Transcript

Podcast Introduction

This is Gospels Saturday. We’ll complete the book of Acts with the reading of Acts 27-28. I’m calling today’s show “The Storm.”

Comments on Acts 27-28

Thoughts on Acts 27

When we last left Paul, he was on trial before Festus and Agrippa, when he appealed to Caesar. So now, he is being shipped off to Rome, the capital of the empire, where Caesar was located. 

What I want to look at in today’s chapter is how Paul encouraged the men onboard the ship when it looked like all was lost. Paul had already told them that he belonged to God and that he served God, and that an angel had told him that all on board would be spared.

Now, I can imagine the reaction he must have gotten from the sailors and other prisoners on the ship. I think there would have been a lot of scoffing, don’t you? 

But at the height of the storm, two weeks into it, Paul encourages the men to eat in order to live. And he reminded them that they would not come to harm in the storm. But words are cheap. So, in their sight, he took some bread, gave thanks to God and ate. And they were all filled with hope.

Sometimes, God puts us in situations where we can bring hope and make a difference. Without hope, the will to carry on or even the will to live can be extinguished. I know in my own life there have been times where it seemed that all was lost, and then God would bring someone to encourage me with a word from the Lord, and I knew I could make it another day. 

We need to be willing to be the one to bring hope to a dark situation. It really can save a life and even bring someone to the throne of God.

Thoughts on Acts 28 

Let’s take a quick look at the end of the the last chapter of Acts. What Paul quoted to the Jewish leaders should have sounded familiar to you if you’ve been with me since the beginning of our year together. He quoted from the book of Isaiah 6:9-10.

When God gave that message to Isaiah, it was a message to the Jewish people. It was one of the times that God had had enough of their rejection of Him. 

And now, Paul is quoting these verses to the Jewish leaders in Rome because the Lord wants them to know that the message of the Gospel which has been presented to them, and which they rejected, will be taken to the Gentiles, where it will be embraced and accepted.

You see, God is patient, but there is a point at which He draws the line. 

Beloved, I believe we are getting very close to the time when God says, “Enough. You have rejected my Son long enough. I have offered you forgiveness through His shed blood, and you have chosen your own way. You refuse to listen to my Holy Spirit as He tries to speak to you, and your ears will not hear and your eyes will not see. Your hearts are hardened. Therefore you cannot turn to me and let me heal you.”

This message in Isaiah was because of the Jew’s rejection of God. Today, much of mankind has rejected Christ. It is man’s pride and wanting to be his own master.

As our nation and our world falls deeper and deeper into sin and farther and farther away from God, we are seeing more and more outrageous behaviors being accepted by the culture. It’s no wonder, because without God, man is unable to govern himself.

Now is the time for each of us…you and me and every believing person on the planet…to get on our knees and pray. Pray for God’s hand in the affairs of the world. Pray that people would open their eyes. Pray for your unsaved family and friends. Time may be short, beloved. Don’t sit idly by and let them be left behind. Be bold. Don’t be cowed by those who will not hear. You have the message of life. Don’t be afraid to share it with those dying around you.

Today’s Bible Translation

Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 27 NIRV; Ch. 28 CEV

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Transcript

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STEVE WEBB – 0:00
We need to be willing to be the one to bring hope in a dark situation.

INTRO S12E360 – 0:11
Coming to you from Riverside, California this is the Lifespring Family Audio Bible, And podcasting since 2004, I’m your OG Godcaster, Steve Webb. This is the daily show where we’re reading through the entire Bible in a year of which there are 1…2…3 days left after today. This is Gospel Saturday. We’ll complete the book of Acts with a reading of chapters 27 and 28. And I’m calling today’s show, “The Storm”. The show notes page for today’s episode is at lifespringmedia.com/s12e360. And my email address is st***@*************ia.com. Let’s get started.

ACTS 27 (NIRV) – 0:48
Acts, chapter 27. (1) It was decided that we would sail for Italy. Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to a Roman commander named Julius. He belonged to the Imperial Guard. (2) We boarded a ship from Adramyttium. It was about to sail for ports along the coast of Asia Minor. We headed out to sea. Aristarchus was with us. He was a Macedonian from Thessalonica.

(3) The next day we landed at Sidon. There Julius was kind to Paul. He let Paul visit his friends so they could give him what he needed. (4) From there we headed out to sea again. We passed the calmer side of Cyprus because the winds were against us. (5) We sailed across the open sea off the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia. Then we landed at Myra in Lycia. (6) There the commander found a ship from Alexandria sailing for Italy. He put us on board. (7) We moved along slowly for many days. We had trouble getting to Cnidus. The wind did not let us stay on course. So we passed the calmer side of Crete, opposite Salmone. (8) It was not easy to sail along the coast. Then we came to a place called Fair Havens. It was near the town of Lasea.

(9) A lot of time had passed. Sailing had already become dangerous. By now it was after the Day of Atonement, a day of fasting. So Paul gave them a warning. (10) “Men,” he said, “I can see that our trip is going to be dangerous. The ship and everything in it will be lost. Our own lives will be in danger also.” (11) But the commander didn’t listen to what Paul said. Instead, he followed the advice of the pilot and the ship’s owner. (12) The harbor wasn’t a good place for ships to stay during winter. So most of the people decided we should sail on. They hoped we would reach Phoenix. They wanted to spend the winter there. Phoenix was a harbor in Crete. It faced both southwest and northwest.

(13) A gentle south wind began to blow. They thought that this was what they had been waiting for. So they pulled up the anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete. (14) Before very long, a wind blew down from the island. It had the force of a hurricane. It was called the Northeaster. (15) The ship was caught up by the storm. We could not keep it sailing into the wind. So we gave up and were driven along. (16) We passed the calmer side of a small island called Cauda. We almost lost the lifeboat. (17) So the men lifted it on board. Then they tied ropes under the ship itself to hold it together. They were afraid it would get stuck on the sandbars of Syrtis. They lowered the sea anchor and let the ship be driven along. (18) We took a very bad beating from the storm. The next day the crew began to throw the ship’s contents overboard. (19) On the third day, they even threw the ship’s gear overboard with their own hands. (20) The sun and stars didn’t appear for many days. The storm was terrible. So we gave up all hope of being saved.

(21) The men had not eaten for a long time. Paul stood up in front of them. “Men,” he said, “you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete. Then you would have avoided this harm and loss. (22) Now I beg you to be brave. Not one of you will die. Only the ship will be destroyed. (23) I belong to God and serve him. Last night his angel stood beside me. (24) The angel said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must go on trial in front of Caesar. God has shown his grace by sparing the lives of all those sailing with you.’ (25) Men, continue to be brave. I have faith in God. It will happen just as he told me. (26) But we must run the ship onto the beach of some island.”

(27) On the 14th night we were still being driven across the Sea of Adria. About midnight the sailors had a feeling that they were approaching land. (28) They measured how deep the water was. They found that it was 120 feet deep. A short time later they measured the water again. This time it was 90 feet deep. (29) They were afraid we would crash against the rocks. So they dropped four anchors from the back of the ship. They prayed that daylight would come. (30) The sailors wanted to escape from the ship. So they let the lifeboat down into the sea. They pretended they were going to lower some anchors from the front of the ship. (31) But Paul spoke to the commander and the soldiers. “These men must stay with the ship,” he said. “If they don’t, you can’t be saved.” (32) So the soldiers cut the ropes that held the lifeboat. They let it drift away.

(33) Just before dawn Paul tried to get them all to eat. “For the last 14 days,” he said, “you have wondered what would happen. You have gone without food. You haven’t eaten anything. (34) Now I am asking you to eat some food. You need it to live. Not one of you will lose a single hair from your head.” (35) After Paul said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God. He did this where they all could see him. Then he broke it and began to eat. (36) All of them were filled with hope. So they ate some food. (37) There were 276 of us on board. (38) They ate as much as they wanted. They needed to make the ship lighter. So they threw the rest of the grain into the sea.

(39) When daylight came, they saw a bay with a sandy beach. They didn’t recognize the place. But they decided to run the ship onto the beach if they could. (40) So they cut the anchors loose and left them in the sea. At the same time, they untied the ropes that held the rudders. They lifted the sail at the front of the ship to the wind. Then they headed for the beach. (41) But the ship hit a sandbar. So the front of it got stuck and wouldn’t move. The back of the ship was broken to pieces by the pounding of the waves.

(42) The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners. They wanted to keep them from swimming away and escaping. (43) But the commander wanted to save Paul’s life. So he kept the soldiers from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and swim to land. (44) The rest were supposed to get there on boards or other pieces of the ship. That is how everyone reached land safely.

ACTS 28 (CEV) – 6:33
Acts, chapter 28. (1) When we came ashore, we learned that the island was called Malta. (2) The local people were very friendly, and they welcomed us by building a fire, because it was rainy and cold.

(3) After Paul had gathered some wood and had put it on the fire, the heat caused a snake to crawl out, and it bit him on the hand. (4) When the local people saw the snake hanging from Paul’s hand, they said to each other, “This man must be a murderer! He didn’t drown in the sea, but the goddess of justice will kill him anyway.”

(5) Paul shook the snake off into the fire and wasn’t harmed. (6) The people kept thinking that Paul would either swell up or suddenly drop dead. They watched him for a long time, and when nothing happened to him, they changed their minds and said, “This man is a god.”

(7) The governor of the island was named Publius, and he owned some of the land around there. Publius was very friendly and welcomed us into his home for three days. (8) His father was in bed, sick with fever and stomach trouble, and Paul went to visit him. Paul healed the man by praying and placing his hands on him.

(9) After this happened, everyone on the island brought their sick people to Paul, and they were all healed. (10) The people were very respectful to us, and when we sailed, they gave us everything we needed.

(11) Three months later we sailed in a ship that had been docked at Malta for the winter. The ship was from Alexandria in Egypt and was known as “The Twin Gods.” (12) We arrived in Syracuse and stayed for three days. (13) From there we sailed to Rhegium. The next day a south wind began to blow, and two days later we arrived in Puteoli. (14) There we found some of the Lord’s followers, who begged us to stay with them. A week later we left for the city of Rome.

(15) Some of the followers in Rome heard about us and came to meet us at the Market of Appius and at the Three Inns. When Paul saw them, he thanked God and was encouraged.

(16) We arrived in Rome, and Paul was allowed to live in a house by himself with a soldier to guard him.

(17) Three days after we got there, Paul called together some of the Jewish leaders and said:

My friends, I have never done anything to hurt our people, and I have never gone against the customs of our ancestors. But in Jerusalem I was handed over as a prisoner to the Romans. (18) They looked into the charges against me and wanted to release me. They found that I had not done anything deserving death. (19) The Jewish leaders disagreed, so I asked to be tried by the Emperor.

But I don’t have anything to say against my own nation. (20) I am bound by these chains because of what we people of Israel hope for. This is why I have called you here to talk about this hope of ours.

(21) The leaders replied, “No one from Judea has written us a letter about you. And not one of them has come here to report on you or to say anything against you. (22) But we would like to hear what you have to say. We understand that people everywhere are against this new group.”

(23) They agreed on a time to meet with Paul, and many of them came to his house. From early morning until late in the afternoon, Paul talked to them about God’s kingdom. He used the Law of Moses and the Books of the Prophets to try to win them over to Jesus.

(24) Some of the leaders agreed with what Paul said, but others did not. (25) Since they could not agree among themselves, they started leaving. But Paul said, “The Holy Spirit said the right thing when he sent Isaiah the prophet (26) to tell our ancestors,

‘Go to these people
and tell them:
You will listen and listen,
but never understand.
You will look and look,
but never see.
(27) All of you
have stubborn hearts.
Your ears are stopped up,
and your eyes are covered.
You cannot see or hear
or understand.
If you could,
you would turn to me,
and I would heal you.’”

(28-29) Paul said, “You may be sure that God wants to save the Gentiles! And they will listen.”

(30) For two years Paul stayed in a rented house and welcomed everyone who came to see him. (31) He bravely preached about God’s kingdom and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ, and no one tried to stop him.

COMMENTS – 10:28
Well, Beloved, when we last left Paul, he was on trial before Festus and Agrippa when he appealed his case to Caesar. So now he’s being shipped off to Rome, the capital of the empire where Caesar was located.

What I’d like to look at in chapter 27, today, is how Paul encouraged the men that were on board the ship when it looked like all was lost. Paul had already told them that he belonged to God and that He served God and that an angel had told him that all onboard would be spared.

Now, can you imagine the reaction he must have gotten from the sailors and the other prisoners on the ship? You think maybe there was some scoffing? I think so.

But at the height of the storm, two weeks into it, as a matter of fact – two weeks – Paul encourages the men to eat in order to live and he reminded them that they would not come to harm in the storm. But words are cheap. So in their sight, he took some bread, gave thanks to God and ate. And scripture says that when they saw that they were all filled with hope.

You know, sometimes God puts us in a situation where we can bring hope and where we can make a difference. Without hope, the will to carry on or even the will to live can be extinguished. I know in my own life, there have been times where it seemed like all was lost. And then God would bring somebody into my life that would encourage me with a word from the Lord. And I knew that I would be able to make it another day.

We need to be willing to be the one to bring hope in a dark situation. It really can save a life and even bring someone to the throne of God.

And now let’s take a quick look at the end of the last chapter of Acts, chapter 28. You’ll remember that Paul quoted Isaiah to the Jewish leaders, he quoted Isaiah 6:9-10, which said, “Go to your people say to them, you will hear but never understand, you will see but never know what you’re seeing. These people’s hearts have become stubborn, they can barely hear with their ears, they have closed their eyes. Otherwise, they might see with their eyes, they might hear with their ears, they might understand with their hearts, they might turn and then I would heal them.”

When God gave that message to Isaiah, it was a message to the Jewish people. It was one of the many times that God had had enough of their rejection of him.

And now Paul is quoting these verses to the Jewish leaders in Rome, because the Lord wants them to know that the message of the Gospel, which has been presented to them and which they rejected, will be taken to the Gentiles where it will be embraced and accepted.

Beloved, God is patient, but there is a point at which he draws the line.

I believe that today we’re getting very close to the time when God says, “Enough. You have rejected my Son long enough. I have offered you forgiveness through His shed blood, and you have chosen your own way. You refuse to listen to my Holy Spirit as He tries to speak to you, and your ears will not hear and your eyes will not see. Your hearts are hardened. Therefore you cannot turn to me and let me heal you.”

Beloved, this message in Isaiah was because of the Jews rejection of God. Today, much of mankind has rejected Christ. It’s man’s pride and wanting to be his own master.

And as our nation in our world falls deeper and deeper into sin, and farther and farther away from God, we’re seeing more and more outrageous behaviors being accepted by the culture. It’s no wonder because without God, man is unable to govern himself.

Now is the time, Beloved, for each of us, you and me and every believing person on the planet, to get on our knees and pray. Pray for God’s hand in the affairs of the world. Pray that people would open their eyes. Pray for your unsaved family and friends. Time may be short, Beloved. Don’t sit idly by and let them be left behind. Be bold. Don’t be cowed by those who will not hear. You, Beloved, you have the message of life. Don’t be afraid to share it with those people that are dying around you.

I’d love to hear your comment. Let me know what you have to say. Go to lifespringmedia.com/s12e360. Scroll all the way to the bottom of that page and you’ll find a box where you can put your comments. Tomorrow is Epistle Sunday and we’ll read the book of Jude.

And now as the French say, it is time for le boost.

SUPPORTER SHOUT-OUT – 14:57
I got a donation this morning from Timothy LaFontaine of $25, and he sent along a very nice note. He said, “You are a blessing and I want to share the blessings that God has given me.” Well, Timothy, thank you so very much. I appreciate you, Brother. Thank you for your generosity. God bless you.

And Anonymous sent in a row-o-ducks, $22.22. Thank you, Anonymous. I appreciate you. God bless you.

Boostagram!

And then a few days ago I messed up I did not read my boostagrams in time. But Wayne Henderson sent in three separate row-of-ducks boostagrams of 222 sats, which – three times 222 is 666 and he sent that in on the day that we finished up Revelation. So Wayne I don’t know if you did that on purpose or if it was a joke or what, but thank you for the boostagrams.

ON THIS DATE IN CHURCH HISTORY – 15:54
On this date in church history, August 27, 1876, 13-year-old G. Campbell Morgan delivered his first sermon – 13 years old. He later became one of the most renowned expository preachers and writers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. You’ve heard me quote G. Campbell Morgan several times here on the show.

PRAYER REQUEST – 16:25
I have a prayer request. I’m recording this on Friday afternoon, Del and Kathi are at City of Hope right now. She’s had her blood drawn for testing and will soon begin the latest infusion of her chemotherapy. Del says she’s very nervous about it because every dose is potentially fatal. And on the blood test, her cancer markers went up 27 points. The oncologist said that the next marker is critical. If it keeps going up, it’s bad news. We need the next marker to go down, Del says. The next infusion is three weeks from today on September 16, which is their 50th wedding anniversary.

CLOSING PRAYER – 17:06
So let’s pray. Our heavenly Father, Lord, we thank You for Your Word. And we ask again for boldness from the Holy Spirit to share the good news with the people you’ve put into our lives who need to hear about Jesus. Prompt us, Lord, when you want us to speak. And then give us your words to say. Prepare the hearers hearts and speak through us Lord.

And father again I lift up Kathi and Del to you. I pray, Lord, that the infusion that takes place today will have the right effect. I pray Lord, that healing will begin and that the next time they have markers taken in three weeks, that there will be good progress down. Father, I know that you have a plan for Kathi and Del and I just pray, Lord, that the plan includes giving them more time together. I know your plan is perfect, and we will accept whatever your will is, we always have and we always will. But Lord, you’ve told us to come to you with our petitions. And this is my petition and the petition of many, many others.

And, Father, I ask you to be with the Lifespring family, today. I ask Lord that you bless each one. Where there are needs, where there are hurts where your touch is needed, I pray Lord again that you would work in your perfect and loving way. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

If you have a prayer request, if you have a need, if you have a praise, please go to prayer.lifespringmedia.com. And by the way, I will keep that page open for the foreseeable future. I don’t ever plan on taking that page down. So after this show is over, if you want me to pray for you, that’s the place to go. Or, of course, you can always email me at st***@*************ia.com.

OUTRO S12E360 – 18:50
Comment on the show at lifespringmedia.com/s12e360. Send an email to me at st***@*************ia.com. I’m so thankful for the team: Kirsty, Sean of San Pedro and Denise. Thanks to everybody that stream sats and sends boosts. I see them coming in and I’m so appreciative. Thank you. Thanks again to Tim for his gift today and to Anonymous for their gift today, as well. God bless you, too.

And, Beloved, thank you for inviting me into your day, today. I appreciate you and I’ll see you tomorrow.

Until then, may God bless you richly. My name is Steve Webb.

Bye.

Three.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai
Corrected by Denise