1 Tithebarn Centre -12 th October 2008 Welcome to the TITHEBARN CENTRE. This is the meeting place of Northolt Grange Baptist Church. We ’ re so glad that you joined us today and hope that you feel happy and relaxed here and that you really encounter the living God as we worship together.

2 NEXT SATURDAY QuizNight at Northolt Park BC NEXT SUNDAY “Harvest for the Hungry”

3 What do you do when the storm breaks? Looking at Acts 27

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5 Open the eyes of my heart, Lord, Open the eyes of my heart. I want to see you, I want to see you. To see you high and lifted up, Shining in the light of your glory. Pour out your pow’r and love, As we sing holy, holy holy. Holy, holy holy, (x3) I want to see you.

6 Above all powers, above all kings, Above all nature and all created things; Above all wisdom and all the ways of man, You were here before the world began. Above all kingdoms, above all thrones, Above all wonders the world has ever known; Above all wealth and treasures of the earth, There’s no way to measure what You’re worth. Crucified, laid behind the stone; You lived to die, rejected and alone; Like a rose trampled on the ground, You took the fall, and thought of me, above all.

7 The gathering storm Vv1-2 “It was decided we would set sail for Italy” “Paul was handed over” His companions His captor

8 “Slow headway” They hug the coast They make for the open sea It’s too late in the year and they make for Crete

9 The storm breaks A violent hurricane A “North-Easter” Ropes holding the ship together The danger of sand- bars

10 The Shipwreck The storm hits The ship is destroyed The passengers make it to safety

11 Strategies for survival 1: Storms will come 1. The first lesson I want us to learn from this passage is that contrary winds do not have to affect the direction of our lives. Storms come into everybody's lives. But the way we respond to them is what really counts.

12 2. Face the danger This story reveals one of the most basic lessons about sailing and about life - when the storms come, head into the waves if at all possible. Whether it is a fishing boat, a canoe, a sailboat or your life, you can cope with the waves best by heading into them …

13 3. “Let go and let God” When the waves reach a certain height, sailors are sometimes forced to turn to a new strategy - running before the waves. The best tactic is to face the waves. But when that is impossible, as it was on this occasion, the next best strategy is to run with the waves. A tiny sail is hoisted at the front of the ship to keep the bow pointed in the direction that the waves are moving …

14 There comes a time when the safest course is surrender, but not the kind of surrender that allows life to careen out of control. The key to this kind of surrender is the control of the sea anchor. At times like that, we have to trust that God has the reins, that God is the anchor that keeps us self- destruction. Sometimes we have to humble ourselves and accept what is happening. When we have faced our troubles, and they won't go away, it may be time to accept them and go with God.

15 4. Focus on keeping things together Earlier in verse 17, we read that the sailors "took measures to undergird the ship … " The ancient sailing vessels were made of wood planks with a material called "oakum" driven tightly between the joints. But in a heavy sea, the twisting motion of the waves can literally cause the boat to come apart at the seams. These sailors were afraid that some of the planks were going to come completely loose and fall off the bottom of the boat.

16 5. Throw out the excess baggage In the middle of the storm, a boat needs to be as light and responsive as possible. When survival is at stake, extra weight needs to be jettisoned In your life: keep it simple. Our lives are filled with too many activities, too many things, too many luxuries and too many distractions. When your life is on the line, you need to focus only on the things necessary for survival.

17 6.Take soundings Without compass or stars they took soundings to see how close to shore they were…. How near to danger. Find a reliable friend or counsellor. Take stock of where you are. Talk it over. Share with an outsider

18 7. Let down the anchors “Will your anchor hold in the storms of life?” The anchor of PRAYER The anchor of FAITH The anchor of HOPE The anchor of LOVE

19 Even then… the ship may be destroyed. But Paul walked with God and the knew that “the God whose I am and whom I serve” would stand with him, and so he would be safe. None were lost. GOD HAS YOU IN HAND