Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and owner of the ship more than those things which were spoken by Paul. Acts 27:11
Many people were surprised when then US President Barack Obama asked well-known evangelistic pastor Rick Warren to give the invocation at his inauguration in January of 2009. It was a surprise because Warren’s conservative views were in sharp contrast to the opinions of the liberal attitudes of Obama. The president’s decision to ask Warren to give the invocation was apparently just a token gesture, because nothing in his presidency showed any intention to heed the advice of Warren, who strongly opposed such Obama favourite policies as abortion on demand, same-sex marriages, and so forth. Many government leaders are the same, paying lip service to spiritual people who will offer genuine wisdom but ignoring the advice given. Paul encountered that attitude when he urged the centurion not to venture to sea during a dangerous time.
Paul’s advice came from the Lord, and he sought to protect lives and property by passing on what God had given him. If we go, he told the centurion and the ship’s officials, we face damage and danger. But there were nicer places to spend the winter than in Lasea, and there was profit to be made by taking the ship on to the next port of call. So Paul’s advice went unheeded. Paul should not have been surprised. But he must have been very disappointed. His advice was sound, and the perils he spoke of were very real. He was like those people that we encounter every day who ignore the warnings of Christians. We can see the damage that people are doing to themselves with their sinful lifestyles, with their destructive habits, with their rejection of Biblical principles of morality, decency, and honesty. Even worse, they scoff at warnings of the perils of rejecting God’s great salvation. Thinking only of their own pleasure, convenience, and pocket books, they see little value in the Christians’ urging of them to consider eternity and the need to prepare for it. We know that there is no escape for those who neglect so great salvation. We know that sin when it is finished bringeth forth death. And so, as we see our entreaties rejected, we feel frustrated. But what can we do?
While we are responsible to be faithful witnesses to those around us, we are not responsible for what they do with our advice and warnings. We can advise people as to their peril, but we cannot make them seek the safety of salvation. Only God can convict them and bring them to repentance. And until He does, we remain unheeded.
We need to remain faithful to those around us in our witness to them. But we need to accept that most of those we witness to will not really care, at least not right away. – Jim MacIntosh