Salvation In the Storm (27:1-28:10)

Bible Passage: Acts 27:1-28:10

As we come into the final chapters of Acts, Paul is finally on his way to Rome. Though this had been his goal for a long time, the circumstances may not have been what he imagined. Having been arrested and faced trial in Jerusalem, Paul had appealed to the emperor and was been taken to Rome as a prisoner. Although the weather conditions were perilous, the captain of the ship filled with prisoners decided to risk the journey anyway, and the ship ended up in a heavy storm. Those on board were only spared because the Lord delivered them to safety.

Note – this is quite a long passage. You might want to choose certain parts of it to read and summarise the rest. 

Storms: The situation that Paul found himself in was totally outside his control. Whether or not to sail in the harsh conditions was not his choice, and even though Paul had tried to persuade the captain to wait for better sailing conditions, his warning was not heeded and he found himself at the mercy of the waves and winds. What Paul experienced has parallels in all of our lives. There are inevitably times when we face hardships and circumstances that are not what we would have chosen for ourselves but they come our way anyway. Even when the sailors did the best they could by human effort, such as throwing the cargo overboard, they were not able to get themselves out of the trouble that they had found themselves in.

Salvation: Though the sailors were not able to get out of their predicament by their own strength, hope was not lost because God intervened. In many ways this story serves as a parable of the salvation that we have received. An angel had appeared to Paul and assured him that everyone would survive. When an opportunity came for some to take a lifeboat and leave the others, Paul warned them to abandon the effort. Receiving salvation God’s way means turning away from whatever efforts we might make to save ourselves.

Shipwreck: Though Paul had been spared from the storm, this was not the end of his troubles. God’s salvation is not the end of the story for believers, and there is a need for constant reliance on the Lord. The first issue for Paul was the plot of the soldiers to kill all of the prisoners, and the Lord worked through the centurion to thwart this plot. Then he was bitten by a snake, and God prevented his hand from being swollen by the venom. After this the people started to think of him too highly and see him as a god. As a result of it all, Paul had some great opportunities to minister and pray for healing for people on the island.

Potential Applications:

• God saving Paul from the storm is a picture of God saving believers from sin. You could offer an opportunity for people to respond and put their trust in Jesus.
• You could offer prayer for an facing ‘stormy’ situations in life that God will work for their deliverance in those situations.