I want to pick up right where we left off last Sunday morning. By way of review for those of you who weren’t here, the most important thing that I want you to know from last week is “It ain’t over till it’s over”. God has last at bats in your situation. This morning, don’t look at:
¸ The scoreboard
¸ Your situation
¸ How bad things are
¸ The clouds overhead
¸ Your problems
¸ Your sickness
¸ The mountain
¸ How far behind you are
But if you have a problem then I have a God. He is a problem solver and I want to introduce him to you today.
It doesn’t matter what the score is in your situation because God is getting ready to come to bat in your life!!! It ain’t over till it’s over.
Let’s praise him together today!!
I’m preaching this morning “Are you ready for the storm?”
When American billionaire Larry Ellison, cofounder and CEO of Oracle Corp., won the fabled 725-mile Sydney-to-Hobart yacht race during the first week of this year (1999), he and his crew could not find it in their hearts to celebrate. They began their race in his 80-foot long boat, the Sayonara. Although the race began under sunny skies, a ferocious storm rose while the boats were in open water, with 90 mile per hour winds hurling 35-foot waves at the boats.
Some 50 sailors, many injured, had to be rescued by helicopter. Six boats were abandoned or sank, and four men perished. Two more are missing and presumed dead.
Race organizers say their investigation will focus on whether the crews were sufficiently informed about the bad weather, which was forecast, but which many competitors obviously underestimated. (Newsweek January 11, 1999)
I’m preaching this morning “Are you ready for the storm?”
What I want each member of this church and every guest here today to understand is that we will all face storms in our life. There is not a person here today that will never face a difficult time in their life.
The Bible says that in this life we will have tribulation. I’m glad it goes on to say but be of good cheer for I have overcome the world, but remember it does say that we will have tribulation.
The Bible says that the rain falls on the just and the unjust.
The Bible says that man’s days upon the earth are few and full of trouble.
We will have:
¸ Difficulties
¸ Troubles
¸ Trials
¸ Hard times
¸ Problems
I’m preaching today “Are you ready for the storm?”
¸ What I want you to know today is that the clouds will always gather overhead.
¸ The wind will always blow against your house.
¸ The storms will always rage against your life.
Nothing in this life will ever come easy to you. But it will be a struggle everyday of your life to survive.
¸ If you are going to have a walk with God you are going to have to work at it.
¸ If you are going to have a good marriage than you are going to have to work at it.
¸ If you are going to have a family that stays together it will happen because you put some effort into it.
¸ If you are going to have children that grow up to love the Lord you are going to have to invest some time into them. Teaching them principles from God’s word.
Your going to have to fight for everything you get in life. It will be a struggle all along the way. But there is a God that wants to walk by your side through the difficulties of life.
In your marriage relationship with your spouse it will be a struggle, to put it mildly, if you are going to survive. With over fifty percent of marriages failing today it will be difficult at best. But there is a God that wants to be at the very center of your marriage relationship. He will help you in your marriage if you will let him.
In your family, if your kids are going to serve the Lord it will be a fight to save them from this godless and perverse society. But there is a God that wants to help you as a parent steer your kid’s mind in the right direction.
Let me pause here just a moment and say you can’t expect for your kids to love the Lord and serve him and at the same time watch the junk that comes from the television today, but you’ve got to guard their minds so that the junk of the world doesn’t get in.
Just this week in our family devotions I taught my children Philippians 4:8
8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
If I want them to think like that then I’ve got to invest the time to put it into their minds.
In your walk with God it will be a fight to the end.
¸ If you make it to Heaven it will be because you refused to give up.
¸ It will be because you fought the good fight of faith.
¸ It will be because you were ready to face the storms of life.
¸ There is an adversary that wants to do you in.
¸ There is a devil that wants to destroy you.
¸ He is against you.
¸ He doesn’t want you to live for God.
¸ He doesn’t want you to have a relationship with God, but he is content to let you sit on a church pew and never do anything for God.
There is a God that is for you today. If God be for us than who can be against us. There is a God that is working things out for your good today. There is a God that is raising up a standard against the enemy. God wants you to make it. He wants to see you walk down streets of gold one day.
I’m preaching today “Are you ready for the storm?”
Before we make it to Heaven there will be some storms that we will have to endure.
1 Peter 1:6-7:
6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:
7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
1 Peter 4:12-13:
12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
The book of Isaiah says that sometimes God has to give us the bread of affliction and the water of adversity for a little while. It says he is trying to show us the right way to go. His voice is telling us this is the way. Don’t go to the left and don’t go to the right but this is the way straight ahead.
2 Corinthians 4:15-18:
15 For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.
16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
In our scripture text it says that a great tempest arose. A great storm arose while they were in the boat going to the other side. They were sailing along with perfect weather and all of the sudden, “BAM,” the storm hits.
Have you ever felt like the disciples felt that day? Your life was progressing along nicely – the sun was shining, the winds were calm, the water smooth – and then all of the sudden “BAM” the storm hits your life.
¸ The breath is knocked out of you
¸ Your knocked off of your feet
¸ The waves break over you
¸ You hardly know what hit you
¸ It takes you by surprise
You look up to Heaven and say “Don’t you see what is going on down here? Can’t you tell that I’m drowning? Don’t you care that I’m in trouble?
Matthew 8:24 says that the ship was covered with the waves.
Mark 4:37 says the waves beat into the ship.
Luke 8:23 says and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy.
I’m preaching to someone here today that feels just like that. Your life is covered with:
¸ Problems
¸ Storms
¸ Difficulties
¸ Sickness
¸ Trials
I’m preaching to someone today that feels like the waves of adversity are beating against the sides of your life. Nothing is stable, nothing is grounded but everything is shaking.
I’m preaching to someone who feels like your life is full of problems and you are in jeopardy. Everything seems to be going wrong. You look up and say “God don’t you care? Just when I’m living for you like I should. Just when I’m doing the right things in my life.
Don’t forget Job and the trial that he went through.
Job 23:8-10:
8 Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him:
9 On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him:
10 But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.
Remember the trial of Abraham. His whole life was a trial.
Genesis 22:11-14:
11 And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.
12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.
13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.
14 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.
¸ David went through trials
¸ Moses had storms in his life
¸ Elijah had difficult times
¸ Jacob faced adversity
¸ Peter was tried
¸ Joseph sure had his share of hard times
¸ Daniel had the lions den
¸ The 3 Hebrews had the fiery furnace
¸ Jesus had a cross and a lost world
What am I trying to say this morning?
¸ I’m trying to let you know that there will be storms in your life.
¸ Storms that will rock you and shake you.
¸ Storms that will test your faith.
¸ Storms that will bring adversity your way.
¸ Storms that will knock the breath out of you.
But here is what I really want you to know this morning. Listen close! The storm will not last forever!!!! There will always be storms that is nothing unusual but they will not last forever. As real as your pain is right now it will one day be gone. As real as your problem is right now it will one day be taken care of.
Romans 8:31-39:
31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.
34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Four questions:
1. If God be for us who can be against us? No one
2. Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? No one, it is God that justifieth.
3. Who is he that condemns? No one, it is Jesus that intercedes for us.
4. Who shall separate us from the love of God. No one and nothing.
Daniel 6:26-27:
26 I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he is the living God, and stedfast for ever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end.
27 He delivereth and rescueth, and he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.
Isaiah 43:19:
Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.
Psalm 107:28-31:
28 Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses.
29 He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.
30 Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.
31 Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
Psalm 121:1-8:
1 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
2 My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.
3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.
6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
7 The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.
8 The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.
LET’S STAND TOGETHER
I wonder this morning with every head bowed and every eye closed is there anyone in the sanctuary going through a storm right now?
Matthew 8:26:
And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.
You need to speak to your problem today and command it to go away. Your not commanding God but your problem.
No matter how violent the storm mat be, there never has been one that has lasted forever. There will always be sunshine afterward.
