In the fall of 1991, a group of fisherman left Gloucester, Massachusetts to fill their boat with swordfish. They were looking for where the fish were at, and the captain led them to go to an area more than 500 miles away from their home port. While they were there, 3 massive storms collided over the northeast coastline. These storms combined to create an atmosphere that would be unsurvivable without the right preparations.
In the course of just a few days, there were several boats lost at sea, a lighthouse damaged, and between 50-60,000 lobster traps lost at sea.
When you begin to research and read about the people of Gloucester, Massachusetts, you see this is an area that has seen its share of loss. As a matter of fact, it is estimated that between 8-11,000 fisherman have been lost at sea. Why would anyone do this knowing the risk? Because fishermen fish!
Fishermen fish...that is a truth that we must carry. That's because we have been called to be fishers of men (Matthew 4:19). I saw a video recently of Bishop Kevin Wallace talking about how we are supposed to fish. I know he was talking about churches sometimes only want to get people who look like them. But the truth is, that the type of fishing that Jesus wants us to do, is what he does.
https://fb.watch/m7YBvZD94f/ (click this link to watch the short clip of the message)
I like the idea that he is making that as fishers of men, we are net throwers. We catch them all that come. It's when we get picky about what lands in our boat that we get in the wrong.
The thing we have to remember is that fishing is dangerous. To go where the fish live will take effort and will be risky. There will be storms that come our way and the thing that we have to keep in mind is that our ships are only as secure as who is captaining it.
In "The Perfect Storm", they took a risk, but then tried to bring the fish in to port on their ability. The problem is that they were not in a vessel that could handle the winds and waves. The same is true for many Christians. They want to be a part of victories and the times that God moves, but then the winds and waves come, and we discover what they are really dependent on.
1 Timothy 1:18-20 (ESV) 18This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, 19holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith, 20among whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.
The text we used for this message was talking about those that had shipwrecked their faith. How did they do that? By trying to live a counterfeit faith. They began to believe things that simply were not true. In the end, the winds and waves came, and they were sunk.
How do we guard against being shipwrecked?
1. Remember the command!
We are not the captain in this fight with the winds and waves. We have to trust the commands that Jesus has given to us. The Apostle Paul reminded Timothy of the charge to teach the word and trust that it would do the work. There are many well-intentioned Christians who think that they have the ability to make the gospel more effective, but the gospel is powerful on it's own. It has the power to change lives, if we will simply teach it and live it.
You and I need to remember who we are, what we have been called to do, and whose we are! You see that is when you will live out the command is when you see your life on a grander scale than just your ability.
2 Timothy 2:14-18 (ESV) 14Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers. 15Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. 16But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, 17and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, 18who have swerved from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some.
Our command today is the same as Timothy…Be faithful to the Word. And by being faithful to the word, we will be faithful to God and to those who are lifting us up. Our Christian brothers and sisters. But if we deviate from the truth we wound this message and make it less effective.
You see cowardice in the faith is not about running into the eye of the storm. It’s about trust even when it means doing nothing at all. King Saul lost his kingdom because of fear. He was so afraid of losing that he did things outside of his call and anointing.
The same can happen to us when the storms of life come. Our lives have to be built on the solid rock of God to keep from falling when the winds and waves come.
2. Guard against the winds through faith and good conscience
When you have a genuine faith, you trust the commander. It’s about doing the job that commander has called you to do and not be a slacker in the process. Don’t change the orders, just do the ones that already gave you. When you deviate is when things go bad. Your spiritual boat will sink. Because now your faith is not in him, it’s in your ability.
Shipwreck happens when we trample on our conscious and follow our own way instead of God’s will. To be honest, I don’t know what would have happened in my life if I always got my way. But I do know that I am thankful for every storm he has brought me through.
People who get shipwrecked have some commonalities:
The love sin more than God
Follow the leading of the flesh more than the spirit
Eventually they will renounce the truth of the gospel
God loves you and I enough to allow the storms of life to happen from time to time. It’s in the fire of testing that our faith is purified and we understand where our true source comes from (Hebrews 12:6). Sometimes the storms are a result our decisions…but not always.
The bible says that Esau sold his birthright, his rightful place in the family for something as common as a bowl of soup. It is even remembered in Hebrews 12. It says that his regret was there later, but was impossible to get back. God will allow things to happen to keep us on our knees before him.
The best way to find yourself shipwrecked is to live a prayer less life. Im not just talking about praying for yourself, but when you quit praying for others, you are leading them to shipwreck as well.
1 Timothy 2:1 (ESV) First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people,
We are called to pray for all people, so we play a role in this. Many bad things could be prevented if Christians would simply get on their knees and pray.
You cannot stay afloat without faith. We are not called to blindly believe. Our faith is based on the evidence.
So how will you respond? Where are you in this process? Are you in a boat that is heading down? Are you in a rescue craft racing to help others? Or are you staring a storm right now?
You have a choice for how you will respond.
pj