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Introduction
Life is a long and arduous journey and we are
all navigating through it now. There are rich lessons to be
learnt from Acts through the adventures of the Apostle Paul
in his voyage of life. There are actually four missionary
journeys by Paul. The last journey that he takes before he
was escorted to Rome to face a court trial before King
Caesar. They took a rest in between and the journey which he
took, we shall entitle it “The Voyage of Life.” Here is
where we begin.
They began in a place called fair havens in
Acts 27:8. It is supposed to be a comfortable place, but
they have to be on their way. The voyage of life sailed
through the Mediterranean sea. It seems a safe harbour but
the journey has to go on, led by centurion, named Julius
Pricus from Tacitus the Historian.
The passengers are prisoners (Paul is one of
them) and the ship is heading for Rome. They were apparently
in a hurry and thought the weather was good. They thought
that it was convenient but they were in for a nasty
surprise. What happened thereafter in the 1st
century is full of spiritual lessons for us today.
Remember the so-called unsinkable Titanic
that sank off Newfoundland in April 1912? More than 1,500
died in the watery grave of the icy waters from
hypothermia. We saw the remains of the wreckage in
Tennessee, USA 6 years ago and it was a real eye-opener. The
Titanic which is supposed to be unsinkable was built by
professionals and sank but the ark was built by an amateur
guided by God and it did not sink in the global flood. It is
safe and secured because God built it Himself through Noah.
Are you well founded in the everlasting ark of Christ today
or in the worldly vessels of man that will sink one day?
In verse 11, they set sail immediately
without consulting Paul and there was a deceptive south wind
that blew softly, helping them along. Satan will give us a
head start when we are going in the wrong direction. Beware
of soft or worldly options. We need to be prudent and seek
and wait patiently upon the Lord instead. Beware of the
dangers and deception of life and keep away from them. Satan
is a master deceiver. Christ is our only sure retreat and
reliable guide in the midst of distress and despair (Psalm
46).
Lessons in the
Voyage of Life
Man’s ways and wisdom will fail us, we need a
heavenly guide and direction. Man is lost without the grace
and guidance of God. There was no mortal who can guide us
for eternity. They obeyed man rather than God through Paul
in verse 11. They went ahead and soon there was a tempest
that came and they were shipwrecked. All of us have
struggles in our lives which we cannot solve. Sickness,
failure, depression, death and eternal damnation. How are we
to be ready for them? They started throwing overboard the
cargo (verse 19) but to no avail. Man cannot atone for their
sins by themselves. Sin has to be forgiven by God and given
up totally in evangelical repentance and there is no
compromise. Man’s extremity is God’s opportunity.
They panicked and some even wanted to jump
into the water but Paul said “except ye abide in the ship,
ye shall surely perish.” We are in deep trouble, do you know
it? Sin is a big problem that we cannot solve. If we do not
repent we will likewise perish The spiritual lesson is
obvious. We cannot trust ourselves, morality, philosophy or
works or worldly men. Only Jesus saves and none else (Acts
4:12; Jn 14:6-7).
Except we abide in Christ, there is no hope
or salvation, picture of our salvation (verse 31). They have
to give up self and their worldly goods and part of the
cargo had to go as well. We cannot have the best of both
worlds; either Word or the world, God or gold. We have to
decide to surrender ourselves in self denial and follow
Christ and not otherwise.
There is hope only in Jesus and salvation in
the ark of God and not man. Like Noah, we have to abide
within the ship. They are to obey and abide by the Lord’s
only way of salvation, abide in the ship which is Christ.
The majority is not always right but God is. The storms of
life are unexpected in their operations and are often long
and disastrous in their effects. We need a Redeemer to see
us through the storms of life.
Paul’s
Challenge / Charge
Paul was the encourager and ask them to eat
something. The Holy Spirit is our comforter through the
storms of life. God alone is the sovereign refuge and
strength for us as the sustainer of life. Are you truly
saved from the bondage of sins and darkness today? Do you
abide in Christ alone? If you are truly saved, do you obey
the Lord and walk in His ways? God will answer if we cry out
to Him out of a broken and contrite heart. Except we abide
in the ship (Christ), we cannot be saved. Unless we know
Christ, there is no other way. Acts 4:12 says,
Neither is there salvation in any other: for
there is none other name under heaven given among men,
whereby we must be saved.
Paul the evangelist shared the gospel and
many were saved when they remained within the ship. In verse
44, they escaped safely to land. The Lord said “fear not”.
Do you have fears today and do you sincerely believe in the
God of the Bible who can save us from our sins today and
have you repented of your sins and confessed Christ as your
personal Saviour and Lord?
Momentous Events
We live in momentous times of natural
disasters and the
world was rudely shocked recently and appalled by two earth
shaking and mind boggling calamities and as believers, we
are soberly reminded of the serious admonition of our
Lord’s second coming. These two earth shaking events in a
devastating cyclone Nargis that hit Myanmar in the
Irrawaddy delta killing tens of thousands and an estimated
2.5 million people were affected, and a 7.9 richter scale
earthquake that rocked Sichuan, China, killing and trapping
an estimate of 50,000 people including youths and children
buried under collapsed schools and workers in factories and
an estimated 10 million people would be adversely affected
or displaced. This is arguably the worst calamity China
ever had in 32 years since the earthquake that hit Tangshan
in 1976 where about 250,000 were killed (see ST dated 13 and
19 may 2008). There were also some after shocks that
continue to terrify residents and possible infectious
diseases and widespread epidemic in the aftermath and the
huge reconstruction efforts that would follow to rebuild
homes and lives again.
While we may not experience this directly in
Singapore (we have our HFMD, SARS, bird flu, dengue fever,
etc), earthquakes, wars, persecution of our faith or
pestilences, are nonetheless clear eschatological signs of
the end times (Lk 21:11-28) to us and a grave reminder that
we are living in the last perilous days. We need to ponder
and reflect and ask ourselves the spiritual implications or
meaning of these momentous events. All these
show us that we
are frail and vulnerable and our lives are like a vapour
that can vanish away (Jas 4:14). Wars and strife and
conflict (the problems in the Middle east, the 2 Koreas,
Iraq, Afghanistan China and Taiwan, etc) are rife and there
is no lasting hope of peace in this world and self except in
Christ, the Prince of peace (Isa 9:6-7) one day.
Our Problem and Solution
We all have a serious intractable sin problem
and Jesus is the only solution. There is no other way out
for we cannot save ourselves. We need to cling to Christ and
give up self and sin. Throw the cargo of self, sin, wealth,
pleasures and worldly assets over board, and embrace and
seek only Jesus who alone saves.
We need a Saviour and Deliverer in the
treacherous voyage of life. How are you faring the choppy
and rough seas of life? Accept, believe and confess and
devote your life before it is over. Consider the acrostic,
ABCD which stands for Accept Christ, Believe that He died
for your sins, Confess and repent of your sins and Dedicate
your life to Christ. Will you do it today and be saved?
We cannot save ourselves because we are
drowning and the boat is sinking. We need external help by
someone who is not affected by the fall of sin and depravity
and Christ is the only hope. Do we recognise our condition
and cry to Christ for help to save us? Life is a long
arduous journey and we go through the trying tumultuous
storms of life. We need more than a life vest. We need a
reliable Life Saver. Christ is the Captain of our souls and
He steers the soul in the right direction. If we follow His
instruction, we will be saved too. With Christ, it is an
endless hope; without Christ, a hopeless end.
Jesus is the only way. John 14:6 says,
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life:
no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. We need to
seek Him today before it is too late (2 Cor 6:2). He died on
our behalf on Calvary’s Cross. He has finished the work of
salvation for us. And we can pray to Him now for
forgiveness, pardon and be saved. There is no other way. We
are desperate and our case is urgent and we need spiritual
help immediately. Do not delay for today is the day of
salvation. DIN (Do It Now). The difference between true and
false religion is Done and Do. Christ had done it all. It is
finished. There is nothing we can do but to believe and
accept Him. Christ died for us and He rose again on the 3rd
day and He is coming back for us soon. He is victorious over
the grave and hell. Examine your hearts and seek Him now.
He is returning again soon or we may be taken away anytime.
Life is fragile and fleeting. Be prepared and be ready to
meet your God! Are you truly safe from the storms of life
and be saved forever more? Do you know for sure that you
will go to heaven? You can be when you come to Jesus and He
will save you forever. Do not delay for tomorrow may be too
late. Seek Christ in prayer while He may be found!
Conclusion
As we travel in the voyage of life, Christ,
our eternal refuge will be with us and keep us safe and
saved forever. John 3:36 says,
He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and
he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the
wrath of God abideth on him. Seek and be saved from
eternal death and condemnation and enjoy eternal bliss with
Jesus Christ and the reunion of the saints forever more.
We remember the prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 55:6-9 who
clearly warns us:
6Seek
ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he
is near: 7Let the wicked forsake his way, and the
unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the
LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for
he will abundantly pardon. 8For my thoughts are
not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the
LORD. 9For as the heavens are higher than the
earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts
than your thoughts.
Let us turn to Christ in all circumstances
who is the only true Saviour and God now for His saving
power through the blood of the Lamb of God slain on the
cross for the remission of our sins. While there is yet
breath in our nostrils and while the Lord tarries for the
time will come when this opportunity will be no more and the
door to everlasting life is shut forever. Will you do it now
before it is too late? Are we ready to meet our God (Amos
4:12) if the Lord should return anytime or if we are taken
away suddenly? Something to think and pray about soberly. |
