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Aug 27, 2017

Shipwrecked within the Will of God

Shipwrecked within the Will of God

Passage: Acts 27:39-28:10

Speaker: Ben Seneker

Series: Acts: The Perpetual Power of the Gospel

The storms that we experience in our lives can cause us to doubt God’s goodness and sovereignty, and may even lead us to believe that we are living outside of God’s will. When this happens, we can become paralyzed by fear and doubt and can even see ourselves as defined by the storms we face. This week, we find Paul shipwrecked and swimming to shore on an island in the Mediterranean; and yet, Paul remains within the will of God and even sees his new circumstances as an opportunity to minister to others. How is this possible? What is it about the gospel that kept Paul’s gaze outward and upward instead of only on himself and his circumstances? How might this relate to our own lives?

Call To Worship: Romans 5:1-5 ESV
LEADER: 1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,

ALL: 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Reading: Psalm 23:1-6 ESV
ALL: 1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. 3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.


Sermon Title: Shipwrecked within the Will of God


Central Text: Acts 27:39-28:10 ESV
39 Now when it was day, they did not recognize the land, but they noticed a bay with a beach, on which they planned if possible to run the ship ashore. 40 So they cast off the anchors and left them in the sea, at the same time loosening the ropes that tied the rudders. Then hoisting the foresail to the wind they made for the beach. 41 But striking a reef, they ran the vessel aground. The bow stuck and remained immovable, and the stern was being broken up by the surf. 42 The soldiers' plan was to kill the prisoners, lest any should swim away and escape. 43 But the centurion, wishing to save Paul, kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and make for the land, 44 and the rest on planks or on pieces of the ship. And so it was that all were brought safely to land. 28:1 After we were brought safely through, we then learned that the island was called Malta. 2 The native people showed us unusual kindness, for they kindled a fire and welcomed us all, because it had begun to rain and was cold. 3 When Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and put them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened on his hand. 4 When the native people saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “No doubt this man is a murderer. Though he has escaped from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live.” 5 He, however, shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm. 6 They were waiting for him to swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But when they had waited a long time and saw no misfortune come to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god. 7 Now in the neighborhood of that place were lands belonging to the chief man of the island, named Publius, who received us and entertained us hospitably for three days. 8 It happened that the father of Publius lay sick with fever and dysentery. And Paul visited him and prayed, and putting his hands on him healed him. 9 And when this had taken place, the rest of the people on the island who had diseases also came and were cured. 10 They also honored us greatly, and when we were about to sail, they put on board whatever we needed.

Response: Philippians 3:7-10 ESV
LEADER: 7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—

ALL: 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,


Benediction: Romans 8:31-32a;37-39 ESV
LEADER: 31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all,
ALL: 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

Post-Service Text: Philippians 3:8 ESV
8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ

 

  1. Discussion Questions & Applications (not finalized):
    In a typical day, what are the things that you feel are the biggest wastes of time (eg. traffic, check-out lines, slow internet, etc.)? Why are you so anxious to get through them? How do you usually respond to these moments in life?
    Why are we so quick to see these delays or inconveniences as personal affronts? How does our gospel identity transform our usual responses of frustration and anger?
    How might Paul’s example here on the island of Malta change the way we typically respond to events that we usually see as wastes of time?
    Reflect on Luke 22:41-42, (And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”). How is Jesus’ example to us an encouragement to meditate on God’s goodness, trustworthiness, and sovereignty in each of our storms, both small and great?

Related Scriptures

1 Peter 1:3-12 ESV
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honour at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 4:7-10,16-18 ESV
7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.

16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

Quotes:

“I could never myself believe in God, if it were not for the cross...In the real world of pain, how could one worship a God who was immune to it? - John Stott

“God is a spiritual tornado. He never draws you in without pushing you out into the lives of others” - Timothy J. Keller


Sermons:

Suffering: If God is good why is there so much evil in the world? by Timothy J. Keller; 1 Peter 1:3-12

That We Might Gain Christ by John Piper; Philippians 3:1-14