At Gateway Church in Austin, we concluded a series looking at the early church in the book of Acts.
What if faith was never meant to be boring, but an adventure? The book of Acts is the story of ordinary people encountering an extraordinary God, and stepping into a life they never expected.
It started with an invitation. To wait. To be filled. To trust God in a new way. And that invitation became an adventure; full of courage, purpose, and impact.
And here’s the best part, that same invitation is still open to you. No matter where you’ve been
or where you’re starting, there’s a place for you in the story.
ACTS: The Invitation… and The Adventure.
Don’t just watch it…step into it.
Digging Deeper:
Message Video from Gateway South Austin:
Message Audio from Gateway South Austin:
Message Notes from Carlos Ortiz, Jr.:
Finishing strong is not reaching the end comfortably; it’s reaching the end faithfully.
22 “And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there.23 I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me.24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.
25 “Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. 26 Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you. 27 For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. 28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God,[a] which he bought with his own blood.[b] 29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock.30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.
32 “Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 33 I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing.34 You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. 35 In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”
36 When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. 37 They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. 38 What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship. – Acts 20:22-38
There is something about the finish line that reveals what really matters.
At the beginning of a race, everyone looks strong.
Everyone is excited. Everyone has energy.
The starting line is crowded with enthusiasm.
But the finish line tells the real story.
- The finish line reveals endurance.
- The finish line reveals character.
- The finish line reveals what was worth giving your life to.
- The older I get, the more convinced I become that the greatest challenge of following the Way of Jesus is not starting well. It is finishing well.
When I was in 8th grade, I was in cross country. In first place on the cover of the Mid Cities Daily News! Finished in 183rd place! That means 181 people passed me! Many people begin with passion, conviction, and big dreams for God, but somewhere along the way disappointment comes.
- Opposition comes.
- Delay comes.
- Suffering comes.
- And slowly people drift.
I can imagine we can all think of people who started off strong and fell away.
Maybe it was at a new job, in a marriage, serving, or even in their faith.
Maybe that has been you at times in your life.
We are invited into a new way of doing life – one in step with the Spirit of God that goes for the rest of our lives!
Where we don’t drift away but we become more intentional and stronger even as we go through life.
The final chapters of Acts show us something beautiful and sobering.They show us a man who is nearing the end of his race.
Paul knows the road ahead will not be easy. He knows suffering is coming. He knows prison is coming. He knows hardship is coming. Yet he continues forward.
Why?
Because for Paul, faithfulness mattered more than comfort.
So for today’s final message on Acts let’s summarize the last few chapters with how Paul models finishing strong.
Four Marks of Finishing Strong in Acts 20–28
1. Finishing Strong Requires a Clear Mission (Acts 20:22-24)
As Paul leaves Ephesus, he knows suffering awaits him.
“However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me…” (Acts 20:24)
Paul’s goal isn’t self-preservation, it’s mission completion.
Many people start with passion, but they drift because they lose sight of their purpose.
Paul keeps the finish line in view, and does not let it out of his sight.
Remember from Acts 9, when Saul has his encounter on his way to persecute the followers of the Way…then he is told to go to Straight street where he will be told what to do. The person he is going to meet is Ananias, and God shows up to Ananias and says…
“Go, because I have chosen him to serve me, to make my name known to Gentiles and kings and to the people of Israel. 16 And I myself will show him all that he must suffer for my sake.”
This is how he started, but then fast forward to Acts 23, and we read this when Saul, now Paul, is facing persecution and people are scheming for his life:
11 That night the Lord stood by Paul and said, “Don’t be afraid! You have given your witness for me here in Jerusalem, and you must also do the same in Rome.”
No matter what Paul was facing there was a clarity about his mission…he never lost sight of his purpose, his why.
Finishing strong means remembering why you started.
Marriages give up because they forgot what got them there.
Dating, pursuing each other, sweet notes, kind gestures.
Your goal was to win her over and get to know her.
Guess what, that is still the goal!
Have you ever felt, or maybe are currently feeling, like you’ve lost your way in your relationship with God? What would it look like to go back to why you started in the first place?
Why did you first explore faith? Why did you ever say yes to Jesus? What was going on in your heart and soul that made you drive to a church like Gateway? Friends, let’s get reconnected to our clear mission!
Even with a clear mission…it still takes so much more to finish strong.
2. Finishing Strong Requires Courage Through Opposition (Acts 21–23)
Everyone around Paul tells him not to go to Jerusalem. Disciples warn him. Friends beg him. Yet Paul goes anyway.
Soon he’s arrested, beaten, falsely accused, and imprisoned.
The question throughout these chapters is not, “Will Paul be comfortable?” but “Will Paul remain faithful?”
Jesus had called him to bear witness, and that’s exactly what he does.
Here’s a short description of what happens from Acts 21 to Acts 23:
- Paul went to Jerusalem compelled by the Spirit, knowing suffering awaited him.
- Though brothers pleaded with him not to go, he could not turn aside from the path Christ had set before him.
- He entered the temple in peace, but a riot erupted. False accusations spread like wildfire, and an angry crowd sought his death.
- Yet the Lord was not absent.
Roman soldiers pulled him from the mob, and he was given the chance to testify. He told of his life before Christ and the mercy that met him on the road to Damascus. Many would not listen. Before the council, division broke out between Pharisees and Sadducees as Paul declared the hope of the resurrection.
That night, when the noise of men had faded, the voice of the Savior remained: “Take courage! As you have testified about Me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”
- Even as more than forty men bound themselves with an oath to kill Paul, God was already providing a way.
- Through his nephew’s courage and the commander’s protection, he was escorted under cover of night to Caesarea.
- By now chains have become his companions, but they cannot bind the gospel.
- Every trial has become another platform to proclaim the risen Christ.
His journey is not determined by angry crowds or powerful rulers, but by the faithful hand of the Lord who promised he would finish the race He set before him.
Courage is a word that can easily be thrown around, but it really is a theme we see in certain parts of scripture. We see it in Joshua and in the Psalms. We are called to be of “good courage.”
Psalms 27:1 – The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear, the Lord is the stronghold of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?! Then in verse 14 it says, “Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.”
To be of good courage is to know that your help is not from your own efforts, but from the one who has called you, saved you, cleansed you, and sent you. That same God is with you during times of opposition, and in His strength you will stand…even when standing costs you something.
Serving even when you don’t feel like it.
Walking with Jesus and even sharing your faith when the door opens.
Do this wisely! Be as innocent as a dove and smart as a snake!
Some people experience pushback because they weren’t reading the room.
Finishing strong means obedience when obedience becomes costly.
So we’ve got a clear mission because we know our why, we have a courage that may costs us…what other qualities do we see in Paul that we may need to acquire?
3. Finishing Strong Requires Endurance in the Waiting (Acts 24–26)
Paul spends years in prison. Years!
No church planting tours. No packed crowds. No visible momentum.
Yet Paul continues preaching before governors, kings, and officials.
Before Felix, Festus, and Herod Agrippa II, Paul repeatedly shares his testimony and points people to Christ.
Here’s a brief synopsis of what happens in Acts 24-26
Acts 24
- Stood trial before Governor Antonius Felix.
- Was falsely accused by Jewish leaders.
- Remained imprisoned for two years.
Acts 25
- Appeared before Governor Porcius Festus.
- Refused transfer to Jerusalem because of assassination threats.
- Exercised his right as a Roman citizen and appealed to Caesar.
Acts 26
- Gave his defense before Herod Agrippa II.
- Recounted his conversion and calling to preach Christ.
- Declared that Jesus fulfilled the promises of the prophets.
- Agrippa concluded Paul had done nothing deserving death.
The mission didn’t stop because the circumstances changed.
Look at what Paul writes to the Corinthians in his second letter and chapter 4:
7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus,so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 11 For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. 12 So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.
Then he closes it out like this in that same chapter:
16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
You are NOT wasting away…when you wait on God! You are merely preparing for what he might have in store…you are being faithful.
Finishing strong means being faithful in seasons that feel unproductive.
Some of the greatest tests of faith aren’t suffering; they’re waiting.
4. Finishing Strong Requires Trusting God Through the Storm (Acts 27–28)
Paul endures a literal shipwreck, and the voyage to Rome appears disastrous. But throughout the storm, Paul demonstrates remarkable confidence because God had already spoken:
“You must testify in Rome.”
The ship breaks apart, but God’s promise does not. When Paul finally reaches Rome, he is under house arrest, yet Acts ends with him still proclaiming the kingdom of God boldly.
Not free. Not wealthy. Not comfortable. But faithful.
Finishing strong means trusting God’s promises when circumstances suggest otherwise.
If Acts 1 begins with Jesus commissioning His church, Acts 20–28 shows what it looks like for one disciple to carry that mission to the finish.
Just listen to what happened to Paul in Acts 27-28
Acts 27
- Was sent by ship to Rome as a prisoner.
- Endured a violent storm and shipwreck in the Mediterranean.
- Encouraged everyone aboard with God’s promise of survival.
- Reached the island of Malta safely.
Acts 28
- Survived a venomous snake bite on Malta.
- Healed many sick people on the island.
- Arrived in Rome.
- Lived under house arrest while boldly preaching the Kingdom of God and teaching about Jesus.
- Continued his mission despite imprisonment, ending Acts with the gospel advancing unhindered.
Paul’s life increasingly echoes the what happened to Jesus:
- Jesus set His face toward Jerusalem; Paul sets his face toward Jerusalem
- Jesus was falsely accused; Paul is falsely accused
- Jesus stood before rulers and governors; Paul stands before rulers and governors
- Jesus suffered while accomplishing His mission; Paul suffers while accomplishing his.
Luke is showing us that a life fully surrendered to Jesus will often look like the life of Jesus.
Think about this for a moment.
There was no social media or newspapers 2000 years ago. Word of mouth and letters was how news traveled.
Remember there were only 120 followers of Jesus in that upper room at Pentecost back in Acts 2.
Thousands came to follow Jesus on Pentecost and traveled back to their homes.
The apostles, Paul, and other followers of Jesus traveled out from Jerusalem to start churches and tell people about that the Kingdom of God was now here!
And now at the end of Acts Paul is standing in front of some of the most powerful rulers and governors on the planet telling them about Jesus and His New Kingdom!
This is a remarkable 30 years or so since Acts 2!
Acts 20–28 teaches that finishing strong is not about avoiding hardship, achieving personal success, or arriving at the end with comfort and applause. Finishing strong is remaining faithful to Jesus, focused on His mission, courageous in suffering, patient in waiting, and confident in God’s promises until the very end.
Or, in Paul’s own words:
“My only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me.” (Acts 20:24)
That’s the heartbeat of Acts 20–28. Not simply finishing—but finishing faithful.
The Church is both beautiful and hard.
Some of the greatest miracles of my life and some of the greatest challenges I have ever faced have been within the context of the local church.
Student Camp – intentional time to encounter God (no phone, no work, no homework, no distractions). You don’t have to get away for that to happen! Setting aside daily time to connect with God in silence, in prayer, in solitude, in the Scriptures, in Sabbath.
We are inviting you to join us in the journey of a life with Jesus at the center.
- Are you ready to begin a relationship with Jesus?
- Are you at the point where you are wanting to just start faithfully?
- Are you in the middle of hardship and need strength to faithfully continue?
- Have you been a Christ follower for a while and you are feeling apathetic and want to be filled again with passion to pursue God?
- Or are you growing in faith and want to continue in following God and sharing Him with others?
Then give them a minute to ask God for what they need.
Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. – 1 Corinthians 11:28
27 So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. – 1 Corinthians 11:27
What do you need to surrender?
When did you choose to go your own way or the way of darkness this past week?
This past month?
Who is upset with you right now? Rather than assuming this because they are too sensitive or too immature, ask the Lord to show you how you’ve contributed to the brokenness in the relationship. Ask Him to show you your blind spots.
Ask Him for forgiveness. Ask Him for healing in the relationship.
With whom are upset right now? Rather than focusing on what they have done to hurt you, ask God to show you what you need to ask Him for forgiveness. Are you harboring bitterness? Ask for the courage to forgive.
Forgiveness is not the same as reconciliation. Pray for the power to forgive and for the miracle of reconciliation which requires rebuilding trust.
Today as we come to the Lord’s Table, we are reminded of two realities.
First, it reminds us of what Jesus has already done for us through His death and resurrection. The bread represents His body given for us, and the cup represents His blood poured out for the forgiveness of our sins.
Second, this table points us forward to the great wedding banquet of God’s Kingdom. Every time we share communion, we remember Christ’s sacrifice and look forward to the day when we will sit with Him at the marriage supper of the Lamb and celebrate His complete victory. By “we” I mean people from every tribe, tongue, and nation that Have chosen Jesus as Lord that will be in the new heaven and new earth.
The Apostle Paul wrote:
23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.”
25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. – 1 Corinthians 11:23-26
Close by praying over them all that God would empower, equip, and send them on mission with Him in His kingdom.