"The Perfect Storm"

“HOLD ON HELP IS ON THE WAY”

MARK 6:45-50

INTRODUCTION:

TODAY WE WILL SEE THE HOW’S AND THE WHY’S OF STORMS IN OUR LIFE ONE OF THE REASONS WHY MOST PEOPLE DON’T MAKE IT THROUGH STORMS OR HAVE NERVOUS BREAKDOWNS, ABOUT TO LOSE THERE MINDS IS BECAUSE THEY DON’T UNDERSTAND. PEOPLE TAKE VALIUMS AND TRANQUILIZERS FOR PROBLEMS BECAUSE HEY DON’T UNDERSTAND THE TRIALS OF LIFE. SOME FOLK COME INTO CHURCH AND TURN OFF THERE PRAISE BECAUSE THEY DON’T UNDERSTAND. SOME STAY HOME FROM CHURCH WHEN THEY GO THROUGH BECAUSE THEY DON’T UNDERSTAND. SOME FOLK BACKSLIDE BECAUSE THEY DON’T UNDERSTAND. SOME FOLK CUSS IN THE STORM BECAUSE THEY DON’T UNDERSTAND. SOME FOLK BECOME EVIL, CONNIVING, VINDICTIVE, AND TRIFLING IN THE MIST OF A STROM ALL BECAUSE THEY DON’T UNDERSTAND. THERE ARE 3 STAGES TO STORMS, AND ALL OF US IN HERE TODAY ARE IN ONE OF THEM. WE ARE GOING INTO ONE, IN THE MIDDLE OF ONE, OR JUST COMING OUT OF ONE.

AND SO MANY PEOPLE SAY GOD I WANT MORE OF YOU. TAKE ME TO THE NEXT LEVEL IN YOU. GOD I WANT A CLOSER WALK AND RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU, BUT NOBODY WANTS TO GO THROUGH WHAT IT TAKES TO GET THERE. IN ORDER FOR ME TO GO TO THE NEXT GRADE I MUST PASS THE TEST. AND MOST OF US WANT THE TRIUMPH BUT DON’T WANT THE TEST AND TRIAL. MOST OF US WANTS TO GO HIGHER BUT DON’T WANT TO GO THROUGH THE HELL TO GET THERE. MOST OF US WANT THE SHOUT BUT DON’T WANT THE STORM. MOST OF US WANT PRIZE BUT DON’T WANT THE PROBLEM. WE WANT THE MONEY BUT DON’T WANT THE MESS. BUT THIS TEXT SHOWS US, THAT IF WE WANT TO GO TO THE OTHER SIDE WE MUST FIRST GO THROUGH A STORM. SEE GOING THROUGH SOMETIMES IS NOT ALL BAD. JOB WENT THROUGH, BUT IN THE END HE WENT TO THE NEXT LEVEL BECAUSE GOD GAVE HIM MORE THAN HE HAD THE FIRST TIME. THE 3 HEBREW BOYS WENT THROUGH THE FIERY FURNACE AND THE KING THAT THREW THEM IN CAUSED THEM TO PROSPER WHEN THEY CAME OUT. THE SAME THING HAPPENED TO DANIEL THAT WAS THROWN INTO THE LIONS DEN. JESUS HAS ALREADY TOLD US TO GO TO THE NEXT LEVEL. BUT MANY OF US HAVE NOT GONE YET BECAUSE WE DON’T WANT TO GO THROUGH A STORM. TODAY I PRAY THAT I CAN CHANGE YOUR MIND WITH THE HELP OF THE HOLY GHOST SO THAT YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT LEVEL.

I. JESUS KNOWS THAT YOU’RE IN A STORM: V. 45

IN VERSE 45 THE BIBLE SAYS THAT JESUS CONSTRAINED THEM TO GO TO THE OTHER SIDE. IN OTHER WORDS HE FORCED THEM TO GO INTO THE STORM. IF JESUS IS ALL KNOWING THEN HE MUST HAVE KNOWN THAT THERE WAS A STORM COMING. IF HE DID NOT WANT THEM TO GO INTO THE STORM HE WOULD HAVE TOLD THEM TO WAIT FOR HIM. BUT INSTEAD HE TELLS THEM TO GO ON AHEAD TO THE OTHER SIDE. SEE IT DOES NOT MATTER WHAT YOU ARE GOING THROUGH JESUS KNOWS ALL ABOUT IT. STOP LETTING THE DEVIL MAKE YOU FEEL LIKE GOD DOESN’T KNOW ABOUT YOUR SITUATION. THERE IS NOTHING YOU AND I CAN GO THROUGH THAT HE DOES NOT ALREADY KNOW ABOUT. JESUS KNEW THAT THERE WAS A STORM YET HE STILL TOLD THEM TO GO. I BELIEVE THAT JESUS SENDS US INTO STORMS TO TEACH US A FEW THINGS. 1. FAITH, 2. HOW TO HANDLE THEM, 3. TO SEE HOW MUCH WE KNOW OF HIS WORD TO USE IT IN THE MIST OF A STORM. THE HYMN WRITER SAYS JESUS KNOWS ALL ABOUT OUR STRUGGLES. HE WILL GUIDE TILL THE DAY IS DONE. THERE’S NOT A FRIEND LIKE THE LONELY JESUS, NO NOT ONE, NO NOT ONE.

II. HE SEE YOUR STRUGGLE V. 48

A. SEE THE DISCIPLES WHERE TRYING TO GET OUT OF THE STORM. THEY WERE TRYING TO GET TO LAND. BUT THE BIBEL SAYS THAT THE WIND WAS CONTRARY.

B. Enantios: en-an-tee’-os (EN) - IN (ANTIOS) AGAINST over against, opposite. METAPHORICALLY, IT CAN BE OPPOSED AS AN ADVERSARY. THAT IS WHAT THE DEVIL DOES HE DOES THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT YOU WANT OR TRYING TO DO. YOU ARE TRYING TO GET OUT BUT HE’S TRYING TO KEEP YOU IN. AS ANYBODY IN HERE HAVE BEEN IN A STORM AND YOU FELT LIKE EVERYTHING WAS AGAINST YOU. THE WORE YOU TRIED TO COME OUT IT KEPT YOU IN. YOU HAD SOME FRIENDS LIKE THAT. THE DEVIL WASN’T THE ONLY ONE TO KEEP YOU IN BUT SOME NO GOOD FRIENDS.

C. TOILING: TORTURE, PAIN: JESUS SAW THERE PAIN WHILE THEY WHERE ROWING. IN OTHER WORDS HE SAW THERE PAIN WHILE THEY WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF STORM TRYING TO GET OUT OF THE STORM. MANY OF YOU CAN IDENTIFY WITH THIS. GOING THROUGH THE STRUGGLES OF LIFE AND HAVING TO DEAL WITH PAIN. ALL OF US HAVE HAD A VISIT FROM MR. PAIN. IT SEEMS LIKE EVERY TIME A STRUGGLE COMES IN MY LIFE, HE ALWAYS INVITES HIS COUSIN PAIN. THEY WERE STRUGGLING AND THERE STRUGGLE CAUSED THEM PAIN, BECAUSE THE WINDS WERE AGAINST THEM. SEE SOMETIMES IT’S HARD TO DEAL WITH THE STRUGGLE OF GOING THROUGH BECAUSE OF THE WINDS THAT’S AGAINST YOU. YOU MAY BE SITTING HERE TO DAY WITH A SMILE ON YOUR FACE AND FACING THE WORST STORM IN YOUR LIFE. YOU’RE SITTING HERE AND YOU ARE STRUGGLING AGAINST THE WINDS OF