The Voyage of Life

[0:00] The world is in trouble. Friends, today the world that we're living in is in trouble. Take a look around you and see as a saying that goes they've lost their moral compass. That is true for our nation and many nations of our world today. There's a moral decay that we're living in in our world today. There's a culture war that's abounding and raging against Christianity, against the things of God, against the word of God. Morals are declining, immorality abound.

[0:30] And there's a shift away from the Bible foundations and values. Today we're faced with many threats from the New Age movement and all manner of religious events that are going on. There's a worship of Mother Earth, they call it. They're getting away from the Creator to worship the creation. And we're seeing corrupt governments and leaders in our world today.

[0:54] And friends, there's a false Christianity that's on the rise on our planet today. We can see the signs all around us. Confusing and crazy doctrines. Watered down teachings. A weak message.

[1:08] And we've got a church with a church with a rock band and dancing girls, literally, but no real gospel. No challenge against sin. I was quite amazed of watching something that gave a clip of Hillsong. To see the abundance of worldliness that abounds.

[1:26] And, you know, they have actually, you know, I used to talk about, you know, rock bands and dancing girls. Now they have actually got the dancing girls. I've actually seen it myself. You know, whether they're doing their somersaults on the stage.

[1:39] They're all jiving and dancing. It's like a disco. And friends, this is a sad fact of our world today. There's a false Christianity. There's a turning away from the truth of God.

[1:50] And a friend of mine was telling me how the chaplain's in the hospitals. Someone was inquiring about working in the hospitals. And the chaplain was there and he entered here cursing and swearing.

[2:01] And these are the people that are coming alongside hospital beds trying to bring comfort and nurture to sick and dying people. There's no godly standards in our world today. In everyday life, there's an apostasy, a turning away from the truth.

[2:15] And churches are questioning things that are evident and plain in their Bibles. And wondering, hey, you know, maybe we should have some dialogue on this teaching or that teaching or this particular question or that.

[2:26] And friends, it's black and white. It's clear cut what God says about certain morals and truths. If they but read their Bibles, our nations and our leaders, they've lost the fear of God. They really have.

[2:37] It's got to the point where they've lost that moral compass, if you like. That moral compass. In 2 Timothy 4, it tells us they've lost the moral compass if they ever had one. 2 Timothy 4 verse 3, it says, But the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but after their own lusts, they will heap to themselves teachers having itching ears, and they shall turn away their ears from the truth and shall be turned unto fables.

[3:05] We're not best led by our own feelings, brothers and sisters, or our own ideas or opinions. We've got to be led by the compass. The compass, the word of God. This tells us the north, south, east and west. This tells us whether something is right or wrong. This is how we can measure it.

[3:21] And the word of God teaches us what is right and what is wrong. A compass by which we can determine where to head and get direction for life. And secondly, there's a course that needs to be set. As God's people, we're called to be different.

[3:36] We're not of the crowd who say they will do what is right in their own eyes. Of the crowd whose motto is, if it feels good, do it. That's how some set their compass for life. We want to do what is pleasing in the Lord's eyes. We want to challenge the trends.

[3:51] We have the compass. And it is God who steers our way through that course of life. Otherwise, we'll end up like, as we know, the story of the Titanic. The world was amazed by the Titanic. She was the most spectacular boat afloat.

[4:06] Handsomely appointed and decorated with all the best that the world had to offer. People believed that she had the potential to return years of faithful service for her owners and passengers.

[4:19] And yet, because of errors, small and great, she became a shipwreck. And when she sank, she took many innocent lives with her. Friends, Christianity is a course. It's a way of life. It's a way of living. It's a turnaround.

[4:34] And you can chart a course for your life according to God's way and set the trajectory according to God's pattern and way. Or you can just drift. Some of Paul said in 1 Timothy 1 verse 19, It tells of these that they turned from the Holy Commandment.

[4:55] In 1 Timothy 1 verse 19, They turned from the Holy Commandment, they gave him to false teachers, and they followed their own lusts. Now friends, today, I want to leave you with this thought.

[5:06] The Good Shepherd assures his sheep that they can never be lost. They can never be lost. In John 10 verse 28 it says, And I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish.

[5:21] They shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. But there are some of whom, the Bible says, that some suffer shipwreck.

[5:33] We need to be cautioned and aware of that. Friends, it's not talking about salvation, which is assured, but some of us have gone astray. We need to challenge sin. And I was talking with a brother of late, talking about the word repentance, and how we need to declare that.

[5:48] The need for repentance, as was taught earlier, to repent, to challenge sin, to let him steer you away. And friends, it can happen to any of us. The Bible says, in 1 Corinthians 10 verse 12, Wherefore let him that thinketh his standard take heed lest he fall.

[6:03] You know, sometimes we can make the mistake of thinking of pointing fingers at other people, and of their failings and faults, yet the Bible says, look out for yourself, and take heed lest you fall.

[6:15] As it says in Proverbs 16, Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Don't get proud, and high and mighty, humble yourselves, the Bible says, humble yourselves, in the sight of the Lord, and he will lift you up.

[6:30] We call to faithfulness. We don't want, I don't want anyone here today, to suffer shipwreck. And whether it's talking about believers who have that momentary slipping and sliding and get in trouble, or whether it's actually talking about those that never had the faith, really in the real sense of grasping it and being saved in the first place.

[6:49] It's not clear from that particular text. But what is clear, is that God calls us and urges each one of us to faithfulness. To faithfulness. And God can work in your heart, in your conscience, if you've got that obedient heart.

[7:02] If you've got that obedient heart. So we've seen, we've seen the compass, the Bible, the Word of God. We've seen the course, that we have to take. We don't want to strain, and end up having shipwreck.

[7:13] And also, lastly, we've seen, there's a captain needed. Is Christ the captain of your vessel? Is Christ at the helm of your vessel? Is he the captain of your ship?

[7:25] Is the captain in command? If he is, then you can be assured, that you are in his will. Jesus Christ, it says in Hebrews 2 verse 10, it says, he is the captain of our salvation.

[7:39] The Lord Jesus is the captain of your soul. You can be assured of that. You know, there's a story told of a stormy day, when a vessel was being moved around, in the choppy seas, and a young boy was resting calmly, in this time of storm.

[7:56] And someone asked him, why are you so at peace? He said, because my father is at the steering wheel of the vessel. My father is the pilot. And friends today, if Christ is your pilot, if Christ is the one who's got that steering wheel of your ship, if he is the pilot who steers us safely, you can hear his voice and obey it.

[8:18] You can hear his commands, and he can direct your ship to wherever life throws you away, through the seas and storms ahead. Friends, just to close, will you be like Paul, who said in 2 Timothy 4 verse 7, I have fought a good fight.

[8:33] I have finished the course. I have kept the fame. Or will you be like one of those who veers off course, only to be wrecked upon the jagged reefs and rocks of sin.

[8:46] Of our captain, it says, all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him amen. That's 2 Corinthians 1 verse 20. He has given us a chart for life called the Bible.

[8:58] Hold fast the word of God. Hold fast to faith. Hold fast to the captain. Is he your captain? That's the question to leave you in this segment now. Is he your captain? There's opportunity for you to repent.

[9:11] I urge you, one and all, whether you're a believer who's slipping and sliding, maybe not as firmly on track in that ship behind your captain, treading his course, following his compass, maybe it's time to seek his face again.

[9:26] Seek his face afresh. Recommit your life to his cause, to him today, right now. Don't put it off. And friends, if you're not saved this morning, if you don't know the Saviour, he's never become your captain.

[9:39] He's never become your Lord and Master. Today is the day. The Bible says, behold, now is the day of salvation. Friends, I urge you to take his hand today and follow him through the days ahead.

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