Surviving the shipwrecks of life!

Act 27:22 But take courage! None of you will lose your lives, even though the ship will go down.

INTRODUCTION

Good morning Southpointe!! Well I think that we have been and are still in this survive mote.

Have you every been out in the ocean, It very different than be on a lake or river, when you get out on the water and you see nothing but water no land and you realize that you are basically in the hand of God.

Because that ship could wreck and you could sink.

Storms could come and giant waves overtake the boat and you have nothing but the hand of God to help you.

Connie and I went on a cruise a few years ago with Connie’s brother and his wife, Cindy. We had a great time! And it was so much fun and then on our last stop, we run into a storm.

And we didn’t get to stop on the last stop because of that storm, and that night that ship sounded like it was being torn apart.

The Waves were around 20 ft high and what a ride.

So I could imagine what Apostle Paul and these men were dealing with on this trip.

But many times in our lives, we get on a ship that hits a storm and and we are wondering if we are going to end up shipwrecked.

About 8 years ago, Connie and my ship wrecked and we lose precious, precious cargo, Our firstborn, Karissa.

I had hope that they would be no big shipwrecks in our lives. Now I always knew there would be storms and difficulties and challenges and trials in this Christian life. But I was hopefully no big traumatic event.

I was hopeful we would have a relative smooth sailing all the way to heaven. but that was not the course.

So in regard to that I can relate somewhat to what Paul was going through as he faced shipwrecked.

But that was not the only time Paul was shipwrecked.

2 Cor 11:25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea.

Three times Apostle Paul was shipwrecked. The other times may have not been a danger, or major as the one in Acts 27 chapter but they were wrecks.

I remember once Connie’s brother Kenny, Cody, Michael and I went out on a small fishing boat in Mexico. We were going fishing, we didn’t catch and even get to fish, long story but as we were out on the water, small boat, small waves but enough to rock the boat.

Kenny and Cody got sick and begin to throw up, Kenny got done but Cody all time we were on the boat.

What I am saying is your shipwreck may not to major but you been there were the boat was rocking and you were getting sick.

So we will be in a shipwreck at some time in our lives. Small or great but you will experience it.

Because the reality of life you are either coming out of a storm or you are going into another one.

So we are looking at how to survive a shipwreck in life.

Now understand me there will be times that you will have smooth sailing, There are times when the sky will be blue and the sun will be shining.

You are going to have beautiful moments in your life in between storms.

The south wind is blowing, you feel the warmth of the sun on your shoulder and you are ready to sing:

Play the song, Sunshine on my shoulders make me happy.

But then a storm comes:

And you are singing:

Play the song, Don’t rock the boat

The problem we have is that many people think when they are in the will of God they are going to have smooth sailing. Well that was not true.

Apostle Paul is one that will stand up testify against that, because he had many adversity.

He had many enemies that were jealous of his success who would follow him around and undermine him trying to destroy him.

He had many setbacks in life that involved beatings and physical harm.

2 Cor 4:8 We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair.

2 Cor 4:9 We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.

But here is a very interesting thing, five years before making his journey to Rome, Paul wrote the believers there and said this:

Rom 1:10 Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you.

Apostle Paul is saying hey guys pray for me, pray that the Lord gives me a prosperous journey by the will of God.

Well did God answer their prayer? Yes

You know we have heard a lot about prosperity today. A lot of preachers love to focus on that, but I think they have destroyed a biblical word.

God wants a believer to prosper. He wants you to experience prosperity. I think the problem is with the meaning that people pour into that.

For many prosperity means you will never be sick, you will never have a problems. You will have more money than you can shake a stick at. And life is going to be just great. you can have your best life now.

But the reality is you can live a prosperous life in the will of God and face conflict.

Paul went through shipwreck on his way to Rome.But He survived.

How did he survived? And I believe this is how we survived!

God was with him.

Act 27:23 For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,

God was with him!!

And God is with us in our storms also!!

Do you remember Apostle Paul’s thorn in the flesh. Did you know that Apostle Paul asked the Lord three times to remove that and Jesus said: My grace is sufficient for you.

The Lord was saying, I am not going to give you the healing, I am going to give you Me.

A.B. Simpson, no relation to Homer. said this:

Once it was the blessing. Now it is the Lord, Once it was the feeling. Now it is His Word. Once His gifts I wanted. Now the giver alone. Once I sought healing. Now Himself alone.

Heb 13:5 Don't love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, "I will never fail you. I will never abandon you."

Heb 13:6 So we can say with confidence, "The LORD is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?"

God is with you regardless of what storm or even the shipwreck you are going through right now. You are not alone. Apostle Paul knew God was with him.

2. Apostle Paul could have confidence in this storm because he belonged to God.

Act 27:23 For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me,

He belonged to God!! The question must be asked Do you belong to Jesus?

Song of Solomon 2:16 My beloved is mine, and I am his: he feedeth among the lilies.

Do you belonged to God?

Think about this the Bible says We are called the bride of Christ, and a bride Connie, she belongs to me, I call her my wife, and she call me her husband.

She belongs to me and I belong to her. That is the way it works, we belong to each other.

John 10:14 "I am the good shepherd; I know My own sheep, and they know Me,

Jesus tells us that He is the good shepherd and He compares us to sheep.

We are also compared to being children to a father.

Rom 8:15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

Paul knew who he belonged to and that why he knew everything was going to be ok.

I read this story the other day: An older gentleman who was known for his godly life. and someone once asked him, “Old Man what do you do when you get tempted?” And the man said “Well I just look up to heaven and say, “Lord, your property is in danger.”

Listen to me, you are God’s bride, you are His child, you are His sheep, You are His property. And like Paul you too can say I belong to God.

3. Paul was doing the will of God.

This is how Apostle Paul could have calm in the middle of a storm. He was doing the will of God. He was on business for God.

Look at:

Act 27:23 For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me,

God told Apostle Paul that he was going to testify of Him in Rome. And he could go with that assurance that the Lord was with Him.

This is what we need to really understand: we are not necessarily assured of smooth sailing, but we are definitely assured of a safe arrival.

As long as God has a work for us to do we will be here to do it. God will preserve us to do it. And when that work is done it is done and then we will go to heaven. Not before. Not after.

4. Paul believed God.

Let’s review first God was with him, and He belonged to God and He was doing the will of God, and now He believed God.

Act 27:25 So take courage! For I believe God. It will be just as he said.

I love those words!! They are not the words of a person in denial but one who is very much in touch with reality. Paul said this as they were still at sea and you couldn’t see the rays of the sun and there was no hope for deliverance.

He said it because the Lord reassured him. It was not mind over matter. It was faith over circumstances.

Apostle Paul was fully convinced of the faithfulness of God and was sustained by that conviction.

He had seen the Lord take care of them up to this point and he was confident the Lord would carry him through. That He would get to the other side.

Life will throw you some curve balls.

2 Tim 4:7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.