I Am The Witness (Acts 8:26-40)

I am he as you are he as you are me
And we are all together…
I am the egg man
They are the egg men
I am the walrus
Goo goo g’joob

As far as songs go, I Am The Walrus is one of the most confusing you’ll ever hear.You may not know that it was purposefully nonsensical. As the story goes, John Lennon received a letter from a student at his alma mater telling him they had a class dedicated to analyzing The Beatles’ songs. John decided to write a song that defied analysis (and take a pot shot at the songs of Bob Dylan while he was at it). I Am The Walrus was meant confuse and befuddle listeners.

Ten years later Lennon said, ”The words didn’t mean a lot. People draw so many conclusions, and it’s ridiculous. I’ve had tongue in cheek all along…What does it really mean, ‘I am the Eggman?’ It could have been ‘The pudding Basin’ for all I care. It’s not that serious.”

As a church family, we’re right in the middle of a study through Isaiah 53 – The Song Of The Suffering Servant. As we’ve heard, many commentators consider it to be the pinnacle of the Old Testament – the beating heart of the Gospel – that here the whole Bible converges to reveal the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, the Messiah. A very serious song.

Historically, this song has left some people confused. In fact, in one of the most memorable scenes in the book of Acts, we see a man absolutely baffled, saying, “Who in the world is the Lamb Man?

In this text, the is answer revealed to him – the identity of the Savior of the world. At the same time, something is revealed to us: That God intends to include Christians in His astonishing, providence.

Acts 8:26-27a – 26 An angel of the Lord spoke to Philip: “Get up and go south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is the desert road.) 27 So he got up and went.

We first meet Philip in Acts 6 when he is asked to serve the widows of the Church in Jerusalem. He’s described as a man of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom. At times, his life was full of supernatural activity – the Lord used Philip to start a revival in the city of Samaria and even worked miracles through him. At other times, he lived what we would call a normal, average life. He settled down and raised a family. Whenever we see him, he is ready to obey God, ready to be led, ready to be a part of what God wants to do. Sometimes that meant waiting tables, sometimes it meant preaching to strangers, sometimes it meant hosting missionaries in his home, sometimes it meant being a Godly parent.

Philip shows us how an ordinary person walks with an extraordinary God. It’s not always clear why the Lord is leading us in certain ways and it’s not always easy to follow. Take this text. To obey God in verse 26 meant to leave an active revival that he had been a key part of. “Lord, why would you take me away from this thriving ministry and park me in the desert?” We know why, but Philip didn’t. On top of that, scholars explain that the directions this angel gave Philip were somewhat vague. There were two roads that fit the description. Which one was the right one?

We’d expect the Lord to be a little more precise with His instructions, knowing how precarious the timing would be. But this was not only an opportunity for Philip to witness, it was also an opportunity for him to walk by faith. In both regards he is an encouraging example to us.

Not only would it have been somewhat confusing to leave Samaria, it was also downright dangerous. Philip had been driven out of Jerusalem – scattered by violent persecution. And now the Lord says, “I’d like you to take the road from Jerusalem out into the desert. Go walk right back into the valley of the shadow of death.” And that’s exactly what he did. “He got up and went.”

Acts 8:27b-28 – There was an Ethiopian man, a eunuch and high official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to worship in Jerusalem 28 and was sitting in his chariot on his way home, reading the prophet Isaiah aloud.

This eunuch was a big deal. He was wealthy and influential. He was also a man searching for God. He traveled thousands of miles to try to meet with Jehovah in His Temple. He wasn’t there on state business. He would’ve had to get official permission for this trip. He would’ve had to go into the throne room of Ethiopia and say, “Listen, I’ve heard about the God of the Jews, and I want to go and worship there…no offense to the moon god…”

After finally arriving in Jerusalem, he goes to the Temple where he would be told, “Oh, you can’t come in. No eunuch can enter this assembly.” There is no place for him. He’s turned away.

But he doesn’t leave empty-handed. He left with God’s attention fixed on him. And, at some point he picked up a copy of Isaiah and he immediately started to read it. We can sense his genuine desire for truth. Though it seemed like the entire trip was a waste of time, he’s eager to read. He still wants to learn more about the God of the Jews. He’s still hoping to find rest for his soul.

Acts 8:29 – 29 The Spirit told Philip, “Go and join that chariot.”

What an amazing picture: We’re on a desert road. We don’t know how long Philip waited. We don’t know how many other caravans went by. They both were heading south out of Jerusalem. It’s possible Philip had walked past this caravan at some point. But this is the moment. Suddenly providence and grace come together like a heavenly Rube Goldberg machine.

The Lord could’ve had one of the Apostles talk to the eunuch. The Twelve were still in Jerusalem. But as this fellow moved around the city, the Lord said, “No, not Matthias. Not Andrew. Not Philip the Apostle, I’ve set this aside for Philip the deacon.” He wants to include all of us in His work and small obediences make eternal differences.

Go and join that chariot. This was more like an ox wagon, with space for multiple people. There would be a caravan of staff and supplies. But now imagine the spiritual picture. There’s eunuch, one of the most powerful people on planet earth, but he has been rejected. He’s headed home with his head hanging. What hope does he have? What answers does he have? What good is his wealth or his position? He knows in his heart that he is incomplete, yet has no way to make himself whole.

Then, standing in the dust, is a man who looks like just some poor, road-weary traveler. He had been driven from his home by people who wanted to kill him, but he’s not troubled. He may not have chauffeurs or bodyguards, but he travels with God the Holy Spirit. He not only has the knowledge of God, but a relationship with Him. As a result, he has peace and power and hope.

This must have been a nerve-wracking moment. “Go and join that chariot.” “That one? The one with the armed guards all around it? You want me to run up to it? And say what?”

Acts 8:30 – 30 When Philip ran up to it, he heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you’re reading?”

Philip was a humble man. He acted kindly, relationally, personably. He entered into the eunuch’s world, but with authority and confidence. He did not antagonize or politicize. “Do you understand what you’re reading?” Philip heard the words and since he was a student of God’s Word, he knew what it was and how to begin from that spot.

Now, Philip probably did not own a copy of Isaiah, but he knew it. He put it in his heart. It is no longer difficult to obtain copies of God’s Word. But ease of access is not the same as planting it in our hearts. This is why we prioritize the systematic study of Scripture, because we need to understand it enough to explain it to others. We want to keep growing in our knowledge.

The eunuch may be in charge of the entire treasury of the Candace, but Philip was in charge of a treasure of his own – just like each Christian here is. We are administrators of God’s Word, more precious than rubies or silver or gold. Any Christian can be like Joseph who was entrusted with the life-saving grain in years of famine and gave it to anyone who came in Genesis 47.

Acts 8:31 – 31 “How can I,” he said, “unless someone guides me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

Every aspect of this scene shimmers with providence. The Lord was working so many things together so that this individual can hear the Gospel. If we were able to see all the moving pieces it took for each of us to hear the Good News, I’m sure we’d be astounded.

Philip was ready to be used providentially. Notice how flexible and gracious he was. With each passing minute they are moving farther and farther south, into the desert. But he doesn’t say, “By the way, it’s inconvenient for me to be here. Can we turn back so I have an easier trip home?”

The eunuch says, “I need someone to explain this to me.” As Christians, we’ve got some explaining to do! There are a lot of misconceptions about God out there, a lot of bad takes on the Bible, a lot of false teachings and twisted concepts. We are called to rightly divide the Word of God and proclaim it to the people in our path.

Acts 8:32-34 – 32 Now the Scripture passage he was reading was this: He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb is silent before its shearer, so he does not open his mouth. 33 In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who will describe his generation? For his life is taken from the earth., 34 The eunuch said to Philip, “I ask you, who is the prophet saying this about—himself or someone else?”

Eric Burden, the lead singer of The Animals and friend to John Lennon claimed to be the Egg Man referenced in I Am The Walrus. In a lyric on the White Album the fab four sang, “Here’s a clue for you all: The walrus was Paul.” So, who was the walrus? Well, the answer is LSD.

Isaiah did not write under the influence of LSD. He wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. And there, hundreds of years before Christ came to earth in His Incarnation, His identity was revealed. The Savior of the world would suffer and die on our behalf as a sacrifice.

To the human mind, this plan doesn’t make sense. Why would a God with all the power choose to pay the ultimate price to rescue people who are at war with Him? But that’s exactly what He did. And people need to know that He did. They need to know Who Jesus really is. They need to hear what the Bible is really about.

The Apostle Peter encouraged and commanded us to be ready to give a defense – to give an explanation – to anyone who asks us about the hope we have. Philip was ready.

Acts 8:35 – 35 Philip proceeded to tell him the good news about Jesus, beginning with that Scripture.

Philip focused on the Gospel. He didn’t launch into some pet doctrinal issue. He preached Jesus to this man. And what he preached was Good News.

Have you noticed all the news out there is bad? I love the term I’ve started to hear about social media. They’re calling it the doom scroll.

Jesus Christ is Good News. Forgiveness of sin and strength for living and a place in heaven are Good News. When Christians are as combative and aggressive and antagonistic and argumentative and vengeful as the unsaved world around us, something has gone terribly wrong.

We don’t know the specific points of Philip’s message but we can speculate about what some of the eunuch’s questions might have been. Probably high up on the list would be: But is this just for Israel? Remember – he would’ve been turned away as unfit for worship in the Temple.

But then, Philip could’ve said, “Well, let’s look a few columns over.” And in what we call Isaiah 56 they would’ve read these words:

Isaiah 56:3-5 – No foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord should say, “The Lord will exclude me from his people,” and the eunuch should not say, “Look, I am a dried-up tree.” For the Lord says this: “For the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, and choose what pleases me, and hold firmly to my covenant, I will give them, in my house and within my walls, a memorial and a name better than sons and daughters.

This man was denied a place in the temple but promised a home in heaven thanks to Jesus Christ. Not only was Scripture attesting that to him, but Philip could then say, “Not let me tell you my testimony. God sent me to you. God knows and loves you, personally. Enough to send me. Enough to change the course of my life so you could hear that God is real and He loves you.

There were no signs or miracles in that chariot, at least not in the way we think of them. Of course, it was all miraculous – the movements of providence. But God brought Philip to this man with a simple message. And that was enough to save this man’s soul and transform his life and change human history.

Acts 8:36 – 36 As they were traveling down the road, they came to some water. The eunuch said, “Look, there’s water. What would keep me from being baptized?”

You know what you don’t usually find in the desert? Water! But at the very right moment, there’s an oasis large enough for a man to be baptized. God had every detail covered.

One resource explains that the eunuch’s words were more like, “I should get baptized, right?” He had a desire to obey – a desire to leave his old identity behind and now publicly affiliate with Christ.

Depending on your translation, you may or may not have verse 37. Many scholars consider it a later addition to the book, though nothing in it is unbiblical. In it, Philip asks the eunuch to confess his faith. Romans 10 tells us, “If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Acts 8:38 – 38 So he ordered the chariot to stop, and both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him.

You know what I like about this? There was no baptism class. No drawn out process. A believer can be baptized anywhere, from a backyard pool to the Jordan river.

Acts 8:39 – 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him any longer but went on his way rejoicing.

So, Philip is on to his next assignment. And the Ethiopian is on to his first assignment as a Christian. Apparently, God considered him good-to-go. He would be the only Christian in his country, but the Lord thought, “Yep, this guy is enough because he has the Holy Spirit and the Isaiah scroll and he has an excited and obedient heart, and he’s overflowing with joy and hope. He’ll be fine.”

When Philip ministered in Samaria, the result was a city full of joy. When he ministered to this man, the result was joy. Christian activity should lead to joy because the joy of the Lord is our strength, it is a fruit of the Spirit, and a joyful heart is good medicine.

Acts 8:40 – 40 Philip appeared in Azotus, and he was traveling and preaching the gospel in all the towns until he came to Caesarea.

Philip suddenly found himself 20-30 miles away. Ray Stedman points out that Philip did not wait for an angel to tell him the next thing to do. He just went about his regular, Christian life. Maybe the Lord will lead you in dramatic or supernatural ways, we welcome that. But otherwise, we’re to just carry out our Christianity. Exercise our faith. We’ve already been led in all sorts of ways. And as we walk with the Lord, He will catch us up in His providential work. We would benefit to remember God’s desire to pull us into His providential plans.

At the end of Acts, Philip is still in Caesarea. The days of miracles and revivals and angel visits seemed to be over for him, but he’s still being used by God.

God wants to use us. He has all of these tasks and opportunities that He’d like to involve us in. But He uses people who want to be used. He uses people who choose to obey – who listen for His leading. While the world is wasting their time wondering about I Am The Walrus, we get to move through life in the knowledge that I Am The Witness.

We Can Work It Out (Acts 16:11-15, 40)

Have you heard about the legendary garage where Apple Computers got its start? The truth is, it was more hangout than anything else. Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak said, “[w]e did no designs there, no breadboarding, no prototyping, no planning of products. We did no manufacturing there.” But the legend of the garage lives on because, from that spot, one of the most influential companies of human history was born and we love stories of humble beginnings. 

In 1995, Craig Newmark started “an email list to friends about happenings in the San Francisco Bay Area.” More than 25 years later, Craigslist still records billions of views every month. In 1901, Charles Walgreen opened a single drugstore that measured just 50 feet by 20 feet.

Those are all great business stories, but we’re here to occupy our minds with the eternal. The truth is, God loves to take small seeds – small beginnings – and accomplish everlasting purposes through them. Not using conventional wisdom or market research – not according to a targeted growth plan or a strategic business model, but by the Holy Spirit, Who infuses the organic relationships of Christians with His power and leading, and presents them with unique opportunities.

The founding of the church at Philippi in Acts 16 is a perfect example of how God empowers His people, uses them where they are, and advances the Gospel even when His people aren’t sure what to do, don’t know what’s coming, and must venture into uncharted territory. 

Ten years after the events of our text, Paul would write to the Philippian Christians and say:

Philippians 2:12 – 12 Therefore, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, so now, not only in my presence but even more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 

This morning we see the start of that work and, hopefully, we’ll be stirred up by the reminder that we are part of the work too and that we, together, can work out the extraordinary call of the Gospel in our own family of faith.

Acts 16:11-12a – 11 From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, the next day to Neapolis, 12 and from there to Philippi, a Roman colony and a leading city of the district of Macedonia.

The year is around 50 AD. Paul is traveling with Silas, Timothy, and Luke. This is his second major missionary journey, but it got off to a strange start. Paul wanted to travel into Asia, but we’re told that the Holy Spirit had forbidden them from speaking the word there. While in Troas, Paul received a vision of a Macedonian man who pleaded with Paul to “Cross over to Macedonia and help us!” Macedonia means the island of Greece. This would be the first spread of the Gospel into Europe.

Setting sail, Paul and his three friends must’ve been brimming with anticipation. They had dramatic leading from God. The wind was at their backs. The 156 mile trip that would later take them five days only took two in these verses. They land in Neapolis and then walk 10 miles to Philippi. 

Philippi was an interesting and privileged city. Its inhabitants had special rights given by Rome, including Roman citizenship and exemption from certain taxes. Many veterans lived there and it had a storied military history. Philippi was home to active gold mines and a school of medicine. 

Paul experienced a lot of different things in the course of his Christian life, but I’m guessing this team was ready for a huge Gospel event. Maybe another Day of Pentecost situation, where thousands were saved after one sermon. Instead…

Acts 16:12b – We stayed in that city for several days.

Nothing happened. No great revival. No invitation to the forum to speak. When Paul was in Derbe back in chapter 14, we’re told that he preached the Gospel and made many disciples. In Iconium a “a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed.” But in Philippi, nothing was happening. At least not yet. They discovered there was no Jewish synagogue in town, meaning there weren’t even ten Jewish men in the city. For several days, there was no open door for them to walk through.

We’re not told if Paul and his friends were deflated. I think I would have been – or at least very confused. God sent them to this place, in a sense, at the expense of other places. Paul planned to go to Asia – No! Go to Philippi. He tried to go to Bithynia – No! Go to Philippi. Weren’t there people who needed the Gospel in Neapolis and Samothrace? Absolutely. In fact, Samothrace was home to a “widely patronized” mystery cult. And the Lord cared about those people. Paul told Timothy in First Timothy 2, “[God] wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” So, Lord, why are we losing days in Philippi where nothing is happening and no one is listening? 

I remember the first time our church sent a team to Colombia. We were flying out of LAX and that day there was a shooting which grounded most flights. Ours made it out, but in all the chaos, we missed our connection, which meant we would lose a day in Houston. That wasn’t part of the plan. Once there, we had nothing to do. I remember we felt a little confused, a little discouraged, a little unsure of what we should do. I can only imagine what Paul and his friends were thinking. 

Acts 16:13 – 13 On the Sabbath day we went outside the city gate by the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and spoke to the women gathered there.

So, not only were there not ten Jewish men, there were no Jewish men! According to tradition, if there was no synagogue, the faithful would meet in the open air by a river or the sea. They would meet to pray and recite scripture and hear from any traveling teachers that may have come.

Acts 16:14 – 14 A God-fearing woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, was listening. The Lord opened her heart to respond to what Paul was saying.

Let’s deal with a doctrinal point here. This phrase “the Lord opened her heart to respond to what Paul was saying” is a demonstration of what is called prevenient grace. There are some Christian traditions which teach that God determines who will believe and who will not, and that there’s nothing you can or can’t do about it because, they say, His grace is irresistible. This, of course, goes against the clear demonstrations of free will throughout the Bible, but also stands in contention with Scripture like when Stephen said, “You stiff-necked people…you are always resisting the Holy Spirit.” Or when Jesus wept over Jerusalem saying, “I wanted to gather you as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!”

Rather than irresistible grace, Lydia’s story shows us prevenient grace. A good definition of prevenient grace is, “An operation of the Holy Spirit that frees the sinner’s will from the bondage to sin and convicts, calls, illumines, and enables the sinner to respond to the Gospel call with repentance and faith.”

Man does not initiate salvation. God is the Initiator. The Bible is clear that we are dead in trespasses and sins and that there is no one who seeks after God, not even one. What the Bible shows us is that God loves every person who has ever been conceived. It is His desire to save each and every one of them, but He will not force His love upon us. By lifting Jesus up on the cross, He draws all people to Himself and, by the ministry of the Holy Spirit and the preaching of the Gospel, God frees our wills to be able to respond positively or negatively to His call. As A.W. Tozer wrote in The Pursuit Of God, we can only seek God because He sought us first. But the choice God gives us is genuine and we are free to respond in acceptance or rejection to His call. 

Lydia’s heart was touched by the grace of God and the preaching of the Gospel and she exercised her free will to respond in belief.

But back into the scene. Here’s Lydia, the first convert in Europe. There are several ironies here. Namely, that the Macedonian man is actually an Asian Woman! Her city – Thyatira – was back the way Paul had been. It was in-between Lystra and Derbe, where he picked up Timothy, and Troas, where he received his vision. 

This is a perfect example of why we must not use human reasoning when it comes to ministry methods or goals. We couldn’t have worked out this formula. This is an algorithm that doesn’t compute. If God tells us, “I’d like to save a woman from Thyatira,” we buy a ticket to Thyatira. Paul was trying to get into Asia, the Lord said, “Actually, I need you to go the opposite way.” And we’re so glad he did, because this moment – this Divine appointment – led not only to the great stories of Acts 16, but then to the eternal Epistle to the Philippians, not to mention the fact that the Gospel would continue to ripple through the West for the rest of history. Paul is also glad God brought him to Philippi. This church would become, perhaps, the most-loved and most helpful congregation to the Apostle. He speaks with great affection to them in his letter and highlights the special place they had in his heart and ministry. 

We’re told Lydia was a dealer in purple cloth. This means she would’ve had wealth and status. There is evidence that dealing in this color may have been an imperial monopoly and that those involved were members of ‘Caesar’s household.’

Acts 16:15 – 15 After she and her household were baptized, she urged us, “If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us. 

I wonder what Paul spoke on that day by the river. We know that one of the focuses of his teaching to Gentiles was that God had broken down the barriers between Jew and Greek, male and female, slave and free. His letters also often use clothing as an analogy for the Christian life. In Ephesians he talks about putting on armor. In Colossians he said to dress yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, and gentleness. In Galatians, which Paul had probably written a little before this text, he wrote, “For those of you who were baptized into Christ have been clothed with Christ.”

Whatever it was that he taught, Lydia had three immediate desires after receiving the gift of salvation: She wanted to share the Good News with her family, she wanted to be baptized, and she wanted to apply the grace she had received from God to her life in generosity and service. James would call this faith that works. The works of baptism, evangelism, and service didn’t buy her salvation, they were natural byproducts of the salvation she had received by faith. 

It seems Paul and company needed a little convincing to stay at her house. But they not only stayed, the church started meeting there, too. But the term Luke used is one that suggests she had to talk them into it. She immediately wanted to be a partner with them in the work of the Gospel. Paul would acknowledge as much not just about Lydia, but all those believers at Philippians. He opens his letter to them saying how he thanks God for them and their “partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.” They took up Christianity as individuals and as a group who partnered together in the powerful work of God in their midst.

As a group they immediately started exercising their faith in the simple ways they could. Lydia says, “Why don’t we all start meeting at my house instead of walking a mile and a half from the city to the river? Instead of standing on a muddy bank in the heat, we can sit on chairs inside.” That’s a simple action that would make a big difference for the whole spiritual family.

Soon, their little church would have many more converts and it just made sense to have a place they could gather together in the city. A rallying point. A place where they could worship and pray and learn and spend time together and be built up with one another.

This wouldn’t just mean more comfort – it was also a brave act. You see, in Roman colonies, “foreign cults, especially small ones that were not well established (like Christianity) were often not allowed within the city walls.” If you’re familiar with this portion of Scripture, you know that the unbelievers in the city were not happy about the presence of Christianity and made it known very plainly. 

But this group of Christians was fearless! They were excited to be together and be a part of what God was doing. They lived from that day on as partners in the Gospel. And they would figure out what that partnership meant for them day-by-day as they were led by the Spirit. They had no way of knowing what was going to happen next, but they knew that the Lord was with them in strength and power and presence. 

They didn’t know that, very soon, Paul and Silas would be taken, beaten, and thrown in jail. Undoubtedly the church got together at Lydia’s to pray and to talk about what should be done. Should they stage a jail break? Should they try to buy them out? Should they do nothing? I’m sure they went to Luke and Timothy and said, “What do we do?!? What is the Christian response?” 

They didn’t know that, in a few years, a lot of suffering would come their way. In his letter, Paul would explain that it had been granted to them not only to believe in Christ, but also to suffer for Him. Wow. But Paul would encourage them: Keep standing firm together, suffer together. 

On that first day in Lydia’s house, they didn’t know that their little church family would soon consist of merchants and slaves, veterans and government officials, young and old, rich and poor, all coming together in this glorious, spiritual partnership. All able to enjoy the fellowship of faith, even when the world would divide and separate them.

They didn’t know they only had a short time with Paul and his companions. Soon, they’d be on their own, working out their salvation with fear and trembling. But, ten years later, Paul would write and say, “Yes! Keep working out your salvation – do it together – and know ‘that he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion.’”

The day after Paul and Silas were thrown in the dungeon, they were released and, before leaving town, stopped where the church was meeting.

Acts 16:40 – 40 After leaving the jail, they came to Lydia’s house, where they saw and encouraged the brothers and sisters, and departed. 

In that short meeting, part of Paul’s encouragement would have been to tell them that what they had was sufficient not only for growth, but for great spiritual effectiveness. They had the Holy Spirit. They would have to navigate the way forward together as a church family, being led by the Lord. 

As Paul left, we know they supplied for his needs, not just once, but in a tender, ongoing way. 

Philippians 4:15-16 – 15 And you Philippians know that in the early days of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving except you alone. 16 For even in Thessalonica you sent gifts for my need several times.

Paul and his friends would need food, some money, fresh bandages for their wounds, probably new clothing. They were first-timers in Greece, so they could probably use some local directions. 

But they weren’t just partners in giving him stuff. They were partners in grace, in care, in the defense of the Gospel and the confirmation of the Gospel. He would remind them that God’s plan is to advance the Gospel through the lives of His people. And Acts shows that this advancement happens in a wide variety of ways, through every sort of Christian. 

This young church would have to work it out, but with the Lord’s help, they’d be able to do wonderful, Godly things. Toward that end, Paul encouraged them to stand firm together, to not be frightened by their opponents, to suffer together, for each of them to look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. And Paul told them to rejoice together. He repeated that encouragement to them. Rejoice! And he told them that, as they work out their salvation, to not put confidence in the flesh. Don’t use human methods to try to discover God’s leading. Human methods wouldn’t have put Paul in Philippi. Thank goodness humans weren’t in charge!

The Christian life is meant to be one of power and many opportunities and we are meant to work out our salvation together. Because God has scattered us into this time and place so that we each can be lights shining in our corner of the dark. We individually and collectively are able to pursue God and bring others to Him in unique ways that God has set before us. We will face unique challenges along with our unique opportunities, but we’re able to face them together as an ever-growing family of faith, partnering together with each other and with the Lord as He leads us on. 

We don’t know what might happen tomorrow. It may be shocking, difficult, or totally uncharted. We don’t know every spiritual plan or opportunity that God has in mind for us as a local church. His ideas are often very different than what we expect. But that’s why He has given us the Holy Spirit and His Word and a spiritual family so that we can walk together in wisdom and strength and effectiveness. We are few but we are strong when God surrounds us and empowers us. Let’s advance, rejoicing together, and seeking God together for what He would have us to do.

The Short Goodbye (Acts 20:1)

The inhabitants of Cherry Tree Lane had no idea how much life would change after Mary Poppins showed up. She came as a servant, but led the Banks family and others into a new, transformed experience of joy and fulfillment. At the end of the classic Disney movie, the family doesn’t see Mary go – they’re happily flying kites in the park with broad smiles. Her salty umbrella parrot says, “That’s gratitude for you – they didn’t even say goodbye!”

In Acts 20, after more than 2 years of daily service, leadership, and friendship, Paul was leaving the city of Ephesus. The circumstances weren’t as charming as a bunch of Brits flying kites in the park – a huge riot had engulfed the city in chaos. But, on his way out, Paul didn’t slip away unnoticed. He met with his Christian brothers and sisters who would stay behind in this turbulent position. 

Tonight, I’d like us to put ourselves in the Ephesians’ position. We can’t know what they were thinking, but we can guess what we might be thinking. What we’ll find is that this group of faithful Christians faced a lot of earthly uncertainty, but Paul was confident they could experience the kind of strength and peace and unity that only comes from the transformative power of the Gospel. 

In Acts 20, verse 1 we read:

Acts 20:1 – After the uproar was over, Paul sent for the disciples, encouraged them, and after saying farewell, departed to go to Macedonia.

Ephesus was a major city on the western coast of Turkey. Its population was 250,000.[1] It was home to one of the seven wonders of the ancient world – the temple of Artemis (or your Bible might call her Diana, which was her Roman name). Not only was this a religious site, it was also a bank, a refuge, and a civic center.[2]

But Ephesus wasn’t only home to Artemis worship. There was the Roman Emperor cult and a variety of Greek religious cults, as well as what are called “Hero” cults. There was widespread practice of the occult. One scholar writes, “Ephesus, the third largest city in the Empire, was by far the most hospitable to magicians, sorcerers, and charlatans of all sorts.”[3]

Paul arrived into this dark city sometime around 52 A.D.[4] The next 2 to 3 years were jam packed with ministry and miracles and evangelism and opposition. Among the enemies of the Gospel there was hardened animosity. Paul described it as fighting wild beasts in 1 Corinthians. Within the local Church, there was some confusion, particularly in the early days. Paul would discuss and instruct believers every day for two years. During these days, we read reports of savage demonic activity and widespread economic and social upheaval as people abandoned their old ways of life and embraced the Word of God, which set them free. 

Paul’s time in Ephesus culminated in a city-wide riot that lasted for hours before the people finally dispersed. Paul didn’t leave because of the riot – he had already determined to head to Jerusalem by way of Greece – but that’s the backdrop of the short goodbye in chapter 20, verse 1. 

“After the uproar was over.” 

The rioters went home, but the phrase here is interesting. Because, Luke (our author) doesn’t use the word that means “finished,” he uses one that means “restrained.”[5] It’s a less final word. In fact, it’s the word we get “pause” from.

The uproar wasn’t boiling over at the moment, but the enemies of the Gospel were influential, motivated, and ready to do some damage. Some of the Jews in the city were slandering Christianity[6] and the local Gentile union was convinced that Christians were going to ruin the city.[7] The riot died down but the turmoil wasn’t resolved. There were still threats of legal action,[8] still slander, still resentment, still fake news about what Christianity was all about. Add to that the simmering racial tension that was ingrained in the ancient Roman and Jewish cultures in that era.[9]

Now imagine you’re an Ephesian Christian. Often as I read through Acts, I put myself in the place of the characters we know – Paul and Timothy and Luke and Barnabas. We follow their stories and find wonderful application from how God moved in their lives – that’s a good thing. But tonight, we’re Ephesians. When Paul leaves for the next place, we go back home into the tensions and stresses that I’ve just listed out. If you still have a job, most of your coworkers aren’t believers. If you were ethnically Jewish, your Jewish friends and family who have rejected the Gospel have cut you off from the synagogue and from fellowship with them. If you were a Gentile believer, well, life looks a lot different now than it did before you were saved. You’re not doing the pagan things anymore. You’re getting rid of books and idols and your whole social calendar has changed. 

So there you are, with all that personal strain among family and friends and your field of employment. And now the general feeling around town is that Christians are a big problem. Christians are destroying the economy. Christians are deceiving the public. Christians have brought this great city to the verge of “ruin.” Luke describes the climate this way: “About that time there was a major disturbance about the Way.”[10]

What did it mean to be a Christian in Ephesus? And what would it mean now that Paul, the Apostle, the leader and spiritual father, was leaving? How long would it be until another riot broke out?

“Paul sent for the disciples.”

Paul wasn’t driven out of Ephesus – he left of his own free will – but it seems like he was keeping a low profile.[11] He wasn’t hiding, but he wasn’t making a big, public statement in his departure as he had in the city of Philippi. 

Paul felt compelled to travel back through the region to minister to the other churches he had established. But he wasn’t just on to the next thing. Maybe you know people who are always doing something new and sometimes that means they sort of leave your friendship behind. That’s not what Paul was doing. He was thinking of these Ephesian believers and wanted to squeeze one more ounce of ministry out on their behalf as he packed up to go. 

When Paul sent for them, we can see a contrast and a choice. The contrast is between this group of Christians and the group of craftsmen that had assembled in chapter 19. There, Demetrius had gathered the other craftsmen and silversmiths and incited their hate and their rage and their jealousy, leading to violence. The Christians assembled together were completely the opposite. This was a group dedicated to truth and peace and unity and the benefit of not only their friends, but also their enemies. 

Maybe at some point you’ve belonged to a fraternal order. Fraternal order of firefighters or Eagle Scouts or Sons of Italy. Acts 19 and 20 show two brotherhoods in Ephesus. You had the craftsmen, dedicated to their own wealth at the expense of others and then the Disciples, who were dedicated to the transformation of lives and communities through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Paul’s sending for them didn’t only show us a contrast, it also shows that the Believers would have to make a choice that day. After everything that happened, knowing all that was going on, when Paul sent up the signal flare, would you go and meet with him? Would you say, “Yes, I’m still a Christian, even though that might cost me something.” The question was, “Am I a disciple, or am I just a person who thinks some things about God?” 

Now, remember, these were people who hadn’t been Christians very long. Maybe a few years at the oldest. Some were probably brand new in their faith. But spiritual strength is available on day one of your spiritual life. The power to walk worthy of the calling is not withheld until you get a master’s of divinity. God provides it now. We never stop learning – that’s what the word disciple means: pupil or learner – but power for living and grace for today has been delivered to you even if you’re a brand new Christian in a violently pagan city like Ephesus. 

“[Paul] encouraged them.”

Ben Witherington writes, “It was Paul’s practice to reinforce and strengthen churches he…founded.”[12]

When it says he encouraged them it doesn’t mean he gave them pablum or cliches. He exhorted them and comforted them. He gave them authoritative words that built them up and made them strong in the Lord. 

Spiritual strength was important to Paul. In Romans 1 he says, “I very much want to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you.” He talks about the spiritual strength of God’s people in Romans, 1 Corinthians, 1 Thessalonians, and 2 Thessalonians. In Colossians 2 he says walking with God is meant to be rooted and built up in [Christ] and established in the faith. The New Testament assumes that you and I will be weak in eyes of the unbelieving world but strong in the power of our God. 

So the Ephesians come together and Paul has to give them the hard news that he’s leaving. They won’t have an apostle with them anymore. But, he reminds them of the truths of God’s power and their faith and that they do not have to have an apostle with them at all times in order to live the Christian life. That’s good because we don’t have apostles anymore! Now, apostles were necessary to establish the Church – God used their lives and teaching as a foundation – but now it is the “regular” disciples who take up the call and follow after the Lord wherever He has scattered them. 

Where it says Paul encouraged them, the term comes from a Greek word maybe you’ve heard before: parakletos. It means “one called, or sent for to assist another; an advocate, one who pleads the cause of another.”[13] “Paul, how are you going to advocate for us, how are you going to come along side and help us if you’re leaving?” Well, for one thing, even though the Church is scattered around the world, we’re still united in Christ. More importantly, after Jesus ascended into heaven, the Father sent us another Helper, the Holy Spirit, Who the New Testament calls “The Paraclete.” 

So, even though it would’ve been a hard loss when Paul left, he was able to remind them that a greater Helper was staying behind to build them up and strengthen them day by day. His help was much better than Paul’s. During the riot, Paul wasn’t able to do anything to help. But the Holy Spirit has omnipotent power and He will be with us forever.[14]

“After saying farewell, [Paul] departed to go to Macedonia.”

As Mary Poppins floated away, Bert says, “Goodbye, Mary Poppins. Don’t stay away too long!” She came back 54 years later for the sequel. These Ephesians didn’t know it, but most of them would never see Paul again. They would hear from him in 5 years or so when he wrote his letter to them,[15]but now their spiritual father, their pastor, their teacher, and friend was heading out. I imagine it would’ve been easy to think, “What are we going to do without Paul?” But then they would only have to remember what God had already done in their midst. How the Lord had saved them from the chains of sin. How He had freed their minds from the perversity and the lies and the waste that they had been steeped in before they were saved. How the Holy Spirit had filled their hearts and many of them had prophesied. How God had provided places for them to gather and answers to their questions and joy for their hearts. How they had already seen God accomplishing His good purposes in and through them day by day, even as opposition increased. How the Word of God was “spreading and prevailing” all around them.[16]

It would’ve been hard to say goodbye, but their spiritual future wasn’t dependent on Paul’s presence. The Lord was still with them and it was His presence that mattered most. 

I don’t mean to suggest that we face the kind of pressures that a first-century Christian did in pagan Ephesus. We don’t see blatant, violent persecution against Christians where we live. But, we do live in a culture that is increasingly hostile to the Lord and His Word. We live in a land of divisions and riots and upheaval. We live in a land of cults and belligerent fraternities and perversion. And here God has scattered us to the praise of His glory. Here, in 21st century America, God’s intention is to make us spiritually strong and then speak through our lives so that others who are currently lost and trapped in sin might be set free and transformed by the Gospel. 

We still have our Helper, the Holy Spirit, with us forever, instructing us and renewing us and bearing witness about Christ. We need to be a people who understand the days in which we live and understand what our place in this world is. For one thing, our place is “passing through.” But for another, our place is witnesses, being holy priests, lights in the dark, preachers of righteousness, disciples who go and make more disciples. 

God has called us into this Christian life and placed us into this local community. We are able to enjoy His spiritual strength even during upheaval because the Lord is with us and will be with us until the end. 

Footnotes

Footnotes
1 Gary Gromacki   The Spiritual War For Ephesus
2 The Temple Of Artemis At Ephesus   The Classical Outlook Vol. 22, No. 7
3 B. M. Metzger, St. Paul and the Magicians
4, 15 CSB Study Bible Notes
5 Thayer’s Greek Lexicon for Strong’s G5055 & G3973
6 Acts 19:9
7 Acts 19:25-27
8 Acts 19:39
9 Gromacki
10 Emphasis added
11 Ben Witherington   The Acts Of The Apostles
12 ibid.
13 https://www.billmounce.com/greek-dictionary/parakletos
14 John 14:16
16 Acts 19:20

These Are The Days (Acts 28:17-31)

Many of you have been in the Valley long enough to have experienced the head-scratching anomaly that was 104.9FM. For over a year in the late ’90s, if you tuned to that station, you would hear Creedence Clearwater Revival’s rendition of I Heard It Through The Grapevine on repeat, day and night. You can find forum posts where people ask about this legendary oddity. Dig a little more and you’ll find reports on it in both the LA Times and the Washington Post. There were “No commercials, no traffic reports, no deejays,” just one song again and again.

At the time the station was owned by Lemoore Wireless Co. and broadcast from Tipton. “Local radio executives speculate(d) that whoever got the license had money for a transmitter but (hadn’t) set up a studio.” After an innumerable number of repeats, whoever was behind the desk at KZZC made “…a shocking change and switched to different music: the Gladys Knight version of the song.”

We’ve come to the last page of Acts. It ends in much the same way that it began: With a Christian proclaiming a message of salvation, founded on the Word of God. You could let Acts fall open at random and find the same thing happening in some place or another. Whether it was Jerusalem or Caesarea, Malta or Rome, prison or palace, a dungeon cell or a city square, this same song was repeated time and time again. Decades had gone by since Jesus ascended into the clouds, and a whole lot of fantastic things had happened, but beneath it all was the same melody, the same lyrics. God had come, was coming again, and was ready to save anyone who would turn to Him.

The last scene is not between Paul and Nero. It’s not between Paul and one of the war-hardened Roman soldiers he’d be tethered to for the next two years. It’s not a meeting of Timothy, Paul, Silas and Luke. No, it’s yet another sermon being given to some Jews who had gathered together. But, of course, it’s more than that. It’s a sermon and example to us as well.

Acts 28:17 – 17 After three days he called together the leaders of the Jews. When they had gathered he said to them, “Brothers, although I have done nothing against our people or the customs of our ancestors, I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans.

Despite all he had been through, we see that Paul was ready to get to work in Rome. In the midst of getting a place to live, going through administrative protocol of being handed off to the Praetorian Guard, he found time to write an invitation and have it sent to the leaders of the synagogues in town.

Some commentators feel that Paul had a political motivation for this meeting – that he was trying to feel out the Jewish community and see how they might react at his upcoming trial. But others point out that this was always Paul’s pattern when he came to a new city: To speak first to God’s people, the Jews, and then bring the message to the Gentiles.

William Barclay writes:

“There is something infinitely wonderful in the fact that…wherever he went, Paul began with the Jews. For…more than thirty years now they had been doing everything they could to hinder him, to undo his work, and even to kill him…yet it is to them first he offers his message.”

He opens the conversation by calling them brothers and assuring them that he was not their enemy. This is a reminder that I know I need in my own life. Our enemies are not our enemies. At least, we should learn to see them as lost and helpless, rather than as opponents to be defeated. Our Lord said: “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”

Matthew Poole writes:

“The whole economy of the gospel is a doing good for evil.”

Paul wasn’t their enemy. Look how gracious he was to leave out the murder plot, the illegalities of his arrest, the lies and the politicking. Why? Because he was so concerned that they be saved.

Acts 28:18 – 18 After they examined me, they wanted to release me, since there was no reason for the death penalty in my case.

Politicians are famous for pandering to a certain demographic to get votes and then, once they’re in power, their true colors come out. A few weeks ago an article was being widely shared which said, “Pro-life evangelicals for Biden feel ‘used and betrayed’” by his policies. Now, in that case, President Biden hadn’t misled anyone. He had made many pro-abortion promises. But, Paul wasn’t just saying he wasn’t anti-Jewish. A string of courts and officials had concluded the same thing. Lysias and Felix and Festus and Agrippa all recognized this man didn’t hate the Jews. But then why, after such a long and careful legal process, wasn’t he released? We saw why: The powers that be were unwilling to stand for what was right and true, choosing instead to bow to pressure and pick the routes that were the most advantageous to themselves.

Acts 28:19 – 19 Because the Jews objected, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar; even though I had no charge to bring against my people.

Paul felt no grudge toward his people, but felt this appeal was necessary for his survival. There were times that Paul used the legal system and claimed his rights. It happened in Philippi and Jerusalem. But there’s a difference between what he feels is necessary here and using the legal system to attack others. That’s not what Paul did. He didn’t countersue anyone. Though he had been maligned and mistreated, he goes out of his way to assure them that he has no quarrel with them.

We live in a time where Christians and ministries are becoming more and more willing to attack opponents with lawsuits. We need to be very careful and, as always, remember that grace is the way forward. There are times to involve courts, but it’s not every time.

Acts 28:20 – 20 For this reason I’ve asked to see you and speak to you. In fact, it is for the hope of Israel that I’m wearing this chain.”

The hope of Israel was a technical term that would’ve grabbed the attention of these Jewish leaders. The prophet Jeremiah spoke of “the hope of Israel” as God Himself who would leave His throne and arrive as a Savior in time of distress.

Paul expresses to the Jews that his wish is to be at peace with them and to notify them about the coming of the Messiah.

When Jesus arrived He reveled that the hope of Israel was so much more than the simple liberation from Rome. The hope included not only a Savior and Sovereign, but resurrection from the dead and the promise of a future state in glory. This was important news that the nation had missed.

Acts 28:21 – 21 Then they said to him, “We haven’t received any letters about you from Judea. None of the brothers has come and reported or spoken anything evil about you.

These Roman Jews keep things close to the vest, but it seems true that they hadn’t received any tidings concerning Paul’s case. After all the trouble of the previous years, had the accusers in Jerusalem simply given up? It’s possible that their message hadn’t arrived yet – communication by sea was suspended during winter months. Or, it’s possible that they knew, having lost multiple court cases, there was no point in trying again before Nero.

Acts 28:22 – 22 But we want to hear what your views are, since we know that people everywhere are speaking against this sect.”

Rumors had begun to spread about these Christians – that they did all manner of immorality in their meetings. They would be accused of cannibalism, and detestable, criminal superstition. There’s a piece of ancient graffiti found in Rome, they think maybe from the year 200 AD, which shows a Christian worshipping a man with a donkey’s head being crucified. Though it assuredly wasn’t carved on the wall yet in Paul’s time, it demonstrates that Christians were not held in reverence.

But, to the credit of Paul’s guests, they were willing to hear a presentation about Jesus. Why? We have to speculate a bit, but for one thing, clearly Paul did not fit the caricature of Christianity that they had in mind. This was no mad, licentious cannibal. Here was a man full of grace, with Scripture on his tongue, discussing the Messiah who brings salvation to lost mankind.

What are the caricatures of Christianity today? Let’s not live up to them! Of course, many of them are unfair and wildly inaccurate. We note that Paul didn’t waste time arguing about cannibalism. Rather, his efforts were toward speaking the truth and winning people. And, because of his heart and the way he carried himself, they realized, “This guy has something to say.”

As Christians, there’s no point in us wasting our time with fluff. We’ve got a Messiah to communicate to people who are a few breaths from hell. When churches slip into a style of entertainment and feel-goodery self-help, they miss the point. The Gospel isn’t supposed to be the same as every Wellness YouTuber. It’s the power of God unto salvation. It’s the news that the Messiah has come and He’s coming again. Paul got that idea across and it made these Jews want to hear more.

Acts 28:23 – 23 After arranging a day with him, many came to him at his lodging. From dawn to dusk he expounded and testified about the kingdom of God. He tried to persuade them about Jesus from both the Law of Moses and the Prophets.

A larger crowd came this time. Paul talked with them all day. Twelve hours. This is another one of those sermons that we wish was recorded for us, like Jesus’ message on the Road to Emmaus or Philip’s talk with the Ethiopian Eunuch. But, the truth is, we can piece together these sermons. We’re given all the study material! God’s word is here for us, waiting to be discovered bit by bit, day by day, as we dive into it and see God’s heart, His work, His plan, His Kingdom.

We see that Paul used the Torah, he used prophecy, he talked about Christ, he talked about eschatology. This was a very well-balanced approach to Scripture, taking the whole counsel of God and bringing it together in his effort to convince them. He tried to persuade them about Jesus. To Paul, this wasn’t just a casual talk like you have about which restaurant you should choose for lunch. It was like a hostage negotiation. Lives were hanging in the balance.

Acts 28:24 – 24 Some were persuaded by what he said, but others did not believe.

You know what this shows us? There is no magic method, verse, series of phrases or questions that will guarantee someone will receive Christ. These people were steeped in the Old Testament – they were faithful Jews – they had voluntarily come to hear Paul that day and they listened for 12 hours and still some did not believe. Sometimes we think, “Well if I was a better preacher or had more knowledge,” or, “If that person heard a great evangelist, then they’d get saved.” Listen: We’re called to grow in our knowledge, but even the great evangelists of history didn’t turn every heart. Because it is a heart issue. In the end, a person must make the choice whether they will taste and see that the Lord is good, whether they will take refuge in Him or face eternity alone.

Acts 28:25 – 25 Disagreeing among themselves, they began to leave after Paul made one statement: “The Holy Spirit was right in saying to your ancestors through the prophet Isaiah

This is an important doctrinal verse. First, we see another reference to the Trinity. Proverbs, speaking of God, says, “Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name and what is the name of His Son?” And here, from Isaiah 6, we are shown the Holy Spirit, who speaks and acts. And that’s a second important doctrine we see here: The doctrine of inspiration. Paul is definitively saying that the Holy Spirit inspired the words written through this man, Isaiah.

Acts 28:26-27 – 26 when he said, Go to these people and say: You will always be listening, but never understanding; and you will always be looking, but never perceiving. 27 For the hearts of these people have grown callous, their ears are hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes; otherwise they might see with their eyes and hear with their ears, understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.

Paul had gone to lengths to show he wasn’t against these Jews, but he wasn’t just pandering to them, either. He rebuked the unbelievers and told them the truth. Like Isaiah, he (and we) have been sent to “go to these people and say.” Say what? Say that sin separates them from God and that sin will drag them into hell unless they are born again. That’s not what we want and it’s not what God wants. He’s ready to receive any traitor, heal any wound. But a person must be willing to soften their heart and turn toward Him in faith and surrender.

At the same time, there’s a solemn warning here for those of us listening tonight. It isn’t only the Jews who were able to harden their heart to the word of God. Ours can harden too. Hebrews tells us, “Encourage each other daily…so that none of you is hardened by sin’s deception.” And then, “Do not harden your hearts.” We’re called to guard our hearts in Proverbs. God is still speaking and leading and requiring of us. We don’t want to settle and harden into some sort of traditionalism the way the Jews had. Instead, we should take up the words of Hosea, chapter 10:

Hosea 10:12 – 12 Sow righteousness for yourselves and reap faithful love; break up your unplowed ground. It is time to seek the Lord until he comes and sends righteousness on you like the rain.

This is why we believe in the regular, systematic teaching of the Bible. It’s why we try to prioritize prayer and being in God’s presence. It’s why we try to avoid traditionalism and legalism. So that our hearts can be plowed up, soft and ready for that planting or growing the Lord wants to accomplish.

Acts 28:28 – 28 Therefore, let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen.”

Stanley Toussaint (and others) call this the climax of the whole book. I wonder what the soliders thought as they sat there? They probably had 6 hour shifts, so there were at least 2 who had listened in that day. Do you think, back at the barracks they talked to each other? They were normal people, like us. “Hey, did you hear what that guy was talking about?” “Yeah. But you didn’t hear the end – he said this has to do with us Gentiles too.” We know that, because of Paul’s two years in chains, the Gospel did spread through the whole Imperial Guard.

Acts 28:29 (NKJV) – 29 And when he had said these words, the Jews departed and had a great dispute among themselves.

This verse is probably omitted or bracketed in your Bible. It’s not in many manuscripts. Not to worry, even if it was an addition, the content has already been alluded to up in verses 24 and 25.

Acts 28:30-31 – 30 Paul stayed two whole years in his own rented house. And he welcomed all who visited him, 31 proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.

Paul was still open to receive anyone because the Lord is ready to receive anyone. He welcomes all who come to Him. During these years Paul would write Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians and Philemon. And we get a sweet, devotional reminder that your home is a place for ministry of all sorts. Not just in hospitality or by having a Bible study meet there. God works through His people in all sorts of ways. The dinner table and the writing desk, the talk with the kids while you’re putting them to bed and the prayer on the couch with your spouse. There was no Hall of Tyrannus for Paul to lecture in these 2 years. No Mars Hill or temple visits. Yet, we’re told the ministry went on and went out without hindrance.

How can it be that he wasn’t hindered while chained to a guard under house arrest, with a thorn in his flesh? That was his reality, but none of it could stop the work of God. In fact, he never complained about his chains. He wore them like a garment, or a tool belt to do a different kind of work for the Lord.

The circumstances weren’t ideal, but they also weren’t decisive. Because, as we were told at the very beginning, what we’ve been reading for these last 28 chapters is the story of what Jesus began to do and teach. And now, two thousand years later, the story goes on. These are the days of God’s continuing work through His people, who have been sent out further than ever before, to every corner of the world. No longer are we limited to wooden boats sailing the Mediterranean Sea. No longer are we waiting for Luke to finish his books. It’s all been handed on to us.

I can’t help but wonder: Did Theophilus believe? Was he convinced about all these things? More importantly, are we? Seeing what we’ve seen it’s made abundantly clear that God’s work continues. You and I now take up the next chapters of the saga. We’re not called to copy what we’ve seen but continue it. In that sense, here tonight might there be some 21st century Barnabas or Lydia? Some Cornelius or Tabitha or Timothy or Priscilla? Some Apollos or Simon the leather tanner?

These are the days of Christ’s acts through us. The song remains the same. God has spoken through His word. The Messiah has come with salvation in His hand. He’s coming again to establish His Kingdom. We are to spread the word and be full of His glorious life while we wait, watch and welcome others to join in.

A Life In Our Days (Acts 28:11-16)

Last month, Orlando Bloom was asked in an interview about his daily routine. His response turned a lot of heads and led to quite a few parodies on social media and follow-up articles skewering him.

I’ll give you a sample: “I like to earn my breakfast, so I’ll just have some green powders that I mix with brain octane oil, a collagen powder for my hair and nails, and some protein…Then I’ll go for a hike while I listen to some Nirvana or Stone Temple Pilots.” He spends 20 minutes chanting then adds some Buddhist writings to his Instagram Stories. He says he spends, “a lot of…time dreaming about roles for [himself].” By then it’s close to lunch, which consists of “vegetables or a stew. [Orlando says] I will cook at times, but otherwise, there’s a team of people.” Just a regular guy, right?

Our studies in Acts are coming to a close. The last half of the book has focused on the Apostle Paul, who has, admittedly, had some pretty outlandish and astounding day-to-day experiences, including the last few passages. The shipwreck and the miracles on Malta and all that came before it. But as Acts ends, things become surprisingly routine. Luke will not conclude his account with a big, climactic showdown between Paul and Nero, as we might expect. The story doesn’t finish with caesar’s conversion or even Paul’s exoneration. There will be no more miracles recorded in the verses that follow. No salvations either. As far as events go, there’s just a talk with some Jews and a day of preaching to them and a few travel nuts and bolts found in our passage tonight.

We don’t see what we might be expecting. But what we can see is the Christian faith in operation in regular days and regular circumstances. Of course, ‘regular’ doesn’t mean unimportant or unspiritual. Paul was where he was because God had a specific and important task for him. But though we won’t see Paul healing anyone or being busted out of prison, no riots or shipwrecks, yet as he inches toward Rome, the Holy Spirit within him continues His good work. We see in Paul the fruit of God operating in the Christian life. We detect patience, endurance, thankfulness, graciousness, determination, courage, and a willingness to receive help.

This last leg of Paul’s trip to Rome isn’t all about the fantastic. It’s more about the regular faithfulness and family-ness of the Christian life. And it once again shows us how God keeps His promises and moves us forward even when progress may feel slow, or our lives feel routine.

We pick back up in verse 11 as Paul sails out from the island of Malta.

Acts 28:11 – 11 After three months we set sail in an Alexandrian ship that had wintered at the island, with the Twin Gods as its figurehead.

After a long wait in Caesarea and after coming through such danger on the high seas, there was still some waiting to do. Now, Paul and company have made it through winter, and the Italian mainland is immediately to the north. Still, there will be a few delays. A few days here, a week there. And, throughout, Paul continues to model patience and contentment.

Make no mistake about it – he was very determined to get to Rome. He had wanted to get there, not only to preach to the lost but also to encourage the believers for years. He had said in his letter to the Romans, “[I am] always asking in my prayers that if it is somehow in God’s will, I may now, at last, succeed in coming to you [in Rome].” He wrote that he had been prevented “many times” from getting to them. Now he’s closer than ever but still makes progress only a little at a time. But, he remains peaceful and patient, knowing that God will accomplish His good work according to His perfect timing.

Luke points out that this new ship had the twin gods of Castor and Gemini as its figurehead. These were said to be patrons of seafarers and that if you were in a storm and could see the constellation Gemini, it was a good omen.

Those who had been on the first Alexandrian ship with Paul knew that no painted image could save a ship from the Euroclydon, but there was a God who could and did save them: Paul’s God. I’m sure they took much more comfort in the fact that he was aboard with them than some mythological characters carved on the prow.

Of course, there are people out there who put some sort of stock in constellations. They check their horoscope every day and define parts of their personality according to the zodiac. In that same article, Orlando Bloom said, “I’m a Capricorn, so I crave routine.” That’s to be expected out in the world. The heart without Christ is desperate for help and guidance and protection. But let’s look within for a moment. Christians today, in some traditions, put some stock in patron saints. Some branches of the Church suggest you pray to saints, that sort of thing. Even in evangelical protestantism we find God’s people effectively making political figures like patron saints. Sometimes we see people putting the hope and guidance of their lives in the hands of these characters. None of that is necessary or helpful. If you’re a Christian, the Holy Spirit of God lives within you. And day and night, you have Jesus Christ as your Advocate, interceding for you. If you needed a job done at your house, would you ask the high school woodshop student to do it if a professional contractor was willing to do it for free? You don’t need a horoscope or a patron saint.

This scene illustrates real-world experiences for us. We’re surrounded by Godless individuals and companies. We have to make choices about our liberties and how to be in the world but not of it. Can you sail on a ship that has idols on it? Paul acts in a gracious way here. He didn’t refuse to board the ship because of its figurehead. Nor did it defile him in some way to sail on it. Christians are called to be holy and winsome. Let’s be thoughtful when the next boycott comes around.

Acts 28:12 – 12 Putting in at Syracuse, we stayed three days.

This first little jog was 80 miles, putting them onto the island of Sicily. It had been founded by a Corinthian and was, at this point, the capital of the island. Cicero had once called Syracuse “the greatest and most beautiful of all the cities of [the Greek Empire].”

Acts 28:13 – 13 From there, after making a circuit along the coast, we reached Rhegium. After one day a south wind sprang up, and the second day we came to Puteoli.

The ship passed between Sicily and the boot of the Italian mainland. They were having a bit of trouble with the wind until a helpful south wind arose.

This wind brings two principles to mind. First, the Bible talks about the importance of not being a person “blown about by the wind.” Meaning we’re not to be driven by circumstances or by various teachings and doctrines, from one breeze to another. These south winds of Acts 27 and 28 give us a picture. One wind led to disaster, the other to the hoped-for destination. Instead, we’re to grow in our knowledge and intimacy with Christ. We’re to be taught by Him and conformed to His image. His word is unchangeable, and so we are to moor our lives to it and navigate by it.

Second, as the breeze started to blow, I wonder if some of the survivors of the last wreck found their anxiety rising. After all, the south wind had started their long disaster back in chapter 27. Just because we weather one storm doesn’t mean there isn’t another one brewing over the horizon. We tend to think (or hope) that once we’ve made it through a trial, then we no longer have to deal with that kind of difficulty again. But, so many of you know that isn’t true. Sometimes cancer comes back. Sometimes relational breaks aren’t mended. The struggles we face as Christians aren’t like achievements in a video game, where once you beat a level, you’re done with that for good. After all, Paul endured four shipwrecks! Life is full of trouble. But the Lord is always present, and we can always trust Him, just as Paul did as he boarded this boat.

From Malta to Rome is about 500 miles. By Puteoli, they’re about 75% of the way there.

Acts 28:14 – 14 There we found brothers and sisters and were invited to stay a week with them. And so we came to Rome.

The way it’s written makes it seem that Paul and his friends went on a hunt to see if there were any Christians in town. There were, and not only were they there, but they were ready to shower love on these newfound brothers who came in from the docks. We don’t know who started the church there, but we admire the readiness to serve. You know, we read about the Bereans, and we are rightly impressed by their devotion to Scripture. We name ministries after them still today. At the same time, we should be stirred up by the faithful brotherly love of the Puteolians. It’s certainly not always easy to be welcoming and warm-hearted to strangers, but what a precious part of the life of the Body that we’re all invited to participate in. To be ready to be in relationship with believers around us.

The verse ends with a momentous sentence: “And so we came to Rome.” So much had led up to this. So much waiting and so much struggle, and now they were finally taking the walk into town. Between Paul and Luke, there must’ve been a lot of excitement and apprehension. Paul had to assume that he might die after his talk with Nero. And yet, despite the danger and the unknown, they could rejoice in the faithfulness of God. God had kept His promise. God had given Paul the desire of his heart. Despite the false charges and being beaten nearly to death, despite being abandoned by the Christians in Jerusalem and the attempted assassinations and the red tape and sitting in a jail cell for two years and the raging sea and almost being killed by the soldiers and then the shipwreck and then being bitten by a viper, despite all that, nothing could stop the will of God from being accomplished. They could not be separated from God’s love or God’s work in and through them.

Acts 28:15 – 15 Now the brothers and sisters from there had heard the news about us and had come to meet us as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns. When Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage.

We don’t know who exactly came or how many were in the group, but Paul probably knew at least some of these folks. There’s a very probability they had all read Romans (which had been written and sent to them about three years earlier). In Romans 16, Paul sent greetings to 26 friends there, including Priscilla and Aquila, who were living in Rome and had a church meeting in their home.

What a wonderful moment this would have been for Paul, who had been so isolated for multiple years. Yes, on the voyage from Caesarea to Malta, he was joined by Luke and Aristarchus, but now to see his brothers and sisters, who walked some 35 miles, some 45 miles, so that they could turn around and usher him into Rome. What a beautiful act of love and fidelity.

Luke references the Three Taverns. Ancient historians describe that town as being “full of boatmen and cheating innkeepers.” The sleazy shops and idolatrous ships remind us that we Christians have to navigate a pagan world. Sometimes it will come against us. Sometimes it will try to entice us. Sometimes it’s just doing its thing in the background. We get to shine the bright light of God’s love and truth in all the Appi Forums we find ourselves. That includes online forums, by the way.

There’s something important for us here: The Apostle Paul is an amazing figure. Who can we think of that was more mature and more full of God? He’s working miracles and writing Scripture and having face-to-face chats with Jesus Christ. And even he needed Christian fellowship! To be gathered with other believers filled up his heart with courage and motivated him to praise and thank the Lord.

All of us need actual, genuine, Christian fellowship. It’s not just a good thing – it’s a necessary thing. It is one of the gifts God has given us so that we might receive ministry and help and repair. Let’s treasure it, involve ourselves in it, and guard it.

Acts 28:16 – 16 When we entered Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself with the soldier who guarded him.

I almost forgot that Paul had a soldier in tow. In fact, for the last two years and for the next two years, he will spend every day chained to a Roman soldier. Even this dehumanizing inconvenience would have spiritual benefits thanks to the power of God. Paul would later report that the whole imperial guard would hear his testimony for Christ. And, if you’re the kind of person who people often conspire to kill, it was probably nice to have a personal bodyguard.

Paul was shown grace in this first Roman imprisonment. We’ll learn in verse 30 he was allowed to rent his own house rather than be thrown in some dungeon. That’s what would happen the second time. For now, he’s going to live a regular, routine life. But even though it wasn’t fantastic, it was still full of God. There he was able to write Philemon, Colossians, Ephesians, and Philippians. He was able to preach to the people around him – some of them peasants, some of them rulers. Most importantly, he was just as able to draw closer to his Lord. God isn’t only near during the shipwrecks or during the healing miracles. He’s there with you moment by moment. While Orlando Bloom is mixing up his brain octane oil, the Lord is moving around in our hearts, bringing us into specific positions, working all things together for the good for those who love God and are called according to His unstoppable purposes. Embrace His leading and allow His Holy Spirit to cultivate those precious riches of patience, grace, endurance, fellowship, and usefulness in your life.

Snake In The Rain (Acts 28:1-10)

If you’ve booked yourself air travel, you’ve probably had to make some decisions about layovers. Too short and you risk missing your connecting flight. Too long and you’re wasting time in a monotonous airport terminal with strange smelling carpet.

Our first trip to Colombia was out of LAX on the day of the 2013 shooting there. All our flights got screwed up, so we ended up having something like a 13-hour layover in Bogota. We were a little nervous about being in Colombia for the first time, so we decided to wait it out at the gate. With no internet and no shops in that part of the terminal, it was a long wait.

On the other hand, sometimes a layover can be a good opportunity. One site I consulted promises that if you have at least an 8-hour layover in Beijing, you have enough time to go and see the great wall of China. Even then, the best-laid plans will sometimes fail. My wife can tell you the story of when she was studying abroad and planned to stop for less than a day in Venice, but (through a series of events) she and her group ended up scared, confused, and never seeing a single canal.

Speaking of LAX, it’s listed as one of the worst airports to spend a layover. While Time Magazine picks Atlanta’s International Airport as one of the best worldwide, along with the Munich Airport, the Hong Kong International airport, and the Hamad International Airport in Qatar.

Paul’s destination is Rome. He has a Divine appointment there to preach the Gospel to Caesar Nero. What could be more important? Well, it turns out God had some important work for Paul and his friends to accomplish on the tiny island of Malta. And so, the Lord gives them a layover there. During their stay, we see a wide range of experiences. They start off cold and wet on a beach. Later they’re being entertained in the lap of luxury. At first Paul is seen as a murderer and he’s attacked by a snake, later he’s being honored with gifts and thanks for his ministry. It’s quite a stop. Especially when we remember that none of the people on the ship had wanted to stop here. Paul had suggested they stay in Fair Havens. The sailors wanted to go to Phoenix and winter there. All along, God had His own plan, full of opportunities for His people to glorify Him.

We are each en route to a final destination in this life. As we go we will find ourselves at various layovers, some planned, others unexpected. Our experiences won’t always be pleasant, but Paul, Luke and Aristarchus show us how we can always be content, how we can avoid some common pitfalls and how there is always opportunity to do the Lord’s work as we faithfully follow Him.

Acts 28:1 – Once safely ashore, we then learned that the island was called Malta.

There had been 276 passengers on the ship. They had spent weeks in a terrible storm before wrecking. But, already we see Luke’s optimism: Safely ashore. Had some of the non-believers been looking over his shoulder as he wrote, they may have said, “safely” is a relative term. After all, they had no ship, no supplies, no shelter and (at first) no idea where they were.

We’ll see the Christians calm and at peace throughout the passage. They weren’t fretting or fussing, but were confident in the Lord’s provision for them. He still had not left them or abandoned them.

Malta is an island just 17 miles long and 9 miles wide that sits beneath Sicily. The fact that they made it to this spot is a testament to God’s precise providence. When God wants something done, nothing can stop Him. Not wind or waves or odds or obstacles. He will have His way. And though we do not know every pitstop or waylay that lies ahead of us, of this we can be sure: Our God will bring us safely to shore.

Acts 28:2 – 2 The local people showed us extraordinary kindness. They lit a fire and took us all in, since it was raining and cold.

The islanders showed unusual compassion to these weary castaways. Rather than coming down to loot the wreck, they came to assist any survivors they might find. In fact, throughout this story we’ll find that the people of Malta were kind and generous and had a sense of morality. But they still needed the Gospel. It’s good to remind ourselves that even “good” people need to be saved. This is one of the hazards of the social gospel. Ultimately it suggests the end goal is temporal “goodness,” verified by behavior that is considered virtuous by the popular culture. But the problem is that we all, like sheep, have gone astray. It doesn’t matter if your wool is cleaner than some other sheep. It’s a question of whether you’re in the fold of God and following the Shepherd.

At the same time, it’s easy for Christians to always think the worst of unbelievers when, in reality, there are some “good” people out there. Their need is still urgent and intense, but compare these islanders to the unbelieving Romans. The soldiers had planned to slaughter all the prisoners on the ship rather than chance that they escaped the wreck. In contrast the natives were ready to help sailors and soldiers and criminals alike. God loves compassion like this. Small acts of kindness are important to Him. And He brings us into contact with particular people at particular times so that we can not only preach but also show the love of God to them through tangible acts of grace.

Acts 28:3 – 3 As Paul gathered a bundle of brushwood and put it on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened itself on his hand.

There are hundreds of people around, but Paul still sees himself as a servant. Drenched to the bone, now on his fourth shipwreck, and though he was the reason they were all alive, yet he put his shoulder to the work. What a great example to us.

But then he’s attacked by a venomous snake. Why would God allow this to happen while Paul was serving Him? Bad things happen to God’s people all the time. While our Lord promised to never leave us, He never said we would be without trouble or suffering. In fact, the opposite is true.

We can become frustrated when we try to honor God or serve Him and encounter some kind of difficulty or trial. It feels unfair. But, the truth is, serving God sometimes flushes out attacks. We’ve seen that many times in the book of Acts. Or think of most of the Old Testament prophets. Think of Jesus Himself. He’s just trying to save people from their sins, heal them of their disease, bring people back from the dead, and the response is the leaders of the nation conspire to kill Him! And that doesn’t even count the times when our Enemy is trying to sabotage the work of God.

Skeptics will say that Malta has no venomous vipers and so the Bible must not be true. Our answer is that there is historical account of snakes like this and the reason we don’t find vipers in Malta today is the same reason we don’t find buffalo on the Great Plains, wolves in Sicily, or tigers in Tasmania. The Sicilian wolf and the Tasmanian tiger went extinct in the last century. Certainly 2,000 years is enough time for a tiny island, packed with people, to eradicate a snake population.

Acts 28:4 – 4 When the local people saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “This man, no doubt, is a murderer. Even though he has escaped the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live.”

So, the islanders assumed that Paul must’ve been bad because something bad happened to him. We don’t want to let that kind of thinking grow in our minds. We also don’t want bitterness or resentment toward God to take root when something bad happens to us.

There were a lot of people around. Multiple witnesses saw what wash happening to Paul. I wonder if he had some fun with it. We’ll be told in a moment that he suffered “no harm” whatsoever, so I wonder if, maybe, he took a walk over to Luke and said, “What do you think, Doc?” Maybe he was trying to remember the old rhyme that tells you which snakes are poisonous and which aren’t. We were up in the mountains last week and the boys came across a little red, black and yellow snake. So we were trying to recall how the saying went: “Red on yellow kill a fellow, red on black venom lack.” Or was it yellow on black…

We see here that these natives, pagan though they were, had a moral law written on their hearts. They didn’t know Jesus, but they had an internal sense of right and wrong. And they had an inkling that God was a God of justice – that God will repay evildoers for what they’ve done. They were still wrong about Paul and wrong about God. But in some ways they were a lot closer than our own culture is when it comes to right and wrong, to morality and justice.

We live in a time where even basic, historic understanding of right and wrong are being specifically dismantled. In Isaiah 5, God said, “woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who substitute darkness for light.” As God’s people we need to pray for our society and hold the line on God’s truth.

Acts 28:5 – 5 But he shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no harm.

A 2013 report found there are about 125 snake handling churches in the Appalachian states. Should we be taking up snakes and proving our reliance on the Lord? Snake handlers use this example as well as what Jesus said in Mark 16:17-18 as a basis for their practices. Doesn’t the text say believers “will pick up snakes…[and they] will not harm them?”

The response is simple: Jesus’ words in Mark were not a blanket promise. They were a prophecy which is partly fulfilled in this text. In addition, the Bible specifically commands us to not test the Lord our God and that it is evil to demand miraculous signs. While the issue of snake handling is easily answered, it does confront us with a bigger question of why certain promises found in the Bible aren’t always our experience. For example, didn’t Jesus say in Luke 12 that God would feed us and clothe us and provide everything we need? Doesn’t Proverbs promise that we’ll have long life if we fear the Lord? Why then was Paul so often hungry and Stephen cut down in the prime of life (not to mention our own struggles)?

God’s promises never fail, but we have to be careful when it comes to which have been made to us. In any given promise, there is a specific audience, a specific context and a specific timing in the mind of God. Sometimes as Christians we play fast and loose with Biblical promises that weren’t actually made to us. They were made to Israel or to the Apostles or other individuals. Perhaps those promises reveal principles about God’s dealings that can apply to our lives, but context is key and timing is key. We simply can’t know exactly how God will fulfill His promises to us. What we can be sure of is that He is always true and He can not fail. We can fail and derail God’s work in our lives for a time like the Israelites in the wilderness or God’s people during the time of the Judges or the Jews when Jesus came. We can misunderstand the Lord’s promises, like the disciples so often did. After all, we see now as through a glass dimly. But we can rest in our Lord knowing that He is doing a good work for us. He will complete what He began. In the mean time, we’re not to do something stupid like grab a snake on purpose to show that we’re Christians. You’re not bulletproof. At the same time, sometimes the guns miraculously don’t work.

What did Paul do? Did he go looking for a snake to handle? Did he hand the viper to Luke to have him hold it? No. He shook it off into the fire so it wouldn’t bite anyone else! He was very casual and practical about it. And, I’m sure, he said some prayers for his hand!

Acts 28:6 – 6 They expected that he would begin to swell up or suddenly drop dead. After they waited a long time and saw nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.

So, is he a murderer or a deity? They went from being entirely wrong to being entirely wrong in a new way. Humans aren’t very good at reasoning sometimes. We need truth to be revealed to us – a truth that is fixed to an unchangeable standard.

It says they expected him to drop dead. It seems they were following Paul around, watching with anticipation. Philippians 3:20 tells us that we are to go through life eagerly watching for our Savior.

Acts 28:7 – 7 Now in the area around that place was an estate belonging to the leading man of the island, named Publius, who welcomed us and entertained us hospitably for three days.

The Christian life is certainly unpredictable. It’s always good to see how content and peaceable the Christians are in these stories. They allowed the Lord to transform them into people who weren’t fussy or hypersensitive. They weren’t ill-tempered, but were able to adapt to their situation, whether good or bad, and remain satisfied in the Lord.

Acts 28:8 – 8 Publius’s father was in bed suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went to him, and praying and laying his hands on him, he healed him.

Dr. Luke no doubt gave a diagnosis. The affliction wouldn’t have, necessarily, been fatal, though dysentery can and does still kill some people. But it’s a comfort to remember that God cares about all our suffering, not just the fatal ones. He has compassion for the person with cancer and the person with the common cold. We need not be shy to cast our cares upon Him, even if they’re relatively small.

Something else we might take from this verse is that you never know what people might be facing at home. Publius is doing a big job, helping these people, administering the island. Meanwhile, his dad is in the house with a serious and, frankly, disgusting illness. The KJV calls it a “bloody flux.” That’s tough when you’ve got no indoor plumbing. We want to be people who are compassionate and understanding and ready to represent Christ whether in a shanty on the beach or in the statehouse with the leading man and acting graciously since we don’t know everything people are dealing with.

Acts 28:9 – 9 After this, the rest of those on the island who had diseases also came and were healed.

Scholars point out that Luke, who is very precise with his word choice, used a different word for “healed” here. Rather than the one usually used for instantaneous healing, he used one that more often means “received medical attention.” As a physician, he was probably able to assist and render that service. And here we see that God uses not only the supernatural gifts that He gives, but also our natural abilities that have been offered to Him. It’s true that God doesn’t need our intellect or ability or talent, but that doesn’t mean He doesn’t make use of those things when we give them to Him. He absolutely does! Are you a doctor? Be a Christian doctor. Are you a poet? Be a Christian poet. Are you a builder? Be a Christian builder. What does that mean? I can only write rhyming lines about Jesus or build church buildings? No. It means you place all of yourself at your King’s disposal and you recognize that, whatever you do can be done unto the Lord and profit His Kingdom.

Acts 28:10 – 10 So they heaped many honors on us, and when we sailed, they gave us what we needed.

What an amazing time on this little island. God invaded, in a sense, casting His servants onto the shore and, before long, you have people being healed, God’s love defining relationships, unity and honor among all sorts of people, both free and slave, powerful and incarcerated, rich and poor, barbarian and civilized. We cannot doubt that many were saved as a result of Paul and Luke and Aristarchus.

Looking back using heaven’s calculator, was the difficulty and delay and hardship endured by Paul worth it for what was gained in Malta? Of course, we think it was. On the other hand, it’s not the kind of layover we’d pick for ourselves. But look at what the Lord wanted to do. And look at what He can do, even when so much is stacked against His people. They landed on Malta with no supplies, no immediate plan, a language barrier with the natives, snakes coming out of the woodwork! But, because the Christians were in the will of God and were ready to do His work we see that impossibly wonderful things can happen. This was the most ministry Paul had done in years! That’s inspiring. And, along the way, we see these Christians avoiding pitfalls of frustration, resentment, anger, bitterness, fussiness, jealousy and instead, through humility and contentment are able to bring honor and glory to God in the most far-fetched place as they trust God, speak the truth, show compassion and follow their Shepherd as they make their way home.

Anchors Away (Acts 27:13-44)

Matthew Webb knew what it took to brave the open sea. At age 12, he joined the crew of the HMS Conway. As the second mate on a cruise ship, he once dove into the Atlantic in an attempt to save a man who went overboard. By the age of 27, Matthew was a captain in the merchant navy. In 1875 he sealed his place in history by becoming the first person to swim across the English Channel. It took him 21 hours and 45 minutes. He leveraged his fame and knack for staying afloat, putting on swimming exhibitions and staging feats of endurance. His 21 hours in the Channel seems like child’s play compared to a later stunt: Swimming continually for 74 hours. That daring display netted him a tidy profit for his efforts. As his fame and fortune started to dry up, he entertained other dangerous ideas of how to once more risk the water in hopes of a hefty payday.

In our text tonight, we pick back up in the story of Paul’s fourth shipwreck. He’s being transported to Rome from Caesarea, along with other prisoners and a load of grain from Egypt. The ship is a large one, with nearly 300 men on board and they’re past safe sailing season, but, despite Paul’s warning, the captain and the crew decided to risk the voyage and make for Phoenix, a more enticing harbor.

The trip had already been a struggle, but the sailors had a payday in mind. And so, though it wasn’t Paul’s idea, he and his friends (Luke and Aristarchus) are brought along on this doomed crossing.

What are Christians supposed to do when the unbelieving world ignores us, but we’re still brought along on their ill-fated plans? We find ourselves in a time when God’s ways are ignored, good is called evil, evil is called good, and our society sails on and on toward disaster. Is there anything we can do or should we abandon ship? In this harrowing account, there is a lot we can take to heart since we are now the ones standing in Paul’s place, intervening for a lost and dying world.

Our main goal tonight is to see what the Christians were doing and how that can apply to our own ministry to the unbelievers around us.

Acts 27:13 – 13 When a gentle south wind sprang up, they thought they had achieved their purpose. They weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete.

The soldiers and sailors should know better, but they were enticed by this gentle breeze which beckoned them like the siren’s song. Just like Eve was tempted by the fruit, even though she had been warned, she thought maybe the danger wouldn’t apply to her.

We see what they were thinking: “They thought they had achieved their purpose.” The soldiers, the sailors, the merchants all had their own, selfish wants. “Let’s get to Phoenix. There’s indulgence there. It’s closer to Rome, closer to our payoff.” Because their purposes were materialistic and self-centered, they made a poor decision and they looked to present circumstances to justify it.

We see a different characteristic among the Christians here. They were careful. I don’t mean they were timid, but they cared about what the Lord wanted and what was really going on. The truth is, Paul probably wanted to get to Rome more than anyone else on board. But, his personal wants and his earthly circumstances weren’t the driving factors in his life. He was willing to wait and submit to the Lord’s leading. Christians should be careful in that way.

Acts 27:14-16 – 14 But before long, a fierce wind called the “northeaster” rushed down from the island. 15 Since the ship was caught and unable to head into the wind, we gave way to it and were driven along. 16 After running under the shelter of a little island called Cauda, we were barely able to get control of the skiff.

They were sailing into a typhoon – one so scary it had a name: The Euroclydon! Over the next two weeks it would beat them, toss them, blind them and taunt them. The gentle breeze, which had promised so many good things, was the bait that drew them into a trap they wouldn’t be able to escape. They were “caught.”

Here we see the first instance of another Christian characteristic in this story: The Christians were helpful. “We were barely able to get control of the skiff.” Throughout, we’ll see Paul, Luke, and Aristarchus joining in the work, trying to physically assist as much as possible.

Acts 27:17-19 – 17 After hoisting it up, they used ropes and tackle and girded the ship. Fearing they would run aground on the Syrtis, they lowered the drift-anchor, and in this way they were driven along. 18 Because we were being severely battered by the storm, they began to jettison the cargo the next day. 19 On the third day, they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands.

Luke vividly describes a situation that is becoming increasingly desperate. They are in a fight for their lives. The integrity of the ship is in danger. It’s so serious that they toss out all loose furniture and even as much of the tackle as they could. Meaning, stuff you need to sail or make repairs! But note what they have not thrown out: The grain. When it says “cargo” it doesn’t include those barrels. Though they would’ve been large and heavy, still the crew were hanging onto the hope of profit.

Acts 27:20 – 20 For many days neither sun nor stars appeared, and the severe storm kept raging. Finally all hope was fading that we would be saved.

I remember a few years ago when we were in Colombia we drove from the Bible college out to this other river city like 10 hours away. The final hours of the drive are across a dirt road. No cities, no lights, just a shack here and there. We left at around noon and once we hit the dirt section it was dusk. Then the rain came. That meant the dirt became mud and the mud completely covered our headlights. So, there we were: No signs, no lights, no cell coverage, and our driver clearly wasn’t sure if we had gone the right way. I don’t know about Jacob and Alex, but as the hours passed, I felt my hope seeping away. I can’t imagine what it would be like to do a trip like that, not in a Mitsubishi Raider, but in a wooden ship in the middle of the Mediterranean. What Luke is describing is desperate: Little by little each person on board was accepting the fact that they were going to die before they reached land. One commentator suggests that they must’ve sprung a leak by this point, making it only a matter of time before each and every one of them drowned in the dark.

Acts 27:21- 21 Since they had been without food for a long time, Paul then stood up among them and said, “You men should have followed my advice not to sail from Crete and sustain this damage and loss.

Yikes, shots fired! Is Paul just sticking a thumb in their eye? No, he’s too compassionate for that. What he is being is truthful. Christians are meant to traffic in the truth. Our message isn’t to be tailored to make people feel a certain way, it’s meant to be an explanation of what is real. And this was the truth. Now, why was Paul speaking this truth to them? Was this some sort of “tell-it-like-it-is” rudeness that is, sadly, prevalent in our culture today? No, he was speaking the truth in love, just as we are called to do. Look at what comes next.

Acts 27:22-26 – 22 Now I urge you to take courage, because there will be no loss of any of your lives, but only of the ship. 23 For last night an angel of the God I belong to and serve stood by me 24 and said, ‘Don’t be afraid, Paul. It is necessary for you to appear before Caesar. And indeed, God has graciously given you all those who are sailing with you.’ 25 So take courage, men, because I believe God that it will be just the way it was told to me. 26 But we have to run aground on some island.”

In addition to being truthful, we see Paul being hopeful. Despite the circumstances, he had full confidence in the Lord’s care and goodness. So, even though the storm of the century was physically breaking up the very deck he was standing on, he didn’t have to live in fear.

We live in a time where fear is the default. It’s being sold to you and thrown at you and it’s laying siege to your heart. But part of your salvation is being saved out of fear. God says in Isaiah 43: “Don’t fear, for I have redeemed you…When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.” Thanks to God’s love, we are a hopeful people. Paul told the men on that ship to put cheer in their hearts.

The fact that he had been right before, helped his listeners know he was right now. He wasn’t rubbing anything in. He was being honest so that they could know his words were true. But, notice this: He wasn’t just blowing hot wind. There was plenty of wind already. He wasn’t saying, “Everything’s going to be fine. Everything’s going to work out.” As he delivered his message of hope, rooted in the revelation of God, he was honest: “The ship is going down. And the escape is going to be rough.” But, his message was clear, confident and definite, full of real answers and real hope.

So, in these verses we see Paul being truthful and hopeful, but we also see him being useful for this ship. How? Well, on one level, because he became a calm and resolute leader in a time of crisis. But also because he was the one that made it possible for 273 of them to be saved.

You see, God wanted Paul and his two friends in Rome. All these other people we loved by God, but they weren’t following Him. In fact, they were living lives of rebellion toward Him. They ignored the common grace of of God, those warnings put in place in creation that they shouldn’t set sail. But they went anyway. Now they were reaping what they sowed. But Paul had gone below decks and prayed that they would all be saved. The fervent prayer meetings of the Christians probably seemed like a waste of time to the frantic sailors, and yet, the angel tells Paul, “God has given you all those who are sailing with you.” He asked for them. He petitioned God for them.

It’s popular today for unbelievers to rail against the phrase “our thoughts and prayers are with the victims.” The truth is: Prayer matters! “The prayer of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect.” The most useful action on that ship was not moving cargo or girding the ship or lowering anchors, it was 3 Christians praying that God would intervene.

One more thing here: Paul told them to be hopeful and full of cheer even though every material good was going to be lost. That’s not what a merchant wants to hear. But as Paul speaks we discover that it’s life that matters, not merchandise. Your value is not measured by what you transport or store up or even achieve. You are valuable because you belong to God and are held by Him. Understanding that helps us to put our lives in perspective. You may be a soldier or a sailor or a merchant in your day job, but the purpose of your life is to be held by God, to serve Him and enjoy His presence.

Acts 27:27-29 – 27 When the fourteenth night came, we were drifting in the Adriatic Sea, and about midnight the sailors thought they were approaching land. 28 They took soundings and found it to be a hundred twenty feet deep; when they had sailed a little farther and sounded again, they found it to be ninety feet deep. 29 Then, fearing we might run aground on the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight to come.

On that same Colombia trip we took a drive from Bogota to the Bible college up in the mountains. It was a 4 or 5 hour drive. I’ve never been that sick before or since. I felt like a lightweight, but the last half hour or so I was just praying for the dawn. It felt like it was never going to end. That was 5 hours and there was little worry that I was actually going to die. These guys are facing imminent death for two weeks! We can be sure that, day by day, Paul and Luke and Aristarchus were encouraging these guys and helping them. As Christians, we must keep hope alive. Not with platitudes, but with truth. The dawn is coming. There is salvation. We know the way, we know the Person. Keep hope alive.

Acts 27:30-32 – 30 Some sailors tried to escape from the ship; they had let down the skiff into the sea, pretending that they were going to put out anchors from the bow. 31 Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.” 32 Then the soldiers cut the ropes holding the skiff and let it drop away.

These sailors didn’t believe. The soldiers did. It’s amazing that, after all that had happened, despite Paul’s truthfulness and all he had done to help, there were still some who wouldn’t believe. And, the truth is, salvation is a choice. As Christians, we lay out God’s word and His plan to people and then they have too choose whether or not to believe.

Now, what we see here is that God had explained some specific parameters to Paul. He said to centurion, “If these guys leave, you all die.” There was a moment of decision. And it was very clear.

We also see an important analogy here: The skiff was their lifeboat. The last, manmade hope. God wanted them to let it all go. Would they trust Him or would they not? Paul was content to ride that ship until it broke apart. He’d rather do that than trust to skiff. Why? Because he believed the Lord’s plan. He knew his Savior could be trusted.

Acts 27:33-38 – When it was about daylight, Paul urged them all to take food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day that you have been waiting and going without food, having eaten nothing. 34 So I urge you to take some food. For this is for your survival, since none of you will lose a hair from your head.” 35 After he said these things and had taken some bread, he gave thanks to God in the presence of all of them, and after he broke it, he began to eat. 36 They all were encouraged and took food themselves. 37 In all there were 276 of us on the ship. 38 When they had eaten enough, they began to lighten the ship by throwing the grain overboard into the sea.

Careful, truthful, helpful, hopeful. Now we see the Christians were thankful. He gave thanks to God in the presence of them all. We must not forget that he’d still have to shout over the howling of the wind, he’d still have to endure the stinging spray of the waves. And yet he honored God and thanked Him. Christians hearts are meant to be this full. Enough that we sing in the dungeon and give thanks in the storm. How? It’s part of the heart and peace of Christ given to us. We put it on and let it in.

The Christians demonstrate some important things. First, look at what a difference a few Christians can make. Not only are they the agents of rescue, they also bring all these hearts back from the depths of despair. Second, we see that these Christians practiced what they preached. They told the men around them to have hope, trust God, be of good cheer, and that’s what they were doing. Third, these Christians were strong in the Lord. Look at their confidence, not in themselves, but in God and His promises.

For many years it has been fashionable for Christians to embrace and promote “brokenness.” I’m sure it’s rooted in the idea of being poor in spirit and recognizing that none of us are perfect. But, here’s the problem: What it converts to is a celebration of instability. When you see Christians talking about brokenness a lot, it ends up just being an excuse to not progress in our walk with the Lord, to just surrender to the difficulties of life and stay at a low, broken-down level.

Listen: we do come to God spiritually bankrupt. But then He does something: He makes us strong. He makes us stand. He makes us steadfast, like a mighty tree, not blown down by the winds of this world, but firm and resolute, with fear cast out even if the earth gives way beneath us. Be strong in the Lord and of good courage. God does not leave you broken. He transforms you. After all, He’s the kind of God that cares even about the hairs on your head. Did you see that in verse 34? Your hair matters to God. That’s His love for you.

Acts 27:39-44 – 39 When daylight came, they did not recognize the land but sighted a bay with a beach. They planned to run the ship ashore if they could. 40 After cutting loose the anchors, they left them in the sea, at the same time loosening the ropes that held the rudders. Then they hoisted the foresail to the wind and headed for the beach. 41 But they struck a sandbar and ran the ship aground. The bow jammed fast and remained immovable, while the stern began to break up by the pounding of the waves. 42 The soldiers’ plan was to kill the prisoners so that no one could swim away and escape. 43 But the centurion kept them from carrying out their plan because he wanted to save Paul, and so he ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land. 44 The rest were to follow, some on planks and some on debris from the ship. In this way, everyone safely reached the shore.

Don’t ever say, “Things can’t get any worse!” There might be a sandbar in front of you! One more ‘ful’ shown by the Christians. They had been careful, truthful, hopeful, helpful, thankful. Here we see they were faithful. They stuck with the Lord’s plan all the way to the very last. It’s hard to hit the water when you don’t know how to swim. But they did it.

We also see here wonderful demonstrations of God’s providence. He made sure that His servants were saved from execution and that every one of those 276 travelers made it safely to shore. He put vigor in the muscles of the swimmers, and sent flotsam to those who couldn’t. He brought each one away from the carnage of the wreck and delivered them onto land. What a good and gracious God!

At the start of this voyage Paul and the other Christians were, from one vantage point, only ballast. In the end, we see how meaningful their part to play was. At first glance it didn’t seem like there was much they could do. But when we look closer we see that what they could, they did. And what they did made a huge difference. They were careful to go God’s way. They were truthful with the people around them, which ultimately showed them all the way of escape. They were hopeful, even in the darkest dangers, knowing that God’s love never fails. They were helpful in big and small ways. They weren’t content to let the ship go to hell in a hand basket, but put their shoulders to the work. They were thankful and faithful and because of all of that, their presence was powerful as God worked through them in a time of great need.

I wouldn’t be like these Christians if I didn’t take a chance to speak to anyone listening who is not a believer in Jesus Christ. We may not be on the Mediterranean, but you’re in even worse danger. You see, while this story really happened, it’s also a picture for us of life without Christ. You are the soldier, the sailor, the merchant on the ship and it’s headed to the bottom unless you get saved. You can’t avoid the shipwreck, there’s no lifeboat that can save you. It doesn’t matter how many battles you’ve won or how much merchandise you’ve delivered. In the end, you’re going to die. The grave is going to claim you like this storm claimed the ship. There is one way and only one way for you to escape and that is through faith in Jesus Christ. He loves you and knows you and is calling out to you. He’s the only hope for you to escape death and receive everlasting life. But, to receive that gift you must believe and obey. Jettison every other cargo. Cut free every other scheme or plan that you have. Believe what He has said and surrender to Him. If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

Matthew Webb, the man who swam the Channel, tried one final stunt. He thought he could swim the rapids of Niagara. It was a huge risk, but he had been promised a large sum of money if he succeeded. John McCloy, a veteran ferryman, tried to warn him. He said, “If he goes in he’ll never come out alive.” But Matthew thought he was strong enough to make it through. He went in the water on July 24, 1883. Four minutes later he was gone. His body was recovered on the 28th.

Without Christ, you cannot be saved. You won’t come out of the wreck. With Christ, the wreck can’t hurt you. Because nothing can separate us from His love. To be a Christian makes all the difference, not only in this world, but most importantly, in the next.

Time’s A-Wastin’ (Acts 27:1-12)

Before COVID kept many people working from home, the commute was a regular part of daily life. From 1980 to 2020, commute time increased just about every year. In 2018 research found that the average American would spend a full 9.4 days of their year commuting to work. Interestingly, the same data showed that Americans spend only 7.9 days taking care of their family.

Admittedly, my commute is pretty short, but usually I don’t mind a drive. But, if I find myself on a drive and see the dreaded “flagger ahead” sign, man does my mood deteriorate! There’s nothing that feels, to me, more like wasted time than that.

The closing pages of Acts focus mostly on Paul’s voyage to Rome. From the human perspective, it takes forever, costs too much and nearly claims several hundred lives.

Now, we know that Jesus Christ wants Paul to get to Rome so that he might act as a witness to the people there and to the Emperor himself. The same God, by the way, Who speaks and it is done, the God who commands the wind and the waves, Who can calm any storm and deliver His people instantly to the further shore, He wanted Paul in Italy. Isn’t it interesting, then, that He put the apostle on this trip where so much time seems wasted? Especially after more than 2 years of his life had already been “wasted” sitting in a jail cell.

Of course, as Christians, we know the time is only wasted from the human perspective. We love this story. We are so thankful that we have this incredible record of sailing and shipwreck, of miracles and ministry, which has been read by countless millions for thousands of years. As the saga unfolds we can be sure there were other people who were very happy that God “wasted” Paul’s time on this ship: Like the 273 other passengers who otherwise would’ve been lost in the sea, but for Paul’s presence. Also, the many who would be healed and evangelized on the island of Malta once the apostle washed up on shore. We can’t begin to calculate how many lives and souls have been saved because Paul’s time was “wasted” on this crossing.

As we start out with him, we can see this voyage as an analogy of life. Paul would be sailing to a great city he hadn’t been to, one out further than he had ever gone, where he would stand before the throne of the king. On the ship he was surrounded with all sorts of people, some who were happy to be headed toward Rome, some who would give anything to avoid it. People of every class and background. Some were Christians, most were not. But there they all are, heading toward the horizon, facing troubles, choices and questions together.

In the first part of our text a theme that comes across is the difficulty of life’s voyage. And in the second part we see the defiance of the lost voyagers. And we see how the Christian brings aid throughout, even when we also face dangers, struggles and setbacks.

Acts 27:1 – When it was decided that we were to sail to Italy, they handed over Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion named Julius, of the Imperial Regiment.

“When it was decided.” Decided by who? Not by Paul, but by the Roman officials. At the moment he was at the mercy of the governing authorities around him. He had been waiting for quite some time for what was next in his service to the Lord. Finally he gets some traction, they book him a ticket, but it’s not first class or even coach, he’ll be traveling as a prisoner.

We will not always have the deciding vote on the flow of our lives. Things, both small and great, happen beyond our control. But we can be sure that nothing is outside God’s charge or care. This was, undoubtedly, not the way Paul would’ve chosen to get to Rome, but he wasn’t pouting about it or letting it ruin his attitude or testimony. He persevered even under these much-less-than-ideal circumstances. After generations of autonomy and liberty, it seems like our society is going to start constraining us more than before. I don’t mean this as a prediction, just as we look around we see a loss of some of the freedoms we used to have. And, as Christians, we may be facing a new level of friction than we’ve known before. But, we can still persevere, still be full of joy and keep a hopeful heart, because our faith is not dependent on circumstances, but on the Lord, Who never fails.

On this trip we’ll find he has a bunch of different people around Paul. There’s Julius, a revered and important centurion. The boat will, naturally, have a bunch of sailors on board. Some merchants, too. We’re also told that there were a number of other prisoners being taken along with Paul. We don’t know their particular cases, but it’s probable some or many of them were being transported to their execution in the gladiatorial games. There are a few other people with him, too:

Acts 27:2 – 2 When we had boarded a ship of Adramyttium, we put to sea, intending to sail to ports along the coast of Asia. Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, was with us.

What a joy to have Dr. Luke back on the scene. He will go through a lot with Paul, ultimately being there with him at the very end about 7 years later when he is beheaded. But it’s not just the dynamic duo, we see another familiar name: Aristarchus. We’ve seen him before in Acts. He had been with Paul in Ephesus and his trip to Jerusalem. A good and faithful man.

These fellows give our first example of how Christians can give aid and support in the journey of life. Neither Luke nor Aristarchus had to take this trip with Paul, they volunteered. Some speculate that the only way they would’ve been allowed to tag along would be to do so as Paul’s slaves, and that they would’ve had to pay their own way on the trip. We’re not sure. But they do demonstrate for us that Christians are meant to support one another, serving one another, out of love and compassion. And, we are not to stingily cling to our material resources, but put them also into the Lord’s service.

They also show that, in ministry, things often get worse before they get better. They’re doing a good thing, a good service to their friend and the Lord, but they’re going to suffer a lot in the mean time.

Acts 27:3 – 3 The next day we put in at Sidon, and Julius treated Paul kindly and allowed him to go to his friends to receive their care.

It’s pretty remarkable that he gave Paul this amount of liberty. Remember: If a Roman lost a prisoner, he’d forfeit his own life. So, maybe Julius had become a Christian. At very least, it’s clear he and Paul had an understanding, respectful relationship. Which shows that Paul wasn’t an antagonist toward him. He wasn’t rude or bitter toward Julius. As always, he was full of grace.

We also see these Sidonian Christians ready to help the apostle in his time of need. Though Paul hadn’t been mistreated in Caesarea, he wouldn’t have changes of clothes, money for the road or some of the other comforts that we might take for granted. Here, on very short notice and with a very short window of opportunity, they were ready to give of themselves so that he could be helped.

While we can’t always count on the world and the powers within it to treat us so kindly, we should be able to count on one another. The Christian church is a family and we want to be ready to take care of one another. In this case, they couldn’t do much but they could do something. Sometimes we feel inadequate to deal with the huge problems that affect our world, but remember: Even a cup of cold water given to a fellow believer moves the needle of eternity.

Acts 27:4 – 4 When we had put out to sea from there, we sailed along the northern coast of Cyprus because the winds were against us.

The voyage is hard. They would have small sections of relative ease, but on the whole it’s going to be a struggle. As an analogy of life we see that, on the one hand, everyone is in it together. But, you’ve got people with very different mindsets on board. Some are there because it’s their duty. Some are there because they’re trying to make a buck in trade. Some are prisoners there, not wanting to go at all. And then there are 3 on board whose goal in life is to honor God and do His work. All of them encounter headwinds and tailwinds. All of them are going to suffer along the way.

If God cares so much for us and gives us jobs to do in His Kingdom, why not just give us smooth sailing all the time? Why not exempt us from the difficulties of life, like He did in the land of Goshen?

Well, for one thing, the Lord wants us among the lost so that they might be saved. He also wants to show His strength through our weakness. And, as I said before, the Christians’ suffering in this passage leads to evangelism and healing and all sort of impact that has shaken the world for the last 2,000 years. One example: The way in which Luke chronicles this story, with all the detail, is a major proof for the authenticity of his work as a historian. We don’t need this account to believe the Doctor’s other chapters, but these verses give a great amount of validity to the book as a whole.

Acts 27:5 – 5 After sailing through the open sea off Cilicia and Pamphylia, we reached Myra in Lycia.

So, at the first they had contrary winds, now they were able to cross the open sea. I imagine the helmsman and the others thought, “Glad we got through that!” Remember on Apollo 13, there’s that moment after liftoff where the center engine switches off for a minute. Tom Hanks says, “Looks like we just had our glitch for this mission.” Having no idea what is really in store for them.

The leg of the trip in verse 4 was tough, the one in verse 5 a bit easier. The Christian life is full of headwinds and tailwinds, discoveries and losses, battles and rests. We can’t predict what tomorrow holds, but we can rest assured that the Lord knows and He is with us and that we can trust Him.

Acts 27:6 – 6 There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy and put us on board.

We’ll be told later that this is a cargo ship bringing grain to Italy. I imagine that the crew were more of the salty sort, like the fellows on The Deadliest Catch. You see, sea travel was already tough, these guys would have to go from Egypt to Rome delivering grain safe and dry. They’re already very late in the season, so much so that a ship like this would be offering extra bonuses and insurance for those willing to take the trip. One source adds:

“It was a sturdy ship, but in high seas it had definite disadvantages. It had no rudder like a modern ship but was steered by two great paddles extending from the stern…Chief among its drawbacks was that it could not sail into the wind.”

Acts 27:7-8 – 7 Sailing slowly for many days, with difficulty we arrived off Cnidus. Since the wind did not allow us to approach it, we sailed along the south side of Crete off Salmone. 8 With still more difficulty we sailed along the coast and came to a place called Fair Havens near the city of Lasea.

It was slow going. To the merchants and soldiers on board this would’ve been more than a setback. For them, time was money. Paul had been in a years long period of slow going in his life. And yet, for the Christian, time isn’t money. We can be content and abound in all situations. Our mood and choices aren’t supposed to be determined by the circumstances of life. Remember: We’re meant to live on a higher level, fulfilling a higher purpose. The old adage is one Christian says to another, “How are you doing?” He replies, “Pretty good, under the circumstances,” and the first says, “What are you doing under there?” Our minds and our hearts are to be set on things above.

So, yes, life is full of difficulties, but we remind ourselves that we are on a very different trip than the grain merchants or the condemned gladiators. The slow sailing simply gave Paul and his friends more time to minister to the hundreds of lost people around them. And it gave the Christians time to be together to sing and pray and talk about the Lord. In fact, some scholars think that during Paul’s 2 years in Caesarea, Luke would’ve been able to do a bunch of research for his Gospel. Think of the wonderful things he would’ve been able to tell Paul that the apostle hadn’t heard before! The slow going of life can be absolutely full of spiritual richness for the Christian.

Acts 27:9 – 9 By now much time had passed, and the voyage was already dangerous. Since the Day of Atonement, was already over, Paul gave his advice

In these last 4 verses we’re going to see the defiance of the lost voyagers. Here we’re reminded that with each day that passes, the trip becomes more dangerous for unbelievers. We don’t know if we have 50 years or 50 days left on the earth, but sooner or later, the trip comes to an end. And, for the unsaved, every day spent is one day closer to death. Luke puts the trip on a calendar for us, the Jewish Day of Atonement would’ve been late September. But there’s a good devotional thought for anyone who may be listening who isn’t a Christian: Atonement has been made. John tells us that Jesus “Himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins.” He was sent to take away our sins and give us everlasting life. But He doesn’t save anyone who isn’t willing. And every day you spend, every beat of your heart, brings you that much closer to death, and then comes judgment. Like this ship in Acts, you are headed for a wreck and the only way of escape is through Jesus Christ, the Savior.

Paul was a seasoned traveller. He maybe had the most experience of anyone on board, at least with shipwrecks. By this time he’d already been in 3! Here was his advice:

Acts 27:10 – 10 and told them, “Men, I can see that this voyage is headed toward disaster and heavy loss, not only of the cargo and the ship but also of our lives.”

Paul hadn’t received a prophecy, he is using common sense here. But I find it very interesting that he seemed to think that it was a real possibility that they might all die. What about Jesus sending him to Rome? I think on the one hand he could rest in that calling, but on the other Paul knew life is unpredictable. In the Bible we have multiple examples of believers dying early. Ananias and Sapphira, some of the Christians in Corinth. We also have examples of believers dying late. King Hezekiah. We have a lot of insight into world history and present happenings and God’s plan for the future, but on the individual level, our lives can be unpredictable. So, we should trust the Lord, investigate and concentrate on what He’s revealed in the Bible, exercise sanctified common sense and make the most of the opportunities before us.

Like this ship, our world is on a collision course with disaster. Even in the unbelieving world we see people talking about climate change wiping us all out, or the next pandemic that has more like a 40% fatality rate, maybe another American civil war or an atomic attack somewhere. Nasa is always trying to scare us with meteors coming into our orbital path. What’s going to happen and who is going to save us?!? Well, Christians have real answers and we can share them and, along the way, like Paul we should be wise. Paul was wise. He had knowledge and experience and compassion and so he tried to give them aid in the form of helpful advice.

Acts 27:11 – 11 But the centurion paid attention to the captain and the owner of the ship rather than to what Paul said.

I can imagine Julius coming below deck and saying to Paul, “Come up with me to a meeting.” Then they’re talking there, Paul gives his suggestion. The captain goes, “…who’s this?” “Oh, this is one of our prisoners. He’s got some ideas about how you should sail your ship.”

Despite Julius’ respect for Paul, in the end he was more persuaded by the experts and entrepreneurs. They thought they could pilot their way out, grit their way out, somehow. They had no plan, they were flying in the face of the facts, but they were unwilling to admit they’d been beaten.

The Christian perspective will often seem foolish and out of place to unbelievers. That doesn’t mean it’s wrong. One example: The Christian says, “If you dismantle the family, society will crumble.” Some unbelievers around us scoff at that, they say we’re old fashioned or out of touch. And so they press on into their own plan and what happens? Society starts to crumble. Because they’re sailing into the difficulties of life and their ship doesn’t even have a rudder!

Acts 27:12 – 12 Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided to set sail from there, hoping somehow to reach Phoenix, a harbor on Crete facing the southwest and northwest, and to winter there.

Fair Havens was a sleepy little port. No night life. Phoenix, on the other hand, had much more to offer for a few months shore leave. And the majority voted for that, and as is so often the case, the majority was wrong. They were hoping to somehow make it to that safe harbor, but with no plan and no protection from the storm that was waiting for them. But luckily there were some Christians on board, giving the right perspective. And when that was ignored, the Christians were still there, willing to intercede on their behalf.

John Phillips points out how fortunate they were that they had Paul on the ship, not Jonah. The crew of the ship headed to Tarshish had said, “What are you doing asleep?” Jonah was checked out. Not Paul. He left that meeting and went down below to pray for their salvation and because of it, every life was going to be spared, despite their foolish decision to sail on.

So we see God’s people on the ship, mingling graciously among all these other souls. We see them supporting one another, staying contented even when it seems time is being utterly wasted. We see them acting wisely and patiently. Doubtless Paul and his friends were bringing the Gospel to soldiers and sailors and those facing the lions’ mouths. There was nothing wasted about this time. And no matter what setbacks or difficulties you may be facing, as a Christian, none of it needs be wasted. You’ve got opportunities to minister, people to intercede for, time to grow in your depth of love for the Lord, chances to support your brothers and sisters. Make the most of your trip.

That’s Crazy Talk! (Acts 26)

Picture Manhattan for a moment. I should specify: Manhattan, Montana. Population: 1,500. This tiny town is home to Ernie Wayne terTelgte. Ernie’s looks like a Grizzly Adams impersonator. You can watch video from a 2013 court proceeding against Ernie. He had been stopped for fishing without a license. When confronted, he told police that, under universal law, he had the right to forage for food. The situation escalated and Ernie resisted arrest. When appearing in court, he speaks in his own defense, but it doesn’t go very well. First, he objects to the capitalization of the letters of his name on court documents. He’s convinced to allow that would be to admit that he has been made “the property of Rome.” He also asserts that the proceedings are unconstitutional because the flag on display has gold fringe on the edges, which indicates they are attempting to force admiralty law upon him. When asked how he pled to the charges his answer is: “I never plead, animals plead, sounds like baaaa, oink oink.” Things deteriorate from there. The judge removes herself to confer with her bailiffs, at which point Ernie pronounces the case dismissed and he gets up and walks out. Maybe the most remarkable part of the whole video is that you then see that the room had been filled with his supporters, who go after him outside, murmuring about how they have made history.

Today we find a man defending himself in a different court. Paul has been presented to King Agrippa, Governor Festus, military commanders and the prominent men of Caesarea. But this isn’t an official trial, it was meant to be an afternoon of entertainment for these important people. What follows is nothing less than a jaw-dropping spectacle, as the Pharisee turned turned preacher turned prisoner delivers his defense and proclaims the Good News to them. Before Paul is able to finish, Festus will shout that he has gone mad. But Paul is no Ernie terTelgte. His testimony may be astonishing, but it’s not unreasonable. He shares the remarkable story of how he came to faith in Christ. And, as we listen we should be astonished that God was so gracious as to save a wretch like him, that God was so powerful that He is able to completely transform the worst kind of man, and that God is so generous that He is willing to do that for anyone and everyone who will turn to Him in faith.

Acts 26:1 – Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand and began his defense:

If you recall, everyone in the audience had come in with pomp and pageantry. All very impressed with themselves. Here, Agrippa says he’s giving Paul “permission” to “speak for himself.” But what will become very clear very quickly was that it was Paul who had authority and he was not interested in seeking anything for himself, he was speaking for their benefit. This scene reminds us that we have been given the authority of heaven. We don’t need to seek the permission of man to do what our King has sent us to do. And, we’re reminded that our speech, our whole life, is not to be lived for ourselves, but in service to our King. Agrippa said, “Speak for yourself.” But what we’ll see is Paul talks all about Jesus. Yes, he will share his personal testimony, but Paul’s ‘self’ was completely wrapped up in the Person and work of Christ, his Savior.

Paul’s message is absolutely – pointedly – directed at Agrippa. More than a dozen times Paul will say his name or say “YOU” to him. As he speaks he doesn’t seek to exonerate himself as much as he seeks to emancipate this lost man, trapped in his sin, falling headlong toward death and judgment.

As he lifted up his hand to speak, the jangle of his chains would be heard, for Paul was shackled to at least one soldier as he addressed them. And here’s how he opens:

Acts 26:2-3 – 2 “I consider myself fortunate that it is before you, King Agrippa, I am to make my defense today against all the accusations of the Jews, 3 especially since you are very knowledgeable about all the Jewish customs and controversies. Therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently.

“I consider myself fortunate.” That’s an incredible opening line. It reminds us of Lou Gehrig saying “Today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth.” How could Paul be pleased by his circumstances? Well, it wasn’t the circumstances he was excited about, but the opportunity to deliver a cure to this dying crowd. Paul recognized that what he was suffering through was part of a greater story, a much greater effort that has been unfolding for many centuries. It wasn’t just that Paul caught a bad break. This was part of the grand work of redemption conceived in the mind of God and accomplished by His power. Along the way there was great opposition against this saving work, not only coming from the Devil but from lost men themselves. And so when Paul suffered he didn’t have to ask “why me?” He knew that it was because of sin that God’s people were resisted.

Paul asks for their patience. Not all questions can be answered quickly. Sometimes the truth cannot be rushed. Not everything we can know about God can fit on a post-it note. After a lifetime of study we will still learn more of Him and what He has done.

Acts 26:4-5 – 4 “All the Jews know my way of life from my youth, which was spent from the beginning among my own people and in Jerusalem. 5 They have known me for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that according to the strictest sect of our religion I lived as a Pharisee.

Paul wants to establish who he was before he surrendered his life to Jesus. And who he was was the best of the best that human religion could offer. There was no man of greater focus, dedication and sincerity than Saul of Tarsus. He was so committed he had become famous for it. Men like Festus only wished to grasp philosophy and knowledge the way Saul had. Men like Agrippa didn’t have the courage or will to go the high road and deny his base desires. But Saul was that rare man who laid hold of those human virtues of brilliance and morality. He was a champion specimen.

So, what happened? How did he go from rising star to public enemy number one?

Acts 26:6-7 – 6 And now I stand on trial because of the hope in what God promised to our ancestors, 7 the promise our twelve tribes hope to reach as they earnestly serve him night and day. King Agrippa, I am being accused by the Jews because of this hope.

The “hope” was the resurrection from the dead. Specifically, that the Messiah had come, He had been killed, and now He was alive again and therefore all who follow Him will be raised to life again.

This wasn’t a new promise, it had always been the hope of Israel. The problem is that the Jews had refused the idea of a suffering Savior. But, it’s right there on the page, isn’t it? What about Isaiah? What about these other references? Had God made some terrible mistake? Had He forgotten to hit ‘send’ on the message? No, it was men who made the mistake. Men who, over time, elevated tradition to the same level as the Scriptures and their understanding became distorted and ruined.

This isn’t a problem unique to the Jewish people. We can look back and see times when the church moved away from the clear revelation of Scripture and instead were teaching things like indulgences, purgatory, the Crusades. Errors like these are made when God’s people stop submitting to the Word of God and instead elevate tradition or custom to the authority that only Scripture should have.

Paul signals here that the resurrection should not only be considered our great hope, but that it should motivate us in our daily service to the Lord and that focusing on it will sustain us through the difficulties we face in this life.

Acts 26:8 – 8 Why do any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?

The Romans found the idea of resurrection absurd. As you share the Gospel, eventually someone will scoff at the idea of life after death. But it’s not an illogical claim. If there is a God who created life out of nothing, there’s no reason to think He couldn’t bring someone back to life after death.

Perhaps a person then says, “Well, I don’t believe in God.” That’s common these days. I suppose the question I would like them to answer is: “Can you show me a symphony that wrote itself and then played itself? Just one. It can be as long or short as you like. 1 measure will suffice.” Now that’s an absurd idea. The London symphony orchestra currently has 106 players. It takes immense effort for them to perform a single piece of music together.

Thus far, scientists have discovered 118 elements. These elements work together round the clock in a meticulously fine-tuned orchestra to support life in our ever-expanding universe. And someone would say this cosmic symphony wrote and plays itself? “A fool says in his heart ‘there is no God.’”

Acts 26:9-11 – 9 In fact, I myself was convinced that it was necessary to do many things in opposition to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10 I actually did this in Jerusalem, and I locked up many of the saints in prison, since I had received authority for that from the chief priests. When they were put to death, I was in agreement against them. 11 In all the synagogues I often punished them and tried to make them blaspheme. Since I was terribly enraged at them, I pursued them even to foreign cities.

Paul admits that he had tortured and killed Christians. Now remember: This was the best man had to offer. The finest example of spiritual enlightenment and dedication was a killer, who hunted down innocent people to satiate his own fury.

We need not focus on the horrors of what Paul did. Instead, we marvel at the grace of what Christ did. This man was loved by God, rescued from himself, and completely changed. Not only is that amazing grace, it’s incredible to see that God is able to wash away the guilt of sin. It was over and done with. Paul was made new. It reminds us of the redemption of IG-11 in The Mandalorian.

Knowing who we would become, we read about Saul’s rage and we pity him, right? We know who he will be after the Damascus road. So, when we see him raging at the church, we pardon him. We should also pity the opponents of the Gospel today. It’s easier to hate them, but we don’t want to be like Jonah, who was so consumed with hatred toward the Ninevites that he initially refused to preach to them and later was angry when they received God’s mercy. We want to be like Ananias, ready to embrace even a person as wretched as Saul and welcome him into the family of God.

Acts 26:12 – 12 “I was traveling to Damascus under these circumstances with authority and a commission from the chief priests.

Saul had been sent out with what looked like a lot of power and a commission to harm. In a moment it was all gone. Because God is really the One in charge. And now, He has sent us out with His own commission, not to destroy but to make disciples. And we go out in the Lord’s authority.

Acts 26:13-15a – 13 King Agrippa, while on the road at midday, I saw a light from heaven brighter than the sun, shining around me and those traveling with me. 14 We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice speaking to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ 15 “I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’

A sad but important element in Paul’s story is the revelation that God will allow a person to kick against Him. Paul did. We’ve seen Felix did. Festus will, Agrippa will. Peter even did a bit back in the Cornelius story. Think about it: The Lord could’ve raptured Peter over to Caesarea and mechanically forced him to do what He had commanded, but He didn’t. God does not force Himself on us, either in salvation or to follow His leading. To the unsaved, we would say, “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.” To the saved, we would say the same and, additionally, “Don’t quench the Holy Spirit.” Don’t kick against God’s leading, His correction or His commands.

Acts 26:15b-18 – “And the Lord replied, ‘I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting. 16 But get up and stand on your feet. For I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and a witness of what you have seen and will see of me. 17 I will rescue you from your people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them 18 to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a share among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

There’s that line in The Two Towers as the battle at Helm’s Deep is about to begin where Aragorn says to his soldiers, “Show them no mercy for you shall receive none.” Saul had no mercy for the Christians he was persecuting. And yet, the Lord Jesus met him with grace. And such grace! This man who deserved only to be consumed by the righteous judgment of God instead was given an offer of life. Not just life, but to have his debt wiped out. And an offer to be established and strengthened, to have mysteries revealed to him. He said, “I’ll make you My spokesman. I’ll make you My friend and co-heir.” This is the offer He makes to all of us despite what we deserve. We may have less blood on our hands but we have no less sin in our hearts.

Here, without being disrespectful, Paul points out that all these glittering Gentiles were, actually, lost in darkness. Blind and dying, slowly being crushed by the power of Satan. The Gospel must contain the hard truth that unbelievers are bound in darkness, facing the wrath of God and must be saved from their sin. That they have no future hope for forgiveness or life apart from Jesus Christ.

Acts 26:19-23 – 19 “So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision. 20 Instead, I preached to those in Damascus first, and to those in Jerusalem and in all the region of Judea, and to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works worthy of repentance. 21 For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and were trying to kill me. 22 To this very day, I have had help from God, and I stand and testify to both small and great, saying nothing other than what the prophets and Moses said would take place—23 that the Messiah would suffer, and that, as the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light to our people and to the Gentiles.”

Paul never once elevates himself in this talk. He simply did what he was told. Sure, he was talking to some ‘great’ people today, but he was just as ready to speak to a few poor people down by the riverbank. Because earthly status didn’t mean anything to Paul anymore.

If you’re trapped in a burning building it doesn’t really matter who makes 7 figures and who is broke, does it? Paul could see that all this world was a burning building. His aim was not to climb a ladder of worldly success, but to rescue whoever he could before the whole thing came down.

He says Christ was the first to rise from the dead. We don’t have time for a full blown eschatology study tonight (we’ll get that in our studies in Revelation), but suffice it to say, Christians sometimes argue about the resurrection. There are some who say there is only one general resurrection. However, as we read Scripture we see there are two: The first for believers and the second for the damned. The first is presented as happening in stages. Those who criticize this idea should admit that they, too, believe in at least a two-stage first resurrection: Because Christ is the first to rise.

Acts 26:24 – 24 As he was saying these things in his defense, Festus exclaimed in a loud voice, “You’re out of your mind, Paul! Too much study is driving you mad.”

Apparently in the Greek when it says “loud voice” the terms used are ‘mega phone.’ So, Festus is worked up. Perhaps he felt the conviction of the Holy Spirit but instead of surrendering he decided to kick against the Lord. His tactic? Dismiss the messenger and then you can ignore the message.

It is so important that we, as ambassadors and messengers, live out our Christianity with integrity and consistency. We do not want to give the unbelievers around us an excuse to deny the message of the Gospel by bringing shame on the name of Jesus Christ.

Now, Paul wasn’t acting crazy. Impassioned, yes. Not crazy. Hang out online for awhile and you’ll see plenty of video evidence of Christians acting crazy. Don’t be like that. But neither should we be indifferent about our Christian life. We’re to be filled up with joy and zeal and passion to be about our Lord’s business. And, knowing it is a life and death business, we should be energetic in our efforts.

Acts 26:25-27 – 25 But Paul replied, “I’m not out of my mind, most excellent Festus. On the contrary, I’m speaking words of truth and good judgment. 26 For the king knows about these matters, and I can speak boldly to him. For I am convinced that none of these things has escaped his notice, since this was not done in a corner. 27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you believe.”

Our message should be built with Biblical truth and good judgment. When we move off of that into sensationalism, it not only fails to change lives, it makes us seem crazy. When a bunch of Christians get behind their pulpits and proclaim that heaven has guaranteed that Donald Trump will win the 2020 election and then he doesn’t, the unbelieving world says, “Look at those crazy people!”

Here’s what Paul did: He talked about the history of Israel, the prophecies of the Old Testament, the true, reliable testimony of Christ and then how his own life had been radically changed. It doesn’t mean that being born again is all a rational formula that doesn’t require faith. It does. But the truth of God is reasonable and sober and able to be communicated in plain language.

There were a lot of people in the room, but the Spirit focused Paul’s attention on one guy: Agrippa. Festus clearly was reacting very negatively, but Agrippa seemed to be more receptive and so Paul brought him to a moment of decision. Do you believe?

That in itself is important. He did not say: “Will you be baptized?” Or, “Will you clean up all the missteps of your life and prove you’re worthy of being saved?” No, it was, “Do you believe?”

Jesus said, “He who believes has eternal life.” We are not justified by works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. Now, when a person believes and God begins that transforming process, they will do the work of righteousness. But we are saved by grace through faith. Do you believe?

Acts 26:28-29 – 28 Agrippa said to Paul, “Are you going to persuade me to become a Christian so easily?” 29 “I wish before God,” replied Paul, “that whether easily or with difficulty, not only you but all who listen to me today might become as I am—except for these chains.”

We don’t know exactly how Agrippa responded. Some think he was being sarcastic, some think he was right on the brink of repentance. We simply can’t know. What’s clear is that he would not take that step into faith. He wouldn’t trade the robes of Rome for the robe of righteousness.

For his part, Paul didn’t wish imprisonment or martyrdom on any of them. But he did wish that they would become like him in being led by Christ, motivated by the resurrection, free from the burdens of sin, full of love toward others, surrendered to the goodness of God’s charge over their lives. That they would each become people with a true and vibrant relationship with the Living Christ and become part of the long work of redemption. Paul wanted that for them and God wants that for us.

Acts 26:30-32 – 30 The king, the governor, Bernice, and those sitting with them got up, 31 and when they had left they talked with each other and said, “This man is not doing anything to deserve death or imprisonment.” 32 Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been released if he had not appealed to Caesar.”

In 1940, Winston Churchill delivered what is known as his “Fight them on the beaches” speech. It’s probably his most famous and has been long remembered. When he gave it in the House of Commons, some members (even of the opposing party) were moved to tears. But not everyone was inspired. Many, even in the Tory party, sat “in sullen silence.” And the next day polls showed many Brits were depressed by his oratory. Of course, there was something more important than morale at stake. Churchill was talking about the very survival of millions of people on the earth.

Paul had delivered a powerful, history-making presentation of the Gospel. We have no idea if anyone in the room joined him in the family of God. But the urgency of the situation demanded the message be shared, even if no one would believe.

If you’re a Christian here tonight, you have been brought into the work of God, just as Paul was. Maybe the opportunities you receive are less dramatic than this, but they’re no less important or urgent. God has scattered you into time and place so that you can continue this work. He’s supplied the power to stand strong in every circumstance. He’s provided the special revelation of Scripture so that you can, with authority, proclaim the truth of Jesus Christ, and He has invited you to be a living proof of the resurrection, as you live out a life transformed by the Gospel, inviting whoever will listen to join you in this life of grace and fulfillment and certain hope.

Inquiring Minds Want To Know (Acts 25:13-27)

Secretly listening in on the other team has a long history in sports. The Patriots have repeatedly been accused of spying of one sort or another. Sports Illustrated reported that “at least five teams have swept their hotels, locker rooms or coaches’ booths in New England for listening devices.”

Baseball has a long history of trying to tap into the communication of the opposing team. It’s called sign stealing and there was quite a scandal surrounding the Houston Astros a few years ago. But the tradition dates back as far as 1899 when the Phillies utilized “a backup catcher named Morgan Murphy in an ‘observatory’ beyond the centerfield wall, where he stole signs with binoculars. Murphy rigged an underground wire from his perch to the third-base coaching box, where the coach kept his foot above a junction box that would signal the pitch by buzzing once or twice.”

In our passage tonight we get an interesting glimpse into the private communication between two players on the other team. We have Festus, the new governor of Judea and King Agrippa. They’ll receive a powerful presentation of the Gospel, but first we get a look behind closed doors to see some of their discussion and mindset leading up to Paul’s message.

Isn’t it interesting that we’ve had no windows into Paul’s 2 years in Caesarea, none of his meetings or happenings. But now, we’re able to sit at the table with rulers and kings and hear them talk? Why would the Lord preserve this somewhat incidental conversation for us? When sports teams listen in on the other guys it’s so they can gain dominance over them. Not so with the Lord. His desire isn’t to beat them, but to win them for Himself.

That’s still His desire for the lost in our world today. And it can be helpful for us to examine their mindset. We find there’s a wide spectrum of attitudes when it comes to the people we’re sent to share the Gospel with. Having some insider information about the way unbelievers think can help us be ready and to stay warmhearted toward those God loves so much.

Acts 25:13 – 13 Several days later, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived in Caesarea and paid a courtesy call on Festus.

King Agrippa is Herod Agrippa. His dad was the one who had the Apostle James killed and was struck dead by God in Acts 12. His great uncle was the one who had John the Baptist beheaded. His great-grandfather was Herod the Great who slaughtered the babies in Bethlehem. He had been appointed by the Emperor and would need to keep friendly relations with as many Roman officials as he could, hence this protocol of coming and giving honor to Festus. You see, he may have been a ‘king,’ but the governor was the one in charge.

Bernice was Agrippa’s sister and, historians say, his mistress. She had been married to her own uncle and would have a string of relationships with powerful men, including the future emperor Titus.

So, right off the bat we can pause and evaluate what we know about these people Paul is going to evangelize: They have a lot going on. They’ve got all these pressures and problems, both personal and professional. Outwardly they have the trappings of wealth and influence, but their lives are a mess. And each of them have these different fears and failures that they have to keep putting off or trying to avoid, yet they just keep dogging them.

Acts 25:14-15 – 14 Since they were staying there several days, Festus presented Paul’s case to the king, saying, “There’s a man who was left as a prisoner by Felix. 15 When I was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews presented their case and asked that he be condemned.

Festus has a problem: When he sends Paul to Nero, he has to send an official report to detail the case and present charges. He’ll admit he has nothing to write, which is not a good position for him to be in. While Agrippa was by no means a religious man, he was an expert in Jewish affairs. He would be a very helpful resource for Festus in this particular issue, not to mention he had a family history with Nero. So, if you have to send this sketchy case to the emperor, why not get some help from a guy like this. And, Agrippa would be happy to do the new governor a favor.

It’s a sad testimony that the Jewish religious leaders’ greatest wish in this section is that Paul would be condemned to death. What a terrible legacy for this group. There’s a devotional thought for us here: Condemnation isn’t our job. Yes, we’re to tell the truth that sin is condemned by God, but the job is for us to go and tell the world that there is an escape from our guilt through the blood of Jesus. Even when it comes to hard-hearted, despicable people, like those on display here, the goal is rescue and redemption. The goal is that people would be saved out of their sin and transformed by the power of God. We may be offended by the way people live their lives, but remember what God can do. Look at Paul! The chief enemy of Jesus Christ. A murderer. Ravager of the Church. Now transformed by God to be the greatest living example of Christianity the world has ever known.

Don’t spend your life doling out condemnation or hoping for the destruction of your enemies. And don’t spend your life becoming more and more wrapped up in temporal goals. That’s what had happened to the Sanhedrin. They were focused on earthly things. Earthly numbers. Earthly success. When that happens to God’s people, they inevitably become antagonistic to others. We’re not called to antagonism but to evangelism. Why? Because salvation solves the problems of the world. Think about it: What would make Agrippa and Bernice “better” people? A law against incest? Those already existed. How about Festus? Would campaign finance reform make him a more impartial governor? No. But take these people and have their hearts washed by the blood of the Lamb and indwelt with the Holy Spirit of God? That solves everything! No more incest. No more pride. No more bribes and back room deals.

Acts 25:16 – 16 I answered them that it is not the Roman custom to give someone up before the accused faces the accusers and has an opportunity for a defense against the charges.

Festus paints himself in the most positive light. It reminds us that the average person we talk to thinks they’re fine. “Sure there are some bad people out there, but I’m a good person. Good-ish.” Festus was, naturally, trying to talk himself up to this new important friend. And, frankly, he was lying to himself. “I would never give up a Roman citizen!” In reality he was willing to give Paul up as a favor to the Jews, he just wasn’t able to get it done.

His mention of the Roman custom gives us a chance for another quick devotional thought: What’s our custom? We have a lot of them, but hopefully we can boil down our behavior to the word grace. We’re saved by grace, enriched by grace and we’re told in 2 Corinthians 6 that we’re to excel in grace. That it’s to overflow us. As we serve, as we speak, as we worship, is it full of God’s grace?

Acts 25:17 – 17 So when they had assembled here, I did not delay. The next day I took my seat at the tribunal and ordered the man to be brought in.

“The man.” Festus really had no idea who it was he had access to. At least Felix took a bunch of opportunities to talk to the Apostle. Festus was clueless.

When we share the Gospel with people, they’re often coming into it with no idea who we really are. They may see us as an unwelcome salesman or some sort of downer sent to make them feel bad. In reality, we’re the lifeguards who are swimming out to save them from drowning.

Acts 25:18 – 18 The accusers stood up but brought no charge against him of the evils I was expecting.

Festus had assumptions and none of them were right. He didn’t really know about the case but thought, “Oh it must have to do with this and this.”

What does the world assume about Christians today? No need to ask whether it’s fair or not, but what is the general feeling out in the culture around us when it comes to Christianity? Generally speaking I’d say the assumptions aren’t very good. We can’t control what culture thinks about us. The enemy keeps people deceived in every era. But this is the important part: Paul was not what Festus was expecting. He wasn’t a troublemaker. He wasn’t a maniac. He wasn’t violent.

The Bible says that we’re to be known by our love for other Christians. That we’re to be known not for things like litigation but our ability to solve conflicts together. We’re never told to be known for our anger or our rivalries or politicization but for how we emulate the Savior.

Acts 25:19 – 19 Instead they had some disagreements with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, a dead man Paul claimed to be alive.

Here’s an amazing discovery as we listen in on this conversation: Festus didn’t know who Jesus was! True, it was around 30 years since the cross and the empty grave, but still it surprises us. The truth is, there are a lot of people in the world who haven’t heard the Gospel and don’t actually know who Jesus is. Not just far away in the 10/40 window, but even right here in our own community. And we see here that Festus didn’t realize there was even a difference between Judaism and Christianity. Now, he was particularly uninformed, but so are some people you will encounter.

In addition, we notice that he didn’t seem to care at all about the idea that this Jesus might actually be alive. It didn’t register. Again, this is just giving us a window into the mentality of one type of unbeliever. He’s not a militant atheist, but he also isn’t really thoughtful about spiritual things.

But that disinterest didn’t make Paul change his message. In fact, he’s going to double down and talk about how the resurrection is true and it is the reason why he’s where he is and that it is the hope of mankind. You see, the resurrection was always central and critical to the preaching of the Apostles. They didn’t talk to people about living their best lives now, they always talked about how Messiah is alive now! Because the resurrection not only validates everything Jesus said, it is the basis for our faith AND it changes everything! Because you and I are going to come out of the grave and step into eternity one day, everything about this life is different.

And this is not just one guy’s irrational claim. That’s kind of the way Festus was presenting it in verse 19. There are immense proofs for the resurrection. Paul references some of them in 1 Corinthians 15:6. As believers today we can look at wonderful books like The Case For Christ, or Evidence That Demands A Verdict and see just how reliable and provable the resurrection is. In the notes I’ve footnoted an article giving 23 different proofs. It should be the centerpiece of our evangelism.

Acts 25:20-21 – 20 Since I was at a loss in a dispute over such things, I asked him if he wanted to go to Jerusalem and be tried there regarding these matters. 21 But when Paul appealed to be held for trial by the Emperor, I ordered him to be kept in custody until I could send him to Caesar.”

Festus was completely uninterested in what Paul might have to say. And yet, God made sure that this man received the Gospel message. Twice. That demonstrates the incredible love of God, even for those who are ignoring Him. As we witness for Jesus, we can’t make people care. But we can remember that God still cares for each of them and is not willing that any should perish.

Here we see Festus is still bending the truth. He didn’t hold onto Paul because he was “at a loss,” but because he had wanted to do the Jews a favor. He could’ve just thrown the case out. That had happened back in Acts 18:14-17 in the city of Corinth.

Acts 25:22 – 22 Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear the man myself.” “Tomorrow you will hear him,” he replied.

So, Festus doesn’t really care – he’s involved in all of this by default – but Agrippa is very interested. He had probably heard a lot more about Paul and Jesus of Nazareth. We see him very curious here.

Acts shows us a wide spectrum when it comes to unbelievers. You have on one far end the Sadducees, who are full of hatred and violence toward the Gospel. You have people out in the Gentile world who are prejudiced against Christians. You have people like Festus: they couldn’t care less. You have people like Agrippa: Very curious. Not really searching but interested. Then you have people like the Ethiopian Eunuch. They’re desperately seeking for spiritual truth. And what do we see? The same message for all and God had a desire to save them all. He had a guy for the Ethiopian. He had a guy for Agrippa. He had a guy for Felix and Festus and Cornelius and the synagogue of the freedmen. And God sent these guys out to bring the message to those in need.

A few commentators pointed out that men like Festus and Agrippa would never step foot into a synagogue or upper room meeting of the Church. So the Lord sent the message to them! Because this Savior draws all people to Himself. And you are the magnet He has decided to use to be part of that work of drawing. What grace we see here! God drawing despicable people to give them an opportunity to be saved. Herod was the kind of man who turned his troops on the Jews during the first Jewish-Roman war. And yet God loved him!

Acts 25:23 – 23 So the next day, Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the auditorium with the military commanders and prominent men of the city. When Festus gave the command, Paul was brought in.

This is a big deal, a huge event. Everyone is all decked out in their regalia and dress uniforms. They were all very impressed with themselves. Because unbelievers live for this world.

Such a flamboyant display reminds us as Christians that our splendor is found in the next world. In Ephesians we’re told that we’re going to be presented to the Lord in splendor. We need not chase this world’s passing pomp. That’s what the enemy offers. He even offered it to Christ Himself. But all the splendor of all the kingdoms of the world cannot compare to what is in store for those who will follow Christ to heaven. Don’t be tricked and robbed of what could be yours.

The comparison in this verse couldn’t be more dramatic. All the crowns and robes and fine attire and there’s the hunched and shackled preacher, in some worn out tunic. But, of all the people in the scene one of them had an address in the New Jerusalem, where the streets are paved with gold.

Acts 25:24-25 – 24 Then Festus said, “King Agrippa and all men present with us, you see this man. The whole Jewish community has appealed to me concerning him, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he should not live any longer. 25 I found that he had not done anything deserving of death, but when he himself appealed to the Emperor, I decided to send him.

This isn’t a trial. No, Paul is here on display for their entertainment. He’s like one of PT Barnum’s freaks. You are on display. Paul says as much in his letters to the Corinthians. You’re a Jesus freak and people are looking at you, some with disdain, some with curiosity, some with total misunderstanding. But they’re looking. And when they look you have the chance to reflect the confounding grace of Jesus Christ and reveal His truth to them.

Festus knew Paul was innocent, but he feared the crowd. He didn’t want to make the hard decision. It’s not always easy for those we talk to to forsake their old life, forsake what they thought they knew, maybe even forsake father and mother for Christ. As we preach we want to offer our assistance to help them and walk with them into a life of faith.

Before we move on to the closing verses one thought: They’re essentially admitting here that Paul I s being treated unfairly. The courts had completely let him down, despite his innocence, despite his rights, despite what should’ve been happening. Generally speaking, the Christian community feels that things are becoming more unfair, more unjust toward us. We feel like our rights are being violated and that may be true, but it’s nothing new. We shouldn’t be surprised. Nor should we count on courts to make things right. We can celebrate and be grateful when a case ‘goes our way,’ but we shouldn’t expect it. Because, as Acts shows many times, we can’t expect unsaved men to do what’s right, no matter what the precedent or law on the books is.

Acts 25:26-27 – 26 I have nothing definite to write to my lord about him. Therefore, I have brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after this examination is over, I may have something to write. 27 For it seems unreasonable to me to send a prisoner without indicating the charges against him.”

Festus had to send a report so now he’s in the uncomfortable position of having to justify his less-than-ethical handling of the case. Unbelievers around us often feel justified for their actions. Festus didn’t want to hurt Paul, but he did want to help himself.

We see something else here: All these important people, all these great rulers, shouldn’t they have been able to solve this little issue of a simple court case? And yet, they were paralyzed. Because everyone was seeking their own benefit. This is why there’s gridlock in the government and never-ending lawsuits in every corner of society. All the might and wisdom of men can’t actually fix the broken parts of the world. But Christ can! And only He can.

As you and I go out into the world where God has scattered us, you may find yourself taking to someone who has a Sadducee mentality, or a Festus mentality, or Agrippa or the Philippian Jailer or the Ethiopian Eunuch. You may find yourself interacting with someone honorable or someone despicable. Someone searching for God or someone who hates God.

Our Lord’s desire for all of them is the same. It’s the same desire He had for you and for me and for Saul of Tarsus. He’s drawing all people to Himself. And so, whoever we encounter, our message is meant to be the same. Not that we never come at the truth from an angle that makes more sense to someone once we understand their perspective, but the message is that sin separates us from God, so God sent Jesus Christ to live, die and (most importantly) rise again. And that all who call on the name of the Lord in faith will be saved.

As we go about preaching some may see you as a curiosity or a complication. Some people will be full of conceit or corruption or they may just be clueless. They may think they’re operating by some custom or code that makes them better than Ted Bundy or some other bogey man in their mind. But we can cut through all of that and present the truth, in love, knowing that God loves them and wants them to be saved.

One final thought as we close: This audience gathered to hear Paul was a big deal. A king. A governor. Military commanders and a bunch of prominent leaders. Quite an opportunity. We aren’t told how many of them, ultimately, gave their lives to Christ. The question is: Was Paul’s 2 year imprisonment worth it? As readers we think so. When we’re called to live sacrifice, it can be harder to accept. But, sometimes, sacrifice puts us into a position to have incredible opportunities. Eric Liddell gave up running in his favored race in the 1924 Olympics because it was his conviction not to run on a Sunday. But that sacrifice led to great opportunity for God to speak through his life. Is his long testimony worth a gold medal? Absolutely! How about Bethany Hamilton? She has had great opportunities to proclaim the name of Jesus. Why? Because a shark bit off her arm. Was it worth her arm? We look and we say, “Yes.”

It’s not that we’re looking for pomp or greatness for ourselves. The end goal isn’t to be in the most impressive room. But, it’s clear that sometimes a special work of God is accomplished after we follow Him through a path of sacrifice.