Sermon Seeds

Wind II – Symbols of the Holy Spirit

2009-08-15T13:00:00.000-07:00

Wind II – Symbols of the Holy Spirit

Hillcrest Church, August 15, 2009

Text

" Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him." 3 In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." 4 "How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!" 5 Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."" (John 3:1-8 NIV)

" When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them." (Acts 2:1-4 NIV)

Review

Last week, we learned several important things about the Holy Spirit by thinking about the wind.

The Holy Spirit is invisible.

In order to live in His fullness, we must be convinced of His reality.

The Holy Spirit is "feel-able."

In order to live in His fullness, we must cultivate spiritual sensitivity.

The Holy Spirit is inscrutable.

In order to live in His fullness, we must appreciate His mystery.

The Holy Spirit is unpredictable.

In order to live in His fullness, we must acknowledge His sovereignty.

In order to live in His fullness, we must be willing to respond to His initiatives.

Introduction

Today, we are going to learn three more important parallels between wind and the Holy Spirit.

This symbol is one of the most common in the Bible. In both the Old and New Testaments, in the original languages, the term "spirit" is linked to "wind." Jesus breathed on His disciples and told them to receive the Holy Spirit.

"22 And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit." (John 20:22 NIV)

The Holy Spirit is directional.

The Bible does not compare the Holy Spirit to air, but to wind.

The definition of wind is "air in motion."

Air is static; wind is always dynamic.

Wind is always going somewhere. It is always blowing in a direction.

We feel the breeze as the wind blows across our skin. It is coming from somewhere and it is going to somewhere.

We stand in the "middle" of a breeze.

The Holy Spirit always has a direction He wants to move in.

"The task of every generation is to find the direction in which the Holy Spirit is moving and then to move in that direction." (Jonathan Edwards per R.T. Kendall)

He wants to take us somewhere we have never gone so that we can become something we have never been and do things for God that we have never done.

The Holy Spirit comes to give each of us the power to go somewhere to help someone.

The Holy Spirit wants to send each of us into someone's world somewhere around the world.

The Holy Spirit always concerns Himself with missions…!

Not just evangelism, but also missions…!

A church without a foreign missions program is a weak church.

A church without a foreign missions program is a sick church.

A church without a foreign missions program is a powerless church.

A church without a foreign missions program is a dying church.

A church without a foreign missions program is a sinful church.

A church which prioritizes missions will be a blessed church.

Testimony of Tri-County Assemblies of God in Hamilton, Ohio. In spite of many problems and heavy indebtedness, they actually increased their missions giving and paid their building off over time against incredible odds!

Paul's promise to the Philippian Christians was given in the context of a reference to their missions commitment (their financial support of his missionary ministry).

" 10 I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me…14 …it was good of you to share in my troubles. 15 Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; 16 for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid again and again when I was in need….18 …I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. 19 And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:10-19 NIV)

This verse is not a blanket promise made to every Christian. It is a specific promise made to missions-minded Christians…!

Jesus said, "You will be witnesses around the world," not you "could" or you "should" or you "might" have a world-wide witness…! He said, "You will be witlessness…!"

The characterized the early Pentecostal movement. In fact, the original purpose for the first gathering of what has become the largest Pentecostal denomination (the Assemblies of God) was a missions consultation in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

Going to the ends of the earth implies change. In order to live in the fullness of the Holy Spirit, I must be willing to embrace Spirit-inspired change.

In order to live in the fullness of the Holy Spirit, I must be willing to follow His leadings.

The Holy Spirit is powerful.

This was the promise of Jesus to His disciples concerning the Holy Spirit.

" In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. 3 After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. 4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." 6 So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" 7 He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."" (Acts 1:1-8 NIV)

Notice the context of this promise of power and the contrast between their priorities and that of Jesus:

The disciples were concerned about God restoring the kingdom; Jesus spoke about expanding the kingdom.

They were interested in what God wanted to do for their country; Jesus spoke about what God wanted to do for other countries.

They were focused on what God would do for them; Jesus said the Holy Spirit would come to help them focus on others.

Selfishness has always been a core human problem.

The human heart is essentially selfish.

Sin, in fact, is always an expression of selfishness.

That is why Jesus said the most important commandments (the two primary keys to holiness) were loving God and loving people as ourselves!

" 28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" 29 "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' 31 The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."" (Mark 12:28-31 NIV)

It is also why John Wesley rarely used the term, "sanctification," but instead spoke of "perfect love."

The selfish nature of every human heart is why every church in the world has an inherent tendency to turn inward, to focus on meeting its own needs instead of focusing on meeting the needs of others, like a car with its front end out of line that constantly turns to one side.

But, the Holy Spirit comes to help us overcome those tendencies…!

The Holy Spirit comes to give us the power to overcome sin and to move beyond selfishness to selflessness.

" 16 So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature." (Galatians 5:16 NIV)

"16 My counsel is this: Live freely, animated and motivated by God's Spirit. Then you won't feed the compulsions of selfishness." (Galatians 5:16 The Message)

The Holy Spirit comes to give us the power to meet human need.

Example: man at the gate of the temple called Beautiful.

" One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. 2 Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. 4 Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, "Look at us!" 5 So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. 6 Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." 7 Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man's feet and ankles became strong. 8 He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. 9 When all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. 11 While the beggar held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon's Colonnade." (Acts 3:1-11 NIV)

" The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. 2 They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. 3 They seized Peter and John, and because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day." (Acts 4:1-3 NIV)

"18 Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John replied, "Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. 20 For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard." 21 After further threats they let them go. They could not decide how to punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had happened. 22 For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old. 23 On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. 24 When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. "Sovereign Lord," they said, "you made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them." (Acts 4:18-24 NIV)

"29 Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 30 Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus." 31 After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly." (Acts 4:29-31 NIV)

Peter had walked by this man every day without feeling compelled to respond to his needs, but now, having been filled with the Holy Spirit, he reached out his hand in response.

The Holy Spirit comes to give us the power to live a life beyond ourselves.

The Holy Spirit comes to give us the power to meet the needs of others.

In order to live in the fullness of the Holy Spirit, I must be willing to respond to the needs of others.

The Holy Spirit is beneficial.

On a natural level, we easily realize that the right amount of wind at the right time brings tremendous refreshing to our lives.

My Amish experience – without air conditioning, ice cream and a cool breeze felt mighty good!

Of course, in the natural, wind can also be destructive (tornado/hurricane), but on a spiritual level, there is never anything to fear.

Man does not have any more power over the wind than he does over the day of his death, but God does!

"8 No man has power over the wind to contain it; so no one has power over the day of his death…" (Ecclesiastes 8:8 NIV)

God establishes the force of the wind.

"25 When he established the force of the wind and measured out the waters, 26 when he made a decree for the rain and a path for the thunderstorm," (Job 28:25-26 NIV)

Even the stormy winds do his bidding.

"7 Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths, 8 lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do his bidding," (Psalm 148:7-8 NIV)

Satan stirred up winds to destroy Job's house, but God recompensed him!

"17 While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, "The Chaldeans formed three raiding parties and swept down on your camels and carried them off. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!" 18 While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, "Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother's house, 19 when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"" (Job 1:17-19 NIV)

"10 After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before. 11 All his brothers and sisters and everyone who had known him before came and ate with him in his house. They comforted and consoled him over all the trouble the Lord had brought upon him, and each one gave him a piece of silver and a gold ring. 12 The Lord blessed the latter part of Job's life more than the first. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys. 13 And he also had seven sons and three daughters. 14 The first daughter he named Jemimah, the second Keziah and the third Keren-Happuch. 15 Nowhere in all the land were there found women as beautiful as Job's daughters, and their father granted them an inheritance along with their brothers. 16 After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. 17 And so he died, old and full of years." (Job 42:10-17 NIV)

The Holy Spirit comes to edify the Body of Christ.

"3 But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening (KJV – edification), encouragement and comfort." (1 Corinthians 14:3 NIV)

"11 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12 to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ." (Ephesians 4:11-13 NIV)

In Scripture, God often used wind to bring blessings:

Provision – quail

"31 Now a wind went out from the Lord and drove quail in from the sea. It brought them down all around the camp to about three feet above the ground, as far as a day's walk in any direction. 32 All that day and night and all the next day the people went out and gathered quail. No one gathered less than ten homers. Then they spread them out all around the camp." (Numbers 11:31-32 NIV)

They responded wrongly and the flesh began to rot in their teeth, but God's provision came through the wind.

Deliverance – parting waters

Same wind brought judgment to wicked and deliverance to the innocent (cf. locusts)

"21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided," (Exodus 14:21 NIV)

"13 So Moses stretched out his staff over Egypt, and the Lord made an east wind blow across the land all that day and all that night. By morning the wind had brought the locusts; 14 they invaded all Egypt and settled down in every area of the country in great numbers. Never before had there been such a plague of locusts, nor will there ever be again. 15 They covered all the ground until it was black. They devoured all that was left after the hail—everything growing in the fields and the fruit on the trees. Nothing green remained on tree or plant in all the land of Egypt. 16 Pharaoh quickly summoned Moses and Aaron and said, "I have sinned against the Lord your God and against you. 17 Now forgive my sin once more and pray to the Lord your God to take this deadly plague away from me." 18 Moses then left Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord. 19 And the Lord changed the wind to a very strong west wind, which caught up the locusts and carried them into the Red Sea. Not a locust was left anywhere in Egypt." (Exodus 10:13-19 NIV)

Refreshing - rain

"41 And Elijah said to Ahab, "Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain." 42 So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees. 43 "Go and look toward the sea," he told his servant. And he went up and looked. "There is nothing there," he said. Seven times Elijah said, "Go back." 44 The seventh time the servant reported, "A cloud as small as a man's hand is rising from the sea." So Elijah said, "Go and tell Ahab, 'Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.' " 45 Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain came on and Ahab rode off to Jezreel." (1 Kings 18:41-45 NIV)

New beginning – after Noah, winds caused the waters to recede.

"1 But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded." (Genesis 8:1 NIV)

In Scripture, there is even a connection between wind and angels.

"1 Praise the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty. 2 He wraps himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent 3 and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters. He makes the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind. 4 He makes winds his messengers, flames of fire his servants." (Psalm 104:1-4 NIV)

"1 Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty. 2 Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain: 3 Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters: who maketh the clouds his chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind: 4 Who maketh his angels
spirits; his ministers a flaming fire:" (Psalm 104:1-4 KJV)

In order to benefit from the power of the wind, we must position ourselves correctly.

Through my personal fascination with sailing, I am coming to better understand the value of wind. Sails have "trailers" that come off of the sail to help a sailor know if his sails are positioned correctly or not.

Our contemplative prayer class will help you learn to sense the moving of the Holy Spirit.

Some "places" are known to be more windy than others.

Sometimes revival is like that.

Concept of "prevailing winds" (sailing classes at Lake Ray Hubbard, the Gulf Stream – sailboats off the coast of the U.S.A., but sometimes weather patterns change.

In order to live in the fullness of the Holy Spirit, I must be willing to rely on His resources.

conclusion

The wind is invincible.

You cannot "stop" the wind.

You can wait out a storm, but you cannot stop it…!

Every knee will bow…what will you do now?

Keys to God’s Kingdom Economy – Generosity vs. Greed III, February 22, 2009

2009-03-14T15:24:00.001-07:00

Keys to Kingdom Economy – Generosity vs. Greed III

Hillcrest Church, Sunday, February 22, 2009

Text

" 6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 9 As it is written: "He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever." 10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God." (2 Corinthians 9:6-11 NIV)

Introduction / Review

God's economy is based on stewardship instead of ownership.

God's economy involves the supernatural as well as the natural.

God's economy is characterized by abundance instead of lack.

God's economy operates by faith instead of fear.

God's economy results in generosity instead of greed.

God's pathway to prosperity

My journey will take time.

My journey will help me grow.

The Israelites were told to never forget:

Where they came from (Egypt)
How they got there (through the desert by God's direction, protection – scorpions, snakes, and provision-manna and water.)
Who it is that brought them there (the Lord your God and not you!)
What they were– (sons who inherited a covenant but who sometimes still needed discipline)
"⁵Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you. " (Deuteronomy 8:5 NIV)

My journey will benefit others.

My journey will bring God glory.

It will demonstrate God's faithfulness ("confirm His covenant")
It will give me a testimony to share with others that will inspire them to trust, obey, and worship God.
"18 But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today." (Deuteronomy 8:18 NIV)

God's Kingdom economy results in generosity vs. greed

From the time God revealed Himself to Abraham, this has been central to everything He has done for anyone in the human family.

His blessings are never JUST about us. They are always ALSO about others.

We are "blessed to be a blessing…!"

" The Lord had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. 2 "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."" (Genesis 12:1-3 NIV)

God cares just as much about the economic well being of others as He does about my economic well being.

Three things to remember that will help us keep this in perspective:

God grants me prosperity through His grace.

God does not prosper us because we are better than others…!

The journey He takes us on from our "Egypt," our "land of not enough," to our "Canaan," our "land of more than enough," through our "desert," our "land of more than enough," will be tailor designed by Him to help us always remember that we sometimes fail God.

God was very explicit in saying through Moses that the Israelites were given the Promised Land because of the inhabitant's sin, not because of their own righteousness…!

"⁴After the Lord your God has driven them out before you, do not say to yourself, "The Lord has brought me here to take possession of this land because of my righteousness." No, it is on account of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord is going to drive them out before you.
⁵It is not because of your
righteousness or your integrity that you are going in to take possession of their land; but on account of the wickedness of these nations, the Lord your God will drive them out before you, to accomplish what he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. ⁶Understand, then, that it is not because of your righteousness that the Lord your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stiff-necked people. ⁷Remember this and NEVER FORGET how you
provoked the Lord your God to anger in the desert. From the day you left Egypt until you arrived here, you have been rebellious against the Lord." (Deuteronomy 9:4-7, NIV)

"⁶For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession. ⁷The Lord did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. ⁸But it was because the Lord loved you and kept the oath he swore to your forefathers that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. ⁹Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands." (Deuteronomy 7:6-9, NIV)

Never think when God prospers you than your friends or exalts above your peers that He loves you more than them or that you have some kind of special "dispensation of His grace."

God establishes the parameters of my prosperity according to His sovereign plan for my life.

The Israelites were not given everyone's land, only that belonging to certain peoples, who were coming under God's judgment after an extended period of time.

"17 After Abram returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him, the king of Sodom came out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley). 18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High
[two kings representing two kingdoms and two economies – Abraham had to choose which one he would deem most important…!], 19 and he blessed Abram, saying, "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. 20 And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand." Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything. [Abraham was blessed by Melchizedek before he tithed and whether or not he tithed, but God then added an extra blessing because he tithed…!] 21 The king of Sodom said to Abram, "Give me the people and keep the goods for yourself." 22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I have raised my hand to the Lord, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, and have taken an oath 23 that I will accept nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or the thong of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, 'I made Abram rich.' 24 I will accept nothing but what my men have eaten and the share that belongs to the men who went with me—to Aner, Eshcol and Mamre. Let them have their share." After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your SHIELD, your VERY great REWARD."

Be sure and note this new level of relationship between God and Abraham…and cross reference with God's promise in Malachi…!

God now said that He would be Abraham's:

SHIELD (literally, "sovereign" in Hebrew, i.e., "Lord") – PROTECTION – "…rebuke the devourer…"

VERY great reward – PROSPERITY – "…open the windows of heaven…"

… 2 But Abram said, "O Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?" 3 And Abram said, "You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir." 4 Then the word of the Lord came to him: "This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir." 5 He took him OUTSIDE
and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars—if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be." 6 Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness. 7 He also said to him, "I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it." 8 But Abram said, "O Sovereign Lord, how can I know that I will gain possession of it?" 9 So the Lord said to him, "Bring me a heifer, a goat and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon." 10 Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other; the birds, however, he did not cut in half. 11 Then birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away. 12 As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him. 13 Then the Lord said to him, "Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. 14 But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. 15 You, however, will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a good old age. 16 In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure." 17 When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces. 18 On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram and said, "To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates— 19 the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, 20 Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, 21 Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites." " (Genesis 14:17-15:21 NIV)

We must keep this in mind as we believe God for an "end-time" transfer of wealth from the wicked to the righteous. The word, "wicked," is a very strong word. I do not believe it means those who sin in ignorance, but, rather, those who sin with full knowledge of what their actions mean..

"22 A good man leaves an inheritance for his children's children, but a sinner's wealth is stored up for the righteous." (Proverbs 13:22 NIV)

"22 A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just." (Proverbs 13:22 KJV)

This promise was never meant to cause us to have a cavalier or covetous attitude toward those who do not know the Lord.

We should have the heart of Jesus toward even the wicked. Concerning the men who were nailing Him to the cross He prayed, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing. (Luke 23:34)"

We must always remember: "The same God who took it away from others because of their wickedness can take it away from us if we walk in wickedness…!"

"¹⁷You may say to yourself, "My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me." ¹⁸But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today. ¹⁹If you ever forget the Lord your God and follow other gods and worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely be destroyed. ²⁰Like the nations the Lord destroyed before you, so you will be destroyed for not obeying the Lord your God. " (Deuteronomy 8:17-20, NIV)

One very sobering passage in Scripture is found during the life of Moses when God's patience ran out with the Israelites and He told Moses, "Get out of my way. I will destroy this people and make a new one out of you…!"

"7 Then the Lord said to Moses, "Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt, have become corrupt. 8 They have been quick to turn away from what I commanded them and have made themselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf. They have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and have said, 'These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.' 9 "I have seen these people," the Lord said to Moses, "and they are a stiff-necked people. 10 Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation." 11 But Moses sought the favor of the Lord his God. "O Lord," he said, "why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand? 12 Why should the Egyptians say, 'It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth'? Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster on your people. 13 Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self: 'I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever.' " 14 Then the Lord relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened." (Exodus 32:7-14 NIV)

"6 Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes 7 and said to the entire Israelite assembly, "The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. 8 If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. 9 Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will swallow them up. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them." 10 But the whole assembly talked about stoning them. Then the glory of the Lord appeared at the Tent of Meeting to all the Israelites. 11 The Lord said to Moses, "How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the miraculous signs I have performed among them? 12 I will strike them down with a plague and destroy them, but I will make you into a nation greater and stronger than they." 13 Moses said to the Lord, "Then the Egyptians will hear about it! By your power you brought these people up from among them." (Numbers 14:6-13 NIV)

As Jesus put it,

"8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham." (Luke 3:8 NIV, also Matthew 3:9)

God determines how much is "enough" for each one of us. Every tribe had its assigned place and space in the land, etc, chosen by God in advance.

That is the lesson from the Apostle Paul:

"
¹⁰I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. ¹¹I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. ¹²I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. ¹³I can do everything through him who gives me strength." (Philippians 4:10-13, NIV)

Proverbs echoes this same sentiment:

"8 Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient
["of my allotment"] for me: 9 Lest I be full["have too much" NIV], and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain." (Proverbs 30:8-9 KJV)

"8 Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. 9 Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, 'Who is the Lord?' Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God." (Proverbs 30:8-9 NIV)

God never intends for my prosperity to result in someone else's poverty.

They were specifically told not to plunder certain tribes.
Abraham had been told not to accept wealth from certain sources that would take away from God's glory and now God told them not to plunder the descendants of Esau, etc.

" Then we turned back and set out toward the desert along the route to the Red Sea, as the Lord had directed me. For a long time we made our way around the hill country of Seir. ²Then the Lord said to me, ³"You have made your way around this hill country long enough; now turn north. ⁴Give the people these orders: 'You are about to pass through the territory of your brothers the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir. They will be afraid of you, but be very careful. ⁵Do not provoke them to war, for I will NOT GIVE YOU any of their land, not even enough to put your foot on. I have given Esau the hill country of Seir as his own. ⁶You are to pay them in silver for the food you eat and the water you drink.' "" (Deuteronomy 2:1-6, NIV)

"⁹Then the Lord said to me, "Do not harass the Moabites or provoke them to war, for I will not give you any part of their land. I have given Ar to the descendants of Lot as a possession." … ¹⁶Now when the last of these fighting men among the people had died, ¹⁷the Lord said to me, ¹⁸"Today you are to pass by the region of Moab at Ar. ¹⁹When you come to the Ammonites, do not harass them or provoke them to war, for I will not give you possession of any land belonging to the Ammonites. I have given it as a possession to the descendants of Lot."" (Deuteronomy 2:9-19, NIV)

"³⁶From Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Gorge, and from the town in the gorge, even as far as Gilead, not one town was too strong for us. The Lord our God gave us all of them. ³⁷But in accordance with the command of the Lord our God, you did not encroach on any of the land of the Ammonites, neither the land along the course of the Jabbok nor that around the towns in the hills. " (Deuteronomy 2:36-37, NIV)

According to Paul at the Areopagus, God has established the boundaries of every ethnic group.

"²²Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: "Men of Athens! … ²⁶From one man he [God] made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. ²⁷God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us." (Acts 17:22-27, NIV)

In a certain sense, the original sin of Satan was to aspire to more than God had destined him for…!

Conclusion / Invitation

Giving is at the very heart of God's nature. What He wants from us is two simple things:

That we would give Him our hearts and lives.

That we would allow Him to help us become as giving as He is in every area of our lives and in every relationship in our lives.

The Cost of Ministry (Mark 2,1-12), PTN Sharathon, August 19, 2008

2008-08-24T20:40:00.000-07:00

The Cost of Ministry (Mark 2:1-12)

PTN Sharathon, August 19, 2008

Text

" A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. 2 So many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. 3 Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. 4 Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” 6 Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, 7 “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 8 Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? 9 Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? 10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins….” He said to the paralytic, 11 “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” 12 He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”" (Mark 2:1-12 NIV)

1. The reason for the crowd.

The people came when they heard Jesus was there. The best way to build any church or ministry is to preach Jesus, worship Jesus, exalt Jesus, minister Jesus, and entertain the manifest presence of Jesus through the powerful working of the Holy Spirit.

Throughout His earthly ministry, He drew great crowds of people and He still does today!

" 20 Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the Feast. 21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.”" (John 12:20-21 NIV)

2. The value of the individual.

Everywhere Jesus went, even when surrounded by great crowds, He always took time for the needy individual. His ear was attuned to their cry.

" 46 Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (that is, the Son of Timaeus), was sitting by the roadside begging. 47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 48 Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 49 Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.”" (Mark 10:46-49 NIV)

3. The necessity of faith.

When Jesus saw their faith, supernatural salvation and healing power flowed.

4. The importance of partnership.

This crippled man needed to come to Jesus, but he could not come to Jesus unless they went to him.

One man alone was not enough to bring this man to Jesus. It took four men partnering together, overlooking their individual personalities and opinions, to set the stage for this miracle.

5. The role of technology.

They used the technology of the day (“ropes”) to let the man down before Jesus. Living in Capernaum, a seaside town, their rough hands were used to handling these ropes. Today, instead of ropes, it takes television antennas and cameras and satellites and fiber optic cables to bring everyone to Jesus that needs to come to Him.

6. The need for miracles.

The ministry of Jesus and that of the disciples always combined declaration and demonstration. His miracles proved the validity of His message.

" 4 Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. 5 Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ there. 6 When the crowds heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs he did, they all paid close attention to what he said. 7 With shrieks, evil spirits came out of many, and many paralytics and cripples were healed. 8 So there was great joy in that city." (Acts 8:4-8 NIV)

7. The priority of salvation.

The first and greatest miracle Jesus performed was to speak a word of forgiveness to the man’s soul, thus bringing him salvation.

8. The reality of controversy.

The Jewish leaders were angered by two things:

· Jesus pronounced forgiveness of sins (something normally only done by the priests at the Temple after offering up a sacrifice). This struck them as blasphemous.

· Jesus moved in supernatural authority and ministered supernatural power. This always angers the religious establishment because it is outside their control.

9. The cost of ministry.

While Jesus spoke supernatural healing to the man, He did not speak supernatural repair to the roof! That took time, money, and energy. Ministry is always messy and ministry always costs money! Someone always has to be willing to pay the price to reach the multitudes and to effectively minister to their needs.

It is interesting to see how, in Simon Peter’s life, he first lent Jesus his boat, then his home. Peter had such a heart for his city that he was willing to shoulder the cost. In return, God gave him his country when he began functioning as the chief apostle to the Jews!

10. The outcome of obedience.

A great need was met and the crowd was all amazed (literally, “in ecstasy,” i.e., “out of their minds”) with joy at what happened.

It is always worth whatever it takes to reach the unreached with the Gospel of Jesus and in the name of Jesus…!

He that "… wins souls is wise." (Proverbs 11:30 NIV)

"3 Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever." (Daniel 12:3 NIV)

When Darkness Gives Way to Dawn - What to Expect In the Morning (II), August 24, 2008

2008-08-24T19:49:00.000-07:00

When Morning Comes…(Part II)

Hillcrest Church, August 24, 2008

Text

" Once safely on shore, we found out that the island was called Malta. 2 The islanders showed us unusual kindness. They built a fire and welcomed us all because it was raining and cold. 3 Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand. 4 When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, "This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live." 5 But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects. 6 The people expected him to swell up or suddenly fall dead, but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god. 7 There was an estate nearby that belonged to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us to his home and for three days entertained us hospitably. 8 His father was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him and, after prayer, placed his hands on him and healed him. 9 When this had happened, the rest of the sick on the island came and were cured. 10 They honored us in many ways and when we were ready to sail, they furnished us with the supplies we needed. 11 After three months we put out to sea in a ship that had wintered in the island. It was an Alexandrian ship with the figurehead of the twin gods Castor and Pollux. 12 We put in at Syracuse and stayed there three days. 13 From there we set sail and arrived at Rhegium. The next day the south wind came up, and on the following day we reached Puteoli. 14 There we found some brothers who invited us to spend a week with them. And so we came to Rome. 15 The brothers there had heard that we were coming, and they traveled as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us. At the sight of these men Paul thanked God and was encouraged. 16 When we got to Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with a soldier to guard him." (Acts 28:1-16 NIV)

Introduction

Paul's four "Dark Nights of the Soul":

· The night of frustration and apparent fruitlessness (Troas - Macedonian vision – Acts 16)

· The night of fear and emotional depletion (Corinth – Acts 18)

· The night of controversy and self-examination (Jerusalem – Acts 23)

· The night of extreme circumstances (Mediterranean Sea – Acts 27)

Last week, we began dealing with "the morning after," Paul's "Malta moment."

First we noted the dynamic God used during the crisis to prepare and position Paul for leadership (prisoner – counselor – de-facto leader),:

· He distilled wisdom from experience

· He heard a fresh word from God when others heard nothing.

· He believed when others doubted. (This empowered him to do what others did not do.)

· He cared deeply about other people and knew that the outcome of his life directly impacted them.

· He understood the power of his own example.

· "There are times when one dedicated believer can change the whole atmosphere of a situation simply by trusting God and making that faith visible.^{^[1]}" (Warren Wiersbe)

Then, we began noting what Paul's " morning" was like:

· He had suffered unnecessary loss.

· He found himself in an unfamiliar place.

Let's go further this morning.

1. He had been thrust into an unexpected season.

Paul was a man who understood the value of time.^{^[i]}

"5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity." (Colossians 4:5 NIV)

"5 Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time." (Colossians 4:5 KJV)

"7 I do not want to see you now and make only a passing visit; I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits." (1 Corinthians 16:7 NIV)

"29 What I mean, brothers, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they had none;" (1 Corinthians 7:29 NIV)

"4 But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law," (Galatians 4:4 NIV)

"9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." (Galatians 6:9 NIV)

"7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace 8 that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. 9 And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ." (Ephesians 1:7-10 NIV)

"5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony given in its proper time." (1 Timothy 2:5-6 NIV)

"13 In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you 14 to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen." (1 Timothy 6:13-16 NIV

Time that would have been productive for praying, reflecting, writing, and ministering had they wintered where they should have was lost forever. Now, Paul found himself in an unfamiliar place, lacking the scrolls and parchments he both cherished and needed in order to focus on his work. It looked like an entire season of time had been lost and his time here on Malta would be wasted.

Are you going through some season in life that you did not see coming?

- A childless woman facing menopause?

- A hard-working career person facing postponed retirement?

- A grown child caring for a memory afflicted parent?

- A single person pushing back the panic that comes with the terrifying thought that you grappling with the sinking feeling that you may always live alone?

Are you somewhere you never thought you would be?

Are you in some segment or season or circumstance of life you thought would be a part of your journey or that you thought should be a part of your journey, that is now gone forever?

- Have you been displaced by Katrina or some other natural disaster?

- Have you fled a civil war in your home nation or moved to America hoping for greater prosperity only to find yourself facing unemployment?

- Are you a spouse suddenly living in an achingly empty house?

- Are you a homeowner who cannot pay your mortgage and now must move to another neighborhood? (Last year was the first since WWII when the average American home lost value! Our economy has put many people in an unexpected place.)

- Are you a student whose parents have moved or who through some other circumstance has been forced to transfer to another school?

What God did for Paul He will do for you…!

Wherever you are, however you got there, God wants to bless you and teach you and use you to bring blessing to others…!

Because Paul refused to allow bitterness to infiltrate his heart or to develop a critical or jealous spirit, God redeemed his time on Malta in two very important ways:

· God opened a very fruitful door of ministry for him there.

· God used that time to give him a testimony that has encouraged, comforted, and inspired many, many others…!

ou not only overcome persecution and temptation through "…the word of your testimony…(Rev. 12:11)" but you can also overcome the guilt of the failures of your past by bringing benefit to others through your story…!

Other examples from Paul's life show how he was able to redeem what others would have considered to be lost or wasted time.

- He preached one of his greatest sermons while he was waiting in Athens.

" 16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there... 19 Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, "May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting?... "22 Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: "Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you… 34 A few men became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others. " (Acts 17:16-17, 19, 22-23, 34 NIV)

- He wrote many of his best epistles while in prison.

" 9 Do your best to come to me quickly, 10 for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia. 11 Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry. 12 I sent Tychicus to Ephesus. 13 When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, and my scrolls, especially the parchments." (2 Timothy 4:9-13 NIV)

Many times, the "little" thing that you do while you are "waiting" for the "big" thing to happen turns out to be the "big" thing…!

In order for this to happen, you must make four critical choices:

· You must choose to move from bitterness and blame to forgiveness.

· You must choose to move from fear to faith.

· You choose to move your focus from your loss in the past to your life in the present.

· You choose to lift your eyes from your own needs and start looking at the needs of those around you.

Ø touch your eyes with the tips of your fingers and say aloud with me, "Lord, open my eyes by your spirit and help me to see what you want me to see in my surroundings."

As God opens your eyes, He will invariably show you the needs of other people around you. This is an extremely important part of the process when one finds oneself in a "Malta moment."

2. He was surrounded by an unknown people.

He did not have any friends, Christian brothers and sisters, or even acquaintances at Malta as was the case at some other stops on this same journey, i.e., Sidon (27:3) before the storm or Puteoli (28:13) and the Forum of Appius (28:15) after the storm:

"3 The next day we landed at Sidon; and Julius, in kindness to Paul, allowed him to go to his friends so they might provide for his needs." (Acts 27:3 NIV)

"13 From there we set sail and arrived at Rhegium. The next day the south wind came up, and on the following day we reached Puteoli. 14 There we found some brothers who invited us to spend a week with them. And so we came to Rome. 15 The brothers there had heard that we were coming, and they traveled as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us. At the sight of these men Paul thanked God and was encouraged. 16 When we got to Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with a soldier to guard him." (Acts 28:13-16 NIV)

Because he was surrounded by unknown people…

· There was not anyone to care for him.

· There was not anyone to sympathize or commiserate with him.

· There was not anyone to appreciate his gifts.

· There was not anyone to honor him for his past sacrifices

· There is not even any specific mention of anyone ever thanking him for his extraordinary leadership during the crisis just passed, neither captain, centurion, soldier, or prisoner…! (The prisoners had been in double jeopardy, both from the soldiers and from the storm…!)

SOMETIMES IN LIFE, THE PEOPLE YOU HELP THE MOST SEEM TO APPRECIATE IT THE LEAST…! When that happens, rejoice in the fact that you are becoming more like Jesus than before…! (Only one out of ten lepers returned to thank Jesus, etc.)

Part of what God had been doing in Paul's life during the preceding chapters of the Book of Acts was establishing his reputation among a certain sphere of influence, thereby positioning Paul to exercise his apostolic ministry among that network of churches and that group of people.

Now, in this new place, through no fault of his own, but simply as a result of his circumstances, he not only found himself lacking his good reputation, but Satan saw to it that he quickly developed a bad reputation by seizing a cultural "key" as a means to discredit him…! God, however, delivered Paul and used that same "key" to quickly restore Paul's reputation…!

"4 When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, "This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live."" (Acts 28:4 NIV)

Ancients argued in courts that their survival of troubles at sea proved their piety and hence innocence; on the importance of arguing Paul's innocence, see the introduction to Acts. In some stories, the impious escaped one form of terrible death (e.g., at sea) only to face something worse (besides Greek stories, see Amos 5:19). "Justice" was a goddess who executed the will of Fortune or the Fates; although the Maltese observers refer to some Punic deity, Luke translates their idea into the idiom of Greek poets…Some Greek initiates to mystery cults may have practiced snake handling. Paul simply deals in faith with a situation thrust upon him.

28:6. Whenever similar stories were told, those who survived bites from poisonous snakes or lizards were considered holy men (e.g., the pious Jewish holy man Hanina ben Dosa); Greco-Roman paganism often considered such holy men to be divine or semidivine. …(IVP)

One of the most important skills we can learn in life is the ability to perceive where we are and how God wants us to function here, realizing that it may be very different from the way we functioned there…!

This is true on the job, in ministry, when marrying into an extended family, when enrolling in a new school, etc.

God used this opportunity to connect Paul with new people.

New relationships rarely feel as comfortable or as valuable as old relationships.

Do not make the common, yet tragic, mistake of allowing your relational loss to rob you of your relational future…!

His new relationships brought new opportunities for ministry and for prosperity.

Ø Say it out loud with me, "Lord, I commit to you today that I will open my heart and my life to the new relationships you want to bring me in this new place and this new season of my life."

3. He was facing unusual opportunities.

· Unusual witness (both to Maltans and to us…!)

· Unusual favor ("…islanders showed us unusual kindness…built a fire and welcomed us…")

The Maltese were of Phoenician descent, and commoners there spoke and read only Punic (the late Phoenician dialect of the Carthaginians). But Roman citizens and retired soldiers also lived there, and the island was certainly not considered culturally primitive. Anyone who did not speak Greek was called a "barbarian," and Greeks did not expect kind treatment from them. (IVP)

· Unusual miracles ("…Publius, the chief official of the island…father was sick…")

Malta fever…(NBC)

…the Maltese were affected by a special sickness due to a microbe in the milk of the goats there; although such organisms would have mutated over the centuries, perhaps a similar illness is in view here. The attacks are intermittent, and the sickness described here is similar to malaria. (IVP)

· Unusual provision

God moved on the hearts of unknown people to make up Paul and Barnabas's loss (so he could rent his house in Rome?!)

"Green park bench testimony in Paris" (Word from God – "I am far too wise and I love you far too much than to meet your needs today through means that tomorrow would hinder you from doing my will!")

Car story in the 16^th (Following theft of "Ford," God gave us a " Volkswagen" – the car I wanted from the beginning…!)

THE "COIN" YOU NEED IS IN THE "FISH'S MOUTH…!

As you meet the needs of others, God will meet your needs!

True in ministry, true in the marketplace (Your value in the marketplace is determined by the needs you meet for others and the problems you solve for others…!)

" 24 After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax came to Peter and asked, "Doesn't your teacher pay the temple tax?" 25 "Yes, he does," he replied. When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak. "What do you think, Simon?" he asked. "From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes—from their own sons or from others?" 26 "From others," Peter answered. "Then the sons are exempt," Jesus said to him. 27 "But so that we may not offend them, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours." " (Matthew 17:24-27 NIV)

"18 Saul approached Samuel in the gateway and asked, "Would you please tell me where the seer's house is?" 19 "I am the seer," Samuel replied. "Go up ahead of me to the high place, for today you are to eat with me, and in the morning I will let you go and will tell you all that is in your heart. 20 As for the donkeys you lost three days ago, do not worry about them; they have been found. And to whom is all the desire of Israel turned, if not to you and all your father's family?"" (1 Samuel 9:18-20 NIV)

" At that time Abijah son of Jeroboam became ill, 2 and Jeroboam said to his wife, "Go, disguise yourself, so you won't be recognized as the wife of Jeroboam. Then go to Shiloh. Ahijah the prophet is there—the one who told me I would be king over this people. 3 Take ten loaves of bread with you, some cakes and a jar of honey, and go to him. He will tell you what will happen to the boy." 4 So Jeroboam's wife did what he said and went to Ahijah's house in Shiloh. Now Ahijah could not see; his sight was gone because of his age. 5 But the Lord had told Ahijah, "Jeroboam's wife is coming to ask you about her son, for he is ill, and you are to give her such and such an answer. When she arrives, she will pretend to be someone else." 6 So when Ahijah heard the sound of her footsteps at the door, he said, "Come in, wife of Jeroboam. Why this pretense? I have been sent to you with bad news." (1 Kings 14:1-6 NIV)

"26 But Elisha said to him, "Was not my spirit with you when the man got down from his chariot to meet you? Is this the time to take money, or to accept clothes, olive groves, vineyards, flocks, herds, or menservants and maidservants?" (2 Kings 5:26 NIV)

"32 Now Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. The king sent a messenger ahead, but before he arrived, Elisha said to the elders, "Don't you see how this murderer is sending someone to cut off my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door and hold it shut against him. Is not the sound of his master's footsteps behind him?"" (2 Kings 6:32 NIV)

"7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him." (Matthew 6:7-8 NIV)

Invitation

1. Do you need God to help you "make it through the night until morning comes" or to "maximize your Malta moment?"

2. Do you need to begin a relationship with Jesus Christ? There is no better time to do that than during a "dark night of the soul" or as the morning breaks following a stormy season in your life!

Maybe you have just gone through a divorce or you have just got out of jail or you have just lost a job or you have just started a new career or a new relationship. Right now is the right time to serve the Lord!

Notes:

IVP Bible Background commentary

28:1. Malta (ancient Melita) was on the shipping route from Rome to Egypt, whereby empty ships would sail quickly to Alexandria to load up more cargoes. …

28:2. The Maltese were of Phoenician descent, and commoners there spoke and read only Punic (the late Phoenician dialect of the Carthaginians). But Roman citizens and retired soldiers also lived there, and the island was certainly not considered culturally primitive. Anyone who did not speak Greek was called a "barbarian," and Greeks did not expect kind treatment from them. But Luke's use of the term translated "barbarous" (KJV) in this context (cf. "natives"—NASB; "islanders"—NIV) is not derisive; he indicts Greek racial prejudice at the same time that he displays God's providential care through them.

28:3. In cold weather some snakes can look like twigs until the heat of a fire stirs them.

28:4. Ancients argued in courts that their survival of troubles at sea proved their piety and hence innocence; on the importance of arguing Paul's innocence, see the introduction to Acts. In some stories, the impious escaped one form of terrible death (e.g., at sea) only to face something worse (besides Greek stories, see Amos 5:19). "Justice" was a goddess who executed the will of Fortune or the Fates; although the Maltese observers refer to some Punic deity, Luke translates their idea into the idiom of Greek poets. Several groups of Jewish catacombs dating between the second and fifth centuries a.d. have been found on the island; but if Jewish people were on the island in the first century, this narrative does not mention them.

28:5. Adam's rule over the beasts (Gen 1:26) was cut short by the Fall, but Jewish interpreters of Isaiah 11:6–9 believed that this rule would be restored in the messianic time, and a few holy men were believed to have that power in the present age. Some Greek initiates to mystery cults may have practiced snake handling. Paul simply deals in faith with a situation thrust upon him.

28:8–10. In subsequent times the Maltese were affected by a special sickness due to a microbe in the milk of the goats there; although such organisms would have mutated over the centuries, perhaps a similar illness is in view here. The attacks are intermittent, and the sickness described here is similar to malaria.

28:11. The seas opened as early as February 8 or as late as March 10, depending on the weather; in the year in view here they seem to open toward the earlier date. On Alexandrian ships see comment on 27:6; like most ships, this one would have harbored on the other side of the island. Ships were named for their patron deity (e.g., "the Isis") in whose protection they trusted and whose image was used as the ship's figurehead. The Dioscuri (Castor and Pollux, twin heroes, sons of Zeus who had been deified) were considered special protectors of ships, on whom one might call in a storm…

28:14. The Jewish community in Puteoli had been there a long time, as had Egyptian and Phoenician cults. As the regular port receiving visitors from the East, it naturally received foreign religions as well as goods. Thus it is not surprising to find Christians there; but readers of Luke's day might be more surprised that these Christians offer hospitality to Paul's captors, who accept it from them.

28:15. In older times, isolated inns had grown into larger settlements that retained the names of the inns. One of these was the Tres Tabernae, or Three Inns, thirty-three Roman miles from Rome on the ancient and famous Appian Way. The "Market of Appius," or Appii Forum, was about forty-three miles from Rome on the same paved road. Jewish communities had existed in Italy for a long time and may have formed the basis for the first Christian groups there (cf. 2:10).

New Bible Commentary

27:1–28:31 To Rome itself

27:1–12 Paul sails for Rome. … 1–2 The narrator once again uses we (see on 16:10; 21:8), to indicate his own presence on the voyage. The other notable characters in the story include a centurion named Julius, some other prisoners who were also in his charge and the Christian Aristarchus. About the latter, however, Acts does not tell any more (but see Col. 4:10 and Phm. 24, perhaps written during Paul's captivity in Rome).

27:13–44 Storm and shipwreck. The events of this final voyage to Rome might itself be considered a trial scene: trial by nature. There are various tales in the ancient world of people who commit crimes and though they escape from their human prosecutors, the gods, notably Poseidon the sea god, find them and punish them. That the sea 'spared' Paul through the shipwreck would not, of course, make the same supernatural point for Luke and for Christians, but the escape from the sea would have been charged with significance for most Gentiles of Luke's time (see 28:4 below)…

21–26 Paul's speech appears at first to have a touch of 'I told you so' about it, but in fact his previous advice is highlighted in order that the ship's crew might have more cause to believe this latest 'forecast', which came to Paul from God, through an angel. Not that everything was going to come out fine, there was to be danger and loss, but everyone would survive. The main thrust of Paul's address is found twice in the space of five verses: Keep up your courage, men.

The speech also tells us something about the nature of accidents and tragedies…

33–38 …Although some of the cargo had already been abandoned (18), the grain appears to have been retained as ballast. Now that the objective was to be beaching the ship, the higher it could be made to ride in the water, the better. It may have been the decision to throw the grain overboard that occasioned Paul's call for the people to eat first…

7–10 Eventually the party made contact with the Roman governor of the island, Publius. The sickness suffered by his father and cured by Paul is often thought to have been a local affliction caused by contamination of goat's milk (known widely as 'Malta fever'). Healing came about through prayer and the laying on of hands, and the prominence of the person healed led to much publicity. We may assume that Paul and the other Christians in the party preached the good news and had at least some success, even though the text is curiously silent about the matter, saying only that the natives honoured us in many ways. The islanders' good will stood the whole party in good stead and when we were ready to sail, they furnished us with the supplies we needed (10).^{^[2]}

^{^[1]}Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, "An Exposition of the New Testament Comprising the Entire 'BE' Series"--Jkt. (Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books, 1996, c1989), Ac 27:21.

mystery cults *Mystery cults. A diverse group of Greek cults entered only by special initiation. The details of the initiation were to be kept entirely secret, although one could join a number of these societies. Apart from secrets and initiations, they varied widely in popularity, antiquity and appeal to different social classes.

KJV King James Version

NASB New American Standard Bible

NIV New International Version

narrative Narrative. Story form (applied to both true and fictitious stories), as opposed to other literary forms, like explanatory discourse.

messianic *Messiah. The rendering of a Hebrew term meaning "anointed one," equivalent to the original sense of the Greek term translated "Christ." In the Old Testament, different kinds of people were anointed, and some of the Dead Sea Scrolls mention two main anointed ones in the end time, a king and a priest. But the common expectation reflected in the biblical Psalms and Prophets was that one of David's royal descendants would take the throne again when God reestablished his kingdom for Israel. Most people believed that God would somehow have to intervene to put down Roman rule so the Messiah's kingdom could be secure; many seem to have thought this intervention would be accomplished through force of arms. Various messianic figures arose in first-century Palestine, expecting a miraculous intervention from God; all were crushed by the Romans. (Jesus was the only one claimed to have been resurrected; he was also one of the only messiahs claiming Davidic descent, proof of which became difficult for any claimants arising after a.d. 70.)

^{^[2]}D. A. Carson, New Bible Commentary : 21st Century Edition, Rev. Ed. of: The New Bible Commentary. 3rd Ed. / Edited by D. Guthrie, J.A. Motyer. 1970., 4th ed. (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, Ill., USA: Inter-Varsity Press, 1994), Ac 25:13-28:1.

^{^[i]} "6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly." (Romans 5:6 NIV)

"11 And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed." (Romans 13:11 NIV)

"5 Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God." (1 Corinthians 4:5 NIV)

"29 What I mean, brothers, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they had none;" (1 Corinthians 7:29 NIV)

"7 I do not want to see you now and make only a passing visit; I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits." (1 Corinthians 16:7 NIV)

"4 But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law," (Galatians 4:4 NIV)

"9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." (Galatians 6:9 NIV)

"5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony given in its proper time." (1 Timothy 2:5-6 NIV)

When Darkness Gives Way to Dawn - What to Expect In the Morning, August 16, 2008

2008-08-17T07:24:00.000-07:00

When Morning Comes…

Hillcrest Church

August 17, 2008

Text

"33 Just before dawn Paul urged them all to eat. “For the last fourteen days,” he said, “you have been in constant suspense and have gone without food—you haven’t eaten anything. 34 Now I urge you to take some food. You need it to survive. Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head.” 35 After he said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat. 36 They were all encouraged and ate some food themselves. 37 Altogether there were 276 of us on board. 38 When they had eaten as much as they wanted, they lightened the ship by throwing the grain into the sea. 39 When daylight came, they did not recognize the land, but they saw a bay with a sandy beach, where they decided to run the ship aground if they could. 40 Cutting loose the anchors, they left them in the sea and at the same time untied the ropes that held the rudders. Then they hoisted the foresail to the wind and made for the beach. 41 But the ship struck a sandbar and ran aground. The bow stuck fast and would not move, and the stern was broken to pieces by the pounding of the surf. 42 The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners to prevent any of them from swimming away and escaping. 43 But the centurion wanted to spare Paul’s life and kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land. 44 The rest were to get there on planks or on pieces of the ship. In this way everyone reached land in safety. Once safely on shore, we found out that the island was called Malta. 2 The islanders showed us unusual kindness. They built a fire and welcomed us all because it was raining and cold. 3 Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand. 4 When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, “This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live.” 5 But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects. 6 The people expected him to swell up or suddenly fall dead, but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god. 7 There was an estate nearby that belonged to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us to his home and for three days entertained us hospitably. 8 His father was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him and, after prayer, placed his hands on him and healed him. 9 When this had happened, the rest of the sick on the island came and were cured. 10 They honored us in many ways and when we were ready to sail, they furnished us with the supplies we needed." (Acts 27:33-28:10 NIV)

Introduction

Paul’s four “Dark Nights of the Soul”:

· The night of frustration and apparent fruitlessness (Troas - Macedonian vision – Acts 16)

· The night of fear and emotional depletion (Corinth – Acts 18)

· The night of controversy and self-examination (Jerusalem – Acts 23)

· The night of extreme circumstances (Mediterranean Sea – Acts 27)

Today, we are going to deal with “the morning after,” Paul’s “Malta moment” after a night so extreme that 27:20 says, “…we finally gave up all hope of being saved…” and vs. 29 says they, “…prayed for daylight.”

Through that crisis, God had actually positioned Paul for even greater leadership as he experienced increasing, God-given favor and influence with those sailing on the ship with him. He had started the voyage as a prisoner, but he became a trusted counselor, then the de facto leader…!)

How and why did this happen?

- He distilled wisdom from experience. (cf. “see” in vs. 27:10 literally means “to perceive from past experience…”)^{^[1]} Wisdom is not the automatic byproduct of experience. “There is no fool like an old fool.” (Vera Brand)

- He heard a fresh word from God. This caused him to know what others did not know! I believe it came as a result of seeking God in his storm.

- He had learned to believe when others doubted. (This empowered him to do what others did not do, to lead when others followed!)

- He cared deeply about other people and knew that the outcome of his life directly impacted them. “God has given me the lives of all who sail with me…so keep up your courage…for I have faith in God that it will happen just as the angel told me…” (27:24-25)

- He understood the power of his own example. He took bread, gave thanks, and ate it “…in front of them all…” (27:35), encouraging the others to do the same, saying, “ …you will need it to survive…” (27:34)

“There are times when one dedicated believer can change the whole atmosphere of a situation simply by trusting God and making that faith visible.^{^[2]}” (Warren Wiersbe)

Through this process, Paul developed such credibility with the centurion and the captain that they actually cut the lifeboat loose (27:32) and saved Paul’s life when the soldiers wanted to kill him and the other prisoners…! (27:43)

God can do for you what He did for Paul. He can not only protect you in your crisis, but He can use it to prepare, promote, and prosper you if you will do what Paul did!

A crisis around you sets the stage for God’s gifts to manifest through you…! Crises do not make a person, they merely reveal who a person really is!

“The darker the night, the nearer the dawn…” (Vera Brand)

As you reach out to the Lord, He will bring you through whatever night season you are in. He wants to prepare you for what will follow and He wants to position you to move forward in faith into your future through the experience of the Apostle Paul.

When darkness gives way to dawn, what will morning look like?

When Paul crawled up out of the surf following his “Night of Extreme Circumstances,” his “morning” was shaped by five realities…

1. He had experienced unnecessary loss.

· This was true with Jonah (merited) and it was true with Paul (unmerited).

· Once on shore, Paul never looked back…! There isn’t any record that he ever reprimanded the captain or the centurion or ever spoke of their unwise decision again, even though the consequences on his own life had been dramatic and very far-reaching.

· “Could’ve, would’ve, should’ve … ain’t…!” (Walter Fletcher)

· Three of the truest measures of your character are those things that you are willing to forgive, forsake, and forget…!

" 12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead," (Philippians 3:12-13 NIV)

" 12 I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. 13 Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. 14 I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back. " (Philippians 3:12-14 The Message)

You cannot grasp the future while you are holding onto the past…!

Ø Hold out your hand and Say it aloud with me: “Lord, I choose to let go of my past so I can take hold of my future…”

2. He was in an unfamiliar place.

We all like familiar places.

The older we get, the more this is true. The more we travel, the more this is true.

Even Paul, who felt compelled by his calling to go to new places, returned periodically to those places he had already been, to those places where he had “connected” in a special way in his church-planting ministry (compare his successive missionary journeys.)

Returning to familiar places is important in order to maintain long-term relationships, but sometimes God deliberately takes us places we have never been before.

God sometimes takes where we have never gone, so He can show us what we have never seen so He can teach us what we have never known so we can become what we have never been in order to do what we have never done.

Malta was not on Paul’s original itinerary. It was not even on his list of places that he longed to visit like Rome or Spain…! (Romans 15:23-24)

Are you somewhere you never thought you would be?

Are you in some segment or season or circumstance of life you thought would be a part of your journey or that you thought should be a part of your journey, that is now gone forever?

- Have you been displaced by Katrina or some other natural disaster?

- Have you fled a civil war in your home nation or moved to America hoping for greater prosperity only to find yourself facing unemployment?

- Are you a spouse suddenly living in an achingly empty house?

- Are you a student whose parents have moved or who through some other circumstance has been forced to transfer to another school?

Wherever you are, however you got there, God wants to bless you and teach you and use you to bring blessing to others…!

In order for this to happen, you must choose to move from fear to faith. You must shift your focus from your loss in the past to your life in the present. You must life your eyes from your own needs and start looking at the needs of those around you.

Ø touch your eyes with the tips of your fingers and say aloud with me, “Lord, open my eyes by your spirit and help me to see what you want me to see in my surroundings.”

3. He had been thrust into an unexpected season.

Paul was a man who understood the value of time.^{^[i]}

"5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity." (Colossians 4:5 NIV)

"5 Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time." (Colossians 4:5 KJV)

"7 I do not want to see you now and make only a passing visit; I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits." (1 Corinthians 16:7 NIV)

Time that would have been productive for praying, reflecting, writing, and ministering had they wintered where they should have was lost forever. Now, Paul found himself in an unfamiliar place, lacking the scrolls and parchments he both cherished and needed in order to focus on his work. It looked like an entire season of time had been lost and his time here on Malta would be wasted.

Because Paul refused to allow bitterness to infiltrate his heart or to develop a critical or jealous spirit, God redeemed his time on Malta in two very important ways:

- God opened a very fruitful door of ministry for him there.

- God used that time to give him a testimony that has encouraged, comforted, and inspired many, many others…!

- You not only overcome persecution and temptation through “…the word of your testimony…(Rev. 12:11)” but you can also overcome the guilt of the failures of your past by bringing benefit to others through your story…!

Other examples from Paul’s life show how he was able to redeem what others would have considered to be lost or wasted time.

- He wrote many of his best epistles while in prison.

- He preached one of his greatest sermons while he was waiting in Athens.

" 16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there... 19 Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting?... "22 Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you… 34 A few men became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others. " (Acts 17:16-17, 19, 22-23, 34 NIV)

Many times, the “little” thing that you do while you are “waiting” for the “big” thing to happen turns out to be the “big” thing…!

Are you going through some season in life that you did not see coming?

- A childless woman facing menopause?

- A hard-working career person facing postponed retirement?

- A grown child caring for a memory afflicted parent?

- A single person pushing back the panic that comes with the terrifying thought that you grappling with the sinking feeling that you may always live alone?

What God did for Paul He will do for you…!

Ø Say with me now, “Lord, give me the grace to walk through this season i am in and help me to use it for your glory.”

4. He was surrounded by an unknown people.

· He did not have any friends, Christian brothers and sisters, or even acquaintances to care for him on Malta, unlike some other stops on the journey, i.e., Sidon (27:3) or Puteoli (28:13) or the Forum of Appius near Rome (28:15) or to appreciate his gifts or honor him for his past sacrifices (Note that no specific mention is made of either the captain, the centurion, the soldiers, or the sailors ever thanking Paul…!)

· His reputation was in tatters (“…when the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, ‘This man must be a murderer; though he has escaped from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live…’” Acts 28:4)

God used this opportunity to connect Paul with new people.

New relationships rarely feel as comfortable or as valuable as old relationships.

Do not make the common, yet tragic, mistake of allowing your relational loss to rob you of your relational future…!

His new relationships brought new opportunities for ministry and for prosperity.

Ø Say it out loud with me, “Lord, I commit to you today that I will open my heart and my life to the new relationships you want to bring me in this new place and this new season of my life.”

5. He was facing unusual opportunities.

· Unusual witness (both to Maltans and to us…!)

· Unusual favor (“…islanders showed us unusual kindness…built a fire and welcomed us…”)

· Unusual miracles (“…Publius, the chief official of the island…father was

· Unusual provision

“Green park bench testimony in Paris” (Word from God – “I am far too wise and I love you far too much than to meet your needs today through means that tomorrow would hinder you from doing my will!”)

Car story in the 16^th (Following theft of “Ford,” God gave us a “ Volkswagen” – the car I wanted from the beginning…!)

Invitation

1. Do you need God to help you “make it through the night until morning comes” or to “maximize your Malta moment?”

2. Do you need to begin a relationship with Jesus Christ? There is no better time to do that than during a “dark night of the soul” or as the morning breaks following a stormy season in your life!

^{^[1]}Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, "An Exposition of the New Testament Comprising the Entire 'BE' Series"--Jkt. (Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books, 1996, c1989), Ac 27:1.

^{^[2]}Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, "An Exposition of the New Testament Comprising the Entire 'BE' Series"--Jkt. (Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books, 1996, c1989), Ac 27:21.

^{^[i]} "6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly." (Romans 5:6 NIV)

"11 And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed." (Romans 13:11 NIV)

"5 Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God." (1 Corinthians 4:5 NIV)

"29 What I mean, brothers, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they had none;" (1 Corinthians 7:29 NIV)

"7 I do not want to see you now and make only a passing visit; I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits." (1 Corinthians 16:7 NIV)

"4 But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law," (Galatians 4:4 NIV)

"9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." (Galatians 6:9 NIV)

"7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. 9 And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ." (Ephesians 1:7-10 NIV)

"5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony given in its proper time." (1 Timothy 2:5-6 NIV)

Paul's Dark Nights of the Soul III (Extreme Circumstances), August 10, 2008

2008-08-16T12:14:00.002-07:00

Paul's Dark Night of the Soul III

(The Night of Extreme Circumstances)

Hillcrest Church, Dallas, Texas

Sunday, August 10, 2008

Text

" 3 We put no stumbling block in anyone's path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. 4 Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; 5 in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; 6 in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; 7 in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; 8 through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; 9 known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; 10 sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything." (2 Corinthians 6:3-10 NIV)

"35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. " (Romans 8:35-39 NIV)

Introduction

The life and ministry of the Apostle Paul illustrate what it was like to live in the tension between the "already" and the "not yet" of God's Kingdom. Man of faith and absolute commitment that he was, in the midst of the spiritual victories he experienced, while he was strong in his spirit, Paul nevertheless keenly felt the emotional strain of the struggle he was in as he went through "dark nights of the soul."

When you are facing a major problem, carrying a particularly heavy burden, or going through an especially hard trial such as battling with a serious illness, there is something about the hours of the night that can bring extra emotional vulnerability.

In these moments, as we turn our hearts toward God and open our ears to His voice, we hear fresh "words" from Him and the "night" brings us great blessing, great refreshing, and great breakthroughs…!

In the Psalms (perhaps the most emotionally explicit passages in God's Word), we see both of these themes repeatedly. They speak of the impact nighttime has on troubled hearts, but they also celebrate the blessing night brings to those who turn trust in the Lord.

"1 … A psalm of David. O Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath. 2 Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am faint; O Lord, heal me, for my bones are in agony. 3 My soul is in anguish. How long, O Lord, how long? 4 Turn, O Lord, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love. 5 No one remembers you when he is dead. Who praises you from the grave? 6 I am worn out from groaning; all night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears. 7 My eyes grow weak with sorrow; they fail because of all my foes." (Psalm 6:1-7 NIV)

"1 … Of Asaph. A psalm. I cried out to God for help; I cried out to God to hear me. 2 When I was in distress, I sought the Lord; at night I stretched out untiring hands and my soul refused to be comforted. 3 I remembered you, O God, and I groaned; I mused, and my spirit grew faint…." (Psalm 77:1-3 NIV)

"1 A prayer of David. Hear, O Lord, my righteous plea; listen to my cry. Give ear to my prayer— it does not rise from deceitful lips. 2 May my vindication come from you; may your eyes see what is right. 3 Though you probe my heart and examine me at night, though you test me, you will find nothing; I have resolved that my mouth will not sin." (Psalm 17:1-3 NIV)

""1 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. 3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers." (Psalm 1:1-3 NIV)

1 … It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O Most High, 2 to proclaim your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night…" (Psalm 92:1-2 NIV)

"1 A psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah. O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you…3 Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. 4 I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. 5 … with singing lips my mouth will praise you. 6 On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. 7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. ..." (Psalm 63:1-8 NIV)

"54 Your decrees are the theme of my song wherever I lodge. 55 In the night I remember your name, O Lord, and I will keep your law. 56 This has been my practice: I obey your precepts." (Psalm 119:54-56 NIV)

"8 By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me— a prayer to the God of my life." (Psalm 42:8 NIV)

"7 I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. 8 I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken." (Psalm 16:7-8 NIV)

Cf. also the French proverb - "La nuit porte bonne conseil…"

"4 Sing to the Lord, you saints of his; praise his holy name. 5 For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning." (Psalm 30:1-5 NIV)

**Teresa - " Sometimes, the difference between hope and despair is a good night's sleep!"**

Paul's life teaches us two important lessons:

· We will experience moments of emotional turmoil as we live out the life of the Kingdom of God, what I call, "dark nights of the soul." (soul vs. spirit)

· God is faithful during these moments and if we turn our hearts toward Him, He will speak those words to us that what we need to make it through victorious if we open our hearts to Him!

In the two previous nights, we looked at three "dark nights of the soul" in Paul's life

· The night of frustration and apparent fruitlessness (Acts 16 – Man from Macedonia)

During this "night," God spoke a word of fresh direction.

· The night of fear and emotional depletion (Acts 18 - Corinth)

During this "night," God spoke a promise of protection.

· The night of controversy and self-examination (Acts 23 - Jerusalem)

During this "night," God spoke a promise of redemption and affirmation (but, not vindication…!)

Today, we want to look at Paul's fourth "Dark Night of the Soul"…The night of extreme circumstances (Acts 27 – MEDITERRANEAN storm!)

"18 We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard. 19 On the third day, they threw the ship's tackle overboard with their own hands. 20 When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved. 21 After the men had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said: "Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. 22 But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. 23 Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me 24 and said, 'Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.' 25 So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. 26 Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island."" (Acts 27:18-26 NIV)

(The verb "to keep up one's courage" (euthymeō) is used only three times in the New Testament—twice here and in James 5:13 ("to be happy"). The verb has the idea of having good feelings or being in good spirits)^{^[1]}

At some time or another, most everyone of us goes through one of life's storms that brings us to the place where we lose all hope.

· Sometimes it is because we have made good decisions (disciples on boat crossing Sea of Galilee at Christ's command).

· Sometimes it is because we have made bad decisions (Jonah on the ship to Tarsus instead of Ninevah).

· Sometimes the most difficult storms to go through are those that come our way because of someone else's decisions, whether good or bad…!

- Because the company that employs us is taking the steps necessary to bring their expenses into line with their revenues or their operations into line with their vision.

- Because the spiritual leader we serve under has received a fresh call from God to some new form of ministry in some other place.

- Because a broker seriously mistimed or misjudged movement in a market.

- Because of the slip of a well-intentioned surgeon's knife… or, perhaps, because a surgeon cut too quickly or too deeply.

- Because a friend or an adversary spoke when they should have remained silent.

- Because a husband or a wife opened their heart to an outsider and walked away from the marriage covenant.

In the case of the Apostle Paul, he went through the worst storm of his life, a veritable hurricane, because someone in authority over him (the Roman centurion who was guarding him) made a very bad decision.

How did the Centurion make such a bad decision?

· He chose the easy way (more comfortable harbor) instead of the wise way.

· He valued speed over due diligence.

· He gave more weight to external circumstances than to inner convictions. ("south wind blew softly")

· He listened to natural wisdom instead of spiritual wisdom.

· He prioritized carnal leadership over godly leadership.

· He let the will of the majority overrule the wisdom of the minority.

The storm that ensued could have been avoided. It caused great loss (both cargo and ship). It brought even Paul to the place of losing faith that he would survive…!

On board the ship, Paul was not afraid of death. It was he who wrote the majestic, faith-filled words now contained in Scripture,

"8 We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord." (2 Corinthians 5:8 NIV)

"21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22 If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! 23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; 24 but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith," (Philippians 1:21-25 NIV)

But Paul came to the place that he began to believe that someone else's decisions had the power to keep him from his destiny…!

In life's extreme circumstances, everyone loses hope at some moment or another…

- The quarterback of a football team in a championship game who has run every play in the book

- The CEO of a failing company who has hired every consultant he could

- The general who has called up all his reserves and sent every one of his troops into battle against the enemy

- The parent of a troubled teen who has read every book they can lay their hands on

- The husband and a wife who have gone to every counselor in the phone book

Why did Paul and his companions lose hope?

· They did not have any "light" (the sun did not appear sun)

· They did not have any direction (neither did the stars)

· Their circumstances stayed the same (storm continued raging for many days)

· They had done everything they could possibly do …! (Nothing left to throw overboard, not even the tackle was left…!)

We lose hope when we have done everything we know to do and all the while, things have only gone from bad to worse…! Humanly speaking, that is when all hope is lost.

In this night, after even Paul had lost all faith that they would ever survive, God spoke a word to him of hope and specific instruction.

23 Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me 24 and said, 'Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.' 25 So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. 26 Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island."" (Acts 27:18-26 NIV)

One word from God made all the difference for the Apostle Paul and for those around him! Before the story ends, we see them experiencing a "Malta moment" of unusual favor, unusual miracles, and unusual provision!

No matter how extreme your circumstances, here is the word God wants to speak to you…!

"11 and he said before all the people, "This is what the Lord says: 'In the same way will I break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon off the neck of all the nations within two years.' " At this, the prophet Jeremiah went on his way. 12 Shortly after the prophet Hananiah had broken the yoke off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 13 "Go and tell Hananiah, 'This is what the Lord says: You have broken a wooden yoke, but in its place you will get a yoke of iron." (Jeremiah 28:11-13 NIV)

Like Paul, in our "night of extreme circumstances," we must do three important things:

· Clearly hear God.

· Completely believe and obey God.

· Courageously speak for God.

- Confront wrong – "You should not have sailed…!"

- Proclaim God-founded faith – "Not one of you will be lost, but this ship is going to sink…!"

- Care for those around you – "Eat some bread because there will be some swimming ahead and you will need strength to survive"

- Offer up the sacrifice of praise – "Gave thanks to God in front of all of them"

Paul's response to this fourth "word in the night" given to him by God reveals what a great, godly leader he had become!

- He had increasing, God-given favor. (First a prisoner, then a counselor, then the captain.)

- His experience had brought him wisdom (cf. "perceive")

The Greek word translated "see" or "perceive" in Acts 27:10 means "to perceive from past experience."^{^[2]}

- He received supernatural revelation from God about the situation.

- He knew what to do when others did not (A crisis does not make a person; it merely reveals who they really are. Leadership, as Kipling knew, involves 'keeping your head when all around you are losing theirs…!)

- He had faith when others doubted.

- He understood the power of his own example (took bread and ate it, encouraging the others to do the same.

There are times when one dedicated believer can change the whole atmosphere of a situation simply by trusting God and making that faith visible.^{^[3]}

- He knew the outcome of his life would impact many others (God has given me the lives of all who sail with me.)

Paul had such credibility before the centurion, pilot, and owner, that they believed him when he said an angel had spoken to him and cut away the lifeboat, then took food at his command and were emotionally impacted by his words (good spirits) after he promised that nothing would happen to him, then the centurion saved Paul's life when the ship broke apart and the soldiers wanted to kill the prisoners in order to keep them from escaping.

"29 Fearing that we would be dashed against the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight. 30 In an attempt to escape from the ship, the sailors let the lifeboat down into the sea, pretending they were going to lower some anchors from the bow. 31 Then Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, "Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved." 32 So the soldiers cut the ropes that held the lifeboat and let it fall away. 33 Just before dawn Paul urged them all to eat. "For the last fourteen days," he said, "you have been in constant suspense and have gone without food—you haven't eaten anything. 34 Now I urge you to take some food. You need it to survive. Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head." 35 After he said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat. 36 They were all encouraged and ate some food themselves." (Acts 27:29-36 NIV)

"42 The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners to prevent any of them from swimming away and escaping. 43 But the centurion wanted to spare Paul's life and kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land. 44 The rest were to get there on planks or on pieces of the ship. In this way everyone reached land in safety. " (Acts 27:42-44 NIV)

Invitation

1. Are you in a "night season" where you have lost all hope of things ever changing? Do you need the Lord to speak a fresh word to you?

2. Do you need to receive Jesus into your heart?

^{^[1]}John F. Walvoord, Roy B. Zuck and Dallas Theological Seminary, The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1983-c1985), 2:428.

^{^[2]}Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, "An Exposition of the New Testament Comprising the Entire 'BE' Series"--Jkt. (Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books, 1996, c1989), Ac 27:1.

^{^[3]}Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, "An Exposition of the New Testament Comprising the Entire 'BE' Series"--Jkt. (Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books, 1996, c1989), Ac 27:21.

Paul's Dark Nights of the Soul III, July 27, 2008

2008-08-16T12:14:00.001-07:00

The Dark Night of the Soul III

Hillcrest Church, Dallas, Texas

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Text

Introduction

The life and ministry of the Apostle Paul illustrate what it was like to live in the tension between the "already" and the "not yet."

Man of faith and absolute commitment that he was, in the midst of the spiritual victories he experienced, Paul nevertheless keenly felt the emotional strain of the struggle he was in and went through "dark nights of the soul."

When you are facing a major problem, carrying a particularly heavy burden, or going through an especially hard trial, there is something about the hours of the night that can bring extra emotional vulnerability.

In the Psalms (perhaps the most emotionally explicit passages in God's Word), we see this theme repeatedly, and the Psalms also show us the blessings that come to our lives as we turn our thoughts to the Lord in the night.

"1 For the director of music. With stringed instruments. According to sheminith. A psalm of David. O Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath. 2 Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am faint; O Lord, heal me, for my bones are in agony. 3 My soul is in anguish. How long, O Lord, how long? 4 Turn, O Lord, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love. 5 No one remembers you when he is dead. Who praises you from the grave? 6 I am worn out from groaning; all night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears. 7 My eyes grow weak with sorrow; they fail because of all my foes." (Psalm 6:1-7 NIV)

"1 For the director of music. For Jeduthun. Of Asaph. A psalm. I cried out to God for help; I cried out to God to hear me. 2 When I was in distress, I sought the Lord; at night I stretched out untiring hands and my soul refused to be comforted. 3 I remembered you, O God, and I groaned; I mused, and my spirit grew faint.Selah" (Psalm 77:1-3 NIV)

But, as we turn our hearts to God and open our ears to His voice, the night can also bring great blessing and breakthrough.

French proverb - "La nuit porte bonne conseil…"

"1 A prayer of David. Hear, O Lord, my righteous plea; listen to my cry. Give ear to my prayer— it does not rise from deceitful lips. 2 May my vindication come from you; may your eyes see what is right. 3 Though you probe my heart and examine me at night, though you test me, you will find nothing; I have resolved that my mouth will not sin." (Psalm 17:1-3 NIV)

""1 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. 3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers." (Psalm 1:1-3 NIV)

1 A psalm. A song. For the Sabbath day. It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O Most High, 2 to proclaim your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night," (Psalm 92:1-2 NIV)

"54 Your decrees are the theme of my song wherever I lodge. 55 In the night I remember your name, O Lord, and I will keep your law. 56 This has been my practice: I obey your precepts." (Psalm 119:54-56 NIV)

"7 I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. 8 I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken." (Psalm 16:7-8 NIV)

"8 By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me— a prayer to the God of my life." (Psalm 42:8 NIV)

"1 A psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah. O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. 2 I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. 3 Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. 4 I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. 5 My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you. 6 On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. 7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. 8 My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me." (Psalm 63:1-8 NIV)

"1 A psalm. A song. For the dedication of the temple. Of David. I will exalt you, O Lord, for you lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me. 2 O Lord my God, I called to you for help and you healed me. 3 O Lord, you brought me up from the grave; you spared me from going down into the pit. 4 Sing to the Lord, you saints of his; praise his holy name. 5 For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning." (Psalm 30:1-5 NIV)

Teresa - " Sometimes, the difference between hope and despair is a good night's sleep!"

Paul's life teaches us two important lessons:

· We will experience moments of emotional turmoil as we live out the life of the Kingdom of God, what I call, "dark nights of the soul." (soul vs. spirit)

· God is faithful during these moments and He will give us what we need to make it through victorious if we open our hearts to Him!

God was faithful to Paul. Four times, God spoke special "words" to Paul during the night. All four times, the Lord spoke to him, telling him exactly what he needed to hear in order to serve God faithfully where he was and fulfill his destiny …! God is "no respecter of persons." What he did for Paul, he will do for you! He will speak to you in your "night" if you will open your ears to His voice!

Over the Last two weeks, we looked at the first three "dark nights of the soul" in Paul's life

· The night of frustration and apparent fruitlessness (Acts 16)

" 6 Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. 7 When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. 8 So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. 9 During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." 10 After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them." (Acts 16:6-10 NIV)

During this "night," God spoke a word of fresh direction.

· The night of fear and emotional depletion (Acts 18)

During this "night," God spoke a promise of protection.

· The night of controversy and self-examination

During this "night," God spoke a promise of redemption and affirmation.

Interestingly, the Lord's word to Paul does not tell us whether the apostle had done the right thing or the wrong thing by going to Jerusalem. God simply reaffirmed to Paul that he would fulfill his destiny and testify before Ceasar…!

Today, we want to look at the fourth "Dark Night of the Soul" in Paul's life…

1. The night of extreme circumstances where all human hope is lost.

The verb "to keep up one's courage" (euthymeō) is used only three times in the New Testament—twice here and in James 5:13 ("to be happy"). The verb has the idea of having good feelings or being in good spirits^{^[1]}

At some time or another, most everyone of us goes through storms in life where we lose hope.

· Sometimes it is because we have made good decisions (disciples on boat crossing Sea of Galilee at Christ's command).

· Sometimes it is because we have made bad decisions (Jonah on the ship to Tarsus instead of Ninevah).

In Paul's case, he went through the worst storm of his life, and along with his companions, experienced much unnecessary loss because of other people's bad decisions.

Paul found himself in a literal hurricane because someone in authority over him (the centurion who was guarding him) made a very bad decision.

It is interesting, by the way, to see how this centurion reached such a bad conclusion:

- He chose the easy way (more comfortable harbor) instead of the wise way.

- He prioritized carnal leadership over godly leadership.

- He let the will of the majority overrule the wisdom of the minority.

- He listened to natural wisdom instead of spiritual wisdom.

- He gave more weight to external circumstances than to inner convictions. ("south wind blew softly")

- He valued speed over due diligence.

The same context, however, illustrates what a great spiritual leader Paul had become:

- He had increasing, God-given favor. (First a prisoner, then a counselor, then the captain.)

- His experience had brought him wisdom (cf. "perceive")

The Greek word translated "perceive" in Acts 27:10 means "to perceive from past experience."^{^[2]}

- He had a word from God.

- He had faith when others doubted.

- He knew what to do when others did not (A crisis does not make a person; it merely reveals who they really are.)

- He understood the power of his own example (took bread and ate it, encouraging the others to do the same.

There are times when one dedicated believer can change the whole atmosphere of a situation simply by trusting God and making that faith visible.^{^[3]}

- The outcome of his life impacted many others (God has given me the lives of all who sail with me.)

Note, by the way, how Paul had such credibility before the centurion, pilot, and owner, that they believed him when he said an angel had spoken to him and cut away the lifeboat, then took food at his command and were emotionally impacted by his words (good spirits) after he promised that nothing would happen to him, then the centurion saved Paul's life when the ship broke apart and the soldiers wanted to kill the prisoners in order to keep them from escaping.

In this night, God spoke a word of hope and specific instruction.

Invitation

1. Are you in a "night season?" Do you need the Lord to speak a fresh word to you?

2. Do you need to receive Jesus into your heart?

Notes:

"4 My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death assail me. 5 Fear and trembling have beset me; horror has overwhelmed me. 6 I said, "Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest— 7 I would flee far away and stay in the desert;Selah 8 I would hurry to my place of shelter, far from the tempest and storm."" (Psalm 55:4-8 NIV)

"1 For the director of music. With stringed instruments. Of David. Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. 2 From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. 3 For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe. 4 I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.Selah" (Psalm 61:1-4 NIV)

"16 The day is yours, and yours also the night; you established the sun and moon." (Psalm 74:16 NIV)

^{^[1]}John F. Walvoord, Roy B. Zuck and Dallas Theological Seminary, The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1983-c1985), 2:428.

^{^[2]}Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, "An Exposition of the New Testament Comprising the Entire 'BE' Series"--Jkt. (Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books, 1996, c1989), Ac 27:1.

^{^[3]}Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, "An Exposition of the New Testament Comprising the Entire 'BE' Series"--Jkt. (Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books, 1996, c1989), Ac 27:21.

Paul's Dark Nights of the Soul II, July 2y, 2008

2008-08-16T12:14:00.000-07:00

The Dark Night of the Soul III

Hillcrest Church, Dallas, Texas

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Text

Introduction

The life and ministry of the Apostle Paul illustrate what it was like to live in the tension between the "already" and the "not yet."

Man of faith and absolute commitment that he was, in the midst of the spiritual victories he experienced, Paul nevertheless keenly felt the emotional strain of the struggle he was in and went through "dark nights of the soul."

When you are facing a major problem, carrying a particularly heavy burden, or going through an especially hard trial, there is something about the hours of the night that can bring extra emotional vulnerability.

But, as we turn our hearts to God and open our ears to His voice, the night can also bring great blessing and breakthrough.

French proverb - "La nuit porte bonne conseil…"

"1 A prayer of David. Hear, O Lord, my righteous plea; listen to my cry. Give ear to my prayer— it does not rise from deceitful lips. 2 May my vindication come from you; may your eyes see what is right. 3 Though you probe my heart and examine me at night, though you test me, you will find nothing; I have resolved that my mouth will not sin." (Psalm 17:1-3 NIV)

""1 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. 3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers." (Psalm 1:1-3 NIV)

"7 I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. 8 I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken." (Psalm 16:7-8 NIV)

"8 By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me— a prayer to the God of my life." (Psalm 42:8 NIV)

Teresa - " Sometimes, the difference between hope and despair is a good night's sleep!"

Paul's life teaches us two important lessons:

· We will experience moments of emotional turmoil as we live out the life of the Kingdom of God, what I call, "dark nights of the soul." (soul vs. spirit)

· God is faithful during these moments and He will give us what we need to make it through victorious if we open our hearts to Him!

God was faithful to Paul. Four times, God spoke special "words" to Paul during the night. All four times, the Lord spoke to him, telling him exactly what he needed to hear in order to serve God faithfully where he was and fulfill his destiny …! God is "no respecter of persons." What he did for Paul, he will do for you! He will speak to you in your "night" if you will open your ears to His voice!

Over the Last two weeks, we looked at the first three "dark nights of the soul" in Paul's life

· The night of frustration and apparent fruitlessness (Acts 16)

During this "night," God spoke a word of fresh direction.

· The night of fear and emotional depletion (Acts 18)

During this "night," God spoke a promise of protection.

· The night of controversy and self-examination

During this "night," God spoke a promise of redemption and affirmation.

Today, we want to look at the fourth "Dark Night of the Soul" in Paul's life…

1. The night of extreme circumstances where all human hope is lost.

At some time or another, most everyone of us goes through storms in life where we lose hope.

· Sometimes it is because we have made good decisions (disciples on boat crossing Sea of Galilee at Christ's command).

· Sometimes it is because we have made bad decisions (Jonah on the ship to Tarsus instead of Ninevah).

In Paul's case, he went through the worst storm of his life, and along with his companions, experienced much unnecessary loss because of other people's bad decisions.

Paul found himself in a literal hurricane because someone in authority over him (the centurion who was guarding him) made a very bad decision.

It is interesting, by the way, to see how this centurion reached such a bad conclusion:

- He chose the easy way (more comfortable harbor) instead of the wise way.

- He prioritized carnal leadership over godly leadership.

- He let the will of the majority overrule the wisdom of the minority.

- He listened to natural wisdom instead of spiritual wisdom.

- He gave more weight to external circumstances than to inner convictions. ("south wind blew softly")

- He valued speed over due diligence.

The same context, however, illustrates what a great spiritual leader Paul had become:

- He had increasing, God-given favor. (First a prisoner, then a counselor, then the captain.)

- His experience had brought him wisdom (cf. "perceive")

The Greek word translated "perceive" in Acts 27:10 means "to perceive from past experience."^{^[2]}

- He had a word from God.

- He had faith when others doubted.

- He knew what to do when others did not (A crisis does not make a person; it merely reveals who they really are.)

- He understood the power of his own example (took bread and ate it, encouraging the others to do the same.

There are times when one dedicated believer can change the whole atmosphere of a situation simply by trusting God and making that faith visible.^{^[3]}

- The outcome of his life impacted many others (God has given me the lives of all who sail with me.)

In this night, God spoke a word of hope and specific instruction.

Invitation

1. Are you in a "night season?" Do you need the Lord to speak a fresh word to you?

2. Do you need to receive Jesus into your heart?

Notes:

"16 The day is yours, and yours also the night; you established the sun and moon." (Psalm 74:16 NIV)

^{^[1]}John F. Walvoord, Roy B. Zuck and Dallas Theological Seminary, The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1983-c1985), 2:428.

^{^[2]}Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, "An Exposition of the New Testament Comprising the Entire 'BE' Series"--Jkt. (Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books, 1996, c1989), Ac 27:1.

^{^[3]}Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, "An Exposition of the New Testament Comprising the Entire 'BE' Series"--Jkt. (Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books, 1996, c1989), Ac 27:21.