Acts 27:21-44

                                                                     Acts 27:21-44

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. Yet now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. For this very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, 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.’ So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told. But we must run aground on some island.” 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. So they took a sounding and found twenty fathoms. A little farther on they took a sounding again and found fifteen fathoms.  And fearing that we might run on the rocks, they let down four anchors from the stern and prayed for day to come. 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, Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.” Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the ship's boat and let it go. 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. 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.” 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. Then they all were encouraged and ate some food themselves. (We were in all 276 persons in the ship.) And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, throwing out the wheat into the sea. 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. 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. 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. The soldiers' plan was to kill the prisoners, lest any should swim away and escape. 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, and the rest on planks or on pieces of the ship. And so it was that all were brought safely to land.

The ship taking Paul to Rome was being driven by the storm and everyone on board was convinced that they would be killed.  During this despair, God uses Paul to bring hope and rescue to everyone on the ship.  It is an adventure that is exciting to read about but must have been absolutely terrifying to experience.  When everything around us is falling apart, God uses His followers to bring hope and help.

 

PAUL PREDICTS RESCUE: The level of despair on the ship had to have been so strong.  God, once again, assures Paul that he is immortal at least until he testifies before Caesar.  God also assures Paul that all the others would be spared as well.  As the bearer of good news, Paul was faithful to share this news with the entire crew.  When we have a message of hope, we should be anxious and faithful to share it.  The news of the Gospel is far greater than being safe in the midst of a shipwreck; Christ has died to rescue us from sin, punishment in hell, and give us an eternal home with Him.  That is Good News we should be sharing with all who are around us and all around the world.

 

PAUL PREVENTS ABANDONMENT: As assuring as Paul’s message may have been, some of the experienced sailors knew that surviving a shipwreck was unlikely.  They believed that a lifeboat would provide the best chance of survival.  It seems they were trying to sneak it into the water and then were going to simply abandon ship.  People will try to save themselves it any way they can.  Unfortunately, they try to do the same with spiritual salvation.  Faith in Christ is the message we have from Scripture, but mankind has constantly been striving to make “lifeboats” of their own understanding.  Paul made it clear to the soldiers that they had to remain on the ship to enjoy the promise of rescue.  The soldiers cut the lifeboats away.  All men everywhere need to abandon any lifeboat apart from the Gospel of Christ.

 

PAUL PREPARES FOOD: The sailors had been fighting the storm for two weeks and had not even stopped to eat.  Paul gathers them together and prepares a meal for them and urges them to eat.  He prays to thank the Lord and then they all eat and begin to feel better both physically and emotionally.  There are 276 people on this ship that are all at risk of losing their lives.  But God has promised to spare them all.  It is interesting to note how Paul is serving these passengers.  Not only is he praying for them but is preparing meals and urging them to eat.  As followers of Christ, we are called to be the calm in the storm that seeks to serve people in every way we can.  Too often, our focus gets out of balance.  We either over emphasize the physical or forget it all together.  

 

PAUL PRESERVES LIFE: When the ship ran aground and began to break apart, the soldiers wanted to kill all the prisoners on board.  However, since the centurion liked Paul, he spared the lives of them all.  Paul was being held unjustly and could have become bitter at God and treated his captors with disrespect.  This was not the case.  Paul trusted God’s sovereignty and treated every person who held him captive with respect and the kindness of the Lord.  When we are mistreated, it is not an excuse to do the same to others.  God can use our kindness to bless all around us and draw many to Himself.

 

APPLICATION: Trust God to care for us and to use the circumstances of our lives to further His kingdom.  Faithfully communicate the Good News of the Gospel to those who desperately need to know it.  Warn those who believe that there is some other means of salvation from sin apart from Christ.  Serve people with gladness and generosity no matter how they may treat us.