Interrupted …

Small Group Questions

#1.  What’s the biggest life interruption you’ve had in the last 10 years?  How did you handle it?

#2.  What is your emotional response to interruptions?
#3.  Have you ever used an interruption to share the gospel?  Describe that situation. 
#4. How can you better allow God to interrupt your life with His plan?

Interrupted…                                            Acts 28:7-15

Recap:

• Paul has already been promised that he will make it Rome
• On the ship, he warns them that they should not set sail- they don’t listen – “Men, I believe there is trouble ahead if we go on – Shipwreck, loss of Cargo and danger” – But they didn’t listen
• Ship gets into some crazy weather
• Paul reassures them that it will be ok, however as promised there will be loss of stuff and even the ship
• Ship crashes, soldiers want to kill all prisoners but the leader says no since he wanted to spare Paul – Remember, God has said Paul was going to make it Rome
• The native received them well – Unusually kind
• Paul is bitten by a poisonous snake, and doesn’t die – they now think he is god
• The island chief welcomes them and for 3 day threw a party for them
• Paul heals Publius’s dad – God’s power is seen
• Sick people in the Island are healed
• Paul and the crew are treated very well for 3 months and are sent out with Everything they needed
• Paul sails to Rome and he is welcomed by some believers

When I read this and look at the things that Paul and the crew had to go through, I can’t help but see interruptions everywhere

• I think we can all identify by saying that there has never been a time in our lives that we have been so interrupted
• God has spoken His promises “ a thousand may fall on at my side, ten thousand a the right hand, but it will not come near me” – But the storm looks really bad right now Lord
• Trying to hold on to your promises
• Yet, we see jobs been lost, and even though we know we will get to the shore, just like Paul, the question is what is going to be left?
• Are we going to lose everything and how do we get started?
• This is such an interruption in our lives
• I am here to give you hope!
• The setup
• Folks, God is in the business of setup – “ Psalms 37:23 –The steps of a good man are [a]ordered by the Lord, And He delights in his way.
• Paul gets there, he is not lost in the sea despite the turmoil that they faced (1^st setup)
• Gods Word that He gave Paul is held true- Ship is wrecked, and they lost stuff
• Paul is bitten by a snake immediately when he gets there; timing is everything (2^nd Setup)
  • This was a door way to having the natives listen to him
  • “Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change”

• The Island Chief dad gets ill and he is healed (3^rd Setup)
• The people are healed (Boom! – he gets to people’s hearts)
• What has God setup for you in this Covid-19 season?
• Do we see it as an opportunity or an interruption?
• Is this Covid -19 a setup? How are you looking at it?
• David was out doing what his father had asked him to
  • He doing the right thing day in day out
  • But there was an interruption – Bears and Lions would attack the sheep
  • 1 Samuel 17:34-36 ~But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, ³⁵ I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it. ³⁶ Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.”
  • David did not think …oh man, I am practicing how to kill a giant and that will project me to be a favorite King
  • Some of you are being prepared in this season to fight a future Goliath
• God will go to any extent to make sure that none be lost – He will use any situation because as His child, you are loved!!
• He will change the course of the wind to direct you or someone to get to you

• The response
• What is your response to interruptions?
• Acts 27:20 -26 – Now when neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest beat on us, all hope that we would be saved was finally given up. 21 But after long abstinence from food, then Paul stood in the midst of them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me, and not have sailed from Crete and incurred this disaster and loss. 22 And now I urge you to take [a]heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. 23 For there stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve, 24 saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ 25 Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me. 26 However, we must run aground on a certain island.”
• Many days they battled the storm, there was darkness all over – Just like now, many weeks we have battled the Coronavirus and the woes
• They didn’t eat, and all hope was running away – Have you watched the lines at the local food banks – There is no hope
• But “Here comes Paul” in this chaos, He has been praying – Seeking God
• He comes out with a word of Hope; An angel of God has a message for you “Do not be Afraid” For God’s Word will always be True and Amen
• Are you frantic like the rest of the crew or are you like Paul praying and waiting to see what God is going to do with this interruption?
• What is your response?

My Story

• Born to a single mom – Interruption
• “Setup was perfect to be raised by up by grandmother that was so strong in the Faith”
• Fast forward, I go to a boarding school and after giving my life to Christ at 14, a major interruption happens and I fall away at 15years
• For the next 16 years I live for the world, doing things that I wish I couldn’t remember
• Am in California and its looks like I am getting my life back, I have graduated, have a great job and looking to do more schooling to be a Tax Accountant
• 2009 hit and just like now, Economy fails, mass layoffs, my wife and I lost our jobs “Major Interruption”
• We move to Washington and little did we know that this was the best setup ever
• This evening I stand here as one of your Pastors because, what seemed to be a moment in the sea in our lives, turned out to be “ordered steps” to change our lives.
• Even this Coronavirus moment can be a “setup” How are you going to respond?

• The greatest & Best interruption of all time
• You were a sinner, destines to death
  • Romans 3:23 – All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
  • We were destined for death and there was no hope
• Jesus bust on to the scene and He is healing, doing miracles, setting the captive free  
• The Jews are excited, they finally have their Kings, Messiah- to save them from the Roman oppression  
• One week He is coming down the street like a King on a donkey
• The next moment He is on trial to be killed – an interruption or so it seemed
• Crucified and it all seemed like all had gone
• The bible says that cloud turned dark, day into night, the ground shook, rock split apart and tombs were open- “Divine Interruption”
• Jesus in Dead
• But on the 3^rd day …. He rose!!  
• Praise God Death and Sin was interrupted forever!!!
• All these so that you can have life and have a life with Him
• Listen, I get it, we are living in really uncertain times, no one knows about tomorrow
• Give your life to Christ and let God change those interruption to divine setup!
• I started by saying that this is an interruption ….and as we have examined the evidence, I beg to differ that Paul’s ship wreck was not an Interruption but a divine appointment to the Island
• Allow God to interrupt your life and lead you starting today!

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