Ship Wrecked And Snake Bite

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.”