Rick Renner
01/31/07
All scripture King James Version. These notes are what I got from sermon, not necessarily what was preached. Sermons are available to view/listen to at Grace Church website for approximately 1 month from time sermon preached.
I Thess. 2
17 But we, brethren, being taken from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavored the more abundantly to see your face with great desire.
18 Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us.
Paul had a great many times to get to these people. Pall tried multiple times but was hindered. He had reached and impasse. Satan had hindered, stopped by any way that he could to block Paul's way. Not just once time, but many times.
What should we do when we hit an impasse? We all hit impasses in our lives. It is even worse when you hit it when you are doing right.
In a chain of events that lead up to this point, Paul is on his way to Rome to be put on trial. He was appealing to Cesar because he thought he had a better chance with the government than he did with religious people. He is on a boat to go to Rome to see Cesar.
Acts 27
18 And we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest, the next day they lightened the ship;
19 And the third day we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship.
20 And 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.
They had lost all hope at this point. There is no rescue they think.
21 But 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.
22 And 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.
23 For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,
24 Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar:
God said that he would go to Rome. So he is going to go. His destiny is to go to Cesar.
and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.
25 Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.
26 Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island.
27 But 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;
They were out there 14 days.
28 And sounded, and found it twenty fathoms: and when they had gone a little further, they sounded again, and found it fifteen fathoms.
29 Then fearing lest we should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day.
30 And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship, when they had let down the boat into the sea, under color as though they would have cast anchors out of theforeship,
31 Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved.
32 Then the soldiers cut off the ropes of the boat, and let her fall off.
33 And 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.
34 Wherefore 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.
35 And 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.
36 Then were they all of good cheer, and they also took some meat.
37 And we were in all in the ship two hundred threescore and sixteen souls.
38 And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, and cast out the wheat into the sea.
39 And 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.
They did not know what the land mass was that they had found at daybreak, but it looked like, when they were able to see something, that it appeared to be a good place for them to set the ship into. They all of a sudden saw it. They had not seen land for 14 days. They had not even eaten for that time. Here was their escape. They were not sure that they would be able to make it. They had to make a corporate decision.
40 And when they had taken up the anchors, they committed themselves unto the sea, and loosed the rudder bands, and hoisted up the mainsail to the wind, and made toward shore.
They had no time to bring the anchors up so they cut them. They went to the sea, they had no choice now to do it. The rest of the verse shows that they are going forward as fast as they could.
41 And falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the forepart stuck fast, and remained unmovable, but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves.
They are now moving at top speed with full sail. They rammmed into an underwater reef and it falls apart as they sail full speed. The boat is now falling apart, the sail was sending the front of the boat forward, the back was breaking under the waves.
42 And the soldiers' counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape.
43 But 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:
44 And 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.
The centurion says for them to get to shore any way possible.
Acts 28
1 And when they were escaped, then they knew that the island was called Melita.
Paul could have had a big pity party about now. Paul has not lost everything. His luggage, his passport are now all gone.
2 And the barbarous people showed us no little kindness: for they kindled a fire, and received us every one, because of the present rain, and because of the cold.
They went from bad to worse. The island is full with uncivilised people. So Paul gets up and does something. He does not give up, he had a destiny to fulfill. He changed his environment.
3 And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand.
A viper is a very dangerous beast. It is more dangerous than a snake. This was a serious bite. It was bite so deep the viper was stuck on his hand and it would be pushing the poison into him.
4 And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live.
It was there long enough for a crowd to form. They were basically saying that he got what was coming to him. But Paul knows better.
5 And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm.
This is a violent shake. It was an opportunity to give up, but he knew he had a destiny. You will have a viper attack some time. What happens when they bite is it paralyzes you. When someone you know bites you, Satan will try to use it to paralyze you in the walk of faith you are having.
6 Howbeit they looked when he should have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly: but after they had looked a great while, and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god.
When you declare something in faith you are in the public. No one pay attention to you, but declare it in faith and everyone looks to see you fail. Keep going, people will keep watching and they will see the success. Your success will be a testimony to those watching to you.
7 In the same quarters were possessions of the chief man of the island, whose name was Publius; who received us, and lodged us three days courteously.
Courteously is a luxury environment. Faith rewarded him from a shipwreck to a palace.
8 And it came to pass, that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and of a bloody flux: to whom Paul entered in, and prayed, and laid his hands on him, and healed him.
9 So when this was done, others also, which had diseases in the island, came, and were healed:
He starts a revival in this chaos he was in. There is opportunity in the middle of catastrophe.
10 Who also honored us with many honors; and when we departed, they laded us with such things as were necessary.
11 And after three months we departed in a ship of Alexandria, which had wintered in the isle, whose sign was Castor and Pollux.
They gave them a huge amount of money. They gave him all the clothes and the luggage he needed. That and what he needed for the journey. The ship they left on was one of the elegant, fastest ships. This was high class. He now goes to Rome dressed to the nines and in style.
And when Paul should have come in on a dull drab ship. This was a wealthy ship. Castor and Pollux were the gods to protect the rich people. What a testimony he had to the believers that were there to meet him. Remember Romans 8:28Rom 8:28
(28) And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Time to play Topp's Baseball Cards version of Where's Waldo. Are you ready? OK, find two historical figures in the following picture: