I told you so, in love...

Learning Obedience

(Acts 27, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, September 8, 2013)

[27:1] And when it was decided that we should sail for Italy, they delivered Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion of the Augustan Cohort named Julius. [2] And embarking in a ship of Adramyttium, which was about to sail to the ports along the coast of Asia, we put to sea, accompanied by Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica. [3] The next day we put in at Sidon. And Julius treated Paul kindly and gave him leave to go to his friends and be cared for. [4] And putting out to sea from there we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were against us. [5] And when we had sailed across the open sea along the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra in Lycia. [6] There the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing for Italy and put us on board. [7] We sailed slowly for a number of days and arrived with difficulty off Cnidus, and as the wind did not allow us to go farther, we sailed under the lee of Crete off Salmone. [8] Coasting along it with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near which was the city of Lasea.
[9] Since much time had passed, and the voyage was now dangerous because even the Fast was already over, Paul advised them, [10] saying, “Sirs, I perceive that the voyage will be with injury and much loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.” [11] But the centurion paid more attention to the pilot and to the owner of the ship than to what Paul said. [12] And because the harbor was not suitable to spend the winter in, the majority decided to put out to sea from there, on the chance that somehow they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete, facing both southwest and northwest, and spend the winter there.Paul's time in Israel was over. God was fulfilling His promise to the apostle. The former persecutor of the church would testify regarding Jesus in the capital of the empire. The way that the Lord brought His servant to Italy would be full of adventure.

Paul would be a prisoner among other prisoners. He would have traveling companions, Luke and Aristarchus, and he would be in the charge of a centurion named Julius. Along the way, Paul would win the confidence and trust of Julius, who allowed him leave to go and be cared for by friends in Sidon when the ship made a stop there.

After switching ships, the trip met with some difficulty because of poor sailing conditions. It was around this time when Paul announced his perception that it would be unwise to continue the trip at this late date. The pilot and owner of the ship disagreed, and the centurion determined to pay more attention to the optimism of the sailing experts than to Paul's concerns.

[13] Now when the south wind blew gently, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete, close to the shore. [14] But soon a tempestuous wind, called the northeaster, struck down from the land. [15] And when the ship was caught and could not face the wind, we gave way to it and were driven along. [16] Running under the lee of a small island called Cauda, we managed with difficulty to secure the ship's boat. [17] After hoisting it up, they used supports to undergird the ship. Then, fearing that they would run aground on the Syrtis, they lowered the gear, and thus they were driven along. [18] Since we were violently storm-tossed, they began the next day to jettison the cargo. [19] And on the third day they threw the ship's tackle overboard with their own hands. [20] When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned.
[21] Since they had been without food for a long time, Paul stood up among them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me and not have set sail from Crete and incurred this injury and loss. [22] Yet now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. [23] For this very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, [24] and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ [25] So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told. [26] But we must run aground on some island.”
[27] When the fourteenth night had come, as we were being driven across the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors suspected that they were nearing land. [28] So they took a sounding and found twenty fathoms. A little farther on they took a sounding again and found fifteen fathoms. [29] And fearing that we might run on the rocks, they let down four anchors from the stern and prayed for day to come. [30] And as the sailors were seeking to escape from the ship, and had lowered the ship's boat into the sea under pretense of laying out anchors from the bow, [31] Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.” [32] Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the ship's boat and let it go.
[33] As day was about to dawn, Paul urged them all to take some food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day that you have continued in suspense and without food, having taken nothing. [34] Therefore I urge you to take some food. For it will give you strength, for not a hair is to perish from the head of any of you.” [35] And when he had said these things, he took bread, and giving thanks to God in the presence of all he broke it and began to eat. [36] Then they all were encouraged and ate some food themselves. [37] (We were in all 276 persons in the ship.) [38] And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, throwing out the wheat into the sea.Paul's concerns were well-founded. Everyone's life was in danger and much of their property was lost. The apostle soon spoke again, this time very clearly based on more than his own inclination or opinion. God had revealed a way out for them all. Paul would indeed stand before Caesar. But the leaders and all the people needed to listen this time.

Some of the sailors tried to abandon ship secretly rather than run the ship aground. They were not yet willing to here Paul's call to faith in the midst of this storm: “Do not be afraid.” “God has granted you all those who sail with you.” “Take heart, men.” “Have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told.”

It was in their last, almost sacramental, meal on board the ship, when many seemed to here the Lord's ambassador: “Not a hair is to perish from the head of any of you.” He took bread. He gave thanks to God. He broke it and began to eat. They found the courage to wait for deliverance from Paul's God. And they all ate, 276 people. They threw away the rest of their wheat in the sea, and they trusted God with their lives. What else could they do?

[39] Now when it was day, they did not recognize the land, but they noticed a bay with a beach, on which they planned if possible to run the ship ashore. [40] So they cast off the anchors and left them in the sea, at the same time loosening the ropes that tied the rudders. Then hoisting the foresail to the wind they made for the beach. [41] But striking a reef, they ran the vessel aground. The bow stuck and remained immovable, and the stern was being broken up by the surf. [42] The soldiers' plan was to kill the prisoners, lest any should swim away and escape. [43] But the centurion, wishing to save Paul, kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and make for the land, [44] and the rest on planks or on pieces of the ship. And so it was that all were brought safely to land.

When day came they even cast off the anchors and left them in the sea, and made for the beach. But they struck a reef. Then came the final challenge of the voyage. Would the soldiers trust Paul, or kill all the prisoners with whom they had just broken bread the night before. Those soldiers wanted to save their own lives. If the prisoners had escaped then they would have to answer to the authorities and pay with their own blood. This time the centurion, Julius, spoke the word that saved their lives. Why? Because he had come to appreciate Paul. He wanted to save one man. He was listening to that one man's word. Because he cared for Paul, and because he listened to what Paul had said, all 276 lives were brought safely to land.

We want to be brought safely to a better land than Malta. We need to hear the voice of God and obey. He instructs sinners in the way. Our lives belong to God above every other authority. The Lord has provided us with traveling companions who may be rightly speaking for Him. How will we know that they are true representatives of the one who can bring us safely home? We need to see how they walk. If they say they have fellowship with the One who died on the cross and gave His body for us, but they walk in darkness, then they are not safe guides. (1 John 1:6) But if they have learned obedience through suffering and they walk in the light as He is in the light, we would do well to listen to them as they follow the truth of the Scriptures. God may use them as examples of true faith under fire, helping us to be more obedient to His Word.

Old Testament Passage: Psalm 25 – He instructs sinners in the way

Gospel Passage: Mark 12:13-17 – And to God the things that are God's

Sermon Text: Acts 27:1-44 – God's amazing deliverance of 276 people despite grave danger.

Sermon Point: God knows how to make us more open to His Word. Sometimes His disciples need to learn obedience through suffering – Hebrews 5:8.