Acts | Chapter 28

 

Acts Ch 28:1-16

“The end of the beginning”

Vs. 1-6 Sticks and snakes

Vs. 7-10 Refuge and healing

Vs. 11-16 Fellowship of saints

Intro.

Luke started this book writing to “Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which He was taken up, after He, through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen.” So we have come to the final chapter of the book of Acts but in reality it is the first chapter of Church history. A history, which stands for the acronym (His Story), which includes you and I. The Church age began at the ascension of Jesus but continues until He takes us home. Now I’m not sure but I wonder if in heaven there is volume after volume of Acts in which the names of His servants appear and what He did in and through them. If that is the case then what you and I are now doing in these bodies is writing new sentences, paragraphs and chapters!

         With that said I think most of us tend to think in terms of large events, you know that crusade we led or the dead that rose as we raised them up. But I’m reminded in this chapter that God looks at all that we do in His name, in fact the events of this chapter are about the small things done for Christ. Luke records for us Paul picking up sticks so those 275 sailors, soldiers and sinners could find warmth. Furthermore he records the generosity of the governor of the small Island of Malta and the healing of His Father. Finally Luke records for us the love and welcoming of Paul by the Christians who had never met him. These are hardly the events that we would put down as spectacular but they are recorded and not only that they take up a whole chapter. Jesus spoke this parable to His disciples saying, “for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; ‘I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.” 

And they asked, “when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink, a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You, sick, or in prison, and come to You?”  And Jesus answered, “inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.” Wow, think of that folks! It is the common ordinary things that we do that may have a greater impact then we could ever imagine!

Vs. 1-6 Sticks and snakes

Vs. 1-2 Luke opens this chapter on the heels of the words of 27:44, “they all escaped safely to land”, the land was a small Island called Malta, an appropriate name as it means “refuge”. Malta is an Island 18 miles long by 8 miles wide, which is about 58 miles from Sicily. Now I’ve been thinking about this little island and why it was that Paul was shipwrecked here for three months, (verse 11).

First off it is interesting that such a small insignificant place would become a “refuge” for Paul and those with him. What this means to me is that a lot of the time I’m upset over being in a place of unimportance but what I fail to realize is that God has caused me to wash ashore to bless me. Have you found out lately that you are off your course in a place that you would rather not be? Perhaps the Lord has shipwrecked you to bless you?

Second, the inhabitants have some interesting characteristics. The word “natives” is the word barbarians in Greek. It is a word that Greeks used to describe any person who did not speak their language as they mimicked their native tongue by saying that it sounded as if they were saying bar, bar, bar!

Here’s what Luke says about these islanders, they “kept showing unusual love of mankind”! The word appears only in one other place in the New Testament, in Titus 3:4 where Paul writes, “But when the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appear..”  “Kindness and love”, that’s how the Lord blessed Paul and his shipmates. Imagine this scene as the rain was pouring down upon these 276 survivors, instead of sifting through the wreckage, they saw the need and started building a fire so they could be warmed.

The words “made us all welcome” is literally “took us all to themselves”. Really all? Remember the ship was made up of sailors, soldiers and condemned sinners. It is a marvelous ministry that makes all “warm by the fires of His grace”. No matter who they were they did not differentiate, all were taken in by their kindness and love! Is that not great? Don’t you want to be shipwrecked on an island where people pour out their love towards you no matter what your background? Hey, I have an idea why don’t we make our little 3,100 square foot shipwrecked facility a refuge to all who get washed up on our shores? We can all be native islanders pouring out the kindness and love of Jesus warming them by the fires of His grace!    

Vs. 3a “How can I do that?”, you ask! Well I just love this next verse, “Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire!” Luke just states that so simply, as if it was no big deal. But I want you to be a shipwreck survivor for a moment. You have come through the pounding surf, it’s pouring down rain on you and what is the last thing you want to do? Anything! This was Paul the Apostle, it was his Godly counsel that saved their lives, he is the greatest preacher in the world. A Roman citizen who is on his way to speak to Caesar Nero and what do we see him doing? Picking up sticks with the Malta islanders!

Let me ask you a question, “Do you want to have an impact upon the shipwreck survivors of this world?” “Do you want folks to come and warm themselves by the fires of God’s grace?” Then do as Paul did and just be willing to “pick up sticks”. Paul was willing to do whatever it took so that others could get warm. I’m so blessed to be a part of a body of believers who are willing to pick up sticks so that others can come and be warmed by the fires of his love and grace. This past week I’ve watched so many of the body come and help get our new facility ready for all of us. Not everybody was working, some stopped by with sodas and food. Others took their vacation time so that they could help with the painting, just “picking up sticks!” 

Vs. 3b-6 Now you can probably guess where I’m going with these next few verses. This passage reveals to us three reasons why people are afraid to get involved in “picking up sticks”.

SNAKE BITES (spiritual warfare) Vs. 3b “A viper came out because of the heat, and fastened on his hand.” Now before we get into this let me point out the obvious, this snakebite happened as Paul was attempting to help others. Evidently while Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks there was a snake that had made its home in them. Snakes always make their home in dead wood don’t they? Paul was laboring to keep folks warm by burning off that which was dead and a poisonous snake comes out and bites him hanging onto his hand.

May I make this simple observation: people don’t get involved in serving others because they are afraid of snakebites. Now we all know who the “serpent of old” is, it’s satan, and he is never very happy when we are gathering what is dead to warm those who are cold! People often think, “Hey if I just mind my own business I won’t have any spiritual warfare!” And there may be some truth to that but neither will the fires of His grace warm you. You see as you gather dead wood to be warmed and you stay warm as well!

SHEEP BITES (attacks from people you’re trying to help) Vs. 4-5 These folks saw Paul’s plight and assumed that what was coming upon him was because of some hidden sin. They saw his calamity as proof of evil and that he was being judged by Dike the goddess of justice, having been saved from the seas he was now being judged by being bitten by a poisonous snake. People don’t want to serve others because they risk getting misunderstood by those they are trying to serve.

How did Paul handle such allegations? Well look at verse 5, “he shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm.” Hey, is that not great advice? Paul was being misunderstood so what did he do? Well here’s what he didn’t do, “This thing, uh it’s not a snake, it’s a rope, yeh that’s it a rope!” No Paul said nothing and shook it off into the fire of His grace. That’s, what to do with both snake bites as well as sheep bites shake them off your hand into the fires of His grace! 

PERSONAL BITES (battles with personal pride) Vs. 6 Now here is the funny thing about people, they are extremely fickle aren’t they? They are watching Paul waiting for him to swell up and die but nothing happens so they change their minds and put him upon a pedestal! May I suggest to you that Paul had far more danger at this point than he did from either the snakebite or the sheep bite? Pride is by far and away the most dangerous and infectious bite we can incur. How did Paul handle this type of personal bite? Well notice in the text that nothing is mentioned about his rebuking them or anything at all. So how did Paul deal with this issue of people putting him upon a pedestal? Well with silence, no doubt he recalled that it was the same folks who were a moment ago suggesting that he was being judged.  

Vs. 7-10 Refuge and healing

Vs. 7-8 The chief Magistrate of the island was named Publius or (Common) but again like his fellow islanders he was anything but common. For three days they took in the victims of the shipwreck onto his estate. Here is the leading man of the island and he takes in 276 sailors, soldiers and condemned sinners for three days and treats them  kindly.

Furthermore he did so, according to verse 8, while his father lay ill with a fever and dysentery. We can’t be sure but there is an aliment called Malta fever caused by a microbe found in goat’s milk. There is now a vaccine for its treatment but then the illness could last anywhere from four months to several years. Again what is the last thing you want to do when you have been caring for someone who has been ill for several months? Entertain others! Yet it is because he does so that we read that Paul went to his father, prayed for him and laid his hands on him and he was healed. Two points on this one from the perspective of Publius and the other from Paul:

Publius was blessed when he allowed himself to be inconvenienced. How many times have we lost out because we did not want to be bothered? Man does that speak to me to serve not only when it is convenient for me but when it is not. You never know what or who might get healed because you served others! 

Paul laid his hand upon Publius’ father! Yeh, so? Well think of this won’t you? Paul had been bitten because he was picking up sticks but not only did that not affect him God used that to open up the door to heal. God is always using those trying times in our lives if we let Him. Now the word “heal” in this verse means instantly but as the islanders came out and were healed the word is different there, it means “cured”. Sometimes God’s work through us takes a little more time!

Vs. 9-10 Again notice the repetition of Paul serving then being blessed! Do you see that? Paul Heals Publius’ father then word gets out and all those from the island start showing up and God works through Paul and they are getting cured. The Word “honored” is where we get our English word “honorarium” from. Simply put these folks blessed Paul by providing such things as were necessary. Are you in need or lacking something? Well here is just a suggestion why not try serving others  as you can never out give God!

         Here is what we see repeated over and over again in Paul’s life: he made himself a servant and God provided all his needs! Paul gave of his time, talent and treasure and God made sure that he had no lack. Paul would later write to Timothy these words that he lived by, ‘godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.”  May we so live our lives!

Vs. 11-16 Fellowship of saints

Vs. 11 Luke tells us that Paul’s blessed shipwreck upon the Island of Refuge lasted three months probably from November to mid February. There they caught another ship wintering on the island called the “Twin Brothers”, named for the Zeus’s twin sons Castor and Pollux who were the gods of navigation and the protector of sailors. As Paul got aboard the ship how he must have chuckled at the foolishness of Idolatry as men look to the constellations as watching over their care instead of the creators of the stars who died upon a cross proving that He cares!

Vs. 12-13 From Malta they sail 80 miles north to the tip of Sicily and its most important city Syracuse where they unload the ship for three days. From there they sailed further north along the Straits of Messina to the very tip of the boot of Italy, called Rhegium. From there they finally get a favorable wind and sail 180  miles to the port near Naples called Puteoli, which means “sulfur wells” and as you can guess by the name is very close to Pompeii.

Vs. 14-15 Now look at this verse, Paul found believers there at Puteoli and as they had to stay their seven days was able to have fellowship with them. No doubt those believers got word to their friends that the one who had written them a letter was on his way. So they travel up the Apia road towards Rome and in turn many of the believers travel to meet Paul along his way towards them. It was 130 miles from Puteoli to Rome and Appii Forum was 40 miles from Rome with Three Inns being about 30 miles. Paul was greatly encouraged as they came out to meet him. The way this is worded reminds us of how the Romans would greet a conquering general or Emperor and not a chained prisoner. Can you picture the soldiers and prisoners as they witnessed the body of Christ reaching out in love to Paul? We leave this section to finish up next week with Paul chained to the guard but free to meet with the body of Christ. So how does this speak to you? Well it does not take much to lift the spirits of your brothers and sisters in Christ does it. I can’t help but notice that some of the Christians traveled a little farther than others to be a blessing. How about you? Are you willing to travel a little further outside of your comfort zone to be a blessing to others?   

Acts Ch 28:17-31

“Where the saints have trod”

Vs. 17-23 May I have a word with you?

Vs. 24-27 Hearing, seeing, understanding and perceiving

Vs. 28-31 Preaching and teaching in all confidence

Intro.

Have you ever watched one of those old westerns on T.V. where the hero of the story fades off into the sunset and you’re left with many questions? Well that is how Luke ends this book. Look at verse 30 for a moment, “Then Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented house, and received all who came to him.”

• Did he ever have his trial before Caesar?

• Did he ever get released and if so what did he do?

• How did he die?

Are just some of the many unanswered questions concerning Paul and his ministry that Luke does not enlighten us with the answers. Instead Luke gives us a vague picture of his ministry in the capital city of the empire prior to his trial. Now I personally find a message in the way Luke finishes this book you could call it, “What to do when you don’t know what to do!” Paul is chained to a guard in six hour shifts under house arrest unable to go and do what he wanted to do, reach the world, so what did he do? Well Luke tells us he, “received all who came to him”. If you permit me to be very simplistic,

Luke records Paul’s continual life in which he repeated three things over and over by word and action:

“I love you”: Paul wanted always to establish his love for those that he was trying to reach.

“God loves you”: Next Paul weaved his way through scripture speaking of the nature of God and His heart towards mankind in spite of their hatred or indifference towards God.

“I’ll never stop loving you so that you too will love God”: Paul was single minded, his purpose to all who came to him was to get people to know of God’s love for them and their need for God.        

So there you have it, “What to do when you don’t know what to do!” Love people, speak of God’s love for people and don’t stop telling people of God’s love for them! There is a stanza in the old hymn “Onward Christian Soldiers” that goes, “We are treading where the saints have trod; we are not divided, all one body we, one in hope and doctrine, one in charity.” Folks, there is great comfort in the final few verses of this book as we know that “We are treading where the saints have trod.” Turn with me now as we look at the final 15 verses of this book and discover what we ought to do when we don’t know what to do! 

Vs. 17-23 May I have a word with you?

Vs. 17a “And it came to pass after three days that Paul called the leaders of the Jews together.” I’ve got to stop here for a moment and say something about Paul, Paul was extremely “diligent” allowing only three days to pass before he started ministering. He could have come up with many ligament excuses, “Man I need to rest a while, I’ve just come from a near fatal voyage.”

The word “diligent” is used 10 times in the Bible, always as an exhortation. Webster defines the word by saying that it is a, “Steady application in business of any kind; constant effort to accomplish what is undertaken; exertion of body or mind without unnecessary delay or sloth. Then he writes this comment, “Diligence is the philosopher’s stone that turns everything to gold.” What this shows us is that to reach the world, even when you don’t know what to do, it will take an attitude that is willing to apply “Steady application in business of any kind; constant effort to accomplish what is undertaken.” 

         There are far too many Christians running around with a faulty understanding of grace. How will you know if grace is motivating you? Well you will have a “constant effort to accomplish what is undertaken”. The bottom line is that those under grace don’t procrastinate; they are diligent.

I Love you guys

Vs. 17b-19 Now as Paul calls the religious leaders of the Jews in Rome he has three things to tell them concerning the reason why he is in Rome but in saying those three things he really wants them to know that he loves them.

Vs. 17b “I have done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers”. Paul had the difficulty of trying to explain why he was a prisoner with the charges of being against his own people. So he says, “They’re not your people, they’re our people.” “I’m part of you!” Paul says. Second, he says that he is not against their religion. Again notice that Paul’s use the word OUR when speaking about the customs of the fathers. So what is Paul saying about his love for them? Well he is saying that he is loyal!

Vs. 17c-19a Next Paul shows that it was not he who showed a lack of love, it was the religious leaders in Jerusalem. “Even though I was loyal, they were not loyal towards me and instead turned me over to the Romans.” Paul continues in verse 18 by saying that, “Rome had no cause for putting him to death.” The Romans found Paul innocent and it would have ended that way had it not been for the protest of the religious leaders therefore Paul was compelled or obliged to appeal to Caesar. So what is Paul saying about why he did what he did? Well he is saying that his love for them in spite of their hatred obligated him to appeal to Caesar. Paul would write in 2 Cor. 5:14 that “the love of Christ constrains him.” Paul’s point is to show that his obligation or motivation was always LOVE!

Vs. 19b-20a Next Paul says that even though they were motivated out of hate he still has nothing against them. Quite the opposite, it was because of his love for them that he was now going to speak to them. It was for this reason that Paul exercised his voice of love towards them. Simply put Paul had gotten into this whole ordeal because he was willing to speak the truth in love. Folks, that’s always an important element in loving someone, communication!  

There is one more thing that demonstrates Paul’s love towards them and it’s found in verses 23, where we are told that Paul “explained and solemnly testified” concerning Jesus. So what did Paul explain and testify about? Well it was his one experience with the Lord. Ultimately that is what you share with someone you love, your own experience of that love.  

         So Paul demonstrated his love towards them by, (using love as an acronym):

• Loyalty

• Obligation

• Voice

• Experience

Vs. 21-22 Now we are not quite sure why they had not heard of Paul or of the charges against him but several possibilities come to mind.

• Ten years earlier there had been riots in Rome over the Christian issue, so perhaps they did not want to make a big deal out of it.

• What papers concerning the charges against Paul that were on the ship might have been lost at the time of the shipwreck.

• Paul’s was most likely the first ship to arrive since leaving port at Caesarea.

What they did want to know was more about Jesus and what Paul thought about Him, to which Paul was more than happy to comply. 

Based upon verse 23 Paul’s “solemn explanation” was twofold: 

Kingdom of God: Paul explained to them using the Jewish scriptures the nature and coming of God’s kingdom. He shared how God had a plan for man’s redemption and His rule that went far beyond the Jewish concept of earthly territory and a ruling King over the earth, as Jesus said in John 18:36 that His “kingdom is not of this world.” He would not just rule over man but rather He would rule in man! God desires not to just rule over mankind but rather His desire is to come and dwell in our hearts and thereby rule in us. 

Concerning Jesus: Second, Paul shared with them HOW this was only possible through God sending His only Son. Simply put Paul shared the gospel (God news) that Jesus is God’s plan!

So far we have seen what Paul did when he didn’t know what to do, it was to:

• Love people

• Speak of God’s love for people

That’s pretty basic isn’t it? Man you don’t have to wonder what God wants you to do any more do you, just love people and speak of His love for people! Well how did he do so? Well we are told that Paul used the “Law of Moses and the prophets” and that he did so from morning till evening! Paul expounded the truth from truth not a “burning in the bosom”. Paul’s testimony was faith founded upon fact not just emotionalism!  

Vs. 24-27 Hearing, seeing, understanding and perceiving

Vs. 24 After a daylong exposition of scripture the hearts of those that listened were divided. The Greek reads it this way, “some began to be persuaded” and others “continued to disbelieve”. In other words they all came into this teaching time with “disbelief” but the Holy Spirit worked upon the hearts of some that began to be persuaded!

Vs. 25-27 The words “did not agree” are only found here in the New Testament and mean “without symphony or out of harmony”. In other words they came in singing the same tune but left singing to different tunes. Why?

Well Paul is going to quote a familiar verse to explain the reason. In fact this is the fourth time you will find this verse quoted in scripture.

• The Lord first had Isaiah say these words in 6:9-10 to a nation that had hardened its heart towards truth.

• Then Jesus used those same passages for the reason of the change in His teaching style as He began to use parables.

• The apostle John (John 12:36-43) uses the Isaiah 6 passage as a commentary on the nation’s refusal to believe in His light instead “loving the praise of men more than the praise of God.” 

• Finally we come to this use of it by Paul in Acts, as a warning against a hard heart of those whom he had just explained the gospel to.

Vs. 26-27 Clearly the Holy Spirit draws a distinction between hearing and understanding as well as seeing and perceiving. So we need to ask ourselves, “What causes some to hear but not understand and some to see but not perceive?” 

Well let’s see here there are three involved in this whole process:

Vs. 25 The Holy Spirit: That would be God communicating His heart of truth in Love. Safe to say that if people don’t respond then it is not God’s fault.    

Vs. 26 The prophet: That is to say God uses the servant to speak the truth. Now we can safely rule out him assuming the servant speaks what God’s word has to say.

Vs. 27 The heart of the people: Here then is the only conclusion why people don’t respond to God’s truth in love. Their hearts had grown dull. Do you see that? It was a gradual process of not responding to His truth in love that had caused their condition. They had stopped up their ears so as to not listen and they had closed their eyes as to not see. And why would they do so? Well because if they had kept their ears and eyes open then they would have understood with their hearts and turned and God would have healed them of the fatal disease of unbelief!  This is exactly what Jesus said in John 3:19 “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” 

Vs. 28-31 Preaching and teaching in all confidence

Vs. 28-29 After stating the reason for their rejection of the truth, Paul says that God has sent him to speak to the Gentiles and they are open to the work of the Holy Spirit! Is that not amazing when you consider it? God has been speaking of His love towards folks and some just refuse to listen because they would rather live in the filth of their own lives!

Vs. 30-31 Before we attempt to fill in the blanks not given us by Luke lets draw on how Paul shared God’s love.

• He proclaimed to everyone that came to him

• He taught from the Word of God

• He did so at every opportunity

• His message was Jesus

• He spoke simply (with all confidence)

• He did some in humility (own rented house)      

Now during those two years in Rome awaiting his trial before Caesar we know what he did when he did know what to do.

Wrote four letters of the New Testament. (Philippians, Ephesians, Colossians and Philemon.)

Preached to the guards that were on six hour shifts chained to him and some of them got saved as Phil. 1:12-14, 4:22 tells us.

Expected to be released according to Phile. 1:22, Phil. 1:23-27, 2:24.

Had visitors who stayed with him such as Timothy, Luke, John Mark, Aristarchus, Epaphras, Justus and Demas.

Met with Onesimus and led him to faith in Christ and back to his master Philemon. Received a love offering from Epaphroditus who almost died bringing it from the Church at Philippi. Used Tychicus as a mailman delivering letters to Ephesus, Colossi and one to Philemon.

Based upon Paul’s pastoral letters to Timothy and Titus we believe that he was released soon after the two year period most likely because his accusers never came and the statute of limitations was up, (2 years). He probably did travel to Spain and some say even to the British Isles. We know that he left Titus on the Island of Crete to establish leadership. He left Trophimus sick in Miletus and Timothy he had to go and pastor the Church in Ephesus.

It is believed that he was rearrested around the year 67 AD and placed in a dungeon as he says as much in 2 Tim. This all was too much for Demas who left him being only taken care of by the family of Onesiphorus and longing to see Timothy and John Mark before he was beheaded outside Rome. There is no mention of the believers in Rome attending to him which is quite sad considering his love for them. Paul had declared how he lived his life back in chapter 20 by saying, “none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.”