Acts  Sermon Series

Wheelersburg Baptist Church 12/14/03 Brad Brandt

Acts 28:17-31 "The Unstoppable Work of God"**

We’ve come today to the end of a journey. Back in 2001 we began to investigate the truth God revealed through Luke in the book we call "Acts of the Apostles." This morning, after working our way through the text line by line, paragraph by paragraph, we come to the final exposition, message #65. It’s been a fascinating study, one filled with reminder after reminder of the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

There’s no way to explain what happened in Acts apart from this. God did it. The Lord meant what He said when told His disciples (1:8), "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you. Then you will be my witnesses, starting in Jerusalem, to the ends of the earth." That’s exactly what happened.

At the beginning of Acts we see 120 followers of Jesus meeting in an upper room in Jerusalem. In Acts 2 the number bypassed 3,000. In Acts 5 it reached 5,000. After that, Luke stopped counting. By the time you come to Acts 28 the church numbers in the tens of thousands and its effect has reached such metropolitan centers as Antioch, Ephesus, Thessalonica, Philippi, Corinth, and finally the capital city of Rome itself.

If Acts teaches us anything, it’s this. When our God does a work, our God does a work! What the Lord begins the Lord finishes. That’s why we can entrust our lives to Him. He is true to His promises. That’s also why it’s such a privilege to belong to His church. We have the opportunity to be a part of something that is guaranteed to succeed.

In U.S. Navel Institute Proceedings, the magazine of the Naval Institute, Frank Koch illustrates the importance of obeying the Laws of the Lighthouse. Two battleships assigned to the training squadron had been at sea on maneuvers in heavy weather for several days. I was serving on the lead battleship and was on watch on the bridge as night fell. The visibility was poor with patchy fog, so the captain remained on the bridge keeping an eye on all activities.

Shortly after dark, the lookout on the wing reported, "Light, bearing on the starboard bow."

"Is it steady or moving astern?" the captain called out.

The lookout replied, "Steady, Captain," which meant we were on a dangerous collision course with that ship.

The captain then called to the signalman, "Signal that ship: 'We are on a collision course, advise you change course twenty degrees.'"

Back came the signal, "Advisable for you to change course twenty degrees."

The captain said, "Send: "I'm a captain, change course twenty degrees.'"

"I'm a seaman second-class," came the reply. "You had better change course twenty degrees."

By that time the captain was furious. He spat out, "Send: 'I'm a battleship. Change course twenty degrees.'"

Back came the flashing light, "I'm a lighthouse."

We changed course.

Our captain is the Lord Jesus Christ and nothing stands in His way. He has charted a course for His ship, the church, and where He leads we will go. There can be no miscalculations for He is omniscient and omnipotent.

The final episode of the book illustrates this clearly. In Acts 28:17-31 we learn about the unstoppable nature of the work of God. We also discover that our unstoppable God works through people who accept three responsibilities. Paul modeled each in the account before us.

As our story begins Paul is in Rome, a prisoner who has just moved into his own rented house with a soldier chained to his wrist. He wasn’t in Rome on a site-seeing trip. He had come to appear before Caesar to defend himself against the accusations created by the Jews in Jerusalem. The situation had plagued him for over two years. Upon arrival he didn’t waste any time in addressing it. Notice what he did.

A. Paul initiated a meeting (17-20). "Three days later he called together the leaders of the Jews." Stop there for a moment. Before we notice what Paul did next, please consider what he didn’t do. It doesn’t say that after three days Paul attempted to assemble legal team and strategize how to save his neck. That’s what we may have done if we knew that our life was on the line in an upcoming trial with Caesar. Not Paul. Paul’s number one agenda wasn’t what to obtain his freedom. His number one concern was what it had always been, to know Christ better and to help others know Him.

Brothers and sisters, everything ought to come back to this for us. If something doesn’t help us know Christ better or make Christ better known to others, it ought to be low priority to us.

Look at Paul again. Why did he call for this meeting with the Jews? The reason, as we’ll see, is this. He wanted to remove a potential obstacle, a barrier that was keeping unsaved people from Jesus. If Paul didn’t clear up the confusion concerning his own reputation with the Jews, these Jews would never listen to his message about Jesus.

Let this sink in. If people have a problem with us, they won’t be open to ministry from us. Unresolved problems hinder future ministry. And it doesn’t have to be a legitimate problem, either. A perceived problem can do the same thing.

LaSor says there were eleven synagogues in Rome, with perhaps as many as ten or twenty thousand Jews living in the capital city.

By the way, it was only three years before this that Paul wrote a letter to the Christians in Rome. In that letter he addressed, amongst other subjects, the importance of evangelism, especially Jewish evangelism (for instance, see 9:1-5; 10:1-4, 14-15). Apparently, there was little evangelistic effort by the church in Rome to reach the thousands of Jews living there.

Bruce Shelley offers this perspective, "It is easy to determine when something is aflame. It ignites other material. Any fire that does not spread will eventually go out. A church without evangelism is a contradiction in terms, just as a fire that does not burn is a contradiction." 

So Paul called for the leaders of the Jews, knowing that to gain credibility with the masses you must gain credibility with the leadership. Let’s watch how he addressed the dilemma head-on.

Verses 17-20—"When they had assembled, Paul said to them: ‘My brothers, although I have done nothing against our people or against the customs of our ancestors, I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans. They examined me and wanted to release me, because I was not guilty of any crime deserving death. But when the Jews objected, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar—not that I had any charge to bring against my own people. For this reason I have asked to see you and talk with you. It is because of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain.’"

When a misunderstanding exists we have several options. One, we can ignore it and pretend it doesn’t exist. Two, we can attack the person with whom we have the misunderstanding. Or three, we can address the misunderstanding in a Christlike way, selflessly and face to face.

Watch how Paul did the latter. Indeed, he models for us several guidelines we should follow when facing interpersonal problems.

1. Speak as you would to a family member. Paul began, "My brothers." I talk to my brother in a different way than I do a total stranger.

2. Focus on the facts, not your opinions or feelings. In Paul’s case the facts were clear. He’d been arrested for a crime he didn’t commit. He didn’t do anything against the Jews or Jewish customs. Indeed, three Roman officials—Claudius Lysias (23:28-29), governor Felix (24:22-27), and governor Festus (25:18-19), as well as Herod Agrippa (26:31-32)—all affirmed that Paul was innocent. Furthermore, in three separate hearings the Jewish Sanhedrin could not prove its case against Paul. Those were the facts.

3. Explain your intentions. Paul made it clear that he hadn’t come to Rome to attack Judaism or the Jews. He was there bound in chains because of what he called "the hope of Israel." It was his belief in this hope that got him in trouble in the first place. It was this hope that prompted him to ask for this meeting.

Just what is this hope? That’s the question what Paul wanted the Jewish leaders to ask. And in a roundabout way, they did. As a result of the meeting Paul initiated…

B. The Jews wanted to hear more (21-22). "They replied, ‘We have not received any letters from Judea concerning you, and none of the brothers who have come from there has reported or said anything bad about you. But we want to hear what your views are, for we know that people everywhere are talking against this sect.’"

Some find it hard to believe the Jews in Rome hadn’t heard any of the bad press about Paul. Surely, if it happened today, with telephones and email, they’d have heard! But 1,400 miles was a long way for news to travel in the first century. And if Paul left Israel on one of the last ships of the previous sailing season and arrived in Italy on one of the first ships of the new season, it’s no wonder the criticisms hadn’t arrived yet from Paul’s opponents in Jerusalem.

But the Roman Jews had heard something. They’d heard about the sect of the Nazarene, and what they heard wasn’t good. What was good was that their hearts were teachable. They were willing to hear Paul’s thoughts on the subject, and Paul was certainly more than willing to share with them.

Responsibility #1, then, is this. When obstacles come, we must face them. Yes, God is sovereign and His work will go forward but that doesn’t excuse us from taking action to address problems that may hinder the progress.

The story is told about a couple planning for their wedding who asked the baker to inscribe the wedding cake with the Scripture text, 1 John 4:18, which says, "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear." The baker made a slight blunder. He put the words of John 4:18 on the cake. It reads, "For you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband."

When it comes to communication, it takes more than a sincere heart. The words are important. So, too when God opens an evangelistic opportunity. The words are important. When the door opens before us, we must present Jesus.

Notice verse 23, "They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day, and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying. From morning till evening he explained and declared to them the kingdom of God and tried to convince them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets."

This probably wasn’t a monologue, but a day-long teaching session, done in rabbinic style with question-and-answer discussion and even debate. If we look carefully, we can discover from Paul three essentials for presenting Jesus to lost people.

A. Our curriculum is the kingdom of God (23a). "From morning till evening he explained and declared to them the kingdom of God."

I wish I had a tape recorder or at least a transcript of what Paul taught that day. Talk about a goldmine of teaching! Actually, we have a pretty good idea of what Paul said by examining what he said elsewhere—such as in his sermon to the Jews in Acts 13. James Boice makes the point, "I think it is not all that difficult to surmise what might have been said since the very next book in the Bible is Romans, which Paul had written just three years earlier to explain the gospel to this very community. We may suppose that he followed the general outline of Romans more or less."

Perhaps Paul began by pointing out there is a Creator who made everything, including us. He is the ruler. This is His world, and He deserves our worship.

Unfortunately, as a result of Genesis 3, mankind refuses to worship the Creator, choosing to worship and serve created things instead (Rom 1:25). This is a worldwide problem, affecting Jew and Gentile alike as Paul explains in Romans 2-3. Yes, Gentiles have turned from God to pagan idols—that’s obvious. But Jews have as well, substituting their own righteousness for God’s righteousness. I can just imagine Paul saying, "We’ve missed it, brethren. We’ve substituted ceremonies for a heart relationship with God."

Nationality doesn’t matter. "All have sinned and fall short of God’s glory (Rom 3:23)." "There is no one righteous, not even one (Rom 3:10-11)." We’re all guilty of treason. We’re all guilty of trespassing in God’s world.

But God did something to reclaim His kingdom. He appointed His Son to be king and sent Him into the world. Jesus is the hope of Israel, indeed, the hope of all mankind.

At this point, Paul would have met resistance. "There’s no way the Nazarene could be the Messiah!" the Jews would have responded. "The Messiah is supposed to be a mighty deliverer!"

To which Paul would have turned to the Old Testament Scriptures to prove, "Jesus is the mighty deliverer!" He came the first time to provide deliverance from sin. He will come the second time to judge the world and establish His messianic kingdom. Until that great day He promises to save anyone, regardless of nationality, who will repent and believe in Him.

Today He is reclaiming His kingdom one life at a time. When He returns He will reclaim the whole earth, indeed, the entire universe.

"But how," you ask, "are we going to convince people that they need to believe in King Jesus?" That question brings us to a second essential for presenting Jesus. First, our curriculum is the kingdom of God.

B. Our authority is the Word of God (23b). Luke says that Paul "explained and declared to them the kingdom of God and tried to convince them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets." In other words, Paul presented his case about the kingdom and sought to lead people to Jesus by appealing to the authority of the Law and the Prophets, the Hebrew Scriptures. He didn’t share his opinions. He shared the Scriptures. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God (Rom 10:17).

C. Our confidence is the plan of God (24-29). In other words, the reason we can witness with assurance is because we know that God has a plan to save people. It’s a good plan, a plan He designed in eternity past, explained in passages like Ephesians 1 and Romans 8. It’s this plan that motivates us to do evangelism. It did Paul. Watch what happened beginning in verse 24:

"Some were convinced by what he said, but others would not believe [there will be a mixed response to nearly every gospel presentation]. They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement: ‘The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your forefathers when he said through Isaiah the prophet: ‘Go to this people and say, "You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving." For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’ "Therefore I want you to know that God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!’"

There are three things about God’s plan that Paul highlights here.

1. God predicted Jewish resistance. Did the rejection of the Messiah by the majority of the Jews catch God off guard? No. He predicted it. In fact, Paul says that the Holy Spirit predicted their rejection through Isaiah eight centuries ahead of time. He said that the reason they wouldn’t accept God’s message was because of a heart problem. There’s something God predicted besides Jewish resistance.

2. God predicted Gentile acceptance. Listen to how Paul ended his gospel presentation in verse 28, "Therefore I want you to know that God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!’" What was God’s plan? For the gospel to go to the Gentiles. What did Paul say the Gentiles would do? They will listen.

How did Paul know the Gentiles would listen? Was it because Gentiles have better hearts than the Jews? No. They won’t seek God on their own either—remember Romans 3:10? The reason Paul knew they would respond is because he knew God’s plan. In the plan of God the present age is the age of the Gentiles.

Some people have the notion that God is a frustrated God who is in heaven waiting for people to respond. That’s not the biblical picture of God. The Bible teaches that God is actively seeking and saving lost people. Listen to Paul again. "God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!"

Does that mean that God is done with Israel? Is Israel’s rejection final? No. Paul had this to say in Romans 11:1-2, "I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew."

So God isn’t done with Israel. Indeed, His intent for saving Gentiles is to provoke jealousy in the Jews. Paul elaborates in Romans 11:25-26, "I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved."

Yes, God predicted both Jewish resistance and Gentile acceptance. Know this…

3. God’s predictions always come true.

One day George Muller began praying for five of his friends. After many months, one of them came to the Lord. Ten years later, two others were converted. It took 25 years before the fourth man was saved. Muller persevered in prayer until his death for the fifth friend, and throughout those 52 years he never gave up hoping that he would accept Christ! His faith was rewarded, for soon after Muller's funeral the last one was saved.

What kept Muller praying? The same thing that kept Paul preaching Jesus to Jew and Gentile alike. He knew that God has a plan to save a people for His glory, and God’s predictions always come true.

Responsibility #1—When obstacles come, we must face them. Responsibility #2—When opportunities come, we must present Jesus. Now #3…

Notice what Paul did for the next two years. Verse 30, "For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house." For two years Paul waited on Caesar to resolve his case. That’s two years of being sidelined from front line ministry.

Most people I know struggle with waiting. I see a contrast here.

A. Our tendency is to focus on what we can’t do. We get frustrated because of what we want to do yet can’t do. "God, why did you let me get sick? There’s so much I want to do for you!" That’s how tend to think. Not Paul.

B. Paul focused on what he could do. Notice what he did in verses 30-31, "For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ."

Paul didn’t waste these two years by focusing on what he couldn’t do. He poured his energy into what he could do. "Like what?" you ask. For starters, it was during this time that he wrote four New Testament letters: Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon around A.D. 60, and Philippians around A.D. 61. We learn a lot about Paul’s perspective during this incarceration from comments he wrote to the Philippian believers (in Phil 1:12-14):

"Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly."

In two years Paul had a lot of soldiers chained to his wrist—and they all heard about Jesus from him. Barclay’s comments, "In two years many of them must have spent long days and nights with Paul; and many a man must have gone from his guard duty with Christ in his heart."

Let’s take a closer look at the final verses of Acts 28, and we’ll learn two characteristics of a good minister

1. A good minister makes time for people. "For two whole years Paul…welcomed all who came to see him."

Many people did just that. They came to see the apostle. Paul mentions them in his letters. In Colossians Paul states that Aristarchus and Luke were with him, as well as Mark, Jesus Justus, Epaphras, and Demas (Col 4:10-14). Tychicus actually came to Rome to bring Paul news about the church in Colossae.

Another person who visited Paul was Onesimus, a runaway slave who converted to Christ under Paul’s influence in Rome. Paul sent him back to his master, Philemon, with a letter that mentions Timothy, Epaphras, Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke (Phile 23-24).

In the letter to the Philippians Paul said thank you to the believers there for their gifts sent to him. Epaphroditus brought the gifts to Paul, then got sick and nearly died in Rome. Also in the same letter Paul said he hoped to send Timothy to Philippi to let them know how his trial turned out (2:25), sharing this uncertainty in Philippians 1:20-21, "I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain."

It’s obvious Paul didn’t sit around waiting for his trial date. When visitors came, he talked to them about Christ. When no visitors came, he talked to his guards about Christ or wrote letters to care for the churches. That’s the mark of a good minister. He makes time for people. As is this…

2. A good minister makes sure his message is constant. Verse 31—"Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ." What message did Paul preach during the two years? The same message he preached the day the Jewish leaders came. It was the same message he preached everywhere and at all times—the kingdom of God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Unfortunately, we don’t talk about the kingdom of God very much today. Perhaps it’s because we’re too preoccupied building our own empires. In gospel presentations today people are invited to receive into their lives a Jesus who is more like a Genie than a King. If we presented Jesus as the King that He is, and if we told lost people that living for Jesus would necessitate seeking first kingdom values over worldly values, our gospel presentations would produce a different effect. We’d see some people who currently make pseudo-professions to add Jesus to their cluttered lives resist the gospel. But we’d also see others—those that the Spirit convicted and regenerated—receive the real Jesus into their lives, King Jesus. And when the real Jesus enters your life, things change.

So what happened to Paul? Tradition says that Paul was eventually set free, perhaps because the Jewish prosecution never showed up and the statute of limitations passed (which helps explain the two years of waiting). After this Paul launched his fourth missionary journey all the way to Spain. During this period (from A.D. 63-66) he wrote letters to Timothy and Titus. Eventually, he returned to Rome, was arrested again, and imprisoned, this time in a brutal dungeon. He never left. After writing his second letter to Timothy, Paul was beheaded around the year 67.

You may be wondering, "If that’s what happened to Paul, why doesn’t Luke tell us?" The reason is, it wasn’t his purpose. He’s not writing a biography about Paul. He’s telling the story of the early church. His goal in Acts is to show that what the Lord commanded, the early church accomplished by His enabling. In less than 30 years, the gospel spread from Jerusalem to the center of the world in Rome. And as Acts ends Luke makes it clear that the unstoppable work of God was still moving ahead full steam, boldly and without hindrance.

1. God’s work will face opposition. It’s inevitable. But so is this.

2. God’s work will not fail.

Acts  Sermon Series