UNSTOPPABLE THEN and NOW Traveling to Rome Acts 27:1-28:10 Our summer sermon series on the Book of Acts called, UNSTOPPABLE Then and Now, ends next week. We started our trek through Acts last summer by looking at the first half of this book. The first 8 chapters of Acts focused on life in the early church and the ministry of the 12 Apostles especially Peter and John. In chapter 9 we were introduced to the Apostle Paul and then in chapter 13 Paul and Barnabas are commissioned for missionary work throughout Asia and Europe finally, Jesus followers took intentional steps to fulfill the call He gave in Acts 1:8 for his followers to be witnesses to the ends of the earth. Our study of Acts this summer has focused almost exclusively on the ministry of the Apostle Paul. Whether he was preaching to large crowds, sharing his faith with individuals 1x1, ministering Jesus healing touch to sick people or encouraging church leaders, the Apostle Paul, was unstoppable. As followers of Jesus, you and I are also called and equipped to be unstoppable. In some of his last words to his disciples before his arrest and crucifixion Jesus said these words, I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these because I am going to the Father. John 14:12 I don t think any of us have cut that verse out of our Bibles, and yet, we often live as if it s not there. What did Jesus mean by the statement that those who have faith in Him will do even greater things than these? He was pointing his followers to the truth that after He left them they were going to be filled with the Holy Spirit and with the Holy Spirit living in us and working through us, we will do what Jesus did. For most of Jesus ministry, He was doing all of the teaching, healing and miracles, but after He returned to heaven and the Holy Spirit was given to his followers on the Day of Pentecost, the ministry that Jesus did was multiplied many times over. Jesus followers now had the Holy Spirit living in them and acting through them to share his love and truth with others. When we left the Apostle Paul last week map he was a prisoner in Caesarea (having just been transferred there from Rome) and had just made an appeal to have his case heard before Caesar in Rome. Today we ll be following Paul on his ship ride from Caesarea to Rome. As I 1
studied Paul s tumultuous journey, which we ll be looking at today, I was struck by the way in which he shared Jesus love with the people he encountered in very natural ways. I want to share a statement with you that is often attributed to an Italian Priest named Francis of Assisi. Apparently, there s no evidence that Francis actually spoke these exact words, but wherever the statement came from, it s a good one. Preach the Gospel always. And when necessary, use words. I like that statement, not because it downplays the importance of verbally sharing our faith with others, but because it highlights the truth that wherever we are, whoever we re with and whatever we re doing, as followers of Jesus Christ, we re preaching. And as we live our lives in the awareness that we re always witnessing for Jesus, opportunities to speak about who Jesus is and what He has done in our lives will be presented to us. I want you to think back over your interactions with people this past week I know that s a lot to ask of you on Sunday morning, because you re relaxing and already turning your attention toward next week, but think back over your week. How did you represent Jesus to others this past week? Acts of kindness, words of encouragement, expressing hope and optimism in the midst of negativity, responding to difficulty joy and faith rather than with discouragement and frustration, praying with someone in need as followers of Jesus we re always preaching, whether we re verbally sharing our faith or not. We ll see in the Bible passage we re looking at today that while Paul was a powerful preacher, church planter, writer and apostle and God used him mightily in those ways he also embraced natural opportunities God placed in his path to share Jesus love with others. As a church family and as individuals who seek to help people we come into contact with connect with Jesus, there s a lot we can learn from Paul s example. I encourage you to find Acts chapter 27 in your Bible or electronic device. The section of Scripture we re looking at is a large one and so I ll read selected verses Acts 27:1 & 2 and 9-12 When it was decided that we would sail for Italy, Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to a centurion named Julius, who belonged to the Imperial Regiment. 2 We boarded a ship from Adramyttium about to sail for ports along the coast of the province of Asia, and we put out to sea. 9 Much time had been lost, and sailing had already become dangerous because by now it was after the Fast. So Paul warned them, 10 Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also. 11 But the centurion, instead of listening to what Paul 2
said, followed the advice of the pilot and of the owner of the ship. 12 Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided that we should sail on, hoping to reach Phoenix and winter there. This was a harbor in Crete, facing both southwest and northwest. Paul wasn t a sailor, but his lack of expertise with ships didn t preclude the Holy Spirit from giving him some vital information. Paul knew that this trip wasn t going to turn out well and so he warned the soldier guarding him that they should wait to sail. The ship s crew didn t heed Paul s warning, but he had done what he felt compelled to do. I ll begin reading again at verse 13 Acts 27:13-15 13 When a gentle south wind began to blow, they thought they had obtained what they wanted; so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete. 14 Before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called the northeaster, swept down from the island. 15 The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along. Just as Paul had predicted, things on this voyage did not go well. The sailors did everything they could to preserve the ship, its cargo and the people on board, but the outcome looked very bleak. The crew tied ropes around the hull of the ship and began unloading some of the cargo weight, but the storm continued to batter them. In verse 20 we read, Acts 27:20-26 20 When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved. 21 After the men had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said: Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. 22 But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. 23 Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me 24 and said, Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you. 25 So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. 26 Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island. In the midst of this terrible ordeal, just when most of the passengers thought they were doomed to a watery grave, Paul stood up and addressed the people on the boat. Two important things were happening here. First, in the midst of great distress, Paul himself stayed encouraged and hopeful. It would have been easy for Paul to succumb to discouragement in the face of this wicked storm, but he clung to faith in the words God had spoken to him, that his life would be preserved so that he could preach in Rome. Secondly, Paul realized that he could impart the faith and hope that he had in God s grace to the rest of the people on board the ship 3
who appeared to have lost all hope that they would be saved. I ll begin reading again at verse 33: Acts 27:33-38 33 Just before dawn Paul urged them all to eat. For the last fourteen days, he said, you have been in constant suspense and have gone without food you haven t eaten anything. 34 Now I urge you to take some food. You need it to survive. Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head. 35 After he said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat. 36 They were all encouraged and ate some food themselves. 37 Altogether there were 276 of us on board. 38 When they had eaten as much as they wanted, they lightened the ship by throwing the grain into the sea. Things continued to get worse. In fact, it got so bad that the ship s crew who were responsible for the welfare of the passengers lowered a lifeboat and were going to try and set out on their own for safety. Paul warned them that unless they stayed with the ship, their lives would be in danger. Then Paul once again tried to encourage the passengers and crew. He encouraged them to eat and take nourishment and he told them that God had communicated to him that none of the 276 people on board would be harmed. After they all ate and had their fill, they threw the remainder of the food overboard to lighten the ship s load. Verse 39 Acts 27:39-44 39 When daylight came, they did not recognize the land, but they saw a bay with a sandy beach, where they decided to run the ship aground if they could. 40 Cutting loose the anchors, they left them in the sea and at the same time untied the ropes that held the rudders. Then they hoisted the foresail to the wind and made for the beach. 41 But the ship struck a sandbar and ran aground. The bow stuck fast and would not move, and the stern was broken to pieces by the pounding of the surf. 42 The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners to prevent any of them from swimming away and escaping. 43 But the centurion wanted to spare Paul s life and kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land. 44 The rest were to get there on planks or on pieces of the ship. In this way everyone reached land in safety. The circumstances played out just as Paul had said they would: the ship was battered, much cargo was lost and people s lives were put at great risk, but everyone s life was preserved and as we ll see in verse 1 of chapter 28, they landed on an island called Malta. Acts 28:1-10 Once safely on shore, we found out that the island was called Malta. 2 The islanders showed us unusual kindness. They built a fire and welcomed us all because it was raining and cold. 3 Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand. 4 When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live. 5 But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects. 6 The people expected him to swell up or 4
suddenly fall dead, but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god. 7 There was an estate nearby that belonged to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us to his home and for three days entertained us hospitably. 8 His father was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him and, after prayer, placed his hands on him and healed him. 9 When this had happened, the rest of the sick on the island came and were cured. 10 They honored us in many ways and when we were ready to sail, they furnished us with the supplies we needed. As Paul was gathering wood for a brushfire to help keep himself and everyone warm, a poisonous snake latched onto his hand. Being superstitious people, the islanders believed that the snake was karma for the bad things Paul must have done. They thought, He escaped from the rough weather and the shipwreck, but in the end, justice was served and he ll die from snakebite. When Paul showed no signs of being harmed, the islanders assumed that Paul must be a god. The travelers were welcomed into the home of the island chief a man named Publius and he entertained them in his home for 3 days. Paul learned that the chief s father was sick in bed with a fever and dysentery severe gastrointestinal problems. Paul placed his hands on the man and prayed for him and he was healed. After 3 months on the island, when Paul and the crew were ready to sail, the people of Malta furnished them with all of the supplies they needed for the remainder of their journey. Paul s actions and words on this ship ride and then on the island weren t different from what any one of us could do. Paul seized opportunities to bring Jesus hope, peace, faith and love into people s lives as he i i i spoke words of warning to the ship s crew when he sensed they were headed for trouble; encouraged the passengers and the crew with assurance he had received from God that everyone s lives would be spared; encouraged everyone to eat as the storm got really bad, and reassured them that God was going to spare everyone s life; and, i took the opportunity to pray for Publius sick father and God healed him. In the power of the Holy Spirit, Paul was unstoppable, and God s design for each of us is that we would be unstoppable as well. And just like Paul showed us in the passage we studied today, being unstoppable doesn t always equate with dramatic preaching or miracles. As we 5
tune into God s heart of love for people He ll open doors of opportunity for us to walk through allowing us to share Jesus love and speak his truth. Sharing Jesus love and truth with people who don t know Him so that they have an opportunity to connect with Jesus is what McBIC is all about. We want to see lives of men and women and teens and children transformed as they connect with Jesus Christ. Wanting to see more people connect with Jesus is why we re launching a new site at the Mechanicsburg Middle School this fall. Pastor Chad and Michelle Wenger are leading a team of 20 family units and 72 people to launch MCC. As I was wrapping up this message where we ve looked at the natural ways in which Paul seized opportunities to share Jesus love with others, I thought it would be helpful for us to hear an example from someone within our church family of what this looks like. Cheryl Hopkins, who is part of the team going out from McBIC to launch MCC has agreed to share with us what this looks like in her life and in the life of her family. Hopkins testimony Thanks, Cheryl. Opportunities like the one Cheryl shared with us are available to each of us every day in our neighborhoods at our schools at our places of work and at places where we recreate. None of us here are the Apostle Paul and most of us here aren t going out from McBIC to help launch MCC this fall, but God is calling each of us and empowering us to share his love and truth with others. 6