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What do we do when every earthly landmark disappears and all we have left are the promises of God? In a story of roaring winds, tossing waves, and fourteen days without seeing the sun or the stars, one man's calm confidence becomes a lifeline for two hundred and seventy-six souls lost at sea. Discover how the same God who kept His Word then still stands near enough to strengthen, encourage, and deliver those who trust Him now.
📝 Study Notes, Scripture List, Transcript, and more: https://medicallake.church/sermons/where-is-god-in-the-storm
#mlcc #church #churchonline
📝 Study Notes, Scripture List, Transcript, and more: https://medicallake.church/sermons/where-is-god-in-the-storm
#mlcc #church #churchonline
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LearningTranscript
00:00why don't you take a look at the topic of the sermon?
00:04We started Acts last fall, before, way before Christmas.
00:09You cannot plan that we're going to be talking about
00:11this particular thing on this day.
00:14This is something God wants us to hear.
00:17This is not a coincidence.
00:19This is something that when I've worked on the sermon
00:22all week long, nothing happened until yesterday
00:24when all of the fire started.
00:26This is something God wants us to hear.
00:29This is something that, I don't know, Jake.
00:31You didn't know.
00:31You picked the songs for Thursday.
00:33The first three songs dealt with God's overseeing
00:36in our suffering and in the storms of life.
00:38He can't, we can't, you can't plan stuff like this.
00:42So as we come to the text today in Acts chapter 27,
00:45we're almost through the book,
00:46but we're in Acts chapter 27.
00:48In one old devotional calendar, there was a,
00:52there were two painters that were tasked
00:54with the goal of painting a picture
00:56that showed the best representation of peace.
01:00So the first painter painted a nice country scene
01:07with a little cottage right there
01:09and a little pond in front of the cottage
01:11with still waters and some cattle grazing around,
01:16around the cottage.
01:17And that was his idea of peace.
01:20Still waters, cattle grazing, nice house,
01:24beautiful, beautiful sunrises and sunsets.
01:29That was, that was idea of peace.
01:30But the second painter decided he was going to do something
01:34a little bit different.
01:36The second painter drew a wild stormy scene,
01:42black clouds all over the place.
01:44You could tell by the trees leaning in the direction
01:47that the wind was whipping through with gale force.
01:50You could see the backside where a waterfall was coming down,
01:54but all the clouds and everything,
01:55it looked all dark and you have the mist of the waterfall
01:58coming down and you could hear almost a roaring
02:00of the waterfall and someone's going,
02:02that doesn't sound like peace to me.
02:05However, when you looked at it,
02:07the first thing to strike the eye was a small bird
02:11perched on the cleft of the rock,
02:14absolutely sheltered from the storm and singing.
02:18He said, that's peace.
02:24This is what we should know.
02:27Perfect peace in the storms of life.
02:30God's peace that he gives to us.
02:34So in Acts chapter 27, hopefully you have your Bible,
02:36you open it up to 27 or your phone,
02:39whichever you use your Bible from.
02:41We want to look at this together.
02:42What we're going to see here in this lengthy narrative section
02:46is the storms of life will come,
02:49but rest assured God is near in the storm.
02:54We talked about curve balls being thrown away.
02:56The storms of life will come our way in one form or another.
03:00We have experienced them and we will experience them,
03:03the storms of life.
03:04However, in the midst of the storms,
03:06we must recognize God is near us.
03:10He doesn't go on a vacation when we're suffering.
03:13He stands close to us.
03:15He stands near to us.
03:16He has a very present help in time of need.
03:20I don't know what your typical reaction is to the storms of life.
03:24Some people get really mad.
03:25Some people pray.
03:26I mean, there's all different kinds of responses to the storms of life.
03:29Some kind of look for help outside of God.
03:32We all do different ways.
03:33Hopefully, our focus is on God,
03:35for he is our very present help in a time of need.
03:39So, this presentation today that you're going to see
03:42is different than what I normally do, okay?
03:45You're going to see a map
03:46because there's a lot of narrative that's going along.
03:48So, I wanted you to see a map
03:50as we're talking about how they're sailing
03:52because remember, he's on his way to Rome.
03:54So, chapter 28, he gets to Rome,
03:56but he's on his way to Rome right now
03:57and it's a lot of narrative.
03:58So, I wanted to show you the map.
04:00There it is right there.
04:01Show you the map.
04:02So, as I'm reading through,
04:03see if you can kind of follow along.
04:05We're going to start over here on the right-hand side
04:07in the green area, Caesarea Maritime.
04:09That is not Caesarea Philippi,
04:11but that's the Caesarea on the coastline.
04:13Paul's been there for two years,
04:16two years as a protective custody
04:19right there in that place being protected.
04:22He's now ready to sail towards Rome.
04:25We're not going to make it all the way to Rome today.
04:26We're only going to make it to Malta
04:27on the left-hand side right there,
04:29but he's on his way.
04:30I wanted you to see this.
04:31So, as I'm reading the text,
04:32you can kind of see the picture
04:33of what's going on up here.
04:35So, let me start in verse number one.
04:37And when it was decided
04:38that we should sail for Italy,
04:40so the Festus decided it's time to sail.
04:43So, it's time to send the prisoner
04:44and the other prisoners off.
04:47They delivered Paul and some other prisoners
04:49to a centurion,
04:50that's a one over a hundred,
04:52a soldier over a hundred,
04:53of the Augustan cohort named Julius
04:57and embarking in a ship of Adromitium,
04:59which was about to sail to the ports
05:01along the coast of Asia.
05:02So, the first ship they get on
05:03is called a coasting vessel
05:05and it just hugs the coastline.
05:07They're going to change vessels
05:08to a seagoing vessel here in just a second.
05:10So, they're on a coasting vessel right now.
05:15See, sail to the ports
05:16along the coast of Asia.
05:17We put to sea,
05:18accompanied by Aristocras,
05:21a Macedonian from Thessalonica.
05:23The next day,
05:24we put in at Sidon,
05:25right there, Sidon.
05:26You can see right above them.
05:27So, they stopped.
05:28They just went up the coastline
05:29to Sidon right there,
05:30stopped right there.
05:32And Julius treated Paul kindly
05:34and gave him leave
05:35to go to his friends
05:36and be cared for.
05:37So, he gave Paul permission
05:38to leave the ship,
05:40go into the city,
05:41and be cared for by fellow Christians.
05:43This centurion treats Paul
05:44very, very well
05:45throughout the whole episode.
05:47He's like he's looking out for Paul
05:49through the whole episode.
05:50Okay.
05:51So, gave him leave
05:52to go to his friends
05:53and be cared for.
05:54And putting out to sea
05:55from there,
05:55we sailed under the lee of Cyprus.
05:58Cyprus is right there.
05:59And when it says under the lee,
06:00I expected them to go
06:01under the island.
06:02Actually, they're going
06:03above the island.
06:04That's what it means,
06:05under the lee.
06:05Okay.
06:06Go figure.
06:07Under the lee.
06:09Let's see.
06:10Under the lee of Cyprus
06:11because the winds were against us.
06:13So, it was pushing them
06:14in the wrong direction.
06:15And when we had sailed
06:16across the open sea
06:17along the coast of Sicily,
06:20Cilicia and Pamphylia,
06:21we came to Myria and Lycia.
06:23So, Myria right up there.
06:25So, right over the top up there.
06:26So, that's where they're at right now.
06:28There, the centurion found
06:29a ship of Alexandria,
06:30Alexandria, Egypt.
06:31Egypt was a grain basket for Rome.
06:33So, this was a grain ship.
06:34So, they're going to get on
06:35a sea-going vessel at Myrna,
06:37right up there at the top.
06:39There, the centurion found
06:40a ship of Alexandria
06:40sailing for Italy
06:41and put us on board.
06:42We sailed slowly
06:44for a number of days
06:45and arrived with difficulty
06:46at Canidas.
06:47And as the wind
06:48did not allow us
06:49to go further,
06:50we sailed under the lee
06:51of Crete off Simón.
06:52So, you see right there,
06:54Simón right there
06:54in that center island right there.
06:55That's where they're at right now.
06:57Coasting along it
06:58with difficulty.
06:58So, they're having a tough time.
07:00The winds are against them
07:01right now.
07:02We came to a place
07:03called Fair Havens.
07:04You can see Fair Havens
07:05right on the bottom of Crete
07:06right there.
07:07And they docked right there.
07:08They came into port
07:09near which the city of Lycia.
07:12Since much time had passed
07:13and the voyage
07:14was now dangerous
07:15because even the fast
07:16was already over.
07:18That's the Feast of Atonement,
07:20the Day of Atonement
07:21where the Jews fast,
07:22which comes at the end
07:23of September,
07:24beginning of October.
07:25Paul advised them saying,
07:27Sirs, we perceive
07:27that the voyage
07:28will be with injury
07:29and much loss,
07:31not only of the cargo
07:32and the ship,
07:32but also of our lives.
07:33Now, we don't have
07:34that he got a word
07:36of the Lord here.
07:37However, we know just
07:38if you're a sailor,
07:40you don't sail
07:41at this time of the year.
07:42It's just not safe.
07:43So, he's suggesting,
07:44well, to stay in the Fair Havens.
07:46Don't go any further.
07:47That's his suggestions.
07:48Okay.
07:50And because the harbor
07:51was not suitable
07:52to spend the winter in,
07:53the majority decided
07:54to put out to sea
07:55from there
07:56on chance that somehow
07:57they could reach Phoenix.
07:58That's to the left
07:59over there, Phoenix.
08:00A harbor of Crete
08:02facing both southwest
08:03and northwest
08:03and spend the winter there.
08:04In other words,
08:05it was a safer harbor
08:06to harbor in.
08:08All right.
08:09So, now we're moving along.
08:11The prisoners,
08:11other prisoners are with him
08:12and the other,
08:13they're different than Paul.
08:15They could be those
08:15going to actually execution.
08:17They're not the same
08:18as Paul being a Roman citizen
08:19going to stand before Caesar.
08:21So, they're other than Paul
08:22is what the text tells us.
08:24So, he leaves
08:25the land of Israel.
08:26He doesn't know
08:26it's the last time
08:27he's going to see his land.
08:29He doesn't know that.
08:30We know now
08:31because we know the text,
08:32but he's leaving
08:33for the last time Israel.
08:35And the predominant theme
08:36in these last two chapters
08:37is this journey.
08:38That's why I wanted you
08:39to see how they're going.
08:40Do you notice in the text
08:41it said we?
08:42That means Luke is writing.
08:43Luke is with them.
08:45Probably Luke took a housing
08:47somewhere in Caesarea
08:48for the two years Paul was there
08:49and ministered to Paul
08:50in Caesarea
08:51while he was there.
08:52We don't know.
08:53There's not much written about it,
08:54but Luke was right there
08:55traveling with them
08:55as they're going towards Rome.
08:58So, we're not possible,
08:59but the way that Julius
09:01treated Paul,
09:02it's likely that he may
09:03have heard him
09:04speak about his defense
09:05and was impressed
09:07in what Paul said
09:07because he treats him well
09:08throughout the whole text.
09:10He's handling Paul very well.
09:12Then we're introduced
09:13to this guy.
09:14We're given a name here.
09:15We had this Macedonian
09:17from Thessalonica,
09:18Aristocardus.
09:19And he was in Ephesus
09:21with Paul.
09:22So, a long time ago
09:23in Ephesus chapter 19,
09:25he was with Paul.
09:26He says,
09:26when they heard this,
09:27they were enraged
09:28and were crying out,
09:29great is Artemis
09:30of the Ephesians.
09:31So, the city was filled
09:32with confusion
09:33and they rushed together
09:34into the theater,
09:35dragging with them
09:36Gaius and Aristarchus,
09:38Macedonians who were
09:39Paul's companions in travel.
09:40So, this guy's been
09:41with them for a long time.
09:42He's traveling with them now
09:43also as they're going
09:44into Rome.
09:45Later, actually,
09:46we find him in Rome
09:47in Colossians chapter 4.
09:49Aristarchus,
09:50my fellow prisoner,
09:51greets you
09:51and mark the cousin
09:52of Barnabas
09:53concerning whom
09:53you'll receive instructions
09:54if he comes to you.
09:55Welcome.
09:55So, he's also in Rome.
09:57So, he's been traveling
09:57with Paul for a long time.
09:59Faithful,
09:59faithful man.
10:01He's allowed,
10:02in Sidon,
10:03he's allowed to visit.
10:04As we see in Sidon,
10:05he's allowed to visit
10:06his Christian brothers there.
10:07They get on a ship
10:08heading for Italy,
10:10a grain ship.
10:11And if it's a royal ship,
10:13in other words,
10:13if it's for Rome
10:15and it's grain,
10:17then that means
10:17that the centurion
10:18would have control
10:19of the ship.
10:20Actually,
10:20he gets to make decisions.
10:22The fast
10:23is the Day of Atonement.
10:24Only fast
10:25that the Jews
10:25were supposed to do
10:26and it comes
10:26at the end of September,
10:28beginning of October,
10:29mid-November,
10:30nobody traveled
10:31on the seas.
10:31So, they're getting
10:32close to that time
10:33that you don't travel
10:34on the sea.
10:35You winter somewhere,
10:35it's not safe
10:36to travel on the seas.
10:38They're getting close
10:38to that time.
10:39That's why Paul says,
10:40let's stay here.
10:42Let's not go any further.
10:45Then they get
10:46a gentle south wind
10:48that tricks them
10:49to thinking
10:50that everything is okay.
10:51Look with me
10:52in verse number 13.
10:54Now,
10:55when the south wind
10:56blew gently,
10:57yes,
10:57finally,
10:58no more gale force winds.
11:00Supposing that they
11:01had obtained their purpose,
11:02they weighed anchor
11:03and sailed along Creek
11:04close to the shore.
11:05So,
11:06they're sailing along
11:06that way,
11:07right?
11:07Close to the shore.
11:09But soon,
11:09a temperous wind
11:10called a northeaster
11:12struck down from the land.
11:13That was those blue lines.
11:14So,
11:15it's pushing them
11:15this direction.
11:16They're wanting to go
11:17up this way,
11:17up this way,
11:18but it's pushing them down.
11:19It's pushing them down.
11:21And when the ship
11:22was caught
11:22and could not face the wind,
11:23we gave way to it
11:25and were driven along.
11:26Running under the lee
11:28of a small island
11:29called Caudia,
11:30we managed with difficulty
11:31to secure the ship's boat.
11:33After hoisting it up,
11:34they used supports
11:35to undergood the ship.
11:36Then,
11:37fearing that they would
11:38run aground on Citrus,
11:39they lowered the gear
11:41and thus,
11:42they were driven along.
11:43So,
11:43you can see that
11:44they're out of control.
11:45They're not in control
11:46of the ship.
11:46They're being driven along.
11:48Since they were violently storm-tossed,
11:50they began the next day
11:51to jettison the cargo.
11:52Yeah,
11:53that makes sense.
11:53They're about ready to die,
11:54they think.
11:55And on the third day,
11:56they threw the ship's tackle
11:57overboard with their own hands.
11:59When neither sun nor stars
12:00appeared for many days
12:02and no small tempest lay on us,
12:04all hope of our being saved
12:06was at last abandoned.
12:07That's what they're thinking
12:08at this point.
12:11All hope
12:12is abandoned.
12:14They didn't see the stars
12:15or the sun
12:16for many days.
12:17The text later on
12:18says 14 days.
12:2014 days.
12:21No stars.
12:22No stars.
12:22They didn't know
12:23where they were at.
12:24You can't take a reading
12:25off the stars
12:26if you can't see them.
12:27They have no idea
12:28where they're at.
12:29They're just being driven along.
12:31Seven.
12:33No, wait.
12:34Twenty-one.
12:35Since they had been
12:36without food
12:37for a long time,
12:38now whether that's seasickness
12:39or they're just working
12:40really hard,
12:40I don't know.
12:41Paul stood up among them
12:42and said,
12:43men,
12:43you should have listened to me
12:45and not set sail from Crete
12:46and incurred this injury and loss.
12:48Now,
12:48I don't think he was sarcastic
12:49and I don't think he was being mean.
12:51I think he's just making a statement,
12:52okay?
12:52I think he's just saying,
12:53we should have stayed.
12:54We should have stayed.
12:56Yet now I urge you to take heart.
12:58In other words,
12:58be encouraged
13:00for there will be
13:01no loss of life among you.
13:03They're all thinking
13:04they're going to die at this point,
13:05but only to the ship.
13:07So only thing that's going to perish
13:09is the ship.
13:10How does he know that?
13:11Verse 23.
13:12For this very night
13:13there stood before me
13:14an angel of the God
13:15to whom I belong
13:17and whom I worship.
13:18So God sends his word
13:19through an angel
13:20and he said,
13:21do not be afraid,
13:23Paul.
13:23You must stand before Caesar
13:26and behold,
13:27God has granted you
13:28all those who sail with you.
13:30Because of Paul,
13:31they're going to be saved.
13:32God has granted you,
13:33Paul,
13:34all of the people
13:34that are sailing with you.
13:35I like that.
13:39All that are sailing with you.
13:40Okay.
13:41So,
13:42so take heart,
13:43men,
13:44for I have faith in God
13:45that will be exactly
13:46as I have been told.
13:47So he encourages
13:48all the people on the ship
13:49with the word
13:50that he received from God.
13:51But we must run aground
13:53on some island.
13:54And they're thinking,
13:54well,
13:55that doesn't sound
13:55like a lot of fun,
13:56but at least
13:57everyone's going to be okay.
14:0027.
14:00Then the 14th night
14:02had come
14:02as we were driven
14:03across the Adriatic Sea.
14:05About midnight,
14:05the sailors suspected
14:06that they were nearing land.
14:07So they're driven.
14:08You can see the ship
14:09is lost in the storm
14:10right there.
14:11And it's being driven.
14:12They haven't seen the sun
14:14or the stars
14:15for 14 days.
14:16They have no clue
14:17where they're at.
14:17But all of a sudden
14:18they started to hear
14:19perhaps like the sound
14:21of water on a shoreline.
14:23So they're saying
14:24something's going on here.
14:26So,
14:27so they took a sounding
14:28about 20 fathoms.
14:29A little further on,
14:30they took a sounding again
14:31and found 15 fathoms.
14:32So it's,
14:33they're getting closer
14:33to the shore
14:34and fearing that may run
14:35on the rocks.
14:37Great concern.
14:38They let down four anchors
14:39from the stern
14:39and prayed for day to come.
14:41Could you imagine that?
14:42Can you imagine
14:43hearing those prayers?
14:44God,
14:44please just bring the daytime.
14:46They're praying
14:47for day to come.
14:48Wow.
14:50And as the sailors
14:51were seeking
14:52to escape from the ship,
14:53remember Paul says
14:54all of them
14:54are going to be saved.
14:55God promised.
14:56And had lowered
14:57the ship's boat
14:57into the sea
14:58under the pretense
14:59of laying out anchors
15:00from the bow,
15:01Paul said,
15:02the centurion
15:02and the soldiers,
15:03unless these men
15:04stay in the ship,
15:05you cannot be saved.
15:07Almost sounds like
15:07an ark in a sense.
15:08Almost.
15:09You can't be saved
15:09if you leave the ship.
15:10Then the soldiers
15:11cut away the ropes
15:12of the ship's boat
15:13and let it go.
15:14That's what was
15:15tagging behind the boat.
15:16And as day was about to dawn,
15:19it must have just been
15:20a little bit lighter out
15:21because they haven't seen
15:21the sun or the stars,
15:23so they must have just
15:23been a little bit lighter out.
15:24Paul urged them all
15:25to take some food,
15:27saying,
15:27today is the 14th day
15:29that you have continued
15:30in suspense
15:30and without food.
15:32Have been taking nothing.
15:33Therefore,
15:34I urge you to take
15:34some food for it
15:35will give you strength
15:36for not a hair
15:37is to perish
15:38from the head
15:38of any of you.
15:40Talk about courage
15:41and encouragement.
15:43And when he had said
15:44these things,
15:45he took bread
15:45and giving thanks to God
15:47in the presence of all,
15:48he broke it
15:49and began to eat.
15:50Then they all
15:51were encouraged
15:53and ate some food themselves.
15:55Paul set the example
15:56for them.
15:56We were,
15:57we and all,
15:59276 persons
16:00in the ship
16:00and when they had
16:02eaten enough,
16:02they lightened the ship
16:03throwing out the wheat
16:04into the sea.
16:05Now,
16:05this is their cargo.
16:07I mean,
16:07they've already thrown
16:08the tackle off.
16:08Now,
16:09this is the cargo.
16:10Now,
16:10they've lost all means
16:11of having any kind
16:12of revenue
16:12from the shipping.
16:14No revenue
16:15is coming whatsoever.
16:16So,
16:17they managed
16:17to get cables
16:18underneath the boat
16:19to hold it tight.
16:20So,
16:20they tightened up
16:21the cables
16:21so that the waves
16:22wouldn't crush
16:23the side of the ship.
16:24Makes sense?
16:24Makes sense?
16:27They weren't willing
16:28to listen to Paul.
16:29Now,
16:29maybe they're willing
16:30to listen to him
16:30because he did encourage them
16:32and they did at least
16:33take courage
16:33from what he had to say.
16:36They're two weeks long.
16:37That's a long time
16:38without the stars
16:40and the sun.
16:40That's a long time.
16:42You lose hope
16:43when stuff like that happens.
16:44In fact,
16:45you can hear it
16:45in their voices
16:46in the text
16:46that they had lost
16:47all kind of hope here.
16:49There was no hope
16:50for them whatsoever.
16:51They couldn't determine
16:52their position.
16:53No sun,
16:54no stars,
16:55nothing.
16:55However,
16:56in the midst
16:57of the storm
16:58came God's word
16:59to Paul
17:00and that's a clue.
17:01God comes to him
17:03in his time
17:04of greatest need
17:05and says,
17:06don't worry,
17:07Paul,
17:08I'm here for you.
17:09I'm here for you.
17:11Not only are you
17:12going to make it
17:13to Rome
17:13to talk to Caesar,
17:14everyone on the ship
17:15is going to be saved
17:16because of you.
17:17I'm here for you,
17:18Paul.
17:19I'm here.
17:19And take heart,
17:21have good feelings
17:22of being in good spirits,
17:24be encouraged,
17:25put courage,
17:26that's what Paul did,
17:27he put courage
17:27into the people
17:28so they can continue.
17:29Could you imagine
17:30the sailors
17:30who have been
17:31through storms before
17:32are kind of maybe
17:33laughing a little bit
17:34at him?
17:35Yeah,
17:35right.
17:36We've never seen
17:36anything like this.
17:37This is not good.
17:38And Paul says,
17:38don't worry,
17:39you're all going
17:39to survive.
17:41That would be
17:41perplexing to a person
17:42who doesn't understand God.
17:45God had encouraged
17:46Paul in the past
17:47when he was having
17:47a hard time.
17:48Acts chapter 18.
17:50And the Lord said
17:51to Paul one night
17:52in a vision,
17:52do not be afraid,
17:53but go on speaking
17:54and do not be silent
17:56for I am with you
17:58and no one will attack
17:59you to harm you
18:00for I have many
18:01in this city
18:01who are my people.
18:02So in the time
18:03of a difficult circumstances,
18:05God came along
18:05to give Paul a word
18:06before.
18:07Now he gives him
18:08another word of encouragement.
18:09Hey,
18:09you're going to make it.
18:10Everyone else
18:11is going to make it too.
18:12You're all right.
18:13So Paul gives them
18:14the word.
18:16He sets an example
18:17for them.
18:18Guarantees
18:19that are going
18:19to be provided for.
18:20God has graciously given
18:21almost sounds like
18:22the words of salvation.
18:23God has graciously
18:24given them to you
18:24in a sense.
18:25And it was through
18:26the providence of God
18:27that the voyagers
18:29were delivered
18:29from the storm
18:30that was going to come.
18:31God's providence
18:32did this.
18:33Now here's something
18:34that's hard for us.
18:37Sometimes storms
18:38are necessary
18:39for us to experience.
18:42They serve a purpose.
18:44And you can say,
18:46why would you say
18:47something like that?
18:49Storms in life
18:50serve no purpose
18:50other than making me
18:52anxious and worry.
18:53They serve no purpose
18:55whatsoever.
18:55I don't like storms.
18:57They're not necessary.
18:58However,
19:01storms are necessary
19:02sometimes in our life.
19:04They do serve a purpose.
19:06A guy named Ron Hutchcraft,
19:08he writes a lot
19:09of devotional stuff.
19:10I was reading
19:10one of his devotions
19:11that he was writing.
19:12He was talking
19:12about his wife.
19:13He said,
19:13whenever his wife
19:14gets a remote control
19:15for the television,
19:16she always likes
19:16to watch educational channels.
19:18He said,
19:18that's okay,
19:18I don't mind that.
19:19So he came in one time
19:20when she was watching
19:21a thing on hurricanes.
19:23And the title of this
19:25was
19:27Good Things Hurricanes Do.
19:29And that got his attention.
19:31Whoa!
19:31Good Things Hurricanes Do?
19:33I can't think of any good
19:34things that hurricanes do.
19:35So he got his attention,
19:36so he sat down
19:37to watch this.
19:38And he found out
19:39that there was
19:40this Australian pine tree
19:42that somehow made
19:43its way to Florida.
19:44And it grew really fast.
19:46And underneath it,
19:48it hosted plants
19:50and animals
19:51and birds
19:53and small animals.
19:54And so you had
19:55this beautiful
19:57like a zoo
19:58underneath all
19:59of these trees.
20:00The problem is
20:01they grow really fast
20:02and they spread out
20:03at the top
20:03and they start choking
20:04out the sun.
20:05So as soon as
20:07they got bigger
20:07and choked out the sun,
20:09everything underneath
20:09died and became
20:10basically a wasteland
20:12underneath there.
20:12until the hurricane
20:15come through
20:16and snapped
20:18all of the trees
20:19off which opened up
20:21for the sun
20:21to come out
20:22and soon underneath
20:23we had beautiful plants
20:25and small animals
20:26and almost a zoo
20:27like thing again
20:28because of the hurricane.
20:30And he goes,
20:32oh,
20:32good things do
20:33come from hurricanes.
20:35And I say to us,
20:37sometimes storms
20:38are necessary in life.
20:40They do serve
20:41a purpose.
20:42Focus your attention
20:44on God,
20:44the one who is
20:45always near us
20:46in the storms
20:47of life.
20:49So they make a sounding,
20:51120 feet,
20:52second sounding,
20:5390 feet.
20:54They're getting closer
20:55to the shoreline.
20:56The sailor's prayer
20:57was answered
20:58but not by their gods.
20:59It was answered
20:59by Paul's God,
21:01not their gods.
21:01Paul's God answers that.
21:03And then Paul talked
21:04about with his food,
21:05he uses an interesting
21:06wording with that.
21:07Do you notice he said,
21:07take bread,
21:09break it,
21:10and eat.
21:11Doesn't that remind you
21:12of something?
21:13Kind of reminds you
21:13of the Lord's table,
21:14doesn't it?
21:15They're not doing
21:16the Lord's table,
21:16by the way,
21:17but that's the same wording
21:18that you would use
21:18in the Lord's table.
21:19Take bread,
21:20break it,
21:20and eat.
21:21So it's like that
21:23but they're not doing it.
21:24Maybe that's just
21:24Paul's thinking.
21:25God is here present with us.
21:271 Corinthians 11,
21:28for I received from the Lord
21:29what I also delivered to you
21:31that the Lord Jesus
21:32on the night that he was betrayed
21:33took bread
21:33and when he had given thanks
21:35he broke it and said,
21:36this is my body
21:36which is for you.
21:37Do this in remembrance of me.
21:38So it's like that
21:39although they weren't doing it.
21:41Perhaps in his mind
21:41he's thinking
21:42God's providing for us here.
21:45So Paul's words
21:46introduce a message of hope
21:47in the midst of the storm
21:48to those voyagers
21:51because Paul trusted
21:52completely in God.
21:53He was confident
21:54that God would do
21:54exactly what he had promised.
21:56With this word of hope,
21:58Paul then encourages
21:58the others on board.
22:00You're going to make it.
22:01God said so.
22:02You're going to make it.
22:03And this word encouraged them.
22:05It put courage in them
22:07to continue on
22:08to fight the battle.
22:09They didn't just sit back
22:10and become passive.
22:11They did everything
22:12that they were supposed to do.
22:13However,
22:13God was going to save them.
22:15He was going to save them.
22:17Now the voyage
22:18does not end exactly
22:19like the owner
22:20of the ship desired.
22:22Look here in verse number 39.
22:25Now when it was day,
22:26again it must have been lighter
22:27than the darkness.
22:28They did not recognize the land,
22:31but they noticed a bay
22:32with a beach
22:33on which they plant,
22:34if possible,
22:35to run the ship ashore.
22:36So they're going to just
22:37charge the beach,
22:38get the ship to land
22:40on the beach
22:40and just get off.
22:41So they cast off the anchors
22:43and left them in the sea.
22:44And at the same time,
22:45loosing the ropes,
22:46they tied the rudders,
22:47then hoisting the foresail
22:49to the wind
22:49they made for the beach.
22:50Okay, guys, let's go.
22:52But striking a reef,
22:54which they did not see,
22:55obviously,
22:55they ran the vessel aground.
22:57The bow stuck
22:58and remained immovable
22:59and the stern
23:00was being broke up
23:01by the surf.
23:01So you can see
23:02the bow stuck there
23:03and then the surf
23:04breaking up the back end
23:05of the stern.
23:06The soldier's plan
23:07was to kill the prisoners
23:08lest any of them escape.
23:11Yes,
23:12lest any of them
23:12should swim away
23:13and escape.
23:14But the centurion
23:15wishing to save Paul,
23:17again,
23:17this guy's eyes on Paul.
23:19I really like that.
23:20The centurion
23:21wishing to save Paul
23:22kept them from
23:23carrying out their plan.
23:25He ordered those
23:26who could swim
23:26to jump overboard first
23:27and to make for land
23:28and the rest on planks
23:29or on pieces of the ship.
23:31And so it was
23:31that all were brought
23:33safely to land
23:34exactly like God promised.
23:36Exactly.
23:37Exactly like he promised.
23:39These soldiers were going,
23:41if these guys escape,
23:42it's my life for theirs.
23:44It's easier to just kill
23:45all of them
23:46than I don't have to worry
23:47about forfeiting my life.
23:48In Acts chapter 12,
23:50we read this is exactly
23:51what happened.
23:52After Herod's search for him,
23:53that's Peter,
23:54when he had put him in prison
23:55and the angel rescued Peter
23:56from prison
23:57and did not find him,
23:59he examined the sentries
24:00in order that they
24:01should be put to death.
24:02See, that's what happens.
24:03You lose a prisoner,
24:04you forfeit your own life.
24:05So they're going to kill
24:06all the prisoners
24:06so they don't have to die.
24:07That's their idea.
24:09But once again,
24:10a Roman official saves Paul.
24:12You're kind of thinking,
24:13you know,
24:13the Romans had Paul's
24:15best interest in mind
24:15more than his own countrymen.
24:17And the Jews had his best
24:18interest in mind.
24:20There he was.
24:24Taking courage.
24:26Here's something that I thought about.
24:29When we go through hard times,
24:31storms,
24:32God's presence strengthens,
24:34encourage,
24:35and motivates us
24:37to endure it with joy.
24:40Joy.
24:41I'm not happy
24:42because of this
24:43adverse circumstance,
24:45but my heart can still
24:46be filled with joy.
24:47Why?
24:47Because God is near me
24:49in the storms of life.
24:51He doesn't go on some vacation
24:52when we're suffering.
24:53He's right next to us
24:55in the storms of life.
24:58I was reading
25:00from Warren Wiersbe
25:01in one of his works
25:02and he brought out
25:03four interesting points
25:04I want to share with him
25:05because they're really good.
25:05So I attribute it to him.
25:07They're his ideas,
25:07but I want to make sure
25:08you get them
25:09because I thought
25:09they were really good.
25:11Now, as we see this,
25:12you remember the story of Jonah?
25:14Remember the story of Jonah, right?
25:15God calls Jonah.
25:17He's supposed to go
25:17and preach to Nineveh
25:18and Jonah goes,
25:19I'm out of here.
25:20He goes and he gets on his ship
25:22and he takes off
25:22and heads off to Tarshish
25:23and do you remember what happens?
25:26A storm happened, didn't it?
25:29So Wiersbe's first point is this.
25:31Storms may come
25:32because of disobedience
25:34and he said,
25:35think about Jonah.
25:36Now, in this case,
25:37there's no disobedience
25:38on Paul's part.
25:39It's not that.
25:40If there's any disobedience,
25:41it would be on the centurion
25:42or the ship owner,
25:43but not Paul.
25:44However,
25:45in our lives,
25:46sometimes storms come
25:48because of disobedience
25:49in our lives.
25:51Jonah.
25:52Now, the word of the Lord
25:53came to Jonah,
25:54the son of Amittai,
25:56saying,
25:56Arise, go to Nineveh,
25:57that great city,
25:58and call out against it
25:59for their evil,
26:01their evil has come up
26:02before me.
26:03But Jonah rose
26:04to flee to Tarshish
26:05from the presence of the Lord.
26:06He went down to Joppa
26:07and found a ship
26:08going to Tarshish.
26:09So he paid the fare
26:10and went down into it
26:11to go with them
26:12to Tarshish,
26:12away from the presence
26:13of the Lord.
26:15But the Lord hurled
26:17a great wind
26:18upon the sea
26:19and there was a mighty tempest
26:20on the sea
26:21so the ship threatened
26:22to break up
26:23because of Jonah.
26:24So his point was,
26:26sometimes storms come
26:27because of disobedience
26:28in our life.
26:29This wasn't the case here
26:30at all.
26:31Second thing he said is,
26:33storms reveal character.
26:35We get to see
26:36who we are in storms.
26:38Do I cry out
26:40to God in my storm
26:41or do I panic
26:42and become anxious
26:42and worry?
26:43We get to see
26:44our character
26:45when storms of life come.
26:46It reveals character.
26:49Third,
26:50storms cannot hide
26:51the face of God
26:52or his purposes
26:53in your life.
26:55Storms may come
26:55and you say,
26:56oh, the black,
26:56they couldn't see
26:57the sky or the stars
26:58for 14 days.
26:59It hides the face of God.
27:00No,
27:01God's face will never
27:02be hidden from us
27:02in the storms of life
27:03and his purposes
27:04will always come to pass.
27:07Four,
27:08storms provide
27:09the opportunity
27:09to serve others
27:10and give testimony
27:11about Jesus.
27:13Paul ministered
27:14to those on the ship
27:15and gave them encouragement.
27:16Hey, listen,
27:17don't jump overboard.
27:18You gotta stay on the ship.
27:19If you stay on the ship,
27:20God's gonna save all of you.
27:22So he gave them encouragement.
27:23It doesn't say
27:24that he preached
27:25the gospel to them.
27:26I can't imagine
27:27that he didn't though.
27:28That was his method.
27:29He always preached
27:30the gospel
27:31wherever he was going.
27:32It doesn't say
27:32in the text,
27:33but I can imagine
27:33he's preaching
27:34about Jesus
27:35along the way.
27:39Some things
27:40I was thinking about
27:40as we were going
27:41through here.
27:43Because Paul
27:43trusted in God,
27:45because Paul
27:46trusted in God,
27:47he was calm.
27:49He was not anxious.
27:51Do you notice,
27:52nowhere do you see
27:53any kind of anxiousness
27:54or worry on Paul's part.
27:56In fact,
27:56he's telling him,
27:56listen,
27:57take some food.
27:57We need to eat.
27:58We need some strength.
27:59Some things are gonna come.
28:00They're gonna be,
28:00but we're all gonna be okay.
28:02He doesn't panic.
28:03He doesn't panic.
28:05Because he trusts in God,
28:06he does not worry
28:07because God is near.
28:09He's right there.
28:11In Philippians 4,
28:12we talked about this
28:13at the worship in the park.
28:14Do not be anxious
28:15about anything,
28:16but in everything
28:17by prayer and supplication
28:19with thanksgiving,
28:19let your requests
28:20be made known to God.
28:22And the peace of God,
28:24which surpasses
28:25all understanding,
28:26will guard your hearts
28:27and your minds
28:28in Christ Jesus.
28:29No reason to worry.
28:31No reason to be anxious.
28:32We can remain calm
28:33because God is near us.
28:36Even in the midst
28:37of a storm,
28:38John Wesley,
28:39you remember John Wesley?
28:40He was a preacher.
28:40His brother Charles
28:41wrote a lot of hymns.
28:42He traveled back and forth
28:44on the ship
28:45across the Atlantic Ocean
28:46when he's preaching
28:46in England
28:47or preaching in America.
28:47So he's traveling
28:48back and forth
28:49and one time
28:50he's on the sea
28:51and he says,
28:52anonymous writer
28:53was talking about it,
28:54a fierce storm broke out,
28:56pitching and tossing
28:57the ship around
28:58like a bathtub toy.
29:01Wesley and others
29:02clung to their bunks
29:03and hid their heads.
29:04A community of Moravians,
29:06these were believers,
29:07Moravians,
29:08these were believers,
29:09traveling to their
29:10new homelab,
29:11calmly gathered
29:12to hold their daily
29:13worship service
29:14and sing praises to God.
29:15So they're on a ship
29:16going like this
29:17and the Moravians
29:18are praising God
29:19and singing songs
29:20to his name.
29:23Wesley goes,
29:24I don't understand that.
29:27watching these Moravians
29:29so apparently
29:29unperturbed
29:30by the howling winds
29:31and crashing waves,
29:32Wesley realized
29:33he was witnessing
29:34a truly waterproof faith.
29:37From that moment on,
29:38John Wesley prayed
29:39that God would give him
29:40the ability
29:40to likewise
29:41ride out live storms
29:43with as much confidence
29:44as these Moravians had.
29:46In the midst of this,
29:48they're praising God.
29:49You can be calm
29:50in the midst of a storm.
29:52Two, I found this.
29:54Paul encourages others
29:56because God is near.
29:58When storms of life happen,
30:00God gives us words
30:01of encouragement
30:02that we can pass on
30:03to others
30:03to encourage them,
30:05to help them along the way
30:07because God is near.
30:09Paul told the Thessalonians,
30:11therefore encourage one another
30:13and build one another up
30:14just as you are doing.
30:17Encourage it.
30:19Three, Paul is delivered
30:21because God is near.
30:22So, he trusted in God.
30:25He's calm.
30:26He doesn't worry
30:27because God is near.
30:28He encourages others
30:30because God is near.
30:31And God delivers them
30:32because God is near.
30:33He delivers.
30:35Psalm 18.2 says,
30:37the Lord is my rock
30:38and my fortress
30:39and my deliverer,
30:40my God,
30:42my rock
30:42and whom I take refuge,
30:44my shield
30:44and the horn
30:45of my salvation,
30:46my stronghold.
30:49Which we hold on to
30:51in the storms of life.
30:52And we must recognize
30:54that God does not
30:55abandon us
30:56in the storms of life.
30:57He is standing
30:58very near to us.
31:02So,
31:03the storms of life
31:05will come.
31:06The storms of life
31:08will come.
31:09You've experienced them.
31:10I've experienced them.
31:11We will experience them
31:12in the future.
31:13The storms of life
31:14will come.
31:15We need to prepare ourselves
31:17ahead of time
31:18before they come
31:19so that our mind
31:20can be in the right place
31:22when they come
31:22and not on my fear
31:24or my anxiousness
31:25but on my rock,
31:27my fortress,
31:27my deliverer,
31:29God himself.
31:31Yes.
31:32Second,
31:33God is near
31:34in the storms of life.
31:35Look around right now.
31:36If you're suffering
31:37a storm right now,
31:38look around.
31:38God is near.
31:39He has not abandoned you.
31:40He is right there with you
31:41in the midst of this storm.
31:43He will not leave you
31:44or forsake you.
31:45And not only that,
31:46God gives hope
31:48in the storms of life.
31:50God gives hope
31:51in the storms of life.
31:53So,
31:53we're going to look to him
31:54when the storms of life come
31:56because God is near
31:58in the storms of life.
32:01Let's pray.
32:01Father,
32:01thank you.
32:02Thank you for the text
32:03and all this information
32:05that we see about Paul
32:06traveling to Rome
32:08on a ship.
32:08But what you did
32:10on that ship,
32:12I'm sure those sailors
32:14were impressed.
32:15I don't know
32:15if they became believers
32:17afterwards.
32:17I don't know.
32:18But they could not doubt
32:19that something miraculous
32:20happened to them that day.
32:22So,
32:23we're thankful
32:23that you were near Paul
32:25and not only him
32:26but all the others
32:26on board too.
32:27You promised to save them alive.
32:29You had made a promise
32:31to Paul
32:31that he's going to stand
32:32before Caesar
32:32and nothing is going to
32:33in front of that promise
32:34that you made to him.
32:35And I thank you.
32:36You have made very great
32:38and precious promises
32:38to us in your word
32:40so that when the storms
32:41of life come,
32:42we can hold on to you.
32:44You are our refuge,
32:45our anchor
32:46in the midst of the storm,
32:48that which holds us tight.
32:50We will not fly away.
32:52We will not be disturbed.
32:54We will not be discouraged
32:56and we will not fear.
32:59Father,
32:59because you are near us.
33:02And we thank you
33:03in Jesus' name.
33:04Amen.
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