His Own Rented House

Acts 28:1-31
Key Verse 28:30-31

For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him.  Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.

In our studies of the Book of Acts we have seen how the Holy Spirit worked mightily to advance God’s kingdom through the apostles—men like Stephen, Philip, and Peter.  Today’s study concludes this book with the Apostle Paul preaching and teaching in Rome.  But in a sense the Book of Acts continues on with each of us, provided we are obedient to the Lords’ command—particularly the command to make disciples of all nations.  Let us think about how we might participate in the on-going works of the Holy Spirit in advancing God’s kingdom.  

Part  I.  On the Island of Malta

Paul received God’s  vision to pioneer Rome after experiencing the great work of God in Ephesus.  It was more than the vision to pioneer Rome—it was the vision to pioneer the entire world through Rome.  But soon after receiving this vision, Paul was arrested in Jerusalem.  He was interrogated by the Jewish Sanhedrin, and stood trial before the Roman appointed governors Felix and Festus.  When Festus tried to hand him over to the Jews he made his appeal to Caesar.  Paul might have anticipated coming to Rome by his own will, but now he was going as a prisoner.  To make matters worse, the ship he boarded for Rome was caught in a violent storm and was shipwrecked.    

Miraculously, God protected Paul and all those that traveled with him—the crew, the soldiers and the other prisoners.  Once on shore, they found out that the island was called Malta.  The islanders were very friendly.  They made a fire and welcomed them.  It was a time to relax and reflect on God’s grace.  However, it wasn’t long before things got crazy again. Look at verses 3-6.           

“3  Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand.  4  When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, "This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live."  5  But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects.  6  The people expected him to swell up or suddenly fall dead, but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.”  

Paul faced so many troubles.  First a shipwreck and now a snake bite.  It’s tempting to think that he suffered too much.  The islanders didn’t know what to think.  They assumed that Paul must be a murderer, and that this was some sort of divine justice.  They expected him to swell up or suddenly fall dead.  But how did Paul respond?  “Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects.”  How could Paul remain so cool, even in a life-threatening situation?    

I believe the answer has to do with his absolute faith and obedience in Jesus Christ.  In the past, Paul suffered from an extreme anxiety disorder—running from place to place—breathing out murderous threats against God’s people.  But God had mercy on him and helped him to meet Jesus personally.  He accepted God’s love that Jesus paid the full price for all of his sins on the cross.  Then he was freed from the stinging venom of sin and all of its ill effects.  All that really troubled him was taken away.  So whatever troubles he faced in serving God were no longer troubles at all.  All the troubles were merely opportunities to reveal the glory of God—one after another, after another.  In this way, God empowered Paul to live his life fully for God’s redemptive purpose.  Through the snake bite in Malta, God revealed his glory and identified Paul as his servant in the eyes of all who saw it or even heard about it.  

One person who must have heard about it was Publius, the chief official of the island.  He welcomed Paul and his companions to his home.  It’s one thing to invite a group of strangers to a campfire, and quite another to invite Roman soldiers, sailors and prisoners into ones home.  But Publius opened his heart.  Then God blessed his household through the Apostle Paul.  Look at verse 8, “His father was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery.  Paul went in to see him and, after prayer, placed his hands on him and healed him.   When this had happened, the rest of the sick on the island came and were cured.”  Here was see the power of believing prayer.  One believing prayer caused a chain reaction, so that God not only blessed the household of Publius, but also the entire island through Apostle Paul.  

When God helps us to offer believing prayer, healing will be commonplace and blessings will abound.  Then, “How can we have such believing prayer?”  Today’s passage indicates that it has a lot to do with spiritual momentum.  To begin with, we need to be faithful to our spiritual responsibilities—to pray, read the Bible and serve others.  But there’s something more.  We need to endure all the troubles and sufferings, even persecutions we face in serving God and not be shaken by them.  One way for us to do this is to fix our eyes on Jesus.  Jesus endured the cross and turned it into God’s glory.  When we fix our eyes on Jesus and see glory in the cross, all our troubles begin to look inconsequential—small…strangely, even joyful.  Then we can just shake them off—for God’s glory.  And finally, think about something else like believing prayer.      

  

Part II. Paul’s ministry in Rome

Paul spent three months on the island of Malta.  Then he and the men with him put out to sea and sailed from port to port until they reached Puteoli.  Look at verses 14-15.  “There we found some brothers who invited us to spend a week with them. And so we came to Rome.  15  The brothers there had heard that we were coming, and they traveled as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us. At the sight of these men Paul thanked God and was encouraged.”

As Paul was nearing Rome, I imagine, he might have felt a bit alone.  He was one man with the vast Roman empire before him.  But when he saw the brothers there, he thanked God and was encouraged.  From this example, we learn that even a spiritual giant like the Apostle Paul needed c-workers.  To have a co-worker is a great source of encouragement for continuing the work of God. 

In the Spring semester a new season of fishing begins.  Many of us will be exited to begin the new year by participating in fishing ministry.  But when you think about it, it’s really not easy to continue fishing without the encouragement of a co-worker.  We need fellowship with brothers and sisters who face the same struggles, and to struggle together with them.  Then we naturally thank God.  And, we can even continue fishing when the April showers arrive.  I pray that God may provide is with many co-workers—even sending them from long distances to meet us if necessary.          

The remainder of the passage details Paul’s methods for pioneering Rome.  Paul began by calling together the Jewish leaders.  When they had assembled, he explained why he came to Rome as a prisoner.  There were basically two reasons, the superficial reason and the real reason.  The superficial reason was because of the Jews.  They Jews arrested him and handed him over to the Romans, though he had done nothing against them or their customs and had not committed any crime.  However, the real reason Paul came to Rome as a prisoner is found in verse 20b.  “It is because of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain."  Paul was wronged by the Jews, but he wasn’t bitter.  He accepted that his suffering was for the hope of Israel.  It was not an empty or meaningless suffering, but a hopeful suffering.  Whenever he looked at his chains, he could remember this hope.    

To the Jews, the hope of Israel was the hope of the promised Messiah and the earthly messianic kingdom.  By this they were not far off.  The one thing they were missing was to accept Jesus as the promised Messiah.  To help them further, Paul invited them back for an in-depth Bible study.  Look at verse 23b.  “From morning till evening he explained and declared to them the kingdom of God and tried to convince them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets.”   

In order to help the Jews accept Jesus as the promised Messiah, Paul explained and declared the kingdom of God.  The kingdom of God is not an earthly kingdom but a spiritual kingdom.  Since the Jews were waiting for an earthly kingdom, Apostle Paul explained and declared the spiritual nature of God’s kingdom.  He also tried convince them that Jesus was the promised Messiah through the promises that point to a spiritual king—one that would suffer and be raised from the dead.  This Jesus is the only true hope we have in sufferings, because of the promise of his eternal kingdom.  Paul’s Bible study with the Jews went on from morning till evening.  He fully devoted himself to teaching the them the words of God with long patience.  But how did they respond to his teaching?  Basically, some were convinced and some were not.  So, they were divided.  As a result, they and ended in a heated argument and started to leave.  Not the best environment for receiving Jesus.  

Paul concluded the Bible study with a final statement.  Look at verses 25b-27.  “The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your forefathers when he said through Isaiah the prophet:  "`Go to this people and say, "You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving."  27  For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.'  

God really wants to heal his people.  But without turning to God in humble repentance, there’s not much that God can do.  In this New Year, may God help us to listen to his words, open our spiritual eyes, repent more and experience complete healing.  

When the Jews would not believe in Jesus, God’s salvation was sent to the Gentiles and they would listen.  But there was still the task of pioneering to be done.  And, the Roman Empire was vast.  Then how could the Roman Empire be pioneered.    

Let’s read verses 30-31. Act 28:30-31  For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him.  31  Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.  

Only two years.  

At first glace, God’s way of pioneering seems almost too small—too insignificant.  Imagine Paul staying in his own one bedroom apartment welcoming sheep to one to one Bible study.  Does this sound world changing?  Not too much.  But when we consider the power of God, and how greatly God uses even one person who is changed by the gospel, we get an entirely different picture.  Welcoming even one person to one to one Bible studies has great significance before God.  In fact from God’s point of view, one person represents the entire world.  Just look at the powerful change in the lives of Nathan and Ataiena through one to one Bible study.  Now imagine them working together and inviting others, and others being changed through the one to Bible study with them and bringing still others and on and on until Brazil is fully pioneer through the words of God.  

It has been our prayer that God would double our ministry.  In this year may God bless us to double our ministry through one to one Bible study.  If you think about it, if double your one to ones and you already double your ministry.  So if you have no sheep and you get one sheep, you’ve already doubled.  You can say, “Today, I doubled my ministry.”  And if we all double our ministry, its only a matter of time before we see the  visible reality here in our Bible center, although were going to need to expand our Bible center.  

Personally, I was stuck by the words, “…Welcomed “all” who came to see him.  Paul welcomed all, and we all know what all means, so I won’t even ask the question.  In 2010 God sent me a sheep with autism.  This may not seem that significant.  However, I already had another sheep with autism.  Also, God sent me a sheep to our Christmas worship service who ended up going to jail two days later.  So our first one to one was through a prison vision.  This was very interesting.  So I wondered I had to keep serving “all” God sends to me.  Well this passage kind of answered my question.  I realized that God wants me to learn faithfulness and long patience   

In Conclusion, we have finished our study of the book of acts, but the acts of the apostles, or acts of the Holy Spirit through the apostles continues on through us.  May God bless us to give ourselves to the work of one to one Bible study ministry this year 2011