Mims Chapel Church 

​LESSON 8

Believers Dealing With Storms

Background Reading                               Devotional Reading
Proverbs 1 :27; 10:25; Exodus                   Matthew 7:24-27
9:24; Isaiah 25:4; Matthew 8:24

Central Verse
"Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved."
Acts 27:31, KJV

"But Paul said to the commanding officer and the soldiers, "You will all die unless the soldiers stay aboard."
Acts 27:31, NLT

Key Terms
Tumultuous—Marked by a turbulent uprising: loud, excited, and emotional.

Atmospheric—Of, relating to, or occurring in the atmosphere.
Disturbance—The act of disturbing someone or something: the state of being disturbed—such as an interruption of a state of peace, quiet, or calm.

Introduction

Storms in the Bible often represent various aspects of God's power, judgment, and sovereignty. Storms are frequently mentioned in the Bible, often in reference to the multiple stages of life that believers experience. Storms serve as reminders of God's supreme authority in the lives of His people. In life, believers encounter many physical storms that can be both destructive and life-changing. Some storms are so violent that they destroy the very landscape of an area. There was a violent hurricane in the Louisiana area about twenty years ago, named Katrina, that was so destructive that parts of that area have not yet been restored to their former image.

When Jesus was asleep and a storm arose, the disciples woke Him up because they were afraid. The fact that He arose and calmed the Sea of Galilee demonstrates His dominion over the forces of nature and His ability to bring peace and order out of chaos. Jesus wants believers to know that if He has power over the forces of nature, He can certainly handle the forces of evil that come against them as children of God.

Discussion

Storms in the lives of believers can be likened to testing, trials, and challenges in their spiritual journey. There will be times in the lives of believers when they face difficult and tumultuous circumstances that test their trust and faith in God.

Just as Jesus questioned the faith of His disciples, storms in the lives of believers serve to refine and strengthen their faith; teaching them to rely on the presence and power of their Father during adversity. God wants the believer to know that they can be in a storm, which may be a time of judgment, purification, power, or testing, but if they are in His will, everything will be all right. God is faithful to the believers, and He wants them to be loyal to Him even in the midst of storms.

Storms are powerful atmospheric disturbances that can be very destructive; similarly, spiritual storms can be equally devastating. Physical storms, such as tornadoes, Cyclones, Hurricanes, Typhoons, snow, rain, hail, windstorms, and other storms, can be intense and chaotic. Spiritual storms can shake a person's foundational beliefs, testing their faith to the point where they question whether they are saved. It can cause them to forget their profession of faith and allow fear and doubt to become so strong that they lose their confidence in their Lord and Savior. Storms can bring out the worst in a believer if they don't get a hold of their mind and begin to focus on the positive Word of God.

It was not unusual for the people of Paul's day to experience storms, just as the people in the United States know that there is a Hurricane season every fall. Because it can be destructive, they must prepare for them. The believers must understand that storms are coming, and they must prepare for them.

Paul knew that he was going to be taken to Rome because of the charges against him, but he also knew that it was the season of storms. He knew that the sailing season was coming to an end, and it was not a good time to travel by sea. He had appealed to Caesar and was placed under the custody of a centurion named Julius, who was very kind and courteous to

him. This man gave him the liberty to visit his friends. Paul was a Jew, but he was also a Roman citizen; therefore, he had certain rights and privileges as a Roman citizen.

Paul's voyage began on a ship from Adramyttium, and later they transferred to an Alexandrian ship bound for Italy. As they traveled, the sea journey began to become perilous, for as they sailed along the coast of Asia Minor, they encountered adverse winds. The crew of the ship made slow progress due to the weather, but they eventually reached Fair Havens on the island of Crete. Paul, being a man of God who had experience and divine insight, warned the crew of impending danger in (Acts 21:10). He told them that if they continued their journey, their journey would end in great disaster and significant loss of the cargo, the ship, as well as the lives of the men. But the pilot and the owner persuaded the centurion to continue the journey.

Shortly after they left Crete, a violent storm, accompanied by a tempestuous wind called Euroclydon, came upon them with such power that they could not control the ship, so they let it drift. They had made it to an Island called Claudia. They used ropes to undergird the ship, for they feared running into quicksand. The ship was constantly tossed about in a tempest, so the next day the crew took measures to secure the ship by throwing part of the cargo overboard in an attempt to lighten the ship. However, despite their efforts, the storm continued to rage for many days.

Conclusion

Paul was a true leader from God who stood as a beacon of hope to the men on the ship. They were in despair, but Paul encouraged them with a message from God. It's essential to hear God's voice amidst a storm. He told them that he had a visit from God, who sent an angel who told him not to be afraid. The angel said to him that he would stand trial before Caesar, and all the sailors on the ship would be saved.

He told the men to eat so they could gain strength and lift their spirits. Paul offered thanks to God and waited, trusting God. After fourteen days and nights of drifting, they approached land. Fearing they would run aground on rocks, they dropped four anchors, but the ship hit a sandbar and began to break apart.

The soldiers had planned to kill the prisoners, but the centurion stopped them so he could save Paul's life. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard and make it to the land. Those who couldn't swim held on to the planks and debris, and all 278 people made it to the shore safely, just as Paul had told them.

Just as God preserved Paul and the men on the ship after that horrible storm, He will keep any believer who trusts and obeys Him during the storms in their lives.

Questions

What kind of storms come into believers' lives?
How do they handle these storms?
What did the disciples do when the storm was raging?
What was significant about how Jesus handled the storm?
How did God work for Paul in his storm?

Essential Thought- "Storms will come in the lives of believers, but they know that their God will take care of them."

Copyright © Mims Chapel COGIC. All rights reserved.