All right, Acts 27. Oh, Mrs. Lodabetty, lead us in prayer.

FEMALE STUDENT LEADS IN PRAYER IN BACKGROUND.

All right. Now, we’re getting near the end of this book. We only have two chapters to go here. And we’re also going to finish Exodus on time, so we may drop this class and move archeology up one hour till 7 o’clock, covering that week. And we’ll probably finish this tonight. If we finish it tonight, we’ll have the final here next — what is today? — Monday. We’ll have the final the next Monday. What is it? You have that also next Monday? Well, then, it’ll have to be a week from next Monday. A week from next Monday. We’ll count on that. Count on the final being here a week from next Monday, which will be what? April 25th? May the 2nd. All right, that’ll be the date. Write that down somewhere. Now, May the 2nd for the final here, whether we finish tonight or not. The final will be May the 2nd in here. And it’ll cover the whole book.

STUDENT TALKS ABOUT A FELLOWSHIP AT VICTORY BAPTIST ON THURSDAY. Brother Woodward’s church.

Oh, in Milton. Milton. I don’t know where that’s at.

STUDENT: Oh, about a half-mile after you pass the jail, just right on through.

Where’s the jail?

STUDENT: Right in the center of town, now.

Are you on the main highway?

STUDENT: On Highway 90. We’re right in the middle of the curve. If you fail to make the curve, there’s his church.

27:1 And when it was determined that we should sail into Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners unto one named Julius, a centurion of Augustus’ band.

2 And entering into a ship of Adramyttium, we launched, meaning to sail by the coasts of Asia; one Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, being with us.

3 And the next day we touched at Sidon. And Julius courteously entreated Paul, and gave him liberty to go unto his friends to refresh himself.

4 And when we had launched from thence, we sailed under Cyprus, because the winds were contrary.

5 And when we had sailed over the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia.

6 And there the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing into Italy; and he put us therein.

7 And when we had sailed slowly many days, and scarce were come over against Cnidus, the wind not suffering us, we sailed under Crete, over against Salmone;

8 And, hardly passing it, came unto a place which is called The fair havens; nigh whereunto was the city of Lasea.

9 Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was now already past, Paul admonished them,

10 And said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives.

11 Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul.

All right, Acts 27, verse 1: “And when it was determined that we should sail into Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners unto one named Julius, a centurion of Augustus’ band.” Could somebody get me that, brother, could you get me that map back there, three-section orange map on the Mediterranean?

“And entering into a ship of Adramyttium, we launched, meaning to sail by the coasts of Asia; one Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, being with us. And the next day we touched at Sidon.” Spelled “Zidon” in other places.

“And Julius courteously entreated Paul, and gave him liberty.” So to this day that’s what it’s called on the shipboard. The sailor goes ashore, it’s called “liberty.” It’s “liberty.” That’s a King James expression. And there isn’t any reason for it, except it’s just King James. He just got off the boat, so he “gave him liberty to go unto his friends.” Its specifically a prisoner at liberty, and yet now it’s used for anybody who gets off a boat for a period of time.

We still say “mess hall” in the Army. That’s a King James expression. And we still say “leave” and “liberty” for getting off of duty.

All right, now what they’ve done here, they’ve set sail, 27, and they’re in Caesarea when they sail. So they’re here, and they’re going along the coast of Asia and coming up this way to Zidon. They’re here.

All right, then he says, “And when we had launched from thence, we sailed under Cyprus, because the winds were contrary. And when we had sailed over the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia.” Now what they want to do is, they want to go here. They want to sail from here to here. But the winds are contrary. So, when they’re going by Cyprus here, they’re going up this way, along this way, and then coming up along the coast, this way, and staying close to shore, because the winds — head wind — was going right into the wind.

“Sailed over the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia. And there the centurion found a ship of Alexandria.” Now there’s a North African ship.

“Sailing into Italy; and he put us therein.” So the Bible immediately lets you know there’s concourse between Alexandria and Rome. Just slips it, just drops it on you right there, see? That’s a ship going from Alexandria to Rome.

“And he put us therein. And when we had sailed slowly many days, and scarce were come over against Cnidus, the wind not suffering us, we sailed under Crete, over against Salmone.” All right, they come along here this way, and they’re trying to get out here and get straight through. And they come by here and they go under Crete this way. They’re coming around the side. That’s tacking. The wind evidently is coming just like that. And they’re tacking that boat and sailing up this way, then down, then up, and then down like this, tacking into the wind. They’re unable to go in a straight line.

“And, hardly passing it, came unto a place which is called The fair havens; nigh whereunto was the city of Lasea. Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous.” It implies the fall.

“Because the fast was now already past, Paul admonished them.” All right, they come here and this place, Lasea, is evidently a place along the coast about in here. And they come, and the winds coming down on them like that, and they come in here to be protected from the wind and stop there. Now they have open sea between there and where they’re going.

And then Paul says, 10: “Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives.” Now, none of them got drowned, did they? See? So there’s a case where prophecy is not a true prophecy and yet it’s true on a condition. In plainer words, if they hadn’t listened to him, they’d have died. So the prophecy is made on condition that the people do what they’s supposed to do, and it isn’t a false prophecy. If they hadn’t paid attention to them, it would have been damage to their lives.

“Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul.” Naturally. What if I got in a plane, trying to go to Cincinnati, and knocked on the cabin door, and the pilot said, “What is it?”

I said, “This voyage is going to be a bad one. You’re going to have to make a crash landing up between Atlanta and Knoxville.”

“Oh, I don’t think so. Sit down and don’t worry about it,” you know.

I said, “Well, the Lord told me we’re going to have a crash.”

“Well, we’ve logged two million miles, you know, and we got to carrying maintenance and radar, clear skies all the way in. Go and sit down,” you know. They wouldn’t believe me.

27:12 And because the haven was not commodious to winter in, the more part advised to depart thence also, if by any means they might attain to Phenice, and there to winter; which is an haven of Crete, and lieth toward the south west and north west.

13 And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing thence, they sailed close by Crete.

14 But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon.

15 And when the ship was caught, and could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive.

16 And running under a certain island which is called Clauda, we had much work to come by the boat:

17 Which when they had taken up, they used helps, undergirding the ship; and, fearing lest they should fall into the quicksands, strake sail, and so were driven.

18 And we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest, the next day they lightened the ship;

19 And the third day we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship.

20 And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away.

“And because the haven was not commodious to winter in, —” to stay there the winter, implying again it’s fall. “— the more part advised —” and I’ve got some papyrus fragments here stuck together, and I can’t read it.

“The more part advised” something, what?

STUDENTS HELP.

“To depart thence also, if by any means they might attain to Phenice, and there to winter.” OK, I got “in Phenice was sarry winter.” This papyrus fragment is mutilated. {Sound of paper crumbling.}

“And they might attain to Ofecia, where they’re to winter. Which in a heap pompty and lieth toward the soul place.” Somebody read it. Somebody read it.

A student reads it.

“Which is an haven of Crete, and lieth toward the south west and north west. All right, Phenice then is a city on this side, a haven, and it lies facing what? “South west and north west.” North west. All right, then, the thing is a pocket back in there, and it faces two directions. It’s — come around this end of the island, you have one thing that goes in like that, and another thing that goes in like this. And one of these things faces this way, and the other faces this way. And a ship back in here can be safe in this bay, this haven.

All right, verse 13: “And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing thence, they sailed close by Crete.” All right, the wind switches. And the wind switches around this way. And they start around the island here, intend to get around here and pull into this port here and spend the winter there. You see how travel was in those days. I mean, you talk about a drag, you talk about a layover. The guy edges in there and he spends November, December and January there and then goes on in February, wherever he’s going.

I’ve gone almost that bad going down to Fort Lauderdale. I wrote Borman a real sweet letter. I wrote and asked him for a refund; he wouldn’t give me one. Blamed the weather. I wrote him back and said, “We all realize weather conditions are bad.” I said, “I’ve been in Birmingham with five-hour layover, and I could have driven to Pensacola in that time.” I said, “But I’ve flown your airline for 28 years and you make more money off me than any man in this town.” I said, “You make an average of $300 a month off me, and have for 28 years, and you can surely afford $130.” And I said, “This is the first gripe or complaint I’ve ever made to an airline in 28 years of flying.” And I said, “I’ve never made one complaint to Piedmont or TWA or Allegheny or North Central or Lake Central or Braniff or Southern or Delta or National.” And I said, “You folks have got a lot of money up there, and you can afford $130.” And I said, “A pastor who paid that money and didn’t get what he asked for. And I was seventeen hours getting from one place in Florida to another, and never got there.” And I said, “You can afford it.” And I said, “If you don’t feel like you can afford it, you can count on me to wait till 10 o’clock hereafter and fly National out of here instead of Eastern.” And I said, “When I come in here, I’ll take Southern into Fort Eglin and have my wife pick me up.” I said, “If you ever catch me buying another ticket on an Eastern plane, it’s because I couldn’t get nothing else.” And I said, “In Proverbs, ‘confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth or a foot out of joint.’” And let him have it, man.

I mean, the very idea, man. Seventeen hours from here to Fort Lauderdale. You can get that going on the back of a German shepherd.

Acts 27:13: “Loosing thence, they sailed close by Crete. But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon.” “Euroquilo” is the name found in all the new bibles, which is Italian name from a Roman Catholic bible.

“Called Euroclydon. And when the ship was caught, and could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive.” All right, that thing there is starting out this way, and heading out this way, and this wind comes down evidently like this. And when the wind comes down, they can’t get back here where they were, and they just let her go, and the wind pushes them off down this way.

And he says, “And when the ship was caught, and could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive.” That’s not trying to tack any more, but turning around, just letting — all the rigs on, the sails up — and just drives before the wind.

“And running under a certain island which is called Clauda, we had much work to come by the boat.” Now there was an island down here named Clauda someplace, and being driven off down there, they’re trying to bring in the boat. Now, the boat is not a ship. As any Navy man will tell you, the ship’s the big one, the boat’s the little one. And when they say, “Much work to come by the boat,” they’re hauling in from the stern a smaller boat.

Notice in verse 17, “Which when they had taken up, they used helps, undergirding the ship.” So that boat is a boat that sort of hangs off the end of the big boat, and it’s a getaway boat in case you drown.

Look at verse 32. See, there’s the “boat” again. That’s a lifeboat. And you’ll see them sometimes out here in the bay. I don’t know how many of you have seen them; I’ve only seen eight or nine of them in a couple of years. But you’ll see a big ship, a sailboat going along in their yacht, and behind it is a rowboat, being towed out behind that thing. And you carry it out there instead of putting it on board. It’d take up too much room on board, just tow it along behind.

Now, they get in that lifeboat and hauling it up to the ship, verse 16.

“Which when they had taken up, they used helps, undergirding the ship.” And the undergirding is called trapping and is done this way with the like this. The ship sits in this way in the bow, and ropes or chains are let over here around the front of the bow, till they slide back, and then go up and tie it across deck. Or, grappling hooks on the sides. That’s to keep the boat from splitting open with waves hitting it. Uh, you wouldn’t think you’d need that precaution; they’ve got metal boats now; these are wooden boats.

Verse 17: “And, fearing lest they should fall into the quicksands, strake sail, and so were driven.” And the wind is taking them in this down this way, and this area here is called “the quicksands,” along in here. Along this coast. And evidently shallow water and sand reefs and things. And if they leave their sails up, they’re gonna hit that stuff. So they pull down the sail — “and so were driven” — the boat’s just being driven down by the wind without any sail on it.

“And we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest, the next day they lightened the ship; And the third day we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship.” That’s getting rid of everything. And, in the first place, the stuff loose on the ship, rolling back and forth, can mess you up. And, in the next place, the thing riding too deep in the water and the waves come over and you sink.

“And the third day we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship.” And now the wind has shifted again. And this — we know they wind up here. So that is just being driven, you start down under a sail, and then off this way, and this wind has switched around this way, and blowing out of the northeast, and then blowing from the east. And this ship is going like this across here.

And he says, 20: “And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away.” Now there’s a good useful word “saved.” See it? That word “saved” has nothing to do with getting to Heaven. See how that word is used there? It’s talking about keeping from getting drowned.

27:21 But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss.

22 And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but of the ship.

23 For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,

24 Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.

25 Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.

26 Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island.

27 But when the fourteenth night was come, as we were driven up and down in Adria, about midnight the shipmen deemed that they drew near to some country;

28 And sounded, and found it twenty fathoms: and when they had gone a little further, they sounded again, and found it fifteen fathoms.

29 Then fearing lest we should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day.

30 And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship, when they had let down the boat into the sea, under colour as though they would have cast anchors out of the foreship,

31 Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved.

32 Then the soldiers cut off the ropes of the boat, and let her fall off.

33 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.

34 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.

35 And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to God in presence of them all: and when he had broken it, he began to eat.

36 Then were they all of good cheer, and they also took some meat.

37 And we were in all in the ship two hundred threescore and sixteen souls.

38 And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, and cast out the wheat into the sea.

39 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.

40 And when they had taken up the anchors, they committed themselves unto the sea, and loosed the rudder bands, and hoised up the mainsail to the wind, and made toward shore.

41 And falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the forepart stuck fast, and remained unmoveable, but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves.

42 And the soldiers’ counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape.

43 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:

44 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.

“But after long abstinence —” everybody’s fasting and praying “— Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss. And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but of the ship.” The ship’s going to crash.

“For there stood by me this night the angel of God.” Paul had been promised special manifestations. The Lord told Ananias, “I’m going to appear to him in certain things, and show him certain things.”

“There stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve.” Now that identifies the angel of the Lord, see? The angel of the Lord could only be one thing, according to that passage. Paul’s not an idolator. He wouldn’t be serving an angel. Jesus Christ.

“For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve.” So the Lord Jesus Christ is still appearing in theophanies as the angel of the Lord in the Book of Acts.

“Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.”

Now here’s a great verse: “Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.” That’s a good verse for a Bible believer. “I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.”

“Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island. But when the fourteenth night was come, as we were driven up and down in Adria, about midnight the shipmen deemed that they drew near to some —” what? “Country.” All right, here’s the Adriatic, comes down here. And these days, it extended clear down to here, this level. And they’re driven up and down in Adria — called the Adriatic. So this ship is going this way — up and down, up and down, up and down in here — and is approaching the boom.

“And sounded, and found it twenty fathoms.” Now when a seaman says “sounded,” our word is “sonar.” From the “sound.” And to “sound” is to drop a weight down and to pick the thing back up and see how deep it is to the bottom.

“Mark Twain” — his real name was Samuel Clemens. But “Mark Twain” was what the fellow called in the river when he dropped that plumb bob down and brought that thing back up, to mark it twice.

And when they sounded and found it twenty fathoms, the old boy’s got a line out there with a lead plumb bob, and he throws that thing over till he gets slack on the line, and then pulls it back up and measures what he’s got. And he’s got here twenty fathoms — outstretched arm’s length in these days. This was considered to be a fathom. What is a fathom now in the Navy? Any idea what it is? What is it? Six feet’s a fathom. Well, they give it this, I guess, which is right up on the height of a man, it’d be five to six feet. Twenty fathoms, see, 120 feet.

“When they had gone a little further, they sounded again, and found it fifteen fathoms.” Gettin’ close. Ninety feet.

“Then fearing lest we should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day.” That’s taking four anchors and throw them out of the back of the boat, and hope the thing will hold you and keep you from drifting in, because you know it’s gettin’ more shallow, and in a minute you’re going to be in the rocks. And that’s something to worry about. Boy, you never seen a mess — you’ve got a ship with a rudder that doesn’t work, a motor doesn’t work, and he gets in a rock jetty. Boy, that thing just BAM! BAM! BAM! until nothing’s left to it.

And I’ve been in one, and it almost, almost two others. And I was in one, and thank God they weren’t my boat, man. The reason I don’t take my boat out to catch bluefish off Alabama Point is because up until now I’ve had a battery I couldn’t count on every time. If you get out there and your anchor slips in the sand and you start drifting toward that rock jetty and try to get that motor — ARRRAAAHHHH! ARRRAHHHH! ARRRAHHHRRRAHHH! — it’s a sweat, man! You just ruin a fishing trip.

I been out there one time, I went with a guy named, his name was Shotlund. And he and me got out. We went out to that big buoy, way out beyond the Naval Air Station, that buoy out there where that ol’ wreck is, ol’ mast out there. Got a fishing boat out on a stormy day, small craft warnings out, and we didn’t know it till we got out there. We went out with one of those green, Sears and Roebuck, metal riverboats and got out there bailing all the way out, and got out there. And he said, “Throw out the anchor!” And I threw out the anchor, and it wasn’t tied to the boat! And that anchor went out and just went “BRRRRRRRAAAAAP” CLAP! and that was the anchor.

And we fished out there, and that mist came in, and the thing was rocking back and forth, going, “BOOOOO” “BOOOOO” “BOOOO” — did you ever hear that thing, man? Drive you crazy, man, when you’re next to it.

And then we saw this squall coming up. And the waves were already coming into the boat, you know — a squall coming up. So we started and headed back. And he had about a seven-and-a-half power, horsepower, Wizard’s boat, and I was near that thing with two cans, bailing all the way in — all the way in, man.

That thing came out of the water, and that motor goes, “RRRRREEEEEEE, RREEEEELLLL,” on those waves. And it came out the top, and the motor came clear out of the water, just spinning in the air. And we came back, and I was bailing with both hands, quick as I could bail, and just as hard as I could. We never made it. And we got back in, and that water would get an inch high, two inches high, three inches high, four inches high. And it got to I guess about ten inches, something like that.

And we got through the pass and headed for that beach, that rock jetty, over, oh, it’s the first one there, that’s near the lighthouse, and that boat just got lower and lower and lower. We got about thirty feet offshore and just went — BLOOP! — went to the bottom, and we got out. We were neck-deep in water and got out and waded ashore. And tried to haul that bugger up. And, man, just impossible.

And we got that thing, swimming with it underwater, we got it pushed up within, I guess, ten feet of the bank, and then it filled with sand. And some guy came along with a Jeep and tried to haul us out.

Next time we went out it was with a guy named Bobby Tidwell, and we got out there. We went out there passed Alabama Point, and again it was a small craft warning and we didn’t know it. Didn’t know we picked up the radio or newspaper. I didn’t take a newspaper, you know. And we went out there, and we started through the pass, and I noticed it was clear. Clear, wild looking, you know. Waves coming, you know, six or seven feet high. And we got out there, and the further we got out, the heavier it got. And we hadn’t got out a half a mile and looked back and saw that we couldn’t see the shore. And the swells were so deep, the swells were ten and twelve feet high. And that thing was going, oh, a little, about the top of this house, about the top of this beam here, WWWROOOOP! over the top, see the shore, and then come back down. And that way you can’t tell where you’re going, so the fishin’ was over and the problem’s how to get back in.

And we started back in, and no way to bay to the beach at all. Had to come back through the pass. And the surf picked up in the pass, and he was scared, he had never been in it before. And I been in north-easters up in the beach, you know, as a lifeguard. I knew how to get in, if he’d only tell me what to do. But you have to ride those things like you’re body surfing, is what you have to do. And if you ever get too far ahead, you see, then the wave curls over you and drops in the boat, you see. And if you get too far behind, you get caught in the foam, and the rudder won’t give you any traction in the foam, and you can’t steer, you see, then your boat turns sideways. Once your boat is sideways, you roll in. Ha!

And so he got in there, and I said, “Now, just do what I tell you to do.” I said, “When I say, ‘fast,’ fast! When I say ‘slow,’ slow!” So I sat in the bow facing backwards. And got him to drive. I said, “Fast!” Slow. “Fast! FAST! FAST! man” “Slow, slow, ow-ow-ow” — like that. Away like that. And I’m telling you, getting over those waves, and the first one went over there, I forget to tell you going out one broke over the bow forward and took the anchor and picked it off the bow and put it in the back seat. And the next one went over the bow, and my bows were hangin’ in the back seat, and it broke the whole back seat off from the boat.

And so, coming back in, that thing would barely go “RRRRREEEEEAAAAALLLL” back in that thing and then “SQUISH” — and then “RRRREAAAALL” and then “SQUISH.”

We made it. We made it.

But, I’ll tell you, coming alongside those rockbreakers are something else. I was in one one time down in Panama City, and got ‘em going, and he just never got off. That thing just “BAANG! SHE-BANNNGGGG! SH-BANNGGG!” You push off with the pole — “BANNGG!” you know. You push of with your hands — “BANGGG!” You push off with your feet — “BANNGGGG!” Dead, dead, dead, “BLUUBBBBUBBBBL” Out in the rocks, man, nothing you can do.

I had a buddy up in Bay Monette when I fished one time, and they got out there in a wooden boat and the watermarks got in the boat. He got panicky, and with a twelve-gauge shotgun, he went, “BAM!” and shot that and placed a hole in the bottom of the boat.

{Uproarious laughter in the class.}

I’d have probably done the same thing, you know. I’ll tell you, I’ll tell you the wildest one. Down here off Dexton, and down by Panama City, I was down there one week. And an article came out in the newspaper. There were two drunks out there. And they had them a thirty-two-foot cruiser out there they’d been fishing with. Just drunk as a skunk. And they were towing down that beach. And this big ol’, you know, one of the $85,000 things, and one of the them fell off the back end. “Hang on, fellow!”

“That’s right buddy, I guess you know —” right on down the coast, man, right on down the coast.

Coast Guard picked it up down there. $85,000, man. Just sail off with nobody behind the wheel.

Acts 27, verse 29: “Then fearing lest we should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day.” That’d be rough, you know. Nighttime. Can’t see anything. Just gettin’ more shallow.

“And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship, when they had let down the boat into the sea.” Now there’s the crew getting ready to desert the passengers. That’s the crew getting ready to get off in the middle of the night and get the lifeboat and get out of there and let everybody else wreck.”

“Under colour as though they would have cast anchors out of the foreship.” Now they’re pretending that they’re going to take this boat down and go around the front of the boat and put out some anchors in front of it. And “under colour” there is an expression. It doesn’t mean — it’s like this: “He sure showed his color,” see? It’s that kind of thing. It’s “under colour” —our word is, well, yeah, yeah, and it’s like to show your colors. Showing your true situation.

“Under colour as though they would have cast anchors” — the expression in modern English would be, “under the pretense.”

Under colour as though they would have cast anchors out of the foreship. Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these —” the shipmen “— abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved.”

“Then the soldiers cut off the ropes of the boat, and let her fall off.” You know, the boy had a sense of humor, you know. You see that, you know. The guy gets going to jump in a lifeboat and — SNAP! — and down goes the lifeboat. Ropes are cut.

“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.” Eat, not only because the trouble’s over, but because you’re going to need some strength.

“Wherefore I pray you to take some meat: for this is for your health.” Gonna need some strength.

“For there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you. And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to God in presence of them all: and when he had broken it, he began to eat.” Notice how the word “meat” is used in verse 34, in this case “bread” (verse 35). In the Bible, often “meat” refers to anything you eat.

“Then were they all of good cheer, and they also took some meat. And we were in all in the ship two hundred threescore and sixteen souls.” Now, I’m sure there’s something here, but I never found it, and I have talked to people who have professed to have found, and I don’t think they found it either. But when you get a thing like verse 34 — the very hairs of your head are numbered — and there it is. You get a thing in 35, like what the Lord did in feeding the five thousand, and there it is. Then the exact number given in 37, and they’re called “souls,” then there’s something to it, and they’re called “saved” in the passage, and there’s something to it, but I don’t know all exactly what’s to it.

“And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, and cast out the wheat into the sea.” Getting rid of everything. Now the cargo goes. That’s the most valuable thing to have. That was the money.

“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 the trick is to guide the ship so it goes into a shoals between a jetty, or between rocks, or between a reef. And if you have a contour of the island, it’d come around like this. And here’s Crete, goes back in here, and opens this way, out this way, and now around here, probably barrier reefs along in here. And the trick is to get the boat in here and avoid the rocks. And then it may be deeper than this, but quits out here. And a rock shore out on this side. You find that along the west coast of Wales bad. And along the west coast of Palestine. Did you ever wonder why there aren’t more seaports in Palestine? That thing runs eighty miles down the coast, and only two seaports there, Caesarea and Joppa. The only way you can get in and get out.

All right, 27, verse 40: “And when they had taken up the anchors, —” gonna pull out the stern anchors “— they committed themselves unto the sea, and loosed the rudder bands, and hoised —” our word is “hoisted” “— hoised up the mainsail to the wind, and made toward shore.” Now they loosed the rudder bands. If the rudder bands are tied. And there’s several ways this works. In an outboard motor, the motor sits here, and you go down here by the foot, and then the rudder is there. And in a powertilt, this thing lifts out of the water this way. And in a manual tilt, you just pull it back with your hand. And there has to be something to hold it there. It has to be tied there, see, and in the automatic tilt, the hydraulic holds it. And so that thing is out of the water like that.

Now, they’ve had it that way that night. That night, they’re out there anchored. And they got the anchors off the stern this way. And the main sail is up here, and of course now — at that night — they’ve taken down these sails. But in the morning they hoist the sails. They put ‘em up. And they pull in these anchors. Now it’s getting ready to go. And now to get it to go, they got to get the other rudder to steer. Now that rudder’s been tied with bands so it doesn’t move. So they loose these bands. Now the fellow, the helmsman up here with the steering wheel can take that thing and turn it and get ‘em into this open place, if you can. And, of course, it’s in surf. And that’s what a seaman doesn’t like, is surf. Getting up in that thing and just rolling, and take you on in.

And 41: “And falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the forepart —” “forepart,” it’s the bow “— stuck fast, and remained unmoveable, but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves.” That’s the trouble you have with a place where there’s an opening like this, and Alabama Point and the Naval Air Station are two exactly like that. And the Naval Air Station, even more. There’s a promontory that comes out like this, this way. The Naval Air Station sits off over here. And then the other beach comes along like this, and cuts back here. You have buoy channel markers in here, and you’ve got a lighthouse sitting here. And you have a pier sitting off here. That’s Fort Pickens. Fort McCrae sits off in here.

And when this thing comes with a tide, especially with a tide coming in, this water sweeps here, and this water sweeps here, and that water sweeps there. And those things hit there in a storm, it’s a backlash and an ebb tide and everything there, and those things chop all over the place.

When I first got in my boat, the first thing I did was take it out in the middle of that thing, and see how it would take that kind of surf. If I’d known then what I know about outboard motors now, I never would have taken it out. It was brand new, so it worked. But to get it out there and see what it’ll take when it’s knocked on one side and then the other, and then front and behind, going up and down at the same time.

Forty-one: “And falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground.” So when they come to that place, where they are, say this creek runs like this, they bring that thing in here, and these seas knock ‘em this way and that way, and they’re banged around and that thing gets jammed in the sand like that. In an aerial view, the ship’s sitting like this. And the waves smacking in here and hitting, just tear the back end all to pieces. And that’ll happen.

“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, —” they kind of got overruled there “— 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.”

So the Lord gets them there. Some get on boards, like some churches and some broken pieces of ship. And there’s a lot you can do with that chapter. That chapter pictures the journey of life. In that chapter you’re going to wreck at the end if the Lord tarries. But if you’re saved you’re going to get ashore safely. In that chapter there, in life, God’s man is worth the whole crew. He’s worth the whole crew. And knows more than the whole crew. And that ship, it’s the angel of the Lord that has to guide you and give you wisdom. And that trip, you need to cast out excess baggage. I mean, all kinds of stuff in there. In that trip, you’re going to meet storms all the way, no easy trip, see. And you’re going to have friends, and you’re going to have enemies.

That thing, for life’s voyage, that thing will really preach.

QUESTION: Was Luke along on this trip?

ANSWER: Uh, does it say “us” anywhere?

QUESTION: It says “we” in verse 1.

ANSWER: Well, he’s there then. Yeah, verse 15: “We let her drive.” Eighteen: “We being exceedingly tossed.” Yeah, he’s on board.