As The Ship Sinks, Tell Me What To Do

Carter Conlon from the historic Times Square Church in New York City. Many times throughout American younger congregations don't take this journey the journey of self-indulgence. This journey of crafting a course ahead of you and not listening to the voice of God.

Welcome to a call to the nation with Carter, in acts chapter 27. We find all other prisoners sailing on a ship headed for Rome.

Paul warns the ships occupants not to take this trip because it will result in damage and weight loss and as we'll see in today's lesson. Carter has the same dire warning for the direction of America don't continue on this journey.

Let's join this message title as the ship sinks.

This is what the Lord showed me about America as far back as I as I recall it would be back in the 90s probably pre-9/11 during the tech boom when there were more millionaires being made in this country than perhaps ever before in history. During the seasons when we thought that we were the greatest and more possibly, at that time the greatest willpower that was in existence at the time I was still given of God this message. The Lord showed me a pattern of where America was going to go in the future. I remember in the 90s I was preaching in Times Square Church and I turned on the platform to pastor David Wilkerson was sitting there on the platform and I told him I believe that I'm going to be here long enough in America to see the demise of this great nation and everything that the Lord has spoken.

The B has happened its unfolding exactly as it was shown 25 years ago, almost now I preach this message numerous times. New York City I preached in Washington on spoken edit pastors conferences I've spoken at many other places as many people that I felt as good could hear the word of God and were willing to consider what the Holy Spirit was saying about the days that were just ahead of us and all back in the 90s and early 2000's.

The days were just ahead, but we have now entered these days I'm going to speak about in the message title is as the ship sinks tell us what to two as the ship sinks and there's nobody that's of sound reasoning today.

That doesn't see the bow of this great nation.

Suddenly Eddie underwater.

We begin to realize we are in the deeper trouble than we ever imagined we could be in after 400 years of being a nation where in a downward spiral on almost every front, morally, spiritually, socially, militarily, financially, it just seems that the whole nation is circling the drain at the moment and where were seeing something unfold before our eyes. Now is to be discouraged.

There is a good side to this. There there is something that God spoke through the story and accepted 27 we get to this in just a few moments and it's going to be the hope that you have for the future free for everyone here is as as Isaac said in the song for the person feels on lovable or untouchable.

The person is addicted the person's family seems to be falling apart. There's a message in this for you that will give you hope and courage and strength for the future. Acts chapter 27 here's the same as a group of people on the journey. There is all kinds of voices is there's 275 voices on this particular journey and there's one voice that speaks for God. In other seasons in society where the voice of God seems to be at a minimum, and even in spite of the fact that Paul perhaps had a history of the reputation he there were literally miracles happening through his hands and through his life.

Yet the people in that journey chose to disregard his voice. He warned them he said listen, don't take this journey. If you embark on this journey it's going to cost the ship. This this vessel with carrying you is going to be is going to think it's going to be destroyed, and he said, and people's lives are going to be in jeopardy deposit please. I can see him pleading with the people. Please listen to me. Don't take this journey. I can hear Billy Graham in America warning the nation for years. Don't take this journey that you're embarking on a your David Wilkerson than others like you, many others, many pastors probably in small towns throughout America warning their congregations don't take this journey. This journey of self-indulgence. This journey of crafting a course ahead of you and not listening to the voice of God putting the voice of God as they did with Paul into the belly of the ship sank were not interested in what you have to say do what you have to do down there all by yourself. We know what we are doing, where crafting this journey and this journey is going to be wonderful.

It's going to make us, don't forget it. Was it not just a journey of transporting prisoners, but it was also a a journey of commerce that the people on that ship are going to make money. The owners are going to make money is all about making money. We don't want to hear this voice it says don't focus in this direction. Don't take this journey this voice the things journey is going to end up in the loss of everything that your trusting and is going be the also the threatening of the loss of life. Paul was warning, but the people would listen.

The owners of the helmsman the of the ship and suchlike it says when the wind blew softly, acts 2713 supposing that obtaining the desire putting out to sea. Off they went, what a wonderful journey. This is going to be. I remember somebody on the radio saying in the early 2000's. With more millionaires than in the history of the country and and besides that we have all these these narcotics in the sense that make us feel better when we don't feel good about ourselves.

How much better can it be, and I remember thinking when I heard this on the radio caught Almighty. This is exactly what was happening in next chapter 27 this exactly what you been speaking to my heart about all these years, the people bragging and boasting about.

There's no end as though into the wealth is no end to the this incredible journey. Don't don't put the words of the holy one of Israel before us were not interested in God and were not interested in these words that are trying to tell us this is not a good trajectory that you're on and so they headed off on their journey. Just like we did in America. Not long after they took off on the journey it says attempt. Pastors head when the roll is called your applied in the ship was caught we could not hit into the wind, so we let her drive and see. Suddenly a storm arose.

Suddenly things begin to change. Suddenly the swirl of uncontrollable events started to happen around them in the Scripture says that when they hit they used cables to undergird the ship. Remember that the bailouts back in the in the 2000's of her major corporations as as they begin to many of them begin to go bankrupt and do you think about even today giving out free money to try to keep the country afloat and they were exceedingly driven tempest tossed, and then they lightened the ship and on the third day, it says in verse 19 we through the ships title overboard with her own hands.

They these proven things that had gotten so many from point A to point B for for years and years and years is almost inconceivable detected in their hands they threw it overboard like we through overboard.

The 2000-year-old definition of marriage we do suddenly decided when they were thrown overboard and redefined this week we through overboard the protection guidance of our children. We through overboard prayer in our schools and we we just started throwing overboard everything that made this a nation that became actually the envy of the world for many many years all over the world and it gave us the ability to do technological things that other cultures and thousands of years were not able to do just amazing to them, the wisdom, the ability the military mind the inventions that God gave to this particular nation. Then we we started just throwing it all overboard into every every day now in the news were throwing some new thing overboard that that with trusted and for years and years and years and of course that the greatest of all tragedies throwing a God himself gave us what we have and made us who we are. Took us on this journey and took a little group of people that landed in Plymouth. The 400 years ago that were emaciated and weak and surrounded by enemies and half of them died than the other half. All he could do is praise him. America started in the permitting. I know how many people know that 53 pilgrims left and then the prayer had to be something like this. If God if you will give us a place work where we can worship you freely and with conscience. According to the word of God. What we will live for you and we promise this nation will be a nation that brings glory to your name deftly made what they called a covenant with God and we through that overboard. We thrown our history overboard.

We don't even teach the right history in our schools anymore. All of these these these beautiful stories that are still discoverable are are all but eradicated and we are having to deal with a revisionist history that is not based on factors not based on untruth and God took that little group of people.

No resources, no chance of survival surrounded by enemies and from that little group of 53 people admitted in a in a house that still there. It it the new house is on the foundation of that original house it's lot number one America and from that little permitting termination of 330 million people. That has been the envy of the world place of prosperity and freedom of place where we could at one time. Worship God freely and according to conscience but now we have thrown that overboard as well.

The word of God is becoming hate speech, the ways of God is becoming bigoted undesired and it's really tragic what's happening in our society. It is now in verse 21 neither son nor stars appeared for many days in no small tempest beat upon us all hope that we would be saved was finally given up were not far from that moment now in this nation were on the edge of an imminent financial collapse were on the edge of a complete social meltdown were on the edge of Seymour and increase violence in our cities and in our streets and there's a point coming or hope. Natural hope is going to give way to despair.

And this is when neither son nor stars appeared for many days in no small tempest beat on us all hope that we would be saved was finally given up but after long abstinence from food.

Paul stood in the midst of them, and said men you should listen to me and not have sailed from Crete incurred this disaster lost. Now I urge you to take hard for there will be no loss of life among you, but also of the ship.

After long abstinence.

Paul, this is my hope now for the future. After long abstinence the church after long absence preachers that nobody wanted to listen to. After long absence. Suddenly somebody calls for the word of God again.

I believe in this generation is going to be en masse. I think were going to live to see a significant turning to God. It doesn't mean the ship is going to be say, but we're going to see in our time. A significant turning to God in a season of crisis. And I'm thankful for that. Without the crisis they would not have turned to the word of God without the famine, the people of Elijah's they would not have gone to the top of Mount caramel without the people of Egypt oppressing the Israelites, they would not have cried out to God and when Moses showed up. They would not have listened. They would not believe that God had said to him, God's mercy will pull out every carpet of security that is underneath the people about the parish so that we will consider our ways and I personally am really thankful for that. I'm an optimist I find it's not about saving the ship and losing the people let the ship go down. If it needs to go down. If the people's hearts are going to drive you know how to help with but somebody somewhere said where is that man that told us we shouldn't undertake this journey.

Where's that he's down in level C in debt for whatever is down stuck in the bowels of the ship and I don't know if it's all the people in offices in Turin Cmdr. that the captain of the ship, but somebody said get that man up here. There's a day coming folks listen to make your neighbors going to knock on your door and say give me a reason for the hope that you still have in your heart.

I hear you and your family singing on Wednesday and you have this thing on your I could hear through my walls. You get this is meeting this meeting called worldwide permitting. What's that about what is it that you believe in and to give me a help me to understand see that in the moment of crisis. Suddenly their calling for the word of God's family members that weren't interested in. You are your God is suddenly going to be calling you going to get a call to go to get any email you going to get attacked because they tell me about the God that you believe in, and I am just so so thankful for this on the to say it's as easy as a BCD a Medicare D the past to Tim's ABC admit you cannot save your self. Admit you can save yourself and call for the voice that you have been resisting. That's my cried mute those that are sitting at home and you're addicted to reflected your struggling you're trying you all is you still believe that somehow in your own strength are going to get out of this the way out is to admit you can't get out in your own strength. You won't get out you will always go back to what you used to be an XL. You'll be worse in the in the end, and you were in the beginning so admitted, you can save yourself and call as they did for the voice that you have resisted the voice of God call for the words of God you can do it in your bedroom tickets is that God start to speak to me. I want to hear your voice. Show me the way forward and inverse 22 pulses, I urge you to take hard. There will be no loss of life among you, but only of the set self I meant in the natural that doesn't make sense to me.

The storm is amazed that these waves you gotta be 20 feet high. This this ship is is going to be broken to pieces by the ferocity of the storm. Everyone whose seafarer knows this thing is going down just like everybody who's in the know concerning our economy.

In this particular time as is forecasting a hurricane just ahead of us but nevertheless pulses. I urge you to take heart, there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship so .2 is believe that God has made a way for you to be, say, believe it.

God made a way for you to be saved. When Jesus Christ went to the cross. 2000 years ago and gave his life and shed his blood for you among the last things he said on that cross or the words it is finished that the power of hell to take you down the power of despair to swelling that the power of this world to take away your relationship with God had been broken at the cross Jesus Christ triumphed over your storm triumphed over everything that wants to take you down and destroy you as things around to begin to sink. You don't have to go where that because God has made a way for you to escape.

Believe believe that God will be faithful. He said his own people.

I will never leave you or forsake you know if that's true or that's not true I have in the know and believe that it is true because I walked along a long enough with God to know that those words can be trusted.

He will not leave you and he will not persecute. Paul says I urge you to take heart, there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship and he said I believe that it will be just as God told me, however, we must run aground on a certain island. Supposing doesn't mean the storm is going to stop it means the storm's power over you is going to be broken. Just understand that the ship is still going to be lost is still going to sink his net effect is going to be broken into pieces, but you are going to be spared. The Scripture tells us that they dropped four anchors from the stern, and they prayed for data come and then some of the sailors were seeking to escape the ship and they let down the lifeboats into the sea, under the pretense or that there were doing something to secure the ship but Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers.

Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved so admit that you can save yourself believe that God has made a way for you to be saved and confess Jesus Christ as not just only your Savior but also your Lord, that means he has the right to tell you what to do. Which way you need to go positive you don't stay in the ship, you cannot be safe.

Don't try to craft another way out of this dilemma than the way that God has made for you through his son Jesus Christ. He knows how to save you and he knows how to keep you and then as the day began to dawn, in verse 33 of acts 27 Paul implored the mall to take food and I think I like the original team James it says take meat. There's a lot of people just lived on on spiritual fluff. That's not to get you through the coming storm takes the meat.

In other words dig into the word of God devour the just as the people in in the days of Moses in Egypt they they had to consume the Lamb within their homes and take time to consume the word of God. Take time to read the word of God. Take time to ingest the promises of God. Take time to adjust the hard truths in the word of God. For example, in this world you shall have tribulation.

Jesus said those words don't push them away any longer, is that you follow me, and you're going to have trouble in this world would be of good cheer, he said, for I have overcome the world.

The world will come against your circumstances will try to take you down. What he says don't let it take away your drive because I promise never to leave you or forsake you. And I have overcome everything that threatens to take away your security and your safety in the future. Take some nourishment is that this is this is for your survival. And he said now here's the plan.

The ship is going to get stuck at a certain place in the violence of the city is going to bust up the pieces and I want you all wear it anywhere you can you grab a piece of wood you hang onto it and you start swimming for shore. I love that I meet I meant to make us walk on the water coming but then in the Syrian Tenney just waved his hand and make everything good, calm the storm on the Nice Deb of bones and Wednesday still in ways we combine in the wants me to grab a piece of wood and swim to shore. That's the D decide to eat what he gives you and go where he tells the go follow where he doesn't do everything the same way every time.

Follow him even if it means swimming to shore. Grab a hold of a piece of would not be sure that we have is called the cross of Jesus Christ is really big and it floats it floats really good. You hang onto that whatever piece of the cross you get all of you hang onto that cross and the waves will beat on you and that and the winds will howl in the stars will threaten, but that cross doesn't think it floats the storm can't take it down. The waves can't force it under and everyone placing their trust and confidence in Christ is going to make it to the other side going to make it to the place of safety and going to make it to a place what we will saying we will sadly will we will give God glory. It might be a rainy place. It might be called place as it was for them but in ways that love God began to be known again in place of healing started to happen in that place the snake was. In the end that every man, every person on the ship was given a chance to receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior because you better believe that's what Paul was speaking to this group of people about Christ's sake doesn't mean they were saved but they had seen the power of God, and they were given the chance. That's my prayer now for America God story of how one more time in our home fellowship less active site to freely apprise deliver the addicted one more time to get to that place in the natural, you know, it was impossible not. I spent a lot of occasion time at the ocean when waves are that big. The undertow is so strong you can get to sure you can get the sortable yet. Everyone of them made because the promises of God. Amen.

If he tells you go to make it go to make even when it looks like you're not I can tell you not be fair for chlamydia 20 foot waves in your hanging onto a board you taken your feet and saying hello. Paul said were going to make it so here are going to run your back with you to get your feet in the waves. It's all work that's pelvic. The odds of getting there.

I was all in the natural that whole closer to ground everybody to the ground on the boat but not one of them did. And as they stood around the fire and they saw that the serpent had no power against life upon the sub healing of God beginning to flow through his hands. I have to believe there were going to meet a lot of these people in heaven and when I get done as a tell me what if I can always really liked him that Stepan wanted Paula quickly came to the deck and tell me about the communion service that Paul had when he broke the bread, and gave thanks in the midst of a sinking ship in a storm and God and even the 275 there were traveling with. I can just imagine them around that firing on that island must've been something else. You know they see this guys is just got joy in this life. I don't eyes. This got Jordan the look and this guy's a prisoner in size as guys being taken before the Caesar whose and not Caesar thinks is God.

By the way, this time in Paul's going there to tell know you're not God. There is another God is going to do what he always does and is is this a faithful like me. I often pray when I read Paul's lives again. Would you please help me like I complain if I have an ingrown toenail. You know to me.

This guy is a prisoner misguided sloshing people are vomiting down there. It's thinks and there in his farm and there there in the belly of the ship that only those going on. They don't even know if they're going to the bottom of the ocean but yet Paul is praying and God says don't be afraid, Paul. I'm taking you before Caesar. I'm think I would be like you and I pray tonight's idea. Don't be afraid my daughter to be afraid, my son, I'm sending you to jail for 15 years and I like you know that's that's like it. What's up all he knew that was the plan of God. He didn't fully understand and in goddesses and because you're willing to undertake this journey. I'm giving you the 275 people that are traveling with Lincoln's here we are. Men, women, children, young and old my God, and you have a plan for our lives, and by your grace were not going alone to take others with us as they see within us the confidence in the joy when they saw Paul's countenance on the deck of the ship. The Scripture says they they took cards heart the whole thing is going down one man destroys the power of the storm. One man plants hope in people's hearts again. That's why you and I are alive in this generation. You're a son, your daughter, the king your ambassador of this great victory. Why don't you rise up and admits believe and confess and decide going with God.

Even if I got a swim to get he's got me going on and if I don't care if it's called okay hi the waves are.

I'm grabbing a hold of that cross and I'm going thank you for joining us this week for a call to the nation with Carter Conley from Times Square Church in New York City. For more information log onto TSC.NYC that's TSC.NYC you can count on a powerful message each week on a call to the nation with Carter,