In "Shipwrecks and Snakebites Can't Stop Me," Ps Adrian takes us through the extraordinary resilience of the Apostle Paul — a man who endured shipwrecks, floggings, snakebites, and storms, yet never stopped moving forward in his God-given calling. Drawing from Paul's own account in 2 Corinthians 11 and the dramatic narratives of Acts 27–28, this sermon unpacks what it truly looks like to press on when life hits hard. The core message is this: when you are filled with the Spirit and walking in your God-given purpose, no circumstance — no matter how catastrophic — has the final say. Not a shipwreck. Not a snakebite. Not even the opinions of people watching you fail.
Introduction: More Than You Signed Up For
Most of us, if we're honest, didn't sign up for the hard parts. We signed up for the freedom, the community, the purpose — but the storms, the career setbacks, the broken relationships, the health scares? Those weren't in the brochure. Paul knew this feeling. In 2 Corinthians 11:23–26, he doesn't shy away from the brutal reality of his journey: beaten, shipwrecked, in danger from rivers, from bandits, from his own countrymen, from Gentiles, in danger in the city and in the wilderness. If you're going through something hard right now, Paul's testimony isn't a rebuke — it's an invitation. You're in good company, and there's a way through.
Sub Point 1: When the Storm Hits, God Still Speaks
Acts 27 finds Paul on a ship headed to Rome — a ship that sails straight into one of the most ferocious storms in the Mediterranean. Cargo is thrown overboard. Sailors are losing hope. Verse 20 tells us that "all hope of being saved was given up." And yet, in the middle of this chaos, Paul stands up and says: "Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me and said, 'Do not be afraid, Paul'" (Acts 27:23–24). This is the first key truth: God doesn't wait for the storm to pass before He speaks. He shows up in the middle of it. When everything around you is unravelling — the finances, the marriage, the health — God is not absent. He is speaking. The question is whether we are positioned to hear Him. Paul had been worshipping, praying, and living close to God long before this ship was in trouble. That kind of intimacy doesn't get built in a crisis — it gets accessed in one.
Sub Point 2: Your Assignment Outlasts Your Adversity
Paul doesn't just survive the storm — he leads through it. In Acts 27:30–37, while the sailors are plotting their escape, Paul is the one who brings order, encourages the crew to eat, and declares that not one life will be lost. He takes bread, gives thanks to God in front of everyone, and breaks it. There's something deeply significant here — Paul turns a moment of crisis into a moment of testimony. He could have been paralysed by fear or consumed by his own survival, but instead, his assignment kept him anchored. Zechariah 4:6–7 speaks directly to this: "Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty. What are you, mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground." The mountains in your life — the insurmountable obstacles, the impossibilities — do not shrink because of your strategy or your strength. They move by the Spirit of God. When you stay connected to your calling, even adversity becomes a platform.
Sub Point 3: The Snakebite That Became a Sermon
Acts 28:1–6 is almost comical in the best way. Paul survives a catastrophic shipwreck, swims to shore on the island of Malta, and is immediately bitten by a venomous snake as he's gathering firewood. The locals watch and assume he must be guilty of something — maybe a murderer who escaped the sea only to face justice by venom. But Paul shakes the snake off into the fire and suffers no ill effects. The crowd, who had just written him off, now declares he's a god. The point isn't Paul's superhuman resilience — it's that God's protection and purpose over Paul's life was so evident, even hostile observers couldn't deny it. The snakebite was meant to be the final word, but it became an open door. Acts 28:7–10 records that Paul then prays for and heals the sick on the island, and the gospel goes forward. Romans 15:18–19 gives us Paul's own reflection: "I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me... by the power of signs and wonders, through the power of the Spirit of God." This is the Pentecostal heartbeat — it's not what we do for God, but what God does through us.
Sub Point 4: Fan Into Flame What God Put In You
2 Timothy 1:6–12 brings it home personally. Writing from prison, Paul urges Timothy — and us — to "fan into flame the gift of God." Don't let hardship extinguish what God has ignited in you. Don't let a snakebite convince you that your best days are behind you. Paul says in verse 12: "I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him." This is settled confidence — not arrogance, not denial of pain, but a deep, Spirit-grounded trust that God finishes what He starts.
Life Application: Shake It Off and Step Forward
The practical takeaway from this sermon is simple but profound: whatever has latched onto you — fear, failure, shame, loss — you have the authority to shake it off. Not through gritted-teeth willpower, but by the same Spirit that kept Paul through shipwrecks and snakebites. God has placed gifts in you. He has given you an assignment. And neither the storms of life nor the snakebites of the enemy can override what God has ordained for your life. The question today is not "Can I survive this?" The question is: "What does God want to do through this?"
Hey, welcome — we're so glad you're here! This message is for anyone who has ever felt like life has thrown more at them than they can handle. Whether it's a job that fell through, a relationship that broke down, a health scare, or just that constant feeling that things keep going wrong — this sermon is about real resilience, not the fluffy kind. We're looking at the life of a man named Paul, who lived about 2,000 years ago, and who faced shipwrecks, beatings, and even a snakebite on his journey to live out his purpose. His story is wild, honest, and incredibly encouraging. The big idea is this: no matter what you're going through, it doesn't have to be the final word on your life. We hope something today connects with you, and please don't hesitate to chat with anyone on our team — we'd love to get to know you.
2 Corinthians 11:23-25
“Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea...”
Acts 27:23-25
“For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me and said, 'Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.' So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me.”
Zechariah 4:6-7
“'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the Lord Almighty. 'What are you, mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground. Then he will bring out the capstone to shouts of God bless it! God bless it!'”
2 Timothy 1:7-8
“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God...”