Shipwrecked!

vv.42-44: “Luke wants to convey the idea that God saved Paul and all who were with him from perishing, in fulfilment of the promise given in vs. 24. In various ways, the whole narrative points to God as Creator and Savior, and to Paul as his prophet or representative.” Peterson

Notes on Acts 27

Introduction:

THAT’LL PREACH!

“An expression for Yankees who want to sound Southern, and heathens who want to sound churchy.”

The last few chapters do certainly take a different turn:

Most of it very preachable.

But these last few chapters… They’re a little more difficult.

More historical than theological...

But it remains the Word of God and so it just takes a little bit more mining to to figure out what God has to say to us this morning...

When Bad Things Happen

This passage invites us to explore the nature of God’s sovereignty in light of bad things...

God’s Sovereingty is Clearly at Work in this Passage:

Clearest Example:

“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.”

BUT, this happened after a whole lot of hurt!

Journey is going badly! Very badly.

This passage drips with Gods sovereignty:

Centurion Julius “treated Paul kindly.”

vs. 3: Philanthrops= philenthropic. “Julias treated Paul in a kindly way.”

Julius treated him philenthropicly!

No one died! God was true to his revelation to Paul.

But this passage point to two obvious points:

1. Christians weren’t spared from the pain and struggle.

“Indeed, Christ can still every storm, but he does not immunize Christians from problems that others in the world also face. Sometimes he miraculously delivers Christians from such situations, while at other times he gives Christians courage to endure natural and other disasters.” Fernando Ajith

“God does not immunize Christians from problems”: I love this line—gives me a lot of hope!

Paul’s charge to Timothy: “You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus”

“be strengthened”= Passive

Challenge for the Christian is to be strength by grace!

2. Sometimes Christians and non-Christians die in Shipwrecks

“Though Christ can still the storm, we can have the courage to face it when he does not, for we know that through the crisis God’s sovereignty will work out something good (Rom. 8:28).” Fernando Ajith

Stories of Deliverance give us hope!

Readers Digest:

George Keith:

On September 10, 2001, George Keith drove his brand-new BMW through Central Park when the vehicle shifted into first gear unexpectedly. Made an appointment for 7 the next morning

Mechanic refused to work before 8 am.

Holly Winter

Holly Winter from Denver, September 11, 2001: Two best college friends made plans to surprise a mutual friend at the World Trade Center that morning. Holly told her mom about this trip, but her mom said that she had already made plans to visit her in Denver! After her mom refused to cancel her plans, Holly had to cancel hers. The other friend decided to make the trip and Holly ended up losing her best friends on Sept 11th.

Laura Sorokoff Gelman

Laid off from her job at the World Trade Center on September 7th!

Incredible stories… But they don’t always end like this.

This story is not prescriptive: Ask for visions from God when you’re in trouble and He’ll provide a way out.

Maybe He will, maybe He won’t...

But it does force me to think about how God works in this world:

Frustrated when I made the wrong turn,

Long trip someone has to go to the bathroom

I forget my wallet and I have to go home...

God works through all things, and I often wonder what the Lord has saved me from for all the times I have forgotten something or something hasn’t gone the way I expected...

It forces us to think about how God’s Sovereignty!

The Devil is NOT in the details, GOD IS!

This passage drips with God’s sovereignty, but it doesn’t prescribe it. We pray thy will be done without knowing it.

What is prescriptive in this passage is how we can operate within God’s mysterious sovereignty:

When Things Go wrong, who are we called to be?

Agents of Hope

Agents of Wisdom

Agents of Service

Agents of Encouragement

Agents of Hope

“Integrated Christian, who combined spirituality with sanity, and faith with words.” Stott

Prophecy that not a hair

Sailors: Completely drained and disoriented when the Northeaster came through: vs. 14: typhonikos, “typhonic”= wind of hurricane force

To save the ship:

v. 18: Threw cargo overboard

lowered anchored

Bound the ship with ropes

v.19: Third day of the wind, they threw over tackle or equipment

vs. 20: “We finally gave up all hope of being saved.” They were completely disorientated and lost.

21: “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.

vv.21-22: Paul’s big “I told you so,” but a strong word of encouragement.

Spencer: “with this voyage to Rome, it is almost as if he embarks on another missionary expedition.”

John Wesley

John Wesley’s journey to North America as a missionary from England:

Missionary willing to travel across oceans! Must have a faith that can move mountains, right??

On route, the ship hit a fierce storm. Feared death

Wesley: “[He] found to his horror that he was afraid, mortally afraid of dying.”

Moravian Christians from Germany sang hymns in the storm.

No vision from God. No guarantee that all would survive.

Wesley went to one of them and asked, “Were you not afraid?” The man replied, “I thank God, no!” Wesley persisted, “But were not your women and children afraid?” “No,” came the reply, “our women and children are not afraid to die.”

These confident believers profoundly shaped Wesley’s faith who played a central role in 18th Century revival in England.

How are you an Agent of Hope within crisis? Can you think of a time when you stood out as an agent of hope? No doubt, the Lord will provide opportunities for you… Will you be ready?

Agents of Wisdom

David Peterson: Paul regains his authority. Paul ends up calling the shots.

“[Paul] was a man of God and of action, a man of the Spirit and of common sense.” Stott

“Practical Spirituality” Stott:

Example #1:

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.”

Example #2:

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.

Barclay: Paul knew that “Hungry men are not efficient men.”

Insight not rooted in some God-given revelation, but by his practical spirituality!

Biblical Examples of Practical Leaders: Joseph, Moses, Joshua, David, Solomon, Daniel, Esther, Modecai, Nehemiah:

Complement from our contractor: “I saw your tools and new that you like to do work yourself.”

T-Shirt: “That’s right, I’m a pastor who can plaster...”

But think about your place practical place in this world:

You’re all geniuses in your spheres of influence, and what you do with your education, talents, and experience is an expression of God’s image in you. We bring practical applications to our areas of expertise because of our faith. Our faith shapes our know-how! It doesn’t subtract from it.

Christians aren’t stuck in the clouds, pondering faith that can move clouds in heaven.

No, we our faith is intended to move mountains here!

Our faith makes a practical different in this world.

You don’t have to go on a mission trip to hammer a nail or plaster a wall. Every day you go and use your gifts in this world you are able to exercise practical spirituality.

Agents of Service:

Luke and Paul in the storm weren’t napping like Jonah. They weren’t sitting there praying the whole time either!

v.16 As we passed to the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were hardly able to make the lifeboat secure

“[Paul] becomes a source of salvation for others because of an angelic revelation which he receives and applies to the situation.” Peterson

Living as an Ordinary Radical (167-168): Mother Teresa was one of those people who sacrificed great privilege because she encountered such great need. People often ask me what Mother Teresa was like. Sometimes it’s like they wonder if she glowed in the dark or had a halo. She was short, wrinkled, and precious, maybe even a little ornery, like a beautiful wise old granny. But there is one thing I will never forget—her feet.

Her feet with deformed and notted…

Each morning at Mass, he would see those notted feet and wondered if she had contracted leprosy. But, Claiborn jokes, you just don’t go up to a saint and say, “Hey Mother, what’s wrong with your feet?”

But one of the other sisters eventually did share with him what happened to her feet, and this is what she said, “Her feet are deformed because we get just enough donated shoes for everyone, and Mother does not want anyone to get stuck with the worst pair, so she digs through and finds them. And years of doing that have deformed her feet.”

Her servant heart formed her gnarly feet.

Servant hearts are sacrificial hearts, willing to get involved, get down and dirty, and lend a helping hand! It flips disruptions and inconveniences on its head, and views them as opportunities to assist...