Life of Faith

Reading of Acts 27:1-26 and Introduction to the Sermon's Theme

0:03 Now let us turn together in the word of God to the book of Acts and chapter 27, Acts chapter 27.

0:15 I shall read in your hearing the first 26 verses, a portion of the word of God no doubt familiar to many of you, but I have been reminded in recent days in some of our membership interviews that not everyone comes from a Christian home and the nurture of a church where the word of God has had its due prominence, and I trust that those of you who are stronger in knowledge will bear with the weaker and never grow weary of hearing read in your ears those familiar stories and portions of the word of God. Here in Acts 27 we have Luke's spirit-inspired account, of the beginnings of Paul's journey from Jerusalem to Rome where he will appear before Caesar in defense of his own person and labors, having been constantly falsely accused by the Jews, his life placed in jeopardy again and again. He appeals to Caesar the rights of his Roman citizenship for a proper trial, and Luke now records that journey from Jerusalem. Chapter 27 of Acts, verse 1. And when it was decided that we should sail to Italy,

1:38 they delivered Paul and some other prisoners to one named Julius, a centurion of the Augustan regiment. So entering a ship of Adramitium we put to sea, meaning to sail along the coasts of Asia. Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, was with us. And the next day we landed at Sidon.

2:03 And Julius treated Paul kindly and gave him liberty to go to his friends and receive care. When we had put to sea from there we sailed under the shelter of Cyprus because the winds were contrary. And when we had sailed over the sea which is off Cilicia and Pamphylia we came to Myra, a city of Lycia. There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing to Italy and he put us on board.

2:35 When we had sailed slowly many days and arrived with difficulty off Nidus, the sea is silent in the proper pronunciation, it is Nidus, the wind not permitting us to proceed, we sailed under the shelter of Crete off Salmoni. Passing it with difficulty, we came to a place called, Fair Havens near the city of Lycia. Now when much time had been spent and sailing was now dangerous because the fast was already over, it was well into autumn or fall and the more difficult winter months would be soon upon them, Paul advised them saying, Men, I perceive that this voyage will end with disaster and much loss, not only of the cargo and ship, but also our lives. Nevertheless the centurion was more persuaded by the helmsman and the owner of the ship than by the things spoken by Paul. And because the harbor was not suitable to winter in, the majority advised to set sail from there also if by any means they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete opening toward the southwest and northwest, and winter there. When the south wind blew softly,

4:03 supposing that they had obtained their desire, putting out to sea, they sailed close by Crete. But not long after, a tempestuous headwind arose called Euroclidon or Euroquillo. So when the ship was caught and could not head into the wind, we let her drive. Running under the shelter of an island called Clauda, we secured the skiff with difficulty.

4:33 Perhaps that's not the best translation. You get the idea of a sailing ship with a little eight-foot skiff behind it. This was more like a large lifeboat that was towed behind the main ship. And because the sea began to be tempestuous, they didn't want to lose their lifeboat, they sought to secure it.

4:51 And when they had taken it in on board, they used cables to undergird the ship. And fearing lest they should run aground on the Syrtis sands, sandbars in that area, they were fearful that the ship might be struck upon them, they struck sail and so were driven. And because we were exceedingly tempest-tossed, the next day they lightened the ship. And on the third day, we threw the ship's tackle or furniture overboard with our own hands.

5:24 Now when neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest beat on us, all hope that we would be saved was finally given up. But after long abstinence from food, then Paul stood in the midst of them and said, Men, you should have listened to me, and not have sailed from Crete and incurred this disaster and loss. And now I urge you to take heart, be of good cheer, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. For there stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve, saying, Do not be afraid, Paul, you must be brought before Caesar. And indeed, God has granted you all those who sail with you. Therefore take heart, be of good courage, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me. Take heart, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me.

6:44 Now most of us have heard and perhaps heard many times the familiar proverb or aphorism that one picture is worth a thousand words. And if I were to ask you children to explain that little aphorism or proverb, I think most of you could do it. It tries to capture the fact that there are some things that are more clearly perceived by seeing and observing than by hearing elaborate descriptions about them. If we were trying to explain to someone who had never seen a brilliant southern Florida sunset, it would be far easier to take a wide-angled photograph of one such sunset and say, Here is what I'm talking about, than to attempt page after page to put into verbal symbols, into written vocables, what such a sunset is like. And it is for this very reason that the Bible is given in many, many areas to history and to biography because it is in the stuff of real people in real circumstances facing real difficulties with real interventions of the true and living God that God both enforces,

8:12 illustrates and confirms the doctrines and duties taught in His Word. And this morning we're going to look at such a passage which, better than a thousand words, sets before us some very vital principles concerning the life of faith. And our focus is going to be upon verse 25 in this passage. The words of the Apostle Paul, Therefore take heart, men, or be of good courage, men, for I believe that it will be just as it was told me. And in opening up this passage I want you to consider with me first of all what I am calling this startling exhortation. These words of the Apostle Paul are nothing less than a startling exhortation. Consider with me briefly the substance of the exhortation and why we do well to regard it as a startling exhortation.

The Startling Exhortation: 'Take Heart, Men'

9:25 The substance of the exhortation is basically this. Paul speaks to those on the ship with him and particularly to the men. You may have a translation that says, sirs, but the Greek word is the standard word to address the male gender and he speaks in the plural and says to the men on that ship to take heart, to be of good cheer. He uses a word that is found earlier in this very passage, verse 22.

10:00 And now I urge you to take heart, to be of good cheer. The only other use of this verb in the New Testament is found in James 5 and verse 13 where James says, is any among you cheerful or in a state of good heart and of good courage? So he's exhorting these men no longer to be downcast, no longer to be despairing, dispirited and dejected in the midst of all of the realism of those circumstances which Paul shared with the other 275 who were on that ship. He gives this exhortation immediately to cease from being downcast, despairing, dispirited and dejected and to be of a cheerful heart. He is exhorting them to take heart, to be men of courage, to be men of strength in their spirits. Now that's the substance of his exhortation. Now why was it startling?

11:10 Well it was startling first of all in the light of the preceding circumstances. It was a startling exhortation in the light of the preceding circumstances. What began as a very ordinary and pleasant journey across the sea, verse 14, suddenly was tremendously disrupted and turned into a horrible nightmare. We read in verse 14, but not long after a tempestuous headwind arose called Euraclidam.

11:51 These would be winds of hurricane or cyclonic force and with them would come what many of us have seen on our televisions in recent days with the hurricane Bertha that moved up the coast, tremendous turbulence in the seas and from the quiet tranquil seas supposing they were going to have a very uneventful journey, suddenly these unusual winds These unusual winds come down upon them, and the ship is caught. No longer can the helmsman plot his course and set his sails, but they are driven by the wind. And we read that things began to get so bad that they not only had to take their large lifeboat that was dragging behind them in tow and bring it on board, but they had to begin to place thick ropes, tables, around the very heart of the ship to keep the planking from tearing apart and becoming nothing but a pile of flotsam in the midst of the turbulent sea. Furthermore, the ship not only was about to be torn apart, they recognized that they had to lighten the load of the ship so that rather than...

13:12 than being dashed and buried by the waves and the turbulence as it was sitting lower in the water, that they wanted, as it were, to float more upon the crests of the turbulent waves, and so they begin to throw out some of the very furniture that is in the ship. This goes on for several days, and we read in verse 20 that the heavens were so sick with the clouds that they saw neither sun nor stars for many days. The mariners lost their ability to get their bearings from the stars by night, their position from the shining of the sun by day. They are shrouded in the midst of this inky darkness of the night, and during the day the dark cloud-covered skies forbid them from finding even the direction in which they are going. And we read, and no small tempest beat upon us. Try to get something of the feel of this situation.

14:28 The tempestuous sea, the turbulence all around, the panic that runs like an electric current through all who are on board. The heavens are shrouded in darkness. They don't know where they are, where they are going, until the very zenith of that very moment. that despair is recorded in verse 20, all hope that we would be saved was finally given up. Everyone was now in a state of absolute despair. No longer was there a hope that there will be a little break in the clouds, perhaps another vessel will come by, perhaps there will be some quieting of the seas, and we can begin to pull things together and find out where we are and how we're going to get to where we want to go. No, Luke says that all hope that we would be saved was finally given up. Now, do you see why I call this a startling exhortation? In the midst of that situation, Paul says, buck up, be of good cheer, get rid of your universal gloom upon your faces. That's a startling exhortation.

15:43 In the light of the preceding circumstances. Furthermore, it was startling in the light of the predicted circumstances that were yet to come. Two circumstances are predicted. Look at verse 22. I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. He now predicts that the ship is going to be lost. The ship is going to go down to Davy Jones' locker. Not a very encouraging thing. And then he says, in verse 26, that they must be shipwrecked upon an island. However, we must run aground on a certain island, knowing then that the ship is going to be lost, that they're going to be shipwrecked on an island. Yet in the midst of that, he says, be of good cheer. Take heart. Don't be dispirited. Don't be

16:42 discouraged. I say that's a startling exhortation. Not only in the light of the preceding circumstances, but of the predicted circumstances, and furthermore, it was startling because of the subsequent events. When Paul said, be of good cheer, he uses a tense of the verb which means, begin now to be of good cheer. Let all discouragement and all attitudes of being dispirited and disheartened be banished, and begin and continue to be of good cheer. Begin and continue to be of good heart. And I say that's startling in the light of the subsequent events. After speaking these things, the circumstances got worse. The storm did

17:32 not calm down. It continued for two whole weeks. Verse 27, and when the fourteenth night had come. Verse 33, Be, the same emphasis, today is the fourteenth day. You have waited and continued without food and eaten nothing. Verse 41, striking a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground and the prow stuck fast and remained immovable, but the stern was being broken up by the violence of the waves. Can you imagine what some of them might have thought? When in such circumstances the words of Paul's exhortation are ringing in their ears, be of good cheer? Take heart? When we see the planking from the stern of the ship being

18:26 torn apart by the violent fingers of a turbulent sea? When we don't know where we are? When all is raging around us? I say this was a startling exhortation. Yet amidst all of this disaster, all of this danger and even the worst of all, we are not alone. We are not alone. In devastation, the exhortation of Paul rings out above the roar of an angry sea, above the shriek and whistle of the wind, through the rigging of that ship, above the moans and fear and cries of despair. The words of verse 25 ring loud and clear. Therefore, take heart, men, for I believe God. And it will be just as it was told. Well, we've considered the startling exhortation, and I hope you agree with my terminology. It is a startling exhortation. Consider with me in the second place the satisfying explanation.

The Satisfying Explanation: 'I Believe God'

19:33 Though it's a startling exhortation, the apostle gives what I trust to you is a satisfactory explanation of that exhortation. We could ask the question, What explanation can be given for Paul's exhortation, given the preceding circumstances, the predicted events, and the subsequent events? What explanation can be given for such an exhortation? Was Paul what we commonly call the eternal optimist? You know what an optimist is. That's the one who wakes up in the morning, and there's not a hole in the cloudy, thick, murky skies. It's raining. Cats and dogs. He says to his wife, I'm so glad it's raining early in the morning. The sun will be out by noon.

20:23 The pessimist, he gets up, and there's not a patch of sky, of cloud in the blue sky, from horizon to horizon. And someone says, What a beautiful day. This will be one of the ten best of ninety-six. He says, Ah, it'll be raining by eleven.

20:39 That's the eternal pessimist. Well, was Paul just the eternal optimist? Waking up any time there was a storm, he would say, And the whole time there were clouds and rain and smiling and saying, It'll be brilliant sunshine by noon. No. He was not an eternal optimist.

20:56 Well, was he a Robert Shuler born before his time? You know who Robert Shuler is? The man with the plastic smile who says, Cheer up. Think positive thoughts. Life is beautiful. Life is rosy.

21:11 No matter what you face. It's a matter of mind over circumstances. Buck up. Be cheerful. It's a wonderful world.

21:20 No. Well, was he some name-it-and-claim-it miracle worker who figured he could speak to the turbulent seas at will, and in the name of Jesus claim deliverance from the demons of tempestuous winds and waves? No. None of those things is a satisfactory explanation for this exhortation.

21:42 He gives us the explanation. Let's listen to his words. Having said, Therefore take heart, men, for I believe, God, that it will be just as it was told me. I want you to note with me the content of that word from God and the response of Paul to that word.

22:05 For his explanation simply stated is this. I have had a word of reassurance from my God that all will be well with us. And I believe him. That's the satisfying explanation for his startling exhortation.

Content of God's Word and Paul's Response

22:24 I've had a word of reassurance from my God that all will be well, and I believe him. Let's look then at the content of that word from God in verses 23 and 24, and then the response of Paul to that word in verse 25. What was the content of that word from God? The content of that word from God.

22:47 Verse 23. There stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve, saying, Do not be afraid, Paul. You must be brought before Caesar. And indeed, God has granted you all those who sail with you.

23:13 The content of this word from God mediated by an angel of God was very simple and straightforward. He began, first of all, by saying to Paul, You must not be afraid. Now one could read into the form of the verb that Paul had already begun to be afraid, and God was calling him to cease from his being afraid, but I think that would be pressing the issue beyond what the context and the general knowledge we have of the apostle, but this much is clear. That Paul was vulnerable to all of the fears to which the others were vulnerable is indeed warranted by the text, otherwise the words mean nothing. If Paul was such a giant in the faith that fear never dawned his steps, that fear was never an emotion with which he had to wrestle, why is God's first word to him, Don't be afraid? You see, this is the very man who spoke of fightings without and fears within, who was unashamed to say to the Corinthians, I was with you in much trembling and fear. No, he was no stranger to the emotion of fear.

24:40 And so the word that God brings to him, is one that prohibits him giving way to and coming under the horrible paralyzing grip of carnal fear. Do not be afraid, Paul. You must be brought before Caesar. You see, God is reiterating something he had already revealed to Paul in chapter 23 and verse 11.

25:09 Chapter 23 and verse 11. But the following night the Lord stood by him and said, Be of good cheer, Paul, for as you have testified for me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome. He had had a previous word from God, that no matter what the Jews may have plotted, no matter what the Roman soldiers assigned to keep him may have thought about him, or attempted to do with him, regardless of the circumstances that God in his providential ordering of the winds and waves of the sea, whatever these would be, Paul had a sure and a certain word from God, he will bear witness to his Lord in the face of Caesar. He will get safely to Rome. Now this word that comes to him from God through the angels, reaffirms that fact. God says to him through the angel, that you must be brought before Caesar.

26:24 And furthermore God says, in the process all on board with you will be spared. Now these words, and I have given you those that are with you on the ship, those who sail with you, is the Lord saying that they are granted you in terms of the success of your witness and gospel endeavors? That may be true, but in the context, what is clear is Paul understood this, that there would be no loss of life among the 275 who are on that ship, in addition to himself. For look at verse 22.

27:04 Now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. How did he know that? When he was assessing from his knowledge of that part of the world, from his many travels, when he was assessing, based not upon divine revelation, but upon an ordinary observation, Paul assessed the situation, and had earlier said, seeking to dissuade them from leaving when they left, verse 10, I perceive that this voyage will end with disaster and much loss, not only of the cargo and ship, but also our lives. Now that wasn't a revelation from God. That was the assessment of a seasoned traveler upon the seas, and one who was knowledgeable of that part of the world, and the patterns of the winds in the different times of the year. And he said, there's no way we're going to make this journey across that part of the open waters at this time of the year without tremendous loss, both to the ship and to our lives. But now God had come with a word of direct revelation, and had said to him, Paul, not only will you be brought before Caesar, but God has granted you all those who sail with you for your sake,

28:34 and for whatever secret saving purposes I may have in their lives, I will spare them as I protect and preserve you. That's the content of the word from God. And what was Paul's response to that word? Well, obviously, it was one of implicit, unwavering trust.

28:56 Look at the language. Therefore take heart, men, for I believe, God, that it will be just as it is. Just as it was told me. What is Paul saying?

29:12 This is what he is saying. What is to happen to me and to all of you here on this ship is not going to be determined by the wind, by the waves, by the ordinary patterns of the weather and the sea at this time of the year. No, what is going to happen to me and to you is not going to be dictated by heaven and seas and shrouded heavens. Rather, the God of heaven and earth who purposes and executes His plan, that God has determined what will happen to all of us and He has made it known that I will not perish in the seas, neither will you perish as well. His response to that word from God was a response of implicit, unwavering trust that what God's word determines as the revelation of His purpose will infallibly come to pass. No wonder now, without sticking His head, as it were, under the folds of His robe, and imaging a very quiet, peaceful, calm sea and opened heavens in the sun, no,

30:38 looking out into the heaving sea, hearing the creaking of the planking on that ship, seeing every single visible sign of imminent danger, He raises His voice and I cannot conceive of Him doing it without a raised hand, though it's not in the text. Men, give to a cheer, take heart, crash, bang, creak, heave. Maybe some were hanging over the gunwales, losing whatever food they had attempted to take, though most of them, it says, were fasting for days. Get the picture.

31:17 And in the midst of that, He says, take heart, be of good cheer, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me. Now at that moment, did the sea stop? No. Did the heavens open up? No.

31:34 Everything was even more turbulent and more desperate, yet the Apostle said, be of good cheer, I believe God. Reality is not determined by what you see and what you think will be, but reality is determined by what God says will be. And I believe. Well, we've looked at what I've called the startling exhortation, and then the satisfying explanation that lay behind it.

Practical Application 1: The Vivid Illustration of Walking by Faith

32:10 Now, as time permits, I want us to consider several practical applications of this passage. The first is this. I want you to behold with me the vivid illustration of what it means to walk by faith. Here, last Lord's Day evening, at the table of the Lord, when we received four new members, Pastor Barker gave a text to those who were being received into membership, 2 Corinthians 5 and verse 7, where the Apostle says, we walk by faith and not by sight.

32:52 He exhorted those coming into the membership never to forget that the walk of a Christian is a walk of faith. And the opposite of faith in that setting is sight. We do not frame our lives by what we see, though what we see is real. And what we see is not a mirage or a figment of our imagination.

33:17 But there is an unseen world of spiritual reality which is to frame the way we walk, the way we pattern our lives. And I began by saying one picture is worth a thousand words. And so in this passage we have a marvelous picture of what it means to walk by faith. What's it mean in the nitty-gritty, day-by-day experience of the Christian life to walk by faith?

33:46 It means to walk the way Paul walked in this set of circumstances. Notice with me several vital elements of the walk of faith illustrated in this passage. First, the sole object of our faith. The sole, the unrivaled object of our faith.

34:04 Look at our text, verse 25. Therefore take heart, be of good courage, men, for I believe God. I believe God. Not I believe in faith, I believe in myself.

34:23 He says I believe God. There is a person who is the sole object of my faith. It is that God who sent His angel to speak His word into my ears last night. And that God who spoke is the God who is.

34:42 He is the God who has made the world and all things therein. He is the God of whom the prophet speaks when He says He has His way in the whirlwind and the storm and the clouds of the dust of His feet. He is the God who manifested in Jesus Christ can say to turbulent seas, be still, and they become as glass. He is the God who has said that He can do all that He purposes to do and none can stay His hand or say unto Him, what are you doing?

35:15 And the apostle very simply illustrates and affirms what it meant for him to walk by faith. It meant that he had a sole object of his faith. I believe God. God the Father who has spoken through His angel.

35:33 God the Son whom I serve in the Gospel. God the Holy Spirit who has transformed me and enabled me to behold the very glory of the Godhead in the face of Jesus Christ. God the Blessed one in three and three in one. He is the sole object of my faith.

35:55 I believe God. Now few things are more elementary to the life of faith than that. For without faith it is impossible to please Him. For he that comes to God must believe that He is.

36:11 Not that He was and that He shall be. That He is the great I was and the great I shall be. No, that name by which God reveals something of the mystery of His own essence and being is Yahweh. I am that I am.

36:28 I will be that I will be. We must believe that He is. And the sole object of faith is God Himself. But then notice secondly in the life of faith for the Apostle there was a solid foundation of faith.

36:44 If the sole object is God Himself I believe God. What was the solid foundation of that faith? It was the spoken word of God. Look again at the text.

36:56 I believe God not in some nebulous mystical undefiled way. No, I believe God that it will be just as it was told to me. As it hath been spoken to me. To capture something of the sense of the perfect tense.

37:20 God has spoken and what He has spoken abides as a living present word from God. And I am convinced that all that shall be in the hours and days to come will be but an exegesis of that which God has said. God has told me I am going to be brought before Caesar. I have given you all on the ship.

37:50 I don't care if the waves become twenty times higher the storms become twenty times more fierce and the skies intensify in their darkness and every plank on them on this ship is smashed to splinters. I believe God shall be just as it was spoken. What was the foundation of this faith? It was the sure the certain the immovable word of the living God.

38:26 Ah, but you say, Pastor that was an angel speaking the very word of God. If God would speak to an angel then I could begin to walk by faith. How could I ever forget an angel's word? My friend, if you've got the silly notion that an angel's word is better than the word of God written spoken put down in printer's ink and abiding you're ignorant of your own heart and you're ignorant of your Bible.

38:59 Peter, who heard the very voice of God without the mediation of an angel on the Mount of Transfiguration referring to that very incident in his second letter in the first chapter said, yes, we heard the voice on the Holy Mount but we have the word of prophecy made more sure. There's something more sure than hearing the voice of God amid Shekinah glory on a mountain in Palestine? Yes. It is that word which has been given to us in Scripture as holy men of God were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

39:37 You remember what Jesus said in his parable or in his story of the rich man in Lazarus? The rich man says, oh, send someone back from the dead to bring the word and promise and warnings of the gospel that they come not to this place, Jesus said, they have Moses and the prophets. If they will not hear what is written so there's no question after the angel goes what was said. No, we have the record in Scripture of even holy people who heard holy angels and they did not hear and they didn't believe.

40:09 Remember John the Baptist's father? The angel Gabriel appeared to him and he didn't believe. God says, I'll strike you down for your unbelief. Now, if you've got any notion you'd believe if only an angel, no, you don't know your Bible and you don't know your own heart.

40:26 The foundation of faith is the word of God revealed in the way God chooses to reveal it to us. And that way here and now is in this blessed book. In this blessed book. Anyone ask what is written in this book?

40:40 Anyone adds to the words of this book? God says the plague shall be added to him whoever takes away from the words of this book. No, the foundation of faith is the spoken word of God which for us is that word in holy Scripture. And as God himself is the sole object of our faith in the walk of faith so the solid foundation of our faith is the word of God.

41:10 Not our feelings, not our experiences, not our sense of what ought to be or our groaning and moaning on what we hope things would be but the confidence that it shall be even as it hath been spoken. And that everything God has said concerning us who are in Christ is but the prefiguration of what we shall in our experience be. Everything that the Scripture says concerning our present possessions in Christ our future prospects as the people of God and those in union with Christ that the dead in Christ shall rise first that as we have borne the image of the earthly so we shall bear the image of the heavenly he who has begun a good work in us will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ and on and on we can go but the life of faith is the life that builds on the solid foundation of the spoken word of God particularly that word as it is couched in the promises. But then thirdly notice as we behold this vivid illustration of what it means to walk by faith not only the sole object of faith

42:40 I believe God the solid foundation of faith it shall be even as it has been spoken to me but the simple essence of faith what is the simple essence of that faith by which we walk look at the words of the text it shall be just as it was spoken it shall be as it was spoken look at verse 34b therefore I urge you to take nourishment for this is for your survival since not a hair will fall from the head of any of you the seas were still turbulent the skies were still shrouded in darkness the planks were still creaking and he says not a hair will fall from the head of any of you but the solid foundation of faith it shall be even as it has been spoken God has said he will not only spare me to appear before Caesar but he's given me all of you on this ship to be spared with me at least that much and all the other sins

The Constant Companion of Faith: Proper Use of Means

44:09 that grow out of those twin horrible things unbelief instability wasn't very complicated for Paul the simple essence of the faith by which he walked was that internal conviction and commitment to this principle it shall be just as it has been spoken to us for the past many centuries and so that is the constant companion of faith the constant companion of faith and what is it that faith which has God as its sole object God the Father Son and Holy Spirit its solid foundation the word it and then we'll see it in three or four places in this setting. It is the proper use of God ordained means. It is the proper use of God ordained means that is always the constant companion of the life of faith when that life of faith is framed by the word of God. And where do we see that in the passage? Well, we see it first of all when up in verse 10, Paul believes he has

45:34 a responsibility to put in his opinion about this proposed journey at this particular time in that particular part of the world. He said, men, I perceive that this voyage will end with disaster and much loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also our lives. Well, hadn't God said to him earlier, as we saw in chapter 23 in verse 11, you will appear before Caesar. You must bear witness to this. You must bear witness to this. You must bear witness to this. You must You must bear witness to this. You must bear witness to this. You must bear witness to this. You must bear witness in Rome. Well, couldn't Paul assume, then, I'm invincible till I get to Rome? And when he hears of the plans to set out to sea at a difficult time of the year, with the very real possibility of this cyclonic and hurricane-type winds coming, he could have just said, well, fellas, I think it's a stupid idea, but you know, I'm invincible till I get to Rome. God's told me I'm going to appear before Caesar. No, no. The walk of faith that is biblical is a faith that uses all legitimate means. And here, Paul is using his nautical knowledge, his geological,

46:43 and his knowledge of the winds and all of the patterns. He's using this means, realizing if I'm to be preserved to get to Rome, I don't become a fanatic, who doesn't use the legitimate means for my preservation. You see, the handmaid of his life of faith was the proper use of means. Look at verse 31. We see it again. Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved. Some of them, under the guise of wanting to put anchors in that lifeboat and carry them out in front of the ship and set down the ship, they were not saved. They were not saved. They were not saved. They were

47:29 not saved. And the anchors, they wanted to escape from the ship. And Paul says, unless you abide in the ship, you cannot be saved. Well, wait a minute. I thought God gave him a promise. I've given you all that are with you. He could have said, okay, fellas, jump in the ship, do what you want. The Lord's going to spare you. I have a word. No. He recognized that the handmaiden of faith was the use of means. And God's preserving of all 275 companions was contingent upon this means. of their abiding in the ship. And Paul insisted on it. You see that? Look further at verse 38.

48:14 They'd been fasting. And Paul stands in the midst, gives thanks to God and eats. And we read, so when they had eaten enough, they all ate to be strengthened. But then they didn't say, oh, well, we've eaten and we've gotten some encouragement that we're going to be spared. So now we can be utterly careless. No. They lightened the ship and threw out the wheat into the sea. They used means to make their situation as much as possible, one that would be conducive to their preservation. And then in verse 44, when it came time to go to shore, what did they do? Paul didn't say, all right, just everyone, whether you can swim or not, God has promised he's going to spare us all, jump in the sea. And God will send dolphins to carry you into shore, piggybacking you. No, no, no, no. Look what the text

49:08 says. And the rest, some on board, some on parts of the ship, they all escaped safely. Who was the rest? Look up at verse 43. He commanded that those who could swim should jump overboard. And the rest, those of you that can't swim, trust the Lord. No, grab a plank. Grab a plank or you'll drown. Have you seen the point?

49:34 In the midst of this amazing display of confidence in God, with the darkened heavens, the heaving seas, the creaking planks of the ship, I believe God. But, he says, I also believe every means at my disposal must be used for my preservation. You must use every means at your disposal for your preservation. You see, psychological faith believes in man and disregards God, so it doesn't say I believe God. Psychological faith is I believe in me, and I believe in my faith. Fanatical faith believes when there's no word from God. Fanatical faith believes when there's no word from God. That's the essence of the fallacy of the faith healing movement. There

50:30 is no word from God that says, earnest, believing, godly Christians can be and ought to be delivered from all physical harm. And when people try to get others to muster up faith that they can be healed, it's a fanatical faith, for it has no word from God to which it can align itself and say, it shall be even as it has been spoken. Can I say of this body, with the seeds of death in it, with the passing of the years, more and more of those seeds germinate and we become conscious. In this way and in that way that indeed our outward man is decaying and heading for the grave, can we look into the cold earth, standing by a plot of ground that we may have already purchased as our burial place and say, if the Lord Jesus carries, this body will be in a box, buried in the earth, and maybe there long enough for the worms to eat it and for the bones to disintegrate. But this I know, that a

51:41 moment is coming in human history, and the voice of the archangel and the trump of God will sound, and I, with all of my redeemed companions, shall rise first. Can I say that? Yes, why? Because I have a sure word from God. A sure word from God. Wherefore, comfort one another with these words, words from the living God.

52:16 You are limited. Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and you make personal, domestic, career decisions in the entrance of truth and righteousness and the advancement of the gospel, and sometimes you must do so at the expense of the numbers that appear in your savings account and in your checkbook. They are not foolish, irresponsible decisions. They are principled, well-thought-out decisions.

52:48 Can you plant your feet on God's promise and say, Lord, you have said, you know my need for food, you know my need for shelter, you know my need and the needs of my family for clothing, and you have said I'm not to be anxious, and if I seek first your kingdom and your righteousness, all these things shall be added unto you. And I plant my feet on that promise and call. Claim God's fulfillment. I believe, God, that it shall be, even as it has been spoken.

53:30 You see, a fanatical faith is a faith that has no word from God. Psychological faith is trust in yourself. And then, a presumptive faith is a faith that doesn't use appropriate means. That's a presumptive faith.

53:48 That says, oh, God has said it. He can bring it to pass regardless of what I do. Paul did not take that position. I believe God.

53:58 It shall be, even as he has spoken. Stay in the ship or you can't be saved. Grab a plank and paddle to shore. Eat some food.

54:08 Throw the rest overboard. Don't set out to sea. It will be with loss of ship and of life. You see, the life of faith is not a life of psychologically induced good feelings.

54:23 Nor is it a life of fanaticism. Nor is it a life of presumption. The life of faith is precisely what we see it to be. Here, in this passage, set out, not in philosophical terms, but in the living characters of a living man in the midst of a heaving sea and the creaking planks of a ship breaking up and the look of despair and hopelessness upon the face of men who've been fasting and are hungry.

54:51 In the midst of all of that, here is a man who says, Be of good cheer, man. I believe God. It shall be, even as it has been spoken unto me. That, to me, is the great lesson of this passage.

Practical Application 2: The Extensive Influence of One Man of Faith

55:09 But may I presume to take just a few more minutes to underscore a second lesson far more briefly. And it is this. Behold in this text the powerful example of the extensive influence of one man of faith. See in this passage the tremendous extensive influence of one man of faith.

55:36 As I have read and re-read and re-read this passage in preparation for the message this morning, I've had to smile inwardly again and again. The man who went on board as a prisoner, whose knowledge of the seas and the winds and the seasons of the year was disregarded by the experts. By the end of the chapter, that despised, disregarded, religious fanatic, he becomes the captain of the ship. He becomes the ship's nutritionist.

56:06 He becomes the ship's chaplain. I mean, he takes charge of everything. And how did he do it? Not by dragging out four or five degrees to prove his credentials.

56:18 Doctor of ministry in nutrition. Doctor of ministry in psychology. No, no, no, no, no. Here is a man who walked with God.

56:28 And in a situation where an entire company of men is held in the paralyzing grip of fear and dread, one man of faith stands forth and takes charge of the whole situation. Not with carnal pushiness. Not with braggadocio. Not with fleshly bombast.

56:53 But when people are in the midst of the turbulent seas, that are about to swallow them up, never are they more ready to see if there's somebody who's got a perspective on things that's better than theirs. They didn't need anyone to stand forth and say, we're in bad shape. The prospects are bleak. They all knew it.

57:22 But they needed a man who could say, I... And reality is not what you're assuming will be in the light of the heaving sea.

57:35 It's in the light of the storm clouds above us. In light of the creaking plants. No, no. Reality is determined by the word of God and by the God who speaks that word.

57:47 And what an influence this man had. I've let my imagination run a bit wild. Wondered what happened to these other 275 after this incident. How many of them lived to be old men and women?

58:03 If there were women, he says men. It may have been all men. But do you think they could ever forget this incident? When a despised religious fanatic, as they thought him to be when he entered that ship, became the very instrument in the hands of God by which their lives were spared, hopefully by which many of them came to eternal salvation and will forever bless God in heaven, that they were put on the ship with a man who believed God.

58:39 Now you see the application. What does your family need more than anything else, dear mom, dear dad? Not big name, big position, big bucks. You know what your kids need more than anything else?

58:51 You husbands, you know what your wives need more than anything else? You wives, you know what your husbands and your children need more than anything else? They need a man or a woman who believes God. And he says reality is framed by the word of God, not by current opinions.

59:11 The reality of who we are, the reality of what you, my son, are, what you, my daughter, are, the reality of what you, my wife, are, and what you, my husband, are, that reality is determined by the word of God. Our sexual identity, our specific roles and responsibilities, they are determined by God. Take all the current opinions of sociologists and feminists and wimped out males that have capitulated to all of this nonsense and let it be swallowed up in that very turbulent sea. Let God be true and every man a liar.

59:50 That's why men and women of faith are such a pestilence in the eyes of the world. Because you can't cajole them, you can't bribe them, you can't frighten them into giving up their moorings because they are rooted in the word that lives and abides forever. And I think of you, dear young people, as God has been gracious to deal with a number of you in recent days. As you think of your life spread out before you, if God is pleased to spare you, you wonder, what should I pray as my dominant goals in life?

60:31 May I add to whatever list you now have this prayer, O God, make me a man, make me a woman who will have the influence, the influence of a man or woman of faith. That as you go back this year into that school, into that college, your life will be framed, not by what you see and others see, but by what God has said. That you will manifest the walk of faith that Paul manifested, in which God himself, Father, Son and Holy Spirit is the sole object of your faith. The word of God, the sure foundation of that faith.

61:10 The essence of that faith is the conviction that what God says is and what God says shall be, will be. While all the while remembering the handmaiden of faith, that inevitable accompaniment of faith, using every legitimate means, in every pursuit that is according to the will of God. What is needed more than anything else in this place, in the leadership of this church, surely it is this, men and women of faith. Men and women prepared to take the promises of God that are yes and amen in Christ, and to believe that it shall be, even as it has been spoken. As we think of these endeavors, in the very bastions of immorality and wickedness in Newark and in Manhattan, surely people could look at us and say, you're fools to think any good thing can ever come out of those settings. But what is all of the sin and unbelief and the materialism and all of the other things that plague the souls of men in Newark and Manhattan? What are these things to the mighty God who planted His truth in such a cesspool of iniquity as Corinth, who planted His truth in the bastion of the pagan worship of Diana,

62:36 God of the Ephesians, there at Ephesus, and from that place sent out the word into all of Asia Minor. I say in this passage, we must behold the powerful example of the extensive influence of one man of faith. You read, it's beautiful there. Can we just look at verses 35 and 36 for a moment?

The Contagion of Faith

62:58 Back up to verse 34. I urge you to take nourishment. This is for your survival, since not a hair will fall from the head of any of you. And when He had said these things, He took bread.

63:11 Apparently nobody else did. He gave thanks to God in the presence of them all. And when He had broken it, He began to eat. And here's our verb, in a different form.

63:22 It's not the verbal form. Then they were all encouraged. They all took heart and also took food themselves. They watched this guy in the midst of the storm.

63:36 I wonder how he held on while he gave thanks. See, as I say it, your imagination just goes in a number of directions. The ship is heaving. The planks are creaking.

63:46 And the rigging is whistling. And in the midst of it, a voice is raised, giving thanks to God. And however he hung on with his arm around one part of the rigging or one of the masts, I don't know, but he breaks the food and begins to eat. And when people say, hey, this man's not just indulging in pious talk.

64:07 He believes what he's been talking to us about. This man is embodying in the very concrete, visible manifestation of breaking bread and eating it, his confidence. And it says, at this point, and there's no indication up till now that they were anything other than scared out of their wits. And at this point, they took courage.

64:28 They took heart. A man of faith in the midst. May I say it reverently? Though there is a contagion of unbelief, and you read that in the book of Joshua, there is also a contagion of faith.

How One Becomes a Man of Faith

64:41 And I trust that your family, your spouse, your children know something of that. But then I close with this sober word. Behold in this text the vivid description of how one becomes a man of faith who walks by faith. How did Paul get to be such a man?

64:59 Well, he tells us in verse 23. There stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve. You see, at one time, Paul was not a man of faith. He was a man of unbelief.

65:16 His unbelief took him to such an extent that he was committing himself to capturing and murdering Christians. He says, I did it ignorantly in unbelief. His heart was dead set against Christ. He was a child of wrath by nature according to his own testimony in Ephesians chapter 2.

65:35 But what happened? He said something happened whereby this God became the God to whom I gave myself. The God to whom I belong. And he became the God to whom I render service.

65:50 And when did that happen? It happened on the Damascus road when that God revealed himself and his glory in the face of Jesus Christ. And when Paul, stricken to the ground by the blinding light, cried out, Who are you, Lord? Surely this is a divine manifestation, the Shekinah glory shining brighter than the noonday sun.

66:15 And he cries out, Identify yourself, Lord. And the voice comes back saying, I am Jesus. And in an instant of time the apostle beheld the glory of God in the face of Christ in what were the first words that came out of his mouth. What will you have me to do, Lord?

66:36 The God whose I am and whom I serve. That's how he became a man of faith. My dear friend, young or old, that's the only way you'll become a man or woman of faith. To live by faith.

66:51 And to enjoy the consummate blessings of the life of faith when in the life of resurrection glory faith will be turned to sight. You'll behold the Lamb in his glory amidst all his redeemed hosts. You too must become the possession of God and the servant of God. As long as you think your life is yours to live for yourself according to your standards, to your own ends, to your own purposes.

67:20 My friend, you know nothing of the life of faith. You're in a state of unbelief and in that state of unbelief you're under the wrath and curse of Almighty God. But God graciously comes to you in the gospel and says, look, stack arms. You know, you know in your heart of hearts you weren't made to live the way you're living.

67:42 And you know in your heart of hearts you can't look forward to death and to the age to come. Turn from your sin. Throw yourself upon the mercy of God in Jesus Christ who died for sinners. Who lives and in the word and promise of the gospel invites you to come and assures you that coming you'll be received.

68:05 You see, that's when you begin to be the man or woman of faith. When you say, I believe God. It shall be to me even as it has been spoken. What's been spoken?

68:15 Christ says, him that comes to me I'll in no wise cast out. What is faith? Laying hold of Christ in the word and promise of the gospel and saying, Lord Jesus, in spite of all my felt unworthiness, in spite of all of my sense that I don't deserve anything you have said, if I come you will not cast me out. I believe you, Lord, that it shall be to me even as it has been spoken.

68:45 God's word and promise to you in the gospel is not a revelation of whether or not you're elect. It's not a revelation of God's decrees with respect to you or anyone else. It is a word that calls to you as a plain old sinner. And it says in a marvelous word of promise, this is a faithful saying worthy of all acceptance.

69:07 Christ Jesus came into the world sinners to save. So as a sinner you come. As a sinner you're welcomed. As a sinner you can say, I believe God.

69:19 It shall be to me even as it has been spoken that believing all my sins will be pardoned. I will be credited with a perfect righteousness in the court of heaven all for the sake of the perfect life and the substitutionary death of the Lord Jesus. That's how Paul became a man of faith who walked by faith, who could say amidst the turbulence of the storm, I believe God, that it shall be even as it has been spoken.