Wrecked But Not Defeated | Acts 27

Intro

Car Accident

Chaos can easily lead to crisis.

A crisis does not make a person; a crisis shows what a person is made of.

It is in a crisis that character is revealed.

What part of my character displays in the midst of crisis?

Setup

Paul Began a Prisoner. | Acts 27:1

Where we begin in life does not define where we end.

Acts 27:1 NLT

When the time came, we set sail for Italy. Paul and several other prisoners were placed in the custody of a Roman officer named Julius, a captain of the Imperial Regiment.

Acts 27:9 NLT

We had lost a lot of time. The weather was becoming dangerous for sea travel because it was so late in the fall, and Paul spoke to the ship’s officers about it.

Acts 27:10–11 NLT

“Men,” he said, “I believe there is trouble ahead if we go on—shipwreck, loss of cargo, and danger to our lives as well.” But the officer in charge of the prisoners listened more to the ship’s captain and the owner than to Paul.

2 Corinthians 11:25 NLT

Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea.

Impatience is a mark of immaturity and unbelief.

Paul Shared God’s Promise | Acts 27:21-26

Acts 27:21–26 NLT

No one had eaten for a long time. Finally, Paul called the crew together and said, “Men, you should have listened to me in the first place and not left Crete. You would have avoided all this damage and loss. But take courage! None of you will lose your lives, even though the ship will go down. For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me, and he said, ‘Don’t be afraid, Paul, for you will surely stand trial before Caesar! What’s more, God in his goodness has granted safety to everyone sailing with you.’ So take courage! For I believe God. It will be just as he said. But we will be shipwrecked on an island.”

Acts 23:11 NLT

That night the Lord appeared to Paul and said, “Be encouraged, Paul. Just as you have been a witness to me here in Jerusalem, you must preach the Good News in Rome as well.”

God never promises us an easy time, only a safe arrival.

Anonymous

Understanding that God is with us shapes are now and not yet.

Main Text

Paul Warned Them | Acts 27:27-32

Acts 27:27–32 NLT

About midnight on the fourteenth night of the storm, as we were being driven across the Sea of Adria, the sailors sensed land was near. They dropped a weighted line and found that the water was 120 feet deep. But a little later they measured again and found it was only 90 feet deep. At this rate they were afraid we would soon be driven against the rocks along the shore, so they threw out four anchors from the back of the ship and prayed for daylight. Then the sailors tried to abandon the ship; they lowered the lifeboat as though they were going to put out anchors from the front of the ship. But Paul said to the commanding officer and the soldiers, “You will all die unless the sailors stay aboard.” So the soldiers cut the ropes to the lifeboat and let it drift away.

The sailors attempt to escape was selfish and an act of unbelief.

Acts 27:23–24 NLT

For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me, and he said, ‘Don’t be afraid, Paul, for you will surely stand trial before Caesar! What’s more, God in his goodness has granted safety to everyone sailing with you.’

Without deep-rooted faith, adversity results in doubt.

Paul Displays Faith | Acts 27:33-38

Acts 27:33–38 NLT

Just as day was dawning, Paul urged everyone to eat. “You have been so worried that you haven’t touched food for two weeks,” he said. “Please eat something now for your own good. For not a hair of your heads will perish.” Then he took some bread, gave thanks to God before them all, and broke off a piece and ate it. Then everyone was encouraged and began to eat—all 276 of us who were on board. After eating, the crew lightened the ship further by throwing the cargo of wheat overboard.

Faith leads to preparation not panic.

As believers, we can change the atmosphere of a situation by displaying faith in God.

Paul Rescues Them | Acts 27:39-44

Acts 27:39–44 NLT

When morning dawned, they didn’t recognize the coastline, but they saw a bay with a beach and wondered if they could get to shore by running the ship aground. So they cut off the anchors and left them in the sea. Then they lowered the rudders, raised the foresail, and headed toward shore. But they hit a shoal and ran the ship aground too soon. The bow of the ship stuck fast, while the stern was repeatedly smashed by the force of the waves and began to break apart. The soldiers wanted to kill the prisoners to make sure they didn’t swim ashore and escape. But the commanding officer wanted to spare Paul, so he didn’t let them carry out their plan. Then he ordered all who could swim to jump overboard first and make for land. The others held onto planks or debris from the broken ship. So everyone escaped safely to shore.

Paul’s steadiness led the crew to safety.

God spared 276 people because of one man.

Paul began a prisoner, but ended as a captain.

Closing

What about storms in my life?

Storms in life will certainly happen.

What then?

The storms of life no more indicate the absence of God than clouds indicate the absence of the sun.

John Blanchard

It’s what happens in you that will determine what happens to you.

Storms reveal character.

Storms cannot hinder the purposes of God.

Storms give us opportunities to serve others.

With the Holy Spirit, we can be wrecked but not defeated.