YOU HAVE REACHED YOUR DESTINATION
Text: Acts 28:11-16
Introduction
1. “God’s promises are not always fulfilled as quickly as or in the way we might hope; they come according to His timing and in His ways.”— Dieter F. Uchtdorf
2. Jesus had promised Paul that he would make it to Rome where he would preach the Good News.
3. However, along the way he stood trial, went through two weeks of bad weather at sea, was shipwrecked, and got bit by a poisonous snake. But he survived it all!
4. God makes us promises, but He never tells us it’s going to be easy, just that He will be with us every step along the way.
5. Read Acts 28:11-16
Transition: Let’s travel along with Paul on the road to Rome.
I. God Keeps His Promise
A. As we discovered last week, Paul had a time of rest and hospitable treatment by the folks on the island of Malta. However, he also had a time a tremendous ministry as all of the sick people on the island we prayed for and healed by the laying on of hands.
B. Now, it was time to move on and head for Rome. Luke tells us in vv. 11-12, “It was three months after the shipwreck that we set sail on another ship that had wintered at the island—an Alexandrian ship with the twin gods as its figurehead. 12 Our first stop was Syracuse, where we stayed three days.”
1. The three months they had spent on the island were the winter months.
2. Historians tell us that ships began to navigate the Mediterranean again around mid-February, which was probably the time they left.
3. They were able to board a ship from Alexandrea that had wintered on Malta for the winter.
4. Ships in those days were named after certain deities, and this one was named after the “twin gods,” who were the twin sons of the Roman god Zeus, and they were the patrons of navigation. Their first stop was the port of Syracuse, which is on the east coast of Sicily.
C. Next Luke tells us in vv. 13-14, “From there we sailed across to Rhegium. A day later a south wind began blowing, so the following day we sailed up the coast to Puteoli. 14 There we found some believers, who invited us to spend a week with them. And so we came to Rome.”
1. The first city they came to was Rhegium, which is called Reggio today, and is on the “toe” of Italy.
2. From there they traveled to a town called Puteoli, which now called Pouzzuli, which is about 150 miles south of Rome.
3. Since it is located in the Bay of Naples, Puteoli was the favorite entry point for Alexandrian wheat ships.
4. They stayed there for a whole week, probably because Julius, the Roman commander, had business there to attend to.
5. While they were there, Paul met with some believers and was allowed to stay with them the whole time they were there.
6. It’s possible that these were converts who had been in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost. When they returned home, they began telling people about Jesus!
7. Then finally, Paul made it to Rome.
D. Now that they were in Rome, Luke tells us in v. 15, ”The brothers and sisters in Rome had heard we were coming, and they came to meet us at the Forum on the Appian Way. Others joined us at The Three Taverns. When Paul saw them, he was encouraged and thanked God.”
1. The believers in Rome had heard that Paul was coming, and as you might imagine, they were excited to meet the great Apostle.
2. For us, it would be like meeting Billy Graham.
3. In fact, they were so excited to meet him, they went south and met with him at a place called the Forum on the Appian Way. The Appian Way was the oldest, straightest, and most perfectly made of all the Roman roads (Longnecker, Acts, 568), and it connected Neapolis with Rome.
4. The Forum was a famous marketplace.
5. Then some other believers met with Paul at a place called The Three Taverns which was a small town that sprouted around an inn of the same name.
6. Not only were they excited to meet with him, but he was both excited and encouraged to fellowship with them, and Paul thanked God for the fellowship.
7. Luke doesn’t tell us anything else about the Roman church but rather focuses on Paul’s evangelistic efforts.
E. Then Luke tells us, “When we arrived in Rome, Paul was permitted to have his own private lodging, though he was guarded by a soldier.”
1. Paul had finally made it to Rome. It was the most powerful city on earth at this time.
2. This was Paul’s deepest desire, but more importantly, it was Jesus promise to him.
3. Yes, in spite of all of the detours and trials, Jesus kept His promise!
4. While he was there, Paul was able to have his own place, although it was guarded by a soldier, but he was not restricted as to what he could do or who he could talk to.
5. Jesus had promised him that he would make it to Rome, and that he would preach the Good News there. Promise delivered!
Transition: Now, let’s look at God’s…
II. Promises For Today
A. If God has promised something, He will deliver!
1. “Once when he was eating with them, he commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. 5 John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 1:4-5).
2. “On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. 2 Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. 3 Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. 4 And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.” (Acts 2:1-4).
3. Promise given…promise delivered!
4. God had promised the outpouring of the Holy Spirit way back in the book of Joel, and He delivered on the Day of Pentecost. His timetable may not be the same as yours, but He will deliver.
5. He promised Paul, he would make it alive to Rome, and he would preach the Gospel. It took two years, a bunch of storms, and a shipwreck, but he made it. Promise delivered.
6. God promises to provide for you, and He is going to deliver.
7. God promises to protect you, and He is going to deliver.
8. God promises to always be with you, and He is going to deliver.
9. If He makes a promise, He delivers!
B. Encourage those in ministry.
1. “So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.” (1 Thes. 5:11).
2. “Obey your spiritual leaders, and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit.” (Heb. 13:17).
3. If you’re one of those people that think Pastors work one day a week, you are sadly mistaken. Someone said that to me once, and I asked them if they’d like to follow me around for a week.
4. Ministry is hard, and it can be lonely.
5. Pastors need to be encouraged and appreciated.
6. “Give them reason to do this with joy and not sorrow.”
C. You don’t need ideal circumstances to serve God.
1. “God will do this, for he is faithful to do what he says, and he has invited you into partnership with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” (1 Cor. 1:9).
2. We are all in ministry; we are in this together.
3. Things are not always going to be easy.
4. We don’t have all the bells and whistle’s that bigger churches have to offer.
5. We’re not in the middle of town; we’re out in the country.
6. But what we do have is the power of the Holy Spirit, and we are a place where you matter. At big churches, nobody knows you’re there. If you’re here, people recognize you, and if you’re not here, people miss you.
7. It’s a place to connect. Here you are a part of the family.
8. We may not have what large churches have, but we have stuff they can only dream of.
Conclusion
What’s the point preacher? When God makes a promise, He always keeps it. Like the song says, “He's an on time God, yes he is (oh oh oh) On time God, yes he is
Job said He may not come when you want him
But he'll Be there right on time
I'll tell you He's an on time God, yes he is
