Storms

25 therefore keep up your courage men underline these words if you'd like. For all I believe God it will turn out exactly as I have been told that we must run aground on a certain island. Third, that's another way of saying I believe what God says will happen will happen.

And sometimes God allows shipwrecks.

Perhaps if we tried to peg it is why so that God can use people who are tossed about in their stormy rough waters to deliver a truth to us. God is to be believed.

The apostle Paul transported to Rome to stand before Caesar. As you likely know there was a ship wreck along the way. There's something incredibly powerful and moving about the faithful testimony of someone who's in the process of being shipwrecked.

We all face those times of great trial and testing, but when faith is shaken and rocked. That's when it's most definitely proven will explore that together today here on wisdom for the heart, as Stephen Devi teachers from acts 27 and a lesson he's calling simply storms but no one volunteers to go through storms you avoid them at all costs stay away from them. If you can, whether their hurricane winds or thunderstorms or tornadoes storms much like storms of life sometimes come in and they hit you broadsided with all their fury worse.

There's nothing you can do it may come on the heels of a telephone call or a letter perhaps it's the result of a doctor's report or maybe a company that decided to downsize. Perhaps it's the loss of a family member or or whatever but you, you find that life suddenly is turned upside down and all you can do is run for cover and try as best you can to ride out the storm. I find it fascinating that Luke records for us. One of the most detailed accounts of the hurricane. All of Scripture. In fact, acts chapter 27 where we pick our study backup is one of the most detailed accounts in all of maritime records of the effects of a hurricane on a ship and its passengers that you'll certainly find that only the Scripture, but in secular record. It's a passage by the way, as we get into it will discover some clues on how to write out the storms of life. So let's pick up our study with chapter 27.

As Paul begins his journey to remember.

He's wanted to go to Rome. His finally making it their to speak before the Emperor Nero let's join their journey, verse seven and when we had sailed slowly for a good many days and with difficulty had arrived off tonight us since the wind did not permit us to go farther. We sailed under the shelter of Crete off salmon and with difficulty sailing past it. We came to a certain place called Fairhaven's near which was the city of the Messiah, and when considerable time had passed and the voyage was now dangerous, since even the fast was already over.

Paul began to admonish than others.

By the way, gives us an important chronological clue. The measures dimension to the fact that the vast is now over is a reference to the day of the atonement. In other words, Winter is approaching its cold the weather is turning surly. It's time to hunker down and stay in Fairhaven not be off sailing the Mediterranean first tenant. Paul said to them, then I perceive that the voyage will certainly be attended with damage and great loss not only of the cargo on the ship but also of our lives, but the centurion was more persuaded by the pilot and the captain of the ship than by what was being said the polar Bible because the harbor was not suitable for wintering literally was not desirable, crummy little village with nothing to do, the majority reached a decision to put out to see from there if somehow they could reach Phoenix the harbor of Crete facing Southwest and Northwest they could spend the winter there now.

From there, they're about to refuse the advice of Paul and by the way they're about to provide every generation from that point of this some very practical reasons why sometimes we create the storm and the problem that we find ourselves involved.

Let me show you if we dig a little deeper you'll see the first reason there about the sale into the storm was the simple fact of inpatient or unwilling to wait. Now we can identified to some extent and sympathize because I never quite moves fast enough for us either.

Does it, but if you go back to verse four we read the words. The winds were contrary from the very outset of this trip. The winds seem to be against them, which should taken by the way two or three weeks will take seven long months now. A journey that would take us normally three weeks and it ends up taking a seven months.

First of all, he wouldn't start out or begin or we fly home or we turn around and in Québec. Eric I can remember as a family piling into the old Chrysler and heading toward Minnesota. My parents were brave enough to put four kids in a car and drive straight through 26 hours.

I guess brave is the word and we did and I remember one particular time getting down the road a mile and the car broke down and we came back unpacked and that was her summer vacation is haunting memory of my number.

I guess I'm not over this. Why run at the winds were contrary, I saw Minnesota and that is ice but it is now then had to verse seven. When we had sailed slowly for a good many days slowly why for sightseeing but the wind is against with difficulty had arrived off tonight us since the wind did not permit us to go further. Look at verse eight. Again, and with difficulty sailing past and we came to Fairhaven is now the one hand you can see why they have good reason to be impatient. They want to get to Rome. It's been a long journey much longer than than usual. And Paul says luck it's past atonement day, at least in his Jewish calendar. It's time to stop sailing.

It's time to hunker down in and waited out here in this tiny little village with nothing to do and they said were not waiting now is our chance. We see the next verse or two will tell you a soft when blowing with make a run for it and see if we can make it there. Let's not wait. You may be in the middle of the storm because he would wait. You heard the same voices.

Maybe it was your own saying I need to hurry. I need to make my decision.

Now I'll lose the opportunity I had to walk through it. Now I have to move there.

Now I have to change. Now I have to buy that now and and I want to remind you this patent is is a lot like a salesman who tells you if you don't do it now, you'll lose the opportunity. That's a salesman like the devil, but in that instance they sound a lot alike and are problem ladies and gentlemen is not impulse buying are problem is impulse living and if we don't do it now will miss it and and so we have to reach we have to change we have to go and sometimes you have to and God makes it very clear that I'm afraid of some of our store are created by our own impatience. The second thing that they did that sets them up for the storm is this. They follow expert advice. Look at verse 10. Again, man. Paul says, I perceive that the voyage will be attended with damage.

The Greek word I perceive literally can be amplified to say I perceive by virtue love my ex. According the second drinking step 11 verse 25. Paul is already been shipwrecked three times.

He said experience, and he perceives that they should winter here and there impatience is driving them forward and he stands up and he says luck I perceive were in trouble if we go forward with the experts say will you have the centurion here looking at Paul and and that I guess back to the ship's captain and the calling back of the ship's captain be underestimated. Paul and he overestimated the expert. The third floor into disaster was a desire for comfort. Verse 12 says the harbor was not suitable or desirable for wintering Fairhaven's was evidently not so fair. One commentator suggested it was named by its Chamber of Commerce in hopes of maybe maybe lowering people looking for cheap vacation. The fair come to Fairhaven said was anything but fair welfare or file. These passengers will soon wish for that little village over what they're about to. For things that they do that sort of seals it is that they listen to the majority opinion verse 12, the majority reached a decision to put out the same from their body said we ought to do it. They took a poll confuse people of been taking poles ever since. Let's find out what the majority wanted to know majority as if it were true can somehow arrive at the truth.

If enough people say the same thing that must be true in the majority here will sale themselves right in the middle of a hurricane, but they said let's let's sale. Let's go. Verse 14.

But before very long. There rushed down from the land of violent wind even had a name for when Bonnie or George or whatever.

This one called your Aquila sounds bad, then to compound original word you're simply means east wind and a kilo is Latin for for Northwind. This was the dreaded Northeast, it was feared by all who sailed the med was a storm with violence. Winds in fact the word. Luke selects under inspiration for wind is the Greek word to follow night death which gives us our word typhoon. These people have sale right into the middle of hurricane force winds typhoon quite a storm created by these opposite air masses creating hurricane winds and pounding Lena verse 15 when the ship was caught in it. They could not face the wind that is a cunning turned to face it and so we gave up her gave way to it and let ourselves be driven along and running under the shelter of a small island called Claudia we were scarcely able to get the ship's boat under control, and after they had hoisted it up that is there talking now about that dinghy that's been trailing behind on the road. They hoist that thing up because it's crashing against the ship after they hoisted it up they use supporting cables and undergirding the ship and fearing that they might run aground the shell is insert as they lead on the sea anchor and so let themselves be driven along the next day as we are being violently storm tossed.

They begin to jettison the cargo and on the third day, they threw the ships tackle overboard with their own hands and noticed these words and since neither son nor stars appeared for many days. Magic and no small storm was assailing us.

That's the English way of saying this was a Lulu of the storm. From then on all hope of our being saved was gradually abandoned that this climb in and feel those heavy words again hope was gradually abandoned. Have you ever been in a situation where hope is pulled from your hand is tightly as you may wish to hold hope slid out of the grass. It was gradually abandoned. Paul evidently believe that now is a teachable moment and so in verse 21 we repulsed it up in their midst and said man you ought to have followed my advice.

Well, everyone's listening now. By the way, but I want you to know this is a word for today while everyone else wants to know what everyone else wants to say regarding the word regarding any number of issues, or decisions. In fact, we are immersed now with the decisions of even mainline denominations who are struggling over basic things that the word teaches you have to go back in and asked I believe the same kind of question is anybody listening to Paul.

I think if he were standing here today and addressing our country and our churches, he would begin with a rebuke, you should listen to me.

Frankly, I think that we are smack in the middle of storm sometimes simply because we listen everyone else. But the ends fired Scriptures depend by the apostle Paul is anybody listening to Paul. He didn't stop with that rebuke.

He continues with Revelation verse 22 and yet now I urge you to keep up your courage, for there shall be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship for this very night.

An angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood before me saying, do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand before Caesar and behold God has granted you all those who are sailing with you Paul, you're gonna make it to wrong you can stand before Nero and everyone sailing with you will survive this store now in these brief words that Paul delivers to the crew and its passengers.

You find some anchors on which to hold to help you whether your storm.

Let's go back and take a closer look. The first is this phrase or let's reword it to say that if you're keeping notes there is a God. Look at verse 23 again posted this very night.

An angel of the God you know what friends there is something incredibly powerful about the faithful testimony of someone who is in the process of going through a storm of being shipwrecked in front of 200 people, by the way, just because Paul stands up to speak doesn't mean that the waves settled down and the wind stopped blowing this boat is still being tossed like a cork in a bottle. This being shot by a kid. They are all over the water up and down in the Mrs. in their face and the waves are crashing over and he stands up and he says, in effect, there is a God. When confidence composed and steady at this point the same confidence. WC Martin wrote about in an old hymn text my given it to you in your notes it's something if you're going through a time of storm. You may want to commit to memory.

As he rode though the angry surgeons roll on my Tempest driven soul. I am peaceful, for I know why only though, the winds may blow Ivan anchors sure shall ever mourn door. There is a God, and by the way some of you may be in a storm right now or that's the basic thing that you're wondering when you're afraid to say because you're a believer you walk with Christ and this thing hit you broadside and you're wondering where are you the second thing he also says in effect, is this I belong to him.

He belongs to me. Notice the phrase in verse 23 the angel of the God to whom I belong.

You will underline those words in your text to whom I belong down. This point is fascinating to me that nobody stood up to look at this God is your God and he's the kind of guy that can give you confidence in this kind of storm will then why did he allow the storm and why is he putting you through it Paul but what could he possibly have in mind. You know something the Bible doesn't give us the answer. A trip that should've taken two or three weeks will end up taking seven months why all of this disaster.

Why all of the fear why the ship wreck.

Why were not told, and frankly I don't believe that Paul was told to either and maybe one of the greatest developments in our faith.

Ladies and gentlemen, is the development of faith that when we are in the midst of a storm and the wind is howling in the waves are crashing into our little vessel that we can at that point, muster up the courage and the objective faith to say to people who ask us there is a God and I belong to him and he belongs to me.

By the way, the focus of Scripture in this chapter.

In fact, throughout the word has little to do with why shipwrecks are allowed by God or who causes arms to enter our lives, and why this and why that, but it focuses so often as it does right here on the believers response and I think of another hurricane in Scripture.

Can you the man's name was Job in the Scripture tells us that the hurricane came in all of his children were in the same house to collapse the house upon them, and they all died in this book is a catalog of his response. Paul shouts above the howling storm here in the crashing waves. My God is alive and I belong to him and that means he belongs to me. The truth is bigger than any storm knuckled is on the say notice verse 25. Therefore, keep up your courage men underline these words if you'd like, for I believe God while it will turn out exactly as I have been told, but we must run aground on a certain island.

Third, that's another way of simply saying I believe what God says will happen will happen.

And sometimes God allows shipwrecks. Perhaps if we tried to peg it is why so that we can hear people say what Paul just said here so that God can use people who are tossed about in their stormy Roth waters to deliver a truth to us that God is to be believed in what he says will happen will happen that what I want to do is simply read the rest of this chapter without interruption hard for me to do that.

I want to know, but I'm in a started verse 27 and read through now. What I recommend that you do is just listen and and I want to them by way of imagination.

Enter the scene and see the storm inherent in feel it in the ship is turning and tossing and just listen as we read through this, but when the 14th night had come. As we were being driven about in the Adriatic Sea about midnight the sailors began to surmise that they were approaching some land and they took soundings were depths and sounded to be 20 fathoms and a little further on. They took another sounding and found it to be 15 for and fearing that we might run aground somewhere on the rocks.

They cast for anchors from the stern and wished for daybreak and is the sailors were trying to escape from the ship and it let down the ships boat or dinghy into the sea on the pretense of intending to lay out anchors about positive the centurion into the soldiers unless these men remain in the ship, you yourselves cannot be saved. Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the ships boat and let it fall away and until the day was about the dawn, always encouraging them all the takes in food saying today is the 14th day that you have been constantly watching and going without heating having taken. Nothing. Therefore, I encourage you to take some food for this is for your preservation for not a hair from the head of any of you shall perish. Having said this, he took bread, and gave thanks to God in the presence of all the broken and began to eat and all of them were encouraged and they themselves also took food and all of us in the ship were 276 persons and when they had eaten enough they began to lighten the ship by throwing out the wheat into the sea, and when they came they could not recognize the land but they did observe a certain day with the beach or creek and they resolved to drive the ship onto it if they could to casting off the anchors they left them in the sea while at the same time they were loosening the ropes of the runners and hoisting the foresail to the wind. They were heading for the beach but striking a reef where two seas met, they ran the vessel aground in the process.fast and remained immovable, but the stern begin to be broken by the force of the waves in the soldiers plan was to kill the prisoners that none of them should swim away and escape the centurion wanting to bring Paul safely through Them from their intention and commanded that those who could swim should jump overboard first and get the land and the rest should follow someone planks and others on various things from the ship and thus it happened that they were all brought safely to the land just is. Paul said they all survived and made it and now lay I'm sure or sat exhausted on the beach. Their ordeal was for the most part over. Can I give you some lessons from this detailed record of the storm that I think apply to us.

Number one, the benefit of Christianity is not the absence of storm. It is the presence of God in the midst of the storm unite. I think that we give people the wrong impression. When we try to sell them on Christianity by telling the look of if you come to Jesus Christ all of your problems will disappear though logging in fact, one of the difficulties that I have in dealing with new believers, is that I know one of the first things are going to discover is that because just because they became Christians didn't mean that all the water settled down, but we do have this benefit.

He is with us in the midst of the storm. Secondly, the lesson of Christianity is that while we want the Lord to deliver us. He wants to develop. In fact, in first Thessalonians 2. Paul said that he wanted to come to them over and over again. But Satan's stopped us. We know that he didn't want Paul in Rome he would one day we know testify before the Emperor Nero. If you charted out as will attempt to do a chronologically through history will discover that about the time Paul delivered the gospel to Nero. Nero lost and would self-destruct what why did God allow Satan to wrap up the waters of that's what's happening here.

When it and the Angel is still order when it stopped the storm on a rescue the boat from destruction.

Imagine ladies and gentlemen only inconvenience apart from fear and terror only inconvenience that God allowed Paul and he put through. Why not allow nothing but sunshine smooth sailing ladies and gentlemen, I believe the we are simply too interested in getting to Rome.

God is interested in who we will be when we get there. Third, the perspective of Christianity is the is that even the worst storms cannot derail the plan of God for your life which are storm today where the heavy winds coming from where you turning for help. Are you meditating on God's word has the storm driven you away from it have the heavy winds and the upset of life sent you scurrying far from from the prospects of prayer have you lost sight of the fact that God is alive. Can you say with this hymn writer that the angry surges roll on my Tempest driven soul.

I am for I know wildly, though, the winds may blow alive and anchor safe. That can ever more and longer bracing for the worst of the storm, hold onto these anchor guys you belong belongs to you what he says he will do. I hope this lesson is of great encouragement. Thanks for joining us today here on wisdom for the heart with Stephen Devi. Stephen taught these lessons back in 1998.

They are just as relevant today as they were 23 years ago. We recently received an anonymous note here at wisdom international.

It simply said, keep up the awesome work that you're doing there at wisdom. I can't find the words to describe the value of your ministry in my life.

I pray that your reward will be great in heaven. Thank you for writing to us and thank you especially for praying for us, we'd really enjoy hearing from you and learning how God is using this ministry to build you up in the faith.

Our mailing address is wisdom for the hearts.

PO Box 37297, Raleigh, NC 27627 will. Thanks again for joining us today and I hope will be with us for our next Bible message right here on this