#4 Standing In the Storm
There is a parable in Matt.7 and Luke 6 about two houses. One is built on a rock and another was built on sand. This is a great lesson about the way ALL PEOPLE face storms in life.
One house stood while the other fell. This is the way people do when faced with all the problems in life.
Matt. 7:24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
25 And the rain descended and the floods came and the winds blew and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
27 And the rain descended and the floods came and the winds blew and beat upon that house; and it fell and great was the fall of it
Notice it was not prayer, faith, confessing, or hearing the word.
The key to the house that stood was not in the hearing of the Word.
The key is in the doing of the Word.
This same principal of being a DOER of the WORD is found in another parable.
Mark 4: 13-20 is concerning how we receive the Word
Seed= Word, ground= your heart, fruit = what the Word does
75% of the people were not DOERS OF THE WORD.
Only 25% of the people were DOERS OF THE WORD and produced FRUIT.
V.15 No understanding of the Word
V. 16 Understanding and did well for a while, but become offended.
V. 18,19 Produced Fruit for a while but become unfruitful. They BACKSLIDE.
Why?? The CARES OF THIS WORLD choked the WORD
CARES== fearful concerns
Fear is a cause of falling,
We saw there were reasons for Storms,
1 Disobedience
2.Because you are being obedient and doing the will of God
3 Some storms come because of the people to whom you are unavoidably connected.
We found Deception to be a cause of falling.
1. Riches, 2. The Devil is Not Real, 3. You Can’t Beat Satan, 4. The Bible is Not Literally True, 5. You Are Not Worthy, 6. You’re Too Busy To Work For God, 7. It Doesn’t Matter What You Believe, 8. It Doesn’t Matter What You Think, 9. It Doesn’t Matter What You Speak.
The Devil knows he can’t defeat you if he can’t deceive you.
Tonight we are going to see some more things that can cause you to fall in the storm.
Mt 13:19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he, which received seed by the way side.
A poor country pastor was livid when he confronted his wife with the receipt for a $250 dress she had bought. "How could you do this!" he exclaimed.
"I don’t know," she wailed, "I was standing in the store looking at the dress. Then I found myself trying it on. It was like the Devil was whispering to me, "Gee, you look great in that dress. You should buy it."
"Well," the pastor persisted, "You know how to deal with him! Just tell him, "Get behind me, Satan!"
"I did," replied his wife, "but then he said "It looks great from back here, too."
A lack of understanding can cause a lot of trouble.
Understanding = a mental revelation
After showing His disciples of the mysteries of the kingdom by parables Jesus asked, "Have you understood all these things?"
Jesus was looking for more than the nodding of the head, or a mental agreement of "I understand." He wanted all who heard Him to understand that the principles and truths of the kingdom involves the responsibility to act upon them. Jesus states, "He who has ears to hear (with understanding), let him hear (so as to do).
To have an understanding of the Word of God takes the Holy Spirits help.
Many people read and quote the Word with out any understanding of its meaning.
Mt 16: 16 And Simon Peter answered and said Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
Peter was a “hotheaded” fisherman without education or a Bible School education, but he did have a relationship with God. That relationship gave him a revelation of WHO Jesus WAS.
The Holy Spirit wrote the Word of God and to have an
Understanding of it, takes a revelation of the Spirit.
2Pe 1:21 but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
1. The Holy Spirit is willing to teach you.
1Co 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned
The natural man can find bits and pieces of good things, he can find history, love stories, good thoughts but he can not receive that Word of life, because it is spiritually understood.
Pr 2:6 For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.
The Word is not a textbook of wise sayings; it is the living Word of God that is a hammer and a fire.
Jer 23:29 Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces
In our last pastorate, a young man, on parole, wanted to work for the Church. I encouraged him to begin to read the Word, Knowing the Word was powerful and alive to the dividing of the thought and intent of the heart. Heb 4:12 For the word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
But without understanding, He was only interested in the historical value and it had no effect on him. He was murdered over a drug deal a few months later.
How can something this tragic happen? Is the Word effective as it says?
Jesus was talking to Bible Teachers.
Mr 7: 6 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
13 Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered and many such like things do ye
Our approach to the Word of God affects our understanding, our preconceived notions can get us into trouble, because of NO UNDERSTANDING.
A FBI agent reviewing a top-secret file approached an assistant who was standing by a paper shredder. He asked, “How do you operate this machine, can you show me?” “ Sure turn on the switch and stick the paper in” The agent did it and said, “Now, how do I tell it how many copies I want to make?”
2. God has provided to the Church gifts for understanding.
Eph 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
This tells us that when we come to Church that we can expect to be challenged, exhorted, pressured, polished, and instructed.
This is the way God has to bring the Church to a mature understanding of the Word.
This is a reason that unnecessary walking around, and talking should be restricted.
A wandering mind and sleeping is the devils way to keep you from receiving the seed.
3. We must pray for an understanding
Eph. 1: 15 Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,
16 Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;
17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe according to the working of his mighty power,
Paul was concerned that the Church had forgotten the great benefits of serving a great and glorious God, the responsibilities of serving God. They needed understanding to see the goodness of God.
4. It Is Jesus’ Desire For You To Have Understanding
Lu 24:45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,
Jesus was aware of the difficulty of trying to explain scripture without help of the Holy Spirit. Jesus opened their understanding before THE DAY OF Pentecost
He had explained them before to the two as they went to Emmaus. But they did not have an understanding, till he took off the veil from their hearts, by the illumination of his Spirit.
5. There are Great Benefits to Understanding
Ps 119:99 I have more understanding than all my teachers for thy testimonies are my meditation.
God wants you to have Abundant Life NOW.
He wants you to be the Head and not the Tail.
He wants you to be Top and not Bottom.
He wants you to have UNDERSTANDING so that you can be fruitful and he tells us here in the Psalms Meditation on His Word will make you wiser than your teachers, your boss, your supervisors.
GET READY TO BE BOSS.
Meditate on His Word.
Pr 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
The story is told of a man who was walking down the street and saw a young mother walking toward him with her young son and his puppy. As the puppy danced around the little boy playing, the boy began to giggle and laugh. The mother turned to the boy and put her hand over his mouth, telling him, “Oh no, don’t laugh!” The man was curious and asked the woman, “But why shouldn’t he laugh?” She said, “Oh, the Bible says, ‘Woe to you that laugh now! For you shall mourn and weep.’”
The mother meant well, but it is sad to see her misunderstanding of the Word, which was never intended to suppress the natural laughter of a child, but was meant for those who scorn God.
James was very much aware of the danger we have of misunderstanding God’s Word and God’s purposes. And so he says we are to ask God for wisdom, and it will be given “liberally and without reproach” (1:5).
And this is the reason we are to ask for wisdom, because it will bring us a right understanding of the things of God.
