Latest / Meadows Baptist Church Podcast / When You’re Stuck in the Storm - 7/12/26 - Meadows Baptist Church - Pastor Charlie Branch

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When You’re Stuck in the Storm - 7/12/26 - Meadows Baptist Church - Pastor Charlie Branch · Meadows Baptist Church Podcast

• 0:02
  Welcome to the podcast of Meadows
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  Baptist Church of Walnut Cove, North
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  Carolina. We're so glad you joined us
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  today. If you enjoy today's message, be
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  sure to subscribe, follow, and share
• 0:15
  with your friends. Now, let's join
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  Pastor Charlie Branch with a word from
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  God.
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  If you have a Bible, I invite you to
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  turn with me to the book of Acts. The
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  book of Acts, chapter number 27.
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  And uh
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  I could go home on that and be
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  satisfied.
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  And uh that's been good. I I'm just
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  still I'll be overflowing about that
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  weeks from now. And uh Amen.
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  Two weeks, son. You going to preach your
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  first message?
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  Two weeks. Sunday night. Two weeks from
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  tonight. Can you do that? We'll talk
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  about it after church. All right. And uh
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  I'm telling you, I love the Lord. Don't
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  you?
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  >> Amen. He's so good. Acts chapter number
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  27.
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  Want to read several verses. I invite
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  you to stand when you find your place
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  and uh stand to the reading of God's
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  word. Acts chapter number 27.
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  And uh I don't want to in any way,
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  shape, form, or fashion be a damper to
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  the service tonight, but I this is what
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  the Lord put on my heart for uh the
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  meeting this evening. Don't know. I
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  don't know where you're at, but God
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  does, and he knows what we need. And I
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  think these kids have got it figured
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  out.
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  >> I'm staying in.
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  If all of us had the same mindset, we'd
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  be all right.
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  >> Amen. If we just decided tonight, we
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  just going to stick with it. Come what
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  may, whoever leaves, whoever walks away,
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  whoever comes. Amen. I pray that God
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  sends us 150, 200 more. Amen. Just like
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  him. I don't know what we'll do with
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  them, but I pray that he does. Amen. And
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  uh but I'm telling you this, I ain't
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  going to let anything change me.
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  >> By the grace of God. Amen.
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  >> By the grace of God, Brother Shelley, I
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  don't want to let anything or anybody
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  change me. Amen. And you say, "Preacher,
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  you're awful young. You got a lot of
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  life in front of you." Well, I'll tell
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  you this. It ain't my pride. I can tell
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  you that cuz I wouldn't have made it
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  this far if it wasn't been for his
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  grace. But boy, I'm thankful he's
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  allowed me to make it safe thus far.
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  Amen. Oh, I bless his name. Hallelujah
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  tonight. Thank God. Acts chapter number
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  27. Let's begin reading in verse number
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  nine. Acts chapter 27 verse number nine.
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  The Bible says, "Now when much time was
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  spent and when selling was now
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  dangerous, because the fast was now
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  already passed, Paul admonished them and
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  said unto them, sers, I perceive that
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  this voyage will be with with her and
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  much damage, not only of the lady and
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  and ship, but also of our lives."
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  Nevertheless, the centurion believed the
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  master and the owner of the ship more
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  than those things which were spoken by
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  Paul. Because the haven was not
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  commodious to winter in, the more part
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  abise advised to depart thence also, if
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  by any means they might attain unto
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  attain to Fenus, and there winter, which
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  is an haven of cit, and lith toward the
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  southwest and northwest. And when the
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  south wind blew softly, supposing that
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  they had obtained their purpose, loosing
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  thence, they sailed close by cit. But
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  not long after there arose against it a
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  tempestious wind called your
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  and when the ship was called and could
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  not bear up into the wind, we let her
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  drive. And running under a certain
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  island, which is called Claud, we had
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  much work to come by the boat, which
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  when they had taken up, they used helps,
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  undergirling the ship, and fearing lest
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  they should fall into the quicksand,
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  straight sail, and so were driven. And
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  we being exceedingly tossed with a
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  tempest, the next day they lightened the
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  ship. The third day we casted out with
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  our own hands the tackling of the ship.
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  When neither sun nor stars in many days
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  appeared, no small tempest lay on us,
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  all hope that we should be saved was
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  then taken away. But after long
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  abstinence, Paul stood forth in the
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  midst of them and said, "Sir, you should
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  have hearkened unto me and not have
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  loosed some creed, and to have gained
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  this harm and loss." Now I exhort you to
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  be of good cheer, for there shall be no
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  loss of any man's life among you, but of
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  the ship. For there stood by me this
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  night the angel of God whose I am and
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  whom I serve, saying, Fear not, Paul,
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  for thou must be brought before Caesar,
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  and lo God hath given thee all them that
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  sailth thee. Wherefore sers be of good
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  cheer, for I believe God that it shall
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  be even as it was told me. Father, I
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  come to you tonight and thank you so
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  much for what you've already done our
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  midst tonight. And Lord, I know without
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  a shadow of a doubt that this is your
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  will for this service. And I'm thankful,
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  Lord, for a church that loves preaching.
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  And God, I ask you humbly tonight that
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  you would help us. Lord, I realize I'm
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  nothing without you. And God, there's a
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  lot of things in my mind right now. So,
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  Lord, I pray you'd empty me out of self,
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  cleanse me, purge me thorly with his I
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  may be clean. God, I ask you, God, you'd
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  clothe me in my calling tonight. Lord,
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  help us to receive with meekness the
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  engrafted word and draw us near to you.
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  Lord, as we draw near to you tonight, I
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  pray that you'd get glory unto yourself.
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  And I pray you'd be lifted up. We'd see
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  no man save Jesus only. And Lord, I ask
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  you that you'd get glory and honor out
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  of this service. I sure thank you for
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  the privilege to be here, God. Thank you
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  for all that you've done. But Lord, we
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  need a fresh anointing from you. We need
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  a fresh touch and we need this message
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  tonight. and I pray you'd help our
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  hearts do what's needed to be done and
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  may all your will be accomplished and
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  you get glory alone to yourself. We ask
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  it in Jesus name and for his sake we
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  pray. Amen. Amen. You can be seated
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  tonight. Thank you for standing in honor
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  and reverence to the reading of God's
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  word. I was praying this afternoon about
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  the service tonight and didn't really
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  know which direction the Lord would have
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  us to go. I love this story. Acts 27,
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  the story of this wind. I've never
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  preached out of this text. Wanted to
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  several times, but the Lord has never
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  let me and I got the green light from
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  him today to preach here out of this
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  text. And I want to lay some things on
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  your heart this evening by way of
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  introduction. And we know that what has
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  transpired in this text according to the
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  message this morning is that Paul has
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  appealed unto Caesar and he has went
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  from Felix u there in the leadership
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  change unto Fesus and then Fesus has
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  brought him before King Agria in chapter
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  26 and then chapter 27 rolls around and
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  then it is determined that the the crew
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  is going to set sail uh they're heading
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  to the land of Caesar's kingship. And we
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  notice in this the me it's mentioned
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  that they enter a ship in verse number
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  two and there are some passengers on
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  board that are mentioned here that are
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  selling with Paul. There is Aeris
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  starches who he makes mention of later
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  on in his epistles and then there is one
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  who's not mentioned as well that the Dr.
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  Luke is present with him. Of course, we
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  know that he is recording uh this book
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  of acts, the record for the apostle in
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  the text. And so, they are journeying
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  with the apostle Paul. And the Bible
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  says that the centurion that had charged
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  over the apostle Paul found a ship of
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  Alexandria in verse six, selling into
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  Italy, and he put us therein. And so,
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  they are start starting to make their
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  journey in the text. And the Bible tells
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  us in verse number seven that they had
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  sailed slowly many days and the winds
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  verse number seven was not suffering
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  them. And basically what that means is
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  for all you youngans that have never
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  seen a a oldtimey sailboat. Amen. That
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  means if the sail there's no wind, the
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  boat ain't going nowhere. Amen. And so
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  the boat did not help them in this text.
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  Amen. The wind not suffering them. And
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  so they are sailing slowly. Verse number
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  eight. They came unto a place which is
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  called the fair havens. The Bible says
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  and they are there uh docked on the side
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  of this island in the text verse number
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  nine. Now when much time was spent and
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  when selling was now dangerous because
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  the fast was now already passed Paul
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  admonished them and said unto them sers
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  I perceive that this voyage will be with
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  her and much damage. And so they are
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  leaving out from the fair havens in the
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  text or they are deciding to leave out
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  here in the text. And what we find is is
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  that Paul speaks up here in the text and
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  says hey look I don't really think this
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  is a good thing to do. You say preacher
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  what did Paul know about selling? Well
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  one of the epistles records that Paul
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  suffered shipwreck not once not twice
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  but three times. Amen. And so Paul knows
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  a little bit about the ocean. Now we
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  know that the mariner here in the text
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  as well as the ship owner here in the
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  text they are going to speak differently
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  in just a few verses but I need to say
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  this. All right. What we can know about
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  this text by way of introduction is is
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  that Paul gives them an admonition. And
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  what happens in that warning? They reply
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  to that warning with complete disregard.
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  And I'm preaching tonight on this
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  thought on when you're stuck in the
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  storm. when you're stuck in the storm.
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  Now, I I thought about this this
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  afternoon, and I I the Lord just sort of
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  put some things together in my heart
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  about this. And you know, there's a lot
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  of different applications that men talk
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  about the ship that, you know, the ship,
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  the lifeboat, amen, that is floating
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  down the the sea of time, amen, we have
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  not long to stay. We sing about the old
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  ship of Zion. Amen. But when I think
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  about the ship in this text and the
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  particular application that I want to
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  make based off of this text, I want to
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  say this ship is your individual life.
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  And what I mean by that is is that your
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  this ship is your life and and you are
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  this ship and you are sailing. You are
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  on a journey in your life. But you know,
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  you're not the only one that's on the
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  ship. Amen. You have people around you.
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  You have children if you're a parent
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  that you have brought into this world.
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  You have a wife. You have a husband, you
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  have family that you are bringing with
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  you on this journey. And I thought about
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  the ship of life. You know, it's the
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  true it's a true statement that many
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  people come and go on this voyage that
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  we're on. Isn't that right?
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  >> We'll not start I mean, we'll we'll not
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  finish with the same people that we
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  started with that's in our life. Amen.
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  There'll be people that leave by
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  sickness. There'll be people that leave
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  by sin. And and some people, amen, when
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  your kids grow up, they leave because
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  the scripture tells them to leave.
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  Because the Bible says when a man, he
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  comes to his wife, he said they'll leave
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  their father and mother, the man shall
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  leave his father and mother and cleave
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  unto his wife. And so there's all
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  different reasons why men exit our life.
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  But I I notice in this text when and you
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  SAY, "PREACHER, WHAT DOES THIS have to
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  do with this story?" Well, what you're
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  going to find is is that this text
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  reveals to us that these men were in
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  this boat. They had to be on the boat,
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  but there is somewhere they went that
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  they did not have to go. I want to ask
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  you this question. Where are you headed
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  tonight?
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  Where is your ship headed to? What
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  direction is it headed in? Well, I
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  noticed some things in this text that
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  are mentioned here. And I want to say
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  this already mentioned the first point
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  by way of introduction. There is a
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  warning that is given by the apostle
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  Paul in verse 10. And he said, "Sir, I
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  perceive that this voyage will be with
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  hurt and much damage, not only of the
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  lady and ship, but also of our lives."
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  And so he warns them concerning not just
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  the cargo, but concerning the citizens
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  that are on the ship. He says, "Look,
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  men, this voyage, this this trip that
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  you're fixing to embark on is going to
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  BE DANGEROUS NOT JUST TO YOU, but to
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  everybody else on the ship."
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  And if I could say anything to you
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  tonight, if you are beginning to embark
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  on a journey this evening that would be
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  dangerous not just to you but to
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  everybody around you, you need to take
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  some self-inventory tonight because the
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  Lord has sent this message as a warning
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  to you. But we know not just like many
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  times it happens. The warning is called
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  the preacher preaches a sermon. Amen.
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  And just like the Apostle Paul said in
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  this text, that warning is completely
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  disregarded. that warning is completely
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  laid aside. Well, uh this person said I
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  need to do this or that person said I
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  need to do that. And we will take the
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  scientist. We will take the scholar. We
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  will take the professor. We will take
• 13:03
  the parent. We will take literally
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  anybody and everybody's advice except
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  the preacher and the people at the
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  church house.
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  >> Why is that?
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  >> The reason that is is because we are
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  desiring carnal advice.
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  >> Amen.
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  >> For our carnal future.
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  >> Amen. And if you don't want to live a
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  spiritual life, you ain't going to want
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  spiritual advice. Somebody say amen
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  right there.
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  >> And so he tells him in this text, you
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  say, "Well, preacher, what do you mean
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  by that?" Well, let's just think about
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  where Paul is. Paul's what? He's a
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  prisoner, ain't he?
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  >> And so there's a shipmaster on this
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  text. Not only a ship master, but
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  there's a ship owner. And the centurion
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  here is speaking to them, the one who
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  has control, this Roman soldier over
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  Paul in the text. And they are speaking.
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  And the Bible says this in verse number
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  11. Nevertheless, the centurion, notice
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  this, believe the master and the owner
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  of the ship more than those things which
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  were spoken by Paul. See, here's your
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  problem. Here's my problem tonight is
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  this. We believe what the world says
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  more than what God says.
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  >> Amen. We believe what people tell us
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  >> more so THAN WHAT THE PREACHER PREACHES
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  to us. Amen. And I'm not telling you
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  this tonight just because I'm your
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  pastor, but God put me here. Amen. And
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  you voted me in. So hallelujah. Amen.
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  >> But what I'm saying is Paul was the man
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  of God and but they were they refused to
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  believe the words of the man of God in
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  verse number 11. They believed more
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  those things that were spoken by the
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  master and the owner of the ship than
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  were spoken by Paul. Let me just say
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  this. You better be careful where you
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  get your advice from.
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  >> You better be careful, amen, about going
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  down to uh the worldly psychiatrist and
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  the worldly counselor. Amen. You better
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  find somebody, amen, that's got a
• 14:47
  Christian perspective on life.
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  >> Because here's what you gonna find. You
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  go to a counselor that's carnal, they're
• 14:53
  going to tell you, "Well, yeah, you need
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  to get out of that relationship."
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  >> Amen. You young, you listen to me. You
• 14:59
  go to a counselor that's carnal, they're
• 15:00
  going to tell you, "Well, you're not
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  really a girl. Well, you're not really a
• 15:03
  boy."
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  >> Amen.
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  >> You say, "Preacher, that's crazy." And
• 15:07
  in Stokes County, friend, that stuff's
• 15:09
  on is in our back door.
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  >> Amen.
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  >> That's right.
• 15:11
  >> It's all around us. Probably every
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  family in this room has been touched by
• 15:16
  some form of homosexuality or another
• 15:19
  >> distantly. I hope distantly. God help
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  you. If you are, Amen. You need to get
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  right with God.
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  >> Amen.
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  >> But I'll say this tonight. I see that
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  these words were completely disregarded.
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  Do you notice the words were
• 15:31
  disregarded, but notice their wills
• 15:33
  expresses their disregard. Verse 12. And
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  because the haven was not commodious to
• 15:39
  winter in, the more part advised to
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  depart thence also, if by any means they
• 15:43
  might attain to Fenus, and there to
• 15:45
  winter. Now, what what the problem was
• 15:48
  that word commodious is mentioned. You
• 15:49
  ever heard the word accommodating?
• 15:52
  Essence, in essence, that's the same
• 15:54
  term. All right? He's saying, look,
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  where we're staying at, it's it's not
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  accommodating to what we need for our
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  ship. And what I studied on that, I
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  found out that the place where they are
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  docked in this ship, that 75% of the
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  horizon was water. And so basically,
• 16:09
  they were on a peak like this. And so
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  the wind could come from every direction
• 16:14
  and hit that boat and they were afraid
• 16:15
  of it. Well, I'll tell you this. I'd
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  rather be docked in the middle of the
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  ocean with no land around with a man of
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  God telling me to stay there.
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  >> Yeah.
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  >> Amen. I'd rather put my anchors down a
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  100 miles from land anywhere with God
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  with me. Than to be parked on land,
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  amen, sitting on the back of a trailer
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  with no water under me. Amen. And to be
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  out OF THE WILL OF GOD. SOMEBODY SAY
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  AMEN right there.
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  >> And so they make their decision on what
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  is MORE ACCOMMODATING. LET ME TELL you
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  this. There is a more accommodating
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  church 5, 10, 20 minutes away from here.
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  And matter of fact, there's more than
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  one.
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  There are churches that will suit your
• 16:53
  fancy. There are churches that will, use
• 16:55
  a scriptural term, tickle your ears.
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  >> They'll tell you what you want to hear.
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  They'll be what you want to be. Amen.
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  They'll be buddy with you. Amen. In your
• 17:03
  sin. They'll let you do whatever. Let
• 17:05
  you wear whatever. Let you act however,
• 17:06
  and say whatever. And you CAN BE ALL
• 17:09
  RIGHT AND ENJOY THAT. BUT THE TRUTH IS,
• 17:11
  GOD IS NOT THERE. AMEN.
• 17:14
  >> If you're looking for something that's
• 17:16
  accommodating, you need something other
• 17:17
  than Christianity, friend. Cuz you know
• 17:20
  what? The Bible still says that we're to
• 17:22
  be a living sacrifice. Amen. Hey friend,
• 17:24
  that is a cost. That's a price that
• 17:26
  they're used to pay. And it reveals to
• 17:29
  us here in the text. Their will is shown
• 17:31
  that they wanted to go to Fenus the
• 17:33
  winter here in the text. But notice what
• 17:35
  happens. You see, when a warning is
• 17:37
  disregarded, there's going to have to be
• 17:39
  something that's going to bring about a
• 17:41
  decision. What is it that brings about
• 17:43
  the decision in the text? Well, let's
• 17:45
  notice verse number 13. And when the
• 17:49
  south wind did what? Blew softly.
• 17:53
  Supposing that they had obtained their
• 17:54
  purpose, loosing vents, they sailed
• 17:58
  close by creep. So here's what this
• 18:00
  means. All right. The direction they're
• 18:02
  headed in south. The first time that a
• 18:05
  wind blows in the south direction
• 18:07
  softly, you know what they do? That's a
• 18:08
  sign.
• 18:10
  Why in the world, answer me this church.
• 18:13
  Why in the world do we as Baptists
• 18:14
  preach that scripture
• 18:16
  >> is the final authority is what we is for
• 18:19
  faith and practice. Not just not just
• 18:21
  worship but for faith and practice. How
• 18:24
  we live our life by the Bible. But yet
• 18:27
  well I got a feeling.
• 18:30
  >> I had a dream. God help us. I got a
• 18:34
  feeling I had a dream. You know I it's a
• 18:37
  coincidence preacher but I really don't.
• 18:39
  I think it's providence. We hide our
• 18:41
  carnal ideas with spiritual lingo. Amen.
• 18:45
  That and providence has nothing to do
• 18:47
  with it. Nothing to do with it.
• 18:51
  >> Amen.
• 18:51
  >> I tell you this, the devil provide you
• 18:53
  whatever you want. Amen. If you going to
• 18:55
  go away from God, somebody say amen
• 18:56
  right there.
• 18:57
  >> He'll provide. Hey, friend, he'll make
• 18:59
  the south wind blow hard if that's what
• 19:01
  you need. Amen. But I'll say this. This
• 19:03
  south wind blew gently.
• 19:06
  >> I'll say this. Just because something's
• 19:07
  comfortable don't mean it's correct.
• 19:10
  >> Just come Just because something suits
• 19:12
  your fancy. Just because the first time
• 19:16
  you get an inkling that maybe you ought
• 19:17
  to do something, man, I don't tell you.
• 19:19
  Alan Barker said this. I think it's the
• 19:20
  greatest thing in the world. He said
• 19:22
  about every decision in your life, he
• 19:24
  said, you need to pray real hard and
• 19:26
  move real slow.
• 19:29
  You need to pray real hard and move real
• 19:33
  slow. Because let me say this, some
• 19:35
  decisions you can't take back.
• 19:40
  >> Amen. And let me say this, this this
• 19:42
  text here, you you see this storm was
• 19:45
  not going to be prevented. But you know
• 19:47
  what? Their voyage through it could have
• 19:48
  been.
• 19:51
  >> Let me say this. There are storms that
• 19:53
  this world go through every day, but you
• 19:56
  don't have to go through it.
• 19:58
  >> You don't have to live there. You don't
• 20:00
  have to experience that. You know what?
• 20:02
  They didn't have to go through it.
• 20:05
  >> You know why they went through it?
• 20:06
  Because they chose to.
• 20:09
  Oh, preacher, I'm just in a storm. I'm
• 20:11
  just burdened down. I'm just beaten up.
• 20:13
  Well, maybe you got yourself there. May
• 20:16
  maybe you walked right into it with eyes
• 20:18
  wide open.
• 20:22
  That's what they did in the text.
• 20:25
  Notice what the Bible says.
• 20:28
  You see, after the warning is
• 20:30
  disregarded, you see the wind is what
• 20:32
  decided
• 20:34
  >> for them to leave. You ought to be
• 20:37
  careful making your decisions based off
• 20:39
  off of wind. You say, "What's wind
• 20:41
  typical of?" Well, it's feelings. That's
• 20:42
  what it is. Emotions.
• 20:44
  We don't trust our emotions. All right.
• 20:47
  >> Here's what it comes down to in our
• 20:49
  life. We judge righteousness off of that
• 20:51
  book. Amen.
• 20:53
  >> We judge motives off of that book. But
• 20:55
  here's the truth. in our life, worship,
• 20:56
  you can't you can't separate emotions
• 20:58
  from worship. But here's what you got to
• 21:00
  realize. If the character of the life of
• 21:03
  the individual that's that's putting on
• 21:04
  a front of worship does not match up
• 21:06
  with the worship that they are trying to
• 21:08
  be a part of,
• 21:09
  >> it's not worship.
• 21:12
  >> David said the sacrifices of God are a
• 21:15
  broken and contrite spirit. And if a man
• 21:18
  or woman is living in in habitual
• 21:21
  repetitive sin and they say that they're
• 21:23
  worshiping God, they ain't worshiping
• 21:25
  God. They might go be going through the
• 21:27
  motions of a physical outpouring, an
• 21:30
  emotional thing, but that's not worship.
• 21:33
  Worship is an obedient response to
• 21:35
  revealed truth. And I noticed here in
• 21:37
  the text that the wind decided for them
• 21:40
  where they were going. Notice this.
• 21:41
  Thirdly, I don't even know if I'm going
• 21:42
  to get to the message tonight, but
• 21:44
  notice this. The Bible says in verse
• 21:46
  number 13, "When the south wind blew
• 21:48
  softly, supposing there's that that
• 21:50
  supposition again, that they obtained
• 21:53
  their purpose, loosing fence, they
• 21:56
  sailed close by. But not long after
• 21:58
  there arose against it, a tempestuous
• 22:01
  wind called Euride." So what happens in
• 22:05
  this text? This soft wind blows toward
• 22:07
  the south. All right. Well, we gonna get
• 22:08
  up and go because this is a sign. It's
• 22:11
  time to move. Well, what happens? They
• 22:13
  start sailing close by creek. Now, I
• 22:15
  don't know if any of you have ever been
• 22:16
  on a boat out in the ocean. I never
• 22:18
  have, but I do know some sailing
• 22:19
  principles, okay? When you think about
• 22:22
  wind that comes off of the land, many
• 22:24
  times there'll be ravines, there'll be
• 22:26
  um rivers that run in and those rivers
• 22:28
  will funnel wind onto the ocean. Well,
• 22:31
  what your cliden is is that typhoonish
• 22:33
  wind that comes off the mountain. And
• 22:35
  what this wind is doing, the Bible says
• 22:37
  they're sailing close by cit. And when
• 22:39
  that south wind blows, then there's
• 22:41
  another wind that comes. And you know
• 22:42
  what it does? It pushes them out in the
• 22:45
  middle of the ocean. You say, "How is
• 22:47
  that?" Well, notice what happens in the
• 22:49
  text. The Bible said in verse 14, "But
• 22:52
  not long after there arose against it a
• 22:54
  tempestuous wind." So this not only
• 22:57
  there was a south wind blowing, but then
• 22:59
  there was a north wind coming back. And
• 23:01
  and and one writer said this. He said,
• 23:03
  "It is now recognized in that part of
• 23:05
  the world that a gentle breeze from the
• 23:07
  south is the harbinger of a typhoon.
• 23:11
  When a gentle breeze from the south, one
• 23:14
  writer said, when it blows, he says,
• 23:15
  "All right, that's a sign that there's a
• 23:18
  typhoon coming." What's a typhoon?
• 23:20
  That's a wind pushing a wave, isn't it?
• 23:23
  Notice what happens in verse 15. Y'all
• 23:25
  looking at me like a cash star in a new
• 23:27
  gate. Amen. Y'all all right?
• 23:29
  >> Amen. Okay. Verse 15. And when the ship
• 23:33
  was caught and could not bear up into
• 23:36
  the wind, we let her drive. Now, what
• 23:39
  happens out of this? I I'm not even
• 23:40
  going to get to the message tonight. I'm
• 23:42
  going to close out with this. All right.
• 23:44
  What happens when the warning is
• 23:46
  disregarded? The wind is what makes your
• 23:48
  decision. Here's what happens. The waves
• 23:51
  end up being what drives you. You say,
• 23:53
  "How is that?" Well, notice it again.
• 23:55
  Verse 15. And when the ship was what?
• 23:58
  Caught. What was it called in? It wasn't
• 24:01
  called in the wind. Because notice what
• 24:03
  it says in the in the next part of the
• 24:04
  verse. When the ship was caught and
• 24:06
  could not bear up into the wind, you
• 24:09
  know what that means? It means the water
• 24:11
  was moving the boat more than the wind
• 24:13
  was pushing the sail.
• 24:16
  And so, you know what they did? Notice
• 24:17
  the text. When the ship was caught and
• 24:20
  could not bear up into the wind, we let
• 24:23
  her drive. You know what they had to do
• 24:26
  to keep the mass from getting tore off
• 24:27
  of that boat? They had to take down the
• 24:30
  sails and let the let the ship be at the
• 24:32
  mercy of the waves. You know what?
• 24:35
  There's a lot of people's lives that are
• 24:37
  exactly like that.
• 24:40
  >> They have got so far out of touch with
• 24:43
  reality, they allowed the wind, that
• 24:46
  soft gentle wind that's so comfortable
• 24:48
  to make a decision for them. And so what
• 24:51
  happens? It leads them out into waters
• 24:52
  where there's danger. And when the wind
• 24:55
  is no longer soft, you hearing me? Amen.
• 24:58
  That's the way it starts out. Amen. That
• 25:01
  prodical son when he left the father's
• 25:03
  house, he was thinking about all the
• 25:04
  wealth he was going to have out there.
• 25:06
  You know what happens is wealth is never
• 25:08
  lost. It just changes hands.
• 25:10
  >> So you know what he did when he left the
• 25:12
  father's house? He took all the wealth
• 25:14
  that the father gave him and give it to
• 25:15
  somebody else.
• 25:17
  >> So you know what this wind that they
• 25:19
  thought was a good sign became a wind to
• 25:22
  destroy them. And matter of fact, the
• 25:24
  wind didn't just affect the boat, but
• 25:26
  the wind got to move in the waves and it
• 25:28
  pushed the boat. So now they're out in
• 25:30
  the middle of the ocean and the Bible
• 25:33
  says in the text verse number 15, "When
• 25:36
  the ship was caught and could not bear
• 25:38
  into the wind, we let her drive." You
• 25:41
  know what they're doing? They are
• 25:42
  completely stuck in the middle of the
• 25:44
  storm. Now, I've got I've got 45 more
• 25:48
  minutes of preaching on this. I'm going
• 25:50
  to spare you. Okay. Here's what I need
• 25:52
  you to know.
• 25:54
  Paul has told them what they were
• 25:56
  supposed to do. This is the crux of the
• 25:58
  message tonight. Basically, we'll
• 26:00
  probably preach another part to this
• 26:01
  later on. Paul has told them exactly
• 26:04
  what they were supposed to do. But you
• 26:05
  know what they did? They disobeyed. And
• 26:08
  so, you know where they're at now?
• 26:09
  They're in a storm that they chose to be
• 26:11
  in. That they chose to get in. Are you
• 26:14
  hearing? Did you hear what I said? They
• 26:16
  are in a storm that they chose to be in.
• 26:20
  They made the decision and they've
• 26:22
  launched their ship out at the the
• 26:24
  deciding factor was the wind. It wasn't
• 26:26
  the word of the preacher, but it was the
• 26:28
  wind
• 26:29
  >> that decided for them. And now THEY'RE
• 26:32
  NOT IN SAFETY'S HARBOR. Now they're not
• 26:34
  in a place of peace and rest, but now
• 26:36
  they're in the middle of a typhoon THAT
• 26:38
  IS GOING TO DESTROY THEM.
• 26:41
  >> And the waves are driving them. And so,
• 26:44
  you know what happens when waves drive a
• 26:45
  ship?
• 26:47
  What do we know about waves? Y'all know
• 26:49
  about waves? All right. Waves don't have
• 26:52
  any direction that they go in, do they?
• 26:54
  Of course, they all go towards land. One
• 26:56
  comes this way and one comes that way,
• 26:58
  and they're all different directions.
• 27:00
  When you get out in the middle of the
• 27:01
  ocean, waves go every which direction.
• 27:04
  They are completely uncontrolled. And
• 27:06
  so, you know what happens? The waves
• 27:08
  just begin to beat that boat
• 27:11
  >> to destroy it. They just begin to
• 27:13
  destroy it from the outside in. You
• 27:17
  know, the Lord changes you. Amen. He
• 27:19
  changes you and makes a difference from
• 27:21
  the inside out. But you know how the
• 27:22
  devil gets to you? Amen. He's going to
• 27:24
  work on you from the outside
• 27:27
  >> and destroy you. You say, "How is that?"
• 27:29
  Well, if he can get people around you to
• 27:31
  destroy you, get them winds blowing.
• 27:33
  Amen. Then for long you're out in the
• 27:35
  middle of the wind with them, then a
• 27:36
  wave start beating and you know what
• 27:38
  happens? Somehow or another, he gets
• 27:40
  them out of it.
• 27:43
  >> You know I'm preaching, right?
• 27:44
  >> Amen.
• 27:45
  >> He gets them out of it. You're left in
• 27:46
  the middle of the wind and rain and the
• 27:48
  storm and your life's about to be
• 27:50
  destroyed.
• 27:52
  You know what could have been could have
• 27:54
  made it different? I'm going to save the
• 27:55
  message because I there's a lot more I'm
• 27:57
  preaching this that I want to give you
• 27:58
  later. You see
• 28:02
  what would have saved them all the
• 28:03
  trouble is if they would have just
• 28:06
  listened to what Paul said.
• 28:09
  >> Amen.
• 28:10
  >> Now look, listen to me tonight. I am not
• 28:12
  the Apostle Paul. I am fully aware of
• 28:15
  that. I have no wisdom in and of myself.
• 28:18
  I have wisdom that comes from that book.
• 28:20
  And God has called me to be the one that
• 28:22
  goes between that book and you and share
• 28:24
  you the truth. But here's the truth
• 28:25
  about it. Anything that I share with you
• 28:27
  from that book, you can go yourself
• 28:30
  because you are a high priest yourself
• 28:32
  because of Jesus Christ. You can go to
• 28:34
  that book and get the very same truth
• 28:36
  out of it.
• 28:37
  >> Don't get upset at me when I tell you
• 28:39
  something. Go look in the book for
• 28:40
  yourself and find out what it says.
• 28:44
  >> But here's what you'll find. And this is
• 28:47
  what I found in my younger days and I
• 28:49
  find even now if I just listen
• 28:55
  >> if I JUST QUIT WORRYING ABOUT THE WIND
• 28:58
  WHICH WAY IT'S GOING TO BLOW. SOME
• 29:00
  PEOPLE in their life all they're doing
• 29:01
  every day they
• 29:05
  >> what's coming down the pipe. What's the
• 29:07
  next big thing? What do I need to join
• 29:08
  now? What do I need to be a part of now?
• 29:10
  And the thing is what they're doing is
• 29:12
  they're setting themselves up for
• 29:14
  disaster. Amen.
• 29:16
  >> Yeah. Right.
• 29:19
  >> This is what you need to do. You need to
• 29:21
  listen to what that book says.
• 29:24
  >> And here's the thing about it. If you
• 29:26
  know what's right and refuse to do it,
• 29:28
  you know what you're doing? You're doing
• 29:29
  just like them. You are driving your
• 29:32
  boat
• 29:33
  >> right into the center of the storm.
• 29:36
  >> Right into the center of it. You know
• 29:38
  what? That's not just that's not just
• 29:39
  for for for for you. That's for me. If I
• 29:43
  if I willfully choose to go against what
• 29:46
  God has revealed to me from that book,
• 29:49
  what he has told me to do, WHO HE HAS
• 29:50
  CALLED ME TO BE, if I choose to do that,
• 29:54
  >> then I'm going to be driving into the
• 29:56
  middle of the storm. Paul said this, he
• 29:59
  even said it for himself. He said, I
• 30:01
  fear, he said, myself, I preached to
• 30:03
  others that I myself should become a
• 30:06
  castaway.
• 30:08
  Nobody's exempt from this,
• 30:10
  >> young people. Well, you're not exempt
• 30:12
  from this,
• 30:14
  son. You told me this week, you told me
• 30:16
  six times God has called you to preach.
• 30:19
  And you know what? I believe he's called
• 30:21
  you. But I'll tell you this, only you
• 30:23
  and your heart know that
• 30:25
  >> between you and God. But I will tell you
• 30:27
  this, if he has called you, and I
• 30:29
  believe he has. He wants to use you. But
• 30:31
  if you mess that up, you can't fix it.
• 30:35
  >> The gifts and callings of God are
• 30:36
  without repentance. And that simply
• 30:38
  means he don't take it away. If you
• 30:40
  disqualify yourself, amen, the calling's
• 30:42
  still there. And you know what you'll
• 30:43
  do? You'll live the rest of your life in
• 30:44
  ministry
• 30:46
  >> because you can't do what God called you
• 30:47
  to do. Yes, sir.
• 30:50
  >> And you know what? That goes for every
• 30:51
  one of you.
• 30:54
  >> Amen.
• 30:55
  >> If you choose to let the wind make your
• 30:58
  decisions for you, you gonna end up in
• 31:01
  the waves. That's
• 31:02
  >> right.
• 31:03
  >> You're gonna end up in the waves. I
• 31:06
  don't ask you. I don't know where you're
• 31:07
  at tonight. Every heads bowed and every
• 31:08
  eye closed tonight. Just felt like the
• 31:10
  Lord said that was enough.
• 31:13
  I don't know where you at tonight.
• 31:15
  Let me ask you, is the wind driving you?
• 31:20
  Is the wind making the decisions for
• 31:22
  you? You say, "Preacher, how do you know
• 31:25
  that wind is a bad thing?" Well, what is
• 31:27
  the devil described as? He's the prince
• 31:29
  of the power of the what?
• 31:31
  >> Of the air.
• 31:36
  You know what that means? He wants to
• 31:39
  destroy you.
• 31:41
  And if he's going to do it, he's going
• 31:42
  to do it by the wind.
• 31:45
  He's going to do it by
• 31:47
  the wind.
• 31:49
  Let me ask you,
• 31:53
  how much of the wind's controlling you?
• 31:57
  How much of the wind's driving you?
• 32:01
  How much of the wind's pushing you? You
• 32:02
  say, "Preacher, I'm done beyond the
• 32:04
  wind. I'm in the middle of the waves
• 32:05
  now." Well, we're going to learn in
• 32:07
  another message what you going to have
• 32:08
  to do. But I'm going tell you this.
• 32:11
  If you'd just listen to what the Bible
• 32:12
  said, you wouldn't be where you're at.
• 32:16
  But you know what the wonder is?
• 32:18
  The only way you going to get out is by
• 32:21
  listening to what that Bible says.
• 32:24
  The only hope you have of survival is
• 32:27
  the same thing that would have kept you
• 32:29
  from going through the storm in the
• 32:30
  first place. These altars are open. You
• 32:33
  need to come tonight. You need to come.
• 33:07
  Hello.
• 33:35
  Who's that?
• 34:38
  Father in Jesus name,
• 34:41
  thank you Lord for this great day, for
• 34:44
  your grace and your mercy, for your
• 34:45
  love. Thank you for what you've done in
• 34:48
  our hearts tonight.
• 34:49
  And Lord, I ask you, God, tonight that
• 34:51
  you would help us to be obedient to your
• 34:53
  spirit. I thank you for these youngans
• 34:56
  that testify to the grace of God that's
• 34:58
  worked in their heart. And Lord, I pray
• 35:00
  that you would continue to strengthen
• 35:02
  them in their service for you. Lord, I
• 35:05
  pray you'd protect their purity. God,
• 35:08
  you'd protect their testimony. Lord,
• 35:10
  help them to make wise decisions. Lord,
• 35:13
  they're coming to the age now, Father,
• 35:14
  where mom and daddy can't do everything
• 35:16
  for them. Lord, I pray you would help
• 35:18
  them to make wise decisions, God.
• 35:20
  Protect their mind. Lord, keep the evil
• 35:23
  out of their life, Fathers. And Lord,
• 35:25
  guard their their testimony in their
• 35:28
  heart. And Lord, help them to do so.
• 35:30
  God, help them to choose to serve you
• 35:32
  every day of their life and to stay in
• 35:34
  just like they sung about. God, I pray,
• 35:37
  Father, 10 years from now, they're all
• 35:38
  serving you. They're all being faithful
• 35:41
  to you and they're all sticking with it,
• 35:43
  Lord, just like this song tonight. And
• 35:45
  Lord, I pray for every adult here in
• 35:47
  this room that I pray, Father, for every
• 35:49
  heart, Lord, would you help us, Lord,
• 35:52
  because Lord, I know many people,
• 35:54
  Father, and Lord, I myself have got
• 35:56
  stuck in the storm at times, but Lord,
• 35:58
  if I'd have just listened to you, if I'd
• 36:01
  have just did what you told me, Lord,
• 36:03
  I'd have never had to go through all
• 36:04
  that. But Lord, I'm thankful that you
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  got me out the same way you would have
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  kept me out, and that's by your word.
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  And I bless your name for that. Thank
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  you for this service, for these people,
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  and Lord, for what you've done. We give
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  you thanks for it because we ask it in
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  Jesus' name. And God's people say it.
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  >> Amen.
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  >> Thank you for joining our service today.
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  We'd love it if you join us in person
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  the next time you are able at Meadows
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  Baptist Church. Our physical address is
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  2988
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  Stewart Road in Walnut Cove, North
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  Carolina. Our service times are Sunday
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  school at 10:00 a.m., Sunday morning
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  worship at 11:00 a.m., Sunday evening
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  worship at 6:00 p.m., and Wednesday
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  evening Bible study at 7:00 p.m. For
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  more information, visit us at
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  meadowsbaptisturch.com.
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  Thanks again for tuning in.