Pressure Applied, Christ Displayed (Acts 27).

Introduction

Our kids praise volunteers are in position at the back door to receive any children Kindergarten through 4th grade that would like to head that way.

Parents, if you prefer your children to stay with you, we do not discourage that in the least.

If you have your Bible with you, and I do absolutely love to hear those pages rustling, turn with me to Acts chapter 27.

There are lots of things that require outside pressure in order to be extracted.

From tubes of toothpaste that we flatten and roll until the last possible bead is on the toothbrush...

to the explosive packaging of cinnamon rolls that we beat on the counter with our faces turned away, just in case this is the time that rogue dough would fly out and hit us in the eye.

Pressure is necessary for progress, growth, and the consumption of many baked goods.

But pressure applied to our lives is not comfortable at all.

It's been said, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade."

In case you didn’t know, the first step in the process is to squeeze the lemons.

Apply pressure and watch that juice flow.

While viewing our circumstances in a positive light is helpful,

And while our perception can so often color our current situation, 

For all the wonderfully positive sentiments this conveys, it makes one major assumption.

That we are in the position to do the squeezing.

It implies that we are are able to make something of the events around us instead of being made BY them. 

My friends, when hard times come, we are not squeezing life. 

Life is squeezing us. 

And the product, what comes out, of that squeezing is crucial to our witness as followers of Christ. 

Today we are going to see the apostle Paul in one of his most life threatening encounters.

And we are going to look to his response as an example of how we should order our lives when the pressure is turned up.

Exposition

Before we get into chapter 27, let’s remember where we left off last week.

Last week we left Paul being a faithful witness to high ranking government officials

Pastor Michael dissected Paul’s testimony into its various components.

And we were challenged to share how Christ saved us from our sins and to take inventory of any obstacles standing in the way of our regular recounting His work in our lives.

At the end of it all, Paul stands before authorities that remain unconvinced of Christ’s saving power while they are thoroughly convinced of Paul’s innocence.

If he had not appealed to Caesar, utilizing the right of his Roman citizenry, Festus would have freed him then and there.

With his appeal, Paul set into motion things that could not be undone.

He would stand before the Emperor.

And not just any Emperor. Paul appealed to Caesar knowing full well that he would stand before Nero.

The most Christ hating ruler the Roman Empire ever saw.

Let’s now turn our attention to chapter 27.

The entire account is a prison transfer gone wrong.

And we are going to walk through it pausing here and there for context.

Acts 27:1–12 ESV

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. And embarking in a ship of Adramyttium, which was about to sail to the ports along the coast of Asia, we put to sea, accompanied by Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica. 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. And putting out to sea from there we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were against us. And when we had sailed across the open sea along the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra in Lycia. There the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing for Italy and put us on board. 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. Coasting along it with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near which was the city of Lasea. Since much time had passed, and the voyage was now dangerous because even the Fast was already over, Paul advised them, 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.” But the centurion paid more attention to the pilot and to the owner of the ship than to what Paul said. 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.

Within these opening verses, there are several things that we should observe.

First off, there is the introduction of the major players in this voyage to get Paul to Rome.

If it’s helpful for you, put the following list to the theme from Gilligan’s Island.

The first is indicated by the word “we”.

Paul is not locked in a dungeon alone any longer.

The narrator and author of this book, Doctor Luke, is back on the scene

2. And is accompanied by another friend by the name of Aristarchus who will end up being by Paul’s side through his entire imprisonment, and eventual execution, in Rome.

It was normal during this day and time for friends and family of prisoners to travel with them to see to their needs.

And I’m sure that Paul was greatly encouraged to be flanked by such faithful brothers.

3. There are other prisoners being transferred alongside Paul,

4. A Roman centurion by the name of Julius who treats Paul with kindness,

5. And finally, the captains and crews of two ships

one for the first leg of the trip stopping at a couple ports

the second from Alexandria in Egypt making a trade run to provide grain to the capitol of the Empire.

Travel was not met with smooth sailing from the get go.

We read that “the winds were against us” in verse 4.

And that the winds would not allow the ship from Alexandria to depart from their first port since Paul was put aboard.

One thing you need to know about this route is that it is very seasonal.

According to navigation logs of the day, the trip from Myra to Rome should have taken about 15 days all in all.

The passage was unsafe after September 14th, uncertain from then until November 11th, and “closed” from November 11th through March 10th

This is why Paul advises that their already slow progress be halted until the Spring.

The Feast mentioned would have been the “Feast of Booths” suggesting that they are, at the very least, several days into October.

But Paul’s wisdom is ignored here as the captain and owner of the ship outweigh his paltry input as a mere prisoner.

They do not want to be stuck in this cold little nothing of a town for the winter and see a more suitable option further out.

So it’s back to the boat as the sailors were spurred to action by a day of good weather.

Verses 13-20

Acts 27:13–20 ESV

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. But soon a tempestuous wind, called the northeaster, struck down from the land. And when the ship was caught and could not face the wind, we gave way to it and were driven along. Running under the lee of a small island called Cauda, we managed with difficulty to secure the ship’s boat. 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. Since we were violently storm-tossed, they began the next day to jettison the cargo. And on the third day they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands. 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.

The calm sea that they set out on was soon replaced by a hurricane.

This wasn’t just a storm that tossed ships around, this was the kind of storm with a name!

The ship cannot maintain a consistent heading and is being driven along at the mercy of this “northeaster”.

Emergency measures are taken to secure the lifeboat, strip the sails, brace the ship’s structure, locking the rudder and secure every anchor they had.

When this wasn’t enough, they began frantically tossing cargo overboard.

Next came the tackle

Extra ropes, sail fabric, lumber for repairs, and the like.

At this point they are days into this high stress scenario.

All that was humanly possible had been done,

all prayers for deliverance have been said to any number of pagan gods,

and all hope for survival had been abandoned.

These sailors had heard the horror stories and now it was happening to them right before their eyes.

But what does Paul do?

Verses 21-32

Acts 27:21–32 ESV

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.

It seems like a low blow to come to a group of men who are at their wits end and hungry to say “I told you so!”

And at first glance that seems to be exactly what Paul is doing.

But look at his opening statement in the context of his entire message.

Paul isn’t being cheeky. He is establishing credibility for his wisdom and discernment.

This claim is followed by words of encouragement to everyone present (captain, crew, military officer, friends, and fellow prisoners).

Not only that, he is claiming a higher level of authority than any of them can claim.

God has promised that Paul would testify before Caesar and He is not one to skimp on His promises.

Even with the loss of the ship, the assurance that every life will be preserved for the sake of Paul is incredible!

As the days progress, the sailors begin seeing the tell-tale signs of approaching land and, in their fear, attempt to concoct an escape plan of their own.

But away from God’s promised avenue of deliverance, there is no safety.

And Paul intervenes before they are lost to the waves.

This brings us to the last section of our passage today,

Verses 33-44

Acts 27:33–44 ESV

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.

Paul remains cool, calm, and collected throughout this entire experience.

He encourages the men.

He makes sure that they take food for the first time in 2 weeks.

They have not been able to cook as they’ve been tossed about.

I’m sure that they have not had the appetite to keep anything down with all that rocking and rolling.

But Paul knows that a hungry body is a weak body and they will need their strength for this final effort.

As they finish eating, they are energized for the tasks at hand and even throw the entire stock and profit that they were to deliver in Rome into the sea.

Day arrives, with the little light that the clouds and rains will allow through, and land is in sight!

We are given the number of souls on board the ship because a head count will be necessary once they are all safe and sound on land.

Through a variety of twists and turns everyone makes it safely to land just as the Lord promised through Paul.

This is a complete and utter rescue!

Neither storm, nor sword has taken a single life!

Almost 300 people are safely on a beach.

Application

Throughout this entire account, I think it’s safe to say that Paul was under a lot of pressure.

Tensions were high.

Life was squeezing.

Everyone is just holding on tight and trying to survive.

While we shouldn’t strictly allegorize this historical account of Paul’s troubles at sea, there are several applications that we can glean from his response to this trial.

First...

When under pressure, be careful where you place your confidence.

There is never a moment in this life that we are not putting out trust in something.

And it’s just as important to know where not to put your trust as it is to know where you should.

Don’t put your trust in professionals (vs 11)

The owner and captain of the ship were likely experienced on the sea and on this particular route.

While the centurion would not have had authority over the ship, he absolutely had authority over when and where his prisoners continued their journey.

He elected to trust the professionals instead of the wise counsel of a godly man.

How often do we do this?

A celebrity, politician, doctor, or even a trusted teacher gives what appears to be timely and needed direction.

And we don’t even hesitate to consider the alternatives.

We maintain the status quo.

We don’t ask the Lord.

Paul took in all of the available information and suggested a course of action that was wisely based on established patterns and trust in the Lord.

We must do the same.

Don’t put your trust in comfort or wealth (vs 12)

What were the deciding factors for the crew as they made the decision to move along?

It wasn’t that they were trying to reach their destination before winter hit.

They weren’t being faithful to their charter and mission.

They looked at the accommodations around them and didn’t like what they saw.

It was a small port with limited provisions and was going to be colder than their desired port.

Maybe the grain would have kept better in a storehouse where they were headed or they would have had a better time of selling off a bit to cover expenses.

They took a long, hard look at their comfort, their convenience, and their pocketbooks as they weighed their safety.

How often do we approach things this way?

When I was in high school, one of those door to door meal prep sales reps came to my parents’ front door hawking frozen meats delivered right to your door with a one time trial price of cheaper than usual.

They waxed eloquently on the convenience, affordability, and comfort that their products could offer.

All the while, spreading their frozen meat samples across the front porch.

And, to my surprise, Gray and Paula Little took it hook, line, and sinker.

These frugal, typically cautious people bought into this frozen meat racket.

Then, they did some calculations about how much this meat had cost them per pound and were astonished to find that they had been taken!

Of course it didn’t live up to its marketing.

Of course the subscription was cancelled after the trial run.

And that day, a Little house proverb, one that I catch myself repeating in my head when confronted with such choices, was born…

From that day on, we’d look at each other and say, “Don’t make a decision while the chicken is on the porch.”

Don’t let your comfort level and convenience be the sole arbiters of your decision making process.

Likewise...

Don’t put your trust in the forecast or your senses (vs 13)

The sailors saw favorable sailing conditions and ill-favored accommodations

And we saw what happens when decisions are made after a gentle wind blows.

The conditions of life may look fair, but a storm is just around the corner.

Likewise, just because the winds and the waves are crashing at the moment, doesn’t mean that we should freeze.

It is dangerous to take today’s conditions as tomorrow’s promises.

In both fair and stormy situations, we must seek the Lord and remember His promises.

After all of this, where are we to place our confidence?

Put your trust in God’s unfailing promises (vs 21-26)

At the end of it all, we see the source of Paul’s unwavering confidence.

The Lord had promised back in chapter 23 that Paul would find his way safely to Rome.

Acts 23:11 ESV

The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.”

This is why Paul is able to remain calm even while staring death at sea in the face.

He knows that the God who he has been heralding does not hand out absent promises.

We must follow this example.

Letting go of everything else, we must cling to God’s promises and His providence!

Charles Spurgeon said,

You may have a calm at one moment and a storm at the next, and, unless your protection is from above and your confidence in something more stable than can be found in this world, woe betide you. Sometimes it is well to yield to the stress of circumstances. If you have struggled hard and can do no more, it is well to leave the result with God.

Charles H. Spurgeon

You can’t trust in professional advice, your comfort, convenience, or projections.

But you can take God’s promises to the bank EVERY. TIME.

The second application gleaned from Paul’s example is...

When under pressure, feed yourself.

Paul urged those around him to nourish themselves, to strengthen themselves, through food.

Just as a hungry body makes a weak body, a hungry soul.

Christ knew this when He quoted Deuteronomy 8 while rebuking Satan during His wilderness temptation in Matthew 4:4.

Matthew 4:4 ESV

But he answered, “It is written, “ ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ”

The Psalmist likewise encourages us in Psalm 63...

Psalm 63:5–8 ESV

My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.

When you are under pressure, when you feel the absolute least inclined, that is the very time we HAVE to double down on your spiritual disciplines.

You must be in the Word.

You must pray.

You must be present and participating in corporate worship.

If you attempt to bear up under pressure in your own strength, you are going to fall flat on your face.

And it will be all of your own doing.

In this vein of thought, Matthew Henry says...

Weak and trembling Christians that give way to doubts and fears, continue fasting from the Lord’s supper, and fasting from divine consolations, and then complain they cannot go on in their spiritual work: and it is owing to themselves.

Matthew Henry

We cannot expect ourselves to carry on under pressure without both physical and spiritual nourishment.

Once we try to do it in our own strength we have conceded.

Thirdly...

When under pressure, give thanks.

By the world’s perspective, Paul seemingly had every right to curl up into the fetal position and give into despair alongside the rest of the travelers.

No one would have batted an eye!

He was unjustly imprisoned,

Held for years without any proper charge being leveled against him, let alone proven,

He was currently in chains on a ship in the middle of a storm that, if they had just listened to him, would have been avoided.

But he doesn’t navel gaze.

He doesn’t throw a pity party.

In the midst of it all, he offers encouragement based on promises,

motivates others to take in sustenance.

And, as the food is being passed out, Paul gives thanks!

When thanksgiving is the furthest thing from everyone’s mind, Paul breaks out in appreciatory praise to the Lord who provided the food and sustained them all.

Once again, do. we. do. this?!

Let this be a challenge to each of us!

When pressure is rising, and you are feeling squeezed, thank God for His providence and faithfulness.

Thanksgiving changes perspective from despair to hope.

And lastly...

When under pressure, be faithful.

In the midst of extraordinary pressure, Paul faithfully represented Jesus.

He didn’t grumble,

He didn’t throw in the towel,

He didn’t write off the lost souls all around him.

When life starts squeezing, it is all too easy to put off faithfulness.

We tell ourselves that we are just going to wait for life to smooth out before we really get to work on spiritual growth.

We put it off...

“When the summer gets here,

When the semester ends,

As soon as I finish this project,

As soon as I feel better,

As soon as I get that job,

As soon as I get a bigger home to host people...”

Fill in your blank.

But this is not how the kingdom of God works!

Paul showed us that faithfulness is indeed possible amid beatings, delays, life-threatening storms, and imprisonment.

Our future is secure because it is held firmly in God’s hands.

We cannot afford to wait until tomorrow, next week, or next year to get busy about the work of gospel ministry, gospel faithfulness.

As we see with Paul, faithful living saves lives.

We also see that the world is in chaos all around us.

It continues to spin on its axis, and people can go about their topsy-turvy lives because of God’s preservation of His people.

When it looks like your ship is going down, find satisfaction in faithfulness knowing that the Lord can use you as a public blessing.

When life puts you under pressure, be like Paul.

Place all of your confidence and trust in the Lord.

Feed yourself.

Give thanks.

And be faithful.

Pray

Conclusion

The musicians are going to come back and lead us.

As they do, use this time to reflect on how you respond under pressure.

When you are squeezed, what comes out?

Pressure always produces a response.

It is a sinful response of lashing out in frustration?

Maybe it’s a few choice words.

Maybe it’s diving deeper into a sin that promises immediate satisfaction and comfort.

All of these responses will leave you empty and unsatisfied.

The alternative is what we’ve seen in Paul.

When he was squeezed Christ came out.

He was put on display.

His peace reigned.

Trust and thankfulness and salvation were laid out for all to see.

Brothers and sisters, continue to be formed into the likeness of Christ.

As painful as that can be at times, it will make the times you are under pressure worth it.

May we ooze Christ in every interaction, every conversation, and every circumstance.

Maybe you’re here today and you do not have Christ at the helm of your life.

He is not within you, so there is no way that He can be produced by the squeezing pressures of life.

Maybe you’re trying to do all of this on your own and facing frustration after frustration.

Friend, you do not have to be stuck here.

Christ can save you.

He can change you.

He can nourish your soul so that you are able to bear up under the pressure.

If this is you, don’t leave today without talking to someone.

I will be around after our service concludes.

I know that Pastor Michael is ready and willing to talk with you as well.

Let’s stand now and sing together!