“Acts is meant to chronicle not the life and death of Paul but the rise and spread of the gospel.” David Peterson“Jesus brought about the inauguration of God’s kingdom, the fulfillment of God’s saving promises. The book of Acts, therefore, is about the continuation of those saving promises, the kingdom of God, through the Lord Jesus. Jesus is still the mediator of that kingdom, the one who adminis...  Read More

Sermon Overview:Shipwrecked on the island of Malta, Paul begins to gather firewood when he is bitten by a snake. The LORD demonstrates his protection over Paul to the native people by sparing his life from the poisonous bite. The LORD likewise demonstrates his sovereignty over illness by healing the chief man of the island through Paul, as well as many other members of the native tribe. Leaving Ma...  Read More

“The Jewish rejection was a reality and a riddle. To a great extent it remains so-how the gospel of God’s salvation which was foreshadowed in the Jewish Scriptures, fulfilled in a Jewish Messiah, and first proclaimed by Jewish heralds like Paul would ultimately be embraced not by the Jews but primarily by Gentiles.” John Polhill“O Lord, I am astonished at the difference     between my receivings a...  Read More

“Luke intends us to marvel with him over the safe conduct of Paul to Rome. Circumstance after circumstance seemed calculated to make this impossible. Paul had expressed his intention to proceed straight from Jerusalem to Rome. Instead, he was arrested in Jerusalem, subjected to endless trials, imprisoned in Caesarea, threatened with assassination by the Jews, and then nearly drowned in the Mediter...  Read More

Sermon Overview:Acts 27 chronicles Paul’s voyage to Rome after appealing to Caesar. We see God’s detailed sovereignty, Paul’s trust and submission to God’s plans, and God’s prevailing purposes through hurricane-force winds, stormy seas, directionless nights, and human plans to abandon ship. Ultimately, Paul’s journey assures the reader that God’s sovereign goodness governs every detail of the life...  Read More

Sermon Overview:Despite facing trials and injustice, Paul gave his defense to Festus and Agrippa with unshakeable hope. Paul told them the story of his misdirected life before Christ and how Christ transformed him. Like Paul, we find that a true encounter with the risen Christ radically transforms our heart’s allegiance and our life’s purpose.Discussion Questions:1.  Brian pointed out in v.14 that...  Read More