HOPE FOR THE HOPELESS

Text: Acts 27:1–28:10

Introduction: The movie Titanic broke box office records, as moviegoers seemed fascinated with a love story connected to the historic voyage of an “unsinkable” ship. Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet played two people from opposite sides of the social register who fell in love. We find such disasters fascinating. They demand our attention, as much out of horror as out of curiosity.

Like the Titanic, the apostle Paul’s story includes a shipwreck. But Paul’s voyage (Acts 27–28) was not just an interesting story, a bit of history, or a first-century navigation travelogue. Rather, here we read of a man who, along with Luke and Aristarchus, was one of three Christians aboard a ship that faced a violent storm in which all passengers survived. In Paul’s story, we can learn much to equip us for the stormy seasons of life.

So how does a follower of Christ respond in a stormy season when “all hope that we would be saved [is] finally given up”? (27:20). Today in our current stormy season, some have lost all hope of finding a job. Others have no hope of keeping their home or surviving the storm financially. Paul, though a prisoner, provides a good model for us to follow. In these chapters, he shows us how to find and offer hope when all seems lost.

1.    Paul believed God was trustworthy (Acts 27:21-25). Think of Paul’s  “community” onboard the ship: Julius the centurion, along with sailors, soldiers, and prisoners. The sailors wanted to lower boats and escape, leaving the rest to fend for themselves in a violent storm. The soldiers were ready to kill the prisoners as they floated to the island of Malta. The prisoners were criminals probably headed to entertain the masses in Rome at the whim of Nero. In this seemingly hopeless situation, Paul spoke to his community about God. Look around your neighborhood. Who is in your community? Perhaps many feel just as hopeless as those onboard the ship to Rome. In this difficult day, how do you share that God is trustworthy?

Paul’s vision was to see Rome (Rom. 1:13-15) and that dream was repeated in Acts 19:21. But for a while, it appeared that he would never get there. In a tense hour in his life, Paul was imprisoned and appeared before a hostile council in Jerusalem. That night God showed up. “The Lord stood by him and said, ‘Be of good cheer, Paul; for as you have testified for Me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness in Rome’ ” (Acts 23:11). God told him, “You’re going to Rome!”

Those who read Acts 27–28 for the first time might conclude that Paul would never make it to Rome. The storm was too great, the shipwreck too violent, and the snake too poisonous. We cheer when we read on that Paul eventually made it to Rome (Acts 28:14,16). Through it all, Paul never gave up hope and continued to trust in God. In a dark hour when all around him believed they would never make it (Acts 27:20), Paul spoke up: “And now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. For there stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve, saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me” (Acts 27:22-25).

Before we share with our community that God is trustworthy, like Paul we must be convinced of it. Are you convinced that God keeps His promises even during a recession? Have you wrapped your arms around Matthew 6:31-32? “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.” If we follow the lead of Paul, our first action will be to lead our community to the God who is trustworthy.
2.    Paul believed in personal responsibility (Acts 27:33-36): “And as the day was about to dawn, Paul implored them all to take food, saying, ‘Today is the fourteenth day you have waited and continued without food, and eaten nothing. Therefore I urge you to take nourishment, for this is for your survival, since not a hair will fall from the head of any of you.’ And when he had said these things, he took bread and gave thanks to God in the presence of them all; and when he had broken it he began to eat. Then they were all encouraged and took food themselves.”

Paul was a balanced Christian. He practiced the spiritual life but was also a practical man. He believed God’s promise to answer prayer but also used good common sense. You can sense this balance in Paul. He stood before sailors, soldiers, and prisoners reminding them that all would live. After two weeks of terrific tempests, there had probably been a rash of seasickness. The men didn’t feel like eating, but Paul told them it was for their survival. Here’s the balance: “You’re all going to survive, but you must eat to survive.” And then he blessed the food, praying to the God they all needed to know through Jesus Christ.

Here we see the rising influence of Paul. He began the trip to Rome as a mere prisoner, but became the leader the men looked to.

What is our personal responsibility in today’s recession? Many of us may have exhausted ourselves in trying, or know someone else who has. But here a few suggestions:

• · Become acquainted with agencies and churches that offer aid.
• · Look in on neighbors to discover how you can help them.
• · Build a social and marketplace network.
• · Practice the principles of wise spending and use of money.

3.    Paul believed in providential provision (Acts 28:1-10). In the   opening paragraph of Acts 28, there are some significant happenings:   The natives of Malta were unexpectedly kind to the survivors of a   shipwreck. As the men warmed themselves by a fire, Paul picked   up sticks with a servant’s heart, was bitten by a poisonous snake, and   survived. In this episode, the conclusion about Paul shifted from   murderer to a god in a few minutes.
When we read Acts 28:7-10, we read of God’s divine provision. Look at the verbs: received, entertained, honored, and provided. The leading citizen, Publius, took the lead in courtesy. The men received a Christian welcome from a people who, as far as we know, were not Christians. It was another surprise from God. God opened the door so that Paul was able to have a short ministry there of prayer and healing. Then it was on to Rome.
Many of us who are wondering when this recession will end have stories to tell of God’s surprises: A gift in the mail or on the back porch or an unexpected offer of work. In the person of His body, God has been at our door, in our mailbox, and on our phone. He is the God who surprises! He has not forgotten us.