Life’s Forecast
Acts 27:1-38

INTRO: Good morning. Today we are back in the book of Acts. Last time we read of Paul’s defense that he used to try to persuade King Agrippa, Bernice and Festus about Jesus. We have read about Paul’s journeys in the past few years and today we will be reading of another one. I want to look at what is described in Acts 27:1-38.

As we have seen over the past lessons God has been protecting Paul for going to Rome. Festus, along with Agrippa and Bernice, delivered the apostle and some other prisoners into the hands of a centurion named Julius. God wanted Paul in Rome. Paul wanted to be in Rome. Agrippa sent him on his way to Rome.

If you will, turn to Acts 27 and read with me, Acts 27:1-2 – “1. And when it was decided that we should sail to Italy, they delivered Paul and some other prisoners to one named Julius, a centurion of the Augustan Regiment. 2. So, entering a ship of Adramyttium, we put to sea, meaning to sail along the coasts of Asia. Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, was with us.” Luke noted that Julius was of the Imperial Regiment, part of the Roman army that belonged to the emperor.

The ship they boarded had sailed from Adramyttium, which is located in northwest Turkey.

It was never a part of God’s plan for mankind to be alone. Paul was not alone, Luke went along on this journey to Italy with him and Aristarchus. Folks, as Christians we need to remember that it’s absolutely impossible to be alone. Jesus said in Matthew 28:20 – “… and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”" In other words you may feel lonely at times but you are never alone, Jesus is there with you, just like He was with Paul. We have brothers and sisters in Christ who are on this life’s journey with us. We need to remember that.

I. They are off on that long journey to Rome and Luke continues in Acts 27:3-5 – “3. And the next day we landed at Sidon. And Julius treated Paul kindly and gave him liberty to go to his friends and receive care. 4. When we had put to sea from there, we sailed under the shelter of Cyprus, because the winds were contrary. 5. And when we had sailed over the sea which is off Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia.” The ship’s first stop was in Sidon. Because of the wind, they changed direction and stopped again at Myra. None of us were born Christians, in the outlook of life we also see that there will be stops before we get where we need to go. Notice I said, ‘where we need to go’ not ‘where we want to go’.

A. God wants us to find truth, but many people settle for a truth which suits their own needs. Many people believe in God but don’t believe what the Bible teaches.
B. Many people believe that one church is as good as the next and one person’s faith is as good as the next. However Paul reminds us in Ephesians 4:4-6 – “4. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5. one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6. one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”

1. Paul says there are not many churches. There are not many hopes. There are not many lords or faiths. There are not many baptisms.
2. He says there is one church, one hope, one Lord, one faith and one baptism.
3. Some of us, perhaps many, were not brought up in the Lord’s church. In my life I tried out various religious groups, but I always found there was something out of sync with the Bible.
4. Jesus’ promise is as true now as when He first said it in John 8:31-32 – “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.''” Sometimes we need to stop and think about where we need to go and not where we want to go.

II. Luke carries on with his report to Theophilus and says starting in verse 6, Acts 27:6-9 – “6. There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing to Italy, and he put us on board. 7. And when we had sailed slowly many days, and arrived with difficulty off Cnidus, the wind not permitting us to proceed, we sailed under the shelter of Crete off Salmone . 8. Passing it with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea. 9. Now when much time had been spent, and sailing was now dangerous because the Fast was already over, Paul advised them,” Let’s pause there a minute.

A. The ship Julius found was out of Alexandria and bound for Italy. Julius, Paul and the rest of their company boarded that ship and it set sail against a late summer, north-westerly wind, for the port of Cnidus.
B. Because the wind was so unfavorable the captain sailed along the southern shore of Crete. When they finally reached the port of Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea, a decision had to be made as to the course to be pursued. All in all, things are going well and according to plan even though the wind is not in their favor.

III. As we’re about to read, the apostle Paul could see something different on the horizon, and the forecast was not good. We continue with Paul Acts 27:10-12 – “10. saying, "Men, I perceive that this voyage will end with disaster and much loss, not only of the cargo and ship, but also our lives.'' 11. Nevertheless the centurion was more persuaded by the helmsman and the owner of the ship than by the things spoken by Paul. 12. And because the harbor was not suitable to winter in, the majority advised to set sail from there also, if by any means they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete opening toward the southwest and northwest, and winter there.”

A. The centurion, instead of listening to what Paul said, followed the advice of the pilot and of the owner of the ship. Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, they decided to sail on, hoping to reach Phoenix and winter there. This was a harbor in Crete, facing both southwest and northwest.”
B. Paul advised them not to attempt to go any further at such a dangerous time of year. Christians should also be aware that the forecast for life will be dangerous at times. Anyone who says become a Christian and life will be great has told you a lie.
C. Jesus reminds us in John 16:33 that “… In the world you will have tribulation …” Troubles… and I believe most of us know by now we can count on that. Sometimes the storms of life are so powerful we’re left wondering; why is this happening? I’ll tell you one example.

1. Dr. Thomas Goodwin, chaplain to Oliver Cromwell, and President of Magdalen College, lost half of his library, some five hundred pounds worth of his best books, in the terrible fire of London in 1666. That’s about $114K in today’s money.
2. His son remembers how his father lamented this, and said of it, that in taking away these precious possessions, God had struck him in a very tender place. Later he said, "I loved my books too well, and God corrected this by affliction."
3. Sometimes pain, suffering and troubled waters come into our lives because we love the world more than we love God. We may end up bringing trouble upon ourselves when we spend too much time in the world and not enough time in Christ Jesus.
4. At times in life, just when you get through one storm we find that it isn’t very long before the next one comes. Luke told us that the wind didn’t let up all night, in fact the violent seas continued the next day, so the sailors began to throw the cargo overboard.

D. Why was this a bad time of year to make this journey? Because Luke told us in verse 9 that ‘the Fast’, or ‘Day of Atonement’, was now over and from that we can conclude it was around the beginning of October.

1. If you were the captain of a ship you should know that the Mediterranean Sea was not a safe place to be especially for ancient vessels between September 15th until about March 15th.
2. Paul knew what time of the year it was and notice also that Paul’s concern was not just for the cargo but also for the lives of those people on board the ship. Even with this insight from Paul, Julius was inclined to listen more closely to the words of the ship's pilot and the owner rather than to Paul.
3. Most of those on board the ship were hoping to reach Phoenix because its harbor was easier to access.

E. I am sure most of you remember Hurricane Katrina which formed on August 23 during the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season and caused devastation along much of the north-central Gulf Coast. It was the costliest and one of the five deadliest hurricanes in the history of the United States.

1. It was the sixth-strongest Atlantic hurricane ever recorded and the third-strongest hurricane on record that made landfall in the US. I remember the pictures of the devastation it caused in the city of New Orleans.
2. Naming strong winds is not new. In fact, as we’re about to read there’s one well known at that time, one called the ‘Northeaster’ on its way towards the ship which Paul is aboard.

IV. Acts 27:13-18 – “13. When the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, putting out to sea, they sailed close by Crete. 14. But not long after, a tempestuous head wind arose, called Euroclydon . 15. So when the ship was caught, and could not head into the wind, we let her drive. 16. And running under the shelter of an island called Clauda, we secured the skiff with difficulty. 17. When they had taken it on board, they used cables to undergird the ship; and fearing lest they should run aground on the Syrtis Sands, they struck sail and so were driven. 18. And because we were exceedingly tempest-tossed, the next day they lightened the ship.”

A. I suppose that most people have heard the phrase, ‘plain sailing’ which means an easy, uncomplicated course. It refers to an easy-to-navigate sea, in the 'level, flat' sense.

1. Luke has just told us that this ship’s travels were far from ‘plain sailing’. When a soft, south wind began to blow they assumed they could easily reach Phoenix within a day. I’m not a sailor but I know people who are and they tell me that when you’re out at sea the weather conditions can literally change in minutes. That’s what happened here.
2. Suddenly a very strong wind which they called the ‘northeaster’ blew stronger and stronger. This wind ended all hope of reaching a safe harbor as they had to let the ship be driven by the will of the wind.

B. When the ship reached the shelter of an island called Clauda, the sailors, with the help of Luke and some other passengers, secured the lifeboat which would have been allowed to trail the ship because they planned to use it to go ashore at Phoenix.

1. As panic sets in, the sailors passed cables under the ship to strengthen it against the stormy sea and let the ship drift without the aid of sails for fear of being shipwrecked on the west of Cyrene, which was called Syrtis.
2. The wind didn’t let up all night, and the violent seas continued the next day so the sailors began to throw the cargo overboard.

V. Acts 27:19-21 – “19. On the third day we threw the ship's tackle overboard with our own hands. 20. Now when neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest beat on us, all hope that we would be saved was finally given up. 21. But after long abstinence from food, then Paul stood in the midst of them and said, "Men, you should have listened to me, and not have sailed from Crete and incurred this disaster and loss.

A. Luke tells us on the third day they threw the tackle overboard as well. Since they could not see the sun or stars, navigation was difficult or impossible.
B. Folks, when the forecast for life is not looking good and you feel like you’ve lost your way because of the dangers which lie ahead, don’t give up hope. We understand times can get so tough you may want to isolate yourself and give up on God and His people, but please don’t do that.
C. In 1 Peter, when he writes about our living hope and our future inheritance, he says in 1 Peter 1:6-8 – “In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory,” [ESV] Don’t give up and cut yourself off from God and His people because in the eternal outlook of life, your suffering is only for a little while. That hope of eternity with God is not a fairy tale, it’s real and alive, that’s why it’s called a living hope.
D. Sometimes the outlook, the forecast if you will, turns out to be different then we think. Have you ever heard of the “Michael Fish” effect? You may not have heard the term but I’m certain you are all familiar with the doom and gloom weather forecasts we get and then things don’t turn out that bad. That is due to the “Michael Fish effect”.

1. Let me explain. Michael Fish was a very well known broadcast meteorologist on British TV. A few hours before the Great Storm of 1987 broke, on October 15th, he said during a forecast: "Earlier today, apparently, a woman rang the BBC and said she heard there was a hurricane on the way. Well, if you're watching, don't worry, there isn't!"… The storm was the worst to hit South East England for three centuries, causing record damage and killing 19 people. Since then weathermen are now inclined to predict "a worst-case scenario in order to avoid being caught out".
2. The point is, those in this world that bring forecasts to our attention may shape it for their own benefit.

E. Paul had God to base his information on. Luke tells Theophilus that Paul told them what was coming, but they didn’t listen, so Paul reminds them of his earlier warning. The reason he reminds them is not to say, ‘I told you so’, but to give more credibility to what he was going to say next.

VI. Acts 27:22-26 – “22. "And now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. 23. "For there stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve, 24. "saying, `Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you.' 25. "Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me. 26. "However, we must run aground on a certain island.''”[NKJV]

A. Paul is saying, listen, I know the outlook is tough right now and the ship is going to run aground on an island and be lost, but God, through an angel, has promised to answer my prayers by saving every single life on board this ship.

1. When life’s forecast is for rough waters ahead we also need to remember that God will answer our prayers. If God rescued us before why do we think He won’t rescue us again?
2. Psalm 61:1-3 – “1. Hear my cry, O God; Attend to my prayer. From the end of the earth I will cry to You, when my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For You have been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.”
3. The forecast we see for life may get tough, but this is where the mature Christians set themselves apart from the immature.

B. In the Book of James when he’s talking about asking God for wisdom, he writes in James 1:6-8 – “6. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do..”[para]

1. Immature Christians think that when the waves get high that God has left them, and they stop praying because they want the suffering to be over on their terms.
2. The mature Christians continue to pray, not only because they understand that the waves will settle again but because they have absolute faith in God to hear their prayer and answer their prayer according to His will.

C. Yes, life is tough, but don’t stop praying because there is always hope. The Philippian jailor in Acts 16 saw no hope when Paul and Silas were freed from prison, and he was about to kill himself, but Paul gave him hope. Most people on board this ship saw no hope, but Paul gave them hope.

VII. Luke continues now and tells us in Acts 27:27-32 – “27. But when the fourteenth night had come, as we were driven up and down in the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors sensed that they were drawing near some land. 28. And they took soundings and found it to be twenty fathoms; and when they had gone a little farther, they took soundings again and found it to be fifteen fathoms. 29. Then, fearing lest we should run aground on the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern, and prayed for day to come. 30. And as the sailors were seeking to escape from the ship, when they had let down the skiff into the sea, under pretense of putting out anchors from the prow, 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 skiff and let it fall off.”

A. On the fourteenth night, as they were tossed about in the Adriatic Sea, the sailors sensed they were coming close to land. As all old ships did to find out how close to land they were, they took soundings. When they realized they might hit some rocks, they cast four anchors off the stern and prayed for daylight.

1. The sailors, to save themselves, let down the lifeboat and pretended to put out more anchors. This didn’t go un-noticed. Paul saw what they were doing and warned Julius that they could not be saved without the sailors on board.
2. Finally, they begin to believe Paul’s words and the centurion commands his soldiers to cut away the ropes to the lifeboat and let it fall away.

B. Do you know what one of the saddest parts of life’s forecast can be? It’s knowing that some will give up and fall away. Paul knew, even though the sailors didn’t, that they had to cut away the ropes to the lifeboat and let it fall away so save their own lives.

1. We have witnessed people falling away from the Lord over the years and it’s heartbreaking. We need to ask ourselves, have we done everything humanly and divinely possibly to prevent that from happening?
2. Have we encouraged, talked, sent cards, have we prayed about them to God? If the answers to those questions are yes, then we can’t say that we haven’t tried. While we are doing all those things we need to be careful that we don’t go with them.
3. Galatians 6:1 – “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.” Folks, some people will fall. Jesus taught that in ‘the parable of the sower’.
4. The Bible is full of examples of people who fall. The sad news is, sometimes to keep ourselves from falling, we need to let them fall away and that can hurt a lot.

VIII. After meeting their spiritual needs by giving them hope, Paul turns his attention to their physical needs. Acts 27:33-38 – “33. And as day was about to dawn, Paul implored them all to take food, saying, "Today is the fourteenth day you have waited and continued without food, and eaten nothing. 34. "Therefore I urge you to take nourishment, for this is for your survival, since not a hair will fall from the head of any of you.'' 35. And when he had said these things, he took bread and gave thanks to God in the presence of them all; and when he had broken it he began to eat. 36. Then they were all encouraged, and also took food themselves. 37. And in all we were two hundred and seventy-six persons on the ship. 38. So when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship and threw out the wheat into the sea.”

A. Paul urged everyone on board the ship to eat since they hadn’t eaten for a while, and then reassures them again by telling them that not one hair on their heads would be harmed.
B. While they all watched, Paul took some bread, prayed and began to eat. When all 276 on board ate, they were encouraged and cast the grain overboard.

CONCLUSION:
When life’s outlook is not looking good, not only should we remember we’re not alone on our journey, not only should we remember we will have many stops in life, not only should we be aware that life can be dangerous at times, not only do we need to remember that God will answer our prayers… but we also need to remember that God will look after our needs.

If you ever wanted to know someone who is more aware of your needs than anyone else, God is that person. Paul tells them that not one hair on their heads would be harmed.

Jesus says in Luke 12:6-7 – “Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.”

God is so aware of you, never mind your needs, that He knows exactly how many hairs you have of your head.

No wonder Paul could write in Philippians 4:19 – “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Yes folks, life as they say is a journey, and sometimes the forecast is not good, but it doesn’t have to be that way forever.

For the unbeliever life can be a raw deal sometimes with no hope of a better tomorrow because they don’t see the eternal forecast.

For the Christian, we know that life is difficult sometimes but because we have the living hope of eternal life, the forecast is looking good indeed.
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We learn from the New Testament how to be saved. We need to hear the word; believe in Jesus; repent of our sins; we must confess our belief that Jesus is the Son of God; and be baptized for the remission of our sins… If we follow these steps, the Lord adds us to His church.

Perhaps there is someone in the assembly today with the need to be buried with Christ in baptism. If you have never done these things, we urge you to do so today. If anyone has this need or desires the prayers of faithful Christians on their behalf, we encourage them to come forward while we stand and sing.

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Taken from sermon by Mike Glover