Acts 28: Finishing the Race with Faith

Have you ever noticed that some people seem impossible to stop? No matter what comes against them, they keep moving forward. That is Paul in Acts 28. The storm of Acts 27 is over. The ship has been destroyed. The passengers have barely escaped with their lives. Most of us would be ready for a long nap and a quiet season. Not Paul. The moment he reaches shore, he begins serving. When others would have focused on their hardships, Paul focused on his mission. Acts 28 reminds us that God's purpose is greater than our obstacles. Storms may delay us, shipwrecks may detour us, and hardships may challenge us, but none of them can stop what God has determined to accomplish through a surrendered life. As we come to the final chapter of Acts, we discover a powerful truth: when you belong to God and walk in His purpose, no storm, no snake, and no chain can stop His plan.   Let look at this chapter beginning with verse 1 Once we were safely ashore, we learned that the island was called Malta. 2 The islanders showed us extraordinary kindness. They kindled a fire and welcomed all of us because it was raining and cold. 3 Paul gathered a bundle of sticks, and as he laid them on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself to his hand. While, I don't like snakes, this is one that we have to check out. This one is not your garden, harmless variety, it is a viper, that means poisonous, and the snake bites Paul and then and remains attached by its fangs! That is a scary scene! SCARY SCENE!!! And the next verse please… 4 When the islanders saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, "Surely this man is a murderer. Although he was saved from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live." 5 But Paul shook the creature off into the fire and suffered no ill effects. What? 6 The islanders were expecting him to swell up or suddenly drop dead. But after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.   What? Did you hear that. The Bible says: A viper came out of the fire. It fastened itself to Paul's hand. The islanders expected him to die. He suffered no ill effects. Think about it: Survived a hurricane. Survived a shipwreck. Swam ashore. Gathering firewood to help others. Gets attacked by a viper. And his response? He shook it off into the fire and kept serving. That's a picture of Spirit-filled resilience. The enemy attacks. The storm swirls around us. Discouragement tries to stop us. Paul's response: Shake it off and keep serving.   7 Nearby stood an estate belonging to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us and entertained us hospitably for three days. 8 The father of Publius was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him, and after praying and placing his hands on him, he healed the man. Un huh! You heard that right! That's what the Bible says!! God's healing power flowed through Paul and the man was healed.   9 After this had happened, the rest of the sick on the islan