{"id":32612,"date":"2024-09-22T22:00:17","date_gmt":"2024-09-23T05:00:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/acts-27_1-12-copy\/"},"modified":"2024-08-09T12:17:48","modified_gmt":"2024-08-09T19:17:48","slug":"acts-27_13-26","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/acts-27_13-26\/","title":{"rendered":"The God Who\u2019s Greater Than The Storm"},"content":{"rendered":"

Acts 27:13-26\u00a0 \u00a0(CLICK HERE FOR\u00a0BIBLE VERSES)<\/a><\/p>\n

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Hi GAMErs,<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s passage is Acts 27:13-26.\u00a0 As usual,\u00a0I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit\u2019s help, then read the GAME sharing below.\u00a0 Let’s go!<\/p>\n

Acts 27:13-26 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n13\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0When a gentle south wind began to blow, they thought they had obtained what they wanted; so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete.
\n14\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called the “northeaster,” swept down from the island.
\n15\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along.
\n16\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0As we passed to the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were hardly able to make the lifeboat secure.
\n17\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0When the men had hoisted it aboard, they passed ropes under the ship itself to hold it together. Fearing that they would run aground on the sandbars of Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor and let the ship be driven along.
\n18\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard.
\n19\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0On the third day, they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands.
\n20\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved.
\n21\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0After the men 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.
\n22\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0But now I urge you to\u00a0keep up your courage<\/strong>, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed.
\n23\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me
\n24\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’
\n25\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0So\u00a0keep up your courage<\/strong>, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me.
\n26\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island.” \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 13-26:\u00a0 As Paul and about 270 others sail to Rome, their ship is caught in the middle of a storm of hurricane proportions called a northeaster.\u00a0 After many days of fearing for their lives, Paul stands up and addresses everyone on the ship, telling them to keep up their courage, because God spoke to Paul and assured him that he would go to Rome to testify before Caesar and that not one person on this ship would be lost.<\/p>\n

What was Paul\u2019s hope in the biggest storm of his life?\u00a0 The Word of God.\u00a0 It was God\u2019s word, spoken to Paul\u2019s heart, that gave Paul uncommon courage and the ability to help others in an incredibly stressful and uncertain time.<\/p>\n

Believe it or not, I\u2019m not someone who likes to talk.\u00a0 I\u2019m a pretty quiet person when I\u2019m on my own.\u00a0 But God also gave me a passion for His church.\u00a0 And when my wife and I were being commissioned to plant a church in Vancouver, the prospect of having to preach every Sunday was daunting and scary to me.\u00a0 But I remember I was in Taipei, Taiwan walking on Chung Shan North Road, when I sensed the Holy Spirit say to me, \u201cJB, you never have to worry about what to preach on Sundays.\u201d\u00a0 Many years later, I still hang onto this word.\u00a0 In those times when I\u2019m stressed, times when I\u2019m not sure what to preach, starting to feel overwhelmed, I hang onto this word that God spoke to my heart, and it gives me courage to give my best and to move forward.<\/p>\n

Believing in God\u2019s Word doesn\u2019t mean being blind to reality.<\/strong>\u00a0 For example, Paul knew that the situation was dire and that they would need to run aground on some island (v26).\u00a0 But Paul also believed that\u00a0God\u2019s promise is greater than our circumstances<\/strong>, so he could still have hope in the midst of great uncertainty and difficulty.<\/p>\n

God\u2019s Word and courage go hand in hand.<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0In fact, over and over again in my life, I\u2019ve found that\u00a0the biggest reason, and sometimes the only reason, we can have courage to face a tough situation is God\u2019s Word<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

When you\u2019re facing an uncertain future or tough circumstances beyond your control, you have a choice:\u00a0 you can either panic and worry, or you can hang onto God’s Word and have hope.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>If you want uncommon courage and hope, along with the ability to help others, hear the Word of God and hang onto it as your hope.\u00a0 Because of God\u2019s Word, we have good reason to keep up our courage and not lose it.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Finally, notice what Paul says in verse 23: \u201cthe God whose<\/u>\u00a0I am\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0When you\u2019re going through a storm, it helps to remember not just who you are, but\u00a0whose you are<\/u><\/strong>.\u00a0 In other words, you belong to God.\u00a0 When you know whose you are:\u00a0In other words, you belong to God.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>When you know whose you are:<\/p>\n