Acts 27:1-26

Surviving the Storms

October 12, 2003

Chippie the parakeet never saw it coming. One second he was peacefully perched in his cage. The next he was sucked in, washed up, and blown over.

The problems began when Chippie’s owner decided to clean Chippie’s cage with a vacuum.

She removed the attachment from the end of the hose and stuck it in the cage. The phone rang, and she turned to pick it up. She’d barely said "hello" when "ssssopp!" Chippie got sucked in. The bird owner gasped, put down the phone, turned off the vacuum, and opened the bag. There was Chippie -- still alive, but stunned.

Since the bird was covered with dust and soot, she grabbed him and raced to the bathroom, turned on the faucet, and held Chippie under the running water. Then, realizing that Chippie was soaked and shivering, she did what any compassionate bird owner would do . . . she reached for the hair dryer and blasted the pet with hot air. Poor Chippie never knew what hit him.

A few days after the trauma, a reporter contacted Chippie’s owner to see how the bird was recovering. "Well," she replied, "Chippie doesn’t sing much anymore -- he just sits and stares."

Every felt that way? Sucked in, washed up and blown over? Sure you have! Like these men we’ll read about, you’ve been on stormy seas, and if you haven’t - you will! Like these men, your boat has been thrown around. You’ve been plunged into the eye of the storm, and if that hasn’t happened yet, just wait - its coming. Maybe it’s a family disaster. Death or disease or divorce. Maybe it’s a financial storm. You’ve lost your job or are heavily in debt. Maybe your tempest has come in the form of depression, whose gale force winds can rip down your sails and leave you dead in the water, feeling overwhelmed and underpowered. (Matt Condon, Garden City Church, The God of the Storm 1/01)

In Acts 27, Luke tells of a storm at sea which serves as a reminder how we are to live our life when the stormy winds begin to blow. How are we to go on after we’ve been sucked in, washed up and blown over? What will keep us from losing our song, so that we don’t go through life just sitting and staring?

In the concluding chapters of Acts Paul finds his life in turmoil. Having been falsely accused of denigrating God’s Temple, Paul is beaten and arrested. Attempts are made on his life so that the only hope for his safety is found in Roman arrest. For years he is kept under lock and key, awaiting trial by a governor who expects a bribe or another who calls him crazy. Paul demands his case be tried in Rome and at long last he begins his journey west, to the greatest city of the ancient world, Rome. His journey begins with no problems as Julius, a centurion of the Augustan Cohort is placed in charge of this prisoner, already proclaimed to be innocent, but still awaiting trial. Julius is kind, giving Paul some freedoms and their travels appear at first to be rather easy. They sail along the coast of modern Lebanon and then head west into the open sea toward Cyprus, then north to the southern coast of Asia Minor. An ominous portent is seen in v4 as already contrary winds made the trek arduous. In Myra, a substantial port in Asia Minor, they changed ships.

In a day before Travelocity and direct flights from Jerusalem to Rome, Julius transported his prisoner by whatever means he could find. In Myra he secured more suitable ship, an Alexandrian ship headed for Italy. It seemed that now all would be smooth sailing.

From what we can tell, hiring this Alexandrian ship was a providential circumstance which created the problems they will soon face. The ship was en route from the Roman breadbasket, North Africa and served as an imperial grain vessel, among the largest ships on the Mediterranean. The need for grain in Rome meant a lucrative business for these sailors and the size of the ship, well over a hundred feet in length and in excess of a thousand tons. Archeologists tells us that ships would head north from Alexandria, dock in Myra of Lycia and then go due west toward the west coast of Italy. Since they contracted with the Roman government to supply grain, they were under the authority of the Roman military, an important factor later in the story. What makes this vessel’s presence in Myra appear so fortuitous is that it was making the last possible run that year, as grain shipping often was over by August, but this is already late September.

But then trouble begins. Their travel is soon hampered by contrary winds. In v7 they move slowly, with difficulty as the wind forces them to the south side of Crete, already miles off course. There they huge the coast, a pattern of desperation for such a sea going vessel, but necessary given the weather conditions. On the southern coast of Crete, they find temporary harbor in a place called Fair Havens and it is there we begin our reading. READ Acts 27:9-26

 HUMAN PRUDENCE GIVES WISDOM IN THE STORM

This voyage is not going as expected. It may have not been just a three hour tour before the weather started getting rough and the tiny ship was tossed. They are falling dangerously behind schedule.

Verse 9 sets the scene as the ship is harbored in Fair Havens on the isle of Crete. Paul, a prisoner, one voice among almost 300 aboard, speaks: “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.” His reasoning was simple and practical.

• First, Luke tells us that the Fast was already over, meaning that Yom Kippur had already come. As this trip was probably in A.D. 59, the Day of Atonement was October 5th of that year; they entered the dangerous time to travel. In the Mediterranean, sea travel slowed to a trickle after October 1st and by the end of the month no sailor would venture out until the next March. They had already encountered problems, it would only get worse.

• Second, Paul had some personal experience in these matters. While living in a day when few traveled but a couple miles from their place of birth, Paul trekked the known world. In 2 Corinthians 11:25 he says that he was ship wrecked three times and spent a night and a day adrift in the ocean, events prior to our passage. Paul knew about the dangerous.

But his prudent advice is not heeded.

His statement was only prudent, not prophetic; he speaks from experience, not from God. When he predicts that there will be loss of life and such events do not occur, it is not that he spoke falsely, but he gave a reasonable explanation given the circumstances.

The centurion, as the Roman official on board, had the final word. But his final word seems strangely democratic, as he listens to the pilot and owner of the ship and then in v12 puts the decision to a vote. He is soldier, not a member of the Roman Navy. It’s his decision, but he’s uncertain. 

Airline pilots must constantly monitor weather conditions, and make decisions as to the route they will take, their altitude, and even their destination. I heard of a pilot who, when faced with the decision as to whether he should change to an alternate airport or press on to the original destination, left the choice with his passengers.

Their conclusion to sail on was not necessarily foolish. The harbor they were in, Fair Havens, was just that, only fair. It did not provide the best shelter for a long winter of storms as it was vulnerable to wintry east winds. The sailors on board knew a better place some forty miles to the west and north on Crete. What is more, the owner of the ship had his livelihood underneath the deck. The sooner he got the grain to the Italian port the sooner he got his pay. What is more, there seemed to be a break in the weather. Why not sail on and get that much closer?

As they make the short run up the coast they are hit by a terrifying tempest. Verse 14 calls it a tempestuous wind, literally a tufwniko.j, a typhoon, a nor’easter. As they came along the protective southern coast of Crete, heading north along the 7,000 foot mountain peaks that form the coast, the wintry winds tossed them far off course.

Now their troubles became trials, as both crew and passengers fight for their very lives. They seek protection going on the southern side of Cauda to secure the dinghy. In v16, Luke seems to recall the blistered hands, as he was one of the we who hoisted the lifeboat aboard, made more difficult as it no doubt filled with water. The ships crew then under girded the ship, which may be Luke’s non-technical description of frapping, where lines are threaded from the bow under the ship and tied to the mast, to hold it together from breaking apart in the waves. Still they are tossed about and begin to fear they would run aground on the Syrtis. These shoals were some 300 miles to the south, along the coast of Libya in North Africa, but feared by all sailors as a watery graveyard, the Bermuda Triangle of the Mediterranean Sea. So next they lowered the gear, perhaps referring to the mainsail mast, which they then tossed overboard to lighten the load. As day turned to night and night to day, they continued to jettison cargo, as the ship took on water, heaving important equipment needed in good weather, but now only seemed to make their journey the worst. Their troubles were not just the blowing wind, but the directionless course, as they had neither sun nor stars, but constant squall. All hope was lost.

Think about the storms you are now facing or have faced in the past. Can you see yourself on that boat? You take prudent precautions, but still the storm comes. As we said their decision to sail on was not bad, but it certainly made their travel more precarious.

Perhaps when troubles have come you have sought good counsel, you’ve sought protection in a better harbor, you’ve jettisoned extraneous cargo. It may be financial troubles so you seek protection from creditors, you cut spending, increase savings. Certainly a prudent response, but still the storm comes. It may be that your family life is a tempest. Normal conversation ends with shrill screams. So you seek counsel, read the books. But each morning you awake to the same angry spouse, disobedient kids, dead-end job, joyless existence. Have you given up hope?

Let’s face it; God uses storms in our lives. They are his tools to help clear our decks. They are the times when we must face what is important and what can go overboard. God brings those storms in our life as a way of getting us to see not only what extraneous aspects of our lives need to be set aside, but to reveal our hidden fears, to show us how we seek advice but not seek Christ. Those deep, distressing times when you’ve been sucked in, washed up, blown over must cause us to take a closer look at our selves. But despite whatever prudent measures you may take (measures you should take) that can not be the source of your hope, your help. Rather, what we see next is the answer we need in our lives.

I am sure some here today have faced dark times, seek counsel and take medication to alleviate the pain. While God provides various avenues means to help us through tough times, I would be remiss to inquire, “Are you seeking Christ in your trials or just seeking an end to the troubles?” If the later, even the peace you will find will still be a storm.

GOD’S PRESENCE GIVES US HOPE IN THE STORM

They’ve have been caught in this storm for almost two weeks. In v21, Luke tells us that they had been without food for a long time, a phrase which speaks not of starvation, but of a loss of appetite.

This past summer on our annual trek to Ocean City, NJ, our family went out fishing on a 75 foot “head boat”. Storms had passed through the area, but I felt confident that going out ten miles from shore would not be a problem as the dense fog would mean the waves were calm. While there were no white caps, there were swells. To make matters worse, the fog meant that visibility was only a dozen yards, so that the combined motion of the ship with the inability to focus on the horizon meant only one thing … let’s just say that we loss our appetite. Multiply that by 2 weeks…

It is then that Paul speaks once more. This time he offers not human prudence, but God’s presence.

He begins with what may be a “see, I told you so” but really serves to validate what he says next. His credibility should be raised a notch or two by this point in the trip, so he speaks not just with prudence, but prophetically. He speaks not his opinion, but God’s Word. He calls them to hope.

His courage comes not in his optimistic outlook on life, not on any thoughts of God would never let me suffer, but set on God’s sure Word. At the outset of their voyage, their ship was their confidence, but now as that was dismantled piece by piece and cast overboard to save their lives, all knew that their hope would either dissipate be placed in something far more sure.

Despite evidence to the contrary, they will survive. The ship will sink, but they will live.

When the storm was at its worst, Paul's spirit was at its calmest. God gave him the words to speak at that time. God’s timing is amazing. He could have sent the angel before, but I doubt anyone was prepared to listen. But it is often in the storms, when all we know and trust is stripped away from us that we can then at last either curse God or be willing to listen. As the crew has done all humanly possible, they are ready to see what God will do.

His message to them is simple: Take heart, be encouraged. Why? I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told. But we must run aground on some island.” Paul understood the secret of living within a storm is to trust in the presence and power of our Risen Lord over the presence and power of the storm.

When the tumult of life constantly casts you down, that may be where God would have you reside for that time, so that, as you are laid low, you will see the end of yourself, and find in Christ your only hope and help. Are you able to take heart, have faith in God when times are at their worst? That is when God would have us trust him.

Earlier we heard read from Matthew 4, where Jesus, asleep on the boat is awakened by the cries of the timid twelve: “Teacher, don’t you care we are perishing?”

They knew of his power, but they didn’t believe in his watchful care. They thought that their horrible circumstances and his obvious quiet was merely a sign of his displeasure or disinterest. But that was not the case. With a word, the storm ceases, but the question remains: “Why are you so afraid?” “What does your fear, your turmoil say about where your trust resides?”

What does your fear in life say about your God? You may try even the best methods to bring order and sanity, but as those may succeed or fail, have you forgotten where your hope ultimately lies, but in the sovereign hand of a loving God.

Far too often we can mouth words of God’s sovereignty, of his providence, but speak them with no passion, have no sense of the comforting nature of his presence. God’s ordaining whatsoever shall come to pass is a comfort. That there is a storm in your life, that troubles comes is not a sign of his absence, but that in the storm he wants you to rest in his kindness, even if the pain of the storm around you causes great distress.

What storms surround you this day? Do they bring you to despair? Or do they cause you to cease trusting in your own abilities and trust in a gracious, loving God who is at work in that storm for you to see his presence, his providential care?

William’s early life was marked by tragedy. Born into a prominent family, his father was chaplain to King George II, one would think his life would be one of ease. But home was hard. Three years prior to his birth, his parent lost their first three children. In the first six years of his life, three more are born. Three more die in infancy. Then his mother died. His father, unable to care for William sends him to a boarding school, where he was tormented by an older boy. With the onset of adulthood, he begins to practice law, but a dark gloom pervades his life. This is only magnified when he receives what many would think a plum placement in the government. The only drawback – he must face an examination by the Parliament by his family’s enemies. Fear became dread and dread brought on plans of suicide. 

Just prior to his exam he hired a cab to take him to the Tower Wharf, where he determined to drown himself. But the Thames was too low that night. He went home where upon he took a vial of poison but his hands so contracted that he was unable to open the vial. The next morning he tried to hang himself three times, succeeding only to fall unconscious. Found in his weakened state, his uncle cancelled the exam and checked him into St. Albans Insane Asylum where Dr. Nathaniel Cotton tended the patients with loving care and the gospel of Jesus Christ.

William’s sense of dread only increased as he recognized his wretched life. Everything he read condemned him. Sleep was rare and when he did, he would awake in terror. It was then he came across John’s Gospel, opened to chapter 11, the raising of Lazarus. It was there that he saw:

“so much benevolence, mercy, goodness, and sympathy with miserable men, in our Saviour's conduct, that I almost shed tears upon the relation; little thinking that it was an exact type of the mercy which Jesus was on the point of extending towards myself.  I sighed, and said, "Oh, that I had not rejected so good a Redeemer, that I had not forfeited all his favours."  Thus was my heart softened, though not yet enlightened.” (William Cowper and the 18th Century,  131-132)

A short time later he came upon Romans 3:25 where he read: whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. In response to this he wrote:

Immediately I received the strength to believe it, and the full beams of the Sun of Righteousness shone upon me. I saw the sufficiency of the atonement He had made, my pardon sealed in His blood, and all the fullness and completeness of His justification. In a moment I believed, and received the gospel ... Unless the Almighty arm had been under me, I think I should have died with gratitude and joy. My eyes filled with tears, and my voice choked with transport; I could only look up to heaven in silent fear, overwhelmed with love and wonder. (Ibid., 132)

William found peace in Christ’s forgiveness. Did the storms in his life cease? No, just as Paul expressed his faith in God, but also was quite clear that we must run aground, so William suffered the rest of his life from debilitating depression, yet, he always found in Christ one who did care, who gave courage in the storm.

William Cowper (Cooper) put his struggles and his hopes to paper. He wrote some of the greatest hymns the church has sung. Our final hymn expresses God’s powerful presence in the storms of life we face. Listen to this fourth verse (read). What frowning providence are you experiencing? Stop and remember God’s smiling face always shines through the storms. You are not sucked in, washed up, blown over. Christ is risen and victorious and you are in Him.