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Main Idea
Confident faith in God’s provision causes us to stand firm in the storms of life and will encourage others to do the same.
I’ve had the privilege of knowing multiple families who have gone through the adoption process (overseas and US adoptions). There are two families who are close friends of ours that come to mind when I think about how one person’s faith can impact another. These two families encountered some significant roadblocks and very discouraging circumstances in their journeys to adoption, some of which never worked out because of either incompetence or corruption in the system. Other times, there were extreme emotional swings in the kids as they processed the transition in homes. Kelly and I witnessed as they walked through these gut-wrenching times with spiritual power. It wasn’t that they stood strong in every circumstance. It was that they were transparent with their highs and lows throughout the process, and even when they were in tears at times, they maintained faith in God’s ability to bring it all to a resolution. Watching them hold on to faith during a time of trial and struggle made a notable impact on our faith. Their faith strengthened ours.
Changes are, this has happened to you in some form or fashion as well, and that is what we will see unfold in the story today.
Recap
- Paul and the ship’s passengers are lost at sea due to the famed Northeaster.
- The storm ravaged the ship for days, and the clouds blocked the sun and stars, making it impossible to navigate.
- All hope was lost until an angel visited Paul, encouraging him to take heart and have faith in God’s plan to deliver him to Rome.
- We left off with an encouragement to be cheerfully confident and that they must run aground on “some island.”
Today, we will see the conclusion of the dramatic saga at sea.
Passage
Acts 27:27–44 ESV
When the fourteenth night had come, as we were being driven across the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors suspected that they were nearing land. So they took a sounding and found twenty fathoms. A little farther on they took a sounding again and found fifteen fathoms. And fearing that we might run on the rocks, they let down four anchors from the stern and prayed for day to come. And as the sailors were seeking to escape from the ship, and had lowered the ship’s boat into the sea under pretense of laying out anchors from the bow, Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.” Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the ship’s boat and let it go.
As day was about to dawn, Paul urged them all to take some food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day that you have continued in suspense and without food, having taken nothing. Therefore I urge you to take some food. For it will give you strength, for not a hair is to perish from the head of any of you.” And when he had said these things, he took bread, and giving thanks to God in the presence of all he broke it and began to eat. Then they all were encouraged and ate some food themselves. (We were in all 276 persons in the ship.) And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, throwing out the wheat into the sea.
Now when it was day, they did not recognize the land, but they noticed a bay with a beach, on which they planned if possible to run the ship ashore. So they cast off the anchors and left them in the sea, at the same time loosening the ropes that tied the rudders. Then hoisting the foresail to the wind they made for the beach. But striking a reef, they ran the vessel aground. The bow stuck and remained immovable, and the stern was being broken up by the surf. The soldiers’ plan was to kill the prisoners, lest any should swim away and escape. But the centurion, wishing to save Paul, kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and make for the land, and the rest on planks or on pieces of the ship. And so it was that all were brought safely to land.
I. Faith Overtaking Fear
• Two weeks into a time of terror, disorientation, and hopelessness.
• Analyzing the depths (1 fathom = 6 feet, or the span of a man’s outstretched arms)
• Attempted escape (the loss of experienced sailors would have been detrimental to everyone else. Paul sets a boundary line for God’s promise of protection).
• Centurion’s confidence in Paul (uncommon kindness and obedience to Paul).
The Centurion’s action doesn’t make much sense. He is the leader on board. He has soldiers under his command. He has listened to the advice of the ship’s owner and captain. In normal circumstances, army commanders don’t listen to the advice of their prisoners.
And yet, that is exactly what he does. He has already shown uncommon kindness toward Paul by letting him see his friends at Sidon. Now, he is dismissing any advice from the people he once listened to. Now… he is allowing Paul to make life-and-death decisions.
What happened? What did they experience in these two weeks that caused such a reversal?
Imagine what two weeks without food on a wave-tossed and degrading ship must have been like. My family gets hangry after 5 hours without food! Think about what 5 days or 2 weeks would turn people into. These aren’t circumstances that cause a Roman military leader or pagan sailors and prisoners to give out trust to a man who doesn’t look, act, or believe like them.
No, something else was happening. I believe that amid a seemingly hopeless situation, Paul demonstrates such an unwavering trust in God’s providence that it compels 275 other men to take heart and have faith in his God. His steadfast faith was contagious as he watched God’s providence unfold in the storm, in the centurion, and in the actions required of the people on board.
That was then. What about now? What can we glean from Paul as we navigate our own storms? Do we believe the same God who delivered Paul from this life-threatening storm is the one who will deliver us? Can we learn to navigate our own storms using faith as our compass? Is it possible to listen for and discern God’s guidance while surrounded by pain, grief, and destruction? Can we comprehend how to take action as we lean on God for that guidance?
Yes, I believe it is possible. Hebrews 6:19 describes our hope in the sureness of God’s promises and confidence in His unchanging character as a steadfast anchor for the soul.
The key is knowing that wrestling with these things will help us anchor our faith in Christ. I wish it were as easy as asking God for things like patience or perseverance, but most of the time, He will put you in situations that will cause you to develop those things. This passage, then, encourages us to understand the importance of unwavering faith and intentional action, trusting Christ in the storm while being active in the situation.
II. Praise Replacing Panic
• Take food (strength for the final hours)
• Take courage that none will perish
• Give thanks to the God of Israel (not of the Greeks)
• Fellowship together
• Prepare for landing (by lightening the ship)
What an amazing scene! At first, we see the centurion following Paul’s advice. Now, everyone is following his lead! Through his unwavering faith in God’s providential protection and provision, everyone is eating, taking courage that they are utterly protected by Paul’s God (not their own), and fellowshipping together… while they are still adrift at sea.
Let me say that again in a different way: Pagan men were encouraged as they ate together after Paul broke bread with them and gave thanks to the God of Israel. It would be a stretch to say this was a communion meal because most of the men were unbelievers, and yet, they were learning how to be cheerfully confident in a God they didn’t yet know.
How small is our faith if we don’t do that with the God we profess to know, love, and worship!
Not only that, but we see a rough image of the fellowship we are encouraged to have in scripture. We aren’t meant to go through the trials and storms of life alone. We need the support of one another as we navigate them.
Here, we see how God sustains and encourages His people, while even non-believers know how to unite and strengthen one another. If it’s true that the same Spirit resides in all of us and it is His will causing us to will and act according to His good purpose (Phil. 2:13), how much more should we – the Body of Christ – represent the power of communal living and care to the unbelieving world?
III. Persevering to the Promise
• Land spotted
• Prepare for a crash landing
• The soldier’s plot to kill the prisoners
• The Centurion’s protection for Paul’s sake
• Everyone arrived in the bay unharmed
Persevering truly is the keyword here. Their entire trek from Caesarea was defined by the term “with great difficulty.” And the two-week period only describes today’s passage. The total journey was much longer than that, and Paul had to continually reject fear, desperation, and hopelessness at every turn while embracing the trustworthiness of God’s promises. This was not a one-and-done type of situation. Paul had to persevere in his faith. Paul’s perseverance, in turn, helped the others persevere in their trust. They couldn’t give up part way or disobey God’s instructions when they thought they knew better (fleeing in a lifeboat or killing the prisoners).
Will you trust God until you see His promises fulfilled or not? Will your faith be an encouragement to others or a hindrance?
Finally, this passage demonstrates God’s ability to save completely. The phrase “not a hair is to perish” doesn’t mean that they will literally not shed a single hair from their bodies during the entire debacle. Rather, it is an idiom to express God’s plan to fully surround and protect the lives on that sinking boat. His salvation is far-reaching and fully capable.
That is precisely what we have in Christ Jesus. Not only will He provide for us in the storms of life, but in terms of our eternal salvation, Jesus is able to save all who call on His name completely and eternally.
Takeaways
Consolidate what we have already seen:
1. Don’t try to avoid situations that will force you to trust in God’s providential care.
2. Act in accordance with your faith.
3. Don’t neglect the strength that comes from encouraging one another in community.
4. Be assured that Jesus will save you completely in this life and eternity.
Questions to Consider
- What significance did the actions of the Centurion and the crew have in Acts 27:33–38?
- How did Paul’s unwavering trust in God’s providence influence the other men on board the ship?
- How is the phrase ‘not a hair is to perish’ used as an idiom in the context of the passage?
- What can we learn from Paul’s actions during the storm about navigating our own challenges with faith and action? How does this apply to our lives today?
- In what ways can we encourage one another in community to find strength during challenging times, as seen in Acts 27:33–38?
- How can we be assured of Jesus saving us completely in both this life and for eternity, and how should this assurance impact our daily lives?