“Where is Jesus In the Storm?” Acts 27:1-16
Intro: We have been through some very bad storms. It will be a long time before we forget the impact of superstorm Sandy. The loss of life, property, electricity, was devastating for many. More recently, we have all been affected by the Covid-19 virus pandemic. Some of us have lost relatives and friends. Many businesses and churches were shut down, and some may never open again. We were told to not to leave our homes until absolutely necessary. And now, just as it seemed to be under control because of the vaccine, there has been a resurgence of a variant Covid-19 virus.
Because of the pandemic, new stresses were put on people and families. These stresses included financial, physical, and emotional stresses. So, the question I want to raise this morning is; Where is Jesus in the storm?
The Cast of People v. 1-2
Luke, Paul, and some other prisoners started their journey to Rome
Julius, the centurion, was in charge of the prisoners
Aristarchus, a voluntary prisoner and assistant to Paul was with them
The Start of the Journey v. 3-8
They boarded a ship at Adramyttium to sail to ports along the coast of the province of Asia
Sidon, a stop where friends ministered to Paul allowed by Julius
They set out again and the journey started to get rough
The Warning v. 9-12
It took a lot of time to travel minimal distances because of the winds and weather in the fall
Paul gave them a warning
We don’t know if Paul gave them a warning from his experience as a traveler 2 Cor. 11:25
This was a warning to be taken seriously
Great loss to the ship, cargo, and their own lives
The centurion decided to do things his way and followed the advise of the pilot and the ship’s owner
Note: There are consequences when we don’t listen to godly counsel
The Storm v. 13-20
There was an usual south wind, so they started to sail again thinking they could make good traveling time before the bad weather came
It wasn’t too long after they set sail that they ran into a nor’easter storm of hurricane force winds
The ship got caught in the storm and could not head into the wind and the ship was tossed about
Even the life boat which was towed behind the ship was in peril
The crew tried to save the ship with ropes because of the possibility of running aground on a sandbar
The boat took a beating and the next day, the crew began to jettison cargo
One the third day, they threw the ship’s tackle overboard
The storm went on for many days and they finally gave up all hope of being saved
The Encouragement v. 21-26
After they all had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said to them that they should have taken his advice
Then he urges them to keep up their courage, because bot one of them will be lost, only the ship will be destroyed
This was a Word from the Lord
An angel of the God stood beside Paul and said, “Don not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.”
So Paul admonished them to keep up their courage because Paul has faith in God that He always keeps his promises
So, Paul told the crew to be prepared when they run aground on some island
Closing: Storms of life:
Death of a loved one
Divorce
A diagnosis of a terminal disease
A diagnosis of a chronic disease
A loss of a job
A serious auto accident
Losing a house in a super storm or fire
Others
What storms of life are you experiencing right now? If you are Christ follower, I want to suggest to you that Jesus is right there with you in the storm to give you assurance and strength and encouragement.
If you are not a Christ follower, then the question is; Where do you go for encouragement and strength to meet the challenge of the storm?