I Believe God
Acts 27: 19-26
Have you ever heard someone say, “It does not matter what I believe it will not make any difference to anyone else?” Or have you ever heard some one say “it doesn’t make any difference what I believe as long as I believe something?” Both of those statements are dead wrong! What you believe does make a difference to others and it does make a difference to you.
Billy Bob goes to a diner for breakfast, buys a coffee a sits down to drink it. He looks on the side of his cup & finds a peel off prize. He pulls off the tab & yells, "I WON! I WON! I WON a motor home, I WON a motor home!"
The waitress looks to the owner wide-eyed, knowing that the biggest prize given away is a bicycle. They both approach Billy Bob with the problem saying, "You couldn’t possibly have won a motor home because we don’t offer that as a prize!"
Billy Bob replies, "Nope, no mistake, I WON a motor home, I WON a motor home!" Looky here...& hands the prize ticket to the manager which reads, "WIN A BAGEL."
You may believe that you have won a Winnebago motor home but all you end up with is a BAGEL
As a matter of fact, what a man believes has profound and widespread social consequence. It affects the lives of all he comes in contact with. It inspires or depresses them. And all this is more beautifully illustrated in the story of the shipwreck of Paul than perhaps in any other piece of Scripture. Acts 27:19-26
Act 27:21-26 Since many were going without food, Paul stood up among them and said, "You men should have followed my advice not to sail from Crete and sustain this damage and loss.
Now I urge you to take courage, because there will be no loss of any of your lives, but only of the ship.
For this night an angel of the God I belong to and serve stood by me,
saying, ’Don’t be afraid, Paul. You must stand before Caesar. And, look! God has graciously given you all those who are sailing with you.’
Therefore, take courage, men, because I believe God that it will be just the way it was told to me.
However, we must run aground on a certain island."
I. Paul’s belief made him useful on that ship.
A. A brief word of the details leading up to the ship wreck.
1. The reason Paul was on the ship
2. Paul warned them not to sail
3. The storm came up and lasted for 14 days
4. In the middle of the storm Paul said I told you so.
5. An angel stood by Paul and told him no lives would be lost only the ship.
B. Paul said I believe God and what he says will happen
1. There were a total of 276 on board
2. Imagine the feeling on board
3. The ship was about to sink
4. It was dark, no sun, moon, or stars to give them their position
5. They had not eaten for 14 days.
6. By this time the morale on board was pretty low.
7. In fact some men tried to leave the ship on the pretense of getting in a life boat and putting out anchors.
II. What Paul believed was an example to every man on that ship
A. It does make a difference to others what you believe.
1. Look at the life of Jesus. His faith in God caused him to work miracles on the homeless, the helpless and the hopeless. He healed the sick, gave courage to the weak, fed the hungry and raised the dead, all because of His perfect unwavering faith.
2. Note the faith of the apostle brought new hope to every one on board
One moment there was not a star in all their sky. They were drifting on to certain death. The best of them would be crying to their gods; the worst would fall to cursing and blaspheming. And then, like the first faint flushing of the dawn, hope came stealing into every heart because there was one on board who believed God. Things were just as dark as they had been before. There was no cessation of the raging storm. They were still drifting on to an iron shore, their ship the sport and plaything of the elements. But one man believed God and because of that was radiant and serene, and it brought hope into the heart of everybody.
B. Does it not matter what you believe.
1. If you do not have faith in God that lack of faith will affect others
2. You will influence them not to have faith.
3. Your faith in God will be contagious to those around you.
A Georgia farmer, ragged and barefooted, was standing on the steps of his tumbledown shack. A stranger stopped for a drink of water. "How is your cotton coming along?" he asked. "Ain’t got none," replied the farmer. "Did you plant any?" asked the stranger. "Nope," was the reply, "afraid of bollweevils."
"Well," continued the stranger, "how is your corn?" "Didn’t plant none," came the answer, "’fraid there weren’t gonna to be no rain."
The visitor persevered: "Well, how are your potatoes?" "Ain’t got none. Scairt of potato bugs."
"Really, what did you plant?" pressed the stranger. "Nothin’," was the calm reply, "I jest played safe."
That’s how some Christians act out their faith and beliefs. We dare not plant any seeds of faith because some might fall on stony ground or on shallow ground or among weeds, we just want to play it safe.
Paul’s faith caused him to be a witness caused him to heal the sick, & cast out demons. It also caused him to write many letters teaching people not only how to be saved but also how to live.
III. Faith radiates an atmosphere of hope.
A. Paul said take courage I believe God.
1. God had told Paul that only the ship would be lost and no one would die
2. I believe God. It will be as He says
3. Fear not.
B. Paul’s faith had a calming affect.
1. A strong faith in the presence of danger will have a calming affect.
2. When the world is coming apart and every one around is in panic, Look at the people of faith and find hope radiating from them.
B. How do you react in threatening and dangerous way?
1. Do you panic?
2. Or do you radiate calm because your faith in the Living One? Be strong and quiet when others cry in terror. And in mysterious ways we cannot trace, hope will dawn upon the hearts of men.
IV. Paul’s faith brought good cheer.
A. Paul not only gave hope he also gave the blessing of good cheer.
1. I believe that Paul was smiling when he said be of good cheer.
2. How could he not smile? He believed God!
3. When others were terror-stricken and beside themselves, he could give thanks and quietly take his breakfast. And men, seeing it, forgot their fears and picked up heart again and became cheerful— and all because one person believed God.
B. The one thing that will make you strong in the midst of the storm is you faith in God.
1. The question is, How do I get faith?
2. I am glad you asked.
Imagine for a moment that salvation came in a box you could see and touch. On the outside of this box are written the words: GRACE, SALVATION, GOSPEL. Each word describes what the box contains.
There is no price on the box, for it is more costly than all the money in the world... it’s not for sale. You can’t earn it, no amount of good works and church attendance can gain this box. You can’t make your own, the material required doesn’t exist here. The only way to get it is to ask, to acknowledge that salvation comes only through faith in Christ.
As you open this box you find on top a hand-written card, it reads: To you, from Jesus. The first thing you find in the box is a receipt titled SIN, but every entry is blotted out and over the list is stamped the words PAID IN FULL. Beneath that is an invitation to enter always and often into the presence of God, it too has been signed personally by Jesus. Beneath that is a certificate with a seal upon it stating that you have been indwelt by the Holy Spirt and that a work is in progress to make you like Jesus. Below that is a framed guarentee that your name is written in the Book of Life and that you have eternal life, carefully wedged in the corner of the frame is a ticket with your name on it, confirming your reservation in heaven.
At the very bottom of the box is a shining box wrapped carefully with a bow, attached is a card that reads: (Your name). A special gift chosen specifically for you and bought at great expense. For you to use until you get here - with love, Jesus.
This is the box of salvation. If you have received salvation all of these things are already yours, but I wonder...
I’m sure that many of us have our eternal life certificate displayed on the wall for all to see, our heaven ticket is carefully tucked into our pocket and we frequently use our invitation to enter into the Lord’s presence. But where is our gift? For many of us it is lying un-opened and un-used in the closet.
How it must grieve our Lord to see such a gift neglected. Why don’t you look into that box and see what it holds. For within you will find purpose, pleasure, fulfillment and joy. For Jesus sake, for your sake, for our sake - open your gift and begin to use it, that’s what it was given for.
