A Light in the Storm
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
At the conclusion of the book of Acts, we run into some pretty significant events in the life of Paul. Often in preaching through texts like ours today there is a strong temptation to allegorize the text. To an extent, I do not see anything wrong with an application to the spiritual storms of our lives, but I think we miss out on the literal application that the text provides for us. Hidden in this passage is a lesson for the Church that we may not notice the first time through.
Starting reading in Vs 6, let’s take a look at the background for our main text today. Paul is on his way to Rome and they have decided to set sail from the city of Myra on a larger sailing ship that was carrying grain from Alexandria. The time of year was not ideal for sailing; according to vs 9 it was around the time of the day of atonement in Mid-October. Most sailing was done in Spring and Early Summer because the weather got rougher later in the year. In vs 7, we see they were already struggling to sail; so they stayed close to the shores of Crete to avoid the wind. But it is after coming around the coast to sail to the city of Phoenix that they face a real storm.
In vs 10, Paul having had experience on the seas recommended that they remain in Fair Haven, but the centurion, the pilot of the ship and the owner did not agree to remain the rest of winter in Fair Havens. It doesn’t directly say why they made this decision, but historically, there was policy in place giving extra incentives to ship captains carrying grain during this season of the year. In vs 38, we see that this ship was carrying grain and in vs 21 Paul’s use of irony seems to indicate that profit was their main motive.
In vs 13, they assumed they would have a prosperous journey because they had a good wind setting out. But things change in vs 14. Luke describes a storm that arises as being very violent. He calls it a tempestuous wind. The Greek word is literally typhoon but it speaks of a swirling wind storm. This storm is also called Euroclydon which literally means a North-Easterly wind. These types of wind storms were some of the most dangerous for ancient ships and most likely descended off Mount Ida on the island of Crete. The storm was so bad they could not bear into the wind which means they could not look into the wind. The ship had to be driven where the storm directed them. They had no control. Vs 17 seems to indicate they lowered their sails, and tied their ropes under the ship to keep it together. In vs 18, they got rid of some of their cargo. In Vs 19, they can’t see the stars so they are lost at sea without the stars to guide them.
All of this paints a very bleak picture for these men. In vs 20, Luke concludes that they had lost all hope. This seems to even include Luke since he says we.
Bad things happen in our world that effect sinners and saints alike. Eccl 9:2-4 “All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath. This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead. For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.” THis storm affected Paul and Luke but it also affected the 276 men on board that ship.
Thinking back over our recent history here in America, there have been tragedies much like this storm that have affected our country. Both Christians and lost have been affected and caught up in these tragedies. Most recently, we can think of Covid19. In spite of how political it might have been, there were a lot of people who died during Covid. By April of 2023, estimates ranged 1.1 million deaths from Covid. Maybe even a little closer to our text is the events of Hurricane Katrina which though not nearly as deadly did much to destroy the city of New Orleans. And we remember every year, the events of 9-11. For the younger one’s who were not alive at that time, terrorists flew planes into the World Trade Centers and the Pentagon killing 2996 people.
What should Christians do when tragedy strikes? Do we silently sit by? Does the church have a job in these moments? The church is called by Jesus Christ a city on a hill. Matt 5:14-16 “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” What does it mean for us to let our light shine before men? Doesn’t it mean that we ought to be a light in the darkness of this world? Shouldn’t it include that in the tragedies of our world, people see our light and are pointed to Christ? What better time to shine that light than when people know they need to see it?
I believe this is exactly what Paul is doing in our text. Paul doesn’t sit silently by. Paul speaks up. He enters into the situation and offers hope when all hope was taken away. We are going to primarily be looking at the example of Paul in vs 21-26 this morning.
Paul’s Comfort
Paul’s Comfort
Acts 27:25 “Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.”
Everyone else had lost hope- As we saw earlier, the situation was very bleak for these men. Humanly speaking there was no reason to hope. When the world around us is dark, even we can lose sight of the hope. Notice again that even Luke had lost hope. Losing heart is not something only lost people do. Sometimes we can fall pray to despair. but if we have lost our hope, how are we going to be any help to anyone else. It is easier to save someone when you are standing on the firm ground, then to be drowning in the pool with the person you are trying to save. And we have reason for hope. Psalm 147:11 “The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, In those that hope in his mercy.” God’s covenant, steadfast love for us is unshaken. No matter the tragedy I find myself in, I must remember God’s love for me. We ought also to remember all the ways God has delivered us in the past and how He has taken care of us.Phil 1:6 “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:” Romans 15:4 “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” We must remember all the stories of the bible where God came through. Romans 15:13 “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.” We draw strength to hope from the Spirit. We cannot be a comfort to others if we have lost hope.
Paul draws comfort from the comfort God had given him- In Vs 24, Paul says that the angel of God came to him and told him Fear not. Paul was only able to comfort others because he had drawn comfort from his own relationship with the Lord. 2 Cor 1:4 “Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.” It is kinda hard to offer something you don’t have yourself. How can we comfort others when we aren’t walking with the Lord to experience that comfort ourselves. Paul includes in this passage that the comfort God gives us is not all about you. I know you might be hurting in the moment, but God has a bigger plan for your pain and the comfort he gives than just out momentary trial and it is momentary. Psalm 30:5 “For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” God works his work of grace comforting you so that you can have comfort to give to others. Think about all the trials you have faced in your life. How have you used those trials to be a blessing to someone else?
Paul speaks words of hope into their despair- What shouldn’t need to be pointed out here is that Paul speaks up. Paul’s love is not silent, but he acts on it. One of my favorite novels of all time is Les Miserables. In the book Victor Hugo has a challenging line: He who does not weep does not see. If we really saw the tragedy that others are facing would we not want to do something about it. James 2:15-16 “If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?” Paul doesn’t sit silently by but he speaks words of comfort. Notice what Paul says:
thou must be brought before Ceasar
God hath given thee all them that sail with thee
I believe God
Paul’s focus was on pointing men to God. His comfort was not platitudes. He didn’t respond with we shall get past this or it will be alright. He didn’t even say it all works out for good. We all want to make people feel better, but sometimes we just say meaningless things.
Paul was realistic- He did not deny the severity of the situation. Acts 27:26 “Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island.”
Application: In moments of tragedy, the world needs hope; but they don’t need just any hope. They need the hope that Jesus brings. From this example of Paul, we see one way that we as a church can provide that kind of hope. Maybe we shouldn’t be hiding in our buildings but actually engaging the world at times like these.
Paul’s Confession
Paul’s Confession
Acts 27:25 “Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.”
Do you believe God? When Philippians 4:6–8“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
Do you believe that is a reality?
When Jesus invites us to take his yoke upon us Matthew 11:28–30 “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Matthew 28:19–20 “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
Why is it that we struggle with believing God in the storm? How easily our hearts and our minds get shaken from what we believe about God! If we knew Him, truly knew him, wouldn’t that knowledge bouy us in the storm. Should faith really be that hard with such a God?
Spurgeon used his illustration:
Imagine a man of impeccable character whom everyone could trust, but one day someone asks one of his children if they could trust him. The child says, “You know my dad is of high repute but I still find it hard to believe him.” What would people then say of that father? “His own children do not even believe him, how can we!”
Paul’s faith was grounded in what God had told him. It shall be as it was told me. We know that Romans 10:17 “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” I can have faith that God is going to protect Harvest Hills Baptist church from ever being hit by a tornado, but has God promised such a thing. Faith must be grounded in what God has revealed to us. If I struggle to even believe what God has already spoken in His word, how am I going to believe what he speaks to my heart? 2 Peter 1:16–19 “For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:”
Paul could be be sure and draw comfort because he trusted what God said. Sometimes people need to be reminded that God can be trusted. We get sucked into our own like echo chamber of doom and gloom, but it takes someone coming alongside us and reminding us that God can be trusted. The first few chapters in Lamentations play out a dialogue between Lady Jerusalem and the narrator as Lady Jerusalem grieves over the tragedy that has befallen Jerusalem during the Seige. A study of the interactions of these two can give us a lot of lessons on dealing with those who grieve and have lost hope, but one thing we see the narrator doing in Lam 2:17-19 “The Lord hath done that which he had devised; he hath fulfilled his word that he had commanded in the days of old: He hath thrown down, and hath not pitied: and he hath caused thine enemy to rejoice over thee, He hath set up the horn of thine adversaries. Their heart cried unto the Lord, O wall of the daughter of Zion, let tears run down like a river day and night: Give thyself no rest; let not the apple of thine eye cease. Arise, cry out in the night: in the beginning of the watches Pour out thine heart like water before the face of the Lord: Lift up thy hands toward him for the life of thy young children, That faint for hunger in the top of every street.” What he has done is essentially reminded her that God does what he says he will do and therefore, she should call out to Him.
Paul’s Confidence
Paul’s Confidence
Acts 27:25 “Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.”
Paul could only have hope for the future because of his confidence that God would do what he said he would do. Paul believed it, but he trusted God. Romans 10:11 “For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.” Isa 49:23 “And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, And their queens thy nursing mothers: They shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth, And lick up the dust of thy feet; And thou shalt know that I am the Lord: For they shall not be ashamed that wait for me.” Joshua 1:9 “Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.”
What the world needs in moments of tragedy is not a weak apologetic church, but a strong church that is confident in their God. Our confidence doesn’t come from anything about us, but from whom we serve.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Maybe we don’t have a public platform where we could speak to the tragedies of our community, but maybe we should. Even if we don’t, you all know people. We can all be involved in the lives of people around us in our community who are hurting, who face tragedy. What about those in Shaddock affected by the fires. What can we do to offer hope in tragedy there?
What about your neighbor next door whose wife just died or the family whose kid just ran away from home? What the world needs is hope and that hope is only found in Jesus. How can we be a city on a hill?