GOOD NEWS IN THE MIDST OF THE STORM

Acts 27:22-GNT

But now I beg you, take courage! Not one of you will lose your life; only the ship will be lost.

This book is commonly called “The Acts of the Apostles,” but it does not discuss most of the apostles – it focuses only on Peter, and then Paul. The book describes the spread of Christianity from its origins with Jews in Jerusalem, to eventually include all peoples, even in the capital city of the Roman Empire. The story is filled with drama, miracles, and speeches about the risen Christ.

Paul had great faith in God. In this passage we see his faith in action. All Christians should read the eleventh chapter of Hebrews and study the great men of faith as they are pictured in this chapter. God wants all people to have faith. Unless we have faith we cannot please Him—Hebrews 11:6. What is faith? Faith is, simply, believing before you see—Hebrews 11:1. As you read Scripture your faith will increase—Romans 10:17. (17 So then, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message comes through preaching Christ.)

POINT 1: Sometimes God sends the storm to bring the wayward back.

When we talk about the word wayward......

The wayward man is resistant to guidance and is self-willed; with the moral compass having been cast aside bearing characteristics of adrift, carnal, loose morals, and unstable as water. In other words that person isn’t paying attention to God’s Word. To be honest with you, this kind of person could be in the church. Scripture reveals: The Lord said, this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their heart far from me and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men (Isaiah 29:13).

The prophet Isaiah condemns his own people for honoring God with their mouth and lips but not their heart.  He further noted that their fear or reverence was merely an intellectual accommodation taught by the precepts of men.  True worship must began with a proper reverence for God and His Word.

Storms will come into our lives as Christians in the form of a calamity or hardship of some kind. It might be a medical issue, a marital problem, a legal issue, or something else. The list goes on and on.

Our Lord allows storms to come into our lives for a variety of reasons. Some storms are sent so that men will cry out to God for salvation. In the case of believers, God uses storms for several reasons, as we see recorded in the lives of Job, Jonah and in the lives of the disciples of Jesus in the New Testament to perfect his work in our lives.

I know that we can agree there are some storms that we cause in our lives. The reasons for the storms may vary but many times include the following: We take the wrong advice from a so-called friend or expert, which leads to bad decisions, We often listen to popular opinion, or the majority, and make unwise decisions or,

We base our decisions solely on our present circumstances. Bad decisions cause us to drift away from the plan of God for our lives. Then we began to discard precious relationships and responsibilities. Finally, we begin to get discouraged and wonder, “What’s the use!!!!!!

Severe storms are normally noisy and frightening. They tend to overwhelm us. God speaks in a still small voice; we must listen for the promise of God. The promise of God gives us assurance in the midst of the storm. God is saying, you are going to make it.

In the midst of storms, look for the presence of God and listen for the promise of God. God sends His Word. There is a word from the Lord.. The word of God is the power of God to us who believe. Listen for God’s Promise!

When weathering a storm, we need to remember that God is always there even in our self-made storms, a storm God caused, or a storm others caused, how do we handle these storms? How should we respond while weathering the storms of life? I believe Acts 27 provides us with some helpful suggestions. While weathering the storms of life, as children of God, we must: (1) Look for the Presence of God (2) Listen for the Promise of God (3) Experience the Peace of God and (4) Participate in the Preservation of God.

We can realize that we are not alone in the storm. Look for the Presence of God. Listen for the Promise of God.

Let me share with you three storms of life in the Bible. We have storms that we bring on ourselves (like Samson, If we put our hope in ourselves or others we become like Samson: weak and enslaved.), Storms that God causes (like Lake Galilee) Sea of Galilee is where Jesus walked on water, calmed the storm, and made Peter and Andrew into “fishers of men.” ), and Storms that other people cause (as when Paul and Silas were thrown into prison) because Paul simply turned toward the slave girl and dismissed the evil spirit. No ceremony. No prayer. He simply appealed to his authority in Jesus’ name—and the spirit departed, then the owners realized that their hope of making money was gone.

POINT 2 Sometimes God sends the storm to teach the necessities of faith.

When we look for the Presence of God in the storms we know God has a purpose and a plan. God uses storms to bring men to a place where their souls melted, where they were at their wits’ end and they had nothing or no one to turn to for security. Sometimes our self-confidence is gone. During storms in life we can be paralyzed by uncertainty, helpless and hopeless, looking into the very eyes of troubles in spite of everything we might go through.

Our spiritual storms refer to those unpredictable, untraceable, and devastating events that come into our lives without warning, often shattering our world, but why does God allow storms in our lives?

Well we learn to endure, persevere, and submit to the Father so He can make us more like Christ. God Reveals Himself to us. Turbulent times give us a more accurate perspective of God and the way He works. Sometimes this understanding comes when we look back on a storm and see how He brought us through. You might ask yourself why God puts me through storms.

We get so wrapped up in doing some things for God.

But He is concerned with what he is doing in us. He leads us into winds and storms to show us just how unbreakable his promises are.

As a Christian how do we overcome the storms of life?

Well we have 2 choices, either we can try to overcome the storms using our own strength and thoughts OR we can humble ourselves before God, and allow Him to take over the situation. Choosing God is choosing life. If you are tired of your life and your situation, give it to Jesus and He will give you a brand new life.

You might ask yourself how do I overcome the storms of life.

To get through the storms of life, you need to know who you are in Christ, through what Jesus has done for us at Calvary, in the resurrection and in the sending of the Holy Spirit, and to know what He's doing right now at the right hand of the Father. Hebrews 7:25 says that He's making daily intercession for you.

Look for the blessings in the storm. Rain is nourishing. Water is cleansing. Yet, too much rain causes flooding. Big storms cause destruction.

Where is your focus in the storm? Choose to look for the blessings in your storms. How is the storm cleansing and refining you? Where do you see God more clearly in these trials? How is this bringing out the best in you and in those around you?

God doesn’t punish us with the storms of life, but he does ride them out with us. He can use them to make us new – to refine and remodel us through the process.

Take hope! After the storm comes the calm. Maybe you’re living through a storm. Maybe the rains haven’t let up in your life for longer than you care to remember. Maybe what began as an annoyance or small problem has turned into bigger ones. Maybe you’ve been caught by a sudden, raging storm that’s showing no signs of letting up.

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” – Hebrews 10:23 (NIV)

Look around you for the rainbow and hold onto the glimmer of hope that rainbows mean the sun is somewhere behind those clouds. Watch for the sun to shine again, even if only for a fleeting moment. Hold on to hope and remember God is there with you in the storm, even when the skies seem dark.

Remember that after the storm, the sun will shine again!

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” – Joshua 1:9 (NIV

POINT 3 Sometimes God sends the storm to reassure the righteous.

When the storms are at their worst, You can be at your calmest. The reason for our calmness is the peace of God. The secret of living within a storm is to trust in the presence and power of our Risen Lord more than in the tension of the storm. We as believers should be of good cheer! Because we know of His Presence, We have heard His word, and experienced His Peace. Everything is going to be all right! You see, Peace is not the absence of a storm; peace is the calm assurance that God is still in charge of my life and controls every detail. Though I am in a storm, I will trust God. “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee” (Psalms 56:3).

“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee” (Isaiah 26:3).

“Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:4-7).

The word of God causes faith to come alive in our hearts. “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17).

We should weather the storms of life in such a way that our Lord Jesus Christ will be glorified and others watching will be inspired by our faith in God?

We should weather the storms of life by looking for God’s Presence in a storm.

When most are worrying and wondering, we should seek God through fasting and prayer.

We weather the storms of life, yet we must look for His presence, listen for His promise, experience His peace and participate in His preservation. We know what God promise after a storm.

I am reminded that behind every storm is a little sunshine. The rains will clear, the sun will shine again, and God's promises are always true. After the great flood, God gave Noah the sign of a rainbow as his promise to never again flood the earth.

Psalm 107:29 "He stilled the storm to a whisper, the waves of the sea were hushed." Psalm 107:29 helps to remind us that God is always in control, and He will carry me through anything, because I know that I can't carry myself through. All I have to do is have faith that does not waver in tough times.

Some of the promises of God, the resurrection provides the answer to the problem of death. The Holy Spirit provides the strength we need to overcome our sin and grow in holiness. Christ's return provides hope that Jesus will eventually make all things right.

We call God's plan the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus Christ. Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection are part of God's divine rescue mission designed to give you the greatest promises of all: forgiveness for your sins, peace with God, and eternal life.

Jeremiah 29:11 reminds us we are not alone, the Lord has plans to bring us prosperity and not disaster, plans to bring about the future you hope for,

Are storms raging in your life today? Does it feel like the sun will never shine again?

Do you wonder when the rain will let up? Have hope! After the storm, the sun WILL shine again!

Let God be your umbrella, Let HIM be your storm shelter.

So, no matter the storm you’re facing – from the sky or from life – place your trust in God and find safe harbor in his arms, There is safety in his arms.

In a brief respite from the rain, I noticed blue skies and a shining sun. I was reminded that behind every storm is at least a little sunshine. I have found out!!The rains will clear, the sun will shine again, and God’s promises are always true.

After the great flood, God gave Noah the sign of a rainbow as his promise to never again flood the earth. A rainbow does give us that first glimmer of hope, a sign that there is indeed sunshine beyond the clouds, but it’s the Son that reaffirm that promise for me .

And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life.” – Genesis 9:12-15 (NIV)

Short Story :

A few months ago there was a train traveling west, then out of no-where a violent rainstorm began. The lightning flashing was almost blinding, the rain was hitting the windows was deafening and the strong wind gusts rocked the train from side to side. Once when the lightning flashed it lit up the darkness, some of the passengers could see the rising water along the tracks. This created terror in the minds of some of the passengers. Several passengers began to talk and said that through all the noise, lightning and wind, they noticed one of the passengers, a little girl, seemed to be at perfect peace. The adult passengers could not understand why the little girl was so calm during all this violent storm. Finally, one passenger asked her, “How can you be so calm when all the adults are so worried about what could or what might happen?” The little girl calmly looked up with a huge smile on her face and said very clearly, “Well sir you know my daddy is the engineer.”

My question to each of you today: How can we weather the storms of life in such a way that our Lord Jesus Christ will be glorified.

Can God trust you in a storm?

I will say this last thing then I will get out of your way. Last week was homecoming week at Fairfield High school. By the way they won Friday night. Each time they made a touchdown, Fireworks displayed and sounded. I bet you are probably saying to yourself; Where is he going with this!!! Just hold on for a little while longer!!...... There is Good News In The Midst of the STORM!!! Before the game, we had a PEP RALLY!!!! You remember & know what a Pep Rally IS!! ( TALK ABOUT DETAILS). IS WHEN YOU CLAIM VICTORY OF WINNING BEFORE THE GAME STARTS. WELL WHEN YOU ARE ON TEAM JESUS!!!!! THE GOOD NEWS IS!!! YOU CAN CELEBRATE BEFORE AND DURING THE STORMS OF LIFE!! WE ARE VICTORIOUS IN JESUS!!!! THE GOOD NEWS IS IF YOU NEED DELIVERANCE, IT’S IN JESUS!!! THE GOOD NEWS IS IF YOU NEED........, THE GOOD NEWS IS, IF YOU NEED, THE REALLY GOOD NEWS IS OVER 40 & 2 GENERATIONS AGO, HE DIED AND GOT UP WITH ALL POWER!!! If you don’t know him, I suggest that you get to know him, because time is winding up!!! The Good News Is, It doesn’t matter where you are in life, His arms are open for you!!!