Acts 27:30
Topic: If you want to survive the storm, you must stay in the ship
As we look around in our country today, as we watch the six o’clock news, or the CNN Network, or read the newspaper at home, make no doubt about it, we see ourselves in a storm. We are in a storm in because everyday many people today are losing their jobs, losing their homes to foreclosure, and they don’t have enough money to pay their bills. There are many families today that are so depressed and stressed out because they do not know how they are going to survive from a day to day basis. And because many families are going through some tough times right now, we have been hearing reports how some of the head of the households are killing off their own families, ending their lives because they feel that there is no way out of their dilemma and they feel like there is no hope for them for the future.
But yet in the midst of the storm that we are in, there is still hope for us the future, especially hope in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Psalm 31:24: says, “Be of good courage. And he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.”
Psalm 71:5 says, For thou art my hope, O Lord God; thou are my trust from the youth.”
Psalm 146:5 says, “Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God.”
Jeremiah 17: 7 says, “Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.”
It is a sweet relief in knowing that no matter what you are going through, no matter what storm you are facing, there is hope for you in the Lord for the present and there is hope for you in the future because of God is able to blessed you and sustain you even in the midst of the storm that we are in right now because in Psalm 37:25-26 says, I have been young and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. He is ever merciful and lendeth, and his seed his blessed.” Yes, God is able to take care of us in the midst of the storm that we are. But if you want to be able to survive the storm that we are now in, we need to stay in the ship.
Now, in these passage of scriptures, we read about how Paul the Apostle was a calming influence to his shipmates while they were trying sail and navigate themselves through a dangerous sea storm. Now, Paul was on this ship as an prisoner being transported to Rome to appear before Ceasar because of his faith and because preaching the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus in places where he was not received well.
In Acts 27:9-10, Paul had tried to persuade the centurion and the captain of the ship to wait for better weather to come before setting out to sail because at that day and time, the weather was becoming somewhat dangerous for sailing. But the centurion and the captain of the ship had decided to take a gamble, and take their chances and they decided to sail out into the sea despite of the bad weather conditions because they had some cargo that needed to be transported along with some prisoners that needed to be brought to Rome for imprisonment. And because the centurion and the captain of the ship decided against Paul’s advice not to set out sailing in the sea since the weather was becoming bad for sailing at the time, the scripture tells us that they found themselves sailing right into a dangerous sea storm.
Question: Has there been a time in your life that you found yourself in a storm simple because you did not want to listen to nobody? Moma was trying to tell you something, Daddy was trying to tell you something, Grandma and Granddaddy was trying to tell you something, your uncle was trying to tell you something, your aunt was trying to tell you something, your teacher at school was trying to tell you something, your best friend was trying to tell you something, your boyfriend or girlfriend was trying to tell you something, your husband or wife was trying to tell you something, the Preacher or the Deacon was trying to tell you something. I mean, has there been anybody in your life that was trying to tell you something what was going to be helpful for you. But because you wanted to do your own thing, and you did not want to listen to nobody, you have found yourself in a storm that it was going to be hard to get out of.
Now if the truth be told, the reason why the centurion and the captain of the ship didn’t listen to Paul because they thought Paul didn’t know anything about sailing a ship. They thought the only thing Paul knew how to do is preach and teach about the Lord. But they didn’t realize that Paul had been sailing before, and he had been shipwrecked before. And since he had been sailing before, and had been shipwrecked before, Paul knew what he was talking about when he told the centurion and the captain to hold off from sailing until better weather come along. And not only did they see Paul just a preacher, but they also saw Paul just a prisoner who needed to be transported to Rome. And that is a lesson for us to learn. And the lesson is be careful how you look at people. Don’t be so quick too pass judgement on people just because they may not have a college degree or they don’t live in a nice neighborhood, because they may be too old, or too young. God can use anyone to give you some common sense. And that what Paul was trying to do with the centurion and the captain of the ship; give them some common sense, that is, some wisdom in going about sailing in the sea. But because they rejected Paul’s advice, they now find themselves stuck in a storm.
But yet no matter how bad the storm that you may be in, just know that God is able to take care of you in the midst of it. In Acts 27:21-26, Paul tells his ship mates some words of encouragement in the midst of the sea storm. And it is a good thing to hear some words of encouragement when you are going through some storms in this life. Psalms 27: 14 says, “Wait on the Lord, be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart”.
Now, Paul first tells the centurion and the captain of the ship that they should have listened to him when he told them to wait until good weather had come to set out to sail. But because they did not listen to Paul’s advice, they were now stuck in this bad sea storm. And because they are now stuck in a bad, and dangerous sea storm, they have now risked themselves and the ship for a shipwreck. But yet in the midst of telling them that they are going to be shipwrecked, Paul also tells them to be of good cheer because there will be no loss of life in the shipwreck. Yes, the ship will be torn asunder, but no one will die in the shipwreck. And that is a blessing to know that no matter what I go through, no matter what storm I may find myself in, it is a blessing to know that I am still in the hands of God. I may lose my house to foreclosure, but I am still in the hands of God. I may lose my job, but I am still in the hands of God. I may have my paycheck cut by the government, but I am still in the hands of God. I may not have enough money to pay my bills, but I am still in the hands of God. My friends may be few, but I am still in the hands of God.
Notice that Paul said the ship is going to be torn asunder, but their life is going to be spared. You see, God wasn’t interested in saving the ship as He was interested in saving their lives because the ship didn’t have a soul to be saved, but their lives did. You see the ship can be replaced, but if you lose your soul, that can’t be replaced. That is why we ought not put too much stock on material things because material things come and go, and they can be replaced. But your soul, if you lose it, it is gone forever. So therefore God is interested in saving your soul, and your soul is saved when you enter into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ our Lord.
Not only does Paul say be of good cheer, but he also tells his shipmates not to fear because an angel had stood beside him that night and told him that he would be brought before Caesar, and God has given him all that was sailing with him to his charge. In other words, what Paul was saying to his shipmates, they was going to make it through the storm because Paul also says in Acts 27:25, “to take heart“, because Paul did say this: “for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me”. If God says you are going to survive, you are going to survive the storm. You see, no matter how bad your storm may be, you are going to make it through the Lord Jesus Christ. Just know that whatever storm that you may be in right now, God is going to be right there by your side, and you are going to make it. Just know that “weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.”
Now while they were trying to survive the sea storm, there were some shipmates that wanted to jump the ship and try to swim to the nearest shore. But Paul told them that except they abide in the ship, they cannot be saved. You see, there are some storms in life we have to ride out. But know this one thing for sure, storms aren’t meant to last, nor are they meant to stay. For example, Hurricane Katrina showed up in New Orleans, but she didn’t stay. Hurricane Rita showed up in Houston, but she didn’t stay. Hurricane David showed up in Florida, but he didn’t stay. Depression hit the United States in the 1930’s, but it didn’t stay. And right now, we are in a serious storm that is crippling our nation economically, but storms do not last always. This too shall pass. But while we are in a storm in our country, there are at least four ships that we need to stay in while we are riding out this storm:
1.We need to stay in the ship of Prayer.
Jesus says in St. Luke 18:1 that “men should always pray, and not faint.”
The Apostle Paul tells us in Phillipians 4:6 says, “Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your request be made known unto God.”
2nd Chronicles 7:14 says, If my people which are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land
2.We need to stay in the ship of the Word of God.
Psalm 119:11 says, “Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee.”
Psalm 119:105 says, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.”
Psalm 119:133 says to “Order my steps in thy word”
3.We need to stay in the ship of the Church.
Psalm 122:1 says, “I was glad when they said unto me, let us go to the house of the Lord.
Hebrews 10:25 says, Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another; and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching
4.Lastly, but not least, we need to stay in the ship of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Romans 10: 9 says, If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God has rasied him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.“ ,
Now, the ship that Paul and his shipmates were on in Acts 27 did get shipwrecked and the ship was torn asunder by the sea storm that they were in. But yet all those that were on the ship, they all made it safely swimming to the shore. But notice what verse 44 says in Acts 27. It says “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.” Notice it said some made it on boards, and some made it on broken pieces of the ship. Can I get a little theological at this point? The boards in this scripture represent grace, while the little pieces of the ship represent mercy. In other words, Paul and his shipmates were able to survive the shipwreck, and was able make to the shore because of God’s grace and mercy. But notice where the boards, and the little pieces of the ship came from. It came from the same ship. But before they were able to survive the sea storm and the ship wreck, they first of all had to stay in the ship. Likewise, if we are going to survive this storm that we are in, we need to stay in the ship of Jesus Christ so we can receive His mercy and grace to live. And what I like about being in the ship of Jesus Christ, you don’t have to worry about his ship getting shipwrecked because as the Captain of your soul, He knows how to navigate you through the storms of life. He knows how to strengthen you when you are being weak in the storm. He knows how to give you joy in the midst of your sorrow. He knows how to provide for your needs in the time of your lack.. He know how to help you survive your storms in this life, but you got to stay in his ship.
Because in the ship of Jesus Christ, there is peace.
In the ship of Jesus Christ, there is healing.
In the ship of Jesus Christ, there is joy.
In the ship of Jesus Christ, there is blessings
In the ship of Jesus Christ, there is deliverance
In the ship of Jesus Christ, there is love
In the ship of Jesus Christ, there is eternal life
In the ship of Jesus Christ, there is abundant life
In the ship of Jesus Christ, there is salvation
