Chapter 27, Acts chapter 27. I'd like to deal with verses
27 to 32. I've entitled this message, All
Must Abide in the Ship. When we look at this or any other
passage of Scripture, remember that this book, this divine book,
the Holy Scriptures, the Bible, is the Word of Almighty God to
His people, setting forth that which He has
eternally purposed to do in their redemption and salvation. Now, we will often find, as we
will tonight, that we see this glorious gospel set forth in
picture and type. This evening I pray that the
Spirit of God give us eyes to see the wonder of God's sustaining
grace in the salvation of His people. Now this boat that they're
on, it's got all kinds. It's got some believers on it.
It's got some soldiers. It's got criminals. It's got some seaworthy sailors. But in type, it's a picture of
all of God's sheep. Now if you keep that in mind
and realize that it is a picture, it's a type, and remember this,
no picture or no type is ever perfect. as the revelation of
that picture is. So, I mean, you're talking about
finding people that are sinners, you know, but in type, in picture. Let's look at this beautiful
picture of salvation. The Apostle Paul had told the
men on the ship, he said, Sirs, be of good cheer. I believe God. It shall be even as it was told
me, how be it, we must be cast upon a certain island." And that
was verse 25. That's what we looked about last
week. I believe God. Well, knowing
that they were going to be cast upon a certain island, the Lord
in His providence allowed, caused this ship full of all these men
to wait Just a while, and the scripture says in verse 27, but
when the 14th night was come. Now it's not told exactly what
that 14th night, you know, whether that was from when they started
this last leg, whether that was the 14th night. I don't think
it would have been the 14th night of the hurricane. Hurricanes
just don't last that long. probably from the time that they
had set sail. It's not told. And really, since
it's not told, we're not going to try to make the Scripture
say something. Here's what it says. When the
fourteenth night was come, as we were driven up and down in
Adria, about midnight, the shipmen deemed that they drew near to
some country. They were driven up and down. They were drifting along. in
the Adriatic Sea, more than likely. Hurricane was drawing to an end,
but I tell you, you will find here in the next few verses,
not this evening, but next few verses, it was still raining
profusely. They still had quite a bit of
weather that was going on, but they were just driven up and
down by the good pleasure, good providence of Almighty God, the
Lord ordering their exact course. And what they had concerning
their survival was one thing, the Word of God. The Lord had
told Paul, everybody on this ship is going to survive. The ship is going to be crushed. But everybody on this ship is
going to make it. Well, about midnight, Scripture
says, Previously, we had looked and said there was no stars,
no light. They didn't see. It was dark.
And it says in the shipment deemed, or they surmised, that they drew
near to some country. Now, how they surmised that,
we're not told. Maybe they heard the breakers.
Maybe they heard the water crashing out in the distance. Maybe they
knew. They knew something was out there. They knew that they were getting
close. Well, it says in verse 28 and 29, "...and sounded and
found it twenty fathoms. And when they had gone a little
further, they sounded again and found it fifteen fathoms. Then,
fearing lest we should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors
out of the stern and wished for the day." Now, these sailors
were no doubt experienced. in what they were doing. I don't
doubt that they perceived what was really so. They knew that they were getting
close. They knew that there was some
land out there. They could hear something out there. Gave them
some indication. So they sounded and they found
out they were about 20 fathoms, about 120 feet deep. Well, they
went a little further and they sounded again. They found it
15 fathoms. Fearing, the scripture says in
verse 29, that we should have fallen upon rocks. The scripture
says they cast four anchors out of the stern and wished for the
day, wished for the light, wished for the morning. Boy, I wish
you would get daylight. It is awfully dark out here.
You know, when I first looked at this passage of Scripture,
I looked at what these men did. I'll tell you my first thoughts
on this. I started not to tell you what
I thought at first, but I will. When I first saw it, I realized
it said they knew it was dangerous. They knew that it was getting
more shallow. Obviously, they knew that there
was probably some rocks out there. They knew that if we get in the
rocks, we're going to wreck. Kind of uncertain, isn't it?
Can't see. Dark. We hear some tumult out
there. When I first looked at it, I
thought they cast four anchors out of the stern, out of the back. And when I first read that, I
thought, you know what? The Lord had promised that everybody
was going to survive, so probably what this meant was these men
just didn't believe God. They were going to throw all
the anchors out, you know, I started thinking about that, and I thought,
yeah, that's what it is. They just didn't believe God. And I got to looking at it again,
and I thought, wait a minute. These men had four anchors. I read a little bit about it, and
I found out that often what they would do is they'd throw an anchor
out in the front, throw one off each side, and throw one out
the back. These guys didn't do that. They cast four anchors
out of the stern. You know what they did? They
put all their hope in one place. They threw all four anchors out
of one place. This is a picture of God's people.
This is a picture. This is a type of God's sheep. They put all of their hope. I
found out that the stern, that's where the governor sits. The
guy steering the boat. They put all their eggs in one
basket. You that believe, that's what
you do. You put all your hope in one
place. They threw all of it off the
stern. And wishing for the day. Wishing
for the light. You know what we're doing here
tonight? We're putting all our hope in the Lord Jesus Christ. And looking for that day, that
day of redemption, that day of resurrection, that day of the
sun rising, that day of the sight of Christ Himself. All of their
hope. One place, you think, surely
you'd think that maybe, let's scatter these things out a little
bit. Surely it would be better. Don't you think? No. Everything we've got, we're going
to put it in one spot. What have we got? We believe
God. Wishing for the day. Hebrews
6, 19 says that the believer has an anchor. You know what
this anchor right here, I found out this word anchor, it's found
two times in this chapter right here. And one other time in the
book of Hebrews 6.19, it says, which hope we have as an anchor. Safeguard. That's what it means.
Anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, in which entereth
into that within the veil. All they had. Where are you going
to put it? We're going to throw everything
we've got. in one spot, and that's what they did. The scripture
says in verse 30 and 31 and 32, and as the shipmen were about
to flee out of the ship, when they had let down the boat into
the sea under color, as though they would cast anchors out of
the foreship, Paul said to the centurion, to the soldiers, except
these abide in the ship, you cannot be saved. Then the soldiers
cut off the ropes of the boat and let her fall off. skilled shipmen. They devised a plan. It's dark. I think what we're going to do
is we're going to flee out of the ship. That's what verse 30
says. They were going to let down a
lifeboat. Let it down into the sea. Under color, that is under
pretense, that's what that means. We're going to make it appear
as though that we're going to let down an anchor in the front
part of the ship, foreship. They thought that no one saw
their scheme. Well, they thought that they
could escape by their own cunning and ability, but God saw them. You say, yeah, but I thought
you said that this was a picture of God's sheep. It is. Paul said, I see in me that is
in my flesh there dwells no good thing. The will is present with
me, but how to accomplish that which I would I find not. If
left to yourself, you would jump ship. If He didn't keep you, they devised
this plan. I'll tell you what we're going
to do. There's only one way we're going to make it. We're going
to let down this lifeboat. We've got a little something
in our back pocket. Oh, wretched man that I am. Job said, I loathe myself. I
hate that I'd ever thought that. I hate that I ever came to that
thought process. Paul said to the centurion, to
the soldiers, except these abide in the ship. Now look at the
wording there. Except these abide in the ship,
he told the centurion. You can't be saved. Unless these
right here stay in this ship, you don't have any hope. The Lord had given His word and
was bound to His word to preserve all life in that ship. But they
were going to be preserved God's way, not by the works of the
flesh, not by their own ability. Just like Noah was secure in
that ark, all God's sheep are secure in Christ. You know that. But here was the word, except
these abide in the ship, you cannot be saved. You can't. Obedience was an issue. But listen
to this glorious truth. Except these abide in this ship, you can't be saved. If some could escape, and truly
be saved by removing themselves from the boat and save themselves
if some could be loosed from the Lord Jesus Christ. And salvation
is not of grace. Salvation is not of the Lord.
Salvation is of your works and your ability. If some could get
out, then what ability or what ease or pleasure or comfort or
security do you have? If these don't abide, if these
don't stay, you can't be saved. If some are going to be able
to get out, then there's no security for any of them. If some could
be plucked out of the hands of the Lord Jesus Christ, what security
do you have? is He who is able to keep you
from falling. I'm telling you, we would have
never put ourselves in the boat. We would have never kept ourselves
in the boat. We would have had one thought
process. I can do whatever it takes to
save myself. And if these could have gotten
out of that boat, A picture of God's people. If they could,
they would. But you are kept by the power
of God. What happened? It says in verse
32, Then the soldiers cut off the ropes of the boat and let
her fall. Paul had been told by the Lord. in this boat is going to survive. All in this boat. But you've
got to stay in the boat. All that's in this boat is going
to survive. But except these stay in the
boat, you can't be saved. What did they do to preserve
the life of those sailors who of themselves would have escaped?
What did they do? They cut the ropes. By the grace
of God Almighty, what you think would have been your security
and would have been your escape, God in His infinite mercy and
grace cut it off. Wouldn't allow you. Wouldn't
permit you. Just like these men were kept
from perishing by the good pleasure of Almighty God, all that the
Lord has purposed to save are going to be saved. And I'm telling
you, in that day of redemption, they're going to say, Lord, you're
worthy. You kept me. I would have left. Left up to me. Left up to my
own free will. I would have done just exactly
what my flesh dictated. I wouldn't have stayed. I would
have fled. I would not have been honorable
to you. I would not have obeyed you.
The Lord had said there's no life going to be lost except
the ship. The Lord put them in the ship.
The Lord sent the storm. The Lord ordained all hope be
placed in Christ or anchors and Almighty God He cut all other
ways of escape away. Kept them. The Lord who decreed
this preservation, He also decreed the means. What is God's means
of salvation? It's the Lord Jesus Christ as
He is revealed in the preaching of the Gospel. Surely there is
another way. Surely there is another life,
Surely, it must be something that I can do. Surely, if I'm
baptized, I think I'll just lower that lifeboat. Surely, maybe
if I'm sincere and I give my heart and a free will and I'm
honest, maybe I'll just lift that lifeboat down. Just cut
it off. Except these stay in the boat. Nobody is going to be saved.
If one of God's sheep can escape, then there is no security for
any of them. Kept. Almighty God chose His
people in Christ. A picture of all of them being
in that boat. The Word of Almighty God came
revealed in His Scripture All that the Father giveth me shall
come to me. And him that cometh to me, I
will in no wise cast him out." The Lord told Paul. They're all
going to be saved. They're going to stay in the
boat. I'm going to keep them in the boat. I'm going to preserve
them in the boat. Almighty God in His infinite
mercy and grace sustained them and kept them. by His good pleasure. Philippians 4.19 says this, pictured as one in that boat with the thoughts that those
men had of disobedience, with the infinite mercy and compassion
of Almighty God that would not let them perish. Please don't
think too highly of yourself. Please don't think within yourself
that there's no possible way that I would ever think anything
like that. I would never think anything
disobediently like that. I would never do anything to
jeopardize my security in Christ. You are greatly fooled. Just the very thought of disobedience,
just the very thought of not Absolute perfection serving God
Almighty. Just the very thought of disobedience. This is what you said. I think
I'll just get myself out of this. You see, we don't realize the
seriousness of what we are by nature. Oh, wretched man that I am. Who shall deliver me from the
body of this death? I tell you who will. He who has
everlastingly loved me and kept me, and kept me, and kept me
by His grace. Lord, You're worthy to receive
all the honor and all the glory and all the praise. For You've
kept me to this day and forevermore. to His honor and His glory and
His praise. How I thank God that Almighty
God cut the ropes of escape for me and kept me in that boat. For Christ's sake, amen.