Subject to the Storm

Acts 27:1–44

Acts 18:9–10 – “And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, ‘Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, 10 for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I am with you, and I have many in this city who are my people.’”

Acts 23:11 – “The following night the Lord stood by him and said, ‘Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.’”

The Journey Begins

Acts 27:1–2 – “And when it was decided that we should sail for Italy, they delivered Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion of the Augustan Cohort named Julius. 2 And embarking in a ship of Adramyttium, which was about to sail to the ports along the coast of Asia, we put to sea, accompanied by Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica.”

Ephesians 4:10

Philemon 23–24

Acts 27:3 – “The next day we put in at Sidon. And Julius treated Paul kindly and gave him leave to go to his friends and be cared for.”

Acts 27:4–6 – “And putting out to sea from there we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were against us. 5 And when we had sailed across the open sea along the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra in Lycia. 6 There the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing for Italy and put us on board.”

Warning Ignored

Acts 27:9–10 – “Since much time had passed, and the voyage was now dangerous because even the Fast was already over, Paul advised them, 10 saying, ‘Sirs, I perceive that the voyage will be with injury and much loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.’”

Acts 27:11–12 – “But the centurion paid more attention to the pilot and to the owner of the ship than to what Paul said. 12 And because the harbor was not suitable to spend the winter in, the majority decided to put out to sea from there.”

The Storm

Acts 27:14–15 – “A tempestuous wind, called the northeaster, struck down from the land. 15 And when the ship was caught and could not face the wind, we gave way to it and were driven along.”

Acts 27:18 – “Jettison the cargo.”

Acts 27:19 – “They threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands.”

Acts 27:21 – “Since they had been without food for a long time, Paul stood up among them and said, ‘Men, you should have listened to me…’”

God Speaks in the Storm

Acts 27:22–24 – “Yet now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship… ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar.’”

Acts 27:25 – “So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told.”

Acts 27:26 – “But we must run aground on some island.”

The Ship Breaks, God Delivers

Acts 27:41–44 – “But striking a reef, they ran the vessel aground… And so it was that all were brought safely to land.”

Key Takeaways

1. The Lord is faithful to us, even in the midst of the storm.

Matthew 28:20

2. The Lord is sovereign over the storm.

Psalm 107:29