Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

The online Cambridge dictionary says the phrase “ride out the storm” is an idiom or expression that means “to manage not to be destroyed, harmed, or permanently affected by the difficult situation you experience.”[i]But

I want to know, “How is such a thing to be ‘managed’?”

I mean, how does one decide to not be destroyed or harmed?

Have you ever felt in much control when you’re in the middle of a storm?

…either an actual storm or a metaphorical one?

As some of you will recall, in the last several chapters of the book of Acts, Luke has been telling us about Paul’s journey from the mission field to a Roman prison in Judea and about Paul’s long stay there.

Luke described how Paul came back to Jerusalem (despite being warned about the affliction he would face there), how Paul was opposed and arrested in Jerusalem (because of his tenacity in preaching the gospel of God’s salvation to anyone who repents and believes in the Savior, Jesus Christ), and about how Paul used at least some of his most important opportunities to defend himself as occasions to point sinners (both great and small) to the reality that Jesus of Nazareth was/is the Messiah or the Christ.

Now we’ve come to that last stretch, where Luke tells us about how Paul traveled from Judea all the way to Rome (his final destination, and the fulfillment of his own commission (Acts 26:15-18) as well as the immediate fulfillment of Christ’s commission to all His disciples at the beginning of Acts (Acts 1:8).

It’s interesting that this whole episode we’re reading today might almost be described as Paul’s fourth missionary journey.

One commentator described the pattern: (1) Paul is “accompanied by… fellow Christians (Aristarchus and Luke at least) – and is encouraged by believers along the way;” (2) though Paul does not begin in the role of leader or preacher, he ends up there “as the crisis develops;” and (3) Paul does deliver God’s word to unbelievers, and Luke explicitly tells us that God saved the lives of unbelievers, though there is good reason to think that God also saved at least some souls as well.[ii]

As we read and study this passage together, I’d like you to look out for two key emphases: (1) God, and especially His word, is true and trustworthy; and (2) Paul, and especially his message, speaks with divine authority.

In short, (1) God is sovereign, and (2) Paul is His Apostle.

In an effort to apply this well in our own lives, let’s also pay close attention to the interplay between God’s temporary or momentary kindness and His eternal or saving kindness.

What I mean is: God does show Himself gracious and kind even to unbelievers in our passage, and while this should “lead” sinners “to repentance” (Rom.

2:4), it often exposes “hard and impenitent” hearts in those who will face “God’s righteous judgment” on the “day of wrath” (Rom.

2:5).

I think we will see this repeatedly in our passage.

One final note of introduction before I read the text… I’m going to read a long portion of Scripture (54 verses), from Acts 27:1 through 28:10.

And I’m going to ask you all to stand with me as I read in just a moment.

I think you’ll see that the story flows along, but it will take me about 8-9 minutes to read the whole thing.

Just remember: (1) the truest and most profound words I will say today are those I read aloud from the text of the Bible; and (2) standing for the primary reading of Scripture is a tradition we have, but it is not a requirement… no one is going to be disappointed in you if you need to sit.

Well, now that I’ve talked long enough for you to get comfortable in your seats, let me ask you to stand with me as I read our passage for today, beginning with Acts 27, verse 1…

Scripture Reading

Acts 27:1–28:10 (ESV)

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 [or “from”] Adramyttium [a seaport of Mysia], 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.

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.

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.

28:1 After we were brought safely through, we then learned that the island was called Malta. 2 The native people showed us unusual kindness, for they kindled a fire and welcomed us all, because it had begun to rain and was cold.

3 When Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and put them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened on his hand.

4 When the native people saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “No doubt this man is a murderer.

Though he has escaped from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live.”

5 He, however, shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm.

6 They were waiting for him to swell up or suddenly fall down dead.

But when they had waited a long time and saw no misfortune come to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god.

7 Now in the neighborhood of that place were lands belonging to the chief man of the island, named Publius, who received us and entertained us hospitably for three days.

8 It happened that the father of Publius lay sick with fever and dysentery.

And Paul visited him and prayed, and putting his hands on him, healed him.

9 And when this had taken place, the rest of the people on the island who had diseases also came and were cured.

10 They also honored us greatly, and when we were about to sail, they put on board whatever we needed.

Main Idea:

God sovereignly ordains everything that happens for His good purposes, which are especially on display in faithful Christian living and witnessing.

Sermon

1. God’s Gracious Supply (27:1-3)

Throughout this whole passage, we see God delight in showing kindness to Paul and his companions.

The first notable kindness is that Paul had any companions at all on this trip from Judea to Rome.

Paul was a Roman prisoner sailing away from a region where Paul was a societal pariah.

To be friends with Paul in Judea was to make yourself a certain target of Jewish leaders and a possible target of Roman inquiry.

Nevertheless, Luke says that a man named “Aristarchus” went along “with” Paul or “accompanied” him (Acts 27:2).

And it seems that Aristarchus was no ordinary friend.

For one, he was “a Macedonian from Thessalonica” (Acts 27:2).

Aristarchus was probably a Gentile convert under Paul’s ministry in Thessalonica (Acts 17:1-8).

Like several towns where Paul preached the gospel, he was violently opposed and barely escaped with his life.

And yet, Aristarchus decided that the gospel was worth suffering for.

And it's a good thing that Aristarchus signed up to suffer for the gospel along with Paul, because he was “dragged” into a mob court in Ephesus simply for being Paul’s “traveling companion” (Acts 19:28-29).

And, a few months later, Aristarchus was still a committed friend, deciding to personally travel alongside Paul in an escape from a murderous plot made against him in Greece (Acts 20:1-5).

Aristarchus was a faithful friend indeed.