Acts 27:40-44- And when they had taken up the anchors, they committed themselves unto the sea, and loosed the rudder bands, and hoised up the mainsail to the wind, and made toward shore.
41 And falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the forepart stuck fast, and remained unmoveable, but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves.
42 And the soldiers’ counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape.
43 But the centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from their purpose; and commanded that they which could swim should cast themselves first into the sea, and get to land:
44 And the rest, some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land.
*notice the…
A. Storm! -v. 20: And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away.
B. Ship!
*and it’s…
-Construction!
-Captain!
-Cargo! (People not possessions)
Note: -v. 18-19: And we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest, the next day they lightened the ship;
19 And the third day we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship.
*in the storm they lightened the ship. Some things that people trust in really don’t matter in a storm or even once we get home!
C. Shore! -ch. 28:1- And when they were escaped, then they knew that the island was called Melita.
*Melita = honey (We’re headed to the land flowing with milk & honey!)
Getting Others to Shore!
*to do so, one must…
1. become Broken! -v. 44: And the rest, some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land. (broken pieces)
2. Believe! -v. 25: Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.
3. Be!
*be…
-Steadfast (focused, faithful, fervent)
-Supportive (encouraging)
-Sympathetic -v. 33: And while the day was coming on, Paul besought them all to take meat, saying, This day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried and continued fasting, having taken nothing.
-Spiritual -v. 34-35: Wherefore I pray you to take some meat: for this is for your health: for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you.
35 And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to God in presence of them all: and when he had broken it, he began to eat.
As believers, our whole quest should be to Glorify God and get others to the shore! Don’t hesitate to throw someone a lifeline today! –Pastor Doug Foster
Comments