Changing The Boat You Didn't Want to Be On

INTRO

In Acts 26, Paul shared the gospel with King Agrippa and Festus. Now Paul is on his way to Rome. Acts 27 tells the story of how Paul got most of the way to Rome.

TEACHING

Acts 27:1–8: Julius, a centurion, was placed in charge of Paul as he boarded the boat to Rome. Aristarchus, one of Paul’s associates in ministry from Macedonia, and Luke were also on the boat. Their journey began at Caesarea. From there, they sailed a day’s journey and came to port at Sidon. From Sidon, they continued on their journey along the coast of Cyprus and came to port in Myra. They followed the route north of Cyprus because “the winds were against us.” Today, most of our boats are powered by some sort of engine, but first-century boats were dependent on the wind to make their journeys. In Myra, a centurion put the prisoners on a ship from Alexandria that was bound for Italy. Conditions on the sea made this leg of their journey slow. Eventually, and with “more difficulty” (v. 8), they arrived at a port called Fair Havens.

Acts 27:9–12: The group spent some time in Fair Havens because verse 9 says “much time had passed” since their arrival. Jewish people distinguished good sailing times from poor sailing times by their feasts. Sailing season started around the Feast of Pentecost and ran through the Feast of Tabernacles. “The Fast” in verse 9 is most likely Passover, somewhere around September 24.¹The wind on the seas picked up around this time, making sailing difficult. Knowing this, Paul advised the centurion and the crew of the danger they would face if they left: their cargo, their ship, and their very lives could be at stake. However, because “the harbor was unsuitable to winter in,” they decided to press on with their voyage in an attempt to get to Phoenix, a harbor on Crete, and winter there. Paul heard from God, but the people he was with did not respond.

Acts 27:13–19: When people don’t respond to the message you feel God has given you, you have to push back doubt. At the beginning of this leg of the journey, the ship encountered “a gentle south wind,” which made everyone think they were right in leaving the port Paul which advised them to stay in. You may hear from God but see things start to go in a different direction. Be careful to not let doubt or unbelief sneak into your heart.

After a period of time with the “gentle south wind,” (v. 13), the ship encountered “a fierce wind, called the ‘northeaster.’” This storm is probably a typhoon at worst. At best, it is a severe storm that came upon them quickly. Remember, they were travelling in a sailboat and were dependent on the winds, so this was not good news for them. When you hear from God, but others don’t respond, you have to push back resentment. Paul told them this was likely to happen, but they insisted on following their own course. Now they found themselves in the middle of a typhoon completely at the mercy of the storm. Things got so bad that they “were barely able to get control of the skiff” (v. 16). The skiff was the smaller boat used to transport cargo and people from the boat to shore in case there was no port. They took the skiff on board, tied it down, and then used cables and ropes to reinforce the ship in an attempt to keep it from falling apart in the force of the storm. Things looked really bad for Paul and everyone else on board the ship—so bad that they started throwing the cargo overboard so they could run in more shallow water.

Acts 27:20–26: The storm continued on for many days. After a while, everyone gave up hope that they would survive. But Paul was not shaken; Paul walked by faith. Paul could have gotten angry that the crew didn’t listen to him. Instead, he pushed back his resentment, heard a word from God, and encouraged the crew. Though not by his choice, Paul was in difficult circumstances. Everyone on the boat had given up hope. But Paul began to change the circumstances by his faith.

Acts 27:27–32: After being adrift for 14 nights, the crew began to suspect they were getting near land. They took two soundings to determine the depth of the water and discovered the water was getting shallower. Since it was night, they dropped the anchors to avoid potentially crashing on a rocky shore “and prayed for daylight to come” (v. 30). Two weeks had passed since Paul assured the crew that they would survive but would lose the ship. The fulfillment of God’s word to Paul, that he would stand before Caesar, had tarried. Paul spent two years under arrest. Then, when he finally got on the boat to go to Rome, the journey was treacherous and delayed. In the Old Testament, God told the prophet Habakkuk, “For the vision is yet for the appointed time; it testifies about the end and will not lie. Though it delays, wait for it, since it will certainly come and not be late” (Habakkuk 2:3). Paul had to keep walking and waiting by faith.

As they sat anchored near some unknown shore, some of the sailors decided to try to escape by letting down the skiff and heading toward shore. Paul reminded the centurion that “unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.” In the midst of the craziness of the moment, Paul reminded the crew of the word God gave him even though the crew had yet to listen to Paul. However, this time they listened. The soldiers cut the ropes by which they previously secured the skiff and let it fall off the ship.

Acts 27:33–38: The crew of the ship had not eaten for 14 days. Paul encouraged the crew that they would live, so they should eat something. Paul took bread, gave thanks, and distributed the bread to the 276 crew members. As this journey comes to an end, Paul’s faith was still changing the boat he found himself in. Paul’s faith didn’t just affect himself or his companions. The entire boat, nearly three hundred people, were affected by Paul’s faith.

Acts 27:39–44: When they saw a beach, they prepared to run the ship aground. When the ship hit ground, the stern of the ship started to be broken up by the waves. The soldiers determined they would kill the prisoners because, if they survived this experience only to lose the prisoners, they would probably be executed as a result. However, the centurion in charge wanted to save Paul so he came up with a plan. He ordered everyone who could swim to jump overboard and make for land. Those who couldn’t swim were to find a plank or some other debris from the ship and make for land. God promised that everyone on board would survive, so He even made provision for the ones who couldn’t swim by way of the debris from the boat.

CLOSING

Everyone made it to the bank. Some had to swim while some had to float on debris, but they all saw the fruit of what God promised Paul. Paul followed God’s instruction. Not only was he saved, not only were his companions saved, but the entire ship, nearly three hundred people, were saved because of Paul’s faith. You might find yourself on a figurative ship that isn’t going in the direction you want to go. You need to talk to God because in that He might be trying to use you to transform your environment.

How are things going on the boat you’re on now? Push back fear, walk away from resentment, and trust God. Keep walking by faith until God comes through.