Intro: Christ may still the storms in our lives or He may simply give us the courage to face them and follow Him through them. Whether it be natural or other disasters what we must remember is that God is sovereign. God is all power-full and is in control. He has never and will never loose control.
Just because he doesn’t deliver you out of the storm doesn’t mean He will not deliver you through the storm.
It is often through the storm that God works things out for good for those that are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8.28)
That doesn’t mean that there won’t be scars, memories, losses or pain. It does, however, mean that we will be stronger in the end if we place our faith in God to make it to the other side of the storm.
It is in the storms of life that the walls of faith are built high to hold back the waters of despair.
Possibly the central verse of Acts 27 is verse 24 Paul is here recounting what God’s messenger had told him.
“Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar, and behold, God has granted you all those who are sailing with you.”
Whether in the middle of the storm or in its destructive aftermath we see that God is in Control!!!
What do we learn about God from this passage?
I. God’s guiding hand (sovereignty – His ultimate control)
Acts 27.15-17
A) Questions that must be asked
1) How could a loving God allow this disaster to happen?
2) How could a loving God allow so many to suffer?
B) Answers that must be given
1) America has stopped trusting God
Billy Graham’s daughter gave the answer in an interview to Jane Clayson on the Early show.
“I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we’ve been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government, and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman he is, I believe he has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us his blessing and his protection if we demand he leave us alone?
May I translate? We want God’s protection without His powerful presence. We want God’s provision without His controlling hand.
2) We must be like Paul in the storm and trust God.
a) Believe in God.
1) Many believe in God today with no marked change in their every day life.
2) It is not simply enough to believe in God. You must place your faith in Christ as Paul did.
Acts 16.31 Paul and Silas in prison in response to the jailer’s question, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (Remember Acts 4.12)
Paul and Silas’ reply, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved – you and your house hold.”
a) Believe in Him to be saved
1) His life
2) His death
3) His burial
4) His resurrection
5) His ascension
b) Believe Him to live.
1) Repent turn from the life of sin
2) Repent turn toward Him
If you repent of your sin but don’t turn toward God you will do a 360, returning to the point you started. Trusting yourself alone.
When we repent of sin, turn from it, we must turn toward God doing a 180 degree turn, turning the opposite direction. Turning from trusting yourself to trusting God alone.
Paul did not simply believe in God he believed God!
According to J. Vernon McGee’s Thru The Bible
Paul was looking to God. Later on Paul would tell these men, "I believe God" (v. 25). Notice he would not say that he believed in God, but "I believe God."
b) Believe God
1) Believe His Word
2) Believe His Message of hope
II. God’s comforting Voice (peaceful presence)
Acts 27.21-24, 34
A) Hope when all hope seems lost
27.20 possibly lost hope after having been tossed about for several days at the mercy of the storm. They could not even see the stars or the sun; they were in desperate need of encouragement.
1) Assurance of an Angel v.23
2) Acceptance of Paul
a) Whose I am b) Whom I serve
A. W. Tozer
“When the “south wind blew softly,” the ship that carried Paul sailed smoothly enough and no one on board knew who Paul was or how much strength of character lay hidden behind that rather plain exterior. But when the mighty tempest, Euroclydon, burst upon them, Paul’s greatness was soon the talk of everyone on the ship. The apostle, though himself a prisoner, quite literally took command of the vessel, made decisions and issued orders that meant life or death to the people. And I think the crisis brought to a head something in Paul that had not been clear even to him. Beautiful theory was quickly crystallized into hard fact when the tempest struck.”
We have the same God that Paul had. We too can respond with the same clarity, power, and poise that Paul did in the storm if we accept the assurance of Jesus Christ.
Lo I am with you even to the end of the age Matt 28.20
I will never leave you nor forsake you Joshua 1.9, Heb 13.5
B) Hope carried by His voice – The Word
Hope lies in nothing less than Jesus Blood and righteousness
1) Creator
a) Creates peace
b) Creates hope
2) Calmer
a) Calms our fear “fear not I am”
b) Calms our mind and gives us clear thinking
3) Counselor
a) Wipes our tears b) Wraps us in His arms
Jesus created the calm of the people in the middle of the chaos of the storm.
Listen to a song written in response to a Jewish student asking, “Why should I worship a dead Jew.” (Why should I place my hope in nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness?)
I serve a risen Savior,
He’s in the world today; (God is in control)
I know that He is living,
whatever men may say;
I see His hand of mercy, (Despite the conditions around me)
I hear His voice of cheer
And just the time
I need Him He’s always near. (He is always on time)
Refrain
He lives, He lives,
Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me
and talks with me
along life’s narrow way.
He lives, He lives,
salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know He lives?
He lives within my heart.
In all the world around me
I see His loving care,
And tho’ my heart grows weary
I never will despair;
I know that He is leading
thru all the stormy blast,
The day of His appearing
will come at last.
Refrain
He lives, He lives,
Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me
and talks with me
along life’s narrow way.
He lives, He lives,
salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know He lives?
He lives within my heart.
Rejoice, rejoice, O Christian,
lift up your voice and sing,
Eternal hallelujahs
to Jesus Christ the King!
The hope of all who seek Him,
the help of all who find,
None other is so loving,
so good and kind.
Refrain
He lives, He lives,
Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me
and talks with me
along life’s narrow way.
He lives, He lives,
salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know He lives?
He lives within my heart.
-- According to this song because He lives, He is our hope, our help, even thru all the stormy blast!
-- We need to model our savior, creating calm in the chaos after the storm and counseling those despairing people with the hope of tomorrow found in Christ.
Transition: It is because He lives and speaks to us that we can experience His saving Grace.
III. God’s saving grace
Acts 27.31, 44
A) Our Request
Save me, get me out!
B) His response
I will see you through!
Noah and His family not saved from, but through the storm!
1) God saves us from sin
2) God saves us and sustains us through situations
IV. God’s healing power
When the winds die down and the wreckage is seen God’s power will heal our wounds.
A) Hospitality (v.7)
B) Healing (v.8-9)
Conclusion: What can we say about surviving storms? We can ask all the reasons why, ultimately we do not know why God allowed the storm to grow and growl across the gulf coast.
We may never know whom God saved, who God called home, who God healed, who God called to His service with this disaster.
But we can know this; God is in control of His creation! We can trust in nothing less than Jesus Blood and righteousness.
So what should we do?
1) Pray
The most important thing we can do is pray for those in the Gulf Coast, the refugees, the workers, the churches.
2) Give
Offer what you can to help, money, supplies, time.
Offer hospitality to those in our area in need of help
4) Go
Comfort those that can find no hope.
Communicate the love of God in this time of disaster and crisis
5) Live
When storms come we can take hold of the anchor, Jesus Christ, and hoist the sail to be moved along by God’s Holy Spirit.
