TEXT: Acts 27:1-28:10

SUBJECT: Acts 30

This morning, God willing, we’ll proceed in our study of Acts, looking for the Presence and activity of Christ in it. The Lord Jesus is the central character in all the Bible—including these chapters. We mustn’t give that place to anyone or anything else. It belongs to God’s Only Son.

The story begins in Caesarea, the Roman capital of Judea. Paul is a prisoner there—and has been for more two years. The governor Festus found him innocent of all charges and would have released him, had he not first appealed to Caesar. As a Roman citizen, Paul could take his case to the Emperor. And that’s just what he’s going to do.

But it won’t be easy. Rome is about 1,000 miles from Caesarea—and that’s a long boat ride! The first leg of the trip is also the shortest. They sail about seventy miles north and come ashore in Sidon. There’s a church there, and Paul is so trustworthy that the soldier who’s guarding him, lets him go to church on his own and meet with his friends one last time. That must have been one emotional meeting. But it doesn’t last long.

From Sidon, they sail to Myra, a port city in Southeastern Europe. One the way there (near Cyprus) they get their first hint that all is not well.

From Myra, they sail to the Island of Crete, where things get even harrier. Paul is has studied meteorology and traveled quite a bit and he warns the Centurion to stay in port for the winter. The man listens to Paul, but then asks the navigator and the ship’s owner what they think. They say, "Go on". He takes their advice, and the ship sets sail for Italy.

But on the way there, the wind kicks up a little. A vicious northeaster called "Euroclydon" slams into the ship. The word Luke uses to describe it is "Tuphunikos" (the word from which we get our "typhoon". Paul and his friends were smack-dab in the middle of a hurricane!

The danger is very great. Cables are wrapped around the hull to keep it from coming apart up under the relentless beating. As the sailors fear cracking up on the rocks, they put up the sails in a 100 mph wind, and are driven out to sea at a breakneck speed. The next day, they unloaded the cargo to lighten the ship. Then they threw the tackle overboard. The storm lasted for two solid weeks!

Needless to say, the crew has given up hope and the passengers are frantic. Except for one man.

Paul gathers the people to himself and says, "You should have listened to me". They all know that, of course. But that’s not all he has to say.

That’s good to know. But how can Paul be so sure? The storm has not broken and the sailors have no idea where they are or what to do. Why is Paul so confident? He tells them,

Paul is so sure of God’s Promise that he sits down to eat and tells everyone to join him. Which they do. The food must have tasted good that day, for they’d been either too sick or too busy or too scared or praying too hard to eat for the last two weeks!

After the meal, the sailors start dropping lines into the sea to find the depth. The first time finds the water 120 feet deep. A few minutes later, it’s 90 feet. They’re coming up on land. This sounds like good news to us—but it isn’t to them! For land, doesn’t mean "safety", but "shipwreck"!

The sailors know that and try to sneak off in the lifeboats. But Paul sees them and warns the Centurion,

This time the Centurion believes Paul and orders his men to cut the ropes. The lifeboats fall off and now 276 men are in the Hands of God.

Early the next morning, the captain spots a narrow bay with a beach up ahead. He sails for it—but doesn’t quite make it. The ship runs aground and is pounded by the vicious tide.

Fearing the prisoners will escape, the soldiers plan to kill them. But for Paul’s sake, the sergeant countermands the order. Paul then tells everyone to jump in. If you can swim, swim ashore; if you can’t, then hang on the something that floats. Everyone obeys Paul and,

Where are they? They’re on the Island of Malta, about fifty miles south of Sicily. The natives are very kind, welcoming them ashore, and lighting a bonfire to dry the wet clothes and warm the freezing survivors.

As Paul is putting more wood on the fire, a deadly snake bites him on the hand—and hangs there for awhile! Paul, though, gets his revenge by shaking him off into the fire.

When the natives see this they figure Paul must be a criminal. Even though he escaped the storm, "Justice does not allow him to live". They stare at the man, expecting him to drop dead at any moment. But of course, he doesn’t, and now the natives think he’s a god!

Before long, Publius comes to meet them. He’s the Governor of the Island and takes good care of the shipwrecked men.

But his father is sick. When Paul hears about it, he heals the old man. When others find out, they bring their sick loved ones to Paul and every last one of them is healed. Not by Paul, but by the power and love of Jesus Christ.

And for the next three months, Paul and the others enjoy the hospitality of Malta.

That’s the story our chapters tell.

Here’s what it means: Jesus Christ is with us in our times of trouble. This means two things: (1) The Lord does not forsake us in times of trouble, and (2) He does not keep us from having times of trouble.

You see this in our chapters. Paul’s life is chock-full of problems! He’s a prisoner. On his way to Rome, he’s shipwrecked. When he comes ashore, he’s bitten by a poisonous snake. When the bad weather passes, he stands trial before Nero, a man who’s famous for hating Christians. Paul’s life is anything but carefree! In II Corinthians 11, he describes it for us,

The Lord Jesus did not give Paul an easy life. He did something better than that: He went with him through all his problems. When he was about to give up hope, the Lord’s Angel came to him with good news. On the ship, of course, but not only there. He came to him in Corinth, in Rome, and everywhere else he needed His Presence.

Paul is not unique. His forefathers knew the same Presence. When the family of Jacob went into Egypt, the Lord went with them. Down there, "In all of their afflictions, He was afflicted". When Israel went into the wilderness, they didn’t go alone. He said, "My Presence will go with you and I will give you rest". When Shadrach, Meschach, and Abed-nego walked into the Fiery Furnace, they didn’t walk alone, but "One like unto the Son of God" walked with them.

The same was true in the New Testament era. It began, after all, with God joining the human race—"The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us". You see this in another storm. On the Sea of Galilee, the disciples were about to drown, when the Lord walked out on the water to be with them in all their danger.

"Emmanu-el" means "God with us". Not, God saving us from every loss, every pain, every frustration. But God with us in them all.

Which is far better.

I don’t know if the Lord is going to spare the life of your dying friend. I don’t know if He’s going to heal your sickness or ease your pain. I don’t know if He’s going to get you a job or get you out of debt. I don’t know if he’s going to make your kids come out fine. But I do know this: He’s going to go with you through every one of these problems—and more.

And, in the end, His fellowship is going to mean more to you than any solution He might provide.

The famous words are true,

May God teach this to us. For Christ’s sake. Amen.