He hasn’t left us. How To Weather The Storms Of Life Adrian Rogers Acts 23:11 Would you take God's Word and find Acts chapter 27. It’s one thing to know and believe that we are supposed to trust God with our finances, but it’s another thing to actually tithe when you don’t know how the bills are going to get paid without that ten percent. Maybe like Ashley and I you already had a couple of kids in diapers and you found out you were having twins (surprise!). Here, Luke writes this narrative as an eyewitness making sure the reader gets the meaning. It’s one thing to know and believe that we are to love our spouse as Christ loved the church, but it’s another thing to put that into practice. 1. Thank you very much. Sermons; Church Bulletins; Rosters; Useful Links; Events; Who Is Jesus? by Steven P. Wickstrom all Scriptures quoted from the NASB. Verses 21-26 tell us how Paul responded to the storms. 4. Today we have another opportunity to discuss this common feeling as we read about Paul’s trip from Caesarea to Rome. He explains that he knows this because an angel of God stood beside him and explained that (just as Jesus had told him in 23:11) he would stand trial before Caesar and God had graciously given Paul the lives of those sailing with him. The story of Paul’s voyage to Rome, part of which we heard in Acts 27:27-44, with its trials and triumphs, is an example of the way of faith all through the story of human life. Life presents us with a splendid succession of opportunities-both good and bad-to put our faith in action. The worst time to “jump ship” is when times are tough. 50:30. By Category. The Omniscient One. Sometimes we do the first two steps but fail on putting God’s Word into action. All Rights Reserved, #mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:14px Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; } One thing we didn’t focus on in this passage that I want to touch on quickly is God’s presence and control of the situation. Into this bleak picture, the encouraging words of the apostle Paul brought a ray of light. Did you notice that we’re halfway through the chapter and Paul has only said one sentence? ACTS 27: “WHEN THE STORMS OF LIFE HIT!” Pastors Blog. So after 11 days of storms, dark clouds, and no light, Luke tells us that they had given up all hope. Life is not a coast. Sailors in the first century obviously didn’t have GPS, but did you know that they didn’t even have compasses (they were invented around 1100)? I apologize for not seeing this until now. Acts 27:1-44. 4. Home » Sermon Manuscripts » Sermon Manuscripts 2021 » Anchors in the Storm – Acts 27. You may not feel Him, but if we feel far from Him, it’s because, L.B. 1. There was a farmer who had three sons: Jim, John, and Sam. Because God promised that everyone would be saved, the sailors who were trying to save themselves were fleeing from the promise of their own protection. Speaker: Sam Storms ... Acts 9; Romans 17; 1 Corinthians 9; 2 Corinthians 11; Galatians 3; Ephesians 7; Philippians 10; Colossians 23; 1 Thessalonians 1; 2 Thessalonians; 1 Timothy; 2 Timothy 1; Titus 2; Philemon; Hebrews 48; James 21; 1 Peter 5; 2 Peter; 1 John; 2 John; 3 John; Jude; Revelation 41; Primary Speakers. If you continue browsing the site, you agree to the use of cookies on this website. Get In Touch. Luke records, in vivid detail and nautically-precise terms, the voyage taking Paul from Caesarea towards Rome. We will find these lessons scattered throughout as we read through the chapter together. He didn’t have to do that, but they needed hope. Bad weather causes a detour to Crete. A. As the story concludes we see that everything happened just as Paul told them. That was not normal. By Keyword. READ Acts 27:21-26 The person of God is an anchor in the midst of storms. A belief that God has purpose (that He designs and has always designed to save some) will prompt the use of all proper means to secure it. The God of heaven and earth. Verse 19 tells us that they threw the ships tackle overboard. Bad Decision #4 Several times since I've been your pastor I've studied with you this wonderful chapter. In an effort to save the ship and their lives, they cast four anchors into the sea. Do we believe the words of the old hymn, “Will Your Anchor Hold?” Some of these anchors should be faith, surrender to God, hope and thanksgiving. 38-40. The self-existing One. The storms of life are opportunities to grow as people, believers and followers of Jesus. And finally in verse 20 Luke tells us that when they hadn’t seen the sun or the stars for many days and the storm continued to rage, they all gave up hope of being saved (notice the “we” there as well). The local church and pastor had tried to reach them, but to no avail. Outlasting The Storms Of Life Acts 27:13-44 Acts 27:13-44. Most of the time, there really isn’t much we can do about it. As we read through this story we’re going to learn from the men on the ship how NOT to respond to the storms of life and we’re going to learn from Paul how we should respond. He didn’t want to listen to Paul, even if he was a religious leader and an intelligent man. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we always felt as though we were always on "top of the world?" It’s full of examples of night and day experiences. Check Out Our Latest Sermon, Worship, Announcement & Welcome Backgrounds Below. God was and is in control whether it feels like it or not. 7. When we go through difficult times, what happens to us is not nearly as important as what happens in us. But Julius, the centurion, ordered the soldiers not to touch the prisoners. The next day they landed at Sidon, where the centurion Julius allowed Paul to go to his friends so that they could provide for his needs. For two years he was in a prison in Caesarea, having been charged by the Jewish Sanhedrin of being a troublemaker who defiled the temple, taught against the law of Moses, and was against Caesar. They responded out of fear and verse 30 tells us that they pretended to lower some anchors from the bow, but really they were lowering the lifeboat so they could escape to safety. Some are like Hurricane force. Because the wind wasn’t cooperating they sailed to the lee of Crete (which meant that the island was hit by the wind first and they weren’t as affected by it). Life can throw some nasty and painful stuff our way, but if we will just seek God, trust Him, and do things His way, He will guide us safely to shore. READ Acts 27:33-44 When we take God at His word, we will never go wrong. SEARCH SERVICE BACKGROUNDS. Paul recognized what they were doing, and the sailors’ plan was thwarted-for their own benefit. In verse 22, he urges everyone to keep up their courage, promising that there would be no loss of life among them. We are safe in His keeping. December 20. Not only did Paul seek God and have faith in God’s plan, but he acted in obedience to what God had said. By Calendar Event. /* Add your own Mailchimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this style block. B. ( Log Out /  Trusting God in Times of Danger Acts 27 Introduction To the Romans, Rome was considered the center of the world. Bad Decision #2 Related. In some of the shipwrecks there was a loss of some or all of the lives onboard. There are other prisoners traveling with them. When the trip was delayed by the weather and they didn’t make it to a desirable location to settle for the winter, Julius wanted expert advice. The God of the universe. Intro: Ill. Name. Verse 43 tells us that the centurion stopped the soldiers from killing the prisoners as they swam to shore because he wanted to spare Paul’s life. © 2021 University Baptist Church. Get Notified of Updates. Roman policy was that if a prisoner escaped, the man who guarded him would be killed. He is going as a prisoner because of his appeal to Caesar. Paul believed that God offers mercy. 3. Bad decision number 2 takes place in connection with this first bad decision. Like the people of the ship, we pray, but that prayer is also our time to let down our anchors. It’s not about the nail, right? Even when life’s voyages are stormy, there will be a time when these storms will be minor compared to what God was able to accomplish because of them. Paul is stating his own relationship with God. That is my prayer for you, that you would seek God with all that you have and find the peace and joy and comfort that is available through a relationship with Him. He has a plan that can fulfill all His purposes and protect His people from danger. Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the boat, and let it go. Don’t discard. For Paul’s sake, the lives of all the prisoners were spared. Verse 16 tells us that they secured the lifeboat. He assumed leadership, took control and devised a plan to deal with the situation at hand, (Acts 27:26) C. Leaders are called to sustain hope, control situations, devise plans and take action. Verse 17 tells us that they tied ropes around the ship to try to protect it from coming apart. What are our anchors? Everybody else was scheming and planning and talking and voting and Paul was in the background seemingly waiting on the Lord and waiting for guidance. Paul stayed out of making decisions or speaking up until he heard from God. Verse 18 tells us that they began to throw cargo overboard. What are those details about the Perfect Storm? Acts 27 which speaks about a storm the apostle Paul endured towards the end of his apostolic ministry. All we have to do is find them. There will be a time in the life of most Christians that one will come upon a real storm. Verse 20 told us the neither the sun nor the stars appeared for many days (we can deduce that “many days” was 11 days). It’s one thing to know and believe that we are supposed to love our enemies, but it’s another thing to be kind and gracious to someone who has spoken falsely about you. The story is told of “A little boy [who] was asked by his father to say grace at the table. He can change us, but He won’t change us if we’re always abandoning ship! Knowing that He is the Omnipotent One. Sermon - “The Lord is my Shepard and That’s All I Want” Psalm 23:1-6 . In spite of Paul’s encouragement that God was with them and that no one would be harmed, they still wanted to take matters into their own hands. Sermon Audio; Giving; I’m New; About Us. 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