Fly High – Acts Part 27
Opening Illustration: The Story of John Newton by Al Rogers (This article is reprinted from the July-August 1996 issue of “Away Here in Texas”.)
“Amazing grace, how sweet the sound...” So begins one of the most beloved hymns of all times, a staple in the hymnals of many denominations, New Britain or “45 on the top” in Sacred Harp. The author of the words was John Newton, the self-proclaimed wretch who once was lost but then was found, saved by amazing grace.
Newton was born in London July 24, 1725, the son of a commander of a merchant ship which sailed the Mediterranean. When John was eleven, he went to sea with his father and made six voyages with him before the elder Newton retired. In 1744 John was impressed into service on a man-of-war, the H. M. S. Harwich. Finding conditions on board intolerable, he deserted but was soon recaptured and publicly flogged and demoted from midshipman to common seaman.
Finally at his own request he was exchanged into service on a slave ship, which took him to the coast of Sierra Leone. He then became the servant of a slave trader and was brutally abused. Early in 1748 he was rescued by a sea captain who had known John’s father. John Newton ultimately became captain of his own ship, one which plied the slave trade.
Although he had had some early religious instruction from his mother, who had died when he was a child, he had long since given up any religious convictions. However, on a homeward voyage, while he was attempting to steer the ship through a violent storm, he experienced what he was to refer to later as his “great deliverance.” He recorded in his journal that when all seemed lost and the ship would surely sink, he exclaimed, “Lord, have mercy upon us.” Later in his cabin he reflected on what he had said and began to believe that God had addressed him through the storm and that grace had begun to work for him.
For the rest of his life he observed the anniversary of May 10, 1748 as the day of his conversion, a day of humiliation in which he subjected his will to a higher power. “Thro’ many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come; ’tis grace has bro’t me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.” He continued in the slave trade for a time after his conversion; however, he saw to it that the slaves under his care were treated humanely.
In 1750 he married Mary Catlett, with whom he had been in love for many years. By 1755, after a serious illness, he had given up seafaring forever. During his days as a sailor he had begun to educate himself, teaching himself Latin, among other subjects. From 1755 to 1760 Newton was surveyor of tides at Liverpool, where he came to know George Whitefield, deacon in the Church of England, evangelistic preacher, and leader of the Calvinistic Methodist Church. Newton became Whitefield’s enthusiastic disciple. During this period Newton also met and came to admire John Wesley, founder of Methodism. Newton’s self-education continued, and he learned Greek and Hebrew.
He decided to become a minister and applied to the Archbishop of York for ordination. The Archbishop refused his request, but Newton persisted in his goal, and he was subsequently ordained by the Bishop of Lincoln and accepted the curacy of Olney, Buckinghamshire. Newton’s church became so crowded during services that it had to be enlarged. He preached not only in Olney but in other parts of the country. In 1767 the poet William Cowper settled at Olney, and he and Newton became friends.
Cowper helped Newton with his religious services and on his tours to other places. They held not only a regular weekly church service but also began a series of weekly prayer meetings, for which their goal was to write a new hymn for each one. They collaborated on several editions of Olney Hymns, which achieved lasting popularity. The first edition, published in 1779, contained 68 pieces by Cowper and 280 by Newton.
Among Newton’s contributions which are still loved and sung today are “How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds” and ”Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken,” as well as “Amazing Grace.” Composed probably between 1760 and 1770 in Olney, ”Amazing Grace” was possibly one of the hymns written for a weekly service. Through the years other writers have composed additional verses to the hymn which came to be known as “Amazing Grace” (it was not thus entitled in Olney Hymns), and possibly verses from other Newton hymns have been added. However, these are the six stanzas that appeared, with minor spelling variations, in both the first edition in 1779 and the 1808 edition, the one nearest the date of Newton’s death. It appeared under the heading Faith’s Review and Expectation, along with a reference to First Chronicles, chapter 17, verses 16 and 17 [see the below for this Scripture – Graham Pockett].
Amazing grace! (how sweet the sound)
That sav’d a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.
’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears reliev’d;
How precious did that grace appear,
The hour I first believ’d!
Thro’ many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
’Tis grace has brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.
The Lord has promis’d good to me,
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.
Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease;
I shall possess, within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.
The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who call’d me here below,
Will be forever mine.
The origin of the melody is unknown. Most hymnals attribute it to an early American folk melody. The Bill Moyers special on “Amazing Grace” speculated that it may have originated as the tune of a song the slaves sang.
Newton was not only a prolific hymn writer but also kept extensive journals and wrote many letters. Historians accredit his journals and letters for much of what is known today about the eighteenth century slave trade. In Cardiphonia, or the Utterance of the Heart, a series of devotional letters, he aligned himself with the Evangelical revival, reflecting the sentiments of his friend John Wesley and Methodism.
In 1780 Newton left Olney to become rector of St. Mary Woolnoth, St. Mary Woolchurch, in London. There he drew large congregations and influenced many, among them William Wilberforce, who would one day become a leader in the campaign for the abolition of slavery. Newton continued to preach until the last year of life, although he was blind by that time. He died in London December 21, 1807. Infidel and libertine turned minister in the Church of England, he was secure in his faith that amazing grace would lead him home.
Opening Illustration: Amazing Grace Sunday – Introduction - Video Illustration from Faithvisuals.com
Sing: Amazing Grace!
We discovered the rest of the story about “Amazing Grace” and the Life of John Newton. We learned that John came to know Jesus at sea in the midst of a violent storm as a captain of a slave ship. His ship was about to wreck and be destroyed when he cried out to the Lord for Mercy! The Lord answered his prayer in midst of a crisis and spared his life and the ships. Newton then changed his course in life because of grace - that amazing grace and became a great minister for the Kingdom of God. It’s amazing what the Lord can do in us in the midst of a crisis!
T.S. - So let’s progress into Acts chapter 27 and look at another ship wreck story and how God showed up in the middle of a crisis for the Apostle Paul.
Summary from Last Week:
• Acts 27:1-26
• Lesson: How to avoid a ship wreck – family wreck- ministry wreck – organizational wreck and life wreck!
• 1. Learn to listen to Godly counsel and advice.
• 2. Learn to be content were you are planted by the Lord – Do not let the hurry up sickness or discontentment cause you to leave a safe harbor and ride out into a stormy sea.
• 3. Respect the power of the natural realm of God. Do not become prideful and arrogant but be humble in the eyes of the Lord!
Thesis: The Apostle Paul teaches us in Acts chapter 2:27-44 – 11 steps to managing a crisis in life.
Scripture Text: Acts 27:27 – 27:44 - The Holy Bible, New International Version.
Ac 27:27 On the fourteenth night we were still being driven across the Adriatic Sea, when about midnight the sailors sensed they were approaching land.
Ac 27:28 They took soundings and found that the water was a hundred and twenty feet deep. A short time later they took soundings again and found it was ninety feet deep.
Ac 27:29 Fearing that we would be dashed against the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight.
Ac 27:30 In an attempt to escape from the ship, the sailors let the lifeboat down into the sea, pretending they were going to lower some anchors from the bow.
Ac 27:31 Then Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved.”
Ac 27:32 So the soldiers cut the ropes that held the lifeboat and let it fall away.
Ac 27:33 Just before dawn Paul urged them all to eat. “For the last fourteen days,” he said, “you have been in constant suspense and have gone without food—you haven’t eaten anything.
Ac 27:34 Now I urge you to take some food. You need it to survive. Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head.”
Ac 27:35 After he said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat.
Ac 27:36 They were all encouraged and ate some food themselves.
Ac 27:37 Altogether there were 276 of us on board.
Ac 27:38 When they had eaten as much as they wanted, they lightened the ship by throwing the grain into the sea.
Ac 27:39 When daylight came, they did not recognize the land, but they saw a bay with a sandy beach, where they decided to run the ship aground if they could.
Ac 27:40 Cutting loose the anchors, they left them in the sea and at the same time untied the ropes that held the rudders. Then they hoisted the foresail to the wind and made for the beach.
Ac 27:41 But the ship struck a sandbar and ran aground. The bow stuck fast and would not move, and the stern was broken to pieces by the pounding of the surf.
Ac 27:42 The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners to prevent any of them from swimming away and escaping.
Ac 27:43 But the centurion wanted to spare Paul’s life and kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land.
Ac 27:44 The rest were to get there on planks or on pieces of the ship. In this way everyone reached land in safety.
Introduction:
I received a book for Christmas a while back called Checklist for Life and for Leaders. In the second chapter of the book the author challenged me to remember that the Christian life is an adventure. He opened this section with Joshua 1:9 which stated, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (NKJV). He notes that life is an adventure and we must “Fasten our seat belts!” The editor states, “When you catch the vision of your life as an intentional adventure that God has prepared for you, the ride becomes an exhilarating one. Just remember to be strong and of good courage, because God will be with you wherever you go” (21). As I read Acts chapter 27 I could relate to this authors words “Life is an adventure buckle you seat belt!” It’s going to be a wild ride! Paul’s journey to Rome echoes this thought and I can honestly say he had an adventure in our text today. He faced a ship wreck and crisis that comes with life and with following the Lord in our lives. The truth is crises like Paul’s happen in life.
Crises are everywhere today in our society they are common. All we have to do is watch the news or pick up the newspaper and we see that crises happen to people everyday. There are ship wrecks, car wrecks, airplane wrecks, ministry wrecks, family wrecks, organizational wrecks and individual life wrecks all around us. So with all these crisis moments it becomes imperative that we know how to deal with them. We all as parents, leaders, family members and Christians need to know how to lead people through a crisis.
Dr. Norman Wright says that the church must prepare the members of the Body of Christ for Crises. Why? Because crises will come whether you are prepared or not and your survival is based on knowing what to do, what to say and how to handle the unexpected crises. He states, “Helping those in crisis can be very important phase of one’s ministry. Two tasks of the Church’s ministry are to equip all members to better handle their own crises and to equip them to help other people in crisis. The principles of understanding losses and crises and helping others during these times can be taught in sermons and classes. Usually, the reason people hesitate to become involved in the lives of others is that they feel inadequate-they don’t know what to do or say.” (pages 9, 10 of Crisis and Trauma Counseling).
Paul in our scenario today is an individual who knew how to handle a crisis. Paul knew what to do, what to say, how to act, how to instruct, and were to go in dealing with this specific crisis. This portion of Acts reveals to us, “How to handle a ship wreck.” We could also call it “Crises management 101” Or we could say this is “How to lead a team through a life threatening crises and come out with everyone being safe and sound.” We could also say, “This is what you do and say when it matters most!”
Sequence of events for Crisis Management from Acts 27: 11 steps to take to manage a crisis in life!
1. Assess the situation – drop out senses buoys to measure the crisis situation.
2. Drop out anchors to buy a little more time to deal with the crisis.
3. Pray for the Light to come into the situation so you can see clearer.
4. Make sure that you are in tune to the Spirit of Knowledge to see if any one is going to abandon ship and desert the others.
5. Make sure that everyone knows that desertion is not an option cut lose the lifeboat.
6. Encourage everyone to eat so they are strong enough to handle the ship wreck and so that they have energy to swim for shore.
7. Gave thanks to the Lord for his great sacrifice and understand that knows about crisis moments.
8. Make a plan for beaching the ship and go for it.
9. Be flexible so if the plan does not materialize as you thought that you are able to adjust to un-foreseen circumstances.
10. Don’t allow irrational acts of violence toward others in the midst of the crisis.
11. Use whatever is available to wade through the stormy seas to get to safety.
As we look at the ship wreck here in Acts 27 we see that there are 11 steps in managing a crisis that we should learn from and adopt into our crisis management portfolio. It’s important to use stories like this to gain biblical principles to managing crisis moments in life. Let’s learn these steps and then use them when we go through our next crisis.
T.S. – Let’s look at the first step in crisis management from our text:
I. Assess the situation.
a. When a crisis hits we need to first of all assess the situation by dropping out senses buoy’s to get a handle on what is transpiring.
i. We need to step back and look at the situation through the eyes of the Lord and what the Word reveals.
b. There are a few ways to gather information accurately so that you can properly asses a crisis moment.
i. Listening to what is being said by others around you in the midst of the crisis. This is crucial to get understanding and perspective.
1. James 1:19 says that each of us needs to be a “ready listener.”
2. Proverbs 15:31 states, “If you listen to correction to improve your life, you will live among the wise.”
3. Dr. Wright says this about listening “Listening means that you’re trying to understand the feelings of the other and that you’re doing so for his or her sake.”
ii. Knowing when to speak and when to keep quiet is crucial in the midst of a crisis.
1. Proverbs 29:20, “Do you see people who speak too quickly? There is more hope for a foolish person than for them.”
2. Saying the right words at the right time and in the right place will make all the difference in the world to others in a crisis.
3. Learning to ask the right questions and being willing to seek more information is crucial in crisis management.
a. When you are gathering information you actually have more time to think and to get insights from the Holy Spirit.
b. This process gets rid of quick responses and it takes the pressure off to do something right now.
c. It allows the ministry of the Holy Spirit to progress and to lead us through.
d. Far too often we want to rush through a crisis but this will only make matters worse.
c. The crew in our text assessed their situation as did Paul and the others. The Lord had sent a messenger to Paul to show him that they would all be spared and that he would fulfill his call to preach in Rome.
i. This word of encouragement form the Lord helped Paul to remain calm and focused through the storm and the ship wreck.
T.S. – The first step in crisis management is to assess the situation and then if possible slow it down so it can be processed properly.
II. Drop out anchors to slow things down so you have more time to respond appropriately.
a. Far too often we try to rush through a crisis and we fail to process it accurately and in a healthy way.
b. We need time to hear from the Lord and from the Holy Spirit and sometimes this requires us to slow down.
c. The crew knew that they needed more time to deal with the situation and for light to come so they delayed the ship wreck by throwing anchors out.
d. We too in crisis need to make sure that we do not rush through it but slow it down and process it wisely.
e. In grief counseling we are often told by experts to make sure that others do not try to rush people through the grief recovery process.
f. Once again this thought ties back into what I talked about last week when we addressed the danger of “Hurry Up Sickness!”
T.S. – The second step of slowing down in crisis mode is vital to make sure it is handled correctly and thoughtfully. The best way to process and understand a crisis is to pray and ask the Lord to reveal to you by His divine light what to do next in the crisis.
III. Pray for the light of the Lord to come into the crisis.
a. Too many times when crisis hits we rush into action. We often do this in the midst of darkness and the result is we cause a worse wreck in our lives and in others lives because we fail to do things right. We need to learn to move only after the Lord sheds His light on the situation.
i. Today in America many fail to pray in the midst of a crisis and it shows throughout our society. Prayer is essential n handing any crisis situation.
ii. Jim Cymbala stated, “It doesn’t make sense to counsel Christians who have not yet prayed about their “trouble.” Who knows what God might do to help such people if only he is given the opportunity” (62)?
1. The wisest and most powerful action you can do in crisis is to pray.
2. How do I know that? Go read the Psalms – these men and women reveal how overwhelmed they are in the beginning of man of the Psalms and then by the end of the Psalm we see through prayer and praise that their heads are raised back up again.
3. Prayer helps us to process crisis and when we pray we ask God to show up and to help us through the ordeal.
b. The truth is we need God to illuminate our hearts and minds to the situation and get His wisdom and insight into what to do and what not to do.
i. When the light shines on a crisis situation it’s easier to see what must be done because things are so much clearer under His divine illumination.
c. Prayer is a key to seeing things in the right perspective. The truth is prayer brings understanding and proper perspective to crisis.
i. Jim Cymbala’s thoughts on the power of prayer:
1. “If Jesus himself prayed with ‘loud cries and tears’ at times, then we can certainly feel free and unashamed to pour out our souls to God.”
2. “David is a man who prayed much and received much. In contrast, those who seldom ask to receive in proportion to their little faith. Yet David’s faith was not in the power of prayer itself but in the God who answers prayer. That is the secret of every man and woman throughout history who has learned firsthand about God’s faithfulness-they knew to whom they were praying” (50).
3. “Today prayer for personal guidance is almost a lost art. Our tendency is to run around doing what we think best and then ask God to bless our activity” (57).
d. Our text showed that they prayed for the light of day to come before they made their next move.
i. Cymbala states, “We can learn a lesson from the leaders of Israel who approached the prophet Jeremiah in the midst of a political and military crisis. Their request was simple: ‘Pray that the Lord your God will tell us where we should go and what we should do” (Jeremiah 42:3) …He adds, “God has an answer to every challenge we face, and he will reveal it to us as we pray in a childlike fashion.”
ii. Cymbala adds this thought also , “If you’ve ever felt as if you can’t make it anymore (and who hasn’t), don’t give up. Instead, try humbly asking the Lord where you should go and what you should do” (57).
iii. He also adds this thought which leads me into my next point, “Some temptations are part of everyday living, but others can be avoided if we learn to do two things: become spiritually alert and form the habit of prayer” (60).
T.S. – Prayer is essential in helping get through a crisis because the Lord will use the Holy Spirit to give us insight and wisdom in what to do and not do through the crisis situation.
IV. We must be in tune with the Spirit of Knowledge – the Holy Spirit throughout a crisis.
a. I loved Cymbala’s thought of how we must be spiritually alert!
i. Matthew 26:41 states, “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”
b. Jesus told us that He gave us the Holy Spirit to be our guide in this life.
i. John 14:26: “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”
ii. John 16:13: “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.”
c. The Lord has promised that He will lead us, guide us and direct us in this life. We just have to ask for His knowledge and insight into situations of life.
i. I recall a time of crisis in my life when I felt overwhelmed and the Lord gave me wisdom and insight into a situation. He spoke to me clearly and said that He was leading me and that the people who were lying about me would be dealt with. He gave me a vision of all the people who would betray me and said “Don’t worry I am with you and you shall prevail!”
ii. The Holy Spirit will lead you into all truth and for the church to fly high today we must learn to listen to the Holy Spirit.
iii. He will give divine insights so you know what moves to make and what moves not to make!
d. Paul knew the sailors were going to desert them by the insight of the Holy Spirit and if this happened there would be no hope for the rest of them in bringing in the ship.
i. They needed the expertise of these sailors and their seamanship to bring the ship into shore. Their skills would help everyone to survive and they could not leave the ship.
ii. Remember Paul had received a Word of Knowledge from an angel about the outcome of this crisis – all would be saved but the material possessions would be lost. He knew that but he also knew that these sailors played a major role in the outcome of this shipwreck and they had to stay.
T.S.- The Holy Spirit will give us divine insights in a crisis and we need to listen to them and it is vitally important that people do not desert in the midst of crisis. We must learn to stick together through a crisis so all can make to shore safely.
V. In the midst of a crisis everyone needs to stick together – no deserting.
a. Paul knew the importance of the crew and all the others of sticking together. This was not become every man for himself they needed each other to make it to safety.
b. The Body of Christ is stay together not fragment.
i. 1 Cor. 12:12-27: (Message): 12You can easily enough see how this kind of thing works by looking no further than your own body. Your body has many parts—limbs, organs, cells—but no matter how many parts you can name, you’re still one body. It’s exactly the same with Christ. 13By means of his one Spirit, we all said good-bye to our partial and piecemeal lives. We each used to independently call our own shots, but then we entered into a large and integrated life in which he has the final say in everything. (This is what we proclaimed in word and action when we were baptized.) Each of us is now a part of his resurrection body, refreshed and sustained at one fountain—his Spirit—where we all come to drink. The old labels we once used to identify ourselves—labels like Jew or Greek, slave or free—are no longer useful. We need something larger, more comprehensive.14I want you to think about how all this makes you more significant, not less. A body isn’t just a single part blown up into something huge. It’s all the different-but-similar parts arranged and functioning together. 15If Foot said, “I’m not elegant like Hand, embellished with rings; I guess I don’t belong to this body,” would that make it so? 16If Ear said, “I’m not beautiful like Eye, limpid and expressive; I don’t deserve a place on the head,” would you want to remove it from the body? 17If the body was all eye, how could it hear? If all ear, how could it smell? 18As it is, we see that God has carefully placed each part of the body right where he wanted it.19But I also want you to think about how this keeps your significance from getting blown up into self-importance. For no matter how significant you are, it is only because of what you are a part of. An enormous eye or a gigantic hand wouldn’t be a body, but a monster. 20What we have is one body with many parts, each its proper size and in its proper place. No part is important on its own. 21Can you imagine Eye telling Hand, “Get lost; I don’t need you”? Or, Head telling Foot, “You’re fired; your job has been phased out”? 22As a matter of fact, in practice it works the other way—the “lower” the part, the more basic, and therefore necessary. You can live without an eye, for instance, but not without a stomach. 23When it’s a part of your own body you are concerned with, it makes no difference whether the part is visible or clothed, higher or lower. You give it dignity and honor just as it is, without comparisons. 24If anything, you have more concern for the lower parts than the higher. If you had to choose, wouldn’t you prefer good digestion to full-bodied hair? 25The way God designed our bodies is a model for understanding our lives together as a church: every part dependent on every other part, the parts we mention and the parts we don’t, 26the parts we see and the parts we don’t. If one part hurts, every other part is involved in the hurt, and in the healing. If one part flourishes, every other part enters into the exuberance.27You are Christ’s body—that’s who you are! You must never forget this. Only as you accept your part of that body does your “part” mean anything.
c. A fragmented body does not function properly! We need each other in times of crisis!
i. We can do all things through Jesus who strengthens us! The Lord wants us to stick with each other through the crisis times and understand that we need each other.
d. We need to have the “I will not quit motto” for our lives today.
T.S. – Sticking together is vital in a crisis and all the Christians need to commit to sticking with each other through times of crisis. We also need to encourage one another through times of crisis because it makes a difference.
VI. Encourage others in crisis to eat so that they are strengthened for the impact of the crisis and with uplifting words.
a. Encouragement is defined -
b. Edifying one another through times of crisis.
i. Proverbs 12:25: An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up.
ii. 1 Thess. 5:11: Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
c. Dr. Wright states, ‘Encouraging means urging forward, stimulating a person to do what he or she should be doing. It is saying to the person, “I believe in you as an individual. I believe you have the ability and the potential to follow through in doing this.” Encouraging a person helps him or her to believe in his or her own worth…” (41).
d. It’s saying “We will make it by the help of the Lord!”
e. Philip Yancey stated, “I have discovered that one letter of criticism cut me deep and it takes 17 positive letters of encouragement to overcome that one negative letter.”
f. Remember Paul was right in the middle of ship wreck and he was still “Giving Thanks to the Lord.” This act of gratitude toward God strengthened the group and helped them to make it to safety.
g. H.B. London shared, in his series Pastor to Pastor “Are you up to the Task?” that when he had first became a minister he had went in to pray for a woman of 32 who was dying from Cancer. She had 3 little girls at home and she was about die and go hoe to heaven. He said that he came into to pray with her and he was overcome by grief and he was so down. She noticed how depressed he was and she rose up in that bed and looked him square in the eye and said these words to him. “Don’t you cry for me Pastor – Don’t you steal my joy of going home to Jesus!” “I believe what you have preached and taught me about Jesus and heaven. So let’s rejoice for I am going to meet my loving Savior Jesus!” He said “I have never forgotten that moment!
T.S. – Encouragement is an essential key for making it through hardship and crisis. Not only are we to encourage each other but we must give the Lord thanks through the whole ordeal because there is sustaining power in this action.
VII. Give thanks to the Lord and remember He knows how to handle crisis moments in life and He will help us.
a. Paul knew the importance of giving the Lord thanks in the midst of crisis. Why? Because Jesus faced a very severe crisis for him and us and that was the cross and the Lord went through that so we did not have too. He knows crisis and he knows how to get us through to safety.
b. Scripture encourages us to have the right attitude through crisis listen to these verses:
i. 1 Cor 15:57: But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
ii. 2 Cor. 2:14: But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him.
iii. 2 Cor. 9:15: Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
iv. 1 Thess. 5:16-18: Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
T.S. – We need to give the Lord thanks for the being faithful to us through a crisis and then allow a plan to develop to handle the crisis.
VIII. Planning for the impact.
a. The crew made plans for where to beach the ship.
i. Planning is not a bad thing as a matter of fact it is wise thing to do.
b. Listen to these verses on planning:
i. Proverbs 20:18: Form your purpose (Your plan) by asking for counsel, then carry it out using all the help you can get.
ii. Isaiah 32:8: But those who are noble make noble plans, and stand for what is noble.
c. Laurie Beth Jones stated, “A good leader has a plan. Jesus had one. He gave clear instructions to his staff members regarding how they could attain their desired results. He also had received a plan he was working on implementing. He spoke often about how something was either part of or not part of the plan. He did not claim to know all the details, but he certainly saw the big picture and acted on a day-to-day basis according to his inner instructions” (Page 87, Jesus CEO).
d. We need to lean to plan to deal with crisis!
T.S. – Planning is a good thing to do but your plan needs to be flexible is the crisis brings an unexpected turn to the event.
IX. Be flexible if the plan does not go as expected.
a. When the plan did materialize as expected the crew and the centurion soldier adapted and changed the plan.
b. The key here is we need to be ready to shift course and make adjustments when other unexpected events happen in crisis.
i. Don’t be dogmatic about your plan adjust if necessary!
c. There are Scriptures which talk about being prepared with the insight of the Gospel and being prepared at a moments notice to share the truth in an unexpected moment.
i. 2 Tim. 4:2: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage —with great patience and careful instruction.
ii. 1 Peter 3:15: But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.
T.S. – Our plan needs to be flexible and we must keep calm and not over react in the midst of a crisis and when more unexpected events happen.
X. Be nice in the midst of crisis with others -- no character assassinations!
a. When in crisis don’t over react!
b. Be calm – don’t panic – don’t let fear and chaos cause you to do something stupid.
i. Joshua 1:9 states, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (NKJV).
c. Trust the Lord!
i. Proverbs 3:5: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.”
ii. Isa. 25:9: In that day they will say, “Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the LORD, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.”
T.S. – We need to stay calm in crisis don’t overreact and then use the resources around you provided by the Lord to get to safety.
XI. Use the resources around you to get to safety!
a. The Centurion Soldier basically adapted the plan and said to the group “Find the resources that are around you –use them to get to shore safely!”
b. Cymbala states, “Often God will give us victory-if we step out in faith to do our part. We have to obey his directions” (page 46, Breakthrough Prayer).
i. We need to learn to use His resources that he provides for us in a crisis!
ii. Video clip from “Pursuit of Happyness” – little boy talking about God saving man in the sea.
Conclusion:
The Lord was faithful to His Word. He promised Paul that they would all make it safely to shore and they did.
Cymbala stated, “Whatever God calls us to do, he will also be faithful to equip us to do it” (page 80, Fresh Power).
God offers us protection in the midst of the storms of life and the crises that will come our way. We are called to remain faithful to Him and look to Him for divine assistance through the storm.
Video Illustration: This 3D representation of the Cross, quotes Isaiah the Prophet as he describes the protection God offers us through Christ.
Altar Call: Have people who are in crisis come forward so that the Elders came pray for them!
