On to Rome (Acts 27:22-44)

 Sermon for Centenary and Milledgeville UMC...

[Slide] On to Rome (Acts 27:22-44)

 

Paul is shipwrecked on Malta

A sailor off the coast of Germany discovers that his boat is taking on water. Alarmed, he radios the German coastguard: "Hello coastguard, I'm sinking, I'm sinking!"

There is a pause for a few seconds, before the coastguard replies, "OK ... Vat are you sinking about?"

 

An old sailor told a friend he could hear the ocean sing in the calm before the storm. Friend: Oh yeah? What does it sound like?

 

C flat.

 

We are with Paul, Luke, and Aristarchus of Thessalonica on a ship bound for Rome. They are sailing in late September to early October. [Slide] We know this because Luke tells us it’s already after the Fast, meaning The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). Yom Kippur occurs anytime between September 14 and October 14.

 

[Slide] The Mediterranean Sea is a dangerous place to travel in the autumn months. The waters of the Mediterranean are as warm as they get from absorbing 3 months of summer heat. The air above the sea is hot and humid. Cold fronts travel down from northern Europe. The cold air meets the hot moist air of the sea and sudden violent storms occur. If a storm system stalls over water, they can develop into storms are called medicanes. Medicanes are smaller, no more than 150 miles in diameter, because there isn’t as much time over water to gather strength like the hurricanes from the Atlantic.

 

Luke tells us that the powerful storm lasted over 14 days. This is not a typical nor’easter gale. A nor’easter typically lasts from 1 to 4 days.

 

 

[Slide] In November 2014, medicane Qendresa hit Malta and southern Italy causing $250 million in damages. Winds were up to 95 mph. Huge shipping containers were overturned, bringing cargo shipping to a halt. The storm system caused tornadoes. Severe flooding destroyed homes and businesses. Three lives were lost.

 

[Slide] Luke details their voyage across the Mediterranean. They are forced to try and find a safe harbor in which to winter at Crete, but as they left the Fair Havens port, forceful winds pushed them south towards Africa. They could not get back to Crete.

 

[Slide] From the ship, it seemed like the sky was blacked out by clouds. Fierce winds and huge waves beat the ship. They tied ropes around the hull to hold the ship together. They sacrificed the ship’s tackle and cargo to make it lighter. Can you imagine the fear they felt, the courage they had to muster?

 

[Slide] They were on a large ship measuring up to 180 feet long and 50 feet wide. The ship was carrying 276 passengers and crew, plus grain. The ship could carry as much as 1200 tons of cargo. As Paul put it, they were under constant stress.

 

[Slide] The storm blew the ship southward toward the African coast. They feared they would run aground on sandbars off the coast of Libya. They dropped anchor and dragged them along the bottom as they were helplessly pushed along by the storm. The crew and passengers had lost all hope of surviving.

 

Paul spoke up to encourage the men. He told them to take courage. An angel of God told Paul,

 

[Slide] “Do not be afraid. You must stand before Caesar, and God has graciously granted you the safety of all who are sailing with you.” (Acts 27:24)

The Romans likely feared that Neptune, the god of the sea, was angry. But Paul tells them, “The God I belong to and I serve says we will not die. I have faith in God that it will be just as I have been told.” (Acts 27:23-25)

 

[Slide] Days go by. No one can eat. They are beside themselves in terror. Caught in the tempest they don’t even know where they are. After two weeks of this harrowing voyage, the sailors heard the sound of surf hitting a distant beach. They took soundings and found they were nearing land at 120 feet, then at 90 feet of water. They cut the anchors and left them at the bottom of the sea intending to run aground.

 

[Slide] The Roman anchors looked like a 5-6 foot long piece of iron with a long wood piece down the middle. In 2021, one well preserved 2,000 year old Roman anchor was found off the coast of England in the North Sea. [Slide] Amateur archeologist Bob Cornuke believes divers from Malta found the four anchors from Paul’s voyage off the coast of St. Thomas Bay, Malta. [Slide] They were found in 90 feet of water just beyond the sandy bay inlet. St Thomas Bay is not the traditional sight of Paul’s shipwreck. BUT, it is the only site on Malta that fits Luke’s details. [Slide] St Thomas Bay is where forceful cross currents pound the reef. During a gale, a beached ship would be torn apart.

 

[Slide] They ran the ship into the reef. The pounding surf tore the back end of the ship apart. [Slide] All 276 men on that doomed voyage were saved by swimming to shore or floating on broken pieces of the ship.

 

Once on shore, the islanders cared for them. They built a fire to warm them. [Slide] Paul helped to gather wood. As he put wood on the fire, a poisonous snake was hidden in the timber. It bit Paul and hung off his finger. Everyone saw it. The Maltese were certain that Paul must be a murderer, for even though he escaped the sea, the gods had commanded justice and taken his life by a snakebite. But Paul didn’t die. He didn’t even get sick. Then the Maltese thought Paul was a god.

[Slide] Paul was informed of a sick man, the father of the chief official, Publius. Paul prayed for the man and he was healed. Word got out about it and then the whole island brought their sick to Paul and they all were healed by the power of faith in Jesus.

 

This is an exact parallel to Jesus, who healed Peter’s mother-in-law in Capernaum and then the whole town showed up. Jesus healed them all. Jesus is continuing His ministry of healing and hope through His church.

 

And that really is the message of Acts. Jesus is alive and working wonders through His church, bringing health, hope, and restoring people to God. Paul urges his listeners to repent, turn to God and be healed.

 

[Slide] Paul finally made it to Rome where he was kept under house arrest for 2 years. We have no records that Paul ever stood before Caesar Nero. There is a tradition that Paul was released and travelled to Spain. After that he returned to Asia Minor to encourage the churches there. He was arrested a second time, brought to Rome, and subsequently beheaded. 

 

[Slide] In 2nd Timothy, Paul seems to know he is about to die.

 

For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. [Slide] Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. (2^nd Timothy 4:6-8)

 

[Slide] The Book of Acts ends with Paul faithfully proclaiming the good news of Jesus in Rome.

 

He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ—with all boldness and without hindrance! (Acts 28:31)

 

The message of Acts is that Jesus is alive and continuing His ministry through His church. In what ways are you fighting the good fight? How is Christ empowering you to serve in ministry?

 

[Slide] Consider these statistics about our neighbors in a 5 miles radius of the congregation? [Slide]

 

85% believe God is love and wants a loving relationship with humanity

78% believe Jesus rose from the dead

70% claim a personal relationship with Jesus [Slide]

 

90% believe the church is hypocritical, not behaving as Jesus would.

85% think church participation is not required to believe in Jesus [Slide]

 

73% are open to learning more about God

83% are open to learning more about Jesus

 

These numbers are both hopeful and concerning.

 

A large majority of our neighbors (at least 7 in 10) possess some faith in Christ. But an overwhelming majority hold a negative view of the Church. They are open to growing their knowledge of God and Christ. However, the Church must overcome the apathetic and negative opinion of the Church.

 

[Slide] How are you, as a representative of Jesus, helping your friends, relatives, associates and neighbors overcome these obstacles? In what ways might you help them grow in the knowledge of Jesus? How might you help them gain a more accurate view of the Church?

 

 

I hope that our time studying Acts has helped you to realize just how important you are to Jesus and His ministry. [Slide] We are the body of Christ, and each of you has a part, a purpose, to carry out the ministry of Jesus.

 

Every Sunday we recite the mission statement of Centenary UMC. But how are we living into that mission? [Slide] We are going to talk about the mission statement in next three Sundays

 

Our Mission:

 

September 13 - Living by Faith

September 20 - Known by Love

September 27 - A Voice of Hope

 

We’re going to talk about what discipleship looks like through the lens of Faith, Hope, and Love.

 

[Slide] That will lead us into The Revival Project.

Maybe, you’re like me when you hear the word revival, you think of preachers with their hair piled high, a polyester leisure suit and a big floppy leather-bound Bible, preaching at you to be saved in the name of Jesus! Glory!

 

Can I get an Amen! Hallelujah!

 

No! no! The Revival Project is not going to be a carnival side show. I’m not going to be pacing around trying to work you into religious fervor. Instead, think of the Revival Project as a time set aside for our benefit. It is a time for us to put our love for God, front and center. [Slide] Revival comes through daily tending to your love for God. The Revival Project will give us the time and the tools to do just that.

 

[Slide] Hear the words of Jesus in a fresh way, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit fills you; and you will be my witnesses here in Lebanon and Boone county and everywhere you go.” (Acts 1:8)