If you read Acts 27 as a metaphor for our lives, you will see many parallels to help us through the crazy storms we go through
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Hey guys, what’s good? Derek here from Bom Socks with more Bom Bites, where we feast upon the words of Christ one bite at a time. So we’re getting in the Chapter 27 of the Book of Acts today, and it reads like a gripping suspense novel. If you look at the chapter heading, all it says is just Paul in a perilous voyage travels towards Rome. Yeah, that doesn’t even begin to describe this story. It’s a pretty crazy story. I hope you get a chance to read it either as a family or as an individual. But as you read this, one of the things I want you to do is I want you to look for parallels to our own Earth sly, crazy, perilous voyage. As you read it this way, you’re going to see a lot of gospel principles come up. In fact, if we were in a classroom setting, I would just say, Hey, read this. Go through and read it and then tell me about all of the cool little things that you found here that compare to how we can make it through this crazy life here. And I think we would have some great things coming out.
So I just want to share with you a couple as we’re going through this. You got verse number 1, which says it was determined that we should sail to Italy. Now, this is Paul after King Agripa. He was almost persuaded to be able to release him. He’s traveling to Rome, got a stand before Caesar. They delivered Paul and certain other prisoners unto one named Julius a Centurion. There’s a grand total of 276 people on this ship. Later on, it tells you that. And so there’s Paul and a few prisoners and a bunch of others right here under the care of this man, Julius here. And in verse 3, Julius courteously entreated Paul, gave him liberty to go into his friends to refresh himself. So Julius appears to be fairly kind to these men. Now, on this trip, again, I want you to look at this in the way of just us going through life as well. The winds were contrary. You’re going to have winds that are contrary. It’s going to happen, especially when you’re on a ship in a crazy adventure there. Verse 7, it says, We sailed slowly many days, the wind not suffering us.
So they’re just taking it easy on this. There’s a little bit of contrary winds, but they’re like, Yeah, we can take care of this. Now, verse number 9, where it says, Now, when much time was spent and when sailing was now dangerous because the fast was now already passed, nice little line there, Paul admonished them and he said unto them, Sur years, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and the ship, the lading being like the cargo or the goods, but also of our lives. So Paul’s just like, Guys, this is going to be a perilous journey. We need to be very careful. Now, verse 11, nevertheless, the Centurion, this Julius, believed the master and the owner of the ship more than those things which were spoken by Paul. There’s a good little message here about how you got someone who with priesthood authority, here you’ve got Paul, the prophet if you will, at this point, standing up and just saying, Guys, it’s going to be dangerous. Here’s what you need to do. And oftentimes we will ignore. We’re like, You have no idea what you’re talking about.
I’m going to go to the guy who knows what he’s doing. The master, the captain of the ship. And Paul’s like, Guys, this is not a good idea. There’s some power there in following our leaders. Verse 12, I love this phrase because the haven was not commodious to winter in. Go to your own house on a cold day and say, oh, this haven is not commodious to winter in. The more part advised to depart thence also, they’re like, We should probably go. If by any means they might attend to Phoenix or Phoenix, basically, and they’re to winter. A lot of people go to Phoenix for winter, right? Which is in Haven of Crete and lay it toward the Southwest and the Northwest. And when the south wind blew gently, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, losing thence, they sail close by Crete. Soft winds going through, like, We’re going to be okay. But not long after, there arose against a tempestuous wind called a Euroclitan. So apparently that’s some crazy storm that goes through that Mediterranean Sea there. And verse 17, Fearing lest they should fall into the quicksand strike sail. And so we’re driven.
So what they started to do is they started lightning the ship. They started throwing all the stuff overboard, trying to make it so this ship was able to sail better. And then verse number 20, this storm got so bad, it says, when neither the sun nor the stars in many day appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away. So here’s Paul who said this journey is going to be a hard journey, and they didn’t listen to him. Verse 21, after your long abstinence, Paul stood forth in the midst of them and said, ‘Sirs, you should have hearkened unto me and not have loose from Crete to have gained this harm and loss. ‘ I love how Paul gets after him, but at the same point, now I exhort you to be of good cheer for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you but of the ship. The ship is going to go down, but none of you are going to die. You remember a couple of episodes how Jesus Christ came to Paul and said, Paul, be of good cheer.
Paul took that counsel seriously and now he’s telling them, look, be of good cheer for there stood by me this night the angel of God, of whose I am and whom I serve. I love that. Whose I am. You’ve seen phrases that say, remember who you are. I remember walking to a friend’s house one time and it said, remember whose you are. And I think that’s such a cool little phrase right here as Paul is saying, look, the angel that came of God, the God whose I am. I am a child of God. I am his. I am serving him, saying to me, fear not, Paul, thou must be brought before Caesar. And lo, God has given thee all them that sail with thee. Paul, you’re going to take care of these guys and they’re going to be fine. Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer for I believe God. That phrase right there is such a powerful phrase that it shall be even as it was told me. How be it? We must be cast upon a certain island. It’s like the ship’s going down. In fact, there’s 14 days this thing is going on and they’re still struggling.
In fact, 29 been fearing less, we should have fallen upon the rocks. They cast four anchors out of the stern, which basically they’re tossing the anchors and wished for the day, which basically means they prayed for daylight. They’re like, we are hoping for… Because it’s been such a dark, horrible storm that they’ve been going through. So apparently they’ve been fasting as well. Then you got verse 34, it says, Wherefore I pray in to you to take some meat, for this is for your health, for there shall not a hair fall from the head of any of you. Great promise from Paul. And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, gave thanks to God in the presence of them all. And when he had broken it, he began to eat. Then were they say all of good cheer. They also took some meat. Get some food into you, right? I like how Paul said, be of good cheer. And then they were all of good cheer. So this ship is starting to fall apart like crazy. Verse 42, The soldiers’ counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out and escape.
But Centurion here, Julius, willing to save Paul, kept them from their purpose and commanded that they, which could swim, should cast themselves first into the sea and get to the land. And the rest, some on board, some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass that they escaped all safe to land. Now you get into the next chapter, their shipwrecked, Paul gets bit by a Viper. But it’s interesting. You go through all of this, Paul is still very courageous in all of this. You go over to chapter 28, verse number 15, you go to the very end of it. After all of this stuff, he thanked God and took courage. You go down to verse number 20, Paul, because for the hope of Israel, I am bound with his chains. Look, I’m here now. It’s because of Jesus Christ that I’ve been able to make it and be safe. Going down to verse number 31, the last little part right there, preaching the Kingdom of God because he’s going through, he’s healed people here. Again, after all of this crazy adventure he’s been going through, he keeps his faith in God, preaching the Kingdom of God and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no man forbidding him.
And so, again, I think if you’re to read through that story and you’re going to see little parallels, in fact, I’d love to hear if you see some parallels to our own crazy journey, maybe put them in the comments of where you’re watching this. And I think you’ll be able to see some cool little stories here and how the Lord helped Paul be of good cheer through these difficult times. Anyway, I’m grateful for this story. I think it’s a great little story to read. And there’s some great principles here as well for our own lives. Thanks so much for watching. Thanks for subscribing. Thanks as always for sharing. So grateful that you do that as always. And please go check out our amazingly comfortable gospel theme socks at bombs socks. Com. Godspeed and we’ll see you tomorrow.
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dyejo
