Christ's command to his followers before his ascension to heaven was for them to be his

witnesses in Jerusalem, all Judea, in Samaria, and to the uttermost part of the earth.

Our Lord did not intend for the good news of his death and resurrection to stay local,

but instead it was to be taken globally.

In this third section of Acts, the adventure continues as the gospel is taken to the ends of the earth.

Let's join Scott Paui now for today's study.

God does give divine appointments not only for you but for others. In our last study in Acts 28, we saw a divine appointment that God made for his servant, Paul,

by sending friends to him who came a long distance to refresh him and encourage him

and to put fresh strength into his soul.

But I want to remind you, when God does that for you, it's always for a reason.

It's not just for you to be more comfortable, have an easy time.

It is so then he can work through you in the lives of other people.

And I think there's a beautiful progression of truth here, a divine order that immediately after that time of fellowship,

God is about to use Paul to advance the gospel in an amazing way. Maybe we need to start viewing our

assembly, our fellowship with other believers more this way. We don't meet just to have a good

meeting. We don't meet just to sing and hear a sermon. We don't meet just to have a good feeling.

We don't meet just to say, oh, that was enjoyable. No, we meet to prepare us to minister.

We fellowship to get us ready to forward the gospel.

The Lord is equipping us for the work that lies ahead.

And so we pick up our story in Acts chapter number 28.

Remember that Paul has met the brethren, now he's been kept

by himself with a soldier, verse 17, it came to pass that after three days Paul called the chief of the

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