Untitled Sermon (22)

Shipwrecked: Looking for God

This morning Paul finds himself in a situation many Americans can relate to right now: shipwrecked. In the middle of stormy sees, tossed upon the rocks. Whether you are joyful or furious with the way the election is turning out, whether you prefer Biden or Trump this year, we must admit that our nation is in a state of turmoil. As one news anchor put it, “Every other person you pass on the streets disagrees with your politics.” There was no landslide victory for either candidate, America is split down the middle, and split more seriously and with more hostility than I have yet seen in my lifetime. And we’re not done yet! Fortunately for Paul, he does get an angel, but we may not.

With the way 2020 has gone so far, a contentious election at the end should not come as a surprise to anyone. This whole year has seemed like one big shipwreck. There have been protests in Hong Kong, wild fires across the world, rising tensions in the middle east, an impeachment trial, a worldwide pandemic, a world wide economic recession, record breaking hurricanes, the list goes on. One thing that is always sure to happen in times like these is that people will begin to look for God. We want to know where he is and what he’s doing in the midst of all of this. Did God send the pandemic, or didn’t he? What’s he doing about it? Did God choose Joe Biden, or didn’t he? Where is God, and what is he doing right now?

This morning Paul finds himself in a situation many Americans can relate to right now: shipwrecked. In the middle of stormy sees, tossed upon the rocks. Whether you are joyful or furious with the way the election is turning out, whether you prefer Biden or Trump this year, we must admit that our nation is in a state of turmoil. As one news anchor put it, “Every other person you pass on the streets disagrees with your politics.” There was no landslide victory for either candidate, America is split down the middle, and split more seriously and with more hostility than I have yet seen in my lifetime. And we’re not done yet! Fortunately for Paul, he does get an angel in a vision. But we may not.

…In all the wrong Places

So what should we do when we are looking for God amongst the shipwreck? It is in times of turmoil like this one that I see more people than ever searching for God and finding him all over the places, or so they think. It is also, not in-coincidentally, during these times that I see some of the most atrocious theology and blatant mishandling of scripture. It is comically sad, because this poor theology and bad understanding of the Bible is all many people have to help them search for God, and it always seems to lead them to find Him on their side.

God does not choose the president

Romans 13 is not about God choosing individual leaders

Saul & David is not applicable to today

These two passages always used only when convenient, i.e. when your team is winning

God chose only one king in scripture, David, and his heir, Jesus Christ, is still on the throne.

“God is in control” is bad theology

Only Calvinists believe God manipulates and controls everything, and Calvinism is, frankly, bad theology and a poor understanding of scripture

God does not control everything in life

God did not cause the shipwreck: people did (c.f. v. 27:11, 19, 30-31)

God did not cause the snake to bite Paul

Those looking to attribute every bad thing as judgement from God are sorely mistaken (c.f. v. 28:3-6)

John 9- why was this man born blind?

Sometimes bad things happen because of people, sometimes because of the broken world we live in

…and Finding Him

God is not in control, but he is on the throne

Being on the throne doesn’t mean chooses our leader, or sends every plague as judgement, or controls and manipulates every little thing that comes to pass

Being on the throne means that no matter what may happen, whether by our bad mistakes or sin or randomness or the Devil himself, God is victorious

We don’t believe in the end of the world; we believe in a renewed earth and a victorious God

This means it is often hard to spot just how God is working. But we can be assured that every good gift is from the Lord, and that even in the midst of a shipwreck he is working for our good

Breaking Bread

What, then, should we do in the midst of shipwreck? Break Bread.