DISCLAIMER: We do not believe that women can be pastors. Pastor Terry Brown simply had a misspeak at timestamp 7:03. Pastor Brown has “Sister Jen” in his notes and not “Pastor Jen”.
After Introduction:
Praise the Lord — let’s Praise Jesus — He’s so wonderful — blessed be the name of the Lord.
Cindy and I are truly honored to be with you today.
And I want to take a moment and say ‘thank you’ to Pastor Paul and Sister Jen. Ever since we meet each other over 3 or 4 years ago, God has knitted our hearts to walk our journeys together. And Cindy and I are forever grateful to them — and we can truly say that. We love them.
And I want to thank this awesome church as you have been praying for us and our son Dallas, who has been walking through a journey of Cancer. But how many of you will agree with me: that God is greater than Cancer?
I want to pray in a moment for an awakening of revival here. I would normally do this at the end but I truly believe that the Holy Spirit is saying, “Pray it NOW.”
It’s a device that restores a normal heartbeat by sending an electric pulse or shock to the heart. To place it back in alignment.
From a spiritual perspective being revived – or revival – brings you BACK in alignment with God’s will for you life.
“Sunday morning tells you how popular a church is.
Sunday night shows you how popular the Pastor is.
The prayer meeting shows you how popular Jesus is.”
My father starting a prayer meeting.
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But right before we pray I want to read a few quotes.
Charles Finney a great evangelist said:
“[W]hat every city or nation needs – is revival.” He then said, “[D]o everything you can to bring revival.” He stated, he believes, “God wants us to pursue revival – which leads to an awakening.”
Definition of Revival:
“An instance of something becoming popular, active or important again.”
Evangelist – Andrew Murray said the following:
“Revival means making alive again those who have been alive but have fallen into what is called a cold, or dead, state. They are Christians and have life, but they need reviving to bring them back to their first love and the healthy growth of spiritual leading.”
And there after that, I was going to talk about Asbury, but, Pastor Paul has taken that part of the message. […] That tells me that we’re in alignment and agreement with what the Holy Spirit is speaking today.
{This parenthesis part of the notes was added in by the editor. Watch the video about Asbury College in Kentucky: “Line Stretches Half a Mile as Revival is on Display at Asbury: ‘Very Healing Experience'” by CBN News.}
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Let’s Pray.
“God, we thank You that You are faithful from generation to generation. We ask that You bring us all to a greater level of hunger and desire for You. In this city, in this region, in every town and reservation that is represented.
“God break up any fowl or harden ground by the power of Holy Spirit. Take us all deeper, and may your Glory be displayed in the hearts of the unsaved and the saved. Take us deeper in you, because the Bible says, “deep calls unto deep” this morning. Start in every individual heart. That we would see our family members saved and sold out for the Kingdom. We don’t want or need a Revival that is orchestrated by the hands men… But one that is led by the Holy Spirit. Revive every child, teenager, young adult, every couple, every single person, every senior, every prayer meeting, to every Bible Study, to every leader.
“Bring it to main street, bring it to every home, bring it to every alley, to every school, to every play ground, to every bar, to every restaurant, bring to the broken, bring it to the discouraged, bring it to the alcoholic, bring it to the drug user, bring it to the atheist. God, start with us as individuals – that we would have a heart of humility, and love – for such is the Kingdom God.
“In Jesus name and everyone said,
“AMEN.”
If you believe it, can we stand to our feet? Let’s give the Lord the greatest applause for His faithfulness in answering our prayers. This morning, can we do that? – Come on church.
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Message:
James 1:2-4 (NIV)
“2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
I want to talk this morning about an amazing journey that the Apostle Paul had that applies to us all today.
Paul Sails for Rome
So, let me set this up before we start getting into the meat of the scriptures.
Acts chapter 27 – Paul is a prisoner, and the ultimate destination is Rome were Paul will stand trial for preaching about Jesus. So, as a prisoner he is placed on a ship at the beginning of chapter 27 – not once – but twice. And in each instance, as they sail in one direction the wind is coming against them and will not allow them to take the course they are desiring.
- Sometimes in life we want to go one direction, and God is saying, ‘NO!’
- Because He has a Kingdom plan.
- You see, when we are totally committed to Him, God will use us and use a Kingdom plan:
- When we are His hands and feet.
- When we are the salt of the earth.
- When we have been crucified with Christ – so it’s no longer you or I that live, but Christ living in us; there is a purpose.
- What is that purpose?
- To fulfill the plans and the purpose of the Kingdom of God.
Can I get a Walthill ‘Amen’?
Let’s start on Acts Chapter 27 Verse 9:
“9 Much time had been lost, and sailing had already become dangerous because by now it was after the Day of Atonement. So Paul warned them, 10 ‘Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to the ship and cargo, and to our own lives also.’”
Aren’t you glad that we have the Holy Spirit to help us in our trials? Because this is not the same Paul. This is the Paul full of The Holy Spirit.
“11 But the centurion, instead of listening to what Paul said, followed the advice of the pilot and of the owner of the ship. 12 Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided that we should sail on, hoping to reach Phoenix and winter there. This was a harbor in Crete, facing both southwest and northwest.”
The Storm
“13 When a gentle south wind began to blow, they saw their opportunity; so, they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete. 14 Before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called the Northeaster, swept down from the island. 15 The ship driven along. 16 As we passed to the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were hardly able to make the lifeboat secure, 17 so the men hoisted it aboard. Then they passed ropes under the ship itself to hold it together. Because they were afraid they would run aground on the sandbars of Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor and let the ship be driven along. 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.”
What I am about to read next is VERY IMPORTANT. Right here – this is where everything changes from a Kingdom perspective, with Kingdom Authority…
Let’s Continue
“21 After they 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 to whom I belong 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.’”
So, keep the courage brothers and sisters. Regardless of what may come your way, keep the courage. Hold onto faith because God is with you.
Can I get a Light of The World Church ‘Amen’?
So, now the person in chains – the person falsely accused – is all of the sudden giving orders to the centurion solders who are over him in authority.
Kingdom Authority will always best worldly authority. God elevates Paul to the place of authority.
So, in saying that – it does not matter what your position may be on your job, God has placed you in a place of Kingdom authority over those of worldly authority. It doesn’t mean that you don’t listen and become disobedient. It means that you must recognize and exercise the Kingdom that resides within you.
The Shipwreck
“27 On the fourteenth night we were still being driven across the Adriatic Sea, when about midnight the sailors sensed they were approaching land. 28 They took soundings and found that the water was a hundred and twenty feet deep. A short time later they took soundings again and found it was ninety feet deep. 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 drift 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. 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 other pieces of the ship. In this way everyone reached land safely.”
Paul Ashore on Malta
Acts 28:1, “Once safely on shore, we found out that the island was called Malta.”
What does the word Malta mean in the Bible? “A Place of Refuge.” Maybe you’re here this morning and you need a Malta – a place of refuge and peace. Today, Jesus is your Malta – a place of Peace.
“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, the goddess 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 showed us generous hospitality for three days. 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.”
(Anyone hear need a healing today?)
“9 When this had happened, the rest of the sick on the island came and were cured.”
- Not some of them
- Not a few of them
- But, ALL of them were healed
- Healing is for sick
- Healing is for the broken hearted
- Healing is for the discouraged
- Healing is for my son Dallas
- And healing today is for you
“10 They honored us in many ways; and when we were ready to sail, they furnished us with the supplies we needed.”
So, Paul in his journey is:
- Falsely accused
- Put in chains
- In a boat
- Shipwrecked by a hurricane
- Shipwrecked on an island
- Bit by a viper and lives
- Prays and lays hands on the Chief Official father who is healed
- So that all who are sick on the Island of Malta are healed and believe.
I want you to give me a little liberty this morning.
God is Sovereign and he knows ALL things.
- At the beginning of what we read, what if God’s plan was to stop the boat from going this direction?
- Remember the wind would not allow them to go the direction that they desired.
- Not just once but twice – because He needed Paul to go this direction to Malta.
- Why? Because God wanted to display His Power; not just in Paul, but through Paul, to impact the lives of everyone that Paul came in contact with.
- As I end this morning, do you need God to give you peace? Will you stand?
- If you’re here and you need a healing, will you stand?
- If you need encouragement this morning, will you stand?
- If you are walking through a storm in your life, and you need God to dispatch Kingdom courage, will you stand?
- If you’re here this morning and you’re ready to say, “God dispatch me because I want to be used of you even in the storm, even in a shipwreck, even to go to my own Malta too pray for others.” Will you stand?
Cindy and I will tell you that this message has been speaking to us in our journey the last few months. So, even though I am going to pray, I too am standing up for all the reasons that you all are standing.
Because we need, too.
Let’s Pray.
Watch the video: “Crowder, Dante Bowe – God Really Loves Us ft. Maverick City Music” on YouTube