Shabbat Shalom. Let us turn to the 27th chapter of the Book of Acts. We're going to try, by the grace of God, to finish today chapter 27, which deals with the journey of Paul, Shaul, along with Luke, along with the centurion, the soldiers, the prisoners, on the way to the city of Rome, right in the midst of the time where there was a great experience of stormy weather and ultimately we can see how the Lord preserved Paul and the people that took a journey with him from Caesarea on the way to Rome and they find themselves in an island that is called Malta they're going to arrive at the end of chapter 27.

Now follow me as we are reading today from verse 27 to verse 44. But when the 14th night was come, as we were driven up and down in Adria, about midnight the shipmen deemed the day drew near to some country and sounded and founded twenty fathoms. And when they had gone a little further, they sounded again and found it fifteen fathoms. Then fearing lest we should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern and wished for the day. And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship, when they had let down the boat into the sea under color as though they would have cast anchors out of the foreship, Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved.

Then the soldiers cut off the ropes of the boat and let her fall off. And while the day was coming on, Paul besought them all to take meat, saying, This day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried and continued fasting, having taken nothing. Wherefore I pray you to take some meat, for this is for your health, for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you. And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and he gave thanks to God in the presence of them all. And when he had broken it, he began to eat. Then were they all of good cheer, and they also took some meat.

and we were in all in the ship two hundred three score and sixteen souls and when they had eaten enough the light and the ship and cast out the wheat into the sea and when it was day they knew not the land, but they discovered a certain creek with a shore into the which they were minded if it were possible to thrust in the ship. And when they had taken up the anchors, they committed themselves unto the sea, and they loosed their other bands, and they hoist up the main sail to the wind and made toward shore and falling into a place where two seas meet they ran the ship aground and the four part stuck fast and remained unmovable But the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves, and the soldiers' counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out and escape.

But the centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from their purpose and commanded that they which could swim should cast themselves first into the sea and get to land. and the rest some on boards and some on broken pieces of the ship and so it came to pass that they escaped all safe to land i like this expression at the end of chapter 27 they escaped all safe to land this is a beautiful expression here on that journey that apostle paul took as a prisoner from Caesarea on the way to Rome. He's not yet have arrived to Rome. He's just a portion of the way to Rome.

He's just in the midst of the sea and the wind was country. There was a storm on the way to go to Rome and the experiences that this group of people, 276 souls on that ship, the experience that they have gone through was tremendous. And we see here in this chapter how they all eventually have arrived safe. to show now brothers and sisters as we're here together just imagine that this event that happened in 27th chapter of the book of acts is oftentimes illustrating to us the journey of the believers the body of christ the believers though all the people on that ship were not believers even just a few of them were truly belong to the lord and the apostle paul of course himself and luke we have read of him and of course the one the servant that came along with them from macedonia They were truly children of God, but because of who they were and the promises of God, protection and blessing came for all the rest that came on that journey heading towards the city of Rome.

Now, what we find here in this chapter, that this is the second part of the journey. Actually, it was the second ship that they have taken heading towards Rome, And the storm that they have experienced, as I mentioned earlier, is a picture of the storms of life that we all experience as believers. We know how difficult sometimes the Christian pathway, the believer's pathway is. We are just ending a year, and we are going to start a new year, and we know very well.

and we look back and how the challenges and the trials and the problems that came across our pathway in the last year and we don't even know what is awaiting for us in the next year but we do know that the Lord is faithful to keep his promises to his own people and to use us for blessing wherever we are and so we see now in the second half of this chapter from verse 27 to verse 44 how the lord's promises to paul came to fruition he had promised if you remember paul stood on the ship there in the midst of the storm and he said to the people on the ship in the middle

of the storm he said listen I want to tell you that stood by me the angel of God this is verse 23 whose I am and whom I serve and he said to me fear not Paul you must be brought before Caesar and lo God has given thee all them that are sailing with thee this is verse 24 of this chapter 27 and God gave him a promise that he will preserve the people and that he will arrive to the city of Rome and now brothers and sisters we are here in the midst of this condition and we find Paul saying to the people, I believe God.

He truly trusted the word of the Lord. I believe God. He trusted what the Lord will fulfill in the coming couple of weeks that are ahead. And so here we can see, we began of course in verse 27 in our reading today, and we can see now in verses 27 to verse 32, that Paul warning all of those that were on the ship to keep themselves on the ship and not to leave the ship, not to go overboard.

Because some of them, you notice that in verse 27, we read that when the fourteenth night was come, as we were driven up and down in Adria, this is the Sea of Adria about midnight the shipmen deemed the day drew near to some country and they sounded and found the 20 fathoms and when they have gone a little further they sounded again and found it 15 fathom and so on and we can see brothers and sisters now that they were driving notice this expression in verse 27 they were driving up and down and up and down in the storm apparently when they let the sails go when they let all they started to cast things

overboard the ship were moving with the waves up and down and up and down and it had been said that they had been driven for about 500 miles without controlling the ship for nearly 500 miles they were driven by the waves and the wind without any way to control the ship and so this expression here driven up and down in the Adria this is the Sea of Adria it's still a portion at the end of the Mediterranean Sea they have been moving from fey heaven all the way to the island melita for nearly 500 miles they were driving up and down without any control of the ship and it says here in verse 27 when

the 14th night was come can you imagine for nearly two weeks they were in no control of the ship at all the ship was totally at the mercy of God 14 days if you just notice how the 14 days have passed notice in verse 14 that's where they began their journey it says not long after this is the first day they arose against it a great strong wind called and he gave us the name in verse 14 notice in verse 18 the next day the light and the ship this is the next day look at the third day in verse 19 the third day we cast out with our own hands all the tackling of

the ship in verse 20 and when neither sun nor stars were there for many days so many days have passed by by the time we get to verse 27 we notice that there were 14 days in total that the ship was totally at the mercy of God for nearly 500 miles without any human control.

It was totally at the mercy of the Lord. So now at midnight, finally the shipment, the sailors realized we're really getting closer to land somewhere. And so we read that they drew to some land.

They didn't know where they were but they were arriving closer to shore tossed by the waves and by the wind and so they wanted to check how close they are to the bottom of the sea so it says here in verse 28 that they measure the depth to the bottom of the sea there is this expression sounded and found 120 fathoms with about 120 feet to the bottom of the seed and then they measured again and they found that they're getting closer to the land and they found that there were 15 fathoms about 90 feet as they were measuring they were getting closer and closer to a land that they did not know where they

find themselves so in verse 29 they cast anchors we find out in verse 29 fearing lest we should have fallen upon rocks they cast four anchors out of the stern this is the real part of the ship and they wished for the day now when you are in a storm such as this you do not know where you are heading you're getting closer to the lower part of the sea 120 feet 90 feet and closer and closer you begin to be afraid that something will happen so they threw out the anchors four of them from the rear part of the ship and all that the ship will stop and they wished for the day because

you notice that in verse 27 it was midnight they were wishing for the day to break through so they will see what they are doing and where they were and so those 14 nights have been driven to and fro at sea without any human control entirely at the mercy of God what an awful state and condition to be in but remember the Lord had promised the angel of god have appeared unto the apostle paul and he says paul do not be afraid and has also gave all these people to you to be safe and protected alive with you but you might say how is it possible look where we are we are in the middle

of the sea for hundreds of miles being driven without human control?

We are at your mercy. How is it possible? And yet, Paul said, I believe God, and it shall be even as it was told unto me. So, in verses 30 to 32, look what we read in this portion of Acts chapter 27. As the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship, when they had let down the boat into the sea under color as though they would have cast anchors out on the front of the ship Paul said unto the centurion listen and to the soldiers except these abide in the ship ye cannot be saved you see the mariners the shipmen realize that they are at their end they assume that they are going to lose their lives so what did they do it says that they were ready to flee the ship and to leave everybody on the ship and just make sure that they take care of themselves first.

I don't know if you remember just recently there was this big huge ship that had turned sideways.

If you remember, we just saw it on the news just recently that we have just heard that the captain, of course at that time when it happened, left the ship and the people that were on the ship, I think there were nearly a thousand people on that ship, left them all on the ship and I think about 20 to 30 people end up dead but the captain wanted to preserve his life he left ship and he left everybody to avenge for themselves instead of giving instruction and leading everybody to leave the ship but instead of being the real captain who take care of the ship he left the ship that's what we are told we

are not sure but here we can see that it happened here in those who are the mariners the shipmen they themselves knowing what's going to happen they wanted to leave ship and they wanted to do it in a crafty way that nobody will know that they are actually sick to spare their lives not caring for the others who were on board with them so the shipmen were about to flee the ship they let down the boat this is the lifeboat that earlier in verses 16 and 17 they brought it into the ship because they thought it will be lost with the storm so they let down that lifeboat and they wanted to go into that

lifeboat to save their own lives and it says here under the pretension or deception as if they were going to cast more anchors at the beginning at the front of the ship so here we can see that they wanted to save their life they knew the condition that existed at that time right at that sea so they wanted to spare their life but remember again beloved brothers and sisters Paul was told by the angel of God that he and the others will be spared I have given thee all them that sail with thee the angel of God said unto Paul but of course they were not believers they didn't accept what Paul have said they

wanted to spare their own lives so they sought to leave the ship and to go into this little boat the lifeboat and to take it in order to get to show safe and sound but the apostle paul came and he said what the angel of the lord said to him he said to the centurion in verse 31 paul give them a clear warning and he's saying to them, except these shall abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved.

You know, this is also a very beautiful illustration. You know, the ark that Noah was finding himself and his family, his wife and his children and his daughters-in-law, this was the place of safety. That was a place where all the family of Noah, who believed in the God of creation could be protected when they remain inside and be safe and sound with all the flood that have happened. We call it in Hebrew the mabul. Historically, in the history of creation, how the only ones that were safe are those that were remaining in the ark in obedience to the Lord. And for us, the ark is a picture also of the church, of the assembly, Of the person of the Lord Jesus, the Messiah.

He is our protection. He is our safety from the storms that the enemy seek to pour out upon the people of God. And so it is so important to see right here that when God gave an instruction to the servant of the Lord, how important it is for those following him or at least going along with him to submit to what the Lord is saying. Except these abide in the ship. ye cannot be saved he said it to the commander to the centurion he said it to the soldiers hey listen you have people who are going to be leaving now the ship those shipmen he says in verse 30 and if they are not remaining in the ship they are ultimately going to lose their lives because this is the word of the lord he said i believe what god had said and so you can see in the next verses here beloved brothers and sisters paul's warning was adhered to because it says in verse 32 they lose the lifeboat and they let it go notice verse 32 it said then the soldiers cut off the ropes of the boat and they let hair fall off in other words they now did not have anything to take them to safety.

That little lifeboat was supposed to be used by those who would need to go off ship so they can get into shore safely. But Paul received an instruction from the angel of God that all are to remain on the ship. And therefore, beloved brothers and sisters, the soldiers apparently listened to what Paul had said unto them. And you can see it throughout the whole journey that Paul must have had an influence upon the very centurion and the soldiers that were taking him as a prisoner to Rome. We can just imagine what Paul was talking over with people during the journey he must have shared with them the gospel he must have shared with them about Yeshua the Messiah of course we don't read this here in a text experiences of weeks that have gone by from Caesarea Caesarea on a way to Rome he must have spoken to people on the boat on the ship and share with them the message and it seemed to be that they have listened to what he have to say, and the very fact that they cut the rope, verse 32, to allow the only source of life for them to be taken out and to be dropped, to let it go, to fall into the sea, shows that they must have listened to the counsel of the apostle Paul.

And you can see the confidence that he has. I don't know where we be in a time such as this when the storm is coming and fear coming upon us what will we do how will we react in a time such as this we know ourselves very well that unless the lord will help us to react in a way that is without the help of the lord we will probably will react in the same way that the shipment may have done, like trying to save our life, trying to find a way to protect ourselves, because that is the nature of the human heart, that is the nature of man.

But Paul had a complete trust in God, except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved. You notice, except these, meaning the mariners, the shipment, then you soldiers, you centurion will not be remain alive, because their being remaining on the boat will depend on the protection of the life of the rest of the group. So, very interesting, the commitment and the faithfulness of Shaul. So, in verses 27 to verse 32, Shaul's warning to all, abide in the ship. It's the only place of safety. That's the way that God had given him instruction for the people. So, we are moving on now. Remember, we are In the midst of that storm, in the midst of this terrible condition, now we find Paul not only as the one that warns, we find him as the one that encourages all.

He's such an amazing man, Paul, Shaul. Verse 33 to 38, we find him encouraging the people to eat and to meet their physical needs. In verse 33 and 34, the long 14 days, they really didn't eat because of fear. They fasted the people. It says in verse 33, you did not eat for nearly two weeks. And while the day was coming, Paul besought them. And he said, take meat. The word for meat really should be take food, take bread. Saying, this day is the 14th day that ye have tarried and continued fasting, having taken nothing. Apparently, those 14 days, we read about it already in verse 27, 14 night. Apparently, those 14 days where the ship was on its own, totally at the mercy of God, people could not eat.

They didn't meet their physical needs. They fasted out of fear, out of worriness. They probably lost their appetite. Oh, do we ever lose our appetite when fear is coming our way? And Paul now is encouraging them. He says to them, listen, you have not been eaten now for 14 days. In verse 33, he says, listen, the days was coming on. He takes food, he's telling them in verse 33. This is already the 14th day that ye have tarried and continued fasting. You haven't taken out, you haven't eaten anything. You can see the concern of the Apostle Paul for all the people that were with him on the ship.

In verse 34, he said to them, eat, and I can assure you, give them a beautiful promise. Look at this verse here, he says, wherefore I pray you, take some food, for this is for your health, and then look at what he's telling them, for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you, this is an expression that is found already in the Bible, in the Hebrew scripture, already in the time of 1st Samuel, in 2nd Samuel, in the book of King, there are certain passages in the Old Testament, in the Hebrew scripture with this expression, There is not a hair will fall from your head.

It is an expression of physical deliverance. When you have this expression that a person, not even one hair will fall out of your head, that really simply speaks to the fact that they will be physically protected. There are a couple of verses that we can read on that. If you turn, please, back to the passage we read in 1 Samuel chapter 14, You remember what we just read earlier in our reading, 1 Samuel chapter 14. It was Saul, the king of Israel, who wanted to slay his very own son. And the people of Israel stood against King Saul on behalf of Yonatan, his son. And it says here, and I'm rereading that verse that we have just read earlier.

Saul cast lots and wanted actually eventually to slay his son because his son had done something that did not please him. And so we read in verse 44, Saul answered, God do so and more also for thou shall surely die, Yonatan, he said to his son. But the people in verse 45, 1 Samuel 14, Verse 45, the people said unto Saul, Shall Yonatan die? Who has wrought this great salvation in Israel? God forbid. As the Lord liveth, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground. For he has wrought with God this day. So the people rescue Yonatan that he die not. And this expression found here in verse 45, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground, is a promise of protection.

It's a promise of survival. It's a promise of physical salvation, that they will be spared and the person will not die. So here we find that Paul is saying to the people on the ship, who are really ready to make shipwreck. Some of them are ready to leave the ship and to flee to try to protect and to preserve themselves alive from the storm and from the upcoming shipwreck. And yet Paul said to them, listen, don't leave the ship. There shall no one hair fall of the head of any one of you. you will be preserved alive. You will not die. The same expression we have in Luke chapter 21.

I want you to turn now to the Gospel of Luke chapter 21, where Yeshua himself, as he was sending his servants to go and to share the message, in Luke chapter 21, the Lord himself also had made the same promise for those that will follow him and that will serve. You remember the Olivet Discourse to ask him all these questions concerning the future day when there will be the tribulation period and what's going to happen with the temple and when he's going to come again, when these things are going to happen. You remember the Lord Jesus gave instruction concerning the persecution of the believers.

And you remember what he said and I'm just going to jump over in Luke chapter 21 it says in verse 17 and 18 ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake but then he said but there shall not an hair of your head perish in your passion possess ye your souls and so this is luke 21 verses 17 18 and 19 there shall not an hair of your head perish again it's an expression of protection and survival that i will protect you and you will not die and so this is the promise that Paul gives all those that were at sea with him on the ship on the way to have shipwreck

he's saying to them for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you this is in verse 34 beautiful promise again he trusted God I always go back to verse 25 where he says I believe God he simply trusted god's word and he says you will be protected not one hair will fall from your head verse 34 and so in verse 35 look at the example that our apostle paul is encouraging them to eat they haven't eaten for 14 days he asking them to eat he told them it is for your own health it's for your own sake then he gives them the example and look what he does in verse

35 and when he had thus spoken he took bread and he gave thanks to God in the presence of them all and when he had broken it he began to eat you know that's interesting verse 35 remember Paul Shaul is a Jewish believer in Yeshua the Messiah he grew up while he was not born in the land he He was, in Tarsus, he grew up in Jerusalem.

He was taught under Rabbi Gamliel. He was instructed in all the Jewish customs and ways of life. And the custom was to take bread and then to give thanks and then to break it and then to eat and to give to the others. And the process is always the same. Taking the bread, giving thanks, breaking it, and giving this to the rest, to eat and to give it to the others. And he may have even prayed, as it says here, he gave thanks to God. He may have prayed the same way that we still pray today. Baruch ata Adonai, Eloheinu melech haolam, ha-motsi lechem min ha-aretz.

Blessed art thou, Lord our God, King of the universe, who brings forth the bread out of the earth. That's the way at home in Yerushalayim, in Jerusalem, every Shabbat, every Friday night, when the Shabbat comes in, my grandfather, just the same like my father, and I myself as well, will take the bread, will give thanks, We'll break it and give it to the rest of the people in the family around the table. That is not the Lord's Supper, but this is the giving thanks that is the way we have been taught. And the people of Israel have been taught all their life, especially through, in this case, it is the rabbinical custom that had been developed a long time ago.

Even when Yeshua the Messiah, if you remember, sat in the upper room to celebrate Pesach with his disciples, the custom was the same. It is the way in which the Apostle Paul, as a Jewish man, a believer in Yeshua, he took the bread, he gave thanks, he broken it, he eaten of it and given to the others. interesting way in which he practiced this right at sea with the roman soldiers as well as the mariners and all the prisoners there at the sea could you please turn with me to the gospel of Luke for a moment into chapter 24 those points and disorder have been practiced by Yeshua the Messiah himself, as he met the two on the way to Emmaus, in Luke chapter 24, we find the very same thing that Yeshua is doing with the two on the way to Emmaus.

That is not the Lord's Supper, it is the custom of giving thanks for the bread and the wine that God provided for his own people, the people of Israel in this case look we read in verse 28 Luke 24 28 they drew nigh unto the village where they went and he made as though this is Yeshua as though he would have gone further but they constrained him saying to him abide with us for it is towards evening and the days far spent and he went and he tarried wisdom Yeshua came in to those two who went to Emmaus on their return and then in verse 30 he came to pass that as he said admit

with them you notice he is guest but he become the host and he's sitting with them he took bread notice verse 30 then he blessed it and then he break it and then he gave it to them the very same order that we see found in our chapter in verse 35 of act chapter 27 the custom that the apostle paul that shaul maintained throughout his life as a believer in yeshua the messiah taking bread blessing the bread giving thanks to god blessed are thou lord our god king of the universe who give us the bread out of the earth and then he break it tear it apart and ate and gave a portion to the

rest what an example Shaul have been always giving thanks you know it is something that we never should forget we should never neglect as believers wherever we are at home whether we are in a restaurant whether we are on a highway wherever we are to develop in our hearts a thankful heart for whatever the lord has given to us simple and yet so profound show us the heart the spiritual condition of the apostle paul of shaul he gave thanks for the bread and he broke it after he ate he gave it to the others and you saw you see now in verse 36 to verse 38 of our chapter look at how the people have

eaten and been satisfied it says in verse 36 then they were all of good cheer and they also took of the bread of the food some of it and they ate you see that they have been satisfied now because they haven't eaten for two weeks because of the storm they were fasting not so much fasting out of a commitment to god but fasting out of fear no desire to eat anything Paul is now meeting their need and beloved brothers and sisters can you imagine how many people were on that ship moving along with Paul and the others and Luke on the way to Rome there were 270 souls that now finally have eaten on the

sea there on the ship and we were in all in the ship 276 souls Luke include himself in order to use the word we this is Luke the writer how particular he was he's telling us the measurement of the depth of the sea he's mentioning the names of every island and every port he's mentioning the amount of people that were on the ship as they journeyed on the journey to Rome.

He's very meticulous, very particular. This man, this writer of the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts, this man, this greatest physician by the name of Dr. Luke, what an amazing writer he was. Of course, he was divinely inspired, and yet he's giving us all these details mentioning to us here in this Book of Acts. You notice that it says there were 203 score and 16 souls this is 276 souls now in connection here it's in connection with the eating of the bread all of them did not eat and he mentioning 276 souls now have finally put some bread and have eaten and now they have been having good cheer they have been satisfied and then verse 38 it says when they had eaten enough they lightened the ship and cast out the wheat into the sea you remember earlier they also cast out the cargo but they didn't cast out the food but now they are just getting closer to shore paul had promised that no one's hair will be lost they all will remain alive he met their need by encouraging them now to eat bread and now that they have been satisfied they cast the rest of the leftover food because it says they cast out the wheat into the sea you know from wheat you make bread and they even cast this out now because they are anticipating to get to shore one way or another.

The casting of the rest of the cargo is found in verse 38. So, so far, beloved brothers and sisters, two things we learn on this message today from verse 27 to verse 44.

Number one, that Paul gave them warning to abide in the ship verses 27 to 32 secondly he gave them an encouragement to eat food to eat bread from verse 33 to verse 38 and finally now in the last portion of this chapter in verse 39 to 44 Paul's promise from God came true you can see that what Paul have said to them that were with him at sea truly have been fulfilled because God had given him this promise and so we see here brothers and sisters in verses 39 to the end of the chapter how this promise that he received from God truly came to pass so here in verse 39 to verse 41 there

is a plan to get the ship to shore but they're trying to get it to shore in verse 39 by the time that they could see the shore they didn't recognize where they were arriving they didn't recognize what land what portion it was so verse 39 when it was daytime they knew not the land and they discovered a certain creek with a shore into which they were minded if it were possible to thrust in the ship so apparently daytime have arrived earlier it was midnight verse 27 now the day have broken they see the land but they don't know where they are remember there were nearly 500 miles they were driven by the wind and

by the waves without any human control of the ship they've arrived now they saw a land they didn't know they discovered there was a creek apparently there was a certain breakthrough that they could reach with driving or seeking to control the ship to go into that creek that will lead them to shore so they as it says into which they were minded if it was possible that they would thrust the ship they would try somehow to govern the ship to use that creek to get to shore no no it's now verse 40 it says they lifted up everything listen when they had taken up the anchors they committed themselves to the sea they loosed the

rudder bent and they hoisted up the main sail to the wind and made toward the shore verse 40 they really come to a point that they trusted themselves to the sea so they've done three things they took up the anchors you remember those four anchors.

In verse 29, they threw in the back part to stop the ship from moving. They threw four anchors. Now they have lifted up the anchors. Secondly, they loose the rudder, the bands. You know, there was the ropes that they governed the rudder in the back. They loosen it up. They let it go. And thirdly, it says here that they hoist up the main sail to the wind.

You know, the main sail that control the direction of the ship they simply hoisted up and they committed themselves unto the sea they were hoping that they will go into shore through that creek mentioned in verse 39 but they committed themselves to the sea and they made toward the shore and verse 41 of course tells us what happened to the ship it says here in verse 41 that falling into a place where two seas met they ran the ship ground and the four part stuck fast and remain unmovable but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the water so if the ship was moving forward into that creek towards shore apparently they touch

land and the front part of the ship stuck in the sand but because the waves were hitting the rest of the ship the back part of the ship apparently was broken and a broken ship let water come in and then they are ready to sink and to drown but it is interesting to see that they have trusted they committed themselves into the sea and they end up having a broken ship and so just to conclude here with this chapter and i think it is important to end up with these thoughts here because remember that i said from the beginning of the study of chapter 27 that the journey of the apostle Paul with the rest

of the people that were with him is a picture of the journey and the condition of the church throughout the ages and how at the end of this journey that the ship is broken is a picture of the church that is broken to pieces and that it's divided and scattered and totally broken and yet there is a promise that God had given that every person will get safe to shore at the end and in this we can see how it really happened here that even though the ship was broken as he said in verse 41 the ship was broken with the violence of the waves in verse 42 we see what the soldiers wanted to

do the soldiers council was to kill the prisoners lest any of them should swim out and escape you see the roman soldiers knew that for them to lose a prisoner that may mean that they themselves will lose their lives they could not lose a prisoner if you remember if you go back for a moment to chapter 16 where the apostle paul and silas were in prison and you remember at midnight that we read in verse 25 of act chapter 16 at midnight paul and silas were praying and singing and praising god and the prisoners heard them all singing and then we find out that the doors were open there was an earthquake and the foundation

of the prison was shaken and the doors were open and every band was loosed many people many prisoners got loosed at that midnight when Paul and Silas were singing in prison and you remember what happened it says that the keeper of the prison awakened from his sleep he saw that the prison doors were open he drew out his sword this is verse 27 and he would have killed himself he supposed that the prisoners had been fled you see he knew very well that if he will lose any prisoner he will lose his own life that's why he was ready to kill himself you can't lose a prisoner and Paul of course and Silas said to

him they cried to him and they said do not harm yourself we are all here don't be afraid we are all here don't harm yourself well here at sea they are just arriving to the island they didn't know where they were so the soldiers naturally they took concert together and they said listen let's kill those prisoners lest any of them would swim out and escape because had those prisoners escaped and they would find out that these soldiers let them go they know the day themselves going to end up to be killed and to lose their own lives so they were planning now as they're arriving towards shore they said let's kill those prisoners so they

will not escape from us but the commander and here you can see that centurion and who knows maybe that centurion became a believer in yeshua the messiah by the end of this journey because it says here in verse 43 that the centurion he was different he is the one that his purpose was to save the life of paul and ultimately to submit to what paul has said it says here in verse 43 the centurion willing to save paul he kept them from their purpose and he commanded that they which could swim would cast themselves first into the sea and get to land you see the soldiers would want to kill all the prisoners but Paul

was a prisoner so they would want to kill also Paul and therefore by killing Paul and the others they would preserve their own life but the centurion treated Paul so graciously you can see throughout this journey he allowed the apostle Paul to go to visit the brethren and to be encouraged earlier he allowed the apostle Paul to say and to counsel them and so on the centurion must have been so moved with what the apostle Paul was saying to him and the behavior of the apostle Paul and I'm confident that the apostle Paul shared with him and the others about Yeshua the Messiah so he wanted to spare the life of Paul so he kept

the soldiers from killing the prisoners and he gave two words two suggestions he said to them, listen, verse 43, he commended, and by the way, if something would have happened to the prisoners, if somebody would have told that he did not kill the prisoners, he himself endangered his very own life as a centurion, as a commander.

So he really took a chance here by not killing the prisoners he said whoever can swim jump overboard start to swim to shore that's the first thing that he said but then he said the second thing and the rest of them in verse 44 the rest some on boards and some on broken pieces of the ship those who could not swim you take boards and lay on them and then get yourself into the shore and some of them actually took broken pieces of the ship apparently because the ship was so much beaten by the waves and the wind was broken into pieces and they took some broken pieces of the ship to lay on them

and to get to shore those who could not swim took boards or took parts of the pieces of the ship and brothers and sisters you know the chapter is concluding with this statement in verse 44 the end they escape all safe to land none of them lost their lives all of them as it was promised in verse 22, and I'm repeating verse 22, now I exhort you, Paul said, to be of good cheer, for there shall be no loss of any man's life among you, but only the ship, for there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am and whom I serve, and he said to me, fear not paul you

must be brought before caesar and lo god has given to you paul all them that sail with thee that was the promise that the angel of god gave paul from the lord himself notice in verse 34 paul said again for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you and the chapter is concluding in verse 44 they escaped all safe to land amazing journey they haven't arrived yet to rome much of the journey driven away by the wave by the sea by the wind about 500 miles not controlling themselves the ship at all 14 days have passed by totally at the mercy of god and yet they have arrived safely to

show not one of them lost their lives and it is all because god had promised paul and he said to them i have given the people to you that they will not lose their lives and so it is interesting this journey of the apostle paul really this is the continuation of the journey of Paul towards Rome and we see here a total shipwreck boards had to be used from the ship to get to shore broken pieces of the ship had to be used those who could swim had to go to swim to get to shore but all have arrived and escaped the storm safe to land and that tells us the promises of God to

protect those that belong to him first of all and those who are kind of alongside of those that belong to him that God had promised to protect them and brothers and sisters I again want to conclude here today with the promise that we have in scripture long before the church was born even in Caesarea Philippi the question was risen by the lord himself who asked his disciples this is in verse 13 of matthew chapter 16 he says what do people think of me and they said some say that you are your hanan hamadbil john the baptizer others say that you are eliah who the prophet elijah others said that you are Yirmiah or Jeremiah.

Or others said, you are one of the prophets. Maybe Isaiah, maybe Yechezgen, maybe Yeshaya, or one of the prophets of Israel. But Yeshua said, but whom do you say that I am? What do you think of me? He said to these disciples. And then Simon Peter, Shimon Petros, he answered and he said unto him, you are the Messiah. You are the son of the living God. Ben Elohim Chaim. So Yeshua answered and he said, Blessed are you, Shimon bar Yonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed it unto you, but my Father which is in heaven. I say unto you that you are Peter, Petros, a little stone, and upon this rock, this confession of yours, I will build my church.

and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against the assembly, against it. The Lord Yeshua, the Messiah, said to Peter, Peter, what you said that I am the Messiah, the Son of the living God, this is the foundation upon which the assembly, the church, will be built, Peter. And then he ended up by saying that the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. In other words, what he says, the enemies will seek to destroy the church, the assembly. There will be much confusion and much mishap that is going to happen through church history. There will be many division and friction over the generation. and we know it in 2,000 years of church history, how outwardly the church is totally broken, just like the ship was broken to pieces.

But he says, listen, the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. There will be a safe arrival of every person that belonged to the assembly, to the church, and nothing is going to be able to destroy. No one will be able to prevail against the church of the living God, the assembly of the living God. And in type, it's only a shallow type, weak type, in that sailing in that boat, beginning from Kesaria, ending up at this point, they've arrived to an island called Melita, or malta there was the protection of the lord for those who were part of that ship who were inside and remain inside and even though the ship was broken in half yet everyone have arrived safe to shore what a precious truth to know you know it does a lot to us to know to have this assurance Lord, I know that even though I will fail you, and the people of God will fail you, and there will be a lot of frictions and divisions and broken conditions in the body of Messiah, Lord, thank you for the assurance that everyone who is truly a child of God, all will arrive safe and sound to the other side, to the presence of the Lord.

and all will be eternally linked with him because of the fact that he has promised to us in scripture my sheep hear my voice and I know them and I'll give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish and no man will be able to pluck them out of my hand is the promise of the Lord may the Lord bless this lesson to us and encourage us to trust the Lord that he will bring to fruition every promise that he had given unto his own people. And may we all say, like Paul said in verse 25, I believe God.