[0:00] I'm very grateful for the opportunity to bring God's word from this long passage.
[0:29] Back in Eldoret, I've been preaching, actually, through the book of Acts. And my last sermon was really on this passage.
[0:45] And not that I should just give you leftovers. That's not the aim, really. But it's because of two reasons. One, there wasn't really time to prepare something just fresh.
[1:00] But also I thought, why just prepare something fresh when I can honestly bring God's word to my brethren here, which also has been a blessing out there in Eldoret.
[1:17] Going through the book of Acts, I personally have found a lot of help, a lot of challenges, a lot of encouragement.
[1:31] Things have been fitting for me fairly well. And just appreciating how Luke, certainly guided by the Holy Spirit, but how Luke very, very carefully followed Paul's journeys and shared now with us, you know, over the years.
[1:58] And that here now we can benefit from these truths. And particularly from chapter 27, verse 39 to chapter 28, verse 16.
[2:14] Paul, it has been decided that indeed Paul must go to stand before Caesar.
[2:24] And that is what we read at the end of chapter 26, verse 32. And Agrippa said to Festus, this man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.
[2:40] And certainly he appealed to Caesar. And so he was now to go. Chapter 27 then begins by telling us how it now unfolded that they were setting off.
[2:57] This journey of Paul to Rome. When you think about it, and when you, even the reading of it, and thank you, dear pastor, for just reading it so well.
[3:13] It just appears an endless journey. And actually not just endless, it's a journey full of intrigues.
[3:23] Just think of it, heavy storms and shipwreck and Paul's life together with others in genuine danger, where these people at some moment said all hope was gone.
[3:42] But then they reach this island called Malta. Strangers then show them an amazing hostility.
[3:56] And Paul there, beaten by this viper, and yet not injured. He's accused, just because of that, he's accused of being a murderer, and then quickly changed that he's a god, honestly.
[4:16] And so we can ask this question. Paul could have asked it. God, how long? How long?
[4:27] Yes, I need to be in Rome. You were given that promise. But Lord, how long? Will it come to pass? And anybody else, Luke and others, they could equally have asked, does God keep his promises?
[4:48] Will we really reach Rome in this situation? And just like it could have been, you know, these thoughts ringing in their minds, such thoughts ring in our minds when we do not see an end to some matter.
[5:14] As believers now, and we take God's word, we begin to walk that road, but it appears endless.
[5:27] And not only endless, or taking too long, but with loads of our, all forms of shipwrecks, as it were, storms in life, various forms of dangers, and we feel helpless.
[5:46] Sometimes, strangers may come in our lives and do something, and it's like, what? Can it really be so? And then, what if, some tragic something happens, and you wonder, Lord, what are you saying here?
[6:12] Have you forgotten to show mercy? And maybe strangers look and say, we thought he was a Christian. Look at what has happened to him.
[6:24] To his family. And there, I suppose, the, the health and wealth people are just having their field day when strange things happen.
[6:36] Oh no, that can't be a believer. See what has happened to them. And, and, and one can be thoroughly discouraged.
[6:49] And so we can ask. has God forgotten to be merciful? Will we reach heaven?
[7:05] Yes, we will. I need to state that right from the beginning. 1 Peter chapter 1, verse 5, does say that indeed, God keeps his people by his power through faith in the Lord Jesus.
[7:26] As 1 Peter 1, verse 5. So, we, we see that with all this shipwreck, and, and the messes that these people went through, Paul even reminds them in verse 21, listen, you should have listened to me.
[7:46] And, Paul, such a gracious man, when in verse 21, he says, you should have listened to me in verse 22, he says, but now, there is hope.
[7:57] Yet now, there is hope. But, when finally they reach the island, and they find that it is called Malta, for three months, they stayed there.
[8:13] Not much, actually, has told us about their time in Malta, in this island. Why wouldn't Luke just capture everything that they did?
[8:26] Well, the Holy Spirit didn't lead him to do all that, but at least the Holy Spirit led him to bring two things out that I trust we could look at and draw some help.
[8:40] And, that is this rather scary experience that Paul went through, the snake on the beach, or the viper on the beach.
[8:53] Luke captures that, and says something about it. And then, Luke also says something about those who are sick in that beach, and how they were healed.
[9:07] and then they arrive in Rome. So, let's look at those two matters that Luke brings forth, and the conclusion that Luke could not avoid, but arrive at.
[9:25] And so, looking at this rather scary experience of the viper. Malta people, certainly we are told here, showed them an amazing kindness, verse 2 tells us.
[9:46] And, one of the things that they did, because it was very, very cold there, these people on this island set up a fire for them, and so at least they got some warmth.
[10:00] I thought it was going to be cold like the past when I've been here. I carried a big suitcase with a number of warm clothes. I've not had to use them this time, so I thank God for that.
[10:13] It was cold in Malta, and they set a fire. And then verse 3 tells us that Paul goes to gather some sticks.
[10:26] And then as he does that, for this large group trying to warm themselves so there was the need certainly to keep the fire burning, then the viper bite, verse 3.
[10:43] But when that happens, and apparently it got stuck on his son, and for some time they could see it is there.
[10:54] Did Paul cry out, oh my God? We don't know. but it was so visible, he certainly could have made some sound, and people looked and said, look at that man, look at what is happening.
[11:09] And maybe already quite a lot of exchanges had gone on, so people knew that Paul was some prisoner. But it is how these people reacted that should catch our attention.
[11:25] Certainly, Paul is beaten, but their reaction, their first reaction, is surprising, only in one sense, because we will notice.
[11:38] It's not a surprise really. Verse 4. When the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, no doubt, this man is a murderer.
[11:54] Though he has escaped from the sea, justice has not allowed him to leave. I'm reading from ESV. And when something like this happens, it's not just, oh my, sorry, Paul.
[12:16] People always have opinions. they had opinion then, and to this date, people have not learned any better really.
[12:29] Opinions are there. Certainly, any or every calamity that a person may come across, certainly, certainly, that ought to be a point of reaction, a call to think of our relationship with God, a holy God, a just God, a God who things don't just happen, no, everything with him is planned.
[13:08] And we see it here. But the people of Malta really need to learn this lesson. God certainly hates evil.
[13:25] God would have us live godly, live lives that please him. And there, of course, in life, there are such style of life, if people pursue them, then certainly they can incur fairly, either abruptly, immediately, or soon after that.
[13:54] If people live some form of God dishonoring life, then things will happen that are consequences.
[14:08] I'll just give you an example or two, surely, if some person chooses to live an immoral life and spend their life in fornication, we know what would happen.
[14:31] Now, not all may end up like that, but by and large, a person who then, they are not married to this person, but they are involved in fornication, and from there to another person, fornication, you know, that will end up in sexually transmitted diseases.
[14:53] That usually happens. Even in my country, we see so much of that. But another obvious example, one who just gives themselves to drunkenness, alcohol, you know, again and again, they run the risk of damaging their liver, for example.
[15:23] And there are various patterns of life. If people pursue them, then they can have these things happen to them in this life.
[15:34] life. But we go wrong, like these people of Malta. We go wrong that when something happens to a person, these people made one-to-one connection, and they see calamity must equal some particular sin.
[16:06] So, according to them, if you suffer anything, you must be receiving some punishment for some specific sin. Now, that honestly should not be the case.
[16:23] Because biblically, we see that is really not the case. we see in the book of Ecclesiastes that indeed that, even the Word of God tells us, the Word of God tells us how suffering, and it can be any form of suffering, but how suffering can fall upon, and it does fall upon any and all, just like when it rains.
[16:54] if someone's homestead is left dry, and everywhere around it has rained, honestly, it's like, what's wrong with that person?
[17:14] People would ask. But let's just look at Ecclesiastes chapter 9. This is what we read in, let me read these three verses, but all that I, all this I lay to heart, examining it all, how the righteous and the wise and their deeds are in the hand of God.
[17:38] Whether it is love or hate, man does not know. Both are before him. It is the same for all, since the same event happens to the righteous and the wicked, to the good and the evil, for the clean and the unclean, to him who sacrifices and to him who does not sacrifice.
[18:05] And so it goes on, even into verse 3. Verse 3 it says, this is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that the same event happens to all.
[18:19] the point we are making is that suffering in this life does happen to believers and to non-believers.
[18:31] But of course, dear friends, when suffering, when calamity, when something undesirable, when these things befall any of God's children, God, whom we have even talked about, we have sung about and read about this morning, God has a plan for his people, and even calamities, challenges, are there for the good of his people, that his glory may shine forth.
[19:12] It's not that when you suffer, you are a believer, when you suffer, when a calamity falls on you, that somehow you have found out, you have sinned somehow, and your sin was all along hidden.
[19:24] No, God wants to reveal his glory. Well, there are a number of passages, but how about if we just take two of them?
[19:35] In the book of John, John's gospel, something happened in the book of John chapter 9, and just see that people behaving like Maltese, they are there, they were there, and they are still there.
[19:54] John chapter 9, verses 1 to 3, this is what we read, and he, that's Jesus, passed by, as he passed by, he saw a man born blind from birth, too, and his disciples asked him, Rabbi, who sinned?
[20:18] There we are, who sinned? That this man, was it this man or his parents, that he was born blind?
[20:33] Jesus answered, it was not that this man sinned or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.
[20:47] So, when calamities come knocking, and when they come, oh, friend, a child of God should lift his or her eyes upon to see God being pleased to allow his glory to be seen in our lives.
[21:16] Indeed, for the watching world to see, to behold, to say, wow, what kind of a God are we dealing with?
[21:29] And there are various verses, but because, I'll just give you one more in 2 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, chapter 4, 2 Corinthians chapter 4, surely any calamity is heavy, any disaster is painful.
[21:55] but look at how Paul describes them. Verse 17, for this light momentary affliction.
[22:12] Paul, in this 2 Corinthians, he's been explaining quite a lot, quite a lot that he went through, and he will be continuing to explain so much, bringing, showing challenges that faced him in his life as an apostle, but he's saying, for this light momentary affliction.
[22:33] So what about them, Paul? What about them? Paul says, is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.
[22:47] Paul would have us look at any suffering in our Christian life as a preparation for something greater.
[23:00] We have seen that it is so that God is glorified, but also that there is something greater ahead of us. And you can take a moment and think and say, wait a minute, so you mean that that challenge God allowed in my life, or so that God's glory may be seen, so that I are prepared for something much superior, greater, waiting for me in heaven?
[23:32] How is our God? How is our God? And every one of us, if you care, you will see that indeed, that is the case.
[23:48] just allow this little illustration, but, you know, our being there in Eldorate, so now we have a membership of close to 50 people, and a few have gone, okay, to various other places, church plants, and because of situation of work, they have moved to Nairobi, and to other cities, but you know, it's been an opportunity for me, being out here, and just having a little reflection, to say, Lord, I mean, your ways are not our ways, just the way you've done it, Lord, now I wouldn't have chosen this, and I didn't see it, and I'm saying that because my moving to Eldorate with my family was very challenging, to say the least, but it's not something
[24:56] I said, okay, now finally opportunity has come for me to go and plant a church in that village, which later turned to be a city. No, the Lord drove me out of Nairobi when he allowed some illness to befall my family, and so I went running, chasing after help for my family, but then like the Lord says, okay, don't rush, there is work for you to do here, and only looking back it's like, okay, okay, well, so friends, when the Lord allows suffering or calamity, don't rise up like these people of Malta to say what they say, that's wrong, actually, there is another point that we need to bear in mind, and then we must move on, and it is this, turn with me to
[26:05] Luke chapter 13, Luke chapter 13, because the Lord Jesus now head on deals with this matter, where some calamity happens, and quickly people make, you know, a judgment and say, oh, look at them, they must have been so bad, must have been, they were just hiding, but just see, they were taking it, just see what has happened, oh, no, what is the Lord then teaching us, secondly, as it were, when calamities strike, from verse one, a few verses, Luke chapter 13, there was some person at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices, and he answered them, do you think, and indeed they were thinking like that, so Jesus challenges them, do you think that these
[27:13] Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered in this way, no, I tell you, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish, and it looks like this indeed, they, they perished, in other words, they had not repented, that's really what the Lord Jesus is underscoring there, and then he moves on, he brings now another illustration, himself, verse four, and those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem, them?
[28:02] No, I tell you, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Now you may say, oh, but that's the days of Jesus, I mean, that's a long time back, but let's bring it much closer home to the present, what happened in Minnesota just the other day, a few days back, where two children killed and seventeen others injured at that very senseless murder.
[28:47] It is very possible now, people don't verbalize everything, but it's very possible to say, I wonder what those two children had done.
[28:59] I wonder what their parents had done. They died, the other seventeen, yeah, they were injured, but I want it so easy for us to think like that. Please don't.
[29:10] So what is the Lord Jesus saying? He is calling upon us that any and all calamities should lead us to think about repentance.
[29:22] Now, of course, we preach repentance from the pulpit, but then there are times when the Lord Jesus would shake us and say, come on, you have held it for too long, you need to repent, you need to turn from your sin, believe, and be saved, and he would do that sometimes through calamities or sufferings.
[29:49] Now, that's taken us long, but we move on. Because when this happened, these people of Malta judged Paul, honestly, very unfairly, but they are not done.
[30:04] And so, we are seeing how when things didn't go their way in terms of their judgment, what do they do? the verse goes on to tell us that when the natives saw the creature of us four hanging on his hand, and they said to one another, no doubt this man is a murderer, though he has escaped from the sea, justice has not let him to live.
[30:33] He, however, shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm. And they were waiting to see him swell up or suddenly fall down dead.
[30:50] But, when they had waited a long time and saw no misfortune come to him, they changed their mind and said that he was a god.
[31:03] So, anything goes for these people. the whole murderer then now a god. But, you see, dear friends, their problem remains, actually.
[31:17] They have not learned here they are still reading God's dealings with people through calamities and they are getting it wrong.
[31:32] If only, if only, we read this and then say now it's gone. No, it is still going on even today.
[31:45] It is still going on even in so-called churches, in that noisy neighbor's church. They come up with all manner of things and they want to tell people, you are going through this problem because of this sin, so come, we sort it out for you and they require money from you.
[32:08] And this is happening to you because some relative of you is holding you back and so come, we'll sort you out. I don't know what they're going to do to that relative.
[32:21] And as I said earlier in the report, they do this to these people. Nothing happens, nothing changes. So a wise person says, it's not working here.
[32:32] And so they move over. Hence, Madam Judith came over to our church. And so the health and wealth churches, they flourish in this.
[32:48] And they just see people's challenges and they say, look, there must be sin. So let's come, we deal with that sin of you and you can now be okay.
[33:04] And of course, we know that that's not work. Actually, they are completely against the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus said in John, problems will be in this world, troubles will follow you.
[33:19] John chapter 16, verse 33. And the apostles themselves learned it. Acts chapter 16, verse 22 and 23.
[33:32] And the Lord Jesus himself says, take up your cross. Cross is that object of suffering. Take up your cross. Follow me. Now, of course, if God should provide health wealth or peace or whatever, obviously, these things should persuade us to draw closer to God, to love him more, to serve him more closely, indeed, to move us towards holiness.
[34:16] Rather than what these people in Malta and the health and wealth people want us to believe. But secondly, so we have drawn a lesson or two from this snakebite, this viper on the beach.
[34:38] But, in the second place, there is something said about this island to do with the ill health and the healing that they found.
[34:50] there in verses 7 to 10. And, of course, we are told that these people are truly generous, even the chief of that area, Manen Publius, he entertained Paul and his group for three days.
[35:15] They saw a great hospitality. that is when Paul learned that the father of this man is unwell. And so, he then must have gone over to where he was, talked with him.
[35:35] Surely, we must not just imagine, even though we are not told that Paul preached to the man and challenged him to repent, we are not told that. but also, surely, we cannot just assume Paul went there and said, you better be healed.
[35:50] And he was healed in Paul's prayer, no, surely. But Paul surely must have talked to this man and told him about the God whom he is serving.
[36:04] certainly, in the state that this man is in, so we are told that then he prayed for this man.
[36:15] Even in prayer, surely Paul is showing, Paul is showing that he's not the healer, he's of course, the hand that God uses, the means that God uses to bring this man to be well again.
[36:31] But the whole idea of prayer is that we are looking to another. So Paul surely must have shown this man that there is a God in heaven, a God we must have dealings with, a God who has our lives in his hand, and therefore a God who can choose that one gets sick, and then how one would get well.
[36:58] And this is what therefore has happened here. Well, immediately that happened, certainly the word went round, and we are told that the others in that community, in that island, then also came forward.
[37:23] And surely Paul again must have, now I know I'm arguing from silence, but Paul didn't just line them up and pray, and they went away well, one after another.
[37:37] This is an opportunity. Remember, Paul is an apostle, and that the sign of an apostle certainly is the miracle following.
[37:50] But following what? Apostles were known as people who were declaring God's word, and declaring it boldly. Now that we cannot escape.
[38:03] In Acts chapter 4, we see that's what was happening, or that's what happened. Acts chapter 4, verse 29, we read this, and now this is their prayer after they had been released, they had been earlier locked in prison.
[38:20] When they were released, they went to their brethren, this is their prayer. Verse 29, now Lord, look upon their threats, and grant to your servants, the apostles, and to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant, Jesus.
[38:52] So, Luke is not seeing the need to constantly say, Paul preached there, and pointed them to Christ, and then healed, but here he brings forth the matter of their healing.
[39:07] Certainly then, though, again, it's not said, these people were touched, were touched. Did some of them turn and believe?
[39:20] Surely, they behaved in such a way that we can rightly think that, yes, these people now are saying, well, Paul, we've turned from our ways now, and what should we do?
[39:38] And here, just a little word, how they honored these people in verse 10. Verse 10, they also honored us greatly, and when we were about to sail, they put on board whatever we needed.
[39:55] dead. So, really, here, they are acting as people whose lives the Lord had touched, not only the healing, but the Lord surely had touched their hearts.
[40:08] Well, that's about the healing that took place, and Paul demonstrates indeed, even there, that he is an apostle.
[40:18] then, they arrive in Rome, they arrive in Rome, and in this third place, they arrival in Rome surely, I'm just seeing it surely as, showing us the God who keeps his promise.
[40:41] He has kept his promise, and we see that now, verses 11 to 16, this final leg to Rome, there is a stop over at this Potoleon for a week with brothers.
[41:02] Even that is exciting. The Paul in his movements from one place to the other, wherever he went, and oh, thanks be to God for this captain of the ship, who trusted Paul so much, and would give him permission to go and check for, or find fellow believers, and so he was with them, and he's with these fellow believers for a week, they cared for him, and we look at verse 14 again, because when they were there in this town, verse 14, they were found brothers, and were invited to stay with them for seven days, and so we came to Rome, and the brothers there, when they heard about us, came as far as the forum over appears, and three taverns to meet us, and on seeing them,
[42:17] Paul thanked God, and took courage, and so, I see a number of things here, but just the love of brethren, the love of brethren, and what a great encouragement that is, where believers are, and a brother, sister comes in between, and here I am, I mean, I'm an example of that, I'm among you, and I'm so grateful for the welcome that I received, just to let you know, when on Thursday evening, to be there at Chicago airport, and I took long for the luggage to come through the conveyor, and the carousel, and so finally get it, and drag it, and I stood there, and for a while my phone wasn't sending any message, but wondering, well, will I see my brothers, and then I see them almost passing me, and I shouted,
[43:37] I did shout my brother's son's name, and he said, oh, our brother is there, and so they stopped, and I joined them, and to me I felt I had arrived, honestly.
[43:50] Now, there was still quite a number of hours from Chicago to here, and I wasn't feeling very well, but just being in the hands of my brothers, so I knew Paul must have felt something like that.
[44:04] It was a long journey, tedious journey, but when he was with the Lord's people who were there, and they came from different places, what a joy that was, and the Bible ends in verse 15 by telling us, on seeing them, Paul thanked God and took courage.
[44:36] That was my experience. Friends, the Lord does keep his people.
[44:48] He keeps his promise, and he fulfills everything indeed that he says. Now, you see, this matter of keeping his promise certainly came through very clearly earlier in chapter 23 verse 11.
[45:06] Let's just be reminded of it. Chapter 23 verse 11, the following night, the Lord stood by him, that's by Paul, and said, take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.
[45:29] And that came, the angel of the Lord appeared to him after he had gone through a very rough time in the hands of Jewish people.
[45:39] But then, later on now in verse 27, when there was the shipwreck and the storm and life in danger, and then we read this again in verse 24, and he said, do not be afraid, Paul, you must stand before Caesar.
[46:05] And what lesson was Paul meant to learn. Surely, it's just this.
[46:18] Whatever happens to me, Paul, that's the lesson Paul is learning. Whatever happens to me, Paul, in life, all these things fall within the purpose of God, be it the storm, be it the shipwreck, be it the viper, be it the Jewish leaders, breathing death on his head, the riots, nothing will separate Paul from God's love or report the plans that God had for him.
[47:01] So, let's take that about Paul. But what about us here? What lesson do we take?
[47:13] Certainly, we take Paul's lesson, but let's just turn it around in our own situation and say this. As believers now, let's remember, please, let's remember, we are kept.
[47:26] We are kept by God's power. power. And that through faith. As we continue to put our trust in the and actually faith then is self humbling, self abandonment in God's hand, letting God do what he would do with us.
[47:57] So, in other words, God keeps us by his power through faith as we rest in his hands as it were.
[48:12] When we consider what each one of us therefore, right now, as a believer, please, consider what you're going through and please take courage.
[48:26] please. You may say, oh, preacher, you have just come in the other day and soon you're gone. You don't know what I'm going through. I don't know.
[48:38] But the Lord knows. And therefore, in his name, I can say, take courage. The Lord does keep his people. The Lord kept Paul and certainly through it all.
[48:54] Paul is a human being like us. There were moments he must have doubted. No wonder he was told in chapter 24, Paul, you will, certainly, you will appear before Caesar.
[49:08] He needed that encouragement. And we need encouragement from one another. We need encouragement, dear friends, from this pulpit. We need encouragement from our Bibles.
[49:19] But we must take courage whatever the Lord allows to come our way. Why? In that memory verse this morning, how powerful.
[49:34] It's challenging. It's fitting well. So, whatever he allows, come what may. He has set his love upon us.
[49:45] We are his, like an apple of his eye. He will care for us. He'll provide. he will accomplish it.
[49:57] So, please be encouraged, dear believer. But if you are in this worship service, but you're not yet a believer, you come, you like it, you see what goes on, you hear, you even admire what goes on in the lives of the people here.
[50:19] now, you know they are not perfect, but you are, you're watching, and you're seeing what is happening in their lives.
[50:32] Maybe moments, it's like, wait a minute, how can that happen to him or to her? And they still claim that the Lord loves them.
[50:44] Can I really trust that God? could it just be that this person, maybe all along, they were not very faithful, now it's all really coming out, do you see what has happened?
[50:56] Their child is sick, or this has happened to them, or, and then you are judging the dealings of God based on some calamities that he has allowed.
[51:11] No, don't go that way. No, no, no. But let's anchor it in our passage. Paul's journey to Rome should make you, if you are not a believer, should make you, actually, cast yourself upon the God of Paul.
[51:35] Truly, all that Paul went through, and finally he reaches Rome, Rome. We're not told what impact the centurion, these things that happened to Paul, how the centurion responded, or the sailors.
[51:58] After all, he even saved them. They wanted to jump and disappear and let people drown. Paul is the one who said, come on, don't behave like that, we must stick here.
[52:10] think of the God of Paul. Please. Because he saves, he keeps, and you will be safely home.
[52:32] so don't hold back and say, I don't think all my T's are crossed yet, and all my I's are dotted.
[52:43] There are so many questions in this church. The things they teach, yeah, it looks good, but no, how can I throw my lot with them? No, please.
[52:53] Now, of course, one can be in this church and sadly fail never to be saved. That's possible, you know. There was a preacher in this ship, day after day after day, and on that island for three months.
[53:14] We are not told that they were saved, that they were converted. They saw the life of Paul with them in times of difficulty, St.
[53:26] Paul was there even to encourage them, come on, eat, you people. We've gone without food, and we're not going to be lost. The God who I serve has promised me, and we are not, it's not recorded here that that just caused some of them to say, Paul, then your God must be our God.
[53:47] But please, that's there. Opportunity for you is here. Do turn, do turn to this God. This God who is worshipped in this church, this God who is loved in this church, this God who has saved men and women and some now are in good advanced age.
[54:11] The Lord has not changed. Why hold back? Why just watch from her side and walk away? Come on.
[54:23] You need to trust this God. and believe in him. You know why? He sent his son. He'll not hold back.
[54:35] He has sent his son and he says, I've given my son. Put your trust in him. He's died in the place of sinners. Come on.
[54:46] Will you die in your sin? These sailors, if they jumped and left, they would still have drowned in their sin. But we are not told whether they became wise.
[54:58] So today, oh, that you'd become wise. Say, okay, if that's the case, then Lord, I'll trust you. I'll trust you.
[55:08] This is the same God we preach there in Eldoret, Kenya. He does not change. You can trust him. and he will keep you to the end.
[55:20] The glory of his name. Let's pray. Lord God, thank you for your word. You have allowed us to see one man, the Apostle Paul.
[55:35] Surely you loved him and you used him mightily. But you also have allowed us to see how he went through real life. that we may realize that here we don't live Christian life in a vacuum.
[55:53] No. But we leave it among our neighbors, among our relatives, among our children and parents, and that we must always continue to trust you.
[56:08] And you will keep us to the end. So keep your own in this church to the very end. And those who are watching and observing and hearing all this, Lord, let them not be like those 200 and plus people in the ship.
[56:28] We don't hear about them, how the gospel of Paul impacted them. We are not told. But we pray, Lord, that you'd do good to those who have heard your word this day, yet they're not saved, do good to them, that they may be saved today.
[56:50] Hear our prayer in Jesus' name. Amen.