Over the next two Sundays, our journey through the book of Acts will come to an end. Yet the book doesn’t close with a final climactic ending. Luke leaves the story unfinished with Paul testifying unhindered in Rome. The story is not finished. Today, the church is still on the same mission begun so long ago by the first disciples. The gospel has gone out from Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and continues to go to the ends of the earth. Chapter 28 picks up after the shipwreck which left Paul and company on an unidentified land. Here we are informed they have landed on the island of Malta, off the coast of Sicily. Paul will spend three months here before setting sail again for Rome. Although Paul’s journey to Rome is stalled, it is not without purpose. Paul finds kind and compassionate people on the island who show hospitality and care to he and his shipmates. God also does miraculous works of healing through Paul for the people of Malta over those three months. The storm and the shipwreck were not without purpose. God has brought Paul to this island because even these kind, friendly, compassionate, and moral people also need the gospel to be saved. The message of Christ is validated here as it was in the Temple of Jerusalem through miraculous signs. God has brought the kingdom promised to Israel all the way out here on the shores of this island. And when Paul finally does get to the vicinity of Rome, the church is there ready to receive him, encourage him, and fellowship with him as God fulfills His promise and Paul makes his way into the city. The church in Rome, established by unnamed and unknown believers, is God’s instrument in the city & comes out to receive this brother in Christ. And here we see that although Luke has focused our attention on the Apostle Paul for much of the book of Acts, the church - together - is the instrument that brings the gospel to the nations.
Subscribe to the Sermon podcast on itunes or search for "jason velotta" in your podcasting app
Visit http://www.jasonvelotta.com/for more audio, video, books, and teaching materials https://www.fbcmulvane.com
https://www.facebook.com/jason.velotta.1
https://twitter.com/jrv773
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonvelotta/