We get to live the next chapter.
This book began with 120 men and women in Jerusalem waiting
for the power of the Holy Spirit to walk out the mission of God and ended ~40
years later with the Roman empire being transformed by the gospel message. While
not everyone believed, we read in the province of Asia that everyone heard (see Acts 19:10). That was Paul’s goal.
We end the book with Paul under house arrest, free to preach
the word of the Lord right under Caesar’s nose. From Paul's letter to the Romans, we know he had a desire to go
to Rome and strengthen the church there, but it was probably never in his plans
to go there in chains. It is amazing how the Lord orchestrated these events for
His purposes. Isn't that how it often works? We make plans and things do not pan out the way we expect or
desire them to. We might wonder where God is when everything seems to go wrong. But God is not absent. He has a plan. It is often in the perceived ‘setbacks’ in our
lives that we are blessed with God working in us and through us the most.
Because Paul was in chains in Rome, he was able to write the
prison epistles that are in our Bibles today (Ephesians, Philippians,
Colossians, Philemon). God wanted this missionary’s legacy to carry on far
after he died! We are also captured by
the degree of freedom Paul has to proclaim the gospel under house arrest at the
end of Acts. He may be chained, but the word of God is not chained (2 Tim 2:9)!
Instead of Paul having to go out to the people to declare the good news, God brought the people to him. The book
of Acts ends on such a powerful note. People are interested in Paul’s message
and the gospel is going out: “we want to hear what your views are….they
arranged to meet Paul. 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 the Prophets….For two whole
years Paul stayed in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him.
Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about
the Lord Jesus Christ.” Acts 28:22-23, 30-31).
We see God moving and working powerfully in this book. House
arrest was not going to hinder God’s work. God just brought the people to Paul!
This brings me to what most blessed and encouraged me in
this journey though Acts: the fact that the movement of God is unstoppable.
Darkness cannot stomp it out; IT JUST SPREADS. God’s plans will prevail.
Gamamiel was right when he said “For if their purpose or activity is of human
origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to
stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.”
YES and AMEN.
There is a spiritual battle going on. It is great news for
us that the powers of darkness cannot stomp out this light. In fact, every time
the Enemy seeks to stomp out this movement of God, it multiplies! The church thrives
with push-back!
God’s purposes will prevail throughout all generations. If
we are seeking first His kingdom and His mission, we get to be a part of this
amazing story of seeing people delivered from the Kingdom of darkness to the
Kingdom of light. He is inviting us into this story. He is inviting us to
continue the very story we read in Acts…to see His Kingdom come on earth as it
is in Heaven. We see God’s Kingdom coming on earth through Jesus’ life, death & resurrection and the coming
of His Spirit to empower the church to bear witness to Christ from Jerusalem to
the ends of the earth.
Let us join Him on this journey. There is NO.GREATER.MISSION.
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