Be a Voice in the Storm by Mark Pfeifer
/Throughout the world, we feel tensions rising as winds increase and the skies overhead turn ominously dark.
• Houthis are attacking the shipping lanes in the Red Sea
• Tensions are escalating between the United States and Iran.
• There is a looming inevitability that China’s will invade Taiwan.
• Israeli military action continues in Gaza.
• Antisemitism is increasing worldwide.
• Global imperialists continue to push one-world agendas.
• Populous uprisings and social unrest are emerging in Europe.
• Hostilities continue between Russia and Ukraine.
• America is heading into another presidential showdown.
• etc., etc., etc.
If there ever was a time the world needed us to be a Voice of Hope, it’s a now.
A voice that rings above the fear, anger, despair, and outrage.
A voice that reflects the sovereignty of God.
A voice that invites people to experience Christ firsthand.
A voice of practical instruction.
You are that voice!
And Paul was too!
Because he was the Voice of Hope, Paul went from being the lowest person onboard to having the ear of the ship’s captain and influencing the centurion who commanded 100 Roman soldiers onboard.
Paul took charge!
But not by force. Not by exerting his authority. He had none. He was a prisoner.
Instead, he leveraged wisdom and compassion to become a Voice of Hope to people who were desperate for answers.
How did he do it?
Acts 27 tells us...
I. HE FASTED AND PRAYED UNTIL HE GOT A WORD FROM HEAVEN.
21 But after long abstinence from food, then Paul stood in the midst of them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me, and not have sailed from Crete and incurred this disaster and loss. 22 And now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. 23 For there stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve.
The world needs to hear from church leaders who have something to say - something that comes from the throne room of God!
The first obligation of leaders in the church is to emerge from the prayer closet with a message crafted in the presence of God - not leftover scraps from another person’s podcast or an A.I. generated microwave meal.
Paul spoke only after He had spent time in the presence of God.
II. HE ORIENTED HIS WORLDVIEW AROUND THE PLAN OF GOD AND HIS KINGDOM.
24 saying, “Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you.”
The Kingdom comes first!
Not political parties, candidates, monetary issues, nationalistic pride, political agendas, economic plans, stock markets, military interventions, etc.
Pastors and church leaders need to orient themselves and their messages around the Kingdom of God and His plan for the earth, not popular opinions, cultural values, political agendas, and social philosophies.
Our opinions and perspectives need to be forged in prayer and born from the heart of the Father, not regurgitations from social commentators and online pundits.
Paul understood his present situation in light of his Kingdom assignment and aligned his perspective with heaven before plotting a course of action on earth.
III. HE BROUGHT HOPE AND ENCOURAGEMENT IN A REALISTIC ASSESSMENT.
25 Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me. 26 However, we must run aground on a certain island.”
People need to hear the truth!
They want to hear the truth!
We need to provide hope without portraying an unrealistic and naïve assessment of present circumstances and of the future.
It’s not going to be easy. There are going to be some casualties. There will be setbacks. Some things will be lost. But there’s hope for those who will hear the word of the Lord and align themselves with it.
IV. HE GAVE THEM PRACTICAL INSTRUCTION
30 And as the sailors were seeking to escape from the ship, when they had let down the skiff into the sea, under pretense of putting out anchors from the prow, 31 Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.” 32 Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the skiff and let it fall off.
Paul’s instructions were practical and to the point. The great theologian didn’t try to impress people with his speech. There was no time for that! His directives were short and to the point. They were centered on saving lives.
People are looking for practical wisdom on how to cope with their everyday lives, overcome increasing mental health issues, raise their children to have better lives, navigate a complicated world, and find a safe place among a community of likeminded people.
Especially in the storm, people need answers that work!
V. FINALLY, HE SERVED PEOPLE IN PRACTICAL WAYS
33 And as day was about to dawn, Paul implored them all to take food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day you have waited and continued without food, and eaten nothing. 34 Therefore I urge you to take nourishment, for this is for your survival, since not a hair will fall from the head of any of you.” 35 And when he had said these things, he took bread and gave thanks to God in the presence of them all; and when he had broken it he began to eat. 36 Then they were all encouraged, and also took food themselves. 37 And in all we were two hundred and seventy-six persons on the ship.
Paul fixed breakfast for 276 people!
Like Paul, we need to be leaders who are more concerned with serving the needs of our communities than we are trying to be Christian celebrities and social media influencers.
Fortunately, God is raising up these kinds of leaders all across America!
We interact with church leaders across the country and see firsthand what God is doing. There is a hunger arising in congregations for Authentic Biblical Community (ABC)...
...and there is a new kind leader ready to make that happen because they have spent time developing in the presence of God, receiving His heart for His people.
Leaders across the United States are prepared to take their place in this hour of history and be a Voice of Hope in the midst of the storm.
You are one of those voices!
©2024 Mark Pfeifer
