December 5, 2023 • 16 mins
Are you bracing yourself for life's storms? Allow us to guide you through the stormy seas, as we chart the course of Paul in Acts 27. We reveal hidden treasures within this story, demonstrating how Paul's unwavering faith and courage amid adversity became a beacon of hope. Promising a deeper understanding of seeking Godly counsel, we unravel the power of encouragement during trying times. Each of us may face tempestuous seas, but remember, our worth isn't gauged by worldly possessions but by the faith and trust we anchor in God.
Ever wondered about the power of God’s Word in the face of life’s challenges? Get ready to discover how choosing God's word over man's report can dramatically shift your perspective. Brace yourself for an enriching experience as we delve into the confidence of trusting in God's unique plan for you. Let's join hands to defy fear and discouragement, and learn to encourage others with God's words. Together, we'll learn to navigate each storm, with the assurance that through Jesus, victory is always within reach. This is not just another episode; it's your compass to weather any storm with courage.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
This is Faith Walk.
My name is Don Carpenter andtoday I've got a word of
encouragement for you.
I'm going to be basing it onActs 27.
This is when Paul was in theship in a major storm.
He had told them not to leaveCrete and conditions just
(00:32):
continued to grow worse.
Keeping up your courage whenyou're in the midst of a storm
it's easier said than donesometimes, and we can look at
here and we can find that Paulis finding himself, maybe just
(00:52):
like you, in a situation thatwas not of your making, but
somehow or another, events areunfolding in such a way that
it's a tremendous trial to you.
The thing about advice that Paulwas talking about you know
people are great for givingadvice.
(01:12):
You know lots of times peoplesay, well, listen to me, and
they aren't always people whohave the mind of the Lord or
know the mind of God.
But you know, advice that hasits origin in God.
You cannot buy that.
It's not advice that is worldly, it's not at human advice, it's
(01:39):
not somebody who says, well, Iremember when and this is what
happened, and none of that istaking place.
God's advice is based onbeginning to end knowledge.
It is a word that God will giveyou regarding the issue, your
issue, your storm.
(02:01):
Listen to God's advice.
His advice will come in prayersometimes.
Sometimes it comes throughgodly men and women that you
know that they have a word fromthe Lord for you.
Now, the thing about adviceit's expected to be followed
(02:23):
when it's given.
You know we give advice tosomebody and we expect them to
follow it out and it's going tohelp them solve their issue that
they're faced with.
When God gives advice, we'rethinking man, when this word
comes from God, they've got tofollow that, because you can't
get better advice or better wordthan from God.
(02:46):
But God's advice is never anidea.
It's not something that's risky.
His advice is not somethingthat may or may not be solid.
God's advice is always solid.
And another thing about God'sadvice you can count on this.
(03:10):
When God gives you advice, hehas your good in mind.
Sometimes people give us adviceand it's just tainted, maybe a
little bit.
That may serve them if youfollow that advice.
Have you ever heard someone sayor maybe you may have even said
(03:30):
this yourself, I should havelistened Well, advice, when you
follow God's advice, you'llalways be glad you're listening,
because God wants you to keepup your courage If you become
discouraged, and over aprolonged period of time, it is
(04:00):
easy to get discouraged.
If you look at the circumstanceand you look at it long enough,
you might get a hopeless feeling.
Do you know why encouragementis given?
The Bible tells us to encourageone another.
(04:22):
Christians are to encourage oneanother, and that's what Paul
was doing this day, talking tothe men that were on the ship in
the middle of the storm.
And that's when we need to beencouraged is when we find
ourselves in the middle of thestorm.
In verse 22 of Acts 27, paulsays keep up your courage.
(04:52):
Encouragement is the antidote orthe protection against
discouragement.
Let me tell you that again.
Encouragement is yourprotection against
discouragement.
Encouragement comes in when weno longer can see hope.
You know, all through the Biblewe can read about people who
(05:18):
were going through great stress,great problems, great battles,
and godly men and women alwayshad somebody.
God always had someone there toencourage them.
And when a godly man or womancomes across your path or that
(05:40):
you seek advice from them,remember they have been sent by
God to encourage you because Godwants to protect you against
your discouragement.
I'm thinking of Jonathan, theKing's son.
He encouraged David accordingto 1 Samuel 23, 16, and in 1
(06:01):
Thessalonians 5, verse 11, we asbelievers in Christ, to build
up one another.
So remember, encouragement isprotection against
discouragement.
And what a word.
Because they all thought theywere going to die.
(06:23):
They on that ship.
They've been in this storm fortwo weeks.
They haven't seen the light ofday.
Winds are howling, the rain isdriving, the waves are high, men
are seasick.
It's a terrible situation.
And then we get this word.
Paul gives them this word andhe says to them he says in verse
(06:50):
22, he tells them to keep uptheir courage and he says there
will be no loss of life.
Sometimes you're not necessarilygoing to save all the things
you're trying to save.
What is important is that youmust be encouraged, you must be
strengthened.
Your life does not consist inthings.
(07:12):
It's not your position in life,it's not how rich you are, it
doesn't matter how manypossessions you have.
When the enemy is attacking you, I'm telling you right now, the
greatest thing that you canpossess is to be encouraged, and
we have to always remember thatSometimes there's a great price
(07:35):
to pay.
But I'll tell you, I'm going toremain encouraged and I'm not
going to allow someone else'sbacksliding to tear me down, nor
am I going to find myself goinginto that position.
So we've got Paul the Apostlestanding here and he's about to
(07:56):
reveal onto these men how heknows these things.
You see, paul is a man of God.
You may be a man or a woman ofGod and God will speak things to
you and he'll be working foryou and doing things, and
oftentimes we're unaware, evenas believers, that God is
(08:18):
working.
Okay, God's not walked awayfrom you.
God has been looking for yourgood the moment you encountered
the adversity you're findingyourself in.
And there's Paul.
Reveals something to them.
(08:39):
They know he's a man of God.
There's been a lot of talk.
There's 276 men on board thisship and they've been talking
about this man of God calledPaul.
And here's what he tells him.
He says an angel of God stoodbefore me.
Paul thought it was necessaryto reveal onto them because he's
(09:05):
got a word from God for them.
It's just like when we go tochurch and the preacher says to
us that the Lord has given me amessage for you.
We should be listening when wehear that.
See, what is interesting isnobody else saw the angel.
No one else was aware thatthere was a heavenly visitor on
(09:32):
board that ship that was introuble, that ship that was
sinking, that ship that had 276men and they had no hope of ever
seeing land again.
But they were not aware thatGod was speaking to somebody on
(09:53):
board that ship and Paul wasministered to by an angel.
God was close by and the Lordwas standing between him and
certain death.
Men and women who are filledwith the Holy Spirit are
interceding for you.
(10:13):
You are not alone.
No storm, no storm can pass bywithout Jesus being involved.
Hallelujah, christ is in themidst of your storm and Paul
goes on to make it even stronger.
(10:33):
In verse 23 he says the God towhom I belong and I serve.
He made a declaration to tellthese men do you know that I
have a word from God for you?
And I've got a word from Godfor you today?
(10:56):
Be strong, for the Lord, yourGod, is with you.
It is so encouraging, as abeliever in Christ, knowing that
you can know.
Just think about that for amoment.
(11:17):
Paul heard the Christ.
He heard men calling out totheir strange and foreign gods.
Rigging was breaking off in thewind, storm winds were howling,
and yet in the midst of thestorm, paul had peace.
God was there, knowing that.
(11:40):
You can know.
Sometimes people say, well,don't go getting all spiritual
on me when you're losing hopeand there's no answers.
You thank God that there arepeople, that there are spiritual
people around you, because Godwants you to stay encouraged,
(12:04):
and you know what the word wasthat he gave them.
He says in verse 24,.
He says all who sail with you.
That's what God said.
God said I'm going to savetheir life All who sail with you
.
You know what made thedifference here the man of God.
He was the life that made thedifference among these 276
(12:27):
people.
There is somebody in your lifetoday who can make a difference,
because God has the power.
God is your protector, god isyour provider and God is not
forsaking you.
Hallelujah, it's not who youknow, friends, it's who you're
(12:52):
with.
And when you're with God,hallelujah, who can stand
against you With when you'rewith God?
That means you've got thatcovenant relationship with God
and that's what Paul had andthat's what holds you in the
midst of a storm.
I will not quit because of God.
(13:15):
And God wants you to say todayI will not quit, lord and
believers that you walk with.
They can also say we will notlet you quit.
We're going to pray for you,we're going to hang on for you.
We're going to claim you andyour family.
We're going to stand in faith.
(13:36):
We're going to spirituallydefend you and your loved ones.
We're commanding Satan to backaway and we are declaring God's
salvation to your unsafe familymembers and we're declaring
God's deliverance to you.
I like the confidence that Paulhad here In verse 25, he says I
(13:58):
believe God.
I believe God that it will turnout exactly as I've been told.
What has God told you?
Has God told you that he'sforsaking you?
Has God telling you today thathe doesn't love you anymore?
(14:19):
Is God telling you get away,leave him alone?
If you're hearing those kindsof words, you're not listening
to God.
There's another voice speakingin your life and there were men
on that ship who heard thatvoice of Satan speaking.
That's why such fear was inthem.
(14:40):
But you are hearing the voiceof God and I believe that when
you pray about somebody and youget a word of encouragement for
them, I believe you should goand tell them.
I believe you should contactthem and tell them that God has
not forsaken them.
Bible says in Revelation 3.6, hewho has an ear, let him hear
(15:02):
what the Spirit is saying to thechurch.
And I'm saying to you today, asa believer, I'm giving you a
word of the Lord.
You see, god has a tailor planfor your life.
He has a plan that is so uniquethat you can know that is
(15:24):
special for you.
But, believers, we base ourdecisions, we look at our
outcome.
That's based on God's word.
See, you made that greatdecision there to follow the
Lord.
And you made that greatdecision when you said Jesus is
(15:44):
Lord of my life.
And I've got to ask you, in themidst of your storm do not let
the circumstances bringdiscouragement Whose report?
Who are you going to listen to?
And I'm going to give you thereport of the Lord.
Man's report is often flawedand is sometimes futile and it
(16:09):
gives you false hope.
And it looks like it's theright thing.
But the word of the Lord is toyou today.
Be of good cheer, don't beafraid.
Victory is yours, in Jesus'name.
This is Faith Walk.
My name is Don Carpenter andtoday I've got a word of
encouragement for you.
I'm going to be basing it onActs 27.
This is when Paul was in theship in a major storm.
He had told them not to leaveCrete and conditions just
(00:32):
continued to grow worse.
Keeping up your courage whenyou're in the midst of a storm
it's easier said than donesometimes, and we can look at
here and we can find that Paulis finding himself, maybe just
(00:52):
like you, in a situation thatwas not of your making, but
somehow or another, events areunfolding in such a way that
it's a tremendous trial to you.
The thing about advice that Paulwas talking about you know
people are great for givingadvice.
(01:12):
You know lots of times peoplesay, well, listen to me, and
they aren't always people whohave the mind of the Lord or
know the mind of God.
But you know, advice that hasits origin in God.
You cannot buy that.
It's not advice that is worldly, it's not at human advice, it's
(01:39):
not somebody who says, well, Iremember when and this is what
happened, and none of that istaking place.
God's advice is based onbeginning to end knowledge.
It is a word that God will giveyou regarding the issue, your
issue, your storm.
(02:01):
Listen to God's advice.
His advice will come in prayersometimes.
Sometimes it comes throughgodly men and women that you
know that they have a word fromthe Lord for you.
Now, the thing about adviceit's expected to be followed
(02:23):
when it's given.
You know we give advice tosomebody and we expect them to
follow it out and it's going tohelp them solve their issue that
they're faced with.
When God gives advice, we'rethinking man, when this word
comes from God, they've got tofollow that, because you can't
get better advice or better wordthan from God.
(02:46):
But God's advice is never anidea.
It's not something that's risky.
His advice is not somethingthat may or may not be solid.
God's advice is always solid.
And another thing about God'sadvice you can count on this.
(03:10):
When God gives you advice, hehas your good in mind.
Sometimes people give us adviceand it's just tainted, maybe a
little bit.
That may serve them if youfollow that advice.
Have you ever heard someone sayor maybe you may have even said
(03:30):
this yourself, I should havelistened Well, advice, when you
follow God's advice, you'llalways be glad you're listening,
because God wants you to keepup your courage If you become
discouraged, and over aprolonged period of time, it is
(04:00):
easy to get discouraged.
If you look at the circumstanceand you look at it long enough,
you might get a hopeless feeling.
Do you know why encouragementis given?
The Bible tells us to encourageone another.
(04:22):
Christians are to encourage oneanother, and that's what Paul
was doing this day, talking tothe men that were on the ship in
the middle of the storm.
And that's when we need to beencouraged is when we find
ourselves in the middle of thestorm.
In verse 22 of Acts 27, paulsays keep up your courage.
(04:52):
Encouragement is the antidote orthe protection against
discouragement.
Let me tell you that again.
Encouragement is yourprotection against
discouragement.
Encouragement comes in when weno longer can see hope.
You know, all through the Biblewe can read about people who
(05:18):
were going through great stress,great problems, great battles,
and godly men and women alwayshad somebody.
God always had someone there toencourage them.
And when a godly man or womancomes across your path or that
(05:40):
you seek advice from them,remember they have been sent by
God to encourage you because Godwants to protect you against
your discouragement.
I'm thinking of Jonathan, theKing's son.
He encouraged David accordingto 1 Samuel 23, 16, and in 1
(06:01):
Thessalonians 5, verse 11, we asbelievers in Christ, to build
up one another.
So remember, encouragement isprotection against
discouragement.
And what a word.
Because they all thought theywere going to die.
(06:23):
They on that ship.
They've been in this storm fortwo weeks.
They haven't seen the light ofday.
Winds are howling, the rain isdriving, the waves are high, men
are seasick.
It's a terrible situation.
And then we get this word.
Paul gives them this word andhe says to them he says in verse
(06:50):
22, he tells them to keep uptheir courage and he says there
will be no loss of life.
Sometimes you're not necessarilygoing to save all the things
you're trying to save.
What is important is that youmust be encouraged, you must be
strengthened.
Your life does not consist inthings.
(07:12):
It's not your position in life,it's not how rich you are, it
doesn't matter how manypossessions you have.
When the enemy is attacking you, I'm telling you right now, the
greatest thing that you canpossess is to be encouraged, and
we have to always remember thatSometimes there's a great price
(07:35):
to pay.
But I'll tell you, I'm going toremain encouraged and I'm not
going to allow someone else'sbacksliding to tear me down, nor
am I going to find myself goinginto that position.
So we've got Paul the Apostlestanding here and he's about to
(07:56):
reveal onto these men how heknows these things.
You see, paul is a man of God.
You may be a man or a woman ofGod and God will speak things to
you and he'll be working foryou and doing things, and
oftentimes we're unaware, evenas believers, that God is
(08:18):
working.
Okay, God's not walked awayfrom you.
God has been looking for yourgood the moment you encountered
the adversity you're findingyourself in.
And there's Paul.
Reveals something to them.
(08:39):
They know he's a man of God.
There's been a lot of talk.
There's 276 men on board thisship and they've been talking
about this man of God calledPaul.
And here's what he tells him.
He says an angel of God stoodbefore me.
Paul thought it was necessaryto reveal onto them because he's
(09:05):
got a word from God for them.
It's just like when we go tochurch and the preacher says to
us that the Lord has given me amessage for you.
We should be listening when wehear that.
See, what is interesting isnobody else saw the angel.
No one else was aware thatthere was a heavenly visitor on
(09:32):
board that ship that was introuble, that ship that was
sinking, that ship that had 276men and they had no hope of ever
seeing land again.
But they were not aware thatGod was speaking to somebody on
(09:53):
board that ship and Paul wasministered to by an angel.
God was close by and the Lordwas standing between him and
certain death.
Men and women who are filledwith the Holy Spirit are
interceding for you.
(10:13):
You are not alone.
No storm, no storm can pass bywithout Jesus being involved.
Hallelujah, christ is in themidst of your storm and Paul
goes on to make it even stronger.
(10:33):
In verse 23 he says the God towhom I belong and I serve.
He made a declaration to tellthese men do you know that I
have a word from God for you?
And I've got a word from Godfor you today?
(10:56):
Be strong, for the Lord, yourGod, is with you.
It is so encouraging, as abeliever in Christ, knowing that
you can know.
Just think about that for amoment.
(11:17):
Paul heard the Christ.
He heard men calling out totheir strange and foreign gods.
Rigging was breaking off in thewind, storm winds were howling,
and yet in the midst of thestorm, paul had peace.
God was there, knowing that.
(11:40):
You can know.
Sometimes people say, well,don't go getting all spiritual
on me when you're losing hopeand there's no answers.
You thank God that there arepeople, that there are spiritual
people around you, because Godwants you to stay encouraged,
(12:04):
and you know what the word wasthat he gave them.
He says in verse 24,.
He says all who sail with you.
That's what God said.
God said I'm going to savetheir life All who sail with you
.
You know what made thedifference here the man of God.
He was the life that made thedifference among these 276
(12:27):
people.
There is somebody in your lifetoday who can make a difference,
because God has the power.
God is your protector, god isyour provider and God is not
forsaking you.
Hallelujah, it's not who youknow, friends, it's who you're
(12:52):
with.
And when you're with God,hallelujah, who can stand
against you With when you'rewith God?
That means you've got thatcovenant relationship with God
and that's what Paul had andthat's what holds you in the
midst of a storm.
I will not quit because of God.
(13:15):
And God wants you to say todayI will not quit, lord and
believers that you walk with.
They can also say we will notlet you quit.
We're going to pray for you,we're going to hang on for you.
We're going to claim you andyour family.
We're going to stand in faith.
(13:36):
We're going to spirituallydefend you and your loved ones.
We're commanding Satan to backaway and we are declaring God's
salvation to your unsafe familymembers and we're declaring
God's deliverance to you.
I like the confidence that Paulhad here In verse 25, he says I
(13:58):
believe God.
I believe God that it will turnout exactly as I've been told.
What has God told you?
Has God told you that he'sforsaking you?
Has God telling you today thathe doesn't love you anymore?
(14:19):
Is God telling you get away,leave him alone?
If you're hearing those kindsof words, you're not listening
to God.
There's another voice speakingin your life and there were men
on that ship who heard thatvoice of Satan speaking.
That's why such fear was inthem.
(14:40):
But you are hearing the voiceof God and I believe that when
you pray about somebody and youget a word of encouragement for
them, I believe you should goand tell them.
I believe you should contactthem and tell them that God has
not forsaken them.
Bible says in Revelation 3.6, hewho has an ear, let him hear
(15:02):
what the Spirit is saying to thechurch.
And I'm saying to you today, asa believer, I'm giving you a
word of the Lord.
You see, god has a tailor planfor your life.
He has a plan that is so uniquethat you can know that is
(15:24):
special for you.
But, believers, we base ourdecisions, we look at our
outcome.
That's based on God's word.
See, you made that greatdecision there to follow the
Lord.
And you made that greatdecision when you said Jesus is
(15:44):
Lord of my life.
And I've got to ask you, in themidst of your storm do not let
the circumstances bringdiscouragement Whose report?
Who are you going to listen to?
And I'm going to give you thereport of the Lord.
Man's report is often flawedand is sometimes futile and it
(16:09):
gives you false hope.
And it looks like it's theright thing.
But the word of the Lord is toyou today.
Be of good cheer, don't beafraid.
Victory is yours, in Jesus'name.
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