Never Underestimate the Power of One Voice
By Dr. Jack R. Hodges, Jr.
Burke County
Over the last months, I have been sharing from a sermon series that I preached at Pleasant Hill on Paul’s final journey by ship to Rome. I borrowed the title, Mediterranean Sea Rules, and shared spiritual principles that are gleaned from the Apostle Paul’s treacherous final journey. In Acts 27:36-44, we find the cargo ship that is carrying Paul and many others striking the reef surrounding the Island of Malta and beginning to break apart. The ship was coming apart and no one would survive if they stayed on the ship. The only choice for anyone who desired to survive was to abandon the ship.
But suddenly, there’s a snag in the panicked plan to abandon ship. It was reported that the Roman soldiers planned to kill the prisoners so that none of them, including Paul, would escape. These were seasoned Roman soldiers who knew their role and responsibility. They were charged with guarding these prisoners with their very lives. And if any were to escape, they would certainly pay for the failure with their own lives. Paul was one of those prisoners—and his life was in peril! If the soldiers are allowed to carry out their standing orders, that’s the end of the story for Paul. God’s plans would be thwarted and Satan wins.
But then—One voice bellowed out! It wasn’t Paul’s voice—but that of the centurion, Julius. However, at that point, most of them were listening to what Paul had to say. But the only voice that had any power to stop these disciplined Roman soldiers from following through with their imperial commands was the centurion. He was a seasoned and experienced officer of over 100 Roman soldiers. Only he could stop the swords of the soldiers. Ordinarily, he would have so ordered their execution. But do you see the mighty hand of God? Whether it was reason, selfishness, or self-survival that moved this centurion or whether he, too, had come to believe the testimony of Paul concerning Jesus Christ, God stayed his hand. The Lord intervened! Do you know why? Because the plans and purposes of God cannot be thwarted, blocked, or defeated!
Right there at that perilous moment, as Paul’s life was being threatened by standard Roman military protocol, Julius stepped in and commanded that all be allowed to jump into the sea and try to swim and make it to shore. He commanded that those who couldn’t swim were to grab hold of any of the planks that were breaking up from the ship and float to shore.
Don’t miss this witness! One voice! It’s a miraculous voice. It’s a saving voice. It’s a commanding voice that carries the power to change history. What is the power of one voice? Throughout history, one voice has moved armies or commanded respect and admiration. One voice has rallied nations to defeat evil (as did Winston Churchill and Theodore Roosevelt). One voice has also been used by Satan to bring about devastating evil, death, and destruction (as did Stalin, Hitler, and others).
But in the hands of Almighty God, one voice can make all the difference. One voice can be the difference in life and death. One voice that is speaking the truths of God can lead people to deliverance (as did Moses). One voice can lead people to repentance (as did the O.T. prophets and the gospel writers). One voice can lead to redemption, forgiveness, salvation, reconciliation, and assurance (as has the voice of our Savior). God continually raises one voice—then and there, then and now, and long into the future. For God is sovereign and mighty. He is everlasting and eternal. And Almighty God always raises one voice to speak His will and way. This other voice would be needed by God to intervene and accomplish His mighty works and plans. It was the voice of one whom we would not expect to hear and speak up for the plans of God. It was the voice of a Roman commander, who desiring to bring Paul safely through to Rome, kept the soldiers from doing what they intended. Not only did his voice stop the swords of the soldiers, but he also moved to assist everyone to safety.
Almighty God raises the voices of both His children and even those who are not of His family! He does so to accomplish His mighty and eternal plans He has given you a voice of faith—and you must shout out and live out your faith and commitment in Christ for all to see. He has given you a voice driven by power, love, and discipline. As Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 1:7, “For God has not given us a spirit of timidity but of power and love and discipline.”
Will your voice say, “I can’t!” “I won’t!” “I don’t have time!” Or will your voice, raised by the power of the Holy Spirit, say, “I am Yours, Lord” “Here I am, send me, equip and use me!” You may not be a commander of a legion of 100, but you are still the commander of your own thoughts and voice. Here are several suggestions about letting your voice be heard:
- Don’t let your voice be drowned out by fear or doubt. Speak and live out your faith so that the Lord may accomplish His plans and purposes.
- Trust in the Lord for all things and in all things, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)
- Jump out of the sinking boat of self-doubt, pride, fear, anger, etc., and swim to shore. Take hold of God’s life-preserver and swim toward Him and His plans and purposes.
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Dr. Jack Hodges is the Senior Pastor at Pleasant Hill Baptist Church in Morganton, NC. He has served as a pastor, a biblical counselor, and an International Mission Board missionary.
Read more from Dr. Hodges here.
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