[0:00] All right, this is it. Now, officially, okay, 45 minutes, beautiful. So, today we've looked at a few different aspects of, let's say, how to see through the eyes of God.
[0:16] And we saw specifically how to see souls in the light of God, and then also how to see situations. But there's another aspect that hits all of us, and I want to just take a little bit of time to focus on it, because I believe that it's actually one of the greatest blessings God's given us, but oftentimes we don't see it as a blessing, and that is the storms of life, the storms of life.
[0:39] Now, when I talk about storms of life, I've got to make a clear differentiation, all right? When I say the storms of life, I'm not talking about taking up your cross and following Him. Because if I take up the cross to follow Him, that's a choice.
[0:53] You don't accidentally take up the cross. You choose to take up the cross. The cross is an identification with Christ. So when I'm talking about storms of life, I'm not talking about persecution.
[1:07] I'm talking about suffering. Suffering can be part of persecution, but at the same time, suffering can also be absent of persecution. I'll give you an example.
[1:18] If I get cancer, does the world get cancer? Are you not sure about that? Go to a hospital. Ask them if they're followers of Christ. The world gets cancer, guys. You can talk a little more. Okay, are you awake? Does the world get cancer?
[1:31] Yes, the world gets cancer. Does the world get into car accidents? Yes, the world gets into car accidents. Does the world lose their jobs sometimes? Yes, the world loses their jobs sometimes.
[1:43] Okay, you got it. Storms. Storms hit everyone, guys. But here's the difference. If you belong to Jesus Christ, storms are not a bad thing. Storms are a platform for God's glory.
[1:56] And I think oftentimes we want to avoid the storms of life instead of embracing the storms of life. I didn't say you got to pursue storms. I didn't say be a storm chaser. I said embrace the storms he gives you.
[2:09] You can be a storm chaser if you want, Brandon. But there you go. You already are. But a different kind, too. All right. Anyway, so I want you to turn your Bibles to Mark chapter 4.
[2:19] Now, I could have chosen three Gospels for this story, but Mark includes one phrase that no other Gospel writer includes. And it's that one phrase that I believe shares with us how God wants us to see storms in our life.
[2:38] And I hope that you get excited with the result of all of this. So let's pray. Father in heaven, as we go to your word, we ask again for you to open it to our hearts. We know that if you don't work, nothing, no one can work.
[2:51] And so, Lord, we ask for you to have your perfect way. I'm asking that I be the first life you change because I know there are things in my life that don't look like Christ and I want them to. And, Lord, I also ask, as always, when I'm talking to you before a message that if I say anything not guided by you, wipe it out of minds.
[3:09] And, God, I pray that Jesus would get all the glory. So eliminate distractions from our hearts. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. Mark chapter 4, beginning in verse 35.
[3:20] On that day, when evening had come, Jesus said to them, Let us go across to the other side. And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was.
[3:33] And other boats were with him. And a great windstorm arose and waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?
[3:48] And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, Why are you so afraid?
[4:00] Have you still no faith? And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, Who then is this, that even the wind and sea obey him?
[4:15] This is God's word. We're so thankful for God's word. It's beautiful that he gave us so much of his mind on paper for us to just soak in and learn his character.
[4:25] Because he doesn't change. So whatever is true back then of him is still true now. Now, there's a beautiful factor in all of this. And maybe you've realized it. Maybe you haven't.
[4:36] But in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, this story is told. And this is the only occasion in all of Christ's life on earth that it is recorded that he is sleeping.
[4:49] Now, you might say, Alright, he obviously slept a lot of other times. Because it talks about him getting up. But the word sleeping and the idea of sleeping, Being in this state of unconsciousness per se.
[5:03] Obviously, Christ was still with it. Now, being in that state, Why is this the one story? And in case you're wondering, Am I pulling something that's not there? No! Matthew, Mark, and Luke all talk about him sleeping in this one story.
[5:16] It's significant. But I think it's also significant Because oftentimes in our own life, We feel that God is sleeping in our storms. And that's significant because God is saying, Not only am I not sleeping in your storm, I actually have something really special to communicate to you.
[5:35] But if I was awake in your own eyes, You wouldn't have the opportunity to demonstrate faith. In other words, If God is working the way that you want him to work in a situation, Well, then, frankly, You're not really going to have many questions.
[5:51] But it's when you're questioning, When you're struggling, That faith is truly tried. And as 1 Peter says, Is precious. And so I want to encourage you that storms are a vehicle for God's glory, And a platform for God's glory as well.
[6:05] So we can get excited about that. But let's talk a little bit more about this whole storm that comes up. Notice, first of all, What Jesus says, I think, in verse 35.
[6:16] He says, Let us go across to the other side. Is that verse 35? Alright. He says, Let us go across to the other side. This is important. Because he's saying a few things here. First of all, Jesus is the one issuing the invitation to go.
[6:31] And I think this is really significant. Because the storm's going to come up. But when we know that God led them into the place where the storm was going to hit, It brings a different picture, doesn't it?
[6:44] And what I want you to see in our lives, Is that storms are not a shock to God. In other words, Many times, Not only will he allow you to go through storms, I think many times, He leads you into storms.
[7:00] Now you might not like that, And you might not appreciate that theology. But I'll tell you this, That when you look at the lives of godly men in scripture, And godly women in scripture, There were a lot of storms in their life.
[7:11] There was barrenness from the beginning for a lot of the women in the Old Testament. There were a lot of death threats, From Shipra and Pua in Exodus chapter 1, To the many men, Who dealt with a lot of uncertainty.
[7:25] Storm after storm after storm. But notice what it says here, Let us go across the other side. No, it doesn't say, I'm going across the other side. Jesus says, Let us go across the other side.
[7:39] Okay, I just got to start by encouraging you all. I want to tell you the last chapter. The last chapter is this, Let not your hearts be troubled. You believe in God, Believe also in me.
[7:51] For in my father's house are many mansions, And if it weren't so, I would have told you. And I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself, That where I am there, You may be also.
[8:09] Let us go across to the other side. Because I don't know what storms are going to rise in your life. I don't know what storms you're dealing with right now. But I can tell you, Chuck and Peggy, Whatever storms are in your life right now, It's not the last chapter.
[8:24] I know the other side is coming. And we can be confident of that. But I have a real issue going on. This is why I'm sharing this message today. Honestly, I'm sharing this message Because I have a burden for the church.
[8:36] Jesus said that we're going to the other side. Does everybody get that? We're going to the other side. We're going to get there through Jesus Christ. His blood shed. It is finished. I'm going to the other side. That's my last chapter.
[8:47] And because that's my last chapter, I can show off my Jesus in the storm. Amen. May we have more of that. But, no, praise God.
[8:59] I'm with that. We should get excited. If you can't get excited about this, I don't know what you get excited about. I don't even want to learn from you. Because frankly, I don't care what you get excited about. Is it college football on a Saturday? Is that why you're exhausted at breaking your bread on Sunday morning?
[9:10] I don't know. Okay, I did not say that. I did say that. I don't apologize. That was you. Yeah, it was me, Tom. You're right. Guys, guys, think about this. There's one phrase in this passage that no other gospel writer includes, but it will unlock so much of God's heart.
[9:25] Take a close look. It says, very small. I'm on a different passage. Here we go. Verse 36. And other boats were with him. Think about it.
[9:36] Hang on. Think about this. And other boats were with him. Now, this is amazing. Because if you think about it, was the storm only hitting one boat? How many boats was Jesus in?
[9:48] One. What was the boat that was terrified? The one with Jesus. Every boat was in danger on that lake. But notice the disciples were only concerned about their boat.
[10:02] And they were the ones with Jesus in the vessel. You see where I'm going with this? If you belong to the Lord Jesus Christ, you're going to the other side. You've already got that promise. It's done.
[10:13] And the promises in Christ are yes and amen. But how often are we so focused on the storm we're going through that we forget to exalt our Savior in the storm?
[10:25] I'm not saying your storm's not difficult. I'm sure your storm is very painful. But know this. The Lord's not abandoning you. He's not going to jump out of the boat and swim to shore. He's going to go all the way to the other side with you. That's why the precious last step of the journey of a follower of Christ is to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.
[10:43] There's that final step home that he takes us on. But look back at the passage here. When Christ says, let us go across to the other side, there's that promise.
[10:54] But with the promise, there's this distraction going on. And the distraction is that they are so concerned about their own well-being that they miss the opportunity of it all to proclaim, we've got Jesus.
[11:09] How about asking him, Lord, will you comfort the others? Will you work out their situation? But no. They were only focused on themselves. And they say, teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?
[11:22] Okay, pause. Notice what they said. Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing? They could have said something like, God, stop the storm.
[11:33] But they don't. Because notice, they're not wondering about God's power anymore. This is really good, guys. They're not worried about God's power. They know he can do it. That's not the issue. They're wondering about God's heart.
[11:46] Do you not care that we are perishing? This is the issue at hand. Like, is God really so cold that he doesn't even care? And I wonder if some of you, when you're in the storms of life, you're just trying to pray away the storm or you're questioning God in the storm, when here's the thing.
[12:01] The very thing you want him to remove is actually an answer to your prayer. I'll explain that. In other words, you're asking God for something. God is answering you. And then you say, God, why?
[12:12] And he's like, I think you were just praying about that. I'll explain. Have you ever prayed in your life? My hands up. Okay, good. Now, have you ever prayed in your life about knowing God more?
[12:24] I certainly have. I prayed a lot. That whole Philippians 3.10 deal, right? Like, that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, the fellowship of his sufferings. It's kind of a normal prayer we pray as believers. But here's the thing.
[12:35] Do I actually want to know God more or do I want to know more about God? Because here's a, it's simple. It's simple. If you want to know God as your comforter, there has to be something in your life for him to comfort.
[12:50] If you want to know God as your healer, well, you've got to have infirmity for him to heal. If you want to know God as your restorer, something's going to have to be removed or taken from you.
[13:04] If you want to know God as your provider, you've got to be in need. Let's go a little bit more extreme. If you want to know God as your resurrection, you have to die.
[13:15] See, even the very last stage of life is an answer to prayer. Death itself is an answer to prayer because I said, I want to know you and the power of your resurrection. I don't know how you can know the power of God's resurrection without some death involved.
[13:27] So often we ask to know him, but we don't want the platform. We don't want the opportunity. So I pause right now and I want you to think about your life. Where right now in your life has God just given you a platform for his glory and you're actually praying it away?
[13:42] You're going on Wednesday night to your local meeting and you're saying, pray this away. God says, why do you want it gone? I want to show off. I want to show off through you. I want to show my goodness towards you.
[13:53] I want to show how faithful I am for you. I want to show how much I love you. We say, God, just let it be gone. I don't want the storm. My friends, please see that he cares.
[14:04] Don't you remember that song? Does Jesus care? Right? When my heart is pained too deeply for mirth or song, isn't that it? It's just this depth of him caring.
[14:16] Does Jesus care when I've said goodbye to the dearest on earth to me? I remember that verse being really powerful to me when my parents left to go back overseas when I was in university. It wasn't even death, but I remember, does Jesus care?
[14:29] And yes, he cares. I know he cares. His heart is touched with my grief. And this is what is going on here. He seems to be sleeping, but really he's setting the stage.
[14:40] So we see that they ask this question, does Jesus care? But now notice something else. In verse 39, it says, he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, peace, be still.
[14:52] And the wind ceased, and then it goes on to verse 40. It says, he said to them, but hang on. That's Mark. Mark is telling the story, but Mark is not telling the story chronologically. Mark is telling the story in a narrative kind of way for us to get the story.
[15:07] But turn back to Matthew chapter 8 because there's a very important lesson I want us all to get. It's the same story, Matthew 8. And we'll look at verses 23 to 27.
[15:18] But Matthew does something differently. Matthew tells the story in order. And the reason I know in order is we have some key connecting words that remind us this is actually a chronological approach.
[15:30] So look what he says here. Verse 23, they got in the boat. His disciples followed him. A storm rises up in verse 24. Jesus is sleeping. Verse 25, they went and woke Jesus saying, save us, Lord.
[15:42] We are perishing. And he said to them, why are you afraid, O you of little faith? And then look at the next line. Then he rose. Then he rose.
[15:54] That's so vital because what happens? Before he rises, he says these comforting words to the disciples. They might not sound comforting, but they are. Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?
[16:06] So imagine that the boat is filling up with water. They're about to go down in their own minds, right? And it's like, Jesus, you got to act. And he's like, he gets up.
[16:17] And I can just imagine like the rain just pouring off his face. And the lightning crashed him. Stares the disciples being like, how are you guys afraid? O you of little faith. And the disciples are like, don't you want to do something about the storm really fast?
[16:29] Because it's like pretty urgent. And he's like, they're just hanging out, having a conversation with them. Sometimes does it seem that way in your life? You got a storm. You want it gone. And Jesus is just like chatting with you.
[16:41] He's like, I'm not taking it away right now. Yeah, that cancer that you want gone. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. That's really a precious vehicle. We're going to have some intimacy in this storm. We're going to enjoy each other in this storm. Some of you guys know this story.
[16:53] A lot of you don't. But I have a very dear friend. And I'm trying to share his story as much as I can because I think he's an example for the church. An American guy. He's a pastor in Hawaii. Now, you might think, Hawaii.
[17:04] Wow, what a privilege. No, no. It's like I didn't have electricity when I went out there to teach at the Bible school he's at. So believe me, it's not like St. Louis kind of modernity. But anyway, he's in Hawaii teaching. And he started this school.
[17:15] And he's a pastor. Anyway, he got cancer recently, last year. And it was kind of a, you know, he's in phenomenal health. He's in his probably about 60 years old.
[17:26] But like really like just kayaker, swimmer, surfer. He's in great shape. And he goes and had cancer. Well, they're like, eh, it's not that serious. We'll operate. You should be cancer free.
[17:37] Well, he gets the operation for his cancer. They do the scan, the check and all that. And then all of a sudden he gets a call back from the doctor. This is last spring. And they say, we don't know what happened.
[17:47] Bob, Bob Hallman's his name. We don't know what happened, Bob. But the cancer is all over your body. You're stage four. You're dying. And there's really nothing we can do. Now, all of a sudden it went from just, he feels great, having a little cancer surgery, and now he's dying.
[18:03] Now, that's a storm. But in this storm, I want you to see how my friend reacted. Because he reacted in a way I have rarely seen. And not only did he react in this powerful way, he became a platform for God's glory like I have rarely seen anywhere in the world.
[18:21] And this is in the United States of America. He started getting so pumped because everybody wanted to hear his last words. He started sharing Christ and the hope he has saying, this cancer, this is not the last chapter.
[18:34] It's not that big of a deal, but let me share with you what I have. And though, he started leading Bible studies in the hospitals. Nurses started coming to Christ. The doctors would come in just to hear and preach the gospel. Everywhere he went, he was just a platform for God's glory.
[18:47] It got ridiculous because God didn't take his life. And he just kept going more and more. Like, I want to say overboard in a great way. Overboard for the Lord. I mean, like, he was just pumped about cancer.
[18:58] He's like, guys, this is the greatest thing that's ever happened to me. Finally, finally, his Facebook posts were just like, I mean, you would just think this guy had won the lottery every single day. And he's dying of cancer.
[19:09] And finally, he wrote this post that just, man, it just summed it up. And he just got so many people asking him, how can you be so excited with cancer? And he wrote this on August 14th.
[19:20] He said, I've had a number of people ask me, how can you be so full of joy in the midst of aggressive cancer? So I just had to sum it up to my top 10 reasons. I won't read you all of them. But, I mean, every reason he has references.
[19:33] He's got sub points. I'm not reading you all those. Like, some of them are like, man, the grace of God and the strength of Christ and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit is just so evident. Go down to verse number five. The appreciation of death's redemptive benefits that death transports me into eternal life.
[19:48] Or this one, the joyful expectation of receiving my new body. I'll finally be free of the body of death. Or going on, the rich reward awaiting the saints. It's going to be worth it all.
[19:59] Or, this is probably my favorite, number eight. The long engagement will culminate in union with Jesus Christ. My wedding day is about to happen. The promise of the restoration of all things.
[20:09] He just keeps going. He gets so pumped. But why do I share this example? I share it because we all have storms right now. And I want to suggest to you that what God wants you to see is the very opposite of what you're probably seeing.
[20:24] That is, stop praying away your storms. And start using them for God's glory. Let's flip our prayer meeting this Wednesday night. Like, let's get pumped about all the unemployment that's going on.
[20:37] Let's get pumped about the sickness and cancer that Aunt Marja has right now. Like, let's get excited that we can pour into those hurting. We can come alongside like the church is supposed to do anyway, right?
[20:50] Come alongside. Encourage. Serve them. Give to them. Provide for them. Love on them. The church, when they show the love of Jesus Christ, the world will know us by that. So, all these storms, it's not just an opportunity for the person going through the storm.
[21:03] It's those that get in the boat with them during the storm. This is amazing opportunities we have. Let's get excited. Guys, praise God for cancer. Praise God for unemployment.
[21:14] Praise God for difficult times. Amen. And I'll take it a step further. Like, man, if you know you're terminal, go to the unreached. Oh, you didn't like that one, right?
[21:26] You're like, guys, we're all terminal. None of us are going to be around that much longer. Embrace death certainty. What are we doing?
[21:36] Listen, don't we realize we have one life to live for the King of Kings and Lord of Lords? One life to be faithful to him. Is he worth it?
[21:48] Yeah, he is. He's worth it all. And the problem is, so often we don't have this perspective. Okay, another guy. Bill. You're like, Bob and Bill, you're making these stories up. I wish I was.
[21:59] I'm not. Bill. Bill has terminal cancer as well. I don't think it's cancer. It's a brain tumor. I don't know if it's cancer, but it's a brain tumor. He's given two weeks to live in November of 2015.
[22:10] He's still alive. I saw him this week. He still has like two weeks to live. Like, he's just permanently on two weeks to live. It's kind of cool. It's like, yeah, two weeks notice. Isn't there a movie called that? I haven't watched it, but I think there is. Two weeks notice.
[22:21] There we go. He's got it. This guy is just like passionate about evangelism. But you know, he explained it in a way that will resonate with some of the younger audience. Older folks, if it resonates with you, move on from doing this.
[22:33] All right? We're praying the young people will stop doing it, let alone the older. Video games. All right. He compared it to video games. He's like, you know what? Back when I...
[22:43] What's happening? Oh. Oh, okay. Well, there we go. The hand is on the shoulder. Here's the thing. With the... No, no. You're good. You're good.
[22:54] With these games, he said, I can kind of draw a great illustration. He said, if you play... If you get a cheat code for a game where you have unlimited lives...
[23:04] Remember, this illustration is for like the younger crowd. So if you're like lost about cheat codes and like, is someone cheating? No. Just don't worry. Just like ignore me for the next 30 seconds. Don't sleep, but just ignore me. Okay? So if you get a cheat code and you have unlimited lives, you do crazy things in the game that you wouldn't normally do.
[23:18] Like, you don't care about dying because you're just going to come back and you can do it again a different way and figure out how to beat that level. He said, that's kind of how it is right now, having a brain tumor that gives me two weeks to live.
[23:29] It's just like, it's just like, man, just go for it. Just go for it. And then I'm thinking, we're all in that same boat. All we have is today. None of us are guaranteed tomorrow.
[23:41] What are we living for? If the Lord Jesus comes back tonight, how would you want to spend the rest of today? I guarantee probably different. I can't say guarantee and then say probably. Guarantee it would be different than what we currently are planning.
[23:56] My friends, let's live with the mindset of eternity. It says in Colossians chapter 3, beginning in verse 1, if then you've been raised with Christ.
[24:07] That's the key part. Okay? So, does that include you? If then you've been raised with Christ. I have. If you've been raised with Christ, set your mind on things above. Not things on the earth.
[24:19] Set your mind on things above where Christ is seated, right? But then verse 3, for you died. You already died. That's the good news. You died and your life is hidden with Christ and God. And when Christ, who is your life, appears, you will appear with him in glory.
[24:31] So, now, back to the passage. He says, then he arose. So, first he calms his disciples and then he calms the storm. He does the same thing, by the way, over in Matthew chapter 9 with the guy, the paralytic or whatever, the guy who's lowered down from the roof.
[24:49] Same thing. He's like, son, your sins are forgiven you. And the guy is still laying there like he's dead. He's not moving. I'm sure the whole crowd is like, this is awkward. He just forgave his sins and the dude's still not moving.
[25:00] But he says, oh yeah, that you guys might know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins. Take up your bed and walk. He's like, that's not the big deal. What is the Lord telling you? He's saying the priority for your life is not the absence of storms.
[25:13] The priority of your life is intimacy with the Savior. That's the priority. What are you going for? Are you going for an easy life? If you're going for an easy life, let me just say it like this. Stop following Jesus.
[25:23] Because he just said, if you want to follow me, you're taking up your cross. After denying yourself. And if you take up your cross, you're not going on vacation. Make your choice. Do you want the Jesus of the Bible?
[25:35] Or are you doing like build-a-bear? Make your own Jesus. A lot of us are. It's not a salad bar where you pick what you like and reject what you don't like. Jesus Christ is not someone to fool around with.
[25:45] And Jesus Christ is not someone to decide what parts to accept. Jesus Christ is God. And he is nothing less. And when we come to him, we come to him accepting him as Lord.
[25:57] Are you willing to surrender? He loves you. And the storms of life are simply an opportunity for his glory. I remember quite a few years ago.
[26:08] Quite a few is like four years. That's like how old I am. When I say quite a few years ago, it's like four years ago. All right? But I was teaching a kids club. And it was in Niger at one of our homes.
[26:20] And that day there were maybe 150 kids. Sometimes we have up to 300 kids, especially after persecution, guys. And when I say like recently, for instance, we had three explosives put in our kids club right before the club started. None of them went off.
[26:30] Praise God. One of the kids clubs was one of the places they tried to burn down. But anytime there's persecution, more kids come. Okay? Kids are awesome. Like, you guys are awesome. When there's persecution, it's just like, man, let's go.
[26:41] Like, kids, don't worry about that. It's like, whatever. Jesus is true. So, we were having a kids club. That day there was about 150 kids. All Muslim kids. All right? And now you've got to understand something.
[26:51] You know, you all are Americans. So, you know, you have your gap between seats and stuff. But we sit on the floor. And when I say 150 kids, like between here and about, about your row, brother, four rows back.
[27:04] Okay? So we're all packed in 150 just in this little space. I have, and I'm not exaggerating. I counted. I've had up to 17 children physically somehow on top of me when I'm sitting on the mat.
[27:15] That's how crowded we are. Okay? So, you get the idea. So we're all sitting. That's part of the story later on. So it's not totally abstract details, Jim. Okay? I'm coming back to that. Anyway. So we're all sitting there. And that day, it was my turn to tell the story.
[27:28] So I had two stories to tell. The story of the girl that was raised back to life. Talitha Kumi. You know. Mark chapter 5. And then I also had the story. This story. So, first, I said, kids, I want to try something.
[27:42] So I walked outside of our little covered area. And I looked up at the sun. And I said, go away, sun. I didn't say it in English. But go away, sun.
[27:52] And guess what? The sun did not go away. So I looked at the kids. I said, okay, there's a problem because the sun's not going away. And one of the kids said to me, they said, you're not God. I said, oh, that's right.
[28:03] That's right. Okay, well, let's move on. And I told them the story. And at the end, I was like, that's really strange because I couldn't move the sun because I'm not God. But Jesus says, peace be still. And the whole storm stops.
[28:14] Was he really just a man or was he someone more? Well, let's not worry about it. I said, let's talk about another story. So I told them the story about him raising a little girl alive. But before I did that, I walked up to the little girl. And she had like a boil on her leg or whatever.
[28:26] I said, watch this, guys. And I was like, be healed. And the boil was still there. I said, okay, I think I said it wrong. So I'll try again. So I tried it again. And I still had a boil.
[28:37] And I said, man, this is frustrating. Nothing's working today. And they said, you're not God. Oh, that's right. Okay, well, I got a story for you. I told them the story about the little girl dead.
[28:48] And Jesus comes in with three of his disciples. Everyone else leaves the room except the parents. And he walks to the bedside of a girl in death's sleep. And he says to that little girl, little girl, get up.
[29:00] And death itself responded to the author of life. And I stopped in my tracks. And I said to them again, was Jesus really just a man?
[29:10] Or could it be that Jesus is someone more? And in that crowd of 150 kids, it was a rhetorical question. One little hand shot up. And when her hand shot up, I didn't plan on someone answering.
[29:22] But I said, I knew the girl, Chamsatu. I said, Chamsatu, what is it? And she wiggles her way to standing up. Because she's got people on top of her. She wiggles her way to standing up. She stands in the middle of the sea of children.
[29:34] And she looks at me dead in the eyes. She's a 10-year-old. Dead in the eyes. Points at me and says, Jesus is not just a man. Jesus is the very Son of God.
[29:46] Now, you've got to know something. That's blasphemy in Islam. She's saying it in front of her neighbors, her family, and her friends. And get this. She's literally quoting, word for word, Peter in Matthew 16.
[29:59] And she's never heard what Peter said. The point is the Spirit of God showed her that there is no one like Christ. And what we see here in this passage is not only is there no one like Christ, when you think he's sleeping in your boat, when you feel like he's abandoned you, when you see your boat filling up with water, and you say, we're going down.
[30:20] Guys, he's the Son of God. And he accompanies your journey. I will never leave you. I will never forsake you. So, as I stop, I want to stop in a very atraditional way.
[30:33] I said I was going to do it last service. I'm going to do it this service instead. This meeting. What do you want to call it? I want to give you guys some questions. And you might think this is awkward, but I'm doing it very intentionally. Because I think too often we try to be efficient as Americans.
[30:46] We finish one message. We go to the next song. We finish the song. We leave. We go to a volleyball tournament. We just do, do, do, do, do. We need to just stop and think. Some of you guys will fall asleep during this time.
[30:57] Because, frankly, you don't care much. But this is for those of you that actually care about your life. You've heard a lot from how God sees the storms of life, the situations of life, and the souls of this world.
[31:08] But my question is, where are you struggling to see it like he sees it? Where are you praying away your storms? What storms? Journal about it during these. I'm only going to give you guys two minutes.
[31:19] Where are you trying to pray away storms when he says, I want to use that storm? Where are you seeing souls in the light of time instead of in the light of eternity? Where are you seeing your situations as illogical like the Canaanites versus God's word as the children of Israel were supposed to have responded?
[31:38] We have an opportunity to walk out those doors and not have had another conference. But instead, we can have an encounter with God. We can be different. We really can be different. We can walk out of here and we don't ever have to go back to life as normal.
[31:53] I'm not asking if the person next to you is going to respond to the word of God. I'm asking, are you going to respond to the word of God? Because we can have the eyes of Christ. He's told us what he sees.
[32:04] He showed us what he sees. Are you willing to see what he sees? And then the question is, are you willing to respond? It's going to cost everything. But don't worry. We're going across to the other side.
[32:16] I'll pray after a couple minutes of silence. Take this time before the Lord and ask him what the answer to those questions are in your life. Father in heaven.
[32:53] Father in heaven. I want to say thank you that you love each one of us way more than we love ourselves. And you demonstrated that love toward us and that while we were still enemies of you, still lost in our sins and trespasses, that Christ died for us.
[33:08] And scarcely for a righteous man would one die. But you, so far beyond that, showed us perfect love. And Christ, who knew no sin, became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in him.
[33:23] And it is that love which compels us to ultimately reflect and respond in a way where Christ is our all.
[33:34] But God, there's so many things distracting us. There's so many things that try to blind us. There's so many things that want to detour us. There's so many weights of this world, Lord, that so quickly become our focus.
[33:48] And we forget that eternity is on the threshold and that we have but one life to live and that today is all we really have. So, Lord, my prayer is so simple. I pray that you would wake us up.
[33:59] Just wake us up. Wake us up from being comfortable in a world that crucified your son. Wake us up from treating others the way that we get treated.
[34:10] But instead, I pray that in every aspect of our life, a reflection of Calvary would be what the world gets. You are worthy. And I ask that you teach me, teach us to walk faithfully with you.
[34:24] That we might also say that we fought the good fight. We finished the race. We've kept the faith. Lord, I just commit all my brothers and sisters to you. And I know that without you, we can't do this.
[34:35] But I know that in you, we will do this. As we walk in you, as we walk in the Spirit, we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. So it's into your hands, Lord, that we commend ourselves.
[34:47] And we ask that we might see through the eyes of Christ that the world might see Christ in us. I pray this in that name above every name.
[34:58] The name of my bridegroom, who's coming back very soon. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.