Turning for our Bible reading this morning to Acts chapter 28, the 28th chapter of the book of Acts. We're going to read together from verse one, continue with our study in this book as we come to the final chapter, and the final few messages, couple of messages as we bring to an end our study. And what commenced as a study on New Testament Christianity, and then we continue throughout Book of Acts to this point this morning. Acts chapter 28. We're going to read from verse 1. This breaks into the account of Paul's shipwreck as he travels from Caesarea to Rome. We've looked at chapter 27 for a number of weeks now, and we move into this 28th chapter where Paul eventually arrives in Rome, which is where he has been traveling to. And we read from verse 1. When they were escaped then, they knew that the island was called Melita, and the barbarous people showed us no little kindness. For they kindled a fire and received us every one because of the present rain and because of the cold. And Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire. There came a viper out of the heat and fastened on his hand. And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, no doubt this man is a murderer. Whom though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live. He shook off the beast into the fire and felt no harm. Howbeit they looked when he should have swollen or fallen down dead suddenly. But after that they looked a great while and saw no harm come to him. They changed their minds and said that he was a god. The same quarters were possessions of the chief man of the island, whose name was Publius, who received us and lodged us three days courteously. It came to pass that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and of a bloody flux, to whom Paul entered in and prayed and laid his hands on him and healed him. So when this was done, others also, which had diseases in the island, came and were healed. He also honored us with many honors. And when we departed, they laded us with such things as were necessary. And after three months, we departed in a ship of Alexandria, which had wintered in the isle, whose sign was Castor and Pollux. And landing at Syracuse, we tarried there three days. At Thumbthence, we fetched a compass and came to Regaiam. And after one day, the south wind blew, and we came the next day to Petolia, where we found brethren and were desired to tarry with them seven days. And so we went toward Rome. And from thence, when the brethren heard of us, they came to meet us as far as Abbi Forum and the three taverns. And when Paul saw, he thanked God and took courage. And when we came to Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard. But Paul was suffered to dwell by himself with a soldier that kept him. Amen, we're going to finish there at verse 16 this morning, and we pray the Lord will bless the public reading of his precious word to our hearts. Verse 16 is the text that we'll take as our starting point, or at least the text for this morning. And especially that little phrase in verse 16, the opening part, we came to Rome. Remember, Paul has been traveling to Rome. It's been His desire to go there, and the Lord has indicated that was His will for Him. And this little statement in verse 16 summarizes so much for us. We came to Rome. The theme that I want to draw your attention to is the theme that God will not fail us. God will not fail us. He did not fail Paul. He brought him to Rome. And as the Lord did not fail Paul, he will not fail us either. So with that passage of scripture open before us, and with that theme before us, let's seek the Lord together in a word of prayer. Our Father and our God, we come into thy holy presence now, thankful for thy mercies to us this day already, and thankful, our Father, for thy presence in this service. We thank Thee for the words that we have been reading from Scripture. We thank Thee for the opportunity to praise Thy great name. And our Father, we pray now as we come to Thy word that Thou would draw these lessons out of this passage for our instruction, our encouragement, our help. We pray, Lord, today for all of Thy people that Thou will strengthen us as we ponder these verses and this incident in Paul's life. We pray, Father, for those who are not saved, that thou would reveal to them thy wonder and thy faithfulness and thy graciousness. Lord, draw them savingly to thyself, we ask. I pray today for the power of thy Spirit, for the infilling of the Holy Ghost. Put away every distraction, Lord, we pray. We ask that just now thou would draw our hearts after thee and make this word a blessing to us, we ask. to abide with us and undertake for us. Bless the preaching and the hearing of thy precious word, we ask in Jesus' precious name, amen. John Calvin, the reformer of Geneva and himself no stranger to trials, once said that our faith is really and truly tested only when we are brought into very severe conflicts and when even hell itself seems opened to swallow us up. He then went on to say that the more we are afflicted by adversities, the more surely our fellowship with Christ is confirmed. Now I don't know the exact context of those words. I don't know the circumstances that prompted them or what particular trial Calvin was referring to, but his observation is very true. When faith is tested and when we are afflicted by adversities, fellowship with Christ is confirmed. That same truth appears in Acts chapter 27 in the life of the Apostle Paul. At this time, as you know, Paul was a prisoner on his way from Caesarea to Rome, a journey that involves several hundred miles. It was while Paul was making that journey with 275 other people that he faced one of the most difficult and dangerous times in his life. For more than 14 days, the ship that Paul sailed in was battered and pounded by a mighty storm. The ship was driven off course. It began to break up. The sailors had to get rid of their cargo. There was no sign of the sun, no sign of the stars, and therefore, no means of navigation. Everything looked to be moving towards the complete destruction of that vessel and the loss of all lives on board. It was without question, as you read through Acts chapter 27, it was without question a time of intense affliction for the apostle Paul. And yet right in the midst of it, Paul, like John Calvin, had confirmed fellowship with the Lord. It's very interesting to note in that chapter that there's a great contrast. On one hand, we discover the rashness and the recklessness of ungodly men, men making unwise decisions, men acting without due care or due diligence, men becoming spurred on by selfish desire. And then when those same men are overwhelmed by their circumstances, not knowing what to do, and unable to cope in the midst of their problems. And on the other hand, we discover the Apostle Paul, And what one preacher is aptly called the persistent sanity and strength of Paul. When the storm was at its highest, Paul was at his calmest. It is Paul who tells the other men on board to be of good cheer. It is Paul who tells them to eat food. It is Paul who outlines the steps they must take if they're going to survive the storm and be saved from drowning at sea. It was Paul. It's Paul who stands out in the midst of the storm as a man of tremendous strength. And it begs the question, what was the secret of Paul's calmness? What was the secret of his strength? What was the secret of his optimism in the midst of that affliction? Was it not his fellowship with the Lord? Was it not his fellowship with his God? It was Campbell Morgan of London who noted on this voyage, the Lord did not appear to Paul. There was one hour when in the stress and strain of the tempest, amid the howling of the storm, when waves were tossing the ship, an angel came to speak with him in the night, but the Lord did not appear. Yet all the way through this man was in fellowship with his Lord. I think it's very hard to argue against There were times in the New Testament when Christ was physically present with his servants in the midst of storms, and he brought them relief. But the Lord was not physically present with Paul here, though he was just as really present with his servant. The Lord had not forsaken Paul. There was a word of comfort for him in the midst of these troubles. The entire way from Caesarea to Rome, the Lord was with him. And understand that, remember, God had a place and a purpose for his servant. He had a place for him to be. He had a purpose for Paul, a work for Paul to do, and God did not fail him. His hand was on his servant all the way. And what was true of Paul is true of every believer. In 1641, Georg Neumark wrote the hymn that we've been singing this morning, If Thou But Suffer, God to Guide Thee. As a young man, he was on his way to university in Germany when he was robbed of all that he had, except a book of prayers and some money that he had sown into his coat. He was left destitute and unable to continue on his way with his plans, it seemed, lying in disarray. He was unable to find employment, And at that time, it seemed as if everything was against him. Potential opportunities that came his way eventually came to nothing, and the way of life for him involved unexpected twists and turns, stresses and strains. He eventually gained employment as a tutor. He took up that position, and as he did, so he wrote the words of the hymn that we were singing today. If thou but suffer God to guide thee. What does that mean? What does that mean for us this morning? It means that God does not forsake his children. God does not appoint things for us and then abandon us to do those things on our own. God will remain faithful to his people. And I think when we come through Acts chapter 27 and into Acts chapter 28, we miss the point of these verses if we focus solely on Paul or focus solely on his circumstances. It was the Lord who brought Paul this way. And it was the Lord who brought him finally to Rome. That's the significance of these words in verse 16, we came to Rome. And I suggest to you today that there is much more to those words than meets the eye. They summarize the faithfulness of God every step of the way. And that's the thing that I want to consider this morning. Perhaps God is calling you, directing you, changing your circumstances. Perhaps you're in the midst of trial, affliction. Some unforeseen set of circumstances have come into your life and you don't know what to think about those. You don't know what way to face those trials, those adversities. It's a daunting prospect as you look out into the weeks and months perhaps to come and you find it overwhelms you. So what do we do in circumstances like that? Believer, remember that God has a plan and a purpose and he will remain faithful to us in all of those ways. He will not fail us. And I see that in three ways in this passage. Especially in Acts chapter 28 as we take this verse 16 as a summary of the faithfulness of God. Notice first of all here the unfailing promise of God. The unfailing promise of God. Acts 28 opens the same way as Acts 27 closes. with a reference to the fact that all on board that stricken vessel escaped with their lives. Look at verse 44 of chapter 27. And the rest, some on boards and some on broken pieces of the ship, and so it came to pass that they escaped all safe to land. In chapter 28, verse 1, and when they were escaped, then they knew the island, and this island is the island we know as Malta. Verse 44 notes that they all escaped safe to land. The idea behind that phrase, all escaped, has the idea that they were thoroughly saved or thoroughly rescued or preserved. While the ship was broken to pieces and the wheat had been cast into the sea, not one soldier, not one prisoner, not one passenger, not one sailor was lost. The emphasis there on verse 44 and verse 1 of chapter 28 is that all of them made it to land. Now, when the world looks at an event like this, it speaks in terms of good luck. The ungodly man looks at this rescue, this escape, and they say, well, this was just by chance. This was just good fortune, just a lucky day. It happened to be that they could sail or swim to the land there and they could get their way. This was just a lucky occurrence for them. This was not a coincidence. This was not a thing of chance. The fact that all on board that ship safely made it to land was a confirmation and a fulfillment of the promise of God. Look back at Acts 27 verses 22 and 24. The Lord is meeting with Paul and then Paul speaks to the others on board and he says, now I exhort you be of good cheer for there shall be no loss of any man's life among you but off the ship. And then the angel said to Paul, fear not, Paul, thou must be brought before Caesar, and lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee. There's a double promise here, that no one on board that ship would be lost in the midst of that storm. It's a promise that they would all get to land safely. And that promise was connected to the greater promise to Paul, that he would be brought to Rome. Back in Acts chapter 23 in verse 11, God had clearly said to His servant, As thou hast testified of Me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome. Now that's what this voyage was all about for Paul. He was going to the city of Rome on the basis of the Word of God. He had a promise from the Lord that he would witness there, a promise that he would stand before Caesar and preach, a promise that he would be there to minister to the Lord's people. It was God's will for this man to come into the imperial capital and speak the gospel of Jesus Christ. God had promised such a thing. And although there were times when it looked as if that promise was going to fail, Paul eventually arrived in that city. God kept his word. His promise was effectual. God had done as he had said. What is that teaching us? Is it not that God can be trusted? That God's promises are sure and yea and amen in Christ? Human promises sometimes count for nothing. We are all familiar with assurances that have been given to us that have never been kept. Either the person has forgotten, or they have deliberately chosen to ignore their promise, or they were unable to fulfill that promise to us. In many ways, life is full of broken promises. We cannot always trust the words of others. But that's not so with God. This statement, so we came to Rome, is an indication that God is on failing in his promises to his people. Note the details here very carefully. God keeps his promises despite our circumstances. There were at least three times between Caesarea and Rome when it looked as if Paul was never going to reach his destination. First, there was the storm. In Acts 27, verse 20, we're told that during that tempest, all hope that they should be saved was taken away. We can read that in the comfort of our sanctuary here. We can read that in the comfort of our homes and not think much about that. All hope was taken away that we should be saved. It appeared to those sailors that this was a hopeless situation. They couldn't see the sun. They couldn't see the stars. There was nothing to guide them. They've been thrown about on the open Mediterranean. The waves are breaking in upon their ship. The wind is smashing its sides. There's nothing these men can do. They've done everything they can. And having done everything they can, their testimony is all hope that we should be saved was taken away. They're ready to give up. They're ready to give up. And it looked as if Paul, God's promise to Paul, was going to be unfulfilled. It was the issue of the storm. It was also the issue of the soldiers. Look at verse 42 of chapter 27. As they strike the ship, whatever's left of it, into the area where they think they can then get to shore. Verse 42 tells us the soldier's counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out and escape. So there are Roman soldiers on board this vessel, there are prisoners there, and the soldier's idea is let's just kill the prisoners because if we don't kill them, they could well swim away here and escape. It's a terrible thing for a Roman soldier to lose a prisoner. It most likely would mean he would lose his own life. These are tense moments. Very tense moments for the prisoners and the soldiers are getting very edgy. What are they going to do with these men? And their thought is, let's just put them to death. But the centurion steps in. Verse 43, the centurion, willing to see if Paul kept them from their purpose. Had the soldiers killed the prisoners, Paul would have been killed at the end of their sword. He had to face this issue of the soldiers. And the soldier was restrained from carrying out his wishes. Paul was within an inch here of not only losing his life in the storm, he's within an inch of losing his life at the hands of a Roman soldier. And again, it looks as if God's promise is just about to fail. Then there was the issue of the snake or the serpent. Acts 28, verse 3, Paul gathering a bundle of sticks has now reached shore. It's pouring the rain. It's cold. These men have been shipwrecked. But I think that little information in verse 3 that Paul gathered a bundle of sticks shows something about the humanness of the apostle Paul. He's God's servant. He's this mighty missionary, this great theologian, this tremendous church planter, this tremendous defender of the faith, and Paul is gathering sticks. He's not leaving it up to someone else to do that. He's happy to gather sticks for others as they try to light a fire here. And as he gathers sticks, there's a viper or a snake. The thought is that in the coldness of that island, the snake was lying there torpid and then when it came to the fire and Paul has it on the stick, the snake or the viper comes to life and is revived and he strikes Paul. And the natives that are there felt for sure that Paul was going to die. They reasoned that here's a murderer and he has escaped the justice of the sea. And now the serpent, the snake has attacked him and therefore he's going to die. And when that didn't happen, they changed their mind and said, this man is a God. But evidently these people of Malta, these natives expected Paul to die. So three times on this voyage, Paul faced death. In the storm, the hand of the soldiers, and now on this, the island with the snake. His arrival in Rome looked to be in jeopardy. But despite every circumstance that seemed to be against Paul, God was for him. And his promise was eventually fulfilled. And so we read verse 16, we came to Rome. There was no storm, there was no soldier, there was no snake or anything else that could prevent or would prevent God fulfilling his own word. God rules the wind, he rules the waves, he rules the hearts of men. Even those hearts of wicked men are in the hand of God and God can turn them whatever way he wants. He controls and restrains every part of his creation. And he works all things together to fulfill his word. God's promises are sure. And believer, that's true for us, regardless of our circumstances. God does not give us a promise. He does not promise to be with us. He does not promise never to leave us nor forsake us. And that promise depends on our circumstances or our situation. God's promises are true. When God says to His people, I will keep thee as the apple of mine eye, He will fulfill that. When God says, I will guide thee with mine eye, He will fulfill that. When God says, I will be with thee, and when you pass through the waters and pass through the fires, I will uphold thee with my right hand, God fulfills that promise. God makes his way clear to us and reveals his will to us and shows us this is his mind for our lives and gives us a promise that he will bring us to that particular place that he wants us to be in. Even though our circumstances may seem unfavorable and even though everything seems to be against that promise being fulfilled, our God will fulfill his words. We came to Rome because God keeps his promises despite our circumstances. Furthermore, God keeps his promises for his own glory. Paul had given a very clear testimony to God's word in Acts 27. Back there in verse 25, he said, wherefore, sirs, he's speaking now to the men on board in the midst of the storm, wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer, for I believe God that it was even as it was told me." I believe God that it was even as it was told me. Now see what Paul is saying there. He is telling these men that God has told him something. Paul's message about their safety was not his own opinion. It was not his own idea. It's not Paul's own thoughts that they were going to escape the storm. This was not Paul's promise. This was God's promise. And therefore, God's honor was at stake. Here is Paul telling these heathen sailors, I believe, God, that it shall be even as it was told me. Can you imagine what would have been said if half of the men on board had perished at sea? Where would that have left Paul's message? What would that have said about the faithfulness of Paul's God? The promise was kept. and God was glorified. That's what encouraged David Livingstone as he did his missionary work. The promise of God to be with him was the promise of God, and God would not fail him. God will keep his promises for his own glory, his own glory, that men might know this is the finger of God. This is the work of God. We have a faithful covenant keeping God. Something else to note here. God keeps his promises and fulfills them in his own time. The first mention of Paul going to Rome is back there in Acts 19 verse 21. where we read these words, after these things were ended, Paul purposed in the spirit when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia to go to Jerusalem, saying, after I have been there, I must also see Rome. It's Acts 19, it's the end of Paul's third missionary journey. That's confirmed by the Lord in Acts chapter 23, some months later, just after Paul has been arrested in Jerusalem. But the promise that God gave to a servant that as he had witnessed in Jerusalem, so he had witnessed in Rome, that promise was not fulfilled for many months. Paul spent time as a prisoner in Caesarea, at least two years as a prisoner in Caesarea. He spent time on board this ship. He spent another three months waiting in Malta, waiting for the winter to pass and this ship to take him on towards Rome. And from a human perspective, it was delay after delay. Months had passed, perhaps up to three years had passed between the promise being given and the promise being fulfilled. It seemed to be a delay, but there are no delays where God is concerned. Our times are in His hands. Our times are not God's times. There are times we want instant answers. There are times we want instant fulfillments to promises that God has given to us. But God does not work according to our timetable. God's way and God's time and God's word and God's method, they are all perfect. And believer, sometimes we have to be patient. Was Paul frustrated at times that he couldn't get to Rome as quickly as he thought? I wouldn't be surprised he was. He's a man subject to like passions as we are. And now he has to go through the storm, and he has to face these soldiers, and he has to face the shipwreck, and he has to face three months in Malta, and it must have been a discouraging thing, but God's time is perfect. And verse 16 tells us, we came to Rome. Exactly at the time God determined Paul would be in Rome. It stands as a tremendous testimony to the fact that God fulfills his own promises. And believe it, he still does. I was reading recently through the book of Joshua, Joshua chapter 1, 21, verse 45, tells us that all the promises, all the promises God gave to the children of Israel, not one of them failed. You think of that for 40 years, they're wandering in the wilderness for 40 years with all the trials, all the temptations, all the adversities, all the afflictions, 40 years of murmuring in cases, 40 years of them fighting against Moses, 40 years of patience from Moses, and not one word of God filled the people. We have a covenant keeping God. He is not slack concerning his word. I don't know what the Lord has for you. I don't know what challenges, what changes, what course in life he has. But I know this, if it is his will, he will bring it to pass. Because his promises are sure. God doesn't play games with us. God is true and honest and faithful. Therefore, believer, trust him. We talk about the sovereignty of God. We talk about the faithfulness of God. We sing, great is thy faithfulness. We understand the theology of that. We understand the doctrine that lies at the heart of that truth. And yet when circumstances come into life, it seems there's a disconnect between what we believe and how we behave, our theology and our experience. but we have a God that we can trust. That's why Solomon tells in Proverbs chapter 3, lean not on your own understanding, but in all your ways acknowledge him. And he shall direct your paths, not just simply directed in regard to the way we ought to go, but he will undertake for us in that So as I come into Acts chapter 28 and I see Paul eventually arriving in Rome, I see that God does not feel. Here's his own feeling promise. We can trust Him. Whatever our circumstances, we have a God that keeps His word. I see also here his own failing provision, or the unfailing provision of God. Not only the unfailing promise, but the unfailing provision. If we look at this incident very carefully, between Acts 27 and now into Acts chapter 28, and mark the activity of the Lord in it. There are times we might think that the central character here is Paul. And he's the one that features prominently in the chapter and the verses from a human perspective. But Paul is not the central character. The central character is the Lord himself. And you can see, as you read the chapters carefully, you can see the Lord's activity, how he presided over everything for the good of his servants. God is providentially working all things for the furtherance of the gospel and for the blessing of his people. Nothing happens by accident. Nothing happens by chance. God is in control here. And that is very clearly seen in this passage. And as God is in control, fulfilling his promise to Paul, he also provides for Paul. I understand that. As God fulfills his promise to Paul, he also provides for him. He provides everything that Paul needs. Let me bring that right down to our lives. The God who orders and directs and provides and controls things for Paul is the same God who sits upon the throne and is sovereign over heaven and earth and over every affair of our lives also. And as he provided for Paul, so he will provide for us. Proverbs or Philippians chapter four verse 19, Paul says, my God shall supply all your need according to his riches and glory by Christ Jesus. He's talking there in regard to a financial situation. The Philippian church had been very faithful and giving to Paul and now Paul reminds them that as they have been faithful, God will supply all their need in Christ Jesus. There's an application there very clearly. But it goes much broader than just financial help or meeting our need physically. Acts 27, Acts 28 teaches us that God provides for his people. You think of this, God provided for Paul's safety. He provided for Paul's safety. Paul's safe escape to land was all of God. It wasn't just that Paul happened to find the largest piece of board and managed to swim or float his way to the coast. It wasn't that Paul managed to dodge the soldier's sword or the soldier's spear. God preserved him. God kept him safe. Paul's life was in God's hands. It's interesting to think, just to think this through. And as God provides safety not only for Paul but for all those on board, it makes us think that the times of our lives, the time of our birth, the time of our death is appointed by the Lord. It's appointed unto men once to die. And God protects Paul because this was not his appointed time to die. God preserved him. Now, of course, Paul had wise decisions to make. He had to give wise counsel to these men. He had to be careful, but God was in control of his life. And God provided safety for his servant. And our lives and our times and our everything is in the hand of God. It's appointed unto men. God is the author of life. God is the giver of life. It's what Job identifies when he says, the Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away. When his children lost their lives, it was the time for the Lord to take away. And our lives from beginning to end on this earth are in the hand of God. And God gives safety to us. He provides that. He's taking care of Paul. He's protecting him. And God does the same for his people. There are unseen dangers that we encounter, and there are seen dangers that we encounter, and the Lord preserves us. How often do you hear people testify of being just within a hair's breadth of being killed in a road accident or something of that nature? and if testified, the Lord's hand was upon me." It's true. It's true. The Lord provides for safety for his people. Notice also that God provided Paul with opportunities for service. You think of this very carefully. If Paul had not been on that ship, if Paul had not been in that storm, If Paul had not been shipwrecked on that island, he could never have ministered to the sailors or to the other prisoners or to the natives on Malta as he did. But the Lord provided that for him. You think of the good that was able to be done during the storm. And then the time that he spends on the island, look at verses seven to nine of Acts 28. It says, in the same quarters were possessions of the chief man of the island. His name was Publius, who received us and lodged us three days courteously. And this man's father is sick of a fever. And Paul enters in and prays and lays his hands upon him, and the man is healed. And when that is known across the island, others come with their diseases and they are healed as well. And for three months, Paul has a ministry on that island. In the midst of the storm, Paul had a ministry to the sailors and to the prisoners on board that ship. God provided opportunities for him to serve, even in his adversity. You ever ask yourself the question when you're in the midst of trials, how can I serve God in the midst of this affliction? Perhaps some family trial, some personal trial, health-wise or some other way, something has come into your life that just seems to be so devastating to you, you didn't see it coming, you couldn't understand why it has come. You ever ask yourself the question, how can I serve God in the midst of this? Because in his providence, Though we don't understand the trial, we don't understand the reason for the trial, God provides opportunities for us to serve him, to give testimony for him. In the midst of those afflictions, and as Paul sails from Caesarea to Rome, God opens doors of opportunity for him to serve. And God never fails to give us opportunity to serve him and serve others in the gospel. Furthermore, God provided for Paul's temporal needs. Look at verse 10. He talks now about these islanders, these Maltese people, who also honored us with many honors, and when we departed, they laded us with such things as were necessary. Things for the journey, the essential things, food and clothes, and what was needed for the journey on to Rome. And I can't read those words and not think of the promise of Christ in Matthew 6 in verse 33. And in Matthew 6, the Lord is speaking there. It's the Sermon on the Mount. He's dealing with mundane things, with what we eat and what we drink, what we wear. And then in verse 33, he says, But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. What things? All the necessities of life, all the essential things. The food, the clothing, what we need to eat and what we need to drink. The mundane, the ordinary, the temporal things of life. Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and these things shall be added unto you. And the Lord did that for Paul. Look, as there also are, as Starcus is with him, these three believers. And notice how it's put in verse 10. It's not just Paul that these people provided for. who also honored us with many honors. And I think Luke is included there, and Aristarchus is included there also. And such things, when we departed, they laid at us with such things as were necessary. These men had nothing, remember, they had lost everything at sea. And they arrive in Malta, they have nothing but the clothes they're standing in, and those clothes are soaking wet. And the Lord knew what these men needed. And the Lord had people on Malta, and he used those people on the island to provide for their needs. Do you see how the Lord takes care even of the mundane things? The temporal things, the things that perhaps we get bent out of shape over sometimes? Our heavenly Father knows that we have need of, Christ tells us. And maybe you're in dire straits just now on a very practical level. Things are not what you thought they would be. And Satan comes with the temptation, look, God has forgotten you. God has forsaken you in your temporal, in your financial affliction. God has forgotten you. No, he hasn't, believer. Our Heavenly Father knows what we have need. And therefore, we can depend upon Him even for the necessities of life. Trust Him. He will bring those things that you need, perhaps from very unexpected sources. The Lord will bring the things that you need. He will meet us at the point of our need. He also provided for Paul's spiritual support and encouragement. Look at verses 14 and 15 here. As they come towards Rome, it tells us, verse 14, where we find brethren and were desired to tarry with them seven days, and so we went toward Rome. And from thence, when the brethren heard of us, they came to meet us as far as Appi Forum, and the three taverns, whom when Paul saw, he thanked God and took courage. They were believers, they were brethren, who heard that Paul was now at Rome, and he's making his way from the coast towards the city of Rome, and they come as far as the Abbey Forum, and they meet with Paul. And when Paul saw them, he thanked God, and he took courage. Brethren had heard that Paul was coming, and they went to meet him. And those men were a means of encouragement to the apostle. In fact, that language in verse 15 when it says, he thanked God and took courage, it suggests to me that Paul perhaps was somewhat discouraged at this time. And that would be no surprise. Paul was human. He felt these things. He felt the storm that caused that ship to be wrecked. He knew he was going into the imperial capital as a prisoner. He knew there were Jews who were determined to put him to death. And now he's eventually in Rome. Put yourself in Paul's position and ask yourself, what kind of mind or heart would you have at that time? Would it not be discouraged? And what does the Lord do knowing that was the frame and the heart of the apostle? He sends men, he sends brethren, other believers to meet with him. And when Paul sees them, he thanks God and he takes courage. The Lord used those other believers to encourage his servant. It's an interesting side note here. But Christians need to learn to encourage each other. Christians, we need to learn to encourage each other. We can be such a discouragement at times. We ought to strive to be an encouragement. It's interesting, whenever Moses is about to die and he hands the reins over to Joshua, he tells the people to encourage him. Encourage Joshua. And the Lord uses brethren and sisters to encourage each other. And here is Paul, eventually coming to Rome. And the Lord provides for his spiritual comfort and his spiritual encouragement. Isn't that just like the Lord? You see, as you work down the verses here, that God provided exactly the things that Paul needed. Christ said that in Matthew 6, 32, your heavenly father knoweth that you have need of these things. Our God is not ignorant of our circumstances. He's not blind to our situation. Believer, God knows. God knows today if you come into God's house and you're discouraged, the Lord knows that. The Lord knows today if you come into his house and you're facing terrible temptations, the Lord knows. or you're carrying burdens from home, or burdens from work, or burdens in your family, or burdens of some other nature, the Lord knows. But the Lord is unfailing in his provision for us. We came to Rome. He is Jehovah Jireh, the Lord who provides. Let's take heart from that even today. Third thing, very quickly, there is the unfailing purpose of God. Not only the unfailing promise and the unfailing provision, as you come to verse 16, and it tells us we came to Rome, you have the unfailing purpose of God. God would have Paul in Rome to testify for him. He would have a witness in that city. He would have a man who would be faithful to him in that court. Paul was a weak instrument. By his own admission, that God would use the weak things to confound the mighty. He would use the things that are nothing to confound the things that are. God would have a witness in that place. That was God's purpose. He told Paul, as you have witnessed and testified of me in Jerusalem, so you shall do so in Rome. God's purpose hadn't changed. And here's now Paul in Rome, ready to testify of Christ. And as you read the remaining part of the chapter, and we'll come to this next Lord's Day, as he talks to the Jews and talks to others, just statements here that summarize his entire ministry, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no man forbidding him, the last verse of the chapter. God's purpose was fulfilled and Paul has raised a witness now in Rome. God never feels. God never feels. He says that in Isaiah's prophecy, I will not feel thee. We have a God in heaven. Paul's God is our God. And as he did not feel Paul, he will not feel us. He can't. Failure is not part of God's nature. As part of ours, we feel that we have a non-failing God. We came to Rome. May God encourage our hearts as we draw the lessons from this shipwreck and this time on the island and this time traveling right into Rome itself. May the Lord encourage our hearts as we glean from this. that we can trust Him, and as the hymn writer said, we can rely upon Him if we but suffer God to guide us. And hope in Him through all our ways, He'll give us strength whate'er betide us and bear us through the evil days. God gives grace in the midst of the storms of life, and He will bring us safely to the place He would have us to be and for His glorious purpose and honor and praise. May the Lord encourage our hearts to live for Him in these days for Jesus' sake. Let's bow in a word of prayer together. Our Father and our God, we thank Thee for Thy Word and we thank Thee for this opportunity to meet. Around Thy Word, we think of all the details in these verses we've considered this morning. Our Father, we rejoice in this, that Thou art an unfailing God. Lord, what you promise, you perform, and you provide for your people, and we thank thee today that your purpose will be fulfilled. All praise and glory belongs to thee. Lord, help us to get our eyes off ourselves and off our circumstances and to get our eyes upon thee, we ask. Help us to lift up our eyes onto the hills from whence cometh our help, for our help cometh from the Lord. So Father, hear and answer prayer. Bless thy word to every heart in this service. May Christ have the glory and the honor. We pray in Jesus' precious name. Amen.