Sensing God In The Storm, Part 2

Today on Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ, you can avoid the pain of the store is pain. If humans were if you've lost a loved one you battled cancer.

You espouse the left, whatever it is you know what I'm talking about. It's painful. The pain doesn't just go away. The pain is there but even though the pain is there. Notice what he says you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will return for joining us today on this additional Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt Fellowship in the Words the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible church located in Metairie. Let's join Pastor Bill Gebhardt now is once again he shows us how God's word meets our world a young person that dating somebody very questionable whether they should been dating in the first place. The person breaks up with them was unfaithful to the devastated is the worst thing possible to see them two or three years later, in the right persons in the life, the more protected that person is a good thing going on their life as a lesson to learn using the test here is the measure of my teachability when I'm in a storm. I have to measure my teachability Lord, is there something you'd like to teach me see really you want to teach me something he always does. He wants to teach us something about himself. He went to teach us something about ourselves.

While one more storm it's go to Jonah chapter 1 Jonah chapter 1 and this is a storm of completely different nature. Jonah chapter 1, right after Obadiah so there should be no problem. The word of the Lord comes the Jonah verse two. Here's what God says to Jonah arise, go to Nineveh, the great city and cry against it for their wickedness is come up before me.

Jonah finds himself in Judah God calls him says okay Jonah your profit is and what you do. I want to go east and north. I want to go to the Syrian capital, Nineveh clear clear clear instructions by the Lord. But Jonah rose and went as far east as it could possibly go.

I mean, far west as he possibly go God says go east Jonah says that's it, I'm getting up on one West is how far can you go Wesley said well the end of the worlds of Tarshish right there in Spain. The Gibraltar best the end of the world.

Let's go there then I want to go as far the opposite direction of where the Lord wants me as possible. So Jonah rose the fleet of Tarshish from the presence of the Lord and say went down the job from the ship, which was going to Tarshish paid the fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish, the presence of the Lord now, the Lord hurled a great wind on the sea and there was a great storm in the sea, so that ship was about the breakup and then the Sabres became afraid and Everyman cried to his God coming through their cargo. Same thing, which is on the shipping the cedar like that for them. But Jonah had gone below in the hold of the ship, lay down and fallen soundlessly that everything that repeats in one you have Savior sleeping in this when you have the center sleeping as he Jonah didn't care I don't care what the storm is I just know I'm up and do what God wants me to do. I'm going the opposite direction. So the captain approached him and said how is it that you are sleeping. He says get up and calling your God. Perhaps your God will be concerned about us so that we will not perish. Each man said was made, let us cast lots so that we may harm whose accomplice calamity instructors so they cast lots and by the way don't think this is a coincidence. The lots felt one Jonah and they said to him tell us now on whose account has this calamity struck us.

What is your occupation profit.

I am to be a prophet, and what you come from, what is your country from Israel for your people.

I'm Jewish.

He said to them all, Hebrew, and I fear the Lord God of heaven who made the sea and the dry land, but not enough to obey him, and then the men became extremely frightened and they said how could you do this for the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord because he told them, and so they said to him, what should we do that the sea may become calm to us for the sea is becoming increasingly stormy. He said to them, look pick me up throw me into the sea and then the sea will become calm for you, for I know that on account of me this great storm is coming to you is a completely different kind of storm. This is when the Lord sends a storm in your life to bring you back to him. This is when the Lord sends a storm in your life to bring you back to him. This often is the case when we realize that we have been willfully disobedient to the Lord completely just go on a completely different direction. I like a lot of you've gone through this kind of storm I think is relatively rare and it's not easily interpreted by what was easy for Jonah interpret was a kind of storm, one that because God told directly, go east and he said no going West so we know what disobedient he was for us it's a little harder sometimes the test here is this the test is the healthiness of my attitude toward the Lord see him so many times in our life we just decide I know the right way to go.

I'm not going. I know the right thing to do and I'm not doing it just got to go my own way. I'm just telling you something.

If your child of God. The writer of Hebrews says it's a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God. You may not take him seriously but he takes you very seriously and you might find yourself in a storm. He prepared just to bring you back to him. There's always a deep personal conviction like Jonah had here. I know it's me that's important for you to understand this kind of storm is not pronounced by others. Don't forget this this kind of storm is not pronounced by others. I know you're well-meaning but so many times Christian parents, friends, spouses were the last ones in your life you want to know what you're going through what you're doing.

I'm telling you why because your message running you're doing what you should be doing.

By the way, that's exactly advice. Job's friends gave him they were all wrong. So be very careful. By telling someone else. That's why the storms in your life but if you're in a storm, you got ask yourself the question, is this a storm is put in my life to draw me back to him. I read a story of a young boy who got a sailboat as a gift and you just love it.

So he went on to the pond and he put it in the pond. It was just watching the little gentle breeze along the shoreline move in the cell body was really infatuated with it and all of a sudden a little stiffer breeze come out and it started going on the water. He started to the edge, but realize it's going not too far and then when I further and further and he couldn't get a sailboat so little guys pretty ingenious. He decided I normally do one got a whole bunch of stones from his hand. He started throwing stones through the stones further than that though sailboat was on the pond and every time the stone landed ripple from it. Draw a little closer to another one draw closer another one draw closer and eventually he was able to bring that little sailboat right back to him. That's what God is done in some of your lives is allowed little storms use drop those little stones right overtop you.

You feel the waves. It's kind of scary for a moment. He's trying to get you back. That's a lesson that he has for all of us in the test is the healthiness of my attitude toward God and so we have four different storms here.

Just let me review this because each one is unique in its own way. First, when a storm last long enough.

It's easy to have all of your help.

Slowly but surely just vanish. This is often the case when you're in a chronic storm. Some of you are really difficult, especially health issues. The test is the strength of your commitment to the truth.

Then there's the storm that is intense enough so intense that we begin to question the goodness of God our life. Don't you care. God don't you care. This often happens with we have sudden, immediate loss and pain in the test is the nature of our faith. There is 1/3 storm when we are often sent into a storm by the Lord and we fail to learn the lessons that he has for us. This is often the case when a sudden change comes into our lives and we become preoccupied with the circumstances we see the when we feel the waves.

The test there is the measure of our teachability in the storm. In the last when the Lord sends a storm into our lives to bring us back to him. This is often the case because we have decided to be disobedient and willfully go the opposite direction of the Lord. The test is our healthiness of our attitude to the Lord for storms four different ways we can apply them to our lives.

But one thing I said in a beginning and I believe with all my heart. Storms are inevitable to all of us. If you've never been in one. You will be if you're in one now if I beat another later if you just stop being an astonished will be a new one on the horizon. It has a seasons and it hasn't intensities there category ones their depressions nurse just tropical storm.

Then there's the three fours and fives is heartbreaking to what some people at the go three fours and fives is difficult is painful. So I want to do is go one passage in the Concerta prepare all of us for storms of our own lives go with me to John chapter 16 the gospel of John chapter 16 John 16 is in one of the most amazing sections of the entire word of God. It is the most intimate passage context the entire Bible. John 1314 1516 and 17. Those five chapters. There are no chapters in the Bible that have this sense of intimacy and the reason is one did this take place 1314 1516 and 17 night before Christ was crucified. Who was the listener's disciples and Jesus Christ suspending these last intimate moments with his disciples, and he's trying to teach them some things as well as teach us member in chapter 13, he started out by teaching them to be servants of each other.the Lord and over not to consider themselves more important than they are in need wash their feet and what you see now and 16 as he is preparing them for storm that he knows is coming. By preparing them he prepares us to just look at a few of these verses and observe them.

16 one into these things I have spoken to you.

He says so that you may be kept from stumbling. They will make. He says you outcast and from the synagogue and ours coming when everyone who kills you, though. Think that there observing or offering service to God. By the way, that's exactly what happened solve Tarsus killed Stephen he thought he was serving God.

In other words, he's telling the disciples a storms coming to see big storms coming.

Sometimes he lets us see the clouds once in a while. He warns us as a general warning for all of us storm clouds are always on the horizon can come at any moment now look at verse four pieces, but these things I have spoken to you so that when their hour comes. He said that you may remember what I told you of them. He wants us to be prepared for storms. He says that when the hour comes when the storm hits. I want you prepared by the way, the best time to prepare for storms when you're not in one.

That's a time to prepare for when you will be in one verse seven, but I tell you the truth, it is your advantage that I go away, use it for if I do not go away, the helper will not come to you, but if I go, I will send him to you. He's talking to them about the Holy Spirit that will come to them as condors since Jesus Christ is ascended.

That was so wonderful about that is there's a point he's making you will never face a storm alone.

That's what is telling the disciples you got to be in a big storm starting tomorrow, but you will never face. That alone I will never leave you nor forsake you. You see, the whole idea is to know he is always with me now if I have the wrong perspective I might think he sleeping on the ship using the ship.

See that's what he is trying to tell him he will never let us face storms alone in verse 12. Wonderful verse.

He said I have many more things to say to you, but you can't bear them now is one of the great things about the Lord he gives you just enough light for today see so often we see somebody in a storm, especially if someone a category 45, and one of the most astounding things to me and disappointing things that have ever happened to me as I've seen some of you over all the years go through that kind of storm, and you did it with great grace. You did it with a wonderful attitude is amazing to see because it was so different and shamefully I've had other believers say to me, they must be in denial, they shouldn't be that positive. They shouldn't be that happy. They shouldn't have that joy, they shouldn't have that piece there in denial. How sad, how sad. You see, the other thing is I can't really identify with it because I you say to yourself I don't think I could go through a storm like that. Well you don't have to right now but when you do the amount of light and grace God provide you is the amount you need is you don't get ahead of time. You only get what's for now that's all you need. That's what Jesus saying I have many more things I get city can't bear them now.

I grew up a small town in western Pennsylvania, and it was world and in western Pennsylvania.

You have hills and mountains everywhere. It's hard to find a flat spot and what happens is you have to drive and so when you're driving if you ever done that on hills and mountains. It's always like this. And so when you drive there at night, you are completely dependent on just one thing your headlights. That's all you got and by the way can see anything. You can see around the bend.

You can see over the hill. You don't see anything and you never paralyze you never say you know I can't even go to my destination because I can see it I would have to see it all I have to do is trust my headlights as long as I drive on the basis of what my headlights expose I get to my destination. The headlight provides just enough Seattle have to see beyond 350 feet or whatever would be. I don't have to see beyond that. I just have to drive in this next 350 feet and then the next, and then the next, and in the end you get to your destination for Jesus saying look I could give you a whole lot more Canberra now and you don't need it now. Now verse 20 he says truly, truly, I say to you that you will weep and lament what the world will rejoice.

You will be sorrowful which your sorrow between the joy is what is telling us storm to get hurt every painful it's going to hurt you going to cry. See you can avoid the pain of the storm. This pain if you been through that if you've lost a loved one you battled cancer. You espouse the left, whatever it is you know what I'm talking about. It's painful. The pain doesn't just go away. The pain is there but even though the pain is there. Notice what he says you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned to joy. See, that's one of the great things that's the beauty of being a Christian all we have pain free lives. We don't.

You never have to suffer again. You do, you never face a storm. We will, but in the end, joy, joy, joy. See the worst thing that could happen.

You cannot do you see in it may be the joy may be short term or may take longer. Shadrach me shack and Abednego now I think that's a storm, a furnace that they're going to throw you into. I'm just saying that's a storm and when what they said they said hey, our God is able to deliver us will be all right.

He said they said he may deliver us from the furnace, but he will deliver us from you. Either way, we win. We got joy it will come in out of the furnace again will have joy we go into his presence and will have joy, but either way will have joy that's with the word of God says and that's what he says the sorrow is turned to joy always verse 22. Therefore, he says you to have grief now but I will see you again in your heart will rejoice and no one will take your joy away from you.

We will always prevail because of him always. That's the whole point of our faith.

See and all that is based on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. That's why positive Christ be not raised, we should be the most pitiable people he understood everything that we hang our hopes on because the resurrection of Jesus Christ metal crisis. Tom ultimately there's joy in the last section versus 31 through 33, Jesus asked the definitive question of them and us. Do you now believe do not have faith, do not believe you see, he's not asking whether believers in him. These are his disciples, and I before the crucifixion.

He seemed to. You have the faith to endorse storm. Do you have that faith you now believe he said, behold, an hour is coming and already is, he said, where you will be scattered each to his own home and to leave me alone. And yet I am not alone because the father is with me. I don't even go through the storms alone, except in the course. He says these things I have spoken to you, so that in me you may have a nurse will relook for the storm piece you may have peace.

He said in the world you will have the me paraphrase a lot of storms you see in the world you will have tribulation, but take courage. He said I am over, the world would great way to prepare us for storms. If you are in a storm right now you have struggles getting through storms in your past are now anticipating a storm that I kept telling use a shorter come I want you to think about these five questions is a close want to think about these do you think that there is any storm that touches your life that God doesn't know about. Do you think there's any storm that could touch her, like the guy doesn't know about number two. Do you think there's any storm that touches your life that God cannot handle to get the answer that for yourself.

Number three.

Do you think there's any storm that touches your life that doesn't have a purpose from God's point of view. Number four. Do you think there's any storm that touches your life. That shouldn't teach you something about yourself number five do you think there's any storm that touches your life.

That shouldn't teach you something about your Lord, you see, in the end that's what happens in storms. If you are in a story you've gone through a storm. There's two things you need to do.

You need to learn something about yourself and you need to learn something about your Lord. I think what you find out is nobody looks forward to going into storms, but you could be better for it.

Spring father. All of our lives are marked with storms we don't look for to them.

The realism of Scripture is that they are frightening father. They are real and they happened to be virtually every one of us. But the question is how do we get through the storm father. I'm afraid it so many times we spend our time preoccupied with the storm fixated on our own flight finding ourselves questioning you and asking you why you won't make it calm. We never take the time father to see the greatness of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the storm and his nearness. We never take the time father to learn about ourselves, how little faith we often have which is revealed in a storm, but is hard to see the column.

Father I pray for those who are going through a storm right now that the words of Scripture are encouraging to them that they are able to look at the storms and they are able to apply these truths to their own life and for the rest of his father. We know there storms to come. Father I pray that we would prepare ourselves for that time so that we can benefit in a maximum.

As we face the storms Christ pastoral gift card on the radio ministry of fellowship Lord, if you ever miss one of our broadcast or maybe you dislike listen to the message one more time. Remember, you can Google a great website called one place.com that's one place.com and you can listen the fellowship and the word online event website you will find on with today's broadcast but also many of our previous audio programs as well at Fellowship in the Word. We are thankful for those who financially support our ministry and make this broadcast possible. We ask all of our listeners to prayerfully consider how you might help with radio ministry continuous broadcast on this radio station by supporting us monthly with just a one-time gift support for ministry can be sent to Fellowship in the Word. 4600 Clearview Pkwy., Metairie, LA 7006 if you would be interested in hearing today's message in its original format that is is a sermon that Pastor Bill delivered during a Sunday morning service at Fellowship Bible church visit our website FVC Nola.org that FVC and LA.O RG at our website you will find hundreds. Pastor Bill sermon. You can browse through our sermon archives to find sermon series are looking for.

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