Arriving in Rome

Introduction

This will be the last message from the book of Acts and as we have been going along through the book of Acts, we have tried to focus on the church: what it looked like, how it functioned and how the people related to one another. America is a nation of individual rights and liberties. Society says if you are going to make it in life you have to depend on yourself. Even Baptist theology emphasizes the individual soul liberty of the believer. The unfortunate result of this emphasis in Christianity is the idea that as a Christian I don’t need other people. I can go it alone. Church membership and fellowship are low on some people’s priority lists.

It is often argued that my relationship with God is personal so I can worship God in the privacy of my own home or out in the woods somewhere. And while a personal relationship with God is important, the community of the believers is also important.

Imagine a solitary flower blooming in the middle of a vast desert. While it may seem beautiful and resilient on its own, it lacks the community of other flowers to share nutrients and grow together. Similarly, while it's possible to worship God alone, we thrive when we are part of a community of believers, supporting and encouraging each other.

In the book of Acts, we see the early Christians regularly meeting together, sharing meals, praying, and worshiping. This community of believers provided mutual support and encouragement. Just like them, we are called to worship God together, as a community. It's in this togetherness that we find strength and fellowship.

Maybe we don’t value being together with other believers and make it a priority because we haven’t seen the benefits. Today, I want to look at how the church as a whole benefited Paul and his walk with the Lord.

Paul’s concern

Vs 11 After three months on the island of Malta, Paul and the sailors set out again towards Rome. The weather would have settled down again by this time, but they make a few stops on the way. They stop in Sicily for three days and then Rhegium on the southern end of Italy and then finally make port in Puteoli, the main port on the Western side of Italy that leads to Rome.

While in Puteoli, Paul finds brothers and sisters in Christ. Isn’t it amazing how you can have fellowship with Christians even when you are out and about far away from home.

It is a blessing to find believers of like faith, but even with someone who thinks differently than you there is at least a familial bond. Katy and I probably wouldn’t have survived our first few months if it were not for other missionaries in our town who we may not have agreed with on everything, but we had a personal friendship with. I wouldn’t have invited them to start a church with me, but I could still find fellowship with them.

Vs 14 Paul stays with these believers for seven days.

As Paul begins to reach his final destination, we know that he began to struggle with fear. Remember Acts 23:11 “And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.” God came to comfort Paul when he was in prison. Things did not look so good and people were trying to take his life.

Paul had just been through a major shipwreck and yeah God saved them all, but it wasn’t easy to go through all of that. And now as he gets closer to his destination, he is probably nervous about how things will turn out. It was a long journey and he was probably really worn out. Puteoli is about 150 miles from Rome.

You ever have that feeling like there is a knot in your stomach because you are nervous about how things are going to turn out. You are unsure of the future and it unsettles you. It is kinda like that first hill on a roller coaster ride. You are nervous all the way up. And then you know how they do it. Doesn’t it seem like the roller coaster always just pauses right there at the top of the hill to catch you off guard? You are nervous about how you are going to feel going down that hill and the anticipation builds inside of you. Maybe your a sociopath and you don’t struggle with that feeling JK.

But Paul is a human being and there was a lot ahead of him to be nervous about.

The believers fellowship

But as Paul travels, he finds relief, comfort, friendship in the community of the believers.

1. Puteoli

Along Paul’s journey, he is able to find fellowship even in places he didn’t expect to. Puteoli was not a major city like Rome or Ephesus, and no Apostles had gone evangelizing throughout Italy at this point. We don’t know where these believers came from other than that they might have come from Pentecost. We see that the advance of the gospel did not rest on Paul’s shoulders alone.

These believers took Paul in, provided for him, but more than that they enjoyed each others presence.

2. Appii forum and Three Taverns-

These two towns were about 30-40 miles away from Rome. Believers in Rome had heard that Paul was coming, so they traveled all the way out here to greet him. I see here that people who have a heart for real fellowship will sacrifice to find it. These men traveled what would have been to them over a days travel to get to these two towns. They weren’t coming for the sight seeing. Appii forum and Three Taverns did not have a great reputation. When was the last time we were willing to drive a long distance to fellowship with believers? I know some people who will settle for a church that is teaching or practicing error because a good church is a little bit of a drive.

Fellowship with other believers is going to cost time, money and effort. Are we willing to invest in others and seek to be a blessing to them?

The purpose of their visit is definitely to meet Paul, but it seems that this was like an official welcoming party for Paul as well. They were like a committee to take care of him and offer their hospitality for the church. There presence set Paul’s heart at ease about being received by the church of Rome.

One of the four main practices of the church included fellowship. Acts 2:42 “And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.” We have circled around to wear we began in Acts. But continual fellowship was important. It needed to be a regular practice in the church. It was also something they were steadfast in. it speaks of devotion and something you persevere in. They made it a priority and they purposefully chose to keep it so. I think the idea of devotion speaks to the motive. They made it a priority because they longed for it. On Sunday nights we are working through the spiritual disciplines or habits of grace. One category of the spiritual disciplines deals with being together with God’s people. God works through his people in ways he doesn’t when we are all alone.

Romans 1:11–12 “For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end you may be established; That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.”

The benefit of their fellowship

vs 15 Paul was a great servant of God and yet he needed the encouragement of other believers. Facing the greatest trial of his life, he depended on the strength of those he was called to serve.

As pastors and teachers, we spend so much of our lives trying to serve others. Sometimes it is easy to forget that that is what ministry is all about. These sermons I preach, I preach them because I want to encourage us to be what God wants us to be. Counseling ministry is a service as we try to help people take the next steps in their lives. Visitation ministry, as we try to check up on people and make sure they are doing alright. We serve the emotional and physical needs as well as the spiritual. Ministry is about service, but sometimes, the minister needs to be ministered to. This is part of why I went to the discipleship retreat last year. But Paul finds that ministry is like a cycle. He pours into them and they are able to pour into him as well. We all need that in our lives. Sometimes the fire dims, our hearts hurt and we are discouraged. We need someone to rekindle our fire for us.

Imagine a cold and dark room, and you're trying to start a fire with damp wood. However, when you add dry wood to the fire, it quickly ignites and warms the room. Similarly, fellowshipping with other believers adds warmth and energy to our spiritual lives, helping us grow and thrive.

Paul received two benefits from the fellowship of these believers:

He was blessed- he thanked God for the blessing these believers were in his life. Their fellowship met a need in his life and it redirected his focus to thanking God. Thankfulness. Many of you have been a blessing to me since I first started pastoring now a year and 9 months ago. I won’t name names but I can think of some specific times and I am sure to miss many. But some of you have provided food for our family especially when there was an illness. Some of you have made it a point to encourage me throughout the week. Others have had us over to their house for a meal and some have given money to celebrate key moments in our lives. Others have just been good friends and I want to thank God for all of you. It is amazing to have brothers and sisters in Christ who can be there when we need them most.

He took courage- Paul also took courage. This is why I say that Paul was probably nervous about what lay ahead. They text doesn’t come out and say it here, but if he took courage, that means it was waning before.

From these two things let me encourage you with the blessing of fellowshipping with other believers. You never know how your fellowship can meet a need that that other person has. Maybe they didn’t know how they were going to pay the bills. They would never ask, but God put in on your heart to give them some money. Maybe they didn’t have enough food to get through the paycheck but you invited them over for dinner. Maybe they have been praying for someone to notice they are hurting and just weep with them. And you walked across that aisle to talk to them and share your heart with them. Maybe they just felt alone and you showed yourself friendly.

Hebrews 12:11–15 “Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed. Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;”

This passage comes on the heels of the authors discussion about God’s chastening in our lives, but he gives a command to the Church. Notice verse 12 begins with the word wherefore. Because people are suffering God’s chastening, lift up the hands that hang done (illustrate by walking around), feeble knees (they can barely stand, fall to your knees), make straight paths (clear their way, illustrate by sweeping the floor) so that no one gets permanently injured and so they can be healed. Looking diligently. Be aware of what people are going through. See what direction they are going and then don’t just stand there, do something to help. If someone is about to walk off a bridge, I would hope you wouldn’t just let them.

Ecclesiastes 4:9–12 “Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone? And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”

Matthew 18:20 “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” There is a special way in which Jesus is with us when we are gathered together. This passage is in the context of loving confrontation, but that is part of the functions of the church.

We need each other.

Conclusion

Life is not always about us. The church exists because we need each other. Sometimes it may not be you who has the need but someone else might need you. This is why the church is likened to a family. We are brothers and sisters in Christ. Let’s be the type of people who prioritize fellowshipping with one another. Let’s not downplay the importance of the church because we need community.

If you aren’t finding the type of community you need in the church ask yourself what you can do to make that happen. Remember Proverbs 18:24 “A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: And there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” I have said this many times in the past: be the change you want to see in others.

As we wrap up our discussion of the church in Acts, I just want to encourage us one more time to seek to be a church that is connected. Are there people who come regularly that you haven’t spent much time with? Invite them to your house, dinner at a restaurant, plan an outing together. But let’s take steps to be part of one another's lives and help each other grow in our walk with the Lord.