Stay In The Ship

“Stay in the Ship”

Acts 27:9-11, ,31,-44

Introduction:

A few months ago my brother-in law invited me on a deep sea fishing trip along with some of his co- workers. At 4 o’clock that morning we met with his co-workers for breakfast at a local Mexican restaurant before meeting the boat that would take us 4 hours out into the ocean. People started ordering their breakfast, steak, sausage, refried beans, tortillas, egg omelets, etc. I thought to myself these people are crazy, in a few hours I expected to see this entire Mexican restaurant menu on board our ship. Needless to say I was right, a few hours out we ran into turbulence and the ship was tossed from side to side. People ( myself included ) got sick and began to regurgitate. There was only one restroom on board so you can imagine what took place. Several men in our fishing party became so sick that they voiced a need to go back to shore or just be thrown overboard.

SOME BIBILICAL CHARACTERS WHO JUMPED SHIP:

PRODIGAL SON- JOHN MARK – LOT’S WIFE – PETER –ORPAH -

1.Storms will come

BEING A CHILD OF GOD DOES NOT EXEMPT US FROM TROULBE, STORMS WILL COME IN OUR LIVES…THERE ARE TWO KINDS OF STORMS, STORMS OF PERFECTION AND STORMS OF CORRECTIONS. JONAH’S STORM WAS ONE OF CORRECTION..JONAH HAD A BAD ATTITUDE..HE DID NOT WANT THE PEOPLE OF NIVEH TO BE SAVED………………..

JOB’S STORM WAS ONE OF PERFECTION…JOB HAD A PROBLEM WITH SELF RIGHTEOUNESS…..GOD FINALLY TOLD HIM….”WHERE WERE YOU WHEN I PLACE THE MON, SUN, STARS IN THE GALAXY?

‘TRIALS COME TO MAKE US STRONG………..TRIALS COME TO INCREASE OUR FAITH…TRIALS WILL BUILD OUR CHARACTER…..TRIALS BUILDS OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD……TRIALS WILL CAUSE US TO HATE SIN…..

PEOPLE LOOK FOR REASONS TO JUMP SHIP..WAYS TO ELIMINATE ACCOUNTABILTY. THE MINUTE TROUBLE COMES, OR THINGS DON’T GO OUR WAY..WE WANT TO PICK UP OUR MARBLES AND GO HOME. THE REASON THERE ARE SO MANY DIVORCES, PEOPLE WANT TO LEAVE A MARRIAGE AT THE FIRST SIGN OF TROUBLE.

IF WE ARE IN A LEADERSHIP ROLE IN CHURCH THE FIRST TIME WE RUN INTO OPPOSITION WE ARE READY TO GIVE UP.

THE CONDITIONS IN LIFE SOMETIMES BECOME OVERWHELMING AND IT SEEMS MORE THAN WE CAN ENDURE.

HAVE YOU EVER HAD TO WAIT ON A TRAIN…ALL YOU COULD SEE WAS ONE CABOOSE AT A TIME…YOU COULD NOT SEE THE ENGINE AND THE CABOOSE AT THE SAME TIME…GOD CAN SEE THE ENGINE AND THE CABOOSE ..HE KNOWS WHAT THE END WILL BE…WE CAN ONLY DEAL WITH THE “NOW”

PAUL IS ABOARD A SHIP THAT IS SAILING WEST WITH OTHER PRISONERS…THERE IS A TOTAL OF 276 SOULS ON THIS SHIP . .NORMALLY FROM SPETEMBER 14 THRU NOVBMBER 11 ALL SAILING IS DISCONTINUED BECAUSE OF THE DANGER INVOLED IN THESE WATERS…THERE ARE MEN WHO HAVE NAUTICAL EXPERIENCE, THEY CAN LOOK AT THE SKY, THE ELEMENTS OF THE WEATHER AND THE WATER TO DETERMINE SAILING CONDITIONS…..ALTHOUGH PAUL TOLD THEM IN VERSE 10 “ SIRS, I PRECEIVE THAT THIS VOYAGE WILL BE WITH HURT AND MUCH DAMAGE, NOT ONLY OF THE LADING AND SHIP, BUT ALSO OUR LIVES”. REMBER PAUL HAD ALREADY BEEN SHIP WRECKED 3 DIFFERENT TIMES….DON’T IGNORE THE WARNING FROM GOD’S ANNOITED… HEBREWS 13 TELL US “OBEY THEM THAT HAVE RULE OVER YOU AND SUBMIT YOURSELVES; FOR THEY WATCH FOR YOUR SOUL”

YET THEY SET OUT TO SAIL…..AND ONE OF THE MOST VICIOUS STORMS EVER RECORED IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN…THE SHIP IS BLOWN FAR OUT TO SEA, COMPLETELY OUT OF CONTROL/…JUST WHEN MAN THINKS HE IS IN CONTROL…GOD STEPS IN,,,,

,WHEN THE TITANTIC WAS BUILT, THERE WAS ONE MAN WHO HAD A HAND IN BUILDING THIS GREAT SHIP …A FOOL WHO STOOD ON THE WALL…LOOKED UP TOWARD HEAVEN AND SAID “EVEN GOD CANNOT SINK THIS SHIP…YOU KNOW THE REST OF THE STORY…MAN EXTREMERITY IS GOD’S OPPORTUNITY.

2. Safety in the SHIP

Sometimes we carry to much baggage

AFTER 14 DAYS OF BEING IN THE STORM..LUKE TELLS US IN VERSE 20 SUDDENDLY, THE FEARLESS APOSTLE OF GOD APPEARS..( ITS AMAZING WHAT CAN HAPPEN IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD’S ANNOINTED..THERE IS SAFETY IN THE SHIP WHEN THE MAN OF GOD IS ON BOARD…EVEN THOUGH THE BUILDING, THIS SANCTUARY IS SACRED…SET ASIDE AS THE PLACE WHERE GOD PROMISED TO MEET US, STOORMS WILL COME TO THIS CHURCH ……….YET THE PASTOR’S PRESENCE MAKES IT A PLACE OF REFUGE….WHEN PASTOR SHEPHERD WALKS IN THE ROOM..THE ANGELS IN HEAVEN TAKE NOTE…THERE IS A PROTECTIVE SHEILD THAT GOES UP AROUND THIS PLACE…SATAN AND HIS ENIMES CAN ATTACK, BUT THE MAN OF GOD KNOWS HOW TO GET GOD’S ATTENTION THE MEN ON THE SHIP DIDN’T KNOW WHO PAUL WAS….SOME OF YOU LOOKING AT ME RIGHT NOW DON’T KNOW WHO PASTOR SHEPHERD IS……SATAN CAN BRING ABOUT CONFUSION, SATAN CAN CREATE HAVOC IN THE CHURCH, SATAN CAN CAUSE FOLK TO LIE, BACK BITE SATAN CAN CAUSE PEOPLE FROM TITHING AND SUPPORTING THE CHURCH..SATAN…TRY TO RUN THE PASTOR DOWN ..TRY TO DESTROY CONFIDENCE IN THE MEMBERS…TRY TO BREAK UP FAMILIES AND HOMES NOT ONLY THAT BUT SATAN CAN BRING STORMS IN YOUR LIFE AND MAKE YOU THINK YOU ARE NOTHINGH NOW AND YOU WERE NEVER NOTHING …BUT I STOPPED BY THIS MORNING TO TELL YOU LIKE JESUS TOLD PETER UP ON THIS ROCK OUR WILL BUILD MY CHURCH AND THE GATES OF HELL CANNOT PREVAIL AGAINST IT…