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Aug 20, 2017

Cut Away the Ropes

Cut Away the Ropes

Passage: Acts 27:1-32

Speaker: Ben Seneker

Series: Acts: The Perpetual Power of the Gospel

This week, we will see that after two years of prison at Caesarea, Paul will finally be transported - by ship - to Rome. On the way, they encounter a fierce storm, and the sailors see the ship’s lifeboat as their means of being saved. Paul, however, tells them that the only way that they will be saved is if they all stay in the boat. As a result, the sailors cut the ropes to the lifeboat. We have many false saviors in our life, “lifeboats” that seem to bring salvation, but in the end fail us. What might it look like for us to cut the ropes of our “lifeboats” and turn to Jesus as the only Savior in this life, and the only Hope for the next?

Call To Worship: Jonah 2:7-9 ESV

LEADER: 7 When my life was fainting away, I remembered the Lord, and my prayer came to you, into your holy temple. 8 Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love.

ALL: 9 But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay. Salvation belongs to the Lord!”  

Prayer: Kept By God (Adapted from The Valley of Vision)

LEADER: Jehovah God. Creator, Upholder, Owner, of all things. We cannot escape from Your presence or rule, nor should we desire to do so.

ALL: Our privilege is to be under the direction of Your omnipotence, righteousness, wisdom, and grace.

LEADER: It is the discovery of Your goodness alone that can banish our fears, allure us into Your presence, and help us to confess sins.

ALL: For there is mercy and exceeding riches in Your kindness through Jesus. May we always feel our need of Him.

LEADER: Bear up heart and mind in loss of comforts. Enliven us through the valley of death. Work in us the image of the heavenly; the first fruits of spirituality found in Christ.

ALL: Thy kingdom come.   

Central Text: Acts 27:1-32 ESV

1 And when it was decided that we should sail for Italy, they delivered Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion of the Augustan Cohort named Julius. 2 And embarking in a ship of Adramyttium, which was about to sail to the ports along the coast of Asia, we put to sea, accompanied by Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica. 3 The next day we put in at Sidon. And Julius treated Paul kindly and gave him leave to go to his friends and be cared for. 4 And putting out to sea from there we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were against us. 5 And when we had sailed across the open sea along the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra in Lycia. 6 There the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing for Italy and put us on board. 7 We sailed slowly for a number of days and arrived with difficulty off Cnidus, and as the wind did not allow us to go farther, we sailed under the lee of Crete off Salmone. 8 Coasting along it with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near which was the city of Lasea. 9 Since much time had passed, and the voyage was now dangerous because even the Fast was already over, Paul advised them, 10 saying, “Sirs, I perceive that the voyage will be with injury and much loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.” 11 But the centurion paid more attention to the pilot and to the owner of the ship than to what Paul said. 12 And because the harbour was not suitable to spend the winter in, the majority decided to put out to sea from there, on the chance that somehow they could reach Phoenix, a harbour of Crete, facing both southwest and northwest, and spend the winter there. 13 Now when the south wind blew gently, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete, close to the shore. 14 But soon a tempestuous wind, called the northeaster, struck down from the land. 15 And when the ship was caught and could not face the wind, we gave way to it and were driven along. 16 Running under the lee of a small island called Cauda, we managed with difficulty to secure the ship's boat. 17 After hoisting it up, they used supports to undergird the ship. Then, fearing that they would run aground on the Syrtis, they lowered the gear, and thus they were driven along. 18 Since we were violently storm-tossed, they began the next day to jettison the cargo. 19 And 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 no small tempest lay on us, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned. 21 Since they had been without food for a long time, Paul stood up among them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me and not have set sail from Crete and incurred this injury and loss. 22 Yet now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. 23 For this very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, 24 and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ 25 So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told. 26 But we must run aground on some island.” 27 When the fourteenth night had come, as we were being driven across the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors suspected that they were nearing land. 28 So they took a sounding and found twenty fathoms. A little farther on they took a sounding again and found fifteen fathoms. 29 And fearing that we might run on the rocks, they let down four anchors from the stern and prayed for day to come. 30 And as the sailors were seeking to escape from the ship, and had lowered the ship's boat into the sea under pretense of laying out anchors from the bow, 31 Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.” 32 Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the ship's boat and let it go

Sermon Title:  Cut Away the Ropes

Communion   

Benediction:  Philippians 4:4-7 ESV

LEADER: 4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

ALL: 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Post-Service Text: Acts 27:31-32 ESV

31 Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.” 32 Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the ship's boat and let it go.

Related Scriptures:  

Hebrews 11:1-3

2 Corinthians 11:16-33

Discussion Questions & Applications:

  1. Luke included very specific details (ex. their route, navigation terms, weather patterns, etc.) in this account of their voyage to Rome.  Why do you think Luke recorded so many details?  What benefit, if any, is there for us to know all these details?
  2. Paul remains calm in spite of the storm and in spite of the panic exhibited by the other sailors.  Discuss the source of this calm (including Jesus’ promise at 23:11) and its effect on the other sailors?  How did his level-headedness affect his ability to lead in a time of crisis?
  3. Times of uncertainty can make us feel anxious.  What are those things in your life that generally cause you the most anxiety?  What has been your typical response to those moments of high anxiety?  What has been the most helpful, and (if comfortable to share) what has been the least helpful?
  4. The lack of a sense of control is commonly cited as being a major source of anxiety for people.  Have you found this to be true in your own life?  What is it about control that brings a sense of comfort?  Conversely, how does a lack of sense of control bring anxiety?  What does the desire for control reveal about who we trust, or what we long for?
  5. The sailors saw their salvation in the lifeboat.  In a sense, they had put their faith in the boat’s ability to save them.  Paul, however, persuades them to cut it loose.  This, too, was an act of faith.  What was it that convinced them to cut it loose?  In your own life, what is your “lifeboat”?  If it is other than Christ, what is preventing you from cutting it loose?

Quotes:

“The only way to break the hold of a beautiful object on the soul is to show it an object even more beautiful.”  - Thomas Chalmers

“You know, it’s possible that God’s plan for us is littleness. His plan for us may be personal failure. It’s possible that when another door closes, it’s not because he plans to open a window but because he plans to have the building fall down on you. The question we must ask ourselves is this: Will Christ be enough?” - Jared Wilson

Sermons:

The Lord of the Storm by Timothy J. Keller; Acts 27:13-32

Fight Anxiety Without Fear by Timothy J. Keller; Philippians 4:6-7

Trusting God When It Feels Absurd by Chas Morris; Acts 27:1-30