Shipwrecks and the Sovereignty of God
Download MP3Well, good morning, everybody. Good morning. We are gonna be in Acts chapter 27. Acts 27. We, have been in the study of acts for a while now.
Jeffrey Heine:And actually, this is the second to last, sermon in that series. Next week, we will be in chapter 28 and wrapping up our study of the book of acts. Acts 27, where we find ourselves, the Apostle Paul is gonna be making his way, by boat. Actually, 3 different boats. Making his way from, where he was imprisoned, in Caesarea, all the way to Rome.
Jeffrey Heine:And so it's that voyage, the the kind of this the account of that journey, that we're gonna be looking at together this morning. So if you would, turn to acts 27. We're gonna do our best to go through all of it, but I will not read all of it right now. We will begin with verse 9. Acts chapter 27 beginning in verse 9.
Jeffrey Heine:And let us listen carefully, for this is God's word. 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 the owner of the ship than 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 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.
Jeffrey Heine: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 Cata, 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 Siratus, 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.
Jeffrey Heine:And on the 3rd 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. This is the word of the Lord. Let's pray. Father, we are reminded this morning that Christ is risen, and we therefore have hope. Lord, would you lay hold of our hearts this morning by your spirit, that we might trust you in the depths of our being, love you with all of our strength, and obey you in all that we do.
Jeffrey Heine:Meet with us here in your word, And speak, Lord, for your servants are listening. We pray these things in the name of the father, and the son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Throughout childhood, people ask you what you want to be when you grow up. Recently, my oldest daughter, June, said that she wants to be a minister.
Jeffrey Heine:And that made me feel good. Her little sister, Eleanor, never one to be left out, chimed in that she wants to be a goddess. I'm not really sure how that makes me feel. Kids are asked this question all the time. And you would think that after all of that practice of answering the question, that when it came time to make a real answer, it would be easier.
Jeffrey Heine:I had a number of answers, both in childhood and in young adulthood. My first answer was to be a preacher slash magician. So halfway there. But when it came time for college, my plan was actually to become an art teacher. I love the visual arts, especially the abstract expressionists of the 19 forties, Franz Kline, Joan Mitchell, Cy Twombly, if you're looking for a kid's name or a dog's name.
Jeffrey Heine:But my absolute favorite artist, was also from the 19 forties, but but, he was far away from the elite galleries of New York and Paris. He was a Baptist minister born in Valleyhead, Alabama. And his name was Howard Finster. When Finster retired from the ministry, he had a vision of painting what he called sacred art for God. And that's just what he did until the day that he died.
Jeffrey Heine:He painted thousands of works. And he's considered the grandfather of contemporary folk art. Some of you might have seen the signs outside of Summerville, Georgia for the art garden and chapel that Finster built. It's called Paradise Gardens. I visited there once, actually, on spring break in college, just in case you wanted to know how wild I could get.
Jeffrey Heine:Have any of you ever been there before? Anyone? 1? We both like to party. So, the property is about 3 acres.
Jeffrey Heine:It looks kind of like a junkyard, with thousands of painted objects. In one section, there's a mosaic made of broken glass, twisted pieces of metal, lots of bicycle parts. And there's a sign painted in Howard's legendary handwriting that reads like this, quote, I built this garden of broken pieces to try to mend a broken world of people who are traveling their last road. I took the pieces you threw away and put them together by night and day, washed in rain, dried in sun, a 1000000 pieces all in 1. End quote.
Jeffrey Heine:Those words have always stuck with me. Finster took broken pieces, tossed away, made invaluable art that sits outside, washed in rain, dried in the sun. Well, the apostle Paul had been arrested in Jerusalem, just as he had expected. And after years of prison in Caesarea, he was put on a ship to be tried in Rome before Caesar. It didn't have to be this way.
Jeffrey Heine:We read that, had Paul not appealed to his Roman rights and requested this trial by Caesar, he would have been released. Agrippa said so in, chapter 26 verse 32, that Paul would have been released by now and been free. But God had told Paul that he would testify before Caesar in Rome. So what we learned from that is that Paul isn't looking to be free. He's looking to be faithful.
Jeffrey Heine:It's true. Paul is a prisoner, but he's on a mission. He's on a mission from God. That's my subtle Blues Brothers reference for the morning. That's for the, folks going to the over 50 dinner next Sunday.
Jeffrey Heine:Acts 27 reads a lot like a travel journal, with all the excitement and the danger that's found in writings like The Odyssey or Moby Dick. It's a trial at sea. And in the ancient Greek culture, survival at sea was a mark of the righteous, the strong, the favored. Luke's diary style account of this journey begins in late autumn when Agrippa decides that it's time to deliver Paul to the courts in Rome. The centurion placed in charge of transporting these prisoners and friends' accompaniment, for the journey.
Jeffrey Heine:His name was Julius. And Luke was one of those friends traveling along with Paul. That's why so much of this section, he talks about we. We are experiencing these things. Because it's his firsthand account.
Jeffrey Heine:And they boarded the ship that was to stop along the ports of the coast of Asia. And from one of those ports, the plan was that Julius and the prisoners and those accompanying the prisoners, they would find a cargo ship that was making its way to Italy and board that. That was a common form of travel because of the busy trade routes that you could take board of a cargo ship. And so when they stopped in Myra, they found a ship of Alexandria that was going to Italy with cargo, with grains on board. So crates of cargo.
Jeffrey Heine:And now, 276 prisoners, crew members, and friends all embarked for Italy. It was on this second ship, the cargo vessel, that conditions grew dangerous quickly. Luke records that after great difficulty, they finally came to a place called Fair Havens, which can also be understood as safe harbor. Much time passed as they waited for better conditions. It was dangerous to wait too long, because winter was coming.
Jeffrey Heine:Yeah. By now, it was already October. Soon, it would be too risky to sail, too hazardous for the ship to stay in the harbor. Do you see the problem? It was October, and it was soon going to be winter when they could not sail.
Jeffrey Heine:It would be too unsafe to sail during the winter. But that harbor, which was called safe harbor, was not safe enough for their ship. If they tried to leave it there and to stay in that harbor, it would be too dangerous to the boat. So they were in this conundrum. Leaving in the storm now would also be unsafe.
Jeffrey Heine:So Paul appeals to Julius. He appeals to the ship's pilot, and he appeals to the ship's owner in verse 10, saying, sirs, I perceive that the voyage will be with injury and much loss, not only to the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives. See, Luke says that the centurion paid more attention to the pilot and the owner of the ship than he did to Paul, which makes sense, because Paul is a prisoner. And he listens to the guy who owns the boat and the guy who's driving the boat. But the harbor was not suitable to stay in, and so the crew took a vote.
Jeffrey Heine:Majority went for it. So hoping that they could somehow make it into a safer harbor in Crete called Phoenix, they set out to winter there. And as they set out, this gentle south wind begins to blow. Things don't seem that bad, and so they draw the anchors and they set sail along the coast of Crete. But soon a raging wind called the Northeaster struck.
Jeffrey Heine:In Luke's words, it attacked and tossed the ship about in the sea. The ship was being pushed back. It couldn't advance further. And they could not face that wind anymore. And so Luke records that we gave way.
Jeffrey Heine:We gave way to it, and we were driven along. At that point, they couldn't combat it anymore, and so they were just gonna go where the wind took them and try to keep the boat upright. And running under the lee of a small island called Cauda, they tried to keep going. He's saying that they stopped trying to fight it and just went with the wind and the waves. The ship, now has 276 people aboard.
Jeffrey Heine:And they are being violently storm tossed. On the 2nd day of the storm, they begin to unload the cargo. On the 3rd day of the storm, they abandon the ship's tackle. And then 12 more days of relentless rain and wind keep going. And Luke records that after they had abandoned some cargo and they abandoned the ship's tackle here 2 weeks later, they abandoned hope, the hope of being saved at all.
Jeffrey Heine:Have you ever felt that desperate before to give up hope? So beaten down and so exhausted that you abandoned hope? Luke is saying that he has. It was in the midst of that utter hopelessness that the apostle Paul stands up among the people and addresses them in verse 22. Look with me.
Jeffrey Heine:He says, 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.
Jeffrey Heine: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. Paul had a vision, vision of an angel. And he told his shipmates to take heart, to be strengthened, take courage, that they would make it through this storm alive.
Jeffrey Heine:So on night 14 of this raging storm, as the ship was being driven across the Adriatic Sea, around midnight, the sailors speculated that they were, in fact, nearing land. They decided to take a sounding. Now a sounding is when you take a line, tie a weight to it, drop it down, and let that measure how far the depths are. So they did that, and they found 20 fathoms, a 120 feet. A little bit later, they took a sounding again.
Jeffrey Heine:And this was 15 fathoms, around 90 feet. And the sailors became afraid that in the darkness, because they they could not see, they did not know where they were, where it talks about how there was no sun by day, no stars by night, that meant that their navigational system was failing them. They didn't know where they were. And they thought, we don't know if this land that we are getting near to, we don't know what rocks might be out there. And so afraid that they might run into one of those rocks, they decided to drop their anchors where they were.
Jeffrey Heine:So they let down 4 anchors. It was now about 3 or 4 o'clock in the morning. And Luke says that they prayed for day to break. But some of the sailors were only pretending to lower anchors. What they were actually doing was taking the lifeboat down so they could jump into it and escape.
Jeffrey Heine:Now when Paul saw this, he went to the centurion, Julius. And he said to Julius and the soldiers, unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved. Julius ordered that they cut the ropes and let the lifeboat go into the sea. And as daylight was finally beginning to break, Paul urged everyone to take some food for strength. Look at verse 33.
Jeffrey Heine:Today is the 14th day that you have continued in anxiety and without food, having nothing to eat. Therefore, I urge you to take some food, for it will give you strength. For not a hair is to perish from your head of any of you. They hadn't eaten much at all for 2 weeks, And it wasn't because there wasn't food on board. Remember, it was a grain ship.
Jeffrey Heine:And so there was food on board, but 2 weeks of constant seasickness, constant thrashing about in the boat, constant rain and wind, And constant anxiety, he says. They couldn't eat. They barely ate anything at all. And he says, you need your strength, and you need to eat. So, when Paul had said these things, he took bread, and giving thanks to God in the presence of all, he broke it, and he began to eat.
Jeffrey Heine:And the prisoners and the sailors, all 275 others, were encouraged and ate some food themselves after Paul. And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship for faster sailing by throwing the wheat into the sea. Morning began to break, and they could see that there was an island. But they did not recognize it. They saw a bay with a beach, and they thought, if at all possible, maybe they could run the ship onto the shore there.
Jeffrey Heine:So they cut loose the anchors into the sea. And at the same time, they loosened the ropes that tied the rudders. And hoisting the sail to the wind, they made their way for the beach. But as the boat moved closer to the land, they struck a sharp and jagged reef. The vessel ran aground.
Jeffrey Heine:The bow was stuck. It was immovable. The wooden planks of the boat were being broken apart by the reef, by the constant crashing waves. The massive cargo ship was being battered into broken pieces. Fearing that the prisoners were going to try and swim away and escape, the soldiers decided to kill all of the prisoners.
Jeffrey Heine:Otherwise, they would have been held responsible for their escape and likely executed for it. So as they start to move on this plan, Julius, the centurion, who all along had been looking out for Paul, once again stopped the soldiers from carrying out their plan. Julius ordered everyone on the boat who could swim to go overboard first and start making their way. The rest of the passengers were put onto the broken pieces of the boat to float ashore. Picture that.
Jeffrey Heine:This massive ship breaking apart into pieces. Life rafts 276 people swimming and floating to shore. 14 days nights of torrential rains, crashing waves, inescapable darkness. In the midst of that hopelessness, as they were washed in rain and delivered to the shores through a shipwreck, and they made it alive to the shore. Luke records in the very last line of chapter 27, And so it was that all were brought safely to land.
Jeffrey Heine:And so it was. Doctor Luke, the apostle Paul, were saved from the storm by a shipwreck. So how do we interpret and apply this message? This travelogue by doctor Luke, this diary of his dramatic voyage with the prisoner Paul to Rome. Well, rather than breaking the story apart on the reef of our own objectives or or the waves of our own interests, I think we first have to take the story just as it is.
Jeffrey Heine:As you may recall in the introduction of Luke's gospel, chapter 1, Luke was writing both his gospel account, the gospel according to Luke, and the book of Acts. He was writing all of that to this one man named Theophilus. Theophilus, is viewed as being a Roman official of high ranking. And Luke states that at the beginning of this gospel, he states his intentions as the author, saying this, quote, inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that we have that have been accomplished among us, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may have certainty concerning the things that you have been taught, end quote. Luke is writing so that Theophilus could have certainty, have confidence in the things that he had been taught about the faith.
Jeffrey Heine:So then we can assume that throughout his gospel writing and now throughout the book of acts, we can assume that acts 27 is in harmony with this primary goal and view for Theophilus to grow in his confidence in the faith and in following Jesus. So how is that being accomplished in this passage? I've asked myself all week. How? Well, if the tradition is accurate that Theophilus was a Roman official of high rank and a new disciple of Jesus, throughout the book of acts, Luke is telling him how the gospel message made its way from Jerusalem to Judea to Samaria and to the ends of the earth.
Jeffrey Heine:You know, from Jerusalem, Rome definitely, seemed like the end of the known world. Luke is telling Theophilus how God, in his matchless power and his sovereignty, brought the news of Jesus's death and resurrection of forgiveness of sins and life everlasting all the way to Rome. In the final chapters of the book of acts, they tell us that the promise and command of Jesus right before his ascension, when he gives this mission to his disciples, what he says there has come true. Throughout the book of Acts, we see that unfolding. They move literally from Jerusalem to Judea to Samaria to the ends of the world.
Jeffrey Heine:Paul's imprisonment, his transport in the custody of the Roman soldiers, his protection through the violent storm, and the shipwreck, delivery onto the shores of what they would later find out to be Malta are evidences of God's faithfulness, not just to Luke and to Paul, but also to the preservation and the spreading of the gospel news to the ends of the earth. Because the storm hindered the ship, but it did not hinder God's plan. The shipwreck destroyed the boat, but it did not destroy God's purposes. And though the passengers abandoned their hope, God did not abandon them. That means, you know, rather than trying to approach this passage like a fable or an allegory, what what we are invited to do first is to learn from this account who our God really is.
Jeffrey Heine:And then, like the very first reader of this account, Theophilus, we can grow in our confidence and our certainty about the things that we have been taught. Because we we don't have to imagine ourselves in Paul's shoes to understand fear or anxiety or suffering or hopelessness. The shipwreck wasn't a metaphor for Paul. It was the real circumstances of his suffering under the real sovereignty of God. If you've been at Redeemer for very long, you've likely heard us, recite the Heidelberg Catechism.
Jeffrey Heine:It was written in 1563 in Germany as a as a teaching instrument to help new Christians learn the confession of faith. And it's been used for centuries in private and corporate worship. And if that any of that is familiar to you, at Redeemer, then you've probably participated in the reciting of the first question and answer of the catechism. But I'll refresh your memory by reading it. Question 1.
Jeffrey Heine:What is your only comfort in life and death? Answer, that I am not my own, but belong body and soul in life and in death to my faithful savior, Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil. He also watches over me in such a way that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my father in heaven. In fact, all things must work together for my salvation.
Jeffrey Heine:Because I belong to him, Christ by his holy spirit assures me of eternal life and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him. When we read this question 1 from the Heidelberg catechism in light of acts 27, we can see that there are numerous glimmering points of correlation. Acts 27 serves to teach us that in times of danger and fear and anxiety and hopelessness and suffering, the call of God to his children is the call to comfort. God's comfort. And the foundation of that comfort, the ability to take heart in life and in death is that we are not our own, but we belong.
Jeffrey Heine:Look back for a moment at the second address Paul to his shipmates in verse 22. 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, don't be afraid, Paul. You must stand before Caesar.
Jeffrey Heine: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 told. In this setting, with 276 on a ship being led to the most diverse and metropolitan city in the known world, Paul has to clarify who his God is. And Paul describes his God like this, the God to whom I belong and I worship. Paul's foundation for having comfort and confidence is that he belongs to God.
Jeffrey Heine:Like most gods at that time, Paul was a worshiper of the God, but that's not all. Paul is not just a worshiper. He's not just a fan or a follower or an admirer of Jesus. No. Paul belongs to Jesus.
Jeffrey Heine:Do you think of yourself as belonging to Jesus? When you think of yourself, who you are, do you think in the words of Paul to the Corinthian church when he says, you are not your own, but you were bought with a price? You belong to Jesus. And in his possession, there is comfort. Do you find a basis of your comfort belonging to God?
Jeffrey Heine:Every other aspect of confidence and comfort flows out of that fact that you belong to him. He has redeemed you to himself. All other expressions of comfort find their beginning in the reality that you belong, body and soul, in life and in death, to your faithful savior, Jesus Christ. Which means then that a shipwreck is not always abandonment. No.
Jeffrey Heine:Sometimes the shipwreck is your rescue. What looks like the hindering or the breaking apart into pieces, your plans and your purposes, are actually the sovereignty of God leading you according to his will and his way. Let me say it another way. One reason we don't need to render this story into a fable is because the storm, the shipwreck, which in the story look like the hopeless torment, they were the means of rescue and salvation. Recall the storm drenched boat of Jonah.
Jeffrey Heine:In the middle of that storm, the shipmates asked Jonah, tell us on whose account this evil has come upon us. See, they under store understand the storm to be punishment, the spiritual warfare. And yet here in Acts 27, the shipwreck was the divine deliverance out of the storm and onto dry land. In your life, what often looks like the breaking apart, the reason for abandoning hope, it can ultimately be the route of healing and restoration. We see it in the pain of resetting a bone that gives way to relief, the breaking that ultimately leads to healing, the pruning that ultimately leads to blossoming.
Jeffrey Heine:See, the constant comfort through it all is knowing that you belong and that in your belonging, God will never leave you nor forsake you. No matter how it may feel or how long you might have to go without the sun shining by the day or the stars in the night, no matter how strong the winds grow or how jagged the reef is, how unmovable the ship becomes through it all, you belong to Jesus. He has made you his own. Paul belongs to God. And through his confidence in God, he finds comfort.
Jeffrey Heine:And he tells his shipmates, today, this 14th day that you have continued in suspense and anxiety and without food, 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. To borrow language from the Heidelberg catechism, Paul is telling them that god watches over me in such a way that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my father in heaven. In fact, all things must work together for my salvation. Paul's confidence in God's sovereignty, and by sovereignty, I mean the active power of God's will, Paul's confidence in God's sovereignty is the means by which he has this audacious comfort in the face of devastating darkness.
Jeffrey Heine:Nothing in the skies made it seem like the storm was subsiding or that anything was getting better. Paul's comfort was not based in the circumstances of his day. It was based in belonging to Jesus. Paul knows, all things must work together for my salvation. Not my happiness or ease or security or satisfaction or prosperity, but my salvation.
Jeffrey Heine:And in that salvation, he is promised eternal joy, eternal security, eternal satisfaction, eternal prosperity. We must not forget that the chaos of earth does not negate the peace of heaven, that the storms of life do not negate the promises of eternity. The shipwreck of our plans do not thwart the will of God. Because in his providence and divine permission, all things must work together. Paul was desperate to get to Rome to testify to the good news of God's grace.
Jeffrey Heine:And from that proclamation, he would be executed. Paul wasn't simply in a storm. He was in the will of God. And Paul wasn't simply on a ship. He was on the mission of God.
Jeffrey Heine:So what about you? Are you aware of the will of God in your own life? Are you seeking him in how you can be glorifying him in what he is doing? Or are you lowering the lifeboat, focused on trying to escape the storm and avoid the shipwreck? Because sometimes we believe the notion that we must that God's will must always be the opposite direction of the storm.
Jeffrey Heine:You know, we mistakenly believe that God's plan would never be the chaos of the storm. But one of the innumerable messages of the cross of Jesus is that Jesus is intimately familiar with the chaos of suffering and pain. Isaiah the prophet says that it was the will of the father to crush him. Christ is no stranger to the storms. And not only is he with you in the midst of the chaos, it's that he has been there himself.
Jeffrey Heine:And you belong to him. Luke gives us an account of real suffering, hopelessness, danger. It's a scene out of his own diary of experiences. And in it, he reminds us that as Christians, as those who belong to God and who worship him, we live in the reality of God's sovereignty. And no circumstance can undermine his sovereign power.
Jeffrey Heine:All things must work together for our eternal good in Christ. Of course, that doesn't mean there won't be storms or even shipwrecks, but we take heart that the crashing waves and the raging winds obey the voice of the Lord. And not a hair from your head, not a breakup or a breakdown, not losing your job or finding a spouse, not beating a disease or finding out that it's back. None of these things are too far from God's presence or his power. Nothing escapes his sovereign care or his sustaining grace.
Jeffrey Heine:Because like Howard Finster, picking up the broken pieces long abandoned and tossed aside. God picks up our battered shipwrecks of our own lives, and he fashions us together as a bride for Christ. Because our brokenness is not just the events that we experience like the storm. No. It's also who we were apart from Christ.
Jeffrey Heine:And the father takes our shipwrecked lives, picks up the broken pieces, and mends us with his grace and mercy to make us into his church and to live reconciled, redeemed, and restored in his garden forever. Washed and rained, dried in the sun, a 1000000 pieces, all in one. And we know that there will be storms and chaos and shipwrecks and sickness and suffering and pain and hopeless nights where we pray for daylight. And I know that some of you are in the middle of those nights now. And for some of you, daylight is finally beginning to break.
Jeffrey Heine:And for others, the skies are only now starting to darken. But acts 27 reminds us that in the midst of real storms and real shipwrecks, real fear and real suffering, you are not alone, and you are not your own. But you belong, body and soul, in life and in death, to your faithful savior, Jesus Christ. To him be all glory in heaven and on earth, today and forever. Let's pray.
Jeffrey Heine:God, by your spirit, would you confirm in our hearts that we belong to you? Would you give us a confidence to know that we belong? Lord, I pray for anyone here who doesn't know how to answer that question of whether or not they belong to you. Spirit, would you come to them, Open up their ears and their eyes and their hearts and their lives to receive all that you have for them in Christ Jesus. That today would be the day of salvation, and they would know that they belong.
Jeffrey Heine:Lord, for those who who trust you and know that they belong to you, I pray that in this time as we turn our attention to your table, you would strengthen our faith and our confidence that we belong to Christ Jesus our lord, and nothing can snatch us from his hand. We pray these things in the name of Christ our King. Amen.
