A Perilous Journey

Sovereign Grace Family Church

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February 20, 2023

00:19: By a younger and smarter elder I would add All right, if you would then turning your Bibles back to what brother Mike just read in Acts chapter 27 I'm going to seek if possible to try to look at the whole chapter and that's one of the reasons why I asked brother Mike to to read the chapter Thinking that we might not have been familiar with this section in a while.
00:48: And it's again.
00:48: It's a long section I won't have time to look at it verse by verse, but rather I'm gonna try to look at it in groups of verses And so I asked him to read the passage for us in order to give us some sort of understanding of where we are, hopefully in the in the course of Paul's life Before we go to to any further, let's just again for a moment ask God's blessing because without God we can do nothing folks So let's pray Our Father and our God again in Jesus name the only begotten Son the one who allows us to come into your presence We pray Lord Be with us this morning Enable us to see things that we have yet not seen to be encouraged in the things that you have already showed us and To be warned by the things that we've never given a thought to Thank you for your word Lord May you be glorified in it all this morning and may May the words of our mouth and the meditations of our heart be acceptable in your sight in Jesus name.
01:56: Amen.
02:00: I Titled it the perilous journey as you might see it in you in your bulletin and I Wanted to to ask us to think about as Paul begins to Be taken to Rome that you and I would would look at what takes place in his life and that you and I would be able to make some application of things in our life and And if you read at all along with brother Mike, it sounded like a perilous journey and it certainly was it was a dangerous journey for the Apostle and and and I I thought as we began to to ask us to think about how all of us and it doesn't matter where you are in the in the positions of life whether you're young or old or male or female or or This that or the other been in Christ for two days been in Christ for four decades That you and I would understand that we are all partakers of a perilous journey a dangerous journey we all pass if you will through this life and We have a point in which we began and We have a definitive point where we will end and that is by God's decree.
03:23: Is it not that you and I? Even in the natural kind of thinking we go from the womb to the tomb No one is exempt There's not one of us here that could say that will not affect me And in in the course of this there is because of the consequences of Living in a world that is under the judgment of God Living in a world in which the curse has been placed upon us not only in the creation But even within the the creatures that you and I would understand that we are not exempt as we go from the womb to the tomb that you and I are partakers of a dangerous journey a perilous journey a journey that is filled with all kinds of harmful things all kinds of hurtful things It's amazing especially as of late and maybe for this reason or that reason but as as I try to watch the news at night just to try to understand all the I'm gonna say all the craziness that's out there.
04:43: There are so many harmful hurtful things that that just continually take place daily over and over and over again and People try to make sense of it and some of the ways in which they try to make sense of it Makes no sense at all But you and I should be able to understand that it's because we live in a world that's under the judgment of God That's been in that sense Placed it with a curse upon it that we do live in a Place where there are many harmful hurtful things and that you and I do take a dangerous journey Even if you are a child of God this morning Even if you are one who's been born from above And I would pray we would all be born from above Even if we are the ones who have been granted eternal life through the promise of the new covenant purchased by the blood of Christ Sealed by the Holy Spirit that you and I are not exempt from a perilous and dangerous journey You and I are not exempt from encountering many harmful Hurtful and even at times fearful things and as I thought about that and I thought about Paul's journey.
06:14: I Want to try to liken it and hopefully we can glean from Some of the things that happened to him So that you and I would be able to handle our journey Remember that the same Lord who says that he would never leave us nor forsake us Also said in this world you shall have great tribulation That you and I would understand that this this pilgrimage That we all take This pilgrimage hopefully as a child of God from from a Cursed world the world under the sway of the evil one and that journey that we take will ultimately Bring us to the golden shore to the mansions that have been promised for us and That you and I can expect it you and I can expect to encounter things because of God's Purposes in our life and in the lives of others.
07:25: And so as we look at Paul's journey The journey this morning is directly Paul's by the way Not only Paul but his companions and we'll consider that and we'll never get to the end of Paul's journey to where he's at Rome We won't be able to we don't have enough time But I would ask you to think about but if you will the passage that we just read and to consider it and to understand it in the In a way that You and I can learn from it Listen friends if you and I come to the Word of God I'm gonna try to stake a lot to say I want to say I'm gonna try to stay on track but listen if you and I come to the Word of God and We don't submit to it.
08:15: We don't consider it.
08:17: We don't have a have an effect in our lives Then the Word of God will not do as good and could do us a great deal of harm And so as we look at what took place in the life of God's servant Paul You and I should be able to glean From it and it's a large passage by the way What what we read this morning takes months and months to unfold if not more What takes place in this journey that Paul takes from Jerusalem to Rome there is much of His life that is filled With turmoil and trouble and yet as I hope that for no other Reason that I look at this passage, but to realize that at the end Even as we finish where we can leave off this morning You and I would realize that when God begins a work in us a true work not some phony work not some some work that that that dies in and of itself, but a work of Granting us repentance and granting us newness of life That that God who began a good work in us will what he will continue it till the day of Christ and you and I will Overcome the perils in the and the dangers and the trouble and the turmoil and and all the different things that happen in our life and God will bring us to himself and So it should be encouraging and yet some of the things that take place in this chapter are truly disturbing Just like you and I would admit some of the things that happen in our pilgrimage individually Is ugly And yet we have a God who said that he will never leave us nor forsake us So as we come to the passage and by the way When brother Mike began to write read Paul's already It's already been decided that Paul's going to Rome and I don't have time And if you want to know how Paul got to this position, just go back a couple of chapters Maybe I don't know 27 Or 26 and find out how this all began to unfold because in reality Paul's been on a perilous journey All his life and even more so since that day that Christ Struck him down on the road to Damascus You remember? When Paul said Lord, what will you have me to do? Get up, and I'm gonna show you what great things you what? suffer And you know what many times folks we suffer Just as we see in this passage how Paul suffers I Almost gave up on his past.
11:36: I want to just say that I almost gave up on his passage because I knew Wouldn't be able to do it verse by verse and I knew we would never finally get to see Paul in Rome unless You want to stay for another hour and a half and we'll go through chapter 28 I Didn't think so So let's consider some of the thoughts and from an outline standpoint.
12:02: I want to Ask you to think of it this way First there's an opening of the journey and that'll be in verses 1 through 9 And then there's some observations that we can make in verses 9 through 12 some growing perils in the journey and that's in verse 13 through 20 Paul's prayer along the journey and that in verse 21 through 27 and then a Word or two about the conclusion of this leg of the journey in verses 27 through 44 And so as it opens to us Paul's a prisoner That's that's pretty That's pretty perilous to be a prisoner he's become a prisoner and Felix has sent him to Caesar and Both the captain of the ship this ship and the Centurion who's been given the charge to bring Paul to Rome They think that Paul is their captive And in part, they're right Paul is their captive But listen Paul is a prisoner of Christ Paul is the servant of Christ and I like what one commentator said as I Looked at some ways in which to think through this one commentator said this he said long before Paul was a prisoner of Felix He was God's prisoner and God had determined that Paul was going to go to Rome long before Felix did And it's so true and you and I have to think about this this journey that we're on this pilgrimage And some of you might say you're a little closer to the golden shore than someone else But but listen my friends even in that thought The journey could end for any one of us or even in that sense every one of us today and so Paul is a prisoner and it's been determined by the I just so love these to say it this way it's been Determined by the Council of God That Paul will go to Rome Are you thankful that God is sovereign? Are we thankful that God decrees all that comes to pass Are we thankful to be his prisoner and to know that the journey is full of trouble and is all kinds of things that will enter into our lives and Yet God knows the end from the beginning in the beginning from the end And so Paul is a prisoner But he's God's prisoner You know what Job said and before as we before we get into any more thoughts Job said this he said that God Performs What is anointed for us? And then if you begin to think about the life of Job And you want to talk about troubles? And you want to talk about perilous things to take place and yet God Job would say That God performs the things that he had appointed for Job And what God has appointed for Paul right now is that he is a prisoner But again, he is God's prisoner God is sovereign both in the case of The sparrow and your life in my life Right, not a hair of our head falls Without God's decree Except you bald dudes.
16:20: I'm just close to bald So let's consider some of the thoughts verses 1 through 9.
16:29: I'm going to read through it quickly just to get us a Little bit more familiar so in verses 1 through 9 the opening of journey and when it was decided that we should sail to Italy they delivered Paul and Some other prisoners to one named Julius a centurion of the Augustan regiment And so entering a ship of adrenium we put to sea meaning to sail along the coast of Asia Aristarchus a Macedonian of Thessalonica was with us and The next day we landed at Sidon and Julius treated Paul kindly and gave him liberty to go to his friends and receive care When we had put to sea from there we sailed under the shelter of Cyprus because the winds were contrary when we had sailed through the sea, which is off Cilicia and Pamphylia we came to Myra a city of Lycia There the Centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing to Italy and he put us on board When he had sailed slowly many days and arrived with difficulty office Snyder's the wind not permitting us to proceed We sailed under the shelter of Crete or for Salome Passing it with difficulty.
17:43: We came to a place called Fair Havens named the city named near the city of Lycia Yeah Let me just ask us to consider a couple of things through these verses first of all Paul is traveling with Some companions And it's amazing to me how This is brought into Into is brought before us that but Paul is a prisoner and yet God has determined that Paul will be accompanied by Aristarchus as we read and also if you read through it and you see how the writer says we a Good number of times that Luke is also with him So you have Paul the prisoner? headed towards Rome and he has a company of at least two friends two companions But here's the other thought and I want us to think about that Paul's traveling with a mixed multitude Because there were other prisoners there also so Paul is is a prisoner and he's traveling with Some that are companions and some that are just prisoners And we're not really told why those others are there and being taken to Rome.
19:12: Maybe they have appealed to Caesar Maybe they're headed to the the games in Rome to be fed to the Lions.
19:19: I don't know But they're all on this perilous journey and Paul is amongst a mixed multitude and ultimately Aristarchus becomes a prisoner if you read in Colossians chapter 4 You'll find out Aristarchus becomes a prisoner when Paul gets to Rome, but for now, he's just a companion You know also brothers and sisters in our own journey That we find ourselves many times Traveling with a mixed multitude Just think about that We have many relationships in our lives, don't we every one of us I was trying to think I couldn't sleep last night and I usually can't sleep the night before I have an opportunity to speak And I was and I said to myself Try to think of all the people, you know Well that that went on till I fell asleep But but just think about this we all Have been traveling along this life in a mixed multitude situation Some of them are for us Those relationships some of them are against us and yet many of them are just if you will and sprinkled in the background by God's purposes along our pilgrimage Again, we have those that are for us that are brothers and sisters in Christ Then we have those who are against us And some relationships in this mixed multitude are more prominent than others and some of them again are just like I said sprinkled in the background But it's important for us to realize that In other words if you and I were to think that We live in a world that's totally evil and corrupt although it is as I said based on the curse But but we are been we have been surrounded by God's grace with many relationships that that help us that aid us that that Walk along with us in our journey And then as I said, there are many And even it seems more so in these days that are against us So Paul's traveling as a as a prisoner and he's got Luke with him.
22:01: He's got a risk to kiss with him And here's another thing.
22:04: I want you to notice in this Part of the outline is it verse 3 what it says it says at again the next day we landed at Sidon and Julius treated Paul kindly and gave him liberty to go to his friends and receive care and I wanted us to notice how as As Paul's taking this dangerous journey as this perilous journey as he's pilgriming from from Jerusalem to Rome He's never going to return to Jerusalem, by the way That he is shown kindness by this Julius he is shown a He he's actually given a certain amount of freedom limited freedom, but freedom nevertheless And I thought about that and I thought how you know brothers and sisters friends.
22:58: We ought to be thankful for the the gracious provision of God towards us in our pilgrimage even of those who do not know the Savior and as I said, he's been shown kindness and Cannot you and I say that as we journey through this life God has brought many many people into our lives to help us and They might not even know The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords And it covers everyone Friends as we pilgrimage through this life, isn't it good to know that there are those who are working for us? And I thought about it, I mean that covers everybody right it covers from employers hmm first responders military The man who picks up my trash.
24:01: I am thankful that that trash man shows up every week the mail person Yeah, you get what I'm trying to get at.
24:11: There are many many things in this life.
24:13: And as this this Julius shows Paul kindness.
24:17: So God is so kind to us that as we journey through God provides maybe even just in the background Provision for us Then if you read would help Paul got here Paul's been in prison by the way And then he goes and he's before Felix and guess what? He's headed towards prison again so so Paul certainly could use the provisions and so he is allowed to have Liberty to go to his friends and receive care.
24:52: I just thought that was that was so good how Again how good it is of God to give us Helpers I Mean the greatest helper is who? Costs the Holy Spirit the Savior the father, but what about all these other things? About all these other Again many of them even in background parts extras if you will I Don't want to get off the subject and I really should but you ever watch her You'll watch a show or a commercial on TV And it's like the main whatever there is that they're trying to do is always up front And then there's like 10,000 people walking in the background There's people there's people at a desk there's people talking and you don't hear their voice I mean, it's just I always ask my wife what I wonder what they're saying And she just ignores me But but isn't that the case they are so many people in the background of our lives and Yet God is the one who's gone before us and stands behind us And so you and I ought to consider it and then it says that when we Had put to see from there.
26:27: We sailed under the shelter of Cyprus because the winds were contrary and in here's another thought Paul doesn't take the straightest route because The straightest route was too dangerous for Paul to take So what they do if you look at it on a map from where they began they go northward And they're up on the coast and they stay they're hugging the coast Because the open seas are too dangerous So they're up they're going up the coast hugging the coast and then ultimately we'll see that It really breaks loose and then they wind up coming down south and they try to stay by the island of Crete and try to use That for shelter and then ultimately they go back up towards Italy and to where Paul finally gets to Rome But the thought is that They can't take the straightest path You know friends our lives are not Always the straightest path We go places where we don't want to go.
27:32: Don't we? We get put in situations that we don't want to be in Well, you know what? If it was up to us We would run into the rocks before we ever got out of the port We think we know what's the straightest path? God knows the right path for us Every single one of us and by the way, we ought to be careful about complaining about someone else's path Because God Has decreed and appointed and performs that which is appointed for us in our sight is So often friends so short-sighted And and again if it was left to us We would find our way into open waters And that's why we have to walk by faith by the way, right? Because walking by sight many times is deceiving and We begin to think well This would be the best way for me and this would be the best way and this was way to avoid certain dangers.
28:54: Listen friends the God who saved us Decreed every trial tribulation danger Disturbing part of our life No, I'm not saying that we are not the responsible party for many of those things but nevertheless you and I should think about it that as We see Paul and the things that are taking place.
29:24: He's not taking the direct path Verse 6 I got to speed up a little bit then it says this so they're on the boat, right? And then they they're there at the centurion found in Alexandria ship sailing to Italy and he put us on board So you get what happens? They get off of one boat and I go on another boat And I thought about this in Paul's journey and I thought about how In many ways that's like our lives We get off of one boat we get on another boat We go through one thing and then we get to another thing We go through one stage in our life one trial of tribulation and then maybe by God's gracious provision We have a period of calm and quietness and then what? Then anyone here want to stand up and tell us how they've lived nothing but an absolutely Stress-free trial free danger-free life.
30:30: Come on up and lie And so it goes from one means to another from one Situation to another and that's all again as I say to you because of the shepherd of the sheep that he goes before us And he goes behind us and so our lives We ought to expect many changes Nothing listen, it doesn't remain the same does it there are some people who cannot handle change But really for the child of God In many ways there is no change.
31:09: We're going from This world to the presence of Christ, but sometimes God takes us off of one ship Puts us on another one Sometimes We become fearful of change listen friends, I'll say it to you this way we ought not to fear change we ought to fear God We ought not to fear the situations of life.
31:39: And certainly as things change we ought to fear the God who changes things And so he's put on another ship.
31:50: And by the way It says it's an Alexandrian ship So and you'll see it a little further along if we have time to get to it That basically this is a shirt a ship from that belongs to Egypt and they're going to Rome to sell them the wheat At least that's what I understand it is and so here we are and Paul gets off of one boat one situation and Then he goes on to another one Verse seven we have sailed many days and arrived with difficulty at sinus and the wind not permitting us to proceed we Sailed under the shelter creed again, just giving us some understanding of of this cost to the take Then verse 9 through 12 and want us to just look at one or two things real quick Now when much time had been spent and sailing was now dangerous because the fast was already over Paul advised them saying men I perceive that this voyage will end with disaster and much loss not only of the cargo in the ship, but also of our lives Nevertheless the centurion was more persuaded by the helmsman And the owner of the ship than by the things spoken by paul and because the harbor was not suitable to winter in the majority advised to sail from there also if by any means they could reach phoenix a Harbor of crete opening towards the southwest and northwest and winter there just one or two things first of all We're given a time stamp, aren't we in verse 9 it's when Sailing has become rough because the feast was already over and I understand this this would have been the feast of passover And that that took place in september and that Paul understands something about the times to sail and the times not to sell and And that having this time staff time staff time stamp Helps us to understand where we are in the narrative Good season to sail and there's not a good time to sail I was just talking to jesse before service when we're talking about boats Let me tell you it's a good time to sail.
34:12: There's not it's a time not to sail Especially if you're not in a big boat So So paul understands this and and the narrative is given to us and so paul says to them That he sees nothing ahead in this journey but danger he makes an observation He um And you know, isn't it friend isn't it good friends that god gives us even in the creation um, if you will help us to discern That god gives us by his provision understanding I mean If you read what what it says here the centurion listens to the helmsman And the owner of the ship And he disregards the jewish prisoners advice But guess what? The jewish prisoner knows a lot about the sea if you remember it was not paul shipwrecked a number of times And god gives us this time stamp so we would realize um You and I need to even in our journey even in our pilgrimage listen and i'm not absolutely positive Where sometimes paul's making a discernment based on his understanding and in In god's provision and giving him grace and where it could be because god has divinely revealed something But nevertheless, um paul says that this is not going to be the best time um The captain's just You would think that the captain of the ship would know the same things that paul knew wouldn't you think? I mean if paul knew that it wasn't a good time to sail you would think that the captain of the ship Or certainly the helmsman would have known But As I said, they seem to be more concerned What the majority is saying? than what this prisoner is saying And they have the cargo on their mind They have to get the wheat to rome Got to make the money Listen just before we leave this, you know friends there's many times We got to go against the majority in all the journeys that we walk there are times in our life when we need to listen to the voices and the and the And discern the situation in times that are around us when you agree god has not given us a spirit of fear, but what? power love and sound mind And we ought to use that sound mind but but at times we must Go even against the majority and stand And trust and believe and press on So there's this um Advice given by paul.
37:33: I perceive that the voyage will end in disaster And then there's the response and nope.
37:39: We're going on Consider if you will just for a moment verses 13 through 20 And and this is some of the perils that that continually and guess what they grow worse Look at verse 13 When the south wind blew softly, so they made their decision we're going to go where we say we're going to go We're not going to regard the time the season even though it might be the wrong time to sail.
38:10: We're sailing What's paul going to do he's their prisoner Look what it says When the south wind blew softly in verse 13 supposing they had obtained their purpose putting out to sea they sailed close by creed Not after a long not long after a tempentuous headwind rose called urocviadon Which is really it's a nor'easter And so when the ship was caught and could not head into the wind we let her drive And running under the shelter of an island called clauda We secured the skiff with difficulty and when they had taken it on board they used cables to undergird the ship for fearing Lest they should run aground on the citrus sands.
39:01: They struck Sail and was so driven And because we were exceedingly tempest Tossed the next day they lighted the ship and on the third day We threw the tackle the ship's tackle overboard with our own hands Hmm Well, here's another interesting Description of paul's journey it gets worse it grows even more dangerous Remember what I said to you in the beginning god has promised paul will reach rome God never told paul all the details of getting him to rome It's it's so wonderful for us to say we shall overcome We shall be in the presence of god We shall make it to the golden shore But how many of us if we were being honest would not like to see how that course is going to unfold? And yet god doesn't disclose that to us.
40:16: Does he? Again, there's many reasons for that But the ship is No longer under their control Do you ever get to that point in your life? Where you think your life is not under your control.
40:31: Well, guess what? It never was under your control anyway but you ever get to the point where where the journey seems to be so overwhelming and so Encompassing and so large that you feel like you're no longer Controlling anything you're just being driven by the wind And that could come from every possible thing in this world Whether it be health Whether it be finances, whether it be relationships Whether it be uh this that or the other thing I just it's so interesting What happens between verse 13 or verse 14? When the south wind blew softly supposing that they had obtained their purpose putting out to sea They slow they sailed close by creed in verse 14 not long after Here come the nor'easter Real quick I was out With my sons and my son-in-law one day on the boat We went out where we shouldn't have went out and as we went out there was a beautiful sunrise And the winds were calm And it seemed like we were going to catch fish And we were eating sandwiches and we're ready to roll And we're out there.
42:04: We're just enjoying ourselves and guess what happens I could see in the distance a black cloud Now if you know anything about the water when you see a black cloud, you need to pay attention But we didn't and I will say to you we went from a A soft breeze And that black cloud became a whole bunch of clouds And I and then we then we finally started to think uh dudes We might need to start heading in And next thing and I I tell you this because I was there next thing.
42:42: I know there's a water spout coming at us And the next thing is the boat stops running And we're trying to fix the engine To start her up again I'll tell you what you want to know what will drain the foolishness out of you very quickly That will But but that's the way our life goes.
43:07: It doesn't it friends from a soft breeze to a nor'easter That's why I say to you this is a perilous journey.
43:15: There's a lot of things that uh Getting away And they um The boys begin to get nervous too, right? Not long after the ship was caught and it keeps going on and and Verse 18 and because they were exceedingly tempest-tossed the next day They lighten the ship and on the third day we threw over the ship's tackle overboard with our own hands Um, so here's what's happening right now now they're Their attention is focused Now the very things that they thought was so important But just not as important the cargo Ultimately, they throw all the weed overboard They get rid of everything.
44:06: They're scrambling You know what friends if you don't have faith in christ, that's what's going to happen to you You're going to scramble You're going to start throwing things overboard because you're going to be At one point or another understanding That you have to face god You young kids And you figure it out where you are you're young or old You're going to face god You're going to give an account For every thought every action And if you don't have christ, you have no answer And many times when people start to see their life crumble, they start throwing things out of their boat And because they were exceedingly tempest, uh tempest tossed they throw out of the boat Okay I want to just try to finish And again, I apologize if you think of it that way I took on a lot this morning But I wanted us to see it in a segment if you will In verses 21 through 29 is the prayer and comfort in the journey.
45:33: Let me just read it with you real quick So verse 20 now when neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and no small tempest beat on us all hope That we would be saved was finally given up But after long abstinence from food paul stood in the midst of them and said men you should have listened Here's this sanctified.
45:53: I told you so And you know something I got to say this that's in many ways what god has called us to do Is to give the world those that don't believe Warning and sometimes That's our responsibility To do is to warn and exhort paul told him don't do this And now here's paul this little if history's right this little Four foot maybe five foot jew standing there and mister all these people on the ship.
46:32: I told you so And now I urge you take heart for there will be no loss of life.
46:41: This is so wonderful.
46:42: No loss of life Look what he says for there stood by me this night an angel of the god Whom I belong And whom I serve.
46:52: I just gotta stop there for a second folks The god to whom I belong and whom I serve On the journey on the pilgrimage Paul has his understanding Now don't say paul was never shaken because I can assure you there was times when paul was shaken But paul knows who he belongs to I know whom I believe in paul said And I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which i've committed unto him against that day And not only that but you see what it says.
47:34: He says Take heart.
47:36: I believe that god Will be just as it was told me and he tells them that not only does he belong to god.
47:43: He serves god Side note extra point You cannot belong to god and not serve him If you belong to god you will serve him And if you're not serving him it could very well be you don't belong to god You make all the profession you want I can make all the profession I want If I am not serving the lord god my lord, jesus christ Then I really have Very little to claim of belonging to him And so paul says that's who it is.
48:28: That's who he belongs to that's whom he serves and I would think these other Uh These other people on the ship.
48:35: I mean, they're probably calling out to every god under the sun wouldn't you think? I don't know about you Like I said, uh being out on that open water and that ship and the ship is starting to break apart by the way, we read that and and and like I said, it'll drain it'll drain you of all your craziness And they start to call on their god And they get nervous and then paul says therefore take heart man for I this is so wonderful, right? I believe god will do just as he told me Why was paul confident because god told him God told him you will come to rome you will appear you will be my witness Friends if we are his we will Finish the race They will make it because paul said they will because god said they will And then he says but we got to run aground first, right? And and so then I just start, uh being tempest tossed in verse 27.
49:43: Um, 14th night Imagine being out on a boat Being knocked around for 14 days What do you think jesse that was not a good thing, right? I don't think so and yet the 14th day had come and we're driven up and down and they take soundings and and 20 fathoms, so that would be what 120 feet six feet for a fathom Something like that and they go a little further and now it's down to 15 And fearing less they should run aground on the rocks.
50:16: They dropped four anchors from the stern and they prayed for day to come No doubt you ever get that place in your life where you're praying for for the next day to come Because the the perils and the journey and the trials seem too much for today And so they are fearful They think they're going to run aground they drop four rankers from the stern They pray for today and and the sails were seeking to escape from the ship And they had let down a skiff into the sea on the pretense of putting out anchors and and look at verse 31 Just for a moment Paul said to the sin to the centurion and the soldiers God had told him that he was going to get him to rome and god had promised that all of them were going to get there At least off of this ship But look what paul says paul said to the centurion in verse 31 unless these men stay in the ship you cannot be saved You know what? I thought of when I thought of that Right wrong or indifferent.
51:27: I thought of jesus and I thought of jesus looking at me at nicodemus and saying unless a man are born Again, he cannot be saved And yet, you know what? I thought I thought about noah in the ark and how god had shut him in the ark and the ark was actually the means that god used to Save noah Unless these men stay in the ship.
51:53: You can't be saved and so the soldiers uh, I mean the sailors Were seeking to escape from the ship and they let down the skiff into the sea and paul says That to them and then the soldiers cut away the ropes in the skiff and let it fall And as the day was about to dawn paul implored them all saying take food today is the 14th day And and you have waited and continued without food leaving nothing And that sometimes what happens to us friends You have to be so upset so in so much turmoil that you don't even eat Something is is so disturbing In our lives and we don't even eat We forget to take care of ourselves You see there's nothing new under the sun, by the way That's why I said we're all go from the womb to the tomb We all have trials all our tribulations all our journeys and say i need for 14 days and then verse 34, I urge you take nourishment for this is your survival since How could paul say this other than his faith in god not a hair of your head will fall not a hair Will fall from the head of any of you And as you read this there's 276 people on board at least 276 And paul could promise because god had promised That although the ship ultimately will break up That god will deliver all of them as long as they stay in the ship there were 276 and when they verse 35 and when they took bread they gave thanks when paul had taken bread he gave thanks in the presence of the wall and They began to eat and then all were encouraged And you know, that's another point we ought to do that too.
53:55: We ought to encourage people we ought to warn them And we ought to courage them we ought to encourage one another and listen Your journey my journey might be in completely different directions You might be up here and I might be down there But guess what sooner or later? And we ought to be able to encourage one another and even at times Say to one another I told you so Let me finish.
54:26: I know i'm out of time You know brother mike has been taking us through first samuel And and he's now building that the place where david becomes Not only the anointed king But the the reality of his kingship starts to come to pass And david man, listen, you want to talk about a life full of trouble? Me and my brother might come up here spend the next six hours talking about the things that takes place in david's life But there's an interesting thing that david says and it's in second samuel And and david says this at the end of his almost his end of his life samuel.
55:06: Um, um, second samuel 23 David says this although my house is not so with god Yet he has made with me an everlasting covenant ordered and secure in all things You want to talk about a man whose life was full of of dangers and trials and tribulations and Enemies and and some friends and some companions and a mixed multitude and everything uh at times seemed to be This way and in other times it was that way and yet david says God has made a sure covenant with me God has promised paul that he will reach rome So friends as we close if you and I are the children of god Don't despise the journey Don't try to get there through what you think is the straightest path or the right path I almost want to say it this way.
56:13: Enjoy the ride Enjoy the ride because just as sure as the the pillar of fire And the cloud of smoke went before and after the children of israel So our god goes before us And behind us and we will make it so If you're not in christ this morning You're in great danger If I say nothing else this morning that makes any real sense to you in your heart if you're not a christian You're in danger Forget about the journey in this world You better know Of your eternal status before you leave this world And if need be you ought to pray god to throw you in the worst nor'easter That could ever possibly happen that in that Situation you might call out and say lord save me Save me from This This World that is so full Nothing but hurt and harm Help me to see the cross of christ may god bless us may may we be as paul and I'll leave you verse 44.
57:56: It says some made it to the land on boards Some made it on broken pieces And so it was that they all escaped to land May god bless us.
58:09: Let's just pray Our father in god again, thank you for who you are Lord thank you.
58:16: You are the god who Has purposed all things for your glory and for our own eternal good bless us lord Help us help us father To grow in grace and in the knowledge of the son of god who so loved us that he gave himself for us Help us to see him who is invisible Help us to Flee To the savior who has said that he will never leave us nor forsake us and he said that all that come to him He will in no way cast out Bless us.
58:52: Oh lord in these truths in christ's name.