All hands on deck! We left off last time in Acts chapter 27 verse 40,
and were headed for shore passing through a certain creek... After ridding
ourselves of some excess baggage, we took up our anchors, loosed our rudder
bands and hoisted up our mainsail. Wouldn't you know it though, just when
you get things in order and you purpose in your heart to stay on the right
course, just as we are making every effort to get our ships safely ashore,
there comes a major struggle in a place where two seas meet…
Acts 27:41 (KJV)
And falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground;
and the forepart stuck fast, and remained unmovable, but the hinder part
was broken with the violence of the waves.
As Christians, when we commit ourselves to God, allowing Him to guide
and govern our lives, we are going to enter into a position where both
the new man and the old man dwelling within us will meet and struggle,
triggering a clashing of the two natures and a warring for our affections.
The forepart of the ship is representative of the new nature – “stuck
fast” in God and His Word, remaining unmovable. The hinder part of the
ship is representative of our old nature - which is easily broken with
the violence of the waves of temptation and ends up completely shattered.
You see, the back end of that boat was weakest, signifying our flesh.
Ladies, a Christian has no business spending time enjoying past sins while
trying to sail forward to the other shore!
Ephesians 4:20-24 (KJV)
But ye have not so learned Christ; If so be that ye have heard him, and
have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning
the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the
deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind: And that ye
put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true
holiness.
Yes, Satan hates to see Christian's sailing toward the intent of glorifying
God! Our enemy wants none of us to escape temptation to sail toward holy
living, and would rather we were dead in our trespasses and sins. As a
matter of fact, the devil has informed his angels that they are to destroy
our lives... Let's look at verse 42 for a moment for further insight:
And the soldiers' counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them
should swim out, and escape.
Now that the boat was shipwrecked, the soldiers, of course, were concerned
about their prisoners. If a prisoner escaped, the soldier was held accountable
and could be killed. And ladies, Satan and his angels are concerned about
us too... They are afraid that we might escape our temptations! The devil
would love to see us become lifelong prisoners of sin. When we arrive
at that place where the two seas meet, he will work hard at trying to
get us off course and bring our lives to shipwreck by beating upon us
with those fierce waves of temptation. They are roaring, relentless waves,
coming upon us one right after the other, never seeming to die down while
blinding our eyes as to the way out of them. Are you in a place of strong
temptation today, dear lady? Have you found that your life has been run
aground and broken to pieces because you've yielded to temptation? Didn't
see it coming? Must be you weren't watching where you were headed, doubtless
even praying....
Matthew 26:41 (KJV)
Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is
willing, but the flesh is weak.
Watching and praying is the best way to guard against becoming a prisoner
of sin through manifold temptations. May I encourage you to frequent the
scene of this shipwreck here in Acts 27:41 to refresh your memory and
view the contrast between the front end of the ship and the hinder part.
Walk around the scene of the calamity and gain wisdom from what you see
here in God's Word and make a wise choice for yourself - before it's too
late! Sometimes the sight of a shipwreck becomes a monument to those who
view it, such as the story of the Titanic. My daughter Justine wrote a
brief piece about the Titanic a few years ago, which I think is applicable
to the point I am trying to make....
“The cold and foreboding skeleton of the Titanic lies torn and desolate
on the bottom of the rigid Atlantic. Lying undisturbed, for years it has
remained, ever holding a solemn mystery of her treacherous destruction.
Antiques lie motionless on the ocean floor, sadly displaying their once
lovely designs. The Titanic held joy and excitement as well as luxury
for those traveling in her hull. But the Titanic also held heartache and
separation for many families on that frosty night when she unwillingly
yielded herself to the freezing waters, and made her home on the sandy
bottom of the ocean. There she remains, to this day, untouched and silent.
But is she silent? No, the Titanic is crying to millions of how short
and precious life really is!”
Christian woman, what is the message your life will one day speak to others
after you've come to the end of your voyage? What message is it sending
now while you are still sailing the sea of life?? When people take a walk
around you, what are they able to observe - a life of faith, or a life
destroyed by sin and temptation? Which half of the ship would you like
your life to end up as - the part of the ship stuck fast in the ground,
or the part destroyed by the waves? Only as we stand firm upon the Word
of God and oppose the tow of temptation will we survive!
Galatians 5:24 (KJV)
And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections
and lusts.
I've got good news for you, mates! The devil and his angels might not
want us to escape temptation, but our loving God does, and He has gloriously
provided a way out...
1 Cor. 10:13 (KJV)
There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God
is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able;
but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be
able to bear it.
There is no need to be fearful when confronted with the force that would
pull you off course. Simply cleave to the One who supplies ample help!
Acts 27:43-44 (KJV)
But the centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from their purpose;
and commanded that they which could swim should cast themselves first
into the sea, and get to land: And the rest, some on boards, and some
on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass, that they escaped
all safe to land.
Hallelujah! Just as the Lord promised, all escaped and not one was lost!
How do you think everyone felt as they made it safely to shore?? Wouldn't
you love to know what their response was as they sensed a solid foundation
beneath them? I have a feeling that Paul had been faithfully sharing the
gospel with his fellow passengers, don't you? No doubt many of them had
trusted in Christ and would never be the same again after sailing on this
voyage with the apostle Paul. Why do I say that? Because the centurion,
willing to save Paul, kept the soldiers from killing their prisoners.
As their authority, he even granted the entire group of hostages total
liberty to jump into the water and get safely to land! Yes, the presence
of one godly prisoner had changed the outcome of everyone's lives....
Unfortunately, there were still some on board, who had not yet trusted
in Christ, who did not know how to swim spiritually. Christians already
abiding in Christ are a picture of those who knew how to swim on their
own. These were told by the centurion to cast themselves first into the
sea and get to land. Can you guess why that would be? Naturally those
who did not know how to swim would need assistance to shore! Are you doing
your part in helping the lost to be saved, Christian lady? Extend your
hand and help others before they sink forever! Teach people how to swim
spiritually and share your navigational skills with them.
Notice in verse 44, that those who could not swim by themselves, those
weaker in faith, were provided a special way of escape by the Lord. There
were boards and broken pieces of the ship floating nearby in the ocean,
representative of the Word of God made available to them! Remember, Paul
said earlier that except they abide in the ship they couldn't be saved…
If you're lost today and don't know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior,
you need to grab hold of Him! He is always ready to rescue the perishing!
The ship, even as boards and broken pieces, is representative of the Lord
Jesus Christ in our lives, who gave up His life upon the Cross that we
might be saved. Lost sailors need to place their trust in what God said
would get them to Heaven, that other shore! And the saints who've already
reached that divine land would cheer them on to safety and victory....
Hebrews 12:1 (KJV)
Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of
witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily
besets us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us...
As this study comes to a close, I hope you've learned along with me that
storms can give us many opportunities to serve others and bear witness
to Jesus Christ. May we all faithfully abide in the Lord and allow His
Word to abide in us, for it is our only way of escape, it is our LIFE
preserver!! At times God's Word serves as a marriage preserver, a mind
and heart preserver, a family preserver, a preserver between boss and
employee, parent and child etc. We must cling to verses and even whole
chapters in the Bible when facing sin or temptation on the sea of life.
These experienced sailors knew to totally embrace God's promises because
of what they had learned from the apostle Paul. They arrived safely on
land, without so much as one hair fallen from the head of any of them!
Yes, God's Word proves certain in any storm.... Ladies, I hope that as
you sail through life, your testimony is proof of this very fact.
Matthew 14:33 (KJV)
Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a
truth thou art the Son of God.
God Bless,
Pam
Isaiah 60:1&2
Copyright 2000 Pamela A. Iannello
Revised 2004
