SUNDAY MORNING WORSHIP SERVICE, 13 September 2026
Sermon Series: “The Acts of the Apostles” (#45)
Sermon Text: Acts 27:39-28:15
Main Points:
Introduction
I. God’s kindness in unexpected storms
II. God’s kindness through unexpected people and circumstances
III. God’s kindness in bringing us to His purpose
Conclusion
As Paul finally enters Rome, we’ve now reached the final chapter of the book of Acts. It has been a long journey for us as well. As we turn the page to this final chapter, there is a real sense that we’ve finally arrived!
And I imagine Paul felt something of that anticipation – perhaps, much more intensely than we do. He was finally setting foot in Rome, the centre of the world as he knew it. For years, he had longed to see this day. He knew that God had ordained that he would go to Rome, and now that long-awaited moment had finally come.
I’m sure there was great joy in Paul’s heart – not simply because he had reached Rome, but because he was eager to see what God would accomplish there through his gospel ministry. He was entering a new chapter in his life and ministry.
But, before Luke takes us into Rome, he makes us pause and look at the final leg of Paul’s journey there. And this raises the same question I mentioned last week. As I have meditated on these chapters, I’ve wondered: Why does Luke give us so many details about this journey at sea? Why tell us about the storm, the drifting ship, the loss of hope, the shipwreck, and the struggle to reach the shore? How do these things relate to our faith and life in Christ?
I believe the answer is that the Holy Spirit wants us to see something about God. Paul’s journey to Rome reveals the kindness of God towards His beloved people. God was kind to Paul in the unexpected storm. God was kind to Paul through unexpected people and circumstances. And God was kind to Paul by faithfully bringing him to the purpose God had ordained for him.
Paul was not simply making his way to Rome. God was bringing Paul to Rome. And that is why this passage speaks not only about Paul’s journey, but about ours. We too are on the way; and God is faithfully leading us to our destination. We have our plans, hopes, and expectations. Sometimes the journey goes as we expect; sometimes storms come, circumstances change, and we find ourselves somewhere we never intended to be. And in those moments, we may wonder, ‘Where is God in all this?’
Acts 27-28 reminds us: God’s kindness is with us on the way. It is not only waiting for us at the destination. God is kind to us in the storm; He is kind to us through the unexpected, and graciously leads us towards His purposes. So, let us hear about God’s kindness and examine its scope.
I. God’s Kindness in Unexpected Storms
Now, let’s begin with Acts 27:39 and following. Paul had encouraged everyone onboard to eat and prepare for what lay ahead. Now, at dawn, they finally see land. But, they’re not yet safe. The ship runs aground on a reef, the stern begins to break apart, and the whole vessel is about to be shattered.
The Roman centurion, wanting to save Paul’s life, prevents the soldiers from killing the prisoners and allows everyone to make their way to shore. Some swim; others hold on to pieces of the ship. And then, Luke tells us in v. 44: “And so it was that all were brought safely to land.” All 276 people survived. God’s promise to Paul that none of them would perish had been fulfilled.
Luke describes the scene so vividly that we can almost picture it – a dramatic shipwreck, people fighting for their lives, and finally, everyone reaching the shore. Bravo!
But, that is not simply why this account is in Scripture, is it? Luke wants us to see something in this story – and that is, the kindness of God. The first thing we see is this: God’s kindness does not always prevent the storm; often, His kindness is seen in how He preserves us through the storm.
God could’ve given Paul a calm sea and a safe journey to Rome. But He didn’t. Paul had to experience the storm, the fear, the uncertainty, and finally the shipwreck. And in this sense, Paul’s experience reflects something of the Christian life.
Being God’s child does not mean that we’ll have a storm-free life. The Christian life is not a promise that difficulties will be prevented, but that God will faithfully preserve us through storms. Please remember Paul’s words earlier that appear in Acts 27:25, “I believe God that it will be exactly as I have been told.” Paul said this while everything around him suggested the opposite. His confidence was not in favourable circumstances but in God’s Word in the midst of unfavourable circumstances.
This helps us distinguish God’s kindness from God’s comfort. We often think that if God is kind to us, our circumstances should become easier. But, Acts 27 shows us otherwise. God was kind to Paul, not by removing the storm, but by keeping him through it!
In fact, storms can sometimes make God’s kindness more visible to us. When everything is going well, we can easily take God’s providence for granted, can’t we? But, in the storm, we become conscious of how completely dependent we are upon Him. We may look back and realise and say something in this line: ‘I thought God was abandoning me, but He was keeping me!’
So, we should not measure God’s kindness by how smooth our circumstances are. A difficult circumstance does not mean that God has ceased to be kind. Paul was not promised that he would avoid the shipwreck. Instead, he was promised that God would bring him safely through it. And that is also our hope, isn’t it? God’s kindness is not always seen in the storm being prevented; sometimes, it is seen in the fact that, through the storm, God does not let us go!
II. God’s Kindness Through Unexpected People and Circumstances
Now, let’s turn to the scene, following landing on the shore. After surviving the shipwreck, Paul and the others discover another expression of God’s kindness. We read it in 28:1-2. The native people of Malta showed them unusual kindness.
Think about the situation. I find this quite remarkable. They’ve just survived a shipwreck. They’re wet, cold, exhausted, and stranded on an unfamiliar island. Then, unexpectedly, these local people come out and welcome them. They build a fire for them. They show them kindness.
And that is not the only unexpected thing that happens on Malta. Paul is bitten by a viper, but he survives. The islanders are astonished. The Publius, the leading man of the island, welcomes Paul and his companions into his home. When Publius’ father is sick, Paul prays for him and God heals him. Then, the other sick people on the island come, and Paul ministers to them also.
Think about the way this story is told. Paul was trying to get to Rome. Malta was not part of his plan. The shipwreck was certainly not part of his anticipation. The fire, the Maltese people, Publius, the viper, and the opportunities for healing ministry – all of these things came unexpectedly.
But, what appeared to be an interruption in Paul’s journey became an opportunity for God’s kindness and gospel ministry. Considering it all, we hear something important about God’s providence. God brings unexpected people into our lives – not only to bless us, but also to bless them through us.
We may think, ‘Why has God brought this person into my life?’ Moreover, we may wonder why we’ve been placed in a particular situation, a particular workplace, particular neighbourhood or relationship. Sometimes the answer is not simply that God wants to provide something FOR us. Perhaps, He intends to provide something THROUGH us. Paul needed the Maltese people’s fire and hospitality. But the Maltese people needed Paul – and, more importantly, they needed the ministry of God’s grace that came through Paul. In this way, God’s kindness comes to us through unexpected people, and God’s kindness flows from us to unexpected people.
And that gives us an important perspective on our own lives. We should not only ask, ‘Where is God showing His kindness to me?’ We should also ask, ‘To whom might God be showing His kindness through me?’
Perhaps, the person who needs our hospitality. Perhaps, someone who needs encouragement. Perhaps, someone who needs practical help. And above all, perhaps, someone who needs to hear the gospel of God’s grace!
Paul’s time on Malta was not wasted time. It was not merely a delay before getting to Rome. It was an opportunity to receive God’s kindness and to become an instrument of God’s kindness.
That may also be true of the unexpected circumstances in our own lives. What we regard as an interruption may become an opportunity. What we regard as a detour may become a ministry. What we receive from others may become something God intends us to pass on to others. That’s because God’s kindness often comes to us through unexpected hands – and then, through our hands, He extends that kindness to others.
III. God’s Kindness in Bringing Us to His Purpose
Finally, we come to the greatest expression of God’s kindness in this passage. Paul’s journey was not simply about surviving a storm or receiving help from kind people. There was a purpose behind the whole journey.
God had already told Paul in 27:24, “You must stand before Caesar.” That promise becomes the framework through which we should understand everything that happens afterwards. Paul experiences the storm. Then, the shipwreck. Then, Malta. Then, the snakebite. The, the healing ministry. And finally, after all these unexpected turns, we’re told in 28:14, “so we came to Rome.” What a simple statement.
But, we know what it took to get there. Paul was on his way to Rome. Then, storm and destruction and Malta and viper. And yet, “we came to Rome.” What does this all say? God’s purpose could not be overturned by the circumstances along the way. In other words, the circumstances may change our route, but they cannot change God’s purpose.
Paul probably did not know that Malta was going to be part of his journey. He certainly did not plan for the shipwreck or the snakebite. But, none of these things were outside God’s sovereign providence. And, notice something important. The detour to Malta was not simply something Paul had to endure before God’s real purpose began in Rome. God was already accomplishing His purposes there in Malta – preserving Paul, providing for him through the Maltese people, and using Paul to minister to them.
In a word, God’s purpose was being accomplished not only at the destination, but along the way. And that speaks directly to us. We do not always know where the road is taking us. Our plans may change. We may encounter disappointment, delays, and detours that we never expected. But the unexpected turns of our lives are not unexpected to God. Paul could not see the whole journey, but God could. So, we do not need to understand everything that happens on the way in order to trust the One who is leading us. Our route may change, but God’s purpose does not!
That is God’s kindness. He not only preserves us along the way; He faithfully brings us towards the purpose He has ordained.
Conclusion
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, as Paul finally arrives in Rome, we can look back and see God’s kindness all along the way.
In the storm, God preserved Paul. Through unexpected people and circumstances, God provided for Paul – and through him, God showed kindness to others. And through every unexpected turn, God faithfully brought Paul towards God’s purpose.
Remember this: Paul did not know everything that would happen on the way to Rome. But God did. And neither do we know everything that lies ahead of us. But, we know that God who leads us!
So, when the journey becomes difficult, when unexpected people or circumstances come into our lives, and when our plans seem to take a completely different direction, let us remember: Our route may change, but God’s purpose does not!
Therefore, wherever we are on the way, we can trust God. Because God’s kindness is not only waiting for us at the destination. His kindness is with us on the way. ***
