Sunday 23rd March

Preached by Jamie Boland

 Romans 1:8-15

Yes. First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world. God, whom I serve in my spirit is in preaching. The gospel of his son is my witness. How constantly I remember you in my prayers at all times, and I pray that now at last by God's will.

The way may be open for me to come to you. I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong. That is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith. I do not want you to be unaware brothers and sisters that I plan many times to come to you, but have been prevented from doing so until now in order that I might have a harvest among you.

Says I have had among. I am obligated both to Greeks and non-G Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. That is why I am so eager the gospel also to you who are in Rome.

Well, good morning. Is the PowerPoint working? It is. Could we put the, just the title slide please. So what we're doing today, we're gonna close in possibly next week. We might finish our, uh, long look at the book of Acts, the story of us. And so you probably remember last week we looked at Paul's decision to go to Jerusalem.

What I wanna do today is focus on his journey to Rome and the title of our message. Is trusting God in the storm. Let's pray.

Father, we thank you for your goodness. It never fails. You're good to us all the time. Father, we thank you for this time that we can spend in your word. Holy Spirit, prepare our hearts. Find in us good soil that we might receive the word that you have specifically for each and every one of us today. In Jesus' precious name, amen.

So there's a famous date in history. August 28th, 1963, 250,000 people marched upon Washington DC They were calling for an end to racism and for civil rights for African Americans. Now that day there was many speeches that were given. It's remembered for one. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He delivered an address that was ranked as the single greatest American speech of the 20th century.

He began with a, uh, a reference to the Emancipation Proclamation. Are you familiar with what that is? Okay. It was a ruling that was, you know, made a hundred years earlier. In 1863, it saw the release into freedom of millions of, of slaves. He started his speech with his words. He said, this 100 years later.

The Negro still is not free. Now, toward the end of his speech, he departed from his script and he uttered words that have become immortalized. Now, if you've heard the speech, it's a very stirring, inspiring speech. Now, I'm gonna read from that. Now, unfortunately, I won't be able to capture the same level of emotion and intensity, but let me, let me read what he said.

He said these words, he said, I have a dream today. I have a dream that one day this nation will live out the true meaning of its creed, that all men are created equal. I have a dream that one day, the sun, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they're not gonna be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. I have a dream that we'll be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants, and Catholics will be able to join hands and sing.

Free At last. Free at last. Thank God Almighty. We are free at last. This was a man who had a vision to transform his world. Can I tell you If you want to change the world, it begins with a dream. Amen. No one who's ever done anything big in this world has just stepped up and done it. It's begun with a vision.

It's begun with a dream. Today I wanna focus on the Apostle Paul and his dream. As we've walked through the book of Acts, we know the, the story of his life, how, how his life was so radically transformed on that road to Damascus. And ever since that time, he's been consumed by this passion to share the good news of Jesus Christ.

And we've seen him go to many distant locations, and yet there's one destination that remains in Acts chapter 19. Luke writes. Paul resolved in his spirit to pass through Macedonia and ArcHa and go to Jerusalem saying, after I've been there, I must also visit Rome. Paul's dream about Jesus in the very heart of the Roman Empire, and that's what we heard.

Now, reading today, Paul said to the church in Rome. I want you to know, brothers, that I've often intended to come to you, but thus far have been prevented in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as the rest of the Gentiles. Listen to these words, I am under obligation. Jesus has said His seal upon his life, he is now under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish.

So I'm eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. Paul has a dream. He wants to go to Rome. He wants to preach about the glory of King Jesus in the very heart of Paganism. But thus far he's saying circumstances have prevented me. The main point I wanna make today is this. Any God-given dream worth chasing or journey worth taking will have plenty of storms along the way.

God puts a vision in your heart, a dream, a desire. Understand the fulfillment of that. There will be storms along the way. Think of Martin Luther King. He's a man with a God-given dream. He endured beatings, imprisonment. There was a campaign of public vilification against him. Ultimately, an assassin would take his life.

Okay, a bullet on that day. But what he did is he set in motion events that would change his world. Any God-given dream worth chasing or journey worth taking, you are gonna face opposition and you will need to overcome challenges. Amen. Let's consider Paul's journey. Now. Last week we looked at his decision to go to Jerusalem, and as we saw it, almost every single point, everyone's trying to dissuade him.

He's compelled by the spirit. He knows this is God's will. But at every single point, people are saying, this can't be God's will for your life. They try to stop him, but he is resolute. He's steadfast. He sets his face towards Jerusalem. At one point, a prophet by the name of Agabus comes up. He takes Paul's belt belt and he binds himself with it, and he prophesied.

He said, the Holy Spirit says in this way, the Jerusalem, uh, the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles. And so what we see is Paul goes to Jerusalem, and that's exactly what happens. He's arrested on a false charge of bringing a Gentile into a forbidden area of the temple.

Now understand this is a charge that the Jews took seriously. There was actually a carving on the wall of the temple that read this. It said this. No foreigner is to go beyond this wall and the plaza of the temple zone, whoever is called doing so will have himself to blame for his death, which will follow.

That's pretty severe. Yeah. If you step past this point as a foreigner, you are going to die and the bloods on your hands don't look to us. Okay, so Paul is facing this false accusation that he's defiled the temple. You have defiled God's holy place by bringing a gentile, someone who's unclean beyond a place in the temple that he should go.

They're ready to kill him. He's, he's gonna die. He's not just gonna be bound. He is going to die. His life is only sped. When the Romans see what's happening, they have a coard that overlooks the temple. They see what's happening. They rush in and they save his life. Paul's then subject to several trials.

Firstly, he stands before the Jewish Sanhedrin. Let's just say these guys, they're not happy with him. Over 40 of his persecutor, they swear an oath to kill him. Could you imagine that 40 people have pledged on oath not to eat nor drink until you are dead? I don't want that call. It's at this point that the, you know, Jesus speaks to Paul and it's very interesting.

If you thumb through the Book of Acts, you'll see that Jesus rarely speaks in the Book of Acts, but he reassures Paul at this point. He says this, he says, take courage. Take courage. Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is, you know, being brave in the midst of bad stuff. Take courage as you have testified about me in Jerusalem.

So you must also testify in Rome. Jesus says it, you will go to to Rome and you will preach about me. Now you think if Jesus, you know, says it, then it's gonna happen quickly and quietly. Eh? Jesus said this is, you know, his call for my life. It's gonna happen quietly and quickly. Do you think that's what's gonna happen?

You know, Jesus said it, that settles it. No. Doesn't happen like that. Paul Nextt stand's trial before the Roman governor, Felix and Felix is corrupt. He wants to, you know, extort some money out of him. And so Paul's put in prison for two years, even though there's no clear charge of any wrongdoing. Jesus says, I'm going to ju to Rome, and it's not happening.

I'm sitting in a prison. It's like the story of Joseph. Yeah, nothing's happening. Where's the dream? Jesus, two years. He's in a Roman cell. Finally, there's a new governor. His name is Festus. Paul stands trial before him and, and I think it's here where he, he's so desperate. He takes things into his own hands.

He's desperate to get to Rome. He says to Festus, I'm a Roman citizen. I appeal to Caesar. And Festus says to, you know, to Caesar, you appeal to Caesar, you will go.

Before that happens though, there's one last trial, three trials. This time before Herod a gripper. And as I said last week, this is all a fulfillment of Jesus' words to Ananias. In Acts chapter nine, Jesus said Paul would be his chosen instrument to carry his name before Gentiles and their kings. And so what you are seeing here is all according to plan.

Are you getting this? Jesus said to Ananias, he is my chosen instrument. He will appear on my behalf before Gentiles and their kings. And that's exactly what's taking place here. It's according to plan. And Jesus has spoken. He's reassured. Paul, you will get to Rome. You will preach about me. Can you see what's happening here though?

This is a divine plan, but it's birthed out of opposition and affliction. You want something good to happen in your life. You want God to do something for Paul. It's a dream that's about to be fulfilled, but it's birthed out of painful opposition and affliction. Prison people trying to kill him. And what we're gonna see as we move forward, things aren't gonna get easier, any easier for Paul.

Now, he could take the journey to Rome by, by land. And the Romans were famous for their roads. They're safe, they're quick. You can travel. Instead, what we're gonna see is he travels to Rome by sea. Okay? It's the most perilous of all routes. There's only one sea voyage in the Old Testament. How does that end?

Do you know the story? Jonah, it ends in disaster for the Jews. You don't go by the sea. The sea is a place of chaos. You avoid the sea, and that's the way Paul's gonna get to Rome. It's the most perilous of all route. And this is not p and o luxury liner. He's not traveling first. First class. He's gonna travel as a prisoner, on a slave ship.

This is how Jesus is unfolding his plan In Paul's life, you are traveling as a prisoner on a slave ship. Thank you for the call, Jesus. Let me say this. Don't be deceived into thinking that the call of God is an easy thing. Can I say that again? Don't be deceived into thinking that the call of God is an easy thing.

It rarely is any God given dream worth chasing or journey worth taking. There will be storms along the way. Let's have a look at the lessons we can learn as we work through Chapter 27. So it begins with Paul and some other prisoners. They're handed over to a Roman centurion by the name of Julius. Now they're put on a boat.

They set sail, and Luke says straight away, they're hit with strong winds that slow down the journey and blow the ship off course. Jesus says you're gonna make it. And the minute they take off what happens? They get blown off course right from the beginning. This voyage seems doomed. They're not gonna make it.

Let's pick up the story in verse nine. Let me read, I've highlighted some words. Much time had been lost and sailing had already become dangerous because by now it was after the day of atonement. So Paul warned them Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous. Well, thanks for the cheering us up, Paul.

Our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to shipping cargo and to our lives also. But the centurion, instead of listening to what Paul said, followed the advice of the pilot and the owner of the ship. Since the harbor was unsuitable to Winter Inn, the majority decided we should sail on hoping to reach Phoenix and Winter.

There. Now know something about Paul. He was a seasoned traveler prior to this ship voyage. You know, he's been shipwrecked three times. Okay? This guy knows what he's talking about. On one occasion, he spent the whole day and night in the open sea, okay? Paul's got experience on his side. He knows what he's talking about, and he knows that he's right, and he says, guys, we shouldn't, we shouldn't do this.

Now, historians say that between September to October, this stretch of water that they're gonna sail into, it was difficult to sail. And then they add that it's almost impossible to sail that stretch of sea from November to February. Now, guess what? Based on the details here about the day of retirement, historians estimate that they're sailing straight into November.

They're about to hit that time when it's almost impossible to sail this portion of sea. The alarm bell should be ringing and people should be saying, Hey, we need to stop and we need to listen to this guy, Paul. He knows what he's talking about. Now there's a lesson here. Even if you are God's Messenger and even if experience is on your side, people will not always pay attention to you.

Amen. You can be out in the marketplace in your families, you know, you have experience, you have wisdom from God. You are God's person in that place and time. That's no guarantee. People are gonna stop and listen to you. Look at the start of the verse, much time had been lost. Can you see where the problem is here?

What's the problem? Impatience time has been lost. We can't afford to lose any more time. If I'm the owner of that ship, time is money. We can't stay. And in verse 12, Luke writes, the majority decided that we should sail on. They're impatient and they trust the majority rather than listening to the man of God.

How often does that happen? Do you know? Two weeks after his famous speech, you know, Martin Luther stood on the steps in Washington, gave this rousing speech. Guess what happened? Two weeks later, a bomb ripped through a church in Alabama. Okay? Four young African American school girls were killed. This was a national tragedy.

People see this and they say to Martin Luther King, enough is enough. Words are getting us nowhere. Talk is cheap. We've got four dead young girls. It's time to fight back. Let's fight fire with fire. And there was this pressure from within his own community that was put on king pressure to listen to the majority.

It's time to act. Change your strategy. Forget this, you know, way of, you know, non-resistant nonviolent resistance. Can you understand the pressure that he's facing? Can I tell you? Martin Luther King was a man of God. He didn't grow impatient, and he didn't listen to the majority. He stayed committed to the way of peace.

Why? Because he knew he was right. 'cause he knew this is the way of Jesus. He was God's man in God's time. But being God's messenger was no guarantee that people would stop and listen. Let me read from verse 13. When a gentle south wind began to blow, they saw their opportunity. Note this, it starts with a nice, gentle south wind.

Oh, it's a nice breeze. Let's set sail. I. That's how it starts. So they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete. Before very long, a wind of hurricane force called the northeaster swept down from the island. The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind. So we gave way to it and were driven along.

As we passed by a small island called Calder, we were hardly able to make the lifeboat secure so the men hoisted at aboard. Then they passed ropes under the ship itself to hold it together. Do you see what's happening here? The ship could break apart. They've gotta wrap the ropes around it to hold this thing together.

Fearing that they would run aground on the sound soundbars of Certis, they lowered the sea anchor and let the ship be driven along. Listen to this, we took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard. On the third day, they threw the ship's tackle overboard with their own hands when neither sun nor stars appeared for many days.

And the storm continued raging. We finally gave up all hope of being saved. Hope is lost. Now, did you get all this? Jesus says to Paul, you're gonna testify about me in Rome, but here it seems the only place he's gonna end up is dead at the bottom of the sea. Okay. And Paul was right. They shouldn't have said sail.

I want us to pause for a moment. Imagine you are reading this story hot off the press. Okay. Luke's writing to a Greek audience, and the Greeks were highly superstitious. We can have this idea this, you know today that I am the master of my own destiny. I am the captain of my own fate. Forget about this the way the Greeks saw this is it's the gods who control your destiny.

And this thing called the Mediterranean Sea. That's the home of Poseidon. He's the god of the sea, and you don't cross his sea without his say. So that's their understanding. If you are a Greek, you're reading this and you are thinking, it's not a storm that's preventing Paul from reaching Rome. It's the Greek God, Poseidon.

And Poseidon is angry. He is raging. He's at his worst right here. The only way Paul's gonna reach Rome is if a God's stronger than Poseidon has destined him to succeed. That's how a Greek mind would understand all this. And so they're reading this. Looking at this and they're thinking, we see Poseidon at is raging worse.

And even Luke says, what does he say in those final words? When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, the storm is raging. We finally gave up all hope of being saved. Can you see the pronoun there? It's we. Luke is on this ship with Paul, and Luke knows that Jesus has told Paul, you're gonna get to Rome and testify about me.

But what's happened here is that the storm has drowned out that vision. Are you with me? The storm is raging. It's drowned out the vision. It's not only shattered their boat, it's also shattering Luke's faith that God will do what he said he would do. I wonder, have you ever found yourself in this place?

Has this ever been you? That place where the storm drowns out, the vision, that place where the storm drowns out, the voice of God. You get to this place and you are thinking, the promise seems lost, and with it all, hope that God's actually gonna do something to save you. I tell you, there is hope. Do you believe that with our God there is always hope?

Do you believe that no matter how dark the situation do you believe there is? Always hope.

What we're gonna see next is that despite this, you know, wrath of Poseidon. There is a God stronger than the Gods of Greece, and he is with Luke, and he is with Paul. Verse 21. After they had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said, men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete.

Then you would've spared yourself this damage and loss. But now I urge you to keep up your courage because not one of you will be lost. Only the ship will be destroyed. It's a big promise. Last night, an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve, stood beside me and said, do not be afraid. Paul, you must stand trial before Caesar.

And God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you. So keep up your courage men for I have faith in God that it will happen, just as he told me. Nevertheless, we must run a ground on some island. Now I love this passage. What we see here is a biblical justification for I told you so. Okay?

You heard those words, I told you so. Yes. Paul says to them earlier, it shouldn't take, you know, listen to my advice, don't set sail. And if you did that, you would've spared yourselves this damage in this loss. I told you so. It's in the Bible. Now, let me ask you this. When you write. And someone else suffers because they didn't listen.

How are you gonna respond? Are you gonna say, well, it's your own fault. I told this would happen. You should have listened to me. I told you so. Can you see how ugly that looks? I'll confess that used to be my approach. When my kids did something I told them not to do, I didn't have any other way to respond to him.

And it's ugly. Can I tell you no one likes and know it all? Can we be people of grace? Can we speak life into despair? Can we bring hope? When hope seems lost? Rather than simply just point the finger? Can I tell you of the two of them? One is easy, the other is hard, and sometimes doing the hard thing is what's right.

Can we be like, Paul, can we be a people of grace? That's what I love about his response. He, he does say, I told you so, but what he doesn't do is he doesn't rub it in. Instead, if you look at this passage carefully, what you'll see, he uses this to get their attention and then he goes into pastoral mode. He puts on the cap of Paul, the pastor, twice.

In these verses I highlighted, he tells them, keep up your courage. He starts by highlighting the negative and uses it to get their attention to them. Minister into their situation. Can I, can I ask us, can we learn like, learn from Paul? All hope seems lost. But God does, in the midst of the storm, he sends an angel.

The dream is reaffirmed. You must stand trial before Caesar. In other word, Paul knows I, I'm gonna make it to Rome. He gets this revelation from God and out of the revelation, he ministers life to those around him. Why? Because this is who Paul is. He may be a prisoner on a slave ship, but Paul never stops being a leader.

Are you getting this? You could just say, this is my lot in life right now. This is my station. I'm a slave on a ship. No, he's a leader. He's a pastor, and he never stops being that know this. A crisis or a storm doesn't make the person rather a crisis shows what a person is made of. You might wanna write that down.

A crisis or a storm doesn't make the person rather a crisis shows what a person is made of. Storms have a way of exposing exactly who we are. Do you know what I'm talking about? You've been through a situation, something comes out and you're thinking, I can't believe I responded that way. The reality is that's there just under the surface, waiting for the situation to expose truly who you are.

If you want to know who the real is you, who the real you is, just check out who you are in the storm.

What we're gonna see here is his strength of character demonstrated by Paul. It's gonna open the door for greater influence. As the journey goes on, people are gonna see this guy, Paul's a leader, and they're gonna, you know, turn to him in due course. Let's pick up from verse 27.

On the 14th night, we were still being driven across the Adriatic Sea. When about midnight, the sailors sensed they were approaching land. They took sound soundings and found out that the wa Sorry, found that the water was 120 feet deep. A short time later, they took soundings again and found it was 90 feet deep, fearing that we would be dashed against the rocks.

They dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight. In an attempt to escape from the ship, the sailors let the lifeboat down into the sea pretending that they were going to lower some anchors from the bow. Then Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved.

So the soldiers cut the rope that held the lifeboat and let it drift away. Now, did you notice what happens here? Paul's character wins the ear of the C centurion. Okay, think about this. The slave gives an order and the Roman centurion obey. Did you get that? He's a slave on the ship. The captain or the centurion has in mind to do one thing.

The slave says no, and the centurion, listen. Paul May be a slave on that ship, but he's effectively gone from prisoner to captain. He's the one giving the orders. Joe In Africa, we have this talk about the big man syndrome, okay? The big man, he has the authority, he has the title, and you gotta do what he says.

'cause he's the big man. You never question what the big man says. Okay. We encounter this so many times. Okay, I'm the big man. I have the title. That's authority. But authority is not the same as leadership. Authority might be about position or title, but what's leadership about? It's about influence leadership is when people around you look and say, this is someone who is worthy of being followed.

Do you see the difference? You have the title, you have the authority, but a leader is someone who they look up to. I'll gladly follow this person. 'cause I've seen their character. I'll allow them to influence me. Now on this ship, the centurion holds, holds rank. He's got the authority, but Paul's character, his ability to minister in the midst of the storm, it's revealed him to be a leader.

Now, think of the temptation here. Things are at their worst. They've not eaten for two weeks. Okay, we're gonna smash against the rocks. A shipwreck is imminent. The crew won. Escape. Paul says, don't do it, even though it seems the natural thing to do. Now there's a message here for us as well. We can answer the call of God.

We can say, here are my Lord. Send me. What we do is we obey, we step out in faith, but in the midst of the storm, the temptation can be to abandon ship. You get what I'm saying? You've got a call of God, you step out, you obey the storm hits and the temptation in the midst of all of that storm is to abandon ship.

When it's all going down, it's all falling apart. We can think that getting out of the ship is what's best for us, and we can, you know, seek for comfort and safety rather than following God's voice. Can I exhort you? Stick to the call. Stay the course. Amen. If you know God has called you on a certain path when the storm hits, don't look to the left or the right.

Stay on that path. Stick to the course. Don't get out of the boat. Amen. In verse 33, are you with me? There's some good lessons along the way here, I think from this journey. Let's read from verse 33. Just before dawn, Paul urged them all to eat for the last 14 days. He said, you've been in constant suspense and have gone without food.

You haven't eaten anything. Now I urge you to take some food. You need it to survive. Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head. Now clearly this is a promise that never applied to me.

Don't laugh after this He, after he said this, he took some bread, gave thanks to it in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat. They were all encouraged and ate some food themselves. Altogether, there were 276. That's a huge number of people, 276 of us on board. When they'd eaten as much as they wanted, they lightened the ship by throwing the grain into the sea.

Now, can you see the way Paul continues to lead? The men are on edge. He says, you're you, you know you're filled with suspense, you're nervous, you're anxious. Take some food and eat. And so what does he do? He breaks some bread. He gives thanks to God, and, and Luke says, in doing this, he encourages everyone again during the storm.

You need to do these two things. You need to stay nourished in the midst of everything you are going through. You need to stay nourished and you need to keep giving thanks to God. Can we do that? Stay nourished. Keep giving thanks to God. Can I tell you, this is where the rubber hits the road. This is where faith needs to come in.

You know, we can talk about God is good all the time. Can we truly declare that in the midst of the storm? Can we be that person that when everything is falling down around us, can we be that person who finds something, something to hang onto, something to thank God for? Because if you can, that one thing will redirect your focus from the shipwreck that's about to happen and help you see God's hand with you in the storm.

Amen. God is good all the time and we can find something to thank God for in the storm. Let's finish the story. Verse 39. When daylight came, they did not recognize the land somewhere new. They've been clearly blown. Well off course, but they saw a bay with a sandy beach where they decided to run the ship aground if they could.

Cutting loose the anchors. They left them in the sea and at the same time untied the ropes that held the rudders. Then they hoisted the fore sail to the wind and made for the beach. But. The ship struck a sandbar and ran aground. The bow stuck fast and would not move, and the stern was broken to pieces by the pounding of the surf.

The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners to prevent any of them from swimming away and escaping. But the Centurion wanted to spare Paul's life and kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land. The rest were to get there on planks or any other pieces of the ship.

In this way, everyone reached land safely.

Can you see what's happened here? This is a miracle. Yeah. A miracle has taken place here. God's promise has been fulfilled. Not a single man of 276 is lost, but, and this is a big, but instead of smashing into rocks, they run aground on a sandbar. So God is with them in the store. They still crash. And when that boat crashes, every single man on board faces a fight to survive.

Okay, picture the scene. The surf is massive. Wave upon wave is smashing down on you. You are weak because you've hardly eaten in like two weeks, and now you are facing the fight of your life. You jump into that water, you go down under, and it's gonna take all of your strength just to rise to the surface.

To gain that next breath, you are gonna have to struggle. You're gonna have to fight for every single breath. And finally, somehow you make it to get the picture here. Yeah, that water is doing everything to drown you, and you are fighting with all of your strength just to get to that seashore, and you would collapse literally on that beach.

You're exhausted, but you're alive. Tell me, is this what a miracle looks like to you? Have I just described a miracle? Can you imagine seeing this in advance? Imagine if God says, Hey, let me show you what lies ahead. There's a miracle here for you, and let me show you what that miracle looks like. You're gonna crash.

You are almost drowned, but, but you're gonna make it. Can I tell you this doesn't look like a miracle in the natural. If God showed me this, I'd be saying, no, thanks God. I'm getting outta the boat earlier. Is this what a miracle looks like for you? A natural, it looks more like a disaster. Yeah. And so the temptation can be to respond in the natural, and that's what told you.

See, you know, the prisoners are escaping even though Paul foretold that it would happen. They miss the hand of God. They see things in the natural, and so they just plan to kill all these prisoners. Here's the lesson. It rarely looks like a miracle when you're going through the storm and everything around you is breaking into pieces.

It only looks like a miracle when you're standing on the seashore on the other side of that storm. Do you get what I'm saying? You jump off that boat into the water. It only looks like a miracle when you land half dead on that seashore with the storm behind you. Only then can you turn around and see the hand of God.

Are you with me? Can I say this? When you survive the shipwreck, be sure to look for the hand of God and give thanks. When you're standing on that shore, despite everything you've been through, be sure to turn around, look at the miracle, and give thanks to God for his hand at work in your life. Amen. We've gotta do that.

Let me tell you. If we don't look for the hand of God, our response can be to get angry with him for having allowed the storm to hit us in the first place. Do you know what I'm talking about? God, why did you allow the storm? And we miss the fact that God carried us through it. Even though we had to jump in the water and swim for survival, if we don't look for the hand of God in the, in the storm, we're gonna get angry and bitter and, and we're gonna miss what God has done in our lives.

You with me? Can I encourage you in this look back, give thanks for the way God's been at work. Was it rough? Was it hard? Did you suffer? Absolutely. But God has done something good. He's preserved your life and he shaped you for what's next. Amen. Now we know the rest of the story. Paul shipwreck for three months.

Eventually he makes it to Rome. Yes, the dream is finally fulfilled. Paul gets to preach about King Jesus in the heart of the Roman Empire. But here's the catch. Paul's not free to travel the city and preach in the marketplaces or even in the synagogues. He's not able to stand in the Roman Senate and convince the rich and powerful that Jesus is Lord and Caesar is not.

Instead, he's under house arrest and most of the Jews that come to him, they reject his message and they just leave him there locked in chains. Lemme close with this point. Sometimes the fulfillment of our dream will look nothing like what we thought it would. Yes. God gave us a vision and we pitch it in our mind how that would take shape, but the reality was something different.

Paul has survived the storm. He's made it to Rome. He's under house arrest. From his vantage point, he could say, God, is this really what you had for me? From that Voy vantage point, he can't see what's to come. He doesn't know. He could never imagine that the faith that he's preaching in chains would one day be the dominant religion of the whole Roman Empire.

He just can't see it from that particular vantage point. What we have to remember is that God's ways are not our ways. Amen. His ways are beyond finding out, and we need to learn to see ourselves and our dreams in light of God's biggest, bigger picture. Yeah, lemme close. Paul's life reminds us that with any God-given dream worth, chasing journey, worth taking, we will face opposition and you will need to overcome challenges.

If you're on a storm today and you know that God has called you on that journey, you're on, can I encourage you? Stay the course. Don't abandon the ship. If you are going through a storm and you're not exactly sure, this is God's call for your life. Can I exhort you to seek advice? Pray with someone, seek the Lord's will look for the Lord's hand.

Let's pray.

Father, we thank you that you're always with us. You never leave us Nor forsa us Father, often you carry us, Lord, we thank you for that. Father, in the midst of the difficult things that come our way, may we look to you. May we have a faith that trusts in you, that sees your hand at work. Help us define those things that anchor us.

In the call. Let us give thanks for those things you're doing in us. Because Father, we know there is always hope. You can always save, you can always rescue. And Father, we know there will come a time when we will look back from a position of safety. We will look back and see the way you've worked in our lives, and we will look to your hand and give thanks for what you've done in us.

And so Father, we commit our lives afresh to you. All that you want to do, we say have your way in us, in Jesus' precious name. Amen.