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Journey Through the Storm


RETIREDFAN1

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Journey Through the Storm

 

Paul had been illegally jailed by the Jewish leaders. He, as a Roman citizen, had the right to appeal his case to Caesar. He did this, and was being taken to Rome to be heard by Nero.

Acts 23: 11

 

We can read about how his trip to Rome got underway. 

Acts 27: 1 - 8

 

While his journey began fairly uneventfully, they would be meeting up with trouble in the form of a storm later on. It is this storm where we get our lesson from today. We can learn several things from the example Paul showed us in his journey through the storm. In our lesson today, we are going to look at several things that Paul gave to the others while on board the ship. 

 

First, Paul gave them a warning. 

Acts 27: 9 - 12

 

Paul warned the masters of the ship that they should remain at Fair Haven because there would be a lot of losses if they decided to keep sailing at that time. As usual with unbelievers, the warning was ignored. The Roman centurion would not take the advice of a prisoner over that of the ship’s pilot and its owner. 

The majority of people on the trip also decided that they’d rather sail on instead of staying there. Since they didn’t listen to Paul, the ship cast off and kept going. 

 

What lessons can we learn from this today? First, just like Paul gave them warning, we too must give warning to those in spiritual danger. It is our responsibility to let people know the dead state that their soul is in. 

Ezekiel 33: 7 - 9

 

If we don’t do this, God will not be pleased with us. In fact, if we do not do our duty to warn the lost, their blood will be required at our hand. 

Ezekiel 3: 18

 

We see then that we are required to warn the lost. It is a very great day when they actually listen to the warning and come to obey God. However, most of the time, like those on the ship, the warning is ignored. Like the centurion, the pilot, and the owner of the ship, pride often gets in the way of listening to the warning. People simply refuse to accept that they are wrong. They refuse to accept that they will burn if they don’t turn. 

Proverbs 16: 18



 

Others will ignore the warning because they are not going to do anything that the majority of the people around them are not  doing. Following the majority is their attitude. Like on the ship, the majority wanted to keep going. People live under the false assumption that if the majority is doing something, it can’t be wrong. Jesus taught differently. In fact, He taught us that the majority is moving in the wrong direction most of the time. 

Matthew 7: 13 - 14

 

The next thing Paul gave the people on the ship with him was hope. As Paul had warned, they were struck by a huge storm. They had to throw all of their cargo overboard just to stay afloat. Despite this huge storm, Paul spoke words of hope to them.

Acts 27: 21 - 26

 

Being Paul, he first stated that they should have listened to him in the first place. He then told them that an angel had spoken to him and revealed that there would be no loss of life. This was due to the fact that God had chosen Paul to deliver the gospel to Nero. Since Paul had to do this, God would make sure all on the ship survived. The ship, however, would run aground and be destroyed. 

 

So what can we learn today from this? As Christians, we give the world hope that is found only in the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Romans 1: 16

 

The gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who will believe and obey. When someone does believe and obey, they have a hope that goes beyond the grave to eternal life. We must be the ones who deliver this hope to the world.

Matthew 5: 13 - 16

 

The next thing that Paul gave them was encouragement. 

Acts 27: 33 - 38

 

They had gone 2 weeks without nourishment. They were worried that they would die in the storm. When death is hanging over your head, food isn’t a priority. Paul encouraged them to eat and gave them the assurance that they would live. Eating gave them not only physical strength, but mental and spiritual hope as well. 

 

What can we learn? We also must give encouragement. We must give encouragement to one another. 

Romans 1: 11 - 13

Colossians 4: 8

 

We are plainly told that we should offer encouragement.

I Thessalonians 5: 11

 

We encourage one another by the Word of God. 

I Thessalonians 4: 18


 

As Christians, we are often isolated from the rest of the world because they don’t like what we teach. That’s why we are told to offer encouragement to each other. This is so that we can build one another up and not lose heart because of the world around us. 

II Corinthians 4: 16 - 17

 

We, too, are journeying through a storm. The storm we face are the trials and temptations surrounding us in this lost and dead world. We must remain the ones bringing hope to the lost. 

 

We can do this by following the example Paul showed in his journey through the storm.  We must warn the lost about the condition their soul is in. We must show them how to find salvation and hope. We must show them that hope that exists for their salvation if they will believe and obey God. We must encourage the lost as well as the brethren. Doing this will help us as we struggle through the storms that this world confronts us with on a daily basis. We must never give up.

Galatians 6: 9 






 

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