Euroquilo is Coming
Jay Haugh
June 13, 2021
Acts 27
Watching Paul deal with his storm, helps us deal with our storms.
A journey bound with the guilty for justice and judgment
This journey to the king is marked with difficulty
And putting out to sea from there we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were against us. —Acts 27:4
We sailed slowly for a number of days and arrived with difficulty off Cnidus, and as the wind did not allow us to go farther, we sailed under the lee of Crete. —Acts 27:7
This journey finds a short time of peace
Coasting along it with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near which was the city of Lasea. —Acts 27:8
This journey to judgment continues
This journey moves from difficult to down-right dangerous
Since much time had passed, and the voyage was now dangerous because even the Fast was already over… —Acts 27:9
An innocent man has a message that will save
Paul advised them, saying, “Sirs, I perceive that the voyage will be with injury and much loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.” —Acts 27:9-10
The “experts” reject the message
But the centurion paid more attention to the pilot and to the owner of the ship than to what Paul said. —Acts 27:11
The majority see the message as foolish
And because the harbor was not suitable to spend the winter in, the majority decided to put out to sea from there, on the chance that somehow they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete. —Acts 27:12
Judgment doesn’t seem to come
Now when the south wind blew gently, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete, close to the shore. —Acts 27:13
Life is well until Euroquilo arrives
Euroquilo is a hurricane
But soon a tempestuous wind, called the northeaster, struck down from the land. And when the ship was caught and could not face the wind, we gave way to it and were driven along. —Acts 27:14-15
Euroquilos arrive and they usually arrive without warning
They’re only trying to survive
Since we were violently storm-tossed, they began the next day to jettison the cargo. —Acts 27:18
When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest lay on us… —Acts 27:20
When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned. —Acts 27:20
All hope of being saved was lost. They were hopeless.
God provides a voice of hope
Since they had been without food for a long time, Paul stood up… —Acts 27:21
“Men, you should have listened to me and not have set sail from Crete and incurred this injury and loss. Yet now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship.” —Acts 27:21-22
“For this very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told.” —Acts 27:23-25
There will be loss, but not loss of life.
When you disregard God’s Word, you get in trouble.
“But we must run aground on some island.” —Acts 27:26
Before we get to our final destination,our ship will break.
The word of truth becomes evident.
They took soundings… —Acts 27:28 NIV
You need to persevere to the end.
A decision is needed.
“Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.” —Acts 27:31
Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the ship’s boat and let it go. —Acts 27:32
But striking a reef [where two seas met], they ran the vessel aground. The bow stuck and remained immovable, and the stern was being broken up by the surf. —Acts 27:41
Your faith holds firm even when your body gives way.
BIG IDEA
Our faith is immovable because God is faithful to bring us safely to the King.
Imaginative Prayer 5
Euroquilo Is Coming
6/13/2021
Acts 27
This spiritual practice was created by St. Ignatius in the 1500s. His desire was to find a way to experience the presence of God and did so by entering the biblical narrative with his imagination. Imaginative prayer brings the Bible narrative to life in our mind and offers an opportunity to engage in a new experience with the Word. Hebrews 4:12 describes the Word of God as active and alive. There are occasions when coming to Scripture in a new way reveals something vibrant that we may have missed through our normative practices. Below you will find the steps to lead your group through this experience.
Step One
Select one person to read Acts 27 or play an audio version from someone’s phone. During this reading find a comfortable position to sit and close your eyes. The process for listening will be given next. If you are reading the passage, do so slowly and carefully.
Step Two
As you listen to the Scripture, keep the following in mind:
Feel free to have a way to make notes - some people find it helpful to jot things down as they go.
Imagine yourself entering into biblical times. You may become a person or animal in the story or an object along the way.Use all five of your senses to engage fully with what it would be like to be there. Notice what you see, smell, hear, touch and taste as you’re in the story. Notice sounds other than voices. What do you hear in the distance? Is there something you can taste, touch or smell? As the story is read, become a part of it as best you can. Notice the facial expressions of people in the story. Notice who you are near and who is far away from you in the story. Notice who you are drawn to and who repels you. Notice tones of voices as you hear the voice, not of the person reading, but of the actual people in history.
Step Three
The reader should instruct everyone to open their eyes at the end of the story and note some things that affected them. Then processes these questions together:
Is there anything anyone would like to share with the group that happened as you became a part of the biblical story?
Who were you in story?
What did you see?
What did you touch?
Where did you find yourself in the story?
Who was close to you and who was far away?
Whose facial expressions did you see?
**If you did not get anything out of this practice or found it really challenging, that is ok. Some practices work better than others for different people.
Next
Process this experience as a group. Are there ways God is trying to activate you or your group? The “Activated” Group Process questions on page 6 may be a helpful guide as your group engages with this material and with God
ACTIVATED: GROUP PROGRESS
How is God activating your group this week?
Share how you are sensing God’s call on your 2 life this week. Listen as others share with you.
Lean into the Holy Spirit and spur Leading By Example
one another on. This may include encouragement or asking questions.
Pray over these specific activations in the lives of one another.
What did you enjoy about this group experience?
What was uncomfortable?
How do you think a regular practice of this could
benefit our group?
SELF-REFLECTION
How did God get your attention during your personal rhythms with Him this week?
What is one thing God brought to your attention while listening to the sermon this week?
How do you think a regular practice of this could benefit our group?