"Your Condition Is Not Your Conclusion - Part Two”

Introduction:

In life we are faced with difficult situations and challenges. At times it seems as though our situations are the final chapters of our lives. Our jobs pose problems for us or even our health may begin to fail us. It seems as though everything we’ve tried is not working. That condition is not your conclusion.

Point Number One: “Be Of Good Courage”

Life has a way of throwing us a curve ball from time to time. Sometimes we’re left thinking to ourselves, “Lord why me?” There is going to come a time where it seems like everything is going wrong. Am I on somebody’s street? I don’t know about you but sometimes it seems as though I can’t see anything but the darkness of life. I know I’m right. If you haven’t experienced this yet, just keep on living on living and don’t die too soon for as sure as we are here tonight, you will see these times.

In Acts 27:22 says, “But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed.” Paul is offering some words of encouragement to the crew on the ship. He’s trying to tell them that their condition is not their conclusion.

I see the word courage.

Courage by definition is the ability to face danger, difficulty, uncertainty, or pain without being overcome by fear or being deflected from a chosen course of action. (Lion In The Wizard Of Oz Needed Courage.)

I know some folks are so spiritual that they don’t need encouraging words from time to time. I got to keep this thing real. I don’t know about you but every now and then I need some words of encouragement. Life for me gets hard and sometimes I don’t feel like I can make it; but when a friend, comes by with a few encouraging words it gives me that extra zeal to go on.

Galatians 6:1-2 says, “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. 2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”

I know some of you are saying “Well preacher you are a preacher and you are suppose to be able to do this and to do that. You are anointed and you can handle any and everything. Well that’s true because Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me, but every now and then I have to go to my island of Patmos and say “Father I stretch my hands to thee, no other help I know.” Somebody in here knows what I’m talking about.

I don’t know about you, but I’m still a work in progress. I’m still developing in Christ. I have not arrived yet.

Don’t you let any Negro or Negroette try to make you feel less than what you are. Even though we all don’t develop at the same time, we will still end up at the same place. It may be your condition, but it’s not your conclusion.

Now as Paul talks to the crew he tell them to “keep up their courage because not one of you will lose your life.” Paul knew that being on that ship in the storm was a condition, but it was not the conclusion. I can imagine that once Paul made this statement, smiles permeated from man to man.

Now keep in mind that these men were on this ship in a storm for fourteen days in total darkness. Eating was not on their mind. They were not eating because of the storm and they feared for their lives. That was their condition but it was not their conclusion.

Now how can Paul be so cool about the situation a say what he said? The reason Paul was cool about the situation is because he had his hook-up. If you go back and read in your leisure in chapter 27 verses 23-25, and angel appeared to Paul and reassured him that the crew would be saved, but the ship would be destroyed.

As long as you have your hook-up the with the messenger, which is the “Holy Spirit,” He will reassure you that your condition is not your conclusion.

I’m not following you preacher. The Bible says in Matthew 24:13,

“But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.”

And this is the scripture that I like:

1 Corinthians 15:58, “Therefore my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”

The crew on the ship believed Paul because he had already warned them about the stormy seas from the very beginning.