God's Providence
Notes
Transcript
Planning
Planning
Passage
Passage
1 When it was decided that we would sail for Italy, Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to a centurion named Julius, who belonged to the Imperial Regiment. 2 We boarded a ship from Adramyttium about to sail for ports along the coast of the province of Asia, and we put out to sea. Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, was with us. 3 The next day we landed at Sidon; and Julius, in kindness to Paul, allowed him to go to his friends so they might provide for his needs. 4 From there we put out to sea again and passed to the lee of Cyprus because the winds were against us. 5 When we had sailed across the open sea off the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we landed at Myra in Lycia. 6 There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy and put us on board. 7 We made slow headway for many days and had difficulty arriving off Cnidus. When the wind did not allow us to hold our course, we sailed to the lee of Crete, opposite Salmone. 8 We moved along the coast with difficulty and came to a place called Fair Havens, near the town of Lasea. 9 Much time had been lost, and sailing had already become dangerous because by now it was after the Day of Atonement. So Paul warned them, 10 “Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also.” 11 But the centurion, instead of listening to what Paul said, followed the advice of the pilot and of the owner of the ship. 12 Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided that we should sail on, hoping to reach Phoenix and winter there. This was a harbor in Crete, facing both southwest and northwest. 13 When a gentle south wind began to blow, they saw their opportunity; so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete. 14 Before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called the Northeaster, swept down from the island. 15 The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along. 16 As we passed to the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were hardly able to make the lifeboat secure, 17 so the men hoisted it aboard. Then they passed ropes under the ship itself to hold it together. Because they were afraid they would run aground on the sandbars of Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor and let the ship be driven along. 18 We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard. 19 On the third day, they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands. 20 When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved. 21 After they had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said: “Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. 22 But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. 23 Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me 24 and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’ 25 So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. 26 Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island.” 27 On the fourteenth night we were still being driven across the Adriatic Sea, when about midnight the sailors sensed they were approaching land. 28 They took soundings and found that the water was a hundred and twenty feet deep. A short time later they took soundings again and found it was ninety feet deep. 29 Fearing that we would be dashed against the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight. 30 In an attempt to escape from the ship, the sailors let the lifeboat down into the sea, pretending they were going to lower some anchors from the bow. 31 Then Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved.” 32 So the soldiers cut the ropes that held the lifeboat and let it drift away. 33 Just before dawn Paul urged them all to eat. “For the last fourteen days,” he said, “you have been in constant suspense and have gone without food—you haven’t eaten anything. 34 Now I urge you to take some food. You need it to survive. Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head.” 35 After he said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat. 36 They were all encouraged and ate some food themselves. 37 Altogether there were 276 of us on board. 38 When they had eaten as much as they wanted, they lightened the ship by throwing the grain into the sea. 39 When daylight came, they did not recognize the land, but they saw a bay with a sandy beach, where they decided to run the ship aground if they could. 40 Cutting loose the anchors, they left them in the sea and at the same time untied the ropes that held the rudders. Then they hoisted the foresail to the wind and made for the beach. 41 But the ship struck a sandbar and ran aground. The bow stuck fast and would not move, and the stern was broken to pieces by the pounding of the surf. 42 The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners to prevent any of them from swimming away and escaping. 43 But the centurion wanted to spare Paul’s life and kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land. 44 The rest were to get there on planks or on other pieces of the ship. In this way everyone reached land safely. 1 Once safely on shore, we found out that the island was called Malta. 2 The islanders showed us unusual kindness. They built a fire and welcomed us all because it was raining and cold. 3 Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand. 4 When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, “This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, the goddess Justice has not allowed him to live.” 5 But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects. 6 The people expected him to swell up or suddenly fall dead; but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god. 7 There was an estate nearby that belonged to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us to his home and showed us generous hospitality for three days. 8 His father was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him and, after prayer, placed his hands on him and healed him. 9 When this had happened, the rest of the sick on the island came and were cured. 10 They honored us in many ways; and when we were ready to sail, they furnished us with the supplies we needed. 11 After three months we put out to sea in a ship that had wintered in the island—it was an Alexandrian ship with the figurehead of the twin gods Castor and Pollux. 12 We put in at Syracuse and stayed there three days. 13 From there we set sail and arrived at Rhegium. The next day the south wind came up, and on the following day we reached Puteoli. 14 There we found some brothers and sisters who invited us to spend a week with them. And so we came to Rome. 15 The brothers and sisters there had heard that we were coming, and they traveled as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us. At the sight of these people Paul thanked God and was encouraged. 16 When we got to Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with a soldier to guard him. 17 Three days later he called together the local Jewish leaders. When they had assembled, Paul said to them: “My brothers, although I have done nothing against our people or against the customs of our ancestors, I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans. 18 They examined me and wanted to release me, because I was not guilty of any crime deserving death. 19 The Jews objected, so I was compelled to make an appeal to Caesar. I certainly did not intend to bring any charge against my own people. 20 For this reason I have asked to see you and talk with you. It is because of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain.” 21 They replied, “We have not received any letters from Judea concerning you, and none of our people who have come from there has reported or said anything bad about you. 22 But we want to hear what your views are, for we know that people everywhere are talking against this sect.” 23 They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day, and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying. He witnessed to them from morning till evening, explaining about the kingdom of God, and from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets he tried to persuade them about Jesus. 24 Some were convinced by what he said, but others would not believe. 25 They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement: “The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your ancestors when he said through Isaiah the prophet: 26 “ ‘Go to this people and say, “You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.” 27 For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’ 28 “Therefore I want you to know that God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!” 29 30 For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. 31 He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ—with all boldness and without hindrance!
Passage structure
Passage structure
Paul journeys to Rome by sea (Acts 27:1–44)
vv. 1-2 - The prisoner cohort leave Caesarea on ship.
vv. 3-8 - They go to Sidon, Myra, and Fair Havens.
vv. 9-12 - The centurion decides for them to leave Fair Havens despite Paul’s warnings about sailing danger.
vv. 13-20 - A storm results in throwing cargo overboard and losing hope.
vv. 21-26 - Paul encourages them because he has receive a message from an angel.
vv. 27-32 - Paul warns the centurion about the sailors escaping.
vv. 33-38 - Paul tells them to eat and promises their survival.
vv. 39-41 - They shipwreck into the land (Malta).
vv. 42-44 - The soldiers plan to kill the prisoners but are stopped by the centurion, so everyone safely arrives.
Paul witnesses on Malta (Acts 28:1–10)
vv. 1-6 - The Maltese islanders think Paul is a murderer and then a god.
vv. 7-10 - Paul heals Publius’ father and other sick people, resulting in the prisoner cohort receiving necessary supplies.
Paul arrives in Rome (Acts 28:11–16)
vv. 11-13 - They travel from Malta to Syracuse to Rhegium to Puteoli.
vv. 14-15 - They spend time with some Christians in Puteoli, the Forum of Appius, and the Three Taverns.
v. 16 - Paul is under house arrest in Rome.
Paul witnesses in Rome (Acts 28:17–31)
vv. 17-23 - Paul proclaims Jesus to the Jewish leaders.
vv. 24-28 - After some believes and some disagree, Paul rebukes them and says the Gentiles will listen.
vv. 30-31 - Under house arrest, Paul taught about Jesus with boldness and without hindrance.
Big stuff
Big stuff
Big idea: We preach Christ because God is in control.
Fallen condition focus: We forget God is in control or we don’t know what that means.
Good news statement: God is in control, so we can preach Christ and trust God to do his work.
Felt need: We want more certainty that things will be okay.
Big question: What if we were totally confident that God is in control?
Helpful texts:
Acts 23:11 “11 The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.””
Sermon structure
Sermon structure
Intro
"Unstoppable”
(Aaron Tee) “If God is sovereign and decides whether someone comes to faith or not, then it doesn’t really matter when I evangelise or not.”
Tension between God’s sovereignty and human responsibility
1, The Reality of Providence (Acts 27:1-28:16)
Why this word?
The benefit of language
Different to ‘sovereignty’
Define providence
WCF 5.1
Elements
God as the first cause
Second causes
God is not the author of sin but uses both good and bad (e.g., killing Jesus)
For his glory and the good of his people
Summary: God directs all things for his glory and the good of his people.
We’ll see this in Paul’s journey to Rome.
Context
God as the first cause - Acts 23:11 “11 The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.””
People as the second cause - Acts 26 - The Jews are accusing Paul and Paul appealed to Caesar, so those in authority take him to Rome. They are now on their journey from Caesarea.
Acts 27:1 “1 When it was decided that we would sail for Italy, Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to a centurion named Julius, who belonged to the Imperial Regiment.”
We - Luke
Paul
Other prisoners
Julius the Centurion
Soldiers
Sailers
Caesarea to Fair Havens (vv. 1-8)
Map
Some difficulty in getting there
Acts 27:9 “9 Much time had been lost, and sailing had already become dangerous because by now it was after the Day of Atonement. ...”
Danger: Day of Atonement / the Fast is a Jewish Festival that coincides with the dangerous season where people didn’t sail from October to March
Parallel to postponing of flights
If God has made a promise, then does that mean our decisions don’t matter? No, God’s plan happens, but it’s often through secondary causes. Our decisions matter.
Paul warns them.
Acts 27:9–10 “9 Much time had been lost, and sailing had already become dangerous because by now it was after the Day of Atonement. So Paul warned them, 10 “Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also.””
Theology: God’s promise (Paul testifying in Rome) will happen no matter what. But people’s decisions still matter.
Not hypercalvinism/fatalism
God has given us real responsibility
He uses us as real means
The storm and shipwreck / Fair Havens to Malta (vv. 13-44)
Storm
Acts 27:14 “14 Before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called the Northeaster, swept down from the island.”
Acts 27:18 “18 We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard.”
Acts 27:20 “20 When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved.”
Acts 27:21a “21 After they had gone a long time without food, ...
Focus on secondary causes (people, nature, food) only leads to despair.
But God is the primary cause who works according to his good plans.
Acts 27:22–25 “22 But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. 23 Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me 24 and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’ 25 So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me.”
Skip to Acts 27:44 “44 The rest were to get there on planks or on other pieces of the ship. In this way everyone reached land safely.”
Side note: correction on what Paul said in v. 10
We can make mistakes in reading the world. God’s direct revelation doesn’t have mistakes.
Biblical historical analysis: criterion of embarrassment (c.f. Acts 16.18 “Paul became so annoyed”) -> helps us trust that Luke is writing as an accurate historian
Paul is confident that God’s providence. God is at work through both the good and bad (bad including the storm).
Application:
Confidence in God’s providence
We can rightly want to move away from bad events and grieve them when they happen.
But we keep trusting that God is still at work and accomplishing his plans. We don’t need to despair.
We don’t have the same promise necessarily of survival.
But we have the promise of God working for our good.
Romans 8:28 “28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
Compare Paul in v. 22 and a hypothetical doubting person in v. 22.
Personal examples
Exhortation to be confident in God’s providence
The reality of providence: God is directing all things, good and bad, for his glory and our good.
Shipwreck (vv. 27-44)
God’s promise that everyone will be saved
Acts 27:24 “24 and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’”
Three dangers
Acts 27:31 “31 Then Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved.””
Acts 27:34 “34 Now I urge you to take some food. You need it to survive. Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head.””
Acts 27:42 “42 The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners to prevent any of them from swimming away and escaping.”
The importance of secondary causes
Paul’s warnings for the first two dangers.
The centurion working in the third danger.
Again, God’s will is carried out through people. We have real agency. And God uses our efforts to accomplish his plans.
Application: God’s promises (elect saved) will happen no matter what. But our decisions still matter. Call to evangelism.
Not hypercalvinism/fatalism
God has given us real responsibility
He uses us as real means
Providence: God directs all things for his glory and the good of his people.
But we’re not at Rome yet.
Malta (28:1-10)
Arrival at Malta
Perspective on murderer to god (reality is that the true God is protecting him because God wants Paul to proclaim Jesus in Rome)
How can a stranded group of prisoners, sailers, soldiers get to Rome?
God’s providence
Paul heals many sick people, including a chief official, and they give them supplies.
God’s providence - both the extraordinary (healing) and the ordinary (people giving supplies) are part of his plans.
Malta to Rome (28:11-16)
Map
Summary of the reality of providence
High view of human agency - conviction to work, to evangelise, to care for people… what we do matters
Even higher view of God’s sovereignty - peace, comfort, hope
2, The Results of Providence (Acts 28:17-28)
God’s promise for Paul to preach Jesus in Rome
Acts 23:11 “11 The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.””
And that’s what happens!
House arrest
Acts 28:16 “16 When we got to Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with a soldier to guard him.”
Preaching to the Jewish leaders (28:17-28)
Initial dialogue with the Jewish leaders (vv. 17-22)
Regular preaching to the Jewish leaders (v. 23)
Acts 28:23 “23 They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day, and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying. He witnessed to them from morning till evening, explaining about the kingdom of God, and from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets he tried to persuade them about Jesus.”
Result 1: People believe
Acts 28:24a “24 Some were convinced by what he said ...
All of Acts - everyone’s efforts -> result
God’s providence works for the good of his people in giving them life.
Result 2: People reject the gospel
Acts 28:24 “24 Some were convinced by what he said, but others would not believe.”
Is this outside of God’s plan? Something that catches him by surprise? No, it’s still part of his plan.
Evidence: Acts 28:25-27
Acknowledge the discomfort
Bad solution is to reduce God’s sovereignty and heighten human agency
The right solution is to understand from the whole Bible the entirety of God’s character
God’s compassion, willingness to forgive (include Paul speaking to the Jewish leaders), desire for people to be saved
Ezekiel 33:11 “11 Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?’”
God’s justice - these Jewish leaders, and anyone without Christ, is deserving of punishment
Difference between first and second causes
Result 3: God is glorified
God’s love
God’s justice
3, Our Response to Providence (Acts 28:30-31)
Paul knows that God is in control. So what does he do?
Acts 28:30–31 “30 For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. 31 He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ—with all boldness and without hindrance!”
Proclaiming and teaching
Through teaching at his house
Through the letters (put on slide)
Ephesians
Philippians
Colossians
Philemon
(Paul likely was released after two years, visited some more people and wrote 1 Timothy and Titus, and went to Roman prison where he wrote 2 Timothy and died)
Our response is to do our part in helping people to trust in Jesus. A high view of God’s sovereignty means that we believe that God can use our work to bring about his plans.
In God’s providence, he has given us this passage in Acts to understand his sovereignty, which includes working through us. In God’s providence, he has brought you to this church. In God’s providence, you are hearing about how you have real agency and how God can be using you for his purposes.
Conclusion
(Sermon slide) Summary of Acts: “Unstoppable”
God’s providence means that his mission of sharing the news about Jesus across the world is unstoppable.
God’s plans never fail.
And we’ve seen how he’s done it.
Through regular people, who like us have God’s Holy Spirit.
So let’s keep sharing the great news of Jesus and be part of the unstoppable mission.
Feedback with Tim
Feedback with Tim
10/04/2026
Good
Choosing what parts of the narrative to focus on
Good to summarise Acts with the theme of providence
Improve
Intro
Shorten second paragraph
Point 1
Consider removing Acts 23.11 and Acts 25 and 26.
Shorten Paul and the atheist sailor.
Maybe use other short examples in how God’s providence.
Point 2
Consider Romans 9:1-3 for ending Result 2.
Throughout
Maybe reduce the language of primary and secondary causes/means since it’s a bit abstract and replace with everyday language like God working in us and through us
Sermon
Sermon
Intro
Intro
Today, we finish our sermon series on Acts.
As you can see on the sermon slide, we’ve named this sermon series “Unstoppable”.
That’s because Jesus’ mission of bringing people to faith in him keeps going and going.
In our Acts series, we’ve seen the apostles witnessing in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
Everyday Christians in the early church testified to the risen Jesus.
People from different countries and ethnicities repented and were baptised.
And in the last few Sundays, we’ve heard about Paul and his friends making three missionary journeys to share the good news.
It’s right to call Jesus’ mission unstoppable.
That’s a testament to God’s sovereignty.
But if Jesus’ mission really is unstoppable, why does it matter whether we speak about Jesus?
I remember one conversation with my friend, Aaron, about predestination.
And Aaron said,
“If God is sovereign and decides whether someone comes to faith, then it doesn’t really matter when I evangelise or not.”
If your friend said that to you, how would you respond?
This apparent tension between God’s sovereignty and human responsibility often troubles Christians.
A poor understanding of God’s sovereignty often leads to inactivity or anxiety.
So I hope that this morning
as we learn from the last two chapters of Acts,
as we explore the concept of God’s providence,
our appreciation for God’s sovereignty will spur us on to share Jesus all the more.
This morning, we’re learning from Acts 27 and 28.
And we’ll see three things.
1, The Reality of Providence
2, The Results of Providence
3, Our Response to Providence
The Reality of Providence
The Results of Providence
Our Response to Providence
Let’s start with point 1.
1, The Reality of Providence (Acts 27:1-28:16)
1, The Reality of Providence (Acts 27:1-28:16)
The reality of providence.
The word providence is a bit complex but it’s a very helpful word.
It doesn’t just affirm God’s sovereignty but it describes some of the how of God’s sovereignty as well.
What is providence?
Well here’s my definition.
God, as the primary cause, directs all things, including secondary causes, for his glory and the good of his people.
God, as the primary cause, directs all things, including secondary causes, for his glory and the good of his people.
We’re going to see this reality of providence come through in Acts 27 and 28,
but I thought I’d share a quick example first.
Over Easter, I saw this Facebook post.
It refers to the lyrics from a song called ‘How Deep the Father’s Love’, which we sang on Good Friday.
🎵“It was my sin that held him there.”
But the Facebook post crosses our “my sin” and replaces it with “his love”.
This post got a lot of backlash because Christians know that it’s not one or the other.
It’s both!
It was our sin that held him there.
Humanity caused Jesus to die on the cross.
People condemned Jesus to death and nailed him to the cross.
AND it was God’s love.
This was God’s plan from the beginning.
And all of this is for our good, our forgiveness of sins.
And for God’s glory, as we praise him for his love.
This is what providence is about.
God, as the primary cause, directs all things, including secondary causes, for his glory and the good of this people.
Let’s see this more in Acts 27 and 28.
Paul has been on trial in Judea before some Jewish leaders and Roman authorities.
And they’ve decided to send Paul to Rome to be interrogated there.
So this morning’s passage begins with a group of people sailing for Rome.
Verse 1 shows us who’s going on the ship.
There’s quite a few people there.
There’s Luke, the author of Acts, shown by Luke using “we” and “us”.
There’s Paul as a prisoner.
Other prisoners are there too.
They are led by Julius the Centurion, with his soldiers.
And sailors are with them too.
We’re starting off in Caesarea.
Let’s put up a map on the screen.
Caesarea is on the right side of this map.
The end point is Rome, on the top left.
The first part of the journey ends on the island of Crete.
That’s verses 1 to 8.
Luke describes how difficult weather means they stopped at a place called Fair Havens, on the island of Crete.
By this time, it’s around October or November.
[Don’t read]
9 Much time had been lost, and sailing had already become dangerous because by now it was after the Day of Atonement. ...
Luke describes in verse 9 how sailing had already become dangerous because it was after the Day of Atonement.
The Day of Atonement, also called the Fast, was a Jewish Festival that coincided with the start of a dangerous season where people didn’t sail from October to March.
People had died through sailing in this terrible weather.
Now remember how Jesus has promised Paul that he will go to Rome.
Does that promise mean that Paul just ignores all the dangerous weather and ask to keep sailing to Rome?
No, of course not.
He trusts what Jesus says.
And he recognises that people’s decisions matter too.
And so he warns them in verse 10.
[Read v. 10 only]
9 Much time had been lost, and sailing had already become dangerous because by now it was after the Day of Atonement. So Paul warned them, 10 “Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also.”
Paul evidently believes people’s decisions matter.
He also believes in God’s sovereignty.
The two aren’t in opposition.
Some people mistakenly think that God’s sovereignty mean our actions don’t have real consequences.
That would be what theologians might call Hypercalvinism or theological fatalism.
But understanding providence helps us to see God remains sovereign and he uses us as real means.
And so in our passage, we see how people’s decisions have real consequences.
The centurion hears Paul’s warning but ignores it.
They set sail, but as expected, there’s difficult weather.
Verse 14.
14 Before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called the Northeaster, swept down from the island.
Verse 18.
18 We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard.
And the start of verse 21...
[Don’t read]
21 After they had gone a long time without food ...
...mentions that they went a long time without food as well.
This whole situation of being stuck in a storm for many days, hungry, tired, uncertain of the future…
It all sounds hopeless.
What happens when people focus only on their difficult situations and they forget about God?
Let’s read verse 20.
20 When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved.
And that’s why we need to remember God.
Our human efforts and our circumstances make a real difference.
But God is the one who has planned out every single event, including every storm.
And he works for our good.
Paul too needs to remember God’s promises.
God actually promises Paul something in Acts 23 that should’ve given him confidence that he’d survive the storm.
We looked at it three Sundays ago… Do you remember it?
I see a few blank faces, so let’s bring it up on the screen.
Acts 23:11.
11 The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”
Our church read Acts 23 three weeks ago.
For Paul in the Acts timeline, it’s roughly two years before the storm in Acts 27.
Perhaps he’s forgotten that promise.
In any case, God reminds Paul of that promise.
And he also promises that everyone on the ship will be saved.
After Paul gets that reminder, he shares the good news with everyone on the ship.
Let’s read verses 22 to 25.
22 But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. 23 Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me 24 and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’ 25 So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me.
And what was promised to Paul does come true, as we expect.
[Don’t read]
44 The rest were to get there on planks or on other pieces of the ship. In this way everyone reached land safely.
At the end of the chapter, we read that “everyone reached land safely”.
It’s more evidence that God’s plans are always fulfilled.
Now, between God reminding Paul that Paul and his companions will arrive safely and them actually arriving safely, there’s a shipwreck.
That shipwreck brings three dangers.
The first danger is that the sailors are thinking of escaping the ship.
So Paul he warns the centurion in verse 31.
[Don’t read]
31 Then Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved.”
He tells them that they need these sailors to stay on the ship.
The second danger is that everyone is weak with hunger.
So Paul speaks to everyone in verse 34.
34 Now I urge you to take some food. You need it to survive. Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head.”
And the third danger is the soldiers wanting to kill the prisoners to prevent them from escaping.
But the centurion stops them from doing so.
Yet again, God’s will is carried out through people.
People have real agency.
And yet again, God uses human efforts to accomplish his plans.
Everyone arrives safely.
It’s another example of God’s providence.
But we’re not at Rome yet.
At the start of chapter 28, they realise they’ve landed at an island called Malta.
Here it is on the map.
They’ve survived a difficult journey to Malta there on the left.
The Maltese islanders see Paul bitten by a snake and think Paul is a murderer getting the death he deserve.
When Paul survives, they think he’s a god!
Of course, the reality is that God is protecting him because God wants Paul to proclaim Jesus in Rome.
Paul survives the snake but but he and everyone else are still stranded.
They’re on a foreign island with no ship and no supplies.
How are they possibly supposed to get to Rome from here?
Well God’s providence is him directing all things for his purposes.
He enables Paul to heal many sick people, including a chief official.
They respond by providing them with supplies.
And there’s even a ship that was at Malta because the winter weather was too rough.
God yet again has directed all these events to carry out his plan, to get Paul to Rome.
And with all that, they finally get to Rome.
Verses 11 to 16 describe the journey from Malta to Rome.
I’ll put that on a map as well.
The whole journey on this map has shown us the reality of providence.
What God had promised… happened.
What Paul, the sailors, and the soldiers did… made a difference.
Providence gives us a high view of human agency.
And it gives us, if I can stand on my tip toes, an even higher view of God’s sovereignty.
So what does that mean for us?
It means we can find comfort and confidence in God’s providence.
We find comfort and confidence in God’s providence.
What does that look like?
We’ve already seen the hopelessness and despair of the sailors during the storm.
We’ve seen Paul’s comfort and confidence when he’s reminded that God will protect them through the storm.
So let’s think about what that can look like for us.
We too need to be reminded about God’s promises.
We don’t have the exact same promises in Acts 27.
But God has promised that he’s sovereignly working for our good.
Like in Romans 8:28.
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
And so let’s imagine two people.
We’ve had a lot of men in Acts 27 so let’s imagine two women.
There’s Pauline and Alanna.
Pauline and Alanna are both Christians.
They both trust in Jesus as their Lord and Saviour.
Pauline also understands God’s providence.
But Alanna is a new Christian and hasn’t learnt that providence yet.
Both Pauline and Alanna lose their jobs on the same day.
Both of them grieve this loss.
They feel the weight of being unemployed.
And they both look for a new job.
But how they process this loss is very different.
Alanna starts questioning God.
Why has God allowed this to happen?
Doesn’t he know how expensive rent is?
And she becomes unhappy and desperate as she looks for another job.
Pauline on the other hand… finds comfort and confidence in God’s providence.
She has memorised Romans 8:28.
She doesn’t know why God’s plan included her losing her job, but she knows that God is using this for her good.
Maybe it’s to help her to rely on him more.
Maybe it’s to lead her to another workplace where she will bring the gospel to a colleague who will be saved.
She doesn’t know.
But she does know that God is working for her good.
She trusts that he will provide for her.
And in that comfort and confidence, she continues looking for another job.
Church, I hope you see how wonderful this doctrine of providence is!
This is a trust that God is in control… that he uses all things for his glory and our good.
And that should give us comfort and confidence.
So as you think about the things in your life that trouble you (a family difficulty, poor health, struggles with sin)...
As you think about the hard things in your life,
You can still grieve them.
You do your best to address the issues.
You might not know why God has placed them in your life.
And at the same time, you remember that these things are part of God’s plan.
Somehow, these hardships will bring about your good and the good of others.
So you find comfort and confidence in God’s providence.
Let’s come back to Paul in Acts.
We’ve seen the reality of providence in his journey to Rome.
Let’s now see the results of providence.
2, The Results of Providence (Acts 28:17-28)
2, The Results of Providence (Acts 28:17-28)
Point 2, the results of providence.
We left off with Paul in Rome.
And even though he’s a prisoner, he’s been given a lot of freedom.
Let’s read Acts 28:16.
16 When we got to Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with a soldier to guard him.
This is sometimes called house arrest.
He’s stuck in a house with a Roman soldier.
But he can do whatever he wants in the house, including having people over.
So he calls the Jewish leaders over in verses 17 to 22.
They have some initial conversation.
The Jewish leaders have heard rumours about Paul but they don’t have any concrete details about him.
They want to hear him speak.
Let’s read verse 23.
23 They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day, and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying. He witnessed to them from morning till evening, explaining about the kingdom of God, and from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets he tried to persuade them about Jesus.
This is a direct fulfilment of Jesus’ promise earlier.
Remember Acts 23:11?
[Don’t read]
11 The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”
Jesus promised that Paul will testify about Jesus and that’s what he’s doing now!
It’s all part of God’s providence.
This brings us to three results of providence.
Three results of providence.
The first result is that people believe.
That’s in the first half of verse 24.
24 Some were convinced by what he said ...
They hear the good news about Jesus.
They trust in him.
And they receive eternal life!
And this is what we’ve seen throughout Acts.
Throughout Acts, God is sovereign.
His sovereign plan is for his good news to go out in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
His plan is for his people to hear the gospel and believe.
They receive new life as they trust in Jesus.
And throughout Acts, God equips people to help others trust in Jesus.
He uses people like Paul to proclaim the good news.
He brings people into Christian community where they see how the gospel has transformed people’s lives.
Result 1 is that people believe.
Result 2 though is that some people don’t believe.
It’s in the second half of verse 24.
24 Some were convinced by what he said, but others would not believe.
Now is this rejection of the gospel something outside of God’s plan?
No, it’s still part of God’s plan, and we see that in how Paul responds to the unbelieving Jews.
In verses 26 and 27, Paul quotes Isaiah the prophet, who speaks on God’s behalf.
That quote is from 740 BC, when God punished Israel for their ongoing rejection of him.
In his plan, they don’t understand.
They don’t perceive the truth.
And he doesn’t save them.
God planning for people to reject the gospel is an uncomfortable truth.
It almost makes it sound like God is evil, but that doesn’t match what we know of God or the Bible.
The wrong way to address this discomfort is to reduce God’s sovereignty, to say that people rejecting the gospel isn’t part of his plan, and heighten human agency.
It’s wrong because it doesn’t match how the Bible describes complete control over everything.
Even in the Isaiah quote, people rejecting God is part of God’s plan.
The right way is to piece together all the different truths about God from the whole Bible so that we understand God better.
We know God better when we see what he is like as we read the whole Bible.
See, as we read the Bible, we see God’s compassion.
We learn about how the LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.
In his compassion, he still wants all people to be saved.
We saw that last year, when we read 1 Timothy 2.
[Don’t read]
3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.
In his compassion, he doesn’t delight in people rejecting him and dying, even though that’s part of his plan.
Like in Ezekiel 33:11.
11 Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?’
As we read the Bible, we don’t just see God’s compassion… we also see his justice.
We see a God who does not allow evil to go on forever.
Evil deserves judgement and God will bring that judgement.
And so the Psalmist tells us to rejoice at God’s justice.
Psalm 96:13.
13 Let all creation rejoice before the Lord, for he comes, he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his faithfulness.
And we also see that God gives people agency and some freedoms.
He doesn’t force anyone to do something against their will.
He doesn’t treat anyone like a robot.
People make real, unforced choices.
And so when someone chooses to reject God, it is part of God’s plan but it’s not because he forced them to.
They have chosen to reject God and so they are the ones who deserve that blame.
All of this is true, but it doesn’t necessarily take away our discomfort.
And in a sense, it’s right to feel some discomfort.
God himself takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked.
So neither should we.
So what should we do with this uncomfortable truth, that God’s providence results in people rejecting him?
Well while God knows who will believe and who won’t, we don’t know.
We don’t know exactly who will and won’t find life in Jesus...
And so we proclaim the gospel to everyone.
That’s what Paul does as well.
When the Jews in Rome have rejected the gospel, he then turns to the non-Jews, the Gentiles.
Which leads us to the third result of providence.
The third result is that God is glorified.
That just flows naturally from the first two results.
When someone believes the gospel, God is glorified.
We praise him for his love and forgiveness.
We praise him for bringing someone to life.
And when someone rejects God and lives in sin, they will be judged.
And when a sinner is righteously judged on Judgement Day, God will be glorified.
We will praise God for his righteous justice.
To summarise... God directs all things for his glory and the good of his people.
What should we do now that we understand God’s providence a bit better?
3, Our Response to Providence (Acts 28:30-31)
3, Our Response to Providence (Acts 28:30-31)
We’re at point 3.
Our response to providence.
Let’s come back to Paul.
Paul knows that God is in control.
So what does he do?
He keeps teaching people about Jesus!
Let’s read the last two verses of Acts.
Verses 30 and 31.
30 For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. 31 He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ—with all boldness and without hindrance!
You might remember that Paul is under house arrest.
So he invites people over and teaches them about Jesus.
He also makes the most of his idle time stuck in a house.
He teaches people about Jesus by writing letters.
In God’s providence, it’s during this time under house arrest that some of the Bible is written.
At this time, Paul writes the letters to the Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon.
I’ll put those on the screen.
They’re sometimes called the prison letters.
Acts 28 ends without telling us what happens to Paul afterwards.
So if you’re curious about the rest of Paul’s life, well you can try to piece together what happens by reading the rest of the New Testament.
The scholars aren’t certain, but it’s likely that he released from house arrest.
And he went on another missionary journey where he also wrote 1 Timothy and Titus.
After that, he was put in a Roman prison where he wrote 2 Timothy and died.
Even the compilation of the Bible is an example of providence.
It’s God’s word.
AND it’s written by people… people like Paul.
Now let’s come back to the statement my friend Aaron made.
Aaron said that if God is sovereign and decides whether someone comes to faith, then it doesn’t really matter when he evangelises.
How do you think Paul would answer that?
Well Paul understands God’s providence.
He knows that God works through people.
(That’s not to say that God only works through people… he also works through other means as well, including a storm...)
But Paul knows that God works through people.
And so Paul proclaims the gospel because in God’s plan that’s how people come to faith.
Church, do you believe that?
Do you believe that part of God’s sovereign plan is for his people to proclaim his gospel, and that he will use that to bring people to faith?
If you do, then I hope that you are compelled all the more to share Jesus with others.
And if you are compelled to share Jesus with others, how do you do it?
Well when Paul was under house arrest in Rome, he wrote a letter to the Colossians.
In that letter, he asked them to pray for him to proclaim Jesus clearly.
And right after that, he tells them the following words.
Colossians 4:5-6.
5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. 6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
If you are compelled to share Jesus with others, you make the most of every opportunity.
And you make the most of every opportunity as you speak with wisdom, grace, and truth.
At our church, I’ve seen people make the most of their opportunities as they invite their colleagues to church.
High schoolers have invited their friends to youth group.
People have spoken to their neighbours about their faith.
A man here was buying something at the shops, talked to the person at the register, and eventually that person came along to church.
There are people here reading the Bible with their non-Christian friends.
Others are thinking about who to invite to the upcoming Taste and See course.
God in his providence has given us lots of opportunities.
In his plan, we can make a difference.
We can have a part to play in people trusting in Jesus and being saved.
God in his providence will carry out what he has planned for us.
And perhaps that’s why Acts ends the way it does.
[Don’t read]
31 He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ—with all boldness and without hindrance!
Why does Luke mention that Paul taught people about Jesus with all boldness and without hindrance?
Well it’s to remind us that the gospel continues to go out.
Jesus’ mission of bringing people to a saving faith is Unstoppable.
God in his providence has planned for people to be saved… and he has planned for his people to be part of bringing that good news to others.
So as we remember God’s providence, let’s keep sharing the great news of Jesus.
Let’s be part of this Unstoppable mission.
I’ll lead us in prayer.
Heavenly Father,
You are a God who is sovereign over everything. Every single event that happens is part of your plan. You work for your glory and our good.
Thank you that in your sovereignty, you give us a part to play. You use us to share the gospel with others. You give our efforts real purpose because they can make a difference.
So help us to be spurred on to share the life-saving news about Jesus with others. Please use us to bring more to eternal life in Christ.
In his name,
Amen
Let’s now sing of God’s faithfulness in our next song, He Will Be.
Please stand.
