Youth Week 2021 “Building the church we want”, Day 7: “Helping others as a response to God’s help“, with Lizzie Mahachi:
Youth Week 2021 “Building the church we want”, Day 6: “God helps us to make decisions in life“, with Lizzy Mupungu:
Youth Week 2021 “Building the church we want”, Day 5: “The God of the ‘least'”, with Princess Makahamadze:
Youth Week 2021 “Building the church we want”, Day 4: “The Holy Spirit helps us to pray”, with Farirai Majaya:
Youth Week 2021 “Building the church we want”, Day 3: “God helps us to overcome temptations”, with Graham Kuda Ndou:
Youth Week 2021 “Building the church we want”, Day 2: “God helps us to move on”, with Yeukai Nomatemba Mbangani:
A message of hope in the Shipwreck Experience, with Rev Maxwell Mugabe:
Bible Reading: Acts 27 v27-44
Theme: Shipwreck experience
Venue: New Highfield Circuit
Preacher: Rev Maxwell Mugabe
Date: 17 January 2021
Many people will agree that when using a ship all your hope will be that it reaches the destination in one piece. If it so happens that the ship faces some forces in the sea, especially a hurricane like in this case, you then know that your chances of making it become so slim.
This is the situation that these guys had faced for almost two weeks.
Luke was still with Paul and Paul had to go to Rome to face the emperor in defence of his faith and as a prisoner and in the middle of their journey thus when this hurricane would show up eager to destroy the ship with them inside if you read verse 15. “And when the ship was caught and could not bear up into the wind we let her drive……”.
This simply means that within any storm that may come up there’s need for a decision if we are to come up off the storm alive and here we stand today being ravaged by the storm of covid-19. May God place a higher decision making app in us to decide for the lives of the people around us.
This is not a time for us to sail against the tide, but it is a time for us to let her drive as we pray and meditate upon the people in the ship.
Firstly the tide demands that we mask up, maintain social distancing and sanitising, etc; just let it drive brothers and sisters.
I know we are both men and women of faith and I also believe that beyond the scientific explanations and inventions there’s a spiritual side to this and therefore we keep praying and fasting that as we let her drive may God defend and fight for us, WE HAVE TO REACH THE DESTINATION.
Now we are coming to day 14 in the storm hope started looming up ahead of us as they could hear waves breaking on the beach. Indeed this should be a moment of hope and jubilation brothers and sisters, but look here we are coming from a storm and we no longer know where we are and probably who we are. Brothers and sisters break will come at a certain point beyond this storm.
Brothers and sisters we are at a point in time where we have been troubled with waves and the hurricane in the sea look here this is Paul a prisoner and servant and is not on a tourism journey but on his way to answer before the judges and then comes a storm,
Life has been terrible before: the economy, education just to mention a few now comes a storm eager to destroy us and this point in life questions start coming up.
1 Where is God when it hurts most??. Centre to it all our faith is being shaken brothers and sisters indeed amongst the storm lets remember of the 4th man in the furnace.
2 Why does God permit suffering?? Lest we forget his suffering brought us salvation and many others.
Indeed sometimes we are forced to surrender our faith because of these circumstances and situations one after another, but we should remember that the burden God has put in our hearts is greater than the problems we are facing today. Let’s remain focused we have a mission with the body of Christ.
We see them celebrating in verse 36 maybe to 38. Brothers and sisters within the problems and in the midst of the storm indeed there shall be intervals to jubilate and celebrate, but remain focused; the battle is not over because on verse 41 disaster comes back again and probably this time with the soldiers ready to kill.
Be comforted brothers and sisters God will raise a Paul of verse 43: “But the centurion willing to serve Paul kept them from their purpose…” The reason was clear: Roman law condemned guards to death if prisoners escape under their watch.
Brothers and sisters I pray today that there shall be reason enough to serve you in this shipwreck; you will get there alive.
1 I pray today that the same God who looked after us in the storm will look after us in the ship wreck.
2 I pray that the centurion amongst us may find reason to spare the lives of slaves like us.
3 I pray that there be a Man like Paul amongst us who carries favour and mission so that the whole Ship may be saved because of him.
4 I pray that as we encounter the shipwreck may God provide those broken pieces and boards to take us ashore verse 44: “And the rest some on boards and some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass that they escaped all safe to land.
NB We shall make it to land after this shipwreck brothers and sisters and may God give us courage to remain focused through all this.
I pray: Lord God from whom our help comes may you remember and heal our nation. We acknowledge that we are a sinful generation and a people of weaker faith but at this moment in time we surrender this shipwreck unto you.
HELP US OH GOD
HELP US OH GREAT JEHOVAH
AMEN
Methodist Church: Hillside Circuit 