Two weeks ago-like thousands of other teens in our county-my two daughters were in the middle of their final exams for this first semester of the school year. During that dreaded week they both had their noses stuck in textbooks-burning the midnight oil, cramming as much info as possible into their little heads. Sarah and Becca even took the time to calculate how well they needed to do on each exam in order to keep or improve their semester grade for each class. That’s one math calculation they have down pat! They took the time to make these calculations because they know these tests can make or break their semester GPA. It was a stressful time for them and I know they’re glad it’s over!
If, like me, you’re a parent of a teen then you probably are aware that one thing schools in our county do in order to help their students prepare for these all-important semester tests, is to build an EXAM REVIEW day into the schedule. On this day each teacher devotes the entire class time to helping REVIEW all they have learned in the past semester of study. Wise students play close attention to all this review-because it helps them do well on the test.
Now, I don’t know if you’ve been counting, but we’ve been studying the book of Acts together off and on now for almost a year, the equivalent of two semesters, and today is the last message.I bet you were beginning to wonder if we’d ever finish this series! Well, as of today, we have-and I’d like you to think of this last day in the book of Acts as sort of an “exam review day” because I want us to use our study of these final verses of Luke’s history book as an opportunity to review what we’ve learned this past year. Don’t misunderstand, I’m not threatening you with an exam, although I was thinking this week that a pop quiz every once in a while might increase sermon attentiveness!
Of course I’m just kidding! There will be no “formal” exam, but I will say this-and please here me. I sincerely believe that our future as a church will depend on how well we as its members remember all that we have learned in this past year. So in essence the actual “exam” begins right after this service and continues as long as God keeps each of us serving here in His body at Redland.
In my first sermon on this book I told you that many churches these days fail to live up to their potential because in essence they “flunk” the exam in that they don’t pattern themselves after God’s intent for the local church as seen in the original design. Instead they operate according to the latest trend or gimmick. They copy what other churches are doing-and when this happens churches eventually become less and less like the New Testament model and more and more like the fallen world around them.
Remember? A year ago I told you it’s the same sort of thing that happens when you use a photostat machine and copy a copy of a copy of a copy. Eventually you get a very blurred image-after a while you can no longer read the writing. As Sheila or Angela would tell you, the only way to get a good copy is to copy the original. Well for a similar reason it’s vital that churches always refer to the original-the New Testament model as recorded here in the book of Acts-otherwise over the years if they’re not careful they will resemble it less and less and eventually they’ll FORGET who they are called to BE and what they are called to DO as God’s people.
So, fellow STUDENTS-fellow DISCIPLES of Jesus Christ, Who loved the church and gave Himself for it-hear me on this! It is very important that we remember the things we have learned in our study of the FIRST CHURCHES if we are to be the church God has called us to be as we minister in His name here in Montgomery County. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying we’ll never try new things-but I firmly believe that we must never stray from the principles of church structure that are found in the New Testament model. Otherwise we will be in danger of forgetting those timeless tasks God has called us-His church-to fulfill.
Now-before we continue with our REVIEW session, let me remind you of the SETTING of these last few verses. When we last left Paul-the”hero” of this portion of the book of Acts-he had just been shipwrecked on the shore of the island of Malta. Remember? In verse 1 of Acts 28, Luke says,”When all [the prisoners and crew] had been brought safely through, [all 276 making it to shore] then we found out that the island was called Malta.” Now, Malta is located about fifty miles south of Sicily. It’s a rugged island about eighteen miles long and eight miles wide. In Paul’s day the island’s name was actually Melita, which was the Canaanite word for “refuge.” Because of this, some Biblical scholars believe that a more literal translation of this phrase in vs 1, would be, “…then we recognized that this island was well-named…” because it was such a welcome refuge from their long nightmarish ordeal at sea. I can understand why they would say that. I mean, can you imagine how wonderful solid land must have felt under their feet after weeks in that storm-tossed sea!
Luke refers to the island residents as natives or “barbaros” in Greek. It’s the word from which we get our word “barbarian.” Your Bible may even use that word in its translation of verse 1.
But this doesn’t mean these islanders were barbarians, because Greeks in that day called anyone barbarian if they spoke a language other than Greek. They did this because to them other languages sounded like a cacophony of sounds in which they could distinguish no words. In fact, they thought the noises made by people speaking other languages sounded like variations of the sound, “bar-bar” hence their word, “barbaros.”
I take the time to point this out because I want you to be sure and understand that the people who lived on this island were ANYTHING BUT barbarians. In fact, they helped Malta to live up to its name as a place of refuge because they were very compassionate toward Paul and his fellow castaways. Look at verse 2 where Luke tells us, “The natives showed us extraordinary kindness; for because of the rain that had set in and because of the cold, they kindled a fire and received us all.” Look also at verse 10 where Luke goes on to say, “They honored us in many ways and when we were ready to sail, they furnished us with the supplies we needed.”
Well, for the next three months the Maltans took care of Paul and his companions, feeding them, providing shelter, and no doubt clothing, helping them recuperate from their near death ordeal,
and prepare themselves for the final leg of their journey as they rested and waited for the winter storm season to pass.
But-don’t misunderstand me here. These months on this island weren’t a vacation for Paul. I mean he didn’t spend the time just sipping coconut juice under some Maltan palm tree. No, he used this time to minister to the islanders themselves. For example, the head of the Roman government on Malta was a man named Publius. In verse 7 Luke tells us that, “He welcomed us to his home and for three days entertained us hospitably.” Luke also tells us that Publius’ father was very sick-but that Paul went to see him and after a prayer, he placed his hands on him and God miraculously healed the man. Verse 9 says that God also used Luke’s skill as a physician to help the rest of the sick and injured on the island. So these were busy months of compassionate ministry in Jesus’ name ministry that I am sure opened the door for Paul to share the Gospel!
Well, in the early Spring the weather finally grew favorable and they boarded another Alexandrian grain ship-and began the final leg of their journey to Rome. Take your Bibles now and read along with me, beginning with verse 11.
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.
By the way, Castor and Pollux were the names of the twin sons of Zeus and were revered as the protectors of men on the sea. Many Roman ships bore their image as a plea for safety.
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 who invited us to spend a week with them. And so we came to Rome.
Now, imagine how Paul felt at this point. As I told you last week, he had wanted to preach the gospel in Rome for years. Do you remember his words in Acts 19:21? He said, “After I have been to Jerusalem, Macedonia, and Achaia, I must visit Rome also.” And, in Romans 1:15 he had said,”I am EAGER to preach the gospel to you who are at Rome.” For years, not being able to get to Rome, Paul did the next best thing. He wrote to the believers there and in this way they had become long-distance friends-sort of international pen pals. He had heard about them through mutual acquaintances-and in admiration of their courageous faith, he had written them a letter-his doctrinal masterpiece, The Epistle of Paul to the Romans. And now, after a harrowing journey on the high seas, Paul had finally arrived to meet them fact to face! He must have been thrilled! And these Roman believers were excited to finally meet him as well. In fact, many of them journeyed several miles down the famous Appian Way to greet him.
15 -The brothers 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 men 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 leaders of the Jews. 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 -But when the Jews objected, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar-not that I had any charge to bring 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 the brothers 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. From morning till evening he explained and declared to them the kingdom of God and tried to convince them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets.
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 forefathers 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 – Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now, as I said a moment ago, we’ve learned a lot this past year.
- For example in our survey of Luke’s history book we studied the lives of some of the first Christian leaders-amazing believers like Peter, Barnabas, Philip, James, Paul.
- We also learned about the power of prayer. Do you remember Peter’s miraculous release from his prison cell in the Antonia Fortress in answer to the prayers of the church?
- With his witness to that Ethiopian Eunuch Philip taught us about the kind of attitudes we need in order to be successful as personal evangelists.
- And then, speaking of evangelists, as we looked at Peter’s experience with Cornelius, that Roman centurion who wanted to become a Christian…well, this helped us to see the evils of prejudice. It reminded us that we are all equally in need of God’s gracious love-and are all equally the focus of it!
We could go on and on listing all God has taught us in the past year-but due to time constraints, this morning I want to build our “review session” around three main truths that we have covered in our study, truths I want us to be sure and never forget.
1. First, in the past year we have seen the power of a HEALTHY CHURCH.
When I say “healthy,” I’m referring to a group of believers who show by their actions that they truly acknowledge Jesus Christ as Head. They aren’t like diseased physical bodies plagued by Parkinson’s or muscular dystrophy-illnesses in which the body that doesn’t obey the head. No, healthy churches obediently yield to Jesus will in all things. And their acknowledgment of His headship is seen most clearly in their relationships, relationships that reflect the way Jesus relates to each of us. In short, they act like Jesus to each other. Well, this leads the outside lost world to recognize Jesus in them-and the result is a healthy church that literally draws lost people to our Lord. It’s just as Jesus promised in John 12:32, “If I be lifted up I will draw all men to Me.” In her book Saints and Snobs, Marion Jacobsen refers to this and says, “People are not persuaded, they’re attracted. We communicate far more by what we are than by what we say.”
We saw this important principle of church growth in Luke’s history book modeled in the first church-the church in Jerusalem. The 2nd and 4th chapters of this book tell us that these first believers did indeed acknowledge Christ as Head-seen in the way they so obviously got their “Christlike one-anothering” right! I mean, they weren’t perfect-no church is-but their corporate dedication to the careful study of the Apostle’s teaching and to the worship of God gave them a truly blessed fellowship-one that God used in a powerful way to draw the lost to faith in Him.
Take your Bibles and flip back to those chapters and I’ll show you a couple examples. Acts 2:45 says,”Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.” Acts 4:32 says that “…no one in this church claimed that any of his possessions was his own, …but they shared everything they had.” And because they related in this selfless way-because these first believers lifted up Christ in their sacrificial relationships the church grew. As Acts 2:7 says,”…the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” Think of it. This first group of believers was a powerful witness for the love of God in spite of the fact that they met right under the noses of the Jewish religious leaders, the same leaders who had plotted Jesus’ death.
Luke sums up this important principle of church health in Acts 4:32 when he refers to this first church and says, “All the believers were one in HEART and MIND.” They were one because they each acknowledged that Jesus was the HEAD-and the HEART of that church. They allowed Him to use their flesh to lovingly minister to the world around them. Well, we must remember this lesson from Acts and commit to do the same if we are to be and do all God calls us to be and do here at Redland. We must realize that in order for our church to be the powerful witness God wants it to be-in order for us to be a healthy church-we must each strive to obey Jesus in everything we say and do because, as someone once put it, “The world will never be won to Christ until we are one IN Christ.”
You may recall the true story of two sisters, Ruth and Verena Cady as told by Max Lucado, “Since their birth in 1984 they have shared much. Just like any twins, they have shared a bike, a bed, a room, and toys. They’ve shared meals and stories and TV shows and birthdays.
They shared the same WOMB BEFORE they were born and the same ROOM AFTER they were born. But the bond between Ruthie and Verena goes even further. They share more than toys and treats; they share the same HEART. Their bodies are fused together from the sternum to the waist. Though they have separate nervous systems and distinct personalities, they are sustained by the same, singular three-chambered heart. Neither could survive without the other. Since separation is not an option, cooperation becomes and obligation. They have learned to work together. Take walking, for example. Their mother assumed they would take turns walking forward or backwards. It made sense to her that they would alternate; one facing the front and the other the back. The girls had a better idea. They learned to walk sideways, almost like dancing. And they dance in the same direction. They’ve learned to makeup for each other’s weaknesses. Verena loves to eat…but Ruthie finds sitting at the table too dull. Ruthie may eat only a half cup of fruit a day. No problem, her sister will eat enough for both. It’s not unusual for her to have three bowls of cereal, two cups of yogurt and two pieces of toast for breakfast. Ruthie tends to get restless while her sister eats and has been known to throw a bowl of ice cream across the room. This could lead to discipline for her, but also has consequences for her sister. When one has to sit in the corner, so does the other. The innocent party doesn’t complain; both learned early that they are stuck together for the good and the bad.”
In my mind this story gives us a picture of the local church. We are to be very much like one body-united in love as we face both the good and bad of life. Like these twins suffering for the punishment given the other, we are to bear one another’s burdens. We are to look at each other and say, “If you’ve got a problem, I’ve got a problem.” “If you’re hurting I’m hurting.” And, like these two girls, we too literally walk together through life together, pooling our strengths in a way that makes up for our weaknesses. We do this because like the Cady twins we have the same Father, the same Head-and the same Heart-Jesus’ heart beats here-a heart for the lost sheep of this fallen world. As long as we remember this principle-as long as we work in response to Jesus’ will-as long as we strive to be “one in heart and mind” – well then like the church in Jerusalem, this will be a powerful church-a church that God uses to do amazing things in His kingdom-a church that draws lost people to Jesus. Write that down. Etch it in your mind. We must never forget this truth that Acts has taught us.
2. And then, his past year we have also learned a great deal about the Power of the HOLY SPIRIT.
The best illustration of this is seen in the lives of the disciples themselves. I mean there is no way that on their own they would have been capable for the task that Jesus gave them in Acts 1:8. From a purely human standpoint it was ridiculous to think that those eleven men-fearfully hiding behind closed doors in that upper room could be His witnesses in Jerusalem-much less in Judea and Samaria and to the utter most parts of the earth. I mean, their courage was just too weak. Remember? They had not acquitted themselves well during those hours and days surrounding Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion. They fled in eleven different directions. Only John came back. And, they not only failed in PUBLIC WITNESS but also in PRIVATE LOYALTY and PERSONAL FAITH. The best example of this was seen in the behavior of their LEADER, Peter, who as you know vehemently denied even knowing Jesus. Plus there were things these men and women still did not understand about the Kingdom of God-even after 40 days of instruction at the feet of our RISEN Lord. I mean, there was no way that on their own this ragged group of losers could fulfill Jesus’ commission-but our study of this history book shows they did exactly that! And they were able to do so because they received power and guidance and wisdom from another Source-God’s HOLY SPIRIT living inside each of them.
With HIS POWER at their disposal they WERE able to turn the world upside down! In fact, many have suggested that a better title for Luke’s history book would be, The Acts of the HOLY SPIRIT…because it is the record of what the first Christians were able to do, as they were empowered by the indwelling Spirit of our Lord. Well the same Holy Spirit power is available to us-to each and every Christian. When we repent of our sin and ask Jesus to come into our heart and life as Lord and Savior, He does. From that point on, just as Jesus promised He is WITHIN us… “always-even to the end of the earth.” (Matthew 28:20) So, as Christians, we can relate to what Emerson has said, “What lies BEHIND us and what lies BEFORE us are tiny matters to what lies WITHIN us.” For, as 1 John 4:4 says, “Greater is He Who is IN YOU, than he who is in the world.” And as Ephesians 1:19-20 says, “How tremendous is the POWER available to us who believe in God.”
You know, so many local churches fail to do anything significant because they ignore the instructions of our Lord and only attempt things they know they can do in their own power. Pastor Lloyd John Ogilvie gives us a window-or rather a port hole-through which we can see this truth in his description of that grand old ocean liner, the Queen Mary. He writes, “I can remember admiring the gallant determination with which the historic craft cut through the high waves. As I walked on deck I would try to recapture the feeling of what it must have been like to be aboard the “Mary” as a lovely pleasure vessel and then as a troop ship carefully evading the German submarines. The next time I saw the Queen Mary was as a museum piece, docked in the Long Beach harbor. Her last voyage had been around the world and then into the harbor, where she was striped of her vitals. The gigantic engine had been removed as well as most of the sailing equipment. She sat there motionless, attached tightly to the dock. Shops now line the decks to sell souvenirs to visitors. The dining and lounge areas provide meeting places for groups and the cabins have been refurbished as hotel rooms for conventions. Actors have been hired to act out the parts of officers and crew with carefully studied British accents. In spite of all this, the one thing the Queen Mary can’t do not is to fulfill the reason for which she was built: to sail the high sea. I couldn’t help feeling disappointed. Everything was the same, yet nothing was the same. The ship had become a monument to past glory.”
Well, unfortunately, many churches are like that-monuments to past glory. They look like a church but they don’t do what a church was called to do. They are weak and powerless. It is my prayer that one thing this study will have taught us here at Redland is that we can avoid this fate as long as we obey our Head, remembering that we can do ALL things through Him Who strengthens us. God will do amazing things-exciting things through us as long as we obey Him even when…..no, ESPECIALLY when, He calls us to tasks that are beyond our strength. We must remember that as Vance Havner once said, “We are not going to move this world by criticism of it nor conformity to it but by the combustion within it of lives ignited by the Spirit of God.” And, I love the words of the late Bill Bright who said, “We serve a GREAT God, why should we not attempt to do GREAT things for Him?!”
3. And then our study has also taught us the unstoppable power of the GOSPEL.
In our survey of this book we have seen that in spite of repeated persecutions-in spite of continued opposition by many of the Jewish leaders including the ones who Paul met with here in Rome-in spite of the hardship of storms and shipwrecks-in spite of poisonous snake bites like Paul received while building a fire on Malta’s beach…in spite of all this, the good news of the Gospel spread just as Jesus said it would, “to Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria and to the uttermost parts of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)…such that by the time we get to chapter 28, Christianity has become a world religion. All this shows that just as Jesus said in Matthew 16:18, nothing will stop the spread of the gospel! Not even “…the gates of Hell will prevail against it.”
And, we see a perfect example of this here in Chapter 28 as Paul is under arrest, confined to an apartment chained 24 hours a day seven days a week to a Roman soldier, a member of the crack Praetorian guard. You’d think this would stop Paul from doing what God had called him to Rome to do-share the good news of the Gospel. But it didn’t! You see, the Praetorian Guard were not just any run of the mill soldiers. They were the very elite, Imperial Guard of Rome. Their unit had been founded by the Emperor Augustus himself and were made up of a body of ten thousand handpicked troops-the best of the best. They were literally the power behind the throne of Rome. It was the Prefect of the Praetorian Guard-the commanding officer of this unit-to whom Paul was handed over to when he arrived.
Do you begin to see the picture here? Twenty-four hours a day, in six hour shifts each, one after another of these select soldiers was chained to the Apostle Paul and forced to be with him.
They heard the conversations Paul had with his visitors as they discussed spiritual things. They listened as he dictated his epistles. During those two years in that apartment, Paul wrote Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. And every word was heard by a member of this unit. They were constantly bound to this man who prayed without ceasing. Talk about a captive audience!
Warren Wiersbe writes, “Little did the Romans realize that the chains they affixed to his wrists would release Paul instead of binding him!”
So, Paul’s experience shows us that nothing can stop the gospel not even this imprisonment because God used it as an opportunity for the gospel of Christ to penetrate into the ranks of the most powerful men in the empire, and from them into the city of Rome and from Rome to soldiers stationed all over the world.
In my mind the guard he was chained to as he wrote Philippians 1:13 had become a believer. So, perhaps Paul winked at him as he wrote, “…it has become clear through out the whole palace guard that I am in chains because of Christ.” And, the Praetorian Guard were not the only group of people that Paul’s arrest and confinement gave him contact with. It also gave him access to the officials in the emperor’s court. Paul was in Rome as an official prisoner, and his case was an important one. You see, the Roman government had to determine the official status of this new “Christian sect.” They wondered, was it merely another sect of the Jews? Or was it something new and possibly dangerous? Imagine how pleased Paul must have been knowing that, thanks to his imprisonment, the court officials themselves were forced to study the doctrines of the Christian faith?! Perhaps he remembered God’s promise in Isaiah 55:11, “My Word will not return to Me void but will accomplish what I desire and will achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”
Another thing-Paul’s confinement encouraged the other Christians in Rome to share the gospel more boldly. In other words, they decided that if God could use Paul IN prison, He certainly could use them OUTSIDE of prison. So, Paul’s courage gave them courage to share their faith throughout the capitol city. In Philippians 1:14 Paul referred to this when he wrote, “Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.”
In short, because of Paul’s imprisonment Jesus was literally the talk of the town. And this shows that nothing stops the spread of the Gospel. It should remind us of Jesus’ promise, “This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” (Matthew 24:14) The Gospel will spread UNHINDERED until all have heard-then Jesus will come. In fact, if I’m not mistaken, the last word of Acts in the Greek is “UNHINDERED.” So, I guess the question we must ask ourselves is will we decide to be a part of this or will we sit on the side lines? Will we join God in His work of telling the whole world of His love in sending Jesus?
You may be wondering what happened to Paul. Luke doesn’t tell us. But using tradition and other Scriptures we can piece together the story of the rest of his life. At the end of a two year period, he was released from his confinement. Apparently he did appear before the emperor and his case was dismissed. The letter of Titus tells us that he went back to the island of Crete where he left Titus in charge of organizing the ministry there. Paul also visited Ephesus again, leaving Timothy to lead that flock. It is very likely that he went to Spain as he had hungered to. Many scholars even think he took the gospel as far as Britain. In any case, it is clear that eventually he was arrested again. You see, in A.D. 64 Nero suddenly slammed shut the door of religious freedom. Insane and infamously cruel, he blamed the Christians for the terrible fire in Rome that he himself had ordered set. In this way he ignited a vicious persecution of believers, and Paul was probably arrested as part of this and dragged to Rome as a prisoner.
This time, instead of being allowed to live in a hired home, he was thrown into a dark and slimy dungeon-the Mamertime Prison-which, by the way, you can still visit in Rome. In that cell he wrote his second letter to Timothy, a letter that reflects the conditions of that confinement: conditions so cold and dank, that he asked Timothy to bring him his winter coat. Finally, according to tradition, he was led out of his cell one day in the early spring of AD67 and taken outside the walls of Rome. They marched him to the third milestone on the Ostian Way, to a little pinewood in a glade-a glade of the tombs, known now as Tre Fontane. There he knelt down and a sword flashed in the sun severing his head from his body and in that instant the apostle went home to be with the Lord he had served so faithfully.
Luke doesn’t include this last chapter of Paul’s life in his book because the book is not about Paul-but rather about the spread of the Gospel and it has continued to spread UNHINDERED…long after his death. As I told you in the first sermon, this is an unfinished book-one that Christians like you and me are continuing to write. Remember, the literal Greek translation of the title of this book of Luke’s is this: “Acts of Apostolic People” – no definite article, just ACTS…as if there are more ACTS to come. And there ARE because as Christians, WE-you and me-WE are apostolic people! We are just like Peter and Paul and the others-in that we are people who know Jesus personally-who bear personal witness to His presence and power in our lives. You and I are living out the subsequent chapters of “The Acts of Apostolic People” sharing the gospel as we go about out lives, and we will continue to do so until Jesus returns to take us home. So this book does not have an end. In fact as we read verse 31 we have come not to an end but just the end of the beginning!
As we enter our time of invitation I would challenge you to begin a new chapter of the Acts of God in your life right now. Commit to always listen when His Holy Spirit speaks-pledge to trust in and rely on His power-instead of your own. Decide right now that you will always ACT when God tells you to. Like young Samuel even now say, “Speak Lord for Your servant is listening.” And if God tells you to respond publically as we sing then do so. Come and join our church family-profess your faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior or just come to the altar and pray. But come-ACT-on any prompting of God’s Spirit.