CHEER UP

Acts 27:13-36 (October 21, 2015)

The purpose of this study is to cheer up the downhearted.

Our text gives us something to help cheer us up.

I- THINGS THAT GET YOU DOWN:

1. OVERWORK GETS YOU DOWN—v. 16 And running under a certain island which is called Clauda, we had much work to come by the boat:

They experienced so much stressed. Likewise we worried of the cares of this world.

2. HOPELESSNESS GETS YOU DOWN– v. 20 – And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away.

They couldn’t see the sun. Sometimes, we get to the point that we use to look on our problems and don’t focus on our Saviour that we can’t see the light of the day.

2. WEARINESS GETS YOU DOWN—v. 27 But when the fourteenth night was come, as we were driven up and down in Adria, about midnight the shipmen deemed that they drew near to some country;

They don’t have rest. Jesus said in Matthew 11:28, “Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest”. But you don’t want to rest and said you don’t have time to.

4. FEARFULNESS GETS YOU DOWN– v. 29 Then fearing lest we should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day.

They feared. When someone panic it releases adrenaline that sucks the energy out of him and he feel worried and defeated as he attempt to get to the fight. 

5. UNDERNOURISH GETS YOU DOWN– v. 33 And while the day was coming on, Paul besought them all to take meat, saying, This day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried and continued fasting, having taken nothing.

According to our text they hadn’t eaten food for 14 days. In our spiritual life, without the word of God we become spiritually malnourished. Some of us read but don’t get fed. The good place to get fed is in the local church. 

II-THINGS THAT CHEER YOU UP:

1. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING– v. 21-24 But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss. ²² And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man's life among you, but of the ship. ²³ For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, ²⁴ Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.

Pray, pray and pray until you are happy in the Lord. In our text, Paul had a sweet fellowship with the Lord in prayer that encourage him and become confident.

Paul reminds us in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 “Pray without ceasing.”

2. DON’T FEAR –v. 24 Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.

The message of the Lord to Paul is to fear not. When you don’t cease worrying so much you will not start to cheer up.

3. DIGEST GOD’S WORDS –v. 34Wherefore I pray you to take some meat: for this is for your health: for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you.

Imagine, in the midst of stressful 14 days with tiredness and overworked they don’t take food for themselves.

Let the word of God sustain you spiritually. It is not how much you read but it is how much you digest.

4. ALWAYS TRUST GOD–v. 25 Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.

Paul trust what God hath said to him in the midst of the storm.

Remember our prayers and bible reading won’t do us any good until we really believe what God has said. Received every sermons, bible studies not as the word of man but as of the Word of God.—1 Thessalonians 2:13

5. BE THANKFUL UNTO GOD–v. 35 And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to God in presence of them all: and when he had broken it, he began to eat.

Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” Why? Because “all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”—Romans 8:28

Bitter things become better when we learned to thank God. We must think right of everything so we become thankful of everything.

Conclusion: In our text the result in v. 36 “Then were they all of good cheer, and they also took some meat” came upon them while they are in the midst of the storm and not in the harbor. Yes, you and I can cheer up even we have lot of troubles and full of strong winds in our journey of life.