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Part 1
Sermon: Your God is Faithful
Text: Acts 27:1–Acts 28:13
Introduction: The Tier System of Faithfulness
What does it take for you to call someone faithful? Because I’ve got… a system. A whole tiered system. A spiritual FICO score of faithfulness levels that lead to gold, platinum, and sapphire cards. It’s not easy to get in, and it’s very easy to get kicked out.
- Tier 1: “Yeah… that guy can probably pull his own weight.” I’ve heard good things. I’ve seen a few promising moments. Not proven yet, but there’s potential.
- Tier 2: The “Test Tier.” All the actually faithful guys are busy that weekend, so I call Tier 2. If he shows up? Awesome, he starts climbing. Faithfulness points acquired. If he’s a no-call, no-show? Well… back to Tier Zero. Please try again in six to eight months.
- Tier 3: The “Short List.” These are the people I actually trust to follow through. This is like Jesus’ seventy. I can smell faithfulness simmering in them.
- Tier 4: The “Inner Circle.” These are the ride-or-dies. The people you call if, hypothetically, something happens and you need to bury a body. (Some of you are thinking, “I am that friend.” No comment.) This is Jesus’ twelve.
- Tier 5: “You Can Do No Wrong.” You know these people. They’re so faithful that when they mess up you just shrug and say, “Eh, they’re human. I’ve done worse.” This is Jesus’ Peter, James, and John.
Because you don’t get to say, “Blessed are you, Peter! On this rock I’ll build my church!” one minute… and then turn around and call him “Satan” the next minute in Matthew 16… unless that person is in the “you can do no wrong” category of faithfulness in your relational universe.
But let me ask you: What does faithfulness actually mean to you? Is it a tier system? Do you throw that word around loosely? Or do people have to climb Mount Sinai to earn it?
Today, as we look at the last voyage of the Apostle Paul in Acts, I want to ring one thing in your heart and in your ears: Your God is faithful.
I’m going to say it again and again today, not because you don’t know it, but because we all need to remember it: Your God is faithful. Every mile of Paul’s final journey shouts the same truth: Your God is faithful, and He will be faithful to you.
Prologomena: Framing the Chaos
Before we jump into Paul’s last voyage, there are a few things you have to understand about this passage. We just went trial after trial after trial in the courtroom, and now, without warning, we’re stepping into a whole different kind of trial. God said, “We’ve done legal drama, now let’s try natural disaster.”
Let me give you a few key concepts to frame this whole chapter:
- This is a real story. Luke is not writing fan fiction. He’s detailed, painfully detailed, for two reasons:
- He’s literally on the ship. He’s seeing this with his own eyes. This is Luke in full National Geographic mode.
- In the ancient world, people LOVED sea stories. This was their cinematic universe. So if you can put up with an ancient culture’s fascination with the sea, you’re going to catch the richness Luke is giving us. This is a real story, YES, with real truth for your real life. Every true story in Scripture is both history and formation. Real events with real application for real disciples. Amen?
- The sea is NOT what you think it is… The sea in Scripture is rarely your myrtle beach vacation. It is almost always a symbol of chaos, danger, evil, or judgment.
- Genesis 1 — The Spirit hovers over chaotic waters.
- Revelation — new creation has NO MORE sea. (All chaos, danger, evil, and judgment are gone forever.)
Part 1: Ignoring Wisdom (Acts 27:1–12)
In verses 1-12, the decision to sail was made for Paul, and yet he’s got to deal with the consequences. Such is life, my beloved friend. We meet a centurion by the name of Julius who becomes such an ally to Paul. You can actually see how Paul starts rising through this man’s own tiered system of faithfulness in his mind. We learn that our author, Luke, and a faithful traveling companion Aristarchus are part of this journey.
Julius, the centurion, is nice to Paul, letting his friends help him prepare. This is huge because if Paul skipped town, the centurion was liable for his offense.
As they sail, the words used are key: “winds were against us,” “sailed with difficulty,” and then finally in verse 9 it’s dangerous. This is the fall; travel on the Mediterranean is dangerous.
So Paul speaks up:
“Sirs, I perceive that the voyage will be with injury and much loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.” -Acts 27:10
So everyone listens to him, right? No, not even for a second. They consult the captain and the owner of the ship, and the majority said let’s risk it and try to make it to Crete. They forgo Paul’s words completely and move on. They aren’t just ignoring Paul. They are ignoring God who speaks through Paul.
Have you ever felt that way? Here’s the application: What do you do when people ignore the wisdom God has given you? What do you do when decisions are made for you? What do you do when life feels like it’s “winds against us… with difficulty… dangerous”?
You remember this truth: YOUR GOD IS FAITHFUL! even when others ignore His wisdom.
Paul’s wisdom was dismissed. His experience was ignored. His God-given warning was overwritten by a vote. Sound familiar? Their unfaithfulness cannot stop God’s faithfulness. If you’ve ever felt unheard, unseen, dismissed, or pushed into the consequences of someone else’s foolishness, hear this over your life today: Your God is faithful even when others ignore His wisdom.
Part 2: Faithfulness in the Storm (Acts 27:13–38)
They start moving, and they get some false hope. A slight gentle breeze hits them and they’re like, “You see? We made the right decision.” Yeah, until the Euroclydon hits! A storm so bad that people named it. They lose sight of the sun and the stars, which were their main navigation tools, and they abandon all hope of being saved. That’s an intense piece to the story.
So, as God would have it, the Apostle Paul is on this ship. Does he give a 5-point sermon? Nope, in verse 21 he opens up with, “I told you so!” I laugh every time I read that.
But I’m glad he didn’t end there. He continues to tell them what God had said. He reminds them of God’s word, and I want to draw your attention to verse 25:
“So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told.” -Acts 27:25
Over and over we are drawn to a faithful God, yes, but we are also seeing the great leadership and resilience of the Apostle Paul. He still boldly speaks out.
Then as days go by, the crew is ready to jump ship and Paul warns the centurion. Now Paul’s grown in faithfulness in their eyes, so the centurion and the soldiers cut the ropes to the life rafts. Paul encourages the people, eats with them, prays for them, and they weather the storm.
You’ve got to feel the weight of this scene. 14 days, no food. All hope is lost that they’ll live. And then they end up being encouraged, fed, and prayed for.
Here is the hard pill to swallow: God sent His presence before he sent His rescue. God is preparing them by the storm.
Here’s where rubber meets the road today: Some of you want out of the storm, and I feel that, but God wants you to know Him in the storm. God tells Paul: “I am with you. I am not done. I am faithful.” And that’s what some of you need today, not a solution to the problem, or this current storm, you need to rely on the faithfulness of God in it.
Don’t miss this, YOUR GOD IS FAITHFUL! in the storm, the despair, the impossible. Lean into it today, you can trust a faithful God.
Part 3: The Promise Stands (Acts 27:39–44)
Well, the story continues, and another shipwreck happens for Paul. They position themselves into a bay but they can’t make it because they hit a reef and the boat was being broken by the waves as it was stuck in the reef.
We talked a little about Roman soldiers receiving punishment for the prisoners they had. That’s why in Acts 16 the Philippian jailer was going to take his own life. Well, these soldiers don’t want to take any chances so they are trying to kill the prisoners.
But yet, our faithful God steps in for Paul through Julius the centurion. He wanted to save Paul so he ordered them to jump overboard and swim or grab a plank and float.
Here’s the thing, church: You may not ever be in a shipwreck, but I do know this, we’ve been talking about circumstances a lot lately. And I want to say so clearly to you today that whatever it is that you are facing, your circumstances are not proof that God has misled you.
I can feel that way and tend to think that way. Like, “God, I’m trying to believe you and that you’re faithful, and yet, literally everything I’m facing right now is saying the opposite.” Don’t let your mind wonder there.
If you’ll let me use a boat analogy, you’ve got to stay anchored in your thoughts here. Your faith is not a byproduct of what is happening to you right now, it has got to be deeper. What I’m saying is: YOUR GOD IS FAITHFUL! The ship falls/the promise of God stands.
Part 4: Malta, Ministry, and Allegiance (Acts 28:1–10)
We are entering the last chapter of Acts but we are still in the fallout of the shipwreck. They swim to Malta. It’s raining, and the people of Malta are kind to them and make them a fire to warm up. Paul makes himself useful and gathers sticks.
And then we have this intense scene where a snake bites him. And the islanders are like, yep, he’s a murderer. That’s why justice is going to have its way with you and you’re going to die. And then he doesn’t die so the obvious conclusion is… he’s a god!
We meet a new character, Publius, who’s obviously pretty wealthy since he can host 276 guests for three days straight. We learn his father is sick, probably from “Malta fever.” But Paul heals Publius’s father. And just like Jesus’ ministry, when people heard of this, they lined up to be healed by Paul!
Malta is not the plan. Malta is not the mission. Malta is not on any map Paul is trying to get to. Malta is the accidental landing place when everything else falls apart. And yet, Malta becomes a place of miracles, ministry, healing, and provision.
So here’s how this lands for us: YOUR GOD IS FAITHFUL! He can use all things for His glory. Be reminded that Paul arrives broken and becomes a vessel of healing. That’s the faithfulness of God.
And because Paul understood something we often forget: We confuse our role with God’s role. We think God’s job is faithfulness, and our job is… comfort. “God, You be faithful, and I’ll be over here resting, recovering, getting my life together, and then I’ll serve You.”
But Scripture uses a Greek word for our role: DOULOS. Yes, we soften it into “servant.” But the literal meaning? Slave or Bondservant. One who belongs to another. It’s a word of allegiance. I’m saying “my life is Yours.”
Everyone wants a faithful God and we have one, yet God starts asking for faithfulness out of you, too. Paul was tossed right back into ministry the second he floated up on the shore. Your God is faithful and His faithfulness invites you into faithfulness. Not when you feel ready. Now. The God who is faithful to you is the same God who makes you faithful for Him.
Conclusion: The Completion (Acts 28:11–13)
We end our story with Paul and his crew loading up three months afterwards with supplies, on a new ship, and ready to sail again. They will make it Rome because YOUR GOD IS FAITHFUL! He will finish what He started.
This is such a good word for us today. Paul later writes to us in the book of Philippians and he says:
“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” -Philippians 1:6
Our faithful God finishes what he starts. The work in you, the work of faith that Jesus has begun, He will finish.
Remember those tiers of faithfulness I joked about earlier? How hard it is to earn faithfulness and how easy it is to lose it? Let me give you the best news you’re going to hear today:
Your God never puts you in a tier. He doesn’t rank you. He doesn’t wait to see if you show up. He doesn’t promote or demote you based on performance. He is faithful to you because, catch this, He is faithful.
You may feel like you’re in the “test tier.” You may feel like you’re barely holding it together. But God doesn’t operate on our system. God doesn’t treat you the way we treat each other. God doesn’t say, “Prove yourself, and then I’ll be faithful.” No, His faithfulness doesn’t rise and fall with your performance. Because His faithfulness rests on His character.
Paul will arrive at Rome because of a faithful God.
Today, I want to end hearing it from you, can you say it out loud for me? MY GOD IS FAITHFUL!
Part 2
Sermon: The Tools God Uses for the Unhindered Mission
Text: Acts 28:14-31
Intro: The Necessary Tools
Do you remember when your kids got new shoes? I remember the last set of new shoes I got my boys. Oh, they could run faster, jump higher, as long as they had those shoes on, they were unstoppable. The light up spiderman’s that’ll really get you racing.
Now what are the new shoes you get today? For my guys, are you a Milwaukee or Dewalt guy? Which are the right tools that you need to get the job done? We all have them! The necessary tools for the job. Or at least the things which give us the confidence to know that we are ready for the job.
Well, today let’s look at The tools God uses to accomplish the unhindered mission.
V14-16: Brothers: We Made It to Rome!
Do you remember the last ship Paul sailed in on, the one marked with the “twin gods,” Castor and Pollux? Two pagan brothers carved on the front of a vessel that barely survived the storm. Luke includes that detail to tee up a contrast.
Paul didn’t put his hope in a ship, or in a superstition, or even in finally being dry and on land again. His courage didn’t come from circumstances, that’s God’s job.
So how did God give Paul courage? Through the brothers.
Through the family of God, men and women who traveled miles outside the city just to meet him, welcome him, and walk him into Rome. In the ancient world, that was the kind of escort given to emperors. Paul may be a prisoner of Rome, but he is treated as royalty in the church because we are royalty as coheirs with Christ. And that’s exactly what the family of God does: they remind you who you are.
This is why Scripture commands us in Hebrews 10:25 not to forsake the gathering. God never gives commands “just because.” This command is for our good. Gathering weekly forms us. It teaches us again and again how to thank God and how to take courage. We need the repetition. Some of you are watching online. We love you, and we want you here with us because we know that we need the family of God to be the people of God.
Luke tells us Paul thanked God and took courage. Thankfulness is easy to understand: his relief and joy after a brutal season. But courage? Why courage? Because God is preparing Paul for his final assignment. Before every major trial in Scripture, God gives His people courage. And here, He uses His people, as He often does, to supply it.
Julius the centurion finishes his duty, hands Paul over, and Paul is treated kindly as he is allowed to stay by himself. But don’t miss what Luke wants you to see first: Paul is strengthened by the family of God.
The first instrument God uses in His unhindered mission is His gathered people.
This is how God has always chosen to work. Before God sends a man or woman into mission, He surrounds them with His people. Before Moses faced Pharaoh, God gave him Aaron. Before Elijah faced Ahab, God gave him Elisha. Before Jesus sent the disciples into the world, He formed them into a family. And before Paul steps into his final assignment in Rome, God surrounds him with brothers and sisters who speak courage into his soul. God could have strengthened Paul in a dozen different supernatural ways, but He chose the church. The gathered family of God is not a side piece to the mission of God; it is His first instrument. God accomplishes His unhindered mission through a strengthened people, and He strengthens His people through His family.
V17-20: The Reason: The Hope of Israel
So Paul gathers the Jewish leaders and gets straight to the point. He doesn’t waste a sentence. He doesn’t talk about the storm, the soldiers, the snake, or the shipwreck. He doesn’t write a complaint to Caesar or against the Jews. He says:
For this reason, therefore, I have asked to see you and speak with you, since it is because of the hope of Israel that I am wearing this chain. -Acts 28:20
That’s it. That’s the reason he’s here. That’s the reason he survived. That’s the reason he’s still preaching. The hope of Israel.
What is the hope of Israel? I’m going to get a bit preachy on you here! The hope of Israel is a Person.
The hope of Israel is Jesus! Promised in every page of the Bible.
- He is the Seed who would crush the serpent (Genesis 3).
- He is the Lamb whose blood covers sin (Exodus 12).
- He is the Prophet like Moses (Deut. 18).
- He is the Son of David whose throne has no end (2 Samuel 7).
- He is the Suffering Servant pierced for our transgressions (Isaiah 53).
- He is the Righteous Branch (Jer. 23).
- He is the Son of Man coming in the clouds with glory (Daniel 7).
Every promise whispered, every shadow cast, every sacrifice offered, every prophet raised up, every longing in the heart of Israel finds its “Yes and Amen” in Jesus. This is the hope Paul means. Not a wish. Not a feeling. Not a desire. A Person. A King. A Resurrected Lord. This hope has flesh and bones. This hope walked on water. This hope touched lepers. This hope opened blind eyes. This hope bore a cross. This hope left an empty grave. This hope broke death. This hope broke sin. This hope broke the curse. This hope broke into Paul’s life on the Damascus road and changed him forever.
And Paul says: “That’s why I’m in chains.”
Not because of Rome. Not because of false accusations. Not because of a trial gone sideways. Paul is in chains because Jesus is alive and a resurrected Jesus is worth suffering for. This is why he can endure. This is why he can preach. Because Jesus is the hope of Israel and Jesus is my hope and your hope. He is the hope of Friends Church. He is the hope of the Ohio Valley. He is the hope of every heart in this room. And He is not a fragile hope. He is the defining, central, unshakeable foundation of everything we believe. Jesus is the mission. Jesus is the message. Jesus is the main character, catalyst, and King. Jesus is the hope of the world and rules over a kingdom that cannot be stopped.
This is the reason Paul is in Rome. And church, this is the reason we are here today. Christ in you, the hope of glory.
V21-24: The Response: The Gospel Reflex
The Jewish leaders give Paul their response, and honestly it’s underwhelming. They basically say: “Paul, we’ve never heard of you. But we have heard about this ‘Way’ of Jesus… and everyone everywhere is talking against it.” in other words, “We don’t know you, and everything we’ve heard about Jesus is negative.” That’s their response.
But look at Paul’s response. Paul could have defended himself or unpacked his resume. He could have even corrected their misinformation which might’ve been helpful. Instead, Luke says:
From morning till evening he expounded to them, testifying to the kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus both from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets. -Acts 28:23
Notice that his gospel reflex wasn’t self-defense, it was Scripture. His instinct wasn’t to clear his name, it was to lift up Jesus’ name. And the results were exactly what we see all throughout Acts: some were convinced… and some disbelieved.
Here’s what I want you to see: Paul didn’t decide who believed; he decided to be faithful.
And that’s where this gets personal. Because God’s unhindered mission runs through human instruments. And yes… that means you. You are the tool God uses to accomplish His mission.
So yes, you are a tool for Jesus. Some of you have suspected it for years… I’m just making it official. But in all seriousness, this is holy ground. Because once you get past the joke, the truth stands taller than all of us: You are God’s chosen instrument in your home, your school, your workplace, your friendships, your neighborhood, your generation.
God could have used angels. God could have written the gospel in the sky. God could have spoken audibly every morning. God could have done this mission any way He wanted. But He chose you. Flawed, ordinary, imperfect, real, authentically human you. Just like Paul.
So what I’m saying is, your willingness matters. Your faithfulness matters. Your words matter. Your life matters. Your response to Jesus becomes a part of someone else’s opportunity to respond to Jesus. The gospel goes forth unhindered when the people of God open their mouths and open their lives. Some will listen. Some will reject. But results belong to the Lord. Don’t miss this though, the responsibility belongs to us. He gave this mission to His church.
V25-29: Paul’s Final Words: The Power of the Word
As the room begins to divide and voices rise in disagreement, Paul gives them one final word, one statement that cuts through all the noise and feelings in the room. He quotes Isaiah 6 which is a passage every Jew in that room would have known by heart.
And Paul is being faithful here. Isaiah had warned Israel that a day would come when they would hear but not understand, see but not perceive, not because the message was unclear, but because their hearts were unwilling to yield. And that’s the weight of Paul’s final words: “This salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles and they will listen.”
I think we have to see this very clearly: Paul is not taking a shot at the Jews. He isn’t gloating in some kind of spiritual rivalry. His heart is breaking. Scripture says he had “great sorrow and unceasing anguish” for his people. He is distressed that even one would reject the Messiah. This is lament.
But Paul also knows something deeply true: The Word of God does not fail just because people reject it. Rejection does not weaken the gospel; it simply reveals who is willing to listen.
The greatest tool God has given us to participate in His unhindered mission is His Word. Not our personality. Not our cleverness. Not our charisma. Not our argument skills. The Word.
It was the Word Isaiah spoke. It was the Word Paul expounded. It was the Word that divided the room. It was the Word that would now go to receptive hearts among the Gentiles. Because God always finds listeners. And He always uses His Word to reach them.
Paul wasn’t pleading like a beggar trying to make a sale. He was pleading like a doctor offering a cure. To those who believed, the Word became life. To those who rejected, the same Word became judgment. Paul says in another place, “we are the aroma of life to some and the aroma of death to others.” But the power is never in the preacher. The power is in the Word. And just like 2,000 years ago, that same Word stands in front of us today: a Word that saves the humble and confronts the proud, a Word that heals the broken and exposes the hardened, a Word that offers life, love, wholeness, forgiveness, and eternity with Christ for those who will listen. This is good news. And this is the tool, God’s tool, that He puts in your hands. It’s how we know Christ, His kingdom, and the unhindered mission of God.
V30-31: Sin Fin: Without an Ending
As Acts draws to a close, Luke does something unexpected: he doesn’t give us the end of Paul’s story. There’s no scene before Caesar, no detailed account of Paul’s final days, no dramatic summary of what happened next. If someone were hoping for a clean conclusion or a tidy ending, Acts doesn’t offer one.
Instead, Luke ends with a picture of ongoing ministry. Paul, still under house arrest, is welcoming anyone who comes to see him. He is proclaiming the kingdom of God. He is teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ. And he is doing all of this “with all boldness and without hindrance.”
Luke wants us to see that Paul’s circumstances did not limit the gospel. The storms could not stop him. The soldiers could not stop him. The snake, the chains, the long journey, and even rejection from some of his own people could not stop what God was doing. Through Paul, God shows that when a person is walking in His will, empowered by His Spirit, the mission continues, even through difficulty.
But Luke also shows something else: the mission continues through ordinary, faithful practices. Notice what’s happening: Paul welcomed people. He proclaimed the good news. He taught the truth of Jesus. These are the simple, steady tools God gave him. And Paul used them for as long as God allowed.
Those same tools have been handed to us as well. We welcome others into our lives and homes. We proclaim Christ in our words and actions. We teach the Scriptures to those around us. And as we do, the Holy Spirit gives us the courage we need, just as He did for Paul.
Acts ends quietly because the mission hasn’t ended. The story continues through the church, through every generation, and through every believer who offers their life to Jesus. This is why this section is called sin fin, “without an end.”
It’s also in Spanish because Romans 15 tells us that Paul was ready to go to Spain. Paul eventually traveled beyond Rome and returned again before his final days, but Luke’s purpose is clear: the focus is not on the end of Paul’s life, but on the ongoing work of God. As long as God’s people welcome, proclaim, and teach with boldness, His mission will continue, unhindered, until the day Christ returns.
Here’s how we end today and close this book:
To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen -1 Timothy 1:17
