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I grew up with a fear of flying. In the eighth grade I flew for the very first time on an airplane to Washington D.C. As we were in this airplane, there was a tornado on the runway, and you could listen to the pilot talk about, "Hey, we're going to have to divert to another airport," then, "Hey, I don't know if we have enough fuel," all while the plane's bouncing around and people have those bags out. I'm just like, is this normal? Is this what flying is like? When we land, I'm like, I don't ever want to do that again.
Of course, as I grew up, sometimes I had to travel, and every time I would get on the airplane, it seemed like they would say, "Hey, we're going to be going through some turbulence today." I'm like, that's the only kind of air I know — it is the rough kind.
In March, my wife and I were flying to Miami, and of course I have a little bit of anxiety getting on this airplane with her. We're up in the sky and the pilot comes over the intercom and says, "Hey guys, we're going to be flying through some storms today, there's some storm cells, so we're going to be experiencing some rough air... you're going to keep your seatbelts on, I'm going to have the flight attendants stay in their seats." I'm just like, oh no, here we go again.
So I pull out my Bible, because God protects you when you have your Bible open, I guess — you get superstitious, you're like, what do I do to make this okay? As soon as it's open on my lap, we hit the rough air. I mean, the plane just fell out of the sky. My Bible bounces off the ceiling. It was that kind of moment. Everybody's panicked. The guy in front of me was drinking coffee — he's now wearing coffee. The lady behind me, an elderly grandmother with her grandchildren, just grabs their hands and starts praying. She's clearly Pentecostal, praying fire down on this plane. I'm like, yeah, I'm here for it. So I turn around and grab her hand. She opens one eye like, who's this stranger? I'm like, keep praying, lady.
And then I'm just like, wait a minute, this isn't how I go out — I'm a pastor. You're not going to take my wife and I down like this, Lord, cuz I know you're in control. But then I look around the plane and realize it's a bunch of wild spring breakers, and I'm like, what if we're just collateral damage? We just got on the wrong aircraft.
As I continued to work through my fear of flying, I realized it's actually just the fear of being out of control — specifically, being out of control when there's turbulence, when there's a storm.
Here's the punchline: you're not in control. You don't control the storm. And storms of life are a certainty. You're either in one, you're coming out of one, or you're headed toward one. Every single person here falls into one of those three categories.
So we're going to learn from the Apostle Paul what to do in the midst of the storm when we feel out of control. This is one of the greatest chapters of leadership in your entire Bible — Acts chapter 27.
We've been going through Acts learning from the life of the Apostle Paul in a series called In Game. Two weeks ago, Pastor Josh talked about the ABCs of sharing your faith. Last week, Pastor Mike instructed us around the word almost — Herod Agrippa almost trusted Christ. What does it look like to get so close and almost go all in with Jesus? But today, I want to talk about what do you do when life feels turbulent and you feel out of control?```
Maybe this morning it's your marriage — maybe you got in an argument on your way to church, and it's a little bumpy. Maybe it's a kid you're watching make destructive life decisions, and you feel like they're not listening, and it's so painful. Maybe it's a difficult relationship within your family — you don't feel seen, loved, heard, or honored. Maybe it's work — a job just ended, or ended months and months ago and you're so tired of interviews and rejection. Or maybe you're in a job that hopefully somebody else wants because you hate it, and it is a storm.
Maybe it's health — chasing diagnosis and prognosis and medicine and doctors, trying just to feel okay. Maybe it's age — you wish there was a prospect, someone you could even spend time with, and you're just in a season of loneliness.
Before we dive into the scripture, I want you thinking: what is the storm you're in, you're coming out of, or you're headed into? Underneath all of the fears we experience, it's ultimately, "What am I going to do when I am not in control?"
Right now, there's something very interesting happening in our country. You can call it a great awakening, an outpouring of the spirit, the spirit stirring, or as I do, a revival. Lake Pointe Church is at the center of whatever God is doing in our country. 700-something baptisms the other day — that's not normal. God is doing a unique work in and through your church, and I don't want you to take it for granted.
Paul is a prisoner. He has been tried by the Sanhedrin, arrested in Jerusalem. He's appeared before Felix, before Festus, before Agrippa. He's innocent — Festus and Agrippa believe he's innocent — but Paul has appealed to Caesar in Rome, because this is God's calling on his life, that he would go to Rome, the epicenter of culture, and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. He knew he was going to go to Rome; God told him he was going to go to Rome. He just didn't know he was going to Rome in chains.
He's getting on board a ship, a giant boat, as a prisoner with 275 other people. There are sailors, soldiers, the Centurion Julius — a commander over 100 soldiers (think century, centurion). And there's Luke and Aristarchus. How did they get to go with Paul? They probably said, "Hey, we're his servants," and in the first century, servants could go with a prisoner of honor. Luke writes "we" — he's writing down what he sees in great detail. In fact, secular historians and unbelieving archaeologists have read this chapter to study first-century seamanship, because the details are unbelievable.
"Much time had been lost, and sailing had already become dangerous because by now it was after the Day of Atonement... So Paul warned them, 'Men, I can see that a voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to the ship and cargo and to our own lives.' But the Centurion, instead of listening to Paul the prisoner, followed the advice of the pilots and the owner of the ship. Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided that we should sail on, hoping to reach Phoenix and winter there." (Acts 27:9, paraphrased)
59 AD would put this at October 5th, and Romans considered sailing after September 15th to be a death sentence — it was hurricane season. They're at Myra boarding a grain ship — not a small fishing boat like Jesus and his disciples used, but a big merchant ship: about 180 feet long, 50 feet wide, carrying 276 people and cargo.
Paul is practically an expert in shipwrecks — 2 Corinthians 11 says he'd already been shipwrecked three times, and that was written prior to Acts 27, so this is his fourth. He's collecting shipwreck stories. When Paul the prisoner says, "Hey, we shouldn't go," they should have listened to him. But Centurion Julius listens to the boat captain and owner instead, and they sail on.
It would have been so easy for Paul to think, "Well, they're not going to listen to me." Instead, he calmly warns them: "Hey, if you do that, this is what's going to happen." Because Paul knows who's in control. That is very apparent in his life.
There is no imperative command in this chapter of scripture — no "thou shalt." This is all descriptive, not prescriptive. As it describes history, we learn from Paul's example.
In the storms of life, stay calm by remembering who controls the outcome.
Paul cannot control the weather. He cannot control the sailors, the soldiers, the Centurion, or what the Centurion believes is true. But he can have faith in the One who controls all of those things, and he can calmly demonstrate that faith by giving them divine instructions — so that he might curry favor with them, so that at some point they might listen to him.
This is parenting. As you show a child the way they should go, so they grow old and don't depart from it. It's calmly saying, "Hey, you do this, it's going to go poorly. You do this, it's going to go well." This is leadership too — in companies and organizations, people are learning whether they can trust you or not based on how you respond.
It's easy to think, "They won't listen, they'll never listen." In pastoral ministry, someone will say, "So-and-so really hurt me," and I'll say, "Well, scripture tells us that you should go to them and tell them," and people respond, "Oh, that will never work." So you determine your obedience based on your perceived outcome, rather than trusting the One who controls the outcome.
I've been spending some time in this book, and it seems like sometimes God surprises us in the way He changes people's hearts. Maybe we're not as smart as we think we are. Maybe we're not God — He's God, and we're just supposed to be obedient regardless of the outcome. You do not determine obedience based on the outcome.
Everything you've learned in school — logical, deductive reasoning — says, "What do I think's going to happen? So what do I think I should do?" But God sometimes slays giants with boys and slingshots. Sometimes He sends people through a fiery furnace only to bring them through it. Sometimes God dies on a cross, is put in a grave for three days, only to show back up. It doesn't make sense — it surpasses all logic. Sometimes He brings a great good through a great bad.
So you remember who controls the outcome. Who's the one in charge? You stay calm, and you do everything you can to point people to Him. Calm people lead scared people. Scared people don't need a scared leader.
You can write this down: Confidence in God produces calm in the chaos.
When I first became a believer — don't judge me for the story — I was brand new, not even plugged into a church. I was really good at being a pagan, and all my friends were really good at being pagans too, so we did what pagans do: we went and partied. We're at a bar in Dallas, and one of my friends had had too much to drink. He does what guys do when they've had too much to drink — walks through the bar trying to find the smallest guy, finds him, and says, "What are you looking at?" They're chest to chest. I'm a brand new Christian, not even sure how to hear the Holy Spirit yet, and I go over and say, "No, no, no, we're not going to do this right now."
And so I'm separating them like, "No, this isn't going to happen. We're not going to do that. I'm so sorry. He's had too much to drink. Let me take him home... I'm so sorry he's interrupted your evening." And I separate them and this guy goes, "Don't you touch me."
Well, all my guys come over and they circle us up — and these are pagans, big dudes, on the creatine and everything — so they're all circled up. I go back up and separate them again. "Hey, this isn't going to happen, guys. I'm going to take him home." And he says, "I told you don't touch me." I said, "Hey, man, why you got to be like that? I'm just trying to help you out."
And he does this thing I'll never forget. When you see real faith, you don't forget it. You take note. He looks at me, pulls out his phone, pushes a button. "Hey, you here? All right, I got something I want you to take care of." He hangs up and just looks at me. I was like, "Who was that, Batman?" I tell the boys, "We got to go. Let's go. I don't want to know who he called."
We get outside and I see who he called — two guys who just got out of some MMA fight or something. One's got a chain around his neck, not a gold chain — a chain you pull a car with, with a padlock. And I'm just like, "These are guys — no sir, they left. Get in the car."
Because I saw a man who knew who controlled the outcome. That's what's happening here. So I don't know where you're at — if it's a kid, your marriage, your job, your health, your financial situation — but I want to ask you right now: who controls the outcome? Because I wouldn't avoid Him right now. I would lean in.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
Verse 13: when a gentle south wind began to blow, they saw their opportunity, so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete. Gentle south wind — let's go, it looks safe. Paul was wrong.
Verse 14: before very long, a wind of hurricane force called the northeaster swept down from the island. The ship was caught up by the storm and could not head into the wind, so they gave way to it and were driven along. They had no control — the wind is taking them wherever it wants to go.
As they passed to the lee of a small island called Cauda, they were hardly able to make the lifeboat secure, so the men hoisted it aboard and passed ropes under the ship itself to hold it together — it's called frapping the ship. They're basically trying to tie their boat together so it doesn't get torn apart. Because they were afraid they would run aground on the sandbars of Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor and let the ship be driven along.
They took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard. On the third day, they threw the ship's tackle overboard with their own hands. When neither the sun nor the stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, they finally gave up all hope of being saved.
They're in a hurricane being tossed to and fro. And in a hurricane, you start understanding what your priorities are — this is a merchant ship that exists for profitability, and all of a sudden they say, "We're going to die, throw it all overboard." They even throw the tackle overboard, which is how you steer the ship. They've given up all hope. They are at the mercy of what they think is nature right now.
For fourteen days. Two weeks of that. After they had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said:
"Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete. Then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost."
Can I just remind you — he's a prisoner. He's a prisoner on this ship, but he just took control.
"But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost, only the ship will be destroyed. Last night an angel of God, to whom I belong and whom I serve, stood beside me and said, 'Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar, and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.' So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island."
You want to use every moment you have to point to God. He said, "You didn't listen to me then, but listen to me now." It's not a spiteful I-told-you-so, it's a hopeful let's-go. Let's look forward. "I've got the reins now. I've got a plan."
Something bigger is happening here. These men are tied to Paul, and their salvation is at stake. The Apostle Paul wants them saved from the storm, but he wants them saved for eternity. And God has told Paul he's going to go to Rome — Acts 21, Acts 23. But God is so kind to remind us again and again: I know the plans I have for you, I'm going to finish what I started in you, I'm going to carry out to completion what I started in you. He's kind to remind you. Some of you need to be reminded this morning. When you can't control the storm, remember: the storm is where your faith is seen.
What storm are you in right now? Parenting, kids, work, finance, loneliness, health — what storm are you in right now? Maybe it is your greatest opportunity to believe what you say you believe. Maybe it is your greatest opportunity to show the world that you believe what you say you believe. Because everybody's watching, and your faith is most clearly displayed in the trials of life, in the storm.
If you're sitting here worshipping, singing the songs, saying "I believe in God" — your greatest opportunity to believe in God is when you need to believe in God. Faith is really only seen and displayed in the trials. So often what we pray to God for is really not to need faith. "God, would you give me security and comfort and safety, and help me not to need you?"
But if dependence is the goal, our weakness is the advantage. If dependence is the goal, then your weakness, your struggle, your storm, your trial — that's your advantage, because that's where His grace is sufficient, His power is made perfect in your weakness.
You guys know who John Wesley is — started the Methodist movement. He came over from England to America on a ship, having just graduated from seminary. He's the chaplain of the ship, a minister, a church planter. In 1735, a great storm hits the ship, and everybody is terrified — they're pretty certain they're going to die at sea.
But there were German Moravian missionaries aboard, and as all the Englishmen screamed in horror, they sang hymns with a smile on their face — gently singing hymns. When the storm settled and they realized they had survived, John Wesley went to them and said, "How were you able to stay so calm in the storm? Were you guys drunk? What was happening?" The lead missionary looked at John Wesley and said, "Have you trusted in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?" Wesley was taken aback: "You know, I'm the chaplain of the ship." And the man said, "And still I ask you, have you trusted in Christ as your Lord and Savior?" "I'm a minister of the gospel, a leader of the church, a missionary." "And still I ask you, have you trusted in Christ as your Lord and Savior?"
John Wesley points to that moment as when he became a follower of Jesus Christ, a Christian indwelt by the Holy Spirit. That's his testimony. He was a pastor, a minister, a missionary, and the chaplain of a boat — and not a believer. He said, "When that guy asked me that, it became a rock in my shoe, and I surrendered my life to Christ."
Everybody's looking for someone who's actually living by faith. People are watching. They want to see someone who's actually living by faith. People come to faith by seeing the faith of others. Your storm is your opportunity.
On the fourteenth night, they were still being driven across the Adriatic Sea when about midnight the sailors sensed they were approaching land. They took soundings and found the water was 120 feet deep. A short time later they took soundings again and found it was 90 feet deep. Fearing they would be dashed against the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight — because they haven't seen daylight.
In an attempt to escape from the ship, the sailors let the lifeboat down into the sea, pretending they were going to lower some anchors from the bow. Then Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, "Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved." So the soldiers cut the ropes that held the lifeboat and let it drift away. The sailors were trying to sneak off in the lifeboat, but the soldiers cut it loose. (This, apparently, is the beginning of the Army-Navy rivalry — dates back to the first century.) Just before dawn, Paul urged them all to eat:
"For the last fourteen days you have been in constant suspense and have gone without food — you haven't eaten anything. Now I urge you to take some food; you need it to survive. Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head."
After he said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat. They were all encouraged and ate some food themselves. Altogether there were 276 of them on board. When they had eaten as much as they wanted, they lightened the ship by throwing the grain into the sea.
Paul's basically saying, "Hey, we've been fighting a storm for fourteen days and you guys have forgotten to do the basics. You've got to eat." They're like, "Who can eat at a time like this?" And he's like, "You don't understand — we can't afford not to." God's in charge of the outcome, but we have something we have to do also. We have a responsibility.
So when you can't control the storm: do your part and trust God for the rest. You need to know and understand what your part is.
You are in charge of your own spiritual growth. You can't say, "Well, my church isn't making me..." No — you are in charge of your own spiritual growth. We come here, we sing songs, we worship corporately, there's some Bible teaching — it's a shot in the arm, but that is not enough to grow you. You go home, you wake up tomorrow — what are you going to do tomorrow? That's going to determine how you get through the storm. It's daily bread.
What Paul does right in the middle of all this is essentially take communion: "I want to remember that Jesus Christ died for my sins, that God raised him from the dead, that this is not my home, and that I'm going to be somewhere forever and ever. So regardless of the outcome right now, I put my hope in Jesus."
You've got to keep the basics in front of you: prayer every day, the Word every day, sharing your faith every day, living on mission every day, staying connected, abiding every single day, spiritual disciplines every single day — so that when the storm comes... because what happens? The enemy loves to distract you with anxiety, depression, despair. He loves to distract you with the storm in front of you so that you cut corners. And what it does is it compounds your problem.
You're like, "I don't have time to go to church, I don't have time to go to small group, I don't have time to read the Bible." You can't afford not to. The decisions you make in the storm will impact your life after the storm. So don't turn to coping. Don't turn to Netflix. Don't turn to scrolling. Don't turn to alcohol. Don't turn to THC. Don't turn to your coping mechanisms, to food, in an unhealthy way. Turn to God. Because He is doing something so much bigger than what you see.
That's the reality. I left my family, I drove up here, I'm standing before you. What I am certain of — one hundred percent, absolutely positive of — is that God is doing things in the midst of your storm that you do not realize. You are completely oblivious to them. You can trust Him. It's what He does.
He is working out together all things for the good of those who love him, who've been called according to his purpose.
What the enemy has meant for evil, God uses for my good. These are scriptures — Romans 8:28, Genesis 50:20. There's a reason they're on my heart.
When my oldest was four years old — she's in college now, it's hard to believe — I would take her to the grocery store. We're just trying to survive, as you know, parents with two under four. I'd put her in that shopping cart with a steering wheel — you know the one, they have them in Dallas. That makes trips to the grocery store different, because wherever she would steer, I would take us. She turned left, I'd take us left. She turned right, I'd take us right. We'd hit the bananas and the Froot Loops, whatever — the grocery store became like a go-kart track, and she's having a blast with dad, going left, right, right, left.
But at some point, she turns left, and I take us right. And I watch a four-year-old grip that wheel so tight and turn with all her might left — and effortlessly I would push us right. She thought she was in control, but the reality was I had an agenda. I had a grocery list. I was there for a purpose. It's for her good — she needs to eat. At some point she's like, "No, I want to go this way," and I'm like, "But you don't understand, we have to go this way."
When you turn left and God takes you left, you celebrate, you rejoice, you sing, you give gratitude. But when you turn left and God takes you right, you celebrate, you rejoice, you sing, you give gratitude. You trust. "God, I know you're doing something. I can't see it right now, but I believe in faith that you are doing something for my good in the midst of this tragedy, in the midst of my grief, in the midst of this storm." Do you trust the One who's in control? You can't afford not to do what you feel like you can't do.
To wrap this up: daylight comes, they see the island of Malta. They intentionally untie the rudders, turn the ship towards Malta, and intentionally crash into it. The stern — the back of the ship — is ripped to pieces.
Then it says the soldiers planned to kill the prisoners to prevent any of them from swimming away and escaping. But the centurion wanted to spare Paul's life and kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land; the rest were to get there on planks or other pieces of the ship. In this way, everyone reached land safely. It's called today St. Paul's Bay.
276 people are safe. They were going to kill the prisoners, but the centurion basically says, "You can't kill the prisoners — that guy is the only reason we're still alive. It seems like he knows the one true God. It seems like he has conversations with the creator of the heavens and the earth. He's been giving us instructions while he's in chains. I think we need to listen to him." And everyone is safe.
I want to point to the reality that it never got easy. This is God's man — he is faithful, the greatest missionary the world has ever seen — and it never got easy. In fact, next week he gets bitten by a poisonous viper. Dude can't catch a break.
When you can't control the storm:
I find myself in a season of life where I am flying often, and no longer do I have a fear of flying — completely healed from that. People ask, "How?" I'll tell you.
One day I was on a plane, sat next to a pilot. As we were taking off, he sensed I was nervous — palms sweaty, knees weak. I was hyperventilating, praying. He's like, "You afraid?" I said, "Yeah." "Why?" "Man, I don't like flying — it just seems like the plane's going to fall apart in the sky." He said, "Really? No, this thing was made to fly. It's made to hold together and stay in the air." I said, "Yeah, but what about when you hit turbulence?" He goes, "It's made for so much worse." I said, "But aren't you afraid when you hit turbulence?" He goes, "Afraid? No, we're having fun." I said, "You're having fun?" He said, "Yeah, man, don't you understand? Most of these pilots were in the Air Force, flying fighter jets, dodging bullets, flying at nine Gs and stuff."
He's like, "This thing flies itself. When we hit turbulence, that's the only time we get to use our training." I was like, "Really? You're having fun up there, huh?" He said, "Yeah. You don't have to be afraid." He goes, "I want you to consider the experience of the pilot."
Do you know how many thousands of hours they've spent in an airplane? How many thousands of times they've taken off and landed, taken off and landed, taken off and landed? This is routine for them. When you get off the plane, I want you to look at the stripes on their sleeves. I want you to notice the gray hair on their head. Understand their experience.
Lakepointe, can I just tell you something in the midst of your storm? Would you consider the experience of the Pilot. Is He trustworthy?
And He has set me free by dying on a cross for my sins. He took all my sins on Him. He took all your sins on Him, and He died. The enemy thought that it was over, and they placed Him in the grave, and three days later He walked out. And He gave you the hope of eternal life.
And so if He's defeated death, what are you afraid of?
For He did not give you a spirit of timidity, but one of power, love, and self-discipline.
If God is for you, then who can be against you?
His experience is perfect. It's flawless. It's powerful. It's undefeated. What are you afraid of?
Father, we believe — help our unbelief. We believe — help our unbelief. I give thanks to those who have given their lives so that we can walk in freedom, because it certainly reminds me of when You gave Your life so that we could walk in ultimate freedom. In their act of fearlessness, their great display of courage, how much more should we, knowing the one true God who has defeated death, walk in that courage, walk in that fearlessness, and have hope. Would you help us do that, Lord? In Jesus' name. Amen.
I grew up with a fear of flying. In the eighth grade I flew for the very first time on an airplane to Washington D.C. As we were in this airplane, there was a tornado on the runway, and you could listen to the pilot talk about, "Hey, we're going to have to divert to another airport," then, "Hey, I don't know if we have enough fuel," all while the plane's bouncing around and people have those bags out. I'm just like, is this normal? Is this what flying is like? When we land, I'm like, I don't ever want to do that again.
Of course, as I grew up, sometimes I had to travel, and every time I would get on the airplane, it seemed like they would say, "Hey, we're going to be going through some turbulence today." I'm like, that's the only kind of air I know — it is the rough kind.
In March, my wife and I were flying to Miami, and of course I have a little bit of anxiety getting on this airplane with her. We're up in the sky and the pilot comes over the intercom and says, "Hey guys, we're going to be flying through some storms today, there's some storm cells, so we're going to be experiencing some rough air... you're going to keep your seatbelts on, I'm going to have the flight attendants stay in their seats." I'm just like, oh no, here we go again.
So I pull out my Bible, because God protects you when you have your Bible open, I guess — you get superstitious, you're like, what do I do to make this okay? As soon as it's open on my lap, we hit the rough air. I mean, the plane just fell out of the sky. My Bible bounces off the ceiling. It was that kind of moment. Everybody's panicked. The guy in front of me was drinking coffee — he's now wearing coffee. The lady behind me, an elderly grandmother with her grandchildren, just grabs their hands and starts praying. She's clearly Pentecostal, praying fire down on this plane. I'm like, yeah, I'm here for it. So I turn around and grab her hand. She opens one eye like, who's this stranger? I'm like, keep praying, lady.
And then I'm just like, wait a minute, this isn't how I go out — I'm a pastor. You're not going to take my wife and I down like this, Lord, cuz I know you're in control. But then I look around the plane and realize it's a bunch of wild spring breakers, and I'm like, what if we're just collateral damage? We just got on the wrong aircraft.
As I continued to work through my fear of flying, I realized it's actually just the fear of being out of control — specifically, being out of control when there's turbulence, when there's a storm.
Here's the punchline: you're not in control. You don't control the storm. And storms of life are a certainty. You're either in one, you're coming out of one, or you're headed toward one. Every single person here falls into one of those three categories.
So we're going to learn from the Apostle Paul what to do in the midst of the storm when we feel out of control. This is one of the greatest chapters of leadership in your entire Bible — Acts chapter 27.
We've been going through Acts learning from the life of the Apostle Paul in a series called In Game. Two weeks ago, Pastor Josh talked about the ABCs of sharing your faith. Last week, Pastor Mike instructed us around the word almost — Herod Agrippa almost trusted Christ. What does it look like to get so close and almost go all in with Jesus? But today, I want to talk about what do you do when life feels turbulent and you feel out of control?```
Maybe this morning it's your marriage — maybe you got in an argument on your way to church, and it's a little bumpy. Maybe it's a kid you're watching make destructive life decisions, and you feel like they're not listening, and it's so painful. Maybe it's a difficult relationship within your family — you don't feel seen, loved, heard, or honored. Maybe it's work — a job just ended, or ended months and months ago and you're so tired of interviews and rejection. Or maybe you're in a job that hopefully somebody else wants because you hate it, and it is a storm.
Maybe it's health — chasing diagnosis and prognosis and medicine and doctors, trying just to feel okay. Maybe it's age — you wish there was a prospect, someone you could even spend time with, and you're just in a season of loneliness.
Before we dive into the scripture, I want you thinking: what is the storm you're in, you're coming out of, or you're headed into? Underneath all of the fears we experience, it's ultimately, "What am I going to do when I am not in control?"
Right now, there's something very interesting happening in our country. You can call it a great awakening, an outpouring of the spirit, the spirit stirring, or as I do, a revival. Lake Pointe Church is at the center of whatever God is doing in our country. 700-something baptisms the other day — that's not normal. God is doing a unique work in and through your church, and I don't want you to take it for granted.
Paul is a prisoner. He has been tried by the Sanhedrin, arrested in Jerusalem. He's appeared before Felix, before Festus, before Agrippa. He's innocent — Festus and Agrippa believe he's innocent — but Paul has appealed to Caesar in Rome, because this is God's calling on his life, that he would go to Rome, the epicenter of culture, and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. He knew he was going to go to Rome; God told him he was going to go to Rome. He just didn't know he was going to Rome in chains.
He's getting on board a ship, a giant boat, as a prisoner with 275 other people. There are sailors, soldiers, the Centurion Julius — a commander over 100 soldiers (think century, centurion). And there's Luke and Aristarchus. How did they get to go with Paul? They probably said, "Hey, we're his servants," and in the first century, servants could go with a prisoner of honor. Luke writes "we" — he's writing down what he sees in great detail. In fact, secular historians and unbelieving archaeologists have read this chapter to study first-century seamanship, because the details are unbelievable.
"Much time had been lost, and sailing had already become dangerous because by now it was after the Day of Atonement... So Paul warned them, 'Men, I can see that a voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to the ship and cargo and to our own lives.' But the Centurion, instead of listening to Paul the prisoner, followed the advice of the pilots and the owner of the ship. Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided that we should sail on, hoping to reach Phoenix and winter there." (Acts 27:9, paraphrased)
59 AD would put this at October 5th, and Romans considered sailing after September 15th to be a death sentence — it was hurricane season. They're at Myra boarding a grain ship — not a small fishing boat like Jesus and his disciples used, but a big merchant ship: about 180 feet long, 50 feet wide, carrying 276 people and cargo.
Paul is practically an expert in shipwrecks — 2 Corinthians 11 says he'd already been shipwrecked three times, and that was written prior to Acts 27, so this is his fourth. He's collecting shipwreck stories. When Paul the prisoner says, "Hey, we shouldn't go," they should have listened to him. But Centurion Julius listens to the boat captain and owner instead, and they sail on.
It would have been so easy for Paul to think, "Well, they're not going to listen to me." Instead, he calmly warns them: "Hey, if you do that, this is what's going to happen." Because Paul knows who's in control. That is very apparent in his life.
There is no imperative command in this chapter of scripture — no "thou shalt." This is all descriptive, not prescriptive. As it describes history, we learn from Paul's example.
In the storms of life, stay calm by remembering who controls the outcome.
Paul cannot control the weather. He cannot control the sailors, the soldiers, the Centurion, or what the Centurion believes is true. But he can have faith in the One who controls all of those things, and he can calmly demonstrate that faith by giving them divine instructions — so that he might curry favor with them, so that at some point they might listen to him.
This is parenting. As you show a child the way they should go, so they grow old and don't depart from it. It's calmly saying, "Hey, you do this, it's going to go poorly. You do this, it's going to go well." This is leadership too — in companies and organizations, people are learning whether they can trust you or not based on how you respond.
It's easy to think, "They won't listen, they'll never listen." In pastoral ministry, someone will say, "So-and-so really hurt me," and I'll say, "Well, scripture tells us that you should go to them and tell them," and people respond, "Oh, that will never work." So you determine your obedience based on your perceived outcome, rather than trusting the One who controls the outcome.
I've been spending some time in this book, and it seems like sometimes God surprises us in the way He changes people's hearts. Maybe we're not as smart as we think we are. Maybe we're not God — He's God, and we're just supposed to be obedient regardless of the outcome. You do not determine obedience based on the outcome.
Everything you've learned in school — logical, deductive reasoning — says, "What do I think's going to happen? So what do I think I should do?" But God sometimes slays giants with boys and slingshots. Sometimes He sends people through a fiery furnace only to bring them through it. Sometimes God dies on a cross, is put in a grave for three days, only to show back up. It doesn't make sense — it surpasses all logic. Sometimes He brings a great good through a great bad.
So you remember who controls the outcome. Who's the one in charge? You stay calm, and you do everything you can to point people to Him. Calm people lead scared people. Scared people don't need a scared leader.
You can write this down: Confidence in God produces calm in the chaos.
When I first became a believer — don't judge me for the story — I was brand new, not even plugged into a church. I was really good at being a pagan, and all my friends were really good at being pagans too, so we did what pagans do: we went and partied. We're at a bar in Dallas, and one of my friends had had too much to drink. He does what guys do when they've had too much to drink — walks through the bar trying to find the smallest guy, finds him, and says, "What are you looking at?" They're chest to chest. I'm a brand new Christian, not even sure how to hear the Holy Spirit yet, and I go over and say, "No, no, no, we're not going to do this right now."
And so I'm separating them like, "No, this isn't going to happen. We're not going to do that. I'm so sorry. He's had too much to drink. Let me take him home... I'm so sorry he's interrupted your evening." And I separate them and this guy goes, "Don't you touch me."
Well, all my guys come over and they circle us up — and these are pagans, big dudes, on the creatine and everything — so they're all circled up. I go back up and separate them again. "Hey, this isn't going to happen, guys. I'm going to take him home." And he says, "I told you don't touch me." I said, "Hey, man, why you got to be like that? I'm just trying to help you out."
And he does this thing I'll never forget. When you see real faith, you don't forget it. You take note. He looks at me, pulls out his phone, pushes a button. "Hey, you here? All right, I got something I want you to take care of." He hangs up and just looks at me. I was like, "Who was that, Batman?" I tell the boys, "We got to go. Let's go. I don't want to know who he called."
We get outside and I see who he called — two guys who just got out of some MMA fight or something. One's got a chain around his neck, not a gold chain — a chain you pull a car with, with a padlock. And I'm just like, "These are guys — no sir, they left. Get in the car."
Because I saw a man who knew who controlled the outcome. That's what's happening here. So I don't know where you're at — if it's a kid, your marriage, your job, your health, your financial situation — but I want to ask you right now: who controls the outcome? Because I wouldn't avoid Him right now. I would lean in.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
Verse 13: when a gentle south wind began to blow, they saw their opportunity, so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete. Gentle south wind — let's go, it looks safe. Paul was wrong.
Verse 14: before very long, a wind of hurricane force called the northeaster swept down from the island. The ship was caught up by the storm and could not head into the wind, so they gave way to it and were driven along. They had no control — the wind is taking them wherever it wants to go.
As they passed to the lee of a small island called Cauda, they were hardly able to make the lifeboat secure, so the men hoisted it aboard and passed ropes under the ship itself to hold it together — it's called frapping the ship. They're basically trying to tie their boat together so it doesn't get torn apart. Because they were afraid they would run aground on the sandbars of Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor and let the ship be driven along.
They took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard. On the third day, they threw the ship's tackle overboard with their own hands. When neither the sun nor the stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, they finally gave up all hope of being saved.
They're in a hurricane being tossed to and fro. And in a hurricane, you start understanding what your priorities are — this is a merchant ship that exists for profitability, and all of a sudden they say, "We're going to die, throw it all overboard." They even throw the tackle overboard, which is how you steer the ship. They've given up all hope. They are at the mercy of what they think is nature right now.
For fourteen days. Two weeks of that. After they had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said:
"Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete. Then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost."
Can I just remind you — he's a prisoner. He's a prisoner on this ship, but he just took control.
"But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost, only the ship will be destroyed. Last night an angel of God, to whom I belong and whom I serve, stood beside me and said, 'Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar, and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.' So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island."
You want to use every moment you have to point to God. He said, "You didn't listen to me then, but listen to me now." It's not a spiteful I-told-you-so, it's a hopeful let's-go. Let's look forward. "I've got the reins now. I've got a plan."
Something bigger is happening here. These men are tied to Paul, and their salvation is at stake. The Apostle Paul wants them saved from the storm, but he wants them saved for eternity. And God has told Paul he's going to go to Rome — Acts 21, Acts 23. But God is so kind to remind us again and again: I know the plans I have for you, I'm going to finish what I started in you, I'm going to carry out to completion what I started in you. He's kind to remind you. Some of you need to be reminded this morning. When you can't control the storm, remember: the storm is where your faith is seen.
What storm are you in right now? Parenting, kids, work, finance, loneliness, health — what storm are you in right now? Maybe it is your greatest opportunity to believe what you say you believe. Maybe it is your greatest opportunity to show the world that you believe what you say you believe. Because everybody's watching, and your faith is most clearly displayed in the trials of life, in the storm.
If you're sitting here worshipping, singing the songs, saying "I believe in God" — your greatest opportunity to believe in God is when you need to believe in God. Faith is really only seen and displayed in the trials. So often what we pray to God for is really not to need faith. "God, would you give me security and comfort and safety, and help me not to need you?"
But if dependence is the goal, our weakness is the advantage. If dependence is the goal, then your weakness, your struggle, your storm, your trial — that's your advantage, because that's where His grace is sufficient, His power is made perfect in your weakness.
You guys know who John Wesley is — started the Methodist movement. He came over from England to America on a ship, having just graduated from seminary. He's the chaplain of the ship, a minister, a church planter. In 1735, a great storm hits the ship, and everybody is terrified — they're pretty certain they're going to die at sea.
But there were German Moravian missionaries aboard, and as all the Englishmen screamed in horror, they sang hymns with a smile on their face — gently singing hymns. When the storm settled and they realized they had survived, John Wesley went to them and said, "How were you able to stay so calm in the storm? Were you guys drunk? What was happening?" The lead missionary looked at John Wesley and said, "Have you trusted in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?" Wesley was taken aback: "You know, I'm the chaplain of the ship." And the man said, "And still I ask you, have you trusted in Christ as your Lord and Savior?" "I'm a minister of the gospel, a leader of the church, a missionary." "And still I ask you, have you trusted in Christ as your Lord and Savior?"
John Wesley points to that moment as when he became a follower of Jesus Christ, a Christian indwelt by the Holy Spirit. That's his testimony. He was a pastor, a minister, a missionary, and the chaplain of a boat — and not a believer. He said, "When that guy asked me that, it became a rock in my shoe, and I surrendered my life to Christ."
Everybody's looking for someone who's actually living by faith. People are watching. They want to see someone who's actually living by faith. People come to faith by seeing the faith of others. Your storm is your opportunity.
On the fourteenth night, they were still being driven across the Adriatic Sea when about midnight the sailors sensed they were approaching land. They took soundings and found the water was 120 feet deep. A short time later they took soundings again and found it was 90 feet deep. Fearing they would be dashed against the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight — because they haven't seen daylight.
In an attempt to escape from the ship, the sailors let the lifeboat down into the sea, pretending they were going to lower some anchors from the bow. Then Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, "Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved." So the soldiers cut the ropes that held the lifeboat and let it drift away. The sailors were trying to sneak off in the lifeboat, but the soldiers cut it loose. (This, apparently, is the beginning of the Army-Navy rivalry — dates back to the first century.) Just before dawn, Paul urged them all to eat:
"For the last fourteen days you have been in constant suspense and have gone without food — you haven't eaten anything. Now I urge you to take some food; you need it to survive. Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head."
After he said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat. They were all encouraged and ate some food themselves. Altogether there were 276 of them on board. When they had eaten as much as they wanted, they lightened the ship by throwing the grain into the sea.
Paul's basically saying, "Hey, we've been fighting a storm for fourteen days and you guys have forgotten to do the basics. You've got to eat." They're like, "Who can eat at a time like this?" And he's like, "You don't understand — we can't afford not to." God's in charge of the outcome, but we have something we have to do also. We have a responsibility.
So when you can't control the storm: do your part and trust God for the rest. You need to know and understand what your part is.
You are in charge of your own spiritual growth. You can't say, "Well, my church isn't making me..." No — you are in charge of your own spiritual growth. We come here, we sing songs, we worship corporately, there's some Bible teaching — it's a shot in the arm, but that is not enough to grow you. You go home, you wake up tomorrow — what are you going to do tomorrow? That's going to determine how you get through the storm. It's daily bread.
What Paul does right in the middle of all this is essentially take communion: "I want to remember that Jesus Christ died for my sins, that God raised him from the dead, that this is not my home, and that I'm going to be somewhere forever and ever. So regardless of the outcome right now, I put my hope in Jesus."
You've got to keep the basics in front of you: prayer every day, the Word every day, sharing your faith every day, living on mission every day, staying connected, abiding every single day, spiritual disciplines every single day — so that when the storm comes... because what happens? The enemy loves to distract you with anxiety, depression, despair. He loves to distract you with the storm in front of you so that you cut corners. And what it does is it compounds your problem.
You're like, "I don't have time to go to church, I don't have time to go to small group, I don't have time to read the Bible." You can't afford not to. The decisions you make in the storm will impact your life after the storm. So don't turn to coping. Don't turn to Netflix. Don't turn to scrolling. Don't turn to alcohol. Don't turn to THC. Don't turn to your coping mechanisms, to food, in an unhealthy way. Turn to God. Because He is doing something so much bigger than what you see.
That's the reality. I left my family, I drove up here, I'm standing before you. What I am certain of — one hundred percent, absolutely positive of — is that God is doing things in the midst of your storm that you do not realize. You are completely oblivious to them. You can trust Him. It's what He does.
He is working out together all things for the good of those who love him, who've been called according to his purpose.
What the enemy has meant for evil, God uses for my good. These are scriptures — Romans 8:28, Genesis 50:20. There's a reason they're on my heart.
When my oldest was four years old — she's in college now, it's hard to believe — I would take her to the grocery store. We're just trying to survive, as you know, parents with two under four. I'd put her in that shopping cart with a steering wheel — you know the one, they have them in Dallas. That makes trips to the grocery store different, because wherever she would steer, I would take us. She turned left, I'd take us left. She turned right, I'd take us right. We'd hit the bananas and the Froot Loops, whatever — the grocery store became like a go-kart track, and she's having a blast with dad, going left, right, right, left.
But at some point, she turns left, and I take us right. And I watch a four-year-old grip that wheel so tight and turn with all her might left — and effortlessly I would push us right. She thought she was in control, but the reality was I had an agenda. I had a grocery list. I was there for a purpose. It's for her good — she needs to eat. At some point she's like, "No, I want to go this way," and I'm like, "But you don't understand, we have to go this way."
When you turn left and God takes you left, you celebrate, you rejoice, you sing, you give gratitude. But when you turn left and God takes you right, you celebrate, you rejoice, you sing, you give gratitude. You trust. "God, I know you're doing something. I can't see it right now, but I believe in faith that you are doing something for my good in the midst of this tragedy, in the midst of my grief, in the midst of this storm." Do you trust the One who's in control? You can't afford not to do what you feel like you can't do.
To wrap this up: daylight comes, they see the island of Malta. They intentionally untie the rudders, turn the ship towards Malta, and intentionally crash into it. The stern — the back of the ship — is ripped to pieces.
Then it says the soldiers planned to kill the prisoners to prevent any of them from swimming away and escaping. But the centurion wanted to spare Paul's life and kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land; the rest were to get there on planks or other pieces of the ship. In this way, everyone reached land safely. It's called today St. Paul's Bay.
276 people are safe. They were going to kill the prisoners, but the centurion basically says, "You can't kill the prisoners — that guy is the only reason we're still alive. It seems like he knows the one true God. It seems like he has conversations with the creator of the heavens and the earth. He's been giving us instructions while he's in chains. I think we need to listen to him." And everyone is safe.
I want to point to the reality that it never got easy. This is God's man — he is faithful, the greatest missionary the world has ever seen — and it never got easy. In fact, next week he gets bitten by a poisonous viper. Dude can't catch a break.
When you can't control the storm:
I find myself in a season of life where I am flying often, and no longer do I have a fear of flying — completely healed from that. People ask, "How?" I'll tell you.
One day I was on a plane, sat next to a pilot. As we were taking off, he sensed I was nervous — palms sweaty, knees weak. I was hyperventilating, praying. He's like, "You afraid?" I said, "Yeah." "Why?" "Man, I don't like flying — it just seems like the plane's going to fall apart in the sky." He said, "Really? No, this thing was made to fly. It's made to hold together and stay in the air." I said, "Yeah, but what about when you hit turbulence?" He goes, "It's made for so much worse." I said, "But aren't you afraid when you hit turbulence?" He goes, "Afraid? No, we're having fun." I said, "You're having fun?" He said, "Yeah, man, don't you understand? Most of these pilots were in the Air Force, flying fighter jets, dodging bullets, flying at nine Gs and stuff."
He's like, "This thing flies itself. When we hit turbulence, that's the only time we get to use our training." I was like, "Really? You're having fun up there, huh?" He said, "Yeah. You don't have to be afraid." He goes, "I want you to consider the experience of the pilot."
Do you know how many thousands of hours they've spent in an airplane? How many thousands of times they've taken off and landed, taken off and landed, taken off and landed? This is routine for them. When you get off the plane, I want you to look at the stripes on their sleeves. I want you to notice the gray hair on their head. Understand their experience.
Lakepointe, can I just tell you something in the midst of your storm? Would you consider the experience of the Pilot. Is He trustworthy?
And He has set me free by dying on a cross for my sins. He took all my sins on Him. He took all your sins on Him, and He died. The enemy thought that it was over, and they placed Him in the grave, and three days later He walked out. And He gave you the hope of eternal life.
And so if He's defeated death, what are you afraid of?
For He did not give you a spirit of timidity, but one of power, love, and self-discipline.
If God is for you, then who can be against you?
His experience is perfect. It's flawless. It's powerful. It's undefeated. What are you afraid of?
Father, we believe — help our unbelief. We believe — help our unbelief. I give thanks to those who have given their lives so that we can walk in freedom, because it certainly reminds me of when You gave Your life so that we could walk in ultimate freedom. In their act of fearlessness, their great display of courage, how much more should we, knowing the one true God who has defeated death, walk in that courage, walk in that fearlessness, and have hope. Would you help us do that, Lord? In Jesus' name. Amen.
