The last of the sermons from the Book of Acts at Plymouth Congregational Church of Racine, WI, will be included along with the Advent Devotionals for the next 2 weeks.

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We’re nearly finished with the Book of Acts of the Holy Spirit and the Apostles. Interestingly the only apostle we’ve really been seeing much of lately has been Paul. Luke, our narrator, now rejoins Paul as we can see from the “we” passage we resume today. Luke takes us on a personal journey—a sea-faring journey—that will take Paul from prison in Caesarea to prison in Rome. Because it’s such a good story and like that lady in Forrest Gump might say, “You tell it so well…” we’re going to let Luke tell us this story as an eye-witness.

The Bible doesn’t need to be boring or a dull read. And we can see today how it applies to life–to your life and mine! Some things are timeless. Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits and Mary Chapin Carpenter both sing about a timeless truth.

Sometimes you’re the windshield and sometimes you’re the bug. Yes, life is like that.

Sometimes the wind is at your back. Sometimes it’s in your face. Sometimes the wind and circumstances are with you and make your journey an absolute breeze. And sometimes in life, frankly, the winds are all against you and your life is a shipwreck waiting to happen. Such it is today with Paul.

Acts 27:1 When it was decided that we would sail for Italy, Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to a centurion named Julius, who belonged to the Imperial Regiment. 2 We boarded a ship from Adramyttium about to sail for ports along the coast of the province of Asia, and we put out to sea. Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, was with us. 3 The next day we landed at Sidon; and Julius, in kindness to Paul, allowed him to go to his friends so they might provide for his needs.

This is one of those instances in which we see that even though Paul was a really smart guy his great learning did not make him insane despite what Festus said last week. Paul’s intellect did not keep him from having a great many friends who loved him. Everywhere Paul went, he made friends. The Gospel does that.

4 From there we put out to sea again and passed to the lee of Cyprus because the winds were against us. 5 When we had sailed across the open sea off the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we landed at Myra in Lycia. 6 There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy and put us on board. 7 We made slow headway for many days and had difficulty arriving off Cnidus. When the wind did not allow us to hold our course, we sailed to the lee of Crete, opposite Salmone. 8 We moved along the coast with difficulty and came to a place called Fair Havens, near the town of Lasea.

If you knew the wind was against you, wouldn’t you want to stop in a place called Fair Havens? Sounds like a good place to take a rest stop and wait out the bad weather. But it’s not a good place to do that. It cannot live up to its name and well, Luke wasn’t in charge. Neither was Paul. Things can go from bad to worse. And they often will.

9 Much time had been lost, and sailing had already become dangerous because by now it was after the Fast. So Paul warned them, 10 “Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also.”

Paul, being a prisoner, didn’t have much authority even if he was right about most of it, apart from an act of God. No one listened.

11 But the centurion, instead of listening to what Paul said, followed the advice of the pilot and of the owner of the ship.

After all, who was Paul compared to the owner and pilot of the ship? One can only wonder if their experience was clouded by their desire to be paid. Sometimes people make riskier decisions when it’s not their cargo aboard.

12 Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided that we should sail on, hoping to reach Phoenix and winter there. This was a harbor in Crete, facing both southwest and northwest. 13 When a gentle south wind began to blow, they thought they had obtained what they wanted; so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete. 14 Before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called the “northeaster,” swept down from the island. 15 The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along.

When the wind is against you there is sometimes little you can do but accept that it will carry you where you do not wish to go.

16 As we passed to the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were hardly able to make the lifeboat secure. 17 When the men had hoisted it aboard, they passed ropes under the ship itself to hold it together. Fearing that they would run aground on the sandbars of Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor and let the ship be driven along.

Sounds like the Wreck of the Edmond Fitzgerald on Nov 10, 1975. Gordon Lightfoot was every bit the story teller that Luke is.

• The wind in the wires made a tattle-tale sound
• as a wave broke over the railing
• And every man knew, as the captain did too,
• T’was the witch of November come stealin’
• The dawn came late and the breakfast had to wait
• When the gales of November came slashin’
• When afternoon came it was freezin’ rain
• In the face of a hurricane west wind
• When suppertime came, the old cook came on deck
• sayin’ Fellas, it’s too rough to feed ya
• At seven pm a main hatchway caved in,
• he said Fellas, it’s been good t’know ya
• The captain wired in he had water comin’ in
• And the good ship and crew was in peril
• And later that night when his lights went outta sight
• Came the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
• Does anyone know where the love of God goes
• When the waves turn the minutes to hours?
• The searchers all say they’d have made Whitefish Bay
• If they’d put fifteen more miles behind her
• They might have split up or they might have capsized
• They may have broke deep and took water
• And all that remains is the faces and the names
• Of the wives and the sons and the daughters

Here’s Luke telling of their journey, not with the sad ending of the Edmund Fitzgerald because why??? Paul was on board. And unlike the story of Jonah we heard in our Scripture reading this morning, Paul is not at fault. He’s not running from the Lord. He’s trusting. Oh, is he trusting!

18 We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard. 19 On the third day, they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands. 20 When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved.

But here is Paul. Trusting! Not so much saying I told you so. But with encouragement and practical solutions.  Paul believed God and God would get them through it…together. Maybe not with their ship, but with the lives that mattered.

21 After the men had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said: “Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. 22 But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. 23 Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me 24 and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’

The lives of everyone mattered to God just as they had in the Jonah story. And how beautiful is it that God shares this encouragement with men who are scared out of their wits and fearing their end. Because Paul loves God and God loves Paul, here’s God’s encouragement spoken through an angel: God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.

25 So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. 26 Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island.” 27 On the fourteenth night we were still being driven across the Adriatic Sea, when about midnight the sailors sensed they were approaching land. 28 They took soundings and found that the water was a hundred and twenty feet deep. A short time later they took soundings again and found it was ninety feet deep. 29 Fearing that we would be dashed against the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight.

Do you ever feel that way? You don’t know what to do, where to turn, or what to think? Drop some anchors and pray for daylight? Praying that even though it’s darkest before the dawn somehow that you can have enough faith the dawn will come and it’ll be a new day?

Not everyone responds favorably to the encouragement. Some try to save themselves anyway…in spite of God’s gracious promise. Not that much different than the gift of salvation itself. Everyone with Paul would be spared, but some didn’t want to depend on someone else. It’s how, frankly, a lot of people will be regarding Jesus. They’ll want their own way, their own lifeboat, their own control, and to command their own destiny….all the way to their demise. If ya’ aren’t with Jesus, you aren’t saved. And in our passage today, if you’re not with Paul, you’re going down.

30 In an attempt to escape from the ship, the sailors let the lifeboat down into the sea, pretending they were going to lower some anchors from the bow. 31 Then Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved.”

There ya’ go. What a great pattern of deliverance! No one saves himself. It takes doing things God’s way. And God’s way was going to be deliverance through the stormy seas. “Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved.”

32 So the soldiers cut the ropes that held the lifeboat and let it fall away. 33 Just before dawn Paul urged them all to eat. “For the last fourteen days,” he said, “you have been in constant suspense and have gone without food– you haven’t eaten anything. 34 Now I urge you to take some food. You need it to survive. Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head.” 35 After he said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat. 36 They were all encouraged and ate some food themselves. 37 Altogether there were 276 of us on board. 38 When they had eaten as much as they wanted, they lightened the ship by throwing the grain into the sea.

I’ve gotta believe that Paul’s encouragement, the angel’s words of encouragement, and ultimately God’s encouragement might have prompted a few to believe in God…to want to know this God whom Paul trusted with his very life. Testimony often happens best in the test.

39 When daylight came, they did not recognize the land, but they saw a bay with a sandy beach, where they decided to run the ship aground if they could. 40 Cutting loose the anchors, they left them in the sea and at the same time untied the ropes that held the rudders. Then they hoisted the foresail to the wind and made for the beach. 41 But the ship struck a sandbar and ran aground. The bow stuck fast and would not move, and the stern was broken to pieces by the pounding of the surf. 42 The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners to prevent any of them from swimming away and escaping. 43 But the centurion wanted to spare Paul’s life and kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land. 44 The rest were to get there on planks or on pieces of the ship. In this way everyone reached land in safety.

Sometimes, it doesn’t matter how you get there. Jumping overboard, swimming and being the first to get to land. Some will be grasping planks, pieces of the ship, and being carried ashore by wind and wave. Everyone reached land in safety…because they did things God’s way.

So, today is the first Sunday of Advent. The world is in a world of trouble…not all that different from the turmoil that existed when Jesus arrived as a baby in a manger. For 33 years, He’d live among us, face the same world of trouble that we’d know, and yet, He knew the Cross was why He was sent. Apart from Jesus, we’re a shipwrecked people trying to lower our own lifeboats which would capsize and crash. But with Jesus, we may still be a shipwrecked people, but ones who can all reach the other side in safety. Because we’re with Him and God is faithful.

As you spend the next 4 weeks of Advent preparing your heart for the coming of the Christ Child, remind yourself that Jesus doesn’t care whether you come to Him by swimming or barely holding onto His Word in prayer with white knuckles and trembling knees. Just stick with Him. He’ll get you there. It’s why He came. Let’s pray.

The last of the sermons from the Book of Acts at Plymouth Congregational Church of Racine, WI, will be included along with the Advent Devotionals for the next 2 weeks.

Our narrator Luke tells us of the shipwreck as the Apostle Paul was being transferred from prison in Caesarea to Rome.  It’s a great story that Luke tells in gripping detail.  This message was first preached at Plymouth Congregational Church of Racine, WI on November 29, 2015 by Barbara Shafer.

This is the season of Thanksgiving—a natural time for reflecting and remembering with gratitude all the blessings in your recent history.

What do you see when you look back over the past year or years? Is your heart filled with gratitude or do you have other thoughts about your life?

Today, we’ll see some looking back in the life of Paul who you will remember was falsely imprisoned these last 2 years. The last thing one would expect when Paul looks back would be gratitude…but I get ahead of myself.

Acts 25:13 A few days later King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea to pay their respects to Festus. 14 Since they were spending many days there, Festus discussed Paul’s case with the king. He said: “There is a man here whom Felix left as a prisoner. 15 When I went to Jerusalem, the chief priests and elders of the Jews brought charges against him and asked that he be condemned. 16 “I told them that it is not the Roman custom to hand over any man before he has faced his accusers and has had an opportunity to defend himself against their charges. 17 When they came here with me, I did not delay the case, but convened the court the next day and ordered the man to be brought in. 18 When his accusers got up to speak, they did not charge him with any of the crimes I had expected. 19 Instead, they had some points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a dead man named Jesus who Paul claimed was alive.

Looking back over the situation, Festus sees unfinished business from 2 years ago. Governor Felix had left him with a loose end—a falsely imprisoned Paul. And looking back over it, Festus totally gets it that Paul is under arrest because of his belief in Jesus Christ and the Resurrection.

20 I was at a loss how to investigate such matters; so I asked if he would be willing to go to Jerusalem and stand trial there on these charges. 21 When Paul made his appeal to be held over for the Emperor’s decision, I ordered him held until I could send him to Caesar.”

Festus places his own actions in the best light possible and acknowledges to King Agrippa that Festus is not well equipped to think about Jewish stuff. Instead of saying that Roman law didn’t really address Jewish law and freeing Paul, (and risk getting the Jewish faction in Caesarea all riled up for more of the same kind of revolt that undid Felix before him) Festus looks back and explains away his role in perpetuating this injustice. He didn’t know what to do…or have the moral courage to do it if he did…so what do you do when you don’t know what to do? Delay, do nothing, and hope the situation goes away. Festus was no doubt relieved that Paul appealed to Caesar.

What a stroke of luck to be able to pass the buck! It reminds me of the scene in White Christmas where Wallace and Davis and the Haynes sisters are singing “Gee, I wish I was back in the army…” to encourage General Waverly who was also looking back at the glory days of military life.

• When I was mustered out
• I thought without a doubt
• That I was through with all my care and strife
• I thought that I was then
• The happiest of men
• But after months of tough civilian life
•  
• Gee, I wish I was back in the Army
• The Army wasn’t really bad at all
• Three meals a day
• For which you didn’t pay
• Uniforms for winter, spring and fall
•  
• There’s a lot to be said for the Army
• The life without responsibility
• A soldier out of luck
• Was really never stuck
• There’s always someone higher up where you can pass the buck
• Oh, gee, I wish I was back in the Army

Festus was looking back and not so much grateful as relieved. He was off the hook. He passed the buck on up to the next level.

22 Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear this man myself.” He replied, “Tomorrow you will hear him.”

23 The next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the audience room with the high ranking officers and the leading men of the city. At the command of Festus, Paul was brought in. 24 Festus said: “King Agrippa, and all who are present with us, you see this man! The whole Jewish community has petitioned me about him in Jerusalem and here in Caesarea, shouting that he ought not to live any longer. 25 I found he had done nothing deserving of death, but because he made his appeal to the Emperor I decided to send him to Rome. 26 But I have nothing definite to write to His Majesty about him. Therefore I have brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that as a result of this investigation I may have something to write. 27 For I think it is unreasonable to send on a prisoner without specifying the charges against him.”

Passing the buck had just one little problem. What to state on the governmental form regarding the charges. I wonder what Paul thought of this. Looking back, Festus even declares to Agrippa, his sister Bernice–the whole pomp and circumstance crowd—that Festus found he had nothing to put on the form. Paul, after all, was innocent.

In light of Festus’ statement, did Paul suddenly look back and wish he hadn’t appealed to Caesar? No. Because promised Rome was ahead. “As you have testified before the Jews, so also you must testify in Rome.” Looking back for Paul was not for the purpose of justification or regret. Looking back was only to remember with gratitude.

What about you? What do you think about at Thanksgiving? Or on any other day really? What do you see when you look back? I hope it’s gratitude.

Acts 26:1 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” So Paul motioned with his hand and began his defense: 2 “King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today as I make my defense against all the accusations of the Jews, 3 and especially so because you are well acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies. Therefore, I beg you to listen to me patiently.

“I consider myself fortunate,” Paul says. Wow! He’s been a prisoner for 2 years and counting. He’s outlasted one governor and stymied a second one. What does Paul see when he looks back? Gratitude for all of life’s circumstances—both good and difficult—given by the hand of the same God. And it reminds us that God who is good…is all about redemption. And no one is redeemed out of paradise. Cutting short the vacation at the beach is not the same as being delivered out of hardship. Paul was grateful for it all.

He looks back and remembers where he’d been and what he was. Paul was grateful to be able to share his testimony once again (the 3^rd time in Acts):

4 “The Jews all know the way I have lived ever since I was a child, from the beginning of my life in my own country, and also in Jerusalem. 5 They have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that according to the strictest sect of our religion, I lived as a Pharisee. 6 And now it is because of my hope in what God has promised our fathers that I am on trial today. 7 This is the promise our twelve tribes are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night. O king, it is because of this hope that the Jews are accusing me. 8 Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead? 9 “I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10 And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the saints in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. 11 Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished, and I tried to force them to blaspheme. In my obsession against them, I even went to foreign cities to persecute them. 12 “On one of these journeys I was going to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. 13 About noon, O king, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions. 14 We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ 15 “Then I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ “‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied. 16 ‘Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen of me and what I will show you. 17 I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them 18 to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’ 19 “So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven. 20 First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds. 21 That is why the Jews seized me in the temple courts and tried to kill me. 22 But I have had God’s help to this very day, and so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen– 23 that the Christ would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to his own people and to the Gentiles.”

Paul has looked back over his childhood, his upbringing, his early career and this life-changing encounter with Jesus—a life-giving, life-changing event! And I love Paul’s attitude. “I have had God’s help to this very day, and so I stand here and testify to small and great alike.” It’s looking back with gratitude at all the right things. He wasn’t grateful for his pedigree or his zealous persecution of Christians. He was grateful that in spite of all that, Jesus rescued him and had mercy upon him. And grace beyond that! Instead of punishment for all that persecuting, Jesus gave him the most fruitful missionary work of any human being to walk the planet apart from Jesus Himself.

If the definition of justice is getting what we deserve, and mercy is not getting what we deserve, then grace—that unmerited favor—is getting what we do not deserve in place of what we should have gotten. Paul understood grace because it had changed his life in radical ways.

It’s interesting that Paul states before King Agrippa who was familiar with Jewish sects in a Roman world that Jews and Gentiles alike (who BTW were grumbling against each other in Caesarea) were to be united in receiving this grace of God. You want healing of the races, of communities, demographics, or of ethnic groups? Give them the Gospel! The Gospel unites what Satan tears apart.

Festus might not have known the details of theology and argument, but he already knew that this whole Jew-Gentile thing got his predecessor in trouble so:

24 At this point Festus interrupted Paul’s defense. “You are out of your mind, Paul!” he shouted. “Your great learning is driving you insane.”

25 “I am not insane, most excellent Festus,” Paul replied. “What I am saying is true and reasonable. 26 The king is familiar with these things, and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner. 27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.”

Paul goes for the spiritual jugular. Do you believe the prophets? There is more contained in that question than just a yes or no answer. Do you believe the prophets? If you do and I know you do, then do you believe what the prophets said would happen? Sure you do! Then take the next step: I want you see that Jesus is the foretold Messiah.

28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?”

He evaded answering the question and responded with a question of his own. He could see exactly what Paul was asking. Agrippa probably had a very uneasy spirit knowing what Paul said was true and the finger of Jesus was pressing in on Agrippa’s heart with the invitation to receive Him.

Revelation 3:20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.

Jesus was knocking. Agrippa needed to open the door. Paul even says so.

29 Paul replied, “Short time or long– I pray God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.”

All who are listening today is not just referring to Agrippa and Bernice and Festus and a few court officials. Paul’s testimony is told 3 times in Acts so that you will listen. I will listen. We will hear Jesus knocking and open the door. That we would be Christians and become what Paul was…except, hopefully, for the chains of prison.

30 The king rose, and with him the governor and Bernice and those sitting with them. 31 They left the room, and while talking with one another, they said, “This man is not doing anything that deserves death or imprisonment.” 32 Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”

They all knew Paul wasn’t doing anything deserving of death…deserving of imprisonment. To them Paul could have been set free. But it wasn’t a guarantee even if Paul hadn’t appealed to Caesar. Could have. Not would have. But looking back, they experienced a bit of conviction at the imprisonment of an innocent man. The knocking on the door by Jesus and at this point, at least, they only look back and see that Paul ought to regret his decision to go to Rome. Hindsight, looking back as 20/20 vision, the choices from Agrippa’s and Festus’ perspective would have been Paul could appeal to Caesar or be free. But that assumes a lot. Not the least of which is that the government would have the moral courage to do what was right.

To them, Paul’s 20/20 hindsight ought to bring regret. Paul, however, looks back with gratitude. He knows he’s a sinner saved by grace.

He knows what he deserved in terms of wrath and justice from God. He knows that Jesus is real and alive and not only delivered him from that wrath, but Jesus paid it Himself with His very own blood at the cross. And then Jesus gave Paul a ministry second only to His own. Amazing! Looking back, how can there be regrets? Paul is grateful for grace and purpose.

There’s a lesson here for you and me as well. Do you have a problem? Paul did. But like Paul we can find some gratitude in it. Praising and thanking God will go much farther to solving it than regrets, grudges, bitterness, resentment, or taking revenge.

And gratitude needs to be more than a once a year deal accessorized by a turkey and accompanied by football. Looking ahead, Thanksgiving ought to be our daily heart condition as we reflect upon all that God has done for us.

Looking ahead, Paul sees Rome in the distance and it’s assured because God promised it. And there’s purpose for him in going to Rome. More testimony before small and great alike!   Looking back, Paul sees no regrets. Only gratitude for deliverance, mercy and purpose…as God’s amazing grace.

Let’s pray.

Thanksgiving is a natural time for reflecting and remembering with gratitude all the blessings in your recent history. Looking back over the past year, what do you see?  In today’s passage, Acts 25:13-26:32, Paul looks back and models for us the attitude of gratitude.