Thank you, Lord, that we can be here.
Please be in our midst and bless us
and work in an amazing way.
Amen.
We'll read from Acts chapter 27.
It's a long text, so we'll just read
it in Zulu, and you just follow in
your own Bible, in your own language.
Acts chapter 27, from the first verse.
Verse 9.
Verse 10.
Verse 11.
Verse
12.
Verse
13.
Verse 14.
Verse
14.
Verse 15.
Verse
16.
That is up to verse 20.
Verse
21.
Verse
21.
Verse
22.
Verse
23.
Verse
24.
Verse 25.
Verse
26.
Verse 27.
Verse
28.
That's verse 38.
I've read a long portion.
If you don't have an ear to hear,
and if the Holy Spirit doesn't enlighten you,
you may say, but what is it all
about anyway?
And yet, there is so much in this
portion, we could never finish it in this
service.
Paul was a prisoner.
Not for stealing, not for any other reason
but the gospel.
That was like their way of life.
Paul spent many years in prison.
But all the persecution and difficulty didn't tap
them of their strength.
They became stronger for it.
King Agrippa
had gone to Caesarea with his
wife.
And spent quite some time there with Festus.
And of course, over time, they eventually got
onto the subject of Paul.
And Festus said, oh King, I've got a
prisoner here and I wish I could actually
release him.
Maybe it would be good if you had
listened as well to what he had to
say.
You and your wife and the others with
you.
And Paul said, I've
got
a
prisoner here and I wish I could actually
release him.
Paul was brought in and he made use
of the opportunity like he always did.
He didn't miss an opportunity.
Even if he was before kings or anybody,
it was an opportunity for him for the
gospel.
And that's what he did here too.
And it touched the king's heart to the
point that the king said, wait a bit,
Paul, stop now.
Before I become a Christian.
And Paul said, I wish not only you
would become a Christian, but everyone here.
A group of people, a group of people
in the diaspora, we are not any different
from one another.
This is not just a fight.
Everyone here has to be a part of
it.
Everyone here has to be part of it.
The king Agrippa then said to Festusov that
this man is not worthy of death.
He is not even worthy to be a
prisoner.
So he has already touched in his heart.
He should be released.
He said.
and that he is a free man.
And he said, well we could have released
this man had it not been for the
reason that Paul had appealed to Caesar.
Now Caesar was about 2,000 kilometers away.
He said, well that's the only reason why
we can't release him because he's already appealed,
because Paul wanted Caesar to hear about the
treatment that he had received.
And they said, well we could have released
him, but we cannot anymore because he's already
appealed, he wants this matter to go right
to the top, to Caesar.
So then they agreed that he should sail
to Italy.
So
they
proceeded to deliver Paul and some other prisoners
to a centurion named Julius.
He was from the Augustan battalion, his army.
Now the Italian soldiers at that time were
known to be tough people, tough warriors.
Michael Friedel and Collins were telling me when
they were in Scotland, they saw some Scottish
soldiers marching in their kilts.
They also at one time fought battles
here
in England.
They say the Boers at that time, they
said well it's no problem fighting the English
soldiers, we're just afraid of their wives.
They mistook the Scottish soldiers with the Kilts
as their wives.
They said no, it's the wives that are
the most dangerous, the English are okay.
And they said they were very impressed even
now at the discipline of these Scotsmen.
But also there was a platoon from China
and they say even they were very disciplined.
They say they were just a bit disappointed
with the South African presentation because there didn't
seem to be much discipline.
We need to really wake up, lest the
other nations overtake us and maybe they already
have.
Now the Roman soldiers were known for their
discipline.
If a man
was told where to stand, he was told
where to stand.
They say even if a war,
they
say once he was told where to stand
guard and be on duty, even if the
wall behind him would fall on top of
him and kill him, he wouldn't move a
foot.
Even if a bee stung him on his
nose, he wouldn't move, he'd stand firm.
So, let's see.
And they said But
this great disciplined nation fell because of immorality.
And unfortunately, many a Christian warrior falls because
of immorality.
Lust of the flesh brings them to fall.
And so they proceeded to arrange this ship
that was to sail from Italy with other
prisoners, Paul, other prisoners and the and along
with them was Aristarchus.
He was a Macedonian who had also suffered
quite a bit with Paul previously when Paul
was there.
Now he wasn't imprisoned with Paul, but when
the ship left, he was there.
And Luke as well, the author of this
book and who wrote this information down.
They went with him.
They said we want to go with Paul.
He cannot go alone.
It was a big ship because on the
ship were 276 people.
And it was a mixture of people, good
and bad.
There were the prisoners, some heading to Rome
to be sentenced and then Paul and the
others.
Paul was also going as a prisoner.
Unfortunately, we can't go into detail because of
time.
They got to their first stop.
They hadn't sailed for very long when Julius
the Centurion started taking notice of Paul and
he liked him.
So he treated Paul with consideration.
So when they got to their first stop,
Paul asked whether he could go to his
friends and minister to them.
And the Centurion allowed him.
It's remarkable and significant how Paul was able
to do
that.
It's remarkable and significant how Paul was able
to win the Centurion's confidence.
Maybe the Centurion had heard him when he
had spoken to King Agrippa and to Festus.
Maybe Paul had spoken to him on the
ship.
But in the short space of time, he
won favor with this man to the point
that he let him go on his own.
He didn't even send people to guard him
or go with himself.
Paul said that he had some brethren there
that he wanted to visit and the Centurion
allowed him.
So he could go there.
They had a wonderful time together and they
were all revived.
When Paul got there,
he
didn't get there and ask for cigarettes or
for some alcohol.
Or speak about girls like many people do.
No, he made use of that opportunity as
well.
Spoke about the Lord.
They strengthened each other in the Lord.
I even say, those that do that belong
to the devil.
To Satan.
If there are some amongst us that are
still living in that world, you belong to
the kingdom of hell.
Get out of it.
Before the sun sets today, you should repent.
Confess your sin.
And if you are a slave of it,
come.
Be prayed for.
That you are set free.
If you are a slave of it, come.
Be prayed for.
That
you
are set free.
Now just take note of this.
The Centurion trusted Paul.
Remember, if Paul would have just escaped there,
the Centurion would have been in great trouble.
If you are a slave of it, come.
Be prayed for.
That
you
are set free.
If you are a slave of it, come.
Be
prayed
for.
That you are set free.
Paul was trustworthy.
He was reliable.
He was faithful.
He went there and he was like a
free man.
But the time came when he had strengthened
the brethren, they had strengthened him, he said,
Now brothers, I must go back.
I must become a prisoner again.
And that Centurion could trust Paul.
He was trustworthy.
Not like many Christians today, who are not
trustworthy in the least.
You entrust something to them, you lose it.
You can't trust them.
People just don't believe.
People just don't keep their word anymore.
They are no longer reliable and trustworthy.
They make a promise, they even sign and
agree to something, whether it is verbally or
written.
But they don't keep it.
Such people are worthless in society.
In fact, they will just be good for
the worms one day when he is buried.
But of course he will also burn in
hell for it.
Paul kept his promise.
The time that they had agreed, he was
there, he was faithful.
And the Lord says, if you are not
faithful in the small things, He won't entrust
you with bigger things.
At the right time, Paul reported
back to the ship.
And that Centurion saw once again that Paul
was reliable, he was faithful, you could trust
him.
What are you known for?
The Germans have a saying, one man, one
word, one woman, one dictionary.
But I hope that you women here are
not like that.
Don't be
a
person who jumps from one thing to the
other.
Today one decision, tomorrow another decision, day after,
something else again.
Be focused on what you are doing, have
your goal and strive for that goal.
Don't jump around and not know what you
are doing.
Having all kinds of thoughts.
Today it's this, tomorrow it's that.
Today I get married to this girl, tomorrow
you still see somebody else.
And then this, this and that.
Like paper blown around in the wind, like
a wave blown this way and that way.
There is no steadfastness.
People go to school here.
People go to school here, they write metric
here.
After that they go their different ways.
Then you hear later that one has gone
this way, the other one is in prison
and someone else has died from AIDS.
It's time that we young people wake up
and cry to God that he creates us
anew.
So they boarded the ship, set sail again,
not straight for Italy, but sailing along the
coastline of Asia.
But from the outset it was a difficult
voyage because the wind was against them all
the time.
They sailed with much difficulty.
In those days ships weren't driven along by
big motors with propellers, but with sails that
were assisted where a ship was driven along
by the wind.
So they'd raise the sails and then the
ship would be driven along.
So as
they
wanted to travel there from west to east,
as they set course, they noticed that they
were hardly making any progress because the wind
was just in the wrong direction.
So they set sail along the coastline with
great difficulty and they wanted to go around
an island around the north of it, but
they couldn't make it so they had to
go around the southern tip.
So some Bibles have maps in them where
you can actually follow the voyage.
But this journey was very difficult.
It took them a long time.
Then they sailed along until they got to
a certain harbour.
And in the verse 8 we see they
get to a certain place called Fay Havens.
When they got there, they dropped their anchors.
Then Paul spoke to the owner and the
captain of the ship and also the centurion
that was so good to him.
And Paul said to them, he said, Men,
I think we shouldn't sail from here.
We should just stay over here.
If we should set sail, we will suffer
great loss and much damage.
So he said, Men,
I
think we shouldn't sail from here.
We should just stay over here.
But the pilot or the owner and the
captain of the ship decided that that certain
harbour they were was not ideal for wintering.
They said, let's just continue a bit further,
get to another harbour which is far more
suitable.
But Paul warned them again, he said, if
we sail from here, we will suffer much.
Men, I think
we shouldn't sail from
here.
We should just stay over here.
Eventually, the centurion was persuaded by these men
and he said to Paul, But Paul, remember,
you aren't a sailor.
This is the captain of a ship and
the pilot or the owner, they are very
familiar with these circumstances.
You are just a preacher.
What do you really know about it?
You don't have the same experience that they
have.
You don't have their knowledge either.
These are learned men.
They've learnt it.
They know exactly how to do it.
They are professionals at their game.
You just know how to preach.
You don't know about what they are doing.
And then Paul just left them.
Now, that particular day, Now,
that particular day, when they were discussing this,
it was wonderful.
The weather was just wonderful.
And there was even a slight south wind
blowing which would assist them along.
They said, but Paul, just look at the
conditions.
They are ideal.
And after all, we are not going far
away, just close by.
Conditions were ideal.
But Paul warned them, but eventually he noticed
that there is no point in arguing with
people who have set their mind on something.
And he just kept quiet.
Remember the prophet that said, Remember
that prophet, the people came and they offered
him a lot of money.
They said, come and curse the children of
God.
Then he prayed, he said, Lord, must I
go?
The Lord said, no.
But then they offered him money again.
They asked him again.
He said, Lord, shouldn't I rather than just
go?
And eventually the Lord saw that he wanted
to go.
And he said, okay, then go.
One no of God wasn't enough.
It was because his heart was pulling him
there.
His own heart wanted to go that way.
And then he prayed again to the Lord.
Lord, is this not what you want?
Then the Lord said, good, do what you
want.
And that is what happened on that path.
When he had prayed and God said, Lord,
When God had said no,
it
should have been no for him.
But because he was enticed by that money
and that honor and so-called glory, The
Lord saw that he wanted it and he
said, okay, go.
It was at great danger.
And now Paul records, he says, they had
not traveled for very long, just a short
time.
And they rushed down from the land, a
violent wind, a terrible storm.
And so when this wind came, they quickly
let down the sails and they just let
the ship drift and be taken by the
wind for two weeks.
These men didn't eat.
They couldn't even eat.
And they just didn't know what would happen
next.
They were just taken by the wind.
That's how God can deal with a person.
I say it was thrown around like children
throwing the ball that way, that way, tossed
to and through by the waves.
That even the captain of the boat, of
that ship, lost his appetite.
And the owner as well.
Day and night.
And then they took all the things and
threw them away into the sea.
All the treasures, a big huge ship filled
with tons of things into the sea.
And the poor owner, I don't think that
he had insured his ship.
You can make a study of that, whether
the insurance companies were in existence already at
that time.
So, without a compass or any other equipment,
they had to rely on the sun and
the stars.
So, without a compass or any other equipment,
they had to rely on the sun and
the
stars.
So, for two weeks they were driven around
by the wind, they didn't know where they
were, they couldn't see anything, it was overcast,
it was raining, they couldn't see sun or
stars.
So, they didn't know where they were, they
just had one fear that they would get
shipwrecked.
After two weeks, Paul stood up.
And Paul said, men, you should have listened
to me when I spoke to you.
He said to the owner of the ship,
you should have followed my advice.
You pilot, you captain of the ship, you
should have listened.
The people of the Lord, you should have
listened.
You should have followed my advice.
Then, God, did not determine whom to follow.
You should have listened to me.
And you should have believed me.
You should have listened to me.
It's because Paul was a person who listened
to him.
and to the centurion as well he said
you ought to have listened but the problem
happened like my brother said is that people
know better they say well look I know
better than you what do you know anybody
about this they forgot that Paul had sailed
quite a lot in his lifetime already even
as a child so he did know quite
a bit but Paul didn't rely on his
knowledge of ships he relied on God it's
like just recently Peter was in Holland with
many theologians they were gathered there they were
together you couldn't you didn't even recognize that
this was a Christian group gathering they were
didn't pray for food they didn't pray even
for their meetings that they had it was
they just got together and got on with
what they were saying and and usually it
didn't even make Paul
stood up and said men you should not
be afraid even though the ship's going to
be destroyed completely wrecked and they had still
been trying to do everything possible to keep
the ship intact they had girded with girded
it with cables everything that they could possibly
do that it doesn't break apart what Paul
said but an angel of the Lord has
appeared to me and has told me that
none of us will die
but
to the owner of the ship he said
I'm very sorry sir but you're going to
lose everything you've got overnight and
he took food
and he said
to them encouraged them to eat something for
two weeks they hadn't eaten because they were
hanging on to the masts and to whatever
they had to hold on to because the
ship was being tossed to and fro with
such in such a terrible way it's like
in an airplane it's always good to keep
yourself your belt on because turbulence can hit
at any time and then you can hit
your head against the roof which has happened
like someone flying from Cape Town flying and
was passing Port Elizabeth I took out my
Bible and I started reading in it the
one the man next to me looked and
he said well what are you reading there
I said it's the Bible he had his
own magazines about girls I
asked him a bit and he said well
I don't believe in God and he said
to me I'm not really interested in religion
but God was merciful we hadn't flown very
much further than the plane started bouncing around
there
was such violent turbulence and it was this
man who was the first one to cry
out oh my god my god and I
said but what about your God just a
while ago you said you weren't interested
don't
be concerned about mockers and scoffers who laugh
at you don't be concerned that and then
you are under peer pressure don't be concerned
about that you carry on it won't take
long and they will be in trouble and
then you it's your turn to laugh number
two three minutes oh my god and today
we're laughing about this Jewish man who had
just said he doesn't he's not interested in
God and two or three minutes late he's
calling out to him and
here Paul says my God whom I serve
it's
wonderful to read about men like Paul the
gospel is wonderful that you can stand up
and say my God whom I serve
mind
you say there's some and
they with their efforts still tried to save
the ship they were dropping the anchors and
doing all sorts of things and Paul said
give it up don't even worry about the
you it won't help just cut off all
the cables and the anchors and let and
God just let drove the ship to an
appropriate place and from there they could all
get to land safely even though the ship
broke up and was destroyed totally the kept
the owner lost everything he said if you
carry on with what you are doing not
one life will be saved but listen to
what I tell you and everyone will be
saved cut those ropes and let God be
in control and God brought them to that
island and everyone was saved and Paul said
and Paul could say God to whom I
belong and God whom I serve see many
people talk about God but they don't serve
him they don't really belong to him but
Paul could say it in truth and you
can't say I belong to him when you
don't serve him those things go together you're
a liar if you say you belong to
him and you don't serve him the price
of disobedience may I say it again I've
said it over and over is 10,000
times more expensive than that of obedience and
Paul said if you would have only obeyed
me if you would have only listened but
you were stiff-necked and you thought you
know better God had told me but you
were led by your own mind your own
hearts desire and by the beautiful day and
you started out within a short time things
turned and the tornado was they was a
cocky none in Kuluga be a pin to
our friends
we're not in the chip we're not with
Paul I see the good and the bad
on the chip a sequel escape in I'm
Sanja a sequel up for no Paul and
I love a Barbie Navas escapee but you're
in a boat right now what a jenga
magic who call them kumbis war on the
sea of this world all along stop if
you don't obey God who had day it
will be you'll find yourself in a storm
like those it will be pitch black you
won't know whether you're coming or whether you're
going you will have no idea where you
are
and
woe to you if you haven't got someone
will be an angel to you to direct
your parts my ego a umar look fake
a little sugoon and now moon to on
Jane Engle or gay laws go away or
the commission jail love about 80 my daughter
massingham yes Salela when Paul said men let
us not set sail let us stay here
oh my son but you'll shine on angles
we go we'll suffer great loss but for
time they had a vote he did he
lucky a crime and when they put it
to the vote the majority said let's go
what is what the immaturity is wrong the
Lord Jesus said the majority is wrong there
are only a few that are on the
narrow way so they all stood on the
side of the owner of the ship and
the captain bonk above my voomelana no me
no escape no captain escape even Caesar's office
it is your name do not guess our
trusted those two men more than and when
they thought the ship is sinking they said
let's kill all the prisoners that no one
will escape love of a born to go
to skepticism we love us a bit I
guess Mooma Zonghi Bosha was a who was
a zing about a zing up on you
got to leave what I woman boulala Zonghi
Bosha no power lose or lose a blower
what my daughter as no me mood to
then Paul then Julius realized the centurion that
Paul would also be killed so I said
no we will kill nobody and then all
of them were saved because of you
not one will die because
of Paul no one will die Paul you
will still go and stand before Caesar that
the gospel will be preached there too don't
part company with Paul or God's children because
it was because of Paul that they were
saved eventually how marvelous how interesting the Word
of God the gospel now
there's still so much more we could speak
about about like Coline said maybe we I
don't give you as much as those people
got but maybe it's also because you get
tired and you need to get home and
feed your cats and dogs and maybe some
people even need honorary to get home to
look at TV or do other things yes
a month and caught so that the now
we've heard about this ship's journey this journey
on a ship but remember wherever you are
whatever you do be it at home at
cooking or at work whatever it is even
your your job that you've got remember everything
is a journey and the best thing you
can do for that journey is to take
God along as you go on it and
if you want to serve the Lord it's
not only in preaching in these earthly things
a car a pickup a boat whatever it
is be with God let him lead you
and guide you even in these material things
as a housewife whoever you are wherever you
are whatever you do in school writing learning
homework wherever you are in your work be
in direct contact with God and let him
lead you then you're a blessed man or
woman and other lives can be saved because
of you if not you'll perish and end
in darkness
shall
we rise and pray
you are the God of Abraham Isaac and
Jacob we're not ashamed today to say Lord
you're also the God of Paul you stood
by him even
though people had taken him prisoner they bound
him put him into prison but you were
with him
they
tried to kill him they spoke evil about
him but you stood by your servant who
belonged to you and who served you raise
up polls in our midst Lord among the
men and women and even among the young
people
raise
up such people who will be recognized to
be people who are like Paul that
your gospel can be spread and that many
who on the shadow of death can be
saved Lord continue to work in every heart
through your Holy Spirit Lord
help your people be merciful to them be
gracious amen