Acts 27, we are going to begin looking in verse
13. But coming up to that verse, while journeying on this trip
to Rome, the Apostle Paul had told those that were in charge
of this vessel He said in verse 10, he said, Sirs, I perceive
that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only
of the lading and ship, but also of our lives. That was good counsel. You know that he spoke under
the inspiration of the Spirit of God. But verse 11 says, Nevertheless,
The centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship more
than those things which were spoken by Paul. Proverbs 12, 15 says, The way
of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he that hearkeneth
unto counsel, good counsel, is wise. Men hear the preaching of the
gospel, but left to themselves in unbelief, they toy with death, eternity. It's just a heartbeat away, just
a moment. This life is so fragile. It's just, I mean, just a moment. Proverbs 14.12 says there is
a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are
the ways of death. Paul told them. There's going to be trouble if
you leave the haven. No, they didn't believe him.
Well, verse 13.14 of chapter 27 says, And when the south wind blew
softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing
fence, they sailed close by Crete. But not long after there arose
against it a tempestuous wind called Euroclodon. It was a hurricane. Everything looked like it was
okay. Paul told them, don't leave.
There's going to be some hurt. We preach the Gospel to men.
Come to Christ. Cast yourself upon the mercy
of God. Ecclesiastes 8.11 says, Because
sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore
the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. You know that that's so because
execution of judgment is not now, right now. Men think, I'm
going to get off. I don't see a problem here. That's
what they're saying. Things are going on just like
they always have. Man is born to disobedience,
to rebellion against God's Word. And go through this life. They
suppose that all is well. They never realize. I'm telling
you, this life is but a vapor. It's going to be hurt. But God's
Word is sure. Sirs, I perceive there's going
to be a problem. And they got out there. South
wind was blowing. They said, I don't see a problem.
Winds are calm out of the south, nice little warm breeze, we'll
make good time. But this hurricane was sent,
and sent for two reasons. Number one, it was sent in judgment
against the disobedience of those authorities. Every transgression, Scripture
says, and disobedience receives a just recompense of reward. Now and later, men left to themselves in unbelief. You are seeing the judgment of
God right now. Men that die in unbelief that
went through this life perished under the judgment of God. God
Almighty gave them just exactly what they wanted. And then later,
in the eternal judgment, separation from God. Be not deceived, God
is not mocked. Whatsoever a man soweth, that
shall he also reap. So this hurricane was in judgment
against all those that just didn't believe Paul. Well, they didn't
believe God. That's what it is. But secondly,
this hurricane was sent to prove the faithfulness of the Lord
Jesus Christ toward His own. The Lord had told Paul, you're
going to preach in Rome. You preached in Jerusalem. You're
going to preach in Rome too. And the Lord is faithful to His
Word. That hurricane, been in a hurricane, and I just absolutely,
the thought of being out in a boat in a hurricane is kind of a harrowing
thought. But God's Word is sure. Paul told them, he said, I believe
God. He says that in a few verses.
I believe God. Verse 15 says, When the ship
was caught in that hurricane and could not bear up into the
wind, we let her drive. We let her drive. You know, these
men that were so-called professionals had some professional seamen
that was manning that ship. had a group of soldiers, had
some criminals, had some Christians. Paul and the others, they were
prisoners of wrong, but prisoners of the Lord Jesus. And here they
were, right in there in the midst of all of them, and all of a
sudden this hurricane comes up. They began to try to bear up,
the Scripture says, and they couldn't. Luke says we just let
her drive. Them and us. We. 1 Peter 1.7 says that the trial
of your faith, and don't think for one second that Paul and
Luke and Aristarchus, the other believer that was there with
them, wasn't tried. I mean, Paul says that these
trials are grievous. Peter says, the trial of your
faith, and the faith being much more precious than gold that
perishes, though it be tried with fire, might be found under
praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. That ship caught in that hurricane,
seized in that tempest, and those men that were in command and
control they thought. They fought to keep everything. Tried to hold that ship together.
But Luke said, we just let her drive. Let me ask you this. Is that not the believer's attitude? Lord, You've done all things
well. You've dealt well with me. We
just let her drive. If you know that all things work
together for good to them that love God, to them who are called
according to His purpose, if you know that He works all these
things after the counsel of His own will, and He who sends these
trials and He does it in accordance with absolute mercy, well, that's a good thought.
That He who sends the trials, the chastisements to His people,
tempers that trial with mercy and tenderness. And though we
see these things as grievous and hard, but the Spirit of God
still teaches us to trust in the Lord. Luke said, Let her drive. Let her go. What
are you going to do? You're out there in the middle
of a hurricane in a boat. What are you going to do? Who
art thou, O man, that replies against God? Why don't they just exercise
their free will, Mitch? We just let her drive. Psalm
107.25 says, For he commandeth and raiseth the stormy wind which
lifteth up the waves thereof." Every event that takes place
in this world you know is sent by God Almighty for His glory
and for the good of His people. I form the light, the Lord said
in Isaiah 45, 7, and create darkness. I make peace and create evil.
I, the Lord, do all these things. Lord, settle my heart. Give me
a heart that I might say, we just let
her drive. We just let her drive. Gene, what do you do when they
tell you, daughter, you know, what does a believer do? You
let her drive. What are you going to do? Verse 16, running
under a certain island which is called clauda. We had much
work to come by the boat. It was a small boat. It was a
lifeboat. And it would be towed. A lot of times they hook them
now, but hook them on the ships now. But in the end, they towed
them just in case. The literal of that is with much
difficulty. able to become masters of the
boat, trying to get that little boat just in case this big one
don't make it. What are we going to do? Get
in the little one? Verse 17, which when they had
taken up, they used helps in undergirding the ship, fearing
lest they should fall into the quicksands. Straits sailed, so
were driven. I want you to notice Luke's terminology. When they had taken up, they
used helps, undergirding the ship, fearing lest they should
fall into quicksands, struck sail, and so were driven." They
were fearful. They were. But only a believer
rests in the unchanging Word of God Almighty. Fearful. We might not make it. Paul had already been told, you'll
be there. They fought to secure the ship. It wasn't that Paul and Luke
and Aristarchus were fatalistic, but they weren't without hope. Believers in the same world as
unbelievers and find themselves in the same straits as unbelievers. Same types of problems. Believers suffer just like unbelievers,
but the difference is their attitude. Their attitude
before God Almighty because of a new heart. Faith. They, Isaiah 40, verse 31, that
wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount
up with wings as eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk not faint. Why,
God's going to keep them. He'll keep them. Doesn't that
comfort your heart? In the midst of all of the stuff
that's going on, Get to a point to where if I watch television,
if I watch the news too much, I just start getting sick at
my stomach. I start thinking to myself, you
know, that's dangerous. What's happening? Oh, may I be reminded, He works
all things after the counsel of His own will. All things are working together
for good. Verse 18, and we being exceedingly
tossed with a tempest. The next day, they lighted the
ship, started throwing freight overboard, going to lighten their
lot like in the book of Jonah. They got out in the midst of
that storm. They started throwing stuff over.
You know, man by nature, when things get rough, That's when
reform, that's where you start seeing reform. I think I better
get back in church. You know, I think I better straighten
up and fly right. I'm going to turn over a new
leaf. Maybe I ought to be baptized again. Start adding religious
activities. I'm going to stop doing this
and start doing this. Maybe we throw stuff overboard. Verse 19, the third day we cast
out with our own hands the tackling of a ship. Now there's two things,
there's two thoughts about that verse right there. I read the
literal interpretation of that. It says, in the third day we
cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship. Now this
is what the literal of that said. And on the third day they threw
out the ship tackle with their hands. I'm just reading you what
the literal interpretation is. And that may be just exactly
what it means. And if it is, that's exactly
what they did. But there's one other thought,
too. Here is something that the carnal
heart cannot or will not see. It says we cast out with our
own hands the tackling, the furniture, the beds. Outwardly speaking, it appeared
that Paul and Luke and Aristarchus was doing the same thing that
the others were doing. It looked like that. But knowing what we know, of
the character of a believer. It's the same thing I was talking
about a moment ago. Verse 25, just looking down.
We won't get this far tonight. But, Wherefore, sirs, be of good
cheer, for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told
me. The difference in a believer And an unbeliever
is that one of them knows God. One of them rests in God. It
may appear as though there is a group of people, and I don't
know the hearts of people. Man looks on the outside. God
looks on the heart. Here was Paul and Luke and Aristarchus,
and if they were, All I can say is I can read you
the literal of it, and then I can read what it says right here,
and I can see two truths, and they're both consistent. Believers are going to appear
to be doing at times the same things, but it's the difference
of the attitude of the heart. Two people sitting next to each
other. Both of them appear to be worshiping. What's the difference? The grace of God. That's all. Here these men were throwing,
if they were throwing the stuff off just like everybody else,
the only thing I can tell you is that they were doing just
exactly what they were doing, believing God. Verse 20, And when neither sun
nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us,
all hope that we should be saved was then taken away. I want you to turn with me to
Matthew 8. Matthew 8.23. Here is the Lord Jesus Christ with
His disciples. Matthew 8.23. When He was entered
into a ship, His disciples followed Him, and behold, there arose
a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with
the waves, but He was asleep. And his disciples came to him
and woke him, saying, Lord, save us. We perish. And he saith unto them, Why are
ye so fearful, O ye of little faith? And he arose and rebuked
the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. But the men
marveled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the
winds and the sea obey him?" Do you want to know what the
most encouraging words that I see In that passage I just read,
the most encouraging words, O ye of little faith. He didn't say, O ye of no faith.
Little faith. Little faith. They believed Him. They believed Him. He said if you had faith, a grain
of mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, be removed,
and it would be gone. Oh, ye of little faith. Listen,
in the midst of the trials. Oh, ye of little faith. Oh, us
of little faith. Why are you fearful? He rebuked
it. It was gone. What manner of man
is this? When it appeared, because there was no sun or stars
in many days, all hope that we should be saved was then taken
away as far as they were concerned. All outward hope, hurricane,
no sun, no stars, all hope from the unbelievers but not God's people. The darkness
was heavy, but faith is the eye that sees Him in the midst of
trial. How is it that a believer can
say in the midst of adversity, He's done all things well? You've
dealt well with me. Lord, you said you'll never leave
me. You'll never forsake me. Lord, if you settle my heart,
my heart's settled." These men, as God's sheep are
taught to do, they rested in the good pleasure of Him who
works all things together for their good. Paul knew he's going
to be in Rome. We'll be there. When the storm
of the Lord's chastening hand appears, and it will, if you
be without chastisement, you're none of His. If your faith
be not tried, how do you know? How do you know
that you truly believe God? How do you know that you do?
You ready for this? You believe God. That's how you
know. In the midst of trial, you believe
God. He keeps you. He doesn't forsake
you. You're not faithless. He proves
His faithfulness to you, but He reveals to you that He's granted
you faith. God's people remain faithful. Why? Because God keeps them. They don't have the power, Brother
Scott, to keep themselves. They'd quit. If it was left up
to me, I'd quit. I'd say, I can't do this anymore.
This is too much. No, not this. Not this. If it
was less than this, maybe. But not this. He said, I'm not going to forsake
you. I'm not going to leave you. And that Scripture will come
back to the mind of God's people. What if sickness comes? He's
a great physician. I remember when hearing about
this, Brother Charlie Payne was going in for an operation. Somebody asked him, maybe Brother
Henry, I don't know. Maybe Brother Scott, I don't know. He said,
Charlie, how are you doing? He said, well, he said, either
the Lord will heal me temporarily or He'll heal me permanently. That's right. He's not going
to leave you. What if financial strife comes?
The earth is the Lord's. And the fullness there, he owns
a cattle on a thousand hills and he owns the hills. The earth
is the Lord's. What if everyone else deserts me? He's a friend that sticks closer
than a brother. What if I lose my ability to
even remember my name? I watch my dad just kind of slip
away. For a while there, I think he
remembered me. But there was a time then toward
the end when I know he didn't. He just didn't remember anybody. But the Scripture says, Isaiah
49, 16, concerning God's people, Behold, I have graven thee upon
the palms of My hands. Thy walls are continually before
Me. What if I can't remember?" He
does. My name was written in the Lamb's
Book of Life before the foundation of the world. And He said, I'll
never forget. I'll never leave you. I'll never
forsake you. in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean
not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him,
and He shall direct thy path." May the Lord be pleased to bless
this message to our hearts for His honor and for our good.