Be of Good Cheer—I Believe God!

Pastor Keith Hassell

Foundation Scripture: Acts 27:1-44

I. Destination: ROME

II. Threatened by a STORM (vs. 13-14)

A. Some storms God delivers you from (Jesus calms the storm)

B Some storms God delivers you through (Paul on the way to Rome)

C. They were in the storm because they did not take heed to Paul’s warning in verse 10 and verse 21

D. Sometimes we experience storms based on someone else’s decisions

E. In these storms we can experience great disaster and loss

III. Loss of HOPE (vs. 15-20)

A. Have you lost all hope of things changing?

B. Have you just about given up?

IV. The Word of God brings HOPE (vs. 22-25)

A. God had a destiny for Paul that could not be stopped by another person’s wrong decision

1. Verse 24: “Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Ceasar.”

B. You may be in a storm created by someone else, but God has a plan to use you for the sake of others caught in the storm

1. Verse 24: “And indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you.”

a. Suddenly in the midst of the storm, Paul wasn’t sailing with them anymore, THEY WERE SAILING WITH PAUL.

b. In effect, during the time of crisis, Paul took over the ship

C. “Be of good cheer; for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me.”

D. Hope brings back the joy.

A. Don’t believe God until the circumstances say it is time to bail out.

B. Don’t quit! Don’t give up! Don’t start doing things your own way again!

C. They cut off their only hope of escape by cutting loose the skiff

VII. Stop feeding your doubt and feed your faith (v. 33-38)

VIII. They all escaped safely to land (v. 37-38)