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[ Silence ] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] ♪ Was too busy ♪

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♪ To take time out ♪ ♪ To help those in need ♪ ♪ In times of trouble ♪ ♪ He came to my rescue ♪

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♪ Oh yes he did ♪ ♪ And there's nothing my God cannot do ♪ ♪ Oh I've got my first time to hear ♪ ♪ Of God's failure ♪

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♪ Though your problems ♪ ♪ May be great ♪ ♪ Or small ♪ ♪ Oh no ♪

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♪ All my life ♪ ♪ He's been my ♪ ♪ Inspiration ♪ ♪ Oh yes he has ♪

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♪ And I'll follow in his footsteps ♪ ♪ Until I die ♪ ♪ Oh I'm going to ♪ ♪ Pattern my life ♪

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♪ Pattern my life ♪ ♪ Pattern my life ♪ ♪ After Jesus ♪ ♪ Life after Jesus ♪

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♪ Oh yes I am ♪ ♪ Life after Jesus ♪ ♪ To be a living example ♪ ♪ Oh yes I do ♪

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♪ Just like my Jesus was ♪ ♪ To show the world ♪ ♪ That he died on Calvary one day ♪ ♪ I'm going to pattern my life ♪

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♪ Pattern my life ♪ ♪ Oh, after Jesus ♪ ♪ Pattern my life ♪ ♪ After Jesus ♪

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♪ Oh, I'm going to ♪ ♪ Pattern my life ♪ ♪ Pattern my life ♪ ♪ Pattern my life ♪

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♪ I'm gonna pattern my life after Jesus ♪ ♪ After Jesus ♪ ♪ Yes, I am ♪ ♪ Life after Jesus ♪

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♪ To be a living example ♪ ♪ Living example ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah ♪ ♪ Living example ♪

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♪ Just like my Jesus was ♪ ♪ My, my Jesus did ♪ ♪ To show the world ♪ ♪ To show the world ♪

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♪ Yes I will ♪ ♪ To show the world ♪ ♪ And in that ♪ ♪ He died ♪

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♪ For the free one day ♪ ♪ For the free one day ♪ ♪ I swear ♪ ♪ Oh, by my life ♪

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♪ Oh, yes I am ♪ ♪ By my life ♪ ♪ Heaven, my life ♪ ♪ After Jesus ♪

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♪ Jesus never was ♪ ♪ Never was ♪ ♪ Too busy ♪ ♪ To take time out ♪

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♪ To help those in need ♪ ♪ In times of trouble ♪ ♪ He came to my rescue ♪ ♪ Oh yes he did ♪

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♪ And there's nothing that my God cannot do ♪ ♪ Listen, oh, I've got my first time ♪ ♪ First time to hear of God's failure ♪ ♪ All your problems, they may be great ♪

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♪ Ha, or small ♪ ♪ I don't care ♪ ♪ Ha, all my life ♪ ♪ He's been my inspiration ♪

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♪ Oh yes he has ♪ ♪ I can't help but follow ♪ ♪ In his footsteps until I die ♪ ♪ Oh ♪

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♪ I'm going to ♪ ♪ Heaven for life ♪ ♪ Yes I am ♪ ♪ Heaven for life ♪

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♪ And my life after Jesus ♪ ♪ And my life after Jesus ♪ ♪ Life after Jesus ♪ ♪ Gonna be a living example ♪

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♪ Living example ♪ ♪ Oh yes you are ♪ ♪ Living example ♪ ♪ Just like my Jesus was ♪

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♪ Like my Jesus was ♪ ♪ To show the world ♪ ♪ To show the world ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪

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♪ To show the world ♪ ♪ And he died I don't care ♪ ♪ I'll read one day ♪ ♪ I don't care what you read ♪

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♪ Don't you worry ♪ ♪ Heaven for life ♪ ♪ Yes I am ♪ ♪ Heaven for life ♪

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♪ After Jesus ♪ ♪ Heaven for life ♪ ♪ After Jesus ♪ ♪ Oh, I'm going to ♪

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♪ Heaven, my life ♪ ♪ Mm-hmm ♪ ♪ Heaven, my life ♪ ♪ Heaven, my life after Jesus ♪

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♪ Jesus ♪ ♪ Mm-hmm ♪ ♪ Life after Jesus ♪ ♪ To be a living example ♪

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♪ Living example ♪ ♪ Oh, yes ♪ ♪ Living example ♪ ♪ Just like my Jesus was ♪

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♪ My Jesus is ♪ ♪ To show the world ♪ ♪ To show the world ♪ ♪ Mm-hmm ♪

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♪ You show the world ♪ ♪ That he died ♪ ♪ And all Calvary ♪ ♪ He died ♪ ♪ One day ♪ ♪ He died ♪

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♪ All in Calvary ♪ ♪ Don't you want to ♪ ♪ Oh, Calvary ♪ ♪ Oh, Calvary ♪ ♪ Oh, Calvary ♪ ♪ Oh, Calvary ♪ ♪ You're the path in my life ♪

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♪ You're to keep on walking ♪ ♪ You're the path in my life ♪ ♪ After Jesus ♪ ♪ Oh, Calvary ♪ ♪ You're to keep on ♪ ♪ Oh, Calvary ♪ ♪ Yeah ♪ ♪ You're the path in my life ♪

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♪ Gotta keep on singing ♪ ♪ Heaven, my love ♪ ♪ Oh, yes ♪ ♪ Heaven, my love ♪

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♪ Ever my love ♪ ♪ Oh yes ♪ ♪ Ever ♪ ♪ After Jesus ♪

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- Amen. - Amen. - Amen. Here this word is recorded in the book of Acts, the 28th chapter, 11th through the 16th verses.

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And after three months, we departed in a ship of Alexandria, which had wintered in the isle, whose sign was Castor and Pollux. And landing at Syracuse, we tarried there three days.

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And from Fence, we fetched a compass and came to Begium. And after one day, the south wind blew, and we came the next day to Petulia, where we found brethren and were desired to tarry with them seven days.

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And so we went toward Rome, and from thence when the brethren heard of us, they came to meet us as far as Appia, Forom, and the three taverns, whom when Paul saw, he thanked God and took courage. When we came to Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard,

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but Paul was suffered to dwell by himself with a soldier that kept him. The Lord blessed to us the reading and hearing of his word. Congregational hymn is number 132. And we would like.

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[Music] ♪ I need you ♪ ♪ I want you ♪ ♪ All the time ♪

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♪ I need you now ♪ ♪ I will follow ♪ ♪ All the time ♪ ♪ All the night ♪

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♪ All the day ♪ ♪ Was raised ♪ ♪ Yet up ♪ ♪ I'm up ♪

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♪ To be ♪ ♪ And raised ♪ ♪ I'm here ♪ ♪ With you ♪

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♪ How great ♪ ♪ Your love to me ♪ ♪ That grace ♪ ♪ On him ♪

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♪ Begot ♪ ♪ And blessed ♪ ♪ He is risen ♪ ♪ He is made ♪

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♪ Gentle ♪ ♪ And say ♪ ♪ I am ♪ ♪ Already ♪

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♪ Gone ♪ ♪ All praise ♪ ♪ Has now ♪ ♪ Been given ♪

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♪ Thus far ♪ ♪ All praise ♪ ♪ Will be ♪ ♪ Given ♪

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[music] ♪ (soft music) [Music] (gentle music)

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(soft music) [Music] (music) [Music]

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[audience "Amen"] The subject of the message, "The Journey, "The Job, and the Joy."

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The journey, the job, and the joy. And we came to Rome, and the brethren there, when they heard of us, came as far as the forum of Appius and three taverns to meet us.

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On seeing them, Paul thanked God and took courage. Today marks the end of a voyage. We celebrate the fact that we have traveled safely through another year. 1978 is almost over. Only a few hours remain. The year we speculated about only 12 months ago has come to pass.

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The journey comes to an end. We have reached the port. Our journey has been eventful, involving the calm and the storm. And at last we arrive at the point in time for which we have yearned. It was our hope to travel safely through another year. By God's grace, that hope is realized. Luke, the historian of the New Testament, gives a very vivid account of the culmination

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of Paul's last missionary journey. He says, the 28th chapter of Acts and the 14th and 15th verses, "And we came to Rome at last after much toil." Because much has happened before they

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arrive in Rome. Several months prior to that time, Paul was a prisoner in Caesarea for period of three years or rather two years and he left Caesarea on the voyage to Rome because he had appealed his case to Caesar the Supreme Tribunal of the Empire. He's on a ship carrying 276 persons including the passengers and the

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crew. Rome is their destination. It is the immediate goal they have in view. Sometime before that Paul had written to the Romans telling them of a burning desire to visit Rome. He said, "I long to see you that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you." It was Paul's heart's desire to preach the

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gospel in Rome. And along the way, even though it seemed at certain times that he would never reach Rome. Along the way he received divine assurance that he would preach the gospel in Rome. Life has strange ways of getting us where we are going. Sometimes we are led roundabout in order to get where we are going. Paul

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travels toward Rome as a prisoner, but he's not just an ordinary prisoner, he is an imperial prisoner. He is a prisoner under guard by the Royal Police because he has appealed his case to Caesar. Now we've been on a voyage from January to December. We started some 365 days ago almost now. We left at a time when it was not considered

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smooth sailing. We begin our journey in the winter and we end our journey in the winter, January to December. Paul had advised them when they were on the last part of that journey that they ought to spend the winter in Fairhaven. But the counsel of the captain and the owner of the ship was to sail on. The advice of the

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preacher was ignored. His words were considered idle chitter-chatter. They were unwanted and considered unwarranted and ill-advised. They concluded that Paul didn't know what he was talking about. So they sailed on and encountered contrary winds. Life is so much like that in our personal experience. Sometimes we like to say that's

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just peculiar to young people, but that's not peculiar just to young people, that's peculiar to every person who lives. They travel against great odds for life has a strange way of getting us where we're going. The journey is fraught with difficulty and danger. The winds are against them. They try to sail on the calm side of certain islands

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because the wind is blowing against them. There are periods in our life when things are smooth and we seem to be sailing with the wind behind us. But if you keep sailing there may come a time when the winds are against you and that that's the mystery of it all because you you can't control the winds when you are

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they're on a ship and the winds are blowing and they are blowing in the direction against you when you're trying to go in this direction and there is the wind pushing you in the opposite direction. Contrary winds, a ship on the sea being buffeted by angry waves and the journey is fraught with difficulty

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and danger. Oh they they tried to hug the the seacoast as much as possible but the wind blew them out far out. They were trying to make it to Rome and then they came to a point where all they could do was just wait for the winds to change. Have you ever been at a point like that where all you could do was just to wait

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for the wind to change? They are blowing in the wrong direction, you're trying to make your way, and you've done everything that you know to do, and you just have to wait for the winds to change. Sometimes that's the circumstance in your college experience. You have done all of the things that have been prescribed and there comes a time when

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you just have to wait for the winds to change. Sometimes that's in the life of parents and in the struggle with young people. Sometimes you like for them to go in a certain direction and you've done everything to guide them in that direction, then they go in another direction,

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and you just have to wait for the winds to change. So they continue to travel toward Rome. The ship is in a storm driven by contrary winds. And they have no sense of direction.

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The sky is dark. The sailors had been accustomed to looking and seeing the sun and the stars and sort of getting a sense of direction by the sun, the moon, and the stars.

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but the clouds are so heavy that they cannot see the sun, they see no moon, no stars. There is nothing but utter darkness, and they're trying to make the journey.

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No visible signs to guide them. And Paul and the members of the crew become very disturbed. In fact, Luke tells us that it had gotten to the point that we thought that all hope was lost and that we would never reach Rome. And it was in that

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hour of crisis that Paul addresses the company saying, "I told you so. I told you that you should not leave when you left and you know we don't like for people to tell us I told you so that doesn't come as good news unless somehow it is accompanied with sympathy understanding and love I told you so well Paul said well even

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though you you left when you should not have left and you're out here in the storm be of good cheer. There will be no loss of life. We'll all get to Rome if we stick together. In the storm some of the cargo and the gear had to be discarded. Grain was thrown overboard and finally the ship was stuck in the mud and was

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wrecked and through it all they continue their way toward Rome. The journey is delayed for some three months they have to winter in Malta for three months but they kept going after three months they got another ship that was bound for Rome and they got on that ship and continued the journey toward Rome. God has a

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a strange way of getting us where we are going. Sometimes we have smooth sailing, the wind is at our back and things seem to be so favorable, and then there are times when we encounter contrary winds and yet we keep on going for God has a strange way of getting us where we are going.

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And nevertheless, they continue to travel toward Rome. Now the journey isn't easy. No matter what course of study we may take, most of the time, most of us as students

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and in school and students in life, we tackle some courses that are a little tough for us. Sometimes we call them bottleneck courses. Well, if I can just get through that course,

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I think I got all of the others made. Well, life has some bottleneck courses for us, and if we can just make it through this experience, I think I'll have it made.

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But somehow, that's the school of experience. That's the way life is for us. And last, they came to Rome. We'll get where we're going if we trust God.

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Rome, yet even though Paul is a prisoner, even though he's under guard by the Roman police, yet somehow that's the way that he's to get to Rome. God has a strange way. those things that look like our defeats or our victories.

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The mysterious hand of God was at work all of the time. God's hand is at work in our history bringing us toward this hour. There are times of discouragement, but as they journey toward Rome, they keep on keeping on.

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And as they make that journey, they make it in spite of hardships, in spite of dangers, in spite of storm, in spite of shipwreck, they journey toward Rome. Beethoven, while deaf, wrote majestic music, beautiful music, which he could not hear himself.

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He kept on writing his music. He kept on journeying toward Rome. And that's our task. Life is a struggle.

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And yet, in the midst of this struggle, there is joy in the midst of this-- [BLANK_AUDIO]