Acts chapter 28 will be divided into two parts. The first part is from verse 1 to 16. The title is “The Lord Jesus Christ Honors Those Who Honor Him”. The second part is from verse 17 to 31. The title is “The Lord Rejects Those Who Reject Him”. In Acts chapter 28:1-16, how does the Lord honor those who honor him? 

Acts 28:1: “Once safely on shore, we found out that the island was called Malta.” 

At that time they couldn’t even see sunlight or moonlight. It was all covered in darkness and they weren’t able to tell where they are. By the time they hit the beach, the ship was damaged, but 276 souls were saved. Once safely on shore, everyone landed safely. Not one soul was lost from the 276 people on the ship. That is exactly what the Lord promised to Paul in Acts chapter 27:22-24; “But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. 

23 Last night an angel of the Lord whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me 

24 and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’” 

What God promised through the angel to Paul is exactly fulfilled, for God is faithful to His word.  

Acts 28:1: “Once safely on shore, we found out that the island was called Malta. 

This was a very small island that gained popularity because of Paul. Verse 2: The islanders showed us unusual kindness.They built a fire and welcome us all because it was raining and cold.”

The 276 people have a shipwreck and they swim to the shore (some leaning on the planks because they don’t know how to swim), and they all reached land in safety. But they are so cold and it is raining. The islanders built a fire and welcomed them all. If the islanders did not build the fire, they might’ve gotten ill and died, too. If you are kind to others, the Lord will be kind to you. It is good to be kind to others. Proverbs 11:17; “A kind man benefits himself, but a cruel man brings trouble on himself.” 

It was none of the islanders business that 276 people were ship wrecked. If they were not kind to them, the islanders wouldn’t have had to build the fire to welcome them. But they were kind and helped them. The islanders may not know Proverbs chapter 11:17. But just because they are Gentiles, they do exactly what the Lord says, although they don’t know the Lord. Will the Lord not bless them? The Lord definitely blessed them. It doesn’t matter whether you are a Christian or non-Christian. The Bible verses recorded in Proverbs chapter 11:17 applies to all men. A kind man benefits himself. 

Verse 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.””

The poison of a snake solidifies blood. When the solidified blood pumps into the heart, the heart will stop beating. Once the coagulated blood is in circulation, you will die in a minute. At first, the islanders say Paul must be a murderer. For though he escaped from the sea, he cannot escape from the poison of the poisonous viper. 

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 happened to him, they changed their minds and said he was a God. 

There are lessons we can learn in here. Proverbs 15:33b: Humility comes before honor.

The islanders thought Paul was a murderer. Paul tried to save people’s lives so how can he be a murderer? Starting in Acts chapter 20-28, Paul’s companions persuaded him not to go to Jerusalem. Yet Paul did not take their advice, but instead went to Jerusalem. It is not because he’s stubborn, it is because he knew that it was the Lord’s will for him. Paul witnessed for Jesus in Jerusalem, so he will witness for Jesus before Caesar. Paul knows that he must go to Jerusalem, not only to take the money that was collected from various churches to pay back the Jewish christians (because they became poor), but through kindness, Paul took this opportunity to preach to the Jewish people, trying to save their souls. He wasn’t a murderer. He knew that he wasn’t a murderer. Humbled himself before the people to prove his innocence. Did Paul explain that nothing would happen to him though he was bitten by the viper? No, he was silent and didn’t say anything. Those who are humble are of little words. Let them say what they want to say. If it is not true, then they will see the truth eventually.

To receive honour, you must do God’s will. Humble yourself and let God explain on your behalf. The islanders, because they showed unusual kindness to 276 people, they saw something they had never seen before. Anyone bitten by a poisonous viper will be die very shortly. Yet they saw this miracle. The islanders, although knowing the cost of supplies and things they would lose to help the 276 people, they still built the fire and showed them kindness and hospitality. 

Lesson number two: if you are kind to others, you benefit yourself.

Because of this shipwreck, Paul and his companions winterized in that island for three months. Paul would preach during this time and save many of kind islanders.

The islanders did not expect Paul to do anything in return for them. They, by faith did the right thing by helping the 276 people. The islanders are human beings and the prisoners are human beings. It is the right thing to do to help them. It doesn’t matter if you know each other, kind acts benefit yourself. In this incident, they saw the benefit right away, but you don’t always see it immediately. A kind man benefits himself. Hide God’s words within your heart, and in due time you will see the benefit. 

The islanders made a mistake thinking that Paul was a god. He was an apostle of Jesus Christ, and was greatly used by our Lord. The reason why Paul wasn’t struck dead from the viper’s poison is because Jesus Christ lives in him. He is so filled with the Holy Spirit that God protected him. It is also the fulfillment of what apostle Mark wrote in Mark 16:17-18. What will happen to those who believe in Jesus? 

Mark 16:17-18: And these signs will accompany those who believe in my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well. 

These signs will accompany Paul because he is a believer of Jesus Christ, and many of these prophecies are fulfilled in Acts chapter 28. 

If you were Paul in this situation, how would you feel? You are just trying to help out to get the brushwood to put it into the fire. Since people are showing unusual kindness to you, is it not the right thing to do to help out? You try to help, but end up getting bitten by a poisonous viper. In this situation, most people would curse, but Paul stayed calm. Dr. Luke did not help him either, and had no resources, considering the shipwreck probably washed away his medical instruments. Dr. Luke also stayed calm, for he knew that God would protect Paul. This was the right time to prove to other people that Paul is not a criminal and that God was with him. 

If everybody says you are good, but God is not with you, you are still no good. If everybody says you must be a criminal, and yet God says you are his servant, then you are good. Paul honors God and God honors him. God allowed Paul to endure a little bit of inconvenience and pain. But Paul was not in panic when he was bitten, he shook the viper off and performed a miracle. God honored Paul because Paul honored God by going to Jerusalem. With all this, God prepared something unusual for Paul and his companions. Later on in the Bible they stayed on the island for three months, and then they went to Rome, and the kind islanders provided all that they needed for the trip. Our God is almighty, He expects you to do what He says. You do your part, and he will do the rest, for only He holds the future. Paul’s crew did not know how long they would be on the island, if the islanders did not provide the 276 people food for three months, the people would die from hunger. God knew what they needed, and provided for them all. He allowed inconvenient things to happen to Paul so as to save them all. 

Because of the viper incident, the islanders changed their minds and they said Paul was a god. This news spread out in the entire island.The officials knew about it in Acts 28:7: “There was an estate nearby that belonged to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us to his home and for three days entertained us hospitably.”

In order for the chief official to welcome the criminals, he had to have seen something that proved otherwise. The chief official was kind to Paul and welcomed his companions in hopes that God would bless him as well. 

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. 

According to Mark chapter 16:18, those people who have faith in Jesus will place their hands on sick people and the sick will be healed. That is exactly what happened to Paul. He believed in God’s words, and did as what God had said. He was not doctor like Dr. Luke, but he had God’s words within his heart. For all things work for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose. God allowed these things to happen so as to bless them for the next three months. Paul had faith and went in where the father of the chief official was. He laid hands on him and prayed for him and healed him. 

Acts 28:9-10: When this had happened, the rest of the sick on the island came and were cured. 10 They honor us in many ways and when we were ready to sail, they furnished us with the supplies we needed. 

As a preacher, Paul had the word and the promises of God, and had faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, and knew every promise’s worth. In Psalms 145:13b it is written; “The Lord is faithful to all his promises and loving towards all he has made.” 

Paul had hidden God’s promises within his heart. He just used what he had and laid hands on the sick and prayed for the sick. He knew that Jesus Christ will do the rest.  Paul also knew that the Lord is loving towards all he has made, including the father of the chief official. Paul also notes that wherever he goes, as long as he has what he receives from God, he would give it to other people and the Lord will bless him. That’s exactly what Paul said in Acts chapter 20:35: It is more blessed to give than to receive. 

He knew that if he laid hands on the chief official’s father, he would be healed by faith. Because of this, news spread out on the entire island. The first news is that Paul was bitten by a viper and he was not struck dead and had no ill effects. The second news was that he healed the fever and dysentery of the chief official’s father. When people heard what Paul had done, they brought their ill family members to Paul for him to heal. This similar to what happened to Jesus, when he entered a village. Jesus healed one person, and others went to Jesus to get healed as well. When the islanders looked at Paul, they saw Jesus living in him. In Galatians Paul says: not that I live, but Jesus Christ lives within me. Jesus Christ empowered him to do all this because he is a faithful man who honors God. Paul has the word of God and holds on to God’s promises because the Lord is faithful to all his promises, make sure to remember the Lord’s promises and keep them in your heart, and God will surely bless you as He blessed Paul, for the Lord is loving towards all he has made.

Acts 28:11-14; “After three months we put out to sea in a ship that had wintered in the island. It was an Alexandrian ship with the figurehead of the twin gods Castor and Pollux. 12 We put in at Syracuse and stayed there for three days. 13 From there we set sail and arrived in Rhegium. The next day the south wind came up, and on the following day we reached Puteoli. 14 There we found some brothers who invited us to spend a week with them. And so we came to Rome.” 

When Paul safely arrived in Rome, Paul looked back at the the whole journey and gave thanks to God.

Verse 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. 

The reason why they met them was because they received the letter of the book of Romans before Paul arrived. They traveled a long way to meet the author of the book of Romans. 

Verse 16: When we got to Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with a soldier to guard him. 

Why? Because the guard saw all of Paul’s miracles, and treats Paul very well. Anyone who gets close to Paul will be saved, so whenever someone goes to Paul and asks for advice and help, the guard sees and hears everything. Eventually this guard will come to know Jesus just like what the Bible recorded in the book of Philippians.

In conclusion, be cautious about what people you mix with. You benefit yourself when you are around good people. Being with bad people only brings bad things. The Bible says this in Matthew chapter 10. You receive the righteous man, you get what the righteous man gets. You receive the prophet, you get what the prophet gets. You receive the pastor, you tell him and share with him what your needs are, and you get what he has. Paul had the filling of the Holy Spirit and all the promises of God. It is written in James 5:16; “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” Paul was a righteous man, this is why God heard his prayers. Make friends with people who will benefit you, your brothers and sisters, and Jesus Christ. He is the friend of sinners. Ask Jesus for help and lay all your anxieties and burden onto him, and He will surely help you. Jesus Christ has everything. If people come to Paul and received such blessings, how much more will they receive if they came to Jesus directly? The Bible clearly states that anyone who has the Son of God has life. Anyone who does not have the Son of God does not have life. If you have him, you have everything. After the shipwreck Paul lost everything, but the Lord honored and exalted him.