Turning shipwrecks into Opportunities

 Read Acts 28.

What may seem at first to be a great loss to us can become great opportunities in ministering to others.

No doubt Paul would have never met Publius nor shared the good news of Jesus on Malta, if it were not for the shipwreck.  He taught the word of God for three months before sailing on another ship from Egypt.

Being a prisoner did not seem to be a burden for Paul at all.  He so served those around him that he was allowed much freedom to live and to teach.

In Rome, he had a soldier assigned to him, but Paul lived in a house "at his own expense."  Upon arriving he discovered two things: 1) The gospel had already reached as far as Rome, and 2) He was able to strengthen the faith of the believers who were there. Then, as was his custom, he invited Jewish leaders to his home Bible study.  For two years, the Apostle taught about Jesus from the Old Testament.  Jesus was indeed the fulfillment of the "hope of Israel" (v.20), the Messiah.  It was this same hope that energized the godly Jews such as Simeon in his work as a priest in the Temple, "waiting for the consolation of Israel" (Luke 2:25), when Mary and Joseph walked in with baby Jesus.

Some of the Jews were receptive to the message and placed their personal faith in Jesus.  Others did not.  At that, Paul decisively turned his ministry focus to the Gentiles.  From the beginning, preaching Christ to the Gentiles was his calling.  "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek." (Romans 1:16)

The book of Acts stops with chapter 28.  But the story of the church continues to unfold to this day.  It will continue "until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.  And in this way all Israel will be saved" (Romans 11:25-26).  Paul explained to the Romans that a partial spiritual blindness had come upon the Jews, as the prophets predicted.  One day, the church age will conclude and the Jews will welcome Jesus as the Messiah.  He will, then, fulfill all the earthly kingdom prophecies.

In the meantime, we who are part of this on-going story of the church must look for those great opportunities that God gives to each of us.  "But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect." (1 Peter 3:15).