WEATHERING THE STORM Acts of the Apostles Part 29
The Teaching Ministry of Rick Trice
March 26, 2006
Trinity Fellowship,
SCRIPTURE:
Acts 27:1-44
Acts 25:10-11
Ps. 37:5-7
Philippians 2:9
2 Timothy 4:17
Luke 1:45
GOD’S PURPOSE WILL BE FULFILLED (READ ACTS 27:9-12)
PAUL IS BEING TRANSPORTED BY SHIP TO
NOT HARDLY. IT IS GOD’S PURPOSE FOR PAUL? THAT HE PREACH TO CAESAR IN
PAUL WAS NOT A VICTIM OF THE ROMAN AUTHORITIES; THEY WERE WILLING TO SET HIM FREE, BUT PAUL HAD INSISTED ON GOING BEFORE CAESAR, THE EMPEROR OF
SO WE CAN ASSUME THAT ALL HIS ACTIONS ON THE VOYAGE ARE ALSO TAKEN TO ACCOMPLISH GOD’S PURPOSE FOR HIM.
GOD GIVES INSIGHT AND DISCERNMENT
THOUGH PAUL WAS NOT A SAILOR BY TRADE, HE HAD CERTAINLY BEEN AROUND SHIPS AND SAILORS, AND THROUGH HIS TENTMAKING TRADE HAD PROBABLY OCCASIONALLY MENDED OR FASHIONED SAILS FOR SHIPS.
BUT GOD HAD GIVEN HIM SOME DISCERNMENT IN THIS MATTER; AND GIVEN HIM SPECIFIC KNOWLEDGE OF SEASONAL WEATHER PATTERNS TO VOICE A CONCERN (27:9-12)
SOMETIMES GOD ASKS US TO STEP OUT BOLDLY IN THE FACE OF SEEMINGLY INSURMOUNTABLE OBSTACLES. BUT SOMETIMES, HE ASKS US TO WAIT ON HIS TIMING (ABRAHAM: “ACTING VS. WAITING” GEN. 12:1-7); PS. 37:1-9)
WHY IS GOD INTO US ACTING, ONLY TO HAVE US WAIT, SOMETIMES WAITING FOR THE REST OF OUR LIVES? IT’S BECAUSE HE WANTS TO MAKE SURE THAT HE HAS THE GLORY, NOT US. WHEN GOD CALLS YOU OUT, HE DOES THREE THINGS:
*GIVES A SPECIFIC PURPOSE TO ACCOMPLISH;
*GIVES US SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS TO ACCOMPLISH THAT PURPOSE;
*HE ASKS FOR OUR FOCUS TO BE ON HIM, NOT THE PROBLEM.
HE HAD ABRAHAM WAIT FOR 22 YEARS TO GIVE HIM A SON WITH SARAH; HE HAD HIM WAIT BEYOND HIS WHOLE LIFE TO GIVE HIS DESCENDENTS THE LAND
AT
HE WAITED THREE DAYS TO RAISE CHRIST JESUS FROM THE DEAD;
AND HE GAVE PAUL A VISION THAT PERHAP’S GOD’S PLAN WOULD BE BEST CARRIED OUT IF THEY WOULD WAIT OUT THE WINTER IN THIS HARBOR. …BUT THEY DIDN’T WAIT…AND THERE WAS A DISASTER…
GOD’S FULFILLMENT OF HIS PLAN
SO WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE DON’T HONOR GOD’S INSTRUCTIONS, AND THINGS GO FROM BAD TO WORSE.
“WELL, I GUESS GOD’S PLAN DOESN’T GET ACCOMPLISHED.”
LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING: “GOD’S PLAN ALWAYS GETS ACCOMPLISHED.” WHY? BECAUSE GOD’S PLAN DOES NOT RELY ON OUR TOTAL OBEDIENCE. IF IT DID, WE WOULD BE LOST FOREVER.
HE SENT MOSES TO PHAROAH OVER AND OVER AGAIN TO GET HIS PEOPLE FREE; AND EVEN WHEN HE FINALLY DID, HE STILL TRIED TO RUN THEM DOWN WITH CHARIOTS AND SOLDERS, BUT GOD’S PLAN WAS STILL ACCOMPLISHED.
WHY DOES GOD CHOOSE TO WORK IN SUCH WAYS? WHY COULDN’T HE CAUSE PHAOROAH TO JUST AGREE THE FIRST TIME AND SAY, “OKAY, YOU CAN GO.”
WHY CAN’T HE JUST GET PAUL QUICKLY AND SAFELY TO
WHY DOESN’T HE SAVE THE WORLD OVERNIGHT TODAY, AND CEASE ALL THE SUFFERING?
BECAUSE THE NONBELIEVERS SURROUNDING US, AND SOMETIMES UNDER WHOSE AUTHORITY WE ARE, CAN ONLY SEE THE EVIDENCE OF THEIR EYES, WHICH IS THAT ACCORDING TO THE PRIDE THEY HAVE IN THEIR OWN SKILLS, THEY DON’T BELIEVE A PARTICULAR THING IS POSSIBLE. THEY DON’T BELIEVE THIS
AND SOMETIMES GOD NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO SHOW THEM WITH EVIDENCE OF THEIR EYES A MIRACULOUS, 11TH HOUR SALVATION.
DRIVEN BY THE STORM
(V. 13) “…thought they had obtained what they wanted…” THE NKJV TRANSLATES, “…HAD OBTAINED THEIR DESIRE…”
SOMETIMES WE’RE MORE FOCUSED ON THE DESIRE OF OUR HEARTS, TIL WE’VE PLACED IT BEFORE GOD. JESUS SAID TO SEEK FIRST THE
(V14-17) “…THE SHIP WAS CAUGHT…AND SO WERE DRIVEN”
THE SAILORS USED ALL THEIR SKILL AND EXPERIENCE: THEY BROUGHT IN THE SKIFF; THEY UNDERGIRDED THE SHIP; RAN UNDER THE SHELTER OF
WHEN WE ARE “DRIVEN” BY SOMETHING, WE ARE OUT OF CONTROL.
THERE’S A GREAT SPIRITUAL TRUTH HIDING HERE IN THESE VERSES, REGARDING A GREAT WEAPON AT OUR DISPOSAL: DO YOU SEE WHAT THEY’RE BEING DRIVEN BY? THE WIND. BUT THE WIND HAS BEEN GIVEN A NAME: “EUROCLYDON,” MEANING ‘ A SOUTHEAST WIND THE STIRS UP BROAD WAVES.”
NOW HERE’S THE SPIRITUAL TRUTH: ANY THING THAT THE ENEMY CAN THROW AGAINST YOU HAS A NAME.
AND HERE’S YOUR SPIRITUAL WEAPON: ANYTHING THAT HAS A NAME HAS TO BOW DOWN THE NAME OF JESUS.
AND HERE’S YOUR AUTHORITY TO WEILD IT: PHILIPPIANS 2:5; 9-10 “LET THIS MIND BE IN YOU WHICH WAS ALSO IN CHRIST JESUS…THEREFORE GOD ALSO HAS HIGHLY EXALTED HIM AND GIVEN HIM THE NAME WHICH IS ABOVE EVERY NAME, THAT AT THE NAME OF JESUS EVERY KNEE SHOULD BOW, OF THOSE IN HEAVEN, AND OF THOSE ON EARTH, AND OF THOSE UNDER THE EARTH.”
SO WE CAN NAME OUR ENEMY, AND ORDER IT TO BE SUBJECT TO THE NAME OF CHRIST JESUS; ORDER OUR ENEMY TO BOW. NOT OF OUR OWN STRENGTH AND ABILITY; NOT OF OUR OWN EXPERIENCE AND PRIDE; BUT OUT OF OUR HUMBLING OURSELVES TO GOD THROUGH THE BLOOD SACRIFICE OF JESUS, AND THEN ALLOWING HIM TO POUR INTO US WHATEVER IT IS WE NEED AT THE MOMENT. THEN COMMANDING THE ENEMY (IE. THE STORM, SICKNESS, STRIFE, DISAPPOINTMENT, HEARTACHE, FINANCE, WORRY, DOUBT) TO BOW TO THE POWER OF NAME OF JESUS THAT YOU WEAR AS A JOINT HEIR WITH HIM.
RELYING ON SELF
WHEN WE RELY ON SELF, WE END UP LOSING MORE THAN WE STARTED WITH. AND FINALLY, WE LOSE OUR HOPE. (V19-20)
BUT ISN’T IT GREAT THAT GOD’S FULFILLMENT OF HIS PLAN DOES NOT RELY ON OUR SKILLS AND ABILITIES! NOR DOES IT RELY ON OUR OBEDIENCE OR DISOBEDIENCE.
(V21-26) “YOU SHOULD HAVE LISTENED…” BUT YOU DIDN’T. SO LET’S JUST GIVE UP AND DIE IN THE STORM?
NO. GOD WANT’S US TO ACKNOWLEDGE OUR MISTAKE…BUT THEN
PAUL SAYS, “TAKE HEART…TAKE COURAGE...” QUIT MOPING AROUND. FIRST OF ALL, IF YOU DON’T EAT SOMETHING, YOU’RE GOING TO DIE OF STARVATION, AND YOU WON’T BE STRONG ENOUGH TO DO WHAT WE HAVE TO DO TO SAVE THE SHIP.
SOMETIMES, WE ARE WEAK SPIRITUALLY BECAUSE WE HAVE NOT TAKEN NOURSIHMENT FROM GOD’S WORD.
THEN PAUL SAYS SOMETHING ELSE REMARKABLE IN V. 25 “…I BELIEVE GOD THAT IT WILL BE JUST AS IT WAS TOLD ME.” HOW MANY OF US FAIL AT THIS TRUTH? ARE YOU GOING TO BELIEVE THE EVIDENCE OF YOUR EYES? THE EVIDENCE OF THE ENEMY? OR ARE YOU GOING TO BELIEVE THE WORD OF GOD? HOW ABOUT IF IT’S TAKING A LONG TIME?
GOD’S 2ND PLAN
NOW, JUST AS MANY OF US ARE HIGH FIVING EACH OTHER, AND BREATHING A SIGH OF RELIEF, HAVING REMINDED OURSELVES HOW POWERFUL OUR GOD IS, PAUL REMINDS THEM ANOTHER TEST IS STILL AT HAND: (V 26) “WE MUST RUN THE SHIP AGROUND ON A CERTAIN
SOMETIMES IN THE MIDST OF THE STORM; THE CRISIS; WHEN WE’VE FINALLY ACKNOWLEDGED THAT GOD IS SOVEREIGN AND THAT WE SHOULD’VE FOLLOWED HIS ORIGINAL PLAN, WE STILL HAVE SOME CONSEQUENCES TO DEAL WITH. NOW GOD IS READY TO HELP US DEAL WITH THEM, BUT WE STILL HAVE TO GET RID OF SOME THINGS THAT HE KNOWS WE’RE PRONE TO RELYING ON INSTEAD OF HIM. SOMETIMES HE’S GOING TO HAVE US WRECK OUR BOAT SO HE CAN SEND US A BETTER ONE!
(V. 30-32) “…THE SAILORS, SEEKING TO ESCAPE…HAD LET DOWN THE SKIFF UNDER PRETENSE…THE SOLDIERS CUT AWAY THE SKIFF.”
GOD MAY STILL WANT TO USE SOME SKILLS AND ABILITIES, BUT HE WANTS OUR RELIANCE TO BE ON HIM. IF THE SAILORS HAD LEFT, THE PASSENGERS WOULD ALL DIE.
(V33-38) “PAUL IMPLORED THEM TO TAKE FOOD…GAVE THANKS TO GOD…BEGAN TO EAT…THEY WERE ENCOURAGED…WHEN THEY HAD EATEN ENOUGH…THREW THE WHEAT INTO THE SEA.”
WOW! GOD PROVIDED THEIR SUSTENANCE, THEN TOLD THEM TO THROW THE REST OF THE WHEAT OUT! SOMETIMES WHAT WE HOLD ONTO FOR SURVIVAL HAS TO BE THROWN OUT, TO RELY SOLELY ON GOD! IN THE PROPER ORDER OF THINGS, THEY GAVE THANKS TO GOD; TOOK WHAT THEY NEEDED OF WHAT HE PROVIDED; GAVE UP THEY EXCESS, THEN TURNED BACK TO THE TASK AT HAND: LIGHTENING THE SHIP SO GOD COULD DELIVER THEM.
GOD USES THE SACRIFICE
“TO OBEY MAY BE BETTER THAN SACRIFICE,” BUT I THINK IT’S SYMBOLIC HERE THAT GOD USES THE ENTIRE SACRIFICE (V41-44) “…THEY RAN THE SHIP AGROUND…THE STERN WAS BROKEN UP BY THE VIOLENCE OF THE WAVES…THOSE WHO COULD SWIM JUMPED OVERBOARD FIRST… AND SOME ON BOARDS AND SOME ON PARTS OF THE SHIP…AND SO IT WAS THAT THEY ALL ESCAPED TO LAND.”
SUMMARY Ps. 37:1-19
LIKE ABRAHAM; LIKE PAUL; LIKE ANY NUMBER OF OTHER PEOPLE OF GOD IN THE BIBLE, THERE IS A TIME TO ACT AND A TIME TO WAIT ON GOD. AND WHAT SOMETIMES LOOKS TO OTHERS LIKE CONFUSION AND CHANGING OUR MINDS, IS OBEDIENCE.
AND SOMETIMES THAT OBEDIENCE OCCURS IN GOD’S TIMING, NOT OURS (SEE GEN. 15:13-16)
LISTEN TO THIS: YAHWEH GOD IS THE CREATOR AND LORD OF ALL TIME; ALL HISTORY; AND HE ALONE SEES THE END LAID OUT BEFORE US.
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