Shipwrecked!

Intro

This is it! Our last sermon in the book of Acts

Finales can be hard to do well, and often disappoint

I’m looking at you, “Lost.”

In a way, Acts finishes in an anti-climactic fashion

But not before adventure on the high seas!

When we last left Paul, he was under arrest in Caesarea, trying to convert the Roman governor Festus and King Agrippa

Even though he was guilty of no crime, Paul had appealed to Caesar, and as a Roman citizen, now had the right to appear before him.

So they put Paul on a ship and help him embark on his trip to Italy… a trip that would end in disaster and being marooned on an island

Kind of like the movie Castaway… Paul’s beard played pretty well here

The First Leg of the Journey

Paul’s journey begins in a normal, uneventful fashion

Sets sail (along with other prisoners) under the watchful eye of a Roman centurion

Joined once again by Luke himself (uses “we” language)

They climb aboard the Adramyttium and sail along the coast of Asia

*Show map*

Caesarea -> Sidon (got to meet with friends) -> around Cyprus to Myra

So far, so good!

In Myra, the centurion finds a different ship bound for Italy and they embark once more

This leg of the journey is far more difficult

Arrived with difficulty at Cnidus -> wind forced them to go around Crete -> Fair Havens

With a place called Fair Havens you think they would stay, right? No!

Winter was coming and they needed to be off the sea

Fair Havens was a poor port to spend the winter

Wanted to go just a bit farther down the coast of Crete to the port of Phoenix

At this point, Paul speaks up and warns the captain about the dangers of leaving Fair Havens

Read Acts 27:10-11.

But the centurion listened to the pilot and captain of the ship instead of Paul, and they set sail for Phoenix

And everything goes awry

The Storm

Soon after they leave port, a viscious wind (called a northeaster) drove them off their path (show briefly on map)

The storm does not let up, and the crew start jettisoning cargo and supplies to make the ship more able to withstand the wind and waves

The storm STILL continues, and the entire ship and crew lose hope.

It is during this time of hopelessness that Paul speaks again

Read Acts 27:20 - 25.

Paul starts by taking the time to say, “I told you so!” “I warned you! But did you listen? No!”

I love these human moments throughout Acts

But he ultimately brings a message of hope into a seemingly hopeless situation

Why is there hope? What is Paul confident about? That God would accomplish His purpose for His life (in this case, to stand before Caesar)

And the sailors are also part of this purpose, and can trust in God’s promise to them

I love what this means for us today: God’s purposes are not defeated through our own mistakes

Because this was a mistake: The ship should NOT have sailed

We are also guilty of disobeying God and forging ahead with things we ought not to do

There were consequences to this mistake as the sailors are in mortal danger

We are also not guaranteed to be free of consequences for the mistakes we make (that isn’t the promise!)

Backing into another vehicle; examples from Scripture

Instead, the promise is that God’s purpose in our life is not somehow trumped by our sins and shortcomings

For the sailors, they were saved because they had a role to play

For us, God is doing a work in our lives for His kingdom, His honour, and His glory, and it would be prideful to think that somehow we can so easily de-rail these priorities

Even better, the Good News of Jesus is that He took on the ultimate consequences of our sin

Instead, we ought to trust that God is big enough to overcome our mistakes and disobedience to continue His work in us

Cf. Philippians 1:6.

Should we obey? Yes! Should we limit our mistakes and the consequences and damages they bring? Yes! But is God still able to overcome all of our failures to bring about His purpose in your life? Also, yes.

The Shipwreck

I’m sure Paul’s speech gave them confidence, but they weren’t safe from the storm yet

There were into the fourteenth night(?!) of the wind and storm when they began to believe they were getting close to land

Some sailors tried to sneak off on the lifeboat, but Paul said differently (Cf. Acts 27:31)

The centurion is certainly learning to trust Paul at this point (and God by extension)

They were also getting very hungry, having rationed much of the food (Cf. Acts 27:33-36)

The food helps! They were encouraged, and then threw much of the remaining food into the sea to once again lighten the ship

Land is finally sighted, but no one recognized it. It had a beach where they could run aground

Which is exactly what they did (again in accordance with Paul’s directions)

There was a tense moment when the soldiers planned to kill the prisoners lest they escape, but the centurion stepped in to protect Paul (and the others)

Every single person made it safely to shore to a strange, uknown island. The trouble was far from over

They are greeted - not by Roman citizens - but by natives to the island

Greek word is barbarios = translates easily into barbarian

But they are surprisingly hospitible to the marooned crew (contrary to many shows or movies I have watched)

They make a fire to help everyone warm up because it was rainy and cold

When Paul reaches down to pick up some sticks and add them to the fire, he is bitten on the hand by a viper

Now, pause for a moment and recognize that Paul has been through alot

Unjustly accused, arrested, detained for multiple years, survived a multiple week storm, shipwrecked and marooned on an island, soldiers just tried to kill him before the centurion stepped in… and now he has a venomous snake hanging from his hand… wouldn’t be a great moment

There are times in our lives in which “shipwreck” may also be an appropriate term. Not our doing, but certainly the cumulative effect of the stresses of life

Struggling with mental health, financial stresses, chronic pain, burn out at work, single parenting, sickness in the family, marriage in tatters, SO MANY THINGS

When these things crash over you, you can feel HOPELESS

What the sailors felt at the mercy of the storm, pulled along agains their will

Might even culminate in thoughts of self harm or suicide

What Paul understands, and what we are promised, is that in Jesus Christ, we always have HOPE

But here is the thing: Hope is not an emotion; it is a deep-seated trust that God will complete His good work in your life, no matter the way you feel

Hope is found in who God is; not in how you feel

Cf. Lamentations 3:21-24.

And yes, eventually feelings of hope can be restored

Paul places his hope and trust in God through storm, shipwreck and snake bite

He does not die; God protects him

The Conclusion

Paul and his companions are hosted by the “chief man” of the island

His father is sick, so Paul prays and heals him (as well as many others)

They spend 3 months wintering on Malta until it is safe to travel again

Malta -> Syracuse -> Rhegium -> Puteoli -> Rome

In Rome, Paul is placed under house arrest

Able to meet with brothers and sisters in Christ

Also met with the local Jewish leaders

Convinced some to believe in Jesus as the Messiah

Concluded that the “salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen” (Acts 28:29)

Read Acts 28:30.

So what happened to Paul in Rome?

We can trust that he met Caesar (as God promised), and probably tried to convert him

He likely did much writing during this time

It is also likely that during a surge in Christian persecution (likely Nero in A.D. 64), he became a martyr for the faith

He ran his race; he finished well (Pray)