How’s The Weather In The Center Of God’s Will? (AM Sermon Notes)
GIST: The center of God’s will isn’t always comfortable, but it is always exactly where He wants to use you.
SCRIPTURE: Acts 27:1-26
This morning, we’re nearing the end of our study in Acts. We began this journey nearly a year and a half ago, and it is very likely that next week we’ll wrap it up. I feel like this study has given me a greater appreciation for the rest of the New Testament, especially the letters of Paul. But remember, Luke set us up an outline from the very beginning. This isn’t a story about Paul. This isn’t even really a story about the early apostles. This is a story of how the Holy Spirit continued the work of Jesus in the early church— a story that isn’t over yet! Interestingly, I looked back at my notes from the very first sermon in this series—which, honestly, feels like an eternity ago, and which, honestly, I did not even remember preaching ☺️— and saw that the very first question I presented us with was: Are you part of this story? Since this is the story of God’s continued movement amongst His people, we should be. And honestly, I think most of us here have expressed in some way or another a desire to be in the center of God’s will— being actively and powerfully used by Him. Unfortunately, I think sometimes in our minds that equates to some sense of peace and belonging. While that is very true in one sense, there is more to it. We often want to be in the center of God’s will because that seems like a beneficial place for us to be. What I want us then to notice about this traumatic travelogue passage is that being in the center of God’s will is not always the more “convenient option”. In fact, sometimes, it can be flat challenging and heartbreaking and...well...just hard.
To give you a bit of a break after the “two-chapter-er” last week, this morning, we’re just going to look at the first 26 verses of chapter 27. Here we have Paul’s very eventful trip to Rome. After being on house arrest for two years and facing several sham trials, he’s finally heading exactly where Jesus told him he would be...but it’s not even close to an easy trip. So, here’s our gist for this morning: The center of God’s will isn’t always comfortable, but it is always exactly where He wants to use you.
Let’s pray and then break down the passage by means of four observations about what Paul’s experience was like… in the center of God’s will.
First, we’ll see this is a place→
I. WHERE ENCOURAGEMENT IS NEEDED (1-3)
Look at the first three verses here. “1 And 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. 2 And 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. 3 The 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.”
First, let me make a→
Quick Sea Travel Note. At this time, passenger travel was very different. Ships didn’t regularly transport just people. Instead, if you wanted to get somewhere, you’d have to find a commerce vessel that happened to be traveling that direction and see if you could ride along. That’s what we’ll see happening throughout this passage. That’s not a major point, but helpful when understanding the dynamics here. In fact, this account provides a lot of insights into ancient sea travel. So much so, that it has been studied by even secular historians to help gain insights.
Secondly, notice that this is a→
Friend Ship. See what I did there☺️! It’s really interesting that Paul is being transported as a prisoner, but he’s allowed to have companions. Both Luke and Aristarchus are allowed to sail with him. That speaks to the respect these Romans have for Paul. He’s a different kind of prisoner for sure. Now, Luke’s name isn’t mentioned, but he keeps using first-person pronouns here (we sailed...etc), so this is clearly his own eye-witness account here. Furthermore, at the first stop, Paul is able to get off the ship and visit the Christians there...who take care of him! This is incredible on so many fronts.
First, it’s interesting to note that this church at Sidon was mostly likely started by people who fled the persecution in Jerusalem after the killing of Stephen—persecution for which Paul was primarily responsible. Now, through the amazing grace of God these enemies are united as the body of Christ!
Secondly, it’s interesting to note why Paul is getting this kind of encouragement. On the surface, it seems that he had gained favor with Julius who allowed it. However, on a deeper level, this is God meeting Paul’s needs. Now, this might seem like a silly observation, but hear me out. I think it is easy to allow ourselves to picture the center of God’s will as a place of complete ease. After all, if we are where God needs us, shouldn’t everything just make sense? That’s not how it works. Jesus was always in the center of God’s will, and His life was a constant series of upheavals. If you are in the center of God’s will, it means you’re actively seeking His face and striving to serve Him in and show Him to the world around you. That will not be easy...which is precisely why we need good, Godly friendships.
Recently, I was speaking to a man, and it “came up” that I was a pastor. He responded with, “Anytime you can get people to listen to you about the Word, it’s a good thing.” I agreed and asked him if he attended a church. He said, “Well, do I belong to a church? Technically, yes. Do I ever attend? No. But I stream the services from home every Sunday because if I can hear it from my house, why would I ever go there?” Because Church isn’t just about hearing God’s Word being preached by a public speaker. I pray that God uses this time to speak to your heart, but Church is about living this life together as the body of Christ. We need each other. You don’t get that from watching sermons online. You don’t get that from coming in, listening, and walking out. You get that by investing in the messy lives of the other messy people in this place, so we can face this messy world with encouragement from others who are striving to keep their eyes on Jesus! Praise the Lord that we can stream messages so that God’s Word can be delivered all around the world. That’s a ministry, especially for those who cannot be with us on a weekly basis. However, that can never be a substitute for Christian friendship.
That’s the first thing to notice about God’s will. It’s a place where you’ll still need encouragement. The next two points illustrate why. Next, we’ll notice this is a place→
II. WHERE MOVING FORWARD ISN’T ALWAYS EASY (4-12)
Let’s look at the next section here. “4 And putting out to sea from there we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were against us.” You might have already known this, but I did not. A “lee” refers to a place where the winds are not blowing against you. So the lee of Cyprus means they used the island as a barrier of sorts to get around the winds that would have otherwise have been blowing against them.
“5 And when we had sailed across the open sea along the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra in Lycia. 6 There the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing for Italy and put us on board. 7 We 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. 8 Coasting along it with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near which was the city of Lasea. 9 Since much time had passed, and the voyage was now dangerous because even the Fast was already over, Paul advised them,” This refers to the time of year when sea travel here was no longer safe. Basically, they started out too late and were delayed by bad winds for too long early on, so they had lost valuable time. Notice also that Paul is in a position to offer advice...even though he’s a prisoner! That speaks not only to his character, but also to his experience. He’s a well-traveled man… and he’s been shipwrecked several times before, so he knows the signs! That’s basically what he says next→
“10 saying, "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."” Note that this is his perspective based on his experience, not a direct word from God...yet. For now, he’s just basing this off what he’s witnessed in the past.
“11 But the centurion paid more attention to the pilot and to the owner of the ship than to what Paul said. 12 And 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.” Soon, they’re going to regret not taking his advice. Do you notice the “slow going” here? Not only has Paul been Waiting In The Center Of God’s Will For Two Years, but now he’s also facing major delays. Consider also→
The Descriptions. Winds Against Us, Slowly, With Difficulty, Wind Did Not Allow, Much Time Passed, Dangerous. Luke is making it very clear: moving forward wasn’t easy. Everything seems to be going against them physically, but it wasn’t just there. So much of what is about to go down could have been avoided if they hadn’t→
Ignored Good Advice. Do you see the parallels to our lives here? Even in the center of God’s will, you will encounter physical setbacks, and people won’t always want to do what you know is right! Illness. Financial struggles. Personal distress. These can all still hit you...even when you’re doing what God wants!
In fact, the third observation I want to make about God’s will is that it can be a place→
III. WHERE COSTLY & DANGEROUS CONDITIONS COULD LEAD TO DISCOURAGEMENT (13-20)
“13 Now when the south wind blew gently, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete, close to the shore. 14 But soon a tempestuous wind, called the northeaster, struck down from the land. 15 And when the ship was caught and could not face the wind, we gave way to it and were driven along. 16 Running under the lee of a small island called Cauda, we managed with difficulty to secure the ship's boat. 17 After hoisting it up, they used supports to undergird the ship. Then, fearing that they would run aground on the Syrtis, they lowered the gear, and thus they were driven along. 18 Since we were violently storm-tossed, they began the next day to jettison the cargo.” That favorable wind didn’t last, now things are getting so bad that they’re throwing the cargo overboard. That’s a huge deal because that cargo includes the livelihood for this crew. It’s the only reason this ship was sailing to Italy in the first place!
“19 And on the third day they threw the ship's tackle overboard with their own hands.” This is a sign that they didn’t think they had any other choice because that “tackle” would have been instrumental to effectively guiding the ship. At this point, they’re just trying to stay afloat!
“20 When 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.” This is bad. They didn’t have gps, so the sun and stars were the only way they had to navigate. Without these, they were completely lost. To make this worse, the storm continued to rage on, and they all came to the conclusion that they are completely without hope.
I don’t want to stretch this out unnecessarily. I think the fact that it was Costly & Dangerous is pretty clear. The crew was losing its livelihood, and they were all facing the very real possibility of losing their lives...including Paul and his friends...who are in the center of God’s will!
This fact, led to→
Hope Being Abandoned. It’s interesting to me that Luke says “all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned”, which implies that this is Luke’s perspective, as well! He trusts God, but found himself discouraged by his circumstances. Do you ever find yourself feeling this way? Now, that doesn’t mean being discouraged is a sign of being in the center of God’s will. Living a life seeking your own interests will guarantee discouragement for selfish and empty reasons. Nonetheless, keep in mind that following God does not make you immune to discouragement, BUT it can give you the perspective to face it!
That’s what we see in this fourth observation, which is a contrasting one. We need that this morning, right? Up until this point, you might be asking, “Well, why would I even want to be in the center of God’s will then?” Here’s why. Though the center of God’s will won’t always be easy, it will always be a place→
IV. Where God Speaks and Directs (21-26)
We’ll wrap up this morning with this last section, though it’s not the actual “end” of the story. “21 Since 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. 22 Yet now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. 23 For this very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, 24 and he said, 'Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.' 25 So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told. 26 But we must run aground on some island."”
I love this passage. Let me just make a couple of observations here before I hit the takeaways. First→
Paul’s Confidence Results From His Condition. Notice that he’s quick to point out that he belongs to the God whom he worships! We could spend a lot of time unpacking that, but for the sake of time this morning notice these two things. First, he realizes who is in control of his life. And second, rather than be resentful of this control, it causes him to worship. He knows who his God is and is thankful that it is that One, true God who holds his future! It’s in this state of mind that we notice→
Paul’s Listening, So He Hears From God. He gets a message from God...in the middle of this storm. Why? Because he was talking to God...in the middle of this storm rather than allowing the circumstances to become tunnel vision around him. He’s like the psalmist in Psalm 121:1-2, “1 I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? 2 My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.” He knows where his help comes from, so he’s speaking and listening to Jesus even when everything is crumbling around him! And it’s then that we see→
God Speaks In The Middle Of This Storm! The same is true in your storm this morning. Are you listening for His voice? Paul heard it and then→
Paul Takes Those Words And Uses Them To Encourage Those Around Him. At the beginning of this passage, he was the one being encouraged. Now, he’s dishing out the encouragement. That’s the Christian life. We need to be both givers and receivers of the encouragement we first receive from God!
I know that was a lot to walk through this morning, so here’s our quick→
TAKEAWAYS
1. Don’t be discouraged. His will isn’t always comfortable. We need this perspective. Don’t look for life to be easy. Look for opportunities to serve. Furthermore, knowing this, never forget the need for Christians to be friends of encouragement!
2. Cling to His promises, remembering His will is always aligned to His purpose. He promises to be with you in the context of you being about His will. What is that for your life? Love God. Love people. Seek His face, and strive to share Him with whoever you can. If you’re doing that, you’re doing what you’ve been called to do, so you’ll be in the right position to be sensitive to hearing His direction on the details!
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