Finding Christ in Your Crisis
Inspired by the work of Jamie Wright & Joyce Rodgers
Sept. 2, 2007 FBC, Chester Mike Fogerson, Pastor
Introduction
A How would you respond if the imperial guard of Iran army paratrooped 6,000 soldiers into Randolph County, attacked your town, killed many friends & family, shut down television/radio, water supply.
1 Forcibly took away your freedom to come & go as you please.
a Invaded your home, pilfered through your most treasured/ intimate possessions.
b How would you respond? React? Next move?
aa Resist the invasion, fight back, hide your treasures.
bb You won’t be taken/driven out without a fight.
2 When Jesus came into your life, He invaded occupied enemy territory (the enemy of your soul is the devil).
a Jesus came in, at your invitation, & invaded your life, heart, soul, & turned it upside-down.
b The enemy who occupied these places resists/fights back, because he doesn’t want to leave.
3 Is it any wonder/is there any doubt why when you get saved, rededicate, get involved with ministry that your world seems to be turned upside-down & inside-out?
a The enemy doesn’t want to lose ground, be the victim of a successful invasion.
b So he fights you, attacks you so you’ll give up this idea of living for Jesus, living in the power of the Holy Spirit...cut & run.
4 He expects me to fight back initially, but he is tenacious with his attacks & wars against me for a season.
a The battle is long, exhausting, we get fatigued & worn down.
b The devil will use this fatigue, weakness as an opportunity to distribute propaganda.
aa (IL) Leaflets in Vietnam, Iraq, Iran
bb Place doubt, destroy morale, weaken resolve
5 The enemy will do his worst to tear down our faith.
a He’ll make us doubt God’s character
aa If God’s so loving, caring, looking out for you...
bb At the time you need God the most, He’s MIA. Some God!
b He’ll make us doubt God’s promises in His word.
aa "Your condition will never change", "Things will only get worse" says the enemy.
bb You’re waiting in vain for God to come to your aid/rescue/deliverance.
B You have crises because the enemy doesn’t want to give up (he wants YOU to give up) or surrender (he wants YOU to surrender).
1 The more you fight, the more tired you become, you endure more battle fatigue...he’s good to wear you down.
2 There is Good News today, Jesus Christ has defeated the enemy for you, & wants you to have the victory!
3 I want to give you some tools today to see where Christ is in your crisis, BREAKTHROUGH.
C Pray
I He’s in the middle of your struggle. Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side to Bethsaida, while He Himself was sending the crowd away. 46 After bidding them farewell, He left for the mountain to pray. 47 When it was evening, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and He was alone on the land. 48 Seeing them straining at the oars, for the wind was against them, at about the fourth watch of the night He came* to them, walking on the sea; and He intended to pass by them. 49 But when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed that it was a ghost, and cried out; 50 for they all saw Him and were terrified. But immediately He spoke with them and said* to them, "Take courage; it is I, do not be afraid." 51 Then He got into the boat with them, and the wind stopped; and they were utterly astonished Mark 6:45-51 (NASB)
A Jesus’ disciples were in a boat, going where Jesus sent them, & a storm comes.
1 Rowing & rowing, but not getting anywhere on their own strength.
a They were never out of Jesus’ sight, out of the will of God.
b Jesus was in the storm, struggle with them.
B You are never out of view, sight: He is in your struggle with you.
1 If a bird doesn’t fall out of the sky without His eye on it, what makes us think He’s taken His eyes off us?
2 While Satan may be behind your storm, you also know that Jesus is the master of the wind.
II He’s in the middle of your battle. But he took his stand in the midst of the plot, defended it and struck the Philistines; and the LORD brought about a great victory. 2 Sam 23:12 (NASB)
A Shammah was in the middle of the pea patch that God gave him, belonged to God, & the enemy came to take it away.
1 A battle broke out between the mighty man of God, Shammah, & the Philistines.
a The land belonged to God, & Shammah wasn’t about to give an inch to the Philistines.
b God was in that pea patch battlefield with his anointed, & gave him the victory.
2 Am I talking to the called-out? Chosen? Mighty anointed men & women of the King of kings?
B Why would we want to give one inch of what belongs to God to fall back into enemy hands without putting up a fight that makes the gates hell rattle on their hinges?
1 God’s not phoning in the battle from heaven, He’s on the battlefield with you.
2 Greater is He that is in me than He that is in the world!
III He’s also in the middle of your furnace. But these three men, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, fell into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire still tied up. 24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astounded and stood up in haste; he said to his high officials, "Was it not three men we cast bound into the midst of the fire?" They replied to the king, "Certainly, O king." 25 He said, "Look! I see four men loosed and walking about in the midst of the fire without harm, and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods!" Dan 3:23-25 (NASB)
A Shadrach, Meshach, & Abed-nego were thrown into a furnace for not surrendering to the enemy.
1 The enemy had the furnace 7x’s hotter than it had ever been before.
2 Who was in the furnace with them? (Jesus in the pre-incarnation manifestation).
3 The devil couldn’t touch them when God was in the middle.
B Jesus is in the middle of your financial furnace, marital furnace, relationship furnace-just call out to Him!
C There is power in calling out in Jesus’ name, claiming the power of the blood, victory! We must claim it!
IV He is in the middle of the lion’s den. All the commissioners of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the high officials and the governors have consulted together that the king should establish a statute and enforce an injunction that anyone who makes a petition to any god or man besides you, O king, for thirty days, shall be cast into the lions’ den. 19 Then the king arose at dawn, at the break of day, and went in haste to the lions’ den. 20 When he had come near the den to Daniel, he cried out with a troubled voice. The king spoke and said to Daniel, "Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you constantly serve, been able to deliver you from the lions?" 21 Then Daniel spoke to the king, "O king, live forever! 22 "My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths and they have not harmed me, inasmuch as I was found innocent before Him; and also toward you, O king, I have committed no crime." 23 Then the king was very pleased and gave orders for Daniel to be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den and no injury whatever was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. Dan 6:7,19-23 (NASB)
A King Darius forbade Daniel from crying, praying out to God, making petitions to God for 30 days (v. 7).
1 If the enemy could get Daniel to shut up, he knew he could shut him down.
a Daniel was not a "shut up" kind of guy, they threw him into the lion’s den.
b Then the king arose at dawn, at the break of day, and went in haste to the lions’ den. 20 When he had come near the den to Daniel, he cried out with a troubled voice. The king spoke and said to Daniel, "Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you constantly serve, been able to deliver you from the lions?" 21 Then Daniel spoke to the king, "O king, live forever! 22 "My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths and they have not harmed me, inasmuch as I was found innocent before Him; and also toward you, O king, I have committed no crime." 23 Then the king was very pleased and gave orders for Daniel to be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den and no injury whatever was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.
2 God was in the middle of the lion’s den with Daniel, & the lions didn’t put a drop of spit on him!
B In the middle of your life’s biggest lion’s den-there is a God who can shut the lion’s mouth!
1 If the enemy can get you to shut up, he can shut you down!
a God is in the den with you!
b He shuts down the mouth of the lion.
2 Keep your faith in Him. I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Psalms 27:13 (NASB)
Conclusion
A You have Jesus to invade your heart.
1 That invasion/occupation made the enemy furious.
a He’s in the middle of your struggle
b He’s in the middle of your battle
c He’s in the middle of your furnace
d He’s in the middle of your lion’s den
2 God’s plans are for us to prosper, not perish; the enemy intends our crises for evil-God will use them for good.
B Have you allowed the enemy to mount a successful resistance? Strong opposition to what Jesus wants to do in your life?
1 Grown weary, tired, fatigued...susceptible to defeat?
a He’s in your struggle, battle, furnace, lion’s den...cry out to Him.
b God wants to give you a breakthrough today!
2 Maybe your first breakthrough means He invades (get saved)
3 Maybe you need another breakthrough!
C Story
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