Latest / Desoto Hills Baptist Church / SUNDAY - October 25, 2026 "Thank God and Take Courage" Acts 28:11-16

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SUNDAY - October 25, 2026 "Thank God and Take Courage" Acts 28:11-16 · Desoto Hills Baptist Church

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to DeSoto Hills Baptist Church.
• 0:02
  SPEAKER_00: Our Sunday morning services are weekly at 9 and 10 30 a.m.
• 0:07
  SPEAKER_00: You're listening to an audio recast of this past week's service.
• 0:11
  SPEAKER_00: We hope you enjoy.
• 0:13
  SPEAKER_00: God bless.
• 0:14
  SPEAKER_01: This morning will briefly be in Acts chapter 28, verses 11 through 16.
• 0:20
  SPEAKER_01: You can start turning there.
• 0:22
  SPEAKER_01: Remember, remember where we are in this story of Acts.
• 0:25
  SPEAKER_01: Paul is on his way to Rome.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_01: And we we remember he we several weeks ago we saw him get on a boat on a nice little boat trip.
• 0:37
  SPEAKER_01: And then a tempestuous wind came and they went through a storm for 14 days, and then they were shipwrecked on the island of Malta.
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_01: But but we saw as he was there, we saw God continue to work in Paul's life on that island.
• 0:55
  SPEAKER_01: Remember, last week we saw as he was throwing sticks on a fire, a viper bit him on the hand, to which he just shook it off and continued to go about God's business.
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_01: Then God used him to heal Publius' father, and then everyone else on the island who was sick was brought to him, and God healed all of them through Paul.
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_01: And we see God continue to work on the island of Malta as Paul was there.
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_01: But then, as we come to our passage today, they are getting back on another ship and they are headed to Rome, and we're gonna see them actually arrive in Rome.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_01: But but as we see them travel, here's what we're gonna see happen.
• 1:38
  SPEAKER_01: We're gonna see Paul thank God and take courage as brothers meet him on the road to Rome.
• 1:46
  SPEAKER_01: He's gonna thank God and take courage, but as brothers meet him on the road.
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_01: And listen, here's what I want us to hear today.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_01: Here's the what I want us to get out of this sermon.
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_01: As God continued to work in Paul's life, God continued last week to work in his life this week.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_01: We're gonna see God encourage Paul on his trip to Rome.
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_01: And we're gonna see God working and moving.
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_01: And just as he continued to do that in Paul's life, hear me, church, God is working today in our lives.
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_01: And so we need to, as we see him working, be thankful and take courage.
• 2:22
  SPEAKER_01: That's the challenge for us.
• 2:23
  SPEAKER_01: In verse 15, it says this on seeing them, Paul thanked God and took courage.
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_01: The challenge for us today is gonna be this.
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_01: Thank God and take courage.
• 2:39
  SPEAKER_01: And the world around us and the things that are going on, and you may even be sitting there and say, Grant, how can I thank God?
• 2:47
  SPEAKER_01: You don't know how hard my life has been.
• 2:50
  SPEAKER_01: And it may not even be your life.
• 2:52
  SPEAKER_01: You may even say, Grant, I you don't know how hard this thing that I am in the midst of right now, you don't know how hard it is.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_01: How in the midst of this can I thank God?
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_01: Listen, today, as we see Paul's life, I would say to you, Paul is going through a pretty difficult time himself.
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_01: And has been through a pretty difficult time, and will continue to be in a pretty difficult time.
• 3:26
  SPEAKER_01: But in the midst of it, he thanked God and took courage.
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_01: So I hope as we explore what Paul did and why Paul was able to thank God and take courage, it will encourage us to do the same.
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_01: If you're able this morning, I invite you to stand as we read Acts chapter 28.
• 3:49
  SPEAKER_01: We're going to start in verse 11 and read down through verse 16.
• 3:55
  SPEAKER_01: After three months, we set sail in a ship that was wintered in the island, a ship of Alexandria, with the twin gods as a figurehead.
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_01: Putting in at Syracuse, we stayed there for three days, and from there we made a circuit and arrived at Rhagium.
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_01: And after one day a south wind sprang up, and on the second day we came to Putioli.
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_01: There we found brothers and were invited to stay with them for seven days.
• 4:21
  SPEAKER_01: So we came to Rome.
• 4:23
  SPEAKER_01: And the brothers there, when they heard about us, came as far as the Forum of Appius and three taverns to meet us.
• 4:31
  SPEAKER_01: On seeing them, Paul thanked God and took courage.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_01: And when we had come into Rome, Paul was allowed to stay by himself with the soldier who guarded him.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_01: Let's pray together.
• 4:45
  SPEAKER_01: God, thank you.
• 4:47
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you for today, and thank you for this opportunity that we have to open your word.
• 4:52
  SPEAKER_01: God, as you have revealed yourself to us through your word, may we this morning see you.
• 4:57
  SPEAKER_01: Jesus, it's in your name that we pray.
• 5:00
  SPEAKER_01: Amen.
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_01: So why was Paul able to thank God in the midst of a difficult situation?
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_01: Well, there's four things here, I think, real quickly this morning that we need to see.
• 5:12
  SPEAKER_01: First of all, God, Paul was able to thank God and take courage because God was working.
• 5:21
  SPEAKER_01: He was at work.
• 5:23
  SPEAKER_01: We've seen it.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_01: So understand the story, right?
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_01: We've talked about the tempestuous wind.
• 5:28
  SPEAKER_01: Well, that tempestuous wind that blew the ship was was what we we had one not too long ago in the northeast part of our country, a nor'easter.
• 5:39
  SPEAKER_01: It was a wind that was blowing out of the north and the east.
• 5:43
  SPEAKER_01: And it was a terrible storm.
• 5:45
  SPEAKER_01: And and we didn't talk about this much when they were going through it.
• 5:48
  SPEAKER_01: But but here's the thing: the sailors on the ship were really concerned that this nor'east easter was going to blow them further south than west.
• 5:57
  SPEAKER_01: If they went too far south, they would come to the north shore of the Africa to Sirtus.
• 6:04
  SPEAKER_01: And here's the problem with Steretus.
• 6:06
  SPEAKER_01: It was full of sandbars and reefs and all these things, and they were concerned that they would be shipwrecked there at Stertus because it was a place.
• 6:15
  SPEAKER_01: History has shown us that it was a place, it was a graveyard for ships.
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_01: Historians like Seneca and Pliny and Ovid and people like that, ancient historians have talked about this place and how ships went there and just crashed all the time.
• 6:30
  SPEAKER_01: So the sailors were concerned that the wind was going to blow them further south towards Africa.
• 6:35
  SPEAKER_01: But here's what happened: instead of going further south, it blew them further west to Malta.
• 6:43
  SPEAKER_01: And if you take a map and look at it, while Malta would not have been on a direct route to Rome, it wasn't that far out of the way.
• 6:53
  SPEAKER_01: Why?
• 6:55
  SPEAKER_01: Because God was working.
• 6:57
  SPEAKER_01: Because he was at work.
• 6:59
  SPEAKER_01: He directed the storm, he directed the winds, he directed the waves, he did what he needed to do to have Paul where he needed Paul to be.
• 7:08
  SPEAKER_01: We see God continue to work by using Paul.
• 7:11
  SPEAKER_01: We've already talked about how this poisonous snake bit Paul.
• 7:20
  SPEAKER_01: Because God is using him.
• 7:23
  SPEAKER_01: God was at work.
• 7:24
  SPEAKER_01: We've talked about all the numbers of people that were healed on the island.
• 7:28
  SPEAKER_01: Why?
• 7:29
  SPEAKER_01: Because God was at work revealing himself.
• 7:33
  SPEAKER_01: And in the midst of all of that, all the trouble that Paul was going through, he was able to thank God and take courage because he knew God was working.
• 7:46
  SPEAKER_01: He knew that it was happening.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_01: He knew God was at work.
• 7:49
  SPEAKER_01: And we've seen this through throughout through throughout this book of Acts in Acts chapter 19, verse 21.
• 7:56
  SPEAKER_01: Paul had a vision of going to Rome himself.
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_01: He said, now after these events, Paul reserved, resolved in the spirit to pass through Macedonia and Achaea and go to Jerusalem, saying, After I have been there, I must also see Rome.
• 8:12
  SPEAKER_01: Paul had this vision to go to Rome, but greater than Paul's vision of making it to Rome, God had a vision to go to Rome.
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_01: We've talked about it so much, Acts chapter 1, 8.
• 8:23
  SPEAKER_01: But you shall receive power after the Holy Spirit comes upon you.
• 8:27
  SPEAKER_01: And you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria to the ends of the earth.
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_01: When Paul is showing up in Rome, guess what?
• 8:34
  SPEAKER_01: He is at the ends of the earth.
• 8:36
  SPEAKER_01: Now how you say, Grant, how is Rome the ends of the earth?
• 8:39
  SPEAKER_01: Because it is the cultural center of the known world at that time.
• 8:44
  SPEAKER_01: Everything went to Rome.
• 8:47
  SPEAKER_01: And from Rome, everyone could hear the gospel.
• 8:52
  SPEAKER_01: It was spreading.
• 8:53
  SPEAKER_01: God was working, but even more directly than just all the apostles.
• 8:59
  SPEAKER_01: In Acts chapter 23.
• 9:02
  SPEAKER_01: In Acts chapter 23, verse 11, God specifically told Paul.
• 9:23
  SPEAKER_01: Paul knew God was working.
• 9:25
  SPEAKER_01: And in the midst of the craziness that was going on around Paul, he knew God was working and could thank God for it and take courage in that knowledge.
• 9:37
  SPEAKER_01: Church, hear me.
• 9:40
  SPEAKER_01: God is still at work.
• 9:43
  SPEAKER_01: In a world where it may seem to us like he's not, in a world where it may seem like we are losing ground as church, church, hear me, God is still at work.
• 9:53
  SPEAKER_01: So we need to be thankful and we need to take courage and be his witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria and to the uttermost parts of the earth.
• 10:05
  SPEAKER_01: Take courage.
• 10:07
  SPEAKER_01: Be thankful because God is at work.
• 10:10
  SPEAKER_01: Second, I think Paul could be thankful and take courage because of God's provision.
• 10:17
  SPEAKER_01: Because of what God was providing as he was working.
• 10:29
  SPEAKER_01: Now here's the interesting part about that.
• 10:33
  SPEAKER_01: Paul has not actually made it to Rome proper.
• 10:36
  SPEAKER_01: He is really probably about 130 miles away still.
• 10:41
  SPEAKER_01: But he's come to a place that he's one of two things that's happening.
• 10:44
  SPEAKER_01: He's so far on the outskirts that he's that people even that far away count themselves as living in Rome.
• 10:51
  SPEAKER_01: We understand this.
• 10:52
  SPEAKER_01: In 2002, I took a mission trip to Boston.
• 10:55
  SPEAKER_01: Boston, it's a huge city, and actually it's it's it's bigger because people just claim Boston.
• 11:03
  SPEAKER_01: I I would get on a train, we would get on a train and ride a train for 45 minutes to an hour outside of Boston to a municipality that was a city in and of itself.
• 11:14
  SPEAKER_01: But if you ask those people, hey, where are you from outside of that place, they're gonna say, I'm from Boston.
• 11:20
  SPEAKER_01: Lived a long way from actual Boston.
• 11:24
  SPEAKER_01: Or or the other thing that could be happening is he has traveled so far and at 130 miles, he's so close, he just claims.
• 11:33
  SPEAKER_01: It's kind of like when I go home, when I go home or go to visit my brother and sister, Pontiac seems a long way away.
• 11:41
  SPEAKER_01: If that's the destination, it seems a long way away.
• 11:44
  SPEAKER_01: But when we're coming home from the beach and we drive through Tupelo, it just feels like you're home.
• 11:50
  SPEAKER_01: Still got another hour and a half.
• 11:52
  SPEAKER_01: One of those two things is happening, and so Paul is there, but but on his way there, see what happens.
• 11:58
  SPEAKER_01: In Syracuse, it says they stayed for three days.
• 12:03
  SPEAKER_01: For three days they stayed there.
• 12:04
  SPEAKER_01: And in Putoli, Putioli, it says that they stayed there.
• 12:09
  SPEAKER_01: We found brothers and were invited to stay with them for seven days.
• 12:14
  SPEAKER_01: Now understand this seven days staying there is not just getting by on the bare minimum.
• 12:18
  SPEAKER_01: Here's what's happening.
• 12:19
  SPEAKER_01: They are taking care of Paul.
• 12:21
  SPEAKER_01: They are providing for his needs.
• 12:24
  SPEAKER_01: They are doing what they need to help take care of Paul.
• 12:28
  SPEAKER_01: What we see happening there is the same thing that we see when Jesus sends the disciples out in Mark chapter 6, verses 7 through 13.
• 12:38
  SPEAKER_01: Here's what he says.
• 12:40
  SPEAKER_01: And he, Jesus, called the twelve and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over the unclean spirits.
• 12:48
  SPEAKER_01: He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff, no bread, no bag, no money in their belts, but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics.
• 13:00
  SPEAKER_01: And he said to them, Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there, and if any place will not receive you, and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.
• 13:12
  SPEAKER_01: So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent, and they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them.
• 13:23
  SPEAKER_01: Jesus sent them out, saying, Listen, don't worry about what you need, because I'm going to provide for you.
• 13:34
  SPEAKER_01: I will give you what you need.
• 13:37
  SPEAKER_01: Listen, just as he worked in the disciples' life, we find in Acts he is working in Paul's life and church.
• 13:44
  SPEAKER_01: Hear me.
• 13:45
  SPEAKER_01: God is still giving us what we need.
• 13:52
  SPEAKER_01: So we need to be thankful.
• 13:55
  SPEAKER_01: We need to take courage.
• 13:57
  SPEAKER_01: We need to be his witnesses.
• 14:01
  SPEAKER_01: Third, what we see is Paul is able to be thankful and take courage because of the fellowship provided.
• 14:13
  SPEAKER_01: I love what happened.
• 14:14
  SPEAKER_01: We've already pointed to chapter to verse 15, but but go to the beginning of it.
• 14:20
  SPEAKER_01: And the brothers there, when they heard about us, came as far as the Forum of Appius and three taverns to meet us.
• 14:29
  SPEAKER_01: On seeing them, Paul thanked God and took courage.
• 14:35
  SPEAKER_01: The brothers that he is talking about there, the brothers that he is talking about are Christians, are believers, people in the church.
• 14:43
  SPEAKER_01: And what has happened is they have heard that Paul has made it to shore and is on his way to Rome.
• 14:49
  SPEAKER_01: So here's what they do: they don't wait for him to get there.
• 14:52
  SPEAKER_01: No, they gather their stuff up and they go down the road to meet Paul and walk with him to Rome and to fellowship with him and to encourage him and to be with him on his journey there.
• 15:05
  SPEAKER_01: And upon seeing them, he was so encouraged that he became thankful and took courage.
• 15:13
  SPEAKER_01: Listen, and he was able to do that because of the bond that is there.
• 15:19
  SPEAKER_01: Listen, I you hear me talk about it all the time, talking about Pontock County.
• 15:25
  SPEAKER_01: Listen, when I'm anywhere and I meet somebody from Pontiac, I just kind of get, there's just kind of all of a sudden this little, hey, hey, I'm from Pontock.
• 15:36
  SPEAKER_01: You're from Pontock?
• 15:38
  SPEAKER_01: Hey.
• 15:38
  SPEAKER_01: And so I start talking to them about places because we know some of the same places, probably.
• 15:44
  SPEAKER_01: And then we start talking about people because, hey, we know some of the same people.
• 15:48
  SPEAKER_01: And I walk away from that from that interaction whether we ever talk again, but I usually walk away from that interaction a little bit encouraged because, hey, we know some of the same people.
• 16:00
  SPEAKER_01: There's somewhat of a bond there between us.
• 16:02
  SPEAKER_01: But hear me, what's happening here with Paul is way greater than two people from Pontiac County meeting.
• 16:09
  SPEAKER_01: It is bigger than that.
• 16:12
  SPEAKER_01: Because the bond that they have is way deeper than knowing somebody else that you might know.
• 16:19
  SPEAKER_01: Paul describes this bond in 1 Corinthians chapter 12, verse 13.
• 16:25
  SPEAKER_01: He says this, for in one spirit we, the we there is believers.
• 16:32
  SPEAKER_01: Okay?
• 16:33
  SPEAKER_01: Believers, the church.
• 16:36
  SPEAKER_01: For in one spirit, we were all baptized into one body.
• 16:42
  SPEAKER_01: Jews or Greeks, slaves or free, and all were made to drink of one spirit.
• 16:51
  SPEAKER_01: Hear me.
• 16:54
  SPEAKER_01: As believers, we have received one Holy Spirit.
• 17:00
  SPEAKER_01: And the Holy Spirit that resides in me is the Holy Spirit that resides in you.
• 17:06
  SPEAKER_01: The Jesus that saved me is the Jesus that saved you.
• 17:10
  SPEAKER_01: The God who sent his who loved me so much to send Jesus to die for me is the same God who loves you so much that he sent Jesus to die for you.
• 17:21
  SPEAKER_01: We are one spirit.
• 17:22
  SPEAKER_01: There is a bond that cannot be broken.
• 17:28
  SPEAKER_01: Listen, and in that church, in that, we need to find fellowship with one another.
• 17:36
  SPEAKER_01: And as we find fellowship with one another, we also find fellowship with the Father.
• 17:45
  SPEAKER_01: And in that fellowship, we can be encouraged to be thankful and take courage.
• 17:55
  SPEAKER_01: Finally, this morning.
• 17:57
  SPEAKER_01: I think Paul was able to be thankful and take courage because of God's freedom.
• 18:06
  SPEAKER_01: See what happens when Paul gets to Rome in verse 16.
• 18:10
  SPEAKER_01: And when he came to Rome, Paul was allowed to stay by himself with a soldier who guarded him.
• 18:17
  SPEAKER_01: So understand Paul is in prison, but he's not in a prison.
• 18:22
  SPEAKER_01: Most commentators, most historians would say what Paul is, what's happening to Paul is he is under house arrest.
• 18:28
  SPEAKER_01: He is able to live in a house with a soldier there to guard him.
• 18:32
  SPEAKER_01: People can come in and visit him.
• 18:34
  SPEAKER_01: There's a lot of freedom in Paul's sentence.
• 18:36
  SPEAKER_01: But understand also, he is not free.
• 18:39
  SPEAKER_01: He is still a prisoner.
• 18:43
  SPEAKER_01: He is still a prisoner.
• 18:45
  SPEAKER_01: He is still waiting to go to trial to appeal his case to Caesar.
• 18:50
  SPEAKER_01: He is a prisoner.
• 18:51
  SPEAKER_01: But I love how Paul views his imprisonment and views his house arrest.
• 18:59
  SPEAKER_01: Ephesians chapter 3.
• 19:02
  SPEAKER_01: In this great little book, right in the middle, Paul identifies himself, and here's what he says.
• 19:10
  SPEAKER_01: For this reason, I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of the Gentiles, understand what is happening when Paul pins these words.
• 19:24
  SPEAKER_01: He is in prison in Rome.
• 19:27
  SPEAKER_01: He writes this letter from Rome under house arrest, a prisoner of Rome.
• 19:32
  SPEAKER_01: But he does not view himself as a prisoner of Rome.
• 19:36
  SPEAKER_01: He views himself as a prisoner of Jesus Christ.
• 19:40
  SPEAKER_01: And in that imprisonment, here's what he finds: freedom.
• 19:48
  SPEAKER_01: Freedom.
• 19:50
  SPEAKER_01: Freedom from sin.
• 19:53
  SPEAKER_01: Freedom from death.
• 19:56
  SPEAKER_01: Freedom from all troubles because of Jesus' name.
• 20:02
  SPEAKER_01: Not freedom for an easy life.
• 20:07
  SPEAKER_01: Freedom for God.
• 20:08
  SPEAKER_01: Freedom to live with God who provides who is working in his life.
• 20:17
  SPEAKER_01: Freedom to live with a God and have fellowship with that God and his church.
• 20:24
  SPEAKER_01: Listen, we just sang a great song.
• 20:28
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you, Jesus, for the blood of God.
• 20:33
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you, Jesus.
• 20:34
  SPEAKER_01: You have saved my life.
• 20:37
  SPEAKER_01: You brought me from the darkness into glorious light.
• 20:44
  SPEAKER_01: There is freedom.
• 20:48
  SPEAKER_01: And in that freedom, we should be thankful.
• 20:53
  SPEAKER_01: And take courage.
• 20:56
  SPEAKER_01: Because God is with us.
• 21:00
  SPEAKER_01: We're going to enter into a time of invitation.
• 21:04
  SPEAKER_01: Here's I'm going to stand and sing, and here's the invitation to you.
• 21:10
  SPEAKER_01: If you have never found freedom in Jesus Christ, understanding that Jesus came, he lived, he died, he arose, offering us the freedom that only He can give, meaning and purpose that only He can give from God.
• 21:26
  SPEAKER_01: If you've never accepted Christ as your Savior, we invite you to come.
• 21:31
  SPEAKER_01: There are counselors who will take you out.
• 21:33
  SPEAKER_01: We'd love to pray with you and share with you how you can trust Christ.
• 21:39
  SPEAKER_01: Maybe this morning you're looking for a church home.
• 21:42
  SPEAKER_01: So you can have that fellowship and bond, and together we can we can have fellowship and see God working, follow him and be thankful and take courage together.
• 21:52
  SPEAKER_01: If so, we invite you to come.
• 21:54
  SPEAKER_01: However, God is moving in your life this morning.
• 21:58
  SPEAKER_01: We invite you to come.
• 21:59
  SPEAKER_01: Let's pray together.
• 22:01
  SPEAKER_01: God, thank you.
• 22:03
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you for the opportunity this morning that we have to respond to your word.
• 22:09
  SPEAKER_01: God, we ask you that this morning you will work and move as only you can.
• 22:15
  SPEAKER_01: God, for those here who are in bondage to sin and slavery, we pray that today they will find freedom in you.
• 22:23
  SPEAKER_01: God, for those of us who are discouraged with all the stuff going on around us, God, I pray that this morning we will be able to thank God and take courage because you are working, you are providing, you are fellowshipping with us, and you have freed us.
• 22:43
  SPEAKER_01: Move and work is only you can.
• 22:46
  SPEAKER_01: Jesus is in your name we pray.
• 22:48
  SPEAKER_00: Amen.
• 22:50
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks for listening to this week's sermon.
• 22:52
  SPEAKER_00: If you have any questions for our pastor, feel free to reach out at DeSotoHills.com.