Do you recall a time when you had to assure others that everything would be ok?
For many years, I was a youth pastor. I took teenagers on retreats, camps, and mission trips, all over the country and all over the world. Later in my career, I started taking adults on trips. You know what I learned: Adults are a lot more challenging than youth to take on a trip. They want to know what time will we be there. Where is the bus going to turn? What are we having for dinner? What’s the weather going to be like tomorrow? My frequent response in these situations (and my message to myself in these moments) is “Everything is going to be ok.”
In today’s passage, Paul is with a crew, on a ship, on their way to Italy. Things start to get really disastrous, but Paul is able to say to his fellow passengers. “Everything is going to be ok.”
Today’s sermon is entitled “Disaster and Destiny.”
Before we go any further, let’s go to God and ask Him to bless us as we study His Word.
(prayer)
Ok, so let’s remember that Paul has been tried in Jerusalem, then in Caesarea, but he appealed to Caesar.
As Governor Festus said in last week’s passage, “You have appealed to Caesar; to Caesar you will go.”
Paul was told by God that he would go to Jerusalem, then to Rome. So, his journey to Rome continues.
So, let’s read about Paul’s journey, and we’ll follow along on the map as we see where Paul’s journey takes him.
So, Paul is starting here in Caesarea, which is a seaport in Israel.
Ok, let’s look at Acts 27:
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. 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. 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. 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 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.” 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.
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. 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. 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. 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.
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.”
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. 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.
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. 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. 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.
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.
We’ll learn next time that the island they actually crash-landed on was Malta.
As you can tell from what we read, Paul had quite the journey.
Whether it’s a journey by ship on your way to Rome, or whether it’s through the journey that God has for you, some challenges may arise that affect your journey.
Let’s see what those are.
First, . . .
I. Your journey may involve difficulty.
Life is not always easy, is it?
Life was certainly not easy for the Apostle Paul.
The particular journey that Paul and his fellow shipmates were on in this passage was not easy.
Look again at verses 7 and 8:
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. 8 With still more difficulty we sailed along the coast and came to a place called Fair Havens near the city of Lasea.
Sometimes, things move slowly in life. Sometimes we have difficulties in life.
Don’t forget that Paul was imprisoned in Caesarea for over two years!
You talk about difficulty? The man was imprisoned for two years for no particular reason.
The Jewish high court did not convict him of a crime. Governor Felix did not convict him of a crime. Governor Festus did not convict him of a crime. King Agrippa did not convict him of a crime.
Yet, there he was on his way to Rome, guarded by Roman soldiers, on a difficult journey.
Yet, God saw Paul, and He was with Paul in his difficulty.
God sees you and is with you as well.
Next, you must realize that . . .
II. Your journey may involve danger.
Paul’s journeys certainly involved difficulty.
Then, we see on this particular journey that things got dangerous.
Verse 9 says, “By now much time had passed, and the voyage was already dangerous.”
Luke, the author of Acts, is taking us through the progression of the places the ship passed and the increasing intensity of the challenges that were taking place.
By the way, don’t lose sight of the fact that Luke is with Paul on this part of the journey. We know that because Luke says “we” in several places.
Your journey may also involve danger.
Listen, we are surrounded by danger. It’s a miracle that more of us aren’t affected by car accidents. It’s a wonder somebody is not breaking a hip or a leg everyday at our church. It’s incredible that more of us aren’t hospitalized because of sickness. Our world is broken and dangerous.
Some of us may be called by God to serve in places that are dangerous to be a Christian.
Danger is a part of our world.
God saw Paul, and He was with Paul in his dangerous situation.
God sees you and is with you as well.
Third, you must recognize that . . .
III. Your journey may involve disaster.
You may say to me, “Pastor Matt, I’m well beyond difficulty; it’s even worse than danger; my life is a disaster.”
Don’t worry, child of God, you’re in good company with the Apostle Paul. In fact, you’re in good company with all of these men who were on this ship bound for Italy.
Paul said in verse 11, “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.”
How’s that for a motivational speech? Paul basically said, “Hey everyone, I just want to let you know that what awaits us is a complete disaster.”
God saw Paul and He was with Paul in the disaster that surrounded him.
God sees you and is with you as well.
Listen, brothers and sisters: Disaster would not be the end for Paul. If you are in Jesus, disaster will not be your end either.
Let’s see next that . . .
IV. God has a design for you.
How many of you know that God’s ways are so much better than our ways?
Isaiah 55:8–9 says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways.” This is the Lord’s declaration. “For as heaven is higher than earth, so my ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
God’s ways are so much better. No difficulty, no danger, and no disaster can change God’s design for your life.
God had a design for those men on that ship, and He has a design for you.
Listen, again, to what Paul said in verses 21 and 22:
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.”
God’s design for these men was further clarified in verses 33-36:
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.
Paul was confident that God was involved in their situation. God knew what was best for them, and Paul urged the men to listen to God’s design.
Listen, friends: God has a design for your life as well. It’s found in God’s Word, the Bible. It’s found in the fellowship of your brothers and sisters through a local church. It’s found through the leading of the Holy Spirit upon your life.
Don’t give up on God’s design for you.
Why, might you ask? Well, I’m glad that you asked.
Finally, let us learn that . . .
V. God has a destiny for you.
Paul would write elsewhere, in Romans 8:28, “We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.”
Friends, God has a good purpose and destiny for your life. When you follow God’s design for you, you will experience God’s destiny for you.
Paul was confident in God’s destiny for them. He said in verse 25, “ . . . take courage, men, because I believe God that it will be just the way it was told to me.”
The men on that ship did follow God’s design for them, and this chapter ends with these words, “In this way, everyone safely reached the shore.”
Think for a moment what would have happened if they didn’t follow God’s design.
Paul addressed that in verse 31. He said, “Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.”
It’s the same for us. If we reject God’s design, we will not experience God’s destiny.
Our own design only leads to more disaster; we need God’s design.
When we follow God’s design, we will also safely reach the shore.
Let this bottom line summarize what we are learning.
Bottom Line: Life’s disasters can not stop God’s destiny.
Listen, church: Some difficulty will come your way. Some danger may come your way. You may even experience disaster. However, none of those things will stop God’s destiny for you.
God loves you, and He holds you firmly in the palm of His hands.
Romans 8:38–39 says, “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
You cannot be separated from God’s love. He is with you in the disaster. Seek Him and His design. Then, experience His destiny.
Weekly Challenge #1 – Identify the disasters in your life.
Take some time this week and think about all the difficulties, dangers, and disasters that are in your life.
Go ahead and name them; don’t be afraid.
Then, take those to God and ask Him to be with you, guide you, and comfort you through those disasters.
Weekly Challenge #2 – Identify God’s destiny for your life.
Pour yourself into God’s Word and remind yourself of God’s destiny for you.
Remind yourself of 1 Peter 1:3–4, which says, “ . . . Because of his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.”
Remind yourself of Romans 8:18, which says, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us.”
Remind yourself of Romans 8:37, which says, “ . . . we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”
Identify and reflect upon God’s destiny for you.
(Gospel presentation)
(closing prayer)
(Benediction)
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