Stay on the Ship

“Stay on the Ship”
by Pastor Christine Caine
July 19, 2020

Full Biblical Text: Acts 27:1 - 28:10 (ESV)

God told Paul to go to Rome as a prisoner to speak to Caesar. It was his destiny and purpose. Sometimes God’s words and promises over our life face detours and disappointments along the way. Paul ended up on the island of Malta after surviving a storm, a shipwreck, and a snakebite instead of Rome. Similarly, this pandemic has derailed many of our expectations.

In this pandemic, many of us feel like a violent storm has tossed us to and fro. Month after month, we are hit by wave after wave. We have suffered, and we’re only halfway through the year. It’s not over yet. Whether because of job concerns, relationships, or health issues, our lives have been disrupted. It’s so dark that we can’t even see the stars, God, or others. However, our destiny has not changed. It is easy to forget God’s promises when it’s so dark.  

Paul didn’t ask for Malta; he even warned against setting sail. Paul is in the midst of a storm he didn’t ask for, but he remains calm. It’s not like he doesn’t feel the storm; he does. But, Paul knows that he’s got a word from God. God promises safe passage if only they will stay on the ship. 

What the enemy wants us to do is jump ship. So don’t jump ship. Stay in that job, stay in that relationship, stay faithful, stay loyal, stay steadfast, stay gracious, stay forgiving, stay merciful. Know that in the Lord, our labor is never in vain. Don’t throw it all away because of the storm and the chaos. The promise of God is coming! The one who spoke the promise is faithful! Don’t throw it all away. Redemption, healing, and fulfillment of promises are coming. Don’t believe the enemy’s lie, and stay on the ship. Can you trust God when you can’t trace him?

Our hope isn’t in the actual vessel; our hope is in the God that is steering the vessel. We are in a season where God is moving things around. God says don’t jump ship because the ship might change. The God who steers the ship is in control. Sometimes we put more trust in the method than the message. The method is not sacred. We may think that God has changed his mind because the method has changed, but that’s not true. God hasn’t changed his mind. 

How we do church now is different from how we did it last year, and next year may be different altogether. We might need to change ships after a shipwreck, but God is in control. We should not get hung up on how we do things, but focus instead on whom we are doing them for. The way we do things may have changed, but God has not. 

We may think the storm has overtaken us. We are not where we thought we would be. We did not want to go to Malta; we wanted to go to Rome. Yet, the revival in Malta was part of God’s plan. 

On the island of Malta, when Paul is serving, a venomous snake bites him, but he shakes off the snake, and he lives, miraculously. Neither the storm, nor the shipwreck, nor the snake takes him out. If the enemy can’t take us out externally, he’ll try to do it from the inside out using offense, resentment, or unforgiveness to poison us. So shake off the snake, shake off the toxicity. Bitterness, anger, and hate must be replaced with peace, love, and mercy. We have to have a different spirit from the world in order to bring change to the world. We have to embrace a spirit of forgiveness and reconciliation. 

Paul still made it to Rome, just like God promised; he just took a different boat and a different path than he had planned. Because of Paul’s miraculous survival of the snakebite, there was a revival in Malta. The revival in Malta was always a part of God’s plan. Revival is right where we are even though we may not see it. 

God will never leave us, and the shipwreck is never the end of the story. This storm does not define us because it cannot stop God, and it is not the end of the story. Our purpose and destiny are still ahead. 

Reflection/Discussion Questions:

1. What is the promise that you’re holding onto in this season?

2. How have you seen God show up in the midst of your storm? 

3. What kind of snakebites have you been experiencing that are trying to poison you? Is there a snake that you need to shake off?

4. Describe the storm, shipwreck or detour that you’re experiencing right now. Where do you see revival in the unplanned spaces and places that you’ve found yourself in this year?