Good morning,
friends, and welcome again
00:00:35.36\00:00:37.00
to Sabbath School Study Hour
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here at the Granite Bay
Seventh-day Adventist Church
00:00:38.83\00:00:40.84
in Sacramento, California.
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Very warm welcome
to our online members
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and those who are joining us
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on the various
television networks
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to study our lesson today.
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Also, I'd like to welcome
our regular church members
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and our visitors
here at Granite Bay,
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always nice to see you folks
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coming out Sabbath
morning to study with us.
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And we're finishing
up our lesson courtly
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in the Book of
Acts this morning.
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We're actually
on lesson number 13,
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that's entitled
"Journey to Rome."
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So today is the last Sabbath
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we're studying out of this book.
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But starting next week,
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we start a brand
new lesson quarterly
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entitled, "Oneness in Christ."
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And I know for
those of you here locally,
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hopefully you've all
received the lesson quarterly.
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If you have not
yet received one,
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they are available
in the church for you
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and you'll be able to
pick one up as you leave.
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For our friends who
are watching online,
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if you'd like to get
the lesson for next week,
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you can do so by just
simply downloading the lesson
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at the following
website, study.aftv.org.
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Again, that
website is study.aftv.org,
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and you can
download lesson number one
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of our new lesson quarterly
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and you can study and
prepare for next week.
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We do have a free offer,
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we like to let our
friends know about.
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It is a sermon DVD,
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and we'll be
happy to send that out
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to anybody who calls and asks.
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The number is 866-788-3966.
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And you can ask
for offer number 829
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or you can download a
digital version of the sermon
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by texting the following code,
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"SH105" to the number 40544,
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and you'll get a link,
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and you'll be able
to download the sermon,
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"The Dangers of
a Diluted Gospel,"
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and I think you'll find
that inspiring and encouraging.
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Well, at this time,
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we'd like invite
our song leaders to come
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and now lead us as we
lift our voices in song.
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Thank you so much for
singing along with us,
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and at this time, Pastor Ross
will have our opening prayer.
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Dear Father in Heaven,
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we thank You once
again for the opportunity
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to open up Your Word and study,
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as we look at the life of
Paul as we finish up our study
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in Paul's ministry,
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we just ask once again
that the Holy Spirit will come
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and guide our hearts
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and may we be inspired by
just his commitment to you,
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and to the work
of taking the gospel
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to as many as he could,
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may that inspire
us in our realms,
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in our spheres of influence,
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for we ask this
in Jesus' name, amen.
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Our lesson today is going to
be brought to us by Pastor Doug.
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I'm excited about our lesson,
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we're doing our last
lesson as Pastor Ross mentioned,
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and in case some joined us late,
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I also want to
remind you that next week,
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we're going to be
doing lesson number one,
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"Oneness in Christ," is
our new quarter's theme,
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and I'm looking forward to that.
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For those who are members
of our local church here,
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we have some copies of this
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out there in the foyer
for you to pick up later.
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You know when I realized
we'd be doing the Book of Acts,
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I actually thumbed
ahead and wanted to make sure.
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I travel sometimes
and I'm here some weeks
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and I'm gone other weeks,
I wanted to be here this week
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because this is one
of my favorite stories
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in the Bible.
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It's one of my favorite
stories in the Book of Acts.
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It's about a storm at sea
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and I like the sea.
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And I like it even
when it gets a little rough,
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it's kind of fun.
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You don't want it to get
too rough, then it gets scary.
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But twice I've
lived on sailboats.
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When I grew up in Florida,
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I had a
sailboat in the backyard,
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and so I kind of
understood the basics of sailing
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when I was about 12 years old.
00:08:03.11\00:08:05.61
It was just a little sailboat.
00:08:05.65\00:08:07.02
I have capsized my
sailboat about 100 times.
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So it was fun to wreck it.
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I'd take my girlfriends
out, and I capsize it,
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and act like it was an accident.
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But there was a
little sunfish sailboat,
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I don't know if any
of you remember those,
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and there was a way
you could stand on the keel
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and you could
flip it back over out
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in the middle of Biscayne Bay.
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But I lived on another
boat in the Mediterranean.
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My dad sent me to a summer camp
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where we lived on a sailboat
briefly in the Florida Keys.
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And so I just love
the stories of the sea
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and just got done
reading another true story,
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I like some of
the true histories
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about the stories of the sea.
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I'm one of the few people
that read all of Moby Dick.
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Any of you get
assigned to read Moby Dick
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when you were in college?
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A lot of you went
to Christian colleges,
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so they probably
didn't assign that.
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But this is a real adventure
of a story of a storm at sea.
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So turn in your
Bibles, our mission today
00:09:04.97\00:09:07.34
is to cover Acts 27 and 28.
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We have a memory
verse and the memory verse
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comes to us from Acts 27:24,
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and I'll invite you
to say that with me.
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I'm going to
read the whole verse.
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I think the memory
verse in your lesson
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just gives half of it.
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We'll read the
whole verse in Acts 27:24,
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New King James Version.
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Are you ready?
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"Do not be afraid, Paul,
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you must be
brought before Caesar,
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and indeed God has granted you
all those who sail with you."
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Now Paul had a real
desire to go to Rome.
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He says that, I
want to go to Rome.
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Why was it so important
for Paul to go to Rome?
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Amazing Facts was really excited
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when we were invited to
do an evangelistic meeting
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in 1999 in New York City.
00:10:01.06\00:10:04.70
Why do you think we
were excited about that?
00:10:04.73\00:10:07.87
Wasn't the biggest
baptism we ever had.
00:10:07.90\00:10:09.90
I think there
were 60 or 70 baptized.
00:10:09.94\00:10:12.41
City has got
eight million people.
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So it's, you know,
comparatively small.
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But New York is sort of
the crossroads of the world.
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It's the financial
capital of the world.
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It's the advertising
capital of the world.
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A lot of people's attention...
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When enemies
wanted to attack America,
00:10:28.66\00:10:30.26
where they chose to attack?
00:10:30.29\00:10:32.89
In addition to Washington
DC, they attacked New York City,
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it's a very visible place.
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And because it is a
communications capital
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of the world,
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we knew if we could
preach the gospel there
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that it would get very
wide distribution and attention,
00:10:44.67\00:10:47.78
and it did.
00:10:47.81\00:10:48.84
And as I travel, I
need to be honest with you,
00:10:48.88\00:10:51.41
of all the different programs
00:10:51.45\00:10:52.48
Amazing Facts has
been connected to,
00:10:52.51\00:10:54.78
we hear of more
people that were baptized
00:10:54.82\00:10:57.65
from the millennium of prophecy
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Net New York program, Net '99
00:10:59.02\00:11:01.49
than anything we did
00:11:01.52\00:11:03.16
because it was broadcasted
by the church around the world,
00:11:03.19\00:11:05.66
and different
churches picked it up,
00:11:05.69\00:11:06.83
and just something
about being at the crossroads.
00:11:06.86\00:11:10.30
Well for Paul's day,
all roads lead where?
00:11:10.33\00:11:14.17
To Rome. It was the...
00:11:14.20\00:11:16.14
You know, we got
the Internet today.
00:11:16.17\00:11:17.57
Well, that was the Internet.
It all went through Rome.
00:11:17.61\00:11:20.38
Paul thought,
"Look, if I can plant
00:11:20.41\00:11:22.08
the gospel seed there,
00:11:22.11\00:11:23.18
if we can get a
good church there,
00:11:23.21\00:11:24.68
people from all over the
world go through and in Rome."
00:11:24.71\00:11:28.92
Why did God pour
out the Holy Spirit
00:11:28.95\00:11:30.89
on the day of Pentecost, Acts 2,
00:11:30.92\00:11:34.02
for those who
maybe weren't there
00:11:34.06\00:11:35.16
when we covered that?
00:11:35.19\00:11:37.76
Yeah.
00:11:37.79\00:11:39.06
It tells you
there in the chapter,
00:11:39.09\00:11:41.00
they were dwelling
in Jerusalem devout Jews
00:11:41.03\00:11:44.33
from out of every
nation under heaven.
00:11:44.37\00:11:46.63
From all over the Roman Empire,
00:11:46.67\00:11:48.30
they descended on
Jerusalem during Pentecost.
00:11:48.34\00:11:51.71
He preached...
00:11:51.74\00:11:53.11
The Holy Spirit has poured out
and all the disciples preached,
00:11:53.14\00:11:54.98
then they fanned
out from that location
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around the Roman Empire.
00:11:57.21\00:11:58.38
And so the idea was
to disperse the gospel.
00:11:58.41\00:12:02.92
Paul knew, if I
could just get the church
00:12:02.95\00:12:04.89
rooted strongly in Rome.
00:12:04.92\00:12:07.02
Now there already
was a church in Rome,
00:12:07.06\00:12:08.36
but Paul hadn't
really been there yet.
00:12:08.39\00:12:10.56
It was there because of
some of the Jews at Pentecost
00:12:10.59\00:12:12.96
that went back and
some of the other workers.
00:12:12.99\00:12:14.96
He wanted to really help
stabilize the church at Rome
00:12:15.00\00:12:17.97
and they knew from there
it was going to go to England,
00:12:18.00\00:12:20.60
it was going to
go up to Germany,
00:12:20.64\00:12:22.27
it would go to Spain
00:12:22.30\00:12:23.34
because it would
go to North Africa
00:12:23.37\00:12:25.51
because the Romans had
trading in all those places.
00:12:25.54\00:12:29.48
So God told them,
00:12:29.51\00:12:30.58
Paul you're going
to go preach in Rome.
00:12:30.61\00:12:33.68
He didn't think
it was going to mean
00:12:33.72\00:12:35.48
as a prisoner through a prison.
00:12:35.52\00:12:39.62
So finally, we've
read about his trials,
00:12:39.65\00:12:41.79
he appeals to Caesar.
00:12:41.82\00:12:43.02
They said the
Caesar you've appealed,
00:12:43.06\00:12:44.36
the Caesar you'll go.
00:12:44.39\00:12:45.46
Now the journey begins.
00:12:45.49\00:12:47.50
And so Paul gets on a
ship that is sailing to Rome.
00:12:47.50\00:12:51.03
And so join me in Acts 27,
00:12:51.07\00:12:54.77
and again this last
lesson covers 27, 28.
00:12:54.80\00:13:00.04
"And when it was decided
that we should sail to Italy,
00:13:00.08\00:13:02.81
they delivered Paul
and some other prisoners
00:13:02.84\00:13:05.78
to one named Julius,
00:13:05.81\00:13:07.85
a centurion of the
Augustan Regiment."
00:13:07.88\00:13:11.12
You know when you read,
00:13:11.15\00:13:13.29
the Bible doesn't
have good things to say
00:13:13.32\00:13:14.79
about all the Roman soldiers,
some were very cruel to Jesus.
00:13:14.82\00:13:18.06
But the Bible has nothing
bad to say about centurions.
00:13:18.09\00:13:21.93
Centurions typically were people
00:13:21.96\00:13:24.87
who had been
voted into the position
00:13:24.90\00:13:26.74
by the other soldiers.
00:13:26.77\00:13:29.24
In order for you
to be a centurion,
00:13:29.27\00:13:30.44
and usually had
100 men on you roughly,
00:13:30.47\00:13:32.51
that's where you get
a century, a hundred.
00:13:32.54\00:13:36.54
All centurions in the
Bible that are mentioned
00:13:36.58\00:13:38.48
are typically good.
00:13:38.51\00:13:40.58
Centurion at the cross said,
00:13:40.62\00:13:42.25
"Truly this was the Son of God,"
00:13:42.28\00:13:43.79
the centurion that
said, "He had faith in Jesus
00:13:43.82\00:13:46.22
if he would heal his servant.
00:13:46.25\00:13:47.76
The centurion that
Cornelius, who is converted,
00:13:47.79\00:13:52.16
and you've got here
another centurion named Julius
00:13:52.19\00:13:54.73
who is fairly good
to Paul along the way.
00:13:54.76\00:13:58.87
So he's delivered to him
and many other prisoners.
00:13:58.90\00:14:01.44
Now you read on
here, you'll find out,
00:14:01.47\00:14:02.97
there are how many
prisoners, who knows?
00:14:03.00\00:14:07.11
Two hundred and seventy six
prisoners are traveling to Rome
00:14:07.14\00:14:12.15
to be tried.
00:14:12.18\00:14:13.72
And Paul has spent quite a while
00:14:13.75\00:14:15.02
in Rome waiting for his trial
00:14:15.05\00:14:16.42
because Nero's
court was backed up.
00:14:16.45\00:14:19.85
He was sort of
the Supreme Court,
00:14:19.89\00:14:22.19
and you can read that God
took advantage of that idle time
00:14:22.22\00:14:24.99
waiting for trial to
preach the gospel around Rome.
00:14:25.03\00:14:28.56
Now just as a
little amazing fact
00:14:28.60\00:14:30.60
I thought I'd throw in.
00:14:30.63\00:14:33.44
When Columbus came to America
00:14:33.47\00:14:35.60
with the Nina, the
Pinta, and the Santa Maria,
00:14:35.64\00:14:39.27
how many total men were
there on those three ships?
00:14:39.31\00:14:42.78
Check your American history.
00:14:42.81\00:14:46.31
None of you're going
to qualify as citizens.
00:14:46.35\00:14:50.35
There are 88 men, about 18
on the two smaller vessels,
00:14:50.39\00:14:54.06
and the rest on the Santa Maria.
00:14:54.09\00:14:57.43
How long were they?
00:14:57.46\00:14:58.53
Fifty feet, sixty
feet, ninety feet,
00:15:02.93\00:15:06.60
then the Santa Maria, they were,
00:15:06.63\00:15:08.20
and that was a barge,
and they went very slowly.
00:15:08.24\00:15:11.61
Do you know that the Romans
had ships in the Mediterranean
00:15:11.64\00:15:14.24
that were ten times bigger?
00:15:14.28\00:15:17.25
They discovered back in,
00:15:17.28\00:15:18.85
they were going to
be building an area
00:15:18.88\00:15:21.02
that later turned into
the Leonardo da Vinci airport
00:15:21.05\00:15:23.82
in Rome, by the Tiber River,
00:15:23.85\00:15:26.12
and as they were dredging there,
00:15:26.15\00:15:27.22
they dug up an
ancient Roman ship,
00:15:27.26\00:15:30.06
and it was known as
Caligula's Giant Ship
00:15:30.09\00:15:32.49
and I think
they're going to put that
00:15:32.53\00:15:33.56
up on the screen there.
00:15:33.60\00:15:35.53
Why do you make
the picture so small?
00:15:35.56\00:15:37.63
Anyway, I wanted the ship big.
00:15:37.67\00:15:39.87
But that's a statue
of Caligula in the back.
00:15:39.90\00:15:42.00
This ship was 341 feet.
00:15:42.04\00:15:47.81
The beam of it,
the width, 66 feet.
00:15:47.84\00:15:50.75
It was wider than two of
Columbus's ships were long.
00:15:50.78\00:15:57.32
It had marble tile, baths,
hot and cold running water.
00:15:57.35\00:16:03.22
And I don't know
00:16:03.26\00:16:04.29
if it was running
that hot and cold water.
00:16:04.33\00:16:06.36
It was a palace ship
that he would float around
00:16:06.39\00:16:09.36
and have parties on.
00:16:09.40\00:16:10.80
It was one of the
two that was found
00:16:10.83\00:16:12.13
when they were excavating,
and World War II broke out,
00:16:12.17\00:16:14.34
and it was destroyed
in the bombing around Rome
00:16:14.37\00:16:16.64
which is kind of
sad, they were burned.
00:16:16.67\00:16:18.54
But they had some
big vessels back then,
00:16:18.57\00:16:22.74
you know, they used to argue
00:16:22.78\00:16:24.15
it was impossible
to build Noah's Ark
00:16:24.18\00:16:26.65
because no wooden
ship could be that big
00:16:26.68\00:16:30.35
that could withstand it,
00:16:30.39\00:16:31.42
and that was just an urban myth.
00:16:31.45\00:16:32.49
So here they're on,
00:16:32.52\00:16:33.76
it probably wasn't as
big as Caligula's Ship
00:16:33.79\00:16:35.66
but they're on a
big Phoenician Schrader,
00:16:35.69\00:16:37.79
276 people are on this ship,
00:16:37.83\00:16:41.46
and they need to
get them to Rome.
00:16:41.50\00:16:43.13
They make some
stops along the way,
00:16:43.16\00:16:45.13
not everyone is a prisoner.
00:16:45.17\00:16:46.40
There is some cargo
that they're selling.
00:16:46.43\00:16:49.34
But you read in
verse 3, it says,
00:16:49.37\00:16:50.74
"The next day
we landed at Sidon.
00:16:50.77\00:16:53.41
And Julius treated Paul
kindly and gave him liberty
00:16:53.44\00:16:57.45
to go see his
friends and to receive care."
00:16:57.48\00:17:00.92
He kind of lets him go on
his own recognizance and says,
00:17:00.95\00:17:05.39
you know, you've got to
be back before we depart.
00:17:05.42\00:17:07.89
Now in the Roman Empire,
00:17:07.92\00:17:09.96
it was very hard to
run away and not be known.
00:17:09.99\00:17:12.26
Romans, they had papers,
00:17:12.29\00:17:16.00
you always had
to give an account,
00:17:16.03\00:17:17.20
soldiers were
stationed everywhere,
00:17:17.23\00:17:18.83
and you had to be
able to give an account of
00:17:18.87\00:17:19.97
who you were and
where you were going.
00:17:20.00\00:17:20.97
So unless you plan
00:17:21.00\00:17:22.04
on just running off
on the hills and hiding,
00:17:22.07\00:17:24.21
you couldn't really escape.
00:17:24.24\00:17:26.24
And Paul had given his word
00:17:26.27\00:17:27.91
and they knew he was
a man they could trust.
00:17:27.94\00:17:30.61
You jump down in verse 8
00:17:30.65\00:17:32.28
and as they're
going from port to port,
00:17:32.31\00:17:33.55
they are trying to
make their way to Rome.
00:17:33.58\00:17:35.65
It says, "We
sailed slowly many days,
00:17:35.68\00:17:40.12
and we arrived with
difficulty at Cnidus,
00:17:40.16\00:17:43.66
the wind not
permitting us to proceed,
00:17:43.69\00:17:47.40
we sailed under
the shelter of Crete."
00:17:47.46\00:17:49.83
You know what it
means to be in the doldrums?
00:17:49.86\00:17:54.04
You ever heard the expression,
"being in the doldrums?"
00:17:54.07\00:17:55.77
We use it to talk
about being depressed.
00:17:55.80\00:17:58.07
Ah, they are kind
of in the doldrums.
00:17:58.11\00:18:00.14
It's because the ancient ships
00:18:00.18\00:18:01.84
would be
sailing off North Africa
00:18:01.88\00:18:03.48
and there was a place
00:18:03.51\00:18:05.01
where the winds are
typically very calm.
00:18:05.05\00:18:07.72
They later
discovered it's the place
00:18:07.75\00:18:09.42
where eels go to mate reproduce
and swim back to the rivers,
00:18:09.45\00:18:13.99
those freshwater eels
00:18:14.02\00:18:15.02
that go out in the
middle of the Atlantic,
00:18:15.06\00:18:16.29
they mate, and they swim back.
00:18:16.32\00:18:18.19
It's a place
filled with seaweed.
00:18:18.23\00:18:21.36
It's called sargassum, seaweed.
00:18:21.40\00:18:24.93
And ships got caught
there, there'd be no wind,
00:18:24.97\00:18:30.67
and they would be calmed,
and they called it the doldrums
00:18:30.71\00:18:33.81
because the
sailors in the constant
00:18:33.84\00:18:36.31
sitting on the ship,
00:18:36.34\00:18:38.41
no fluttering in the wind
and the sails, in the heat,
00:18:38.45\00:18:42.58
and the sweltering there
of the Equatorial Atlantic,
00:18:42.62\00:18:47.49
they would become,
overcome with depression.
00:18:47.52\00:18:52.43
And sometimes these ships,
00:18:52.46\00:18:55.56
you're glad when
you're not in the storm,
00:18:55.60\00:18:57.07
but it's almost
as bad to be calmed,
00:18:57.10\00:19:00.60
you are just
sitting there, waiting,
00:19:00.64\00:19:01.70
you can't row
these big ships very far.
00:19:01.74\00:19:05.71
I remember in
my little sailboat,
00:19:05.74\00:19:07.08
I'd get out in Biscayne Bay,
00:19:07.11\00:19:08.54
and also the wind would go calm,
00:19:08.58\00:19:10.41
and I pull out the
center board and try to paddle,
00:19:10.45\00:19:13.31
or I'd take my sail
with my hand, I go like that,
00:19:13.35\00:19:15.48
and just you could wave your way
00:19:15.52\00:19:16.72
through the water a
little bit to try to just move,
00:19:16.75\00:19:19.19
you just stuck out
there in the middle, no motor.
00:19:19.22\00:19:22.32
And so they were having
much difficulty it says,
00:19:22.36\00:19:24.99
"slowly, many days,"
now what's happening,
00:19:25.03\00:19:27.96
there is a season to
sail and there's a season
00:19:28.00\00:19:30.43
when you get to a certain point
00:19:30.47\00:19:31.60
where it's not safe to sail.
00:19:31.63\00:19:34.20
And they started
this trip a little late,
00:19:34.24\00:19:36.24
and it was going
longer and longer,
00:19:36.27\00:19:38.17
and Paul, who had a
lot of experience in this,
00:19:38.21\00:19:44.58
now he is getting ready
to give him some advice.
00:19:44.61\00:19:46.55
"Passing the shelter of Crete
off Salmone with difficulty,
00:19:46.58\00:19:53.15
means slowly, we came to
a place called Fair Havens,
00:19:53.19\00:19:56.12
near the city of Lasea."
00:19:56.16\00:19:58.33
Now they should have
stayed at Fair Havens.
00:19:58.36\00:20:01.43
"But when much
time had been spent,"
00:20:01.46\00:20:04.70
they'd wasted so
much time going slowly,
00:20:04.73\00:20:07.30
"and sailing was now dangerous
because the Fast was over."
00:20:07.34\00:20:11.71
They typically thought
that once the fall fast,
00:20:11.74\00:20:14.81
Jewish holiday was over,
00:20:14.84\00:20:16.28
that was a time
when you avoided sailing.
00:20:16.31\00:20:18.05
They just used
that as a benchmark.
00:20:18.08\00:20:19.91
It's like farmers say,
00:20:19.95\00:20:21.48
you know, after your last frost,
00:20:21.52\00:20:22.62
you then plant your
tomatoes or your corn.
00:20:22.65\00:20:25.02
After the fast,
they said, don't sale.
00:20:25.05\00:20:27.66
And the fast was passed,
00:20:27.69\00:20:30.76
and they said, we
shouldn't be sailing.
00:20:30.79\00:20:32.46
Paul advised them, now
Paul is telling the sailors
00:20:32.49\00:20:35.13
and the owner of the
ship, "Men, I perceive,"
00:20:35.16\00:20:39.13
now what right does
he have to say anything?
00:20:39.17\00:20:43.04
He's a prisoner.
00:20:43.07\00:20:44.34
But you know what?
He's gained so much respect.
00:20:44.37\00:20:47.14
Paul had several
private audiences
00:20:47.18\00:20:50.01
with the kings of
Jerusalem and Israel
00:20:50.05\00:20:53.55
when he was down there.
00:20:53.58\00:20:54.95
Now he's on his way,
he's appealed to Caesar,
00:20:54.98\00:20:56.95
he's a Roman citizen,
00:20:56.99\00:20:58.02
not all were
prisoners on the boat,
00:20:58.05\00:20:59.59
some were just slaves
that were being tried.
00:20:59.62\00:21:02.09
Paul has a little more prestige.
00:21:02.12\00:21:04.09
He's got Luke
traveling with him,
00:21:04.13\00:21:06.90
and it really helps if you're
going to go through a storm
00:21:06.93\00:21:08.63
if you have some friends.
00:21:08.66\00:21:10.07
And notice, it
says in Acts 27:3,
00:21:10.10\00:21:12.23
"The next day we
landed," what does that mean?
00:21:12.27\00:21:15.67
Luke's traveling with
him, so he's not alone.
00:21:15.70\00:21:17.97
You go to verse 7 and 8,
00:21:18.01\00:21:19.17
"When we had
sailed slowly many days,"
00:21:19.21\00:21:22.54
so he's got some friends,
00:21:22.58\00:21:23.68
so Paul is giving advice
to the master and he said,
00:21:23.71\00:21:27.85
"I perceive this voyage
00:21:27.88\00:21:29.12
will end in a
disaster and much loss,
00:21:29.15\00:21:31.75
not only of the
cargo and the ship,
00:21:31.79\00:21:33.15
but also of our lives."
00:21:33.19\00:21:34.29
He is saying, "You're
going to risk our lives
00:21:34.32\00:21:35.56
if you sail on that,
it's too late in the season."
00:21:35.59\00:21:39.53
But they didn't
want to listen to Paul.
00:21:39.56\00:21:41.56
Now how much did
Paul know about sailing?
00:21:41.60\00:21:43.60
Someone's going to
read the verse for me.
00:21:43.63\00:21:45.07
I think someone
here has 2 Corinthians,
00:21:45.10\00:21:47.80
it's 11:25, are
we ready for that?
00:21:47.84\00:21:51.11
They're going to get you ready.
00:21:51.14\00:21:52.67
Go ahead, read that for us.
00:21:52.71\00:21:54.54
"Three times I was beaten
with rods, once I was stoned,
00:21:54.58\00:21:59.11
three times I was shipwrecked,
00:21:59.15\00:22:01.02
a night and a day I
have been in the deep."
00:22:01.05\00:22:04.55
You know what makes a stunt
driver a good stunt driver?
00:22:04.59\00:22:10.06
A lot of wrecks.
00:22:10.09\00:22:13.19
And Paul understood something
about sailing, didn't he?
00:22:13.23\00:22:16.77
Ship wrecked, three times.
00:22:16.80\00:22:18.33
How many people
can brag about that?
00:22:18.37\00:22:20.87
That's like, would you want
to fly with a pilot who says
00:22:20.90\00:22:22.67
I've crash landed three times?
00:22:22.70\00:22:25.94
But he knew something about it.
00:22:25.97\00:22:27.31
He wasn't the pilot of
those ships that wrecked.
00:22:27.34\00:22:29.74
He knew something about sailing.
00:22:29.78\00:22:31.81
And so he said, "Look I
wasn't born in Jerusalem.
00:22:31.85\00:22:35.78
I was born in Tarsus.
00:22:35.82\00:22:36.82
I've sailed across the
Mediterranean many times.
00:22:36.85\00:22:39.59
And I'm telling you
00:22:39.62\00:22:40.92
this is a
dangerous time to sail."
00:22:40.96\00:22:44.03
And they didn't
listen. They thought more...
00:22:44.06\00:22:46.70
They listened
more to the shipmaster,
00:22:46.73\00:22:48.23
they were thinking
more about finances,
00:22:48.26\00:22:50.97
and they got into a bad storm.
00:22:51.00\00:22:55.27
You jump now...
00:22:55.30\00:22:56.37
Well, let me see, I want
to read a little bit of this.
00:22:56.40\00:22:58.94
It said...
00:22:58.97\00:23:00.11
Yeah, you go down to verse 11.
00:23:03.24\00:23:04.51
"Nevertheless the
centurion was more persuaded
00:23:04.55\00:23:06.92
by the helmsman, the pilot,
00:23:06.95\00:23:08.72
and the owner of the ship
00:23:08.75\00:23:09.92
than by the
things spoken by Paul.
00:23:09.95\00:23:12.02
And because the harbor
was not suitable to winter in,
00:23:12.05\00:23:14.89
the majority
advised," they said, look,
00:23:14.92\00:23:16.56
if we're going to have spend
months waiting for the winter,
00:23:16.59\00:23:19.03
says, "the majority advised
00:23:19.06\00:23:20.43
that they tried
to reach Phoenix,
00:23:20.46\00:23:23.10
a harbor of Crete
opening towards the southwest
00:23:23.13\00:23:26.17
and the
northwest, and winter there.
00:23:26.20\00:23:29.44
And when the
south wind blew softly,
00:23:29.47\00:23:31.31
supposing they had obtained
their desire," they said,
00:23:31.34\00:23:33.04
look, it's a good
wind, let's take out.
00:23:33.07\00:23:35.54
It looked good
at first, soft wind.
00:23:35.58\00:23:39.65
"But not long afterward, a
tempestuous head wind arose,
00:23:39.68\00:23:43.62
that had a name,
it's called Euroclydon."
00:23:43.65\00:23:46.35
So it's based on
the same name as Europe.
00:23:46.39\00:23:50.43
"And so when
the ship was caught,
00:23:50.46\00:23:52.49
and they could not head into
the wind, they let her drive."
00:23:52.53\00:23:55.73
Sometimes you try to tack back
and forth when you are sailing
00:23:55.76\00:23:58.33
but they just had to
drive before the wind,
00:23:58.37\00:24:00.80
you couldn't go
across wind into the wedge,
00:24:00.84\00:24:02.94
you get capsized, they weren't
going where they wanted to go,
00:24:02.97\00:24:05.74
they were just
trying to survive.
00:24:05.77\00:24:08.51
"And running under the
shelter of an island..."
00:24:08.54\00:24:10.35
Now when you are in a big storm,
00:24:10.38\00:24:12.08
if you can get between
the storm and an island,
00:24:12.11\00:24:15.18
you get a little
break in the wind.
00:24:15.22\00:24:16.99
And while they're blowing,
the wind subsided a little bit
00:24:17.02\00:24:20.06
because they had the
protection of a Greek island,
00:24:20.09\00:24:22.06
they've all got little mountains
00:24:22.09\00:24:23.26
in the Greek islands,
00:24:23.29\00:24:24.66
and so they
started trying to secure
00:24:24.69\00:24:26.29
and tighten up the ship.
00:24:26.33\00:24:28.96
It says, "We went by
this island called Claudia,
00:24:29.00\00:24:31.07
we secured the skiff."
00:24:31.10\00:24:32.27
They had to get
the little lifeboat
00:24:32.30\00:24:33.30
that they were
dragging behind it,
00:24:33.34\00:24:35.00
they had to tie it on the boat.
00:24:35.04\00:24:36.54
Now that skiff, that
little lifeboat comes up lately,
00:24:36.57\00:24:39.17
later in the story.
00:24:39.21\00:24:40.71
"When they had
taken it on board,"
00:24:40.74\00:24:42.11
they hoisted up on board
and they had to tie it down,
00:24:42.14\00:24:44.38
"they used cables
to undergird the ship,"
00:24:44.41\00:24:46.25
they are just trying
to keep the ship together,
00:24:46.28\00:24:47.78
they are tying it
with very strong ropes,
00:24:47.82\00:24:51.82
"fearing lest they should run
aground on the Syrtis Sands,"
00:24:51.85\00:24:55.19
they are now
drifting towards to a place
00:24:55.22\00:24:56.66
where they knew it was shallow
and they were gonna wreck,
00:24:56.69\00:24:58.63
"they struck sail,"
00:24:58.66\00:24:59.59
they got the sail to
pull away from the island,
00:24:59.63\00:25:02.20
"and they were driven.
00:25:02.23\00:25:04.43
And because we were
exceedingly tempest-tossed,"
00:25:04.47\00:25:09.10
sounds a little bit
like the story of Jonah,
00:25:09.14\00:25:12.24
"the next day they
lightened the ship."
00:25:12.27\00:25:14.41
Now what does that mean?
00:25:14.44\00:25:16.75
They started
throwing things over board.
00:25:16.78\00:25:19.31
Now they're not
throwing over board the ballast,
00:25:19.35\00:25:21.32
these ancient
ships often had stones
00:25:21.35\00:25:22.92
they would take on board,
00:25:22.95\00:25:23.99
they are put at the
very bottom of the keel
00:25:24.02\00:25:25.89
to try to keep
it from capsizing.
00:25:25.92\00:25:28.82
And they're
throwing over the valuables.
00:25:28.86\00:25:33.09
"And then on the third day
00:25:33.13\00:25:35.03
we threw the
ship's tackle overboard,"
00:25:35.06\00:25:37.47
you know what the tackling is?
00:25:37.50\00:25:39.50
It's the ropes and the gears
00:25:39.53\00:25:40.67
that you need for
operating the ship.
00:25:40.70\00:25:42.94
But they had extra ropes
and gears in case they lost.
00:25:42.97\00:25:45.01
They said, look, we've
got to unload everything.
00:25:45.04\00:25:47.64
Now how serious does it sound
their condition is getting?
00:25:47.68\00:25:52.31
You remember the story of Jonah?
00:25:52.35\00:25:53.88
And the mariners were afraid
00:25:53.92\00:25:55.42
and they cried
every man to his God
00:25:55.45\00:25:57.39
and they cast forth the
wares that were in the ship
00:25:57.42\00:26:00.49
into the sea to lighten them.
00:26:00.52\00:26:02.02
They're
transporting these valuables
00:26:02.06\00:26:04.13
ostensibly to make money.
00:26:04.16\00:26:05.86
They're willing to
throw everything overboard
00:26:05.89\00:26:09.40
that they might be saved.
00:26:09.43\00:26:11.73
What profit is it if
you gain the whole world
00:26:11.77\00:26:13.57
and you lose your soul?
00:26:13.60\00:26:15.67
I heard about a ship
called the California.
00:26:15.70\00:26:17.77
By the way, have we discovered
the California, the wreck?
00:26:17.81\00:26:20.94
And they were coming
back from South America,
00:26:20.98\00:26:22.58
they had a lot of gold on board
00:26:22.61\00:26:23.61
and some were
prospectors that had gold.
00:26:23.65\00:26:25.91
And when they
realized the ship was sinking,
00:26:25.95\00:26:27.32
and they were trying to
transfer to another ship,
00:26:27.35\00:26:29.62
some people jumped in
the water with their gold.
00:26:29.65\00:26:32.49
Now what do you think happened?
00:26:32.52\00:26:35.09
That was really dumb.
00:26:35.12\00:26:37.99
And they just went
down like an anchor.
00:26:38.03\00:26:41.66
Hey, by the way,
they have rediscovered,
00:26:41.70\00:26:43.26
I mentioned the California,
the wreck of the California,
00:26:43.30\00:26:45.37
and they found like
millions of dollars,
00:26:45.40\00:26:47.54
multiple millions
of dollars of gold.
00:26:47.57\00:26:52.17
That's a whole
interesting story right there.
00:26:52.21\00:26:53.84
But notice when we
jump here, in verse 20,
00:26:53.88\00:26:58.15
"Now when neither sun or
stars appeared for many days,
00:26:58.18\00:27:03.28
and no small tempest,"
00:27:03.32\00:27:05.42
you know how Luke has
that word and he uses,
00:27:05.45\00:27:09.26
he says, there was no
small stir among the soldiers
00:27:09.29\00:27:12.23
what had become up here.
00:27:12.26\00:27:13.86
No small tempest.
Now what does that mean?
00:27:13.90\00:27:17.17
A very big stare
and a very big tempest.
00:27:17.20\00:27:21.87
That was a phrase that
Luke is the only one who uses.
00:27:21.90\00:27:26.61
"No small tempests,
00:27:26.64\00:27:29.01
all hope that we would be
saved was finally given up."
00:27:29.04\00:27:34.82
You know, the Bible says
00:27:34.85\00:27:35.88
where there's life there's hope.
00:27:35.92\00:27:36.95
So if you're alive,
don't give up hope, amen?
00:27:36.99\00:27:40.52
So what's the
condition of most of the people
00:27:40.56\00:27:42.22
on the ship?
00:27:42.26\00:27:43.86
Hopeless. They
think they're doomed.
00:27:43.89\00:27:46.70
Why are they especially sad?
00:27:46.73\00:27:48.80
They saw no sun
or moon or stars.
00:27:48.83\00:27:50.87
Why was that important?
00:27:50.90\00:27:52.50
How did they navigate
where they were back then?
00:27:52.53\00:27:55.87
GPS?
00:27:55.90\00:27:57.34
Smartphone?
00:27:57.37\00:27:58.64
Compass?
00:27:58.67\00:27:59.84
Compasses were
pretty primitive back then.
00:27:59.87\00:28:02.28
The main way they figured out
00:28:02.31\00:28:03.78
where they were
was by looking up.
00:28:03.81\00:28:06.98
They would hope
they'd have a few days
00:28:07.02\00:28:08.35
where they could fix a position
00:28:08.38\00:28:09.55
based on the stars
or the moon or the sun.
00:28:09.58\00:28:12.69
But they couldn't get a
reading of where they were
00:28:12.72\00:28:14.46
which means you're
blowing around in the storm,
00:28:14.49\00:28:16.26
you don't know
00:28:16.29\00:28:17.26
when you're going to
go crashing on the rocks.
00:28:17.29\00:28:18.49
Mediterranean is surrounded
by coastline, it's got islands.
00:28:18.53\00:28:21.60
They figured
we're just gonna wreck
00:28:21.63\00:28:22.70
and we're going to die.
00:28:22.73\00:28:25.93
"But after long
abstinence from food,
00:28:25.97\00:28:29.24
Paul stood up in
the midst of them
00:28:29.27\00:28:31.51
and said, 'Men, you
should've listened to me.'"
00:28:31.54\00:28:36.48
Don't you love people
that say I told you so?
00:28:36.51\00:28:40.58
You who were parents,
00:28:40.62\00:28:41.62
have you ever told
your kids I told you?
00:28:41.65\00:28:45.95
He said, "You
should have listened to me,
00:28:45.99\00:28:47.62
and not have sailed from Crete
00:28:47.66\00:28:49.19
and incurred this
disaster and loss.
00:28:49.22\00:28:52.09
And now I urge
you to take heart,
00:28:52.13\00:28:54.50
for there will be no
loss of life among you,
00:28:54.56\00:28:58.17
but only of the ship."
00:28:58.20\00:29:00.30
How can he say that?
00:29:00.34\00:29:02.00
"For there
stood by me this night
00:29:02.04\00:29:04.97
an angel from
God to whom I belong
00:29:05.01\00:29:07.91
and who I serve saying,
00:29:07.94\00:29:09.84
'Do not be afraid, Paul,
00:29:09.88\00:29:11.65
you must be
brought before Caesar.'
00:29:11.68\00:29:14.38
"Paul, you getting
to Rome is so important.
00:29:14.42\00:29:17.42
I am going to
save the whole ship."
00:29:17.45\00:29:20.22
"You must be
brought before Caesar,
00:29:20.26\00:29:21.76
and indeed God has granted you
00:29:21.79\00:29:23.63
all of those
who sail with you.'"
00:29:23.66\00:29:26.16
Now how much time
00:29:26.19\00:29:27.23
had Paul spent with
these other prisoners?
00:29:27.30\00:29:30.43
You're talking
about weeks and months,
00:29:30.47\00:29:32.57
they've been making
their way up the coast,
00:29:32.60\00:29:34.47
stopping, trading,
loading, unloading,
00:29:34.50\00:29:36.64
and there, you know, he
gets to know these people.
00:29:36.67\00:29:39.67
He loves them.
00:29:39.71\00:29:40.68
He's praying, he's
interceding for these people.
00:29:40.71\00:29:42.94
Paul's not worried about him.
00:29:42.98\00:29:44.51
He knows he's going to make it
00:29:44.55\00:29:45.85
because God said
you've got to go to Rome.
00:29:45.88\00:29:47.92
He's already been
shipwrecked several times.
00:29:47.95\00:29:49.95
He knows he's going to make it.
00:29:49.98\00:29:51.85
But he's now
praying about the others.
00:29:51.89\00:29:54.22
He knew that
there is a disaster,
00:29:54.26\00:29:55.99
a shipwreck coming.
00:29:56.02\00:29:58.59
"You must be
brought before Caesar,
00:29:58.63\00:30:00.13
and indeed God has granted
you those who sail with you."
00:30:00.16\00:30:02.73
Why did he say granted you?
00:30:02.76\00:30:05.17
Because Paul was on
that ship as an intercessor.
00:30:05.20\00:30:09.07
When we're
surrounded by unbelievers
00:30:09.10\00:30:10.81
and they're
going through a trial,
00:30:10.84\00:30:13.04
is that an opportunity
for us to be intercessors?
00:30:13.07\00:30:16.41
Have you also noticed
00:30:16.44\00:30:17.55
that when people are
going through a storm,
00:30:17.58\00:30:19.01
they're more ready to
listen to you than they are
00:30:19.05\00:30:21.18
when everything's going great?
00:30:21.22\00:30:22.98
It's so hard witnessing to
atheists when they're happy.
00:30:23.02\00:30:26.99
But when they're going
through a trial, they'll listen.
00:30:27.02\00:30:32.13
I've got some friends that
00:30:32.16\00:30:35.16
I know, I won't
say much else about it.
00:30:35.20\00:30:37.47
And I try to
witness to them a little bit
00:30:37.50\00:30:39.90
and they kind of blow
me off, they're pagans.
00:30:39.93\00:30:43.77
But then when they
go through a real trial,
00:30:43.81\00:30:45.77
got one friend in particular
going through a real trial,
00:30:45.81\00:30:48.84
I said, "I'd
like to pray for you."
00:30:48.88\00:30:49.94
Boy, they are
happy to have you pray.
00:30:49.98\00:30:52.51
It's amazing how a
storm gets your attention.
00:30:52.55\00:30:57.35
So they're going
along in a storm.
00:30:57.39\00:31:03.06
And Paul then tells
them, God has granted me those,
00:31:03.09\00:31:06.56
you go down to verse 25,
00:31:06.59\00:31:08.56
"Therefore take heart, men,
00:31:08.60\00:31:10.40
for I believe God,"
00:31:10.43\00:31:12.10
he starts up by rebuking
them, you should've listened,
00:31:12.13\00:31:14.24
but then he
encourages them, "take heart,
00:31:14.27\00:31:16.74
I believe God that it will
be just as it was told me."
00:31:16.77\00:31:20.44
You know, if you are
gonna witness to your friends,
00:31:20.48\00:31:22.78
first you must rebuke,
and then you must comfort.
00:31:22.81\00:31:27.55
Repent for the kingdom of heaven
00:31:27.58\00:31:30.19
is at hand.
00:31:30.22\00:31:31.79
Repent is a rebuke for sin.
00:31:31.82\00:31:34.99
Kingdom of heaven at hand
is hope that you can be there,
00:31:35.02\00:31:37.66
you can be forgiven.
00:31:37.69\00:31:39.76
And so the
message of the gospel is,
00:31:39.79\00:31:41.40
you are a sinner,
00:31:41.43\00:31:43.03
but good news,
Jesus is a savior, right?
00:31:43.06\00:31:46.97
So that's the
message that he gives them.
00:31:47.00\00:31:49.90
And he says, "Take
heart, I believe God.
00:31:49.94\00:31:52.44
It will be just as he told me."
00:31:52.47\00:31:53.91
However, he got
a little bad news.
00:31:53.94\00:31:55.94
You want the good
news or the bad news?
00:31:55.98\00:31:57.21
You're going to live, bad
news, we're going to wreck.
00:31:57.25\00:32:02.62
And it goes on and says
00:32:02.65\00:32:03.65
they did not see
anything for 14 days.
00:32:03.69\00:32:07.96
Now as you read
through Acts 27:28,
00:32:07.99\00:32:10.13
you're going to
notice that the number seven
00:32:10.16\00:32:11.79
or derivative of
seven comes up three times.
00:32:11.83\00:32:14.56
And I think there's
some spiritual meaning
00:32:14.60\00:32:16.36
in this story.
00:32:16.40\00:32:18.83
Let me give you
something to think about.
00:32:18.87\00:32:21.04
Here you've got a
ship load of prisoners
00:32:21.07\00:32:24.44
on their way to
judgment before a king.
00:32:24.47\00:32:29.81
We are prisoners
00:32:29.84\00:32:32.95
that are on our way to judgment.
00:32:32.98\00:32:34.82
On our way God puts
00:32:34.85\00:32:37.05
one of his
messengers on the boat.
00:32:37.09\00:32:41.29
He's got an
appointment with the king too.
00:32:41.32\00:32:43.36
And he is an intercessor.
00:32:43.39\00:32:45.29
Paul in this story
does a lot of the things
00:32:45.33\00:32:47.60
that Christ does.
00:32:47.66\00:32:48.63
He is interceding for them.
00:32:48.66\00:32:51.63
He's a messenger of hope.
00:32:51.67\00:32:54.24
He says he saw
the angel of the Lord.
00:32:54.27\00:32:58.51
Now as we read along here,
00:32:58.54\00:33:02.34
you go to verse 29,
00:33:02.38\00:33:03.68
it tells us that as
they get further along,
00:33:03.71\00:33:06.82
let me see here,
00:33:06.85\00:33:08.98
"now on the
fourteenth day," verse 27,
00:33:09.02\00:33:11.22
"on the fourteenth
day, night rather, had come,
00:33:11.25\00:33:14.32
we were driven up and
down in the Adriatic Sea,"
00:33:14.36\00:33:16.89
they just didn't
know where they're,
00:33:16.93\00:33:18.53
"about midnight the sailors
00:33:18.56\00:33:20.26
since they were
drawing near some land."
00:33:20.30\00:33:22.26
They heard the crashing
of waves off in the distance.
00:33:22.30\00:33:25.30
"And they took soundings,"
you know what that means?
00:33:25.33\00:33:28.14
They had these ropes
that had knots tied on them,
00:33:28.17\00:33:31.01
you ever wonder how they figure
the speed of a boat by knots?
00:33:31.04\00:33:33.98
They toss out a
rope that had a weight
00:33:34.01\00:33:36.58
and based on how
quickly the knots went out,
00:33:36.61\00:33:38.98
they could
determine their speed,
00:33:39.01\00:33:40.32
as the rope was pulled out,
00:33:40.35\00:33:41.42
there was a weight that
had a big bulky thing on it,
00:33:41.45\00:33:43.99
so that it got pulled
out at the consistent speed,
00:33:44.02\00:33:47.52
and they would
measure their knots.
00:33:47.56\00:33:48.89
They'd also measure fathoms,
00:33:48.92\00:33:50.76
how deep the water was
by tossing out another rope
00:33:50.79\00:33:54.13
with fathoms nodded off on it,
00:33:54.20\00:33:56.87
and you could feel the
rope going down very quickly,
00:33:56.90\00:34:00.44
when the wave hit the
bottom, it would go slack,
00:34:00.47\00:34:03.17
and they could count
00:34:03.20\00:34:04.34
how many fathoms
it was on the rope,
00:34:04.37\00:34:06.14
and they'd pull it in,
00:34:06.17\00:34:07.18
then they throw
it out a little later
00:34:07.21\00:34:08.28
and it would be more
shallow, they go, "Whoa, whoa,
00:34:08.31\00:34:10.85
it's getting shallower.
00:34:10.88\00:34:11.91
We're heading towards land."
00:34:11.95\00:34:13.21
And so they're taking
soundings to find out this,
00:34:13.25\00:34:15.85
"Man, we don't want
to wreck on the shore.
00:34:15.88\00:34:18.22
It's night, we can't see.
00:34:18.25\00:34:19.85
We don't know
where to land the boat."
00:34:19.89\00:34:22.16
And so you get a little
picture what's going on here.
00:34:22.19\00:34:25.76
"They saw twenty fathoms,
00:34:25.79\00:34:27.23
they went a little
farther, they took soundings
00:34:27.30\00:34:29.10
and found to be
fifteen fathoms."
00:34:29.13\00:34:30.73
What does that mean?
00:34:30.77\00:34:32.73
Does God give us prophecies
00:34:32.77\00:34:34.00
that show us
where we are in history?
00:34:34.04\00:34:36.71
You take fathoms
every now and then.
00:34:36.74\00:34:38.61
You got to look around.
00:34:38.64\00:34:40.44
"Then, fearing lest
00:34:40.48\00:34:41.64
we should run
aground on the rocks,
00:34:41.68\00:34:44.01
they dropped four
anchors from the stern,"
00:34:44.05\00:34:46.48
recall Matthew,
Mark, Luke, and John,
00:34:46.51\00:34:48.42
"and prayed for the day."
00:34:48.45\00:34:51.52
Someone's going
to read another verse
00:34:51.55\00:34:52.79
for me in Revelation.
00:34:52.82\00:34:56.86
Revelation 7:1,
00:34:56.89\00:34:59.86
"After these
things I saw four angels
00:34:59.89\00:35:02.43
standing at the four
corners of the earth,
00:35:02.46\00:35:05.00
holding the four
winds of the earth,
00:35:05.03\00:35:06.80
that the wind should
not blow on the earth,
00:35:06.84\00:35:09.84
on the sea, or on any tree."
00:35:09.87\00:35:14.14
That tells us of a time
where tribulation is coming.
00:35:14.18\00:35:17.65
But these angels like
those cables in the ship,
00:35:17.68\00:35:20.92
they are holding back
the disaster, waiting,
00:35:20.95\00:35:25.39
and so I'm not trying to
draw theological connection,
00:35:25.42\00:35:28.56
I guess, I'm making
a little connection.
00:35:28.59\00:35:30.59
Four in the Bible sometimes
represent something universal,
00:35:30.63\00:35:34.10
those four anchors
that are holding the ship
00:35:34.10\00:35:36.40
did made me think
of the four angels
00:35:36.43\00:35:37.80
holding back the winds of strife
00:35:37.83\00:35:39.17
protecting until the end,
00:35:39.20\00:35:41.34
those lines are
going to get cut,
00:35:41.37\00:35:43.10
and that ship is going to end up
00:35:43.14\00:35:44.27
trying to make for
shore, and it wrecks.
00:35:44.31\00:35:47.01
When those angels
release their grip,
00:35:47.04\00:35:48.91
time of trouble comes.
00:35:48.94\00:35:50.35
Amen?
00:35:50.38\00:35:52.01
And so they wait for
the day, they hold this
00:35:52.05\00:35:57.92
"fearing we should hit,
00:35:57.95\00:35:58.99
they dropped four
anchors from the stern,
00:35:59.02\00:36:00.52
and prayed for the day to come.
00:36:00.56\00:36:02.52
Now the sailors were seeking
to escape from the ship,"
00:36:02.56\00:36:06.39
they said, "look, you know,
we better get off this boat now
00:36:06.43\00:36:09.96
because it's not
going to end well."
00:36:10.00\00:36:11.83
"And they let down the skiff,"
00:36:11.87\00:36:13.13
the skiff is the
little lifeboat, right?
00:36:13.17\00:36:15.77
"Under pretense,"
they're pretending
00:36:15.80\00:36:17.64
that they're doing
something in the back.
00:36:17.67\00:36:19.54
Paul knows what's going on.
00:36:19.57\00:36:20.98
He said to the
centurion and the soldiers,
00:36:21.01\00:36:23.21
"Unless these
men stay in the ship,
00:36:23.24\00:36:25.25
you cannot be saved."
00:36:25.28\00:36:26.75
Why did he say that?
00:36:26.78\00:36:28.75
The soldiers
take orders from Paul,
00:36:28.78\00:36:31.19
they cut away the ropes,
and they let it fall off.
00:36:31.22\00:36:33.46
Isn't it interesting?
00:36:33.49\00:36:34.52
Paul has gone
from captor to captain.
00:36:34.56\00:36:40.40
He starts out in
this voyage as a captive,
00:36:40.43\00:36:42.96
and he ends up the captain.
00:36:43.00\00:36:45.37
And he's telling
the soldiers what to do.
00:36:45.40\00:36:49.04
"And as day was about to dawn,
00:36:49.07\00:36:51.17
Paul implored them to take food,
00:36:51.21\00:36:53.38
saying, 'Today is
the fourteenth day,'
00:36:53.41\00:36:55.18
notice that number again,
00:36:55.21\00:36:56.61
"you have waited and
continued without food,
00:36:56.64\00:36:58.65
and eaten nothing."
00:36:58.68\00:36:59.75
They are probably weak,
therefore some were seasick.
00:36:59.78\00:37:02.68
"Therefore I urge
you to take nourishment,
00:37:02.72\00:37:05.35
for this is for your survival."
00:37:05.39\00:37:07.02
Do we need to store up
00:37:07.06\00:37:07.99
and eat before we
enter the time of trouble?
00:37:08.02\00:37:11.03
We need to feed our souls,
00:37:11.06\00:37:12.89
commit the Word
of God to our minds.
00:37:12.93\00:37:15.53
"Take nourishment,
this is for your survival."
00:37:15.56\00:37:17.87
Notice the beautiful combination
00:37:17.90\00:37:22.54
of the practical
with the spiritual.
00:37:22.57\00:37:26.34
Paul says, I prayed
00:37:26.37\00:37:27.81
but we need to do
practical things too.
00:37:27.84\00:37:29.98
Now why did
Paul tell the sailors
00:37:30.01\00:37:31.41
to cut away the ropes lest?
00:37:31.45\00:37:33.31
He told the
soldiers cut away the rope
00:37:33.35\00:37:34.72
so the sailors don't
escape in the lifeboat.
00:37:34.75\00:37:36.95
Nobody's really saved by
the lifeboat that we know of.
00:37:36.99\00:37:41.29
I think that ship is
something like God's church.
00:37:41.32\00:37:44.83
And you know,
00:37:44.86\00:37:45.93
there's a temptation to
fragment as we near the end.
00:37:45.96\00:37:49.93
And he says we
need to stick together
00:37:49.96\00:37:52.13
if we're going to make,
00:37:52.17\00:37:53.23
unless these abide in the
ship, you cannot be saved.
00:37:53.27\00:37:55.77
Isn't that interesting?
00:37:55.80\00:37:57.84
He said, "You've got to make
it a point to keep us together,"
00:37:57.87\00:38:01.04
he tells the centurion.
00:38:01.08\00:38:03.31
And so I think that
00:38:03.35\00:38:04.51
it's just an interesting
appeal here for unity
00:38:04.55\00:38:08.52
which is our study next month.
00:38:08.55\00:38:11.15
"So they took bread,
Paul and gives thinks,
00:38:11.19\00:38:13.46
look how he is
leading out in everything,
00:38:13.49\00:38:14.79
"in the presence of them
all, when he broke bread,"
00:38:14.82\00:38:17.16
does Jesus do that?
00:38:17.19\00:38:19.23
Just near the end of
His life, He breaks bread.
00:38:19.26\00:38:21.93
They took it, they were
all encouraged by the bread.
00:38:21.96\00:38:25.73
They took food for themselves
00:38:25.77\00:38:27.30
and there were 276
persons on the ship.
00:38:27.34\00:38:30.21
When they'd eaten enough,
00:38:30.24\00:38:31.34
they finally throw out
the wheat into the sea.
00:38:31.37\00:38:34.64
Now they've got to survive
on what's in their stomachs.
00:38:34.68\00:38:37.75
Have you ever
thought near the end of time
00:38:37.78\00:38:39.31
you might have to survive
00:38:39.35\00:38:40.55
based on what you've
remembered of the Word of God?
00:38:40.58\00:38:42.75
You might get thrown
in jail for your faith
00:38:42.78\00:38:44.49
and they may not
give you a Bible.
00:38:44.52\00:38:46.62
What's going to sustain you,
00:38:46.65\00:38:47.92
you need to rehearse the
verses that you've memorized,
00:38:47.96\00:38:52.06
thy word I have
hidden in my nightstand
00:38:52.09\00:38:54.66
that I might not
sin against thee.
00:38:54.73\00:38:57.30
Thy word I have
hidden on my smartphone
00:38:57.33\00:38:59.73
that I might not
sin against thee.
00:38:59.77\00:39:01.97
What does it say?
00:39:02.00\00:39:03.71
Thy word I have
hidden in my heart.
00:39:03.74\00:39:06.68
We need to have
some stored away here.
00:39:06.71\00:39:08.18
I've thought before,
00:39:08.21\00:39:09.21
if I got thrown
in jail for my faith,
00:39:09.24\00:39:11.68
I would try to get a
piece of paper and pencil
00:39:11.71\00:39:13.55
and write out as much of
the Word of God as I could,
00:39:13.58\00:39:15.72
so I can remember the promises.
00:39:15.75\00:39:18.55
Amen? Amen.
00:39:18.59\00:39:20.16
All right.
00:39:20.19\00:39:21.19
So finally,
00:39:21.22\00:39:23.06
when the day comes up,
00:39:23.09\00:39:24.16
they hoist the mainsail,
00:39:24.19\00:39:25.49
they make for land.
00:39:25.53\00:39:27.00
But the ship runs aground,
00:39:27.03\00:39:28.43
and the prow,
the bow is stuck fast
00:39:28.46\00:39:30.27
and remains immovable,
00:39:30.30\00:39:31.47
but the stern being broken
up by the violence of the waves
00:39:31.50\00:39:34.57
that were coming in
and the ship is creaking
00:39:34.60\00:39:36.27
and falling apart.
00:39:36.30\00:39:37.77
The soldiers were
planning to kill the prisoners
00:39:37.81\00:39:40.21
lest any of them should escape,
00:39:40.24\00:39:41.51
you know why?
00:39:41.54\00:39:42.51
Because a Roman
soldier, if you lost a prisoner,
00:39:42.54\00:39:45.25
it was your life or their life.
00:39:45.28\00:39:47.42
You remember when the jailer
thought that Paul had escaped
00:39:47.45\00:39:49.58
he was going to kill himself.
00:39:49.62\00:39:51.72
You remember what happened
when Peter escaped from prison?
00:39:51.75\00:39:54.26
Herod killed the soldiers.
00:39:54.29\00:39:57.16
"So lest any of
the prisoners escaped,"
00:39:57.19\00:39:59.83
they're going to
kill all of them,
00:39:59.86\00:40:01.13
"but the centurion
wanting to save Paul,
00:40:01.16\00:40:04.43
kept them from their purpose."
00:40:04.47\00:40:06.84
Why is everyone
on the ship saved?
00:40:06.87\00:40:09.90
For Paul's sake.
00:40:09.94\00:40:11.61
Why are we saved?
00:40:11.64\00:40:13.24
For Christ's sake, amen?
00:40:13.27\00:40:15.48
Amen.
00:40:15.51\00:40:17.01
And he says,
"Look, grab what you can,
00:40:17.05\00:40:19.75
the ship is breaking up,
00:40:19.78\00:40:20.75
grab a little pieces
of it and swim for shore."
00:40:20.78\00:40:25.12
Is our church going to be
able to survive in the last days
00:40:25.15\00:40:28.12
as an outward organization?
00:40:28.16\00:40:32.23
I think when the end comes,
00:40:32.26\00:40:34.36
people are going have
to head for the hills,
00:40:34.36\00:40:35.86
and we're going
to be persecuted,
00:40:35.90\00:40:37.10
and we're going to just gather
in little groups and survive,
00:40:37.13\00:40:41.34
as we can meet
together, isn't that right?
00:40:41.37\00:40:43.84
So there will be a
time when the ship busts up,
00:40:43.87\00:40:45.74
we'll grab whatever
pieces of the ship we can,
00:40:45.77\00:40:47.94
and you had two or three people
00:40:47.98\00:40:49.11
grabbing a piece of
this floating debris
00:40:49.14\00:40:51.28
and a piece of
this floating wood,
00:40:51.31\00:40:53.01
and they all paddled for shore.
00:40:53.05\00:40:55.15
And so that's probably going
to happen near the end of time.
00:40:55.18\00:40:57.45
Interesting, the Book of Acts
00:40:57.49\00:40:58.72
kind of ends with
this storm at sea.
00:40:58.75\00:41:01.86
All right, so
finally when it was day,
00:41:01.89\00:41:04.96
they did not recognize the land
00:41:04.99\00:41:06.56
but observed the
bay with a beach,
00:41:06.59\00:41:08.96
I already
mentioned that, so they...
00:41:09.00\00:41:11.93
And here's a
wonderful part of this story.
00:41:11.97\00:41:14.57
It said, "And the rest on boards
00:41:14.60\00:41:17.41
and some on parts of the ship.
00:41:17.44\00:41:18.74
And so it was that they
all escaped safely to land."
00:41:18.77\00:41:23.41
Now didn't Paul promise
00:41:23.45\00:41:24.61
that not a hair of
your head will fail?
00:41:24.65\00:41:26.88
What are those
prisoners and soldiers
00:41:26.92\00:41:28.78
and the captain
starting to think about Paul?
00:41:28.82\00:41:32.02
Everything he says happens.
00:41:32.05\00:41:35.29
He's good to keep around.
00:41:35.32\00:41:37.99
Now they come to
the island called Malta,
00:41:38.03\00:41:40.63
"and the natives showed
us no unusual kindness,"
00:41:40.66\00:41:42.93
they were very
sympathetic and kind.
00:41:42.96\00:41:44.67
I've been on
the island of Malta.
00:41:44.70\00:41:45.90
I've been many years ago.
00:41:45.93\00:41:48.07
"And they kindled a fire
and they made us welcome,
00:41:48.10\00:41:51.14
because of the rain was
falling and because of the cold.
00:41:51.17\00:41:54.61
But when Paul had
gathered a bundle of sticks,"
00:41:54.64\00:41:57.18
out of all the
soldiers and all the prisoners,
00:41:57.21\00:41:59.31
who is out helping
with practical things?
00:41:59.35\00:42:02.35
Was Paul the kind
of pastor that said,
00:42:02.38\00:42:04.62
"Okay, you here do
this, you here do that,"
00:42:04.65\00:42:06.32
or did he get
in there and do it?
00:42:06.35\00:42:08.92
"Paul gathered
a bundle of sticks
00:42:08.96\00:42:10.39
and laid them on the
fire and the vipers,"
00:42:10.43\00:42:13.23
that may have been
dormant because of the cool,
00:42:13.26\00:42:15.16
as they warm from the fire,
00:42:15.20\00:42:16.97
"came out and
because of the heat,
00:42:17.00\00:42:19.13
and fastened on his hand.
00:42:19.17\00:42:21.74
So when the
natives saw the creature
00:42:21.77\00:42:23.61
hanging from his hand,"
00:42:23.64\00:42:24.91
because it had bit
and it was still there,
00:42:24.94\00:42:26.64
and it's venomous,
its fangs are in there,
00:42:26.68\00:42:31.15
"they thought, 'no
doubt, this man is a murderer,'"
00:42:31.18\00:42:36.35
somehow, you know,
tragic, a Greek tragedy.
00:42:36.38\00:42:39.29
He survived the
storm but he's guilty
00:42:39.32\00:42:41.69
and so he dies from the snake.
00:42:41.72\00:42:44.53
Justice does not
allow him to live.
00:42:44.56\00:42:46.43
But he shook off the
creature into the fire
00:42:46.46\00:42:49.20
and suffered no harm.
00:42:49.23\00:42:51.47
Now what does
Jesus say about that?
00:42:51.50\00:42:54.70
Does the Lord say,
"They will take up serpents
00:42:54.74\00:42:57.44
and if they
drink any deadly thing,
00:42:57.47\00:42:59.11
it will by no means hurt them?"
00:42:59.14\00:43:01.38
Amen?
00:43:01.41\00:43:03.75
So now they've gone
00:43:03.78\00:43:06.75
from thinking
that he is a criminal
00:43:06.78\00:43:08.82
to thinking that he's a God.
00:43:08.85\00:43:11.49
They look for a long
time, and no harm came to him.
00:43:11.52\00:43:14.39
They changed their
minds and said he was a God.
00:43:14.42\00:43:18.19
You know, it just
tells you people's opinion.
00:43:18.23\00:43:20.00
They go from
thinking he's a devil
00:43:20.03\00:43:21.16
to thinking he's a
God in just a few minutes.
00:43:21.20\00:43:22.86
Now does the Bible
say something about,
00:43:25.87\00:43:27.67
the serpent might wound
you but he will not stop you?
00:43:27.70\00:43:31.24
Serpent is a symbol
for the devil, right?
00:43:31.27\00:43:34.78
And it says that,
00:43:34.81\00:43:35.81
"In that region,
there was a state
00:43:35.84\00:43:37.21
of a leading
citizen of the island,
00:43:37.25\00:43:39.01
whose name was Publius,
00:43:39.05\00:43:41.05
who received us and
entertained us courteously
00:43:41.08\00:43:43.82
for three days.
00:43:43.85\00:43:45.52
And it happened that
the father of Publius
00:43:45.55\00:43:47.26
lay sick of a
fever and dysentery,
00:43:47.29\00:43:50.46
and Paul went to
him and he prayed,
00:43:50.49\00:43:52.26
and he laid hands
on him, and healed him.
00:43:52.29\00:43:55.46
So when this was done, the
rest of those on the island
00:43:55.50\00:43:58.23
who had diseases
came and they were healed.
00:43:58.27\00:44:01.47
And they
honored us in many ways,
00:44:01.50\00:44:04.01
now someone's going to read...
00:44:04.04\00:44:05.07
You're gonna
read for me Acts 14:3.
00:44:05.11\00:44:10.48
You got that?
00:44:10.51\00:44:11.71
Acts 14:3.
00:44:11.75\00:44:13.65
"Therefore they
stayed there a long time,
00:44:13.68\00:44:16.02
speaking boldly in the Lord,
00:44:16.05\00:44:18.12
who was bearing witness
to the word of His grace,
00:44:18.15\00:44:21.16
granting signs and wonders
to be done by their hands."
00:44:21.19\00:44:24.73
Right, and why does God
allow Paul to heal this man?
00:44:24.76\00:44:29.06
Acts 4:29, "Now,
Lord, look on their threats,
00:44:29.10\00:44:34.04
and grant to Your servants
00:44:34.07\00:44:35.70
that with all boldness
we might speak Your word,
00:44:35.74\00:44:37.84
by stretching out
Your hand to heal,
00:44:37.87\00:44:40.68
and that signs and wonders
00:44:40.71\00:44:42.61
may be done through the name
of Your holy Servant Jesus."
00:44:42.64\00:44:45.88
Why?
00:44:45.91\00:44:47.02
Bearing witness to
the word of His Grace,
00:44:47.05\00:44:48.98
granting signs and wonders.
00:44:49.02\00:44:50.72
Why did Jesus do the healing?
00:44:50.75\00:44:52.02
Why the apostles do the healing?
00:44:52.05\00:44:54.09
That they would then listen
to the Word and they would see.
00:44:54.12\00:44:58.79
I think you're going
to see more of that again
00:44:58.83\00:45:00.30
in the last days.
00:45:00.33\00:45:01.90
Now everybody in the
island bring their sick to Paul.
00:45:01.93\00:45:04.03
What does it say?
00:45:04.07\00:45:05.13
Oh, no, he could
only heal one man?
00:45:05.17\00:45:06.60
No, they are all healed.
00:45:06.63\00:45:09.74
The signs and wonders
were being done by them again.
00:45:09.77\00:45:13.68
And...
00:45:13.71\00:45:14.94
All right, now they
finally have to go on to Rome
00:45:14.98\00:45:18.95
and I've only got
a couple of minutes
00:45:18.98\00:45:20.12
to get them there.
00:45:20.15\00:45:21.88
When they finally have to leave,
00:45:21.92\00:45:24.19
they treat them very well.
00:45:24.22\00:45:26.76
And he appeals
and he goes to Caesar,
00:45:26.79\00:45:31.03
let me see here,
00:45:31.06\00:45:33.43
"When he gets there," it says,
00:45:33.46\00:45:35.10
"Paul calls the
leaders of the Jews together."
00:45:35.13\00:45:38.00
He said to the Jew
first, after the Gentile.
00:45:38.03\00:45:40.57
And he said,
"The men and brethren,
00:45:40.60\00:45:41.90
and though I have done
nothing against our people,
00:45:41.94\00:45:44.24
or the customs of our fathers,
00:45:44.27\00:45:45.74
yet I was delivered as
a prisoner from Jerusalem
00:45:45.77\00:45:48.74
into the hands of the Romans,
who, when they'd examined me,
00:45:48.78\00:45:52.38
wanted to let
me go," the Romans,
00:45:52.41\00:45:54.35
"but because there was no
cause for putting me to death.
00:45:54.38\00:45:57.15
But when the
Jews spoke against it,
00:45:57.19\00:45:58.45
I was compelled
to appeal to Caesar,
00:45:58.49\00:46:00.59
not that I had anything
for which to accuse my nation.
00:46:00.62\00:46:03.93
For this reason
therefore I have called you,
00:46:03.96\00:46:05.66
to see you that I
might speak with you,
00:46:05.69\00:46:07.96
because for the hope of Israel
I am bound with this chain.
00:46:07.96\00:46:11.53
Then they said to him,
00:46:11.57\00:46:12.67
'We haven't heard any
letters or anything about this.
00:46:12.70\00:46:15.64
But we desire to hear
from you what you think,
00:46:15.67\00:46:18.04
for concerning
this sect, Christians,
00:46:18.07\00:46:20.81
we know that it's
spoken against everywhere.'
00:46:20.84\00:46:23.08
So when they
had appointed a day,
00:46:23.11\00:46:25.51
many came to him at
his lodging, to whom,"
00:46:25.55\00:46:28.52
now when he got to Rome,
00:46:28.55\00:46:29.48
they gave him his own
house he could live in,
00:46:29.52\00:46:33.66
"to whom he explained
00:46:33.69\00:46:35.19
and solemnly
testified of the kingdom of God,
00:46:35.22\00:46:37.89
persuading them concerning Jesus
00:46:37.93\00:46:40.63
from the Law of
Moses and the Prophets,
00:46:40.66\00:46:43.40
from morning till evening."
00:46:43.43\00:46:45.23
Now Paul had lived for this day.
00:46:45.27\00:46:47.57
This is part of the
reason that he went to Rome.
00:46:47.60\00:46:50.17
He's later going
to talk to Caesar.
00:46:50.21\00:46:51.64
He's going to talk to Romans.
00:46:51.67\00:46:52.94
But he wanted to
talk to his people there.
00:46:52.97\00:46:55.34
If wherever Paul went, he
first went to the synagogue.
00:46:55.38\00:46:57.61
He went to his home.
00:46:57.65\00:46:58.85
They already had the background.
00:46:58.88\00:47:00.58
Then he went to
the Romans as well.
00:47:00.62\00:47:04.09
"From morning to evening,"
he had quite a Bible study,
00:47:04.12\00:47:08.42
"and some were persuaded by
the things that were spoken,
00:47:08.46\00:47:10.86
and some disbelieved."
00:47:10.89\00:47:12.29
That's the way it's going to be.
00:47:12.33\00:47:13.29
If you witness for
Christ, will everyone agree?
00:47:13.33\00:47:15.36
No.
00:47:15.40\00:47:16.53
Some will believe though,
and you get excited about that.
00:47:16.56\00:47:19.47
So they didn't
agree among themselves,
00:47:19.50\00:47:20.97
they departed after
Paul has said this word.
00:47:21.00\00:47:24.54
Said, "Go, speak to this people,
00:47:24.57\00:47:26.17
hearing you will
here, and not understand."
00:47:26.21\00:47:28.51
Go to verse 28.
00:47:28.54\00:47:29.58
"Therefore let
it be known to you
00:47:29.61\00:47:31.15
that salvation of God has
been sent to the Gentiles,
00:47:31.18\00:47:34.88
and they will hear it!'
00:47:34.92\00:47:36.72
And when he had
said these words,
00:47:36.75\00:47:38.02
the Jews departed
00:47:38.05\00:47:39.45
and had a great
dispute among themselves."
00:47:39.49\00:47:41.32
Some believed, some did not.
00:47:41.36\00:47:43.63
"Then Paul dwelt
two whole years,"
00:47:43.66\00:47:46.26
he is waiting
for his trial date,
00:47:46.29\00:47:49.03
"in his own rented house,
00:47:49.06\00:47:51.10
and he received
all who came to him,
00:47:51.13\00:47:53.94
preaching the kingdom of
God and teaching the things
00:47:53.97\00:47:56.91
concerning the Lord Jesus Christ
00:47:56.94\00:47:59.14
with all confidence,
no one forbidding him."
00:47:59.17\00:48:02.14
And that's where
the Book of Acts ends,
00:48:02.18\00:48:04.15
and I got two seconds left.
00:48:04.18\00:48:05.45
One, zero.
00:48:05.48\00:48:07.02
Praise the Lord, we
made it. We got him to Paul.
00:48:07.05\00:48:09.82
He had waited for that
day when he could get to Rome
00:48:09.85\00:48:13.99
and he could preach about Jesus,
00:48:14.02\00:48:15.46
and the God provided,
he is in his own house,
00:48:15.49\00:48:18.73
he can't travel abroad,
but people can come to him.
00:48:18.76\00:48:21.73
So he's got like
his own church home.
00:48:21.76\00:48:23.13
He's got his own
pulpit in this home.
00:48:23.16\00:48:25.03
He's got freedom,
and he's not living,
00:48:25.07\00:48:27.77
you know, in a
dungeon where it's terrible.
00:48:27.80\00:48:30.57
But there is a Roman soldier
probably assigned to guard him.
00:48:30.61\00:48:33.17
And as they rotate through
the different Roman soldiers,
00:48:33.21\00:48:34.98
they are all converted.
00:48:35.01\00:48:36.04
Whenever Paul
has a Roman soldier,
00:48:36.08\00:48:37.35
he converts him.
00:48:37.38\00:48:38.48
Then they go among the troops,
and they start preaching,
00:48:38.51\00:48:40.18
then they go to
Herod's or Caesar's household
00:48:40.22\00:48:43.65
and they're preaching there.
00:48:43.69\00:48:44.92
Eventually the
servants in Caesar's household
00:48:44.95\00:48:47.22
hear the gospel.
00:48:47.26\00:48:48.26
And so Paul
through his influence,
00:48:48.29\00:48:49.92
in this big city,
00:48:49.96\00:48:51.33
he actually has an
influence, it goes everywhere.
00:48:51.36\00:48:53.50
Well, I enjoy the Book of Acts.
00:48:53.53\00:48:54.83
How about you?
00:48:54.83\00:48:56.20
All right. God
bless you friends.
00:48:56.23\00:48:57.27
I want to tell
you, we're out of time.
00:48:57.30\00:48:58.63
But we do have a free offer.
00:48:58.67\00:49:00.34
If you missed it, it's called,
"Dangers of a Diluted Gospel,"
00:49:00.37\00:49:03.87
and it's a message I share.
00:49:03.91\00:49:05.11
I think it's got
an important message
00:49:05.14\00:49:06.17
about diluting the gospel,
00:49:06.21\00:49:08.28
and we'll send it
to you if you ask.
00:49:08.31\00:49:10.45
You can call 866-788-3966.
00:49:10.48\00:49:14.22
Ask for offer number 829.
00:49:14.25\00:49:16.89
And you can even
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We're going to have
our closing prayer here,
00:49:34.60\00:49:36.30
and then our mission offering,
00:49:36.34\00:49:37.57
want to say God bless
to those that are watching.
00:49:37.61\00:49:41.01
Let's face it.
00:49:41.04\00:49:42.08
It's not always
easy to understand
00:49:42.11\00:49:43.95
everything you
read in the Bible.
00:49:43.98\00:49:45.88
With over 700,000
words contained in 66 books,
00:49:45.91\00:49:49.62
the Bible can
generate a lot of questions.
00:49:49.65\00:49:52.25
To get biblical
straightforward answers,
00:49:52.29\00:49:54.56
call into Bible Answers Live,
00:49:54.59\00:49:56.39
a live nationwide
call in radio program
00:49:56.42\00:49:59.13
where you can talk to
Pastor Doug Batchelor,
00:49:59.16\00:50:01.43
and ask him your most
difficult Bible questions.
00:50:01.46\00:50:03.97
For times and
stations in your area,
00:50:04.00\00:50:06.13
or to listen to answers online,
00:50:06.17\00:50:07.97
visit bal.amazingfacts.org.
00:50:08.00\00:50:11.47
Friends, have you ever
heard of the bowhead whale.
00:50:24.35\00:50:26.86
This enormous Leviathan
00:50:26.89\00:50:28.76
is the second largest
creature in the world.
00:50:28.79\00:50:31.39
Dark and stocky,
00:50:31.43\00:50:32.66
it roams the fertile
Arctic Northern waters.
00:50:32.69\00:50:36.10
These massive creatures
can be more than 65 feet long
00:50:36.13\00:50:39.73
and weigh more than 75 tons.
00:50:39.77\00:50:42.04
That's heavier
than the space shuttle.
00:50:42.07\00:50:44.87
Yet in spite of
their titanic size,
00:50:44.91\00:50:47.14
they're able to leap
entirely out of the water.
00:50:47.18\00:50:50.41
Can you say belly flop.
00:50:50.45\00:50:53.08
The bowhead whale gets its
name from its bow shape skull
00:50:53.11\00:50:56.89
and they've got
one ginormous noggin.
00:50:56.92\00:50:59.49
Matter of fact, their head
is about 40% of their body size
00:50:59.52\00:51:02.82
which comes in handy
00:51:02.86\00:51:04.09
when you find out
how they use their heads.
00:51:04.13\00:51:06.36
They've got very thick skulls.
00:51:06.39\00:51:08.13
Sometimes they get
trapped under the surface,
00:51:08.16\00:51:10.30
and they use their
heads to ram the ice,
00:51:10.33\00:51:13.10
they can break a
breathing hole in the ice
00:51:13.13\00:51:15.40
that is a foot and a half bit.
00:51:15.44\00:51:18.24
Friends, you have to just
imagine what it would be like
00:51:18.27\00:51:20.44
to be walking
around on the Arctic ice
00:51:20.48\00:51:22.68
and all of a sudden,
have the ground beneath you
00:51:22.71\00:51:25.01
cracked, and split, and rise,
00:51:25.05\00:51:27.62
as one of these sea monsters
pushes its head up to breathe
00:51:27.65\00:51:31.05
for the first
time in 90 minutes.
00:51:31.09\00:51:33.76
Because bowheads make their home
00:51:33.79\00:51:35.19
in the coldest
part of our world,
00:51:35.22\00:51:36.86
they have the
thickest blubber of any whale.
00:51:36.89\00:51:39.33
But this, plus their
friendly and curious nature,
00:51:39.36\00:51:42.63
made them prime targets
00:51:42.66\00:51:44.00
when the European
whalers discovered the bowheads.
00:51:44.03\00:51:46.80
They hunted them
nearly to extinction.
00:51:46.84\00:51:50.71
Fortunately because
of conservation efforts,
00:51:50.74\00:51:53.48
we've slowly seen their
numbers begin to increase
00:51:53.51\00:51:55.68
since the 60's.
00:51:55.71\00:51:57.51
One of the most amazing
facts about the bowhead whale
00:51:57.55\00:52:00.32
is its longevity.
00:52:00.35\00:52:02.12
Scientists have discovered
by evaluating harpoon tips
00:52:02.15\00:52:05.19
found in their skull and
examining their eye tissue,
00:52:05.22\00:52:08.36
there are
bowhead whales out there
00:52:08.39\00:52:10.19
that are probably
over 200 years old.
00:52:10.23\00:52:13.73
You realize that means
there are bowhead whales
00:52:13.76\00:52:16.40
swimming the oceans
right now that were alive
00:52:16.43\00:52:19.43
before Abraham
Lincoln was elected president.
00:52:19.47\00:52:22.50
Can you imagine that?
00:52:22.54\00:52:24.54
Among the other
amazing mega facts
00:52:24.57\00:52:26.64
about the bowhead
whale is its mega mouth.
00:52:26.68\00:52:29.78
They have the largest mouth
of any in the animal kingdom.
00:52:29.81\00:52:33.21
And when they open
their pile full extended,
00:52:33.25\00:52:35.75
it's large enough to
park a medium size SUV inside.
00:52:35.78\00:52:39.92
Yet, in spite of the fact
they've got such big mouths,
00:52:39.95\00:52:42.46
they survive by eating
the very smallest creatures
00:52:42.49\00:52:45.16
in the ocean,
00:52:45.19\00:52:46.36
plankton, krill, and
other microscopic animals.
00:52:46.39\00:52:50.73
Friends, I'm always amazed
by the creatures God has made.
00:52:50.77\00:52:53.40
This bowhead whale is able
to dive to the deepest oceans.
00:52:53.44\00:52:56.77
They can break through the ice
00:52:56.81\00:52:58.17
and move
mountains with their head
00:52:58.21\00:52:59.31
and completely leave the
water and fly though the air,
00:52:59.34\00:53:02.71
and yet they do all
that by getting in strength
00:53:02.74\00:53:05.28
from almost
microscopic organisms.
00:53:05.31\00:53:08.42
Helps us
remember that we survive
00:53:08.45\00:53:10.49
through the little
promises in God's Word.
00:53:10.52\00:53:12.99
Jesus when tempted by the devil,
00:53:13.02\00:53:14.76
He quoted just a
few little verses
00:53:14.79\00:53:16.96
and He sent the enemy running.
00:53:16.99\00:53:18.76
You can also have
that same durability
00:53:18.79\00:53:20.90
and long life as a bowhead whale
00:53:20.93\00:53:22.83
by trusting in God's
Word and His promises.
00:53:22.86\00:53:25.23
Did you know
that Noah was present
00:53:34.68\00:53:36.34
at the birth of Abraham?
00:53:36.38\00:53:38.18
Okay, maybe he
wasn't in the room,
00:53:38.21\00:53:40.68
but he was alive
00:53:40.72\00:53:41.78
and probably telling
stories about his floating zoo.
00:53:41.82\00:53:45.29
From the creation of the world
00:53:45.32\00:53:46.86
to the last day
events of Revelation,
00:53:46.89\00:53:49.22
biblehistory.com
is a free resource
00:53:49.26\00:53:51.86
where you can explore major
Bible events and characters.
00:53:51.89\00:53:55.26
Enhance your
knowledge of the Bible
00:53:55.30\00:53:57.27
and draw closer to God's Word.
00:53:57.30\00:53:59.63
Go deeper, visit the
Amazing Bible Timeline
00:53:59.67\00:54:03.00
at biblehistory.com.
00:54:03.04\00:54:04.94
We're here on
the beautiful coast
00:54:16.22\00:54:17.89
of the island of Puerto Rico.
00:54:17.92\00:54:19.72
And if you were to
travel east about 2000 miles,
00:54:19.75\00:54:22.72
of course, you would be
out in the middle of the ocean.
00:54:22.76\00:54:24.79
But you'd also be in
the middle of a mystical sea
00:54:24.83\00:54:27.20
called the Sargasso Sea.
00:54:27.23\00:54:29.36
It gets its name
00:54:29.40\00:54:30.40
because of this
common brown seaweed
00:54:30.43\00:54:33.37
that can be found
floating in vast mass.
00:54:33.40\00:54:36.64
The area of the Sargasso
Sea is about 700 miles wide
00:54:36.67\00:54:40.68
and 2000 miles long.
00:54:40.71\00:54:42.98
Now the seaweed
itself is fascinating stuff.
00:54:43.01\00:54:45.78
It was first
observed and called Gulfweed
00:54:45.81\00:54:47.85
by Christopher Columbus.
00:54:47.88\00:54:49.18
It gets the name
Sargon from the Portuguese.
00:54:49.22\00:54:51.72
Some people use it
as herbal remedies.
00:54:51.75\00:54:53.72
But out in the
middle of the Sargasso Sea,
00:54:53.76\00:54:56.16
the water is some of
the bluest in the world.
00:54:56.19\00:54:58.66
It's there you can see
200 feet deep in places.
00:54:58.69\00:55:02.43
It also has a great
biodiversity and ecosystem
00:55:02.46\00:55:05.17
that surrounds the Sargasso Sea.
00:55:05.20\00:55:07.57
For years, scientists
wondered where the American
00:55:07.60\00:55:09.97
and the Atlantic
eels were breeding.
00:55:10.01\00:55:12.31
They knew the adult
eel swam down the rivers
00:55:12.34\00:55:14.68
out into the Atlantic,
00:55:14.71\00:55:15.84
but they never
could find a place
00:55:15.88\00:55:17.08
where they reproduced.
00:55:17.11\00:55:18.31
Finally, they discovered
00:55:18.35\00:55:19.38
it was out in the
middle of the Sargasso Sea.
00:55:19.41\00:55:22.25
So it's a fascinating place.
00:55:22.28\00:55:24.02
But if you are
an ancient sailor,
00:55:24.05\00:55:25.55
you did not want
to get stuck there.
00:55:25.59\00:55:30.16
Being caught in the
doldrums was extremely difficult
00:55:30.19\00:55:33.43
for the ancient sailors.
00:55:33.46\00:55:35.00
Of course, their boats
were driven by wind and sail,
00:55:35.03\00:55:37.77
and they'd be caught in
the vast mass of the seaweed
00:55:37.80\00:55:40.44
that would wrap
around the rudder,
00:55:40.47\00:55:42.20
barnacles would begin to grow,
00:55:42.24\00:55:43.84
it's an area that is notorious
for light and baffling winds,
00:55:43.87\00:55:47.58
and so they'd make no progress.
00:55:47.61\00:55:49.44
They get stuck.
00:55:49.48\00:55:50.68
The men would become
extremely dispirited.
00:55:50.71\00:55:53.11
Sometimes violence and
even insanity would break out
00:55:53.15\00:55:56.28
as people were
trapped in the doldrums.
00:55:56.32\00:55:59.22
But, friends,
perhaps sometimes you felt
00:55:59.25\00:56:01.09
that you're
trapped in the doldrums.
00:56:01.12\00:56:03.12
You've gone through
episodes of depression.
00:56:03.16\00:56:05.26
You feel like
you're going in circles,
00:56:05.29\00:56:07.13
life seems stifling.
00:56:07.13\00:56:08.80
You know, the
Bible offers good news.
00:56:08.83\00:56:10.53
There is a way out.
00:56:10.57\00:56:12.23
Bible talks about
a famous character
00:56:12.27\00:56:14.34
that was trapped in
a cycle of depression.
00:56:14.37\00:56:16.81
He was low as you could be.
00:56:16.84\00:56:18.61
Matter of fact,
he even had seaweed
00:56:18.64\00:56:20.01
wrapped around his head.
00:56:20.04\00:56:21.34
His name was Jonah.
00:56:21.38\00:56:22.91
But God gave
him a way of escape.
00:56:22.94\00:56:25.41
In Jonah 2:3-7, we read,
00:56:25.45\00:56:29.28
"For you cast
me into the depths,
00:56:29.32\00:56:31.12
into the heart of the seas,
and the flood surrounded me,
00:56:31.15\00:56:34.82
all of Your billows and
Your waves passed over me.
00:56:34.86\00:56:37.96
Then I said, 'I have
been cast out of your sight,
00:56:37.99\00:56:41.16
yet I will look again
towards Your holy temple.'
00:56:41.20\00:56:43.77
The waters
surrounded me, even to my soul,
00:56:43.80\00:56:46.60
the deep closed around me,
00:56:46.63\00:56:48.60
weeds were
wrapped around my head.
00:56:48.64\00:56:50.81
I went down to the
moorings of the mountains,
00:56:50.84\00:56:53.58
the earth with its bars
closed behind me forever,
00:56:53.61\00:56:56.95
yet you brought my
life up from the pit.
00:56:56.98\00:56:59.75
O Lord, my God.
00:56:59.78\00:57:01.42
'When my soul fainted within me,
00:57:01.45\00:57:03.32
I remember the Lord,
00:57:03.35\00:57:04.92
and my prayer went up to
You, into Your holy temple.'"
00:57:04.95\00:57:08.89
You know, friends,
the way that Jonah got out
00:57:08.92\00:57:10.59
of his
discouraging circumstance,
00:57:10.63\00:57:12.66
he turned to God and he prayed.
00:57:12.69\00:57:15.00
And if God could
hear Jonah's prayers,
00:57:15.03\00:57:16.53
just think about it.
00:57:16.56\00:57:17.57
He was as far away from
God as anybody could be.
00:57:17.60\00:57:20.24
He was in the
belly of a sea monster
00:57:20.27\00:57:21.90
in the bottom of
the ocean in the dark.
00:57:21.94\00:57:24.14
Yet he turned to God
and God heard his prayer.
00:57:24.17\00:57:26.88
You know, these ancient sailors,
00:57:26.91\00:57:28.01
when they were trapped
00:57:28.04\00:57:29.31
on the deck of a ship for weeks,
00:57:29.34\00:57:30.85
stuck in the
doldrums discouraged,
00:57:30.88\00:57:32.75
sometimes they would
have a prayer meeting,
00:57:32.78\00:57:34.65
and pray that God
would send a breeze
00:57:34.68\00:57:37.05
that would set them free,
and get their boats moving.
00:57:37.09\00:57:39.99
They turn to God in prayer
00:57:40.02\00:57:41.06
and often miracles would happen,
00:57:41.09\00:57:42.92
and the wind would
flutter in the sails,
00:57:42.96\00:57:44.83
and bring them out
of their seaweed prison.
00:57:44.86\00:57:47.56
Friends, maybe
you have been stuck
00:57:47.60\00:57:49.30
in the doldrums.
00:57:49.33\00:57:50.50
Maybe you've been caught
in a cycle of depression.
00:57:50.53\00:57:53.07
If God can do it for Jonah,
00:57:53.10\00:57:54.40
if He can do it for
the ancient sailors,
00:57:54.44\00:57:55.94
He can do it for you.
00:57:55.97\00:57:57.11
Turn to the Lord in prayer.
00:57:57.14\00:57:58.51
Trust His Spirit to
blow through your soul
00:57:58.54\00:58:01.31
and to set you free.
00:58:01.34\00:58:02.68