A Bend In The Road - Part 2

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But the book is called sheltering God your refuge in times of trouble, and it really is a basic study of the sheltering songs. What we learn from the book of Psalms that is transferable into our life right now. I cannot tell you how thrilled I am to be able to make this available and put it in your hands because this is what we need. During this time we don't need predictions. We didn't need forecast suite. We don't need all of the aluminum doing that we see when we turn on the television.

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That's just come off the press. You can find the hope and the help that you need. During this time, I promise you it will encourage you and will strengthen you, it will bless you and that we want you to have it. So here's how you can get your copy send a gift of any size to Turning Point during the month of June and asked for it. So you have to do two things. Send your gift and ask for the book. Once again the book is called shelter in God and it's yours for the asking. When you send a gift during the month of June while we started yesterday looking at second Corinthians 12 in Hebrews 12 when we were talking about disruptive moments in our minds we have a change that to disruptive months because that's what we been having. So let's get back to that. Let's get back and finish up our discussion from second Corinthians 1212 and I want to begin by reading this 12 at verse in these passages are so very fresh in Eugene Peterson's paraphrase beginning with the fifth verse, or have you forgotten how good parents treat children and that God regards you as his children, my dear child, don't shrug off God's discipline, but don't be crushed by it either. It's the child he loves that he disciplines the child he embraces. He also corrects God is educating you and that's why you must never drop out.

He's treating you as dear children. The trouble herein isn't punishment its training normal experience of children. Only irresponsible parents lead children defend themselves.

Would you prefer responsible God, we respect our own parents for training and not spoiling us, so why not embrace God's training so we can truly live while we were children, our parents did. What seemed best to them, but God is doing what is best for us training us to live God's holy best at the time.

Discipline isn't much fun. It always feels like it's going against the grain. Later, of course, it pays off handsomely. It's the well-trained who find themselves mature in their relationship with God. Now once again if Paul is the writer of Hebrews we can understand the parallelism but even if he is not. It is striking to notice that the outline for this passage is exactly the same as the outline for second Corinthians 12. First of all, there is the purpose of the disruptive moment. Paul says that God allows chastening.

He allows training in our lives that we might be corrected to correct this is a father corrects his son and that he might prove to us that we are his children. Do you see the Bible says all the children in the father's family are discipline, and if you don't have any discipline in your life, you better check into your relationship. There is no way to be a part of the father's family and not once in a while in your life feel the pain of his scourging and his rebuking and his chastising some people think that the goal in life was to go all the way through from the cradle to the grave without ever having any pain. The person who does that is an unfortunate one and one who needs to check into whether or not he truly is a member of the family of God. Notice the pain in this disruptive moment again in Hebrews 12 Paul describes it like this. He calls it chastening and rebuking and scourging and correcting and I love this little phrase, not joyful but painful, very clear, isn't it. There is no desire on the part of the Almighty God of the spirit of God to disguise what he is doing is not trying to say if you just smile and think positive thoughts. This will go away and you won't feel it so sad is the teaching that we have about us today that if we love God and we walk with him. We will never be sick. We will never have suffering we will never have poverty we will never have any disease in our life we will never have any that that is not from the word of God the Word of God is brutally honest about the reality of life and that sometimes in the process of growing up in God's family. We feel the sting of the whip.

It doesn't feel good and we would not really desire it, but God has a purpose in and when you feel it one of the things you can do is stand up straight and say so.

I am assigned. I am in the family. It's the proof of God's love for us. Notice the provision of the disruptive moment. Once again, in the passage, God reminds us that when we are under the scourging of the father he treats us as a father treats a son he says in our earthly days. Our parents do this for their good, but when God does this, he does for our good, because he loves us and in the midst of the disruptive moment when we face the bend in the road. God is right there with us taking us along the pathway. There's another wonderful passage that had hope to share but there wasn't enough time in this lesson, that's John 15 and you can read that when you get a chance, that passage, the Lord uses a parable about the vineyard and you remember what he said. He said every branch that brings forth good fruit.

The Lord purges it so that it might bring forth more fruit.

The branches that don't bring forth any fruit are not really in the binder castaway, but the branches that bring forth fruit. The Bible says God the father is the vine dresser and he comes down and walks among his vineyard and he goes along the vines and he slips off the unproductive branches so all of the staff and all of the strength and flow through to the mind that is being productive, and the result is when it's all finished.

It is more fruitful than it was before.

But let me tell you what I remember about that passage. Most of all, this little statement I don't know who it is attributed to but it is very clear to me that it is the truth. It goes like this. The vine dresser is never nearer the branches them when he is pruning them all. The provision of God in the disruptive moments of our lives and then finally look at the product of the product of the disruptive moment he says in Hebrews 12 is that we become partakers of his holiness and that afterword. This process yields in us the peaceable fruit of righteousness. Do you see this in second Corinthians 12. The goal is more power in Hebrews 12.

The goal is more holiness and righteousness. There isn't any way to get from point A to point B without going through the disruptive moment when you come out on the other side there's more power and there's more holiness.

That's the product that God is after and then finally, just as in second Corinthians 12 notice here in Hebrews 12 the perspective of the disruptive moment. How are we to respond to this Hebrews is very clear about it in the quotation from Proverbs 311 and 12 which is in the fifth verse, the writer of Hebrews says my son don't despise the chastening of the Lord. One of the options you have us to despise it. Why is this happening to me why now why this I'm so angry that God have you ever met somebody was mad at God because of something that's happened in their life. They despise the chastening is not the right perspective. Keep reading it says don't be discouraged when you rebuke some people just get discouraged. They just their head down and I say well that's it I'm given up. This is all over its final when I'm trying to say is this. When you go through disruptive moment.

If you're not careful you can just say shoot. This is it and I'm done and it's finished.

I'm just going to hang my head and give up and the Bible says when you have a disruptive moment. Don't be discouraged. What is supposed to do. Look at the end of the 11th verse it says that when you go through a disruptive moment. It will yield the peaceable fruit of righteousness. Now here's the key to the whole thing to those who have been trained by it. That's the key.

The key isn't. Why is this happening to me or what am I going to do. The key is Lord, what do you want to teach me in this disruptive moment and I stand as you're ready, student and pupil and you just teach me everything you can teach me I don't want to waste this suffering I want to walk through it and come out on the other side. Having learned everything I can learn in this process. I want to tell you something. I read the Bible in a different way. I read books in a different way. I pray in a different way. All of this is a part of the way God trains us when we go through a bend in the road.

Now do you see second Corinthians 12 in Hebrews 12 almost exactly like the outline is exactly the same.

And out of these two passages come some very poignant principles for disruptive moments and let me give them to you. This is what I want you to hear so very clearly you say what Ivan had any disruptive moments of my life. Well this hang on this. Hang on, be patient because they'll come. It's impossible, you say what a morbid outlook on life know you know what people always talking about whether you are an optimist or your pessimist and I don't think either one of those make any difference what you need to be is a realist right reality is what counts.

Some people say what if you're optimistic you will never have any bumps in the road. Yes, you will you surely will. So what you do when you have a disruptive moment. First of all let me just put this in your heart.

Principle number one disruptive moments are often divine appointments.

Remember how Joel was buffeted by Satan, but Satan had to get permission to come and do anything.

He was allowed to do. Can Satan do damage to a saint. Yes he can but he can only do the damage that God's will allow.

So ultimately everything that happens to us is filtered through the hands of a loving God. Hebrews 12 is even clearer.

Hebrews 12 tells us that the suffering is like unto a father who was chastising his son, who is the father in the passage it's God himself and it says to us that these moments that are disruptive in our lives these things that catch us off guard may come from God.

I can't tell you anything that is more important for us to understand than that principle because if we don't have that clear. We will feel like we have been violated some years ago as I was preaching on something. I don't even know what was preaching on at the time I got copy of a letter and I read it in that message.

And as I've been going through the preparation for this message. I remembered the letter and I was able to find it. It's written as if it was written by God the father to one of his children and he goes like this dear child of mine. I have a message for you today. Let me whisper it just to you that it may put a silver lining on any storm that may arise and smooth the rough places in your road is short. Only five words but let them sink in. Let them be a pillow upon which you may rest your weary head. Here is the message this thing is from me say that with me this thing is have you ever thought of it that all that concerns you concerns me to. For he that touch if you touch at the apple of my nine Zechariah 28. I want you to learn when temptations assail you and the enemy comes in like a flood that this thing is from me that your weakness needs my might and your safety lies in letting me fight for you because you are very precious in my sight. It is my special delight to educate you.

Are you in financial difficulty. Is it hard for you to make both ends meet. This thing is for me, for I am your supply and would have you to draw from me and depend on me are you in difficult circumstances surrounded by people who do not understand you this thing is from me. I am the God of circumstances, you did not arrive at this place by accident. Are you passing through a night of sorrow.

This thing is for me. I am a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief at some friend disappointed you this thing is for me. I have allowed this disappointment that you may learn that there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother. I want to be your confidant.

I want to be there for you and I want you to understand my child that I place in your hands. This foundational key this thing is from me therefore let every circumstance as it arises. Every interruption that might make you impatient every revelation of your own willingness be anointed with this truth, this thing is for me.

Remember, interruptions are divine instructions, the hurt, the heartaches, the disappointment will go as long as you can see me in all things with all my love, your heavenly father said again, this thing is from me now let me give you the second principle this when I don't like but in faithfulness to God.

I must give it to you. There is progress without pain is not possible. Can I get a witness. Nobody wants to say amen. Nobody feels good about it. But let's be honest, it's true in. I've been meditating a lot about why that is true even in my own life because I think we have to understand that we are so caught up in our own agenda in our own plans and own purposes, and the things we want to do and the things many of them which are good that until there is a dynamic intervention in our life that is strong enough and painful enough to get our attention. We really don't stop to take notice of what God wants to say to us.

I get to it tomorrow. This is a busy day for me. I'll take more time to work on that when I get a chance. These are busy times. I was mentioning to you, Gordon MacDonald's book, and I'm to take just a minute to tell you this in the front of his book he tells a parable about a guy was going to ship and this guy was really into the ornate out readings of shipbuilding and so he built the most gorgeous sales that you could ever imagine.

He put teak wood flooring on the deck of the ship. He put all the most incredible equipment for navigation in the system almost beautiful furniture in the greatest paint job never saw but when it came time to put the weight in the keel that would stabilize the ship in the storm. It really wasn't that important to him because nobody is going to see it anyway.

So we kind of fudged on it didn't put much down there course.

He went out first day was in the ocean storm came by and the ship capsized this man who went out into the harbor with great applause came back and Shane because in Gordon MacDonald's words, he had forgotten to build below the waterline and Gordon said in his book that one of the great tragedies in life today.

For many Christians is that were all caught up in the sales in the wood and the equipment and the accouterments of life and the soul which lies below the waterline is so hard for us to get at and what happens when something doubles like what is happening here is you almost get to the place where all you can do is respond to what's going on everybody wants this. They want to. We gotta start this we go to do this.

Can we have this. Can we make this happen. What even have a parking would be going to Duke and all of a sudden your life is so crowded above the waterline that in a time when you should be building even more intensely below the waterline and you already were. You feel it being crowded until you have a moment of disruption and all of a sudden everything above the waterline doesn't mean anything with me and I'm not trying to say to you, this is not public confession time.

I'm not trying to say to you that I don't pray because I do.

I don't study God's word because I do, but I'm saying to you. It's hard to maintain the ratio of investment above the waterline with investment below the waterline when the pressure is on and sometimes I think God's is get things in perspective.

Progress without pain is not possible someone has written these words related to skin deep world that emphasizes clothing, fashion, makeup, plastic surgery, tummy tucks and nose jobs. Although there may be nothing wrong with any of these. They're all just cosmetics character and substance are shaped in the crucible of diversity when someone tells me they have no problems and never go through anything difficult. I can say with confidence that I'm looking at a shallow person. Storms always leave us with a list of things to clean up and fix.

There are times when God restores to us the things we've lost through negligence, ignorance, rebellion, or sin for the Christian storms are a no lose proposition. They help me to see and acknowledge the loose shutters. The missing shingles. The rotten fencepost in my life while turning me back to the only one who can make the necessary repairs." While there have a wake-up call. And don't we all need them. Don't we all need those times that jerk us back into a feeling of what's really important.

More than anything else, let me just give you the third one, the promise of God is the provision of his grace God never puts us through anything. He doesn't walk around the been with us. He doesn't just say will try this way and then try that way. He says just stay right where you are. I'll be there in a moment, and will walk through this together. My grace is sufficient for you, my strength is made perfect in weakness.

God's grace in the midst of our disturbing moments is an incredible thing to experience, and most of you know more about that than I do. When we give you number four disruptive moments produce dynamic growth put that down in your list. What is it safe to send her things.

12 more power.

Hebrews 12 more holiness. John 15 more fruit.

Someone once told me that the times when plants grow the most are not necessarily during the warm gentle rains or the beautiful summer days in fact, when the fierce winds blow and the raging storms, is the time of most growth botanists tell us that if you were to take a cross-section of the earth during a vicious storm. You could literally observe the roots reaching further down into the soil. That's what it's all about when the storm comes often, God causes that to happen. Finally, and I bring this to a conclusion number five what we receive depends on how we respond you everybody goes through trials. The only difference is how we respond to them. What did we learn in Hebrews. What are some of the options we can despise them and get mad we can be discouraged to just give up or we can say God in the midst of this experience of my life. I want to be the best student you ever had to learn everything you can teach me I want to come out of this. Armed with information and truth about who I am in Christ and what you want to do with my life that I could never learn in any other school training that has to be our response, not why did this happen or why did it happen now or why did you happen to me when Lord you've allowed this in my life and I'm going to learn from it by the grace of God I will not be the same person God brought into my life wonderful God-fearing Christ follower Dr. Thomas Whitsett member of the First Baptist Church in Rochester, just fell into my life in a moment when I thought it was can have to sit for three days and not billed to go on to the next appointment. Saturday I left Thomas Whitsett came to see me in the last thing he said to me, as is David. I am never had cancer and I don't really want to have it obviously, but he said I've dealt with so many people and what I do have my disease. I almost feel as if I've had it said I want to tell you something you will never be the same again.

I said what you mean. He said this, he said I know where you live. He said you will never, ever, just drive by the ocean again. You will never do that and I thought about that for a long time. I understand what he meant.

He met you can't come through an experience like this and ever be the same as you were. But you know that the key is key is how you respond in your heart, what your attitude about it is, my father gave this to me and I thought to be a blessing. It's a poem by Helen Steiner Rice title of the poem is the bend in the road goes like this. Sometimes we come to life's crossroads and review what we think is the end. But God is a much wider vision and he knows that it's only a bend in the road will go on and get smoother and after we stop for rest the path that lies hidden beyond. This is often the path is best.

So rest and relax grow stronger. Let go and let God share your load. Have faith in a brighter tomorrow. Just come to the road as soon as it's been in our road. It's applause. It's a time for reflection.

It's a time that God has allowed for all of us to reset our lives to rethink about what we do and what we've given ourselves to and I hope that this is a time when God is really getting through to you in your heart of hearts and your listening carefully. Once again, if you do not know Jesus Christ in a personal way. I believe God allows moments like this to get our attention that we might listen to the things we often shed off of our lives because were so busy doing other things. So I would ask you today. Do you know Jesus Christ in a personal way.

Have you ever accepted him into your life. Have you ever asked him for forgiveness of your sin and acknowledge that he is the son of God, the risen son of God who came to be a part of our world so that he could offer us salvation and fellowship with the father today if you will pray and asked Jesus Christ to come into your life. He will do it is never turned anybody away. He's not willing that any should perish. So today while while you're hearing his voice while in this quiet moment your listening and what you haven't listened before asked Jesus Christ to be your savior.

Just bow your head where you are right now and say Lord I know I'm a sinner and I need to be saved for my sin.

So forgive me command my life in Jesus Christ. Thank you for hearing my prayer was he right here is message comes from shadow Mountain community.

Jeremiah serves as senior pastor is ministering to let us know Turning Point both of us both.

San Diego, CA 92163 visit our website at Jeremiah/ready to go shorter encourage you in this unprecedented venue. Jeremiah study in the English standard international visions, standalone friends, and you can join in a variety of Henson, Jeremiah.you I'm very hopefully tomorrow as we continue the series.

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