Scripture: Acts 28:16-31
Video Link: https://youtu.be/VwbRDZnsO7g
Structure:
- Introduction
- Paul’s perseverance
- Israel’s denial
- Jesus’ sovereignty
- Conclusion
Introduction:
Good morning everyone.
You may have heard of the phrase, “Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more.”
This comes from William Shakespeare’s play, Henry V, in a scene where the king rallies his troops to attack through a gap in the city walls of Harfleur. It is a call to action in the face of overwhelming odds. It means, ‘let us try one more time’. “Once more unto the breach…” is about perseverance and not giving up.
In Shakespeare’s play, the king ends up defeating his enemies despite being greatly outnumbered.
Today we conclude our three week series in the book of Acts in support of the Arotahi Renew Together campaign. Arotahi is the missions arm of New Zealand Baptists. Once a year we renew our commitment to pray for and support the work of spreading the gospel in New Zealand and overseas.
Two weeks ago we heard about Paul in Athens. Then last week we learned about Paul’s mission in Ephesus. This week’s sermon focuses on Acts chapter 28, where we find the apostle Paul in the capital city of Rome, under house arrest.
After the better part of 30 years, Paul is still persevering in proclaiming the gospel. Time and time again he faces opposition, but every time he obeys the call of King Jesus, once more unto the breach dear friend, once more.
From Acts 28, verse 16, we read
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 After he said this, the Jews left, arguing vigorously among themselves. 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!
May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.
This morning I want to highlight three things from these closing words in the book of Acts: Paul’s perseverance, Israel’s denial and Jesus’ sovereignty.
Let us begin with Paul’s perseverance.
Paul’s perseverance:
One day a farmer’s donkey fell down an unused well. The farmer could not think of any way to get his donkey out and did not care much for the donkey anyway, so he decided to bury the poor animal where it had fallen.
As he started shovelling dirt into the well, the donkey cried in distress, but before long the crying stopped. After about 20 minutes of backfilling the farmer took a break and looked into the hole to see his progress. To his amazement the farmer saw the donkey had not been buried.
With every shovelful of dirt that hit his back the donkey would shake it off and take a step up. The farmer kept shovelling and soon the donkey was able to step out and walk away. [1]
Paul was a bit like the donkey. He was in a hole so to speak, chained to a Roman guard under house arrest. The Jewish religious leaders of Jerusalem had kept throwing dirt on him. They wanted to bury him. But with each shovelful Paul shook it off and took a step up. Paul did not give in, he persevered.
You may be wondering how Paul came to be in Rome under house arrest.
Well, after a fruitful time in Ephesus, Paul made his way to Jerusalem. The Jews there plotted against him and he was arrested. Paul stood trial in Jerusalem and then later in Caesarea.
The Jewish leaders were trying to use the Romans to execute Paul, much like they used Pilate to execute Jesus. But none of the charges against Paul would stick. The Romans found Paul innocent
Due to a corrupt governor, however, Paul remained in prison in Caesarea for two years, after which he stood trial before the Romans yet again. To avoid being handed over to the Jews, Paul was forced to appeal to the Emperor. That meant being transported to Rome by ship.
The journey from Caesarea to Rome was fraught with difficulty. Paul’s ship was wreaked in a storm and the passengers and crew were forced to swim ashore on the island of Malta. They were stranded on Malta for three months before boarding another ship to Italy.
When Paul eventually did arrive in Rome, he was allowed to stay in a rented house, chained by the wrist to a Roman soldier 24-7. The guards took it in shifts to mind Paul. Paul had a captive audience. I’m sure every one of those guards heard the gospel about Jesus.
Just three days after arriving in Rome, Paul called together the local Jews to explain why he was there. Paul wanted to reassure them that he did not mean them any harm. He was there because he was compelled to appeal to Caesar to save his own life.
The Jews were probably relieved to hear this. Some years earlier the Emperor Claudius had temporarily banned all Jews from living in Rome because of disputes between the Jews and Christians. Paul wants the Jews to know he is not there to make trouble for them.
Paul is also keen to talk with people about the hope of Israel. The hope of Israel is code for the Messiah. Paul wants to share the good news about Jesus the Messiah.
Now when you think about all that Paul has suffered because of the Jews,
all the dirt they had thrown on him, all the floggings he endured, all the false accusations and trials, not to mention all those years in prison, it is a wonder that Paul would risk even more rejection by setting up a meeting with the Jews of Rome. Who knows what people had been saying about him behind his back.
Jesus teaches us to turn the other cheek and forgive others as often as they need it. The Jews had not sought Paul’s forgiveness and yet he shakes off their condemnation and continues to face them with grace and courage. Paul perseveres in his love for those who mean him harm. He keeps on trying to reach his fellow Israelites with the truth about Jesus.
In reply, the Jewish leaders said they had not heard any bad reports about Paul. This seems unlikely. Some commentators think the Jews here were pretending to be ignorant about Paul because it was politically expedient. If the Jews started throwing more dirt on Paul and Paul gained a favourable hearing from Caesar, they might be expelled from Rome again or worse.
The Jews arranged to meet with Paul on a certain day to hear what he had to say. Even more people turned up the second time. Paul talked with them all day about the kingdom of God. He tried to persuade them that Jesus is the Messiah using the common ground of the Hebrew Scriptures.
Some were convinced by Paul, others would not believe. As usual the gospel about Jesus confronts people with the truth; it compels people to choose. Will we accept the reality of our situation or will we live in denial of the problem.
Israel’s denial
In 1915 the Mexican boll weevil came to Alabama and destroyed 60% of the cotton crop. In desperation the farmers turned to planting peanuts and then diversified into other crops. The diversification saved the local economy.
Had it not been for the boll weevil, the farmers may not have stumbled across a better crop. In gratitude, the people of the town put up a statue of the boll weevil together with a plaque which reads: “In profound appreciation of the boll weevil and what it has done as the herald of prosperity.”
Personally, I think the boll weevil got too much credit. It was really the people’s willingness to face the reality of their situation that saved them. Had the farmers denied there was a weevil problem and refused to change from planting cotton to growing peanuts, the people would have been ruined.
To those Jews who rejected his message about Jesus, Paul quoted the prophet Isaiah…
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.’
These verses from Isaiah are talking about Israel’s refusal to believe.
The prophet is saying the people are living in denial of reality. They have closed their hearts and minds to the truth of the situation.
Unlike the cotton farmers of Alabama, they don’t want to admit they have a problem. But if they did, God would heal them.
So what exactly is the problem Paul’s compatriots are denying? The problem is this: they killed Jesus, God’s Messiah. To admit that Jesus is the Messiah is to admit they got it terribly wrong when they crucified Jesus.
As painful as the Jews’ rejection of Jesus is, Paul sees an opportunity for those outside of Israel. Pauls says: “God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!”
When Paul tells his fellow Jews they are living in denial of the Messiah, they leave arguing vigorously among themselves. Clearly, Paul’s words have hit a raw nerve. They know Paul is right, but they don’t want to admit it.
Now at this point I need to say that Israel do not have the monopoly on denial. We are all prone to denial in our own way, regardless of our cultural heritage.
Indeed, when we find ourselves protesting too much, that is often a sign that we are denying an inconvenient truth about ourselves.
So what is the cure for the blindness of denial? Well, for the cotton farmers it came in the form of the boll weevil which destroyed their crops. Sometimes God’s cure for stubborn denial is suffering and loss. The kind of suffering that wakes us up to the reality of our situation. The kind of loss that makes us aware of our need for God.
Jesus said, blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
The poor in spirit are those who are at the end of their rope. They have suffered loss and humiliation. They are under no illusions about the reality of their situation. They have been cured of their denial and they know their need for God’s grace.
You see, to be able to enjoy a meal, you must first become hungry. To be able to receive the salvation God offers, your hands must first be empty. To be able to experience the good news of Jesus, you must first face the bad news about yourself and the world. I wish there was an easier way, but there isn’t.
The other thing we note here is that there are limits to Paul’s perseverance.
As much as Paul valiantly attempts to reach his own people time and time again with the gospel, if the Jews in a particular place refuse to believe, if they persist in their denial, Paul shakes it off and moves on to those who will listen.
Okay, so we have heard about Paul’s perseverance in reaching people with the gospel. And we have heard about Israel’s denial of Jesus the Messiah. What about Jesus’ sovereignty. How does that fit with today’s reading.
Jesus’ sovereignty:
A sovereign is a king, a ruler. Someone with power and authority to reign.
One of the undercurrents running throughout the book of Acts is the idea that Jesus is sovereign; he is in control of the events that transpire. Nothing hinders Jesus’ purpose of salvation.
This idea of Jesus’ sovereignty may be lost in translation for us. For us a sovereign is someone like Queen Elizabeth or King Charles. A figure head, a wealthy monarch with no real power. But Jesus is not a King like that. Jesus is more than a figure head. Jesus has real power. Power over life and death. Power to heal, deliver and redeem.
Again, we should not confuse Jesus’ power with the kind of political power we are familiar with. Political leaders in our world tend to use a carrot and stick approach to get what they want. Carrots represent rewards and the stick represents punishments; things like tariffs and tanks.
Jesus does not exercise his power in the same way earthly rulers do. Jesus does not coerce or manipulate people. Jesus’ power often flies under the radar; it operates at a deeper level. Jesus, the King in heaven, exercises his power on earth through the Holy Spirit at work in and among human beings.
In the freezing waters around Greenland there are countless icebergs. Some are small, others large. If you watch them carefully, you notice that the smaller ice floes often move in one direction, while the big ones flow in another direction.
Surface winds drive the little ones, whereas the larger icebergs are carried along by deep ocean currents.
When we consider all that Paul suffered and indeed when we consider our own trials and tragedies, it may be helpful to see our lives as being subject to two forces: surface winds and deeper ocean currents.
The surface winds represent that which is changeable, unpredictable and distressing. The manipulations of men and the wielding of political power for example. Or the slings and arrows of personal misfortune and poor health.
But operating simultaneously, with the gusts and gales, is another more powerful force. The sure movement of God’s wise and sovereign purpose.
The deep flow of his unchanging love. [2]
In the book of Acts we see both the surface winds of human opposition and the deeper movement of God’s Spirit.
Right at the beginning of Acts, the risen Jesus made plain the sovereign movement of God’s plan of salvation, when he said to his apostles…
You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.
The book of Acts starts in Jersualem and finishes in Rome, the capital of the empire. And from Rome the gospel moves outward to all corners of the earth.
The deeper current of God’s love and Spirit carries the gospel message to the whole world.
Paul had no control over how people responded to his preaching about Jesus. Some believed, others did not. Some reacted violently, with the result that Paul found himself standing trial before the authorities.
These negative reactions were surface winds, which the Spirit of God was able to use in service to Jesus’ sovereign purpose. Every time Paul stood trial, whether before a Roman official or the Jewish leadership, he gave his testimony about Christ. Paul spoke gospel truth to those in power.
Paul’s two years under house arrest in Rome was not wasted time. During those years Paul wrote letters to the Philippians, the Ephesians, the Colossians and to Philemon. These letters are still with us today and contain some of our richest insights about Jesus and his purpose. In Philippians Paul writes…
I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.
The fickle surface winds of human opposition do not alter the deep movement of Jesus’ sovereign purpose.
Conclusion:
The book of Acts finishes on a note of triumph: 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!
Paul may have been a prisoner, but the sovereign purpose of Jesus remained free and prospered.
Let us pray…
Gracious God, give us strength to persevere in your purpose for us. Give us grace to face the truth without denial. And when we feel buffeted by the surface winds of trial and opposition, keep us mindful of your deeper sovereign purpose. Through Jesus we pray. Amen.
Questions for discussion or reflection:
- What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?
- Why did Paul persevere is the face of opposition and hardship? When did Paul stop persevering and move on to tell others about Jesus? How might we know when to keep persevering and when to shake it off and move on?
- How did God use Paul’s trials and suffering to forward the work of the gospel?
- Why did the Jews have such a difficult time accepting Paul’s message that Jesus is the Messiah?
- What is denial? How might we know we are in denial about something? Have there been times in your life when you struggled with denial? What happened? How did God deliver you?
- Discuss / reflect on Jesus’ sovereignty. How is Jesus’ power different from earthly rulers’ power?
- What surface winds of difficulty and opposition have you experienced lately? Can you discern Jesus’ deeper sovereign purpose at work in your life? If so, how?
[1] Adapted from a story in J. John and Mark Stibbe’s book, ‘A Barrel of Fun’, page 116.
[2] Adapted from an excerpt in J. John and Mark Stibbe’s book, ‘A Barrel of Fun’, page 194.
Tawa Baptist 