Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev19981004.htm

ACTS: THE LOCAL CHURCH AS GOD'S AGENCY FOR DISCIPLING
Part LIII: God's Sovereign Oversight Of His Servants' Geographical Placements
E. Handling The Pressure Of Facing Repeated, Draining Obstacles To Doing God's Will
(Acts 28:1-10)
  1. Introduction
    1. We learned from Acts 16:6-10 that our service for God involves His geographically placing us for service.
    2. Yet, there can arise obstacles to our arriving at or staying put where God wants us. These obstacles can be so big that the believer may quit trying to arrive or stay in that spot, or question God's will as to location.
    3. One hurdle may be a relentless repetition of facing obstacles to God's assigned will of location, something that makes one wonder if he should just "quit". Paul faced this difficulty, and how he did so instructs us:
  2. Handling The Pressure Of Facing Repeated, Draining Obstacles To Doing God's Will, Acts 28:1-10.
    1. Jesus told Paul that it was necessary (dei) for him to witness in Rome as he had in Jerusalem, Acts 23:11.
    2. However, Paul faced a number of obstacles to reaching Rome after Jesus had made that prediction that might have caused him to question or doubt if he would ever reach Rome, Acts 23:12-27:20:
      1. First, he had to flee the his countrymen who laid wait to get him between his Jerusalem prison quarters and the sanhedrin. That included a flight by night to Caesarea escorted by soldiers, Acts 23:12-35.
      2. Second, Paul offset false charges by the high priest at Caesarea in his self defense, biding time so that he did not have to get back to Jerusalem and face certain death, Acts 24:1-27.
      3. Third, Paul had to use his "trump card" of Roman citizenship to escape having his case transferred back to Jerusalem as he knew he would be unjustly ambushed and killed by his countrymen, Acts 25:1-12.
      4. Fourth, Paul had faced being ignored by the centurion with his suggesting the ship taking him to Rome winter in Crete to avoid the dangerous fall seas, Acts 27:1-13. This had led to Paul's facing the threat of death at sea when a dangerous, two-week "Northeaster" had come up, Acts 27:14-20.
    3. Well, the Lord again appeared, telling Paul he would stand before Caesar after being shipwrecked, 27:21ff
    4. Paul and all of the men on board made it through the shipwreck to the shore of Malta, Acts 27:44b-28:1.
    5. However, in what could have been the icing on the cake of ultimate discouragement, Paul was cruelly bitten by a very poisonous snake, making the islanders conclude he was a great sinner, Acts 28:2-4: Thus, after all the obstacles he had faced thus far toward getting to Rome, while greatly fatigued, and when he was doing his best to be helpful in gathering sticks, Paul was again threatened against making it to Rome!
    6. However, in FAITH that Christ's promises of his reaching ROME would BE FULFILLED, Paul shook off the serpent into the fire to kill it, trusting he would survive, Acts 28:5a.
    7. The result was that an open door of blessing opened and furthered Paul's efforts to reach Rome, 28:5b-10:
      1. Christ equipped Paul to feel no harm from the serpent, making the islanders wonder if he was a god, 5b.
      2. Paul took advantage of their change of mind to heal the island's chief ruler's father, Acts 28:6-8.
      3. That led to many others being led to Paul for healing from throughout the island, Acts 28:9.
      4. The islanders then gave Paul and those with him honors and goods needed to make it to Rome, 28:10.
Lesson: Christ ALLOWED this seeming ADDED obstacle of a snake bite to Paul's ever reaching Rome to get in his way as a DISGUISED opportunity for a GREAT ministry EN ROUTE to Rome!

Application: REPEATED, DRAINING obstacles faced in heading toward God's known will must be seen as divinely PERMITTED opportunities for effective service in DISGUISE. If we react in FAITH to them, AS DID PAUL, God WILL make us a blessing i n the process!

Illustration: Chuck Swindoll reports that after his daughter broke her neck and was temporarily paralyzed, he was scheduled to preach a sermon out of Acts on Paul's shipwreck. Overcome with shock, and wondering how to make this usually overlooked portion of Scripture meaningful, Chuck trusted God and went ah ead with the sermon, entitled, "A Time To Heal." His parishioners view that as his best sermon, and have repeatedly checked it out of the library!! That's what happens if we respond to draining obstacles by faith -- God transforms them into advances for His glory!