Conquering Storms Of Life Series

"Conquering Storms of Life!"

"More than a SURVIVOR" series part 2 of 4

Text: Job 1:1-2:10 & Selected

Cross Creek Community Church

Pastor Dave Martin - May 6, 2001

www.crosscreekcc.org

God’s Word is Powerful, Relevant, and Life Changing!

Thursday night we saw who was the ultimate SURVIVOR in the Australian Outback. It all came down to two people, Colby or Tina. The votes were cast and Tina won the million dollars!

My question is, why just survive when we can be more than a survivor, when we can actually be a conqueror in Christ!

Romans 8:35 & 37 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

Let’s read the account of Job beginning in chapter 1:1 - 2:10.

If I were to ask you to name a person in the Bible who suffered greatly, who would choose? Job was an extremely blessed person. He had a large wonderful family, many servants, possessions, great wealth and health. Job even functioned as a priest. He was a man who lived righteously, fearing God and hating evil. Job was a man of integrity, morally and spiritually.

If some of these storms came into your life, how would you handle them?

How can I be a conqueror over the storms of life?

When the winds of adversity blows, how will you stand?

There are three Basic Truths we need to understand...Then some practical applications.

1. There is no IMMUNITY from storms of life.

Job 1:1 In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil.

* On the survival series, immunity was highly prized - not so in life, there is none.

* Inevitable fact of life - there will be storms, trials of life we all are destined to go through.

* We often think when we get saved, everything will go MY way. That’s a false assumption.

Matthew 5:45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

Note these two examples of storms...

* George Harrison from the Beetles was just operated on for cancer - a storm of life. Great wealth, many homes, lives in a castle, most likely not saved.

* The missionaries in Peru, 35 year old Veronica Bowers and her 7-month-old daughter Charity killed instantly. Her husband and son escaped unharmed. The pilot’s leg shattered with gunfire.

* Some of the greatest servants of God went through bleak storms of life.

* No magic immunity pill - no one is exempt. All the consequences of sin, Gen. 3

2. Storms of Life are FILTERED through God’s hand.

Job 1:6 One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them.

* We have an adversary, Satan and his hordes of demons.

* Satan needs God’s permission to bring storms into our lives.

* Understand Satan’s power is limited. He can only go so far in afflictions and trials.

Job 1:10 "Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has?

* It is wrong to say all suffering is due to some sin in your life, though it could be.

* If you are experiencing storms, examine yourself. Am I being obedient, faithful to God?

* We often want the joy of forgiveness, a ticket to heaven, yet refuse to pay the price of obedience. We want the good, but not the pain.

* Sometimes God will allow trials into our lives to "get our attention".

* He will allow trials to purify and to cleanse us as gold tried in the fire. Rev 3:18

* ALL trials and storms of life come through God’s filtering hand!

1 John 4:4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

Job 1:12 The Lord said to Satan, "Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger..."

* God knows our limits, how much we can handle, He knows where our breaking point is.

Remember this as a Christian, we are:

1. "In Christ" - 89 times God says we are In Christ! - Just read the book of Ephesians!

2. "In my Fathers hand" - John 10:29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.

3. "Holy Spirit is in me" - John 14:17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.