Disaster

Today, we’re continuing our sermon series, “Calling an Audible.” What is an Audible you may be asking yourself? An audible is a term used in football, where the quarterback (offense), reads the formation of the defense, then changes the play that they originally called to adapt to the changes in the environment or the movement of the opposing team. God, pretty often calls audibles in scripture and changes the plan of what we think He’s doing. Like we talked about last week when (Jesus chose 2 men who had originally planned on being commercial fishermen for the duration of their lives, BUT GOD shifted their purpose and invested in their people skills by calling them to be fishers of men). God didn’t call an audible because He was caught off guard, actually Him calling an audible shows us how in control He really is! Today we’re talking about God calling an Audible on (DISASTER). Target Statement: Disaster demands a response: It's either Faith or Flesh OT: Joseph and Potiphar’s House Background: Joseph was incredibly familiar with disaster at this point in his life. At this point in his story, he had already narrowly escaped being killed by his brothers, sold into slavery by his brothers, presumed dead by his father, and was living in a foreign land far from his home. This is where our story picks up. Setting: Genesis 39:1–6 Now Joseph had been brought down to Egypt, and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, had bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him down there. 2 The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master. 3 His master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord caused all that he did to succeed in his hands. 4 So Joseph found favor in his sight and attended him, and he made him overseer of his house and put him in charge of all that he had. 5 From the time that he made him overseer in his house and over all that he had, the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; the blessing of the Lord was on all that he had, in house and field. 6 So he left all that he had in Joseph’s charge, and because of him he had no concern about anything but the food he ate. Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance. Disaster: Genesis 39:11–20. 11 But one day, when he went into the house to do his work and none of the men of the house was there in the house, 12 she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me.” But he left his garment in her hand and fled and got out of the house. 13 And as soon as she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled out of the house, 14 she called to the men of her household and said to them, “See, he has brought among us a Hebrew to laugh at us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice. 15 And as soon as he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried out, he left his garment beside me and fled and got out of the house.” 16 Then she laid up his garment by her until his master came home, 17 and she told him the same story, saying, “The Hebrew servant, whom you have brought among us, came in to me to laugh at me. 18 But as soon as I lifted up my voice and cried, he left his garment beside me and fled out of the house.” 19 As soon as his master heard the words that his wife spoke to him, “This is the way your servant treated me,” his anger was kindled. 20 And Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined, and he was there in prison. I think it is important to point out Joseph was doing what he was supposed to do when disaster struck, in pretty much every case. The unfortunate reality of living in a fallen world that is continually marred by sin is that, sometimes, bad things happen to good people. The rubber meets the road when it comes to how we respond to those situations. Decision: Genesis 39:21–23. 21 But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. 22 And the keeper of the prison put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners who were in the prison. Whatever was done there, he was the one who did it. 23 The keeper of the prison paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph’s charge, because the Lord was with him. And whatever he did, the Lord made it succeed. NT: (One of) Paul’s Shipwrecks Background: At this point in Paul’s missionary journey. He was thrown into the jailhouse on multiple different occasions, was beaten more than any man deserves, and shipwrecked 3 times (prior to the story we read about today). In short, the Apostle Paul had been through it and then a little bit, all for the sake of the Gospel. Paul, at this point in the story, had also caught a charge. He had thrown the challenge flag to have his case reviewed in Rome. So he was on his way to the center of the known world to plead his case. Setting: In Acts 27, Paul had been unjustly imprisoned for the past several years before beginning his voyage to Rome. After being entrusted to a centurion named Julius, Paul spoke up as 276 men boarded the vessel that they should not be sailing this late in the season due to rough seas. Acts 27:9–12. 9 Since much time had passed, and the voyage was now dangerous because even the Fast was already over, Paul advised them, 10 saying, “Sirs, I perceive that the voyage will be with injury and much loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.” 11 But the centurion paid more attention to the pilot and to the owner of the ship than to what Paul said. 12 And because the harbor was not suitable to spend the winter in, the majority decided to put out to sea from there, on the chance that somehow they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete, facing both southwest and northwest, and spend the winter there. I could only imagine that Paul was NOT a fan of ships at this point in this life, but God had called him to share the Gospel with Cesaer, who was in Rome. It just would of been nice had it actually been sailing season instead of shipwreck season. Disaster: The ultimate “I told you so moment unfolds” Acts 27:13–20. 13 Now when the south wind blew gently, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete, close to the shore. 14 But soon a tempestuous wind, called the northeaster, struck down from the land. 15 And when the ship was caught and could not face the wind, we gave way to it and were driven along. 16 Running under the lee of a small island called Cauda, we managed with difficulty to secure the ship’s boat. 17 After hoisting it up, they used supports to undergird the ship. Then, fearing that they would run aground on the Syrtis, they lowered the gear, and thus they were driven along. 18 Since we were violently storm-tossed, they began the next day to jettison the cargo. 19 And on the third day they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands. 20 When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned. Acts 27:42–44 42 The soldiers’ plan was to kill the prisoners, lest any should swim away and escape. 43 But the centurion, wishing to save Paul, kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and make for the land, 44 and the rest on planks or on pieces of the ship. And so it was that all were brought safely to land. Decision: In the middle of the storm and when all hope had seemed to be lost, God sent an angel to Paul with a message of salvation and hope to be shared. Ac 27:23–26. 23 For this very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, 24 and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ 25 So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told. 26 But we must run aground on some island.” Acts 28 goes on to tell us about the Gospel arriving in Malta with Paul.