WEBVTT 00:00:00.240 --> 00:00:04.320 I'm going to invite you together in a book of Acts. 00:00:04.320 --> 00:00:06.040 Chapter 27 is where we're going to be. 00:00:06.600 --> 00:00:09.020 Book of Acts chapter 27. 00:00:09.020 --> 00:00:16.440 And in light of just acknowledging the struggle of life and recognizing the frailty of who we are as human beings, and that the 00:00:16.440 --> 00:00:19.210 reality of death is, is a part of life. 00:00:20.100 --> 00:00:27.220 I think Acts chapter 27 fits nicely with encouraging us in really any season of life that we may go through, especially in 00:00:27.220 --> 00:00:31.240 adversity and even in the most extremes of adversity. 00:00:31.340 --> 00:00:36.770 And, and if you remember, this is that final section of the book of Acts where we've been journeying through this book together. 00:00:37.080 --> 00:00:38.770 I have no idea how long we've been in this book. 00:00:39.120 --> 00:00:42.120 We started like end of August last year, I think. 00:00:42.160 --> 00:00:47.160 And so we've almost been a year in the book of Acts and, and we're getting to the conclusion next week. 00:00:47.380 --> 00:00:51.760 And then the following week will be our last two sermons in the book of Acts. 00:00:51.760 --> 00:00:54.880 So chapter 28, we'll, we'll look at twice together. 00:00:55.720 --> 00:01:02.960 But as we come to this, this particular chapter, we're reminded, like the Book of Acts is a first century eyewitness 00:01:02.960 --> 00:01:08.940 account, really, of how the the Spirit of God worked in the people of God to accomplish the will of God. 00:01:08.940 --> 00:01:15.620 And within 30 years, the church is birthed in Jerusalem, and it travels throughout the known world from Jerusalem to Rome. 00:01:15.620 --> 00:01:18.520 The gospel's going forth everywhere, and it's. 00:01:18.600 --> 00:01:25.680 It's an encouragement to see this not only in the first century, but to realize it's the same God we follow in the 21st century, and that God has a 00:01:25.680 --> 00:01:28.110 plan for your life that's bigger than yourself. 00:01:28.280 --> 00:01:28.600 And. 00:01:28.660 --> 00:01:34.760 And in that plan, you get the joy of coming to know the Lord and walking with him and becoming a blessing to those around you. 00:01:34.800 --> 00:01:37.280 And so what does it look like for us to honor God with our life? 00:01:37.300 --> 00:01:39.250 This is what the Book of Acts is all about. 00:01:39.760 --> 00:01:47.100 And in this particular section, as we're getting to the tail end of Acts, we recognize that Acts chapter 13 started for us the the 00:01:47.100 --> 00:01:49.720 three missionary journeys that the Apostle Paul would go on. 00:01:49.800 --> 00:01:52.680 And at the end of his third missionary journey, he would go back to Jerusalem. 00:01:53.240 --> 00:01:56.680 He was arrested, put on trial and imprisoned his imprisonment. 00:01:56.680 --> 00:02:03.820 He was put on trial multiple times, but his imprisonment lasted at least four years and he at first was imprisoned in 00:02:03.820 --> 00:02:11.080 Jerusalem, then in Caesarea, and from Caesarea they put him on a boat to set sail from Rome, because the apostle Paul recognized that 00:02:11.080 --> 00:02:11.820 in Caesarea. 00:02:11.860 --> 00:02:15.290 After two years of being imprisoned there, he wasn't going to get a fair trial. 00:02:15.720 --> 00:02:16.650 Even among his own people. 00:02:16.840 --> 00:02:21.800 His own people had such a hatred towards the apostle Paul, such a visceral response to him. 00:02:21.800 --> 00:02:23.440 They wanted to to kill him. 00:02:23.480 --> 00:02:26.240 And so finally, Paul appealed to Caesar for a fair trial. 00:02:26.240 --> 00:02:27.150 Being a Roman citizen. 00:02:27.720 --> 00:02:34.980 And he's put on a boat during a time period where sailing was known to be unsafe, the apostle Paul tried to warn 00:02:34.980 --> 00:02:38.460 the centurion that was over the Roman soldiers of the. 00:02:38.680 --> 00:02:40.680 On the boat, with all the prisoners. 00:02:40.940 --> 00:02:43.050 They were responsible for the prisoners that were on board. 00:02:43.300 --> 00:02:48.370 And he tried to warn the sailors that that this wasn't going to go well if they boarded, that God had warned him. 00:02:48.580 --> 00:02:50.100 But they continued to do so anyway. 00:02:50.560 --> 00:02:55.200 And here in the middle of this story, this is where we're going to find that this is the final moments before they're shipwrecked. 00:02:55.960 --> 00:03:03.040 And so it's in this adversity that one of the things that we see about Paul's life juxtaposed against the soldiers and the sailors and the 00:03:03.040 --> 00:03:10.180 prisoners, that the apostle Paul, in the midst of the chaos, had incredible peace in the Lord, while everyone else was in the state 00:03:10.180 --> 00:03:10.820 of panic. 00:03:10.940 --> 00:03:16.000 And it's, you know, if you're ever in a moment where the sailors are panicking, that's a good moment to panic too, right? 00:03:16.000 --> 00:03:23.340 Like it's just if the experts, I feel like things are going to not go well, that's, that's when you need to really make sure your heart's right with Jesus, 00:03:23.360 --> 00:03:23.680 right? 00:03:23.800 --> 00:03:25.860 This is this is what's happening with them. 00:03:25.980 --> 00:03:29.580 But in the middle of all of that storm, Paul has such incredible peace. 00:03:30.760 --> 00:03:37.270 And, you know, we we talk about it this, this way that he's going physically, he's going through a storm, but proverbially, he's also facing a storm. 00:03:37.340 --> 00:03:40.460 And yet he has this he has this peace that transcends his circumstance. 00:03:40.460 --> 00:03:47.660 Now, it doesn't mean that Paul is is just unwilling to recognize the the difficulty and 00:03:47.660 --> 00:03:48.860 the challenges of his moment. 00:03:48.860 --> 00:03:51.100 He's very much aware of what he's facing. 00:03:51.500 --> 00:03:58.640 But the Lord is giving him a peace that transcends that moment where we can look at the Apostle Paul as an example 00:03:58.640 --> 00:03:59.500 for our own life. 00:03:59.580 --> 00:04:00.140 What is it? 00:04:00.240 --> 00:04:04.790 What does it mean for me to find this kind of peace in the midst of the battles of life? 00:04:05.320 --> 00:04:10.690 And I looking at this particular story, it becomes easy to give it a kind of a cliché that Paul went from. 00:04:10.880 --> 00:04:14.190 He went not just from surviving, but to thriving. 00:04:14.340 --> 00:04:14.440 Right. 00:04:14.520 --> 00:04:16.540 Like, that's kind of a cheesy thing to say. 00:04:16.579 --> 00:04:22.420 So I'm like, rather than say something that obnoxious to, to everybody, well, how else could I describe this? 00:04:22.460 --> 00:04:24.080 And I wrote it down so I wouldn't forget. 00:04:24.200 --> 00:04:25.940 But looking at it, I would say this. 00:04:26.480 --> 00:04:30.740 Paul shows us how to endure a storm without being defined by it. 00:04:31.680 --> 00:04:36.580 Or Paul shows us how to remain steadfast when everything around him is falling apart. 00:04:37.140 --> 00:04:42.680 Or Paul shows us how to experience God's peace in the middle of life's adversity. 00:04:43.620 --> 00:04:49.310 And Paul doesn't just survive the troubles, he leads others through it. 00:04:49.640 --> 00:04:51.200 Now, in all of that. 00:04:51.260 --> 00:04:52.860 I'm not saying to do that. 00:04:52.860 --> 00:04:58.140 You have to become unhuman and you can't acknowledge, you know, difficulty you're going through. 00:04:58.240 --> 00:05:05.050 I think it's important to, to be honest with the challenges that we face and also the God that we follow. 00:05:05.620 --> 00:05:12.720 And so what does, what does that look like for us as a people that are called to have a greater hope that transcends the circumstances of life? 00:05:12.720 --> 00:05:18.590 Because everything that we go through in this world is temporal, but everything that we have in Jesus is eternal. 00:05:19.000 --> 00:05:26.080 And the Bible reminds us to continue to not put our hope where, where moth and rust doth corrupt. 00:05:26.800 --> 00:05:27.640 But in the Lord. 00:05:28.780 --> 00:05:31.820 And what does that mean for us as God's people? 00:05:31.840 --> 00:05:35.240 And I, I gave us maybe, maybe somewhat of a cheesy title in saying this. 00:05:35.300 --> 00:05:42.280 What does it look like to let go and to trust God, knowing that the things of this world will pass away. 00:05:42.520 --> 00:05:44.570 But what we have in the Lord endures forever. 00:05:46.530 --> 00:05:50.540 As we get ready to, to look at these four points I want to share with you. 00:05:50.560 --> 00:05:52.630 I want to start by asking you a question. 00:05:53.560 --> 00:05:59.510 We all have a certain tendency that when we face obstacles, we face challenges the storms of life. 00:06:00.120 --> 00:06:07.560 Sometimes we have this tendency to revert to this typical type of response, like my my emotional state 00:06:07.560 --> 00:06:10.650 or the way I often perceive those challenges initially. 00:06:10.740 --> 00:06:12.100 This is the way that I act. 00:06:12.460 --> 00:06:13.640 Let me ask it like this. 00:06:13.980 --> 00:06:18.760 And I just want you to be honest, not out loud, but internally answer this question. 00:06:18.820 --> 00:06:24.030 When I am in a storm, I quickly get what not. 00:06:24.600 --> 00:06:28.200 And I'm not saying you get an object, but rather your emotional state. 00:06:28.200 --> 00:06:29.880 Where do you quickly go to emotionally? 00:06:31.100 --> 00:06:34.370 And some people might respond this way that I I'm filled with anxiety. 00:06:35.680 --> 00:06:37.040 Some might say I'm filled with despair. 00:06:37.940 --> 00:06:41.780 I feel vulnerable, isolated, lonely, maybe. 00:06:41.880 --> 00:06:44.120 Maybe scared or or concerned. 00:06:44.700 --> 00:06:51.310 Sometimes we might say, I get forgetful of God's promises, or I get forgetful of my position in the Lord. 00:06:52.060 --> 00:06:53.880 Or maybe you go the other extent. 00:06:54.060 --> 00:06:59.880 Maybe rather than respond in a way that might lack a little bit of faith, maybe you just jump right to your faith. 00:06:59.920 --> 00:07:00.180 Maybe. 00:07:00.660 --> 00:07:03.220 Maybe your you're focused on the Lord. 00:07:03.220 --> 00:07:04.680 You're you're filled with faith. 00:07:04.680 --> 00:07:05.640 You have, you have peace. 00:07:06.020 --> 00:07:07.700 Maybe you're hopeful, you're prayerful. 00:07:08.460 --> 00:07:09.510 Maybe you become selfless. 00:07:09.720 --> 00:07:16.840 Maybe maybe you're so stable in your relationship with the Lord that even though circumstances are hard, you're still able to think about the well-being of others and honor 00:07:16.840 --> 00:07:20.320 Jesus and the way you bless people in every season of life. 00:07:20.620 --> 00:07:25.560 Like maybe today's lesson becomes more of a, a reiteration for you of the truthfulness of the Lord. 00:07:25.580 --> 00:07:33.140 But regardless, can I just tell you that our response becomes revealing in what we truly believe? 00:07:33.720 --> 00:07:36.390 In fact, if I if I gave you point number one in your notes is this. 00:07:37.920 --> 00:07:42.180 Challenges expose the focus of my heart. 00:07:43.740 --> 00:07:46.990 Challenges expose the focus of my heart. 00:07:47.580 --> 00:07:50.820 And maybe we could say it this way. 00:07:51.860 --> 00:07:54.360 There is what we claim to believe. 00:07:55.980 --> 00:07:57.980 And then there's how we behave. 00:07:58.920 --> 00:08:03.610 And sometimes what we proclaim doesn't directly correlate to how we live. 00:08:04.640 --> 00:08:10.360 And I would argue that our living is a reflection of what we truly believe. 00:08:11.240 --> 00:08:18.280 And if there's something about the way that we're living that we don't feel aligns with what we might proclaim to believe, we need to challenge our 00:08:18.280 --> 00:08:20.200 living to really examine what is it? 00:08:20.360 --> 00:08:22.900 What is it saying about my belief? 00:08:23.420 --> 00:08:26.340 Because what you believe will truly determine how you behave. 00:08:26.940 --> 00:08:34.000 Your actions become this outward profession of the foundational bedrock of what you hold to as 00:08:34.000 --> 00:08:34.770 a human being. 00:08:35.720 --> 00:08:35.840 Right? 00:08:35.840 --> 00:08:42.860 So, so what is it about my life that demonstrates about what I really believe and how, how can I align that better with the Lord? 00:08:42.860 --> 00:08:49.880 Now I want to acknowledge as fallen, broken people that we're not always consistent with our faith. 00:08:49.940 --> 00:08:53.240 And I think the Lord is can be gracious to us in that. 00:08:53.760 --> 00:09:00.880 And there's a place to, to connect with, with the Lord when we when we sin, when we fall, when, when we don't live up to what we think that we 00:09:00.880 --> 00:09:01.330 should. 00:09:02.660 --> 00:09:02.740 Right? 00:09:02.760 --> 00:09:08.250 But, but looking at our life, especially in adversity, it starts to draw out to us. 00:09:08.460 --> 00:09:15.420 It has this wonderful way of refining for us what we might really think about what is important in life. 00:09:16.160 --> 00:09:23.250 Where do we go to a people of hopelessness or a people full of hope, a people of faithlessness, or a people full of faith? 00:09:24.300 --> 00:09:28.720 And so challenges have this, this way of, of helping us begin to examine that. 00:09:28.720 --> 00:09:33.720 And, and this is precisely what happens in, in the book of Acts in chapter 27. 00:09:33.820 --> 00:09:34.800 Why is that up already? 00:09:35.720 --> 00:09:36.560 There we go. 00:09:36.560 --> 00:09:37.010 Let's read this. 00:09:37.320 --> 00:09:41.080 I don't know how long that has been up, but Acts chapter 27, verse 27, it says this. 00:09:41.420 --> 00:09:48.550 When the fourth night had come, as we were being driven across the Adriatic Sea about midnight, the sailors suspected that they were nearing land. 00:09:48.860 --> 00:09:51.400 So they took a sounding and found 20 fathoms. 00:09:51.680 --> 00:09:52.800 A little further on. 00:09:52.800 --> 00:09:57.400 They took a sounding, and again found 15 fathoms, and fearing that we were. 00:09:57.420 --> 00:09:58.940 We might run on the rocks. 00:09:59.000 --> 00:10:03.980 They let down their four anchors from the stern and prayed for day to come. 00:10:04.680 --> 00:10:07.010 Now here it is, these these soldiers facing this challenge. 00:10:07.180 --> 00:10:08.460 And you see the sense of panic. 00:10:08.500 --> 00:10:12.420 This is where I tell you, when you're on a boat and the and the sailors are panicking. 00:10:12.600 --> 00:10:14.580 That is the time where everyone should panic. 00:10:14.840 --> 00:10:22.100 And you start to see the tension build and the circumstance and the challenges that they're facing, where they're just crying out for salvation, however 00:10:22.100 --> 00:10:22.740 they get it. 00:10:22.820 --> 00:10:27.940 I mean, you know what it's like in those circumstances where you feel like everything's being ripped away from you. 00:10:28.020 --> 00:10:35.040 You just come to this place where you dropped your knees and you're just begging to to mercy for whatever might step in and do something about 00:10:35.040 --> 00:10:35.460 it. 00:10:35.560 --> 00:10:40.010 Hopefully, you know, as people that might claim to follow the Lord, that that that person to you is Jesus. 00:10:40.500 --> 00:10:42.820 I believe you seek what's true and. 00:10:42.880 --> 00:10:44.660 And you seek the Lord himself. 00:10:45.200 --> 00:10:48.710 But in in those particular moments, we're just crying out. 00:10:49.100 --> 00:10:55.040 And you're starting to discover in the midst of that crying out, you know, what, what you're looking to for that foundation. 00:10:55.040 --> 00:11:00.880 And I would argue these sailors at this particular moment are just looking to anything like, teach me something. 00:11:01.120 --> 00:11:02.670 Give me some sort of direction. 00:11:02.940 --> 00:11:10.000 And the Apostle Paul has been divinely put in this particular moment to see the hand of the Lord, not only working in his 00:11:10.000 --> 00:11:14.800 own life, but but graciously working to, to spare the lives of others. 00:11:15.040 --> 00:11:22.420 But it's beginning to, to rise up for, for them, this place of exposing the condition and need in their own lives. 00:11:22.880 --> 00:11:30.400 Now, I want you to know, as we read this story, they're going to talk on and on about different aspects of sailing, of which I find incredibly irrelevant 00:11:30.400 --> 00:11:33.240 for us because, well, we live in a desert, right? 00:11:33.240 --> 00:11:36.420 So who cares about those particular details? 00:11:36.420 --> 00:11:38.540 But but we want to get to what? 00:11:39.680 --> 00:11:42.940 What then is the response of their life in light of their circumstance? 00:11:43.060 --> 00:11:47.580 Because for us, while maybe one day you might become a sailor, you need to move. 00:11:47.580 --> 00:11:49.160 If that's the case, if that's your dreams. 00:11:49.460 --> 00:11:53.670 But, but we're starting to see how they're being refined in these moments. 00:11:54.240 --> 00:12:01.500 And Paul teaches them something critical here in Acts chapter 27, verse 30, it says, and the sailors were seeking to escape from 00:12:01.500 --> 00:12:08.620 the ship, and he lowered the ship's boat into the sea, under pretense of laying out anchors 00:12:08.620 --> 00:12:09.720 from the bow. 00:12:10.300 --> 00:12:16.220 Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved. 00:12:16.940 --> 00:12:21.690 Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the ship's boat and let it go. 00:12:22.540 --> 00:12:30.940 It's interesting, Paul's statement here, and especially in light of what we read together in the beginning of Acts chapter 27. 00:12:31.240 --> 00:12:38.360 If you remember, as we read this passage together when Paul was on the ship and they initially encountered the storm. 00:12:39.020 --> 00:12:46.080 What God said to Paul in the beginning of this storm versus what Paul is saying to these individuals now 00:12:46.080 --> 00:12:53.130 that they're there well into the storm, almost seems like they're they're statements that are juxtaposed against one another. 00:12:53.760 --> 00:13:00.900 We are acknowledging here is like Paul is saying, look 00:13:00.900 --> 00:13:07.960 soldiers, unless you respond by trying to keep the sailors on board this is not going to go well for us because the people 00:13:07.960 --> 00:13:11.180 that are going to be able to navigate this moment for us are the sailors. 00:13:11.320 --> 00:13:13.280 We desperately need the sailors. 00:13:13.360 --> 00:13:20.620 Some people have looked at this throughout the centuries and joked, this is, this is where the battle between the Army and Navy began. 00:13:20.620 --> 00:13:22.660 And it's, it's been that way ever since, right? 00:13:22.660 --> 00:13:29.920 They just warring against one another here in the midst of this, the soldiers now trying to get the sailors to say, well, the ship's going down and Paul's saying, these sailors 00:13:29.920 --> 00:13:31.100 are important to us. 00:13:31.200 --> 00:13:34.440 But if you just back up just a few verses previous to this. 00:13:35.160 --> 00:13:42.240 In verse 23, there was a moment where God appeared to Paul in the middle of the storm, and he said it 00:13:42.240 --> 00:13:48.540 like this for this very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship. 00:13:49.680 --> 00:13:51.560 And he said, do not be afraid, Paul. 00:13:52.080 --> 00:13:53.680 You must stand before Caesar. 00:13:54.280 --> 00:13:58.240 And behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you. 00:13:58.420 --> 00:14:00.860 But we must run aground on some island. 00:14:02.000 --> 00:14:06.640 And when you look at those two verses or two passages, we could ask ourselves like, which is it? 00:14:07.580 --> 00:14:13.510 Is it that God is going to spare the people, or is it that the sailors are going to spare the people? 00:14:14.660 --> 00:14:18.000 I mean, God said he's going to handle it, so let God handle it. 00:14:18.100 --> 00:14:21.800 Why would Paul then go to the sailors and say, the sailors need to handle this? 00:14:21.960 --> 00:14:22.680 I mean, which is it? 00:14:22.740 --> 00:14:24.600 Did God say this to Paul or didn't he? 00:14:24.940 --> 00:14:27.360 Is it the sailors are going to save, or is it God? 00:14:27.520 --> 00:14:28.340 God going to save? 00:14:28.340 --> 00:14:29.940 And the answer to this is yes. 00:14:32.680 --> 00:14:40.060 And this has been a theological, I will say, challenge in some ways throughout the centuries 00:14:40.060 --> 00:14:47.190 that theologians have come to passages like this and have asked the question like, what is ultimately in control? 00:14:47.880 --> 00:14:49.780 And which one of these thoughts are right? 00:14:49.780 --> 00:14:52.680 Is it is it that that people have responsibility? 00:14:53.460 --> 00:14:55.290 Or is it that God is ultimately in control? 00:14:55.900 --> 00:14:57.840 And the answer to both of those is yes. 00:14:58.040 --> 00:15:05.380 In fact, Charles Spurgeon has said it like this, as people have tried to reconcile those things which which is true, is that God is ultimately in control in everything. 00:15:05.520 --> 00:15:09.450 Is that his sovereign hand that dictates all things, or is it is it man's responsibility? 00:15:10.320 --> 00:15:14.840 And Charles Spurgeon has historically said it this way I don't put friends at war with one another. 00:15:15.760 --> 00:15:20.360 And thinking of the free will of man and the sovereignty of God. 00:15:21.740 --> 00:15:29.200 And I want you to know this morning, I'm not going to I can't even begin to reconcile how to fully conceive both of those things in our mind because, 00:15:29.200 --> 00:15:30.200 well, I'm not God. 00:15:30.240 --> 00:15:33.340 And I think to fully understand that, you would have to have the mind of God. 00:15:34.480 --> 00:15:42.380 But truth be told, the way that Scripture shares with us is that both of those things are true, that that God has predestined 00:15:42.380 --> 00:15:48.990 and he has decreed in all things will work together for his glory according to the way that he has decreed. 00:15:50.280 --> 00:15:55.980 And as human beings, you're responsible for the decisions that you make. 00:15:55.980 --> 00:15:59.020 God holds responsibility upon you. 00:15:59.840 --> 00:16:07.020 And when you think about how those things work together, if I gave you a passage this morning and I won't put it on the screen, but one of the passages we've 00:16:07.020 --> 00:16:14.820 already read is several weeks ago was in Acts chapter two, verse 23, in Acts chapter two, verse 23. 00:16:14.820 --> 00:16:21.400 It takes both of those thoughts and it puts it puts it together for us in, in one, one passage of the Bible. 00:16:21.880 --> 00:16:27.940 And in that particular passage reads this way, this Jesus delivered us a. 00:16:28.060 --> 00:16:32.980 Delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God. 00:16:33.460 --> 00:16:40.940 So it's saying, before time began, God had already determined how he would spare your soul by 00:16:40.940 --> 00:16:43.480 giving his life in your place. 00:16:44.100 --> 00:16:51.400 This is important for all of us to think about, because when humanity was faced with the reality of death, when the consequence of 00:16:51.400 --> 00:16:56.520 our sin was the wrath of God, the Lord didn't look at that and be like, oh my gosh, what am I going to do? 00:16:57.420 --> 00:16:57.540 Right. 00:16:57.540 --> 00:16:59.220 He's not surprised by this. 00:16:59.820 --> 00:17:04.660 In fact, he had already determined the extent that he was willing to go for your soul and mine. 00:17:04.780 --> 00:17:08.780 That's critical for us because this is primarily dealing with the sovereignty of God. 00:17:08.800 --> 00:17:09.730 I'll get to that in a moment. 00:17:10.260 --> 00:17:15.200 But I want you to know there is the foreknowledge of the Lord and predestining his people. 00:17:15.200 --> 00:17:21.300 And this is this is true, that God, God will work all things together for good to those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. 00:17:21.640 --> 00:17:24.740 You need a sovereign God, right? 00:17:25.000 --> 00:17:29.980 And then on the other hand, it goes on in that same verse and that verse, it concludes this way. 00:17:29.980 --> 00:17:37.610 Acts chapter two, verse 23, it says, The God whom you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. 00:17:38.540 --> 00:17:45.740 So God, orchestrated by his divine decree through the the autonomy of 00:17:45.740 --> 00:17:51.760 man who chose to crucify Jesus, that he would bring about our salvation. 00:17:52.860 --> 00:17:59.880 Which is incredible because it's saying to us and even the worst of circumstances, God can continue 00:17:59.880 --> 00:18:03.500 to move things forward for his glory and your good. 00:18:04.880 --> 00:18:09.350 We need to understand both the sovereignty of God and the free will of man. 00:18:09.680 --> 00:18:16.880 The sovereignty of God is critical to lean into, because when we think about our own frailty, when we're we're faced with the storms of 00:18:16.880 --> 00:18:23.880 life, we need to know there is one who is far greater, one who is not dependent, one who transcends 00:18:23.880 --> 00:18:26.830 all things and holds all things in his hands. 00:18:27.440 --> 00:18:34.480 Look, you need more than anything a God who does not change, a God who is not growing, but a God who is 00:18:34.480 --> 00:18:35.410 already sovereign. 00:18:36.360 --> 00:18:43.640 And can I tell you, if you bow down to a God that you believe is inadequate in any way, changing, growing at some 00:18:43.640 --> 00:18:45.840 point that God will disappoint you. 00:18:45.860 --> 00:18:47.260 You should not worship him. 00:18:48.120 --> 00:18:54.980 But the fact that your God is sovereign over all things for us as people should give us hope. 00:18:55.080 --> 00:18:58.520 Because not only is he sovereign, he's also good. 00:18:59.280 --> 00:19:00.960 He's gracious. 00:19:01.000 --> 00:19:08.460 In fact, Acts chapter two, verse 23, that's the reason I highlight that for you is because not only do we see this foreknowledge of God orchestrating 00:19:08.460 --> 00:19:15.110 salvation for our souls, but we see the compassion of that God in the midst of his sovereignty. 00:19:16.340 --> 00:19:23.780 So it's critical for us to see the sovereign hand of the Lord and know we belong to him and at the same time understand 00:19:23.780 --> 00:19:26.460 that God holds us accountable. 00:19:27.940 --> 00:19:35.030 And so learning that God has me in a place to live for his glory, for the benefit of those around me, 00:19:35.220 --> 00:19:38.880 it's not just left up to, well, God will just do whatever he wants. 00:19:38.900 --> 00:19:43.250 And I'm not ultimately in control because he's already predetermined everything that's going to happen. 00:19:43.880 --> 00:19:48.500 I mean, some people lean into the sovereignty of God in a way that's unhealthy. 00:19:48.500 --> 00:19:52.260 Now, I don't think it's wrong to heavily depend on the sovereignty of God. 00:19:52.260 --> 00:19:53.280 I think that is important. 00:19:53.920 --> 00:20:00.210 But there's sometimes people just go so far with the sovereignty of God as if everything's been dictated. 00:20:00.480 --> 00:20:07.180 And therefore, in that sense, no one is ultimately responsible because how could you do anything more than what's already been determined that you would do? 00:20:07.920 --> 00:20:14.020 And if you ever meet someone like that, what you do is you walk up to them and say, and you punch him in the nose and you say, I'm sorry, you can't hold that against me. 00:20:14.020 --> 00:20:15.690 It's already been determined that I would hit you in the face. 00:20:17.160 --> 00:20:23.700 You have what's been determined by the sovereign hand of God orchestrating his salvation for you and for me. 00:20:24.960 --> 00:20:31.050 And our responsibility in that and the circumstances of life bring to the surface. 00:20:31.300 --> 00:20:31.420 Where? 00:20:31.720 --> 00:20:32.880 Where is my heart trusting? 00:20:34.040 --> 00:20:35.720 Or what is my heart trusting in? 00:20:37.060 --> 00:20:38.400 As I look to the. 00:20:38.500 --> 00:20:40.060 The greatness of who God is. 00:20:40.060 --> 00:20:41.420 Which brings me then to. 00:20:41.460 --> 00:20:43.420 To point number two in our notes is this. 00:20:45.080 --> 00:20:49.120 Challenges should be faced with faith. 00:20:51.100 --> 00:20:58.160 Challenges should be faced with faith and Paul starts to help 00:20:58.160 --> 00:21:02.400 the soldiers understand not only how that looks, but then how it's lived. 00:21:02.400 --> 00:21:05.460 But he starts with this idea of faith in verse 33. 00:21:05.460 --> 00:21:12.600 As day was about to dawn, Paul urged them all to take some food, saying, today is the 14th day that 00:21:12.600 --> 00:21:16.420 you've continued in suspense and without food, having taken nothing. 00:21:17.240 --> 00:21:20.340 Therefore I urge you to take some food, for it will be given. 00:21:20.740 --> 00:21:23.380 It will give you strength for. 00:21:23.380 --> 00:21:26.100 For not a hair is to perish from the head of any of you. 00:21:26.920 --> 00:21:31.420 And when he had said these things, he took bread, and giving thanks to God in the presence of all. 00:21:31.420 --> 00:21:33.460 He broke it and began to eat. 00:21:33.980 --> 00:21:36.640 Then they were all encouraged and ate some food themselves. 00:21:37.200 --> 00:21:44.420 We were in in all 276 persons in the ship, and when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, 00:21:44.620 --> 00:21:46.700 throwing out the wheat into the sea. 00:21:47.720 --> 00:21:53.180 I love this you think the apostle Paul, he he knows his identity in the midst of the storm. 00:21:53.720 --> 00:21:56.980 And through that he's able to lead these soldiers that are. 00:21:56.980 --> 00:22:01.440 And sailors and prisoners, everyone on board through these this challenging season. 00:22:01.720 --> 00:22:03.480 And he describes it this way, right? 00:22:03.760 --> 00:22:07.410 And when when Luke describes this passage, it's rather interesting. 00:22:08.020 --> 00:22:13.000 The the way that Luke phrases this section of the Bible, right? 00:22:13.100 --> 00:22:19.210 Because the type of vernacular that Luke's using here is to describe this almost like they're partaking of communion. 00:22:20.360 --> 00:22:27.480 And so, in fact, some some commentaries have even asked that question is, is, is Luke saying what Paul did in this moment 00:22:27.480 --> 00:22:33.580 is, is broke bread to, to have communion with the individuals on the boat. 00:22:33.640 --> 00:22:36.260 Now, I will tell you, I don't think that that's the case. 00:22:36.260 --> 00:22:39.120 And the reason for that is because I don't really think that the boat is full of believers. 00:22:40.820 --> 00:22:48.240 But I think Luke is choosing this type of terminology to, to, to remind us exactly 00:22:48.240 --> 00:22:55.680 who Paul is pointing the people toward, because we recognize that the liturgy that's used when when 00:22:55.680 --> 00:23:02.800 communion is celebrated is that in the night when Jesus was betrayed, he, he took bread and broke it and said, this is my body, which is for 00:23:02.800 --> 00:23:03.040 you. 00:23:03.080 --> 00:23:05.470 Do this in remembrance of me. 00:23:06.080 --> 00:23:06.080 And. 00:23:06.220 --> 00:23:08.610 And then they also partake of communion in the same way. 00:23:08.700 --> 00:23:10.000 This cup is the new covenant in my blood. 00:23:10.000 --> 00:23:12.580 Do this as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me. 00:23:13.460 --> 00:23:20.740 And what Paul is doing in this moment is he's using his circumstances to remind them of the significance of Christ 00:23:20.740 --> 00:23:27.860 and why it's critical for the soul to trust in Jesus, because we all have frailty and we all need 00:23:27.860 --> 00:23:29.120 salvation in him. 00:23:29.240 --> 00:23:36.220 We might live under under the the false pretense that we have the strength to endure forever in life. 00:23:36.220 --> 00:23:39.150 But when reality hits the fan, we all need Jesus. 00:23:40.940 --> 00:23:48.400 And so Paul is using this moment to, to help them root themselves in a faith that sustains 00:23:48.400 --> 00:23:52.320 something that they can depend on when life is falling apart. 00:23:53.300 --> 00:24:00.660 I would tell you like this in the book of Malachi chapter three, verse six, it tells us, for the Lord 00:24:00.660 --> 00:24:02.740 does not change. 00:24:04.000 --> 00:24:06.200 Therefore you sons of Jacob are not consumed. 00:24:07.740 --> 00:24:09.760 In fact, it really says it like this I am the Lord. 00:24:09.760 --> 00:24:10.540 I change not. 00:24:10.540 --> 00:24:12.190 Therefore you sons of Jacob are not consumed. 00:24:13.860 --> 00:24:18.590 And we might look at that and think, you know, the first half of that verse is great, but why would God want to consume the sons of Jacob? 00:24:19.000 --> 00:24:22.140 And the reason is simple it's because they mess up. 00:24:22.900 --> 00:24:27.100 They're constantly failing over and over again. 00:24:27.280 --> 00:24:31.040 And we as people in the struggle of sinfulness know what that's like. 00:24:31.100 --> 00:24:38.560 I mean, we might even say to ourselves, this morning I came to church today because I got so sick of myself, like, 00:24:38.560 --> 00:24:40.240 I'm just tired of me. 00:24:40.780 --> 00:24:44.140 And so, Lord, I'm going to just give it all to you, right? 00:24:44.140 --> 00:24:51.220 But, but if you've ever done that in your life, and I hope you have, if you've ever done that in your life, you realize like, no matter how many times you might come to the Lord and 00:24:51.220 --> 00:24:52.600 say, Lord, I'm done with me. 00:24:52.680 --> 00:24:53.570 I'm giving it all to you. 00:24:53.720 --> 00:24:55.280 I'm not messing up anymore. 00:24:55.440 --> 00:24:56.840 This is my life for you. 00:24:56.920 --> 00:24:58.590 You're like, that took about five minutes. 00:24:59.260 --> 00:25:02.310 Five minutes before I was out the door and I was tripping up again. 00:25:02.640 --> 00:25:05.520 And it was the same dang thing that brought me here. 00:25:05.620 --> 00:25:07.760 Like it was the same sin. 00:25:07.840 --> 00:25:11.130 And you might even come to God and say, God, I don't know how you're putting up with me. 00:25:11.260 --> 00:25:12.420 I'm sick of me. 00:25:12.420 --> 00:25:14.350 How in the world could you possibly put up with me? 00:25:14.440 --> 00:25:18.520 That's why Malachi three six is in the Bible I am the Lord, I change not. 00:25:18.520 --> 00:25:20.380 Therefore you sons of Jacob are not consumed. 00:25:20.440 --> 00:25:26.760 It's saying, when you get so sick of you, when you're faithless, God is always faithful. 00:25:28.160 --> 00:25:29.310 He never changes. 00:25:30.600 --> 00:25:37.060 That's why you have a bedrock to your faith that gives you a hope that endures beyond the challenges of life. 00:25:38.140 --> 00:25:42.280 Because not of who you are, but because of who he is. 00:25:43.360 --> 00:25:50.520 His consistency, his promises, his sovereignty, and his grace discovered 00:25:50.520 --> 00:25:51.300 in all of that. 00:25:52.080 --> 00:25:59.200 If I gave you maybe a New Testament word, I would say or verse in Hebrews chapter 13, verse eight, it tells you Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and 00:25:59.200 --> 00:25:59.880 forever. 00:26:01.320 --> 00:26:06.750 The God that you follow, that you put your hope in, it's, it's his consistency. 00:26:07.100 --> 00:26:09.960 So challenges should be faced with faith. 00:26:09.960 --> 00:26:11.140 And then the next point. 00:26:11.240 --> 00:26:15.760 Number three in your notes is this challenges should not deter my faithfulness. 00:26:17.280 --> 00:26:22.170 So it's one thing to believe, but but it's another thing then to live it out. 00:26:24.220 --> 00:26:29.520 And so and this, this particular section, Paul he's, he's encouraging the, the. 00:26:29.520 --> 00:26:32.980 All those on board in the midst of what they're finding themselves through to. 00:26:33.140 --> 00:26:35.920 To be faithful to, to what God has said to them. 00:26:35.940 --> 00:26:37.800 And it goes on in the next verse, as it says. 00:26:37.820 --> 00:26:40.860 Now when it was day, they did not recognize the land, but they. 00:26:40.900 --> 00:26:45.280 They noticed a bay with a beach on which they planned, if possible, to run the ship ashore. 00:26:45.620 --> 00:26:52.660 So they cast off the anchors and and left them in the sea as the same time loosening the ropes that tied the rudders, then hoisting the four 00:26:52.660 --> 00:26:53.520 cells to the wind. 00:26:53.580 --> 00:26:54.860 They were made for the beach. 00:26:55.580 --> 00:26:57.870 But but striking a reef, they ran the vessel aground. 00:26:58.100 --> 00:27:03.400 The the bow stuck and remained immovable, and the stern was being broken up by the surf. 00:27:03.780 --> 00:27:06.800 So here they are, sharing with desert people selling things. 00:27:06.800 --> 00:27:08.640 I don't I don't get that. 00:27:08.880 --> 00:27:12.820 I can tell you, I feel so sad when I read a verse like this with all the details related to sailing. 00:27:13.600 --> 00:27:15.440 I'm like, in Utah, we don't even know what a river is, man. 00:27:15.440 --> 00:27:16.340 Like people. 00:27:16.340 --> 00:27:22.140 When I moved from the east, out here, out west and I drive over our rivers that most of the time are so dry that there's nothing even in them. 00:27:22.140 --> 00:27:23.000 And they call those rivers. 00:27:23.540 --> 00:27:27.680 I'm like, they're not even they wouldn't even qualify as creeks where people that with water live. 00:27:27.680 --> 00:27:28.120 Right? 00:27:28.680 --> 00:27:33.020 Like, but but here we are with our great rivers and our, our three inch lakes. 00:27:33.140 --> 00:27:37.280 At least in this valley anyway, but, but, but here's what's important. 00:27:37.280 --> 00:27:42.970 When you get to the end of this, I want you to see the response of the soldiers in verse 42, the soldiers that says plan. 00:27:43.360 --> 00:27:47.420 The plan was to kill the prisoners, lest any should swim away and escape. 00:27:48.180 --> 00:27:53.960 Now, in the first century, this would have made complete sense for a few reasons, right? 00:27:53.960 --> 00:28:01.040 If you're a soldier and you're responsible for a prisoner, if you lost that prisoner, you're often punished for losing that prisoner, 00:28:01.060 --> 00:28:08.100 sometimes even executed Often, whatever, whatever the sentence was against the prisoner could be put against 00:28:08.100 --> 00:28:10.100 you as a soldier for losing that prisoner. 00:28:10.760 --> 00:28:15.750 So rather than take that punishment upon them, the soldiers think to themselves, ship's going down. 00:28:16.300 --> 00:28:18.300 I don't want I don't want to be responsible for these guys. 00:28:18.300 --> 00:28:19.030 Let's go ahead and kill them. 00:28:19.620 --> 00:28:26.340 On top of that, if all of a sudden they were all to jump off the ship and the soldiers were to make it or excuse me, the prisoners were to make it to the island. 00:28:27.160 --> 00:28:30.590 And you, being a soldier, has have been responsible for that prisoner. 00:28:30.960 --> 00:28:33.460 Some of those some of those prisoners could have been murderers. 00:28:34.360 --> 00:28:36.720 And now all of a sudden they're running free upon the island. 00:28:37.400 --> 00:28:40.840 And being murderers, they could easily turn against other people. 00:28:40.880 --> 00:28:48.220 And if you want to think about one of the prime targets they might point themselves to, it would have been the prisoners that held them in 00:28:48.220 --> 00:28:48.900 the shackles. 00:28:49.680 --> 00:28:54.490 And so because of the preservation of their own life, they're like, we should kill him because we don't want to be responsible for him to be punished anyway. 00:28:54.800 --> 00:28:56.190 But also they might kill us. 00:28:56.760 --> 00:29:02.490 Seems completely logical for that first century for them to have that kind of that kind of determination. 00:29:04.140 --> 00:29:11.400 But then Paul reminds them of what God said, and his plan in these moments is to 00:29:11.400 --> 00:29:13.540 spare all of their lives. 00:29:14.740 --> 00:29:20.940 And so Paul begins to, to point them to the to the promises of the Lord and the midst of the circumstances. 00:29:21.080 --> 00:29:22.540 And what God says. 00:29:22.720 --> 00:29:29.740 And my wife, she has this tendency of like in moments where you're not stable, like especially for these soldiers, they're, 00:29:29.860 --> 00:29:34.380 they're starting to learn about the Lord in the midst of this, the chaos that's going on around them. 00:29:34.420 --> 00:29:36.460 And they're beginning to put their, their faith. 00:29:36.780 --> 00:29:39.000 They're seeing Paul leading valiantly. 00:29:39.040 --> 00:29:46.120 They've been encouraged by what Paul said as he's he's told them to eat, and he's pointing them to God and being able to spare them in this 00:29:46.120 --> 00:29:46.470 moment. 00:29:46.640 --> 00:29:50.780 Like they're starting to see that this guy is incredibly confident when we're not. 00:29:50.780 --> 00:29:53.920 I mean, he's got to have something, something unique about him. 00:29:53.980 --> 00:29:56.340 And they're starting to see that wanting to put their faith in that. 00:29:56.500 --> 00:29:59.240 My, my wife refers to this as having baby deer legs. 00:30:00.240 --> 00:30:07.260 If you know you ever watch an animal being born in the wilderness like you know that that animal has but a few moments to start to 00:30:07.260 --> 00:30:08.140 learn to walk. 00:30:08.280 --> 00:30:10.960 Otherwise it'll become a victim to a predator. 00:30:11.900 --> 00:30:19.140 And when you watch that animal take steps for the first time, it's it's much different than us as, as human beings, it seems like it takes us 00:30:19.140 --> 00:30:21.800 several months before we learn to walk. 00:30:22.620 --> 00:30:27.810 But for an animal in especially in the wild, it's, it's a live or die moment. 00:30:29.100 --> 00:30:35.750 And it becomes critical for them to, to learn to, to be stable and to be able to move forward. 00:30:37.180 --> 00:30:44.220 And if we're being honest with that picture, that's a lot of us in our faith right now, learning what it means to not only put faith in the 00:30:44.220 --> 00:30:51.300 Lord, but to be faithful to him, to continue to trust what he said and let let that determine our our steps, like some of us when 00:30:51.300 --> 00:30:54.720 maybe we've we've gone on a journey where we've been lied to, our. 00:30:54.800 --> 00:30:56.270 Our trust has been broken. 00:30:56.600 --> 00:30:56.920 We. 00:30:56.920 --> 00:30:58.000 The experience that we've had. 00:30:58.000 --> 00:30:59.560 We don't want to fall victim to that again. 00:30:59.700 --> 00:31:04.200 And we're we're less likely to want to entrust ourselves to anything. 00:31:04.240 --> 00:31:08.260 But then we start to see the, the greatness of, of who Jesus is. 00:31:10.740 --> 00:31:12.070 Can I just encourage you? 00:31:12.140 --> 00:31:14.080 And just one thought. 00:31:16.680 --> 00:31:18.580 That when it comes to putting faith in the Lord. 00:31:21.400 --> 00:31:22.720 It's not about the size of your faith. 00:31:25.480 --> 00:31:26.580 But the greatness of your God. 00:31:30.120 --> 00:31:32.260 God's not looking to be impressed with your faith. 00:31:33.800 --> 00:31:36.000 Rather, God's looking to impress you with who he is. 00:31:37.760 --> 00:31:46.080 And no matter how weak you feel like your faith may be, if it's put in a great God, if it's put in truth the 00:31:46.080 --> 00:31:53.080 foundation of who you are, it strengthens you and you realize God doesn't invite us to come to him with 00:31:53.080 --> 00:31:54.420 this incredible faith anyway. 00:31:56.000 --> 00:32:03.240 I just invites us to come to him with empty hands, with whatever faith we have, and just trust him and watch the the sweetness of Jesus grow 00:32:03.240 --> 00:32:04.620 that in his presence. 00:32:06.400 --> 00:32:10.720 For the apostle Paul, he's he's certainly encouraging him in this. 00:32:10.720 --> 00:32:17.000 And Paul reminds us of this, that while the sailors are going back and forth, it then says this. 00:32:17.180 --> 00:32:22.560 But the centurion wishing to save Paul, kept them from carrying out their plan. 00:32:22.560 --> 00:32:26.540 He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and make for the land. 00:32:26.540 --> 00:32:29.540 And the rest of the planks are on a piece of the ship. 00:32:29.560 --> 00:32:32.700 And so it was that all were brought safely to the land. 00:32:34.040 --> 00:32:34.960 So here it is. 00:32:34.960 --> 00:32:36.780 The centurion stands up enough. 00:32:36.780 --> 00:32:42.320 And I mean, the reason the centurion has done this is the centurion has this has had this close connection with Paul. 00:32:42.500 --> 00:32:47.100 In Acts chapter 27, verse three, we're reminded there was a in that verse that Paul wasn't feeling well. 00:32:47.100 --> 00:32:47.800 He gave. 00:32:47.800 --> 00:32:52.440 While Paul was even a prisoner, he gave Paul the freedom to go on land, to seek treatment with his friends. 00:32:53.320 --> 00:32:55.620 Incredible trust put into the Apostle Paul. 00:32:55.620 --> 00:33:02.660 I mean, this guy has seen the wisdom of Paul as he's warned them not to sail during the season because it's going to lead into a shipwreck. 00:33:02.740 --> 00:33:09.180 And he's seen the piece in Paul's heart coming out, exuding itself among the people while everyone else was panicking. 00:33:09.360 --> 00:33:11.080 Paul was moving forward and he was leading. 00:33:12.340 --> 00:33:19.420 And so watching the faith of the Apostle Paul and his his closeness to the Lord is what compels the centurion to take a step 00:33:19.420 --> 00:33:21.580 of faith in the preservation of the people to. 00:33:21.720 --> 00:33:28.740 To say to the sailors, they can't kill the the prisoners because of the way he's seeing God move through 00:33:28.740 --> 00:33:29.660 the Apostle Paul's life. 00:33:29.700 --> 00:33:33.520 And we all have the tendency of really responding and challenging seasons. 00:33:33.520 --> 00:33:40.520 And one of three ways we we have this sense of flight where we'll run away, we'll have this sense of fight, or we feel like it's 00:33:40.520 --> 00:33:47.600 up to us and we'll try to do something about it, or this place of faith and trusting it in the Lord and what 00:33:47.600 --> 00:33:49.160 he desires to do. 00:33:49.900 --> 00:33:56.860 You know, as believers, the Bible calls us and I got to drive this home quickly, but the Bible calls us to this one thought I think is critical for all of us. 00:33:56.860 --> 00:34:04.030 And in Matthew chapter 16, where if you remember the story, Jesus takes his disciples on a field trip to Caesarea Philippi, he asks that important question, 00:34:04.400 --> 00:34:06.020 who do people say that I am? 00:34:06.460 --> 00:34:10.219 And they start to describe all the thoughts related to, to, to Jesus. 00:34:10.260 --> 00:34:14.159 And then but Jesus then asks the most important question, but who do you say that I am? 00:34:15.199 --> 00:34:16.350 And they say, you're the Christ. 00:34:16.639 --> 00:34:18.540 And Jesus says, exactly. 00:34:18.540 --> 00:34:22.320 And upon that profession of who I am, I will build my church. 00:34:22.480 --> 00:34:23.380 That's the rock. 00:34:23.380 --> 00:34:26.250 The pillar and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. 00:34:26.639 --> 00:34:27.760 And then he gives us the call. 00:34:27.820 --> 00:34:30.300 What does it look like then, to embrace that completely? 00:34:30.340 --> 00:34:37.380 And in Acts chapter 16, verse 24, Jesus told his disciples this if anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up 00:34:37.380 --> 00:34:42.940 his cross and follow me forever would lose his life, or whoever would save his life will lose it. 00:34:42.940 --> 00:34:45.610 But whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 00:34:46.199 --> 00:34:52.000 Jesus is saying, when you just try to live in this self preservation, You don't have the ability to overcome. 00:34:52.260 --> 00:34:54.920 Maybe for a moment, maybe in a circumstance, but not ultimately. 00:34:56.080 --> 00:34:58.820 And if you try to live your life that way, you're going to lose it. 00:34:59.640 --> 00:35:04.030 But if you give your life to me, then true life is found. 00:35:04.420 --> 00:35:07.780 And he describes this utter sacrifice of who you are. 00:35:07.780 --> 00:35:12.820 If anyone wishes to follow after me, he says, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. 00:35:13.840 --> 00:35:20.880 Denying yourself as a personal decision to say, Lord, rather rather than me, sit on the throne as Lord of my life, your Lord of 00:35:20.880 --> 00:35:21.510 my life. 00:35:22.480 --> 00:35:25.080 And he takes it a step further, and he says, take up your cross. 00:35:25.680 --> 00:35:26.260 And you think about what. 00:35:26.400 --> 00:35:27.990 Take up your cross is for. 00:35:28.040 --> 00:35:28.920 For Jesus. 00:35:29.020 --> 00:35:35.600 It was this place of public shame, mock beaten, insulted, spit upon. 00:35:35.660 --> 00:35:37.840 In fact, by dying through the cross. 00:35:37.940 --> 00:35:39.840 This is often what prisoners experience. 00:35:40.080 --> 00:35:41.350 People would go beside them. 00:35:41.460 --> 00:35:42.460 They would hurl insults. 00:35:42.460 --> 00:35:43.480 They would throw things at them. 00:35:43.480 --> 00:35:44.700 They would spit upon them. 00:35:44.700 --> 00:35:46.000 They would revile them. 00:35:47.060 --> 00:35:47.220 Right? 00:35:47.220 --> 00:35:54.280 So this is saying, Jesus, I believe so much in who you are and my identity in you that the world 00:35:54.280 --> 00:35:56.260 can throw whatever it wants at me. 00:35:57.080 --> 00:36:00.660 But at the end of the day, I know who I am because I belong to you. 00:36:01.100 --> 00:36:08.000 And the sovereignty of your power and your grace is the definition by which I discover me. 00:36:08.460 --> 00:36:13.670 This is where I go from baby deer legs to something greater. 00:36:16.260 --> 00:36:17.080 For us to define. 00:36:17.460 --> 00:36:18.240 Find that. 00:36:19.340 --> 00:36:25.260 I think it becomes critical to answer this question what do you think God thinks about you? 00:36:27.940 --> 00:36:29.280 What are God's thoughts towards you? 00:36:31.620 --> 00:36:33.140 And let me let me just say this for a minute. 00:36:33.140 --> 00:36:40.240 I need to separate between what you do and who you are, because there are things all 00:36:40.240 --> 00:36:42.420 of us have done in this room that we're not proud of. 00:36:44.200 --> 00:36:47.300 And in fact, like gods not proud of. 00:36:49.040 --> 00:36:52.480 But there is a distinction between what you do and who you are. 00:36:54.100 --> 00:37:01.200 Now, what you do might be determined by what you believe, but can I just tell you, every human being in this world, regardless of the decisions they have or have not 00:37:01.200 --> 00:37:05.900 made, everyone has intrinsic value because everyone is made in the image of God. 00:37:06.940 --> 00:37:08.000 So we have incredible worth. 00:37:09.320 --> 00:37:14.980 And even more than that, when you see the extent of which Jesus was willing to go while you were a sinner giving his life for you. 00:37:16.320 --> 00:37:20.620 I mean, it should help us to understand that there may be what I do, and God might not be proud of that. 00:37:21.460 --> 00:37:28.800 But because of who he is, it gives me the opportunity to bring that to him and just say, Lord, forgive me and thank you for, 00:37:29.200 --> 00:37:36.220 for, for the value you've placed on me by not only making me in your image, but giving your life on the cross so that I can see my worth, not in 00:37:36.220 --> 00:37:42.250 my behavior, but in you and everything that you've done for me and not my behavior. 00:37:42.420 --> 00:37:47.230 But but, but your identity gives me confidence in my identity because of what you've done for me. 00:37:47.400 --> 00:37:49.690 And the reason I move forward tomorrow is not because. 00:37:49.920 --> 00:37:51.920 Not because I'm impressed with the things I might accomplish. 00:37:52.520 --> 00:37:55.280 It's because my life has been impressed with the greatness of your glory. 00:37:55.980 --> 00:37:59.610 So that whether I'm being successful right now or I'm failing, it doesn't matter. 00:37:59.740 --> 00:38:02.900 I can constantly come to you and just say, Lord, forgive me. 00:38:02.900 --> 00:38:04.660 Lord help me, Lord, give me my. 00:38:04.740 --> 00:38:05.190 Give me strength. 00:38:05.460 --> 00:38:11.260 Even when I feel like I'm sick of me, God, it's about you. 00:38:13.240 --> 00:38:16.030 So for the Apostle Paul, can I just give you this last point? 00:38:17.480 --> 00:38:20.000 Challenges must be met with truth. 00:38:20.780 --> 00:38:27.900 Paul tells us in this story one one defining word or one defining thought that really 00:38:27.900 --> 00:38:30.880 gave precedent to everything that he did moving forward. 00:38:31.860 --> 00:38:35.030 This was the bedrock to his strength where he discovered peace. 00:38:36.120 --> 00:38:37.800 It says it like this for this very night. 00:38:37.980 --> 00:38:39.750 Paul says it's right in the middle of this chapter. 00:38:40.560 --> 00:38:45.590 This very night, there stood before me an angel of God, to whom I belong and whom I worship. 00:38:47.400 --> 00:38:54.420 You want to know what defined Paul and the chaos that God, to whom I belong and whom 00:38:54.420 --> 00:38:55.260 I worship? 00:38:57.200 --> 00:39:00.620 He knew who he was because of who the Lord was. 00:39:01.960 --> 00:39:02.810 I need to end with this. 00:39:03.580 --> 00:39:06.000 There was a man during World War Two. 00:39:06.040 --> 00:39:09.120 He lived well beyond World War Two, but his name is Viktor Frankl. 00:39:10.300 --> 00:39:14.160 And Viktor Frankl was taken to multiple concentration camps during World War Two. 00:39:14.180 --> 00:39:17.100 And so was his mother, his father, his brother and his wife. 00:39:18.480 --> 00:39:21.560 And during that time, he lost everything precious to him. 00:39:22.560 --> 00:39:23.760 He lost all of his earthly possessions. 00:39:25.140 --> 00:39:29.140 He lost his parents, he lost his brother, he lost his wife. 00:39:29.580 --> 00:39:33.910 And he wasn't fully aware that all of them had passed in concentration camps until the war was over. 00:39:34.640 --> 00:39:40.490 But while he was in a concentration camp, he became obsessed with what led some people to survive and some people to pass away. 00:39:40.760 --> 00:39:43.410 And he actually wrote a book on it called Man's Search for meaning. 00:39:43.920 --> 00:39:48.140 And he said this in the book, those who have a why to live can bear almost any how. 00:39:48.720 --> 00:39:50.810 The prisoner who had lost faith in the future. 00:39:50.900 --> 00:39:52.460 His future was doomed. 00:39:53.140 --> 00:39:59.780 Sometimes I'll phrase it this way as people, we can endure incredible adversity if we have one thing. 00:39:59.780 --> 00:40:00.300 And that is hope. 00:40:01.380 --> 00:40:03.860 And Viktor Frankl, even though he's not a believer, he recognized that. 00:40:03.860 --> 00:40:10.860 And he talked about in this book one time, there was a moment where he was even walking through the snow and he, he was coming to that place where he was starting to despair. 00:40:11.280 --> 00:40:16.080 But the thing that compelled him to move forward was to think about his wife seeing her again. 00:40:16.820 --> 00:40:18.280 And he wrote this about that moment. 00:40:18.280 --> 00:40:21.220 He said, the salvation of man is through love and in love. 00:40:22.640 --> 00:40:24.720 He's talking about love, compelling the heart. 00:40:25.520 --> 00:40:29.890 Recently, I listened to Tim Keller give a talk on heaven and he said this. 00:40:30.240 --> 00:40:36.180 You know, it's interesting when most people talk about heaven, the one thing they often look forward to is peace, that there will be no more trouble, there will be peace. 00:40:36.220 --> 00:40:36.760 And he says, that's important. 00:40:37.900 --> 00:40:42.320 But the thing that's most important for us is not peace, he says. 00:40:42.320 --> 00:40:46.200 In our faith, it talks about three, three aspects to our faith, faith, hope and love. 00:40:46.940 --> 00:40:50.000 But the Bible says in first Corinthians that the greatest of these is love. 00:40:51.420 --> 00:40:53.730 He said, you know what makes heaven heaven more than anything? 00:40:54.580 --> 00:40:56.110 It's the presence of relationship. 00:40:56.200 --> 00:40:56.700 It's love. 00:40:57.860 --> 00:40:58.580 It's community. 00:40:58.580 --> 00:41:00.170 God made us for that more than anything. 00:41:00.220 --> 00:41:07.500 As human beings, we want to know that we matter, and we want to know everything's going to work out in 00:41:07.500 --> 00:41:08.980 the hands of a sovereign God. 00:41:08.980 --> 00:41:10.340 That is the promise of Scripture. 00:41:11.580 --> 00:41:16.800 I know to whom I belong, and I know whom I worship. 00:41:17.960 --> 00:41:23.640 At the end of the day, in the storms of life, it is that truth and the grace of God that carries us through. 00:41:24.240 --> 00:41:28.860 This message has been brought to you by Alpine Bible Church in Lehi, Utah. 00:41:28.880 --> 00:41:33.130 If you'd like more information, please visit us online at Alpine bible.com.