Rome, At Last April 7th, 2024
Breathe your Spirit upon us, O Lord, as we listen to the Scriptures. Open our minds and hearts to receive your Living Word and fill us with renewed hope. Amen.
Well, this morning we come to the end of our two year journey. Back on January 23rd of 2022 we started by looking at the first eight verses of the 1st chapter of the book of Acts and today we come to the last fourteen verses of the final chapter. Now, mind you, there were a lot of Sundays in between when, for a variety of reasons, a sermon on a reading from Acts wasn’t part of the service, so that’s what made the trip so much longer.
The book of Acts is such an important part of the Bible and taking this time gives an important look at how the early Christians, especially Paul, dealt with so many difficult situations and it helps us prepare as we face many obstacles today. Christianity is still the largest faith in the world, but as worldly views become the norm, many neglect God and what he gives to the world. We see the effects daily, and we often think, if only they would trust God, their lives would be so much better. Let us draw strength from all those who went before us so we can help those around us who so desperately need God in their lives.
Back in those early days, the apostle Luke, who was the author of Acts, began the book telling us about Jesus in his final forty days with his disciples, after his resurrection and prior to his ascension. This is what took place at the end of those forty days, “So when they had come together, they asked him, ‘Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?’ He replied, ‘It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’ When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up towards heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up towards heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.’” (Acts 1:6-11) Thus the disciples were given the command by our Lord and Saviour to spread the Gospel message from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth.
And throughout the book of Acts that’s what we saw take place. In the beginning the messengers were those first disciples. We heard about Peter and John, two of the original twelve, who began their ministry in Jerusalem. From there we saw the Good News spread beyond the walls of Jerusalem into the neighbouring countries, thanks to the work of Peter and his fellow missionary, Philip.
Then came a major turning point in the history of the Christian church, the conversion of Saul. By his own admission, Saul was a fervent persecutor of the Church. As he said, “’I persecuted this Way up to the point of death by binding both men and women and putting them in prison, as the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify about me.’” (Acts 22:4-5) The first followers of Jesus called themselves “The Way” in reference to the fact that following Jesus was the “way of life”, as well as their belief that Jesus was “the way” to God. It was only about 70 years after the death of Jesus that his followers first become known as Christians.
But after that encounter with Jesus on the Damascus Road, Saul went from being Christianity’s strongest opponent to become one of its greatest supporters. So much so that fourteen of the 28 chapters of Acts are about Saul and his work to spread the Gospel throughout the Middle East and into Asia. After his conversion he became known as Paul, and he is the author of thirteen of the twenty-six books of the New Testament.
And this morning we’ll look at the final section of the last chapter of the book of Acts, where we see the apostle Paul in Rome, under house arrest, but still preaching the kingdom of God and the Lord Jesus Christ. It begins with these words, “When we came into Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with the soldier who was guarding him.”
When Paul was being held a prisoner in Jerusalem, having been accused of a variety of false charges by the Temple leaders, not sure if he was going to live or die, Jesus had appeared to him in his jail cell saying, “‘…Keep up your courage! For just as you have testified for me in Jerusalem, so you must bear witness also in Rome.’” (Acts 23:11) And now, as promised, here he was in Rome. But, once again, he was being held prisoner, awaiting trial at the Roman Tribunal. This time, while he was allowed to live in a place of his own, he was chained to a Roman centurion to ensure that he wouldn’t escape. Not much of an existence!
But Paul was not going to let that slow him down, Luke tells us, “Three days later he called together the local leaders of the Jews.” So committed was he to spreading the Gospel message that he arranged to meet with the leaders of the local synagogue to tell them about the Good News of Jesus Christ as being the long awaited Messiah for the Jewish people.
But it was to no avail. After meeting with Paul and listening to his testimony this is what took place, “From morning until evening he explained the matter to them, testifying to the kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus both from the law of Moses and from the prophets. Some were convinced by what he had said, while others refused to believe. So, they disagreed with each other…” They would not accept Jesus as their Lord and Saviour and no amount of reasoning on the part of Paul was going to convince them otherwise.
And Paul, being Paul who never gives up, made one final effort. He said to them, “‘The Holy Spirit was right in saying to your ancestors through the prophet Isaiah, “Go to this people and say, you will indeed listen, but never understand, and you will indeed look, but never perceive. For this people’s heart has grown dull, and their ears are hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes; so that they might not look with their eyes, and listen with their ears, and understand with their heart and turn— and I would heal them.’” This quote was from the Old Testament prophet, Isaiah, and predicts the ongoing disbelief by the Jewish people of the fact that Jesus was their long-awaited Messiah. Jesus himself used this verse four times when explaining to his disciples how he was going to be rejected by the Jewish leaders.
And for us as Gentiles, that is people not of the Jewish faith, these final words of Paul which he spoke to those Jewish leaders are of the upmost importance, he said, “‘Let it be known to you then that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen.’” And not just to listen, but to understand, to follow, and accept Jesus as the Son of God and our Lord and Saviour.
Now the truth of the matter is that every Christian has been given the gift of the Holy Spirit, God living inside of us. And with that tremendous gift, we have been given the responsibility to tell people about Jesus. The church doesn’t exist just for us to get together for an hour on Sunday morning, or to have a meal together every once in a while. We exist as a group for a mission, to tell the message of Jesus Christ to the community in which we exist, and to help others tell the message all over the world.
So, can we learn from this passage? First, we see Paul's passion for sharing the Gospel with both Jews and Gentiles. He spent a whole day explaining and persuading them about Jesus, using the Scriptures as his authority. He did not give up even when some of them rejected his message and argued with him. He knew that some would believe, and some would not, but he still faithfully sowed the seed of God's word.
Second, we see Paul's fulfillment of his calling as the apostle to the Gentiles. He quoted the prophet Isaiah to show that the Jews had hardened their hearts and closed their eyes to God's revelation. He declared that he would focus on reaching the Gentiles with the gospel, as God had commanded him. He did not let his circumstances or opposition stop him from fulfilling his mission.
Third, we see Paul's freedom in Christ. Even though he was under house arrest, he was not hindered from preaching the kingdom of God and teaching about Jesus. He welcomed all who came to see him and spoke with boldness. He did not complain or despair but rejoiced in his opportunity to witness for Christ. He knew that God was with him and that nothing could separate him from God's love.
And that’s what Paul did, Luke closes the book of Acts with these words, “He lived there for two whole years at his own expense and welcomed all who came to him, proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.” Paul didn’t complain or despair, but he used his time and resources to welcome everyone who came to him, to preach the gospel of the kingdom of God, and to teach about our Lord Jesus Christ. He didn’t fear the authorities or the Jews who opposed him, but he spoke with boldness and confidence, knowing that God was with him and that nothing could stop his mission. He was a true follower of Jesus.
What can we as a church community learn from Paul's attitude and actions? First, we can learn to trust God in every situation, even when we face difficulties or limitations. God has a purpose for our lives, and he can use us wherever we are, if we are willing to serve him and obey him.
Second, we can learn to be generous and hospitable, to share what we have with others, and to welcome them with love and respect. God has given us everything we have, and he wants us to use it for his glory and for the benefit of others.
Third, we can learn to be bold and faithful witnesses of Jesus Christ, to proclaim his message of salvation and grace, and to teach his truth and his ways. God has called us to be his ambassadors in this world, and he has given us his Spirit and his word to empower us and guide us.
Let us follow Paul's example then, and live for God's kingdom, no matter what circumstances we face. Let us pray that God would give us the same spirit of courage, generosity, and faithfulness that he gave to Paul. And let us remember that nothing can hinder the work of God in our lives and in this world.
Paul didn’t let those two years during which he was held under house arrest go to waste, it was during that time which he wrote letters to the churches in Colossae, Ephesus, Philippi and also one to Philemon, a fellow Christan and missionary. These are known as Paul’s prison epistles.
As we close, let us ask ourselves, are we like Paul in our passion for our faith? Do we have a desire to share the gospel with others, using the Scriptures as our guide? Do we obey God's calling for our lives, regardless of the challenges or obstacles we face? Do we live in the freedom of Christ, knowing that he is our Lord and Saviour, and that nothing can hinder his work in us and through us? May God help us to follow Paul's example and be faithful witnesses for his glory.
Let us Pray:
Heavenly Father, thank you for the challenge of the book of Acts, for what it has already meant to us, and for what it can mean to us in the days and years ahead. Thank you for the challenge of the apostle Paul's life. Help us to be encouraged today to be faithful to the same great cause for which he gave his life! We thank you for the access that we have to the Lord Jesus and to the power of the Holy Spirit working in our lives. Amen.