God’s Purpose in the Storm | Acts 27 | Ryan Scott

Whenever I was 17, probably around that time

when I was reading the Bible for myself, I passed

my driving test and got my first car. I grew

up in a rural area where you needed to be able

to drive early on, so I did. And it was one cold

evening, I was driving out. It was the eighth

time that I had ever driven this little blue

Renault Clio. And it was a frosty evening and

I was going faster than I should have been. And

I began to slide on ice. And there's one thing

that you're always told whenever that sort of

thing begins to happen. And that is don't brake.

Don't brake. But those lessons all went out the

window. In that moment, I slammed on the brakes.

The car started to slide violently from one side

of the road to the other side of the road and

then back to where it was as it did. So it flipped

upside down, crashed into the trees along the

side of the road. And I was hanging upside down

with the seatbelt. The other side of the car

was all crushed in. The wheels were spinning

like mad. The windows had all broken. I thought,

the car's going to go on fire. I thought, I could

die here. I managed to release myself down on

top of myself, climb out through the windows

that had thankfully all been smashed. And I was

able to climb out from that experience alive.

And here's a question that I sometimes ask myself.

And it's this, why did God preserve my life?

that evening tragic reality as we all know that

many people are killed on our roads many young

people are killed including and that I'm sure

is a question that is very much in the forefront

of Paul's mind as he goes through a near -death

experience not on the road but on the sea but

as we'll see it's a question that he has a very

clear answer for if you want to turn back with

me to Acts chapter 27 that's where we're going

Acts 27 · chapter mention

to be thanks so much to Matt for bringing us

through that reading And in studying this passage,

I've struggled to think of another part of the

Bible which is similar to this chapter. Perhaps

we could think maybe over lunch afterwards of

any other parts of Scripture that you can think

of that are similar. But why are there 44 detailed

verses of this dangerous journey? Why is there

so much attention given to characters like Julius

the Centurion or sailors instead of Paul? Why

is there such a little emphasis on the spiritual

focus? which dominates the rest of the book of

Acts. It's not even explicit in this section

or the later section that Paul tells people the

gospel whenever he arrives in Malta as well.

Whereas the rest of Acts, that's all that he's

ever doing. And all of this comes, of course,

in the penultimate chapter towards the very end

of the book of Acts. So what on earth is going

on? Well, let me just recap some of what we heard

in our reading, and then I'll consider what I

think might be the big point for us and how it

might help us. and today we see in the book of

acts of course the journey of the message of

jesus beginning at jerusalem then on to judean

samaria and then all the way towards the ends

of the earth we see the trials of the apostle

paul who's been arrested he's been told by god

that he's going to testify before caesar and

in verse one they find a boat that's going for

italy some things go okay initially but then

from verse seven onwards everything that can

go wrong does go wrong What should be over in

just a couple of days is slow and takes many

days. Verse 8, they move along the coast with

difficulty. They come to the place called the

Fair Havens near the town of La Silla. After

much time had been lost, sailing had already

become dangerous because it was now after the

Day of Atonement. They're now in the beginning

of October. And in ancient times, sailing in

the high seas after September was not considered

wise. So Paul warns them, verse 10, doesn't he?

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, I don't think this

is a kind of divine intervention that Paul has

experienced to have this knowledge. It seems

to be just experience, knowledge that's come

from his own experience. He's been across the

Mediterranean already several times by this point.

He's a seasoned traveler, according to 2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians 11 · chapter mention

chapter 11. He's already been shipwrecked three

times. So he's a bit of an old hat when it comes

to shipwreck. And then verse 11, but the centurion,

instead of listening to what Paul said, did what

I think most of us would do. And he followed

the advice of the pilot and the owner of the

ship. Julius the centurion has treated Paul very

well. Up until this point, you can see that.

Clearly, Paul is a very unusual kind of prisoner.

You know, he was a Roman citizen. He hasn't been

formally charged. He hasn't been found guilty,

much less than that. He seems to be quite happy

to be taken to Rome and he's certainly not trying

to run away. So he's quite willing to follow

his decisions in many cases. And then you can

see just the increase in level of suspense from

verse 13 onwards. Cue the tense music, the creeping

camera angles. The wind starts off as a gentle

wind. The sailors are seduced into thinking that

everything's going to be okay. And then things

get worse and worse and worse. They encounter

a hurricane force. The ship is caught in a storm

and they could not head into the wind. They're

unable to make the lifeboat secure and they're

worried in verse 17. already that they're going

to make shipwreck they take a violent battering

and then they begin to take really desperate

measures like throwing tackle overboard there

are 300 people crowded into a vulnerable boat

the winds are getting higher the waves more furious

the passengers watch experienced sailors take

an extreme action throwing cargo and tackle overboard

they knew only too well how dire things were

the nights would have been truly terrifying the

stormy day is not much better they're soaking

wet chilled to the bone huddled together eating

nothing they can hear and smell people vomiting

misery and terror for soldiers and for slaves

tradesmen and apostle alike they're all in the

same condition until finally first 20 when neither

sun nor stars appeared for many days and the

storm continued raging we finally gave up all

hope of being saved Very bleak. And yet God had

promised Paul that he would go to Rome and testified

before Caesar. If you flick back with me to chapter

23 of the book of Acts, we read in verse 11.

That the Lord stood near Paul and said, take

courage as you have testified about me in Jerusalem.

So you must also testify in Rome. And I wonder

if you've ever been in that kind of a situation

as a Christian person. You know, Lord, you've

promised this to me in your word. But in all

honesty, life feels very different at the moment.

Or Lord, I thought we were going down this particular

path, this particular direction in life. But

actually now the kind of the way there seems

to be closing off. And we seem to be going this

way instead. Well, Paul had that kind of experience

intimately. But actually for Paul, it was even

worse. Because for Paul, and probably for Luke

who writes this narrative as well, they would

have a particular way of understanding a storm

like this. Tom Wright points out that they were

part of a biblical tradition which recognized

storms to be part of the dark and satanic forces

of chaos within our worlds. And so not only is

this an assault by wind and water and the sailors

who don't know what they're doing and impending

death, but for... In all of those things, Paul

would have also felt that he was enduring one

of the most profound spiritual attacks that he'd

ever encountered. This chapter comes towards

the end of the book of Acts. And I think I'm

going to suggest here that in that way we can

see a kind of a parallel to the narrative of

the life of Jesus. The pattern of Paul's life

in so many ways in the book of Acts maps onto

the pattern of the life of Jesus. And in the

accounts of the life of Jesus right up towards

the end of course we have his crucifixion. Where

the powers of darkness were unleashed upon Jesus.

And where he endured the most profound spiritual

attack that he ever faced. In Luke 22 Jesus says

to those who are coming to arrest him. He says

every day I was with you in the temple courts

and you did not lay a hand on me. But this is

your hour when darkness reigns. When darkness

reigns. When Jesus was crucified, darkness reigned.

And so too here now, darkness seems to reign

because there's no sun or stars. The storm continues

to rage and they've given up all hope of being

saved. And in the midst of this darkness, we

have an intervention finally by God in the hope

of desperation. Paul starts off with the good

old, I told you so, verse 21. Men, you should

have taken my advice not to sail from Crete.

then you would have spared yourselves this damage

and loss. Everyone loves to hear that, don't

they? But actually, Paul's not angry, is he?

He's encouraged. Look at verse 22 with me, if

you've got your Bibles there. But now I urge

you to keep up your courage, because not one

of you will be lost, only the ship will be destroyed.

Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong

and whom I serve stood beside me and said, do

not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before

Caesar. God has graciously given you the lives

of all who sail with you. So keep up your courage,

men, for I have faith in God that it will happen

just as he told me. Nevertheless, we must run

aground on some island. Probably this message

by the angel was in the response to the prayers

of the people. So you can imagine even as the

sailors are trying to secure the ship physically.

Here Paul is, he's engaged in spiritual warfare,

spiritual battle, trying to secure the safety

of the ship through prayer. It's good news. We're

all going to make it. I will stand trial before

Caesar. The gospel will go to the ends of the

earth, but the ship itself is going to go down.

The anchors go down, verse 29, and they pray

for sunlight. As they understand it, the anchors

would have been let down one by one to slow the

ship as much as possible. And then each in turn

would have threatened to break the ship under

the pressure. So the ship would have lurched

50 yards forward or so and then been jerked back

again and again and again. Afterwards, the sailors,

they still aren't convinced by Paul's message,

are they? And so they try selfishness instead.

You can see their scheme there in verse 30. In

an attempt to escape from the ship, the sailors

let the lifeboat down into the sea, pretending

they're going to lower some anchors from the

bow. hoping not to be seen, but Paul, he keeps

them in check. They have something to eat before

they make their way towards the final crash.

Nobody on board knew the place where they might

bring the ship in, but they see land ahead of

them, don't they? And they don't recognise it.

They're going to decide to let the ship run aground,

verse 40. They cut the anchors, let the tillers

go slack and hoist a sail to try and bring them

in. They aren't quite ready for the hard ridge

of rock when the ship is struck. And it begins

to break up in pieces. They hear a horrible grind

and a crunch of the ship as it's headed into

the rock. The winds are pounding upon the sails.

Sailors shouting, passengers screaming. And then

water finally rushes into the body of the ship.

And amidst all of this chaos, finally, almost

when they're nearly there, the soldiers are about

to kill the prisoners. But then Julius the Centurion

comes to the rescue and ensures that their lives

are safe. And then towards the very end we read,

in this way everyone reached land safely. And

chapter 28 and verse 1, once safely on shore.

They've been through storm and shipwreck and

they've got to safety. Salvation, safety has

come at the end of this terrible, terrible event.

So what are we to make of all of this and all

the details of this passage? Seven times in this

passage. Salvation for Paul comes at the end

of this disastrous event after Paul has had an

encounter with the forces of darkness. And for

Luke, I suggest here that this word safety or

salvation is being used maybe with a blend or

range of meaning. Acts 27 shows us the pattern

of the book of Acts, of course, but it also gives

us an insight into the pattern of the life of

Jesus working through Paul. And the pattern of

the life of Jesus working through the church.

And the pattern of the life of Jesus working

through the lives of you and I. God brings his

people through these kinds of messes. He doesn't

make his church avoid these kinds of encounters.

But he saves his people through them ultimately.

It's a little bit like the kids storybook. I'm

going on a bear hunt. I'm sure you all know it.

Can't go over it. Can't go under it. We've got

to go through it. God delights to bring his people

through these kinds of messes, delivering the

lives of his people through storm and shipwreck

to bring his message ultimately to the ends of

the earth. Just consider how many things God

is in control of here, how many details are in

the palm of his hand to tell Paul that the ship

would be destroyed, but every one of the passengers

would be safe. That every decision of the sailors

and every detail of the ship was in the knowledge

and within the power of God. To finally arrive

at Malta. Again all within the power and within

the knowledge of God. Salvation comes at the

end of this storm. And this shipwreck. Because

salvation comes to all those on the ship. And

enables the preservation of the life of the Apostle

Paul. So that God's promise that he would testify

before Caesar. In Rome can be fulfilled. God

has sovereignly preserved the life of his servant.

So that his gospel can go forth. And this is

the pattern of life now. The pattern of the progress

of the gospel is consistently through storms

and through disasters and through shipwreck.

That's ultimately just how Jesus does things.

Simon Gilbert writes that we are immortal until

God calls us home. We are immortal until God

calls us home. In other words, you cannot die

until God has fulfilled the plan that he has

for your life within you. And then he wants to

bring you home. So why did God preserve my life

that night when I was 17 and rode off my car?

Well, it must have been because God had some

purpose in my life that was not yet fulfilled

in that moment. And that is something I need

to remember a lot. And therefore not to go through

life on autopilot. I find it very helpful to

reflect on this again this week, to get up every

day, to take each day as a gift, to know that

God has a purpose for me. God is working through

me in the events and the days of this life and

this week that I have. Friends, you, if you still

have breath in your lungs, it's because God has

a purpose in your life. To live for Christ. Now,

Paul, his life was preserved. So he could go

to Rome, preach about Christ. And for you and

I, it's something else as well. And it may be

that this afternoon, God, after this afternoon,

God takes my life tonight. I don't know when

it will be. Could be today, could be tomorrow,

could be any other day after that. We never know.

And all of us are moments away from death every

single day. Something could go wrong, something

small. We take our final breath. And so we take

each day now as a gift and fulfill the purpose

that God has given us to complete. Here's a prayer

that I sometimes like to pray at the beginning

of the morning. It was like this. As I rise from

my sleep, I thank you, Holy Trinity. that in

your great goodness and patience you were not

angry with me an idler or a sinner nor have destroyed

me in my sins but have shown your usual love

for me for when i was prostrating in despair

you raised me up to keep to glorify your power

now enlighten my mind's eye and open my mouth

to study your words and understand your commandments

and to sing to you in heartfelt adoration and

praise your most holy name of father son and

holy spirit now and ever and unto the ages of

ages amen It's not a prayer that I wrote. I nicked

it from somebody else, as you can probably tell.

But I like it because it gets to that sense of

why has God given us this new day as a gift?

He has a purpose for us to complete. He has a

work for us to do. For Paul, he saved his life

so he could testify before Caesar in Rome. And

it may be that for us, God is bringing us through

all kinds of storms and shipwrecks and disasters

for a final purpose. Jesus is with us. He has

a purpose in you. to spread his message throughout

the world. So Christian, let's take each day

as a gift. Let's confront any negative self -talk

that we might have about our lives. Let's confront

our self -pity. We are immortal until God takes

us home. And let's know that salvation will come

when God brings us through the storms of this

tempestuous life and lands us safely and securely

on the shores of heaven above. Let's pray and

thank God for his word. Heavenly Father, we thank

you that you know the details of our lives. You

know the end from the beginning and the things

that have not yet taken place. Father, thank

you that you've called us to be part of your

work in our world. And what an immense privilege

that is. Help us never ever to take it for granted.

Help us to take this day and all days as a gift

from you. Help us to arise from our slumber and

be called forth towards a higher purpose. until

that final moment when you take us home into

glory forever. We pray these things in Jesus'

name. Amen.