Transcript

The following is entitled: “Letter From Camp.” Dear Mom and Dad: We are having a great time here at Lake Typhoid. Scoutmaster Webb is making us all write to our parents in case you saw the flood on TV and were worried. We are OK.

Only 1 of our tents and 2 sleeping bags got washed away. Luckily, none of us got drowned because we were all up on the mountain looking for Chad when it happened. Oh yes, please call Chad’s mother and tell her he is OK. He can’t write because of the cast.

I got to ride in one of the search and rescue jeeps. It was neat. We never would have found him in the dark if it hadn’t been for the lightning.

Scoutmaster Webb got mad at Chad for going on a hike alone without telling anyone. Chad said he did tell him, but it was during the fire so he probably didn’t hear him. Did you know that if you put gas on a fire, the gas can will blow up?

The wet wood still didn’t burn, but one of our tents did. Also some of our clothes. John is going to look weird until his hair grows back.

Scoutmaster Webb is a neat guy. He is a good driver. In fact, he is teaching Terry how to drive. But he only lets him drive on the narrow mountain roads where there isn’t any traffic.

This morning all of the guys were diving off the rocks and swimming out in the lake. We took a canoe across the lake. It was great. Scoutmaster Webb isn’t crabby like some scoutmasters. He didn’t even get mad about no life jackets.

Guess what? We have all passed our first aid merit badges. When Dave dove in the lake and cut his arm, we got to see how a tourniquet works.

Also Wade and I threw up. Scoutmaster Webb said it probably was just food poisoning from the leftover chicken. I have to go now. We are going into town to mail our letters and buy bullets. Don’t worry about anything. We are fine. Love, Cole. P.S. How long has it been since I had a tetanus shot?

Reading the account of Paul’s journey to Rome, it seems that everything that could go wrong did go wrong. Acts 27 portrays the dispensation of grace and shows that it will not be smooth sailing. These are stormy, challenging times for the Church.
Staying close to the Lord and His Word, and specifically His Word given through Paul for today, will give us the strength and courage we need as we live by for the Lord by faith and for His glory in this dispensation.

Acts 27:5-8 reads, “And when we had sailed over the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia.

“And there the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing into Italy; and he put us therein. And when we had sailed slowly many days, and scarce were come over against Cnidus, the wind not suffering us, we sailed under Crete, over against Salmone;

“And, hardly passing it, came unto a place which is called The fair havens; nigh whereunto was the city of Lasea.”

As we looked at last time, the journey to Rome by Paul is a picture of our dispensation. The boat is the Body of Christ. The wind is the Satanic power and demonic forces. The water is the nations of the world. And the water is influenced by the wind and Satan.

After sailing under the protection of the island of Cyprus from the contrary winds, the ship Paul was on that was taking him to Rome then turned west and proceeded with difficulty against the westerly winds along the coasts of Cilicia and Pamphylia.

As Paul sailed by this area, he was looking at his home. He had family there. As Paul said in Acts 21:39: “I am a man which am a Jew of Tarsus, a city in Cilicia.”

Early in his ministry, according to Galatians 1, we learn that Paul went to Cilicia. We can be sure Paul attempted to reach his family with the gospel of grace.

This should remind us about our family members who need Christ, and how we need to be a loving witness to them and faithful to share the gospel.

We can only imagine Paul’s thoughts as he traveled by this area. Paul had also established churches in Cilicia. He had spiritual family there too. He was likely thinking about them too.

Finally, they came to Myra, a port city of Lycia, in what is southern Turkey today. The trip from Sidon to Myra was a distance of about 400 miles.

Here in Myra, they changed ships. Knowing this ship was bound for Adramyttium to the north, and would not take them any closer to Italy, Julius needed to find another ship. And he found a large, grain ship from Alexandria, Egypt which was bound for Italy.

Egypt was known at that time as Rome’s breadbasket, as Rome depended on Egypt for much of it grain supply. So it was not odd to find this type of ship enroute to Italy. And according to verse 37, the boat was large enough to carry 276 passengers.

As they set out, the strong winds again hindered their progress, so that “many days” were required to cover the 130 miles from Myra to Cnidus, a city at the southwest tip of Asia Minor, or modern Turkey.

Here the wind did not “suffer” or permit them to continue sailing west, so they turned south to sail “under Crete,” or to again use the protection of land from the wind.

They came to Cape Salmone on the eastern extremity of Crete, and “hardly passing it,” or with great difficulty they rounded it, and worked their way around the island, using it as protection, finally struggling into Fair Havens on the south side of the island.

That strong wind hindering Paul again reminds us of the resistance to Paul and the truth of God’s message of grace for today by the rulers of darkness.

Paul taught the Church, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Eph. 6:12).

We are in a spiritual battle and Satan and his demons war against the truths of grace. Trying to do anything to hinder it and us the Church from making it known.

The demons, like the devil, are not “flesh and blood.” And Paul says that “we wrestle” and our struggle is not against “flesh and blood,” not on a physical plane, but rather on a spiritual plane, in a spiritual battle against a spiritual enemy.

And they don’t rest as they fight to hinder the gospel of grace and truth of Christ, and to discourage and cause the church of God to lose its light and testimony.

This strong wind causing the boat Paul was on to struggle to make progress, is a picture of the fight for the Body of Christ to move forward in this dispensation of grace because of Satanic resistance to us in the spiritual battle.

Acts 27:9-12 reads, “Now when much time was spent, and 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.

“And 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 Phenice, and there to winter; which is an haven of Crete, and lieth toward the south west and north west.”

Arriving at the port village of Fair Havens in southern Crete, a decision had to be made whether to winter there at Fair Havens or to try to reach the port of Phenice, or Phoenix up the coast of Crete, about 40 miles away.

Verse 9 says that “much time was spent” waiting in vain at the Fair Havens for a favorable wind. So much time was spent there waiting that sailing was now dangerous, as they had entered the stormy season for sailing.

Now a decision had to be made quick. Luke records in verse 9 that “the fast was now already past.” This “fast” refers to the Day of Atonement (Lev. 23:27-32), meaning it was now late September or early October.

Sailing was difficult from mid-September to mid-November, and was impossible from mid-November to February, and they’d just entered the difficult time of year for sailing. Paul, a seasoned traveler, offered his advice.

And his advice was that they not try it. Paul had already experienced three shipwrecks, so he was definitely speaking from experience! The word “perceive” in verse 10 means “to perceive from past experience.”

Paul explained that he could see that this voyage would meet with disaster and loss, not just to the cargo and ship, but in loss of life.

The factor for the decision of whether to winter in Fair Havens or Phenice up the coast was that Fair Havens was not a comfortable place to settle down for a period of time and winter in, because the harbor was too open to the winter storms.

Phenice on the other hand had a more sheltered harbor and was a comfortable place to winter, and besides, their thinking was that it was only 40 miles away and surely they could cover that distance safely.

Grain ships were considered to be in government service, so the authority rested ultimately in the hands of Julius, the centurion. He consulted the captain and owner of the ship who advised him that they should not stay in Fair Havens.

So Julius decided it was worth the risk and sided with the captain and owner of the ship to make for Phenice.

Notice though how the centurion believed others “more than those things which were spoken by Paul.” This is something that has happened often and through the dispensation of grace.

The church has listened to other voices, other opinions, followed the commandments and traditions of men and church leaders, and believed them “more than those things which were spoken by Paul.” The authority of the Word of God is often displaced and pushed to the side by what men want to believe instead.

But the Church, the Body of Christ, needs to follow Paul and heed the wisdom and counsel of God revealed to and through him. We need to follow and obey what Christ teaches us about His grace and His will for this current dispensation found in Paul’s letters.

Here we see men rejecting Paul’s counsel and believing others. Earlier in Acts we learn about another reaction to this phrase “those things which were spoken by Paul.”

Acts 13:44-45 reads: “And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the Word of God. But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and SPAKE AGAINST those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming.”

Not only do people believe others things “more than those things which were spoken by Paul,” they also speak against them.

There is resistance to Paul and his apostleship and the unique message committed to him. For example, many reject Paul’s gospel of pure grace by faith alone in Christ.

Many reject that idea and want to include things like water baptism, or turning from your sins, or making Christ the Lord of your life too. When Paul’s gospel says, trust that Christ died for your sins and rose again, and that’s it. You don’t do anything else.

Paul’s message of once saved, always saved and eternal security in Christ is spoken against in the Church. Paul’s message of one glorious spiritual baptism which identifies us with Christ is twisted and changed to conform to the traditions of man.

Paul’s message of the Church being caught away and raptured to heaven before the seven-year tribulation ever begins is attacked, denied, and spoken against.

And the Church as a whole in this dispensation has done what the centurion did here: they believes something else “more than those things which were spoken by Paul.”

As a result, the Church has put themselves under the requirements, promises and legalism of previous dispensations, mixing law and grace, Israel’s earthly hope with our heavenly hope, and everything has become a convoluted mess and resulted in denominations of all kinds, because the Church has not trusted and obeyed the things spoken by Paul.

Notice too in verse 12, that “the more part advised to depart thence.” When it went to a vote about whether to stay in Fair Havens or to try for Phenice to winter there, “the more part advised to depart.”

This is another thing in this account that has happened in the church in this dispensation. The church has followed “the more part” rather than Paul. The more part disagreed with Paul. The majority has not followed Paul.

There is comfort and confidence in following the majority. But the majority is often wrong. As our Lord said about salvation, “Wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and MANY there by which go in thereat…and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matt. 7:13-14).

And as we learn by what happens in this chapter, the majority is often wrong. The lesson here is that we need to listen to Paul and the message committed to him by Christ, rather than follow the majority who are living for a hope and calling and truth that is not theirs.

And notice how “the more part advised TO DEPART.” This is also what has happened in the dispensation of grace, instead of keeping the faith, holding on to the truth of the revelation of the mystery, they have chosen to not listen to Paul and TO DEPART from the faith committed to him, and they have left the truth of grace for today.

As Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 4:1: “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall DEPART from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.”

2 Timothy 4:3-4 teaches, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine…And they shall TURN AWAY their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”

After encouraging Timothy to “Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me” and “that good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us,” Paul reminded Timothy “This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be TURNED AWAY from me.”

Paul warned the church that people would DEPART from the faith, they would turn away from the truth, and the majority would turn away from Paul.

And the majority, the more part, has decided to depart and to not follow the wisdom of Paul’s letters and what Paul says for the church to do under this dispensation.

1 Timothy 1:19 reads: “Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck.” If you don’t hold the faith, you end up in spiritual shipwreck, just like we learn about the Church in Acts 27.

Acts 27:13-17: “And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing thence, they sailed close by Crete. But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon.

“And when the ship was caught, and could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive. And running under a certain island which is called Clauda, we had much work to come by the boat:

“Which when they had taken up, they used helps, undergirding the ship; and, fearing lest they should fall into the quicksands, strake sail, and so were driven.”

When they first embarked from Fair Havens to go to Phenice, it seemed like the right decision was made as the weather changed, a gentle south wind began to blow, and this was just what they needed.

The men on the ship were probably telling Paul how wrong he was as they pulled away from the harbor in Fair Havens.

The wind had been contrary. Now the wind was calm and blew softly. A warm breeze from the south was blowing.

Again that wind speaks to the power of the air, or Satan. When they went against Paul and did not follow his wisdom, at first there was smooth sailing.

There is no opposition or fighting by the powers of darkness against this decision to not follow Paul in this age of grace.

This nice south wind continued only for a time, just long enough until they were far enough away from safety.

And then that soft wind became a driving wind, and Paul was proved right and to have spoken the truth. But now they were caught on the open seas.

The word translated “tempestuous” gives us the English word: typhoon. Sailors called this wind: “Euroclydon,” meaning “a northeasterner.” The wind that suddenly swept down on them was of typhoon force, a hurricane-like wind.

They could not steer or control the ship, so they had to give way and let the ship drift and be driven by the wind. The wind drove the ship 23 miles to the southwest, narrowly missing being driven into the island of Clauda underneath Crete.

That had to be a harrowing experience to miss that island.

They are in a position now in which they have no control. They were at the mercy of the storm. They had put themselves in this position by their own choice. And Satan had also tricked them into this position.

This is a picture of how the Church chose to depart from Paul and has been tricked by the wiles of the devil, and it has been in a great storm since, because they have not followed Paul and God’s instructions for this dispensation.

The ship was now “caught” by the wind and the waves. And many in the church have been caught and taken captive by the devil at his will and have followed unsound doctrine and false teaching as a result (2 Tim. 2:26).

Once they cleared the island and were south of it and “under” the shelter of the land, they used the temporary and comparative calm to attend to some important matters.

First, was to get the skiff, the small lifeboat being towed behind, hauled onto the ship. The weather was so deceiving at first that they had the lifeboat in the water being pulled behind.

For them to put it out in the first place showed that they did not believe Paul’s warning. Now they had to pull it in during the storm.

They had to pull it in lest they lose it or it be driven against the ship in the storm and cause damage to the ship. Luke uses the word “we” with the hauling in of the boat showing that Luke helped in this, and probably Paul and Aristarchus too.

As can be imagined in a stormy sea, the task of hoisting the skiff aboard was not easily done. As Luke says, “we had much work” in verse 16.

This tells us, who follow Paul and rightly divide the Word and see the truth for this age, this reminds us of the much work that we need to do to help the church in the midst of the storm of this dispensation. And it pictures that we need to work together, because the Church is about “we” not “me.”

They also strengthened the hull using “helps,” which would have been heavy ropes, chain, or cables, that were used to literally tie the vessel together to keep it seaworthy and prevent it from going to pieces.

Luke points out that “they,” or the sailors, the ones with the expertise, did this.

They also “strake sail” to avoid being driven onto the “quicksands” or the north African coast around Libya, which was a graveyard of many ships at that time.

It says that they were “fearing lest they should fall into the quicksands.” And the Church is led and driven by fear as a result of not following or listening to Paul.

When we do follow the truth for this dispensation, we learn that it is the grace of God, the love of Christ, and gratitude that is to drive the church forward for Christ.

When it says that they “strake sail,” it literally means “lowered the gear,” as they lowered some of the sails, including the great mainsail and any higher sails, but set storm sails to help steady the ship and to keep the ship away from the African sandbars.

The storm had hit so suddenly, they didn’t have time to put them down before. And the storm raged on.

Join us next time when we’ll look at the conclusion of Paul’s stormy voyage to Rome and the truths we learn from it about this current age.