This week I came across a rare photo of a TV remote control from the 60’s and 70’s. This brought back memories of some of my favorite after-school TV shows like Hogan’s Heroes, Lost in Space, the Beverly Hillbillies, and Gilligan’s Island. Interestingly, each of these classic shows dealt with people who were lost or out of place. Last week I referenced part of the Gilligan’s Island theme song and for our passage today, some additional lyrics come to mind: “The ship set ground on the shore of this uncharted desert isle…”
As we journeyed with Paul through Acts 27, we established this truth: In the storms of life, make sure you have an anchor for your soul. We have extra copies of the 20 Storm Lessons on a table out in the lobby. You can also access them by going to the Sermon Extras tab on our website or on the mobile app.
After the ship ran aground on a sandbar, the stern was demolished by the pounding of the surf. I imagine the centurion barked out orders, “If you know how to swim, go for it! If not, grab a plank or other debris and make your way to shore!” I’m sure the cold autumn water took their breath away and made their muscles spasm. When their feet finally hit the beach, they were surprised to learn all 276 passengers were alive, even though the mighty Minnow was lost.
Let’s pick up the narrative in Acts 28:1-10: “After we were brought safely through, we then learned that the island was called Malta. 2 The native people showed us unusual kindness, for they kindled a fire and welcomed us all, because it had begun to rain and was cold. 3 When Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and put them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened on his hand. 4 When the native people saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “No doubt this man is a murderer. Though he has escaped from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live.” 5 He, however, shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm. 6 They were waiting for him to swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But when they had waited a long time and saw no misfortune come to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god. 7 Now in the neighborhood of that place were lands belonging to the chief man of the island, named Publius, who received us and entertained us hospitably for three days. 8 It happened that the father of Publius lay sick with fever and dysentery. And Paul visited him and prayed, and putting his hands on him, healed him. 9 And when this had taken place, the rest of the people on the island who had diseases also came and were cured. 10 They also honored us greatly, and when we were about to sail, they put on board whatever we needed.
Here’s our main point today: God can do anything when you give Him everything. I see ten lessons we can learn from our passage.
1. Trust God to keep His promises. Previously, God promised Paul he would testify before Caesar in Rome. In addition, he assured them none of the passengers or crew would be lost. The ship was destroyed but all the sailors and prisoners were delivered. We see this in verse 1: “After we were brought safely through, we then learned that the island was called Malta.”
They were happy to hear they beached on “Malta” because it was part of Rome, and therefore under its protection. The name “Malta” means, “flowing with honey as a place of refuge.” Incidentally, today the spot where they shipwrecked is called, “The Bay of St. Paul.”
The island of Malta was only 17 miles long and 9 miles wide, so it’s incredible how God providentially steered the ship in the storm to land on this small strip of land in that part of the Mediterranean, which was 375 miles wide!
On Friday, I had an experience which reminded me God can do anything. Beth and I were in the suburbs to meet with Pastor Ray and Marlene and to attend a Keep Believing Ministries board meeting. We placed an order at Chipotle and when I walked outside, I held the door for a guy who turned and noticed a woman wearing an Iowa sweatshirt. He asked where she was from and she said, “The Quad Cities.” He excitedly responded, “I was just in the Quad Cities yesterday.” At this point I spoke up and said, “I live in the Quad Cities!” How did God do that? All three of us were in the same place at the same time and we all had the QCA in common. God can do anything!
2. Exhibit unusual kindness. In a world filled with war and vitriolic verbiage, compassionate kindness stands out. We see this in verse 2: “The native people showed us unusual kindness…” The word “native” is translated “barbarians,” but simply refers to non-Greek speaking people. The word “kindness” in Greek is where we get “philanthropy,” or the love of people. This kindness was “unusual” because normally, natives captured or killed those who washed up on shore. Michael Mark adds: “It can be an extraordinary kindness, or it can be an ordinary kindness shown with an uncommon attitude.”
Because the islanders did not speak Greek, the Maltese and the castaways could not communicate verbally. However, the Islanders spoke the language of love. Because the storm survivors were drenched and shivering, the natives made a fire and provided refuge for the refugees. In addition to being soaked from the sea, “it had begun to rain and was cold.” In late fall, it rained a lot, and it was frigid. The campfire must have warmed them physically and emotionally.
The word “welcome” refers to “taking by the hand and receiving deliberately,” much like what we see taking place in Poland and other countries as people receive those fleeing from the war in Ukraine. That’s what Mark and Sarah Drake have done for their Ukrainian friends, Sasha, Sophia, Lucas, and Emma. We’ll hear from them in a few minutes.
So many people today are cold and shivering because of the storms they’re living through. Sin has caused many others to be shipwrecked and they’re looking for the warmth that Christians can provide. Let’s not be cold or chilly toward those who are being battered by the storms of life.
3. Work hard on a team with others. Verse 3 shows us how Paul, even though he was an apostle, worked hard with his hands: “When Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and put them on the fire…” The word “bundle” speaks of a multitude of sticks, showing he worked diligently, much like our Go Team of 10 guys did in Belize this week. They not only accomplished all they were hoping but even did some unexpected “bonus work.” Here are some pictures.
Paul did not consider himself to be above others, nor was he afraid to work as stated in Acts 20:34: “You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me.” As Chuck Swindoll says, Paul wasn’t sitting around drinking out of a coconut under a palm tree.
Brothers and sisters, we are saved to serve, not to sit and soak. BTW, our church workday is this coming Saturday morning. God can do anything when you give Him everything.
4. Expect opposition. I appreciate one pastor’s perspective, “Many people have had a false gospel marketed to them with a message that if they will just believe on Jesus and have faith, then nothing bad will happen in their lives. That’s why so many of them depart from Christianity when the troubles and trials of life come upon them…until the believer is in heaven, he must deal with the ramifications of living in a fallen world including physical decay, disease, and natural disasters. Paul certainly had his share of all of these.”
Paul didn’t preach the prosperity gospel, nor was his life problem-free. He went through a lot – he had been arrested, imprisoned for two years, faced trials, survived storms and shipwreck, and then a snake attacked him in the second half of verse 3: “…a viper came out because of the heat and fastened on his hand.” The cold-blooded viper probably looked like a stick as the cold would have made it stiff. As the heat warmed it up, it pounced, and it’s two long fangs filled with venom, pierced Paul’s hand.
Paul had just been delivered and it would have been natural to think he was in the clear for a while. However, Satan saw an opportunity to attack Paul. This is a reminder for us to keep our guard up as we’re reminded in 1 Peter 5:8: “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”
Several years ago, a speaker at Iron Sharpens Iron shared a helpful acronym to alert us to those times we are especially susceptible to temptation: H.A.L.T. We must be careful when we’re…
Hungry
Angry
Lonely
Tired
As the viper hung from his hand, the “cancel culture” turned on him according to verse 4: “When the native people saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, ‘No doubt this man is a murderer. Though he has escaped from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live.’” Since these islanders were very superstitious, they were convinced the viper was sent as payback for Paul’s crimes. In their culture, a snakebite was a bad omen.
The phrase, “no doubt” means they were “assuredly convinced.” That’s exactly what Job’s friends assumed when they accused him of wrongdoing. Since Paul somehow escaped Neptune, who was the god of the sea, the goddess known as Justice was now going to lower the boom. In Greek mythology, she was called, “Nemesis,” the daughter of Zeus who worked through circumstances to enact divine retribution.
I wrote down four thoughts related to this part of the narrative.
• Some of you feel like you’re being punished for your misdeeds and others secretly look at those who are suffering and believe they have it coming. It’s worth noting that Paul didn’t lash out at the Lord or question why a viper was hanging from his hand.
• The longing for justice can be a good bridge to the gospel message. We all have a sense of fairness because we’re made in the image of God. Justice demands for someone to pay the price for our sins. God’s justice was fully satisfied when Jesus absorbed our punishment on the cross. I have been using God’s mercy in my attempts to have more gospel conversations with people. When someone asks me, “How are you?” I have been responding with, “Better than I deserve.” Recently, someone asked what I deserve. I smiled and said, “Hell.” That quickly took our conversation to a deeper level.
• While we should be concerned about the many injustices in our culture, we must be careful about asking God for justice in our lives, because we might just get it. What we want is mercy, not justice. The Bible is clear everyone will face judgment if they have not trusted in Jesus.
• Nothing happens by chance or by accident, not even a snake bite. God used this for His glory and for greater gospel proclamation.
5. Shake off problems if possible. I like how Paul handled his issue with the snake in verse 5: “He, however, shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm.” He didn’t seem too worked up since he just flicked it into the fire. Paul demonstrated the dominion promised to us in Genesis 1:26: “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’”
This imagery also makes us think of the promise found in Psalm 91:13: “You will tread on the lion and the adder; the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.” Jesus picked up on this in Luke 10:19: “Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.” My mind also goes to Romans 16:20: “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.”
Revelation 20:10 says one day soon, Satan will be flicked into the forever fires of the lake of fire: “And the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”
God can do anything when you give Him everything.
6. Hold people’s opinions lightly. Because they were convinced Paul was experiencing retribution for his sins, verse 6 tells us how fickle the islanders were: “They were waiting for him to swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But when they had waited a long time and saw no misfortune come to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god.” The poison of a viper would enter the bloodstream and break down the capillaries leading to massive internal bleeding and swelling. The islanders knew from experience that a viper’s bite caused inflammation, fever, and death.
I wonder if Paul took a seat by the fire to roast some marshmallows and hum some hymns. After an hour or two, everyone was still staring at him, wondering why he hadn’t died yet. With his mouth full of smores, he probably looked at the islanders and said, “What’s up?”
As they watched and waited, Paul remained whole and healthy. They concluded he must be a god. Paul quickly went from a zero to a hero. One minute he was a degenerate, the next minute he was declared divine. In Acts 14:13-19, Paul and Barnabas went from heroes to zeroes. Initially, the people wanted to sacrifice to them and minutes later they were ready to stone them. It’s good to keep Proverbs 27:21 in mind when someone pays you a compliment: “a man is tested by his praise.” They may pat you on the back today only to locate a spot in which to insert a knife tomorrow.
It seems Paul didn’t get too concerned when people turned on him or when they tried to worship him. Our culture seems to have turned on Christians, hasn’t it? We’ve seen more evidence for that just this week. One person writes: “Bible-believing Christians in America…are rapidly waking up to the reality that they truly do live in a post-Christian culture. Judeo-Christian beliefs are not only unwelcomed by those holding the reins of cultural, economic, and political power, they are seen as a threat, leaving Bible-believing Christians increasingly feeling like exiles in their own country.”
On a related note, let’s be careful about casting some people as villains and others as allies, simply based on our personal preferences. Romans 12:18 says: “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.”
7. Offer hospitality without grumbling. While the people wanted to pounce on Paul and then gave him praise, a government official offered hospitality to the refugees in verse 7: “Now in the neighborhood of that place were lands belonging to the chief man of the island, named Publius, who received us and entertained us hospitably for three days.” The “chief man” was the governor of the Island. The word for “received” means, “to emphatically seize” the opportunity to “entertain,” which refers to pitching a tent or providing lodging.
If you want to grow in this area, I recommend a book by Rosaria Butterfield called, “The Gospel Comes with a House Key: Practicing Radically Ordinary Hospitality in Our Post-Christian World.” We posted a link on Sermon Extras. Hebrews 13:2 says, “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”
God can do anything when you give Him everything.
8. Pray for people. One of the best things you can do for someone is to pray for them. Once again, we see evidence of God’s providence from the first two words in verse 8: “It happened that the father of Publius lay sick with fever and dysentery. And Paul visited him and prayed, and putting his hands on him, healed him.” Notice how precisely Dr. Luke described the symptoms of a fiery fever and dysentery. Commentators believe this man was suffering from Brucellosis or “Malta Fever,” which was caused by a microorganism traced to goat milk.
Paul was present with people, and prayed for them, showing the source of this healing was God Himself. Note also these healings happened without regard to the faith of the one who was healed. I like the perspective of one pastor, “The hand which was bitten by the viper and filled with venom is the same hand God used to heal Publius’ father and the rest of the islanders. The harmed hand becomes the healing hand.”
9. Be ready for open doors. Because Paul lived on mission and God healed this man, the word got around according to verse 9: “And when this had taken place, the rest of the people on the island who had diseases also came and were cured.” The tense of the word “came” indicates “they kept coming.” News traveled quickly when Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law as well. Listen to Mark 1:32-33: “That evening at sundown they brought to Him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. And the whole city was gathered together at the door.”
A couple weeks ago, Beth and I gave some treats to a couple of the neighbor kids. Within a couple minutes, two more children showed up at our door. Since they were hanging around, we decided to give them some Easter books along with candy, if their parents were good with it. A few minutes later, another boy came to our door and said he sensed he missed out on something, but he didn’t know what it was. We asked if he wanted Easter books as well and after checking with his dad, we gave him a couple, along with some candy.
Here’s the principle. Once someone sees the reality of God at work in you, the word spreads to others! I like what John Wesley used to say, “Light yourself on fire with passion and people will come from miles to watch you burn.”
Interestingly, the Greek word for “cured” is the word therapeuo, which means to be treated medically, and referred to a gradual cure. Sometimes God heals immediately and other times he does so incrementally through medical means. Other times God waits to heal us until we get to heaven. Perhaps Dr. Luke was involved medically while Paul interceded for the patients, showing how God uses both medical professionals and prayer.
10. Give to those in need. Here’s a helpful phrase to remember: See a need, meet the need. Notice verse 10: “They also honored us greatly, and when we were about to sail, they put on board whatever we needed.” To “honor” someone is to consider them “weighty” or “prized.” The people were hospitable for three months and provided whatever was needed when the group left. They needed a lot because they lost everything in the shipwreck.
God can do anything when you give Him everything.
Have you given Him everything? Have you fully surrendered to Him? Are you all in?
