God in the Storm
“God in the Storm”
Acts 27
August 17, 2008
Today’s message is an epic story of survival against overwhelming odds, of life-and-death struggle, of despair and hopelessness turned to hope, and of a God in control. We’ll consider some of the ways God was at work in that storm, ways in which He works in the difficult times—the storms—of our lives. For a little added fun, we’ll set today’s outline in a 60’s theme…
I. A Three-Hour Tour (sort of) - :1-8
With apologies to our friends on Gilligan’s Island, this was the beginning of what I’m sure all hoped would be a relatively event-free trip to Rome. But like the Professor and Mary Ann and all the rest, it was to be anything but…
Finding a ship on its way east, in the direction of Rome, Julius, his men, Paul, and others set sail. Luke is back on the scene here: “we”. It’s likely that Luke, as well as Aristarchus, to whom we’re introduced, and whom Paul mentions in both Colossians and Philemon, served as servants to Paul, traveling with the status of “slave” even; this would have explained a bit better the deference shown to Paul by the centurion Julius. And the text is all the more vivid because of the fact that Luke was on board, that he’d undergone the tumult and trial along with Paul instead of just hearing Paul recount it over dinner somewhere. Despite fighting some strong winds, the rest of the trip goes pretty smoothly.
The first part of the journey ends at Myra, one of the chief ports of the region. A ship from Egypt was in port there, on its way to Rome, and they board this ship. This is not the easiest voyage, but the ship finally reaches the harbor of Fair Havens, on the island of Crete, probably still 800+ miles, as the crow flies, from its destination in Rome. This is when it gets interesting…
II. (Everyone Knows it’s) Windy - :9-20
The “dangerous season” for sailing fell between mid-September and mid-November; after that, no one sailed until winter was over. It had been a long trip to this point; the sailing was dangerous because of the weather; it was mid-October. Apparently for these reasons, a council was called onboard ship, which included Paul, being the seasoned traveler that he was. But the centurion, who as the ranking military officer onboard a ship that was doing the business of Rome, had the final decision, went with the “wisdom” of the pilot and the ship’s owner, and decided that the ship would try to make it forty more miles to the port of Phoenix, a place that would be, in their estimation, more favorable for wintering in.
Everything started out well, with a gentle breeze that promised, in a matter of hours, to carry them to their desired wintering spot. But it didn’t last long: there quickly arose a violent northerly wind; the Greek is “typhonikos”, from which we get our word “typhoon”. The storm got so bad that cables had to be passed under the ship to hold the hull together.
According to Luke, this state of affairs continued for a total of two weeks! Clouds and wind and storm; they didn’t see the sun by day, nor the stars by night, and thus they had no way of knowing where they were, as the sun and stars were used as navigational instruments. The situation was bleak, and uncertainty reigned. Enter Paul, and his words:
III. People, Let Me Tell You ‘Bout my Best Friend - :21-26
There was likely little food to prepare, as some had probably been tossed overboard, and other rendered inedible either by the seawater or by the beating of the containers against the ship due to conditions; the conditions for preparing it must have been difficult; anyone who’s ever dealt with seasickness can probably relate to an aversion to eating amid choppy seas anyway!
Paul’s words that followed, on the heels of a somewhat smart remark, were words of hope and authority, hope because of the message and authority because of the Source of the message, an angel of God. His words previously, about the potential for loss of life, were spoken as an experienced traveler; his words now, confident words that no life would be lost, were the words of a prophet speaking forth the truth of God.
God made a promise, and what He promises, He performs!
IV. A Hard Day’s Night – :27-38
Finally came the call of “Land ho”! The sound of breakers beaching violently caused the sailors to know that land was near, and in the middle of the night, they didn’t want to run aground, so four anchors were dropped, and then they turned to the only Source they knew; they “prayed for day to come”. Wonder if this was as a result of Paul’s influence?
Disregarding the safety of anyone but themselves, the sailors tried to make a run for it under the pretense of laying anchor. Paul alerted the centurion to their actions, and the centurion stopped them dead in their tracks. Paul knew that the accomplishment of God’s plans required the “means” of the efforts of sailors. Notice that faith in God doesn’t deny the importance of using good sense!
Paul knew that all hands would need energy for what lay ahead, and thus he counseled the taking of food. What remained could be prepared more easily, now that the ship was at anchor, and they’d be glad they ate after such a long fast. Then, because they wanted the ship as light as possible for when it ran aground, with the desire that it run aground far up the beach, the remainder of the wheat was thrown overboard.
V. Beyond the Sea - :39-44
Julius, by this time, had taken quite the liking to Paul, felt a deep debt of gratitude to this man whose God had spoken to him, and he forbade the taking of any life, but rather gave instructions to those on the ship as to how they could save their lives, by swimming of by floating on planks and pieces of the ship. And thus, as God promised, all hands made it to shore.
God in the Storm
God is working through the circumstances to accomplish His purpose; He is in the storm, not outside it, or unaware of it, and the same is true for the circumstances and situations of our lives.
Notice one of the things God has done: He has molded the character of His man, Paul, to be His agent in the storm. The storm helps to forge Paul’s character, sure, but it also serves to reveal it, and the same is true for. Note
• The Character of Paul
o An Agent of Hope
Paul was a man who combined faith with works, spirituality with common sense, a man of God and a man of action. Here, he is an agent of hope, both in words and actions, buoying the spirits of his fellow travelers with his words of God-inspired wisdom and confidence. Am I a bringer of hope, speaking and acting as though I believe God is sovereign?
o An Agent of Peace
Knowledge of the fact that God was in control produced calm assurance in Paul, even when others were panicking and abandoning ship.
o An Agent of Wisdom
Paul was a man with common sense, in part because he studied much to understand life. Wisdom is more than knowledge; it is knowledge applied to the circumstance and situations of life.
o An Agent of Witness
There is no “sermon” in this narrative, but Paul lives out his testimony, putting in words here and there that mark him as a man of God. He interjected God into everything he did, because God was there, and Paul’s words and demeanor onboard ship gave tremendous testimony to God.
o An Agent of Love
He had a concern for not only the lives, but also the wellbeing, of all concerned. What a motley crew this was: Roman soldiers; selfish sailors; condemned men who’d face the lions soon in the Roman arena. His compassion was a witness for Christ.
But this story is about God in the storm, not Paul in the storm. See
• The Grace of God
God doesn’t keep us from storms. He gives us grace to deal with them.
o People
Julius/Luke/Aristarchus/church in Sidon: God’s grace-gifts to Paul. And God was gracious to all on board by giving them Paul!
o Purpose
God made clear that Paul’s purpose in going was to give testimony before Caesar, that Paul would accomplish the high calling and purpose God had given him. God’s purpose would not be frustrated. And God, I’d remind you, has a purpose for your life, else you’d not be able to fog a mirror any longer!
o Promises
“Paul, you’ll stand before Caesar, and I’ll give you the lives of all these people as well.” Such were the promises of God, evidences of His grace amid the ferocious storm. And the promises of God from His Word are many to us in the storms of life as well.
