Faith Amidst the Storm: Trusting God's Promises

 

Summary

In Acts 27, we find a gripping narrative of Paul's journey to Rome, marked by a fierce storm that threatened the lives of all aboard. This passage is not just a historical account but a profound illustration of faith, divine providence, and the sovereignty of God. As the ship is caught in a tempest, the crew and passengers, including Paul, face the very real possibility of death. Despite the dire circumstances, Paul stands as a beacon of hope, urging those around him to take heart because he has received a promise from God that no lives will be lost, only the ship.

Paul's confidence is rooted in his relationship with God, whom he describes as the one to whom he belongs and whom he serves. This sense of belonging and service is central to Paul's identity and mission. It is a reminder that our lives are not our own; we are owned by God, and our purpose is to serve Him. This ownership is not just a matter of creation but of redemption, as we have been bought with a price and belong to Christ.

The narrative also highlights the importance of believing God, not just believing in God. It is one thing to acknowledge God's existence; it is another to trust His promises and act on them. Paul's unwavering faith in God's word is a challenge to us all to trust in God's promises, even when circumstances seem insurmountable.

Furthermore, the story illustrates God's mercy and grace. The lives of all aboard the ship are spared, not because of their merit, but for Paul's sake. This mirrors our own salvation, which is granted not because of our righteousness but for the sake of Christ. It is a powerful reminder of the grace that extends beyond the individual to those around us.

Finally, the breaking of bread by Paul, though not a formal communion, echoes the Last Supper, symbolizing fellowship and the sustaining power of God's promises. It serves as a reminder that in the midst of life's storms, we are nourished and encouraged by God's presence and provision.

Key Takeaways:

- Divine Ownership and Service: Paul’s declaration of belonging to God underscores the profound truth that we are not our own. Our lives are owned by God, and our purpose is to serve Him. This divine ownership is both a privilege and a responsibility, calling us to live in a way that reflects our identity as God’s possession. [15:53]

- Faith in God's Promises: Believing in God is easy, but believing God—trusting His promises—is the true challenge of faith. Paul’s confidence in God’s word, despite the storm, challenges us to trust in God’s promises for our lives, even when circumstances seem dire. [26:40]

- Grace Beyond Merit: The salvation of the ship’s crew illustrates God’s grace, which extends beyond individual merit. Just as the crew was saved for Paul’s sake, we are saved for Christ’s sake, not because of our righteousness but because of God’s mercy. [24:35]

- The Power of Encouragement: In the midst of despair, Paul’s encouragement to the crew demonstrates the power of hope and faith. His assurance, rooted in God’s promise, brings courage and sustenance to those around him, reminding us of the impact of faith-filled encouragement. [29:02]

- Symbolism of the Breaking of Bread: Paul’s act of breaking bread, though not a formal communion, symbolizes fellowship and the sustaining power of God’s promises. It serves as a reminder that in life’s storms, we are nourished and encouraged by God’s presence and provision. [29:54]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:36] - The Tempestuous Journey Begins
- [01:25] - Paul's Prophetic Warning
- [02:08] - Nearing Land and Dropping Anchors
- [02:52] - The Sailors' Attempted Escape
- [03:32] - Paul's Encouragement and Thanksgiving
- [04:20] - Prayer for Providence
- [05:27] - Albright's Defense of Scripture
- [06:28] - Historical Reliability of Acts 27
- [08:08] - Luke's Accurate Maritime Account
- [09:46] - Paul's Arrest and Journey to Rome
- [11:14] - The Risk of Sailing in October
- [12:50] - The Storm and Loss of Hope
- [14:20] - Paul's Assurance of Safety
- [15:53] - Belonging to God and Serving Him
- [19:19] - The True Question: Does Jesus Know You?
- [22:11] - Serving Christ as Evidence of Belonging
- [24:35] - Salvation for Christ's Sake
- [26:40] - Believing God's Promises
- [29:02] - Breaking Bread and Encouragement

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
- Acts 27:13-38
- 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
- Romans 8:28

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Observation Questions:

1. What specific actions did the crew take to try to save the ship during the storm? How did these actions reflect their desperation? [00:36]

2. How did Paul reassure the crew and passengers about their safety, and what was the source of his confidence? [01:25]

3. What was the significance of Paul breaking bread and giving thanks in the presence of all on the ship? [03:32]

4. How does the narrative describe the sailors' initial reaction to the storm, and what changed after Paul's intervention? [13:34]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. How does Paul's declaration of belonging to God and serving Him reflect his identity and mission? What does this imply about the relationship between faith and service? [15:53]

2. In what ways does the story of the ship's salvation for Paul's sake illustrate the concept of grace beyond merit? How does this relate to the broader theme of salvation in Christianity? [24:35]

3. How does the narrative challenge the distinction between believing in God and believing God? What does this suggest about the nature of faith? [26:40]

4. What does the breaking of bread symbolize in this context, and how does it relate to the sustaining power of God's promises? [29:54]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on a time when you faced a "storm" in your life. How did your faith in God's promises help you navigate through it? What can you learn from Paul's example of faith and encouragement? [29:02]

2. Consider your sense of belonging to God. How does this identity influence your daily decisions and actions? What steps can you take to deepen your relationship with God and serve Him more fully? [15:53]

3. In what areas of your life do you find it challenging to trust God's promises? How can you cultivate a deeper trust in God's word, especially when circumstances seem insurmountable? [26:40]

4. How can you extend grace to others in your life, even when they may not "deserve" it? What practical steps can you take to reflect God's grace in your interactions with others? [24:35]

5. Think about a situation where you can offer encouragement to someone facing difficulties. How can you be a source of hope and support, similar to how Paul encouraged the crew? [29:02]

6. Reflect on the symbolism of breaking bread in your own life. How can you incorporate moments of gratitude and fellowship into your daily routine to remind yourself of God's presence and provision? [29:54]

7. Identify one specific promise of God that you want to hold onto this week. How can you remind yourself of this promise daily, and what actions can you take to live in alignment with it? [26:40]

Devotional

Day 1: Divine Ownership and Service
Paul’s declaration of belonging to God underscores the profound truth that we are not our own. Our lives are owned by God, and our purpose is to serve Him. This divine ownership is both a privilege and a responsibility, calling us to live in a way that reflects our identity as God’s possession. Paul’s confidence is rooted in his relationship with God, whom he describes as the one to whom he belongs and whom he serves. This sense of belonging and service is central to Paul’s identity and mission. It is a reminder that our lives are not our own; we are owned by God, and our purpose is to serve Him. This ownership is not just a matter of creation but of redemption, as we have been bought with a price and belong to Christ. [15:53]

"For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's." (Romans 14:7-8, ESV)

Reflection: In what ways can you intentionally live out your identity as God’s possession today, reflecting His ownership in your actions and decisions?


Day 2: Faith in God's Promises
Believing in God is easy, but believing God—trusting His promises—is the true challenge of faith. Paul’s confidence in God’s word, despite the storm, challenges us to trust in God’s promises for our lives, even when circumstances seem dire. The narrative highlights the importance of believing God, not just believing in God. It is one thing to acknowledge God’s existence; it is another to trust His promises and act on them. Paul’s unwavering faith in God’s word is a challenge to us all to trust in God’s promises, even when circumstances seem insurmountable. [26:40]

"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful." (Hebrews 10:23, ESV)

Reflection: Identify a promise from God’s Word that you find difficult to trust fully. How can you take a step of faith today to act on that promise?


Day 3: Grace Beyond Merit
The salvation of the ship’s crew illustrates God’s grace, which extends beyond individual merit. Just as the crew was saved for Paul’s sake, we are saved for Christ’s sake, not because of our righteousness but because of God’s mercy. The story illustrates God’s mercy and grace. The lives of all aboard the ship are spared, not because of their merit, but for Paul’s sake. This mirrors our own salvation, which is granted not because of our righteousness but for the sake of Christ. It is a powerful reminder of the grace that extends beyond the individual to those around us. [24:35]

"But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved." (Ephesians 2:4-5, ESV)

Reflection: Reflect on a time when you experienced God’s grace in a way that you did not deserve. How can you extend that same grace to someone else today?


Day 4: The Power of Encouragement
In the midst of despair, Paul’s encouragement to the crew demonstrates the power of hope and faith. His assurance, rooted in God’s promise, brings courage and sustenance to those around him, reminding us of the impact of faith-filled encouragement. Paul stands as a beacon of hope, urging those around him to take heart because he has received a promise from God that no lives will be lost, only the ship. His encouragement is a testament to the power of faith and hope in the face of adversity. [29:02]

"Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing." (1 Thessalonians 5:11, ESV)

Reflection: Who in your life needs encouragement today? How can you offer them hope and support, rooted in God’s promises?


Day 5: Symbolism of the Breaking of Bread
Paul’s act of breaking bread, though not a formal communion, symbolizes fellowship and the sustaining power of God’s promises. It serves as a reminder that in life’s storms, we are nourished and encouraged by God’s presence and provision. The breaking of bread by Paul, though not a formal communion, echoes the Last Supper, symbolizing fellowship and the sustaining power of God’s promises. It serves as a reminder that in the midst of life’s storms, we are nourished and encouraged by God’s presence and provision. [29:54]

"And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers." (Acts 2:42, ESV)

Reflection: How can you create a moment of fellowship and encouragement with someone this week, sharing in the sustaining power of God’s promises?

Quotes


But now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. For there stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve, saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must be brought before Caesar. Indeed, God has granted you all those who sail with you. Therefore take heart, men. For I believe God that it will be just as it was told me. However, we must run aground on a certain island. [00:01:38]

I heard directly from “the God to whom I belong.” To the God who owns me. This is so typical Paul. Throughout his epistles he talks about the divine ownership not only over the whole world, where he says “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness therein,” and all that they that dwell therein, that from the standpoint of creation God owns it all, but then beyond that idea of creation Paul speaks of redemption in a special sense of ownership where he says to his hearers, to his people you’re not your own. “You’ve been bought with a price.” You belong to the Lord. [00:16:05]

How does he start his letter to the Romans? “Paul, a slave of Jesus Christ.” I don’t like the old translation that says “Paul, a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ called to be an apostle,” because a servant is somebody that has wages, can come and go, and if they don’t like the job they have they can turn in their resignation and go get a job somewhere else, but not a doulos, not a bondservant, not a slave, as Paul describes himself in Romans 1. I belong to the Kyrios. [00:17:08]

The other metaphor that he uses so often in the New Testament is that of the shepherd and the sheep where Jesus is not a hireling who is contracted to watch over somebody else’s sheep that somebody else owns, but the good shepherd knows the sheep because they belong to him. They’re his sheep. How did they get to be his possession? “All that the Father gives to me come to me.” The sheep of Christ first belong to the Father. Then the Father in his electing grace gives those sheep to his son. [00:19:38]

The only reason I can give in heaven and earth why I’m in the kingdom of God today is not because of anything I ever did but because the Father gave me to the Son that he might see the travail of his soul and be satisfied. He gave to his Son an inheritance. He gave to his Son a possession, and that possession was his people. We are his sheep. We belong to him. And so Paul in passing says a message that I’m giving to you I got from the “angel of the God to whom I belong…” and then what does he say? “…and whom I serve.” [00:20:42]

How can you belong to Jesus and not serve Him? How can you be God’s possession and not seek service in his name? That’s something we need to stop and look at and be sobered by, because I ask you this. Are you serving Christ in your life? Honestly, do you serve him? If you don’t, then you don’t belong to him, because you cannot belong to Christ and not serve him with your life. What Paul is describing in his own situation is not unique to Paul. It’s the situation of anyone who is genuinely converted and genuinely a Christian. [00:21:29]

The only reason any of those sailors survived that storm was because God in his mercy granted them rescue for Paul’s sake. Now is there a lesson there? Are you saved? Saved from what? You know the answer. Salvation is from God, from his judgment, from his wrath. And why are we saved? Because we led a good life? No. Because we’ve merited a place in heaven? No. The only reason under heaven why any of us will ever be saved is for Christ’s sake. [00:24:35]

Christian, do you believe that about your life? About your death? About your future? God has never said that you won’t go through the valley of the shadow of death, but he said that he would go with you. And he does what he says he’s going to do. Our Lord Jesus said to his friends, “Let not your hearts be troubled. In my Father’s house are many mansions, and I’m going there now to prepare a place for you.” And what he says he’s going to do he does. [00:27:39]

So Paul said, okay. It’s time to eat. Today is the fourteenth day. You’ve waited and continued without food. Therefore I urge you to take nourishment for your survival, since not a hair will fall from the head of any of you. “And when he said these things he took bread and gave thanks to God in the presence of them all. When he had broken it he began to eat. And they were all encouraged and also took food themselves.” [00:29:16]

Now I don’t believe for a minute that Paul celebrated the Lord’s Supper on the deck of that ship. Not with unbelievers. But he did share a meal. Just as our Lord did in the upper room when he was celebrating the Passover with his disciples for the very last time, Paul tells us on that occasion Jesus took bread, and when he blessed it he broke it and he said, “ This is now my body broken for you. Eat all of it.’ [00:29:54]

And after they had supposed in like manner, he took the cup and he said, ‘I’m changing the meaning of the liturgy of the Passover. This blood now represents a new covenant, the covenant in my blood, which is shed for the remission of your sins. And as oft as ye eat of this bread and drink from this cup you show forth the Lord’s death until he comes.” And so this morning, dear friends, we will show forth the Lord’s death, even though the Lord is alive and he is here. [00:30:29]

And so this morning, dear friends, we will show forth the Lord’s death, even though the Lord is alive and he is here. Can you see him? I can’t. But he does what he says he will do. So he’s here. [00:31:01]

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Transcript
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