Message Refusing to be Shipwrecked by a Shipwreck Ricardo Rick Pina Victory Gospel Experience (VGE), Camp Victory, Iraq Sunday Morning Service, 11:00am (April 19 th, 2009) Introduction: Right now many people are dealing with tough times. The economy has shipwrecked many people s finances. This deployment has shipwrecked many marriages and relationships with their children. Being away from home has shipwrecked many people s peace of mind. There are people struggling on many fronts, in many ways, but there is an Answer! With Christ, we can maintain our Peace in the midst of Storms! We can maintain our INTERNAL, even if our EXTERNAL is going haywire! Background: Paul had an interesting life. He had been taught in the best schools. He had dual-citizenship: being both a Pharisee and a Roman. He persecuted the Church with all his might. He came to God through a supernatural encounter. He was ostracized by the Apostles. He went off by himself to study and prepare for 3 years. Barnabas went and got him to get him involved in ministry. He went on 3 Missionary Journeys and today we will talk about his last journey. This was his 4 th journey his journey to Rome where he would eventually die! Acts 23: Paul was arrested on his 3 rd Missionary Journey, because the religious leadership of the time (the Jews) did not like what he preaching. He was preaching Christ, Him crucified, and the Resurrection! He stood before the Sanhedrin council. The Pharisees and the Sadducees argued about whether or not he was guilty. (Acts 23:10) The dispute became so violent that the commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them. He ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force and bring him into the barracks. (v.11) The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, "Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome." This was a personal encounter between Paul and God. The Lord told Paul that he had an assignment in Rome. No matter what Paul was going to make it to Rome. Key #1 to Surviving A Shipwreck: You MUST have an intimate relationship with the Father. Your relationship with the Father will give birth to Personal Promises! Tailor-made Assignments. You have to spend time with Him and know what He intends for your life! Paul was able to look past all the trials. He was able to look beyond all the challenges. He was able to factor out all the attacks because He knew he had a job to do in Rome! 1
***Understanding your purpose enables you to remain focused! ***Understanding your purpose enables you to maintain your peace! Storyline: In chapter 24 he stood trial before Felix In chapter 25 (after being held as a prisoner for two years) he stood trial before Festus While he was in the trial with Festus the Jews still wanted to kill him. Paul knew he had done nothing wrong and he knew he would not get a fair trial there, so he appealed to Ceasar being a Roman citizen that was his right! (Acts 25:10-11) In chapter 26 he had one more trial, before King Agrippa, who he preached to, and Agrippa found nothing wrong with Paul, but since he had appealed to Ceasar, they had to send him to ROME! (Acts 27:1 NIV) When it was decided that we would sail for Italy, Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to a centurion named Julius, (CPT Julius) who belonged to the Imperial Regiment. (v.2) We boarded a ship from Adramyttium about to sail for ports along the coast of the province of Asia, and we put out to sea. Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, was with us. It s not clear how Luke and Aristarchus were allowed to go with Paul, but they were on the ship with him. Either as friends, passengers, or prisoners, they were on the ship with Paul. This gives Luke a first-hand account of everything that happened. The stage is set! Storyline: (verses 2-8) They sailed to Cyprus, Cilicia, Pamphylia, and then Myra. In Myra they transferred over to ship from Alexandria going to Italy. They sailed to past Cnidus, Crete, Salmone, and they arrived in Fair Havens. (v.9) Much time had been lost, and sailing had already become dangerous because by now it was after the Fast (after the Day of Atonement). So Paul warned them, (v.10) "Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also." (Paul gave them a WARNING!) Key #2 to Surviving A Shipwreck: Trust your Inner-Witness! You are not always going to have a VOICE come down from heaven, but the Holy Spirit will confirm things in your Spirit! The best way to survive a shipwreck is to avoid it altogether! Allow the Holy Spirit to lead you away from mistakes! Revelation from God will trump information every time! Your prayer time should give birth to ideas from God that will give you an advantage in life! (v.11) But the centurion, instead of listening to what Paul said, followed the advice of the pilot and of the owner of the ship. (v.12) Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided that we should sail on, hoping to reach Phoenix and winter there. This was a harbor in Crete, facing both southwest and northwest. 2
Key #3 to Surviving A Shipwreck: Don t get frustrated when you are NOT the decisionmaker! CPT Julius listened to the owner of the ship and the majority! Paul had to protect his heart from getting upset. If you get upset with leadership you will NOT be able to be used of God. Maintain your peace. Other s poison cannot stop your purpose! (v.13) When a gentle south wind began to blow, they thought they had obtained what they wanted; so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete. As believers we walk by FAITH and not by SIGHT! (v.14) Before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called the "northeaster," (Hurricane NORTHEASTER) swept down from the island. (v.18) We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard. (v.19) On the third day, they threw the ship's tackle overboard with their own hands. (v.20) When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved. Even Luke had given up hope. They were on a ship, in the middle of a Hurricane, with little food, no sun in sight, and no sign of a breakthrough! All human hope was Gone! (v.21) After the men had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said: "Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. (v.22) But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. Every believer should have a BUT NOW in his heart! Every believer should speak a BUT NOW out of his mouth! When you walk with God you can look a Hurricane in the face and say BUT NOW! Paul had enough faith for him and for EVERYONE on board! There were 276 people on board (see verse 37). 275 of those people were BLESSED because of Paul! (v.23) Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me (v.24) and said, 'Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.' (v.25) So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. Key #4 to Surviving A Shipwreck: You must have the courage to look beyond the Problem and see the Promise! Living by faith is NOT for cowards! Sometimes all you have is a Word from God! Sometimes all the human evidence is against you. Paul had NO natural indication that what the angel said was true BUT HE HAD A WORD! He had the courage to believe the Word! 3
He had the courage to declare the Word! He had the COURAGE TO TAKE GOD PUBLIC! Key #5 to Surviving A Shipwreck: Believe that God placed you where you are to MAKE a DIFFERENCE! You did not receive those orders my mistake. You were not placed in that office by mistake. God sows you as a SEED, somewhere where HE wants to MAKE a DIFFERENCE! Believe that everyone in your WORKPLACE is BLESSED because you are there! Believe that everyone in your FAMILY is BLESSED because you are there! Believe that everyone in this CHURCH is BLESSED because you are here! There are people here that are hurting and THEY NEED YOU! Declare: Lord, I make a Difference everywhere You Plant me! (v.26) Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island." Key #6 to Surviving A Shipwreck: Maintain an Over-Comer Mentality! For you to be an Over-Comer, there must be something for you to COME OVER! Paul knew that they still had to endure a shipwreck! The only thing keeping them alive in the middle of the Hurricane NORTHEASTER was the ship and Paul declared that the SHIP was going be destroyed! Life Questions: What do you do when everything around you is falling apart? What do you do when your money is failing? When your marriage is failing? When your health is failing? When your children are wayward? When what you were trusting in is falling apart all around you? Answer: As a believer, the only way you can lose is if you QUIT! An overcome has a NO QUIT mentality! I am a NO QUIT preacher! I would be lying if I told you that everything was going to be easy. But if you stick with God, it will be worth it! (v.34) Now I urge you to take some food. You need it to survive. Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head." (v.35) After he said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat. (v.36) They were all encouraged and ate some food themselves. Key #7 to Surviving A Shipwreck: Prepare for the Battle no BOTH FRONTS! You and I are fighting a battle on two fronts: NATURAL and SPIRITUAL! Paul had spent time with the Father. He had a Word from God. He had spent quality time in prayer. But he also knew that he needed physical food! Don t be SO SPIRITUAL that you become NO EARTHLY GOOD! 4
If you want your finances to survive the economy: Spiritually: Tithe. Give offering. Pray, and seek divine wisdom concerning financial management. Naturally: You might need to cut back on your spending. You might need to make some adjustments. If you want your marriage to survive the deployment: Spiritually: Pray over your spouse. Fast. Believe God to grow closer while you are apart. Trust God for an triple-strand cord that is NOT easily broken. Naturally: Call your spouse regularly. Send her flowers. Give her a break. Send her on a minivacation. If you want your children to survive the time you are apart: Spiritually: Pray over them daily. Command blessings. Speak life over them. Command a hedge of protection. Naturally: Call them regularly. Email them. Skype with them. Send them a recording from the reading program. Show them that you care! Closing: You must refuse to be shipwrecked by a shipwreck. Don t allow your external to dictate your internal! Fight the fight of faith and you will SURVIVE every SHIPWRECK! 5