TEXT: Acts 27:13-15, 20
And when the south wind blew
softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing thence, they
sailed close by Crete. But not long
after, there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon. And when the ship was caught, and could not
bear up into the wind, we let her drive.
Verse 20: And when
neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us,
all hope that we should be saved was then taken away.
The
Author: Luke (a personal secretary –
helper) accompanying Paul on his missionary journey.
A storm is a disturbance of the normal
condition of the atmosphere by winds of unusual force or direction. Can we agree that “storms” are a fact of
life? I’m sure many of you have
experienced many different types of storms.
You may have lived through rain storms, snow storms, hurricanes,
tornadoes, and so forth. Some more
severe than others, but each had its own unique features.
There’s a
storm that comes from the forces of nature or when other people exert their
power in your life and wreak havoc in the atmosphere around you. The name of these storms are called the
“storms of life”. The thing about this
storm is the severity which will create dangerous and life threatening
conditions. At that time, it’s hard to
understand the ways of God when the battle is raging, and you are surrounded by
the enemy.
When you’re
going through a painful trial and heartache, it can bring one down to an
all-time low. It can seem almost
unbearable and crushing, especially when you don’t understand why God would
allow this struggle in your life. Ask
yourself, how can this torment you’re experiencing be part of God’s perfect
plan for you? It just doesn’t make
sense.
Understand
in Luke 22:43-44, Jesus went
to the Mount of Olives to pray before He was to be crucified. He knew that He had to endure great
pain. With great anguish over what He
was to suffer, His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. Yet, as He obeyed, His Father’s will, an
angel from heaven appeared and strengthened Him.
As
believers, we must understand that God will also send His angels to strengthen
and comfort us as we grow weary from the storms of life. He will never let you stand alone to carry
burdens that are much too heavy for you.
He knows how to rescue His children from trials of life. But His purpose is to develop you into the
image of Christ and strengthen you for the journey set for you.
Will you
succumb to the storms of life or will you take hold of an anchor?
An “anchor”
is for the purpose of enabling you to hold your position wherever you are,
regardless of situation. It’s a means of
support, security, and stability. Whatever the conditions at sea, the anchor
is to remain fixed on the bottom of the seabed.
There are different types of “anchors” - metal anchors; hooking
anchors; sheer mass anchors. Their
uniqueness is there weight and how they function as brakes on a car. The goal is to prevent a ship/boat from
drifting due to winds or currents. In
the boat world, anchors are important.
The only way a ship survives a storm is by setting down its anchor on a
firm foundation. When the fierce winds
blow and the sea threatens to carry the ship out to sea, the only security the
sailors have is by securing their anchor in solid ground.
The thing is
that where you place your anchor determines whether you survive the storm.
Where have
you placed your anchor? Is your anchor
in your possessions, career, social club, or your abilities?
Let’s
examine our text and see where they placed their anchor during their storm of
life.
Paul, an
apostle of Jesus Christ, was preaching in Jerusalem on his third missionary
journey. Paul struggled with the Jews
who accused him of profaning the temple (Acts
21:26-34). He was arrested and
imprisoned for two years under Roman custody, and a new Governor reopened his
case and wanted to try him in Jerusalem, but Paul appealed to Caesar and was
sent by ship to Rome as a prisoner. They
sailed into a harbor in the south of Crete, and it was rough sailing. Paul’s ship was detained a considerable time
waiting for favorable winds.
The master
of the ship determined to prosecute the voyage (go ahead with it) because the harbor wasn’t a good place to stay
during winter. They decided to take a
chance and set sail for Rome. Paul
advised them that the season was dangerous for sailing, and they would incur
much loss, not only of cargo and the ship but also their lives. But they were determined to sail regardless
of the dangers ahead.
Isn’t that
what happens when we don’t heed the voice of God? How many of us are traveling on a perilous
journey outside of the will of God, choosing to direct our own course? Hear me people, you’re trampling on dangerous
ground when you walk contrary to the will of God. That will cause your ship to sink.
Things that
will cause your “ship to sink”:
●
Making hasty decisions:
Acts 27:9 Now when much time was spent, and when
sailing was now dangerous. They
felt they had to do something! There’s an old saying, “Let’s do something even it its’s wrong”.
●
Seeking worldly wisdom rather than
Godly wisdom: The captain and owner of the ship believed
each other instead of Paul. Don’t seek
counsel from people of the world. Seek
Godly counsel from one that will counsel you based on the Word of God.
●
Depending on circumstances: Acts 27:13 And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained
their purpose, loosing thence, they sailed close by Crete.
Sun shining, sea calm, south winds
blowing softly – “a set-up” – circumstances
led them to
believe it was good for sailing.
These experienced sailors thought they had it all figured out. They had plotted their course and supposed to
obtain their purpose.
In Acts 27:14, not long after setting sail, tempestuous east
winds took over (hurricane; typhoon), raging winds/waves. The winds blew so contrary, they found
themselves at the mercy of the sea.
Rather than charting their own course, they were driven by the winds.
This is exactly what happens when we
take life’s journey into our own hands.
It doesn’t take long for things to get out of control. You find yourself in situations that are
driven by winds of life instead of the will of God.
The three letter word – SIN – will
get you out there farther than you wanted to go, and it will keep you longer
than you intended to stay, and it will cost you more than you expect to
pay. All it takes is just that one
drink, just that one word and to a co-worker, just one time missing service,
and before you realize it, you’re in over your head. Are you “anchored” in the storm?
Back in Acts 27, the storm is raging and the captain and crew aren’t
certain where they are. They haven’t
seen the moon or stars for many days. Here they are without compass, GPS, cell
phone – no means of contacting any other human life source.
When the going get tough, the tough
get going! These experienced sailors made every attempt
to survive the storm:
●
They
didn’t attempt to fight against the fierce wind, but allowed the ship to drive
itself.
●
They
sought to secure the lifeboats to bring them on board but with much difficulty.
●
They
drew big cables along the bottom of the ship to keep it from being broken up.
●
Their
biggest fear was to avoid falling into the quick-sands. (Remember the Bermuda Triangle which was a
ship’s graveyard), where scattered rock didn’t permit sailing. The ships in the past that sailed in didn’t
sail out. They were at the point of no
return. The last result was to drop
anchors.
●
They
lightened the ship’s load – throwing tackle, and whatever they could overboard
and praying for daylight.
Even after doing all they
could: Acts 20:20 And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small
tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away.
Have you ever been there in your
life? Your storm pushed you to take
drastic measures. After you’ve done all
you could do, the trial drags on and on, and you don’t see any light at the end
of the tunnel. You feel that all hope is
gone! How do you remain confident in a crisis?
Scientists dropped a rat in a jar of
water that was placed in total darkness.
They timed how long the rat would continue swimming before giving up and
allowing itself to drown. He lasted a
little more than three (3) minutes.
They dropped another rat into the
same kind of jar, but instead of placing it in total darkness they allowed a
ray of light to shine into it. Under
these circumstances, the rat kept swimming for thirty six (36) hours. That was seven hundred times longer than the
rat in total darkness.
Because the rat could see “light”,
it continued to “have hope”! Hope can be
a light in the darkness of the chaos in your situation. I’m not talking about hope carrying the idea
of “wishful thinking”, but the hope that God promised.
Hope
is expectation, confidence, and the
state of mind that motivates. It’s
hope’s fizz that keeps life from going flat - it’s the cord that
sustains us in the storm. It is the
“divine part” that keeps us looking ahead!
Hope is one of God’s
characters. He offers real hope - hope
that has a direct connection to Him. Not
only is He a God of hope, but He is ready to give us His hope in the midst of
our storms. Even though the situation
seemed like a death sentence, Paul knew about hope. His hope was not in his ability to fix the
problems in His life and those around him.
He made a choice - on God we have set our hope.
❖
2 Corinthians 1:10
Who delivered us from so great a
death, and doth deliver: in whom we
trust that he will yet deliver us.
That is not a feeling; it’s not a
tidal wave of joy; nor a magic wand. It’s
a lifeline that can keep you from being overwhelmed by the storms of life. No doubt their life was hanging in the
balance. The Sailors’ reactions’ were
natural responses which we display in a crisis - fear, anger, hopelessness.
Their ray of light was on
board. Their ray of hope was on board in
the person of Apostle Paul. He had taken
hope to a new level. That’s why he was
able to stand boldly in the midst of the storm to offer encouragement. Why?
He was anchored in God. His
anchor gripped the solid Rock!
Just as in the natural when a boat
uses an anchor for security in a stormy sea, we, as Christians, use spiritual
anchors for security when we get caught in, tossed, and driven by the storms of
life.
The first anchor Paul dropped was:
(1) God’s Presence:
❖
Acts 27:23
For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom
I serve.
Storms can’t hide us from God.
❖
Psalm 139:8
If I make my bed in hell, behold,
thou art there.
We may not see Him, but He sees us. We may not think He’s there, but He is!
❖
Hebrews 13:5
I will never leave thee, nor
forsake thee.
You can trust this “anchor”!
(2) Knowledge of God: “Whose I am”! Paul was possessed by
God.
❖
1 Corinthians 6:20
You are bought with a price.
You’ve been purchased, paid for, claimed for one’s self,
under the power of another, redeemed from the curse of the Law, and therefore employed as God directs. The price for us was paid by the blood of
Jesus. He may keep it, direct it, or
dispose of it. Nothing else is to be
allowed to control it without his consent.
❖
1 Corinthians 6:19
What? Know you not that your body is the temple of
the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
Paul was saying, “I know whom I serve, and I am prepared by
God” to do service unto Him.
❖
Acts 27:24
Fear not, Paul; thou
must be brought before Caesar: and lo,
God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.
The angel was telling Paul “Don’t be afraid”! Paul could be content, calm, and confident
because he had not only the “peace of God”, but he also had “peace with God”! That’s
why he could stand boldly in the midst of the storm. It was the “peace of God” that allowed him to remain calm and not
fearful. It’s the peace within you that
allows you to still a riot, enables you to hush a cry, or sing in
the midst of suffering. This
peace allowed Paul to have courage in the most fearful circumstance.
(4) The Promise and Protection of
God
❖
Acts 27:22, 24
And now I exhort you to be of good
cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you,
but of the ship. Verse 24 Fear
not Paul, for thou must be brought
before Cesar.
A “promise” is a pledge, vow, assurance, or
declaration that one will do or refrain from doing something specified. Our
God is a promise-keeping God! If God said it, He will do it! If God spoke it, He will bring it to pass!
The angel of God told Paul, “There will be no loss of life”
including all of them that sail with you.
Not only are you going to Rome, but you are going to stand and testify
before Caesar himself. What a “promise”. When God gives a “promise”, it’s a done
deal!
He has given us the same promise. He promises to protect us. Go ahead and throw anchor because Psalm 91 assures us that God will be
our refuge in times of spiritual and physical danger.
❖
Psalm 91:4
He shall cover thee with his
feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust:
his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
And as children of God committed to the will of God, we can
dwell in His presence daily. Nothing can
happen to a faithful servant except by God’s permission. You can’t destroy a child of God because His
promises are sure. You may lose cargo;
you may lose tackle of the ship; you may lose the ship; you surely may get wet;
but you are going to make it because God has promised it!
Anchor yourself on the truths of God and pray! Let truth stabilize your life and give you
the confidence you need in all crisis you face.
(5) The anchor of Gods
plan – Purpose: God has a plan
for your life.
❖
Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the thoughts that I
think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give
you an expected end.
God has plans for your welfare, and it’s not for calamity
but to give you a future of hope.
Can I tell you how long that plan has been in place?
❖
Ephesians 1:4
According as he hath chosen us in
him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without
blame before him in love.
Just as He chose us in Him before
the foundations of the world, He had plans for Paul. Storms are temporary setbacks toward
fulfilling purpose. Absolutely nothing
can change God’s ultimate purpose for your life unless you choose to disobey
Him. His “purpose” is greater than any
situation you will ever experience. God
has a plan beyond the problems you are facing now!
Even though they ended up shipwrecked,
they were still in ship-shape and not destroyed. They all escaped safely!
If you are not anchored in God, I
strongly advise you to take hold of the anchor that is immovable. It will weather the worst storms. God’s anchor is firm and secure! Perhaps you’re in a wind tossed storm today,
or there may be a storm on the horizon.
God’s Word provides a steady anchor and sure foundation!
Remember, keep your focus on this
immutable God whose Word has promised that in times of trouble you have an anchor!
Follow Paul’s example! Anchor
yourself in God’s presence, promise, protection, peace, and purpose!
❖
1 Corinthians 15:58
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding
in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in
vain in the Lord
~ Evangelist Brenda Hansley
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please note that all comments are reviewed prior to appearing on GWM. Thank you for your understanding.