Acts Chapter 28 Last Sunday we were shipwrecked, 276 people and
they finally have hit the land. Still not in Rome now when they
had escaped. That's off the the vessels
sinking. They then found out that the
island was called Malta and the natives, that is the indigenous
people of Malta, showed us unusual kindness for they
kindled a fire, made us all welcome.
Why? Because of the rain that was
falling. Picture that.
And because of the cold, you ever been at the ocean?
Got wet? Ever fished in winter?
Got wet. Cold hands are hurting.
Can't tie anything. Well, remember, these have swam
ashore, surfed ashore, made their way ashore and they're
ringing wet. They're freezing cold.
The sea has been rough, ocean has pounded them.
They've got to the shore, including pool, and they're
freezing cold. And now nothing better than a
warm fire. Something to eat.
Oh, trying to get those hands working again.
You're in wet clothes. Maybe taking some of the clothes
off the layers and putting them near the fire.
And if you if you'd been shipwrecked, all you would want
to do is what? Lay down just you mean You mean
swimming not in? It's not.
You're swimming at in a calm lake in a Tempest, and you've
got to the shore swallowed seawater.
What does Paul do? But when Paul gathered a bundle
of sticks, Paul goes off and gets firewood.
He's not not a young man at this time.
He, he's been through the ringers yet.
Paul always the servant. Nothing, you know, Oh, you know,
I am the apostle. I don't collect firewood.
Paul gathered a bundle of sticks.
I still remember Helen and I are going to Calvary Chapel Bible
College. And there was Chuck Smith in his
late 70s, all power tools all laid out around this area, you
know, drills, planes and everything.
And he's fixing stuff all by himself.
He, he was forever the servant, forever fixing stuff.
It was, it was not like, oh, I don't do stuff like that.
Oh, no. And here we find Paul.
This is the heart of Paul. This is the man that you would
want to follow. This is someone from Christ had
changed Pharisee of the Pharisees.
No, he's he's collecting the firewood and he gathered a
bundle of sticks, laid them on the fire.
What happens? A Viper came out because of the
heat didn't just strike at him. Notice this and this is
terrible. It fastened on his hand.
It's latched onto him, Snake locked on Paul's hand.
So when the Maltese people saw the snake hanging from his hand,
I whispered to someone or another.
You can imagine, no doubt this guy's a murderer.
It's like he just got off a shipwreck and now what's
happening to him? This is this is karma.
Though he'd escaped the sea. Yet justice does not allow to
live because they knew the snake.
This is a poisonous snake. What does Paul do?
Panic. Oh, woes me.
God, I've just got off a shipwreck.
I mean, you're telling me to go to Rome and now look, a snake.
No. He goes and, and shakes it off.
Man, this guy, you know, we, we have this image.
And so he's a tough guy, remember, he's worked all his
life, he's made tents and worked hard.
He's taught hour upon hour, travelled 3 missionary journeys.
He's been shipwrecked, made his way to shore.
He's he's, he's, he's had illnesses and a snake latches on
him. What does Paul do?
He just shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no
harm. In the end of Mark's gospel, it
talks about poisonous snakes and those who follow Christ.
Now, unfortunately, the weirdos in certain churches in the
South, in Texas, bringing out the snakes during a church
service, rattlesnakes and hand them around.
They dance and stuff and carry on and they get bit and they
die. Yeah, it's, it's tragic.
And we don't go looking for snakes.
I mean, in Australia, jump over our back fence, tiger snake
paradise, our back fence. And I don't go over there and
go. I'm a believer kicking through
the grass every time a tennis ball goes over the fence.
When the boys were younger and a football went over the fence, we
worked out how are we going to get this ball without getting
killed. Paul here doesn't tempt the
Lord. But it's kind of interesting as
we look at this because what's representative always of of a
serpent. We saw the serpent introduced
Genesis chapter 3. We see him throughout the Bible.
He's a murderer. He's a destroyer.
But Paul knows I'm going to run. There was a time when Martin
Luther was disturbed in the night and he shot up in bed.
And there he said, and he wrote, he saw who he believes Satan
sitting on the end of his bed. And he went, it's just you.
And he went back to bed. He went back to bed.
You see, no shipwreck was going to stop Paul.
No Roman soldiers were going to stop Paul.
No snake was going to stop Paul. And no snake was going to stop
God's promises. That's what you and I need to
look at. No snake, nothing.
And in doesn't it say in the end of Romans, the book of Romans
chapter 8, that nothing can separate us from the love of
God? Death, height, with you name it,
any creature in the heavens, creatures below, nothing can
separate us from the love of God.
Nothing. And this is the promises of God.
Paul lived his life and we begin a new book on Sunday, the book
of Exodus and and and the promises of God are the
foundation as we journey into the beginning of the book of
Exodus. And here Paul just shakes it
off. I think he's amazing.
He's an amazing man. He doesn't win, He doesn't carry
on. He's not precious.
He's collected wood. He's got bit by a snake.
He's been through a shipwreck. Paul's going to run.
You see, this is what a man of God really looks like.
You know, we often wonder what does a man of God looks like
look like. We'll just look at the apostle
Paul. He wasn't 6 foot 63 pic handles
across the shoulders. That was Saul.
Saul was a failure. He was just a little guy, but he
was a man of God, a powerful, courageous, wonderful man of
God. However, the Maltese, they were
expecting that he would swell up or suddenly fall down dead.
Why poisonous? But after they had looked for a
long time and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds
and said, oh, he's a God. So he's gone from a murderer to
man. This guy's a God.
So here's what you need to do. Don't worry what others think
about you, good or bad. You know people.
Well, I'm going to a room and I think everyone's talking about
you. No one's talking about you.
No one's interested in you. You know, we go, oh, well, what
are we going to say? No, they they don't even know
you're there. Don't worry about what people
say, whether it's good or bad. What we need to know is what God
thinks of us. That's it.
What God thinks of us. And now it says in that region
there was an estate of the leading citizen of the island,
whose name was Publius. He received us, he entertained
us courteously for three days. So they're a while there.
And it happened that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever.
They believe they're not sure, but there was a fever that was
on the island called the Malta fever.
It's not unusual on the island of Malta.
And you get it for a period and it really makes you sick a lot,
a lot. Like what do you get from
malaria? Like malaria, it came through
the milk of the goats on Malta. That's how it's passed through
Malti. That's this fever.
In that region there was a state, this man Publius, and his
father is sick. And it happened that the father
of Publius lay sick of a fever and dysentery.
So Paul went into him. You go on, let's keep away.
Masks on everybody. Masks on, keep away.
And prayed. Isn't that a good thing to do if
someone's sick? You know, I kicked myself over
and over. It's the thing where I've missed
and missed opportunities, small opportunities that are
constantly where I should pray, offer to pray.
And he laid hands on him. So he prayed, and he laid hands
on him and healed him. So when this was done, the rest
of those on the island who had diseases also came and were
healed. Now this were healed is not the
usual word for miraculous healing.
Who else was on the island with Paul Aristarchus and Dr Luke?
And so because of the change that Luke has used here for the
word healed, it's what it means here, Luke wrote.
It means they received medical attention.
So here's the first missionary Dr Doctor Luke.
And that's how medicine and hospitals broke throughout the
world through Christianity. Missionary.
So Doctor Luke Dennison. Yeah, you can take this here,
treat that. And he's starting to treat the
whole island in a beautiful way. They also wanted us in many
ways. And when we departed, they
provided such things as, when necessary, after three months.
So it's another period of time. We sailed in an Alexandrian ship
whose figurehead was the twin brothers, which had wintered at
the island and landing at Syracuse.
Syracuse was the capital, was the capital back then of Sicily.
So they're getting close, but not there yet.
And we stayed there three days. From there we circled round and
reached region, and after one day the South wind blew, and the
next day we came to Puyoli, where we found brethren.
By the way, Syracuse was the home of Archimedes, the great
mathematician, where we found brethren, and we're invited to
stay with them seven days. And so we went toward Rome and
from there, when the brethren heard about us from Rome, they
came to meet us as far as happy, four of them and three Inns.
And when Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage.
This is called fellowship. This is why you need church.
You're here tonight. You're getting what what many
people are missing out on. We're getting fellowship,
fellowship from other believers. We chat, we talk about the Lord.
We we study the Bible together. Shortly we'll pray for for other
people, and we'll pray for one another that you can't beat that
fellowship. But it also tells us that the
Gospel, remember, was already in Rome.
There are already believers in Rome.
And now when we came to Rome, finally, the centurion delivered
the prisoners to the captain of the guard.
But Paul was permitted to dwell by himself.
But he's chained to a soldier who guarded him.
Now in Rome, at this time, it's 800 years old.
Rome, the city of Rome. By this time, the population of
Rome at this time was around 2 million people.
It's a big city of which one million were slaves.
And it came to pass up to three days that Paul called the
leaders of the Jews. Because Paul, he's not there on
a vacation. He's not going.
Oh, man, I've, I've been travelling for months.
I need a bit of a break, just a little bit of quiet time.
He's straight into it. And what does Paul, what did
Paul do Whenever he went to a new city, he usually went to the
synagogue. Sydney went there first.
This time he calls all the leaders of the synagogue to come
out and hear him. So they come out to hear this,
this rabbi that's come from Jerusalem.
So he calls the leaders of the Jews together.
So when they'd come together, he said to them, Men and brethren,
though I have done nothing against our people or the
customs of our fathers, yet I was delivered as a prisoner from
Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans.
This is why I'm here letting you know my background, who, when
they had examined me, wanted to let me go.
That's the Romans, because there was no cause for putting me to
death. I'm innocent.
But when the Jews spoke against it, I was compelled to appeal to
Caesar. Not that I had anything of which
to accuse my nation for this reason.
Therefore, I have called you to see you and speak with you
because, and you know why I'm here.
I want to tell you about Jesus Christ.
You see, this is this is, this is Paul.
This is his life. He's the speaker of the gospel.
He's the proclaimer of the gospel.
Because for the hope of Israel, I am bound with this chain
because I'm a prisoner of Christ.
This is why I'm in chains. Then they said to him, We
neither received letters from Judea concerning you.
We don't know anything about you, nor have any of the
brethren who came, reported, or spoken any evil of you.
But we desire to hear from you what you think.
For concerning the sect, we've heard about them.
We know that it is spoken against everywhere.
So Paul now preaches Christ. This is why he wanted to go to
Rome. So when they had appointed him a
Dame and he came to him at his lodging, to whom he explained
and solemnly testified what of of the Kingdom of God.
The Kingdom of God is the coming of the Messiah, the
establishment of the throne of God, the return of Christ that's
coming, the millennial reign that's going to occur, the
judgement upon the world that's going to occur before the coming
again of Christ persuading them concerning Jesus.
And how did he persuade them? Well, we're going to begin
Exodus on Sunday. What?
Why would we even bother going to an Old Testament book?
Because Second Timothy 316 says all Scripture is profitable.
And by the way, Paul is preaching, they don't have a New
Testament. Paul hasn't written it all yet
along with John and others. And so Paul from the law of
Moses and you'll see Jesus so much in the book of Exodus and
the prophets. Isaiah from morning till
evening. He didn't go I've got 45 minutes
with you guys as I was going no, from all day he went, let me
tell you about Jesus. Let me tell you what this
Scripture means what this this is referring to him.
This is referring to Jesus of Nazareth from the law all the
way through Moses. He spoke about the prophet.
He's the prophet. Isaiah spoke about him.
This is that he should suffer. He's the suffering servant and
Paul just explains and expands and you know how good a Bible
knowledge of the Bible Paul had with the Holy Spirit empowering
him. Man, if you could record this,
what an amazing study. Christ from the law and the
prophets. So the best Bible teacher in the
world is preaching, and you know what happens?
Some believe, some didn't. That's where it's frustrating.
Some believe, some didn't. Some were persuaded by the
things which were spoken. Some disbelieve.
This is the thing called free will.
It's called choice. You and I can sit, we can hear
the same message and go home and say, man, God really spoke to me
about that. Oh, man, I've got to get my life
right. That area and the other one
right. I couldn't understand what was
going on. Paul spoke of Christ from the
Old Testament, not both from the law and the prophets of the
Kingdom of God. Some were persuaded, some
disbelieved. That happened on Mars Hill,
didn't it? Some listened, some said, oh,
come back. Some said, oh, disregard it.
So when they did not agree among themselves, this is the Jewish
leaders, they departed after Paul had said one word.
Paul's going to bring them to a place of conviction.
He's not just going to go, by the way, what I'm telling you, I
just want to suggest you to kind of think about it.
Mull over this for a bit. No, see, that's not preaching.
Preaching doesn't let you fall into well, I'll I'll consider
it. I'll Mull over it.
God nowhere just says, well, have a think about that.
All that what's going on, what I've said to you and yet get
back to me when you when you're right.
No, no, no, this is the word of God.
This is the sharp 2 edged sword. It does two things.
It convicts or you reject it and it condemns.
And so Paul under the work of the Holy Spirit spoke rightly
through Isaiah the prophet to our fathers saying, go to this
people, Israel he's talking about.
Remember he's talking to Jews and say hearing, you'll hear,
but you won't understand. Seeing, you will see, but you
won't perceive. For the hearts of this people
have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing.
Their eyes they've closed by the blind leading the blind.
Jesus said, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with
their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and
turn, so that I should heal them.
What's that? What's that scripture telling us
that when you hear the word of God, you can't just go?
I'm neutral. Oh, you know, no, no, that's a
no. It's either yes or a no.
It's not like no, Isaiah said. And Paul reiterates it to the
Jews. He spoke to them about Jesus.
He's putting it on the line. He knows he's going to die.
He's not going to have the blood of these people on his body, on
his record. He's the watchman.
And so he quotes Isaiah and he says, Paul says if you reject
Jesus, you can hear, but you'll never understand God.
You must be born again. You can see, but you'll never
perceive. Your hearts will be hard, your
eyes will be closed, your ears shut.
Why? Because God does that to us and
says when you reject, OK, that's it.
You reject because you really. And here's the reason behind
what Isaiah is saying by the Holy Spirit.
Don't forget, you don't want to turn to God.
You know what's being said is true.
You see, this is what the the word of God does.
It penetrates our heart and inside of our hearts we know
it's true. But you go, no thanks.
You make a choice. You make a choice because you
don't really want to turn to God.
Why is that? I don't want to change.
I like living the way I'm living.
I'm not worthy enough and be healed of your sin.
You see people like darkness, they like to stay.
You know, many people come for counselling and when they come
and say, you know, we're thinking of getting married, you
know, we're thinking of doing this and we talk to them and
say, well, this is what the word of God says.
Are you living together at the moment?
Yes. Well, you should stop that.
If you're Christians, you shouldn't be living together to
start with. That's fornication.
It's not right. So here's if you're serious
about God, then you need to live and separate, be a part.
You see, people don't like when we give them the word of God.
That's what people often don't come back because the word of
God doesn't go, oh, OK, well, let's OK that that doesn't make
you happy. How can we?
What, what do we need to do to
negotiate? God doesn't negotiate.
This is the word of God. This is it and the change Jesus
Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.
He ain't changing. Neither is the word of God.
So what's going to happen is OK, if God convicts then I have a
decision to make. I am to obey and turn.
That's why the Bible speaks. So on and on and on about what?
Repent. 1 John 1 first chapter as believers as to believe we
need to repent too continually. Yes, we're saved forever by the
grace and mercy of God, but we will sin through the damn God.
Forgive me for doing that. And if we don't want to repent
of our stupidity that I've done today or the things that I've
said that I or the things that I should have said and I didn't
say, then I'm, I'm, I'm not, I'm not, I don't have a heart for
God. Because you see, well, is sin
bad for Christians? Yes, it's worse.
It's worse than us. We got to get rid of it.
And so Paul lays it out, verse 28.
Therefore, let it be known to you that the salvation of God
has been sent to the Gentiles. And Paul says, and they'll hear
it. This is the natural branch and
the unnatural branch. You don't want to listen to it.
And what did Jesus tell of us? A parable.
Remember the parable? Matthew 22, past Israel.
Get there. Verses 1 to 14 of a great
wedding feast. Who was invited?
Oh, well, come on, I can't, can't make it.
I got this. I got I bought land, I bought
oxen. I've got this to do.
Married me a wife, you know, and it's just rubbish.
It just excuses. You don't want to go.
So the next invitation went out. To where?
The highways and the byways. Whosoever will whose.
That's what you and I are Where the whosoever will we mean, I'll
take it, I'll have Jesus, I'll have Jesus.
And so when he had said these words, the Jews departed in a
great dispute among themselves. And Paul dwelt 2 years in his
own rented house, received all who came to him.
What did he do in those two years?
He preached every day the Kingdom of God.
That's you're my job. That's why we're here.
Our job. What's the what's the will of
God? You're well.
It's written on a surfboard. It's at the end of Mark and it's
the end of Matthew. You don't have to work.
I wonder what God wants me to do.
I'll tell you what God wants you to do.
It's in the Bible. Go into all the world and preach
the gospel, teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus
with all confidence, no one forbidding him.
You see, the Jews of Jesus died looked for a political Kingdom.
That's why Paul spoke about the Kingdom of God.
He says don't go looking for some politician to come along.
You and I don't need to look to some politician.
Donald Trump is not the saviour of the world.
Anthony Albanese is not the saviour of Australia, no
politician is. But Jesus is going to rule this
world for 1000 years. The King, he's the king of all
kings. You see, the preacher of the
gospel, as Paul did in Rome, has 2 messages.
There's only two messages. 1A message for those who respond.
He is a messenger of life. For God so loved the world that
he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him
should not perish, but have everlasting life.
I want that. Then that message is for you.
You're saved. Romans 10/9 and 10 If you
believe in your heart, speak through your mouth the words of
God, that Jesus Christ is Lord, you shall be saved.
Simple as that. And the second message is for
those who reject Jesus, the preacher adds to their own
condemnation. Every time you hear the Bible
and you reject it, man, it's, it's, it's worse.
It's worse for you. Turn with me to Two Corinthians
chapter 2, verse 16. Paul touches on that Two
Corinthians chapter 2, verse 16. As we get to the end of this,
I'll read it from verse 14 actually.
Now thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ
and through US diffuses the fragrance of his knowledge in
every place. That's you and I, for we are to
God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved.
Ah, man, you give the gospel to someone who say they think
you're man. Thanks for telling me about
Jesus. You're great.
Praise the Lord that you told me that you took the time and told
me about Jesus. And among those who are
perishing to the one you are the aroma of death leading to death,
because as you give the gospel and they reject it, death is
coming. It's confirming.
And to the other. And when you're giving them the
gospel of Christ and they receive it, it's the aroma of
life leading to life. That is the end of the book of
Acts. Aren't you looking forward to
meeting Paul? He'll be in heaven somewhere and
we'll go. Where's Paul?
You'll hear AI just bang out some nails in that thing down
there. I he's sweeping up, then.
Then that'll be Paul, Servant of God.
Roman Empire couldn't stop Paul. The Jewish religious leaders
tried to kill him. They couldn't do it.
The ocean shipwreck, a poisonous snake couldn't do it.
Because, you see, he had the promise of God.
Paul, were you going to run? And when he got the Rome, he got
the Rome. And when he'd finished doing
what he did in Rome, Paul went home.
Well done by good and faithful servant.