God Preserves for a Purpose
Notes
Transcript
PRAY
INTRO: When we experience hardship, we might be inclined to ask, what is God doing? Why is he making me go through this? These are reasonable questions. Let me add another that I think we should ask in the midst of trials: Why does God continue to preserve us (me)? In what way is God working out his glory in this situation, and what does he have for me that I should be learning and doing in his service?
From Acts 27 to 28, it is clear Luke wants us to see that God is preserving Paul for a purpose: to be a servant and witness of the one true God, and of his Savior, Jesus Christ. - If God were not preserving Paul, he would have died in the storm, in the shipwreck, or from this snakebite (in Acts 28), or from countless other dangers and persecutions he has faced. So as long as Paul is present on the earth, he does what he believes God has kept him around to do.
God preserves for a purpose: His glory in our worship.
God preserves for a purpose: His glory in our worship.
- Did you know that the Greek word for worship also can be translated as serve? (Paul in Acts 27:23) The God to whom I belong and whom I worship (serve): It means worship conceived of as serving God.
Let’s allow this episode in Acts from Paul’s life to cause us to consider the reality that God is preserving us for his service. It is true that God’s preservation of us is consistent with his character and with our adoption as his children. But why is he preserving us on the earth at this time? In order that we may glorify him through being his people even now, a people who are making it our mission to spread the fame of Jesus, to make more disciples of Jesus Christ.
1 After we were brought safely through, we then learned that the island was called Malta. 2 The native people showed us unusual kindness, for they kindled a fire and welcomed us all, because it had begun to rain and was cold. 3 When Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and put them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened on his hand. 4 When the native people saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “No doubt this man is a murderer. Though he has escaped from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live.” 5 He, however, shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm. 6 They were waiting for him to swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But when they had waited a long time and saw no misfortune come to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god.
As we consider how Paul’s life and example applies to us, consider first…
Be reminded that it is God who preserves us.
Be reminded that it is God who preserves us.
Often is it through hardship that our attention is turned again to God’s protection and provision.
(vv. 1-2) The miraculous deliverance (from storm and shipwreck), and the uncommon kindness (of the natives of Malta who owe them nothing)… is a reminder of God’s hand at work on behalf of his people (for the glory of his name).
“After we were brought safely through”… astonishingly delivered by God (276 souls) from storm and shipwreck, and swimming (or drifting) to an island beach.
“And the barbarians of Malta showed us unusual kindness” (Barbarians does not have a negative connotation like today… it simply means that the natives of Malta were not Greek speaking). These people who owed nothing to the shipwrecked sailors and soldiers and prisoners, were extremely welcoming, hospitable, and kind.
As we listen carefully to Luke’s retelling of this season in Paul’s life, it should be quite clear Who does the protecting and providing. So too we must be reminded that it is God who preserves us.
How should we respond to God’s preservation? (By praise and thanksgiving to God, yes. But how does that gratitude and praise work itself out in how we live our lives?)
Be motivated by each day of preservation to be active in his service.
Be motivated by each day of preservation to be active in his service.
God is not idle, so Paul is not idle.
Paul leads by example and he is helping serve the others by collecting firewood. No service “as unto the Lord” is ever too small, ever wasted or unnoticed by God. Col 3:23-24
23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.
Some of us need to be reminded to get off the sidelines: being sons of God is not a spectator sport. Following Jesus is not to be compartmentalized and segmented as a portion of our lives. Having been restored to God through faith in Jesus, living in right relationship to God has become our whole life:
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
To what end? … that we may proclaim the excellencies of the One who called us out of darkness into his marvelous light.
(And) perhaps some of us may need to remember to seek ministry opportunity in our primary relationships and responsibilities. What are my present ministry opportunities, and how should I be prioritizing my life accordingly? Or am I assuming that my situation is not conducive to ministry?
Ok, but while humbly serving, Paul is snakebitten. (from storm and shipwreck to snakebite… yes, really!) Observing it in Paul’s life, I want to remind you of this important truth from Scripture:
As God preserves us, we trust Him that even our pain is not without purpose.
As God preserves us, we trust Him that even our pain is not without purpose.
How is this harm helping? How is this hurt a part of how you are shaping, preserving, and using me, God? (Or… if I have caused this as a consequence of my sin, I repent and confess and ask God to forgive and change me.)
Paul, for his part, is confident that even if he should swell up from this venom, he certainly won’t die, because God has promised specifically that he will testify in Rome. - But we rarely know in advance the outcome of our pain and suffering. However, we see enough of God in his word to know that he has been faithful and will be faithful to his people, in and through suffering.
So Paul doesn’t know why he is snakebitten, but he knows it provides opportunity to bear suffering and look like Christ. He also knows that suffering produces dependence on God, it tests and proves his faith, and it grows him in Christlikeness. James 1 says it like this: James 1:2-4
2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
Trust God (with joy in Him) that various trials are not without purpose.
The next thing we note in this section, based upon the incorrect mindset and reaction of the people, is…
As God preserves us, we trust Him that true justice corresponds to His holy character and perfect knowledge.
As God preserves us, we trust Him that true justice corresponds to His holy character and perfect knowledge.
(v. 4) What they seem to think and assume sounds like the modern day informal meaning of Karma. - Karma: (in Hinduism and Buddhism) the sum of a person's actions in this and previous states of existence, viewed as deciding their fate in future existences. - INFORMAL: destiny or fate, following as effect from cause.
What this is is Superstition: a belief or practice resulting from ignorance, fear of the unknown, trust in magic or chance, or a false conception of causation.
What they don’t know or understand, but they hope exists, they personify as Justice. Paul must be a murderer. He escaped the sea, but now Justice has caught up with him. - The astute reader of Luke should know that there is irony here because there is a God who is the Just Judge, who is perfect in his justice and that no one will ever escape his justice. But in this situation, Paul is in fact innocent of the charges that have been made against him; he looks like Christ in this regard. Justice is not against Paul, but in his favor.
(v. 6) When Paul doesn’t swell up or die from the viper venom, they flip flop and think he must be a god (more culture-based, societal superstition). (It seems that they only make this as an observation and do not attempt to worship Paul; otherwise, from past experience to know that he would vehemently correct this and redirect their worship to God.)
Because every people in every age are so influenced by the culture in which we live, it makes me ask of us: Is our worldview shaped by human superstition and invention… or by knowing God through his self-revelation?
[continue]
7 Now in the neighborhood of that place were lands belonging to the chief man of the island, named Publius, who received us and entertained us hospitably for three days. 8 It happened that the father of Publius lay sick with fever and dysentery. And Paul visited him and prayed, and putting his hands on him, healed him. 9 And when this had taken place, the rest of the people on the island who had diseases also came and were cured. 10 They also honored us greatly, and when we were about to sail, they put on board whatever we needed.
[We repeat]
Be motivated by each day of preservation to seek ministry opportunity.
Be motivated by each day of preservation to seek ministry opportunity.
(v. 7) Somewhere nearby where they were shipwrecked and shown kindness by the Maltese people, we learn that the chief man of the island, Publius, also shows them hospitality. Chief of the island seems to be an official term, making him the governor on behalf of Roman occupation of this small island south of Sicily. And his name (Publius) is latinized, so he is undoubtedly Gk-speaking and educated.
(v. 8) Publius’ father had fever and intestinal infection. - Paul prayed and healed him (with Biblical consistency in Acts that the power is from God and not from Paul).
(v. 9) From this miracle God gives expanded healing ministry through Paul to the whole island. From what we have seen in Acts, and what we know of Paul, all this attention would open doors for what? Gospel proclamation. - It draws attention to Jesus. Even the description of this healing ministry sounds like Jesus’ ministry. (Luke 4:38-40).
Since God is preserving Paul on the island of Malta, Paul uses the opportunity to be a blessing and a witness. By doing so, Paul draws attention to Jesus, who offers to heal them of their greatest need, which is their spiritual need.
[And again]
Be reminded that it is God who protects and provides.
Be reminded that it is God who protects and provides.
These kind people of Malta played host to them for three months, offering them shelter during the winter, honoring them with many honors, and then make abundant provision for the final leg of the journey.
What a great reminder to us that it is God who provides, but that he uses secondary means to accomplish his purposes. God’s sovereignty is not at odds with human agency. In fact, it is the normal means by which he often provides and directs.
So God’s sovereignty is not at odds with human agency or human responsibility. But God’s sovereignty is at odds with human autonomy. (We are not autonomous creatures. God made us for a purpose, and that purpose is to acknowledge him and serve him.)
The knowledge then of God’s preservation for a purpose should humble us, cause us to repent and believe the gospel, and make us long to be useful in the service of our Lord and Father.
Now we see that as Paul finishes his journey to Rome, he is indeed preserved by God to then be used by him there to proclaim the gospel. Before Rome, though, Paul is encouraged on the journey that God is advancing the kingdom through others as well.
11 After three months we set sail in a ship that had wintered in the island, a ship of Alexandria, with the twin gods as a figurehead. 12 Putting in at Syracuse, we stayed there for three days. 13 And from there we made a circuit and arrived at Rhegium. And after one day a south wind sprang up, and on the second day we came to Puteoli. 14 There we found brothers and were invited to stay with them for seven days. And so we came to Rome. 15 And the brothers there, when they heard about us, came as far as the Forum of Appius and Three Taverns to meet us. On seeing them, Paul thanked God and took courage. 16 And when we came into Rome, Paul was allowed to stay by himself, with the soldier who guarded him.
As verse 11 transitions back into the remainder of the voyage to Rome, I believe Luke hints once more by comparison that…
Only God can provide safety.
Only God can provide safety.
After wintering in Malta, now the beginning of the spring season, they board what is probably another imperial grain ship headed for the mainland of Italy. This ship has “the twin gods as figurehead.” These twin gods are Castor and Pollux (sons of Zeus), who are supposed to be special protectors of ships. To Luke’s readers this is another deliberate and potent irony, for such gods of man’s own invention in man’s own image are impotent gods of mere superstition.
Only the true God of the Bible determines our physical safety. - More importantly, the ultimate safety we need to is to be right with God, to somehow expunge the righteous wrath of a just God against our sin. This God has himself provided through Jesus, in whom we must trust for the forgiveness of our sin because of his payment and propitiation.
Let’s look now at the final leg of the journey.
[Map] Their movement is now northward from Malta, to Syracuse of Sicily, then to Rhegium (the tip of the toe of Italy), and on to Puteoli, from where they will travel the remainder by land to Rome. The final two places as they draw nearer are the Forum of Appius, and the Three Taverns. Although these sound like names from the imagination of JRR Tolkien, they were actual places, and Luke mentions them specifically because from Puteoli onward they encountered brothers (that is, fellow sons of God, fellow friends and servants of Jesus Christ). The result for Paul is that this causes him to thank God and take courage.
Wherever and however God guides our journey, we can take courage that Christ is building his Church through his people.
Wherever and however God guides our journey, we can take courage that Christ is building his Church through his people.
We know that Paul himself had not yet ever reached Rome in his evangelistic missionary ministry, and yet here there are already believers, followers of Jesus. Why? Because others had carried the gospel there. - And this gratitude for God’s work does not make us lazy about our own part, but rather motivates and gives us courage to be faithful.
And as this section transitions to Paul finally reaching Rome, the emphasis is once again laid on God’s preservation for a purpose: that Paul should testify to Christ there.
Whatever the situation, God’s program moves forward as Jesus is faithfully preached.
Whatever the situation, God’s program moves forward as Jesus is faithfully preached.
The description is v. 16, especially when combined with v. 30, seems to indicate Paul being under house arrest, and therefore having a great deal more freedom to minister, even than he did while in prison for two years in Caesarea. What will Paul do with it? v. 31!
[title slide] In our shared human experience, we may ask ourselves, Why am I here? And the reason the Bible gives is that God his making a people for his own possession, and He wants me to be his child through faith in Jesus. And once his child, why is he preserving me and keeping me on the earth instead of just taking me home? So that I may worship him (serve him) with my life.
Conclusion: We dare not presume upon God’s preservation.
Conclusion: We dare not presume upon God’s preservation.
The God who created you for his purposes is not obligated to you. And yet, he did make you and, in spite of your sin and rebellion, God the Son has made a way for you to be right with God. Mercy is really mercy and grace is really grace. - God is not obligated to you, but he has offered a restored relationship to himself if you will repent and believe the gospel, calling on Jesus to save you and be your Lord. And you know what God does? By his Spirit he changes you from being an enemy, an object of just wrath because of sin, and he makes you his child because of the righteousness of Jesus. (His child—cared for personally, under his protection, under his instruction & guidance, knowing that he is preserving you for an inheritance)
We dare not presume upon God’s patience and preservation to keep us alive. Instead, we must repent and believe in Jesus Christ while it is still today. Today is the day of salvation; to escape God’s righteous wrath against sin, you must repent of sin and self, and turn to God through faith in Jesus.
And, as his adopted children (even as Paul and Luke are God’s adopted children through faith in Jesus), we do not presume upon God’s preservation, but rather gratefully depend on him and strive to be like him and to serve him… the way that Jesus trusted and obeyed him. And like Paul.
Paul knew that God was preserving him for a purpose, and so he leaned into the opportunities to be used by God—to glorify God in the faithful worship of ministry. How are you responding to God preserving you?
PRAY
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