TEXT: ACTS 27:1-10, 14, 30-31
Acts 27:1-10 And when it was determined that we should sail into Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners unto one named Julius, a centurion of Augustus' band.
2 And entering into a ship of Adramyttium, we launched, meaning to sail by the coasts of Asia; one Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, being with us.
3 And the next day we touched at Sidon. And Julius courteously entreated Paul, and gave him liberty to go unto his friends to refresh himself.
4 And when we had launched from thence, we sailed under Cyprus, because the winds were contrary.
5 And when we had sailed over the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia.
6 And there the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing into Italy; and he put us therein.
7 And when we had sailed slowly many days, and scarce were come over against Cnidus, the wind not suffering us, we sailed under Crete, over against Salmone;
8 And, hardly passing it, came unto a place which is called The fair havens; nigh whereunto was the city of Lasea.
9 Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was now already past, Paul admonished them,
10 And said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives.
- Acts 27:14 But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon.
- Acts 27:30-31 And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship, when they had let down the boat into the sea, under colour as though they would have cast anchors out of the foreship,
31 Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved.
Today, I am speaking to the entire body of Christ. My objective is to admonish and encourage you in view of present and impending challenges, troubles, trials, or storms. I feel such an encouragement is both necessary and important because I’m a witness that life’s storms are inevitable.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we always felt as though we were always on top of the world, and that people would always treat us with the respect we feel we deserve?
Most of us have all read Psalms and come to love the comforting words.
- Psalm 23 The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
But it is important that you know that life is like a voyage and circumstances of life are like the weather. Sometimes there’s smooth sailing and other times you’ll encounter stormy seas and boisterous winds and menacing waves. There’ll be times when you feel like you no longer want to be on board God’s ship of life. There’ll be moments when it looks like you’re not going to make it. There will be times when things seem to make no sense - situations that make you question if God has forsaken you. There will be days when it seems that all hope is gone.
Many times when you begin to encounter these kinds of realities, people of God, the easiest thing to do is panic and try to jump overboard. I myself have been faced with life challenges and was encouraged this week through God’s Word and I want to encourage your hearts and tell you to abide in the ship!!
Paul was one of the greatest characters in history - chief missionary of early Christianity; church builder; Pharisee by birth and belief; persecutor of Christ and of Christians - until his striking conversion on that Damascus road. Paul the persecutor, now converted believer, heart stirring preacher, whose motto became John 6:38.
- John 6:38 I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of Him that sent me.
In Acts 23, Paul, a preacher of the Gospel, was seized by Jews and they plotted to kill him, swearing an oath to neither eat nor drink till they had done so.
Acts 24:5 states they brought him before Felix, governor of Caesarea. The prosecuting attorney described him as a pestilent fellow, mover of sedition among the Jews, ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes and one to profane the temple. This text reveals charges were never proven.
He was imprisoned for two years to appease the Jews. His case was again heard when the next governor Festus took office. It was here Paul appealed to be heard by Caesar, Emperor of Rome. Paul had hearings after hearings, and at each court hearing, it was repeatedly stated, Whom I perceived to be accused of questions of their law, but to have nothing laid to his charge worthy of death or of bonds (Acts 23:29).
Listen, clearly, when you are a child of God, determined to live for God and do His work or His will, that alone is reason for others to hate you and try to destroy you. Folks will talk about you, spread lies about you, and attempt to ruin your name. You don’t have to do a thing to them.
Trouble is something that plagues the human race. I don’t think I’ve met anyone who can boast about being trouble free. It’s one of those common denominators that link everyone who has lived, who is now living, or who will live on this earth.
Witness:
Job 5:7 Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward.
- Job 14:1 Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.
One thing about trouble is that you don’t have to look for it - it will find you. It knows your address. Just prepare yourself in advance to deal with it. If you haven’t had an encounter with trouble, my Dad always said, “Keep living”.
Very few people today have experienced as many difficulties in their life as Paul has. He was on a first name basis with trouble. He said:
- Colossians 3:3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
Our life is inaccessible to man.
David said:
- Psalms 118:6 The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?
You can rock my boat, but you can’t turn it over!
In our text, Paul and prison mates have been handed over to Julius, a hardened Roman Centurion assigned to guard and escort him to Rome, who later developed respect for Paul and gave him little freedom and spared his life. How would your character look up close and personal?
WAYS TO SINK YOUR SHIP:
- THE COMPULSIVE WAY:
- Acts 27:9 Now when much time was spent.
This time was the “grand fast” of the Jews – the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 23:27). This event occurred in October. The fast is over.
- Acts 27:9 ...sailing was now dangerous. Ships then had no compasses and navigation by stars, and the overcast weather made sailing almost impossible and very dangerous.
The men in charge are now deciding whether to sail or not. Paul warns them of impending disaster, heavy losses, damage to cargo, damage to the ship, and it would affect their lives.
Have you found yourself in a storm simply because you didn’t listen to anyone? Mom/Dad tried to tell you something; Grandma/Grandpa tried to tell you something, a Supervisor at work tried to tell you something; the Preacher/Deacon tried to tell you something; the Teachers at school tried to tell you something? But you are just not willing to listen to anyone. And because you didn’t listen, you found yourself in a storm and hard to get out of it.
They didn’t listen to Paul because they thought Paul didn’t know anything about sailing a ship. They thought the only thing he knew how to do was preach and teach about the Lord. They didn’t know he had sailed before and had been shipwrecked before. Paul knew what he was talking about when he told them to hold off until better weather. The only thing they saw was a preacher and prisoner needing transport to Rome.
What’s the lesson? Be careful how you look at people. Don’t be so quick to pass judgment just because they don’t have a college degree, or live in your neighborhood, or may be too old, or too young. God can use anyone to give you a lesson in “common sense”. Paul was trying to snap them into reality, impart some wisdom into them about sailing in the sea. And because they rejected his advice, they found themselves stuck in a “disastrous sea storm”.
Hear me: no matter how bad the storm you’re in, God is able to take care of you in the midst of it. Sometimes, we need to stay where God puts us until He tells us to move.
- Psalm 27:14 Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart.
There’s an old cliché, “Haste makes waste”. Avoid making hasty decisions until you have consulted God.
- THE CONSULTATION WAY:
The centurion heard Paul’s warning that the sail would be disastrous. The owner of the ship wanted to sail. Now the centurion is torn between decisions. Can’t you see him thinking? Am I going to listen to Paul, the Preacher and this so called revelation from God, or the ship experts?
- Acts 27:11 Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul.
There’s nothing wrong with experts, and thank God for people who know their business, but you better learn to go to the Word of God for your answer/directions. When you consult with other people and get advice that’s contrary to God’s Word/Will, you are on the way to sinking your ship.
- THE COMFORTABLE WAY:
This is a very good way to sink your ship.
- Acts 27:12 And because the haven was not commodious to winter in...
Despite the fact that this wasn’t a good time to sail, the pilot and owner of the ship didn’t want to spend the winter in a dingy little town at sea, so they took a chance. It would’ve been a bore for them to be stuck here. They wanted action, thinking only of their own comfort and not the safety of ship and passengers.
Beware! The easy way is almost always the wrong way! Our walk as Christians is a call to hardness. The devil is always there to detour you off the main road. The centurion consulted with the ship master rather than the “soul master”, and it stirred a big debate on the ship. Can you see him now setting it to a vote? How many people think we ought to sail? About 272 hands went up so the majority ruled. This is mainly how we do business on the norm! Don’t we make decisions by “majority vote”? The “majority” is not all the time the right ruling factor. We must know when to hold them and know when to fold them.
- THE CONSENSUS WAY:
Census reflects numbers. Numbers denote power, accomplishment, and control. Ask David. He got in trouble with God trying to number the people. It’s for God to number the people and call them by name (Exodus 30:12). God want us to trust in Him and not numbers. It’s dangerous to follow the majority because the majority is invariably wrong. Twelve spies in Numbers 13 were sent to spy out the land – ten came back with a bad report. Two, Joshua and Caleb, gave a good report. Guess what? 600,000 Israelites went with the majority (those who had the bad report), and they wandered in the wilderness 40 years until they died, but the few who believed God made it into the Promised Land.
Don’t go astray like the Israelites through human reasoning. God has hidden these things (hidden wisdom) from the clever and the intelligent and revealed them to babes. If you use your human reasoning and your cleverness to study the Bible, look for your ship to sink. You need the revelation of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:12-14). Don’t always settle for majority opinion and fail to consult the mind, the Word, and the Will of God.
- THE CIRCUMSTANCES WAY:
- Acts 27:13 And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing thence, they sailed close by Crete.
Look at this: by compulsion, consultation, comfort, and consensus, they had made up their minds to sail. I’m sure somebody said, “Hey everybody, look at that, I’m certain we ought to sail. There’s a south wind blowing softly. What a wonderful time to sail”! Here they are looking at the “circumstances” seemingly things were just right! Surprise! Surprise!
Circumstances are the most deceiving way of all to cause shipwreck! Many of us jump on board because the opportunity is there. Did you check with God or did you check the wind?
You take off whichever way the wind is blowing depending on signs of circumstance instead of God’s will, and suddenly that soothing soft wind turns into a horrible howling cyclone. That’s exactly what happened to the ship carrying Apostle Paul.
These ingredients - compulsion, consultation, comfort, consensus and circumstances - all lined up in the mind of the centurion, so he decided to set sail. It was not Paul’s will, nor was it God’s will, but they sailed. But human reasoning (intellect) took them right into the teeth of a terrible storm (sea lion).
Life is easy when the gentle south winds are blowing, and you can chart your course. You might be doing fine right now. Right now you can look at your chart and see that your finances are fine, your retirement plans are on track, and you know how you’re going to pay for the children’s education. But, what happens when the storm hits you, and you can’t see the sky? You better learn to trust in something that no storm can blot out. What do the unsaved do when the stars disappear from their sky? They wander out of control.
- Acts 27:15 When the ship was caught, and could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive.
The rudder didn’t mean anything. As their dreams dissolve, many people realize they had no control.
Let’s face it - the man without God is going to get blown off course! All the dreams, all the plans, all the ideas, and all visions of his manhood and his youth dissolve. All he can do at this point is let her drive. Let his life wander out of control. Once out of control, guess what - impending shipwreck!
Those mariners were working hard pulling and pushing on the beams. They were bailing out water, undergirding the ship, working, striving, straining to keep things together. The Bible says in Proverbs:
- Proverbs 13:15 The way of transgressors is hard.
Sin is a cruel taskmaster. People strive and work hard when they’re sailing contrary to God’s Word. For the people without God, their lives are a waste.
Things got so bad they couldn’t control the ship. They tried lightening the load. They threw cargo, furniture, tools, tackle, everything overboard. Forget profit at this point - the only motive now is “SURVIVAL”! That’s what happens to those when the storms of life come, and they are driven by the wind and not God. They are laboring harder and sinking deeper and deeper in the troubled waters, and sin (missing the mark) is causing them to lose everything. They’re starting to throw it all over board. There are people today who refuse to listen to God. Now, they would give everything they own to have their life back again, to have their child sober again, to have their job back, or their health back when they’re losing it all. Is “sin” worth it?
As the storm rages, you must learn to get alone with God in the midst of the storm. Paul knew how to get alone with God. He knew how to pray. We have a generation that has nothing to hold on to when the storms come. Wishing just isn’t enough. There’s no substance in wishing. It’s like walking on egg shells and jello. We need something with substance to survive the storms of life.
Here the mariners had wandered, worked, wasted, and wished. Finally they withdrew. And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship, Paul said to the Centurion and the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved (Acts 27:30-31).
Some have tried to get out of their mess in a lifeboat, but we can’t escape the storms of life by withdrawing in a lifeboat. You can’t escape through alcohol or drugs. You can’t escape through divorce, running away from home, and you certainly can’t escape through suicide.
How can you “weather your storm”? Paul said:
- Acts 27:25 Be of good cheer: for I believe God.
Paul was guarded by God. The sailors were out of the will of God, but they did not stop the “will of God”! Where man rules, God overrules! Our Sovereign God is going to have His will done!
The same applies to you and me. You may stumble; you may falter, but one thing is sure: Because you’re saved, God has predestined you to be just like His Son Jesus, and all of Hell can’t stop that! The kings and the rulers of this world can meet and plan; they can plan in the Pentagon; plan in the White House; plan in the Kremlin and in Red China; the armies of this earth can march, but this is only where man rules. When God rules, His Kingdom spreads from shore to shore, and our God will win!!!
Paul said to the crew:
- Acts 27:22-24 And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man's life among you, but of the ship.
23 For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,
24 Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.
I don’t care how bad your storm looks today – my storm has been thrusting me back and forth, back and forth. But I’m encouraged and convinced that God still has plans for you and me. If only you would abide in the ship! Put on PRAYER as your “life-jacket”. Jesus says:
- Luke 18:1 That men ought always to pray and not to faint.
Put on the life-jacket of God’s Word! Put on the life-jacket of the church.
- Psalm 122:1 I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord.
Put on the life-jacket of love and healing! Put on the life-jacket of joy and peace!
In God’s ship is salvation and deliverance! In His ship is abundant and eternal life!
Even though the ship was torn asunder by the storm, they all made it safely to shore. Some made it on boards (God’s grace). Some held on to broken pieces of boards that came from the same ship (God’s mercy), but they made it.
Before they were able to survive the sea’s storm and the shipwreck, they first had to abide in the ship. The ship represented CHRIST!
The same thing has to happen with us, people of God, in order to survive our storms of life. We must abide in the ship of Jesus the Christ!
His ship can’t be shipwrecked because He’s the Captain of our ship – the Captain of our soul. He’s the Chief Navigator. He knows how to navigate us through the storms. He knows how to strengthen you when you are weak and ready to throw in the towel. He knows how to give you joy in the midst of sorrow. He knows how to provide for your needs in the time of your lack. He knows how to help you survive your storm. He knows how to cover you with righteousness which is the church’s covering.
- Revelation 19:8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
HALLELUJAH TO JESUS CHRIST!!
~ Evangelist Brenda Hansley