Disobedience suffer great losses. Dr. Luke helped us to understand this. In Acts 27, Paul was locked up in Caesarea. The ship took a one day journey. It moved from Caesarea to Sidon. It kept on moving along Cilicia, Pamphylia, and then stopped at Myra. The ship was from Adramyttium. This ship was supposed to go all the way to up there. The centurion ordered to stop at Myra and change ships. The new ship is an Alexandrian, Egyptian ship. From Myra, the ship was to go to Italy. But because of the storm, the ship could not go on it’s path, it had to change directions, and came to a place called Fair Havens, near the town of Lasea. By the time they anchored, Paul gave them a warning. He told them to better stop there. But that place is not a good place for winter. They all thought Paul was a criminal, so they didn’t listen to him. They did not listen to Paul’s suggestion. The pilot said, “Well, we anchored here, but this is not a good place for winter.” So they made up their minds and followed the pilot, the owner of the ship. Who followed? The centurion. He listened not to Paul, but listened to the pilot, the owner of the ship, and listened to the majority of the people. The majority of the people said not to stop at Fair Havens because it is not a good harbor suitable for winter. They said to stop at Phoenix harbour in Crete. The distance from Fair Havens to Phoenix is very short, only a one day trip. They thought they could make it. Then it got so windy. Lo and behold, when they didn’t listen to Paul’s advice, the ship was supposed to go from Fair Havens to Phoenix, but then it drifted to an island called Cauda. Ever since then, in the fourteen day journey, they were about to lose their life.
When the pastor says something to you, it may not be convenient to you. Most of the time, we ignore the pastor’s teaching. But in here, in this lesson in Acts chapter 27, the people saw the results within fourteen days. Sometimes you don’t see the result within fourteen days. You might see the results within fourteen years. By the time in fourteen years, you don’t even know that the decision you make costs you suffering and pain.
From Fair Havens to Phoenix is not a long distance. But God allowed the storm to happen to prove it to all the people in the ship that Paul is God’s servant. If they listened to him, they would not have suffered loss. If they do not listen to him, they will suffer loss. They were about to lose their life. Acts chapter 27 talks about the trip from Caesarea to Malta. Acts 28 talks about the trip from Malta to Rome.
Whenever you hear a message of suffering loss, you always say to the pastor that you don’t want to suffer loss. Tell the pastor to tell you the best way to not suffer loss. Dr. Luke recorded it in Acts chapter 27.
Paul said that, “I have to be judged by Caesar. I have to go to Rome.” So that is why he sailed for Italy.
Acts chapter 27:1: When it was decided that we would sail for Italy, Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to a centurion named Julius, who belonged to the Imperial Regiment. We boarded the ship from Adramyttium.
That ship is from Caesarea. That is why when they went to Myra to change the ship.
Verse 2: We boarded the ship from Adramyttium about to sail for ports along the coast of the province of Asia,
–Asian here is Turkey.
–and we put out to sea. Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, was with us.
Aristarchus is obedient. Later on, Paul said to him that he is his fellow prisoner. He said, “Aristarchus was with us”. In other words, all those people who followed Paul left Paul already. Only Aristarchus was with “us”. Who is “us”. “Us” is Paul, Timothy, Silas. All the other people went home, because they see Paul suffer pain in prison, but Aristarchus went with Paul all the way.
Verse 3: The next day we landed at Sidon;–
From Caesarea, it took them a one day journey to go to Sidon.
–and Julius, in kindness to Paul, allowed him to go to his friends so they might provide, food, money, and all his needs.
Verse 4: From there we put out to sea again and passed to the lee of Cyprus–
Cyprus is where Barnabas, one of the apostles was born.
–because the winds were against us.
Verse 5: When we had sailed across the open sea off the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we landed at Myra in Lycia.
Verse 6: There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy and put us on board.
Verse 7: We made slow headway for many days and had difficulty arriving off Cnidus.–
It took a long time after changing ships. This is only a one day journey, but it took then many days to reach to their destination. This is a warning sign already, but they don’t see the warning sign. They think it is natural.
–When the wind did not allow us to hold our course, we sailed to the lee of Crete, opposite Salmone.
They don’t have a motor, so the ship follows the direction of the wind.
Verse 8: We moved along the coast with difficulty–
In verse 7, they have difficulty arriving.
–and came to a place called Fair Havens, near the town of Lasea.
Verse 9: Much time has been lost, and sailing had already become dangerous because by now it was after the Fast. So Paul warned them,
If any people warn you, you have to be careful. If Paul warns you, you have to be even more careful. Don’t use your own wisdom. If they heed Paul’s warning, they won’t suffer loss. Since they ignored Paul’s warning, they suffered loss.
Verse 10: “Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also.”
He didn’t say “we can see that”. He said “I can see that”. First of all there will be great loss to the ship. Secondly there will be loss of ship. Finally there will be in people’s lives too.
Verse 11: But the centurion, instead of listening to what Paul said, followed the advice of the pilot and of the owner of the ship.
Verse 12: Since the harbor was unsuitable
to winter in, the majority decided that we should sail on, hoping to reach Phoenix and winter there. This was a harbor in Crete, facing both southwest and northwest.
Circle the word “majority”. Paul gave the warning. The majority ignored the warning. The majority decided that they should sail on. They all know that Fair Havens was not a good place to winter in. But Paul said to stay there. It may not be convenient but it will save their life, ship, and cargo. Don’t use your brain. Use your heart to listen. But the majority didn’t. They said Phoenix was a good place to winter in because it is a good harbor. From Fair Havens to Phoenix is only a one-day long journey. They ignored what Paul said. They do their own things.
Verse 13: When a gentle south wind began to blow, they thought they had obtained what they wanted;–
They thought it was a good opportunity to go because the south wind is helping them. –so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete.
This is what they planed.
Verse 14: Before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called the “northeaster,” swept down from the island.
The wind is blowing from the northeast so they couldn’t go on their path. The ship ended up going in the opposite direction because of the wind.
Most of the time, when we disobey God’s words, we won’t see the consequences right away. However in this situation, within a short time, they saw the consequences. The pilot should know better. If the pilot knew that the storm was coming, he won’t go. The pilot is suppose to be experienced. Since the ship belongs to the pilot, he decides what he wants to do, since the sky was clear and there was mild wind. This is exactly what the pilot wanted. Lo and behold, before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called the “northeaster,” swept down from the island.
Verse 15: The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind;–
“could not head into the wind” means you cannot move as you like. That is disaster. Acts chapter 27 says one message: disobedience suffer loss.
–so we gave way to it and were driven along.
The ship is out of control.
Verse 16: As we passed to the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were hardly able to make the lifeboat secure.
On a big ship, there is usually a lifeboat and it is tied to the ship was ropes. Because of the storm, they have difficulty anchoring the lifeboat. That means they are in deep trouble.
Verse 17: When the men had hoisted it aboard, they passed the ropes under the ship itself to hold it together. Fearing that they would run aground on the sandbars of Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor and let the ship be driven along.
The ship is out of control.
Verse 18: We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard.
This is a fulfilment of one of the first prophecies. In the one of the first prophecies it says they lost the ship, they lost their cargo, and if they keep on going, they will lose their life. They lost the cargo because once they found out that the ship was out of control, they wanted to save their own lives, and the best way is to throw the cargo overboard.
Verse 19: On the third day, they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands.
The tackle is the one used for fishing. They threw all these equipment away. When people lose their life, all these things are of no use. When people are still healthy, all these things are valuable and costs money. But when you find out that if you lose something and it can save your life, you will lose it. Lesson number one: Although Fair Havens was not suitable to winter in, it can save people’s life. The unsuitable becomes suitable. Then they won’t suffer loss. The people live by sight not by faith. That is why they suffered loss. They not only throw the cargo overboard; on the third day they threw the ship tackle overboard with their own hands.
Verse 20: When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved.
Verse 21: After the men had gone a long time without food,–
Why do they not eat food? When they realize that they will lose their life, eating food doesn’t help them. They just don’t eat. They have no appetite for eating food. When you enjoy your life, you eat food. When you are about to lose your life, you don’t feel like eating food.
–Paul stood up before them and said: “Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss.
Verse 22: But now I urge you–
In other words, God is good. When we suffer a little bit of loss, that is the time to turn around. When you follow a good apostle, his teachings from God will save your life.
–to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed.
In verse 20, they gave up all hope of being saved. When the people gave up all hope of being saved, they are going to turn their ear to what Paul is going to say. Disobedient people are like this. When you tell them not to go, they go. When you tell them to go, they don’t go. That is why Paul said to them to keep up their courage. Don’t worry about their lives. Not one of them will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed.
The reason why Paul was so confident was because the angel of the Lord appeared to him and talked to him. In the midst of difficulty, in the lists of dangerous situations, Paul is God’s faithful servant. That is how Jesus Christ proved to all the people that Paul is a chosen instrument. He is the one God loves. Why does God love Paul? Because Paul loves God. Paul obeys God. According to John Chapter 14 verse 21, if anyone loves Jesus, he will obey what Jesus says. If you love Jesus, Jesus will love you too. On top of that, he will appear to you. How did Jesus appear to Paul? Jesus sent his angel to appear before Paul and tell him what is going on.
In Acts 27 verse 10 it says: “Men, I see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also.”
When Paul says “I see that”, he sees it with the help of Jesus. He didn’t see it out of his own saying. If he saw it out of his own saying, this kind of dangerous situation won’t happen. God moved Paul to say that. But the people don’t know that. They don’t ask Paul why he said what he said. They ignored what Paul said. They kept on doing what they were doing. Then they suffer loss.
Verse 23-24: Last night an angel of the Lord whose I am and I serve stood beside me and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’
In other words somewhere along the trip, the angel of the Lord appeared to Paul and told him, “You will stand trial”. That means Paul will need to go to Rome. How can he go to Rome is he dies. If Paul is alive, all those people will be alive. The total number of people there were on the ship was 276, as it is recorded in verse 37.
Verse 25: So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me.
In the people’s mind, all of them has finally given up all hope of being saved, but God said, “All 276 people will not perish.” Paul believed that. They will be delivered by God. Only the ship and the cargo will be lost, but the people’s lives will not be lost. Isaiah chapter 44 verse 26a: Who carries out the words of his servants and fulfills the predictions of his messengers.
Who is that “who”? That “who” is talked about in Isaiah chapter 44 verse 24: “This is what the Lord says-your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb: I am the Lord, who has made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself.
God made the storm to come. He is the one who carries out the words of his servants and he is the one who fulfills the prediction of his messengers. The Lord Jesus Christ is the one who carries out the words of his servant Paul. The Lord Jesus Christ fulfills the predictions of his messenger Paul. In Acts chapter 27, when Paul gave the people the warning is so that he can prove to all of the 276 people that he is God’s messenger. Paul is God’s servant. Whatever Paul predicts, God will make sure that it will be fulfilled. Whatever Paul says, God will make sure that it will be carried out just like what he said, so that the people can listen to Paul.
Paul predicted the voyage was going to be a disastrous. If they listened to him, they would have spared the losses. Unfortunately they didn’t listen. But through their losses, they gained their life back. Why did they gain their life back? Because through this dangerous and disastrous voyage, they know that Paul is different from them. God is with Paul. Whatever he says, God is going to fulfill it. When Paul was talking about that no other person can save you besides Jesus, by that time those people opened their minds and said, “I believe in what Paul says.” There is no other salvation except through Jesus. Jesus Christ is trying to prove through the storm and the losses whom God’s messenger and servant is. If you listen to him, you won’t lose your life. In Isaiah chapter 44 verse 26, Jesus Christ is the only one who carried out the word of his servant. Paul is a faithful servant of Jesus Christ. Whenever Paul preaches, whenever Paul speaks, he won’t say his own words. He would say God’s words. God fulfilled the predictions of his messenger. When Paul speaks, Jesus Christ listens to what he has to say. He is going to compare what he says to what the Bible says.
Acts chapter 27 verse 25: So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me.
Whatever Jesus told Paul through the angels of God, he will know that it will happen. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians that said he didn’t live by sight, but by faith. Live by faith means he stores up God’s words within his heart. Whatever he does, he will follow Jesus’ footsteps. He follows God’s written words. That is why God carried out the words of his servant; fulfilling the prediction of his messengers. According to Isaiah chapter 44 verse 26, if you store up God’s words within your heart and you walk in his steps, and this fulfillment will come into your life.
Verse 26: Nevertheless, we must run aground and on some island.”
That means the ship and the cargo will be lost.
Verse 27: On the fourteenth night we were still being driven across the Adriatic Sea, when about midnight the sailors sensed they were approaching land.
Verse 28: They took soundings and found that the water was a hundred and twenty feet deep. A short time later they took soundings again and found it was ninety feet deep.
In only a short time, it went from a hundred and twenty feet deep to ninety feet deep. The sailor knows exactly what Paul said will happen. They would run aground on some island.
Verse 29: Fearing that we would be dashed against the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight.
Why do the sailors fear? Because the sailors only believe the partial message given by Paul. Paul says in verse 26: Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island.
The people are worried about running aground, and Satan knows that if you run aground and hit the rocks, all will lose their life.
They prayed for daylight because they can’t see it.
Verse 30: In an attempt to escape from the shirt, the sailors let the lifeboat down into the sea, pretending they were going to lower some anchors from the bow.
Verse 31: Then Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved.”
Verse 32: So the soldiers cut off the rope that held the lifeboat and let it fall away.
They listened to Paul. A lifeboat will not save the lives of 276 people. But keeping the sailors within aboard, all their lives will be saved. This time they listened.
All those christians who listens to the pastor is the one who has already suffered loss. When people suffer loss, they will be obedient and will lesson. All those people who disobey and keep on disobeying, they haven’t seen loss yet. But when they see loss, they are going to lose their life. Even though we obey God, we cannot be proud, because when we obey, we suffer loss already. We don’t want to keep on losing it. God’s words are powerful.
Verse 33: Just before dawn Paul urged them all to eat. “For the last fourteen days,” he said, “you have been in constant suspense and have gone without food-you haven’t eaten anything.
Verse 34: Now I urge you to take some food. You need it to survive. Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head.”
What do they need to do to survive? Number one: keep the sailors on board. Number two: you need to eat food to survive.
Verse 35: After he said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat.
Verse 36: They were all encouraged and ate some food themselves.
Verse 37: Altogether there were 276 of us on board.
Verse 38: When they had eaten as much as they wanted, they lightened the ship by throwing the grain into the sea.
Verse 39: When daylight came, they did not realize the land, but they saw a bay with a sandy beach, where they decided to run the ship aground if they could.
Verse 40: Cutting loose the anchors, they left them in the sea and at the same time untied the rope that held the rudders. Then they hoisted the foresail to the wind and made for the beach.
Verse 41: But the ship struck a sandbar and ran aground. The bow stuck fast and would not move, and the stern was broken to pieces by the pounding of the surf.
Verse 42: The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners to prevent any of them from swimming away and escaping.
Why would they do this? The sailors know that it’s a Roman law that if you lose any prisoners, the soldiers would lose their own life.
Verse 43: But the centurion wanted to spare Paul’s life and kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land.
This time the centurion realized Paul is God’s servant. He wants to spare his life and keep other people alive by follow what Paul says: Out of the 276 people, not a single hair from their head will be lost.
Verse 44: The rest were to get there on planks or on pieces of the ship.–
Because it was broken.
–In this way everyone reached land in safety.
In conclusion, disobedience suffer great losses. First the ship was lost, then the cargo, finally, if people keep on doing what they’re doing, they will lose their life. In the midst of the whole situation, in the voyage, Paul helped them all along by giving them warnings. The first warning is to not go but they go. The second warning was to tell them to keep the sailors on board, and they kept them on board. That is how their lives were saved. Thirdly, he told them to eat to survive. So they ate to survive. Finally, 276 people were saved. Paul is a good and faithful servant of God. He knows God’s words and he preached God’s words. All those people who listened to Paul spared losses. Although the ship and cargo were lost (the owner of the ship suffered the most from losing his property), the people know God and his servant and they would probably turn to God.