Acts 27:27-44 The Shipwreck = July 27

The Shipwreck
Acts 27:27-44

Have you ever been seasick? What happened? How did you recover? 

#God                  #People           #Time                #Place              #Obedient faith          #Sin    #Key Idea

Acts 27:27-44 (ESV)

 

27When the fourteenth night had come, as we were being driven across the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors suspected that they were nearing land. 28So they took a sounding and found twenty fathoms.^d A little farther on they took a sounding again and found fifteen fathoms.^e 29And fearing that we might run on the rocks, they let down four anchors from the stern and prayed for day to come. 30And as the sailors were seeking to escape from the ship, and had lowered the ship’s boat into the sea under pretense of laying out anchors from the bow, 31Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.” 32Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the ship’s boat and let it go.

33As day was about to dawn, Paul urged them all to take some food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day that you have continued in suspense and without food, having taken nothing. 34Therefore I urge you to take some food. For it will give you strength,^f for not a hair is to perish from the head of any of you.” 35And when he had said these things, he took bread, and giving thanks to God in the presence of all he broke it and began to eat. 36Then they all were encouraged and ate some food themselves. 37(We were in all 276g persons in the ship.) 38And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, throwing out the wheat into the sea.

The Shipwreck

39Now when it was day, they did not recognize the land, but they noticed a bay with a beach, on which they planned if possible to run the ship ashore. 40So they cast off the anchors and left them in the sea, at the same time loosening the ropes that tied the rudders. Then hoisting the foresail to the wind they made for the beach. 41But striking a reef,^h they ran the vessel aground. The bow stuck and remained immovable, and the stern was being broken up by the surf. 42The soldiers’ plan was to kill the prisoners, lest any should swim away and escape. 43But the centurion, wishing to save Paul, kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and make for the land, 44and the rest on planks or on pieces of the ship. And so it was that all were brought safely to land.

Hashtags

People
#Paul
#we – Paul and Luke
#the centurion = (Julius) of the Augustan Cohort named
#the sailors
#the soldiers
#prisoners
#276 persons

Places
# Adriatic Sea #Cnidus
#the land, a bay with a beach

Topics
#Skill of sailing
#Emotions of travel on sea
#praying for daylight, Paul’s prayer for food observed
#responsibility to passengers
#Importance of food for strength
#Everyone can contribute a positive in the midst of a “Storm”

• God is ... What do we learn about God in this passage?
• We are ... What do we learn about people in this passage?
• How does one’s reaction to a crisis reveal character?
• What did this crisis show about Paul’s character?
• How is Paul’s role in the storm and wreck an example for us?
• Why would Julius listen to Paul’s advice about anything?
• How does one become the person whose advice others will seek?
• What do you think the angel meant by saying that God had graciously given Paul the lives of his fellow passengers (27:24)? What does this show that Paul had been doing?
• Why did Paul reprimand the men on the boat?
• Compare verse 31 with verse 11. How does the centurion feel about Paul now? About the God Paul serves?
• How do Paul's words and his example serve to encourage the others? How would your estimation of Paul change during the two weeks of the storm? 
• What do you imagine the scene in verses 39-44 was like? What was said? How did people look? Feel? 
• How do Paul's attitudes and actions compare with those of the sailors? To what would you attribute Paul's ability to remain calm under pressure?
• I will ... What has the Holy Spirit revealed to us in this passage? How can I apply it to my life this week?
• What situation in your life most dramatically shaped your character? What is the greatest pressure situation you're facing now? 
• How can Paul's example and the principles you've learned from his experience help you? What is your part and what is God's part in the resolution of your storm? 
• When have you been tempted to bail out of a stormy situation and slip away in a lifeboat? What happened? What did you learn?
• You can ... Who do you know who needs to hear this? Feel free to share with others by social media links at the bottom of this.

https://www.youtube.com/c/edmondchurchofchrist

SERMON: Four Anchors that Stabilize our Soul

TEXT: Acts 27:29

1. GOD is our Anchor - Acts 27:24 "Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee."

2. FAITH is our Anchor - Acts 27:25 "I believe God."

3. PERSEVEREANCE is our Anchor - Acts 27:31, "except you abide in the ship."

4. STRENGTH is our Anchor - Acts 27:33, "take meat." Our soul needs spiritual food like our body needs nourishment.

Conclusion: Anchors hold; they hold our soul!

1 Kings 1-2

Introduction

https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/kings/

1 Kings 1

David in His Old Age

Adonijah Sets Himself Up as King

Nathan and Bathsheba Before David

Solomon Anointed King

1 Kings 2

David's Instructions to Solomon

The Death of David

Solomon's Reign Established

1 Kings Introduction

 1 Kings Introduction

https://youtu.be/kqRrBbYTfaE

1 & 2 Kings form one book on Israel's history. But more importantly, they tell a story about death and life. In Kings, everything Israel hoped in as a nation fails them. The kings, the temple, the law, and the prophets are all unable to stop Israel's inevitable death. All the evil and failure of the kings point to the end of the story when Israel as a nation will die in exile. But the good news of Kings is that death is not the end. Throughout the story, God promises that the people of Israel will be raised back to life. This same hope extends to us in the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Acts 27:13-26 The Storm at Sea = July 26

The Storm at Sea
Acts 27:13-26

Have you ever been seasick? What happened? How did you recover?

#God                  #People           #Time                #Place              #Obedient faith          #Sin    #Key Idea

Acts 27:13-26 (ESV)

 

The Storm at Sea

13Now when the south wind blew gently, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete, close to the shore. 14But soon a tempestuous wind, called the northeaster, struck down from the land. 15And when the ship was caught and could not face the wind, we gave way to it and were driven along. 16Running under the lee of a small island called Cauda,^b we managed with difficulty to secure the ship’s boat. 17After hoisting it up, they used supports to undergird the ship. Then, fearing that they would run aground on the Syrtis, they lowered the gear,^c and thus they were driven along. 18Since we were violently storm-tossed, they began the next day to jettison the cargo. 19And on the third day they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands. 20When 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.

21Since they had been without food for a long time, Paul stood up among them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me and not have set sail from Crete and incurred this injury and loss. 22Yet now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. 23For this very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, 24and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ 25So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told. 26But we must run aground on some island.”

Hashtags-People

#Paul

#we – Paul and Luke

#Caesar

 

Places

#Crete

#lee of a small island called Cauda

#aground on the Syrtis

 

Topics

#ship

• God is ... What do we learn about God in this passage?
• We are ... What do we learn about people in this passage?
• What in verses 13-20 reveals how severe this storm was? Verse 27 indicates this situation lasted two weeks. How would you be feeling by the end of the first week? What would a page from your ship's diary sound like? 
• As a sailor on board, how would you feel about Paul's message in verses 21-26? 
• After being in Caesarea for at least two years. Why would Paul need to hear the promise of 23:11 repeated (v. 24)? 
• I will ... What has the Holy Spirit revealed to us in this passage? How can I apply it to my life this week?
• In terms of a weather report, how would you describe your life at present? Your life five years ago? 
• In a crisis, Paul reacted with urgent forewarnings, maintaining hope, counseling, common sense, giving thanks, remaining calm, persevering to the end. In comparison, how do you react to a crisis? 
• You can ... Who do you know who needs to hear this? Feel free to share with others by social media links at the bottom of this.

https://www.youtube.com/c/edmondchurchofchrist

Psalm 33

Psalm 33:16‐21 (NIV): “No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength.  A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save.  But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear Him, on those whose hope is in His unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.  We wait in hope for the Lord; He is our help and our shield.  In Him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in His holy name.”  

    

One of the greatest vulnerabilities of Christians today is to approach career, struggles, and objectives out of their own strength – not relying on or trusting in God as the source of their success.  Trusting God does not relieve you of the responsibility of doing your best.  Trusting God and doing your best are two different issues.  2 Timothy 2:15 says, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”  God calls you to do your best and be capable in what you are doing, but your underlying position is to be called, led, equipped, sustained, and empowered by God.  Galatians 2:20 says, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me.”  

As a follower of Christ, you must always remember that it is not by your power, equipping, and tools that you succeed.  True success is found only through the Lord.  Your job is to keep your eyes on the Lord.  No matter how difficult or impossible the challenge, your hope is in God and not the circumstances.  Christ has secured your place for eternity; your place now is to be used by Him for His purposes.  1 Corinthians 15:57 says, “But thanks be to God!  He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  God wants to pour His life into you each day.  Do not be an obstacle for His in‐pouring by relying on yourself and not Him.  It is in your moments of greatest need that God is closest.  Draw into Him and allow Him to pour into you!

2 Corinthians 12:9: “But He [Jesus] said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.”

Psalm 34

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Psalm 34:1 “I will extol the Lord at all times; His praise will always be on my lips.”  NIV

     

Praise for God your Father should be the easiest thing that flows from your heart and mouth.  The pure recognition of you not only being God’s creation, but also being the recipient of His love and grace through your redemption in Christ Jesus should flood your heart with praise for Him.  

Romans 5:8 say, “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  Your praise should not be limited to when you receive something from God, but praise Him for the reality that God Almighty even considers you.  Your praise should not be limited to when you come out of hard times, but just for the normal things in your life.  Your praise should not be limited to when you get a raise or promotion, but for the very job you have.  Your praise should not be limited to when God heals you, but for the very breath of life itself.  Praise should not be limited to

Sunday morning, but to every waking moment.  Praise is the inexpressible recognition of Who God is in your life, His immeasurable love for you, His never exhausting patience with you, and His unfathomable capacity to cover you with His grace.  Your praise is not dependent on how good times are, but how GOOD YOUR GOD IS!  

Romans 5:6 says, “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.”  The world’s affect on you is probably crowding God out of your life when your praise becomes limited to the events of life itself and not your life in communion with God.  It is out of your intimacy with God that you begin to see and experience God in every detail of your life.

Philippians 1:9‐11 “And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ — to the glory and praise of God.”  NIV

Romans 11:33, 36 “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!  How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!  For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.  To Him be the glory forever! Amen.”  NIV

============

Psalm 34:11 “Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.”   

The Church has done a good job of sharing about Jesus, but not as well on teaching about the fear of the Lord.  A recent Barna survey found that 86% of youth had a negative perception of Christians.  The top two reasons given in the survey are: (1) Christians are judgmental and (2) Christians are hypocritical.  These two areas were major teaching points of

Jesus yet are two of the biggest stumbling blocks for people coming to Jesus.  

In the Psalm above, the writer (David) is encouraging you to allow him to teach you the fear of the Lord.  Let’s think about how Jesus would teach you the fear of the Lord?  I believe Jesus would do it by spending time with you.  Jesus began His ministry with hundreds, if not thousands of followers, but whittled them down to 77, then 12, and finally 3 which reflected the increased intensity of teaching, fellowship, and relationship with His disciples.  

Jesus knew that a changed life comes from a healthy fear of God, and a healthy fear of God comes out of the intensity of His relationship with His disciples.  The same is true for followers of Christ today.  Fear of God is reverence, respect, and faith that God is God and He “Is”, “Was”, and “Will Always” be God!  Your fear of God will come out of the intensity of your relationship with Him on a daily basis.  If Jesus were to say to me, “Come, my child, listen to Me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord,” I would envision myself sitting at His feet listening to His words and stories.  Reading His Word, talking to Him, receiving His Word into your life and allowing it to galvanize your life will cultivate intimacy with God.  

A life that is touched by God is a life that fears God.  A life that fears God is a life that is experiencing God’s love and grace while growing in appreciation of who He is.  As you read the following Scriptures, pray for God to open your heart to new levels of intimacy with Him.

Imitate Jesus - Mark 1:35 “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where He prayed.”   

Priority - Job 23:12 “I have not departed from the commands of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my daily bread.”  

Hunger for God - Psalm 42:1-2 “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for You, O God.  My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. 

When can I go and meet with God?”  

Refreshed by God - Psalm 90:14 “Satisfy us in the morning with Your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.”  

Instructed by God - Isaiah 50:4-5 “The Sovereign Lord has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary.  He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught.  The Sovereign Lord has opened my ears, and I have not been rebellious; I have not drawn back.”   

Acts 27:1-12 Paul Sails for Rome = July 25

Paul Sails for Rome
Acts 27:1-12

If you could take a honeymoon cruise anywhere, where would you go? Why? 

#God                  #People           #Time                #Place              #Obedient faith          #Sin    #Key Idea

Acts 27:1-12 (ESV)

 

Paul Sails for Rome

1And when it was decided that we should sail for Italy, they delivered Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion of the Augustan Cohort named Julius. 2And embarking in a ship of Adramyttium, which was about to sail to the ports along the coast of Asia, we put to sea, accompanied by Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica. 3The next day we put in at Sidon. And Julius treated Paul kindly and gave him leave to go to his friends and be cared for. 4And putting out to sea from there we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were against us. 5And when we had sailed across the open sea along the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra in Lycia. 6There the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing for Italy and put us on board. 7We sailed slowly for a number of days and arrived with difficulty off Cnidus, and as the wind did not allow us to go farther, we sailed under the lee of Crete off Salmone. 8Coasting along it with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near which was the city of Lasea.

9Since much time had passed, and the voyage was now dangerous because even the Fasta was already over, Paul advised them, 10saying, “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.” 11But the centurion paid more attention to the pilot and to the owner of the ship than to what Paul said. 12And 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.

Hashtags People

#Paul

#we – Paul and Luke

#prisoners

# Julius = a centurion of the Augustan Cohort named 

#Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica

#the pilot (Owned the ship)

Places

#Italy

#Adramyttium

#coast of Asia

#Sidon

#lee of Cyprus

#along the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia

#Myra in Lycia

#Cnidus

#lee of Crete off Salmone

#Fair Havens, near which was the city of Lasea

#Phoenix, a harbor of Crete

Topics

#ship

• God is ... What do we learn about God in this passage?
• We are ... What do we learn about people in this passage?
• As Paul sets sail for Rome (consult the map), what points of interest can you locate along the way from Paul's diary? 
• From verses 1-3 and 43, what do you know about the centurion in charge? How does his concern for Paul indicate the way Paul used his time while imprisoned in Caesarea? 
• If you were the ship's owner or pilot, how would you react to Paul's warning about the 50-mile trip they wanted to make (v. 10)? Would you have responded any differently than Julius did to Paul's concern? 
• I will ... What has the Holy Spirit revealed to us in this passage? How can I apply it to my life this week?
• When have you felt caught in a "northeaster," driven along by the wind? What happened? What did you learn from the situation? 
• You can ... Who do you know who needs to hear this? Feel free to share with others by social media links at the bottom of this.

https://www.youtube.com/c/edmondchurchofchrist

==========

Paul's Journey To Rome,                     Acts 27:1-28:31

Synopsis:      
The time came for Paul to go to Rome for his appeal unto Caesar.  A centurion named Julius of the Augustan band was put in charge of taking Paul to Rome.  Paul was treated kindly by Julius and was able to visit his friends there.  They sailed by Cyprus and came to Myra, a city of Lycia.  There they boarded a ship of Alexandria sailing unto Italy.  The sailing was slow because of the wind.  They came unto Salmone and then to Fair Havens.  Paul urged them to winter there, but the captain of the ship wanted to go on and his opinion prevailed.  When the wind was favorable, they sailed and were caught in a storm.  The storm grew so bad they had to lighten the ship.  Many days went by and most of them lost hope of arriving safely.  Paul encouraged them by telling them that an angel of God appeared unto him and told him the ship would be lost, but no lives would be lost.  They would be cast upon an island.  After fourteen days they came close to land and anchored fearing lest they hit the rocks.  The sailors started to abandon ship with the lifeboats leaving the others on ship.  Paul seeing this warned the centurion and the lifeboats were cut adrift.  Paul re-assured them that no one would be lost and urged them to eat.  He gave thanks for the food and ate.  The others encouraged by his words and example, also ate.  There were 276 people on the ship.  They again lightened the ship by throwing off the cargo of wheat.  At daybreak, they discovered a creek and sailed the ship as far as it would go.  When the ship ran aground, the soldiers wanted to kill the prisoners so that none would escape, but the centurion would not allow this.  They all left the ship and made it to shore and none were lost, as Paul had predicted.

            They discovered upon landing they were on the island of Melita.  The people were kind to them and made a fire for them to warm themselves.  Paul was bitten by a poisonous snake as he gathered wood for the fire.  The natives assumed he was a murderer because the viper bit him, but when Paul shook off the snake without harm, they changed their minds and thought he was a god.  They stayed with the chief man of the island named Publius.  Paul healed the father of Publius.  After this he healed many others who were ill and had diseases.  The people were very kind to them and about three months later they boarded another ship for Rome.  They landed at Syracuse and were there three days.  They went to Rhegium, then to Puteoli where they found some fellow Christians and stayed a week with them.  They journeyed toward Rome and the brethren from Rome met them at Appii Forum and the three taverns.  This was encouraging to Paul.  He thanked God.

            When they arrived in Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard, but Paul was allowed to dwell by himself with a soldier to guard him.  After three days Paul called the chief of the Jews together and explained why he was there and about his appeal unto Caesar.  He spoke to them of the hope of the resurrection.  The Jews had not heard about Paul and listened to him.  He preached Christ to them; some believed, and some did not.  Paul quoted Isaiah 6:9 to show that the people would reject the gospel.

Outline:
Paul the Counselor (27:1-20)
Paul the Encourager (27:21-44)