#1. SHAKE IT OFF, GOD HAS A PLAN...
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
PAUL WAS ASSURED NO MATTER WHAT THE ENEMY MUSTERED AGAINST
HIM, GOD HAD A PLAN... YOU ARE GOING TO ROME... FEAR NOT...
YOUR MINISTRY WILL THRIVE UNTIL GOD IS FINISHED...
Acts 23:11 (KJV) And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good
cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness
also at Rome.
Acts 23:11 (NLT) That night the Lord appeared to Paul and said, “Be encouraged, Paul.
Just as you have been a witness to me here in Jerusalem, you must preach the Good
News in Rome as well.”
Acts 23:11 (MSG) That night the Master appeared to Paul: "It's going to be all right.
Everything is going to turn out for the best. You've been a good witness for me here in
Jerusalem. Now you're going to be my witness in Rome!"
I. INTRODUCTION:
Sometimes you can do more than you thought you could?
Seems an old drunk took a short cut through the graveyard late one night.
The grave diggers had finished their digging and left an open grave for a
funeral the next day. As the drunk was walking he fell into the grave.
He was laying in the bottom of the grave he decided to try to get out. It was so dark.
He tried to climb out and the mud sides would just break off and he would
fall back down to the bottom of the grave. Finally he saw he was hopeless and he
quit trying to get out. He would just sit in the corner and wait for morning to come.
A few hours later another drunk was walking through the dark graveyard and
wouldn't you know it. He fell into the same grave. He tried to climb out, he tried
to jump out, he tried everything he knew to do. He was trapped 6 feet deep in the
grave.
Finally, he decide to quit trying to get out. And he started to sit down in a corner.
When the other drunk said: I SEE YOU CAN NOT GET OUT EITHER, GUESS WE
ARE TRAPPED TOGETHER UNTIL MORNING COMES.
The second drunk heard the voice, thinking it was a dead man and immediately
the drunk sobered up and launch himself out of that muddy grave. He ran 50 miles
an hour until he fell on his porch. His wife came out and said: LOOKS LIKE YOU
HAVE SEEN A GHOST. He said, YOU WOULD NOT BELIEVE ME IF I TOLD
WHAT JUST HAPPENED TO ME.
Sometimes in LIFE WE JUST NEED A LITTLE EXTRA MOTIVATION TO
GET US OUT OF THE RUT IN WHICH WE HAVE FALLEN.
II. GOD HAS A PLAN --- FEW LEARN TO RECOGNIZE THE STRANGE TWIST OF LIFE...
THE CRUEL, MEAN, MOCKINGS ARE ORDAINED MY A MIGHTY GOD TO
ACCOMPLISH HIS PLANS...
A. There is a special person HAND PICKED by a Holy God, Saul had potential.
We probably would not have considered this person to be a GREAT GOD WORKER?
B. Many feared this man SAUL/PAUL ... His past was bad stuff.
Their fear was justified.
C. GOD HAS A PLAN THAT IS NOT SUBJECT TO PERSONAL OPINION or it is
not for MAJORITY RULE?
D. TEXT
Acts 23:11 And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul:
for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.
Acts 23:11 (NLT) That night the Lord appeared to Paul and said, “Be encouraged, Paul. Just as
you have been a witness to me here in Jerusalem, you must preach the Good News in Rome as well.”
Acts 23:11 (MSG) That night the Master appeared to Paul: "It's going to be all right. Everything
is going to turn out for the best. You've been a good witness for me here in Jerusalem. Now
you're going to be my witness in Rome!"
III. DO WE HONESTLY RECOGNIZE THIS JOURNEY WILL NOT GO AS WE THOUGHT IT
SHOULD? IN ONE DAY, ONE PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, ON ONE ROAD TRIP --- LIFE WILL BE
FOREVER CHANGED...
A. Saul was a very educated man, and was bold.
Acts 9:3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him
a light from heaven:
B. WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO GET A SEEING MAN TO SEE?
Do you think it is possible to see more and understand more when you are blind?
Acts 9:6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord
said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.
IV. IT DOES NOT MATTER WHAT YOU HEAR...
IT DOES NOT MATTER WHAT YOU SEE? OR DON'T SEE...
GOD KNOWS WHAT HE IS DOING? THE ISSUE IS DO WE TRUST GOD?
A. God is not seeking your approval!
B. THE PAST SHOULD NEVER DICTATE THE FUTURE!
Acts 9:13 Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he
hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem:
C. JUST DO WHAT I TOLD YOU TO DO...
Acts 9:15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear
my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:
V. WHILE GOD HAS A PLAN, GOD HAS A PURPOSE---
THE LIFE OF GOD'S PLAN WILL NOT BE AN EASY, DOWN HILL, or PICK UP MOMENTUM,
A. God does not play: LET'S MAKE A DEAL...
B. This shall be a ROSE GARDEN with NO THORNS... ??? GET REAL?
Acts 9:16 For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake.
C. PAUL'S JOURNEY SHALL BE FULL OF THORNS --- THREE (3) SERIOUS THORNS...
VI. PAUL HAS MANY LESSONS TO LEARN BEFORE HE CAN TEACH AND PEN SUCH GREAT
SPIRITUAL TRUTHS...
A. How can Paul teach the lesson UNLESS HE KNOWS:
B. WE KNOW? We know all things work together for the good to them that love
God and all called... NOT AN INSTINCT? BUT LEARNED BEHAVIOR!
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God,
to them who are the called according to his purpose.
C. HOW DOES PAUL KNOW GOOD COMES OUT OF BAD?
Life has changed a man --- given him purpose ---
TAKEN HIM THROUGH THE SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS...
D. TAKEN HIM THROUGH THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF SUFFERING TO TEACH
PAUL TO TEACH US...
E. NOT CAN GOD? BUT GOD CAN.
VII. PAUL'S EXAMPLE SAYS: HOG WASH TO THE EASY, HAPPY TRAILS...
DO WE HONESTLY BELIEVE THE TV & RADIO PREACHERS AND TEACHERS...
THAT SERVING GOD IS GREAT PROSPERITY AND ALWAYS SUPER HEALTH,
WITH NO TRIALS, MY FAMILY WILL ALWAYS BE WONDERFUL AND LAUGHING,
NO PROBLEMS AND EVERYONE IS GOING TO LOVE AND UNDERSTAND ME?
GOD DESIGNED ME TO LAUGH AND NEVER CRY?
A. I HEARD A TV PREACHER'S WIFE SAY:
PAUL NEVER UNDERSTOOD THE AUTHORITY OF JESUS CHRIST AND THUS HE
SUFFERED NEEDLESSLY...???
B. Read your Bible! THERE IS A PLAN...
We may never understand the plan, show me in the Book God needs our permission
to accomplish His goals?
Acts 9:16 For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake.
VIII. EASY? GET REAL? WE ARE NOT EXEMPT FROM SERIOUS PROBLEMS?
IF EVERYTHING IS EASY YOU BETTER CHECK YOU MIGHT BE DOING NOTHING...
THE BIBLE CLEARLY RECORDS THE GREATER THE WORK OF GOD, THE GREATER
THE TEST. THE GREATER THE TEST, THE GREATER THE TESTIMONY... !!!
A. 2 CORINTHIANS LIFTS THE GREAT VEIL OF THE COST OF LEADERSHIP...
AND WALKING IN THE CALLED MINISTRY TO REACH THE LOST IN GREAT DARKNESS.
2 Corinthians 11:23 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more
abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.
24 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.
25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a
day I have been in the deep; 26 In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils
by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness,
in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold
and nakedness. 28 Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care
of all the churches.
B. Most of the time many ministers feel they have to wear a MASK and hide their brokenness.
NOT PAUL, HE OPENS THE WINDOWS OF HIS HEART AND SHARES SOME VERY DEEP
SECRETS OF THE SPIRIT AND SOUL...
IX. PAUL HAS SO MANY DEEP LESSONS TO TEACH US...
LETS US RIDE THE SHIP WITH PAUL THROUGH MANY DARK DAYS...
SIRS, BE OF GOOD CHEER, FOR I BELIEVE GOD...
A. YOU SHOULD HAVE LISTEN TO THE PREACHER,
BUT THAT IS OK, HANG ON... TRUST GID!
B.God has a better idea...
Acts 27:21 But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs,
ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained
this harm and loss. 22 And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of
any man's life among you, but of the ship. 23 For there stood by me this night the angel of God,
whose I am, and whom I serve, 24 Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar:
and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee. 25 Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer:
for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.
C. EAT NOW, A MIRACLE IS COMING...
All that stay with the ship will be saved...
Acts 27:21-25 (MSG) With our appetite for both food and life long gone, Paul took his place in
our midst and said, "Friends, you really should have listened to me back in Crete. We could
have avoided all this trouble and trial. 22 But there's no need to dwell on that now. From now on,
things are looking up! I can assure you that there'll not be a single drowning among us, although
I can't say as much for the ship—the ship itself is doomed. 23 "Last night God's angel stood at
my side, an angel of this God I serve, 24 saying to me, 'Don't give up, Paul. You're going to
stand before Caesar yet—and everyone sailing with you is also going to make it.'
25 So, dear friends, take heart. I believe God will do exactly what he told me.
X. WOW, GOD WHAT IS GOING ON... FROM THE STORM, BEATINGS...
TO DIE OF A SNAKE BITE ON A LITTLE ISLAND... COME ON, GOD, WHAT ARE
YOU DOING?
A. You mean God has worked miracle after miracle for my ministry to cease
before ROME?
Acts 28:1 And when they were escaped, then they knew that the island was called Melita.
2 And the barbarous people shewed us no little kindness: for they kindled a fire, and received
us every one, because of the present rain, and because of the cold. 3 And when Paul had gathered
a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on
his hand. 4 And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among
themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet
vengeance suffereth not to live. 5 And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm.
6 Howbeit they looked when he should have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly: but after they
had looked a great while, and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds, and said
that he was a god.
B. MY DEAR FRIEND DO NOT ALLOW THIS TERRIBLE POISON TO POISON
YOUR HEART AND DIE...
C. SHAKE IT OFF... SHAKE IT OFF, QUIT CRYING, SHAKE THE HARM INTO THE FIRE...
CONCLUSION: Sure, I can not explain what you are going through? I honestly
doubt we ever clearly understand why? Why? Why did someone die? Why did that
person hurt me? Why the ship wreck? Why the bitterness and anger? My friend,
just SHAKE THE POISONOUS SNAKE IN THE FIRE AND TRUST GOD
THAT NO WEAPON FORMED...
Isaiah 54:17 (KJV) No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that
shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of
the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.
Isaiah 54:17 (NLT) But in that coming day no weapon turned against you will succeed. You will
silence every voice raised up to accuse you. These benefits are enjoyed by the servants of the Lord;
their vindication will come from me. I, the Lord, have spoken!
Isaiah 54:17 (MSG) but no weapon that can hurt you has ever been forged. Any accuser who takes you
to court will be dismissed as a liar. This is what God's servants can expect. I'll see to it that everything
works out for the best." God's Decree.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
Help me spread the good news, pass it on?
