Teaching the Bible Saves You-Acts 28

Acts of the Apostles, New Testament, Sermons

Video of my last Acts sermon, 7/30/23 (Acts 28). The first Acts sermon was on 9/25/2022. I changed the title from “Continue what Jesus Began in You” to “Witnessing Christ Saves You and the World” in keeping with the Luke’s overall theme of SALVATION in each sermon and all 28 chapters of Acts. Ten months later, by the grace of God, we are completing the book of Acts. But though the book of Acts ends, yet the story of Acts continues to this very day and will continue till Christ comes again.
Compassion sees others as harassed and helpless. This is one of many things that convicted me. It was how I viewed and interacted with others. When Jesus saw the crowds “he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Mt 9:36). I tend not to see others as “harassed and helpless,” but with the subjective mindset of “What’s wrong with you? You’re a Christian and should know better.” Once a dear friend was pouring out her heart because she was greatly distressed over one of her children. My mindset was to fix the problem with tough love and out of impatience and exasperation I said something I shouldn’t have said which hurt her greatly. I did not see her (and her child) as harassed and helpless, but had the mindset that as a Christian this can be fixed and solved and resolved. Clearly, I lacked compassion for her and her child. As a result our 3 decades of friendship and relationship was weakened, if not broken. I apologized to her. But I understand that wounds go very deep and healing comes from God.
  • “He witnessed to them from morning till evening, explaining about the kingdom of God, and from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets he tried to persuade them about Jesus” (Ac 28:23).
  • “For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ—with all boldness and without hindrance!” (Ac 28:30-31)

  1. Why was it cold in Malta (Ac 28:1-2, 11)? Why did the Islanders think that Paul must be a murderer (Ac 28:3-4)? Is it right for people to think this way (Jn 9:2)? Why was Paul not concerned (Ac 28:5; 23:11; Mt 28:20)? Why did the people change and think “he was a god” (Ac 28:6; 14:8-11)?
  2. Why might the chief official Publius welcome Paul and who might be “us” (Ac 28:7)? Did Luke help heal Publius’ father? What was the result of this healing (Ac 28:8-10)?
  3. Why wait 3 months before leaving Malta (Ac 28:11-13)? Why did Paul thank God on the way to Rome (Ac 28:14-15)? Why wasn’t he imprisoned like other prisoners (Ac 28:16)?
  4. What 3 points did Paul make with the local Jewish leaders (Ac 28:17-19)? Why did he meet them first (Ac 28:17; Rom 1:16)? What does Paul mean by “the hope of Israel” (Ac 28:20; 23:6; 24:15; 26:6-8)? What have they heard and not heard about “this sect” (Ac 28:21-22)?
  5. When they met again, how did Paul explain and persuade the Jews about “the kingdom of God” and “about Jesus” (Ac 28:23)? What is “the Law of Moses and … the Prophets”?
  6. How did they respond (Ac 28:24-25)? Why did Paul quote Isaiah 6:9-10 (Ac 28:25-27)? How did this open the door of the gospel to the world (Ac 28:28)? [Some reject immediately, others respond eventually, you rejoice certainly.]
  7. What letters did Paul write during his 2-year house arrest (Ac 28:30)? What did he do (Ac 28:31)? Who was with him [in Mamertine Prison] (Col 1:7; 4:7-14)? Did his imprisonment hinder the gospel (Phil 1:12-14; 2 Tim 2:8-9)?
  • How important is fellowship and hospitality (Ac 28:30)?
  • Does Paul encourage you to share the gospel despite challenging circumstances? To boldly share your faith, even unpleasant environments?
  • How does Paul’s arrival in Rome show God’s faithfulness and sovereign guidance in fulfilling His purposes (Ac 19:21; 21:13-14; 23:11; 25:10-11; 27:23; Rom 15:20, 28, 31)?
  • What are some key themes and lessons in Acts? How are they reinforced in this final chapter (Ac 1:1, 3, 8; 28:23, 31)?

Paul Reaches Rome (Acts 28). During the Roman Empire, Rome was the center of the world. Symbolically Paul reaching Rome draws everything to a close and finalizes and fulfils the themes of Acts, in particular the universal mission  (Ac 1:8; Mt 28:18-20; Lk 24:47; Jn 20:21-23). The Jew-Gentile tension is at the heart of that mission. Reaching the Jews was central in the early chapters, and reaching the Gentiles comes to the fore in the latter chapters. The Jews proved obdurate and obstreperous, and Acts closes with Isa 6:9-10 and “God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles” (Ac 28:27-28). Though the Jews are still the object of evangelistic effort (Rom 1:16), the fruit comes more from the Gentiles.

  1. From Malta to Rome (28:1-15). Hospitality and healing on Malta.
    1. Hospitality from pagans (28:1-10).
      1. The bonfire on the beach (1-6). Paul shakes off a viper.
      2. The healings on the island (7-10). Paul ministers to them.
    2. Hospitality from Christians (28:11-15). Paul journeys from Malta to Rome. Arrival in Rome.
  2. Paul’s ministry in the Imperial Capital (28:16-31). The gospel for Jews and Gentiles.
    1. Reporting to Jewish leaders (28:16-22). Paul encounters Jewish leaders. The 1st encounter with Jews.
    2. Responding to Jewish rejection (28:23-28). Paul encounters many Jews. The 2nd encounter. Paul turns to the Gentiles.
    3. Paul welcomes all with the Gospel (28:30-31). Paul’s ministry over the next 2 years. The beginnings of Christianity.

Quotes:

  1. “The primary task of the preacher is to expose the text of Scripture so that the voice of God may be heard.” John Stott.
  2. “The Bible was not given for our information but for our transformation. The Bible is not given to increase our knowledge but to change our lives.” D.L. Moody.
  3. “The preacher’s job is not to explain Scripture but to feed God’s people with the Word of God in such a way that it changes their lives.” Tim Keller.
  4. “The primary task of the preacher is to proclaim the Word of God, to explain and apply it to the congregation, and to do so with clarity and conviction.” John Stott.
  5. “The Bible is meant to be bread for daily use, not cake for special occasions.” Eugene Peterson.
  6. “The Bible is not an end in itself, but a means to bring men to an intimate and satisfying knowledge of God, that they may enter into Him, that they may delight in His Presence, may taste and know the inner sweetness of the very God Himself in the core and center of their hearts.” A.W. Tozer.
  7. “Do not try to make the Bible relevant. Its relevance is axiomatic [self-evident]. Do not defend God’s word, but testify to it. Trust to the Word. It is a ship loaded to the very limits of its capacity!” Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
  8. “The Bible is not meant to be a collection of disconnected verses, but a coherent message that reveals God’s redemptive plan for humanity. Our task as teachers is to help people see and understand that big picture.” N.T. Wright.
  9. “The goal of biblical teaching is not just to impart information, but to see lives transformed by the power of God’s Word.” Charles Stanley.
  10. “A faithful teacher of the Bible must be a person of prayer, seeking the guidance and illumination of the Holy Spirit in understanding and communicating God’s Word.” A.W. Tozer.

How many Herods are there in the Bible.

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