“Your Condition is NOT your Conclusion!”
-Scripture Text: Acts 27:9-36 – Open & Read
*In life we are faced with difficult ‘Storm Like’ situations and challenges!! A loyal worker goes to work as he normally does, then 1 year before his retirement, is told he is layed off! Storms! A parent lays in bed @ 3am, worrying & waiting for their teen to come home, only to hear a policeman’s knock @ their door! Storms! A widow... lyes in her bed alone for the first time. Storms! STORMS... we all have them... we all will get them at some time in our lives. It’s not WHEN will they happen, it’s more like HOW will we Respond to them?? They are difficult...If God is your ANCHOR, That condition is not your conclusion!
Point Number One: “Be Of Good Courage”
=Acts 27:22 “But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed.”
=Life has a way of throwing us a curve ball from time to time. Sometimes we’re left thinking to ourselves, “Lord why me?” “Why did this happen to me?” There is going to come a time where it seems like everything is going wrong! I don’t know about you but sometimes it seems as though I’m the ONLY ONE going through a time like that! Ever feel that way?? It’s true! Everyone will experience this sometime in their life!
= “But now I urge you to keep up your courage, (take heart),because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed.” Paul is offering some words of encouragement to the crew on the ship. He’s trying to tell them that their condition is not their conclusion.
=I see the word courage. – ‘Take Heart! Don’t LOSE Heart! Take Courage! Courage by definition is the ability to face danger, difficulty, uncertainty, or pain without being overcome by fear!
=I know there are some people that can be so spiritual that they don’t need encouraging words from time to time. But, I got to keep this thing real! I don’t know about you... but every now and then I need some words of encouragement! Life for me gets hard too...and sometimes I don’t feel like I can make it; but when a friend, comes by with a few encouraging words it gives me that extra PUSH to go on!
Galatians 6:1-2 “Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.
(2) Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”
=This verse says, “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, (CAUGHT in a worrysome state; CAUGHT in a difficult situation; CAUGHT in discouragement; CAUGHT in rejection and abuse!) you who are spiritual should restore him gently... Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”
I know some of you are saying “Well pastor you are a preacher and you are suppose to be able to do this and to do that. You are anointed and you can handle any and everything.” Well that’s true because Philippians 4:13 “I can do all this through him who gives me strength!”
“I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me, but every now and then I have to go to my island of Patmos and say “Father I stretch my hands to thee, no other help I know!”
*I don’t know about you, but I’m still a work in progress. WE all need to be Encouraged!!
=Now as Paul talks to the crew he tell them to “keep up their courage because not one of you will lose your life.” Paul knew that being on that ship in the storm was a condition, but it was not their conclusion! I can imagine that once Paul made this statement, smiles permeated from man to man.
=Now keep in mind that these men were on this ship in a storm for fourteen days in total darkness. Eating was not on their mind. They were not eating because of the storm and they feared for their lives. That was their condition but it was not their conclusion.
*QUES: Now how can Paul be so cool about the situation & say what he said? The reason Paul was cool about the situation is because he had his CONNECTIONS! If you go back and read in your leisure in chapter 27 verses 23-25, and angel appeared to Paul and reassured him that the crew would be saved, but the ship would be destroyed.
As long as you have your CONNECTION with the messenger, which is the “Holy Spirit,” He will reassure you that your condition is not your conclusion.
**In the STORM... GOD STILL SPEAKS!!!
Point Number Two: “Your Trials Are Just A Test”
Acts 27:23-24 says, “For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.”
Trials are uncomfortable situations that we all prefer not to endure. But if there is no cross there can be no crown! The old cliché says, “No pain no gain.” Your trials are a condition, but it’s not your conclusion.
We as Christians must go through trials and tribulations to build up in Christ.
Trials can do several things for the Christian:
Trials prove that a Christian REALLY TRUST God: God allowed the ship to go through the storm and to be destroyed to SHOW the faith of Paul... and to show the men on board Who He was and What He was!
Trials are used by God to cause men/women to turn to God for salvation: for some of us God had to take us rock bottom to get our attention because of our stubbornness, arrogance, and selfishness.
Trials make a believer stronger so that he/she can stand against even tougher trials in the future: the world needs to see the demonstration of God’s presence and power in our lives because the only way they can see it is in the life of the believers as they go through the trials.
No Pain, No Gain. No Pain, No Gain. No Pain, No Gain!!
(Use the Example Of Lifting Weights.)
You got to go through to get to! You got to go through to get to because when you GET TO you will look back and ask yourself the question, Lord How did I Get Over that?”
You Got Over Because Your Condition Is Not Your Conclusion!!!!
Your Trials and Tribulations Help To Make and Confirm Your Testimony When You Witness!! How Can You Witness About A Storm If You Haven’t Been In One?
Just Be Still And Know That I Am God!! Your CONDITION is not your CONCLUSION!
Romans 5:3-5 “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”
Your tribulations are a condition, but it’s not your conclusion.
CLOSING
Just before I close... I want to share with you about a man. I want to share with you about a man who was in a condition, but He knew it was not his conclusion. This man went though every kind of trial you could possible imagine. He took the bombs of life to show you that you can take the small bullets of life. That man is Jesus Christ.
I know some of you in here right now are going THROUGH THINGS that you don’t understand. That could be true, but I know a man that does understand. His name is Jesus.
He is the one who is able to keep you from falling. He is the one that took that walk to Cavalry and hung on that old rugged cross. It was His condition, but not His conclusion.
He is the one they pierced in the side and water and blood flowed from his side. It was His condition, but not His conclusion.
He is the one that said, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” It was His condition, but not His conclusion.
He is the one that gave up His Spirit on that dark Friday. It was His condition, but not His conclusion.
Satan WANTED this to be Jesus’ CONCLUSION! There were those that just knew that it was the end of Jesus when he died on that old rugged cross. They just knew that when Jesus died His condition was His conclusion.
There were those that just knew it was all over for Jesus Saturday morning. They just knew that it was all over for Jesus and His condition was His conclusion.
There were those that just knew it was all over for Jesus Saturday night. They just knew that His condition was His conclusion.
*But Early Sunday morning before the rooster would crow, that man. I said that man that was laid in that old cold tomb, in a CONDITION of DEATH, would not be His CONCLUSION!
I said that man, dressed in a white robe that have eyes of fire and knew His condition was not His conclusion, got up. He got up early Sunday morning with all power in hands.
-Scientist with all their knowledge cannot explain how Jesus got up from the grave!
-Science with all its formulas cannot explain how Jesus got up from the grave!
-The President of the United States cannot explain how Jesus got up from the grave!
-Fortune Tellers with all of their tarot cards and charms cannot explain how Jesus got up from the grave!
-Buddha with all his candles and beads cannot explain how Jesus got up from the grave!
-Mohammed with all his followers cannot explain how Jesus got up from the grave.
-Confucius with all his knowledge cannot explain how Jesus got up from the grave.
-Nostradomus with the ability to see into the future cannot explain how Jesus got up from the grave.
-The Jehovah’s Witness with all their witnessing cannot explain how Jesus got up from the grave.
**All I know is that the Bible said He got up on the third day and that’s good enough for me. I could care less about the how, I’m so glad that He did. PRAISE GOD!!! PRAISE GOD!!!
**Jesus is our EXAMPLE to live by... to follow! And if His Condition, was not His Conclusion, then Your CONDITION... no matter how painful it is... it is not, and never will be Your Conclusion!
**Here is an ANCHOR for you! Faith! Jesus did it already! Jesus did it for you! Believe it! Speak it...Walk it!!!
=Hebrews 6:19 “This hope that we have (in Christ) is an ANCHOR of the soul, both sure and steadfast...”
Say it with me, Say it to the person next to you, “HOLD ON... because Your Condition is NOT your Conclusion!” AMEN??!
