Turning Tests into Testimonies
How to Overcome in Any Situation
9/03/03
I. Introduction
One year there was a terrible flood that deluged a small midwestern town located in a valley between two rivers. Both rivers had overflowed their banks and the rains continued to fall day and night. There was no relief in sight as the town slowly but surely was being flooded. Everyone was evacuated, except for one old man who refused to leave his house—which would soon become completely submerged.
“I have faith that God will save me,” the old man shouted at everyone who implored him to leave and flee to higher ground. The man believed in the power of prayer, and he trusted that God would somehow save him.
As the water covered the roads, making them impassable for cars, a man in a four-wheel-drive truck stopped at the old man’s house and banged on the door. “Hurry,” he cried out. “Come with me and I’ll drive you to safety! You don’t have much time!” But the old man continued to pray. He would not leave his house.
Within hours, the water had risen several feet, completely flooding his home. The rain continued. The old man climbed up on the kitchen table and continued to pray. As the water was lapping at his heels, a man in a rowboat paddled up to the old man’s kitchen window and shouted, “Sir, get in my boat! I’ll take you to safety!”
“No,” the old man shouted back. “God will deliver me from this flood!”
The water got deeper and soon the old man had no choice but to climb up on his roof. The torrential rains persisted. While he was praying, he heard the chop-chop-chop of a helicopter in the sky. He looked up and saw the helicopter hovering over his house. A ladder had been lowered for him to climb.
“Go away,” yelled the man at the helicopter. “You will blow me off my roof! God is going to save me! You go save someone else!”
The helicopter couldn’t wait forever, so it left the old man on his rooftop, still praying. Eventually, the water engulfed the house and the old man drowned in the flood.
When the old man arrived at the gates of heaven, he asked Saint Peter if he could have a talk with God. Peter took him to the throne of grace.
“Oh Lord, I prayed earnestly for the rains to stop and for your deliverance from the flood. But you left me there to drown. I don’t understand!”
“Son, I heard your prayers. I sent you a four-wheel-drive truck, a rowboat, and a helicopter. What more did you want?”
You may have heard that story before, but one question I have for you is, did that man overcome the flood or did the flood overcome him? The flood won, the man lost. Even though he was a Christian. Even though he prayed to God to save him, he still lost. He still drowned. People ask, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” Don’t get discouraged because this man died.
It’s not God’s fault. You see, we are promised a long, satisfied life. We’re promised the victory. We have the greater one on the inside of us. But, still, why do bad things happen to good people? First of all, it’s because the devil prowls around like a roaring lion seeking somebody to eat up, and he doesn’t care if the person’s good or bad. And also, it’s because some people just don’t get it. In order for us to overcome in any situation, we have to take action. There are certain things that we have to do.
II. Know That You Win
John 16:33 (NIV) “33‘I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.’”
John 16:33 (AMP) “33I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]”
Because of Jesus, we can have peace and confidence. He told us that while we’re here on earth, trouble is inevitable. We’re going to have tribulation, trials, things are going to come against us, people are going to oppose us, BUT…remember the big but. But be of good cheer. In other words, don’t worry, because I have deprived the world of power to harm you and I have conquered it for you. Or he could say, I’m living on the inside of you, and therefore with me on the inside of you, you can overcome the world.
There are countless Scripture that promises us the victory, that tells us that we win. We just have to agree with what God already said about us and say the same thing.
1 John 4:4 (MSG) “4My dear children, you come from God and belong to God. You have already won a big victory over those false teachers, for the Spirit in you is far stronger than anything in the world.”
Once you’re confident that you win, trouble won’t last long around you. Trouble feeds on weakness. Weakness makes trouble stronger. But if you’re confident that trouble’s already been defeated, trouble has to go.
James 4:7 (MSG) “7So let God work his will in you. Yell a loud no to the devil and watch him scamper.”
Resistance begins with knowing that you win.
III. Don’t Sweat It
James 1:2-4 (NLT) “2Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. 3For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything.”
Every trouble that comes along is an opportunity for joy. Another translation says that we glory in tribulation, because that tribulation produces something inside us.
An organization in Montana offered a bounty of five thousand dollars for every wolf captured alive. Two hunters named Sam and Jed decided to head for the hills and make some money capturing wolves. Day and night they scoured the mountains and forests searching for their valuable prey. Exhausted after three days of hunting without any success, they both fell asleep.
During the night, Sam suddenly woke up to find that he and Jed were surrounded by a pack of fifty wolves, with flaming red eyes and bared teeth, snarling at the two hunters and preparing to pounce.
Sam nudged Jed and said, “Hey, wake up! We’re gonna be rich!”
Sometimes when we are surrounded by what appears to be many difficulties, we may in fact be surrounded by many opportunities. The Chinese symbol for the word “crisis” actually combines the two words “danger” and “opportunity.” When a crisis occurs, we can choose to be frightened and cowardly, or strong and courageous. It’s all a matter of perspective.
Next time you find yourself in a jam, remember: “You’re gonna be rich!” You have the opportunity to learn and grow, and to experience the grace and power of God in that situation. Situations like that don’t come along every day!
You know some people get in a situation and they think, “Things couldn’t get any worse!” Then they go on and complain about other things that they’re going through until they start sounding like a bad country song.
I’m going to give you a piece of paper and I want you to list 5 to 10 bad things that have happened to you or someone you know.
Now, I want two volunteers to come up and sing their own version of a bad country song.
2 Corinthians 11:23 –33 “23Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. 24Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. 27I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. 28Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. 29Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn? 30If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. 31The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is to be praised forever, knows that I am not lying. 32In Damascus the governor under King Aretas had the city of the Damascenes guarded in order to arrest me. 33But I was lowered in a basket from a window in the wall and slipped through his hands.”
Romans 8:37 “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”
Paul didn’t look like more than a conqueror. He experienced every bad thing to ever happen to a man, yet his testimony is VICTORY. You see, you can experience bad things, and certainly bad things will come your way, but your testimony can still be victory. Your bad country song can turn into a praise and worship song just like that.
You gotta know that the devil is a big fat bully, if he kicks dirt on you, laugh in his face. Do NOT let him push you around. If you know that you win, then you’ve got no reason to sweat it. The next thing you have to do is step out in faith.
IV. Step Out In Faith
(Show Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade clip – 1hr47min0sec – 1hr48min30sec)
Matthew 14:25-31 “25About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came to them, walking on the water. 26When the disciples saw him, they screamed in terror, thinking he was a ghost. 27But Jesus spoke to them at once. "It’s all right," he said. "I am here! Don’t be afraid."
28Then Peter called to him, "Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you by walking on water." 29"All right, come," Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. 30But when he looked around at the high waves, he was terrified and began to sink. "Save me, Lord!" he shouted. 31Instantly Jesus reached out his hand and grabbed him. "You don’t have much faith," Jesus said. "Why did you doubt me?"”
God constantly asks us to step out in faith and trust that He’ll take care of us. And though we might be scared to death, God will not let us fall.
There is nothing you are facing that you cannot overcome. It’s a fact. Have you failed your first two tests in Algebra? So what. Don’t think that it’s the end of the world. Step out in faith. Believe God to help you learn x + y = z. Do your part and God will come through for you. No matter what your situation is, there’s a God who cares and wants to pull you through. If you just trust what He says, and do what He says, you’ll come out on top. Let’s pray.
