How to thrive in a storm | First Wednesday | June 2020

How to thrive in a storm

What the Bible says about Storms

A. There are different kinds

1. We encounter storms of our own making

2. Sometimes God allows the storms

3. Then, there is the kind that others create for us

B. How did we get here? 

1. We stop listening to God

Acts 27:10-11 (NIV) 
10 "Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also." 11 But the centurion, instead of listening to what Paul said, followed the advice of the pilot and of the owner of the ship.

2. We believe the experts before we believe GodI

3. We are mobbed by the majority

Acts 27:12 (NIV) 
”Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided that we should sail on, hoping to reach Phoenix and winter there.”

4. We misinterpret circumstance as God

Acts 27:13 (NIV) 
”When 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.”

What we don’t want to do, in the Storm!

• Drift

  Acts 27:15 (NIV) 
  ”The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way

  to it and were driven along.”

• Discard

  Acts 27:18-19 (NIV) 
  ”We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard. 19 On the third day, they threw the ship's tackle overboard with their own hands.”

• Despair

  
  Acts 27:20 (NIV) 
  ”When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved.”

  Keep up your Courage!

Acts 27:21-26 (NIV)
”After 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. But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed.  Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me and 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.' So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island."