God's Story Continued (Acts 28:17-31)

Let’s Pray:

Open with me to Acts 28!

Introduction

In 1990, author Robert Jordan began writing his science fiction series Wheel of Time. The series included 14 books spread over 14 years.

11,300 pages. If you listened to the series on Audible it would take you 19 days and 5 hours to complete it.

Yet, after all that time of thinking and writing and editing and story telling, Robert Jordan the author never lived to finish the series…

Could you imagine investing all that time reading those books, only to never get closure?

Or what about the most despised TV show of all time in my opinion… LOST

6 seasons, 121 episodes everyone ending with me in fits of rage, becasue they never provided closure.

In each of these examples, the ending seemed unfinished. Still open.

And for a TYPE A mind like mine, that drives me crazy.

Yet, here we are today… 37 weeks into the praying, reading, and preaching of the Book of Acts and somehow, even at the very end, it feels… unfinished. It leaves me without closure!

So I want to invite you this morning into my Type A frustration, but also attempt to help us make sense of it.

Let’s read our text

Acts 28:17–31 ESV

After three days he called together the local leaders of the Jews, and when they had gathered, he said to them, “Brothers, though I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers, yet I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans. When they had examined me, they wished to set me at liberty, because there was no reason for the death penalty in my case. But because the Jews objected, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar—though I had no charge to bring against my nation. For this reason, therefore, I have asked to see you and speak with you, since it is because of the hope of Israel that I am wearing this chain.” And they said to him, “We have received no letters from Judea about you, and none of the brothers coming here has reported or spoken any evil about you. But we desire to hear from you what your views are, for with regard to this sect we know that everywhere it is spoken against.” When they had appointed a day for him, they came to him at his lodging in greater numbers. From morning till evening he expounded 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. And some were convinced by what he said, but others disbelieved. And disagreeing among themselves, they departed after Paul had made one statement: “The Holy Spirit was right in saying to your fathers through Isaiah the prophet: “ ‘Go to this people, and say, “You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive.” For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed; lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’ Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen.” He lived there 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.

CONTEXT

Paul finally made it to Rome.

After a perilous journey, that he leveraged to give glory to God, Paul finally arrived in Rome.

In Rome he was able to stay by himself under house arrest.

And although this arrangement came it his owwn expense it provided him with the freedom to receive visitors and minister the gospel without hindrance.

And after 3 days (vs. 17) he invited some of the leading Jews of Rome, and its his debate with them that forms the final word picture of Luke’s narrative.

First it strikes me that they had not heard of Paul…

Acts 28:21 “And they said to him, “We have received no letters from Judea about you, and none of the brothers coming here has reported or spoken any evil about you.”

This baffles me because apparently the Jews of Judea and Ceaserea or Asia or Macedonia or Galatia have yet to write to the Jews in Rome about this man.

It baffles me because he was well known, but it also baffles me because of the deep hatred the Jews in Judea had for him.

Remember, they stewed over his assination for 2 years when Felix changed to Festus.

Yet, when he appealed to Cesar they thought not to write to the Roman Jews.

But it makes no difference to Paul, they say they want to hear what he has to say and he emphasizes two things!

First was the Kingdom of God

Acts 28:23 “When they had appointed a day for him, they came to him at his lodging in greater numbers. From morning till evening he expounded to them, testifying to the kingdom of God....

So using the Scritpures he reasoned with them from morning till night about the Kingdom of God.

That the Kingdom long promised and prophesied is here. Now.

The Kingdom long awaited that inaguarate the Sovereign rule of God and dismantle the earthly rule of oppressors like Rome has arrived.

But the Jews expected this Kingdom to be a physical, national reality.

A King, titled the Messiah, would arrive on a white horse, with a sword and an army that would confront the Jewish oppressors on the field of Battle.

But Paul, using the Scriptures, reasoned that they had it all wrong.

A King, titled the Messiah, has arrived, but in a way they didn’t expect. He came on a donkey, with a cross and through his death and ressurection he is here to confront the oppressor of SIN on the field of each individual heart.

Second, that Jesus of Nazareth was the King, the Messiah.

Acts 28:23 “...trying to convince them about Jesus both from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets.”

Using the OT Paul tried to persuade them that the Messiah, as Suffering Servant, as Lamb was Jesus of Nazareth, and ALL who turn and believe in Him are granted access to His Kingdom, and a role to further it!

From morning to Evening Paul showed from Cover to Cover of the OT Scriptures that this is what God has been doing from the beginning.

This is the story that God has been telling since the Garden.

Jesus is King, and has come to establish His Kingdom through faith, not war.

And as with every one of Paul’s sermons or places of minitry some were convinced, but others disbelieved (Acts 28:24).

So Paul, seeing their rejection, quotes Isaiah 6:9-10.

A prophecy saying that the people of Israel will indeed:

hear but never comprehend

see, but never perceive

because their hearts will be hard.

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

And then Luke takes 2 verses to close the narrative… He writes:

Acts 28:30-31 “He lived there 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 just kept on doing this for 2 more years… While in prison he welcomed anybody that would come and did what:

Proclaimed the Kingdom of God

And declared the King, Jesus Christ.

And this summary of Paul’s final 2 years, is exactly what we’ve seen in the lives of all the Apostles, and deacons, and witnesses throughout the book of Acts.

Lets quickly review the book in its entireity to see this point.

Summary of Acts

Thesis

Acts begins with Jesus proving himself alive after the Resurrection

Acts 1:3 “He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.”

And what did he do for 40 days!?

He taught them about the Kingdom of God and how how it has all been fulfilled in Himself!

We have an example of this at the end of Luke’s first book.

Luke 24:45-47 “Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.”

This is how the book begins! Jesus telling them about the Kingdom of God, and how He was the king that has brought his Kingdom not just for Israel but all nations.

So then in Acts 1:8 Jesus says, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.””

Be Witnesses… Tell My Story. Tell of the Kingdom, and tell of the King.

In Jerusalem, Judea & Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

Acts 2-8. Jerusalem

Acts chapters 2-8 tells of their Witness in Jerusalem.

We saw how Peter preached boldly on the day of pentecost, and 3000 received God’s Story and came into His Kingdom.

And we saw in Acts 2:42-47, what happens when God’s Story begins to transform a heart and a community.

They devote themselvs to teaching, and community. And charity, and generosity.

And the church continues to pray for boldness to Witness to God’s Story, and even in the midst of prison and trial the church continues to grow to 5000 in Acts 4.

But the growth brought some grumbling, and the apostles establish deacons for the ministry of the church.

And Section 1 concludes with one of these deacons (Stephen), giving witness to God’s Story even in the midst of death, and

we read Acts 8:1 “And Saul approved of his execution. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.”

Where did they scatter!?

Why!? Becuase they were to tell God’s Story… the story of His Kingdom and HIs King to Jerusalem, and Judea and Samaia.

Judea & Samaria

And chapters 8-9 record that phase of the witness.

In chapter 8 we see Philip preaching Christ in Samaria and Peter and John laying hands on the Samaritan believers and witnessing their entrance into the Story of God!

Then in Acts 9, we see the significnat conversion of Saul! Saul the Persecutor is now Paul the Preacher

Ends of the Earth (10-28)

And as Paul is away in Arabia, Peter recevies this wild vision indicating that King Jesus died to include even Gentiles in the Kingdom of God through the salvation of Cornelius and his household.

In Acts 13 Paul and Barnabas are sent as foreign missionaries to the ends of the earth.

They tell of God’s Story in Cyprus, Iconium, and Lystra.

Then in Acts 16, they preach in Phrygia and Galatia, Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, and Athens, and Corinth.

Then in Acts 19, Paul tells of God’s story in Ephesus, and then returns to all the cities building them up and establishing them in the faith.

Acts 21-27 is God promising Paul that he must Witness in Rome as well, because all roads led to Rome.

Rome was the center of the Gentile World.

Rome was the poster-child of ALL NATIONS and here at the end of Acts, we have Paul Acts 28:30-31 “proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.”

Conclusion

So see church, Acts ends exactly as it began… the faithful preaching of God’s Story in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Closure

But doesn’t this conclusion leave you with a bunch of unanswered questions!? NO CLOSURE

Like, how on earth had the Roman Jews not heard of Paul!?

And what about the Roman Christians!?

Did they continue in their excitement and support of Paul as when they began on the Appian Way?

And what about PAUL for crying out loud!?

Did Paul appear before Ceasar!? Was he ever tried?

Was he executed at the end of that 2 year period!?

Right!? Like there are so many questions left unanswered!

And church I believe that is the wisdom and soverignty of God, as well as in alignment with the purposes of Luke.

Luke’s Intent

You see Luke leaves us with all these questions, questions concerning the Roman Jews, Roman Christians, and Paul himself because the point of ACTS isn’t about them!

It’s about God. You see it’s God’s Story that Continues…

Paul’s doesn’t. In fact, what church history tells us is that after 2 years Paul was temporarily released but eventually beheaded by the vicious and violent Emperor Nero.

You see Nero had started a fire in Rome, but it blew back on him politically, so Nero shifted the blame onto Christians.

Tacitus the history writes,

“Therfore, to scotch the rumour, Nero substituted as culprits, and punished with the utmost refinements of cruelty, a class of men, loathed in their vises, called Christians. First of all, those who confessed Christ were arrested, then convicted. Their execution was made a matter of sport; some were sewn up in the skins of wild beasts and savaged to death by dogs; others were fastened to crosses as living torches, to serve as lights when daylight failed. They were sacrificed to gratify one man’s lust for cruelty.”

That’s what happened to Paul, and even Peter. They were killed during this savage persecution of Nero.

But Luke records none of this…

Luke concludes Acts with a word of Triumphant, not Tragedy.

Paul, you see Paul’s life ended in Tragedy.

In fact, all throughout Acts tragedy followed God’s Witnesses.

They were rejected, beaten, reviled, imprisoned, and killed.

Stephen, and Paul’s, and Peter’s and everybody elses’s story ended in tragedy

But through their faithful witness, one story didn’t. Only One Story ended in Triumph… God’s.

Acts shows us that God’s Story is a Triumphant Story. God’s Story continues.

Paul’s didn’t. God’s did.

Mine won’t, but God’s will.

Your’s won’t, but God’s will.

So here’s the question for you after 36 weeks of reading, and preaching the Book of Acts!

Who’s Story do you live for?

CBC Richmond Hill, who’s story do we live for as a community?

The person or church that leaves its mark on History, is a person or church that (pardon my cheeziness) lives for His-Story.

May you be persuaded and convinced of the Kingdom of God, brought about by the death and resurrection of the King of Kings, and live until your story ends… for His Story.

Conclusion

So here’s how I’d like for us to close the Book of Acts.

Why don’t you stand with me:

On August 7th, 2022 we began Acts by teaching you the song “Build Your Kingdom Here”.

I’d like for us to sing that song again. Just as Luke opened and closed Acts with the teaching of the Kingdom and Christ, and in similar fashion I want us to open and close this book with that song.

So as our team leads us, sing your heart out, and may God give us His grace to Live for His Story.

Prayer

Benediction

So what’s next! After 36 weeks, we will be preaching topically throughout the Summer on the topic of Foundations.

In 1 Corinthians 3:10-11 Paul writes, “According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”

Over the next 11 weeks we are going to look to study what Scripture says the foundations of our faith should be. And some of them may surprise you, so I’m looking forward to that.

But thanks for such a great day of celebration, Happy Mother’s day to all our moms, you guys go and be the church and we’ll see you. next week!