20191207 | I Believe God | Pastor John Lomacang

now i am going to stick with the scripture reading because i believe they have that prepared but before we go into the sermon i will lay the foundation with a passage from the book of acts praise god acts chapter 27 verse 25 therefore take heart men for i believe god that it will be just as it was told me bow your heads with me gracious father in heaven thank you that the story hasn't changed you haven't changed your promises have not been altered the predictions you established centuries or millennia ago are still accurate and reliable today in an in a world that is continually changing it's good to know that we serve a god that never changes and our circumstances of life challenge us in this fluctuating environment we pray that we can focus on the unchanging god at a time of great international instability now we pray that your spirit will come and speak to our hearts and grant us the peace that each one of us is in need of but may that peace be based not on the flimsy emotion of the moment but on the reliable faith and trust that is found in anchoring our hope in you in jesus name i pray amen the book of acts chapter 27 is where our focus is going to be this morning the sermon begins in the morning it will end in the afternoon just a brief reminder acts chapter 27 has become one of my shall i say favorite reference points to what it means to stay in a journey with god and i would encourage you even after the message today that you go home maybe this afternoon or maybe tomorrow or when the storms of life come your way that you open your bible and read the entire story it is 44 verses of which i will not take the time to go through each one at certain points i would summarize the bridges but the main focus of the story will not be lost and the main purpose of the story will be reiterated and indicated and i thank god at the very outset of this message i thank god that in a changing world we can find our faith in our trust in a god that never changes i have never in my recollection and i've been around a little bit still a young man i have listened with ears that i believe are being reminded that in spite of what we see it is important to trust the god in whom we believe because you can be so discouraged i really don't care what network you watch there's not a one of them that's encouraging even when the weather is nice they relegate the weather for last they say there's a 10 chance of rain and why don't they say there's a 90 chance of sunshine and that's the kind of world we live in bad news always finds an opening and good news is often relegated to the back burner but one of the consistent indicators of changing seasons is changing weather the church has always survived changing weather because of the unchanging god on which the church has been founded can somebody say amen the church has never relied on consistent weather the seasons have come as we just heard from our elder that read the bible just before the prayer to every thing there is a season and a purpose for everything under heaven seasons come and seasons go there are seasons we favor there are seasons we could do without but seasons come and seasons go and the church has never relied on consistent weather the church of god has survived every type of weather because the church is founded on the unchanging foundation of christ jesus and i begin with that emphatic statement to let you know that we are living in an environment where the world is fighting the issues of the world of fighting for supremacy attempting to try to get us to change our course of allegiance in the midst of this horrific storm whether it is a political storm whether it is a financial storm whether it is a personal storm whether family storms or relationship storms or whatever storm you may face in life i've often discovered that people as one person said on his way out it was one of the saddest statements i heard this person said i still believe everything the seventh day adventist church teaches i just need a different emotional experience so i'm leaving for emotional reasons i'm leading i'm leaving because i need some more noise i need some more praise i don't disbelieve anything and i'm amazed that people in the midst of the storms of life allow what's whatever the storm may be they allow it to uproot their foundation and whatever is fighting for supremacy in their lives when it's not based on god's unchanging word it is going to get them to change their course one of the sad realities is we often back down in our walk with god we often stop trusting god when what we see overwhelms what we seem to be able to humanly endure that's why we are in the greatest danger what did i just say the greatest what we are in the greatest danger when what we see overrides who we believe now i want you to grab on to the hold onto that i didn't say we're in the greatest danger when what we see overrides what we believe because sometimes we have to change what we believe when it's not based on god's word but we never have to change who we believe because the lord never changes when our faith is anchored on god what we see should not determine the next action that takes place in our lives because if we change our course based on what we see we fail to learn from the lessons of the past for example when you study the bible as we had a chance to do this week ryan wasn't that a great study the book of daniel although a familiar book god took us back to the book of daniel a familiar place to remind us of the familiar things that we forgot the hebrews those in the old testament that remained faithful to god they did not remain faithful based on what they saw they remained faithful based on who they believed daniel did not falter when threatened with the lion's den because daniel didn't see the lion's den he saw the god that had power over the lion's den the hebrews did not falter in the presence of the fiery furnace because they did not focus on the furnace they focus on the only one that can hang out with them in the furnace when what we see overrides who we believe we are in the greatest danger paul and silas chose prison over compromise they threatened them with prison but paul and silas said if we sing as prisoners or if we sing while being involved in prison ministry we're going to sing anyhow anywhere and at midnight they had a song service that woke up everybody in the prison peter was incarcerated because his preaching angered the politicians and peter rather be in chains with god than walk around free without god my brothers and sisters ladies and gentlemen those of you listening and watching the sermon let me encourage you don't base the security of your future based on what you see base it on who you believe when we preach with eternity and view like paul did paul was not a man that disregarded or disrespected the governments of earth but he had more respect for the government of heaven and as as shady and as uncertain as the future is as as unstable as the future looks let me tell you in the midst of all this uncertainty there sits a silent god who is searching about how the future is going to unfold he's not caught off guard paul had more respect for the government of heaven while he did not disrespect the government of earth and regardless of all of his circumstances ryan paul preached with eternity in view we've got to preach with eternity in view we've got to live with eternity and view we've got to stay committed with eternity and view let me make a comparison that maybe drive the point home even more strong when a football player is on the field he doesn't mind getting hit because he has the goal with he has the goal in view and he knows he's going to get hit but he doesn't forget the reason he's on the field if the football player can endure the hits because he's got the goal in view come on ladies and gentlemen endure some of the hits and keep the golden view indoor hardship as a good soldier as what kind of soldier got to be good soldiers today christianity is becoming this marshmallow exercise this flimsy whipped cream commitment we tend to fail when the heat lamps melt the very fabric out of which we're made if you are a rock standing on the rock you will not falter when your foundation is shaken come on somebody got to be strong in the lord and in the power of his might we've got to put on the whole armor of god because when the holy spirit is directing our message we will find like the apostles and the prophets of old one we've got to make a decision between the powers of earth and the powers of heaven we must say as the apostles did we ought to obey god rather than man and the reason why the apostle paul had the same convictions is because he he shared the same god and the same message the storms of the last days demand dedication to the same jesus and to the same truth while we think about that even the seventh adventist church is not exempt from doctrinal controversy you listen there are so many things swirling in the in the in the um in the maze of mediocrity there's so many doctrines being challenged today but if your faith is in who you believe then his word is your foundation and so i want to encourage you to hold on because what's amazing is the sermon may encourage you today but it's what happens after you leave are you going to endure the challenges and trials of the week that are yet ahead of us are you going to be strong in the lord when you are the only one that's called to stand and stand firm we now open our bibles to the book of acts and i'm going to lay the foundation by pointing you to acts chapter 24. you'll notice it lays the foundation for why paul ended up where he did and why paul had the convictions that he did when paul was converted when paul had to stand in defense of his beliefs notice what the bible says acts chapter 24 and verse 1. now after five days ananias the high priest came down with the elders and certain and a certain orator named tertullius these gave evidence to the governor against paul you see paul was remanded into custody because of his dedication to god's service paul was maligned by the local powers that be because his power his allegiance was not with the local powers his allegiance was with the heavenly powers don't wait for people to always agree with you don't wait for the circumstances around us to always be in our favor if you wait for men on earth to be in favor with god to give you an atmosphere that you find comfortable that will never occur we've got to make our minds up that our determined allegiance is to the god that shares the same convictions we do because our convictions come from his word paul became a convict for his convictions they chained his hand and feet but they couldn't chain his mouth thank you karen paul's sentiments were expressed by the author in hebrews when he says in chapter 13 verse 6 so we may boldly say how church boldly say the lord is my helper i will not fear can you read the last part with me what can man do to me it's easy to read that but it's something all together different when you're faced with men that are intense and men that are maligning well the jewish leaders got drawn into the conviction of tethulius and they tried to find ways of shedding paul up also we find in acts chapter 25 verse 2 and 3 the next foundation the jewish leaders wanted paul dead at any cost and look at the setup acts chapter 25 verse two and three then the high priest and the chief men of the jewish of the jews informed him against paul and they petitioned him that is festus asking a favor against him that is a favor against paul that he would summon him to jerusalem while they lay in ambush along the road to do what to kill him they said festus do us a favor invite paul to come to jerusalem so that while he's traveling to jerusalem we'll we'll set an ambush on the road so when he passes the road familiar places in his journey that we know in the journey toward jerusalem he'll never get to jerusalem so make it seem nice for him go ahead and appeal to festus festus can help you but while you're on your way you'll never get to festus you see how men plot that's why when i read that i thought to myself until we get to heaven rosemary we will never know how many times the lord delivered us from plotting men verse 9 of acts 25 but festus wanting to do the jews a favor answered paul and said look at the setup are you willing to go to jerusalem and there be judged before me concerning these things are you willing to go paul are you willing to go to jerusalem i'll be glad to meet you there we can talk about it when you get there what's so amazing about this wrestle is god sees behind the scenes and that wonderful donald and that one god sees behind so while festus is setting paul up god said paul don't fall for it god is speaking to paul god is talking to paul letting paul know you need to do something other than what they're recommending that you do they want you to go jerusalem let me let me make this let me make this really clear jerusalem is a picture in the bible of the church in this particular setting jerusalem was a center where the church was at its highest point where all the offices were there the general conference was there you had the vice president were there all the all the exec executive committees were there and they made it appear as though paul goes to jerusalem as a jewish citizen then it's in his favor but what they did not tell paul is you'll never get to jerusalem they lied they laid and wait to kill him on the way that's why paul said what he did in the following verses let me turn to my bible there look at verse look at verse 10 and we'll slide all the way down to verse 12. then paul says i stand at caesar's judgment seat where i ought to be judged to the jews i have done no wrong as you very well know for if i am offender for if i am an offender or have committed anything worthy of death i do not object to dying wow if there is nothing in these things of which these men accuse me no one can deliver me to them and what did he say i appeal to caesar now this in itself is powerful because as a jew he could have easily appealed to his own but he decided to now insinuate or insert his roman citizenship are you ready oh this is powerful sometimes we can't even get justice from our own sometimes we talk to people that have the same beliefs we have and wonder why are they fighting with us like they are why do they act the way they do toward us paul said i know as a roman citizen i'll get a better chance appealing to a secular power than i would putting myself in your hands festus because you and the jews don't like me if i'm gonna die for the right reason because of something i've done wrong i'll be glad to die he was so willing to put his life on the line but he said you know you know i have done nothing wrong so there's no reason for me to go to jerusalem in other words why can't i talk to you about it right here i'm here you're here the lord revealed to paul that this is a setup don't go to jerusalem paul was not immediately sent to jerusalem it's amazing to me that they tried their best to discourage paul so instead of sending him directly to to rome they decided maybe we could shake his faith so look at acts chapter 26 so they sent paul to agrippa instead i want you to notice how the meander they they try to get him to change his mind so they send him someplace else maybe maybe when he goes to a gripper he'll change his mind well paul goes to agrippa and the holy ghost falls down on paul in front of agrippa and acts chapter 26 verse 1 and then then we're going to go to verse 28 in just a moment then agrippa said to paul acts 26 verse 1 you are permitted to speak for yourself so paul stret stretched out his hand and answered for himself and paul said in verse two i think myself happy king agrippa you know what's nice about that uh danielle he's about they're trying to kill him and he said i'm still happy how many of you stay happy when people are trying to kill you come on i know you're trying to kill me but i'm happy i'm all right i think myself happy king of work because today i shall answer for myself before you concerning all the things of which i am accused by the jews especially because you are expert in all customs and questions which i have to do with the jews therefore i beg you to hear me patiently and then paul adama paul dives into a sermon and he preaches so hard that verse 28 has been included on the heels of paul's appeal to that heart of agrippa then agrippa said to paul you almost persuaded me to become a christian that's a powerful sermon jason he is throwing down in the in the court of agrippa and in other words what gripper what a gripper is saying is i never knew that christianity could hold anybody so firm while their lives are on the line what i see in you i wish i saw in my own countrymen i mean your convictions are so great in the midst of the reality that you can lose your life if that's the kind of christian you are hot man i'm almost persuaded to be where you are oh my brother and my sister i wish our convictions are so great that in the midst of our trials people can say terry you are so faithful with all that's happening to you i should become a christian i'm almost persuaded because i don't have anybody to turn to like you and the jews don't like you festus is setting you up they're waiting to kill you on your way to jerusalem i don't really like you very much but man you're just not being shaken you almost persuaded me to join your movement but here's where gripper hung himself to be almost saved is to be totally lost to almost accept the truth is to totally reject it to almost accept lightest to remain in total darkness to almost receive jesus is to totally reject him to almost be saved is to be totally lost paul said in verse 32 because now you can see the bigger setup then agrippa said to festus this man might have been set free if he had not appealed to caesar and now we know based on what we read so far that it was never their intention tracy to set him free it was just another step in the attempt to set him up and to bring him down but he made it appear because paul is listening and he's saying to festus we would have set him free if he had not appealed to caesar they want to make him feel as though the decision you just made to go to caesar is not a good decision we're going to set you free but the lord impressed paul they would not ever set you free they're going to kill you so let's go ahead and take our journey and make our way to rome to appeal to caesar now we go to acts chapter 27 beginning with verse 1. and now the sermon begins paul decided let me set the setting up paul is now a prisoner he is handcuffed he is on his way on the boat all the chains are rattling as he's getting on the boat and paul is saying in his mind i would rather leave jerusalem in chains than in a box when you have to make a choice between chains and a box choose chains so he's happy he's on his way to rome he's getting on board acts chapter 27 verse one and when it was decided that we should sail to italy they delivered paul and some other prisoners to one name julius a centurion of the augustine regiment in the book acts of the apostles the servant of the lord gives us some insight behind the scene on page 439 listen to what she says she says in the first century of the christian era traveling by sea was attempted with particular hardship in peril mariners or or sailors directed their course largely by the position of the sun and stars and when these did not appear and there were indications of storms the owners of the vessels were fearful of venturing into the open sea during a portion of the year safe navigation was almost impossible setting setting it up they were getting to that time of the year where where at any moment a storm could break out but but if they were going to get to italy they better leave now because if they waited any longer it'll surely be unfavorable traveling weather they were on the cuspid it was the the fall was the the the the fall was summer was leaving and fall was coming in kind of like here in the midwest you could tell when the weather is getting bad because the fall is coming in or when the winter is leaving and spring is coming in when the seasons are changing it affects the weather and whatever affects the weather affects the traveling it affects the ocean so they decided if we're going to leave let's get on board and leave right now in verse 4 and says and when he had put to sea from there we sailed under the shelter of cyprus because the winds were what say it with me the winds were what contrary this is very significant every component of the story is very important because as christians we are all involved in a journey to freedom i want you to grab this paul was involved in a journey where he would eventually be free let me make it clear one day we will all be free from temptation one day we will all be free from hardship and difficulty and annoyances and pain and suffering and death it's okay to be in chains as long as we are on our way to freedom am i telling the truth if you have to endure the chains of this life stay on board because you are on your way to freedom paul did not care what he looked like he knew where he was headed he made an appeal to caesar because it was there that he was going to find his freedom but when the journey began the winds were contrary but i want to make it very clear if you're involved in your journey to freedom keep your mind set on the lord because god never said that we would not have to contend with contrary winds the winds are contrary some of the same challenges that confronted the early christian church confront the church today but when we follow the lord we cannot allow contrary winds to shake our faith look at verse 7. look at verse 7. when we had sailed how slowly many days and arrived with what difficulty off snydes the wind not permitting us to proceed we sailed under the what shelter of crete off salome notice the words difficult not permitting shelter difficult not permitting shelter let me tell you something the lord never said that following him would be easy but he did promise that as we travel there would be shelter a shelter in the time of you you've seen that before right storms all around us but in the midst of the storm there's a shelter in the time of storm why did not pick that as a song today i don't know the lord never said that following him would be easy but he did promise that following him would be worth it because at the end of the storm there are there are joys that are waiting for us that the iphone and the ipad could never compare to somebody help me out little tiny imbeciles call humanity creates a little iphone and we all lose our heart when paul in first corinthians 2 9 bring it up for me my brother look what paul says in first corinthians 2 9 you get enamored by this little device that's going to be just be temporary and going to die he said but that is as it is written i have not seen nor ear heard nor have entered into the heart of man the things which god has prepared for those that do what love him when you love the lord that iphone or that ipad cannot distract you from your allegiance to the un unflinching constant god that we serve it's amazing it's amazing how sometimes in the midst of a sermon i've got to contend with an iphone or an android phone or some device sometimes i'm preaching and i see people's heads down and i'm thinking lord i hope that they are looking through the electronic scriptures but that's the reason why i use the bible because i'll never get a i'll never get a like while i'm turning in the bible amen somebody going to send me a instant message the only message i want to get is the message from god's word come on son it's so high so hard when you have this electronic device that right next to the real book is facebook and you have to decide which one is more important at this juncture and the devil has a friend that sends you a like request from scandinavia somewhere in the midst of a point that the devil is trying to get you to miss get a bible come on somebody get a bible the battery in the bible will never die because it's always plugged in it's the living word come on somebody say that's not in my notes by the way i don't know where that came from praise god for that paul understood that we are on a journey to freedom and just ahead of us as the songwriter says just over the mountain and the promised land lies the holy city built by god's own hand why did they take that song out of the hymnal i don't know we are nearing home we are nearing home see the splendor gleaming from the domes afar see the glory streaming through the gates of jar very soon we'll enter never more to rome hear the angels singing we are nearing home would somebody get some sense and put that back in hymn no yes dig out one of those old hymnals the christian journey is not for the faint-hearted but for the faithful acts chapter 27 verse 8 to 10. keep your eyes on the eternal forget about the temporary verse 8 says passing it with what difficulty we came to a place called fair havens near the city of lacia now when much time had been spent and sailing was now dangerous because the fast was already over i don't know if you caught that if you spend too much time in the pleasurable places that's what the devil does he gets you locked into the fair havens and you stay there so long in the fair havens enjoying the pleasures of life that by the time you decide to take your journey it's dangerous let me make a point here christians that are joining the church in the last days are joining the church during the dangerous time of the church and the servant of the lord says those things that we have had to learn 30 40 years ago in a peaceful environment they will be forced to learn in an adverse environment the things that we had to learn when there were no conflicts when when politics was peaceful when politicians spoke like politicians when people respected each other when they spoke like gentlemen and by the way i'm not just talking about this administration we had a man named nixon and there's a whole lot of others whose garbage you don't know that's why i say don't look at men because a whole lot of garbage is all in that political from every president had garbage that's why i have to keep our eyes on jesus but people that are coming into the church in these last days will be given a short amount of time to learn what it took us 30 years to understand so don't be enamored don't allow your attention to spend too much time at the fair havens you know the fair havens represent the fear havens represent that comfortable place where everything is easy they have enough food at the fair havens enough entertainment at the fair havens a large supply of just in case the storm hits and they can't leave they got a supply of food but paul says we got to get to rome they stayed there too long that's why it says passing with difficulty we came to a place called fair havens verse nine now when much time had been spent they were there too long and sailing was now dangerous because the fast was already over that paul advised them saying men i perceive that this voyage will end with disaster and much loss not only of the cargo and the ship but also our lives can i make an insert right here this statement made by paul is going to be different than the statement he's going to make later on because in the beginning of the journey paul was looking at the weather paul was looking at the weather that's why he said it's going to be dangerous we might lose the ship we might lose the cargo and we'll also lose our lives in the beginning paul based his faith on what he saw not on whom he believed but when you followed the story it was not until the weather intensified that the lord change paul's perspective why do i say that because sometimes god has to take us through intense storms to change our perspective can i build on that a little bit aussie sometimes god has to say i know what you think but let me show you what the word says sometimes god says to us i know what your circumstances look like but let me change your perspective to help you see it's not your circumstances that should bring you discouragement it's the god in whose faith is your trust is anchored that will bring you success that'll let you know that what you're seeing is not how it's going to end up so god allowed them to get on board and go further into this into this journey into this into this destiny to help them see it is in the intensifying storms of life that god doesn't change but we change and i make reference to daniel daniels 6 verse 16 look at what happened this was made in the den not out the den so the king gave the command and they brought daniel and cast them into the den of lions but the king spoke saying to daniel what did he say let's read it together your god whom you serve monthly come on now i'm gonna mess with you you're god whom you serve only on sabbath when you come to church late i'm gonna mess with you some of you don't like to serve god continually because it's based on your schedule well let me make a point here i'm messing with you but i'm trying to wake you up if you don't serve god continually your line then experience may not turn out the same way because he didn't say the god whom you serve he said the god whom you serve continually so you have to ask yourself the question is nine o'clock too early on sabbath morning and seven o'clock late on monday morning i'm not looking at anybody get to work at 7 31 on monday morning i'm sorry i'm late come to church at 9 30. i'm early two hours later it's amazing to me that folk can't come to sabbath school on sabbath morning and they are planning to go to heaven where service will never end but it's just too early for me let me tell you something if there's any break that we need in our lives from the humdrum pressures of the week it is putting putting time aside to worship god when the opportunity to study his word is made available amen those are the time doesn't matter who's leading out the study it could be joe it could be ryan it could be terry it could be me it doesn't matter who's leading out it doesn't matter who's leading if you're hungry do you go to the restaurant and say who's working today do you do you go to mcdonald and say is jeffrey in the kitchen come on help me out who's cooking today i don't want any food because jeffrey's not cooking no you say i'm hungry give me some chinese food do you want to ask the name of the chef some of you go to restaurants you don't know what they're feeding you but you don't ask the name of the chef i'm always amazed when people say who's preaching the sabbath it doesn't matter who's preaching the sabbath if the word of god is being divided that's what matters am i telling the truth well i'm gonna go someplace else because my favorite preacher your favorite preacher it should be your favorite approach to god's word not the man don't ever place your your hunger on who's cooking place it on you're hungry and that's not in my sermon either look what happened verse 14 to 15. that's why the changing storms demand unchanging allegiance the journey change for the worse it went from contrary to a full strength storm verse 14 but not long after a tempestuous wind arose called what you rock in verse 15. so when the ship was caught and they could not head into the wind what did they do oh this is power what did they do we let her drive oh man where's joel bryan when i need an amen oh my brothers and sisters i wish i had i'm not going to do this but i wish i had two hours to preach a sermon i'm not going to do it because some of you are going to go to west frankfort if i do that but i want to make a point right here because i cannot let it go sometimes we've got to get to the the reason why the lord allows storms to intensify is so that you can recognize that you are not in control you gotta let go and let the ship that god is in control let her drive did you get it we let her drive i'm not driving anymore she's driving why because god is directing his church can i get an amen somewhere god is directing his church all the foolishness that's tossing this church around we are going to be put into straight places hard places this church from the top to the bottom is going to go through a shaking you ain't never seen for god to let us know that it's his church his son died to save this church his son died to put this church on a solid foundation his son rose so that the foundation cannot be destroyed but so often we are driving the church that's why god sent the storm paul you are not in charge of where the ship is going i am and when the storm comes remember that text god is letting her drive the christian church of the last days is in the storm of its life but here's where we have to revisit the question see i like to break things down help me out i like to break i like to get into that because we've heard the word storm have you heard the word storm have you heard the word storm before let's revisit a very familiar word what is a storm can i explain it to you you might say i know what a storm is but let me let me mess with your intellect today a storm occurs when environmental disturbances occur that are beyond human control why does god bring storms to let you know that there are certain things in life donald that you cannot control so let him take over i've never read anywhere in the bible where god called somebody for help amen stephanie god never said we we need help i read where people call god for help but i don't see a single scripture where god called for help what is a storm when opposing natural forces collide in a battle for supremacy that means when the that means when the high pressures collide with the low pressures and they begin to disturb each other that means when the high-minded collide with the low life that means when people have who think they're up here have to deal with people that think they're down here come on help me out that means when you want to stay up here and they like being down there and they collide and a storm occurs a disturbance happens when the northern temperatures clash with the southern temperatures when the cold seasons hit the warm seasons and they clash together the storm is formed let me make it clear we are surrounded by storms we just came from australia where the divinity of jesus and the nature of the holy spirit is being storm tossed people are saying that jesus was created and that the holy spirit is the third force not the third person of the godhead there's storms all around us political rhetoric is challenging scriptural integrity there's a storm all around us women's ordination is a low pressure issue in a high pressure environment there's storms all around us rome is now favored in america more than ever before the supremacy of the pope is recognized on a global scale unity on political issues has eclipsed allegiance to god's word and like the church of old religion is calling us to unite on the smallest issues rather than the issues of eternal importance the storms are all around us we must let the ship drive in selected messages book 2 page 391 servant of the lord says when you think that the work is in danger pray lord stand at the wheel carry us through the perplexity bring us safely into port have we not reason to believe that the lord will bring us through triumphantly do you have any reason to believe that we can triumph in christ yes you know why you're still here so let me wind up the message with the recommendations on how we can come through the storm victoriously now i told you i'm not going to go through the whole story so a lot of you said he's only in verse 14 there are 44 verses i'm winding up please no hallelujahs at this point but there is something that each one of us must do in the midst of the storms what did i say there's something that we must do in the midst of our storms why i save this for the latter part of the sermon the first thing we have to do is found in verse 19 verse 19 of acts chapter 27. now set it up here's the setup the storm is intensifying they cannot control the wind they have cargo on board that's making it difficult for the ship to stay in control and god is impressing them as to what to do because the sailors have stopped eating they're all discouraged there's some of them on board that are trying to leave and paul made it clear don't let them off the ship this is all in the story there's some people that said we're going to go down so they're trying to sneak off the ship and paul said last night when i was sleeping the lord told me some of you trying to get off the boat so the lord told him to tell watch this he's a preacher in chains and now he's given the captain of the ship instructions he said to the captain of the ship cut off all the ropes so that nobody can get off the ship oh my brother this a powerful point because there are ropes that are hanging around us that the devil is trying to get us to hold on to and climb off the ship paul says cut off the ropes whatever rope you're holding on that the devil wants you to use to get off the boat cut off the rope so that we can all stay on board here's the reason why paul made it clear unless we all abide in the ship together we cannot be saved we need every department how many departments every department is needed every function is needed somebody once said and i like this you know i don't i don't know how they relegate this and i'm not making one more important than the other but if you but if you think that the janitorial work of the church is not important let the janitor quit you'll notice it right away if you think running audio doesn't matter let them mess up you'll notice it right away if you think the things that you don't see functioning stop functioning you'll notice it right away don't ever make hello all right okay see you thought i had the power but they have the power all right just a reminder i'll be nice that's my point we all work together to make each other accomplish a work and a power that's above us each one of us has gifts that god has given every one of us these gifts that we can function together don't ever think your gift is more important than somebody else's because god has given all of us a gift that we can all work together but there's something that paul was instructed by them to do because day after day the storm began to intensify and the bible says in acts chapter 27 and verse 19 notice what happened on the third day on what day that's powerful we threw the ship's tackle where overboard with what without what without what oh here i come chris you ready but make me say this right you got to clean up your own life right karen if you're waiting for the pastor to come up over your house and tell you what you shouldn't watch and what you should not read and the internet websites to which you should not go your own hands have to be involved in your own salvation he that hath this hope in himself in him purifies himself even as he is pure you see god cleans us up but it's our actions of life that will determine whether the cleaning that he instituted remains in place by our own hands they had to look at their lives and determine that if we don't get rid of these things if we don't throw these things out of our lives it's going to put our ship in jeopardy let me ask you the question do you ever feel like your ship is in jeopardy that's the reason why because there are things in your life that god is saying you need to throw overboard can you get can i can you see it if you don't throw these things overboard some people try to be saved with all their junk that's why the lord is not coming back for our junk he's coming back for us that's why when jonah was on board that this this that disobedient prophet in order for them to be saved the lord said throw him overboard i don't want to i don't want to build too much on that but there's some people in your life that you need to throw overboard i won't tell you who they are i don't mean literally overboard don't try to drown anybody i'm simply saying there's certain people in your life that won't do you any good you got to get rid of them in order for your journey to be a safe one amen somebody but there are certain things in your life you have to throw overboard and in the day of final account each one of us will give an account according to our works the hands we got to use our own hands to better our circumstances if what is in our lives is hindering our journey throw them overboard with your own hands nobody will say on the day of final account well the pastor didn't help me do this oh my brother the lord will say did did not you know that this was in your life didn't i instruct you to throw it overboard so my instruction is clean out your own life nobody will be responsible for your destruction or your salvation but you now verse 34. what else were they told to do and these are these are difficult things these are difficult things verse 34. they were losing heart therefore i urge you to take what take nourishment to take what nourishment why let's say it together for this is for your what survival when lord lord i don't know the answer and i know this probably sounds like when i do it sometimes you guys get charlie brown ears when i say this when will you come to the realization that the study of god's word is for your survival in the midst of that storm he said take nourishment he didn't say this is for your entertainment he said this is for your what survival we are so enamored by entertainment that if it doesn't thrill us it doesn't interest us can i say that again if it doesn't appeal to the endorphins in our body if we don't get an emotional feeling from it it doesn't even get our attention we are so over saturated by social things that we think the same feeling has to attend studying god's word that's not the case the study of god's word must be a principle practice in our lives because it is not for our entertainment nor our satisfaction it is for our what survival only those the servant of the lord says in great controversy only those whose minds have been fortified by the truth of god's word will stand through the last great conflict how can you say thus saith the lord when you don't even know what the lord says we have adventists that don't study their bible and they're completely satisfied with that they don't come out when the study of the word of god is they're perfectly clear to dismiss themselves some of you are going to be lost in the sight of all the nourishment some of you can walk to church and don't come to church on wednesday nights 183 hours of bible studies have taken place in that room for the last seven years i've never seen the face of some of you ever 183 hours how can you make up for that when the trials of life snatch you in the midst of the inception of the time of trouble what we fail to do in times of peace we will find that when the blast of winter comes it will be seen that we are not evergreen trees and our trees and our leaves will fade only those who have taken the time to nourish themselves and i know your schedule is busy but for god's sake you don't think we all live in a busy schedule yes but if you don't take the time to nourish yourself you will die you will starve to death and you will not know until what what the prophet said there's a famine coming not a famine for bread or thirst for water but for the hearing of the word of god he said when that comes they'll search from the east to the west to the north to the south and they'll not find it the fair maiden the young man they'll faint my brothers my sisters in this time of relative peace don't allow the boob tube or the phone or the entertaining devices in your home or even the comfort of your couch or even the resuscitate of relaxation to say that one hour is too much time to study god's word while i'm here pleading with you i take i urge you to take nourishment for this is for your survival and the inspiration of god made it clear now since not a look at look at what paul says differently now he said you might lose your life but look what he says now since not a what not a here will fall from the head of any of you you're going to go through storms you're not going to lose your life but you have to nourish yourself because it's for your survival the last two the last two verse 35 this is where your leaders have to set an example and i'm going to speak to leaders now because some of you leaders are not leading by example some of you have a content with the name of an office that doesn't function your own life it's a travesty that we take leaderships positions and don't even let our example be the telling influence of what we call ourselves to be paul set an example by eating so that they could see that if you if the leader is eating you can eat look at what he said in verse 35 and when he had said these things he took bread and gave thanks to god where in the presence of them all and when he had broken it he began to eat you know when he did that they started eating here's my point leaders you want to be an elder be an elder but lead by example you want to be a deacon you want to be in any position that we hold in this church lead by example don't expect anybody to do what you yourselves are not willing to do paul says look i'm in chains i'm going to eat when he started eating they started eating read the story he had to show them that is this i may look like i'm in chains and sometimes i tell you as your pastor i feel like it i felt like i'm in chains like i'm like i'm incarcerated in my own desire to see you grow but i want to tell you this please continue to pray for me that in your presence i will always eat god's word so that i could encourage you to do the same and lastly and i told you i can't tell you the whole story but i'm ending on this point i'd like to invite the praise team to come up there about 30 something verses that you need to go home and understand are important because when you read the story the one thing that kept that boat from sinking or being driven in the wrong direction when you read the story is in the midst of the storm they dropped their anchor what do they do say it again they dropped their anchor we have an anchor that keeps us strong steadfast and sure while the billows are we've got an anchor can you say amen they put down their anchor they put down their anchor and when they couldn't see the stars when they couldn't see the stars on the 14th day when they waited and they continued without food and they didn't eat anything they kept on trusting god this story is powerful to describe the journey that we're all in but here's the crux of the entire sermon when you're listening to the news and it doesn't have anything in it to give you hope one the man that you voted for has has stolen your affections from the god that you serve when it seems as though tomorrow has no answer and you dread the very thought of what's going to happen the next day when you just came back from your doctor's appointment and he said there's a chance there's a chance that you might have cancer when you just got a message from your children and they said mom it's getting worse it's not getting better when there's turbulence in your own family and no matter how hard you pray it seems like the ceiling is brass [Music] it is in those moments that you gotta dig way down deep and in the darkness of that uncertainty you've got to say lord give me a reason to keep going in verse 25 is where paul in the midst of the blasts of uncertainty the darkness of night the instability of the vessel and i tell you our vessel is more unstable by the moment but i tell you god is still in control of it paul said in verse 25 [Music] therefore take heart this is not the hour to lose your trust and with with uncertain eyes eyes that pretty much spell doom he's looking into the eyes of experienced sailors who are thinking for themselves at this very moment this could be my last journey i've never encountered a storm like this there were two reasons for that storm one the devil still was intent on killing paul he wanted to kill him before he got to his place where he could find freedom that's the reason why storms come the devil is trying to prevent you from the destiny that god has set for you where the freedom that you hold for and the relief that you prayed for is just ahead of you you got to hold on through the storms can you say amen hold on through the storms and here's the reason why for i believe god it's going to be just as it was told to me not what you told me know what the conference told me not what the politicians told me but what god told me just not an eye order will fail from it it's going to be just as it was told to me it's going to look like the church is going to fall but it's not it's going to be just as it was told to me bright lights are going to go out but i'm still on my throne it's going to be just as told to me your children may look like they're going to be lost but i'll pull them in before the curtain goes down it's going to be just like it was told to me your doctor may tell you you're going to die but i am the resurrection and the life it's going to be just as it was told me brethren hold on because god wrote the story and nobody can edit it nobody can change the end result because at the end of revelation he said even so come lord jesus and john ends with the salutation amen it's going to be just it was as it was told me it's going to be stormy can be challenges in your finances your life your emotions your family even of your own they're going to be people rising up to try to dissuade you and direct you into false doctrines but if it's not here it won't be but if it's here it'll be just as it was told me so i'm calling you today as this year is winding up we've had a whole lot of stuff i've been around long enough i came as a young man with jet black here i got gray now but i ain't going in a different direction any direction that god is not leading me i'm not going i want to encourage you today this is there somebody here today that says i am going to believe god that it will be just as it was told to me if you want to hold on in that respect why don't you stand with me you're not going to listen to the pundits impeach or not you are not looking at the man on the planet democrat or republican oh no the government is on his shoulder and i'm speaking that way because some of our brethren oh lord have mercy are so constipated with politics that they need a colon cleanse and i mean that spiritually they need to make room for jesus to put himself there they can't even help themselves even at work even in the halls of three ap and you hear it just like could you talk about christ can we show the world jesus amongst ourselves can be can we be unified in the mission of heaven yes because all the kingdom daniel knew it he told nebuchadnezzar it's gold but it's coming down it's civil but it's going to pass away it's meadow it's persian it's brass it's going to be removed and iron is going to be in its place and as strong as iron is there's a stone on the way and his name is jesus today i believe god can you say that with me together i believe god not in him not about him i believe him and if you don't believe him you don't have what it takes to make it i believe him and when i see him come and say lord thank you for being who you are i believe you that's why i'm here i don't know if you thought about it i have an imagination that don't quit sometimes and i know the saved of the age is it's going to be a long line i don't think it'll be alphabetical or not but i'll look for you there's going to be a long line and stephanie's going to be taller than and some of y'all going to be slimmer then i'm not looking at anybody some of y'all are going to overcome your cantankerous attitude some of you are going to overcome your your your your whatever you're facing we've got to overcome it all to be in that number and nobody is closer to that number than jesus so i'm going to stay on board i'm going to buckle down marlena i'm a ride out the storm we got to be in there we got to be there we got to be there when i walk through the gates into the new jerusalem and i'm ushered to my table by one of the angels i'm looking for my name tag john loma kang angela loma kang we're going to sit together we're going to look at each other and say we made it i may have whispered that but that's the most beautiful thing i'm looking forward to we made it and we're going to see a shadow overtake overtake the setting of the saved we're going to see a glorious light before we see the son of god we're going to see the streets begin to glitter with the with the magnificent beauty of the majesty of the only sinless one and he's going to come out and he's going to say i'm glad you believe me and i believe that at a single moment there's going to be a hush before the celebration i believe there's going to be a hush a holy hush when we recognize that we have all been saved by grace we'll finally see ourselves as jesus has always seen us as he said ayan it has not yet been revealed what you shall be but we do know that when he is revealed we will be like him but we'll see him as he is is that your desire we're about to go and dive into 2020 and that's another year closer to the end if you think 2019 was controversial wait till 2020. the devil knows he has a short time he's going to come after your home your marriage your family your finances your worship your faith everything there's nothing off limits but if you believe god i like what paul says and this is my ending quote i could preach a message of peace and safety but i know better the words of the apostle paul i believe god that it should be just as it was told me i can tell you that the world's economy will stabilize and there'll be a job for everybody but i believe that it'll be just as it was told me i can report to you that our political leaders have found the resolution in terrorism hunger crime war and disease but i believe god it would be comforting to preach that one day all of humanity will suddenly have suddenly have a change of heart and all mankind will be converted but that's not the case i believe god to the skeptic that doubts that jesus will return i believe god to the atheist that doubts that god exists i believe god to the christian that thinks that jesus has forgotten us come on together i believe god i want you to sing that song for me because the only way that you're going to believe god is to let him have his way in your life that's right while we sing that song if you want to pray special prayer just start playing selfie have dino if you want to pray today special prayer i want you to come down here and just going to have a short prayer i'm not going to hold you for hours i'm not going to hold you long but i believe we're at a juncture in our walk with god [Music] and we need to let him have his own way in our lives as the piano plays softly i want to have us bow our hearts before god this morning this afternoon and just ask him to give us that strength to stay on board you know what's amazing about that old ship of zion it doesn't look like it's really built out of endurable material but it's not what the ship is made of what is god is made out of that's right don't put your hope in the way the church looks in its aesthetics in its building and its size and its structure and its unity and all of its institutions and all of its veracity don't put your faith in what it looks like put your faith in the god who built it it's his church and the gates of hell will not prevail our heads about my father and our god [Music] we've been traveling in storms your church has been from the day that you established it the powers of earth and of hell have attempted to stamp out the church but it's still on the surface still floating on the oceans and the waves of your promises is established there and jesus is at the helm of the ship lord we pray that we can take this message of paul and do what he has encouraged us to do stay on board cut off the ropes don't allow any rope to be the reason why you climb off for if the ship is being tossed what will your end be if you abandon the master of the ship we pray lord that we can examine our lives and begin to throw overboard those things that are cluttering our time cluttering our hearts that's just controlling us keeping us away from nourishing ourselves for the survival that we will need finally lord we pray that we will not worry that we will pray and leave the results in your hand [Music] our children we have put in your hands wayward as some of them are on the journey of their own desires father we pray that you will not allow any of them to destroy themselves if need be throw them overboard out of their own journey that they may be saved block their attempts to destroy themselves that they may be saved i pray for our leaders that we will lead by example father forgive us where we have disappointed the calling of our lives and help us as this year is closing bowing its head and this record will be there to revisit in the judgment may we have clean hands and a pure heart may we throw overboard the distractions that keep us away from the strength that you desire to fill our hearts and lives may our families be united in worship may we take the time as husbands to be the priest of our home and if there's a priest missing may we take the lead as the mother to raise our children the way they should go if we are single a single young lady or a single young man may our dedication be just as secure as we open the living word and find nourishment in our relationship with you and so lord carry us we just have a few more days before this year is checked off in history may it end with our history being wiped away by the blood of the lamb and may we enter into the promise of another year because we believe you finally father when the day comes that we see you face to face may our joy be full we pray for our husbands we pray for the wives that are not saved the husbands that are not saved the children that are not saved do whatever you must to save them and may our faith in you not fail or faint but help us to trust you even though what we see doesn't make sense and father if there's something i fail to ask this afternoon please do not fail to grant it have your own way because we have opened the door to invite you to come in this we pray this we desire this we long for may we love each other with an everlasting love may there be unity in this fellowship may there be no division amongst us in jesus name i pray and i ask all these things amen and amen

Channel: Thompsonville Seventh-day Adventist Church

Views: 16,653

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Id: wcNLyZjgBm8

Length: 80min 50sec (4850 seconds)

Published: Sat Dec 07 2019