And and I'll tell you what we're going to talk about.
So as we're going through this, you can kind of have it in, in
the back of your mind, but how do we weather a storm and we
hear about it all the time, you know, how do you get through
trials, you know and and the cliche is if you're not in a
storm you're going to go through one soon or you just got out of
1. And so I'm going to steer clear
of of try to steer clear of of most of the cliches and things
that we hear when we're talking about trials.
But I'm not necessarily going to encourage so much that hey,
everybody goes through it because.
But that's true. I'm going to talk about tonight
how do we get through them, how do we weather the storm.
And and originally I was going to say how do, how do we beat
the storm, but I don't think we ever beat it.
The storm is a storm. It's you didn't beat it.
You got through it is is a more correct way to put it.
So that's why I titled this How do we, How do we weather the
storm? And if you go to Acts Chapter
21, our text is going to be in Acts Chapter 27.
But I want to give you a little bit of a a history lesson, so to
speak, on what what? How do we get to Acts Chapter
27? What happens?
And so if you look at the book of Acts, does anybody know who
wrote the book of Acts? Miss Barbara?
Luke. Very good.
It was a trick question and she wasn't tricked.
They believe it was Luke. It's really an anonymous.
An anonymous author but it's as you go through this and we'll
see this in in chapter 27 he's always saying we and we went
it's not Paul speaking even though though a lot of it's
about Paul. But then that's starting in
about chapter 21. The previous chapters of the
book of Acts are the the book is titled the Acts of the Apostles.
That's why it's called Acts. And I think sometimes,
especially if we grew up in church, you just Matthew, Mark,
Luke, John, Axe, Romans, you don't know what Acts even means
but it's the Acts of the Apostles that are being
recorded. And so it's really recording the
1st 3 decades of the early church.
And basically then your your timeline for Acts is Acts
chapter 8030 to 80, this thing shining in my eye 8030 to 8063,
so about 30 years there. And it's it's talking about the
spread of Christianity as as they were persecuted and as the
church as believers multiplied. This is all after obviously the
ascension of Jesus Christ. Now what happens in chapter two
of Acts? Anybody know Acts chapter two?
Yeah. What is it?
It's Pentecost. It's Pentecost and I believe
that's the the start of the church.
Acts chapter two, we have Pentecost and But but Jesus is
gone at that point. And so then the rest of up to
chapter 21, it's detailing and the book.
The Bible's like this in all of its books.
It's not a comprehensive church history.
It's not every little detail of everything that happened in the
early church, but it. But it's a focusing on Peter's
ministry. And who was Peter primarily
ministering to? You don't have to raise your
hand, just just shout the Jews And then it talks about Paul's
ministry and he was primarily to the Gentiles okay so in Acts
Chapter 21 and we're going to pick up right there and this is
where we're going to go through some history.
This doesn't have so much to do with our our message tonight as
much as it has to do with how did Paul get in the situation
he's in, in Chapter 27. So we're going to look at it
very quickly. So Acts 21 versus one through 9.
You may have headings in your Bibles.
If you do I'm pretty much following those but not not
100%. But versus one through 9, we see
they make a stop and you'll you'll see this if you're going
through there, they make a stop at tire and I was going to give
you all a map that you may have one in your Bible of this trip.
This this is where Paul is, is getting ready to head to Rome.
I'm going to jump the gun. But he's heading to Rome.
Okay because he's been he's getting ready to go on trial in
Rome. So versus one through 9 they
stop at tire they fellowship with the brethren.
And these brethren warn Paul and look at verse 3.
Now when we had discovered Cyprus we left it.
We left it on the left hand and sailed into Syria and landed at
tire. For the other ship was to unlaid
her burden and finding disciples we tarried there seven days who
said to Paul through the spirit that he should not go up to
Jerusalem. So verses one through 9, we have
these Christian brothers saying, hey, I wouldn't go to Jerusalem,
maybe it's because they knew how how much persecution was
happening, but the church there is a church in Jerusalem, so
they're still making headway. Now remember the Church of
Jerusalem was primarily to focusing on the Jews, right,
Peter and James. And so they may not have had but
so much opposition. Now granted, they oppose Jesus
Christ to the point of death, so it wasn't like it was easy
sailing, but they were very much focused on the Jews.
And so maybe, maybe they saw it as a help, kind of like we see
in the world today. We don't want religion, but they
help us, so we'll allow them to to stay.
Then in verses 10 through 16, you see another prophet in verse
10, as we tarried there many days there came down from Judea,
a certain prophet named Agabis. And what did Agabis do?
He takes that cloak and he binds Paul's hands and says whoever's
hands are bound by this cloak, you're gonna have problems in
Jerusalem. Basically, he's prophesying
you're gonna get to Jerusalem and you're gonna have issues.
That's in verses 10 through 16, verse 17.
Still in chapter 21, verse 17, the Brethren, which James is
there. This is interesting because
we're going through the book of James.
But when verse 17, when we were come to Jerusalem, the brethren
received us gladly, so they're warned not to go.
They show up anyway. And verse 18 and the day
following, Paul went in with us unto James and all the elders
were present. So James is the same James that
we're talking about in the book of James.
He's the the pastor there. So James welcomes Paul, and
warns him of headhunters that are made threats that were made,
because they think he's teaching to forsake the teachings of
Moses. And we see that in verse 21.
And they are informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews
which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they
ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after
the customs. What is it there for?
The multitude must needs come together, for they will hear
that thou art come. So these are the elders at
Jerusalem, and they're telling Paul this is what they think
you're teaching. Now, was Paul teaching that?
No, he wasn't telling the Jews, don't, don't circumcise your
kids. He was your boys.
He was saying it's not necessary for salvation.
That's all he was saying. But remember, Paul is going to
the Gentiles. So remember, Paul withstands
Peter to the face because a big part of that was he was, he was
fine with Gentiles getting saved until the Jews opposed him.
And then Peter was like, yeah, yeah, yeah.
It's not for the Gentiles. And Paul with stands goes to
Peter and to his face says you're wrong and that was a part
of this so that but then they warned him hey there are Jews,
unsaved Jews. Obviously they want you dead
because they think you're teaching against what Moses
taught us to do. Then we see in verse 27 Paul is
arrested. And look at that real quick.
And when the seven days, verse 27, were almost ended, Paul
takes a vow. Remember they said, hey, there's
four, four guys, I think it's four that have taken this vow.
They've shaved their heads, they've taken this vow.
You need to at least show that you're attempting to be a part
of the Jews and you're not. You don't hate us or completely
or against us. So take that vow with them.
That's what this is saying in verse 27, when the seven days
were almost ended, the Jews, which were of Asia when they saw
him in the temple, stirred up all the people and laid hands on
him crying out. Men of Israel help.
This is the man that teaches all men everywhere against the
people in the law in this place. And further brought Greeks also
into the temple, and if polluted, this holy place.
They're crying out against Paul. Now Paul addresses that later.
He says, I didn't take anybody into the temple.
Now I can only imagine that when Paul is traveling, he had some
Gentiles with him and they saw him in the street.
If you read through this these chapters, they saw Paul in the
street with the gentile near to the temple and just assumed he
took him in the temple and that's what they're ready to
kill him about over here in verse verse 28.
But then verse still in verses 27 through 36 the he's beaten
almost almost killed see verse 30.
And all the city was moved and the people ran together and they
took Paul and drew him out of the temple.
And forth with the doors were shut.
And as they went about to kill him, the Hidings came under the
chief captain of the band which was Julius, that all Jerusalem
was in an upper. So they get Julius, hey, all
Jerusalem's in an upper where they're trying to kill Paul.
And that's really the only thing that saved Paul's life is this
Roman comes down and puts an end to it.
So verse 37 through chapter 22 and verse 21, we see Paul is
granted permission to speak. And this is where we get the
testimonies of Paul. You know, when when Paul talks
about the road to Damascus, that's where we see these
testimonies. And what he's doing is telling,
giving these men his testimony of, hey, I'm a Christian, I'm
doing, I'm, I am not opposing what Moses taught.
I'm telling you that Jesus Christ fulfilled that and you'll
see that all the way through. Well verse.
Starting in verse 37 of 21 Paul hat gets permission to speak.
It's also interesting he starts speaking he asks permission in
Greek and and the Julius the chief captain says canst thou
speak Greek? Art thou not the Egyptian which
before they so they don't even know who he is.
That's that's what's going on here.
Is this all Jerusalem's in an uproar and this chief captain
comes down, thinks he's this Egyptian guy.
Verse 38. Art not the thou the Egyptian,
which before these days made an uproar and let us out into the
wilderness. 4000 men that were murderers and Paul's.
Bradley. What are you?
What are you talking about? Verse 39.
I'm a man which I'm a Jew of Tarsus, a city of Silicia, a
citizen of no mean city. And I'd be he suffered me to
speak unto the people. So he's like, I'm not sure what
you mean by the Egyptian guy, but no, I'm not him.
So now this chief captain is going well, Who is this guy?
And he speaks Greek too. So then verse 40, Paul starts
speaking in the end of verse 40. He spake unto them in the Hebrew
tongue so that, well, now they hear him speaking in Hebrew
starting in chapter 22. And they they're silent because
they're like, Oh well, man, he maybe he is one of us because
he's speaking in Hebrew. And we see that all the way
through chapter verse 21 of chapter 22 that Paul is giving
them his conversion testimony. And and but then in verse 22 of
chapter 22 they gave him audience unto this word, and
then lifted up their voices and said away with such a fellow
from the earth where it does not fit that he should live.
They, they, they try to kill him again.
And then you see him. Verse 22 through 30, Paul is
spared a beating due to his Roman citizenship.
So everything we know about Paul, this is all coming into
play all at one time. In this one story, they get
ready to go take him into this castle to beat him, and say
what? Who are you and what are you
doing? They're going to beat him and
they get ready to whip him. And he says, you sure you want
to do that to a Roman citizen? And you see that in verses 2222
through 30, the chief camp chief captain answered with a great
sum or verse 26 When the centurion heard that, he went
and told the chief captain saying, take heed.
What I'll do is this man is a Roman.
And then the chief captain comes back and said unto him, tell me,
art thou a Roman? He says, yes.
Chief captain answers, How are you a Roman?
So we're getting to chapter 27. So we go to chapter 23 now, call
addresses the Jewish Council, and if you read through this,
it's almost the identical story, the identical testimony that he
just gave to the Hebrews while he's standing on that step.
After they just beat him literally half to death.
Verse chapter 23 verses one through 11, he addresses the
Jews the Jewish council which was made of Sadists and
Pharisees. And he pits them against each
other because Sadists don't believe in the resurrection that
Pharisees do and he gets them going against each other.
And he actually has the Pharisees trying to spare his
life in verses one through 11. Then we see in verses 12 through
35. All right, so verse 10.
And when there arose a great dissension, the Keith chief
captain fearing lest Paul should have been pulled in pieces by
the sad disease and Pharisees commanded the soldiers go down
and take him by force from among them and bring him into the
castle. Then in verse 12, when it was
day, certain of the Jews banded together and bound themselves
under a curse saying that they would neither eat nor drink till
they had killed Paul. And there were more than 40
which made this conspiracy. So Paul hears about this and he
actually gets his nephew, I believe to go down and tell the
chief captain, hey, they're going to kill him.
You need to get him out safely undercover of night.
And we see that happen in verses 12 through 35 of chapter 23.
Because he's a Roman citizen. This chief captain says, OK, I'm
going to spare his life. I don't want a Roman citizen
dying on my watch. I'm going to get him out of
here. And you see that Verse 22.
So the chief captain then let the young man depart and charged
him. See thou tell no man that thou
showed these things to me. He called on to him two
centurions verse 23, saying make ready 200 soldiers to go to
cessaria and horsemen 3 score and 10 and Spearman 200 at the
third hour of the night. And provide them beasts that
they may set Paul on and bring him on to Felix the governor.
So this guy's like saying get him out of Jerusalem and set him
under. Take him to Cessaria and set him
under Felix because and let Felix deal with it.
I don't want to deal with this guy anymore.
He's he's he's Hebrew. He's a Greek.
He's a Roman citizen. And I don't even know who he is.
Let Felix deal with him. So that's what we see in verse
24. Paul then speaks before Felix
and he's on trial and and it's interesting in verse 27.
But after two years Porsches hold on 26.
He hoped also that money should have been given him of Paul,
that he might lose him. Wherefore he sent for him the
oftener and commune with him. Felix is just a crooked
politician, is what he is. He's talking to Paul over the
course of two years, often just trying to get money he thinks he
doesn't know. They don't know who Paul is, so
he's thinking this guy must be important.
He says they're in there. In his testimony.
I sat under Gamalio in Jerusalem, so they don't know
who Paul is. He must be important.
And it says that he's trying to get money out of Paul for two
years. He's incessoria.
And then in verse 27, Festus takes over for Felix.
But after two years Porsches Festus came into Felix's room
and feel. And what that means is he took
his spot and Felix, willing to show the Jews of pleasure, left
Paul bound. So he leaves him bound again.
And finally in verse in chapter 25, verses 21 through 12,
because Festus isn't, is not listening to what Paul has to
say. He's the pro Council there in
Cesarea. And he finally says, I want to
talk to, I want to talk to, I'm appealing to Caesar.
So verse 12. Then Festus, when he had
conferred with the council, answered, Hast thou appealed
unto Caesar, unto Caesar thou shalt go.
And it's kind of like, best thing I can figure is, is Kevin
will probably understand this better than me, even is when
you're, you know, in in, in a police station being
interrogated, not just interviewed, but interrogated.
And you say, I want to talk to my lawyer.
All right, that's it. That's what happens here in
verse 12. I want to talk, I want to appeal
to Caesar. They say okay, then you're going
to, then to Caesar, you're going to go.
And we're getting to chapter 27. So chapter 25 verses 23 through
chapter 26, verse 32, Paul. This is where Paul talks to
Agrippa, King Agrippa. Paul was not trying to get
Agrippa to free him. He had already appealed to
Caesar. But Agrippa said, I want to talk
to him. I want to see what what happened
here. And if you look at verse 32 of
chapter 26, that's where. Right here at the end is where
Agrippa says, hey, you've almost persuaded me to be a Christian.
And Festus in verse 24, Festus said with a loud voice Paul
Thauer beside thyself. Much learning doesn't make thee
mad. But in verse 2627, King Agrippa,
verse 28, King Agrippa said, almost.
Thou has persuaded me to be a Christian.
But then look at verse 32. Then said Agrippa.
Under Festus this man might have been set at liberty if he'd not
appealed unto Caesar. So Grippa is convinced he's not
guilty of anything. I had to let him go, if he
hadn't appealed to Caesar. And now we get to chapter 27.
And this is where our text starts.
And I would like to read the whole passage, but the whole
chapter, but I don't have time. So verse 27, when it was
determined that we should sail into Italy, they delivered Paul
and certain other prisoners unto one named Julius a centurion of
Augustus's band. And entering into a ship, they
start the journey to Rome. All right.
So this is out of Cesaria. This is where they're coming out
of. And anyways here we see that
Paul when Paul's getting ready to to head to Rome almost
immediately very early on they get into this storm and and
that's what we're going to talk about tonight.
And I don't know if I prayed if I didn't we're going to pray
right now. And that was the introduction
and we're going to get into it and and it will go quickly
through it tonight. Father, I thank you for this day
you've given us. And I pray that as we look at
the storms here that Paul was involved in that we can apply
them straight to our lives. Now we're going to go through
storms. We know that.
And I pray that we would take these, these steps to be able to
weather the storm come out on the other side stronger but also
to come out on the other side. God, I pray that you would help
us as we do go through these storms.
Got some of some are in them right now.
And I pray that this will be an encouragement and and got just a
instruction for how do we get through these storms?
In Jesus name I pray Amen. Look at verse 13.
I couldn't help but think this as I was reading chapter 27
verse 13 and when the South wind blew softly supposing that they
had obtained their purpose losing thence they sailed close
by Creek. Now before this, Paul says,
don't. I wouldn't go now to to Rome.
And the and the captain of the ship says I know better and they
get ready to go. And a S wind blew softly.
And I couldn't help but thinking, you know, a S wind is
when you're sitting in church and somebody's preaching and
you're agreeing with everything. Hey, man, I agree with that.
That's the South wind. It's really, really easy sailing
if you've never had your faith tested.
You don't know what your faith actually is yet.
That's what. That's the only thing I can
think of here in 13, Wyatt. When the South wind blew softly,
they were like, hey, let's roll, this weather's good, but the
South wind was blowing in this this storm because of verse 14.
But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind
called Euroclydon or Euroclydon. And when the ship was caught, it
could not bear up into the wind. We let her drive.
And so I want to ask a question tonight.
How many of you like thunderstorms?
How many of you like them? I I figured lots of people like
them. How many of you like being stuck
in a thunderstorm? Not very many.
We like watching the storm from the outside, from the inside, I
suppose. From inside our house, where
we're nice and dry, we know the thunders.
Outside it's booming. Our houses have been made to
withstand all the the the lightning and all the rest of
that. We're all grounded and
everything else. But when you're it's a
completely different thing when you're outside standing in the
storm, right? And I think we often judge
people going through a storm when we're watching it.
You know, we see somebody going through a storm.
Like, why doesn't he just do this?
Why does he just do that? It's a lot different when we're
in the storm. So that's kind of a side note.
Be careful to judge somebody that's in a storm.
We don't really know what they're going through.
But remember also that God puts us through storms so that we can
help others when they go through their storm.
So don't forget that either. But we go through all different
kinds of storms in our life and I'm going to hurry through.
We go through spiritual storms, mental storms, physical storms
with our physical health, financial storms, emotional
storms, and we see there in verse 14.
Normally when those storms come, we're not expecting them.
They come up on us as a surprise.
The South wind is blowing, Everything is smooth.
And then all of a sudden we're in the middle of a storm and
it's too late to turn back. We've made the decisions going,
you know, too long. Now we can't get back to where
to the shore. And so now we have to deal with
the storm and how do we do that? And I wrote this down too often.
Storms are of our own making. Not all of them, but often
storms are of our own making. Think about in the area of
finances, you know, we have to have these things, or we we have
to, or we make a poor investment decision and get ourselves into
a financial storm. Think about anonycence of fire.
That was completely, 100% of their own making.
Now they didn't make it out of the storm, but that was a
completely of their own making. Think about marriage issues, I
think. I think This is why it's so
important for our young people to understand, you know, the
principles of the Bible. We do not marry unbelievers.
I don't care how good looking they are, how nice they are.
You cannot marry an unbeliever. And we have that example.
Look at Samson, Samson tells his dad.
Go get me that woman. They're pretty or whatever his
reason was. It happens.
And at the end of Samson, they ended up killing him.
And before they killed him, he was a.
He was a like a clown in the circus that they had a party and
they wanted Samson to come so they could make fun of him and
laugh at him. But sometimes marriage issues
are of our own making, sometimes our children, of our having
issues with our children are of our own making.
Think of Eli and his sons. I mean, his sons were wicked,
wicked men. And Eli, the Bible says Eli let
them do that. He just didn't correct them.
Maybe sometimes it's because we know better.
I'm not going to spank my kids. I'm not going to do that.
I don't think that's what does the Bible say, You know, So
sometimes those storms are of our own making.
And having said all that, sometimes storms are not of our
own making either. Sometimes they just, they they
come on us and we have to know how to get through them.
So here's four things, four things quickly, how do we get
through? How do we weather a storm?
Look at chapter 27, verse, verse 18, and I think these are very,
very clear in this passage. How did Paul get through this
storm? Verse 18, and we being
exceedingly tossed with The Tempest.
The next day they lightened the ship and the third day we cast
out with our own hands the tackling of the ship.
And then we see it again later. They have, they eat, and then
they toss out the rest of the wheat.
They're trying to lighten the ship.
And I think it's something we can apply.
I mean, you you see in Jonah, when Jonah gets on that ship and
they get into a storm, almost immediately, they toss
everything that's that they don't need off the ship.
It's it's a practice that's been been used often.
And I can't help but thinking, you know, sometimes when we
start into our journey or we start into an endeavor, we're
carrying so much stuff. I remember we had a guy that
went camping with us one time. Now remember the men's camp out
in Pennsylvania? This is a Thursday night,
basically Thursday evening, Friday.
And then we come home Saturday and I'm, I'm, I'm not kidding.
This guy had like 10 bags of stuff.
And I we were laughing at him and he was laughing about it
too. But we were like, what is in
there? And he had, I mean, he had
everything you could think of for camping and probably eight
of the bags stayed in the trailer.
They never got opened. All right, now if he was
traveling, this happened all the time when when people would go
West too, they would carry cases of books and chests full of you
know, China and it when it got tough, they would just toss it.
It's not important anymore. I think that's what we see here
with Paul and he's not the one tossing stuff out.
But it's a principle that we can we can apply to our lives.
Lighten the shit. Sometimes I can't help but
thinking of Hebrews chapter 12. The weight, right?
Lay aside the weight and the sin which so easily besett us and
the the these. These things are not again
necessarily bad and I think it's very easily applied to Hebrews
chapter 12 verse one. Those weights are not
necessarily sins because then he says and the sin.
So what are those weights? What weights can we.
Some of them may be sin, but what are those weights that we
can cast off? And I'm gonna just kind of read
through. I have lots of stuff underneath
them, but I'm gonna, I'm gonna skip through.
But how about unforgiveness when you're going through a storm?
I mentioned it this morning in Sunday school.
But there are people that will hold grudges.
They'll hold bitterness against somebody else for for years and
years, decades. They'll die with it.
And I am not forgiving them because they did whatever to me.
When you're going through a storm, I mean, we have very
clear instruction in the Bible to forgive.
That's something we can cast off.
There's no reason to carry that extra weight when we're going
through a storm. Second thing is fear.
I think fear is a magnifying glass.
Things that are really not that big a deal when we're when we're
going through a storm and that fear is not it magnifies those
little things. I was thinking of fear when I
was younger. I was probably, I don't know
eight or eight, eight years old probably.
And I think I've mentioned this before but my dad used to make
us run. I say make we were.
We would run 5 k's, three 3.1 miles.
And we were, we were in the summertime, we would practice
every day and my dad would get home almost every day from work
and say, hey, did you guys run yet?
No, Sir. All right, get you running
clothes on and make sure you get your running.
Well, the worst thing that that could possibly happen is if he
forgot to ask, because it didn't matter what time of the day it
was when he finally remembered. Hey, did you guys run?
No, Sir. Go run.
Well, one one night it happened and it was dark outside already
and it was a little course that we run a mile and a half out and
a mile and a half back. And both of my brothers, they
probably wouldn't admit it, but they were about the same speed.
They could keep up with each other.
But I was little Pastor's 4 years older than me.
And when you're 8 years old, a 12 year old's way faster than
you. And I just remember that I don't
know what our time was, but I'm sure I beat my time by far
because when they took off I was not letting them get get out of
my sight. You know, the dark, the fear is
a magnifying gas. There's nothing in the weeds.
I run by that all the time. But in the dark when that fear
is chasing you and and you know it's right behind you.
Same thing with the storms. Set that fear aside them and and
Jesus tells us that in first Peter 57.
Or Peter tells us that casting all your care upon him, cast it
on him. There's no reason for us of
fear. Third thing we can cast off self
pity. Feeling sorry for yourself feels
good, but it doesn't accomplish anything.
It feels really good. It really does When you're
sitting there and man, nobody else has to deal with this and
you just get madder and madder and that self pity feels good.
But it doesn't help anything to get you through this storm.
All it does is it makes maybe some, maybe a mistake that you
did make we talked about at the beginning.
Sometimes storms are of our own making.
It makes those mistakes feel insurmountable.
I can't get over it because poor me, self pity, entitlement.
And I think this one is probably one of the one of the worst.
Why me? Why me?
Why am I going through this storm?
Why not you? Right.
Why? Why should you not go through
the storm? What are why are you so much
better than somebody else that you shouldn't go through the
storm. Second Timothy, Chapter 3, verse
12. All that will live godly shall
suffer persecution. You're going to go through the
storm so not why me? Why me God Why why do why are
you putting me through the storm.
That's the better question to ask.
So entitlement. And again, I have lots of notes
under this, but I think, I think sometimes this Why me attitude
turns into bitterness against God himself.
And that's a that's a dangerous place to be.
Keep your finger in Acts chapter 27 because we're going to come
back. But look at Psalm chapter 107
quickly. Instead of why me, how about
this In Psalm chapter 107 and verse 8.
He, verse 7. And he led them forth by the
right way that they might go to a city of habitation.
Oh, that men would praise the Lord for His goodness and for
his wonderful works to the children of men.
For he satisfy at the longing soul and fill up the hungry soul
with goodness. How about instead of Why me that
be our attitude cast off. Lighten the ship by getting rid
of that entitlement attitude. And.
And these are much more practical.
But but how about when you're going through a storm, get rid
of the social media. I mean sometimes we it's just a,
it's just a a mindless thing. It's not even that we're going
to social media looking for help, even though I'm sure
people do put it out there. I've seen that before.
Hey, this is my problem. Any help would be appreciated.
And they're not looking for money.
They're looking for advice that's they'll go to social
media, but that's not even what I'm talking about.
I'm talking about just get off of the social media.
I guess they, I think they call them social media fasts, but
it's not a bad thing. Put it all away, put the phones
away, put the TV shows away. I can't miss that show.
You're going through a storm. You've got to lighten the ship
and and focus on getting through this storm.
And then lastly with lightning, the ship don't fall into the
humanistic approach. I was, I was studying for this
and I read something and I was looking for something completely
different. I came across this article where
it said it was a lady writing and she said, what do you do
when you're going through a trial?
And I was like, well, let's see what she has to say.
And it was some, some. I don't know if she was
psychiatrist or what she was, but then here's what she said.
First thing, number one key, you must do your yoga and
meditation. That that was her first piece of
advice. Do your yoga and meditation.
That's not what we need. I'm fighting for every breath in
this storm. I don't need to do yoga.
I need to lighten the ship as all the things that we just
talked about. Second thing is look at verse
21. We're going to go.
We're getting through these pretty quickly.
Verse 21, But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in
the midst of them and said, Sirs, you should have harkened
unto me and not have loosed from Crete and to have gained this
harm and loss. And this is a side note too.
Paul is the man of God, right? He's not here preaching, but he
is the man of God on this shit whether they know it or not,
whether they like it or not. And he said you should have
listened to me. This is a good this is good
advice. Our pastor is not God.
But if if our pastor gives you advice, you at least need to
listen. If nothing else.
Because in chapter 27, Paul says I don't think I wouldn't lose.
I wouldn't leave. It's not a good idea.
And they say we're going to leave anyways.
The next thing you know they're in this, in this storm.
But the second thing is get alone with God.
In verse 21, where was Paul? It says, But after long
abstinence, Paul stood forth in the midst of them.
Now I think there's two things there after a long time of not
saying anything, but I think that Paul had gone to a place in
the ship in the middle of the storm and just got alone with
God. And the reason I know that, or I
believe that is from our Third Point.
And we'll get there in a second. But nobody else can give us an
answer for our storm. Not a boyfriend, not a
girlfriend, not a parent, not another, a good friend, not even
your pastor can give you the answer for what you need to get
through the storm. Now, after you've gone to God
and he's given you your answer, it's not a bad idea to go to
godly counsel and say, hey, I think this is what I need to do.
What do you think? I think that's great advice, but
get along with God first. And I have a whole bunch of
verses for this and I'm just going to read a few of them.
But Psalm 91 verse one, He that dwelleth in the secret place of
the most tie shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
That doesn't sound like getting advice from a girlfriend or a
boyfriend. Abide under the dwell in the
secret place of the Most High, and you'll abide under the
shadow of the Almighty. And that shadow is talking about
the protection of the Almighty. Isaiah, chapter 26 that will
keep him in perfect peace, whose mind has stayed on thee because
he trusteth in thee. Psalm 62 verse one.
Truly my soul waiteth upon God. From him cometh my salvation.
Mark 135 And in the morning, rising up a great while before
day, he went out and departed into a solitary place and sought
advice from his best friends and prayed.
He got alone with God. And I know that's easy to say
when you're going through the storm.
I've heard of people that some of my own friends, older men,
that they're like, you know when they're going through that I
couldn't even pray. I couldn't even, I couldn't even
calm my mind enough to be able to talk to God.
But we have to do that. We must run to God.
So I'm 63. Verse six, when I remember thee
upon my bed and meditate on thee in the night watches.
What's he doing up in the night Watches He's going through a
tough time. And I meditate on thee in the
night watches because thou hast been my help.
Therefore, in the shadow of Thy wings will I rejoice my soul.
Follow with hard after thee, and my right hand uphold with me.
That's what we need when we're going through a storm.
Get alone with God, and this is nothing you've not heard before.
But you know why Satan keeps Christians so busy with with
silly things? Because he knows if he.
If we get quiet and we listen for that still small voice,
we're going to get through the storm that we're in.
We're going to be able to come out on the other side, maybe not
unharmed, but alive and ready to go to work for Christ if he can
keep us from walking with our God and communing with him and
being and being used by and for his work.
That's why he keeps us busy. And and here's another point for
get alone with God. I wrote this down.
Get alone means nothing else going on.
No phones, no social media, no work, no video games, no
excuses. Just you and your God.
That's what we need. Get alone with God.
And why do I think that Paul thirdly, was alone with God?
Because in verse 24, verse 23, For there stood by me this night
the Angel of God, who's I am and whom I serve, and saying he
heard from God, that's why he got alone with God.
You you think this is the end of Paul's life?
He's going to Rome, and in Rome he'll be killed.
Now he was there for a couple years, under house arrest and
everything else, but he's about his life is almost over by this
point in Paul's life. He knows how to get through
storms. Remember all that He lists,
everything he's been through, however many times he was beaten
and however many times he suffered shipwreck.
Paul knows how to get through a storm, So what does he do when
they get into a storm? He gets alone with God.
And then in verse 24 he hears from God saying, fear not, Paul,
thou must be brought before Caesar, and low God hath given
thee all them that sail with thee.
And then verse 25, Paul says, wherefore serves be of good
cheer. I heard from God, and this is
what's going to happen. And I have a whole bunch of
verses for this too. I'm just going to read a couple
of them. But but I wrote this down too.
We don't need the advice of wellmeaning friends.
Think about think of Job's friends.
I think they were good guy. Job was a godly godly man.
He wouldn't have had slouches for friends.
And even those friends, well, this they gave him advice.
I think it's because you're in sin or whatever else.
But that's not we don't need the advice of well meaning friends
or discouraged family. Think of Job's wife.
She said you should just curse God and die.
There's no hope for you. I don't think Job's wife was an
ungodly woman either. But I think they had been
through this storm and she just seen him go through so much.
She just said Job just just ended and but but Job didn't do
that. He heard from God.
And I think some of the hardest times to hear from God are when
we're in the middle of that storm.
And here's a few verses that I wrote down.
So Philippians 419. But my God shall supply all your
need according to his riches in glory.
By Christ Jesus. I'm sorry I jumped to the I
jumped to my other point. John 847.
He that is of God heareth God's words.
Isaiah 30, verse 21 and 90 years shall hear a word behind the
saying. This is the way walkie in it.
When you turn to the right hand and when you when you turn to
the left. Listen for God's voice.
I love that verse. Your ears will hear a word
behind the saying. This is the way walkie in it.
You think you're going to hear that when the TV is blaring in
the background. You're not.
You have to get along with God. Hear from God and he will guide
you through that storm. That's what we saw here with
Paul. And then the last point, believe
the promises of God. Paul's all of a sudden hey fear
not or or verse 25 sirs be of good cheer.
I believe God that it shall be even as it was told me how be it
we must be cast upon a certain island.
And then verse 27. But when the 14th night was
come, as they were driven up and down in Ageria anyways calls
this 14 days later they're still bobbing out on this storm in the
ocean and but Paul tells them we have a good cheer and verse 28.
Well let's see verse 35. And when he had thus spoken, he
took bread and gave thanks to God and the presence of them
all. And when he had broken it he
began to eat. I think it's interesting too
here and I'm almost done. I don't think Paul said bless
his food to our bodies. I think Paul was was being a
testimony to these unsaved men, these prisoners on this ship.
He took the bread and gave thanks to God in the presence of
them all. And I think it's important here
that that Paul was probably thanking God not just for the
food, thanking God for everything that he'd been
brought through up to this point.
And and I don't mean he's, you know, he's not bragging to these
guys, but Paul has seen God deliver him.
Paul has seen God work in his life.
Paul has seen look at this conversion testimony, just that.
And Paul says thank you for everything in the presence of
the mall. And when he'd broken it he began
to eat. Then they were all of good cheer
and they also took some meat and then they and when we were all
in the ship, we were in all in the ship, 203 score and 16
souls. So the number of men.
And when they had eaten enough, they lighten the ship again and
cast out the weed into the sea. And when it was day, they knew
not the land. But anyways, Paul believes the
promises of God. I'm going to give you a few
verses on this as well, because nothing I say, I'm going to get
you through your storm. God's word is what gets us
through our tough times. But think, look at this Jeremiah
chapter 29, verse 11. For I know the thoughts that I
think toward you say it the Lord, thoughts of peace and not
of evil. To give you an expected end.
What's the expected end? To die in the storm?
No, to get through that storm. Stronger, closer to him, more
spiritual. And what's the purpose of being
more spiritual? It's not to be to be looked at.
He's spiritual. She's spiritual.
Look at her. Look how she went through that
storm. It's to bring glory to God.
Jeremiah 2911, Psalm chapter 37, verse four.
Delight thyself also in the Lord, and he shall give thee the
desires of nine heart. Romans 828 We know that all
things work together for good to them that love God, and to them
who are the called according to his purpose.
These are promises of God. These are not, these are not
versus saying, God will get you through it.
These are promises. I'm going to get you through
this. Believe on these promises.
And that's what Paul said there wherefore serves be of good
cheer. I believe God, that it shall be
even as it was told me. Man, there's so many, so many
verses I'm and I'm going to skip through.
But there's a couple that I want to read dude around me. 31,
verse six. Be strong and have a good
courage. Fear not, nor be afraid of them.
For the Lord thy God he it is that doth go with thee.
He will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
Matthew 1128 Come unto me, all you that labor and our heavy
laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn
of me, For I am meek and lowly and heart, and ye shall find
rest unto your souls. Isaiah 43 Two, When thou passes
through the waters, I will be with thee, and through the
rivers they shall not overflow thee.
When thou walkest through the fire, thou shall not be burned
either shall the flame kindle upon you.
And I'm going to. I'm going to be done with the
verses there. But that's a promise that you
can hang your hat on When you walk through the fire.
I'm going to be with you. I mean, look.
Look at the three Hebrew children.
I was with them, but we're going to, We'll close here tonight,
wrote this down. Are you in a storm tonight of
finances or discouragement or depression or a storm of
decision or a storm of a wayward child or a spouse who has
disappointed or an illness that has you deeply concerned or
rebellious teen, an unsafe spouse?
We go through all of these storms.
It's not just cancer. That's a storm.
But that's not the only thing we go through.
And and sometimes to different people, storms are much more
serious. Some of us may get into
something that maybe is a big storm to somebody else and and
we get we get into it and oh man, this is this is a bump in
the road. But we get through it to other
people. It's a big storm and your big
storm is coming. Those four things lighten the
ship, get along with God, hear from God and trust his promises.
And the last thing I'll say is, it's not over.
There's another one coming. Look what happens in verse 28.
They get on this, they get on land.
There's verse one. And when they were escaped, when
they knew that the island was called Melita and the barbarous
people showed us no little kindness.
Now they were they were actually kind, but they're Barbarians.
And this is where Paul gets bit by the serpent and and all the
rest of the storms are not over. Paul goes from one thing to the
next to the next. Don't get through your storm and
then pile all your stuff back on.
All right? There's a reason we go through
the storms to lighten it up. Now, we talk about this all the
time. You know, as hard as you can,
try not to gather things. You end up gathering things when
you're in a house and you know how much you gathered when you
go to move, right? Where did all this stuff come
from? We're trying to get rid of stuff
all the time, and we just have stuff.
We do that in our Christian lives.
We get through a storm, we've lightened the ship.
Maybe we finally made it to the other side and then we start
gathering. I have to have that.
I have to have this. Let's let's keep the things that
we learned in our storm in the in the forefront for the next
storm that's coming. And maybe some of that will keep
us from getting into those storms.
If they had listened to Paul to begin with, don't set sail, they
would have never been in this storm.
And the and the applications can go on.
But we'll end there tonight. Lighten the ship.
Get along with God. Hear from God and trust his
promises. You will go through a storm.
You may be in one now. But these things can help us.
And read. Read acts.
Read the book of Acts, especially starting there in 21.
And see what Paul went through and how he got through that with
God's help, let's pray. Father, I thank you for this day
that you've given us. Gotta thank you for the
opportunity to open your word and to to apply some of these
things to our lives. God, I pray that those that were
here and listening and hearing tonight, I pray that I got each
one of them as my friends, and I pray that some of us are going
through storms. God, I pray that you'd help us,
as we talked about in Sunday School this morning, to be an
encouraging, edifying friend that can help us get through the
storm. We're not getting through the
storm unless you get us through it.
So I pray that these principles tonight would help us get
through the storms that we come across in our lives, that we
remember the promises that you've given us and that we
would not just remember them. We would lean on them and we
would lean heavily on them. Cast all of our care on you,
because you care for us and you want us to put our burden on
you. You'll carry it.
And I pray that we would remember that tonight.
In Jesus name, I pray. Amen.