free us, it can become a constraint on what we are willing to do, and thus in a subtle way it can enslave us … When we let convenience decide everything, we surrender too much.
We become a slave to convenience and our desires in this world, and we fail to surrender at all to Jesus. Following Jesus will never be the convenient thing to do. He warned us to count the cost and at times to do what is inconvenient in order to follow him.
If we wait for the right time, if we wait until it is comfortable, if we wait until it is convenient, we run the very true risk of waiting too long.
As it happened, Felix waited too long. Felix was replaced, Scripture tells us, and was never able to hear Paul again, and I suspect never surrendered his life to God.
May we never be guilty of waiting until it is convenient to follow Jesus.
It is during Paul’s trial with Felix’s replacement, Festus, where Paul makes his plea to have his case tried in front of Caesar, as a Roman citizen.
This, then, becomes the catalyst to Paul’s tumultuous journey to Rome.
2. On this journey, we learn that we can have calm in the storm.
As was outlined in the opening video, Paul is put aboard a ship bound for Rome. After a layover and a ship change, Paul, his traveling companions, and the other prisoners are bound for Rome. On the way, they encounter unfavorable winds, storms, and eventually will be shipwrecked.
Paul and the rest on board the ship will go through a dramatic set of circumstances.
Yet, Paul was able to find peace in God and His message.
In Acts 27, we read:
13 When a light wind began blowing from the south, the sailors thought they could make it. So they pulled up anchor and sailed close to the shore of Crete. 14 But the weather changed abruptly, and a wind of typhoon strength (called a “northeaster”) burst across the island and blew us out to sea. 15 The sailors couldn’t turn the ship into the wind, so they gave up and let it run before the gale.
16 We sailed along the sheltered side of a small || island named Cauda, where with great difficulty we hoisted aboard the lifeboat being towed behind us. 17 Then the sailors bound ropes around the hull of the ship to strengthen it. They were afraid of being driven across to the sandbars of Syrtis off the African coast, so they lowered the sea anchor to slow the ship and were driven before the wind.
18 The next day, as gale-force winds continued to batter the ship, the crew began throwing the cargo || overboard. 19 The following day they even took some of the ship’s gear and threw it overboard. 20 The terrible storm raged for many days, blotting out the sun and the stars, until at last all hope was gone.
21 No one had eaten for a long time. Finally, Paul called the crew together and said, “Men, you should have listened to me in the first place and not left Crete. You would have avoided all this damage and loss. 22 But take courage! None of you will lose your || lives, even though the ship will go down. 23 For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me, 24 and he said, ‘Don’t be afraid, Paul, for you will surely stand trial before Caesar! What’s more, God in his goodness has granted safety to everyone sailing with you.’ 25 So take courage! For I believe God. It will be just as he said. 26 But we will be shipwrecked on an island.”
27 About midnight on the fourteenth night of the || storm, as we were being driven across the Sea of Adria, the sailors sensed land was near. 28 They dropped a weighted line and found that the water was 120 feet deep. But a little later they measured again and found it was only 90 feet deep. 29 At this rate they were afraid we would soon be driven against the rocks along the shore, so they threw out four anchors from the back of the ship and prayed for daylight.
|| 30 Then the sailors tried to abandon the ship; they lowered the lifeboat as though they were going to put out anchors from the front of the ship. 31 But Paul said to the commanding officer and the soldiers, “You will all die unless the sailors stay aboard.” 32 So the soldiers cut the ropes to the lifeboat and let it drift away.
33 Just as day was dawning, Paul urged everyone to eat. “You have been so worried that you haven’t || touched food for two weeks,” he said. 34 “Please eat something now for your own good. For not a hair of your heads will perish.” 35 Then he took some bread, gave thanks to God before them all, and broke off a piece and ate it. 36 Then everyone was encouraged and began to eat— 37 all 276 of us who were on board. 38 After eating, the crew lightened the ship further by throwing the cargo of wheat overboard. (Acts 27, NLT)
The ship that Paul was on would be shipwrecked shortly after this. The back of the ship would be destroyed by the waves. But, as Paul said, all 276 on the ship survived.
Paul was at peace, though the storm around the ship raged.
That peace had a practical side — Paul knew that those onboard would need to eat and have their strength for what lay ahead.
Paul encouraged those on the ship to be calm and eat. Reminds me of one of those shirts that were popular a while back: “Keep calm and eat!”
Hungry people are not useful to God. Those on the ship — the sailors, prisoners, and soldiers — would all need their strength to survive what was to come.
The same is true for us too. We need to change our focus from the storm to the one who controls the seas.
Barclay, William. The Acts of the Apostles (The New Daily Study Bible) (p. 219). Presbyterian Publishing Corporation. Kindle Edition.
William Barclay says:
“As we read the narrative, into the tempest there seems to come a strange calm. Paul, the man of God, has somehow made others sure that God is in charge of things. The most useful people in the world are those who, being calm themselves, bring to others the secret of confidence. Paul was like that; and every follower of Jesus ought to be steadfast when others are in turmoil.”
Paul drew on God and His control to bring peace and calm to the ship.
I’m sure Paul recalled a familiar story that would have been relayed to him by Peter and the other disciples. From Matthew’s gospel, we read:
23 Then Jesus got into the boat and started across the lake with his disciples. 24 Suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake, with waves breaking into the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25 The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”
26 Jesus responded, “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!” Then he got up and rebuked || the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm.
27 The disciples were amazed. “Who is this man?” they asked. “Even the winds and waves obey him!” (Matthew 8, NLT)
This morning, no matter what storm you may be going through, turn to the one who is in control, the one who can get us through the storm, the one who controls the storm. Put your faith and trust in Him and not ourselves.
Seize the Day
Copied from Preaching Today
https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/1996/february/1307.html
I read that the Chinese symbols for "crisis" are identical to those for the word "opportunity." Literally translated it reads "Crisis is an opportunity riding the dangerous wind.”
Just as God brought Paul and the others onboard the ship through the storm, through the crisis, God too may be bringing us through the storm for an unknown opportunity that lay ahead.
3. Finally, this morning, on this journey to Rome, we can learn to use whatever gifts God has given to us in order to spread the gospel.
In Acts 28, we read this about the time that Paul and the others were shipwrecked on the island of Malta:
7 Near the shore where we landed was an estate belonging to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us and treated us kindly for three days. 8 As it happened, Publius’s father was ill with fever and dysentery. Paul went in and prayed for him, and laying his hands on him, he healed him. 9 Then all the other sick people on the island came and were healed. 10 As a result we were showered with || honors, and when the time came to sail, people supplied us with everything we would need for the trip. (Acts 28, NLT)
Barclay, William. The Acts of the Apostles (The New Daily Study Bible) (p. 223). Presbyterian Publishing Corporation. Kindle Edition.
In his commentary on Acts, William Barclay suggests that there was something interesting happening, starting with that verse 9 — where Luke records that “all the other sick people came and were healed”:
“The word used [in the original language] is the word for receiving medical attention; and there are scholars who think that this can well mean not only that they came to Paul but also that they came to [Dr.] Luke, who treated them through his medical skill. If that is so, this passage gives us the earliest picture we possess of the work of a medical missionary. There is a poignant thing here.”
He continues, “Paul could exercise the gift of healing, [which it appears that he did for Publius’ father], and yet he himself had always to carry about with him the thorn in the flesh. Many people have brought to others a gift which was denied to themselves. Beethoven, for instance, gave to the world immortal music which he himself, being completely deaf, never heard. It is one of the wonders of grace that such individuals did not grow bitter but were content to be the channels of blessings which they themselves could never enjoy.”
What wonderful possibilities are suggested here.
What it tells me is that no matter our circumstances, God has given to us the means and the message that are to be shared with the world. God, through our gifts and our talents, through our struggles, through our infirmities, through our storms, through our successes, has given us the very things we need to be His messengers, sharing the good news of the gospel wherever we find ourselves planted.
Blind Man Ministered to Thousands
Copied from Preaching Today
https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2007/november/7110507.html
Consider what one of Greig Beukema’s nephews writes about his uncle:
“My Uncle Greig suffered from diabetes. Diagnosed as a youngster, the disease progressively worsened until he lost his sight as an adult. At the time he became blind, Greig had been married eight years and had two daughters. He had been working as a nurse, but his blindness cost him the job. Although his wife, Sondra, worked as an elementary teacher, they still lost their house and car.
“The couple had confessed faith in Christ as young people, but they had been far from God for years. The loss of Greig's sight only seemed to distance them further from God and one another. Greig went into a deep depression. He abused prescription drugs. He tried to commit suicide four times.
?“In 1976, he finally hit bottom. As a result, Greig renewed his relationship with God and promised to follow him. Shortly after, Greig accepted an invitation to sing at a Christian conference. He had to coax Sondra into driving him there. He then convinced her to sing with him. Sondra was afraid they would be struck dead for hypocrisy; they'd been living for themselves and apart from God for so long. But that night, Greig told the truth about his life: this blind man told everyone that now he could see. Sondra and the audience were amazed. People came forward to commit their lives to Christ.
?“The Beukema Family music ministry was born. They traveled all over the United States and Europe singing of God's love. They did TV and radio broadcasts and recorded albums in Nashville, Tennessee. Over the years, they worked and became friends with some of the top Christian and country music stars of the day. Greig's theme song was "He's Changing Me.” Everywhere he went, he told the story of God's transforming grace and redeeming love. His was not the greatest voice, but God used him to touch thousands of lives.”
In 1987, Greig suffered three heart attacks, a stroke, and kidney failure in his last few months of life. In March of 1987, he passed from this world due to these complications but not before he had spent 11 years testifying of the God who had changed him. As Greig loved to sing, "Once I was blind, but now I see.”
No matter where we find ourselves — no matter our circumstances — no matter our struggles — God has given us gifts — gifts that we need to use for Him — to share the gospel message to anyone who will listen.
God has placed us where we are — God has gifted us with the talents and gifts we have — God has given us a job to do — a task about which we must be working — so, like Paul, we need to discover how we can best use what God has given to us.
Conclusion
This morning, Paul’s journey, in the end, following God’s plan for his life, ended in him losing his life, all in service of his Savior.
Along the way, though, Paul made a difference. Paul changed lives. Paul brought a message of hope and salvation to a world that was filled with false gods, idolatry, self-centeredness, political corruptness, and the list could go on and on. Just read any of Paul’s letters, and you can see the world in which Paul lived. If you look close enough, you will find our world today. Not much has changed in nearly 2,000 years.
Paul made a difference in the world, being used by God to bring the gospel message to the Gentiles. If it were not for the work and travels of Paul, you and I today would have never had the opportunity to hear the gospel message, and have a relationship with God.
Truth be told, if Paul can make such a great difference in his part of the world reaching all the way down to today, potentially reaching billions of people, you and I can certainly make a difference in our little part of the world.
What will it take for us to fully surrender to Him?
What will it take for us to fully serve Him?
What will it take for us to be about the business which God has called us — taking the gospel — the good news of salvation, love, and grace — to the entire world?
What will it take?
It starts when we do not wait for that convenient day — for today must be the day of salvation!
