How Can I Be Confident In A Crisis

HOW CAN I BE CONFIDENT IN A CRISIS?

Illustration: When I was young my Dad always told me about his childhood and how they lived in a house that is near the Sea. The thing that he most feared was the typhoon since their house is made of wood, it will be beaten down, almost carried by the wind, they would tie it down and stay inside but he is most afraid of the howling wind, crash of the waves. He even made a song about it, and when he grew-up he built a better house far away from the shore line, where there are no waves, built of stone so that it will not be carried away. He made me a home much safer, securer, than his home before. Now I can relax, storms may come and go but I know with the house that he built we are safe.

The bible teaches us that there are 3 kinds of storms in our lives. The storms that we have caused (Samson). The storms that God has caused (Jesus in the lake of Gallilee). Storms that others have caused us (Paul and Silas thrown in Prison). The last one is the hardest to take when your innocent.

Today lets talk about the storm in Pauls life and it may serve to help us today. On how we can be confident and strong in a crisis situation. In Acts 27:9-12.

Paul was on his way as a prisoner to Rome, on board a ship when God told Paul to tell the crew not to leave the harbor because there was going to have a big storm. But the sailors ignored Paul, partly because they were impatient.. (Acts 27:9-12) --- Impatience alwayg gets us into trouble doesn’t it.

a. Single and not getting younger who wants to have a husband ASAP—kahit sino na lang

b. Get new Jobs

c. Yumaman

d. They didn’t check it out with God first and sailed right into a storm—same then, funny many things haven’t changed yet.

Paul said to the sailors (v.10) Men I can see that our voyage will be disastrous to our cargo and to our own lives”

I. The 3 Common reasons why people get themselves in a mess

1. Wrong Counsellors—The Centurion instead of listening to Paul, a man of God. Listened to the Pilot and the owner of the ship.

a. Who will I listen to, a man of God or the experts? My friends? My Neighbor?

c. Some people will go around and look for people who will agree with them and then do what they want.

Illustration: A story… It was autumn, and the Indians on the remote reservation asked their new Chief if the winter was going to be cold or mild. Since he was an Indian Chief in a modern society, he had never been taught the old secrets. When he looked at the sky, he couldn’t tell what the weather was going to be. Nevertheless, to be on the safe side, he replied to his tribe that the winter was indeed going to be cold and that the members of the village should collect firewood to be prepared. Also, being a practical leader, after several days he got an idea. He went to the phone booth, called the National Weather Service and asked, "Is the coming winter going to be cold?" "It looks like this winter is going to be quite cold indeed," the meteorologist at the weather service responded. So the Chief went back to his people and told them to collect even more wood in order to be prepared. A week later, he called the National Weather Service again. "Is it going to be a very cold winter?" "Yes," the man at National Weather Service again replied, "it’s definitely going to be a very cold winter." The Chief again went back to his people and ordered them to collect every scrap of wood they could find. Two weeks later, he called the National Weather Service again. "Are you absolutely sure that the winter is going to be very cold?" "Absolutely," the man replied. "It’s going to be one of the coldest winters ever." "How can you be so sure?" the Chief asked. The weatherman replied, "The Indians are collecting wood like crazy."

2. Wrong Guidance from a Vote. (v12) “Since the harbor they were in was unsuitable in winter, the majority decided to move on…” we get ourselves into a mess because we always take a vote.

a. Fact is the Majority is always wrong

b. Do u remember what happened when Moses started leading the peopke of Israel? Majority of them wanted to go back to Egypt. They were wrong.

Illustration: Dieters went Camping to the deapest of Jungle. They were captured by Cannibals and so they were given 2 choices. Pakakainin hangang tumaba or Death. They took a vote and it seems that ayaw nilang tumaba sabi nila Death na lang. Then the chief said sige, death, Patabain hangang mamatay.