Giving Thanks In The Storm Of Uncertainty Series

Tonight…Today…

Video

Honor

Retirement Ceremony…

Hawk…Lisa…

Vets…Family w/others elsewhere (in harms way)…Families of vets…

Open to Daniel 3

Series –Giving thanks in the Storms…

Today – The Storm of Uncertainty

Read

Pray

Life is Uncertain

Whether we like it or not, negatives are a part of life. We are struck by tragedy, & we have to deal with grief. We are taken advantage of; we have to deal with anger. We are ripped off, & we have to deal with rage. We are abandoned, & we have to deal with bitterness. We lose everything, & we have to deal with failure. We come in second; we have to deal with defeat. We experience repeated setbacks, & we have to deal with a poor self-image. The problem is not so much encountering the negatives, but finding a way to neutralize them. There is good news in the message of the Bible. The Bible speaks to us at our lowest & raises us to our highest. It finds us at our weakest points & transforms us into our strongest selves. Within its truths an eternal dimension picks us up at our saddest & rejuvenates us to experience the highest joy.

We’re living in uncertain times…

Globally

Nationally

Home front

Truth –

We not only face uncertainty in general – any/each of face uncertainty specifically…

Bible – James 4:13, 14

Don’t say today or tomorrow you will…for you don’t know what will actually happen tomorrow…life is a vapor – here & then gone…You ought to say “if it’s the lord’s will I will…”

Scripture

Setting

Nebuchadnezzar/Babylon… (Modern day Iraq)…

Captured the country & is imposing his rule…

Tyrant…Vicious…Violent…Brutal…

4 young men to work in his government…

Daniel…Shadrach…Meshach…Abednego…

Risen to King’s appointed authority…

Therefore – certain visibility…

90’ x 9’ idol of himself…

Brings in everyone & decrees –

When the music plays – bow…

Acts of paying homage to him…

Declaring him as authority over their lives…

MUSIC & 3 young men do not bow…

“They are ignoring you…They don’t honor you”

2nd Chance –

now front & center to the king…

TALK about a Storm of Uncertainty

When you are not sure how things are going to work out…

Imagine the Scene –

Pressure…Anxiety…Uncertainty…Storm…Crisis…

CRISIS

What is a crisis?

"A stage in a sequence of events at which the trend of all future events is determined"

Is

Where all you thought you knew is now no longer what you are sure of...

A time where PRESUMPTION/CONCLUSIONS & FAITH have had a Collision…

Chinese –

The Chinese use symbols to represent words. For "crisis", the combination of the symbols "danger" & "opportunity” are used to represent crisis.

So it is in Crisis of Faith –

A place of Opportunity & a place of Danger

Often Crisis of LIFE == Crisis of FAITH

CRISES (Storms) are an opportunity to Choose

Which is it going to be –?

Opportunity or Danger…

Which is Going to Triumph – LIFE or FAITH…

Think about the Reputation of Nebuchadnezzar

He kills you…100% track record…Doesn’t give in…Menace…Troubling…

THEY KNOW THIS as they Stand before him…

YOU DIE

Given His reputation –

That would be the easy Conclusion –

We are going to Die…

YET

Conclusions

They have not come to the SAME CONCLUSION

“We’re not careful…”

We are not worried about this one…

We are not going to get all carried away with this one…

We know who you are – but we know who God is…

GOD IS ABLE…

What conclusions have you come to that -

Might be contrary to the Fact that God is God? God is Able?

How have you come to those conclusions?

Track record? Disease type? Divorce rate? Survival rate? Success ratio?

Recovery rate…Past…Others…

Just because “it” has said something – doesn’t mean you have to listen & cower in fear…Or bow…

They say –

We hear you – but God gets to decide this – not you…

Chris

God is the Author of CONCLUSIONS!

"When you come to the edge of all the light you know, and are about to step off into the darkness of the unknown, faith knows one of two things will happen: there will be something solid to stand on, or you will be taught how to fly."

They are on the EDGE of ALL they know – EDGE of UNCERTAINTY…

Yet they are CERTAIN…

Heb. 11

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for – the evidence of things not yet seen

FAITH is the Answer for times of Uncertainty

YOU WILL NOT ALWAYS be ABLE to EXPLAIN WHY you are in the CRISIS

LIFE is Lived Forward & Understood Backward...

C.S. Lewis

"You can’t see anything properly while your eyes are blurred with tears"

The story continues –

Furnace 7x hotter than normal…

Those taking them into the furnace die because of its heat…