The Boat - Pastor Dave Jones

so can you turn with me please to the Gospel of Matthew the Gospel of Matthew chapter 14 Matthew 1 4 and verse 22 immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side while he dismissed the crowd very often when you read the Gospels you focus on the literal words that Jesus is teaching and rightly so and we focus on miracles that he's doing and healings that he's performing etc etc you tend to focus on those two activities the commands he's given loved the Lord with all your God with all your heart and you focus on these things because you you understand them and you and you focus on the miracles he does because it's it's illuminating on the supernatural things but often what we tend to miss is the the stuff in the narrative that links everything together but what you have to remember that everything Jesus does is important yeah he's not just a man going about his business Jesus says everything he does is what his father's told him to do and sometimes the the the links in the narrative we can sort of miss and think well that that's just the gospel writer just giving a bit of descriptive narrative of what's happening as though we were reading a novel know everything Jesus does is important what's Jesus doing here he makes the disciples get into a boat he makes them get into a boat he doesn't suggest it he doesn't say you know lads that bullet looks nice shall we go for a boat ride round Windermere have you ever done that it's nice intent but I mean I've done that Carolyn and I once hired a little welly they call it a speedboat but we got overtaken by several ducks I don't know what engine was in that boat but it certainly weren't as fast as I could swim but and it was nice but it was just something we did it was just a nice activity on a nice day actually it wasn't a nice day it was raining but we were there so we did it and we just did it because something nice to do everything God does Jesus says every letter of the Bible the smallest yacht the tittle the tiniest little Mark's everything's there by specific design of God to show us something he made his disciples get into a boat I wonder if they all wanted to get into a boat I wonder if some of them couldn't swim I mean you won't want to get into a boat on Galilee if you couldn't swim would you I wonder if it what I wonder what the bull was like I mean if it's like one of those luxury cruise liners I'm up for that I've got a few people aware this you know it's holiday season I know some people are on cruises I'm all I'm fine for that but it wasn't it was a little rowboat there to sit on each other's knees probably you know sit on a fisherman's need oh yeah smell of fish what what does God try and get us to do what are we doing what God told us to do if I said this morning right you luck there's a boat outside of really get in the boat I know usually imagination I know there's no River but if there was you know if isn't right canal come on we're all getting in a dinghy in the canal I can guarantee 90% a year good oh that's not me that's not my calling yeah it's good I'm glad everyone else has up for it but it's just not me you know cuz that's how we interpret things but Jesus made them get into a boat look guys we're getting into a boat oh it looks a bit stormy I would get in the boat while he dismisses the correct route I was reading this again this week and I thought I'd just look in the Gospels four Gospels how many times does Jesus make them get into a boat it's not seven now but it might be that specific phrase who knows I have to check that any ideas I want shout out a number Jesus made him get into a bow I asked people to shout out a number no I'm not doing that you must be kidding shouting out numbers what do you think I am a Christian you want 10 no more than that 20 no more than that more than 30 no it's over 40 times in the Gospels okay now it's not always the literal phrase he made them get into a boat sometimes it's Jesus got into the boat and the disciples followed image it's sometimes a slightly different phrase Jesus made them put him in a boat and push out from the sea this there's lots of different phrases but but the inference is still the same thing Jesus says right we get in in a boat you're coming making them off follow me or we going to the other side let's get in this boat it's over 40 times do you think you would be getting a message of something if God would get telling you to do the same thing over and over again 40 times there's a lot of taught you know I mean it don't work with everything you know kids do the dishes that's been said more than 40 times in my house and it they still don't get the message but do we get the message I'm gonna look at some of these instances this morning why why this thing why is this such an emphasis immediately right we've got to get into a boat now you may have noticed this morning this is a lot heavier than it looks can you all remember what that is put your hand up if you remember what this is you see this is why God does things over and over again because God's people generally I'm gonna clue what God's on about even though he's said it because this was given to me publicly here a few weeks ago so most of you must have seen it maybe not all of you so put your hand up if you saw this given to me a few weeks ago there's a lot more now now I've explained what he was rotten and Paul the the pastor from India of a very large Church in India he put a garment a golden robe on me and he gave me this yeah can you all remember that you don't think it would have bit odd it's like you know I've got a guest coming from India what's he gonna give me perhaps a nice curry you know perhaps something Indian you know and one of those you know porcelain elephants that they had like one of those we like elephants in our house we've got a few elephant ornaments you know something Indian you think it'll give me something Indian wouldn't you it gives me a boat that looks like a looks like a bit like the Cutty Sark doesn't make a British you know British trade ship that used to travel the Seas to Australia and back it looks like one of those type of sailing ships to me and the thing is we picked them up from the airport and they only had two little cases each this must have took up the whole of one case it's actually quite heavy why did he give me a boat what's that you see I ran and Paul is a very very prophetic man he actually sends me emails he sent me another one yesterday and whenever he sends me an email he always he always attaches a prophetic word to the email I was praying for you this morning brother and God gave me this and he'll give me a scripture he's that kind of person very spiritual person the thing is what most of you might not know what some of you might know is I've had lots of prophecies about ships in fact yoli confirm one to me and for years everything and what's this about ships I don't particularly like ships they're okay but it's not something that I've focused on there I've been reading this again this week Jesus made them get into a boat what the ships do they move from one place to another don't they they I don't if I'm sure you all know what ships do are you getting into the boat are you a disciple which boy are you in do you know every dispensation of the Bible God put people in boats have you noticed that over and over again in the Bible you will find at some strategic prophetic point in the Bible a boat crops up and whether someone's in that boat or not in that boat or what they're doing on that boat or which boat they're in is a very prophetic sign of whether they're right with God or not hello I'm you know Noah's Ark yeah Jonah on the boat yeah lots of the more you look at it the more you realize over and over again God is very interested in which boat you're on very interested he needs to know whether you're in the boat or not because whether you're in the boat or not depends on your future depends on your ministry depends on your survival a person's survival was often linked to what boat they were in are you in the boat do you know what I'm talking about have you got a clue what we're looking about this morning get in into the board which boat are you in what are we going to do about it look at Genesis 7 verse 13 God starts the narrative of all things in Genesis with the creation of abort yeah we call it Noah's Ark but it's abort okay Noah spent hundred twenty years or so building the ark a long time to build a boat yeah but you know what 120 years anyone lived that long you know so that's that's something you if you've been doing something 120 years you'd be pretty well aware of what that was wouldn't you you know like some of you you know you've been cleaning the house four hundred twenty years you know what it feels like 120 years he'd been building the boat but he'd never got in the boat except to do repairs and fix things he'd never been sailing in the bog on that very day Noah and his son Shem ham Japheth together with his wife and the wives of his three sons entered the ark one day they got in the boat yeah hundred twenty years is a long time to be building a boat to finally get in it you would probably think that you're never gonna get in this boat wouldn't you oh that's a lovely boat but it's in the middle of a desert we're not you know it's just that it must be like an emblem or it must be a prophetic symbol we're not actually gonna get any and sail our way yes that day one day would come where God would say right get in that boat one day came when Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee and he said to his disciples right get in that boat one day God is gonna come to you and he's gonna say right get in the boat would you know what he were talking about no one knew had been waiting in 20 years the disciples knew because the first thing that they actually did for Jesus was give him their boat did you know that you read the gospel stories Jesus went down Peter gave him his boat that was before he was called to be an apostle before he was a disciple in the first interaction that the Apostles had with Jesus was that they let Jesus come into their boat but then Jesus puts them in the boat are you in the boat which brought to you in could he be today God wants to get you in the boat could you already be in the boat if so where are you going and what are you doing in the boat the boat is a very strong symbol it's often a picture of the church it's one of those mysteries of the Bible you know in proverbs chapter 30 he says there are four things that are mysterious too hard to understand the way of a serpent on the rock the way of Satan in the church churches the rock Satan is the serpent the way of a man with a maiden the way that Jesus is with his bride very mysterious never fully understand it the way of a boat on the sea why is that mysterious it's don't mean mysterious is because she don't understand it it means its of the mysterion's it's a mystery of God that he wants us to understand it's a principle that God wants us to grasp in his word the Church in Christ the bride and the bridegroom Satan attacking the church it's not a mystery we should be aware of the devil schemes we should be aware of the way of a boat on the sea because it's a picture of your life and your ministry it's very much a picture of the way the church is supposed to operate and how we are to function we could preach a whole series on this but I just want us to look at some very specific things so let's go to Matthew 8 verse 23 Matthew 8 and verse 23 totally different set of circumstances here but the same things happening again you'll notice now I've told you this every time you read the Gospels you'll notice over and over again how often this happens then he got into his boat and his disciples followed followed him then a furious storm comes up and I'm sure we know the story we'll look at this in a moment but first thing to understand do you know Jesus wants you to follow him are you a disciple are you a disciple not are you a believer lots of believers around not so many disciples around a disciple is someone who is disciplined in following Jesus they make a conscious conscious effort daily to follow a God where God is going that day where was Jesus going he's going in a boat the believers followed him no the believers didn't follow him the disciples followed him are you a disciple or are you just a believer he just spoke to thousands of people most of them believed but only the disciples got in the boat and followed him you see God says go into all the world to make disciples not gather believers God is looking for disciples people who will follow him the only way you can follow Jesus is by getting into the boat because that's where Jesus is can we see that well I follow Jesus well then you've got in the bull then yeah if you're not in the book you're not following Jesus it's self-evident yeah let's read the next then suddenly a furious storm I mean suddenly bang right he gets in the boat a storm comes a furious storm came up on the lake so that the waves swept over the boat but Jesus was sleeping the disciples went and woke him saying lord save us we're going to drowned he replied you of little faith why are you so afraid then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves and it was completely calm the men were amazed and asked what kind of man is this even the wind's and the waves obey Him when you become a disciple of Jesus Christ you get in the boat when you get in the boat life is just rosy and everything's fine and there's no more problems in life and everything will be wonderful no not if you get in the boat you see the minute you decide to get in the boat trouble is gonna hit unfortunately the Christian world today is so twisted the gospel that they've made the gospel out to mean that if you follow Jesus and become a disciple you'll become healthy and wealthy and happy and everything will turn out right well that isn't what happened to the disciples now ultimately everything turns out alright we know that we know ultimately they are filled with joy and the Holy Spirit and they reap a harvest and it and they have eternal life in heaven we know all that but the first thing that happens when they get into the boat is trouble happens have you noticed when you really get determined to serve God and you decide well some of you don't know what I'm talking about what some of you do when you really knuckle down and say I'm gonna serve god I'm gonna disciple myself I'm gonna seek the Lord I'm gonna study his word I'm gonna pray I'm gonna obey Him I'm gonna do what's right have you noticed the storm brews that wants to stop your boat now if you stay back on the show the store doesn't affect you it's just a windy day but if you're gonna get in the boat it causes trouble have you noticed just put your hand up you have a clue what I'm talking about because I can guarantee the minute you try and serve God something will come to try and stop you doing what you set out to do it's the mystery of the boat the storm comes it decides to try and upset the boat and so here's what most people would decide at that point well obviously it wasn't God's will for us to get in the boat of it because if it was God's will this storm would not have happened no this storm has happened because you've got in the boat not the other way around what have I done wrong you haven't done anything wrong you've got in the boat Jesus got in the boat you followed him but I'm trying to serve God I'm trying to do what God said I'm trying to follow Jesus but all these troubles happening praise the Lord it means you've got in the boat it means satanic realms and spiritual forces and demonic spirits and whatever you want to call them the principalities and powers of this world they don't like you getting in that boat stay on the shore they leave you alone get in the boat with Jesus they'll come to try and sink your boat what's the board its church its life its ministry its those things you are doing to follow Jesus in life I can guarantee if you try and serve God in the church a storm will come up someone in church won't like what you're doing you'll receive opposition it'll happen in your family you think all my family are Christians foolish child Satan can whip up a storm from anywhere you can find someone attacking you I've done anything after all I've tried to do is the right thing all I've tried to do is be nice do you know some people don't like you be nice they want you to be miserable you being happy upsets them you being successful upsets their sense of inferiority they want you to be a miserable failure like them be living in this world but don't worry because God's in control no he's not he's asleep God's aware of what we're going through is asleep I mean that's just really not fair is it Jesus gets into the board we follow Jesus into the ball Jesus has a keep while we are going through the storm of our lives what do you do you wait got up kick Oh God don't you know what I'm going through no I'm I'm in asleep that's just not fair but he's still there and he's still in the book and if God is in the boat the boats not gonna sink because God can't die and unfortunately when the storm hits and even we were in the book we're all kiss so far I'll follow Jesus I'll get in the back there's a stonker II don't worry everything's all right but then the storm just carries on and then we think we'll hold on a minute we've got to do something no you haven't because it was Jesus that told you to get into the boat it's his problem not yours can we see that have you noticed that when Jesus when they woke Jesus up he didn't congratulate them I'll say well done during the time of trouble you sought God no he rebuked them for their lack of faith you read it in all the Gospels why did he rebuke them because in this instance they're doing the right thing and Jesus is doing the right thing Jesus is going to sleep you see you have to learn to be at rest in God and not panic every time there's a storm in the board you have to learn to be at rest in God have you learned to rest in God even when there's a storm because if you can't rest in God during a storm you'll never have authority over the storm why could Jesus stand up and rebuked the storm because he was a total rest in the storm can you see that the disciples weren't at rest they were panicking they were stressed they were full of fear they were full of anxiety they had all this stuff happening inside their head he wasn't just a storm on the lake there's a storm happening in their head oh no we're all gonna die what's my wife gonna do what about the kids what about my mortgage we're gonna sink what about the boat the boats not insured what we're gonna do we're about my pension I've no money we're gonna die and everything's gonna be terrible you see your brain works like that doesn't it it links all the bad possibilities together and ends up we're all doomed this is it we're all going to die but Jesus is in the boat and Jesus is asleep because he's not worried about the storm and neither should we be it's only a storm Jesus is in the boat can we see that they weren't just a storm it says it was a furious storm it means a violent storm sometimes have you noticed massive opposition comes over the simplest things why should their being at rest I'm sure you've seen this before if you go back to verse 18 if you go back to verse 18 what had Jesus done before he made them get in the boat Jesus saw the crowd around him he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake why should they not have been afraid because God's Word had told them to get in the boat and cross the lake their faith should have been in what God had said not in the storm trying to intimidate them you can only be at rest on a word God has given you you cannot be at rest of feelings oh I just want to feel the Holy Spirit well the Holy Spirit's a violent powerful wind sometimes the Holy Spirit isn't the best thing to feel what we have to do is take our rest on what God said and if it is written then we are at rest Jesus had told them they rested on the word and because they rested on the word they arrived can we see that soon as the storm died down they arrived why because that's exactly what God had told them what happened you can only take your arrest on what God has said so let's go back to Matthew 14 verse 24 Matthew 14 verse 24 so that's one occasion Jesus got them into a boat looked at another occasion Jesus told them to get into a boat the boat was already a cup this is a different different story for the more we've just read in Matthew chapter 8 and the boat was already a considerable distance from the land buffeted by the winds by the waves because the wind was against them have you ever noticed this is not this is not the storm that we just read about that was making the boat sink and they all thought they were going to die this is another kind of storm when they're in the board where it's just hard it's hard just to carry on because it seems the roll like you know for four strokes forward and get blown five backward did you ever feel like that I'm obeying God I'm in the ball I'm doing what God said and I've road halfway out the ball but I should have been about should have gone round I should have done a marathon in boats by now I should have rolled across the Atlantic never mind halfway across Galilee and I'm still only halfway there do you often feel that you're only halfway there but after everything God said I did a three-week fast I ain't no food I prayed I did everything God said I obeyed his word I got in the boat and I still feel I'm only halfway there but if he's take me forty years to get halfway there I'm gonna be dead before we get all the way there do you ever follow that reasoning yeah you should try being a pastor so I just preached a great sermon but after Hilding come to prayer meeting so at this rate in another ten hundred years there'll be three people in prayer meeting because the more forward I go the more blown back we get but you're in the boat I'm doing what Jesus told me but it just seems everything's against us you have to feel like that just every since again nothing helps everything is just an extra way put on my shoulders shortly before dawn I've been rowing all night as well I mean ruining a boss bad enough but ruin during the night how rubbish is that shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them walking on the lake well that's just brilliant innit we've rode all night and he just walking across you know sometimes God does miracles and it just annoys you doesn't it I'm not kiddin I've strived and toiled and if you've seen some people who've just got so much blessing on the life you spend all your life toiling for summer and God does it for them like that in an instant and you think well that's great praise the Lord I'm really glad for you I'm really glad it took me 30 years to do that and God did it for you like that on the water when the disciples saw him walking on the lake they were terrified it's a ghost they said they cried out in fear but Jesus immediately said to them take courage it is me it is I don't be afraid gone Lord if it's you Peter reply tell me to come to you on the water company said the Peter got out out down out of the boat walked on the water and came toward Jesus but when he saw the wind he was afraid and beginning to sink cried out lord save me immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him you have little faith he said why did you doubt and when they climbed into the boat the wind died down those who were in the boat right nobody else only those in the boat those who were in the boat worshiped him saying truly you are the son of God when they crossed over to the other side they landed in Kazan retino another gospel version says that when Jesus got in the boat immediately they reached the other side almost instantaneously what's happening here have you ever wondered why Peter wanted to get out the board you see we often think it's because he was a great man of faith I'm not so sure it was because he was a great man of faith I think it's cuz he looked at Jesus walking on the water and he looked at the board that was sinking and no way I'd rather be yeah shall I stay in the boat with the numpties because we've been doing this all mine we've got nowhere and we're now we're beginning to sing so shall I stay in the bobbing of this or shall I welcome the water with Jesus hmm lets us wonder which one of those we would choose do you want to stay in church all your life struggling till you die or do you want to walk with Jesus over the waves tripping through the tulips having a wonderful life which one of those do you want to do do you want to be a pastor or an evangelist just troubling the world having fun or having to deal with daily problems every day which one would I pick mmm let me think shall I stay in the boat or shall I just walk on the waves like a spiritual superstar I'll walk on the waves I'll get out the board hallelujah look at me have you read my newsletter have you seen my website millions of people are coming to the Lord just through my shadow and and and then suddenly it's him I'm sinking the boats not sinking everybody in the boat is actually safe Peter's not in the book though what did Jesus told him to do well he'd actually told him to get in the boat but Peter wanted to experience life outside of the boat and try and walk on his own and he sunk and Jesus had to rescue him but what did he do did he stand him back on the water no he put him back in the boat why because the boats not gonna sink but if you try and walk on the water you will sink so the Jesus can walk on the water can you see Jesus emphasis is the boat you have little faith why did you doubt what cities it might not be just because he was walking on the water and he saw the waves it might be that he thought he had enough faith to live outside the boat can you see that we automatically read the inference that he's sunk and his lack of faith was because he sunk and it could very well be that but it could also be linked to the fact that he tried to walk outside the boat could be climbed into the boat soon as he go into the bush soon as Jesus gets into the boat again the wind dies down can you see that are we in the boat by the way you see verse 33 there those who were in the boat worshiped him saying truly you are the son of God do you know that is the first time in the whole Gospels that they worshiped him yea and what did they declare truly you are the son of God the first time they worshiped him was in the boat now we know they worshiped him after the resurrection we know the wise men bowed down and worshiped him that's the first time the disciples worship Jesus in the boat only those in the boat worshiped him are you in the boat are we in the boat we need to understand this if we go to John 21 and verse 7 John 21 and verse 7 Peter had to have you noticed Peter always had to learn his lessons at least twice have you noticed that have you noticed even when God takes you through a really bad experience you think you've learned your lesson and then you commit the same mistake again later on and you think oh I thought I will better than that why did I make that mistake God has to teach us more than once sometimes you just have to keep teaching is the same lesson over and over again until we get it so this is after the resurrection the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter it is the Lord as soon as Simon Peter heard him say it is the Lord he wrapped his outer garment around him for it taking it off and he jumped in the water the other disciples followed in the boat he's doing it again who told him he could jump out the boat his own enthusiasm his own idea perhaps he thought it land on the water again well he didn't he sank again the other disciples following the boat pulling the net full of fish what's he doing again oh you carry the Lord I'm called to greater ministry yeah you lot you just you just carry the fish I'm called to walk on water I don't have to bother with people because that's what fish represents by the way the kingdom of heaven is like a lies dragnet the court Lords of large fish they're going to catch the Lords of large fish it's a picture of evangelism and people coming into the kingdom now he leaves that leaves the fish when they landed they saw a fire of burning coals there with the fish on it and some bread what do you think Jesus is going to say to Peter well done for leaving the church well done for leaving them to carry all that fish well done Peter you didn't have to get involved with all that hard labor and burdensome toil well done Peter you got out the boat and did your own thing well done go back and bring some of the fish we've just caught so Simon Peter climb back into the boat so what was the point of him jumping out across the water to get to Jesus because all Jesus did he said get back in the boat can you see that Jesus made the disciples get in the boat but I'm Peter I'm the Apostle I'm bigger than that you're never bigger than that we're all called to be in the boat the boat's the church the boat is our ministry together the boat is our lives you don't get out the boat actually there are times when you do get out of the boat but we'll look at that in a moment pulled the large fish but even with so many 153 don't have time to go into that the the net was not torn you see that reminded them of another time that Jesus told them to get in the boat if we go to Luke chapter 5 totally different instance they all look pretty similar but they're totally different events this is not Matthew chapter 8 or Matthew chapter 14 this is not Luke chapter 21 this is a different occurrence Luke chapter 5 and verse 3 Jesus he got into one of the boats the one belonging to Simon and asked him to put out a little from the shore then he sat down and taught the people where from the boat when he had finished speaking he said to Simon put out into deep water and let down the net for a catch Simon answered master we worked hard all night and haven't caught anything but because you say so I will let down the nets when they had done so they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break so they signaled to their partners that it's actually their business partners they were in a fishing business together in their other boat to come and help them and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink right when they obeyed Jesus the first time in Matthew chapter 8 and this wind came over the they thought the boat was going to sink but it wasn't Jesus was in the boat but here the boat really is starting to sink but why is it starting to sink because something Bad's happening no because something Goods happening you see here's an interesting thing about the boat we all want God to do good things don't we but the problem is you see God's not just sat there not doing good things because he's mean we all know he's not mean he's kind and compassionate why doesn't God do great things because it'll sink our boat do we all want a revival where thousands of people get saved no you don't because it'll sink the boat no no we don't we don't want thousands of people getting saved because that means we're all gonna look after look after them and most of us don't even want to come to the prayer meeting so we certainly don't want to have nightly meetings looking after unsaved people it'll sink their abort how much so they signaled to their partners to help them it made their boat sink as well what was God's miracle doing it was messing up their business their business planners got no hold on a minute we can't have all these people getting saved if it's damaging our boat can we we don't want people to get into heaven if it messes up our church do we we don't want to we're not we don't have nightly meetings do we dear me I'm tired as it is coming twice a week I don't want to bore load of fish I mean I'll be going on holiday again at the end of the month and we go fishing and I like to catch a fish but one fish have you bailed one fish as it's flipping and smelling and scales are coming off in your hands it stinks the smell of fish for a week that's one fish but in a boatload of fish smell a fish for the month I don't want a boatload of fish I just want one to offer me toast I will lead one person to the Lord not a thousand what we going to do with them all it'll spoil up our meetings might not be able to go toilet bush campaign might have to do it alpha course instead are you listening sometimes we pray prayers God can't answer cuz he knows we're not actually capable of handling it and the boat will sink if he gave us that note he said the boats began to sink but in John 21 there even with so many large fish the boat didn't sink why because that was three years later they were discipled and they were ready to serve here they weren't sadly many Christians after 20 years are still not ready to serve God they're still ready preoccupied with their own business their partners in their own boats but this is my boat well no he gave the boat to Jesus beginning of the chapter he gave the boat to Jesus and Jesus sat in the boat and taught people from the boat at that moment he actually became Jesus as bought not yours which still my bought it's not his his whose boat are you in well let Jesus in my boat but he's still got to do what I say cuz it's my boat well then it's no good to him see much to fill the boat with fish which is what we sort of know we want but actually we don't want that level of commitment we want to keep the board for ourselves well we can't what do we want look at this Acts chapter 27 and verse 9 those of us who went to Israel by the way we saw that what they call the Jesus boat some people think that it could be the very same boat because it's in the same place sunk in the silt it's a 2000 year old boat and some of them call it Peters boat now that's just conjecture it's circumstantial evidence but it could be the very same boat it's possible so here's another boat much time have been lost sailing had already become dangerous because by now it was after the Day of Atonement or the Day of Atonement in September end of September usually so it's it's late in the season October or November possibly so Paul warned the men I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo and to our own lives also but the Centurion instead of listening to what Paul said followed the advice of the pilot and of the owner of the ship and so they sailed against the advice of the Apostle anyone know what happened to this bow it sunk it was shipwrecked and they lost everything but here's the thing the man of God on on the boat God put a man on the book God always puts a man of God on the boat by the way but always puts a man in a boat to give the Word of God always said I'm telling you if we sail now the ship will be wrecked and he told them very clearly now did they listen no there were three people who didn't listen to him there was the Centurion there was the owner of the boat and there was the pilot of the ship right now there's very good reasons why they didn't listen to him first of all they knew more about sailing than he did yeah the pilot of the ship and this is a big ocean-going ships ship of you know a big grain ship from Alexandria it tells us there were huge vessels I mean there was there was 276 people on board and it wasn't a passenger ship it was a grain ship so it was like a big oil tanker the people were just in little areas of the ship the main area the ship was father for the grain silos that they take from Alexandria to Rome it was heading to Rome so here's the thing the pilot thought he knew better than Paul the owner of the ship didn't listen to Paul why because he's his ship that's that's fair enough isn't it and the Centurion the one with actually the legal authority of Rome went along with what the pilot said and the owner said rather than what the man of God said do you know I see Christians doing this all the time they push aside God's word because it's their ship and I know how to run my life and we're gonna go along with what I say notice there were three people there's always three parts to you your body your soul your spirit your mind your emotions your will and you can hear God's Word but still listen to your own will your own understanding and your own desires and so they went contrary to what God's voice had said now here's the interesting thing was that ship going in the right direction it's not yes it was going in the right direction it was going to Rome had God told Paul and those people that they were going to go to Rome yes so originally God's Word was this ship's going to Rome it's taking the Apostle to Rome God's Word had been spoken so the pilot and the Centurion and the owner of the ship they were right weren't they because they were going to go to Rome in obedience with God's Word no they were wrong because God gave another word and said not yet wait it's autumn winter's coming harbor it's only for three or four months leave the ship in the harbor just wait and everything will be all right you'll still go to Rome in accordance with God's Word did they wait no why because they knew best the ship was wrecked through impatience only a slight delay if they just waited another four months then I kept the ship that have kept the cargo that have kept their profits that have been blessed instead of being in debt for the rest of their lives but they wouldn't wait they insisted on acting on God's original word according to their own understanding and timing do you know that's where most Christians get it wrong God told me to do this he did but not like this but it's my boat well if it is the boats gonna be wrecked and there's gonna be no but it's going to be shipwrecked it's going to sink and even if God gave you a word for something maybe a ministry or something if you acted on your own impulse instead of patiently waiting for everything that God said the ship will react regardless of what God's original word was can you see that but God had said this ship's going to Rome that was if you followed in line with his guidance not if you just did your own thing and tried to get the boat to Rome according to your own understanding in your own time in in your own effort that's gonna wreck the ship just as if you'd never obeyed God in the first place can we hear the word of the Lord the Centurion had the legal power they that the pilot had the the ability look at James chapter 3 and verse 4 just look at another one after this the book of James chapter 3 and verse 4 take ships as an example although they are so large and are driven by strong winds they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go where did that ship go in the book of Acts it went where the pilot wanted it to go the captain we'd call them today likewise the tongue is a small part of the body but it makes great boss consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark one more verse the tongue is also a fire a world of evil among the parts of the body it corrupts the whole body sets the whole course of one's life on fire and is itself set on fire by hell that's a strong statement why did that ship get wrecked because the pilot said we're going now the pilot it's the tongue do you know many Christians wreck everything God has for them because instead of waiting for what God has and submitting and obeying and staying in the boat they insist on speaking what they think should happen well I think this God's told me I'm going to Rome so I'm going to Rome and no one's going to stop me and the Apostle Paul's not going to interfere because God's give me a word that I'm going to Rome you've already set disaster for your ship you've already spoken destruction into your ship but all I'm doing is confirming God's Word no you're not you're taking God's word as an excuse and now you are speaking your own opinion into what you think should happen with that ship you see the ships the church it's the Ministry of God it's not yours even if God has put you in it even if God has told you to follow him in it even if God has given you the word even if God has done all these things you do not speak your own opinion out of your own understanding if you do you redirect the ship onto the rocks and it will crash and everything is lost but we just obeyed God no you didn't you use the Word of God as an excuse to do what you wanted you can't mock God they were wrecked but wasn't the pilot gifted yes wasn't there didn't the pilot have a talent yes did he know how to drive ships yes but he still acted upon his own understanding his own impulses instead of the leading of the Spirit wrecks the boat and the minute you wrecked the boat everything comes apart look at 2 chronicles 20 verse 35 later Jehoshaphat after having a revival and God doing great things in his life King Jehoshaphat king of Judah made an alliance with a has I a king of Israel whose ways were wicked he agreed with him to construct a fleet of trading ships after these were built at Eon giba read down in lies a son of devar who and Marisa prophesied against Jehoshaphat saying because you have made an alliance with a higher the Lord will destroy what you have made the ships were wrecked and were not able to sail set sail to trade but Jehoshaphat was a good leader it doesn't matter he made a wrong alliance so got destroyed his ships you see it doesn't matter how gifted a leader you are or how talented or whatever God's called you to be if you make a wrong alliance if you enter into a wrong relationship that is against God the northern King Ahaz I already was a wicked King God says you don't need you don't need to join him with him I'll make you prosper don't you try and prosper yourself by joining with someone I've told you not to join with says right all your ships are gonna be wrecked now but he's a good King doesn't matter you can't disobey God and the minute you disobey God everything just falls apart even if you think you know Bane him from the original premise look at 1 Timothy 1 verse 19 first Timothy 1 verse 19 Paul's writing to Timothy hold on to the faith of a good conscience some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck with regard to the faith among them are hymenaeus and Alexander who may have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme do you know these two people were they were originally good believers but then they started to say their own thing and it brings shipwreck shipwreck to the faith can you lose everything yes you can lose everything if you insist on speaking told them not to blaspheme doesn't even tell us what they've said some make that shipwreck they shipwreck they serve God for most of their life then they shipwreck it all by insisting on having the wrong way directing the ship saying what cannon can and giving their own opinions that small rudder you have now redirected the entire course of the church through speaking your mouth over something you see we don't understand the power of our words what is the ship it's our lives it's our ministries but primarily primarily it's the church do you know churches get shipwrecked because of what people say and without knowing it they redirect the church just by moving that rudder a little bit you know we should do that tell the pastor he needs to do this get them to do that we shouldn't be doing that do this you've redirected the church the church was going that way it's now going slightly off it was going to avoid the reef now it's going to hit it yeah but that weren't my fault it was you said it you said it the tongue is like the rudder of a ship although it's small it could make great boasts final one then Jonah chapter 1 verse 3 Jonah ran away from the Lord headed for Tarshish it's interesting those ships that were wrecked by Jehoshaphat in the original language they're called ships of tarshish it means large ocean-going trading ships he went down to Joppa where he found a ship bound for that part after paying the fare he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up let's just read down all the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own God and they threw the cargo into the sea that's exactly what they did on Paul's ship cried out to God and through the crowd go over the sea didn't make any difference God's after obedience not a sacrifice but Joan had gone below deck where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep the captain went to him and said how can you sleep get up and call on your God maybe he will take notice of us so that we will not perish there in a storm why are they in the storm hasn't Jonah got on the boat isn't that what Jesus told us to do yup he's got on the wrong boat it's not the boat where God told him to to go he told him to go to Nineveh he's going to Tarshish which is actually Tasha she's West nineveh's East he's sailing somewhere God told him not to sail now here's the interesting thing everybody else on the ship is in trouble Jonah's asleep but it's not the peace of God he's cause he doesn't care he's not bothered he's only interested in himself but isn't he a man of God yes yes he is but he still brought disaster on the ship by his own disobedience it doesn't matter about your gift you can still bring disaster on the ship if you're disobedient it's his fault what's he doing he's having asleep do you know sometimes the biggest problems you have in life the ship is a picture of the church sometimes the biggest problems in the church it caused by the people who have no idea it's them that caused it is that right Pastor John sometimes the people are going around saying what the problems with the church is and actually the problem is then if we could throw them overboard everything to be all right they think it's everybody else's fault they're having asleep while everyone else is panicking the sailors door knows fault it is they're running around trying to steady the ship what we gonna do we're gonna sink what we're gonna do oh I don't know what's that guy doing downstairs oh he's asleep Amy it's nothing to do with him it's everything to do with him it's his fault he's not aware sometimes people are really shocked when they realize it was their fault especially when you're the pastor I can't be my fault it's my fault when God tells you it's your fault it's not it's not nice what's actually going on here the sailors said to each of the commits that there's there's massive layers of prophetic understanding and implication here the sailors said to each other come let's cast lots to find out they trying to get to the source of the issue they're cast lots and it fell on Jonah richest read down so they asked tell us who is responsible making all this trouble for us what kind of work do you do where do you come from what is your country all legitimate questions what people are you I am a Hebrew how the Lord the God of heaven who made the sea in the dry land this terrified them they suddenly realized they are a man of God on board and they hadn't listened to anything it said I had not told them either why did it terrify them because they had the answer all the long on the ship they could have sought to do all along but they let him sleep instead of waking him up and asking him for the answer there's always the voice of God on the ship there's always the answer it doesn't mean anybody's listening what had they done the sailors were in ignorance the sailors didn't really know what was going on it's like is he a fault is he his fault whose fault is it and certainly they find out we've got a prophet of God we've got one of those Hebrew prophets on board now Jonah was a well-known prophet did you know that you can read in 2nd chronicles of 2 Kings Jonah gave a prophecy to the king of the Northern Kingdom about future events and they all came to pass so Jonah was like Billy Graham if you can think of it like that right now bunky a world renowned prophet prophetic voice that's why I never listened to him they knew he was and they suddenly realized oh no we've actually been doing the wrong thing all along we taking this guy somewhere he's not supposed to go so what did they do the threw him overboard he's not supposed to be on this ship he's supposed to be going the other way can we see that can we see the prophetic implications of this they lost all the cargo now in the end God saved the ship unlike the shipping acts that God wrecked God save the ship but they lost everything they were sailing far they lost purpose and meaning because they'd actually without knowing it been disobeying God because they'd taken a man I've got somewhere he wasn't supposed to go do you know I've seen this in sure over and over and over again you know over the years even before I was senior pastor here I could remember being with pastor Jonin and people in church sometimes even leadership of the church make him pastor John do things and pastor John it said don't do that but the leaders of the church says no we we want to do this and so they took the man of God in a direction the man of God had said we shouldn't be going and then they wonder what happened when the ship crashes I have even seen people blame Pastor John for the ship getting in trouble when he was the one who said don't do it that's what happens when you in leadership you give advice people don't listen then blame you for the problem but they were taking john reed in the direction he wasn't supposed to be going it's same on the ship with palo ignore paul we'll do what we want no if you don't listen to paul the ship's going down they didn't even know they didn't even know let's close then go back to acts 27 verse 34 what do we do what do we do with our lives we know Jesus told us wish to get on the boat we know what the boat represents we know all the storms and troubles and trials we know how to handle them by trusting in Jesus getting Jesus on the boat obeying him staying in the boat being loyal faithful making sure it's the right boat going the right way at the right timing that God has called us to do not making alliances with any boat around there there's a lot of churches call themselves Christian but they're not and we won't make an alliance with someone who would rejects the Word of God and doesn't listen to the Holy Spirit it doesn't matter if they call themselves a church we don't Ally ourselves with with that kind of ministry acts 20:7 verse 34 so what did they do the boats sinking Paul's already told them the boats gonna sink because of their disobedience but then he stands up they says now I urge you take some food you will need it to survive not one of you will lose a single hair from his head after he said this he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of the mall then he broke it and began to eat they were all encouraged and ate some food themselves although there were 276 others on board just read them when they had eaten as much as they wanted they lighted the ship and threw the grain into the sea Paul actually gave him this word later on in the the passage he says everyone on the ship's gonna survive but the ship's going to be lost it's like a good thing and a bad thing been so disobedient in not listening to what God had said but Paul graciously our God graciously told Paul I'm gonna save the people but the ship's going down see that's what happens when you're disobedient to God God will still save you but everything else will go but how did he do that he broke bread on the ship a ship that was going down a ship that was sinking I mean imagine you're on the Titanic the the icebergs hit and you're all sinking and someone stands up says don't worry we're gonna take communion it's all right everybody don't worry the ship's going down don't worry got some bread everything's fine all 276 people were saved every single one of them even those that couldn't swim it tells us and they all made it safely ashore some poles bein multi you can still go there doesn't matter the state of the ship what's important is that we recognized Jesus on the ship that's what breaking bread is the body of Christ we are recognizing Jesus Paul stood up said yeah you shouldn't have done that you shouldn't have done that the important thing now is we recognize whether we've been obedient disobedient but the important thing is that we recognize Jesus and he broke bread and that's what we do every week we recognize Jesus on the ship we're on the ship the ship's the church we recognize we may have been disobedient we recognize may have disobeyed we doing our own thing going our own where used our own timing used our own abilities all of these things try to get out the bullets I've been there can't get out the boat but we recognize Jesus and when we recognize Jesus he's the one who saves us whatever happens to the boat and the boat is important and so as we come this morning we're going to break bread again whatever is lost we shall be saved whilst ever we put our faith in Jesus Christ and we break the bread in recognition of that can the team come up please can the stewards come out please we're going to break the bread

Channel: Royston Bethel TV

Views: 3,352

Rating: 4.9523811 out of 5

Keywords: Pastor, Dave, Jones, Bethel, Community, Church, Royston, Barnsley, Jesus, Bible, Preach, Teach, New, Testament, Boat, Sea, Peter, Galilee, Storm, Walking, On, Water, Peace, Be, Still, Paul, Paul's, Ship, Shipwrek

Id: 2HQ9wocQX9U

Length: 64min 53sec (3893 seconds)

Published: Mon Aug 28 2017