ACTS 27:21-32 "STAY IN THE SHIP!"
A) In the context of this Scripture, we see a picture of man’s way vs. God’s way to save men!
* Fourteen life threatening days had passed since the ship had left The Fair Havens.
* It was midnight and the sailors had no idea where they were, but they sensed they were close to
some land. * In sounding the depth, they discovered they were being driven toward shore.
* They were terrified, for the likelihood was that they were going to crash upon a rocky shore!
* Quickly, they dropped anchor, awaiting day break and hoping for the best.
B) What happened next is very graphic! * The sailors plotted an escape!
* They were ignoring the Word and promise of God entirely!
* Paul discovered the plot and proclaimed that God’s way for saving everyone had to be followed
if anyone wished to be saved! * v.31 "Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved."
* We need to get people in the ship and keep them in the ship!
* In the ship, they are safe ... But out of the ship, they will perish!
C) Here me this morning ... Get in the ship and STAY IN THE SHIP!!!
* Let me give you about six ships that we need to get into and stay!
* Stay in the ship, you’re safe ... Get out of the ship, you’ll perish!
(1) RELATIONSHIP! * "A connection, the condition of belonging to the same family."
* Being a Christian is all about being in a relationship, being in the same family!
A) John 1:12 "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become ......."
* The most important thing a person can know is that they have a right relationship with God!
* One of the most saddest verses in the Bible is found in the preceding verse ... v.11!
* "He came unto his own, and his own received him not."
* There might have been some excuse for the world’s rejection of God’s Son, because the world
was in ignorance and spiritual darkness!
B) But Israel should have recognized Him! * They searched the Scriptures, they knew the law!
* They had the books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Zechariah, Psalms ... But they were blinded by unbelief!
* An unbelief in which there was absolutely no excuse!
* Therefore, when their Messiah came, instead of opening their arms to welcome Him, they took
up stones to stone Him! * They drove Him from their cities .......
* They tempted to banish Him from the earth which was created by Him and for Him!
* They insulted Him, they accused Him, they even called Him an impostor!
C) What did Jesus do when His people rejected Him? * Did He turn His wrath upon them?
* Did He turn them over to Satan to be forever damned in the Lake of Fire?
* Did He say to His Father, "Destroy them, send down fire upon Israel?" * No!
* Thank God for these words in v.12, "But as many as received him, to them gave he power ......."
* Not everyone rejected Him ... Most did ... But a few received Him!
D) That word "received" means: To take ... To get hold of!
* I’m glad for the day that I received Jesus as my Messiah, my Savior, my Lord!
* The reason these people rejected Him, and the same reason they do today is because their
relationship is with someone else!
* John 8:44 "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do."
* You either have a relationship with God, or you have a relationship with the devil!
* Hear me ... The only thing that will matter when you are laying on your deathbed, and you are
about to cross over into eternity, is your relationship with Jesus Christ!
* So, get in this relationship ... And stay in it!
* In the ship, you are safe ... Out of the ship, you will perish!
(2) MEMBERSHIP! * First we get into relationship with God through the blood of Jesus Christ!
* Then we need to place our membership in a good Bible believing, Bible preaching, Bible
practicing church! * Let me recommend Faith FWB Church to you this morning!
A) Heb.10:25 "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner ......."
* Forsaking - To desert, to leave behind ... And many are doing just that!
* I cannot understand why people do not attend church more faithfully now a days!
* Listen to me ... You need the church in your life ... You need the strength of the church!
* I don’t see how folk are making it when they don’t come to church like they ought to!
B) The church is the place where you go when you need spiritual help!
* You don’t go to a shoe salesman if you have a toothache!
* You don’t go to an auto mechanic if you have a bad heart!
* Astrology is not God’s means of spiritual direction for your life!
* Psychics are not God’s means of spiritual direction for your life!
* The church is where God sends, directs, and ministers to people today!
C) We need to realign our priorities! * We need to realize how important the church really is!
* The church is your lifeline ... Your umbilical cord to the throne of God!
* You need the church and the church needs you!
* Parable: Going to church is like taking a trip to Europe, which is your final destination!
* You can choose how to get there ... By boat or by swimming!
* The swimming can be long and hard, and chances are, you wont make it!
* You got a better chance to get there by boat!
D) Now, let’s compare that with going to church!
* You can choose which way you are going to make heaven your final destination!
* You can try by swimming (another way besides a boat), or ... You can take the boat (Church)!
* Chances are you wont make it if you don’t go by the boat ... The church!
* So, get into this membership and stay in it!
* Beside ... It’s about accountability ... We can keep up with you being on our membership roll!
* In the ship, you are safe ... Out of the ship, you will perish!
(3) STEWARDSHIP! * Put God first and give Him what is His! * 1 Cor.16:1-2 .......
* By the way ... You don’t give the tithe, you return it back to God ... It belongs to Him!
A) There is a cartoon that shows four frames! * In the first frame a man looks at a new car!
* The salesman says, "10% down and low, low payments for 48 months."
* The man asks, "Where do I sign?"
* In the second frame, the same man looks at a refrigerator!
* The salesman says, "Nothing down, no interest for 12 months."
* Again the man asks, "Where do I sign?"
* Third frame, same man, this time looking a new home!
* The salesman says, "10% down and 30 years to pay."
* For the third time the man asks, "Where do I sign?"
B) Fourth frame, same man, this time talking to his pastor! * The pastor says .......
* "Would you please sign this commitment card to give God 10% for the next year?"
* The man in horror replies, "What? Tie myself down for 52 weeks? No sir, the future is too
insecure. I won’t make a commitment I may not be able to keep!"
* Isn’t it funny, that the only people who don’t like the pastor preaching on giving are the people
who don’t and wont give!
* 1 Cor.4:2 "Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful."
C) Stewards ... Greek means ... An overseer or a household manager!
* How many of you will agree with me that, we as Christians, all are God’s stewards?
* Did you hear this Scripture? * Required - Demanded, ordered, commanded, to put under an
obligation ... The Greek word means ... To worship God!
* Faithful - Trustworthy, trustful! * Can God trust you? * Get into this stewardship and stay in it!
* In the ship, you are safe ... Out of the ship, you will perish!
(4) DISCIPLESHIP! * A disciple means a learner and a follower of Jesus!
* It carries the idea of becoming like Jesus! * That’s my heart’s desire!
A) It’s not enough just to simply say, "I’m on my way to heaven!"
* The issue is, are you becoming like the One Who is taking you to Heaven? * That’s discipleship!
* We also get our word discipline from the word disciple! * A Christian life is a life of discipline!
* I am constantly disciplining myself to be more like Christ!
* I have to discipline myself to pray, read my Bible, come to church, to do what is right!
B) There is another meaning of the word disciple ... It means to make disciples!
* That is what Christ has called us to do in Matt.28:19-20 "Go ye therefore, and teach all ......."
* Jesus is simply telling us to go and win others to Christ and make disciples out of them!
* So get into this discipleship and stay in it!
* In the ship, you are safe ... Out of the ship, you will perish!
(5) FELLOWSHIP! * 1 John 1:7 "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have ......."
* Let me make one thing clear here ... You can’t have fellowship if you’re not walking in the light!
A) To walk in the light is to lead a life of purity and holiness!
* It means looking to Jesus and allowing Him to direct our steps into paths of right living!
* You cannot fellowship with God and walk in darkness!
* The truth of the matter is, man must walk in the light if he is to fellowship with God!
* And if we walk in the light, then we have fellowship with Christ and with God and with all other
believers! * All true believers belong to God’s family and to the same church!
* Fellowship - Partnership, companionship, a group of people having the same tastes and interests!
B) We love the same God, we embrace the same truth of God’s Word!
* We are living for the same Savior, and we are stewards for the same Lord!
* All truly born again people can fellowship regardless of denomination!
* We may not see eye to eye on everything, but true believers can agree and disagree and still love
each other and fellowship to the glory of God and for the sake of lost souls!
* An individual who cannot fellowship with other Christians is a Pharisee!
* So get into this fellowship and stay there!
* In the ship, you are safe ... Out of the ship, you will perish!
(6) WORSHIP! * John 4:24 "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship ......."
* Worship - Strong’s Con. Greek [4352] - To kiss, like a dog licking his master’s hand, prostrate
oneself in homage, do reverence to, adore! * Prostrate - To lay down flat with face down!
* Dictionary says that worship means: To pay great honor and respect, reverence, great love and
admiration, adoration! * That is what worship is all about ... Honoring and reverencing God!
A) True worship proceeds from the heart, and only from a regenerated heart!
* God has to be approached in the right and true way! * Not half-heartily!
* Remember what Jesus said to the Pharisees in Matt.15:8-9, "This people draweth nigh unto me
with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."
B) God deserves our worship and our praise, and all honor should be bestowed on Him!
* I’m telling you ... You can’t worship God too much, but you can too little!
* Someone said worship is worth-ship! * So, get in this worship and stay in it!
* In the ship, you are safe ... Out of the ship, you will perish!
CLOSE
A) Story of a cruise ... An alarm was sounded ... Loud speaker, "Man overboard!"
* All the passengers had to come up on the main deck for roll call to see who was missing!
* Everyone was accounted for except for one man! * His wife was in tears and in panic!
* What a horror to think her husband was not in the ship!
B) After a few minutes, here he come up the steps!
* He had been downstairs watching a movie with earphones on and didn’t hear the announcement!
* His wife and friends were so happy when they realized he was in the ship!
* In the ship, you are safe ... Out of the ship, you will perish!
C) The Old Ship Of Zion ... I don’t want no trouble at the river! * Are you in the ship?
