1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:06,919 Acts chapter 27, we're gonna be in verse 27, and I'm sure, um, as everyone knows, 2 00:00:06,940 --> 00:00:10,420 the past few days everyone's been kind of focused on what happened back on 3 00:00:10,790 --> 00:00:14,210 25 years ago, uh, on September 11th. 4 00:00:14,680 --> 00:00:18,570 And, uh, I don't know about you, but I, I always for, you know, just feel 5 00:00:18,570 --> 00:00:22,300 like I need to watch something just to remind myself and see what hap- 6 00:00:22,310 --> 00:00:23,980 there's always new stories coming out. 7 00:00:23,980 --> 00:00:27,489 But the one thing that I, that I noticed as I was watching a, a 8 00:00:27,490 --> 00:00:31,439 couple of the sh- the documentaries this year was, uh, how people… 9 00:00:31,439 --> 00:00:34,470 I mean, you think about it when you're watching, like, how people would just 10 00:00:34,470 --> 00:00:39,759 stop and go back in and save other people or lead other people out of the 11 00:00:39,759 --> 00:00:42,620 building, lead people out on the streets. 12 00:00:43,170 --> 00:00:46,570 And it was, it was just a r- I was thinking to myself as, you know, I 13 00:00:46,570 --> 00:00:50,840 remember one story of this guy saying he was running down the stairs, and, uh, 14 00:00:51,350 --> 00:00:54,740 as he's running down the stairwell, he heard people yelling that they're stuck, 15 00:00:54,740 --> 00:00:56,529 and they were stuck in an elevator. 16 00:00:56,980 --> 00:01:00,019 And he tried to, him and another guy tried to pry the elevator 17 00:01:00,019 --> 00:01:01,469 open, but they couldn't do it. 18 00:01:01,990 --> 00:01:06,040 And then they, uh, they, they were using like a, a, a restroom… 19 00:01:06,060 --> 00:01:08,210 You know, like how restroom keys have like sticks on them? 20 00:01:08,490 --> 00:01:11,449 So that's what he was trying to do, but he couldn't do it, and somebody ran in 21 00:01:11,450 --> 00:01:16,389 an office and got a leg to a chair, and they couldn't pry the doors open, so they, 22 00:01:16,720 --> 00:01:20,840 they shoved those, uh, the stick and the chair through the, through the elevator 23 00:01:20,840 --> 00:01:25,600 to see if they can save themselves because they're like, "You know, we, we got it. 24 00:01:25,619 --> 00:01:26,669 We can't keep trying. 25 00:01:26,679 --> 00:01:27,669 We're, we're leaving." 26 00:01:28,299 --> 00:01:31,960 And he's like, "I don't know if those people ever got out." 27 00:01:32,569 --> 00:01:35,840 And I was thinking to myself, would I have just stayed there longer, or would 28 00:01:35,840 --> 00:01:37,710 I have even tried to save other people? 29 00:01:37,710 --> 00:01:39,789 You know, you, it, it, it brings you to yourself. 30 00:01:40,340 --> 00:01:41,800 Would I have tried to help people? 31 00:01:41,840 --> 00:01:42,589 Would, would I… 32 00:01:42,619 --> 00:01:45,910 You think you would, but you know, when, when it's like push comes to 33 00:01:45,910 --> 00:01:49,210 shove and you know you only have moments or you don't really know 34 00:01:49,210 --> 00:01:51,299 what's gonna happen, what would you do? 35 00:01:52,368 --> 00:01:56,418 And the reason I bring that up is 'cause in today's text we're gonna see a story 36 00:01:56,878 --> 00:02:00,408 of people trying to save other people. 37 00:02:00,408 --> 00:02:03,738 And, and that's really the point I wanna get out of this, this text 38 00:02:03,738 --> 00:02:06,808 this morning, is we're really gonna see two pe- two sets of people. 39 00:02:06,808 --> 00:02:11,358 Those who are like, "You're on your own," and then those who are like, 40 00:02:11,678 --> 00:02:13,098 you know, "We wanna save people." 41 00:02:13,718 --> 00:02:16,928 And the question comes again back to which one are you? 42 00:02:17,188 --> 00:02:19,318 Which, what would you have done? 43 00:02:20,028 --> 00:02:24,458 So as we go through the text this morning, I want you to be thinking 44 00:02:24,468 --> 00:02:30,798 about that a- and how you can, you know, save other people in a sense, right? 45 00:02:30,828 --> 00:02:35,048 That's the title of this morning's message, Saved to Save Others. 46 00:02:35,078 --> 00:02:38,928 It really gives us our purpose as believers, what we are 47 00:02:38,958 --> 00:02:41,358 called to do in this world. 48 00:02:42,348 --> 00:02:45,978 And there's a lot of things that would prevent us or distract us, 49 00:02:45,978 --> 00:02:51,937 and, and priorities in our lives that would keep us maybe from making that 50 00:02:52,156 --> 00:02:54,418 a, a, a mission in our own lives. 51 00:02:55,008 --> 00:03:00,838 So we are gonna pick up the, the text from last week where Pastor Jared was, 52 00:03:01,307 --> 00:03:04,668 uh, about to describe a shipwreck, right? 53 00:03:04,697 --> 00:03:11,398 The Apostle Paul and his fellow prisoners and soldiers and voyagers are on a ship. 54 00:03:11,978 --> 00:03:17,267 Um, and they've been, uh, you know, on the ship for 14 days, we'll see. 55 00:03:17,737 --> 00:03:21,858 But before we get into verse 27, I think it's really important that we go back a 56 00:03:21,858 --> 00:03:28,517 few verses and look at what the Apostle Paul says in verses 22 through 26, 'cause 57 00:03:28,517 --> 00:03:34,067 it kinda sets up what is going to happen So if you remember, they're, they're 58 00:03:34,067 --> 00:03:37,458 sailing and they're having some rough seas, and they're staying close to the 59 00:03:37,458 --> 00:03:42,348 island to prevent the winds, you know, from, uh, from disturbing the ship. 60 00:03:42,778 --> 00:03:45,558 And they're, uh, they've been suffering a little bit. 61 00:03:45,558 --> 00:03:48,088 And this is what the Apostle Paul says in verse 22. 62 00:03:48,567 --> 00:03:54,668 He says, "Yet now I urge you to keep up your courage, for there shall be no loss 63 00:03:54,688 --> 00:03:58,188 of life among you, but only the ship." 64 00:03:58,578 --> 00:04:02,148 So in fancy terms, like, "Hey, we're gonna survive. 65 00:04:02,268 --> 00:04:03,908 The ship's not going to survive." 66 00:04:04,898 --> 00:04:05,468 And he says… 67 00:04:05,818 --> 00:04:07,578 And he gives them the reason why he says that, right? 68 00:04:07,578 --> 00:04:08,548 Like, who's the Apostle Paul? 69 00:04:08,558 --> 00:04:09,387 Who are you to say this? 70 00:04:09,387 --> 00:04:10,058 You're a prisoner. 71 00:04:10,637 --> 00:04:13,558 He says, "For this very night an angel of God to whom I belong 72 00:04:13,558 --> 00:04:17,378 and whom I serve stood before me saying, 'Do not be afraid, Paul. 73 00:04:17,728 --> 00:04:19,918 You must stand before Caesar. 74 00:04:20,406 --> 00:04:25,587 And behold, God has granted you all those who are sailing with you.'" 75 00:04:26,108 --> 00:04:27,738 So he's got a message, right? 76 00:04:27,738 --> 00:04:31,338 And it's been the same message over the past few chapters that we've been 77 00:04:31,338 --> 00:04:36,428 studying, that God has a determined to get the Apostle Paul to be his 78 00:04:36,428 --> 00:04:40,707 witness in Rome before Caesar, and he's continuing that message. 79 00:04:40,728 --> 00:04:43,178 Now he's carrying him about a different way. 80 00:04:43,938 --> 00:04:51,078 And the Apostle Paul says, he says, "Therefore, keep up your courage, 81 00:04:51,098 --> 00:04:56,247 men, for I believe God that it will turn out exactly as I have been told. 82 00:04:56,598 --> 00:04:59,457 But we must run aground on a certain island." 83 00:04:59,457 --> 00:05:02,107 So again, he reiterates, "Hey, I trust God. 84 00:05:02,388 --> 00:05:06,338 We're gonna make it, but we're gonna run aground on an island." 85 00:05:06,598 --> 00:05:07,927 He doesn't know the specifics. 86 00:05:07,927 --> 00:05:10,918 He just knows God's promised to get me somewhere. 87 00:05:12,028 --> 00:05:14,488 And you guys are gonna make it, too, but the ship's not. 88 00:05:15,238 --> 00:05:19,657 So that's the message he's given, and as we'll see, not everybody believes it. 89 00:05:20,217 --> 00:05:23,157 And maybe even at some times the Apostle Paul doubted it, right? 90 00:05:23,157 --> 00:05:26,877 Because when circumstances get a little crazy, how many of us don't 91 00:05:26,878 --> 00:05:29,267 go, is, "God, are you watching? 92 00:05:29,467 --> 00:05:30,867 Do you see what's going on? 93 00:05:31,467 --> 00:05:34,527 Did you really tell me to go this way or that way, to do this thing 94 00:05:34,528 --> 00:05:36,118 or to move here or to move there?" 95 00:05:36,588 --> 00:05:37,978 Whatever the case may be. 96 00:05:38,738 --> 00:05:41,377 We don't see that from the Apostle Paul, but he's human. 97 00:05:42,488 --> 00:05:44,338 I know sometimes as I've been reading through Acts, I'm like, 98 00:05:44,378 --> 00:05:45,868 this guy's, like, superhuman. 99 00:05:45,878 --> 00:05:46,268 He's… 100 00:05:46,747 --> 00:05:51,297 I'm becoming a big fan of the Apostle Paul just in my own study time. 101 00:05:51,648 --> 00:05:53,397 Okay, so that's where we are. 102 00:05:53,777 --> 00:05:54,467 We're at, we're… 103 00:05:54,777 --> 00:05:59,907 He's given this, uh, encouragement to the people, and we pick up in verse 17. 104 00:06:00,318 --> 00:06:05,518 "But when the 14th night had come, as we were being driven about in 105 00:06:05,518 --> 00:06:11,448 the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors began to surmise that 106 00:06:11,448 --> 00:06:13,197 they were approaching some land." 107 00:06:17,060 --> 00:06:21,820 And they took soundings and found it to be 20 fathoms. 108 00:06:22,120 --> 00:06:26,920 And a little farther on, they took another sounding and found it to be 15 fathoms. 109 00:06:27,470 --> 00:06:30,350 If you don't know what that is, they dropped some type of measuring 110 00:06:30,350 --> 00:06:33,540 rod or something down to the ground to see how far the ground was. 111 00:06:33,940 --> 00:06:36,150 So they could see it's getting smaller and so on, means they're 112 00:06:36,150 --> 00:06:39,740 getting closer to, uh, land. 113 00:06:40,490 --> 00:06:41,730 So that's how they know 114 00:06:43,948 --> 00:06:47,468 And fearing that we might run aground somewhere on the rocks, 115 00:06:47,488 --> 00:06:51,318 they cast four anchors from the stern and wished for daybreak. 116 00:06:52,108 --> 00:06:55,608 And as the sailors were trying to escape from the ship and had let down the 117 00:06:55,908 --> 00:07:00,058 ship's boat in the sea on the pretense of intending to lay out anchors from the 118 00:07:00,058 --> 00:07:06,228 bow, Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, "Unless these men remain in 119 00:07:06,228 --> 00:07:09,688 the ship, you yourselves cannot be saved." 120 00:07:10,288 --> 00:07:15,138 Then the soldiers cut away the ropes and the ship's boat, excuse me, of the ship's 121 00:07:15,158 --> 00:07:17,928 boat and it f- and let it fall away. 122 00:07:18,518 --> 00:07:21,707 So what happens here is we see the perspective of the sailors. 123 00:07:21,738 --> 00:07:24,497 These are obviously professionals. 124 00:07:25,298 --> 00:07:28,928 Um, they've heard the Apostle Paul's word, but what they're 125 00:07:28,928 --> 00:07:31,478 seeing is this circumstance like, "Hey, we're gonna run aground. 126 00:07:31,488 --> 00:07:32,717 We're gonna crash." 127 00:07:33,207 --> 00:07:36,248 And so you see they, they're like, "Okay, we're gonna weigh anchor, 128 00:07:36,588 --> 00:07:37,688 and we're gonna wait it out." 129 00:07:38,358 --> 00:07:42,178 But as the Apostle Paul, or as Luke tells us, the Apostle Paul goes, "No, 130 00:07:42,178 --> 00:07:43,468 they're, they're trying to escape. 131 00:07:43,477 --> 00:07:47,048 They're getting on a ship saying, or one of the, the boats on the ship. 132 00:07:47,378 --> 00:07:50,037 They're letting it down, and they're saying, 'We're gonna lay anchor,' 133 00:07:50,317 --> 00:07:51,558 but they're really gonna escape." 134 00:07:53,158 --> 00:07:54,928 See, they, they were led by their fears. 135 00:07:54,928 --> 00:07:56,288 They were like, "We're out of here. 136 00:07:56,298 --> 00:07:57,798 You guys are on your own." 137 00:07:58,828 --> 00:08:02,638 And the Apostle Paul tells the soldiers, "Hey, these guys, if they 138 00:08:02,638 --> 00:08:06,158 don't stay on the boat, we are all gonna, we're not gonna survive, right? 139 00:08:06,288 --> 00:08:10,558 We need those sailors here on the ship to get us to where we need to go. 140 00:08:10,777 --> 00:08:13,198 And if we let them go, then we're all gonna perish." 141 00:08:14,097 --> 00:08:17,407 This is what the Apostle Paul is telling the centurion. 142 00:08:17,468 --> 00:08:21,328 If you remember from our study last week, the centurion's name is Julius, 143 00:08:22,267 --> 00:08:24,638 and he likes the Apostle Paul. 144 00:08:24,648 --> 00:08:29,798 If you remember earlier in the chapter, he let the Apostle Paul have visitors 145 00:08:29,798 --> 00:08:34,607 and to move about, and we'll see a little bit at the end what he does as well. 146 00:08:35,078 --> 00:08:38,077 But he tells Julius, "Hey, you gotta stop these guys." 147 00:08:38,217 --> 00:08:38,777 And they do. 148 00:08:38,798 --> 00:08:42,778 So they, before the guys were able to get on the boats, they cut the ropes, 149 00:08:42,807 --> 00:08:45,108 and they can't get on it, and they stay. 150 00:08:46,127 --> 00:08:47,157 That was the result. 151 00:08:47,688 --> 00:08:52,247 So unlike the sailors, the Apostle Paul cared for people. 152 00:08:52,248 --> 00:08:54,048 He wanted people to be saved. 153 00:08:54,468 --> 00:08:57,238 He's showing how much he cares. 154 00:08:58,277 --> 00:09:01,777 He believes God's promise even though he doesn't really know how it's gonna happen. 155 00:09:01,777 --> 00:09:03,678 He's like, "Hey, we need these sailors on the ship." 156 00:09:05,602 --> 00:09:07,992 The sailors, again, were led by their fears. 157 00:09:08,012 --> 00:09:09,332 They were like, "We're scared. 158 00:09:09,342 --> 00:09:10,512 We don't know what to do. 159 00:09:10,952 --> 00:09:12,432 It's beyond what we can do. 160 00:09:12,582 --> 00:09:13,422 We're out of here. 161 00:09:13,452 --> 00:09:15,392 It's every man for himself." 162 00:09:17,212 --> 00:09:18,532 So you see the difference. 163 00:09:19,252 --> 00:09:21,922 Obviously, as we, as we look at the Apostle Paul, he's the one that 164 00:09:21,922 --> 00:09:24,242 we want to e- emulate, emulate. 165 00:09:24,482 --> 00:09:26,712 What can we learn from the Apostle Paul's actions? 166 00:09:26,712 --> 00:09:28,622 I'm gonna give you some points of application. 167 00:09:30,492 --> 00:09:35,792 Well, we can remember that God is with us in every situation in life. 168 00:09:36,262 --> 00:09:40,652 Remember, the Apostle Paul started this by saying, "God is with us. 169 00:09:40,932 --> 00:09:42,042 He's gonna get us there." 170 00:09:42,392 --> 00:09:43,402 He believed it. 171 00:09:43,792 --> 00:09:45,342 Obviously, the sailors did not. 172 00:09:45,352 --> 00:09:50,742 They let the circumstances that they saw dictate how they responded, and out of 173 00:09:50,742 --> 00:09:54,652 their fear they said, "We're out of here." 174 00:09:55,372 --> 00:09:57,742 But the Apostle Paul, he was different, right? 175 00:09:58,952 --> 00:10:03,872 Let me ask you guys, as a believer, we need to remember, we don't need to fear 176 00:10:03,882 --> 00:10:05,491 all the storms that come in our life. 177 00:10:05,922 --> 00:10:09,292 Again, we are not promised smooth sailing in this life 178 00:10:11,330 --> 00:10:12,910 But we know that God's with us. 179 00:10:14,100 --> 00:10:17,130 Do you really believe that when you guys are going through hard times? 180 00:10:17,440 --> 00:10:19,260 Do you really believe that God's with you? 181 00:10:20,460 --> 00:10:24,610 When you're in the midst of the storm of life and the circumstances that you're 182 00:10:24,610 --> 00:10:29,650 in, do you respond like these sailors do, in a sense like abandoning ship? 183 00:10:29,680 --> 00:10:30,540 I'm out of here. 184 00:10:31,180 --> 00:10:32,420 It's too difficult. 185 00:10:32,750 --> 00:10:34,600 I can't follow God anymore. 186 00:10:35,000 --> 00:10:36,720 I have to do things my way. 187 00:10:36,720 --> 00:10:39,260 I'm experienced enough, and I know how to get out of this. 188 00:10:39,470 --> 00:10:42,850 It might be a little different than what God would tell me, but I'm gonna do it. 189 00:10:44,549 --> 00:10:48,380 Again, that's when you, that's when we let our fears control our decision-making. 190 00:10:48,390 --> 00:10:52,369 We don't trust God in the midst of the storm, even though 191 00:10:52,370 --> 00:10:54,710 He's told us He's with us 192 00:10:57,452 --> 00:10:58,902 Or are you like the Apostle Paul? 193 00:10:58,902 --> 00:11:02,192 Do you trust the Lord when you're in the midst of this, of the storm? 194 00:11:03,942 --> 00:11:07,652 Also, as I mentioned at the very beginning when I was talking about, uh, the 195 00:11:07,652 --> 00:11:12,052 documentaries that I've been watching over, over the past couple of days, do 196 00:11:12,052 --> 00:11:15,122 you think about the others' wellbeing in the midst of the storm, right? 197 00:11:15,122 --> 00:11:19,282 There's other people in our lives that we affect when we abandon ship. 198 00:11:20,492 --> 00:11:21,702 Think of a marriage, right? 199 00:11:21,702 --> 00:11:24,052 When one of the partners says, "I'm out of here." 200 00:11:24,502 --> 00:11:27,632 The effect that that has on everybody else in their life. 201 00:11:28,202 --> 00:11:32,702 It's not just about him and his wife or her and her husband, it's about the 202 00:11:32,702 --> 00:11:35,892 kids, the relatives, the f- the friends. 203 00:11:37,112 --> 00:11:38,352 Everybody's affected. 204 00:11:38,422 --> 00:11:43,472 Do you think about other people when you're in the midst of a storm? 205 00:11:46,676 --> 00:11:49,856 Early, uh, if you turn with me to Mark, I wanna show you 206 00:11:49,856 --> 00:11:51,126 something in Mark chapter 4. 207 00:11:51,126 --> 00:11:56,276 This is the, the episode in the apostle's life, or the disciples' 208 00:11:56,276 --> 00:12:00,326 lives, when they're in the boat with Jesus and the storm comes. 209 00:12:00,646 --> 00:12:06,876 It's similar to what happened with the Apostle Paul, but yet these men act a 210 00:12:06,876 --> 00:12:10,886 little differently in the sense that they're afraid, and they show their fear. 211 00:12:12,436 --> 00:12:14,906 In Mark chapter 4, starting in verse 35 212 00:12:17,666 --> 00:12:18,446 Look at what it says. 213 00:12:18,446 --> 00:12:23,576 And it says, "On that day when evening had come, he said to them," this is Jesus, 214 00:12:23,866 --> 00:12:25,786 " 'Let us go over to the other side.' 215 00:12:25,806 --> 00:12:27,756 " You see how he's saying, "We're gonna go to the other side." 216 00:12:28,356 --> 00:12:32,446 Just like going back to Acts where the Apostle Paul says, "We're gonna get to 217 00:12:32,446 --> 00:12:35,546 this island safely, but the ship won't." 218 00:12:36,616 --> 00:12:39,716 So Jesus has told the disciples, "Let's go to the other side." 219 00:12:40,656 --> 00:12:43,076 And it says, "And leaving the multitude, they took him along with 220 00:12:43,076 --> 00:12:44,996 them, just as he was, in the boat. 221 00:12:45,306 --> 00:12:46,876 And the other boats were with him." 222 00:12:46,876 --> 00:12:50,565 So there's a bunch of boats heading across the sea. 223 00:12:51,466 --> 00:12:54,516 "And there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking 224 00:12:54,516 --> 00:12:58,165 over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up. 225 00:12:58,936 --> 00:13:01,725 And he himself was in the stern, asleep on a cushion. 226 00:13:02,466 --> 00:13:05,116 And they awoke him and said to him, 'Teacher, do you not 227 00:13:05,135 --> 00:13:07,345 care that we are perishing?' 228 00:13:09,570 --> 00:13:11,290 " Do we not, how many times do we not do that, right? 229 00:13:11,310 --> 00:13:14,790 Lord, don't you care what's going on in my life? 230 00:13:15,110 --> 00:13:16,070 I'm drowning. 231 00:13:17,190 --> 00:13:18,330 I'm in the midst of a storm. 232 00:13:18,330 --> 00:13:19,170 I'm suffering. 233 00:13:20,890 --> 00:13:23,410 And obviously, the question is, of course, the Lord cares. 234 00:13:24,320 --> 00:13:27,980 He's just not handling it the way you want him to handle it. 235 00:13:29,020 --> 00:13:32,100 That's what's happening here in the text in Mark. 236 00:13:33,400 --> 00:13:37,790 "And being aroused he rebuked the wind and said to the sea, 'Hush, be still.' 237 00:13:38,130 --> 00:13:41,580 And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. 238 00:13:42,060 --> 00:13:46,300 And he said to them, 'Why are you so timid or afraid? 239 00:13:46,860 --> 00:13:50,360 How is it that you have no faith?' 240 00:13:51,329 --> 00:13:54,970 And they became very much afraid and said to one another, 'Who then is this, that 241 00:13:54,980 --> 00:13:57,780 even the wind and the sea obey him?'" 242 00:13:58,480 --> 00:14:01,470 See, they truly didn't understand who they had in the boat with them. 243 00:14:01,949 --> 00:14:05,150 They s- they followed him, but yet they truly didn't understand it. 244 00:14:05,410 --> 00:14:11,090 They truly didn't believe who he was, in the sense that, hey, L- 245 00:14:11,090 --> 00:14:12,989 the Lord can handle this storm. 246 00:14:13,000 --> 00:14:17,590 They allowed the circumstances in their life to get them to fear and to, 247 00:14:17,590 --> 00:14:19,180 like, say, "Lord, you're not watching. 248 00:14:19,189 --> 00:14:20,930 You're not doing what I want you to do. 249 00:14:21,320 --> 00:14:22,240 G- wake up." 250 00:14:24,834 --> 00:14:27,984 The same thing again, going back to the Book of Acts happens here, and 251 00:14:27,984 --> 00:14:31,204 the, the, the sailors in the sense are saying, "We're gonna handle it our way." 252 00:14:31,824 --> 00:14:35,134 The Apostle Paul's like, "No, I already told you we're gonna make it 253 00:14:37,442 --> 00:14:41,252 So what we learn from the Apostle Paul is that remember that God is with us in every 254 00:14:41,252 --> 00:14:44,522 situation, even when the storms are rising 255 00:14:47,362 --> 00:14:50,212 The other thing we need to remember that we can learn from 256 00:14:50,212 --> 00:14:54,252 the Apostle Paul is to remind those around us that God is in control. 257 00:14:55,372 --> 00:14:55,522 Right? 258 00:14:55,522 --> 00:14:58,512 The people around us need to be reminded, "Hey, God's in control," right? 259 00:14:58,522 --> 00:15:00,052 That's how we encourage one another. 260 00:15:00,382 --> 00:15:01,482 God is here. 261 00:15:01,732 --> 00:15:02,862 God is faithful. 262 00:15:02,892 --> 00:15:03,792 God is good. 263 00:15:03,792 --> 00:15:04,762 I know it looks bad. 264 00:15:04,762 --> 00:15:06,812 I know the situation is dire. 265 00:15:07,382 --> 00:15:10,002 It looks like how could God allow this to happen? 266 00:15:10,002 --> 00:15:13,252 But we know who God is, w- and we need to remind people. 267 00:15:13,252 --> 00:15:15,072 That's what the Apostle Paul did here. 268 00:15:15,432 --> 00:15:15,492 Right? 269 00:15:15,502 --> 00:15:17,522 He was reminding them, "Hey, take courage. 270 00:15:17,672 --> 00:15:18,572 We're gonna make it." 271 00:15:20,092 --> 00:15:24,372 So not only did he save, uh, you know, was worried about himself, but he 272 00:15:24,372 --> 00:15:25,462 was worried about the other people. 273 00:15:25,462 --> 00:15:30,032 Said, "We have to keep these sailors in the boat for us all to survive 274 00:15:32,692 --> 00:15:34,992 As Christians, that is our calling. 275 00:15:35,472 --> 00:15:41,252 Paul in First Lent, uh, Thessalonians 5:14 said this to the church: "We urge 276 00:15:41,252 --> 00:15:47,922 you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the faint-hearted, help the 277 00:15:47,922 --> 00:15:50,332 weak, and be patient with everyone." 278 00:15:51,302 --> 00:15:53,842 The point there is encourage the faint-hearted. 279 00:15:53,842 --> 00:15:54,592 That's our job. 280 00:15:54,602 --> 00:16:00,192 We need to encourage those who are losing heart in our lives, in their faith, right? 281 00:16:00,382 --> 00:16:03,982 Brothers and sisters in the church that you know who are struggling 282 00:16:03,982 --> 00:16:05,972 with their faith, encourage them. 283 00:16:06,702 --> 00:16:07,782 That is our calling. 284 00:16:07,782 --> 00:16:10,322 We need to help other people. 285 00:16:10,532 --> 00:16:15,212 That's what the church is called to, and that's what we see the Apostle Paul 286 00:16:15,222 --> 00:16:17,732 doing here at the beginning of this text 287 00:16:20,020 --> 00:16:26,830 I like what Isaiah says in Isaiah 35:3-4, and it's similar 288 00:16:26,830 --> 00:16:28,370 to what the Apostle Paul said. 289 00:16:29,600 --> 00:16:34,640 Says this, "Encourage the exhausted, strengthen the feeble. 290 00:16:35,380 --> 00:16:40,140 Say to those with anxious heart, 'Take courage, fear not. 291 00:16:40,510 --> 00:16:43,050 Behold, your God will come with vengeance. 292 00:16:43,440 --> 00:16:48,810 The re- the recompense of God will come, but He will save you.'" 293 00:16:49,240 --> 00:16:53,080 Now, obviously, this is talking about vengeance, but I wanna make 294 00:16:53,080 --> 00:16:57,030 the broader point is that, hey, we're told as believers to encourage the 295 00:16:57,030 --> 00:16:58,920 exhausted, strengthen the feeble. 296 00:16:59,260 --> 00:17:03,180 Say to those with an anxious heart, "Take courage and fear not." 297 00:17:03,680 --> 00:17:06,319 The Apostle Paul said that a number of times, and we'll see he'll 298 00:17:06,319 --> 00:17:08,609 say it again, is, "Take courage." 299 00:17:08,720 --> 00:17:10,640 It's okay, I know there's a storm. 300 00:17:10,900 --> 00:17:11,599 Take courage. 301 00:17:11,618 --> 00:17:12,970 God is in control. 302 00:17:13,310 --> 00:17:16,470 It's a message that we need to give to other believers 303 00:17:18,945 --> 00:17:23,116 And the result of that will be when we believe God is in control, neither we 304 00:17:23,156 --> 00:17:28,126 or those around us have to be gripped with fear and uncertainty, right? 305 00:17:28,126 --> 00:17:31,206 When we understand that we don't have to fear things, we don't have 306 00:17:31,206 --> 00:17:35,196 to be uncertain, because we know God is control- is in control. 307 00:17:36,066 --> 00:17:39,226 Let me ask you this morning, what is it in your life that 308 00:17:39,226 --> 00:17:40,976 keeps you from living that way? 309 00:17:42,066 --> 00:17:43,106 What are you fearing? 310 00:17:43,106 --> 00:17:49,726 What fear is controlling you this morning or has a, the ability to keep 311 00:17:49,726 --> 00:17:53,915 you f- from keeping your eyes focused on God and focused on the situation? 312 00:17:54,176 --> 00:17:56,616 This happens all the time in everybody's life. 313 00:17:58,216 --> 00:18:00,366 But we have to remember that God is in control even in 314 00:18:00,366 --> 00:18:01,896 the middle of that situation. 315 00:18:03,236 --> 00:18:08,035 Let's look at the next section in verses 33 through 48 as the voyage continues. 316 00:18:09,106 --> 00:18:11,486 So the sailors, they're staying on board. 317 00:18:12,756 --> 00:18:17,136 Now we see what the Apostle Paul, how he encourages everybody else on 318 00:18:17,136 --> 00:18:19,466 the ship in verses 33 through 48. 319 00:18:19,886 --> 00:18:24,795 It says, "And until the day was about to dawn, Paul was encouraging them 320 00:18:25,256 --> 00:18:29,736 all to take some food, saying, 'Today is the fourteenth day that you've 321 00:18:29,736 --> 00:18:34,395 been constantly watching and going without eating, having taken nothing. 322 00:18:34,736 --> 00:18:39,236 Therefore, I encourage you to take some food, for this is for your preservation. 323 00:18:39,495 --> 00:18:43,816 For not a hair from the head of any of you shall perish.' 324 00:18:44,325 --> 00:18:49,135 And having said this, he took bread, gave thanks to God in the presence of 325 00:18:49,135 --> 00:18:51,866 all, and he broke it and began to eat. 326 00:18:52,105 --> 00:18:56,526 And all of them were encouraged, and they themselves also took food. 327 00:18:56,855 --> 00:19:00,925 And all of us in the ship were two hundred and seventy-six persons. 328 00:19:01,296 --> 00:19:04,706 And when they had eaten enough, they began to lighten the ship by 329 00:19:04,726 --> 00:19:06,966 throwing out the wheat into the sea." 330 00:19:07,775 --> 00:19:09,955 So here again, we see the Apostle Paul, right? 331 00:19:09,955 --> 00:19:14,846 He's, he's saved, uh, this, the ship in the sense that the sailors aren't leaving. 332 00:19:15,105 --> 00:19:17,296 Now he's encouraging everybody, "Hey, let's eat. 333 00:19:17,355 --> 00:19:18,026 We need to eat. 334 00:19:18,026 --> 00:19:21,835 We haven't really eaten anything in fourteen days, and we need to 335 00:19:21,836 --> 00:19:24,136 sustain ourselves for this trip." 336 00:19:24,415 --> 00:19:27,236 He recognizes that, so he tells them, "Take some food." 337 00:19:29,056 --> 00:19:32,006 And he reminds them, "Hey, take some food," in the sense this 338 00:19:32,006 --> 00:19:33,116 is an encouragement, right? 339 00:19:33,306 --> 00:19:35,086 "Don't worry because God's in control. 340 00:19:35,086 --> 00:19:37,986 Remember, I told you God's gonna save us." 341 00:19:37,986 --> 00:19:39,256 And he says that again. 342 00:19:39,455 --> 00:19:44,165 He says, "Not a, not a hair from the head of anyone shall perish." 343 00:19:44,705 --> 00:19:45,886 He's encouraging them. 344 00:19:46,526 --> 00:19:48,486 He's reminding that God's in control. 345 00:19:48,785 --> 00:19:53,216 And then he shows that he believes it too by thanking God, right? 346 00:19:53,216 --> 00:19:56,916 He, he, he eats, he thanks God for preserving them, 347 00:19:57,035 --> 00:19:59,125 and he takes bread and eats. 348 00:20:00,565 --> 00:20:02,075 And then as a result, what happens? 349 00:20:02,075 --> 00:20:04,345 It says everyone was encouraged. 350 00:20:05,015 --> 00:20:08,065 The actual words they said, it's, it's became cheerful. 351 00:20:08,685 --> 00:20:09,376 They got happy. 352 00:20:09,376 --> 00:20:10,056 They were excited. 353 00:20:10,056 --> 00:20:11,185 "Okay, let's eat. 354 00:20:11,535 --> 00:20:12,755 God's in control." 355 00:20:15,168 --> 00:20:15,898 And they all ate. 356 00:20:16,508 --> 00:20:18,438 They were no longer focused on their fear. 357 00:20:18,438 --> 00:20:20,328 They said, "Okay, let's take time to eat." 358 00:20:20,328 --> 00:20:23,748 Many commentators say it wasn't that they hadn't eaten anything 359 00:20:23,748 --> 00:20:24,968 in 14 day, but it didn't… 360 00:20:24,978 --> 00:20:27,308 It's like they hadn't had a meal, like a sit-down meal. 361 00:20:27,488 --> 00:20:30,028 They might have just been snacking to sustain themselves. 362 00:20:30,288 --> 00:20:34,278 And Paul is saying, "No, we need to sit down, show that we trust 363 00:20:34,278 --> 00:20:36,028 God in a sense, and let's eat. 364 00:20:36,028 --> 00:20:39,768 Let's focus on eating to preserve ourselves." 365 00:20:40,108 --> 00:20:41,158 And that's what they did. 366 00:20:41,878 --> 00:20:46,168 And then, they, and then as they did that, you notice what did they do? 367 00:20:46,178 --> 00:20:50,268 It says in verse 28, "After they had eaten, they began to lighten the ship 368 00:20:50,278 --> 00:20:52,378 by throwing out the wheat into the sea." 369 00:20:53,338 --> 00:20:55,948 So they all worked together to s- to save the ship. 370 00:20:56,388 --> 00:20:57,308 Okay, they're encouraged. 371 00:20:57,328 --> 00:20:58,958 They've kinda got refocused. 372 00:20:58,988 --> 00:21:02,757 Okay, you know, maybe they're not, like, full-on believers, but hey, this 373 00:21:02,758 --> 00:21:04,838 guy knows something that we don't know. 374 00:21:05,218 --> 00:21:08,897 We're gonna trust his God, and we're gonna help. 375 00:21:08,908 --> 00:21:10,928 We're gonna work together to solve this problem, right? 376 00:21:10,958 --> 00:21:14,148 Remember, the sailors, they were gonna jump ship saying everybody's on their own. 377 00:21:14,388 --> 00:21:15,968 Now they're like, "Okay, you know what we need to do? 378 00:21:15,978 --> 00:21:18,517 We need to lighten the load to save the ship." 379 00:21:20,238 --> 00:21:24,898 Luke is portraying Paul as a good Christian caring 380 00:21:24,907 --> 00:21:26,768 for his fellow passengers. 381 00:21:28,028 --> 00:21:31,408 And Paul sets an example for us to follow in, in doing that. 382 00:21:33,068 --> 00:21:35,127 This is our second point of application. 383 00:21:36,028 --> 00:21:38,427 Paul sets an example for us to follow. 384 00:21:38,428 --> 00:21:39,288 How do we do that? 385 00:21:39,308 --> 00:21:42,817 How do we follow Paul exam- Paul's ex- example here? 386 00:21:43,477 --> 00:21:47,037 Well, number one would be this: care genuinely for our 387 00:21:47,038 --> 00:21:48,897 fellow passengers in this life. 388 00:21:49,558 --> 00:21:51,878 We're all in, so to speak, rowing. 389 00:21:53,178 --> 00:21:56,778 Don't mean to be morbid, but we're rowing to the end, right? 390 00:21:57,138 --> 00:21:57,928 To our death. 391 00:21:59,068 --> 00:22:00,807 And there's people that are going with us. 392 00:22:00,988 --> 00:22:02,638 Do you genuinely care about them? 393 00:22:05,130 --> 00:22:07,620 We should, as believers, we should, right? 394 00:22:07,620 --> 00:22:08,350 We're called to what? 395 00:22:08,350 --> 00:22:11,850 Love our, our neighbors, right? 396 00:22:11,880 --> 00:22:12,970 To love our neighbors. 397 00:22:14,830 --> 00:22:17,120 That's one example we see from the Apostle Paul. 398 00:22:17,120 --> 00:22:18,050 What else did he do? 399 00:22:18,480 --> 00:22:21,690 He encouraged everybody with the promises of God. 400 00:22:21,700 --> 00:22:25,580 That's what we should do, encourage others with the promises of God. 401 00:22:25,910 --> 00:22:27,800 He encouraged non-believers, right? 402 00:22:27,800 --> 00:22:32,630 The sailors and the soldiers, and maybe the other prisoners, we don't know if 403 00:22:32,630 --> 00:22:36,760 they were believers or not, but he was encouraging them with what God told him. 404 00:22:37,559 --> 00:22:41,780 I think sometimes we downplay, including myself, what we have here, 405 00:22:42,220 --> 00:22:46,130 God's promises, and we don't share them with other people because we 406 00:22:46,130 --> 00:22:47,509 say they're not gonna believe it. 407 00:22:48,230 --> 00:22:49,150 Who cares? 408 00:22:49,780 --> 00:22:53,000 It's still true whether they believe it or not, and we should 409 00:22:53,000 --> 00:22:55,029 share those promises with others. 410 00:22:56,920 --> 00:23:00,450 Another example that we can follow from the Apostle Paul is to live 411 00:23:00,450 --> 00:23:01,899 out our faith in front of others. 412 00:23:02,129 --> 00:23:03,900 That's what the Apostle Paul did, right? 413 00:23:04,160 --> 00:23:07,850 He told them what God said, and he believed it, and he thanked 414 00:23:07,870 --> 00:23:11,389 God in front of them for what God has done, and he ate, right? 415 00:23:11,389 --> 00:23:14,299 He prayed in front of them, he was faithful to God in front of 416 00:23:14,300 --> 00:23:17,200 them, and he ate in front of them. 417 00:23:17,200 --> 00:23:18,110 He trusted them. 418 00:23:19,929 --> 00:23:24,770 In a sense, he let them see what he really believed by living it out 419 00:23:27,266 --> 00:23:33,326 That's what he says in 1 Corinthians 10:33 in a sense about living out 420 00:23:33,326 --> 00:23:35,036 his faith for other people, right? 421 00:23:35,036 --> 00:23:38,306 It's not just about him, 'cause the Apostle Paul could have just 422 00:23:38,326 --> 00:23:41,006 kept quiet and says, "Well, God says he's gonna get me there. 423 00:23:41,246 --> 00:23:44,876 I'm just gonna trust him in a sense, and sailors wanna leave, that's fine. 424 00:23:44,876 --> 00:23:46,156 God still will get me there. 425 00:23:46,476 --> 00:23:48,246 If you guys don't wanna eat, I'm gonna eat. 426 00:23:48,316 --> 00:23:49,536 I'm still gonna get there." 427 00:23:50,366 --> 00:23:50,596 Right? 428 00:23:50,656 --> 00:23:52,996 Uh, it's, it's the sen- "Hey, I'm going to heaven. 429 00:23:53,016 --> 00:23:54,446 That's your issue if you're not." 430 00:23:55,996 --> 00:24:00,895 But the Apostle Paul says this in 1 Corinthians 10:33, "Just as I also 431 00:24:00,896 --> 00:24:05,426 please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit 432 00:24:05,426 --> 00:24:08,386 of many, so that they may be saved." 433 00:24:09,116 --> 00:24:09,916 Paul shows his heart. 434 00:24:09,926 --> 00:24:11,796 He wants everyone to be saved. 435 00:24:12,526 --> 00:24:14,426 Don't we see that throughout the Book of Acts? 436 00:24:14,426 --> 00:24:20,516 The Apostle Paul preaches to anybody and everybody anywhere, because 437 00:24:20,516 --> 00:24:23,445 he wants all people to be saved, and that, that's a question to us. 438 00:24:23,446 --> 00:24:26,055 Do we want all people to be saved? 439 00:24:26,296 --> 00:24:27,456 Do we live like it? 440 00:24:27,866 --> 00:24:29,746 Do we sacrifice like it? 441 00:24:30,326 --> 00:24:33,685 Do we put other people's needs in s- in front of our own 442 00:24:33,686 --> 00:24:36,605 so that they might be saved? 443 00:24:37,455 --> 00:24:39,476 That's something we all need to ask ourselves. 444 00:24:39,476 --> 00:24:43,565 We need to live out our faith in front of others so that they might be saved. 445 00:24:43,946 --> 00:24:46,316 It's not just about us, right? 446 00:24:46,326 --> 00:24:48,746 We aren't saved just for us. 447 00:24:49,425 --> 00:24:54,286 We are saved, in a sense, to help save others, that God might use us. 448 00:24:55,205 --> 00:24:57,756 And I know theologically you're like, "Well, I don't save anybody. 449 00:24:57,756 --> 00:24:58,266 God does." 450 00:24:58,326 --> 00:24:59,026 I know that. 451 00:24:59,936 --> 00:25:05,276 But God uses ordinary means to bring people salvation about, in 452 00:25:05,276 --> 00:25:09,345 the sense that he uses us to be his hands, his feet, his mouthpiece. 453 00:25:10,006 --> 00:25:11,675 He's chosen to use us 454 00:25:14,700 --> 00:25:17,550 Let's see what happens as we conclude this text. 455 00:25:17,950 --> 00:25:20,460 Let's read verses 39 through 44. 456 00:25:22,270 --> 00:25:28,730 So it says, "And when day came," so this is day 15, "they could not recognize 457 00:25:28,740 --> 00:25:34,230 the land, but they did observe a certain bay with a beach, and they resolved to 458 00:25:34,230 --> 00:25:36,950 drive the ship onto it if they could." 459 00:25:37,170 --> 00:25:40,670 So they wanna, like, direct the ship into the beach. 460 00:25:42,770 --> 00:25:46,230 So and it says, "In casting off the anchors, they left them in the sea, 461 00:25:46,230 --> 00:25:49,510 while at the same time, they were loosening the ropes of the rudders 462 00:25:49,740 --> 00:25:54,470 and hoisting the foresail to the wind, and they were headed for the beach. 463 00:25:55,190 --> 00:26:00,050 But striking a reef where two seas met, they ran the vessel aground, 464 00:26:01,450 --> 00:26:06,500 and the prow struck fast and remained immovable, but the stern began to be 465 00:26:06,500 --> 00:26:08,939 broken up by the force of the waves." 466 00:26:09,150 --> 00:26:10,529 So the ship's stuck, right? 467 00:26:10,530 --> 00:26:12,870 The front of the ship's stuck into these, uh… 468 00:26:12,920 --> 00:26:16,310 into the rocks, and then the back of the ship is getting torn… 469 00:26:16,340 --> 00:26:21,829 or no, is being pushed and into the rocks and is being torn apart. 470 00:26:22,180 --> 00:26:23,869 That's the picture they have right now. 471 00:26:24,720 --> 00:26:26,549 So the ship's done for. 472 00:26:26,900 --> 00:26:29,100 Now verse 42. 473 00:26:30,830 --> 00:26:33,150 And so now we see what the soldiers decide to do. 474 00:26:33,400 --> 00:26:40,249 "And the soldiers' plan, uh, was to kill the prisoners, that none of 475 00:26:40,250 --> 00:26:42,410 them should swim away and escape." 476 00:26:43,599 --> 00:26:44,109 So the… 477 00:26:44,139 --> 00:26:45,350 now it's the prisoners… 478 00:26:45,400 --> 00:26:46,790 now, now it's the soldiers' turn. 479 00:26:46,800 --> 00:26:47,909 The sailors are on board. 480 00:26:48,160 --> 00:26:51,480 Now the prisoners are worried about their own necks because if they lose the… 481 00:26:51,559 --> 00:26:52,249 uh, s- excuse me. 482 00:26:52,250 --> 00:26:54,999 The soldiers are wanting to save their own necks. 483 00:26:55,199 --> 00:26:59,459 If they lose any prisoner, then they are liable to the, uh, the 484 00:26:59,459 --> 00:27:01,370 higher-ups for that prisoner. 485 00:27:01,760 --> 00:27:03,139 Like, a life for a life. 486 00:27:03,519 --> 00:27:05,830 And so they said, "No, we're, we're just gonna kill all these 487 00:27:05,830 --> 00:27:09,239 guys right now 'cause if they jump overboard, they're all gonna escape." 488 00:27:10,339 --> 00:27:11,440 So that's what's going on. 489 00:27:12,360 --> 00:27:16,849 And then here's where our friend Julius, uh, creeps up again 490 00:27:16,849 --> 00:27:18,710 or, or enters into the story. 491 00:27:19,330 --> 00:27:24,049 "But the centurion," that's Julius, "wanting to bring Paul safely through, 492 00:27:24,339 --> 00:27:29,329 kept them from their intention and commanded that those who could swim should 493 00:27:29,330 --> 00:27:35,349 jump overboard first and get to land, and the rest should follow, some on planks and 494 00:27:35,350 --> 00:27:37,130 others on various things from the ship. 495 00:27:37,610 --> 00:27:40,459 And thus it happened, and thus it happened that they were 496 00:27:40,470 --> 00:27:42,829 all brought safely to land." 497 00:27:43,880 --> 00:27:49,240 So again, we have the ship falling apart, and so there's fear now in the 498 00:27:49,240 --> 00:27:51,320 soldiers about saving their own necks. 499 00:27:51,539 --> 00:27:53,510 They're not worried about saving other people. 500 00:27:53,750 --> 00:27:56,070 And as I said, they wanna kill all the prisoners. 501 00:27:57,020 --> 00:27:58,550 And Julius steps in. 502 00:27:58,770 --> 00:28:03,072 Again, God uses Julius Right? 503 00:28:03,122 --> 00:28:06,632 Ordinary means to bring about his plan, right? 504 00:28:06,632 --> 00:28:08,252 'Cause God's plan was to do what? 505 00:28:08,462 --> 00:28:10,392 To bring Paul to Caesar. 506 00:28:11,362 --> 00:28:16,422 And so God is using Julius to that end. 507 00:28:16,422 --> 00:28:19,402 So Julius says, "Hey, we're not killing these guys," right? 508 00:28:19,402 --> 00:28:20,952 Because he wants to save Paul. 509 00:28:22,422 --> 00:28:25,972 And he said, "Everybody, if you can swim, jump overboard and swim to shore. 510 00:28:25,982 --> 00:28:29,912 Everybody else, grab a piece of the ship and float to shore." 511 00:28:31,702 --> 00:28:32,652 And what was the result? 512 00:28:33,512 --> 00:28:38,782 Verse 44, "Everyone was brought safely to the land." 513 00:28:39,442 --> 00:28:43,742 Just as God said through the Apostle Paul it would be. 514 00:28:44,511 --> 00:28:44,701 Right? 515 00:28:44,742 --> 00:28:47,562 Again, going back to verse 22, which I read at the beginning. 516 00:28:47,562 --> 00:28:51,832 He said, "No loss of life among you, but only the ship." 517 00:28:53,082 --> 00:28:55,151 That's what the Apostle Paul was told. 518 00:28:55,962 --> 00:28:57,252 No one's gonna lose their life. 519 00:28:57,252 --> 00:28:59,062 We're only gonna lose the ship. 520 00:28:59,212 --> 00:29:03,771 And again, he said it in verse 26, "Therefore keep up your encouragement, 521 00:29:03,782 --> 00:29:08,192 for I believe God that it will turn out exactly as I have been told. 522 00:29:08,501 --> 00:29:11,212 But we must run aground on a certain island." 523 00:29:11,221 --> 00:29:13,901 He didn't know the island, but he knew he was gonna run aground, 524 00:29:13,931 --> 00:29:14,882 and that's what happened. 525 00:29:16,392 --> 00:29:21,491 So Paul trusted God, and it came about just like God said it would. 526 00:29:21,812 --> 00:29:24,702 He might not have known all the specifics, but he knew, you know what? 527 00:29:24,702 --> 00:29:28,062 One thing, not a hair from anybody's head is gonna perish. 528 00:29:28,492 --> 00:29:31,631 We're all gonna make it, only the ship's gonna be destroyed. 529 00:29:33,571 --> 00:29:37,982 John MacArthur in his commentary on this section says this: "God's 530 00:29:38,011 --> 00:29:40,371 power and providence had triumphed." 531 00:29:41,641 --> 00:29:42,522 That's the conclusion. 532 00:29:42,532 --> 00:29:44,782 It was about God's power and providence. 533 00:29:44,802 --> 00:29:50,752 God's plan, God's power triumphed over everything else, over their fears, 534 00:29:51,001 --> 00:29:57,578 over the desires of the sailors, over the desires of the soldiers So what 535 00:29:57,578 --> 00:30:01,308 last lesson can we learn from this section as we close this morning? 536 00:30:02,688 --> 00:30:06,658 Well, I think we see at this very end, and something we all need to remember, 537 00:30:06,658 --> 00:30:08,588 is that God keeps His promises. 538 00:30:09,518 --> 00:30:12,978 God does what He says He's going to do. 539 00:30:13,988 --> 00:30:18,738 Again, how often could Paul have doubted or questioned God's promises, right? 540 00:30:18,738 --> 00:30:19,908 We're not told that he did. 541 00:30:19,908 --> 00:30:22,088 He might not have shared his concerns with Luke. 542 00:30:23,218 --> 00:30:23,438 Right? 543 00:30:23,438 --> 00:30:28,938 A lot of us, if we're honest, we sometimes doubt and question God, 544 00:30:28,938 --> 00:30:31,368 but we don't let that known, right? 545 00:30:31,368 --> 00:30:35,688 We don't want to seem that we don't have faith in God in a certain situation 546 00:30:37,996 --> 00:30:41,456 We might say to ourselves, "Did, did God really say that I mentioned this to the 547 00:30:41,626 --> 00:30:44,296 "Did God really tell me to do that?" 548 00:30:44,756 --> 00:30:48,616 You know, sometimes we flippantly say, "God told me," and I'd 549 00:30:48,616 --> 00:30:49,896 be careful when you say that. 550 00:30:50,216 --> 00:30:52,156 Did God audibly tell you to do that? 551 00:30:52,706 --> 00:30:57,506 You might feel an urge to do something prompted by God's spirit or, or 552 00:30:57,506 --> 00:31:00,606 just weighing out the different decisions in life, and God gives 553 00:31:00,606 --> 00:31:02,036 you wisdom to make a decision. 554 00:31:02,036 --> 00:31:04,436 But don't blame God for your decision-making 555 00:31:09,132 --> 00:31:12,982 What about those who heard Paul's promises from God? 556 00:31:12,992 --> 00:31:15,592 They might've said, "Did you really hear God, Paul? 557 00:31:16,052 --> 00:31:16,952 I mean, you're a prisoner 558 00:31:19,948 --> 00:31:20,948 How do we know you hear God? 559 00:31:20,958 --> 00:31:23,178 They don't know who the Apostle Paul is. 560 00:31:23,768 --> 00:31:26,428 They probably obviously didn't call him the Apostle Paul, right? 561 00:31:26,428 --> 00:31:27,458 They, he was a prisoner 562 00:31:30,082 --> 00:31:32,712 They could have all said, "Did God really say that?" 563 00:31:33,802 --> 00:31:34,652 Wasn't that what… 564 00:31:34,732 --> 00:31:38,852 Isn't that exactly what Satan said to Eve in the garden? 565 00:31:39,822 --> 00:31:45,482 In Genesis 3:1, he said, "Indeed, has God said you should not eat 566 00:31:45,492 --> 00:31:47,322 from any tree of the garden?" 567 00:31:48,302 --> 00:31:48,932 It's doubt. 568 00:31:49,702 --> 00:31:50,862 You sure God said that? 569 00:31:51,972 --> 00:31:56,802 Are you sure God really s- spoke to you this morning, told you to do that? 570 00:32:01,218 --> 00:32:05,778 Instead of keeping God's promises, right? 571 00:32:05,788 --> 00:32:09,968 Sometimes we could let the circumstances drive us to make decisions and 572 00:32:09,978 --> 00:32:11,468 doubt what God has told us. 573 00:32:12,428 --> 00:32:15,338 But if it's in God's word, I would say God said it. 574 00:32:16,348 --> 00:32:18,048 You don't have to doubt God's word. 575 00:32:18,858 --> 00:32:21,858 And by the way, there's nothing wrong with doubt in the sense, right? 576 00:32:21,878 --> 00:32:24,008 The Bereans in one sense doubted, right? 577 00:32:24,008 --> 00:32:26,408 They, we're going to check out the scriptures and see if what 578 00:32:26,408 --> 00:32:27,878 you're saying is really true. 579 00:32:29,408 --> 00:32:31,918 They doubted the Apostle Paul, right? 580 00:32:32,048 --> 00:32:36,478 There's, you can doubt men, but don't doubt the word of God. 581 00:32:41,474 --> 00:32:43,744 So God keeps his promises. 582 00:32:45,034 --> 00:32:48,054 So instead of doubting God, keep trusting God. 583 00:32:48,274 --> 00:32:53,064 Keep trusting God's promises, and encourage others to do the same, right? 584 00:32:53,094 --> 00:32:54,964 That's what we see the Apostle Paul doing. 585 00:32:54,964 --> 00:33:01,054 And lastly, I would say this: Because God keeps his promises, you can trust 586 00:33:01,054 --> 00:33:05,924 him even when your circumstances make his promises difficult to believe. 587 00:33:06,434 --> 00:33:09,624 How many times has that happened in your life, where it does not look like this 588 00:33:09,624 --> 00:33:12,484 is gonna turn out in a favorable way? 589 00:33:16,650 --> 00:33:16,780 Right? 590 00:33:16,790 --> 00:33:18,550 It's a difficult circumstance. 591 00:33:19,770 --> 00:33:22,960 But let me ask you this again, do you believe God's promises 592 00:33:23,020 --> 00:33:24,060 that you can trust Him? 593 00:33:25,650 --> 00:33:29,870 What about when the circumstance that you're in contradicts God's promises 594 00:33:32,940 --> 00:33:33,560 What do you do? 595 00:33:33,560 --> 00:33:34,920 Do you trust Him more? 596 00:33:36,130 --> 00:33:37,400 Do you trust more in God's… 597 00:33:37,820 --> 00:33:40,160 trust Him more than in what you see? 598 00:33:40,230 --> 00:33:41,170 That's what I mean to say. 599 00:33:41,750 --> 00:33:44,890 When things look off, okay, are you gonna trust God, or are 600 00:33:44,890 --> 00:33:46,160 you gonna trust what you see? 601 00:33:47,310 --> 00:33:47,450 Right? 602 00:33:47,500 --> 00:33:48,570 Like, this shouldn't be happening. 603 00:33:48,580 --> 00:33:49,540 God doesn't like this. 604 00:33:49,540 --> 00:33:51,030 This is against God's will. 605 00:33:51,630 --> 00:33:54,560 It doesn't mean that God's still not working through that process. 606 00:33:54,560 --> 00:33:57,490 We just need to trust Him, and that's really the hardest 607 00:33:57,490 --> 00:33:58,970 thing, right, is waiting. 608 00:33:59,910 --> 00:34:04,360 Are you willing to obey God while you wait for His promises to be fulfilled? 609 00:34:04,360 --> 00:34:05,180 That's the other thing. 610 00:34:05,970 --> 00:34:06,080 Right? 611 00:34:06,130 --> 00:34:09,460 In one sense, we are, are we not all waiting for the Lord to come back? 612 00:34:10,510 --> 00:34:11,659 Is that a promise? 613 00:34:12,870 --> 00:34:13,590 It is. 614 00:34:13,690 --> 00:34:15,109 He's gonna come back one day. 615 00:34:15,590 --> 00:34:17,109 The hard part is waiting, right? 616 00:34:17,110 --> 00:34:18,210 We have to wait for that 617 00:34:20,226 --> 00:34:22,996 Sometimes you may even doubt, "Well, maybe He's not coming back," right? 618 00:34:23,005 --> 00:34:29,346 "That preacher said He was coming back in 1980, 1988, 1990, 2020. 619 00:34:31,126 --> 00:34:31,746 I, I don't know." 620 00:34:31,755 --> 00:34:34,976 First of all, don't believe any preacher that says he knows when God's coming back 621 00:34:37,516 --> 00:34:38,335 We don't know. 622 00:34:40,005 --> 00:34:43,755 No man knows the day or the hour when the Lord will return. 623 00:34:45,426 --> 00:34:48,706 We just have to be faithful to trust in God's promises. 624 00:34:48,706 --> 00:34:52,406 Again, we see that the Apostle Paul knew he was gonna get to Rome. 625 00:34:53,045 --> 00:34:57,276 He didn't know how, he didn't know when, but he trusted Him. 626 00:34:57,656 --> 00:35:01,746 And in the process of that voyage, he told everybody else, "We're gonna get there. 627 00:35:02,756 --> 00:35:04,476 Trust me, God's gonna get us there." 628 00:35:05,506 --> 00:35:08,786 And because of that, he was very effective for the Lord. 629 00:35:09,626 --> 00:35:11,376 That's what the Lord wants to use us for, right? 630 00:35:11,376 --> 00:35:13,356 He wants to use us in this world. 631 00:35:13,706 --> 00:35:18,796 He wa- He saved us not just for ourselves, not just to conform us into the image 632 00:35:18,796 --> 00:35:24,076 of His Son, but also to help save our fellow travelers along the way. 633 00:35:24,676 --> 00:35:26,546 Let's resolve to do that this week. 634 00:35:26,616 --> 00:35:27,126 Amen. 635 00:35:27,936 --> 00:35:28,516 Let's pray. 636 00:35:30,406 --> 00:35:35,676 Lord, we thank You so much for this reminder from the Apostle 637 00:35:35,676 --> 00:35:42,606 Paul's life that we are all fellow passengers, fellow sojourners in this 638 00:35:42,606 --> 00:35:45,736 world, along with other believers. 639 00:35:45,756 --> 00:35:50,756 And help us, Lord, this week to re- to encourage one another, to be 640 00:35:50,756 --> 00:35:56,355 reminded of Your promises, whatever those might be to us in the certain 641 00:35:56,356 --> 00:35:58,006 circumstances that we are in. 642 00:35:59,566 --> 00:36:06,076 Help us, Lord God, not to be led by our fears, and help us, Lord, to reach out to 643 00:36:06,086 --> 00:36:12,455 those around us who need Your love, who need to be encouraged with Your promises, 644 00:36:12,466 --> 00:36:14,576 and who need to know Your promises. 645 00:36:15,445 --> 00:36:21,715 Help us, Lord, when we doubt and when we struggle to trust You and to wait 646 00:36:21,716 --> 00:36:28,545 patiently for You to act or move on our behalf, and ultimately for You to return. 647 00:36:30,125 --> 00:36:32,705 We love You, Lord, and we thank You for this, this encour- these 648 00:36:32,746 --> 00:36:37,576 encouraging words this morning, and we pray this in Jesus' name. 649 00:36:38,055 --> 00:36:38,435 Amen.