Text: Acts 27:21-26
Theme: Keep up your Courage
Introduction:
The Lord is Good; His love endures forever. I praise God for this opportunity to meditate and share the Word of God with you all. We continue to ponder the hope amidst despair. God does communicate with us through many passages and preachers these days to have strong faith and trust in Him. Never give up hope. As Job said, let us all say, even if he kills me, I will be confident in my Lord.
This passage talks about divine assurance to the people who travelled with Paul. God planned to take Paul into Rome for preaching the Gospel as a witness to Nero. So it was not the counsel of Festus that Paul should go to Rome but God (Matthew Henry). Paul had tried before Felix (Acts 24:1-2), then by Festus (Acts 25:1-4), and by King Agrippa (Acts 25:13-15, 22-23), now he sails to Rome for trial before the Caesar (Acts 26:32).
Let us think and ponder over three lessons from this passage:
Storm in Life
Shipwreck in Life
Keep up Courage in Life
1. Acts 27:13-21 Storm in Life
They set their bat for sailing from Caesarea to Italy. Julius, the Centurion; Aristarchus, A Macedonian from Thessalonica and Dr Luke accompanied Paul. They boarded in a ship called Adramyttium from Caesarea; then shifted to Alexandrian Ship at Myra in Lycia, which had a shipwreck. So he boarded the third Vessel of the Alexandrian Ship from Malta to Rome (Acts 28:12). Paul had travelled by three ships from Caesarea to Rome. However, Luke never recorded the trial by Emperor Nero. On their second ship trip had the problem.
Paul spoke to the Centurion, the Captain and the sailors not to venture into the sea for a voyage. He warned them that their journey is going to disastrous and bring considerable loss to boat and cargo and their own lives. Paul was able to see the danger and warned them, but, has forced to travel as Prisoner. He could tell them, yet he had had to go, because of compulsion (Acts 27:9-10).
Often we may be in the same position knowingly we travel towards destruction. The system has corrupted, and we are part of it. We suffer because of the wrong decision of the team leader, those who are in power. The Alexandrian Boat was a grain freighter, taking grain grown in Egypt to Italy. According to Hughes, the typical grain freighter of that period was 140 feet long and 36 feet wide. It was a large ship. The boat travelled from west to the Port called Fair Havens on the south side of the Crete. It was carrying 276 prisoners to Rome. There was a righteous man who has tried for the sake of the Gospel. He has treated with the Criminals.
Acts 27:11-12 express that the Centurion listened to the experienced Pilot or Captain, Owner of the Ship rather than the Servant of God. They decided to take Off because of lack of facilities and luxurious of Life at Port Myra (Acts 27:5). Gill comments: Lycia took its name, "a luce", from light, and of this country, Myra was the metropolis: Ptolomy calls it Myrra as if it had the signification of, "myrrh"; and so Jerome interprets it, "bitter", but Pliny calls it Myra, as it signifies, "ointment".
So, the majority decided in favour of sailing to Rome. The bitterness in the light was not pleasing to them. Hence, they moved out of that Port. The majority of them wilfully had gone against the Word of God, which has come through Paul. Because Paul was too small for them to listen, he was insignificant and political and religious Prisoner taken to appear before the Caesar. The Captain and the Owners had vast experience of sailing. They were so confident in taking them safely and sailing to Italy. The counsel of many against God’s Word is not good. The stand of the majority against the Will of God is futile and fruitlessness.
They had a gentle Wind to start with, so they thought everything is for them. They are going to achieve what they wanted in life. But in a short, while they had caught in a Hurricane named “northeaster”. (Acts 27:15). The journey to Rome was a stormy and threatening voyage. The wind did not allow them to sail through, they had to sail with difficulty, and they had hardly to make the lifeboat secure (Acts 27:3, 7, 16). Much time of their sailing has lost in vain because of the opposite wind (Acts 27:9). They had driven along. They took a violent battering from the storm. They threw the Ship’s tackle overboard. Neither Son nor Moon nor Stars they could see for many days (Acts. 27:18-20). They went without food for many days (Acts 27:21) troubles after troubles to the sailors, prisoners and all those who were in the Ship.
Our past experiences, our past victories give us the confidence that we can sail through. But in reality every time the sailing needs proper guidance and metrological advice. Centurion believed the words of the people around him, and he had counted them greater than Paul. Sometimes our friends, relatives, colleagues give us ideas, counsel to move ahead in life against the Will and guidance of God. They force us to go from Light, and the bitterness makes us leave the soothing life and take a harder life.
The Sailors, Owner and Centurion had experienced disastrous situations, their plans were shattered. Their hopes are gone. Their journey has collapsed. Their smooth pleasant sailing ruined within three days of their journey. They learned great truth of life, power of the Word of God within three days. They could have avoided the loss, the damages, and could have saved time, energy, strength, if they had have listened to the voice, Paul. What about your journey today? Are you feeling stormy and life against the wind? There is no hope apart from the Gospel and Christ. Without Christ the life has shipwreck. Let us move on to the second lesson from this passage. Stormy life leads to shipwreck in life.
2. Acts 27:22-24 Shipwreck in Life
According to Bruce, the dangerous season for sailing began about September 14 and lasted until November 11 because of the rainy season. After Paul’s exhortation, they had good food and prepared themselves for the shipwreck. 270 of them had to swim for life. However, the Sailors sensed or miscalculated that they were approaching the Land by taking the soundings of water as 220 ft, and as 90 ft, then they dropped four Anchors for safe embarking. Paul told them that the boat would be destroyed (Acts 27:22). Again the sailors never believed the words of Paul, in turn, the Words of Christ. They continued their disbelief and trusted their experiences.
Unfortunately, the ship struck at a sandbar and ran aground. The bow stuck bat and would not move, and the stern was broken to pieces by the pounding of the surf (Acts 27: 40-41). They had caught in a strong wind and had struck them, and made their lives more miserable. All their hopes had gone in a moment, and all their plans had shattered, their experiences failed. Their skills had futile. Their arrogance brought down and humbled. We also experience many occasions that the disobedience to the Word of God brings loss of property, deterioration of health, depletion of wealth. Any establishment against God’s Will never will prosper. We read in 1 Corinthians 15:33: {Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”} There is evidence of it in the Old Testament. We read in 2 Chronicles 20:35-37: {Then Eliezer son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, "Because you have allied yourself with Ahaziah, the LORD has destroyed your works. So the ships were wrecked and were unable to sail to Tarshish"}.
Though Paul was present in the Ship he has to go through the Problems with all others. We may raise a question, and God could have stopped the storm because Paul was present. But the wisdom of God, and the intellect of God was to allow the storm to pass through and show them the power of God, the power of the Word of God, and the Power of the God’s children. The sunrays are common to saints and sinners, and rain is common for just and unjust.
The earth has created by God for all men. Problems are also shared when it occurs. As long as we live in the flesh, and live on the earth we would share the misfortunes, calamities and natural disasters, and errs. We have witnessed the death of many God’s servants and children of God due to COVID-19. Some of us have infected due to the same reason. It is a disease, not a curse. Moses, Aaron and Miriam had to suffer from the Multitude of non-believing community and died on their way to Canaan. Joseph had to struggle because of his non-believing brothers.
Shipwreck in life refers to the rejecting of Faith and good conscience. By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith, among whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme. (1 Timothy 1:18-20). Nevertheless, the Lord said to Paul, I will spare the lives of the 276 because of you (Acts 27:33-38). Eat, take courage and move on. So my third lesson from this passage is Take courage in Life by faith.
3. Act 27:25 Keep up your courage in life
The worst scenario of Paul turned into the best scenario for preaching the Gospel to co-passengers and prisoners, then later in the Island of Malta (Acts 18:1-9). While Paul stood before King Agrippa, the following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome” (Acts 23:11). So, he appealed to Caesar to go to Rome with the Gospel, to witness for Christ. He had permission to stand before King Nero.
He was apparently in the centre of the will of God. Then why would the apostle experience such grave difficulty from natural forces? Then why this issue in life. Our God is the God of Seas. He stills the roaring seas (Psalm 89). The crises cannot keep us away from Christ. We take courage in God and strengthened in God during the calamities. Nothing can separate us from the love of God, will of God and the purpose of God. I will trust him ever and ever.
Paul had prayer during those dark periods. Prisoners and sailors were yelling, praying, crying and shouting for their lives, and cursing on their fate, but Paul silently spent time in prayer. The roaring sea, the terrifying waves and heavy rains never hindered the prayer life of Paul. The ship and the storm had brought closer to God and the angels. Paul experienced the grace, the faithfulness of God, and he received the promise of God through prayer.
The night vision gave him the courage to speak to the co-passengers about new life and hope amid despair. The God I belong to, the God I worship, sent a heavenly messenger to me this night. He said, “Do not be afraid, Paul. I’m not finished with you yet. You are going to stand before the emperor! You can be certain that God has granted safety to you and all your companions.” So listen, men: you must not give up hope! Keep up your courage! I have faith in God that things will turn out exactly as I was told last night (The Voice Translation.)
They were fasting for a long time for want of appetite, and a gaseousness and loathing of food, through the tossing of the ship, fright at the storm, and fears of death; and chiefly for want of time. They spoiled their health and had terrifying of their minds. They could have prevented the loss of the goods and merchandise of the ship, and its tackling, utensils, instruments, and arms if they listened to the counsel of Paul (Ref: Gill Commentary). Though he had been insulted, he reminds them that if they had followed it they would have been spared the harm and loss (Acts 27:23. ref: Ellicott Commentary).
They were affected by the seasick. The mariners always have this experience at the beginning. Nevertheless, take courage and have faith in God. Stay with the servants of God, stay with the Church where Christ is exalted. Stay at Home but with Christ.
As a messenger of God, Paul hoped to bring hope to these passengers and crew who had given up all hope. His point has not rejected to tell them he was right but to bring them the good news. “No storms or tempests can hinder God's favour to his people, for he is a Help always at hand. It is a comfort to the faithful servants of God when in difficulties, that as long as the Lord has any work for them to do, their lives shall be prolonged. There is no greater satisfaction to a good man than to know he is a public blessing. He comforts them with the same comforts wherewith he was comforted.” (Matthew Henry).
Dear friends, people around you may not cooperate with you to accomplish God’s will. Your organisation, your authorities may stand against you. But God in His way and time allows events to happen in your lives. The storm and shipwreck had helped Paul to preach the Gospel at Malta Island. The power of God was spectacular to the Centurion, Sailors, Captain and the Owner of the Ship.
The sad part is the islanders had accepted Christ but not those who had sailed with him and had seen the miracle of saving grace. The gift of life to the 276 was a gift to the faith and ministry of Paul. They all reached safely on the shore as per the word of Paul, in turn, the word of God. The archaeological evidence shows that the shipwreck had at Thomas Bay at Malta Island of the Mediterranean sea. The island museum has the rescued anchor kept to prove the faith of the Bible.
Let us remember these spiritual lessons from this passage:
Storm in Life
Shipwreck in Life
Keep up Courage in Life
