The Lord in the Storm

Acts: The Gospel in the City PART XXVIX
Dr. Timothy Keller
23 June 2013

Acts 27:13-34
13When a gentle sound wind began to blow, they saw their opportunity; so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete.  14Before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called the Northeaster, swept down from the island.  15The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along.  16As we passed to the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were hardly able to make the lifeboat secure, 17so the men hoisted it aboard.  Then they passed ropes under the ship itself to hold it together.  Because they were afraid they would run aground on the sandbars of Syrthis, they lowered the sea anchor and let the ship be driven along.  18We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard.  19On the third day, they threw the ship's tackle overboard with their own hands.  20When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved.

21After they had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said: "Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss.  22But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed.  23Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me 24and said, 'Do not be afraid, Paul.  You must stand trial before Caesar; and God graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.'  25So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me.  26Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island.

27On the fourtheenth night we were still being driven acorss the Adriatic Sea, when about midnight the sailors sensed they were approaching land.  28They took soundings and found that the water was a hundred and twenty feet deep.  A short time later they took soundings again and found it was ninety feet deep.  29Fearing that we would be dashed against the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight.  30In an attempt to escape from the ship, the sailors let the lifeboat down into the sea, pretending they were going to lower some anchors from the bow.  31Then Paul said to the centurion and soldiers, "Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved."  32So the soldiers cut the ropes that held the lifeboat and let it drift away.

33Just before dawn  Paul urged them all to eat.  "For the last fourteen days," he asid, "you have been in constant suspense and have gone without food--you haven't eaten anything.  34Now I urge you to take some food.  You need it to survive.  Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head."

PARADOX OF THE STORMS
--God is 100% in charge yet we are still 100% responsbible for what we do.
--God orders what comes to pass through our free choices.
--What I do matters and has consequences.
--Paul isn't passive--He's calm, not panicked.

PURPOSE OF THE STORMS
--Better off surviving the storms.
--Good news of suffering; Bad things that happened to Joseph laed to great things.
--Genesis 50:20 - Evil that God allows was meant for good.
--Horrible things that was done to Jesus accomplished salvation for the world.
--Romans 8:28
--Unless you suffer, you really don't posses your soul.

PRESENCE OF THE STORMS
--Same experience that makes someone can break others.
--Presence of God allows us to survive
--Because we walk with God
--The God to whom I belong.
--Jesus was consumed by the ultimate storm so that we can be saved.