Acts: shipwreck

Speaker: Jo Crawford

Notes

In Acts 27, Paul is taken by ship to Rome, to stand trial before Caesar. He tells the Captain not to sail but the Captain ignores him. The ship runs into a storm and it looks like they will all die. An angel appears to Paul and says "God has promised you that he will save the lives of everyone sailing with you". Paul is so sure that he heard God and so confident that God will keep his promise, that he convinces all the soldiers and sailors on board to follow his lead, even though he is just a prisoner. They eventually end up on Malta, and no one dies.

1) Circumstances: God looks after us, even in a storm. Difficult circumstances don’t have to mean that you are not in God’s will or that God has abandoned you. God can make things even better.

2) Certainty: God keeps his promises, and he loves it when we believe him.

3) Compassion: God forgives us (he warned the Captain not to sail, through Paul, but he still rescued him). God likes it when we are gracious to others (Paul makes sure everyone gets to the shore).

Application

The KJV translates Acts 27:22 as "I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man's life among you". How do you "be of good cheer" in difficult circumstances?

Presumption versus Faith. What if Paul thought "God said he would get me to Rome so he will – I'll just jump overboard by myself"?

How easy do you find it to be gracious to people who have made mistakes that affected you? What helps?

Posted: 16 Nov 2008