Win or Learn, There Is No Lose | Sunday Message (with Jonathan Laurie)

Hey there Victor, listening to the Greg Laurie podcast, a ministry supported by harvest partners on Greg Laurie encouraging you if you want to find out more about harvest ministries.

To learn more about how to become a harvest partner, just go to harvest.org so if you like to turn in your Bibles to acts chapter 27 accepter 27 that's what we are going to kick off. I've titled this message window or learn there is no loose winter. Learn there is no lose our life is filled with change transition growth obstacles. Overcoming those obstacles, trials, more growth or change more adaptation and just when you think you got it all figured out, you die right right when you get the hang of the whole high school thing all okay I get it.

This is the crowd that does this and this is who I should hang out with. This is where I fit in. This is my identity right we get that all figured out in your classes in your schedules and everything doubted. It's time to graduate and now it's time for you to start a career and to find a family right no pressure. Maybe start a brand-new job and after being there for a few months. Your boss changes your position to an area you're not familiar with.

You started off as a framer and now he wants you to like supervise the whole jobsite are like I know how to put nails in wood and screws and what I don't know how to supervise people and manage time and in clocks and all the stuff I don't know how to do that now your supervisor and you been made. Administrator you're working behind a computer transition happens may be started off as a wife and now nine months and one day your overseeing dietary and digestive schedules.

Soon you'll be scheduling rides and sports practices in church attendance and family dinners balancing budgets and up keeping your living space shuttles all the moms by the way out there. Talk about an overnight transition right absolutely overnight before you even have a handle on your own transition into motherhood or fatherhood. You are now helping your kids in their transition as they go to their first day of school. While that's a big one. They go to their first soccer game and then they go through puberty. That's always fun. Then they are going through high school. You're like weight wasn't. I just in high school know my kids going through high school. I have a daughter who's second be 17 years old next month. Unlike what the heck is happening right now. Meanwhile I'm like where did my 20s go and where did all this neck and back pain come from out of nowhere. I look at my pillow wrong and like I wake up with a frozen back is like seriously, this is what happens in your mid 30s is crazy. But our lives are filled with transition. They are filled with change there, filled with new opportunities for growth. Something I have learned in my time on this earth is that we we can't decide. The hand that is dealt to us in life. We can't decide the things that happen to us. We can't decide what what positive things going for life.

We can't decide what negative things come into our lives, but we can choose the way we respond to those things we can choose the way we respond to those things and the way we respond contains the potential for growth and maturity and perspective and sanctification, which is the process of becoming more like Jesus.

Many today believe that they are victims of their circumstance or people that I talk to than ever believe that this thing that happen in their childhood this thing that happened in their life. Tragic or not is now the thing that defines them for the rest of their lives.

Will this event happen and so now I'm identified by that forever.

I got fired from my job and so now I'm just unemployed I'm unemployed I can't find a job and I guess I'm just, you know, unemployable. It's so hard for you know my father died at a young age, and so I took work to provide for my family. As a result, you know that just messed everything up. I did get to have a childhood I get to have whatever else that's why am the way, I am, I parents got divorced at a young age my mom didn't hug me enough my hamster got ran over by a unicycle or whatever. Listen, I'm sorry, truly, I am really sorry and is pastors here at harvest. We have people all the time coming to us sharing their tragic situations in our hearts break. Truly when we hear the effects of sin.

We hear the effects of of living in this world. Death and disease and and hardship in our hearts break and we love to get to be shepherds and to come along.

These families and pray for them, it ultimately point them to Jesus.

But the reality is, traumatic things happen in life.

Don't think traumatic things happen in life. Jesus himself, he said in this world you will have tribulation. That's right in this world you will have tribulation, but he continues and I'm so thankful that he does argue he says yeah in this world you have tribulation, he acknowledges it, he says, but take heart, because I have overcome the world.

The new living translation renders that were tribulation.

As trouble he saying you will have trouble. You will have pestilence, you will have cancer, you will have disease, you will have tragedy you will have trauma thing is that the world fears they will come that were Jesus used for tribulation is the Greek word� Which means impressed squashed distressed right I think a another way that you could translate that is basically this world will chew you up and spit you out. That's the reality of this world is going to chew you up and spit you out but Jesus says something interesting is is take heart, because I have overcome the world. What that means is that the hope of God is greater than the worst fears of this world, the hope of God is greater than the worst fears of this world, the hope of heaven is greater than the fear of death and Jesus wrecked a resurrection which we just celebrated a few weeks ago gives is verifiable evidence that this hope is something we can stand on the hope of forgiveness is greater than the fear and shame of sin, take heart, because I have overcome the world. Jesus says is when we are faced with something we do not like something that makes us uncomfortable.

Whether it's in the workplace in our neighborhoods in our homes and our own lives. We are presented with a choice and opportunity.

We can complain we can wallow we can pout we can procrastinate. My personal favorite, or we can choose to trust God. We can choose the God has a plan and we can choose to trust him. I saw sports team all pile out of the 16 passenger van. One time I was at a gas station and there'll get now get snacks and stuff and it was a girls softball team and I saw you know Rev. or from their traveling and they walked in I saw the back of their shirts is something that really caught my eye found myself agreeing with this right got my message title today. The back of their shirts says winter learn there is no lose.

That's really good you know so many people as I well we lost and you know you try your hardest and all you know that's that's all that matters. Okay that's great or if you have a winner mentality feel the right mentality you're gonna look and say well we saw that there were better in this area.

So how can we respond to it. How can we learn from our loss. How can we learn from our failures so that we can become better in the week and in the future.

Beat that team. I think that as Christians, the reality is hate when or learned there is no lose for us. Yes, tragedies, whatever they come to us. We have the power that God is given to us of the Holy Spirit. We have the power to turn that tragedy into a triumph to turn that weight into awaiting that thing that bad hand in life.

We can use that to minister to other people. I think of people Johnny Erickson Tana, who was a quadriplegic. She has use that pain that suffering in her life to trim endlessly impact people across the world led thousands of people to Christ.

People like McEvoy a chick. She was born without arms or limbs people there were dealt a bad hand in life, yet you think this guy did not have any functional childhood whatsoever, any traditional one in any sense of the word.

But God is use him and a powerful way and he is so thankful to God is using his life. I think of men like my dad who were born in in really dysfunctional homes. You know know know father to speak of mother married and divorced seven times boyfriends in between explosive things that no kid should ever be exposed to.

He by all means should have been another statistic, but God intervened in my gut is now used his story.

He is used all of this pain all the suffering in his life to user for God's glory and now he has a platform to minister to other people are going to the same thing and he can say hey I'm just another beggar shown another beggar where to find bread your hurting. I can show you where to find relief. Jesus can do that for you.

We have a choice. We have a choice.

We can choose to be bitter or we can choose to become better to the power of the Holy Spirit. The reality is this is in a softball match that were all playing here were trying to win. This is the race of life. We are not competing with each other. We are competing with ourselves competing with ourselves at the end of Paul's life. The man that we have so closely focus upon the last few weeks interact study. He says these words in second Timothy 47 I have fought the good fight, I finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge will word me on that day and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing. We are all runners in a race or not competing against other Christians were not competing against nonbelievers were in a race against ourselves, or in a race against ourselves were all in a wrestling match with me myself and I were all competing for a prize for a crown, a spiritual trophy in our opponent is us. It's our flesh it's our flesh. That is, who were in a race against you see we have a physical sinful flesh that we were born with. We inherited from Adam.

Think you very much sinful and all the stuff that comes with it, death, disease all that stuff.

We got that from Adam.

As Christians we also have a spiritual nature that we received from the second Adam, the Scriptures call Jesus. We are sure to receive from him and that nature shows us how to glorify God and to live in harmony with him and to be sanctified to become more like Jesus. So inside of every Christian. These two natures exist and they are warring with each other there at odds with each other in competition against each other. Now the question of the day is which nature will win which nature is going to when you can answer that by answering this question, which nature will you nourish which nature will you feed you heard the story of the boy is set on the two dogs another in a fight.

The two wolves know which one is going to win. Which one is going to win, and the answer is the one you feed more. So what are you selling to.

Are you selling to your flash reselling to the spirit, there you have your answer.

So today is our last study together in the book of acts.

The upside down life original look one last time a yet another series of transitions that take place in the life. The apostle Paul in Paul's life he had so many transitions.

The biggest one being that he went from literally persecutor of the church to preacher for the church from antagonist to apologist for murderer to missionary the apostle Paul. I don't know if there's another person in the Bible who experienced transition change and obstacles more than him more than them. So when we last left Paul together. He'd been arrested in Jerusalem for crimes he did not commit. He had journeyed all the way back to Jerusalem. He had a great gift that he had brought he'd collected over the ancient world. He wanted to bring it to the believers.

There Jerusalem as he arrived in Jerusalem.

He was met with some obstacles. Ultimately, he was accused of preaching against the traditions of Judaism all over the ancient world and he was accused of bringing a Gentile, a non-Jew into the temple in Jerusalem during this time because of that Paul was arrested. Both of these charges were false and for two years.

Two years of his life he was in jail awaiting trial after trial being passed around to different leaders from the religious leaders to that, the Sanhedrin, which were the other Jewish leaders to Gov. Felix to Festus to Herod Agrippa anybody and everybody who would hear his case basically heard it and then didn't want to make a decision. So next 23 Jesus appeared to Paul right after he was arrested and told him don't fear, don't be afraid because you are going to testify of the things that you've seen and what I have done in Rome. And so Paul knew that he was headed towards Rome after appealing to Caesar as a Roman citizen as was Paul's legal right.

He was sent to Rome and this begins the final transition in the life and ministry of the apostle Paul Rome would ultimately be the city that he would Diane the appeal to Caesar sealed his fate were going to see that as Paul experienced blow after blow. He was able to use each instance, for God's glory and find peace in the center of God's will. My goal with our message today as we go through these two chapters together were to jump around a little bit so be prepared. My goal this message is to direct you to see how Paul responded to his adversaries and tribulations and transitions, and each time he faithfully use them to glorify God, which brought the apostle peace and a mission in life.

How's that sound has some good all right. The three together in acts chapter 27, starting in verse when I'm reading from the new living translation today. Like I said were to jump around a little bit just the contents. These two chapters want to try doing just as a lot of content to go through together so buckle your seatbelts asked, 27, starting in verse one, when the time came, we set sail for Italy.

Paul and several others. Other prisoners were placed in the custody of a Roman officer named Julius a Capt. of the Imperial Regiment verse five keeping to the open sea. We pass along the coast of Celestia and pedophilia landing at Mira in the province of Alysia verse seven we had several days of slow sailing after great difficulty. We finally neared Kittitas, but the wind was against us, so we sailed across Tikrit and along the sheltered coast of the island past the Cape of Salamone. We struggled along the coast with great difficulty and finally arrived at Fairhaven's near the town of Lacey.

We had lost a lot of time. The weather is becoming great dangerous for C travel because it was so late in the fall and Paul spoke to the ships officers about it. Then he said, I believe there is trouble if we go on ahead shipwreck, loss of cargo and danger to our lives as well, but the officer in charge of the prisoners, listen more to the ship's captain and the owner dental Paul and so they set sail up the coast for Phoenix.

They left Fairhaven's set sail skip down to verse 13 when a light wind began blowing from the south. The sailors thought they could make it so they pulled up anchor and they sailed close to the shore of Crete but the weather changed abruptly in the wind of typhoon strength called a northeaster burst across the island and blew us out to see the next day. Verse 18 as gale force winds continued to batter the ship. The crew began throwing the cargo overboard. The following day. They even took some of the ships gear and threw it overboard. The terrible storm raged for many days, blotting out the sun and the stars until the last all hope was gone. Let's pause there. That brings us to point number one, Paul the counselor, Paul the counselor, Paul saw opportunities in each of these little issues in the storms of these hardships every opportunity he had he used it for God's glory.

He used it to build a bridge to his common man didn't matter the Paula been arrested for two years, handed back and forth between the Jews and the Romans or that he was held on false charges or that he was actually the smartest guy in the room that wasn't enough for him to keep from humbly and lovingly sharing what was best for him and his shipmates yes Paul preached the multitudes God works miracles through him, but call Paul skews me on the call, as Paul cared about people.

Paul cared about people, and he cared about nonbelievers.

Pres. Theodore Roosevelt said people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. Paul didn't say hey I don't care what happens to the ship. My fate is sealed. I know that I'm going to Rome at this boat crashes doesn't make any difference to me now. He said hey this is going to be what happens. I have experience or I know what I'm talking about. This is by the way, Paul's fourth shipwreck got literally for four shipwrecks.

That's a guy you don't probably want on your boat.

At this .4 shipwrecks literally talks about three before he wrote before acts was written so this is literally his fourth shipwreck out of control crazy guy.

But Paul cared. He cared God to give them a heart to reach people from every walk of life, and we see him preaching and discipling in the book of acts to people from really every consonant known to man that back then Africa, Asia, Europe, Arabia, every skin color every walk of life.

It didn't matter. Paul loved people and he loved to minister to them and he loved to help them as it was late in the season for the street to begin is good be cutting it close to the cyclone season during these winter months. Her mother, these fall months. We just read and we know that now is getting dangerous for sailors.

This is when the boats were kind of just stick close to shore. They would travel out very far.

The Mediterranean while it's us know it's a see it's on an ocean is on the Pacific Ocean or the Atlantic is a really large see when you look at it on a map and ships would get lost all the time it at sea and they would never be heard from again. So Paul knew this he knew that it was getting dangerously close to the stormy season, and these storms they can be just as intense as I can category for even a category five hurricane crazy hundreds of miles an hour in when just ripping everything together in their path. They can be jettisoned as intense as one of these hurricanes but just not as large of a footprint not as big and so Paul knew this he went to the officer in charge.

He shared with them. The prisoners knew this, the sailors knew this.

If the captain newest everybody knew that it was dangerous but they decided to not listen to Paul and to roll the dice into venture on a little bit up the coast towards a little harbor called Phoenix which was a little bit better suited.

I guess they wanted make the decision to be, you know, roll the dice and try and see what happens. So they started their journey as a result, the ship started off with a nice little tailwind OC Pauline can imagine if I look back I see you are just know over exaggerating you were just a little too worried while that was met immediately by the northeaster which proceeded to blow them into the sea, tossed into the sea completely helpless spinning out of control crashing in the waves, unable to see the stars or son for weeks for two weeks. This went on. You can imagine how horrible that would be, especially if you're one of those people to get seasick.

Imagine this for two weeks in an old ancient first century ship.

No thank you anybody that situation would be seasick and they lost hope the people on this boat. They completely lost hope. I find it is thing that the ship's captain. He did make a choice to me. He made a choice. He could listen to Paul or he could listen to the majority.

Paul warned him he was no issuing discretion, hate, we probably should just stay here. This is a safer place to go if we go up the coast. We roll the dice and can be really dangerous. I don't think we should go.

He decided not to listen to him. He decided not to listen to Paul and he would listen to the majority. No, I don't want to over spiritualize this point, but I do believe there's a lesson here for us as Christians who vote and enter into the political arena.

Paul cast his vote did need when he was on the boat.

He knew what was right. He knew the reasons he made his case for what would be best for everybody aboard the boat, but his vote was outnumbered in his opinion was ignored was Christians who have a biblical worldview. We so clearly see what is right and what is wrong, don't we. We literally have a book that tells us what is right and what is wrong and it is absolute truth. We know what is helpful and we know what is damaging to our country, and at times it seems like it's just a nonstop barrage of bad news, especially lately.

That is why it is important for us to cast our vote to vote biblically and to vote on the issues in our state, our local community elections and nationally by electing leaders who align with what we find in Scripture, but one Yep that's right: Paul's opinion gets cast aside in the majority rules and now everybody is suffering because the leadership chose poorly. Let's look at how Paul reacts. Now to this fact. In acts 27, starting in verse 21 after they've been at sea for two weeks twisting and turning people to barfing all over each other horrible scene you can imagine verse 21 known and eaten in a long time and finally Paul took point.

He called the crew together and he said man you should've listen to me. In the first place and not left Crete.

You would've all avoided all this damage and loss but take courage, none of you will lose your lives.

Even though the ship will go down for last night. An angel of the Lord, to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me and he said don't be afraid, Paul, for you will surely stand trial before Caesar. What's more, God, in his goodness is granted safety to everyone sailing so take courage, for I believe God. It will be just as he said I love that skip down to verse 30 and then the sailors try to abandon the ship. They lowered the lifeboat as they were going to put all anchors from the front of the ship Paul said to the commanding officer, and the soldiers you will all die unless the sailors stay aboard. And so the soldiers cut the ropes to the life raft and let it drift away verse 33. And just as day was dawning. Paul urged everyone to eat.

He said you've been so worried you haven't touched food for two weeks now for a bunch of guys to not eat for two weeks is pretty bad is a bad this is a bad storm, no question you haven't touched food for two weeks. He said verse 34, so please eat something now for your own good for, not a hair of your head will perish. Then he took some bread, he gave thanks to God before them all and he broke off a piece and ate it. Verse 39 when morning Don, they didn't recognize the coastline, but they saw a bay with the beach and wondered if they could get to shore by running the ship aground. Verse 41 so they ran the ship aground, but they hit a soul some reef there earlier than they expected and they ran the ship aground too soon. The bow of the ship stuck fast while the stern was repeatedly smashed by the force of the waves and began to break apart.

The soldiers wanted to kill the prisoners right there to make sure they didn't swim ashore and escape at the commanding officer.

One of the spare Paul so he didn't let them carry out their plan and then he ordered all who could swim to jump overboard first and make for land.

The others held on the planks and debris from the broken ship so everyone everyone escapes to shore safely brings us to point number to call the encourager, Paul. The encourager Paul start this journey off as a prisoner. Nobody gives a riff about what he thinks.

Nobody cares about what his opinion is on things and what is he end up as the captain he's literally commanding everybody aboard the ship.

This is what we need to do tell those guys out to abandon ship cut the life of whatever else he is taking point, telling the commanding officers what to do what the strategy was what to eat how to feel everything or rears. He said a crisis does not make a person a crisis shows what a person is made of and it tends to bring out true leadership. Paul doesn't granted everyone he doesn't granted everyone about how wrong they were and how stupid they were to not listen to him.

He doesn't write scathing reviews on the captain's bulletin board 0/5 stars worst Mediterranean cruise ever know he doesn't do that he doesn't challenge the voting system aboard the ship and demand a recount. He doesn't say I told you so. No, Paul encouraged them. He built a bridge.

He earned their trustee earned their respect.

The ship lacked leadership in the midst of this violent storm and Paul was up to the challenge know when we talk about transition and uncomfortable things in life. Paul's all the inconveniences and storms as an opportunity to bring others closer to God.

He starts by doing this by sharing God's word within the Lord has spoken to Paul and Paul shares how a messenger from the Lord had visited him and told him that the ship and the cargo would be lost, but all the passengers spared and crash land upon an island. Imagine being ripped around at sea for two weeks just twirling you can't see the stars can't see the sun. You have no idea where you're at, you probably think you're just floating out in the endless of this in the ocean, probably heading towards Antarctica or wherever you think that all is lost to think that everything is going bad. So bad.

You haven't eaten for two weeks will be a terrible thing. They'll be really uncomfortable with that.

I've been on a few boats, where we've hidden rough seas and it's not fun.

I don't really get motion sickness. Some of you probably get motion sickness really easy vertigo and whatever else I'm sorry it's not fun.

I see it is so bad when I was a kid was the worst. I didn't know how perfectly smooth. Caesar, I go anywhere� I get carsick in the car. Not fun.

Thankfully I've outgrown that and it's not as bad of a deal, but man, I've been on a couple of cruises a boat ride and there's nothing worse than being sick at sea. You just feel terrible you have to lay down you never quite get over it. The person next you get sick and that you get sick and it just like this trickle effect everybody's like you get seasick when you see someone else doing that is just like you can't help do it yourself. Not fun.

Now imagine two weeks of that literally nobody seat for two weeks because they just they are afraid they can't keep anything down. I'm sure and are just so does her third their fearful of death.

Imagine how refreshing it was for them to hear from the apostle take heart. Be encouraged.

Everything is going to be okay because God gave me these instructions. If you change your entire perspective. It can change your entire worldview.

We could give you hope light at the end of the tunnel was Christians, we are not called to boycott.

We are not called to post negative yelp reviews. No other causes hours in Christ. That is our because it is Christ who could be it could be the U-boat biblically and you are an agent for political change on your social media.

Hey great God bless you and thankful that you do that, but maybe your next-door neighbor who is 85 years old and her husband just died could use some of your attention right some of your focus some of that energy that you're pouring into social media. Some of the energy that you're using talking about the voting system talked about the political arena right now they could use some of that energy. Some of that attention.

Some of that affection because her husband just died bringing someone a meal, helping them mow their lawn having a conversation with him inviting them to church, giving them a ride to the airport, sharing your story on the ride there all hey so what's your story Billy. Now tell me about it.

We been neighbors for a long time don't really know each other where you from that to know them. This is how we as Christians can actually help change our world. The world we live in our neighborhoods, our communities. This is also the way we change the world. I actually following the great commission. Go therefore into all nations go. Therefore, by crossing the street. Your next-door neighbor baptizing, making disciples, preaching the gospel sharing your faith. That's the great commission. You've heard her say this before here harvest, but we believe that the answer to America's problems is not a political one is a spiritual one, because it matters not who is in the White House.

It matters who in God's house. That is where our hope is God who is in the White House and our hope is in God's house. Second Chronicles 714 tells us what the recipe is for saving our country if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Friends, that's not gonna happen. By voting the right candidate in or out of office. This can only happen by revival that's only gonna happen by us taking the initiative to share our faith to be an agent for spiritual change in our communities and our neighborhoods in our schools and our workplaces. We can do it so next we see the Paul encourages them by being a good example because he lives out what he believes he is a good example and he encourages them because he got.

He encourages them. He shares God's word with them.

Next, we see that he is encourager because he is a good example. He lives out what he believes, not just telling everyone how they should act but making sure his house is in order before telling others. He is a wonderful example of a loving patient uncompromising follower of Jesus, and after he warns the commanding officers aboard not let the sailors take the lifeboat and abandon ship. What does he do. He encourages them he encourages them to strengthen themselves to eat something. He takes some bread. He breaks it, he gives thanks to God for he prays for it is a little communion service. He hands it out to the guys. I'm sure they eat it. He was a witness for Christ.

That was his main purpose in life when others were wishing for safety when others were trying to look out only for themselves and get on those life graphs and abandon ship.

Paul was looking out for everyone telling them to eat, how they can all survive and then he didn't take credit for all he can take credit for the wisdom here for what was about to happen.

He directed it towards God. God told me what to do to him goes the glory and as the boat finally crashed upon the shore. We see that because of Paul again. All the prisoners are spared now. The soldiers were accountable for all of these prisoners. They knew that if one got away that could very likely the soldier who is accountable for that prisoner for that individual would be killed if that prisoner got away and so they're ready to kill the prisoners right there on his father and take care of them but because of Paul Julius. The commanding officer said don't do it or not to kill them to let them all survive. So again, thank you very much Paul for your witness and for your testimony and for being that man on the boat because of him.

Everybody's lives were spared. Sort of. They do. Everybody was ordered to jump in the water. Anybody who could swim swim to shore if you can hold onto some planks of wood from a broken up ship and they floated to shore now. I gotta say is a server. This is not a stretch at all since we already know there are waves battering the back of the boat. It's breaking onto a reef and being incredibly distracted person. I have course looked at the beach that is likely the place were Paul Pratt and ladies and gentlemen we have here is a ripping right hand point break. It is probably about 100 yards long perfect conditions. If it was the right the right small direction and the right when this is what these guys were writing and as we see them. They have boards now planks of wood.

We very likely have the first case ever of people serving in ancient history all the ingredients are there.

You've got swell. You got a point break you got boards you got guys writing the boards to shore and so you better believe someone a little further than others did Paul hang 10.

I guess we'll never know way to get to heaven to find out for sure, but because Paul saw opportunity in the obstacles and the storm he was able to read further glory to God and benefiting Paul in the process. How is Paul able to be this way, how is he able to have this perspective was he just pulled himself up by his bootstraps as he does have, and that all just positive mentality positive mentality understood a focus on good things and that's it.

No, Jesus talks about how to have a good life. In Matthew seven he shares about a man who builds his life on the rock ensures about the man who builds his life on the sand. He says anybody who hears my teaching anybody who hears things that I say and practices them and does them, he is like a wise man who built his house upon the rock. But he who hears my words and doesn't follow them. He's like a foolish man who builds his house on the shifting sand in the wind came in the storm blew in great was the fall of that house. Paul built his house on the rock. He built his life on the rock of his salvation Jesus Christ that was what enabled him to have perspective to have peace and have the leadership necessary in these situations and as Christians we can have that to Paul, saw opportunity in the storm.

He was able to bring glory to God and he was able to grow and benefit in the process as well as bring this to a close now and begin to wrap this up.

Acts 28 verse one yeah we just got done with the first chapter.

Welcome to have been due to chapters acts 20 verse one. Once we're safe on sure we learned that we were on the island of Malta.

That's 580 miles away from the harbor.

They just sailed from there trying to go like 20 miles like 30 miles up to the next little Phoenix Arbor 580 miles. That's pretty bad verse to the people of the island were very kind to us. It was cold and it was raining so they built a fire on the shore and welcomed us and as Paul gathered an arm full of sticks and was laying them on a fire, a poisonous snake driven out by the heat him on the hand of the people on the island sought hanging from his hand and said to each other murderer. No doubt he escaped the sea, but justice will not permit him to live. Paul shook off the snake into the fire and he was unarmed unharmed. The people waited for him to swell up or to suddenly drop dead when they had waited for a long time, and saw that he wasn't harmed, they change their minds and decided he was a God near the shore where he landed was an estate belonging to Tullius.

The chief official of the island, he welcomed us and he treated us kindly for three days and hasn't happened.

Police his father was ill with fever and dysentery. Paul went in and prayed for him and laying his hands on him. He healed him and then all the other sick people on the island came and were healed as a result we were showered with owners and when the time came to sale people supplied us with everything we would need for the trip.

Point number three Paul to help her. Paul, the helper.

After literally saving the lives of everyone on the ship, we see Paul helping he's doing his part is gathering sticks.

He's getting wood because it would've been cold this time of year. There was rain and all that stuff happening. Everyone would been soaking wet water temperatures would've definitely been cold so they begin to build a fire.

Paul is gathering sticks for it. You just survived yet another traumatic life altering experience.

His fourth shipwreck, and he helped save the lives of everyone on board more than once, and we see Paul helping, serving, not trying to preach a sermon or lecture everyone how they should've listened back in Fairhaven know he's helping grab sticks as fuel for the fire and without warning, a deadly snake strikes Paul and latches onto his hand is pumping venom into his arm not to know if you've ever been bitten by a snake, but it's pretty disturbing. It is a weird thing. I've been bitten by almost every animal lizards. I've been bit by a dog said and did by cats. I've been bitten by you know, geckos of the goodbye frogs dogs all kinds of stuff. Even I got bit by a rat I'd a pet rat bit me that's old that's pretty weird that's not fun those really long front teeth yet they sink them in your hand. That's not fun.

I do bit by all kinds of stuff but I tell you whether something will getting bit by a snake. That's just like makes your skin, crawl my son Chris forgot a snake for Christmas. Thanks dad and when nothing bites like a bison just like it like moves its shoulder its neck up all weird and it just kinda sinks its face into your hand of trying to eat you and it's like only the size of my finger. You know, so thin, but this is something weird about a snake bite. So Paul gets it by this snake, but he doesn't die. He doesn't die there expecting him to die in in and to swell up and kill over right then and there that he doesn't and they expect now are they, they assume, rather, that oh, he's a God, he is not a criminal. He is a God, I'm certain the Paul corrected them as he did back in Lister, a wind was the other time he thought he was a God of thought he was Hermes and he corrected them so I'm sure that he corrected them. But even that Paul use to his benefit and to help his fellow shipmates says that because of Paul retreated graciously and there were sent on their way when it was time to leave with generous gifts. They lost everything in the shipwreck. Everything their clothes the cargo, the food, the supplies everything was lost in that in that shipwreck and it says that because of Paul. They were given everything that they needed.

Paul was a helper to those around him. The deliverance from the sea and from the snake, has power to heal phobias father and those were disease on the island.

All these things. One, the favor of those around him, and he used it for God's glory.

Paul was a helper list back in verse 11. It was three months after the shipwreck that we set sail on another ship that was headed at the island in Alexandria ship with the twin gods as its figurehead. Verse 16 and when we arrived in Rome. Paul was permitted to have his own private lodging, though he was guarded by soldiers. Three days after Paul's arrival.

He called together the local Jewish leaders. They said their brothers. I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Roman government. Even though I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our ancestors and they replied in verse 21 we have had no letters from Judea or reports against you from anyone who's how who's come here. We want to hear what you believe.

For the only thing we know about this movement as it is denounced everywhere. So time was set in on that day, a large number of people came to Paul's lodging. He explained and testified about the kingdom of God and try to persuade them about Jesus from the Scriptures using the law of Moses and the books of the prophets.

He spoke to them from morning till evening and summer persuaded by the things he said some others did not believe in verse 30 for the next two years. Paul lived in Rome at his own expense. He welcomed all who visited him boldly proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ and no one tried to stop him. That is the book of acts 28 Chapters Amazing Things Took Pl. or that brings us to our fourth and final point, Paul the preacher called the preacher over two years. Shipwreck imprisonment being lost at sea. Paul finally arrives in Rome, the fourth of. Paul arrived, I was about 125 miles away from Rome so they started their journey there were met by believers along the way at the form of Appia's and then it three taverns, but Paul had one mission in mind. After getting settled for about three days in Rome after all of that journey. All of that craziness. He takes a little three day vacation. God bless you all you need it and he called the local Jewish leaders together so he could preach to them about what had happened, hoping to lead them to Christ.

This guy was a juggernaut he was non-stop. He was the Terminator literally just completely undeterred. No matter what happened to all of you know he's getting shot with a grenade launcher part of them is blown off, but emails back and keeps going was unstoppable. He was unstoppable.

God clearly had his hand on the apostles life. Paul was so zealous for the Lord has such a hard first, men especially his fellow Jews, and he would not stop at anything to share his faith. So Paul spent morning until evening. Explain the Scriptures revealing Jesus throughout the Old Testament to anyone who would listen there in Rome and while Paul was under house arrest again.

Another thing that he did was he turned a hardship difficulty being under house arrest.

Not being able to come and go as he pleased he was that for a positive because in that time he was able to write the prison epistles Philippians Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon. Amazing. And the book of acts and by leaving us at the end of the beginning us write the book of acts ends by leaving us at the end of the beginning I mentioned earlier, you could say the wall access 28 chapters that the 29th chapter is still being written 2000 years later. That is because the church continues to preach the gospel to continue to proclaim the truth and he continues to minister to a hurting world. And you know who it's disciples are in over the people are the remaking difference is all of us. It's all of us. We are doing the work still of the apostle Paul still doing the work of what Jesus is called to do doing the great commission and we will continue to do it until Jesus return and we need to be doing it faithfully. We need to be making sure that is the series title of this series. The upside down life we live an upside down life we live in a way that is counterculture to the world around us. That doesn't make sense because we are called to live in a whole new way to be human and that is to follow the commands of Jesus and to change the world.

While we do it affecting our communities affecting our friends and so when we are faced with difficulties and were faced with hardships and different things in our lives. We like Paul are faced with a choice and with an opportunity we can become better. We can become better like my dad is said to so to the flash or to so to the spirit, let me come back to a verse I quoted earlier in acts chapter 27 verse 25.

The apostle Paul.

He said take courage, for I believe God. It will be just as he said are you facing a hopeless situation right now. Are you facing something that you think you could never overcome. If you like these people lost your courage. Listen, you need to get your focus on God. You don't need an explanation from God, you need an encounter with God.

You need a revelation of God is because when we see God for who he is will see our problems for what they are. If you got a big God, you got small problems got a small God, you got big problems right we found that to be true if we have a big God, we will have those problems put into perspective of God is on the throne.

If he is omniscient of his omnipotent if he is all-powerful and we are aware of his presence in our lives. You will find your problems will be put into perspective. Listen, you were going to get through your storm.

God is not forgotten about you. When you think of Paul and the sailors in that ship just twisting and turning of the sea for weeks. Surely they lost hope, surely they thought God has forgotten us will never see our family will never see anybody again, except for these people next to me barfing all over me. It's terrible. Surely they thought the all hope was lost, but God had not forgotten about them because Paul and his friends were on that ship. God has not forgotten about you look to him and remember he is bigger than whatever stormy face whatever transition you're going through God's God can sustain you and give you hope and a hopeless situation down closing these promises are for believers only nonbelievers suffer as well as believers. That's reality. Jesus said in this world you will have tribulation nonbelievers as well as believers will face suffering but nonbelievers do not have the promise of Romans 828 which says God works all things together for good to those that love God and are called according to his purpose. That's what were told us the promise for the believer, he can work everything together for good. That doesn't mean he's gonna take bad things and make the bad things into good things. Now, it's always been a bad thing that your husband got cancer. It's always good to be a bad thing that your brother caught in a car accident is always going to be a bad thing, but God can bring good things out of it and you can glorify God. God only you can do this.

Only you can bring something positive out of a bad situation that is the hope for the believer. Paul said, I believe God. It will be just as he said do you believe God do you believe God if you put your faith in him.

If you put your faith in his promises today. Jesus said in John 316 for God so loved the world they sent his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have ever lasting life if you put your faith in Jesus, you will have eternal life to have the hope of heaven, and that hope of heaven will outweigh the fears of this earth. The fears that will happen is you're watching your TV screen all kinds of things are alarming and frightening.

Listen we have the hope of heaven, we have the hope of being reunion of big wonderful family reunion there together. That's the hope for the believer having a new life here on earth. When heaven comes to earth.

This can be amazing.

We look forward to that. But before we get there. We want to make sure were doing everything we can to change the world around us to point people to Jesus and that is the hope for the Christian, no is the hope of heaven. So if you have not yet put your faith in Christ and you don't hope have that hope of heaven. I like to extend you an invitation right here right now to put your faith in Christ. Would you pray with me. Heavenly father, we thank you for this book, we thank you for the testimony we read the boldness of the apostles, the boldness of the first century church Lord as we see the world around us. Today it seems that things have pretty much stayed the same. In some ways are better in some ways the worst. But the reality is it still a fallen world and were still living in a situation and and things surrounding us that are uncomfortable and make us afraid. The Lord, we know that we can take heart, because Jesus, you overcame the world. We love you were thankful for the sacrifice you made.

You died on the cross he rose again from the dead, and you prove you are who you said you were the son of God when he rose from the grave so now will or hedge about her eyes were closed were praying here together.

There may be some who have not put their faith in Christ who have not asked Jesus to be their Lord and Savior who did not have the hope of heaven who do not have the hope of eternal life. Listen if you would like to have that hope your today I want to extend to you this invitation. Wherever you are watching on the stranger in the sanctuary out of the courtyard harms Orange County harms colonial wherever you might be, would you just raise your hand up Nona lead you in a prayer wherever you are. Raise your hand up Nona lead you in a prayer you're saying.

That's me. I want to put my faith in Christ.

I want to know that when I die, go to heaven. Would you raise your hand up no lead you in the upper God bless you Douglas you return the front. The middle here in the back anybody else raise your hand up right can see it if you watching one of her other locations. Yeah, I can't see your hand but God sees her hand. This is a way of you saying I'm standing yes Lord I'm making this public profession, raise your hand wherever you are, will pray together to bless you Douglas you anybody on up on the balcony. Iago bless you. Anybody else, okay for those you raise your head.

Just I'll just invite you pray this prayer out loud after me in these words in your heart and goggles answer your prayer.

Pray this dear God, I know I'm a sinner but I know Jesus is the Savior who died on the cross for my sin.

I turned for my sin. Now I turned to you from this moment forward, fill me with your Holy Spirit. As I walk with you. In Jesus name I pray, amen.

Everybody, thanks for listening to this podcast to learn more about harvest ministries follow the show and consider supporting it. Just go to harvest.org and find out how to know God personally go to harvest.org and click on know God