Trusting God through a crisis!

Walking through the Book of Acts • Sermon • Submitted 4 years ago

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Trusting God through a crisis!

, 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. 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. 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. And putting out to sea from there we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were against us. And when we had sailed across the open sea along the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra in Lycia. There the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing for Italy and put us on board. 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. Coasting along it with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near which was the city of Lasea.

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. 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. 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. And putting out to sea from there we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were against us. And when we had sailed across the open sea along the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra in Lycia. There the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing for Italy and put us on board. 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. Coasting along it with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near which was the city of Lasea.

Since much time had passed, and the voyage was now dangerous because even the Fast was already over, Paul advised them, 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.” But the centurion paid more attention to the pilot and to the owner of the ship than to what Paul said. 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.

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. But soon a tempestuous wind, called the northeaster, struck down from the land. And when the ship was caught and could not face the wind, we gave way to it and were driven along. Running under the lee of a small island called Cauda, we managed with difficulty to secure the ship's boat. 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. Since we were violently storm-tossed, they began the next day to jettison the cargo. And on the third day they threw the ship's tackle overboard with their own hands. 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.

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. Yet now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. For this very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, 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.’ So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told. But we must run aground on some island.”

There are important lessons that we can learn from the trial and tribulations of this voyage. In our text today we find two sets of ideas, which should always guide our lives: they are (1) faith and unbelief, (2) obedience and disobedience. We must always remember that disobedience is the root of unbelief. Unbelief is the mother of further disobedience. But Faith is voluntary submission within a person's own heart to trust the power of Jesus Christ in all things.

If faith is not exercised, the true cause lies deeper than all our intellectual reasons. It lies in the moral aversion of our human will and in our pride of independence, which says, "who is Lord over us? Why should we have to depend on Jesus Christ?"

As faith is obedience and submission, so faith breeds’ obedience, but unbelief leads on to higher rebellion. With dreadful reciprocity of influence, the less one trusts, the more he disobeys; the more he disobeys, the less he trusts.

Let us pray…

Imagine that you are out in the middle of a lake and there are two rowboats and you are standing with one foot in each boat. One boat, however, is filled with holes and is sinking fast. It is obvious that unless you do something you will soon be in the lake. The boat with the holes represents our lives with all of the leaks caused by our sin. The boat without holes represents Christ. It should be obvious that with one foot in each boat we shall end up in the same place that we would have ended up in we had had both feet in the boat marked by the "sin of ourselves."

The only safe place to be is to have both feet firmly planted in the boat marked “Christ, our Savior.”

The Christian markers of our adherence here on the lake of our lives are Godly counsel, Godly conformity, and Godly courage, which show our true faith in Christ.

Our adherence to Godly counsel can be clearly seen,

, ‘Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous, for the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.’

In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous, for the LORD knows the way of the righteous,

but the way of the wicked will perish.’

The first psalm serves as the gateway into the entire book of Psalms, stressing that those who would worship God genuinely must trust Him, embrace His counsel, following His Law and surrender to His covenant instruction.

The truly happy person guides his life by God’s counsel rather than by the advice of those who reject that instruction. The truly happy person is happy because God showers him with favor. These are people, even within Israel, who refuse to live by the covenant; the godly person refuses to follow the moral orientation of such people’s lifestyle. Some have seen an increasing level of sinfulness in the terms “wicked-sinners-scoffers,” together with an increasing loyalty in the metaphors “walk-stand-sit”

Because they delight in the Lord, they are blessed. For this reason no one should ever think that such a person receives his blessedness by deserving it, since the covenant is founded on God’s grace. Meditating describes an active pondering, perhaps even muttering to oneself in pursuit of godly insight.

In verses 3-4, we find here are two similes, based on agriculture in ancient Palestine, describing the effects of the two kinds of people. What is a simile pastor? A simile is a figure of speech in which two unlike things are explicitly compared, as in “she is like a rose.”

The first image is that of a tree in a dry climate, which nevertheless thrives because of its constant supply of living water.

A tree bears fruit, not for itself, but for others; thus, when the faithful prospers, it is not for themselves, nor is the prospering even necessarily material, but they succeed in bringing benefit to whole body of believers. In says in , ‘He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.’

, speaks of the wicked chaff. The Chaff refers to the husks and straw that is removed by threshing. It is lighter than the edible kernels; when a farmer tosses threshed wheat into the air, the wind drives away the chaff. Those who reject God’s counsel and covenant are like chaff in that they bring no benefit to anyone

In , now the psalmist contrasts the outcomes of the lives of these two types of people. These two verses reflect on where these two kinds of life are headed, showing that God will make the contrast last eternally.

Here in the word therefore indicates that these verses are the conclusion of the psalm. They show the judgment that is coming. This could be any particular judgment that falls on the wicked in this life, but it is more likely the final judgment, which allows some to enter the congregation of the righteous, while excluding others. , For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.

Lastly, , this phrase, ‘ for the Lord knows’. We know that God knows about the wicked and their deepest secrets.

,Understand, O dullest of the people! Fools, when will you be wise? He who planted the ear, does he not hear? He who formed the eye, does he not see? He who disciplines the nations, does he not rebuke? He who teaches man knowledge—the LORD—knows the thoughts of man, that they are but a breath.’ Since here God is speaking about the righteous its better to take this as “knows with affection of has approval for the righteous. Look at ,“You only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities. They will perish. That is, end in destruction. “Do two walk together, unless they have agreed to meet?

Fools, when will you be wise? He who planted the ear, does he not hear? He who formed the eye, does he not see? He who disciplines the nations, does he not rebuke? He who teaches man knowledge—the LORD—knows the thoughts of man, that they are but a breath.’ Since here God is speaking about the righteous its better to take this as “knows with affection of has approval for the righteous. Look at ,“You only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities. They will perish. That is, end in destruction. “Do two walk together, unless they have agreed to meet?

This morning’s text is one of the most dramatic scenes imaginable; it is fascinating reading. Here we have the details given in this text concerning being shipwrecked in the ancient world; its one of the most graphic in all biblical literature. At the same time, it is picture of a believer’s great trust and God’s great care. Also it challenges us as believers to trust God through all the trails of life, even through the most terrifying trials.

Here in the verses 1-3, Paul’s journey to Rome begins. This would be the last journey for Paul. Never again would he return to his beloved Palestine or his people, not as far Acts is concerned. The Book is about to be closed on his life; later he will life will be poured out like a drink offering before the Lord. The text shows us four introductory facts as this journey begins.

(1) Paul and some other prisoners were placed under the care and control of a centurion named Julius. We remember his from, , ‘Then he called two of the centurions and said, “Get ready two hundred soldiers, with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen to go as far as Caesarea at the third hour of the night.’ We must recognize the reason these prisoners were being shipped to Rome really meant. (1) Some of then had appealed to Caesar just as Paul had. (2) Others were condemned to appear as combatants in the gladiator shows; they were to be fed to the lions for the entertainment of many. What a paradox of Roman society on the end that showed sensitive justice by allowing roman citizens to appeal to Caesar. While at the same time, they showed savage justice by making condemned prisons fight for their lives in the company of lions. But there is even another level of justice shown here, concerning Christians. As Christians we were considered as worthless, as useless, as the violators of society; people who were unproductive and unworthy. Persecution and abuse are the fates of the believer. , ‘For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.’

(2) This group took passage on a ship from Adramytium, which was a port near Troas on the Asian coast. This cargo ship was to hug along the coastline, stopping at ports along the way for unloading and loading cargo. Remember this was only to temporary transportation because Julius could not find a larger ship that the time, or one heading directly to Rome.

(3) Now we see that two of Paul’s closest friends reappear for this trip. Luke and Aristarchus at now here with Paul. Remember Luke had dropped from the scene back when Paul was arrested after being attacked by the mob in the temple in . His reappearance is also shown by the fact that we see the “we” narration beginning again. Now Aristarchus was the disciple from the Thessalonian church… who helped Paul carry the relief offerings to the Jerusalem church, he too had been seized by an angry mob while serving Christ. , So the city was filled with the confusion, and they rushed together into the theater, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians who were Paul's companions in travel.

(4) Surprising we see yet another important development spring forth here in the text. We see a respectful friendship developed between Paul and Julius the centurion. The text teaches us that Julius allowed Paul to visit with the Christian believers in Sidon. The text says, 3b, Julius treated Paul kindly and gave him leave to go to his friends and be cared for. This probably meant that Julius allow Paul to enter into the hospitality of his friends and to be cared for with medical attention as well. Now, Sidon is an ancient city of Phoenicia, just about twenty miles above the city of Tyre and about the same distance south of modern Beirut. The city was a bustling commercial center, but it was eventually bypassed in importance by its sister city. Sidon was also the city that fell prey to all the conquering empires that moved upon the world. Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome. It was known for its pagan worship, especially of Baal and Ashtoreth. It influenced Israel, tragically leading the nation into idolatrous worship, especially under Jezebel who was from Sidon. Laymen who had fled the persecution surrounding Stephen founded the Christian church that remains there. Sidon will be judged on the last day for all of its worldliness and greed.

Leo Tolstoy once wrote a story about a successful peasant farmer who was not satisfied with his lot. He wanted more of everything. One day he received a novel offer. For 1000 rubles, he could buy all the land he could walk around in a day. The only catch in the deal was that he had to be back at his starting point by sundown. Early the next morning he started out walking at a fast pace. By midday he was very tired, but he kept going, covering more and more ground. Well into the afternoon he realized that his greed had taken him far from the starting point. He quickened his pace and as the sun began to sink low in the sky, he began to run, knowing that if he did not make it back by sundown the opportunity to become an even bigger landholder would be lost. As the sun began to sink below the horizon he came within sight of the finish line. Gasping for breath, his heart pounding, he called upon every bit of strength left in his body and staggered across the line just before the sun disappeared. He immediately collapsed, blood streaming from his mouth. In a few minutes he was dead. Afterwards, his servants dug a grave. It was not much over six feet long and three feet wide. The title of Tolstoy's story was: How Much Land Does a Man Need?

Now that’s the power of greed!

When we look at verse 4-12 of our text we see here that we are to trust God… through His godly counsel and never yield to greedy compromise. In this passage we find four significant facts.

This was difficult season for sailing, it happened every year. In the days of the late fall, right before the winter months when most sailing was impossible around November through February. These were dangerous times because of the strong winter winds and storms. Verse 4 says, ‘And putting out to sea from there we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were against us.”

(a) When it says that the ‘winds were against us’, it means that the winds were strong and forceful, there was a northwest headwind which gave them a great challenge. Therefore, they could not set out on a straight course through the open sea. So, they had to sail north of Cyprus instead of south, using as cover and protection the island and the mainland of Asia to shield them from the force of the gale winds and provide greater shelter and safety for the ship, it passengers and its valuable cargo. I lift up the point here concerning valuable cargo, because it was more valuable than the passengers because the passengers were all prisoners. They were sailing of a body of water known as the Sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia. Their goal was to reach the port of Myra, a city of the province of Lycia.

(b) Here in verse 6 we see that Julius found just what exactly what he wanted. 6, ‘There the centurion found a ship of Alexandra sailing for Italy and put us on board.’ So, now the group transferred over to the other larger ship, a grain ship from the chief city of Egypt, Alexandria. In that day most grain ships carried both passengers and product.

(c) In verse 7 we now hear, 7, ‘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.’ The ship ploughed along slowly to Cnidus, which was at the southwest tip of Asia Minor, some 130 miles from the port of Myra. The force of the winds were too strong for them to dock at Cnidus without risking damage to the ship. So they turned southward and went under the lee of Crete. Pastor does it mean when it speaks of the ‘lee of Crete’? The ‘lee of Crete’ would be the south side of Crete, the part that gave them the most shelter away for the gale force winds.

2. As we said earlier this was a horrible season for sailing and very dangerous, 8-9, ‘Coasting along it with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near which was the city of Lasea. Since much time has passed, and the voyage was now dangerous because even the Fast was already over, Paul advised them,’ When the passage speaks of the Feast being over it is referred to the great Day of Atonement. It was celebrated in the first part of October, , “And it shall be a statute to you forever that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict yourselves and shall do no work, either the native of the stranger who sojourns among you.” The Day of Atonement, known now as Yom Kippur, was the most solemn day of all the Israelite feasts and festivals. The atonement ritual began with Aaron, or subsequent high priests of Israel, coming into the holy of holies. The day was to underscore the fact that God told Moses to warn the Aaron not to come into the Most Holy Place whenever he felt like it; he could only come on this special day once a year, lest he die.

This was not a ceremony to be taken lightly, and the people were to understand that atonement for sin was to be done God’s way. Before entering the tabernacle, Aaron was to bathe and put on special garments, and then sacrifice a bull for a sin offering for himself and his family. The blood of the bull was to be sprinkled on the Ark of the Covenant. Then Aaron was to bring two goats, one to be sacrificed “because of the uncleanness and rebellion of the Israelites, whatever their sins have been”, and its blood was sprinkled on the Ark of the Covenant. The other goat was used as a scapegoat. Aaron placed his hands on its head, confessed over it the rebellion and wickedness of the Israelites, and sent the goat out with an appointed man who released it into the wilderness. The goat carried on itself all the sins of the people, which were forgiven for another year. The symbolic significance of the ritual, particularly to Christians, is seen first in the washing and cleansing of the high priest, the man who released the goat, and the man who took the sacrificed animals outside the camp to burn the carcasses. Israelite washing ceremonies were required often throughout the Old Testament and symbolized the need for mankind to be cleansed of sin. But it wasn’t until Jesus came to make the “once for all” sacrifice that the need for cleansing ceremonies ceased. The blood of bulls and goats could only atone for sins if the ritual was continually done year after year, while Christ’s sacrifice was sufficient for all the sins of all who would ever believe in Him. When His sacrifice was made, He declared, “It is finished” (). He then sat down at the right hand of God, and no further sacrifice was ever needed.

Praise God for the sufficiency and completeness of the sacrifice of Christ: by His propitiation on the Cross-, which appeased the wrath of God we can come to God at anytime.

3. Next we see a clear warning from Paul, giving godly counsel to the members on the ship. 10 “Sirs, I perceive that the voyage will be with injury and much loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also our lives.” They weather-bound in the place called the Fair Havens for a long time, past the time it was safe to sail. When Paul says ‘I perceive’ this knowledge came from his close communion with God, this knowledge came from his experience at sea, this knowledge came for being shipwrecked three times himself. , ‘Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. 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; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.’

4. Paul’s godly counsel was rejected here in the text, 11,‘But the centurion paid more attention to the pilot and to the owner of the ship than to what Paul said.’ Why? Because of the centurion’s worldly- mindedness and the greed of the ship’s owner and pilot. It was a well-known fact and practice that the Roman govt. would pay more for goods and services received during the hostile sailing season. They also would repair the shipping vessels if that sustained any damage. So, here we see why Paul’s godly counsel was rejected. Because of greed and worldliness. Secondly, the town of Lasea could not provide enough conveniences and pleasures (Vice) for their soldiers on the boat. Lastly, the ship owner and pilot were concerned about the expense of preserving the wheat or else the possibility of losing the wheat over the winter if they remained at Fair Havens. People often risk their lives and souls because of mere pleasures.

, ‘And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”

Here we see that the centurion, the highest-ranking official of the Roman govt. who had the authority to make the decision. Yet, he followed the advice of the owner and pilot and did not lead them to the godly decision and trusting Jesus.

What keeps a person from trusting Jesus as their Savior? 1. Accomplishments - all that they had done in their life. 2. Independence - they don't need or want someone's help. 3. Pride - they don't want to admit they have sinned. 4. Unbelief - they don't believe Jesus died for them. 5. Wealth - they don't need Jesus because they are content. Charles Spurgeon - ''You will find all true theology summed up in two short sentences: salvation is all of the grace of God; damnation is all of the will of man.'' Trusting God… demands divine courage never yielding to deceptive calmness.

Trusting God… through divine courage, never yielding to deceptive calmness.

This whole picture of deceptive calmness comes into focus in verse 13, ‘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.’ Pastor what is deceptive calmness?

It is the over confidence that we often have in our own wisdom.

Look at , “For from the least to the greatest of them, everyone is greedy for unjust gain; and from prophet to priest, everyone deals falsely. They have healed the wound of my people lightly saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace. Were they ashamed when they committed abomination? No, they were not at all ashamed; they did not know how to blush.Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; at the time that I punish them, they shall be overthrown,” says the LORD. Thus says the LORD: “Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’ I set watchmen over you, saying, ‘Pay attention to the sound of the trumpet!’ But they said, ‘We will not pay attention.’ Therefore hear, O nations,

Were they ashamed when they committed abomination? No, they were not at all ashamed; they did not know how to blush.

Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; at the time that I punish them, they shall be overthrown,” says the LORD. Thus says the LORD: “Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’ I set watchmen over you, saying, ‘Pay attention to the sound of the trumpet!’ But they said, ‘We will not pay attention.’ Therefore hear, O nations,

and know, O congregation, what will happen to them. Hear, O earth; behold, I am bringing disaster upon this people, the fruit of their devices, because they have not paid attention to my words;

and as for my law, they have rejected it.’

We must remember only wisdom comes for God!

, ‘Give me now wisdom and knowledge to go out and come in before this people, for who can govern this people of yours, which is so great?’

The ship’s owner and pilot had bought into the deceptive calmness, now they hoped to reach the port of Phoenix which was a major city on the west side of Crete some 60 miles from Fair Haven.

(a) The deceptive calmness that appear all of a sudden from that gentle south wind seem to favor their decision. The crew quickly loosed anchor and set sail, sailing as close to the shoreline as possible without hitting the rocks. Just in case their fate-changed course suddenly.

(b) And change course it did. Just when nature seemed to be blessing them, the old enemy, the violent Northeaster blew in the to their area. 14-15, ‘But soon a tempestuous wind, called the northeaster, struck down the land. And when the ship was caught and could not face the wind, we gave way to it and were driven along.’ This northeaster was a violent typhoon-like storm with engulfing, swallowing power; and it drove the ship out into the sea, making control utterly impossible. ‘We gave way to it and were driven along.’ They loss control because of the power of the wind, I love boating and sailing but the winds can challenged your experience.

(c) They tried desperately to save the ship. The storm drove them under (south) a small island, Clauda, and the island broke the wind so that they were able to take come measures in an attempt to save the boat and their lives. They were working at a feverish pitch before the tempest drove them beyond the shelter of the island… It is times like these that we depend on God. Because God gives us the strength to enter the struggle. They struggled to hoist the lifeboat onto the ship; they struggled to keep the ship afloat. They struggled to wrap the ropes or chains around the hull of the ship. They struggled to keep the ship from the quicksand of the North African coast, since that had been driven so far off their course. They struggled to lighter the load in the ship, throwing everything that could overboard.

Now they were faced with the facts that their own efforts were futile to save them. Hopelessness and depression was upon them. Look at verse 20,‘When neither sun nor stars appeared for many day, and so small tempest lay on us, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned.’ They had finally given up. But now we see God’s man, Paul stepped forth with commanding courage through his faith in Christ Jesus.

Look at , ‘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. Yet now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship.’ Paul stood before them as a man who had come through trials, through storms seen and unseen, through many disappointments and dangers. Yet, he proclaimed the failure of worldly wisdom and their not heeding his godly warning. He proclaimed that there would be no loss of life on the ship but only the loss of the ship. Paul was telling them that if all else around them failed they could still trust that God held them in His hands. What did Paul offered them as proof positive; he offered the very promise of God. , For this very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, 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.’

Paul breaks all this down to the simple matter of trust, he believes God whom he trust. He believes that will deliver him fully and completely to Rome to testify of God’s Son Christ Jesus and the gospel. Paul also recognizes that God is saving these men physically that in the process, so that their trust in God and the placing of their faith in Jesus Christ might saved them spiritually. Each of these men through this experience would and could testify that when the very lives were shipwreck, God saved them. Think about, when did God save us, were not our lives shipwrecked? Were we not hopeless and full of despair?

Did we not need a savior whom we could trust?

Look at the last verse again, ‘So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told. But we must run aground on some island.”

Sometimes God must allow us face the abyss that he might humble us to accept the only one that can deliver us from darkness to light.

During the Spanish-American War, Clara Barton was overseeing the work of the Red Cross in Cuba. One day Colonel Theodore Roosevelt came to her, wanted to buy food for his sick and wounded Rough Riders. But she refused to sell him any. Roosevelt was perplexed. His men needed the help and he was prepared to pay out of his own funds. When he asked someone why he could not buy the supplies, he was told, "Colonel, just ask for it!" A smile broke over Roosevelt's face. Now he understood--the provisions were not for sale. All he had to do was simply ask and they would be given freely. The gospel of Jesus Christ and Salvation is the free gift of God. It cannot be brought, it has already been paid for with a great price, all we need to is to ask by faith and it will be freely given to us.

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