Sermons

Weathering Tempests

November 20, 2022 Preacher: Thinus Meyer Series: Acts - The Gospel in Motion

Topic: Christian Living Scripture: Acts 27:1–44

In Acts 27, we have a record of Paul's voyage to Rome as a prisoner and it almost reads like a page out of a ship's log. The two overriding concepts in this chapter are the providence of God in preserving and keeping Paul and the whole crew of the ship, and the personal faith of Paul.  Whenever there were troubles or trials, this man Paul was in the center of it all, and he always stood out among men as a great man of faith who truly affected people around him for good.

Even if you’ve never been in a storm at sea, you have been and will be in many storms in life. In some of them, you may despair of life itself, even as everyone on board here did (27:20). Paul’s experience teaches us that if we will trust in God’s sovereign care for us in life’s storms, He will use us to bear witness to many.

Getting Started

  1. Have you ever been on a boat or a cruise when the weather was bad at sea? Share your most unforgettable moment.

Read Acts 27:13-44

  1. What insight, principle, or observation from Sunday’s sermon did you find to be the most helpful, eye-opening, or troubling?

 Digging Deeper

  1. In v.35, when Paul encouraged them all to eat some bread, Paul could have thought, “These are pagan men. Why ask God’s blessing on the food in front of such rough men?” Why do you think Paul went ahead with asking God’s blessings?

 

  1. As long as men can devise human ways of coping with the storm apart from God, they will do so. The sailors had heard Paul’s testimony that God would deliver them all, but they were going to use their own ingenuity to save themselves. What are some ways that people try to cope with life’s storms apart from God?

 

  1. The storm did not take God by surprise. He was not in heaven in a panic, summoning His angels to come up with a rescue plan for Paul. God caused the boat to drift 476 miles from the small island of Clauda to Malta, another speck in that vast sea. Although the sailors were not in control, God was! Why is the doctrine of God’s sovereignty very practical in life’s storms? Why is a denial of it a serious error?

The Heart of the Matter

  1. If we can’t determine God’s will by the absence of trials, how can we know that we are in His will?
  2. Exactly how should Christians be different than the world in the midst of trials? Is it wrong to cry or express grief?
  1. Even though the sailors did not know where they were and had no control over the situation, God knew exactly where they were. What storms have you gone through that have strengthened your faith and trust in our sovereign Lord?

More in Acts - The Gospel in Motion

November 27, 2022

To the End of the Earth

November 13, 2022

Crazy for Jesus

November 6, 2022

Responding to the Resurrection.