Latest / Meadows Baptist Church Podcast / I Believe God - 7/19/26 - Meadows Baptist Church - Pastor Charlie Branch

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I Believe God - 7/19/26 - Meadows Baptist Church - Pastor Charlie Branch · Meadows Baptist Church Podcast

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  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
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  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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  You know, I was thinking
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  singing that that song,
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  particularly that first one. I love that
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  second song, but
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  >> you think about what the words of that
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  first song says.
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  It was our sin that nailed him there.
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  >> That's right.
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  And truly the love of God is greater far
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  than tongue or pen could ever tell.
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  What a savior we have.
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  >> Amen.
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  And I appreciate the good singing.
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  Appreciate the good spirit of God. Take
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  God's word. Turn with me to the book of
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  Acts, chapter number 27.
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  Acts, chapter 27.
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  In my prayers for the service today,
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  simply could not get away from this
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  text. Those of you that were here last
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  Sunday night know we started this text
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  and I just was going to finish it
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  tonight, but I just it's just on my
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  heart and uh do believe looking like I'm
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  going to be here again tonight. Got
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  another message the Lord's put on my
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  heart out of these verses. And so when
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  you find your place, I invite you to
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  stand. Acts chapter number 27.
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  We'll read the text this morning and
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  we'll pray and uh thank you so much
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  McKenley and brother Gayen. Thank you
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  all for singing this morning. I
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  >> I just I just appreciate the spirit of
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  the Lord and uh I want to say this. I
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  appreciate the spirit of everything
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  that's been done this morning
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  >> and the meekness and the humility and it
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  has blessed my heart as your pastor. And
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  uh from brother Todd starting us off
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  this morning all the way through. It's
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  just been really refreshing and I thank
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  God for it.
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  >> Amen.
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  >> Churches all over this country is
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  longing for what you sing this morning.
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  >> And I'm not talking about singing
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  ability. I'm not talking about teaching
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  preaching ability. I'm talking about
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  just a genuine spirit
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  >> of worship. Amen. And I appreciate the
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  Lord gracing us with his presence this
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  morning. Acts chapter 27. Let's begin
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  reading uh in verse number let's begin
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  reading in verse number 16 or actually
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  let's look in verse number 14.
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  But not long after there arose against
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  it a tempestuous wind called Uraiden.
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  When the ship was caught and could not
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  bear up into the wind, we let her drive.
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  Running under a certain island which is
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  called Claud, we had much work to come
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  by the boat. When they had taken up,
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  they used helps undergirding the ship.
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  In fear, unless they should fall into
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  the quick sand, straight sail, and so
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  were driven, and we being exceedingly
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  tossed with a tempest, the next day they
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  lightened the ship. The third day we
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  casted out with our own hands the
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  tackling of the ship. And when neither
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  sun nor stars, and many days appeared,
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  and no small tempest lay on us, all hope
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  that we should be saved was then taken
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  away. But after long abstinence, Paul
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  stood forth in the midst of them and
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  said, "Sers, you should have hearkened
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  unto me, not of loose concrete to gain
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  have ga and to g have gained this harm
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  and loss. Now I exhort you to be of good
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  cheer. For there shall be no loss of any
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  man's life among you, but of the ship.
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  For there stood by me this night the
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  angel of God whose I am and whom I
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  serve, saying, Fear not, Paul, thou must
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  be brought before Caesar, and lo God
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  hath given thee all them that sail with
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  thee. Wherefore, sers, be of good cheer,
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  notice this, for I believe God,
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  >> that it shall be even as it was told me.
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  Father, I ask you humbly this morning,
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  God, that you would help us. I thank you
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  for your presence this morning, Lord,
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  that has manifested itself so sweetly.
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  And Lord, I thank you for the spirit of
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  worship. I thank you for the meekness,
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  the humility, Lord, that we feel this
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  morning. And God, I count myself the
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  least, Father, to be able to be a part
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  of this. And Lord, I thank you for it.
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  And God, I ask you that you would help
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  us this morning. Hide us behind the
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  cross, Lord. And I pray that you would
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  remove any flesh, Father, that would
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  stand in the way of us worshiping you.
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  And Lord, remove uh any hindrance, Lord,
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  from hearts hearing the truth this
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  morning. God, I ask you, Lord, that you
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  would give us wisdom, preach through us
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  and to us this morning. And God, I pray,
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  Father, you would exalt yourself and get
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  glory, Father, unto yourself. We pray
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  that you would strengthen our church and
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  for the many needs this morning. You
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  know every heart and life. You know
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  every burden. You know every request.
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  And God, we ask your grace would abound
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  in every need, every situation. And
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  Lord, I pray most of all for that sinner
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  that's here today that's lost, that's
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  never been saved. They never asked you
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  to forgive them. Lord, I'm thankful you
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  told us in your word that if we confess
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  our sins, that you are faithful and just
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  to forgive us our sins and cleanse us
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  from all unrighteousness. And Lord, I
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  believe that's what that song says,
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  Lord, that you will always patch it up,
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  Lord, when we come to you and ask for
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  your forgiveness. And I just say thank
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  you. Thank you God for being so kind.
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  Lord, we love you this morning and we
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  exalt your holy name and we ask all this
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  in Jesus name and for his sake we pray.
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  Amen. Amen. You can be seated this
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  morning. Thank you for standing.
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  I preached last Sunday night out of this
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  text on uh the thought here in the text,
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  what to do when you're stuck in the
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  storm. And uh I wanted to title this
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  part too, but the more that I studied
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  this text, I really believe there's one
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  phrase that sticks out here in the text
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  and and I like to preach line by line,
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  verse by verse. Try to the best that I
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  can. Don't always do the greatest job at
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  it, but I do my best. And this phrase
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  jumped off of the page at me as I was
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  refreshing my mind for this study. It's
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  something that we've all seen before in
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  this text. But I notice there in verse
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  number 25, the Apostle Paul makes the
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  statement. He says, "Sers, be of good
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  cheer, for I believe God." And I just
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  want to preach on that thought this
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  morning on I believe God. Now, I tell
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  you this, there's a lot of things in our
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  lives today. We could examine things
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  that we believe in, trust in, and there
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  ought to be some things that you can
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  have confidence in this morning. And I
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  have confidence in my wife this morning
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  that she is going to be faithful to me.
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  And she has been such a wonderful bride
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  for these years that we've been married.
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  And I have great confidence in her. And
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  I have confidence in this church and the
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  members of it. And you people here this
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  morning, confidence that you're going to
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  remain faithful. But I'll be honest with
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  you, the circumstances of life arise and
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  our confidence comes and goes. But I'll
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  tell you this, when we place our
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  confidence in him, Amen. We are placing
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  our confidence in something that cannot
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  and will not ever waver. Amen. He never
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  changes. Amen. He's never moved. He's
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  never disturbed. Amen. And that's why
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  the Apostle Paul could say in Acts
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  chapter number 20 that none of these
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  things move me. Amen. That nothing
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  around him had any effect on his life.
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  Amen. Because God was the one who was in
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  control of his life. And I want to lay
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  just a few things on your heart by way
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  of introduction to remind us where we're
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  at in this text. Of course, the Apostle
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  Paul here is a prisoner of Rome in the
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  text, and he is being brought to Italy
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  here in the text. And we noted in the
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  last message, it was my introduction,
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  but I preached the three points of my
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  introduction and didn't get done. Amen.
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  And so, we just going I'm going to give
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  you that and then we're going to try to
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  move on from that. All right. But I
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  notice in this text that there was a
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  warning that was disregarded in verse
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  number 10. Paul said that he said sers I
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  perceive that this voyage will be with
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  much hurt and damage not only of the
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  lady and of the ship but also of our
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  lives. And in verse number 11 and 12 it
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  reveals to us in the text that the
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  shipmaster and the owner of the ship
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  believe the centurion believed them more
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  than the words of the apostle Paul. And
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  and so out of that warning that was
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  disregarded the wind begins to make
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  their decision for them that they are to
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  leave. In verse number 13, it says, "And
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  when the south wind blew softly,
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  supposing that they had obtained their
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  purpose, loosing thence, they sailed
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  close by." And it says that not long
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  after that, there arose against it a
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  tempestuous wind called Euroclide. And
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  so this typhoonish wind has come against
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  them. And out of the warning,
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  disregarded the way that this soft wind
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  makes their decision. And then a greater
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  wind shows up in the text and then it
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  begins to poof push the waves. And the
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  Bible said in verse 15 that the ship was
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  caught and could not bear up into the
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  wind. And so they let her drive. So out
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  of the warning that was disregarded and
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  the decision that was made because of
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  the wind, the waves are now driving this
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  vessel. And we made the statement that
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  when you disregard the admonition of the
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  word of God, ultimately what you're
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  going to allow in your life is your
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  feelings to make your decisions for you.
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  Amen. And when your feelings make your
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  decisions for you, ultimately the waves
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  of the waters of this life begin to toss
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  you about. And so we've come to this
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  part in the text. And I want to give you
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  three things this morning and we'll be
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  done this morning. I notice in this now
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  they're in the midst of the storm. And
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  remember the statement we made that they
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  went into this storm by their own
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  choice. Amen. They decided to enter into
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  this because of their own will. And I
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  want to remind you, not everything in
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  your life, let's just be real this
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  morning. When we think about people that
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  have cancer, some of the most godly
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  people I've ever been around in my life
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  have gotten sick and gotten ill. And
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  there's no fault of their own. Amen. It
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  wasn't God punishing them for their sin.
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  But just as real as that is, many times
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  it is our own decisions that bring us
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  our heartache. Amen. And so they enter
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  into this storm by their own will. And I
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  want you to notice first of all in the
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  message this morning, number one, I
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  notice the help that they employ. You
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  say, "What do you mean, preacher?" Well,
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  look what the Bible says. It tells us
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  that the waves have caught this boat in
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  verse number 15, "And they are letting
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  her drive." So they are at the mercy of
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  the waves in this text. And the Bible
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  said in verse 16, "And running under a
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  certain island which is called Claud, we
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  had much work to come by the boat." And
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  I want to say this this morning. When
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  you allow your life to be driven by the
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  waves and by the waters of this world,
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  you know what's going to happen to you?
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  It's going to destroy you. Amen. Paul
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  says, "We had much work to come by the
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  boat." And what that simply means is is
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  that the waves were battering the ship.
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  Amen. It was tearing it apart. And you
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  notice what they do in the text, verse
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  17, the Bible says that they tightened
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  it. Notice that. which when they had
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  taken up they used helps underguarding
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  the ship and fearing lest they should
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  fall into the quick sands straight sail
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  and so were driven. So they tighten this
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  boat up. What they do is they take ropes
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  that were wound up in the floor of this
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  boat. Amen. Stay with me. I'm going
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  somewhere. They take ropes that were
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  wound up in the floor of this boat and
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  they throw them under the boat and then
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  they bring them up the other side. And
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  then there would be a block and tackle
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  on the floor of the ship and they would
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  literally anchor the boat together to
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  keep the boards from flying apart on
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  this ship. I'm saying they tightened it
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  down. I noticed not only that they
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  tightened it in the text, but they also
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  lightened it in the text. Notice verse
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  number 18. And we being exceedingly
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  tossed with a tempest, the next day they
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  lighten the ship. So they've taken ropes
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  and they've tightened this boat down
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  trying to give it all the extra strength
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  that they can to hold this thing
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  together. And and you know, you know,
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  any weight, any cargo that would be on
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  this boat would further increase the
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  pressure on this boat. And so they begin
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  to throw out the tackling. They begin to
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  throw out the cargo of the ship. The
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  next day they throw out the tackling,
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  the things that would bring them
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  survival aid if they were to harbor.
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  What I'm saying is is they ARE THROWING
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  OUT EVERYTHING THAT THEY POSSIBLY CAN TO
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  HOLD THIS boat together. And if that's
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  not enough, they're tighten they've
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  tightened it up. They've lined it up,
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  but now they're fighting with it. Notice
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  what happens in the text. Verse 17. And
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  fearing lest they should fall into the
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  quicksands. Look at this. They straight
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  sailed and so were driven. Well, you see
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  what happens here in the text is they
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  took the sails down because the waves
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  were driving them. But they saw that the
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  waves was going to tear the boat apart.
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  So they throw the sails back up again
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  trying to spare some of the pressure on
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  the hull of the boat. And you SAY,
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  "PREACHER, WHAT DOES THAT mean for me
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  this morning?" Well, I've seen a lot of
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  people down through the years come and
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  go, and this is what I've seen about
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  every one of them. When their life gets
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  in a mess, when they get in a storm that
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  they're in by their own choosing,
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  what'll happen to them is they'll begin
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  to tighten things down. They'll begin to
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  lock things down in their life and try
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  to make it the best that they can to
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  make things right. And out of that,
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  they'll not only tighten it down, but
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  they'll lighten it up. They'll begin to
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  get things out of their life and and get
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  things out of the way to try to make
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  things right. And what they'll do is
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  you'll watch them. They're fighting with
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  that thing all the time. They're
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  lightning and they're tightening.
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  They're fighting with it. AND YOU KNOW
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  WHAT HAPPENS? They cannot change the
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  storm.
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  >> Some of you this morning are wanting so
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  badly to turn over a new leaf. But you
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  can't get out of the mess you're in by
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  your own strength.
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  >> You can't fix your problem by yourself.
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  >> You see the helps they were employed.
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  There's no doubt in a shipm's mind
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  everything they were doing. Sister Angie
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  was exactly right. They're trying to
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  save the boat. But I want to say this.
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  Your life this morning, you can't
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  preserve your own life.
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  >> You can't preserve your own marriage.
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  You can't preserve your own home. I'm
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  telling you this morning, sometimes the
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  decisions we make, get us in places, get
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  us in circumstances that otherwise there
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  is absolutely nothing that we can do
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  about it except do one thing, and that's
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  trust God.
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  >> That's getting ahead of myself. All
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  right, but you see where I'm going. All
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  right. So, we see that the the help that
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  they have employed in the text. I notice
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  not only the help that they employed in
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  spite of everything that they do in the
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  text, you notice the hurt that they
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  experience. Look what the Bible says. We
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  see the help that they employ in verse
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  number 16 down through verse number 19.
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  But in verse number 20, notice the hurt
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  that they experienced. The Bible says,
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  "And when neither sun nor stars in many
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  days appeared and no small tempest lay
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  on us," notice this, "all hope that we
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  should be saved was then taken away." In
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  spite of them tightening down the ship,
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  in spite of them lightening the ship, in
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  spite of them doing everything that they
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  can to fight with this ship to keep it
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  afloat, the Bible says that they are
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  still in darkness. Notice what he says.
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  And whether when neither sun nor stars
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  in many days appeared, they've not seen
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  the light of day. What you're going to
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  find, it's over two weeks that they're
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  on this boat struggling, wrestling with
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  this boat, doing everything that they
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  can to keep it afloat. They're in
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  darkness. But not only they're in
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  darkness, they're still in destruction
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  in spite of their efforts to hold it
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  together in spite of their efforts to
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  take some of the pressure off. There is
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  still destruction coming to this ship.
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  And this ship is still going to be
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  destroyed. And I notice out of that
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  there's darkness. There's destruction,
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  but there is still despair. Notice what
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  he said in verse 20. He said, "And many
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  days appeared and no small tempest lay
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  on us." That's that destruction. Notice
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  what he says. All hope that we should be
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  what? Saved was then taken away. You
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  know what? They were in despair. Because
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  you know what they had done? They had
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  done everything that they could do and
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  they still couldn't fix it. You can't
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  build your life strong enough to make it
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  against this world.
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  >> Amen.
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  You can't you can't set it up strong
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  enough. You can't set it up sturdy
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  enough. You say, "Preacher, this service
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  was really encouraging till you started
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  preaching." Well, I'm going somewhere.
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  All right, y'all. Just hang on. Okay.
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  But I'm telling you this morning, until
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  you get to the place, Amen. where you
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  realize that you're hopeless AND
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  HELPLESS WITHOUT GOD. AMEN. You can
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  tighten it down. You can lighten it up.
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  You can fight with it all you want to
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  LISTEN TO ME, YOUNG PEOPLE. YOU CAN TRY
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  TO HOLD IT TOGETHER YOURSELF. BUT I'M
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  GOING TO TELL YOU, UNTIL you get to the
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  end of yourself and THE END OF ALL THAT
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  YOU HAVE IN THIS WORLD, YOU'LL NEVER
• 16:47
  FIND DELIVERANCE. AMEN. THEY'RE STILL IN
• 16:50
  THE MIDST OF THIS STORM, THEY'RE STILL
• 16:52
  FIGHTING AGAINST THE WIND. THEY'RE STILL
• 16:54
  FIGHTING AGAINST THE WAVES. BUT YOU KNOW
• 16:56
  WHAT? THERE'S an answer that COMES TO
• 16:57
  THEM JUST SHORTLY AFTER THE VERSE IN
• 16:59
  VERSE NUMBER 20. Verse number 21, it
• 17:02
  begins with that little word but. Aren't
• 17:04
  you thankful for that little word but?
• 17:06
  Amen. Aren't you glad when God just
• 17:08
  steps in, Amen. and makes it all right?
• 17:10
  Amen. NOTICE THIS. THIRDLY, AND I'll be
• 17:12
  done this morning. We see the help that
• 17:15
  they employed and the hurt that they
• 17:17
  experienced. But I want to say this.
• 17:18
  They had a hope that they couldn't
• 17:20
  trust. Amen. You say, "Preacher, what is
• 17:22
  that?" Well, notice it again in verse
• 17:24
  21. But after long abstinence, Paul
• 17:27
  stood forth in the midst of them and
• 17:29
  said, "Sers, you should have hearkened
• 17:30
  unto me and not have loosed from creed
• 17:32
  and have gained this harm and loss."
• 17:34
  Paul is going to give them a sermon.
• 17:36
  Amen. Aren't you thankful? Hallelujah.
• 17:38
  Boy, I FEEL GOOD IN MY SOUL THIS
• 17:40
  MORNING. AREN'T YOU THANKFUL FOR EVERY
• 17:42
  STORM IN OUR LIFE? THANK GOD THERE'S A
• 17:44
  MAN OF GOD SOMEWHERE DOWN LAST WAY THAT
• 17:46
  HAD A SERMON FOR YOUR STORM. AMEN. THAT
• 17:49
  HAD SOME HELP FOR YOUR HURT. AMEN. THAT
• 17:51
  HAD SOME HOPE FOR YOUR PAIN. HALLELUJAH.
• 17:54
  BOY, BLESS HIS NAME. I'M SO GLAD,
• 17:56
  FRIEND, THAT WHEN GOD WHEN GOD PASSES
• 17:59
  BY, HE LETS ME KNOW IT'S GOING TO BE ALL
• 18:01
  RIGHT. AMEN. AND PAUL'S GOT A WORD FOR
• 18:03
  THESE BOYS ON THE SHIP. AND LET ME SAY
• 18:06
  THIS TO YOU THIS MORNING. IF YOU'RE IN
• 18:08
  THE SHIP, YOU SAY, "PREACHER, WHAT DOES
• 18:09
  THAT MEAN?" WELL, IF YOU'RE ALIVE AND
• 18:11
  BREATHING THIS MORNING, I DON'T KNOW
• 18:13
  WHAT STORM YOU'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF, BUT
• 18:15
  GOD SENT ME HERE TO TELL YOU TODAY THAT,
• 18:17
  "HEY, FRIEND, IT CAN AND IT WILL BE ALL
• 18:19
  RIGHT IF YOU'LL JUST TRUST HIM." AMEN.
• 18:22
  >> You say, "Preacher, what can I trust?"
• 18:24
  WELL, I'D SAY NUMBER ONE, you can
• 18:25
  entrust the prayer.
• 18:27
  >> Amen.
• 18:28
  >> You say, "How is that?" Well, notice in
• 18:29
  verse 21. But after long, what?
• 18:33
  Abstinence. You know what? The storms of
• 18:36
  life have a funny way of getting us to
• 18:39
  get tired of eating, don't they? That's
• 18:41
  right.
• 18:42
  >> We literally think of this text. This is
• 18:44
  what we remember. Well, they've been on
• 18:45
  this boat for a week rocking and
• 18:47
  reeling. Water's no doubt filled the
• 18:49
  decks. You know what it's done? It's
• 18:51
  ruined every bit of supply they've had.
• 18:53
  >> That's right.
• 18:53
  >> All their foods wasted. But I'll tell
• 18:55
  you this, they didn't want to eat.
• 18:57
  >> But I tell you this, all them ones that
• 18:59
  wasn't eating, they man, that wasn't
• 19:00
  helping them none.
• 19:01
  >> But there was one that wasn't eating, a
• 19:03
  man, that he was praying. Amen.
• 19:05
  >> Paul said after after long absence, Luke
• 19:08
  said after long absence, Paul stood
• 19:10
  forth in the midst of them. And look
• 19:11
  what he says. He says, "Sers, you should
• 19:13
  have hearkened unto me and not have
• 19:15
  loosed from creed and gained this horn
• 19:17
  and lost." Paul looks at him and says,
• 19:18
  "Hey boys, you should have listened to
• 19:20
  me when I told you the first time." Oh,
• 19:22
  but aren't you thankful that ain't where
• 19:23
  it ends? Amen. That's not the last thing
• 19:26
  that he HAS TO SAY, MAN. I'M THANKFUL
• 19:28
  that where there's rebuke, thank God,
• 19:29
  there is rest. Amen. That comes right on
• 19:31
  after that. If we can just make it past
• 19:34
  the rebuke. Amen. God has some
• 19:36
  relaxation and some rest to come to us.
• 19:38
  Look what he says. There's a prayer in
• 19:40
  the text. PAUL'S BEEN PRAYING, BEEN
• 19:42
  ASKING God what he needs to do. And
• 19:44
  notice out of that prayer, there is a
• 19:46
  promise. Amen. Look what he says in
• 19:48
  verse 22. And now I exhort you to be of
• 19:50
  good cheer. For there shall be no loss
• 19:53
  of any man's life among you, but of the
• 19:56
  ship. Amen.
• 19:58
  >> Paul said, "Hey boys, we going to make
• 20:00
  it."
• 20:01
  >> Amen.
• 20:02
  Amen.
• 20:02
  >> Hallelujah. Amen. I don't know if that
• 20:05
  helps you this morning, but it helps me.
• 20:07
  Amen. To know you say, "Preacher, that's
• 20:09
  awfully simple. I just needed some
• 20:11
  simple preaching today." Amen. I'm
• 20:12
  telling you, I just needed some simple
• 20:14
  help. I sat in my study and said, "Lord,
• 20:17
  is this really what you want me to
• 20:18
  preach?" Amen. And God looked at me and
• 20:20
  said, "No, this is what you need, son."
• 20:22
  AMEN. I'M SAYING, FRIEND, THANK GOD FOR
• 20:25
  A PROMISE AMIDST THE PAIN. AMEN. THAT
• 20:27
  EVERYTHING'S GOING TO BE ALL RIGHT. HEY,
• 20:29
  HEAVEN'S NOT ALARMED THIS MORNING.
• 20:31
  THERE'S NO STRUGGLE FOR AUTHORITY IN
• 20:33
  GOD'S LAND. AMEN. THERE'S NO PROBLEMS ON
• 20:36
  THE OTHER SIDE. HEY, I'VE GOT A PROMISE.
• 20:38
  AMEN. I KNOW IN WHOM I HAVE BELIEVED.
• 20:41
  I'M PERSUADED. HE'S ABLE TO KEEP THAT
• 20:43
  THAT I'VE COMMITTED UNTO HIM AGAINST
• 20:45
  THAT DAY. AND PAUL SAID, "HEY, BOYS,
• 20:47
  IT'S GOING TO BE ALL RIGHT." AMEN. HOW
• 20:49
  DID HE KNOW IT WAS GOING TO BE ALL
• 20:50
  RIGHT? BECAUSE HE HAD SPENT TIME IN
• 20:52
  PRAYER. AMEN.
• 20:54
  >> AMEN. And the reason why we flounder
• 20:56
  around and fuss and flop in our life is
• 20:58
  because we forsake the prayer clause.
• 21:01
  >> The reason why we don't have no
• 21:02
  promises. THE REASON WHY WE DON'T HAVE
• 21:04
  NO PEACE. The reason why we can't have
• 21:06
  any rest IS BECAUSE WE FORSAKE THAT TIME
• 21:08
  OF PRAYER WITH GOD. OH, BUT FRIEND,
• 21:10
  EVERY TIME I FOUND MYSELF IN A PLACE
• 21:13
  WHERE I COULDN'T GET OUT, THANK GOD I
• 21:15
  FOUND ME AN ALTAR SOMEWHERE, WHETHER IT
• 21:17
  WAS IN THE BEDROOM OR IT WAS DOWN AT THE
• 21:19
  HOUSE. AMEN. OR IT WAS AT A ROCK
• 21:21
  SOMEWHERE OUT IN THE WOODS. THANK GOD
• 21:23
  GOD HAD AN ANSWER FOR ME IN THAT PLACE.
• 21:26
  AND I HAVE NEVER LEFT WITHOUT A PROMISE.
• 21:28
  AMEN.
• 21:30
  >> You say, "Preacher, I don't like what
• 21:31
  you're doing." Get over it. You'll be
• 21:33
  all right.
• 21:34
  >> I'm excited.
• 21:36
  >> You know why? Number one, I ain't going
• 21:38
  to hell.
• 21:38
  >> Amen.
• 21:39
  >> Number two, I'm going to make it.
• 21:42
  >> Amen.
• 21:43
  >> I don't have to burn out. I don't have
• 21:44
  to rust out either. Amen, brother Todd.
• 21:47
  >> I can make it by the grace of God. We
• 21:49
  can make it. Thank God.
• 21:52
  He had a promise. He said, "For there
• 21:55
  shall be no loss of any man's life." You
• 21:57
  see, that's the that's the ministry of
• 21:58
  the gospel. You see, your life, and I
• 22:01
  made this point last Sunday, there's all
• 22:03
  kinds of people that come in and out of
• 22:05
  your life. Some people come into your
• 22:07
  life and out of your life because of
• 22:09
  sin. Different things. We get involved
• 22:12
  with people we should never be involved
• 22:13
  with because of sin. Some people come in
• 22:16
  and out of our life just because of the
• 22:17
  scriptures. Amen. There's the children.
• 22:19
  Amen. When they get older, they come
• 22:21
  into our life because a man shall leave
• 22:23
  his father and mother and cleave unto
• 22:24
  his wife and the twain shall become one
• 22:26
  flesh. And out of that, you know what?
• 22:28
  Children are born into that family. God
• 22:30
  brings children into our life. But you
• 22:32
  know what? There comes a day when those
• 22:33
  children have to go out and do the same
• 22:35
  thing that mom and daddy did. And
• 22:36
  there's children that enter and exit our
• 22:38
  life. There's sin. There's the
• 22:40
  scriptures. Amen. And storms have a way
• 22:42
  of bringing people in and out of our
• 22:44
  life. But all this is what you need to
• 22:46
  remember, friend. this storm in this
• 22:48
  text right here, these boys made the
• 22:49
  wrong choice. But thank God they had the
• 22:51
  right pe right man with them in the
• 22:52
  boat.
• 22:53
  >> Amen. That's right.
• 22:54
  >> Amen.
• 22:56
  >> You know what? If they hadn't had the
• 22:57
  Apostle Paul in this boat, they'd have
• 22:58
  never made it.
• 23:00
  >> Amen. Because he was the one praying. He
• 23:03
  was the one that God gave the promise
• 23:05
  to. And you know what? They were just
• 23:06
  beneficiaries.
• 23:10
  >> Hallelujah. Amen. They were just
• 23:12
  beneficiaries of the promise that God
• 23:15
  made to Paul. Hey daddy, you got some
• 23:17
  promises for your family?
• 23:19
  >> Hey mama, you got some promises for your
• 23:21
  family. Grandmama, grandpa, you got some
• 23:23
  promises for your family. Amen. They
• 23:25
  might get out just because you pray.
• 23:28
  >> Amen.
• 23:28
  >> Amen. They might make it just because
• 23:31
  you pray. Oh, is anybody hearing me
• 23:32
  preach this morning? I'm saying, "Thank
• 23:35
  God there is deliverance for the storm."
• 23:37
  I'll say this. Not only this hope is
• 23:39
  manifested in the prayer, it's
• 23:41
  manifested in the promise. But I'll say
• 23:43
  this, it's manifested in the presence of
• 23:45
  God. Notice verse 23. For there stood by
• 23:48
  me this night the angel of God whose I
• 23:50
  am and whom I serve. Amen. Paul knew
• 23:54
  exactly who he belonged to. Amen,
• 23:57
  friend.
• 23:58
  >> He knew who he belonged to and he knew
• 24:00
  where his help come from. Amen. David
• 24:02
  said, "I'll look under the hills." Amen.
• 24:03
  I'll look under the hills from whence
• 24:05
  cometh my help. My help cometh from the
• 24:07
  Lord. Amen. Thank God we have help. And
• 24:10
  thank God in a time of trouble. His
• 24:12
  presence is always with us. Amen. He
• 24:14
  said, "I'll never leave you nor forsake
• 24:17
  you." Amen. Hebrews, he tells us so that
• 24:19
  the Lord so that we may boldly say, "The
• 24:21
  Lord is MY HELPER." AMEN. HE'S ALWAYS
• 24:25
  WITH US, FRIEND. HE'LL NEVER FORSAKE US.
• 24:27
  HE NEVER LETS GO. HIS PRESENCE is always
• 24:30
  there when you need him the most.
• 24:32
  >> And in this text, we see the apostle
• 24:34
  here. He said, "For there stood by me
• 24:36
  this night the angel of God." Now, of
• 24:40
  course, this is in the text probably
• 24:43
  Michael or Gabriel here in the text. And
• 24:45
  you say, "Preacher, was it not Christ?"
• 24:47
  Well, it mentioned there in verse number
• 24:49
  24 his words. Look what he says. Saying,
• 24:52
  "Fear not, Paul. Thou must be brought
• 24:54
  before Caesar. And lo, what's that next
• 24:57
  word? God hath given thee all them that
• 25:00
  sail with thee." So his angels obviously
• 25:02
  one of God's deputed ones to look after
• 25:05
  the man of God. And uh now I want to say
• 25:09
  this this morning. All right. A little
• 25:11
  lighter note. Okay. When your mama went
• 25:13
  to heaven, she didn't get wings.
• 25:16
  >> All right. I ain't trying to bust you
• 25:18
  bubble this morning, but she didn't turn
• 25:19
  into an angel. Okay.
• 25:21
  >> Amen. She didn't turn into an angel. And
• 25:24
  no, I I I know you mama probably sang
• 25:26
  good, but angels can sing better. And
• 25:28
  she's not teaching angels how to sing.
• 25:30
  Amen.
• 25:32
  >> Don't get mad at me. All right.
• 25:35
  But I will say this. I do believe this
• 25:38
  that God has angels
• 25:41
  to protect his children.
• 25:42
  >> That's right.
• 25:44
  >> You say, "Preacher, I've seen them." No,
• 25:45
  you haven't.
• 25:47
  >> No, you haven't. You say, "Well, Paul's
• 25:49
  seen him in this text." Well, let me
• 25:50
  just say something. He's an apostle.
• 25:52
  >> All right. There's a lot of things comes
• 25:54
  with that. I'm not trying to get in all
• 25:55
  that doctrine this morning. What I'm
• 25:56
  telling you is you ain't never seen an
• 25:58
  angel. Okay.
• 26:00
  >> But God has ones deputed
• 26:03
  >> to look after you.
• 26:05
  >> But I'll say this, the reason you ain't
• 26:07
  never seen one is because angels don't
• 26:08
  take honor for themselves.
• 26:10
  >> They don't ask for glory. They never
• 26:12
  will. You'll never see that in
• 26:13
  scripture. You'll never see that in the
• 26:15
  future to come. Not one time when we get
• 26:17
  to heaven, Sister Betty Jean, is they
• 26:18
  going to be anybody worshiping an angel.
• 26:21
  >> All right? You're not going to get up
• 26:22
  there and worship your guardian angel.
• 26:24
  Okay? It's not going to happen. But
• 26:26
  here's what I want to tell you out of
• 26:27
  this. All right? There's a person called
• 26:31
  the Holy Spirit.
• 26:33
  >> He's always with you.
• 26:34
  >> Amen.
• 26:36
  >> And Bible tells us he'll guide you into
• 26:37
  all truth. And he is, what is his name
• 26:39
  in the scripture? He's called the
• 26:41
  comforter.
• 26:43
  >> Amen. When he has come, Amen. He will
• 26:45
  guide you into all truth. Jesus said he
• 26:47
  will not speak of himself, but
• 26:48
  whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he
• 26:49
  speak. And Jesus is telling him what to
• 26:52
  tell us. Amen.
• 26:53
  >> And I want to say this. This angel come
• 26:55
  to Paul in the text because the Holy
• 26:58
  Spirit was there and they needed to have
• 27:00
  a conversation.
• 27:03
  >> I wish I could preach all of this right
• 27:05
  now, but I'm not going to. You say,
• 27:07
  "Preacher, what I need to know about
• 27:08
  that?" Well, I'll say this. It don't
• 27:11
  matter how dark of a place you get into.
• 27:13
  God's aware of it.
• 27:15
  >> More than that,
• 27:16
  >> he's with you.
• 27:17
  >> Amen.
• 27:18
  >> He's present. Amen.
• 27:20
  >> Paul said, "He stood by me this night."
• 27:23
  That's present in time. That's present
• 27:24
  in place. God's present in time and
• 27:27
  present in place.
• 27:28
  >> He's always there.
• 27:30
  >> Thor in every place, beholding the evil
• 27:33
  and the good. His presence is there. But
• 27:35
  notice his provision. Verse 24. For not
• 27:38
  Paul, thou must be brought before
• 27:39
  Caesar. You see, Paul knew what the will
• 27:41
  of God was for his life. He knew where
• 27:44
  he was supposed to be. He knew where he
• 27:45
  was headed. And he knew that if nobody
• 27:47
  else on that ship made it, he was going
• 27:48
  to. Cuz God had already told him he was
• 27:50
  going to make it. But you know what?
• 27:52
  That ain't the last thing that the angel
• 27:53
  says to him. Brother Todd, look what the
• 27:55
  Bible says. He said in verse number 24,
• 27:58
  "And lo, God hath given thee," notice
• 28:00
  that, "hath have given thee all them
• 28:03
  that sail with thee." Let me ask you, if
• 28:07
  your prayers and the promises God has
• 28:10
  made to you, if if if if there were if
• 28:12
  there's going to be people that are
• 28:14
  saved because of the prayers you've
• 28:15
  prayed and the promises God has made to
• 28:16
  you, how many people are going to make
• 28:18
  it because of you?
• 28:20
  >> Amen.
• 28:22
  >> These boys made it because of Paul.
• 28:24
  >> Amen.
• 28:25
  >> How many people's going to make it
• 28:26
  because of you?
• 28:28
  >> You see, the difference in all of our
• 28:30
  life is it's not about how much we go
• 28:31
  sowinning. And we need to go
• 28:33
  soulwinning. But you know what? We could
• 28:35
  go from now until the cows come home.
• 28:36
  But if we don't pray,
• 28:38
  >> that's good. Amen.
• 28:39
  >> Paul was in absence. These boys are
• 28:41
  working. Let me remind you what they're
• 28:43
  doing. They're tightening the boat.
• 28:46
  They're lightening it up. They're
• 28:47
  throwing everything they can get their
• 28:48
  hands on out. They're fighting with this
• 28:50
  ship. You know what Paul's doing? He's
• 28:51
  curled up in the bottom of that boat
• 28:52
  praying. You know what they probably
• 28:54
  thought about him? Man, I wish he'd get
• 28:56
  serious about what we got going on.
• 28:58
  We're going to die. And he's sitting
• 29:00
  down there praying.
• 29:04
  Oh friend, what they didn't realize
• 29:07
  >> was that man of God
• 29:09
  >> down there in the bottom of that boat
• 29:10
  was doing more to save them than any
• 29:12
  labor they had ever done for themselves.
• 29:14
  Amen. I'M SAYING, FRIEND, HE LOVED them
• 29:17
  and he loved his savior AND HE KNEW
• 29:19
  MORE. HE KNEW THAT BOAT was going to go
• 29:21
  down. Oh friend, I've looked at them in
• 29:23
  my short day and I've seen their lives
• 29:25
  in disarray. I'VE SEEN THEM, FRIEND,
• 29:27
  WHERE THEY'RE JUST GOING TO FALL APART
• 29:29
  AND I KNOW THEY'RE NOT GOING TO MAKE IT.
• 29:30
  BUT OH FRIEND, WHEN I CAN'T DO ANYTHING
• 29:32
  TO HELP THEM, YOU KNOW WHAT I WANT TO
• 29:34
  DO? I WANT TO get in the BOTTOM OF THE
• 29:35
  BOAT AND BEG GOD, GOD, PLEASE HAVE MERCY
• 29:39
  ON THEM.
• 29:41
  >> AMEN.
• 29:42
  >> Cuz Paul knew. You say, "How did he
• 29:45
  know, PREACHER?" WELL, LOOK WHAT HE SAID
• 29:46
  IN THE TEXT. LOOK WHAT HE SAID. VERSE
• 29:48
  NUMBER 10. HE SAID, "SERS, I perceive
• 29:50
  that this voyage will be with her and
• 29:52
  much damage, not only of the lady and
• 29:54
  the ship." What does it say? But also of
• 29:57
  our lives. Paul knew it was at stake.
• 30:03
  Paul was doing the most important thing
• 30:06
  that could have been done. And you know
• 30:08
  what? Out of that, you say, "Preacher,
• 30:10
  well, that's not encouraged." Well, that
• 30:11
  here's the encouraging part. God said,
• 30:13
  "Look, I'm giving them to you." How many
• 30:16
  souls are being given to you?
• 30:19
  Let me ask you that. How many souls when
• 30:22
  you go to the judgment seat, their blood
• 30:23
  will be on your hands
• 30:26
  >> because you didn't tell them the truth?
• 30:30
  And they'll look at you across that
• 30:31
  GREAT DIVIDE AND SAY, "WHY DIDN'T YOU
• 30:33
  TELL ME? WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME THAT
• 30:35
  HEAVEN WAS TO GAIN AND THAT THIS PLACE I
• 30:38
  AM WAS TO SHINE? WHY DID YOU NOT GIVE ME
• 30:41
  THE GOSPEL? YOU KNEW THE TRUTH, BUT YOU
• 30:43
  KNEW THE TRUTH AND YOU DID IT NOT. YOUR
• 30:46
  MY BLOOD IS ON your hands."
• 30:52
  But I'll say this. The Bible says the
• 30:55
  angel told Paul, "Oh, God hath given
• 30:57
  thee all."
• 31:01
  He didn't lose a one.
• 31:04
  I know another man and ain't lost a one.
• 31:08
  >> Amen. Friend, Jesus said, "Then them
• 31:10
  that the father hath given me," he said,
• 31:12
  "I've take got them all." He said, "And
• 31:14
  of them, I've lost none."
• 31:16
  >> Amen.
• 31:17
  >> He's never lost a one.
• 31:20
  He knows where they're at. Paul told the
• 31:22
  Thessalonian church, he said, "The Lord
• 31:23
  knoweth them that are his, and let
• 31:25
  everyone that nameeth the name of Christ
• 31:27
  depart from iniquity." He knows where
• 31:29
  you're at this morning. I'll say this
• 31:32
  and I'm done. We see the provision for
• 31:36
  Paul's prayer. There were souls given to
• 31:39
  him for his labor. But notice the
• 31:41
  profession in verse 25. You see, none of
• 31:44
  this has happened yet. Paul's trust in a
• 31:46
  promise. They're still in the storm.
• 31:48
  They're still in the boat being rocked
• 31:50
  and reeled to and fro. But Paul says in
• 31:52
  verse 25, look what your Bible says.
• 31:55
  Wherefore, sers, be of good cheer, for I
• 31:58
  believe God.
• 31:59
  >> That it shall be even as it was told me.
• 32:05
  You see, Paul had a profession, and it
• 32:07
  wasn't a profession of his salvation,
• 32:09
  but it was a profession of the salvation
• 32:10
  of everybody on that boat. You say, "How
• 32:13
  is that?" Well, just think about the
• 32:15
  text. Paul said, "God done told me we
• 32:17
  going to make it."
• 32:20
  Amen. You say, "Preacher, what does that
• 32:22
  mean?" Well, there's a biblical
• 32:24
  terminology for this. All right? And we
• 32:26
  talk about salvation as salvation from
• 32:28
  hell all the time. I'm going to say
• 32:30
  this. Salvation in the scriptures
• 32:32
  doesn't only apply to that. All right?
• 32:34
  Now, listen to what James says. One of
• 32:36
  my favorite verses in all the scripture.
• 32:38
  Turn with me. Book of James, chapter 1.
• 32:41
  I'm slowing down because I'm out of
• 32:43
  breath. All right.
• 32:46
  James chapter 1.
• 32:50
  Listen to what James says. Verse number
• 32:54
  verse number verse number 20. Verse 19.
• 32:58
  All right. Wherefore, my beloved
• 33:00
  brethren, let every man be swift to
• 33:02
  hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath. For
• 33:04
  the wrath of man workketh not the
• 33:05
  righteousness of God. Wherefore lay
• 33:07
  apart all filthiness and superfluity of
• 33:09
  naughtiness, and receive with meekness
• 33:11
  the engrafted word, what's that phrase?
• 33:14
  which is able to save your souls. You
• 33:17
  say, "Preacher, well, well, my soul,
• 33:19
  that's that's what got saved when I got
• 33:21
  saved." And you're right about that. It
• 33:23
  got saved from hell. But who is James
• 33:25
  talking to in the text? Notice it again
• 33:27
  in verse number verse number um verse
• 33:30
  number 19. What's that that first
• 33:32
  phrase? Wherefore, my beloved what?
• 33:35
  >> Brethren, you know he's talking to he's
• 33:37
  talking to people who are saved. So why
• 33:40
  is he saying receive with meekness the
• 33:42
  engrafted word? Let me ask you, is the
• 33:43
  word engrafted in somebody who's lost?
• 33:47
  >> That word gets put in you when you get
• 33:50
  saved.
• 33:50
  >> So what's he saying? He said, "Receive
• 33:52
  with meekness the engrafted word which
• 33:54
  is able to save your souls." That word
• 33:55
  saved means to keep,
• 33:58
  >> means to preserve. And when Paul looked
• 34:00
  at them boys and said, "Hey, we're going
• 34:02
  to make it." You know what he was
• 34:03
  telling them? He was saying, "Look,
• 34:06
  we're going to survive because God's
• 34:08
  given me a word." And you know what? The
• 34:10
  same word that saves you from hell is
• 34:12
  the same word that'll save you a lot of
• 34:13
  hurt in this life.
• 34:15
  >> Amen. Amen.
• 34:16
  >> You hearing me?
• 34:16
  >> Amen.
• 34:17
  >> The same word that'll save you. This is
• 34:19
  a term we use. The same that same word
• 34:21
  will keep you.
• 34:22
  >> It'll keep you. You know what? We have a
• 34:25
  lot of people who are saved, but they're
• 34:26
  not kept.
• 34:30
  You say, "Preacher, why is that?" Well,
• 34:31
  the keeping parts on our terms.
• 34:34
  You say, "How is that?" Well, think
• 34:36
  about the text in the book of Acts. I'm
• 34:38
  going to preach on it tonight, but I'm
• 34:40
  going to give you part of it. Turn with
• 34:42
  me back to Acts 27. All right? I'm going
• 34:44
  to spoil a little bit of the message
• 34:46
  tonight. That's okay. You say,
• 34:47
  "Preacher, how does the how is the
• 34:49
  keeping part up to us?" All right. Well,
• 34:52
  listen to what the Bible says. Verse
• 34:54
  number 30, and I'm probably going to
• 34:56
  give it away. That's all right. May not
• 34:58
  preach this tonight. Verse 30. And as
• 35:00
  the shipmen were about to flee out of
• 35:02
  the ship, when they had let down the
• 35:04
  boat into the sea under color, as though
• 35:05
  they would have cast anchors out of the
• 35:07
  foreship, verse 31, Paul said to the
• 35:09
  centurion and to the soldiers, "Except
• 35:11
  these abide in the ship, ye cannot be
• 35:13
  saved." You know what that means? The
• 35:15
  shipmaster
• 35:17
  and the ship owner were going to leave
• 35:20
  them to theelves in the boat. You know
• 35:22
  what Paul says? Common sense says,
• 35:24
  "Well, if we ain't got nobody here to
• 35:25
  buy the boat, we're going to die."
• 35:28
  You say, "Preacher, what does that mean
• 35:30
  for me?" Well, sir, if you want your
• 35:32
  family to be saved, you can't leave
• 35:34
  them.
• 35:40
  >> Hear what I said,
• 35:41
  >> mama? If you want your family to be
• 35:43
  saved, you can't leave them.
• 35:44
  >> That's right.
• 35:46
  >> You say, "What do you mean? I'm not
• 35:47
  talking about salvation from hell. If
• 35:49
  they need to be saved from hell, it's
• 35:51
  going to hinder them. But I'll say this.
• 35:52
  You can't keep them. You're not going to
• 35:54
  be able to protect them if you walk
• 35:56
  away.
• 35:57
  >> Paul looked at him and said, "Hey, look,
• 35:59
  if these leave, we're going to die." You
• 36:02
  say, "Preacher, but God had already
• 36:04
  promised him that they were going to
• 36:05
  live." But it was stringent upon their
• 36:09
  obedience.
• 36:12
  Let me ask you something.
• 36:14
  You say, "Preacher, does that denote the
• 36:16
  promise of God?" God's promises apply
• 36:19
  where there is obedience.
• 36:21
  You know what? God has promised to save
• 36:23
  any sinner and every sinner who will
• 36:25
  call upon him.
• 36:28
  >> But you know what? The ones that don't
• 36:29
  call upon him, you know what they've
• 36:31
  done? It's not that the promise wasn't
• 36:32
  made to them. It's that they didn't
• 36:33
  receive it.
• 36:35
  >> That's right.
• 36:36
  >> Let me ask you something. You say,
• 36:37
  "Preacher, how does that go with the
• 36:39
  title?" Well, Paul said, "I believe
• 36:40
  God." You know what that implies? Said,
• 36:43
  "I believe God. I'm going to do what he
• 36:46
  says."
• 36:47
  >> Amen.
• 36:50
  >> Amen. If you believe God, you know how
• 36:52
  we going to know it? If you live it.
• 36:54
  >> Amen.
• 36:55
  >> That's right. Amen.
• 36:56
  >> Paul, James said this way in James 2, he
• 36:59
  said, "Faith without works is what?"
• 37:03
  >> I want to ask you something. Do you
• 37:05
  really believe?
• 37:07
  Peter said, "We need to examine
• 37:09
  ourselves."
• 37:10
  Need to examine ourselves on every head
• 37:12
  bowed and every eye closed as we stand
• 37:15
  this time of invitation.
• 37:18
  We need to examine ourselves. You say,
• 37:20
  "What do we examine ourselves?" You say,
• 37:22
  "Preacher, I believe." Let me ask you,
• 37:24
  do you obey?
• 37:29
  If you believe the truth in your life
• 37:32
  and mine is this, how much you believe
• 37:35
  is determined
• 37:37
  by how much you obey.
• 37:39
  >> You say, "Preacher, how is that?" Well,
• 37:41
  if you believed him to save you, you had
• 37:43
  to obey his word when he said, "Call.
• 37:45
  Whosoever shall call upon the name of
• 37:47
  the Lord shall be saved. But you know
• 37:50
  what? If you didn't call, it don't
• 37:51
  matter how much you say you believe it.
• 37:55
  Belief implies
• 37:58
  that there is a response
• 38:00
  to a given truth.
• 38:03
  And it's like the preacher said the
• 38:04
  other week, and I don't want you to ever
• 38:06
  forget this, true worship is a humble
• 38:09
  response to revealed truth. as she
• 38:12
  begins to play this morning. Let me ask
• 38:15
  you, some of you making big decisions,
• 38:19
  big decisions right now, biggin.
• 38:23
  Here's what you need to know about that.
• 38:26
  Have you asked God about that thing?
• 38:29
  You talked to God about that?
• 38:32
  Let me ask you this.
• 38:34
  The biggest decision you'll ever make
• 38:36
  for your salvation, have you talked to
• 38:37
  him?
• 38:40
  I'd say this. He's talking to you this
• 38:42
  morning.
• 38:44
  Paul said, "I believe God." You know
• 38:47
  what that says? Hey, boys. God will hold
• 38:51
  up his end if we'll hold up ours.
• 38:56
  You say, "Preacher, I've never been
• 38:57
  saved. I need to ask the Lord to save
• 39:00
  me."
• 39:01
  Preacher, would you pray for me? I I'm
• 39:03
  not saved. You just slip your hand up.
• 39:05
  Nobody's looking around. Nobody's
• 39:07
  looking around. Preacher, I'm not saved.
• 39:08
  You pray for me. Just be honest between
• 39:10
  you and God. It's written all over your
• 39:12
  face. You can't hide it.
• 39:16
  I tell you what, the storm will take
• 39:18
  you.
• 39:19
  It'll take you.
• 39:22
  But God's put some people in your life
• 39:23
  in this church this morning
• 39:26
  to give you some deliverance. I want to
• 39:28
  tell you, you can try to tighten it
• 39:30
  down. You can try to lighten it up. You
• 39:32
  can try to do all that. You can fight
• 39:33
  with it from now until your dying day.
• 39:35
  But until you get some divine
• 39:36
  deliverance from God,
• 39:39
  until faith cometh by hearing, amen, and
• 39:41
  hearing by the word of God in your life,
• 39:44
  you'll never get out of the storm.
• 39:47
  I'll tell you the way they got out. It's
• 39:49
  cuz one man said, "I believe God."
• 39:54
  You say, "Preacher,
• 39:55
  I'm saved. I know I'm saved."
• 39:58
  But preacher, there's a storm around me.
• 40:02
  Preacher, it ain't a storm of my own
• 40:04
  making. But preacher, I want to be like
• 40:06
  the Apostle Paul and I want to pray that
• 40:09
  God will bring deliverance to all who
• 40:11
  are in this boat with me.
• 40:14
  Preacher, I want to pray that God will
• 40:17
  bring deliverance to all those that are
• 40:18
  with me. You be honest about that this
• 40:20
  morning. You really want that for your
• 40:21
  family, preacher. Would you pray for me
• 40:24
  and my family?
• 40:26
  God sees that.
• 40:28
  God sees that. Tell you this, God will
• 40:31
  give you deliverance. He'll give you
• 40:33
  that.
• 40:35
  But I tell you, it's stringing upon your
• 40:36
  obedience.
• 40:38
  You got to be obedient to him. You have
• 40:41
  to do what he says
• 40:46
  because to him that knoweth to do good
• 40:48
  and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
• 40:53
  Now, Father, I ask you this morning,
• 40:55
  Lord, this is a broad broad subject,
• 40:58
  broad sermon this morning, but you know,
• 41:00
  you know what was needed.
• 41:03
  And Lord, I I pray this morning, God,
• 41:06
  for each heart that's here. Lord, I pray
• 41:09
  they'd realize, Father, that
• 41:12
  failure is not final with you. And their
• 41:14
  choices, Lord, don't have to end their
• 41:16
  life. It doesn't have to end their their
• 41:19
  their ministry. Doesn't have to end
• 41:20
  their family, Lord. There is forgiveness
• 41:23
  that's available. But Lord, they're
• 41:25
  going to have to trust you. They going
• 41:27
  to have to learn how to pray. They're
• 41:29
  going to have to learn how to trust your
• 41:31
  promises. Amen. and and watch your
• 41:33
  provision, Lord. Would you help us? Help
• 41:36
  me, God, to do that. Lord, as a pastor
• 41:40
  of this church, you've entrusted me with
• 41:41
  this precious these precious people. And
• 41:44
  Lord, even in my short tenure here, God,
• 41:46
  I know I've failed them many times. But
• 41:48
  Lord, I believe this. Lord, I know that
• 41:51
  we're headed in the right direction
• 41:52
  because we're following your word. And
• 41:54
  God, I ask humbly that you would help
• 41:56
  us. Help us to stay humble, Lord. Number
• 41:59
  one. Number two, God, I pray you'd help
• 42:01
  us to stay obedient, Lord, not to back
• 42:04
  up, but Lord, not to rise up against you
• 42:07
  either, but Lord, just to stay humbly
• 42:09
  compliant as the Apostle Paul was, Lord,
• 42:12
  just faithful to do whatever you ask.
• 42:14
  And Lord, I pray for these families
• 42:16
  that's represented here. I know there's
• 42:17
  many hurts, God. I know there's much
• 42:19
  burdens, Lord, I pray, Father, that you
• 42:21
  would bless their lives, their families,
• 42:24
  God. Lord, I know that many of them are
• 42:26
  in storms right now, Lord. That they're
• 42:28
  not even of their own making. Lord, the
• 42:30
  apostle and those men went through that
• 42:32
  storm by somebody else's choice. I pray,
• 42:34
  Lord, for those today who are suffering
• 42:36
  because of others choices. I pray that
• 42:38
  you give them grace. And I pray that you
• 42:40
  give us grace this morning, Lord, to be
• 42:42
  obedient to you in spite of everything.
• 42:45
  Lord, help us to do what we're supposed
• 42:47
  to do because Lord, you gave your life
• 42:49
  for us in spite of everything that we
• 42:52
  are. Lord, I thank you for that. I give
• 42:55
  you praise today and we ask it all in
• 42:56
  your son's name. Amen.
• 42:59
  >> Thank you for joining our service today.
• 43:02
  We'd love it if you'd join us in person
• 43:04
  the next time you are able at Meadows
• 43:06
  Baptist Church. Our physical address is
• 43:09
  2988 Stewart Road in Walnut Cove, North
• 43:13
  Carolina. Our service times are Sunday
• 43:16
  school at 10:00 a.m., Sunday morning
• 43:18
  worship at 11:00 a.m., Sunday evening
• 43:21
  worship at 6:00 p.m., and Wednesday
• 43:23
  evening Bible study at 700 p.m. For more
• 43:26
  information, visit us at
• 43:28
  meadowsbaptisturch.com.
• 43:30
  Thanks again for tuning in.