29.08 | The Ends of the Earth
Acts 21:27-22:21
‘When the seven days were almost completed, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him’
Acts 21:27
Remember where we began in Acts:
Jerusalem. Judea. Samaria. The ends of the earth.1
The vision of Jesus, spelt out in the opening of Acts, was for this global expansion of the presence and reign of God, established through local communities of His presence and purity—a growing hub of His people amidst the fallen and temporary kingdoms of the earth.
These final chapters of Acts describe Paul’s journey to Rome. Geographically, we can argue, Rome is not the ‘ends of the earth’ from Jerusalem. With around 3.4 billion people in the world still considered ‘unreached’ by the Gospel, that movement continues in our day.2
However, understanding Paul’s journey to Rome requires a little understanding of what Rome meant in the First Century world.
In the Roman Empire, Rome was the nerve centre of all human kingdoms. It was the place where political power, economic power, and cultural power was centred. It was the emblem of worldly might, and was viewed (prophetically) by the Early Church as the visible manifestation of the forces and values of hell upon the world.3 The journey to Rome, then, was to journey into the very mothership of enemy territory—akin to Jonah being sent to Ninevah, or Jesus entering death itself.
There’s two things we need to hold in our minds as we journey these final chapters.
Firstly is simply this. The momentum of Acts is an outward expansion. The force is centrifugal, not centripetal. The instinct of the Early Church was not to withdraw from the brokenness and corruption of the world around them—seeking sanctuary in enclaves of the religious. It was to move outwards and onwards—invading all territory influenced by the forces of hell—that the reign and beauty of Jesus would increase upon the earth. Theirs was a vision of conquest through love, the expansion of peace, and the increase of justice. Paul’s journey to Rome is a stark illustration of this Gospel instinct. The Gospel goes. It enters pain. It confronts the darkness. And it brings the testimony and reign of Jesus into such places as these.
The second thing we need to watch is how Paul gets there. Because his journey to Rome is largely as a prisoner. It begins today—beaten by a mob and giving his defence. And his journey in chains will take him from the very courts of the temple to the courts of Caesar—through corrupt legal systems, assassination attempts, shipwrecks, snake bites, and storms.
What do we take from this?
Simply this.
We yield.
Paul does not get to Rome all on his own agency, in his freedom and plans. He buys no ticket and he packs no suitcase. Rather, he lives daily yielded to the unfolding plans of God. While his circumstances speak that he is out of control (and he largely is), he knows that his ways are not in the hands of soldier and Sanhedrin and storm and Caesar, but remain utterly and deeply in the hands of his Saviour. Paul may look, in these chapters, like a man without agency, enslaved to the hands of corrupt people and brutal circumstance. And yet, more deeply than we can possibly imagine, Paul’s journey is orchestrated and led by the Jesus he follows.
Remember this. For there are moments when our destinies seem in the hands of the untrustworthy, the unworthy, the uncaring. And yet, more truly, in every circumstance, our lives are safely held in the care and command of God.
Reflect:
When our lives feel out of our control, it can be scary. When decisions are made about us, rather than with us, we feel vulnerable and disempowered.
Bring these places of vulnerability back to the feet of the Father. Place your journey afresh into His hands. His lead is good. His arm is not too short. And He has established His purposes through history through those who, to the world, appear disempowered. And yet, in the Kingdom, it is such as these that find themselves being shepherded in the perfect purposes of God.
Pray:
Father,
I hate being out of control.
I’m happier when I’ve got all things lined up—
Money in my bank account,
Agency in my choices,
Power in my workplace,
And a clear plan in place.
Such living enables me to speak of you,
And yet, in truth,
Does not require me to place any trust in you.
And yet, here, Father,
Into these places of disempowerment
And no control,
I yield.
Not to the oppressor and the whims of broken people,
But afresh to your hands.
My journey is led by the Good Shepherd;
He fights for me.
My path is led by the Mighty Father;
He always works for my good.
And so,
Good Father,
Comfort me daily;
Enlarge my faith;
And lead every detail of this life—
For I place myself afresh in your hands,
Unto the demolition of darkness,
And the increase of your beautiful peace.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen
Old Testament:
For those also reading the Old Testament this year, your additional readings are here:
Job 20-21 | Psalm 105:1-22
Acts 1:8
A people group is considered ‘unreached' when less than 2% of the people are professing Christians. Have a look at https://www.globalfrontiermissions.org/missions-101/the-unreached-peoples-and-their-role-in-the-great-commission, accessed 28th August 2024 or The Joshua Project (https://www.joshuaproject.net)
We’ll discuss this idea more when we reach the book of Revelation