SHIPWRECKED FAITH - 20MAR22
A.J. Dummitt
Part of MISPLACED FAITH
March 17, 2022

Copy of Misplaced Faith.jpg

SHIPWRECKED FAITH

Texts: Acts 27, Proverbs 3:5-6

Men wanted for hazardous journey. Low wages, bitter cold, long hours of complete darkness. Safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in event of success. —ERNEST H. SHACKLETON, The 100 Greatest Advertisements 1852-1958: Who Wrote Them and What They Did by Julian Lewis Watkins (Mineola, NY: Dover Publications, 1949) p. 1.

Ernest Shackelton Story - https://www.history.com/news/shackleton-endurance-survival

On March 9, 2022, a team of scientists and adventurers announced they had finally located what remained of the Endurance at the bottom of Antarctica’s Weddell Sea. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/here-s-what-happened-on-shackleton-s-harrowing-expedition-and-how-he-and-his-men-survived/ar-AAUQRYB

This has been called ONE OF THE GREATEST SURVIVAL FEATS OF HUMAN HISTORY!

We read another of the greatest survival feats in the Book of Acts Chapter 27.

7And when we had sailed slowly many days, and scarce were come over against Cnidus, the wind not suffering us, we sailed under Crete, over against Salmone;
8And, hardly passing it, came unto a place which is called The fair havens; nigh whereunto was the city of Lasea.
9Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was now already past, Paul admonished them,
10And said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives.
11Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul.
12And because the haven was not commodious to winter in, the more part advised to depart thence also, if by any means they might attain to Phenice, and there to winter; which is an haven of Crete, and lieth toward the south west and north west.
13And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing thence, they sailed close by Crete.
14But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon.
15And when the ship was caught, and could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive.
16And running under a certain island which is called Clauda, we had much work to come by the boat:
17Which when they had taken up, they used helps, undergirding the ship; and, fearing lest they should fall into the quicksands, strake sail, and so were driven.
18And we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest, the next day they lightened the ship;
19And the third day we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship.
20And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away.
21But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss.
22And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but of the ship.
23For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,
24Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.
25Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.
26Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island.
27But when the fourteenth night was come, as we were driven up and down in Adria, about midnight the shipmen deemed that they drew near to some country;
28And sounded, and found it twenty fathoms: and when they had gone a little further, they sounded again, and found it fifteen fathoms.
29Then fearing lest we should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day.
30And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship, when they had let down the boat into the sea, under colour as though they would have cast anchors out of the foreship,
31Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved.
32Then the soldiers cut off the ropes of the boat, and let her fall off.
33And while the day was coming on, Paul besought them all to take meat, saying, This day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried and continued fasting, having taken nothing.
34Wherefore I pray you to take some meat: for this is for your health: for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you.
35And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to God in presence of them all: and when he had broken it, he began to eat.
36Then were they all of good cheer, and they also took some meat.
37And we were in all in the ship two hundred threescore and sixteen souls.
38And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, and cast out the wheat into the sea.
39And when it was day, they knew not the land: but they discovered a certain creek with a shore, into the which they were minded, if it were possible, to thrust in the ship.
40And when they had taken up the anchors, they committed themselves unto the sea, and loosed the rudder bands, and hoised up the mainsail to the wind, and made toward shore.
41And falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the forepart stuck fast, and remained unmoveable, but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves.
42And the soldiers’ counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape.
43But the centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from their purpose; and commanded that they which could swim should cast themselves first into the sea, and get to land:
44And the rest, some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land. —Acts 27:7-44 (KJV - King James Version)

MISPLACED FAITH - Where is your faith?

On April 30, 1976 Evelyn Mooers attached a rappelling rope to a drain pipe grating on the roof of the Mark Twain South County Bank. Mooers, an experienced climber, had once scaled 14,410-foot Mt. Rainier in Washington state. The rappelling exercise from the bank building would have been routine but for one miscalculation. The drain pipe grating wasn’t anchored.
Numerous bank officials and their friends watched as Mooers plummeted to her death. Her faith in the grating was fatally misplaced. —Today in the Word, May, 1990, MBI, p. 16

5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. —Proverbs 3:5-6 (KJV - King James Version)

Where did they place their faith?

But the centurion, was more persuaded by the pilot and the captain of the ship.

We have a tendency as humans to think that God has to be rational, and His ways have to make sense to us.
They Don’t.
We too often listen to the WRONG VOICES when it comes to the course of our lives and our direction, as well as timing.

Why should God have a say in our lives, our direction, our timing?
Because He knows what’s ahead. He not just the weatherman, He is MASTER of the Storms.

Don’t just SUPPOSE everything will be OK if you reject God’s Direction for your life.

We all find ourselves in PERILOUS POSITIONS at times.

Acts 27:17-20 …ALL HOPE IS LOST

That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
—Ephesians 2:12

IS ALL HOPE LOST???
NO - BE OF GOOD CHEER / FEAR NOT
Why?

PAUL’S 4 ANCHORS OF FAITH (Acts 27:23-25)
1. His

(He was in God’s Presence)…there stood by me this night, the ANGEL of THE GOD..
2. His (Whose I Am) He knew He was God’s Possession, His life was in God’s Hands
3. His /Purpose (Whom I Serve) He was on his way to Testify in Rome like God had already spoken to him.
4. His (I Believe God) His faith wasn’t in the ability of the ship or the sailors or anything else…I know God has spoken and that settles it!

YOU CAN MAKE IT WITH SHIPWRECKED FAITH

V. 31 - Don’t abandon the ship. If God has given you a word for your life and you are following the voice of God and the man of God in your life…HOLD ON!!

V. 38 - The cost of Not listening to the voice of God in the first place. You knew better. If only you had listened to the voice of God, to God speaking through the preacher, God speaking to your conscience, God trying to get through to you….but even if you didn’t…you can still survive with shipwrecked faith.

PERILOUS POSITIONS
- Sunken Rocks are dangerous. (Unbelief, neglect, love of the world) - these things are not readily seen on the surface, they lay just below the surface where they do the most damage to us and to those around us.

  • Our plans and our purposes are sometimes broken up because of the courses we take, and the people we listen to. Who you put your faith in.

  • Unexpected Trials and disappointments may be FOR OUR GOOD!

  • In PERILOUS TIMES - EARTHLY THINGS LOSE THEIR VALUE! (CARGO OVERBOARD)

  • You might have to THROW OUT SOME STUFF, but you can make it. If you are hearing the voice of God today….don’t wait to listen to God until you are in the middle of the storm - put your faith in the WORD OF GOD today. Let His Word be your guide, follow His Lead. If you are going through the storms of life and there is extra weight and stuff that is easily besetting you…LET IT GO!!! Throw it overboard.

In the last days…PERILOUS TIMES…(2 Timothy 3..Read the chapter to find out how to act in perilous times)
A. Follow Godly Leaders (v. 10-13) - They are God’s gift to you!
B. Continue in What You Have Learned (v. 14-15) - Do what you know the Bible tells you to do!
C. Let’s God’s Word Make You Complete (v. 16-17) - Everything you need is in there!

YOU CAN MAKE IT ON “BROKEN PIECES”
You can still survive this! You may have lost some things in the process, but God can supply all your need.
You can make it! HOLD ON!

Even when everything seems broken and shattered in your life…HOLD ON to the Word of God!

READY FOR HIS RETURN
We know that God’s Word gives us the steps toward salvation. Repentance, Baptism and being filled with the Holy Ghost! Then walking by FAITH and not by SIGHT!

Have you repented? Have you been baptized in Jesus’ Name? Have you been filled with the Holy Ghost? Why not today? Make the choice today to trust God’s Word.
If you believe AND you are baptized…God is going to fill you with His Spirit because your faith in His Word has been activated today!

We need to be ready and looking for His Soon Return.

We began today with the story of Sir Ernest Shackleton, a famous explorer, in the early 1900’s. In his expedition to the Antarctic, Shackleton had to leave over 20 of his men under the command of Frank Wild - with the intention of returning for them and carrying them back to England.. He was unavoidably delayed, and by the time he could go for them he found to his dismay that the sea had frozen over and his men were cut off. Three times he tried to reach them, but his efforts ended in failure. Over 100 days later, suddenly there appeared an open place through the ice leading to the island! Quickly he ran the ship through the open channel, got his men on board the ship, and came out again, just before the ice crashed together. It was all done in half an hour.

He was delighted to find his men not only alive and well, but all prepared to get aboard. They were soon on their way to safety and home. When the excitement was partly over, he asked one of the men who had been on the island, “How did it happen that you were all packed and ready for my coming? You were standing on the shore ready to leave at a moment’s notice.” The man replied, “Sir, you said that you would come back for us, and we never gave up hope.” They told him that every morning their leader Frank Wild rolled up his sleeping bag, saying, “Get your things ready, boys, the boss may return today.”

Are you ready? Are you looking for Jesus’ Return. Is your faith in His Word that He will come back?

No matter what storm or what mess you find yourself in today - YOU CAN MAKE IT WITH SHIPWRECKED FAITH!