Voyage Sept 7, 2021

Intro:

“Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than those you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from safe harbor. Catch the wind in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. “ —Mark Twain

People have always been fascinated by the sea.

California/Florida ocean trips—fun to watch family do just what Mark Twain suggests in his quote.

Girls—exploring the sands—shells, jellyfish

Ethan/Matt—trying to catch crabs, on boogie boards with sea lions

Jumping waves, napping/reading on the beach

Sun, gentle wind, —nice days, Storms come up

Cruise—high waves, —storms, unsettling

Snorkeling—plant life, sea animals—shark—unexpected danger

scuba diving—barracuda—unexpected danger

LIFE—marked by days, delights, adventure, also days of storms, rough waters, threats from unexpected enemies.

Journey—not alone—with friends, strangers, loved ones, even challenging people.

The very God who spoke the ocean/seas into existence, filled it with plants, creatures, commanded its boundaries and behaviors—that is the same God who desires to be the captain of our voyage—HOWEVER--

acknowledging Him as the captain is not enough, we have to get into the boat—take action.

READ Acts 27

IMAGINE—Luke and Aristarchus, “see the ship”, sails blowing in the wind

hear the shouts of the captain, songs of the crew members

Taste the salt air

Feel the sway of the ship

LISTEN—God wants to speak about the voyage of our lives.

Journal—thoughts, insights, and truths the Holy Spirit speaks to you.

The Voyage Begins

“When everything else changes, God’s presence never does. You journey in the company of the Holy Spirit.”—Max Lucado

Why did Paul embark on this voyage, in this season, on this particular vessel?

Was this merely a trip to get Paul, on assignment by God, into Caesar’s court in order to preach the gospel before the highest in command?

Was the decision to voyage by sea based on choosing the fastest route?

Human’s perspective: Julius and the captain made a decision and charted the the course based on what they thought was the best /most efficient route.

Paul: innocent of any crime. As a prisoner, his life was in the hands of ungodly political leaders, Roman soldiers, and a ship’s captain and crew.—YET--

His life remained in the hands of God.

Who truly set the course for this voyage?

Do you believe Paul’s journey is more than a story of facts and dates? OR

Do you believe behind it lies a greater purpose?

“It was determined by the counsel of God, before it was determined by the counsel of Festus, that Paul should go to Rome; for, whatever man intended, God had work for him to do there.” —Matthew Henry

God never wastes a voyage.

Leaving the Shore Behind

If we look at life as a voyage, our first step is:

Choose who will be the captain of your ship.

What do you think is the hardest part of the journey?

Psalm 42:7 NIV

7 Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me.

Its one thing to recognize God pulling at invisible ties of our souls, tugging on us to step out of the safety of the harbor into something more than the pursuit of our own dreams.

its another to get in the ship, cast anchor, and turn the helm over to Him.

Jeremiah 29:11 NLT

11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

His purposes and plans go beyond all that we can imagine—our perspective of destiny is so different from His—so much smaller.

Who do you think is a perfect example of leaving the helm in the hands of the Father?