Sermons
Weathering the Storm
Series: Presidential Election 2016Sailing into the Storm
I. Introduction
“It’s Official: This Election Is Driving Americans Nuts.” So says a headline on Bloomberg.com. It goes on to say, “More than half of you—on both sides of the aisle—say the 2016 election is a major source of stress.” Not only has this been a shockingly nasty contest, but there’s a lot of concern for the state of our nation and what the future holds.
Now it may be that you area in the half who is feeling stressed out by the election or maybe you’re not. But if you aren’t you probably know plenty of people who are.
The fact is, we are all “in this boat together,” as the expression goes. Yes, we are first and foremost citizens of a heavenly kingdom that transcends all earthly borders. But at the same time, we are also citizens of this country, and we share a common interest in the overall direction it is heading because it does affect us all.
So what is a Christian to do in such times? Do we withdraw from the public sphere and leave the business and discussion of politics to others? Do we speak up? How can we be most effective? How can the light and love of Christ shine through us even during the next few months as our country goes through this storm of transition and turmoil?
I found some terrific guidance along those lines in one of the most exciting chapters in the Bible, Acts 27. This is Luke’s record of his journey to Rome with Paul, and it’s a fascinating account of traveling by sea across the Mediterranean.
Their ship can serve as a useful metaphor for our nation. Paul was a prisoner, and was basically taken on this trip whether he wanted to go or not. The key decisions were made by those in authority over him, like the Centurion and the ship’s captain. Just like us, Paul and Luke were kind of along for the ride. But as we will see, Paul’s example gives us several lessons we can apply to our situation today.
II. The Journey
This fateful journey was set in motion back in chapter 25. Paul had been arrested and charged with various crimes by the Jews. After two years in custody for these trumped-up charges, Paul exercised one of his rights as a Roman citizen.
Acts 25:11-12 If then I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything for which I deserve to die, I do not seek to escape death. But if there is nothing to their charges against me, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar.” 12 Then Festus, when he had conferred with his council, answered, “To Caesar you have appealed; to Caesar you shall go.”
In chapter 27, the day has arrived for Paul’s voyage. He is being taken to Rome in custody, along with other prisoners.
27:1 And when it was decided that we should sail for Italy, they delivered Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion of the Augustan Cohort named Julius.
A good friend of mine, Jason Whitten, sometimes works for his brother’s company transferring prisoners to and from Hawaii. The journey in our story won’t be as easy as an airline flight.
27:2 And embarking in a ship of Adramyttium, which was about to sail to the ports along the coast of Asia, we put to sea, accompanied by Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica.
I don’t know how many people were in Paul’s traveling company. At least it included Luke and Aristarchus.
27:3 The next day we put in at Sidon. And Julius treated Paul kindly and gave him leave to go to his friends and be cared for.
From the beginning, the centurion treated Paul mercifully. Wouldn’t you love to know the background to their relationship? Maybe he could tell from Paul’s age, demeanor, and traveling companions that he was no ordinary criminal. Maybe he had heard about Paul already. Or maybe in this short interaction, Paul’s good Christian attitude had won him favor. It is clear as we go that Paul was very respectful, even though this whole thing was unjust to him.
27:4-6 And putting out to sea from there we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were against us. 5 And when we had sailed across the open sea along the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra in Lycia. 6 There the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing for Italy and put us on board.
You can see again that Paul and his friends don’t have any control over their travel plans.
27:7-8 We sailed slowly for a number of days and arrived with difficulty off Cnidus, and as the wind did not allow us to go farther, we sailed under the lee of Crete off Salmone. 8 Coasting along it with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near which was the city of Lasea.
This port of Fair Havens, I have read, was very small. Not much to do. Not the kind of place the sailors would want to spend the winter.
Here is where we pick up our first point.
A. Contribute
27:9-10 Since much time had passed, and the voyage was now dangerous because even the Fast was already over, Paul advised them, 10 saying, “Sirs, I perceive that the voyage will be with injury and much loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.”
Paul speaks up. He gives his advice. What was this based on? It appears to be just his opinion. He doesn’t say he had received a revelation. He says “I perceive.” Did Paul have room to talk? Yes, he had been on several journeys already. In fact, he had been in more than one shipwreck.
2 Cor. 11:25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea;
And that was way earlier, during his second journey if I’m not mistaken. So Paul had a little experience. Of course, it probably wasn’t the centurion’s first rodeo, either, and the sailors were professionals.
We each bring experiences and wisdom to the table, some more relevant than others. And a good leader takes other opinions into account.
Prov. 15:22 Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed.
Our nation is set up to involve the will of the people. When we have the opportunity to share our views of things, even secular things like the economy, education, etc., we can be like Paul and join in the discussion. Some Christians take the view that, “well God’s in control anyway, so I’ll just stay out of it.” Especially when it comes to politics. And sometimes I do think there are arguments and debates that we would do best to avoid, since it just causes strife and division.
At the same time, if we have the ability to add our voice to the conversation in a constructive way, Paul gives us a good example of how to do so.
That doesn’t mean we’ll be listened to, of course.
27:11-12 But the centurion paid more attention to the pilot and to the owner of the ship than to what Paul said. 12 And because the harbor was not suitable to spend the winter in, the majority decided to put out to sea from there, on the chance that somehow they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete, facing both southwest and northwest, and spend the winter there.
Two things at work. Power and authority were on the side of the ship’s owner. If you were the centurion, who would you listen to? Also, they apparently put it to a vote, because it says the majority decided.
Sometimes, even when we speak up and get involved, things don’t go the way we think they should.
Unfortunately for them, Paul’s opinion proved to be right.
27:13-20 Now when the south wind blew gently, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete, close to the shore. 14 But soon a tempestuous wind, called the northeaster, struck down from the land. 15 And when the ship was caught and could not face the wind, we gave way to it and were driven along. 16 Running under the lee of a small island called Cauda, we managed with difficulty to secure the ship's boat. 17 After hoisting it up, they used supports to undergird the ship. Then, fearing that they would run aground on the Syrtis, they lowered the gear, and thus they were driven along. 18 Since we were violently storm-tossed, they began the next day to jettison the cargo. 19 And on the third day they threw the ship's tackle overboard with their own hands. 20 When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned.
What can we do in this case?
B. Seek welfare
Skipping down just for a second, look at what Paul is told by an angel:
27:24 and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.’
“God has granted you.” That sounds to me like God had answered his prayer. I have no doubt that Paul was praying not only for himself, Luke, and Aristarchus, but for everyone on the ship. And God granted his prayer.
We, too, must seek God’s blessings on those in the boat with us.
There’s an interesting passage in Jeremiah, in which he writes a letter from Jerusalem to the exiles who had already been carried to Babylon, giving them instructions to settle in for the long haul:
Jer. 29:4-7 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. 6 Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. 7 But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.
We share our welfare with out nation, and it’s good for us to pray for our people.
1 Tim. 2:1-4 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Even when our leaders sail us right into a storm, we should continue to pray for them.
C. Share hope
When Paul received an answer to his prayers, he didn’t keep it to himself.
27:21-26 Since they had been without food for a long time, Paul stood up among them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me and not have set sail from Crete and incurred this injury and loss. 22 Yet now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. 23 For this very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, 24 and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ 25 So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told. 26 But we must run aground on some island.”
Paul had received a message of hope from the Lord. They would make it through the storm alive. He could have kept that to himself, or maybe just told Luke and Aristarchus. But instead, he shared that with his fellow shipmates.
Don’t we have a message of hope, too? Not that things will work out fine for our nation. We might indeed sink and break apart like Paul’s ship. But we can be saved! That’s a message the world needs to hear.
Just as Paul said, they found themselves being driven by the storm toward an island. The danger was that the ship would run aground and sink.
D. Sound the alarm
27:27-32 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. 28 So they took a sounding and found twenty fathoms. A little farther on they took a sounding again and found fifteen fathoms. 29 And fearing that we might run on the rocks, they let down four anchors from the stern and prayed for day to come. 30 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, 31 Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.” 32 Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the ship's boat and let it go.
Sorry rascals. Their mutinous actions threatened the lives of the others on the ship. And Paul reported them to centurion.
In the same way, when we see something wrong or corrupt going on, we can speak up. Sound the alarm. Inform the authorities.
Notice how much the centurion is listening to Paul at this point.
E. Encourage
27:33-36 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. 34 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.” 35 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. 36 Then they all were encouraged and ate some food themselves. 37 (We were in all 276 persons in the ship.) 38 And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, throwing out the wheat into the sea.
Paul improves the spirits of all aboard by encouraging them to eat and take heart. He glorifies God by giving thanks in their midst.
1 Thes. 5:18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Paul gives us an example of that here. Think of how God was glorified through Paul. Christians should be the steady voice of calm and reassurance in the storms of life, encouraging those around.
III. Conclusion
In the end, they all survived the storm, even though the ship sunk.
27:41-44 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. 42 The soldiers' plan was to kill the prisoners, lest any should swim away and escape. 43 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, 44 and the rest on planks or on pieces of the ship. And so it was that all were brought safely to land.
God’s grace and mercy, working through Paul’s faith, good attitude, and prayers, resulted in a happy ending.
To recap, and then add one last thought. When we find ourselves sailing into a storm:
Contribute, Seek welfare, Share hope, Sound the alarm, Encourage.
Finally, when the things appear to be at their worst, sometimes we can only hold on to our anchor.
27:29 And fearing that we might run on the rocks, they let down four anchors from the stern and prayed for day to come.
We have an anchor of the soul, our hope, attached to Jesus. It will never fail.
INVITATION
