GOD DOES RESCUE

Key Text: "And he shook off the beast (viper-serpent) into the fire, and felt no harm... but after they had looked a great while, and saw no harm come to him, (Paul) they changed their minds, and said that he was a god." Acts 28:5-6

There are many times in this life that God rescues His children, but this idea that God always performs a miracle to rescue us is really not based on the Holy Scriptures. The world we live in is a world full of trouble. Saints and sinners live in the same world, a world of distress, a world of perplexities and despair. We are cast down, but not forsaken.

"We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed." II Corinthians 4:8-9

Now, here are three things we can always count on. When we need rescuing, God will do one of these three things:

1. God will RESCUE us from our hurt. Whatever it might be the Lord will come to our rescue and save us. It could be financial. Perhaps the loss of a job or it could be illness. It could be sadness and sorrow over the loss of a friend or loved one, etc. The Lord can rescue us from any of, or all of the above.

2. God will give us grace sufficient to bear our burdens in time of hurt. "For this thing I (Paul) besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." II Corinthians 12:8-9

3. God will allow us to fall off to sleep (rest in peace) to die and wait the morning of the first resurrection. And at that time He rescues us form the grave. There will be no more sin, sickness, sorrow; nor no more death. God does RESCUE

The Lord did rescue Paul; He did so more than once. Here are four times the Lord rescued Paul:

1. Paul was rescued form the STONING by the Jews, who were persuaded by those who had come from Antioch. Paul was left as dead. "...and having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead." Acts 14:19

2. Paul was rescued from his prison SENTENCE. "And he (Felix) commanded a centurion to keep Paul, and to let him have liberty, and that he should forbid none of his acquaintance to minister or come unto him." Acts 24:23

3. Paul was rescued from the SEA. He was on a boat with 275 prisoners, Paul, a servant of God is rescued from the storm and shipwreck. Paul is guarded from the storm! (Acts 27:22-24) Paul is given gladness in the storm! (Acts 27:21-22) Paul is given guidance through the storm! (Acts 27:24)

4. Paul is rescued form the bite of the SERPENT. "...there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand." Acts 28:3

So, friend, God does have the mighty power to rescue His people. And that is our sermon for this month. Let us look at these scriptures in Acts 28 and here find our sermon outline. I want us to see the following truths:

I. The PROVIDENCE of God

II. The PROVISION of God

III. The PROTECTION of God

Now, with these three thoughts in mind, we see the wonderful workings of God. God does RESCUE!

Verse 1 "and when they were escaped, then they knew that the island was called Melita."

God had promised through Paul that everyone on the ship would be saved, but that the ship would be destroyed. This promise was kept, as are all of God’s promises. The ship was gone, but those two hundred seventy-six people were safe on this little island. The island was called Melita; today it is called Malta. During World War II it was the most heavily bombed spot on earth.

In God’s prudent foresight, He had prepared in advance an island whereby the two hundred seventy-six people could find a place of safety. As we follow the guidance of God’s loving nature, there is His Providence.

1. They had escaped

2. They then gave acknowledgment of the island God had prepared. God knows the way and when we find it, we will be able to acknowledge it.

During World War II the people of London were put on alert. The planes were coming on a certain night and the families with small children were instructed to move the children out of the city to a secure place. From one family, a small girl boarded the bus with her older brother. The little girl placed her head on her brother’s shoulder and began to cry. Her brother tried to comfort her, but to no avail. "Why are you crying so?" Asked her brother. She looked up with tears flowing down her cheeks and said, "We don’t know where we are going and that is why I am afraid." Her older brother replied, "but the Bus Driver knows where we are going."

In God’s Providence, God knew about that small island. From all eternity God saw that island as a place for Paul and his fellow men to find escape. I like to think of our Heavenly Father as a good God, One who guides us through His Providence, rather than by accident.

Verse 2 - "And the barbarous people shewed us no little kindness:..."

Here is the kind of reception, which the inhabitants of this island gave to the distressed strangers that were shipwrecked on their coast. Here is where Providence continues.

Here we see these men huddled on shore, wet, cold, and weary. They were anxious and hungry. They wondered what kind of a reception they would receive. Where are we?

Have you ever been cold? Have you ever been cold and wet? Have you ever been cold, wet, and hungry? Have you ever been cold, wet, hungry, and lost?

Texas Conference Social on Lake Whitney. With eight people aboard the Sailboat, it turned over. We were lost for almost three hours. We could see the shoreline, but no one could see us. We were cold, wet, hungry, and lost from our friends at the social.

People on the island:

1. They were kind

2. They kindled a fire

3. They received everyone

Charles Bradlaugh, the celebrated infidel, once made an attack on Christians before a group of working men. Charles Bradlaugh in his day was to his generation what Madalyn Murray O’Hair has been to ours. Charles Bradlaugh during his lecture dared anyone in the audience to answer him.

"A plain common working man had the courage to stand up and give his testimony. He said, "In this town there is a Christian Missionary. I have many times driven by his home. Some months ago I lost my job and my wife was sick. I soon became ill myself, but none of my infidel friends came to help me. This Christian Missionary and his wife came to help us. Had it not been for them, we would not be living today. When we were well enough, we asked them why they had done this, and they told us it was because they loved Christ and because they loved us.

"The man went on to tell Charles Bradlaugh and the group of men that "a religion that does that for a man who has hated and cursed him is a good religion."

The man went on to say that he had made his decision and that form now on I am going to follow the Christian religion.

Verse 3 - "...there came a viper (snake) out of the heat, and fastened on his hand."

It was late in the fall - November and perhaps the snake had evidently curled itself up for its winter nap, but because of the heat it struck Paul and fastened onto his hand.

Here God has to PERFORM TWO MIRACLES!

1. Save the life of Paul - Paul was not an ancient snake handler. Playing with snakes was not a part of his religion. He knew better than to tempt God. Paul’s work! Those that receive benefit by the fire should help carry fuel to it.

Little place in Georgia - near Chattanooga, Tennessee. A minister friend of mine told me this story. He got permission for he and his wife to attend a "Snake Handling Service". He was limited to where he could go on the church ground and the church facility. The church music was loud and strange, the snakes were wild and poisonous. The people actually took the snakes out of a small-boxed cage; a snake bit one man.

My friend followed the man out of the church. The snake had stuck his fangs into the man’s side. The next morning after much persuasion the man was taken to the hospital. He died.

My childhood - five years old - a snake bit our dog down in the garden. My older brother killed the snake. The dog died in a few minutes.

So, one of the two miracles that God performed, was to save the life of Paul.

2. God performed miracle number two when he changed the minds of the people. Verse 6 "...they changed their minds, and said that he (Paul) was a god."

See the uncertainty of popular opinion, how it turns with the wind, and how apt it is to run into extremes both ways; from the sacrificing of Paul and Barnabas to stoning them; and here, from condemning him as a murderer to idolizing him as a god.

What the people had said:

1. No doubt this man is a murderer.

2. He escaped the sea.

3. Yet vengeance will take his life.

4. Calamity has come to this man. He must be a bad man.

They were mistaken, and many times we make the same mistake. The Bible does not promise a Christian that he will have immunity from trouble. The physician can give you an injection and say, "You are immune from a certain disease." But when you are converted there is no injection you can take to keep you from trouble. Trouble will soon find you.

God often permits trouble to come to us because trouble many times gives us our greatest opportunity to prove to unbelievers that God is OMNIPOTENT.

1. God did not keep the Hebrew children out of the fire, but He kept the fire out of them.

2. He did not keep Daniel out of the lion’s den, but He kept the lions from hurting Daniel.

3. He did not take Noah and his family out of the flood, but He did go through the storm with them.

4. He did not keep Lazarus from dying, but He delivered him from death.

5. He did not keep Peter from going to jail, but He sent an angel and brought him out.

6. He did not keep the Lord Jesus from the Cross, but He raised Him from the dead.

In each case He allowed the suffering, but in each case God was with them.

Shaking Off The Serpent - II Samuel 1:7-9

I call your attention to verse five, "And he shook off the beast into the fire; and felt no harm." It was when Paul shook off the serpent that the people called him a god. When he shook off the serpent they had confidence in Paul. It is when we shake off things from our lives that the people have confidence in us.