Uncharted

Welcome

Welcome to Church at Home. We are so glad that you are here with us. As always, I am so honored to be able to join you in your home, car, workplace or wherever you may find yourself engaging this content. Thank you so much for being a part of our family. I want to take a moment to wish every a Happy 4th of July. I truly hope you are enjoying your time with your family and friends.

Back at Home

Welcome back to our home. I know what you are thinking. I am thinking the same thing too. It was just a short couple of weeks ago we shared an update about our gatherings. And while we did not solidify a timeline, we did share our process. We began to gather with a smaller community. We reopened our offices and were in the beginning stages of outlining plans for worship nights, team gatherings, and other opportunities for us to move forward, while keeping your safety as our utmost concern. Well, we have seen a significant spike in Corona virus in our community. It has hit close to home for us. A few of our staff members have contracted the virus causing us to shift our plans. I know, I know, you want to get back together. Believe me, so do I. However, we do want to operate with wisdom and do our part to slow the spread.

Serve Day

We do have some good news though. We are still going to participate in Serve Day on July 11th. We have themed this outreach as “A City we Love”. We believe that now more than ever, our city needs to know that we love them and stand by them in every season and every situation, even during a global pandemic. With that in mind, we will be partnering with several local organizations serving those in our community that are marginalized and often overlooked or forgotten. From the youngest to the oldest members of our community, we are here to serve! We have worked hard to create socially distanced serving opportunities for the whole family. To help with that, we are limiting physical interaction as much as we can. We will be collecting physical need donations here at our church offices, Saturday July 11th from 10am-3pm. Visit our website to register and get your limited edition merch.

Uncharted Territory

Church we are truly in some interesting times. I think it is safe to say that we are all in some uncharted territory. Let’s look around. In the middle of a global pandemic. We have a deep divide in our country. Racial tension. Unemployment. What does school look like? How long are we going to be in this predicament? It feels overwhelming. If there one thing I think we all can agree on is, we just want to move forward. We just want to make it to our destination, but right now, we are in the middle of nowhere and none of us have every been here. Uncharted means not mapped or surveyed. It means unknown. It means things are not going according to planned.

Transition

We are in good company. Not only does this seem to be a theme for so many in scripture but it perfectly describes the passage we are going to look at today.

Context/Background

Paul was on a mission to preach the gospel in Rome. He was arrested in Acts 21:27-36 for “causing a riot”. From that point forward he was passed on from place to place in hopes of finding someone to issue a judgement on him. However, God had other plans.

Opening Scriptures

Acts 23:11 ESV

11 The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.”

Acts 27:1–11 ESV

1 And when it was decided that we should sail for Italy, they delivered Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion of the Augustan Cohort named Julius. 2 And embarking in a ship of Adramyttium, which was about to sail to the ports along the coast of Asia, we put to sea, accompanied by Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica. 3 The next day we put in at Sidon. And Julius treated Paul kindly and gave him leave to go to his friends and be cared for. 4 And putting out to sea from there we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were against us. 5 And when we had sailed across the open sea along the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra in Lycia. 6 There the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing for Italy and put us on board. 7 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 off Salmone. 8 Coasting along it with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near which was the city of Lasea. 9 Since much time had passed, and the voyage was now dangerous because even the Fast was already over, Paul advised them, 10 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.” 11 But the centurion paid more attention to the pilot and to the owner of the ship than to what Paul said.

Prayer

Lord, speak to us today. As we find ourselves in uncharted waters, we need you to guide us. Give us open eyes, open ears, and open hearts, in the name of Jesus, Amen!

Observations

Paul was a seasoned sailor. Which was kind of rare for Jews, who had some superstitions about the sea. The sea was regularly seen as a dark force, a power in its own right and a place from which dark powers might emerge. Even monsters. Remember Jonah? Daniel 7:3 says that 4 beasts came out of the sea. The sea was unpredictable. Noah is an example of this. I sense that is why God often used the sea as a canvas to paint miracles on. The Exodus included crossing the Red Sea and Jordan River. We can even see instances where Jesus walks on water and silences storms. Perhaps it is God’s way showing us that He conquered the things that keep us up at night so we can rest in Him. Paul tells us that he has survived some things.

2 Corinthians 11:25 ESV

25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea;

With a resume like that, you would think they would have listened to him. Instead they listened to the owner and the pilot, which was logical but not wise. Sometimes we can mistake logic for wisdom and miss what God is trying to show us. The storm hits. They haven’t seen the sun or stars for days. (Acts 27:20) They threw so many things overboard, including their hope. Sometimes, the struggle depletes our hope. When your marriage hits a rough spot for too long, you lose hope. When the quarantine seems to have no end in sight, you lose hope. When each day we see another instance of division and racism…you can lose hope. Let me help someone. Change your source.

I am not saying that we should not be aware of what’s around you, but please don’t lose sight of who dwells in you.

Be informed by what you see, but don’t let what you see in formed. Be informed by what you see, but be in formed by who you know!

Get context, but look to Jesus for content.

2 Corinthians 4:8–9 ESV

8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;

Romans 8:18 ESV

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

Paul was able to see that things were going south quick and knew he needed to lead them because his hope was anchored in Christ. He starts off by saying I told you so. I know it sounds a bit arrogant but I don’t believe that was Paul’s intentions. I believe he was establishing the foundation so that they could trust him going forward.

I have 4 points I want you to write down in hopes that these words will help you while we are in uncharted waters.

Points

Pray About It

Acts 27:29 ESV

29 And fearing that we might run on the rocks, they let down four anchors from the stern and prayed for day to come.

The men were desperate. They had no hope. They had no peace. They had no clarity. It was dark, but did what they could do and they prayed about it. They didn’t have a long eloquent prayer. They just said, let there be light. In your darkest moments, pray for light…confusion<clarity; tired<rest; lack<provision. Pray about it.

Eat Something

Acts 27:33–34 ESV

33 As day was about to dawn, Paul urged them all to take some food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day that you have continued in suspense and without food, having taken nothing. 34 Therefore I urge you to take some food. For it will give you strength, for not a hair is to perish from the head of any of you.”

The men had not eaten in 14 days. I can’t even begin to imagine how weak they must have felt. They were so worried. So filled with anxiety that they lost their appetite. You know, the Word of God is frequently referred to as nourishment. (Eze 2:8; Rev 10:8-11; Jer 15:16; Psalm 119:103; Matt 4:4; 1 Peter 2:2-3; Heb 5:12-14; Psalm 34:8) When we find ourselves in a prolonged season, we can lose our appetite and become malnourished. The Word of God is so important, especially in times like this. The Word of God will nourish your soul and strengthen your faith. You don’t have to do this alone. Join our church on The Whole Story Bible Reading Plan. You can be a part of a community that grows together. You can join our Global Senior Pastor and others as we unpack the Word of God. When we engage the Word, we activate strength.

Lighten Up

Acts 27:38 ESV

38 And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, throwing out the wheat into the sea.

They lighten the ship by casting over the wheat, indicating their confidence that they will obtain access to food again soon. This also will lift the boat higher out of the water so that the vessel can come closer to shore. They had to let go of some things in order to elevate and get closer. Perhaps we are struggling with making it to our destination because we are trying to bring too much with us? There are times I find myself saying, I just want to get back to normal. I have come to this realization, there is no normal to get back to. When I look at where we are, I think there are some things that aren’t supposed to make the trip. We can’t possibly think we are supposed to bring racism with us. We can’t possibly think we are supposed to bring being so busy that we aren’t connected to our family with us. We have to let go of what we have been carrying, so that we can carry what we are never to let go of.

Hold on

Acts 27:43–44 ESV

43 But the centurion, wishing to save Paul, kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and make for the land, 44 and the rest on planks or on pieces of the ship. And so it was that all were brought safely to land.

Their ship has been through a lot and it has finally fallen apart. They were close to their destination, but still had a little ways to go. While it is true that the ship fell apart, their was still something for them to hold on to. All is not lost. If God needed to use what you had, you would still have it. Hold on to what you have. You may have a little faith, hold on to it. Peace, hold on to it. Joy, hold on to it. Stop counting what you lost, hold on to what you have. (Samuel: Saul and David)

Closing

Paul was mature in Christ but was still being shaped through trials. We are often objective-oriented, but God is process-oriented. We just want to get to Rome, but God is even more interested in how we get there.

Storms can also be for others’ good. They were in uncharted territory. If things would have gone according to planned, everyone would have gone their separate ways. I can’t help but to hope and believe that maybe someone that was on that ship and subsequently on that island came to faith as a result of their journey and Paul’s influence. Maybe this storm isn’t just about us, but maybe it is through this storm, people will encounter Christ.