Ship wrecked and Snake bite
Acts 28
Good morning everyone, glad that you have joined us.
If you would turn to Acts chapter 28, we are going to pick up the account recorded of Paul in a ship wreck and Paul’s testimony of what a person looks like that has the anointing and blessing of God in their life, even though they are going through some tough and dangerous things.
We have all have experienced ship wrecks in our life and we have all wondered what will happen after the ship wreck.
Ship wrecked defined is when everything seems to be going good and all of a sudden without warning a major setback or event happens and changes the course of your life.
For some of us, we are in the ship wreck right now and we are floating on a piece of the ship and wondering what God will do to help us get to safety.
How God could possible put the pieces back together and bring us security and peace back into our lives.
For some, we have been there and God reminds us of His past goodness and mercy and we will be prompted to share that goodness as a testimony to help and encourage someone else.
Prayer- Father I pray that as we look at your word that we will be encouraged that nothing goes unnoticed by you. You are involved in our lives at every level. I pray that you would reveal yourself to us and we would learn and see the lessons that you have for us andthat we in turn would be a blessing to those we come in contact with in our lives.
Acts 27- The storm- (1) “When the gentle south wind began to blow… that is how most scary movies begin. You can almost hear eerie music (jaws theme) in the background setting this up to jump out and scare each of us. They thought they had obtained what they wanted; so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete. The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along. (17) “When the men hoisted it aboard, they passed ropes under the ship itself to hold it together. Fearing they would run aground on the sandbar of Syritis, they lowered the sea anchor and let the ship be driven along. We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard. On the third day, they threw the ships tackle overboard with their own hands. When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved.”
Anyone relate?
Can I say this…don’t give up because something looks dark because we serve a big and compassionate God who cares for us.
Most times things are going along fine and the gentle breeze is blowing and suddenly we find ourselves in the storms of our lives. Bam! Next thing you know, you are in a battle.
We do what we know to do and when we find that doesn’t work, we in time begin to panic and do things that don’t always come easy or make sense.
EVERYONE KNOWS IN THE SCARY MOVIE YOU DON’T GO UP THOSE STAIRS. YOU DON’T OPEN THAT DOOR. YOU DON’T GO WITH THAT PERSON. SCARY MOVIE SYNDOM.
We brace for impact! In their limited ways, they tied ropes around the ship in an attempt to keep the ship from falling apart.
They tried to secure the life boats for when they could use them to escape the ship that was breaking up.
When the storm appeared bad and they did not know what to do with it, after attempts to secure their precious cargo, they realized that the cargo they thought was important was not so important that they would lose their life over it and began to throw it over board.
Sometimes, we have to be in a storm to realize that the cargo is not the most important thing in our lives… that our life has value without stuff.
They threw the cargo off to lighten the load and they threw the things that weighed them down in the storm.
(19) On the third day, they threw the tackle overboard.
The tackle was the necessities. They threw food, they threw extra clothes… they threw anything that wasn’t needed for the moment.
Without reading several more chapters this morning, we find that Paul and the crew had decisions to make before the journey that affected the outcome of the journey.
Paul was a prisoner- 27:1- “Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to a centurion named Julius, who belonged to the imperial Regiment.”
Paul was a prisoner on his way to be put in jail in the ports of Asia. The winds were not with them and they sailed off course and did not get to their destination.
The winds and ways were changing and Paul had told the centurion that if they continued that they could face bad weather and bad winds and it would cause the ship to be thrown up against the rocks of the coast and be destroyed.
The centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy and put the prisoners on board.
Julius the centurion thought he knew better than the experienced Paul of the seas and just what Paul had said would happen did happen and they were in trouble.
According to navigational practice of the time, sailing was considered doubtful and dangerous after September and impossible after November.
Remember they had no nautical equipment like today and they were on a ship owned by a contractor that was looking just to make quick money and not the safety of the people that would be on board.
The owner of the ship said to the centurion, you can’t stay here, this is a little port that has no supplies and the things that you will need to be docked for several months until the weather gets better to travel.
There is a bigger port down the coast that has everything you will need if you will only do what doesn’t make sense and go the distance to get there.
So the centurion rejected the advice of Paul and took the advice of the owner of the ship and they sailed for what appeared to be the bigger and better port.
Bigger and better is not always the best decision
In our quest to get what we want, sometimes we do not listen to godly and experienced advice and play Russian roulette with our lives.
The question is do we take the experienced godly advice of Paul or the advice of a sea captain that was only wanting to make a buck on the trip and was not concerned for the people on the journey.
Question to ask ourselves sometimes is… Do you ever get so busy and self consumed that you forget about other people who have challenges and needs?
Do you want something so bad that you would not consider godly advice when it is given to you?
The church is a spiritual family that cares for one another and looks to keep each other from the shipwrecks we can avoid. Not all shipwrecks are avoidable.
Some things happen to us by other people and we have no say in the matter. Some we can avoid by making good choices and listening to good godly advice when given to us.
Hebrews 10:24- “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and good works.”
The local church is to be a place of worship and a place to hear the word of God, but it is also a place for each one of us to be involved in other people’s lives and keep them and us from being ship wrecked by the things we are going through.
It is a picture of a loving community of believers concerned for each other’s welfare.
Not only consider, but the bible says to provoke one another unto love and good works. The word provoke is the Greek word Paraxusmos. (para-x-mos) Para- alongside and xusmos (x-mos) meaning to sharpen something.
We are to come alongside each other for the purpose of prodding that person to do something.
Provoking others in a positive way- to stimulate in a way that they want to walk in love and do good works.
That we sharpen and inspire each other who would be in need.
Rick Renner paraphrases this verse- “And constantly be observing one another, seriously contemplating, studying, and examining each other, until you know exactly how to incite and stimulate each other to love and good works.”
We are to get involved not just for our own benefit but to be a benefit to others as well.
WE NEED PEOPLE TO LOVE US AND SUPPORT US WHEN WE ARE STRUGGLING OR STANDING ON A WORD FROM GOD. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, OTHERS NEED OUR ASSISTANCE TOO.
I want you to see the actions of Paul in the midst of the ship wreck and the testimony that he had to share with those who were watching him to see what he would do.
Dr. David Jeremiah says… “When things are good people are listening to you, when they are bad, they are watching you.”
Paul gave warning to Julius the centurion and he told them that if they continued the course they were taking that they would face consequences. He was also given a word from the Lord that he had to act upon and the people aboard the ship had to respond too to get out of the disaster with their lives.
28:42- “The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners to prevent any of them from swimming away and escaping. 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. The rest were to get there on planks or pieces of the ship. In this way everyone reached land in safety.”
So Paul and the crew are spared and float and swim to the island. They are well received and in a fire Paul gets bite by a venomous snake.
Which brings us to the second point he wants us to see-
Every attack by the enemy is an opportunity to share Christ and bring revival to a world that needs it.
Paul’s story is simply remarkable! What he had to go through to spread the gospel to the Gentiles was out of the ordinary.
Traveling by sea was perilous and risky. We see that even after he gets on land that the Lord is not through using him for his glory.
Once marooned on the island of Melita, Paul works with the other crew members to collect fire wood for a fire. A venomous snake was hidden in the sticks that he was carrying to lay on the fire. When he dropped the wood to go into the fire, the snake charged out of the pile of wood and bit Paul on the hand.
Acts 28:3- “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 to his hand.”
Viper in the Greek is the word echida- highly venomous snake. Fastened to his hand- fastened is the Greek word kathapto – tightly fasten, deeply bit, and introduced poisonous venom into the body. THE SNAKE PUT ALL OF HIS VENOM INTO PAUL’S HAND.
(4) “And when the barbarians saw the venomous snake on his hand, they said to themselves, no doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance will kill him.”
Paul shakes the snake off- (5) “and he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm.”
Paul shook the snake off his hand and felt no harm from the venom
When the barbarians crowd saw that Paul did not die, they though he was a god. In short time. Paul was able to bring the island to revival. Publius, the chief was so impressed that he took Paul into his home for three days. Paul laid hands on Publius father who was sick of fever.
Acts 28. He was healed… they were so grateful they gave him everything he needed to complete his journey.
Paul had a chance to share Christ and he took advantage of it- he could have had a pity party but instead used what he went through for Christ honor and glory.
Renner says…Make the devil sorry he ever sent a venomous snake!
Closing-
I come back to the quote of Dr Jeremiah, when things are good they are listening to you, when they are bad they are watching you…who’s watching your life and what are they seeing?
Dead man walking/ Jeremy Camp
Lyrics
Freedom was something I never found
Trying to find six feet underground
Under the weight of all of my sin
Fighting the fight that I couldn't win
Then You rescued me
And now I can breathe
I was a dead man walking
Until I was a man walking with you
I was a blind man falling
Until I felt the life you're calling me to
Pulling me out of the darkness and
Pulling me out of the lies
Putting the beat in my heart again
I was a dead man walking
Until you loved this dead man walking back to life
Close as lead by the Lord.
