Greetings listeners. Have you ever sent God nudging you to speak up? Step out or stay faithful. Easy. When it would have been easier to stay quiet. That's where part three takes us next. We're at chapter 13. We have a gospel wound beyond familiar ground. And the Holy Spirit sends ordinary believers as witnesses into the wider Roman world. Today we're following that story to the ends of the earth. Well, welcome everyone. I'm your host, Jacqui A dewole, and this is the Bible Basics Podcast, where every two weeks we break down the basics of the Bible into understandable bite-sized chunks. If you're jumping into this series on Acts for the first time, here's what you need to know. The book of Acts is the Bible's main historical record of the birth and early growth of the Christian church. Acts was written by Luke, the same Luke who wrote the Gospel of Luke. Luke wasn't one of the twelve apostles, but he was a close companion of Paul and a careful historian. He writes Acts to show how the message of Jesus continued to spread after Jesus returned to heaven. It's a record of Jesus' followers bearing witness to the resurrected Jesus. And they don't do this on their own, they do this through the power of the Holy Spirit. And in this series, we divided Acts into three parts. Part one covered Acts chapters one and two. Jesus is taken to heaven, the Holy Spirit comes at Pentecost, and the church is born. Part two covered Acts chapters three through twelve. The church faces opposition. The gospel crosses boundaries into Samaria and to the Gentiles, largely led by Peter. And we meet Saul, the persecutor, who encounters Jesus and becomes part of the story. And now part three covers Acts chapters 13 through 28. This is where the mission goes outward in a major way through Paul's ministry into city after city across the Roman world. Now before we move forward, let's re-anchor ourselves in the key promise that shapes the whole book. We find it in Acts chapter 1, verse 8, where Jesus says, You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth. I was just reminded today that this is the last thing Jesus says while he's on the earth. And that verse is more than encouragement. It's his commission to the apostles and is the outline of the book of Acts. So to recap, verse 8 tells them to be witnesses in Jerusalem, and that's covered in chapters 1 through 8, 4. He tells them to be witnesses in Judea and Samaria. That's chapter 8, verse 5 through chapter 12, 25, and witnesses to the end of the earth. That's Acts chapter 13 through 28. So by the time we reach Acts chapter 13, we've entered the final movement, the gospel spreading outward toward the heart of the Roman world, along trade routes, through major cities, and into places where culture and political power shaped everyday life. And here's the key: this isn't happening because the apostles are naturally bold. It happens because the Holy Spirit empowers Jesus' followers to continue the work Jesus began. And also in chapter 13, the author Luke shifts the focus of the story from Peter's leadership in and around Jerusalem to Paul's mission outward. So let's talk about this person who becomes the main focus of the rest of the book, Paul. When we first meet him in Acts, he's known as Saul. Saul was a serious student of the Old Testament scriptures. He was highly educated, deeply religious, and completely convinced he was serving God. And from Saul's point of view, the Jesus movement wasn't just wrong, it was dangerous. So he tried to shut it down. He approved of Stephen's death. He hunted down believers. He had Christians arrested and punished. Saul truly believed he was protecting God's truth. But then on the road to Damascus, everything changed. Jesus confronted him personally, and Saul realized something that shook him to the core. He'd been sincere and still wrong. Now, quick clarification, because this often confuses people. It's not that Saul had one name and then God changed it to Paul, like you changed Abraham's name from Abram back in Genesis. Saul and Paul are the same name, just in different languages. Saul is his Hebrew name, common in Jewish settings. Paul was his Roman name that was more common in the wider Gentile world. So as this gospel begins moving outward into Gentile cities, Luke begins using the name Paul more consistently. Same man, two names, one mission. Okay, so after Paul encounters Jesus, he doesn't stop being educated. He doesn't stop knowing scripture. He doesn't lose his personality or his passion. What changes is the direction of his life. Everything he once used to oppose Jesus, his training, his intensity, his knowledge of the scriptures, God now uses to help spread the message of Jesus. God didn't waste Paul's story, he transformed it. He took what had been aimed in the wrong direction and turned it toward the truth. And Paul becomes one of the most influential voices in the New Testament. He goes on to write many of the letters we find after the book of Acts. Letters written to the churches he helped start, or believers he helped strengthen. And Acts highlights a major part of Paul's ministry, his missionary journeys. Paul took three major mission trips across the Roman world. And if your Bible has maps in the back, you can usually find them labeled, something like Paul's first missionary journey, his second or his third. These journeys weren't vacations, they were long, difficult trips by foot, by ship, through unfamiliar towns with real danger. And everywhere Paul went, he did the same basic thing. He preached Jesus, he explained the scriptures, and he called people to repent and believe. He also helped form new communities of believers or churches, often in the middle of opposition. So when Acts chapter 13 begins, we're stepping into the moment where the mission goes fully outward, and Paul becomes the main messenger. So hang with me as we travel with Paul through his journeys. Let's start where these missionary journeys begin. Antioch. Acts chapter 13 opens there, not in Jerusalem, and that matters. Antioch was a major city in Syria. It's in modern-day Antakya in southern Turkey, near the Syrian border. It was a diverse, international, and influential city, full of different languages and cultures. And it's also where followers of Jesus were first called Christians. That's back in chapter 11, verse 26. So in Acts 13, we see how it starts. The church is worshiping, fasting, and praying when the Holy Spirit speaks. Quote, set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them. End quote. Barnabas doesn't apply for it. No one votes. The mission begins because God sends them. So the church lays hands on them, prays, and sends them out. From there, Paul and Barnabas move from city to city, sharing the message of Jesus. They often begin in synagogues because they're speaking first to Jewish people who already know the scriptures. And then the message spreads outward to Gentiles, people who didn't grow up with Israel's story at all. And across Acts chapters 13 and 14, a pattern becomes clear. Some people believe, others resist. Opposition rises, but the word keeps moving. In some places they're welcomed, in other places, they're rejected. At one point, Paul is even attacked and left for dead, but they didn't quit. By the end of this first journey, something important has happened. Churches have been planted, leaders have been appointed, and the gospel has moved into new territory. Then Paul and Barnabas returned to Antioch and report what God has done. And Acts says something powerful. God had opened the door of faith to Gentiles. But as soon as that happens, a big question rises. A question that will shape the future of the church. If Gentiles are coming to Jesus, do they need to become Jewish first? And that brings us to Acts chapter 15. After that first missionary journey, Gentiles are coming to faith in Jesus in real numbers, and tension rises. Some believers from Judea begin to insist quote, unless you are circumcised according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved. End quote. So Paul and Barnabas go to Jerusalem to meet with the apostles and the elders. This was called the Jerusalem Council. Note, there were many councils like this that assembled through church history to address tough theological issues. This was the first. In the council, Peter reminds them that God had already given the Holy Spirit to Gentiles without requiring them to be Jewish first. And James, who is Jesus' brother and a key leader in the Jerusalem church, shows from the scriptures that God's plan had always included the Gentiles. So the decision out of the council was this: Gentiles do not have to keep the law of Moses to be saved. Salvation is by grace through Jesus. Although the council did encourage Gentile believers to avoid practices tied to idolatry and to be mindful of Jewish believers so fellowship and unity can be protected. With that settled, the mission accelerates. Paul is on his second missionary journey. Paul goes back to strengthen the churches they'd started earlier, and the Holy Spirit continues to guide the direction of the work. We see the gospel reaching all kinds of people and all kinds of places: businesswomen, prisoners, philosophers, idol makers, and everyday families. And the pattern stays the same. Some believe, some resist, but the word keeps moving. One moment captures it well. In Philippi, Paul, and Silas are beaten and thrown into prison, yet they pray and sing. An earthquake opens the doors, and the jailer ends up believing in Jesus and being baptized along with his entire household. Next, Acts takes us to Athens, one of the intellectual centers of the ancient world. Paul walks through the city and sees idols everywhere. But instead of mocking people, he engages them. He speaks with philosophers, and eventually he's invited to speak at the Areopagus. This is a place where ideas were debated and tested. Paul starts with something they recognize, one of their idols that had an inscription on it that said, To an unknown God. And he says, in effect, the God you don't fully know, the creator of the world, is the God I'm here to proclaim. Paul explains that God made all people, and God is near, not far away. He calls them to turn from idols. And then he centers the message on Jesus, especially the resurrection. And the response is mixed. Some mock, some want to hear more, and some believe. Now moving on to chapter 18. From Athens, Paul goes to Corinth, another major city, and Acts shows Paul staying there longer, a year and a half. Paul faces opposition there too. At one point, God speaks to him with encouragement. Quote, do not be afraid, keep speaking, for I am with you. End quote. Even Paul needed strengthening. Even Paul needed reassurance. Now, moving to Acts chapter 19 and 20, Paul goes to Ephesus on his third missionary journey, where he also stays there for an extended period. And Ephesus shows what happens when the gospel isn't treated like a private belief, but a way of life, a new way of life. People turn from magic practices, they burn costly scrolls, and the gospel begins to impact the entire city so much that it threatens the local economy built around idol worship. A riot breaks out because people who profit from idols realize their business is at risk. That's a strong moment in Acts. The gospel doesn't just comfort individuals, it confronts idols. It calls people to repentance. And when people truly turn to Jesus, it changes what they love, what they trust, and what they live for. That's the biblical basis for saying the message of Jesus isn't just spiritual, it reshapes our lives. Acts chapter 19, verse 20 summarizes it like this quote, the word of the Lord continues to increase and prevail mightily. And yet he never stops being a witness. He returns to Jerusalem and is falsely accused of bringing Gentiles into the temple. A violent mob forms, and only Roman intervention saves his life. Paul is transferred to Caesarea, where he remained in prison for about two years, defending the faith before Roman leaders. And eventually, he appealed to Caesar, the Roman emperor, because Paul is a Roman citizen, which means he must be sent to Rome. On the way there, there's a storm and a shipwreck. But just as God promised, everyone survives. And finally, Paul arrives in Rome under house arrest, still teaching, still welcoming people, still proclaiming Jesus. And so Acts ends with this summary. Quote, he proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance. So Acts doesn't end with the end, it ends with a sense of still going. And that's exactly what Luke wants us to feel. So let's talk about what this part three of Acts teaches us. Chapters 13 through 28 shows us that first the Holy Spirit leads and sustains the mission. Paul isn't just following his own ambition. The Spirit sends, redirects, strengthens, and sustains. Second, the gospel crosses cultures and boundaries. Third, hardship doesn't stop God's purposes. In part three, Paul faces opposition, arrests, trials, delays, storms, and imprisonment. And yet the message keeps advancing. And fourth, God can use detours, even prisons and storms, to move his message forward. And by the end of Acts, we see the culmination of this part of the story. Paul is in Rome, under house arrest, still welcoming people, still teaching, still proclaiming Jesus with all boldness and without hindrance. Now, if we zoom out to look at the entire book of Acts, we see more than travel stories and court scenes. The great theme is witness, spreading the good news that Jesus died and rose again and calling the world to repent and believe. Acts shows us that Jesus continued his work through the Holy Spirit and through his people. And throughout Acts, Luke reinforces the same outcome. The word spreads, disciples increase, and the message reaches farther than anyone expected. Acts also shows us a few major truths again and again. One, the Holy Spirit is essential. The church doesn't grow by human effort alone. The Spirit empowers, guides, and comforts believers as they obey Jesus. Two, God's plan has always been global. The gospel isn't limited to one people group. Acts shows God drawing every nation to himself. And three, Jesus is faithful to his promises. Acts isn't just about history, it's evidence that what Jesus said would happen happened. He promised power, he promised witness, he promised his presence by the Holy Spirit. And Acts shows that promise unfolding in real time. Now, why does this matter? Some of you listening may feel uncertain about your faith. Others may feel stretched, tired, or Unsure about what obedience looks like next. Acts doesn't tell us that following Jesus will always be safe or simple, but it does show us this. When Jesus calls people to witness, he doesn't leave them alone to figure it out. He gives his spirit, he gives direction, he gives courage, and he gives comfort. And Acts also reminds us God often leads his people step by step, not all at once. Sometimes we only understand the path after we've started walking it. So here's the question to sit with this week. Where might God be inviting you to take one faithful step with the help of the Holy Spirit, even if you don't see the whole path yet? As we close, let's consider this. Remember how we opened this episode about that nudge to step out? Acts ends by showing us what that nudge is leaning toward. A spirit-empowered witness that keeps moving forward, keeps moving outward. Oh, let me drop one other little nugget. It's worth noticing when you're reading the book of Acts. It's about what Luke does with geography. Places aren't just background in Acts, they carry meaning. Jerusalem, that's where the story begins, and that represents the Jewish world, the place where God's promises were given, and where Christianity emerges. And Rome, where the story ends, represents the wider Gentile world, the heart of the empire, the ends of the earth, in their perspective. So the book moves from Jerusalem to Rome on purpose to show us that the gospel is moving outward and that God's plan includes all nations. Not all of us are called to cross oceans, but all of us are called to carry the message of Jesus into our lives, our conversations, our behavior, our workplaces, our homes, our communities. If God could use hesitant disciples, persecuted believers, and even a former enemy of the church, he can work through us too. The same spirit still sends, still strengthens, still works. So as this series comes to a close, here's my encouragement. Read one chapter of Acts this week with fresh eyes. And if this series helped you feel more confident opening the Bible, share it with a friend. Until the next time, keep reading, keep seeking, and keep growing in your faith.