Scripture Reading: Acts 27:9–11

Introduction

A. Nobody likes to hear, “I told you so.”

B. When the centurion in charge of Paul ignored his advice and ordered their ship into the path of a storm, Paul says, “You should have listened to me.” Will we listen any better?

Discussion

I. This centurion wasn’t the first person not to listen to Paul.

A. The philosophers of Athens wouldn’t listen (Acts 17:32).

B. Felix refused to listen (Acts 24:25).

C. Everywhere Paul preached, the Jews refused to listen to him (Acts 22:18, 22; 13:45; 17:5; 18:12).

D. The centurion chose to listen to the majority (Acts 27:12).

II. Fortunately the centurion decided to start listening.

A. He listened in every point and showed Paul considerable respect (Acts 27:30–32, 43; 28:8–9).

B. Like the centurion we can choose to listen to the experts or to the majority, or we can focus on our own comfort or the daily weather reports instead of the word from the Lord.

C. For the centurion the situation had to become hopeless before he started to listen to Paul.

D. The one who listens to Paul will believe in Jesus and confess Him (Romans 10:10), be buried with Him (6:4), love his family in Christ (1 Corinthians 6:7; 8:13) and finish his race with joy (Acts 20:24).

Conclusion

A. There was no need for anyone to die on that ship, because there was a word of hope from the Lord.

B. There is no need for any of us to die in sin, but we can’t be saved if we each go our own way. We must listen for the voice of God.