STORM WATCH
Notes
Transcript
Introduction:
Introduction:
I want to welcome you again this morning.
First, to those joining us online, we are so thankful for our online technology that allows you to be a part of our church family today.
I also want to welcome those who may be joining us for the first time today. I hope your time with us today is encouraging and helpful, and I look forward to meeting you.
I would also say if you are new to our church today, it would be helpful for you to know that we practice a form of preaching called “Expository Preaching”.
What that means, is we believe the Bible is best taught by taking books of the Bible and then breaking them down from beginning to end, chapter by chapter, verse by verse. Our goal, to better understand not only what God’s Word says, but what it means in our lives today.
Over the past couple of years we’ve been doing that through the NT book of Acts.
With that said, if you haven’t been with us I would encourage you to go online to http://www.mcf.life or to our Facebook page where you can watch previous messages leading up to today.
Today however we are picking up in Acts 27 as we join the Apostle once again on his Spirit led journey towards the capital city of Rome.
And as we’ve reiterated several times, this has not been an easy journey for Paul.
It all started in Jerusalem, where his presence created a city wide riot, which quickly led to his arrest, an assassination attempt on his life, 2 years in a Roman jail cell, and eventually two trials before two different Roman governors. Trials that left Paul with no choice but to appeal to Caesar in order to avoid being handed over and killed by the Jewish Religious leaders.
And at this point you would think Paul’s challenges are over. But they’re not. Because even though Paul is now out of reach of those trying to kill him, he now faces a dangerous sea voyage.
And we saw that last week as Paul and his companions head out to sea and begin to experience what we called the “Storms to be expected”.
And when I say the “Storms to be expected”, I’m talking about the naturally occuring storms that nature produces out at sea. Storms that we have no control over and storms that can even become dangerous, life threatening, and result in shipwreck or death.
These are the storms to be expected.
And the reason the details of Paul’s weather circumstances are important here, is because symbolically speaking, Paul’s challenging weather situation isn’t just of a physical nature, but in many ways represents the storms of life. The storms to be expected.
Storms we can’t control.
Storms that can get us off course.
Storms that can leave us frustrated, discouraged, and even feeling hopeless.
So, if you missed last week, I would encourage you to go online and listen to why these storms happen and what it takes to navigate them. Because today we are going to learn about two more storms that we are guaranteed to face. Storms once again symbolized through Paul’s continued journey.
Because as we pick back up in Acts 27, the storms are not only going to pick up again, they’re actually going to intensify. That’s good news, right? Just what you wanted to come to church to hear this morning.
So, as we jump back into Acts 27 we have three goals today:
First, we’re going to identify these two storms.
Second, we’re going to look at how they affect us.
Finally, we’re going to determine what our reaction or response to these storms should be in order to navigate them in a way that is healthy and Biblical.
That being said, here’s the second storm we need to be aware of:
STORM #2 - The Storm You Didn’t Ask For
This is the storm that comes into your life as a result of the actions or decisions of someone else.
We see this illustrated as Paul continues on his sea voyage towards Rome. Look at what Luke tells us:
9 Since much time had passed, and the voyage was now dangerous because even the Fast was already over, Paul advised them, 10 saying, “Sirs, I perceive that the voyage will be with injury and much loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.”
You may recall from last week, that after battling difficult wind for many days, Paul and his companions finally reached a sea port called Fair Havens. We see it on this map.
Show Map
But as we learned last week, Fair Havens was never an intended stopping point, but due to the difficult winds they had faced, the ship had been forced to harbor there.
And now according to Luke, this has created a dangerous dilemma.
Dangerous because the ship is now behind schedule and winter is approaching. And we know this because Luke references that the Fast was already over.
You might ask, “What Fast?”
The Fast Luke is referring to is a Jewish Fast that takes place on the Day of Atonement, which always fell in late September or early October. Which gives us the current time frame in Paul’s journey, which is more than likely sometime in late October.
And the problem with that is, for ancient travel on the Mediterranean, mid-September to early November was considered a dangerous time for traveling on the open sea.
In fact, anytime between November and February was considered dangerous.
Which leads to the Dilemma. The dilemma being, “Does the ship risk the danger of traveling in winter, or stay in port for the winter?”
Well, based on what Luke tells us, Paul has an opinion on this. And his advice is that they not risk going out into open sea. In fact Paul says to those in charge:
10 saying, “Sirs, I perceive that the voyage will be with injury and much loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.”
Luke says after looking at the situation and considering the risk involved, Paul more than likely encourages Julius, the Centurion in charge, not to risk the ship, its cargo, and the lives of those on board. In fact Paul says if he does, all may be lost.
The question then is, “What does Paul know that they don’t know?”
In other words, has Paul been given some kind of warning from God? Did Paul receive a vision that if they went out to sea they wouldn’t make it?
Honestly we don’t know. But what we do know is that traveling in open sea during winter was dangerous. So, more than likely, Paul’s warning is one of logical reasoning and practical advice. Because everybody knows it typically doesn’t go well for ships that ignore the winter travel advisory.
The question then is, “Does Julius listen to Paul?” Let’s find out:
11 But the centurion paid more attention to the pilot and to the owner of the ship than to what Paul said. 12 And because the harbor was not suitable to spend the winter in, the majority decided to put out to sea from there, on the chance that somehow they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete, facing both southwest and northwest, and spend the winter there.
Luke says following Paul’s advice, the centurion paid more attention to the pilot and to the owner of the boat than he did to Paul.
The question then being, “Why didn’t he listen to Paul’s practical advice?”
Luke tells us, and he says there are three reasons:
Reason #1 - Paul’s not a sea expert.
In other words, while Paul had sea experience, the boat Captain and owner of the boat had more. That being the case, their opinion out weighed Pauls.
Reason #2 - The Harbor didn’t have any hotels or restaurants.
Apparently Fair Havens didn’t live up to its name, because according to Luke it was a harbor that didn’t have much to offer. Because Luke says one of the reasons Paul’s advice was overridden was, “...because the harbor was not suitable to spend the winter in...”
Think of it like this, if you were going to get stranded during a winter storm, would you rather get stranded at a rest stop that only had two bathrooms, or on an exit with hotels and restaurants? Probably the exit with the hotels and restaurants.
Same thing here. Fair Haven isn’t a great place to hunker down for 2-3 months.
Reason #3 - They took a vote.
Luke says after discussing it, the majority of those on the boat voted to keep moving forward, with their hope being that they would reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete.
We see this harbor on the map, and what I want you to notice is that it’s really not that far from their current location.
But apparently it has a hotel and some restaurants, and so the majority of the crew feels it’s worth the risk. Better to be there than here for the winter.
As a result, Paul’s advice isn’t taken and his vote falls in the minority. As a result, the boat heads out to sea.
So, how did it turn out for them? Well, as you might expect, not well. Because look at what Luke says happened next:
13 Now when the south wind blew gently, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete, close to the shore. 14 But soon a tempestuous wind, called the northeaster, struck down from the land. 15 And when the ship was caught and could not face the wind, we gave way to it and were driven along. 16 Running under the lee of a small island called Cauda, we managed with difficulty to secure the ship’s boat. 17 After hoisting it up, they used supports to undergird the ship. Then, fearing that they would run aground on the Syrtis, they lowered the gear, and thus they were driven along. 18 Since we were violently storm-tossed, they began the next day to jettison the cargo. 19 And on the third day they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands. 20 When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned.
Based on what Luke tells us, the decision to try and reach Phoenix turns out to be disastrous decision as the boat is driven out to sea and the crew and its occupants find themselves in the middle of a category 5 hurricane with no hope of survival.
We see this on the map:
Notice they start out from Fair Havens, the winds drive them out to sea, and now they are in the middle of the Med with little to no hope. In fact, Luke says they got to a point where they gave up all hope.
So, before we go any further, I want to stop for a moment and do a couple of things:
First, I want to talk for a moment about how this storm applies to us.
Second, I want to introduce you to our third storm that comes on the tails of this storm.
Let’s start with how this current situation applies to us.
Application:
The fact is, there are going to be times in your life where people make really poor or sinful decisions that directly affect you.
Decisions you wouldn’t have made.
Decisions that defy reason, logic, ethical, and sometimes moral standards.
Decisions you didn’t ask for, but because somebody else made them, you now have to face a storm.
Which is exactly what has happened to Paul. Because Paul didn’t ask to go into this storm. In fact, he did everything in his power to prevent it.
But here he is, out in the middle of the Mediterranean, in a storm he didn’t want or ask for.
And what was true for Paul will be true for you and I.
Now, you might ask, “Pastor, what kind of decisions and storms are you talking about?”
Well there are many and like the “Storms to be expected”, they come in all kinds of shapes and sizes.
For example, a common storm I see that somebody didn’t ask for is a storm I call the “Storm of Infidelity”.
This is a storm that results from a spouse making a really poor and immoral decision. The decision to engage in an adulterous relationship with someone that is not their spouse.
A decision the other spouse didn’t ask for, want, or deserve.
But a decision that has now produced a terrible storm with devastating consequences.
Consequences that now affect all parties involved, including the two spouses that were unfaithful, their spouses, all of their children, and even their friends and family members. A storm you didn’t ask for.
The question then is, “Why did this storm happen to begin with?”
It happened because sinful desire, emotion, and passion overrode reason.
It happened because somebody thought the grass was greener on the other side.
It happened because the majority of the world says, “If you’re not happy, find somebody that will make you happy.”
You see how that works? It’s the storm of infidelity.
Another storm that I often see, and parents often face, is the “Storm of Rebellion”.
This is the storm that results when our kids make really poor or sinful decisions.
It’s the storm that produces a teenage pregnancy.
Or the storm that results in our son or daughter getting a DUI.
Or the storm that tears through a family when a young person takes their life.
Terrible storms that parents didn’t ask for. Storms that result from really poor or sinful decisions.
Why did it happen? Well, in the moment sinful desire, emotion, and passion overrode reason.
In the moment that’s what everyone else was doing. And now the family is dealing with a storm that mom and dad didn’t ask for.
And then there’s what I call the “Storm of Proximity”.
This is a storm that results because you are in proximity to somebody else’s sinful choice or bad decision.
It could be a decision that a friend made, and because they’re your friend, you’re now in the middle of their storm.
This seemed to happen to me a lot in high school. I would be out with my friends, somebody would do something stupid, and then we would all have to pay the price. Why? Because I was in proximity to the bad decision. And now I’m sitting in detention.
But the storm of proximity doesn’t just include people you know. It could be its a storm that results from somebody you don’t know, but because you were close to their decision, you’re paying the price.
For example, somebody decides to drink and drive, and now you’re in the middle of the storm. Or somebody decides to text and drive, and now you’re in the middle of a storm. It’s a storm of proximity and one you didn’t ask for.
And we could go on because there are numerous examples of storms we didn’t ask for.
The question then is, “What do you do in a storm like that? How do you navigate it? How do you get out and avoid injury or harm?”
We’ll get to that in a minute, but first I want to introduce you to our third type of storm. A storm that also results from the poor choices and sinful decisions of others. A storm I’ve entitled:
STORM #3 - The Storm of the Lord.
This is a storm we see throughout the Bible, and we see it specifically mentioned twice in the book of Jeremiah. We first see it first in Jeremiah 23:19:
19 Behold, the storm of the Lord!
Wrath has gone forth,
a whirling tempest;
it will burst upon the head of the wicked.
And then we see it again in Jeremiah 30:23
23 Behold the storm of the Lord!
Wrath has gone forth,
a whirling tempest;
it will burst upon the head of the wicked.
The question then is, “What is this storm?”
This is the storm that results from mankind’s refusal to acknowledge and obey the God of the Bible. A storm you could also call “The Judgment of God”.
In other words, this is the storm that results when a people or a nation reject and refuse to listen to the God.
It’s the storm that the Israelites faced when after years of rebellion God sent the King of Babylon in to desecrate Jerusalem and take the people captive. Why? Because they refused to listen to God’s warnings.
And believe me, it’s a storm you don’t want to face.
But unfortunately, it’s a storm both the righteous and unrighteous will face.
Why? Because it’s a storm that results when a majority decision to abandon morality and dependence on a Holy God affects everyone.
We see this happening with the Apostle Paul. And it’s found in a small detail of the story as the majority decides to set out to sea. Look again at what Luke tells us about that decision back in verse 12:
12 And because the harbor was not suitable to spend the winter in, the majority decided to put out to sea from there, on the chance that somehow they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete, facing both southwest and northwest, and spend the winter there.
The key word I want you to notice in this passage is the word “chance”. And what I want to suggest to you, is that in hoping in chance, that the crew isn’t just hoping things work out, but they are putting their hope in a false god called “Chance”. A Greek god in that time known specifically as Tyche, the goddess of chance.
Let me explain it like this. Whenever Denise and I get in a car or plane to take a long trip, we have a ritual that we follow. And the ritual is that we always pray before a major trip.
Why do we pray? We pray because we don’t know what dangers or hazards lie ahead, and so we pray for safe travel.
Well, guess what, back in Paul’s day they did the same thing, especially when making dangerous sea voyages.
So, what I’d like to suggest to you, is that when these guys put their hope in chance, they were putting their hope in the goddess of chance. And their prayer to her is, “Please keep us safe as we venture out into uncertain waters.”
Paul on the other hand isn’t praying to the god of chance. If he’s praying, he’s praying to the God of the Bible.
But unfortunately, Paul’s God is not their god. And so they don’t listen to him, and they put their hope in their false god. Which in the end, leads to a storm, possibly a Storm of the Lord. A storm that results when a people put their hope and trust in a false god or gods.
To be honest, I think that’s the storm we are beginning to face in America today.
Because while we used to be a “Christian” Nation, those days are gone. That nation is gone.
And now we are a nation that has abandoned the God of the Bible. A nation that has embraced sinful living. A nation that is guilty of killing millions of unborn babies. A nation that upholds, condones, and glorifies sexual immorality. A nation that has adopted many false gods.
And as a result, storms have come, and I believe more are coming. Storms that come from God. Storms that result when a people or a nation reject the God of the Bible. Storms of judgment. The Bible categorizes these storms into 3 categories:
War, Famine, Pestilence.
War is the unrest and conflict.
Famine is the inability to produce food or products.
Pestilence is sickness and disease.
Let me ask you something, “Do we see those three storms in play today?”
You bet we do.
We see it in with war as cultural wars, racial wars, political wars, and physical wars are taking place not only in our country but all over the world.
We see it in famine as not only food but certain products have become hard to find or produce. For example, toilet paper.
We see it in pestilence as a sickness called Covid continues to plague our planet.
Church, the storm of the Lord is here.
And the unfortunate part of that is, for those of us who haven’t abandoned our faith. For those of us who continue to trust the God of the Bible, we are going to have to face these storms as well.
And the evidence of that is seen throughout the Bible. We see it in the Jewish exile to Babylon as a righteous man named Daniel finds himself a captive in Babylon and in the storm of a lions den.
We see it with three young righteous men named Shadrack, Mischack, and Abendigo as they find themselves captive in Babylon and in the storm of a fiery furnace.
And the same is true of many Biblical saints who in the midst of God’s judgment on Israel find themselves in the middle of a storm.
Now, you might thinking, “Wow pastor that stinks. Why why is God punishing them for the sins of others?”
It’s not that He’s punishing them. But this is the reality of living in a sinful world. And unfortunately when the majority decide to abandon God, it affects the minority. It affects you and me.
Because now, we have to live in a country that is paying the price for its decision to abandon God and push Him out of our culture.
But the good news is, in the midst of the storm we can have hope and we don’t have to fear the storm or storms that are coming.
You might ask, “So, how do we do that? That would be helpful to know.”
Thankfully Paul is going to model it for us. Because in the middle of this raging storm where all seems lost, Paul continues to trust God.
How does he do it? He does it by following two basic storm survival principles. Principles that we need to learn to follow as well. Here’s the first one. In the middle of the storm make sure to always:
PRINCIPLE #1 - Stay Calm
Luke explains it like this:
Acts 27:21–22 (ESV)
21 Since they had been without food for a long time, Paul stood up among them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me and not have set sail from Crete and incurred this injury and loss. 22 Yet now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship.
What I want you to notice is that as the storm rages, Paul maintains his composure as he stands up and assures the men that all is not lost. That yes, they should have listened to him, but that everything is going to be ok.
The question then is, “How can Paul be so calm? How can he have such assurance that everything is going to be ok?”
He does it by resting on two important facts:
Fact #1 - Jesus is in the boat with him.
Look at what Luke goes on to write:
23 For this very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, 24 and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.’
You see, the reason Paul is able to remain calm, is because he knows the presence of the Lord is in that boat with him. That’s what this angel represents.
And that’s what ever Christian needs to remember in the midst of their storm. That you are not alone. That in the midst of your storm Jesus is with you.
This is something the disciples had to learn. We see this in The Gospel of Mark chapter 4 as the disciples face a storm where they thought all hope was lost, and they’re freaking out. Mark writes
37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. 38 But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”
Mark says as the windstorm rages the disciples have lost their mind as they wake Jesus up and cry out, “Jesus don’t you care they we are about to die?!”
And isn’t that what so many of us do? We turn on Fox News or CNN, we read a couple of Facebook articles, or we have a conversation with our conspiracy theory friend and we start to freak out. And then all of our personal challenges and fears begin to rise. And in that moment we start to cry out, “God where are you?! Don’t you see the world is falling apart? Don’t you see the devastation? Don’t you see the hopelessness? Don’t you see the challenges I’m facing because of it? God where are you?”
You see, we aren’t much different. And that’s when the disciples had to learn an important lesson, and so do we. Because Mark goes on to write:
39 And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40 He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” 41 And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”
Mark says as the disciples cried out in fear, Jesus calmly got up, He looked at the storm, and then He spoke to it. And He said, “Peace! Be still!” And instantaneously the wind stopped and the sea became calm.
Which cause the disciples to say, “Who is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”
You see, what the disciples forgot is who was in the boat with them. The one who controls the storm.
This is what Paul was reminded of as the angel appeared to him. In that moment he was reminded that Jesus is in control of the storm and it brought a calm to his Spirit.
And what happened for Paul in that moment can happen of us as well. We can experience peace in the midst of the storm. And it starts as we remember that the one who controls the storm is with us.
The one who has the power over Covid is with us.
The one who has the power over the political unrest is with us.
The one who has the power over the racial tensions is with us.
The one who has the power over Afghanistan is with us.
The one who has the power over marital discord is with us.
The one who has the power over sickness and disease is with us.
The one who has the power over any storm we are facing is with us.
Now, you might say, “Pastor, how do we know He is with us?”
This leads to another important fact that Paul rests on:
Fact #2 - Jesus is always true to His Promises.
We see this as Paul recounts what the angel told him:
23 For this very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, 24 and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.’
Luke says as the angel speaks to Paul, he reminds Paul of God’s promise to him. That he would make it to Rome. Which means as bad as the storm appears to be, it’s not going to take Paul out. Because God has more for Paul to do. Promises He’s made to him.
And what was true for Paul is true for all of us. Because the fact is, God has give us promises. What promises?
First, there are the promises of His Word. Promises that we find throughout scripture to give us strength in time of need:
Promises like we find in Deuteronomy 31 where God says to His people:
8 It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”
Or promises that come from the Psalms where the Psalmist writes:
23 The steps of a man are established by the Lord,
when he delights in his way;
24 though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong,
for the Lord upholds his hand.
Or promises like we read about last week that in the midst of a storm...
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
The fact is, God’s Word is full of His promises that are meant to give us hope, strength, and peace in our time of need.
But there are also what you might call personal promises. Promises that He’s given specifically to you.
We see this with Paul as Paul holds on to the promise that he would reach Rome. That this storm wasn’t going to take him down because God made him a promise.
And what was true for Paul is true for us. There are going to be promises that God gives you.
Promises concerning your marriage.
Promises concerning your kids.
Promises concerning your finances.
Promises concerning a direction He has for your life.
Promises that you can hold on to and need to remember when it feels like the storm is about to take you out. Because one thing you can be sure of is that God is always faithful to His promises.
All that to say, Paul is able to remain calm because he knows Jesus is with him and he’s standing on the promises of God’s Word.
And like Paul that’s what we have to stand on. Because that’s what leads us to the next storm survival principle:
PRINCIPLE #2 - Strengthen, encourage, and instruct others.
We see this as Paul continues to address those on the boat:
25 So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told. 26 But we must run aground on some island.”
Luke says as the storm rages, Paul now begins to bring hope to others. How does he do it?
First, he brings strength to those who are with him as he points them to the answer for the storm. As he says:
“So take heart, men, for I have faith in God...”
You see what we have to remember, is that in the middle of a storm, people are looking for help. People are looking for answers. People are looking for shelter. People are looking for hope.
And the fact is, you have the answer to everything they are looking for and its wrapped up in one name. The name of Jesus. And it’s our job to confidently declare that hope to them. To tell them that Jesus is the one who can help them overcome the storm.
Because now they are listening. Now we have their attention. Now is the prime opportunity to tell them about Jesus.
Paul then moves to encouragement as he assure them that because of Jesus, everything is going to be ok. As he shares with them what God has told Him. As he assures them of God’s promises.
And again, this should be our focus as well. That as we point people to Jesus we assure them of His deliverance. That we encourage them to keep moving forward. That we continually point them to Jesus.
He then moves to instruction as he tells them what must be done. As he says, “But we must run aground on some island.”
Paul is now giving instruction as to what must be done to overcome the storm. That they must find an island and run the ship aground. But he doesn’t stop there, because Luke goes on to write:
27 When the fourteenth night had come, as we were being driven across the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors suspected that they were nearing land. 28 So they took a sounding and found twenty fathoms. A little farther on they took a sounding again and found fifteen fathoms. 29 And fearing that we might run on the rocks, they let down four anchors from the stern and prayed for day to come. 30 And as the sailors were seeking to escape from the ship, and had lowered the ship’s boat into the sea under pretense of laying out anchors from the bow, 31 Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.” 32 Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the ship’s boat and let it go.
33 As day was about to dawn, Paul urged them all to take some food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day that you have continued in suspense and without food, having taken nothing. 34 Therefore I urge you to take some food. For it will give you strength, for not a hair is to perish from the head of any of you.” 35 And when he had said these things, he took bread, and giving thanks to God in the presence of all he broke it and began to eat. 36 Then they all were encouraged and ate some food themselves. 37 (We were in all 276 persons in the ship.) 38 And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, throwing out the wheat into the sea.
Luke says as the storm continues, Paul continues to give instruction and guidance. He continues to calm their fears. He continues to point them to hope. Paul is confidently leading the boat to safety.
And what was true for Paul must be true for us. Because along with pointing people to Jesus and bringing encouragement into their lives, our job is to instruct them as well.
To help them make better decisions when it comes to their marriage and their finances.
To show them a better way to go when it comes to lifestyle choices and decisions.
To give them some practical and Biblical ways to overcome their challenges.
To teach them and show them what God’s Word says when it comes to living a righteous life before God.
You see, that’s how you lead somebody out of a storm. You instruct them on a new way to go. You point them to Biblical truth. You lead them out of the storm and into the safety of Jesus.
Church, that’s how you get the storm to end as you point them to Jesus and then lead them to Him.
This is what Paul is doing. And it worked. Because Luke goes on to write:
39 Now when it was day, they did not recognize the land, but they noticed a bay with a beach, on which they planned if possible to run the ship ashore.
Luke says as the sun dawns an island is spotted and hope is found as the crew makes plans to run the ship ashore.
And this is what we have to be committed to do as well. Because the storms aren’t going away. Why? Because we are living in a world and country that has turned its back on God. And with that decision comes storms.
And as a result, we are in storm with them.
Which means we now have a choice. We can either join in the chaos the storm is causing, or we can confront the chaos, point people to Jesus, and lead them into truth.
I don’t know about you, but I choose the latter. I choose to remain calm. I choose to point people to Jesus. I choose to be beacon of hope that leads people out of the chaos of darkness and into the hope of God’s light. A light that shines through us in the midst of the storm. A light that points people to Jesus. A light that ends the storm and brings us to a place of safety.
Church, I want MCF to be that kind of vessel. A vessel of hope. A vessel that rides out the storm. A vessel where the presence of the Lord and His promises God us.
And not only do I want that for our church, I want that for your life. I want you to experience the peace that Jesus brings in the midst of the storm. The hope that He promises for those who trust in Him. And it can be yours today. All you have to do is take your eyes off the storm and put them on Him.
Let’s Pray
