Paul Survived the Shipwreck. Then a Snake Bit Him. (Acts 28 Sermon)

<p>Paul survived 14 nights in a storm and a shipwreck off Malta. Then, while he was gathering firewood for everybody else, a viper came out of the kindling and bit him.<br /><br />The islanders had him figured out in about four seconds: he must be a murderer, and Justice finally caught up with him. When he didn't die, they changed their minds. He must be a god. Paul never changed by one hair.<br /><br />If you've ever thought "the worst is behind me" right before something came out of the kindling, this one's for you. If you've ever had somebody's "everything happens for a reason" run on you, by strangers, by family, by people holding Bibles, or by yourself at three in the morning, this one's for you too.<br /><br />Jesus gave Paul the destination, not the itinerary. He never promised that nothing would bite him. He promised that nothing gets to finish the sentence but Jesus. And forty miles outside Rome, the church walked out to meet a prisoner on the road, and Paul took courage.<br /><br />"So we came to Rome."<br /><br />📖 Acts 28:1–16 (World English Bible)<br /><br />Preached live at First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Cushing, Oklahoma<br /><br />CHAPTERS<br /><br />00:00 Snakebit on the Way to Rome<br /><br />00:32 The Shipwreck Didn’t Cancel the Promise<br /><br />02:15 Uncommon Kindness on Malta<br /><br />05:53 Acts 28:1–6 — Scripture Reading<br /><br />06:59 Fourteen Nights of Storm… Then the Snake<br /><br />09:38 “I’ve Had My Storm”<br /><br />10:23 The Crowd Decides Who Paul Is<br /><br />11:31 The Snake Goes Into the Fire<br /><br />12:26 Murderer. God. Same Paul.<br /><br />13:31 When People Holding Bibles Do the Math<br /><br />14:09 Jesus Gave Him the Destination<br /><br />15:40 Don’t Build a Snake-Proof Gospel<br /><br />16:48 The Same Hand That Got Bitten<br /><br />17:19 Grace Has Fingerprints<br /><br />18:11 The Journey Starts Again<br /><br />19:15 Courage Comes With Faces<br /><br />21:33 So We Came to Rome<br /><br />Part of our verse-by-verse walk through the Book of Acts.<br /><br />Previously: "What Has to Go Overboard?" (Acts 27, the shipwreck)<br /><br />Next: the last chapter of Acts, and the last word Luke ever wrote.<br /><br />🎙️ The Semi-Seminarian: The Podcast Your Pastor Probably Listens To<br /><br />A digital church bell for anybody listening alone in the dark.<br /><br />We'll never ask you for money. Just tithe your subscribe. 🔔<br /><br />#Acts28 #ApostlePaul #Sermon</p>