Believe God

Acts 27. Paul always desired to go to Rome, and now he is on his way, traveling on an all expense paid voyage courtesy of the Roman Department of Corrections. As you know, Paul is a state prisoner of the Roman Empire. God's ways are not always our ways (see Isaiah 55:8-9). Now Paul warned them not to sail (v.10) because the time was a bad time to sail. It was coming up on winter because "the Fast was already over"--meaning the Day of Atonement which was in October. The dangerous time for sailing the Mediterranean ran from about mid-September to mid-November or even later. Paul knew something about sailing. He had been shipwrecked three times and had spent an entire day and night in the open ocean (2 Cor.11:25). So he was more than qualified to give them advice. But the centurion believed the master and owner of the ship (v.11). Contrast that with Paul's words in v.25 "take heart, men, for I BELIEVE God..." Note, Paul didn't say that he believed in God, and most certainly he did. But it says, "I believe God." In other words, Paul believed what God SAID, that all would be safe and that all would make it to Rome (v.24). Bottom line: Paul believed God's Word. The centurion had believed in man's word (v.11). Who's word do you believe in? Man's word or God's Word? Now let's glean a few more lessons.
Lessons on how NOT to know God's will:
1. Be impatient.
The sailors were impatient. It was not the season for sailing, but these guys wanted to get on with their journey. Are you impatient? Slow down. Wait on the Lord. The Bible says that "Whoever believes will not act hastily." (Isaiah 28:16).
2. Take a vote.
The centurion said, "Okay Paul, I hear what you're saying, but I also hear the owner, the captain and the crew," and thus Paul was outvoted. God is not an American. The Kingdom of God is not a democracy--it's a Theocracy. When we make decisions relating to the Kingdom on a democratic basis, we're in a heap of trouble. Just ask Moses. The first time a vote was ever taken in the Bible, the 10 spies outvoted the two and Israel wandered for 40 years. Do you know what a vote does? It intentionally creates division. And yet that's the process the church has decided to use in decision making. We need to know what the heart of God IS--not what the majority SAYS!
3. Test the winds.
"The answer is blowing in the wind," may be true for Bob Dylan, but it's not true for you and me as believers. "The south wind blew softly..." (v.13).It often does. "supposing that they had obtained their desire"... they pushed on (v.13b). How often we make this mistake. Beware when the south wind blows softly, especially when it blows in the teeth of advice given by a man who is in touch with God (as Paul was in this case). Too many have been lured away by the south wind. Let the Word of God, not circumstances alone, steer you into God's will.
4. Seek Comfort.
The sailors sought ease. They wanted to get to Phoenix (v.12) and winter there. Why? Because 'it was happening' in Phoenix. There were lots of restaurants, movie theaters, night time adult entertainment in this city. You get the idea. It was a sailors city. "Why should we stay here? We're only sixty eight miles from Phoenix. That's where it's happening. Let's sail on." When we try to discern God's will, we sometimes ask, like these sailors, "where is it most comfortable? Where is it the easiest?" Instead of asking, "What does the Lord know will be the best for me?"

And you probably thought we were going to talk about the storms of life. Well, that's another sermon for another day. God bless.