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00:35 Good morning, friends, and welcome again
00:37 to Sabbath School Study Hour 00:38 here at the Granite Bay Seventh-day Adventist Church 00:40 in Sacramento, California. 00:43 Very warm welcome to our online members 00:45 and those who are joining us 00:46 on the various television networks 00:48 to study our lesson today. 00:50 Also, I'd like to welcome our regular church members 00:53 and our visitors here at Granite Bay, 00:56 always nice to see you folks 00:57 coming out Sabbath morning to study with us. 00:59 And we're finishing up our lesson courtly 01:02 in the Book of Acts this morning. 01:03 We're actually on lesson number 13, 01:06 that's entitled "Journey to Rome." 01:08 So today is the last Sabbath 01:10 we're studying out of this book. 01:12 But starting next week, 01:13 we start a brand new lesson quarterly 01:15 entitled, "Oneness in Christ." 01:17 And I know for those of you here locally, 01:19 hopefully you've all received the lesson quarterly. 01:21 If you have not yet received one, 01:22 they are available in the church for you 01:25 and you'll be able to pick one up as you leave. 01:27 For our friends who are watching online, 01:28 if you'd like to get the lesson for next week, 01:31 you can do so by just simply downloading the lesson 01:35 at the following website, study.aftv.org. 01:41 Again, that website is study.aftv.org, 01:45 and you can download lesson number one 01:47 of our new lesson quarterly 01:48 and you can study and prepare for next week. 01:52 We do have a free offer, 01:53 we like to let our friends know about. 01:54 It is a sermon DVD, 01:57 and we'll be happy to send that out 01:58 to anybody who calls and asks. 02:00 The number is 866-788-3966. 02:04 And you can ask for offer number 829 02:07 or you can download a digital version of the sermon 02:10 by texting the following code, 02:13 "SH105" to the number 40544, 02:19 and you'll get a link, 02:20 and you'll be able to download the sermon, 02:22 "The Dangers of a Diluted Gospel," 02:24 and I think you'll find that inspiring and encouraging. 02:27 Well, at this time, 02:28 we'd like invite our song leaders to come 02:29 and now lead us as we lift our voices in song. 06:15 Thank you so much for singing along with us, 06:17 and at this time, Pastor Ross will have our opening prayer. 06:22 Dear Father in Heaven, 06:23 we thank You once again for the opportunity 06:25 to open up Your Word and study, 06:28 as we look at the life of Paul as we finish up our study 06:31 in Paul's ministry, 06:33 we just ask once again that the Holy Spirit will come 06:36 and guide our hearts 06:37 and may we be inspired by just his commitment to you, 06:41 and to the work of taking the gospel 06:42 to as many as he could, 06:44 may that inspire us in our realms, 06:47 in our spheres of influence, 06:48 for we ask this in Jesus' name, amen. 06:52 Our lesson today is going to be brought to us by Pastor Doug. 06:56 I'm excited about our lesson, 06:58 we're doing our last lesson as Pastor Ross mentioned, 07:01 and in case some joined us late, 07:02 I also want to remind you that next week, 07:05 we're going to be doing lesson number one, 07:07 "Oneness in Christ," is our new quarter's theme, 07:10 and I'm looking forward to that. 07:12 For those who are members of our local church here, 07:14 we have some copies of this 07:16 out there in the foyer for you to pick up later. 07:20 You know when I realized we'd be doing the Book of Acts, 07:22 I actually thumbed ahead and wanted to make sure. 07:25 I travel sometimes and I'm here some weeks 07:27 and I'm gone other weeks, I wanted to be here this week 07:30 because this is one of my favorite stories 07:32 in the Bible. 07:33 It's one of my favorite stories in the Book of Acts. 07:36 It's about a storm at sea 07:39 and I like the sea. 07:45 And I like it even when it gets a little rough, 07:47 it's kind of fun. 07:48 You don't want it to get too rough, then it gets scary. 07:51 But twice I've lived on sailboats. 07:55 When I grew up in Florida, 07:58 I had a sailboat in the backyard, 08:00 and so I kind of understood the basics of sailing 08:03 when I was about 12 years old. 08:05 It was just a little sailboat. 08:07 I have capsized my sailboat about 100 times. 08:11 So it was fun to wreck it. 08:13 I'd take my girlfriends out, and I capsize it, 08:15 and act like it was an accident. 08:18 But there was a little sunfish sailboat, 08:19 I don't know if any of you remember those, 08:21 and there was a way you could stand on the keel 08:23 and you could flip it back over out 08:24 in the middle of Biscayne Bay. 08:26 But I lived on another boat in the Mediterranean. 08:29 My dad sent me to a summer camp 08:31 where we lived on a sailboat briefly in the Florida Keys. 08:35 And so I just love the stories of the sea 08:40 and just got done reading another true story, 08:43 I like some of the true histories 08:44 about the stories of the sea. 08:46 I'm one of the few people that read all of Moby Dick. 08:51 Any of you get assigned to read Moby Dick 08:53 when you were in college? 08:55 A lot of you went to Christian colleges, 08:56 so they probably didn't assign that. 08:59 But this is a real adventure of a story of a storm at sea. 09:04 So turn in your Bibles, our mission today 09:07 is to cover Acts 27 and 28. 09:10 We have a memory verse and the memory verse 09:12 comes to us from Acts 27:24, 09:16 and I'll invite you to say that with me. 09:17 I'm going to read the whole verse. 09:19 I think the memory verse in your lesson 09:20 just gives half of it. 09:22 We'll read the whole verse in Acts 27:24, 09:25 New King James Version. 09:26 Are you ready? 09:28 "Do not be afraid, Paul, 09:31 you must be brought before Caesar, 09:34 and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you." 09:40 Now Paul had a real desire to go to Rome. 09:44 He says that, I want to go to Rome. 09:46 Why was it so important for Paul to go to Rome? 09:56 Amazing Facts was really excited 09:58 when we were invited to do an evangelistic meeting 10:01 in 1999 in New York City. 10:04 Why do you think we were excited about that? 10:07 Wasn't the biggest baptism we ever had. 10:09 I think there were 60 or 70 baptized. 10:12 City has got eight million people. 10:13 So it's, you know, comparatively small. 10:16 But New York is sort of the crossroads of the world. 10:19 It's the financial capital of the world. 10:21 It's the advertising capital of the world. 10:27 A lot of people's attention... 10:28 When enemies wanted to attack America, 10:30 where they chose to attack? 10:32 In addition to Washington DC, they attacked New York City, 10:35 it's a very visible place. 10:37 And because it is a communications capital 10:40 of the world, 10:42 we knew if we could preach the gospel there 10:44 that it would get very wide distribution and attention, 10:47 and it did. 10:48 And as I travel, I need to be honest with you, 10:51 of all the different programs 10:52 Amazing Facts has been connected to, 10:54 we hear of more people that were baptized 10:57 from the millennium of prophecy 10:59 Net New York program, Net '99 11:01 than anything we did 11:03 because it was broadcasted by the church around the world, 11:05 and different churches picked it up, 11:06 and just something about being at the crossroads. 11:10 Well for Paul's day, all roads lead where? 11:14 To Rome. It was the... 11:16 You know, we got the Internet today. 11:17 Well, that was the Internet. It all went through Rome. 11:20 Paul thought, "Look, if I can plant 11:22 the gospel seed there, 11:23 if we can get a good church there, 11:24 people from all over the world go through and in Rome." 11:28 Why did God pour out the Holy Spirit 11:30 on the day of Pentecost, Acts 2, 11:34 for those who maybe weren't there 11:35 when we covered that? 11:37 Yeah. 11:39 It tells you there in the chapter, 11:41 they were dwelling in Jerusalem devout Jews 11:44 from out of every nation under heaven. 11:46 From all over the Roman Empire, 11:48 they descended on Jerusalem during Pentecost. 11:51 He preached... 11:53 The Holy Spirit has poured out and all the disciples preached, 11:55 then they fanned out from that location 11:57 around the Roman Empire. 11:58 And so the idea was to disperse the gospel. 12:02 Paul knew, if I could just get the church 12:04 rooted strongly in Rome. 12:07 Now there already was a church in Rome, 12:08 but Paul hadn't really been there yet. 12:10 It was there because of some of the Jews at Pentecost 12:12 that went back and some of the other workers. 12:15 He wanted to really help stabilize the church at Rome 12:18 and they knew from there it was going to go to England, 12:20 it was going to go up to Germany, 12:22 it would go to Spain 12:23 because it would go to North Africa 12:25 because the Romans had trading in all those places. 12:29 So God told them, 12:30 Paul you're going to go preach in Rome. 12:33 He didn't think it was going to mean 12:35 as a prisoner through a prison. 12:39 So finally, we've read about his trials, 12:41 he appeals to Caesar. 12:43 They said the Caesar you've appealed, 12:44 the Caesar you'll go. 12:45 Now the journey begins. 12:47 And so Paul gets on a ship that is sailing to Rome. 12:51 And so join me in Acts 27, 12:54 and again this last lesson covers 27, 28. 13:00 "And when it was decided that we should sail to Italy, 13:02 they delivered Paul and some other prisoners 13:05 to one named Julius, 13:07 a centurion of the Augustan Regiment." 13:11 You know when you read, 13:13 the Bible doesn't have good things to say 13:14 about all the Roman soldiers, some were very cruel to Jesus. 13:18 But the Bible has nothing bad to say about centurions. 13:21 Centurions typically were people 13:24 who had been voted into the position 13:26 by the other soldiers. 13:29 In order for you to be a centurion, 13:30 and usually had 100 men on you roughly, 13:32 that's where you get a century, a hundred. 13:36 All centurions in the Bible that are mentioned 13:38 are typically good. 13:40 Centurion at the cross said, 13:42 "Truly this was the Son of God," 13:43 the centurion that said, "He had faith in Jesus 13:46 if he would heal his servant. 13:47 The centurion that Cornelius, who is converted, 13:52 and you've got here another centurion named Julius 13:54 who is fairly good to Paul along the way. 13:58 So he's delivered to him and many other prisoners. 14:01 Now you read on here, you'll find out, 14:03 there are how many prisoners, who knows? 14:07 Two hundred and seventy six prisoners are traveling to Rome 14:12 to be tried. 14:13 And Paul has spent quite a while 14:15 in Rome waiting for his trial 14:16 because Nero's court was backed up. 14:19 He was sort of the Supreme Court, 14:22 and you can read that God took advantage of that idle time 14:25 waiting for trial to preach the gospel around Rome. 14:28 Now just as a little amazing fact 14:30 I thought I'd throw in. 14:33 When Columbus came to America 14:35 with the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria, 14:39 how many total men were there on those three ships? 14:42 Check your American history. 14:46 None of you're going to qualify as citizens. 14:50 There are 88 men, about 18 on the two smaller vessels, 14:54 and the rest on the Santa Maria. 14:57 How long were they? 15:02 Fifty feet, sixty feet, ninety feet, 15:06 then the Santa Maria, they were, 15:08 and that was a barge, and they went very slowly. 15:11 Do you know that the Romans had ships in the Mediterranean 15:14 that were ten times bigger? 15:17 They discovered back in, 15:18 they were going to be building an area 15:21 that later turned into the Leonardo da Vinci airport 15:23 in Rome, by the Tiber River, 15:26 and as they were dredging there, 15:27 they dug up an ancient Roman ship, 15:30 and it was known as Caligula's Giant Ship 15:32 and I think they're going to put that 15:33 up on the screen there. 15:35 Why do you make the picture so small? 15:37 Anyway, I wanted the ship big. 15:39 But that's a statue of Caligula in the back. 15:42 This ship was 341 feet. 15:47 The beam of it, the width, 66 feet. 15:50 It was wider than two of Columbus's ships were long. 15:57 It had marble tile, baths, hot and cold running water. 16:03 And I don't know 16:04 if it was running that hot and cold water. 16:06 It was a palace ship that he would float around 16:09 and have parties on. 16:10 It was one of the two that was found 16:12 when they were excavating, and World War II broke out, 16:14 and it was destroyed in the bombing around Rome 16:16 which is kind of sad, they were burned. 16:18 But they had some big vessels back then, 16:22 you know, they used to argue 16:24 it was impossible to build Noah's Ark 16:26 because no wooden ship could be that big 16:30 that could withstand it, 16:31 and that was just an urban myth. 16:32 So here they're on, 16:33 it probably wasn't as big as Caligula's Ship 16:35 but they're on a big Phoenician Schrader, 16:37 276 people are on this ship, 16:41 and they need to get them to Rome. 16:43 They make some stops along the way, 16:45 not everyone is a prisoner. 16:46 There is some cargo that they're selling. 16:49 But you read in verse 3, it says, 16:50 "The next day we landed at Sidon. 16:53 And Julius treated Paul kindly and gave him liberty 16:57 to go see his friends and to receive care." 17:00 He kind of lets him go on his own recognizance and says, 17:05 you know, you've got to be back before we depart. 17:07 Now in the Roman Empire, 17:09 it was very hard to run away and not be known. 17:12 Romans, they had papers, 17:16 you always had to give an account, 17:17 soldiers were stationed everywhere, 17:18 and you had to be able to give an account of 17:20 who you were and where you were going. 17:21 So unless you plan 17:22 on just running off on the hills and hiding, 17:24 you couldn't really escape. 17:26 And Paul had given his word 17:27 and they knew he was a man they could trust. 17:30 You jump down in verse 8 17:32 and as they're going from port to port, 17:33 they are trying to make their way to Rome. 17:35 It says, "We sailed slowly many days, 17:40 and we arrived with difficulty at Cnidus, 17:43 the wind not permitting us to proceed, 17:47 we sailed under the shelter of Crete." 17:49 You know what it means to be in the doldrums? 17:54 You ever heard the expression, "being in the doldrums?" 17:55 We use it to talk about being depressed. 17:58 Ah, they are kind of in the doldrums. 18:00 It's because the ancient ships 18:01 would be sailing off North Africa 18:03 and there was a place 18:05 where the winds are typically very calm. 18:07 They later discovered it's the place 18:09 where eels go to mate reproduce and swim back to the rivers, 18:14 those freshwater eels 18:15 that go out in the middle of the Atlantic, 18:16 they mate, and they swim back. 18:18 It's a place filled with seaweed. 18:21 It's called sargassum, seaweed. 18:24 And ships got caught there, there'd be no wind, 18:30 and they would be calmed, and they called it the doldrums 18:33 because the sailors in the constant 18:36 sitting on the ship, 18:38 no fluttering in the wind and the sails, in the heat, 18:42 and the sweltering there of the Equatorial Atlantic, 18:47 they would become, overcome with depression. 18:52 And sometimes these ships, 18:55 you're glad when you're not in the storm, 18:57 but it's almost as bad to be calmed, 19:00 you are just sitting there, waiting, 19:01 you can't row these big ships very far. 19:05 I remember in my little sailboat, 19:07 I'd get out in Biscayne Bay, 19:08 and also the wind would go calm, 19:10 and I pull out the center board and try to paddle, 19:13 or I'd take my sail with my hand, I go like that, 19:15 and just you could wave your way 19:16 through the water a little bit to try to just move, 19:19 you just stuck out there in the middle, no motor. 19:22 And so they were having much difficulty it says, 19:25 "slowly, many days," now what's happening, 19:28 there is a season to sail and there's a season 19:30 when you get to a certain point 19:31 where it's not safe to sail. 19:34 And they started this trip a little late, 19:36 and it was going longer and longer, 19:38 and Paul, who had a lot of experience in this, 19:44 now he is getting ready to give him some advice. 19:46 "Passing the shelter of Crete off Salmone with difficulty, 19:53 means slowly, we came to a place called Fair Havens, 19:56 near the city of Lasea." 19:58 Now they should have stayed at Fair Havens. 20:01 "But when much time had been spent," 20:04 they'd wasted so much time going slowly, 20:07 "and sailing was now dangerous because the Fast was over." 20:11 They typically thought that once the fall fast, 20:14 Jewish holiday was over, 20:16 that was a time when you avoided sailing. 20:18 They just used that as a benchmark. 20:19 It's like farmers say, 20:21 you know, after your last frost, 20:22 you then plant your tomatoes or your corn. 20:25 After the fast, they said, don't sale. 20:27 And the fast was passed, 20:30 and they said, we shouldn't be sailing. 20:32 Paul advised them, now Paul is telling the sailors 20:35 and the owner of the ship, "Men, I perceive," 20:39 now what right does he have to say anything? 20:43 He's a prisoner. 20:44 But you know what? He's gained so much respect. 20:47 Paul had several private audiences 20:50 with the kings of Jerusalem and Israel 20:53 when he was down there. 20:54 Now he's on his way, he's appealed to Caesar, 20:56 he's a Roman citizen, 20:58 not all were prisoners on the boat, 20:59 some were just slaves that were being tried. 21:02 Paul has a little more prestige. 21:04 He's got Luke traveling with him, 21:06 and it really helps if you're going to go through a storm 21:08 if you have some friends. 21:10 And notice, it says in Acts 27:3, 21:12 "The next day we landed," what does that mean? 21:15 Luke's traveling with him, so he's not alone. 21:18 You go to verse 7 and 8, 21:19 "When we had sailed slowly many days," 21:22 so he's got some friends, 21:23 so Paul is giving advice to the master and he said, 21:27 "I perceive this voyage 21:29 will end in a disaster and much loss, 21:31 not only of the cargo and the ship, 21:33 but also of our lives." 21:34 He is saying, "You're going to risk our lives 21:35 if you sail on that, it's too late in the season." 21:39 But they didn't want to listen to Paul. 21:41 Now how much did Paul know about sailing? 21:43 Someone's going to read the verse for me. 21:45 I think someone here has 2 Corinthians, 21:47 it's 11:25, are we ready for that? 21:51 They're going to get you ready. 21:52 Go ahead, read that for us. 21:54 "Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, 21:59 three times I was shipwrecked, 22:01 a night and a day I have been in the deep." 22:04 You know what makes a stunt driver a good stunt driver? 22:10 A lot of wrecks. 22:13 And Paul understood something about sailing, didn't he? 22:16 Ship wrecked, three times. 22:18 How many people can brag about that? 22:20 That's like, would you want to fly with a pilot who says 22:22 I've crash landed three times? 22:25 But he knew something about it. 22:27 He wasn't the pilot of those ships that wrecked. 22:29 He knew something about sailing. 22:31 And so he said, "Look I wasn't born in Jerusalem. 22:35 I was born in Tarsus. 22:36 I've sailed across the Mediterranean many times. 22:39 And I'm telling you 22:40 this is a dangerous time to sail." 22:44 And they didn't listen. They thought more... 22:46 They listened more to the shipmaster, 22:48 they were thinking more about finances, 22:51 and they got into a bad storm. 22:55 You jump now... 22:56 Well, let me see, I want to read a little bit of this. 22:58 It said... 23:03 Yeah, you go down to verse 11. 23:04 "Nevertheless the centurion was more persuaded 23:06 by the helmsman, the pilot, 23:08 and the owner of the ship 23:09 than by the things spoken by Paul. 23:12 And because the harbor was not suitable to winter in, 23:14 the majority advised," they said, look, 23:16 if we're going to have spend months waiting for the winter, 23:19 says, "the majority advised 23:20 that they tried to reach Phoenix, 23:23 a harbor of Crete opening towards the southwest 23:26 and the northwest, and winter there. 23:29 And when the south wind blew softly, 23:31 supposing they had obtained their desire," they said, 23:33 look, it's a good wind, let's take out. 23:35 It looked good at first, soft wind. 23:39 "But not long afterward, a tempestuous head wind arose, 23:43 that had a name, it's called Euroclydon." 23:46 So it's based on the same name as Europe. 23:50 "And so when the ship was caught, 23:52 and they could not head into the wind, they let her drive." 23:55 Sometimes you try to tack back and forth when you are sailing 23:58 but they just had to drive before the wind, 24:00 you couldn't go across wind into the wedge, 24:02 you get capsized, they weren't going where they wanted to go, 24:05 they were just trying to survive. 24:08 "And running under the shelter of an island..." 24:10 Now when you are in a big storm, 24:12 if you can get between the storm and an island, 24:15 you get a little break in the wind. 24:17 And while they're blowing, the wind subsided a little bit 24:20 because they had the protection of a Greek island, 24:22 they've all got little mountains 24:23 in the Greek islands, 24:24 and so they started trying to secure 24:26 and tighten up the ship. 24:29 It says, "We went by this island called Claudia, 24:31 we secured the skiff." 24:32 They had to get the little lifeboat 24:33 that they were dragging behind it, 24:35 they had to tie it on the boat. 24:36 Now that skiff, that little lifeboat comes up lately, 24:39 later in the story. 24:40 "When they had taken it on board," 24:42 they hoisted up on board and they had to tie it down, 24:44 "they used cables to undergird the ship," 24:46 they are just trying to keep the ship together, 24:47 they are tying it with very strong ropes, 24:51 "fearing lest they should run aground on the Syrtis Sands," 24:55 they are now drifting towards to a place 24:56 where they knew it was shallow and they were gonna wreck, 24:58 "they struck sail," 24:59 they got the sail to pull away from the island, 25:02 "and they were driven. 25:04 And because we were exceedingly tempest-tossed," 25:09 sounds a little bit like the story of Jonah, 25:12 "the next day they lightened the ship." 25:14 Now what does that mean? 25:16 They started throwing things over board. 25:19 Now they're not throwing over board the ballast, 25:21 these ancient ships often had stones 25:22 they would take on board, 25:24 they are put at the very bottom of the keel 25:25 to try to keep it from capsizing. 25:28 And they're throwing over the valuables. 25:33 "And then on the third day 25:35 we threw the ship's tackle overboard," 25:37 you know what the tackling is? 25:39 It's the ropes and the gears 25:40 that you need for operating the ship. 25:42 But they had extra ropes and gears in case they lost. 25:45 They said, look, we've got to unload everything. 25:47 Now how serious does it sound their condition is getting? 25:52 You remember the story of Jonah? 25:53 And the mariners were afraid 25:55 and they cried every man to his God 25:57 and they cast forth the wares that were in the ship 26:00 into the sea to lighten them. 26:02 They're transporting these valuables 26:04 ostensibly to make money. 26:05 They're willing to throw everything overboard 26:09 that they might be saved. 26:11 What profit is it if you gain the whole world 26:13 and you lose your soul? 26:15 I heard about a ship called the California. 26:17 By the way, have we discovered the California, the wreck? 26:20 And they were coming back from South America, 26:22 they had a lot of gold on board 26:23 and some were prospectors that had gold. 26:25 And when they realized the ship was sinking, 26:27 and they were trying to transfer to another ship, 26:29 some people jumped in the water with their gold. 26:32 Now what do you think happened? 26:35 That was really dumb. 26:38 And they just went down like an anchor. 26:41 Hey, by the way, they have rediscovered, 26:43 I mentioned the California, the wreck of the California, 26:45 and they found like millions of dollars, 26:47 multiple millions of dollars of gold. 26:52 That's a whole interesting story right there. 26:53 But notice when we jump here, in verse 20, 26:58 "Now when neither sun or stars appeared for many days, 27:03 and no small tempest," 27:05 you know how Luke has that word and he uses, 27:09 he says, there was no small stir among the soldiers 27:12 what had become up here. 27:13 No small tempest. Now what does that mean? 27:17 A very big stare and a very big tempest. 27:21 That was a phrase that Luke is the only one who uses. 27:26 "No small tempests, 27:29 all hope that we would be saved was finally given up." 27:34 You know, the Bible says 27:35 where there's life there's hope. 27:36 So if you're alive, don't give up hope, amen? 27:40 So what's the condition of most of the people 27:42 on the ship? 27:43 Hopeless. They think they're doomed. 27:46 Why are they especially sad? 27:48 They saw no sun or moon or stars. 27:50 Why was that important? 27:52 How did they navigate where they were back then? 27:55 GPS? 27:57 Smartphone? 27:58 Compass? 27:59 Compasses were pretty primitive back then. 28:02 The main way they figured out 28:03 where they were was by looking up. 28:07 They would hope they'd have a few days 28:08 where they could fix a position 28:09 based on the stars or the moon or the sun. 28:12 But they couldn't get a reading of where they were 28:14 which means you're blowing around in the storm, 28:16 you don't know 28:17 when you're going to go crashing on the rocks. 28:18 Mediterranean is surrounded by coastline, it's got islands. 28:21 They figured we're just gonna wreck 28:22 and we're going to die. 28:25 "But after long abstinence from food, 28:29 Paul stood up in the midst of them 28:31 and said, 'Men, you should've listened to me.'" 28:36 Don't you love people that say I told you so? 28:40 You who were parents, 28:41 have you ever told your kids I told you? 28:45 He said, "You should have listened to me, 28:47 and not have sailed from Crete 28:49 and incurred this disaster and loss. 28:52 And now I urge you to take heart, 28:54 for there will be no loss of life among you, 28:58 but only of the ship." 29:00 How can he say that? 29:02 "For there stood by me this night 29:05 an angel from God to whom I belong 29:07 and who I serve saying, 29:09 'Do not be afraid, Paul, 29:11 you must be brought before Caesar.' 29:14 "Paul, you getting to Rome is so important. 29:17 I am going to save the whole ship." 29:20 "You must be brought before Caesar, 29:21 and indeed God has granted you 29:23 all of those who sail with you.'" 29:26 Now how much time 29:27 had Paul spent with these other prisoners? 29:30 You're talking about weeks and months, 29:32 they've been making their way up the coast, 29:34 stopping, trading, loading, unloading, 29:36 and there, you know, he gets to know these people. 29:39 He loves them. 29:40 He's praying, he's interceding for these people. 29:42 Paul's not worried about him. 29:44 He knows he's going to make it 29:45 because God said you've got to go to Rome. 29:47 He's already been shipwrecked several times. 29:49 He knows he's going to make it. 29:51 But he's now praying about the others. 29:54 He knew that there is a disaster, 29:56 a shipwreck coming. 29:58 "You must be brought before Caesar, 30:00 and indeed God has granted you those who sail with you." 30:02 Why did he say granted you? 30:05 Because Paul was on that ship as an intercessor. 30:09 When we're surrounded by unbelievers 30:10 and they're going through a trial, 30:13 is that an opportunity for us to be intercessors? 30:16 Have you also noticed 30:17 that when people are going through a storm, 30:19 they're more ready to listen to you than they are 30:21 when everything's going great? 30:23 It's so hard witnessing to atheists when they're happy. 30:27 But when they're going through a trial, they'll listen. 30:32 I've got some friends that 30:35 I know, I won't say much else about it. 30:37 And I try to witness to them a little bit 30:39 and they kind of blow me off, they're pagans. 30:43 But then when they go through a real trial, 30:45 got one friend in particular going through a real trial, 30:48 I said, "I'd like to pray for you." 30:49 Boy, they are happy to have you pray. 30:52 It's amazing how a storm gets your attention. 30:57 So they're going along in a storm. 31:03 And Paul then tells them, God has granted me those, 31:06 you go down to verse 25, 31:08 "Therefore take heart, men, 31:10 for I believe God," 31:12 he starts up by rebuking them, you should've listened, 31:14 but then he encourages them, "take heart, 31:16 I believe God that it will be just as it was told me." 31:20 You know, if you are gonna witness to your friends, 31:22 first you must rebuke, and then you must comfort. 31:27 Repent for the kingdom of heaven 31:30 is at hand. 31:31 Repent is a rebuke for sin. 31:35 Kingdom of heaven at hand is hope that you can be there, 31:37 you can be forgiven. 31:39 And so the message of the gospel is, 31:41 you are a sinner, 31:43 but good news, Jesus is a savior, right? 31:47 So that's the message that he gives them. 31:49 And he says, "Take heart, I believe God. 31:52 It will be just as he told me." 31:53 However, he got a little bad news. 31:55 You want the good news or the bad news? 31:57 You're going to live, bad news, we're going to wreck. 32:02 And it goes on and says 32:03 they did not see anything for 14 days. 32:07 Now as you read through Acts 27:28, 32:10 you're going to notice that the number seven 32:11 or derivative of seven comes up three times. 32:14 And I think there's some spiritual meaning 32:16 in this story. 32:18 Let me give you something to think about. 32:21 Here you've got a ship load of prisoners 32:24 on their way to judgment before a king. 32:29 We are prisoners 32:32 that are on our way to judgment. 32:34 On our way God puts 32:37 one of his messengers on the boat. 32:41 He's got an appointment with the king too. 32:43 And he is an intercessor. 32:45 Paul in this story does a lot of the things 32:47 that Christ does. 32:48 He is interceding for them. 32:51 He's a messenger of hope. 32:54 He says he saw the angel of the Lord. 32:58 Now as we read along here, 33:02 you go to verse 29, 33:03 it tells us that as they get further along, 33:06 let me see here, 33:09 "now on the fourteenth day," verse 27, 33:11 "on the fourteenth day, night rather, had come, 33:14 we were driven up and down in the Adriatic Sea," 33:16 they just didn't know where they're, 33:18 "about midnight the sailors 33:20 since they were drawing near some land." 33:22 They heard the crashing of waves off in the distance. 33:25 "And they took soundings," you know what that means? 33:28 They had these ropes that had knots tied on them, 33:31 you ever wonder how they figure the speed of a boat by knots? 33:34 They toss out a rope that had a weight 33:36 and based on how quickly the knots went out, 33:39 they could determine their speed, 33:40 as the rope was pulled out, 33:41 there was a weight that had a big bulky thing on it, 33:44 so that it got pulled out at the consistent speed, 33:47 and they would measure their knots. 33:48 They'd also measure fathoms, 33:50 how deep the water was by tossing out another rope 33:54 with fathoms nodded off on it, 33:56 and you could feel the rope going down very quickly, 34:00 when the wave hit the bottom, it would go slack, 34:03 and they could count 34:04 how many fathoms it was on the rope, 34:06 and they'd pull it in, 34:07 then they throw it out a little later 34:08 and it would be more shallow, they go, "Whoa, whoa, 34:10 it's getting shallower. 34:11 We're heading towards land." 34:13 And so they're taking soundings to find out this, 34:15 "Man, we don't want to wreck on the shore. 34:18 It's night, we can't see. 34:19 We don't know where to land the boat." 34:22 And so you get a little picture what's going on here. 34:25 "They saw twenty fathoms, 34:27 they went a little farther, they took soundings 34:29 and found to be fifteen fathoms." 34:30 What does that mean? 34:32 Does God give us prophecies 34:34 that show us where we are in history? 34:36 You take fathoms every now and then. 34:38 You got to look around. 34:40 "Then, fearing lest 34:41 we should run aground on the rocks, 34:44 they dropped four anchors from the stern," 34:46 recall Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, 34:48 "and prayed for the day." 34:51 Someone's going to read another verse 34:52 for me in Revelation. 34:56 Revelation 7:1, 34:59 "After these things I saw four angels 35:02 standing at the four corners of the earth, 35:05 holding the four winds of the earth, 35:06 that the wind should not blow on the earth, 35:09 on the sea, or on any tree." 35:14 That tells us of a time where tribulation is coming. 35:17 But these angels like those cables in the ship, 35:20 they are holding back the disaster, waiting, 35:25 and so I'm not trying to draw theological connection, 35:28 I guess, I'm making a little connection. 35:30 Four in the Bible sometimes represent something universal, 35:34 those four anchors that are holding the ship 35:36 did made me think of the four angels 35:37 holding back the winds of strife 35:39 protecting until the end, 35:41 those lines are going to get cut, 35:43 and that ship is going to end up 35:44 trying to make for shore, and it wrecks. 35:47 When those angels release their grip, 35:48 time of trouble comes. 35:50 Amen? 35:52 And so they wait for the day, they hold this 35:57 "fearing we should hit, 35:59 they dropped four anchors from the stern, 36:00 and prayed for the day to come. 36:02 Now the sailors were seeking to escape from the ship," 36:06 they said, "look, you know, we better get off this boat now 36:10 because it's not going to end well." 36:11 "And they let down the skiff," 36:13 the skiff is the little lifeboat, right? 36:15 "Under pretense," they're pretending 36:17 that they're doing something in the back. 36:19 Paul knows what's going on. 36:21 He said to the centurion and the soldiers, 36:23 "Unless these men stay in the ship, 36:25 you cannot be saved." 36:26 Why did he say that? 36:28 The soldiers take orders from Paul, 36:31 they cut away the ropes, and they let it fall off. 36:33 Isn't it interesting? 36:34 Paul has gone from captor to captain. 36:40 He starts out in this voyage as a captive, 36:43 and he ends up the captain. 36:45 And he's telling the soldiers what to do. 36:49 "And as day was about to dawn, 36:51 Paul implored them to take food, 36:53 saying, 'Today is the fourteenth day,' 36:55 notice that number again, 36:56 "you have waited and continued without food, 36:58 and eaten nothing." 36:59 They are probably weak, therefore some were seasick. 37:02 "Therefore I urge you to take nourishment, 37:05 for this is for your survival." 37:07 Do we need to store up 37:08 and eat before we enter the time of trouble? 37:11 We need to feed our souls, 37:12 commit the Word of God to our minds. 37:15 "Take nourishment, this is for your survival." 37:17 Notice the beautiful combination 37:22 of the practical with the spiritual. 37:26 Paul says, I prayed 37:27 but we need to do practical things too. 37:30 Now why did Paul tell the sailors 37:31 to cut away the ropes lest? 37:33 He told the soldiers cut away the rope 37:34 so the sailors don't escape in the lifeboat. 37:36 Nobody's really saved by the lifeboat that we know of. 37:41 I think that ship is something like God's church. 37:44 And you know, 37:45 there's a temptation to fragment as we near the end. 37:49 And he says we need to stick together 37:52 if we're going to make, 37:53 unless these abide in the ship, you cannot be saved. 37:55 Isn't that interesting? 37:57 He said, "You've got to make it a point to keep us together," 38:01 he tells the centurion. 38:03 And so I think that 38:04 it's just an interesting appeal here for unity 38:08 which is our study next month. 38:11 "So they took bread, Paul and gives thinks, 38:13 look how he is leading out in everything, 38:14 "in the presence of them all, when he broke bread," 38:17 does Jesus do that? 38:19 Just near the end of His life, He breaks bread. 38:21 They took it, they were all encouraged by the bread. 38:25 They took food for themselves 38:27 and there were 276 persons on the ship. 38:30 When they'd eaten enough, 38:31 they finally throw out the wheat into the sea. 38:34 Now they've got to survive on what's in their stomachs. 38:37 Have you ever thought near the end of time 38:39 you might have to survive 38:40 based on what you've remembered of the Word of God? 38:42 You might get thrown in jail for your faith 38:44 and they may not give you a Bible. 38:46 What's going to sustain you, 38:47 you need to rehearse the verses that you've memorized, 38:52 thy word I have hidden in my nightstand 38:54 that I might not sin against thee. 38:57 Thy word I have hidden on my smartphone 38:59 that I might not sin against thee. 39:02 What does it say? 39:03 Thy word I have hidden in my heart. 39:06 We need to have some stored away here. 39:08 I've thought before, 39:09 if I got thrown in jail for my faith, 39:11 I would try to get a piece of paper and pencil 39:13 and write out as much of the Word of God as I could, 39:15 so I can remember the promises. 39:18 Amen? Amen. 39:20 All right. 39:21 So finally, 39:23 when the day comes up, 39:24 they hoist the mainsail, 39:25 they make for land. 39:27 But the ship runs aground, 39:28 and the prow, the bow is stuck fast 39:30 and remains immovable, 39:31 but the stern being broken up by the violence of the waves 39:34 that were coming in and the ship is creaking 39:36 and falling apart. 39:37 The soldiers were planning to kill the prisoners 39:40 lest any of them should escape, 39:41 you know why? 39:42 Because a Roman soldier, if you lost a prisoner, 39:45 it was your life or their life. 39:47 You remember when the jailer thought that Paul had escaped 39:49 he was going to kill himself. 39:51 You remember what happened when Peter escaped from prison? 39:54 Herod killed the soldiers. 39:57 "So lest any of the prisoners escaped," 39:59 they're going to kill all of them, 40:01 "but the centurion wanting to save Paul, 40:04 kept them from their purpose." 40:06 Why is everyone on the ship saved? 40:09 For Paul's sake. 40:11 Why are we saved? 40:13 For Christ's sake, amen? 40:15 Amen. 40:17 And he says, "Look, grab what you can, 40:19 the ship is breaking up, 40:20 grab a little pieces of it and swim for shore." 40:25 Is our church going to be able to survive in the last days 40:28 as an outward organization? 40:32 I think when the end comes, 40:34 people are going have to head for the hills, 40:35 and we're going to be persecuted, 40:37 and we're going to just gather in little groups and survive, 40:41 as we can meet together, isn't that right? 40:43 So there will be a time when the ship busts up, 40:45 we'll grab whatever pieces of the ship we can, 40:47 and you had two or three people 40:49 grabbing a piece of this floating debris 40:51 and a piece of this floating wood, 40:53 and they all paddled for shore. 40:55 And so that's probably going to happen near the end of time. 40:57 Interesting, the Book of Acts 40:58 kind of ends with this storm at sea. 41:01 All right, so finally when it was day, 41:04 they did not recognize the land 41:06 but observed the bay with a beach, 41:09 I already mentioned that, so they... 41:11 And here's a wonderful part of this story. 41:14 It said, "And the rest on boards 41:17 and some on parts of the ship. 41:18 And so it was that they all escaped safely to land." 41:23 Now didn't Paul promise 41:24 that not a hair of your head will fail? 41:26 What are those prisoners and soldiers 41:28 and the captain starting to think about Paul? 41:32 Everything he says happens. 41:35 He's good to keep around. 41:38 Now they come to the island called Malta, 41:40 "and the natives showed us no unusual kindness," 41:42 they were very sympathetic and kind. 41:44 I've been on the island of Malta. 41:45 I've been many years ago. 41:48 "And they kindled a fire and they made us welcome, 41:51 because of the rain was falling and because of the cold. 41:54 But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks," 41:57 out of all the soldiers and all the prisoners, 41:59 who is out helping with practical things? 42:02 Was Paul the kind of pastor that said, 42:04 "Okay, you here do this, you here do that," 42:06 or did he get in there and do it? 42:08 "Paul gathered a bundle of sticks 42:10 and laid them on the fire and the vipers," 42:13 that may have been dormant because of the cool, 42:15 as they warm from the fire, 42:17 "came out and because of the heat, 42:19 and fastened on his hand. 42:21 So when the natives saw the creature 42:23 hanging from his hand," 42:24 because it had bit and it was still there, 42:26 and it's venomous, its fangs are in there, 42:31 "they thought, 'no doubt, this man is a murderer,'" 42:36 somehow, you know, tragic, a Greek tragedy. 42:39 He survived the storm but he's guilty 42:41 and so he dies from the snake. 42:44 Justice does not allow him to live. 42:46 But he shook off the creature into the fire 42:49 and suffered no harm. 42:51 Now what does Jesus say about that? 42:54 Does the Lord say, "They will take up serpents 42:57 and if they drink any deadly thing, 42:59 it will by no means hurt them?" 43:01 Amen? 43:03 So now they've gone 43:06 from thinking that he is a criminal 43:08 to thinking that he's a God. 43:11 They look for a long time, and no harm came to him. 43:14 They changed their minds and said he was a God. 43:18 You know, it just tells you people's opinion. 43:20 They go from thinking he's a devil 43:21 to thinking he's a God in just a few minutes. 43:25 Now does the Bible say something about, 43:27 the serpent might wound you but he will not stop you? 43:31 Serpent is a symbol for the devil, right? 43:34 And it says that, 43:35 "In that region, there was a state 43:37 of a leading citizen of the island, 43:39 whose name was Publius, 43:41 who received us and entertained us courteously 43:43 for three days. 43:45 And it happened that the father of Publius 43:47 lay sick of a fever and dysentery, 43:50 and Paul went to him and he prayed, 43:52 and he laid hands on him, and healed him. 43:55 So when this was done, the rest of those on the island 43:58 who had diseases came and they were healed. 44:01 And they honored us in many ways, 44:04 now someone's going to read... 44:05 You're gonna read for me Acts 14:3. 44:10 You got that? 44:11 Acts 14:3. 44:13 "Therefore they stayed there a long time, 44:16 speaking boldly in the Lord, 44:18 who was bearing witness to the word of His grace, 44:21 granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands." 44:24 Right, and why does God allow Paul to heal this man? 44:29 Acts 4:29, "Now, Lord, look on their threats, 44:34 and grant to Your servants 44:35 that with all boldness we might speak Your word, 44:37 by stretching out Your hand to heal, 44:40 and that signs and wonders 44:42 may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus." 44:45 Why? 44:47 Bearing witness to the word of His Grace, 44:49 granting signs and wonders. 44:50 Why did Jesus do the healing? 44:52 Why the apostles do the healing? 44:54 That they would then listen to the Word and they would see. 44:58 I think you're going to see more of that again 45:00 in the last days. 45:01 Now everybody in the island bring their sick to Paul. 45:04 What does it say? 45:05 Oh, no, he could only heal one man? 45:06 No, they are all healed. 45:09 The signs and wonders were being done by them again. 45:13 And... 45:14 All right, now they finally have to go on to Rome 45:18 and I've only got a couple of minutes 45:20 to get them there. 45:21 When they finally have to leave, 45:24 they treat them very well. 45:26 And he appeals and he goes to Caesar, 45:31 let me see here, 45:33 "When he gets there," it says, 45:35 "Paul calls the leaders of the Jews together." 45:38 He said to the Jew first, after the Gentile. 45:40 And he said, "The men and brethren, 45:41 and though I have done nothing against our people, 45:44 or the customs of our fathers, 45:45 yet I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem 45:48 into the hands of the Romans, who, when they'd examined me, 45:52 wanted to let me go," the Romans, 45:54 "but because there was no cause for putting me to death. 45:57 But when the Jews spoke against it, 45:58 I was compelled to appeal to Caesar, 46:00 not that I had anything for which to accuse my nation. 46:03 For this reason therefore I have called you, 46:05 to see you that I might speak with you, 46:07 because for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain. 46:11 Then they said to him, 46:12 'We haven't heard any letters or anything about this. 46:15 But we desire to hear from you what you think, 46:18 for concerning this sect, Christians, 46:20 we know that it's spoken against everywhere.' 46:23 So when they had appointed a day, 46:25 many came to him at his lodging, to whom," 46:28 now when he got to Rome, 46:29 they gave him his own house he could live in, 46:33 "to whom he explained 46:35 and solemnly testified of the kingdom of God, 46:37 persuading them concerning Jesus 46:40 from the Law of Moses and the Prophets, 46:43 from morning till evening." 46:45 Now Paul had lived for this day. 46:47 This is part of the reason that he went to Rome. 46:50 He's later going to talk to Caesar. 46:51 He's going to talk to Romans. 46:52 But he wanted to talk to his people there. 46:55 If wherever Paul went, he first went to the synagogue. 46:57 He went to his home. 46:58 They already had the background. 47:00 Then he went to the Romans as well. 47:04 "From morning to evening," he had quite a Bible study, 47:08 "and some were persuaded by the things that were spoken, 47:10 and some disbelieved." 47:12 That's the way it's going to be. 47:13 If you witness for Christ, will everyone agree? 47:15 No. 47:16 Some will believe though, and you get excited about that. 47:19 So they didn't agree among themselves, 47:21 they departed after Paul has said this word. 47:24 Said, "Go, speak to this people, 47:26 hearing you will here, and not understand." 47:28 Go to verse 28. 47:29 "Therefore let it be known to you 47:31 that salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles, 47:34 and they will hear it!' 47:36 And when he had said these words, 47:38 the Jews departed 47:39 and had a great dispute among themselves." 47:41 Some believed, some did not. 47:43 "Then Paul dwelt two whole years," 47:46 he is waiting for his trial date, 47:49 "in his own rented house, 47:51 and he received all who came to him, 47:53 preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things 47:56 concerning the Lord Jesus Christ 47:59 with all confidence, no one forbidding him." 48:02 And that's where the Book of Acts ends, 48:04 and I got two seconds left. 48:05 One, zero. 48:07 Praise the Lord, we made it. We got him to Paul. 48:09 He had waited for that day when he could get to Rome 48:14 and he could preach about Jesus, 48:15 and the God provided, he is in his own house, 48:18 he can't travel abroad, but people can come to him. 48:21 So he's got like his own church home. 48:23 He's got his own pulpit in this home. 48:25 He's got freedom, and he's not living, 48:27 you know, in a dungeon where it's terrible. 48:30 But there is a Roman soldier probably assigned to guard him. 48:33 And as they rotate through the different Roman soldiers, 48:35 they are all converted. 48:36 Whenever Paul has a Roman soldier, 48:37 he converts him. 48:38 Then they go among the troops, and they start preaching, 48:40 then they go to Herod's or Caesar's household 48:43 and they're preaching there. 48:44 Eventually the servants in Caesar's household 48:47 hear the gospel. 48:48 And so Paul through his influence, 48:49 in this big city, 48:51 he actually has an influence, it goes everywhere. 48:53 Well, I enjoy the Book of Acts. 48:54 How about you? 48:56 All right. God bless you friends. 48:57 I want to tell you, we're out of time. 48:58 But we do have a free offer. 49:00 If you missed it, it's called, "Dangers of a Diluted Gospel," 49:03 and it's a message I share. 49:05 I think it's got an important message 49:06 about diluting the gospel, 49:08 and we'll send it to you if you ask. 49:10 You can call 866-788-3966. 49:14 Ask for offer number 829. 49:16 And you can even download this message for free. 49:19 If you want to download it, you just type in your phone 49:23 or your device, "SH105" 49:27 and type it to 40544, 49:30 to get your free digital download. 49:32 Listen and then pass it on to a friend. 49:34 We're going to have our closing prayer here, 49:36 and then our mission offering, 49:37 want to say God bless to those that are watching. 49:41 Let's face it. 49:42 It's not always easy to understand 49:43 everything you read in the Bible. 49:45 With over 700,000 words contained in 66 books, 49:49 the Bible can generate a lot of questions. 49:52 To get biblical straightforward answers, 49:54 call into Bible Answers Live, 49:56 a live nationwide call in radio program 49:59 where you can talk to Pastor Doug Batchelor, 50:01 and ask him your most difficult Bible questions. 50:04 For times and stations in your area, 50:06 or to listen to answers online, 50:08 visit bal.amazingfacts.org. 50:24 Friends, have you ever heard of the bowhead whale. 50:26 This enormous Leviathan 50:28 is the second largest creature in the world. 50:31 Dark and stocky, 50:32 it roams the fertile Arctic Northern waters. 50:36 These massive creatures can be more than 65 feet long 50:39 and weigh more than 75 tons. 50:42 That's heavier than the space shuttle. 50:44 Yet in spite of their titanic size, 50:47 they're able to leap entirely out of the water. 50:50 Can you say belly flop. 50:53 The bowhead whale gets its name from its bow shape skull 50:56 and they've got one ginormous noggin. 50:59 Matter of fact, their head is about 40% of their body size 51:02 which comes in handy 51:04 when you find out how they use their heads. 51:06 They've got very thick skulls. 51:08 Sometimes they get trapped under the surface, 51:10 and they use their heads to ram the ice, 51:13 they can break a breathing hole in the ice 51:15 that is a foot and a half bit. 51:18 Friends, you have to just imagine what it would be like 51:20 to be walking around on the Arctic ice 51:22 and all of a sudden, have the ground beneath you 51:25 cracked, and split, and rise, 51:27 as one of these sea monsters pushes its head up to breathe 51:31 for the first time in 90 minutes. 51:33 Because bowheads make their home 51:35 in the coldest part of our world, 51:36 they have the thickest blubber of any whale. 51:39 But this, plus their friendly and curious nature, 51:42 made them prime targets 51:44 when the European whalers discovered the bowheads. 51:46 They hunted them nearly to extinction. 51:50 Fortunately because of conservation efforts, 51:53 we've slowly seen their numbers begin to increase 51:55 since the 60's. 51:57 One of the most amazing facts about the bowhead whale 52:00 is its longevity. 52:02 Scientists have discovered by evaluating harpoon tips 52:05 found in their skull and examining their eye tissue, 52:08 there are bowhead whales out there 52:10 that are probably over 200 years old. 52:13 You realize that means there are bowhead whales 52:16 swimming the oceans right now that were alive 52:19 before Abraham Lincoln was elected president. 52:22 Can you imagine that? 52:24 Among the other amazing mega facts 52:26 about the bowhead whale is its mega mouth. 52:29 They have the largest mouth of any in the animal kingdom. 52:33 And when they open their pile full extended, 52:35 it's large enough to park a medium size SUV inside. 52:39 Yet, in spite of the fact they've got such big mouths, 52:42 they survive by eating the very smallest creatures 52:45 in the ocean, 52:46 plankton, krill, and other microscopic animals. 52:50 Friends, I'm always amazed by the creatures God has made. 52:53 This bowhead whale is able to dive to the deepest oceans. 52:56 They can break through the ice 52:58 and move mountains with their head 52:59 and completely leave the water and fly though the air, 53:02 and yet they do all that by getting in strength 53:05 from almost microscopic organisms. 53:08 Helps us remember that we survive 53:10 through the little promises in God's Word. 53:13 Jesus when tempted by the devil, 53:14 He quoted just a few little verses 53:16 and He sent the enemy running. 53:18 You can also have that same durability 53:20 and long life as a bowhead whale 53:22 by trusting in God's Word and His promises. 53:34 Did you know that Noah was present 53:36 at the birth of Abraham? 53:38 Okay, maybe he wasn't in the room, 53:40 but he was alive 53:41 and probably telling stories about his floating zoo. 53:45 From the creation of the world 53:46 to the last day events of Revelation, 53:49 biblehistory.com is a free resource 53:51 where you can explore major Bible events and characters. 53:55 Enhance your knowledge of the Bible 53:57 and draw closer to God's Word. 53:59 Go deeper, visit the Amazing Bible Timeline 54:03 at biblehistory.com. 54:16 We're here on the beautiful coast 54:17 of the island of Puerto Rico. 54:19 And if you were to travel east about 2000 miles, 54:22 of course, you would be out in the middle of the ocean. 54:24 But you'd also be in the middle of a mystical sea 54:27 called the Sargasso Sea. 54:29 It gets its name 54:30 because of this common brown seaweed 54:33 that can be found floating in vast mass. 54:36 The area of the Sargasso Sea is about 700 miles wide 54:40 and 2000 miles long. 54:43 Now the seaweed itself is fascinating stuff. 54:45 It was first observed and called Gulfweed 54:47 by Christopher Columbus. 54:49 It gets the name Sargon from the Portuguese. 54:51 Some people use it as herbal remedies. 54:53 But out in the middle of the Sargasso Sea, 54:56 the water is some of the bluest in the world. 54:58 It's there you can see 200 feet deep in places. 55:02 It also has a great biodiversity and ecosystem 55:05 that surrounds the Sargasso Sea. 55:07 For years, scientists wondered where the American 55:10 and the Atlantic eels were breeding. 55:12 They knew the adult eel swam down the rivers 55:14 out into the Atlantic, 55:15 but they never could find a place 55:17 where they reproduced. 55:18 Finally, they discovered 55:19 it was out in the middle of the Sargasso Sea. 55:22 So it's a fascinating place. 55:24 But if you are an ancient sailor, 55:25 you did not want to get stuck there. 55:30 Being caught in the doldrums was extremely difficult 55:33 for the ancient sailors. 55:35 Of course, their boats were driven by wind and sail, 55:37 and they'd be caught in the vast mass of the seaweed 55:40 that would wrap around the rudder, 55:42 barnacles would begin to grow, 55:43 it's an area that is notorious for light and baffling winds, 55:47 and so they'd make no progress. 55:49 They get stuck. 55:50 The men would become extremely dispirited. 55:53 Sometimes violence and even insanity would break out 55:56 as people were trapped in the doldrums. 55:59 But, friends, perhaps sometimes you felt 56:01 that you're trapped in the doldrums. 56:03 You've gone through episodes of depression. 56:05 You feel like you're going in circles, 56:07 life seems stifling. 56:08 You know, the Bible offers good news. 56:10 There is a way out. 56:12 Bible talks about a famous character 56:14 that was trapped in a cycle of depression. 56:16 He was low as you could be. 56:18 Matter of fact, he even had seaweed 56:20 wrapped around his head. 56:21 His name was Jonah. 56:22 But God gave him a way of escape. 56:25 In Jonah 2:3-7, we read, 56:29 "For you cast me into the depths, 56:31 into the heart of the seas, and the flood surrounded me, 56:34 all of Your billows and Your waves passed over me. 56:37 Then I said, 'I have been cast out of your sight, 56:41 yet I will look again towards Your holy temple.' 56:43 The waters surrounded me, even to my soul, 56:46 the deep closed around me, 56:48 weeds were wrapped around my head. 56:50 I went down to the moorings of the mountains, 56:53 the earth with its bars closed behind me forever, 56:56 yet you brought my life up from the pit. 56:59 O Lord, my God. 57:01 'When my soul fainted within me, 57:03 I remember the Lord, 57:04 and my prayer went up to You, into Your holy temple.'" 57:08 You know, friends, the way that Jonah got out 57:10 of his discouraging circumstance, 57:12 he turned to God and he prayed. 57:15 And if God could hear Jonah's prayers, 57:16 just think about it. 57:17 He was as far away from God as anybody could be. 57:20 He was in the belly of a sea monster 57:21 in the bottom of the ocean in the dark. 57:24 Yet he turned to God and God heard his prayer. 57:26 You know, these ancient sailors, 57:28 when they were trapped 57:29 on the deck of a ship for weeks, 57:30 stuck in the doldrums discouraged, 57:32 sometimes they would have a prayer meeting, 57:34 and pray that God would send a breeze 57:37 that would set them free, and get their boats moving. 57:40 They turn to God in prayer 57:41 and often miracles would happen, 57:42 and the wind would flutter in the sails, 57:44 and bring them out of their seaweed prison. 57:47 Friends, maybe you have been stuck 57:49 in the doldrums. 57:50 Maybe you've been caught in a cycle of depression. 57:53 If God can do it for Jonah, 57:54 if He can do it for the ancient sailors, 57:55 He can do it for you. 57:57 Turn to the Lord in prayer. 57:58 Trust His Spirit to blow through your soul 58:01 and to set you free. |
Revised 2018-09-21