Sermon Cloud

Rejoice with Joy Unspeakable / Stay in the boat.

The faith of many is being tested right now.  We need to rejoice, because the testing of our faith is good for us.  It means there’s something the enemy is trying to keep us from.  It helps strengthen us.  Those who are not being tested need to be agreeing with those who are that they will receive that for which they are believing.  We need to stay in joy.  God will come though for us.  Stay in faith.  Stay in the boat, in joy.  Joy is the boat.  There’s no triumph without a trial, no victory without a battle.  But the battle is the Lord’s.  Don’t give up, you’re almost there.

When Paul was on the way to Rome, the storm came up and some of the crew wanted to try and escape, but that would have endangered the whole shipload.  Instead they were to stay in the boat.  Acts 27.  As a result, he was tremendously blessed.  Acts 28

Ac 27:30-32

30 But as the sailors were trying to escape from the ship and had let down the [ship’s] boat into the sea, on the pretense of intending to lay out anchors from the bow, 31  Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, "Unless these men remain in the ship, you yourselves cannot be saved." 32  Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the ship’s boat and let it fall away.

Stay in the Boat!

1Pe 1:3-9

3 ¶ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4  to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5  who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

    6 ¶  In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, 7  so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 8  and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9  obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.

Faith for healing, finances, deliverance, direction, anything, works the same way that faith for Salvation does.  We can learn about faith from this passage. 

We can tell if we’re in faith, if we’re in joy.  If we’re not in joy, we may need to strengthen our faith in that area.

Faith produces joy, which produces strength and hope.

Joy Defined

1. Intense and especially ecstatic or exultant happiness.
2. The expression or manifestation of such feeling.
3. A feeling of extreme gratification aroused by something good or desired: delectation, delight, enjoyment, pleasure. See happy/unhappy, like/dislike.
4. A condition of supreme well-being and good spirits: beatitude, blessedness, bliss, cheer, cheerfulness, felicity, gladness, happiness, joyfulness. See happy/unhappy.

Abraham was strong in faith, giving glory to God.

Ro 4:19- 5:5

19 Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah’s womb; 20  yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, 21  and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform. 22  Therefore IT WAS ALSO CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.

    23 ¶  Now not for his sake only was it written that it was credited to him, 24  but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited, as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, 25  He who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification.

    5:1 ¶  Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2  through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. 3  And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; 4  and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; 5  and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Jas 1:2-4

2 ¶ Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3  knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4  And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Ro 14:17

for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Ro 15:13

¶ Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Joy and peace bring hope, they produce it.  After believing, joy comes.  Joy should produce hope.  Joy also produces strength.

Ne 8:9-12

9 They read from the book, from the law of God, translating to give the sense so that they understood the reading.  10  Then he said to them, "Go, eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." 11  So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, "Be still, for the day is holy; do not be grieved." 12  All the people went away to eat, to drink, to send portions and to celebrate a great festival, because they understood the words which had been made known to them.

They were to be strengthened through joy to finish doing what the Lord had commanded them to do, to rejoice.

The disciples rowing in the boat, When Jesus got in, everything calmed down, and they got there safely.  The devil was trying to keep them from getting to Genesaret, there was a major healing crusade there.  (See Mark 6, Matt 14)

Joh 6:16-21

16 Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, 17  and after getting into a boat, they started to cross the sea to Capernaum. It had already become dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. 18  The sea began to be stirred up because a strong wind was blowing. 19  Then, when they had rowed about three or four miles, they *saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near to the boat; and they were frightened. 20  But He *said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid." 21  So they were willing to receive Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.

Stay in the boat!

Heb 10:35-39

35 Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.  36  For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. 37  FOR YET IN A VERY LITTLE WHILE, HE WHO IS COMING WILL COME, AND WILL NOT DELAY. 38  BUT MY RIGHTEOUS ONE SHALL LIVE BY FAITH; AND IF HE SHRINKS BACK, MY SOUL HAS NO PLEASURE IN HIM. 39  But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul.

Acts 27:30-28:11

30  But as the sailors were trying to escape from the ship and had let down the ship’s boat into the sea, on the pretense of intending to lay out anchors from the bow, 31  Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, "Unless these men remain in the ship, you yourselves cannot be saved." 32  Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the ship’s boat and let it fall away. 33  Until the day was about to dawn, Paul was encouraging them all to take some food, saying, "Today is the fourteenth day that you have been constantly watching and going without eating, having taken nothing. 34  "Therefore I encourage you to take some food, for this is for your preservation, for not a hair from the head of any of you will perish." 35  Having said this, he took bread and gave thanks to God in the presence of all, and he broke it and began to eat. 36  All of them were encouraged and they themselves also took food. 37  All of us in the ship were two hundred and seventy-six persons. 38  When they had eaten enough, they began to lighten the ship by throwing out the wheat into the sea. 39  When day came, they could not recognize the land; but they did observe a bay with a beach, and they resolved to drive the ship onto it if they could. 40  And casting off the anchors, they left them in the sea while at the same time they were loosening the ropes of the rudders; and hoisting the foresail to the wind, they were heading for the beach. 41  But striking a reef where two seas met, they ran the vessel aground; and the prow stuck fast and remained immovable, but the stern began to be broken up by the force of the waves. 42  The soldiers’ plan was to kill the prisoners, so that none of them would swim away and escape; 43  but the centurion, wanting to bring Paul safely through, kept them from their intention, and commanded that those who could swim should jump overboard first and get to land, 44  and the rest should follow, some on planks, and others on various things from the ship. And so it happened that they all were brought safely to land.

    1 ¶  When they had been brought safely through, then we found out that the island was called Malta. 2  The natives showed us extraordinary kindness; for because of the rain that had set in and because of the cold, they kindled a fire and received us all. 3  But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened itself on his hand. 4  When the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they began saying to one another, "Undoubtedly this man is a murderer, and though he has been saved from the sea, justice has not allowed him to live." 5  However he shook the creature off into the fire and suffered no harm. 6  But they were expecting that he was about to swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But after they had waited a long time and had seen nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and began to say that he was a god. 7  Now in the neighborhood of that place were lands belonging to the leading man of the island, named Publius, who welcomed us and entertained us courteously three days. 8  And it happened that the father of Publius was lying in bed afflicted with recurrent fever and dysentery; and Paul went in to see him and after he had prayed, he laid his hands on him and healed him. 9  After this had happened, the rest of the people on the island who had diseases were coming to him and getting cured. 10  They also honored us with many marks of respect; and when we were setting sail, they supplied us with all we needed.    11 ¶  At the end of three months we set sail on an Alexandrian ship whichhad wintered at the island, and which had the Twin Brothers for its figurehead. 12  After we put in at Syracuse, we stayed there for three days. 13  From there we sailed around and arrived at Rhegium, and a day later a south wind sprang up, and on the second day we came to Puteoli.

 Stay in the boat, stay in faith, stay in joy!