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To Rome at Last
Acts 27:1-28:13
Big idea: God is in control so trust him because the journey matters.
1. Introduction
i’m sure you’ve all heard the saying all roads lead to Rome.
these days it means what?
there are lots of ways to get to the same location.
and it’s usually used about religion.
all religions leads to the same God.
I remember at one of these Uni Christian training conferences called NTE, one bloke, my cousin was chatting to him.
there’s like hundreds of christians in the room we were having lunch.
dont know why, he was sitting there too having lunch.
anyways he drew a dot on the piece of paper. of course what do they do?
they’re talking about God.
He wasn’t a christian.
but what i remember from that encounter was his drawing.
he goes all religions lead to this dot.
buddhism, hindus, christians, muslims all lead here.
to this dot.
all roads lead to Rome.
what do we say?
NO of course.
there’s only one way to God. one way through the work of Jesus.
his death and resurrection.
now, in ancient world, it had a literal meaning.
All roads lead to Rome. because it was the centre of the largest empire the world had ever seen.
if you got on a ship, on a road, wherever you got on eventually you get to Rome.
More than that if you had an idea, something to take to the world.
you had to go to Rome.
From Rome, it can go to the world.
From the very beginning of Acts.
we’ve been on a journey to Rome.
You would remember i hope you know by heart Jesus says you will be my witness from Jerusalem, to Judea, to Samaria to the ends of the earth Acts 1:8.
and we know Paul’s going to Rome.
we heard it heaps of times.
He said it.
God’s told him.
Festus has said it.
2. Why does Luke put this narrative here?
so then, if all roads lead to Rome, we know Paul’s going there, then why does the author Luke put this passage here?
that’s my question.
It’s has been nagging at me all week.
This narrative is really long.
6% of the book of Acts. 4 times longer than any other narrative in Acts.
Why such detail?
Why all this detail about shipwrecks and healings and snakebites.
Why doesn’t chapter 27 verse one read “And when it was decided that we should sailed for Italy, and after many difficulties we made it to Rome? nice and simple.
aren’t we heading to Rome anyway?
Why? Well I reckon, it’s not just that it’s a great story.
It is.
And Luke would know.
He’s there.
He experienced the crashing waves.
The fierce storms.
Verse 1 did you see we should set sail.
Verse 2 we put to sea.
He was there.
But, more than that.
Luke slows the narrative down completely. he give us time; 14 days, phrases like a long time.
Why?
To show us the how matters.
How God gets them to Rome matters.
it creates suspense.
It’s a historical account right.
It really happened.
he gives so much details so you can verify it.
And, like any good novel.
Luke builds the anticipation.
What will happen next?
The tension has been building and building.
This trial, that trial.
God’s seen him through.
Now, at he is getting closer to Rome, natural elements.
How will God get them to Rome?
Two lessons this morning.
Two lessons I want to draw out from today’s part of the story.
As we think about how God gets Paul to Rome, God shows us he is in complete control.
he will fulfil his promises.
He’s in control.
And, second, the journey matters.
How we live really matters.
Godliness.
Trust God, living it out matters.
The first lesson is this; No matter how things look
3. God is complete control (27:1-32; 28:3-9)
God is completely control.
Come to the beginning of our passage.
Chapter 27 verse 1:
acts 27:1
Paul was going to Rome in chains.
He's a prisoner.
He was in Caesarea, the edge of the Mediterranean Sea.
You can see on the map.
He's going all the way to Italy – see the boot there.
So Festus sends Paul to Julius the centurion.
He’s going to deliver Paul and the other prisoners.
Now remember this is the ancient world.
You’re on a boat.
It’s not a luxury cruise.
And it’s a dangerous sea journey.
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