Review of Acts 28

by Pastor Ayo Sparks

…and Wow, we are at the last chapter of Acts. I am sure it’s been a fantastic read plus you sure have been blessed by the Acts of the Believers.

For me, I strongly believe that these acts were not solely by the titled believers, Peter, John, Paul, Stephen etc but by even the congregation who made Apostleship worth craving. They are the kind of church anyone could wish to Pastor.

I mentioned to our Church during Maturing class yesterday about the level of readiness the believers had and how their crave for possession was submerged by their crave for Christ.

They were not a perfect church but they were a growing church.

We must desire this maturing, we must desire to exhibit acts and doings of a believer which is achieved by stability via the knowledge of Christ, and Glory to God for Pastor Damilola who is helping to teach us as we achieve around stability.

From a Murderer to a “god”

Before Paul was called a murderer, he had been saved many times from been murdered by the Jews who ordained him as “Far to see” simply because he has seen the light.

The beautiful thing about seeing the light is that you are automatically transformed to be the Light. The light begins to work in you and cause every form of darkness dispelled and others can attribute your person to the source of Light.

What am i saying?

Paul and the other passengers on board have just been saved from shipwreck in Chapter 27, and I love when Paul asked them to calm down, nothing go do us… why? Because I have an assignment.

Men who know their assignment may face troubles but they are stable and unshaken because they know that though they may be pressed but they can’t be crushed, persecuted but not abandoned, struck down but not destroyed… They are blessed beyond a curse, for His promise will endure and the Joy other Lord, their strength… That’s you and I… Glory to God!

Back to our chapter focus…

Acts 28:3-4 NET

When Paul had gathered a bundle of brushwood and was putting it on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened itself on his hand. When the local people saw the creature hanging from Paul’s hand, they said to one another, “No doubt this man is a murderer! Although he has escaped from the sea, Justice herself has not allowed him to live!”

This local people are all the same, but we are human shey? What is our reaction when we see someone who is going through a recurrent string of seeming catastrophes? We immediately judge the fellow guilty and has to suffer for his sins.

As believers, we should be different in our thinking, rather pass immediate judgement why don’t we use the opportunity to intercede for the person, especially if he/she is of the household of Faith.

I love the intro to the next verse…

Acts 28:5 NET

HOWEVER, Paul SHOOK THE CREATURE OFF into the fire and suffered no harm.

Kabaya!

It may look like it’s finished for you, no more way to go, no more moves to take…However!!! It’s not finished yet, it’s not over yet…someone is experiencing a “However” here this week…

When calamities seem to want to fasten itself on you and suck you, do like Paul, shake it off…

Not every situation requires fasting and prayer, they just require a shaking off…

That shaking off is a mentality of stable people of God… Nothing fastens itself on me for disadvantage, I shake it off back into where it came, the pit of hell, I shake off that disease, I shake off that need, I shake off disappointment … Glory to Jesus.

When people who have sentenced you to death by fastening expect you to be fasting but rather you shake body, they begin to say “definitely he is a god…”

The truth is that they are right…

If a child of a lion is a lion, the child of goat is a goat, the child of man is man, the child of dog is dog, then what else would child of God be if not “God”

The same people who said he was a Murderer changed their perception about Paul simply because he exhibited the traits of deity. Many of us need to start exhibiting traits of deity. I need to start too… We should understand that greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world.

Are you excited already?

Begin to bask in these reality…

Glory to God.

Acts 28:8-9 NET

The father of Publius lay sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him and after praying, placed his hands on him and healed him. After this had happened, many of the people on the island who were sick also came and were healed.

I cannot preach enough about this part…

Declare with me:

I am walking in power…

I am walking in miracles…

I perform signs and wonders…

I am a Child of God!

From Prosecutor to Preacher

Acts 28:30-31 NET

Paul lived there two whole years in his own rented quarters and welcomed all who came to him, proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with complete boldness and without restriction.

Antidote to persecution has never been a response of God to intervene by fire but a response to preach the more with more boldness. We see this happen all through this book. At the face of trouble, they prayed for boldness to preach… Even when they fled they fled to preach.

We need preachers of the gospel in our day as the rise of communism increases we need men who know they have an assignment to boldly declare the name of Jesus.

There’s no one who can’t change. God doesn’t give up on us, we also should not give up on others as regards their salvation.

In conclusion:

Acts of the Holy Spirit

Acts of the Apostles… Yes!

Acts of the Believers… Yes!

But much more it’s the acts of the Holy Spirit seen all through this book. The acts of the Holy Spirit from the signs of the Pentecost, to the healing at the beautiful gate, to the daily adding to the church to the conversion of Paul, to the evidence of speaking in tongues, to the defence of Paul and till it’s end… All these couldn’t have been possible without the Holy Spirit and much more the yielding to the Spirit.

There’s little we can do without our dependency on the Holy Spirit… It is what Sons of God do… Those who are sons of God are led by the Spirit of God. So many things we would do for Kingdom if we could rely just like the early church and Paul did. Father, help me make a commitment to solely depend on you through the Holy Spirit. Help me make value manifest because I am your child. Help me do more you. Help me become stable in you, in Jesus name. Amen!