Stay on Board
Acts 27
True Story: In the early 1990s in the community of Britonville, St. Ann a truck was transporting some persons along a main road and was now heading up a hill. The truck developed some problems and couldn’t make the climb. It got more complicated and, as it was told, the truck began to run backwards off the hill. In a panic one woman decided to jump off in an effort to save her life. Consequently, she was the only one to lose her life when she was crushed by the weight of the moving truck as it slammed into the banking and the adjacent stone wall. The others were all shaken up, yes, but they were all alive.
I wish to speak primarily to the new believers among us but certainly also to the entire body of Christ which is inclusive of all of us who are Children of God. The objective being to admonish and encourage us in view of present and impending or potential challenges, troubles, trials or storms, if you will. Such an encouragement is both necessary and important because, and let me hasten to submit, storms are inevitable! I want to be very frank and true to especially those whose walk with God has just begun lest I should be numbered among those who only tell you about the joys of Christianity without also telling you that the journey to Glory is one that can be as much perplexing as it is satisfying. In other words we have all read and have come to love the Psalms and the favourite of many, Psalm 23. We love to hear the comforting words “The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; He leadeth me beside the still waters…” But it is important that you also become aware that there will also be some stormy seas, with menacing waves and boisterous winds. There will be times you will feel like you no longer want to be on-board this ship; moments when it looks like you can’t make it; occasions where it all seems to make no sense; situations that make it appear like God has forsaken you; days when it seems all hope is lost.
And when you begin to encounter these kinds of realities, brothers and sisters, the easiest thing to do is panic and to try to jump ship but I have been instructed to encourage your hearts and to tell you to stay on board. The story of Paul and those with who found themselves in this shipwreck of a situation serves as a fitting context from which to draw some salient points and to encourage your hearts. Allow me to give you a quick look into the background and how Paul found himself here. Acts 23 records that based upon Paul’s incessant preaching of the Gospel, he was seized of the Jews and they plotted to kill him, swearing an oath, the Bible says, to neither eat nor drink till they had done so, and for what? Verses 5-6 of chapter 24 states that when they brought him before Felix, Governor of Caesarea, their lawyer Tertullus described him as a pestilent fellow, a mover of sedition (treason) among the Jews, a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes and one who profaned (corrupted, desecrated) the temple. Charges, which the text says, they were never able to prove (25:7). After being imprisoned for two years in order to appease the Jews his case was again heard by Festus who took over from Felix as Governor. It was here that he appealed to be heard by Caesar, Emperor of Rome. He was heard also of King Agrippa, Grandson of Herod the Great and son of Herod Agrippa who killed James the Apostle, ruler over Galilee, who paid a royal visit to Festus.
What is interesting to note in all of this is the common thread running throughout the text. In each successive chapter and at each court hearing, while the Jews wanted to kill Paul, it is repeatedly stated that Paul had done nothing to deserve punishment or worse, death. Might I pause long enough to point out that when you are a Child of God, worse when you are determined to live for God and to do His work, that alone will be reason for others to hate you and worse to try to destroy you. Folk will talk about you, tell lies about you and try to ruin your name. You don’t have to do a thing to a soul; you don’t have to trouble anybody. But I heard Paul declare in Col 3:3 – For ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God. This is really the spiritual life to which Paul refers and that we are dead to sin. But it also refers to the fact that your life in Christ is inaccessible to man. This is how David puts it in Psa 118:6 - “The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?” You can rock my boat but you can’t turn it over!
When we get to chapter 27 Paul and other prisoners have been handed over to Julius, a centurion of the Imperial Regiment to be escorted to Italy – to both watch and protect him – so that he could neither escape nor that harm could come to him. Be grateful for those people in your life who surround you to the point of annoyance – always checking up on you, always asking you what you’re doing, always asking if you’re coming to church, always commenting on how the pic on your Facebook and Whatsapp profile is not appropriate. They might feel like a thorn in your flesh, but they are the reason you are still in the church. They have been divinely appointed to watch over you and to get you to the end of your spiritual journey.
So Paul and his co-convicts and his wardens set sail from Adramyttium navigating along coastlines and stopping at the occasional port as was the norm for ships, and boarding connecting boats to get to where they were headed. This is very much like life itself and even the Christian journey for that’s what this really is… a journey; a voyage if you will. Along this passage there is the occasional stop point and the contrary wind that comes to make your journey a challenge. But then they came to a place called Fair Havens, a beautiful and convenient bay/harbour (in fact that place still has that name today) and here they docked and spent much time. Too much time in fact because now verse 9 says the time they were setting sail was dangerous because the Fast was past. John Gill points out that this was really “"the fast of the Jews"; the day of atonement, which was the grand fast of the Jews, on which day they afflicted their souls, Lev_23:27 in memory of the worshipping of the golden calf; on that day they neither eat nor drink, nor do any work, neither do they wash, nor are they anointed, nor do they bind on their shoes, or make use of the marriage bed; nor do they read anything but sorrowful things, as the Lamentations of Jeremiah, until the setting of the sun, and the rising of the stars” This time corresponds to the latter end of our September (Lev_16:29; Lev_23:27). This was about the time of what is called the autumnal equinox, when the Mediterranean Sea was particularly tempestuous. To sail after this feast was proverbially dangerous among the ancient Jews (Adam Clarke). And so Paul advised them against setting off pointing out that both the ship and their lives were at risk. Sufficely to say they chose not to listen to him. We can learn one or two things here:
1. Although the context suggests that the risk may have been common knowledge it is still important to learn how to move with God. Know when to move and when to stand still. The Bible talks about the Sons of Issachar who understood the times and knew what Israel what to do.
2. Sometimes the storms into which we find ourselves as children of God is as a result of the actions of others and not necessarily any sin we may committed ourselves or as a consequence of other actions we’ve done. Point: Don’t expect that it won’t turbulent for you just because you have been living right. That’s why we always rush to ask “why me?” when trouble comes, because we think that we shouldn’t have bad experiences if we live like we should. And we being to compare ourselves with others we know are not living up especially when they seem to be faring well.
Surprise, surprise no sooner had they lifted anchor that a boisterous wind came upon them. The NIV renders it a hurricane force wind so you have an idea how bad it was. So bad it had its own name: Euroclydon (a northeast wind which blows in all directions). What else was happening?
It was so bad they had to do what was called “frapping” - pass four or five turns of a large cable-laid rope round the hull or frame of a ship to support her in a great storm
They dropped anchor to avoid the sandbars of Syrtis. These were vast beds of sand driven up by the sea, and constantly shifting their position, so that it could not be known certainly where the danger was. It was a time of great uncertainty. What’s worse than not knowing what’s going to happen, is not even knowing what to do.
By the next day they were disposing of the ship’s cargo to lighten the ship and lessen its risk of sinking.
By the third day they were ridding the ship of its tackle: the extra and unnecessary anchors, sails, cables, baggage, etc. (when I saw that word it forced me to consider that sometimes God allows some storms to rid us of some unnecessaries in our lives. There are some things we will not let go until something devastating happens in our lives).
The storm worsened in its dimensions. So much so neither sun nor stars were seen for days. It was overcast, dark and gloomy.
The result of all this is according to verse 20 “all hope that we should be saved was then taken away.”
I feel like that is someone’s condition today. Each day, each week has brought just one more trial, one more heartache, one more disappointment. And now neither sun nor stars are on the horizon. Meaning what? You can see no light at the end of your tunnel. It’s not only bad but now you can’t even see your way out. You have been praying but you can’t even see how God could possibly fix it. But hear the words of Christ spoken by Paul to encourage you. Read vs 22-26
Things to note:
Be of good cheer. You will not lose your life, only the ship.
o Be not dismayed what ere betide. God will take care of you.
o Doesn’t mean you won’t lose some things around you
Have confidence in the God you serve (Paul’s ref to “The God I serve) – The people that do know their God shall be strong and do exploits (Daniel 11:32) – Paul declared (vs 27:25) “For I believe God”. You can choose to believe your circumstances or the perceptions and opinions of other or you can choose to believe God. Whose report will you believe?
Maintain contact with God even in your storm. Obviously Paul was in prayer and could therefore hear from God even during tumultuous time. Songwriter penned – Down on my knees sorrows rise, I talk to Jesus down on my knees…
It is interesting to note that the others were safe because of Paul
There is a seashore of rest from every storm – a certain island. Certain refers here to an unknown. God did not reveal to Paul exactly where they would land. It’s like Him saying to Abraham “Go unto a land whereunto I will show you”. You don’t have to know everything about what God is going to do. You don’t have to know where the money/ breakthrough/ deliverance is going to come from. But is also a CERTAIN land – meaning it is sure.
Then after a long and tiresome two weeks, fourteen days as the text puts it when they were nearing land. Can you imagine being out at sea and in a storm for that long a time? They used their instrument to sound the depth of the sea where they were at. Obviously the shallower it got the closer they were to land. But as they weren’t sure seeing they couldn’t see very well they dropped anchor at a safe distance and awaited the dawn of day when their field of vision would be clearer. But there were those sailors who were going to try to abandon ship leaving the everyone behind thinking the boat would better navigate the shallow waters. These men the text seems to suggest were trying to sneak off the boat. Oh but safety was only guaranteed for those who were “with Paul”. Therefore Paul warned that these men needed to abide in the ship. That was the only way for them to be saved.
I think these men were scared and that they tried to take matters into their own hands rather than trusting the words of the servant of God. But hear me this morning. God is speaking to you in the midst of your dire circumstances and difficult situation – STAY ON BOARD THIS SHIP. I know there are some things happening that would want to make you jump ship:
Your friends reminding you of the good times you used to have
Baby’s father telling you he won’t support you or your child unless… and you could handle it if it were just you but for the children to be hungry
Now you aren’t working and you remember what you used to make before you got saved
Your ex keeps contacting you and his/her very words are sending shivers down your spine
You’re just feeling discouraged because the battle has been so hard and long
But I hear the words of the songwriter: Hold on my child. Joy comes in the morning. Weeping only lasts for the night. Hold on my child Joy comes in the morning. The darkest hour means dawn is just in sight. I hear another: Hold the fort for I am coming, Jesus signals still. Wave the answer back to Heaven: By thy grace we will.
I could talk about how Paul encouraged the men to nourish themselves after not eating for many days. For He said it was for their health. So he blessed bread broke it and shared with them and they all ate. And say to you that while the tempest rages it is important that you not only pray but feed on the word represented here by the bread. Else you may not survive to even reach the shore. So the ship will reach and you will be in it but you will be dead. Doesn’t make sense to fight the storm then just die by the way side.
I want however to rush to the last few verses: 39-44 where they at the breaking of day were able to spot a good creek where they could run the ship aground. When they did so the forepart (bow) got stuck and the hinder part (stern) broke into pieces. And I wondered why. Why did pieces of the ship have to be shattered. But I think the answer can be found in the very last verse. The centurion commanded that all who could swim do so till they reached shore. But guess what not everybody could swim. So the last verse says some came in boards and others on broken pieces of the ship. So in order to keep His word God would have had to provide a means by which everybody could make it. Some of us are able to flex our spiritual muscles. We have the skills to get around and get through. But there are some of us that just don’t know how. God says He’s not leaving you out. You are still not going to be lost. The devil is a liar. You are still going to make it if it’s even on broken pieces. Don’t be alarmed by the fact that there are some that have swam on and left you. You may be coming in hurt/limping/bruised etc but you’re still coming in. Only one things does God ask of you… YOU MUST ABIDE IN THE SHIP! STAY ON BOARD! DON’T GIVE UP! DON’T GIVE IN! DON’T LET GO! HOLD ON TO JESUS AND RIDE OUT YOUR STORM!
