Well, good evening, everyone. Warm word of welcome, once again, to the house of the Lord. We welcome each one. In the Savior's name, we pray that the Lord will bless us as we're found in his house again this evening. It's good to see you gathered out. May the Lord bless us and speak to us, even through his precious word tonight. I do remember the announcements. We do remind you of the building fund throughout today. If you have any gifts or offerings towards it, then please leave them in this evening. For the young people, there is a youth rally over in Auchinacloy, a free church at quarter to nine this evening, and Mr. Kyle Boyd from our Crossgar congregation will be along to testify at that meeting. And young people, we encourage you to go across to have that fellowship one with the other and to have that time over there in Auchinacloy. The services for the incoming week, do remember the children's meeting continues tomorrow night at 7 p.m. It's back to the full A time of meeting, it was just a shorter one for the one week only with our Bible conference, but from seven until eight, and then the children will be home immediately afterwards. And then on Wednesday night, we meet for Bible study, and for the time of prayer in the upper room at 8 p.m., I'll be here in the will of the Lord to conduct that service. And we do encourage you, young and old alike, make that effort to come aside and to be found here, not only on a Sunday, but again, even on the Wednesday evenings. Youth Fellowship is on on Friday evening at 8 p.m., and young people, we look for you, and we look forward to even spending that time and having that fellowship one with the other on Friday night. The services next Sunday, the regular times, the Sabbath school in the morning, half past 10, regular times of worship, half 11, and 7 p.m., remember the seasons of prayer beforehand in the upper room, and I'll be here in the will of the Lord to conduct both of those services. There's still the four calendars left. We mention them to you again on behalf of the Let the Bible Speak. And if you would like one, do put your name down in the sheet in the front porch. They're on the table there. You can take one as you go. They're priced at five pounds this year. We do encourage you, even soon, get your name down if you would like a calendar for 2023. These announcements are short and sweet tonight. And we'll keep it that way, and we'll now start with our time of worship, the hymn 423, The hymn 423 begins in the page 347, there at the bottom, and then over onto page 348. I must have the Savior with me, for I dare not walk alone. I must feel his presence near me, and his arm around me thrown. 423, we'll stand when we receive the introduction, please. Sing her with me, for I dare abort the load. I must win his presence, hear me, and his order I'll be true. Then my soul Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be. I must have the Savior with me, for my way, my best is free. He can whisper words of comfort that no other voice can sing, and my soul ♪ In every way ♪ ♪ I also will join the murder ♪ ♪ At least for death's most fair ♪ ♪ I must have the Savior with me in the altar ♪ ♪ When wings have by sunshine ♪ ♪ Spread above the lifeless bright ♪ ♪ Then my soul shall hear your will ♪ ♪ Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be, let it I must have the Savior with me, and His eye in the way must guide. Did I reach the vale of Jordan? Am I close to the holy tide? Can my soul disappear away? Tonight together in prayer. Still ourselves in God's presence. Heavenly Father, we bow afresh before Thee this evening. We do thank Thee, O God, this night for that hymn that we've just been singing. Lord, how true it is we must have the Savior with us. Lord, we thank Thee and we praise Thee this night that even through the gospel of Jesus Christ, that great work of salvation, that we can have that relationship with Christ. We were who once were in enmity with God, We now can draw nigh. We are brought into that union. We're brought into that place of communion with Christ. We think even of the Lord as he came to Adam in the cool of the day with that desire to walk with him, to talk with him. Oh God, how much we lost even through the fall of man. But we thank thee for what Christ has brought again. We thank thee this night that Jesus Christ is that last Adam. We're thankful, O God, this night for the life of perfection that he lived, the one who walked upon this earth, the one who fulfilled the law in every single aspect of it. We think of the one who gave his life for us, the one who died for us, the one who was under the power of death for a time, and then the one who rose for us, the one who is alive for us, the one who prays for us. the one who's coming again for us. Oh, Father, we rejoice tonight in Christ. We rejoice in that relationship that we have with him. We do acknowledge tonight that we love him because he first loved us. And Father, we thank thee and we praise thee for Christ. We thank and praise thee, O God, this night for the love of God. We're thankful this night for the will of God. We do rejoice in the spirit of God. And Father, we pray for the filling, even of thy people tonight, afresh with God, the Holy Spirit. We pray for each one of thy children that we will be emptied of self and of sin, that we will be filled. And oh God, that thou wilt bless us in our time of worship and our time of praise tonight. We think of the singing of the hymns. We think of the reading of thy precious truth. We think of the preaching of thy word. Oh God, that I will speak. that thou wilt own and bless every aspect and every part of this meeting. Lord, remember each one that is here. Remember their homes. Remember their individual and particular needs. O God, we ask thee that thou wilt draw near to thy people. We pray for that help, that strength to be given. We pray for that grace in every need that there is in life. We do rejoice that every day thy grace is sufficient, that every need thy grace is sufficient. We thank Thee and praise Thee, O God, that Thou art one who never leaves and who never forsakes Thy people. Lord, we look even to the week that lies ahead. We pray that Thou wilt watch over Thy children. We pray, O God, that Thou wilt be very precious and very near unto them. Remember the work of the gospel even here in Sixmile Cross. Lord, remember the work amongst the children. Remember the work amongst the young people. Remember, O God, Thy people as we gather together on the Wednesday evenings to study and to pray together. Oh Father, we ask thee for thy blessing. Bless every home. Bless every individual. We pray for household salvation. Oh God, that I will have mercy upon those that are still outside of Christ. We think of those that have been brought up in the gospel. We think of those, oh God, who have been brought up in this church. Lord, from that moment, even of understanding, week by week they came. Lord, they heard words whereby they could be saved. And yet, Father, they're still outside of Christ. Oh God, have mercy upon them. Open up their hearts and save their precious souls. Lord, remember us tonight. Remember the elderly of this congregation. We're mindful of those, oh God, who no longer can join with us. We're mindful of them tonight and we pray for them. We pray that thou wilt be near to them and that thou wilt bless them. We're mindful for those, O God, that need thy physical touch. We're mindful of those that mourn. We're mindful of those, O God, who need that comfort. We think even further afield. We think of that family there in Ballymunny. We pray, O God, at this time of, Lord, great loss, Lord, that thou wilt be very near to the Michaelese family. Lord, even through the loss of that little one, O God, that thou wilt speak to them. that they will know the hand and the love and the comfort of Christ. O God, draw near. Teach each one to number their days and to apply their hearts. Lord, sustain and strengthen even at this time. Lord, bless us tonight, we ask thee. Bless the going forth of thy word, both here in this pulpit, Lord, and every pulpit that is faithful to thee. Remember missions, remember gospel campaigns, Remember every individual who stands to their feet to preach Christ, whether it be to hundreds or whether it be to a few. Lord, we pray for the power of God. Remember as well our churches. Lord, we think of those in the mainland. We think of thy servants who are faithful to thee. Lord, bless them and encourage them. Remember our missionaries. Remember our students. Remember, O God, thy work as a whole. Lord, save souls. restore backsliders, and Lord, enable thy children to grow in grace and in the knowledge of their Lord and Savior. Hear and answer prayer, in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. 425, we'll sing together. The hymn 425, keeping on the same page, 3, 4, 8. Although clouds are hovering over me, and I seem to walk alone, longing amid my cares and crosses for the joys that now flown. We'll stand together again as we sing the hymn 425 please. are hovering over me, and I seem to walk alone, longing in my caresome roses for the joys that now are full. If I Jesus, Jesus only, then my sky will have a day He's the sun of brightest splendor, and the star of ev'ry air. On the wall of my earthly jury, great in all the periods, ♪ And in grasp before thy truth is ♪ ♪ Lords I find instead of gods ♪ ♪ If I'm Jesus, Jesus only ♪ ♪ I protest at cross for air ♪ ♪ He's a lily of the valley ♪ ♪ My heart is yearning for the love of long ago ♪ ♪ Bitterness soon shall be yearning ♪ ♪ From the shadowy page of old ♪ ♪ If I Jesus, Jesus only, will be with me to the end ♪ I don't see my mortal vision until miles where o'er we lay. When I soar through realms of glory and an entrance high away, If thy ways were Jesus only, I would open every gate. When I joined the heavenly chorus, Take a reading this evening from the book of Acts in the chapter 27. We continue to study this book together, chapter by chapter, verse by verse. Chapter 27 this evening. We'll read the opening 12 verses of the chapter tonight. Acts 27, in the verse one, when it was determined that we should seal into Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners onto one named Julius, a centurion of the Augustus band. And entering into a ship of Adramatium, we launched, meaning to seal by the coasts of Asia, one Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, being with us. And the next day we touched at Sidon and Julius courteously entreated Paul, give him liberty to go on to his friends to refresh himself. When we had launched from fence, we sealed under Cyprus because the winds were contrary. When we had sealed over the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia. There the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing into Italy, and he put us therein. And when we had sailed slowly many days, and scarce were come over against Canidas, the wind not suffering us, we sailed under Crete, over against Salmoni, and hardly passing it, came on to a place which is called the Fair Havens. And I were on to was the city of Licea. Now when much time was spent, when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was now already past, Paul admonished them. He said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and the ship, but also of our lives. Nevertheless, the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship. more than those things which were spoken by Paul. Because the haven was not commodious to enter in, the more part advised to depart thence also, if by any means they might attain to Venice, and there to enter, which is an haven of Crete, and lieth toward the southwest. and the Northwest. Amen. May the Lord bless these words, even from his own precious word tonight, to all of our hearts. We're gonna sing together one more hymn, the hymn 453. The hymn 453, the pages three, five, nine. Pilgrim was I in a wandering, in a cold night of sin I did roam, when Jesus, the kind shepherd, found me, and now I am on my way home. will remain seated as the tithes and offerings are lifted for the work of the Lord please. and I am on my way home. Your goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days, all the days of my life. Your goodness and mercy shall follow me O'er the lanes, O'er the lanes of my life. A flash of weather made the hearts of them all forever. And the tables, and the tables were for me. All the days, all the days of my life. Here's to you. All the days, all the days of my life, surely goodness and mercy shall follow thee. All the days. Let's stand for verse three, please. ♪ My Savior will walk with me there ♪ ♪ I will sing His praise and obey Him ♪ ♪ Good magic's His law to repair ♪ ♪ Sure in goodness and mercy shall I obey ♪ ♪ All the days, all the days of my life ♪ and mercy shall follow me all the days, all the days of my life. And I shall dwell in the eyes of the Lord forever, and I shall hear Amen. I invite you to have your Bible. I encourage you to keep it open even as we go through these verses this evening, Acts 27. I want to consider with you this evening the subject, the Christian's journey through life, the Christian's journey through life. Let's just still ourselves, unite together in prayer, ask the Lord for his help, for that speaking voice of God to our hearts. Heavenly Father, we thank thee this night that each one that is saved can testify of the goodness and the mercy of Almighty God. We thank Thee that Thou art faithful towards Thy people. Thou does not simply leave us and abandon us, but rather Thou art one who keeps with us. Thou art one who watches over us. Thou art one who walks even beside us. Lord, we pray now as we come around Thy precious word, that Thou would speak, O God, that Thou would speak in the quietness of every heart, that Thou would work, O God, even in our midst. we will see that we will know that God is here, not to bless. Lord, undertake now in these moments together, in Jesus' name. Amen. The time of trials are now over for Paul, and Paul's being shipped to Rome, that ruling of Festus recorded in Acts 25 in the verse 12, where he says, unto Caesar thou shalt go, is now being carried out. This particular journey, Paul will be shipwrecked, It's interesting that Luke and his writings under inspiration actually records this particular shipwreck. Because this is not the first and only time that Paul has ever been shipwrecked. Indeed, before this particular occasion, Paul has been shipwrecked on three previous occasions. Three previous times, whenever he's been on the seas, the ship come into great trouble and he was shipwrecked and the boat went down. Yet, look here, he spends much time. We don't read about those other times. Luke doesn't go into detail in those other times. We only know of those other occasions because Paul himself writes about it in 2 Corinthians 11 and the verse 25 where he says, thrice, I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep. But why does Paul now, or why does Luke now record this? Why did Luke not give us all of the details about the three previous occasions? Why does he spend so much time? Why do we get a whole chapter? Why do we get over 40 verses just about a shipwreck? Well, some, in their simplicity, they say, well, Luke's trying to make it exciting again. Last couple of chapters have been a bit boring. It's just been trials. It's just been standing talking. And so Luke's trying to bring a bit of drama back into the book, trying to make it exciting again, trying to wake up the reader again, get their interest again. Well, I don't believe that's why Luke is writing this. This is a journey which brings us with many parallels with life. After all, there are those occasions in all of our lives when we have stormy seas, We have winds of adversity. We have times of hardship, times of discomfort, times of discouragement, times of despair. Just everything that we see in this chapter. And there are many times over the centuries, many different writers have looked upon the times in our lives and looked upon life in general as being a journey. We've sang hymn after hymn tonight about the journey, about the walk that there is. Christian writers have taken this theme. You think of Pilgrim's Progress. John Bunyan, we looked at it with the young people in the Youth Fellowship over many weeks. Pilgrim's Progress brought us Christian, his journey to the Celestial City and how even all of the times and the walk and the journey that there was, there were good times. Whenever he had company, whenever he had friends, whenever he had times of encouragement, especially, of course, Palace Beautiful. It's young people, I hope you've never forgotten what Palace Beautiful is. It's a house of God. But of course, there was a times of discouragement. There was a sly of despond. There was castle despairing or doubting castle. There was all of the hardships that Christian endured as well. You can think even of secular books, bring us even to the journey of life. You think of Homer's epic. After he wrote the Iliad in relation to the battle for the city of Troy, then he went on to write the great epic of the Odyssey. That's Odysseus leaving behind the city of Troy and seeking to go home. And that would take 10 years of his life and all of the ups and downs that Odysseus experienced. You see, life is a journey. And there are many times of encouragement. There are many times of discouragement. Over the course of this chapter, whenever you spend, and there's so many different ways to carve this chapter up, but you will see much and you will learn much of the journey of life. It brings us much in relation to the providence of God in life. What we experience in life, what we have to pass through, what we have to be taught, what we have to experience, what we have to learn, what has to be changed in us. what we have to be prepared for. There are storms for all of us in life to face. There are hardships to deal with. But even within these opening four odd verses and even this entire chapter, there are four lessons in particular in these opening verses that stood out to me in relation to the Christian as you journey through life. I want to leave them with you this evening. Firstly, the verse two, there is a company for the Christian. There's a company for the Christian. It tells us that entering into a ship of Adrometrium, we launched, meaning to sail by the coast of Asia, and won Aristarchus, Macedonian of Thessalonica, being with us. Paul was to go to Rome. That was God's will for his life. It was Paul who had appealed on to Caesar. It was Paul who was delivered into the hand of Julius, of the Augustan band. It was Paul who was the one to be joined to the other prisoners. It was Paul who was the one to ensure that he made it to Rome. It was Paul who was numbered with the prisoners, but yet it was for Paul that God had special company. In some of the most bleakest of settings and situations in Paul's life, as we have went through the book of Acts, Paul has had a friend. Paul is one always that the Lord has provided for him. Indeed, here as he gets on this boat, he has two of the very best friends. He has Luke. Luke was a great doctor, a great physician, one who was willing to give up his place and his practice to journey with Paul, one who was willing to leave behind all that he had trained for to leave behind all that he had experienced, all of the income that he was giving up. He was a doctor in society, he was a doctor to the community, and yet he was willing to turn it all and to give it all up to go with Paul. Another greatest characteristic that is evident about Luke is his loyalty. He was with Paul through thick and thin, through the great times of revival, He experienced revival. He experienced that whenever Paul entered into cities and Paul preached the gospel, an entire city turned to the Lord. He was there for that. But he also experienced the persecution. He was with Paul whenever Paul was arrested in Philippi. He saw Paul being whipped. He saw Paul being cast into prison. He was with Paul in Jerusalem. He was with Paul even in Caesarea. Indeed, you come to the end of Paul's life, 2 Timothy. What does he say in 2 Timothy 4, verse 11? He says, only look is with me. You think of all of the size of the church. You think of how the church flourished and how it grew. You think of all of the friends and individuals that went with Paul on many different journeys and many different places. And yet, right at the end of Paul's life, he says, there's only one with me. Look, a loyal friend to the end. He never quit, never give up. The other man that's mentioned here in the verse number two is Aristarchus. We first met Aristarchus in Acts 19. He's pulled into the midst of the riot in Ephesus. They grabbed him when they grabbed Paul. Paul would describe Aristarchus and Philemon in verse 24 as a fellow laborer. Then in Colossians 4, the verse 10 is a fellow prisoner. You know the great characteristic about Aristarchus? He was a sacrificial friend. Do you realize for Aristarchus to get on this boat, he had to give up his freedom? He had to give up his liberty. He couldn't simply go on as a paying customer. To get on this particular boat, he had to say, put me in chains. I don't want to be a free man anymore, I want to be with Paul. He gave up his freedom in order that he might go and care for Paul, even in this boat. Do you know friendships between Christians in the Bible are marked for their strength? Friendships between Christians and the Bible are marked for their special bond. You think of Jonathan and David. It tells us in the book of 1 Samuel their souls were knit together. There was a love between them. Jonathan was willing to give up his father's favorite He was willing to give up his right and his audience even that he had before his king. He was willing to give up the right that he had to be the heir apparent. He was willing as well to put his life in danger for David. You think of Elisha and Elijah. It was 10 years that they had together. Elisha went everywhere. He was a servant to Elijah. He was the one who simply did those menial tasks. And when it came to the time when Elijah was to go to heaven, and Elijah kept saying to Elisha, Tarih here with these men, Tarih here in Gilead, Tarih here in Jezreel, Tarih here in the different places. He kept saying, no, wherever you go, I'm going. I can't leave your side. You think of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the book of Daniel. Friendship that was between them. They stood together through everything. Nebuchadnezzar forced their hand and said to them, right, every knee must bow when you hear the trumpets, when you hear all of the music, bow before my great statue. The three of them stood together. they wouldn't turn on each other, and they wouldn't turn from their God. You know what Colossians 3 and verse 12 says? It says, put on therefore as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering, forbearing one another, forgiving one another, If any man have a quarrel against any, even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. See, my friends, Christianity and Christian friends and friendship between Christians is not something that you simply take and then give up. It's not something that you say, oh, I'll use it for a time. I'll have a friend for a time. Whenever it can prosper me, whenever it helps me along, whenever it gives that encouragement, that bit of company, it's not something you take and leave. Never friendship gets a bit hard. Never there's a cost to friendship. My, how many just throw it away and say, oh, I'm not having anything to do with that individual anymore because it's going to cost me my reputation. It's going to cost me other friends. It's going to cost me progress. Cost are as stark as his freedom. Cost look his income. and his comfort, but they willingly give it up to be there for Paul. But there's another aspect in which way you can look at this, because both men were willing to give it up to be with Paul. Why Paul? Because of how close Paul was with the Lord. See, if you're here tonight and you're a Christian, you ought to seek godly Christian friends. You ought to seek that friendship, that fellowship with those of like precious faith, with those that know the Lord, with those that love the Lord, with those that are living for the Lord. Our Starchus and Luke gave everything up to be friends with Paul because Paul was close with God. John Bunyan, he says, keep company with the soundest of Christians. that have the most experience of Christ. See, whenever you're around godly individuals that are in touch with God, there's no sweeter fellowship and friendship to have. For all that we have to experience as we journey through life, God gives us company. God makes us to be company to other Christians. There was company for the Christian, but then in verse three, secondly, there's a care for the Christian. It tells us in verse three that Julius courteously entreated Paul and gave him liberty to go on to his friends to refresh himself. You ever heard of a prisoner being released from the prison convoy on their way to prison to go and have, to spend time with friends? You see someone being moved from the courthouse and they're being taken to the prison. They don't pull over the prison van and say, do you want to go and spend a couple hours with your mates before you go in? Do you want to go and see your family just and have dinner with them? Sure, we'll pick you up afterwards. It doesn't happen. It certainly wouldn't happen without chaperones or guards. It's unthinkable. And yet it's exactly what happened to Paul. They came to Sidon and obviously the centurion was informed that Paul has friends in Sidon. Maybe Paul and Luke and Aristarchus were saying, oh, do you remember the church? Do you remember the believers that are here in Sidon? Do you remember the meetings we had with them? The special times we had with them? And it came to the centurion's ears and he says to Paul, do you wanna go and see them? Come here and I'll take your chains off. Go ahead, be back by six o'clock. The centurion released them, allowed them to go to be refreshed, to be encouraged with spiritual company. Who were these people? You know, it actually reveals to us in Acts 11 verse 19. It says, now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen traveled as far as Venice and Cyprus and Antioch. My, how wonderful the providence of God is. Do you know these Christians in Sidon were only there because of what Paul had done to Stephen? If Paul had never went against Stephen and Stephen had never been martyred, these people would never have been scattered onto the far corners of the world. The man who tortured and persecuted Stephen, the man who drove these individuals out, the man who scattered them by Paul in his own saved days, they're now scattered for Paul. They're there for him. God had a promise and a purpose in everything. Now which was meant for evil, God meant for good. See the care of God towards his people. He perfects everything. Whenever you're saved and you're going through the journey of life, God perfects that which concerneth you. It was Paul who wrote, all things work together for good to them that love the Lord. There's a prime example of it. See, as you journey through life and you're going through the storms of life, You're getting it tight, you're getting it hard. God knows exactly what you need. God knows exactly when you need it. You know, as Paul got on that ship and he sailed for that first part of the journey, and he's there in bonds, he's there in chains, he's going to Rome, and the ship docks in Sidon, and the Lord places it in the centurion's heart, release this man for a few hours, give him time with friends. Paul needed fellowship. Paul needed to be refreshed. There's a great storm just around the corner for Paul. Great shipwreck in Paul's life. Didn't matter if he had chains in his wrist, God turned the heart of the centurion just like he can turn the heart of the king. God can do that for you and get you exactly what you need. when you need it. Isn't it wonderful for the Christian in his journey of life, the Lord takes us and he leads us by the still waters. He restores our souls, he leads us in the path of righteousness, he cares for you. That's why you're exhorted to, as you go through life, to cast all of your care upon him. Because he cares for you. Christian, do you experience that care in your life? Do you take note of it? Whenever you're going through the storms of life, when you're in the hard times of life, when you're going through those deep, dark valleys of life, do you remember and do you look and do you see there's the Lord? He's caring for me. He's brought individuals across my path at the very moment that I needed them. He's brought that word in season. He's brought that individual just to lift me up, just to encourage me. Maybe it's an ungodly person, an unsaved person. Maybe it's just one little word, one little sentence they'll say in passing and yet it just breaks your heart and it just encourages and lifts you at that very moment when you need it at most. How does that happen? Because God cares for his people. Never forget, child of God, you're of more value than the spirals. The Lord knows every spiral that falls from the sky. He knows you. He knows what's coming for you. And he knows what you need. The company for the Christian, the care for the Christian, But thirdly, I want you to see the control for the Christian. The control. Verse three begins with the words, the next day we touched at Sidon. And verse four tells us we sailed under Cyprus. Verse five, it talks about how they sailed over the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia, they came to Myra. It goes on to speak about being moved to a different ship. It goes on to speak about the hard and the slow sailing that there was, it had taken many days. You know, in a sense, as Paul's on this journey, Paul's living the very best way to live. He's not in control of any of it. He had absolutely no say of when they went, of where they went, of how long it would take to get there, of what destination or what route they would take. He had absolutely no control over any of it. He was completely at the mercy in the hands of another. In Christian, there's no better way to live than we do completely in the hands of the Lord Jesus Christ. No, for Paul here, it was the case that some days life went quickly and he moved fast. For other days he went further, for other days it was a very slow journey. See the first part of his journey, it tells us there from Caesarea to Sidon, 75 miles, he did it in one day. See the next part, Myra, Cinetis, is a distance of 130 miles, and yet verse seven tells us it took many days. He did 75 miles in one day. Everything went well. Everything went quickly. The ship moved along. They were on the sea and such a great plane sailing. And they got there, 75 miles done in one day. And he thought, boys, I'm going to be in Rome in no time. And yet, 130 miles, just less than twice the distance. Didn't take two days or three days, took many days. There were storms, there were contrary winds. The easiest and the most direct route to take was not available. He kept having to go under the various islands. His desire was, let us stay in certain ports. There's a fair haven, let us stay there. And everything he desired, everything he wanted, flatly refused. Circumstances changed around him. The little small ship that he was on, in verse two, was abandoned for a great grain ship going from Egypt to Rome, full of all of the stock of grain and was able to carry 276 people. Again, Paul's no say. He's no input. He's under the control of another, You know, I thought of life. You think of your life. How much there is in life you have no control over. How much affects you in life that you have absolutely no say over. We don't have a say over what the interest rates are. Mild affect us if we have a mortgage. We don't have a say over how much to pay for our Weetabix and our Corn Flakes. But it affects us. It affects the pocket, doesn't it? We don't have a say over how much to pay for our fuel, but it affects us. We don't have a say about what government decides and what government is raised up. We have maybe one vote if you're an adult, you get one vote, but yet there's a whole government comes in over our heads and we don't have a say. Decisions are made, rulings are made, which affect us, impact us, and yet we have absolutely no control over them. All we can do is, what Paul did, give warning. Warn those around us of the disaster. Warn individuals around us, you're going to make shipwreck. You keep doing what you're doing, if you keep going down that path you're going on, you're going to make shipwreck. Paul stood to his feet, verse 10. You keep pushing and pushing down this road. If you keep desiring and pushing on, you're going to die. Paul gives a warning. Everyone just goes, nah, we'll do what we want. Verse 11 tells us, nevertheless, the centurion believed the master, the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul. So much in our lives, in reality, we have little or no control over. You can apply that to everything. You can apply that to every individual in this room. Children have no control over what the teacher makes them to do in the day. It affects them though. Might affect their play time, might affect their home time. Adults in the workplace. You work in a factory. The machine goes down in the morning, it's broke for three hours. You're staying for three hours in the night time to make up. You have no control over it. The road's full of traffic, it usually takes you an hour to get home. Takes three hours that night, why? Because the road's full. You have no control over it. all of the increases in your bills, the extra hundreds you're paying out every month. You have no control over it. But yet do you notice Paul didn't fear? Paul was not concerned the fact that his hands literally were tied and no one listened to him. Why? Fourthly and finally, Christ for the Christian. Verse 23, we're gonna come to it in the days to come, but it tells us, there stood by me, Paul's speaking, he says, there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am and whom I serve. The angel of the Lord in Scripture is the Lord Jesus Christ. Do you realize the three previous points we've mentioned this evening all bring us to Christ? Christ is the greatest friend for the Christian. Yes, Paul had looked at Aristarchus, but he had no greater friend than the Lord Jesus Christ. Proverbs 18, 24 tells us there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. We spoke of the loyalty of Luke. What about the loyalty of Jesus Christ? He promises, I'll never leave you, and I'll never forsake you. We spoke of the sacrifices of Aristarchus. What about the sacrifices of Christ for his people? Christ humbled himself, he lowered himself, lower than the angels. He came down into this world, he took on our humanity. He was made under the law, he underwent the miseries of life, and he went to the cross and he died, why? To redeem us. To purchase us. Greater love hath no man than this, and what? He lay down his life for his friends. Christ is the greatest company for the Christian. He's the greatest care for the Christian. He's the one who cares for us. It's Christ who's touched with the very feeling of our infirmities. It's Christ who's the great high priest. It's Christ who is the one who's moved with compassion towards us. It's Christ who's in control. It's the Lord who's enthroned in glory. Remember this, we're at Remembrance Day. You think of the First World War. One man fired two shots, Gustav Princip. Killed Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Because of all of the different agreements and pacts there were between each of the nations, whenever one nation rose up, every nation that was allied to them had to rise up. And it ended up the entire world in the Great War. World War II came. Why? Because of Hitler and because of the rise of Nazism in the 1930s, they took over all of the land. Yes, it was a land that they'd given up in the Treaty of Versailles. But in 1939, they invaded Poland, the whole world at war once again. You think of the rise of communism. You think as it spread, Russia against America, Korea, Vietnam. And you think of all of the change there's been in terms of the war. You think of this last nine months of what Putin's done in Ukraine. Do you think the Lord's walking and pacing about in heaven concerned? Do you think he's turning to his father, and I say this respectfully, he's turning to his father in heaven saying, Father, Putin's just invaded Ukraine. What do we do? God's in control of everything. What did Isaiah write? Isaiah 6. The year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on his throne. High and lifted up, his tree infilled the temple. Oh, there's so much in this life we individually have no control over. We have no say about. but we have a God and a Savior who's in control of everything. There was Paul, making this journey in life, and he knew exactly who was in control of it. You think it was Julius, centurion of the Augustus band? No, it wasn't. Paul can say, there stood by me this night the angel of the Lord, whose I am and whom I serve. Christ is with me. Christ is in control. Christ was with them in the storm. The great storm itself. The great Euroclodon. It's going to tear the ship to bits. Yet Paul can say, the one in whom I am and whom I serve is standing with me. There's nothing better in life, is there, than to have Christ. You journey through life with all of the times. Yes, there's times of sunshine, but there's times of storms. And yet Christ isn't just with us in the mountaintop. He's with us in the valleys. The Christian making their journey through life. Yes, we're thankful to have friends. It's a blessing to have godly Christian friends. We love the care. We rest in the control. but we have Christ. Let me ask the question tonight as we close, do you have Christ? You have to make a journey through life the same way the Christian does. To have Christ, to be with Christ, Christ to be with you, My, you can smile at every store. Do you have him tonight? Is he your savior? Your shepherd? What was it David said? Psalm 23, one, the Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want everything in life. He just simply turned to Christ. It's the best life to be a Christian. In my humble opinion, it's the only life. There's nothing greater than to have the Lord Jesus Christ. My friend, tonight, make sure you are Christ's and Christ is yours. Let's pray. Father in heaven, we bow before thee. We thank Thee, O God, in life that we can rest completely upon the Son of God. We thank Thee, O God, this night that He is upon the throne, that He does care for us, that He does walk with us. O Father, write Thy word upon each heart. We pray, if there be any unsaved, that Thou wilt speak to them. Pray that thou wilt draw them unto thyself. We pray for thy children. God, even as we make this journey through life, that we will know what it is to simply look to thee, to rest in thee, to look unto Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith. Lord, bless us now as we separate one from the other. Watch over us in the days to come. Bless the work of this church. Bless the cause of Jesus Christ, in Jesus' name, amen.