SALVATION WAS IN THE SHIP
April 22, 2007 AM
Sermon Outline
ACTS 27:22-24,30,31
INTRO: I suppose as one reads the book of Acts he could wonder why inspiration devoted such a large section of the book to a storm on the sea and a shipwreck. If you read the 27th chapter of Acts, you will find a great deal of detail about this particular ill fated voyage. As I read this chapter, however, I see some very interesting illustrative material for a very important subject ... that of our salvation. The background here is that the apostle Paul is on his way to Rome to make his defense before Caesar. The voyage was undertaken at a season of the year when violent storms were not all that unusual and such voyages, therefore, could be very dangerous. Sure enough, such a storm overtook the ship, and it was "exceedingly tossed with a tempest" (27:18).
- A CLOSER LOOK
- 27:20 - The storm was so violent that all hope for life was gone
- experienced sailors would be able to make such an assessment
- the situation was grim - violent storm, no sun or stars for navigation
- 27:22-24 - A promise from God ... there will not be a life lost
- notice how Paul describes himself - "whose I am, and whom I serve"
- notice v. 24 - "God hath given thee all them that sail with thee"
- this is the predetermined promise of God - all who are in the ship will be saved
- 27:30,31 - A condition of the promise - stay in the ship
- fear overtook some of the sailors - were ready to "flee out of the ship"
- notice carefully what Paul told the centurion - v. 31
- God's promise of "salvation" was only for those in the ship - outside of the ship was certain death - "salvation" was in the ship, but it was not by the ship ... it was by the promise and power of God
- 27:20 - The storm was so violent that all hope for life was gone
- THE SAVED ARE IN THE CHURCH
- Mk 16:16 with Acts 2:47 - The "saved" are added to the church
- it is of critical importance that we realize there is a "place" where the saved are, and there is a place where the saved are not
- clearly, the "place" where the saved are is the church
- salvation is not by the church ... but it is in the church
- salvation is promised by God, and that promise involves the "place" God elects for that salvation to be ... in the church
- There must, therefore, be a "point of entry" into the church
- if, as scripture indicates, salvation is in the church, how do I "enter" it?
- well, scripture tells us that the Lord adds the saved to the church
- but notice Col 1:18 with1 Cor 12:13 - baptized into the body/church
- everything in scripture points to baptism as the place, the point, the time of a believer's being granted salvation, his entering the church, his being added to the church
- How important is it for us to understand this?
- return with me to Acts 27:30,31
- God had promised salvation to those in the ship - to leave the ship meant the negating of the promise for the fleeing individual
- that, my friends, is exactly the likeness to ones relationship to the church
- God's promised salvation is in the church ... if one leaves the church, the promise is withdrawn for that individual
- God predetermined that salvation would be in the church
- He did not predetermine what people would be saved - Rev 22:17
- the illustration of the ship notes this very clearly ... He made a promise that all in the ship would be saved ... but each individual's freewill created for him a "choice" situation ... choose to be in the ship ... or to leave it
- but God's promise was/is limited to a specific place
- to believe the church is not important, or to leave the church thinking there will be no consequences is foolishness of the greatest degree!
- Are you in the church? Are you leaving the church?
- you can know whether or not you are in the church - as one who believes in Jesus, have you been baptized into His body? (cf. Gal 3:26,27)
- what about one who leaves the church? he begins the leaving before he has left
- consider Acts 27:30 - still in the ship ... but mentally they had left it ... wanted to be out of it
- are you in the church ... but your heart is really elsewhere? (Heb 6:4-6)
- Mk 16:16 with Acts 2:47 - The "saved" are added to the church
CLOSE: Never, never minimize the importance of the Lord's church. Never, never disparage the church. The church, precious friends, is your secure conveyance to heaven!
Cecil A. Hutson
22 April 2007