OUT AT SEA and IN DANGER Acts 27

OUT AT SEA and IN DANGER Acts 27 Coming up on one hundred and five years ago a beautiful ship set sail from the port of Southampton and made its way via Queenstown in County Cork to the United States of America. On that ship were, rich people out for enjoyment, business people, and ordinary people travelling to a new land of hope. The Bible often speaks about boat journeys. For example, in the Old Testament, Noah built the only sea-worthy vessel which stayed afloat during the flood. King Solomon had a most beautiful fleet of ships (I Kgs. 9:26). Jonah boarded a ship bound for Tarshish. In the New Testament, Jesus was often in a boat On one occasion, He calmed the storm on the Sea of Galilee. He also walked on the water to the disciples in their fishing boats. In the Book of Acts, Paul regularly sailed on the Mediterranean Sea, during his missionary journeys... And the boat-journey in Acts 27 was his final voyage which would take him as a prisoner on his way to the Roman emperor. In the autumn of 60 AD, with some other prisoners, he left Caesarea, on the northwestern coast of Israel, pulled into Sidon in Syria, and sailed in a coastal trading vessel, - registered in Adramyttium (to the north of Pergamum ), - round the north of Cyprus, and up near the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia and docked in a town called Myra in the province of Lycia, in the south of modern-day Turkey. In Myra, they transferred to a larger more suitable sea-faring ship, - registered in Alexandria, - and then sailed across part of the southern Aegean Sea, passing the island of Rhodes and first landing at Salmone, on the eastern tip of Crete and then along the southern coast of Crete to about half-ways, and into the harbour at a place called Fair Havens. It had been a reasonably non-eventful journey Of course, that was to change. Let s look at the events which

2 particularly lead up to v.18, we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest and beyond. The Voyage Begins From Myra, they were on a ship originally from Alexandria, in North Africa. It was not especially commissioned for carrying prisoners, because it was a transport ship carrying mainly grain the region. The centurion in charge was called Julius, and he decided they would take this well-proven trustworthy vessel to Italy. The ship had sailed through the Mediterranean on many occasions, - its captain and crew knew those waters well. A safe passage was virtually guaranteed They would arrive at their destination, without fear of drowning or shipwreck or any such disaster It would not have been on their minds! It was simply a routine cargo sailing. When the winds began to stir, - as often they did, - it affected their progress, - nothing serious, - nevertheless, they reckoned it would be safer to dock in a natural port known as The Fair Havens (Kaloi Limenes), - halfways along the southern coast of Crete. Since the early Byzantine period, there has been a small church commemorating Paul s visit. The storm they faced was Eurclydon, coming out of the north-east. I want to spiritualise the story so far. Many who begin on the journey of life are little perturbed concerning the potential difficulties ahead, and they make the minimum of preparation. Carefree, happy-go-lucky, easy-going, sauntering along... They sail on a vessel they have seen others sailing on and they are out to have a good time, to the point of being careless. Now, I know we must not live in the shadows of what might be, - we don t want to make problems where there doesn t need to be any but at the same time, when the inevitable waves begin to show themselves around us, to where do we turn, and how well do we cope? Will we make it, from one shore as it were to the next? Has lazing about made us complacent and self-satisfied and foolishly-confident? Paul s Warning So, wrapped up in their own world the men in charge of the boat couldn t see the dangers starting to pile up around them. The reality was they had just about made it into the harbour at The Fair Havens in time, v. 9 Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous, That was the reality of the

3 situation. Any sensible person would have remained in the harbour until the storm season subsided (September October). Paul stands up and speaks what only could be described as obvious common sense, - you didn t need to have a nautical brain to work it out, - v.10 Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives. He tried to warn them, but you could imagine their reaction. You are only a wee fellow. You don t know anything about sailing. You sit down and keep quiet. Leave the sailing to those who know about it.. to the experts! Fools they were to ignore Paul s warning because they were turning a blind eye to all the signs, - the winds gusting, the waves beating ferociously against the bow, the sails fluttering as if they are about to break If you had any common sense, you would have remained safe in the harbour. Come at it again from a spiritual perspective It is foolish to ignore the Word of God, especially when it is blatantly obvious how the signs are pointing! Especially for so many who have been brought up with some degree of knowledge about God and the Bible in Sunday School and in Church, in Christian families and with Christian friends There is often the temptation to throw caution to the winds and sail dangerously close to the uncertainty and it makes us all the more spiritually daring when we push the adventure as far as we dare, but manage to avoid disaster It becomes a game after a while, and we minimise the spiritual consequences. Somehow, it adds to the enjoyment and pursuit of pleasure until the danger overwhelms, and you cannot get away! Those experienced sailors wouldn t have listened to what Paul had to say either, and regardless of how many times you tell them the storm is dangerous, and becoming increasingly dangerous, they will laugh at you and tell you they can look after themselves. I wonder too if there were some on the boat with Paul who thought if the storm gets too strong they can pull into the next harbour along the way. That is what many people think If I m getting it too tough, when the storms become too heavy and when the danger really arrives, I ll pull into the next safe haven and I ll stay there until the circumstances are right for me to move on and I will have enjoyed the best of both worlds! I m in control! But, what guarantees do you have you will make it into the next safe harbour?!

4 The longer you live, the more you can see how a dangerous a way that is of thinking! It is like the people who know the Gospel and who know they ought to be saved, but keep avoiding it. They believe, - or, at least, it is what they tell themselves, - I can enjoy life however I choose, and whenever it suits then I ll come to Christ. Well, the evidence in this passage is that when Paul issued the warnings, they went unheeded. The Captain s Stubbornness Look at who the centurion was placing his trust in, v.11 the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul. It is how you often find it When a Christian says something, it is not believed. Whether it makes sense or not, a non-christian will take the advice of a fellow non-christian more naturally, and the centurion duly listened to the ship s captain, rather than to Paul, v.12 the haven was not commodious to winter in, (was unsuitable to winter in) So, they left the shore, v.13 when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing thence They were very clever, - ask them and they would have told you! This is no problem to us, we ve done it before, and we know what we re doing the worst of it is over, - although they were kidding themselves, because their instruments and forecasters said differently! However, no matter how much knowledge and experience they had about sailing and the weather, did they really know what they were doing? Had they never heard of the calm before the storm? Maybe they hadn t time to wait and hang around until the winds subsided? Maybe it wasn t as bad as the shipping forecast suggested? It definitely seemed a strange way of making a decision because we discover in v.12 that it wasn t actually the captain who made the decision, but it was the sailors, and everybody else! 12 And because the haven was not commodious to winter in, the more part advised to depart thence also, - it was a majority decision, - not a proper maritime decision, - to set sail on this foolish voyage! You know, sin clouds your understanding. It makes you not listen. It closes your ears, your mind and your eyes. It stops you from seeing clearly. It instils an obstinacy and a pride which opens the door to all kinds of problems and that is what happened to this experienced ship s captain, for he turned out to be less than adequate for the journey! And they went out into the open sea, and no

5 sooner had the ship s sails been unfurled, but what felt like the greatest of storms began to blow around them (v.14) Even Luke was frightened, - everyone was frightened! (v.18). It took them a day of being battered about before they realised how bad things had become and they began to throw their cargo overboard, - and an expensive cargo it was!! And the weather became increasingly worse, and the people on that ship were terrified and panicking. Here is how Luke describes their state, v. 20 And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away. Hope had gone! Hope was lost! The ship was going to sink, and they were going to drown! They feared their lives were going to be lost if only they had listened to the warning! And then Paul stands up, Sirs, if only you had listened (v.21). But they didn t need to listen. They knew it all. They had nothing to fear. They knew now how wrong they had been, and everything was out of their control. You tell people about their need of salvation and about Christ and they don t want to hear not now, maybe later, maybe at another time, on another occasion. We are fine the way we are! And yet, while all hope was fading fast, Paul speaks to these people the Word of God (v.23) and they were listening more this time ( 21 But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss. 22 And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man's life among you, but of the ship. 23 For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, 24 Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee. 25 Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me. 26 Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island as compared to 10 And said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives). And then, as they were coming in from the open sea and all the fears they had there, it was becoming dangerously shallower, - first 20 fathoms (120 ft.) and then 15 fathoms (90 ft.) one fathom equals six feet. Yes, their fear had been great out in the open sea, but now they had a new fear, - the ship was going to run aground on the rocks. It was going from bad to worse The reality was striking home, but they hadn t learned yet. They threw the anchors over the side and wished for the best! (v.30) And Paul saw the cowardly sailors letting down the lifeboat in an attempt to abandon ship and escape for their lives, - that s how hopeless it had become, - and he went and told the centurion,

6 v.31 Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved. You can t sail a boat without sailors! You see, that was the only way they would continue, if they listened to Paul. If they had jumped over the side at that stage - they would have drowned. The storm was wild, - they would have been bashed against the rocks. It was terrifying! And then Paul brought them to the strangest of places under the circumstances; he brought them to the dinner table, v.33 This day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried and continued fasting, having taken nothing. Take a look at that again, This day is the fourteenth day. That means it is a significant day. On another fourteenth day, the children of Israel were commanded to enter their homes for the Lord was about to strike Egypt with the death of every firstborn. On that particular day, the fourteenth day of the first month, was the first Passover meal. The Israelites were to take a lamb, kill it and wipe its blood on the doorposts of their homes. And, when the angel of death would see the blood He would pass over that home and no harm would be brought to those inside. Here on this boat as it rocked about on the Mediterranean Sea it was the fourteenth day. They had a meal and look at its consequences, 34 Wherefore I pray you to take some meat: for this is for your health: for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you. 35 And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to God in presence of them all: and when he had broken it, he began to eat. 36 Then were they all of good cheer, and they also took some meat. 37 And we were in all in the ship two hundred threescore and sixteen souls [276 souls]. Surely this speaks of Calvary and how Calvary brings to those who, like the 276 on this ship, - are tossed about. Life can give you awful experiences, - some of them of our own making. Just like those men on that ship they had no answer, and at first, they weren t interested in hearing an answer from Paul, a Christian! What did he know?! What use are Christians?! Well, out of all those people on the boat, Paul was the one who had the only answer. The sailors had their naval skills, but they were ready to jump ship. The soldiers had their military experience, but that was no good at sea Paul, on the other hand, had the Lord, and he presented Jesus Christ as the answer to their need.

7 Paul took them on this fourteenth day to a special meal, a special meal which brought hope to their souls (v.36, Then were they all of good cheer) because he brought Jesus Christ into the scene. But, - going away back to almost the start, - I can t get away from the fact these people didn t need to be out on the open sea in those terrifying conditions. Common sense would have told them to keep safe in the harbour, away from the dangers. And it is the same with those who, - like the sailors, - didn t need to get into the boat, especially with an unbelieving world! But look, after this meal these people had a new joy, - they were still on a ship in a raging sea, - nothing had changed that way, but now they had a different strategy, v.39 And when it was day, they knew not the land: but they discovered a certain creek with a shore, into the which they were minded, if it were possible, to thrust in the ship. And there was a new zest on board, v. 40 And when they had taken up the anchors, they committed themselves unto the sea, and loosed the rudder bands, and hoisted up the mainsail to the wind, and made toward shore. Life was still as difficult and as dangerous, 41 And falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground, - that could have been treacherous, but in the Lord s will, - the forepart stuck fast, and remained unmoveable, but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves They were at last safely fastened, - secured, - in the rock! And that is how the hymn writer wrote, Oh, safe to the Rock that is higher than I The Rock, the Lord Jesus Christ. The Roman soldiers guarding the prisoners were concerned there would be a mass escape, and they would be held accountable and killed as a punishment. So, in their panic, they suggested killing all the prisoners (v.42), Paul included. However, Julius, 43 the centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from their purpose; and commanded that they which could swim should cast themselves first into the sea, and get to land: 44 And the rest, some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land. Conclusion. It ends up a beautiful story as all the crew and passengers of this ship landed safely on the island of Malta, - not a one was lost. But I still can t get away from the fact these people didn t need to be out on the sea and in that storm. On the Titanic they boasted, This ship can never be sunk. In the radio room they ignored the warning of the iceberg. As they headed towards it, in the midst

8 of all their enjoyment and frivolity, no-one wanted to hear the ship was going down, - surely it can t happen, not to the Titanic! There was a man on that ship, the Rev. John Harper from Glasgow. As the bow of the ship was rising out of the water and its stern dipping it is said that he was leaning against the rail pleading with a young man to come to Christ. Four years after the Titanic went down, a young Scotsman stood up in a meeting in Hamilton, Canada, and told the congregation, I am a survivor of the Titanic. When I was drifting alone on a wooden spar that awful night, the tide brought Mr. John Harper of Glasgow, also on a piece of wreck near me. Man, he said, are you saved? No, I said. I am not. He replied, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. The waves bore him away; but, strange to say brought him back a little later, and he said, Are you saved now?' 'No,' I said, 'I cannot honestly say that I am.' He said again, 'Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved,' and shortly after he went down; and there, alone in the night, and with two miles of water under me, I believed. I am John Harper's last convert." Those fellow-travellers with Paul, they were all brought safely to dry land. Yes, even on a ship being battered about by winds and waves Christ came near. It is a wonderful story of God s grace to men who never gave Him a thought, and who chose to sail on waters they would have been better staying out off. If you are not saved, listen to this story, see what it means and what it is telling you.... See how the difference came on the fourteenth day, - the day that speaks of the sacrifice of the lamb. That s the simple message, Jn. 1:29 Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. Don t wait until the storms come. Stay out of anything that will take you away from Christ. Trust in Him and stay safe in The Fair Havens. On the night before he died, John Harper was standing on the deck of the Titanic. He watched as the sun went down in the west, and he was heard to say, It will be beautiful in the morning. I trust that is your hope also.