Bill Acton :: Acts 28 - From Malta to Rome

Sermon Outline for Acts 28

From Malta to Rome

1. The Signs of an Apostle – 2Co 12:12
   1. The poisonous snake miracle – Act 28:1-6
      1. The people
         1. Described as “barbarous”
            1. They did not speak Greek
            2. They were not savages
         2. They treated the shipwrecked people with kindness
      2. The snake bite – Act 28:3-5
         1. Paul was gathering firewood
         2. The poisonous snake clung to his arm
         3. The people thought Paul was being punished for sin
            1. Human ideas of justice
            2. Human ideas of judgment
            3. The explanation of Christ – Jhn 9
         4. Paul suffered no harm
         5. The people now thought Paul was “a god”
   2. The healing of the father of Publius – Act 28:7-8
      1. The man was sick
      2. The healing was instantaneous and miraculous
   3. The healing of the people – Act 28:9
      1. The rest of the sick came to Paul
      2. They were all healed
   4. The principles involved
      1. The gift of healing was an apostolic sign
      2. The gift of miracles was an apostolic sign
      3. The sign gifts ended with the apostles
      4. No one today has the sign gifts
      5. The sign confirmed the message of resurrection
   5. The people honored the apostolic party - Act 28:10
      1. Gratitude produces generosity
      2. They loaded the ship with supplies
2. The Trip from Malta to Rome – Act 28:11-16
   1. Three days on the Island of Sicily – Act 28:11-12
   2. Landing at the port of Puteoli – Act 28:13-14
      1. 130 miles from Rome near the city of Naples
      2. Paul was met by Christians – Act 28:14
         1. The miraculous witness of the Gospel
         2. The wide spread of Christianity
   3. On to Rome – Act 28:15-16
      1. Two groups of Christians meet up with Paul
         1. Some at the forum of Appius (40 miles from Rome)
         2. Some from the three taverns (30 miles from Rome)
      2. They welcomed him
      3. They prayed with him
      4. They encouraged him
3. In Rome – Act 28:17-31
   1. Paul invites the local Jewish leader to meet with him
      1. He explained his predicament – Act 28:17-23
      2. He points out the real reason for Jewish opposition: for the hope of Israel
   2. The next meeting – Act 28:23
      1. Paul led in Bible study
      2. The subject: The Lord Jesus Christ
      3. The study of Moses and the prophecies
      4. The result – Act 28:24
         1. Some believed
         2. Some did not believe
         3. Paul’s observation of Isaiah’s word – Act 28:25-28
   3. Two years in Rome – Act 28:30-31
      1. Paul was preaching and teaching - The Lord Jesus Christ
      2. Paul was “unhindered”
      3. Paul wrote Philippians, Ephesians, Colossians and Philemon
4. Paul’s History
   1. Released
   2. Rearrested
   3. Beheaded