The sermon 'Rough Sailing and Shipwreck' by David Green focuses on the journey of Paul to Italy as described in Acts chapter 27. Paul, a prisoner of the Roman Empire, faced significant challenges during his voyage due to adverse winds and storms, which led to a shipwreck. The speaker highlights the historical and geographical accuracy of the Bible, emphasizing that its accounts are real and verifiable. He stresses the importance of factual accuracy in preaching and teaching, encouraging believers to verify the information they receive against the scriptures. The sermon also draws parallels between Paul's experience and the spiritual journey of believers, noting that while storms in life are inevitable, faith in God provides direction and peace. The speaker underscores the message that God is with believers through difficult times and will ensure their ultimate deliverance.

If you have your Bibles, let's go ahead and go to Acts chapter 27. Acts chapter 27. Come on in brother, we're just getting started. We're just getting started. Acts chapter 27.

Last time we we looked at verses 1 through 3. We'll go ahead and read that on down to verse eight. It says that when it was determined that we should sail into Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners unto one named Julius, a centurion of Augustus' band. And entering into a ship of Edrum Medium, we launched, meaning to sail by the coasts of Asia, one Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, being with us. The next day, we touched a Cydon, and Julius courteously entreated Paul, gave him liberty to go unto his friends to refresh himself.

When we had launched from Thence, we sailed under Cyprus because the winds were contrary. When we had sailed over the Sea of Cilicia in Pamphylia, we came to Myra, the city of Cilicia. There the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing into Italy and he put us therein. When we had sailed slowly many days, scarce were come over against Snitus, the wind not against Snitus, the wind not suffering us, we sailed under creeped over against Salmoni, and hardly passing it, came unto a place which is called the Fair Havens. Now wherein to was the city of Lysia.

Title of my message this evening is Rough Sailing and a Shipwreck. Rough Sailing and a Shipwreck. Paul as he's on this journey to Italy, prisoner of the Roman Empire, on his way to Caesar, Luke being with him, Luke recording what's taking place. We see that as they got along in their journey and began it, that the winds were against them. We live close enough to the ocean.

We know something of what that's like even if we even if we've never gone out into the open water. We know there are times when the wind is a terrible thing for those who are on the water. We know that the wind can be a terrible thing for the ships, for those who are sailing. Well even in our day it can be a problem, but it was especially a problem in their day. We still have in our time vessels that use wind, sailboats.

We see them out on the water sometimes. They're very beautiful to look at. The Lynx is here part of the year. It's a historic vessel. Has the great sails and you can see it out there on the water.

In those days there were no gasoline powered vessels, there were no steamboats, it was all by sail or rowing, but whenever they were on a big vessel, the sails were dependent on the winds. And that's what's going on here. The winds were against them And as you go through this passage, Luke, he records this in a very detailed manner, just like he has with the other journeys. We can see it, we can trace it on a map. Josiah had some questions last time about some things that we talked about and I was able to show him on the map in the back of his Bible.

You can trace these places in his journey along the way. It's critical through the entire book of Acts as we've gone through this to remember that this is real history. These are real places, these are real people. Luke was not making this up. And it's important to remember that while the Bible is a book dealing with spiritual and eternal matters, everything that's in it is true.

And so, for instance, for instance, when we read of historical figures, it's real history. When we read of historical places, that's real history. When we read of scientific things, the Bible is not a science book, But where the Bible touches on science, that's real science. Geographical information, scientific information, historical information, the Bible is 100% accurate. And indeed, every time that skeptics have tried to prove the Bible false, through archaeology, through science, through geography, they found that the Bible is true.

And in places where they say well this city didn't exist, the problem isn't that it didn't exist, the problem is they didn't find it yet. You know, we can learn a lot from Luke, even though we're not inspired to write a book like he was. But we can tell that he was careful to write factual information. And we can take that lesson and apply it to our own lives. None of us are inspired to write or to speak.

Nobody gets up in the pulpit or gets and writes a new a new book and is infallible or inspired. None of that sort of thing. But we ought to be careful. And so when we are preparing sermons or Bible lessons or whatever, we need to be careful to make sure it's factual to make sure that it's biblical but also to make sure it's accurate in matters of history and matters of science and matters of all these things and when you hear a sermon or read an article, be like the Brighams. Remember them in Acts chapter 17?

In Acts chapter 17 and verse 11, said these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the Word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily whether those things were so. So we ought to check the preaching of God's Word to make sure that it is biblical, but also bear in mind this in John chapter 3, John chapter 3 in verse 12, John chapter 3 verse 12, Jesus says this, he says, if I have told you earthly things and you believe not, How shall you believe if I tell you heavenly things? And so Jesus was saying factual things about earthly things. And He says, you don't believe that. So how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?

There's two ways we can take that. We can take that as representatives of Christ, whether we're in the pulpit or whether we're out witnessing to people or whatever it is, we need to make sure that we're as the best of our ability, stating factual things, historically, geographically, scientifically. Because if we don't, if we're not careful, we make things up geographically, historically, scientifically, then how will people believe us when we tell them about eternal things? You see what I'm saying? We live in the information age.

It doesn't take long for us to be able to sit down as we're studying for a sermon, for a lesson, or whatever, to look things up. A man should be able to do that before he gets in the pulpit. And if he says something that he doesn't cite, ask. Where did that come from? He should be able to give it to you.

Always remember though, that the Bible is the only sufficient, infallible, inerrant, authoritative, certain sure word of the living God. And so whereas we might look at something from history and we can say well this book said this about history, but this book over here said this. You know you think about, I don't know, the war between the states. If you read a book that was written from the southern perspective you're going to get one side, but if you read it from the Yankee perspective, you'll get a different story. And so sometimes you need to find out where the sources are coming from.

So it is with religion. So it is with any other subject. There are commentaries, there are Bible history books, there are church history books that come from their own perspectives. So we need to be careful about those things. And indeed, we need to watch out for those sorts of things.

The Bible has to be our standard in all of this. As long as we preach the word, we do well. And we try as best as we can to be like these fellows who were writing under the inspiration of Spirit. They were writing without exaggerating. They were writing factual information and they were giving it in truth.

And Jesus is our prime example and he said there, if I've told you earthly things and you believe not, how you believe if I tell you heavenly. It's a good principle to think about in these things. Back to our text there in Acts chapter 27. Acts chapter 27 Acts chapter 27 there in verse 5. Myra was an important seaport city of Lycia.

And so while they were there, they found an Alexandrian ship that was sailing to Rome. Later we find that it was a ship that was full of wheat. This was the ship that they that they sailed on. Trade was important in the Roman Empire and wheat was important for people just like it is today. The trip was rough.

They came to a place called Fair Havens. That's an interesting name for a place I thought as I Read through this and thought about it there in verse 8. The place was called Fair Havens. Oftentimes we go through storms. We may not be in a storm on the sea.

We may not be on the water, but we do go through storms of life. And the fact is that God supplies for us certain fair havens. It may be a friend, it may be a book, it may be a passage of Scripture that really really speaks to us in a special way. It's a place to rest. His Word, always His Spirit, fair havens in the time of the storm.

What a joy that is. That's where they came to that place. Verses 9 through 14 it says, Now when much time was spent, when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was now already past, Paul admonished them and said unto them, 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. Nevertheless, the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship more than those things which were spoken by Paul. Because the haven was not commodious to winter in, the more part advised to depart thence also, if by any means they might attain to finish, and there to winter, which is in haven of Crete, lieth toward the southwest and northwest, when the south wind blew softly.

Supposing that they obtained their purpose, loosing thins, they sailed close by Crete. But not long after there rose there rose against it a tempestuous wind called Euroslide. Verse 9, this fast that he's talking about, this was on the Jewish calendar. The Jewish calendar it would have been the day of atonement found in Leviticus Leviticus chapter 26 Leviticus chapter 26 verse 29 verse 29 Sorry, in Leviticus 23 and verse 27, and on the tenth day of the seventh month there shall be an day of atonement it shall be a holy convocation unto you you shall afflict your souls and offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord this is the This is the day of atonement, this fasting that he's talking about. About in in in this Paul said well or rather Luke he said now when much time was spent and sailing was now dangerous so the fast was already passed.

Brother Tom Ross in his commentary, he estimated that in the year AD 59, which is about the time of this writing, when all this took place, This would have been about October the 5th. So somewhere around that time Now that would have put them in the dangerous season of the of the year for sailing Which was between September the 14th to November the 11th. This was when the weather was bad. This was the problem that Paul was seeing as he looked at what was going on and noticing what was happening. After November 11th, no ship sailed the open sea.

What they did is they would wait until winter was over in that in that particular area where they were at Paul warned him He said well, you know, it's better for us just to winter here and wait Paul was a missionary He was a tent maker but he had traveled much in the Roman Empire. He knew quite a bit about the weather. He knew quite a bit about travel. But at the end of the day he was a prisoner. And the centurion didn't want to listen to him.

He said, it's dangerous. Paul said, it's dangerous to be out there, dangerous to the ship, it's dangerous to the cargo, it's dangerous to our lives. But this centurion, presumably Julius, there's no indication in the scripture that they changed hands or anything, believed the master and the owner of the ship over Paul. They didn't want to winter in Fair Havens. It wasn't an ideal spot.

Rather, they wanted to get on down to Crete. If you think about it, the southern coast was a much better place to be. You know if you think about our hemisphere, it's very very similar. For them they wanted to get on their way and so they pressed on. In verse 13 there was a the south wind was blowing softly And they thought that was a sign that it would be okay.

They perceived this would be, They perceived that this was an open door, a sign to go, even though historically this time of the year was bad. They felt that this light wind that had come on, that this was going to be okay. So they went on. But not long after, they encountered a tempestuous wind, a typhoon or what we might call a hurricane-like situation. Hurricane-like situation.

It's never a good idea to take your life, plan your life, plan your journeys based on signs. God has made a world that is very orderly, But some people try to push. There are certain examples from history. Not only this, but you think about the Donner Party. They left, they traveled later than in the year than the normal and what happened?

Well they got into trouble and ended up ended up getting caught in snowstorms and all that sort of thing here in our country. The weather is predictable. There are people who go out into the beach, they get on sandbars. And what happens? Well, the tide comes in every day, the same times, or not the same times but the same manner.

They should have listened to Paul, but they didn't. So verses 15 through 26, When the ship was caught and could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive. Running under a certain island which is called Clodagh, we had much work to come by the boat, which when they had taken up they used helps, undergirding the ship, fearing lest they should fall into the quicksands, straight sail, and so were driven. We being exceedingly tossed with the tempest, the next day they lightened the ship. The third day we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship.

When neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us. All hope that we should be saved was taken away. But after long abstinence, Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sir, you should have hearkened unto me, not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss. Now exhort you to be of good cheer, for there shall be no loss of any man's life among you but of the ship. For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am and whom I serve, saying, Fear not, Paul, thou must be brought before Caesar, and lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.

Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer, for I believe God, that he shall be even as it was told me How be it? We must be cast upon a certain island Any attempt to sail against the wind was futile. These, I mean, this was terrible. This storm was horrific. And so they just let the wind take the ship.

So they were at the mercy of this storm. It was a frightening storm. But it was the only way that they could save the ship. Had they tried to fight the wind and the waves, the ship would have been beaten up, torn up. They should have listened to Paul.

And after many days, I mean it was so bad that they didn't see the sun nor the stars. That's a big deal for sailors in that time. They used the stars were the map that they used. All hope was lost of ever being saved. Spiritually, this is the shape that men are in, isn't it?

Without Christ, there's no direction. Christ. There's no direction. There's no... It's just here, there, and everywhere.

But Paul had some peace there in the storm, didn't he? That was the difference. Paul had something that the sailors didn't. He had peace in that storm. Why?

He couldn't see the stars. It was just as dark for him. He was in the same storm. But he had Christ. Today, if you're without Jesus, you'll have storms in life.

And even after you're saved, you'll have storms. Jesus doesn't take away those storms when you're saved, but He'll be with you. He'll be with you all the way through them. That's a fact. Paul was not arrogant against those people.

He did tell them, he said, you should have listened to me. That's okay. They should have. He could have said, well, you're on your own. I'll just be over here.

But he didn't. He shared with them what the angel had told him, and he encouraged them. He had gotten an encouraging word from the Lord, and he wanted to share that with them. Oh, how we ought to be willing to share encouraging words of the Lord with those who have no direction. To share an encouraging word with others who have no direction and no hope, even after they've not listened to us.

Even in the midst of the storm. Verses 27 through 38, look at this, says, But 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, sounded and found at 20 fathoms. When they'd gone a little further they sounded again and found at 15 fathoms, then fearing lest we should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day. As the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship, They let down the boat into the sea under color as though they would have cast anchors out of the fourth ship. Paul said of the centurion, into the soldiers, except these abide in the ship you cannot be saved.

Then the soldiers cut off the ropes of the boat let her fall off Well the day was coming on Paul besought them all to take me saying this day Is the 14th day that you have tarried and continued fasting? Having taken nothing wherefore I pray you to take some meat, for this is for your health, for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you." When he had thus spoken, he took bread and gave thanks to God in presence of them all. When he had broken it, he began to eat. Then were they all of good cheer, and they also took some meat. We were all in the ship, two hundred, three score, and sixteen souls.

When they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, cast out the wheat into the sea. So Paul is to the point now that the people were ready to listen to him. This is after 14 days of this storm two weeks that they've gone. They sounded and they realized they were getting close to land It's interesting They dropped anchor for anchors the Bible tells us The shipment were about to flee out of the ship. So some of the sailors were ready to get out on some of the smaller boats that were on the ship that they were pretending that they were doing something with the anchors.

They were trying to escape. But Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, except these abide in the ship, you cannot be saved. So now they're ready to listen to Paul. And so what did the soldiers do? They cut off the ropes of the boat.

This boat that could have saved them, this boat that Might have been their only way out. Well, they cut it off. And so Paul says to them, hey, you know what? You all need to take meat. You need to have some food.

You haven't eaten, you need to eat. I think this is important. When we go through storms and troubles, whether it's a physical storm or spiritual storm, let us not forget to take care of our bodies physically. Whatever that means to you, whatever that means to me. Don't forget to eat.

Don't forget to go to the doctor. Don't forget to take care of yourself, physically. Go for a walk. Get some exercise. You know, all of those sorts of things.

It's good. The Bible says, bottom the exercise, profiteth little. It doesn't say it profits nothing. We need to take care of ourselves. We need to take care of ourselves.

We need to take care of ourselves. And so he encouraged them to eat, and so they did. He took bread, he gave thanks to God in the presence of them all. That's an important thing to notice as well. These fellows were not believers, but Paul was.

Don't be ashamed of who you are. Don't be ashamed of the fact that you're a Christian even if you're not around Christian people. And so give thanks before unbelievers. Give thanks before believers, but give thanks before unbelievers too. It's a good testimony.

These men were of good cheer. They took some meat. There were 203 score and 16 souls how many people is that just saying how many people is that? Yeah, we don't talk like that anymore doing that's 276 276 people That's a lot of people. But they lost some stuff.

After they ate, it says that they lightened the ship, they cast out the wheat into the sea. And so verses 39 through 44 as we as we kind of get to the end of this chapter says, And when it was day they knew not the land, but they discovered a certain creek with a shore, into which they were minded, if it were possible, to thrust in the ship. When they had taken up the anchors, they committed themselves unto the sea and loosed the rudder bands and hoisted up the main sail to the wind and made towards shore. Falling into a place where the two seas met, they ran the ship aground. The forepart struck fast, remained unmovable, but the hindered part was broken with the violence of the waves.

And the soldier's counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out and escape. But the centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from their purpose, commanded that they which could swim should cast themselves first into the sea and get to land. And the rest, some on boards, some on broken pieces of the ship. So it came to pass that they escaped all safe to land. And so what we have here is the shipwreck.

They made it close to land, close enough that they were able to get to safety, but it was like that Paul had been told that the ship would be lost and it was broken up. When it was daybreak, they took up anchor, they were hoping to reach the creek that they saw in this island they didn't know what it was but they ran aground and in the in the shallow water and in the ship was torn into pieces now the soldiers council was just kill the prisoners right just just kill the prisoners this trip is done it would have been a big deal a terrible deal actually if the prisoners would have been escaped, and if the soldiers would have made it back to Rome, to Caesar, and they would have had to explain this whole thing under Roman law. If a guard lost a prisoner, then the guard died. That's what happened. In fact, we've seen that in the book of Acts, in Acts chapter 12.

Acts chapter 12 and verse 19. And when Herod had sought for him, meaning Peter, and found him not, he examined the keepers and commanded that they should be put to death. He went down from Judea to Caesarea and there abode. So the keepers of the prison were put to death because the angel got Peter out of jail You know there was no excuse no excuse in Acts chapter 16 remember in this instance in verse 27, in the keeper of the prison, awaking out of his sleep, seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had fled. So when the earthquake happened, and Paul and Silas, they were released, and the other prisoners, when the Philippian jailer realized everybody was gone, he pulled out his sword and was ready to kill himself.

Why? That was more noble than to be executed for what happened. You know, his thought was probably, well maybe when they come upon all this they'll think that the prisoners killed me. Right? Well, Paul cried out with a loud voice and said, said, do thyself no harm for we are all here.

And in Acts 27, we find Julius was willing to save Paul and keep him alive. Paul had proven to be a trustworthy criminal. He was the best prisoner that Julius had probably ever seen. And God was with him. God was with him.

The Lord turns the hearts of even the most wicked people, men who otherwise would be apt to kill and destroy, even do terrible things to people, and use them to preserve the people of God. And that's what happened here. But just like God had said, just like the angel of God had told Paul, they were all preserved. Some swam to shore, Some were able to float on boards and broken pieces of the ship, but they escaped all safe to land. What a joy that is.

You and I, we don't know what's going to happen. Just like Paul wasn't sure of what was going to happen on his journey, You and I, we don't know what's going to happen. Just like Paul wasn't sure of what was going to happen on his journey, you and I, we don't know what's going to happen on our journeys either. But God will be with us every step of the way. What a joy that is.

What a blessing it is to know that there will be deliverance whether we think about going from point A to point B in this life, but we think about the fact that we'll be going from this life to the next. As God's people, we will reach our destination safely one way or another. And that is true for every believer in Jesus Christ. May God add the blessing to the preaching of His Word. I trust this has been an encouragement to you as we've thought about and looked at Paul's rough sailing and his shipwreck.