A Terrible Cruise

Introduction

Paul has been promised by God that he would make it to Rome

since before he went to Caesarea

during the trial with Festus, Paul appealed to Caesar instead of going back to Jerusalem

after talking with Agrippa and others, Festus and his council concluded that if he had not appealed to Caesar, he could have been released

maybe he could have made it to Rome on his own, or maybe the Jews would have killed him as soon as he was released

as it is, the same Roman government that provided safe travel from Jerusalem to Caesarea is now going to take him to Rome

Warning of handling the text

Luke writes us a lot of detail

because he is on the journey with Paul

because this is a history, a story of what happened

not an allegorical story that we are to apply meaning to different aspects

the four anchors the sailer drop do not represent the four anchors of your life, or the life of an unbeliever

we have to take the text, know what Luke is saying to his readers and understand what it says about God and his providence

Through the trials of Paul, he is able to share the gospel with the other 200 plus people on the ship, the people of Malta and in Rome. God sees us through and stays with us through the trials. God always fulfills his promises.

PRAY!

A Friendly Warning

Acts 27:1–12 (CSB) 1 When it was decided that we were to sail to Italy, they handed over Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion named Julius, of the Imperial Regiment. 2 When we had boarded a ship of Adramyttium, we put to sea, intending to sail to ports along the coast of Asia. Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, was with us.

Who is Aristichus

Riot in Ephesus earlier in Acts, the silversmith Demetrius took Aristarchus and dragged him into the auditorium and started a riot

Aristarchus continued to follow Paul as one of his disciples

3 The next day we put in at Sidon, and Julius treated Paul kindly and allowed him to go to his friends to receive their care.

Not known for sure how the gospel got to Sidon

Acts does not tell of every story of the gospel going from Jerusalem

most believe that when the persecution of Stephen happened and the church spread out of Jerusalem, some believers went to Sidon

meaning, the persecution that Paul oversaw, participated in, caused the gospel to go to a place that now is meeting his needs

God takes the things Satan intends for evil and uses them for good, we do not always get to see it, but here is Paul being blessed by a group of people most likely believing because of the evil he was involved in

4 When we had put out to sea from there, we sailed along the northern coast of Cyprus because the winds were against us. 5 After sailing through the open sea off Cilicia and Pamphylia, we reached Myra in Lycia. 6 There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy and put us on board. 7 Sailing slowly for many days, with difficulty we arrived off Cnidus. Since the wind did not allow us to approach it, we sailed along the south side of Crete off Salmone.

explain the path the ship took

north from Caesarea, following the coast, then east with the coast

past southern territory of Galatia, past the cities of Ephesus and Corinth to southern Turkey

because the winds were against them they head south in attempt to go around the south side of the island of Crete

this would allow them to use this as a windbreak

8 With still more difficulty we sailed along the coast and came to a place called Fair Havens near the city of Lasea. 9 By now much time had passed, and the voyage was already dangerous. Since the Day of Atonement was already over, Paul gave his advice

Day of atonement = passover

this is not a reference to something that was necessarily observed by Paul and the others on board, but a reference by Luke as to the time of the year

Passover would be late September - early October

it is known that the Meditarranian Sea is very dangerous to sail on during the fall and winter

10 and told them, “Men, I can see that this voyage is headed toward disaster and heavy loss, not only of the cargo and the ship but also of our lives.”

this does not contradict what Paul says later, that nobody will die

this is his personal advice,

11 But the centurion paid attention to the captain and the owner of the ship rather than to what Paul said. 12 Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided to set sail from there, hoping somehow to reach Phoenix, a harbor on Crete facing the southwest and northwest, and to winter there.

They did not take a vote of everyone on board the ship

this would have been the professional sailers, the owner or captain of the ship

These seem like boring details that Luke is giving us

but we see how the stage is setting for some very dramatic events that will be taking place

all of this under the promise that God has given to Paul that it is necessary for him to go to Rome

this is after he had been taken into custody by the Romans, after the jews had beat him in the temple, but before he left Jerusalem for Caesarea

this does not mean the we simply “let go and let God.”

we continue to do our duty as believers

people are to be loved, the gospel is to be shared

A Spirit Breaking Storm

Paul has given his warning, “you know this is not a good time to be sailing…”

the “experienced” sailers do not take his advice and take off for Phoenix

not the Phoenix we think of spending winters

Acts 27:13–32 (CSB) 13 When a gentle south wind sprang up, they thought they had achieved their purpose. They weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete.

You can hear all the sailers saying I told you so… Jewish preacher doesn’t know what he is talking about

14 But before long, a fierce wind called the “northeaster” rushed down from the island. 15 Since the ship was caught and unable to head into the wind, we gave way to it and were driven along. 16 After running under the shelter of a little island called Cauda, we were barely able to get control of the skiff.

now the problems begin

fierce wind = typhoon

the south breeze that had been pushing them along is gone and a wind that they could not imagine has come

so bad of a wind, they could not sail into it and get to Phoenix as they had planned, in fact they could not control the ship at all, so they gave way and let the wind take it where it wanted

they passed by a very small island southwest of Crete and the skiff began to have problems

skiff = smaller boat on a ship that would take the passengers in from the large ship that could not go to shore

we do not know what the skiff was doing

taking on water, rolling in the wind and waves

but the storm was too much for the small boat being drug by the ship

17 After hoisting it up, they used ropes and tackle and girded the ship. Fearing they would run aground on the Syrtis, they lowered the drift-anchor, and in this way they were driven along.

now we see just how bad the storm is, how bad the experienced sailers believe that it is

the skiff has been brought on board so that it cannot cause problems

they have girded the ship

meaning they have taken ropes around the outside of the ship to hold the planks together that make up the ship

they are squeezing this ship together so that the wind and waves do not break it apart

they drop four anchors off the back of the ship, fearing that they are going to run aground at Syrtis

this is a place that many ships have wrecked, it is just off the northern coast of Africa

they believe they are off course this much

18 Because we were being severely battered by the storm, they began to jettison the cargo the next day. 19 On the third day, they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands. 20 For many days neither sun nor stars appeared, and the severe storm kept raging. Finally all hope was fading that we would be saved.

They are lightening the ship

the only way this ship was to make money was to get its cargo to Rome, but that is no longer a concern, they are just trying to live

the cargo goes

next the tackle goes - pulleys and ropes that would have raised and lowered the cargo from the ship

it had been days since they had see the sun or stars

this would add to the sense of despair

this last week we had some very cloudy days… we even asked at one point, “I cannot remember when the sun was out last.”

sun and stars was used to navigate

they had no idea where they were how they ever were going to be saved

21 Since they had been without food for a long time, Paul then stood up among them and said, “You men should have followed my advice not to sail from Crete and sustain this damage and loss. 22 Now I urge you to take courage, because there will be no loss of any of your lives, but only of the ship. 23 For last night an angel of the God I belong to and serve stood by me 24 and said, ‘Don’t be afraid, Paul. It is necessary for you to appear before Caesar. And indeed, God has graciously given you all those who are sailing with you.’ 25 So take courage, men, because I believe God that it will be just the way it was told to me. 26 But we have to run aground on some island.”

in the middle of the desperation, Paul speaks up

this is not so much an “I told you so…” as it is a reminder that he was the one who advised against this in effort to gain credibility for what he was about to say

they hadn’t eaten for a long time - not a fast, but most likely seasickness

be encouraged… you are not going to die, but the ship will not make it

what can he base this on… a word from God, an angel that came to him

this is different from the, We should not be sailing in November warning

27 When the fourteenth night came, we were drifting in the Adriatic Sea, and about midnight the sailors thought they were approaching land. 28 They took soundings and found it to be a hundred twenty feet deep; when they had sailed a little farther and sounded again, they found it to be ninety feet deep. 29 Then, fearing we might run aground on the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight to come.

there are no resorts on the beach with electricity, no lighthouses to make sure they know where to stop

30 Some sailors tried to escape from the ship; they had let down the skiff into the sea, pretending that they were going to put 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 the ropes holding the skiff and let it drop away.

selfishly, the sailers try to bail

Paul tells the centurion that they have to stay

this is not a proclamation from God, “you’re all saved or none of you are saved” but the experienced sailers would be gone leaving people who do not know how to get the ship safely somewhere

now the soldiers stop them, cutting the ropes to the skiff, there is no way to get off the ship without jumping into the sea

Land at Last

Acts 27:33–28:10 CSB

33 When it was about daylight, Paul urged them all to take food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day that you have been waiting and going without food, having eaten nothing. 34 So I urge you to take some food. For this is for your survival, since none of you will lose a hair from your head.” 35 After he said these things and had taken some bread, he gave thanks to God in the presence of all of them, and after he broke it, he began to eat. 36 They all were encouraged and took food themselves.

Imagine going through a typhoon on this ship, you haven’t eaten for a couple weeks

now Paul stands holds up bread and says, "Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth."

if I am one of the others… not with Paul, I am asking where is this God of yours, King of the universe, been through this storm, why did he let this storm come

that is human nature… think of the Israelites in slavery to Egypt

God tells Moses, Exodus 3:7, I hear their cry, I see their pain, I know them

then he frees them through the plagues, only to have Pharaoh attack them in the desert only to respond, why did you bring us out here to die.

sometimes we can learn from non believers, especially when they have more faith than we do

Acts 27:33–28:10 CSB

37 In all there were 276 of us on the ship. 38 When they had eaten enough, they began to lighten the ship by throwing the grain overboard into the sea. 39 When daylight came, they did not recognize the land but sighted a bay with a beach. They planned to run the ship ashore if they could.

they no longer had the skiff

Acts 27:33–28:10 CSB

40 After cutting loose the anchors, they left them in the sea, at the same time loosening the ropes that held the rudders. Then they hoisted the foresail to the wind and headed for the beach. 41 But they struck a sandbar and ran the ship aground. The bow jammed fast and remained immovable, while the stern began to break up by the pounding of the waves.

No they are stuck out at sea, cannot get in far enough to get off ship and onto ground

Acts 27:33–28:10 CSB

42 The soldiers’ plan was to kill the prisoners so that no one could swim away and escape. 43 But the centurion kept them from carrying out their plan because he wanted to save Paul, and so he ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land. 44 The rest were to follow, some on planks and some on debris from the ship. In this way, everyone safely reached the shore.

Killing the prisoners would save the soldiers life

explain the consequences of losing a prisoner

More than one time now we see that Paul is treated with respect by the Roman Centurion

his desire to see Paul saved has saved the life of all the prisoners

the plan to get to shore was simple everyone jump

those that could swim, swim

those that could not swim, grab something and kick to shore

as crazy as the plan might sound, they all make it to shore and the nightmare cruise is over

Acts 27:33–28:10 CSB

1 Once safely ashore, we then learned that the island was called Malta. 2 The local people showed us extraordinary kindness. They lit a fire and took us all in, since it was raining and cold.

this would be a little shocking to the readers

local people = barbarians, people that were not influenced by the Greek culture

as such, had a very karma like belief system

Acts 27:33–28:10 CSB

3 As Paul gathered a bundle of brushwood and put it on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened itself on his hand. 4 When the local people saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “This man, no doubt, is a murderer. Even though he has escaped the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live.” 5 But he shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no harm. 6 They expected that he would begin to swell up or suddenly drop dead. After they waited a long time and saw nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god. 7 Now in the area around that place was an estate belonging to the leading man of the island, named Publius, who welcomed us and entertained us hospitably for three days. 8 Publius’s father was in bed suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went to him, and praying and laying his hands on him, he healed him. 9 After this, the rest of those on the island who had diseases also came and were healed. 10 So they heaped many honors on us, and when we sailed, they gave us what we needed.

Their view of Paul shifted quickly when he showed no ill effects from the snake bite

in the same way that we do not give weight to the belief that he was bit because he was guilty, we do not take the praise when they think we are gods

instead, Paul uses their high view of him

we do not hear of any gospel sermons that he preached on this island

we see the healings that he performed while he was there

we remember from the very beginning, that Jesus tells them they will have power to be his witnesses

that the miracles point to the message

I have no doubt that Paul proclaimed Jesus as the only way to salvation to these people

A Journey’s End

Acts 28:11–16 CSB

11 After three months we set sail in an Alexandrian ship that had wintered at the island, with the Twin Gods as its figurehead.

Three months in Malta and the only way to Rome now seems to be a ship with two false gods on the front for good luck

what did Paul do… he got on the boat

he was not worshiping those gods, he was not believing they would be good luck for him

no doubt in my mind that anyone who knew Paul thought other wise for a second

that might not be the case for us because we are shy about sharing what we believe about Christ

Acts 28:11–16 CSB

12 Putting in at Syracuse, we stayed three days. 13 From there, after making a circuit along the coast, we reached Rhegium. After one day a south wind sprang up, and the second day we came to Puteoli.

explain the route from Malta to Puteoli

eastern side of Sicily up the western coast to Puteoli where they would have walked the rest of the way

Acts 28:11–16 CSB

14 There we found brothers and sisters and were invited to stay a week with them. And so we came to Rome. 15 Now the brothers and sisters from there had heard the news about us and had come to meet us as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns. When Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage. 16 When we entered Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself with the soldier who guarded him.

Paul has come to Rome, encouraged by the fellow believers that have met him as far out as the Forum of Appius (about 43 miles)

we do not know how the gospel got to Rome before Paul, but Paul wrote to them about three years prior (the book of Romans)

God does not always make things easy, but his promises are always fulfilled

God promised Paul he would make it to Rome, he has arrived

even through the trials he was able to share the gospel with numerous people who he would not have been able to without the storm and shipwreck

Our life is not our own

we thank God for the blessings that he has given us, but with the understanding that both the blessings and the hardships are opportunities to share the love of God with a lost a dying world

the father will see you through, not just today or even the current storm that you are going through

but through his grace and mercy, he will see you into glory.

Dicussion Questions

How does Paul's journey to Rome illustrate the concept of divine providence in the face of adversity?

In what ways can we relate to Paul's experiences during the storm when facing our own life challenges?

What does this passage teach us about God's ability to work through difficult situations?

What are some ways we can show courage to others struggling through storms in their lives?

How does the story of Paul confirm the belief that God keeps His promises, even in dire circumstances?

In what ways can we deepen our trust in God's plans during life's unexpected storms?

How can we actively share the gospel in our daily lives, inspired by Paul's mission even in trials?