8-6-2022 Miami Seventh Day BAPTIST Pastor Noel “No Sun, No Stars, No Moon” Acts 27;13-26

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8-6-2022 Miami Seventh Day BAPTIST Pastor Noel “No Sun, No Stars, No Moon” Acts 27;13-26

 

 

The storm that Luke and Paul were caught up in is the longest story in the New Testament, besides the crucifixion and resurrection. It takes up two and a half chapters in Acts. Luke describes this storm and this is important because some of you are going thru a storm in many different ways. Let me tell you something about storms. If you are not going thru a storm then you don’t really care about this message. If you are not going thru a crisis or thru financial pressure then you won’t care. Most of the times when you ask someone how they are doing and they tell you details on how they really are, you say thank God that’s not me. But when it is you that is going thru a trial, then nothing else matters because you are in the storm. Because it is you. When the doctor says you have a terminal condition, when the bank says they are taking your house or when your employer says they are laying you off, you are in a crisis. You are in a crisis and there is nothing else that you can see.

 

In the scriptures it says that Luke and Paul were on a ship. Listen to me, this was not a Carnival cruise, they were not going on an all-expense-paid trip, but Paul was a prisoner in chains. Luke is going with him to support him as a faithful servant. With Paul there were two roman soldiers always chained to him. One on the left side and one on the right side. Paul had told them before the boat left that something was not right with the weather and that they should wait. They didn’t listen to Paul and now this two week storm hits their ship. They were dragged along with the storm.

 

Can you imagine being in a storm that is dragging you along? You are constantly in the same storm conditions and you are being blown along the way with the storm. The same can be said about us Christians. If you really understand your relationship with God, it is not dependent on the storm. It won’t matter what storm you are going thru because your walk with God will be steady. But sometimes we have moments in our lives during a storm that we can get weak. Let us look at verses 33 to 36. The men on the boat had lost their appetite because of the storm but Paul prayed to God who said they would be okay. When we are in a storm, sometimes we first lose our appetite and then second we lose our sleep and third we lose our Faith. Paul said it had been 14 days that they had not eaten during the storm. In verse 20 it says that after many days of not seeing the sun or stars, all hope they had for being saved was gone.

 

After many days is what Luke says. Let me tell you this, Satan does not hit you and run. He will hit you and stay! I will say this again so you don’t miss it. Satan does not hit you and run. He will hit you and will stay right there with you. Satan will challenge you. You wake up in the morning, he will challenge you. You wake up in the evening, he will challenge you. You go to bed, he will challenge you. You come to serve in the church, Satan will challenge you. He will sit down right beside you and challenge you. Hold onto your Bible as much as you can before walking into the room, into the church sanctuary. Do this by faith and by reading the Word of God.

 

After many days on the ship with the storm and no moon or stars, the men on the ship lost hope. This is important – the storm obstructed them, got in their way, but the sun was still there. The sun never left and the stars did not leave either. It was their hope that left them. The storms of our life will make us forget that there is a sun, including the Son of God, Jesus Christ. The storms make you forget the Son, make you forget the stars which are your angels and your angelic help from God. You feel like you are alone. Luke said they lost hope, he had lost hope. Paul depended on God and did not lose hope as we see in verses 23 to 25.

 

Paul believed that a miracle would come from God and we all should have this same belief. Forget about us not wanting to be disappointed. Have Faith and believe in the miracles of God and watch Him do His miracles. Even though the storm has obstructed your seeing the sun and stars, believe in God and in Jesus for your miracle. Have hope, believe and get ready to receive. Hope is Faith in the future. God is here right now and tomorrow He is waiting for us. Have Faith in the future with God the Almighty.

 

AMEN

[tim_from_pa]

Happy Sabbath!  This is the day I love to study and spend special time with the Lord. Speaking of storms and trials in our lives, I always got a kick out of how laid back the Lord was when he was in the boat along with his disciples when the bad storm arose. I mean, he was asleep through all this unaffected.  I could even imagine water splashing him on the face and he's dreaming of swimming and spits out water lol.  But the disciples were terrified.  Of course we know that outcome and during trials of our lives, I think it's not only wonderful to know that the Lord is there to help us, but he even injected some humor into the situation so that we can even have a chuckle and laugh in the face of adversity.